[closedish]

[altusimperius]

WHO: Benedict & a handful of starters
WHAT: just a slutty little lad living his slutty little life
WHEN: what month is this anyway. Kingsway
WHERE: around the Gallows
NOTES: starters in comments, holler at me on plurk or discord if you'd like one

Comments

[muckspout]

It's decided.

"Probably won't be a surprise then. Not too private in many places."

He motions to a bed holding who Edgard still assumes is Marcoulf, but is whoever the heck lives in these quarters now.

[altusimperius]

If asked, Benedict would clarify that it is very much not Marcoulf, but that is a conversation for another day.

"...yeah." He'd suggest the hookah room, but Maker forbid his one sanctuary become a place associated with various awfulness.

"Maybe not a surprise then. But there're... storage rooms. Like the one we went to before."

[muckspout]

"...That you ran away from."

Edgard adds, bringing the conversation full circle.

"Should I stop you if you do that again?"

He asks the question earnestly and not with a threat.

[altusimperius]

Benedict stares at the floor a moment. Then he nods, his gaze miserably lifting to meet Edgard's.

[muckspout]

He nods twice and claps him on the shoulder.

Good man, Benedict.

[altusimperius]

Benedict's shoulder limply gives under Edgard's clasp. This is a mistake, probably.

[muckspout]

Mistake or no, Benedict is minding his own business one day when Edgard claps a hand over his mouth and drags him into a nearby closet. He tosses him on the floor and then says, almost business like,

"Is now a good time for you?"

[altusimperius]

A strangled cry emanates from behind Edgard's hand, and Benedict's fingers fly to his temple as if to cast mind blast-- but then he catches a whiff of his captor and realizes what's happening, that he shouldn't try to fight just now. He's vaguely aware of where the blood in his body is rushing, and knows that not all of it is to his face, but hopefully it's dark enough that it won't be an issue.
Alas; Marcoulf is missed.

He has, however, dropped a stack of documents that he was carrying. From where he sprawls bewilderedly against the wall, Benedict motions back out to them.

"Can you just," he breathlessly requests, "pick those up first?"

[muckspout]

If Edgard notices, he doesn't judge or thinks anything of it. People have weird reactions to fear sometimes.

He pauses, cracks his knuckles, and then gestures to the papers.

"Go ahead." He says, very patiently.

[altusimperius]

With a wince, Bene crawls just far enough out to scoop his hand around the papers and pull them towards himself into the closet, where he quickly realigns them with one another by tapping the stack on the floor. Satisfied, he turns to place them carefully on a nearby shelf, then looks back up at Edgard with a silent nod.

[muckspout]

Edgard frowns a little. He's not going to enjoy this. He hums to himself for a moment, thinking.

Then without warning, he kicks Benedict in the shins.

[altusimperius]

Watching him carefully, Benedict still doesn't anticipate the kick in time. He makes a sound like a yelping dog, hugging his arms around his shins to put pressure on them.

"This was a bad idea," he decides through gritted teeth.

[muckspout]

Edgard slaps Benedict's face a little in response.

"Don't back out now." He says in a harsh, stern tone.

He slaps the other side of his face. Then Edgard takes a breath and punches Benedict in the stomach.

[altusimperius]

"Ow-- ow!!"

Already tears have begun to form in his eyes, Benedict's brain launching into distress mode at even this restrained style of violence.

"Fuck!" he manages to choke out before the punch lands, and he curls around it with a miserable groan.

"I wanna back out," he whines, holding one arm around his curled knees and the other shielding his face."