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Roman knew this was coming. He had once again failed to create a video and it was time to get another lecture from Logic about scheduling and due dates. Ugh, for once he didn't want to respond when he was summoned. But he knew if he didn't rise up he'd be forced to come out unless he locked himself in his room and he certainly wasn't going to duck out over a matter like this. With a huff, he rose up.
Logic was starring at him, he always felt judged when he looked at him like that. Brown eyes narrowed through his rounded frames. "Roman, Thomas claimed that he was unable to create this weeks video due to quote 'lack of creative fervor'." He made air quotes with his hands when he said that, "And considering this is your department I believe it is of utmost importance to hear from you what is going on."
Roman shook his head, "Feeling as Princely as ever." He posed as if to prove it.
Logan looked at him for a few seconds and hummed curiously. Roman felt naked as he was starring at him, like the Logical side was reading his mind and noticing every unsavory flaw. He could barely hide his relief when he turned back to Thomas.
"Perhaps the others could help shine a metaphorical light on this situation."
Thomas nodded and moved his hand up, "Anxiety, Morality." He called summoning the two. Virgil looked even more anxious than usual, his eye shadow slightly smeared and his leg bouncing where he stood. Roman felt a twang of guilt in his chest.
"Virgil, Patton, can either of you explain why Thomas has not been creatively productive lately." Logan asked.
Patton cocked his head, "Not a clue Scooby Doo."
"I am not a fictional dog that helps a gang of people solve problems. I am a representation of Thomas's Logic you should know this by now."
"Yeah but the rhyme sure was neat!"
Virgil raised an eyebrow, "Haven't we done this before? Like, two times? It's probably going to be repetitive to the audience if we make yet another episode dealing with Logan and Roman having problems creating videos. They might think you're complaining to make them feel bad for you. Or worse, they might get bored and leave."
Patton struggled to keep his cheerful smile, "Aw come on now kiddo, sometimes lessons just take a bit to stick. The audience will understand that."
Logan frowned, "Returning to the topic at hand, if it isn't an excess of Anxiety, or moralizing your work that's causing this problem." He knit his brows and his lips pursed, "Is it me again?" He turned to Roman, " Roman, please tell me if I am once again putting too much pressure on you to create. I said I would work on being less, " he cleared his throat, "Overbearing but I'm not used to it yet."
He looked Roman in the eyes, "If I have failed in that recently, I would rather be told then to live in ignorance of my mistakes, as hard as that may be."
Roman hesitated, he knew the truth. This had nothing to do with Logan, or Virgil, or Patton. He'd lied about feeling like his Princely Self, he telt like his creations this last moth had been lackluster at best. Not even half as good as they needed to be to be taken to the front of Thomas's conscious.
But he couldn't tell the others that, they would think he was insecure and if there was one thing Roman wasn't, it was insecure.
Instead he said, "I admit, the schedule has stopped me from being the best Prince that I can be. "He looked at the ground, mostly due to his own guilt over lying, he didn't want to see Logan's face. He didn't want to see how Virgil's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"I see... Next time I promise I will ask for your input when building our scheduled to stop you from feeling so overwhelmed. "
Roman forced a small smile, "Thanks teach." He cleared his throat, " And with that I've got some things to create! "He sunk out returning to his room. He sighed and slumped on his bed, closing his eyes, giving a groan like a door with unoiled hinges. He felt like taking an hour long nap.
He heard a slow cap above him. "Oh bravo, Roman." A familiar voice drawled. He reached for his sword, staring face to face with the snake himself. His confident smirk didn't leave his face despite the sword at his nose. "I honestly couldn't have done it better myself."
Roman glared at him, "You better have a good reason for being in my room snakes -and-liars."
Deceit chuckled, "Oh but surely you've noticed Roman," he circled around him, Roman's sword texture changed to foam as his confidence wavered. "I bet it took you ages to find an outfit of yours that white."
Roman barely held back a growl. He was right of course, even as he stood here his golden epaulets were turning a sterling silver like the others.
"I’m sure Patton will never find out about your little secret. He's so unobservant." Deceit said, looking at his fingernails despite the fact that he was wearing gloves. "No one's ever tried to hide their nature from him after all." He smiles with a glint in his eye that made Roman's heart pound. "Which means we'll never see each other again Roman. "He blew a kiss and sunk out back to his side of the mindscape.
