[IC] Nobody Will Believe It [SporkoBug and Calle]

[SporkoBug]

"He knows about me." Dia said with a shake of her head, "He was obviously meaning me. He wouldn't be talking about Ray if she's not here... Right?" She asked, tilting her head, "He is indeed odd, I'm not sure I like the energy given off..."

Josh walked along, closing his eyes slightly as he walked along, only opening them to look towards where they were going. He paused at the big bosses office, watching the door with a silence before he turned his head away slowly. No. Don't bring attention to yourself.

Sara flinched as Marc found her, blinking before she nodded with a small smile. "I'm fine!" She said, scrambling to find the words, "That sounds absolutely amazing! I'll be here." She laughed, "I'll go get changed into... My best clothes I guess."

[Loksfjoer]

"I think you're right," Benjamin said. "We should tell Ray about him. Or, maybe you. I think it's best to avoid being with Ray for at least a day." He didn't like it, but he feared what the staff might do if they would worry about them being together. And to be fair, he had plenty of friends he only saw once a week or even less, so a day wouldn't hurt. He just wished there was more to do than walk in circles through the building. He wished he could go into that garden behind the locked door.
While he had been glad to be there earlier, he now realized it had been a cruel thing to let him know it was there, beyond his reach.

Marc smiled at Sara. "Okay. I'll see you at the reception desk." He turned around and left for the dressing room, where he could change in his daily clothes. He found himself whistling as he walked, but he couldn't help it. He was looking forward to the rest of the day.

[SporkoBug]

Dia gave a small nod to Benjamin's words, "I can tell her." She said with a small smile, she looked around with a sigh, "What... Did you do before this place?" She asked, trying to strike up conversation, having someone other than Ray to talk to... Was nice.

Sara relaxed as Marc had disappeared, she looked back to the door before she shook it off. She moved towards her room to get changed, abandoning her plan to look into the files like asked.
She passed Josh as she went to her room, there was a silence moment between the two of them- their eyes locking as Josh seemed to focus on something else in Sara's eyes before he looked up and walked off.
She got to her room and started to change into the only good clothing she has; A nice blue plaid button up shirt, with a pair of dark grey jeans.
She stretched before she moved to put back on her shoes, she only had a single pair.

[Loksfjoer]

"School, hobbies," Benjamin began. "I was studying to be a Creative Arts Therapist. I paint and play the sax in my spare time. I practised long-distance ice-skating." He frowned thinking about it. "I guess I miss that the most. I was really active, I was on skates three times a week and did cycling for my condition almost every day. I can't do a decent training here and the inactivity is driving me insane. Not just the not exercising, but the skating, the speed, it was liberating." He sighed. "I will bet staff won't appreciate it if I start running up and down the corridor," he continued with a bitter tone in his voice, "and to be fair, I'd get bored of it real fast."

Marc quickly changed into his normal clothes, a pair of jeans, a plain t-shirt and a fleece jacket over it. If he had know he'd go out he would have picked something else to wear, but this would have to do.
When he was done changing he went to the reception desk and waited for Sara there.

[SporkoBug]

"Skating always bewildered me. Although it wasn't a very safe thing when I was... Well, alive." Dia said after listening, she gave a small laugh and a sigh, "And father would never have allowed me to do it anyway. Can't have someone like me running amock with the commons kids." She sighed slightly as she floated after Benjamin, "I miss being alive... " She almost mumbled, "I wonder if I would have finished my fathers work if the War hadn't started..."

Sara started towards the reception as she finished fully buttoning up her shirt, looking around in hopes not to find her Aunt waiting for her. She shuddered at the thought of this being a horrible prank placed by her Aunt to make her lose trust on leaving for the outside world... Not that it would ever happen when she had the chattering spirit of a war-criminal stuck in her body...

[Loksfjoer]

"I would love to learn more about your life," Benjamin said. "If it's... not painful to talk about it." His hand moved an inch, he had wanted to touch Dia, her arm or shoulder, just something to let her know he was there for her. But when he realized he couldn't he stopped himself and relaxed his arm again.

