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

[ourearth]

Date: 25th of July
Characters: Open!

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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.

Comments

[dragoonrouge]

"I wonder if anyone else will change like that. Everyone seems so different so far so I don't think the same thing is happening to all of us, so how might the rest of you change?" There is a small thread of worry there, not for herself but for Ben, Walter, Professor Petty, and the others who had spoken over the Network.

Sadie can't help but laugh more as Ben also succumbs to laughter, leaning back against his arm as she cackles and sniggers away.

[warped_replica]

Given that Benjiro doesn’t have even an inkling regarding his own changes where two should have already presented, he has to agree that those with numbers are not demonstrating even analagous manifestations. As such, her question is a stumble back into the unsettling unknown. Still, this conversation has provided a glimmer, “Maybe we’ll only have to wait until we see something the way you did.”

Her laughter is infectious, and as she leans to his arm once more, he tries to steady both her and himself holding her with a little more strength - but that just makes it easier to feel her shoulders shaking. So although he calms momentarily, he chortles out a few more laughs before he manages to take a needed deep breath.

[dragoonrouge]

Sadie continues to giggle and snicker as Ben tries to get a hold of himself. Emboldened by the light atmosphere they had created with their joking, Sadie watches Ben and, when he isn't looking dart out a hand to nab one of the sandwich fingers that Ben had picked up and jammed the entire thing into her mouth.

Her cheeks inflated like a hamster, she plasters an innocent look on her face for when Ben looks at her.

[warped_replica]

The subtle shift of the plate sitting on his legs is felt even as he fails to witness the snatching of the tea time treat. A glance spared to make sure the plate is not on the way to sliding off his lap, he does a double take as he spots the gap where a sandwich had been. Looking to Sadie in surprise, the cause is all too clear. He raises a brow as he smirks, and challenges the theft quite directly as he sets his cup of tea off beside himself on the bench, “Really? You haven’t even touched your plate.”

Reaching across, he’ll make a swipe for one of her scones. There’s only so much effort put to the attempt, and should she stop his hand, he’ll simply lean in with his weight, other arm still behind her.

[dragoonrouge]

Sadie puts up a token effort to defend her plate, playfully batting at his hand but ultimately lets Ben appropriate one of her scones. She balanced her plate across both of their legs.

"If you're going to steal my scone, you better treat it properly." She gestures to the clotted cream and the strawberry jam on her plate.

[warped_replica]

The batting merely stalls his hand’s approach, playing along with the show of defense. Once he does claim the scone, he sees that shift of her plate to a closer position. Her instruction is heeded, though he does look between the scone and the choice dressings a couple times before he carefully dips one end of the scone into the clotted cream, and the other into the strawberry jam. Benjiro has no clue if that’s a socially acceptable treatment of the dessert, but putting it into his mouth, he decides it is quite delectable regardless.

A drink of tea is taken after enjoying it, “Second round of food, I’ll definitely be getting some more of those if there are any left.”

[dragoonrouge]

Sadie just watches wide-eyed as Ben just...dips the scone into the clotted cream and jam and on seeing how pleased he is with the combination bursts out laughing.

"You're...supposed to cut it in half and use a knife!" She wheezes, "But yeah I'll definitely grab some more food." She unwraps a small, square cupcake and pops it in her mouth. "We have to take advantage of the free food as much as possible."

[warped_replica]

Noticing her reaction to his shortcut after the scone is in his mouth, his cheeks pinken. Oops. He was never properly trained on tea time society etiquette, nor does he have a knife of his own on hand for such preparation. “Sorry, I’ll grab one if I get anymore,” he offers, though getting her to laugh so hard does make it difficult to actually regret dipping the scone.

A nod of concurrence given, he picks up the remaining sandwich on his plate to bite in half after replying, “It would be impolite not to. Leftovers would likely be tossed.” Then after he finishes off the finger sandwich, a new thought occurs to him, “You know, if you go to Japan, they use chopsticks as the primary utensil.”

[dragoonrouge]

Sadie's still giggling. "No, no. Who cares! Just eat it how you want. Start a scone anarchy movement, Devon and Cornwall won't know what hit them!"

Sadie shakes her head, "All that food waste...we need to be good Gen Z kids and stop them from wasting all that food."

"Ben I am attrocious with chopsticks.Like, you would disown me as your friend levels of bad."

[warped_replica]

Considering it means less time preparing the scone for consumption, he just might. Especially if he can do so with only Sadie as witness to the deviant act.

With everyone having served themselves by this time, it would be an interesting exercise to see how much a single small plate can hold. “And what we can’t eat here and now, could be taken in a napkin perhaps.”

He snerks at the exaggeration of her ability with chopsticks, “As long as you don’t end up with one up your nose, I don’t think I’ll disown you over it. I can always get you a kid-friendly pair of chopsticks for practice.”

[dragoonrouge]

Sadie grins, "If I'd known there was going to a reward spread, and such a delicious one at that, I would have bought at least half of the many, many Tupperware boxes that Dad hoards in the kitchen. Then we could have...recycled the entire buffet!"

She shakes her head, "Honestly I think that would be for the best because you say that like its a wild, out-there scenario but when I say I'm bad at chopsticks, I really mean it."

[warped_replica]

"Tupperware would have been much better," he concedes. "If we really wanted to though, there are quite a few napkins still at the table and I do have my backpack." He isn't seriously interested in taking the food for himself with plentiful food resources always available thanks to his great aunts. It's just fun to plan.

Not quite believing that, he chuckles and picks up the Welsh cake from his plate, "I'll ask my sister to pick up a pair and send them over. Training chopsticks have a small connector at the top to guide the chopsticks while you develop the coordination, and you can get all sorts of characters as the connector. Hey Kitten to Disney, or off label cats and bears. Should I request a cat or something else?"

[dragoonrouge]

"Oh!" She blushes slightly, "That would be great as long as it's not too much trouble. A cat would be perfect."

Anything else Sadie was hoping to say is interrupted by the vibration of her phone going off in her bag. "One sec." Digging around she pulls it out and reads the text before sighing. "Mum wants me home. I should probably head to the bus stop."

[warped_replica]

“They’re small enough to send in an envelope, and Emiko will appreciate an excuse to go by her favorite shop after school,” he assures.

The conversation is disrupted by the alert from her phone, and Benjiro eats his last treat as she reads the text. When she relays that she has to leave, his shoulders sink as he takes his arm from around behind her. He glances back towards then patio, then frowns slightly, “I’d go with you, but I need to catch my cousin to talk to him. There’s something I want to ask.”

“Be safe going home though, okay?”

[dragoonrouge]

"Well I guess...it would be cruel to not enable Emiko. Thanks, Ben."

She stands up and slings her bag across her back. "Alright. You have a safe trip home too and I'll text you when I get in."

She gives Ben a final wave and starts heading to the bus stop, halting only to place her plate on the steadily growing pile of discarded plates on one of the buffet tables.

And scene~

[warped_replica]

The word of thanks is met with a nod.

Watching Sadie stand, Benjiro will stand up as well with his smile renewed at the promise of a text, “I’d like that.” He stays put, waving once as she heads off. Once she’s out of sight, he looks to his own empty plate and heads back to the table of refreshments for a second round of treats to help pass the time.