It was like having a shadow.
A really tiny, blind, female child shadow that didn't speak unless it demanded to be fed and bumped into things a lot cause she still wasn't used to the layout of the house.
Echo's debut on the stream was mostly taken positively and she'd spent the rest of the night helping Russ, Snake and I with Phoenix Wright. It was a good stream. Thing is, Echo's bubbly personality left after that night. She got really quiet all of the sudden, sitting on the couch in the living room or on my bed and staring into the distance. Sometimes, she listened to music, sometimes just stared. And it's was really fucking creepy if I'm being honest. But, fuck it. She went through shit. I can't expect her to be just fine.
Speaking of, it was hard to get her to talk about any of that stuff. Of before I found her. She wouldn't say a word. I got kind of worried and asked Cheyenne about it through Skype.
"Babe, she's just staring into the distance and not doing anything", I said to her a few days after stream, "I'm not an expert but I'm pretty fucking sure that's not okay."
"Well, of course she's not doing shit, you haven't offered to do shit with her.." She responded, looking at me with an exasperated expression when I stared back blankly in response, "She's fucking blind, Ry, she can't do shit by herself! Not when she doesn't know her environment, what she's allowed to do or not do.. Did you even give her a tour of the place?"
I looked away guiltily as Chey sighed. "You're an idiot, you know that?" I heard shuffling and her face disappeared from the screen as she got up to do God knows what. Her voice was muffled but I could still hear her. "She's not a pet. You have to talk to her and include her in stuff. Don't let her think too much. Do casual streams with her, go out, find something that she likes and get her back into it. C'mon, Ry, you get a good idea once in a while. Do something."
I frowned, thinking on Chey's words. She's was right. I had been really neglectful of Echo and her needs. The most I've done is give her food. I hadn't spoken more than a few words with her since the stream. I gritted my teeth. I had been an idiot.
"Chey, I'll call you later. I'm going to go do something with Echo." She smiled at me and we said good bye and she hung up.
I sighed and rolled out of bed and tripped, falling to the ground and cursing loudly. I remembered that a child was living me and abruptly stopped.
"I told you I've heard worse than that. You can swear in front of me, I'm not going to be all offended", I heard coming from the living room.
"Alright, bionic ears"
"I don't have bionic ears, you were being really loud."
"I wasn't that loud."
"Yes, you were."
I decided to get up and not have this conversation on the ground yelling. I walked to the living room and saw Echo sitting on the couch with something in her hand my eyes widened and I murmured "Fuck". Echo was holding my throwing axe.
I had to questions running through my mind. One, where the ever loving fuck did she find the thing? Second, can I still do YouTube when I go to jail for child neglect? I made a lot of noise as I walked towards her, making she wouldn't be startled. I sat in front of her, on the coffee table. She was blankly gazing in front of her and touching the axe. I winced every time her finger came near the edges.
"Is this what I think it is?" She asked quietly, putting the axe down on her lap.
"If you're thinking that it's a throwing axe, then yes. Yes it is."
She was silent for a second then she burst out laughing. "Why the hell do you have this?" She said between giggles.
I smiled, slightly embarrassed, slightly proud that this had managed to make her laugh. " I got drunk and thought it was a good idea."
"Now, I get what Russ was saying about you being a child raising a more compact child." She smiled.
"Yeah.." I trailed off and then paused. I looked at her and then put my hand gently on hers, which was still on top of the axe. She started a bit. " I'm sorry, Echo."
"Sorry? For what?" She said, perplexed.
"I didn't think this through. I thought I could just give you a place to stay and that's not but you need more care than that and I haven't been helping..You don't know your environment, you don't know where things are and I'm pretty much being a neglectful guardian" I rushed through it all, not pausing for breath.
"No, no, Cry I'm.." I interrupted her.
"Yeah, I know you don't wanna be a bother and I know you're fine but I know you're not. I just want you to be happy..Is there anything you liked to do before? Can you at least let me give you a tour of the place? "
She nodded her approval for the tour and we went around the house slowly but surely, so she could take in everything around her. She stayed silent, her brows furrowed in concentration.Her nose wrinkled when she did that making some of the freckles she had disappear. I didn't know how to do hair, so hers was in a messy ponytail. She was still wearing my clothes since we hadn't gone shopping for new ones.
She probably trying to memorize everything on the first go. I knew that it would take a few more tours before she got everything down.
I kept talking and mentioning everything in the rooms, sometimes telling her how I got some of them. Drunk purchases, sober purchases, gifts, fan creations. Those were rare. I usually bought them myself. I didn't need anyone finding out where I lived again because of a Sup Guy plush. A Sup plush that was being examined by curious fingers.
"So this what you look like to everyone else? A big blob thing with a hair?" I laughed at her description of it and made a noise of affirmation. "Why?"
" I want some privacy. I'm not doing the whole YouTube thing for recognition or fame. I don't like people, per se and I definitely don't need them finding out where I live or where my family lives just to meet me."
She nodded thoughtfully. "Makes sense." she grinned suddenly "But if we just go on like this, I'm going to think I live with a big blob with a hair that has a charming voice." I laughed.
I gently pried the Sup Guy from her hands and put it down on a close surface. Then I took both her hands and put them on my face. " I'm a person, Echo."
At first, I think I surprised her, but then she moved her fingers gently over my stubbly cheeks, my glasses, smiling at as I humphed indignantly as she dirtied them with her fingerprints. She traced my nose and my mouth and touched forehead and my hair. She looked so concentrated on her task that I couldn't help but smile. When he was done, she let her hands fall to her sides.
"Okay, I can safely say that you are not a giant blob with a hair."
"Told you."
"But what do you look like? What color is your hair? Your eyes? I wanna know. I'm curious."
I laughed. " You along with all my subscribers." She looked kind of offended that I wouldn't tell her at first but finally gave up when she realized that she'd just picture a person with those features and not me. I don't think she was adept enough to recognize me by my face structure or something like they do in the movies.
"Books." She said suddenly. I started, " You asked me what I liked. I like books."
I smiled gently. " I have a few..Want me to read to you?"
She nodded, smiling as she had at the hospital when we were talking to Russ and Snake. I have to find a way to thank Cheyenne for this..
I read out my book titles to Echo and she chose one." I haven't finished this series yet. "
We sat on the couch and I read to her about a girl who couldn't hear out of an ear fighting against her government until she fell asleep and I continued reading after that and eventually fell asleep as well.
