S a l e t é I V

XXXV - Irrationalité - Six

What Cassia had said didn't connect with Monet at first. 

The words went through her, a silent confusion the only tiny shift in her expression. Cassia could barely stand, unable to stem either her trembling or her whimpering as her own revelation occurred to her, sickness boiling in her frame.

As Monet began to process what she had heard, something changed in her eyes, her mouth opening slightly, only for no words to come. That confusion slowly faded, something far, far worse setting in to fill the void.

Abject fear.

Cassia hadn't even looked to the others yet, having no desire to see their faces after what she had told them, but she could feel their eyes upon her.

"Cass...?"

Spears spoke softly. She could tell from his tone that it hadn't sunk in. 

She wasn't entirely sure why, but that was the moment in which she finally broke, no control of any kind left as everything spilled.

"I couldn't... She was behind us, and... She was with us, and... The fire, she..."

Monet was almost completely still, her lack of any further reaction worse than anything that she could have done, the girl in red no longer acknowledging anything or anyone around her.

"I couldn't reach her! I couldn't see, I couldn't - "

Spears pulled her close before she could say anything else, her speech descending into frantic quivering as she fell back into his hold, the boy cradling her gently in his arms. He said nothing else, resting his head atop hers as she proceeded to cling to him again, this time as if her very existence depended on her doing so.

"Monet."

Chief took a hold of Monet's arm, gently helping her to return to her feet. Even then, she didn't acknowledge him. It wasn't until he made her turn to face him that her senses seemed to reboot, the girl looking at him without any idea as to what to say, no sorrow, no despair, only that subtle panic in her gaze.

"Come on. Come and sit down."

She barely moved at first, even as he tried to gently lead her.

"Y-yes..." She said, the reply barely forming, finally able to follow.

Shipshape made his way to Cassia's side, hoping to help in some kind of way, Spears quietly gesturing for him not to do anything yet. 

Instead, he directed him to Sleeves, who had been left standing nearby without anyone to talk to, the younger lad quickly moving to rectify that once he was made aware. She too looked unwilling to leave, even through her own tears, the boy managing to get her to go with him.

Once the others had moved on, joining a distraught Swoopy over in the circle of light, Spears took a few seconds to prepare himself before he lifted Cassia again, carrying her over to a quieter spot near the end of the ground floor's long dead conveyer, a single candle perched nearby the only source of light along that part of the stretch. 

He sat down so that she was across his lap, letting her stay as close as she wished to, the girl hiding herself away against his jacket as he remained silent, stroking her hair ever so softly.

In a way, another weight had been lifted. She'd told them. She'd gotten the words out. In another, a different weight had replaced it, the reactions of her friends gruelling, the quiet shock in Monet's eyes utterly agonising, all of it making her feel sick to her core.

She didn't move, and she didn't say anything. Just being there with him was enough to steadily soothe her, the initial horror of what she'd had to tell them fading slowly, if only enough for her to be able to think again.