Harmony in the Chaos

[Ethys]

@Chriyu ​

Do it again.

No, I shouldn't. It hurts.

But if you do it again, you'll feel better. The pain will all go away.

Sariel frowned to herself, pondering the wisdom the voice had just given her. Perhaps it was right. How was she to know? She smiled and stood up from her sprawled position on the tiled floor. Turning, she ignored the pattering of rain coming from her window. It would be useless to try and enjoy the storm, anyway. The glass was sealed shut, warded against breaking, and there were bars over both sides of it. She could see out, but barely. Usually she just ignored the outside world entirely. She had more important things to do.

Such as running into the wall, which was precisely what she did. The collision was enough to briefly knock her out, her body crumpling to the floor. For about a minute, she found what she was looking for. The absence of pain. Too soon, however, she was brought back to the light and to pain as a pair of male nurses hovered over her, administering medications in syringes.

Kill them!

Her arms shot up, both hands wrapping around the throat of the closest nurse. They both yelped, the caught one squirming while the other leapt to his feet and ran for help. She growled and threw the nurse aside, her eyes catching on the open door.

Forget him. Flee!

She sprinted to the door and out of it, making it halfway down the sterile white hallway before running into a scowling Orc.

"Not so fast!" he snapped, wrapping both arms around her. Soon others arrived, helping to contain her as she thrashed and shrieked at them.

The next thing she knew, it was two hours later and she was sitting in the common room, heavily sedated. She sat in the corner, staring at the rain falling outside.

Spoiler

 

[Chriyu]

Patient # 4039 was next for his daily check-up.

Of course, after the recent events of the patient next door they decided to bring more bodies to this room. The orc stood in the middle of the hall ready to catch him should he try to escape. With two doctors and one nurse leading the way as they pulled open his door and walked in making sure to surround his only escape. There was no telling who they were seeing today. As they entered the room to see the male sitting there upon his roughly beaten mattress looking up at the barred window as the rain continued to fall and trickle down.

Spoiler

"Good afternoon, 4039" The head doctor greeted him.

"Ah. Doctors, nurse! Hello. We were unsure if you forgot about our appointment today."

"No, we didn't forget, just an incident earlier with your next door neighbor."

"What did they do?"
"Surely they tried to escape this freaking hell hole! Bastards think you can keep us here?!"
The sudden change in his tone and intensity was apparent.
"..We're here for a reason."

"..They did try to escape." The side doctor and nurse took their step back as the lead wasn't phased. These two had their own history it seemed. The condition of Patient 4039 was much more severe then others who had it. "But, they're safely contained. Now let's go through the usual..And please, don't m-"

Oh. It was time to begin his favorite time of the day? Check up?! With a swift turn and leap off the mattress he landed on the tiled floor grabbing the balled socks that had been there since cleaning. He brought the sock lump to his mouth, clearing his throat.

"All you have to do, is complete the check-up in under THIRTY-SECONDS and we'll put twenty more days of life on your score. On your mark..Get set..." While this was very amusing for him, the game didn't appear all that interesting to his doctor peers and it seemed like more of a hassle. How could one tiny dull gray room be a hassle with One..One man? "GOOOO!!" With that, his chase began as he dodged the nurse and doctor's attempts to grab him.

"Oh so close!"
"You shits ain't got nothing on us!"
"Why do we always play the same game?"

Unfortunately trying to leave the room meant running into the large orc who just turned him around and back into the clutches of his captors. "They did it! They won! Let's put twenty days on the scoreboard and play some more!" With a heavy sigh, they were definitely going to have to up his dosage neck visit. Injecting the same viled chemicals that would try to soothe the patients inside one mind. With that being done, they returned him to the bed and took their leave. Locking the door. Tight.

"Great job, moron. We didn't escape! "
"Our fault?!"
"Can't we just watch the rain fall?"
"NO!"
"NO!"

 

[Ethys]

Are you going to stay here forever? Pathetic.

I can't move. I can't feel my body. Everything is numb.

That's what you wanted, isn't it? That's how you got here. You didn't want to feel anything.

Stop it. Leave me alone.

You don't control me, darling girl. I control you. And I'll say whatever I want.

"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" she shrieked, managing to move around just enough to fall out of her chair. Her outburst was enough to earn her the honor of being picked up by a pair of nurses who acted as though she wasn't even within earshot.

"Mark down another outburst from 3872. Second one today."
"Yeah, something must be off. Usually there's four by now."
"Don't jinx it, damn it. I just want this shift to end. The crazy is infectious, I swear."
"Tell me about it. I hate it here."

"At least you two whores get to leave," Sariel pointed out, her tone mocking as she started to laugh. Her laughter turned to hysterical giggles, not ceasing as they dragged her down the hallway and tossed her back into her room. She heard the door lock and it only made her laugh more, rolling around on the floor as she hadn't regained full use of her legs back just yet.

