𝘽𝙀𝙉𝙉𝙔

That was all it was, right? Just a little game of cat and mouse, That's all there was to it. It's not like Benny was suddenly.. enjoying his company. It was just the alcohol. It had to be. He had to remind himself of that, despite the way his eyes softened, despite the smile on his lips and the way he'd found himself leaning in as Eddie spoke, hanging off his every word.

Benny was just.. so used to a very different reaction to his presence, his jokes. Used to genuine eye rolls, harsh words and dismissal- he often leaned into the assumptions that he was just an annoying prick, if that was all people wanted to see. But talking to Eddie, who actually listened, who rolled his eyes but still kept a smile, who hadn't just told him to fuck off. God, he was really letting his guard down.

It had to be the alcohol. Totally.

And with that, he took Eddie's response completely the wrong way. 'Trying to'? 'As long as we both manage to last that long'? Despite the nonchalance in his tone, it sure sounded like a proposition, an honesty that caught Benny off guard.

His ears prickled with heat, the sensation bringing him back to Earth, realising he'd been staring- and no fucking way was he blushing.

"Hah-!" He hopped to his feet suddenly, like his body had decided on it's own that it couldn't sit still any longer, totally nothing to do with the fact that Eddie's unintentional charm was actually working on him.

"You think I'm lucky?" Benny asks suddenly, tilting his head with that same grin back in full force- only now there's something guarded about it. "I guess time will tell." He swirls what’s left in his glass again before downing it in one sharp motion. The burn feels good, but nothing compared to the warmth crawling under his skin from how close they'd just been.

"Also, You still haven't cashed in your favor yet," he blurts out fast "Which means you gotta keep me alive until then! Rules!" He sets the empty glass down harder than necessary and turns toward the empty room, like he's scanning for any sort of distraction, then quickly takes (slightly wobbly) strides towards the pool table. "C'mon Eds~" He calls over, like Eddie will just follow on his every whim.

Maybe in a perfect world where Eddie wasn’t in the situation he was in right now and, by extension, wasn’t having a drink with this guy and wasn’t so hyper-focused on everything said guy was doing, he wouldn’t have noticed how bafflingly silent Benny just fell. (Though, credit where credit was due, someone like Benny was so rarely quiet, Eddie might get away with claiming that was the sole reason it was so noticeable.) He didn’t think he had said anything too outlandish, too crazy, too . . . bold. Shit, had he?

But in the blink of an eye, the impish little smirk on Benny’s face that was practically permanent had faded into what looked like sheer surprise. He stared like a deer in the headlights: wholly out-of-character, from what Eddie had gleaned so far. And, had they not been sharing a drink, Eddie would’ve put more weight on the blooming red in those cheeks—rather, what it could possibly mean.

The saving grace for both of them in that moment (far from willing to exercise any other option) was the alcohol in their systems. It didn’t stop Eddie from finally uttering a blunt, “What?”

—that just as quickly went ignored when Benny abruptly bounced to his feet. (Was he evading something now . . . ?)

Eddie blinked back at him, maintaining himself in the present while simultaneously tucking away in his brain the weirdness of this current shift . . . something to explore personally later (even if some part of him determined lingering on it would do him no good in the long-run). He watched Benny down his drink, caught a certain air of dismissiveness, now—as if the guy had, in those few seconds, decided he was done with this . . . done with Eddie. But then, after a few well-placed remarks, he extended another invitation.

And it was all Eddie could do to not simply gawk at the whiplash.

“Uh— Yeah. Yeah, coming.” He got to his feet, finished his own drink, then exchanged a meaningful look with the bartender that silently expressed, I’m gonna need another one, thanks, before pivoting after Benny. He noted the staggering steps of the other, and despite realizing he probably didn’t have much of a right, Eddie rejoined his side in a proximity that would let him steady Benny if he needed it.

“You can ‘handle your liquor,’ my ass,” was his playfully admonishing murmur. “I can’t be held accountable for keeping you alive if you fall and crack your head open.” . . . said the guy who was making very damn sure that wouldn’t happen.

#fistsbet #// they are so fucking silly #—𝘙𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 《in character》#// love how he seems to think he's even gonna be able to hit the ball when he's drunk #// good luck benny #// also ik eddie wont pick anything too soon but im excited about what favour benny owes him abhdbsnd #// if anyone saw me have to re-edit this after posting to remove all the asterisks because ive been doing rp on discord too much #// no u didnt

Of course Eddie had noticed the silence, he was plenty observant, despite them both being inebriated to some degree. It was the last thing Benny needed right now, an observation he did not care to give answers to. Luckily, he was given an out. Or, well.. forced one.

He had no idea what the hell he was acting like, other than a dumbass. God, he was a dumbass. A stupid, red-faced dumbass. He had to just play it off, to try and brush past that weird moment where he'd almost, almost felt something. No, it was just the alcohol. It had to be the alcohol. That, and Eddie's dumb cute face.

It was pretty childish, the way he'd practically fled the bar- but he needed a distraction, something to keep his hands busy, an excuse to move.

"I caaan handle it!" Benny argues back with a lazy wave of his hand as Eddie catches up to him, joining at his side once more with that same proximity- though he doesn't move away from it, not even close. If anything, he leans in just a fraction, like a drunk moth to a flame.

He pats Eddie's arm for no reason at all other than his usual over-familiarity and insistance that he's totally feeling normal. "I've still got balance! And speed! That's like.. half the stuff I need to not die!" He follows this with an accidental sway to the side before catching himself on Eddie's arm.

