open Canterlot's Insane Asylum {Reboot RP}

[sunne 659]

@@Pripyat Pony, 

Suset shifted. she was feeling a bit more at ease. It wasn't much, but it was the most relaxed she had been since she got here.

"U-um... So.. Um, h-how long have you b-been here?" she asked, mostly thinking out loud by accident, then her face went red and she hid behind her mane again, averting her eyes.. 

"S-s-s-sorry... U--um... you don't have t-to answer that... S-sorry for asking, i-it's none of my business..."

 

Sweet looked lost in thought.

"I guess hope is just what keeps us going." she said. "I hope we don't have to stay here long, and I hope the shadows leave permanently... But I doubt my hopes will last forever."

[Pinkie Paranoia 43]

Keaton was in the midst of a small group of ponies in the back of a locked carriage. He knew the Insane Asylum was his destination, and tried to take in as much of the outside world as he could, while he still could, through the small window towards the back. As he was looking through the window, slowly beginning to drift off into a daydream, he heard one of the other ponies speak to him.

 

"You don't seem too worse for wear. What's your name?" The pony asked.

 

Keaton looked at the other pony. 'I don't want to ignore him, yet the guards confiscated my quill and parchment before putting me in here. I guess I have no choice but to speak. I mean, who knows? Maybe I'll speak normally for once?'

 

Keaton opened his mouth, and hesitantly began to give his reply: "A fox hiding in the grass easily scares it's prey." 'Nope. Not even close' The other pony's face took on a confused look, as he slowly began to turn away, facing the front of the carriage. Keaton hung his head slightly, then turned back to looking out of the window.

 

At that moment, the carriage slowed to a stop, and two guards opened the carriage door, leading it's inhabitants outside, and towards the main door of the building they would all be staying in: The Insane Asylum.

 

(((for future reference, purple words are Keaton's thoughts.)))

[longgone 873]

Poppy approached one of the patients who looked troubled. She knew his name was Goldie and thought he might like to talk.

 

@@Mint Drop,

 

In fact, Moonshine had noticed Sunset's scars, but didn't want to comment on them. She had her own scars; vertical ones on the inside of each foreleg where she had cut herself in her first suicide attempt.

 

"I never stop hoping that I might get out of here," Rowan said. "Tho I know it's not likely."

Golden Age turned towards the nurse that approached him. He quickly scanned her with a noticeable eccentricity and decided she was not a danger. He spoke a soft "Good day" to her without looking her in the eyes, for they were fixed elsewhere as he reentered his day-dreaming gaze. He took off his hat and placed it on the ground besides him, revealing his blonde mane which was hidden under it, though one's eyes would've been drawn to one of his ears which had a paranoid twitch to it. He began muttering words so quietly that he himself could not hear them as he waited for a response.

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@Mint Drop,

 

"I've been here for two years now, I think," Moonshine replied, quietly. "When I came here, my forelegs were bandaged cuz of my first suicide attempt. The wounds have healed tho and left scars."

 

"Yeah," Rowan replied. "All we have left is hope that the shadows will one day leave us in peace and that we can leave this place."

 

 

Poppy returned the greeting with a smile. "Would you like to talk?" she asked. "I'm always ready to listen. Maybe whatever's troubling you would be better shared. And don't think that I wouldn't understand; I've seen so much in this asylum and listened to so many sad stories. Sometimes it's better to talk it thru rather than keep it inside."

[longgone 873]

@@Mint Drop,

 

"I've been here for two years now, I think," Moonshine replied, quietly. "When I came here, my forelegs were bandaged cuz of my first suicide attempt. The wounds have healed tho and left scars."

 

"Yeah," Rowan replied. "All we have left is hope that the shadows will one day leave us in peace and that we can leave this place."

 

Poppy returned the greeting with a smile. "Would you like to talk?" she asked. "I'm always ready to listen. Maybe whatever's troubling you would be better shared. And don't think that I wouldn't understand; I've seen so much in this asylum and listened to so many sad stories. Sometimes it's better to talk it thru rather than keep it inside."

