2025-03-10 - A Dare and a Rescue!

The Queen's Castle isn't their usual stomping grounds, but that has never stopped Lee from exploring the various islands when free time comes up. They have only seen the castle during various events when working with the catering arm of the park. They have only been here a handful of months so there lack of seeing everything already can be excused.

The commotion and the crowd of onlookers are certainly hard to miss, and Lee is on the perimeter of it doing their best to not get caught up in it as more people come to see what is going on.

What happens when young children get stuck in chandeliers? Security gets called, that's what. And Michael just happened to be on the island and so is the first one to respond. He makes his way into the room and instructs people to move back and make some room. Turning to the mother and brother he says, "Can you please stand over here ma'am. We're going to go ahead and get him down. What's his name? What's your name?" He then asks the other brother, "And what's yours?"

Meanwhile, he motions over to the other staff and asks, "Is there.. a bouncy castle? Something for one of the events? Some large inflatable we can drag in here?" Suddenly he really wishes that flight was one of his abilities. Or anything that would be particularly helpful in this situation.

Bennie has a day off and is walking around the park. As he passes by the Queen's Castle, the commotion has him wondering what's happening. Walking in, Oz the ferret stays on his shoulder, both looking up along with the rest of the audience. Both man and ferret's eyes widen with what they see.

"That's. Not good." There's a quick look to Michael as the man approaches the mom. He walks over, "I can try helping him down...but I've never lifted a person...or anything that big before. So if there's something to cushion or help that'd help more."

Lee isn't alone in looking relieved at the entrance of the more qualified security personnel, even if Michael seems to be the only one at the moment. Instead is dispersing though they linger, drawing closer to where the security officer is dealing with the family and Bennie is offering what assistance he can provide.

The mention of the curtains by the employee has them looking over and sizing them up before offering an unsolicited opinion. "Better to just pull the drapes down, fold them and use them that way as something for the child to drop into." They don't wait for agreement, just stride over to tug at the floor to ceiling drapes, unless someone shows up with a bouncy castle of some sort.

Michael takes in all of the information at once and asks Bennie, "You can get up there?" Then he nods to Lee and says, "Pull them down, and then get a few people to grab the edges and stretch it out. More than one, overlapped," he says making a cross motion with one arm over the other, "Pull them taut. It will break a fall and slow the descent." He motions to three other people in the crowd and says, "Get two, get right under here."

He doesn't plan on not helping but he's also just trying to work with everyone at once. Back to Bennie, he says, "Let them get underneath. Then you can help. If you can slow the descent at all, that should be enough."

"PEOPLE. Unless you're going to help stretch out these curtains and catch, I need you all to back away."

Bennie looks over towards Lee and then Michael as they both join brains to come up with a solution incorporating the curtains. "That's a better idea." Both ideas. Combined it was a great idea!

He looks to Oz and offers the ferret a nod, "Better get out of the way. I'll need to concentrate. Plus, you're squish size." Oz nods and quickly jumps from his shoulder to scamper over to the edge of the room.

With that, Bennie looks to Michael again. "Ok." He can do this. Hopefully. Then, he's looking up towards the chandelier. Focusing on Teddy, he furrows his brow and concentrates to create a barrier that would support Teddy and lower him safely.

"On it!" Following directions in something that Lee is fully capable of doing. It's pretty much mandatory in a restaurant kitchen where they spend a lot of their time.

They aren't a particularly a large person, but they are strong enough to pull the curtains down, especially with the help of the others. It's a hurried task gathering them up and getting everyone into position to hold the drapes so the boy can fall into them.

As the child feather falls, that's how Lee would describe it at least, Lee watches looking for all intents and purposes awed. It isn't everyday they see something like that. When the child begins to crawl across the drapes they slowly lower their part to make it easier for Mom to reunite with Teddy.

Michael helps to hold the curtains steady, giving a grateful look to Lee and the others who help to do so. He nods to Bennie and when the child starts to fall and drops slowly, gently, into the curtains, he lets out an audible sigh of relief, reaching out to help the boy to the ground and promptly into his mother's arms.

"Thank you," he says to Bennie, and Lee, and then to the others helping to hold the curtains.

Then he turns to Thomas and says, "Be careful what you dare your little brother to do. Remember that people could get hurt. But it's not your fault." Then he turns to the mother and says, "Sometimes it's difficult to keep track and hold onto them when they develop these abilities. You did the best you could. I'm just glad everyone was able to work together quickly with a solution. How 'bout you take him upstairs to the lounge where everyone can relax and we'll get some ice cream sent up."

As Teddy lands safely, Bennie lets out a breath of relief and relaxes. Giving a nod to Michael and Lee as well, he looks up to the chandelier again and then to the curtain before giving a little shudder. Thankful it wasn't worse. The people gathered give cheers as the child is safe as well.

Teddy leaps into his mother's arms and she holds him in a tight hug before setting him down to join his brother. Thomas gives a nod, "Yes, Sir." He then hugs his brother because, even if he is a twerp, he's HIS twerp and he's glad Teddy is ok.

The mother hugs Michael and shakes her head, "I don't know how to thank you. All of you. That was incredible!" She steps back to take Teddy by one hand and Thomas by the other much to the older siblings embarrassment. Teddy is now focused and a more important topic though, "ICE CREAM!?"

As they walk away, Oz runs out from the crowd and jumps onto Bennie's shoulder. Walking over, the man looks to the other two. "Good teamwork. I'm Bennie. This is Oz," he nods in introduction to the two before motioning to the ferret sitting on his shoulder.

"It no problem, really." They tell Michael at the gratitude the security officer offers. "I don't think any of us would have been happy with the alternative." No one wanted to see the kid fall and break a bone or two.

