[center] [U][H1] TRUST ISSUES[/H1][/U] [img] http://i.imgur.com/ZnOpQuF.png [/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/EcZW0yd.png [/img] Location: Ben’s Home- Hudson Valley, NY. Time: Around Noon, Day after the Soulstone creation. [/center] Corpse was in the loft, staring off at the ceiling as he mulled over the events of the last couple days against the years he had spent working, fighting and dying over and over only to wake up with less and less memory each time. He’d finished his moving in, though that felt like the wrong phrase to use, he didn’t really have any possessions, but he’d made the room his. He’d had a proper bed, some real food and some answers from someone who was a familiar enough face that he could put a name to it. Talking with Angelo had helped him figure things out, the gist of it was that supernatural beings existed and now that he was in the clue he was jumped into helping as an official agent. He was a legal guardian too, and the responsibility from that came with the job, Ben and Skyler were his responsibility to protect and to care for, and as much as that was a weight on his shoulders he wasn’t too scared about it. He’d had a long time to think about parenthood though this wasn’t the exact scenario he had planned out in his head. He had no idea what to expect in terms of threats he’d have to really defend them from, or really how to do his job in general, so the mundanity of his new, work issued phone ringing was good enough to tear him from his thoughts. He reached for the phone quickly, thankful for the distraction as he fumbled and, stared at it blankly a few moments, having it ring, clicking a button, putting it to his ear and having it ring loudly again as he quickly jolted, clicked the -right- button and then lifted it back up to his ear. [color=#bc987e]“Hello?”[/color] [color=chocolate] “Angelo, this is Ben.”[/color] Came a teenager’s voice, his tone worn down from the last night’s events as he continued on, [color=chocolate] “Can you come and pick me up?”[/color] Táph softened up at the voice, it was familiar, if only because he’d been told about the doppelganger, and held a short and incredibly awkward conversation about identity theft with him/her/it. [color=#bc987e]“This is Táph, I’m Angelo’s replacement. Mind telling me where you are?”[/color] There was a long pause, then Ben spoke again. [color=chocolate] “What do you mean replacement?”[/color] Táph was sort of unsure about that as well. [color=#bc987e]“Angelo’s been reassigned and I’m meant to be your guardian, as an agent and otherwise. Were you not told at all?”[/color] Ben’s words seeped with annoyance and anger, his sour mood shown through the phone. [color=chocolate] “No, I wasn’t. Then again, I wasn’t told I would be transforming that same night or fully prepared to have my skin sliding off my body either!”[/color] He sighed away from the phone, before nodding as he spoke into it. [color=#bc987e]“I don’t want to sound horrible, but the sooner you tell me where you are, the sooner last night ends and today begins.[/color]” He’d make friends in person, phone impressions didn’t count as first impressions, did they? He mulled that thought over before for a while. Ben paused, his voice tossed to some else in the room then returned to answer. He gave the address before than addition something he considered important. [color=chocolate] “Can you bring me some clothes? I sort of need them…” [/color] [color=#bc987e]“I made sure to get a bag, I was told that you might be needing them. I’ll be there as soon as possible, okay?”[/color] The landmarks were helpful, and he picked up a prepared bag that he decided to fix up when Angelo told him about Ben’s ‘condition’. Táph took the car and hoped to whatever powers that be that people wouldn’t spy him asking a stark naked adolescent to get into his car with him. The drive was uneventful. He didn’t think it would be, for some reason, as if suddenly, the revelation that he supernatural Táph was very much the supernormal would somehow draw it to him like a magnet. He smiled to himself, realizing he had some money for the first time in ever, and a plan to go with it. When Táph arrived, Ben was standing outside in the over baggy clothes and waiting for the car to arrive. When the driver came to rest against the curb, he walked hastily toward the passenger side door then slipped into the seat. The door clicked hard behind him as he took stock of his new caretaker. There was a clear, obvious horror element to him from his large eyes to his pale skin, Ben’s figure leaned away in slight alarm at first. When the shock wore off, he voiced his thoughts outloud. [color=chocolate] “You’re my new guardian?”[/color] Táph smiled weakly and handed over the backpack. [color=#bc987e]“Sorry if I’m not what you expected. There’s clothes in there. I’m Táph or Corpse, whichever you prefer.”[/color] He didn’t rest for too long though, driving off toward the closest drive-thru. He refrained from making a ‘hungry like a wolf’ joke, though did talk as he chauffeured the teen around. [color=#bc987e]“Thanks for not biting me before, by the way.”[/color] He said, pausing as he stopped at traffic lights, pursing his lips and decidedly taking a detour when it went green. [color=#bc987e]“We’re going to make a small stop for some food first.”[/color] Ben’s eyebrow arched at Táph’s comment about biting, his memory still having too many gaps to fully understand what the man meant. [color=chocolate] “Uh? What do you mean by biting? Have we met before?”[/color] Táph realized how awkward he just made the situation. [color=#bc987e]“As a wolf. You had glass in your paw and Skyler got me to take it out. I thought you were going to bite me, I was...just- just saying thanks.”