Chapter Text
“Deceit,” Patton said, sinking into the dark sides part of the mind. Deceit looked up from his book, quirking an eyebrow at the moral side.
“Morality, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” he asked, closing his book and leaning forward, hands clasped together under his chin.
“How- how are they?” Patton asked hesitantly, wringing his hands together.
“The dark sides? In their rooms, as always. Trust me, they aren’t loose or anything, I’m actually doing my job, so you can-“
“No. Not them. I mean-“ Patton hesitated, eyes shifting around the room as he tried to find the right words, “Virgil. And Remus.”
Deceit breathed swiftly in through his nose, pursing his lips together.
“Oh.”
“We- well? How are they?”
“They’re fine, but stable. There’s little chance they’ll unfuse any time soon, I don’t think either are conscious, only the fusion.”
Patton nodded, tears pricking at his yes. It had been weeks.
“Can I,” He shook his head, “Can we go see them?”
Deceit nodded mutely, standing up and straightening his shirt. He waved Patton over towards one of the darker hallways. A few darksides walked up to their doors, hands grasping the bars. Lust stuck his tongue out as Patton went by, Wrath spit at him. Patton shuddered and moved closer to Deceit.
They reached the end of the hallway, where a door without a window sat at the end. A large chain stretched across it; a warning scratched into the paint. Locks stretched from the top to the floor. At the bottom of the door sat another side, curled up with his head in his knees.
“Roman, we need in, could you- could you move?” Deceit said, cringing slightly at his own insensitivity. Roman looked up at them with bloodshot eyes, nodding mutely. He stood, and sunk out, head low.
He hadn’t been the same since the accidental fusion.
Patton watched in mounting horror as Deceit unlatched the many locks, and the large chain, swinging the door open. The second they could be seen, a great yank of chains was heard.
“Dee dee! Dee dee! Look who he brought! Oh lookit lookit lookit!” The side screeched, yanking furiously at the chains. A smile with way to many teeth spread across their face from ear to ear, and black makeup was smudged all over them.
“Paranoia,” Deceit greeted them with a nod of their head. Their voice was unnerving, it sounded as if three people were talking. Virgil, Remus, and a third, higher party.
“Dee dee brought a friend! Don’t get too close, no no, not close, not too close, I bite, yes I do, I do I do, I bite!” the side said, gnashing their teeth at Patton and Deceit. Patton felt his lower lip wobble, fear seizing his heart. This happened every time he visited.
“Watch out, watch out, I’ll get you! I’ll get you, I’ll get you, I’ll get you!”
“Paranoia, how are you feeling? Are you hungry?” Deceit sat down on the floor, criss-cross, a good five feet away from the furthest point Paranoia could reach.
Patton stayed behind him.
“Not hungry, not hungry. Thomas is- he’ll choke, he’ll choke, no food, no food-“ Paranoia twitched, yanking on his chains again, “He’ll eat and choke, eat and choke- Pat pat must eat, Pat pat eat, eat eat eat, choke- CHOKE.”
Patton shook his head, “No kiddo, I won’t choke. You need to eat if you haven’t though,” he ignored the way his voice wobbled.
Paranoia gnashed his teeth, hissing in a breath.
“Thomas is busy, busy busy busy, with friends. He’s with friends, yes he is. So many things could go wrong, so many- many many many many MANY things! What if he fell, oh he will, yes he will, what if he bleeds? They’ll have to mop it up, mop mop mop. Joan’ll watch, yes they will, they will they will they will!”
Paranoia continued to talk, and Patton couldn’t take it anymore, falling to his knees with a sob. Deceit spun around to face him, place a hand on his shoulder.
“Hey, we can leave?” He said, moving to stand. Paranoia had stopped screaming, going eerily quiet. Patton nodded, pulling Deceit up with him, trying to stop his crying.
Paranoia twitched, before wailing.
“No! No! NO!! Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry-“ Paranoia wailed and sobbed, “Don’t be scared! Please please!”
Deceit and Patton turned to leave.
“NO! NOO!” Paranoia screamed so loud, so so loud, Patton began crying louder.
“I want out! I want out!! Please! I’m tired, no! No! I’m sick, sick, sick sick sick sick of THIS! SICK OF THIS!”
They began closing the door.
“DAD! DAD PLEASE! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!”
“MAKE IT STOP!”
“PLEEASE!!”
The scream echoed through the entire mind scape as the door shut.