closed ⚡🪶 and forevermore, i'll be chasing the storm we had.

[garudas]

Who: Benedikta Harman & Cidolfus Telamon.
Status: Closed.
Where: Cid's workshop, Avaleci.
What: Cid is sad about his daughter being gone and Benedikta is horrible at being comforting. Also adventures later!
Warnings: it's cid and benna 🙂 also ffxvi spoilers, if you can find them.

ice skating, hot springs ♨️
volcano, egis 🔥
the price of freedom 🧵

Comments

[ramuhs]

And I warned you about that, too.

[Another pointed look before he chuckles and grins.]

Well, not that I will complain about this much.

[And then a grin as he straightens up to look down at her more properly.]

[garudas]

You said they were heavy, not difficult.

[But she's just going to avert her eyes when she catches him looking at her. One hand lets him go to search for his instead, grabbing hold of it when she finds it and squeezing, silently telling him that he's going to help her. And maybe a warning to not say another word about it.]

Well? Are you going to show me or not?

[Stop grinning at her.]

[ramuhs]

[But he can't help but grin at her. Because this is definitely becoming more like a d-a-t-e—]

Patience, my dear.

[Another smug look—though he knows he shouldn't act too smug because he may fall flat on his ass like anyone else.]

But all right, just one step at a time first. Let's aim for that railing over there—have a feeling we'll want to hold onto something instead of gliding off.

[garudas]

[Don't you dare say it, and don't you dare look at her like that, Cidolfus Telamon. He'd better hope he doesn't fall flat on his ass because she is coming for him and his pride and dignity if he does—

She makes a noise under her breath that sounds a lot like more grumbling before she follows his gaze to the railings.]

You first.

[Why do they look so far when they're only a few steps away?]

[ramuhs]

[The probability of it happening is very high, honestly, but unlike her he's fully expecting. Still, he'll at least manage to walk—slowly, and while guiding her with him. So with each step, feeling out the balance, they'll eventually make it to the railing.]

Well that's the hard part. Now for the harder.

[garudas]

[Well, that was as annoying as she thought it would be, but by the last step, she actually manages to not wobble too much before her other, free hand moves to the guardrails and she looks out to the ice and the people gliding seamlessly and effortlessly along it. There are a few people who still look like they don't know quite what they're doing, and a couple more falling on their asses...

...

Still doesn't make her pride any less wounded about nearly losing her balance back there.]

I said I would watch you first. Since you say you've done this before.

[And he is such an expert—]

[ramuhs]

[He never claimed he was an expert???]

And you know I said that was ages ago and I barely remember?

[Well he at least remembers the basics...

...

He was also like. A kid. This is a whole lot different as an adult.

But he also won't let that stop him, already ducking under the railing and twisting his body around so that he's facing it. And then a slow...step back—and then another—OKAY BOTH FEET ON THE ICE.]

You really want me to fall don't you.

[garudas]

[She knows all of that. That he was a kid, and he said he barely remembered...

And when he steps out onto the ice, she rests her elbow on the rail and perches her chin atop her hand, a dangerous smile forming, a low chuckle under her breath when he sets both his feet firmly on the ice.]

I never said I did. You said I wanted you to.

[She does. Maybe a little bit.]

[ramuhs]

[Just a withering look.]

Just know you're next.

[He's going to test the skates a little while holding the rail because he's not an idiot and won't try to just skate out there blindly. Keeping one hand on the rail he first "walks" just to get a feeling before he starts...]

Think it was... This motion...

[A mutter under his breath as he tries to recall, pushing his feet forward in slow motion, and once he gets some semblance of a rhythm going, he slowly let's go.

And he skates forward!

He manages!

Until he loses balances and, predictably, after a bit of wobbling and a shout, he falls over, landing on his ass and skidding and sliding over the ice towards the edge.

Ugh............]

1/2

[garudas]

[Well. He looks like he's doing it, managing to make it away from the rails so that he can skate forward, and to be honest, Benedikta is surprised he's even able to make it that far. She was expecting he would fall the moment he let go. Not that he makes it very far, of course, because within moments, he's wobbling, and she waits with bated breath to see if he'll right himself...

There is a loud bark of laughter from where she's leaning over the rails when he falls and slides back closer to her, and as she ducks under the rail, she's laughing. Laughing fuller and louder than she has in as long as she can remember. Not that she realizes it, she's far too amused by his blunder to even notice what comes so naturally in the moment.]

I take that back. I certainly did want to see tha—

2/2

[garudas]

[But even with her hands on the rails, the moment she tries to move right over him, she feels one foot slip out from under her and she's tumbling forward. She tries to catch herself with the other foot in front, but that doesn't work, and down she goes... falling right onto his lap and landing on top of him.]

