Who: Cidolfus Telamon & Benedikta Harman.
Status: Closed.
Where: The Hideaway's Island, Cid's apartment.
What: Cid and Benedikta help out an injured owl. Benedikta gets a little in over her head for once.
Warnings: The usual CidBenna warnings. :)
owl you need is love 🦉
a not so clawesome day 🦀
open wounds 💔
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🦉
( → continued from here. )
[Clearly not!!
And while she isn't as grumpy about it as she makes herself out to be, the fact that he accepted the feather is enough to ruffle her feathers just a bit. Enough that she doesn't acknowledge that he is following her into the cave, and while she had been keeping a fairly brisk pace, she does stop once she comes through into the wider space to take in their surroundings.
While the cave isn't large by any means, it is big enough to fit a waterfall that pours in from one of the holes in the ceiling, trickling into the clear blue pool that fills the grotto. On the other side from where they came is a small opening to the forest with the treeline and more vines serving as a shield from the outside world, giving them the privacy that she wished for.
She huffs out with a sharp sigh.]
I admit, she has good taste.
no subject
At her words, however, he can't help but grin a little.]
Not just about me, eh?
no subject
He makes it impossible to stay annoyed with him!!]
Rather presumptuous of you, isn't it?
[Though, her posture is at odds with her words, some of that tension in her shoulders releasing as he comes closer.]
What if I was only talking about the pool?
[That doesn't mean she isn't still huffy about that last show of affection!!!]
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[Tucking the feather into a pocket, he slips his arms around her waist from behind.]
But it is quite cute to see you so jealous.
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I'm not bothered, and there is nothing cute about it.
[Don't call her that???
Except she really is a little jealous, and after a bit of incoherent grumbling—]
... Do you still have those feathers from me?
no subject
[And knowing how to soothe his little bird, his head lowers to first lightly nuzzle...]
It was one of the first things you ever gave me in this world...
[...and then lets his lips lightly brush against her neck as he speaks, his hands certainly not moving despite that little swat.
That said, it's true. Those feathers were the first things she "gifted" him, even if they weren't in the best of terms. Along with the shellphone case, the holster, and the charm that yes, he all still has.]
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You do know you stole one of them from me, yes?
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[His voice is lower now, closer to her ear as she can hear and feel that smile.]
Along with something else.
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Her fingers begin to pull at the threads that hold her corset together.]
You are going around stealing other things from me, are you?
[Is she going to regret asking this?]
What might that be?
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🦀
And exactly how much of this do you think you will need?
[She makes a face at them as she plunks them into the bag he'd brought with them to put whatever they had collected into.]
This feels more like work for the others.
[Others being anyone but them when they have a bigger fish to fry. Yet here she is, cleaning these things off of a giant crab. She'd have laughed in anyone's face if they told her she would be doing this. Ever.]
no subject
Who knows when or if we'll be back here or if we'll find anything more suitable. Consider this potential extra cash should they prove as valuable as I hope to be.
[Even if not for their curse or Rem's issue, having more medicinal or healing remedies on hand will be a boon for them until they get an actual healer or medicker in the crew.]
But I think about a dozen or so more should be enough. Can't have it too heavy we can't carry it back.
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Are there not better ways to make money than scraping barnacles from a giant crab...
[There certainly has to be around here, as she works on scraping off one more particularly stubborn one that she'd rather stab instead.]
What do you plan to use them for anyway?
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[He scrapes off a few small ones, holding them in his hand before he finds a large one that he eagerly sets to work on, chipping and cutting around it before prying and scraping it off. It ends up about the size of his palm, so he's quite pleased with that particular find.]
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... You find joy in the strangest of things, Cidolfus.
[But unlike her weary, irritated tone before, it's said more playfully. Fondly, even, if he strains his ears and listens carefully.]
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[And just flashing her a boyish grin as he sets it all in the basket. And yes, he may have caught the true tone of her voice, which is why there is also a little sparkle in his eyes as he now walks over to her to see how she's doing.]
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But then he's sauntering right over to see her progress, and she moves to block his way so that he can't see it. Or rather, see what little progress she has made on this stubborn one as she stabs at it unceremoniously with her knife like she's trying to murder it.]