"....See? Reflexes." Grinning like he just won something.

He reaches the pool table and right away digs around for the balls and the rack, quickly getting them onto the table. "Alright Eds," Benny announces far too loudly for such an empty room, "If you're gonna keep me alive 'til I meet my end of the deal-" He points directly at Eddie in mock-seriousness, the 8-ball between his fingers. "-then we at least gotta keep eachother entertained, or I might just die 'a boredom~"

And it certainly did amuse Benny seeing that reaction, the way Eddie's body stiffened and his expression changed to one of.. surprise? confusion? A mix of the two, all at once. It was..

..Fuck, it was so cute.

His actions had been somewhat deliberate, flirty but innocent- he wasn't expecting any sort of back and forth with his antics, not with Eds.. and yet, he'd willed an unexpected reaction out of him, like he'd thrown the ball into Eddie's court, and it'd bounced right back just to hit him in the face.

God he wished something or someone would hit him in the face right now, he was certainly staring way too hard, smiling just a little too fondly.

The hand batting at his own finally broke the tension, and snapped him out of whatever dumb trance his acquaintance had enraptured him in, gracing him with some much needed alcohol- after stealing another swig of course, earning a laugh from Benny.

He leaned back once more, fingers lingering on that knee for a touch longer, before ultimately sliding off and returning to the bar, where they rested on the cold wood, warmth lingering in his fingertips.

"Ohhh, that's how it is? Keeping me interested?" He cooed, all too familiar for a guy who'd only met Eddie earlier that day. "You're playin' the long game, hm?" Benny took a swig of his drink, swirling the last bit of liquid idly. He was enjoying messing with the other far too much, and could certainly see it becoming a bad habit.

Eddie didn’t want to get ahead of himself here (if he hadn’t already), but part of him (a stupid part, likely) could’ve sworn that shit-eating grin on Benny’s face was somehow . . . different for just a fleeting second. Quick enough he could’ve blinked and missed it, easily mistaken as wishful thinking: the smile held something softer, more authentic and unrestrained. And then it was back to regularly scheduled programming, and Eddie had to wonder how embarrassingly whipped he personally was . . . or if maybe, just maybe, he hadn’t imagined the entire thing.

When that hand slowly slid away from his knee, the spell officially broken for good on both ends, he was left believing he was losing his mind. Which didn’t bode well for the rest of his time here, if that was already happening.

For crying out loud . . .

He ran a hand over his forehead, down the side of his face while wrestling that self-admonishing pattern of thinking. When Benny’s tone took on a questioning lilt, Eddie peered back over. Slowly, again, he processed what had been broached. “Trying to,” he admitted, mostly because he figured it would be easy to pretend he meant the literal game show and not . . . whatever the hell was going on here. “As long as we both manage to last that long.”

An overly morbid thought, sure. Maybe even a mood-killer of this nebulous atmosphere they had created (“nebulous” being a very generous term for what they both knew they were doing . . . but it seemed safest to assume otherwise). Eddie couldn’t help a small smile, regardless, accompanied by another fond shake of his head. “Pretty sure you’re fine as long as your luck continues.”

#// THE SILLIES EVER #—𝘙𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 《in character》#fistsbet #// congrats on getting to him eds ;3 even if it wasnt intentional #// love a little miscommunication ~~

That was all it was, right? Just a little game of cat and mouse, That's all there was to it. It's not like Benny was suddenly.. enjoying his company. It was just the alcohol. It had to be. He had to remind himself of that, despite the way his eyes softened, despite the smile on his lips and the way he'd found himself leaning in as Eddie spoke, hanging off his every word.

Benny was just.. so used to a very different reaction to his presence, his jokes. Used to genuine eye rolls, harsh words and dismissal- he often leaned into the assumptions that he was just an annoying prick, if that was all people wanted to see. But talking to Eddie, who actually listened, who rolled his eyes but still kept a smile, who hadn't just told him to fuck off. God, he was really letting his guard down.

It had to be the alcohol. Totally.

And with that, he took Eddie's response completely the wrong way. 'Trying to'? 'As long as we both manage to last that long'? Despite the nonchalance in his tone, it sure sounded like a proposition, an honesty that caught Benny off guard.

His ears prickled with heat, the sensation bringing him back to Earth, realising he'd been staring- and no fucking way was he blushing.

"Hah-!" He hopped to his feet suddenly, like his body had decided on it's own that it couldn't sit still any longer, totally nothing to do with the fact that Eddie's unintentional charm was actually working on him.

"You think I'm lucky?" Benny asks suddenly, tilting his head with that same grin back in full force- only now there's something guarded about it. "I guess time will tell." He swirls what’s left in his glass again before downing it in one sharp motion. The burn feels good, but nothing compared to the warmth crawling under his skin from how close they'd just been.

"Also, You still haven't cashed in your favor yet," he blurts out fast "Which means you gotta keep me alive until then! Rules!" He sets the empty glass down harder than necessary and turns toward the empty room, like he's scanning for any sort of distraction, then quickly takes (slightly wobbly) strides towards the pool table. "C'mon Eds~" He calls over, like Eddie will just follow on his every whim.

It was such a lie, to say Benny could hold his liquor in any capacity. His self control was non-existent on a good day, and after being locked up for a while in regular ass prison- maybe his tolerance really had reduced a bit.

