#mystifyme

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#Iconic

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Just saying.

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Let's take a minute to appreciate Adrien Brody's unique beauty, who plays our wonderful Ben Parker. Those eyes and nose are everything.

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When our Jackie has been drinking and Ben has to intervene.

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More things that could have been our boys! Our Jackie is a grammar junkie. And Ben’s a good victim.

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Today: Ben on the internet.

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#BEN This one could have been literally written by him, really.

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Author Commentary #1: Cigarettes.

If you've read some of Mystify Me, you'll notice that both Ben and Jackson smoke a lot. What you might have not noticed is the fact that the cigarettes represent the current state of their relationships.

The very first time, Ben is out of cigarettes and Jackson tosses a pack of cigarettes at him with only one. This is him and his curiosity regarding Ben. By doing this, Jackson is reaching out with the last of his resources to communicate and in the only way he knows how: unknowingly.

Later on, you'll notice that Jackson has troubles lighting up his own cigarette, signifying that there's now something missing from his balance.

Another time is when they're trapped in the ATM, you'll notice that Ben and Jackson smoke together as they bond for the first time, however, they don't share the cigarette. Only the lighter. 

This shows that even though Jackson is not quite letting Ben into his intimacy, he is allowing him into his world. It's only when Jackson is inviting Ben into his home that he lights the cigarette for him.

In Heroin & Clarity, where we see Ben and Curt walking down the street in one of Ben's memories, you'll notice that Curt's cigarette dies with the snow, signifying their relationship won't last.

Similarly, this happens to Ben before Jackson lights up Ben's flame-- making their relationship mutual.  

Curt and Ben's relationship is also presented for the first time with Ben crushing his last cigarette, foreshadowing its end.

As Ben and Jackson's relationship progresses, they start smoking the same cigarette.

It's no coincidence there's a cigarette on the cover of the book.

Did you find this interesting? Go back into the story and find all the other moments in which they smoke! Figure out what they mean.