Insanity Clinic: Season Two

[Aeoryi]

6 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

Your fault.

Well... the rift opened. It might not be exactly what I wanted, but... it's still a way out.

Willing the dagger to not open a portal, she carved a message into the wall. She could only hope Pic would find it.

Before she could change her mind, she walked through the rift.

@Cash67

Quote

Did she go to where Thaidakar is?

 

[Spark of Hope]

13 minutes ago, Aeoryi said:

 

Quote

Yep

 

[Aeoryi]

12 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

 

Darkness enveloped Aventine (?) and carried her away in a sweeping force. There would be no interference with Thaidakar.

[Spark of Hope]

1 minute ago, Aeoryi said:

Darkness enveloped Aventine (?) and carried her away in a sweeping force. There would be no interference with Thaidakar.

"LET GO OF ME!"

[Aeoryi]

Just now, Spark of Hope said:

"LET GO OF ME!"

The darkness receded, forming into Quinn. "Go back home, kid. Go back to the clinic with that knife of yours. Stop trying to kill yourself."

[Spark of Hope]

Just now, Aeoryi said:

The darkness receded, forming into Quinn. "Go back home, kid. Go back to the clinic with that knife of yours. Stop trying to kill yourself."

"I wasn't trying to- I gave up on that a couple days ago. But if I'm in the Clinic, people there will be put in danger because of me, because I'll let myself care about them. The Clinic was the closest place to home I ever had. I didn't come here to interfere.

"I came here to disappear."

[Aeoryi]

Just now, Spark of Hope said:

"I wasn't trying to- I gave up on that a couple days ago. But if I'm in the Clinic, people there will be put in danger because of me, because I'll let myself care about them. The Clinic was the closest place to home I ever had. I didn't come here to interfere.

"I came here to disappear."

"You want to disappear? Very nice. Go talk to someone who can do that." Quinn sighed, "The clinic would be a whole lot safer if you're there, and that's the truth. So TL;DR, get lost."

[Spark of Hope]

Just now, Aeoryi said:

"You want to disappear? Very nice. Go talk to someone who can do that." Quinn sighed, "The clinic would be a whole lot safer if you're there, and that's the truth. So TL;DR, get lost."

"No, it wouldn't be. Because I'd care about people. And then they'd be killed. Everyone I care about seems to be killed. And I'm the only constant. I can't go back." She walked away from Quinn.

[Cash67]

1 hour ago, Thaidakar the Ghostblood said:

Lyla took the juice box ponderously, sipping a little of the juice. "I..." She hesitated, looking down at her leg. Her expression hardened as she thought. "Yes, I believe I can. If you come, then it will be far easier and I can more fully guarantee her survival."

torrents o magic rained down on Elan from the dragons in their grief and rage. Their voices like hurricaines, they each demanded that Elan cease or die.

Pic nodded. “I have to go,” he sang, but I’ll leave some help for the kid. He turned to Lundyn. 

1 hour ago, shortcake said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

58 minutes ago, shortcake said:

"Can I have juice?"

 

“You can if you sing!” He sang at her. “You’ve sung before, just sing along with me again.”

45 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

Your fault.

Well... the rift opened. It might not be exactly what I wanted, but... it's still a way out.

Willing the dagger to not open a portal, she carved a message into the wall. She could only hope Pic would find it.

Before she could change her mind, she walked through the rift.

@Cash67

Quote

Once Lundyn is resolved I’ll have Pic find the rift. 

 

[Aeoryi]

1 minute ago, Spark of Hope said:

"No, it wouldn't be. Because I'd care about people. And then they'd be killed. Everyone I care about seems to be killed. And I'm the only constant. I can't go back." She walked away from Quinn.

"I once read a short story, called the Cold Equations. It was pretty stupid, and like 16 pages long and lame. It's about this guy who has to kill a girl in his spaceship because otherwise they'll crash and that'll be like the trolley problem." Quinn said this with a slight tinge of sadness in his voice. "But at the end... The girl just dies. It's stupid that we had to wait 16 pages for that." 

Quinn reaches up, and twirls some darkness essence in his fingers. "You remind me of the girl. Not the personality, but in the way that you think that you're going to have to die at the end of the 16 pages so others can live. But maybe, if you paid attention to the story, you'd realize it'd be pretty dumb if the girl died on the first page. Then she'd be an empty character. So maybe you should savor the fifteen pages you have left, instead of trying to cut it down to one." 

