Save Our Earth Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ourearth) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
saveourearth2018-11-11 03:24 pm
ourearth) wrote in saveourearth2018-11-11 03:24 pm
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:
...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.
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.
no subject
She does notice the looseness of Ben's hold on her and loosens her grip slightly to see if he'll tighten the hold. "Shall we go for a wander?" Some alone time and privacy amongst the crowds would be best for any questions and conversations between them afterall.
no subject
As her grip shifts, there’s a reflexive pull in his arms that is countered by conscious restraint that he follows into lowering her to her feet with a bend of his knees. “Yes please.” Away from the crowd is tempting enough, but Benjiro will follow Sadie anywhere. Releasing her middle, he instead offers a bent arm to her as he turns to face away from the bonfire and thus the draw of the gathering.
no subject
"How have you been?" She asks, gently giving his arm a squeeze as she looks up at Ben.
no subject
Her pout does not go unseen, and he intends to make certain she understands why he did not want to squeeze tighter to keep her closer. Walking with Sadie on his arm, Benjiro reaches to lay his other hand lightly on her forearm near her wrist, "Better for the most part. Soreness is almost gone, but..." There's a delay as he checks that they are far enough from other people to talk freely with his voice lowered with his tone guilt-ridden, "I keep breaking things when I'm not careful. A pen, two pencils, my alarm clock... I even had to fix a door handle I pushed too hard."
no subject
"Is there anything I can do to help?" This was clearly the result of an Echo and she hates to hear Ben sound guilty over something he has no control of. He's clearly worried about hurting her so Sadie pulls Ben down into a hug, purr kicking in in response to her want to comfort him.
no subject
"All I can ask is for you to be patient with me, and honest with me about what feels normal and what's too much when I hold your or squeeze your hand. I need to get used to the ratio of conscious effort to neuromuscular recruitment is all," as so far he's been making an effort to be delicate. Were he to accidentally injure Sadie, he isn't certain he would be capable of forgiving himself.
no subject
"Of course I will. Step by step, and slowly does it yeah?" She reassures him, lying or not saying something would never even cross her mind. "I guess that's what the Halloween incident has turned out to be then?" And speaking of Halloween... "Did it feel different to you that time? Not the normal hollow and heart pounding at least?"
*hold you or
Benjiro nods as she correctly links his increase of strength to the dual Echo he received on Halloween. He had told her at length about the two memories, but right after the fact had not understood why his muscles had spasmed and weakened. Then, Sadie keys in on the quality of that Echo, and his brows furrow as he confirms, "It felt very different. I heard a heartbeat outside of me, and there was no dizziness, but..." He collects the best words he can think of to describe it with a grim edge, "That hollow feeling was magnified. For a moment, I didn't exist and all that was left were my bones."
Re: *hold you or
"Mine felt different to usual too, but not in the same way as your's. There was none of the dizziness I normally feel and...and it felt like I was being gently embraced... It was oddly comforting."
no subject
“Huh. Have you already asked anyone else if they had alterations as well on Halloween?”
no subject
Sadie shakes her head. "No, Walter was with me and got an Echo at the same time but his reaction... It was like mine when we ran into that bald guy. I don't want to upset him by bringing it back up."
Sadie glances about, "I do have something to show you though, from yesterday evening." She whispers as she pulls out her phone.
no subject
Benjiro nods as Sadie relates that she was not able to ask Walter about his experience for quite a good reason. He offers some positive news in turn, "I saw him yesterday at the library. He's still recovering, but he's doing better. Talking about games helped I think."
As Sadie gets her phone, he tilts his head with a raise of a brow, voice hushed to reply, "Oh yeah..?" By now they're getting to the outskirts of the gathering while they walk together arm in arm, and drawing further from the crowd, Benjiro will walk with her to stand behind cover to talk, her whispered voice making him expect the need for privacy.
no subject
Sadie lets out a deep sigh of relief, "That's good to hear, he was really shaken when I took him to Jim's..." She does brighten up, "Oh my god, did you know that Walter and Jim went on a date?!" She gushes excitedly.
Getting herself back on track, Sadie opens up her phone gallery and passes it to Ben, letting him flick through the photos of the tents, hazmat suits, and yellow radioactive signs on containers.
no subject
Given what Walter had revealed to him, Benjiro can understand. However, the matter of a date between Jim and Walter had never reached him, and his brows raise before he smiles with pleasant surprise, “Did they? He didn’t mention it… Huh. Come to think of it, for as little as I know of Jim, they do seem like a good match.”
Behind cover with Sadie, he takes her phone to look through the photos carefully with a serious expression settling in place. He scans the set first, then returns to the first image to zoom in for details, seeking anything he may have overlooked on the initial pass. As he studies them, he asks her to confirm, “…you took these at the Greens, didn’t you? How did you manage to take these without getting caught?”
no subject
Sadie hunches her shoulders and looks at her feet, "...I did...I waited until it got dark and climbed a tree further away than human eyes can see..."
no subject
Looking up from the phone between the photos, Benjiro sees the display of guilt and leans over to place a light kiss to her temple, “Sounds like you took some precautions, however, if you don’t have to act immediately, you can always call me or someone else so someone can be nearby as backup. A distraction if nothing else to keep attention away from you... I saw the tents at a distance and wanted to look myself, but didn’t have a safe way to do it.” Closing out her image gallery after one last look at the final photos, he urges, “You should get these off your phone tonight. Store them on a flash drive away from your computer just to be safe.”
