2007-08-14: Snot

Starring:

Benjamin_icon.gif Meryl_icon.gif

Summary: Meryl has something that she'd like Ben to see. Ben abuses his narcolepsy or whatever it is.

Date It Happened: 14 AUGUST 2007

Snot


Some Lab in the Hartsdale Facility

There are certain areas where certain agents should never be. Considering the nature of the research the folks at the Company do, it's safe to assume that there's a good amount of particularly sensitive equipment scattered throughout the building - some of which is concentrated in labs. In one such lab, it looks like the layout was pulled right from Mad Science Quarterly, though such layouts have reason, of course. Everything is laid out where it needs to be, microscopes, beakers, sinks, chemicals - all carefully calibrated so that they're as accessible as they need to be for any given situation that may arse.

And so there is an agent in here, dressed in a white lab coat. The first indication that something may be wrong was the sign in crayon hanging on the open door that said 'DISTURB' in bright blue letters. Meryl Wolfe is bent over a microscope, though, looking for all the world like she actually is doing research. This could be a moment, folks, she actually might be.

To be fair, she is in the employ of the company, but she even has her moments sometimes. Besides, this is interesting. Under a slide, there seems to be a small bit of tissue of some sort; in the notebook next to the microscope are Meryl's chickenscratch findings.

—-

The.. lab staff.. is going to be pissed. Possibly. If Meryl's supposed to be in there. That aside… This wing is passed through on the way in and out of the main medical wing. Rubbing at his jaw, Benjamin heads on out of this wing. Shot full of novacaine, the wires in his mouth finally came out. Swearing to God and Moses on high.. he is going to go out.. he is going to have a steak. It may hurt like hell, but he is going to have one. If he can find his way out of the building while drugged up. He probably should be laying down. It's not difficult for him to make a wrong turn, and into the lab he goes.

—-

The building is like a maze or something, and at first, Meryl doesn't notice as Benjamin strides into her domain, but eventually she has to look up from the microscope, and in the light of the high-powered lamp, she spots him. Oh, Ben, that was mistake number one.

"Hi," she says, accented, albeit bright, cheery. Green eyes smile readily as she motions him over. "Don't have a bloody clue who you are, but you're here right at the perfect time. You have to see this." And who knows what wonders the microscope holds? The only clue Meryl will give is that she has a huge grin on her face, as if she's just made a discovery worthy of the nobel prize. Maybe she has! Perhaps the cure for Evolved! Maybe something even greater, like the formula for everlasting Gobstoppers.

—-

"Huh? I'm not a scientist, I took a wrong turn." Ben sounds like he just walked out of a root canal. He might as well of had one. He eyes Meryl warily. For the most part, the medical staff here is fantastic. But this one? Kinda creeps him out. Namebadge prominently displayed, he reluctantly approaches, since turning and fleeing would be rude. "I'll take a look, but unless it's math or taxes, I won't know what anything means under that microscope."

—-

"It's really easy to see, I have it all focused and everything." Meryl knows what she's talking about, see, when things are focused, it means everything's going according to plan. "Essentially, I've discovered aliens. Here, take a look." And as soon as Ben is close enough where she can do so, she'll reach up and attempt to GRAB HIS HEAD and shove it down so he can look into the eyepiece. It does, indeed, look as if there are aliens on that slide! Except everyone with a brain would realise that said little teeny moving objects are very small microorganisms and cells. "I guess it could be math if you really wanted to count everything. How boring is that? Math, really? Did the kids at school wedgie you for that? I would have. I mean, I guess we need math, but you could - I dunno, play the piano or something, or go skydiving. Math?"

—-

It's a good thing his face is shot full of novacaine.. otherwise.. this would hurt. Benjamin doesn't feel much of anything but the pressure of Meryle's hand. "Gack! Easy!" Before he does something, like lashes out with his ability. Or something. He gets a look in the lens before pulling back. "Aliens don't exist. Then again, people like me aren't supposed to either.. but I don't think those are aliens." He points this out quite bluntly. "There's nothing wrong with math and numbers." As to the topic of wedgies, he says nothing. Sore subject there. "Look, I'll just be going now, I've interrupted your pointless research and I feel like my bottom lip is about to fall off."

