benitoxherrera

[benitoxherrera]

every TED GARCIA scene from EDDINGTON [1/8]

[benitoxherrera]

"I trust Jin not to overdo it," Benny admitted. He had already made sure Jin was free to DJ the shindig this year again, and the fact that he trusted him spoke volumes. "Oh, shit, that's right. You haven't been here for one of those, have you? People are always a little surprised about just how much I lean in when it comes to the Monster Mash Bash. I've got a reputation now, can't go lettin' anyone down. It's a Blackstone Ridge staple, the whole town comes out for it. This place is packed."

"Mm, maybe." Adriana clocked Benny's reaction--it was subtle, but there. She really thought she'd be annoyed by his protective nature, but truthfully? The caring was nice. It was more than she'd ever gotten from her father, wherever the fuck he was now. She didn't want to even find out what it was like to be on his bad side. Because, well, then she'd be out of a job. She listened to Benny's proposal, tilting her head in thought. "You know, there's a guy that takes pop songs and flips them from the major key to minor. It's kinda creepy. I wish he'd done Circus--gave it a little Halloween vibe. But maybe I'll just pray that song doesn't make it onto the bar playlist instead at the risk of being overplayed." She shrugged, a little grin playing on her lips. "I think it'll be fine if you lean into it just enough without there being overkill."

[benitoxherrera]

Benny chuckled when Nate called him out, not at all surprised. He'd been told that before, fed a similar line plenty of times. "What can I say? Maybe I just like makin' people feel good," he replied with an innocent shrug of his shoulders, a nonchalant tone in his voice. "Well, I didn't think you'd mind it all that much, but I'm glad to hear you're a fan of gettin' attention, Nate. I'll file that away. Never know when it might come in handy."

Nate paused mid step, glancing over his shoulder casually as a slow grin lit up his face and made his blue eyes sparkle just enough. "That so?" He murmured, voice half amused and half...something else he couldn't really place. "Gotta hand it to you, you really know how to dole out the attention." He drawled, leaning down to grab the invoice from the lower shelf--it'd give Benny quite a view, anyway. As he began to cross back over to Benny, Nate let his gaze linger. "And for the record, I don't hate it. Quite the opposite, actually." He shrugged, running his tongue deliberately across his lower lip.

[benitoxherrera]

「 task 2: writing on the wall 」

「 it's up to you to see the writing's on the wall 」

Growing up, Benny got a lot of shit from his teachers for constantly writing in all capital letters. It was something he'd picked up as a kid and just kept after. He knows how to write lowercase letters, he just doesn't do it. These days, it's less of an issue for him—he can't even remember the last time he wrote a lowercase letter.

Benny's a leftie, which means he's got a weird way of holding the pen to avoid smearing things. Instead of simply holding the pen in his left and and writing like the mirror image of someone right-handed, he turns his hand so that his hand rests above wherever he's writing. The weight of his hand rests on the major knuckle of his pinky finger and his wrist hook around so his arm is angled back downward. It's basically a giant C-shaped nightmare.

[benitoxherrera]

"Shit, they've been arguin' about dinosaurs since I was in school," Benny laughed, shifting to gently lean against the edge of the bar. "Google is helpful sometimes, but there's a whole lot of shit people don't need to be screen-trained-experts at. I'd rank bein' a doctor right on up there with buildin' space shuttles and flyin' planes." He laughed when Siwan mentioned influencers performing surgeries, wondering just how flabbergasted that person had been at his question. "Unfortunately, they also go through phases where they try not to pay for drinks because they 'know a trick' or they argue with us about how we mix a drink out of order," Benny added. "I swore I'd never be that guy, but damn. Kids these days, I swear."

