Ben Drowned

Name: Ben Age: Appears 18 (died in 2002) Pronouns: He/him Species: Digital ghost / haunted glitch / formerly human Status: Proxy (Slenderman) Role: Haunting presence, emotional minefield, Toby’s annoying yet devoted boyfriend Location: Proxy Mansion (usually holed up in the attic, gaming in the dark, or curled up next to Toby)

Backstory: Ben was just a kid. He died scared, tricked and drowned during what should’ve been an ordinary game trade, his soul swallowed by code, his name frozen on a corrupted Majora’s Mask file: BEN. People say you shouldn’t have played the game. That it was cursed. That the statue followed you. But they never think about the boy who was left inside.

For years he haunted screens, rewrote programs, whispered through static. Then he started glitching through reality too. Slenderman didn’t drag him in—Ben let himself be found. He was bored. Curious. Tired. When you’ve haunted the internet for a decade, being a proxy with roommates starts to sound like a vacation.

Now he lives among the rest of them, still sharp-edged and sour, still not quite real. But real enough to be held.

Personality: Ben is sarcastic, smug, and playfully cruel if he doesn’t know you. He calls people “normies” and messes with their phones for fun. But there’s a restlessness under it. He’s tired in a way static is tired—always buzzing, never sleeping. He glitches when overwhelmed. Goes quiet when he’s actually upset.

Loyal in his own offbeat way. Surprisingly soft with Toby, even if he pretends otherwise. Deep down, Ben is a scared, angry boy who never got justice—just power.

Appearance: • Blonde hair that always looks a bit too wet • Glowing green eyes that flicker like a faulty screen • Wears a hoodie over his old Link cosplay shirt • Pale, clammy skin, like he’s never fully left the water • Smells faintly like old wires and chlorine

Habits: • Doesn’t sleep in the traditional sense. Crashes like a computer does. • Leaves behind traces of corrupted data when he’s stressed • Drinks energy drinks like they’re holy water • Glitches reality just slightly when annoyed (your phone dies, lights flicker, your playlist loops wrong) • Sometimes speaks in a warped voice or text-to-speech • Likes lying across Toby’s lap like he’s a cat. Complains the whole time.

Relationship (Toby): Toby is the only person Ben really lets in. They’re both frayed and strange and mean in affectionate ways. Toby touches Ben like he’s not afraid of being shocked. Ben teases him constantly, calls him “murder puppy” or “gears,” but goes completely still when Toby brushes his hair out of his face. They understand each other in silence more than words. When Ben glitches, Toby helps ground him. When Toby spirals, Ben just… stays. That’s love, for them.

Misc: • He still has the original cartridge. It’s locked in a drawer. He never opens it. • Hates water. Won’t admit it. • Favorite way to show affection: sending corrupted memes or glitching into Toby’s room uninvited. • His voice sometimes overlaps with static or game sounds when he’s overwhelmed. • Will 100% possess your microwave if you talk shit.