"The Elves dance in the light with stars," she sang to herself, recalling a song from her childhood. It was a silly song, and she couldn't remember most of it, but it made her smile. Anything that made her smile in this place was rare.

Don't. Don't feel happy. It won't last. You know it won't.

"Shut up," she mumbled lazily, humming still. She would have laid there all night if she hadn't heard arguing outside her door. The doctors were there, she knew.

Do you hear them, Sariel? They're going to treat you again, because you were bad.

I'm always bad.

Yes, you are. You deserve it.

She started to giggle as the door opened, all smiles as they came in and moved her to the bed.

"3872. You know why I'm here. The treatment is starting to work, we know it. We just need to try a larger dose, that's all," the doctor said, but she wasn't listening. He sighed and held his hands over her. They started to glow, which always fascinated her, but then came the pain. She shrieked and tried to attack him, but the others were holding her down. Her tortured wails flooded the hallway, echoing easily thanks to the lack of carpet in the building. By the time they left for the night, she had completely lost her voice.

Again.

I'll never lose my voice.

I know.

 

[Chriyu]

Time had passed and the sting and burns of the medicine began to wore off. It was strange, even though he gotten so used to it everyday there was still that unpleasant feeling of it entering his body. The time waiting for it to pass wasn't as bad, least he had company, even if it was himself. .

"How long have we been at this?"

"I believe we're going on month six. ."

"The longest episode in TV history!"
"Pipe it!"

Balling his fist up to slam onto the mattress as hard as he could. The conflict between himself was slowly beginning to escalate to that unfriendly level for himself. Often his outbursts caught the attention of passing nurses. They couldn't help but wonder what truly went on inside his mind, and what he heard and saw. While other just saw a male turning his head and body in different ways depending on who was speaking. The damn place even had him booked to each face.

Rising to his feet as he began to pace around the room, his eyes intently focused on the rain drops outside, it was one of the few things to take him away from the argument..with himself. Even though all three of them were arguing, they all heard the shriek and sounds coming from next door. It was a that same shriek that turned to laughter..into singing. They all looked at the wall with curiosity, wonder, and a bit of irritation.

"That girl next door sounds like she's having a rough time. ."

"Oh don't worry, she'll be fineeee!"

"Maybe they'll put a damn muzzle on the bitch so we can go back to arguin!"

The soft sounds of her speaking, to no one rose even more suspicious thoughts.

"Wait.."
"..Is she talking to herself?.."
"...WHAT KIND OF MORON TALKS TO THEMSELF!?" Pounding on the wall between him and the elf. Maybe she'd shut up next door with her damn nonsense. His other hand taking the angered one off the wall by the wrist. It was rough to hold back the irritation of someone disrupting your own time. But in the slight good side of his madness, maybe she was going through the same thing.

"Keep it down in there, 4039."
"We're sorry! That is NOT the right answer! We're gonna let someone else answer now."
"..Do we need to come in there?"
"No! No!..We're fine..Just a bit rowdy is all.."
"Don't startle the other patients, otherwise its night night."

They remained silent as the nurse scouting the floor passed on by into the distance. As the night grew upon them, there wouldn't be much staff patrolling these halls so maybe they could figure out more about this shrieker next door. They began to make their move, but it was much harder then anticipated.

"WHY?!
"Because she's just like us!"
"YOU'RE BOTH INSANE!"
"And he gets another correct answer!"
"Look! Both of you quit it!..Maybe if we wrote her a note."
Slapping himself across the face for that last suggestion. "...Ok..Maybe ask to see her?.."
Snapping his fingers, as it seemed one of them had a grand idea. "Sing to her!" It seemed like the most logical thing three minds could agree on, and she was singing earlier before maybe that's how he'd get her attention. And luckily one of them was equipped for entertainment. It just required the right microphone. He'd clear his throat and tap the sockbulb from earlier, and fortunately he was able to set the mood by dimming the one bulb he had hanging above him.

"♪ Oh, elven lady..Tell a man, your sweet sorrows. ♪" ​

The loud obnoxious host voice had become a suave, soothing voice that had such drive with each word and key he reached. It would likely be audible through the thick brick walls, and under the creak of her doors. This was one of the few times the others wouldn't barge in was when one of their talents was able to shine.

"♪ Maybe he's sufferin' jus like you..Tell a man, your sweet sweet sorrows. ♪"​

 

[Ethys]

Somebody is banging on the wall again. Everybody in here is insane.

I'm insane too.

Yes, you are. You deserve this.

"I deserve this," she whispered to herself, her fingers clawing at her window slowly. She wanted to feel the rain. It was dark now, but her eyes had adapted. They had taken the lights out of her room after she broke a few too many bulbs in a desperate attempt to slice her own skin to pieces. Now her schedule was entirely dependent on daylight. The moon would be high in the sky by now, if the rain clouds weren't in the way. She wished she could see the water hitting the glass. Just the sound made her long for a drink to soothe her aching throat, but they always ignored her when she asked.

