In the last chapter for The Circle Asylum, Viviana takes a vacation day and brings everyone to the museum with an afternoon at the park. When they arrive at the museum, it was raining, and after viewing the various artwork, the residents were ready to head outdoors. And it was still raining. Erik and Mowgli take a shower in the rain in full sight of a riverboat full of passengers. As the weather turns to a thunderstorm, most of the residents head back to the museum, and in his haste to return, Finn’s umbrella breaks. Safely inside, Hannibal plays the piano and Sunny talks about athletic ability with a knight. Not letting the weather get to her, Viviana continues to collect and gets struck by lightning. Seeing her distress, Barbie and Erik run outside and get into a mud wrestle, which Toby soon joins. As Viviana heads back to the museum, she sees Holly Alto, a famous celebrity, and gets an autograph and a picture. In the meantime, Hannibal suddenly has the urge to go rollerskating in the thunderstorm, and he is the next victim of a lightning strike. Viviana decides it was time to head home. At work, Erik is promoted to Petty Thief.
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It’s Summer, Thursday, 5 am and Viviana is working on a painting. It is her first excellent painting that she completes, for the 10 excellent paintings that she has to do for her Painter Extraordinaire Aspiration. It would be wonderful if she could just paint all day, but, unfortunately, she has to go to work. After making some food for the residents, she heads off.
While Viviana is at work, some of the residents have decided to throw a basketball tournament. All of the residents at The Circle Asylum are very fit, with Sonny leading the way with Level 6 in Fitness and Viviana with the least at Level 2 in Fitness.
The game comes to a halt when Barbie gets a call from Rocky telling her that The Happy Hollow Asylum was going on an all-expense paid vacation to Selvadorada. Is The Circle Asylum coming too? Well, if not, Rocky was looking forward to seeing her at the party at their house.
After that conversation, Barbie was miffed. THEY were going on a vacation? How come their house wasn’t going? It was just not fair! Unjust! Just not right!
But Barbie did like the idea of a party. Oh, she had to tell the others!
The other residents were upset, too, about why they aren’t going on a vacation, but, like Barbie, they were excited about the party. Toby, however, is the most upset of them all because while trying to hack the Crumblebottom Servers, he was secretly contacted by the Lizardmen again and they told him to rendezvous in Selvadorada. Of all the places to meet. How was he going to get there? He needed a plan.
Then he remembered what Viviana had told them. That if there was an emergency, there was a number on the bulletin board that they should call. Aha! There it was!
Toby called everyone together and said that it wasn’t fair that The Happy Hollow Asylum would get to go on a vacation and they weren’t. They had to get the Director to come over for some sort of emergency, but Toby wasn’t sure what it should be.
“What about death? They always come when someone dies”, said Erik smiling.
“Ummm…that won’t work. We’re all still alive. What about food poisoning? They would have to come for that”, interjected Sonny.
“Well, they just might send some ambulances, and we’re not sick! But I have a great idea! A riot! Oh yes. They would come, with the SWAT team and the media…oh I better get changed. I want to look good for my photo op, “ said Barbie as she wandered off to the restroom.
“Why don’t we just call them to come over and explain why we’re not going on a vacation and The Happy Hollow Asylum is?” shouted Hannibal from the kitchen. Everyone looked at each other. Oooh that was a good idea! And with that, they decided that Hannibal should make the call. The only one who wasn’t aware of this change was Barbie, who was prepping for the “asylum riot” in the restroom. Hannibal made the call and Director L’Ernitage said he would come to the asylum when Viviana came home from work.
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When Viviana came home from work, she just didn’t want to head right inside the house. It was such a nice day, so she decided to take a walk in the park behind the house. Maybe she would be able to collect a few items. After all, the bills hadn’t arrived as yet and she wanted to be prepared.
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In the meantime, Dr. L’Ernitage and Dr. de Reve had arrived at the asylum.
All of the residents were happy to see Dr. L’Ernitage and Dr. de Reve. Dr. L’Ernitage asked where Viviana was. It was strange she wasn’t back from work as yet. Hannibal said that she would be along shortly. Then he launched into a tirade about why The Happy Hollow Asylum was going on a vacation and they weren’t?
“Oh, so that’s what this is about”, said Dr. L’Ernitage. The residents of The Circle Asylum wanted to head back to Selvadorada, too. A very interesting turn of events.
“And how did you find out about this? enquired Dr. de Reve.
“Well, Barbie got a call from Rocky at The Happy Hollow Asylum and he told her all about it. We just want to know why we can’t go, too,” explained Sunny.
“And Viviana is in agreement with this? With everyone going back…um…on a vacation?” asked Dr. L’Ernitage.
