SWITCHBOARD

[transmittable]

If you'd like to ask the Transmitter something over the phone, go right ahead! The Transmitter will answer the phone as soon as she's available. Leaving messages is impossible, given how old these phones are, but you should be able to reach her at almost all hours.

Comments are screened for privacy; all Patients are offered confidentiality, didn't you know?

Comments

[cadmiums]

...you're sure?

[transmittable]

Positive. What happened happened because of what I did, how I acted. Not just- with you, with everyone. And...just how I am. You know, it was probably gonna happen even if I did meet their "standards," or whatever? They were bored. Then...they were excited.

It wasn't because...you were nice to me. Are nice to me. Or that you took me on dates.

[cadmiums]

Thank you. I don't want to ever hurt you, or make things worse for you... that's why I was afraid to talk to you again. I wasn't mad, I was just...sad.

[transmittable]

I kinda figured that...eventually. After- uh, well- I sorta had to keep monitoring when I could? And like, it was me or it was them and I figured you'd probably like that worse, so...I heard a few things, yesterday.

I'm glad you did call, though. I'm really glad.

[cadmiums]

...Oh. [ That is a little embarrassing even though he should have figured that would happen.] I like you a lot more than I like them.

So you did ask Na-chan to make me smile?

[transmittable]

[ It's embarrassing on both sides now. ]

Y-yeah... Of course she told you. I knew you were probably down from all of that, and...well, I don't think I like seeing you down. So.

[cadmiums]

[ Well he is smiling now, so there's that!]

Thank you, that makes me really happy. I want to see you smile one day too. [ Actually, that reminds him of something.] Do you remember when you asked me where I would want to go with you outside of here?

[transmittable]

Uhh, yeah! Do you have another answer? Another idea?

[cadmiums]

Let's go to the Taj Mahal!

[transmittable]

[ A moment and then, she laughs from surprise. ]

The- the Taj Mahal...? What's the sudden appeal

[cadmiums]

It's a good date spot for lovers! [ That is not even what Rin said but this is what he's taking it as.]

[transmittable]

[ Snorts. She's amused. ]

I... don't think I've heard it called that before? Who got that in your head?

[cadmiums]

Rin-chan was telling me about it, she even drew me a picture. Though she said that you can't go swimming in the pools outside, which is a little disappointing.

[transmittable]

Well, of course you can't!

[ She laughs. ]

It's a World Heritage Site, it's like...important!

[cadmiums]

Is it? I still want to take you on a date there.

[transmittable]

And you hypothetically can, it's just got like... Oh, it's like a big piece of art, you know? Did you know- the guy who built it, oh, I think his name was...Shah Ja-...something, he had it built in memory of his favorite wife. It's like...the tomb, and the guest house, and the...everything, it's a huge- accomplishment, I don't know.

Things like that are cool, big...historical things.

[cadmiums]

That makes it sound like an even better date spot if it was built as a testament to everlasting love. I don't really know many historical places outside Japan, but I wouldn't mind going anywhere.

Is there some other historical place you'd want to see?

[transmittable]

Oof, walked right into that one didn't I? Um... Honestly all of the Seven Wonders? Machu Picchu, the Great Wall, the Colosseum- places like that.

And...some just, smaller, other places. Ones that are important to little towns. Go wandering and get lost somewhere.

[cadmiums]

Does it really count as lost if we're together? [ He sounds fond of the idea.]

I'd like to see where you're from too.

[transmittable]

You know what I mean, you goof... Ha, um... That place, it's nothing special. Just a...little town.

[ ... ]

Liked living there well enough, though.

[cadmiums]

[ He laughs a little, unable to help that he's a hopeless romantic.]

Yeah? What's it like? 

[transmittable]

Oh... Fine. Quiet? A kind of...everyone knows everyone sort of thing.

[cadmiums]

You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, I just like learning more about you. But it sounds like a pleasant place to live.

[...]

And it's nice to hear about hometowns, especially because I can't remember my own.

[transmittable]

You're still having a lot of memory trouble, huh? You can't recall anything about it? Anything at all?

[cadmiums]

Yeah. If I think really hard about it I...remember a bridge and the moon. But that doesn't really tell me much.