warped_replica (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
warped_replica) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
saveourearth2018-09-22 04:53 pm
warped_replica) wrote in saveourearth2018-09-22 04:53 pm
Breaking Lines [Semi-Closed Log]
Date: September 20th
Characters: Benjiro, Jacob, and later Sadie with possibly others? Anyone that would hear about it can talk to Ben after the fact
Warnings: Blood, violence, bullying
The first week returning to school had been the hardest as Benjiro did his best to sustain a lie to friends and classmates alike. He presented it as a matter of limiting allergies that disrupted his attempts to sleep too much to function while not suffering the haze of medication side effects. Professor Petty had helped him put it on record for the school so his other teachers would tolerate the mask. There were some misunderstandings, yet with time it became normal enough that his personal space once more felt limited in the hallways. Wariness of the odd accessory waned over time. It also helped that he had quickly figured out he could eat small portions of food through the day and still manage to join friends and Sadie alike in the cafeteria without going hungry.
There was a lot of teasing of course, but most of the material was spent in those handful of days. Benjiro felt sensitive to it, but he would usually just force a laugh or shake his head and move on in the moment. Redirection worked well to disrupt any sense of isolation, and Sadie provided her support whenever they could be together. Then he had met with Russell and Walter after school one day for a break from the facade, and even that helped his spirits.
Unfortunately, not everyone accepts change.
Between classes as students are moving about in the morning heading to various locations, Benjiro is on his way to Biology when he hears a gratingly familiar holler of his name; “Wotcha, Benji!”
Grimacing under his mask as he cringes inwardly, he cools his expression before he turns his head enough to spot Blaise and his cronies Owen, Kieran, and Bailey heading straight for him. They had taken issue with him when he arrived last year, not liking the fact someone from so far out of town was wasting a seat in local classes. His nonplused reactions to them often left them too bored to mess with him for long, and once Benjiro had made friends, they were even less intrusive. In the last couple of weeks however, their dislike of him had been revived.
Careful not to change his cadence, Benjiro keeps walking as he looks ahead once more and answers cooly, “Hello, Blaise.”
Blaise doesn’t care to be brushed off, and he hurries to step up next to Benjiro and walk with him as the others collect at their backs and Ben’s other side like a pack of wolves closing around a target. “Oh, not feeling well today? If living here makes you so sick you could go back home and go to school there.” His pal Kieran slaps Benjiro on the shoulder a bit too hard to be friendly, “There’s a grand idea!”
Balance and pathway kept steady despite the perturbance and the stench of body odor from one of them, Benjiro answers simply, “No thank you.”
“Oooh, you know, I bet he’s so stubborn cause of that pretty thing he’s got now,” Owen speculates behind Blaise with obvious eagerness. Blaise follows that up, “Oh right right, he got himself a girlfriend. So is that what the game is then?”
“Excuse me..?” Benjiro questions with caution and a sense of revulsion already welling upwards as the group brings Sadie into discussion.
“The mask! You wear it to get pity like some sick sod in a soap opera, and that bint you got is the one you tricked. It’s a brilliant ploy, Benji!” Stunned by the accusation, Benjiro is silent as Owen and Kieran mime and mimic woes and pity with whining tones and falsetto respectively. The sickening thought is only worsened as Bailey laughs, “Maybe Molly’ll go out with me if I tell her I got cancer or some shit!”
Disgusted by the four, Benjiro stops and twists away from them with a subtle glare in his eyes as he faces the teens already a year older than him and certainly bigger, “That’s enough.”
“Or what?” Blaise challenges as he gets close enough to Benjiro to loom over him. The three others quiet in anticipation, but not without the playground ‘ooo’s.
“Nothing. But that’s what you’re good at, isn’t it?” snarks the irritated teenager.
Called out brazenly in front of his little pond crew, Blaise immediately makes a grab for Benjiro, “You bloody Nip!” but finds his hand empty when he evades the swipe for his shirt. Not delaying, Benjiro drops low as he turns and takes off at a sprint down the hallway with his back pack bouncing in the motions. Smaller than them, he’s not going to outrun them for long, but he only has to make it to the classroom to get out of their reach for the time being. After that, he can outsmart them in getting around.
Turning the corner, he sees the open doorway he wants well off down the hallway a split second before he nearly collides with another classmate. Surprised, he staggers and veers to avoid crashing into her, and his delay attempting to get back on course costs him dearly.
