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The mind was having a very, very normal day. Normal in a sense of waking up with a massive headache, drinking too much coffee to drown it out, and now having an even worse headache.
The only consolation he had was that the Creature had decided to leave them alone for today. Which would have been great if it was anyone else. But it was the Mind. While the creature's woes certainly made his headache physically worse, barely seeing Juno made her headache mentally worse.
Not because Apollo cared, no no. It was incapable of such thing. No, it was a disruption to the pattern. One would see, the mind is the most evolved part in the human brain, and the most prone to recognising patterns. That's why he, while having no memory of it, knew of the loop. Something in him recognised the pattern. He always knew the shot was coming, yet he never avoided it. Who knows why.
And now resident heart had disrupted their pattern. The mind was the logical, quiet one, speaking up only when he felt necessary, which was most of the time. The Soul was the "responsible" and most social one, although neither of those traits were something the Mind could ever himself aspire to be. And the Heart.. the loud one, always voicing everything he's thinking with little to no filter at all. Always making it obvious to everyone he was present.
And now the sun almost forgot about their existence. Almost. And that was an annoyance itself. The creature really couldn't leave him alone, even in their absence? Absurd.
The mind was laying on her bed, looking up at the ceiling with squinted eyes. The usually aesthetically fitting cold lighted LED's felt bright, like they were digging into his eyes, and burning their picture onto his eyelids.
He closed their eyes for a moment, a wave of nausea immediately overtaking him, and opened her eyes quickly again. He couldn't allow himself to pass out. Not with a disruption of the pattern. He sat up, the blood quickly rushing down from his head, and another wave of nausea hitting them.
They leaned against the wall, pressing two fingers to each sides of her skull. Adding pressure helped sometimes. Apollo then noticed his eyes were closed again, feeling very heavy. He forced them open again, only a bit, and the bright lights attacked again.
It blinked a few times, before something black came into his view and blocked a bit of the light. They looked at it for a moment, before recognising the object. It was a glitch.
Those would appear sometimes when mind was having a very bad headache or when he was... Feeling stressed. They were signs of dysfunction in his near-perfect body, and he hated seeing them. They always meant he had to focus on themselves rather than the whole, which was always nuisance.
The mind finally stood up, although it was with the help of their bedframe. Taking their modulator off it's charging port, and clicking it in place was always an uncomfortable experience. He could feel his flesh be connected to the robotic prosthetic that was connected to his metallic skin.
After the unpleasant operation of making their voice slightly tolerable, he finally decided to go and get his meds. But when he looked at his night table, they weren't there. Of course they weren't, medicine shouldn't be stored in a bedroom, that was common sense. It was in the bathroom. The fucking bathroom. Of course it was the fucking bathroom.
The mind wasn't quite sure why he was so irritated with the idea of going to the bathroom. There were many things she didn't understand about itself. But he walked to the door, opening it anyway. It was either this, or to suffer in bed.
If the mind had been a little more observant, which it usually was, she would've heard Juno walking past his door, their steps stopping for a moment before continuing on and into the bathroom.
Heart heard some weird groaning from his resident halves room. It wasn't a surprise for them, that was merely what Apollo sounded like without the modulator. Not that he sounded much better with it.
Artemis couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt hearing his mind like that. It was their fault after all. But the past is the past, that's what the sun kept telling them. Yet there was always the underlying feeling of fearfulness for the act of violence, and the distrust caused by the breaking of the oath. Another tinge of guilt. Artemis decided to keep moving. He couldn't be thinking of the automaton today.
But as emotions are, they never leave when you want them to.
Did the mind truly think they didn't notice? Not letting them touch his stuff, while Soul was merely greeted with a ["just don't break it"]? Never letting them be closer than at arms length, even refusing to trust Artemis with the simplest of tasks! The creature felt both frustrated and hurt, he could be trusted, he was better now! He was calmer, he actually tried to listen, he had done everything yet nothing seemed to work! Did the sun really think he couldn't see how much she feared them!?
The moon knew and it was painful. Despite everything, the sun hated them, and nothing seemed to change it. It was like Apollo didn't see anything worth changing. Was it contempt hating him forever!? Did he not understand that the moon was trying to make it right!?
The moon didn't know exactly what it was angry at. The sun, yes, but also no. The moon's anger was fueled by the guilt of what happened, the broken oath, the fits of rage he used to throw for no reason, the sho-
Heart bumped head first into the bathroom door. He felt his weight disappear, before slamming onto the floor. Luckily not head first this time. Moon let out a groan, and rubbed it's tempels with the palm or his hand. After a moment they stood up and regained their not too thrown off balance.
