Am I doing an okay job with Chrona? Did I do something out of character? Want to yell at me about it or shower me with compliments? Well you've come to the right... entry.

( details and such )

Asylum. A safe place.
Insane Asylum. A safe place for people who are insane.
It was not safe, though, for anyone. Insane or otherwise.

Outwardly it's just a crumbling complex, most of the building deteriorated beyond salvaging. It sits on the edge of a stormy, desolate bay. Behind the lobby there is a small courtyard that faces the ocean, sealed off by tall iron gates. It's late in the season and getting cold. The overgrown grass is dying. A plastic kiddie pool sits against one of the walls, looking faded and out-of-place. A hose is coiled in the bottom like a dead thing. Summer is long gone, but it will still be used. It's always cold, but Medusa doesn't yell if you get water and soap everywhere. The grass doesn't care.

Inside, the illusion ends. It's no palace, but the white tiled floors and patterned moldings are far from what you'd expect to find in a decomposing building. There's an ongoing snake motif present. They slither along the floors and ceilings, coiling artfully in the limited space. Sometimes there are real snakes, but they never come near. Maybe they're scared. After all, they're just animals. And Chrona is very scary.

Many of the larger rooms have been turned into places to store materials and equipment, or perform experiments. Chrona has been in a few of them, either fetching things or being experimented on. Not many memories of the latter are retained, and that's probably a good thing. There's also the room where there's nothing but darkness and walls that seem to disappear when the door is closed. In that room you must stay still and stay where you are, or you'll fall into the spaces where the walls were. It hurts, but you must stay still until the door is open again. Chrona has to go in there when Medusa is upset, when Chrona can't do what she asks. Can't kill the bunny or the screaming man. Ragnarok doesn't like it there any more than Chrona does, but he hides his fear behind mean words and fists.

There is also a basement of winding corridors, but it is mostly closed off. There is only a square space with two metal gates separating it from the rest of the tunnels. Beyond these gates are old beds and rusty wheelchairs and darkness. There is just one light and one old mattress and a slightly less old blanket and the stairs that lead out. Chrona sleeps down here. There are lots of bugs, but they can't hurt, and it isn't warm but at least you know where all the walls are and they don't move. Chrona has never been hurt down here, in this cube of concrete and metal and stale air. It is the only place that can truly be called "asylum."

Now my head hurts.

Maybe I'll just stay in my room all day.

Shibusen isn't having a Halloween party this year, because of the attack that happened during its anniversary ball. I feel really bad about it, but nobody seems to be very mad at me. They might be hiding it. I want to tell them I'm sorry. Maybe I should spend today doing that.

I was invited to go trick-or-treating, but I didn't want to, and I didn't have a costume. Ragnarok said I didn't need one, that I was already scary enough, but it would feel weird not to wear one. Plus I'm pretty sure Medusa-sama always sent me out to harvest souls on Halloween. People might remember me and try to hurt me.

I got a pumpkin from the Nexus. It has a face kind of like this 8 )

I think the face changes though. Is it supposed to do that? Maybe I'm going crazy again. I hope not. I didn't like being crazy. But it did change. The eyes were closed when I looked at it, but then they were open a minute later. I hope it isn't alive and tries to hurt me.

I guess I'll keep it outside my door. It's not big. Maybe nobody will kick it by accident. Or on purpose.

Hello journal. Maka said I should write in you to make me feel better. Is that okay?

I guess it is.

I like Shibusen. Maka gave me a tour. I haven't been everywhere yet though. Last night I tried the showers. I never had one that was so hot. It made my skin itchy when it was done, but otherwise it felt good.

Maka said I should write more poems in here. Nobody liked my last poem though. I don't want to make anybody depressed again.