going on hiatus with style

[channingchanningchanning]

Date: 7th January
Characters: 987-1234-23423-87345

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[Surely everyone missed the yelling. This time, it slams into everyone's feed at seven in the morning.]

I. Am. In. A. CAR AND WE ARE GOING ON A SHIP! IN THE CAR!!!!! CARS DON'T GO ON SHIPS!!!!!!!!!!! WHY IS THE CAR GOING ON A SHIP!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????!!!!!!!!!! WE ARE ON A BRIDGE WE ARE IN THE SHIP NOW WHY???!!!!!!!!!

[The advantage of being a yippy little dog is that he can yell in panic in the middle of a crowd and nobody will notice what he's yelling, or that he's yelling at a kid's play phone. It's just a stupid dog parking at nothing to them.

The disadvantage is that nobody thinks to explain ferries to him. Or where this one is going. Or why they're on it.]

Comments

[Audio]

[iamnotgod]

[And again, Walter is caught off-guard by the noise. He should probably stop keeping a Network 'window' open at all times, at least while he's working.

Still, he finishes what he's doing and switches to the source of the yelling.]

Some ships can hold cars, yes - I couldn't tell you why specifically they're on it, though.

[And then, because there's only one big reason as to why Chad might be on a ferry that Walter can think of:]

You may be about to leave the Boundary, fair warning.

Re: [Audio]

[channingchanningchanning]

...Leave the. BOUNDARY?

[There was a moment of stunned silence, but then there is a panicked bark again.]

WHY? HOW? I DON'T WANT TO!

Re: [Audio]

[iamnotgod]

It only extends six miles out from the mouth of Moss River in any direction, which includes crossing the Channel.

Not wanting to isn't going to change that - you could jump overboard, but, er, please don't.

[For one, Chad might not be able to swim that well. For another, his family would notice. And that'd be a whole different basket of fish.]

[channingchanningchanning]

[The last few words don't reach Chad any more as he tries to make a break for it. There is Chad shouting] GET OFF ME, I NEED. TO. LEAVE. THIS. BOAT!!!!! [and other yelling voices, and some commotion, and then a lot more shouting from Chad, this time with the theme of] LET. ME. GO [to it.... and then the connection ends as the number is disturbed by someone picking up the phone that he used to establish it.

But at least Walter can rest assured that he wasn't the only one who didn't want Chad to jump over board?]

[iamnotgod]

[And Walter just... puts his head in his hands.

In retrospect, he's not sure how else Chad would have reacted...

The disconnection isn't totally reassuring, but it's not as if he can be fully certain what happens next either way.]

[dragoonrouge]

[Sadie's voice is somewhat slurred, the shouting had woken her from sleep.]

Oh Chad, I'm sorry. You must be leaving on a ferry. Your family's Italian aren't they?

[channingchanningchanning]

...IT IS A SHIP!!!!!!!

[....give him a moment. Shit. Shit. Shitshitshit.]

They were. TALKING. ABOUT. GOING. TO. ITALY!!!!

[dragoonrouge]

Chad, deep breaths for me yeah? You're going to be fine okay?

[Sadie makes sure to keep her voice calm and level.]

I'm sure it won't be forever, when you come back your memories and everything will be restored. You'll be okay.

[channingchanningchanning]

[The breathing didn't do it, but her comment about the memories makes him grumble.]

I won't miss those memories.

[It hasn't even occurred to him yet that leaving the echo boundary might cause an issue for his sentience. He doesn't even see that as weird, strictly. He's had it for enough of his life now to just consider it normal.]

[dragoonrouge]

Well then you have very little to worry about.

[Sadie's tone is chipper despite not feeling it. Poor Chad. The least she could do was talk with him until he passed through the barrier.]

Italy is amazing, you'll be able to share lots of cool stuff with us when you return!

[channingchanningchanning]

But I DON'T. WANT. TO. GO!!!!!!

[Nope, he's back in full panic mode now. The echo he just got does not help.]

I DON'T CARE WHAT IT IS LIKE!

THEY HAVE PESTO! AND THEY DON'T LIKE DOGS!

[dragoonrouge]

What do you have against pesto?

[She has to ask. She can't not, it is such a specific focus for the canine to have.]

[channingchanningchanning]

IT IS TERRIBLE! VERY BAD! NOBODY SHOULD EAT IT BECAUSE IT IS SO BAD!

[The echo wasn't very specific. Partly because he has no concept of allergic reactions or the experience to conceptualise one from a Victorian explanation of one.]

[dragoonrouge]

I think you'll be fine, I don't think you're supposed to give pesto to the dogs.

[channingchanningchanning]

[Calming down a bit at that, no pesto forced on him, goo-]

WHAT IF THEY MAKE MY FAMILY EAT IT?!

[At least he's somewhat distracted right now?]

[Audio]

[lovedramamoron]

[Jimmy was both sleepy and grumpy because of being woken up at the moment. Not a great combination for dealing with Chad.]

Do you have any idea what time it is?

And you're most likely on a ferry. Calm down and it will be over soon.

[Audio]

[channingchanningchanning]

IT IS WAY. TOO. EARLY. FOR. EVERYONE. TO BE. UP!!!!!

[Everything else drowned in him agreeing with the first part, sorry, Jimmy.]

Re: [Audio]

[lovedramamoron]

So why are you waking everyone up?

[Audio]

[channingchanningchanning]

Because I. AM. IN. A CAR. AND. WE. ARE. ON. A. SHIP!!!!!!

[If he barks it louder, surely that will clear things up.]

Re: [Audio]

[lovedramamoron]

And you're waking everyone up.

[He might have had a little more sympathy if he'd remembered about the boundaries. But Jimmy hadn't been around quite long enough to put that together. Not at this time of the morning anyway. ]

[Audio]

[channingchanningchanning]

GOOD!

[If he's in a panic nobody should be allowed to sleep everyone should FIX THIS]

Re: [Audio]

[lovedramamoron]

[It was way too early for this. Jimmy firmly closes his notebook. It wasn't quite as satisfying as hanging up was. But it was something. ]

[Audio]

[spaghettimonster]

[It's lucky timing for Chad that Russell was even awake at this time of day, let alone connected to the network. But a sleepless night - and thinking about Stone and Walter's recent revelations - led him to scouring the older network posts for clues.]

Oh my god, why are you always so loud on here?! Shouting at us just makes it harder to hear you.

[Well, not hear, but want to hear. Willing to hear. Close enough. He sighs.]

Anyway, yeah, your uh... Your family's heading to Italy for a while. Why am I explaining when you're going to forget the moment you go out of the area...?

[channingchanningchanning]

People hear LOUD SOU-

[Wait.

Wait.

WAIT.

WHAT DID RUSSELL JUST SAY???]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN. I WILL FORGET?

[spaghettimonster]

Ughhh.

[It is TOO EARLY for this kind of volume.]

I mean, this whole network, it only reaches so far, and we only remember it where it reaches? You won't remember all of this.

...It'll be here when you get back?

[Maybe it's slim comfort, but... if he imagines if someone was forcibly dragging him somewhere, he'd want a little reassurance.]

[channingchanningchanning]

BUT I DON'T WANT TO FORGET! WHAT IF I DON'T COME BACK?!

[PANIC ON THE TITANIC or something along those lines. In the background, the attempts of an adult man to calm the dog down can be heard. He doesn't seem to be very successful, either.]