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[Karnewarrior]

 You decide to tell him about the NIGHTMARES. They've been occuring unchecked for too long. Even if they used to be infrequent, they've been getting worse and worse and more and more common ever since the New Kid showed up... Ever since Hiki showed up.

 You start spilling the beans, reluctantly at first, and then more rapidly, until the Nurse has to tell you to slow down so he can understand your signing. You hardly realize your mouth moving, your lungs working, breathing out the words, empty of voice.

 You know how to talk, you know what it feels like, what it sounds like. You and your parents are probably the only ones left who remember what your voice sounds like. It used to be beautiful. It used to be.

 It used to be.

 By the time you end your little tirade, the Nurse has stopped smiling. His fingers are steepled in front of his face, and his eyes are almost closed. He saw though. And if he didn't, he could probably guess.

 Finally he speaks. "Can you show me the matchbox?" You nod and fish around in your pockets for it. You're sure you have it, you carry it around everywhere. You stand up to pat your back pockets, looking for the little green box. It doesn't seem to be there though.

 You suddenly feel very frightened. You really really hope you haven't lost it. You could have sworn... You put it in your pockets every day... Your mouth is dry as you double-check your pockets. The Nurse watches you pat yourself down with that uncharacteristic frown. You wish he would do something else. Anything else.

 "Stop." He says. You stop. "We have therapists at this school. In fact, we even have one that specializes in sleep issues, like your nightmares. Do you want me to take you to her office?"

Spoiler: Daisy (click to show/hide)

Inventory:

Note
Ruby Doll

[Talvara]

want? no, need? probably. lets give him a slow sad nod.

the missing matchbox makes me worry about our sanity. it was the only... 'real' thing from the dreams you know. the only thing that was undeniably linked.
on the up side... maybe there is no eldrich horror trying to drive us to suicide? maybe we're just messed up in the head somehow. they can fix that right?

[FuzzyZergling]

> See the therapist.

[Gamerboy4life]

Yeah, we need to get sized by a shrink.

>See Shrink.

[Origami_Psycho]

Get our head shrunk

[Karnewarrior]

>Do it

You nod. A therapist might help. Has to help. You don't know what you're supposed to do if it doesn't.

The therapists offices seem to be not far away, a part of the clinic not unlike the small army of regular doctors under the schools employ. The door you stop in front of is a dark shade of aged oak, as if to starkly contrast against the medically white and soft pastel blue of the rest of the clinic. A small gold nametag is attached to the door professionally, stating the woman inside is a Doctor Nizuhara Nyobara.

The Nurse opens the door quietly. "Nizu? I have someone who wants to meet you."

"Send her in then, you big dope." chides a soft, lyrical voice from the confines of the room.

Dr. Nyobara's room is also brown, although this is a much lighter color and painted on the walls rather than simply being wood. Her desk is a starkly modern affair of steel and plastic, what you've come to recognize is standard for the doctors at this school. A wall is hung with diplomas and the bland motivational posters that have never motivated you to do anything but sleep, while the others boast several ticking clocks and some various hand drawings proclaiming Dr. Nyobara to be "The Best Therapist Evar" and "Worlds Coolest Shrinkydink". It's more what you'd expect from a kindergarten class, but the drawings are (mostly) too high quality to be anything but highschoolers.

Dr. Nyobara herself radiates a cool, soothing air. Her hair is dark, but the way the light shines on it makes it look almost blue. Her eyes are a deep blue as well, and large and calming. Her hands are folded on her desk as she studies you gently, in contrast to the sharp way most of the doctors look at you. Her breathing is soft and regular, and she's wearing clothes the color of the deepest oceans. Everything she does is like a celebration of calm, collected consciousness, like she had spent most of her life living on Venus and is taking a vacation here on Earth. You immediately like her.

"Hey." she says gently. You wave back and tap your throat. It seems to be enough to get the message across. "That's alright. I know sign. Are you more comfortable speaking that way?"

[You can talk aloud if you want.]

"Good." She sounds pleased. She suddenly glances at the Nurse. "Nurse, if you would give us a minute..." She says gently. The Nurses smile had even gotten softer just by being in the office with Doctor Nyobara. He suddenly blushes and starts backing out. You realize he had been staring at her. "Roght. Right. I'll leave you to it then."

