[EVENT] ▫ แล้วสอนว่าอย่าไว้ใจมนุษย์ มันแสนสุดลึกล้ำเหลือกำหนด... ▫

[jivitadana]

Who: Seta Souji [eatsyourscience] and Arisato Minato [jivitadana]
Where: Second Floor [The Asylum]
When: Saturday, March 22, 2014
Rating: PG-13 to R for violence and other questionable medical treatments
Summary: Souji and Minato find themselves in the asylum, then find themselves falling into certain patient/doctor roles.
The Story:

This time was a first for Minato as he was experiencing just how complicated Wonderland could be. All of a sudden, the whole world had changed, shards of different universes smashed all together, and yet neatly separated into sections or compartments. It was more than what Minato had originally thought Wonderland was capable of, though he shouldn't have underestimated it in the first place.

The playground was fun. In the beginning Minato had been apprehensive, thrown back to a place in time that part of him didn't want to remember, but after being in the company of the friends he made here, he slowly began to open up and realize that it wasn't so bad. He wasn't alone, and he didn't have to be. Even the Carnival that played tricks on him, showing him fleeting visions of people he hadn't seen in a while and hadn't quite wanted to see, wasn't something he couldn't handle either. The dreams and traversing through them was also more fun too, especially as a little boy who never got to see anything so fantastical or do something even so simple like playing with a best friend.

By now, he had his share of exploring outside. Now it was time to see the other transformed parts of the Mansion. Souji had accompanied him as they made their way through the building, as it was always better to travel as a team instead of by one's self. It was safer.

They discovered at the second floor had changed to what looked like a hospital of sorts. It was quiet, perhaps too quiet. The further they went, the more Minato had the suspicion that this wasn't an ordinary hospital.

He indicated down the hallway. "How much farther do you think this goes?"

If it were anything like the hallways of the Mansion itself, it might've gone on for what seemed like forever.

Comments

[jivitadana]

That answer wasn't good enough. Minato had a reason for asking his questions. They weren't out in the air like that for nothing.

Souji couldn't dictate where the conversation would go either.

And therefore, Minato pulled the switch down once more, letting the shock last longer than the first before he let up.

"Answer my questions."

[eatsyourscience]

When the current shut off a second time, Souji did vomit, twisting in his seat as well as he could to at least throw up on the floor instead of himself. He was only partially successful; the spasms in his muscles made it difficult to control even larger movements.

The skin around the scalpels was starting the blister and peel away. If nothing else, the heated metal had cauterized the lacerations on his fingers from when his hands had clenched against his will.

When he was finally able to form thoughts, he nodded. Words took longer, and his hazy memory of the last hour or so didn't help him focus. He was starting to feel like maybe he was crazy, or at least that he was going crazy now.

In the face of his confusion, it was Pyro Jack who suggested that he lie, and though the others were divided on the issue, Souji went with it.

"They're not...not real."

[jivitadana]

Better.

"Was it really that hard to admit?"

Really, did Minato have to resort to lengths like this to have Souji admit something that was so obvious and simple? Some people liked to have their lives complicated even more, and it was only compounded with stubbornness and delusions. Again with the delusions.

Minato was glad that he could do something about those. All in the name of scientific progress. Maybe he did have to resort to this. It was the only way so far to cure Souji. Like purification.

He made a mental note that things were better. Perhaps not entirely well yet, but better.

"One last question: When will you be free for next session?"

Patients always needed the appropriate recheck and follow up appointment, after all.

[eatsyourscience]

Souji closed his eyes, allowing himself some feeling of relief. It seemed like it was over, or nearly so. He only needed to get rid of the scalpels in his hands and heal himself.

"...Whenever you'd like." As long as he said the things that would placate Minato, he could get out of this.

[jivitadana]

Souji had the right idea. Minato was satisfied, and powered down the machine. He ended up by Souji's side, hands holding onto both scalpels.

"Tomorrow first thing in the morning."

And in one smooth movement, Minato yanked the scalpels straight out of Souji's hands, watching as red burst out of them.

"Don't make me come and find you."

[eatsyourscience]

Souji winced, then opened his eyes, looking at his burned, bleeding hands. They were still twitching, sprinkling droplets of blood.

"...I understand."

[jivitadana]

"Your cooperation is appreciated."

Minato didn't free Souji yet, not until he summoned Messiah to cast Salvation. He was still so very much unaware of his own abilities versus what he said about Souji's. Only then was Souji free to leave his seat.

"Don't be late."

[eatsyourscience]

Minato's healing spell relaxed Souji's spasming muscles and healed the burns and cuts, but he didn't get up right away when Minato freed his hands. When he did drag himself to his feet, he looked at Minato for only a moment before nodding and looking away.

