Just voice testing

[that_can_happen]

-1-

[You've heard from the brother of a friend of a coworker or something that there's this guy who hangs out at the local diner, and that people who do things for him get wishes. Or something. Apparently, if you tell him that you heard the pastrami sandwich here is good, he'll know that you want to talk about wishes.

Everyone has something they want. Maybe you should talk to him.]

-2-

[He gave you a task. It could be anything. From "Make 5 people cry" to "Become pregnant" to "Find someone with no family and kill them". They're not all morally repugnant, but unless you asked for something stupid like a sandwich, they will not be easy. Part of the deal was that you had to periodically come back and report your progress. Which is what you're doing today.]

Ah. How's it going?

Comments

[that_can_happen]

I'm not trying to misinterpret what it is you want to ruin your life. I just need to know specifically what it is you want. Simply put, in your own words.

[phantom_envoy]

...I probably should have written something down in advance. I hate it when Brainy's right.

Hold on.

[She bobs down and phases through the floor of the booth, reappearing about five minutes later.]

'I wish for my mother, Winema Wazzo, to allow me, Tinya Wazzo, to make my own decisions of her own accord absence the usage of mind control or alteration of any core facets of her personality. Decisions of extreme importance which I fail to fully grasp with my limited knowledge will still be firmly insisted upon with the vigor that the President of the United Planets must bring to all such considerations. Phantom Girl are you sure it's OK to be involving your mother in this what if you somehow turn her into a toad or something she's our President too.'

...

It still counts if someone else wrote it for me, right?

[that_can_happen]

If you insist, but are you sure you want to use someone else's words to describe what you want?

Also you might want to clean up that last bit.

[phantom_envoy]

...You get the picture, right? I don't want you to do anything weird to her except to help her understand that I have to be my own person. ...It's hard to express in words.

[that_can_happen]

So what you want, then, is for your mother to spend less of her time trying to control your life.

[phantom_envoy]

...That works.

But let's not make 'less of her time' equal one second or anything. And, the other way around, let's not make that into not caring about me at all, either.

[that_can_happen]

[He takes some more notes in the notebook.]

That can happen.

[phantom_envoy]

The kicker being...?

[that_can_happen]

[He reads out of his notebook.]

In order for you to have the amount of freedom from your mother's controlling urges that you want, you have to find someone who is keeping a secret to stop someone else from being hurt. Then you need to reveal it.

[phantom_envoy]

[Phantom Girl's brows furrow in confusion as she processes this for a few moments.]

...Hurt how? Like, Triplicate Girl lying to Bouncing Boy that his costume looks good on him when he's the poster boy for bad Earth fashion?

[that_can_happen]

Something like that, yes.

Although for a wish like this, the secret is going to have to be bigger. Also the person who was keeping the secret has to know it was you.

[phantom_envoy]

Are we talking physical injury? Grounds for breaking up a friendship? Reducing someone to tears?

[that_can_happen]

Any of those would do, yes.

[phantom_envoy]

Not exactly morally upstanding, anyway.

...Are these supposed to be symbolic or something? My gain for their loss?

[that_can_happen]

Not exactly. These things simply have a cost.

[phantom_envoy]

...Yeah, but you totally just make the costs up on the spot, don't you? I saw you reading from your notebook.

[that_can_happen]

Don't worry about the notebook. It's just a tool.

[phantom_envoy]

Whatever you say...

...So what happens if I refuse? And then... what if I forget all about this and accidentally do it five years from now?

[that_can_happen]

If you refuse to do the task, you don't get your wish. When you do it is immaterial.

However, if you're going to do it, I would like you to occasionally check in with me and tell me how it's going.

[phantom_envoy]

Hm.

How's this for efficiency? I've already got just the thing. Personally, I think it's a secret we should have revealed a long time ago. It's not fair to go on keeping it, even if it does keep someone safe.

[that_can_happen]

As long as someone cries, is physically hurt, or loses a friend or lover because of it, it will work.

[phantom_envoy]

...You only added those qualifications after I mentioned them!

Anyway, someone would be hurt. I just haven't decided if I'm going to say anything yet.

bleh, guilty as charged.

[that_can_happen]

It just has to badly hurt someone, physically or emotionally. You put it better than I did.

[phantom_envoy]

Well. I don't know about badly.

...You want to know the secret or should I keep it to myself?

[that_can_happen]

I would very much like to know what it is.