Flame
Rookie
Causam ago dementia
Posts: 198
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Post by Flame on Apr 24, 2012 10:36:56 GMT -5
Esprit chose the wrong word carefully, didn't she? Aidan, too busy trying to wipe out the tiny Xaaron and Pee-Dee and Rodimus to pay Esprit's grip much heed, hardly hears anything she says except for one terrible syllable, and he hears nothing after that over his own shrieks. The reek of burnt plastic only makes the memories more real. He tries to shove Esprit away and hurl himself off the bed so he can huddle beneath it; he doesn't try to torch her. The fire sputters out instead, leaving ashes and smouldering lumps of fused polymers and metals, springs and screws melted into the plastics so thoroughly that it will take melting it all down again to separate the two.
Whether or not Aidan can escape Esprit's hold, orderlies are on their way to the room now. And the sprinkler system hasn't even engaged yet.
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Post by Spinister on May 3, 2012 21:41:05 GMT -5
Esprit is inwardly pleased at how Aidan destroys the Autobot toys, and she says softly, "You remember who your enemies are."
Then she back away from him, letting him hide as he will. Esprit turns a studiously blank face upon the orderlies. She did as they wanted; Aidan has had another break. Do they require anything else of her?
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Flame
Rookie
Causam ago dementia
Posts: 198
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Post by Flame on May 3, 2012 23:18:14 GMT -5
A doctor, prim in his well-kept suit, observes from the doorway while the orderlies work on getting Aidan out from under the bed. He nods to Esprit, but his eyes remain locked on the scene, concern glinting behind the round lenses of his spectacles. Aidan, meanwhile, turns savagely violent, cursing in a mangled language only Esprit might recognise. The more the orderlies pull on him, the more hysterical Aidan grows, and more English creeps into his threats.
By the time they get some sedative into him, he's screaming about tearing out their morphcores and turning their spark casings into decorative lamp covers. The doctor's thick, bushy eyebrows furrow.
"Thank you, officer," he says to Esprit. "We'll take it from here."
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Post by Spinister on May 9, 2012 10:21:33 GMT -5
Esprit recognises the language, yes, but as with most things, she gives no tell. She extracts herself further, moving past the doctor if he will let her. She merely inclines her head at him in something that might be a nod.
OOC: Maybe a timeskip to a later time wherein Aidan is functional again on your post?
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Flame
Rookie
Causam ago dementia
Posts: 198
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Post by Flame on May 16, 2012 14:06:54 GMT -5
OOC: Yup yup.
It takes a few days before the doctors can get Aidan working with them on discussing his hallucinations. The scope and detail of the visions leads several different doctors to suggest they must be memories, but they know by looking at his records that such a thing makes no sense; he remembers combat, military engagement, and Aidan Flynn has never served in any branch of the military. They eventually settle on a mixed diagnosis and, when he proves docile and responsive without medication, extensive behavioural therapy.
Where they can't get much cooperation from him is the area of his powers. In fact, the few attempted sessions invariably end in things being set on fire randomly because he so violently rejects that he even has metahuman abilities at all that his surroundings simply combust. He ends up in mandatory continued therapy to assuage his hatred of his meta status and on a plan of diminishing medication for his psychosis, which the doctors deem manageable.
Truly momentous is they day he's finally declared fit for discharge, though he'll be under monitoring as well as attending therapy sessions, and he's now registered as a metahuman. That day is tomorrow; today, he spends on yet more paperwork.
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Post by Spinister on May 20, 2012 19:59:30 GMT -5
There's Esprit to bother him again! Another secret test. This time, if he doesn't break down when faced with her, he gets to go. If he does break down, he obviously needs a longer hospital stay.
She tries to tap him on his left shoulder from behind. When did she get into the room? Does t even matter?
Esprit greets politely, "Good day."
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Flame
Rookie
Causam ago dementia
Posts: 198
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Post by Flame on May 21, 2012 23:22:47 GMT -5
One wonders just what sort of people run this hospital that they're outsourcing this to police detectives. Aidan isn't wondering, largely because all he can think about is leaving this place and seeing Leann again, and going back to work. He startles at that tap on his shoulder – who wouldn't? – and turns from his anxious folding and re-folding of what little packing he has to do.
"Oh – y-you… hello," he blurts out awkwardly. He shrinks away from Esprit without thinking about it.
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Post by Spinister on May 23, 2012 21:27:34 GMT -5
"I need to talk to you about the danger of gangs and organised crime," Esprit says, without preamble.
Now how is that for some conversational whiplash?
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Flame
Rookie
Causam ago dementia
Posts: 198
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Post by Flame on May 29, 2012 12:12:39 GMT -5
"…What?" Gangs? What can that have to do with him, Aidan wonders. He's given them a wide berth ever since– well, for a very, very long time. Trying not to dwell on the subject, he fusses once again with unfolding and re-folding his clothing. An idle thought flits through the back of his mind, largely subconscious: if I make the folds perfectly straight, maybe she'll notice. Because nothing less than perfection will do.
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Post by Spinister on May 31, 2012 23:41:44 GMT -5
"You are a Robin-class fire meta," Esprit states, "which means that every gang in the city, a number of organised crime syndicates, and many mercenary teams are going to want you with them, whether or not you want to be there, to say nothing of what medical companies, media corporations, religions, and government militaries may ask of you."
She's just going to give that time to sink in.
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Flame
Rookie
Causam ago dementia
Posts: 198
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Post by Flame on Jun 8, 2012 22:00:42 GMT -5
The confused, upset look on Aidan's face has been worn once before – by Flame, at his trial. It gives way to fear as the implications do, indeed, sink in. He shrinks away from her and from the spectres her advice conjures, as though he can imagine the hands grabbing at him.
"N-no," he croaks, clutching his shirt to his chest. "No, I – I won't."
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Post by Spinister on Jun 9, 2012 22:20:07 GMT -5
Smoothly, Esprit continues, "They may attempt use your family, friends, and loved ones against you to compel you to do their bidding."
This is all true.
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Flame
Rookie
Causam ago dementia
Posts: 198
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Post by Flame on Jun 10, 2012 23:20:58 GMT -5
Something in Aidan's cloudy grey-blue eyes turns cold at the suggestion that anyone would go after his loved ones – that anyone would even attempt to use Leann against him. That anyone would think to hurt her just to get at him.
"Absolutely not," he says quietly in clipped, dark tones.
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Post by Spinister on Jun 12, 2012 21:42:41 GMT -5
"It will happen. Be prepared," Esprit says, and it's more of an order than a suggestion, "and know you are not alone."
She pulls out some pamphlets on various anonymous support hotlines and tiplines her can use, if he either wants support for dealing with such pressure or wants to call in and report the criminal activities of someone pressuring him.
There are also some pamphlets on some local ranges that are meta-friendly, should he want to practise.
Will he be able to protect his Leann if he neglects his powers?
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Flame
Rookie
Causam ago dementia
Posts: 198
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Post by Flame on Jun 16, 2012 14:04:56 GMT -5
Warily, uneasily, blinking as if he's just waking up, Aidan takes the pamphlets. He doesn't look through any of them, but sets them down next to his suitcase.
"Thank you, officer," he mumbles as he goes back to his folding. He doesn't want to think about these things. He wants his life to be normal again, no superpowers, no gangs, no threats. He just wants everything to go back to him and Leann and his shop, and that will be hard enough with the therapy sessions and medication.
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