Resident heart opened the door, and he could immediately tell mind had been out of commission today, like he didn't already know. The bathroom didn't smell like anything, at all. That wasn't normal. The mind usually made sure it was so clean you could see your reflection off the floor. Or the other two could. He technically was able to, but it was basically like getting gasoline poured in your empty eye sockets and getting it set on fire. Well, not exactly, but he thought of it like that anyways.
Mister Moon walked over to the cabinet. He felt his fingertips brush against the mirror surface of it, again reminding him of what he had taken from themselves. Opening the cabinet, their hand moved automatically to the right corner where they kept their lipstick. He opened it, and rolled it up a bit. It made three slightly different clicking sounds. Like all the other times. It felt familiar. It was odd how sounds that simple became familiar when your sight is stolen from yoy, the Heart thought.
They moved their hand to their lips, and began to apply the lipstick. With one hand he was leaning on the sink, and one could've thought he was using the mirror to apply the makeup, if it wasn't for the blindfold.
Artemis suddenly jumped a foot in the air, when he suddenly heard a voice speak from the doorway. A low, robotic voice.
"[You do know that's my lipstick right?]"
Heart took a few seconds to calm down and catch his breath. He was fine, he just got caught off guard is all. How did he not hear it approach? The automaton had a very rhythmic step, surely he would have- wait, he had asked them a question?
"(...huh?)"
"[That's my lipstick dumbass.]"
Apollo's voice wasn't what he was expecting. Sure, he knew his resident half was having one of those days, but Artemis had made a conscious effort to make it easier for the other, and yet he seemed even more irritated than usual. Annoyance briefly visited the heart, why was nothing that he did enough? Why did he only make everything worse?
But they decided to focus on the question at hand.
"(No, it's mine.)"
Artemis said with the certainty of a fool, the mind thought. The creature resembling their host in front of her couldn't see, of course it was going to mess this up at some point. Mind could recognise her lipstick anywhere, the worn out golden text on the side, unable to tell what had been written there anymore. He let out a frustrated sigh, he really didn't want to deal with this today. The sun took a step closer, leaning on the doorframe for support.
"[Resident Juno, I am certainly positive it is not yours. I could recognise my lipstick anywhere.]"
He was attempting the cold, yet mocking tone that he usually had. Yet all that came out was a voice that sounded like he hadn't drank anything in ages. Which wasn't completely incorrect, but not the point. She sounded like shit and hated it.
The moon could hear the static of her modulator come closer, and for some weird reason the first thing he thought was to make the other wouldn't fall over, to make sure they were ok. What a stupid thought. The automaton didn't deserve his sympathy. Yet that wasn't up to them, was it? It couldn't change its stupid heart. Even he was growing tired of it. But they did not move.
"(No. I always leave it in the same place, and I know what it feels and sounds like. I'm pretty sure this one's mine Mister Mind)"
He scoffed. Of course the fool would say that. He probably didn't even believe it himself, they were merely saying it to be right.
"[Artemis, I can see and that's my lipstick]"
"(Nuh uh, you see-)"
He tilted the thing at the bottom of the lipstick, rolling it down.
"(mine makes-)"
They rolled it back up, and it made three little clicking sounds.
"([Three little click sounds)]"
The mind spoke in union with him, and let out a dry chuckle. The situation was amusing to him for some reason. He couldn't understand it, she didn't comprehend why the exchange made the laugh bubble up from his chest. Why laughing felt good suddenly. Never had it ever felt the need to laugh before, usually it was merely to assert dominance. Yet this was something else, something they couldn't explain. The Mind and Heart, two opposites. Yet they had both noticed the same thing. A pattern. A pattern to recognize a lipstick of all things, a lipstick that both had thought was their own, but the two had apparently been sharing all this time! There was something in the situation that made their chest bubble, something that made them feel.. anything, really.
Nothing could have prepared The Heart for the laugh that erupted out of the mind's mouth. His head perked up in surprise as did his wings. Was that a laugh? An honest laugh by the mind? Not something that was mocking or berating him in any way? No, he must have missed it, some insult, some jab at him, because there was no way. She was.. laughing?
The sound was absurd, to hear a glitchy robotic voice erupt in an almost hysterical laughter yet.. yet he laughed too. A small chuckle at first. Then another. And soon enough they were both leaning on the wall as to not fall over, neither quite knowing why they were laughing. How they were laughing. But there they were.
After a moment the mind coughed a few times, seizing the fit of laughter as quick as he had started it, with the Heart following shortly after.
"(I.. suppose you're here here for your painkillers?)"