Marc walked to the reception desk, but before he was there Vivian stepped in front of him.
"Going out with Sara now?" she asked, a sweet smile on her face.
"Uhm, yeah."
"Keep an eye on her, she may look stable, but I do keep her here with a reason."
Marc nodded. "I will."
"I trust you. It's the only reason why I agreed with it."
Marc stood proudly and nodded. "Thank you, I won't disappoint you."
Vivian smiled broadly. "Thank you, Marc. Have a great day."
As Vivian walked away, Marc continued to the reception desk. He hoped Sara wasn't waiting for him, he hadn't anticipated to be stopped on his way out, but to think the head psychiatrist trusted him like that made him feel good.

[SporkoBug]

Dia glanced back to Benjamin, just missing the movement for her hand. "Its'.. Not a very interesting life. At least not to me I guess." She said with a laugh. "But to you, it could possibly sound interesting. Probably something out of a story book." She said before she looked forward again, she furrowed her brow as she thought about her past.

Sara got to reception quickly, looking around as she did so. She was counting herself lucky as she seemed to not see Vivian. The Receptionist looked up with a small smile.
"Oh~!" She said with a grin, "You're going out!"
Sara nodded once, "Yeah, I've got a dinner date." The Receptions' eyes widened before Sara rolled her eyes. "Just... Don't spread it around Sophie..." She said, "Please."

[Loksfjoer]

"I think most consider their life normal and not interesting to talk about," Benjamin said. "In the end I just want to get to know you, but you don't have to share anything you're uncomfortable sharing." He looked at the drawing in his hands, it was for Dia, but he couldn't get it to Ray just yet. He took a turn and started heading to his room. He would put it there until he had the opportunity to get it in Ray's room.

Marc stepped into the hall and joined Sara at the reception desk. He nodded to Sophie and flashed a smile, but he soon turned to Sara. "I'm sorry if I made you wait," he said. "Ready to go?"

After Marc had left, Vivian went to the security office and turned to four orderlies. "I need two of you to fetch Benjamin for me, tell him I had an opening in my schedule and want to talk about his progress now. I know he has nothing else to do right now, no scheduled appointments. The other two have to get Ray, let her wait outside my office while I talk to Benjamin."

As the guards left, Vivian returned to her own office with a pleased smile. She would get some results today, she knew it.

[SporkoBug]

Dia would have blushed if she was able to. "I was the daughter of a Royal Alchemist." She started, closing her eyes as she seemed to stop floating forward and stayed still. For once her spirit didn't seem like it was breathing; "There was a large War. I can't remember what it was properly about." She felt herself being pulled into her own memories. She fell silent for a moment, slowly reopening her eyes before she started to float forward again. "We... Worked for a King, his Men were fighting for the Good of everyone. I, myself, didn't get a lot of work as I was only my fathers Apprentice; Studying his notes most of the time."

Sophie was about to tease Sara before Marc came into view, She gave a coy wave to the male as she winked to Sara.
Sara glanced towards Sophie before looking towards Marc with a smile.
"You didn't make me wait at all!" She said with a weak laugh, "I'm more than ready! I'm sorry my clothes aren't... Exactly fancy in any way, but this is the best stuff I have." She finished with a laugh.

Ray opened her eyes as she heard her door open. A frown on her face as she sat up and noticed the guards.
"We need you to come with us." One of them spoke, almost ordered.
"Geeze would a 'Please' or 'Thank you' or any sort of manners hurt you too much." She started as she stood to walk over to them. One of the guards looked to the other and gave a nod, the first guard moving to punch Ray swiftly in the gut.
Ray almost doubled over from the hit before both Guards grabbed her arms to hold her up to take her towards Vivian's office.
Ari moved to follow after Ray angrily before the door was closed and somehow she couldn't move through the door. "What?" She hissed angrily, "WHY CAN'T I LEAVE."

