highway unicorn | mina

[gehry benjamin ollivander]

we can be strong

out on this lonely run,
on the road to love

February 14, 2028
mina pandora oliveira

Benny had no opinion on Valentine’s day. He was never one for those serious relationships and exuberant displays of emotion simply because society said it was the thing to do that day. He would not deny it was a good day, a good week actually, to go out and find himself a fun partner for the night. Plus, people were very generous when buying tequila shots for the group around them. The plan for the day? Benny casually strolled near Madame Puddifoot’s, not for the scenery or that grotesque cloud that wafted out when the door opened, but to say hi to Nova—an childhood friend.

You couldn’t keep Benny away from the baked goods either, although he was here for the baked goods. Like any typical transaction, Benny handed over the right coins and reminded Nova that she was his favorite with a wink. Now onto the next phase—find Mina. If he was being honest, Benny had to admit that he couldn’t remember the exact time they’d decided to meet. But surely he wasn’t too far off the mark. The crowds were growing, and Benny instinctively moved and twisted to avoid getting clotheslined by the arms of couples whose hands seemed stuck together by a permanent sticky charm.

He sat in the Three Broomsticks and helped himself to a butterbeer. Offering some small talk with the bartender, who knew his family well. Benny pulled out his phone to text Mina, though he quickly got distracted by other notifications before he remembered to send her a message. ’hurry up. I got the fast-acting ones.’ His message stated. Nova was gifted in this field but also creative. She’d somehow found a way to shorten the time it took for these brownies to kick in. Benny didn’t care what it was or why it worked. He was jittery with excitement and anticipation. With the planned event today, many of the Diagon and Horizont Alley shops opted to close, leaving Benny and Mina with the whole day.

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[mina pandora oliveira]

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Normally Mina wouldn't have been caught dead participating in any lovey dovey type crap, preferring the one and done method that usually culminated in poor decision making all around. It felt too gross to her, and seeing the floating heart cutouts in Blishwick's front windows almost daily had really turned her off of the idea altogether. Not to mention that she had absolutely zero idea on how a proper relationship was supposed to work. Her best example was her parents, and they were absolutely at each others throats these days. Just thinking about all of that again ticked her off.

So she was in a foul mood as she apparated to Hogsmeade to meet Benny. They were meeting at the Three Broomsticks, but she made a brief detour to the Hog's Head so she could escape the crowd and knock down a couple of shots judgement free. A couple sickles lighter and the smooth burn of three Firewhisky shots later, and she was off the meet Benny. Her phone was vibrating in her pocket, and she almost forgot for a moment that it was okay to use it in Hogsmeade now. getting ducked up. b there in 2 min," she replied back, only seeing the typo after it was already sent. Somehow she had forgotten the real reason they were there: to take edibles and judge everyone else.

Finding Benny in the Broomsticks just as she was starting to feel the earlier shots, Mina dropped another coin down on the counter for two more as she pulled up next to him. "Why do we do this to ourselves?" she muttered while looking around the pub. Gross couples that made her want to vomit. "People are going to think we're together or some shit." The shots arrived and she slid one to her friend while raising her own to him. "After these, the brownies."

gehry benjamin ollivander ● 313 ● Song by Artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[gehry benjamin ollivander]

we can be strong

out on this lonely run,
on the road to love

February 14, 2028
mina pandora oliveira

Benny almost jumped in his seat as Mina suddenly appeared next to him. His eyes had been glued to his phone screen as he browsed social media. Lately, it had become a habit, and hours were lost as he managed to blink twice in the span of hours. His eyes followed her gaze, surveying the sad scene of blind dates, couples in their honeymoon phase, and those on their last legs. ”Because we’re drama free?” Benny offered as an answer. While his parents hardly argued and were destined to remain married for the rest of their natural lives, Benny hardly thought what they had was worth bragging about. Nothing to aspire to or inspire some romance novel somewhere.

It was almost transactional, diplomatic even. And worst of all, expected. Since Frankie existed on the family's outskirts, Benny was expected to pass down the family name. However, thank Merlin Gideon held the name, which put some pressure off Benny. His head turned quickly at Mina’s next comment, a look of shock on his face. ”You mean I’m not the love of your life?” Dramatically, he gently placed a hand on his chest, looking away as drinks arrived. Of course, Benny and Mina thought Valentine’s Day was equally ridiculous. ”And here I thought we were meant to be?” Benny kept the air of drama in his words until he finally snort-laughed. Naturally, he was joking. That would be the day Gehry Benny Ollivander committed to a relationship and settled down.

