done with wicked games ;; cosette

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BENNY G.

adjusting to the new territory had been easy in terms of conditions. the sun still was hot as ever. nights were cold enough to make his paws numb. water was still out of fuck nowhere into the desert that the distance between the fort and where cacti began to grow more bountifully was exhausting in itself.

benny had a drive to survive through it, though. he pushed himself to his limits daily. collecting cacti to bring back to the fort. patrolling almost dawn to dusk for trespassers or even bodies that couldn't handle the heat to bring back for a night's dinner. it was morbid, and sometimes benny wasn't sure what the point of it was but he had a purpose in place here. get his shit done and he'll live. he couldn't run off because it was tough. he wouldn't. even when yes man led, and there was large suspicion over benny's intentions here, it was cowardly, and there were... other commitments keeping him here.

during one of benny's journey's through the new desert he had come across an oasis. it was partially surrounded by a canyon, with flora and fauna growing between the cracks of the walls and overgrown at the base. cactus flowers and lilies floated along the surface of the water, and it was pleasantly quite. a few mice scattered by to take advantage of the vacant water before scurrying back into their homes between the canyon walls. the fox had just discovered it, originally calling forth a search team for a water source before deciding to go on his own. it wasn't the smartest thing to go by himself, but he had stated where he was going at least before departing the fort.

the water was cool as refreshing, and he practically dunked his entire head below the surface before jerking back up and shaking the water out of his ears. benny relieved a pleasant sigh and laid onto his body, resting his head down onto the water with just his nose up so he could still breathe. finally, somewhere actually cold that couldn't kill him.

[member=2048]COSETTE[/member]

© LEXASPERATED

[guts]

Considering her life before all of this, this should have been easy. It was just a simple camp move, but it still had turned her routine over on it's side, especially when it came to the heat and lack of resources. There wasn't anything to see for miles surrounding them. They were well-protected, as enemies would probably be exhausted by the time they reached their camp, but it was still difficult for them, too. But she didn't bother voicing any of that out loud, instead keeping her mouth shut and going along with it. She had learned to do that a long time ago, that her opinions didn't really matter. Things happened and the world continued either way.

At least her fur wasn't thick or dark colored. Plus she blended in quite well with the sand. So there wasn't much else to complain about, though she definitely felt dirty and unpleasant with all the sweat and filth. Just when she had been hoping for some sort of water source to appear, she spotted a sudden dip in the land, tired paws carrying her over to investigate. When she peeked over the edge, she was elated to see the oasis, the beautiful flora and the life scurrying about barely registering in her mind as she quickly raced to towards the water.

It was cool, chilling her body as she dived in, enveloped in the coolness. Cosette could practically feel it all melting away off her body, the grime she was carrying coming off to leave her pelt glistening and wet. She didn't even notice Benny there, too focused on the oasis and all it offered. But once she took a look around and noticed the nose sticking out of the water, she quickly got defensive, unsure who it was just by the snout. She couldn't pick out the scent, either.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry,"" she apologizes, slowly wading back towards the bank. "I didn't know you were here." she keeps her eye on them, cautious. Whoever it was, maybe they'd let her stay. Hopefully.

[glow=black,2,300]— ✘ —[/glow]

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BENNY G.

benny felt as though he might as well stay submerged forever. it was relaxing; the cool temperatures washing away the tension in his shoulders and melting away the burning heat from his body. he knew it couldn't last long, unfortunately. at the end of the day he would return to his duties as a warlord and continue on his day. perhaps take scattered visits back to this pleasant pond.

he opened his eyes, feeling a disturbed wave as someone had jumped in. he couldn't quite tell who it was, only being able to see their skewed legs underwater. he lifted his head, shaking some water from his face and looked up. baby blue eyes widened as he saw cosette looking down at him. his expression quickly turned up to a soft smile.

"we oughta quit meetin' up like this, doll. the people are gonna talk." benny chuckled and rose to a stand. "what's gotcha all the way out here? hear about my little adventure? did you come to check up on me?" he continued to tease lightly. there was nothing more entertaining than seeing her blush. well, maybe there was, but at the moment he couldn't think of anything else.

© LEXASPERATED

[guts]

She released a deep breath, relieved to see it was someone familiar--Benny, of all people. She was glad to see him, a genuine smile spreading across her face, allowing a small chuckle. "Oh! It's just you, thank goodness. I thought it was someone else." she says with a shake of her head. She didn't want to find some cozy place with water only to be pummeled by some stranger. Luckily that wouldn't be the case.

Flustered by his comment, her ears would pin back against her skull in embarrassment, eyes flickering away for a moment. Would it be such a bad thing, to have people start talking about them? Maybe then she'd get a chance. But she quickly pushes that thought away, instead focusing on the male in front of her. "No, no. I was just around is all! Um, I didn't even really notice you were here." she was worried he would think ill of her if he thought she had followed him or something to that effect. Besides, even if she had, she wouldn't admit to it. It would be too mortifying.

Cosette focuses on the oasis around them, hoping she had gotten herself out of the possible line of fire. Now that she really saw it all, it struck her with it's scenery, the flowers that were blooming quickly catching her attention. Some of them looked similar to the ones in the oasis they had first called home, while others she had never seen before. Her attention lost on Benny, she stared towards the blooms, admiring them from where she stood in the water.