[Spark of Hope]

1 minute ago, Aeoryi said:

"I once read a short story, called the Cold Equations. It was pretty stupid, and like 16 pages long and lame. It's about this guy who has to kill a girl in his spaceship because otherwise they'll crash and that'll be like the trolley problem." Quinn said this with a slight tinge of sadness in his voice. "But at the end... The girl just dies. It's stupid that we had to wait 16 pages for that." 

Quinn reaches up, and twirls some darkness essence in his fingers. "You remind me of the girl. Not the personality, but in the way that you think that you're going to have to die at the end of the 16 pages so others can live. But maybe, if you paid attention to the story, you'd realize it'd be pretty dumb if the girl died on the first page. Then she'd be an empty character. So maybe you should savor the fifteen pages you have left, instead of trying to cut it down to one." 

"I'm not trying to die, nor do I think I'm going to soon. But let me put it more into perspective."

She held up one finger. "Elan. I cared about him. He was just killed."

She held up another. "Waylen. I cared about him. When I ran away, he was killed."

She held up a third. The image Quinn had seen before of the man stabbed in the back with a knife. "Alston." She nearly choked on the name she hadn't spoken in six years. "I cared about him. When he chose to get engaged to me, he was killed."

"It's like I'm cursed. If I care about you, you get killed. End of story." She looked back at Quinn. "I don't want to die. But I don't want anyone else to either. That's why I have to leave. It's not even a choice."

[Aeoryi]

2 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

"I'm not trying to die, nor do I think I'm going to soon. But let me put it more into perspective."

She held up one finger. "Elan. I cared about him. He was just killed."

She held up another. "Waylen. I cared about him. When I ran away, he was killed."

She held up a third. The image Quinn had seen before of the man stabbed in the back with a knife. "Alston." She nearly choked on the name she hadn't spoken in six years. "I cared about him. When he chose to get engaged to me, he was killed."

"It's like I'm cursed. If I care about you, you get killed. End of story." She looked back at Quinn. "I don't want to die. But I don't want anyone else to either. That's why I have to leave. It's not even a choice."

"You want to die socially. Whatever. Minor difference." Quinn pretends not to notice the backstory stuff going on in the background. "I can help you. I can make you go to a different place, where you can do whatever you want, and you never have to interact with anyone. Is that what you want?"

Quinn offers a hand to her. "Maybe you've also heard of the Matrix, a 20th century film about how reality is fake and robots and stuff. What if I told you your entire life was a lie? How would you feel?" 

 

[Spark of Hope]

Just now, Aeoryi said:

"You want to die socially. Whatever. Minor difference." Quinn pretends not to notice the backstory stuff going on in the background. "I can help you. I can make you go to a different place, where you can do whatever you want, and you never have to interact with anyone. Is that what you want?"

Quinn offers a hand to her. "Maybe you've also heard of the Matrix, a 20th century film about how reality is fake and robots and stuff. What if I told you your entire life was a lie? How would you feel?" 

 

“Yes. No. I don’t-“ She put her hands over her face and breathed.

”Honestly?” She pulled her hands down. “I’d be thrilled.”

[Aeoryi]

8 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

“Yes. No. I don’t-“ She put her hands over her face and breathed.

”Honestly?” She pulled her hands down. “I’d be thrilled.”

"Take this, then." Quinn tossed her a red pill. "This will change you forever, and no, it isn't one of Jar Man's drugs. Good luck."

Quote

The pill just knocks her unconscious for an hour, and when she wakes up, she'll be unable to interact with the material world for a little while, similarly to Roy

@Spark of Hope

Edited May 10 by Aeoryi

[Spark of Hope]

32 minutes ago, Aeoryi said:

"Take this, then." Quinn tossed her a red pill. "This will change you forever, and no, it isn't one of Jar Man's drugs. Good luck."

@Spark of Hope

She caught it, but put the hand that did back by her side. “And what do you think makes me able to trust you?” Not waiting for a response, she turned and kept walking.

