Work Text:
Today is currently 12:32 PM, started at around 6 AM in the morning. The usual for a well-done sleeper like him.
Ben, a relatively quiet individual, currently sitting on a porch nearby of a latest project the company has been working on, reading one of his 58 account ledgers to keep his mind going at a slower pace after a relatively exhausting few hours of mathematical numbers due to a single detail that made it just a bit rough than it should be, with a canned caviar, opened wide with its aurora flying upwards near his impeccable sense of smell, sitting near him at a small table as it collects the fuel of air around him.
For once in a while, Ben decided to let his mind stare into space instead of his sight. letting his overcoat of dark brown fur to be overtaken by existence itself, swallowed whole.
His mind begins to taste things, things that he isn't sure if they exist or not.
Dust? No, too typical.
Ghostly? Maybe but the place is so empty at the moment that he isn't sure if so called spirits want to hang out there.
Pineapple?
Sure, why not.
A sense of breeze and warm air of these sudden feelings when he lets his body be sailed by wind, that is casted by a shadow.
Ben begins to slightly open his eyes as he notices a human, noticeably young compared to the other workers, walking upwards around his relax spot
"Oh, you were the recent worker from one of the nearby colleges are you not?", The Bear asked towards a nearby guest
Said guest, is one of the newest workers that came into the company, albeit mainly as a means to gain credit for their college major than as a legitimate full-time everyday job as requested by one of their required classes. In spite of the person's lack of their mathematical skills outside of being a bit passable, he was nether-the-less a relatively promising worker that often goes alone pretty well in various synergies, such as conservation, customer service, transportation, and other physical work relating to service, a somewhat of a jack-of-all-trades in a specific field.
At least, so he heard, they were also a very quiet individual who is often polite and kept stuff to themselves, sometimes to a wide margin.
They seem to be very considerate of other people's feelings based on how they worded some things last time he met the young adult, most notably when they specifically said something like:
"I hope I don't make you uncomfortable in any meaningful way, that is one of the last things I want to have to anyone, and I don't want to cause unnecessary trouble.", they said in a somewhat somber voice, as their eyes wandered off from contact as if they got distracted by something in their mind
They just seem.... So hard on themselves sometimes by stuff like that.
Just like what they are going to probably say right now as the Bears eyes caught the Human directly, as if he imposed onto his eternal slumber
"I am...... Sorry to bother you.", the Human apologized
The Bear gently waved his hand left and right, not directly looking at him at that moment
"No, it's fine. It's rare for someone like you to come up to meet me. It feels kind of nice, as much as I also enjoy some alone time for myself."
Ben expected for them to say something but, to his surprise, they don't. Just simply standing there as if they are awaiting for instructions at a moments notice despite being on break.
This sort of gave him a seemingly silly idea
"Say, look up there.... What would you describe on what you see?", Ben nodded upwards as he points his pinpoint claw through the wind towards the vast ocean on top
No clouds to speak of except for the very edges from their eyes to the location as to where he pointed at,
"Why?", said in a nonchalant but tense tone
"Just for a simple thought experiment. It helps with social interaction sometimes."
"Nothing."
Ben thought that the Young Adult was being seemingly oblivious to the metaphorical context of what he means by, as he begins to correct
"I know there is "Nothing", but I mean as in-"
But he finds himself wrong on this interpretation
"No, I know. I mean nothing like.... That like..... "
Their eyes dart around again, breaking eye contact as they close their eyes, taking a deep breath as they posture their arms, desperate for the air it wants to coat itself in as if it was it's first drink of water
".....That the only thing there is to it, is to feel, and nothing else. No taste, no entity, no identity, not even a spec of something else. Just nothing but the atmosphere, as if we are all under it's waters, always lurking beneath."
"Didn't exactly take you as the sort of philosophical type. Then again, I perhaps admittingly thought you were going to say something rough or offputting. I sincerely apologize for that.", Ben softly admits with his gentle tender voice with genuine kindness
It seems that it also attracts the young adult with this sense of warmth as well
"Really? Do people act that much of the opposite?", The Young Adult genuinely asked with curiosity, much to his delight
"Around these streets, sort of. But they have their moments, just not as blatantly as you seem to do.", the Bear begins to relax with his arms and elbows up
Breeze took over once more as the world stood still for just a moment
"I do think a lot. Sometimes way too much....", they opened up with a bit of quiet emotion as they looked around aimlessly
That was something Ben understood quite well, not just about his sense of applying numbers and various details of said numbers, but also the world itself. Sometimes he wonders about culture, about what is right or wrong, if his internalized nature based on his environment is all but just a malicious intent to harm others, or just a complete lie to hide himself.
He knew what being under the dark is like, many times. He already has it on display already.
Literally.
Thank gosh I don't rely as much sight, Ben mentally told himself
"Sounds like we are on the same page.", he smiled with a soft warming gentleness of a vibe
"Say though, want to sit next to me for the time being? I have some great caviar.", Ben asked to them as he clawed the silence of the wind out of their lungs
"I'm not much of an canned egg type, I'm more of a sunny side type of individual.", said with an unsurprising amount of stern
"I genuinely thought you were going to say "Guy" instead of individual. I already like that you surprise me sometimes.", Ben softly chuckled to himself
They loosen their shoulders for probably the first time of today, much to Ben's delight
And then they smiled, just a bit
"Thanks.... I'm glad you said that to me...."
Maybe it was their way of smiling, and not because they want to be too serious. Everyone is different, but regardless, all that matters is that they can join with him into feeling the lurking depths of the upwards together
To let their minds forget the land, and be themselves...
For just once.