I have decided I do have a daemon.

His name is Lance. Lan for short.

Apparently, I should give him an "affectionate nickname".

Lan it is.

He is a dog. What sort? I don't know. Definitely not a poodle. I'm not showy. Maybe a mongrel, like Red. Why a dog? Well. Apparently, daemons represent your personality and yet complement it in some way. Like, a higher ideal. Maybe. No? Maybe I'm wrong.

Dogs are suited for servants.

I'm a damn servant.

Dogs are loyal.

I'm loyal.

Sure you are.

To who? To what? I don't know. All of you. Do you need something? Do you need my help? Let me help you. Help me to help you. Help yourself to me.

How strange. Help sounds very similar to yelp and whelp.

I am crazy. I do talk to myself. To make it seem less crazy, I'm talking to the other part of myself.

When it comes down to 4:30 pm, and I'm tired, and I hate University and I'm not looking forward to sitting through an hour of a boring American oscillating through slides about O(complexity) and algorithmic analysis of recurrence relations, who is it who reminds me of who I am (Henry), what I'm here for (to study, by request of my parents) and what I'd do the moment I get home anyway (play FFXI)?

Lan.

Thanks man, I love you.

---

I walked past the bookshop three times today. I got about as close as the doorway, hidden from public view. How ironic. Out, yet in.

What is it you are afraid of?

I don't know. They're just damn books.

It's just a store.

Maybe I'll try again tomorrow.

All those people running past with purple bands, what was that all about? Running royals, kings of the pavement. Rulers of the asphalt. Their domain is one of concrete and rock.

Whatever, man.

---

so you don't like the ambiguity, do you? that's too bad.

---

"Lan would be the superego", he said. "The moral consciousness, the 'right path', 'devil/angel on the shoulder'. It is not so much an internal conflict, but an internal monologue. A private discussion amongst the two parts of him, vying for supremacy in some; in others a healthy alliance for the betterment of both parties. What is this 'other self'?"

He pushed his glasses up against the bridge of his nose and exhaled slowly.

Pausing for a second to gather my thoughts, I replied.

"I don't know what you plan to do, sir, but I like him. Can we leave him there?"

"Certainly not!"

Michael rose to his feet defiantly and looked ready to explode with more. Lan leapt to my defense, but I quickly moved to pull him back. The wild stare from his hazel eyes was a little harder to control.

---

What the hell is a daemon anyway? It's just my way of splitting myself in two so I can blame half of me.

Hey, you bastard. That's not how it works.

Quiet, Lan.

Now. This posting style seems familiar.

Isn't it more exciting?! It's not just my blog anymore, it's Lan's too!

I have nothing to say to everyone else, it might as well be yours.

Sure you don't.

Yeah, I don't.

Alright then.

---

Let me tell you more about my imaginary friend-

Daemon.

- sorry, daemon. We've established it's male and his name is Lan. Also, he is a dog. What else can we know about this amazing creature that is an exterior manifestation of my soul/conscious? His fur is black with a white undercoat. What ever could this represent?!

Nothing, stop being stupid, it's just fur.

Sure sure. Are you sure it's not some sort of metaphor for having layers, like an onion?

Don't compare me to vegetables.

Sorry. Lan likes to follow behind me. He's quiet. A quiet dog. Silent. But when I need him, he's there. Well, usually. He doesn't really like to help with trivial things like lawnmowing. Especially when it's wet.

I'm not the idiot who wants to mow a wet lawn with an electric lawnmower that's had its cord sliced open before.

You're not being very positive today, Lan.

Sorry. Maybe it's that time of month.

What are you talking about, you're a guy.

Right, crude joke, sorry you didn't understand.

Lan is a joker like that. But he always has my best interests at heart. Even in times when nobody else might, I know I can rely on Lan! Lan has hazel eyes. Lan also has teeth. Like most dogs. It would be rather hard to be a dog without teeth.

Lan does not like smokers.

Hate the sin, not the sinner.

That sounds familiar. I sure hope nobody looks it up. Or daemons for that matter.

Sure. You're afraid again.

It beats needing to punch things, right?

I'm not so sure. Don't you have class to go to?

Yeah, actually...just a few more minutes...

Just go, stop stalling.

Alright then.