a wild one

“Well there’s nothing wrong with wanting to get all the facts.” He told her, with a smile. He took another sip of his drink before looking at her for a long moment. “Well that’s a good thing right? Who wants to go wrong with their choices.” He told her, with a shrug of his shoulders. “Sounds like you have quite a bit to keep in mind. Are you sure you can remember all of that?” He asked, his tone light and teasing.

“My siblings and I are pretty close. It depends on what’s going on and with who, I’d say. Some of us keep in better touch than others.” He admitted, with a shrug. “But we all still care about each other.”  He looked at her and wondered what she had been through that would make her life be marked by crisis. But he didn’t want to press on it. “Well, I do try my best to be a good influence on people and I guess being calm is part of that.”

Dani grinned at him, playfully rolling her eyes, “Are you doubting my memory skills, Benedict?” She shot right back, a teasing glint in her eyes. “I’ve always been great at remembering little details, something my siblings can attest to.” She started eating as he spoke, glancing up at him every now and then to give him the most of her attention. She gave a little smile at his explanations, nodding, “Well I can imagine it’s difficult to keep in touch with all of them at all times. Especially if you all vary in age? Like I’m close with my sisters, but we’re triplets so we’re all the same. My brother’s a few years older though and doesn’t live at home anymore, so it takes more effort, but...I’ve always actually been closest with him. He um..he keeps me safe. I have panic attacks sometimes and....he’s the best one to get me through them and out of them.” She admitted softly, glancing down at her food before just giving him a little smile.

“Sounds like a good idea. Although, I sincerely doubt the medicine thing will ever come up. So don’t worry about it too much.” He told her, with a shake of his head. “Well I’m not very picky about food, honestly. I know you don’t want to hear that. But I’d probably love anything that you brought back for me.” Benedict told her, as he watched her take things out. “Baked goods are hard because I’ve yet to meet a baked good that wasn’t at least tasty when I’ve eaten it. But, things with fillings are usually pretty good.” He admitted, with a smile. 

“It’s good that you are going to share with your family. I’m sure that they will appreciate that.” He took the things that she had offered him and took a sip from the cup for a moment. It tasted delicious. Not that he was very surprised, after all. “Well, I think we all can afford to be a little more easy going. Not everything has to be a crisis.”

Dani laughed, shrugging at him, “Hey! I am going to school to hopefully be a journalist, so I like to get all the facts.” She told him with a grin as she sipped her coffee. “And that’s fine by me, just means that I’ll never go wrong with my choices.” Her sisters were the pickiest eaters she’d ever met, so she was used to having a broad scope when it came to food. “Another thing I’ll keep in mind.”

A little smile tugged on her lips at that and she nodded, “Yeah. As annoyed as I can get sometimes with my siblings, we always tend to share everything. ..Old habits and all.” Spending a long time in an orphanage can do that to you, even if it’s years later. She looked over to him as he said that, the same soft little look on her face as she nodded, “When you have a life marked by crisis...it’s sometimes hard to remember that. But I’m trying. And being around someone as sweet and...calm, as you? I think I’ll get the hang of it.”

“I’m a zoologist. So I study them and help them and stuff. I’ve been on a few exhibitions to study more animals. Mostly birds.” She grinned. Kevin nodded. “Yes. Exactly. People are so ready to believe the most interesting or glamorous thing, and they pay no mind to the truth.” She smiled in return. “I definitely think you will be.” Kevin took her hand and gave her a firm handshake like she was raised knowing how to do. Her weird dad always saying how a young man should know how to give a proper handshake. Eventually, he changed his phrasing to just ‘everyone should know how’ but she still remembered the times when she was really young that he kept trying to convince her she was someone else. “I’m Kevin,” she said with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Dani blinked in surprise before a grin started spreading over her face. “A Zoologist? That’s so cool! I’ve always loved animals, even if I’ve never even had a pet before.” She explained with a laugh. “And it’s wonderful to want to help them. So are you going to go like...to rainforests and stuff? Exotic places to save endangered species?” Like those Jack Hannah specials she’d watch in the orphanage on the weekends, she always like those. She was a bit surprised by the firmness of the shake, but she gave back as good as she got, a moment of surprise passing her features at the odd name but she smiled just the same. “It’s nice to meet you too, Kevin. And thank you, for thinking I’ll be good. I hope so too, even if my parents still wish I’d go into something a bit...easier.” Safer.

