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Gladiolus Amicitia ([personal profile] callmegladio) wrote2020-03-26 09:10 pm

► Bits & Bobs: Further Reading and Headcanons


* Just because he's a big guy, please don't be afraid of him! He's nice! Honestly!

* Gladio loves the outdoors. To the point he was was subscribed to magazines on camping and the outdoors and has been since he was in his teens.

* The name Gladiolus was given to him by his mother. They were her favourite flowers and she couldn't help naming her son after them. When she became pregnant with her daughter, she named her Iris. Their fathers favourite flower.

* His mother was an avid gardener and he would watch her tending to her flowers for hours. His mother taught him the gentler things in life. Showed him how to dance. How to appreciate music. He would help her bake. Would sit with her and hold her wool when she would knit.

* Despite this, he is a pretty basic cook. He can cook meat to perfection. He can grill and roast. But he's not fancy about it at all. What he CAN do..... is bake. He is particularly good at making cookies. Blame this on his little sister.

* On the other side of that, his father would teach him all he could from as early an age as possible of the duties of the Kings Shield and started his training as soon as he was able. Gladio displayed an eagerness and aptitude to learning these things, taking to them at an impressive rate. He took his duty to the future King very seriously, even as a child.

* Gladio has a VERY large tattoo that covers his arms arm and back and that swings over his shoulder to his chest. It is a large Bird of Prey, the wings spread across his arms while the body and tail his back. The head of the Bird, for arguments sake I like to consider this an Eagle, hangs over his shoulder toward his heart. This tattoo is not without meaning. This is a tattoo that that the male line of the Amicitia family all get when they take up the mantel of The Kings Shield. It is the symbol of the Shield. Fierce. Protective. Strong.

* Gladio likes rock music. Classic rock is more his speed. Though he is partial to classical music as well, it helps him relax.

* Gladio helped Iris practise piano when she was little. He was taught by his mother but stopped playing when he became the Shield officially.

* As annoying as his little sister is (and what little sister doesn't drive their big brother mad?), Gladio adores her and would do anything for her.

* Gladio loves animals and will pet any animal that will let him (unless Noct gets there first and the silly animals fall in love with him and Gladio doesn't get a chance and it makes him sad). He can hunt, but when he does it's only for food, he never hunts for sport. He respects nature and every living creature within it. He respects life.

* Sometimes he's a grump. Sometimes he growls and tells people to go away. Sometimes he will yell and get angry. And then he'll hate himself when people actually do go away. He never means to hurt people. Sometimes burying down his feelings and his own hurts gets too much and it explodes out. Those he loves usually end up being the closest in the firing line.



* He has a decent sense of humour and will play along with anything he finds amusing, even if he doesn't quite get it.

* NO DAMN RESPECT!

* Gladio loves chocobos! They're damn strong and can hold his weight and STILL remain fast!

* Mint. Anything mint. He loves it. Loves the smell. Isn't bold enough to use the scent on himself, but minty scents he just loves.

* He's a full on carnivore. He LOVES meat. All meat. Any meat. But bacon? Oh my god, he LOVES bacon!

* As a rule he will eat pretty much anything that's put in front of him. He has a cast iron stomach and is willing to try anything! He's been a taste tester of Ignis' for many years. Even back when he was starting out and his cooking was... not that good. Gladio would taste everything. When they visit new places he likes to sample the types of foods there. He wouldn't call himself a 'foodie' by any stretch of the word. He just enjoys what he eats! Maybe not everything agrees with him, but he'll try anything once!



* Can get creative with making up alt swear words. He refuses to swear in front of kids, even if they do it in front of him.

* He never had a pet growing up. He had a little sister.

* This guy can’t really dance to save his life. The only thing he knows is the formal stuff he was taught, so please don’t ask him to freestyle or else

* He's claustrophobic. Not debilitatingly so. But enough that enclosed spaces bother him.

* Gladio has a weird love of cheesy chat-up lines. The cheesier the better! He'll use them with impunity if he knows he can get away with it and not be taken too seriously. He's been collecting coffee themed ones to use on Ignis to fluster him.

* Gladio despite his gruff voice, massive muscles, and towering form is the biggest teddy bear, he can easily make the others smile or laugh when their having a bad day.

* Loves to use the 'I’m older" excuse when bossing the others, including Ignis.

* Neck and sides and ticklish. He MAY punch you if you try this. You have been warned.

* He's not a cupcake. Except when he is.

* He’s a human furnace, always always warm without fail.

