open 🪶 the world owes me a debt, and i've come to collect.

[garudas]

Who: Benedikta Harman & you.
Status: Open.
Where: All around.
What: Oops, all MANTA stuff. And a not-date with Cid.
Warnings: FFXVI spoilers, foul language, suggestive content. The usual.



🗡️ i. bite-sized blessings

[Apparently, Benedikta's ears are looking quite delectable to one small, pink dragon today. This is why she hates Eltrut—half the time she comes here, no, a majority of the times she comes here, there is always something. A goose, a conning healer who sends her out to do his grocery shopping... Today, it is a small pink dragon that has bitten her ear and tries to do it again. She's attempted to swat it away, walk it off, but no matter how fast she moves, it follows her and nips at her, or finds joy in playing with her hair.

Fool her once, shame on her. Fool her twice—]

You little brat!

[—it's managed to grab at her hair, and it pulls, before swooping away from her grappling hands with a chirp, as if it thinks this is some sort of game!?

Someone please help this woman. Or this dragon. She has yet to hear all about how this thing is meant to be returned to Elah, so if you are looking for said pink dragon, here it is.]

🗡️ ii. a steamy winter heist

[It was the exorbitant prices that drew Benedikta to the job first. The black market was always open, and she was always willing. Call it doing someone else's dirty work, if it put a good sack of coin into her pocket, then who is she to complain? Besides, it's not as if stealing something off a ship in the dead of night was difficult—she's done it dozens of times before.

The fact that it was a special sort of tea was only a bonus, so of course she would pocket some for herself... Maybe a handful. Or maybe a whole crate if she could get away with it.

Now, that is the question, isn't it?]

༄ a. getting to the ship. [Perhaps it is your lucky night and Benedikta is feeling somewhat charitable. Charitable enough that she is willing to use anyone she finds as a decoy while she sneaks in to steal the goods. Of course, she isn't about to say as much, as she stands on the docks and stares out to the merchant ship coming into the shore, its lights blinking against the darkening sky.

She has her pipe between her teeth as she almost always does before a job like this, letting the smoke swirl on her tongue before letting it billow outward.]

So, that there is the ship? [She scoffs.] She is certainly impressive.

[As large as a rich, black-market-selling merchant's ship should be. Which is why she's agreed to a "two-person" job.]

༄ b. caught red-handed. [Or, maybe she wasn't feeling so charitable.

As if being caught matters all that much to her. She's in the middle of making off with a whole crate—and the last one, too; people have been busy—of these tea bags (there must be hundreds of them in here) when she hears footsteps coming. She hardly flinches, if at all, and stands there with it tucked haphazardly under her arm while she stares the other person down with a smile before she tosses her head back.

Yep. You saw right. A whole box.]

Sorry. As they say, the early bird and all. A shame you came all this way only to come out empty-handed, but try again another night.

[There may have been a threat underlining her voice somewhere.]

🗡️ iii. poke 'n prance

[Well, at the very least, being paired up with Benedikta for a challenge like this cannot get any better... or worse than this, depending on who you ask. Having a history of torturing others means that she knows exactly where to put the sword and how much pain it will inflict. After all, when fishing for information, it is best to poke and prod it out of someone, and you can't very well gain much from a dead person, now can you?

Which is why she walks up with her own sword in her hand with all the confidence and arrogance of a pretty peacock, her fingers caressing the sharp edge of her blade, from hilt all the way to its jagged tip.]

Now, pay close attention to where I stick you because we can only do this once. Perhaps twice, if you can withstand it.

[She smiles, so sweet and saccharine and sarcastic.]

So, consider this a valuable lesson.

🗡️ iv. coins of the crescent

[Well. What she thought would be a nice, peaceful ride out to this island to fetch some coins turned out to be... well, everything but. It had been fine for the most part, but as the island came into view through the fog, things had started to tip and tip and tip until everything went fucking tits up.

Not only did the crew start to howl and turn rabid, much like those stupid wolves she can hear in the distance, but so did the captain, and now the ship is wayward on the seas at the behest of the waves. Fortunately, she can use the winds to guide them true, but it will take a little more concentration than what she can afford as she drives her sword into the shoulder of one infected crew that lunges at her with what could only be thought of as a kitten's claws.