"Perhaps...but I'd probably be best if we somewhere more private..." he said. He nonchalantly placed his hat back on his head and got back up in preparation to follow Poppy to her office. "But if I break down, please forgive me, I'm...still mending.". He spoke this with a queer insecurity as he lowered his brim to cover his face.

Edited August 27, 2013 by ~HistoricallyInaccurate~

[sunne 659]

@@Pripyat Pony, 

Sunset shuffled in her corner, unsure what to say. She was starting to trust this pony. They had a few things in common, and she had been gracious enough not to point out her own scars.

"I-I, umm... I know what it's like," she mumbled. "H-having depression and wanting to commmit suicide, i mean... I-I've tried before, but that's not the reason they decided to put me ere... nopony noticed that.... It's because of my PTSD... I got that from the same place I got these scars... M-most ponies think m-my scars are from cutting... W-well, they're not... N-not originally..." 

 

Sweet nodded. "Want to make a deal? If I start to lose hope, you try to get me to be hopeful again, and I do the same for you?" she gave her a small smile.

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

 

 

Poppy smiled at Goldie kindly as she led him to the nurses' room. All the nurses in the insane asylum shared a big staff room with a coffee machine and vending machines. There were several small offices leading off the main room which were where nurses could take patients for a private talk, and it was into one of these offices that Poppy led Goldie.

 

@@Mint Drop,

"Would you like to talk about it?" Moonshine whispered. "It might help, to talk about it to somepony who understands."

 

"I'd gladly make a deal like that," Rowan replied, happily. "Consider it done."

[Pinkie Paranoia 43]

As the group, Keaton included, drew closer and closer to the Asylum, the main doors opened a bit, and a nurse popped out of the crack. She walked up to the guards, and began a small conversation. "My, we weren't expecting another group so soon!".  "Well, that's what you've got," one of the guards replied. "Sorry if it's any inconvenience."

 

"No, no, not at all." The nurse said, turning back to the doors. "Bring them in, I'll go get one of the other nurses to register them, show them to their rooms, all that." She opened the doors wider, allowing the passage of the small group, and left, presumably to get another pony who knew what to do(((Hint hint XD))).

 

'Well this place doesn't seem as bad as I thought.'  Keaton thought, as he turned around, taking in the look of the Asylum. 'Then again, this is only the main chamber, probably looks a right bit better than the other parts.'  He looked at the other ponies in his group. Several seemed to be incapable of controlling their motor functions, a few looked like they were on some form of medication, and one, the one that had talked to Keaton during the ride, seemed to be hallucinating at the moment.

 

'And they called ME insane.' Keaton thought, thinking back to his assessment day. 'Though, I suppose for good reason.'

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@Pinkie Paranoia,

 

As it happened, Joy the owner of the Insane Asylum went to register the new arrivals. She was feeling a bit harrassed; they really needed to hire some more staff!

 

When she entered the registration area, she saw a fairly large group of ponies needing to be registered and assigned dorms. Some were mares but most were stallions. Joy put on a smile as she approached.

 

"Welcome," she said. "I need some names and details of ailments so that you all can be processed as soon as equinely possible. Let me introduce myself. My name is Joy and I'm the owner of the asylum. Who'd like to go first?"

[sunne 659]

@@Pripyat Pony, 

 

Sunset squirmed a bit, not sure if she should talk, but she had already started, and this mare would understand a bit.

"U-umm... Okay, b-but you have to p-promise not to h-hate me... it's happened before..."

Shufflig a bit, she looked up at the mar. There definitely was no way to back out now.

