oh dear god

[unweaving]

Lady A's Christmas Chaos!!!

Saving the world from assholes dressed like a sofa is hard work, and even heroes need to let loose. What better time than the festive season? So what if you're in a world where Christianity isn't a thing! It's time to don your ugliest Christmas sweater, put on your dancing shoes, and tell those around you just how much you love tolerate them. Dance, sing, bone down on the couch, get so drunk on eggnog you puke on the carpet -- Aranea doesn't care, she's way too smart to do his in her own damn house! GET TO PARTYING.

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[noodledream]

[ Where would the fun in that have been? If Iggy had done that, Gladio would have never had the opportunity to take advantage of the prince, sauntering up with a vaguely smug sort of smirk tugging at his lips. ]

Enjoying yourself?

[somnolentus]

... this isn't really my sort of thing.

[ honestly, he'd be just as happy finding a quiet place elsewhere to take a nap, but that doesn't seem like it's an option that happens to be on the table. so. instead, he squints down at the cup of punch in his hand, nose wrinkling slightly. ] And I'm pretty sure someone dumped booze in this.

[noodledream]

Well, it is a party. That happens at these things. helps everyone loosen up. Even when it isn't their sort of thing.

[ That totally makes it better, right? ]

Why? How much did you have?

[somnolentus]

... I think this might be the first party I've ever been to.

[ he blinks at the realization, nose wrinkling slightly. it's not exactly like he'd ever had the chance to attend many high school parties -- his social circle was always ridiculously small (read: prompto), and not many people want to risk inviting the prince if there's a chance that the entire crownsguard will show up to act as chaperones. ... so. here he is, a fully grown (lol) adult, attending his first party.

but the next question is enough to distract him from his woeful set of life experiences, because... wait, how much has he had? it took him a bit to realize that the weird warm and tingly feeling probably wasn't a usual side-effect of punch, and it seems like a cup keeps getting shoved into his hand whenever he turns around, so... ]

... uh. [ it's a damning answer on its own. ] Enough?

[ oh god. ] ... too much, maybe.

[noodledream]

I guess all those fancy state things don't really count, do they?

[ Gladio muses over that for a moment, because he's been to his fair share of those too. Out of the two, he much prefers the atmosphere of ones like this, where people are more interested in having fun than politicking. It made him want to make sure that Noct enjoyed himself here too.

Although from the prince's answer, it looked as if he might be well on his way there already. Gladio just chuckles. ]

You're still standing upright, you obviously haven't crossed the line into 'too much' yet. Although your awareness has obviously been compromised.

[somnolentus]

[ noctis would point out that gladio's been to enough stupid formal functions to know exactly what they're like without noctis having to tell him, but. ... he's got other things to worry about.

which is why he's staring down at the cup in his hand with a vaguely perplexed expression, brows knitted. ]

... Specs probably already has a lecture written and ready to go.

[noodledream]

I think Specs might forgo the lecture for tonight. [ There's a smirk in Gladio's voice as he leans closer, one arm braced on the door frame above Noct's head, his head bent close to the prince's. ] Considering he's had more than enough to drink himself.

[somnolentus]

[ normally, he might puff up a little at the close proximity, because he's always been childishly resistant to the idea of gladio lording his (vastly superior) height over him. but the alcohol has been enough to put a fuzzy warm edge everything, and the heavy, loose-limbed feeling it's brought with it has made it pretty hard to get too riled up about... much of anything.

besides, there's something warm and oddly comforting about having gladio half-enclose him against the space. the man is his shield, after all, security and protection all wrapped up into the same package, so. he leans into him almost unconsciously, his shoulder bumping the older man's chest. ]

... Ignis? [ that merits a startled look in the other man's direction. ] He's actually drinking?

[ is ignis dying or something wtf ]

[noodledream]

It's a party, isn't it? [ Gladio chuckles, amused by the prince's reaction. ] Everyone's drinking. Even Ignis loosens up once in a while. As shocking as that may sound. Relax. Even you're allowed to have a little fun and enjoy yourself.

[ And because he hadn't missed the way Noct had curled into his personal space in response to his own positioning, he reaches out, one hand lightly falling to the prince's hip to steady him, unspoken permission to stay as close as he wanted, nonchalant and relaxed in the offering of it. ]

[somnolentus]

... it's hard to imagine you two ever relaxing, I guess.

[ because even when it seems like they're at ease, playing king's knight around the table of the caravan or teasing back and forth as they get the camp set up, noctis knows that they're still always on guard. ready to spring into action at a moment's notice, alert and attuned to any hint of danger.

the idea of them loosening up? at a party? it's like finding out that your parents have secret fun social lives. ]