#but since hes always read as a crow to me im instead opting to use feathers for my own cosplay of him XD

[leadbath]

This just in: Brago is a bird

[fearfilledvirgil]

Ivity and Anx: part nineteen

Summary: Virgil and Roman hate each other to the core of their beings, but both become friends with a new stranger via the Sarrahas Project. Virgil takes to Creativity as well as Roman does to Anxiety, but they don’t know the true identity of the ones they’re slowing falling for.

Warnings: Swearing, descriptive panic attack, intrusive thoughts, mentions of abuse

Word Count: 7166

Pairing: Logicality, slowburn Prinxiety

A/N: the skeleton war is over and we lost

masterlist

Taglist: @rileyfirstname @verymuchanidiot @definentlynotjustanotherlemon @silversmith-91 @kanejandkruge @sander-fander-sides @lovecrazyjennybear @the-incedible-sulk @hexdream18243 @crows-with-hats @monikastec @definenormalifyoucan @i-am-absolute-fandom-trash @applecannibal @cats-with-blogs @bubblycricket @witchcraft--and--wizardry @bunnyartie @quietlypondering @elusivefalsehoods @hghrules @royallyanxious @quietwords-loudthoughts @squishynonbinarytwink @sortablue @illogical-anxieties @savingshae @a-fander-named-skittles @thelowlysatsuma @ughthatsprettygay @im-so-infinitesimal @certifiedtrashxx @karmels-stuff @sanders-sides-trash-blog @musicqueen1239 @the-average-loner @nicological1 @oh-star-how-the-mighty-fall @surleytemple​ @nervous-collection @asapmy @super-magical-wizard @arandompasserby @serenitythepanther @ijustrealizedhowdumbmynamewas

Patton pulled up to the airport, and checked his phone. It was 6:03 a.m. and Logan’s plane landed roughly ten minutes ago, which meant he should be getting his luggage now. Patton was absolutely vibrating with excitement. It had been so long since he saw Logan, or at least it felt like it. They never really got together outside of the Gay Straight Alliance club, but their time there was special to Patton. Logan was special to Patton. Quickly, he sent Logan a text to tell him where he was waiting in his small Kia Soul.

Patton Heart <3: Hey Lolo! I just pulled up to the airport. I’m waiting outside of terminal 23. See you soon! <3

In the process of checking the notifications he had received while driving, Patton realized he had a text from Roman. It was sent roughly at four in the morning the night pior, which made Patton worry slightly. Still, he opened the text.

Prince Roman: Tell Logan how you feel on your way from picking him up. Might be surprised at what you find

Before he could respond or try to decipher the weirdly convoluted message from his best friend, his phone pinged with a message from Logan.

Logos Brain: I just picked up my luggage. I will meet you there in approximately three minutes.

Patton’s heart soared at the message. However, his stomach also twisted itself into knots. He was going to follow Roman’s advice and tell Logan how he felt. The worry that Logan would abandon him weighed heavily on his mind, but he didn’t think Logan would truly leave him. But that didn’t stop the dark thoughts from creeping into his mind every once in a while.

A soft knock on the window startled Patton from his dark train of thought. He smiled widely and got out of the car to greet Logan. “Hey there, kiddo!”

Logan’s heart sped up slightly at the brightness of Patton’s smile. “Salutations, Patton.” He barely had time to put his suitcase down before he got a bear hug from the younger boy. Gently he wrapped his arms around the other.

“I’ve missed you so much, Lo.”

“As have I, Patton. I wish I was returning under better circumstances, but I am very glad to see you.”

Patton couldn’t help but smile wider at that. “I’m glad to see you too! Why don’t we put your stuff in the car and grab a coffee? I haven’t had one yet.”

“That sounds pleasant.”

Logan put his things in the trunk of the car then got into the passenger side. Patton got back in the driver’s side and started to drive off when both were buckled in. He opted to take the back roads so he could drive slower. A long embedded fear of driving reckless after several bad experiences kept him from going quickly. The two talked about how the prior day went and how Logan’s flight was. After that conversation died down, there was a quiet lull in the car.

Come on Patton. You can do it. He isn’t going to hurt you. I know it’s hard to open up but you can do it. “Hey, Lo?” Patton’s heart was beating too fast for it to be normal. He didn’t know if he was going to be able to get the words he needed out of his mouth enough for him to actually confess. He didn’t even know the first place to begin confessing that the feelings that he harborded for Logan were far more than just platonic ones.

“Yes, Patton?”

“Can I tell you something without you getting upset?”