“It’s all good.” He told her, watching as she had settled the bags onto the counter. There certainly were a lot of bags. But Benedict knew she was just being thoughtful and he really liked that about her. So worried about what he liked or didn’t like when he would probably eat almost anything that she brought back. He was pretty easy going. “Well, you can rest easy, I’m not allergic to any foods. Just the odd medication here and there.” He said, with a shrug of his shoulders. “And I don’t think any of them are on the menu.”

“Well, there’s not a lot of us working back here. But I’m sure the few of us that there are wouldn’t mind sharing whatever we don’t eat.” He said, with a smile “And I do have a big family.” He didn’t want to get into that right now since they were having such a nice time and all. He took the cup from her when she offered it and smiled. “thanks. I’m sure you did fine and if it’s not the same, it doesn’t really matter, I’ll drink almost anything.” He admitted. 

Dani was still a bit embarrassed by just how much she’d bought, but, well, she was nothing if not thorough. “No food allergies. Check. I’ll keep the medicine part in mind for the future- just in case.” She tacked on with a little smile as she started taking everything out. “Although also for the future, maybe you do actually have a favorite food or at least baked good? That way I don’t have to go buy half the bakery?” She asked, laughing lightly.

“Alright, good. And I can take some back too, my sisters will definitely eat some of these things. Maybe my brother too if I can bribe him to come to dinner with the offer of pastries.” she handed him the cup and then one of the little sandwiches she’d gotten, smiling still. “Safe to say you’re the most easygoing person I’ve ever met. It’s nice. It’s like...I don’t have to try so hard around you, for once in my life.”

Benedict waited until she was out of the flower shop and he went to work on the flowers. He pulled a bunch of different types and started to make what he had visualized in his head a reality. He knew he didn’t have a lot of time. She was just going to the cafe. She wouldn’t be gone long. So he would have to start now and then maybe finish later.

 He didn’t want her to see the arrangement before it was completely ready. Admittedly, he was nervous, he wanted it to be perfect for her because she was kind, and sweet, and he thought she was special and deserved the very best that he had to offer.

He had been working for some time when he heard the door open. He hid the flowers in the back and moved to the front again. “Hey!” He said, with a smile. “Looks like you bought the entire cafe.” He said, teasingly. “But I bet it’s great.”

Dani resisted the urge to be nosy and go to the back to look for him (and maybe catch a glimpse of her arrangement) but in the end she just stayed up front, putting the bags down on the counter til he came back out. Once he did she huffed out a laugh, smiling a bit bashfully down at the ground, “I....yeah, I guess I did, huh.” she replied shyly as she scratched the back of her head. “I just didn’t know what you liked! Or what you didn’t like. Or what if you were allergic to something? I guess I just didn’t want to take my chances so...yeah.” 

She realized she was rambling a bit and she let out a breath, shaking her head. She still had a pinkness to her cheeks as she looked back to him, “Whatever we don’t eat,  thought you could give your coworkers? Or maybe to that big family of yours you mentioned if you all live together?” She offered, handing him one of the drinks she bought, hoping she remembered the same order he’d gotten from the cup he had the day they’d met. “I um..I tried my best to remember what drink you ordered from the cafe the last time. If it’s not right, mine’s just plain coffee, I didn’t add anything to it yet just in case.”

“Oh, shit, no way?” she said, smiling. “That’s so cool. Like I said, I wouldn’t be able to do that full time. Plus, I wouldn’t be able to give up working with animals. Which is my life. Journalism is more like a hobby for me. And yeah. But people get so stuck with their thoughts and opinions and it’s just. It’s stressful. They go with what’s popular and it’s not right.” She shook her head. “But you seem like you’ll be a good, reliable journalist. You’ve just got this vibe.”

