fandomhigh | Team-Building for Fun and Profit! - Thursday, Third Period [07/27].

This week, team-building was going to be held in the danger shop, where an elaborate and very moddable sort of obstacle course awaited everyone...as did a bunch of blindfolds.

"Welcome back, everyone," Ignis greeted them this time with a nod from behind the table that had all the blindfolds laid out in front of it. "I suppose it makes a certain sense for me to be leading the instructions on this week's activity, which will be a challenge in working together with both giving and following instructions. Being able to be clear and precise in your communication with your teammates can often be a crucial factor in success...and in saving lives, depending on the situation. To put these concepts into practice, then, we are going to do an activity that should put some of this to the test.

"Before you is an obstacle course filled with obstructions, pit falls, a few minor puzzles and challenges that you all need to get through. The catch is that all but one of you will be blindfolded, and that person has the challenge of instructing and leading the others through the course to the end. Prompto has set it up so that the maze will randomize after each pass through, so everyone can take a turn being the leader, hopefully, assuming we have enough time. Simple in concept, potentially challenging in execution, but we suppose we'll find out just how well you work together in the dark soon enough. And the sooner we get started, the more you can all work on working together and taking turns in the leadership role."

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"Wasn't really a kid then, not by church standards." She sighed. "I know, I know, the church standards don't matter and aren't right and it was - is - a bad place, but for a body growing up there I wasn't a child anymore."

Her hands continued to with as she talked, unbothered by the topic. "Found out just recently that my mother had me tested then to see if I was, she hoped I was, but I wasn't."

Considering it would only be, wjat? About only two years after that that she'd been married off, yeah, that didn't surprise Gladio much. His next grunt had absolutely nothing to do with anything Nell's hands were doing and he shook his head, just slightly.

"Would it have been better," he had to wonder, "if you had been?"

"You wouldn't think so given the Church's willingness to stone or burn a witch," Nell said, as easily as she might have talked about her ice cream preference. "But... one of the other things I found out was that that was how she hoped to save me. She'd have had me thrown out of the church and spirited me off to live with relatives on the outside." That part maybe had a little more emotion to it - and the rest Nell wasn't ready to talk about, not here, though it was all tied in with the lies John and Leah had told her, what they'd deliberately kept from her to keep her from her family.

"Not sure if I'd ever learned all I could do if that happened. Which might not entirely be a bad thing." She came upon another knot. "Goodness, whatever did you do to get this?"

Were it not for that last part, Gladio would have been quiet for a moment, but because of it, the next grunt was wryly amused. "What haven't I done? Probably a little of everything with a side of not exactly being as young as I used to be. Funny how my respect for older Crownsguard and hunters has grown through the years..."

"Oh, you poor ancient man," Nell said teasingly. "I could get you some porridge and a wheelchair."

"Might be kinda difficult to navigate these streets in a wheelchair," Gladio pointed out, "but that could be a good arm workout."

And that. That kind of thinking was exactly why this back rub was so much work right now.

Nell laughed and continued on. "What were you like as a little boy?" she asked. "I imagine you into everything, but so charming even that young that you got away with it all."

"I'm not really sure charm had much to do with it," Gladio admitted, after a moment to think about that...and maybe just sort of appreciate how much better he was feeling already. "But I was always way too serious as a kid. All about training, had a legacy to fulfil, after all, no time to mess around, you know?"

"So, not much actual childhood either?" Nell said. "I was effectively running a household by twelve. I mean, Leah was in charge at first, but she was already quite ill by then, so it was more supervising, and as she became more frail I took care of it all."

"That's way too young." There. He'd finally said it. Not that it was controversial or anything, but it was good to finally actually say it, and with every ounce of disapproval for it that he felt, too. "They wouldn't even let me officially join the Crownsguard until I was eighteen, even with my pedigree and training."

"It is. I agree."

She knew it. She accepted it. But it was what it was.

She couldn't help a huff of dark amusement. "By nineteen I'd been married for seven years - or eleven if you count my four years here - and was already a widder woman. Which is also far too young."

And now Gladio was quiet, for a moment, not knowing what to say or what could be said or even if anything needed to be. He felt like he should, and he wished he could just figure the right words.

"Well," he finally managed, and he turned a little, not good for the back rub,but much better for looking at her, "you're definitely your own woman now." A small smile, with a touch of rare uncertainty. "Better late than never, right?"

He had time. It would undoubtedly come up another time.

For now though he got a smile and a nod.

And... since he was turned around...

"Gladio? Can I..." She hesitated, then put her left hand on his chest over his heart and leaned in enough to rest her head on his shoulder. "You... I... I'm awful happy."

And here Gladio was just about to remind Nell that she didn't need permission, and then he didn't even need to. He smiled softly, lifting a hand to gently place at her side.

"Good," he said. "Me, too."

And that was a time where he felt perfectly fine with the fact that that was all there was to say.

She stayed there for maybe ten heartbeats, then slowly sighed and slid back around to get back to work. "M'glad you are too."

Team-Building for Fun and Profit! - Thursday, Third Period [07/27].

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