St. Peter's Asylum discussion

Silas shot her a smirk of his own, though it was much smaller than hers and barely revealed his teeth. "Do you do things questionable often around here, then?"

"Who, me?" Placing a hand over her chest, Bennett played innocent. "I would never." Her last word was full of sarcasm, and she chuckled a little.

"Be mindful of your activities, then." Silas's smirk widened only slightly. "I know some who would gladly cry out on you just to make themselves look better."

"Oh?" Bennett smirked and, taking the file she had come for in her hands, turned to face the boy. "And who might that be?"

"Various poor fools who wander the grounds, sucking up to the nurses as if it will help them." Silas shrugged. "If you look, you can find them everywhere. It's quite sad, really."

Bennett smirked. "Well I appreciate your warning then."

((I'm trailing off. Fade or ideas?))

((fade.))

Cat had found her way into the file room by accident. She had been running, running from Silas, because he had been in a very bad mood just a few minutes ago in their dorm and she had mouthed off, provoked him, and he had hit her--hard enough to rattle her teeth and nearly knock her jaw out of place. She would have simply laid there and taken it, but for an instant primal fear had shot through her and she had ran--no, sprinted--and he had followed. He was looking for her now, she knew that, and so here she was: hiding in the farthest corner of the file room, making herself as small as possible, trying and failing to muffle her terrified whining. Her cheeks were flushed, she was trembling, and she couldn't despite all her will stop the tears from leaking from the corners of her eyes. If Silas were to find her now, she was done for.

The young killer had been wandering the halls, entirely impervious to the desperate situation that was going on in the halls. He hadn't seen Silas, nor had he seen Cat, and yet the young killer made his way towards the file room. Oftentimes, Felix enjoyed entertaining his darker notions and examining the files of other patients. Maybe in the back of his mind he was examining who would be easy to kill, who could be taken out without noticing. Maybe he was checking out Ruby's file. Nobody ever really knew, and yet the file room was one of Felix's favourite haunts.

Felix entered quietly, opening the door just a smidge and shutting it silently behind him. His pale gaze adjusted to the darkness quickly, but his ears notified Cat before his eyes. With a little frown in place, the young killer made his way over to his friend (could he call her that?) and gently knelt beside her. "Cat...?" He asked quietly, hesitantly, reaching a gentle hand out. "Are you okay?"

When the door opened, Cat let out a sound that was part cry and part whimper. When she saw that the form walking towards her was much too small to be Silas, her sigh was shaky and relieved--nonetheless, she flinched violently when he reached out to her. Her eyes met his: blue on blue, terror on confusion. The small girl said nothing.

"Cat, what's wrong?" Felix gently rested his hand upon the girl's shoulder, his dark brows knitting together in worry and confusion. "Cat, hon, talk to me."

The girl had been there oftentimes enough for Felix himself; it was about time he repaid the favour. Felix was used to comforting, as he did so constantly with Ruby. He gently rubbed Cat's shoulder, his brows staying knit and worried. "Please. What happened?"

"Nothing." But the word was said so quietly and with such fear that no one older than three would have believed her. Cat curled up further into the corner, as if Felix's question was a physical blow she had to ward off. She closed her eyes so he couldn't see the terror there. "Nothing, Felix," she repeated, in a whisper. "Nothing you need to worry about."

Felix arched an eyebrow, and rolled his eyes. When he spoke, his tone was full of scorn. "Bullshit," he said with a little smirk. "Cat, if you honestly think I'm going to believe that, then I should be offended." Felix shook his head, a little disbelieving, and yet he didn't move closer to Cat. He let her have her distance. "Cat, you made me talk. I think it's only fair if you tell me."

Cat took a deep, shuddering breath, tried to calm her nerves. It did nothing to help her. "It's nothing you need to worry about, Felix," she said again. "I promise. There wouldn't be anything you could do to help me, anyway." Why couldn't he be absentminded like all the other children his age? Why did he have to be so unusually mature, so good at reading people? The younger Frost had a feeling that if he were to press for much longer, she would snap and everything would all come pouring out. That would spell nothing less than disaster--especially when Silas found out. She didn't even want to think of what would happen if she told and Silas found out.

