2007-09-04: Such A Lamb

Starring:

Benjamin_icon.gif Felix_icon.gif Mariska_icon.gif

Summary: Benjamin gives two new Company recruits a little glimpse as to what life in his loafers is like.

Date It Happened: September 4th, 2007

Such A Lamb


Hartsdale, NY - Primatech - Gymnasium

Fel is back again. But as a free man, and not a number. And currently for more testing - not for all the crazy meta abilities, but for plain old physical fitness. He's currently cruising on one of the treadmills, hooked up to monitoring gear.

Felix is not alone for long with the monitoring and exercise. Benjamin is back for more humiliation. He's shed the casual suit he normally wears in favor of an athletic warm-up suit. The treadmills were going to be avoided and he was going to hit the exercise bike until he notices Felix. Oh good. Perhaps civil conversation can be had. "Hi, good to see you're up and about on your own two feet now," Ben says pleasantly as he gets onto a neighboring treadmill.

Not long after Benjamin's arrival, another new Company creature arrives on the scene — Mariska. She's fresh from the locker rooms, dressed in a flatteringly snug-fitting microfibre ensemble, and somehow already looking a little worse for wear. Someone must have had a rough night. And, oh, hey. People here. What? Did she expect the place to be empty?

Well, Fel isn't exactly happy, still. But Ben's never been anything but overtly kind, so there's no call to be rude to him. "Thank you," he says, pleasantly enough. He doesn't sound at all out of breath, or look particularly winded….but then, he's a runner on his own. "I'm sorry, but….what was your name again?" he wonders, eying the older man. And then there's Misha, and he grins at her, oddly shyly.

Benjamin sets his treadmill to an easy walk, so that he can converse if Felix wants to. Oh good! He does. "It's Benjamin, and not a problem. It's a little out of the ordinary for people to get hurt so much while staying here." He's loathe to use the term detained, prisoner, or such. "At least in my experience. This facility's population has been pretty quiet." Then again, he's never seen some of the levels, sooo..

That's funny. Did it just get a little awkward in here? Oh, wait. Maybe that's just Benjamin. Apparently, Mariska isn't in it for the treadmills today, but that's not to say that she's disinclined to be social. For the sake of at least being within earshot, the Russian woman situates herself on the floor at the edge of one of the big, blue mats and slowly begins to engage in a stretching regimen. Ow, ow… sore… ow, hiss, ow…

"My understanding is that most of those held here don't have prior acquaintance with their captors," Felix says, gravely, looking forward again. "It doesn't matter. I heal quickly." Misha gets an almost embarrassed look. He's flushed from exercise. That's what explains the blushing, right?

"Well.. there is that. You have a point. I can see where there would be a problem. I met a couple of mine just a day or so before they came for me." No hard feelings are harbored, as Benjamin has gotten pretty intimate with one of them. *cough* "Hi Miss Dmitryeva," is said with a smile in Mariska's direction when he notices she's here. "I'm glad to hear that. Still, it can't be fun."

Mariska peeks underneath one of her arms as she does some side stretches and replies to Benjamin with a sweet but tired smile, "Hello, Benjamin." You know, let's be honest. For a woman in her thirties, she's aging remarkably well, and the further she goes into her warm-up calisthenics, the more evident it becomes that she's surely had some sort of professional training in SOMETHING that requires a high amount of flexibility because — DAMN!

Felix is trying really hard not to be too obvious about watching, because staring is uncouth. "Mariska," he says, with some unease. He shrugs at Benjamin. "I'm trying very hard to let bygones be bygones. If I worry at what happened to me, I won't be able to work here."

Benjamin is either a gentleman, insane, gay or not interested. And since one of those four is definitely not the case, could be the rest together. He doesn't ogle Mariska, or make attempts not to. "That sounds like a good policy. I guess I was lucky to have had a few months go by between being kidnapped," because that's what it was, "and being hired on."

Turnabout. Mariska returns the other Russian's salutation in kind, saying only, "Felix." It's hard to judge tone of voice while there's extracurricular straining going on and so it's hard to judge of she's throwing off the same vibe as the other Russian or if she's just REALLY reaching for those toes. It's probably the latter. So as to better facilitate her entry into the conversation, Mariska faces Benjamin and his companion to add, "How long has it been?"

Felix is….all of the above. Save the last, really. He glances over at Benjamin with curiosity. "Really?"

Benjamin actually has to stop and think about that, then boggles at the time that's lapsed. "It was about four months. I thought these guys had forgotten about me." It's felt like a lifetime. "Too much to hope for it seems." Face it, he's got a useful ability. When it works. "I've been working with the Company now for three months."