If her phone was found or searched by an official…
“That reminds me though. After seeing the notices, I went to do some research and I found an odd newspaper article at the library about the superintendent. It said she became a constable right out of school, speaks fluently in Russian and French, and she used to work with a special police department in London that was never given identification. Mentioned she worked abroad, but it avoided a lot of specifics you might expect in a public resume for someone set to oversee multiple police forces. It wasn’t just short either…they filled space with a lot of superfluous information.”
no subject
Sadie glances back up at the kiss to her temple and leans into Ben, "I promise to be more careful in the future... I'll make sure to get rid of them, I just wanted to show you first. It didn't seem safe to send them to you or put them up on the Network, this is something that I'll have to discuss face to face."
"That's...not normal. Really not normal. That stinks of Special Services...I'm worried Ben. We know videos can leave Mossgate...What if more attention from outside gets drawn in because of her and whatever they've found on the Green?"
no subject
Benjiro passes the phone back to Sadie as she leans in close, and he stays steady to give her the support while separating their arms to slide it around her shoulders instead to bring her in nearer still, "No, you did the right thing keeping it to show me in person. You've been smart about all of it, but don't forget you have help available. Me included. That's all."
After relaying the information from the article to her, he frowns softly as he hears her express worries that have already lingered in his mind for some time, "I figured eventually we'd get attention from the government if and when the Echoes became too much to hide. Their presence and activity have increased sooner than I had anticipated, but for now, we focus on staying hidden and learn what we can at a safe distance as part of the crowd. I think that's our best course of action to keep everyone safe."
A pause follows as he sees the weight of the situation hanging on Sadie during what should be a holiday. Nothing they do tonight will change how events proceed, but he can do something here and now to restore her mood. With a quick glance around to ensure the coast is clear, his soft smile splits into a grin behind his mask as he reminds her, "For as much trouble as they have caused, I'm intend to use my Echoes to protect us!" He gives no warning before he loosens his arm to drop into a crouch beside her, and wraps his arm around her hips to sit her on his shoulder, and stands straight back up with more effort set to minding her balance than to the strength needed to lift her. There is no need to grip hard to keep her there with his arm locked to act like a bracing bar rather than a belt to avoid risking squeezing too tight as he shows off.
no subject
In a way it's nice to hear Ben echo her concerns, it was a worry for her previously as well but after the bald man and now this it has become a lot more real. "I suppose it was only a matter of time...I want to make sure everyone remains safe."
Sadie is not expecting Ben to suddenly let go of her and heft her onto her shoulder as she lets out a shriek of surprise. "Bloody hell!" It takes conscious effort to stop her claws from sliding out to give her better grip, but once Ben stands upright Sadie can't help but giggle, combing her fingers through his hair. "You show-off! And damn you know it works!" She drops a gentle kiss onto the top of his head.
**I intend to use.
During his efforts to research the policing structure and related topics at the library, Benjiro had spent the hours slowly constructing a better understanding of the institutions in place around them. Although not as familiar with the bald man, he does feel now the Numbered are caught between two separate forces while a third may already be lurking behind the Network and Halloween Echoes.
For now however, that's not here. Here, he has Sadie on his arm quite literally.
Smirking up at her behind his mask at her exclamation, he holds still to let her steady once standing. His smirk softens to something warmer when she brushes her fingers through his hair, and his cheeks color at the kiss to the top of his head, "That was the idea." Leaning his head over against her leg, he pauses as he really gets a sense of his strength when he's trying to use it instead of restrain it, "...you feel ridiculously light now. I mean it takes effort still but no wonder I keep breaking stuff."
no subject
Ben leaning his head against her leg prompts her to resume carding her fingers through his hair. Watching the bonfire from her now elevated position, Ben there too... "It's worth it. The changes, the Numbers, it's all worth it to be together with you... No matter what else is happening, I will always treasure the time we spend together."
no subject
The sensation of her fingers in his hair is soothing, and closing his eyes, he relaxes his head fully against her for those seconds of quiet. His head stays there as she speaks, listening as she expresses how much their relationship means. Given what Sadie has already faced, it is no small thing. Lifting his head slowly to peer up to her with a shy smile, he reaches his other hand up to her as an anchor for her to grasp as he slowly bends his knees to lower into a half kneel to bring her back to the ground.
"I feel the same way, Sadie. Knowing you're with me, I don't feel scared of it like I used to."
no subject
"I never want you to have to feel like that again." And at that moment, a beginning of an idea begins to root in Sadie's mind, of the future and somewhere safe that they can be safe and happy in. "I feel braver when you're with me."
no subject
Reaching to gingerly take her hands in his, he smiles with clear adoration for her, “Then you can count on me to always be there.” With a soft breath in, he tilts his head forward and to the side to kiss her with the first contact ginger only to come around again as a soft pull. So long as he keeps aware of the middle between them, he can keep the kisses soft.
no subject
Sadie leans into the kiss and reciprocates with soft kisses inbetween Ben's own efforts.
"You can count on my to do the same thing too for you."
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