The Paragon of Sanity [ACRO Plot]

[FireFox]

Obviously, this little trip is going to take plase through the extensive use of allegory and metaphor.

Quinn steps through the front door of an empty house.

[The Bushranger]

Yay Mindscapes!

Quinn pauses, and checks to see if her metaphorical sword came along with her allegorical self, and looks around the entryway, wondering just what, exactly, she's gotten herself into.

[FireFox]

It did!
It's a deceptively normal house!

There's a den, a kitchen, a bedroom, a workshop/garage, a backyard, and a study. And a library. All creepily empty. More details as she goes into one, or does something completely unexpected.

[The Bushranger]

Quinn manifests Psionic Disintrigrate!

Quinn considers things for a moment, then decides to head for the bedroom and check that first.

[FireFox]

:eek:


The bedroom has a nice, albeit messy, bed. ...And pictures of literally dozens of women. And a few guys.

[The Bushranger]

Hm. Interesting.
Quinn takes a good look over the pictures as she steps over to check under the bed, resting a hand on the mattress while doing so.

[FireFox]

Oh yeah, one of the walls? Entirely covered with photos of one specific brownhaired girl, that Quinn doesn't know and probably won't. There's even an alter too. Of course, what is creepy in real life is just another allegory in a mindscape.

Quinn's picture is, I think, the only one that will stand out to her.

Touching the bed will yield images of, well... things Tobias has not necessarily done on a bed, and are connected with the people on the wall.
Quinn will be spared this home movie of sorts, by a shadowy monster leaping out from under the bed, of course.

[The Bushranger]

Quinn pulls her hand away from the bed as the 'movies' start to play, then jumps back as the monster attacks!

She pulls her sword, but holds up a hand placatingly, stepping back in a hurry.
I'm here to help!

...she is not from the government, though.

[FireFox]

Yeah, like the monster under Tobias' bed cares about that. Monsters actually; all his demons appear.

...If she kills his personal demons here, is he cured there? :smallconfused:

[The Bushranger]

That's a good question...

And as the monster isn't dissuaded, Quinn's +5, Holy, sword lances out at it! She slices! She dices!

[FireFox]

... That would mean Quinn would be able to change Tobias' entire way of thinking... Move her picture to the wall/altar instead of Cat's... Hmmm...

That formless monster goes down, but two others jump her from behind...
... He must have a lot of nightmares...

[The Bushranger]

Quinn wouldn't do that - at least, not knowingly...

Being jumped from behind she - presumably - gets slashed in the shoulder, gasping as she spins around to counter the unexpected attack. The sword blurring for the neck of one nightmare-demon, as she directs a sonic blast at the other.

[FireFox]

Be pretty damn funny.

They both go down easily. The analogy manifests itself as the demons turn into Soviet soldiers. They don't do much, go down easily, but damn are there a ****load of them.

:smalltongue:

[The Bushranger]

:smalltongue:

Oh for cryin...
Quinn does a quick backflip, grateful her new Far-enhanced size hasn't carried over here, and lands on the bed in a defensive positon.
Hey guys! The Five Year Plan called for you all to be laid off!

[FireFox]

Hm... fighting Tobias' demons... While touching the bed... This means...
Quinn is suddenly naked and tied to the bed, while everyone Tobias has ever cared about gets slaughtered in front of her while she can't stop it!

... Holy boop. :smalleek:

[The Bushranger]

:eek:

Quinn struggles to break free, while closing her eyes tightly (metaphorically, of course), and trying to direct mental disruption at the various mental demons.

[FireFox]

And then it's all over, and Quinn is standing next to the bed in the empty room. Tobias' subconscious steals her bra.

[The Bushranger]

:P

Quinn takes a long moment to collect herself, the sword clattering to the floor as she presses her allegorical fingertips to her metaphorical forehead.

My gods...

Finally she straightens up, collects her weapon, and steps over to touch her picture before heading back to the 'main room'.

