"the pay sucks-

-the clown sucks, and my partner has his hand up my pants." [credit to @noodles-and-tea for pfp] muse blog for ben and trilo // enjoy :3

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Does someone have a crush on THE Maximillion Galactica?

A moment of silence.

"..."

"...Uhm.... well..."

"Just shut it, will ya'?!"

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//ohhh to die for an unidentifiable amount of time and then return with no explanation\\

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Trilo you should be less cranky.

The puppet gave a stubborn huff in reply- well, really, it was just his jaw awkwardly clacking. It gave the same effect, though!

"I don't need to change for the likings of you, thanks!"

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Another One?! [Closed Starter]

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ben-trilo-quist

The ventriloquist had never really bothered to think what was or wasn’t terrible when done to him. Whatever he got, he deserved, he had decided. So when Teddy said it was terrible he’d been hurt like that, he just… shrugged. It had never mattered if he was in the right or wrong.

Ben didn’t want Maxie dead. Maybe just a stern talking to, but no murder. He’d already had to deal with a murder not too long ago, so he was not mentally prepared for another. “H-He was… trying t-to argue with me. About so-something… really weird…” He balled his knees to his chest a lot tighter, almost knocking some breath out of him with it. “S-Saying I was, uh, t-trying to steal… h-his ‘sw-sweetie pie’… sh-she’s sixt-een. Regina i-is– she’s sixteen.” He shook his head- the mere thought disgusted him. Trilo just loved to be argumentative, though, and… ugh.

“…?” Uh…he doesn’t get it. Being raised in a circus leaves him blind to a lot of things, but he does understand that Ben’s upset about the whole thing. “…U-Um…I d-don’t understand the, er…s-sixteen part, but um…I g-get fighting about love…” He’s had to fight his brother plenty of times on that front…

“…S-Still, that seems a bit…m-much for something like that…” …But like he’s one to talk. His brother has done worse than hitting him over the head…but Ben seems to be a normal human, and he’s pretty sure that something like that is bad for a regular guy. 

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He doesn't know whether to internally acknowledge that first statement with an 'oh no' or an 'oh, whatever'. He didn't say anything aloud- how do you explain pedophilia to someone who's probably a societal outcast? -instead deciding to fidget with his bow while the other spoke.

Once he finished, though, Ben gave a small nod and a shrug. "I-I guess, uh.. I got used t-to it after- erm... well, a while, I guess." He rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze darting every which-way. "M-Max... was really, r-really angry at me during that, erm.. period. So I just stopped a-acknowled-ging it, and I guess I-I... got over it..?" He sounds confused himself.

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Another One?! [Closed Starter]

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ben-trilo-quist

Ben shifted his position a bit at that second question. He’d always done his best to view his fellow performers in a good light, but… it was hard. They were rude to him, making a point to be as harsh as possible to him. The jokes, the teasing, the backstabbing… it was hard. But he kept his mouth shut about it to them.

“O-Oh, uhm… th-they, uh, d-don’t like me m-much…” He rubbed the back of his neck, bouncing one leg out of anxiety. “They’re r-rea-lly mean… o-one is a magician, a-and he… he sma-shed a bottle o-over my h-ead…” Yeah, he’s still a teensy bit upset over that. He calls Maxie a friend, but god. That hurt.

Teddy’s eyes widen, and he frowns in concern, shrinking down a little. “O-Oh…t-that’s terrible…” Goodness… Despite everything, fellow circus members have generally been kind to Teddy and Vivil…save for…mmm…but he couldn’t bear the thought of his fellow performers hating him like that…

…Heh…if Vivil was here, and if he liked Ben as well, he would say that he’ll come over and kill that magician…ah, damn, his thoughts are drifting over to his brother again… “W…W-Why did he do that? A-Are they just…b-bullying you?” 

[ben-trilo-quist]

The ventriloquist had never really bothered to think what was or wasn't terrible when done to him. Whatever he got, he deserved, he had decided. So when Teddy said it was terrible he'd been hurt like that, he just... shrugged. It had never mattered if he was in the right or wrong.

Ben didn't want Maxie dead. Maybe just a stern talking to, but no murder. He'd already had to deal with a murder not too long ago, so he was not mentally prepared for another. "H-He was... trying t-to argue with me. About so-something... really weird..." He balled his knees to his chest a lot tighter, almost knocking some breath out of him with it. "S-Saying I was, uh, t-trying to steal... h-his 'sw-sweetie pie'... sh-she's sixt-een. Regina i-is-- she's sixteen." He shook his head- the mere thought disgusted him. Trilo just loved to be argumentative, though, and... ugh.

