There are bluebirds over- Wait, those don't go here! [Mingle]

[ourearth]

Date: 11.11.2018
Characters: Open!
Note: This is intended to be a very relaxed mingle to give people a bit of a breather. It is plot-related, but a lot less dramatic than prior mingles.

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On the 11th, something about Mossgate Council has changed yet again - but this time, it isn't nearly as disturbing and dangerous as back on Halloween.

Instead of cobwebs and skeletons, there are poppies. Red poppies and white poppies have flowered over night. They cover fields and lawns, the Greens and the forest ground, troop exercise areas over at the airfields, the gardens of the manor house, and even parts of the beach.

And up over the white cliffs of Mossgate, bluebirds flap their wings, flying around and sitting on the castle ruins, and if one stands still for a while and offers breadcrumbs, they'll come over and sit on that person's hand to have a snack, too.

They seem a bit confused, but not nearly as confused as the ornithology department at Mossgate University that can't save itself from interviews - no, they have no idea how that American species suddenly showed up in such numbers and why they're sticking to the cliffs specifically. Jane Astbury finally suggests with some exasperation that maybe they're just doing a music-themed tour of Europe, and could they please let her staff and students teach and study in peace?

Comments

[brofistsforall]

Well, that's a little entertaining. Jacob can't help but smile at that, then seems to catch himself, chuckling a little.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who wanted a peek at the sketchbook," he says, glancing briefly towards the fleeing bluebird. "I'm doing fine. Still getting used to a few things, but fine."

'A few things' may be the new bulk, but. That counts as more than one, right?

[iamnotgod]

Walter snorts. "I'm not done with it just yet," he says - though that's not saying much, now.

Then again, he does have something of a perfectionist streak going.

"And aren't we all, really?" he asks in return, managing a wry smile.

[brofistsforall]

"No worries." A hand reaches down to give a light - maybe overly so, cautious of his newfound strength - pat to the shoulder. "If you'd like, you can show me when it's done?" A way to back off in case Walter's shy about sharing it upfront, and an option to decide if he does share it at all.

"Have to say, it's sure a shock seeing all these in the first place. I didn't even realize they planted so many."

His tone suggests he doesn't think they were planted at all.

[iamnotgod]

"Can do," he answers, taking the time to deftly erase a stray mark near the bottom of the paper.

And then Walter rolls his eyes.

"Wonder if we should thank whoever it was for the effort?"

Said with just enough sarcasm that it's obvious he gets what Jacob's implying.

[brofistsforall]

"Thank you, Sun God?" A quirk of lips. Sometimes, being overly facetious is just what's needed in Jacob's book - he'd probably have given a similar response if he wasn't in the loop.

Still.

"It's a nice view, at least. Probably gonna tell the kids when I get old," and he adopts an old-man rasp to his voice, shaking a fake cane, "I was there when the poppies bloomed at Mossgate!"

[iamnotgod]

The humor is, luckily, well-received; at another time it might have just put Walter on-edge.

"Always the chance it could happen again, though," he points out, still bemused.

"The kids may get poppies of their own."