saveourearth | Two for One [Open Audio Network] [Closed Action]

Date: October 21st
Characters: Network Number {235 13 892 33} ; Action for Mary Ann, Ornella, and later Feste

[Action - Joint with Ornella and Mary Ann]
{Nel} In a family of seven, finding those quiet moments to speak to only one other in the household tend to be rare. As the second youngest in the family, Ornella is not quite old enough to suffer a shift towards a nocturnal schedule like her older siblings, and this provides an opportunity. Slipping from her shared room, she heads out into the hallway and downstairs with one hand clutching to a stuffed toy. For a few days now, a number has been quite intrusive in her thoughts, and regardless of her thinking of it every hour awake, cannot recall the reason it feels so important. When it had popped back into her head before she even opened her eyes this morning, she had lost any chance of returning to sleep for a few more minutes with irritation rousing her all the more quickly.

Reaching the living space, she’s relieved to find a mother present. Bare feet carrying her quickly over the last of the distance, she comes up beside the chair to insert herself into Mary Ann’s space without hesitation, sliding one hand under her arm in semblance of a hug to lean in and bury her face in against her shoulder for a breath. Grasping at the calm granted by the contact, she lifts her head to prop her chin on that shoulder and plead for assistance, “Mum? I remembered someone’s number, but I don’t know whose it is.”

{Mary Ann} "A number?" That sounds familiar. Very familiar indeed. Because there's this number that's been on her mind since yesterday, and she feels like she's known it for a long time but she can't put her finger on where from or what it is even for. It doesn't seem to be a phone number... Perhaps she came across it again while Nel was there? That might be something to narrow the source down with. Assuming it's the same number, even. "What is the number?"

[Network]
“That’s funny… It’s not even ringing,” comes the voice of a young girl. There’s no image to be paired to the audio, but she is certainly not alone.

The voice of a middle-aged woman responds, sounding puzzled. "There isn't even a ceased number intercept message." That's what she had expected, quite honestly. After all the number did not sound like a phone number at all. But it was worth a try... is what she thought.

((OOC note: Mary and Nel will respond unevenly in various threads))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Honestly, Sam is probably more alert and focused now than he has been in a long time, since Amy died. Even if this might be dangerous, it's at least keeping him centered and active. "That was kind of you. Sadie might well need help-- she remembers having ears and a tail, too, and hunting animals. And there's a guy with shark teeth, too. The longer this goes on, the more we remember, and the more we might change. I'm just hoping nothing happens that's too hard to hide."

Says the guy who had visions of having wings and flying....

"...I really hope it stays things that can be hidden, too. Even if the attention that that this strangeness could draw was mostly positive, it would still be tiring quickly to have constant attention on oneself..." They've been hiding some facts about their children from the knowledge of anyone else for that exact reason for a long time now.

The changes mentioned thus far have been quite limited in scope, and the possibility of more dramatic changes does force Nel to pause to consider as she hasn't really thought that far in advance yet. While something unusual might be interesting, the likelihood of excessive attention pointed out by her mother makes her wrinkle her nose, "Ugh, like celebrities get with those gossip papers? No thank you."

Nel likes attention from her family and friends, but she has no interest in the performing arts.

"And worse, because people might try to do science on us." That's... the most roundabout and non-descriptive way of putting it. She really doesn't want to think about details in this regard.

Especially since her family is involved in this. Her daughter (and another kid, but she doesn't know that yet).

Sam is a little less avoidant about it, sorry, Mary. "Nel, honey, if something happens to you that changes you, that other people might see, other people might hurt you because of it," he tells her. "Either because they're scared, they're jealous, or they want to find out how it works. So you're gonna have to keep it hidden, whatever it is, at least for now."

Mary Ann doesn't correct him - she'd just have liked to breach this one more carefully. And not now. And also she doesn't want to believe that someone would harm them without at least some form of consent. This is a free country, after all. But... better safe than sorry.

Still, she doesn't want to frighten Nel unnecessarily...

So in the end she just sits there and waits, watching her daughter attentively to react to her reaction.

The consequences of such attention are alluded to vaguely by her mother only to then be outlined and given reason by her grandfather. Still standing beside him, her hand under his arm tightens as she shuffles closer with her brow knitting in a bothered expression. Lips pressing into a thin line before shifting into a decided frown, she huffs indignantly, “Well that’s bang out of order…”

Nel has been raised in a wonderful family, but she’s not ignorant enough to deny that could happen. It really does bother her, which is evident in how she doesn’t ask any questions and looks down towards the floor.

Sam is less protective of children, in part possibly because he was a wild thing as a child, himself. He thinks she can probably handle it without freaking out. And, thankfully, in this case he's right. He gives her a squeeze. "Of course, even if that happened, you have me and your mum, and the rest of the family, to protect you. And some people might have problems with it who aren't part of this messy thing, too. I just want you to make sure you're careful who you tell about all this, and who you might accidentally show things if something about you changes, just in case."

Mary Ann nods and reaches out to brush a hand over her daughter's hair, tuck a wayward strand that slipped out of the braid behind her ear.

"We'll all look after another, but we'll have to try and keep this a secret. Not just for ourselves and each other, but for everyone who is involved."

The squeeze from her grandfather is all it takes to get her to look up again, her protective flare of indignation fading as reassurances are granted to soothe the worry and fear beneath. She does have them there to look after her as they always have before, and Nel knows it. A reminder however, is always nice.

Head tilting into the touch from her mother to secure that bit of hair back behind her ear, she nods her head forward and speaks more to the subject, "I'm not going to tell anyone, not even my friends, but... What if I really mess up? What if I change at school and I can't hide it and someone sees?" Her family won't always be able to stay right nearby.

Sam's mouth twists a little at that. Nightmare scenario, that is. "I'm going to hope that never happens-- not to any of us. But if it does, call one of us immediately, okay? Me or your mum will come get you." (She has her own cell phone, right? If not, now might be the time to get her one.)

Mary is thinking along the same lines. "We'll get you a mobile phone. And if they won't let you keep it on you at school, we'll make sure that you at least have some paper and something to write on you at all times so you can call us through the network if needed."

A mobile has the advantage of her also being able to call other family in a pinch, but Numbered family is better anyway and hopefully at least one of them will be available. Or perhaps some other Numbered person will help.

Nel will hope alongside them that none of them are caught after a visible change, but having an idea of what to do should it occur does wonders to soothing her worry. Even if she’s seen, so long as she can still move freely in the school, she knows she can find some wicked good hiding spots until her Mum can get out of work or her Grandpa can drive to the school. Nodding her head, she sighs with visible relief, “Okay. I’ll keep it in my pocket and never take it out at school unless it’s an emergency.” Whether that’s a phone or a scrap of paper and writing utensil.

That doesn’t address the aftermath of the problem, but that may very well depend on what sort of change occurs. For now, this is enough, and Nel gives her grandfather and her mum a hug in turn in gratitude. After that, she’s looking to her cup of hot chocolate.

The hug is returned, and then they have tea and coffee and cocoa and begin the day.

Together, as a family, they can figure this out.

Two for One [Open Audio Network] [Closed Action]

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