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I’m only supposed to watch , he has to remind himself.
William is assigned to this realm to keep track of its players, and to make sure everything is going as the Watchers intend. Obviously, there’s a lot of chaos going on, but sometimes that’s what they want.
And as a Watcher, it’s part of his nature to pick up on absolutely everything, so forgive him for picking up more on the life of one specific player.
He stands out, William supposes. There’s something about this player, something he can’t quite put his finger on.
I’m not supposed to get attached, he repeats.
This player appears to be heavily involved with the god of this realm. Technically, William himself would also be considered a god, but he knows that there is only supposed to be one god per realm. Then again, the Watchers seem to not care about any rules besides their own.
William wants to reach out to this player, to make himself known. But it goes against everything he’s ever known, and it is oh so dangerous to even try.
If the other god—Lotus, as she is called by her subjects—found out William was residing here, and doing work for the Watchers nonetheless, he would be but the closest thing a god could get to dead.
The risks don’t stop him from his pursuit.
-
The first clue William leaves is a small bouquet. He has learned through more watching that the boy who has caught his eye is named Toby. William decides it fits him.
Other things William has learned about Toby: he loves to garden and frequently tends to his flowers (hence the bouquet William gifts), he spends a lot of his time with a younger child (a younger sibling, maybe?), and he is already very knowledgeable about the Watchers and what they are supposed to do.
William knows he can’t get too close or let himself get attached further, but what’s the hurt in letting himself have a little fun?
William sits off in the distance and observes Toby as he discovers the flowers, who grabs them and rushes to find his sibling. The two of them study the bouquet for a while, and excitedly come to an agreement that Toby must have a secret admirer.
Close enough, William concludes, smiling softly.
-
Toby is gardening again, planting new flowers (alliums, William can tell by the purple bulbous shape of its blossoms). William has mostly picked up on his routine, and he appreciates any time he can get to just sit nearby and just watch. It becomes a way to escape his typical Watcher duties.
Of course he’s still updating the other Watchers on everything else. Just not this. William needs this for himself.
A sharp, positive “hello!” pulls William from his thoughts. He can recognize it as Toby’s voice, but looking around it seems that there was no one for Toby to greet.
Until he accidentally meets Toby’s eyes, which look like they’re staring right at him.
Shit.
William looks away slowly, deciding to ignore the problem for now. Maybe it was just a coincidence.
“Hey! I know you saw me!” Toby speaks to William, definitely this time, and the realization sets in that he actually has to face this. Right now.
He hops down cautiously from the tree, keeping his gaze fixed on Toby the whole time “You… you can see me?” William asks cautiously. “You aren’t supposed to be able to see me.”
Toby ponders his statement for a moment, asking “why?” before the code is cracked in his head. “Oh!” he exclaims, “you’re a Watcher, aren’t y-”
William slaps his hand on Toby’s mouth before the statement has a chance to be finished. “Shhh, not so loud,” William practically whispers. “If Lotus knew that, I would be dead.”
“That’s true,” Toby thinks out loud, “she isn’t too fond of the Watchers.”
William figured as much.
“But you’re a Watcher!” Toby starts again, softer this time. “I’ve read so much about you guys, and I’d never thought I’d have the chance to talk to one, let alone see one. You know-”
“Look, Toby,” William interrupts his rambling, “as much as I would like to hear you talk about what you know, it’s not safe to do this now, especially not here. I have to go.” William turns to leave.
“No, don’t-” Toby protests.
“Be watching,” William states, turning to give Toby a slight smile before disappearing.
-
Ultimately, William feels bad for ditching Toby so abruptly, but he wasn’t prepared for the fact that Toby would be able to see him. He has spent so much time here, and not once could a single player see him. This is new to him, and it’s scary .
Are the Watchers going to be mad at him? Is this something William himself could control? Maybe it’s due to the fact that he is getting attached. William has far too many questions and virtually no one to ask them to.