Hannibal laughed then, “Well, Viviana kind of doesn’t know about this. Barbie got the call while she was at work.”
“Yes, it was an accident. We found out by accident. A secret…like all the government agencies….lies, corruption, secrets…” ranted Toby. Hannibal whispered something to Toby and Toby nodded and smiled after the exchange. “Of course, we knew YOU wouldn’t keep that from us. Right?”
Dr. L’Ernitage nodded assuringly at Toby and turned to Dr. de Reve.
“Perhaps this is a good idea, Dr. L’Ernitage. Maybe I should start the tests. Maybe fitness is a good one to start with…” said Dr. de Reve as he took a pen and notepad from his pocket.
“Me Climb Tree”, blurted out Mowgli.
“And I’m the basketball champ around here. We all play basketball every day. What else?” replied Sonny confidently.
“Well”, continued Dr. de Reve, “There’s logic….”
“Like chess?” asked Erik, “No one beats me in a game of chess and I’ve been teaching Mowgli. He’s pretty good at it, too.”
As it turned out, the residents were skilled in almost everything they needed except handiness, fishing and gardening. But with a quick call, a woodworking table and garden planter were brought to the house.
Dr. L’Ernitage wandered outside and talked to one of the guards about Viviana and the residents. The guard replied that the residents were friendly, got along well together and that Viviana was a strong leader who got them involved in different activities.
Well, Dr. L’Ernitage didn’t want to make a decision without Viviana here, but this would actually save them simoleons. Send two groups to Selvadorada at the same time. Get a group discount. And he had a place in mind for them to stay, a rather…”historic” hotel. Perhaps a bit rundown, but nothing they weren’t used to. He would talk to the Board at once. Cure both asylums and become famous. Oh yes. He would be on the lecture circuit. Hobnobbing with celebrities. The name George L’Ernitage on everyone’s lips.
Just then Viviana returned from work and was met with everyone talking to her at once. “Dr. L’Ernitage, Dr. de Reve, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?” Viviana asked anxiously.
But before Dr. de Reve or Dr. L’Ernitage had a chance to explain, Toby blurted it out. “We’re going to Selvadorada on vacation. Isn’t that great? And The Happy Hollow Asylum is going, too.”
“What?” Viviana said in shock, “We’re going back? Why?”
Dr. de Reve intervened and told Viviana the whole story… “and, so the residents of The Circle Asylum want to head on a vacation, too. Dr. L’Ernitage and I think it’s a great idea. Real therapy at work. The only one left to test is you.”
“Does anyone understand what this means? We’ll be going back…to the jungle…to the horror…I won’t go….I can’t go…!”
Finn said in a calm voice, “Don’t worry Viviana, it’s just a vacation. Plus, we have nothing to fear. The Watcher will protect us.”
Dr. L’Ernitage spoke up then, “Well, Viviana, if you won’t go, then the residents can’t go and they would be quite upset at you for not allowing them to go on a vacation. We wouldn’t want to have an asylum riot on our hands.”
Just then Barbie came out of the restroom, looking all gussied up and beaming.
“Oh has the asylum riot started? Did I miss my photo op? They should take it from the right side. Really my best side. But then my left side is good, too. Should I look sad, ravaged, hysterical? Oh, I can do hysterical really well….”
Dr. L’Ernitage and Dr. de Reve had to leave and as Viviana looked around she realized that the residents were craftier than she thought.
Well, she was going to get to the bottom of this. She was going to call Louis and find out the “real story.” She could not believe that HE would want to return to Selvadorada, and she was right. It was all a mistake with Sonny thinking they were going on a vacation and it just went out of control from there.
She was surprised that Rocky didn’t tell Barbie about “The List”, but they better have one, too, or else the residents will be holding a REAL riot this time.
Viviana was not happy about the situation, but it seemed she had a party to plan and she had to undergo some “tests”. Apparently, they all lacked some skills they needed to work on before they left.
Viviana was upset and when she was upset, she painted. But maybe this was a way out. Head to Selvadorada and run away. Yes, lose herself in Selvadorada where they wouldn’t find her. Escape. Blend in. She would tell no-one of her plan, and the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea.
She would play along with them. Take their “tests”. Do whatever it takes. But when she got there, she would just disappear. The thought was like a guiding light in her mind. Yes, escape.
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When Toby got home from work, he got a promotion to Petty Thief.
And so ends our visit to The Circle Asylum…
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Viviana’s “test” results: Archaeology-0; Charisma-1; Fitness-2; Fishing-0; Gardening-1; Handiness-3; Logic-2; Selvadoradian culture-0
These skills will help them get through the “traps” better once they are in the jungle.
Stories By SoulGal 
Ha! Cute. They are going on vacation. Somehow I’m not sure they’ll all make it back.
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