warped_replica | Save Our Earth : IC Inbox

You haven't received anything like this in the post, have you Ben?

[Attached to the message is a picture of a wooden bunny, sitting up on its haunches.]

The clothes were one thing, but this is just bizarre.

[It was in his old room, he knows, but it wasn't as if he was attached to it back then...]

Nothing like that. Everything I’ve found in the mailbox for me has been generic or something I misplaced since I transferred.

[The item in the picture is rather unique.]

Where is that from?

It's from when my family lived in Mossgate, almost twenty-four years ago. It's only a bedroom ornament, but it's still bizarre to see it again now.

[Then the figure is tied to Mossgate as well.]

I can only imagine. Aside from the length of time between seeing it, is there anything else about it that stands out to you?

No. No strange marks on it, nothing attached. I'd just never noticed anything like it in anyone else's house. Otherwise, and if it hadn't shown up this week, after everything else, I'd have just assumed someone had lost their custom carving after the flood, or tried to return it to the wrong flat.

[But no. It's something tied to him.]

[He has his doubts, but he may as well ask.]

I don’t suppose you remember how you parted with it then?

We moved out in the summer of 1995. Not much fuss made about it, but it was very sudden. Five-year-old me had had all kinds of questions. My parents didn't have all the answers, naturally, but they'd said it would be all right and that we'd learn the rest together.

[Which managed to be both a reasonable way of dealing with a five-year-old, and also very suspicious.]

I'd been more sore about leaving my blanket behind, and that I've had returned as of three days ago.

[That is certainly one way to lose a large number of items all at once. He is curious about what prompted the sudden departure, but he wants to be careful not to pry.]

A situation of leaving with what you can carry? If you were renting at the time, I assume the landlord would have thrown everything out. What state was the blanket in?

Not an emergency. Though you could argue joining a cult does count, if in the 'ringing alarm bells' sense.

[Ben's not someone Walter would deliberately keep this knowledge from. Certainly not now.]

The blanket was exactly as I last remembered it, in terms of quality. I suspect it was sealed and stored somewhere, if it was attended to at all.

[A brief pause on the other end as Benjiro considers a response to put into words after grimacing.]

I would be alarmed by that, yes. ...the idea that the blanket was sealed and stored is rather creepy. Although the alternative for maintaining its state or restoration of it might be magic.

[Walter is glad that Ben's response isn't anything more extreme - though he nudges that relief away from the front of his mind.]

As Sadie would say, 'Magic is bullshit.'

An appropriate expression.

[Accepting the existence of magic does not necessitate his liking of it when it defies every law of science.]

So... A cult? I would never have suspected.

It's not one of those things I'm comfortable broadcasting, to put it one way. Or make obvious just through interacting. My family's had a lot of time to recover.

[And if they were to come back to Mossgate, simply for his sake... it'd feel too much like crossing the streams. Particularly if they ended up on the news somehow, and that old ringmaster saw.

It's one of the few things Walter would admit to being outright paranoid about.]

That’s understandable. I won’t ask anything else, but if you ever do want to talk about it, I’m here to listen.

[At least this helps explain why the returned items have been so upsetting for Walter in particular.]

Edited 2019-04-28 16:53 (UTC)

Thanks. I'll remember for later.

[And Walter really does want this to be a 'later' and not a 'now', given Sadie's already assured him he doesn't have to share everything... but the sharing's not entirely out of the question, either.]

You need any assistance over at your place? Or just company.

[Given that his week has been relatively peaceful, the question is unexpected, yet he picks up on the strong hint fluidly.]

I wouldn’t mind some time out, and company would be nice.

We can meet up at the shed, and decide further from there?

Absolutely. See you after school.

[His classes that day pass all the more slowly with worry on his mind for his friend, but he makes it through the routine with Sadie. Heading home rather than staying to work as soon as classes let out, he pulls up into the short drive with his motorcycle and removes his helmet to walk it to the shed.]

[The necessary delay is a sufficient compromise, letting Walter prioritize his thoughts and worries in a way that doesn't leave him stewing in them.

Russell is out much of the day still, so apart from leaving him a message for when the man got home - and a general check-in with Ben's aunts - Walter didn't have to give much advance warning.

He doesn't go too far out of his way to time his arrival, but he still manages to get there before Ben does.

He keeps any awkward shifting to a minimum.

[Spotting Walter waiting for him, Benjiro raises a hand briefly then pushes his motorcycle up to the door. Looking to his friend with a welcoming smile from behind his mask, he greets him.]

Hey Walter. Thanks for coming over.

[Benjiro bends down to unlock and raise the door of the shed, and wheels his bike in to park in its usual place. Helmet left hanging from the handle, he shifts his backpack to hang from one shoulder rather than two. He doesn’t want to take it off yet, not until he knows how they will spend the remainder of this Tuesday.]

Would you like anything to eat or drink?

[After an affected pause, Walter shakes his head.]

Not right now, but thank you for the offer.

[Walter isn't all that certain where they're going after this either.]

Did your aunts ask you about any of the deliveries?

[A nod is given in acknowledgement, and he walks back to the door of the shed.]

About mine and their own. They have been getting much more personal items than I have. Including an old dress I think Aunt Agatha snuck out of Aunt Rosemary’s collection.

But it also seems to be the hot topic in general.

[Walter shoots Ben an odd look.]

Did the dress ever leave the house, or did only one of them consider it lost?

[Because even with what he knows of the returns thus far, that seems like an odd case.]

Still, I imagine there are worse things that can be returned, in the sense of being able to cause a scandal.

[Imagine if lost people were returned! Particularly those who didn't want to be.]

I couldn’t say. Aunt Agatha made a comment about it in passing, and I don’t think she’d admit to it if she had taken it from the house.

[The teenager nods in agreement. Worse could be returned than an unfortunate dress. Barring the reappearance of living beings, incriminating documents that had been tossed might cause a variety of issues.]

Returned things aside, we need to decide on what we should do. So, what is your preference? [He asked first, so the responsibility for choosing an activity falls to Walter.]

As long as they don't give you trouble over it.

[Walter doubts that they would, but otherwise it's not exactly either's place for Ben or Walter to intervene.]

We could visit the zoo again, perhaps?

[Ask discreetly about the investigation regarding the zoo break-in, he means. It has almost been a year, and if the authorities haven't caught that trio they may well be seen again.]

April 26th, early morning text

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Well, Nel's encouragements are going to be relevant soon, I'm sure...

Yes good

If not in this thread, then in a Soon one.

We shall see what comes out

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Had to double-check the mod post for whether it was ONLY the Numbered receiving things, heh.

no subject

no subject