There was a looseness to his motions, he wasn't drunk yet of course, but he could practically feel the buzz of alcohol taking effect as his head slipped just slightly against his hand, he blinked a little slower, his mouth in a warm grin. No sharp edges.

And unfortunately for Eddie, he could see through that wall he put up. Not fully of course, he didn't know what the guy was really thinking, but he could tell at least that he was enjoying his company, as much as that made Benny question why. Maybe he wanted something? But if he had, he'd have called in the favour by now.

It was weird. This guy was weird.

Benny was fascinated.

"Well~ Thank you, Eds." He responded rather cheerfully, his ego sufficiently stroked at the compliment. "And what about you, hmm? Naturally that dark?" Benny pried, making small talk, but also lasering in on Eddie's features- now that their appearances had been called into question.

He's handsome, yeah. Duh. His skin slightly pale, probably from not getting out much, and his undereyes housed some dark circles that only added to his resting 'done with your bullshit' look- But Benny was so drawn in by the stoicism. "And the hairstyle too-" he pondered out loud, his curiosities taking over his instinct as he leaned in- far too close, far too familiar.

His head lifted from his hand, this hand coming to rest on Eddie's knee as nonchalantly as anything as Benny leaned forwards, his other hand swiftly raising to cup over the long bangs that covered half of Eddie's face. Of course he'd noticed it, the hidden part.. but he hadn't drawn it into question until now. "Got a reason to hide such a cute face? Or was this costume too?" he teased at moving the bangs, his fingers tracing the edge like an actor peering behind the red curtain. Would his expression still be so fond? Would Benny realise that maybe he'd interpreted every look, every micro expression, completely wrong?

Maybe Eddie did have something to hide. Maybe Benny liked the mystery. I mean, surely he would've pushed that hair back by now, if he was that desperate to know.

It was by Benny’s surprisingly mutual curiosity that another short burst of an exhale fanned from Eddie’s nose: a scoff of laughter, really, that was humor at his own expense toward the mere notion that he put all that much thought into his appearance. What, to make some sort of statement? To impress . . . who, exactly? He never had much of a reason to fuss over it—at least beyond looking mildly presentable in the workplace, but that already seemed like lifetimes away. And yet, just as he was keenly about to brush it off, move on before Benny had much time to properly appraise him, the guy was just as keenly guaranteeing he couldn’t.

Because he was more than simply in his space, now. Lacking all hesitation, shame, anything of the sort, a hand oh-so-nonchalantly found his knee as if it belonged there (and had staked a claim ages ago, at that). And maybe it was that inexplicable “belonging” that kept Eddie from reacting as he would (or should?) have: something about it didn’t feel offensive—didn’t feel unwanted. Quiet acceptance maintained that he wouldn’t shuffle away, but also wouldn’t yet encourage that advance with one of his own . . .

At least until another hand followed suit, and he was pretty sure this was what people meant about brains “short-circuiting.”

This time, he flinched merely out of surprise. A small, barely noticeable jerk in his shoulders, followed by rapid, dumb blinks as he straightened in his seat and stared equally dumbly at the face now taking up most of his vision. As fingers pranced impishly along the curtain of hair covering his eye, it was all Eddie could do to not totally balk. He hardly processed anything Benny said. How could he when he was this close? When Benny looked at him like that? Unapologetically enraptured. Or . . . dammit, no—

Who was the enraptured one here? Eddie was positive Benny had to be over-the-moon by how utterly pathetic his expression must’ve seemed. (Would’ve sold the whole picture if his jaw was hanging, too . . . Thank God.)

He shook himself from that trance, emitting some sort of grumble before snapping the spell with a hand lightly batting Benny’s away. “Keep guessing,” Eddie griped (or was that encouragement again? Hell if he knew). In that beat, he relinquished Benny’s drink back to him, taking that opportunity for another big and needed swig of his own. “Some sort of mystery, right? Seems like the best way to keep your interest.”

#fistsbet #—𝘙𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 《in character》#// APOLOGIES AGAIN I don't know why I thought I'd replied already????#// I am a fool #// Benny is also a fool #// And he thinks Eddie is cute :3c #// hehehe

And it certainly did amuse Benny seeing that reaction, the way Eddie's body stiffened and his expression changed to one of.. surprise? confusion? A mix of the two, all at once. It was..

..Fuck, it was so cute.

His actions had been somewhat deliberate, flirty but innocent- he wasn't expecting any sort of back and forth with his antics, not with Eds.. and yet, he'd willed an unexpected reaction out of him, like he'd thrown the ball into Eddie's court, and it'd bounced right back just to hit him in the face.

God he wished something or someone would hit him in the face right now, he was certainly staring way too hard, smiling just a little too fondly.

The hand batting at his own finally broke the tension, and snapped him out of whatever dumb trance his acquaintance had enraptured him in, gracing him with some much needed alcohol- after stealing another swig of course, earning a laugh from Benny.

He leaned back once more, fingers lingering on that knee for a touch longer, before ultimately sliding off and returning to the bar, where they rested on the cold wood, warmth lingering in his fingertips.

"Ohhh, that's how it is? Keeping me interested?" He cooed, all too familiar for a guy who'd only met Eddie earlier that day. "You're playin' the long game, hm?" Benny took a swig of his drink, swirling the last bit of liquid idly. He was enjoying messing with the other far too much, and could certainly see it becoming a bad habit.

