3059/Gimme Shelter

Gimme Shelter
Date of Scene:	23 August 2020
Location:	St. Nicholas Shelter and Educational Center
Synopsis:	Mike surprises Ben at the shelter and it happens again.
Cast of Characters:	Ben Reilly, Michael Hannigan

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Ben Reilly has posed:
Ben is exhausted. Today he worked a double shift and his muscles feel as though they are about to snap. True, he's superhuman and he has incredible strength and speed, but that's the reason he worked a double, see.

The first part of the morning was spent with some Hondurans working on a demo of a house out in the suburbs. Ben was very popular with his co-workers because he was able to do the lionshare of the work incredibly quickly. Luckily the group negotiated a flat fee.

They finished just after lunch and Ben was able to get another job helping an elderly man move. Sure, this work has to be under the table, but it's been a rather lucrative situation over the past week or so.

So, as he enters the shelter, he's tired, but he's happy.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike has a tendency to overwork and that's why he has someone else manage his schedule. To make sure he actually has a day off once in awhile. Today would be one of those days and it has been a pretty peaceful one. Church was quiet. He got to sit in the park for a little bit working on his lyrics and well, he still had the other half of the day so he swung St. Nicholas's to see if they were short handed today. Unsuprisingly they were.

So after some time helping with prep work, the eating hall is now serving food. Mike, now free from the kitchenly duties, has wandered over to the piano area of the hall, providing some music to dine by. With his Sunday attire still on, it almost seems like the ponytailed musician was booked for this.

Ben Reilly has posed:
Ben enters through the sign in process and makes chitchat with some of the people who work at the shelter before getting in line for the dinner. He smacks the tray against his hands until he gets up to the food and takes one of everything and as much as he's allowed.

He takes a seat right next to the piano without noticing that Mike is the one playing the piano. Oblivious young man he is.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
It is a calm tune. Perfect for a Sunday, almost remeniscent of a fine dining establishment. As Mike is playing with his back to the rest of the room, he too does not see the other as Ben enters in the room. No words are exchanged, no knowing glances, nothing of that sort as the music plays through, being the soundtrack to Ben's food retreival scene.

As the keys come to a stop playing the final notes. There's a clink of dishes and the vocal antics of a few of the children in attendance before a child's head pops out from behind one of the larger diners to give an enthusiastic request. "Baby Shark!"

Mike turns his head, looking in the direction of the request, giving a slight chuckle, "Alright, but you're going to have to sing it for me. Can you do that?"

There's a bit of a squeal before a bit of chattering occurs before a trio of similarly aged voices shout out. "Yeah!" Theres a shuffle of bodies as three, similar looking children comes out, running over to the piano, bouncing around as they indirectly block Ben from the pianist's view.

Ben Reilly has posed:
As the music changes, Ben sits straight up as if he has just heard the worst news of his life. It's the Baby Shark song. In another way, however, it does ping a memory from his past. Something that has been in short order these days. He's had no luck in remembering anything, but he remembers this song and also remembers that he hates it.

It is nice to see the kids, though. He even almost smiles as he watches them, but then something catches his eye. The pianist behind them. That's Mike. Oh crap! Ben becomes hunched shoulders and turns away just slightly, trying not to be noticed, clearly embarrassed.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike plays the begining of the jaws theme, before it switches to a more upbeat sound.

There are a couple of squees from the kids as they proceed to sing the song while doing the dance that goes with it.


'Baby shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
Baby shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
Baby shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
Baby shark'

One of the kids starts running around doing it, trying to get random people sitting down to sing along, being only mildly successful. But there's getting to be more than just three voices in play. MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SOUL.

'Mommy shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
Mommy shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
Mommy shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
Mommy shark...'

Ben Reilly has posed:
Ben winces at the music. As if being caught in a homeless shelter wasn't bad enough--in his mind--the song will not stop.

Focus on the food. Focus on the food.

Salisbury steak is something. It's better than nothing and as hungry as he is, he devours it quickly. Maybe he can finish eating and get out of here without his friend noticing and the inevitable, awkward conversations begin.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
There are many. Many. MANY verses. Perhaps that is why Mike asked the kids to sing it instead of him doing it. But eventually it'll reach it's end after many attempts to get people to sing along.

And Ben was SO close. So So SO close to going undetected but by the time the final verse came around. THERE those kids were trying to get his table to sing along.

'It's the end, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
It's the end, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
It's the end, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
It's the end'

With the final verse sung, there's an upbeat swish of notes up and a stinger before Mike lifts his hands off the keys. He turns to look to the kids who are standing near Ben. "That was very good." A glance is given towards Ben. Giving a tilt of the head before looking back to the kids. "Don't forget about your food though."

Ben Reilly has posed:
Once that glance is given, Ben knows the jig is up. He's found out and there won't be any getting out of it. Not this time. He decides to take the high road and gives a wave. Mike has always been good to him, and if he thinks less of him then that will be his problem. Right? Right?

Ben hopes so.

"Baby shark?" he adds, cracking a joke. "Really?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
As the kids run off to go rejoin their family, Mike takes a moment from the piano to give the rest of the dining room time to recover from their ordeal. And possibly to regain trust in the pianist again.

The musician smiles, "Well, they asked. And they seem happy about it." His glance shifts up to the forehead. "Huh. You're a quick healer." He gestures up to the same spot on his own face, "I figured that would take a little longer with how it looked before."

Ben Reilly has posed:
Ben Reilly says, "Yeah, genetics, I guess," Ben replies as if pushing off the idea. "The kids really did seem to enjoy it. As for the rest of us, I'm not so sure."