[ramuhs]

[He's staring up at her a bit cross...

...

But dammit, he hasn't heard her laugh that much in a long time—even if it was at his expense. Which makes the feeling he has that much more complicated, because while he enjoys the sound of it, he also doesn't??? So in the end the scowl remains as he tries to push himself up into a sitting position—]

Oof—!

[Only to have her land right on top him, making his hands slip and his back hitting the ice again.

But even so—]

Hah!

[—it's his turn to laugh freely because wow.]

[garudas]

[Her fall was everything but graceful, and so was her landing when her face ends up buried against his chest, her arms around his shoulders, and her feet having slid and stretched out behind her.

And upon hearing his laugh, it's her turn to stare at him cross as she lifts her face, every inch of it a deep shade of red, and she swats him against the chest.]

Quit laughing!

[SAYS THE ONE WHO LAUGHED FIRST]

[ramuhs]

[That just only makes him laugh harder.]

You started it!

[And calling her out.]

[garudas]

Only because you looked so ridiculous when you fell!

[She's blushing harder now, lowering her face into his jacket to hide.]

And you were grinning like a fool the whole walk here!

[ramuhs]

[Another round of laughter as his arms go around her.]

All right, all right.

[Except he's still chuckling.]

Think we're making more of a scene like this.

[garudas]

[Is anyone even looking at a pair of people sitting on the ground like this? Well, maybe a couple as they skate by, but it's probably not as rare a sight as Benedikta thinks it is.

But with his arms around her, how is she supposed to get off of him? She even squirms a little bit, but it has very little fight behind it.]

Cidolfus. [Just a low grumble of his name to remind him that he's holding her.] ... How are we supposed to get up?

[ramuhs]

Good question.

[Honestly a good question and his gaze drifts from hers to the railing above them.]

If you grab onto the railing and pull yourself up, I should be able to right after.

[Only then will he let her go....

....

To put his hands on her hips.]

[garudas]

You want me to—!?

[Did he not see the way that she absolutely ate shit when she tried to move? But fine. Fine. She isn't going to argue nor is she going to bring it up again lest she embarrass herself further. They can just put that all behind them now and forget it. Pretend it never even happened.]

Fine. Just don't let me fall.

[And she'll grab hold of both his shoulders firmly, using them first to get herself high enough that she can sling her arm over the rail and drag herself up to her feet. It's a little awkward at first, and she once again feels and looks like a deer who doesn't know how to use her long, slender legs, but she makes it... with only a little bit of a struggle.

In hindsight, she should have used her wind to help.

And look, she'll even offer a hand to Cid to help him up.]

[ramuhs]

I won't, just mind the blades.

[Those things are sharp and no need to add a real injury to insult. But he will help her, keep his hands firmly against her hips as he sits up and help steady her when she does start to sway. Once she's up and holds out her hand, he'll take it while also reaching up for the railing so he's not pulling all of his weight.

With a bit off effort, moving onto one knee and then raising himself up, he'll steady himself on the railing.]

Well this is certainly becoming something of an endeavor, eh?

[Just a quirk of a grin as he leans against the railing.]

Want to have another go?

[garudas]

[She's not letting go of his hand, even when he is up, and she shuffles a little closer to him. Closer... closer...]

Well, we're here, are we not? And I said I would do it.

[Because she's not a chicken. Look at the monster that you have created, Cid.]

How is anyone supposed to start moving in these things?

[That would be a good place to start, wouldn't it? And as she watches a particularly graceful ice skater move, she can't help but be in a little bit of awe of her...]

[ramuhs]

[He watches along with her, his arm naturally going around behind her as he ponders.]

It's a bit of a gliding motion... You push with your feet forward like this.

[He then demonstrates with his hands.]

Just a matter of keeping the balance.

[garudas]

Balance is not an issue.

[She took that one personally.

But her attention moves to his hands, and then to their feet.]

And they are pushing forward with the edges of the blades?

[ramuhs]

Yeah, like...

[He's going to keep a hand on the rail as he slowly pushes himself forward again to skate alongside it.]

Like this. Bit of an outward motion than straight forward.

[garudas]

[He looks ridiculous as she watches him, she feels ridiculous just standing here... but what would be even worse than that is if she turned around and left the ice and refused to go any further. She probably would if he hadn't called her bluff or if she hadn't said that she was going to see this through... so now she's stuck between one side of her pride being wounded... or the other.

Wow, she really backed herself into a corner here.

She follows after him, imitating his feet and the feet of many others that she's been watching, holding onto the railing for dear life with her other hand, knuckles white under her gloves. He'll definitely feel her squeezing his.]

Like this?

[—and she's too busy looking down at her feet that she bumps right into him gently from behind.]