// HIIIII

Sorry I've been super inactive over here!! I haven't recieved many asks lately so I've been on my other accounts more!

ALSO I've become painfully addicted to OC Social Network- if anyone feels like joining me over there then please do!! There's only a few SIG accounts so far, and my Benny’s primarily just harassing Bones over and over

#—𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 《ooc》#jackpot crash course #jcc #jcc benny #studio investigrave #sigverse #dead plate #married in red #ocsn #oc social network

BEEEENNNYYYY

((Merry late christmas! Couldn't finish this on time- but wanted to show appreciation for your blog!))

"WOAH- You drew that?! The hell!! I look amazing!!"

// CUUUUTE thank you so much, lovely!! I hope you had a great time over the holidays and that your 2026 is going well so far!!

#—𝘗𝘪𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘱 《answers》#// and sorry for the late reply i haven't been very active lately!!#benny #jcc benny #jcc #jackpot crash course

Benny was well aware of his magnetism, but more in the sense of him having some deeply ingrained ability to attract trouble to himself. Whether that was just a cause of his own inability to keep himself out of it, or just troublesome people being drawn to him- who knows. Eddie however, seemed to him like an outlier in this pattern- someone who he wouldn't expect to exist within his bubble for long.

And yet here he is, and Benny's actually enjoying his company. The conditions of their meeting aren't exactly conventional, but he's determined to make the best of a shit situation. Which in Benny's case, unfortunately, often means getting hammered. He's not sure the last time he drank before he got caged, and not sure of the last time he was sober before that- so having a bar here is truly a shining beacon to him, despite the dusty bottles and scuffed up floors. Not the finest establishment, but it will do.

He knows that realistically in a situation like this it's probably best to keep your wits about you, but he got so lucky in that roulette game! And it's not like he's incapable of functioning while drunk, if anything it just makes him more agile; he can name more than a few instances of frenzied car chases where he's functioned perfectly fine, despite the excess of alcohol in his system.

The lack of response at his teasing does surprise him a little, he'd expect anyone to vehemently deny something like enjoying his company, so it throws him off a little when Eddie doesn't. Though he doesn't have time to dwell, as Eddie commits an atrocity against him- taking his drink. Telling him to slow down, of all things. If there's one thing Benny refuses to be, it's slow.

Still, he puts on his best kicked-puppy act when Eddie drags his drink away, slumping over the bar with an exaggerated whine, trying to follow that hand and grab at his drink, it slips further from his grasp. "Nooo, I can handle my liquor!" he argues, pouting childishly as he looks to Eddie, his head laid on his own arm that's outstretched along the bar toward the drink. He doesn't bother trying too hard to get it back, staying firmly seated in his stool for now. If he really wants more alcohol that bad, he'll get it when the time comes, one way or another.

He perks up a little at the sudden question, resting his head against his hand instead of reaching for the drink now. "You wanna find out, big guy?" Benny teases, unable to stop himself with the suggestive jokes, though he does move on. "Just liked it better this way, looked boring as hell before." he gave a noncommittal shrug, no deep meanings or sentimenal crap, just pure impulse- thats how Benny does things. "What, not a fan?" Not that he cares if the other does dislike the colour, though he asks all the same.

The impressive display of a pout no different than that of a child whose toy had been taken away did well enough to tickle the man taking it. As Benny dramatically threw himself onto the counter in a half-hearted attempt to reclaim his drink, Eddie pulled it just out of reach, felt a pull of another variety at the corner of his mouth that was a mere precursor to the chuff that met the performance. He could count on him to always be over-the-top with most everything, Eddie was finding out. And he had to hand it to Benny; he couldn’t fathom where the guy even got all that energy . . .

But, then again, maybe it was Eddie who just needed to reignite (or just . . . ignite in general) something in his life that’d give him that. (What a ridiculous thing to say while on a death game show.)

“Bet you can,” he commented lazily at Benny’s defense, but he still didn’t budge with giving the drink back. It was a funny thing, really: since technically everyone else here was an opponent—a contestant against which Eddie had to win to survive—it’d make more sense to let the dummy screw himself over. Just like it’d make sense to not grow attached, to not care. To keep a safe distance and look out for himself first and foremost. And for a guy who kept his own company in general, Eddie thought it would’ve been easy.

It wasn’t. It wouldn’t be, the longer he spent surrounded by all of these . . . criminals. (No, fuck that; they were people.) —the longer he spent around Benny.

Sure, Benny wasn’t his responsibility. He wasn’t a child; he could take care of himself, but even so . . .

His fingers twitched somewhat tighter over the top of that glass, as if this drink all on its own was a threat he was holding back. Eddie expelled another scoff at the teasing remark that answered his curiosity, shaking his head with what would’ve been exasperation if something fond wasn’t still softening his expression. “No, it suits you,” he said. “Can’t imagine anything about you being boring.”

#// benny is getting touchy feely in the club tonite #—𝘙𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 《in character》#fistsbet #// oh big time i love each reaction from eddie that is exactly that #// and benny loves winding him up #// excuse me while I attempt to fluster and/or piss off eddie here hehehe #// also you get two pics in this one as a treat since i found a pretty fitting second one merry christmas

It was such a lie, to say Benny could hold his liquor in any capacity. His self control was non-existent on a good day, and after being locked up for a while in regular ass prison- maybe his tolerance really had reduced a bit.

