ƛƧƳԼƲM ƑƠƦ ƬӇЄ ƇƦƖMƖƝƛԼԼƳ ƖƝƧƛƝЄ {ˢᵉᵐᶦ⁻ᵃᵈᵛᵃᶰᶜᵉᵈ ʳᵒᶫᵉᵖᶫᵃʸ} discussion

Here is the lounge where all the patients from every ward may mix. Guards are always on standby. All the furniture is kept white to minimize triggers for most patients.

Evelyn ambled into the lounge. She'd been as behaved as she could've been with all of her medication, so she'd bee allowed out of her cell. She let her eyes wander around the room, resting on each of the occupants, but not long enough so they'd notice or care.

Alexander sauntered into the lounge with a fairly open expression on his face. He scanned the room to see if his brother was in sight but alas, he was not. He hadn't seen Jackson since they'd been referred there, and yet Alexander knew that if he wanted, Jackson could have come and see him. Nothing stopped his brother. Which only meant that he had gone and lost his affections, for the time being at any rate. He rolled one of his shoulders back and moved further into the room. No one was really mingling, mostly because they were naturally all weirdos but still. He saw a girl just stood there, looking around, and so he dropped onto one of the couches. "Hey," he called.

Evelyn stiffened at the sound of Alexander's voice. She'd never been comfortable in social situations, what with her fear of embarrassment or criticism, and it definitely wouldn't help that she'd just received her medication.
Maybe he isn't talking to me, Evelyn thought hopefully.

He arched an eyebrow quizzically. "Oh come on," he complained loudly, "Now you're just going to ignore me? Come here I want to talk to you." The eyes of a few patients landed on him wearily, as he sat there, smiling at the girl. He didn't suppose they were used to actually talking to each other in those lounges.

"What?" Evelyn snapped, turning to face the person who was definitely not talking to someone else. She was starting to feel a lot warmer and she could feel her pulse quickening; a sign her overdosage of medication was kicking in. Great...

((Sorry! Lost this one))

He raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Whoa there princess, I never asked you for a snarky reply, I asked you to sit with me. Come on, I don't bite." He smiled again, showing a set of perfect white teeth. He was honestly trying to be nice but, being him, he was used to people following orders. Nannies and butlers fetching him things, and even his friends doing as they were told. The only one he had ever followed orders from was his brother.

Evelyn perched herself awkwardly on the edge of the couch next to Alexander. "Maybe it wasn't you I was worried would bite," she said stiffly, not deigning to make eye contact with him. It wasn't because Evelyn thought herself any better than Alexander, but the fact that not even her heavy medication could stop her from being terrified of social interaction, especially with someone who sounded like they belonged with the Horrifics..

"Well if you're going to bite me," he said, "Let me know in advance." He lifted a little white paper bag and held it out to her in offering. "They're cherry drops," he explained, "One of the doctors gave them to me for being a good little human, want one?" His eyes flickered to the girl who was, for whatever reason, sat on the floor watching them. He always knew when someone was watching him, no matter how careful they were. It came from years of practice.

Evelyn shrugged, still a little tense. "Why not?" It was highly unlikely that anything was really wrong with the cherry drops, what with how restricted things in the asylum were.

"My sentiment exactly," he said with a smile, "So, you didn't tell me your name. I'm Alexander, but you can call me Lex, it's less of a mouthful. I'm here with my brother, but I don't get to see him because I'm insane and he's... less insane. I don't think he's insane at all, I think he just didn't want to go to prison."

"Evelyn," she replied, voice clipped. Evelyn made a mental note of who this person was; might come in handy a bit later. She looked around the room a bit more, still avoiding the gaze of the person with whom she was speaking.

"You scared of me or something?" he asked, "There's really no need to be, I won't hurt you so long as you don't run from me." He meant the last part as a joke, but he doubted she would really get it. He popped another cherry drop into her mouth.

Evelyn shook her head. "Not scared of you. Scared of being trapped. Scared of failure. Scared of embarrassment," she answered, trying to use the least amount of words possible. "Less I talk, less I have to worry about myself."

"But we are trapped," he said, "We have failed, that's why we're here. Granted, it's not embarrassing unless you let it be - you shouldn't worry about it all anyway. Whoever said we had to be free and succeed? No one did. Besides, they can't trap our minds, it's free - always." She spoke like a lot of the patients, and as usual, Alexander did not understand. He'd get out eventually, he hoped, and this was just a small bridge for him to cross.

Evelyn could feel the heat rising to her cheeks, accompanied by some of her fear - though, it did seem significantly subdued. "Hard to be free when you're given medication for sh*t you don't have. And I never said anything I was afraid of made sense."

"Fear itself doesn't make sense," he said dismissively, "And as for the medication, there are ways around that. I hide my pills behind my tonsils, not under my tongue. They can chain me to a wall if they like, but they're not laying a single hand on my brain. My brother told me never to swallow the pills - my mind belongs to me."