She sighed, about to start banging her head against the bars to force herself to pass out, but then she heard something. A voice. That wasn't a doctor. She blinked and tilted her head, turning to look over at the door. Singing. Somebody was singing, and it wasn't her. Was it? She touched her lips to be certain, but no. It was male.

Forcing herself to get up, she stood and walked over to the wall, laying her hand on it. She listened, a crooked smile on her face. Her neighbor was singing. She nearly responded, but her voice couldn't handle the strain after all of the screaming she had forced it through earlier.

A fitting punishment. You finally have a chance for a friend and you can't.

But who is he?

Somebody crazy like you. Somebody who deserves to be here.

I want to see him.

You can't. You're alone. You'll always be alone.

Sariel blinked a few times, stumbling back as though somebody had slapped her. Alone. Always. Nobody else. She whirled around, finding nothing but empty walls and a bare bed. A locked door, a barred window. It was all nothingness. No people. Doctors weren't people. They were demons. Monsters. She started to giggle, but it soon turned into quiet tears as she collapsed on the floor with a thud.

 

[Chriyu]

His singing continued for a while until he heard the thud which caused his next verse to be immediately cut short. There was a moment of pause before the others finally re-emerged.

"Hey, what happened?!"

"She fell over.."

"DON'T STOP SINGING, IDIOT! What if she's lying there listening to you still?"​

"♪ Don'tcha worry, elven lady. . You don't need to cry alone, because we'll meet each other soon. ♪"
​

And with that his song was finished as he tossed the sockbulb to the side and just simply stared at the wall he was singing to. For the first time in being at this awful, dull, life sucking place, there was a good thing. And it was right next door, but the only clues they had were the sounds she made. There was much to question, with each head having its own opinion on the matter. Yet it was strange since we all actually agreed on something. This girl.

They returned to bed. But, the spot right under the barred window just barely able to see the moon didn't feel right tonight. Time for a change. Just for tonight. With each hand grabbing a bed post firmly, they dragged the bed frame and mattress right over to the wall that was sung to earlier. The racket of the metal and klangs would echo throughout the room. Least the shoving of the frame to the wall was much less ear-screeching and more of a sudden thud. As they climbed into bed, and got comfortable facing towards the wall their new supposed friend on the other side of.

"I don't see why we're dealing with some girl."
"Because, she's like us.."
"Us is 'Insane' for 500, Bob!"
"..How does she have to deal with us though?"
"Maybe she's trying to break free like we are. Of this place. Of this torment. "

Just frustrated sighs and turns as time passed and there was no point. So many questions they had to ask about her when none of them could be truly answered this night. Least tomorrow would be a new day and when they had a bit more free-roam, finding the girl would.."Oh great. What does she even LOOK like? " Maybe if the girl freaked-out again it'll be easy to find her. The sight of the moon was a nice one, even if it was blurred out by the moist barred window. They sighed slowly letting their eyelids drop and carry them off to dreamland. As their hand planted itself on the wall.

"We'll see you in the morning.."
"Here everyday, at..nine a.m.."
"WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP?"​

​

Maybe she heard him..Certainly so after that outburst.​

 

[Ethys]

The singing. It stopped, but then it started again. That voice. It sounded so kind, but so odd. She could hear him after he stopped singing. The same voice, but different. He was talking to himself, she realized. Just like she did.

You don't talk to yourself. You talk to me.

But you aren't my friend.

Of course I am. I'm here when you have nobody else. I am your friend.

Okay. I trust you.

Good, I need you to trust me. Trust me with your life.

Sariel frowned, wiping her tears from her cheeks. How could a voice in her own mind scare her so badly sometimes? The doctors all said it wasn't real. It was all in her head. They were wrong. They didn't know anything. The voice was real, and it wasn't her at all. They were all fools who should be locked in the same as she was.

She dragged herself closer to the wall as she listened to the person on the other side arguing with himself. A real person, just like her. Was he real? Maybe not. She couldn't see him. How could she be sure? She was already crazy, after all. Another voice to hear. She decided that she didn't care. He might not be real, and he might be just another voice, but he was a voice that she wanted to hear. Curling up against the wall on the floor, she soon fell asleep.

Morning came all too quickly.

She had nightmares every night, without fail. Normally she was allowed a bit of time in the morning to wake and orient herself to get over them, but as the doctors decided to increase her 'treatments', they also decided to wake her earlier than normal.

"No! Stay away from me! I can't swim!" she shrieked, flailing against the grip of the nurses. Caught off guard, one managed to get punched square between the legs while another got an elbow to the nose. She was dropped and took off like a bullet, dodging grasping hands and sliding on the floor between the legs of the angry Orc. Clutching the moment of freedom, she kept sprinting on down the hallway, making it to the stairwell without incident and dashing up toward the roof while everybody scrambled to figure out where she had gone.