[Loksfjoer]

Benjamin listened to Dia, it was nice hearing about her life. And a special life too, with alchemists and kings. Two guards approached them and he stopped, watching them.
"The psychiatrist has time for you now," one of them said.
"Oh, I-" he Benjamin began.
"You don't have anything better to do," the guard reminded him. "Unless you have invisible friends to hang out with."
Benjamin straightened his back, if he would admit that the guard would tell the psychiatrist. "Fine, I'll go," he grumbled and walked with the guards.

When he reached the office he saw guards bringing Ray too, but before he could say anything the door opened and he got pushed inside.
"Welcome Benjamin," Vivian said. "Take a seat."
Reluctantly Benjamin took a seat and waited for whatever lecture was there to come.

Marc examined Sara's clothes. "They look fine to me. A girl doesn't need to dress up to hang out with me." He walked to the door, waiting there for Sara before stepping out. His car was parked not too far away from the entrance.
"Are we going for a drink first?" he asked.

[SporkoBug]

Dia moved to follow Benjamin but for some reason she couldn't move after him.
"What?" She hissed, she looked towards Ray as she was brought forward.
She floated over quickly and circled around her with worried eyes, Ray was injured- almost doubled over.

On the way in Ray had been punched a bit more due to weakly trying to stop them tugging her.
Ray weakly stood, almost as if she was unable to see Dia, before she looked towards the door. "I'm... Okay." She whispered, just out of earshot of the guards.
Dia floated around Ray with a glare towards the guards.

Sara followed after Marc as he spoke, she gave a bit of a smile as he spoke.
"Whatever you'd prefer." She responded to his question of where to go first, "I don't know what the usual is for this."

[Loksfjoer]

The guards who had brought Benjamin remained in the office, but Benjamin didn't notice them. He locked eyes with the psychiatrist on the other side of the desk. "You wanted to see me?"
"We need to talk about your progress."
"Will you let me go home?"
Vivian showed a sly smile. "If we have cured you," she promised.
Benjamin jumped up. "I don't need curing! I just want to get out of this-"
"Closed building with no way out as long as you don't behave?" Vivian added. "You're so agitated. Sit down."
"I will do no such thing! I just want to go!"
Vivian leaned forward over the desk. "I sometimes wonder if your problem is hereditary. Maybe we should check your sister."
Benjamin lunged forward and grabbed the doctor's coat. "If you will lay a finger on her-"
"Guards," Vivian said with her eyes on Benjamin. "The patient seems extremely hostile today. Let him come to rest in the padded chamber where he can't hurt himself."

The guards grabbed Benjamin, who tried to fight them off. They opened the door and dragged him out. "Let me go!" he shouted as he struggled to break free. A nurse walked towards them and one of the guards explained he had attacked the psychiatrist, and seeing how wild he was now the nurse believed it immediately, joining them to open the door of one of the padded rooms.

Vivian also exited her office, looking at Benjamin being dragged away. "So violent today," she sighed and she turned to Ray, showing a motherly smile. "I have time for you, dear. Please, come in." Worry flashed over her face. "Are you okay? Were the guards rough on you? I will discipline them if you want." She would do no such thing, but if it helped to coax Ray into trusting her she had no qualms making such a statement. She looked towards the guards, flashing an approving smile to them.

"Drinks are pretty standard when going out," Marc said. "So we'll do that first." He gestured to a blue car, a little Opel that wasn't much, but affordable from his paycheck and it got him from A to B.
His thoughts went back to work, going over the patients and he hoped everything would go well, but he quickly pushed the thoughts aside as he unlocked the car and smiled at Sara. He was in good company, work would be the last thing on his mind.

[SporkoBug]

Ray watched the door before she overheard yelling. She watched as the door swung open and Ben was dragged out, she went to call out to him before Vivian came out.
She closed her mouth as she looked towards the woman.
Her eyes narrowed before she cleared her throat.
"They wouldn't listen." She stated before she waited for Vivian to re-enter the office to follow afterwards.

Dia watched Benjamin be dragged off and looked to Ray for a moment before following after him quickly. She followed after the guards angrily before something suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
She glanced to see a large tendril made of wavering shadows that suddenly pulled her through a wall.

