ratherbelocky: (The youngest was still △)
Agent York ([personal profile] ratherbelocky) wrote2016-03-19 07:28 pm

.006 Δ ["Anonymous" Text]

[Or, well, actually, this text isn't anonymous. It's simply that the ID number it displays doesn't match anything in anyone's previous contacts--as if someone's perhaps got his meddlesome paws on a brand new 'Gear.]

So there's a thing I've noticed, in the months I've been here. These anonymous posts, the ones asking for advice? They get a lot of answers. Seems we've got a lot of folks willing to help out around here, or at least to talk and commiserate, but it always seems to be a one-off deal; the person who's anonymous, most of us don't get to hear from them again, see how they're doing, and if we're anonymous ourselves, they can't contact us, either. It's like dancing some kind of intimate foxtrot and then never seeing your partner again.

But I found out something interesting. If you go to any Pokémon Center or PokéMart and tell them your Gear's broken or missing, they'll just hand you a new one free of charge. And if you happened to be lying, well. Then you've got an extra Gear unconnected to your main one.

What I'm saying is, there's an easy way to maintain privacy and anonymity on both ends while still checking in with someone you've spoken with before. Obviously, this is great to know for prank calls - and you're all welcome in advance for the April Fools idea - but I'd like to pose another option to those guys who want to help:

What if there were some kind of system in place for people to just talk about what's eating them multiple times with the same person, without ever having to know who's on the other line?

Now, I'm by no means a professional - not in this field, anyway. I'm not qualified to be a therapist and I haven't yet heard of anyone here who is. That's not what I'm suggesting we do here. But there are people willing to just listen, and to share their own experiences without judging, and that can be real useful to people who are working through tough things.

Here's how I'm imagining it'll work.

1. Folks who are interested in doing the listening contact me here by filling out the form at the bottom of this post. I vet them, and if it seems like it'll work out, then they grab an extra Gear, send me the number, and come up with their own codename.
2. I make a list of who's available and their numbers.
3. People looking to be listened to without exposing themselves, they contact me anonymously, and I'll redirect them to one of the folks on the list. After that first contact, they can just get to their listener directly without going through me as a middleman.
4. Conversation happens, everybody profits.

"But, mysterious and probably handsome anon," I hear you ask, "why do the people interested in helping have to out themselves to you? Who are YOU, even, to ask that and put yourself in charge of this whole thing?" And my answer is, there's got to be some accountability here when things this heavy and private are on the table, and I'm willing to be that guy. I'm also happy to reveal my identity privately to anyone who asks; I'm only maintaining anonymity here for those who don't want to know who they're talking to, for whom talking is easier like that.

Anyway. If listening to other people's problems sounds like your calling, I'd like you to fill out the following little survey:


If there's enough interest, I'll set something up within the week. In the meantime, let me know what you guys think.

And I guess you can call me Nathaniel.
awesmazings: (☼ wrapped up in my heart)

[Private]

[personal profile] awesmazings 2016-03-22 12:46 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah. I've seen people talk about getting some kind of thing like that set up for new people...but I guess it's gonna take a lot to actually get it started once everybody's on board, yaknow?
tearsofademon: (yes I know I'm just an outcast)

[personal profile] tearsofademon 2016-03-23 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
That sucks.

[Not that he knows what an AI is, but form context he can gather it's kind of like possession. Either way. Benign or malevolent, not fun.]

Sorry you ended up going through all that. Just goes to show how bothersome war is.
hashtagafreakingghost: another trend goes out of season (we lose control of the moment)

[anon text]

[personal profile] hashtagafreakingghost 2016-03-23 07:48 am (UTC)(link)
You really set it up.



Thank you.
wing_attack: (Default)

[Private Audio]

[personal profile] wing_attack 2016-03-23 12:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Will do. My team's pretty tough, though. You might have trouble.

[Is that a challenge? It might be.]
wing_attack: (serious)

[Private Audio]

[personal profile] wing_attack 2016-03-23 12:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Maybe we should try it out even before I get a gym set up, huh?

[It's been way too long since his team had a proper challenge, anyway.]
wing_attack: (neutral)

[Private Audio]

[personal profile] wing_attack 2016-03-23 12:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Monday's good. I can drop by in the afternoon and we can head out to the park or something. I wouldn't want to bust up your lawn.
Edited 2016-03-23 12:30 (UTC)
wing_attack: (unsure)

[Private Audio]

[personal profile] wing_attack 2016-03-23 12:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Snacks would be great. I'll have just come off my shift and Pokemon Centers don't always have the best snacks.

[Sure, energy bars were fine, but not when you just want junk food that doesn't smell vaguely stale.]
hashtagafreakingghost: this moment is endless (pretending‚ believe that we're safe here)

[anon text]

[personal profile] hashtagafreakingghost 2016-03-23 09:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Still. There really are a lot of people here who need to talk. If this works it'll help so many.

And it'll help me. So I'm incredibly grateful.
awesmazings: (☼ a secret chord)

[Private]

[personal profile] awesmazings 2016-03-24 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
Then...that means we just gotta have someplace built there, right? Like a little hotel or something. I mean, every other town has them, so why shouldn't New Bark?

[Probably an old mechanism to get people to travel, instead of staying at mom's house forever.]
bylight: (♠ I wanna be adored)

[private text]

[personal profile] bylight 2016-03-24 01:51 am (UTC)(link)
Using a different identity is something I've gotten used to. This is nothing new.
tearsofademon: (only a monster)

[now it's a private channel]

[personal profile] tearsofademon 2016-03-24 05:21 am (UTC)(link)
[It's a little longer before this response comes in (and he's a slow typist in the first place) - it takes a minute for him to decide how much he's comfortable sharing, and then to set the connection to private (he's studied the 'gears, technology is incredibly similar to magic when you look at how it's set up, once you learn the syntax it's easy for a magic genius like him), and then how to even phrase it - but he eventually decides to go this far.

After all, this world isn't home. And it's only fair, after asking himself.]


I don't really talk about it, except sometimes with Sion because he knows it all already, and a couple of my Pokemon know. But I was an orphan who was basically raised in the military academy, even though I made sure I sucked at all of that stuff. They only kept me around because they wanted to make sure their pet monster stayed on a tight leash and didn't run away to help another country instead.

All I've ever wanted was to be able to sleep in peace, you know? But aside from a few people who can see past what I am, I've never had a lot of friends, so I'm kind of used to being alone.
soundmind: (Smile ► This time I'll disappear)

[personal profile] soundmind 2016-03-25 12:20 am (UTC)(link)
Don't worry, I'll be fine. My support is extremely reliable!
monge: (🍦|| Let me explain you a thing zura)

[personal profile] monge 2016-03-25 02:30 pm (UTC)(link)
They won't know who I am, trust me! I don't spell my name with a little line!!

[He means the hyphen, but...dogs.]

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