Mariska then proceeds to slowly… very slowly… bend over backwards. Sweet Mother Mary, that's got to hurt! She's a human arch! It becomes a handstand soon enough, however, but now she's facing away from both of them. Still, that doesn't stop her from advising the opposite wall from behind grit teeth, "It could be worse…" They could have stolen your baby and then ripped out all of her memories of you before dangling her in front of your face and then yanking her back.

Fel forcibly returns his attention to keeping up with what the monitoring equipment expects of him. "Yes, it could," he says, mildly, expression contrite.

"I know. I told myself that every day when I was brought in." Benjamin had his share of whining and wallowing. Being hit upside the head, dragged off the street. Then the humiliation that comes with being analyzed like an animal. "I'm still not sure what to think about being here. I did find it hard to return to my job, to keep up a normal life." He's not even sure why he's sharing this much information, beyond the two Russians being very much in a similar situation as he.

All the blood is rushing to her head and it's only too late that Mariska realizes what a mistake it was to go the upside-down route so early in the work out. Her legs flail slightly and it's all she can do to keep herself from slamming down onto the safety back on her back. Professional training or no, someone's still out of practice. She lays there for a moment and wait for her brain to stop swimming. "…do you still have a job out there?" Out there, in the real world.

Fel finally satisfies whatever regimen he's adhering to, and starts to slow his pace, still listening very curiously.

Benjamin glances towards Mariska with some concern, but she seems alright. "No. I quit in favor of working here. As far as family and friends are concerned, I consult and am bound by strict non-disclosure agreements. So for all they know, I work with the government." Or seekrit portions of the IRS. He says all of this matter-of-factly, because he's not pleased to be lying to people and he's trying to not think about that.

Oh yeah. She's fine. (Super fine.) Mariska eventually props herself up on her elbows and passes a look between Felix and Benjamin before she notes, "I am sure that is an excuse some will be able to make more convincing than others." Oh, hi, FEEB.

Cue Felix going red as a beet. HE just snorts at that, amused. "Guilty as charged."

Benjamin continues on with his exercise on the treadmill. He looks between Mariska and Felix, confused. What did he just miss? "It's been pretty plausible. I've had enough issues that would make the job change even more believable."

Mariska reintroduces her shoulders to the mat before bringing her right leg up to her chest and hugging her knee. Streeeeeetch. "What sort of… issues?"

"Such as?" And then Mariska beats him to it.

"A divorce for one," and Benjamin's feeling much better about that. "And I thought I was going insane because of my powers, which kind of prompted the divorce. Oh.. by the way.. if a Dr. Eames contacts either of you, talk with him. He's good. Specializes in therapy for people with abilities. I didn't know that was his specialty when I started seeing him. Anyway.. I started feeling better about everything once it sunk in that I can do things. The whole previous year started making sense." Then looking a little embarrassed, he apologizes, "Sorry, I'm not usually this talkative about myself. I just thought it might help you two a little."

Mariska can't help but let a little smile creep out on to her lips, and it shows when she lifts her head and switches legs, hugging her other knee to her chest as if for dear life itself. There's just something about the way that Benjamin apologies for being himself… "Do not apologize. I am sure we both appreciate talking to us." Instead of, you know, the standard fist-to-face or knife-to-heart sort of conversation the Russians had previously experienced.

"I'd never thought of that," Felix says, sounding bemused. "A therapist who knows about people with powers. Does this Company retain him?"

"He does.. I didn't find out until I canceled an appointment with him after I accidentally caused a bus crash. He showed up at my apartment and admitted who he works with." Benjamin slows down his treadmill to a stop. He gives the pair a bit of a smile, "Okay. I was concerned I was babbling or coming off as self-absorbed or something. I'm gonna let you two be for now, I'm due in training now. Just remember, there's a few people here with a lot in common with the both of you. See you around." Another smile is made before he heads out of the room.

"He's genuinely kind," Felix says, with much the same gently wondering tone he'd use to announce that there was a unicorn grazing on the lawn.

She at last releases the knee held to her chest and slowly sits back up again, hands still playing counterbalance on the mat behind her as she watches Benjamin go. «I wonder for how long that will last…»

«If it's lasted thus far, it may remain. Some gold is only exposed in the crucible,» Felix says, philosophically.

Indeed. Very zen. Mariska draws her knees up into a bend and does a fine job of looking nearly everywhere else except directly at Felix. Yeah. Awkward again.

Felix just chuckles to himself, a faint rasp, and heads for one of the weight benches.

«What?» She can't help it. She has to ask. Mariska's compelled to play the part of the cat with eight lives left.

"He seems like such a lamb," Felix says, shaking his head.

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