Slammed in the side by Blaise, he’s carried a meter right into the brick wall to be pinned by the larger teen’s weight and bulk. Air knocked from his lungs in the impact, he’s not able to steady when dropped to his feet before a meaty pair of fists slam between his shoulders to put him on the ground.
Within seconds, more phones are out and recording the onslaught as the bullies lay into Benjiro, and a crowd gathers to encircle the spectacle. A few call into the fray to stop or encourage Benjiro, but most onlookers are gossiping or watching to see how the violent spectacle plays out.
The four are standing around him, stomping and kicking in turns to force Benjiro against the seam between the wall and floor. A strike hits his face before he can bring an arm up to shield himself, and immediately the sharp pain of his cheek cutting on his teeth releases the taste of blood. He tries to crawl out from under them only to be grabbed by the ankle and drug back and twisted over. Panic sets in as each blow promises a new bruise or worse as a rib gives, and the feeling of being trapped by this painful attack resonates with something in him. Numbed by the hollow feeling, Benjiro lashes out suddenly with the precision of a martial artist. He sweeps the legs of one flunky to drop him to the floor and immediately uses that anchor to turn where he lays on the floor to angle for another attack with a kick that lands at the side of Blaise’s knee with a sickening pop to send it bending inward.
Blaise screams in pain as he falls down with the medial ligament of his knee torn through, and the three uninjured dive on top of Benjiro. Only now, he’s fighting back, so the first gets a kick to the stomach as he is redirected over him into the wall. Twisting to try to get up, the other two slam onto him with anger now driving them for injuring their leader as the crowd starts to chant.
Characters: Benjiro, Jacob, and later Sadie with possibly others? Anyone that would hear about it can talk to Ben after the fact
Warnings: Blood, violence, bullying
The first week returning to school had been the hardest as Benjiro did his best to sustain a lie to friends and classmates alike. He presented it as a matter of limiting allergies that disrupted his attempts to sleep too much to function while not suffering the haze of medication side effects. Professor Petty had helped him put it on record for the school so his other teachers would tolerate the mask. There were some misunderstandings, yet with time it became normal enough that his personal space once more felt limited in the hallways. Wariness of the odd accessory waned over time. It also helped that he had quickly figured out he could eat small portions of food through the day and still manage to join friends and Sadie alike in the cafeteria without going hungry.
There was a lot of teasing of course, but most of the material was spent in those handful of days. Benjiro felt sensitive to it, but he would usually just force a laugh or shake his head and move on in the moment. Redirection worked well to disrupt any sense of isolation, and Sadie provided her support whenever they could be together. Then he had met with Russell and Walter after school one day for a break from the facade, and even that helped his spirits.
Unfortunately, not everyone accepts change.
Between classes as students are moving about in the morning heading to various locations, Benjiro is on his way to Biology when he hears a gratingly familiar holler of his name; “Wotcha, Benji!”
Grimacing under his mask as he cringes inwardly, he cools his expression before he turns his head enough to spot Blaise and his cronies Owen, Kieran, and Bailey heading straight for him. They had taken issue with him when he arrived last year, not liking the fact someone from so far out of town was wasting a seat in local classes. His nonplused reactions to them often left them too bored to mess with him for long, and once Benjiro had made friends, they were even less intrusive. In the last couple of weeks however, their dislike of him had been revived.
Careful not to change his cadence, Benjiro keeps walking as he looks ahead once more and answers cooly, “Hello, Blaise.”
Blaise doesn’t care to be brushed off, and he hurries to step up next to Benjiro and walk with him as the others collect at their backs and Ben’s other side like a pack of wolves closing around a target. “Oh, not feeling well today? If living here makes you so sick you could go back home and go to school there.” His pal Kieran slaps Benjiro on the shoulder a bit too hard to be friendly, “There’s a grand idea!”
Balance and pathway kept steady despite the perturbance and the stench of body odor from one of them, Benjiro answers simply, “No thank you.”
“Oooh, you know, I bet he’s so stubborn cause of that pretty thing he’s got now,” Owen speculates behind Blaise with obvious eagerness. Blaise follows that up, “Oh right right, he got himself a girlfriend. So is that what the game is then?”
“Excuse me..?” Benjiro questions with caution and a sense of revulsion already welling upwards as the group brings Sadie into discussion.
“The mask! You wear it to get pity like some sick sod in a soap opera, and that bint you got is the one you tricked. It’s a brilliant ploy, Benji!” Stunned by the accusation, Benjiro is silent as Owen and Kieran mime and mimic woes and pity with whining tones and falsetto respectively. The sickening thought is only worsened as Bailey laughs, “Maybe Molly’ll go out with me if I tell her I got cancer or some shit!”