"...I promise."

He moved toward the door quickly, before Minato could change his mind.

[jivitadana]

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

Minato was cleaning up the room after the mess Souji had made with his blood and vomit. Such was the life of a physician.

"You didn't thank me for today."

[eatsyourscience]

Souji froze with his hand on the doorknob. He clenched his teeth and for a long moment, considered saying nothing at all. But being rebellious now wouldn't do any good, he told himself--the two of them just needed to get out of this area.

He didn't want to leave Minato behind when he didn't know how long it would take him to leave, though. So he finally turned back toward Minato and gave a small bow.

"Thank you, sensei." He wanted to punch himself in the face. "Will you...walk with me?"

[jivitadana]

Minato washed his hands and made sure the room was spotless for tomorrow's session. There was hardly any evidence that anything had happened in this room at all.

He let Souji's question roll around in his head for a second before nodding. He could afford and should walk with Souji. He'd be able to monitor his condition.

"I suppose so. Shall we?"

Minato took off the labcoat and hung it back up where the other labcoats were before going to meet up with Souji at the door.

[eatsyourscience]

Souji nodded. He went back into the hallway with Minato, feeling a little anxious standing next to him. That would disappear, he told himself, when they left this area.

Purposefully, he started down the hallway with Minato, heading back toward the parts of the Mansion that still look right.

[jivitadana]

Minato walked with Souji with a bit more confidence than Souji had. Souji was his responsibility, and so wherever they were going, Minato would act as guard and guardian.

They wandered farther away from the asylum now. Minato started to change his pace, going back to something more casual and normal. He had his hands back in his pockets, but felt like things were hazy, and he wasn't quite sure why.

[eatsyourscience]

The corridor walls on either side of them were more familiar now, and the numbered doors no longer had windows or mail slot-like openings.

Souji glanced at Minato several times as they made their way back into the Mansion, arriving quickly at the stairs.

"Minato?"

[jivitadana]

Hearing his name drew Minato's attention toward Souji, almost like he had been underwater and only slowly coming up for air now.

Souji. Souji was right here with him. But hadn't he been with him before? He thought that he was. They went down this hallway, he remembered, and ended up...

Minato froze where he was, eyes wide and staring at the floor in front of them, but felt like it dropped out right underneath himself.

[eatsyourscience]

Souji looked on for a moment, then put his hand one Minato's arm. It was half a supportive gesture, and half meant to keep him from running away.

"...It's over now."

[jivitadana]

A second after he froze, Minato was going to run, but that hand on his arm stopped him, anchored him to that spot above the abyss.

He shook his head. It wasn't over. It wasn't over inside of Minato. It couldn't be over inside of Souji either.

"It's not. You remember." So did Minato. "You'll remember that it was me."

[eatsyourscience]

"It wasn't you." It was the Mansion. The event. Wonderland. Poisonous fog or mind control. It was anything but Minato.

"You healed me. I'm fine." He would be fine. He needed some rest, some time alone in a dim room by himself.

[jivitadana]

"No, you're not."

Minato knew what Souji had meant by "fine." He used that line often himself to deflect anything he might've felt, to turn the attention away from what was really festering inside him.

"... Please don't lie to me." Not after all of that.

[eatsyourscience]

Souji was silent. After a moment, his hand fell away from Minato's arm, back to his side. He had no response for that.

"...I don't blame you."

[jivitadana]

Not exactly, anyway. If Souji had come here alone, then none of this would've happened. Minato stopped himself from asking Souji to stop lying to him again. Souji heard it once. Minato didn't need to ask him again.

"Then what do you do instead?"

[eatsyourscience]

"...Everyone here has done things they didn't want to because of events. It wasn't you--it was the Mansion."

[jivitadana]

Minato knew that. He nodded, knowing he could blame it all on the Mansion.

"But when you think back about it, you see me."

[eatsyourscience]

That was true. Souji put his hand on the stairway railing and looked downward.

"...I have a lot more good memories of you than bad ones."

[jivitadana]

Minato only wished that Souji didn't have any of those bad memories at all. No matter how much he did blame the Mansion, it wouldn't what he did or how it used him to do what he did.

And Minato hadn't even known half or even a sliver of those good memories Souji had either of him. To Minato, this incident had overshadowed or erased anything good he had done now.

He swallowed, almost like he had forgotten how.

"I'll do my best so that all you have are good ones from now on."

But that wasn't exactly a promise he could make. And Minato knew all about breaking promises and contracts. And yet some desperate part inside himself defied all that he had learned on his journey and spoke, the part that was desperate and yet simultaneously idealistic and determined.