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Warning: Mentions of blood and milk!
Logan blinked slowly, his eyes feeling heavy from something akin to sleep as he sat up slowly. The sensation was odd considering the logical side had no real need for sleep, not really. The closest the sides came to sleep was a sort of auto-pilot that occurred when Thomas slumbered. Though even then Logan and Roman were the only two sides that remained completely coherent, tasked with shifting though the long-term and short-term memories to be stored in the vaults of the ‘Thomas-verse’ (a name Roman had, admittedly, decided upon).
So, why did he feel as if he had just awoken; and where was he?
He took a moment to rub the sleep from his eyes as pushed to his feet, the seemingly never-ending expanse of whiteness dwarfing his senses. He felt… nothing? It was not hot or cold wherever he was, not dry or humid, even the floor beneath his feet seemed somehow… nonexistent. He was simply… nowhere. Though that couldn’t possibly be right, logically speaking and yet… it certainly felt that way.
A sudden soft sound caught his attention. He tensed, straining to here it again; needing to make sure he had not imagined it. No! He had been right! A sniffle, the sound of movement, fabric brushing against fabric! Logan turned on his heel, cold calculating gaze searching for the source.
“Is someone there?” He called, the loudness of his voice in the silence of the ‘place’ making him start a bit. He waited a moment, the echo reverberating into nothingness. Another moment, hoping for something… anything to break the monotony.
“L-Logan?” A familiar voice stuttered unsure and obviously terrified.
“Virgil!” Logan called in recognition, the purple clad side suddenly appearing before him, as if summoned.
He looked terrified, trails marring his cheeks where the tears had fallen, as his own anxious gaze landed on his friend in return. The distance between them seemed both vast and miniscule as Logan reached for him.
“Virgil, are you hurt? Do you know where we are?” He rushed, trying to take a step towards the smaller side but finding that he had not moved from his spot.
Virgil seemed to open his mouth to speak, before he suddenly staggered back a few steps, a black inky substance appearing to soak though his clothing. It almost seemed as if it were some form of rain that Logan couldn’t see; the fat black droplets striking the anxious side eating away at him until he no longer existed.
Logan watched on in horror, attempting to run to his companion’s aid and yet going nowhere. The inky black liquid faded away slowly, leaving no indication that it had ever been there in the first place….
Slowly… Logan slowed to a stop, chest heaving, tears threatening to fall. There had to be an explanation. There was always an explanation. He just had to find it. He was Logic! The Logic! He was the side that fought away Thomas’ fears! He was the side to calm his anxiety! The one that boost his morality! The one that taught him to make a living being creative! He was one of the most powerful beings in the Thomas-verse! He could figure this out!
He took a moment to breath deeply. He needed to calm himself. He prided himself on his emotional control and now was not the time to let it slip. Another deep breath. He closed his eyes, sinking down into a sitting position.
“What do you know?” He mumbled under his breath, the words seeming far less loud than they had before, though they were spoken at the same volume. His brows furrowed. Was that a figment of his imagination or was it truly the case?
“You are in a place that is unfamiliar.” He stated, his head tilting slightly. “Falsehood.” He countered against his own words. “I feel as if I’ve been here before… As if I know this pla-“ He gave a yelp as he felt the floor fall out beneath him. His eyes shot open. The whiteness was gone, replaced by walls of stone that seemed to be crumbling as he found himself plummeting downwards into an abyss. His heart began to race as the wind seemed to rush past him at a breakneck pace.
Another deep breath. That was it! He knew where he was! That was why it felt so familiar!
He had only ever been here once. That’s all it had taken for him to know he didn’t belong. It was far too dangerous for him here. He didn’t belong here. No… very few of them did.
The ground finally came into view, Logan slamming against the uneven stone with a grunt. He allowed himself a moment to catch the breath that was knocked out of him before he stood, dusting off his clothes with a sigh.
“Well, that certainly wasn’t necessary.” He grumbled taking in the state of his trousers with a disapproving scowl.
“Wasn’t it though?” Virgil’s voice came.
Logan turned, catching sight of the dimly lit face of Anxiety, peering at him over a large boulder in the corner. His gaze narrowed as he eyed his friend suspiciously. “Virgil.” He greeted, his tone even and cold.
“Have you come to rescue me Logan?” The smaller side hissed, glaring at the man. “You’re too late! I don’t want your help! I’ve been down here for so long! How could you have left me here?! I trusted you!” He cried, his body suddenly angling in a grotesque fashion, the sound of bones popping out of their socket filling the air. Logan watched calmly, as legs seemed to sprout from the man’s back, flesh ripping, blood splattering across stone. His friend seemed to turn into an eight-legged beast with the torso of a giant spider, still dripping red liquid beneath it, and the face of his friend. “I trusted you!” He screeched as he lunged forward.
“Falsehood.” Logan stated calmly, his gaze never leaving Virgil’s. The monster seemed taken aback by the response, unsure for just a moment before it managed to recover.
“I did! You abandoned me! Just like you did the others! You were supposed to protect us!” Virgil cried. “Now look at me! Look at me!” He wailed.
Logan pinned him with a bemused expression. “I see you.” He stated simply, though his tone suggested he meant a bit more than what he was letting on. Still, the monster continued.
“I killed them Logan! Roman… Patton… I did it! I killed them and you let me!” He cried, tears beginning to fall from his monstrous eyes, which suddenly seemed to be multiplying. The walls began to weep around them, the stench of sulfur filling the air. Logan’s gaze finally broke from the other’s as he glanced down at his feet.
