Main: dahliadragonheart. I just post (or try to) post all my writing here. To be up-to-date with all my writing, please go to my AO3 under the name dahliadragonheart. And now; please enjoy my writing. Love you all!!
Okay gays, Iâm doing this!! Iâm opening up writing commissions!! For now, Iâll only take 10, but depending on how many are interested, Iâll open up for more.Â
Reblogs are welcomed to boost it, as I desperately need this to work out right now.
Forgot to say, itâll be emailed as a PDF file!! Please bear with me, this is my first time, so it doesnât really look professional.
Also, if you have a prompt and certain characters, you are more than welcome to commission that as well. Note that it will give me creative freedom with it. You just need to inform me of the prompt, characters, and if itâs supposed to be a long or short story.
if u dont acknowledge the fanfics u read, the writer wonât think anyone is actually taking the time to read their stuff, which makes our effort feel wasted and our passions feel worthless
Yes, please!!! As a writer, I love seeing the âviewsâ or âhitsâ on my work because it absolutely excites me that people clicked on it!! But itâs also really great getting comments, âcause some people get discouraged easily (me!), and it definitely means a lot to us when people actually tell us they like our work, instead of just showing it through kudos or bookmarks or something!!!!!! <3 :D
Prompt: Youâre a supervillain therapist. You try and break them of bad habits like monologuing and other idiotic activities. - Emile Picani
Trigger Warinings: Kidnapping
Word Count: 740
AO3
The Supervillain Therapist
âAnd what do we do now that youâve trapped the hero?â Emile asked the Vanisher. They were the newest of the supervillains to see doctor Picani.
They chewed on their yellow glove, heterochromatic eyes darting all around the room. âUh, dooonât monologue my plans in front of them?â they asked, unsure, dragging out the âoâ in âdonâtâ.
âExcellent, Janus,â he praised the villain. Honestly, they were just a kid, 18 at most. There was a reason theyâd chosen the path of a villain instead of a hero, so they needed a lot of counselling and guiding in this world. Being a therapist for supervillains wasnât actually as bad as youâd think. Plus, this way, he could also prevent the villains from hurting a lot of people, either out of rage, or carelessness.
âUm, and make sure they donât distract me with their chatter, they need to be contained properly,â the Vanisher listed off. Theyâd only seen Picani for a few weeks, but theyâd made more progress than most big villains whoâd seen him for years, and Emile was very proud of them.
âWeâve made a lot of progress, Janus. Iâm very proud of you!â he praised truthfully. As per their name, the Vanisher vanished slightly from the praise, blending in with their surroundings. âHow about we end the session here for the day, huh? Go home early and have some fun with your snakes and sister.â
The Vanisher stood up, slightly nervous, but otherwise smiling. âAlright, doc. Thanks again. Youâre cool. Iâm glad Vee recommended you. This whole villain thing wasnât really going that well before, but it is now, thanks to you.â They dusted themselves off, smiling at a slightly blushing Dr Emile Picani.
They left shortly after, leaving as the last of his clients for the day. Heâd had a session with the Terror Twins right before the Vanisher, so he was drained, to say the least.
As Emile was walking home, he was suddenly surrounded by the local superheroes. âWell then,â he thought. âThis is going to be interesting.â
He was gagged and blinded by them before being taken into some sort of damp cell. Basically, he was kidnapped by the superheroes.
As soon as the blindfold and gag was removed and his eyes had gotten used to the darkness, he said, âWell, this isnât very hero-like of you, now is it?â That earned him an angry growl.
âYouâre the Therapist.â A statement, not a question. âYouâve been making it very hard for us lately. But rumour has it, you know who all the villainsâ secret identity. If you tell us, weâll let you go and forget about this⊠mishap of yours,â the superhero said.
Emile recognised the superhero. The Brain had defeated him after having finally seen Picani. He worked on his habits of needing to make sure everything said is factually correct, which in turn landed the Brain in quite a bit of trouble as the hero used that weakness to his advantage. No more, though, as theyâd gotten that under control after a few months of therapy sessions for the Brain.
Emile stayed calm. âI may know their identities, or I may not know them. Either way, I cannot tell you. Doctor-patient-confidentiality, you know. Canât break that. Not even for superheroes. Sorry.â Emile was calm as could be with superheroes able to kill him without breaking a sweat looming over him.
âWeâll see about that,â the hero threatened.
Meanwhile, Patton Harper, aka the Void, witnessed the abduction of every villain and kidâs therapist. To say he was fuming was an understatement, to say the least. Perhaps the understatement of the century. A lot of people woke up in a cold sweat as a result.
He got out his phone and started texting every villain he knew. They were going to save their favourite therapist and friend from those heroes! Theyâd all put their differences aside and work together because this man had helped them all in more ways than just one.
Not long after, the Brain, Vanisher, Terror Twins, Nightmare, and Emile Picaniâs boyfriend, Dreamwalker, were fully geared up and ready to follow Voidâs lead to get the Therapist back from the clutches of those screwed up and power-hungry heroes.
They were gonna use everything Picani had taught them to save him.
They were going to make sure the heroes finally got what they deserved.
Hey, itâs me. Iâm trying to beat writerâs block so I can actually get back to writing on my ongoing stories as well as all the WIPs I have, so if you could, send in an ask with one of the prompts and a Sanders Sides ship or just characters youâd like to see in the prompt.
And, I also go a lot of time on my hands right now and Iâm super bored. Iâd go outside... but Iâm allergic to pollen and would rather not sneeze my brains out and get swollen red eyes again anytime soon.
Prompt: âWait a minute, youâre not the devil!â âTrue, Iâm just the guy he hired to deal with emo brats like you who think selling your soul is a good idea.â - Virgil and Roman
Trigger Warnings: Angst, physical abuse of a kid - mentioned, smoke, demon dummoning, Virgil is a hust kiddo in need of a hug and love, tell me if I forgot something!
A/N: So, I underestimated my own capability to make something turn angsty. I'd thought this would just be a fun shirt drabble, but halfway through, I accidentally turned it angsty. I apologise for that. Hope you have a good read, though.
Word Count: 1123
AO3
Youâre Not The Devil!
Roman groaned as he felt the tug of another mortal trying to summon the devil. Already?! Heâd just come back from one!
With a huff, he dawned his red and gold cape once more and rose up to the mortal realm.
Lots of red smoke and some coughing later, he stood in a dark room, staring boringly down at a teenager.
The kid stared at Roman for about 10 minutes, not believing his eyes that heâd actually summoned something, like most other mortals when they tried. Roman just cocked an eyebrow at him, looking very unimpressed.
The kid slowly started to regain his barrings and took in the sight that was Roman. âYou look⊠very different from what I thought you would.â
Roman looked offended. âWhat did you expect, kid? Large horns, red eyes, tail, big bulk with no brains? HA! As if!â Roman huffed and swung his cape for dramatic effects, looking around the room. He then sighed. Another one indeed.
The kid looked very confused but seemed to be putting two and two together. âWait a minute, youâre not the devil!â A smart one. Been a long time since Roman had to deal with a smart one.
âTrue, Iâm just the guy he hired to deal with emo brats like you who think selling your soul is a good idea,â Roman snarked back. He turned around to face the kid and the anger heâd inevitably face from him, like always.
The kid⊠looked very small. Fragile. âOh. Okay. I see. Well, umâŠâ he said in the most muted way and looked around a bit, lost. Something was up. Roman took a closer look at him and what he noticed was something he did very much not like.
Roman slowly made his way to the kid, sitting down on the bed heâd situated himself on during the silence. Gone was the dramatic aura surrounding him, replaced with a serious and solemn one. âI usually donât do this, but what happened, kid? To make you want to do this?â he asked in a subdued and not unkind voice.
The boy hunched in on himself, averting his gaze to his feet. âYouâve probably already guessed it if you ask about it.â When Roman didnât respond but kept looking at him, he sighed. âI donât want to be here anymore, but I donât wanna die, either, you know? If I run away, theyâre just gonna find me and punish me even worse.â He revealed his arms as he spoke. They were full of bruises: some old, some very recent. But all bad.
Roman was furious. He didnât show it, but inside, he was fuming with rage at the kidâs parents. He placed a hand on the boyâs arm carefully. âLook, the guy downstairs, he isnât a bad guy like people make him out to be, but even so, he canât help you with this. However, though itâs very controversial as Iâm not actually a demon, angel or anything of the sorts, I could help you, if you wish for me to do so.â Roman had never before been more serious about anything in his life. Sure, heâd have to explain why he brought home a mortal kid to his housemates. Still, he had a feeling both Patton and Logan and the others would understand this decision.
The kid looked up, tears in his eyes, smeared black eyeshadow beneath them, and held an expression of disbelief on his face. âR-really?â
âReally, kid. I live in a separate dimension with my mates and brother and his mate. Itâll be a short explanation, but I know theyâll welcome you with open arms into our family. But Iâll only bring you with explicit consent. If you are not 100 per cent sure, I cannot bring you there, okay?â Roman asked softly. The kid nodded quickly.
âIâm sure. Please, take me away from here! I donât have anyone here either way. I donât have any friends, and everyone in my family sees me as a liability and a toy. Nobody would miss me, and I wouldnât miss anyone,â he pleaded, the tears falling down his cheeks.
Roman then stood up, faced the kid with an outstretched hand. âWell, then. Letâs go, shall we?â The kid took his hand slowly and was softly hoisted up to a standing position by Roman. The kid was light as a feather; like he hadnât eaten anything in days! âMy name is Roman, by the way. May I know what yours is?â
The kid moved closer to Roman on unsteady legs, feeling a lot safer than he ever had in his life. âVirgil,â he whispered. âMy name is Virgil.â
âWhat a beautiful name, Virgil. How old are you, if I may ask?â Roman whispered back.
âI-Iâm 15.â Virgil looked up at Roman with mat eyes. This kid had seen the worst in the world but still wanted to live. Roman marvelled at and admired his strength. Oh, Patton would be all over him with love and affection for sure!
âWell then, Virgil, close your eyes and take a deep breath,â Roman softly instructed as he closed his arms around him. Virgil did just that, and the next second, they were pulled down, down into smoke and nothingness.
A minute later, and they appeared in a bed of flowers Virgil hadnât seen before. In the distance was a large house, structure ancient. âWow.â Virgil let of his breath is a sigh at the beautiful sight.
Two men were headed their way. Both had glasses, but their attitude and clothes were the polar opposite of each other. âLogan, Patton! Iâd like for you to greet our newest family member: Virgil,â Roman greeted the newcomers with a smile and grand gesture with the arm not keeping Virgil grounded.
Virgil hid behind Roman slightly, giving a half-wave. The shorter one gasped slightly as carefully rushed to them, obviously good at reading body language. âHey there, kiddo. My name is Patton. The serious-looking one over there is Logan.â Patton looked up at Roman, having a silent conversation about the events prior. âWeâll keep you safe here, okay? Câmon, letâs show you our home and get you comfortable in your room,â he half-whispered, stretching his hand out for Virgil to take.
Virgil looked up at Roman, who gave the itâs-okay nod, before taking Pattonâs hand letting himself be dragged away carefully by Patton.
âWe have to have a talk about this later, Roman,â Logan said once they were out of hearing range. âThis is highly unprofessional. However, from your serious demeanour, I respect this decision.â
âThank you, Logan. Heâs not like the rest. Thereâs just something about himâŠâ Roman trailed off. Life from here was definitely going to be an adventure.
Heâd just entered as Remus came charging at him with a morning star in his hands, screaming some sort of war cry. Logan didnât even do as much as flinch at him. Just ducked out of the way when Remus swung it and proceeded to hang up his coat.
Remus huffed and pouted. âWhy arenât you afraid of me??â he whined, to which Logan just cocked an eyebrow.
âSeriously? I have worse nightmares about failing AP Chem. And besides, thatâs just a prop, whatâs so dangerous about that?â Logan said in the most monotone of voices.
Remus sputtered at being compared to AP Chem in danger levels. Everyone else was scared of him due to his excentricities (except for the people in the theatre where he worked, they knew him).
Trigger Warnings: Vent fic, bad parenting, parents fighting, angst, starvation, christmas angst, running away from home, being kicked out of your home - mentioned, insecurity, self-blame, parental manipulation, physical abuse - mentioned, verbal abuse - mentioned, self-hatred, low self-esteem, self-deprecation, self-deprecating thoughts, bit of swearing, if you squint you can see signs of touch-starvation.
Summary: Christmas is supposed to be a time for celebration and joy, yet Patton has experienced none of that. Ever.
Word Count: 4026
AO3
A/N: This is a vent fic. Most of the experiences Patton has had with his parents in this are my own. I may have exaggerated their fighting and the expectations (they could never make me be someone I'm not), but otherwise, it's all me. I'm so sorry, Patton.
Please tell me if I need to tag anything else! Many different things can be triggering for people, and I may also have missed something.Â
"It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" Or So The Song Goes...
âPatton is the most cheery guy youâll ever meet.â That's how everyone would describe him. Whether youâve known him for years or just met him. Thatâs who Patton wants to be. The most cheery person. Someone you can trust. Someone always in a good mood, always willing to listen and help. Because thatâs who his parents want him to be. The one they can show off. âOh look, hereâs our little ray of sunshine!â
But truth be told, Patton was not. His smile was rarely real. He was expected to be the one to stay positive in every situation. And that wasnât easy when all your family did was fight and yell and take their problems out on you.
Underneath his smile and façade, was a tired 18-year-old boy. Someone who dreaded Christmas. Someone who could barely hold in his tears in front of his parents and friends. Someone who closed himself off from everyone and everything when his bad emotions became too much. Someone who right now stood in the middle of a fight between his parents.
Patton didnât process what was being said. He just knew it was going to be turned towards him sooner or later and become his fault. It always turned out that way. If only they werenât paying for his college degree, then heâd run away and live with his best friend, Virgil. That didnât actually sound like such a bad idea right about now.
Christmas was a very stressful time for Patton. It always had been. Sure, it was stressful for him almost every single day, but Christmas was even worse. His family didnât have much money, so they had to make do with what little they had. And that affected the mood of everyone living in his household. Himself included, even though he wasnât allowed to show it. The one time he had, his parents made him regret it. Thatâs when he learned that they only wanted a sunshine child who was only to be seen, not heard.
As predicted, his parentsâ argument ended with Patton getting the blame once again and being sent to his room without dinner. He didnât even know what it was about. As soon as he closed the door to his room, he reached for his phone. This was getting too much for Patton to handle. He needed out for good this time. And there was only one person he could trust. Virgil. Theyâd been best friends since high school.