"Well, why can't you at least let me try to help?" Felix's blue gaze was full of worry, and a little suspicion. The gears turned in his brain as he tried to piece together what had happened, and yet he kept coming in blank. "Cat, please. At least tell me a little. I won't tell, I promise."

"Uh-uh. No. No." Cat began to shake her head, drawing away from him once more. Her determination was cracking, she could feel it; and if she kept talking, it would shatter. So she limited herself to simple denials, simple refusals. "No, Felix. I can't. I just can't." Besides, she was nearly positive she couldn't trust him with the information she wanted--the two were friends, or at least close, and the girl knew that the young killer spoke up for his friends.

Felix sighed, a sigh of defeat, and rolled his eyes. He adjusted where he was sitting so that he was criss-cross applesauce, and he kept his hand on Cat's shoulder. "Okay. But I'm not gonna leave until you're okay."

"You're gonna be here a while, then." Cat squirmed underneath his hold, trying to free her shoulder of his touch. It might have been friendly, but to the younger Frost, Felix's hand weighed a dozen pounds. "I don't calm down easily."

Felix removed his hand, and put both in his lap. "Okay. That's fine. I don't have anything better to do."

And then Felix sat and waited. He didn't move, he didn't leave. He entirely forgot about his intentions, he entirely forgot about most everything. The only thing on his mind was Cat. He didn't say anything, he didn't bother her. He just sat beside her as comfort.

Every time footsteps sounded in the hall, Cat would flinch. Her gaze was locked on the door, watching for even the slightest turn of the knob, waiting for any hint of darkness to obscure the light that shone through the crack. For the first time, she started to wonder: what would she do if Silas did find her? If he opened the door and simply walked in? In hindsight, this was a rather pathetic hiding place. Predictable, too. As she thought, Cat began to shiver. What would she do? What could she do?

Felix remained silent, though he watched Cat. His pale gaze analyzed the girl, her terrified posture, the way she jumped whenever someone passed. She was hiding from someone, from something, but who was the question. At the site of her shivering, he young boy gently reached out again, scooting a little bit closer. "Turn around," he murmured quietly. "Let me see your back." His tone wasn't a question, it was more of a demand.

"What?" The word came out as a squeak. Cat tensed. "Why? Why do you need to see my back?" One thought ran through her mind now, one thought only: oh shit oh shit oh shit. He was going to make her turn. He was going to see the bruises, the scars, the redness where Silas had kicked her a few minutes before. He was going to know.

Felix knit his brows together, arching one in suspicion. "I was going to draw on it with my finger. My mother used to do that to me whenever I got scared and it helped me calm down and take my mind off of it." He held his hands up in the air, though, and shrugged. "If it bothers you, though, nevermind."

"Oh," Cat muttered, shakily. "I'd rather you didn't, thanks." She lowered her eyes, refused to meet his gaze. Great. Just great. She had opened her mouth once again, let her fear show through, and now Felix was going to be suspicious. Now he would definitely go hunting for answers; if not from her, then from a nurse. Cat shivered.

Felix held his hands up, and scooted away. "Alright, it's fine, you're fine. I'm not gonna ask you for anything else."

Thank you, Cat thought. She wanted so badly to speak the words, but right now she didn't dare. She settled for staring at her own huddled form. Oh God thank you.

((This is gonna get nowhere if something doesn't click and/or Felix changes his mind. :P))

((I don't want to like scare her though... And I don't think Felix would like attack her for answers. What could happen?))

((Felix could make some things click, and then just prod a little? Gentle-like, as he does with Ruby.))

((Okay.))

Felix let Cat relax for a few minutes, maybe ten. He listened to her breathing, and waited until it calmed down. Once it did, Felix decided that it was about time to get some answers. He provided a small smile, and gently turned to the girl for a moment. "Cat?"

"Yeah?" Cat looked only the slightest bit hesitant. She was beginning to calm now; her breathing had evened out and her shaking had stopped. Silas wasn't going to find her, it seemed. Maybe he had calmed himself. Maybe it was safe now.

