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

[garudas]

[How many of them are there now, she wonders, as another one comes running over, its loud cries joining in the choir of them as they all close in around her, and she steps up close to him.]

No they're not...

[First stage: denial.]

Do they think I'm one of them?

[She'll make another shooing motion with her hand when that newest one waddles right up to her and squawks.]

[ramuhs]

Well you do make for a pretty bird. Can't quite blame them for that.

[But this is definitely....... Getting a bit much.]

But she's clearly taken.

[So he's going to raise his hand and there's just a small snap outward, sparking a thin ribbon of lightning that zips and crackles around the birds to scare them off.]

Now git.

[garudas]

[Now is not the time for compliments or this sexy possessiveness of his that makes her heart flutter. However, the lightning does little to deter the birds, and it only makes them cry out louder, making more heads turn.

At this point, however, she does huff with a small laugh, arching a brow at him.]

Don't tell me you are jealous, Cidolfus...

[ramuhs]

[Wow, they aren't affected by that? Maybe he should up the charge—]

Jealous? No. Doesn't mean I can't make a statement, however.

[A wry grin before he clicks his tongue.]

But this is getting a bit much and I don't actually want to charbroil them. Mind making us a path, love?

[garudas]

I don't.

[She's just going to eye him for a moment longer before she waves her arms at them.]

Move! [The penguins stop what they're doing and stare at her.] I said move!

[...

....

Alright. So they want to do this the hard way.

A harsh wind cuts through them, blowing them all aside, even knocking a couple of the penguins off their feet so that they roll, and she wastes no time in grabbing Cid's hand and pulling him along.]

Shit.

[...only for the penguins to chase after.]

[ramuhs]

[Oh boy. TIME TO RUN??]

I think these penguins are gluttons for punishment!

[garudas]

[The terrain isn't exactly the best for running, but she thinks it might be time to at least pick up the pace, which is exactly what she will do. Except the faster that she walks, the faster that they walk, some even running to catch up.]

I'm not sure where they got the idea from that I am one of them—

[She has to shout over their cries and shouts now, and she looks back over her shoulder and tries again.]

Go away!

[Only to turn back to find a penguin right in front of them, forcing her to stop. This one, however, doesn't squawk like all the others, and instead—]

I'm not interested.

[—it stares up at Cid.]

[ramuhs]

[He's second guessing his initial notion of not frying these birds because wow.]

Well you do have the whole bird theme going.

[Eikon, personality, interests—

But now they're stopped by a penguin who is... Why does he feel like those eyes are on him??

And that's soon going to be proven true when it suddenly squawks and preens itself before hopping towards him with something like a...croon??]

...Oh no.

[garudas]

Is that one—?

[She isn't sure if she's more offended that it chose Cid or that it chose Cid. She immediately steps between them when it starts hopping towards Cid, and the penguin screeches at her, her aura as threatening as it has ever been.]

I suggest you waddle on off in the other direction.

[NOW she is really ready to throw down!!]

[ramuhs]

[He probably shouldn't be finding this so amusing, but he is.]

Now who's the jealous one?

[And of course the other penguins have caught up.]

[garudas]

[Excuse you!? —is what her expression says when she looks at him. Don't you go turning your back on her now, too!]

I'm not jealous! She's—

[The penguin waddles around Benedikta, and she follows.]

Is she expecting you to do their little dance? She's harassing you.

[She hasn't done anything but walk and croon at him.]

[ramuhs]

[Well she hasn't pecked at him so there's that.]

Maybe we should do our own dance together, show them that we're already "mating."

[A snort as he tries to step around the penguin, only for the female to keep following him, flapping her wings and even wiggling her tail.

Should he feel disturbed or flattered? Still amused—]

[garudas]

Cidolfus!

[She almost shrieks his name, as if he's just said something that the penguins should not be hearing. But more importantly, she is not going to do a little "mating dance" with him. The only dance she is interested in is behind closed doors and not when she has a harem of penguins following her no matter where she moves!