Siwan let out a laugh at Benny’s Stone Age comment. “Don’t give them ideas,” he said, taking another sip of his whiskey. “Though, at this point, it wouldn’t surprise me. Aren’t there already people claiming dinosaurs never existed?” He shook his head, still smiling. “You’re right, though. There was a time when people trusted experts,” he gestured between the two of them with his glass. “Now everyone’s an expert because they watched a three-minute video.” He had recently had someone argue about medication dosages because some influencer had said pharmaceutical companies were always lying to sell more products. “I think your approach is a lot more diplomatic than mine. I have asked if they’d prefer TikTok influencers to perform their surgeries too.” It had been a moment of weakness. He rarely snapped at patients, but some really tested his limits. “At least your customers end up with a cocktail in the end.” 

[benitoxherrera]

the beauty of Javier Peña's side profile

[benitoxherrera]

"Good," Benny replied with a simple nod of his head, glad to know Dawn hadn't been put in any precarious positions with asshole guys in her former line of work. He eyed her carefully when she talked about social media, wondering if she was going to get overly into the idea like Nina had originally. Unfortunately for him, Nina was always excited about the prospect of things and less so about the follow-through. It usually left him with a lot of the grunt work, or at least left him delegating it all to his other staff. "Sandy used to have a TikTok for her bartending, but she swore off social media, so I'm pretty clueless." He wasn't quite sure how real Dawn's sentiment was about authentic, down-to-earth stuff, because from what little he knew about social media, it was all very fake and phony. "What do you have in mind, exactly? I don't want to agree to let you help me only to end up in some kind of ridiculous costume actin' like a damn idiot on the internet. I can't spent a lot of time makin' posts, either." He pursed his lips, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "You got pricing or anything? For helping people with this stuff?"

Dawn’s expression shifts and becomes more serious for a moment when he asked his question. She shook her head. “No, thankfully, I didn’t work directly with anyone like that.” She had definitely made some rather questionable choices about who she got involved with, but that was a story for a time when she had at least a whole barrel of whiskey in her system. She took a sip of her drink, her face brightening again when he mentions social media. She practically bounces in her seat. “Oh! Trust me, half the people running successful accounts have absolutely no idea what they’re doing either.” She smiled at him, leaning her elbow on the bar. “Nina sounds great for setting it up! But if you want help with it, I can help you? Show you the ropes? It’s actually really fun once you get the hang of it. You already have the persona, you’ll kill it on social media.” She smiled encouragingly. An authentic, no nonsense bartender who doesn’t take himself too seriously is social media gold. “People eat up genuine, down-to-earth stuff.” She smiles at him. “You already have a pretty solid customer base,” she gestured vaguely to the people around them. “But do they know about what nights you do 3 for 2 on shots? Or when you’re giving out kisses to whoever wins at pool?” She teased. 

[benitoxherrera]

"You always do, Princess," Benny replied, giving Cece a wink before ruffling her hair a little. It broke his heart to think this child was already having to learn how to hold her own in the world, and it reminded him of all the times he'd stepped in for his mom and sister growing up. He couldn't physically do much to scare off this kid, but he'd give him plenty of verbal tongue-lashings if he had the chance. "It sure is, and so is 'get lost, asshole,' but let's save that one 'til you're a little older so we don't give your daddy a heart attack, okay?"

"Consider yourself invited, front and center, any time." Benny laughed at the idea of an audience any time someone had to stand in front of him and get a piece of his mind. It didn't usually go well for the other person, that was for sure. "I might, just to spite you," he joked, knowing full well he was never very good at turning down anything Eli and his team prepared. It was all so damn good, that was all. "He'll learn sooner rather than later if I have any say in the matter," Benny replied, "and his dad can drag his sorry ass down there, too, get himself a little practice in too."

Eli let them have their moment and smiled as he knew his little girl was a mini Laurel. She'd always ask for forgiveness instead of permission. He caught the bits Benny had said and hummed. He loved that his friends took his own kids under their wings, so to speak. It spoke volumes on the kind of person Benny was. Cece held eye contact and nodded. Taking the note seriously and practiced with balling her first up. "Right square in the nose. I can do that." His mom might give her shit for it but she knew how to stand her ground. "I'll make you proud Uncle Benny."