Disgusted by the four, Benjiro stops and twists away from them with a subtle glare in his eyes as he faces the teens already a year older than him and certainly bigger, “That’s enough.”
“Or what?” Blaise challenges as he gets close enough to Benjiro to loom over him. The three others quiet in anticipation, but not without the playground ‘ooo’s.
“Nothing. But that’s what you’re good at, isn’t it?” snarks the irritated teenager.
Called out brazenly in front of his little pond crew, Blaise immediately makes a grab for Benjiro, “You bloody Nip!” but finds his hand empty when he evades the swipe for his shirt. Not delaying, Benjiro drops low as he turns and takes off at a sprint down the hallway with his back pack bouncing in the motions. Smaller than them, he’s not going to outrun them for long, but he only has to make it to the classroom to get out of their reach for the time being. After that, he can outsmart them in getting around.
Turning the corner, he sees the open doorway he wants well off down the hallway a split second before he nearly collides with another classmate. Surprised, he staggers and veers to avoid crashing into her, and his delay attempting to get back on course costs him dearly.
Slammed in the side by Blaise, he’s carried a meter right into the brick wall to be pinned by the larger teen’s weight and bulk. Air knocked from his lungs in the impact, he’s not able to steady when dropped to his feet before a meaty pair of fists slam between his shoulders to put him on the ground.
Within seconds, more phones are out and recording the onslaught as the bullies lay into Benjiro, and a crowd gathers to encircle the spectacle. A few call into the fray to stop or encourage Benjiro, but most onlookers are gossiping or watching to see how the violent spectacle plays out.
The four are standing around him, stomping and kicking in turns to force Benjiro against the seam between the wall and floor. A strike hits his face before he can bring an arm up to shield himself, and immediately the sharp pain of his cheek cutting on his teeth releases the taste of blood. He tries to crawl out from under them only to be grabbed by the ankle and drug back and twisted over. Panic sets in as each blow promises a new bruise or worse as a rib gives, and the feeling of being trapped by this painful attack resonates with something in him. Numbed by the hollow feeling, Benjiro lashes out suddenly with the precision of a martial artist. He sweeps the legs of one flunky to drop him to the floor and immediately uses that anchor to turn where he lays on the floor to angle for another attack with a kick that lands at the side of Blaise’s knee with a sickening pop to send it bending inward.
Blaise screams in pain as he falls down with the medial ligament of his knee torn through, and the three uninjured dive on top of Benjiro. Only now, he’s fighting back, so the first gets a kick to the stomach as he is redirected over him into the wall. Twisting to try to get up, the other two slam onto him with anger now driving them for injuring their leader as the crowd starts to chant.
no subject
A surge of nausea stirs at the thought that Blaise may require surgery to correct his knee to regain basic function. Still, there is comfort to be had in knowing his friend is not angry with him.
I’m with Professor Petty now. Sadie and James are in class. Everyone else is either being questioned or sent off. My great aunts were called, but they are going to try to contact my parents in Japan before they come here.
no subject
Probably best they aren't crowding you.
Now, how best to help Ben?
What else is on your mind right now?
no subject
Asked about the thoughts weighing his mind, Benjiro lowers his phone and rubs at the intact side of his face. He has quite a lot going through his head, but the things he is willing to share are far fewer in number.
Trying to figure out how to not be sent back to Japan.
If Walter thought at all that the Optional!Hugs or similar methods would help...
Sadie would throw a fit.Wouldn't losing friends be the opposite of what they want to happen?I would miss you.All options thought up and discarded in less than two seconds - though that second one shows some promise...
If you want people to vouch for you, I'll be there.
Hugs are always welcome from friends
Thank you. I think Professor Petty will be able to help me stay enrolled here at 6th form if the police don’t arrest me.
Oddly enough, he feels more threat from the phone call that will eventually come from his parents.
\o/
Good. Can you name any others?
It's both a good cognitive exercise for Ben, and because Walter knows not all the teachers at Ben's school are going to turn on him just like that. A bullying incident like this should come as a blow to most of them...
no subject
Considering Walter may not be familiar with all the faculty, he’ll refer to them otherwise. My math teacher and chemistry teacher. I only know a couple other teachers, and not very well. I’ve spoken with the dean several times, so that might be helpful.
Blaise and his friends have been an issue for other students as well historically.
As long as I can stay at school, I think that should be enough.