Virgil had told him time and again to get out of there. It was too toxic an environment for Patton to live in. And he was right. But his parents had needed him. He owed it to his parents to help them out. Even after the times, his mother had kicked him out of the house for the rest of the day on freezing cold days in almost no clothes, because he forgot to do a chore before they came home. He got bruises from it too.
Patton held his phone closed to him. He really wanted to call Virgil. Really wanted Virgil to come and get him. Wanted to run away with Virgil and never return to this hell-hole. Patton unlocked his phone but looked passed it. His eyes fell on Virgilâs present. Heâd worked hard on it. Worked hard to get the needed parts to make it. He could make this his excuse for calling Virgil? Yeah, and tell him to meet at the park.
His hands were shaking as he scrolled through his contacts and found the one he knew by heart. He hesitated, though. What if Virgil didnât want to meet up with him? What if he told Patton to just get on with telling his parents off? What if? What if? Wait. Wasnât Patton always the one helping Virgil when his thoughts spiralled? And what was it Logan had called it again? Cognitive distortions? Virgil was lucky to have a brother like that. A brother who could, and would without a second thought, help you no matter what. Patton was ashamed to admit that he was a bit jealous of Virgil in that aspect. But you make do with what you have. And what Patton had, was two parents who hated each other and himself.
He shook his head. He needed to call Virgil. And call Virgil he did. The phone rang. And rang. And rang. Patton was about to just hang up when the phone was answered.
âPatton? Itâs 2 am. What are you doing calling this late?â A pause. âAre you okay? Do you need me to pick you up? Are they fighting again?!â Virgilâs voice was getting more frantic. He was working himself into a panic. That would not do. He couldnât let Virgil have a panic attack because of him. It was bad enough that he was the reason his parents were fighting, he wouldnât hurt his best friends as well.
âIâm fine, Virgil. Promise.â His voice was soft and practised. âI just- I realised I forgot to give you your present last time we met up. I thought I could give it to you now?â
There was some shuffling in the background. Probably Virgil trying to get Anastacia off of him. That dog was very clingy when she was tired. âAnd thatâs all? Youâd tell me if something else was up, right?â Virgil sounded very sceptical.
âOf course, Vee.â Pattonâs voice wavered. âAlways. I was thinking we could meet up at the park? In about⊠twenty minutes?â
 ââŠsure. Hey, why donât you come crash at my place? My folks wonât care. Theyâd love to have you over⊠even though itâs in the middle of the night.â
Patton was sure Virgil knew he didnât call just because of the gift. It didnât matter. Virgil had invited him over, and Patton wasnât going to let Virgil down. âOkay, Vee. Love you.â
 âLove you too, Pat. See you in twenty minutes.â
Patton quickly found a bag and clothes and other necessities to pack. He made sure there was room for Virgilâs gift on top, it shouldnât do if it got crinkled. He lingered a bit in his doorway. Was he really going to do this? Run away from his parents? Sure, he was 18 years now, but that still didnât really change anything. He sighed. It was now or never, and Virgil was waiting for him.
He opened his door very carefully. It sometimes creaked when it was opened, but you could never know when it would, as it wasnât all the time. Luckily, it didnât this time, and Patton slowly stepped into the hallway. They lived in a two-story building. His room was upstairs, so he had to be extra careful when walking downstairs since the wooded floor creaked oh-so loudly all the time.
He tippytoed downstairs, making sure to avoid all the placed the floor creaked the loudest. Finally, he was at the door. He pulled his warmest outdoor clothes on before carefully unlocking the door and heading out. Then he started walking. Walking and walking and walking. It felt like he was walking for an eternity.
He looked at his clock. It was 2:34 am. Oh no, he was late! He hoped that Virgil would stay and not think Patton was just pulling his leg. He started running. The cold was beginning to get to him. It hurt. Please be there still, Virgil!
Finally, Patton arrived at the park. It was now 2:43 am. He looked around. And sighed. Virgil wasnât there. Of course, he wasnât there. Patton was late. Why should he wait around for Patton when he couldnât be there on time? He sat down at the nearest bench. And cried. The dam was broken. He cried and cried and cried. Cried more than he ever had in years. Why couldnât he just be what his parents wanted him to be? Why did he have to be so goddamn broken?!
He didnât know how long he sat there, but it felt like forever. And just as he was about to just go back, a warm hand was gently placed on his knee. And then a gently and all too familiar voice spoke. âOh Patty, what did they do to you? Iâm here.â It was Virgil. And at that, Patton broke completely and flung himself at Virgil, not even bothering looking up, because he knew Virgil would catch him.
âIâm sorry! Iâm s-so sorry! I- I didnât know what else to do or where to go! I donât wanna be there anymore!â Patton sobbed. He sobbed his heart out in Virgilâs chest. Let Virgil know that he couldnât keep up the façade.
âHey, shh, itâs alright. Iâm here, Pat. Iâm here,â Virgil soothed, running a gentle hand up and down Pattonâs back. âI thought this was more than just a present, so I let Pa and Dad know youâre coming home. Itâs okay.â
Patton was so relieved that Virgil was as smart as he was. He let himself be lead into Virgilâs car, the warmth flooding him. It was so nice.
They drove in silence, Patton falling asleep halfway home to Virgil. How did he get so lucky and get such a wonderful best friend?
He was gently woken up by Virgil after they arrived. âWeâre here, Pat. Letâs get you inside. Itâs pretty cold out, and you look like you havenât eaten or drank anything for a while.â Patton didnât reply, just let Virgil guide him once more. âThere we go. Into the warmth.â
Patton opened his eyes blearily when he was met with the familiar scent of Virgilâs home. Virgil still had his arms around him, so he snuggled closer. He really didnât want Virgil to let go of him just yet. âMmm, youâre sâ warm,â Patton mumbled. That earned a small, almost nonexistent laugh out of Virgil.
âYeah, but letâs get you out of that clothes and into the blankets on the couch, okay?â Virgil smiled at him.
âMâkay. If you insist. Bâ can we snâggle after?â Patton shifted a bit as Virgil helped him out of his jacket and shoes.
Virgil breathed a small laugh. âOf course!â
After theyâd finally settled on the couch, two pairs of footsteps could be heard. Patton was too tired to even look at who it was.
âHey, hon. How you feelinâ?â Remy. One of Virgilâs dads. He was answered with silence. He was too tired. âThat tired, huh? Well, it wonât do that you sleep on the couch. Virgil can take you to his room for you two to continue snuggling.â And just like that, someone picked him up. Patton let out a tiny yelp, but other than that, he gave no reaction.
Next thing he knew, he was layn in a warm and soft bed with Virgil snuggling close to him again. And they fell asleep like that.
Next morning, Patton woke up to someone carding their fingers gently through his hair. And Patton was so content with that. If he were a cat, he wouldâve started purring loudly. Instead, his stomach grumbled. Very loudly. The carding fingers stopped.
âMorning, Pat. Sleep well?â Virgil whispered. Virgil. Virgil was the one carding his fingers through his hair. Please donât stop! As though sensing his thoughts, Virgil started again. Oh, Patton was so content. And to answer his question, Patton snuggled closer to Virgil. That got a small laugh out of him. âCome on, sleepyhead. Dad made breakfast. And from the way, your stomach just growled, you need food real bad, and pronto.â
Patton sighed. He knew Virgil was going to bring it up from last night. Well, this morning, really. âWhat timeâs ât?â he asked sleepily.
âItâs almost 11 oâclock. So I guess itâs technically brunch Dad made.â Virgil huffs out a laugh. âNeither of us wanted to wake you up after last night. Did you even sleep at all before calling me?â
Patton sheepishly shook his head. He hadnât even realised heâd called that late. He mustâve been so caught up in his thoughts that hours seemed like seconds. Virgil hugged him tighter. âIâm so sorry, Patton. Sorry I couldnât have been there for you sooner. But youâre here now, and Iâm not letting you go back there!â Virgil said fiercely. Oh, how Patton loved Virgil. Always there for him. How could he have doubted him for even a second? Patton was such a lousy friend for doing that.
âThanks, Vee. You have no idea how much this means to me. But I canât stay. You know that. They are paying for my college degree. Theyâll pull the money if I leave for good,â Patton sighed.
âExcuse me, but I couldnât help but overhear,â came a voice from the doorway. âBut if they do that, weâll be more than happy to pay. Itâs no problem, Patton.â
âHey, Dad.â Oh. It was Emile. âIs Logan up?â A pause. âGood, I think he might be able to help us with Patton,â Virgil responded to the most likely nod he got from Emile.
They got out of bed and went downstairs a few minutes later. Pattonâs growling stomach got too much for him to handle. And downstairs sat Virgilâs parents, Remy and Emile, and Virgilâs older brother, Logan. At the table was so much food, Patton didnât know what to think.
âMerry Christmas, Patton. Welcome to the family,â Virgil said gently, never once letting go of his hand. They sat down and started to eat.
âWow, slow down there, babes. Youâre gonna get a stomachache if you donât,â Remy warned as Patton basically swallowed the food. âWhen was the last time you ate, hon?â
Patton swallowed. He really didnât want to answer that. But he had to. He could feel Virgilâs hand in his give a comforting squeeze. He could feel Loganâs gaze on him. âI- I donât remember. Maybe dinner, the day before yesterday?â The room got quiet.
âYou didnât eat at all yesterday?â Emile then quietly asked. Patton shook his head.
âPatton. If your parents were starving you, why didnât you call for us? You know this isnât healthy,â Logan gently joined the conversation. He was a med student, so Patton usually always listened to him.
Patton shrugged and poked to some eggs with his fork. âDunno.â
âHey, itâs okay, Patton. Youâre here now. Iâm not letting you go back to them. Ever!â Virgil squeezed Pattonâs hand and gave him a comforting smile. Patton smiled back and mouthed âthanksâ.
Bruch lasted for another twenty minutes, all of them quietly talking about anything and everything, but avoiding the topic of Pattonâs home, for which he was grateful.
Around noon, everyone was snuggled up in the living room laughing and munching cookies and drinking hot chocolate. The family exchanged gifts, Patton watching in joy. He always loved watching people give presents to others. They got such a child-like and giddy look on their faces. That made Patton sad again. His parents never once appreciated anything he made for them. He never got to see that look on their faces, either. And they hadnât called or texted. Theyâd given no sign that they knew Patton wasnât home, given no indication that they knew he was missing.
Virgil noticed, of course. He was very observant of other people. He gently squeezed the hand he still hadnât let go of since they woke up. âHey, got you a gift, ya know. Let me just get it,â Virgil whispered in Pattonâs hair. He kissed it before letting go of Pattonâs hand to retrieve it from his room.
He wasnât gone long, but to Patton, it felt like forever. Emile, in the meantime, had come and taken Virgilâs place and had started carding his fingers through Pattonâs hair now.
Patton heard a shuffling noise from the kitchen and turned around a smidge. There stood Virgil, a rather large, and soft-looking, present in his hand. âLogan- Logan helped me with this, so if you hate it, blame it on him.â Logan gave a small huff and mumbled something along the lines of âhe wonât hate it, and if he does, you drew the sketchâ and Patton had no idea what they were talking about.
âHuh? Iâm positive I wonât hate it! You made it, after all, Vee,â Patton smiled at him, a sincere one. Virgil gave him a smile in return and shuffled over to the couch to give it to Patton.
âMove, Dad. Pattonâs mine!â Virgil chuckled as he gave the present to Patton.
Patton carefully opened it. It was rare for him to get presents, so he savoured the feeling of unwrapping it. And what Patton unwrapped had him in awe and tears. He slowly took out the fabric inside the plastic wrap and held it up. It was a cat hoodie! With a pouch, it seemed! This was beautiful!
âI- uh- I made it myself. With Loganâs help. Do you- do you like it?â Virgil asked, getting very insecure and self-conscious. That would not do! This was a wonderful present! The best heâd ever gotten!
âLike it? Virgil, I LOVE IT!â Patton basically cooed, while hugging the hoodie close to him. âYou made this?! Itâs incredible! Itâs the best gift Iâve ever gotten,â Patton quietly added. And Virgil beamed. How could Patton resist? He flung himself into a bone-crushing hug at Virgil. âThank you SO much, Vee,â he mumbled into Virgilâs shoulder.
âIâm thrilled you like it, Pat. But maybe check inside the pouch?â Virgil laughed, a tear falling from his eye at indirectly learning that this might be the first time Pattonâs gotten a decent gift for once.
Patton immediately let go of Virgil to do as he said. He looked inside the pouch, and there was a cat plushy! Homemade, from the looks of it! Black and grey, with one purple eye and one baby-blue eye! It was adorable! And Patton loved it! He hugged it tightly and started quietly crying. âThis is so nice of you, Virgil. Itâs so adorable!â Patton sniffed.
âI thought about what you said, back when we first met. You know, about your favourite animals being cats but you being allergic to them? I thought this was as close I could get to actually giving you one,â Virgil said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. Patton looked up at him with teary eyes. Oh, Virgil was never letting Patton go back to his parents.
âThank you SO MUCH, Virgil,â Patton whispered, pouring all his emotions into those five words, before hugging Virgil again. âIâm gonna name her Shadow.â
Virgil reciprocated the hug before whispering in Pattonâs ear: âYouâre very welcome, Patton. Anything for you. You deserve to be happy.â
Patton, all of a sudden, reared back. Virgil was confused but started thinking heâd said something wrong. âI totally forgot all about your present! Whereâs my bag? Iâll be right back!â Patton exclaimed after Remy pointed in the direction of his bag, sprinting to retrieve it.
And right back Patton was. Heâd been careful with handling the bag, but he was very giddy about Virgil opening it. But also very nervous. He handed it to Virgil before sitting back down next to him, barely able to contain his excitement and dread. Because, what if Virgil hated it? What if-
A hand landed softly on his shoulder. Patton looked over to look into Loganâs dark blue eyes. âBreathe with me, Patton. 4-7-8. Thereâs no need to be concerned. Letâs get your mind steered away from the cognitive distortions, shall we?â Logan spoke softly. Patton nodded. Logan was kind. He was good at this.
After a few breathing rounds, Patton felt much better and signalled this to Virgil. Virgil then proceeded to carefully open Pattonâs gift. His eyes went comically big. âThis is- I- you made this?!â Virgil exclaimed, at a loss for other words. He was in awe. In front of him laid a black hoodie with lots of purple plaid patches scattered around. The cuffs had zippers sewn into them so, they were easier to put on.