But they still had to toast. Benny paused momentarily, his eyes scoping the room again, giving him an idea. Or rather, it reminded him of a song from one of his favorite muggle bands. ”'To all the lonely people.'” The song immediately began playing in his mind. ”'Where do they all come from?'” Benny threw back the whiskey. The burn always woke him up and made him feel alert. He placed the empty glass back on the table and pulled a small bag out of his coat. To the untrained eye, merely brownies from a stand decorated for the theme. Tiny pink hearts lined the top of the small squares. Benny hated the typical heart-shaped candies. He always found the texture strange, but it wasn’t worth the effort to pick them off the top. ”You can have the one with more hearts.” He offered, pushing that brownie toward her.

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[mina pandora oliveira]

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The loud snort that erupted from her at the mere thought of their ragtag group of wayward souls being drama free was hilarious to her. Between one another, yes, they were all relatively relaxed and went with the flow. That was undeniable. But they had so many other connections that there was almost always something going on in one of their lives. A lot of it had cooled down on her end once she dropped the muggle group she had befriended right after graduation. Rue was Rue, of course, and as long as they kept their potions to a minimum, everything was all fine and dandy. And was Nova even part of it? She was their supplier more than anything else and always seemed like she was sort of ticked off that they even bothered to ask her to make more brownies and whatnot. Mina was pretty sure that was just how she was. Too much flour inhalation, or something.

”Sorry to let you down so harshly,” Mina joked back, giving him a nice slap on his shoulder. ”I thought your wand would be bigger because you’re an Ollivander,” she added, almost choking on her shot as she knocked it back with a laugh. Benny was perfect company for crude jokes and general bullshit. Closing her eyes as she felt the fourth shot of the day burn the back of her throat, Mina felt reinvigorated again. The floaty feeling of incoming intoxication reset as her body warmed up from the firewhiskey. The previous three had done an excellent job at keeping her cozy as she ran down the main street of Hogsmeade to the Three Broomsticks, dodging crooning couples in heat. Public displays of affection were so disgusting.

”I don’t know, but they all end up sad and lonely in the end,” she responded to Benny, not realizing that he was pulling the quote from something else. Seeing that he was getting the brownies out, she half-turned towards him. They had the chalky heart candies on top of them. ”She really dressed them up this time, didn’t she?” Mina said as she took hers and stared at it intently. They were probably identical to whatever the bakery was selling today, which was sort of genius. ”To a fun rest of the day, eh?” she raised her brownie up to Benny and started to chew. Of course, two of the candy hearts immediately fell off and she managed to catch both with her free hand below it. The added crunchiness was not nearly as pleasant as she would have hoped.

gehry benjamin ollivander ● 429 ● Song by Artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[gehry benjamin ollivander]

we can be strong

out on this lonely run,
on the road to love

February 14, 2028
mina pandora oliveira

Benny could hardly think of a time he was personally affected by any great drama. Things happened around him, but most were easy to brush off. Family would always have drama, so that didn’t count. And hearing from Mina and Rue about their respective lives and families only confirmed that for Benny. For a few more moments, he continued to appear heartbroken, at least until the wand comment. After an initial look of shock (with a dash of indignation), Benny tilted his head slightly as he leaned back in his chair casually.

”I assure you such allegations are false.” He cleared his throat, trying to see if he could channel his oldest sister or perhaps their father from one of their soapbox speeches about wands, magic, and the family legacy. ”An Ollivander has never produced a wand with any deficiencies—not even me. I think the words you are searching for are, ‘reliable’, ‘hard’, or perhaps ‘stiff’.” The whiskey remained in his glass as he finished his defense. ”Of course, it's all how you use it. Perhaps you’ve not practiced enough. And you know what they say—the bigger the personality…” As a child, Benny witnessed the smallest wizards wield lengthy wands and the tallest with small ones. Actual wands, of course, and his father had explained some link to the wizard as a person—who they were and perhaps their personality and to those kinds of attributes. ”Besides, what a shame it would be to have a wand of the greatest length for it only to be ‘supple’…”

Benny shrugged. Nova likely didn’t want the brownies to stand out in case it would cause trouble. However, she was smart enough to keep everything separated or had only brought them for Mina and Benny. Either way, it didn’t matter, as the product was in their hands now. Raising his brownie, he nodded and ate over half the square in one bite, which was a mistake as he couldn’t swallow the whole lot at once. The hearts that fell off the remaining half rolled onto the table and ground, not that Benny cared. ”It’s going to be a good day.” He finally managed to speak, stuffing the rest in his mouth. This half was easier to manage, and he flagged down a waitress for more whiskey. His yellow sunglasses fell off his head onto his face as he turned too quickly in his chair.