 

[Chriyu]

Surprisingly when they slept, they all seemed to cease their bickering. The dreamland was their happy place where each one of them had their own little slice of heaven. It was a relief on the staff as well since they often bickered most of the night leading into early morning. It was a nice change for them to pass out relatively early. That sleep quickly being woken by the sound of the girl next door. They stirred for a moment until the sounds were much more clear. .And one of them was not happy at all.

"Urrggnn...Damn bitch! Why. Don't. YOU. SHUT. UP!"​

Immediatedly throwing his fist against the wall he so carefully laid close to last night was now the only thing standing between him and the girl who rudely interrupted his dreaming. The pounding soon escalated to him using the bed frame to slam against the wall to try and weaken the wall more. His rage was rising with each whack and it would mean that he was causing a scene within a scene. Now they had to deal with this ontop of finding the missing girl.

Some of the doctors barged in to try and ease his tantrum. But upon further noticing, they were not prepared. And it was the worst of his faces..It was him. This slowly drew his attention in their direction. His dilated pupils looked straight into their own, and the way he was breathing was showing this was just the beginning. The doctors were going to have to neutralize him fast, so they began to close in him with extended arms.

"YOU. Can't do your damned jobs can ya? Is it so hard to shut someone up around here? I'll do it MYSELF."​

Taking steps towards the ones trying to contain him, this was nothing to him. And even though they stood no chance, the doctors prepared themselves. Not well enough for the rookie doctor to leap forward for the surprise attack. He saw the approaching doctor and grabbed him by the scrubs and used his momentum to send the doctor crashing face first into the metal frame. Curling up and covering his now busted face, blood poured all over the tilted floor and part of his mattress. This was likely the chance the other doctor needed to apprehend him right?

Wrong.

When he was grabbed by the second doctor, it threatened him more. The anger within him boiling as he used that power to overpower the doctor back into the side-casing. Time to teach this one a lesson. Grasping the door handle, he swung the metal door on top of the doctor's arm and leg that was caught between. It wasn't just one swing either. One. Two. Three..Four..Five. Each swing more painful then the last as the doctor screamed in agony, trying to get the words out for help but it just too much. The arm and leg were crushed completely.

"DON'T GET IN MY WAY!"​

Finally. Freedom.

He exited the room and looked down the hallway to see a bunch of doctors scrambling about. Nothing new, the real interest was checking next door for that damn girl who pissed him off so much that he cou-..She's gone?..No..No..! That's impossible. She couldn't have gotten free before him. She couldn't have gone far. They made their way down the hall amongst the chaos.

"We'll find that bitch..Knock her damn teeth in too for waking us up.."​

 

[Ethys]

The stairwell was filled with the echoes of voices as nurses ran downstairs in an attempt to find the lost patient. However, none of them were going to spot her. Nobody thought to go up to the roof. Why would they? The door to the roof was locked. Surely she wouldn't run into a dead end on purpose. No patient was that crazy. Instead, she could hear them making plans to separate and search the other floors. At least they had a strategy, unlike the last time she got out when there had been a blind panic until the Orc grabbed her. That damned Orc was such a fun-destroyer.

You know what to do.

Sariel mumbled agreements to herself, making her way up to the door. It was weak for an outside door. She stood on the opposite side of the landing, a bit of a giggle escaping her before she ran and slammed into the door. It shook, but didn't open just yet. Once, twice, three times more. The bangs were loud, but she thought the stairwell would be empty by now. She didn't hear anybody yelling. The door finally swung open wide, the lock falling to the ground. She kicked it aside and walked into the fresh air slowly. No point closing the door behind her.

She walked over to the edge of the roof, her bare feet making it easy to balance. There were puddles here and there, and the air was cold, but she didn't care a bit. The view from here beat the view from a barred window any day. She climbed the edge of the roof, refusing to stand behind a barrier. Her toes hung over the edge, making her feel as though she was flying. She laughed at the sensation, her long white hair flying around in a crazy tangle behind her. Plopping down, she sat and let her legs swing freely. Bare feet and thin pajamas were hardly the attire for this weather, but it was all they would let her have. Still, it was good enough. She would freeze before going back in there willingly.

Run along the edge.

I could fall.

If you fall, I'll catch you.

She leaned forward, peering down to the ground below. Grass was soft, but not from this height. She would most definitely die. Twisting around, she examined the roof behind her. Most likely not death-inducing, but it would still hurt. Her entire left arm was sore and starting to sprout deep bruises from her repeated run-in with the door, and she had a smaller bruise blossoming on her face on top of the scar that already marred her.

A smile spread across her face and she climbed back to her feet, regaining her balance with ease. She walked along the edge, delighted. Her steps moved to running and skipping, soon barely paying attention to where she was going. This was freedom. No more staying in a room alone. Instead, she could spend her time with the birds and be completely free.