"I-I'm an orphan... I was l-left in a field when I was a newborn foal, I-i guess my  parents didn't realize it was outside the orphanage... U-um... When I-I was about three... U-um... A group of p-p-ponies bought out the o-orphanage and started b-beating the other f-foals... A different foal each day... Except... for m-m-me... Once they found m-me, they came every d-day... I-i-I had been hiding from the start but th-th-they found out my h-hiding spots... Th-they were there f-for a few years... In about th-the second year, th-they started cutting me... Th-that's where I got my scars..." She lifted her mane to show her heavily marred face and blinded eye Both eyes had silent ears streaming from them by now..

"A-after they got found out and taken away... I-i got put in the local school... E-everypony hated me, e-e-especially the other orphans... Th-they told me it was my fault the group had come."

((consider Moonshine the fourth pony Sunset's ever told in a RP EVER.))

 

 

Sweet grinned and held out her hoof for a hoofshake.

Edited August 28, 2013 by Mint Drop

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@Mint Drop,

 

Moonshine began to weep as well, when she heard Sunset's story. "You poor thing!" she said, holding out her forelegs for a hug, but not wanting to hug Sunset without her making the first move. "A foal should be cherished, loved... I loved my poor foal so much, it was as tho part of my heart was torn out when she died. I can't imagine how anypony could be so cruel to abandon their foal... and then what happened at the orphanage! If I ran an orphanage, every single foal there would be loved!"

 

Rowan grinned and shook the offered hoof. "Want to come and work with me tomorrow, perhaps?" she asked Sweet Symphony. "My job is looking after the cows and milking them. They're quite good company, actually; and they don't think I'm lying when I talk about seeing the shadows!"

[sunne 659]

@@Pripyat Pony, 

Sunset nodded, letting Moonshine know that she could hug her, as she was too shy to reach out herself, but was in need of a hug.

"I-I-I guess that's wh-where I got my PTSD and social a-anxiety from... I-I tend to have panic attacks when I'm crowded by ponies... B-because of it, I've never been able to m-m-make any friends... S-so you're my f-first friend." she whispered.

 

Symphony chuckled. 

"Sure, I don't know what else I'd do. Maybe they'd like it if I sang. That's usually what I try to do when the shadows are making noises, is sing to try to drown them out. It's good, because ponies tend to like my singing, as well as birds."

[Pinkie Paranoia 43]

@@Pripyat Pony,

 

The groups attention went to a pony that walked into the room, introducing herself as Joy and asking for the ponies' names and aliments.

 

'Well then, this could be tricky.' Keaton watched as a few ponies went before him, most speaking aloud their names and what they had, while a few others simply handed Joy a sheet of paper, to which they received a slight nod of understanding. 'I wish I had one of those sheets.'

 

As Keaton looked around,  he realized the crowd was getting thinner and thinner, and soon he'd be forced to go up and speak. 'Well, if I've got to do this, I might as well get it over with.' Keaton walked up to Joy, his head slightly lowered, knowing that what would happen next would very well cause a bit of confusion.

 

"Name?" Joy asked, looking at him, waiting.

 

'Okay Keaton, you got this, just say "My name is Keaton Hills." No big deal'  "Thine golden Goddess shines brilliantly!"

 

Keaton's hoof shot up to his already lowered face, and he let out a slight sigh of frustration. He looked up at Joy, mimicking writing on a clipboard in the air, and put a pleading look on his face, hoping she'd get the message.

Edited August 28, 2013 by Pinkie Paranoia

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@Mint Drop,

 

Moonshine hugged Sunset. "I hope I can be a good friend to you," she whispered.

 

Rowan laughed. "Yeah, the cows love it when ponies sing to them," she said. "It drowns out the shadows? I'll have to try that then."

 

@@Pinkie Paranoia,

 

Ooc: Btw Joy is my character so don't control her, m'kay? That's godmoding. Btw #2 don't worry! It's only once so I'll ignore it this time.

 

Joy looked sympathetic. The stallion was obviously suffering from a mental ailment which made his words come out wrong. There was a pony at the asylum with a similar ailment; whenever she tried to talk, she instead growled and barked like a dog. Joy handed  the new patient a clipboard. "Just write your name and other information there," she said.