There was a looseness to his motions, he wasn't drunk yet of course, but he could practically feel the buzz of alcohol taking effect as his head slipped just slightly against his hand, he blinked a little slower, his mouth in a warm grin. No sharp edges.

And unfortunately for Eddie, he could see through that wall he put up. Not fully of course, he didn't know what the guy was really thinking, but he could tell at least that he was enjoying his company, as much as that made Benny question why. Maybe he wanted something? But if he had, he'd have called in the favour by now.

It was weird. This guy was weird.

Benny was fascinated.

"Well~ Thank you, Eds." He responded rather cheerfully, his ego sufficiently stroked at the compliment. "And what about you, hmm? Naturally that dark?" Benny pried, making small talk, but also lasering in on Eddie's features- now that their appearances had been called into question.

He's handsome, yeah. Duh. His skin slightly pale, probably from not getting out much, and his undereyes housed some dark circles that only added to his resting 'done with your bullshit' look- But Benny was so drawn in by the stoicism. "And the hairstyle too-" he pondered out loud, his curiosities taking over his instinct as he leaned in- far too close, far too familiar.

His head lifted from his hand, this hand coming to rest on Eddie's knee as nonchalantly as anything as Benny leaned forwards, his other hand swiftly raising to cup over the long bangs that covered half of Eddie's face. Of course he'd noticed it, the hidden part.. but he hadn't drawn it into question until now. "Got a reason to hide such a cute face? Or was this costume too?" he teased at moving the bangs, his fingers tracing the edge like an actor peering behind the red curtain. Would his expression still be so fond? Would Benny realise that maybe he'd interpreted every look, every micro expression, completely wrong?

Maybe Eddie did have something to hide. Maybe Benny liked the mystery. I mean, surely he would've pushed that hair back by now, if he was that desperate to know.

// Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays everyone!! :3 I am indeed still alive, just extremely busy and need to build my muse back again AGH

Hope y'all have a great 2026!! 💖

#—𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 《ooc》

At Eddie's snort, Benny lets out a laugh, with a feeling rising in him that edges just a bit too close to fondness- which in turn, makes him want to kick his own ass because since when did he allow himself to get so swept up in some guy- one he's just met, no less.

His grin doesn't falter however, if anything, it sharpens at Eddie's comeback. "And here I thought you were enjoying my stupidity." He takes a lazy sip of his awful drink, watching Eddie over the rim.

The alcohol is so damn strong it's (welcomed) already kicking in. His fingertips tingle- or maybe that’s just the absence of Eddie’s warmth still buzzing under his skin. Either way, the sensation makes him flex his hand, restless, before dragging his fingers through his already messy orange hair. His movements are still sharp, still deliberate, but there’s a looseness creeping in at the edges, the kind that makes his grin just a little too wide, his leans a little too far into Eddie’s space.

"Ohhh, Eds," he coos, leaning in just enough that his voice drops to something low, quiet. "You say that like stealing my time ain't exactly what you want." He's only teasing the guy, not realising how much he's actually reading him like a book.

Upon Eddie telling him that he's making him wait, his fingers tap faster against his glass, and there's something new in the way he watches Eddie. He's impatient, that's for sure, but deeply intrigued all the same. "Fine, fine. Think." He waves a hand dismissively, and he looks to his almost empty glass with a childish pout. "If you're gonna make me wait though, it better be good." He takes another drink, brows creasing as it burns it's way down his throat.

And here was the other dangerous thing: Just how much of a pull Benny had to him, like he had his very own atmosphere to which Eddie specifically failed to yank himself free of like he could so easily with most everyone else. Because when it was any other person, the innate response was to lean back, to reestablish respectable distance—even just a smidge. With Benny . . . it wasn’t even just accepting that breach of his personal bubble.

It was just as innately encouraging it. Consciously or not, as the guy soaked up more of his space and made it theirs, Eddie ever so slightly shifted to join that effort.

He ignored that this was dumb. He ignored that nothing of what was happening between them could really actually mean a goddamn thing. He ignored where they were, what all of this meant, how real it was that either of them could be dead within the next 24 hours.

(Or maybe it was all of those reasons that had him acting bolder than usual. . . .)

Point was, as Benny crowded him and spoke in that low drawl, Eddie knew he didn’t stand a chance. And he wasn’t even mad about it. He just squared the mischievous glint in those eyes, noticed the growing flush of alcohol-induced heat in Benny’s cheeks, and hummed noncommittally. No answer. No denial. No confirmation. Eddie figured, despite having just called him stupid, Benny wouldn’t need any of that to draw conclusions.

He’d let him.

“Noted,” he said within a shrug. “Try my best not to disappoint you too much. Until then . . . ” His hand reached out to Benny’s glass before he could go for another drink, planting his palm over the top of it as an effective block. “Slow down a bit.” He dragged the cocktail across the counter, farther away from the other’s reach. “We don’t really know what to expect here, but being totally shit-faced doesn’t seem like a great idea.”

Though, with the way Benny acted thus far, Eddie figured he wasn’t really the type to settle for being just buzzed. He redirected the topic in a feeble effort to distract:

“So, that can’t be natural, right?” His head jerked up toward the bright mop of orange atop Benny’s head, freshly mussed after his fingers had been running through it. “The color, I mean. When did you decide on that?”