 

[Chriyu]

The halls were sweet chaos. The frantic staff flailing their arms while trying to keep hold of the right files for the right patients. Good luck finding their file. It was likely messed up in a pile at the nearby front desk, which even the secretary was missing from action. Whatever happened plus the chaos he rose would keep everyone busy for a while. To them it was just as calm a open field in the middle of nowhere with opera music playing in the background. They walked effortlessly around trying to figure out where the girl ran off towards.

The waiting lobby? No..
How about the basement?..Nah.
Or even the morgue?...Absolutely not.

They didn't care if they had to search the entire from top to bottom to find her. Even if they did have no idea what she looked like, just able to recognize her by her voice, maybe if she was singing they could hear it. A slight disgruntled face formed as her singing would be drawn out by the frantic staff. Of course a few of them bumped into their shoulder and often met the other side of a clothesline or a fist. Bastards.

"Damn whore is better at hiding then we expected."
"..Maybe she's not hiding?"
"What's behind DOOOR NUMBER ONE, HARVEY?"​

Then it sort of hit them. Door number one. What was one way she could go? No way could it have been the front since it was the tightest on security, and most of the problems now would've been nullified. She couldn't have gone up and out of the pla-..Up? UP!
That's where the bitch is! They swiftly about face and returned back down to the main desk and made their way hastily to the roof. Of course that meant diving right back into the crowd of doctors standing in their way. Only a few of the doctors even attempted to stop them from passing because of their reputation around the asylum. Like the others were quickly disposed of and the staircase to the top was right in his view. Ascending the stairs step by step, even jumping two steps at a time til they reached the top and sure enough the door was left open. How to approach? Slow and steady? Ask who wa-

Kicking the door back with as much force as they could. The breeze gracing their skin for the first time in god knows how long, yet time to relish in the moment was replaced with directed anger.

"AHA! We found you! Now you're going to pay."​

Closing into the girl on the ledge, noticing her just inches away from death and it was going to be so sweet to just push her over and hear her sc- . . .

"What are we doing. .?" ​

"We're going to kill the bat-​

"AND TODAY'S LUCKY WINNER IS...ELLLLFFFF GIRRRRL!"
​

Of all times for the trio to bicker, ontop of a roof with someone's life in jeopardy was not the place. Their bickering grew intense and even had fingers pointing at himself. They belonged here for sure.

 

[Ethys]

"Pay for what? You haven't given me anything."

Sariel giggled and turned to face the voice that was addressing her. The wind blew her hair in her face, but she didn't care. As he proceeded to start arguing with himself, she cocked her head to the side. His voice sounded familiar, but why? Had she attacked him before? No, no. His face wasn't familiar at all. He was just as crazy as she was. Crazier, maybe? She smiled at the thought and skipped along the roof edge, ending up hopping down right in front of him.

"You're not supposed to be here," she whispered with a grin.

Neither are you. You'll both be killed.

"But that sounds like fun," she reasoned aloud, nodding to herself.

Kill him and flee this place. Strangle him before he starts singing again.

"Oh, no. I don't think so. And what do you- OH! Oh! You sang last night! I heard you!" she exclaimed, rapidly switching gears as she went from speaking to her own voices to speaking to him. Her eyes refocused on him and she smiled more, nearly bouncing with excitement. "I really liked it."

You are a disgrace. Acting like a child in front of a man who doesn't care about you in the least. You sicken me.

Sariel's smile vanished and she staggered back several steps as though he had struck her. She turned her back on him, wandering back over to the edge of the roof with a frown. Another failure. How many was that? Too many to count. She had to stop this. There was no way to stop. Around every corner and at every hour there would be more. More piled on top of more until she would finally die. That would be her saving grace, her one success. A sweet demise.

"Sorry."

 

[Chriyu]

They couldn't seem to get on the same page for a damn moment. Most of the girl's discussion with herself went over their head. They were trying to decide who was actually in control at the moment. Was it going to be the one who wanted to strangle her? The host with the most? Or..Was it him? And despite the chaos he stirred up on the roof it was broken up at the mention of their singing. This brought them back as one as they eyed the girl.

"We did.."
"We remember that song clearly, it was so peaceful.."
"...And it made me want to plug my ears."

This was awkward. For all them. What do they say to that? She liked it? Not once have they ever heard someone compliment anything they did. It was always negative and resulted in more time inside with syringes following shortly after. They were at a stand still.

"You deal with it."
"I'm sorry! We don't have answer for this question."
"...Great."

He finally got control after so long. But when his focus was on the girl, she was about to do something stupid. More stupid then anything they could ever do. Sure they had more then one, or someone was talking to her. But that wasn't the way to get control back! Taking a few steps closer to the girl he watched her moves carefully. Not to upset her balance. It took a lot of strength for him to reach out and offer his hand to the girl. The other two were in such disagreement they yanked the hand back, only to have it extend again.

