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

[Her feet finally touch the ground again, the winds all but dissipating. She moves towards it, fingers wrapping around the handle of her blade, the other swirling with green aether.]

You are lucky I cannot cut right through you.

[She can see its eyes widen in fear, and it looks at Cid, then back at her, cowering a little. Good. As it should.]

So drop the fucking bracelet and perhaps I won't put you out—

[And then...

?

It abruptly starts to wail. Like a baby.

??????]

[Cid is ready to.... Well he's not sure if his lightning would do much, but maybe stun it? He wasn't going to let it run off that easy at least. However, what he didn't expect was it to cry.

...Are those... Ember tears...?

Confused, he just looks up at Benedikta.

????????]

What...?

[It seems completely oblivious to the looks that they are exchanging, the sprite too busy wailing as it plops down (?? how?) on the ground.

And silently, Benedikta tries to speak to him with her eyes with a "why are you looking at me" sort of look.]

[And just going to exchange a silent answer back with a bit of a shrug and small gesture of his hand, "you're the one who scared it."

Like that would help—

But... Right...

....

It is down, and it still has the bracelet, and it better not melt while it's there, so Cid will just glance at Benedikta again before sighing and stepping forward.]

....All right, all right, no need to cry now. We just want that bracelet you took. It's important, you see?

[Is it going to even understand him—]

[It took her bracelet!? That he gave her?!? And then ran away with it!?!?!? Of course she's going to scare it!!!

But now she's at a complete loss of what to do, or how to deal with a crying... fire sprite... child...? She doesn't even know anymore. It sniffles, little embers flying from its face and from what should be its nose, if it had one, and Benedikta just watches with all the confusion in the world as Cid tries to talk to it.

It blubbers a bit, sputtering and hiccuping before it turns to him.

"Scary lady..."]

[...Ah ha...

Just a quick, wry glance up at Benedikta before he crouches down in front of it.]

She might look that way, but only because she's upset you stole her bracelet. Bet you'd also be upset if someone stole something important to you, aye?

So if you give it back, promise she won't be as scary anymore.

[A very meaningful look at her as well as a quick gesture of his head.

Come on now. Try to be nice.]

[And he's going to get a very meaningful look right back, one that is offended and annoyed, and a gesture back at the sprite still wailing and sniffling on the ground. It stole her bracelet, seems to be the recurring message that she is trying to convey here, so why should she show this thing any mercy?

More hiccupping from the sprite, and it looks down at the trinket in its hand, and then to Cid.

"But shiny..."]

You little brat—

[Annnnd there it goes again, crying up a storm.]

[Just a slight look of exasperation as he tries again.]

You can have other shiny things.

[Mfmfmfmf really maybe he should just snatch it, but maybe it's his paternal instincts kicking in that he ends up trying to coax it like it's a child. Hm, let's see, how did he have to make Mid let go of something when she was a wee bairn—]

Look, how about this.

[He fishes out a silver coin, turning it this way and that to flash in the light.]

This would fit better in your hands and less likely to melt or be damaged.

[Benedikta watches him, wondering why he doesn't just zip in and grab it back. She has no patience for this!

But upon seeing the coin shimmering between his fingers, the sprite's eyes widen, and it reaches out its other hand and wiggles, as if trying to snatch through the air for it.]

Ah-ah. Bracelet first.

[The sprite stifles a sob, and whips back around to Cid, as if to ask if it will be okay, as Benedikta folds her arms with a roll of her eyes.]

[Benedikta PLEASE

Another look at her before he smiles at the strange little sprite.]

Afraid so. Can't have you nabbing both things now, can we? But promise I'll give the coin if you give me the bracelet.

[And he'll hold out his other hand for it.]

[LISTEN... SHE JUST WANTS IT BACK

And she continues to eye the sprite like a hawk awaiting the perfect moment to strike, wings twitching to move. It continues to stare at the coin with a big, pleading gaze, before it very slowly sets down the bracelet on the ground next to it.

And it takes every single ounce of control in her to not lunge at it and take it back, waiting for the rest of the trade to happen. Or for Cid to get to it first.]

[Patience.......Patience..........

Once the bracelet is on the ground, Cid will quickly reach out to grab it before something else happens, wincing only slightly when he feels how hot the chain has become, hot enough to almost burn through the leather. But a quick glance shows that it's otherwise unharmed, and despite the heat, he holds tight to it while also handing over the coin as promised.]

Thank you, kindly. And here is your coin, which I'm sure will be much better for you than this. Just don't throw it into the lava or it'll melt.

[At the very least it'll be more durable... Assuming it doesn't chuck it into lava as he warned.]