I'm alright over here.
[She's not.]
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In trying to break it apart?
[Yes he can see that.]
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❤️🩹
And how difficult would it really be if she went at it on her own? It has been proven time and time again that she much prefers to work alone on these sorts of excursions, unless it were with Cidolfus, and even then... At least on her own, she would have one less thing to worry about, whether it be someone getting in her way or him getting injured on her watch. He was always just as reckless as she was at times, leaping into the way when something swiped at her or shoving her aside so he could block the blow...
No, today, she didn't need any of that.
Or that's what she had told herself on the way, and when she engaged the beast.
And while she did manage to make it out of there with the claws and proof of its death, things had gone south at some point, and that thing had gotten one hit in that made it all flip on its head so quickly. She had to kill it and kill it fast, and as soon as she had finished (painfully) tearing out the claws from its paws, she had flown off, teetering on the winds, back to Nogard.
Fortunately, it was only an hour's flight away, perhaps less, from the island that she had found it on.
It will be late afternoon when Cid will hear a rap on his door, and when he opens it, he'll find a wind-torn Benedikta there, the aether still thick around her despite her wings having disappeared, a bag slung haphazardly over her shoulder, and her hand clutching her side.
Don't mind that trail of blood specks that she's left in her wake.]
no subject
He had just sat down with one about petrification hexes, curses, and more (should he be concerned there are so many different ways??) when he senses that spike of aether approaching before he hears the rap at his door. Frowning as an ominous sense of foreboding tingles through him, he quickly stands and marches over the door to open and—]
Fucking hell, Benedikta!
[There had been a brief moment of dumbstruck surprise upon seeing not her, but her condition, and for a moment all color drains from his face before he immediately his door swings wide open as he steps out to usher her inside.]
What happened??
[While she's at least alive, it's clear that wound is not one they can just slap a band aid on and call it a day. Already his mind is spinning at what in the world she got up to to get like this, but more than that is as that blood continues to drip down onto his floor, there's a sick churning in his gut as he tries to guide her to the couch so he can lie her down.]
no subject
Those fucking Suannis...
[With a groan, she waves his hand away as she slumps down on the couch and drops the bag at her feet, pretending as if she hadn't just reopened the wound when she landed and isn't bleeding all over her leathers.]
It's only a scratch... nothing serious. I just need some bandages is all.
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The Suannis? That bounty on the board that is said to be capable of shredding a ship to shreds with its claws?
[It's subtle, but his voice begins to rise as recalls the details of that bounty and looks to the wound. He'll get the first aid kid, but first he has to hear her answer.]
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Yes, those.
[And when he doesn't immediately go to fetch the bandages, she tries to shove herself up, only to fall back down, clutching at the wound with a sharp cry of pain that she immediately bites back.]
It was just the one.
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You should be grateful it was just the one by the looks of it.
[Not mincing his words or his tone as his eyes stare at the wound before tearing it away.]
Get your shirt off, I'll take care of it.
[He takes a step away before stopping and pointing sharply at her.]
And don't even think about trying to run off, you wouldn't even be able to walk let along crawl to the door so spare us the bloody mess and stay put.
[If she couldn't tell he was mad yet, this is her first hint. None of that usual soft lining or worried voice, just one that already has a cold, sharp edge to it.
And if this had been any other time he would have felt a strange sympathy for Tarja for having to put up with his own rash behavior along with others who try to get up and go before they were treated. But right now his thoughts are too deep in trying to imagine what she tried to do, the sight of her burned in his mind as he hurries to his bathroom to get the first aid kit and towels. He'll use the kitchen for the bowl of water to clean her off.]
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Why do you think I flew all the way here, hm?
[She can already feel her stubborn pride beginning to clutch her. Yes, she is grateful, but no, he did not need to point it out... and it's especially bad when she tries to take off her shirt, and she only gets as far as unzipping the back of the leather by the time he gets back.
He'll find her helplessly slumped over herself while trying to reach, and swearing up a storm under her breath when she can't.]
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Setting everything down, some of that ire cools as he sits on the edge of the couch next to her.]
Here, let me.
[And his hands will already be reaching for that zipper and to help pull away her top.]
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