She's going to start pulling him along back towards the inn, which is still a way's away from here since they took the longer, scenic route, and of course they are all following, that one penguin locked on Cid quite adamant about her pursuit, going so far as to cut him off.]

He's taken. You do not stand a chance. [She turns to him.] Aren't you going to tell her to leave!?

[Meanwhile, Benedikta's harem of five? Six? penguins is right on her tail.]

[ramuhs]

[He bursts out laughing at her outburst before he waves at the little penguin, who seems to only grow more excited.]

Will it even work? You've tried that on your little admirers and they still pursue.

[garudas]

Don't encourage it.

[Benedikta grabs his wrist and drags it down, holding it firmly in her own while never once breaking eye contact with that penguin.]

Men tend to be more stubborn as it is. [She rolls her eyes and turns to her pursuers.] Look, there is a perfectly fine lady penguin right here. Why not try to woo her?

[But as soon as Benedikta dares to look back at them, they all come waddling in to swarm her and shove Cid away.]

[ramuhs]

[Maybe he's deliberately inciting Benedikta's jealousy—

But when he's shoved a bit by one of the penguins, the female screeches and starts angrily flapping and pecking at the male.

Oh boy.]

This could get ugly fast... Well, nothing for it then.

[And just going to pick Benedikta up into his arms.]

[garudas]

[There is no doubt going to be a fight among them with the way the female aggressively starts to peck at the male nearest her, and he pecks back.

Benedikta, for her part, is no less surprised when Cid scoops her up into his arms.]

What are you doing? I said I'm not doing the stupid dance for them...!

[And now the other males are coming for him! How dare you!!! Put the lady down!!!!!]

[ramuhs]

[Just a laugh.]

Surely you should be getting used to this by now.

[Just a grin and wink down at her before she'll feel that surge of levin around them before he dashes forward, flash stepping through a small gap of the crowd to get them past it before taking another dash for good measure, leaving the surprised penguins behind and squawking before setting her down.

They're further up the beach, so—]

Now, I would suggest we run.

[garudas]

[There's a lot of noise from the penguins as Cid steps through them, and then dashes again.

She is used to it, just not when he so suddenly picks her up in his arms like that? He would be thinking the same thing if she suddenly grabbed him with a claw and flew off with him!

But once her feet are on the ground, she chances a look back...only to see the horde of penguins giving chase.]

A little warning next time wouldn't hurt... but I don't think we've much choice.

[She takes his hand and dashes off, running with him all the way to the inn. And it isn't until she's through the doors that she feels even a little safe from the longing eyes of those birds, and a few people stare as they come barreling inside.]

... Fucking birds.

[ramuhs]

[He'll run alongside her until they're inside, and although he leans against the door he still manages a laugh.]

You know it was a bit funny, though. Seems you're quite popular regardless of species.

[A smirk.]

[garudas]

[She's staring out the windows because those birds probably won't give up so easily, but her eyes whirl around to Cid when she hears him laugh.]

I don't know why. That would not be the first time something with wings was drawn to me.

[That fucking goose.]

You still sound jealous.

[ramuhs]

Now why would I be jealous? You're here with me.

[That said he does tug her hand away so they can go towards the front desk and get a room.]

You on the other hand...

[garudas]

Me? I could say the same about you.

[She huffs when he takes her hand, and she almost—almost—yanks it away from him as punishment for that.]

Besides, you just had the one.

[Yes, she was jealous and very angry about it.]

[ramuhs]

[Yes she was—]

Rather fierce one, too, given how quick she was ready to go up against the mob. A bit like someone else I know.....

[Her, he means her.]

[garudas]

[Oh, she knows what he means, and there might be a little preening with pride as they step into the line for the front desk.]

I would have won.

[Yes, she's really talking about the hypothetical fight she would have had with a penguin.]