[She doesn't realize how much tension she'd been holding in her shoulders until Cid has the bracelet back in her hands and she lets it all loose with a frustrated sigh, and a hand comes up to swipe some of that sweat that's formed along her temple, dabbing it away with the back of it before she's crossing over to him. With the coin in its hand, the sprite only barely winces when Benedikta passes it, moving to Cid so she can take it back.

Not until it's on her wrist will she consider it safe, and she'll hold it out for him to hook it back around while she stares daggers down at the sprite.]

You have your shiny little trinket, so I suggest you scurry on back to where you came from.

[At that, it stops fiddling with it and stares up at them with, once again, large, pleading eyes, and it looks like it's about to cry. Again.]

[...Oh boy.

At least by now the bracelet has cooled a bit, if still warm. At least safe for her to wear, so he'll clasp it around her wrist without question.

Though he does find it a little amusing that she automatically made him do so.]

And not steal from anyone else. Next person might not be so kind.

[Oh, even the man is shooing him away?

MORE WIBBLES.]

Edited 2024-01-15 01:20 (UTC)

[This sprite is lucky that Cid was here, or else Benedikta would have found a way to snuff it out. Literally. No more fire, no more sprite, as long as she got her bracelet back.

And with that now out of the way, she ignores that look that it's giving them and grabs Cid by the wrist to drag him onward.]

Come. We've a relic to find still.

[Goodbye little sprite.

...

....

As soon as she turns to pull him along, there's the sound of a crackling fire that follows behind them—]

[While he's a bit more willing to let it live since it just seems to be mischievous rather than dangerous, he's also ready to move on before it tries to steal something else. So he lets her lead him...

...

Until a few steps more and he's glancing back.]

Looks like we have a little follower.

Ignore it. It will leave us eventually.

[She's picking up the pace anyway. She has no idea where they are going besides deeper, further, into another winding tunnel.

...

....

Except it's still following them, the little sobs now growing louder.]

Easier said than done...

[A low mutter under his breath before—

"N-No, not that way!! S...Scary pony...."]

Eh?

You are too soft, Cidolfus, do you know—

[But the sprite's voice so close behind them, practically on Cid's heel, interrupts that thought.]

What scary pony?

[She stops, turns around, and if looks could kill—

"Th-the fiery pony... it's so big and...and... scary! And looks after the big rock thing!"]

Edited 2024-01-15 04:36 (UTC)

[A slight frown as he squeezes Benedikta's hand to try and have her calm down as the little sprite flinches.]

Big rock thing? Where?

[She growls low under her breath when she feels that squeeze of her fingers, but once again, it's him who has the patience to take the reins on this one.

The sprite lifts its hand and points down the corridor, embers flying off as its fingers shake and it clutches the coin tighter, almost protectively.

"D-down there..."

And it begins to shrink in size.

"You shouldn't go there... It's so angry..."

Benedikta scoffs quietly, and looks back down the hall where it's pointing.]

All the more reason to.

Edited 2024-01-15 05:44 (UTC)

[A slight apologetic smile as the spirit squeaks and protests.]

Sorry, lad, but we're actually searching for it so best you be heading back to where you came from. But don't worry.

[A slight glance at Benedikta.]

We're strong enough.

[She preens a little when he glances at her, her hand giving his a confident little squeeze.]

I said run along.

[She turns to the sprite and makes a little shooing motion with her hand before bringing it up to swipe away another drop of sweat along her brow.]

Go find someone else to steal from.

[The sprite cowers a little under her stare, the flames it's made up of visibly shrinking. It blinks, its eyes beady, its lip quivers, but it does very slowly turn around and starts to walk away from them, still clutching that coin like it's a lifeline.

With that out of the way... Founders, that took forever to get rid of it... Benedikta turns to Cid.]

You think this might be what we are looking for?

[He'll watch it sulk away for a few moments, idly wondering what exactly that little creature is before he looks back at Benedikta.]

It's certainly more of a clue than the nothing we had been going on. And if there is some creature guarding a "big rock" I reckon it must be of some importance.

Can't hurt to check, at least.

[Yeah, that sure was... bizarre. She'd have a lot more questions if she weren't so eager to get to this "fiery horse"... whatever that means for them. At any rate, she'll continue leading them down the hallway, noting how it does get a little hotter the further they go. And while it is harder to see it, she can feel them descending.]

At the very least, we know what we are in for.

[And they can be prepared for it when they get there. She still hasn't grown to like surprises in her time here.

As they walk, though, Benedikta huffs a laugh out loud beside him.]

... It's been a long time since we've done this.

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