[INTRO MUSIC PLAYING]
It’s time to put your headphones on, sit back and enjoy the divine drama of season 2 episode 9, Leave a Message after the Beep. Welcome to Echobox.
[ECHO’S THEME PLAYING TO END]
[PICKING UP GLASSES AND BOTTLES]
[FOOTSTEPS]
ALEX: Oh shit. Artemis forgot her jacket.
[FOOTSTEPS]
ALEX: Just text her. You can text her. It’s fine. Hey, Artemis. You forgot your jacket. Do you want me to bring it to you next time we meet?
[PHONE BUZZING]
[PICKING UP PHONE]
[TYPING ON PHONE]
ARTEMIS (clearly tipsy): Hey, Alex! I forgot my jacket. You know, the one with the patches in the back? It’s a good jacket. I promise I didn’t forget it on purpose.
[ALEX GIGGLING]
[MESSAGE RECORDING BEEP]
ALEX: Yeah, the cat was snuggling with it, too. He must like how you smell.
[MESSAGE SENT BEEP]
ALEX: Oh…
[MESSAGE RECORDING BEEP]
ALEX: Shit.. that was creepy. Forget I say that. Umm… I can hand it to you… next time we see each other?
[MESSAGE SENT BEEP]
[PHONE BUZZING]
ARTEMIS: Hmmm, sounds like a good plan. Goodnight, Alex.
ALEX: Goodnight.
[CITY AMBIENCE, LIGHT TRAFFIC]
[MESSAGE RECORDING BEEP]
[ALEX DRIVES HER CAR AROUND LA]
ALEX: Hey, Artemis. I just stopped by the Hunters building during my lunch break… You weren’t here, but Orpheus picked up your jacket. He said he would deliver it to you. I got rid of the cat hair!
[MESSAGE SENT BEEP]
[PHONE BUZZING]
ARTEMIS: Thanks for dropping by. I wish I had caught you! I was having lunch with Apollo. Sisterly duty.
[CITY AMBIENCE, LIGHT CONSTRUCTION WORK]
[MESSAGE RECORDING BEEP]
ALEX: Hey! Sorry, it took me so long to get back to you. My boss—I mean, your dad, was truly something today. And I get the sisterly duty part. You had the pleasure of meeting Daphne last Saturday.
[MESSAGE SENT BEEP]
[PHONE BUZZING]
ARTEMIS: Now, I’m the one who took too long to answer! I was just fixing up stuff for a new single this whole night. I think it’s coming along great. And your sister is great, just like you.
[INSIDE ALEX’S OFFICE]
[MESSAGE RECORDING BEEP]
ALEX: Why do we keep exchanging audio logs instead of calling? Isn’t this a bit weird? Anyway, I like it.
[MESSAGE SENT BEEP]
[OLYMPUS RECORDS LOBBY]
[PHONE BUZZING]
ARTEMIS: I like it too. Alex, do you want to go on a date with me?
(REPLAY) Alex, do you want to go on a date with me?
(REPLAY) Alex, do you want to go on a date with me?
[DOOR OPENING FAST]
ALEX: Jesus Christ, you scared me.
HECATE: Does Zeus know you’re flirting with his daughter and main competitor?
ALEX: No, of course not.
HECATE: I’m sure there are a lot of things that Zeus should know about you.
ALEX: What are you talking about?
HECATE: I think you don’t want me to talk about this here.
[ALEX SIGHS]
ALEX: Lemme buy you a coffee.
HECATE: Don’t you want to let Zeus know you’re leaving?
ALEX: Zeus doesn’t need to know.
[FOOTSTEPS, BOTH WALKING OFF]
[ALEX SWIPES HER OLYMPUS RECORD CARD. BEEP. THE DOOR OPENS]
[CITY AMBIENCE, CROWDS]
ALEX: You got something to tell me?
[HECATE GIGGLING]
HECATE: Have you got something to tell me? (whispering): I know you’re Echo.
[BEAT OF SILENCE]
[ALEX TRIES TO LAUGH]
HECATE: You want to try that again?