* He likes to be held. As much as he loves to be there for others... The day someone is there for him, to hold him just to comfort him, might be the day that person sees him cry.

* Cup Noodles. Need I say more?



* Those weird, frou-frou drinks, frappuccino type coffees and other fancy coffees he loves. Sweet flavours he can't get enough of. He especially enjoys anything with caramel.

* Funnily, when it comes to alcohol, he prefers a normal, average beer. Nothing fussy there. Though he's not against putting a little umbrella in it if he's feeling extra fancy. He'll also accept whiskey.

* When drinking tea, he prefers green tea or herbal teas. He is also partial to peppermint tea.

* Gladio often falls victim to nightmares, only adding more to his sleepless nights. His number one fear is failing at his job. These nightmares often have him shooting up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Ignis is the only other bro who knows about these, because Gladio accidentally woke him once.



* When Gladio was hurt protecting Noct from a drunk and injured his eye, Ignis was there to fuss over him and look after him while he got better. Tending to his bandages and generally being an awesome bestie! Gladio... may have had a crush on him at this point. But didn't act on it. He did, however, love being fussed over.

* Gladio is military trained and from a very young age. I won't say that he is a prodigy, he's just very hard working and applies himself wholly toward whatever goal he sets his mind to. He began training at a young age as well, learning the ways of the sword and hand-to-hand combat.

* His strength allows him to wield Great Swords, swords that are far larger and heavier than normal, as if they weighed nothing at all. Gladio is very effective with these weapons, or with most swords if he is honest. Though the smaller ones, like daggers, he is not very accurate with. And guns are a mystery to him.



* Warping has always been something he would love to have tried out and he used to enjoy watching the Glaves training, wishing he could do it too. He did try once. But without any magical aptitude he couldn't make it work. He was very disappointed but still enjoyed watching the Glaves and joining in on betting which of the new recruits would panic or throw up on their first try. He had a 90% success rate for this!

* Gladio's defensive capabilities is almost 100%. He is literally a wall. But sometimes little things can get through. If he doesn't have his shield he is prone to getting injured as he had no magic with which to protect himself, just his own strong body and the weapons he wields. This is why he depends so much on his companions. He puts his whole trust, all of his faith in his companions to keep him safe while he fights. And in doing so he will keep them safe.

* Despite the fact he can be a BIG FLIRT... Gladio hasn't actually dated much. He's been on less than a dozen. As for falling in love, he's done that once when he was 19. It didn't work out. The relationship only lasted a few months.

* This man gets compliments all of the time from all kinds of people. Hot? He knows. Sexy? Well, duh. Strong and beautiful and amazing? Hell yeah, Gladio thinks so too. Cute though? You’re gonna call him cute? He will not know what to do with himself. He will pop out of existence and only a tomato will be left in his place. (Stolen from somewhere but I love it!)

* He finds great enjoyment in picking up people that are smaller than him. He won’t do it if it crosses any boundaries, but he likes picking people up just because he can. Carrying Prompto because the idiot has tripped and twisted his ankle. And soon to be carrying Madoka on his shoulder! Just a few examples.

* He can get a LITTLE jealous. A LITTLE possessive. He'll try to keep himself in check, but if he feels that someone is paying a bit TOO much attention to one of his lovers, he will make it known that they are HIS and not THEIRS in some subtle way...

* He tries to keep the Alpha Male thing in check. It doesn't always work. Funnily this only seemed to happen when it comes to lovers or food. ^^ Try and get in the way of him and his mate, he'll be pissed. Try and get in the way of him and food, he'll be pissed. Anything else and he's as calm as a lamb.

* Gladio loves to read. It's a form of escapism for him. While he likes a good thriller, he has a guilty pleasure of romance books. Not the bodice ripper novels. A real romance with deep plot.



* Gladio has a habit of going topless, no shirt. He's not an exhibitionist by any means, he's just proud of the body he has. And likes to show off his tattoo. AND sometimes the scar across his chest gets itchy when he wears a shirt. But mostly it's a fashion choice. And he looks damn good in his leather Crownsguard uniform.

* If you couldn't guess, he's a bit of a romantic at heart. A dork he may be. But when he sets his mind to it, he can wax poetic as good as the rest of them.

* When it comes to love, Gladio gives his all. He throws his heart and soul into that person and gives everything of himself to them. He is open, trusting and generous. He shows a gentleness and tenderness to his lover that very few will ever see. He lets his guard down, trusting that person will love all of him in return. Even the soft, squishy parts and the dark and terrible parts.

* SOMETIMES HE LIKES TO BE THE LITTLE SPOON, DAMMIT! Don't judge!