With the family together and off to get ice cream Lee is all smiles too and their attention turns away from the departing mom and sons and back to Michael and Bennie. "I would say it makes the dream work, but that was more like a low key nightmare, especially for that mother." The introduction has them looking from Bennie to the ferret "Lee." Then they are looking to Michael "Is this your normal security rotation or did we just get lucky that you were here?"

Michael watches the family get lead off by the Castle staff for a little break away from the crowd where they can rest, have a snack, and then return to enjoying the park. Then he turns back to Bennie and Lee.

"Hi Oz," he says when Bennie introduces the critter. Then he introduces himself, "Michael, and no, this isn't my usual posting. I'm filling in for a buddy who needed to take his kid to the clinic. I'm usually on mounted patrol out on Spellbound, Starlight, or Fable. Guess today was just my lucky day."

"Well your lucky day was Teddy's lucky day. It's awesome how everyone worked together too. Moments like that restore my faith in humanity," Bennie says with a smile as he looks around the Castle.

Oz looks to Michael at the greeting and stands on his hind legs, chest puffed out. He's wearing a ferret sized red hoodie with it's own little pocket on the front. Tilting his head as he observes Michael he then looks to Lee, perhaps waiting for a greeting from them too.

"No you can't have ice cream," Bennie says. There is a sharp look from Oz who then lowers back to all fours and gives a protesting chirp. "Because. You're lactose intolerant and I care about your health more than I care about you being mad at me."

There's a quick look between the two, "Sorry. He's constantly tortured by all the food he can't have." He smiles to the pair, "It's nice to meet you both. Even if the circumstances weren't so nice. Never a dull day huh?"

"Maybe pick up a lotto ticket on the way home." Lee suggests to Michael. "Really see how far that luck will go." They aren't all that serious. No one's luck is that good. If anyone would be lucky enough to win the lottery, it would be that mother.

Lee is still new enough at Spellbound that they aren't used to how intelligent some of the animals that people have are. They have a snugglebunny sure, but it doesn't have quiet the same level of intelligence that the familiars that people have do. "Oh! Sorry, hello Oz." the ice cream conversation has them covering a laugh. If they knew the pair better they would probably mention all that varieties of excellent dairy free ice cream, but Lee doesn't want to rock the boat after just meeting the pair.

"Are all ferrets lactose intolerant, or just Oz?" Lee asks with genuine curiousity. Then he is nodding. "I think the park would explode if there was ever a dull day...all that excitement has to go places."

"I'm sure that if someone else had been on duty, they would have done the same thing," Michael says to Bennie with an easy smile and a shrug of his shoulders. All in a day's work at Spellbound. There's an amused chuckle at Oz's ice cream tribulations. But then he nods to Bennie and says, "Yeah, nice to meet you, too."

Lee gets an amused nod, "Maybe I will." Then he looks back over toward Bennie when Lee asks about ferrets. He has no idea what the answer to that question is, himself. "No explosions, please," he chuckles. "I don't want my day to get THAT interesting."

"All ferrets. They're primarily meat eaters. Which...I did not know before meeting Oz." A glance is given to the ferret and, speaking of food, a chirp is given. Reaching in his pocket, Bennie gives an amused smile and hands Oz a piece of jerky.

Bennie nods in agreement with the others, "I think I've had enough excitement for the day." Oz holds the jerky in his front paws, sitting on his hind legs and sniffing the jerky. Lee's greeting gets a sniff in their direction followed by a small chirp in greeting. Then, he starts with nibbling on the jerky.

"I don't know..." Lee isn't sure about that statement from Michael. "That stunt with the drapes was kinda bold. Not sure anyone else would have went along with it." Even Lee, who seconded the idea wasn't sure it would work. "Good thing the park didn't go cheap on the decor."

"I guess that makes sense. They don't have the teeth of a herbivore. I have one of the snugglebunnies, all they want to eat is fruit and anything else that is sweet. Never tried giving it ice cream or milk." They watch as those little teeth work at the dried meat.

"That's why I suggested two layers rather than one. Figured if one tore, the second one would help slow the descent," Michael says with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "It was actually the solution we needed in the time we had. So.. good thinking. We wouldn't have gotten anything inflatable in place in time."

"All I have is a roommate who can turn into a dog.. and other things," Michael chuckles. "But he mostly takes care of himself using his own two thumbs."

"Definitely bold. You both were great getting everyone to work together too." A laugh then, "Maybe they'll invest in an inflatable of some kind in there now."

At Lee's explanation about their roommate, he nods. "Yeah. Oz would be unstoppable with opposable thumbs."

A small chirp from Oz gets his attention and he lofts a brow. "Oh. Good call." Bennie looks to Lee and Michael, "We need to get going. But it was nice to meet you."

"Or inflated." Lee doesn't know much of anything about inflatables, except that they are fun to bounce around it. They aren't even sure that would have worked as well as the drapes idea. "Well it all worked out, the boy didn't get hurt, and the mom is happy."

A horrified look flashes across Lee's face, "Spicy having opposable thumbs would be a nightmare. No fruit unsupervised fruit would be safe and ankles across the park will be bitten." They named their snugglebunny Spicy for a reason.

"Yeah, sure. It was great meeting the both of you." there is a nod to both Bennie and Michael. "Could have asked for better circumstances, but..." they shrug, since that can't be helped.

Michael can't help but laugh just a little bit at the description of what would happen if Spicy had opposable thumbs. "Probably for the best, then." As for the circumstances, he smiles and shrugs his shoulders, "Sometimes we don't get to pick those. Still, good to meet you both and hopefully see you around the park. If you ever need anything, feel free to look me up. Michael Dawson in the directory." Then he begins to head off. "Guess I better get back out there and make sure no one's stuck in a hedge in the gardens or something."