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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[the other person in this two man team looks far less impressed upon seeing the ship in question. eizen eyes the vessel up and down as it draws ever closer. after a moment, he snorts and folds his arms across his chest.]

She's all show without any substance.

[big but not much else.]

The construction doesn't look terrible from what I can see, but it's nothing any true sailor would give a second look at. [how disappointing.] I understand that elaborate craftsmanship and black market seldom go hand-in-hand, but investing proper funds in crafting a vessel truly worthy of the blackmarket isn't beyond their means.

[it's almost like a child grumbling about a toy not living up to expectations. but also, how can he not judge this! the blackmarket has the means to go above and beyond with their ships. there's ways to make it extravagant without it drawing too much unwanted attention! the van eltia has managed it that and then some so the black market damn well can, too!!]

[His grumbling and comments on the ship only make her laugh. Just another tick on the list of reasons why she doesn't mind Eizen's company. She isn't so well-versed in ships as he, but she can appreciate and understand where he's coming from. It isn't so much the ship she's concerned with, anyway.]

Well then, all the more reason to ransack it, yes? And maybe we can teach them a lesson or two on the way?

[Nor is she concerned about the people on it.]

[the response results in eizen cracking a grin as he glances over at her. benna's solid company herself. someone who has similar morals to himself, can hold their own in battle and can crack quips? perfect company for a pirate to keep.]

Aye, a fine idea. Naturally, we'll be charging them sizable tuition fees for lessons of such caliber.

[aka they're robbing that boat of anything worthwhile. the target comes first, but other treasures can't simply be left behind if they can help it.

that grin shifts back to a more serious expression as he turns back to the boat.]

We'll let her pull up close and see what she does. If she docks immediately, we can sneak in. If she stays at distance, we'll have to go to her ourselves

[which shouldn't be a problem. boats at docks are a dime a dozen. surely some poor soul won't miss their small boat going missing. who knows, maybe they'll even be kind enough to return it. ...eh, probably not.]

Why wait for her to come to us?

[There's a sudden wind that kicks up, splashing the water up and around the pier they stand on, her lips curling into a dangerous smile.]

When we can go to her? I promise that they won't suspect a thing.

[the wind blowing out of the blue gets eizen to briefly look around before regarding benna. between those words and that smile, good chance she has something to do with it. color him intrigued.

eizen slips his hands into his pockets.]

A hefty promise to make and one I'm curious to see how you'll keep.

[and that confidence behind those words is a solid guarantee she fully intends on keeping it. ]

Anything you need from me while you do what you need to?

No. Just hold onto something.

[Because the waters will splash and he might feel that push from the winds now, the boats docked near them rocking on the waves. It doesn't reach as far as their target, and while she could simply drag them in by their sails, there is hardly any fun to be had in that.

But he really will need to hold onto something, because there's a violent and sudden shift, and what was once a gentle, if not strong breeze, now turns into something sharper as it whips around her until she's fully engulfed within them, all while spraying an accidental mist of seawater at Eizen. When she emerges, her wide, feathered wings bat the winds away and her skin glows and pulses with green aether, her feet several inches above the ground.]

You are not adverse to flight, I hope.

[cue the quirk of a brow. weird thing to suggest but he's not one to disregard advice, especially coming from someone like benna. wordlessly, he grabs hold of the nearest part of the pier and, boy, was that a good call. that's one hell of a gust. if eizen were less sturdy, he'd be in the water despite bracing himself.

it dies down as suddenly as it began. as he looks back at benna, that new addition to her person is hard to miss: wings. impressive and that much briefly shows on his face before shifting back to his usual cool.]

Not any more than swimming. Less so, actually.

[wind favors an earth malak more so than water. can't sink like a rock in the air.]

[Interesting he should say that. A pirate who prefers the air over the water?

She huffs a laugh, her voice carrying an echo to it.]

Then I suggest you hold on.

[From thin air, a claw materializes out of specks of green aether, forming something more solid that turns its palm upright for Eizen to hop onto, if he so wishes.]

Or, I can hold onto you.

[and now a hand out of nowhere? benna's just full of tricks up her sleeve, now isn't she? then again, when it comes to someone of her caliber, eizen'd be more surprised if she didn't have these sorts of surprises in store.

as for the options, well, that's a no brainer. he steps forward onto the hand as he speaks.]

When someone puts a proverbial magic carpet in front of you, you might as well hop on.

[the chance to ride a magical hand doesn't come around every day, you know.]

[Her lip quirks with a grin, lit up by the green marks that shimmer over her face before she's walking them both right to the dock's edge, looking out to their target. She could just land right on the deck, but that might draw more attention to them than necessary, so... her eyes rest on a window along the galley.

And then her feet leave the ground. With a single flutter, she takes off, those talons curling up and around Eizen for added security as she carries them over the ocean, as swiftly but as silently as the wind that beats around her wings. It's a smooth ride for him too, so long as he holds on as she bid him to, and when they reach the side of the ship...

There's a loud gust that sweeps upward, and it catches the sails, the sound of them opening up helping to mask the one her second claw makes when it shatters the window, and she shoves Eizen inside first before following, wings folding inward before they disappear as her feet find ground again.

She smiles at him.]

We may have to snuff out the treasures, but I'm sure we'll find plenty.

[honestly? this ride is fantastic. the wind rushing all around like this feels exhilarating. it's almost like being on a ship, but more fluid. the only downside is that his curse rearing its head means slamming into that water below and ending up sinking like a rock.

the curse takes pity today. not only does the flight go smoothly, but he ends up landing gracefully enough in the room benna chose. upon looking around, what is obviously a storage room greets them. abnormally lucky.

so be extra cautious for when that luck runs out.]