Even if in close cohorts with Lotus, someone who despises William’s kind, Toby’s excitement towards meeting William was apparent. Most players don’t even know that the Watchers exist, and if they do, they aren’t very keen on them, much like Lotus.
For his own safety, William makes a decision to avoid Toby. And he would barely call it avoidance, William simply would figure out where Toby was and make sure he was busy with Watcher responsibilities elsewhere.
He would never avoid Toby on purpose.
William does feel the need to apologize, though, so he finds himself writing a poem. They’re the sole way Watchers communicate in written language, so William sees it fit.
He’s written poems in the past, but never directly to someone other than the other Watchers. It is a weird feeling, but William knows it’s something he needs to do. Finding a blank page lying around, he starts to neatly scribble the verses.
How funny it is
That you found my eyes
When they were meant to be hidden
And lost in the skies
It is true, it was I
Who left you a wreath
The first among many
Clues I’d meant to bequeath
My departure was swift
I apologize so
But I was simply not ready
It was time to go
When it is fit for you
To find me again
I will be watching, waiting
As I have always been
Just come to the tree
Of our first greeting
This time I promise
I won’t be retreating
I will take you to where
It is safe to go
And you can finally tell me
All that you know
William signs the poem with a vaguely identifiable eye once finished, and makes a note to drop it off at Toby’s at a time that would be safe to do so.
In the meantime, he has more watching to attend to.
-
William spends his free time waiting at the tree. So much time as the days progress, in fact, that the Watchers start to get very angry with him when he ignores his duties for too long.
William doesn’t care.
He’s so focused on waiting for Toby to return that he loses all sense of time passing by. And in the moments he isn't watching, of course something bad has to happen.
William hasn’t seen Toby out gardening in what he thinks is days. That’s what makes it click in his mind that there is something horrible occurring.
William moves around the realm, searching for any sign of players who might know what happened to Toby. It’s ironic how uninformed he had become, when before he was the one relaying knowledge to everyone else. The Watchers would scold him for this later, William supposes, for letting his attachment take importance over his job.
Finally, in what feels like the last place he could look, William finds Toby, along with practically everyone else in the realm, circling around Lotus in the center of the village. He perches on a nearby tree, in a spot where he could see Toby, and if Toby was looking for him, he could do the same.
She speaks, her voice louder than anything William has ever heard. “I hear there is another like me , residing here in my domain,” Lotus roars angrily, and once William realizes she means him, his eyes go wide, looking down at Toby for reassurance he isn’t sure he’ll be able to get.
Toby thankfully meets his eyes just as before, seeming as scared as William is. In silent communication, Toby shakes his head to ensure William it wasn’t him who let this information get out.
Then who?
“Not only are they like me,” Lotus starts again, “but they are of the worst kind. A Watcher.” As William winces, a collective gasp from the crowd (minus Toby) is heard. “And to any of you who knows their location,” she continues, “the reward will be great.”
William can’t stay here any longer, but he also refuses to leave Toby. Locking eyes with him again, William gestures with his head as a hopeful message for Toby to get out.
Toby nods and turns to leave, but Lotus notices his actions. “My sweet bumblebee, where do you think you’re going?” she asks him.
Toby stops dead in his tracks but doesn’t dare turn around to look at Lotus. “I have to check on something,” he grumbles through gritted teeth.
Lotus laughs, somewhat evilly. “Not with that attitude, you don’t.” She pulls Toby to the center of the circle and crouches down to his level. “Remember,” she whispers, “you heed to me. ” Toby shakes his head frantically.
William knows Toby is helping Lotus, but now that he knows that it’s not truly his will, William is angry. There’s nothing he can do in this situation without securing his demise, though, so he just sits back and watches.
This time it’s not as fun as usual.
“My little assistant here, Toby, knows a great deal about the Watchers,” Lotus announces, speaking to the people again, “don’t you, bumblebee?” Toby nods hesitantly, still only looking at William. He raises his eyebrows to ask for permission to talk about the Watchers, and William gestures in affirmation and mouths as long as you don’t mention me .