âYeah. I know how you loved that other hoodie. You were so sad when it got ruined for good by those bullies. I thought Iâd make you a new one, but one that matches you better than the black and grey one. Looks like we had the same gifts ideas,â Patton chuckled. âDo you like it?â
âYes, Patton! I love it!â Now it was Virgilâs turn to tackle hug Patton. âAnd you made it yourself! This must have taken forever!â
Patton returned the hug in full. Tears of happiness that Virgil liked his gift rolled down his cheeks. âIt did. I had to work a lot to save up the money I needed to get the fabrics and make sure mom and dad didnât find any of them. But it was worth it! Donât even start with saying itâs not worth me saving up my money, mister! Because you are!â
The two best friends stayed that way for a long time before separating to put on their new hoodies. They cuddled up on the couch after that, Patton in between Virgil and Logan. He was very content. He would never give this up for anything!
They talked for what seemed like hours before settling on watching movies. All was peaceful and tranquil. Patton hoped it would never end.
But of course, all good times must come to an end. Patton's phone chimed. The only other people who would call him was in the room with Patton. So it could only mean that it was his parents calling. The air got eerie quiet. Nobody moved a muscle. In the end, Emile picked it up. âHello?â
âPATTON! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?! GET BACK HERE, RIGHT NOW!!â someone shouted on the other end. Emile winched.
âIâm afraid this is Emile Picani youâre speaking with. Not. Patton.â Emileâs voice had a forced cheeriness to it. âHow may I help you?â
Shuffling. âWhere is our son, Picani?â a female voice said. Patton could clearly hear the ice in her voice and see the scowl on her face. His mother was not a very nice person.
âHeâs staying with us. He called Virgil during the night and wanted to exchange gifts. Time got out of hand.â
âWell. Isnât that just great? Thank you for finding him, but please tell him to come home immediately.â Her voice was devoid of any kind of emotions now. The only thing you could detect was the ice.
âIâm afraid Patton told us he didnât want to. And since heâs 18, heâs legally an adult and can, therefore, make such decisions on his own. Contact the police, and they will tell you the same. And I will inform them that you have been starving him. Is. That. Clear?â No one in the household had ever heard such a tone of voice come out of Emile Picaniâs mouth.
The line on the other end went quiet. âFine. Keep the brat. Heâs no good anyway. Weâre cutting off his college fonds. See how well you like him now.â The line cut off. The house was silent.
âWhat a pleasant woman. Well. Itâs settled. Youâre staying with us, Patton. For good,â Emile smiled. Patton hugged Emile close when he came over. âThey should never have been allowed to become parents if they didnât even have decent humanity encoded in their bones. I canât even tell they are your parents, Patton. You are one of the most amazing human beings on this planet! Never change.â Emile kissed Pattonâs hair before releasing him from the hug and going back to snuggle with Remy âAnd donât worry about college. Weâll pay. Itâs no problem.â Patton went back to receiving cuddles from Virgil and Logan. They were his new family. And they would never leave. Never harm him on purpose. Never force him to be anything he wasnât.
Patton usually dreaded Christmas. But from this Christmas and forward, he might come to look forward to it. âThank you, Virgil,â Patton whispered before dozing off. Theyâd need to return to get his things, but for now, he would cuddle.
Endnotes: Hey there. So, how'd you like that? It got a bit out of hand at the end... heh.
And yeah, before the dialogue began, that was all my experiences with my parents. The fighting was exaggerated, and I didn't have anyone to turn to for help, or telling me to get away. I'm still here. Not gonna move away before University. Still about a year and a half for that. I also don't have the economy to move away just yet. Also, haven't really told anyone about this... Let's just say I wasn't exactly looking forward to Christmas this year... or ever.
Also, someone PLEASE!!! Draw that cat plushie!! Because I can't for the life of me do it!! You get to experiment with how it looks, it just has to be black and grey with one purple and one baby-blue eye!! It has to be roughly the size of a young-adult cat and be cute as heck!!
Summary: Virgil and Roman go stargazing. Roman gets distracted...
Word Count: 724
AO3
Stargazing (But Youâre The Only Star I See)
âCome on, Roman!â Virgil whined as he pulled Roman along. âThe weather is perfect! Come on, you slow-poke!â
Roman chuckled. Virgil was really passionate about the stars, and he loved him even more because of it. Virgil would let nothing get in the way of him and the stars. That being said, it was dark, and Roman would rather not trip over unexpected roots. He didnât know where they were going. If it was the usual hill, he would have no problem keeping up with Virgilâs pace, but this was unchartered territory, he had to be careful.
âIâm coming, Iâm coming! Geez, youâre really like your father in this aspect, you know that?â Roman laughed. Virgil slowed down.
âThatâs not a bad thing, right?â Virgil asked, a bit more subdued and self-conscious. Doubting, even. Well, that would not do.
âOf course not! Why would you think that?â Roman asked, trying to pour as much love into the words as possible. âI think itâs wonderful how similar you are to Logan.â
Virgil gave Roman a smile that was only meant for Roman to see. âThanks, Ro. Now câmon! Itâs not that much further!â And Romanâs heart was fluttering once more. Or maybe it was the fact that Virgil was pulling him along once more. He was stronger than he looked, after all. Another thing Roman admired and loved about Virgil.
Virgil led him to a hill just outside of the village. âDad and I came across it a few days ago. Itâs the perfect spot for stargazing. I havenât been stargazing for a while, Father said this should be our spot. Not his and mine. And you know? Heâs right. I mean, itâs gorgeous up here, and with the weather being right for once, I thought⊠I thought youâd like to come with?â Virgil was very nervous. He never really spoke much, and for him to babble like this, just showed how nervous he was about Romanâs reaction.
Roman took Virgilâs hands in his and looked him in the eye. âItâs beautiful! My Love, itâs absolutely gorgeous!â Roman said earnestly. And if Virgil blushed deeply at that, well, no one had to know.
âL-letâs just lie down, âkay?â Virgil stammered through his blush, taking off his hoodie to lie down. The air was warm, so he wasnât going to freeze anytime soon. Roman did the same.
They were studying the night sky and hoping to see a few shooting stars in no time. Virgil started being more vocal, spouting facts about the stars and their history, much like his father did when he took his dad out stargazing when they were young.
Roman continued to look from the star to Virgil and back. He couldnât decide what was more beautiful to look at.
Soon though, Roman settled on just looking at Virgil, at how his eyes sparkled in the starlight as he spoke with excitement and admiration.
âIsnât it just beautiful?â Virgil asked.
âYes, quite beautiful. Magnificent, even,â Roman said, voice starstruck with admiration, though not for the stars.
Virgil shifted a bit and looked at Roman. âDude, the stars are up there,â he said, pointing up to the skies. Oh, Roman could absolutely not let this opportunity go to waste.
âBut youâre the only star I see, my Love.â It had the desired effect. Even in the dim lighting from the stars, it was quite evident that Virgil was blushing furiously.
âThat was so cheesy, Ro.â Virgil tried to play it off, softly batting at Romanâs arm. Roman just laughed and pulled Virgil closer by the arm. âWhatâre youâŠâ Virgil never got to finish the sentence as Roman pulled him in for a kiss.
They broke apart sooner than Virgil wouldâve liked, though. ââ Tis true, my Love. You are my guiding star. Without you, Iâd be lost!â Roman whispered, lips close to Virgilâs. Now, should we continue gazing at the stars, orâŠâ
Virgil answered his unsaid question by pulling Roman in and attacking his lips with passionate kisses. âYour eyes are all the stars I need,â Virgil murmured in between kisses.
The two young adults stayed like that for a while, the dark night sky looking over them, keeping watch for enemies. Only the stars knew that they eventually settled with cuddling and talking about the stars, making up stories and other worlds together.
Summary: Virgil has had the worst day of his life. Well, it's up that alley anyway. Roman isn't helping with being as extra as he is, but they eventually get to talking about what's going on. And it makes Roman start to think that, just this once, violence and murder was the way to go.
Word count: 2254
A/N: PLEASE!!! Read the tags!! This is very angsty (for me, and I wrote it)! I had to take many breaks from writing this due to the sheer amount of angst and crying! I don't know how angst writers do this every day!
This was inspired by an incorrect quote made by @MusicalsAndLove on Twitter.
Please stay safe my lovelies!
(This was also written on Virgilâs birthday... so happy birthday, Virgil?)
AO3 link
I Hate Me More!
Virgil was having a bad day. Well, all days were bad days, but this one was even worse. Heâd been kicked out of his parentsâ house a month ago for being himself. Like, come on. It was almost 2020. Get with the times already. Being trans and gay was nothing new at this point.
Heâd moved in with his childhood friend and present boyfriend, Roman Green, after that. Roman Green he was going to kill! He loved Roman, donât get him wrong. He really loved Roman. But sometimes he could be too much. Especially on his really bad days.
Roman was currently singing at the top of his lungs in the small apartment's living room. Being too extra about it, as well. Princey-style. Heâd just come back from his last lecture of the day, Virgil had been home for a few hours at that point. And was just recovering from a panic attack.
Virgil stomped down to the living room from their shared bedroom down the hall. âCould you shut up for just one minute, Princey?!â Virgil asked, irritated. Roman stopped belting out songs as soon as he heard Virgilâs voice.
âGreetings to you too, my lovely Stormcloud. And nay to your question. Otherwise, how would I be able to serenade the most beautiful man in the world?â Roman smirked, turning around to look at Virgil.
âStop already! Youâre so infuriating sometimes! ARGH!â Virgil went to grab at his hair but stopped himself last second.
Roman dropped his smirk into a frown. Something was off. This wasnât their usual daily after-class banter. âAre you alright, Virgil? Whatâs going on in that pretty little head of yours?â he asked. He shouldnât have.
Virgil metaphorically exploded at being called pretty. He usually didnât mind it, but after todayâs events, it was the worst thing Roman couldâve chosen to say to him. âPRETTY?!â he all but screeched. âIs that all I am to you? Just a pretty face?! Someone to pity and show off? To show what a saint you are?! Ooh, look! Itâs poor little Virgil who canât figure himself out! He was kicked out of his own house because he was so fucked up! Letâs help him to show the world what a good person I am!â
Something was definitely off, but Romanâs mind only fixated on Virgilâs words. His statements. Roman saw red. How dare he insinuate that! âWhatâs wrong with you, Virgil?! How can you even think that?!â
âIâm right, arenât I? Iâm just a pity-project!â Virgil shouted.
âNo! No, youâre not! God, what do you want from me?!â Roman yelled back.
âNothing!! Absolutely nothing! I want nothing to do with you!â Virgil all but roared. It stirred Roman further into his red set of mind.
Before he could think about what to say next, he heard himself say the biggest falsehood in his life, one that was spurred on by the heat of the moment.
âOh, my g- I hate you!â And Roman went silent. Had he just said that? Why did he say that? He loved Virgil! More than anything and anyone!
Virgil went silent as well. Tears in his eyes. And the wheels in Romanâs brain started turning again. âYeah, well I hate me more.â His voice went quiet, and Roman almost didnât hear him. âI hate me more.â
And the gears clicked. Why Virgil had acted out. His family. âI- I didnât mean it, Virge. Please, babe,â Roman said with the softest voice Virgil had heard from the other man. And Roman slowly went closer to Virgil. Closer and closer. Until he was only a breath away and embraced him. âWeâve talked about this. You have to tell me when youâre having a bad day.â Virgil was hiding his face in Romanâs chest, sobbing his heart out. âYou have to tell me right away when your parents try and get to you. I love you. I wonât let them get to you. I swear it,â he quietly continued as he rubbed soothing circles Virgilâs back.
Romanâs heart broke at the sound of Virgilâs sobs. âIâm sâry. âM sâ sâry! I-IâŠâ Virgilâs muffled cries came from Romanâs chest. And that sound shattered Romanâs heart.
âShh, hush, darling. Itâs not your fault. I love you so much. But please, tell me what happened. At your own pace. I love you so, so much!â he mumbled as he kissed Virgilâs head.
Virgil nuzzled into Romanâs touch. âMm, love you too, Ro. I-â Virgil moved a bit to look at Roman. âCan we move to the couch, please?â
Romanâs heart was in danger of bursting from heartbreak at the look in Virgilâs eyes. So pleading and red and hurt almost beyond repair. âOf course, Love.â
After they had settled on the couch, Virgil started crying again. âIâm s- so fucking sor-sorry, Ro-oman! I-I didnât mean it! I-I just-â
âI know. Love, I know.â Roman kissed Virgilâs hair once more. âBut you have to let me know. It doesnât matter if Iâm in class. You tell me right away! Please,â Roman said seriously while looking Virgil in the eye.
Virgil sniffled and rubbed his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again and hid his face in the crock of Romanâs neck.
âWhat happened, my darling Stormcloud?â Roman was getting very worried. Heâd never seen Virgil like this except for when he stood at Romanâs doorstep a month ago after his parents kicked him out.
Roman moved Virgil so that he was sitting in Romanâs lap. The recently turned 18 art student looked down at Romanâs chest, to scared to look him in the eye after what he said, even though Roman semi figured out what was going on with him.
Virgil softly placed his hands on Romanâs flat chest, one hand starting to softly trace it. God, he wanted a flat chest like his handsome boyfriend. Tears began to blur his vision once more.
âVirgil?â Roman spoke so softly that you couldnât really blame Virgil for immediately surging up to kiss him. Roman was surprised at first but reciprocated it after only a moment. It was wet and sloppy but passionate.
They broke apart after a minute. âIâm really sorry for saying those things,â Virgil whispered his mouth only a breath away from Romanâs lips. He leaned his forehead on Romanâs before continuing. âMy parents-â his voice broke.
âYou donât have to tell me right now. We can just cuddle until you feel a bit better, Love. Iâm not pressuring you,â Roman murmured before kissing Virgil again, just a little peck on the lips.
Virgil smiled at the love and affection radiating from Roman and directed at him. âBut I want to. I need to.â Virgil sighed, and his smile dropped. âI ran into them today.â
Roman visibly tensed. Virgil could tell he was trying to not show his anger towards them. When Virgil stood in front of Romanâs door on his 18th birthday, Roman had to really control himself so he wouldnât take off and take out the rightful anger he felt on Virgilâs behalf on his parents.
Roman nodded for Virgil to continue. He wanted to know what the hell they did to his precious Stormcloud!
âThey- it was in Remyâs coffee shop. I donât know when or how they found it. Remy said theyâd never been there before. Reina hadnât seen them before, either. I didnât see them at first. Was sitting with my back against the door. They-â Virgilâs voice broke again, and he had to swallow past the lump in his throat. âThey deadnamed me.â
Roman was seething. Absolutely seething. He considered violence an atrocity but was at that moment planning two murders. Those people knew not what respect was at all!