Then, he asks a question of Walter.
I’m hesitant to ask, but how far have the videos spread? In other words, has news circulated beyond school yet.
no subject
He had no argument on the other matter. And as for Ben's question...
3543 views and counting, across the three most popular video platforms. I've been flagging them and contacting available site moderators, but responses are slow.
Damn site traffic and bureaucracy!
no subject
Reading the number twice to confirm, he groans and leans his head back to the wall. That is definitely beyond the school. Slow, deeper inhale taken in, he lifts his head back up after a moment to respond on the phone.
Not full on viral yet but it has the potential.
Thank you for reporting the videos. That’s one less thing for me to try to deal with right now.
no subject
I'll keep on trying to get those videos down.
He might even try to track down and contact the uploaders directly, though doing that explicitly on Ben's behalf could come back to haunt both of them.
Have you had to give a statement yet, or are they waiving that?
no subject
Don’t worry too much if it takes a couple days.
Asked about interactions with the police, he frowns slightly. That is one of the other matters that he is still contemplating.
Not yet. They know I’m not going anywhere, so they’re focused on witnesses and the other guys.
no subject
He's taking a risk injecting humor at this point - but Benjiro probably also needs it, so.
Need help settling on a statement?
Though, given who he's with, that might already be covered.
no subject
Humor helps. Before moving back to the topic of meeting the police, he’ll add one more thing about the videos.
This is an odd request...but before the videos are taken down, please save me a copy of each one. He has good reason to ask related to the Numbers.
I don’t know what normally goes into a statement. Do you think they might try to interview me instead?
This was an enlightening search!
Just one last byte (hah!) of humor.
Ben's request brings Walter up short, but he can figure out where the teen's going with it.
... Alright.
That question gets Walter to send a few relevant links, to documents of varying length and depth.
They may have you make your statement on video record, yes.
Ooooh yes indeed! Good find!
Benjiro is having a hard enough time still processing what happened to him, and knowing how much he has upset other people, especially those he cares about, makes it that much more difficult. Sadie especially is going to be livid when she finds out.... As for worrying Walter, he will strive to offload those videos as soon as possible so he need not have the record readily available.
Barely closing his eyes to rest them a moment, he feels his phone vibrate in his grasp. Opening each link sent to him, he skims them over and searches out the most relevant pieces. It takes him longer than it normally might thinking through fatigue and his headache, but he manages.
So nothing too extraordinary.
A short delay follows as he considers his words, then, I’m really sorry about all this. It got out of hand so quickly, I didn’t have time to think.
:> My Google-fu does me proud again!
Ben's next text gets an emote of a nuzzling seal in response.
That's what some of the most stressful things in our lives have in common. We have to act, in the moment, and then when the thoughts do come later, there's almost too many of them.
Or, occasionally, forget the 'almost'.
no subject
A wistful thought towards days before they were numbered.
The unexpected emote is a welcome change from the serious tone of the text messages.
Sounds about right.
Benjiro tends to plan to an excessive degree, yet even he had not set a backup for such an encounter. He had severely underestimated the aggression of the four bullies.
no subject
Avoiding physical altercation was another thing they had in common, then.
Anything else?
I can just spam emotes at you if you'd like.
no subject
Stress controlled for the time being, he can let his mind work on other issues as he rests.
Not that I can think of at the moment. I will keep you updated.
More emotes would be nice... Thank you.
no subject
And Ben does, in fact, get many more silly emotes.
Including a variant of this seal video.
Because sometimes a little bit of 'fibsh' and 'l'egg' can be enough to brighten someone's day!
no subject
It would be hours later before Benjiro could give him a full update, beginning with mention of a visit from Sadie and James in Professor Petty’s office followed by a mild scolding from his great aunts upon their arrival. He met with the police with his great aunts and their lawyer present, and basically was asked to give his account of events. He did so without mention of the Echo that had seized him, merely describing it as the onset of sheer panic causing him to strike out, and expressed his regret for the injuries he caused. His own injuries had been photographed for evidence, but he had been allowed to keep his mouth closed when his face mask had to be removed. The school staff met in that time and it was decided he would be placed on External Exclusion for a week immediately as punishment. However, he would be allowed to keep up with his classes so as not to suffer academically when he had not instigated the fight.
That evening, he’d add one last update from his great aunts’ couch to confirm his parents were furious, but not ready to recall him to Japan. Skipping details of the video conference between three devices, his great aunts had been the ones to intervene when the yelling dragged on so he could sleep.