middleofsomewhere | Onward: Orange

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Onward: Orange

On the second night those still on the train may be woken by rough seas, the train lurching and rolling in the waves.

If they manage to sleep through the choppy waters they might instead be woken by the voice over the ICPs. "Orange team to doors. Orange team to doors."

Those that head the instruction and exit out of the luggage carriage or dressing room doors will be met with a strange sight.

The sea is glowing. Or at least part of the sea. Underneath them, from where Bui lies there is a light that shines upwards through the dark water, rippling over the water, breaking into specks of light in the waves.

It seems it is time for another investigation.

Night Dive

The water is even colder at night, the water eerie as they make the dive down to the city. The whole city is lit up, light reflecting off shells and coral.

The light seems to be coming from the far palace. Outside the palace there is a sigil, in the shape of a shell, glowing brightly. It had not been there before, nothing to suggest there had been anything special about that patch of ground. Yet it glows now.

Crabs

The city of Bui, until now, has been peaceful, eerily empty even. But as they investigate they will find a different problem. Some of the giant crabs have found their way to the city. Not overwhelming numbers, but enough to be a problem, especially as their aim seems to be attacking the sleeping citizens.

On the Train

For those who remain on the train dawn brings it's own problems. Dawn breaks into darkness, the sun barely penetrating. Shadows are deep and the temperature cooler. It is not too dark to see, more like an endless twilight.

The seas remain rough and choppy, like a storm is brewing.

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Gladio shook his head, it wasn't lightning hitting the divers he was worried about. Though now there was the worry of it hitting the train... Was the train protected against that? He had no idea.

"More worried if things get worse the train'll leave and the people outside will be left to fend for themselves." Gladio admitted quietly and shot the kid a glance. "It's got previous. Who knows what'll spook it now."

Yugi paused for a moment, he hadn't even thought of that possibility in that moment. Would the train really do something like that again but this time actually leaves everyone in order to do it? he honestly couldn't say one way of the other and the slight look on concern was now across the young man's face.

"I like to hope that it won't do it again. I think there was something more to the last place and what happened that we don't know yet." he wanted to hope it wouldn't be as heartless as to leave all those people behind without once again forcing them.

"I assume you worry because Prompto is out on the mission, right? You worry that the train might not bring him back if that does happen." He was at least aware the other had come to their room sometimes so he was aware of the fact they were at least close.

He hated putting that thought in Yugi's head. but the kid has asked... "Hope it doesn't either." Gladio muttered gruffly, looking out at the stormy seas. "I know the situations are different. But it doesn't change the fact this train can be spooked if it thinks it's in danger." And yes it had saved all of it's passengers at the time. But at what cost?

Gladio stiffened a little at the mention of Prompto like that. While neither had made it a secret they were together, it was still strange for him to hear people other than those from his own world bringing it up. Not that Yugi had of course. It had been a perfectly innocent question... Gladio shook his head. "Prom's fine. If this thing doesn't bring them back... it's life won't be worth living." And that was a fact. Gladio would raise hell until it gave him Prompto back.

When he had asked the question, he didn't know what he was expecting or even why he had thought to even ask the question in the first place. Maybe because his mind had been on a certain subject? He wasn't sure, but his mind was back to drying to with the towel that was in his hand.

"I can tell you two are pretty close... Though..." He found himself pausing again. Was it a good idea now of all times to ask? Esepcially considering the subject before.

"Is it okay to ask you something? I don't know you beyond when you come into the room for the night sometimes, but it's because of it that I feel like I can actually...ask... this question."

Gladio had relaxed, he didn't know why it had bothered him. It wasn't that he was ashamed, not at all. It was just... strange to hear others bring it up. He supposed it would do him well to get used to it.

He turned away from looking out at the water, his cup of now too cold tea still in his hand. Gladio offered a kid as kind a smile as he could. "Sure, ask away." He had no idea what he was setting himself up for here, or if he would even have an answer he could give. But Gladio would never know unless he heard the question.

