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

[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!!!]

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

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.]

[....

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.]

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.]

[Just a quiet chuckles.]

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

Is that not what I'm doing?

[She thought that was what she was doing!!!]

You're lifting your feet like you're walking. Have to lift after the glide.

I'm hardly lifting my feet!

[Look at them! They're staying on the ice!! Now that she's more conscious of it. But now, rather than using them to push her forward, she's just kind of... sliding one foot in front of the other.

And she makes an uncomfortable noise in the back of her throat.]

And if I push myself forward, you won't let me go?

[...

Why is she so adorable. He has to resist smiling any wider than he is and gently squeezes her hand.]

Promise.

Alright.

[She visibly relaxes a little, some of that tension fading from between her shoulders and in her grip. Slowly, she pivots her skate to its side, and gives herself a push... though she puts a little too much strength into it and she yanks on his arm as she goes flying forward—]

[He was ready, but not that ready, so he hastily moves on his own skates to try and keep them balance as he grabs her, sending them in a spin.

BUT THEY DO NOT FALL, somehow. Miracle.]

A bit too much of a push.

[She tries not to look too sheepish or embarrassed as they spin, but she can't even mask it with ire because he's managed to save them from the worst of it when he grabs her. She catches him right back, holding onto him tight until they come to a stop.]

Less next time, then.

[She grumbles it under her breath, averting her eyes to the crowds of people skating along the ice, and that's when she sees them—another couple who are clearly struggling with the same thing, but whatever they are doing, it appears to be working?

Benedikta looks at him, then at their hands... before she takes his other one, too, and waddles on her skates so that they are now facing each other.]

Let us try this.

[Nope. She's not looking right at him.]

[Still cute. But he's a little confused as he didn't see whoever it was she saw.]

Wait, what are we trying now?

[How does she explain without it sounding ridiculous...]

If you are in front and pull me along, then less risk of me falling, or charging forward.

[Nope. Still sounds utterly embarrassing.]

[....

Wait. That means he has to try and skate backwards—

Rather than point that out, he's just going to look at Benedikta, see how she's still very clearly embarrassed yet still making this proposal...

It's hard for him not grin a bit more, his hand tightening around hers.]

All right, let's give it a go. Take it nice and slow like, eh?

I am going slow.

[She'll find just about anything to object about!!!

But she leans in his direction, using both of his hands for support, and gives a gentler push this time. Nope. Too gentle. She barely moved an inch. Trying again, a little stronger. She glides forward towards him, wobbling on her one skate and forgetting to put her other foot down, and almost trips and falls right into him before she remembers. Don't worry, she catches herself in time...]

[He just stifles his laugh through his smile and slight shine in his eyes as he watches her taking those little steps, and even when she wobbles—]

That's it, just feel it out, you got it.

[—he continues to encourage her while slowly skating backwards to help pull her along.]

[The thing about Benedikta is not only has she always been a quick learner, but her stubborness and pride and an annoying need to prove herself is what keeps her persevering. Even when she trips and then grumbles and swears, she rights herself and tries again. Maybe if he hadn't called her bluff earlier, she would have given this up; thrown her skates at him and said enough was enough, but no...

Just like with reading, with a sword, and with her wings, she wants to show him and herself that she can.

So, after several more failures and reattempts, she finally manages to get herself gliding forward properly for the first time. She's still rather stiff about it, but it's better than looking like a duckling, as he so kindly pointed out.]

I think I did it...

[Said with a bit of disbelief, and pride.]

[It was certainly a lot of trial and error, and he was always quick to grab her when she faltered (while also trying to keep his own balance so they don't crash onto the floor) while also giving her words and praises of encouragement. And it all reminds him of those old times, of his own sense of pride when he sees her improve bit by bit, always knowing that she would be able to pull through. She can be stubborn and persistent which can be annoying, but when put to things like this, she can really shine through.

So when she does manage—]

Knew you could.

[He just smiles warmly, his own pride and confidence in her clear in his eyes.]

Now just keep going.

[Just teasing a little bit as he continues to slowly skate back away from her, as if encouraging her to try and catch up to him.]

[Honestly, it reminds her so much of those days long ago, too. Namely, the ones when he would encourage her to use her wings, even when he did not know how to use them himself. Much like he is doing now, he would make her chase him, encouraging her to fly just a little further each time, with him at the end of it. He would be her goal and funny how that worked, the idea of flying into his arms at the time enough to push her forward, and to drag the wind beneath her wings so that she could.

And while this is different—while she has the confidence and far more stubbornness than she had in her teen years, it doesn't feel all that much different.

In the end...

He's still the one at the end of her path.

She shakes the distracting thoughts away and pushes forward, crashing gently into and arms wrapping around him.]

[He can't exactly skate that far or well backwards so it really isn't too difficult to catch him. At the same time, he doesn't want to make it hard, either. But having her chase after him makes him smile all the same, an amused, cheerful smile that comes to a laugh when she crashes into him, the momentum enough to make them spin a little on the ice as his arms wrap around him.]

I think you've got the hang of it now.

[A low, warm voice as looks down at the top of her head fondly, recalling all those far off memories of when she used to fly to him just like this.]

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