saveourearth | Don't pet them, grab them! [Mingle]

Date: 25th of July
Characters: Open!

I.

In the afternoon on the 25th, a network message alerts the Numbered to the fact that the petting zoo in Moss Manor's Menagerie is facing a major break-out: Someone has torn down the fences, and all the bunnies, sheep, and all the other animals typically found in petting zoos have decided to book it. They are now swarming the manor's grounds.

Due to the staff being nowhere near enough to catch them all, and due to the generally low threat level of the animals that escaped, visitors are asked to help catch them instead of being sent away.

And anyone who just happens to show up and help will be happily welcomed and included in the fort, without any question of who told them that help is needed.

II.

Afterwards, Lady Margaret Camilla Brassant invites everyone onto her patio and offers refreshments - tea, water, little sandwiches, cake and scones with clotted cream and jam. She retires quickly herself, but not before giving a brief speech thanking everyone who helped save the gardens from hungry mouths.

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Walter made sure to catch Ben's attention after all the hubbub died down. Luring out the peacocks had only been the beginning of the hectic day for him, and he really would have liked time to be alone.

Only, in one sense, he had as much of that as he wanted now, didn't he? Just not the way he wanted. Seeking out those he's connected with, then, is preferable.

He'd found an empty corner, one where the floorboards wouldn't creak and no one kept sneaking glances or asking You sure you don't want to take anything home? It's the least you all deserve for helping us...

It takes very little to catch notice from Benjiro, already seeking familiar faces between identifying more unique characteristics or combinations of features in other faces that he might use to recognize them later. Details always make it easier for him, and he knows Walter's visage even from a distance.

Rather than maneuver through the crowd of talking visitors turned volunteers, he slips to the edge to make his way around to approach the corner where Walter has positioned himself. Sliding up to ease his back to the wall next to the man, he speaks quietly, "I suppose that's one benefit of a number. Calling for assistance."

Walter chuffs quietly.

"True. Though, I'd be careful of saying that - it sounds like a step down the road to the realm of puns."

He winks - then the moment of amusement gives way to exhaustion again.

"Wonder if they would have had enough people, if our anonymous alerter hadn't called."

Puns have their time and place, but when that amusement gives way to obvious fatigue, Benjiro will shelf them for later.

“I suspect some animals would have gone off the grounds requiring longer efforts to retrieve, but most would have remained. Damage to the garden would have been increased.” He pauses, then speaks further, “Tearing down the fences… I wonder what the goal was. Destruction of the fences certainly delayed containing the animals, and it put them at greater risk.”

So he’s not thinking it was a demonstration against cruelty of keeping them in a petting zoo. Especially not one this luxurious.

That's... a very good question, Benjiro.

"Either they were looking for a particular animal, or they were creating a distraction."

Walter folds his hands together.

"Or they were doing this to be cruel. Destruction for its own sake."

“Accounting for all the animals with a registery should answer if it was an attempt to remove an animal from the grounds. I expect some of the workers would still be searching the gardens if any of them are still missing,” not that they can see the grounds from the patio well enough to determine if this is the case. The inclusive search may have been called off as soon as the vast majority had been contained. “A distraction is quite possible given our location. Destruction...I don’t see any reason this would be the target. There must be security cameras.”

Then again, other people are not as logical as Benjiro or Walter.

“Do you think the person that sent the alert might know more?”

Edited 2018-08-03 18:03 (UTC)

Walter nods, humming quietly for a moment.

"So, things we'll have to look into after we leave, then - or before leaving, in the case of asking about the petting zoo inventory."

He doubts they'll be allowed access to the security camera footage - but he doesn't doubt that it'll get looked at.

"If we can find them. Though, they did seem reluctant to talk much about themselves... and also rather excitable."

Loud is the word he means there.

"I can ask before heading out," he offers. Whatever information he receives will be passed on to Walter in a text afterwards of course.

As for asking the mystery prompter, he nods once, "Evasive certainly. Still, we may get an answer if we leave a new message on that initial call since everything remains on the network." That person might be calmer with the situation more or less resolved for the time being.

"Otherwise we may have to wait and see if anything shows up in the news."

"Sounds like a plan," Walter agrees.

"And I'll poke about on that Network post again in the meantime."

Assuming they were even paying attention to it.

"Honestly, I doubt this wouldn't have made the news, help or no help."

Nodding to show his understanding, Benjiro crosses his arms at his chest.

“If cameras show up, I’m out,” he jests with an uneasy smile at the thought of being involved in the highly probable report in any fashion. He is glad he came, but he has no intention of being included.

He quiets for a moment as he looks out into the gathering starting to study faces once more, “...do you think other people got the call that we don’t know about? Ones that may be silent observers like me?”

"If it comes to that, I'll cover for you," Walter adds - though really, if it does, he'll want to make haste leaving as well.

Glancing out at the crowd without turning his head, he can't help but agree.

"It's likely, for sure. Can't expect everyone to already know people from the Network, after all."

Keeping cover until they can't.

It is one thing for him to sit in front of a webcam when he can prepare the content and choose when to start or end. Being recorded without a plan to be seen by local people rather than people that share his interests is far different.

“I hope they’re talking to each other...” he comments wistfully. He would be a wreck by now if he had not been able to reach out to Walter and others.

Walter gives a soft smile.

"I hope so too, Ben."

Don't pet them, grab them! [Mingle]

II! As promised.

<3

I suspect Benjiro is a fan of whatever the AU version of Person of Interest is.

Very likely

... What if someone apped The Machine, tho?

....I have no idea but now I’m curious

Maybe we could poke the mods on the latest digest post?

Or ask in Discord since it's more of a 'what if'

Re: Or ask in Discord since it's more of a 'what if'

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This might be a good note to end the thread on.