Work Text:
The whole atelier, Qifrey, Olruggio and all 4 of their apprentices were out on a small field trip. They had been requested to help a town farther north, but the weather was terrible. It had been snowing nonstop the entire time they had been trekking through the forest.
Coco, Richeh, and Tetia were all huddling together as they walked behind their masters.
Tetia whinged, “Masterrrrr Qifreyyyy… We’re freezing!”
Richeh, who was puffing warm air into her hands, paused, adding on softly, “Very cold.”
Qifrey paused and turned around, frowning. Somehow he still held his palm quire even during weather such as this. He had his ink bottle balanced in the same hand as the book, while the other held his pen.
He was making spells even here???
Coco bounded forward, using her sylph boots to jump through the snow, landing beside her master. She drew her hands out of her cloak and grabbed hold of Qifrey’s hand that was holding his pen. He tilted his head. “Coco, what’s the matter?”
“Aren’t you cold, master?”
He smiled and shook his head slightly. “Not terribly, don’t worry about me,” he comforted, patting her head and pulling up her hood, buttoning up the top button and running his hands along the fur lining.
“However… the four of you look absolutely freezing! Coco, your ears are pink…”
Coco nodded aggressively and grabbed his robes, clinging to his side.
Agott, who had been walking ahead of the rest of the group, glanced back, shaking her head in disappointment. “Don’t stick onto him like that, Coco, it’s annoying…” she reprimanded.
“I can do whatever I want!” Coco barked, but laughed anyway and ran over to Agott, practically jumping onto her, yelling, “I’ll snuggle with you instead then!” The two almost fall into the snow but Olruggio snatched Agott by the collar of her shirt like a kitten, preventing them from falling.
Suddenly, Coco felt… a lot warmer. She looked up, lips parting slightly.
“You two,” he said, “are gonna get absolutely bloody soaked if you keep roughhousing like this.
Qifrey walked forward and patted Olruggio’s shoulder. “Come now, Olly… Don’t be so harsh,” he placated.
Olruggio softened immediately and snorted a laugh. “Yeah, yeah. Should’ve brought the girls mitts, though… And you too!” he said, grabbing Qifrey’s hand. “How am I the only one that thought to bring some?”
Coco kept staring at the two, wanting to say something, but before she could, Agott spoke up; “Master Olruggio, how… how are you so warm?”
“Eh?”
Richeh wandered up behind their two masters and poked her head between them, looking up at Olruggio. “Warm? Master Olruggio, you’re not cold?”
He shook his head.
Tetia bounded over, grabbing Richeh by the shoulders and looking over her shoulder up at Olruggio as well. “What??? Really??? How???” She pestered, looking excited.
All four girls piled up in front of him curiously and Olruggio couldn’t help but huff in amusement. He lifted his arm, opening his cape to show off drawings right the fabric of his cloak. “Well… It’s a little spell I whipped up.”
“A spell? Really???” Coco gasped softly, ducking under his cape, pulling her hands close to her body and pressing herself into Olruggio’s side. A heating spell! Who knew Olruggio had such a cozy idea such as this???
Tetia and Richeh wasted no time in snuggling up to him as well, Richeh wrapping her arms around his middle. “Master Olly, you’re almost as nice as the fireplace at home…” Tetia, beside her, made an exaggerated wowww sound, cooing as she bounced on her toes excitedly.
Agott glances at Olruggio as if waiting for permission still. He shook his head with a small huff of laughter and opened his arms a bit more. She tilted her head and stepped closer, hesitating. But after only a moment's pause, her eyes went wide and her lips parted slightly. “It… It really is warm!”
Qifrey let out a chortle, covering his mouth to hide his smile. Olruggio huffed, giving him a look before glancing back down at the four apprentices clinging to him. He slowly let his arms fall around their shoulders. Giggles rang out and he pursed his lips.
“A little help here, Qifrey?”
“Oh no, this is adorable!”
Olruggio huffed, absently patting Richeh’s head.
Olruggio stayed there for a moment until he couldn’t take it anymore and shifted to push the girls gently off of him.
“You girls wanna see the spell? Well… I’ll show yer, just back up a bit.”
They all quickly formed a line in front of him, standing at attention, ready to learn. Olruggio chuckled, unclasping his cape and pulling it off. He opened it up to reveal a large spell drawn in the centre and two semicircles one each side. “These are my warming spells. When buttoned up properly the two halves in the front will connect as well and I’ll be plenty warm.”
“I could feel the warmth coming off you, but I bet it's even warmer when it's on properly!” Coco chirped, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet. She always got giddy when learning a new spell.
They moved closer reaching out to hold their hands up to the fire like heat emitting from Olruggio’s cloak. Coco turned around to Qifrey, grabbing his sleeve, “Master Qifrey, come look!”
Qifrey crouched in front of the girls and laughed. “It is warm, you’re right, Coco!”
