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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:40:06 GMT -7
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Nov 18, 2017 20:31:44 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2017 20:31:44 GMT -7
Tonight was the night. Benji could feel it. His blood was pumping hard and his smile wouldn't leave his face. Yes, he felt lucky. He felt ready. He felt sure. Tonight was the night that he would finally beat Fred Weasley in a game of Poker. This little thing had been going on for quite some time now, and Benji loved every minute of it. He'd met Fred at his fathers shop, the best joke shop in town, and the two had hit it off. Now, they often saw each other while at work, one visiting the other at different times, keeping each other entertained and having a laugh. Benji was technically off the clock tonight, so he asked Fred to come to the Casino to have a little game. They'd start with other people in the game, of course, but it always ended with the two of them left. Benji waited at the bar, smoking a quick cigarette as he waited for Fred to arrive. @fred
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:40:06 GMT -7
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Nov 19, 2017 10:08:23 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2017 10:08:23 GMT -7
Fred Weasley was a man of many talents. Most people assumed that he wouldn’t be good at poker, since he was always smiling – the Gryffindor had no concept of a poker face. The thing was, he didn’t need a poker face, because constant smiles had the same effect – no one could ever read what he was thinking, and when he cared to, Fred could play poker with some pretty serious players and still come out not totally broke. He came to the casino more than either of his parents knew, most of the time not to gamble. He had struck up a rapport with one of the security guards, and it was fun to get out of the house sometimes – and come home with a little extra pocket change, too. Fred sidled in through the door of the casino, and immediately spotted Benji at the bar, smoking. Fred approached his friend, brow furrowed. “Those things are gonna kill you someday, Benj.” Fred said in lieu of greeting. Fred’s fear of death sometimes seeped over into other things, like smoking and drinking habits. He didn’t want to do anything to shorten his life any more than he had to, thank you very much.
@benji
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:40:06 GMT -7
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Nov 21, 2017 10:06:14 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2017 10:06:14 GMT -7
Fred arrived, saying that the cigarettes would kill him and Benji grinned, turning toward him and putting the cigarette out in the glass bowl for it on the bar. "If I keep losing to you in poker I'll die of a poverty stricken life anyway, so what's the harm?" she said. He stood from the stool and wrapped one arm around Freds shoulders to give him a quick hug before pulling back and clasping his shoulder. "Glad you could make it. How's the shop? And your family?" he knew Fred's uncle had gone missing, so that wasn't a lovely thing going on in the family, he was sure. He led Fred toward their usual table as he spoke, hoping that maybe the game could get Freds mind off of the hardships of the world right now.
@fred
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:40:06 GMT -7
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Nov 22, 2017 16:54:32 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2017 16:54:32 GMT -7
Fred rolled his eyes when Benji said that if Fred kept beating him in poker, he was going to die of poverty. “I’m not gonna make you poor, Benj-o.” Fred said. He had grown up well-off, but his father hadn’t had the same luxury, so Fred appreciated money more than some children of business moguls probably did. Fred was pleased that Benji put out his cigarette, though less pleased when the question about the shop and his family came. “The shop’s going well, I guess. We’ve been talking about taking over Zonko’s for months now, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.” Fred said with a slight sigh. He had been looking forward to having a Hogsmeade shop, so he could be his own manager, but he understood that sometimes business deals fell through. “Seven of my cousins are graduating.” Fred informed Benji. He and James had graduated the same year as another of their cousins, and he had thought that three of them graduating at once was a lot, but this year, Albus, Dominique, Ondina, Roxy, Anna, Lucy, and Rose were all graduating… which meant there was no way Fred was going to be able to miss graduation.
@benji
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:40:06 GMT -7
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Nov 23, 2017 6:23:08 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2017 6:23:08 GMT -7
Fred said he wouldn't make him poor and Benji gave a good-natured scoff, accompanied by a chuckle soon after. "Excellent, I shall live on in luxury," he chuckled. He made good money at the studio but he didn't really consider himself to be luxurious. He was happy, that was what really mattered. He did live a rather nice life, though. He liked nice things, always had when he could be around them, so he had a decent sized place with a nice Jacuzzi bathtub and a deck. He'd never really had a 'home' with his parents, due to travelling, so he made his a little ridiculous in some parts.
Fred said the shop was going well, how they were talking about taking over Zonkos. Then he mentioned how many of his cousins were graduating and Benjis eyes widened. "Blimey! How many cousins do you have again? I don't know how you keep track. Good for them," he added. Even though he was shocked by the number he still thought it was pretty cool. Big families were fun.
