An Announcement. [Network - Audio Only]

[iamnotgod]

Date: January 2nd
Characters: Walter Weekes, via some still-unwritten Number

---

[There'd been several seconds' worth of internal debate, whether to put this on the Network at large, send it to everyone's known Number individually to make it less public, or even to mention it at all.

Walter's voice is clear, but it's obvious there's effort behind that. He sounds... resigned, exhausted, generally unhappy.]

Has anyone else tried to contact Jim? My own attempts have been... unsuccessful. Including through his Number.

[He'd checked at Jim's workplace, too, but the only answers there were annoyingly vague. Either the man'd gone ghosted, or he was out of the country.

And Walter can't shake the thought that he could have had something to with it, as irrational as it might come across. (At least Jim won't have to remember dying, anymore, unless until he comes back.)

What a way to begin the New Year, huh?]

Comments

[Text]

[warped_replica]

I'm still in Mossgate. I can meet you at my great aunts' house soon if you're out that way.

[Benjiro would be fine with Walter coming over to visit where he lives, but if Walter is still in Mossgate, he can meet him sooner locally.]

Re: [Text]

[iamnotgod]

Not quite that far.

[There's another, less significant pause.]

I'm still near Jim's place.

[Jim's old place, he refrains from correcting, but that's the truth.]

[Text]->[Action]

[warped_replica]

[There is a slight pause as Benjiro processes that information, then he types faster to try to make up for it.]

I know where that is. I'll meet you there.

[He had learned the location back on Halloween, and while not entirely familiar with it, the teenager navigates straight to it without taking an incorrect turn or going down the wrong street. When he spots Walter, whether down the street from the house or outside the front gate, he slows his bike to a stop and pulls off his helmet.]

[Action]

[iamnotgod]

[Ben gets no reply to that next text; Walter's down the street, having been unable to fully pull himself away from Jim's place after talking with Sam Stone.

He catches note of Ben, relieved to see another face he trusts, though it's mixed with concern and analysis of his own reactions. Is trusting someone enough to make them safe from me? Seeing how Webmind went about violating Caitlin's privacy even though he trusted her-

But Ben is not Caitlin, as Walter is not Webmind. Or so he tries to remind himself, that this is no time for false equivalencies, that those boundaries matter.]

Hey. Thank you for coming, Benjiro.

[He's polite, and he looks happy to see Ben for certain, but the smile on his face doesn't fully match his eyes.]

We... should probably go elsewhere, shouldn't we?

[So Ben doesn't have to point that out himself.]

[Action Onward]

[warped_replica]

[Although unable to discern the turmoil of his thoughts, Benjiro can clearly see the signs of it in his demeanor and his posture. That his friend uses his full given name, well that's a clue too. He's forcing politeness.]

You sounded like you could use the company.

[At the mention of relocating, he nods, glancing to see Walter's bike is also present, and remains seated on his as he replies.]

Yeah, but we don't have to until you're ready.

Re: [Action Onward]

[iamnotgod]

It- wouldn't have helped to hide such a thing.

[Walter looks away briefly, attempting to regain his bearings - though they've been gone a fair amount of the day already by now.]

No, no; I'd likely just mope if we stayed around, and that's no good.

[While it's true, Walter's mostly saying out loud for Ben's sake; the thoughts of clearly it's your fault; you never even found out if Jim thought more of you... snaking about his brain aren't helping in the least.

And those, he's not voicing. He moves over to his own bike, not letting himself look back.

That lasts until he actually gets to his bike, which both takes an agonizing amount of seconds and seems to come too soon.]

You pick the place, and I'll follow, all right?

[warped_replica]

[There isn't much to say about the outcome of hiding or burying negative emotions. Especially considering that Walter has been helping Benjiro come to understand that relying on support to work through them is far healthier. That includes not avoiding an emotion. Emotions have a purpose, and deserve to be addressed.]

Sure. Let's head to the beach.