—-

Aw, wait. Hey. Meryl's going to pout, but only for a second. Ben? Is her Special Friend of the Day, and he can't just run off this easy. Much like in one of the episodes of Animaniacs that she has stored on her iPod, this means she can't leave him alone, at least until the episode's over. That in mind, the pout vanishes, because this type of person is just fun.

She does let go of his head, though.

"That's the whole thing, isn't it? You're an alien. What can you do, huh? Are you one of them? You're cute, I need a partner, how 'bout it? You must be one of those tough guys, the ones who can bend time just by thinking about it. C'mon, tell me what you think of my discovery!"

She reaches for the microscope again, eying Benjamin expectantly - a lot like a child, really, except there's something less than benignly mischievous in her expression. "What'd you do to your lip? Your face looks swollen. Did you have botox? You look like the type. Did it hurt?"

—-

Benjamin stares at Meryl, boggling. The woman makes his brain hurt. "I'm not an alien.. and I have a partner already.. and I don't think much of your discovery." Because again, not scientifically minded. "My jaw was broken." No need to go into detail.. although.. he's pretty sure Meryl will pester him for detail. "I am /not/ the type for botox. That stuff's not good for you. Look, sorry, I have work to get back to." Finish up for the day, run away screaming. He backs away towards the door.

—-

WE'RE LOSING HIM, DOCTOR. DO SOMETHING!

Naturally, she steps in front of the door, holding out her hand. "Meryl Wolfe," she says as an introduction, because the appropriate response would be for him to introduce himself and give her his hand so she can drag him back over to the ruddy table. Giving him a sympathetic glance when he mentions the broken jaw, she attempts to sympathise: "Bullies, huh? You really should work on those pants. I mean, I can see why. You don't want to go into public wearing those, seriouly. Horrible pants. It's like asking for injury." Wait. Oh, realisation dawns on her face. "Unless you like that sort of thing. It'd be much easier to just get comfortable pants and paint 'pick on me' across your ass." She looks back at the microscope. "Don't you even want to know what it is?"

—-

Dangit. Meryl's onto him. Benjamin does extend a hand and introduce himself, "Benjamin Winters.. Agent.. mostly still in training." A lot of training. "And no.. it wasn't bullies. I was in a fight." Technically. "Look.. I'm sure you're a nice person, if a little odd, but.." He doesn't feel safe in the same room with her. He feels like he needs an adult. Kinda. He does reflexively look down at his pants. They're nice business slacks. Not a thing wrong with them.

—-

Winters? Cool name. Meryl nods her approval - she got to pick her own, and it is thusly much, much cooler, but his is nice. Would he be surprised to know that she's an agent, too? That she's really not a scientist at all, and should not be in here? Once his hand is taken, he is, indeed, pulled back over to the table if he doesn't resist; all quips about her being an odd person are ignored as she peers back into the microscope. Well, not quite ignored. "Odd? You're the one from Neptune or something. I mean, it's cool. It's all right - I'm Agent M with the MiB. I know all about your kind." She winks. "I won't tell. Don't worry, I won't tell. But I really do need your professional opinion on this. S'very interesting."

—-

"No, you are a strange person, Mister Winters! Or should I say Zaflax from the planet — uh." Mumblemumble. Convinced that all Evolved are somehow descended from a powerful race of alien beings, Meryl will not be dissuaded. When one thinks about it, there really is no other explanation. Mer knows her basics; evolution doesn't happen overnight, and it certainly doesn't happen with the variability she's seen while working with the Company. So it was either aliens, or a crossover with a TV Drama and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Either are entirely possible theories.

Seriously, now. Meryl sighs. "I'm an agent. Human." So she doesn't make the best first impressions! "Really, though, that's completely uncalled for, Winters. I've been in the Company since I was nine, and you know they don't have a mental ward." If they did, then, yeah, Meryl might be in it. She gives the microscope a shove. "Please? Took me forever to figure this out, and I'd like to share it with someone."

—-

Thoroughly chastised now, Ben's shoulders slump a little and he returns over to the microscope. "Sorry," he mumbles. Then.. she's genuinely got his attention. "You've been here since you were nine? That's… rough.." He can't imagine growing up in this environment. It can't be healthy. As Meryl is a testament to. "I told you, I'm not a scientist, so all of this is going to be over my head." He's here to put people to sleep, and do the occasional bout of paperwork and taxes.