#fistsbet #—𝘙𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 《in character》#// Sorry I rambled SO much at the start of this one #got carried away #but LMAO yes eddie please take his drink he's a menace and does not know when to stop #i love these little fruitcakes so much #silly little guys #benny is a big baby #and is very easily distracted

Benny was well aware of his magnetism, but more in the sense of him having some deeply ingrained ability to attract trouble to himself. Whether that was just a cause of his own inability to keep himself out of it, or just troublesome people being drawn to him- who knows. Eddie however, seemed to him like an outlier in this pattern- someone who he wouldn't expect to exist within his bubble for long.

And yet here he is, and Benny's actually enjoying his company. The conditions of their meeting aren't exactly conventional, but he's determined to make the best of a shit situation. Which in Benny's case, unfortunately, often means getting hammered. He's not sure the last time he drank before he got caged, and not sure of the last time he was sober before that- so having a bar here is truly a shining beacon to him, despite the dusty bottles and scuffed up floors. Not the finest establishment, but it will do.

He knows that realistically in a situation like this it's probably best to keep your wits about you, but he got so lucky in that roulette game! And it's not like he's incapable of functioning while drunk, if anything it just makes him more agile; he can name more than a few instances of frenzied car chases where he's functioned perfectly fine, despite the excess of alcohol in his system.

The lack of response at his teasing does surprise him a little, he'd expect anyone to vehemently deny something like enjoying his company, so it throws him off a little when Eddie doesn't. Though he doesn't have time to dwell, as Eddie commits an atrocity against him- taking his drink. Telling him to slow down, of all things. If there's one thing Benny refuses to be, it's slow.

Still, he puts on his best kicked-puppy act when Eddie drags his drink away, slumping over the bar with an exaggerated whine, trying to follow that hand and grab at his drink, it slips further from his grasp. "Nooo, I can handle my liquor!" he argues, pouting childishly as he looks to Eddie, his head laid on his own arm that's outstretched along the bar toward the drink. He doesn't bother trying too hard to get it back, staying firmly seated in his stool for now. If he really wants more alcohol that bad, he'll get it when the time comes, one way or another.

He perks up a little at the sudden question, resting his head against his hand instead of reaching for the drink now. "You wanna find out, big guy?" Benny teases, unable to stop himself with the suggestive jokes, though he does move on. "Just liked it better this way, looked boring as hell before." he gave a noncommittal shrug, no deep meanings or sentimenal crap, just pure impulse- thats how Benny does things. "What, not a fan?" Not that he cares if the other does dislike the colour, though he asks all the same.

Although it had been a long day for everyone, Benny didn’t hesitate to go into the In-Fun-o. Of course, there wasn’t much in there besides from slot machines and overall gambling games. But it wasn’t a terrible hang out spot besides the fact that it’s an eyesore.

you wouldn’t have thought that they’d keep this place open when the staff weren’t there to pay attention. So noticing that everyone was gone for the night, Benny decided to use this opportunity to see if there was any loose chips that he could take.

He peeked behind all of the stalls, the food booths, and had just started to hit on the slot machines before an annoying voice called out to him.

“What are you doing here?”

Vega had been standing infront of the food booth to see what it had to offer, even though the food looked disgusting and there was no one there to order it from. Which could’ve been seen as just as weird as what Benny was trying to do

Benny freezes, hands half-shoved under the slot machine and slowly lifts his head to meet Vega's gaze, like a wild animal caught digging through trash. Vega stands not far from him with a puzzled, almost judgy expression.

"Uh." He grins, totally innocent. "Just taking in the ambiance, obviously." Benny gestures grandly at the deserted casino floor, his other hand still casually wedged between the garish carpet and the underside of the machine.

He reluctantly stands up, dusting off his jeans, empty handed. "What about you?" He asks pointedly, shoving his hands in his pockets. "What're you doin' here all alone?"

paran0idcosmol0gist

Vega could clearly see what Benny was doing, so she didn’t know why she bothered to ask. Not to mention that people probably didn’t use the slot machines enough for there to actually be leftover chips in there; but Benny didn’t need to know that. She tried to ignore how he looked like he was trying to take the slot machine by avoiding eye contact and scratching the back of her neck.

× 、: ☆・" well I was going to get something that I… left here. But I can just get it later if you’re going to do whatever you’re doing. "

Vega was never a great liar. It was one thing to hesitate just as you’re about to make up an excuse, but it was another thing to know that there was nothing left in this place anyway. What could she possibly leave in there that wasn’t noticeable to Benny anyway? It’s not like she carried things around all of the time.

noticing that he stood up properly she decided to look back. She didn’t know why she only looked away when he was trying to shove his arm up it, but she couldn’t help but feel somewhat glad that Benny presented himself properly.

Benny raises an eyebrow at the awful lie, and he leans against the machine. This seems the perfect opportunity to flip the script and save himself the headache of admitting he was scrounging around the place. Plus, they've got him curious.

"Uh-huh." He doesn't bother pointing out how obvious the excuse is, He's enjoying this far too much. "So what was it you left again?" A wry smirk as he watches her avoiding eye contact "Maybe I can help you find it."

paran0idcosmol0gist

Vega wasn’t really expecting Benny to actually offer help, but she might as well at least attempt to think of something random to be looking for. It was a bit better than admitting what she actually wanted to do.

