saveourearth | Light the fires [Mingle]

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Light the fires [Mingle]

Date: 2nd to 5th of November; backdated due to the Halloween mingle being too close by
Characters: Open!

2nd to 4th

Bonfire night approaches, and like every year, a large bonfire is set up on the Greens, as well as an impressive fireworks display, intended to happen on the 3rd. It's been advertised for a few weeks now, and many families, groups of teenagers, and just regular people are planning on going... And then it's abruptly cancelled at the evening of the 2nd. The official word on it is that some kind of safety regulations weren't met, and as this was discovered at the final security check, there is no time to fix them. Oddly enough, at the same time yellow signs go up near the Greens, reading:

Mossgate POLICE Working for a safer Mossgate
We are appealing for witnesses: Can you help us?
Police incident
An incident occurred in this area between 1pm on the 2/11 and 2pm on the 3/11.
In strictest confidence, plase phone
020787574
Did you see or hear anything?
Please call us
On the number above or at your local police station

...And the perceptive person might notice that there are a few oddities going on around town. For one, there is more police out in the streets than normal, constables nobody has seen before, too, and they are carrying guns. Why are they carrying guns? This is not the airport or central London! This is the first thing that really gets the rumour mill going.

The second thing is that the area that was fenced off so when fireworks and bonfire happened, only those who paid an entrance fee would be able to get close, is still fenced off despite the cancellation. And those who peer into the area will notice more police there.

And then, on the 4th of November, a few nondescript vans and a small nondescript lorry arrive at the parking lot at the bottom of the Greens, and some people get off. All of them wear civilian clothes. A few simply wander off into Mossgate, but the rest goes up onto the Greens. And some of those carry large suitcases that seem to be quite heavy. Too bad there's bushes and trees and it is impossible to see what they're doing at the place where the bonfire and fireworks were set to happen...

[ooc: There are a few dedicated open NPC toplevels below for people to investigate, as well as toplevels aimed at specific characters. If anyone has ideas for investigating that are not covered by the below toplevels and needs input, prod the mod contact thread on the last setting interactions post!]

5th

After the fireworks in Mossgate couldn't happen, it was decided to do them in one of the villages in Mossgate Council. Naturally, Folkton and Moss Manor both clamoured to get them. But after a few young men got into a fistfight about it and a nose was broken, Mayor Gary Russell arrived at the Salomonic decision of having the fireworks happen in Tarwich instead. They have a nice little park there, and the official reason for the decision is that it is closer to Mossgate town so it will be easier for people from there to attend. The real reason is of course to not take any sides in the village rivalry.

Tarwich, by contrast, is too young to truly have rivalries and there are no old families that could bring true patriotic pride into the mix. Nicely bland and harmless. An excellent middle ground.

So on the evening of the fifth, like every year, there are two massive bonfires in Mossgate council, one in Folkton and one in Moss Manor. Little fairgrounds have sprung up next to them - a children's carousel, a kiddie train, an ice cream van, one or two vendors that sell festival foods like candy floss (= cotton candy).

But unlike other years, there's a third event, and most unusually the location is the often-forgotten Tarwich: Carefully timed so that people can first go see the fireworks and then go to whichever bonfire they prefer, there is a very nice 30 minutes long firework taking place in Tarwich, just after nightfall. There are no carousels or ice cream vans here, but festival food is offered, too.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

As Benjiro is heading to put back a couple of volumes from his own search, he spots his friend over by the computers. He diverts without hesitation, heading along the ends of the shelves until he reaches the table where Walter has set up. Moving up beside him, he puts a hand on the back of the chair next to Walter, offering a smile in greeting that falls to concern when he starts to notice signs indicitive of forsaken sleep.

“Hey, Walter?” It isn’t spoken outright, but the tone he uses carries the implied ‘Are you okay?’ question.

All at once, Walter sighs; he rolls his shoulders back, and he carefully puts down his latest book (he'd managed to tangent into something about spider research, trying to tap into how so many could possibly show up in one place and act in concert) without losing his page.

"Hey," he says, and he can't keep a note of defeat out of his own voice. He does look directly at Ben, though, fighting his own impulse.

That Walter looks at him right on is something. Nevertheless, it does not quell the worry starting to mount for his friend. When the implied question goes unanswered, Benjiro shifts from standing to a squat down on his toes with the effort made to get closer so the conversation can be kept to something akin to a whisper.

"What's going on?" Not yet a direct push for Walter to tell him why he appears sleep deprived, but an easy opening to cover it among what brings him to the library in particular. He already figures it has something to do with the notices.

"Research," is Walter's one-word answer. Though, feeling the need to clarify, he adds,

"And yes, there is more to it... but I'd rather not share here." Too public a place, even with the quiet.

He taps the book page.

"Trying to cover as many variables about what happened on Halloween in the meantime, though. And what's been going on since."

The option of a discussion at the library is shut, and Benjiro will respect that despite the persistence of his worry. He will however, offer an alternative should Walter want the chance to talk in a more secluded place, “We can get dinner after they close if you’re up for it.”