"Stop! What are you doing?"
"We have to kill her. She's crazy! Crazier then we are. Saves us time too of getting her later."
"Anddddd it looks like she's running out of time."
"You guys. Look. There's no reason to let her take her own life for ours to be better."
"Sure there is. Less problems."
"Less stunt-doubles."
"No. We're saving her. We're..We're going to be her friend."

 

[Ethys]

It isn't too far to fall.. You could make it.

Sariel was silent, seemingly not even hearing him as he argued with himself. She watched the trees swaying below instead. The leaves looked so pretty when they were flapping around like that. She noticed the wind was picking up again. Her eyes flicked back to the skies above. Getting darker. Another storm? Oh, perhaps she could stay long enough to feel the rain on her skin! It would be the absolute best!

Wait...

Friend?

Ignore him! He isn't talking to you!

The voice in her head was shrieking with rage now. She winced, but she knew what she had heard. He wanted to be her friend. She turned and looked at him, curious. It had been so long that she had completely forgotten what it felt like to have a friend at all. There was one thing she knew for certain, though - it meant that she wouldn't be alone anymore. Not really. She smiled and reached for his extended hand, taking it in her own.

"Friends," she agreed with a nod as a low rumble of thunder echoed in the distance. She looked up at the sky and grinned. "I have a friend."

I am your friend. He is not. He doesn't know you and once he does, he'll leave. Kill him while you can.

"It's going to rain," she remarked, ignoring the voice for now. "Want to stand in it?"

Meanwhile, the doctors and nurses inside were starting to lose it. Nearly all of the patient rooms had been checked, as well as the common areas. They were running out of places to search. All of the doors to the outside were alarmed - they had to still be in the building! ... Right? Doctors were shouting orders, causing some of the more tender patients to wail and begin panicking. Soon they had even more of a mess on their hands than they had before.

 

[Chriyu]

The thunder in the distance boomed soft, then grew more and more powerful as it drew closer to their location. Not only did they get freedom, but to feel actual rain? It might have been an actual miracle. Less a miracle then feeling a new embrace grace their body. And it didn't hurt. No, it felt smooth and was like they could pull it right into their embrace. .

The girl was actually holding their hand. And she was their friend. . At long last.

They stared at her for the longest time. The face that was usually down in the dumps turned into a slight broken smile. Was this how being happy truly felt? Not running some whacked game-show with the only prize being more days to live? Even something in his body began to pick up some of this sensation causing it beat with some life after all the time of laying dormant. They called those a heart didn't they?

"..I..do." His digits curled around her hand into a hold. "Let's stand in it together."​

I..? What a strange word. When was the last time I used I? And..
Where are they? Where'd they go? Was this what a clear mind felt like?..Even if it was brief. It was enjoyable.

"Looks like these two might be lovebirds after tonight's show."
". . .Great. Mushy crap."​

The rain made its presence known as it began to drip randomly all over the ceiling and on the two of them. The drips turned to a light drizzle and finally into a shower of water. Real water. The showers in the building had that gross sewage water. Probably because they thought of us nothing more then crazed trash that deserved trash. It wasn't important, the refreshing feeling was wonderful, especially with his new friend.

The sounds of the floors below was drowned out entirely by the thunder. At this rate, they would probably never be found. It was absolute chaos on the lower floor and no leader could seem to take charge of the madness of the other patients. A madhouse without ruler meant everyone was free! Until over the paging system. .

The voice alone was deep, raspy, and intimidating. The sealed doors open to reveal a large monstrous doctor. Far bigger then the orc could hope to be, even he trembled back as the creature stomped its way down the hall. Just like that, the halls went silent other then the loud stomping. Everyone, both doctor and patient alike gazed up at it. It stopped right at the secretary's desk who found her way back among the chaos. Her eyes darted up the massive stomach up to the torso and heads of the beast. It was a two-headed ogre.

"The mad house.." The left head started
"is on LOCKDOWN." as the right head ended.​

 

[Ethys]

Thunder had always soothed her. As a child, a storm meant that there would finally be something louder than the annoyed yelling of any adult that happened to be close by. They were always so frustrated with her. Not that she could blame them if she thought about it. She was constantly breaking things, failing lessons, and chattering to herself in the middle of the night. It didn't take them long to give up on her, but while she was 'home', the thunder was sweet music to her ears. Even hearing it now made her relax.

She smiled, her fingers curling tight around her new friend's. It was thrilling, to be able to touch another person in a way that didn't include trying to strangle them or fight them off. He didn't try to pin her down, jab her with a needle, or electrocute her with any mysterious hand-magicks. Instead, they just stood there, waiting for the rain.

It was bliss.

