a pleasure in the pathless woods

He nodded, "Most times yeah. Rohan does trip them up though. Which I don't understand how. It's also very straightforward." Jonah couldn't help but laugh again. "Nah, it's not hard. That's very true, though. Maybe you should try that next time? Ben, like the clock."

"Do make sure they know your name, at least," Ben said. "A name with a reputation is better than just a reputation, though it's a bit of a shame. You do a lot more than just fish." He laughed outright, even if Jonah apologized. "No, please, it's funny. I don't mind. And I've grown some herbs in the windowsill, some flowers and such In the back, a little in the community garden, but nothing major at the house. I don't have many tips, I'm afraid. Make sure the soil's good for growing? Water, but don't overdo it?"

Unfortunately, the pronunciation or mispronunciation of names was simply a fact of life, one that was rooted in all the negative parts of society as a whole. "I might have to. Though, really, if I'm adding 'like the clock,' I really might need to give up. It's three letters."

"So formal. Are we back at that place again? Formal?" Lupe folded her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall near his desk. "It's just me. I know we're, like, colleagues now, but c'mon, Benjamin." Eyeing him, she shrugged. "Haven't had much to settle into, really, besides all the paper work Vivek left behind," she teased. Shook her head. "Nah, I'm all good. Mostly just wondering what all I can do to help you. I know things have been a little...well, a lot, lately. What with the Ichor incidents increasing and now this whole masquerade thing."

Ben laughed. "It's formal to say your name? Damn, and I didn't even full name you. I've been in stodgy meetings for too long. It's effecting my day to day tone." He straightened some papers on his desk and leaned back, humming. Well, I'm not campaigning for leader again, so there's not much to do on that front. I think it might be a good idea to increase the number of self defense courses we offer, as well as varying up what's offered: hand to hand is good, but it might be worth teaching members how to get out of sticky situations. We might also consider some rudimentary first aid courses, yeah? I wanted to see what your thoughts might be. Things have been... Things have been. The best we can do is move forward and attempt to find our footing again."

It did not last. "Whenever you want, I got you, Doc. I totes think you'd be a great Todd-robic athlete. Hey! You can be one of my backups in the next volume!" He nodded very seriously.

Todd pursed up his lips a moment later. "Yeah. I know we ain't. You're so right. I'm actually pretty good at fighting werewolves now. I was gonna make a TV pilot about that, but I'd replace the werewolves with evil robots maybe." He pursed up his lips, but for all his swagger and diversions, Todd really could not quite fight off the lingering fear and uncertainty completely. He stuck close to Ben as they jogged.

"Yeah? Make it a county wide border, then? Lunar County? Cove County? Could include another town or two, really let us stretch our wings, huh?" Ben thought it was amusing, if nothing else. Mostly because he knew it simply wouldn't happen. It could be hard enough to maintain the ruse on one small town. He couldn't imagine the effort it would take to extend the border. "You're quite the entrepreneur. Clearly you have brains, Todd, if you've managed to run a relatively successful business of marketing and promotional materials that extend to not just one but numerous businesses in town." And Todd had made Lunar Cove work. He'd made being thrust into the modern world work. Because it could work here. Ben wanted to make sure this could stay a place for everyone.

Ben tried to think of a polite way to get out of this. "Oh, Todd, really, that's very kind. I don't know if I'd be a good fit, though. I don't want to mess up and ruin your video. I'm not much of a professional."

It was sad but true. A lot of people who previously never had to were getting quite good at fighting. "Evil robots sounds much cooler to fight, in my opinion," Ben said. "I hope we're getting to a point where more robots join the town that want to fight it." The rhythm of the run set in, even as their conversation continued, and he let a few moments of silence stretch before answering Todd's question. "Most of them can be... volatile, in the wrong hands. They're kept locked up to keep them safe, us safe. I guess it keeps them from falling into the wrong hands, yeah?"

"Well cheers to that." He tapped his glass against Ben's in 'toast' and took another sip. No matter the jokes he made, he thought that teaching was one of the last few noble professions there were, and he admired what Ben was doing. The way he saw it, it was far more work to understand stories and art than to relay dates and facts like an old man telling war stories--which, in many ways, was exactly what Ewan was. To Ben's question, he shrugged. "Spent the winter break looking for the entrance to the underworld; didn't find it. But at least things haven't been boring since I got back. Thinking about getting a pet tortoise. Little baby one." He held up two fingers, very close together. "Watch it get old."