Sara gave a gentle nod at his words, "Alright." She said before she smiled towards him. "Sorry, I've never really done this before." She gave a weak chuckle before she glanced back at the building.

[Loksfjoer]

Benjamin still resited them when he saw Dia being grabbed by the shadow tendril. "Dia!" he called out.
"There is no Dia here," the nurse told him. "You are imagining things again."
"I'm not imagining it, we need to help her!" Again he tried to fight off the guards, who only saw him as a patient in a violent state.
The nurse opened the door of a padded room and Benjamin got shoved inside. He went for the door, but the slammed it in his face and locked it. "Let me out!" he shouted as he hit the padded door as hard as he could.
"You can't hurt others or yourself here," the nurse told him. "Once you are calm you will be freed again."

Vivian went into her office again, gesturing to the chair Benjamin had sit in moment before. "The reason I called you here is to warn you. Benjamin never told you why he was really brought here, did he?"

Marc opened the doors of the car and gestured to Sara to get in. "Let's go," he said, getting behind the wheel. Now he had to pick a good location to have that drink, he didn't want to disappoint her during her first afternoon off.
"What things do you like?" he asked.

[SporkoBug]

Dia struggled in the tendrils as she was pulled to a darkened room. A figure watched with deep red eyes.
"Let me go Memopath!"
"I can't allow you to do that." The figure said in a steely tone, "I was told to... take care of you."

Ray didn't reply, watching Vivian as she sat down with narrowed eyes.
"They think he's crazy." She started, "He's like me, he 'sees' things."
She was trying to say what she believed Vivian wanted her to say.

Sara moved to sit in the passenger side as she thought.
"I..." She started before she hesitated and gave a small sigh. "Honestly I don't know." She looked at her hands, "I've... Never really done anything like this. I've never been out for drinks."

[Loksfjoer]

Benjamin hit the closed door with both fists, but the padded door made no sound and he barely even felt it. "Let me out!"
"In this state you are a danger to yourself and others around you," the nurse repeated. "You need to calm down first."
Benjamin stumbled back from the locked door, his eyes shooting from left to right, but aside from a light in the ceiling there was nothing here. Just four walls that enclosed him. They would let him out if he would be calm. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. He had to stay calm.

"He does," Vivian said. "Visual hallucinations, he is diagnosed as delusional. That in itself doesn't warrant a stay at our facility, or any closed down psychological institute. He forgot to mention he assaulted a girl from his class and his own sister, both ending up hospitalized, because a 'ghost' told him to. My dear, I love seeing you getting close to people, but I fear for your safety around him. Benjamin doesn't take his meds, he is not stable. What if the next ghost he sees will turn him against you? And if you don't believe me, I have the referral letter from the psychologist who diagnosed him, and the medical reports of his victims. I even have articles from the newspaper in his file." She had a motherly smile for Ray. "But you were out of the loop due to your own... issues with your 'evil spirit', so I understand you may have missed the news. That's why I thought it was important to let you know."

Marc nodded, based on what she had told him already he had assumed that. "But things in general, or themes. Do you like art or cars or old buildings?" he asked. There were a few things they could do between the drink and the dinner, but that would depend on what Sara liked. He realized he should know these things, but they hadn't talked much in the past. He intended this day to make up for all the missed conversations they had.

[SporkoBug]

Ray listened to Vivians words, furrowing her brow before she looked down to her lap.
What was she to believe? Vivians' words or Benjamin...
"So." She started, "In a way he was like me." She started, lifting her head back up, "Just... Without the murder?"

"I know who you are." Dia started before she noticed the shadows drifting and saw Ari be pulled through as well.
"Let go of me you stupid frustrating human fucking bastard!" Ari yelled angrily before she was put by Dia. "Let me out of this tendril or so help me!"
The figure watched them before they stepped from the shadows, revealing Josh.
"You." Dia started, "I knew you could see me."

