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+------- Thread: the gaps in between reality ~ Benji (/showthread.php?tid=1067)
the gaps in between reality ~ Benji - Maevie Golding - 05-21-2026
Monday, 27 November 1922
3:37pm
3:37pm
Maevie skipped into the library with the unhurried pace of a girl whose sense for responsibility had been thoroughly disabled. Humming to herself, a dreamy smile on her lips, seven minutes late.
Benji probably wouldn’t mind though, so it was fine. He was late too sometimes.
The Golden Honey Sunset spiral she’d popped before leaving the common room was slowly dissolving on her tongue, seeping into her blood to make the world a little less sharp, a little warmer, a little lighter. The caramel candies had quickly become her favourite among the bunch she’d purchased last Hogsmeade weekend. So much so, that she had begun to trade the others for more of these.
And the lollies. The lollies were her other favourite.
She was running low though. Her impressive supply had dwindled quicker than she had expected, even with the additional traded for boxes. What had started as a treat here and there had eventually spiralled far beyond the occasional indulgence, settling a faint sense of panic in her stomach.
She’d have to buy more next weekend. If she rationed it right, she’d have just enough to make it to Saturday.
No problem.
With a little spin, Maevie rounded a corner and bumped right into Benji.
“Oooops,” she giggled, bouncing off the older boy and into a nearby cart. “Sorry, didn’t see you there.” A little too slow, she reached to steady the wobbling thing before blinking back up at her friend. “Are we sorting books today?” She had forgotten what they’d been assigned to.
RE: the gaps in between reality ~ Benji - Benji Laurence - 05-24-2026
Benji would never not dread library duty.
Since his second year when Julia had waltzed into his life and decided he was meant to shelve books for a living, he'd done his best, and failed, to avoid the task at every opportunity. He never put books back in the right place. He barely checked them out correctly. He refused to answer any questions with anything but a 'no', and he was the last person people knew to seek out for help.
Still, Julia placed him here, year after year.
He hadn't known his mum was such a fan of underperformance.
He was underperforming now, wandering the various aisles with a song in his head, thinking about all the things he was going to do over the next week. Working out, drawing, a bit of bludger-beating, probably snog Rae here or there when she was feeling generous and -
OOOF.
Something - someone - slammed into his chest, sending him stumbling back slightly. Bouncy curls and a bright smile. Benji grinned. Little Marge. Not so little anymore now that she was a full-blown third year.
“Oooops. Sorry, didn’t see you there.”
He reached for her to steady as she stumbled into a cart, spilling books onto the floor. No matter. Kaitlyn would get them later. Benji certainly wasn't picking them up.
“Are we sorting books today?”
"Hardly," he answered as he righted the younger girl on her feet. "I'm avoiding all responsibilities with every bone in my body." He stared at her a moment, not recognizing the flush of red across her cheeks or the dreamy look in her eye.
"You alright, Marge?" She...seemed okay, if not a little more whimsical than she usually was. "Want to hide out in the Restricted Section with me for a bit?"
RE: the gaps in between reality ~ Benji - Maevie Golding - 05-29-2026
"Hardly. I'm avoiding all responsibilities with every bone in my body.”
Maevie broke into a burst of snorted laughter, hand covering her mouth to stifle the sound. Those baubles were quite good at their job. But it was about the funniest thing she had heard that day and the amusement just seemed to wait to pour out of her.
"You alright, Marge?"
“I’m GREAT!”, Maevie responded, immediately forgetting about her volume. Did it really matter anyway? If one of those things appeared they could just run. Or maybe Benji could box it out of the air.
She quietly giggled to herself at the thought, missing Benji’s next words for a second.
“Hm?”, she asked, smiling and blinking and staring at his face. “Oh! Yeah! Let’s do that!”
Being a library assistant for the first time meant she hadn’t been allowed in the Restricted Section before her sign up this term. A third year hardly needed whatever material Mrs. Barlowe was hiding away in there and sneaking in had seemed like too much of a risk.
Even now as an assistant Maevie hadn't dared to go in. Somehow, it had still felt forbidden. But with Benji and the ease of carelessness flowing through her veins, it really didn't matter at all.
Abandoning the mess she had made, Maevie walked ahead, bouncing on her feet with each step. “What should we do in there?”, she asked, glancing around. “Should we see who of us can find the most horrifying book? Or maybe find something that tells us how to fly on out own, so we don’t need brooms anymore. Ohhh!”
Her eyes rounded into saucers as she looked at Benji with wonder. “Do you think we can find something on how to grow wings?”
