Mentally Insane Institute

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

He frowned, looking down at the ground. "But...I want to be normal."

[Ji Mei]

"I want to be normal too, but I don't know how to become that," Ri said gently, smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

He smiled weakly at her, then looked around.

[Ji Mei]

Jane skipped out of the tent a bag of jerky in hand. "Hey, let's snack on this."

Ri nodded in agreement, realizing her empty stomach.

[Ji Mei]

((gtg, byes!))

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

((Byes!))

Wen took out a piece and chewed it thoughtfully.

[Ji Mei]

Ri started building a fire from the pile of sticks and logs nearby.

Jane hopped onto the fallen log, chewing a piece happily. "I've always dreamed about camping with my mommy and daddy. But this is close enough for me."

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

"I've never been camping. Mom and Dad said we would, but we didn't..."

[Ji Mei]

Jane nodded and patted his knee. "That's all right. I bet you can go camping with them now that we don't have to be in that building."

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

He smiled, "That would be nice."

[Zakari]

((Aw jeez. Sorry. I think I'll try hopping in, now.))

Erich knocked on the door and opened it, saying, "Hey do you know where ...." He trailed off after realizing Cinder was asleep.

((Is that okay?))

[Ji Mei]

((It's okay. Sorry, I've been busy. I'll be busy some more.))

Jane stifled a yawn. "Yes, very nice," she agreed.

Benjamin stepped outside through another door, looking for Jane. It was his turn to watch over her and he couldn't find her anywhere. He spotted Cinder and Erich and walked over to them.

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

Cinder moaned slightly, then sat up, not knowing Erich and Benjamin were there.

Wen nodded, yawning as well. "Do you have beds?"

[Zakari]

"Look, Cinder, I think the situation's serious." Erich nodded at Benjamin to acknowledge his presence. "I can't find anyone except my sister just sleeping in her room."

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

Cinder looked up at Erich, "Wh-what?" She looked around. "Where are Wen and Jane?"

[Ji Mei]

Ri shrugged, an apologetic smile on her face. "Erm, not really. I've got a cot and a few blankets. We can share them among us," she said, going to her tent.

Benjamin frowned, thinking. "Maybe we should look around the garden," he suggested.

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

Wen nodded, staying where he was.

Cinder nodded, panic gripping her.

[Ji Mei]

Ri gestured to Jane to take the cot, smiling kindly. Jane took up the offer and almost immediately fell asleep. Then Ri walked over to Wen, some blankets in hand, offering a couple to him. "You and I can sleep by the fire."

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

Wen nodded, taking the blankets. "This is just like camping."

[Ji Mei]

"It is camping, silly," Ri said with a smile.

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

Wen smiled, "I am silly, huh?"

[Ji Mei]

((gtg. See you tomorrow.))

"Yes, you are. But if you think about it, everyone is silly in some way, which then makes no one silly," Ri replied, her head tilted to the side making her long, red brown pigtails swish.

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

((Aww, bye!))

He nodded, cocking his head to the side. "I think you're right."

[Zakari]

Erich agreed with Benjamin, and told them, "I'll see you guys at the gardens when I get my sister. We'll have to bring her along ...." He trailed off as he left the room to find Raz/Raziela.
Knocking at her door, Erich hesitated before calling out softly, "Raz?"

A voice, strong and confident (unlike the gentler variant) answered him: "I never know why you are calling me this, this Razzz ...." Raziela dragged out the name of her 'other self'.

"Oh, yes, I meant Raziela. I don't know why I keep calling you that, sorry." Erich asked her, "Do you want to come to the gardens with Cinder and Benjamin and me?"

The door opened right away. Raz would have taken more persuading, but Raziela said, "Finally! I can't believe it took that long to get me out of this dusty old place."

[Ji Mei]

Ri smiled and nodded. "Of course I'm right! I'm silly too, aren't I?"

Benjamin turned to Cinder once Erich left. "Where do you think they've gone?"

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

He nodded, smiling.

Cinder shook her head, rubbing at the dark circles under her eyes. "I don't know."

[Ji Mei]

Ri had finished setting up her blankets on the ground and went to curl up inside them. "Ah, it's always wonderful to sleep under the stars."

He sighed and sat down next to her. "What do you think she would do?"

((We should name this she.))

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

((Name what?))

"I've never slept under the stars before."

Cinder sighed, looking down. "I don't know..."

[Ji Mei]

((You know, the she we keep mentioning. That bad lady.))

She glanced over at Wen, a look of sadness on her face. "Really? How could you live?"

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

((Ah.))

Wen shrugged, sighing as he looked up. "I don't know."

[Ji Mei]

She turned onto her side to face him. "Tell me what other things you haven't done. Then we'll do them."

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

Wen sighed, "I don't know...There are too many things I haven't done..."

[Ji Mei]

"Come on. Just name a few," Ri egged him on.

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

He frowned, "Never been to the ocean. Never had a s'more, never really been swimming..."

[Ji Mei]

"Well, you're in luck. I can make s'mores and there's an ocean nearby where you can swim," Ri said with an encouraging smile.

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

He grinned, "That's great!"

[Ji Mei]

Enthusiastic, she nodded. "It is! And it's far from that institute," she said happily.

[Ji Mei]

((gtg, byes!))

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

Wen smiled, turning back to look at the stars. "Jane's coming, too?"

[Zakari]

"Hey, you guys coming?" called Erich. He waved to Cinder and Benjamin, Raziela holding his hand.

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

Cinder nodded, standing up.

[Zakari]

Raziela asked Erich, "Where are we going, anyways?"

"To find the others," he replied.

She wrinkled her nose. "Why, where did they go?"

Erich sighed. "Exactly. We don't know."

[Ji Mei]

Ri glanced over at the sleeping girl. "Yeah, she will. I bet her face will light up when she sees a s'more."

Benjamin looked up. "Yeah," he replied and walked over. He smiled at Raziela. "Hi, Raziela. Nice day, don't you think?"

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

Wen nodded, smiling. "They look so delicious."

Cinder walked over with him, wringing her hands.

[Ji Mei]

"Because they are delicious," Ri replied, returning her gaze to the starry sky.

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

Wen smiled, "We'll have them when Jane is awake."

[Ji Mei]

Ri nodded, fighting off a yawn. "Well, we should get some sleep. Tomorrow you'll need all the energy you can get, 'cause I'm going to take you to the ocean."

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

Wen grinned, "I'll try to sleep...I'm too excited, though."

[Ji Mei]

"I know what you mean. It's been a while since I've had friends, let alone anyone to talk to," Ri said.

[attempted, There's a wound in my chest, and pain in my head]

"It's been a while since I've spoken to anyone beside Cinder and Jane..."