* He likes a bath. Sadly there are not many baths that can fit him. The one he had back home was just right. He misses it. He also likes to read in the tub. You can't read in the shower.

* Left to its own devices, Gladio's chest is a tad on the hairy side. He shaves (or waxes) to keep his chest silky smooth. Nothing can get in the way of his tatt.

* He's not good with technology. He even has some trouble with his phone. He's slow texting, and types with one finger.

* He hates driving. Being as tall and big as he is, even when you push the drivers seat all the way back it's usually a tight fit and is VERY uncomfortable. He's happier sitting in the back where he can read.

* He hates space. This is an honest to goodness phobia for him. It's nice to look at when you're on the ground looking up. Maybe even nice to read about in a science kind of way. But being in space is terrifying. He doesn't like sci-fi shows/movies/books for this reason.

* Gladio keeps feelings and thoughts he shouldn't have in little locked boxes in the back of his mind. A lot of them are dusty with age. He very rarely takes these boxes out to look inside. Most he's already lost the keys to and have faded into the shadows.

* Secretly loves virtual pet games.

* He works out every morning before breakfast. He'll grab a coffee. Shower and THEN he will eat. And then he will go for a jog.

* Training for him is kind of therapeutic. Not only does it help him get stronger, but he can use it as an outlet for emotions should he feel himself getting overwhelmed. That being said, sometimes he over trains and hurts himself.

* Play with his hair. He LOVES it. Touch it, run your fingers through it, brush/comb it and tie it back for him. If he REALLY loves you, he might even let you mess around with it in other ways (braids and ribbons). And little tugs, grabbing his hair when kissed, definitely ways to get his motor running.

* He sings to himself. When no one is looking, or listening, he will sing or hum. He loves listening to Prompto sing.

* Gladio is 100% an aggressive sleep cuddler. If you share sleeping space with him, prepare to be his little spoon.



* He is attracted to strong, capable people... and chocobos. He has a thing for blondes these days.

* Will always wake in the middle of the night to see if everyone is still breathing. If given the opportunity he will ALWAYS take the bed closest to the door in case of threats.

* Gladio has trouble sleeping all the way through the night, sometimes. He feels that he always has to be alert in case something should happen, even at night, leading him to be a light sleeper. Sometimes, he snores too loudly and wakes himself up.

* He's always wanted to hug Noctis and Ignis. Like... grab them and hold them. One of those might happen. But so far Ignis has not given him an indication that a hug like that would be welcome. It makes him sad. He thinks a big hug would be good for his bestfriend.

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[CHANGES AFTER VT]

* Gladio is a much calmer, more centred person after his time on the Void Trecker. Having spent his days in close quarters with so many strange and unique people, Gladio had to learn to adjust. Spending his days reading and tending to flowers in the greenhouse helped. It was a form of meditation for him. There were many calming individuals that he grew very fond of, Glorfindel being one.

* As well as calm, there were points along the way that left scars upon his psyche. Seeing a child murdered, the vision of which was broadcast across the train, will be a sight that will forever haunt him. Watching a world moments before destruction. A beautiful, blue and green world, and knowing that after he was pulled back onto the train, that world and its people were no more, hurt him on a deep level. Homesickness. Depression. Fear. Gladio confronted many of these things, and learned that he was not without a few phobias, some made worse by the train. His fear of space being made worse by being in space, on a ship, where he almost died. A fear of enclosed spaces, where he seemingly disappeared from the train for several days, only to reappear inside of a packing crate that he could not get out of. He was found by Ignis, shaken to his core. It was the first time that Gladio had allowed himself to cry since he was a child.

* On his very first mission, a mission onto a space station, Gladio was subjected to a fear he never knew he had. Preferring to keep his feet firmly on the ground, being surrounded by the vacuum of space was unnerving to say the least. By the end of the mission they were down to fighting. All out attacking an alien enemy with weapons far superior. Gladio was shot through the shoulder while protecting Prompto. A wound he continued to fight with despite it's severity.
When the fighting stopped, it took Prompto's voice to bring Gladio down, and as soon as he did, Gladio collapsed from blood loss. It was Prompto who saved his life that day. He would have died on that spacestation, if not for his friends quick thinking.
Gladio's shoulder has ever fully healed. There is a scar there now. The bone is weaker. It aches almost daily, worse in the cold and the rain. And is nothing less than he deserves. A reminder that he can't ever lose control of himself again.

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[This will be added to periodically as new information is made known to me (or I think it up/remember)]