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[mina pandora oliveira]

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Maybe being four shots deep and making the joke she had wasn’t the smartest thing in the world for her to do, because stifling laughter whilst getting piss drunk was not an easy feat. The fit of giggles as Benny took off with her comment and went with it was enough to draw a few glances from other bar goers, not that either of them would care. Because honestly, fuck the happy couples. She hated every last one of them. They were too busy being stuck together – and most would be continuing that theme throughout the rest of the day, just with other things in other orifices. She’d rather be gagged, and not in the fun way. ”Okay, okay. I’m sorry. Your wand is a perfectly acceptable size,” she put her hands up, only to wave in the bartender’s direction for another two shots. ”And your penis is fine too. I won’t call it surprisingly swishy anymore.”

She was too busy eating the brownie to see that Benny had also ordered more whiskey, only realizing when hers showed up and the waitress started to come over with the ones her friend had order. This was a proper party now! If she had her own place, sans Callisto, they could have just done this there. It would have been cheaper for sure, and getting sloshed in a safe space was infinitely better. But turning down this would be stupid. By the time the brownies kicked in, the two of them would more than likely be tired of seeing couples sticking their tongues down each other’s throats anyways. ”I probably shouldn’t drink any more for a while after these ones,” she said smartly, watching as they were placed in front of the two of them. ”Had three at the Hog’s Head on my way here, and these’ll put me at six in less than ten minutes.” Mina wanted to be absolutely destroyed today, but not this early in the day. She could ride six for a while before getting bored and needing more.

gehry benjamin ollivander ● 341 ● Song by Artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[gehry benjamin ollivander]

we can be strong

out on this lonely run,
on the road to love

February 14, 2028
mina pandora oliveira

Leave it to Benny to dramatic reply to just about anything. But he supposed Mina would have been concerned had he responded in literally any other way. It was just his style. After his little speech, he finished the whiskey in his glass. ”Thank you.” Benny replied simply. ”See? That wasn’t so difficult, was it?” All jokes aside, he could hardly remember a time when they ever said intentionally hurtful things to one another. They joked with one another, but many years of friendship made knowing one another’s boundaries easy. He sighed dramatically. ”I don’t know why it’s like pulling teeth to get a compliment out of you.”

Their relationship was strictly platonic with benefits. No drama, but reliable. Somehow, a conversation about how to sneak into the kitchens at school ended with Mina showing Benny the ropes, so to speak. So, Benny wasn’t worried about anything the couples around them might run into on this lovely Valentine’s Day. Would the boyfriend get caught staring at another woman? Would the girl stand her date up? No drama was such a lovely thought, Benny’s mind told him as it buzzed with all the whiskey. But then, all of a sudden, a lot of shots appeared at their table, as his glasses fell. Merlin, was he seeing double already?

Not minding the frames, Benny shrugged. ”Merlin—I need to catch up. I can take those if you want.” Benny offered, picking up the two he had ordered and throwing them back one after another. He breathed through his mouth, the burn fading quickly after the brownie. This would get them going quickly—or so he hoped. There was nothing like the intentional disassociation they would gain and that weightless and free feeling. ”Your sister working?” Benny asked if they needed somewhere to crash. Though Benny had grown accustomed to Callisto's judgemental looks over the years. Still, they very well couldn’t go to his family home.

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[mina pandora oliveira]

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”No, I guess not,” she responded from behind her most recent drink. Mina brushed off the concept of her not giving compliments. Of course she gave them out! Benny just didn’t get as many because there weren’t too many chances for them when they were constantly screwing around. Especially at work.

Pushing the newest shots in Benny’s direction, Mina held back a hiccup. Those first three were catching up to her now. And throwing the brownie on top? On one hand, she was sort of excited for whatever sloppiness was going to occur later. ”Please,” she asked as she turned around to look around at the other people in the bar again. They made her want to throw up. The only positive in that was that she could start her count over with shots again.