[glow=black,2,300]— ✘ —[/glow]

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BENNY G.

the pure fact she found relief in seeing him over someone else brought butterflies to his stomach. he wasn't sure if it was making him feel sick, light, euphoric, or all the above. he just knew cosette made him happy when she was around. the savannah was on his mind, maybe a bit too much for him to ignore. it was a strange feeling that sparked in his chest when he saw her. thought about her... some nights he hated it for making his sleep more restless than it already was.

she was soft. he couldn't have her even if he wanted to. not until she could handle it. his rough nature and less-than-innocent habits with his romantic interests.

benny noticed her gaze wandering and chuckled to himself. "well doll, I came out here t' explore, mostly. would you like to join me? I think this is a pretty sweet gig for a date, you dig?" not being together officially didn't mean he couldn't still flirt, right? hopefully not. at least not until she said something first... the last thing benny would want it to corner her, or make her feel like she was obligated to agree to commitment. knowing vaguely of her background and how she acted, he wouldn't be a hundred percent sure.


the fox flicked his tail over cosette's nose and began to wade through the water, turning his head to look at her. "c'mon cutiepie, think there's somethin' cool 'round here?" he swept up a white waterlily in his paw, shaking off some of the droplets before placing it behind her ear with a gentle smile.

© LEXASPERATED

[guts]

[align=center][div style="width: 51%; text-align: justify; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: georgia;"]She couldn't say that she didn't feel the same way. However, she didn't have a name for it. For all she knew, she was sick, her symptoms flaring whenever she was in Benny's presence. So, should she even really be here with him now? But as she thought about it, she didn't want to leave. Even with the butterflies in her stomach and the flushing of her face under her fur, she thought the idea was silly. It wasn't how illness worked, at least not to her knowledge. She wasn't sure how her thoughts had ran off so much, and as she turned her attention back towards the fox, her chest suddenly felt light.

Just like everyone else, he was above her. But he was different. While she listened to what everyone else said just because she felt she had to, if he ever asked something of her, she would happily do it. She cared what others thought about her, but the thought of him disliking her was enough to make her ache. She wanted him to think highly of her, even though she knew that was unlikely. Things like that weren't meant for slaves.

A puzzled expression on her face, she tilts her head, an unspoken question on her lips. She's hesitant, but finally gives in to her curiosity. "What's that? A date?" she had never heard of whatever that was. She didn't know much about relationships in general.

Cosette's nose scrunches up at the contact, giggling. "Anything's better than sand and cacti." she replies with a smile. She nearly winces at his movement towards her, taken by surprise, but she quickly calms when she realizes what he was doing. A waterlily, still somewhat wet, now sat between her ear and head, her face brightening. She averts her eyes, suddenly shy. She wasn't used to such attention.

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BENNY G.

such a mockery to the emotions they held that they misunderstood them for something else. a tragic joke that neither would make sense of it quick enough. that they weren't capable, or thought to be capable of feeling such emotion before. had benny been given the proper love as a child. the opportunity to find it, and be taught how to treat the hearts he stole in the past, he may have been able to guide cosette. instead they were both running in circles around each other. becoming shy at each other's advancements or directing the romantic attention elsewhere.

at least not today, finally. benny wanted to at least prove, or experiment with the idea that he could be a lover. something with cosette made him soft, there was no doubt but it made him feel... uneasy. as if he were falling for something that wasn't there; his general fear of love and commitment betraying him making him turn away. at least today... today he could try.

the fox cocked his head at her question, a chuckle escaping him. he couldn't contain it. "a date? It's uh... well, it's when a guy takes a girl for a little hey-hey. have a good time. They go for a swing, all those good digs." the fox vaguely explained in his own sort of language that he seemed to understand entirely. benny tipped his head low, trying to make eye contact with her again. "you up for it?"

© LEXASPERATED

[guts]

[align=center][div style="width: 51%; text-align: justify; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: georgia;"]It was a cruel game, truly. Anyone who looked on at them would probably roll their eyes, mutter about how clueless they were, but it wasn't quite so simple. Even if Benny got over it all, found it in himself to be a lover, she still had her own demons. Her inferiority stopped her from doing many things, and being in a relationship was included. Something like that, having someone love her and show affection to her, was not something she deserved. Most things she had to earn, at least in her mind. But love was not something to be earned, it was priceless.

To her, it was simply a concept for dreams. It was nice to think about, despite how far away it seemed. "Oh! I see." she says as he explains what dates are, even though she didn't completely understand through his odd way of speaking. But it was endearing, amusing almost. "Um, sure. Why not?" she wasn't sure whether this was a good decision or not, but she tried not to think about it too much, instead focusing back on his face. Had his eyes always been that captivating?

She moves away then, wading back towards the bank and stepping out of the water back into the heat, shaking off the water that dripped from her fur (and placing her flower back when it fell). Glancing back at him, she'd throw him a shy smile, unsure what to do. She wasn't the most experienced when it came to being social, and this was even more out of her league. But, as she thought about it, she realized she didn't know much about him, aside from what he had said in the past.

"Where are you from? I hear you talk a lot about, um, what was the name? Boot something?" she can feel her face grow warm, quickly regretting ever saying anything. "Y-You don't have to answer..if you don't want to." hopefully he wouldn't get angry at her for mentioning it.