closed 🪶⚡ all i really, really ever want is under the mistletoe

[garudas]

Who: Cidolfus Telamon & Benedikta Harman.
Status: Closed.
Where: Around places.
What: Cid and Benedikta follow a lead and sneak into a fancy holiday party. Event stuff TBA.
Warnings: it's them, what do you want from me



🥂 🎄 ❄️

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[ramuhs]

Then if you don't mind...

[Cid will proceed to ask a few basic questions, such as how the host was able to earn his own wealth and business. This is always a good start as a loyal servant would be happy to share such flattering stories, even if they don't spill any secrets. Which is fine for Cid, that's not his real target. With the maid's guard lowered, he continues with his questions. Who are some guests he should consider speaking to leads him to a number of names—including Danos and his wife. He asks for more information about them and their appearances, mixing Danos in with the group.

This leads to the topic of trends, Cid seeding in the idea that his business is related to shipping, and while not much, the maid does mention that certain products are popular nowadays. A new line of perfume in particular, and she refers back to some of the names mentioned earlier, including Danos.

With the food now prepared and armed with more leads and something to work with, Cid bids her thanks for the assistance. She asks him if he needs help returning, and he waves her off, saying he knows exactly where he left her. And there's perhaps good timing as another servant is calling for her.

So with a friendly wave, he'll slowly turn around to start walking back....]

[garudas]

[From around the corner, Benedikta listens, peeking around every now and then. She can't help but smile to herself, thinking him so incredibly clever and charismatic with the way that he can so easily needle information out of simple-minded girls. Information that should otherwise be incredibly classified, but what woman can resist that charm?

She is smitten by the fact that they do indeed make quite the pair. She is going to have a few words with him about how he described her as some delicate flower, as well as with a child!? Was that really necessary!?

Thoughts that she is all caught up in when she realizes that the conversation has come to an end and he is turning on his heel, likely to head back to where he thinks she is waiting. She scrambles a bit, shuffling past some of the people standing around in the dining area so that she can walk very, very fast back to the room. A brisk walk that turns into an awkward half-jog in heels once she reaches the hallway which is, fortunately, empty, and the door has remained untouched.

She will only arrive back moments before he does, with hardly enough time to straighten herself out. She only just realizes that they have entered a common sitting area with a bed in one corner and a bath in the other. Some sort of guest room? She can't quite tell with how dark it is.

But when he returns, she'll be standing at the center, pretending to look around as she fixes her hair back into place.]

[ramuhs]

[Try as much, there's no escaping his eyes as he spots her before she can disappear completely. He chuckles to himself at that as he keeps his pace slow, giving her a bit of a head start and the illusion that she wasn't caught. He also wants to make it not so obvious he's chasing after her, too, in case there are people watching.

Turning back down the hall, he ensures that no one is following before he quickens his steps to reach those double doors. And once he opens them...]

Hope you weren't waiting long.

[garudas]

Oh.

[She turns around, acting surprised, but she kicks the bottom of her dress back into place when she realizes that it's crooked.]

That took longer than expected.

[Her eyes flit down to the tray of food. Did he really...?]

You would keep your pregnant wife waiting?

[ramuhs]

[There's just a quirk of his lips as he first makes sure the door is locked behind him before moving further in to set the plates and glass on the table.]

I wanted to make sure my love was resting well.

[And then a fuller smirk.]

Except I thought heard her wings fluttering about instead.

[garudas]

Did you?

[Ignoring his smile and instead examining the food tray he's brought. She picks up a cracker and nibbles on the corner, lifting a perfectly arched brow at him in the dark.]

You must have imagined it because I have been here all this time.

[ramuhs]

[Uh huh.]

Then you will have already looked around the room to see if there was anything of worth?

[garudas]

No.

[A pause, silence as she munches, the only sound being the distant music and the crispiness of the cracker.]

I was waiting for you.

[ramuhs]

[He'll just watch her for a moment and nod his head as if in understanding as walks up alongside her.]

Then I should regale you of what I learned from the maid. Of course this was after I sing praises of your beauty and wit, your strong support for the business I am starting—which I should tell you so we won't have conflicting stories later.

[garudas]

[She bristles a bit at that, turning away from him and pretending to pick at more of the food.]

The maid that seemed so very charmed by you.

[ramuhs]

[He sees that bristling and just subtly moving to the other side.]

Oh? How so?

[garudas]

[A glance over her shoulder at him before her entire countenance changes to something mimicking the maid, and her voice takes on a less sharp and more wistful tone.]

"Oh, how very charming of you! How sweet of you...! I would have remembered you if I had seen you before~"

[ramuhs]

[An arch of the brow.]

Now when did you hear that?

[garudas]

[Ah, shit—]

When you were in the hallway. It's not as if she was very quiet about it.

[ramuhs]

In the hallway...which one?

[garudas]

[She whirls around to him, her cracker hanging halfway out of her mouth before she rips it from between her lips.]

Enough questions, Cidolfus. Let us start looking...!

[A pause, and her eyes go to the drink.]

Did you get a peach drink?

[ramuhs]

[He holds up the glass.]

A special non-alcoholic peach cocktail just for you.

[garudas]

[She purses her lips together, hesitating before she takes it.]

You could have said literally anything else and yet you chose that.

[ramuhs]

And what is so wrong about getting my sweet love her favorite flavor?

[garudas]

You know very well what is wrong with this.

[She takes a sip, and her face scrunches against the sweet peach juice, and there will be an audible groan to her voice.]

I would have preferred wine.

[ramuhs]

Ah, ah, but that wouldn't be good for our little egg.

[Smirk.]

[garudas]

Our little what—!?

[She throws a cracker across at him!!!]

And what if rumour begins to spread, hm!?

[ramuhs]

[He'll half-heartedly deflect the cracker, letting it fall to the floor with a laugh.]

What, as if anyone would know!

[garudas]

The maids will all gossip about the sweet man who took such good care of his wife who is with a baby. And then they shall point you out the moment we step foot into their view.

[She sips at the drink, only half as angry at him as she is pretending to be. Everything else that he had said had been far too sweet for her to be mad about it.]

"Look at that good husband taking such good care of his wife and child!"

[ramuhs]

So?

[He pulls up a chair and sits down next to her.]

That just makes us all the more unassuming...and perhaps more vulnerable.

[Yet he says that with a mischievous grin.]