video;

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji's in the diner, sitting at one of the booths. At the edge of the shot is a half-eaten order of french fries, because sometimes he actually eats the things he cooks. Quality assurance. You know how it goes.

He looks thoughtful as he addresses the network.]

I've been here a while. Over time, I've kind of come to like it. I don't feel like it's urgent to go home anymore.

[He frowns.]

I miss home. But I don't really mind being here.

[The words Stockholm Syndrome come to mind, but he's not going to say them.]

So...why is it you want to leave? Or stay, if you'd rather do that.

Comments

[eatsyourscience]

That makes sense. For me, I've finished everything I needed to do, so it doesn't feel as urgent.

[angewiesen]

Wonderland drives me crazy too, but it's still not totally awful. I can deal with living here. And now that Armin's here too, I don't feel as guilty about leaving my squad behind.

[eatsyourscience]

Having people from home here can make things a lot easier. There used to be people from my team here, when I first arrived, and that made it feel like it was okay to be so far from home.

[angewiesen]

It feels like everyone here has some sort of squad they've left behind.

[eatsyourscience]

In one form or another. I think it would be hard for it not to be like that. Almost everyone belongs to some kind of group.

[angewiesen]

...I didn't always. Used to be kind of a jackass. Thought a being a loner was cool.

[eatsyourscience]

I guess for some it is. Or at least, they think so. But you know better now.

[angewiesen]

Once you lose the one person that always believed in you, and you end up really alone... Yeah. You learn.

[eatsyourscience]

You know from experience.

[It's not a question. Jean wouldn't have been that specific if he didn't know from experience.]

I had to finally have people around me to realize it.

[angewiesen]

Then we both have experience, huh?

[eatsyourscience]

Yeah. But that might not be a bad thing. It lets us appreciate things more.

[Which sounds pretty sappy, but it's true.]

And it gives you something to fight for.

[angewiesen]

...You've got a real knack for having the right words at the right time.

[eatsyourscience]

I've had some practice.

[angewiesen]

You usually end up being the voice of reason?

[eatsyourscience]

Pretty often.

[Especially when his friends want to get murdery.]

But my team is pretty great, too. They all have their moments.

[angewiesen]

Are any of them here?

[eatsyourscience]

There are a couple people from my world, but not my team. I've had a few of them here on and off over the years, though. I don't know if you remember Kanji, but he's one of them.

[angewiesen]

Oh, right. I remember. You've got that weird same place different time thing going on with Minato and Ryuji, right? You didn't know them, but you're in the same timeline?

[eatsyourscience]

Right. I'm somewhere between the two of them.

[angewiesen]

And you all have the same kind of powers. That Persona thing. That's something in common you can get together over anyways.

[eatsyourscience]

Yeah. Something like that. Although there are still differences with that, too.

[angewiesen]

Comrades are comrades. Even if they're not technically from your team. I've had to patch things together here like that too.

[eatsyourscience]

That's extremely true. I think most people here have that same experience.

[angewiesen]

...You've probably met Armin by now, right? Keep an eye out for him. He ruminates when you leave him alone for too long.

[eatsyourscience]

It's the second time I've met him. I didn't know him well the first time, so hopefully I can get to know him better this time.