Quote

She’s considering taking it, not letting on

 

[Aeoryi]

5 hours ago, Spark of Hope said:

She caught it, but put the hand that did back by her side. “And what do you think makes me able to trust you?” Not waiting for a response, she turned and kept walking.

 

"No. But when you feel like putting aside your insecurities, maybe you'll realize that I have no reason to kill you with a pill, and that sometimes happiness costs concessions." Quinn looks away. "You can take that pill when you're ready. I don't care if you trust me or not."

[Spark of Hope]

2 hours ago, Aeoryi said:

"No. But when you feel like putting aside your insecurities, maybe you'll realize that I have no reason to kill you with a pill, and that sometimes happiness costs concessions." Quinn looks away. "You can take that pill when you're ready. I don't care if you trust me or not."

She opened her hand and looked at the pill that sat in her palm. “Farewell, Quinn.” 

[Aeoryi]

17 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

She opened her hand and looked at the pill that sat in her palm. “Farewell, Quinn.” 

"Goodbye, Aventine. Maybe if we meet again, you won't try to disintegrate me."

[Spark of Hope]

10 hours ago, Aeoryi said:

"Goodbye, Aventine. Maybe if we meet again, you won't try to disintegrate me."

She smiled for a moment, then glanced at Thaidakar. If he cared to look, he would see pain and desperation in her face. Then she turned once again and continued walking away.

@Thaidakar the Ghostblood

[Cash67]

On 5/10/2024 at 10:59 AM, Cash67 said:

SO MIGHT SHE

 

On 5/10/2024 at 1:07 PM, Cash67 said:

Pic nodded. “I have to go,” he sang, but I’ll leave some help for the kid. He turned to Lundyn. 

 

“You can if you sing!” He sang at her. “You’ve sung before, just sing along with me again.”

 

@shortcake

[The Bookwyrm]

Quote

....I fell inactive and missed stuff. I kind of have a jist...but can someone give me a rundown? What does Bookwyrm need to do?

 

[Ancient Elantrian]

1 hour ago, The Bookwyrm said:

 

Quote

When did you last check in?

 

[Spark of Hope]

14 hours ago, The Bookwyrm said:

 

Quote

Evil Elan destroyed the city, Thaidakar and Darkness are fighting at an archive, Ave and Quinn chatted after Ave separated from Pic

Aventine kept walking away - away from the rift, away from Thaidakar and Quinn, away from everyone she didn't want to die. It hurt her inside, but she knew/thought it was best for them. She put her hands in her jacket; her clothes had gone back to normal when she went through the rift. The zinc chain from Waylen was in one of them, as was Alston's handkerchief.

She could feel the alters in her head again. They were all telling her to go back, and she kept ignoring them. They may have been her from other universes, but they weren't her. They didn't understand, not fully. When she wouldn't listen to their words, they began to pull her to sleep, which she resisted as well.

At least, she tried to. That resistance didn't last long.

***

---

She glared at the bathroom door. She was, in her head, in her room in the Clinic. This was where she had made her first connection there, when Jar Man had stopped her from drowning herself. The hole was still in the door.

25 sat next to her, not saying a word. A general air of support and affection came from her presence, but Aventine was trying to block it out. Sass was pacing the floor nearby. Akarui sat in the bathroom with some sort of mechanical rig. She had bulky headphones over her ears. Tena leaned against the doorframe that connected her room to the hallway. Other alters she didn't know were scattered around, some with looks of disappointment and others with looks of sympathy.

"Go back," Eliane said. She was the only alter who didn't seem disappointed or stressed about her choice - she only looked angry. She lounged in the beanbag chair, staring right at Aventine. "This isn't helping anyone."

"It is," Aventine argued. "If I go back, people die. I'm the only constant, I'm the problem. I need to remove myself from the equati-"

"You are such a hypocrite!" Eliane rose to her feet, her voice getting louder. The other alters looked at her, and Akarui yelled from the bathroom, "Be quiet! The connection's spotty!"

Eliane started mumbling, then kept scolding Ave at a slightly quieter volume. "First, you tell Addison that she's not a problem, and that her leaving in one way or another will only hurt people."

"That's different."

"Is it now? Well, I see no difference. You're both idiots."

Aventine's eye twitched. "Too far, Li," 25 said.