Dani laughed, just giving a shrug, “Yes way.” She replied with a laugh. She listened as the other girl spoke, a smile still on her face and a light sparking in her eyes at the mention of what she did. “Oh! You work with animals? What do you do?” she’d always loved them, and always wanted even just a pet. But with four kids, her parents didn’t want anything else running around. “Trust me, don’t I know it. But that’s why it’s a good journalist’s job to get the truth out there, and fast. get your facts straight and make sure the world knows’em and hopefully people listen to you. But...yeah, especially with social media now? Some random person can say the queen dropped dead and if enough people repost it, the truth is done for.” 

She closed her textbook and nudged it all away for now, a smile on her face again, “Well thanks, here’s to hoping I get to be a real one one day after college.” She held her hand out, shifting in her seat more towards her. “I’m Dani.”

“Yeah, I definitely have a big family.” He said, looking at her for a moment. “I’m sure we’ll get to that at some point in our conversations.” Benedict told her, with a shrug. He was the shyest of his siblings. But they all had their thing about them. Things that made them special and set them aside from the others. He assumed it was the same with her siblings. She just didn’t notice that there were things about her that set her apart from her siblings. He would have to make sure that she noticed those things about herself.

“Yeah, of course.” He said, flashing a smile. He couldn’t quite explain it. But there was just something about Dani that he thought was amazing. They had such easy conversations. “Sounds like a good plan to me.” He told her, as he watched her back to towards the door. He couldn’t help but feel his stomach do a flip at the grin on her features. “I’ll try.” He commented, before turning to pay attention to the flowers.

When he said his big family would be a talking point in their conversation, Dani’s curiosity piqued. She felt her life was crazy enough with three other siblings, but if he had more? She could only imagine the chaos--and more than that, how easy it could be to fade into the background. 

She still had a grin on her face as she left the flower shop, a happy warmth spreading through her because he thought she was special and even once she got to the little cafe nearby, she was still smiling. She took a minute to look over the menu before deciding to play it safe with two chicken paninis and then going to town on the sweeter side of the menu, figuring even if they didn’t eat everything, he could give some to his coworkers. She bought a box with an assortment of different cookies and another with a variety of Italian pastries. She ordered two iced coffees too and once everything was packaged away and set she off, the bags dangling off the crook of her arm while she held the drinks carefully.

Dani walked backwards into the shop, using her shoulder to push it open and smiling once more as a little bell jingled overhead to signal someone coming inside. “Benedict! Special delivery!”

“Everyone always says that people will believe anything they read, but I don’t think that’s true. They believe some of the things, but not the actual truths. People only believe what they want to. Sometimes they get so stuck in their own views that don’t take a chance to see it from the other person’s perspective,” she let out a sigh, looking over to the young woman she’d already started talking to without really seeing if it was someone she knew. “Luckily the whole ‘journalism’ thing isn’t my main job. I don’t know if I’d be able to do that full time. What about you? What do you do?”

 @danixlore

Even in the middle of summer, Dani still had a notebook in hand, scrawling out notes while she skimmed the newspaper in front of her. She was always keeping up with the news, always in-the-know of pretty much anything that happened in this city. She paused though at the comments of the girl beside her and she hummed a bit, tilting her head in consideration and nodding a bit. She had a point- Dani didn’t believe in the whole ‘people will believe anything’ thing either; instead she fully agreed that people believed what they wanted and belief was a powerful thing. Still, she was one committed on finding truths, so at the next comment, she couldn’t help but laugh, “Honestly? I’m thinking of being a journalist, ironically enough.” She capped her pen and used it as a place-keeper as she closed her notebook. “But I do agree with what you said, and people believe what they want. I think that’s why journalism is so important. To find the facts, to try and shed light on as much as possible so people can, hopefully, make informed decisions.”

“Good, that’s what I want to hear! I mean nothing better than having someone excited to see your work.” He said, with a smile. “Believe me, I understand all too well about that. I mean I do come from a big enough family.” He told her with a shrug of his shoulders. I mean there were 7 of them, after all.  “Are you sure you don’t already make them jealous?” He questioned, curiously as he turned to look around the room at some of the flowers as  he started to make mental notes of some of the things that he could use for her arrangement. He could see the makings of it in his head. He just needed to actually piece it together which was easier said than done, really.

