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

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

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!]

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[And from where he is, he'll feel a hot puff of air when she exhales, though it sounds less of a sigh by the end, and more like a low, frustrated growl.

So... so close...]

You should be the one begging...

I'm not the one being tested.

[And there is just a little playful nip, a little tug at her lower lip, his eyes still on hers with that annoying smug look of his.]

No...

[She speaks through that little tug at her lip, though she immediately regrets as much when she hears how breathless her voice is.]

You are the one who is meant to pay up. And you still have not...

[Still holding fast. Not chasing after his lips, no matter how close they are.]

I would think I've paid quite a bit by now.

[A difficult man he is and he considers even pulling away again.]

But how do I know things won't just end after I "pay up"?

[For now he just continues to just let his lips brush against her lower lip, his voice a nice, low rumbling murmur that manages to drown out the swell of music and voices below.]

[She arches her back, meaning to press into him subtly... a tease to counter his own, and her eyes open just a touch, her lashes tickling his cheeks as she tries to read the look in his own.]

What happened to having that faith you spoke so confidently about?

Well there's faith...

[And then a huff of warm breath as a laugh.]

Then there's the fickle bird that likes to flutter around and make things difficult.

[His face tilts slightly so now he's more at the corner of her mouth.]

Not that it would stop me.

[Fickle bird... She laughs quietly.]

And yet...

[She leans back only far enough that she can turn her head to look at him and their lips will still not quite meet. Brush, yes, but nothing more than that.]

... You've yet to do anything. What's holding you back?

The chase can be just as enjoyable.

[An amused grin.]

And...

[Now he'll do something a little different, which is to reach up to tap her lower lip with his fingertip. As he watches her, there will be the small flash of purple and blue as he slowly swipes over her lip with a faint trace of levin, just enough to give her that tantalizing little buzz.]

I just wonder how much you want that kiss.

[Smirk.]

[If the way she moans out loud at the brush of his lightning isn't enough to tell him just how much she really does want it, then there is nothing that she could say that would.]

... And who exactly is the one doing the chasing?

[He's the one leaving her kisses and touches, looming over her like this.]

I'd say it was you, my dear.

[Just some added sweetness thickening her voice, perhaps to mask some of that breathy, needy trembling within it.]

Yet you're the one wanting my kiss, love.

[Another low chuckle as he watches and listens to her pleased, now pushing his fingertip to just inside her lip to feel a touch of her wetness.]

Perhaps we're chasing each other.

[And now he's a little closer to her, that initial mischievous gleam in his eyes darkening just at touch as it reflects more of that want and desire.]

[She laments at him, her frustration mounting with another growl over his finger...]

Then, why not put an end to this game?

[...before she takes it between her teeth and nips on it, her tongue brushing over it to taste.]

Hmm... Should I?

[He'll push in his finger, sliding over her tongue in kind before there's that little buzz again, such careful control of his levin as he twists his finger to rub over the roof of her mouth, sending another thread that spreads out the soft, sensitive space.]

[She is already bursting at the seams, his relentless teasing nearly making her lose her grip entirely on that carefully crafted restraint that she had been clinging to this whole night, and when he slips his finger past her lips and she can taste him on her tongue, the ozone of his lightning like a strong hit as it runs hot all the way down her throat.

She closes her lips around his finger and laps her tongue over it, tasting that heat that lingers behind, and when she opens her eyes, the ambers are dark when she meets his gaze, silently pleading with him. She won't say it, but surely she can show it?

Pleading that they need to ditch this place and find somewhere more private.]

[He watches as if entranced, the way her tongue and lips feel around him making his mind go into a different direction—imagining different things. And so he'll hold her gaze for a moment before his lips quirk into that dark smile, understanding what she wants.

But first.]

Hmm, you held out well.

[His voice is a low, quiet murmur as he pulls out his finger and replaces it with his lips and tongue, finally granting her that kiss as if to reward her.]

[In that short span of a breath before he replaces his finger with his lips—]

I know.

[She accepts the kiss in full, her lips already parting in an invitation for him, her own seeking his mouth, his taste, at long fucking last. How she managed to hold out is a mystery to her with him looming over her like this. It reminds her so much of that night on the terrace, the dimness of the hall and the shadows that fell upon him doing wonders to highlight every sculpted line of his, and to make that spark in his eyes so much brighter against the dark.

The sounds of the hall are drowned out by the roar of blood in her ears, and that sweet sound that leaves the back of her throat when her tongue searches his mouth, savouring the taste. A well-earned reward, she thinks, and she intends to take every last bit of it for herself before the night is done.

And when she comes up for air after however long it's been, her leg has once more curled around his hips, pressing his weight over her again, and the look in her eyes is heady, almost wicked as she seeks his gaze.]

I think it's about time we leave.

[Her hands come up to pop open one more button of his shirt before she uses his tie to pull him in for one more kiss before she's impatiently shoving him back, and then dragging him to his feet.]

Gather our things.

[And once they have it all, off they go, ignoring the looks of the staff as they leave in a hurry, those red lipstick marks still pressed bright and vibrant against his cheeks. With her hands all over him still, she brings them outside, and from here, she has no idea where he plans to take her next—though, there is no doubt in her mind that there had been plans. She knows him well enough by now, and he knows her... that this night would not end so chastely. Especially not after that.

He takes her to the docks by carriage again, but unlike the last time, she cares little for the stares that they receive on the way as they continue to kiss and touch each other, the anticipation far too great for her to simply ignore, Benedikta practically hanging from his arm the whole way back, basking in the heat that he gives off.

And it's there that she sees it—his ship. It's certainly not the Einjerhar, but she is still impressive, boasting high sails and a wide deck. A place where she could perch when her wings are weary...]

