Insanity Clinic: Season Two

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

1 minute ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

TAAron appeared next in a corner of a library with a table covered in books. His past self, a few years older now, sat hunched over the books, reading intently. Occasionally he would glace at the spot next to him on the table that had the strange circle of white crystal that he had had on his arm the day of the storm.

Haly dropped in, still shaken from her last dream. She moved to TAAron and touched his arm. 

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

Just now, The Halcyon Girl said:

Haly dropped in, still shaken from her last dream. She moved to TAAron and touched his arm. 

He flinched, then relaxed when he saw her. "What was that last one?"

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

Just now, The Aspiring Archivist said:

He flinched, then relaxed when he saw her. "What was that last one?"

"The-- mine?" 

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

Just now, The Halcyon Girl said:

"The-- mine?" 

"Yeah. What happened? Was that after... after you were taken?"

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

2 minutes ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

"Yeah. What happened? Was that after... after you were taken?"

"We... thought we were joining his crew. But he..." She looked down. "He took us to some place where slavery was still legal. We got sold." 

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

Just now, The Halcyon Girl said:

"We... thought we were joining his crew. But he..." She looked down. "He took us to some place where slavery was still legal. We got sold." 

He took her hand, at a loss for words. In the memory, TAAron grew frustrated as he read.

[Through the Living Hope]

33 minutes ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

Lerac's eyes widened. "Aventine, don't-"

As soon as she touched the hilt, which seemed made of tarnished or burnt metal, the hand burst into flames. They were a strange gray color, travelling up her arm and to the rest of her faster than she could think, covering her in a thin, flickering blaze. The fire was not hot. It was terribly, terribly cold, seeming colder than ice, though something more than just ordinary warmth, like the horrible opposite to Lerac's healing. The cold consumed her, moving into the rest of her like it really was burning through flesh, despite her not having a mark on her. She felt death touch her soul, felt the core of herself trying to be separated from her body. Her heart slowed, her vision blurred, her muscles began to give out.

This all happened in only a moment. Then Lerac grabbed her wrist, heedless of the pain, holding it tight. The healing warmth seemed hot in comparison to the cold, and the deathly fire faded away.

 

TAAron appeared, then, and he watched with her, though he still seemed haunted, retreated into himself.

She cried out and had fallen face first to the floor. Her rate of breathing increased drastically. 

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

5 minutes ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

He took her hand, at a loss for words. In the memory, TAAron grew frustrated as he read.

“Mitis took it harder than I did,” she said softly.  “She was valued more because she’s blonde. It doesn’t matter. What were you reading?”

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

10 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

She cried out and had fallen face first to the floor. Her rate of breathing increased drastically. 

Lerac's healing took away all physical remnants of the experience, but it couldn't take away the memory of it. "Aventine?" he said softly. "You're okay. Talk to me."

8 minutes ago, The Halcyon Girl said:

“Mitis took it harder than I did,” she said softly.  “She was valued more because she’s blonde. It doesn’t matter. What were you reading?”

"It does matter."

Edited October 10, 2024 by The Aspiring Archivist

[Through the Living Hope]

9 minutes ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

Lerac's healing took away all physical remnants of the experience, but it couldn't take away the memory of it. "Aventine?" he said softly. "You're okay. Talk to me."

"It does matter."

She gripped his wrist. "Ab-b-bout wh-at?"

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

2 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

She gripped his wrist. "Ab-b-bout wh-at?"

"I just wanted you to say something. That dagger can do very bad things to a person's mind. How do you feel?"

[Through the Living Hope]

Just now, The Aspiring Archivist said:

"I just wanted you to say something. That dagger can do very bad things to a person's mind. How do you feel?"

"I-I-I d-don't-t-t kn-ow..."

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

Just now, Spark of Hope said:

"I-I-I d-don't-t-t kn-ow..."

"You're going to be fine." The warmth continued to fill her, providing some measure of comfort.

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

22 minutes ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

Lerac's healing took away all physical remnants of the experience, but it couldn't take away the memory of it. "Aventine?" he said softly. "You're okay. Talk to me."

"It does matter."

“It… it’s over now. It’s been over for a while.” She swallowed. “You… you should have seen Mitis.”

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

Just now, The Halcyon Girl said:

“It… it’s over now. It’s been over for a while.” She swallowed. “You… you should have seen Mitis.”

He looked at her with concern, but eventually looked back at his past self. "I was trying to learn about that circle of Stacis crystal that Tristan gave me. Or about my world, once I realized I wasn't on it anymore. I never had much luck."

The younger brain of TAAron was perhaps angrier than she'd ever seen him. With a furious yell, he swept the books off the desk and thew the circle across the room, where it hit a bookshelf and clattered to the floor. Then he sank down to his knees and cried.