ALEX: Hecate…
HECATE: The way I see it, you have two choices. You either tell Hades the truth/
ALEX: /Hades?/
HECATE: /or I will. So, what will it be?
[CAR PASSING BY]
ALEX: I just think it’s funny you’d want to help Hades out of all people.
HECATE: Hades is my boss. And he’s much smarter than your boss—but I’m sure you know that.
ALEX: What I mean is I think it’s funny you’d want to help Hades considering he wants to get into your sister’s pants.
HECATE: I don’t know what you mean.
ALEX: Ha, I think you do. You see the way he looks at her. The way he talks to her. Hades is a dangerous man. Are you sure you want him so close to Persephone?
HECATE: I don’t control my sister’s choices.
ALEX: No, of course not. But you can still take care of her.
HECATE: And Echobox is helping that? How?
ALEX: Echobox is telling people the truth. People like Persephone, who are new in the industry, so they know exactly what Olympus Records want with them.
HECATE: People like Perseus?
ALEX: That—was a mistake.
[HECATE LAUGHS SARCASTICALLY]
HECATE: You’re a real piece of work.
ALEX: I’m just telling people what they need to know. What they deserve to know. Aren’t you all about choices? Well, I’m giving people the choice to support this place or not.
HECATE: You work here. If Olympus Records shuts down, you’re out of a job. We’re all out of jobs.
ALEX: Please. We both know Echobox is not going to shut Olympus Records down. They’ll never get punished!
HECATE: THEN WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING THIS?
ALEX: So people will know! So women like your sister aren’t stuck on these men’s webs. Don’t you want her to be safe?
HECATE: I—
ALEX: You want her to get like Eurydice? Like Perseus?
HECATE: FINE. Fine. I won’t tell Hades.
ALEX: You… won’t?
HECATE: Don’t act so surprised. I’m not as soulless as you think I am.
ALEX: And you can’t tell anyone else either.
[SCENE TRANSITION DRONE MUSIC PLAYING]
HECATE: I work in the legal department of Olympus Records, Echo. I know when to keep my mouth shut. I’ll listen closely, though.
[FOOTSTEPS, HECATE WALKING AWAY]
ΑLEX: Fucking creep.
[SCENE TRANSITION MUSIC PLAYING]
[APARTMENT AMBIENCE]
[CLOCK TICKING]
[CAT MEOWING AND PURRING]
[MESSAGE RECORDING BEEP]
ALEX: This… isn’t an Echobox episode. I just… I guess I need to talk to someone, and I can’t really use the internet for that. And I can’t keep bugging Achilles forever, especially since I am… such a shitty friend. And——no one else can help me. Because I’m living a lie. I have… hundreds, thousands of listeners, and they… don’t care about me. They don’t know my name. They don’t know anything about me! They don’t care if I’m having a bad day, or if I’m struggling. Because of what I put forth… because of what I do. I don’t… really create anything, do I?
ALEX: I just destroy things. The internet loves me like they love the mean girl in the movie. Fun from afar, but no one would want me close. I can’t blame them. No one is there for me, just for the hate I echo through the internet. It’s so—It’s so fucking pathetic.
ALEX: But there is one person that is… interested in me—me, me—not Echo me—and she’s so… perfect. I’m going to ruin this—
[KEYS JINGLING ON DOOR]
ALEX: —aren’t I?
[DOOR OPENING]
DAPHNE: Helloooooo, sis.
[DOOR CLOSING]
[FOOTSTEPS]
[KEYS JINGLING]
DAPHNE: Who were you talking to?
ALEX: No one.
DAPHNE: You’re always talking to yourself. That’s weird, you know? You’re weird.
ALEX: Hm.
DAPHNE: You’re not going to tell me to shut up? Whine about me being in L.A.?
[FOOTSTEPS]
DAPHNE: Threaten to kick me out?
[SITTING ON COUCH]
[CAT MEOWING]
DAPHNE: Are you running a fever?
[CAT MEOWING]
ALEX: I’m just not in the mood.