"Well, that doesn't sound like me at all!" Ben started, before he took a sip of his drink. He let the moment linger for just a second before adding, "I think only one 'old' in 'old, old bastard' would suffice."

Ben could easily take that toast. He really did believe in the power of teaching. For every bugger that came through his classroom without a care in the world as to what it was that he taught, there were still bright and searching minds who wanted to know more, and that made the whole thing worth it. "Shame you didn't find it. Gonna look for it over summer break as well, or is that just a dead end, pun not intended?" Ben asked. "A tortoise, yeah? I've actually heard they're great pets. Big personalities, nice long life spans, perfect for the immortal in search of an animal companion."

"It's not that greasy," he tried to appease at the look of horror on her face. It was still pretty greasy. Ben really just assumed that was how pizza was supposed to work. "I think that the occasional slice or two of fast food pizza can be good every now and then. Not for the body, but definitely for the indomitable human spirit," he joked. "But you're absolutely under no pressure to eat any. Or, if you do, I can... add something to it when we get home?" They had a few blood bags in the freezer, and Ben wasn't a pro, but, for Brie, he was attempting to get better at finding ways to get blood into things for her so that she didn't starve, whether that was an ultra sugary drink or finding ways to add it to food. "Next time I can make pizza at home and make you your own. You can even help, if you'd like? But, yes. The best to me was in Sicily, but I liked a good Neapolitan, too, the first time I tried it." He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Try not to pay too much attention to them, darling. I think it'll make you feel better." He went to the counter and got their order settled, walking back over to her. "Alright, shouldn't be more than five minutes, hopefully."

"From the weather? It is breathtaking, when you think about it," Ben said with a bright grin. "I'm not trying to do anything like that, just get in a few kilometres before getting back to work." He stretched, letting his lungs fill with hair before releasing it. It was a pleasant, distracting burn. "I think she's going to do nicely. She's eager to be a part of the Council and serve the community, which is completely unsurprising for the person I've known her to be for the last few years. She'll have big shoes to fill," he added with a teasing smile, "but I think she'll fit into the role well. What about you? Do you think you'll be able to survive not having to attend Council meetings?"

Making it was not the same thing as thriving, though Will supposed that was a lot to ask of a town that had been through as much as Lunar Cove. Still, it was hard not to notice how tired the other man seemed. How much had he had to endure already? "This all must seem normal for you, I suppose." Will could only assume that the longer you stayed in a place like this, the more accustomed you became to the strange and unbelievable. But for someone who had just learned magic existed less than a year ago, everything about Lunar Cove still felt like a miracle. Will shook his head. "No, no, I'm alright. I've had the good luck of not being a part of much of anything yet." He tapped his knuckles to the nearest tree to fulfill the superstition of knocking on wood--just in case. "Is there anything I can help with? I know I don't know much about the town yet, but I'm a fast learner; put me to work, and I promise I'll figure it out."

"Isn't it though?" Ben asked, chuckling. "Any kindness from the weather can be natural or supernatural, but it's always worthwhile." He was glad that Will seemed to agree about the magic of the world. There should be a sense of magic-- not just the kind that came from supernaturals but the kind that came from people, from the world-- still within all of them. "I feel like it's common of teenagers to find everything cheesy and 'cringe,'" Ben said, making air quotes. "It's sort of the name of the game at that age."

Ben paused, considering Will's words. "I've gotten used to it," he said. Normal felt like such an odd way to think of it, but Ben supposed that this was normal for him now. It had been his normal for a good chunk of his life. Perhaps not the incredible upsets of the last few years, the trouble constantly knocking on Lunar Cove's doorstep. That was new. But being in this town, surrounded by supernatural people? That was something that Ben had grown accustomed to. "I'm glad you're doing alright. And, well, if you do want to be a part of something, the Coalition is always open," Ben joked. He turned more serious, adding, "It's most certainly not mandatory, but it is something that could be useful. We're always happy to have new members, and I like to think that the Coalition offers a sense of community for the humans of Lunar Cove while also still keeping the big picture in mind."