Yugi didn't quite understand why he felt sort of nervous about what he wanted to ask. Maybe because he was worried about the answer or possibly no answer at all. Maybe he was worried about what could be at the end of this.

But he knew he needed to figure it out, either way, so he could figure out what his next steps could be later.

"How did you enjoy how you felt about him the way you do?" He had stopped what he was doing during that time as he simply looked at the towel. "Like...how did you know it was more than what you thought it was? Does that make sense?"

Oh, Six help him... this was what the kid wanted to ask him? Gladio was certain there was a hundred others better equipped to answer this question. But he also realised most of those were already off the train.

Gladio gave a low laugh and a slow shake of his head. "That's ah... tough. I don't think something like that's universal. There's no ping moment where you suddenly realise 'they're the one', that's stuff for movies and tv." He lifted his cup to take a drink, realised it was still cold, and sighed. He'd get a fresh one later.

"You're asking how I knew I loved him and not just as a friend?" Gladio asked with a surprisingly gentle smile. "Just to be clear." Because like was something different. Knowing there was more was different. He was curious just what Yugi was really wanting to know.

He nodded slightly. He knew he hadn't made sense right off the bat, but he also didn't understand his own situation which was in most part thanks to Prompto of all people.

"That's actually it. I didn't explain it in a great way, so sorry about that."

Gladio leaned back against the door frame and once more turned his head to look out at the stormy sea. How did he know? That was an interesting question.

"No need to apologise, kiddo. You're fine." He smiled and glanced back. "But you sure know how to ask the hard questions."

"Look, I really think it's different for everyone. I can only give you my opinion, it might not apply to you." Gladio took a deep breath and then let it out on a slow sigh. "I fell for him long before he fell for me, I think." He started. "Didn't even realise it was happening until he was so far under my skin there was no way of shaking him." Except he had, in a way. He'd done his best to keep his distance. He'd tried hard to ignore his feelings, though no matter what he did sometimes they would bleed out without him realising.

"I realised I loved him the day he joined the Crownsguard. That day I saw a strength and determination in him that just spoke to me. It was when I kept going back and watching him that I realised. I couldn't keep lying to myself. I'd fallen for the guy. He wasn't the Princes annoying bestfriend anymore. All those things I thought I'd found annoying about him were suddenly the cutest damn things. I couldn't take my eyes off of him... He was on my mind constantly... That's how I knew."

"Yeah... sorry about that." He didn't think at the time it was actually a hard question to answer, but considering how complicated the subject matter was? How did he not think it was. But he knew right now he should turn around and listen to the other. After all, he had asked it would be rude otherwise.

As he listened he took what the other was saying into his mind and then pondering over it to his own situation. Were there things that were similar. When he thought about it, the more he started to notice little things. How often they were around each other when before odds were it would have been more limited. The way he admired the other and just how far he had managed to come on the train. It was the little things that seemed like on the surface were things a friend would normally do, or at least at the time.

But as soon as he felt his heart pound a little bit more, it was a much clearer picture now. Maybe what Prompto was seeing was something that he himself hadn't noticed. More so something Yugi never had considered before. That he actually liked Kaiba more than a friend.

But he soon smiled at the other. The talk had actually been helpful. More helpful than he had actually been expecting. "Thank you for telling me...It actually was a lot more helpful than you probably will realise."

Edited 2020-05-18 19:45 (UTC)

Gladio waited quietly as Yugi worked through what he'd been told. He waited... and soon he was rewarded with a smile. Okay, so maybe he hadn't said anything too crazy. That was good. And he'd apparently said something helpful. What that was he had no idea.

"No problem. Though... Mind if I ask why you asked in the first place?" He was curious now. "It's fine if you don't."

"Ah, sure." He seemed awkward, but he knew to be polite enough to say something. After all he knew Prompto started this whole thing off, so he didn't know if the other was aware or not either.