[longgone 873]

Poppy smiled at Goldie kindly as she led him to the nurses' room. All the nurses in the insane asylum shared a big staff room with a coffee machine and vending machines. There were several small offices leading off the main room which were where nurses could take patients for a private talk, and it was into one of these offices that Poppy led Goldie.

 

@@Mint Drop,

"Would you like to talk about it?" Moonshine whispered. "It might help, to talk about it to somepony who understands."

 

"I'd gladly make a deal like that," Rowan replied, happily. "Consider it done."

"Right..." he began slowly as he closed the door behind them. "I think i'd be best if I got the worst over with first.". He sat down at a small table which was accompanied with 2 chairs, an arrangement made for 1 on 1 conversations. Without a formal introduction, he began.

 

"The Crimea doesn't get a Russian Winter all the time, only every once and a while. We were oh so lucky enough to land in the same year that a Russian winter was scheduled to present itself. The summer was hell...cholera swept through the ranks like the common cold, deaths got up to 100 a day at one point. We tried to move camp to get away from it, but it never did leave us. Even months later in the freezing snow, it never did completely leave us. But I'd trade winter for that summer in a heart-beat. Winter was the very definition of hell. Those bastards at home didn't know organization if it hit them in the bloody face! Food was used up, men froze to death in their ragged clothes and ragged tents. Those bloody quartermasters had the flexibility of a titanium rod! They stuck to the regulations, even when by all means special exemptions should've been made. Soldier might come in with a torn coat asking for a new one. The devil 'hind the desk tells the lad he only gets one every three years. But y'know, I doubt the regulations accounted for Russian Winter.

 

The food that was lucky enough to get to the harbors almost never made it to the camps. The roads were in disrepair, everything was a bloody mess."

 

The former lieutenant began to trail off, his began muttering words to himself in silence. He began to shake as he lowered his head and placed his face in his hooves. "Have you ever seen someone freeze to death?" he asked hysterically. His head rose to show eyes that were full of fear. "One morning....assembly was called. The survivors from the night crawled out of their tents and huddled around the fire. When roll call came, they all had to arise and line up in an orderly fashion. One didn't move, a blanket was wrapped around his body which covered his face. A sergeant walked up from behind and shoved him in the back to arouse him...he just fell over. F-fell over!"

 

His hysterical speech soon turned into a fiery rage

 

"And those damn officers! Those bloody fine 'gentlemen' as they're called! They deserve not the title! They're dogs! Bloody dogs! The officers have the privlage of leave. They all said they had to leave for home for 'personal reasons'! They get a ticket home while us common lot are freezing to death! I swear to Celestia....if I ever see me former officer again...I'll bloody kill him!

 

There was a burning fire in his eyes. They showed malice and hatred that could only arise out of mistreatment and crookedness of the highest level. He proceeded to call them every vulgar word that he could think of. He was no longer sitting, but pacing back and forth in the small confinements of the room . "And they proceed to say that I'm unfit for service! 'Tis a lie!"

 

He threw the chair against the near by wall with a big slam. How DARE they say such balderdash! You want to know whose unfit for service? THOSE DEVILS with their lovely little commissions and brass! They care more about their pay then about their men! They can burn in hell for all I care! All of those bastards should be hanged on the shortest noose one can tie!"

 

He was now shouting this at the top of his lungs. He did not know if the room was sound proof, but he did hope it was, for even he knew not what we might do next. 

Edited August 28, 2013 by ~HistoricallyInaccurate~

[sunne 659]

@@Pripyat Pony, 

Sunset nodded and tried to wipe up her own tears.

"I-I hope I can be a g-good friend too..." she whispered back.

 

Symphony half-smiled.

"That's good. Singing and making ponies happy with said snging is my talent. No, it usually doesn't do much to drown them out, but it gives me something to do. Usually they just get louder."