Virgil hugged himself back into Roman, seeking comfort. âI- they- they said âwell, i-if it isnât our p-pretty little daughter, Victoriaâ. I fr-froze. It didnât sound l-like they were the by ac-accident,â Virgil said, voice barely above a whisper.
Roman stiffened. âSo thatâs how I set you off? By saying youâre pretty? Iâm so sorry, Virgil! Had I known, I would never have said it! Please forgive me!â Roman hid his face in Virgilâs neck. He was close to tears himself. Stupid! He shouldâve noticed Virgilâs mood wasnât one of banter sooner! Shouldnât have called him pretty! What was he good for?!
Virgil sniffed out a small laugh. âI know, Ro. You would never do that. You didnât know, so you donât need to ask for my forgiveness. But⊠I forgive you.â Virgil breathed in Romanâs sent. So nice and calming. He smelled like the forest they used to play in when they were younger, with just a hint of lilacs and old books. Bottom line: he smelled Perfect with a capital P.
âWhat happened then?â Roman asked softly. He had a suspicion but hoped that that was it; what Virgil had told already. Of course, that sadly wasnât the case.
âThey- they started shouting and belittling me, and I didnât do anything! I just sat there, all frozen.â Virgil was sniffling again, he was very close to tears once more. âIf it werenât for Remy and Reina, I donât think they wouldâve stopped. I mightâve even gotten physical between them and me. I feel so fucking guilty for leaving Ann behind! She has to live with them for two more years! I just wish I couldâve taken her with me out of that hell-holeâŠâ Virgil trailed off, remembering what came next. Roman was going to flip when he told him. Virgil just knew it.
âI love your sister like sheâs my own sister, so I get it, Virgil. But we have to stay strong. Maybe we can find something on your parents thatâll make them lose custody over her. Iâm sure Remusâ partner, Dee, would be more than happy to help! They could definitely find something we can use against them!â Roman declared, mentally striking a dramatic pose.
Virgil hugged Roman even tighter because he knew what was about to be said was not pretty.
âHey, what is it, Virgil? Did something else happen?â Roman asked, sensing Virgilâs discomfort. Virgil nuzzled himself closer to Roman in response. âIâll take that as a yes. You feel comfortable telling me?â
Virgil took a deep breath. He could do this. He slowly pulled back to look at Roman, tears in his eyes. âRemember how I got a new number after⊠you know?â Roman nodded. âYeah, well, I made sure Ann got it so we could keep in touch, as you know.â
Roman didnât like where this was going. âYeah? What does that have to do with your parents being assholes to you?â Roman was very worried by the way Virgil avoided his soft gaze.
Virgil fished his phone up from his pocket and shoved it into Romanâs hands. Roman looked quizzically at Virgil.
âWhen I got back here I-I got a call from Anastacia.â Virgil paused. This was gonna be tough. âExcept- except it wasnât her. Mom and dad they- they got a hold of her phone. They were the ones calling me. I- I thought Iâd gotten away from them! And when they called- I didnât hang up! I let them scream at me over the phone! I- I didnât say anything, though. So they hung up.â Virgil chanced a glance at Romanâs face, and Roman was no longer contemplating committing murder. He was actually going to do it!
But for now, Roman was going to be there for Virgil. And hear out the rest of Virgilâs story. So if he held him a little tighter? Well, you couldnât blame him in the slightest.
Virgil nuzzled his head against Roman's chest again and listened to his heartbeat. âOpen my phone, and it will tell you the rest,â Virgil sighed. And check it, Roman did.
âWhat the actual fuck is wrong with them?!â The phone was filled with hateful texts from his parents. Both from their phones, but also from Anastaciaâs. And just as he was about to turn back to kiss Virgil, another text message dinged in.
And Virgil froze. âWhat does it say?â he asked after a lot of internal debating and at least a minute of hesitation.
Roman didnât really want to indulge Virgil but knew that it was better that he saw it now, together than later when he was alone. Roman felt sick at what it said. âThink of what you did, you sinning little faggot. Learn your place in the world!â is what the text said. âWeâre gonna get a hold of Dee right now! I think thisâll help us get at least a restraining order!â Roman practically growled.
âSo, worse than the rest,â Virgil whispered. Not a question, but a statement. âCan we- can we stay here for a while? Just. Cuddling? Text Remus, but please just stay?â Virgil asked, voice so quiet and doubting.
âOf course, my beautiful dark angel! I would love nothing more! And I will text him. But for now; cuddles,â Roman whispered back, kissing Virgilâs hair before softly using his hand to tilt his head up to give Virgil a tentative and caring kiss, trying to pour as much love in it as he could muster.
âMmm, cuddles,â Virgil mumbled as he slowly broke away from the kiss to curl up in Romanâs lap, starting to dose off, the excess anger and anxiety had left him rather tired. This day had just turned from the worst to the not worst. âCuddles. Cuddles good.â
Endnotes: And if you want to kill Virgil's parents? You're not alone! I wanna kill them, too! All throughout writing this, actually.      Â
Chapter Summary: Virgil is very surprised at how strangers are coming to his rescue from the school bully, Jake Simons. He makes some new friends like that, as well as getting very confused.
Trigger Warnings: Bullying, verbal fighting, pushing, threats, confusion, let me know if I missed anything!
Word Count: 3492
AO3
Chapter 1
Previous Chapter  -  Chapter 5
Chapter 4: #TwinSquad
That sounds like⊠Anastacia comes into my vision, stands in front of me, guarding me. âI donât give a ratâs arse about who you think you are! Nobody, and I repeat, NOBODY! Does that to my brother!â Anyone who doesnât know her, everybody here except me, wouldnât know that inside her mind, sheâs screaming at herself to grab me and run. The little waver in her voice gave it away. But Iâm so lucky to have her. She sets her own anxiety to the side to help me.
âWhat?â Jake drawls out that word. âWe were just having a bit of fun. Ainât that right, freak?â He looks pointedly at me. And earns a shove from Ann.
âDonât you dare call my brother a freak,â she says, voice dangerously low. Oh-uh. I havenât heard her use that voice since she beat the crap out of the only bully at our last school. He was degrading me for being trans, so he kinda had it coming. But still, Anastacia can be pretty scary when sheâs in protective mode.
âOh, Iâm sooo scared. Whatâre you gonna do, British? Throw a teabag after me?â he mocks. Big mistake on his part, if you ask me.
âDid you just-â Oh, Ann is seething now. I can tell. To hell with anxiety, when youâve pissed her off, youâre dead.
I look around the yard and, oh no! There are so many people! I need to get away from here! Iâm on the verge of a panic attack, I can feel it! Why couldnât I just stay at home and never see the sun again? Annâs talking, I think. Maybe even fighting that Jake guy. At least verbally. I canât hear them. I canât hear anything! Wait, I can hear my heart. Thatâs good. Right? Oh god, Iâm going to have a panic attack on the first day back to school in front of a bunch of strangers! I canât- I canât-
âWhatâs going on here, Jake?â
Who was that? Their voice sounds really calculated. But also kinda cold. Their voice broke through my panicked thoughts, though. Like Motherâs. Her voice was able to break through my thoughts. Iâve only heard their voice, but I think itâs someone I can trust. Maybe. I donât know. Itâs all a haze right now. I should probably open my eyes. Yeah, Iâm gonna do that. Wait, I closed my eyes? When did that happen?
Anastacia is standing protectively in front of me, like a knight protecting their most dearest with a shield from a firebreathing dragon. No! Not thinking about that! In front of her, two other students are standing face to face with Jake. Theyâre talking with him. What are they saying? I try and focus on them.
â⊠ould leave.â The voice from earlier.
âYeah, right. Like Iâm going to. Yo, Marco! Dillan!â Thatâs Jake. At his shout, two other students run over to his side. âThe nerds wanna fight,â Jake laughs.
âWeâd rather it didnât come to that. However, I will indulge you if you want.â This is a new voice. They sound quite dramatic. Itâs one of the two who came over. They are defending me? Why? They donât know me. I donât know them.
I can see their back. One of the two is wearing what looks like a dark blue polo. The other is wearing a dark red jacket with a crown on. Nothing too boisterous, but still. Bold.
âCanât you count, Garcia? Itâs three against two. British is obviously too busy with her weak-ass brother,â Jake smirks.
âNumbers donât matter in situations such as this, may I remind you. Anyone with even just a slight comprehension of hand-to-hand combat will tell you that.â The first voice.
âIndeed, Simons, we donât need to be any more to take you fiends down.â Red Jacket does what I assume is supposed to be a dramatic pose. Pretty sure the second voice belongs to them.
âPfft, you really think your geek can handle being in a fight, Garcia? He would lose instantly.â Jake and his goons laugh. âHeâs too scrawny! If I even just gently punch him, heâd break!â Jakes goons laughed even harder at that. Well, that really wasnât fair! I really wanna help them, but I canât do a fucking thing right now! Itâs like Iâm paralysed!
âYou would actually be surprised at what Logan can do, Jake.â A new voice, sounding a bit more female. Well, it looks like they are here to help Polo Shirt and Red Jacket. âAnd how many punches he can take without breaking a sweat or slowing down in the slightest.â
âWell, well, well. If it isnât the Quick E coming the weaklings to the resue?â Jake taunts. I think itâs supposed to be a play at their name or something.
âHar har, real mature, Jackie.â Jake sneers at the name. The newcomer (gosh, thereâs so many strangers now, I canât breathe) only smile at Jake innocently. âYou know itâs Qikkie. Q-I-K-K-I-E,â they spell out. âQikkie. Might look weird, but itâs just pronounced âKikkiâ.â Oh, their smile is dangerous now. They kinda remind me of AnnâŠ
âVirgil, breathe.â Who said that?! I frantically look around. Who the hell sa- oh. Anastacia. Sheâs right next to me now. Sheâs telling me to breathe. Am I not breathing? I inhale sharply. Oh, guess I wasnât.
She continues whispering soft nothings into my ear. I tune them out in favour of focusing on the conversation in front of us. Red Jacket is standing slightly in front of Polo Shirt, ready to defend. I mustâve missed something.
âOh, go put a sock in it, Jake,â Red Jacket says. Jake just laughs. As do his goons.
âHey! Attention here, hothead!â the newcomer, Qikkie, says, snapping their fingers. Nice bracelet. Why does it say âShe/Herâ on it? âDo you really wanna turn your back on me? After what happened last year?â Jake visibly freezes. Qikkie just smiles wickedly. Wonder what happened?
âFine. You losers win this round,â Jake grumbles, signalling to his goons to follow him as he leaves.
âYou just conceded victory to us, so we are in fact the winners. Not losers,â Polo Shirt says, sounding puzzled.
Qikkie turns to Ann and me. âSorry about him. Jake wasnât taught any manners at all at home. Heâs just a Neanderthal. Just ignore him and his brainless gorillas,â Qikkie smiles at us and offers a hand. The other two are still there, but it seems like theyâre sending ordering looks to the other students because they start to leave fast.
Ann takes their offered hand after I nod an okay at her. She then gently lifts me up with both hands. Damn it! Iâm wobbling a bit. My legs arenât steady. Havenât eaten anything since lunch yesterday and that push just took more of my remaining energy. I really need to eat better.
I quickly gain my balance and start signing. âThanks, sis. Uhm, could you translate this next part?â I hesitantly ask.
âOf course! Go ahead,â she says, earning a few confused looks from the others with us. Polo Shirt and Red Jacket came to stand next to Qikkie.
âYou know, itâs really offensive to Neanderthals to call him that. They were obviously much more intelligent than Jake is.â I sign, allowing a tiny smirk to be visible on my face. Ann starts giggling a lot and has to catch her breath. Polo Shirt starts chuckling a bit as well, making Qikkie and Red Jacket look at them like theyâd lost their mind. Maybe they didnât laugh much?
Ann seems to have caught her breath again. âHuh, sorry. Right, translation. Virgil said, and I quote: You know, itâs really offensive to Neanderthals to call him that. They were obviously much more intelligent than Jake is.â And the others start laughing. Well, Polo Shirt is still chuckling a bit.
Qikkieâs laugh is light and not really that loud. Red Jacketâs laughter, however⊠itâs loud and boisterous and like music. Wait, what? Nonono, get it together Virgil! If you start these thoughts youâre only gonna start blushing and- and Iâm blushing. Great. I look down a bit, trying to hide behind my bangs. Please donât notice, please donât notice, please donât notice!
They finally start to laugh off. And Red Jacket looks at me. Oh, no! Shit! Theyâre smiling! At me! What do I do?! Canât I just sink into the ground or something?!
âI like the way you think, Virgil, was it?â they ask. All I can do is stand there and look really dumb. I just nod. Iâm pretty sure no one seems aware of my internal conflict. âIâm Roman. Roman Garcia. He/him.â Red Jacket, Roman, says, extending his hand but backtracks and scratches his neck instead. At least he could see Iâd rather not touch any stranger at the moment.
Polo Shirt collects himself and gives a tiny attention-grabbing cough. âMy name is Logan Connors. I, as well as Roman, use he/him pronouns. And weâre glad to be of assistance to the both of you,â he says and gives a curt nod. Yup. Heâs the formal type. He even wears a necktie. Who even does that in a school that has no uniforms?
âYou probably already caught my name,â Qikkie chuckles. âBut if you forgot it already, itâs Qikkie. Picani. My nameâs spelt really weird, but itâs just pronounced âKikiâ,â they smile. They get a look from Logan that I have no idea what means. âOh, yeah! And I use she/her pronouns for today. Iâm a demigirl, or as I like to call it: demifemale, so you can see my pronouns on my bracelet here.â She lifts her hand with the bracelet I saw earlier. So thatâs why it says she/her. Cool. âWhen Iâm wearing the âthey/themâ pendants, you can just call me Q. You donât have to, obviously, but it would be nice.â
âThatâs really cool! Iâm Anastacia, uhh, Blake,â Ann hesitantly adds. Most likely because they also shared their last names. Qikkie seems to light up at Annâs comment about Qikkieâs bracelet. âI use she/her as well. And this is Virgil,â she gestures to me. âMy brother. He/him.â I give a small wave at the introduction. And then the awkwardness starts. No one seems to know what to say now. I just try and hide behind my hair and hope Roman doesnât look at me. I really donât know why my body reacted like that! Whatâs wrong with me?
Luckily the first warning bell rings, signalling for us to get ready to go to our next class, breaking the awkward silence.
âNow that introductions are out of the way, it would be best for us to head to our next classes. We can show you to your classrooms?â Logan offers, albeit a bit awkward. He must not be all that social. Welcome to the club. I nod silently.
