menial | 4 ~ I have never believed in Santa, ever. [audio]

...So, it's getting close to the end of the month again, but nothing weird seems to be happening. Or am I missing something? Anyone know if we might just be getting a reprieve or something? Or maybe I just shouldn't look the gift horse in the mouth.

['Because I don't believe in the Malnosso being Santa Claus to us.'

However, that's not the main purpose for this post; instead, he goes on with a filter he worked for a while on. Ideally, Asakura won't suspect it at all.]

[filtered to Shiki, Minato, Winry, Rise, SOS Brigade members who have interacted with him before, and other close-enough CR (PM me if you're not sure) // 55%]

Yo. If you guys have seen a girl with blue hair who smiles a lot, by the name of Ryoko Asakura... Well, I guess I've got something to ask of you if you do attract her attention, but I'd rather not put it on the journal, so please talk to me if you've met her.

['So what if that makes it seem like I might have a crush on her? Better that than someone hacks it and realizes that I know what Asakura is.']

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh? A sister? How old is she?

Twelve, but she acts more like she's six, so I wouldn't be surprised if she was involved in a time warp herself.

[Winry laughs.]

I'm sure it's not that bad. [She always asks this, but-] Is it nice? Having a sibling?

Eh, it's mostly annoying.

Still, I wouldn't want her to not be there.

[That's his way of saying yes.]

Everyone can be annoying- it's all a matter of if they're worth it or not.

Well, what is worth it, anyway?

Family, friends, and love can be worth it.

I guess so. Worth what, though? And are we ever going to get back to that?

Worth putting up with how annoying they might be?

[Sip.]

I suppose. It doesn't seem relevant here. I've got no family and one friend here, after all.

You're saying that like you won't make any more friends.

[But with that attitude it's highly likely Kyon.]

Do you think it's a good idea to go looking for friends in a place like this?

['Though I suppose in some sense I've already started.']

I suppose humans can't really help it, anyway.

Honestly, even though it might seem like the opposite, it's better to make friends here.

I usually try to put my head down and wait these things out, but it doesn't seem like it's going to happen. So maybe.

On the other hand, if you're right and everyone goes home eventually, then what's the real point?

The real point is that by making friends you make your and their stay here easier.

[Kyon why you so difficult.]

And what about after we leave? Don't we see every week a bunch of miserable people writing in the journals about how so-and-so has left?

Then how about this: Is it better to have loved and lost, then to have never loved at all?

...Having never loved, I would find it difficult to say, I think.

I don't know. I guess it would depend on the ratio of how long "loved" lasts compared to how long "lost" lasts.

['Kind of a tongue-twister.']

You know, would it really be worth it if you loved for one day and then lost it for the next fifty years?

...At any rate, word on the street is that love is more of a mental illness than anything.

You're just making things more complicated than they are. Haruhi's stupid idea of what love is aside, the point is it's always harder to be alone.

Always?

Not when you're leaving.

Even if your leaving makes someone sad, at least you made happy and important memories together. Being alone would result in one becoming a hermit or something. That's just pathetic.

['I imagine all the famous monks of the world would disagree. Not that I'm planning to become a monk.']

I don't know if it's as simple as that, but it might be a good start.

I guess maybe you should find a middle ground between the too complicated and the too simple.

4 ~ I have never believed in Santa, ever. [audio]

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