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]

[She wants him to wait for the wine and yet she's tempting him. What a terrible villainess she is.]

Well the undressing part for one. It's like presenting a gift without being able to unwrap it.

[garudas]

[She knows exactly what she's doing, and she'll even bring a hand of water up to drop it over her shoulders so that it trickles down.]

I just did the work for you.

[... And then the other shoulder.]

You should be thanking me.

[ramuhs]

[......

.................]

All right, that's it, I'm getting the wine myself.

[TURNING AROUND BECAUSE THIS IS CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT.]

[garudas]

[Her pleased laugh echoes across the whole pool. Maybe she was planning this all along—]

Do try to hurry. I'm not getting any warmer.

[ramuhs]

[The only answer to that is the loud slam of the door—well, not an angry slam, just a notable one that she can hear as he stalks off down the hallway.

And he will actually take his time, helped in part that they had yet to bring out the wine. In fairness to them, it looked like they were quite busy with the sudden flux of guests that have come in. And as he waits, he decides to add to their order—some cheese, fruits, and bread, things that would pair well with the wine. Hm, make that chocolate strawberries, yes—and peaches, got any of those?

So it would be good while before he returns to the room, with him even taking a leisurely walk back before he opens the door—]

[garudas]

[She's content to soak there alone for a while as she waits, allowing the warmth to finally start seeping into her bones still chilled from the upper mountain. She's had plenty of hot baths before, but never quite like this, the water of the natural springs different from what she's used to. It's nice, and she can certainly get used to this over time. She even dunks her head beneath the water's surface, soaking herself completely.

And while she's lost count of the minutes, she does notice that he's taking quite a bit of time to get back. Enough time for Benedikta to start getting irritated... and then downright annoyed once she finally does check the time on her phone she's set aside at the edge of the pool to see that it's been nearly fifteen minutes.

How long does it take to grab a bottle of wine that he'd already ordered and come back? Fucking Founders...]

Ugh, Cidolfus... I told you not to keep me waiting.

[With a low, frustrated growl and a fire still burning in the pit of her stomach, she pulls herself out of the pool, snatches one of the thin silk robes provided by the inn from the rack, slips it on, and crosses the room, tying it loosely around herself with hardly a fasten. If she must go out and find him and drag him back by his ear for taking so long, then so be it.

And just before he goes to open the door, it will swing open itself, revealing a dripping wet Benedikta on the other side looking like an angry cat who's just come out of a bath.]

[ramuhs]

[Oh.

Well.

He'll just stare at her with a blank look of surprise before a brow arches and he smirks.]

Someone's impatient.

[garudas]

[And she stares right back, her ire making a home out of the space between her brows, but there is a flicker of surprise and maybe a little shame at being caught like this because yes, someone was impatient.

She pulls the robe tighter around herself and her eyes flit across the massive spread he's carrying. That is much more than just wine, and more than what she was expecting...

Hm.

...But she isn't going to let him off easy just because he's bribing her with peaches and chocolate covered strawberries.]

Only because someone was taking too long. After I specifically asked them not to.

[ramuhs]

[And more inside the box.

But he just continues to grin amused.]

Not so fun now, is it?

[Such a bully.]

But are you going to let me in or wait longer?

[garudas]

What is that supposed to mean?

[But she steps aside anyway, giving him room to enter and slamming the door shut behind him, her eyes still glued curiously to the collection of food in his hand. Her robe, still lazily secured, falls a little open as she follows him in.]

You were the one who left me waiting in the water.

[ramuhs]

You were the one who went in the water knowing I wouldn't be able to follow you.

[Just walking ahead with his usual sauntering gait before reaching the table to set the food and wine down.]

[garudas]

And so you thought the clever thing to do...

[She follows after him, close on his heel, her hands slowly reaching out to grab him by his hips the moment he stops. She slips up behind him, pressing right up to his back.]

...would be to exact your revenge on me?

[ramuhs]

Working so far.

[A smirk as he glances back at her, but otherwise "ignores" her advances as he just oh so casually sets everything out, including the glasses.

She had already seen the fruit, but the box will have some plates, napkins, bread, cheeses, cut vegetables, and some other small sandwiches and finger foods that would keep in the small ice box provided in the room so they can have it whenever they want. He knows she'll get hungry at some point and will likely not want to be bothered, he went ahead and prepared for that.]

[garudas]

Is it? Now I'm just annoyed and impatient.

[Except it's more frustrated than anything, and she'll run her hands along his arms as he starts to set everything out, her head poking out from behind his shoulders to see what he brought.]

You picked up more than just wine, I see...

[ramuhs]

[Oh he's still smirking because he knows he's also leaving her wanting, as evident by how she continues to stick to him.]

Thought it would go with the wine, and I know you'll get hungry later, so rather than be disturbed left waiting for that, might as well have everything ready for whenever we want.

[And popping the cork to start filling those glasses.]

[garudas]

[This isn't fair... and she grumbles as much under her breath as her fingers run up to his shoulders before she's loosening the laces of his shirt.]

You'll bring them out to the pool, yes?

[ramuhs]

Do you want all of it or just a few?

[He sees what she's doing.

He feels what she's doing.

And he continues to pretend to ignore it as he sets aside the glasses and starts pulling out the plates.]

[garudas]

Mm...

[She hums and steps around to stand beside him, looking over the spread more properly before her focus is right back on the lace of his shirt, tugging it so that the string comes right out, her own robe still slipping a little further open. She really should have secured it better... oops.]

Just a little bit of everything for now should do.

[ramuhs]

[Think it's secured just fine—that he doesn't bother to fix... Or even look? Gasp. His focus remains on the food.

(Though he of course has glanced at her.)]

I'll see how much I can fit on a plate.

[garudas]

[She presses her lips together, noting how his eyes remain fixed on the food and the wine... Maybe if she starts opening up his shirt...]

Shall I go get comfortable in the water again?

[ramuhs]

[She is very welcome to do so—]

Impatient again, are we?

[Now he'll look at her with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.]

[garudas]

[Good. Then that is exactly what she will do, her fingers prying apart that leather notch by torturous notch.]

No. Just cold.

[And impatient, yes. But she won't admit to that as she takes a slice of peach from the plate he's loading up to press between her lips and take a bite. Innocently.]

But that may change if you keep taking your time... and you don't want that.

[ramuhs]

Mmm, well I know what you want.

[A quirk of his brow as he watches her.]

But now we seem to have a problem as you're still focused on undressing me.

[garudas]

Well...

[She shoves her way in between him and the food, her hips bumping his so that she has space to sandwich herself against the table, and now both of her hands can find his jacket and shirt to work them open.]

You can't very well climb into the water wearing all this, can you?

[She's helping.]

[ramuhs]

Yet you couldn't wait until I was closer to it.

[Oh he's enjoying teasing her, though his own hands will be running up her sides, fingering the loose sash around her waist.]