× 、: ☆・" I was looking for a… handkerchief. I don’t actually know if I dropped it here or not though. "

Why would Vega, of all people, carry around a handkerchief? Who knows. Vega herself felt a little frustrated at the unintelligent response, and technically, she didn’t refuse Benny’s company fast enough. So now she had to spend time with him looking for something that didn’t exist when she really just wanted to see if anyone was there so she could grab food. From the looks of it, she wouldn’t have been able to get what she wanted anyways. But hanging out with Benny made it worse.

#paran0idcosmol0gist #—𝘙𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 《in character》

"A handkerchief?" Benny echoes, eyebrows raised.

Of all the random things she could think to be looking for, a handkerchief? Amazing. Benny also doesn't expect Vega to take him up on the half-joking offer, but hey--he did offer (sort of). And he's got nothing else going on, so whatever. He'll play along. Plus, there's something almost fun about watching Vega scramble for an excuse.

"And this is where you lost it? You sure?" He strolls over to the food stand where they're stood, a playful air to him as he peers over the counter.

Sailor is very adamantly flapping his sleeve as he waves over at you, for once not with his crewmates, and seems to get a small flash of recognition as he parades himself over.

“You!!! You’re the one the orca flogged live for the world to see!! And then you disappeared! You weren’t hurt were ye, matey?”

Benny had been loitering in the gambling hall of the studio, rolling a chip with his fingers as he leaned up against a wall. He'd been eager to win some chips back after his joint loss with Eddie, so he'd missed out on most of the events that had unfolded since, only spotting people now and then as he zipped around the place.

He did, however, vaguely recognise that voice as it permeated the music of the hall, blinking in surprise behind tinted shades as he saw the teen running over to him, a little thrown off by his eagerness. (Orca..? ohhhh, Eddie).

However, soon enough he's smiling in amusement, instinctively bringing his gloved hand up to rub at his cheek, which still admittedly ached a bit. "Heh- nah, I can take a hell of a lot worse than a slap from little ol' Eds." He joked confidently, unaware that Eddie had definitely gone easy on him, since he'd come out relatively unharmed.

"Nothing as bad as that guy who got fried- you and your little gang have been helping him out, right?" Benny raised an eyebrow then, he wasn't completely out of the loop, despite his absence.

Sailor seemed thrilled when met with at least a little energy, especially after how many people happened to scoff at it or not know how to match it in here. He grinned a mile wide watching the man rub his face in his glasses and full dressed-up pizazz.

“We have!!! That’s Sharkbag! I’m his captain now, hi!”

Sailor stuck out a hand like a little gentleman, offering a handshake as he basked in all the lights and wonder of the casino. Benny seemed to fit right in among all its noise.

Benny's amused at the enthusiasm, he shakes Sailor's hand with a grip firm enough to show he's playing along, but loose enough that it's clear he doesn't take much seriously. He's not sure what to make of this kid and his sea mariner getup, but maybe he's just entertaining enough to keep his attention. Benny's a bit of a big kid himself, anyway.

"Captain, huh? Fancy." He grins, pushing his sunglasses up into his hair and eyeing Sailor with curiosity. "So what's your deal then? Gonna recruit every poor bastard who gets zapped or somethin'?"

His tone is teasing, but there's a flicker of actual curiosity underneath. This kid clearly has some kind of system in this messed-up place... and Benny was intrigued by anyone who could maitain optimism in the middle of a death game. Hopefully he doesn't get added to that roster anytime soon though, he wouldn't want to have to rely on anyone in this place to help him out.

Sailor seems to put all his enthusiasm right into that handshake, trying to keep his sleeve from absolutely swallowing Benny’s hand as he does. Sailor seems to be eyeing Benny’s own jacket, entranced by the bright colours and vibrancy of the man.

At being asked about his ‘deal’, Sailor seems to try and collect and amass a good way to put things, while that steady unstoppable grin stretches back into place.

“Not all of em! Just me crew, and the people willing to stick out a hand for others. I’m a good judge if character, y’know? If you’re not a crew member, we can still offer a helping hand or two as fellow contestants too! Especially since you seem cool!”

“And you?” Sailor’s head leaned a few degrees to the side, watching light dance off Benny’s sunglasses (at least someone though they were cool). His voice wasn’t mean, just openly curious, “What’s your deal?”

His hand does indeed get swallowed by that huge sleeve of sailor's in the enthusiastic handshake that goes on just a tad too long. Benny wonders how he does literally anything with sleeves that length.

"Good judge of character is a decent skill to have in a place like this." He comments, wondering who else Sailor might have deemed to be a 'good' person, yet seeing him as a little naïve for choosing to trust any of them. Although, he does win his favour back just a touch when he compliments Benny, the 'cool' comment feeding his ego.

"My deal?" He ponders a moment, crossing his arms over his chest and rocking a little on his feet. "I'm here to win, have fun, piss some people off along the way.." Benny gives a shrug, his smile ever-present. He's not exactly interested in a 'crew' of his own, tells himself he wouldn't take handouts like that- but if he were in a pinch, who knows? "I'm not looking to make pals, but if you need a hand causing trouble around here, I guess you can come and find me."

No one knows how he does literally anything with those sleeves, but Sailor takes his hand back to wave them around and flap a bit as he talks. But it helps that Sailor can see the word ‘naive’ behind Benny’s eyes. He seems all too aware of it, actually.

“And it’s a good place to have people that watch your back! Even if just a little.”

Sailor copies Benny’s rocking with a light in his eyes, like a genuine curiosity about the man. As a person, not an opponent or a criminal. He seems thrilled to just be meeting him more properly.