Evelyn shrugged. "Well, some of it helps," she said. "Some of it...not so much. " Evelyn tapped her foot nervously, just now beginning to focus on how completely trapped she was. Her breath quickened and she could feel sweat building on her palms. Evelyn could feel the panic rising, and she absolutely despised it. "Oh..."

"Hey," he said, eyes wide, "I didn't mean to upset you, are you okay?" He moved closer to her, grabbing her shoulder firmly but gently, though he knew she wouldn't like it - he knew how to calm down panic attacks. "Look at me - you need to focus on your breathing first, okay?"

"I-I can't," Evelyn said, breath becoming even more ragged as she spoke. "I'm trapped. We're trapped. God, we're going to die here." Her voice had turned into a high-pitched tremor, and she was shaking all over. Evelyn was so deeply immersed in her panic that she barely registered Alexander's touch. She may not have been particularly insane, but she still got extremely freaked out.

"All men must die," he said quietly, "But no one can choose where you die - you can die wherever you want to." He figured panicking was one of her crazy symptoms, but there was really no need to - he was going to be there a lot longer than she was. "We're only as trapped as we allow ourselves to be. You choose your own freedom." He flicked her forehead lightly. "So calm down."

Evelyn winced. "I'm trying," she said through clenched teeth. Her hands were balled so tightly into fists they appeared bone-white, all in an attempt to stop the shaking; stop the panic. It probably didn't help that the whole affair was rather embarrassing - Evelyn saw the entertainment-deprived patients staring - but she was trying.

Step by step, Noah Ahmed made his way to the lounge. He glanced around to the other patients scattered around on the white furniture. His eyes shift to the guards by every door. It felt scary. To be in a new place like this with people that had a problem, or many. But was it right? I didn't kill him!... But I did?

The thought of his fathers blood on the floor on the night he shot him still flashed through his mind. Night mares hunted him every night leaving him to stay awake in the cold cell. He was tired, with dark bags under his eyes. He couldn't even eat right. ...dad...

All this seemed to fake. It was like he was in a dream.

Sia-Marie did not take any notice in the new arrival in the lounge room. She kept her eyes on the pages of Carrie that she was reading, curled up on the uncomfortable white sofas with her slippered feet tucked underneath her. Her elbow was bent o the arm of the chair, her hand holding her head up as she held the book open in her other hand. Reading was the only thing that sped up time in a dead place like this.

"No!" He shouted to him self as he passed an occupied white sofa. He didn't mean to speak aloud, but it happened to him once in a while and he didn't like it. He knew he sounded crazy and that was something he was trying to avoid.

Great he grunts. the brunet probably thinks I'm crazy

He glanced down at her, but her gray eyes seemed to linger on the pages before her. Maybe she was too crazy to even notice what he said. For one thing he didn't know how crazy these people were.

At the random outburst, Sia looked up at an unfamiliar face. "Oh, I'm sorry. Was this couch yours?" She asked softly in a non-sarcastic tone. "I can move." She closed her book and stood up off the couch. The last thing she wanted to do was cause trouble.

Noah stepped back to give the girl some space. "Huh... Oh no" he shook his head. "I-I.. Was just passing by". Noah felt dumb. Did he do something to make her feel like he wanted the couch? He didn't recall anything. Not even that glare he does when he's annoyed.

"You can sit" he assures her. Noah just wanted to be alone. He didn't want to be spoken to ether. But if he was to be honest, the place she was sitting in did seem nice with the window beside it. It would give him a little peek at life outside.

"Alright..." She trailed off awkwardly and sat down again, but shifted over to the far side of the sofa, leaving room for another person. "You can sit. I don't mind." He told him, opening her book again and removing the tattered bookmark.

He played with his nail as he watched her brown long hair shift as she sat down, making him remember his mother. He felt the pain stab him in his chest just at the thought of her. Her beautiful smile she had on her face when she was happy. Or the times when she laughed, so full of life. Or her brown eyes the comforted him every time he looked into them.

Blinking, a tear fell to the floor but he quickly wiped it away. "What?" He asked. He hadn't been paying attention to she had said. He hoped she didn't notice he had been crying.

She looked up at the mysterious stranger again and blinked. She noticed his wet eyes but did not want to make him more uncomfortable by mentioning it. "I said you can if you want. I'm not much of a bother, really." She shrugged her small shoulders which made the loose cable knit sweater she was wearing hang off one pale, scarred shoulder.

((thanks! I'm about to check yours out now :P ))

"Oh... Ok" he flashed her a small simple smile for her kindness. He moved to sit in the other side of the white couch so they wouldn't touch. He glanced at her, mostly her exposed shoulder, and saw the scars. He felt bad for her, a self harm person was not something he wasn't to be.

He glances at the window and keeps hi haze fixed on the gray sky outside. if only I was outside he thought. He glanced back to the girl and thought of how they started to speak. It all started with him shooting. What an idiot. But it didn't turn out bad. "I'm.. Uh sorry if I freaked you out at first"

Her body shifted from the weight of him sitting on the other hand of the couch, but she was not at the least disturbed. When he adressed her, she looked over at him and smiled apologetically. "You didn't freak me out. You don't come off as the frightening type." She said lightly in a playful tone to hopefully lift his uneasiness that she could read all over his face.

