[Thank you, too.]

Soon they have done all they are supposed to do, and the Monitor shoos them, telling them to go do "whatever it is you initiates do when you're not being useful" before the Speech.

So Anthony looks around for anybody who looks like they might need some help, and if he finds nobody he goes out to the yard so he can lean against the wall and take a breather.

Nobody who would actually ask for help out loud. A couple of people who might do it via telepathy, if a Monitor isn't likely to object.

Well, he'll go help a couple of people, then. If the Monitor isn't likely to object.

This particular one isn't.

Nice of them.

Dayo meets up with Anthony in the yard a while later. "Hey there."

"Hey."

"What's up?"

"Morning's been a little tough."

"Tough how?"

"Keeping busy," he responds. "That's all – never mind."

[Monitors being Monitors, mostly.]

[Ah. Yes, of course. Today's was Barbra, she decided she didn't like the look of me and electrocuted me a couple of times. I think she gets off on it.]

[Hope it wasn't too bad.]

"How's your day been?" he asks, keeping up appearances. They are in the yard, after all, and so likely being watched.

They're probably used enough to the way Anthony's telepathy gets him to pause in the middle of live conversations. And if they're not that's their problem for being unobservant.

"Been alright, kinda boring."

[It could be fun, actually, if she cared one bit for consent.]

[Electricity, huh?]

[Don't act so surprised.]

[Of course I'm not surprised.]

He may be smirking a little.

[We might die tomorrow.]

[… Yeah.]

[So,] he says, brightening up suddenly, [when do you have your next break?]

[This afternoon sometime – when depends on how they feel at the time.]

[Wanna have 'we might all die or worse tomorrow' sex then?]

[… You know what,] responds Anthony. [I might.]