"I think we deserve more than that, too, but I try not to ask for much," Ben agreed, offering up a smile of his own. He knew better than to ask for too much in this town. It was best to appreciate the nice things when they came. Warm days, nice weather. A distinct lack of being played with by a malevolent force.

Ben didn't push, though he offered up, "I might surprise you. I like to think my taste is eclectic. As an English teacher, I mostly just like to read. But I run here sometimes, sometimes in different neighborhoods. Admittedly, I'm more fond of the treadmill at the gym than actually running in town. Are you looking to get into running? Outside of the full moon, I mean."

"I'm not weighing up a pros and cons list, Ben, I understand the logistics. I'm asking because for the better part of a decade, vulnerability stopped being something I had to actively think about, but now, in this strange in-between, it's all I'm thinking about. And I refuse to bring my life to a stand still. I'm interested in what you meant with saying they aren't different when I see so many."

"I have to admit, I have no alternative point of comparison," Ben started. He didn't know how helpful he could be to Ken. Ken had lived most of his life as a human, but not all of it, and it was obvious he'd never expected to feel human again. Ben couldn't blame him; vampirism was sort of the end of the line, and even becoming a werewolf was so inherently different from being human. There was no way to turn the clock back, to become human again after one's humanity had been taken from them. Except, of course, in whatever circumstance that Ken seemed to be finding himself in now.

Ben nodded slowly. "Alright. What I mean is... it's not that different to be human in Lunar Cove than it is out of it. I'm not being facetious or attempting to try your patience, so bear with me. I don't find them different because... these vulnerabilities that you're worried about? They exist in here and out there. They don't just go away if I stepped over the line, even if I did keep my memories. It's just as dangerous out there, whether you're human or supernatural, as it is in here. The difference with being in Lunar Cove is that people are more honest about that danger, and there are precautions in place to insure that we're all able to comfortably live together."

His smile lingered as Ben defended himself. "Probably. There's a lot of variables here." He agreed, glancing around, "Yeah, slow motion is right." It wasn't bad all thing considered, and at least now he had more company than just videos. "Mine. Thanks. I think they should say it right, but hard to tell now."

"I don't want to type-cast you, mate. Feels rude," Ben teased. "Gardening sounds lovely, though. What are you thinking? Gonna do something at your and Rohan's place or the community garden?" Ben had considered doing something with their backyard, but the space was a little tight for any sort of vegetable garden. There might be something said to some herb plants, though.

Ben laughed softly. "Jonah should be easy, certainly. But I though Bandi wasn't that hard. Maybe I should've just stuck to Ben. It's short, sweet, to the point. Even folks here in the states have heard of the big clock, too."

"You wear patience well," Nyra said, observing Ben briefly as he prepared the tea. "Most people only manage civility for so long before frustration begins speaking for them. Your parents sound wise. Manners are becoming something of a dying art lately."

"Lucky for me that I don't have centuries as the Coalition leader, huh?" Ben joked. "Means there's just some matters I simple haven't the time to be involved in." Even if he planned to eventually become a vampire in the next few years, he certainly wouldn't be on the council after that. In fact, if he could convince Brie, and if the world was a little less chaotic, Ben thought that he might enjoy traveling for a few years, making up for lost time. He loved Lunar Cove, but the opportunity to get away from it and still keep his memories was definitely appealing. "I think that's actually a wonderful idea. Maybe everyone only has a few minutes to speak, like what they do in government. The floor is yours for so long, and you're able to use and reclaim your time until it runs out."

When their tea was done and poured, Ben brought a cup over and set it down for her. "Sugar, milk, or cream?" He asked. Then he started, "I've never found much use out of frustration. What's the point to it, you know? Getting upset at a situation rarely changes it, and a cool head gets more accomplished than an abrasive one. Even if someone gets through with their anger, that's what they're associated with going forward. I don't want that to be me. Not when I'm responsible for the humans of this town."

He adjusted the strap of his bag higher onto his shoulder before nodding quickly at the offer of going into his office. "Yeah, that'd be great actually, thank you." Words sped up slightly again, thoughts outrunning themselves again before they were fully formed. "I don't even fully know what perspective I'm looking for yet, honestly, which is probably part of the problem." Despite the faint self-awareness to the statement, it wasn't enough to slow him down. "It's mostly theoretical...well, I mean no, it stopped being only theoretical a while ago. But my research is delving more into Ichor now and after... everything. I'd appreciate perspectives. If that's something you'd be open to talk about?"

