2008-02-13: You Should See The Other Guy

Starring:

Benjamin_icon.gif Church_icon.gif

Summary: The boys just aren't themselves today.

Date It Happened: February 13th, 2008

Log Title You Should See The Other Guy


Oldcastle Pub

What does a person do after fighting with their partner and someone they know deep down is their best friend? Go to the bar and vent at your other best friend. Which is what Benjamin is doing. He can't remember ever being this mad at anything or anyone. Although that's not saying much considering the state of his memory these days. He's been mostly quiet and brooding, which is unusual. Especially with the help of the beer he's starting on. When it seems like Benjamin isn't going to say a word, he blurts out with, "She slammed the door in my face. What the hell was that about? We fought and I was so mad.. you know what I did? I called legal and exchanged personal favors with tax help for their help in getting my divorce resettled so I won't give that bitch another cent in alimony. That's how mad I was." He sets his bottle down heavily, turning to face Church, "Then I thought of the extra things I could do with that money. Like get a house, but why? It'll sit empty. Then I thought I could give the money to Rose, but why? What kind of schmuck was I to just give my ex what she wanted and to throw money at a daughter I hardly know? I get the feeling she's just using me too. Maybe I'm better off this way, didn't she stop to think about that?"

Woah. Ben is definitely not himself to be talking this way.

It hasn't been the first time that Lawrence has thought exactly that. Sure, friends can make this change easier, but they can make it harder too. Especially if they act like Meryl has been acting.

Church has an empty glass in front of him, the foam still clinging to the sides. He seems to have been absorbing all of Benjamin's complaints and rants with a dose of salt, but at least he knows where all of this is stemming from. He's been here, and it's starting to creep him out just a little bit. "You've never been vindictive like this." Lawrence comments with a raised brow, calling with a hand for a refill on the glass. "It doesn't suit you. You did those things cause you're a sweet guy- but lately not so much. You're getting paranoid too, man. If your daughter was using you, do you think she'd be spending all that time with your mom, with you, or coming to holidays? I met her that once, but she seemed like a good kid. Good enough to be your kid. Good kids make me wish I had some." As soon as he says it, he regrets it; for a few reasons, really. There also seems to be a flitting pause that crosses his features. A twitching of a few muscles that makes a very un-Church expression for a second or two. "Meryl'll get over it. I tried to explain to give you time and stuff, but she is kind of…" Is there a word? "Anyways, I tried to tell her to not blame you. You don't even know whatcha did. I still don't know what I did, but you know that I don't really wanna know, eh?" Haha.

Benjamin aims his beer bottle at Church, "See, I don't even /know/ what I did. She mentioned I should talk to the Haitian." He's not sure if he's /that/ curious. Ben should be panicking about the memory loss, but thanks to the indoctrination, it's normal. It just means he messed up something so bad that this was the punishment. Far better than an execution order, right? Maybe it's better, maybe it's worse. Setting his bottle down, he puts his head in his hands. "You tell me that, Meryl tells me I'm a robot now, a tool. I don't even know what I am, I don't even remember how I was acting before other than a pathetic doormat. As for my daughter, I'm not paranoid. Just a statement of fact. If she has any feelings about our belated relationship she's got a funny way of showing it."

Dropping his hands from his face, Ben finishes off his beer, ordering up another. "Why in the hell is she mad at me? Nothing happened to Meryl because I screwed up, right? That'd be just my luck. She came to visit me and everything seemed fine then, we even kissed. Don't even know why I just said that."

"Don't ask Spooky about anything, he won't tell you much, trust me. Except that one time I asked him about what he thought about a junior agent's ass. He told me to get an MRI. And there was that one time with the chickens and Angela's limo- but we said we'd never talk about that in detail." What. Church tilts his head enough to squint at Ben now. "You weren't entirely a doormat. You were just…nicer. I think you're just under too foreign of stress right now, so it's making you irritable. You're not a robot. No more than she is. Or me. I dunno why she's still so pissed." He pauses in drinking to listen to the last bit carefully, visibly milling over it.

