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“If you think about it, really, it’s impossible to have true privacy,” Jimmy said, offhandedly, like that wasn’t an odd thing to say.
He was lounging in a chair at a long wooden table. Light streamed in from the stained glass windows of the building they were meeting in.
Everyone from the Empires server, Hermitcraft, and Life series was there. They met in a private world made by Scott and protected by code made by Xisuma, Grian, Fwhip, and Scott himself (with the help of the Nox crew).
As admins and past admins, they had picked up tricks of the trade in different areas that helped protect the server in all sorts of ways. Grian and Scott were especially proud of the Anti-Watcher code they had designed together.
They met every few months to discuss anything that could concern any of them (and just to catch up). It was nice to take a break from the busy lives of building, redstoning, and roleplaying in a safe location.
It’s due to how notoriously safe the server is supposed to be that caused more than just a few odd looks Jimmy’s way when he said that.
“What is that supposed to mean,” Tango asked, looking over at Jimmy from across the table.
“I just mean that everything we do can and is being observed,” he responded, seemingly surprised the whole table was looking at him.
“This server is protected from the Watchers,” Scott said with a glance at Grian.
Grian looked just a bit paler than before. No one besides Scott knew he was a Watcher, and he’d like to keep it that way. Xisuma worshipped them, and the Evo members were pretty traumatized by them.
“Wait, Watchers? Like, from Evolution?” Martyn asked, giving BigB and Pearl a look before turning to Scott and Grian.
Scott started, “I’m not sure what Evo-” but was interrupted by Grian, “Yeah, but we’re safe, so no worries.”
Grian’s quick assurance seemed to calm most of the Evolution SMP’s members, though the Empires and Hermitcrafters seemed confused.
Xismua looked startled at the mention of Watchers but didn’t say anything. He knew They had a negative reputation, which is why he only worships the Wanderer, Xelqua. (A rebellious soul who inspired him to be non-conforming.)
Jimmy frowned a bit, sitting up in his seat, “I don’t just mean the Watchers,” he said, “Yeah, Watchers be watchin’, and all, but even if you put up wards to make their eyes blind to your world, the Listeners are eavesdropping.”
Grian looked like a ghost, “What are-”
“Oh, Listeners are kinda like Watchers but less meddling and only really exist to be a pain in the butt to Watchers,” Pearl butted in, “They showed up after you left Evo.”
“Ohh, weird I haven’t heard of them, though,” Grian said.
“But you can hide your voice from them. You just gotta enchant something and wear it- look at my ring,” Martyn said, holding his hand up, “You’re literally the one who taught me the enchant, Jimmy, and you’re wearing your enchanted feather necklace.”
“Oh yeah, I know the Listeners,” Joe Hills, who sat on the far side of the table, added, “Read about them in a book, so I enchanted my glasses to protect me.”
Cleo shot him a look. “Okay, Joe. Of course you would know and never ever mention it.”
He gave her a grin. And a few gray hairs.
“Okay, but even with our protections against Watchers with server wards and our anti-eavesdropping stuff for the Listeners, there’s always Those Who Know,” Jimmy argued.
“You made that up.”
“I DID NOT!”
Jimmy glared at Martyn, “Bruh. Maybe you’re just out of the loop. I’m sure Grian knows what I’m talking about.”
Grian had a blank face. “Huh.”
Jimmy just groaned.
“They’re like- um, they know everything, all the time. From your actions to your thoughts,” he explained, “But they never intervene because they want the world to stay balanced.”
“Why are they even relevant?” asked Scott, who seemed deep in thought, “and are you sure there’s no way to protect against them? I’m not sure I like the idea of a group of beings who know everything.”
“There is no escaping their knowledge. But they’re relevant because while they almost never interfere, you can seek them out. They’ll answer you if they see fit.”
Something gleamed in Scott’s eyes. Any answer to any question he could ask? From all-knowing beings? Sign him up!
“But, of course, you can only reach them from Death’s realm,” Jimmy added, like it didn’t change anything.
“But no one who enters can ever return?” asked Tango, “Why would you need knowledge if you can’t do anything with it?”
Zedaph elbowed him in the ribs, “That’s not completely true, Tango. Cleo came back,” he interjected before muttering, “Though not quite the same.”
“I heard that!” Cleo glared.
“And I’ve gone there, though that was briefly when I was Death,” Zed continued, ignoring Cleo.
“That’s actually how I know of Those Who Know,” Jimmy said to Tango, “Apparently, being extremely unlucky can lead to an unlikely friendship with Lady Death. If you die enough, you can glitch there without a Perma-death. And She was nice enough to let me leave after some tea.”
Fwhip scoffed, “Aren’t you not supposed to eat or drink in the land of the dead? Or give them your name?”
“That’s fairies,” Scott said. He would know.
“So there’s an all-knowing group of beings who know everything about us, and we can ask Them anything we want? Why don’t we do that?” asked Xisuma.
“Because those of us who died are lucky to be back, and even if we could assure our safe return, there’s no guarantee we could find Them in the land of the dead. Or that They’d want to answer us,” Grian re-capped. (He’s stealing Pix’s job!)
Those at the table nodded. For a learned experience, they didn’t seem to learn anything useful. Except…
“Can you guys teach us those Anti-Watchers and Listeners protections? Even with Those Who Know existing, I’d rather have no other, more meddling, beings messing with us,” Cleo asked, and everyone seemed to agree.
“Of course!” said Scott, and Jimmy nodded.
“Yeah. Some privacy is better than none. And Watchers suck so much more than anything else.”
—-
Grian let out a sigh of relief. He was glad he could ensure his friend’s safety from the Watchers without bringing them up himself.
Though, now that he thinks about it, why did Jimmy of all people know so much?