The mind tilted his head. The Heart had not been present as far as he was aware, how was the creature aware of her situation?
"[Yes, that would be correct. How did you figure?]"
"(Contrary to what you might think, I can actually recognize a person in a state of discomfort)"
The heart chuckled and the mind let out an amused scoff.
"[Oh that was never debatable, I just didn't know you the had the ability to comprehend someone else could be feeling that too, and not just you]"
There it was. There was the insult he had been waiting for. But it didn't feel mean spirited, or at least not in the usual mind way. It was the same way he could remember some of Whole's friends would make jokes about his reducing hairline.
A small smile from the Heart, as the mind walked over to the cabinet, and grabbed something. Painkillers, the moon figured.
A silence fell between the two, the only sounds being the static coming from the mind's modulator, and the little sounds of plastic clicks as he opened the container. And of course the Artemis' heart beat, but that was only them.
The sound of something getting swallowed. Water pouring down. Swallowing again. The water stopped. Silence.
"[...how have you been fairing today?]"
The Heart felt from the way he spoke his counterpart was just as uncomfortable with the silence as he was. It wasn't normal between them. They were always bickering, being in the same room together was a challenge for them. To exist in peace in the same space was something the two weren't used to.
...why was she the one asking this? Shouldn't he be the one worrying about the other, he was their sympathy after all. Wait, why was he complaining? Wasn't this what he wanted? All he wanted was a little compassion from his other half, yet now that he's offered it it feels unnatural. They felt like they were getting deceived. Huh.
Maybe he was contempt not trusting the other too.
After a few moments of silence, moon finally spoke.
"(Why do you care?)"
His voice was quiet, almost a whisper. The question was genuine, the mind recognised. But it was an eye for an eye.
"[Answer first and I'll tell you.]"
"(I've been doing fine, thank you.)"
"[Then why have I seen no signs of you whatsoever?]"
"(You answer first.)"
A moment of silence again. The sun let out a low hum, that came out as just louder static from their modulator.
"[...You have a habit of making everyone painfully aware of your existence. But I haven't as much as heard anything from you the entire day. I was.. worried that something had happened.]"
Even under the blindfold, the mind could see Juno's eyes widened in surprise. Their posture got a little less hunched, like they wanted to hear them better.
"(You were worried? About me?)"
The mind looked away, knowing the other couldn't see him. The humiliation was simply too much, she couldn't look at him straight in the eye.
"[I was worried something critical had happened that might impact the Whole negatively. And with me in the state I was.. I was worried I might not be able to have the situation in control]"
The Heart deflated, but didn't want the other to see they had even gained hope to begin with. He swallowed, and his nothing seeing gaze went to the floor.
"(Of course, of course. I assure you, there was nothing "critical".)"
They went quiet again, Artemis looking off to the side, while Apollo turned to look at him again. His brows were squeezed together, and he was gripping the sleeves of their hoodie for dear life. If the sun could feel bad, he probably would right about now.
"[...]"
"[It felt weird.]"
The Heart didn't respond, still looking off to the side but their expression wasn't as tense. They were listening, waiting for the other to continue.
They wanted this, he needed this. Just for once, he needed to hear the other to show some sign of care. A part of him was desperate for it. And one was convinced the other was lying.
How does one manage to have two sides while already being only a third?
The automaton took a deep breath in, and swallowed his pride. He needed to do this now, because never would he otherwise be in the state to do so.
"[Not knowing if you were there. It was weird. And uncomfortable. And.. scary, as much as I hate to say it. You're my other half, and as much as I might despise you, we cannot live on without you.]"
The Heart had now turned to look at his direction, their mouth slightly agape, wings spread more than usual. He was listening, taking in each and every word. That was not something he usually did when it was The sun speaking. Of course, he only wanted to hear the good parts, never able to take any criticism.
...
Then again, he never gave them anything other than criticism, did she?
And the mind spoke once more.
"[This wasn't normal. You've always been unpredictable, but in a Heart unpredictable way not.. like this. So, could you please tell me, what caused a break in the pattern?]"
A pattern? The question came to his thoughts, but he quickly brushed it off. No matter that. He thought back to the same morning.
How he had come downstairs, whistling some random tune as he had a habit of doing. He had heard slow, agonisingly raspy breathing. One that he dreaded to hear. Mind. But not just mind. Mind without any of his robotic prosthetics, mind without anything to protect his still sensitive wounds.
How he had heard the man curse under his breath, he had smelled the black coffee, and how much heavier his steps were than usual.
It was one of those days. Usually Heart would go on with his day like normal, get into an argument with Apollo over being unnecessarily loud, which would lead to a screaming match until finally Soul forced the two to their respective rooms. Or voids. Their house was weird.
