video;

[eatsyourscience]

[In light of recent network posts, Souji's a little hesitant to claim ownership of that last event. He hesitates on screen for a minute, looking off to the side before his eyes flicker over to look into the camera.]

For the record, the speed dating went a lot better here than it did at home.

[He rubs the back of his neck, not quite embarrassed and not quite apologetic, then shrugs. It is what it is. No need to feel bad about it.]

It was kind of nice to see home again.

[He's been away a long time.]

Comments

[akapeanut]

Cliquey, mostly. Sometimes so cliquey that you wonder how anyone's supposed to learn anything. But then the teachers are part of the cliques too.

I'm probably not the best person to ask. I wasn't "cool" or whatever.

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji takes a minute to think about his own school. Sure there were groups of people who hung out together more than with others, but he doesn't think he'd call them cliques. This might be one of those things that he understands in theory but just can't imagine working in reality.]

At least you don't have to deal with it anymore.

[akapeanut]

I guess. School might've been okay if it was like what you had. Although then you had all the shadows and shit to deal with too, so I guess I can't say.

[eatsyourscience]

For most kids, it's like what you saw, though.

There's a lot of pressure, though, especially for third year students. It's like what you do that year will decide your entire future.

[Souji doesn't quite buy that, but he's still resigned to spending the next year studying and doing little else.]

[akapeanut]

That's...sort of the case in the states. It's sort of spread out though high school, though. They want you to know what you're gonna do early on so if you want to go to some big school like Harvard, you're working on all the shit you need to do to impress them. Unless you're rich. Then it doesn't matter.

I guess if we had festivals and shit that meant teachers couldn't give out homework for a while, we'd all relax a little, though.

[eatsyourscience]

You don't have anything like that?

[akapeanut]

Not during the school day, at least. And I wasn't really a fan of hanging out at school after it was done. Didn't see the point, I guess.

[eatsyourscience]

What did you do instead?

[akapeanut]

Read. Listened to music. Avoided my mom as much as possible.

Nothing so exciting as monsters and murder.

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji doesn't there's anything wrong about a normal life.]

You didn't get along with your mom?

[akapeanut]

No. She wanted me to do more with my life. And be more pleasant in general. Which she was probably right about. I was kind of a stubborn little shit. Dying put that into perspective.

[eatsyourscience]

Isn't that what being a teenager is like for most people?

[akapeanut]

...Maybe. But it's not like I ever got a chance to grow out of it.

[eatsyourscience]

Will you always be a teenager emotionally?

[That would really suck.]

[akapeanut]

...I don't think so? I was. Pretty different at the point I was at when I came here, compared to when I died. And I think I've changed since I've gotten here too.

I mean. You might be able to tell better than I can. Do you think I've changed since you've known me?

[eatsyourscience]

Yeah, in some ways, I think so. Or it's more like, you're the same but you've developed some parts of yourself.

[He doesn't exactly know how to put it. Her base self is the same, but she's...grown?

That makes her sound like a bonsai tree.]

[akapeanut]

...I guess I get that. Maybe that's all growing up like a normal person is like. But yeah, I'll. Never know what it would've been like, to do it normally.

Guess none of us here will.

[eatsyourscience]

Being completely normal might be abnormal, too. It seems pretty rare.

[akapeanut]

Heh. I guess. Especially not here. We all seem to have some weird thing about us. Maybe that's why we're here.

[eatsyourscience]

It does seem to collect people that are different somehow.

[akapeanut]

Yeah. It'd probably be weirder and more frustrating if we were all the same person, though.

[She'd probably drive herself crazy.]

[eatsyourscience]

Yeah, probably.