[OTA] What Have You Gotten Yourself Into, Ben.

[intotherough]

Ben was not, strictly speaking, an impulsive kind of man. At least...not anymore. He'd grown out of the tendency, sometime between when he slid into the gray area between legal and illegal, back in Aberdeen, and when he'd run his way to Diamond Castle. In his old age, he'd grown more cautious. A little analytical, and certainly one to think through

Comments

[likemarilynsaid]

"Perhaps a bit of an understatement, darling."

She'd really just been passing through. Not really on her way to anywhere, or from anywhere; errands done for the day, she'd just been taking a shortcut with vague ideas of finding someone to bother for an hour or two. But seeing Ben standing outside one of the buildings hurt in the blizzard, hands in his pockets, eyeing it like a new project--well. That merited a stop, didn't it?

[intotherough]

"It's mostly cosmetic." Which was a mantra he was going to be repeating throughout the process, he was sure. Even so, there was a fair bit of damage. The windows were a dead loss, for one, and the boarded up look wasn't going to attract any customers, that was certain enough.

He pushed his fingers through his hair, much the way Victor had when he'd seen the place.

He turned to look at Eden, though, a rueful expression quirking his lips. "I bought it."

[likemarilynsaid]

"Mm. Cosmetic doesn't necessarily mean minor, not that I'm--bought it?"

Hey, Ben, look at that. Two surprised faces from Eden in the last two days. You might be working towards a record, here. She gestures towards the building, a curious look on her face.

"As in, this building now belongs to Ben Mackinnon, who plans to do...what with it, exactly?"

[intotherough]

No, it wouldn't be particularly minor, but he had a few months at least to get it fixed up into something...that people would want to drink in. On that note, he waved at the scarred bar that stretched nearly the length of the front room. That he'd be keeping, because nothing was sadder than a public house with a brand new, shiny bar.

"I'm going to open a pub here," he said, and shrugged. "Might live upstairs if the damage up there isn't terrible."

Help him, Eden. He's clearly lost his mind.

[likemarilynsaid]

Lost his mind, or made a snap decision that seems completely, utterly in keeping with his character. Maybe he wasn't the type to make impulsive decisions anymore, but that night working the bar for Dan must have set something in motion. So, instead of a skeptical look, Ben, have a more considering one as she looks the place over thoroughly.

"So it's structurally sound, just needs gutting and refinishing? No major problems you don't know about lurking beneath the floorboards?" That's a thoughtful face she's wearing, almost serious for once.

[intotherough]

He'd had fun with it, which was more than he could say for his current day job - which mostly seemed to consist of pushing paper around, frankly. He should have remembered that that's when he got in trouble, back when he'd been a cop. He hadn't slipped into the morally gray area until he'd become an inspector and had been pretty much out of the field.

And while he didn't exactly regret it, well. He'd still be in Scotland if he hadn't mixed himself up with smuggling.

"No, there's nothing." He laughed a little. "The last owner actually asked me here to check that very thing. He wasn't expecting me to make an offer, I expect." But the place did have good bones. And he'd always wanted to build something of his own.

[likemarilynsaid]

Boredom leads to terrible things, Ben. And pushing papers sounds awfully boring. Much better to get one's hands dirty, maybe take on a project just like this one.

"Doesn't sound like you were expecting to make an offer, either, darling." She sounds amused, one finger absently tapping her cheek. "But I think it's a lovely idea. Who's helping you with the interior?"

[intotherough]

"Not particularly. Victor thinks I underestimate the appeal of a pre-finished project." But really, it wasn't yours unless you'd smashed holes in the kitchen wall. Which come hell or high water, Victor Fox would be helping Ben do.

"Victor's helping with the construction stage." Come take pictures of the Ten of Spades in a tool belt, Eden. "But I haven't thought much about the design stage yet, other than general layout." Well, that and probably a deep cobalt-bordering-on-navy for the main accent color. Just as Scottish as plaid, less of a stereotype.

[likemarilynsaid]

Victor? Helping with physical, manual labor? She'd believe it when she saw it. More likely he'd just hire a bunch of Twos and Threes for Ben, or so she'd imagine. "Mm, well, Victor does like things nice and tidy." There's the faintest trace of irony there in her voice. Not much, of course; we're playing nice, after all, but it's hard to squash ones habits entirely.

"Shades of blue work wonderfully with oak, or is it maple? I can't quite tell from here. Or are you getting rid of that gorgeous bar?" It was old, after all, and had such lovely character.

[intotherough]

He was not born in a three piece suit, something Ben could attest to personally, since their meet-cute story - so to speak - involved Ben arresting him on a vessel in the North Sea. Smuggling guns for the IRA, as a point of fact. "A place for everything an' everything in it's place," he agreed blandly with a twinkle in his eyes. He was well-aware that Victor only showed the nice side to a select few.

"'Tis oak," he said, "and it's staying. There's nothing worse than a pub with a brand-new, unmarked bar. Makes it feel like a hotel."

[likemarilynsaid]

"Good. I like it." She sounded quite pleased by that, at least, and soon turns a considering eye towards the rest of the soon-to-be-pub-again, and then on to him. "I'm rubbish with anything resembling construction, darling, but you know, once you get to the decorating stages, I'd be more than happy to lend a hand. Got an eye for colors and textures, at least, that I'd be happy to put to work for you."

And for the low, low rate of a few more kisses and some free drinks once the pub's up and running, even.

[intotherough]

"It'll probably be at least a month and a half until we get past that." And that was if the weather behaved itself. The roof was going to need help, after all, and it wasn't getting fixed yet if they got more than another light dusting.

"I'd love your help," he added, though. "If I'm not taking advantage."

[likemarilynsaid]

"Oh, I don't mind. Take advantage anytime you'd like." Her voice is innocent enough, as is her face, but the quick sideways look she gives Ben is anything but. In her defense, though, what was she supposed to do with a line like that?

"So thinking of moving, then? Any particular reason?"

[intotherough]

"Oh, you know. The Castle is a lovely, elegant place, but it's a bit like you never stop working." Especially in his current position, since new people showed up at all hours. And then there was the lingering awkwardness with Sophie, ever since she asked if they could try again in June. He'd said no, and that was that.

But he figured it'd be easier to get back of friends terms if they weren't in the same building.

[likemarilynsaid]

She makes a face at the thought. "Can't have that, then, can we? I could never manage the Castle, myself. Too much like dorm life, and I gave that up after one horrible semester. Been living on my own ever since. Well--mostly on my own. A flatmate, occasionally, if only to give me someone to talk to while I'm working on a project so's I don't go mad talking to myself."

That had happened, once. A last-minute thing, big project, thirteen outfits to finish in the span of a month. By the last week, she'd been holding entire conversations with Petunia, the potted plant of indeterminate origin she'd gotten as a housewarming gift from her old boss Max. Never again.

[intotherough]

"It worked well enough when I first arrived," Ben says. "But that was two years ago now, and I expect it's about time I struck out on my own." Unlike Victor, he hadn't quite perfected the art of disappearing when someone wanted to pile paperwork on him.

He really should get him to teach him that trick.