"No is a full sentence." Cece repeated the words on her wall. Her uncle's had posted up in her room. "I am not gonna lie the prospect of seeing people shake in their boots because they're standing in front of you, is appealing." Eli didn't condone violence but he knew at least a dozen customers who had let it be known that Benny scared them a bit. "So, if I make you a just because cake, you're gonna reject it? Also, cute you think that kid will ever apologize to you. You've seen his dad. He's not the apologizing type."

[benitoxherrera]

"I'm sure the guys around town would love that," Benny said with a chuckle. His eyes twitched, squinting every so slightly at her comment about worse things before he shrugged it off at the squeeze of his shoulder. If she wanted to unload that stuff, she probably had plenty of people to talk to. Benny didn't need to pry. "Speakin' of Halloween, I'm tryin' to figure out what we're doin' for the Monster Mash Bash this year. I kind of want to do a circus thing, like I'm the ring leader and then everyone else can be performers or animals. Nina liked the idea but I can't tell if everyone else will. What do you think?"

Adri scoffed, but didn’t bother hiding the grin that tugged at her lips. “Kiddo?” She repeated, biting back a comment about using the so called fists of fury on him. She wouldn’t—not only did she need the job, she cared about Benny. “Maybe I should go as Megara, but Latina, for Halloween this year. I feel like I bark out enough ‘I don’t need saving’ like it’s a life raft. Apple wouldn’t fall far from the tree.” She shrugged her shoulders a little and met his gaze. “I’ll be fine, I promise. Worse things have happened before.” She reached out to squeeze Benny’s shoulder lightly, letting him know that beyond her sarcasm, she really did appreciate his company.

[benitoxherrera]

"Good, I bet it looks great," Benny said, knowing that Colin was honest and wouldn't lie about it. He'd known Robert for a while, and he was happy to hear that someone was taking care of his ranch now after his passing. Guys like Robert—like Benny—didn't always have children or family of their own to pass things on to, so it was important for them to find younger people who cared enough to do what Colin was doing. "Not bad, I suppose. Same ol' routines, day after day."

"It's great over there. I'm keeping it in tip top shape." Which was true, Colin took good care of the ranch that Robert left him when he died. Not just because it was the right thing to do, but because he genuinely loved that ranch. It was the home he spent his whole life dreaming about. He actually felt bad at times due to how he finally got his dream home, but he tried not to let it hinder his enjoyment too much. "How are things here?" He asked, remembering that people also expected him to ask questions. They weren't just going to say whatever like he felt compelled to do.

[benitoxherrera]

"Took you long enough to start crossin' those lines," Benny replied with a wink in Nate's direction before looking the man over slowly. He didn't care about keeping things professional, but a lot of people seemed to be worried about that. Benny was, of course, a huge flirt. Everyone in town knew that, and the'd come to expect it from him. "Yeah, you can get me the invoice, but I'm stayin' here so I can check your ass out while you get it." He said it with a straight face, not even bothering to hide the flirting. Subtlety was such a bore, really.

Nate blinked, one brow ticking up in both intrigue and surprise. For a second, all he could do was look at Benny like he was trying to decide if he'd heard Benny correctly or if the heat was messing with his head. Usually, that was the case. "Careful." He murmured lowly, a half smile spreading onto his mouth. "Keep talkin' like that and I might start thinkin' you want me to blur a few of my own lines." He straightened up just a bit, brushing his hands on a rag like he needed to busy his hands. His tone stayed light, but there was definitely an air of curiosity around it. "Just don't expect me to be subtle about it--I'm a lil' out of practice." He glanced sideways at Benny, holding his gaze. "Now, you want the invoice, or should I put it under 'flirting tax'?"

[benitoxherrera]

Benny bit back the laugh at Matt's comment about their sisters—there was no chance in hell his sister and Mickey would get along, but that was mostly because his sister was notoriously good at taking cues from Benny. Since he couldn't stand Mickey, he had a feeling Julieta wouldn't like her either. "She drives me damn near insane most days, but if she needed me, I'd be there in a heartbeat." Benny smiled when Matt talked about the drink, giving him a nod. "Sounds like you found a winner, then."