"The reason is Prompto confused me and someone else for a couple. Because of that basically I've been trying to figure things out for myself and to see what he might have been seeing that I haven't. Is there something there or not. I at least have some idea now thanks to your answer."

"Ah." Gladio had to laugh, a knowing smile playing upon his lips. "Understood. Prom is... It's hard to say if he's crazy observant or just stupidly lucky at guessing. He sees things most people wouldn't. Sometimes there's nothing to it and it's just his wishful thinking. But most of the time..." And he was guessing this time Prompto had been on the money, if Yugi had walked away thinking things over.

"So you're thinking you might like this person?" Gladio asked then with a kind smile. "Someone you think about a lot?"

"I think this was more what he observed and made a guess based on what he saw." Considering what Prompto has actually said to him this had been his conclusion. So in his mind a combination of both.

But at the question, he turned his head away slightly. "Maybe... I mean... Sometimes I do., but it wasn't until recently that it's been more often because of this."

"Sometimes it takes a change of scenery to see someone in a different light." Gladio said with a low chuckle. Had they still been on Eos he would still be very much single. He would never have thought, not for a second, that Prompto could think of him in the same way. "... Or someone else to point it out. It can be hard to see yourself, I guess. Stuff like that can happen without you realising."

"That seems to be the case." Which was still a strange thing to admit. That a different situation or setting could cause something like this. To realize something that he might never have back home.

"But not much I can do about it at least for the time being." He said eyes looking at the floor briefly. He knew it could go one of at least three ways. Either the other feels the same way, he does or he is unsure because there might be another, but he knew Kaiba would need to figure that out on his own and was willing to give him that time.

"I am at least aware of how I feel now, but... I can't really say anything yet."

"That's step one." The rest of the steps were trickier, but it sounded like Yugi already realised that. So Gladio smiled and reached out to drop a friendly hand upon the kids shoulder. "You'll do good. And if you need to talk, come find me. At the very least I can listen." Of course, Yugi probably had people much closer to him he could talk to. But it made Gladio feel better to be able to at least offer.

"Really hope you find what you're looking for though." He grinned. "Can honestly say, I'm glad I admitted my feelings. Keeping them hidden just didn't feel right." And being with Prompto, loving who he did, it had made him happier than he'd ever remembered being. It was a feeling he didn't want to ever lose.

Yugi knew what the next step technically was, but at the same time, he had said they would talk at a different time about it and Yugi had said it for a rather good reason. That Yugi would figure it out way before the other did and he knew the other probably still needed that time. It was fine for keeping things quiet until then. He knew how to anyway.

He gave a small nod of his head, a smile on his face. "I will keep that in mind. I am sure things will work out for the better or worse when the time comes to it." He just didn't know when that time would be for the most part. His main worry, however, was the through of things not going well and it causing some negative repercussions.

"I realize this was also probably not the best time to have actually asked considering the weather."

"Don't worry about it, kiddo. This is as best a time as any." And probably as good a time as any for a conversation like this, given his own mental state. Two weeks ago he probably would have walked away from this conversation. But it was much easier to handle now. And he was sure things would work out for Yugi. He was a cute kid. Sweet as well. Whoever he liked would be sure to return his feelings. And if not... Gladio would question their sanity.

He nodded slightly. He knew what he had to do now, but at the same time he also knew that if Kaiba were to figure it out he might take a little bit longer... It was hard to really think of when the best time would be.

"I should maybe take some towels to the places where the team might come out of ready for them."

Gladio nodded in agreement. "Good idea. I think I'll go and see about getting some food started." He smiled and pushed away from the door frame he'd been leaning against. "Any requests?"

He shook his head slightly. he at least didn't have anything in mind at the time.

"No, no requests from me at this moment."

"Then I'll see what I can rustle up." He smiled as he walked past Yugi and lightly patted the kid on the shoulder as he headed to the kitchen. "I'll see you later, Yugi."

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Onward: Orange

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