Not lingering on that, he puts his attention to the research with a nod while keeping his voice quiet but not as low as he has to move out of the squat sooner than desired due to his sore muscles complaining, “Same, but I’m looking into who those new arrivals might be out at the Greens.”

Edited 2018-11-19 15:10 (UTC)

"That would be nice, yes," Walter replies - the hesitance is in his expression, not his words.

And Ben's explanation actually garners a smile from Walter.

"Finding something better than obscure theories, I hope?"

What little about them there was online still managed to read more like a conspiracy board than what the Mossgate crew knew about the Network. Far too many acronyms, though scouring potential sources of private information to better narrow things down was a shade below the level Walter prefers to work at.

Benjiro is more aware of those subtle signals than others, and speaks to alleviate the encumbrance of expectation around a meal, “You pick the place. We can catch up on game news and maybe I can get your opinion on some stream ideas I’ve had.” A familiar topic with common interest.

Regarding his own progress, the teen frowns with disappointment and a hint of frustration, “Not yet. I have more to scour. If I do find anything, I can tell you at dinner. How about on your end?”

"Never a bad idea, that," Walter agrees, nodding with slightly more animation than his face had held previously.

Familiar territory leads to positive associations - and more tools with which to combat the sense of being overwhelmed.

Walter frowns again, though this time it's out of good-natured exasperation.

"More of the same. Some interesting trivia, but no real news."

The incremental loss of guard is sign enough to reassure Benjiro that the new suggestion is the right course of action. Walter will have the company of a friend and nothing more.

“Two sets of eyes increases the odds of success, and yours far more,” he encourages, knowing Walter can read far more than he can skim in the same amount of time. “Alright. Meet you at the front at closing then, but feel free to come get me if you find anything particularly promising.” Lingering a moment longer, Benjiro returns to his research efforts.

When closing time at the library finally arrives, he has a mild headache and his stomach feels cavernous. Article safely stowed in his backpack, he heads for the front entrance to meet up with Walter.

Walter looks a little chuffed at the complement, but nods, then turns back to his book.

Several more books (and many more related and not-so-related webpages) later, and he is in a similar state by the front entrance.

"Any cravings tonight?"

He'll spare the 'let's share our results' talk until their conversation can be well-masked.

"Food," he jokes, then shakes his head as he reaches to massage at a sore shoulder tired from the efforts of research, "But really, you can pick. I can eat just about anything right now."

Benjiro pushes the door open and holds it until Walter steps outside the library with him. He looks to his friend for direction in which way they should head to obtain a meal.

"We'll try and keep the walking down, then - don't want to push you on the 'anything' count," he jokes.

Glancing first one up then down the street, he'll start them walking off to the right.

Tonight really feels like a comfort food night; fortunately there's some in close range.

The consideration is appreciated even as Benjiro smiles and shrugs his shoulders. He would not have complained lest Walter dragged him across town, and then only for the delay in arriving to a restaurant at all.

Following his friend to the right, he falls into step walking with him and allows silence to hang comfortably between them.

Walter cherishes the moment; a silence where no one needs to say anything.

That, in and of itself, is a much-needed balm.

They're only walking for five minutes, tops, when Walter crosses the street (at a crosswalk!), tilts his head up at a particularly-neon-shade-of-green sign, and nods.

"Pad Thai?" he asks, once he's sure Ben's joined him across the street. The shop looks noisy enough that they probably could manage anonymity in the crowd.

The time gives Benjiro a chance to slow and reorganize his thoughts, and to appreciate the friendship he's made with Walter. It isn't often the teenager feels comfortable in silence in company.

At the cross walk, he veers after Walter and stops in front of the restaurant with the sign. Looking to Walter then, he nods once, "Sure. I'm always up for noodles." Together they head for the door and inside to get a seat at an empty booth.

Walter cracks a grin; that made two of them, then!

The next few minutes are filled with the up-close ruckus of a busy restaurant in full swing. Walter orders his usual - and insists on paying, no matter what Ben gets.

Once their orders are taken, though (this being a sit-down restaurant, they have some time to wait), Walter looks less confident.

There are some things he needs to talk about.

The insistence is met with an initial resistance since Benjiro was the one to suggest dinner, but he’ll fold fast enough not to cause any real delay and settles for an order of vegetarian tofu pad thai. He’ll sit with Walter in a position where he can face away from the crowd once the food arrives.

Once the wait staff member walks away from the table, the teen notices the change in his friend’s demeanor. Rather than leaving a silence, he’ll fall to the topics he had suggested at the library that act more as bullet points rather than a continuous stream. He had heard this or that about an upcoming game or expansion, and what would Walter think about him trying an MMORPG on his channel on a regular basis if it seems popular – if so, then does he have any suggestions for a particular one to try? Were he to do so, he might use riddle based on lore or the scenery to give his viewers a chance to find his character to join up for a party before revealing his screen for the stream itself. Would that be too complicated or a good way to engage his viewers?

Walter is currently the one with a salary; Ben has his allowance, but it still seems unfair to make him foot the bill when it's a place they both know.

The conversation topics are very much welcomed, and game names and opinions are added and just as quickly subverted at what feels like a relaxing pace to Walter.

