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

[runs]

"...Somewhere else?"

She really isn't sure what he means there. "I've never really been out of Mossgate." A few times to London, a few trips to Brighton or someplace in Kent. One time to France. That's pretty much it.

[warped_replica]

“Sorry, outside the menagerie is what I meant,” he clarifies. Still here in Mossgate certainly as he doesn’t expect her to travel on her own anywhere else.

Misunderstanding corrected, it still does make him think. He hasn’t quite gotten around to talking to Kitty about the network, and this might be an opportunity to do so without disrupting the fun they’ve been having working on the drone.

“After that frantic call earlier, I’ve got a lot I’m thinking about.”

[runs]

"...Like what?" She's still reeling a bit from the notion that she's not sure where it's coming from, but she knows that tone and immediately gets cautious. It's the tone of 'we have something serious to talk about', that usually precedes unpleasant things like a family change or someone catching on to her skiving.

[warped_replica]

Turning his hands up and open towards her, he shrugs a little as his voice stays calm, "Like...how many people have a special number that let them hear someone calling to bring help here. People like you and me."

There is a lot more on his mind - whether this is an intended purpose of the network, whether the person that called has anything to do with the network after failing to identify themselves, whether this manner of call can be used later to draw the numbered out for a specific purpose... But none of these things will be shared. Benjiro just wants Kitty to know he's part of it.

[runs]

"...Oh." She frowns and just stares at him for the longest time before following up with a very important query. "Do the aunties know?"

[warped_replica]

Benjiro waits patiently as she takes the information to process, letting his hands come back down to rest at his knees. Her question is an important one that draws an uncomfortable, almost pained frown from him, “No. I haven’t told them, and I don’t plan to yet.”

[runs]

"So you think that it's one of those things that you don't tell adults about?" There are a lot of things like that, but in this specific case, if even Benjiro thinks that it is something that shouldn't be told to his aunts...

[warped_replica]

Hesitation holds his answer for a few seconds, wanting to select his phrasing appropriately, “For now, yes...but there are some adults we can talk to because they have numbers too. Like Walter. He was my friend before the aurora, and now he’s trying to find out what’s happening to us. Once we know more, then I think we’ll be able to talk to the other adults we trust.”

Or because they will be forced to discuss it.

“And you can talk to me about it too,” he offers, recovering a small smile. Benjiro would not pressure her to tell him about her experiences, but he wants her to know he’ll be there if she needs him.

[runs]

"I don't think adults that aren't involved are very good people to trust in. They do all kinds of things with the things you trust them with, like talk to child services or your teachers." She frowns. "Or they try to talk you into doing something.

But I'll talk to you." Ben is cool, after all.

[warped_replica]

His smile faintly falters at her mention of child services, then inwardly moreso at some attempt to talk her into something, gleaming a hint about her placement from the references. There is no sense in trying to pry, so he will simply keep it as a piece as of the puzzle. Burying the whispers of worry, he’ll focus on what can be done.

When she expresses a willingness to talk to him, his smile opens to something closer to a grin, “Thanks. All this stuff with the numbers has been weird.”

[runs]

"It has.

It'd be cooler if this network had games or something. At least candy crush." She's not asking for much, here.

[warped_replica]

To that Benjiro rolls his eyes, “Ugh, that game is already everywhere. It comes on new computers now.” As much as the game persists in invading electronic devices, his complaint is as much jest as distaste for its pervasive nature. “Now if it had something new to offer game wise, I’d be all for it.”

Rising back to his feet, he finally moves to pick up his backpack and examine the busted seam. He can repair this without much difficulty.

[runs]

"Maybe you can program something into it." She purses her lips. "I mean that would make it a lot more attractive.

Like you could play a game whenever and nobody would notice." Excellent for when you have to sit in a boring class.

[warped_replica]

The idea seems preposterous on the surface, but he has never really input anything into the network personally, so he cannot dismiss it. Maybe Walter has made such an attempt. “Pretty sure it’s meant to be functional for communication only, but I’ll check into it.”

As a game streamer, he has come to enjoy having observation of his play, but before moving here, he would have preferred to play secretly.

He takes a moment to search through his backpack, and finding a safety pin, he closes the ripped steam with the temporary measure before sliding on the straps. At least the most important things stowed inside are tucked deep. Attention turned back to Kitty, he asks her, “So, should we keep looking for more animals? Maybe something smaller this time?”

[runs]

"Sure! I think I saw a small goat run that way," she points into the direction that she assumes it to be.

"And if you figure out a way to make the network better, you should immediately announce it!"

[warped_replica]

Goats have hooves, are known for headbutting, and have horns...so, more of the same with horns in a smaller package. Yeah, okay. He can manage that. Looking the way she points, he moves to start walking with her in the same direction.

“Eh, I might let Walter do it. I don’t want to add to the network until I learn more about it.”