Matt's question caught Benny off guard, but really, it shouldn't have. He didn't hide his disdain for people very well at all, and Mickey was at the top of the list of people who earned it around here. "Your sister's one of those people who comes in hot, and unfortunately for me, that usually ends up blowing up in the face of the guys in my bar who go for her. I don't like when people cause a scene, and Mickey tends to cause them a lot. It is what it is, but yeah, I'm not exactly her biggest fan."

Matt snickered, shrugging a little. "Sounds like our sisters might get along --two women, no filter, and the third variable is a strong right hook, I'm guessing." He smiled a little, crooked, but it didn't meet his eyes. Not yet. "Hell of a concept, how you cn argue so much with them but still wanna protect them from any and everything. Just like clockwork." Matt reached for the glass, lifting it in a quiet toast before sipping at it. "Not bad. Got a little bite, but it's clean. Actually, like Mickey's comebacks in a drink form. Surprising, but at least it lands."

The easy banter was nice, but Matt wasn't really sure what to do when it got softer. "I appreciate it. I'm probably not her favorite person half the time, but it's fine. Not trying to fit anyone's mold or anything. I did that too much when I was younger. Just don't wanna fuck anything up." He tilted his head, trying to assess Benny a little further. He liked to think he was decent at reading people. "Did you piss eachother off or something? Just...the way you said Maddox." He mimicked Benny's tone, a small smile resting on his lips. "There's a story there, huh?"

[benitoxherrera]

"No shit? That'll come in handy for sure," Benny said, clearly impressed by Javi's photographic memory. Aslan had mentioned he was smart, but Benny hadn't really cared. He'd had plenty of idiots work for him before—hell, look at Rico and Henry—but he liked knowing Javi had a good brain between the ears. At the mention of how he saw Mickey, Benny nodded once and even raised his brow. He had to admit, that was one hell of a diplomatic answer coming from someone put in the middle of a situation like his and Mickey's. "Aslan's the best guy I know, so if he sees something good in her, then I have no doubt she'll win me over someday. Just might take a little longer than others, but hey, that's one of the reasons everyone thinks of me as the grumpy ol' asshole."

Benny smiled at Javi's gratitude, knowing he was sincere. The kid seemed earnest, and Benny wanted to know more about how he'd landed behind bars to begin with. He seemed like the kind of kid who had a whole life ahead of him, but Benny had seen plenty of guys like that get roped into shit back home—Compton was probably pretty similar in that aspect, too. "I know you won't," he replied, reaching for a towel from the bucket and wringing it out. "Besides, everyone's got their kinks, right? So long as yours don't involve ruinin' my bar, we should be good."

“Mostly just want a chance to look through every page,” Javi explained before reaching up to tap a fingertip against his temple, “Photographic memory.” It came in handy most of the time, but there were also moments where it was overwhelming for him– like his mind couldn’t possibly hold onto all the snapshots that were being wedged in there. Chuckling as Benny continued, Javi shrugged a shoulder, “Probably for the best, right? Ignorance is bliss.” He likely had enough to deal with anyway, let alone every move his employees were making. 

Javi had never been to Chicago, but he could imagine. He’d heard enough to think that certain parts of the city weren’t all that unlike Compton. “Yeah, somethin’ like that,” he murmured, having gotten his fill of his own hometown as well. If it were up to him, he’d never go back, and as long as life in Texas panned out the way he hoped it would, he’d never have a reason to.  His brows knitted together at Benny’s assessment of Mickey. It was weird for him, hearing someone categorize her that way when he’d only ever viewed her in a positive light. Sure, he knew she had a chaotic streak, but he loved her and he owed her so much that he couldn’t possibly see her in a negative way. “I’m not gonna pretend to know why, and I get the sense that I probably shouldn’t ask, but…here’s hoping that one day you’ll see her like I do,” he supplied, figuring he owed it to Mickey to be brave enough to defend her, even in front of his brand new boss. “Either way, it feels good knowing they’re both looking out for me– makes this whole transition a hell of a lot easier.” Sensing Benny’s eyes on him, Javi glanced over at him, able to see the sincerity in his expression just before hearing it in his voice. It meant a lot, being part of a family, particularly when his own had all but abandoned him– outside of Mickey, of course. “Thank you,” he murmured, offering up a small smile, “I won’t let you down. Might take me a bit to work out the kinks, but I’ll get there.”