Eliane's eyes softened, but only slightly and for a moment. "Sorry. But you guys know I'm right. You two both thought yourselves problems when no one else thought you were. You can't remove a problem where there isn't one."

"I'm not going back."

"Oh, you're going back." Eliane crossed her arms. "Whether you like it or not."

"Not. And you can't make me."

Eliane glared. "We'll see about that." She lunged towards Aventine.

***

---

Static filled Akarui's ears. Just because this rig worked didn't mean it worked well.

Telepathy was an interesting thing. Once a connection was made with someone the first time, it was easier to recreate every time after. Tracing Elan's mind, she was able to make a connection, but due to the nature of the Void, it was extremely unstable and kept cutting out.

"E-an? Ca- -ou h-r m-?"

@Ancient Elantrian

***

---

Eliane held Aventine off the ground by her arms, which she'd pinned behind her back. Aventine tried to thrash against her, but she wasn't letting her go. The other alters had scrambled away at Li's first sign of aggression.

"I CAN'T GO BACK!"

"You have to! More people will be hurt by you leaving than you staying!"

"You're wrong! You're all wrong!" She quickly bashed her head backwards, and Eliane cried out in pain, releasing her. Aventine looked back at her. Her hand was over her nose, and blood seeped through her fingers.

"Cut it out. Both of you."

Aventine turned towards the new speaker. "Ava?"

The future version of herself looked back at her. "I know how much you don't want to go back. Trust me, I've been there. I was you, once."

"I didn't forget."

"You say that, and yet you ignore the fact that I am also telling you to go back. If you don't..." She shook her head. "This decision will haunt you forever."

"You... You're the future me. You didn't go back. So I don't."

"I'm a future you." Ava stepped forward at put her hands on Aventine's shoulders. "And there's not a day that goes by that I don't regret this decision."

Ava wrapped her arms around her in a hug. "You don't want to do this. You will always look back on it as the biggest mistake in your life."

Aventine's arms stayed by her sides. "But if I go back, won't you cease to exist?"

"You'd think so, but not necessarily. You'll still be able to reach me. I will still exist, if in another world in another timeline. But you will not become me. I will be a 'what if' that you never quite reach. And trust me, you don't want to."

Aventine pulled away from Ava. All of the alters were staring at her (glaring, in Eliane's case, from behind her bleeding nose).

She whispered, "I can't."

There was a moment of silence, no speech and no movement. Then 25 moved first. She looked into Aventine's eyes and wrapped her in a hug. "You won't do it alone."

All - well, most - of the alters moved similarly and joined in the hug. Li put her free hand on Aventine's shoulder, Onnami watched from where she leaned against the wall, and Akarui was still doing... whatever she was doing.

"Will you go back?" 25 asked.

Aventine wrapped her arms around 25, and a tear ran down her face. 

"I will."

---

She lied on the ground quite a ways away from Quinn and Thaidakar's fight.

Quote

When Pic finds her, she'll still be asleep

@Cash67

Edited May 13 by Spark of Hope

[Ancient Elantrian]

13 hours ago, Spark of Hope said:

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Aventine kept walking away - away from the rift, away from Thaidakar and Quinn, away from everyone she didn't want to die. It hurt her inside, but she knew/thought it was best for them. She put her hands in her jacket; her clothes had gone back to normal when she went through the rift. The zinc chain from Waylen was in one of them, as was Alston's handkerchief.

She could feel the alters in her head again. They were all telling her to go back, and she kept ignoring them. They may have been her from other universes, but they weren't her. They didn't understand, not fully. When she wouldn't listen to their words, they began to pull her to sleep, which she resisted as well.

At least, she tried to. That resistance didn't last long.

***

---

She glared at the bathroom door. She was, in her head, in her room in the Clinic. This was where she had made her first connection there, when Jar Man had stopped her from drowning herself. The hole was still in the door.

25 sat next to her, not saying a word. A general air of support and affection came from her presence, but Aventine was trying to block it out. Sass was pacing the floor nearby. Akarui sat in the bathroom with some sort of mechanical rig. She had bulky headphones over her ears. Tena leaned against the doorframe that connected her room to the hallway. Other alters she didn't know were scattered around, some with looks of disappointment and others with looks of sympathy.