—-

A smile appears. "About. Don't remember exactly." It's not as if she's really allowed - or inclined - to chat about a personal history she doesn't want to remember. Explaining that might explain her behavior now, though. "It's not really all that rough, you just have to find things to keep yourself entertained, like this." Fantastic microscope experiment! Looking into the eyepiece, she adjusts the slide a little so that what she's got can more easily be seen. No colour can really be seen; it's just slightly greenish if one were to describe it, with a whole host of magnified particles and cells moving around within the sample. "I don't much understand it, either, but it's pretty awesome to look at."

But she's gonna wait 'til he looks 'til she tells him what he's looking at. "So you're onna them. What do you do? I remember seeing your name somewhere, but I think maybe I spilled grape juice all over that file. Made it hard to read afterward."

—-

"It looks like snot," Benjamin points out as he gets another look in the eyepiece. It really does look like moving mucus. Gross.. and he pulls back, not wanting to look at it any longer. "What do you mean, one of them? You make it sound so.. negative." Some people treat him like a mutant, or like his partner, remind him that he essentially is Company property and there is no getting away. Neither are pleasant treatment for him.

—-

Colour Meryl surprised! This is a rare moment, too, so Ben ought to enjoy it. "It is snot," she says incredulously. Really, she just thought it was amazing, made much more awesome by the fact that everyone has snot. So it's not exactly in limited supply. "…You're a mind-reader, aren't you? One of those tele— phones." Telepaths, but Meryl's close. "That's why you didn't want to look before, because you knew it was snot. You know, it's rude to read peoples' minds, 'specially when they might be hiding things in there, like 'Benjamin Winters has a cute butt.'" Really, it's the first thing she notices about anyone.

He's gotten the wrong impression, though! Meryl doesn't think it's negative, but she does think he's a Mutant Alien from the planet Whatever, located somewhere around Whatchamaquadrant - way out there past the Milky Way. "You are one of them, though. Nothing wrong with that. Just means you're a little weird, that's all." Pot, meet kettle. HI.

—-

"……" Okay. Benjamin is completely weirded out, and he shouldn't be. Not in this place. There's bigger and worse to be weirded out by. ".. I am not a telepath. I'm a narcokinetic." And he's about ready to abuse it too. "And…" Sorry. No response to the cute butt comment. Angie's really the only one to remark on that. ".. I have a report that's due." Again, take 2, he tries to leave.

—-

Narco— leptic? Narcotic? N— Wait. "That's gotta be the most useless power ever. So you can make yourself fall asleep? Or you just.. Randomly fall asleep when it's inappropriate? Like in your breakfast?" Clearly she doesn't understand the complex intricacies of Ben's ability. "Or when you're in the bath? Crikey, that must suck. Do you have one of those medic alert things that starts beeping obnoxiously when you don't move for two minutes? What if you fall asleep when you're writing your report? Do you get extra time to work on it? Wow, I'm glad you already have a partner. I'd be all like, 'COVER ME!' And you'd be all, 'CAN'T TAKING A NAP, SORRY.' And I'd have to shoot you."

—-

Benjamin twitches.. just barely.. or that could be the novacaine in his jaw. He's a very tolerant fellow. Very easy to get on with, polite, painfully so.. but.. He just can't take too much more of this. "I wouldn't say it's useless," he comments, just as he caves to the urge in abusing his power. He's not heartless however, he does move in to catch Meryl if she falls. Wouldn't want her to hit her head or anything!

—-

"Well— " She feels the heaviness in her eyelids just as she's about to comment about how she can't see how being narcoleptic is at all useful to a Company agent. Doesn't take her too long after that to get it, because she's feeling increasingly weak, now-unfocused eyes widening briefly before she puts her hands forward to catch herself on the table. The microscope is knocked over, though thankfully nothing breaks. "Bugger," she mumbles as she succumbs to sleep, eyes finally losing the battle to stay open as she does, indeed, fall - heavily - into Ben's arms.

—-

Benjamin ermphs.. Meryl's heavier than she looks. Frowning, he lowers the woman to the ground. He'll just.. leave her there for a nap. The fallen microscope? He picks that back up, and straightens the mess best it appears it can be done. Then? He's leaving the room, releasing his sleeper hold (har har) on Meryl as he exits the door.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License