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]

[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.]

[ramuhs]

[He's pushed forward a bit when she bumps into him, but that's why the railing is there!!]

Hang on, why don't you wait here and I'll try again. Think I'm feeling some old muscle memory coming back.

[garudas]

[Telling the most impatient woman in this world to wait...

And then the fact that she does is a feat in itself.

She arches a brow at him and frees his hand so that he can move, slinging it over the rails beside her other one.]

Alright, but if you trip again, I will not be there to save you.

[Just the lightest, teasing quirk of her lip.]

[ramuhs]

It's all right, I'd just cushion your fall instead.

[A playful smirk before he takes a breath and pushes off again...

Glide one, glide two, glide one...

And maybe if he moves his upper body with the movements...

As he takes one "step" and then another, those old memories he never he even thought about for so many years come rushing back, and with it some more certainty and confidence as he maintains his balance.

Until—]

Ha!

[A slow turn, but one nonetheless as he turns back to face her and make his way back.]

Think I figured it out. Just one problem.

[garudas]

[She just makes a silent face at him at his comment.

But okay, well. That's impressive, to say the least, that he's managed. He's moving, pushing off and gliding along the ice. Still wobbly, to be sure, but it's leagues better than what they were doing before. She's a little bristled that he's able to get the hang of it so easily and she can't. This pesky man...

Her eyes are following him, but there's a brief time where her mind has wandered off a little bit as she focuses more on his movements than on him, and she doesn't snap back until she hears him coming closer. She glances up, and here he comes, but he's moving and moving and...

Wait, is the problem that he can't—]

Stop, Cidolfus!

[Whether it is or not, she leans back against the rails and her arms instinctively open up to catch him if he doesn't do it himself in time...!]

[ramuhs]

[SHE GOT IT RIGHT.

Cid is trying to remember how to stop and boy does he not. So there's a bit of wavering and him moving side to side with a series of, "Whoa!" and then some arm flailing as he definitely just skates right into it. At least all that wiggling around slowed him enough so it's not a giant crash, and he does bring his hands out to grab the railing, but—

Yeah. Tangled up a bit they are.


Pft.]

Hahaha, sorry! Suppose should figure that out before getting any farther, eh?

[Cheeky bastard staring down at her.]

[garudas]

[At least the railing is there to stop her from falling backwards onto the snowbank because she definitely would have even with the light collision were it not thanks to them. Her arms wrap around him, steadying them both, and when she hears his laughter, she lifts her face from where it's buried against his chest to stare up at him.

Why is he grinning at her like that!?]

Perhaps a better place to start.

[Her expression is scornful, but it edges on playful before she releases him.]

If I hadn't been here, you'd be in the snow by now. You're welcome.

[ramuhs]

I would have had the railing—but you did help cushion things.

[And notably, he's not moving just yet.]

[garudas]

[Hm. She notices.]

Well, go on. Neither of us are going to do much of anything without figuring it out.

[ramuhs]

Well...

[And then a little playful smirk as he leans down just a little closer.]

Was hoping for a little something for my troubles.

[Is he serious—half yes, half no, and fully expecting her to swat him or blast him with her winds.]

[garudas]

Oh?

[Well, whether she does or doesn't will depend—]

And what exactly were you hoping for? A thank you?

[ramuhs]

Maybe something for encouragement.

[garudas]

You know me. That isn't my strong suit.

[But she'll lean up and press a light kiss to his jaw anyway, but she gives him no time to return it before she's ducking out from in front of him and under his arms to slip away.]

But I suppose I could make something work.

[—and then he'll feel a little wind nudge him from behind. Not strong enough to push him around, but definitely strong enough for him to feel the force of it on his back.]

[ramuhs]

[Oh—she actually gave him a kiss, small and light as it is. He actually opens his eyes in some surprise, but she's already ducking away before he can do anything in return and giving him that nudge of his wind. It's enough to make him chuckle.]

Well maybe now I can figure out how to stop.

[A wry but playful grin as he half turns to skate forward again, glancing up at others who are skating. There are a few who are stopping here and there... And while there is some variation, he thinks he gets an idea. Either drag his foot back behind him or bring his feet in...

But after a few tries (and almost once falling again)—]

Think I got it!

[He's still kind of slow moving, only taking slow, long strides, but when turns around for a small circle, he manages to come into a somewhat rough, clumsy stop right in front of her. Definitely not as graceful or as elegant as the others, but it's something!!!]

[garudas]

[She watches him with an all-too-soft expression, not quite realizing it until he calls out to her about it. Her eyes refocus, and when she sees him coming back towards her, she's about to prepare herself to get out of the way this time when he comes skidding to a halt in front of her instead.

It's definitely something, and Benedikta wonders if she should reward him for it.

Instead, she stretches one hand out to him, the other holding on for dear life still on the railings.]

And now you have to show me.

[ramuhs]

[A little reward would be nice—

Seeing her reach out to him, he grins and carefully takes her hand.]

You sure? Could always ask a professional if you wanted.

[garudas]

[This is his reward. Her reaching out her hand, and now he has the honour of teaching her something else. Something new that she has yet to learn... as has always been the way with them. And... he always was an excellent teacher, and she learned best from him. Her prowess on the battlefield even without her wings is nothing to laugh at, and guess where she got those skills from—]

As far as I know, I have a professional right in front of me.

[Teasing.]

Impress me, Cidolfus.

[ramuhs]

[A laugh as he tightens his hold on her hand.]

Putting all the pressure on me, eh? Just don't get mad if we end up crashing to the ground again.

[garudas]

Then perhaps don't send us crashing to the ground again.

[And she'll sloooowly let go of the railing, determined to do this without.

...

....

And she'll very awkwardly start waddling forward. Not gliding. But waddling carefully on her skates.]

[ramuhs]

[....

He tries not to, but a small snort escapes because—]

Having a little trouble, ducky?

[Yes. She is very much reminding him of a duck right now.]

[garudas]

I'm not—! I said don't call me that.

[She'd swat him if she weren't trying to keep her balance, so instead she settles for shooting a glare at him.]

It's a lot... harder than it looks...

[She needs to push forward, not... try to walk, but heck, if it isn't a hard habit to break.]

[ramuhs]

[Just a quiet chuckles.]

You need to slide your feet forward. Pretend you're shuffling over the ground.