“The Watchers are people who do exactly what their name says,” Toby begins, “they watch. Some Watchers are more powerful than others—some simply watch, and some have the power to mess with our worlds—but no matter how strong, they are all gods.
“The Watcher residing here must not be as powerful as most, if they have flown under the radar for so long. But all Watchers are able to communicate with each other, so the Watcher here must be informing those more powerful about the events of our realm.” Toby sounds confident, excited even, talking about the watchers. He really knows his stuff , William notes. “But still, to have a Watcher here for an extended period of time technically breaks the rules of the usual ‘one god per realm’ deal.”
“That one god should be me,” Lotus cuts in, emphasizing the importance of ridding William from her realm. The people in the crowd nod, and Toby is just standing, frozen. “Is there a way to get rid of Watchers, bumblebee?”
“Technically, no,” Toby admits, “they have to either leave on their own or be called back by another Watcher. There is no way to forcefully remove one. So unless this Watcher is in a lot of trouble amongst the other Watchers or has decided they’re done with us, which I doubt they would be,” Toby smiles slightly at William, “then they are free to stay here essentially forever.”
The crowd erupts with various questions for both Toby and Lotus, but before they disperse, Toby mentions one more thing.
“Oh, also, you cannot see a Watcher unless they reveal themselves to you. And that doesn’t happen often.” Toby giggles to himself and William smiles at him.
He has a chance to survive here a little longer.
Toby mouths meet me at my house to William, who smiles back in confirmation. “Sorry Lotus, I’ve got to do more research on how to get rid of this Watcher,” Toby states plainly to her as he grabs his younger sibling’s arm and drags them out of the crowd. Lotus only groans in response, and William chuckles.
-
William makes it to Toby’s house faster so he makes himself comfortable in Toby’s living room. Not long after, the door swings open and Toby and his sibling walk in.
“Sor, go play with Jameson for a little, ‘kay?” Sor nods happily and rushes off. William knows they can’t see him, but the fact that they were even in the room was a little unsettling.
Toby makes his way to sit next to William on the couch. “I hope that keeps them occupied for at least a little,” Toby admits.
“I’m sure it will,” William answers hopefully, “they seemed excited.”
“They’re kind of excited about everything, it’s just how they are.” Toby giggles softly, a sound William can appreciate more now that the two of them are closer. “I’m sorry about earlier, by the way. I genuinely don’t know how she found out.”
“I couldn’t stay hidden forever, Toby, it’s okay. As long as it wasn’t you that told her, then I do not care one bit.” William looks over at Toby. He’s never been this close to a player before; it’s breathtaking.
“How could she have found out then? It’s not like anyone else even knows you exist.” Toby seems concerned for barely knowing who William is.
“Honestly? I think it was the Watchers themselves.” As soon as William says it, everything makes sense.
“Why would they do that to one of their own?” Toby questions. “Did you actually upset them?”
William can only nod slowly. He wasn’t sure if he could explain the whole “getting attached” thing to Toby yet.
But this is Toby. Toby, who grabs William’s hand to offer some sort of comfort. Who’s eyes shine brightly into William’s own, and everything feels like it’s going to be okay.
“William,” he mutters softly and abruptly to Toby, realizing the player never even knew his name.
“Hm?”
“I never told you my name,” William explains. “It’s William.”
Toby smiles even brighter. “Thank you for telling me, Wil.” The nickname is unexpected, but William finds it endearing. “Can I call you that?”
“Yeah,” William breathes, unintentionally squeezing Toby’s hand, which is still resting in his own. “Absolutely you can.”
“Well, Wil,” Toby smirks, “how are we going to get you out of this mess?”
William shrugs. “I have no idea. The best we can do is get away from Lotus, because the Watchers will be mad at me no matter where we go.”
“We?” Toby inquires.
William’s cheeks flush a deep red. “Me, I meant me,” he stutters quickly. “I don’t know why I said we, that was-”
“Hey, if you want me to come with you, I will,” Toby declares, and William is almost certain he almost stopped breathing right there.
