[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

[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.

[eatsyourscience]

"...Let's both try." He wanted Minato's memories to be good as well.

Souji looked at his hand on the railing. "We both probably need to rest."

[jivitadana]

Minato nodded, standing next to Souji on the stairs. "I'll... check on you later." That was also a promise.

[eatsyourscience]

"...Don't forget."

Souji held out one hand with his pinky extended.

[jivitadana]

Minato wouldn't and couldn't forget. He gently hooked his pinky to Souji's when it was offered. Now it was binding.

"... Can I walk you to your room too?"

[eatsyourscience]

Souji tilted his head back to look up the stairwell and nodded.

"Yes." He wanted that.

[jivitadana]

Minato nodded and joined Souji on the same step. He walked with him down the stairs.

"Please take care of yourself before I come check on you..."

[eatsyourscience]

"You too, okay?" His expression said that he would accept no excuses for doing otherwise.

[jivitadana]

Minato nodded, though he hated himself for lying. He didn't know what exactly he would do. Taking care of himself could mean several things, actually.

"... I know you need time alone. I'll do my best for you anyway."

Souji was his friend. His best here. He would do anything for him.

[eatsyourscience]

Souji reached out and briefly put his hand on Minato's shoulder, squeezing lightly, his expression of gratitude and so many other things he couldn't properly express right then. Then he continued walking up the stairs, silent.

[jivitadana]

Minato followed along with Souji just as silent. He would make sure that Souji got to his room safely, and it was only then that he would feel a little better that now Souji wouldn't be harmed by him.

[eatsyourscience]

When they reached Souji's door, he placed his hand on the knob and paused. He wasn't sure what he should do or say now, torn between wanting to hide in the dark in his room and not wanting Minato to go because he didn't know what would happen to him when he did.

He swallowed, and looked over at Minato.

"Be careful. Anything could happen."

[jivitadana]

"Mn."

Minato nodded to show Souji that he had heard and was listening. Some part of him didn't want to leave Souji, the part that wanted to take care of him despite what had happened. But another part told him he had to stay so far away.

"Stay here so nothing will happen to you."

[eatsyourscience]

"I'll do my best." He couldn't promise he'd stay. If someone he knew needed help, he couldn't stay holed up. But he would be careful and he'd be wary.