The liquid from the walls seemed to be some form of acid. The green bubbling substance was eating away at the soles of his nonslip shoes and threatened to burn him once it broke through the rubber insoles. His disapproving frown deepened at the sight; this was beginning to get out of hand.
“Have you ever considered…” He began, as if contemplating a very interesting thought, peering back up at the beast that now towered over him, saliva dripping from his suddenly fanged mouth. “What it would be like if it rained Lye?” He asked with an arched brow. “It rains water; why could it not rain something akin to Lye… or even perhaps milk? What if there were a giant cow in the sky practically…” He had to pause to compose himself, in order to use his ‘restricted’ vocabulary, not particularly fond of it. “pissing milk on us.” Virgil paused, blinking at him in shock.
Logan couldn’t help but give a pleased smile with himself as he felt one drop… two… land in his hair and on this shoulder… Then another, and another and fairly soon milk was pouring down on the two of them, neutralizing the acid at his feet.
“No!” Virgil cried out, stomping angrily with each individual leg. “No! No! No! You can’t win! You can’t! I won’t allow it!” He continued, throwing a proper tantrum.
Logan sighed softly as he removed his glasses and tucked them into his pocket so that the were somewhat protected from the downpour of milk-rain.
“Remus, I think it is best if we end this dream.” Logan suggested as he peered back up at the beast evenly; knowing that it was best not to call it a ‘nightmare’ in the presence of the other man. “Thomas has a big day tomorrow, we should let him rest.” He explained.
Slowly, the beast began to shrink, his sobs increasing as he did so until Logan stood face to face with the dark part of Creativity. Remus wiped away tears from his cheeks before they could mix with the white liquid dampening his messy locks and running down his face.
“Its not fair!” He snapped brokenly. “I deserve some fun too, you know! Roman’s not the only talented one!”
“I know.” Logan replied softly, his tone tender as if he truly meant it; causing Remus’ gaze to shoot up in surprise.
“Y-you do?” He mumbled softly, running his sleeve across his nose, without a second thought as to how rude/disgusting it could be seen as.
“Of course.” Logan offered with a small smile. “It takes a lot of talent to create a dream like this.” Logan reassured as he moved closer.
“It really does.” Remus nodded, pushing to his feet from where he had been leaning against the very same boulder the not-Virgil had climbed over. “But…” He paused as if unsure of the other side, pulling away from him slightly as if he were fearful of him. “You think that its horrible just like everyone else.” He accused with a glare.
“I suppose… In a way, yes.” Logan admitted honestly, his gaze wandering a bit as if to take in the walls around them, still sizzling from were the milk struck the acid. Logan was lucky his belief his science was so strong, otherwise the neutralization of the chemicals would have never worked. “But that is the beauty of it isn’t it?” He asked.
“Beauty?” Remus scoffed in confusion.
“Yes. If we look at things logically; good and evil are a construct. Nature isn’t evil when a hurricane levels an entire city… or a lion preys on an elk… But Man holds itself above it all because of the concept of good and evil. Maybe its real maybe its not… but the truth is… We wouldn’t recognize one without the other. If there was nothing in the world we considered ‘bad’ or ‘evil’ then we would never recognize the ‘good’ and vice versa.” He explained.
“So…” Remus’ brows furrowed in concentration. “You’re saying bad is… good?” He asked, making Logan chuckle a bit.
“I suppose in its simplest form… Yes.” He acknowledged. “Though you will have to return Roman when Thomas wakes up.” He reminded before pausing. “Though I do have to inquire… Why did you pull /me/ in? Logic plays no part in dreams.”
Remus seemed to be relaxing in the presence of the other man, the reassurance seeming to ease his anxiety; but at the question he tensed. “Well I…. It’s none of your business! Secrets, secrets are lots of fun; secrets, secrets one and done!” He sang excitedly, though the glee didn’t seem to quite reach his eyes.
“You must have known I would figure it out.” Logan offered, though more to himself. “So why me? Did you want to be found out? Want to be stopped?” He mumbled, running over everything that had been said by monster-Virgil.
“I’ve been down here for so long! How could you have left me here?! I trusted you!”
“You abandoned me! Just like you did the others! You were supposed to protect us!… Now look at me! Look at me!”
His heart sank. Did Remus truly feel this way? Did you look up to Logan like that? Did he see himself as abandoned; as a monster?
Logan studied the other man’s expression, searching for answers. He had never been very good at reading or handling emotions but… It was all there… The fear the pain… He had let Remus down… And the darker side knew Logan could see it.
“I…” He mumbled softly, wiping his nose again with another sniffle. “I just wanted your attention.” He whispered, averting his gaze for the first time. “You are always so… cool and smart… and you never straight out reject me…” He sighed. “I just… wanted you.” He huffed.
Logan couldn’t help but reach out a hand, offering a reassuring smile. “Well… you’ve got me.” He offered, earning a side glance before Remus accepted the touch. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize your needs before. I promise I will make more of an effort for you, Remus.” He reassured, lifting the other man’s hand to his lips and brushing a soft kiss against it.
The small act was enough to make the other man’s breath hitch, the leaking walls and rain suddenly disappearing in a wash of white as his focus broke; leaving them both standing in the middle of Thomas’ mind place looking rather disheveled and dripping milk onto the carpet.
“There you are you fiend!” Roman’s voice cried out at their appearance.
“Logan? Why are you dripping? And is that-“ Patton’s voice sounded at the same moment.
“Whoa, Patton! I don’t think that’s a good question to ask at the moment.” Virgil interrupted as Logan straightened with a sigh… This would take awhile to explain…
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