[benitoxherrera]

"Garlic cloves?" Benny said it in near disbelief, continuously thrown for a loop every time someone online came up with some kind of bullshit new cure for something that was, all things considered, a relatively easy fix to begin with. "It blows my mind that people will believe anything they hear from someone on their phone like that," Benny said with a shake of his head. "I mean, when I was growing up, if I had something wrong I'd go to the doctor and trust 'em to fix it. If I wanted a drink, I let a bartender pour it. Next thing you know, they'll all be tellin' us shit from history books is wrong 'cause someone on their phone told them the Stone Age wasn't real."

Siwan accepted the double whiskey gratefully and took a sip before shaking his head with a soft laugh. "Day drinking and pool cues, sounds about right for a Tuesday." He gestured vaguely in the direction of the hospital. "I had a guy insist to me today that he could cure his ear infection by putting garlic cloves in his ears. He'd seen it on TikTok, apparently." He rubbed his eyes tiredly. Unfortunately, this was a trend that resurfaced every now and then, always ending in headaches for the medical staff. And not to mention the potential dangers. He laughed when Benny explained his strategy with the TikTok drinks. "That's brilliant thinking, actually." He sipped his whiskey, shaking his head. "What gets me is that you've spent years behind a bar, I've spent years in medical school, yet some twenty-year-old with a ring light has more credibility than either of us when it comes to professional advice."

[benitoxherrera]

"Well, you're the best partner I've ever had, too, Princess," Benny said back to Cece, clearing his throat so she didn't see just how deep her words had landed. He couldn't let some kid get him all caught up in feelings he didn't normally deal with.

"I don't give a shit about an apology box or flowers," Benny growled before mumbling an apology in Cece's direction. "I want that kid to learn a lesson and have to apologize to me like a man. Then they can pay for the damn window, too." Cece's sigh gave Benny pause, wondering what could be getting to her. The mention of the little boy's persistence irked Benny all over again, and he turned to face her before kneeling down. "You listen to me, Cece," he said, resting his hands on her shoulders. "If a boy ever makes you feel uncomfortable and doesn't take 'no' for an answer, you do whatever you have to do to stop him. If that's throwin' a punch, then get him good, right in the nose." Benny reached up and pointed to his own nose, raising his brows as if making sure she understood. "If anyone gives you trouble over it, you send 'em to me, you hear? No boy or girl should ever make you do anything you don't wanna do." Benny sighed, glancing in Eli's direction again. "Look, if that gets her into trouble, like I said, you tell 'em to come talk to me. I'll set 'em straight."

Cece nodded. ❛❛You're a great friend to my mama and my papa. My aunties like you too. My uncle loves your bar so. Anyone who knows you is lucky. And partner can be anything you know. You're the best partner I ever had. We go on adventures together.❜❜ her innocent view made it clear she saw Benny as someone who lead with his heart.

❛❛You're getting an apology box this week. His mom came in with him in tow. That's how I know he did it. A floral arrangement, too. She said she'd put an order in with Inez sometime this week.❜❜Eli said. It made him laugh his sister's shop, got the hot tea, and he got the apology orders to wrap up in a little bow. Cece interjected as her eyes scanned the area and sighed. ❛❛He's asked five times. Doesn't understand no. I tried to tell him. I don't have to see him for another month before school starts up again. What's the etiquette then, Uncle benny? If I go back and he still insists, can I punch him?❜❜ She smirked softly and avoided looking at her dad. She'd know what his answer was going to be. ❛❛Aunt Inez hasn't given me an answer yet. She's thinking about it. Aunt Maggy said to stand my ground. Though, she didn't say much else. My mama has been sleeping more, so she's been loopy. But, he's annoying. I already said no. I even had to say no, thank you. ❜❜ she made a face as her exasperation shown. She didn't understand why she had to be the bigger person.