[/color] He finished awkwardly, taking intermittent glances at the rear-view mirror to gauge Ben’s reaction. The teenager stared a bit longer and finally twisted about to watch the scene pass by, his arm propping his head upright. His voice hinted discomfort and concern, though he clearly tried to hide it behind disinterest in his tone. [color=chocolate] “To be honest and blunt, I don’t really remember anything. Aside from being in my bedroom and the next moment, I’m going all wolf. Like literally peeling my skin off which I wasn’t informed would happen.”[/color] Inhaling with a sigh, Ben moved onto another topic. [color=chocolate] “Where are we picking up something to eat? Also, is there anything else I need to know now that my life is completely ruined?”[/color] [color=#bc987e]“Well, thanks all the same, comes from a good place even if you don't remember.”[/color] He said in reply, though the myriad of questions took a bit longer for him to get through. Táph answered the first question easy. [color=#bc987e]“I'm just taking us to a burger joint.”[/color] He paused for a moment on the second one but he answered it all the same. [color=#bc987e]“Listen, Ben, your life isn't over, not by a long way. Couple decades ago I was gutshot in a trench and I thought my life was over too. But it wasn't, still isn't. I know what I've got is nothing like what you've got going on, but you'd be losing to let it rule you rather than just accepting it for what it is and trying to do something with it.”[/color] He took a moment with that before pulling into the drive-thru. They were everywhere now, he thought idly to himself. Ben was quiet. He absorbed the information but it didn’t seem to improve his mood in the least, his eyes moved with the passing buildings until they arrived at the cheap restaurant. It amused him slightly since Daniel never bothered with what he called ‘low quality’ food and often, when the man yearned for something outside home cooking, he would take Lorrie and his ‘son’ to the city where the high class eateries were located. There the menus tended to be so limited that it was easy to pick one or two meals before heading home where his housekeeper would cook something actually filling. It occurred, a long time ago, the main reason rich people didn’t get fat was because they barely ate at all. His eyes roamed the several sections displayed to him as only half he knew, namely from using his own allowance on an experiment. The only issue was that he felt like he could literally eat a cow’s weight in burgers. Táph tapped the steering wheel as he glanced over the menu similarly, though maybe going through the motions a bit as he figured out what to say next. [color=#bc987e]“I know it's a lot at once, I have to admit you're taking it all a lot better than I did when it happened to me and I had a few years on you. But that's what this agency's for, right? I'm sure they'll support you through it all.” He drove forward as the queue progressed. “Sorry about that, promise to be a bit cheerier. Figured out what you want to eat?”[/color] He quickly changed the subject, not wanting his first impression to be ruined as he drifted into the philosophy of the supernatural and who decides who gets what sort of power and for what random reason it might be. [color=chocolate] “Right now, it feels like I could eat a cow’s weight in meat.”[/color] Ben admitted, his stomach agreeing with him, then just went with something he knew. [color=chocolate] “Give me a triplet cheese burger with tomato, pickles and lettuce but hold the condiments. A large french fry order with a cola as well.”[/color] Táph drove a little further and ordered just that, in fact he ordered two just in case as well as his own burger and fries, hot food, no matter how greasy and bad for you, was going to be a godsend if it kept coming regularly. He paid with Agency money and handed all of the food over to the teen wolf for him to devour. He drove toward the museum, they could stop and talk in the car if there was anything left by then. [color=#bc987e]“What's so interesting about the exhibit, anyway?”[/color] Ben drooled when his nose picked up the greasy, meaty flavors soaking into his nostrils. His hands picking through the food for both his fries and his burger, his right hand shoved about six to eight fries into his mouth before biting into the soggy sandwich. On any other day, he would usually turn his nose up at the staff’s sloppy attempts to make something edible. Currently, however, he was starving enough to not care. He had already devoured the first burger, both fries, and started on the second before Táph even got his out. Ben choked momentarily on his last burger when he heard the words about the museum. His hand fisted then smacked into his chest, clearing his airway, then took a hasty sip of his cola. He turned to face Táph, confusion on his face and still holding a half eaten burger. [color=chocolate] “Excuse me, come again?”[/color] Táph bit his lip. [color=#bc987e]“Guess Angelo didn’t tell you that either. Really dropping us both in the deep-end with this.”[/color] The corpse had a lot to do and didn’t really know enough about his job as it was. [color=chocolate] “Considering everything,”[/color] Ben struggled not to shout as he thumped down his burger for a moment, [color=chocolate] “I think it’s best to assume I don’t know shit until I tell you otherwise.”[/color] Inhaling to calm himself, his fingers tightened about the car arm rest before it relaxed then he continued. [color=chocolate] “What is this about an exhibit first off. Then why haven’t Emma or even Lorrie for that much, notice I’m not missing? They would’ve realized I’m not there since Emma fixes breakfast for me and sees me off to school every day.”