[ben-trilo-quist]

How popular is your act?

Trilo and Ben both let out a small groan at that mere question. The puppet was the first to speak, though, as usual.

"Max is the star of the show, nowadays. People could care less about a puppet and his stupid dummy."

He knocked on the side of Ben's head with a wooden fist.

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How often do you socialize with your coworkers?

"I-I mean... I try t-to, uhm, g-get to know th-em, but..."

He rubbed the back of his neck, rocking on his heels.

"I don't, uh, th-think they wanna t-ta-lk to me..."

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Why does Trilo literally explode sometimes?

"...that's classified info, pal."

For an actual answer, Trilo sometimes gets bombs put in him for an act. Ben is great at reassembling him, though!

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Do you miss Russell Berry?

Ben and Trilo both seemed almost offended by the question, and the puppet immediately started chattering.

"Why the hell would you think we wouldn't?! He's the only one who appreciated us- why the hell wouldn't we miss him, you dimwit?!"

Benjamin, meanwhile, just... stood there. He looked upset at the mere name mention.

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Did you ever press for assault charges after Max’s trial?

He stood there, still for a moment. Then, after a few seconds, he let out a meek reply.

"...t-too sca-red..."

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So your ventriloquist,right?*Shows Ben a Marionette*

For a moment, Ben just stared, a bit confused. Was this just another puppet friend..?

"O-Oh! Uh, your puppet i-is, uh... very n-ni-ce..?"

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Another One?! [Closed Starter]

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ben-trilo-quist

He flinches again at that comparison, becoming half-aware of the pain in his back from pressing against the wall so hard. He doesn’t complain, though. He never complained about his own pain unlesd prompted to do so. “O-Oh… maybe s-so..?” He’s not sure what to say without sounding rude.

Ben twirls that lock of hair around his finger, staring at it to avoid eye contact. “M-Maybe. B-But it’s not like I-I… have a cho-ice…” He sighed. “No other c-circ-us wants me… a-and it’s n-not like I h-hav-e a place to sta-y…”

…That last comment has a gear turning in Teddy’s head…but he stays quiet. It’s…irresponsible to make any promises right now…especially due to how unsure he is on Vivil’s reaction to all of this…though he wants to help the other ventriloquist…a lot. 

“…Y-You don’t know what could end up h-happening…” he chooses to say instead. “…W-What are the people in your, u-um…c-circus like…?” 

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Ben shifted his position a bit at that second question. He'd always done his best to view his fellow performers in a good light, but... it was hard. They were rude to him, making a point to be as harsh as possible to him. The jokes, the teasing, the backstabbing... it was hard. But he kept his mouth shut about it to them.

"O-Oh, uhm... th-they, uh, d-don't like me m-much..." He rubbed the back of his neck, bouncing one leg out of anxiety. "They're r-rea-lly mean... o-one is a magician, a-and he... he sma-shed a bottle o-over my h-ead..." Yeah, he's still a teensy bit upset over that. He calls Maxie a friend, but god. That hurt.

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Another One?! [Closed Starter]

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ben-trilo-quist

Ben hadn’t really ever… had a friend. Period, end of story. Maybe he could’ve called Max or Moe a friend, but even that… that was doubted to be reprociated. Nobody would ever like him, and that was that, in his head. But the way Teddy had acted toward him was new. He’d listened, just for once. He couldn’t stand being abandoned now, not like this–

“N-No..?” He glanced around, letting one of his hands run through his hair, messing with the one lock that hung down near his eyes. “I-I… I would never have.. have th-the guts to.. d-do th-at… but…” His gaze finally locked on Teddy as he spoke. “Nobody u-usually wants m-e arou-nd… s-so… that’s g-gotta mean I-I’m not that gr-eat…”

“…Y-You sound like my husband…” Teddy idly admits. “H-He worries about stuff like that t-too…” …Gosh, he can hear Vivil’s voice now. You just haven’t met the right people. If those s***heads don’t want you around, then f*** them. You deserve better. …But Vivil isn’t here right now. He wouldn’t say those things. He can’t say those things. 

“…E-Er…well…m-maybe you’re just…n-not in the place you’re s-supposed to be then…i-i-if that makes sense…”

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He flinches again at that comparison, becoming half-aware of the pain in his back from pressing against the wall so hard. He doesn't complain, though. He never complained about his own pain unlesd prompted to do so. "O-Oh... maybe s-so..?" He's not sure what to say without sounding rude.