”Yep! She’s not back until tomorrow night.” Her shift hadn’t started yet, technically, but knowing Callisto, she was already at Mungo’s and waiting around until it was time. Poor woman was absolutely obsessed with working. It was like she didn’t even exist outside of the occasional weekday morning and family events now. ”Because she absolutely does not have a hot date lined up,” Mina let out a long laugh at her own comment. It was funny because it was true. The idea of her sister having a romantic interest that was anything aside from work definitely gave her the ick. Everything about Callisto was so boring and bland. She was too much of an adult.

”If I see another tongue going down a throat, I’m going to vomit,” Mina curled her lip at a couple sitting in a both near them. She really didn’t want to be here anymore. Even if the original goal was to jeer at them for hours while incredibly intoxicated, her tolerance was already waning. ”Take those and we can go back to my place. I’d rather have a fun night than be around this any longer.”

gehry benjamin ollivander ● 326 ● Song by Artist

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[gehry benjamin ollivander]

we can be strong

out on this lonely run,
on the road to love

February 14, 2028
mina pandora oliveira

Benny eagerly took one of the shots, cringing heavily. Merlin, what had she ordered? He was about to ask but figured it was better not to. Instead, he followed up with the other two in quick succession. Benny sat for a moment, letting it all settle in his stomach. In his youth, he had made the mistake of drinking too fast, and everything came back up very quickly. But this time, it seemed he was safe. Mina confirmed they would not be bothered by her older sister. Callisto was never rude, exactly, to Benny. But warm and welcoming was not the world he would use either. But years of getting Hufflepuff house points deducted by the former Prefect meant Benny was used to it.

”The day your sister has a hot date is the day I take over Ollivander’s.” Benny declared, laughing with Mina. Some things were never meant to happen, no matter how hard someone willed them to be. Merlin—Benny had a far better chance at marriage and all that than Callisto Oliveira. And Benny was certainly not walking that path as much as his parents and Ronnie wanted him to. ”I wonder how many will hate each other by tomorrow?” He mused out loud. Couples were easy to spot, especially the new ones and the ones that would not last. All Benny saw around him were couples who would not last the week.

The shots were taken, drinks finished, and brownies consumed. He would follow Mina, and they would end up wherever they ended up. Suddenly standing, Benny walked over to Mina’s side of the table with his hand held out. ”My Lady, a floo awaits us.” An inebriated Benny meant a more dramatic Benny. And since they were in no condition to apparate safely, they could easily floo to Mina’s place.

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[mina pandora oliveira]

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The sad truth was that Callisto could absolutely manage a relationship. It had looked so adult-like and boring, and the entire ordeal made Mina incredibly uncomfortable. Even though she had made strides towards being considered a functioning member of society, there were a few aspects that she absolutely refused to bend the knee to. A committed, monogamous relationship was one of those. And she hadn’t even been sleeping around much lately either. The thought of being tied down made her shiver at the bar. ”Seventy percent,” Mina said begrudgingly. ”Or indifferent toward one another. I’ve always wondered how many people get regular old dates for today. There’s nothing wrong with not celebrating it…” Though she was starting to wonder if it had to do with the new influx of social media in the magical community.

She drunkenly eyed Benny’s hand as he offered it to her. Making a mockery of the couples in the Broomsticks was sort of the goal today, but she had better places to be right now too. ”Thank you, my king,” she said sillily as she slid off her barstool and started the walk towards the floo transportation center. Mina rarely took it, which was stupid since she was only ever drunk in Hogsmeade. She preferred to risk the splinching, much to her sister’s warnings. So far, she had always sort of safely made it home.

The weather was nice for a Valentine’s Day, a warm glow from the sun and a slight breeze to remind her that it was only the middle of February. Her hand tightened in Benny’s, hoping to get a little more warmth, while her other one was shoved safely into her jacket pocket. It was a short walk to the floo, but still too long to want to be outside. They didn’t have long before everything they’d taken kicked in. Nova’s fast-acting brownies were, unsurprisingly, fast-acting. ”We’re going to scare the shit out of Titania…” Mina groaned as they got to the station and entered. Thankfully it was empty. ”Ready?” she asked Benny quickly before leading the way in and sending them off to her flat.

gehry benjamin ollivander ● 355

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[gehry benjamin ollivander]

we can be strong

out on this lonely run,
on the road to love

February 14, 2028
mina pandora oliveira

Despite the not subtle pressure from his mother and Veronica, Benny had avoided a serious relationship as of late. It was a lot of work, and quite frankly, he wasn’t willing to change that much of his lifestyle for anyone. This was who he was. Take it or leave it. But people saw his name and expected different things. None of it was a surprise for him, he’d learned to deal with that sort of disappointment very young. ”It just seems—“ Benny paused, beginning to feel his brain go numb as he burped. ”—silly that you need a day of the year to tell something someone nice.” He grimaced, brow furrowing deeply. ”Someone something nice.” He tried again. Yep, got it that time.