Laughing, Ben shook his head. "Careful, I might start worrying about your actual qualifications when you put it like that, Dhruv. There's no harm in leaning into the title, though. Especially if you've earned it. I have plenty of colleagues I think who got their doctorate just so that they can be a woefully underqualified doctor in any given medical situation."

Ben motioned for Dhruv to follow him, opening the door. "Of course. Come on, we can start that way." He listened carefully to Dhruv's words. Thinking about this kind of thing theoretically never really stayed theoretical, something he could see that Dhruv had discovered on his own. "I'd certainly try to help," Ben started slowly, showing them to his office and holding the door open so that Dhruv could step inside. "Though, it'd depend on what it is you're looking for. I'm afraid, in this sort of situation, I myself am a woefully underqualified doctor. My book learning took me to literature rather than science."

While there were no upcoming meetings (yet), and Lupe had known Ben far longer than the guy had been Coalition leader, she still felt the need to come to the headquarters and settle herself in. At least now since it was quiet, like a calm before a storm, she had the time to.

She'd been inside the Coalition Headquarters before, she even remembered it from the very first time she'd set foot in it, a wide-eyed twenty-two year old. It certainly had it's charm, the old building and history it kept inside. She understood why Ben liked it, really. History was never exactly boring to Lupe, even if it wasn't exactly her favorite subject.

Coming to a stop just outside his office, Lupe lifted her hand and knocked. Once she heard the voice behind the door call out, she opened the door and stood in the threshold. "What's up, hotshot?" she grinned. "Working hard or hardly working?"

Now that the semester was wrapping up, Ben could dedicate all of his energy to Coalition work, focusing on a few things he'd let pile up on his desk while focusing on the end of the school year. And that included getting in touch with his new advisor. It was a relief that Lupe was the one reaching out and knocking on his door, though he felt a bit of guilt that he hadn't made time for her first.

"Good afternoon, Lupe," Ben said warmly, motioning for her to come in rather than just linger in the doorway. "You know me, work harder, not smarter," he joked, setting some work aside as she sat at the desk. "It feels like a ridiculous question, knowing how capable you are, but are you settling into things alright? Is there anything you need or that I can help with?"

Todd's brow perked. "Me? I'm cool. I feel bad for all my best friends." He made no effort to specify, but the collective unit perhaps included everyone in town. "A few humans got hurt. It sucks we don't have cool powers without the Icky-or. I guess I kind of do. I have zombie powers."

Todd seemed to take a moment to think before giving a nod. "Sure thing, Doc. I'm a little scared of the magic artifacts, though. I feel like maybe a big Indiana Jones rock is gonna fall on my head if I touch the wrong one."

"It's really not." Ben wasn't sure if Lunar Cove felt bigger or smaller when it was one's entire world. It certainly always seemed like a treat when a new business joined, or new residents moved in. A taste of the outside making it's way in, expanding the horizon just a little bit, even if things stayed small. "No, that wouldn't be good for you. Losing your phone would be bad." Not to mention the other horrors that would come with trying to figure out how to adjust to the modern world. Todd had done an alright job of it, but he was also in a small environment surrounded by the abnormal. Ben wasn't sure how the poor guy would make it out there on his own. "I'm alright, mate, but thanks for the offer. Another time, yeah?" Ben asked.

"The icky... the ichor, right," Ben said, nodding. "I... know it can be a little disheartening, living in Lunar Cove without any sort of supernatural abilities. But we're not helpless." Though, the matter with Prometheus seemed inclined to make them believe they needed something in order to be a part of that world. Ben had let the effects of Ichor make him lose track of what he'd believed all along: humans were still perfectly capable and able to fit into this town, powers or not. He just needed to be reminded of that.

Ben laughed, heading towards the Historical Society at a light jog. "Don't worry. Anything dangerous has better security than a large stone. You'll be alright. We'll just go to my office. Less artifacts in there."