âWeâd like that,â Ann says after she sees my nod. She checks her schedule. âUhm, I have Maths,â she says.
âOoh! We do too! Roman and I!â Qikkie says, clapping her hands excitedly. âWe can take you there and at the same time, make sure Jake doesnât try and bother you!â Ann nods, but glances to me. âWhat do you have, Virgil?â Qikkie asks me. Guess she noticed the worry in Annâs eyes.
I look at my schedule. And smile. I have Art! One of the few things I donât suck at and have a hard time screwing up. âArtâ I sign at Ann.
âArt? Cool!â Ann says, genuinely excited for me. It feels nice.
âWell, seems like youâll be keeping me company, as I also have Art,â Logan says, adjusting his glasses unnecessarily. Must be a tick or something. He seems alright. I hope Iâm not wrong like last time⊠âIt is this way, Virgil.â I look around. Ann already left with Roman and Qikkie. I mustâve been zoning out. Wait, heâs walking away. Loganâs walking away. What do I do? Oh, right. He said he has Art too. Iâm just gonna follow him.
I catch up to him pretty fast, though I do have a small limp from being pushed down on the ground. I really hope he doesnât notice. We walk in silence. Obviously. Logan seems like someone whoâs not up for unnecessary conversation, and I donât really speak.
âSo, Virgil. Might I inquire how long youâve been unable to speak?â Logan suddenly breaks the silence. Great. âDo not worry about answering in sign-language, as I know some myself. Granted, I do not communicate in it every day. You do not have to answer if itâs too uncomfortable for you,â he adds after he, presumably, glances towards me and sees how Iâm curling in on myself. Itâs nice to know he actually cares about me. The least I could do after he and Roman basically saved me is answer him.
âWell⊠Iâm not unable to speak, per se. My throat just closes up a lot. Itâs been doing that for as long as I can remember, really. So, I really just use sign to speak with others. Others being my sister and father.â I hope that wasnât too much for him to read. He did say heâs not the best.
âAh. Selective mutism. Iâm guessing you have heightened anxiety?â Logan asks. Wait, itâs actually called something? I thought I was just a weirdo. Huh. I do nod at his question about my anxiety. âWell, if you are called upon by the teacher, I shall translate as best I can for you if that is alright?â Again I nod.
He keeps his focus on me as we walk so I might as well ask. âIs there a specific reason why you know sign language?â Pleasedonâthatemepleasedonâthatemepleasedonâthatemepleas-
âWell, a good friend of mine, his mother is deaf. I spent a lot of time at their house growing up, so I picked up a few things, well, a lot. And Iâve always been fascinated by it,â Logan explains. Well. At least he doesnât find me annoying. Yet. I think.
We walk for another minute in silence, my mind is seriously being an asshole right now. How far away is the Art classroom anyway?! Hey, itâs my first day, alright? Donât expect me to remember where everything is to a tee from just one tour of the school! âLogan! There you are!â someone whisper-shouts. Someoneâs waving at us, standing outside a classroom.
âAh, that is my sister, Laylin. Relax, Laylin. Itâs still another five minutes before class starts,â Logan addresses the girl in front of us. She rolls her eyes.
âYeah, but youâre usually here ten minutes before. Did Patton make you look at pictures of puppies again?â she remarks sarcastically. Iâm just gonna assume that itâs something thatâs only happened once and Laylin just keeps bringing it up to annoy Logan. Thatâs what I would do if Logan was my brother.
âThat was one time!â Logan near hisses. âAnd no. Jake had sought out a new victim, so we stopped by to help. This is Virgil, by the way,â he says, nodding to me. I give a small wave at the girl in front of me.
âNice to meet you, Virgil. Iâm Laylin, Loganâs twin. Hope Jake didnât give you a bad impression of the school. Itâs the fewest thatâs actually like him.â Theyâre twins. Why am I surprised? Itâs the only explanation as to how theyâre on the same year as siblings. Right?
The rest of the day goes by smoothly. Someoneâs always by my side, so Jake stays away. We got some homework, but at least itâs something we covered last year in school, so I already did it and wonât have to agonise over it.
When we arrive at school the next day, Nini is standing just outside the doors, waving at us when she spots us. âSo. Heard yesterday was quite eventful, huh? Next time Jake decides to annoy you, just drop my name, and heâll back off,â she says as we reach her.
âWeâll keep that in mind,â Ann giggles. We head inside, and Nini guides us in the direction of our next class. We still have another fifteen minutes, but weâd like to be in good time, seeing as we missed the first lesson yesterday because we are new and needed a tour and everything.
The classroomâs up ahead, someoneâs already standing outside the door, not blocking it though. Wait, is that Roman? Huh. His wardrobe is completely different from yesterday. Ann noticed him too. âHey, Roman,â she says when we get close enough. He looks up, and did he dye his hair since yesterday? Because I donât recall that grey streak in his hair. Then again, I only met the guy yesterday.
Roman starts laughing. Well, more like cackling, really. That⊠is not the reaction I expected at all. And from the way Ann mirrors my surprise and confusion, neither did she. I look around us, searching with my eyes as to what could be so funny. A guy (I assume, but still gonna refer with gender-neutral pronouns until I know for sure) is standing close by and looks like a confused bean. Like, literally. Looks like the definition of an innocent bean. Blue shirt, glasses, a cardigan tied around the shoulders, and a long skirt on.
âRemus? Whatâs going on?â they ask as they move closer.
REMUS?! The hell?! I glance at Anastacia. She looks as shocked as I am; mouth ajar and everything. Does this mean that yesterday was some sort of planned out practical joke? That they gave us fake names just to ridicule us today in school?
I can see their mouth moving, feel Annâs hand on my arm, but I canât hear. Shit! Not having a panic attack now! Not gonna happen! Pull yourself together, Virgil! Donât need to make a bigger fool out of yourself than you already have. Breathe in for four seconds, hold for seven, and out for eight. Repeat.
ââŠiddo?â Great, I can hear again. My eyes focus again. The others are staring at me. Did I miss something? I tilt my head a bit to the side, Ann knows it means Iâm listening but think I mightâve missed something in the conversation. Which I clearly did just now.
âHey, there, kiddo. Glad youâre joining us again,â the person in the skirt says. âMy name is Patton, he/him,â he smiles. He seems really bubbly, itâs actually a calming atmosphere to be in. I smile faintly at him to make sure he knows I heard him. I can hear footsteps in the distance.
He opens his mouth to say some more, but someone interrupts. Someone who wasnât there before. And looks like Patton. Like, apart from the heterochromia and some lighter patches of skin on the left side of their face, they are identical. And now my confused state has increased. âCould you keep it down, Remus? I could hear you all the way at the end of the hallway,â they drawl, pointing over their shoulder, down the long hallway.
âOh, heya, Janus!â Patton waves energetically. âI made some new friends! I think.â He looks at me, smiling. He then looks back at the newcomer, Janus, and starts explaining what just happened to make âRemusâ laugh like that.
She smiles (Patton mentioned her pronouns somewhere in his explanation. It went too fast for me to get the context for why he mentioned her pronouns, okay?) and chuckles a bit. âI can understand why you look so utterly confused. You two ran into Roman yesterday, right?â she asks. Her voice is smooth and a bit deep. I can see Ann nod in my periphery. âIt is most likely that he didnât mention Remus at all. You just met, after all. But, they are not the same person. They are twins. Identical twins. Patton and I are twins as well if you were wondering, which I can only assume you were. We are not identical twins, but we look very similar still,â she explains, and now I feel like a total fool. And idiot. Of course, they are twins. Thatâs what makes the most sense. Iâm getting a headache. âOh, and I am genderfluid, so keep watch of my necklace,â she winks.
I look towards Anastacia, my anxiety forgotten. âI am getting a headache. There are three pairs of twins, not including us, here. This is gonna get confusing fast,â I sign to her, to which she nods.
âYeah, it is,â she agrees, taking my hand. âBut weâre here together, so we get to share our confusion,â she winks.
âOh, this is only half of us, darling,â Janus smirks. âBut we should get to class, itâs about to start. Have fun.â She starts walking back down the hall. âBy the way.â She stops and looks over her shoulder. âWelcome to the Twin Squad.â
Once Upon A Time... Not, Chapter 3: Whatever Doesnât Kill YouâŠ
Chapter Summary: With the move out of the way, all that's left is school. Things don't go Virgil's way, however. He and Anastacia do get a new friend, but also an enemy. Why does he have to be different from everybody?
Trigger Warnings: Bullying, a bit of swearing, spiralling of thought, anxiety.
Word count: 2835
AO3 link
Chapter 1
Previous Chapter  -  Chapter 4
Chapter 3: Whatever Doesnât Kill You...
Well. Itâs bigger than I thought it would be. With the limited income we get from Fatherâs job, I didnât think we would get this big of a house for that little money. Maybe more people are moving away from rather than are moving to Gainesville. I donât know. I have no idea how stuff like that work.
âAlright, kiddos. Time to conquer our new home.â Fatherâs voice snaps me out of my thoughts. Right. This is where we live now.
Ann gives my hand a small squeeze and leads me inside. She knows I donât like change, so she takes the lead and guides me into our new home.
The day goes by fast. We get our stuff moved into the house, choose rooms, boxes everywhere by the end of it.
Fatherâs on the phone at night. Itâs close to the summer break, so Iâm imagining heâs talking to someone about school. Iâm not sure if Iâm ready to go back yet. I really hope we can keep the same arrangements. That would be nice. He already said Ann wasnât going to go back to school for the rest of the school year since itâs so close to the break.
Speaking of, Anastaciaâs in her own room, no doubt decorating it with all her quotes and the drawings from me as well as her own. And the paintings we worked on together. And the ones with Mother. God, I miss her.
Summer goes by mostly uneventful. I donât come out of my room often. The box I found in my old room I hid away. Under my bed. How ironic. I get back to drawing, Father takes Ann and me to an animal shelter. He wants to get me a support animal since Iâm getting panic attacks whenever Iâm alone. We end up adopting an albino German Shepherd. Sheâs very young. The girl who was working at the time said she was waiting for the right owner to name her. I named her Maia. Maia seems to really like her name because she responds every time I say it.
Summerâs ending. I donât know what Father has found out about school. Iâm just cuddled up with Maia on my bed, scrolling through Tumblr. Someone knocks at my door. From Maiaâs reaction, itâs Anastacia. She just looked over at the door and laid back down again. Had it been Father, she wouldâve moved to my side. Itâs astounding how good she is discerning who is knocking at my door.
And sure enough, Anastacia comes in. âHey.â She gives a small wave. âFather, he wanted me to come get you. I donât know why, but he sounded serious.â She pauses slightly and looks around my room. âYou really need to get the last boxes unpacked. This is not healthy.â
âI-Iâll be ri-right down.â I still donât talk much, but Maiaâs helping. Iâm talking more than before the move. Ann looks really happy. Sheâs always delighted whenever I try and speak. I know she won't pressure me into it, and for Iâm grateful. Father, on the other hand⊠I donât know. I donât think he has this whole âsingle parentâ thing figured out yet. I donât think I have, either.
I look up to see that sheâs gone again. I was lost in my thoughts again. Maia starts nuzzling my cheek as if sensing my thoughts. Iâm happy I got her. Sheâs amazing. And sheâs jumped off my bed, looking towards the door. Right. Father wanted me downstairs.
I look around the living room when I get there, Maia in my heels. âY-yeah?â I ask as I spot Father sitting at the table. Somethingâs off with his demeanour. He looks up as I get closer.
âHey, sport. How, uh, howâs it going?â he tries with false cheer. I shoot him the most unimpressed look I can. He sinks back into his chair and sighs. âLook, this is not something youâll like very much, so please sit down, Virgil.â Okay, whatâs going on? Iâm starting to freak out. Maia nuzzles my leg, whimpering a bit. I scratch her behind the left ear, calming down at the action.
âFather, youâre starting to freak me out. Whatâs going on?â Ann voices the question for me. Another deep sigh from him. He shifts and produces some papers I hadnât noticed.
âItâs about school. I talked with the administrator or whatever. We canât make the same arrangements. You either go to school or not at all. They just donât have the funds to make it happen. Iâm sorry. Weâll go shopping for school supplies for you guys tomorrow. Itâs last-minute, but itâs all we can do. Iâm really sorry. Iâve spoken with them about, uhm, about you not talking much, Virgil. They say itâs alright. Theyâll pass it along to your teachers,â Father finishes. Great. And here I went and thought today would be a good day.
Anastacia is by my side immediately. She starts massaging my shoulders at the tension thatâs beginning to build. Sheâs the best. And Maia is at my feet, creating a warm and grounding sensation. How did I get this lucky?
âWell, when we get our schedules, well make sure to stick together as much as possible!â Ann says, fiercely. And I believe her. Sheâll do anything to protect me, as I will her.
The last of the summer break goes by with a blur, and suddenly weâve reached our first day as seniors at Gainesville High School. We are headed to the Principleâs office to get our schedules and a school guide. Iâm so freaking scared. What will the Principle think of me? What will the guide? Iâm basically mute at this point in my life, and Iâm only 16! Theyâre gonna think Iâm a joke and laugh at how stupid I am! And- oh God! I have to share classrooms with a bunch of teenage strangers! Who will judge me for not talking at all! Oh, God, Iâm sweating! Will they notice Iâm wearing a binder? No, they canât. My hoodieâs too big for them to see. But what if they demand I take my hoodie off? Then theyâll know. I donât like this, I wanna go home to Maia and curl up with her and never leave the house again!
ââŠil? Virgil, hey, look at me. Please? Virgil!â Iâm thrown out of my thoughts by someone circling their finger in my palm. Who? Oh yeah, Anastacia. âThere you are, Vee. Itâs going to be okay. I know youâre scared. Iâm scared too. But we need to have a clear head, kay?â Anastacia speaks softly. Weâre standing in front of a door. Must be the Principleâs office. âT. Sandersâ, it says. I nod. Thatâs all I can really do at this point. I certainly donât trust my voice to actually hold. My fingers are shaking too much to sign, so thatâs a no-go, too.
Ann knocks on the door. Three times, softly. We hear a muffled âCome in,â and we enter. Iâm just looking at the floor, letting Ann guide me to the chairs we end up sitting in.
âAnastacia and Virgil Blake, I presume?â a man speaks up. We both nod. He sounds nice, so I chance a glance at the man. He looks to be in his mid-to-late thirties. He has a very kind smile. Thatâs one of the first things I can tell about him. âMy name is Thomas Sanders. Iâm the Principle here at Gainesville High School. Now, youâre here for your schedules. I spoke briefly with your father at the end of the break. Said he wanted for you two to have schedules that somewhat corresponded to one another. Iâve also let the teachers know about you, Virgil. I know anxiety can be tough, and weâre trying to be all-inclusive.â He hands us our schedules while heâs talking. He has such a pleasant and calming voice. He reminds me of⊠no. not going down that road today.