"Oh, oh! It's here!" she gasped, feeling the water begin to hit her head. She waited, her patience soon rewarding her with more than a sprinkle. It was rain - real rain, getting her completely drenched through. Anybody else would have been angry or perhaps annoyed at the feeling of clothes sticking to their skin, but she could not possibly care less. This was real.

She finally let go of her new friend with a laugh, running around on the roof and jumping into the shallow puddles that were beginning to form. It made the roof slick and she quickly began to amuse herself by running and sliding along, her stance wobbly at best.

Now is not the time for this.

I'm having fun.

No, you aren't. You're miserable, as always. Just toss yourself over the edge and be done with it.

Sariel paused in her delight, her expression turning to confusion. Was she miserable? Normally, yes. How could she be so sure that she wasn't actually miserable now and this flare of happiness was just an illusion? The only thing she knew for certain was real was the rain. Or was it? She looked down, staring at her wet toes as she stood perfectly still in a puddle. Maybe she was crazier than she knew. This could all be in her head.

 

[Chriyu]

This felt like the best shower they had in months. Actual water, from actual places. Once she let go of his hand, they too delighted in the thunderstorm. Their arms extended out as they twirled like a ballerina performing on the grandest of stages for the world to delight in. Him, and his elven friend were the stars of the Ballet of Storms. Even though they were the audience and stars. It felt like this show was the best they ever put on.

They weren't at an asylum anymore! This was beautiful! Ah what a feeling to be normal.

"Are you guys enjoying yourselves?"
"The best fun I've had in a long time!"

"♪ Oh elven lady, you make me feeeeel.. So.. Alliiiiiveee! ♪ "

"Great now we got Elvis over here."
​

Twirling himself over to the elf who was now just looking off who knows where. His hands slid into hers once more as he guided her along the puddles of the rooftops. Each turn was smooth and the way he led her was almost like she was dancing on her own. For the first time, they could see the girl's features up close. She was absolutely beautiful, and amazing, and hot. Depicted by each one of them of course.

"♪ This beauty you've got..Is how I thrive. Keep me, keep me alive. ♪"

"Wow.. We're really into this girl..Even though we just met her."
"...She's alright. I guess."
"Did you just?.."
"..Don't push it."​

Meanwhile. . .Inside the Asylum.

The once maddened floors of doctors and patients completely turned around. The patients were back in their cells, only this time the cells were much more secure. With some regrouping of the staff, the doctors were able to capture and regain control of the asylum. Of course, it was thanks to Bosk, the left head and Vich, the right head of one large ogre. These two were infamous for their dominant and successful treatments on patients. Especially those with conflicts within themselves, but who better to solve those problems then a body with two heads on it. Looking down the hall then back at the side-halls to see if every cell had been shut. They overlooked their patient board.

"Have all the patients been rounded up?" Bosk inquired.
"I think so." Seeming a bit uncertain of his own counting, Vich stared at the board.
"Count again."
"AH! NO! Brother. We missed two!"
"TWO!? IMPOSSIBLE!"
"We're missing the 3872 and 4039."
"..We've checked the entire building."
"Even on the sides of the building?"​

The two heads looked at each other. Their matching grins was sure enough they had a good idea where the girl and boy had wandered off too. The ogre stomped their way towards the staircase that would eventually lead them up to the roof.

 

[Ethys]

Nothing was real.

Sariel was trapped in her own mind, unable to move. Her eyes were glazed over as her attention focused inward instead. She mentally wrestled with the overwhelming uncertainty that tried to drown her senses. What was real? Nothing. It was all an illusion, one that she made up to cope with reality. But what was reality? She didn't know. Nobody knew. She gasped slightly, finding it difficult to breathe, until-..

Until he came to her.

She looked up in surprise, finding her face closer to his than it had ever been. Both of her hands were in his, and she wasn't quite sure how they had gotten there. It wasn't a bad thing. She started to smile, moving with him as he guided her around through the puddles. Somehow her body had gone from frozen to feeling absolutely weightless. She laughed, thrilled by the sound of his voice as he sang to her. From the sounds of it, they all liked her. It made her feel completely accepted. He didn't even stare at the scar on her face. Nobody else looked at her as he was - like she was a real person.

Don't.. Don't do this. I won't allow it!

"Come with me and I'll sing you the song of the stars, we can keep every doubt stacked in jars..~" she sang quietly, her voice not carrying over the roof, but easily enough heard by her companion as she smiled up at him. She slid her hands away from his, only to step forward and curl both arms around him in a hug.

 

[Chriyu]

This moment with her was something magical, right out of one of those movies. They couldn't help but relish the moment and feel the happiness they brought each other. And her singing along was only the cherry on top of the cherry already there. Ah, if only circumstances were different and they weren't on top of a roof of an asylum that had doctors frolicking about looking for them. Their Ballet of Storms continued with grace and perfection, and it was truly a duet when started to sing along. That right there made all of their hearts beat faster then ever. .Was there a medicine to help that? Ah! Who cares!