Ben twirls that lock of hair around his finger, staring at it to avoid eye contact. "M-Maybe. B-But it's not like I-I... have a cho-ice..." He sighed. "No other c-circ-us wants me... a-and it's n-not like I h-hav-e a place to sta-y..."

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Another One?! [Closed Starter]

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ben-trilo-quist

The puppeteer hesitates, tucking his head into his knees to hide his face. Maybe then, he won’t look as shameful and panicked. Maybe. “…y-yeah… h-he just…” He paused, trying to find the words. “…he acted… t-too similar to h-hi-m… and…” He can’t bring himself to finish the sentence. It hurts.

It is quite the different case, though. Ben cares very little about Trilo- in fact, he only serves as a way to bottle up all the trauma. To pretend that it isn’t really real, it’s all just in his head. It doesn’t help, it’s not healthy. But… he never was the type to care about his own health.

He hesitates with the answer. “…A-A… A coping m-mechan-ism. A way t-to… to pretend that e-everything that h-happe-ned… isn’t real. A-And m-maybe… maybe Trilo is m-my way of blaming i-it. Blaming it all on m-myself. He hurts m-me… because I-I’m not a good p-per-son…” He sounds about ready to cry again, but does his best to stabilize his voice.

Teddy is silent as Ben explains, and though he’s trying to keep emotion off his face, he can’t help but feel…a little disappointed. Their cases aren’t the same. They look similar on the surface, sure, but…they’re not… He thought he could have someone to relate to…no…no, no, the other ventriloquist does understand some things. He shouldn’t feel too bad, they can still talk to each other… They can still help each other… 

“…I s-see…” he says quietly, wincing as a burst of pain shoots through his head. “…H-How are you not a good person? …D-Did you kill anyone? C-Commit any crimes?”  

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Ben hadn't really ever... had a friend. Period, end of story. Maybe he could've called Max or Moe a friend, but even that... that was doubted to be reprociated. Nobody would ever like him, and that was that, in his head. But the way Teddy had acted toward him was new. He'd listened, just for once. He couldn't stand being abandoned now, not like this--

"N-No..?" He glanced around, letting one of his hands run through his hair, messing with the one lock that hung down near his eyes. "I-I... I would never have.. have th-the guts to.. d-do th-at... but..." His gaze finally locked on Teddy as he spoke. "Nobody u-usually wants m-e arou-nd... s-so... that's g-gotta mean I-I'm not that gr-eat..."

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Another One?! [Closed Starter]

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ben-trilo-quist

Ben gives a small nod. That’s understandable, he supposed. Granted, his siblings would ditch him at the first chance they had, but… that’s not the point. Teddy cares about Vivil, and that’s nice. “Well… a-at least, uhm, things a-are… getting b-etter…”

He seems to jolt at the question, flinching. He doesn’t want to talk about him. No, no, no- “Oh, uh.” The beatings, the yelling, the constant degrading. “…T-Trilo is… k-kind of, uhm… h-how my dad h-had– had always b-been toward me…” He seems to be having a hard time saying this, trembling worse as he speaks. “…h-he… he would h-it me… a-and I just started p-putti-ng that all o-onto Trilo. And then he b-beca-me my dad. A-And that’s how it w-as…”

Teddy seems to wince at the mention of a dad, and he curls in on himself a little more. “…Y-Your…d-dad…?” He pauses. “…I-Is that why…y-y-you called my b-brother…?” He doesn’t finish that sentence. He’s sure that Ben remembers what he said on their way out. 

…Anyways, this is starting to sound like a much different case than what Vivil is…maybe he should ask… “…W-What…What is…T-Trilo…?” he stammers quietly, scanning the other man for his reaction. 

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The puppeteer hesitates, tucking his head into his knees to hide his face. Maybe then, he won't look as shameful and panicked. Maybe. "...y-yeah... h-he just..." He paused, trying to find the words. "...he acted... t-too similar to h-hi-m... and..." He can't bring himself to finish the sentence. It hurts.

It is quite the different case, though. Ben cares very little about Trilo- in fact, he only serves as a way to bottle up all the trauma. To pretend that it isn't really real, it's all just in his head. It doesn't help, it's not healthy. But... he never was the type to care about his own health.

He hesitates with the answer. "...A-A... A coping m-mechan-ism. A way t-to... to pretend that e-everything that h-happe-ned... isn't real. A-And m-maybe... maybe Trilo is m-my way of blaming i-it. Blaming it all on m-myself. He hurts m-me... because I-I'm not a good p-per-son..." He sounds about ready to cry again, but does his best to stabilize his voice.