The door opens behind us with no warning. I literally jump out of my seat like the scaredy-cat I am. Ann lays a hand on my shoulder and guides me back into my chair. âWhoops, sorry. Didnât think youâd already be here,â a sheepish voice says from the doorway. I look up and see someone our age. They are wearing all black clothes. Long-sleeved crop top with a view of the shoulders. Skinny jeans which arenât too tight. Combat boots with yellow laces. And a bowler hat? A very stylish one, with a silver band around it. It doesnât make them look out of place, nor does it throw off their outfit, but still. A bowler hat. Who wears bowler hats in school?
âAh, still havenât learnt to know, I see?â Mr Sanders tells the newcomer. âAnastacia, Virgil, this is Nini Lupa. Your student guide. Sheâll show you around the school and take you to your first class of the day.â The other student, Nini Lupa, winks at us and gives a two-finger salute. âIf thereâs anything, just go to her. âHave a great first day here,â he smiles at us as we follow Nini out the door.
âSorry about the dramatic entrance. I really thought you wouldnât be here yet. Anyway, letâs get the run of the place, shall we?â Nini says, clapping her hands together once as she speaks. The bell hasnât rung yet, so thereâs still a lot of students in the halls. Theyâre all looking at us. It makes me want to crawl out of my skin.
Sheâs done with the tour just as the bell rings the second time. âIf thereâs anything else, hereâs my number. Just text me,â she smiles at us, as she writes down her number on a small notebook she produced out of nowhere. She hands each of us a little piece of paper. âAnd this is your first period of the day is at. Good luck, guys. And Iâm serious. If thereâs anything at all, hit me up. I really won't mind.â She waves us off and leaves to go to her own class.
âSheâs certainly an interesting one,â Ann says. We open the door and see that the classroom is already filled. I feel tiny right now. Thereâs like, at least more than 20 people in here. I canât remember when the last time I was surrounded by this many people was. And all of them are staring at us like theyâve never seen another person before. Oh yeah, and they are all like, 17 or 18 years old. Ann and I skipped a grade a while back, so weâre always the youngest.
âAh, glad you could make it!â the teacher says. âIâm your Psychology teacher, Miss Singh. Everybody, these are our new students, Anastacia and Virgil Blake. All the way from England. Do try to be nice, for once,â she says, earning a chuckle out of the other students. âPlease take a seat next to Emile and Qikkie. Raise your hands.â Two students raise their hands, and Ann and I walk over to sit next to them. Itâs in front of the class. I wonât miss a thing like this, and I wonât have to worry about any strange looks I know Iâll receive. Iâm just glad Miss Singh didnât make us tell about ourselves.
Miss Singh is much different from any teacher Iâve had in the past, so itâs a fascinating lesson, to say the least. The bell rings, and we pack our stuff together. Emile and Qikkie both say hi to us before heading to their next lesson of the day. As do we.
Ann and I donât share a lot of classes today, and I hate it. There are some faces I end up seeing more than once during the day, though. One being Nini Lupa. Turns out, she also skipped a class and is really smart. Another person I keep seeing is a boy I think is called Jake. Something about him is off-setting. He seems like the type of person youâd want to avoid, so thatâs what Iâm going to do.
The last lesson of the day is AP History. Great. I know nothing about it. Give me art any day. The teacher, Mr Anderson, seems nice. And it also seems like he wasnât told about my, uh, mental state. He asked me a question, and I canât answer it. Like, I actually know the answer, but I can verbally answer it. Luckily, I share this class with Nini. Sheâs been nothing but kind and helpful. âIâm sorry, Mr Anderson, but didnât Principle Sanders tell you?â
âTell me what, miss Lupa?â Mr Anderson looks at her quizzically. He doesnât know. Great. He actually doesnât know.
Nini looks at me for my permission to tell him. Itâs going to be in front of the entire class, but I still nod to her that she can.
âVirgil doesnât talk much due to his anxiety. It causes him to not be able to speak a lot of times. I thought Principle Sanders told every teacher.â Mr Anderson look surprised at first, but it soon changes to understanding.
âOh, Iâm really sorry about that then, Virgil. Could you perhaps write down the answer instead? You look like you know it,â he asks. Heâs given me a way out, though. I can decline if I want to. I end up writing it on a piece of paper and give it Nini. She reads it aloud, and Mr Anderson looks impressed. Apparently, that was a hard question not many actually knew the answer to.
Rest of class proceeds with tension. Not from Mr Anderson, but from the other students. I get a lot of weird glances. I donât look at the others directly, but I know. Iâm trying so hard not to have a panic attack. How would that look? Oh, the new boy canât talk. Heâs probably doing it for attention. And now heâs having a panic attack in the middle of class. Such an attention whore.
The bell rings. Itâs time for lunch. I think. Still havenât figured the American school system out. Nini says her goodbyes to me, she has to go to the library to meet up with a friend of hers that need help. I go outside to get some air. Father said to call if I became too much for me, and Iâm seriously beginning to consider doing so.
I shoot a text Annâs way to tell her Iâm outside. I sigh and find some shade. Everybody in the school probably knows Iâm a freak now. High schools are infamous for being ground zero for gossip after all. As long as they think Iâm contagious or something, like the students back home, theyâll leave me alone. âHey, freak!â Or not.
I look over minutely and spot that Jake guy. Great. The off-putting dude. He was in Mr Andersonâs class. Everyone seems to hurry out of his way. Welp, Iâm doomed, and itâs only my first day here. This is how I go. Finally, someone decided to put me out of my misery.
âHey, Iâm talking to you! Just because you canât speak, doesnât mean you get to ignore you superiors!â he hisses out at me. Oh, so thatâs how it goes? Iâm suddenly the lowest of the low just because I canât speak? That makes me stupid, somehow? I steel my face and put on a bold look. I turn to him, and that quickly crumbles when I actually get a good look at the guy. Heâs huge. Iâm nothing compared to him. Iâm just the new scrawny kid you get to throw around like a ragdoll.
Iâm standing underneath a tree, but I take a step forward and out into the sun to meet him head-on. Show him Iâm not scared of him, even though Iâm terrified. Doesnât look like Iâm getting any help from the surrounding students. Iâm all alone against a giant.
âOr maybe you can talk, and you just pretend so you donât have to say anything in class. Nah, I bet an emo like you arenât that smart.â Heâs going for my looks now. This is fine. I can handle it. I just gotta wait until Ann gets here and then itâs two against one. I donât give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
And before I know it, Iâm on the ground. My head knocks against the tree, and it hurts like all hell! He mustâve pushed me or something. I donât really recall. All I can focus on is the pain in the back of my head.
âYouâre fucking weak. A weak freak! No oneâs going to help you. You know that, right? They donât dare go against me, and they couldnât care less about you!â he laughs. I canât help but let out a tiny whimper because itâs true. I can see it on their faces. They wonât help. I donât know what going to happen now. I just wanna go home and never leave again. I-
âOI! What the hell do you think youâre doing?!â
Brave New World, Chapter 2: Meet The New Detectives
Chapter Summary: The detectives, Logan and Roman, have had a long night and are looking forward to visiting Roman's sibling. Remy has a semi heart-to-heart with Talyn, and a mysterious young man enters the picture.
The day had started out pretty standard. Detective Logan Abbott got up at 5.30 am, showered, got dressed, ate breakfast with some coffee on the side. Nothing out of the ordinary. He was out of the door at 7 am. At 7.15 am he was standing in front of his partner, detective Roman Mooreâs, entry. He was not up yet, so Logan mentally prepared himself to drag the overgrown child out of bed. They had had a stakeout the night previously, so he would definitely whine a great deal. Logan got out his keys to lock himself in. It was a lot of fuss to get him out of the door with an adequate amount of time to get to work. Like previously stated. Nothing out of the ordinary.
âWhy must you hurt me so?â Roman whined. They were in Loganâs car on their way to the precinct. âI didnât even get to eat breakfast, you monster!â he exclaimed.
âLucky for you, I predicted that. We are headed for an easy breakfast for you. I already ordered to ensure you wouldnât pick any junk food,â Logan quickly added when he saw the excited look that grew on Romanâs face. A look that also promptly fell to an exasperated pout.
âYouâre no fun, Logan,â he moped as he flopped back into his seat.
They soon turned into the parking lot of a small diner. One they were well equated with, ever since the beginning of their partnership. They had helped out the owner when they had been robbed at the beginning of its lifetime.
âHeya, Lo!â The chipper voice emanated from a head full of bright pastel-blue hair.
âSalutations Talyn,â Logan greeted them back. âHow are things fairing?â Logan grimaced slightly at how his attempt at a normal conversation sounded. Talyn, however, didnât seem to mind.
âThings are awesome, thanks to you and Roman having our backs. Speaking of, Iâm guessing youâre here for his breakfast?â At that Logan nodded and smiled gratefully at Talyn who went out the back to get it.
âJoan is not here,â Logan observed. It was rather odd, seeing as they were figuratively joined at the hip. Logan wondered where they could be since they always insisted on staying with Talyn in the morning hours due to the robbery three years prior and didnât want to risk anything.
âNo, they got a tip aboutâŠâ Talyn glanced up at the security cameras, a worried expression on their face. â⊠you know.â
âAh, I see. Roman and I would be more than happy to lend our assistance in that matter. A child should not be alone like that.â
Talyn sighed to themselves, they never told Logan the full truth, since their operation was somewhat illegal. They had just told Logan and Roman that the two of them helped mutant children kicked out of their house by their parents. It didnât matter that Logan, too, was a mutant, they couldnât risk it. âWe know, but we just canât risk it. These children have grown up fearing the police, and they already have trouble trusting us as it is.â
Logan sighed. He sincerely wished the world would just accept them already and move on instead of insisting on criminalising mutants.
Logan put a hand to his mouth in an attempt to stifle a yawn. A poor one at that as Talyn elected that moment to return and shot him a worried grin.
âLate night?â they asked, placing down Romanâs breakfast in front of him. They gave him a sympathetic smile at Loganâs slight nod. âMay I ask what you two were doing? You wouldnât have ordered food for Roman if the two of you didnât have a late-night together,â they added at Loganâs baffled look. âYeah thatâs right, I can do detective work too.â
âMerely a stakeout, but one that took longer than I originally calculated,â he admitted sheepishly, not used to making wrong calculations, especially when it was about his work.
âIt only helps to prove that you are a human being. People make mistakes,â they smiled at him. âAnd speaking of human beings, donât you think you should be giving this to Roman before he starts getting over-dramatic?â
âWhen is he not?â Logan chuckled. âAnd if I am correct, he will be asleep again by now.â
Logan looked a bit offended. âI would hardly call it favour; we are friends after all, are we not? And is this not what friends would do for each other?â he scoffed. He then softened his expression up and took the piece of paper offered to him. âOf course we would stop by. This does not have a name on it?â he asked when he looked at it.
âYeah, I donât really know what they named it, but knowing the two of them, it will most likely be pun-related,â they said, grinning when they saw Loganâs slightly horrified expression. âNow go! You two donât wanna have Captain Holt breathing down your neck, do you now?â
Loganâs eyes widened, not having realised how long he had been conversing with Talyn. He hastily picked up the food he had put down to accept the piece of paper with the address on and hurried out the door. Talyn waved him goodbye which he barely returned.
He was by the car less than ten seconds later, and sure enough, Roman was fast asleep again. Logan looked at his watch and rolled his eyes before smirking. Romanâs seatbelt suddenly unbuckled and smacked him in the face.
Roman let out an undignified screech. âWHYYY?!â
âSimply. You were sleeping, which will throw off your inner clock even more than it already is, I have your breakfast, we have to be at the precinct in thirty minutes,â Logan listed off. âAnd I thought it would be fun,â he added with a smirk.
Roman mock-gasped, placing his hand on his chest in the process. âHow DARE you?! Mocking one of the best, most handsome detectives the police have to offer?! I thought I was your partner, but alas, I guess it is true what they say. Your kind really is a menace,â he dramatically sighed.
Logan stiffened at that. âMy kind?â he inquired slowly. He had trusted Roman with his secret knowing he wouldnât judge and shun him as his parents had, but maybe he was wrong after all. He hoped he hadnât.
âYes, your kind. You know, brits,â Roman dismissed with a waving hand. Logan let out the small breath he hadnât realised heâs been holding, tension slowly leaving his body again.
Logan handed him the food and got in the car. He shouldnât entertain any more distractions. âEat,â was the only other word that left Loganâs mouth before he turned on the ignition. He missed the sad look Roman sent him.
Talyn sighed. They really hated being alone in the morning since that day, but they had no choice right now. It was either their comfort or helping many mutants find their way home, or find a new one. It wasnât as if Talyn couldnât defend themselves, no they were quite adept in fighting, and their powers complimented that. They just werenât comfortable opening up alone. Their skills and abilities were still nothing against a gun or multiple people. At least with Joan, they stood a chance.
They wiped down the counter, at least there werenât many people in the morning, only people having to leave home early for work.
They shot a quick text to Joan to see how the rescue was going. They didnât expect to get a response anytime soon, so instead, they went out the back to check on the equipment and possibly clean some of them if the closing shift forgot. It wasnât uncommon if they did. They were usually college students, so Talyn didnât blame them one bit. They were in their place only seven years ago, so the experience was still fresh in their memory.
The tell-tale ding of the bell above the door was heard stating there was a costumer. Talyn moved to the counter again, expecting one of the regulars but instead found a tired-looking Remy Reverie.
âShouldnât you be in bed right now, Rem? You look like shit,â they remarked already in the process of making coffee.
âYeah, well, it's not easy sleeping when Emile is a giant morning person and me being a light sleeper. âSides, I havenât been getting much sleep either way. You know, with the whole⊠âReina situationâ ya know,â he sighed, gratefully accepting the coffee.
âSheâs gonna be okay, Iâm sure. After all, she has your snazzy attitude,â they said, giving Remy a small, sad smile.
Remy huffed out a laugh at that. âThat she has. That she has,â he said under his breath. Then his face turned sad. âI just donât understand why she would take off like that out of nowhere. I mean, she would have called me. Right? I know we havenât seen each other in years, but we still kept in contact. She wouldnât just do that. Right?â he said, looking up at Talyn from where he was sitting, scanning their face.
