ic inbox

[shootsoff]

ic inbox

voice ✦ text

CODE

Comments

[indeferent]

Just "well"? "Okay"?

[shootsoff]

Really well.

[indeferent]

Deets, Blondie. I wanna know what you two were up to.

[shootsoff]

Just hanging out, you know? I met his chickens. We ate. Typical date stuff.

[indeferent]

Aaaaaaaaaaaand? What else? C'mon, you don't seriously expect me to believe all you guys did is eat and pet chickens.

_{[ U n l e s s . . . ]}

...Or is that what kids these days are calling it? "Petting the chicken"?

[shootsoff]

Wait, what? Petting the chicken!? What are you-

[A pause, then a little bluster, and then...]

We did not 'pet the chicken'! Maybe we kissed, okay?

[indeferent]

<sub>Shit.

[ Godsdamn it. Cue some grumbling and the rustling of fabric -

Then, silence for a moment or two. ]</sub>

What kind of kissing we talking about? Tongue? No tongue? Hickeys?

[shootsoff]

Wait, why shit? What are you shitting about?

[That sounds suspicious.]

Why do you need to know so bad?

[indeferent]

Curiosity?

<sub>[ And then quietly: ]

Noct and I maaaaaaaay have also placed a bet or two.</sub>

[shootsoff]

That's it. Information diet time.

[indeferent]

Aw, come on! You used to grill me about my dates!

[shootsoff]

Not so I could win a bet!

[indeferent]

The bets came after!

[shootsoff]

What.

[indeferent]

After you left, we were settling down for the night and we were talking. Just... Y'know, wondering if you were gonna be okay, all that stuff?

[shootsoff]

Betting on whether I'd make out with a boy, you mean.

[indeferent]

Betting on whether or not you'd pull a me.

[shootsoff]

Pull a you? You mean be charming and suave?

[indeferent]

I figured you guys would be pretty shy, honestly. Both of you. Not that it's a bad thing, I mean?

[shootsoff]

If you're trying to say you're shy...

[indeferent]

I'm tryin' to say you don't strike me as the kind to go all the way on the first date.

[shootsoff]

I guess I'm not. It was really good though.

[A pause.]

There was a little bit of tongue.

[indeferent]

<sub>Damn it. Oi, quit looking at me like that, Princess. Take it and can it.

[ The sound of coins in a bag smacking something, and another grumble from Gladio. There might even be a half-snort from someone, but he's too busy brooding over it for a few seconds. ]</sub>

More like a brat than a prince...

_{[ A sigh, and he shakes his head to himself. ]}

Anyway, I ain't your dad so I'm not gonna lecture you on the whole... _{[ He raises his voice an octave to try and match his father's- ]} "You're an adult, so it's time you start acting like one and think with the head on your shoulders instead of the other one" - _{[ His voice drops back to normal, and he sniffs once. ]} That whole thing like my dad used to. All I wanna say is... I 'unno.

[shootsoff]

[He can't help it, he finally gives in and laughs at that.]

Sounds like he won. Let me guess, he bet nothing would happen?

[A little bit 'ouch' but still mostly funny.]

You wanna say you dunno? Don't worry, I'll be careful. You know me. Always careful.

[indeferent]

More like I was the one who bet nothing would happen. He put money down on you two going at it like a couple teenagers at a drive-in.

_{[ Did they even have drive-ins in Insomnia? Spoiler alert: Totally. Gladio has in fact taken a date or two there just to see what all the hype was about, and he's almost a little ashamed to say he found himself getting too engrossed in the movie - usually old, cheesy films in black and white from his father's day and age - instead of his date. ]}

I— W-Well, I mean, there's that but I also, uh. It's important that you guys're safe, yeah, but it's just as important that you guys had fun.