Insanity Clinic For The Moderately Brandofandonitis Afflicted

[The Halcyon Girl she/her]

2 hours ago, Nameless said:

General Gladius personally oversaw Emma's imprisonment. Before she had opportunity to awaken, the chickens locked the unconscious Lady of Shadows away in a specially designed cell, made to dampen and contain her Nethergrim powers. Bookwyrm was locked away in the basement, awaiting his fate along with the rest of the rioters.

With no further orders from Lark, Gladius was unsure as to his next move. He was a general, not an administrator. Whatever resistance remained in the clinic, they were likely regrouping, and there was little he could do other than set up patrols again. As for treating patients, most of the staff had either fled, joined the resistance, or been killed in the rioting. Perhaps they could bring in chicken doctors? No, that would never work. And what benefit would it give him to do so? Abruptly, Gladius nodded. The decision was clear. His goals were achieved. he turned to his aides, who were nervously eyeing Emma's prison.

"It's time to leave. We have what we came for, and remaining here will only cause further losses to our troops. We take the Lady of Shadows back to the capital for judgement, and leave this place to Lark. He should be able to deal with any remaining resistance himself, considering the amount of power the treaty imbues on him."

His aides nodded, sending messengers to relay the general's orders. Within a few hours, the chickens were gone, taking Emma and the assortment of magical items they'd plundered from the clinic.

Haly: appears in front of somebody idk “Oh no… what do we do now?”

[NameIess]

The words echoed through the empty clinic ominously.

[The Halcyon Girl she/her]

Haly: “C’mon guys…” 

Silence

Haly: searches inside herself and drops to the floor, reliving everything that happened

[NameIess]

Slowly, scared patients began to emerge from their rooms, wondering if it was finally over.

[The Bookwyrm he/him]

2 hours ago, The Wandering Wizard said:

He appears in a hallway and Wizard appears infront of him.

Bookwyrm looked around at the long dark hallway he suddenly appeared in. The tree seemed to be gone.

He turned and jumped when he saw Wizard.

"Wizard?" Bookwyrm called out. "Is...is it really you?"

But even as he spoke, Bookwyrm felt that something was off. Wizard didn't have the same light in his eyes that he always had.

Something's not right.

Edited September 27, 2022 by The Bookwyrm

[The Wandering Wizard he/him]

1 minute ago, The Bookwyrm said:

"Wizard?" Bookwyrm called out. "Is...is it really you?"

"Yes. How is Emma doing?"

[Ranryu she/her]

Ranryu smiled at the chaos and confusion. She gripped a magic radio in her hand.

"This is Agent S. Everything is going according to plan."

[The Wandering Wizard he/him]

1 minute ago, Ranryu said:

"This is Agent S. Everything is going according to plan."

A deep and short "Yup." sounds through the magic radio.

[Ranryu she/her]

Ranryu was fluent in Yupper, so she knew that that particular yup meant, "Lay low and wait for the signal."

She melted into the shadows, emerald eyes narrowed in cynical excitement. 

[The Bookwyrm he/him]

9 hours ago, The Wandering Wizard said:

"Yes. How is Emma doing?"

Bookwyrm took a few steps forward, still suspicious.

"Not to well, I'd imagine," Bookwyrm said. "Considering she'll find Calano dead when she wakes up."

[The Wandering Wizard he/him]

5 minutes ago, The Bookwyrm said:

Bookwyrm took a few steps forward, still suspicious.

"Not to well, I'd imagine," Bookwyrm said. "Considering she'll find Calano dead when she wakes up."

At these words Wizard crumples. "Calano's dead?"

[The Bookwyrm he/him]

1 hour ago, The Wandering Wizard said:

At these words Wizard crumples. "Calano's dead?"

"Yes. He died defending his clinic."

[NameIess]

Lark stirred, finally waking up. He felt better, marginally. Groaning softly, he struggled to his feet, straightening the things on his desk. "Calano? What was that you said? That I killed you? Why lie about something like that? Did you really think I'd believe you?"

[The Wandering Wizard he/him]

24 minutes ago, The Bookwyrm said:

"Yes. He died defending his clinic."

Tears trickle down Wizard's face. "It is over then."

11 hours ago, Ranryu said:

Ranryu smiled at the chaos and confusion. She gripped a magic radio in her hand.

"This is Agent S. Everything is going according to plan."

"Yup. Yup. YUP!*"

*The explosives are in place, you ready to blow this popsicle stand!

