Player file 1 : BEN

Slow Up

Ben placed his sun glasses on, giving the other male a nod he set out on his own little adventure on his own, hoping to hurry back before the man lost it again, or began to see things that weren't there again. He sighed, glancing around himself, trying to figure out where to go before he found himself wondering back into the front office, he raised a brow at the man who sat there counting the money Toby gave him earlier. 

He cleared his throat, and began to speak. "Hey man, help me out one more time. My friend needs to.. Destress. You know where I can get some smoke?" 

The man looked up, a little startled before responding, "uh yea, you need contact, a ride?" the man stared at Ben, who stared awkwardly. he wasn't one for any of these things, he didn't understand substance abuse. He didn't understand mental health all that well ether, but if the two clashing meant getting his body back- hell. He'd do anything, as long as it wasn't too embarrassing- he really wasn't one to kiss and tell. 

he stood back as the man got to his feet and began locking up the office, placing a 'out for lunch' sigh on the door as he lead Ben to his old, blue beater ford. "Go ahead and hop in, I know a guy" the man stated. Ben nodded, he checked for a child lock before stepping into the truck, he stared out the window as the man got in and started the vehicle up, and he pulled out onto the drive. It was silent for a few moments before the man spoke up. 

"so uh, what brings you boys out here? ya look pretty young to be on a business trip" 

  "Oh, we're visiting family" Ben lied, the man nodded- accepting it as truth. 

"What's your name? You can call me Hank" the male said cheerfully. 

 "Ben, my friends name is Toby."

"Ah, so are ya'll like a-? Ya know. I don't judge now I might be old but I'm not ignorant no-"

  "W-we're not like that, just.. Just friends. If you can call it that, it's complicated"  Ben shifted in his seat nervously, his cheeks becoming red. He watched them enter the bridge of the city limits, the road acting like a shitty fence between them and the forest. Ben turned his attention to look out at the road instead, finding nature to be distasteful. 

Hank glanced over at the boy who sat slumped in the passenger seat, his hands shoved in his pockets with his sun glasses on, hood up and knees pulled to his chest as he slumped in the seat. "Ya know something, kid? I gotta son who's about your age, you remind me of him a lot, especially with those silly sunglasses on" he chuckled, peaking Bens interest to look at him. 

"Yea?"

 "Yea" the older man chuckled. "Kids the light of my life. Total goof ball, you and your friend here actually helped me fund his medical bills, actually" he beamed, this made Ben tilt his head. 

 "He's.. Sick?" 

 The man frowned at this, realizing what he had. He sighed, "Yea he uh, he's got a tumor in his brain. It's inoperable. So we're doing what we can to keep it from growing, he gets head aches from time to time but it doesn't stop him. He wants to be a film director" 

Ben was quiet as the man began talking about his son, talking about how the first time he held the boy, taught him to ride a bike, brought him to his first baseball game, everything. All the way up till he was diagnosed. It made Ben feel odd, he felt a sad feeling come over him upon hearing about the boy, upon hearing about the fatherly relationship- it was like a sad sense of nostalgia. One that didn't belong to him. He felt his hollow chest ache, prompting him to grip it- it ached for something he wouldn't ever have, something that was never in his cards no matter how he played them-