Congregateeeeee [Mingle]

[saveournpcs]

Date: 4th January 2020
Characters: OPEN

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While Ben goes on an adventure, the mice comply with Walter's request and seek out all the Numbered, wherever they are at the moment, to lead them to an exit - which happens to come out at the highest point that they could have made the Numbered climb. Exercise is good for you?

Either way, the Numbered step out of a tunnel that is just big enough for an adult to find themselves behind a bush up at the ruins that sit on top of the Greens. Luckily, nobody is around as they step out in whatever groups that they found themselves in last.

And then the mice return into the tunnels and leave the Numbered to themselves.

...and as the Numbered who were down in the tunnels step out into the ruins, and a mouse squeaks good-bye at them, they'll receive an echo that makes them, or used to make their preincarnation, feel safe.

Comments

[spaghettimonster]

"That's... close enough. I think I used magic," Russell concludes, considering his fingers. There's no sparkles or glow about them, nothing to hint at the magical potential. "Didn't know it worked on anyone else, though. Go figure. That's bloody lucky," he mutters at the end, rubbing at his face.

It would be a lot easier to face Mary Ann without thinking he nearly dropped her kid on rock headfirst... But easier to have only nearly done so. Thank goodness for reflexive magic.

[vernal_miss]

Nel perks with curiosity when Russell takes ownership of the save through magic and smiles brightly, “Really?” Her desire to ask further questions wanes as he rubs at his face, and she reaches out with both hands to take his free hand. “You caught me when we were both out of sorts, so thank you.”

Then with her smile shifting to a smirk she adds, “My siblings have dropped me loads of times.” In other words, he has no need to feel bad about the near miss.

[spaghettimonster]

"You too, huh? Older siblings just have to drop the youngers, I think it's a rule." Russell has to smile back, picking up her intent to reassure, but also because he's had his own experiences with siblings hauling him about. Some of them in far more recent years than he considers reasonable... But hey.

He has the feeling Mary Ann's more lenient with her own children than with full grown adults, but he squeezes Nel's hand anyway. "With any luck, neither of us will be almost dropping on rock... How about we catch up to the others before that happens again?"

[vernal_miss]

That gets her giggling. “Absolutely. How else can we toughen up faster?” she poses in jest. Nel knows well all the drops were accidental, and she holds no grudge about such minor occurrences. She fully expects them to continue.

She squeezes his hand back, then leaves one to hold his a little longer as she turns with him to move away from the tunnel entrance around the brush, “Sounds good. And hey, if you ever want to practice with your magic on someone, I volunteer!”

“And if you don’t want to today, I’ll try to figure out what my Number did. I really hope my hair doesn’t catch fire next...”

[spaghettimonster]

"That was probably their reasoning," he concedes, given his older siblings' views on how to interact with their baby brother. Even now, if it isn't teasing or advice...

The rest of what she's saying sinks in, and he squints at her in the increasing light. "...Why would it catch fire?"

[vernal_miss]

Ouch. Yep. That sure is some sunlight after being in utter darkness. Nel slows her pace as she shuts her eyes and cautiously blinks them open with her hand squeezing tighter to Russell’s hand. Once she can mostly see in the transition, her hand relaxes..

“Oh. Well, when I use my magic for plants, my hair turns green and floats. When I use water, it turns blue and gets heavy covered in water. So I think other elements could be next.” With a frown towards her feet, she admits, “...I still haven’t had any memories from my Number.”

[spaghettimonster]

"None at all, huh... It's been almost the opposite for me," he offers. "Scattered memories of a life... Underground, I think. Not much for powers." Or at least, not for powers that he's noticed. But maybe there's other things he has yet to realize he's gained, like this incident revealed.

He drifts his spare hand across his hair, trying not to mess with the styling too badly, contemplating how it might feel if surrounded in flame. "Does it get wet, or anything, when it changes?" Hair's flammable, so color-changing might be fine, but igniting less so.

[vernal_miss]

In confirmation, Nel shakes her head silently, then looks back up as she listens. The idea of a life below ground seems foreign, however she appreciates what she knows about, “The powers you have are quite useful really.” She can think of all sorts of ways stopping gravity for a person and magic bones could be utilized.

“Yeah. The water is sort of like a heavy bubble around my hair, then when I’m done, my regular hair is soaked. I can show you sometime if you want,” she offers. Last year during the summer and into the fall, he had sufficient opportunities to practice outside until she could grasp the magic to turn it on and off at will. Outside here in the chilled air is not the best place to have wet hair, so a demonstration will have to wait.

“Maybe then I could hear about the memories from living underground…?” she asks as her curiosity demands.