DAPHNE: Is it—
ALEX: If you say Narcissus, I will kick you out.
DAPHNE: There you are!
ALEX: That name is forbidden in our household.
DAPHNE: That is the cat’s name.
ALEX: I told you I’m not changing the cat’s name!
DAPHNE: Alright, alright! But… is it him?
ALEX: It’s not him. My life doesn’t revolve around Narcissus, you know.
DAPHNE: Mmmm…
ALEX: It doesn’t!
DAPHNE: Do you want to talk about the sexuality stuff?
ALEX: I don’t need to talk about the sexuality stuff. I’m bi. I like girls. And boys. And everything in between, and outside of it. It’s no big deal.
DAPHNE: Well… I’m here if you need to talk. About anything! Not just this. We’re sisters, right?
ALEX: Yeah. Thanks, Daphne.
DAPHNE: God, this is really weird. Are you sure you weren’t abducted and replaced by aliens?
ALEX: If I were, I wouldn’t tell you, would I?
[SCENE TRANSITION DRONE MUSIC PLAYING]
DAPHNE: Touché, sister. Touché.
[OLYMPUS RECORDS LOBBY]
[FOOTSTEPS]
PERSEPHONE: Hey, Alex! Wait for me.
[FOOTSTEPS]
ALEX: Hi! Hm, no offense, Persephone, what are you doing here so early? I thought you stars didn’t wake up before noon.
PERSEPHONE: Very funny, little gremlin. Good morning to you, too. I brought you muffins.
ALEX: You are too good for this city, Persephone. I’m putting you in a jar.
PERSEPHONE: A little threatening, but okay. Is Hades here?
ALEX: I just got here, but I would guess he’s somewhere—
[FOOTSTEPS]
HADES: Persephone, is that you?
PERSEPHONE: Hey! Last night you mentioned you liked strawberry frappuccino, so I brought you one.
ALEX: Last night? Hades likes strawberry frappuccinos?
[HADES GIGGLING]
HADES: Thank you so much, yes. I love it.
PERSEPHONE: I got muffins for us, too!
HADES: Do you… want to have breakfast in my office?
PERSEPHONE: Well, that’s what I came here to do.
HADES: Oh—
[PERSEPHONES GIGGLING]
HADES: —Yes, of course.
[FOOTSTEPS, PERSEPHONE WALKING OFF]
[FOOTSTEPS GETTING CLOSER]
[FLIRTY WHISTLING]
ZEUS: Such a pretty thing that new girl, isn’t she? Mmm…
HADES: I would appreciate it if you didn’t talk about her like this, brother.
ALEX: Um… I—I’m gonna…go…
ZEUS: And I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell me what to do.
ZEUS: I know you did your best while I was away, but I’m back in town now. Remember who truly owns this company, Hades.
HADES: How could I ever forget, little brother?
[FOOTSTEPS, HADES WALKING OFF]
ZEUS: Alexandra!
ALEX: Yes, sir!
ZEUS: My schedule for the day. And buy Persephone some flowers. It’s time for her to know what a real Olympus man can do.
[OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING]
This episode stars, in order of appearance, Isabella Sales as Alex/Echo, Juliana Guttierez Arango as Artemis, Lauren Tucker as Hecate, Tal Minear as Daphne, Lindsay Zana as Persephone, Frank Lopes as Hades, and Damon Alums as Zeus. It was written by Isabella Sales and Corienne Swanson and produced by Corienne Swanson. The Echobox theme song was made by Meg McKellar. Dialogue cut by Marianna Marcon and audio and sound design by Meg Mckellar. Logo design by Lucas Eduardo Bueno and Andy Cerdan.
You can find the episode transcript at our website at echoboxpod dot com.
Echobox is created out of love for storytelling and provided at no profit to us but we deeply appreciate the hard work our cast and crew put into the show. If you want to help us pay them for their work, support us on our Patreon at Patreon.com/echoboxpod.
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Thank you for listening. See you next time we open the Echobox!
[OUTRO MUSIC FADING OUT]