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



🥂 🎄 ❄️

Comments

[ramuhs]

Never said I didn't want to.

[garudas]

So then what is the delay?

[She leans towards him, peering at him through her lashes, waiting. Did she pucker her lips a little just now? Who's to say...]

[ramuhs]

[He does indeed see it, but he still doesn't move.]

I haven't heard the magic words.

[And he just blows warm air over her lips, the scent of ale heavy before he leans back.]

[garudas]

What—?

[She leans her head away from him when he blows over her lips, the sensation leaving behind warm, tantalizing tingles that, if she is not careful, will completely consume her. And she cannot lose to the likes of him. Not tonight!]

Magic words? I do not have to ask, I only have to demand to have what is mine. But very well.

[She starts to turn around, though her eyes remain on him.]

If you still do not want it...

[ramuhs]

If you're demanding it, does that mean you're folding?

[He is still unbothered by it all, while Kupli is very bothered. Why aren't they kissing!!

The starts kupopoing around them again, stopping Benedikta from going much further.]

[garudas]

[She was trying to leave before she did fold, but no matter which way Benedikta moves, Kupli tries to stop her, much to her chagrin.]

Not at all. There is a difference, but...

[She wiggles her hips at him before she's plucking Kupli out of the air and holding the squirming moogle tight in her arms.]

If you do not want it, then I suppose it is back to the party for me.

[ramuhs]

All right, have fun!

[And he says that with a cheerful wave.]

[garudas]

[She gets about two, maybe three steps before she stops and whirls around to shout at him, frustrated.]

Ugh, Cidolfus! Why must you be so stubborn?

[ramuhs]

Stubborn about what?

[Innocent face.]

[garudas]

["Let go of meeee~ Give each other a kiiiiisss, kupooohhh~" Kupli continues to struggle while Benedikta stares across at him for a beat, and then another, and then another...

...

Before she groans in frustration and stomps off.]

Unbelievable! You. Are. Unbelievable.

[—only to trip over nothing on her way before correcting herself and hurrying away.]

[ramuhs]

You only have to say the magic words!

[He calls out after her before laughing and shaking his head. He'll return the bat and go off elsewhere to get another drink, murmuring amused under his breath before taking a sip of likely his last pint of ale. Anymore and he might be too drunk to hold out.]

Only stubborn one here is you, Benna love.

[It's clear she's already folding, but he'll let her try to resist.]

[garudas]

[She shoots him a look over her shoulder before she's tugging at Kupli's fur, the little moogle shouting at her in protest as they walk away.

And while she can easily drink several more glasses of wine, she only goes for one more less full glass before she takes up a cider instead. For a while, she's found near the fire, whispering and laughing with Joshua, grumpily shouting at G'raha to quiet his singing, and then trying to tie another mistletoe around Kupli. Maybe a third for good measure. At least she seems quite happy about that.

And now she won't even try to be subtle about what she wants, because Cid will receive a message on his phone nearly an hour later with the following emojis:

💋💋💋?//

Should he look for her around the inside of the cave, he'll find her in one corner with her phone in one hand and a cider in the other, with Kupli riding on her shoulder, both of them searching for him.]

[ramuhs]

[By now he has spent some more time with the others and again with Mid as he had gifted her present earlier, and had of course kept an eye on Benedikta to see how she was faring, smiling to himself all the while. But really, there's many reasons for him to wear a smile, especially these days. As he once told Clive, the bustle is a blessing, a sign of people being able to enjoy themselves and live their lives as they wish. While this version for the Hideaway is less rebellious, the goal of helping people who haven't found a path or home and to find a way to live their life is the same.

And while the last he saw the original Hideaway was still in its "glory," knowing what happened...it's nice to see that legacy continue with the spirited members here. To see something thriving under his hand. And now with Ultima buried away, it really does feel as if they can truly live freely, and it makes this celebration all the sweeter. It's why after being with everyone he actually goes off to a quieter corner to nurse his last pint, watching everyone as he reminisces a bit, thinks over how far he and everyone else has come.

