My persona woke up to the sound of screaming. It wasn’t until a moment later he realized the screams were his own. Gathering himself he got up and walked to the living room. It was still dark outside so he assumed it was early in the morning. He sat down on the couch and picked up a bottle of rum from the floor beside it. Once he removed the cork and started to lift it up to his lips a hand from above grabbed his wrist. It squeezed it to the point that had it been a normal person they would have been crying by now.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the owner of the hand said. Persona tilted his head back to see that it was Scott, giving him an angry face.

“I’m sorry I should have asked before drinking your booze.”

“That’s not what I care about. You were about to drown whatever feelings you were having in liquor. You can’t do that.”

“Why not? You do it.” He replied. Scott’s other fist hit him on the cheek and sent him to the floor. The bottle he was holding started pouring onto the floorboards.

“I drink because my body can’t regulate itself without it. Maybe when I started drinking I used that as an excuse but now that is the only reason. Now let me tell you that what your bottling up can’t be solved by drinking it away. The more you bottle it up the more likely you are to lose your sanity.”

“I’m perfectly fine, I just needed a drink.”

“No you aren’t. You put on an act yesterday for me and Elysif. Whether it was to make us less worried or to make yourself feel better, it doesn’t matter. No person after being tortured for as long as you were would be okay. Right now your emotions are distant while before you seemed happy and well off.”

“So what? I’m dealing with it just fine.”

“No, you aren’t. You just tried to cover it up with rum. Eventually you will be unable to keep the cap on the emotions you’ve bottled up. When that happens you may lose your sanity, I’ve been there so I speak from experience. Don’t just bottle it up.”

“You’re wasting your breath. I’m nothing more than a splinter of Lou Barret, a persona if you will.”

“What?”

“Lou Barret is currently trapped in a cage of his own making and Tim has asked me to take over for him while he regains what he’s lost. I am nothing more than his logical thinking. I don’t have emotions and I can’t relate to what you’re saying. So wait to tell him that until he’s actually able to hear it.”

“I see, do what you want then. Just don’t get him or any of us killed.” Scott said walking back to his room.

“Are you going to tell this to Elysif?” Persona asked. Scott stopped walking but kept looking away.

“I don’t know yet.”

“I feel as if Lou would want as few people to know that he isn’t okay, so please don’t tell her for his sake.”

“I can’t promise that.” he responded before continuing to his room.

“Of course you can’t. You know it’s not logical, but you have emotions that say otherwise.” Persona said to himself before reaching for the bottle once again and sitting back on the couch. I think this cheek might be bruised, he thought to himself.