Don't worry, that won't kill him, but it will send him reeling to the ground wailing in pain, and she kicks him in the gut to quiet him.

Whoever might be standing near her, she will shout at them with no shortage of rage in her voice as she gives her sword a brandish, the blood spraying from her blade.]

Might anyone spare a moment to take care of them while I attempt to not crash this fucking ship!?

[Must she do everything!?]

🗡️ v. untitled goose bounty 2

[Well, this is certainly not what she was expecting to see when she arrived on Eltrut, or tried to. She'd heard sounds from above across the ship's deck first—the worried shouts of the crew and riftfarers alike. Benedikta had been enjoying the peaceful ride in her cabin aboard the Stormbringer, and had half a mind to ignore the noise and go right back to sleep...

...

Until she hears something else.

The loud, low, rumbling sound of a... honk?

Something visceral shatters through Benedikta's whole body then, forcing her to sit up when the flashbacks of those eight-headed geese attacked her not even a month ago. She rushes to her feet and then out the door, shoving people out of her way as she storms up to the deck where she beholds—]

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

[—an eight-headed(?) goose large enough that it could peck out Eltrut's eye.

Much, much larger than she recalls it being.

And she is pulled out of her reverie only by the sounds of magitech cannons being blasted off.]

I see it's come back for another taste.

🗡️ vi. wildcard

[None of these prompts work for you? Want to do something that isn't from the MANTA board? Feel free to hit up my plotting comment, or via plurk @ crystariums! I'm also around on the game discord, and PM works, too! Also open to texts/bottled messages!]

Comments

[ramuhs]

[He half expected to refuse, and he's about to half shrug as he usually does, his arm lowering...when she takes his other one instead.

...

Cheeky little—]

Find, yes. But will I able to do so, ah. That's the question.

[A light, wry grin as he lets her tug him along before taking the lead to guide her down the walkway.]

[garudas]

You do so love being stubborn, Cidolfus.

[He would find a way and pull it off. They are here, aren't they?

And fine, she supposes she will let him lead the way to wherever they are going, but as they move, she looks around.]

Risky, coming all the way here, though.

[Not that Benedikta minds.]

[ramuhs]

Makes it more exciting, doesn't it?

[A more amused grin as they walk under the well-lit streets, the layout, style, and atmosphere reminding him more of the capital cities like Oriflamme.]

Which is why we use an alias—just in case.

[garudas]

[She arches a brow at him.]

And I don't suppose you've already thought well and hard about that?

[Though, she will admit... yes, it does make it a little bit more exciting.]

[ramuhs]

I have. Though whether you wish to remain single or married is up to you.

[A very cheeky grin, knowing how she'll respond to that audacious proposal.]

[garudas]

[It's exactly how he would expect: with a hand swatting at his chest and a very deep pout.]

What, you haven't gone so far as to decide for me? I would have thought you'd go for married.

[The impudent man that he is!!!]

[ramuhs]

[He expected the swat to some part of his body. However, the pout and then actual expectation throws him off.]

What, you'd really want to? I thought you'd throw a fit if I did.

[garudas]

No!

[No, she doesn't want him to!!! Absolutely not. What is he talking about? Don't look at her like that—

She fixes herself, bristling and huffing and straightening out her fur scarf with a sharp clearing of her throat.]

I just thought that you would have already decided that. As you like to do. It doesn't matter. We are not doing that.

[ramuhs]

[HE'S GETTING STRANGE SIGNALS but the idea of her disliking the idea and just her assuming he would do it anyway is both baffling and amusing.]

It would work in our favor.

[Just going to tease her a little.]

[garudas]

And how do you imagine it would?

[With her cheeks burning a bright pink, she refuses to look at him.]

[ramuhs]

Well, we're already a "couple," and one shared last name will stand out less than two.

[garudas]

[Ugh. Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh!!! She hates it when he's this right about something.

There's a silence that stretches on as they walk, the deliberation and her discontent about it clear all across her face, though she still avoids looking at him before she gives a sharp sigh—]

Fine.