"♪ Let's take on world, one step at a time! ♪"
​

She was the first person in so long that was ever this close and didn't have a knife in their eye, but was able to hug him in an embrace like so. It was twice as better then their hands locking for the first time. Did he wrap his arms around her in return?..That seemed like the right move! His arms wrapped her in a gentle embrace as their ballet came to an end. Their eyes just gazed into the elf's for the longest time without a single word. Their face leaned slightly closer to her own. Why did she have this strange pull on him? HELL! They just met the damn girl not even twenty minutes ago and it was like their madness was already twisted together from the beginning.
​

"We want to know you. Tell us everything about you."
"Everything."
"Please."​

With his face just inches from her own, their noses almost collided and lips closing in it seemed like this ballet was going to have a happy ending after all. Did they even remember how to show some sort of crazed affection? Was it using their lips ah..Yes..It must be..To sing with their lips, to seal their new bond with the lips as well. As they closed in on the target a loud slam made them jump turning their attention to the door that was pushed off the hinges and to the side. Bosk n Vich towered over the two with grins on their faces. Their control and restoration of order was nearly complete.​

"FOUND YOU."
They exclaimed in sync.​

 

[Ethys]

Silence. As backward as it was, the lack of sound was deafening. Sure, she could hear the sound of the rain hitting the roof. There was the sound of the wind, the sound of her breathing, even the sound of his. But.. Her mind was quiet as soon as he embraced her. The difference was so jarring that she nearly pulled away out of shock, but she managed to stay still. Though it was something she had never experienced before, it was... Nice. It was nice.

She looked up at him, her blue eyes easily finding his. So this was what it was like to be close to somebody and not immediately be attacked or have her mind turn on her. Huh. No wonder the nurses giggled about it all the time when they thought no patients were listening. She smiled at him, holding back a giggle. Now was not the time to appear even crazier than he already knew she was.

"Everything?" she repeated, though her voice was soft. There was no need to yell with him so close. So close she could almost..

SLAM.

Sariel instinctively pulled away, stumbling back and whirling around to face the newcomer. Oh. This was an interesting development. The sudden lack of a body against hers left her cold, and that only made her start to laugh. There was no question what this gigantic idiot wanted - to put them back in their cages and make them behave like the other little birdies down below!

No! You have your freedom! Run!

Right!

She turned and ran for it, splashing through puddles in a race toward the end. But what end? Why, the end of the roof of course. That was the only place to go, after all! She had nearly reached it when she realized that they were up a bit high to try leaping off. In fact, she was nearly one hundred percent positive that jumping from this height would be immediate death.

So what? You'll be free!

But what about him?

FORGET HIM! Jump, you useless imbecile!

"No!" she yelped out loud, suddenly halting her steps. Unfortunately, she continued on thanks to sliding through the water on the slick roof surface. She squealed and half fell over the edge barrier, though she managed to cling to it. Now that she was somewhat safe, she took the time to relax and peer down over the edge. It was almost pretty, to look death in the face.

 

[Chriyu]

What on this planet was that beast?
It had two heads?!
How did they even cooperate?

Whatever it was, it was here to put back them all back into the cages. No. They weren't going back in the cage. After being clammed up for so long and finally being able to the taste fresh air, rain, and true touch from someone else. And she took off in the heat of the moment towards the edge of the roof once more. Part of them wanted to follow her, take her hand and run away with her. But would they get far with this brute seeing their movements?

"We have to do something! She's in trouble!
"SO ARE WE?!"
"Only one decision we can make here!"​

The ogre was drawing closer with each tree-trunk of a step. She was on the edge of the roof likely about to jump. This was so conflicting, because either way it seemed like no one was going to win. But maybe they could distract the doctor beast long enough for her to make a move. Yeah, they knew exactly what to do. Locking their feet into the rooftop as they readied themselves to actually try and fight off the ogre.

No one has ever been dumb enough to stand in the way of a hulking ogre and gotten away without a broken body. The dual grinning ogre was happy to oblige the human's wish for some treatment. Bosk balled up a fist while Vich's hand cackled with electricity.

"Great.."
"..We'd better get ready.."
"Looks like we're going to need a lifeline for this one, Tom!"​

They turned their head to look back at their new friend, their new partner, and..crazy heart-throb. They offered a genuine smile to the girl before turning back to be greeted by a boulder-fist to the gut. This fist sent them flying across the roof like a stone skipping across water.

"You want to try us do you?"
"Well we're up for a round of therapy.."

"Yeah. So are we.."
​

As they rose up to their knee, holding their gut tightly. Damn that blow really hurt, and likely broke some ribs surely. They would be fine, ribs can heal right? OF course. Pushing themselves up to their feet, they huddled over to the ogre determined to keep it preoccupied as long as possible. There was no way they were going to let their freedom go so soon.