"Cat, hon, can I ask you a question?"

Felix was gentle, his words were anything but prodding. The suspicion left his face, and Felix placed a mask of curiosity, of innocence, of worry. It worked with Ruby, and Felix had to hope it would work with Cat.

A slow, unsteady nod. A bit of suspicion--maybe even distrust--entered Cat's dark eyes, but she made a go-on gesture with one hand nonetheless. She had a feeling the question wasn't something she wanted to be asked, but she thought it was only fair that she at least let Felix have his question. "Shoot."

Felix wracked his brain, trying to think of who it might be that had done this to the young Frost. He tried to list all of the bullies of the asylum. Raven wouldn't be so obvious, neither would Carlos. Jason had no incentive, and Silas-

Silas.

It all clicked in Felix's head. All of a sudden, the young killer knew who had hurt Cat, all of a sudden he knew why she was terrified. Her brother.

Felix had to take his staying slow, though. "Where are you hurt?" He knew she had been hit, or attacked, of some kind, by the way she kept shrinking away from his touch.

Cat shook her head. All over the place. "My back," she said instead, quietly. "My jaw." She gave a little sigh and averted her eyes. Again, she had to wonder why Felix was the way he was. Why he was so mature, why he was so able to put two and two together, why he cared so much. That was the worst, that last one. No one had ever cared before--she was used to being ignored. But now...well, it was hard, being noticed. She had no idea how Silas dealt with it all the time.

"Were you hit?" A little frown took place of Felix's attempt of a blank expression, and his baby blue gaze analyzed the girl before him, taking note of how she held herself, how the beginnings of bruises were along her jawline. Felix sighed a little, and raised his eyebrows inquisitively. "You don't have to name names, but were you hit?"

"Yes." Cat knew by now that there wasn't much use in dancing around Felix's questions. He was an inquisitive boy, and if she didn't give him answers, he would find them from someone else. It was best, she thought, if she told him herself, should things come to that. If she was lucky, maybe they wouldn't. Maybe Felix didn't care as much as she thought after all. Besides, he'd just said she didn't have to give names. That was a good sign.

Again, Felix nodded. It all made sense, especially considering his easily confirmed suspicions on who had attacked the poor girl. "One last question, I promise." Felix sighed a little, and gently reached up to the older girl's face, gently turning her head so that her eyes met his, blue on blue [I hope?].

"Cat, has he done this before?"

((Yes. XD))

Holy shit. Cat's eyes widened just slightly at Felix's use of the pronoun. What had clicked? How much did he know? The muscles in her jaw worked furiously, and the younger Frost barely noticed that pain that that caused. Her gaze fell on Felix, and for a second the only emotions there were shock and fear. "Felix," she whispered. There was the slightest of tremors in her voice. "How much do you know?"

Felix didn't drop the girl's gaze, and a small, pitiful smile took place on his lips. He arched an eyebrow a little, although his look was no longer suspicious and only worrisome and empathetic. "I only know what I've been able to figure out, Cat. And I'm fairly sure my suspicions are correct."

With a little sigh, Felix dropped his hand from the girl's cheek and once again examined her up and down. "You didn't answer my question."

Cat shook her head. Her eyes were wide, staring, nearly desperate. Oh. My. God. If Felix knew, then...then she hadn't been careful enough. She hadn't been careful enough, and that was the one thing that Silas had insisted on: that she was careful. If Felix were to go and report to a nurse, or even talk to Silas--Cat shoved the thought away and tried in vain not to shudder. The faintest of moans started in the back of her throat, passed her lips. "Oh, God..."

"Shh, shh, shh, Cat, I'm not going to talk to anyone. I'm not that stupid." Felix shook his head a little, and sighed deeply. "I wouldn't dare. I wouldn't do that to you. Your secret is safe with me."

Cat's breathing was harsh, nearly to the point of hyperventilation. A flush rose to her cheeks, a sign of anxiety, and try as she might she could not stop staring at Felix.

If he tells--

I'm going to die.