Tetia laughed happily, hugging Qifrey around his neck. He patted her arm and looked up. Him and Olruggio met eyes for a moment and he smiled warmly.
“Did you girls realize, he also has spells drawn on the palms of his gloves,” Qifrey notes, reaching up. Olruggio automatically puts his hands in his, allowing him to show the mittens off. Richeh grabbed one of Olruggio’s hands and Tetia grabbed the other.
“Master, if you knew about them, why didn’t you make some for yourself?”
“Yeah! And us!”
“I’m very sorry girls, it must’ve slipped my mind…” he said, standing up and wrapping Olruggio’s cloak back around him. “I have an idea though,” he muses, tying the thick cape shut and giving Olruggio’s chest a pat. Agott raised her head high, already ready to offer. Coco tilted her head as Qifrey looked her way.
“My dear Coco… With your expertise in fabrics… How about you help me draw the spells onto everybody's capes?”
Coco perked up, gasping, “R-Really? Yes! Yes, I would love to help!”
“Then let’s start with my cloak?”
Qifrey picked her up easily, treading through the snow, drawing a quick spell. The snow clears, leaving a spot lacking snow where Qifrey can put her down. He took off his cape and laid it on a large log. “Here should be good.”
Coco nodded, fumbling in her bag for a rock she can draw with without ripping the fabric. She dipped it in her ink and drew a big circle, leaving a tiny gap so as not to seal it.
Qifrey directed her on how to draw the spell and when she finally closed the ring, heat flooded her chilled finger tips. She gasped, jumping up. “I did it!”
“Indeed you did! Good job!”
Qifrey raised his hand and she jumped up to clap their hands together in a high five. Qifrey tilted his head, smiling down at her. He lifted his cloak up from the log. “Let’s switch cloaks for a minute, hm? While you draw your own spell on your cape?”
“Are you sure, master? Won’t you be cold…”
“I’m perfectly fine, Coco,” he comforted before turning, waving to Olruggio and calling to him, “Olly, be a dear and come lend me your side, It’s a bit chilly.”
Olruggio huffed, but listened to him anyway without much question, huffing and lifting up his cape. Qifrey tucked himself beside Olruggio, putting a hand on his waist and resting his chin on Olruggio’s shoulder.
Richeh stuck her tongue out and mumbled, “Yuck…”
“Richeh, one day you might find somebody—” Olruggio started, but Qifrey patted his shoulder to stop him.
Coco repeated the motions for everyone's robes, passing along master Qifrey’s cloak to keep warm while they waited. After Coco finished everybody's warming cloaks, she huffed and let herself fall into her master. Olruggio of course caught her, grabbing her by the hood of her cape and lifting her up out of the snow. Qifrey clapped happily and smiled, "Excellent work, Coco! Now everyone can be warm—“
Tetia, who was the last to receive her cloak, handed it back to Qifrey. Before he could even get it back on, however, she suddenly threw herself at him, whining, “But Master, my hands are still cold!”
Qifrey hummed, looking contemplative. Olruggio let out a long sigh before holding out his hands. The girls all scrambled over, all fighting to grab his gloved hands.
“Okay, okay… You can stay under my cloak. Just don’t trip me, ye hear me?”
Giving Olruggio a firm pat to his shoulder, Qifrey lightly pushed him along. “How about we find somewhere to rest? We still have quite the ways to go tomorrow”
Olruggio wandered until he found a suitable clearing. He used a small heat spell to melt the snow before drying the area. “Lets set up camp here.”
Despite the fact three perfectly good tents were set up, one for the two masters, Coco and Agott, and Richeh and Tetia, somehow everyone ended up stuffed into one tent, the girls all cuddled up to Olruggio. Qifrey sat outside. He started up a small fire and was heating up sandwiches over it. Coco watched bleary eyed, face smushed against Olruggio’s chest. Agott was behind her, arms around her waist, face pressed into Coco’s back, laying her head on Olruggio’s bicep. On Olruggio’s other side, Richeh and Tetia had a similar situation going on, snuggled together against Olruggio’s side. Coco felt Olruggio exhale as he sighed.
“Master…” Agott mumbled, and Olruggio shushed her, roughly patting her head before rubbing a hand over her shoulder.
Coco had made them all their own personal warming cloaks, but it was still more cozy to snuggle up with Master Olly instead. Maybe it was a different type of warmth they all sought.
…
Qifrey looked up from the fire, having finished frying the melty-cheesy sandwiches he had brought along. Without looking back he called out.
“Olly, dear!”
There was no answer. He pushed himself to his feet and ducks down to peek into the tent. “Dearest—” he pauses. Setting down the sandwiches, he sighed. They’re all asleep already? Well… he laughed slightly and crossed his legs under himself.
Oh well. He supposed they could eat when they woke up…