RE: the gaps in between reality ~ Benji - Benji Laurence - 06-01-2026
“I’m GREAT!”
Benji took a step back, startled by the sudden volume in her voice as a bauble zoomed overhead, hovering just above the two, it's normally transparent orb beginning to darken into a soft pink. If this kept up, it'd be red in a few moments and eager to bite.
"Shh," Benji hushed her, his eyes never leaving his mother's little guardian. It didn't matter that he was Julia's son. The baubles didn't discriminate when it came to rule-breaking in the library and their punishment didn't exactly...feel good.
There was additional trouble in store if he felt like retaliating. Six baubles against one boy was a hard fight, but add in his mum's wrath and this wouldn't end well for anyone.
“Oh! Yeah! Let’s do that!”
Do what? For a moment, Benji had forgotten what he'd suggested as his eyes cast back to the girl in front of him, staring and blinking as though she'd never seen him before. Was she...alright? Did she have something stuck in her eye? "Marge..." he said, his head cocking slightly, not unlike a confused puppy. She looked crazy, and as the girl turned to bounce ahead of him, Benji had a sudden strange thought.
Was she...high?!
No. Maevie was only thirteen, not that that had ever dissuaded anyone he'd ever known, but she was cute and bouncy and full of life. Sweet and innocent. She wasn't like his fuckhead friends that...
“What should we do in there? Should we see who of us can find the most horrifying book? Or maybe find something that tells us how to fly on out own, so we don’t need brooms anymore. Ohhh!”
Benji hurried to catch up, a huff of irritation passing through his lips as he chased after his younger friend.
“Do you think we can find something on how to grow wings?”
"C'mere," he said, taking her by the arm and pulling her slightly closer. The boy bent down, his thumb and index finger taking gentle hold of her upper and lower eyelids. "Hold still, Marge. Look right here at me." He pried her eye open wider, brown orbs staring directly into his hazel.
"What have you been getting up to? Did someone give you something?"
RE: the gaps in between reality ~ Benji - Maevie Golding - 06-03-2026
Benji’s hand wrapped around her arm, pulling her closer and she stumbled a little, unprepared for the sudden change of direction. “Woah.” For a moment the world spun a bit too fast, her surroundings blurring as he whipped her around.
His fingers were by her eye before she knew what was happening, gently prying her lids open. “What are you—”
"Hold still, Marge. Look right here at me.”
She had no idea what he was trying to do, and that was the funniest part. Giggling, she stood there in his grasp. “Why?”, she asked, letting her eyes roll left and right, going in a circle once, snorting with glee as she avoided his instruction. She blinked, one-sided, finally looking at Benji and into his eyes that seemed way to close.
"What have you been getting up to? Did someone give you something?”
“What do you mean?” Her eyes continued to stare into his, a little vacant, a little glazed but full of amusement. “I’m not getting up to anything. I just wanna look for books on wings.” The sunshine in her head and the innocence in her heart didn’t allow her to understand his implications. “Give me what? Food? I only had a bit of candy.”
Was that what he meant? “Why? Do you want one? They’re real good! Makes me feel all woooooozy.” Her eyes rolled again, accompanied by another burst of giggles.
RE: the gaps in between reality ~ Benji - Benji Laurence - 06-11-2026
Damn kids.
Benji frowned, deeply, as Maeve’s eyes rolled left, right, up and down. Everywhere except his own eyes, where he’d told her to look. “Hold still,” he muttered, as she giggled, a sigh escaping his nose as he leaned in closer. He squinted, noticing how dilated her pupils were and the redness that traced the inner corners of her eyes.
“Son of a -“ he held back his curse, releasing the younger girl as he stood up straight, studying her with disbelief. Maevie Golding. High as a kite. He’d expect it from others - shithead kids like him who had little else going for them - but Maevie? The sweet little girl with a heart of gold?
What reason did she have?
And where was this reason so he could beat its ass?
“Give me what? Food? I only had a bit of candy.”
…..Candy? Benji had never had any candy that gave him the same effects as potions or alcohol. If they had, his pockets would have always been a lot fuller and his days less busy trying to concoct shit.
“Why? Do you want one? They’re real good! Makes me feel all woooooozy.”
Well, no, he didn’t. Benji had been clean for awhile, longer than he ever had been since he’d first picked up a drink and he didn’t feel like falling back into the same stupid patterns he’d once been in. He liked his girlfriend thinking he was strong and capable and above dumb shit, even if he knew he wasn’t.
He didn’t want to disappoint her, or his mum, again.
