Video 4 - George's room

[toiletseat_girl]

[the video opens on George, sitting on the edge of her bed with her legs crossed. she looks curious, but also a little sheepish as what she's about to ask is . . . personal.

no, she's not asking for flirting advice again.

that was one time.

stop looking at her like that.

no, this time what she's asking is even weirder]

So, uh, I was kind of wondering. How many people here died before they came here? And how many are now immortal?

I was just. Wanting to know?

Comments

[puzzlingly]

「He makes a little amused sound.」

Mine weren't either, except maybe for my father.

「He cannot remember his uncle ever hugging him, not even after his father's passing. He sips a little from his drink.」

But you miss them, don't you? I bet they do too, even if you don't speak about it, there is always a different level of understanding with those you love.

[toiletseat_girl]

That's something?

[George can't remember the last time her mom hugged her. she assumes it happened at least once when she reached her teens, but she can't remember a single time it actually happened. the same goes for her father]

I loved them, but I didn't understand them. And they didn't really understand me.

[puzzlingly]

It was everything.

「All he ever needed and more.」

What do you mean?

「Is it a teenager thing?」

[toiletseat_girl]

I'm glad you had it, then.

[and she is. her family life may have been fucked up, but she'd hope that others' wasn't]

It's just--you know how kids and their parents grow apart when the kids get older? My "older" was around six.

[puzzlingly]

「He actually didn't get to experience that, being incredibly spoiled but, he can imagine. One of his best friends comes from a bit of a broken family and his partner's father was never there...」

Sounds a little cold. And what did you do?

[toiletseat_girl]

["broken" would be a good way to describe the Lass family, even when all four were present and accounted for]

I guess. And I read. I read a lot.

[puzzlingly]

Hmm, that sounds interesting, what's your favorite book?

「He has to smirk at himself a little, he never liked reading as much as his cousin. No wonder why his uncle would be so hard on him sometimes... But he tries to diverge the attention from the sad to something she seems to enjoy, at least.」

[toiletseat_girl]

Well, it used to be "A Tale of Two Cities," but it's the only book I had when I showed up here and I've read it, like, ten times. So I've kind of gotten tired of it.

Right now? With all of the heavy shit that goes on around here? I could go with a marathon of Jane Austen novels. Get a little levity and romance up in here.

[yes, she loves books, she'll talk about books for days]

[puzzlingly]

「Not him, though, he doesn't mind reading at all, if there were books here, that's it. Romance? Not quite his thing.」

You were carrying a book when you came here?

「That's cool, actually.」

What were you doing?

[toiletseat_girl]

[not usually hers, either, but she's single. painfully single]

Yeah, it was in my bag when I showed up here.

[George Lass has likely the only readable book in Hadriel]

I'd just finished a Reap, grabbed my bag, and was headed for the door at the mall. I opened the door and here I was.

[puzzlingly]

Someone died at the mall?

「Sounds... rather uncommon. Wow, his questions are all over the place, aren't they? She just seems to have so much to say, and he's terribly curious at the moment it seems. She's interesting...」

[toiletseat_girl]

Yeah. It was at Starbucks. The espresso machine blew up. It was actually pretty gruesome.

[not as uncommon as he might think. there's Black Friday to deal with, random slips and falls in something slippery, the occasional murder. and she'd be flattered to be considered interesting]

[puzzlingly]

... That can actually happen?

「Holy wow...! He quickly shakes his head.」

Sorry, I didn't mean to bring that kind of stuff up; though, I guess it's kind of hard.

[toiletseat_girl]

Unfortunately, yes.

[she's seen just about every stupid, pointless way to die imaginable]

Kind of. But while I'm here, I'm on a permanent vacation. I don't think much of the gods for the most part, but I've gotta admit that Hope knows his way around a resurrection.

[puzzlingly]

「Now, that's a little sad.」

Some vacations...

「Oh, right, that's a thing.」

Do you know how he does it?

[toiletseat_girl]

I know, right? But I think I'm getting used to it. Once a month, the gods are going to make us feel weird. It'll last about a week and then we're fine for another month. It's predictable.

[yup, a very important thing. because it means she doesn't have to do her job. not doing her job = George approves]

No idea. I never asked. Maybe I should?

[puzzlingly]

It is and yet, they manage to surprise us every time.

「At least they keep them on their toes, he doesn't quite get how people say it is boring here」

Not sure... I can't say I haven't been curious about what the soul goes through when that happens. Several people here have died more than once. Maybe there is a reason why no one remembers any of it, too.

「Maybe it's too painful to remember, or maybe it's just like going to sleep.」

Or maybe he will just tell you not to worry about that sort of thing.

「But isn't her job to worry about of those souls? He's not too sure.」

George, what happens after you reap a soul?

[toiletseat_girl]

Yeah. Because they're tricky bastards.

[George isn't bored, which is quite an accomplishment. but she has her work at the Clinic and her friends, so she's cool]

More than once? Fuck. That's insane. Dying once was bad enough.

[she's hoping that it's just like falling asleep. that sounds pleasant?]

Probably. 'Cause I'm being impudent or a brat or something.

[she feels the urge to reap a soul every time someone here dies]

Well. They leave the body right after they die. Then. . . we usually have to explain things to 'em. Yes, they're dead. No, we can't pass on messages to friends and family. Stuff like that.

Once they accept all of that, something appears. It's always means something to the person, even if we don't get it. Like this parachuter guy got something that looked like a cross between a rock climbing wall and Tetris. And this rich socialite lady got a sailboat. Once they go into their vision, the vision goes away and so does the soul.

[puzzlingly]

「He listens attentively, trying to remember how was it when he died. He often doesn't think about that, but what she says sounds particularly curious.」

And they reach their Afterlife through that object?

[toiletseat_girl]

[death is peculiar in George's world, to put it mildly]

It's not an object exactly. More like an interactive movie.

[puzzlingly]

Ah. That's... interesting.

「He had seen his family before he nearly crossed that door the last time, had it been just his imagination?」

[toiletseat_girl]

Yeah. Everybody's was something different.

[probably not. death in George's world seems to be unique to her world]

[puzzlingly]

What do you think yours could have been?

[toiletseat_girl]

...I dunno. A library would've been nice.

[puzzlingly]

Heh, I guess it would suit you.

「Nerd.」