voice testing because someone finally got the game

[ievertellyou]

So wait, lemmie get this straight—I’m a voice in your head? One of, like, a bunch? Doesn’t that make you a psychopath or somethin’; hearin’ them all?

Actually that reminds me of my buddy Dave, who’d go and talk to himself when he got hammered and—Keith said it weren’t nothin‘ to fret over since it really only started after Dave electrocuted himself by hooking up what he thought was a dead car battery to his...

Oh, you don’t talk back to ‘em? I dunno, I'm pretty sure that's still some sorta crazy. 

—Hey, talkin’ ta cars is different; everybody does that!

Comments

[iteleportedbread]

Relax, son, you're in good company. Just like you, I also like to talk to things!

[ievertellyou]

Well, I don't talk to things, mister. I talk ta cars, and guns. Y'know—useful stuff. ...And people too, I guess but that's kinda obvious.

What do you talk to?

[iteleportedbread]

Heads! I have eight of them. They sit on a fence and I lecture them on the art of war.

[ievertellyou]

Heads? ....Like. Mannequin heads? Not heads that used to be on people, heads, right?

[iteleportedbread]

Of course they were on people. I have no use for mannequins.

[ievertellyou]

—Okay then, but, what use are.... y'know. People-heads. On a fence.

[teddymitten]

I-I never talked to a car before. [ Teddy barely talks to people. ]

[ievertellyou]

Ya haven't? Cars are the best to talk to! They always listen, they help you figure stuff out—really helps when you're fixin' 'em up too.

Just a matter of findin' the right car ta talk to, I guess.

[teddymitten]

That- that's great... [ He trails off, really he's much too shy to talk to a complete stranger but he just couldn't help his curiosity. He plucks at his scarf to distract himself from his own nervousness. ]

[ievertellyou]

[Ellis isn't blind, or stupid for that matter, that he can't see the unease in the other. Still, it doesn't hinder the kind smile on his face as he offers a hand out in greeting.]

My name's Ellis.

[teddymitten]

[ Teddy glances at the hand, before taking it... though not without difficulty. Once he grabs it he holds on tightly, even if there's not a lot of strength in those small, chubby hands. ]

'm Teddy... u-uh... need to- to go. [ He really wants to stay and maybe ask for a ride in that car and make friends but he's just so shy. His belly hurts from how nervous he feels. ]

[ievertellyou]

[When he waits it isn't imposing, as if his time is being wasted, no; not at all. Ellis is patient and his smile becomes a little toothy when he shakes back to that firm grip, chuckling lightly.]

Well Teddy, it's nice t' mee— [But he stops, a little surprised and continues on without sounding a lick offended (because he isn't).] Sure, okay. You got a way home?

[teddymitten]

[ Teddy fidgets with the front of his hoodie, trying not to rub his painful belly or show how nervous he is, though it's probably pretty obvious to Ellis. ]

I...I dunno where I am... going- going somewhere.

kicks the door down 5 years late

[streetsmarts]

Nobody does that, Ellis. And you know what else they don't do? Care. You just wasted thirty fucking seconds of valuable time with that crock of shit.

nonsense castmates are never late

[ievertellyou]

'Course they do—people do those things all the time! And that weren't no crock of shit, but it was thirty seconds a' valuable time you listened to all the same.

yes good

[streetsmarts]

Listened to? You think I listened to that? I swear, the moment you start talking it's just white noise in my goddamn ear.

'cept for now, because I'm listening to you so I can tell you how stupid you sound.

[ievertellyou]

Naw, I don't think you listened to that, I know you did. [Don't excuse the beaming grin, Nick, because it's all for you.]

'Cuz then that means ya do care 'bout what I said, since you heard me instead 'a white noise. Don't matter if you think it was stupid; you listened.

[streetsmarts]

Yeah? Well I already forgot what you said, that's how much it meant to me. [Foiled again.]

If you think that's what it takes to make me care you've got another thing coming, Ellis. I dunno why we didn't just send you out into the fields to talk all the infected into their graves, would've made it all go a lot smoother. [Bitch, bitch, complain.]

[ievertellyou]

[Ellis shakes his head in disbelief, nose and mouth scrunching up the same.] How could you ever forget a story 'bout a guy electrocutin' himself and surviving? [Never mind he told the story minutes ago.]

Well, listenin' is carin'. It's how you learn about people, make friends! And y'don't save strangers either; not unless you care about 'em one way or the other. So savin' people is carin' too. And you've saved me a bunch! [He's grinning mostly because he's a dork, though the examples he's got in his head are pretty good too:]

Like from that tonguer at the mall, or the little guy that slammed me into a car? Or that time a big arm got me an' you were the first one there to help me up—remember? At the hotel? [His grin curls some.] I do, an' I didn't tell a soul you used your med kit on lil' ol me.

[streetsmarts]

[Now he just needs to raise a hand so he can pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration, hissing a sigh out his teeth when he does.]

Yeah, I remember that. You wanna know why I did it? Because I couldn't let some piece of shit zombie-asshole take my moment of glory. If anyone is going to kill you, Ellis, it's going to be me.

[ievertellyou]

[Ellis laughs, bright and cheerful like he does, because he likes to get Nick's goat as much as he likes to get his and this is perfect; watching him squirm at the proof.

And it quiets as he nods to the question, wetting lips as he listens in anticipation. His smile falters soon after though and green eyes get big.] —An' you still wanna kill me after all them miles we got in on the same team?

[Still, it's a world record: the shortest sentence Ellis has spoken in a conversation in years.]