network: 06/10

[ape]

Two things we should keep in mind:

1. Don’t touch the barrier by any means. I haven’t, but a baseball of mine has and it’s now a mound of toasted cow-hide.
2. It’s expanding. For the last ten days I’ve kept a close eye on three of the limit points for cross reference, and the barrier inches forward anywhere between two to three feet a day. It’s a remarkable increase, number wise.
3. There’s a third, I apologize. Residents might want to keep an eye out for new locations— our appless neighbors are going to say it’s been there for as long as they can remember, but I know we didn’t have an Internet cafe on Main Street.

Finally, I have a hypothesis that’s been giving me insomnia and those who consider themselves entertainment-fans might recognize it as a popular theme in science-fiction. The majority of you are young adults, so I’m more hopeful than not (if you truly understand it’s depth in study, now that’s another story). It’s a real quantum concept though, despite it being a problematic topic when people say “science” . . . Anyway, before I get too enlivened, some evidence here is bugging me. Is anyone familiar with the Multiverse theory?

If it’s hard to understand, I can always explain in person. Stop by the City Zoo after 4 p.m., Gibbon Exhibit. I’ll be there until late this week. Or, if you don’t mind, I can always go in depth here while we wait for our rewards or an update on our melodramatic blackmailing. I’m quite flexible.

Comments

[hippocarnival]

I don't want to participate in this

How can they do this?

[ape]

Because they have the power to, and we lack the power to oppose it. Well, maybe not for long, from what I've been seeing.

I'm sorry this is happening, Yuya. You work at a tea shop, don't you?

[hippocarnival]

Yeah I do. [Own it, really, but anyone who knows what happened to the Sakaki family can guess that.]

[ape]

Mind if I stop by to talk during a break? Whenever you're free.

[hippocarnival]

Sure. Around 1 is fine.

[ape]

I'll see you at 1, then. 🐵👍

[ hopefully there's no rush in him coming in ten minutes earlier than the intended time— he's going to buy some iced tea for two. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya will doubt check the clock when he sees Zeke walk in, but if he's a few minutes early to order tea Yuya will take down his order and direct him to a free table.

He'll bring the tray with the drinks himself, setting it on the table before he sits down.] Hey.

[ape]

Hello.

[ a young face, as always when he comes around here. ezekiel can’t help but to worry, though. he’s so young to be working, working, working, and no education where he should be. ]

Thanks for bringing them over. One is your’s.

[ on the house! his house. and his wallet. ]

[hippocarnival]

... Thanks. [He pulls one over to his side.] So we really can't leave even if we wanted to, huh?

[ape]

I'm afraid so.

[ he takes a sip to wet his lips and thinks that through. ]

Leave the situation or the city— It's not on us, anymore. At least, there're a lot more factors now than there were before.

[hippocarnival]

I don't really understand how this is happening... [He purses his lips into a frown around the straw of his drink.] And what's with that weird mission? It didn't explain anything, but it said we'd be compensated.

[ape]

I wouldn't keep my expectations high for the compensation.

[ and it's hard to actually understand, he knows. he can try and explain the multiverse theory if it makes things any easier to latch on to even though it's only a possibility. ezekiel sifts through his messenger bag for a paper and pen, and as he does: ]

It can be anything from a penny to saying something as dramatic as "you get to live".

[hippocarnival]

[Or it could be a sim card bomb.]

Yeah, I guess. I was just going to ignore it after that crosswalk meeting, but now that we're trapped it's hard to stop thinking about it.

[He's honestly afraid of what they're going to do to them.]

[ape]

It'd be a neat idea to practice. If we weren't so directly involved . . .

[ alas, they are. he takes another sip of his tea, thoughtfully and pressing his knuckles into his cheeks in thought. ]

But, we are. The best that we can do right now is not pretend it's not happening or doesn't exist. There are more of us— we need to acknowledge it and bring our individual experiences together. Ever been part of a science project?

[hippocarnival]

In middle school. [Which wasn't that long ago.] But it hasn't even told us to do anything.

[ape]

Oh, I don't mean in that sense. [ but he knows better than anyone. ] You usually pre-establish a group before the project comes up, though. It makes navigating the objectives easier than standing alone. Unless, you work better alone, but it's always good to have someone to fill in your weaknessess.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya sucks more of his tea, silent for a moment but looking at Zeke thoughtfully.]

So you trust this weird app?

[ape]

Absolutely not.

[ not when he doesn't know who's behind it and why, but since they don't have much of a choice in that matter . . . he rests his forearms on the table and folds his hands together. ]

I can put my trust in the people who are in this with me, though.

[hippocarnival]

[There's a pause before Yuya smiles faintly.] Yeah.

... This is a weird question, but you're a substitute teacher, right?