[Sliding his helmet back on after watching Walter pick himself up and move to his own bike, he secures it and checks for traffic. There isn't much to monitor, so he eases away from the curb and back into a lane heading the other direction. Minding the speed limits and traffic signals appropriately, he drives with Walter through Mossgate back to the water front and off to the north side of the pier. The air is moving faster here, making it feel colder, yet it still does not compare to the chill that came during the holiday. Parking, he'll remove his helmet and dismount.]

Come on, I know a great rock to sit on.

[Heading down the path to the beach, Benjiro will lead Walter to a rock near the cliffside that has been worn with time and offers enough space for the two of them to sit together. Benjiro crouches down and jumps, higher than he should be able to, and with a single kick against the side rises to stand on the top. He kneels down to offer Walter a hand up.]

[iamnotgod]

[Walter passes the ride mostly in silence, the newly-regained memory repeating itself over and over like a brand. Every indication that this behavior is fine, what are you worried about just makes him more concerned over whether his own head is on straight.]

Sure.

[Parking and locking his own bike next to Ben's, he'll follow on down to the rock, taking that offered hand with a raised eyebrow.]

Very impressive.

[His smile is a little lighter this time. Ben's been developing his Echo-granted abilities, bringing them under his own control. If he were in less of an emotional stormcloud, he might say that he's proud...]

[warped_replica]

[Benjiro firmly clasps Walter's hand, careful not to do so too tightly, and leans back as he raises his arm slowly to allow Walter to walk up the side to join him without being simply hoisted off his feet. Benjiro certainly could have managed that, but it would have been less pleasant for Walter. Once both of them are at the top, he'll shift to sit with one leg out stretched and the other bent to wrap an arm around his knee as he looks to Walter beside him with a small, shy smile.]

Thanks. Remind me to show you how my flips are coming sometime.

[While Benjiro has not spent as much time training as he likely should have, he has regularly worked to explore his strength and acrobatics.

For the moment, he allows time for Walter to make himself comfortable and listen to the tide crashing against the rocks below, the cliffs beside them, and the waves sliding over one another along the edge of the bay in a steady rhythm.]

[iamnotgod]

[The acrobatics of climbing the rock aren't beyond Walter, fortunately; even as distracted as he is today, Ben won't have to work too hard to get his friend up there.]

That's not an offer to show off, is it?

[Gentle teasing, even as he tries to settle, tries to not focus on his Echo or Jim or-

Just the sea.

Just sitting here with Ben, in the now.

The flicker of distress shows on his face, for almost a full second.]

[warped_replica]

Maybe.

[The playful answer is accompanied by a slightly stronger smile briefly. Benjiro would not mind demonstrating his current level of skill for his close friend.

The smile falls entirely when he sees that flicker cross Walter's face. Slowly, he eases his arm from around his knee to sit himself up straighter, bringing him closer to Walter, and also turns part of the way towards him. Hand lifted, he lays it against Walter's shoulder in silent support with concern apparent in his expression.]

[iamnotgod]

[Walter is, at first, reluctant to speak - but at the same time, he can't just leave Benjiro hanging!

He leans into the touch, just a little. He's having trouble finding the right words; even at the speed he can think them it's probably showing.]

You haven't witnessed any- any memories of violating someone else's privacy, have you?

[He knows Ben has been worried about his other selves, and for good reason, but this somehow feels different. Harder to swallow - and at the same time, he can't help but dismiss his own concern as silly.

Which is the bigger red flag, to be perfectly honest?]

[warped_replica]

[As Walter moves towards the touch, Benjiro mirrors in easing his own posture to be closer to where his shoulder lightly comes against Walter’s without altering the position of his hand. He is here with him, for however much or little he feels he can share.

The question posed is met with a thoughtful glance down as Benjiro sifts through the memories implanted by his Number, and softly, he shakes his head as he looks to Walter’s eyes.]

Not privacy...but crossing other lines, certainly.

[Acts such as trespassing, stealing from junkyards, kidnapping with sinister intentions...]

[iamnotgod]

[Walter sighs, nodding faintly.]

