#shieldofcaelum

[aevumae]

@shieldofcaelum | starter

He all but drags the other man towards the messier parts of the city, where the buildings almost squished together and the streets are narrow. Möngke pauses before immediately heading straight to a rather rundown sushi bar of some sort and waves Gladiolus over. The sushi bar itself looks like it might’ve seen better days, now grown weary and strangely discolored with time.

The Glaive doesn’t seem to care about the building’s condition and heads in, opening the door for Gladio and pointing up at the ceiling of the doorframe. “Watch your head,” is what he means to say with a pointed look.

Inside, the reek of fresh seafood mixes with the smell of tempura cooking. The interior itself is cleaner than expected, thankfully enough. Möngke makes a point to rap his knuckles against the door twice to gain the owner’s attention—who happens to be a withered, gruff-looking woman with a squint to her eyes. She looks up from the cash register behind the counter and scowls before she recognizes one of the customers’ faces.

“Little monkey! I ‘aven’t seen ya in ages!” the owner greets warmly with a harsh laugh. “Brought a friend? Come in, come in—the others took a break.”

Möngke’s shoulders shake with silent laughter as he nods in reply, then he turns and gestures for Gladio to find a seat. 

[culinarystrategist]

@shieldofcaelum

Dark glasses weren’t particularly practical for a place like this, given how dim it already was, but Ignis felt it necessary. He didn’t want to run the risk of anyone recognising him, even if there was next to no chance of someone he knew ever deigning to patronise this kind of establishment. Present company excluded, of course. That company being Gladio, who had managed, somehow, to persuade Ignis out for the evening.

The bar was barely more than a large, underground room, lit by bare bulbs that flickered from time to time. Ignis had grave reservations about the overall health and safety, but Gladio seemed comfortable in this environment and that was enough to put Ignis’ mind at rest. The glass of bourbon in front him didn’t inspire similar confidence. Wine, he could deal with. He was used to wine at official functions, and knew his limits, but hard liquor was relatively unfamiliar to him.

“Smells rather... Pungent,” Ignis mused, lifting the glass to waft it under his nose. “Are you absolutely positive they don’t serve merlot here? I would settle for a cabernet sauvignon. At a push, I’d even accept a pinot grigio.” Casting an imploring look across the table, Ignis took another sniff of his drink and wrinkled his nose.

[sumsatis]

the art demon of being extra got ahold of me

[dalmascasqueen]

The New Bodyguard

It had been weeks since the inauguration day of her becoming Queen of Dalmasca. She had been tackling tasks asked by her people slowly making peace return to the small country. Even the other two countries surrounding Dalmasca was at peace. Yet with this peace now alive in the hearts of every Dalmascan, her advisors still wanted her to have a body guard.

What ever for? She had asked herself multiple times. Ashe, at first was very hesitant to the idea but when her advisors said they didn’t want her to have the same risks that happened to her father. She had agreed but at the same time she didn’t think it would happen.

But to make her people and advisors happy, she sent out word to the peoples that she was looking for a bodyguard. She would be specific on this. But what to look for? She thought about their connection. She needed someone that she would be comfortable around 24/7. Other thoughts crossed her mind but the main one that remained in her mind was the connection.

The day of the choosing of a bodyguard had many people come to present themselves to her. Some irked Ashe and by the end, she felt hopeless. Standing out in the garden, she took a deep breath of the desert air and looked at her flowers.

A servant came up towards her slowly and with a bit of hesitancy he spoke. “There’s a man here who heard of your body guard call….”

“This will be the last one for today. I have a headache from all the others. Let’s hope this man makes a lasting impression. Send him out here.” She said waving the servant away. He quickly obliged leading the man out to her.

[crownedxhunter-blog]

@shieldofcaelum continued from x

“I may just ‘ave to do that, mate.” Because damn did she appreciate seeing him walking around Lestallum without a shirt on. “S’ a lovely tattoo ya got there as well. It really brings out those pretty eyes of yours.” She gave him a smile before sticking her hand out to properly greet him. “Names Yuri.”

[amicitiaxx]

shieldofcaelum liked your post “Like for a starter with brotherhood-era Iris! (Her at about five years...”

Iris had been at home with her brother, but remained in her room playing with some of her toys. That was, until she heard the groan from her stomach. She was hungry, for sure. She got up and headed out of her room, humming a bit as she headed to Gladio’s room and knocked. 

“Gladdy!” She called out. “I’m hungry!”

[treacherousglaive]

@shieldofcaelum

cont from here.

—❝I am, well was I guess. I’m sure there are more out, there has to be....❞

[sumsatis]

‘ just because there’s always room for improvement doesn’t mean you’ll never be good enough. ’

@shieldofcaelum | popular text posts meme | accepting

"You don't get it. For you to be good enough, you just be you: Gladiolus Amicitia, Shield to the line of Lucis, trained from birth to protect. I'd have to be a whole different person with a different life, not Prompto Argentum, nobody and practical leech according to all the other snobs of nobility. No amount of improvement can do that."

Sighing, he shook his head and continued on, voice tinged with determination, "I'm not good enough to be here, never was, never will be. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop trying to be."

[son-of-regis]

Noctis’ training adventure

Noctis had felt a himself being a little weak. After watching a few of the royal guards train and fight each other he knew that he should get stronger. He watched a few more minutes before he made his way to where his sheild was. He opened the door and walked up to him. “Gladio I want to be stronger... I want to stop feeling weak”

@shieldofcaelum

[floweringeclipse]

{ @shieldofcaelum liked for a starter ❀ !}

“50 gil says we can take on this hunt no problem.”

She taps a fingernail onto the list on the diner counter, toeing Gladio’s ankle with her boot to grab his attention. “Look-- the bounty’s a handful of good ingredients we can take home for Ignis.”

