Puppet {ManxMan}

CHAPTER 7

"It's widely known as Marie Antoinette Syndrome," I woke to Arthur's voice, but I could sense more than one other person in the room with me.

Surprisingly enough I wasn't strapped down, but I could feel soft bandages wrapped around my wrists. I suppose when they found me freed with scraped up arms then they were worried I'd do something even worse to get away next time and decided to leave me be. Smart of them, because I would have.

"Historically and scientifically speaking it's only been known for the hair directly on the scalp to turn white, but I suppose if the hair grows and continues to stay white then it's not surprising all of his hair changed color."

"Why did it happen?" Kailas was the one to ask, and Arthur seemed to consider not explaining it, but ended up speaking anyway.

"It's known to happen to people under extreme amounts of stress or fear. For most it doesn't happen quickly. Everyone's hair changes when they get older, it turns gray or silver, because of the stress, so... it's unusual to see someone in their early twenties suffering from it."

"But it's possible?"

"From what my insider has told me of Mr. Inou's captivity, I concur that it is extremely possible," Tobias Florian, for some reason, was in the room, his voice nasally, hopefully from the swelling of his dumb nose, "Stress, fear, both constant occurrences for the boy. The pressure had to have been strangling for him."

"Do you know anything?" Cass was the next to speak, "Other than the fact he went through hell? We could have figured that out on our own. Do you know details?"

"My intelligence never talked about it," Florian murmured, "It seemed too much for him. Consider this, a witness to the horrors was so traumatized he can't bring himself to talk about it... imagine how the victim himself feels."

I could feel several sets of eyes on me then, and the room grew quiet as they all considered Florian's words.

"I need to know," Kailas said, and Florian scoffed.

"I would suggest you speak to my contact, but I'm positive if he wouldn't tell me then he most definitely wouldn't tell you. My suggestion is to ask Inou himself what exactly he went through."

"We can't ask him that," Arthur scolded, "If he went through something painful enough to make the color of his hair change, he doesn't need us reminding him of it. He needs to feel safe here."

"That will take time," this was another new voice I recognized from Knight, and I was relieved he was still alive after I'd stabbed and shot him, "Even asleep he's defensive, constantly flinching."

"Nightmares," Cass suggested, "Probably."

"I agree."

"There has to be some way of making him feel comfortable," Arthur said, "Some way to prove he's safe here, he doesn't have to be on guard, maybe convince him he doesn't have to kill you, Kai."

"Hm," Kailas hummed in thought, "Maybe something familiar will help him. Although I doubt we'd be able to convince him not to kill me. He seems set on it."

"Only because the Con Rồng brainwashed him," Florian said, "The thoughts aren't inherently his."

"He's still Demi," Cass argued, and Florian laughed mockingly.

"He's an assassin, Cassius. The sheer number of people he's killed for the Con Rồng is unfathomable! It's unreal!"

"Doesn't matter," my once pudgy friend sounded so defensive, I was a little worried he'd try to shoot Florian in the face, "He's our best friend."