"Oh I don't?" He asked. That was something good to hear. Probably the best thing he hear ever since he came. "Thanks.. I guess"

But now he started to think of his step mom, the one women who hated him and called him a monster, a freak, just for killing his father. But could she be right?

Shaking his head to get rid of the thought of her, and his past, he ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "You seem pretty nice too" he admits, kindly as possible.

((I like your character!))

She closed her book and looked over at him as they started a simple conversation. "I suppose I am." She shrugged. She didn't disagree, but she also didn't agree. Does murdering your uncle make you a mean person?
With her closed right hand, she curled a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

((Awe! Thx!))Noah went over his life and thought if he was. He didn't think so. Killing your father because you hated him was not a good thing. Maybe if she knew as would agree. But he didn't plan on telling her. She would think he's crazy and leave and at the moment he liked being with her. She reminded him of his mother, which was a good thing at the moment.

Her movement made him look at her hand as he couldn't tear his eyes off of it. He didn't want to be mean but he couldn't stop thinking what happened.

Sia caught him starring and held out her hand. She struggled a little to unflex it, but managed. The centre of her palm and up her fingers, the skin was a deep permanent pink and was wrinkly, which was a clear evidence of a third degree burn scar. "I won't feel it if you touch it." She murmured softly.

Noah examined her burned hand. Now he understood what happened, we'll he at less understood she got burned. His eyes scanned her pink scin, moving along the wrinkles and making their way to her slightly curled fingers.

"What happened?" He spoke softly. His hand out stretched and he gently placed his fingers on her palm, being very careful not to hurt her.

She watched him touch her hand, but did not feel it. She could feel the pressure of something on her hand, but it simply felt numb like her limb was asleep. "Do you want the truth or a lie?" She asked, with a playful smirk.

"I'm not sure" he admits as he looks up to her. Was the truth that bad to have a lie instead? He really wasn't sure. " what's best?" He move his finger just a little to feel the wrinkles on her hand.

((Sorry it's short. I'm busy. Brb))

(( no worries!))

"The truth is not as bad as it may seem. In my opinion anyways." She shrugged and sighed softly. "I purposely placed my hand on top of a burning stove." She admitted casually.

As the words came out of her mouth, Noah's hand twitched and he pulled it back. Imagining the pain that must have came with it was not a good idea. how could she even do that?

"Why?" He asked confused. Why would she do such thing. It just didn't make any sense. Self harm never made since to him. He expressed his pain through a different way.

"I have some impulse disorder what makes me so things without really thinking about it. Usually harmful things. To myself or others..." She replied, then shook her head. "But don't worry! I don't hurt you, I promise." She sighed. "I have a majority of it under control. It's just harming myself is what it difficult to stop." She smiled sheepishly.

"Others?" He asked worried. He pulled his arm back to his side just to be on the safe side. Even though she said she wouldn't hurt him, he wasn't sure if he should believe her. "Why would you want to hurt yourself?" She asked. It didn't seem like a topic to smile about. "Or others" he adds. This girl- who's name he still did not know yet- seemed pretty nice but now he was starting to doubt that thought.

"I....I don't really know...." She frowned and furrowed her brows as she tried to think of why but she drew a blank. "I was born this way I guess. Sometimes I feel like I need to hurt myself. It's like my body wants it, not actually me." She shrugged.

He stayed quit. He didn't know what to say to that. It seemed pretty stupid. But that was her problem and not his.

After being quite for some time he spoke again. "I'm Noah" he glances at her. It was about time he introduces himself to her.

She felt completely stupid because of his reaction to her. She probably sounded like a freak. If there was a way to explain her problems simpler, she would have. But there wasn't. She smiled as he introduced himself. "I'm Sia-Marie. But please call me Sia."

((Sorry I thought I posted. And it's weird cuz I'm listing to a song by Sia lol))

"It's nice to meet you" he told her. He then pulls his legs up and pulls his knees to his chest. Now that they spoken he wanted to stay quite and relax. He just wanted to let everything go for the moment where he wouldn't have to think about his past, of hers. Or where he wouldn't think about his week with the Judge.

((She's my fav artist lol))

Sia nodded and opened her book back open once she noticed he seemed to be done talking. Silently, she began to read again.

((She has such a beautiful voice. ))

Noah started to tap his foot. He could her people talking from the distance. Very softly he could hear the rain drop and hit the glass very gently. It was claiming sound to hear at the moment. It surly helped him relax. After while he looked over at her for a moment, about to ask her something. But seeing her reading stopped him so beside bother to speak.

(( I know right????))

Unknowingly, Sia flexed and closed her bad hand that was resting beside her on the couch, palm up. Her eyes were starting to bother her, so she closed her book and rubbed her eyes like a toddler would after a nap.