13; video

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji's MIA since Sunday morning. He hadn't thought to warn anyone about where he was going, since it wasn't supposed to take this long.

Now, Souji's lying on his back on his futon, on top of the blanket and fully clothed. The device is on the floor to one side, capturing a very boring feed of Souji not moving.

At all.

Then he gasps, the sound strangled, his chest heaving like he's never breathed before. He opens his eyes and stares at the ceiling for a minute before sitting up, moving as though his whole body aches. One hand goes to his head and he sits there, disoriented for several minutes before getting up and walking out of frame.]

Comments

[video]

[jivitadana]

Souji?

[Okay, so this scene is a little weird. What is with you?]

[video]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji comes back to the device.]

Hey, Minato.

[video]

[jivitadana]

[Don't you "hey, Minato" at your senpai. You look sick. Doctor and healer instincts kicking in along with being... well, senpai-ish.]

Are you okay?

[video]

[eatsyourscience]

Yeah... Yeah. I'm a little surprised, that's all.

[video]

[jivitadana]

[Some silence passed.]

About what?

[masukukunai]

[Yousuke had noticed Souji wasn't around yesterday. Usually they see each other everyday, even if only for a short amount of time. Always enough to at least say hello. He wasn't too worried though-- Souji was curious creature and probably got sidetracked by something, like playing with an animal, or following a trail of half-eaten cookies. He could take care of himself.]

[Or so he thought.]

[At first, the video confuses him. But quickly it fills him with cold dread. Souji wasn't breathing.]

Partner? Sou--?

[He wakes up, and Yousuke jumps. It's like his own heart has stopped, and just then started to beat again.]

Hey, are you okay? Souji? Partner?

[eatsyourscience]

[It hurts a little to breathe, like he's overtaxing some muscles somewhere doing so. He takes a breath and reaches for the device so that he can actually look into the camera.]

I'm here.

[masukukunai]

Yeah, I can see that.

[Yousuke grimaces. There's definitely something wrong, though he can't put his finger on what It's very familiar... In an awful way.]

What happened? You look like crap.

[eatsyourscience]

[This is one of those moments when Souji wishes he were the type who could lie and actually pull it off. Unfortunately, he's not the type who lies at all except to Dojima, but that was special circumstances so this is going to be very awkward.]

I was lost in the woods.

[masukukunai]

Yeah? [He raises an eyebrow.] Did something go down there? How'd you get back?

[Video]

[urnewkingbitch]

Somebody looks like they walked through hell and back.

[He's kind of used to the whole reviving when you're supposed to be dead thing. Shit just don't faze a guy when you get blown up in a green explosion of a newly created sun and then get your body put back together.]

[Video]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji takes a deep breath like his lungs are just getting used to breathing again.]

Just the forest.

[Video]

[urnewkingbitch]

What's so great about the forest?

[Video]

[eatsyourscience]

I wanted to see if it was true that you die if you go to far in.

[Video]

[urnewkingbitch]

I'm guessin' that rumor's true, considerin' you look like you haven't been breathin' in some time.

[Shock! Someone who isn't berating Souji!]

[video forever]

[akapeanut]

[George looks alarmed.]

What happened?

Re: [video forever]

[eatsyourscience]

I got lost in the forest.

[akapeanut]

And what? A bear? What the hell?

[eatsyourscience]

I passed out. [And died.]

[akapeanut]

Wh-- don't give me that shit, okay.

[She knows a dead body when she sees one.]

[beneathmyribbon]

[This is a surprising video to watch :|a Aigis doesn't really understand what's going on but it doesn't look good. And therefore, Aigis is concerned. You get concerned about friends, even if you haven't known them long.]

Souji-san? Have you been injured--?

[eatsyourscience]

I'm alright now. [Souji rubs one eye with the heel of his hand.] I made a decision that probably wasn't good.

[Actually looking at the camera now and smiling just a little.]

Thanks.

[beneathmyribbon]

Are you sure? You looked.... [Panicked. Upset? Hard to buy.]

[eatsyourscience]

It felt weird to start breathing again.

[beneathmyribbon]

Why were you not breathing--?!