Starring:
Summary: There are no words
Date It Happened: July 10th, 2007
Log Title Partners
Kirby Plaza
Kirby Plaza.. late afternoon. In one of the many plush breakrooms that exists in the place. Benjamin is settled in an armchair, the day's Times in hand as he flips through it. He's relaxing, or trying to.. it's breaktime for him. He's trying to not think about that girl back at the Hartsdale facility, or his talk with Max. He would still be in Hartsdale practicing, if he hadn't of been called back to Kirby Plaza.. and told to wait. Wait for what, he doesn't know. The man's finding it better to not ask questions to which he might not want the answer.
YOU CAN TELL BY THE WAY I USE MY WALK~ I'M A WOMAN'S MAN, NO TIME TO TALK~
Doug Butabi is so wrapped up in his music, he almost doesn't notice the breakroom's other occupant when he enters. This is probably because he's got headphones on and the volume is up so high that the lyrics are clearly audible. When he spots Benjamin, he clicks off the Walkman that's clipped to his shiny leather belt and grins widely, managing to touch his lips together and show an impressive amount of teeth simultaneously. "Wow! You startled me!" Cheerfully, he steps closer and offers a hand for shaking. "I'm Doug Butabi. I just transferred. Man, you look just like my brother Steve!"
Benjamin hears the buzzing of music over headphones… and just rattles his paper briefly before looking over the top and frowning a little. The frown turns to a look of … well.. I don't know what it is, but it's up there with surprise and the expression of a person completely thrown off balance. The hand is stared at, then the odd person introducing himself. "Uh.. okay.. Hi.. Mr. Butabi.." Ben is completely disarmed and off guard by this ludicrous figure, then finally, with hesitation, the paper is lowered and he shakes Doug's hand. "Benjamin Winters.. so.. where did you transfer from?"
Doug stares and Benjamin for a not quite inappropriate length of time as they shake. "The resemblance really is uncanny. To my brother, I mean. It's nice to meet you, Benjamin Winters!" His grip is limp. Flaccid, even. He releases Ben's hand and continues. "Most recently, I've come from the installation in Alaska. Chilly, chilly." He rubs his hands against his upper arms and pantomimes a shiver. "I'm glad to be in New York, you can bet your gumdrops on that!"
Benjamin is feeling rather uncomfortable about this. Maybe it's the handshake or.. maybe Doug is just /creepy/ looking.. Either way, Ben's too polite to make a point of the issue. "Riight.. well.. uh.." What do you say to a freaky stranger when they tell you that you look like their brother? You change the subject! "So.. Alaska huh? That's a long way from here. I've never been, but I can imagine it's a big change. Why'd they transfer you all the way to New York?" Did this guy scare all the caribou or something?
"Oh!" Doug thunks his palm against his forehead. "Man! God! Pffft!" He shakes his head vigorously. "I'm the head of Human Resources. That means I interrogate people!" He smiles again, even wider than the first time. "And guess what? We're going to be working together… Partner."
Benjamin stares. The paper drops to his lap and he just stares. "You're kidding.. this is a joke right?" Pardon.. He's a little stunned. But not for long before he's up, out of his chair and more or less towering over Doug, as he's got a good eight inches of height over him. "Son of a beesting.. that explains the practicing they've had me doing on people.. but.. No no.. this can't be right."
"But it can, my friend. It is." Doug bounces up and down on his toes, obviously excited. "Trust me! Once you get the hang of it, it'll be fun!" He gives the other man a reassuring pat on the back. "Besides, we mostly torture bad people, so it's okay. Man, you're tall!"
Benjamin is glad someone's excited, because he's horrified. This is a nightmare. Somebody's inducing nightmares around here and he's the victim! ".. Torture.. what? No!" His mind is still having trouble getting past… "We're.. being partnered.." He points to himself then to Doug then.. must sit down. "You're a strange little person.".
"People say that sometimes," Doug agrees, nodding more. This doesn't seem to bother him, though. "Just relax. It's not like you have a choice, so bitching like a girl isn't going to get you anywhere. Tell you what. Why don't we go out tonight?" He gives Benjamin a double thumbs-up. "This girl said she'd meet me at this club. I tried to call her, but she only remembered to write six digits when she gave me her number." Clueless, he shrugs. "C'mon! We'll go try and find her. Maybe she's got a friend you can have sex with!"
Benjamin just.. raises a hand and rubs it wearily across his face. Who the hell made this choice? They just wanted to torment the already tormented, right? They're trying to get rid of him already? "… Obviously.." is the dry response he offers to not having a choice. "I… I've sworn off clubs. And drinking. No more for me.. So.. you go on ahead. Have fun, good luck finding that woman." Who hopefully has run far, and fast. "And.. I don't want to .. nevermind."
"What?" Doug doesn't seem to be able to wrap his mind around this. "You gave up clubs and drinking? How do you meet girls?" He crosses his arms over his chest, then bends sharply at the waist. This puts his face no more than a foot away from Benjamin's crotch, which he studies intently. "Did something happen to your penis? Did a woman burn it with acid? A woman tried to burn my penis with acid once."
"I.. don't meet girls. Much.. not in clubs anyway. I've had a few bad encounters lately where alcohol and clubs are conc.." Benjamin is then completely derailed by Doug's behavior, "HEY! DO YOU MIND!" And next thing you know, the accountant is scooting back, up and over the chair, AWAY from Doug. Watch it! Chair tipping over in the process! "I can't imagine why!" What a sour response! "And no! Everything works! Just fine!"
It takes a moment for Doug to realize how uncomfortable he's making Benjamin. He follows the other man for a few steps, face still groin-hovering and still asking questions. "If everything works, why don't you like meeting girls at clubs? Is it small? It's okay if it's small. Mine's small and I still get laid." He straightens abruptly. "I tell girls that I'm rich, though. Or that I have a motorcycle."
Benjamin keeps his distance from Doug, "Stay back! You.. you're crazy! I don't have a problem.. down there! I just have my priorities straight, which is more than I can say for some! Who in the Hans Christian Anderson assigned us together? I want … punch them! OR something!" Because this is… just.. a really bad dream. "I don't have a problem meeting women! And… why am I defending myself to you??"
Doug's demeanor abruptly changes. His posture straightens, his shoulders square confidently, and his eyes narrow very slightly. When he speaks again, the words come out clipped and precise. "You don't have to be my friend. Just remember, I could've gotten you laid." He jabs a finger into Benjamin's chest, clearly unafraid despite the other man's advantage in size. "But you will work with me."
"Jeez! Alright! Enough!" You scare me. Benjamin is definitely thrown off by the change in Doug's demeanor. Wow. That is just.. really unsettling. ".. I get it.. fine.. I can get laid without your help." And boy are those words wrong coming out of Benjamin's mouth. He raises a hand to try and brush back Doug's finger jabbing. "…" So much for whining to Bob in the morning.. Doug just might kill him in his sleep if he does! "Okay, okay.. even if this is someone's sick idea of a joke.." Partners.. oh gawd.. this is gonna be a disaster.