VIDEO

[khajidont]

[When video turns on, Jaime doesn't exactly greet the network with a smile, but he doesn't look distinctly unhappy either -- just a little contemplative, in his own way. He still gives the screen a little wave, though, seated comfortably at his desk. It's where he winds up posting most of the time.]

Hey, guys. I was thinking about something the other day, and I figure some people here might have answers. See, back home, me and my family? We went to Church every Sunday, but once I got here...

[He just shrugs with a tiny grimace that says every excuse anyone ever has, but really boils down to: he got lazy.]

Nnnnnnot so much. But I figure that other people here must've gone to something back home, like a Mosque, or Synagogue, or whatever five thousand other religions there's gotta be. Has anyone actually bothered trying to keep it up once you got here? It's probably harder if your religion isn't an Earth religion, but I'm sure you guys have ways of keeping it up. I feel like it'd be kinda hard to just pop into a Church somewhere too, like they'll make as big a deal out of the whole imPort thing as everyone else here.

[He pauses for a second, looking as if he's going to say something, but he seems to change his mind halfway through.]

Oh! And I know there are some people around here who are technically Gods, like we've got at home? But they're still kind of... well, not human, but, I guess, available? Like the New Gods? [He flaps one hand at the camera.] Thaaaat's not really the sort of religious thing I'm talking about, but maybe you guys have your own rituals too.

Comments

[amadaman]

That's what the shrine is for. My mom's resting place is at Naganaki, and I wouldn't want to disturb her.

Anyway... I guess. I don't know if most of us from SEES are even into that sort of thing, but if it were me, I'd want to make sure I was settled before I thought about something like that.

[khajidont]

That makes sense. And I'm sure that everyone else has their own ways of doing things, and remembering the people who aren't here anymore.

[Minato's parents, Shinji's parents, Akihiko's parents and little sister, Ken's Mom... they're just a bunch of outcasts and orphans, aren't they? At least they have each other to lean on while they remember the people who are gone.]

It's kinda nice that everyone has their own rituals, don't you think?

[amadaman]

Yeah. [Ken glances down a moment, looks up again, and he grins.]

There's a ritual for every bond. If someone's going to put in that effort to remember, then that means there was a bond. I think that's nice -- even if you can't be with them physically, whether it's because of death, or even if you just move away, that bond never disappears.

[khajidont]

[It's almost frustrating, that Ken's so much better with his words than Jaime is when he's so much younger. Jaime knows what he thinks, so much of the time, but trying to put the big, important things into words is difficult.

This kid's going to be valedictorian, he just knows it.]

Yeah. I was thinking more culture stuff, but you're right; whatever it is you make with your friends and family is just as important to remember and keep up with. You're making all sorts of new ones here too.

[amadaman]

Yeah. You know how you have a bunch of photos on your wall? I've been working on that, too.

It's nice. My wall back at the dorm's bare, and this one feels more like home.

[khajidont]

Oh, yeah? [He brightens up, pleased that Ken's actually been compiling all those pictures he's been taking.] That's great! One of these days, I'll have to come over to your place instead, and you can show me how far along you've gotten.

[amadaman]

Of course! Just tell me when... uh, it's gonna be pretty rowdy since we got a couple of new people again, but nobody would mind there being a guest. I don't bring that many people over anyway since I usually go out.

[khajidont]

That's fine! I don't mind meeting them either.

[...will he wind up regretting those words?]

Do your new roomies seem okay?

[amadaman]

They're okay. With each, not so much. They're apparently from the same world and they're fighting all the time, but we'll see.

[Koromaru isn't worried about them so Ken isn't that worried either.]

It's kind of fun. I don't need to use the translator to talk to them if it's just us because they're Japanese too.

[khajidont]

Oh, well, you're used to people fighting all the time anyway.

[Shinji, Aki, he's looking right at you.]

Them being Japanese is great for you, but man, it's funny how the Porter plays favourites like that.

[WHERE ARE ALL HIS MEXICANS]

[amadaman]

I'm hoping it's the normal kind of fighting you say happens between friends.

It's funny how the Porter plays favorites but it's also kind of scary how so many versions of Japan are getting caught up in things like apocalypses and monsters and giant robots. It's almost like the things that end up in anime and games in some versions are actually reality in another.

[khajidont]

Just use Shinji and Akihiko as sort of... a base to judge by. If it gets worse than that, it's probably not a great sign.

[He heaves a little sigh.]

Man, you're right, though! It's like America and Japan are getting into all this trouble all over the place. Maybe we just suck at damage control.

[amadaman]

Sanada-san and Aragaki-san are a little... these two avoid each other more than anything, but they're still messaging each other anyway so I'm not too worried.

I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. I mean, look at this one.

[khajidont]

[He snorts.] Okay, point. But it's not like the rest of the world isn't involved in this too. We don't exactly get a whole lotta Russians around here.

[amadaman]

... That would really suck for them because I'm sure the natives wouldn't like them very much.

[khajidont]

I'm pretty sure it does suck for them. In a way, it's probably best that everyone seems to be from more or less the same places. It means that people have more in common -- and like you said, it's nice for you to be able to live with other Japanese people, so you don't hafta speak English all the time.

[amadaman]

I-I try not to do it too often... Charlie and Mr Bull can't understand, so it'll be rude if we had conversation all the time like that around them. But sometimes they come home while we're talking and I think they take videos of us doing that.

[khajidont]

Wait, they take videos of you guys doing it? [He looks vaguely amused.] Why do they do that?

[amadaman]

Well, iys only just been one time really. Mostly to show us that we get really loud.

[khajidont]

[He laughs.]

So they took it to remind you guys of your manners?

[amadaman]

I guess. We probably deserve it... it has gotten a lot louder lately.

[khajidont]

Your roomies seem pretty cool, though. I bet they don't mind too much, and if they do, they'll probably let you know.

[A beat.]

Or they'll just talk louder!

[amadaman]

Charlie and Mr Bull are really patient. I'm sure they'll let us know if it really bothers them.

It might even be more normal, this way. When it was just the three of us, unless we had people over we were always pretty quiet. We talked, but we had our own people to spend time with. We watched movies together, though. Either way, it's been nice.