@fred
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:40:06 GMT -7
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Dec 8, 2017 19:58:59 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2017 19:58:59 GMT -7
Fred rolled his eyes when Benji said that he would live in luxury. “Maybe if you didn’t blow your paycheck on poker bets, you could live in luxury already.” Fred said with a chuckle. Being the head of security at a casino like Gambling Galleons didn’t make chump change. A casino of this caliber needed good security, since there was so much money changing hands at any given time. Then again, Benji could do whatever he wanted with his money – it was, after all, lining Fred’s pockets, and the teenager always liked having some extra change to spend on… well, nothing, since Fred was still living at home and his parents paid for their rent and groceries and everything. It lined Fred’s saving account, he supposed, so if he ever wanted to buy a house of his own he would be able to do it more easily.
Benji asked how many cousins he had, and Fred chuckled. Honestly, sometimes Fred asked himself that question, and he had to go through them all to figure it out. “My uncle Bill has three kids, uncle Charlie has three, uncle Percy has two, uncle Ron has two, and aunt Ginny has three. So… thirteen.” And then there was him and Roxy, so there was a totally of fifteen Weasley grandkids. “I don’t keep track, by the way.” He said with a laugh. Who needed to keep track when he didn’t see most of them anyway?
@benji
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:40:06 GMT -7
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Dec 15, 2017 6:42:44 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2017 6:42:44 GMT -7
Freds callout on the way Benji used his paychecks made him grin and chuckle himself. "Well, and using it all at your shop," he added. In fact, he was sure he had spent almost as money there as he had anywhere else in the world. Mainly because he loved the products, but also to support Freds business. He was that kind of friend. He was the Head of Security at one of his best friends casinos for that reason. He was a helper.
Fred listed the cousin count and Benji counted in his head before Fred gave the total number. "Oh, I guess that isn't too bad," he knew a family in America with thirty cousins. It just seemed like a lot with the Weasleys because other families weren't as large here. Fred said he didn't keep track and Benji laughed, "well, I don't know if I would either. I can barely watch my own sibs," he said.
They were all set up at the poker table and the game begun, but it wittled down to just the two of them, as usual.
@fred (i dunno how to play poker soooooo vague through? hahahah)
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:40:06 GMT -7
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Dec 18, 2017 17:55:41 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2017 17:55:41 GMT -7
Fred snorted when Benji said that he blew his pay checks on poker bets and the Wheezes. Fred had almost forgotten about that – he had gotten so used to Benji hanging around the shop that sometimes he forgot the other man was a paying customer in addition to a friend. It was harder to forget that at the casino, Fred thought, since they were always playing each other, and that demanded money to do.
Benji said that having as many cousins as he did wasn’t that bad, and Fred shrugged. “Not high in number, but I swear every Weasley had enough personality for three regular people.” He said with a laugh. None of the Weasley kids were weak-minded, that was for certain. Even the ones that weren’t as ostentatious as Fred had a quiet sort of fury to them, and if he was honest, that was scarier than big brashness. Benji said that he wouldn’t track cousins, and could barely track his own siblings, and Fred laughed. “Luckily I’ve only got one of those.” None of the Weasley aunts and uncles had had as many kids as Fred’s grandparents had had, which was also a part of the reason Fred didn’t have oodles of cousins.
Fred sat across the table from Benji, and he grinned at his friend as the game continued to go on, leaving the two of them on about an even playing field while the rest of the table had been beaten. Fred laid his hand down triumphantly. “Looks like you lose again, Benj.” He said with a laugh.
@benji
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:40:06 GMT -7
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Jan 2, 2018 9:50:27 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2018 9:50:27 GMT -7
Fred agreed that his cousins count wasn't high, but that the personalities were enough for three regular people. Benji laughed along with him, nodding. "I can believe that," he hadn't met many of them, but if Fred and Victoire were any indication then it was certainly true. He said he had only had one siblings and Benji nodded, "awe, yes, Roxanne!" he remembered, "In... Gryffindor, right?" he knew of Freds sister, of course. He had heard Fred talk about her, and admire her so. They were rather close, as far as Benji could tell.
Benji was good enough at poker to out play the others, but he was never good enough to out play Fred. Fred was just a better actor, was part of it, and Benji couldn't hide things from him. Fred laid down his winning hand and Benji grinned, shaking his head slightly and laughing, too. "Another day, another destiny, my friend," he reached for his glass and lifted it toward Fred before taking the last swig.
@fred
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:40:06 GMT -7
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Jan 3, 2018 17:08:41 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2018 17:08:41 GMT -7
Fred nodded when Benji remembered his sister’s name. “It’s been a hot second since I’ve heard her called anything other than Roxy.” He said with a chuckle. He called his sister by her full name sometimes, but most of the time he just called her Roxy, unless he wanted to annoy her or something. Benji asked if she was in Gryffindor, and Fred let out a louder laugh. “Do you really think someone who wasn’t a Gryffindor could stand living with me?” He asked. His entire immediate family – which was only Roxy and his parents – had been placed in Gryffindor in school, though he did have cousins in Slytherin and Ravenclaw. None in Hufflepuff, though, which was a shame.