He'll kill me. The thoughts were sharp, jagged, cutting through what rationality Cat had left. Her teeth stabbed down into her bottom lip and she swallowed back a scream.

"Shh, shh, Cat, Cat!" Fuck. Felix shouldn't have told her that. He realized that now, he realized his mistake. He raised his hands to either side of Cat's face, and focused her on him.

"Cat. Listen to me. I. Will. Not. Tell. I swear to god."

The urge to scream was overpowering now. Cat's entire body tensed as she fought against it, pressing her lips together, squeezing her eyes shut, balling her hands so hard into fists that she could feel her nails biting into her palms. She felt as if she were underwater. Felix's face swam before her, in and out of the darkness. After a moment, Silas's joined him, narrow and angry. She could hear her stepbrother's voice, far away, calling to her. Underwater. She was underwater. She couldn't breath, she couldn't think, she couldn't--

and just like that, Cat fainted.

"Shit." Felix sighed a little, and gently crawled in beside Cat, taking the girl's head in his lap and gently smoothing out her hair. He would then proceed to sit there and wait for the next few hours, enough time, he figured, for someone with irrational anger to calm down, and after a considerable amount of time he carried Cat to the doctor's office, of course being careful enough to avoid any sign of Silas.

((Fade?))

((Fade.))

The file room was a complete disaster. Files were carelessly thrown everywhere, file drawers were pulled out, and some chairs were knocked over. It would all get cleaned up. It always did. At least once every week the file room looked that way, and the only person who knew about the disaster it turned into was the person who was sprawled across the tops of some files. It was the same person who took out the files, indulged in them, then carefully put them back in perfect order as if it never happened. Color coding made everything so much simpler.

The person responsible for the mess and uncanny pickup was none other than Akantha, the asylum's favorite warden. Today, the warden was dressed in a simple, loose fitting (loose fitting for Akantha, anyways) shirt and some brilliantly colored shorts. They were tight, short, and dyed a neon seafoam green color. They were definitely eye-catching.

Akantha had probably been in the file room for only an hour, which wasn't long considering that she could usually spend an entire day in the file room, sunrise to sunset when things were dead boring like they had today. She hasn't gotten to anything she found to be interesting yet, merely scanning previously read files to refresh her memory and see if there happened to be any updates. There usually weren't, but it was worth it to double check.

Raven, still feeling just the slightest bit out of it from his time in the hallway, had gone straight to his room and retrieved the knife from under his bed. It was a good knife; the blade was serrated along all seven inches of stainless steel, and it was sharp enough to cut without causing any pain--at least at first. Out of all the knives he'd either scavenged or stolen or bartered for among the asylum, this one was by far his favorite.

He'd entered the file room with the full intention of scouting for a decent victim, someone who knew him well enough to scream but who was quiet enough not to be missed when injured. A daunting task, sure, but doable. But when he turned the knob and eased open the door, he found a bit more than he'd bargained for on the other side.

Akantha Anderson. Well, lucky, lucky him. The knife, of course, was hidden away--in a sheath at the back of his pants. His mood was hidden behind a smile--but the wise would take one look at his eyes and find absolutely nothing reassuring there. "Osiyo," he greeted her, with a mock bow. She'd been impressed by his Cherokee in the park when they'd first met; why not, he figured, call that back now? For old times sake.

((And this time, I actually have a translator. So there. XD))

[Akantha: Fuck. A knife? The only weapons I have on me are boobs. And they aren't gonna do me any good!!]

"English, please?" Akantha asked without looking up from her file. It wasn't an interesting file, not in the slightest, but she knew who it was before they'd entered. Hardly anyone ever entered the file room except for her and Raven, so she didn't have to look up to confirm what she already knew. If she had done so, she probably would have been on better guard rather than prepare to wave Raven's file in front of her face, which was between her legs to be read next.

"You must have missed me, I assume, for what other reason could you possibly have for entering this little cozy room?" She placed the boring file of someone who's name she couldn't even remember on the small desk in the corner, hardly aiming and not looking to see if the folder had landed. It had. She grabbed Raven's folder and waves it in front of her face like a fan. "So, tell me what's up, sugar lips."