“As long as it isn’t another dad joke, I believe I will be alright.” There was a smile on Logan’s face that released some of the tension Patton felt.

“You’ve made a few yourself, you can’t say much.”

“They were never intentional.”

“Whatever you say,” Patton stayed quiet for a moment, trying to figure out how to say it. Logan remained quiet, but watched his friend intently, curious about what the father figure wanted to ask. “I really like you. And I think it is as more than just a good friend.”

That was not at all what Logan was expecting. He was expecting a question about Virgil or perhaps if he believed that Virgil had feelings towards Roman. But nothing had prepared him for a confession like that. Logan realized he was taking too long to answer when he saw Patton’s face start to change. It looked as if he was trying to hold back tears.

“Patton…”

“If you hate me I understand.” The tone of Patton’s voice broke Logan’s heart. He never wanted to hurt the other boy. He cared deeply for him, more than deeply even. He only just recently had this revelation of his own, abit later than he should have, but it was as good of time as any to put a label to how he was feeling. Now, that label was paying off.

“I could never hate you, dear Patton. Could you pull over for a moment and look at me?”

Patton couldn’t help but sniff. Tears were already threatening to pour down his face. Logan hates me Logan hates me Logan hates me Logan hates me Logan hates me oh my god this was such a stupid idea! How did I ever think this was even close to okay!? “Yeah. Okay.” He pulled over, but still refused to look at Logan.

Logan unbuckled himself and turned slightly so that he was facing Patton. “Patton. Please. Will you look at me?” When he saw Patton shake his head, Logan gently took one of the other’s hands in his. “Patton. I have never been good with emotions. I have been teased for most of my life about not having any, but it isn’t true. And that has never been more apparent to me then now. I-” He swallowed and tried again. “I feel the same about you. And I am not telling you a falsehood.”

Patton looked at Logan, tears still in his eyes. “You do?”

“Yes. I didn’t realize just how deeply I cared about you until… recently, but yes.”

Patton quickly unbuckled and threw himself into Logan’s arms. Logan held him tightly and gently carded his fingers through the ginger’s hair, whispering soothing words. Patton cried in the older’s arms, this time tears of joy. The two stayed in each others arms for several minutes, Patton feeling several different emotions, but love and relief being the major two. He was so relieved that Logan felt the same way. He was relieved more so that Logan didn’t shut him out or make fun of him.

“Patton?”

“Yeah, Lo?”

“Come on.” Logan vaguely stated before peeling away from Patton to get out of the car. Patton scrambled to follow, stopped to grab a blanket he always kept in the back seat in case they wanted to sit down in the meadow they were parked near. At least, Patton thought that was Logan’s idea? The early morning sun shone off the dew that blanketed the meadow, causing it to sparkle green. Logan gently took Patton’s hand and led him into the grass.

“I apologize for causing you so much alarm in the car, Patton. It’s hard for me to express emotions.”

“It’s okay, Logan.”

Logan shook his head. “It isn’t. Not truly,” He took a deep breath. “My parents weren’t the most supportive of my more emotional endeavours. I believe they thought it would get in the way of my learning. They were told I was a ‘gifted’ child, so that took precedence. I remember playing with my friends and laughing at some of the most ridiculous things, but those got pushed aside for my learning,” He paused and Patton squeezed his hand reassuringly. Logan returned the pressure. “I have always loved to read, but it used to be fairy tales or fun books like that. I had a great adoration for Dr. Seuss. I enjoyed how nonsensical they were but they still had a lesson that was taught.

“Once my time shifted to school work I lost the time for those types of stories. I turned to the classics because there was still some small form of escape, even if it wasn’t as large as the escape fanticy used to bring me. And I... I lost a lot of my emotional connections to things. The only fraction was the Saturdays when my babysitter would take me out to a field to read. I got lost in a lot of the emotions of the stories then instead of dealing with my own. Since I was old enough to not need one anymore I haven’t been able to do that. I wasn’t able to feel anything. I didn’t have a teacher or parents or really any adult to help me through how I was supposed to feel. So I can only assume that I dealt with the unknown by shutting them off. I wasn’t sure if what I was feeling was normal or not. Then Virgil came into my life.

“He was the first friend I had in probably five years. He was also the first person to help me, well, feel again. Virgil is hard to understand at first but there’s something about him that just...I’m not sure. It almost felt as if he sent a signal that he needed someone. He had been in the library having an attack when I walked in and I was able to help him calm down. We spoke a little then about what happened, and he told me later that the factual way I speak is grounding. He also helped me through some of my own emotions. Worry was the first. In case you didn’t know, it’s something Virgil understands quite well.”

