Effects of the sertraline on the other alters (Day 4)

==Day 4==
Foreword:
Day 2 saw me sleep from roughly 3:30 AM (potentially a bit later) to 5:49 PM, a total of over 14 consecutive hours. After waking up, I proceeded to reach another manic stage before taking both pills at roughly 10pm and falling asleep two hours later. As this was not much time spent awake in order to actively assess symptoms as they arose, we chose to skip documenting that day entirely.
Day 3 saw many of the same effects in much lesser capacity, leaving very little for any of us to say that hadn't already been said on Day 1. As such, we chose to skip that as well.
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Annis: Today has been both eventful and uneventful, in the sense that things within the mind have changed while remaining mostly the same. The effects of the medication have left the boy in a state of mania that has been waxing and waning at irregular intervals, and while we're used to his emotions being in a constant state of flux, it has been something of a challenge to keep up with. The last period of mania that went on for this long happened quite some time ago and wasn't quite so jarringly out-of-nowhere for us that we were left unprepared, so a bit of time and effort was needed for us to adjust this time around. I suppose it doesn't help that the very first day of this manic period was such an extreme even by -our- usual metric. It has been a long time since he was that "high on the scale", so to speak. Many of us had not arrived back then.

As I type, I feel as if things are starting to calm, at least a little bit. Animated as the boy's mind many be, there is a sense that the overbearing pressure is easing, that the metaphorical storm is beginning to pass. There are occasional urges to fidget and tap, no doubt leftovers from the first day of this sudden and inexplicable ride, but they aren't anything as powerful or as uncomfortable as they were that day, and I am convinced that they, too, may fade in time.

What worries me, however, is the sudden nagging feeling that I've forgotten something important in regards to this medication, something that I, in particular, was dead-set on making a note of...

Percy: My experiences over the course of the day differ from Annis' greatly.

The poor woman has been working herself ragged trying to keep up with the great manic tempest that has blown through the ward, but I've been able to ride on it and let it carry me where I need to go. As the features of mania have eased back to what is their "usual", I've found myself more than happy with their effects on the boy. Inhabiting his mind and body is a markedly more pleasant experience than before, and while I am much less inclined to believe that these effects will disappear sooner than later, I am in no rush to see them off.

The only issue -I- have is that there is a new sensation, and one that is oddly discomfiting at that. Every so often, the boy's head feels as if there is something solid inside of it that does not belong, slowly moving around inside of the brain. This sensation presents itself as I type this entry, and it bothers me quite a bit, because it is the one feature of this boy's mania that I do not recognize.

Joshua: I'm glad the worst of this is over, but I'm still a little worried about the future after feeling what Day 1 was like. I'm still having trouble sitting still and concentrating, and the weird tremors and tingling are still there, even if they're not as present as before. I'm not half as scared today as I was the first time, but I'm still not comfortable like this.

At least I don't have that feeling of -living things- moving around his body anymore. I hope that never comes back.

Harry: First off, I can say with damn certainty that I'm not irritated anymore, and that's a good sign.

Honestly, I'll take it back. Being in driver while he's like this isn't so bad. I'm not too happy with the restlessness, or the fact that I keep having random impulses that I want to act on for no reason, but there isn't much else to remark on. I can think and focus a lot easier now than I could before, and now that the energy's a little more manageable, I don't feel violent like I did on the first day.

I'm a little concerned about the trajectory, though. The kid went from bottom of the pit to top of the fucking mountain in a matter of hours, and since then, he's been nothing but -up- for the last three days. I know it's got plenty to do with the medication, but that's what bothers me. There's been no downer period, and the sertraline shit is directly at fault for that. What's gonna happen if the meds keep him like this for too long?

Frankie: Man, I'm glad it's over.

Like, I really wasn't ready for what we got out of that first day of the meds. The host's been manic before, and I -love- him when he's manic, but this was nuts! I didn't think it could GET that fucking intense. It was scary.