[Medium he/they]

1 hour ago, Nameless said:

Lark stirred, finally waking up. He felt better, marginally. Groaning softly, he struggled to his feet, straightening the things on his desk. "Calano? What was that you said? That I killed you? Why lie about something like that? Did you really think I'd believe you?"

Indirectly. You killed me, indirectly. You sent the chickens. They killed me. On your orders.

You've won. Congratulations.

How does it feel, Lark?

How does it feel, to be victorious?

Calano's body, now in the Crow Guardian mech, flies away inside it, to take up a post outside the clinic. The statue of Wizard in the lobby changes, although no one will notice for a long time.

Wizard and Calano are now arm in arm, as brothers, and the plaque reads, Wizard and CalanoCorvus. Died defending the clinic against the First and Second Chicken Invasions.

[The Bookwyrm he/him]

1 hour ago, The Wandering Wizard said:

Tears trickle down Wizard's face. "It is over then."

"No. It's not. We aren't even getting started." 

Bookwyrm walked up to Wizard.

"I need to ask you: What exactly is the Scourge?"

[NameIess]

59 minutes ago, CalanoCorvus said:

Indirectly. You killed me, indirectly. You sent the chickens. They killed me. On your orders.

You've won. Congratulations.

How does it feel, Lark?

How does it feel, to be victorious?

Lark shook his head, coughing as he looked at the records of the battle. "You can't be dead Calano. I still feel you, pulling on me like an anchor, dragging me down to my grave. If you were dead, this clinic would be truly mine."

[Medium he/they]

Oh, I'm dead. I can assure you, I'm dead.

But, I have unfinished business. You.

And I won't rest until you are finished.

[NameIess]

"Oh please. You were killed by one of those glowing daggers, yes? Even with Emma's intervention, that should have left your soul in far too frail a state to meaningfully interact with the world, much less continue as signatory of a binding magical contract like the one that determines ownership of the clinic." Lark gestured to the dimension treaty lying on the table. "Can you contact others, or just me? I suppose it would make sense if it was only me," Lark rubbed his chest uncomfortably "But I wouldn't be too surprised if you could contact the Nethergrim's host as well." He wrote some notes down in his journal, then cocked his head, glancing at a clock on the wall. "Hm. Your hold on the treaty has been weakened. I should be dead by now."

[Medium he/they]

For now, I can only contact you.

The Nethergrim is unimportant to me at the moment.

My hold on the treaty, although weakened, is still stronger than yours. This dimension was created for me, and for me alone.

[The Bookwyrm he/him]

@The Wandering Wizard @CalanoCorvus

As Bookwyrm asked the question about the Scourge, he reached out with his mind, extending it almost to infinity. He probed the mind of the being in front of him, and realized that this wasn't the real Wizard.

He sent is consciousness out, beyond the dimension where he was. He searched for the true minds of Wizard and Calano, if they still existed.

They have to. They have to exist, somewhere.

He sent out a call to both of them, not knowing if they existed to hear.

Where are you?

[Ranryu she/her]

2 hours ago, The Wandering Wizard said:

"Yup. Yup. YUP!*"

*The explosives are in place, you ready to blow this popsicle stand!

Ranryu's lighter flicked on. A thread of flame snaked up the rope leading to a bundle of explosives. 

"For freedom."

[The Wandering Wizard he/him]

1 hour ago, The Bookwyrm said:

"No. It's not. We aren't even getting started." 

Bookwyrm walked up to Wizard.

"I need to ask you: What exactly is the Scourge?"

"Can't you see?"

9 minutes ago, Ranryu said:

Ranryu's lighter flicked on. A thread of flame snaked up the rope leading to a bundle of explosives. 

"For freedom."

"Yup."

Edited September 27, 2022 by The Wandering Wizard

[Medium he/they]

19 minutes ago, The Bookwyrm said:

@The Wandering Wizard @CalanoCorvus

As Bookwyrm asked the question about the Scourge, he reached out with his mind, extending it almost to infinity. He probed the mind of the being in front of him, and realized that this wasn't the real Wizard.

He sent is consciousness out, beyond the dimension where he was. He searched for the true minds of Wizard and Calano, if they still existed.

They have to. They have to exist, somewhere.

He sent out a call to both of them, not knowing if they existed to hear.

Where are you?

Bookwyrm got only static in return. Calano was gone.

Calano would not be returning in his human form.

Goodbye, Lark. I will remain. See you in hell.

The presence left the room, leaving Lark emotionally and mentally distraught.

[Ranryu she/her]

19 minutes ago, The Wandering Wizard said:

"Yup."

The bombs blew open the secret gates in the tunnels under the clinic. The Yuppers, Ranryu's family, was free at long last.