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

I do.

[Her shoulders rise and fall with a shrug, catching on that he's simply teasing her. Whether she's serious about her next comment, however—]

But you never know. It might find something just as valuable on someone else that we could take. Might make good coin in Nogard.

[She is.]

[A high rise of his brow.]

Are you actually thinking of using it?

Only if you are the one scurrying after it.

[Another shrug, another grin.]

But it's gone now. [And she has her bracelet back, her hand unconsciously moving to wrap around her wrist to touch it.] Perhaps if we stumble upon its little lair on the way out, we'll find something.

[Just a shake of his head. For that little "fireling"'s sake, he hopes it stays away.

But not long after that, they come across a number of different tunnels, and Cid stops near the center of all the entrances.]

Number of ways to go, but no lead in which would take us where we want.

[Benedikta also pauses at the fork in the road, grumbling nothing in particular under her breath as she leans against the wall, wiping away more of that sweat. Her eyes, flaring with frustration, look between the four... no, five different directions that they could take.]

And how do you propose we do this? [A pause, and she glances back at him when an idea strikes.] ... I could summon my sisters, but that will only cover two of the five.

That's an idea. Not sure I like the idea of us splitting up even for the other two. Would make it difficult if one of us encounters our fiery steed.

Suppose we could just let those two go off and we pick one of the remaining three.

And then still leave it up to chance.

[Benedikta tosses her head back with a sigh and a light grumble under her breath.]

... Would that you could summon an egi or two. Then we wouldn't have to worry about it. [She pauses, arches a brow at him.] Why is it that you can't?

[Considering that he's taught her everything she knows now, her sisters were the one thing that Benedikta managed all on her own, and by complete chance, too.]

[Ah... Fair question.]

Never really thought to, to be honest. Previous Ramuh Dominants weren't really known to have them, either, at least from what I had read.

[Her calculating stare moves between the different entrances again, and she steps down and moves towards the first, trying to see if she can sense a difference in the winds.]

And so you have never tried, based on that.

[Is the conclusion she comes to.]

I seem to recall my sisters being quite the accidental discovery for me.

You know me, do all the work myself.

[A wry grin as he watches her, but he does think back on that time.]

I remember—was greeted by then when I returned from one of my expeditions. Do you remember how it happened? What you were thinking or trying to do?

[He has asked once before, so surprised he was by it, but she never gave him much of an answer then. He doesn't expect much of one now, but he asks anyway.]

Edited 2024-01-17 00:18 (UTC)

[She laughs, moving onto the next one with something of a frustrated look when she feels no difference in the air besides just more heat from all of them, but she keeps her back turned to him.]

... It was because you were on your expedition.

[Benedikta remembers that day well. Remembers that crippling loneliness she felt, and how big and empty Stonhyrr felt while he was gone. Overwhelmingly so. It was not long after her eighteenth birthday, after they returned from their first trip to Dhalmekia. After she had already fallen in love with him.]

[Cid will also try and see if he can glean anything from the tunnels, sending out a line of lightning to try an illuminate the tunnel a bit for him to see down, but so far not much.

...Maybe Benedikta had a point for him to try and create and egi as a scout. Especially his usual "trusty nose" wasn't here.

But at her words he looks at her.]

What do you mean?

[Next exit, which will bring her one away from his, and she glances up at him, and then away, distracting herself with this very uninteresting and dark tunnel.]

I mean that...

[See, there is a reason that she didn't answer him then. Especially not then, given their circumstances, but why is it so hard even now? When the feelings are requited?

It's all so stupid, and she's cursing herself now for saying anything about her sisters at all. Or asking why he had not tried it himself.]

I was at my lowest then. [This is her way of warning him not to judge her or pity her.] After we returned from Dhalmekia, you had been sent off yet again. And I...

[Fuck.]

... I was alone.

[And upon not seeing anything and noticing her countenance, he moves over to the one next to him, bringing him closer to her.]

...I see.

[...She was alone at that time... A time when things were slowly starting to change between them—when he hadn't quite realized anything yet. Looking back, however, he remembers how at least by then he found her appearance whenever she welcomed him back more refreshing and welcoming than before. One of the few things that helped lift his spirits, really, with Mid being the only other. He just never really understood how much Benedikt had been growing in his heart until later...

...When they reached that point of no return.

Those different bursts of memory flashing through his mind, he glances away, his own expression falling a bit with complication, both of his own feelings and upon realizing Benedikta's.]

Didn't realize that's...how you felt.

[Vaguely said so it could mean either the "loneliness" or the other implications behind it.]

[She tries to laugh it off, but the sound comes out heavy and slightly strained.]

The sparring grounds were certainly not the same when you were gone.

[Though, that wasn't even the most of what bothered her. At the time, he had no idea how much she was leaning on him like a crutch, his presence that pillar of strength when she felt like she might falter. She knew what was in store for her with Hugo Kupka—the King made himself plain and very clear about what his plans were for Titan's Dominant, and Benedikta was to be the hook that he would bite so that her King could reel him in. She didn't like it. In fact, she fucking hated it... but she did as she was told.

And Cid being gone during those days were the hardest days she had to live through, second to those after he fled from Waloed.