In this memory, Webmind wanted to learn everything about Caitlin that was accessible online. Not just what was publicly available.

[A brief moment to remind himself to breathe:]

So he learned how to crack passwords.

[warped_replica]

[Benjiro listens, and he withholds any assumptions while so much remains unknown.]

Does that mean you learned his method?

[iamnotgod]

Well, there's that, but-

[That's not, specifically, what feels wrong.

And that's the problem.]

Hacking someone else's email, should feel wrong to me. And I was upset, today, because I hadn't known about Jim's father, wouldn't have been checking for that news or asking those kinds of questions if I didn't think Jim would have felt right sharing that and-

The thought of just taking whatever means possible to find out more, doesn't seem as troublesome.

And that's not how I used to think. How I normally think.

[warped_replica]

[The effort to divulge the additional context and the discrepancy in perception provides Benjiro a better comprehension of the Echo Walter has undergone. Dawning on him as Walter finishes, his brows raise with widened eyes, but he doesn’t utter a sound as instead his breath stalls. Seconds tick by as he mentally dissects the issue, and one thing is a clear priority once he has a chance to bar against impulsive reactions.

His hand slides off of Walter’s shoulder only to extend further to the opposite side, and he brings up his other arm to hug his friend. Sadie has had something of an influence on him.]

...that it bothers you matters.

We’ll figure it out, and how to deal with it. Okay?

/dumps MOAR FEELZ on

[iamnotgod]

[This is one of those rare times where Walter appreciate being the shorter person in a hug. His eyes close - and he quickly blinks them open again, because instead of the usual dark-behind-eyelids he catches a glimpse of webspace.

Doubtless it's stress, but... it's unsettling.]

Okay.

[First things first:]

Thank you, Ben.

[Walter does not move out of the hug.]

/is buried

[warped_replica]

[Heart already beating faster for the possible threats this new sort of Echo may pose, he shoves the more horrifying possibilities to the periphery. He simply cannot give thought to that right now.

His intention may have been to comfort Walter, but Benjiro finds the contact to be reassuring for him as well as he notices Walter is staying close. Lightly, he squeezes tighter for a couple seconds, then simply loosens his arms somewhat without withdrawing.]

You’d do the same for me.

[No doubt in his mind about that.]

;; <3 <3

[iamnotgod]

[Walter manages a nod.]

Yes.

... This can't be reversed, can it?

[It's barely a question.

Ways of thinking. People take them for granted, like the voice in the back of their heads - when it changes, does it mean something is wrong or just that you've grown, that you've learned something?

Only this isn't natural growth in the least - a reasonable precaution, yet utterly discontinuous from what had been before.]

[warped_replica]

[Nevertheless, it stands as a question.

The teenager falls quiet as he contemplates for a moment, and aware of how much longer that is for Walter, he tries to communicate reassurance of his presence in a small slide of his hand, shuffling his grip to maintain awareness of it.]

I don’t know. It may be enforced while you’re in Mossgate, however... If it is a forcible shift without continuous pressure applied to maintain it, then it should be possible to change over time.

[iamnotgod]

[He wants to put his head in his hands.

He wants to break down and cry.

He wants these things to stop happening.

And yet...]

That's a reassuring thought. As long as I keep reminding myself, question those notions.

[It doesn't clear all his worry, though.]

[warped_replica]

[Reading the superficial signs, Benjiro holds his friend even as he prods deeper into the mire of thought.]

You can always ask us if you have any doubt. I know Russell won’t hesitate.

But I do think circumstances matter, which is why I want to ask you some different questions. Hypothetical, of course.

[iamnotgod]

[Russell is a good flatmate, particularly in that sense.]

... Go ahead, Ben.

[He switches his primary focus back and forth between Ben's voice and the sound of the sea. It helps a little more.]

[warped_replica]

[It goes unspoken that Benjiro is looking for an honest answer to gauge where Walter has drifted due to influence of the Echo.]

Is curiosity a sufficient reason to access private accounts? Whether it concerns someone you already know well like me or someone you have only recently met and want to know more about?