Lawrence does let out a short 'eh' before talking again. "I don't think anything happened to her because you screwed up. Not… directly…"

"I don't have any intention of asking him. I could, but what's the point? I know the policies and procedures necessary, they make performance improvement programs at other companies look like kindergarten art class." Benjamin laughs just a little at Church's explanations about the Haitian. Funny, but not funny. "Maybe I'm supposed to be this way. Maybe I was much too soft for the job before. Being too nice gets you used and walked all over." Raising his bottle to his lips, it stops and is lowered as he glances towards Church, "What stress? What the hell do I have to stress about other than one of the only two damned friends I can remember being pissed at me." There's a bit of a snort that's given, "I'd rather just keep busy so I don't have to think about this mess, but at the same time, I'm not about to just let Meryl go. I don't think I've ever fought for anything. You and Meryl, you're the only friends I can remember. What does that mean? Not directly?"

"Settle down, Ben. Take a breath." This is the first suggestion. "You weren't too soft, Ben. Just a bit naive. You still are, but that'll fix with time. You were doing great before, and I expect you to keep that up and find your groove again. Me and Meryl already miss the sweeter you. Sweet and gentle doesn't always mean doormat." Look at Church! He's sweet, and not a doormat. "A power is like your personality extension, you know. Sleep is peaceful and nice, but can leave you with virtually nothing if it goes too far. That's like you." Draw your own parallels with Induced Reaction powers.

"Not directly means just that. I mean, sure she might have done some things cause she was sad and angry about you, but it wasn't really you so much as… a feeling of being lost, I think. Not knowing what to do."

Benjamin does as Church suggests. He takes a few deep breaths. Looking down at the bar, he toys with the bottle in his hands. "Yeah and you go boom, what does /that/ say?" Taking a drink, he nurses the liquid before swallowing it. "She left her bracelet outside my cell. I remember know. Her giving me half. It was such a.. juvenile thing to exchange. If anyone else had of given me something like that, I .. don't know. I probably would have discarded it. But no. I'm still carrying around my half on my keychain even when she's pissed at me. I'm still me. We're still partners and I still consider her my friend. Hell, I think I'm.. huh?"

One can almost hear the wheels as that train of thought derails a little. Ben turns on his stool to look directly at Church. "Like what things? Diabolical plots of switching sugar and salt in the breakroom? Loosening the caps on the pepper shakers?"

Lawrence looks up from his drink with another set of raised eyebrows, glancing back down and away for a moment. His face says No, and that should be enough at first. "I found her punching out mirrors in the bathroom-" But. "-she. Uh." His eyebrows crease together. This shouldn't be so hard. "She wanted to come home with me." But did she? He deliberately ends in a cliffhanger.

That would explain Meryl's hand being bandaged up during the raid on Pinehearst. Benjamin looks down guiltily. Yet, just as soon as he looks down, his head is sharply back up and he's peering at Church. "What?"

Remember when she asked Church to marry her? "…We kinda slept together."

What? WHAT? That about sums up Benjamin's expression at that simple explanation. Meryl asked him to marry her and they didn't do the nasty! "…." *pause* "You son of a bitch!" That's all the warning Church gets before there's a fist going right for the man's face.

Church feels his stomach plummet at 'son of', and feels Ben's knuckles whack across his cheek as he tries to lean away. The contact sends him grunting side-first into the counter. When he swivels his face back at Benjamin, both brown eyes are sharp and suddenly fierce- almost fiery. "It wasn't my idea! She just wanted someone!" Someone to comfort her, is what he means. When he speaks with that growling tone, there's a small streak of red on the sides of some of his left teeth; right after he's said the first half, his hands are coming up to plant on Ben's chest and shove him. Probably right off the stool.

As soon as he throws the punch, Benjamin looks surprised at himself. What the hell was that about? Meryl's a friend, she can schtupp who she wants! ".. I don't know where that came from." Although it's a little too late for that. He can't take back the punch, no matter how irrational he wants to try and play it off as. Still stunned at his own behavior, he's knocked easily right off his stool in retaliation. Although, once his backside connects with the floor, he can feel his own temper rising again, "So you just screwed her then!"