“I mean, I think you really don’t give yourself enough credit.” He was still sort of shy at times when it came to vocalizing certain things. But he was going to try to work on that. “I’m sure your sisters are great. But you’re special.” He offered. “Which is why the arrangement is going to be special.” He promised. “And whatever I make for them will be just for them and nothing like I made for you.” Benedict could promise that much. He thought for a few moments at her question. “Surprise me. I’m sure I’ll love whatever you bring back.”

Dani’s brow went up at his response, “Oh? You have a big family too?” She wondered, figuring that if he did, then maybe he knew all too well the feeling of fading into the background while your other siblings shone bright. As he continued he just left her surprised- and flustered. Did she make them jealous? Doubtful. She was the bookworm of them all, the odd one out. She’d rather read the newspaper than the latest Vogue edition, and coupled with a smattering of trauma and ptsd from her childhood? She didn’t quite see herself as a catch by any sense of the word. 

And yet here he was, calling her special and she felt something warm and happy flutter through her, surging through her veins. “You think I’m special?” She asked softly, bashfully, a little grin tugging up at the corners of her lip as she looked to him. The smile stayed on her face as she nodded, giving a little hum, “Mmm, okay. Deal. We can have lunch together, and then you can surprise me with your masterpiece.” She grinned, taking a few steps back towards the door and pausing with her hand on the knob to turn back to look at him, “I’ll be back soon, don’t miss me too much.”

“Oh good, I’m glad to hear it.” He said, smiling a little to himself. He was glad that he didn’t inspire her to run in the opposite direction. Not that he would be surprised to find that a girl would be interested in running the opposite direction from him given how shy he normally was. It wasn’t always the most attractive quality that he possessed.

“I’m glad that you’re looking forward to it. It makes me want to do my best even more than before.” He admitted, looking away for a moment to hide the widened smile on his features. She wasn’t wrong. He was definitely decent at his job or they would’ve fired him by now. “I hope they make your sisters jealous.” He admitted, looking back at her finally. “Maybe then they’ll come in and get something amazing, as well. Not nearly as amazing as what I put together for you. But still something great.’ He said, with a shrug. “I promise I’ll do my very best.”

Honestly, Dani found it pretty endearing how subdued Benedict was. He wasn’t like all the pompous jerks she’d always been surrounded by in high school and college. Wasn’t full of himself or trying to be a showoff. The difference was stark-and welcome. She’d felt comfortable around him within moments of meeting him because of it, a feeling that still surrounded her now.

As he spoke again Dani smiled brightly, tilting her head a bit, “Well now I’m even more excited.” she assured before letting out a laugh, shrugging, “Time will tell. I’m the middle sister of triplets, and I have an older brother as well, so sometimes I feel a little like the odd one out, like there’s nothing too special about me.” she explained. She wasn’t the oldest, nor was she the baby of the family. She wasn’t the prettiest or the daddy’s girl or anything. She just did her own thing, and til now, it’s worked out pretty alright. “It’d be a fun difference if I made them jealous. And I’ll definitely tell them to come in too. My mom especially, she’s always loved flowers.” her smile again softened at his words, a warm little happy feeling tendrilling through her. “I’d hope they don’t get something as amazing as mine though--then the only jealous one here would be me.” She teased in response. Dani took a step back then, pointing towards the door. “I saw a little cafe up the block coming here. How about I go get us something while you work on my floral masterpiece. Any cravings? Favorites?”

He laughed lightly. “In all seriousness, I doubt your presence could ever make me want to jump out of a window.” He told her. She was really nice, sweet, and kind and he liked talking to her. So there was really no need to jump out of a window for any reason. He looked at her for a long moment as he already started to formulate a few ideas for what he could do for an arrangement. “Some of my favorites?” He asked, with a smirk. “I can probably do that.” He nodded. He didn’t get to always use his favorites. People were so specific about what they wanted that it was rare that he got to really put his brain to the test. “Sounds like a good plan to me.” He smiled softly. He looked at her for a long moment before opening his mouth to speak. “That could be dangerous giving me permission to make you future arrangements. I mean, you haven’t even seen how this one is going to come out yet. It might be horrible.”

Dani’s brows rose a bit at that, pink dotting her cheeks as she smiled, “Mm, well..good to know. And likewise, for the record. I don’t think I’d go running for the hills anytime I saw you.” He was so sweet and nice, not like most boys she knew around their ages. It was different--a good different.

