Kirthaven Gym: Orientation 3—Happy to Dumb Down (hypno)
by irrcapt
It had been a few months since had moved into Lars Kirthaven's, but Vinnie knew that he had a problem. At first, it had seemed to be the perfect solution to all of his problems. He'd been kicked out of school, couldn't stand it at home away from his favorite gym, had been going nuts trying to figure something out. And then Lars had said that he had a room free. Of course, it wasn't without a small price. Doing things for Lars, showing off for him and his guests, none of it was bad. He just had to do what he was told. And why shouldn't he? Lars was the greatest and everything he said was right. He needed to follow every instruction.
But recently he had been plagued by the same nightmare. He'd be running down a hall, trying doors for a way out. So many doors had been tried and he knew they were dangerous, but he'd frantically search until he'd found another one, different each time. But behind every door the same pitch black creature with glowing green eyes would be waiting for him. Eyes that spun, round and around and around. And he be frozen, looking at it until it grabbed him and dragged him through the door, and he'd wake. And, while he didn't want to admit it, every instinct he had told him it had something to do with living here.
So that day, after taking Lars his drink in the garden and going to his spot to stand at attention until he got further instructions, He cleared his throat. “S-Sir?”
Lars looked up from the book he was reading. “Yes, Vinnie?' Seeing the worried expression on Vinnie's face, Lars frowned. “Something wrong?”
Vinnie rapidly explained his dream. “I can't seem to sleep, sir. I don' know whats wrong, but I can't stop feeling that this place has something to do with it. But I can't leave you, sir. What can I do?”
Lars breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, just that. Don't worry, Vinnie. I was expecting it sooner or later.”
“You were? Why would I get nightm-”
“Mindless Flex Now.”
“mayaauhh...” Vinnie's mouth wobbled as the bottom dropped out of his mind. Every single thought dropped out of his head as he posed appropriately for the instruction, then locked in place. Words floated into his mind through his ears, but since they carried no instructions for him they passed by without comprehension.
“Your split mind is starting to catch up with you, my dear Vinnie. But that's not a problem anymore. I've so addled your will and messed up Vincent's plan he has no alternative but to accept this new life. Isn't that true, Vincent?”
Vinnie's mouth moved, still without Vinnie even formulating any thought. “Damn, you, you bastard. I wanted-”
“What you wanted is irrelevant, Vincent. It's not something you can have anymore. Vinnie's life is your only option. You can feel him melding with you now, can't you?”
“N-no.” Vincent replied, the strain in his voice putting the lie to the statement.
“Oh, but it is, Vincent. And you know that you want Vinnie's life. He's happy to my bidding. Happy to be who he is. You were never happy as Vincent, the little striver.”
“Ugh-I was ha-happy some-times.”
“No no, you know better my boy. You might have fooled others, but you never were happy now. You were always chasing the rainbow, doing things you hated now in the hopes that your dream would make you happy. But it wouldn't have. Do you know why?”
“W-w-why?”
“Because you still would have been that smart ass striver, never happy now. Look at Vinnie, though. He's never been happier. Others make the hard choice for him. All he has to do is follow orders and he gets pleasure from that, don't you Vinnie?”
Words finally popped into Vinnie's mind. “Yes, master.” He replied, his voice more deadpan than the other on speaking through his mouth,
A thrill of pure pleasure passed through Vinnie's body when he agreed with his master, and his head tilted back involuntarily. “You see, Vincent? It's so much better to be Vinnie. So much easier to just be dumb and obedient.”
“Nuh, nuh.” Vincent said, the persona clearly not having much will left.
“Yes. You want to be happy, don't you?”
“Yuh-yes. But-”
“Vinnie is happy. You can be happy to. Just melt into Vinnie. Feel yourself grow so happy, so obedient. Who you wanted to be is unimportant. You just want to be happy. Dumb, happy and obedient.”
Vinnie felt but didn't register the collapsing of the other persona into his, as he was still blank and empty from the suggestion. If he had been registering it, he would have felt a slow glow of warmth, and his face broke into a slight smile.
“That's it. What do you want to be?”
“Happy.”
“And how can you become happy.”
“Be dumb and obedient like Vinnie.”
“You are Vinnie, now, aren't you?”
“Yes.” Vinnie could now feel the other part of his head join in with him in responding to his master's voice.
“And what does Vinnie do?”
“Obey master completely. Master is the greatest man and must be obeyed. I am happy to do everything for the master.”
Lars' face broke into it's own smile. “Perfect, my boy. That the last hurdle. You're mine now.”
END of Orientation