[Pinkie Paranoia 43]

(((Sorry, I didn't really think it through before I did it)))

 

 

 

Joy handed the new patient a clipboard. "Just write your name and other information there," she said.

 

@@Pripyat Pony,

 

Keaton was relieved when Joy handed him the clipboard, and immediately began to fill out a section. Name: Keaton Hills. Aliment:

 

'Hmm, what exactly IS wrong with me? And what is it called, if it even has a name?' Keaton thought for a bit. 'Eh, I'll just put down something like "Extremely Advanced Turret's Syndrome".

 

Keaton handed the clipboard back to Joy, a slight smile on his face. 'I should probably thank her for letting me use her clipboard.'

 

"Pomegranate!"

 

'Close enough.'

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

 

 

Poppy did her best to get Goldie to calm down, by making soothing noises. She also said, "My father was in that war. He died bravely, cut down by enemy action while saving another pony. My mother kept all of his letters, so that I'd be able to know my father by his actions. It was what he said about the bad medical facilities that made me want to become a nurse, that and reading about Florence Nightpony and everything she did. There were good ponies out there as well, too."

 

@@Mint Drop,

 

Moonshine smiled shyly. "You can come with me later to the laundry," she said. "And I'll show you how to do everything. We'll be completely alone there and it'll be peaceful."

 

Rowan said, "My talent is for playing instruments; luckily, there is a music workshop here so I get to practice. I can sing in tune at least, but I'm better with instruments than with my voice."

 

@@Pinkie Paranoia,

 

Joy smiled. She remembered the same process with Screwball, the patient who still resided at the asylum and could only speak in barks and growls. "Thank you," she said to Keaton.

 

"The guards will now take you to your wards," she said to the group as a whole.

 

 

[~The Snowy Wolf~ 1,579]

@,

 

Glory looked over at the ponies that Vinyl had pointed out. She turned back to face Vinyl and replied, "The first two, well, one is a newcomer to the asylum. Her name is Sunset Sky. She has PSTD so it's nice that she's found somepony to talk to. The other is Moonshine. She's been here for a while, suffering from severe postnatal depression, made worse by her foal dying."

 

Glory sighed. "It's a sad story, like a lot of the stories of patients here," she continued. "Moonshine's parents were worried about their daughter, especially after her husband left her and she tried to kill herself. The other ponies are another newcomer named Sweet Symphony and another long time patient named Rowan. Both hear voices and see things; it's good that they can talk. Unlike the other asylum, we encourage the inmates to socialise. It helps them in the long run."

Vinyl just sat there for a long while and thought of how she'd introduce herself and to who. After a little while of sitting, thinking, and observing, she decided she'd go over to Symphony and Rowan. She gave Glory a shy look, then got up and hugged her in her seat and asked Glory to wish her luck.

 

Vinyl walked over to the two ponies, waited for a pause, then introduced herself. "Hi there. I'm Vinyl. I've been here for a while and couldn't help but notice you're new here." After saying that, she mentally facehoofed herself and thought that the introduction was horrible, but she still maintained her smile

 

@Mint Drop

[sunne 659]

@@Pripyat Pony, 

Sunset nodded again. It really did sound nice.

"O-okay..." she replied, giving a small, timid smile of her own. It felt weird on her muzzle.

 

Symphony grinned. "Cool. i've never really been very good with instruments myself. Just singing. So, there's a music workshop? That sounds like it would be good."

[longgone 873]

Poppy did her best to get Goldie to calm down, by making soothing noises. She also said, "My father was in that war. He died bravely, cut down by enemy action while saving another pony. My mother kept all of his letters, so that I'd be able to know my father by his actions. It was what he said about the bad medical facilities that made me want to become a nurse, that and reading about Florence Nightpony and everything she did. There were good ponies out there as well, too."

 

@@Mint Drop,

 

Moonshine smiled shyly. "You can come with me later to the laundry," she said. "And I'll show you how to do everything. We'll be completely alone there and it'll be peaceful."