“Oh! I like trouble!! You’re the one who got Shrimp Man all riled up during interviews right? You’re good with a crowd, it’s cool! Me crew were the ones who almost flogged him in the shop! I’d be happy to invite you along for trouble!”

"Damn right I riled him up!" He flashes a grin, seemingly pretty proud of himself for his antics, and flattered by once again being called cool. "Gotta keep this shit entertaining, y'know? Otherwise what's the damn point?"

The mention of Sailor's crew almost flogging Cupid makes his eyebrows shoot up- an approval in his smirk. "Okay, now I see why Eds hangs around you guys." Admittedly, he previously thought their group seemed a lost cause, but Sailor is selling them pretty well.

He watches the way the other seemingly mirrors his movement. He doesn't want to trust him, but he can't turn down an opportunity to cause some chaos- and Sailor seems pretty genuine. "Hmm, well it's not like I've really got anything else to do around here." It's not a straight "yes", but he's not turning the offer down either.

Sailor can’t seem to help looking a little smug, almost… proud of his crew? It was odd to see on a kid’s face, but mischief did seem to fit the energy he was sharing today. He didn’t even mean to sell them, he truly just liked his team.

“Best not let appearances fool ye! I’ve got a good crew of misfits, but the team’s not two dimensional. I think we’re pretty fleshed out actually when the Orca’s with us.”

Sailor’s hand sways at his side, excited and not knowing what to do with himself. In his mind this was very blatantly a friendship.

“Me crew may be a bit imposing with Sharkbag and Seahorse, but our brawn’s all yours if ye need help in troubling waters! It’s what a fellow sailor should do, y’know? Just don’t be a stranger, matey!

#—𝘙𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 《in character》#dappygoon #// sorry for my late ass response!!

He has no clue who Seahorse is, but finds Sailor's commitment to the fish jokes kinda amusing anyway. Wonder if he’s got a nickname picked out for him too.

"Yeah yeah, Appreciate the offer." He shrugs with a lazy roll of his shoulders at Sailor's enthusiastic offer, as if he'd need any help. Though the trouble part still sounded fun. Still, trust isn't exactly cheap in a place like this, and Benny’s not dumb enough to think favors come free. "Doubt I’ll need it," he adds, flashing a grin. He tells himself he won't take him up on the offer- though, who knows?

Benny inspects Sailor's movements some more as he ponders the kinds of trouble they could possibly get into in this place without getting zapped by those damn shock.. cuffs? Bracelets?

"How old are you anyway, kid?" Benny asks bluntly, he'd been wondering for a little while. Sailor was on the smaller side and clearly youthful, how the hell did he end up in a place like this?

BITES YOUR ANKLE AND GNAWS ON IT LIKE A FERAL ANIMAL

"EWW WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT—"

#rip #—𝘗𝘪𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘱 《answers》#jackpot crash course #jcc benny #jcc #benny #// been making a lot of edits for these asks lately LMAO #// enjoy #// im giving you a tag anon #feral anon

reallybadblackoutpoems

1984 (1949) - jorjor wel

"jorkin it"

#—𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 《about benny/benny's thoughts》#benny ass post

dorkiiccotton

ok bro

#// THEMMMM #—𝘐𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 《Art》#// so cute

Although it had been a long day for everyone, Benny didn’t hesitate to go into the In-Fun-o. Of course, there wasn’t much in there besides from slot machines and overall gambling games. But it wasn’t a terrible hang out spot besides the fact that it’s an eyesore.

you wouldn’t have thought that they’d keep this place open when the staff weren’t there to pay attention. So noticing that everyone was gone for the night, Benny decided to use this opportunity to see if there was any loose chips that he could take.

He peeked behind all of the stalls, the food booths, and had just started to hit on the slot machines before an annoying voice called out to him.

“What are you doing here?”

Vega had been standing infront of the food booth to see what it had to offer, even though the food looked disgusting and there was no one there to order it from. Which could’ve been seen as just as weird as what Benny was trying to do

Benny freezes, hands half-shoved under the slot machine and slowly lifts his head to meet Vega's gaze, like a wild animal caught digging through trash. Vega stands not far from him with a puzzled, almost judgy expression.

"Uh." He grins, totally innocent. "Just taking in the ambiance, obviously." Benny gestures grandly at the deserted casino floor, his other hand still casually wedged between the garish carpet and the underside of the machine.

He reluctantly stands up, dusting off his jeans, empty handed. "What about you?" He asks pointedly, shoving his hands in his pockets. "What're you doin' here all alone?"

paran0idcosmol0gist

Vega could clearly see what Benny was doing, so she didn’t know why she bothered to ask. Not to mention that people probably didn’t use the slot machines enough for there to actually be leftover chips in there; but Benny didn’t need to know that. She tried to ignore how he looked like he was trying to take the slot machine by avoiding eye contact and scratching the back of her neck.

× 、: ☆・" well I was going to get something that I… left here. But I can just get it later if you’re going to do whatever you’re doing. "

Vega was never a great liar. It was one thing to hesitate just as you’re about to make up an excuse, but it was another thing to know that there was nothing left in this place anyway. What could she possibly leave in there that wasn’t noticeable to Benny anyway? It’s not like she carried things around all of the time.

noticing that he stood up properly she decided to look back. She didn’t know why she only looked away when he was trying to shove his arm up it, but she couldn’t help but feel somewhat glad that Benny presented himself properly.