The present TAAron cringed at the outburst. The memory faded.

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

Just now, The Aspiring Archivist said:

He looked at her with concern, but eventually looked back at his past self. "I was trying to learn about that circle of Stacis crystal that Tristan gave me. Or about my world, once I realized I wasn't on it anymore. I never had much luck."

The younger brain of TAAron was perhaps angrier than she'd ever seen him. With a furious yell, he swept the books off the desk and thew the circle across the room, where it hit a bookshelf and clattered to the floor. Then he sank down to his knees and cried.

The present TAAron cringed at the outburst. The memory faded.

Haly squeezed his hand once before she slipped into a new dream, an awfully familiar one. 

At the top of the stairs above a ballroom, a large table had been set with lavish food and drink. The ballroom was long since empty now, signs of panic left behind— refreshment tables knocked over, instruments abandoned, sometimes even ladies’ shoes. 

The top table had not been so lucky. Those who had settled there remained, left to die in pools of their own blood. On the table stood Mitis. She seemed older, or harder. Her hair had grown out and been cut straight and curled, and she wore a uniform just like the people on the dock, except black instead of white. She held a simple dagger, but the anger hadn’t cooled, though all the diners were dead. More slaves lined the room in the same outfits, Haly among them, all staring at her in horror. 

The moment froze like it always did in her dreams. She wished she could push it on, skip ahead to when they commandeered a ship or even to when Mitis gave her speech, but it wouldn’t move. 

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

1 minute ago, The Halcyon Girl said:

Haly squeezed his hand once before she slipped into a new dream, an awfully familiar one. 

At the top of the stairs above a ballroom, a large table had been set with lavish food and drink. The ballroom was long since empty now, signs of panic left behind— refreshment tables knocked over, instruments abandoned, sometimes even ladies’ shoes. 

The top table had not been so lucky. Those who had settled there remained, left to die in pools of their own blood. On the table stood Mitis. She seemed older, or harder. Her hair had grown out and been cut straight and curled, and she wore a uniform just like the people on the dock, except black instead of white. She held a simple dagger, but the anger hadn’t cooled, though all the diners were dead. More slaves lined the room in the same outfits, Haly among them, all staring at her in horror. 

The moment froze like it always did in her dreams. She wished she could push it on, skip ahead to when they commandeered a ship or even to when Mitis gave her speech, but it wouldn’t move. 

This time TAAron came with her right away, still holding her hand. He looked at the scene with shock. "What happened here?"

[Through the Living Hope]

25 minutes ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

"You're going to be fine." The warmth continued to fill her, providing some measure of comfort.

She started to nod slowly. 

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

Just now, The Aspiring Archivist said:

This time TAAron came with her right away, still holding her hand. He looked at the scene with shock. "What happened here?"

Haly let her eyes trace the ballroom below. “Mitis got angry. Really angry. About the slaves. So she killed the nobility.” 

Finally, the dream unfroze. Mitis yelled a couple things and left. The other slaves, all in a daze, followed her. 

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

Just now, Spark of Hope said:

She started to nod slowly. 

"Don't ever do that, please. It could very easily kill you." He didn't sound angry, just concerned and solemn. "Do you need anything?"

2 minutes ago, The Halcyon Girl said:

Haly let her eyes trace the ballroom below. “Mitis got angry. Really angry. About the slaves. So she killed the nobility.” 

Finally, the dream unfroze. Mitis yelled a couple things and left. The other slaves, all in a daze, followed her. 

"I'm so sorry, Haly. I wish that I had remembered, that I had found you..."

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

3 minutes ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

"Don't ever do that, please. It could very easily kill you." He didn't sound angry, just concerned and solemn. "Do you need anything?"

"I'm so sorry, Haly. I wish that I had remembered, that I had found you..."

“No, it’s okay. We had good times after… after this.”

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

2 minutes ago, The Halcyon Girl said:

“No, it’s okay. We had good times after… after this.”

He looked over at her, seeming worried. "You don't have to tell me something is okay if it's not. I want to be here for you."

[Through the Living Hope]

15 minutes ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

"Don't ever do that, please. It could very easily kill you." He didn't sound angry, just concerned and solemn. "Do you need anything?"

"I'm so sorry, Haly. I wish that I had remembered, that I had found you..."

“Ok-kay.”

She shook her head.

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

Just now, Spark of Hope said:

“Ok-kay.”

She shook her head.

Lerac waited there patiently with her.

[Through the Living Hope]

Just now, The Aspiring Archivist said:

Lerac waited there patiently with her.

She made her way back to her chair and thunked down.