002 - Video - Public Service Announcement

[whitefeathered]

[The video clicks on, and there's Aoko, perched on a stool, that firm set to her mouth almost swallowing her lips in that firm, white line. Someone's going to get it . . . and they're going to get it good.]

I'd like to make a public service announcement.

[Her spine straightens, chin lifting, and almost veritably, she glares at the camera.]

If your new TV or microwave or disco ball or whatever doesn't work . . . maybe you should make sure it's plugged in before calling tech support and fussing at them for half an hour.

And then figuring it out and hanging up on them because you're embarrassed.

Jerks.

[That last part is obviously directed at certain unspecified individuals and not the world as a whole, but Aoko doesn't look as though she's in the mood to specify, bright pink by the end of it all. With a toss of the head, she looks tempted to say more, but flicks the NV firmly off.]

Comments

[plum_that_snaps]

That's awful! They should have at least apologized for wasting your time. [Protective face for her new friend.]

[whitefeathered]

Of course not. They just hung up.

It's not my fault they locked themselves out of 26 channels because they didn't read the manual.

[Once more, with feeling!]

Jerks.

[plum_that_snaps]

Well... [Hinamori's tempted to defend these people, because that's what she does, but you're someone she knows and therefore more important... NICE GIRL INTERNAL CONFLICT WHAT DO.] You really shouldn't call them names...

[whitefeathered]

[Even nice girls have RAGE, Hinamori. You will learn this.]

I didn't deserve to be called what they called me, either, and it was definitely worse than "jerk."

[plum_that_snaps]

Oh no! You didn't say that! I'm sorry! They... shouldn't have done that. [No, really, Momo?]

...I didn't know you worked at a tech support place, Aoko.

[whitefeathered]

[Still all ruffled, but don't worry, Momo, it's not at you.]

I don't want to. But at home, I haven't even graduated high school, so there's only so many things I can do.

And . . . I guess it's better than being a waitress. At least for me.

[plum_that_snaps]

I wonder if I... would be good at that sort of thing. [She likes helping people, but it sounds... kind of stressful.]

But couldn't you do something not working with people? Do you like animals? Or gardening? Or even just paperwork... That way people wouldn't be mean to you!

[whitefeathered]

Ah . . .

[Hesitation, and a small flush.]

Don't really know . . . I've never really been good at anything, except maybe for math.

I do like animals. And I'm good at keeping things in order, I guess . . .

Ultimately I just want to do something useful. Something that means something.