[Though, deep down, does she really mind? Who's to say, but he will never find out about it.]

But we are not a couple, Cidolfus. [Before he gets the wrong idea!!!] We are merely getting dinner. However, if anyone asks that might give us away...

[ramuhs]

[And again, her answer defies his expectations. He truly thought she would end up going against it and he honestly would have been fine with it. So there's just an arch of the brow before a quiet chuckle.]

Well, there's an easy answer for such a question.

[That she hates.

And he says with an amused gleam in his eye as he looks at her even though she's still avoiding him.]

[garudas]

[Well, look at her go, subverting all sorts of expectations tonight.]

And? Will you tell me, or is this another one of your "surprises"?

[ramuhs]

I do have another surprise.

[A grin.]

But I just meant that we call our little evening outing a "date."

[Honestly, he doesn't actually care too much what they call this. Calling it a "date" is more for fun and to tease her. But, if anyone else were to look at this, it would certainly looks like a date. And if they want to keep up their little ruse...]

[garudas]

[Of course he does, and she just rolls her eyes, but that fades into another pout as she finally shoots him a look.]

Absolutely not.

[It is not a date!!! They don't need to call it a date!!!]

A simple dinner would be good enough, Cidolfus. We agreed that was all this was.

[ramuhs]

Even if I managed to get us private box seats to the opera house tonight?

[garudas]

[She stares at him. No, balks at him in disbelief.]

You did what?

[She tries to look more offended than she actually is, but it makes way for surprise instead, because—]

How in the world did you manage that?

[ramuhs]

[Just a hum as he half shrugs.]

Pulled a few strings. And you'd be surprised how many of those "owners" are no longer around.

[Vague on purpose.]

[garudas]

[Why is she not surprised...

He gets another roll of her eyes. Time to start counting how many times this happens tonight—]

And you had nothing to do with that, I presume.

[There is just the tiniest quirk of her lip, maybe even a tip of her chin in pride. Whatever it means, that he had gone to any lengths to get tickets to something like that, no doubt costly and high-end, makes something flutter in her chest.]

Then we call it a dinner and... the opera.

[ramuhs]

[Just an innocent raise of his hand.]

Not this time.

[....Suggesting that if he needed to make someone "disappear" to take their place for a reason he would, but only for good reason. Getting luxury reservations for a date, while tempting, not quite on his list of "good reasons." At the moment, anyway—]

And I still think a date would make it easier—

[But then he chuckles.]

But an evening out for dinner and an opera will do just fine.

[garudas]

[Will he quit saying it? Every time he does, her cheeks only grow warmer and warmer.]

And so... what special aliases did you pick out for us tonight? I can't very well play the role if I don't know what it is.

[She isn't exactly opposed to the idea of anyone knowing her name. Let the Paladins come for her for all she cares, then maybe she could fish out the ones that had put his hands in chains...

...

But—]

I will not have anyone coming in to ruin our dinner if I can help it.

[ramuhs]

[Maybe when she stops being cute and flustered by it—]

Donnelly is the last name. As for our first names, we might be able to get by with our own. Since I'm more known by my nickname, I figure you using my full name is fine enough. As for your first name...

[His words hang for a moment. He had a thought, but that's definitely pushing it. Pushing it more than him teasing her with the whole "date" nonsense.]

Should be fine as is, unless you'd like something else.

[garudas]

[Donnelly...

She does wonder to herself if that is the last name of whomever's box seats he had taken, and if they are aware that he has. It doesn't matter—she gives a small cant of her head in understanding before a silence falls over them.

Her full name...

Why in the world is there that twinge of disappointment in her chest? Had she been hoping for something else? Something a little less... formal? More personal? More... them?

...]

Benedikta is fine.

[ramuhs]

[He can sense the pause, the silence not giving away too much. Should he have made his other suggestion? Recalling the last time she reacted, he had hesitated.]

Then that's what we'll go with—officially, at least. However...

[His words hang again. Should he... Shouldn't he... Ah. A light smile forms.]

If we really want to sell it, we should use pet names, my dear.