After the Nurse leaves, Dr. Nyobara stretches out a hand. "I'm Doctor Nyobara." She says. You shake her hand. "I can't really get into things right now, I'm afraid. I have an appointment comng up with a Narcolepsy patient. But we do have enough time to discuss some things and possibly make another appointment for you."

You nod.

Spoiler: Daisy (click to show/hide)

Inventory:

6 matches
Note
Ruby Doll

[Gentlefish]

Tell her you have what you think is chronic nightmares. It's starting to affect your life.

I think that's enough to get us back in. And yes, that's a real thing. It's terrifying and terrible.

[Origami_Psycho]

Tell her about the nightmares, and that you had one in which your lips were sewn shut right before you went mute.
Also, we are clearly insane since we just got the matches back.

[Karnewarrior]

Dr. Nyobara smiles. "So, I'm guessing this isn't a purely social visit." She does a impression of the Nurses voice, with a sparkle in her eye almost reminiscent of the Nurse himself. "So what seems to be the problem?"

You're only slightly amused by her antics, but it does diffuse the tension somewhat. [I've been having bad nightmares for a while now, but they've started being more frequent and it's starting to effect my waking life. I'm guessing that's not good.] You sign, bluntly.

"No..." mutters Dr. Nyobara. "That's not good. Luckily, I specialize in dealing with nightmares. Do you remember any significant trauma from your past?"

You nod, but can't bring yourself to sign the words.

Dr. Nyobara looks sympathetic. "That's alright, that's what I'm here for." she scribbles some characters down on a slip of paper. "Come see me tomorrow at around three. Let's see if we can't work this out." Three, huh? It'll cut your club time short. You've been missing a lot of art...

You nod, suddenly too tired to disagree. Dr. Nyobara and you chat for another moment, settling you in, and then you wander back to your dorm in a daze. You have a THERAPIST now... Are you crazy?

As you lie down in bed, Eiji snuggled next to you and some birds chirping, as if to remind you the sun hasn't set yet. Set already sun... You're just so tired. Tired of nightmares. Tired of hiding. Tired...

>Dream

You're standing on top of a grand piano. It's very large. Each key is a slab of ivory as large as you are.

Spoiler: Daisy (click to show/hide)

Inventory:

6 matches
note
Torch

[Tsuchigumo550]

Smile at the novelty of the dream. Pretend that you're a ballerina, like one of those figurines you see on pianos in cartoons.

[Gentlefish]

JUMP ONTO THE HIGH C NOTE.

Also realize that we have a torch.

[Gamerboy4life]

Smile at the novelty of the dream. Pretend that you're a ballerina, like one of those figurines you see on pianos in cartoons.

+1 for morale.


Also, light torch.

[Karnewarrior]

>Light torch

 There's no need for that right now. regardless, the torch is already lit. You fail to question how it stays in your pocket and on fire because this is a dream.

>Dance

 You feel like dancing.

 The keys below respond to your steps with perfectly calibrated tones from inside the massive black box of the piano. As you start to dance, it plays a sad, mournful song, the notes lancing through the air in a brilliant rainbow. You look up at the sky as you dance, and the rainbow dances with you, reds and purples, greens and blues, swirling around you like water as you twirl and leap from key to key. A step here, a step there, a leap onto one of the black ones. You never learned how to play a piano, but you do it anyway, and the music is beautiful.

 You notice someone is beside you. Summoned from the swirling colors, Hiki reaches out and grabs your hand. And you're dancing, prancing across the keys of the piano. You realize you're wearing a kimono, and so is Hiki, but you keep dancing like a stirred glass of tea, swirling.

 Fluidly you help him find his footing, on white keys of ivory and black keys of shining ebony, to the backdrop of the laquered, painted wood of a giant Grand Piano. But as you dance and guide him, his face falters, and his hand relaxes, letting you go. The music turns sour, the rainbow ashaken mess, and the beauty is lost. He tries to dance on his own, despising the help offered to him.

 In front of your eyes, he crumbles to dust. You think you see him try to reach out before he fully dissolves, but you aren't sure. The piano turns to ash as well, falling into the abyss below.

 Finally, you're left alone, standing on the last key. The blackness is all around you. Pressing in. Suffocating. Something nudges the back of your neck.

 It's a noose.

Spoiler: Daisy (click to show/hide)

Inventory:

6 matches
note
Torch

[Talvara]

hold up the torch.

the noose isn't the way out. you need to push back the darkness somehow.

[Tsuchigumo550]

Freak out and get away.