“Actually yeah,” he said lightly, holding out his hand. “Give me as much as you have. I promise I’ll pay you back. Just tell me where you got it, so I can get you more.”
There was a reason Benji had survived so well on the streets - and why he as a badger had always thrived amongst the vipers.
RE: the gaps in between reality ~ Benji - Maevie Golding - 06-17-2026
He let go of her and Maevie blinked away the dryness of the eye he’d pried open, still unsure of what he’d done it for. He looked sort of upset somehow, or confused? Were her eyes okay? She felt the sudden urge to find a mirror and check.
“Actually yeah. Give me as much as you have. I promise I’ll pay you back. Just tell me where you got it, so I can get you more.”
Benji’s voice cut through the side quest forming in her head, eyes snapping to his. For a second she just blinked at him, slow to catch up until his words finally made sense.
“Oh! Yeah! Okay!” Excitedly, Maevie searched the pockets of her cloak, eager to share with her friend. She loved how the candy made her feel, searching the Restricted Section with Benji would be incredible, even better if he could feel like this too. But she couldn’t give him all that she had. She needed them for herself.
One would be fine though. She could spare one.
It was worth it if it meant having a good time with her friend.
After a moment of frantic pocket digging, Maevie at last procured a single Golden Honey Sunset, her backup. Beaming she held it out for Benji to take. “Here! You can have it, you don’t need to pay me back. I got it from Hogsmeade, Butterwand & Co. We can go together next weekend, if you want!”
They’d only have to make sure to be there early. Half the castle seemed eager to go back and buy more sweets, everyone was talking about it. Maevie didn’t feel like showing up with nothing left for her to buy.
RE: the gaps in between reality ~ Benji - Benji Laurence - 06-24-2026
One.
Benji stared down at his palm, studying the single piece of candy she’d dropped into his hand.
He perked an eyebrow, his expression unimpressed as he shoved the candy into his own pocket. “C’mon now,” he said, feigning a sweetness in his voice that was rarely there. “Is that really all you have? I thought we were better friends than that, Marge.” He grinned, allowing his eyes to soften just enough to seem sincere, as he nodded her towards the Restricted Section.
Next week. He could wait it out, certainly and ask around about these weird candies. He wondered if Rae had run into them at all yet, and if it was just Marge that had discovered it or if more kids were falling victim to…whatever this was. In any case, those kids weren’t his problem. Maevie was his friend and housemate, and being as young as she was, he felt a certain obligation to- or protectiveness - over her.
It was the problem he found himself in again and again. Always trying to be the white knight for people who probably didn’t need him to be.
It didn’t matter in this case. Benji knew a problem - especially this sort of problem - when he saw it.
As he waved his wand over the RS gates, he nodded her in. “You can tell me all about the different candy you’ve found. I can’t wait to try them all.”
He was full of shit, but when was Benji Cuddrun not?
RE: the gaps in between reality ~ Benji - Maevie Golding - 06-30-2026
Maevie watched him inspect the candy, a little disappointed when he stored it away. She had really hope he would eat it.
“C’mon now. Is that really all you have? I thought we were better friends than that, Marge.”
Hot shame poured down her stomach as she shook her head, doing her best to maintain an innocent smile. “That’s all,” she said, linking her hands behind her back, softly swinging in spot. “I don’t have any more. That’s why I need to buy some over the weekend.”
The lie came easier than usual, something Maevie knew how to do on occasion but always with a bitter aftertaste. It didn’t feel so bad this time; the queasiness disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared. Maybe the candies simply made that a little easier too, smoother, like they did with everything else. Really, it was only a half-lie anyway, technically. She didn’t have any more on her right now, the rest was safely tugged away in her dorm.
But Benji didn’t need to know that. One was all she could spare and she had given him that.
When he nodded her towards the Restricted Section, Maevie walked beside him without a trace of guilt left.
“You can tell me all about the different candy you’ve found. I can’t wait to try them all.”
The gates opened and Maevie hopped inside, beaming as she turned to face Benji. “Yes! There’s so many! My favourites are the ones I just gave you, they’re called Golden Honey Sunset and they make everything really fluffy and nice.” A giggle had her head falling back before lolling into place again.
“And then there’s the lollipops!”, she said with a tone of pure awe. Hudding closer, clasping the sleeve of his cloak, Maevie's voice hushed as though she was about to tell him of the most wonderful, incredible thing she had ever experienced. Her eyes rounded into saucers of delight. “They are insane. One time I could see sounds, Benji. You should try them, it's so much fun.”