[FireFox]

She cares about me. I'm a monster and she... I think she sees something in me. What Cat saw in me... She hasn't realized I'm not worth bothering over... But... if she wants to try to save my thricedamned soul, I'm not going to stay away from her... She's... And then she moves on to the main room, and can now choose between the rooms mentioned up there.

[The Bushranger]

Quinn blushes.
A lot.

Trying to process that little revelation, she squares her shoulders, and decides to check out the library.

Pun not intended.

[FireFox]

Basically, this is where Tobias' other memories are. His entire backstory sits on these shelves, and the sum of all his knowledge. Some books are normal, some shine, and others burn with a black unholy flame and the keening cry of Tobias' own damned soul.
...Allegorically speaking of course.

[The Bushranger]

Quinn considers things for a minute, then decides to see if the 'books' are in chronological order.
If they are, she'll start with the most recent memories to try and find out just what happened.

[FireFox]

The very last book has "To Quinn" written on the cover. The first page reads:

Password: _

[The Bushranger]

Quinn gets a distinctly curious/perplexed look as she looks at the book, then pulls it off the shelf and opens it.

Password? Aw...
She ponders that for a moment.
Ponders some more.

And then, on a hunch, decides to go with what she thinks he started to say to her when she staked him.

[FireFox]

Nope.
The answer is actually in the Den, where all of his pop culture references are stored. :smalltongue:

[The Bushranger]

But does Quinn know that? :smalltongue:

But she's slowly wandering in that particular direction anyway as she ponders.

[FireFox]

The Den is full of novels, movies, and music. This is where Tobias takes all of his quotes and references from. And he really does make a lot. The only thing that matters right now is a DVD of Swordfish resting atop the movie projector.

[The Bushranger]

XD
BR facepalms.


Quinn uses "Swordfish" as the password.

[billtodamax]

((The password's always swordfish! Always Swordfish! (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish)))

[FireFox]

Well, what else? :smallbiggrin:

Quinn... Congratulations. You are the only psion I trust to enter my head. There are some other psions I know, but I don't trust them. That probably has to deal with me about to F*** their s*** up. Oh well. Odds are, I'm about to be more screwed than France at a guerilla fighters convention. So if you're actually getting this message... I need help.
And that's all he wrote.

[The Bushranger]

Quinn reads the 'book', er message, then gently closes it, and looks around the den with a sigh.
I want to help you. I just have no idea where to start.

Sighing, she goes to return the metaphorical book to the allegorical library, and, barring a previous title providing any hints to just what the heck happens, she'll head for the mindscaping in the backyard.

[FireFox]

The backyard represents Tobias' love of nature, and why he became a Druid in the first place.
...
It's kind of odd... Quinn barely knows him, yet even she should be realizing that this mindscape is completely different from anything she's outwardly seen of Tobias.

[The Bushranger]

She notices, it's just not exactly priority one at the moment...
Although a part of her brain is noting it as...'intriguing'.

Finding a tree, she'll lean against it, wondering what, if anything, she might 'unlock' from it - while at the same time pondering the question: if she were Tobias hiding in his own mind, where would she hide?

[FireFox]

Hm... well, she might be able to figure that out based on a main fundamental of his personality, but I probably shouldn't give more hints.

The tree doesn't unlock anything, it seems to just be pretty scenery.

[The Bushranger]

After a few minutes of thought, Quinn decides to head back 'inside', as it were, and to check out the...

...why does a Druid have a garage?

Curious, that's where she checks.

[FireFox]

In the garage is a half finished Mustang, tons of tools and pieces, and asorted other projects in varying array of completion.
There is one toolchest in the corner, dramatically locked with several chains.

[The Bushranger]

Technophobe, my eye, Quinn mutters half-amusedly, before the tool chest catches said eye.

Locked up like that?
That's got to be a Clue.

Well, either that or a Trap.

Either way it's getting inspected.