Benny held Mina’s hand. They were both a bit wobbly and could’ve used the support. The goal was to embarrass the other couples rather than themselves. Despite all the drinks and special pastries, he could feel how cold her hand was to his. As an instinct, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Also, this let him sort of lean on her as she was much shorter. Teamwork was important. ”Maybe for a moment…she loves me.” Or Benny swore the dog did. He was still working on the unconditional love part like Titania had for Mina.

Once the floo spat them out, Benny coughed as his brain tried to decipher which was up. Somehow, he was still standing, albeit a bit dizzy. Oddly enough, it was a cool kind of dizzy, as if things were spinning slower than usual. Looking around, dazed, he remembered Mina was with him. ”Was the carpet always this color?” Maybe Benny had never actually looked down when in the flat. But it was a momentary distraction as he grabbed Mina from falling over. But lifting her up and using his body to steady her would make them both fall over at this rate.

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[mina pandora oliveira]

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Benny was stumbling over his words while trying to get their mutually agreed point across. Valentine’s Day was a marketing scheme unlike any other, and in the magical world, perpetuated by Jimbo and the Blishwicks. And to be honest? She was completely cool with that. If people were dumb enough to fall for his ridiculous displays or pay him to arrange dates, then good on him. Rumor had it that the actual services he provided were legit. Making a little extra cash on one of his various side hustles was the mark of a good businessman. He didn’t come into the bookstore often, but when he did, Mina was always more than happy to help him. She never knew when that might come in handy, because Merlin knew she was going to end up single and old with a flat full of dogs that barely listened to her once Callisto got hitched and kicked her out. That was when she’d finally buckle down and turn to Blishwick for more than the occasional stupid date that meant nothing to her.

”I agree,” Mina chimed in after laughing at his overt display of affection as an arm appeared around her shoulder. Somehow, she became the anchor during their walk, despite being the one that had clearly drank more so far. ”Don’t worry. You’ll find the one someday,” she patted him on the chest as they stepped up to the floo transportation center. Mina led them through the appropriate steps, calling out her address as she pulled both she and Benny into the green flames. Off they zoomed, appearing suddenly in her and Callisto’s apartment with a jolt. When was the last time she’d done floo with two people?

Stumbling forward, Mina felt a pair of hands lift her back up to her feet. Benny was saying something about the carpet being a different color. ”Always been the same,” she said, before realizing that there was actually a discrepancy. Her dog was standing right in front of both of them, wiggling in a manner that Mina hadn’t seen in a while. ”I guess today it’s more of a shag?” she mused, leaning down to give Titania a scratch behind the ears. It hadn’t been that long since she’d left, so the dog probably thought Mina had left to get takeout. Usually that’s what short absences meant to the Samoyed.

”Want another drink?” she asked Benny as she dusted herself off and then kicked her shoes into a random corner of the living room. Callisto would bitch about that later, but Mina didn’t care. Callisto bitched about a lot of things as it was. ”The brownies start to kick in for you yet?” she called behind her as she made her way into the kitchen and started to dig around for clean glasses. There was a half-full handle of cheap whiskey she’d been meaning to finish off. That would work nicely.

gehry benjamin ollivander ● 487

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[gehry benjamin ollivander]

we can be strong

out on this lonely run,
on the road to love

February 14, 2028
mina pandora oliveira

Suddenly, Benny felt envious of Mina’s height. She was half a foot or so shorter than him, but the lower center of gravity worked in her favor in times like this. It was too easy for Benny to find himself off balance, partly because he threw an arm around his friend. He dramatically sighed despite Mina’s encouraging comment. ”B-but can’t you see that you and I are simply meant to be?” He dramatically lamented before bursting out into giggles. He had not intended to create a rhyme out of thin air. ”Why do you not accept my poetry?” Keeping a poker face was no longer an option. He giggled again.

The floo had sent Benny’s brain swirling, and he struggled to focus on what was before him. ”Right.” He hadn’t noticed that Titania had approached them as they appeared from the fireplace. The carpet appeared familiar as he let his eyes drift to the side. Rather than risk leaning over to pet the dog, Benny dropped to his knees and scratched behind the dog's ears after Mina stood up. His focus was entirely set on how soft the dog fur was. ”Sure.” They were already blasted. Another drink wouldn’t hurt.