[finalfantasysixteen]

@shieldofcaelum replied to your post: I’ve realized the main reason Older Noctis looks...

In the designers defense, he was in a crystal stasis for ten years. I doubt he did much lifting. If anything, he should be skinnier, because of lack of movement and nutrition.

True. But if him sleeping in there was basically a Dues Ex where he absorbed the Crystal’s power so you could also say he should’ve come out in better physical condition.

[treacherousglaive]

@shieldofcaelum

cont. from here.

⊰☠⊱— ❝Idiot...❞ he murmured as he hit the ground, though he wanst talking to the man that scooped him up. the same hair, least quite alike, Luche Say Nyx and not Gladiolus. ❝I told you to run...why didn’t you have to be a hero..❞he scolded, relaxing into the crownsguard’s arms.❝I failed.❞  

[sumsatis]

‘ i want to kiss you in a way that makes you not want to kiss anyone else ever again. ’

@shieldofcaelum | popular text posts meme | accepting

"That's a pretty tall order, big guy." It was almost scary in its immensity as well. "But it also sounds like I'm getting the short end of the stick. I'm stuck in your kiss prison but you're not stuck in mine? That's hardly fair." So, of course, he was going to avoid approaching it even remotely seriously. They didn't call him Prompto "backflip away from your problems" Argentum for nothing. Then again, they didn't exactly call him that either. It was moreso his own personal moniker for himself.

"I don't know if I'm ready to be held hostage just yet."

[suitedfordark]

Florence&tm Starter

ｆｌｏｒｅｎｃｅ ＆ ｔｈｅ ｍａｃｈｉｎｅ ｓｔａｒｔｅｒｓ || @suitedfordark

Gladio dropped his gaze into his hands, fingers picking idly at callouses that had formed over the years– intense scarring that would never fade. The comment made his heart ache. It had been… so long since Noctis had disappeared. They had all gone their separate ways after a couple years, unable to keep the pain at bay.

Ignis and Gladio had run into each other, both of them having taken the same hunt and decided to team up for old time’s sake. They made camp at a haven, just like old times. Even Gladio swore he felt Noctis nuzzle into his arm before he woke up.

“Yeah— the darkness sure has a way of tricking the senses…”

It was probably especially hard for Ignis, who had been robbed of his sight. Subtle brushes of skin, or the way the wind howled just right had made Gladio sure that everyone was still with him, even when he was alone.

He rose from his seat, finishing off the bottom of his coffee and pat Ignis on the shoulder.

“We should get going– this hunt ain’t gonna wait for us forever.”

Ignis drank his coffee slow, the smell of the fire providing him a small distraction as he listened to Gladio’s movements. It sounds like he’s clicking at something soft; he must be picking more callouses... or his nails? 

It’s a silent morning between them, his heart heavy. It’s not Gladio’s fault, it doesn’t lay in any of them. There’s just something about Nocts absence that makes the darkness that much worse around them. Ignis is getting used to it- but he still dislikes the idea of it. He’s isolated in this world, more so than he had before the darkness it self fell. His eyesight gone, Ignis can make out lights with his one eye and little else, it doesn’t help much, but the way the fire plays against Gladios skin and jacket reminds him there’s still a body there. It’s hard to make out and if Gladio was moving it would be impossible to decipher, but he’s sure the Amicitia knows that, it’s why he moves so little and so slow around him. 

Ignis perks, hearing him. “...it does...” he doesn’t say it aloud, but he wakes from dreams sometimes feeling Noct touch him or Prompto nudge against his side; other times when they’re apart he can swear he smells Gladio or the boys getting ready in the morning. What makes it worse is when he opens his eyes he can see them- in the pile of resting chocobos he swears it’s Prompto, the shift of a branch and he can see Noct slouching at their sides. He doesn’t open his eyes often, it hurts too much. Closing them again, Ignis returns to his coffee.

A hand on his shoulder and gentle words reminds him that they’re not granted luxury of time, not that they ever were, but they’re on the move. He gets up and finishes his coffee with a small sigh. “You’re right....”

As they gather their things Ignis pauses. “After this hunt... we are parting ways again?” he asks, he doesn’t want to, he misses Gladio, he misses the real sound of some one else around. It’s painful, but it’s reassuring. It hurts to hear the sounds but wake to no one... at least last night he could reach out and feel the man’s bicep not far from him, assuring him he was there. 

[floweringeclipse]

"Things go wrong no matter what I do!"

Florence + the Machine starters || accepting

{ @shieldofcaelum }

“Gladio don’t–” both hands dart out and somehow, almost miraculously manage to stop her brother’s fist from colliding with the wall. Her pair looks so small and frail compared to Gladio’s but she grips his wrist with all her might in hopes that he doesn’t go for another punch. 

The girl had only seen him do this once or twice before, when he’s fed up and absolutely cannot maintain stoic composure anymore, only this time it’s much worse. Beneath her fingertips she feels his slight shaking, rage and frustration wanting to break loose and wreak havoc on whatever may get in their way. 

His voice breaks only ever so slightly when he curses and blames himself yet again. He then barks out her name and orders her to move. Iris can only squeeze her eyes shut to prevent her own tears from streaming out, pulling down her brother’s arm and pressing her forehead against it. She doesn’t want him hurting himself but she just can’t find the right words to offer. 

Finally she breaks down and there go the waterworks, her own chest heavy from seeing her brother beating himself up over something he had no control over, for not being able to help or comfort him in any shape or form. She can’t tell anymore if he’s still shaking but eventually he loosens up and lowers both arms, jaw clamping shut to resign to silence. The anger is still there, Iris knows, but there must be a better way for him to express it than injuring himself.