Walk-Ins Welcome [For Viatorus]

[workthroughit]

An address can be a tricky thing in a place like the Nexus, with the commotion of doors coming and going (quite literally) and physical landmarks not always where you saw them last. The commercial district at least seems to keep a little more concrete than other regions, and that's where the business card said to go. Though it might still take some doing to locate this particular practice. Viatorus likely may find himself walking past a pharmacy and a glassware shop twice or thrice before the next pass reveals the office to be between the two, plain as day but somehow overlooked until this very moment. Almost as if this location didn't care to reveal itself until it chose to.

Inside, there is no foyer or waiting room. It opens immediately into a handsomely furnished office. A record player next to a wall of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves softly emits classical piano music. Other features include high-back leather chairs, dark-stained wooden filing cabinets and the faint smell of vanilla tea. The place is warmly lit by large picture windows opposite of the entrance door allowing in afternoon sunlight. Regardless of what time it was when Viatorus decided to drop by, and disregarding the fact the windows from the outside should face a brick wall.

To Viatorus' right, there is a polished oak desk. Along with a green banker's light, a selection of fountain pens, framed photos and a small black stone statue of a panther, there is a name plate set in embossed silver: DR A.J. HILL.

There is a chair waiting in front of this desk. It looks comfortable enough.

Though the doctor himself does not seem to be present at this moment, maybe taking a seat while one waits for his return isn't so bad. Going on the state of the place, he must not be far.

Comments

[workthroughit]

"So they could be the part of his own mind that is crying for him to perhaps remember a forgotten accomplishment or injustice. Something he avoids for reasons that are his own. I wouldn't care to speculate on those motives, as I have not spoken with or analyzed the patient firsthand."

Dr. Hill gets up from his seat and begins to lazily pace the study, still in thought.

"What would you think if the figments were indeed given what they wanted, and you told the dreamer about the beings you saw? What if, even though the outcome may be unpleasant, it is fair? If these are ghosts of people he's wronged or just the memories of them, don't you think they deserve to have their voices heard? That the dreamer equally deserves to face his past and the skeletons he left forgotten there?"

[heirtothearcane]

Before he's even spoken, Viatorus shifts uncomfortably in his seat and takes a sip of tea. Assuming the worst in people has never been something he enjoyed, or that came easily to him.

"Maybe. They didn't seem very nice," he reminds the doctor. "What if he's not the same person as he was when he wronged them? What if the Amnesia gave him a better, happier life? If I remind him, I might ruin it for him."

[workthroughit]

"A life lived in delusion is a life wasted. It is a home built from matchsticks. Someone who does not care about things they've forgotten is an anomaly. It's like losing portions of ourselves. Good or bad, boring or eventful, a loss of your past is like loss of a limb. You are not you without the whole of your experiences.

"I find the patient insisting he cares little for his lost memories cause for alarm. That is not something you would hear except in the case of someone who is repressing trauma or has a generally unpleasant past. And then on the other side, his dreams are clamouring for him to remember! And yet you're uncertain if you should proceed?"

The doctor is now standing behind Viatorus' chair, placing a hand on the backrest. He was pacing behind his desk just a moment ago. Was he that quick and quiet, or...

"Why is that?"

[heirtothearcane]

Sipping tea is not a distraction that gives anyone enough time to circle around that fast! Or maybe it does, since that seems to be what happened.

The doctor has a point, he thinks, about being concerned about Naugus' apathy towards his past. Didn't he have the same reaction? But the doctor has a question for him before he can ask more of his own, and the sudden appearance startles him just enough to inch him out of his comfort zone.

"N-Not everything i-in dreams are nice. I don't want to be... to be a tool for malevolent beings to hurt people with."

[workthroughit]

"No. But the things you've presented to me today make me feel that this reminder, this reunion, will likely have to happen one way or another. What are the alternatives? Cover your eyes and pretend you never saw what you did? There are beings trying to reach out to someone they are tethered to. And though they may seem cruel or hateful, sometimes the frustration of not being heard is enough to let it fester into that. Sometimes it is the only way to reach the patient.

"What he does with the information will not be on you. He sent you into his dreams, didn't he? He wanted to see what you found and what you found appears to be significant."

[heirtothearcane]

Viatorus frowns and twists in his seat to look at the doctor. "What if he does something bad? If he hurts himself, o-or someone else... it won't be my actions, but I still caused it. I was still a catalyst. That makes me partly responsible."

[workthroughit]

"What a patient does with a revelation isn't on you. Both our jobs are to discern what is beneath the surface, to make sense of their inner workings. And it is our duty to convey our discoveries and interpretations.