"I like art!" Sara started with a small smile, "I like museums and libraries." She paused, "Or at least, what I remember of them from when I was a kid."
She glanced to Marc with a weak smile, "I've been at that place for... a while."

[Loksfjoer]

"It's without the murder because help arrived in time," Vivian reminded Ray. "The problem is, my dear, his victims are women he is close to. He was really close with the girl at his school and with his sister. But when his delusions kicked in, he turned on them. I'm not sure he even realizes what had happened, I'm working with him to understand his delusion. But that is why he is here, and I wanted to warn you, because you may not be safe with him. I fear for you if you two will get closer than you already became."

Benjamin sat down in the padded room, his back against the wall. He wrapped his arms around him and left one leg stretched out as he pulled up the other. Stay calm. Meadows. Think about the meadows. It would help him if he could draw one, but he had to settle with closing his eyes and trying to imagine one.

Marc nodded and started the car. "I think I know a nice place then. It's on the other side of town, but I don't think you'll mind a drive, do you?" He drove into the traffic and planned the route they had to take.
Hearing her say she had been in that place for a long time made him feel sorry for her, but also worried him a bit. Was it really safe to take her out? He shook off the thought, the psychiatrist wouldn't have allowed this if she felt it was unsafe for Sara or for him. Her situation conflicted him too, staff was allowed to date other staff, but not patients. Was Sara staff or patient? Again he decided that if the psychiatrist trusted her enough to help out as part of the staff, she wasn't just a patient, which meant he could date her. And the pscyhiatrist hadn't objected to taking her out, so obviously she didn't think he was breaking social protocol.
Suddenly he realised he should be talking with Sara instead of fretting over details. "Are you, erm, is there anything specific you want to see now that you are out?" he asked her.
Now that he was taking her on a date they might as well go somewhere she wanted to go.

[SporkoBug]

Ray furrowed her brow. She thought about what Vivian said, she wanted to disbelieve her- but something in her worried that it could be true.
"I..." She started, thinking before she closed her eyes and threw her head back as she thought about her words. "I get what you're saying." She continued, "I'm flattered you care so much about me, but I think I'll be fine."

"Of course I could see you." Josh stated calmly, Ari struggled angrily against the tendrils, yelling loudly.
"Why are you doing this?" Dia started, trying to keep calm. Josh looked at Ari and furrowed his brow, coiling the tendril tighter around her before he wrapped a tendril around her mouth.
"I was hired to do this. Keep the peace. Taking care of you two is an added bonus." He started, his tone unchanging, "Of course you seem beneficial."
"They don't believe in us." Dia suddenly started, catching Josh's attention away from Ari. "They won't believe in your power either, they'll think you're crazy. They'-"
"Many already think me I as crazy." Josh responded calmly.

Sara smiled slightly, "I don't mind the drive at all!" She had started to settle around Marc, there was something about him that made her relaxed. "I don't really have anything in mind," She tilted her head before she leaned back in the chair, "Just take me where you think I'd like?" She offered with a small chuckle. "I'm sorry I'm so terrible at this."

[Loksfjoer]

"Just keep it in mind," Vivian said with a sweet smile. "Now that you are here, is there anything you want to talk about? Is there anything I can help you with?"
Instead of pushing on her mental illness, Vivian opted to make Ray comfortable with her. She would be more susceptible if she'd feel at ease with her.

Benjamin focussed on his breathing as he imagined open spaces and fun memories, anything that would keep his mind away from the truth of the locked room he was sitting in. "Dia..." he whispered. "I could really use you right now..."
Ray was a friend, a good friend, but Dia was the one who could come inside without anyone seeing her. He enjoyed talking with her and having her around. But where was she? Something had grabbed her and pulled her through the wall. The thought about her disappearance pushed back the thoughts of this room and he walked to the door, trying to look through the barred window to see if he could see a glimpse of Dia, but that was in vain.

Marc laughed gently. "I'm not an expert at this either, we'll just wing it and see how it goes." He followed the traffic through the city as he turned on the radio. "Is there any music you like?" he asked as he moved through the radio stations to see if there was anything nice to listen to.