It's also around that he receives that text message, and while he had ignored most others that had come on from outside of the Hideaway, seeing it from Benedikta makes him curious...and then amused at seeing the actual message. Laughing to himself, his eyes drift over to where he last saw her, still on the other side of the large cavern. After a moment of consideration, he smiles to himself and walks into a different direction....




...And when Benedikta finally receives a message in return, it only says the following:]

Look up ☝️🏠😏

[When she manages to figure out his message, she'll see him waving from the lift going up to their house.]

[garudas]

[Her attention immediately goes to her phone when it dings, and she wears her confusion in such a deep frown that he will no doubt see it all the way from where he is as she looks around first and then up—all the way up to the ceiling and the skylights before it dawns on her. She looks in the direction of their house above everything, and then to the lift moving near it.

And there he is. Waving at her. With the cheekiest grin on his face.]

You sneaky little...

[She storms across the cavern, and Kupli loses her balance on Benedikta's shoulder and goes tumbling off, being left behind as she makes her way to the lift, trying to rush there before it reaches the top. As if she could do anything... Not in this state, at least.

When she finally reaches it, only nearly tripping twice on the way, she jabs a finger at him and shouts from the bottom.]

Cidolfus, get back here! I thought... [hiccup.] Look at you! Running!

[ramuhs]

[Oh it was such a sight watching that confusion coloring her face, his laugh audible as she storms over. But he will indeed be near the top—and that's after he set the setting to as slow as possible!]

Bit more of a "climb" or "ride" than running!

[garudas]

[She responds with a petulant stomp of her foot.]

You know what I meant!

[As soon as it reaches the top, she will be flipping the lever for it to come back down to her. And of course with it being stuck on the slowest speed, it will be a bit of a wait, and the loud clicking of the lift as it lowers itself will fill the empty space as she just glares up at him in tense silence.

She climbs on, slams the lever, and—]

Make this move faster, Cidolfus.

[ramuhs]

Just crank that green lever on the right!

[He just leans over the railing as he continued to smile smugly at her.]

[garudas]

[She totally knew that. Usually it isn't this infuriatingly slow, however, so she's never needed to use said green lever. She's never even wondered what it could possibly be for, and especially not when on a normal day, she could simply lift herself up there with her winds without a second thought. She wastes no time in reaching for it, and she does exactly as she is told.

She cranks that lever all the way with all of her furious strength.

The lift jolts violently, the speed going from nearly zero to a hundred in a matter of seconds, if that. She loses her balance and tries to reach for the railing of the lift, but her reflexes are slowed by the alcohol in her. She ends up falling flat onto her ass in the middle of the lift instead.

And once she reaches the top, she sits there and stares at him like a cat dunked into a bath of ice water, looking ready to strike at a moment's notice.]

You said to crank it!

[ramuhs]

[Meanwhile, Cid is just keeled over the railing laughing. It's so loud it likely could be heard throughout the main cavern hall. And he is still laughing, face flushed and eyes moist from the tears that have formed from how hard he is laughing, the alcohol not helping at all.]

I didn't mean that hard!

[Except he knew she would.]

[garudas]

[Is he going to be a gentleman and help her up or just keep laughing where he is!?]

Well do not say to crank it, then!

[She groans as she tries to push herself up, using the rails as an anchor as she crawls clumsily to her feet. She wobbles once she's up, and after a moment of brushing herself off, she storms over to him where she stands and waits for him to finish, hands on her hips.]

[ramuhs]

[Normally he would help, but he is far too busy laughing. He continues to laugh even as she storms up to him, and it will take a few moments more before he wipes his eyes and looks at her.]

You look no worse for wear.

[garudas]

[Oh, he is going to owe her so many kisses for this.]

I am [...hiccup...] alright, thank you for asking. Are you quite finished?

[ramuhs]

[He just chuckles.]

Aye, I am.

[And now he just stands there, one arm leaning against the railing as he just smiles roguishly at her as if waiting.]

[garudas]

[A few more beats pass where the two of them stare at each other, her frown meeting that infuriatingly handsome grin...

...

....

Before she caves and falls towards him, her arms thrown around his shoulders.]

No more running.

[ramuhs]

[Although he sways with the movement, he doesn't quite move the way she wants, still just smirking down at her.]

I wasn't running.