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

[arebetter]

I dare you to open your next conversation with Ryoji with a cat pun. You can blame it on me after he reacts, but that's the dare.

[transmittable]

[ A horrible gasp. ]

Ohhh, no, can't I just take the hot sauce?!

[arebetter]

Do you have hot sauce with you, wherever you are?

[transmittable]

I, uh...could try and...to...

Ohh, butts.

[ Pizzazz is treated to the most long-suffering moan she has probably ever heard. ]

Fine! Fine, I'll do it!

[arebetter]

You can say fuck when you're on the line with me, you know. It's allowed. I won't tell the Risen.

[ Pizzazz, for her part, is pleased. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SHE HAS REASON ON BOTH ENDS TO SEE THIS UNFOLD. ]

And now, you can truth or dare me. No, even better - you can pick, since you couldn't.

[transmittable]

They're not like my parents, or something, I can say whatever I want and they can't do diddly, I'm just- I've got a wide-ranged vocabulary, okay, and some of it includes butts!

[ Now that that's cleared up... ]

Oh... I don't know, gimme a moment.

[arebetter]

You are also allowed to say butts. I'm just clearing the air. Of butts.

[ She shrugs irl. ]

Hey, I've got nothing but time.

[transmittable]

[ ...She takes a moment, sighs, and... ]

Truth. Why are you talking to me so casually? Why do you...like me?

[arebetter]

[ Pizzazz is quiet for a long few seconds. ]

Seventeen-year-old girl, split parents, made some bad choices, a bunch of faceless fast-talking inhuman entities trying to use her as their public face? Can't imagine why I'd relate to that.

[transmittable]

[ Similarly, the Transmitter is quiet, though the feedback's unusually low. So is the distortion. Still present, but...less. ]

'Kay. Yeah, that's... Alright. I get that.

[ With the low interference, it's easy to tell: she's grateful. ]

In...honor of the game, I won't argue against you. Or try to make you change your mind. Or anything like that.

[arebetter]

Good.

[ She sighs. ]

I know plenty of people here would argue, and I mean. I've literally seen them argue this exact point, but I meant what I said in there. I may not know the whole story, but you're a good kid. Even if you don't think you are. And I have literally never called any teenager a "good kid" in my life, at least not before I got here.

[transmittable]

...I hadn't heard that in awhile. "Good kid." A...long while. Feels fake, but like.

Good.

[arebetter]

I wish I was better at compliments but, unfortunately, me.

[transmittable]

You know? It's good enough for me.

[arebetter]

It's what I got, so... good. [ That's not even sarcastic. I hate this. I'm dead. ]

[transmittable]

[ Cough. God. ]

...You have fun tonight?

[arebetter]

Yeah. Yeah I did. You have fun watching?

[transmittable]

Yeah. It was... Yeah, I liked it.

[arebetter]

Good. And now you participated, even if it was just a little.

[transmittable]

You already kinda got me involved, you know.

[arebetter]

Hey, out of everyone here, you're the one who came to mind first.

[transmittable]

C'mon. Even before R- uh, Gracious?

[arebetter]

Even before RGracious. It was you, then her shortly after, then Al.

[transmittable]

[ ... ]

...Excuse me. Did I just hear you right.

[arebetter]

Have you really never tried thinking of him as an Al? It's great.