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Another One?! [Closed Starter]

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ben-trilo-quist

He feels some kind of emotion tossing in his stomach, like waves in an ocean. Guilt. Yeah, it’s… guilt. As if all this is his fault- if it weren’t for him, maybe everything wouldn’t be so wrong. Sure, there’s no chance that’s true. But Ben feels like it is, and that’s really all he needs.

“Th-That’s… horrible. So, so h-horri-ble…” He looks Teddy over, noticing all the scars he had initially not given a second thought to. He started to reach a hand out, as if to try and pat the other’s should for comfort, but decides against it and draws the hand back. Now isn’t a good time, he tells himself.

He hesitates, letting one hand droop to his side. “I-Isn’t there, y'know… some way t-to stop h-im..? He’s so, so… c-crue-l to y-ou… you don’t… d-deserve tha-t…” Ben knows he’s being hypocritical, what with how he’d been abused and inable to escape. But is he gonna acknowledge his trauma and actually confess he’s not okay? Hell no.

“…” Teddy’s quiet for a moment, wiping the tears from his eyes. “…N-No…no, I c-could never… H-He’s still my brother… I g-grew up with him… I d-don’t know what I’d do w-without him…” He closes his eyes, trembling. “I-It’s getting better…b-but things are…still f-far from okay…” 

He lets out a shaky sigh, shaking his head a little before raising it, looking back over at Ben. “…E-Enough about me…w-what about you? H-How are things with your p-partner…?” He doesn’t imagine he’s gone through the same things he has…

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Ben gives a small nod. That's understandable, he supposed. Granted, his siblings would ditch him at the first chance they had, but... that's not the point. Teddy cares about Vivil, and that's nice. "Well... a-at least, uhm, things a-are... getting b-etter..."

He seems to jolt at the question, flinching. He doesn't want to talk about him. No, no, no- "Oh, uh." The beatings, the yelling, the constant degrading. "...T-Trilo is... k-kind of, uhm... h-how my dad h-had-- had always b-been toward me..." He seems to be having a hard time saying this, trembling worse as he speaks. "...h-he... he would h-it me... a-and I just started p-putti-ng that all o-onto Trilo. And then he b-beca-me my dad. A-And that's how it w-as..."

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Another One?! [Closed Starter]

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ben-trilo-quist

Oh, it was far from the same as Teddy and Vivil. Well… the way Trilo and the ventriloquist’s brother acted weren’t too different, Ben supposed. But the reason Trilo existed, why he acted that way? Definitely a long shot distance from Vivil.

At the mention of his brother hurting him, though, he flinched. So the two puppets were even more alike than he’d thought… “Y-Yeah… I-I know what tha-that’s… like.” He shuffled his feet a bit, mostly just to hear the sound of something other than a voice. “Tr-Trilo… he hits m-me a lo-t… wh-whenever I do-n’t, uh, l-listen to hi-m…”

Teddy gives him an empathetic nod. “I f-figured as such…” He saw a little of himself in Ben when they first met in the alleyway…maybe that’s why he stopped Vivil from killing him. “…B-But for me, it…i-it got better… I m-met some nice people, a-and they helped…b-both of us to change…b-but it’s still just…h-hard sometimes, y-you know…?” 

The ventriloquist lets out a heavy sigh, tiredly rubbing his face. He didn’t even realize he felt this way… He must have been hiding it deep down inside… “I-It’s like…s-so much has happened… I u-used to have a-another family…o-other puppets…but now…” His voice lowers to a whisper. “I-I’ll never see them a-again…” 

He starts to tear up, raising a hand to lightly brush his face with his fingertips. His freckled face is littered with scars, healed by now but still noticeable…and looking closer, it becomes clear that one of his eyes is cloudy and unseeing. “…I-I’m even…h-half blind…b-because of him…” 

[ben-trilo-quist]

He feels some kind of emotion tossing in his stomach, like waves in an ocean. Guilt. Yeah, it's... guilt. As if all this is his fault- if it weren't for him, maybe everything wouldn't be so wrong. Sure, there's no chance that's true. But Ben feels like it is, and that's really all he needs.

"Th-That's... horrible. So, so h-horri-ble..." He looks Teddy over, noticing all the scars he had initially not given a second thought to. He started to reach a hand out, as if to try and pat the other's should for comfort, but decides against it and draws the hand back. Now isn't a good time, he tells himself.

He hesitates, letting one hand droop to his side. "I-Isn't there, y'know... some way t-to stop h-im..? He's so, so... c-crue-l to y-ou... you don't... d-deserve tha-t..." Ben knows he's being hypocritical, what with how he'd been abused and inable to escape. But is he gonna acknowledge his trauma and actually confess he's not okay? Hell no.