Church stands up from his stool, face made up of something between anger and offense. "Nobody got screwed, we made love. Why do you suddenly care who she ends up in bed with?" If Lawrence had hackles, they'd be raising about now. The other patrons, true to their mostly Irish nature- are waiting for the show.

Some patrons probably even have their cellphone cameras up and ready to record the event. Truly, a sign of the times.

"Whatever. Call it what you want, it doesn't change what it was!" Benjamin remains on the floor, looking up at Church, "Fine, yeah, you're right. Why do I care? Other than the fact that she's my partner!" Which doesn't really explain the outburst, or what he does next. Which is try to sweep a foot to knock Church off balance.

"It's not like-" Church is too busy staring down his face at Ben to preempt the foot connecting with his ankle, and down he goes; his other foot tries to stay planted, while his hands grab for the edge of a stool. Agh!

Benjamin pushes himself up from the floor to stand on his own two feet. If he could remember just how he's supposed to act, this would be on his list of nightmares. Fighting with a friend. Over a woman, but only not so much. Kinda. Sorta. He's /never/ had a grudge fight or anything of the kind. Certainly not one he's initiated. Rolling up his shirtsleeves, he takes a step closer to Church, "It's not like what?"

With one arm hooked over the stool, Lawrence pushes himself back onto his feet. He's been in fights with his friends before, but not Ben. "It's not like I was a bastard to her! You're talking like I took her home and dropped her off on the corner when I was done!" At this point, he's pretty much chest-to-chest with Ben. "Since when were you in barfights?" This isn't Ben yet. He's all mixed up, and deep down it breaks his heart. He was like this back then too. Lost, frustrated, looking for ways to fix everything.

"You still /slept/ with her!" That seems to be a sticking point for Benjamin, and he can't rightly say why. Something tells him to just walk away, but being rational just doesn't seem like the thing to be at the moment. So he shoves at Church, hard. "I don't know. Maybe since about now." Church would be right about those feelings of being lost, frustrated and out of control of your own life.

At this point, Ben is probably lost to logic. So is Church, when the other man pushes back. His hands jump out to grab Benjamin by the front of his shirt. "And so what?! So what if I did your partner and it was //great/?!" His growling words do carry a hint of spite, and they sting just a bit.

Oh no he didn't. Oh NO he DIDN'T. As Benjamin's grabbed by the front of the shirt, he raises his hands to try and knock loose Church's grip. "Friends don't /do/ that to each other!" Do what? Each other's partners? Beyond rational thought for now, it just might occur to Ben that he never admitted anything to himself let alone to anyone else.

That grip is practically like a vice, and the skin of Lawrence's hands and forearms is notably at a feverish temperature. "It's called 'friends with benefits', you jackass-" Clearly, the two have different views on what friends are allowed to do to(and with) each other. And with the end of that sentence, Church pulls at Ben and tries to throw him down on the scuffed wooden floor closer to the back of the bar.

Benjamin does the lowest thing that can be done to a man, he tries to bring up his knee. While Ben's a big guy, so is Church, more bulk and more fighting experience on his side. So despite the close proximity, Church has the upper hand and down Benjamin goes, but not without a fierce attempt at bringing down him as well. "But not with /her/!!"

There's no sickening sort of WHUMPHS, but there is at least an uncomfortable jab as Ben brings up his knee and at the same time tries to bring Church down with him. If there was a piece of dialogue for 'ASDF*@&!', that would be about right. "You- Sonunva- Agh." Church lets out a gasp to suddenly catch his breath, arm winding up to try and grab Ben around the neck in a headlock. If that doesn't work, then he'll probably just end up grappling around Ben's middle. Either way, Lawrence pushes in order to smack him against the back wall.

There's a sound not unlike 'Gurrr-aachk!' as Benjamin's grabbed around the neck. "You're the son of a .. !" He doesn't finish the sentence as he brings up a fist to try and punch whatever he can reach on Church. At any rate, he's easily pushed against the back wall. He's fighting back, but not against the change in position in the bar. "Keep your hands and your little Churchie, OFF her!"

"Outta not off." Ouch. There's a couple of blows that Church gets to his ribs before he pulls back his own fist to punch Ben in the ribcage and side. He's still pushing Ben at the wall, but eventually he misses and he pushes Ben too hard down the little hall towards the restroom. Likely, they'll both plummet to the floor due to bad trajectory.