----
Remus kept glancing at the end of the hallway. He'd been checking since last Thursday when Deceit told him about how Roman was changing,but he couldn't help it! It'd been years since his brother had been on the same side as him. His stomach was doing flip flops like a fish out of water five seconds from the butcher chopping him into pieces. He wondered if he'd be willing to play with him. He could barely hide his cackle when he thought of the havoc they'd wreak together!
In the void a new door was starting to form, Remus squealed with delight and ran to Deceit's door, "DECEIT! DECEIT!" He squealed as he banged on the bright yellow door, "He's coming, he's coming!"
Deceit opened the door, his sleeping cap slightly askew , his eyes tired, "Remus how many times do I have to tell you I have no interest in the details of the porn you watch?"
Remus shakes his head, "No no, not that, though you should SEE what I was watching earlier, oh the things a man can do with whips." he moaned and squirmed but quickly shook his head, no Remus, focus. " But that's not what I meant! There's a new door in the hall! "
Deceit suddenly seems far more awake as he walked out into the hallway standing next to Remus. The pair watched as the symbol of a bright red throne with a silver tiara above it etched itself into the door. Remus was slightly confused by why his symbol would change, but hey, if his brother hadn't changed a little bit he wouldn't be down here!
The door glowed and finally opened revealing him in all his glory, the midnight colored prince outfit with silver twinges along his neck and wrists, the bright red cape that flowee across his back, the silver tiara glimmering with jewels that looked just as much a part of him as his hands or toes.
Remus couldn't help himself and tackled his brother to the ground, "ROMAN! Is that blood on your cape? It's the same color, can I lick it?"
Roman grunted and sat himself up, "Hello Remus, nice to see you here. Ruining my clothing with your filth." Deceit offered his hand to Roman to help him up and he took it.
"As if any amount of filth could affect your radiance your Highness." Deceit purred.
Roman puffed his hair, "Oh I know, but I hate getting dirty."
Remus huffed a bit, it seemed like his brother was still himself in some ways. But he wouldn't give up hope that quickly. "ROMAN RO RO RO, since you're a darkside now, we have to play together in the imagination together again, ohhh we could give Thomas the NASTIEST thoughts, you haven't seen Mr. Poo yet! Oh you'll love him, he just has the cutest little fangs-"
Roman frowned, "I don't think I like that."
Remus blinked, " Mr. Poo? "
Roman shook his head, "No no, that's..." He rolled his eyes, "Fine I guess. That name you called me. "
"Roman? But that's your name."
Roman shook his head, "But I don't feel like Roman. Until I find a name that feels more suitable, you may call my by my role." He straightened himself up, a glittering smile on his face, " Pride. "
Deceit held Pride's hand in his own and kissed him gently, "Charmed."
Pride looked back at him, flashing that dazzling smile, "The feeling's mutual."
Remus looked from one side to the other, "Are you two going to fuck or can I take him to the Imagination."
Deceit’s face burned a bright red but Pride seemed relatively unbothered, “Feel free to lead the way.”
Remus’s face broke into his usual wide smile and he grabbed Pride’s hand sinking them into his room. The lights in the room flashed, quickly switching colors randomly. There was something leaking against the wall, it was either slime or blood it was nearly impossible to tell with the constant NOISE of the place. From the loud screams at random intervals, to the shepherds tones that rose endlessly in the background. Pride walked around carefully but still managed to step on one of Remus’s 5 living hands that slept on the floor. He shrieked as it bit his shoes with unnaturally sharp teeth. Remus flicked it off of him and it quickly flew off.
“Ah, finally!” He said, as he found a small doorknob on the ground. He opened it up and the room was filled with the pale yellow light of the imagination. He grabbed Roman by the shoulders, “Okay, as soon as you get there, don’t panic. Just summon wings or some other method to fly.” His grin widened, eyes sparkling, “Think you can handle it?”
Pride looked confused at first than puffed out his chest when Remus asked his question, “Of course I can.”
Remus gave a delighted squeal, grabbed his hand and the pair of them jumped into the hole. The sky was a dark and stormy grey, it looked like there was going to be another knife storm. Remus closed his eyes and felt dark, leathery wings errupt from his back. He frowned, debating on the color, did he want to keep them black or change to green, or maybe he could have it flash the worst version of every color! Shit-stain brown, puke green, mustard yellow oh what delight!