Speaking of the brownies, an immense wave of relaxation washed over Benny. ”Mmhmm.” He didn’t know if his grunted response was heard. Titania was always excited when people arrived. She knew that meant more scratches and pets—which Benny was happy to oblige. Slowly, he let his body roll to the side and onto his back as he let the relaxation course through him. Titania seemed happy enough to stand on Benny’s belly, demanding attention.

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Mina snorted at the dramatic advances of her friend. ”Maybe if we’re both still single at…thirty? No, wait. That’s too soon. Thirty-five!” she called behind her as she continued to shuffle through cupboards. It took an elongated blink and shake of her head to realize that she was in the one that housed all of the bowls. Laughing to herself, she closed it and moved a step over to the adjacent cupboard. This was fortunately the correct one. In the background, she could hear her dog’s collar jingling, a sign that Benny had replaced her as the resident ear scratcher. Titania thankfully liked all of her friends, probably because whenever they were around, it meant loose food on the ground and less rules. Mina being inebriated also usually led to being allowed on the furniture, unless Callisto managed to come back home.

”She’ll paw your face if you stay there too long,” she warned Benny as she made her way back towards the living room with glasses and the bottle of whiskey. Her dog had somehow won an unseen battle, and now stood victorious over the Ollivander. Rough housing was fine with her until it got like this. Titania was weird when she had the proverbial high ground. First, she would go for slobbery face licks, and then the yappy barks would start. The final straw was always the annoyed paw jab, which almost always was directed at the face. Mina still had no idea why she got like this whenever she had a person in this position, but she did.

Throwing herself onto the couch, Mina started to pour a more than healthy amount into each glass. ”Leave Benny alone,” she warned her dog, who tilted her head in a manner of complete disregard and confusion. That was the look that made Mina question her dog’s intelligence. Or maybe it was the dog questioning hers.

gehry benjamin ollivander ● 316

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[gehry benjamin ollivander]

we can be strong

out on this lonely run,
on the road to love

February 14, 2028
mina pandora oliveira

That drunken agreement would probably sit in the back of their minds, eventually becoming covered in dust and cobwebs. Not because it would or wouldn’t happen, but Benny and Mina were never the type to bring it up unless necessary, which meant not for another decade, at least. Then again, Benny could very well end up married as his mother and Veronica wished—but not likely. At this point, he was determined not to let them try to run his life. The part that annoyed him the most was that they had left him alone for so long. Why was this so important now?

The fact was that Mina could also find someone one day. It was possible some guy would come along and realize how awesome she was. To see what Benny saw in his best friend as well. For now, they settled on cheap alcohol. He didn’t even ask what it was and instead had to use most of his brainpower to focus on her toast. Benny raised his glass to meet Mina’s, drinking a mouthful of whatever was in the glass. The burn was strong and not entirely pleasant. Sending a strange chill up his spine.

”Exactly!” He responded, pointing at Mina with the glass in his hand. Fortunately, not enough was left to spill over the sides. You k-know—I sort of pity them all.” Benny slurred as a thought popped into his head. ”Like…they have to deal with so much—“ The word escaped him for a moment. He waved his free hand around as if to conjure up the rest of the sentence. ”—nonsense and drama and fakeness and still end up celibate.” It sounded like a bloody awful time to Benny. Drinking the rest of his glass, he put it on the nearest surface and dropped himself onto the couch.

It wasn’t the most comfortable couch, but not the worst. But at the moment, Benny could feel how cushiony it actually was. It took his entire attention span until he bumped into Mina while moving a pillow. ”Did you get a new couch?” Or maybe not. The moment felt a bit like déjà vu, but Benny couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Seeing the bottle of whiskey out of the corner of his eye, Benny drank directly from the bottle, which reminded him of what they’d been talking about. ”I t-think…everyone should say nice things to people.” He paused, thinking. ”To like people they know and stuff.”

Yea, that was close enough to his thought. Why did one need a fake holiday to tell the people they cared about how they felt? It felt ludicrous and forced. ”For example—“ He began grandly. ”Y-you are the bestest best friend. ” Benny declared, habitually holding out the bottle for Mina. And a great lay, he continued his thought in his mind, growing distracted by how his body sunk into the couch. Benny was never the shy type, even if he still needed liquid courage sometimes. Not for this, though—not for those like Mina or Rue, who were important anchors in his life.

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