manspreading | more fighting, less bitching

"I've embraced my duty and I take pride in it.
When you can't focus, I'll focus for you... so let me do it, alright?"

PLAYER
Player name: Jan
Contact:

cantito
Characters currently in-game: Matt Murdock

CHARACTER
Character Name: Gladiolus Amicitia
Character Age: 23
Canon: Final Fantasy XV
Canon Point: Chapter 8
History: wiki link
Personality:
Above all else, Gladio is loyal. He comes from a long line of king's shields and has trained all his life to be Noct's bodyguard. The Amicitia line has always been sworn shields to the kings of Lucis. From birth, they are sworn to protect and defend the royal family, an honor that goes back as far as anyone can remember. That in mind, Gladio has spent his entire life fulfilling his duty and upholding his family name as Noctis' personal bodyguard. He is Noct's protector and guardian, and looks out for him whether the young prince likes it or not. For Gladio, it isn't just about doing the right thing or guarding Noct because it is expected of him. Most of his life and self is defined by his duty.

As the king's shield, Gladio considers his #1 priority to be Noct's safety, but that protectiveness isn't exclusive to just the young prince. Gladio is also an older brother, and he is just as protective of his little sister Iris, if not more so. Defending others comes naturally to Gladio—he'll gladly place himself between his friends and their enemies to keep them safe. Even his hobbies are to the benefit of his friends. It's no coincidence that he enjoys camping and outdoorsing. Survival skills are the perfect compliment to Noct's sheltered lifestyle. Someone's gotta know how to pitch a tent. Gladio keeps in shape and trains his body to be ready for any threat that he could possibly meet as Noct's bodyguard. (Not that he doesn't also work out for fun, trust me, he does that too.) His strength allows him to keep those closest to him safe, and that's always going to be his first priority.

Gladiolus is often in control in battle and is a lot smarter than most people give him credit for, often divising stratgies and providing the team with backup plans. He enjoys reading and keeps himself up-to-date with the goings-on in Insomnia, not content to just rest on the laurels of his privileged upbringing. I mean, he even surprised Ignis with his knowledge of Biology when they first meet a published author out in Duscae. Dude knows his stuff.

Besides his sense of duty, Gladio enjoys helping people because he is, at his core, very kind. His work protecting Noct means Gladio tends to keep to a small circle of friends, but this is more by choice than by nature. Gladio enjoys meeting and interacting with new people, and tends to warm up to folks well as part of his job balancing the other members of his little team. He's not a man of words the way Ignis might be, but he cares deeply about Noct and considers him his brother in the same way that Iris is his sister. Just, y'know, he spoils Iris and never stops giving Noct shit. It's the same love in different forms, promise. Of course this often means he butts heads with Ignis, who prefers reason and logic over Gladio's more emotional approach, but the two of them have an understanding that they both want what's best for Noct even if their methods clash more than they coincide.

Naturally you can't spend your whole life protecting others without that taking its toll as well. Gladio is open and honest—sometimes too honest admittedly, but he's the kind of guy who asks direct questions and expects direct answers. He won't stand for bullshit and tells it like it is. He works well under pressure and is reliable in a clutch, but he expects the same from the people around him and those expectations aren hardly ever fair. He is especially hard on Noct, (being the future king and all,) but his brand of tough love can take some getting used to, and isn't always well-timed.

Basically, when Gladio gets mad or emotional, look out. Gladio stubbornly believes he knows what's right and often has the training and knowledge to show for it. That bull-headedness comes in handy for smashing monsters and guarding Noct, but it makes him pretty hard to handle sometimes. His anger can often be quite explosive thanks to the fact that he bottles up his emotions more often than not. He's open and easy to talk to, but he hides his own pain in favor of caring for others. Rather than show concern for his father's death or Ignis' accident, Gladio focuses on caring for Iris and scolding (more like: chewing out) Noct when things go south. In general, he's pretty much against navel gazing in general and would rather act and speak his mind than worry too much about feelings and introspection.

Despite his sometimes brutish way of sharing affection, ultimately, Gladio will always concede so long as Noct's safety is in the forefront of any decision. Well, and wherever Cup Noodles are involved. He loves Cup Noodles.

Inventory: Gladio's weapons exist in a sort of... magical hammerspace, thanks to Noct's own magical connection to Insomnia's crystal. So while his sword is literally taller than he is, it doesn't actually take up any space. He also carries a shield as his sub-weapon which, like his greatsword, can be summoned at will. He'll arrive with his Crownsguard fatigues (a leather jacket and leather pants should really not be an official uniform, but they are) and minor stuff like his necklace, glove, etc. And hell, why not, let's say he'll arrive with all of the gang's (Coleman™) camping gear because you can't call yourself a master of survival without being prepared to camp at any time.

Abilities: Gladio is the team's heavy-hitter and tank. He isn't Noct's Shield for nothing. He excels at survival and combat, using his superior strength and training to overwhelm foes in battle. He's also the one who trained and taught Noctis how to fight, so it's pretty much canon that he's the guy to beat out of the chocobro squad. However, this doesn't mean Gladio's stupid or anything. He may not be as devoted to research as Ignis, but Gladio is an avid reader and knows a good deal of battle strategy as well.
As for specific abilities, Gladiolus can perform all of his Techniques: Tempest, Dawnhammer, Cyclone (which is technically a link attack for Noct,) Royal Guard and Impulse, as well as his Teamwork Abilities: Reflex, Engage, Intercept and Antagonize.

Flaws: Gladio's biggest weakness (besides his Cup Noodles obsession?) is his hot temper. He's often loud and honest when people really don't need that, and tends to demand from others the same standards he expects from himself. His way of dealing with loss seems to be "just ignore it" or maybe "go on a hunt solo and kill some things" rather than talk about his feelings. (Do you know how Gladio responded to his father's death? Neither does anyone.) He gets super angry at Noct after Luna's death and basically chews him out for wallowing and being sad, even though they'd all just suffered tremendous loss. In truth, it's more likely Gladio was just taking his anger out on Noct and wanted him to just take responsibility and go already, but you know, why talk about things when you can yell at people?

SAMPLES
Action Log Sample: tdm link