“C’mon, Benj, destiny is just…” Fred waved his hand around his head in a motion that was meant to convey that destiny wasn’t… well, destiny, for a lack of a better description. Fate could push them one way or another, but it couldn’t dictate every detail of their lives. At least, Fred hoped that was the truth, because he liked feeling like had had control of his own damn life, thank you very much.
@benji
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:40:06 GMT -7
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Jan 17, 2018 7:14:34 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2018 7:14:34 GMT -7
Benji nodded at the mention of the "Roxy" nickname, which sounded more familiar. Then Fred spoke about how someone who wasn't in Gryffindor wouldn't be able to stand living with him. Benji barked out a laugh, "well, I suppose lions do eat snakes, badgers and eagles more often than the other way around," he joked. Lions probably avoides all three, in all reality.
Fred waved his hand at the mention of destiny and Benji leaned back, "no, no. Translate the hand wave, my friend. Destiny does not exist?" he questioned. He felt life was a healthy balance of both destiny and choice, and that different destinies appeared with different choices. Coincidence did not add go for Benji as merely that.
@fred
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:40:06 GMT -7
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Jan 21, 2018 18:23:43 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2018 18:23:43 GMT -7
Benji said that lions ate the other house animals more than the other way around, and Fred laughed. “I think only snakes are a match for the lions.” Fred said. That was because snakes were poisonous, though, not because of brute force. Fred wondered if that was why Gryffindor and Slytherin were constantly at odds with each other.
Benji asked him to translate his hand wave, and Fred had to stop himself from just waving his hand again to try to convey the same emotion. “Destiny can guide, but it can’t dictate.” He said after a moment of being tongue-tied. “It might not be easy to defy, but it can be defied.” Fred further elaborated. That was why he had pushed so hard against everything that would put him in a position to die young. If he allowed destiny to take the reins, then that would happen, but if he actively opposed it, then he could escape his fate.
@benji
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:40:06 GMT -7
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Feb 7, 2018 7:08:24 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2018 7:08:24 GMT -7
Fred said the snakes may be the only match for a lion and Benji nodded, but didn't touch on the subject further. He was sure it would depend on the situation. The poison could take down a beast of any size, so it was a good point. In terms of the hypothetical matter in which they were speaking, of the Hogwarts houses, there was no way of saying which house was drunker than the other, because individuals were all different, of course.
As for the destiny argument, Fred made a good point there as well, which caused Benji to pause in thought. After a moment, he spoke, "I can agree with that. I also think Destiny does change, depending on the choices we make," he added. Then, he leaned forward, "what do you desire of your destiny, Fred?"
@fred
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:40:06 GMT -7
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Feb 7, 2018 7:31:04 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2018 7:31:04 GMT -7
Benji agreed with Fred’s whole destiny philosophy, which was good – Fred wasn’t willing to change his opinion on it any time soon, not after the hours of thought that had gone into phrasing the way he viewed destiny just perfectly. Benji added that he thought destiny could change, depending on their choices, and Fred shrugged. He wasn’t sure that he agreed entirely with that, but it was a nice thought nonetheless. Benji asked what Fred desired of his destiny, and the younger man snorted. “Well, not dying, for starters.” Being named after someone who had died young made Fred extremely antsy that he was doomed to follow in those footsteps, especially since that someone had been his uncle and there was a huge legacy to live up to. Fred shrugged. “I dunno, Benj. I’m happy with my life the way it is. I wouldn’t mind if nothing changed.” Sure, he would like to find someone to love someday, but that didn’t really fall under the destiny umbrella, did it? “What about you?” Fred asked, turning the question around.
@benji
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last online Mar 29, 2024 0:40:06 GMT -7
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Feb 16, 2018 12:44:19 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2018 12:44:19 GMT -7
Fred said he didn't want to die, which brought a whole different can of worms to Benjis mind. Benji didn't fear death, not even a little bit, so it was something that he always was interested in knowing how other people felt about it. He didn't speak, though, wanting to let Fred say more if he wanted to. his friend shrugged, saying that he was happy with life the way it was, and Benji grinned. Fred asked him to answer the question as well. "Well, I am quite happy with the way my life is too, Fred. I find joy in every day, I think," it was a talent he had. "But, I do wish more happiness on others, not that this is really my place to wish for them, but... that's what I would change. World peace," he chuckled, knowing that was kind of a cliche answer. "I'm happy to just care for those in my immediate vicinity, though. That's a good compromise."
@fred
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