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

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji totally beat her there and is busy decimating a stack of croquettes. He nods and swallows.]

Most things do.

[akapeanut]

[Eyebrow raise.]

Yeah, I've kind of noticed. You're pretty skinny for how much you eat.

[eatsyourscience]

I think a lot of what I eat goes to my Personas.

[akapeanut]

That's...kind of creepy. [Pause.] Like, parasites.

[eatsyourscience]

....No. It's more like having a really high metabolism.

[akapeanut]

Still. I'd feel weird feeding all these other things.

[Guess who probably wasn't going to have kids?]

[eatsyourscience]

You don't have to listen to them talk.

[akapeanut]

...It's a good thing you can make them come out.

[To prove he's not schizophrenic, you see.]

[eatsyourscience]

I can barely remember not having them there.

[akapeanut]

At least you're never lonely?

[eatsyourscience]

[He smiles a little.]

Yeah. I guess not. They're all part of me, but they speak in different voices.

[akapeanut]

I still don't quite get that.

[George wishes up some coffee and stirs it thoughtfully.]

Is it like. One's your angry side and one's your jealous side? Something like that?

[eatsyourscience]

They're not that clear cut.

[Souji considers how to explain.]

Do you act different around and toward different people?

[akapeanut]

A little, I guess.

[eatsyourscience]

That's how Personas are. Each one is one of the masks that helps you get through life's situations.

[akapeanut]

Isn't that kind of...I dunno, dishonest?

[eatsyourscience]

It's...a coping mechanism.

[akapeanut]

I feel kind of bad about doing it. And I have, like. A really good reason.

[eatsyourscience]

What is it?

[akapeanut]

Well, I couldn't tell people I was a grim reaper, and that didn't pay so I had to have a day job. Sometimes I had to...kind of pretend I was in AA to get out of work for reaps.

[eatsyourscience]

...AA?

[akapeanut]

Alcoholics Anonymous.

[eatsyourscience]

...I don't think we're talking about the same thing.

[akapeanut]

...Oh.

[George flushes.]

I haven't been talking to a lot of people lately. Out of practice.

[eatsyourscience]

[He smiles a little.]

Being a reaper is complicated, huh?