"I'd be behind that idea, myself," he says, "but then, I find riddles more engaging than gimmicky to begin with. How about you have an announcement at the regular time, but leave the riddles as optional, and whoever finds you first gets to co-host or show off when the session starts?"

It’s not so much an allowance when his viewers provide the donations that have replaced his parental assistance, but that is a limited and inconsistent form of income. Sometimes worse, sometimes better than an allowance.

The input from Walter is regarded thoughtfully, tucking names back in his memory to examine more closely in the decision process. Regarding the riddles, he nods faintly, “That might end up defeating the purpose of the riddle in the first place, and I doubt I could align quickly enough with another streamer from that genre to cohost. I haven’t been in MMORPG circles much, so taking time live to friend and coordinate would bog it down. But I do think it’d be very reasonable to have a short count down between the riddle and the screen reveal. Then the riddle could provide a headstart for those that bother with it and not completely exclude anyone that doesn’t solve it.”

"Just the countdown with the riddle, then; no point making it a gatekeeping exercise," Walter replies, and nods.

And just then, their food arrives.

Once the plates are negotiated, Walter turns quiet again.

"So, about what I saw... I suppose I should try to put them in order. You remember when I joined your stream during Pride week, yes?"

Nodding once, he agrees fully, "Keeping it as accessible as possible to anyone. I will at least give my followers a heads up about the plan so they know when the riddle will go up and can be in game prior to the start time."

Thanks given to the waiter who brought the dishes, he opens the package of disposable chopsticks and cracks them apart. Reaching up to unhook his face mask, he folds the cover to tuck into a pocket. Noodles are easy to eat in a crowd without showing his teeth, so he doesn't hesitate to dig in with a first bite.

When he looks up, he sees that Walter has composed himself in preparation, and the teenager remains quiet until his friend is able to initiate a new line of conversation. Nodding once, he confirms, "I do. The Apollo video gave you a memory."

The food manages to remain ignored for the moment; any more distraction and he'll never let himself get to the point.

"It turns out that there was more to that conversation; the person watching it was Caitlin Decter, a blind girl who had recently gained sight."

Helen Keller had been important to her; Caitlin had nicknamed him 'Phantom'...

"And the method she had used was how I was able to see what she could see. At the same time as she'd been watching that video, she'd had a chat window open with me."

There's no stumbling over the pronoun this time, given his focus on relaying the story.

"What I saw on Halloween was more- followup, I guess. Her father got brought into the conversation, and they verified that I wasn't just some super-fast hacker or scammer taking advantage of the poor girl."

That thought gets an ironic, small, grim smile.

"And then, after - the next memory couldn't have happened right after, but I didn't get an indicator of time with every memory-"

The ones focusing on text conversations had that automatically.

"I could create web links, just sort of existing among the websites. I wanted to be able to take in information from more than one site simultaneously and-"

His breathing's been getting faster as he talks; he discreetly picks up his own chopsticks to fiddle with, which helps some.

"Bit off more than I could chew, metaphorically speaking. I could feel myself dying, consciousness ebbing away. Hollow."

He's not looking at Ben, now, just at some undefined point in between them on the table.

"Like one of the Echoes. That sort of hollow."

Benjiro keeps vigilant watch on the Network, so he had listened to Walter mention the matter of seeing through someone else’s eye previously, and that makes the first memory discussed at least vaguely familiar. The teenager nods his head as the progression moves to verification of sentience, swallowing but remaining silent as Walter forges onward through the indistinct timeline.

Well acquainted with anxiety himself, Benjiro sees the signs in his friend as he presses through a description of overextending himself to the point of breaking down. If the memory is anything like the hollowness he experienced graveside that robbed him of his understanding of living, he can understand why it influences Walter with such power in that pristine memory.

Sympathetic, he points his chopsticks at the dish in front of his friend and cues him with a gentle tone, “Hey, don’t let that get cold…” There is no actual danger of the food cooling too much to be enjoyable in that short amount of time, but it’s an indirect cue to take a bite to bring unassociated sensory of the present moment forward in his awareness to help brace against the memory.

More directly, he continues, “I’m sorry you experienced that, especially from a firsthand perspective… I don’t suppose you saw the resolution of the event?”

There's a brief thought - "What...?" - before Walter manages to ground himself in the fact that this is a restaurant, no one other than Ben is looking at him right now (or even, given a nervous glance-about, seems to be listening in their direction), and there's food he hasn't even really smelled yet in front of him.

"Right." He takes in a few small bites, blowing once at the rising steam.

"Hnnn. No." There was the chance that even just thinking about it could allow him to see what happened next, but so much of his mind goes afire with "NO!" at the idea of another Echo that he really doesn't want to.

As Walter slows down to start on his meal, Benjiro takes one more small bite himself then settles to stirring the noodles around with his chopsticks as he considers what his friend has exposed. The confirmation that there was no resolution known is met with a faint hum and a worried look.

"...that last memory sounds downright terrifying. Have... have you been having nightmares about it too?" he ventures gingerly, remembering the nights he spent calming Sadie.

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After fiddling around with his Info page so it's all in order...

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