[Text/Audio]

[dreamtamer]

Date: [3/18]
Characters: Thom

---

 [A new number appears on the network, this time drawn out in block letters, and quickly filled in with different patterns using colored pencils. And then a thump, as Thom notices that Gizmo has spotted one of the family cats and hastily drops his sketchpad on the desk.]

Gizmo! What are you doing? 

[The sound of footsteps and a second voice.]

I wanted to play, but it ran away again. I don't think cats are very good at playing.  

Comments

[vernal_miss]

Despite not having a memory of her own for experience, she feels confident answering his particular question before offering a touch more, “No, the memories comes from a stranger. It sounds like from someplace else too. Maybe not on Earth.”

Realizing these may be very important answers for Thom, she decides to at least extend other options as to whom he can ask, “There are more people with Numbers in our family too, and they might know. Or you can look at the Network and listen to other conversations. The same place we spoke before I came over? I’ve done that lots of times.”

[dreamtamer]

"We get to see alien's memories? That's so cool!" It was possible Thom had been watching too much scifi recently.

He listens to the rest of the explanation and nods. "That's a good idea. I'll have to remember to check it. I want to learn about everyone who has numbers."

[vernal_miss]

The use of the word ‘alien’ makes Nel giggle and she tries to amend the expectations, “Not aliens exactly, but from another world like ours! ...at least, I don’t think anyone sees alien memories.” She pauses with a look of concentration, then shakes her head lightly when she cannot recall any instances described that would match.

“Then you need to learn about our neighbor Benjiro, Walter, Sadie, uh...Russell, and, of course, Chad! Chad is a dog too.” Her voice softens as she relays a warning, “Some people that had Numbers left the Network. A man named Jim taught me a lot about it but...he’s not around anymore.”

[dreamtamer]

"That's a lot of people with numbers." He sighs. "I feel like its going to take a really long time to catch up with everything going on."

[vernal_miss]

“I don’t think it will,” she starts, patting Gizmo lightly on the head before she stands to look to Thom directly, “There’s still a lot we don’t know about having a Number. Or why all the strange stuff keeps happening, like the poppy flowers growing all over last year.”

“But I can show you my magic now if you want,” she says with a small hint of a smile.

[dreamtamer]

"Of course I'd like to see," he says with a grin. "I've been curious since you mentioned it."

[vernal_miss]

Her smile splits wide at the acceptance of her offer, quite amused by the mention of the delay, “Okay, wait here a minute!” Nel hurries in her steps as she slips out of his room to make her way downstairs and outside momentarily. Gathering a plastic cup worth of dirt, she returns inside and back up to his room. Careful enough to close the door behind her, she puts the cup down on the floor and kneels next to it.

“Pick a color!” Nel asks playfully.

[dreamtamer]

Thom thinks a moment as he peers curiously at the preparations. "Red," he decides.

[vernal_miss]

“Red red... Okay!” she murmurs then agrees. Her repertoire of red flowers is limited, so she decides to rely on the classic. Reaching her fingertips into the cup to touch the dirt, Nel slides them in towards each other and leaves a small gap of space. As she does this, green color flows out from her head down the strands of her hair towards her shoulders, but fails to reach even half the length of her long hair. Then in the course of a few seconds, she draws her hands upwards with small flecks of light falling from them, and a plant grows out of the plain dirt. Several stalks stretch upwards only to end in pods while the one in the center blooms into a red poppy flower. Hands parting away, the magic stops and the green of her hair fades gradually back into her.

[dreamtamer]

Thom watches all of this with fascination. He is extremely impressed.

"Wow! Do you know why your hair changes color when you do that?"

[vernal_miss]

Quite pleased that she was able to impress her older brother, Nel raises a little taller where she kneels with the brand new flower with a warm smile. The question about her hair is met with a half shrug of one shoulder and a head motion between a nod and a shake, “Not really. It keeps going out more the more I use my magic, but I’m not sure why.”

[dreamtamer]

"Magic hair is still kind of cool," Thom says cheerfully as he leans over to get a better look at the flower. "Can you grow any kind of plant?"

[vernal_miss]

The compliment gets a little titter from her, and Nel goes so far as to nudge the cup a touch closer to encourage Thom to examine it as much as he wants, "Thanks. I think my magic is why I can't keep my hair short." Even before last summer, Nel has always needed an excessive amount of haircuts to keep it manageable.

"I think so, as long as I've met it! Once I touch it, I know how it should be, but looking at a picture isn't good enough. I tried."

[dreamtamer]

"We could go to a garden store later," he suggests cheerfully. "Or some gardens!"

[vernal_miss]

“That’d be brilliant! I went into a flower shop once, but I’d love to grow all kinds of plants. Maybe I can buy seed packets for some at the garden store,” she replies with enthusiasm. The idea of wandering in growing gardens and shops with plants is far more fun if she can have her brother with her!

Rather than focusing on her Number however, her attention switches back to her brother and Gizmo. Reaching a hand to Gizmo, she starts to pet him as she speaks, “I think your Number will be really neat. It already is since he can talk.”

[dreamtamer]

Gizmo happily leans into the pets as she talks. But Thom is a little more doubtful.

"You really think so? Him talking was already such a surprise, I don't know what else there could be."

[vernal_miss]

“I think that’s part of the fun! But sooner or later you might know from a memory,” she says in encouragement. Nel has confidence her brother will think of possible changes for them once the shock has passed.

Her smile sobers as she goes on after a momentary pause, still petting Gizmo, “One problem though is we have to keep it all a secret. We tell Mummy, but we don’t show her, and we definitely don’t tell anyone else.”

[dreamtamer]

"I already promised I'd tell her when I remembered things. But why can't we show her?"

[vernal_miss]

Her hand slows in petting as she glances down, “Mum doesn’t want her to catch it. It wouldn’t be fair if they both got it, cause we aren’t the only kids they have.” It being a Number, and kids referring to their unmarked siblings.

If anything happened to the Numbered...

[dreamtamer]

Thom sort of understood now. The reason made sense... but it felt kind of uncomfortable to think about having to keep something so important away from the other members of their family.

"I get it, I guess. Do you think any of the others will have numbers?"

[vernal_miss]

“Maybe...” she answers softly with sadness overlaying her words after as her hands drop away from Gizmo, “Skypa used to have a Number too. He still had it when I was sleeping too much, but one day it went away... He forgot everything about them.”

“Still, there’s you and Gizmo now, me, Grandpa, Mum, and Feste. The Numbers seem to like our family.”