[FireFox]

The car is an allegory of course, come on!
But yeah, he sure knows a lot of movies for a Druid...


Short of actually opening it, there's nothing to be detected...
Well, whatever tool is inside there is emitting a pretty strong evil aura.

[The Bushranger]

:smalltongue:

I have a bad feeling about this, Quinn grumbles, but goes to open the box anyway.

[FireFox]

Inside the box is Tobias' most dangerous yet useful tool. A stuffed plushie fox, colored coal black. With a note saying "I'm the Black Fox! Rar!"

[The Bushranger]

Quinn narrows her eyes at the cute little critter.

She has a very good idea of what's likely to happen if she picks it up.










She does it anyway, of course.

[FireFox]

Of course it's not actually what she thinks it is. Like Tobias is ever going to be anticipated by her. :smalltongue:

It does nothing, but speak to her mind.
Admit it, you are totally thinking about me cuddling with this in bed at night.

[The Bushranger]

:smalltongue:

...actually I wasn't, but that mental image is going to be stuck in my mind for good now, thank you. That you Toby?

[FireFox]

Of course, the question then becomes, Are you disturbed, annoyed, or pleased by such an image? But, to business. Have you figured it out yet? A pause, as the voice waits for a response.

[The Bushranger]

More like 'amused', actually.
And...I think so. Maybe? I don't want to be wrong...

[FireFox]

I know you haven't, and if you can't... Well, it looks like I shouldn't have trusted you to save me, huh?

[The Bushranger]

Quinn takes a deep breath.

Oh, no, you trusted right. I'm just not sure I trust myself to do this.
She sighs and goes to put the little critter back in its box, closing it, and standing, looking around.

I disbelieve...

Raising her metaphorical hands and thrusting them out as a faint corona of allegorical blue energy surrounds them.

...and Disintegrate.


THOOM

[FireFox]

Quinn's effort produces a bright, blinding light as the allegorical fake house disintegrates to the ground.
And then there was nothing.
Not true nothing, but just so dark it might as well be nothing.
Silent too, not the slightest noise to be heard, regardless of metaphorical hearing.
The only thing to be sensed...
Is loneliness.
Pervasive, overwhelming loneliness.
Rushing out of the darkness of what just might be Tobias' true mindscape.
And then,
Slow clapping.

[The Bushranger]

Quinn looks around, slowly, both in relief, and also...a sense of...something, that she can't quite place her finger on, spurred by the lonliness...

She then spins around at hearing the clapping.

[FireFox]

Somehow, there is a ray of sun that radiantly illuminates Tobias. He is sitting on a patch of green grass and is smiling in that familiar irritating manner. Of course, the beam of light somehow manages to make him look both larger than life and deific.

[The Bushranger]

And so Quinn approaches, almost hesitantly.

That really you this time, Tobias?

[FireFox]

I had to hide, not just myself, but my mind. I retreated inward just as he almost would have killed me... Glad to know I actually made it to you. He pats the grass next to him, and the sunbeam expands to make room for her.

[The Bushranger]

Quinn hesitates, then steps over and takes the offered seat, looking over at him with a look of...something combining disbelief, concern, and fondness.
I'm glad too...wait, you came back because of me?
She blushes...
What happened? Who tried to kill you?

[FireFox]

Well of course. He looks at her like she's crazy, but there's fondness there. I didn't know any other psion I could trick into drawing me out of my hidey-hole.

[The Bushranger]

Quinn chuckles and gives him a mock punch to the arm.
You didn't need to trick me, you know. And...thanks for trusting me.

[FireFox]

Tobias tries to roll over, pinning Quinn's metaphorical shoulders to the soft grass as he attempts to kiss her allegorical lips.

[The Bushranger]

Quinn, being taken by surprise, isn't able to put up any resistance.
And actually finds herself virtually kissing back.

[FireFox]

And then they should both wake up in GLoG, not actually touching.