[/color] The walking corpse took a few moments to structure what he was going to say, then opted to bring a hammer to the wall and be blunt about it. [color=#bc987e]“Well, as I said, the agency is here to support you, and there’s a doppelganger taking your place just for the moment who you’ll swap with when we get there. I don’t really know much about the exhibit itself besides it being about witches. - In anycase, I’ll phone Skyler when we arrive, he’ll make up an excuse, the imposter will leave and you’ll take his place seamlessly. The plan wasn’t my idea and I learned about it yesterday, so keep the swearing and the tone directed at the window, if you’re going to do it.”[/color] [color=chocolate] “So, he’ll meet me at the witch exhibit?”[/color] Benjamin stated, his tone indicated for the man to ensure his understanding was correct. His head turned from the window and stared at him, expected an answer before wrapping up his meal. His stomach didn’t even feel close to being full but some food was better than nothing. Táph took a few moments with that, he was sort of unsure as to the wording of it all, but to his understanding… [color=#bc987e]“No, Skyler’s already in there. He’ll come out with the doppelganger with some made up excuse and then you’ll swap.”[/color] He was sounding more and more unsure of himself by the second, it wasn’t just that he’d only been told, but that the plan itself felt sort of oddly put together as it was. [color=chocolate] “Sounds brilliant…”[/color] Benjamin sarcastically stated then returned to devouring his burger. By his last bite, he barely felt like he had ate anything and his stomach seemed to howl for more. His head thumped back on the seat head with a soft thud causing himself to look at Corpse. [color=chocolate] “This is going to be a long day. Anything else I should know?”[/color] Corpse parked the car out the front of the museum, fumbling with change for the meter, and then passing his food over to Ben as if noticing the teen eyeing it up. [color=#bc987e]“Take a minute to relax, and if you’re ever in trouble, just ring. I’ll do my best to be there as fast as I can.”[/color] He offered a weak smile that might’ve looked sheepish or awkward, but not terrifying, he was still more human than anything else. [color=chocolate] “And if I turn wolf? I barely remember most of last night, so how are we going to deal with that? It’s not there’s others around.”[/color] Ben countered, his hand taking the burger and started to eat it. It wasn’t quite like what he had, but he was more hungry than he assumed and didn’t care at that moment. His eyes looked at Corpse while he devoured the meal without seeming to inhale. Corpse stared blankly for a bit. He hadn’t thought about that. If it was anything like the myths and stories then he was only in trouble if it managed to change from day to night [i]and[/i] be a full moon all at once. Weirder things had happened in the past few days, he mused. [color=#bc987e]“I’m going to call other people Angelo recommended to me. If something bad happens, they can create a distraction while things get calmed down. Let me worry about it, it shouldn’t be a weight on your shoulders, Ben.”[/color] He said with a genuine smile, trying his best to veil the ‘I have no fucking idea what I’d do’ look that was behind it. He was already trying to find the contacts on his phone, though tried his best to make it look casual and nonchalant. [color=chocolate] “Like Angelo and everyone else was on top of the whole ‘unexpected’ transformation bit?”[/color] The teenager said between bites while he gave the agent a sarcastic look that screamed ‘Sure… that work out well…’ His mouth chewed the food thoroughly as his hunger subsided to a more manageable degree. [color=chocolate] “This stuff is so damn confusing. Is there at least any word over the wolf that bit me? Anything at all?”[/color] Táph frowned. [color=#bc987e]“There wasn’t any word, no.”[/color]The pale zombie looked a bit crestfallen for a few moments, but mustered up some courage when he began talking again, each verbal stride raising confidence in the next word. [color=#bc987e]“Listen, Ben, I’m not Angelo. I’m new to this agent thing. I’m new to this supernatural business just like you are, but I am not new to doing ‘this’. If something goes wrong, you’ll have a body between you and whatever it is. Let me worry about this for you, while you enjoy the exhibit, or at least relax a little, please?”[/color] His focus was on the teen and it was obvious he was trying his best to be comforting. [color=chocolate] “No offense…Táph, was it?”[/color] Ben continued when Corpse confirmed it, then huffed a little before explaining, [color=chocolate] “I stop trusting others to get things done. It just ends up failing and at least this way, I have only myself to blame. So I don’t have the greatest faith right now in you or the agency.”[/color] Finishing up his food, he crumbled up the wrapper then tossed it into the bag with the rest. Taking a napkin, he wiped the rest of the lunch remains from his lips and cheeks, realizing how sloppy in his feasting he had been. [color=chocolate] “I hope I don’t eat like this [i]all[/i] the time…”[/color] Táph finished up his quick text to Ji, giving the gist of the situation, and asking her to meet them at the museum. He sent it with a sigh and took the rubbish-filled bag from Ben. He didn’t address anything the teen had said, opening the door up and taking the first step out. He didn’t address anything the teen had said beyond saying: [color=#bc987e]“I’ll watch you enter the museum and wait for the doppelganger to come back. Enjoy the exhibit.”[/color] With that, the corpse took vigil and waited outside the car, the museum in sight. Irritated and wary of the plan, Ben slipped on a hoodie from the bag and popped open the door. Taking a bundle of clothes, he held them under his arms then made his way up the stairs. Pausing there a moment, he quickly vanished into the museum.