âI donât know, man. Iâm not the shrink here. You are,â they shrugged before their face turned serious again. âHave you talked to Emile about it?â
âI mean, yeah? No, I havenât,â he conceded when he saw Talynâs unimpressed look that told him that they didnât believe him one bit.
âWhy not? Emâs your partner, have been since college if I remember correctly. Your welcome, by the way,â Talyn said, trying to lighten his mood. They really hated seeing him down in the dumps like this. The two of them had been friends since high school, quickly connecting due to them having a shared secret. When Remy turned 18, he left his family for more than just one reason. He moved in with Talyn and their family soon after. Their family helped him financially when he had to start at college, where he met Emile, who was studying psychology like him.
âI donât know. Maybe because that will make this whole situation real and Iâll realise there isnât anything I can do about it,â he sighed downing his coffee.
âYou know, you donât have to deal with your problems alone â no need to play your own psychologist when you have Emile. And donât give me that crap about you not wanting to bother him with your issues. Thatâs one of the reasons both you and Emile became shrinks. Because you actually give a fuck about others and you wanna help them get through whatever hell they might be going through!â they said, fixing Remy with a stern look.
âEasy there, gurl. Your wolf is showing,â Remy quipped when their eyes started flickering between their standard colour and striking gold. Talyn took a deep breath, and their eyes returned to normal. âThere we go, donât want any sleep-deprived gremlins seeing you now, do we?â he smirked.
âAsshole,â they smiled. âAnd you know Iâm nowhere near being canine or did your sleep-deprived ass forget that?â they said, playfully smacking his shoulder.
âNo, no, youâre right, if anything youâre a mama bear. Or mama hen. Havenât decided, they are too close to each other to tell the difference.â
They softened up and placed some scrambled eggs in front of him. âNice to see your sassiness is returning. Now, as the mama bear-slash-hen here Iâm telling you to eat up!â They placed their hands on their hips, fixing him with a mock stern stare making Remy chuckle lightly.
At the same time, Talynâs phone went off, alerting to a new text message.
âGo on, you can check it hon, I won't mind,â Remy gently said when Talyn didnât do so right away. After another moment or so and another visional sweep of the diner, they looked at their phone, face lighting up remarkable at who it was.
Joanglebook: Â Hey Tal. Iâm a bit exhausted, but things went well. There were way more people than our intel said, but everyone is one their way home safely. Many kids. Taking them to X. Lightâs going back to the states, brought a kid with âer. I miss you. Sorry, you had to open without me. Iâll be back as soon as I can.
âGood news?â Remy quirked an eyebrow after a few minutes of Talyn being quiet and just beaming.
âVery,â they said after another moment's silence. âJust gonna reply real quick. Be right back.â They then went out back to reply. Remy had an idea of what it was they were doing, but they didnât wanna risk their operation being compromised. They had installed a receptor for their own small satellite so they wouldnât be able to be spied on by the government.
Tallykat: Thatâs amazing Joan! Mustâve taken more people after they got it. Say hi to X and the others from me. And take the time you need to get everyone safe. Thereâs no rush. Logan says hi by the way.
Talyn hesitated before sending another message.
Tallykat: Any sign of Reina? Remyâs here and is really out of it. Works his ass off at the bar till early morning and barely gets any sleep anymore. Iâm worried.
They sighed and put away the phone before going back out. Remy was still sitting at the counter, sunglasses back in their usual spot, and playing with the scrambled eggs with his fork. Â âJoan says hi,â they said, trying to get Remyâs attention off of Reina.
He looked up at Talyn, sending them a small smirk. It still wasnât the usual quality Remy SmirkTM, but it was close enough. âSure about that? Youâre not just sugarcoating the usual âwut up, fuckheadâ?â
Talyn mock-gasped, looking offended. âI was trying to be nice! But if you want it that way, they didnât even mention you,â they snarked back at him with a cheeky smile resulting in them getting a gentle shove to the shoulder.
Before Remy could reply, Talyn got another text holding up their finger to shush him.
Joanglebook: Â Iâm guessing Romanâs asleep since itâs only Logan saying hi. And no. Reina wasnât there. Iâm worried too. She could have a variation of his powers, and any variety of his powers is very powerful, making her valuable to any buyer or army. Stay safe yourself. And say wut up, fuckhead to Remy from me. Thx.
Talyn chuckled. âJoan again. They send their âwut up, fuckheadâ,â they grinned, looking back at their phone. At the same time, the bell jingled again, and a young person with purple hair entered, sitting down at a table in the corner.
Talyn tried to make eye contact with them to show that they had noticed them and would be coming over shortly, but the young personâs focus was solely on their phone. Huh.
Remy noticed the change in atmosphere and looked over his shoulder to get a look at the newcomer. They wore all-black clothing, ripped skinny jeans, hoodie with the hood up, and combat boots. They had purple ends on their short black hair and feminine facial features, though that didnât tell Remy anything about their gender or preferred pronouns. He sighed. He really shouldnât be starting psychoanalysing a complete stranger he wasnât going to see again anyway.
Talyn put their phone away, grabbed a menu and went to give it to the newcomer.
They returned shortly after with worry etched in their eyes. There was something about him (the stranger told Talyn his preferred pronouns after Talyn hold him theirs), something Talyn couldnât place. Hopefully, he would come more often so they could get to know him, find out what it was that made Talyn worry for the young man. âTroubles for another day Tal, you got too much on your own plate right now, ha, plate. Pun intended,â they thought, breathing a silent laugh at their own joke.
Of course Remy, ever observant, noticed the worry straight(ha) away even though Talyn did an excellent job concealing it. He didnât voice his concerns, though, carefully observing Talyn instead.
âWhat?â Talyn exclaimed, making the young man in the corner look up from his phone. Remy just quirked an eyebrow at them. They narrowed their eyes at him in retaliation. âYou just went all shrinky on me, didnât ya?â
Remy huffed out a laugh at their remark while shaking his head. âNah, I never get anything from you anyway, so Iâve stopped trying altogether babes,â he smiled at the shorter person standing behind the counter. Tiny but lethal. Remy learned that the hard way. He shook his head, almost unnoticeably to get rid of those thoughts and memories.
Talyn glanced back at the young man. He had put his menu away, so he was probably ready to order. âIâll be right back Rem,â they said, walking towards the young man. âSoo, made up your mind?â
He looked up at them, giving a small, almost not there, smile and nodded slowly. âIâll just have some mint tea, please,â he said, voice gruff like he hadnât used it in a while. Or been up all night, one of those. Talyn wouldnât even be surprised if it was both. He looked like a college student with the bags under his eyes, something Talyn was used to see in the college students working at the diner.
âOne mint tea, coming up. You sure I couldnât get you anything to eat?â they asked, looking him over again. He was rather thin, unhealthily so, and was quite pale. A healthy, nutritious breakfast would do him wonders.
He shook his head slightly. âNo thanks, just tea.â
âAlrighty, Iâll be right back.â Talyn smiled at him and went behind the counter again.
âSo, he a coffee addict?â Remy quipped at Talyn when they returned. âHe looks like one, with the bags under his eyes and the fact that heâs here this early.â Remy sounded worried when he spoke. And if there was a tad of sadness there as well? Well, Talyn didnât plan on pointing it out.
âNo, he ainât like you, Rem. You think every early bird are like you, donât you?â They fondly shook their head at him. âAnd you and I both know there are more factors involved with bags under your eyes than just insomnia.â This time a wink followed.
Remy blushed deeply and awkwardly coughed. âYes, well, uhm, I, you know, Iâm usually right about, ahem, being sleep - I mean a coffee addict!â Remy tried - and failed - to backtrack. He just early himself a laugh from Talyn.
They knew exactly what they were doing. They loved insinuating things and making Remy a flustered mess. Not many were able to out-flirt Remy, but Talyn was one of the select few who could. Talyn finished laughing and decided to show Remy some mercy. He had to go to work soon, after all.
âSo,â Talyn started, finding the teabags while the water was boiling. âHowâre things with Emile?â they asked, finally changing the subject, ending Remyâs suffering.
Remy thought for a moment, smiling to himself. âThings are pretty great. We talked about adoption since the last time we spoke. Itâs what theyâve always wanted. That, and helping people through the use of therapy of course,â he chuckled before sighing. âDonât think Iâm ready, though. To raise a child, I mean. Itâs a big responsibility, and you donât get a second chance with that kid.â
Talyn gave him a sympathetic smile before turning around again to find some sugar and milk. âIâm sure youâll do great. You have Emile at your side, remember? Youâre not alone. Plus, Joan and Iâll be right by your side.â
âI know,â Remy smiled. He refilled his coffee before taking a significant drag from it. He sighed when he put it down. âI just donât know. How is it possible for me to be a good parent when I was such a horrible brother? I left her with⊠with them, and she was only six. You donât think sheâs been taken by them, do you?â He looked up with horror in his eyes at them at his last question.
âNo, I donât think so. Sheâd put up too much of a fight to be worth their troubles. And you stop that train of thought right this instant, Remigius Reverie! You are an amazing brother! If youâd stayed, they wouldâve taken it out on her too, and you know that. And I know for a fact that if you couldâve taken her with you, you would have. Or even better, getting custody of her. And because of that, I KNOW youâll be an amazing parent!â they scolded him. Self-deprecation is terrible for your mental health, you know.
Their outburst took Remy by surprise and earned them a glance from the young man. Talyn looked over to him with an apologetic look before returning to the process of making his tea. The water had just finished boiling, so they poured some into the cup they had found before dropping the teabag in. They put it on a tray along with some sugar and milk and went over to him.
âHere ya go, teabag has just been dropped in, and thereâs sugar and milk if you want to add that. Sorry for the, uhm, outburst. Remy, over there, is an old friend and has the bad habit of being self-deprecating when heâs reminiscing and hasnât gotten a lot of sleep,â they said apologetically.
âDonât worry âbout it. Nothing Iâm not used to,â the young man said, widening his eyes infinitesimally when he realised what he had just said. Talyn just looked at him quizzically, but before they could ask anything, he looked back at his phone, a clear sign he didnât want to continue the conversation. He glanced up again when Talyn picked up the tray again and started walking away. âThanks for the tea,â he smiled at them.
âYouâre welcome, kid.â They answered his smile with their own before returning to scold Remy some more.
âBefore you can continue your scolding Iâm gonna ask you this: where is Joan exactly? You hate being alone in the morning,â Remy hurried to ask Talyn when they returned to the counter.
They glanced back at the young man, but he seemed to be engrossed in his phone again, occasionally sipping at his tea. âGreece. But theyâre on their way back. Have to make a few stops though.â
âGreece?!â Remy asked them incredulously. âBut I just saw them two days ago!â
âYeah,â Talyn said, scratching the back of their neck. âIt was on very short notice, but nothing weâre not used to around here,â they said sheepishly.
Remy nodded. âYeah, I know that. Both Emile and I and do, actually. Sometimes trauma victims-slash-survivors need someone to talk to right away, so we obviously make sure they get to the office safely, and weâll be there as soon as we can. Itâs usually mutants that need that opportunity though.â The last part was mumbled, but Talyn knew what he was talking about.
âHello, can I get the old sassy Remy back now, please? All this solemn seriousness doesnât really suit your personality,â Talyn said lightly, trying to get his spirits up again.
âSorry babes forgot where I was there for a minute,â Remy snarked back at them, though it lacked the usual teasing bite. He finished his coffee and breakfast and put some money on the counter. âWell, I should probably head to the office to start on the paperwork or whatever. Later gurl.â He waved Talyn goodbye before walking out again.
âLater.â Talyn took the money, put some in the moneybox and the rest in the tip jar; Remy always left a good tip.
Soon after the young man in the corner got up and went to the counter to pay for his tea.
âYou still sure youâre not hungry? I can quickly whip up something for you to go, itâs no problem, really,â Talyn tried again. They could recognise malnourishment when they saw it, and this kid was definitely malnourished. They would give it to him for free if he didnât have the money.
âYeah, Iâm fine. Really. No need to worry,â he said, giving a tentative smile. âAnd keep the change.â He gave them a two-finger-salute before walking out again.
âOdd young man,â they thought. âProbably just donât want to trouble me more than necessary since itâs so early.â
They went back to collect the teacup, milk and sugar, wipe down the table and the counter and returned to conversing with Joan over the phone in the back.
Little did they know the mysterious young man had listened carefully to their conversation and recorded the entire thing on a hidden camera.
In the meantime, Logan and Roman had driven in comfortable silence, only broken by Roman chewing, and was almost at the precinct.
It was almost 8 am at the time they drove into the precinctâs parking lot.
âTell me again Specs, why we have to be here this early?â Roman complained. He was NOT in a good mood after only four hours of sleep. Roman hated stakeouts. They meant that he wouldnât be able to get his Beauty Sleep the following week.
âBecause,â Logan sighed, sounding a bit annoyed. âwe have to talk to Captain Holt about your brotherâs reward request. His tip paid off better than expected. I also wasnât able to finish all the paperwork for processing the suspects.â Logan glanced at Roman, getting an unimpressed look. âWe also have to prepare for when the new detectives arrive later in the day.â
âAh, so it was your idea to meet at the precinct this early? Thatâs a surprise,â Roman said flatly.
Logan sighed. âLook, I know you want to just stay in and sleep, but this needs to be done. Captain Holt agreed to let us have the day off tomorrow since weâve been working overtime for days now.â
Roman gasped. âHolt is willingly giving us a day off?! Without hours of begging and annoying him?!â Roman was ecstatic, to say the least. Logan rolled his eyes and sat down. They had reached their desks.
âThat is because he knows I get the job done and never ask for anything like this unless itâs warranted. Now, we need to finish the paperwork before we can discuss your brotherâs reward.â Roman got a sad look on his face at the mention of his brother. Even though they were so different from each other, Roman still loved him more than anything. The thought of his powers driving him insane hurt Roman to his core.
âYeah. How long do you think the paperwork will take? Iâd like to notify Emile myself of when weâre coming.â Roman sent a pleading look Loganâs way. And Logan caved. He had a soft spot for his partner, so if this had been anyone else, he wouldâve said no and done it himself, like he originally planned. But this was Roman. Loganâs young partner who was spontaneous but determined and an excellent detective.
âWe are not missing a lot. If we work at our optimal, in your case listening to lyricless music, we should be done within the hour. Then we need to discuss his reward with Captain Holt, which I estimate will take approximately twenty minutes, and transportation will be another twenty minutes... Meaning we should be there in about an hour and a half,â Logan sighed at Romanâs lost expression. âThat leaves us just enough time to prepare for the new detectives as well.â
âWell, why didnât you just say that? Come on, letâs get working! Well, you get working, Iâm gonna call Emile real quick.â And out the back Roman went at the speed of light. Well, one would think that; he was just really excited and in great shape.