[benitoxherrera]

Benny could tell he was walking on thin ice, and it wasn't something he enjoyed doing—not with Aslan. Sure, maybe Aslan was blinded by the really great sex they were having, or maybe Mickey was on her very best behavior lately and hadn't shown any of her crazy. Either way, Benny would have to hope for the best—something he wasn't necessarily very good at. "That's a good sign," Benny said, chuckling softly because he wasn't dumb enough to ignore a defense mechanism like that one. "I sure as hell hope not, man," Benny said with a shrug, unable to offer up more than that without feeling like he was flat out lying. "I've never been much of a fortune teller."

Watching as Benny raised his hands in defense, Aslan sighed, “Don’t like where this is going,” he droned, already thinking that if Benny had to preface this with the fact that he wasn’t trying to insult Mickey, then it couldn’t be good. But he’d hear him out– after all, Benny had a different perspective and a different set of experiences with Mickey, and he knew Benny was only looking out for him. He couldn’t fault the guy for that, even if that meant that Aslan might have to hear things that didn’t exactly feel good. “Well, thankfully I haven’t taken any drinks to the face yet,” he chuckled, using humor as a defense mechanism to try and stave off the unsettling feeling curdling in the pit of his stomach. He knew why hearing it made him feel so uncomfortable and it was because despite his best efforts to keep shit casual, he’d fucked around and found out with Mickey– he’d gotten too familiar. “You think it’ll end that way?” With him getting hurt, that was.

[benitoxherrera]

Dawn's story was different, that was for certain. Benny felt the wide, open canyon of differences settle between them with the two stories, knowing full well that maybe New York City's level of drama was a whole lot nastier than he'd realized. "Shit," he said, shaking his head, "that guy sounds like a monster. You didn't ever get stuck working with guys like that, did you?" He asked as though he could do something now, as if protecting her from men like that was something he had the ability to do, despite it all being in the past.

Dawn's insistence that Benny was in fashion made him chuckle. "Right, the confidence and pose," he mumbled, rolling his eyes. He leaned back and watched Dawn closely, laughing at the wink she offered up. "The second you see me doin' that, you just come right on over and put me out of my misery." The question made him pause, suddenly realizing he forgot once again about the bar's social media presence. "Man, I feel like I'm too old for this shit," he groaned. "I didn't even have a page set up for a while, then Nina set one up and told me about hashtags and followers and shit, and I still don't know what I'm doin' with it. She has to remind me to post every so often, otherwise I just forget all about it."

Dawn gasped and placed a hand over her mouth in surprise. “Mrs Dugan! That’s so messy, oh my god.” She laughed. She didn’t really know who Mrs Dugan was, she was horrible with names, but she could only imagine it was one of the ladies that came by the store every now and then. She thought about his request for gossip for a moment before nodding. “Okay.” She cleared her throat, her hand wrapping around her drink. “Someone I used to know when I lived in New York got fired for trying to sleep with models during fashion week.” She said in a hushed tone. “The kicker is he pretended to be gay so he’d be allowed in with them, which is super gross in itself. So there was a whole thing.” Despite many of them turning their back on Dawn when she was fired, she still had channels where she got the inside scoop that never quite made it to the tabloids. “I think there are lawsuits happening too.” She raised her eyebrows as if to say, ‘can you believe?’ before leaning back in her seat a little again. 

When Benny mentions his shirt, she shakes her head with a sweet smile. “No, Benny! Vintage Levi’s is so hot right now! You’re basically a fashion icon and you don’t even know it. Look,” she reached out and gently adjusted the shirt slightly over his shoulder. “You just need the confidence and pose. Like this,” she swirled the stool she was on enough to be able to give him a look over her shoulder and wink at him. “And then go, ‘oh, this old thing?’ and feign ignorance.” She laughed. “Trust me, the industry eats it up. It definitely works with your rugged bartender persona, too. People love it.” She smiled at him. “How come you’re not the face of your social media pages?”