"Go back," Eliane said. She was the only alter who didn't seem disappointed or stressed about her choice - she only looked angry. She lounged in the beanbag chair, staring right at Aventine. "This isn't helping anyone."

"It is," Aventine argued. "If I go back, people die. I'm the only constant, I'm the problem. I need to remove myself from the equati-"

"You are such a hypocrite!" Eliane rose to her feet, her voice getting louder. The other alters looked at her, and Akarui yelled from the bathroom, "Be quiet! The connection's spotty!"

Eliane started mumbling, then kept scolding Ave at a slightly quieter volume. "First, you tell Addison that she's not a problem, and that her leaving in one way or another will only hurt people."

"That's different."

"Is it now? Well, I see no difference. You're both idiots."

Aventine's eye twitched. "Too far, Li," 25 said.

Eliane's eyes softened, but only slightly and for a moment. "Sorry. But you guys know I'm right. You two both thought yourselves problems when no one else thought you were. You can't remove a problem where there isn't one."

"I'm not going back."

"Oh, you're going back." Eliane crossed her arms. "Whether you like it or not."

"Not. And you can't make me."

Eliane glared. "We'll see about that." She lunged towards Aventine.

***

---

Static filled Akarui's ears. Just because this rig worked didn't mean it worked well.

Telepathy was an interesting thing. Once a connection was made with someone the first time, it was easier to recreate every time after. Tracing Elan's mind, she was able to make a connection, but due to the nature of the Void, it was extremely unstable and kept cutting out.

"E-an? Ca- -ou h-r m-?"

@Ancient Elantrian

***

---

Eliane held Aventine off the ground by her arms, which she'd pinned behind her back. Aventine tried to thrash against her, but she wasn't letting her go. The other alters had scrambled away at Li's first sign of aggression.

"I CAN'T GO BACK!"

"You have to! More people will be hurt by you leaving than you staying!"

"You're wrong! You're all wrong!" She quickly bashed her head backwards, and Eliane cried out in pain, releasing her. Aventine looked back at her. Her hand was over her nose, and blood seeped through her fingers.

"Cut it out. Both of you."

Aventine turned towards the new speaker. "Ava?"

The future version of herself looked back at her. "I know how much you don't want to go back. Trust me, I've been there. I was you, once."

"I didn't forget."

"You say that, and yet you ignore the fact that I am also telling you to go back. If you don't..." She shook her head. "This decision will haunt you forever."

"You... You're the future me. You didn't go back. So I don't."

"I'm a future you." Ava stepped forward at put her hands on Aventine's shoulders. "And there's not a day that goes by that I don't regret this decision."

Ava wrapped her arms around her in a hug. "You don't want to do this. You will always look back on it as the biggest mistake in your life."

Aventine's arms stayed by her sides. "But if I go back, won't you cease to exist?"

"You'd think so, but not necessarily. You'll still be able to reach me. I will still exist, if in another world in another timeline. But you will not become me. I will be a 'what if' that you never quite reach. And trust me, you don't want to."

Aventine pulled away from Ava. All of the alters were staring at her (glaring, in Eliane's case, from behind her bleeding nose).

She whispered, "I can't."

There was a moment of silence, no speech and no movement. Then 25 moved first. She looked into Aventine's eyes and wrapped her in a hug. "You won't do it alone."

All - well, most - of the alters moved similarly and joined in the hug. Li put her free hand on Aventine's shoulder, Onnami watched from where she leaned against the wall, and Akarui was still doing... whatever she was doing.

"Will you go back?" 25 asked.

Aventine wrapped her arms around 25, and a tear ran down her face. 

"I will."

---

She lied on the ground quite a ways away from Quinn and Thaidakar's fight.

@Cash67

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Ave? How... Ye-. --s I can he--- -ou. Elan sends, trying his hardest to overcome the voids problems in using telepathy. Wha- -s it?

Edited May 13 by Ancient Elantrian

[Spark of Hope]

3 minutes ago, Ancient Elantrian said:

Ave? How... Ye-. --s I can he--- -ou. Elan sends, trying his hardest to overcome the voids problems in using telepathy.

She laughed triumphantly, but that cut out too. I- -rks! Eh, I- -ind o- -entine. Na-'s Rui. Ar- -u guys o-y?

Edited May 13 by Spark of Hope