"Hi!" Brie flashed her boyfriend a bright smile from where she had stood in the corner of the rather dingy and questionable pizzeria, which she really hoped was up to the health and safety codes. "Remind me again why we decided to pick from here of all places?" She asked with a tilt of a brow. The corner of her lips lifted ever so slightly as she glanced around to the see of teenagers who they seemed to be surrounded with who were hanging here and trying to do flips on their skateboards in the parking lot because where else would a bunch of sixteen year olds go on a Saturday Night? Kaitenzushi was sounding really good right about now, but they had already ordered the pizza, so she might as well give Joe's a try and hope for the best. "Is the pizza really that good?" She asked, keeping her voice down to a soft whisper as she moved to loop her arm through his. Nico had always seemed to rave about it, but she hadn't ever tried it for herself until now. "You told them it was under Brie right?"

"Hi," Ben said, leaning in to offer Brie a kiss on the cheek. "What? Not in the mood for greasy pizza?" he teased. "It's actually quite good. I'm not usually in the mood for pizza--" neither of them seemed to be, really, when Ben was the one that actually needed food, so he tended to cook things that he liked or that he thought Brie might still be able to enjoy-- "but sometimes it hits the spot. The best pizza I've had was, admittedly, not American, but it's got some charm, right? And this is the best in town." It was also the only in town, but he thought she'd get and appreciate the joke. He cursed. "Hell. I thought it was under my name. One moment, love."

Jonah looked up from his phone as Ben sat beside him, a small smile forming as he caught some of the exchange at the counter. "Not too long, maybe ten minutes? Got through a youtube video before I heard your little exchange. It was a little amusing, sorry. You were being very patient about it though." He glanced toward the counter as someone's name was called, then back to Ben. "Seems kinda busy but in a slow way?"

"That's not too long. Was the video good, or was it just cat videos for ten minutes?" Ben asked. Maybe he should have said fish videos instead, but he didn't want to tease Jonah too much. Ben felt that probably happened a good bit in general, especially since he'd been around enough for family dinners and holidays.

Ben grinned. "I'm glad you were amused. It wasn't that bad. Maybe the computer messed up the name. Who knows?" he asked. He couldn't help but agree. "It's strange. Busy but slow. Slow motion but with a lot of people around." Another name was called, neither of theirs. "Is it under you or Rohan? I'll help keep an ear out."

Muted voices had become a constant backdrop lately. Corridors, offices, half-closed doors, Dhruv chasing answers wherever he could find them. Ichor had gone from curiosity to fixation, and the more he looked, the less it behaved like something with clean edges. The masquerade alone had cracked open too many inconsistencies to ignore.

"It's too many variables, Professor ... yeah, I know, but I'm trying to isolate ... no, I get that, but if it's affecting ... eh? cognition of...?" His words came quick, overlapping thought and speech, yet somehow Griffin Ward kept pace, replying in kind and filling in blanks. "Right, yeah, that follows ... not everyone, no, but ... well, I can't exactly control that part, can I? ... okay, I can look into that."

The conversation stretched on like that, threads picked up, dropped, circled back to until Dhruv finally caught himself, awareness snapping back in. "Sorry," he said, running a hand through his hair as he stood. "Thank you. I know it's a busy time, I appreciate it."

Griffin only waved it off with an easy smile. "You know I've always thought this needed more research. I'll be interested to see what you make of it, and I'll see what I can do from my end as well. Be cautious, don't lose yourself to this."

Dhruv gave another quick nod as he left, and by the time the door fall shut behind him, his mind had already moved ahead. Not answers, never had been answers as of late, but there was a sense of direction at least, enough to keep going. He started down the hall pulling his phone out drafting notes and points of focus. He passed Ben with a brisk nod and continued on, only to stop two steps later.

"Ah! Professor!" He doubled back, words arriving before he fully did. "Hi, sorry... I know you're busy as well, I won't take long...well, I might actually... but won't be too long." He exhaled once, like that might gather his thoughts. It didn't. "Do you have a minute to spare? Or... ten? I've a few things I want to ask you. Perspectives and all that."

Ben was heading to the English department after teaching a class across campus, which really wasn't that far away at all, about to enter the building when he heard a voice. He looked up, seeing Dhruv Mehta motioning towards him. "Ah, Dr. Mehta-- do you prefer 'Doctor?'" he asked.

All he needed to do was prep to wrap up his materials for the next semester. "I could spare a minute or ten. Maybe even thirty, depending on what kind of perspective it is that you're looking for. Would you like to join me in my office?"