Her sisters were born as a result of that. When she needed someone and could find no one... Garuda came in to help her.

And she's sure now that he knows. That he can read her like an open book, despite trying to keep herself firmly shut on the matter.

Shaking herself from those thoughts, Benedikta steps right up to him.]

But I doubt that will be what will inspire you, should you ever try.

[He can only look at her for a moment before he takes a silent breath and tries to push aside those lingering thoughts that try to bite. It was in the past, and what's done is done. All he can do now is try to change things.]

No, I doubt it.

[So he just follows the change in topic.]

But... Perhaps there is something to do a strong emotion or desire to make it so.

[...

She recalls the things that he had said to her the night before, many times. That promise that he had sealed with her again that she is still just a touch too afraid to believe.

And yet, she still finds herself asking him anyway, that curiosity getting the better of her.]

The relic?

[A glance at her at her suggestion, and at first he's going to refute it.

But then...

....Hm.

Slowly his hand rises to his chin, fingertips brushing against the coarse hairs of his beard as he takes on a more contemplative stance.]

Suppose that could work.

[Though less about the relic and more of why, and the way his eyes linger on her might hint at it even if he doesn't say as much before the turns back to the tunnels.]

Did you just focus on your aether? Shape?

[There's a slight pang of disappointment at his answer. So, that wasn't it, was it? She had been wrong in her assumption, and she looks away, missing the way his eyes stay glued to her for just a bit longer, and she gives a sharp clear of her throat that echoes into the tunnel.]

Now? Yes. Mostly just the aether and the rest comes naturally.

[She pauses, turns her back to him and stalks back to the first tunnel, mostly just to put some distance between them.]

Before? I had to focus on... what brought them about in the first place in order for it to work. Until eventually, I could memorize the feeling of summoning them.

[He just watches her for a moment before he looks back down the tunnel and then consider the problem at hand.

Conjuring an egi...

He had read about them back when he was first trying to learn everything he could about being a Dominant, but information was always varied, some records better than others. But there was ample about Ramuh given that the Spine was his original domain. Which does make it interesting how he happened to be the one to "return" to it...

But a feeling of wanting something to help aid him. To help him get what he desired...

Once more his eyes focus on the back of Benedikta's head before he turns to his hand.]

All right, I'll give it a go.

[And soon the sound of his levin and the buzz in the air signifies his channeling of his aether.]

[She'll be very surprised if he gets it on the first go, and she even rolls her eyes a little bit at him as she turns to watch, arms folded across her chest. Always the confident one, he is. She wasn't even sure she could think of this as a lesson, simply an explanation on how it was done, and she was mostly joking about him being able to summon one... but he was never one to just sit back, was he?]

If you get it on the first try... [she says over the levin. Gods, does she love the sound of it.] ... I will let you buy me another dinner.

[She doesn't think he will.]

Oh?

[Well that definitely gets him to perk up, a more determined grin forming.]

Looks like I have to be more serious about this then.

[As if he wasn't as serious before— Well he's certainly more serious about doing this in one go at least instead of taking the few tries like he initially planned, and she will feel that surge of his aether, their clothes rippling a little as the purple flashes of his lightning crackles and strikes around him.

He has no idea what kind of form it should take, but just as he's trying to make his aether converge into one "being," he's reminded of his talk with Rem, of how the Ramuh in her world had a staff with a horned horse on it. Why that suddenly comes to mind he has no idea, but—]

Hah!

[With a shout, he releases all the aether he had gathered and a storm of lightning erupts around them, grazing over their skin and striking the ground and walls all around them. At first Cid thinks he might have made a mistake, but—

...

...........?]

Eh?

[He's just...going to stare at the strange little mass of lightning that hovers in the space between them and...prances?

It doesn't seem to have much of a defined form yet, but it mostly seems to be because all the aether is still coalescing into this little bundle that seems no larger than a rabbit.]

[Nope. He's definitely not going to get it. Especially not when his reason for wanting to summon another entity entirely is so flimsy, according to her. Her own had come about in her time of need, her sisters the direct result of her needing another soul that was not Garuda nor her King around her. A soul that was of her own creation... that could not harm her or leave her behind or look at her with disdain when she took too long to obey an order.

Her sisters...

The surge of both aether and lightning surprises Benedikta from her musings, and when she sees that little... thing of lightning dancing between them, her lips part in open surprise.

No fucking way.

Except... Well.

She lifts a finger to almost poke at it.]

What the fuck is it supposed to be?

[NOPE, IT DOESN'T COUNT]

[DON'T COUNT IT OUT YET.]

...I have no idea.

[He's going to peer at it a bit mystified before it suddenly "rears" up, more of its form taking shape until there's a loud crackle of lightning and it disappears in a flash.

...

Only for it to appear on top of Benna's head whinnying in all its...tiny equine glory, bolts of levin sparking around its strangely curved horn.

Yeah he's stunned speechless.]

Edited 2024-01-17 07:10 (UTC)

[The sudden movement startles her just a bit, her eyes going wide when it vanishes in that bright and loud hiss of lightning...

...

Only for her to feel something hot on top of her head, her hair standing up on end in reaction to the static that's above her.]

Cidiolfus, this isn't funny!

[Is he doing this on purpose!?!?]

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