[They've had many kisses, and they've had many memorable ones that hold their own memory and meaning. This one would join that list as he hums and threads his hand through her hair as he deepens the kiss further, savoring her taste and relishing in the heat they forge between them. With unfettered greed his hands will rove over her once more, wanting to take just a little more before they inevitably leave.

Continue to build that tension that's already nearing a point of return.

So there will be no real protest or comment on her demands, except for a low chuckle and wry quip—]

Yes, my dear.

[—and soon everything is gathered and they are finally out of there. Out all the way until they reach the pier where his ship, the Enterprise II lay waiting. It wasn't the largest ship, but it was still a sizeable galleon with enough space to grow should his little crew continue to expand. However, what it lacks in size it makes up in speed, its design made to cut through the waves faster than broader ships.

But a tour and explanation of all the ins and out of it would have to wait.

He doesn't even wait for the men who are stationed to lower the gangplank. He just grabs Benedikta, scooping her up into his arms and uses his lightning flash to vault them upwards, landing on the railing before hopping down, leaving a trail of purple levin in his wake that flashes brightly in the dark night air before it fades.]

Now unless you want to be privy to something you don't want, I would advise everyone to disembark and enjoy a night at the tavern instead.

[A crass grin as he looks at those nearest who stare at him still dumbstruck. Some recognize the woman in his arms as the same one from Elah after the gallows, and at that they immediately call for the few that are still on the ship to head out, some actually shoving the shoulders and backs of those still staring in confusion and some turning red at the delayed realization of what their captain was implying.

Chuckling, Cid makes his way to the rear of the boat where the captain's quarters were.]

[As nice as the ship is and as much as she actually would like to see the ins and outs of it, she has far more interesting and important things to attend to. Things that she has been impatiently waiting for through a carriage ride and then a walk along the pier that she can finally have.

Her laughter rings through the air when he scoops her up and bounds up over the side, and before his feet can even touch the ground, she is kissing him, teasing again with another flick of her tongue at the seam of his lips and not realizing that the men are all staring.

Not that she cares, of course. These are all faces she cannot remember nor will they ever be, so she only wraps her arms tighter around his shoulders and watches them immediately scatter at his order, her own grin growing. Why was that so bloody sexy?

Seems they have all gotten the hint, and she can't help but laugh at those that blush at the realization of what is about to happen in the captain's quarters tonight as they rush off, their hurried footsteps disappearing into the night.

Speaking of...

Once they are alone on the deck of his ship, she brings a hand around to caress his cheek, kicking her long, slender legs that are still draped over his arms.]

So. Must I call you... captain now?

[A low hum as he continues to walk over the long deck with long strides filled with only one purpose.]

Doesn't sound so bad, really.

[A smirk as he tilts his head so he can kiss the palm of her hand and nip her fingers.]

Should we try it?

[Power looks so good on him... She thinks he should wear it more often.]

If that is your wish, my captain... [She laces her voice with that sweetness, mostly teasing, but some of it genuine.] This is your ship after all...

[And tonight, she would be willing to oblige.]

[A power that he doesn't really seem so keen to throw around or wield indiscriminately, but he won't deny when it sounds or feels good.

Especially when she addresses him like that.]

Should I have fearsome title? The dread pirate "Cid the Vicious."

[A bit of a wry grin as he thinks of that moniker from before. That time seems a lot farther now.]

[Her laughter—full and genuine this time—rings crystal clear in her chest before her lips are descending to his jaw, brushing over his stubble and enjoying the way that it scrapes gently over her skin.]

The Vicious? [A more sarcastic, yet soft bark of laughter in his ear.] Are you not a little too soft for that? I've yet to see this "vicious" side of you to earn a moniker like that.

[But a side that she would like to see all the same in those quarters of his tonight.]

Ah, but perhaps that's my scheme. Play nice and soft to deceive my foes, and then when they least expect it I run them through.

[A smirk as he glances down at her before he suddenly turns his face so he can capture her lips with his for a quick but rough kiss.]

Maybe you'll get to see some of it tonight.

[Her moan is soft against his lips, pushing back with equal fervour before he's pulling away from her again, and she does chase him this time, leaving streaks of her lipstick along the corner of his already reddened lips.]

I would very much like to meet "Cid the Vicious", I think. See just how vicious he can be.

[She unhooks yet another button on his shirt so that she can slide her hand underneath.]

Now hurry, before I change my mind and steal your ship instead.

[A quiet laugh as he does end up lengthening his stride a bit.]

If you do, I'd just have to steal it back—and punish the thief.

[A light nip at her lip.]

Mm? And if the thief wants to be punished...?

[But she gives him no room to answer as he brings them into the captain's quarters, and there will be time enough later to have a look around and properly take it all in, because there is something else here that she would rather take in at the moment, and before he can even kick the door shut behind him, she's kissing him roughly, passionately, prying his lips open with her tongue as if she means to take the air in his lungs for herself for her next breath.

And once they are on the bed together, these fancy clothes of theirs don't last long at all, although tonight... she leaves that tie on him and that purple lace on her. He had torn it off all too quickly the last time and she was not about to let him do the same again—not when she had picked it out specifically for this, spending hours meticulously selecting a piece that she thought he would like to plunder her in. That she thought might remind him once again what he'd missed through all those years.

As she pins his hips beneath her own to the bed with his tie wrapped around her fist, their lips already wet and red and swollen from the hundreds of devouring, hungry kisses they have ravaged one another with to get here, she yanks him up to her and brings them only a hair's breadth apart.]

Now, show me what kind of captain you really are.

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