The wrinkle between Agatha’s brows deepens as she turns her gaze to Russell as he expresses his involvement in some broader situation that influenced these recent events. Her eyes narrow slightly at the description her nephew gives, and she looks briefly to Rosemary with confusion written clearly in her expression. That Russell would invoke the notion of ‘magic’ given the long history with his mother is enough of a surprise that it alone conjures a hint of the fantastic.
“Something going on?” she repeats to begin her prompt to garner more information, “I’m afraid you’ll have to explain.”
His heart protests with a flutter of a beat in a spike of anxiety as Benjiro finds himself in the same position to explain as he had to his parents. Unlike then however, Russell is next to him. Drawing a slower breath, he borrows from the conversation he had with Sadie and her parents to find a foothold into the chaos of Numbers, “T-the aurora borealis last summer. That’s when we realized something had started. Odd events keep happening here in Mossgate since, and only in Mossgate. Things like what happened on Remembrance Day and Mother’s Day, or the earthquake and tsunami.” His hands tighten further, knuckles fading white as he narrows in focus, “And odd things have been happening to individual people. Like me. Or rather, us,” Benjiro says with a glance to Russell.
Agatha knows well about those events, as she has been wondering about them after living in Mossgate quietly for decades. Something about the last year has been very different. Giving Rosemary’s hand a squeeze, her expression gradually begins to shift towards something sterner that her wife will recognize as a protective response.
Unable to yet look to his aunts, Benjiro forges a little further, “Anyone caught in this has a Number that they remember. It won’t mean anything to anyone else, but… It allows us to communicate secretly, and seems to link each of us to something specific. From it, we’ve…changed.” He bows his head lower, sinking in his seat.
“Last summer, you started wearing a mask,” Agatha states with her voice carrying an undertone of sadness. They haven’t seen their great nephew smile since then, not really. “That’s part of it?”
no subject
“Something going on?” she repeats to begin her prompt to garner more information, “I’m afraid you’ll have to explain.”
His heart protests with a flutter of a beat in a spike of anxiety as Benjiro finds himself in the same position to explain as he had to his parents. Unlike then however, Russell is next to him. Drawing a slower breath, he borrows from the conversation he had with Sadie and her parents to find a foothold into the chaos of Numbers, “T-the aurora borealis last summer. That’s when we realized something had started. Odd events keep happening here in Mossgate since, and only in Mossgate. Things like what happened on Remembrance Day and Mother’s Day, or the earthquake and tsunami.” His hands tighten further, knuckles fading white as he narrows in focus, “And odd things have been happening to individual people. Like me. Or rather, us,” Benjiro says with a glance to Russell.
Agatha knows well about those events, as she has been wondering about them after living in Mossgate quietly for decades. Something about the last year has been very different. Giving Rosemary’s hand a squeeze, her expression gradually begins to shift towards something sterner that her wife will recognize as a protective response.
Unable to yet look to his aunts, Benjiro forges a little further, “Anyone caught in this has a Number that they remember. It won’t mean anything to anyone else, but… It allows us to communicate secretly, and seems to link each of us to something specific. From it, we’ve…changed.” He bows his head lower, sinking in his seat.
“Last summer, you started wearing a mask,” Agatha states with her voice carrying an undertone of sadness. They haven’t seen their great nephew smile since then, not really. “That’s part of it?”
Tense and flustered, Benjiro confirms, “…hai.”