At first he assumed the screaming came from one of his screaming trees, they played the most haunting melodies when it rained, but when he looked down he instead saw a flash of red light hurling towards the ground. He gasped and divebombed to catch him, his repeated thought of, "Don 't imagine long, dark piercing spikes under us ready to break into our stomachs, impaling us both," of course summoned long , dark piercing spikes below them.
Pride's screams only grew louder as he flaid about trying to grab onto something, anything that would stop him from hitting the harsh unforgiving ground. He could almost feel the rocks touching his stomach and pushong through-
Lucky for him though, Remus swooped down, catching him before he hit the rocks. He sat him down on the sandy ground, his eyes watered, though whether that was due go concern or the speed he'd been flying at was anyone's guess.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice was more gentle than he'd usually seem capable of.
Pride sneered, "I'm fine, thanks for the rocks, bet it made you feel even more like a hero when you saved me huh? "
Remus stepped back, genuinely confused, "That made as much sense as Woody fucking Palpatine."
Pride harrumphed, and took a step foreward, "You know exactly what I mean, you've always wanted to outshine me and now you've given yourself the chance to play the hero in here and pretend to save me. But guess what," he pressed a finger against Remus's chest. "I don't need anyone to help me or save me much less a disgusting little turd like you. I'm not pathetic little Roman anymore, I am strength, I am perfection, I am Prince Pride! "
Remus stared at him for a bit.
"The dust on your butt is shaped like a dick."
- --------------------------------------------------
Pride and Remus weren't talking anymore. Remus chewed on a can whistfully sitting in his room, "Just like old times. " Except during, 'old times ' Deceit wasn 't spending so much time simping to his brother. It was enough to make him puke hearing him compliment him, watching them ballroom dance in the kitch together the snake-side's head gently fit onto Pride's chest. Despite his distaste at their sentimentallity, he couldn't help but feel a little happy for them.
Until he wasn't that is. It was breakfast time.
"It was merely a suggestion -"Deceit backed away, but Pride pursued
"You think I'm WRONG? ! "Fire raged in the side's eye, "You think we'd be better off if Thomas ruins his LIFE-"
"It's one friendship Pride, and it's been far from healthy for Thomas to be involved in it."
The sound of a hand against skin echoed through the kitchen. There was a silence that lasted decades. Then the sound of a chair scrapping across the floor. Remus stood up and walked up to Pride who was looking down smugly at Deceit. Remus turned him around and grabbed him by the collar, "You can insult me, you can mock me, do whatever you want. But you will not. Touch. Him."
Pride huffed, "He shouldn't have argued with me! He's really the one who -"
Remus summoned a dirty sock and shoved it into his mouth, than threw him to the side. He walked up to Deceit, "Do I have permission? "
Deceit looked up with blurry, tear stained eyes and gave a nod. And just like that he was in the Light Side KItchen.
"ALRIGHT, HOW MANY BITCHES DO I HAVE TO KILL TO FIND OUT WHICH OF YOU BWSTARDS FUCKED UP MY BROTHER?!" Remus was as always a master of subtlty and persuation. Patton jumped about 10 feet just hearing his voice. Virgil bristled and hissed at him
Logan sighed, he supposed his pancakes would have to wait,"Good morning Remus."
Remus shook his head, "No pleasantries, Romwn fell and now he's a real pain in the ass, like a full sized plane up my ass, and I KNOW sides don't just go dark and change personalities for no reason so-" he poin ted at Patton, "What did you do to him?! "
Patton shook his head, "I-I didn 't- well okay I made him sink to the dark sides but-"
Logan adjusted his glasses, "He was starting to show unpleasant tendencies far before that. Patton decided that he'd be safer away from us after a disscussion in which he said," he took out a notecard, "You never let me live, you're all terrible critical beasts who I should have slain with my sword ages ago! If it weren't for you, Thomas would be perfect, I would be perfect, I'm sicm of being around you." he returned his notecard to his pocket.
Remus stared, "So it has nothing to do with you, than why? "
Virgil poured a glass of coffee black as his soul, "I don't know, none of us knows. Can't believe I'm saying this but I kind of miss the ego-driven Prince. "
Logan looked over his notes, "I have some theories but emotional reactions aren't really my area of expertise."
Remus rubbed his mustache as he thought it over, than his eyes turned bright and manic, "Do any of you have a battering ram?"
They all stare at him blankly, Patton's the first one to say anything, "Why?"
"To break into old Princy's room of course!"