 

Rowan said, "My talent is for playing instruments; luckily, there is a music workshop here so I get to practice. I can sing in tune at least, but I'm better with instruments than with my voice."

 

@@Pinkie Paranoia,

 

Joy smiled. She remembered the same process with Screwball, the patient who still resided at the asylum and could only speak in barks and growls. "Thank you," she said to Keaton.

 

"The guards will now take you to your wards," she said to the group as a whole.

 

 

Golden Age lowered his head. He took deep breaths and thought of his girl at home, although it was very well possible she had found another, he still held on to the believe she stayed faithful. With her in mind, he calmed down rather quickly.

 

"No doubt there were some good ponies. But most of 'em weren't the brass. Thank god I wasn't sent to Staltari...that place was a bloody mess for a right good while. W-what regiment was your father in?" he asked curiously. 

Edited August 29, 2013 by ~HistoricallyInaccurate~

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@,

@@Mint Drop,

 

Glory wished Vinyl luck, giving her one last hug before she went over to the other ponies.

 

Moonshine was happy to have found a friend she could really be understood by, and also, understand.

 

Rowan looked over at the newcomer. "Hey there," she said to Vinyl. "I'm Rowan and this is Sweet Symphony. I've been here a while but Sweet's a newcomer."

Ooc: Cavalry = earth ponies. XD

 

 

 

"I'm not sure I remember off hand," Poppy replied. "He was part of the cavalry, I remember that. There were some officers who sent an entire regiment of cavalry to their doom; my father only wasn't part of that cuz he got injured in the knee in a skirmish before that."

[sunne 659]

@@Pripyat Pony,@,  

Sunset looked around the room. She still didn't like being around so many ponies, but the only one close to her was Moonshine, and she trusted her.

"S-so what happens here? Wh-what kind of things are there to d-do?" 

OH!
"Um, i-is there a... umm... Is there a-a library here?"

 

Sweet looked up at the newcomer.

"Hi," she gave a small wave of her hoof. "What she said."

[longgone 873]

@,

@@Mint Drop,

 

Glory wished Vinyl luck, giving her one last hug before she went over to the other ponies.

 

Moonshine was happy to have found a friend she could really be understood by, and also, understand.

 

Rowan looked over at the newcomer. "Hey there," she said to Vinyl. "I'm Rowan and this is Sweet Symphony. I've been here a while but Sweet's a newcomer."

Ooc: Cavalry = earth ponies. XD

 

 

"I'm not sure I remember off hand," Poppy replied. "He was part of the cavalry, I remember that. There were some officers who sent an entire regiment of cavalry to their doom; my father only wasn't part of that cuz he got injured in the knee in a skirmish before that."

"Lucky bastard..." he said with a small smile.

 

"Inkermare heights...those were the scariest hours of my entire life. Fog was unbelievably high. We fought over the same ground...probably dozens of times, if not more. Some lines disintegrated and hand-to-hand combat ensued...bloody awful. We were sent into the foggy woods to find a rifle regiment that had gone in earlier...just a bloody mess"

[Pinkie Paranoia 43]

Keaton followed as two guards led some of the group down the hall, deeper into the Asylum. Every now and again, they would stop, and a pony would be put into a room. As they kept walking, the group slowly whittled down until only Keaton was left. The guards stopped, and showed Keaton where he would be staying. He walked into the room, looking around, and took in what he saw.

 

'It's actually a lot nicer than I would've imagined. I wonder if I'm to stay in here 24/7?' Keaton turned back to the guards, only to see that they had already departed, and sank back into the room. His eyes once more glanced the room over, and his eyes fell onto a bed. 'Oh my, that bed looks lovely. I haven't on something so nice in a long time.' Keaton walked to the bed, and threw himself onto it, relishing in how comfortable it felt.

 

'Maybe a little nap wouldn't hurt.' Keaton thought, as his eyes grew heavy, and he slowly drifted off into a light doze.