“But you barely know me,” William protests, “and plus, you have things to attend to here.” He has no idea what Toby is doing to him, but his heart is racing and William can find himself, enjoying it?
Toby takes his chance to now grab both of William’s hands. “Wil, I feel like I’ve known you for years now. Maybe even my whole life. Your little gifts have meant more to me than anything else anyone else has ever done for me. And even if you’re a sort of god who’s being chased down by literally everyone in the universe, it doesn’t matter.”
“I’m in danger, Tobes,” William cries, “I’m in trouble because I got attached to you and if you’re associated with me… I don’t want to put you in harm’s way… if anything happens to you…” he trails off, not even wanting to think of all the possibilities of this going wrong.
“Nothing will happen to me as long as I’m with you,” Toby insists calmly. “I need to get away from here anyway; Lotus is driving me absolutely crazy and I cannot deal with her nonsense anymore.”
“I think the Watchers told Lotus about me to keep me away from you…” William leans into Toby’s shoulder. “Watchers aren’t supposed to mingle with players, we’re only supposed to watch. And I ditched my responsibilities, so now I have to pay the price.”
“You’ve got me now, Wil, and I won’t let the Watchers or Lotus separate us. I will fight them if I have to.” William giggles as Toby tries to lighten the mood. Toby takes one of his hands out of William’s and wraps his arm around him.
They sit like this for a moment, enjoying the peace. But peace can only last for so long.
The door slams open.
“I knew you were lying to me, bumblebee,” Lotus booms, storming into Toby’s living room, uninvited. Toby jumps up and away from William, trying to protect his new friend for as long as possible.
“Lying about what, Lotus?” Toby comments facetiously. “I’d never lie to you.”
“You know where the Watcher is! You’re housing the enemy!” she hisses, looking around the room for any signs. William is thankfully only visible to Toby still.
“I hate them just as much as you do!!” Toby retorts, obviously lying. William flinches; it sounds so believable. “Plus, I’d have absolutely no reason to even interact with them. It would only put me in danger!”
“You’re right, bumblebee, you are in danger.” Lotus waves her hand towards the couch, and though nothing changes for William himself, he can tell by the horrified look on Lotus’s face that he is now visible, probably to everyone. “Why would you go against me?”
“Because I love him!” Toby shifts into the gap between William and Lotus. “I don’t care how long I’ve known him, or even that he’s a Watcher. I’m protecting him now, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” Toby reaches his hand back for William’s and William takes it quickly, giving Toby a soft squeeze of encouragement.
“You can’t be serious, we were a great team, bumblebee,” Lotus snaps. She eerily moves closer to Toby and William, but Toby only walks backwards closer to William.
“Yeah, past tense. Were,” Toby remarked, “I don’t want to work with you anymore.” Toby looks back, scared. “Can you get us out of here?” he mumbles in a hushed voice so only William can hear.
William nods, and in the blink of an eye the two of them are away from Lotus. They’re in a grassy field somewhere, filled with all types of flowers. William looks next to him and spots an allium. Remembering Toby’s field back at his house, he grabs it and hands it to Toby, who smiles sweetly at the gesture.
“She won’t be able to find us; we’re so far away,” William points out.
Toby places the allium down and grabs both of William’s hands once again. “You’re incredible, thank you Wil.”
And just like the first time they met, their eyes connect. The familiarity of it all puts William at ease. But he still has one more question.
“Tobes, what did you mean when you said you loved me?” he asks, somewhat innocently.
“It’s hard to describe, Wil, but it’s like how you said you were attached to me,” Toby explains. “People fall in love all the time, usually with the people who they care about most or spend the most time around. I’d say you were falling in love with me and didn’t even realize it.
“I definitely was and I barely knew you at the beginning.”
Neither one of them ever glanced away.
“Can… can I kiss you?” Toby asks, gaining a little bit of confidence.
The question makes William freeze, but still locked with Toby, he nods.
William finally feels free for the first time.