Anyway, right now? Right now is fine. I feel like the memory of Day 1 is fucking with me a bit as far as how I feel about it right now (because yeah, I'm still messed up over what was happening), but I'm cool with how things are right now. It's just mania as we experience it normally, I think. Not much else to say.

P.S.: I -will- say that we've been limp-dicked ever since we started on these meds, though. That might not bother anyone else, but it's bothering me.

Angel: I'm a little sad that things have slowed down some, admittedly. I already said before that the state we were in on Day 1 was one I could stay in for hours on end, and I did mean that. I must be much different from everyone else, because all of the things that seemed to bother them were things I enjoyed immensely and would sit through over and over again. And everything came to me so quickly and easily; thoughts, words, emotions, ideas...I like that. I liked that a lot.

Still, even now, it seems like it's easier for me to think than it usually is, and I'm still not as anxious as I am normally. Is this what being normal feels like?

Donovan:
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Note 1: As with before, heart-rate rose to its initial levels upon Angel's exit from the "driver seat" of the host's mind and body. I am unsure why she, specifically, appears to have a much more pronounced effect on the host's cardiac functions than the rest of us, but in light of her unusual reaction to the exceptionally severe conditions present on Day 1, I believe it necessary to look into this further. It may prove relevant to her greater nature as an alter.

Note 2: I have noticed a compulsion that has presented itself across all of the alters, myself included. For reasons unknown, each of us has felt the need to look back on our own entries in the previous log and make note of things we have said prior. I do not believe any of us have our own specific reason for doing this-- I, in particular, did so without thinking about it beforehand, an act which is very out of character for me-- but the collective nature of this compulsion has aroused my suspicion nonetheless. I will be paying close attention over the next few days, in case any similar shared compulsions arise.
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As I type my entry, I find that the irritation which had presented itself during my last writing has disappeared, and the more physical sensations of before are next to nonexistent as of this writing. However, I must remark that the "restless leg" features of the past few days have yet to show any signs of cessation, to such a point that they have begun to wear at me in some small manner. There is no other way to put it; I dearly wish the host's feet would stop tapping whenever none of us are focusing on them.

I must also make note of the fact that, while the racing thoughts remain at a minimum during my control, the clarity of those thoughts has decreased significantly over the last three days. My own personal ability to think in clear and concise terms is fading as of this moment of typing, and I find it concerning. I very rarely have trouble organizing my thoughts, and when I do, it is almost never a good sign.

All in all, despite the fact that the situation appears to be moving in our favor, I am left with many concerns regarding the future. I anticipate further change over the course of this next week. I hope it is for the best.

Siegfried: There has been a shift in the balance of power.

I have watched from the back of the beyond, as the winds of transformation have swept through our domain. Once again, the Time of Wild Expectation is at hand. The Manic Fog has drifted into the Ward once more, and with it comes change, internal and external. Members have weakened while others have grown strong. Rooms that sealed themselves long ago are starting to open once more.

The Hours of Restless Agitation are over. The Protagonist celebrates his newfound strength. But it will not last.
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Afterwords
-Overall, things seem much better this time around, but I'm noticing something strange as I read through these entries again. Barring Siegfried (who I'll get to in a bit), the only alter who shows no concerns whatsoever is Angel. She's been relatively innocuous up to this point, but the past few days have revealed a much different side to her, and because of that, her lack of concerns during this period are starting to worry me a bit.
-Jan has been silent in the back of my mind ever since she was sealed off from the front. I can still feel her back there, but unlike the Creep (who I occasionally feel moving around in his "pen", as Siegfried put it), she's been perfectly still and silent. I'm not entirely sure what to think about that.
-Since the last entry, I've gotten the impression that the tattooed, paranoid alter who's been coming out of the dark as of late is named Michael. I still have only a bare impression of him and his thoughts, though, and he still hasn't come out and spoken to me yet.
-Siegfried's entry in this log scares the hell out of me. I don't know exactly what it is about how the thing reads, but something is definitely wrong there, and I have really negative instincts every time I read it.