She was glad when he seemed to be on board with her plan for him to choose his favorites, her smile growing as he agreed and she nodded, “Good then. I’m looking forward to it!” And she was. As he continued to speak she laughed though, shaking her head, “Nah. I doubt it’d be horrible. I mean, it’s your job, right? So surely you must be decent at this, at the very least.” She grinned, tilting her head as she looked up at him, a bright, teasing glint still in her eyes. “I’m putting my full, floral faith in you. I have no doubts they’ll be so beautiful they’d probably make my sisters jealous. I mean, they get flowers all the time. Especially my older sister Annie, she’s always getting flowers from suitors but they’re always boring. I’d much rather something original and meaningful, like...something someone actually put time and thought into just for me.”

“I know… As much as we both want you, we know we can’t. Or else we would end up locking you and your sibling in a tower in a small island in the Pacific.” He joked trying to relive the aura around them. “Y'all just got to be careful and not go too much in details, because you might see, hear or read something you were not supposed to. It’s ok to want to know what kind of world we live in, but avoiding the dark corners is uhm… necessary.”

Dani rolled her eyes at him and reached over to give his arm a squeeze, “We both know that’d never work. Between me and Sam? We’d break out within a couple days.” She teased, a smirk on her lips. Her and her brother always got into the most trouble, especially when they put their minds together. Her face softened as he continued and she sighed softly, shaking her head, “Dad, it’s not like I’m actively trying to search something out to get into trouble but...I like being informed, and frankly? I’m good at it. I want to be an investigative reporter one day after all. So sometimes, poking into dark corners is necessary to uncover the truth, but I promise I’ll be careful. So don’t worry okay? You don’t wanna mess up that pretty face of yours with worry wrinkles.”

He looked at her strangely for a moment before realizing that she was teasing him. He had been wondering how he could ghost her at his own place of work. That would be difficult. “True, I could’ve climbed out the window the minute I heard you ask for me.” He said, teasing her back. The window wasn’t really big enough for that. But she didn’t have to know that.

“I know there’s so few of us. But, we do still exist.” He insisted, as he watched her bite her lower lip for a moment. “Surprise you? I can do that.” He said, with a nod of his head. “Whatever I want is dangerous. I mean, there’s a lot of flowers in here.” He told her, as he gestured around the room. “But, I will see what I can do.”

Danielle laughed at that, grinning as she shook her head, “Well, here’s to being glad my presence didn’t make you want to jump out a window.” she joked. She found it all too easy to be relaxed around him, to smile effortlessly. She nodded as he spoke again, the smile still definitely on her face as he agreed to just winging it and doing whatever he wanted for the arrangement-- to surprise her.

He continued though and she laughed again, tilting her head slightly, “Is that so? Well, how about just some of your favorites then? And whatever ones you don’t get to use, you can just use for another bouquet for me another time. How about that? Or would that be considered even more dangerous- giving you free reign to as many arrangements as you want?” she didn’t think it over all that much, the prospect of him making her multiple arrangements, or that he’d even want to, but, well, the words were out now. “You know...if you wanted to.”

     “Satan incarnate?” Ravenna questioned, heavily skeptical about the accusation for the young woman before her. She doubted the girl had any sort of bite at all, but then, stranger things had happened in her time. “Well now, let us be fortunate you’ll have your morning coffee to soothe you in time.” She murmured, though she made no move to offer the coffee she’d grabbed at before. Instead, she lifted the cup to her lips, sipping it. It was refreshing, to say the least. “Drug busts in Harlem,” She repeated, mentally considering who may have found such misfortune. She didn’t dabble in drugs herself, she had other vices to toy with. “It seems the mundane has become the ordinary these past several weeks. Almost startling, isn’t it?”

Dani could hear the skepticism in her voice, could practically see it on her face, but she just mentally shrugged it off, nodding at the next comment. Soon enough her own name was called and she thanked the barista softly, taking a much-needed sip of her own caffeine as she listened to the woman speak. She definitely had a point--one Dani had thought to herself quite a few times over the last few weeks, “I agree. I think it could be something to be wary of though. Like...the calm before a storm. Almost like waiting for the other shoe to drop.”