A good bet. [he turns toward benna.] Black markets also tend to take extra precautions with their most valued goods and I don't just mean added hands.

[the added hands are a given but ease enough to deal with. it's the other added precautions that can be a pain the ass.]

Keep an eye out for false walls and hidden compartments.

Added hands will hardly be a problem.

[If he means more men by that...

She gives her sword at her hip an affectionate pat. She's not someone who's afraid to get her hands a little dirty. In the name of coin or... just for the hell of it.

But she moves to the door, sparing not an ounce of caution as she kicks it open by the lock, breaking it, and moves out into the hallway.]

Any signs that I should be watching for? False walls and hidden doors and the like?

[this is why eizen enjoys working with people like benna. both parties are capable, both are serving their own needs and neither expects anything beyond that. benna can be trusted to do what needs to be done to get the job done and not everyone is able to handle that.

eizen glances around as he starts down the hall.]

Look for anything that just doesn’t make sense.

[realizing that may need a little elaboration, he adds.]

A wall that’s too clean, a floorboard that sounds hollow, a crack where you can feel a draft even though it’s a dead end or--

[speaking of doesn’t fit, his eyes narrow upon catching sight of one such ill-fitting sight. eizen walks over toward a wall in the middle of the hall and folds his arms.]

Like this, for example. It’s well-hidden: stained and dirty like the rest of the wall, cut from the same tree around the same time, fitted tightly, however...

[eizen’s gaze shifts down to the floor. scratches, deep and numerous, litter this area of the floor. said scratches also look to be going right into the wall.]

Scratches left over from dragged cargo that end at a wall.

[She strides right up to said "wall", her magick lighting up the hallway to brighten it with a wash of green.]

So, you are saying this might be a door.

[With a huff and then a little wind that touches Eizen's cheek, she takes a step back.]

There must be a way to open it. A switch or a device. Loose floorboard. And if not... [Her lips curl.] We could always blast our way through and make things more interesting.

[the breeze ends up getting eizen to shift his gaze from the 'wall' and toward benna. his hands casually slip into his pockets as he speaks.]

Depends on how quickly you want to wrap things up.

[which is a lowkey implication that blasting their way through is a completely acceptable option in his opinion.]

Searching around to find a key or mechanism is gonna take a while-- [he turns toward the wall and nudges it softly with his boot.] kicking this down will take a couple seconds.

[why blast when a kick will take this down just as well?]

Be my guest. [She motions to the door.] Your way might draw less attention... if you can get it in a single blow.

[She smirks at him in the dim light of her magick. She might be goading and teasing him just a little... Challenging him to actually manage it with a single kick.]

[it's one of those things where eizen full well knows he's being baited. damn well knows. but he also damn well can't pass up that sort of a taunt, not in this case. those words have the silent implication of realizing the consequences of what kicking down this door will bring but with that air of confidence behind them of being able to handle it, so long as he can put his money where his mouth is. if she's fine with this plan then why not let himself be hooked on the proverbial line?

he grins, said grin brimming with a mix of amusement and confidence.]

Heh. It's not a question of 'if', Benedikta--

[his grin vanishes as he turns back to the door.]

But a question of if we're ready for the consequences.

[that's the only warning he gives before doing exactly as promised. with one well-placed kicked, the door comes flying clear off its hinges. the noise of the kick is loud; the door slamming into the ground and skidding across it is even louder.]

Ha. Impressive.

[He sure did put her money where her mouth is! Benedikta's bark of amused laughter is loud enough that it rings over the loud thud of the door, and with a light flick of her wrist, she sends her aether inside to light up the room momentarily, illuminating it in green light just long enough that they can get a glimpse of what's inside before it fades.]

We've only a few minutes before they get down here, so let's see what we can find.

[The room itself is anything but the dusty little thing that they had found earlier, which means that it's been used recently. There are sheets thrown over what appear to be piles of crates, and with a single blast of wind, she blows most of them off and against the back wall.]

Where to start...

[yup, this is definitely the room they're looking for. between the hidden entrance, the squeaky clean area and all these crates, it's almost certain. eizen approaches the crates. all unmarked. nothing of major difference aside from the sizes.

he purses his lips. ok, they have limited time and gotta work smart.]

They're likely moving this stuff in bulk so don't waste time checking the smaller crates. Ignore any one that looks damaged, too.

[anything larger is a better bet than small. add in the fact it's somewhat fragile and they should have it narrowed down to a handful of crates. it should be in one that fits that bill. that's the logic eizen's going by and logic he hopes is on point.]

You truly are an asset, Eizen. Cidolfus was smart to recruit you.

[She wastes no time in taking a look around, shoving the smaller boxes aside with her foot to get to the larger ones in the back.]

The tea is likely one of the lighter ones too.

[She'll try to pick up one, and give up immediately when it's far too heavy to lift on her own.]

Unless you think we might be able to smuggle some jewels out as well.

[eizen found a big crate to dig through himself. a nudge makes it move easily enough. odds of it being the tea is high. will luck be on his side, however? probably not.]

Depends on how fast we find the target, but I don't see why we can't help ourselves to a little bonus payment for services as fine as our own.

[they're already stealing stuff so why not bring home some extra? logical to him. first thing first: what's in here? time to open this bad boy up and see if their goal is inside. eizen pops the top and it's...... eizen makes a face. white rabbit plushies. a goddamn crate full of them. he'll pick one up and squeeze it. it squeaks almost mockingly at him.]

[She's in the middle of breaking open one of the crates when she hears that squeak...

...

...?

And with an arched brow, Benedikta turns just in time to find Eizen staring at what appears to be a small, plush rabbit with a look that could very well kill it if it could, and if it were a living, breathing thing.]

I did not take you to be the plushed animal sort. Is something the matter?

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

iia.

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