"FINE. Then keep it out of her! Any appendages!" Somehow, this outburst isn't as much about Meryl as it is just everything in general right now. Benjamin was feeling lost, his best friend shut the door in his face, he doesn't know /how/ to deal with this anymore. (And just the little fact that his feelings are stronger than he's admitted.) There's a woosh of air escaping his lungs as Church's fist lands in his ribs. It's enough to knock him more senseless and he doesn't fight back as the pair fall to the floor.

Church and Ben land in a pile on the floor, and already the former is trying to sit up on the latter. Suddenly, he's laughing. Not his happy, smiling laugh. This one wouldn't be out of place coming out of a jackal or something. Or, his usual coyote grin. Not evil, but not really benevolent either. "That's not what your mom said."

Benjamin gets the wind back in his lungs, even as he tries to scramble back from being sat on. An unintelligible response is made, somewhere between a mix of swearing and choking. This fight could be over. Right now. If Ben wanted to throw his power around, but that's just not as satisfying as beating the crap out of someone. Especially when his mom has been invoked. A fist swings around and aims right for Church's nose!

Church was only half-expecting that. And so when Ben lets fist fly, it clocks Lawrence right in the face and knocks his head back. The laugh turns into a creepy, suddenly pained one, but he's still sounding like a menace. There comes the first bloody nose, too. Church's first retaliation is swinging down his own fist to punch Ben in the eye, his other hand planting roughly on the other man's shoulder. BRING IT ON.

Oh holy mother of .. that /hurt/. Benjamin's eye swells rapidly following being punched in it. This is gonna be fun to explain later. "Get. Off. Of. Me. FATTY." Yes, he went there. "Amazing you don't smother your 'dates!'" Held back, he tries to force Church's arm away so he can get in another proper hit.

WHAT. WHAT. "You little bitch-" Don't call him that! Especially after all these months of working out! He's not fat anymore! He's strong enough to kick your ass though. "Even if I was, at least they'd die happy! Can't say as much for you!" Oh, there's another low blow. Ben's fist catches Lawrence in the collarbone as he speaks and tries to pin him. There's the briefest of openings where he'd be rolled off if Ben saw it and kneed just right.

Yes, it was a low blow, and that's an even lower one delivered by Church. It hits a little close to home though, and it shows on Benjamin's face. He's sort of aware of his bad luck with women. His ex-wife, but that was her fault. Something about Megan, and something about the absent Angie. Sure, he sees the opening, but doesn't take it. For the moment, the fight seems to have gone out of him.

That's right! You better stop! Church has Ben pinned now, and there's almost literal fire in his eyes; rather than steaming out his ears like one might expect, the next breath of air that comes out, comes out with a stream of smoke from Lawrence's bloodied nose. That breath is hot, and frankly, draconic. Devilish, if one goes too far.

Okay, that's a little frightening to see happen. Benjamin breathes hard as he remains pinned. There's no further fighting from him. For the moment. "Let me up," he says, and it's not a request.

Church only needs to do that for effect once, it seems. As Ben demands to be let up, Lawrence pushes up on his foot to step off, at the same time giving Ben a look that could set him on fire. (Actually, it might, so don't look too long.)

It couldn't be put past Church, not with what he's capable of doing. An ugly grin forms on Benjamin's face once he's up and on his own feet. "You /damn/ well better not have touched my mother!" It's said with a snarl as he bodily shoves at Church, right into the restroom door.

Okay, that was Entirely Unexpected. Church was backing off a bit more, but the push out of nowhere sends him knocking through the open door and into the three-stall restroom. But not before he has a chance to grab back onto Ben a second time to try and take him down with.

Shoulda seen that coming. Augh. It was still a good idea. Church has Ben outmatched in the fight department, so element of surprise is necessary. Benjamin's grabbed and down he goes. The door too. Splinters. Yeeewoch! Not to mention they're dangerously close to hitting a sink. That would have hurt!

There is a lot of crashing going on again. In the background, someone has enough sense to whoop. Not helping! Once they're both falling, Lawrence tries to shove Ben off again, to the side. Mostly so that he can try and stand back up, feet still trying to find traction on the tile floor.