Logan shook his head, fondly. Roman only really had time to visit his brother when they were working cases where they got his help. Logan clocked them in for the day and began the paperwork and processing of witness statements and the criminals.
After about ten minutes, Romans plopped down in his chair opposite to Loganâs. Roman gave a content sigh. âYou got to talk to him, I take it?â Logan inquired.
âYeah, she is looking forward to our visit.â Roman was acting more subdued than usual, after talking to his sister, Logan noticed.
âShe. Oh. Depressive episode?â Roman nodded. You could always tell what pronouns to use with Romanâs sister according to her mood. Though, she rarely had a depressive episode anymore. Still, Roman always enjoyed talking and spending time with her, no matter what.
âLetâs just get this done so we can get moving,â Roman evaded and dove into the paperwork. Logan frowned but refrained from commenting. Roman usually thought it too boing and complained a bit before he really got into it. They both worked in appreciative silence for the next forty minutes.
Logan sighed. âThatâs the last of it from my part. How is it looking with you?â
âAlmost done, Lo,â Roman said as he flipped a page in his small pile of papers and continued writing on the computer. âYou go ahead into Holtâs office, Iâll be there in a minute or five.â Logan nodded and cleaned his desk (even though he didnât need to; it was always neat and clean) before heading to Captain Holtâs office door and knocking.
âDetective Abbott, come in,â Cpt. Holt called. And he did. âWhy isnât Dec. Moore with you?â he asked, looking behind Logan.
âHe wasnât quite finished with his paperwork and told me to go ahead. He does not wish to prolong getting to see his sister again.â Holt looked at Logan sympathetically before nodding.
âI see. Well, what has she asked for in return for her help this time?â Holt inquired.
âAs always, to go home. She knows as well as us that she is unable to, so she continued with saying it is because sheâd love to visit the park she and Roman used to play in when they were younger, again. Is that one a possibility?â It wasnât one of the bigger requests sheâd come with, so Logan hoped it was something they could grant her.
âWe need to set up a perimeter, make sure no one enters the park as well as have eyes on her all the time, but other than that, I think itâs doable. Weâve organised bigger operations than this,â Holt agreed.
Just in that second, Roman walked in, as Logan hadnât closed the door. âWell, what are we waiting for? Letâs go!â Roman exclaimed, although, it was much more subdued than usual.
âNot so fast, Dec. Moore,â Holt interrupted. âWe cannot do that today. The new detectives are arriving in less than two hours, and I want to give them a good first impression. Iâve only heard impressive things about them from my old friend, Cpt. Garcia.â
âI donât think sheâll want to go outside for a while anyway, so thatâs okay, Captain.â Roman turned from the door. âIâd just like to tell her in person, if thatâs alright, Sir?â Oh, Roman was looking at their Captain with such a pitiful look in his eyes that even Holtâs sturdy and tough façade crumbled.
Holt sighed. âOf course, Dec. Moore. Just be back thirty minutes before. Not twenty-nine. Thirty. Do greet her from me.â
âThank you so much, Sir!â Roman exclaimed and basically ran out the door to the parking lot. Logan sighed at his partnerâs antics. He looked back at Cpt. Holt, who only nodded to him.
âIâll make sure weâre back forty-five minutes before, Sir,â he said before he, as well, disappeared out the door to his car.
Due to Roman being filled with energy at getting to see his sister again, Logan drove just a bit faster than strictly necessary which in turn made them be there in six minutes instead of the usual ten. As soon as Logan had parked the car Roman was out. Logan couldnât really blame him. It had been months since they last saw each other. Visits of any kind werenât allowed unless it was for a case, which Logan found revolting. Just because she was⊠that still didnât make it fair! In fact, it made it less fair than if she had just been a mentally ill supercriminal, like Ami Amore (except she wasnât mentally ill, she was just a supercriminal mastermind)! And even those were allowed to get visitors!
The dumpster near him started to shake a bit. Logan took a few calming breaths. Nowâs not the time to let my emotions take control, he thought to himself. Roman needed him.
Logan walked calmly (though that was only his exterior) into the facility. He found Roman by the reception, waiting for him. âWhat took you so long, Logan??â Roman asked while dramatically bringing the back of his hand to his forehead.
âDec. Abbott. Nice to see you two again. Solved the case, did ya?â the receptionist, the young Mx Thomsen, said. They gave Logan and Roman their visitorâs pass so they could move around in the facility without any problems.
âWe did, yes. Weâre here to inform Remus that her request has been granted. Though, weâll not be able to acquiesce today, as two new detectives will be joining the precinct today and we have to prepare for them. And it is nice to see you too, Mx Thomsen,â Logan added after a look from Roman.
They giggled. They always did when Logan was being guided by Roman in social behaviour. âRight this way, guys. Sheâs in the garden right now. Dr Picani discovered thatâs the most effective way to bring her out of the depression. Theyâve still yet to discover a way to bring her down from her mania. But stuff like this takes time. I really wish you guys were allowed to visit her outside of work. She misses you especially, Roman.â Mx Thomsen kept talking all the way to the garden. Logan was really glad they did. Something to keep Roman busy. Those two really got along well with each other.
âWell, if it isnât my favourite twin brother,â a tired feminine voice said. âHave you come to free me?â
âNot today, sister dear. Iâm afraid we have to prepare for some new troops coming today. And you donât really seem up to it, either. But, once you feel better, and the new detectives have settled, weâll make sure we get to visit the park. Okay?â Roman was the one addressed, so he was the one speak. They learned the hard way not to talk to her unless you were addressed (or if you were Dr Picani) when she had a depressive episode.
âPuh-he. Well, at least I can still be in these gardens. Hey, wanna hear a secret, Ro?â Remus said, leaning a bit closer to him.
âAlways!â Roman said, leaning closer as well so Remus could whisper in his ear. It made him nostalgic for when they were kids and would share secrets with each other all the time.
âThey are very bad at keeping the garden, so itâs chaos. Just like I like it!â Remus stage-whispered. She giggled at her own words, though it lacked the usual enthusiasm. Roman chuckled with her.
âYes, I can see that. They are a bit lazy here, aren't they?â Roman winked. Remus was always his centre of attention when they were visiting her. Logan went to speak with the doctors, leaving the two siblings to enjoy each others company. They had approximately twenty minutes before they had to leave again.
âDr Picani. Pleasure as always,â he greeted the person in front of him. They lit up when they saw who was speaking to them. Theyâd been looking in some files and hadnât discovered the detectives had arrived.
âDec. Abbott! Pleasureâs all mine! So, are you here to sign the papers of letting Remus visit the park?â they asked
âSadly, no. Not yet, anyway. Two new detectives are arriving today and, we have to get them settled in the routine. But once they are, and Remus feels better, we will take her there. And thank you,â Logan added after a moment of hesitation. Picani tilted their head.
âThank me? Whatever for? Taking care of and helping Remus is my job and my pleasure.â To say they were confused by Loganâs gratitude was an understatement. Logan, however, shook his head.
âThough I am also grateful for that, I meant about what you and Remy do on the side. You make a huge difference for a lot of people; old as young. You helped me,â Logan said, looking Picani sincerely in the eye. He usually never was one to admit he needed help or that he had help, but he wouldnât deny that fact to someone who helped him in the past.
âAw shucks, Logan. I donât know what to say,â they blushed a tiny bit, because they knew how hard of a subject it was to Logan to discuss and he had a hard time admitting when he admired people. Like he admired what the two therapists were doing. They suddenly thought of something. âDid you tell them yet? Your colleagues?â
Logan sighed. âOther than Roman, no. Not even Cpt. Holt. I would rather they didnât know just yet. I know Florida is accepting, but they took a while to pass that law. Other states passed it many years ago, yet weâve only taken the initiative to pass it two years ago. I still fear the public would want me burned in the media fire if they knew.â
Picani smiled at him sympathetically. âI know. But they are your coworkers; your friends. Theyâll understand it if you donât want anyone other than them to know. But the decision is yours, and I respect it. And I understand it.â
They continued to talk about Remus and her improvements over the past year when they were interrupted by Romanâs startled exclamation. âRemus, what are you doing?!â They looked over and saw that Remus had a tight hold of Romanâs wrist. The bruising kind of grip. They ran over, but Logan arrived first. And was shocked.
Remusâ eyes were black. There were no traces of her otherwise green eyes or white. They were all black. And then Remus spoke. Her voice was unrecognisable.
  The Moon shines bright, but if you do nothing, it will go dark! Â
A prediction. Theyâd never seen it up close, but both Logan and Roman were sure it was a prediction that involved them, however absurd it was fraised.
Then she let go of Romanâs arm, and her eyes went back to normal. âWhoo, what a rush, huh?â
Roman just stared at his sister, trying to make sense of what had just happened. He hadnât really processed the words. Luckily, Logan was fast to grab a notebook and a pencil and write it down.
âI think itâs time you get some rest, Remus, donât you?â Dr Picani stepped in, voice kind and approached her was a non-threatening stance. She was always volatile after a prediction, and who knew what a prediction during a depressive episode would do to her.
âYeah, I think so too, Doc. Nice seeing ya, Roman. And heed the words,â she sing-sang before she skidded off after Dc Picani.
Logan and Roman drove back to the precinct in silence, both trying to understand what that absurd prediction could mean.
Then entered the precinct and found it a complete mess. Holt was in his office, looking like heâd been trying, and failing, to get the detectives under control for a long time. Not even Loganâs death stare seemed to work right now. And thatâs how they spent the next forty minutes trying to get the detectives under control.
The front doors to the precinct opened, but no one seemed to notice. Logan was sitting at his desk, looking done with everything while Roman chased Dec. Peralta around the precinct. It was chaos. Some might confuse the precinct with a kindergarten run by a single adult.
Things were starting to calm a tiny bit down as the cold air from outside began to be noticed. Logan looked up from his desk and looked at the two newcomers. They didnât seem to be particularly impressed. Logan couldnât really blame him. He wondered who they were and what their business at the precinct was since they didnât immediately go for one of the free detectives, Logan.
Suddenly, Holt exited his office and called out to the entire precinct, âEVERYONE!!â and got most of the precinctâs attention. Some froze when they spotted the two standing looking at them with an unreadable expression in their eyes. Logan was starting to get a sinking feeling about who they were and wished he could just sink into the floor and out of this childish picture. âMeet the new detectives!â
Notes: Based off of an incorrect quote by @ssslimyboy
Summary: Whatever Virgil had imagined would happen today, it most certainly wasnât this! This man nearly died, just to pet his dog! Like, what? Okay, letâs rewind the day a bit to see what actually happened, shall we?
Just To Pet My Dog?!
âAlright, Ann. Itâs 4:30. We gotta head out now if we donât wanna be late for the vetâs.â A whine was heard. Virgil chuckled. Anastacia really didnât want to go the vet. Virgil couldnât really blame her. He himself never liked going to the doctorâs office either.
âWruff!â
âI know, Ann. But itâs just a check-up,â he said, finding the leash as well as some of Anastaciaâs favourite treats. She starts wagging her tail when she catches their smell. She was a beautiful albino German Shepherd, and heâd had her since she was a pup.
After another minute of dosing her with love, they were out of the door. It took about 15 minutes to get to the clinic, and their appointment was at 5 pm, so they would have some time to spare once they got there.
They were walking peacefully down the street when Virgil was abruptly pulled out of his thoughts at the sounds of tires screeching. Virgil looked up and saw a bespectacled man with curly honey-brown coloured hair. And he was crossing the road at what one would call superspeed without a care for his life. All Virgil could do was stand there and stare. What the actual hell was going through that manâs head?! The road was heavily trafficked this time of the day with people just wanting to get home from work.
Relationships: Platonic everyone. But if you squint, you might see some Loceit and Remile.
Summary: Ever wonder how Virgil always wins in hide and seek? Well, wonder no more, for I have the answer right here!
Authorâs note: This is inspired by an incorrect Sanders Sides quote I made on Twitter. That quote was inspired by me writing down cosplay ideas, Virgil and Patton playing hide and seek with each other and Virgil âcheatingâ, finding Patton super quick ;)
This is basically just fluff and Virgil being a sneaky bean.
Hide and Seek
A knock sounded on his door. Virgil groaned. Why couldnât he just sleep? It was only, what? 11 am?
âHey, kiddo?â Patton. âRoman and I have arranged a day out in the Imagination. Are you even up?â he added after a moment of hesitation, sounding disapproving.
âNo, Iâm not, but itâs not like I can say that to youâ Virgil thought to himself. âYeah, Iâm up. Just, uh, dosing of a bit. Iâll be down in a minute.â
âYay!â Patton left. Ugh, what did they have planned this time? Horseback riding was bad enough; his rear still hurt a bit, by the way, Princey!
Virgil got out of bed and got dressed before he went to his bathroom to put on his make-up. What? He still liked to keep up his aesthetics even though they werenât filming. Sure, they were going outside in the Imagination, and it would probably be ruined, but he still liked it, okay?!
Characters: Surgeon Logan, non-binary Deceit (his name is Ezra Moriarty), genderfluid Patton (uses she/her pronouns in this), Senator Roman.
Word count: 2002
AO3
Summary: Set in the year 2123, Logan is a heart-surgeon who is about to operate on a high-profile patient. Though the patient is adamant, Logan tries to change the patientâs mind about which heart should be chosen. What will be chosen and what will Logan have to say about it?
Authorâs note: This is me changing some words and sentences in an already written short story. Itâs called âSegregationistâ and is written by Isaac Asimov in 1967. We read this in our English lessons a few days ago, and I could not help but imagine Logan being the surgeon and Deceit as the medical engineer and Roman as the Senator. It is actually a good read. Normally I donât really like what we are made to read, but I really like this one. I might build more onto this story and make a series out of it. Depends on my motivational levels and what you guys think about it.
Once Upon A Time... Not Chapter 2: Memories and Moving Trucks
Chapter summary: Virgil has a nasty flashback induced nightmare and Anastacia goes into protective mode. The moving truck arrives and off we go to America.
Notes: Hey, would you look at that? Itâs my 18th birthday! What better way to celebrate than to give you guys a new chapter? Oh yeah, and hey again. I had a panic attack last Saturday. At first, I thought it was my first one, but thinking about it, itâs happened to me before, just this time I could put into words what it was. Alright, enough about me. This starts out pretty dark/angsty, so you are warned.
Trigger Warnings: Flashback, nightmare, past suicide, negative thinking, self-depreciation, anxiety, hyperventilation, sleeping with a binder on. Think that was it. If I missed any, please do not hesitate to let me know.
