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

[While these hills do not quite hold a candle to Avaleci's with its lodges and the gondola that takes people up and down the mountains, there is something to be said about what the residents of Eltrut have done to create a wintery wonderland on Eltrut's back for the duration of Winterstide, for as long as the weather would allow. Opposite the main docks, there have been some ski hills over the sloping sides of Eltrut's shell as well as skating rinks at its base along the water created for the festivities, with lifts to carry people back up, not unlike the gondolas on Avaleci, although much smaller, able to fit only two people at a time.

And of course who else besides Cid has been able to drag Benedikta out here to see it. While they had plans to see the rest of the festival together, he seemed to have a keen interest in trying this out after their ice skating adventures the previous year. And lately—well, more like in the last however many months—she has had a very hard time saying no to him.

Though as she looks at the skis in his hands, she wonders if maybe this should have been the one time she did.

Well, at least the weather is nice.]

... And we are supposed to slide down the hill atop those?

So it would seem.

[He just grins as he continues to hold the pair for her.]

Come now, it might be a useful skill to have, especially with how the cliffs are at the Roost. We can try one of those smaller hills over there.

[And as he speaks, someone who is trying to learn completely flubs it, veering this way and that before falling face first into the snow with a yelp.

Oof, that looked like it smarted...]

[She just watches that person blunder their attempt, and when their face plants into the snow, she turns to him with a very pointed look. Surely he saw that too, right!?]

What exactly are we going to do with these at the Roost?

[... As she takes the skis anyway, because she cannot say no to him anymore. Ugh, what is wrong with her!!!]

[Because she lurves him—]

What, never know if we might need them to get down faster or just for some fun.

[And yes, while he did see the crash and winced in sympathy, it does nothing to deter him. Instead he just starts making his way up to where they can take the lift up to the hill.]

[No mercy from this man. And Benedikta trudges after him, grumbling something about the snow under her breath. It's not even that deep or thick—]

Would falling not just be faster...?

[And perhaps easier?

As they come up near the lifts, she wrestles a bit with her skis, one of them nearly knocking her in the face as she tries to adjust them in her arms.]

I hope you know that I will not be catching you should you meet the same fate.

But more painful.

[He'll suppress that chuckle that threatens to escape as he tries to help adjust them better in her arms.]

And I think you should worry more about yourself.

[A teasing smirk as the lift approaches.]

[The lift that she does not see approaching from behind her as she continues to fight with the skis, even as he helps her.]

It cannot possibly be that much different from flying...

[Annnnd here comes the lift—]

I think it's different eno—

[He had been adjusting her skis so he didn't notice until it's almost too late.]

Whoa—!

[And by reflex, he steps back out of the way of the chair before realizing he. Shouldn't have done that.]

[Something slams into her from behind, and she takes a very ungraceful sideways fall onto the bench. Her skis clatter against each other, one of them finally smacking her in the face, and now she is moving... up and up and up, slowly but surely, the seat lifts above the ground.

She clambers her way up, staring down at Cid who she is leaving behind on the ground, and she screeches at him.]

Cidolfus! Why didn't you tell me that—shit—

[One of her skis drops and it slides down the hill towards him.]

Sorry! I didn't notice!

[He'll hastily grab the ski as he glances back at the chair that's slowly approaching.]

But don't you worry! Just hop off at the top of the hill, I'll be right behind!

[He makes gestures with her ski towards the other lift as he makes his way back to it.

SORRY HONEY LOVE YOU]

[DOES HE...]

What do you mean hop off—!?

[She has to grab onto the back when she jostles the lift trying to look back at him before she takes a fall, but by now they are probably too far for him to hear her over the hum of the lift or the other sounds surrounding them.

So she's just going to GLARE at him as she rides the rest of the way up.]

[He shouldn't find this as amusing as he does as he takes the seat as is it comes back. Oh he knows he's going to get an earful, and he is a little worried, but he can't help but think her ire endearing these days.

And whenever she does look back, he'll just cheerfully wave until they reach the top of the hill. He'll try to signal to her beforehand that she needs to hop off the lift before it keeps going to the next higher point.]

[Well, she thought they were going up to the next highest point, so when he motions to her to get off, it's a bit hasty, and at the very last second before the lift continues to take off beyond this point. It's already started to lift a little off the ground before she's scrambling from it, taking her one ski with her as she tumbles down into the thick, fluffy snow, a poof of it shooting upwards into a cloud when she falls.

And when he is close enough, he'll see her using the ski to climb out of the snow and back onto her feet, covered in white.]

I do not like these things!

[He really shouldn't laugh, and he does wince when she falls initially. But that poof of white and her trying to get out is... Well. He tries very hard not to laugh, though it will be evident as he makes his approach and hops down.]

Just a bit of a rough landing is all.

[Although smiling, he will try to help brush off some of that snow. Oh his poor dove...]

[She frowns up at him while she just lets him brush away the snow for her.]

Stop laughing.

[SHE KNOWS HE IS HOLDING IT IN.]

I'm not.

[JUST SMILING BIGLY.]

I ought to wipe that smile right off your face, Cidolfus.

[She staggers a bit when her ski slips slightly out of her grip. Her pout fades, and she grabs onto him instead.]

But I will let the hill and the snow do that for me.

[He can't help but chuckle at that as he steadies her.]

You may get that wish. I doubt I'd be able to do this in one go.

[And once she's steady, he'll just kiss her cutely on the top of her forehead before holding out her ski.]

[She makes a noise at that kiss, and adds another pout to the ever growing list of them as she takes her ski, holding them to her carefully.]

You say that, but I doubt it will take you very long.

[Grumble grumble.

And now she's going to wait for him to put his on, because she has no idea how—]

[HE'S NOT MUCH BETTER he did at least listen to the instructor at the time, but this is still practically his first time. But he can tell she's waiting, so after making sure they're on a flat surface, he'll set his skis on the ground.]

Now let's see... If I remember right, you put them on like this...

[Just crouching down as he tries to adjust the straps on the skis.]

You should be glad I'm not wanting us to try that other thing—snowboarding, was it?

[There's a long silence as she just stares at him...

...

.....

But then her eyes wander to said snowboarders, someone preparing themselves to go down the nearby hill on theirs. They wobble a bit, and then disappear, and she cannot see if they make it down to the bottom safely.]

Absolutely not.

[She starts to follow his motions, stepping one very chunky boot onto the ski to start strapping herself in, but it's awkward and cumbersome.]

I am not sure anything is worse than the skating we did last year, however.

[Despite the sharper tone, there's an amused arch of her brow.]

You still on about that? After this, we're going to try again.

[There's a bit of a smirk at that.]

I bet you after this you'll be begging to skate again.

[After testing the straps, he stands—and wobbles a bit because this is definitely different.]

[She very nearly swats him for that, but when she sees him wobble, she reaches out to grab him instead, taking a fistful of his coat so that he doesn't fall.]

I suppose the one benefit to skating was that if I fell, so did you.

[Yet another tug of her lip, and she gets back to work on fixing her ski, the second one even more awkward than the first now that she has one on. She might need a little help...]

[He'll give her a grateful if rueful smile at that.]

I'm sure you'd gladly use me as a cushion.

[And then seeing her struggle...]

Want me to get it?

Can you?

[She wiggles her other foot at him.]

If you think you can while wearing that... they are not exactly easy to move in...

❄️ winterstide.

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