He looks over to the piano with an upwards nod, "So do you do this a lot? I assume you're volunteering or something?" He hasn't been here very long, so hasn't been through the rotation apparently.

"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
"The adults will recover, I'm sure."

Mike's glance follows Ben's to the piano. "I do it enough to where they don't question me coming in to help out but infrequently enough to where I'm not on a regular schedule," he admits, "My schedule is not something you set a watch to. Nor is it advised to be."

He looks back to Ben, "So Saint Nicholas's is where you ended up? Pretty good pick. It's probably one of the nicer ones."

Ben Reilly has posed:
Ben nods, a bit sadly. "Just as long until I can figure out where I really belong," he says after a long pause. There's a mysterious quality to his words. He says what he means, but he also means something else.

And then, out of nowhere, Ben begins to bleed on his cheek as a cut opens up out of nowhere.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Well, of course. And the nice place about this location is that they have a rea-" As Mike is looking at Ben, the visual of the cut appearing out of nowhere gives the musician pause. His smile fades. "Ben, you're bleeding."

Ben Reilly has posed:
"What?" Ben's eyes go wide and he reaches for his napkin as he reaches around his face until he finds the open wound. It looks just as severe as the last one did. It appears that he did not, in fact, fall like he told Mike he did. "Oh man." His words are meant to show surprise, but something about him shows he's not that surprised.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike looks to the cut shaking his head for a moment before he gets up from the piano bench, walking over to pick up Ben's tray. Positioning himself to block the view of Ben from the rest of the dining hall. "Come on. We'll get you set up in one of the classrooms and track down a kit."

Ben Reilly has posed:
The stoic facade that Ben tries to exude is beginning to falter when he scurries up to follow Mike. The napkin is filling with blood quickly despite the pressure against it. One time was happenstance, two times is beginning to show a pattern and Ben, it seems, is starting to get worried.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Without getting any argument from the younger man, Mike carries Ben's food over towards one of the unused classrooms, flicking on the light to sport a calming mint green on the walls. Heading over to the front table, he sets the tray down and gestures over to the seat behind it.

While Ben does his thing, Mike peers out of the doorway to wave over one of the regular volunteers, asking for someone to come by with a kit.

Task done, he steps in, closing the door. "This happen a lot, Ben?"

Ben Reilly has posed:
"Second time," Ben admits. He sits on one of the desks and lolls his legs a bit, sort of sadly. "First time was right after I met with you at the diner. It's weird. They come about and then just disappear over the next few days." Ben shrugs his shoulders, "I don't get it."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike nods, "Well, its a good thing you're a quick healer then." He glances out the slight window in the classroom door, waiting, "Did you actually go to a doctor last time?" He glances back to Ben, "I wasn't going to push last time but being you're spontaneously bleeding, It'd be stupid not to see one about this."

Ben Reilly has posed:
"No. Sorry, I didn't mean to lie. It's just that, I woke up in a trash bin a few days ago with no memory of who I am or what I was doing there. I've been doing searches trying to figure out where my family are. I've found absolutely nothing. Even my old job didn't seem to know much about me." Ben shakes his head, "I don't have the money for a doctor, dude."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike brings up a hand to rub at his face. He suspected but the confirmation was just- AUGH. "Ok- How about I get the doctor this time? Because, we need to figure the bleeding shit out. In the meantime, the tape thing worked last time, right?"

Ben Reilly has posed:
Ben nods, "Yeah, last time I just taped it up and it closed within a day." He snorts and begins to shake his head, "Nah man, I can't have you pay for a doctor for me. I got no insurance. That's gonna cost hundreds of dollars."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike gives Ben a look, "If that's a concern...Then we go to the free clinic. We'll wait forever but it's still quicker than not going at all. Before you argue anymore, take in mind I can be a stubborn bastard. How do you want to spend your energy?"

As the door knocks, Mike's face turns, seeming amiable again as he opens the door, letting the other volunteer in with the first aid kit.

"Alright, let's have a look at that." The other volunteer states, setting the kit down, getting ready to treat the cut. "And how did you manage this?"

Ben Reilly has posed:
"I fell," Ben blurts out to the other volunteer. "I hit the side of my cheek on a dumpster as I tripped running through the alley." The lie builds on itself. "Late for the train." His eyes go to Mike and it seems like he's hoping for some sort of indication that the lie is a believable one.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Mike archs a brow as Ben continues on the spinning of the lie before he shakes his head. "In short he was acting like an idiot." He supplies, looking to the volunteer as he walks over, watching them get the materials in place.

"Oh dear, well, you need to be more careful. You're really close to needing to get this patched up at the Free Clinic."

Mike looks to Ben, giving a pointed glare, giving the slightest head tilt to the other person.

Ben Reilly has posed:
Ben shrugs his shoulders and almost rolls his eyes. It's as if he's been told that in the past. "I'll do my best," he replies and waits until he's completely patched up.

Inwardly, the young man begins to worry that there is something terribly wrong with him. Splitting twice for no reason is pretty un-normal.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
The volunteer finishes taping up Ben, smiling, as they start closing up the container. "Now, be careful next time. Don't go running into dumpsters."

Mike is quiet, waiting for the door to close as the volunteer heads out.

When the door paps shut, Mike turns to look back over to Ben. "We'll go to the clinic after you eat."

Ben Reilly has posed:
"Fine," Ben replies with a bit of a protest. He knows Mike is right, but he doesn't have to like it.