Yeah, you out there! So not helping! Tiring out faster than Church in this fight, Benjamin's easily shoved back. Right into the aforementioned sink. There's a ceramic and metallic crack as the thing breaks off from the wall and water sprays everywhere from the now exposed pipes.

Benjamin stays where he fell, half on the floor, half clutching to the broken sink. Looking up at Church, he waits for the other man to make a move before he does anything else. There's that, and he's all wet now, which has been like a shock to wake him out of whatever the hell that was that just came over him.

Yeah, now there is water, and the floor is even worse for flat shoes. So instead of getting up, Lawrence slips onto his back with a loud whack of water. He lies there for a few seconds, not sure if he should be getting ready for Wave Three or not. It doesn't come, and now he's all wet- and it just isn't seeming necessary anymore.

Church sits up, not even pushing with his arms- like a springboard with a stream of blood curdling down his wet face and shirt, and a couple red marks brewing on his face. It this a staring contest now? Yes.

Benjamin doesn't seem content to sit quietly as he eases himself to rest fully on the floor. What a sight the pair are. He makes himself stare across at Church, not bothering to push his hair out of his face. Looking over the man's state, he's surprised at himself for his behavior and does the only logical thing one can do about now.

Ben starts to laugh. A lot.

For a few seconds, Lawrence has no idea how to respond to that. Should he be mad? Confused? Look at Ben's face, I gave him a black eye- as soon as that flutters past his brain, Church chokes out a laugh too, which is soon matching Ben's noise. This is probably confusing to anyone outside about now. What's so funny? "What the fuck, man." The restroom? The epitome of L.O.L.S.

Benjamin laughs until tears stream from his eyes and his head lays back against the tiled wall. He just traded blows with his friend, now he's soaked. sitting on the floor in a dirty restroom. All he can do is laugh. When Church speaks, it just has him laughing harder, in between moans of 'owowow'.

"I'm sorry," Ben wheezes between laughter, tears and ouchie noises. "I don't know what came over me." He still makes no move to get up just yet. Knowing his luck, he'll slip, fall, crack his head open. Might be an improvement.

Church isn't quite as stricken as to start crying in laughter, but his face hurts and it feels like it might stick that way. He does try to sniff his nose, but that only succeeds in a gross face and him spitting some bloody saliva on the watery floor.

"I can't believe you punched me in the face." You started it! Church is still chortling.

"I'm.. man.. I don't know what just got into me. You.." Benjamin doesn't want to mention Meryl again, that might make him want to go punchy punchy again. "Can you get up?" he asks as he tries to get up himself, moving gingerly. "I can't believe we fought, period."

Meryl, and apparently your Mom too. Actually, that part is unclarified. As Ben asks, Lawrence does try to push himself up to his feet. It works, but only because he's got a hand on the wall. "I can't either." And over Meryl, no less. Though, it was only Ben's problem that caused it- Church would have been fine if he wasn't in denial. Hint.

No more mentioning of the mom. That'll be another kick in the nads. Benjamin steadies himself on his feet and shuffles over to try and help Church up if he needs it. "I'm so sorry man. I don't think I've ever done that before in my life.. It felt.. wrong." Somethings are just known. As for Meryl, he's not in denial!

Church grabs onto Ben's hand when it's offered, but only because he's standing, and the restroom walls are moving. Getting hit in the head makes you dizzy. "Then lets not do it again." Lawrence laughs, but half of it is distant; as soon as he's up, the help Ben offered gets turned into a mechanism. Church just tries to yank him in for a hug- nothing questionable here, honest.

They must be of a similar mindset, Ben was about to throw his arm around Church, so the hug is met in fraternal fashion. "Imma go buy you a round. Your choice. C'mon and yeah, never do that again. Got too little friends as it is.. and man you look terrible." Pause. "Think they have karaoke out there?"

This was bonding time. "Yeah, well, your eye is swelling shut, so look who's talking." Church eyes him coming out of that embrace. "No. But…maybe we should go out there and tell him is wall exploded." It hasn't. What is he talking about?

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