The mind would have his head ache, till he passed out, and the pain in Juno's chest would get more and more unbearable till all they could do was scream into the void, as tears fell from their blackened eyes.
He didn't feel like it today. Neither of them probably did. So instead he decided to stay out of the others way. They decided to stay in their black void, going to the far edge of it. There they could do what they wanted without being heard.
He usually preferred to be in reach, but today was an exception. Not only were both he and mind in a very apathetic state, today was chicken bath day. The Soul didn't have any schedule for them, he would randomly decide to bathe all his chickens. The signs of it were desperate clucks coming outside, and a lack of soap everywhere in the house.
So today the void had been the best choice.
Artemis thought about what he should say for a moment. Should he say that the mind merely hadn't noticed him? No, she was too smart for that.
Juno decided to be honest with their other half.
"[Mister Moon? Hellooo?]"
Emotion cleared its throat before finally speaking.
"(I thought it would be easier for you without me there.)"
Damn. That came out much sadder than he had intended to.
"(I-I mean-)"
"[And you would be right. If it was not for you my job would be easier and my sanity most likely still intact]"
Apollo paused, and let out what Artemis could only assume was a sigh because his modulator simply let out a bunch of cracking noises.
"[However I find your sudden absence worrying. As frustrating as you might be, you are still needed to be a whole, and if you are absent, so is the possibility of whole. So please, inform one of us if you're going to.. be absent like this again.]"
Juno nodded, recognising that the barely existing sensitive moment from the mind was nearly over. The usual coldness was coming back to their tone. The heart took a step closer.
"(I promise)"
The bathroom wasn't big, and Artemis was standing much too close for the Minds comfort. Usually he'd keep the moon as far away from them as possible, but he had allowed for this moment for them to share a space like this. That didn't mean Juno could just-
As the Heart wrapped his arms around the minds body, right under her arms, Apollo's body froze. Completely unmoving for a good moment, and Heart pressed themselves against him, burying his face into the minds neck and hair.
The Sun was still for a long time. It was after a few moments or an eternity when they started to wrap their arms slowly around the others. Unsure of quite why he was doing this, the mind was completely unskilled in the art of hugging.
Therefore they ended up in a situation with Artemis snuggling close to the other, whole Apollo was awkwardly holding their arms around the other. Slowly however, the mind started to tighten their grip on the other putting her hand in his hair, pressing against the other.
His other half was warm. Warmer than he probably ever was, even before his body had began to decay. She could feel it's heart, beating steadily in his chest. It was rhythmic and real. There was something soothing about it. She closed his eyes, letting themself just hold the other, feel them.
.
.
-
-
-
They weren't quite sure how long passed with them there, in a moment that would likely not repeat ever again. But at some point there was a cluck outside. With that the pair immediately let go of eachother.
The bastard got caught.
The mind opened the bathroom door. It was never fully closed, just enough so one couldn't see outside. And right there, standing with his little army of chickens, was Soul, holding Darrell in his hands, trying to keep the bird quiet.
The third had an awkward grin spread across his face, like he was just caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. Which he was, just not literally.
"{...how was the bonding mome-?}"
"[How much did you hear?]"
The mind crossed her arms, looking pretty pissed. Their third was known for eavesdropping, however the sun was not tolerant of such behaviour.
"{Everything since the how have you been fairing part...?}"
The mind rubbed his nose bridge with two fingers, as the creature behind him let out a sigh.
"(Soul, excuse us some privacy sometimes. Please?)"
Juno as if this was a common occurrence. It was, but not necessarily common enough to warrant such response. Well, that's what comes with a big heart, right?
"{I just came to get soap so I'm just gonna get that and you guys can get back to-}"
"[I was just leaving]"
The colder half blurted out, before quickly storming off. Quickly retreating into their room, Apollo was not willing to deal with the implications of what had just happened, and what her response to it meant. Not now, and not ever.
After a moment of unsure staring into the direction of the cognitive ones room, the lighter half spoke once again.
"(Yeah, me too)"
Watching the other two leave, the Soul wasn't sure how to feel. He was proud they were making progress, but this was a singular event. Would they be able to carry this over to taking care of the host? And what if they fell back into disharmony, what then? Wha if they became a Cacophony of screaming noises again, and this was just a momentary bliss of clarity?
. . . - -
≠
. - - - -
The soul pushed the thought away. Today was bath day, that was his main worry. Not the other two, not whole, not even himself. Just his beloved chickens.
Just maybe, a momentary bliss was enough.
Maybe it proved that things could be fine.
That they would be alright.