"If you feel uncertain about that, perhaps you will need to think on what you plan to do with your talent going forward."

[heirtothearcane]

Viatorus turns back to his tea sharply at that. The cup is nice... and that's a thought for distraction. His hesitation isn't particularly selfless and he knows that. "He's close to people I care about. Whatever happens... I can't let them get hurt. By him or his past."

With a sigh, he sets the tea down on the desk. "If I tell him... There must be something I can do to control the outcome a little bit. To reduce the risk of a... a volatile reaction."

[workthroughit]

"Perhaps there are contingencies to plan. Ensure there are failsafes should something violent arise. The very nature of the Nexus facilitates that, doesn't it? The anti-violence measures that are always in place would prevent any acting out. Keep the patient here and the issue should at least be partially contained."

Dr. Hill moves to lean against his desk, arms crossed.

"Or perhaps you should consider another consultation with these dream entities?"

[heirtothearcane]

"I was thinking of talking to them again," he admits quietly, though he's not sure how well that might go. "I don't know what answers I'd be looking for. Or what they wouldn't say to get what they wanted. I'm worried... I'm worried I'll say something wrong. To the dreamer. To the entities."

[workthroughit]

"Life is fraught with possibilities, Mr. Durant. And risks. Every step forward presents more doors, more choices. But you must act, one way or another. To be paralyzed by these choices by simply staying in one place, worrying over what could go wrong with every action; it's not good for you. It's not good for anyone."

The doctor reaches to take up his own teacup again.

"I will gladly help you consider each of your options, to help you decide which is the one you would care to pursue. But every step cannot be agonized over and have every bad outcome imagined. Well, that is to say, it certainly can be done, but it robs you of valuable time. You must learn to be decisive, Mr. Durant."

[heirtothearcane]

He's quiet as he listens, brow knotted in concern. As is the trend, the doctor speaks sense, but... "What happens if I make the wrong decision? If my mistakes are irreparable?"

[workthroughit]

Dr. Hill chuckles lightly before taking another sip of tea.

"What else is there to do but continue forward? You can't change the past. But you also cannot live in fear of making it. Few things are beyond repair entirely. Why, again, you have the whole of the Nexus at your disposal! So many people, wonders, places and things beyond imagination! The entire place is constructed to seek help in new ways and with new people.

"Now. What do you think you should do?"

[heirtothearcane]

Viatorus goes quiet once more, eyes flickering along with his thoughts. When he does speak, he's slow, thoughtful. "Try to talk to the entities again. Make sure my friends are safe. Tell the dreamer what I saw and... wait, watch. Try to adapt to whatever happens. I... I don't know what else I should do."

[workthroughit]

"I think!" He claps a hand onto Viatorus' shoulder. "This sounds like like the perfect plan." This is followed by an encouraging smile.

"I believe disclosing the situation to your dreamer is very important as well. Because one way or another, he has a right to know. It would be like keeping a diagnosis secret simply because you think the patient will become violent or upset. It is not about you. The only part that is is finding your resolve."

[heirtothearcane]

He's not so sure, but the encouragement helps, getting a small smile from him. The scholar ducks his head and nods, staring at his fidgety hands. "You're right, of course. About all of it. Whatever is going on, I need to tell him what I know."

Viatorus looks up at the doctor again. "Thank you, doctor Hill. You've been very helpful."

[workthroughit]

"Thank you, Mr. Durant! I'm more than happy to help. And you know where my office is. Should you need any insight or advice in the future, I'll be right here."

A grandfather clock against the southern wall chimes once, prompting the doctor to look in its direction. "Perfect timing as well. I have another patient due to arrive. But please. Any time you need a little clarity or advice, I'm happy to have you drop by. Maybe even refer some friends who you think could use the same? Getting a practice up and running in the Nexus relies heavily on word of mouth, I've found."

[heirtothearcane]

Between the chiming clock and the mention of another patient, there's plenty of prompt for Viatorus to stand. He offers his hand to shake and nods. "Of course I will. Whatever I can do to help. Do you need the address of my office to send a bill to?"

[workthroughit]

He takes the hand and shakes it readily. His palm is warm and dry. "Oh, no charge, Mr. Durant. I'm happy to do consultations without a fee. And I feel this was more a meeting of two professionals than anything. Perhaps there will be a time I will call on you in return for matters pertaining to dreams? Haha."

[heirtothearcane]

"I'd be happy to return the favour." Viatorus' hands are a touch on the clammy side, but his grasp is weak and the shake kept short. "Good luck, doctor Hill."

And with that he'll take his leave.