There was a small smile on Logan’s lips. “He was the teacher I didn’t have, at least partially. He also helped teach me to love? He’s the brother I never had, and therefore taught me how to love my own sibling when she came along. But then, he started to shut me out. I understand now it was out of fear of what his father might do, but it hurt. Then I started speaking with you. Patton, you are a well of emotions. You can help others understand emotions better than anyone else I have ever seen. Inadvertently, you helped me understand more of my own just during the times we spoke. You showed me love and kindness and tenderness and so many different emotions. I have to admit that sometimes it was a lot to handle for me. I wasn’t used to it so it was overwhelming, but I wasn’t uncomfortable with them. They were soothing as odd as that seems. And when I left I knew that nothing there could compare with how I felt around you. I had isolated myself again. Then when we spoke last night it all came flooding back. That’s when I realized that the emotions I felt around you were so different from those I felt around Virgil. I love Virgil with all of my being, but it is familial love. He’s my brother. With you it wasn’t the same. Last night is when I realized that I was IN love with you. That realization… it hit me hard. I believe I had tried to suppress those feelings because they were unknown. They were not something I could do research into and get a clear understanding of. But you have always been so kind and loving. You’ve waited for someone to love you with all of their heart and you were waiting to return that love. You deserve that love because of all the love you have given others. I hope that I can give you even a tenth of what you deserve.”

Patton looked at Logan. He never thought that he would hear so much of the other’s story. What he knew was that he was going to teach Logan everything he could about his emotions. No matter how long it took.

He pulled Logan into a hug, carelessly dropping the blanket into the wet grass. “I’m glad that I could help you with your emotions. And I will do everything I can to help you. We’re in this together.”

“Together.”

After the two pulled apart, Patton leaned down and layed out the blanket, then sat down, gently pulling Logan with him. He then snuggled against the one who stole his heart. Logan wrapped his arms around the boy who taught him to love. He took the time to admire how the light hit his auburn curls, showing off more of the red than normal. The young man looked almost angelic against the morning light.

Patton leaned his head up small amount, wanting to kiss Logan, but letting him decide if he was ready.  Despite the fear, Logan leaned forward and met Patton’s lips. However, because of that same fear, he didn’t let the kiss linger like some would. Logan moved away from it after a short moment and looked at the other boy fondly, with love clear in his eyes. It was the first emotion that Patton ever could see clearly in the other’s eyes, despite them being windows to the soul. Patton figured that Logan was just unsure on a lot of the romance stuff, but he was glad that Logan had kissed him back.

Logan hated that he wasn’t comfortable with a lot of the romantic gestures, but he wasn’t sure how to explain that to Patton. It was a problem that he would deal with later. Right now he was glad that he was able to express himself enough to make it clear to Patton that he loved him. That he didn’t have to hide his emotions anymore. Patton would help him understand them and work through them at his own pace.

After a long while, Patton’s voice broke through the early morning serenity. “Logan?”

“Yes, Patton?”

“I think that you’ll give me a lot more than a tenth.”

A soft smile pulled on Logan’s lips. “I hope so. You deserve as much love and kindness as you can possibly get.”

“So do you. You’ve done so much with keeping Virgil safe. You have a kind heart, Logan. I think just because you didn’t understand emotions doesn’t mean you didn’t have any. You just showed them differently.” Logan moved one of his hands to be able to card it through Patton’s ginger locks.

“How do you mean?” he questioned, looking at the rising sun peaking out from the tops of trees on the horizon.

“Well,” Patton started, shifting his position so that he could get maximum hair playing. “Your ‘good morning’ texts and our conversations on our sleeping the night prior shows a lot of care. And I’m sure that there’s something that you and Virgil have to say that one of you is hurting. Codes between people are just a way to discreetly say that you care and want to know stuff. But not really Morse Code. I guess in the proper circumstance it could…”

Logan moved his head to smile down at Patton, taking in the view of the lovely boy’s face. Looking down at his love in the morning light, with the rising sun's rays glowing on Patton's face, was the most beautiful thing that Logan had ever experienced. It was more than anything could have imagined as Patton rambled on about how Logan shows he cares, about his theories and sneaky ways of suggesting healthy habits that he himself doesn’t perform as a way to say ‘I love you.’ It was amazing. It was sweet. It was so Patton.

“Logan?” Patton asked after stopping his small speech. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, my apologies,” Logan shook his head with a small smile. “I was just thinking how amazing it is for me to have you here, in this beautiful morning light.”

“You are surprisingly such a sap.” Patton started to giggle, which in turn made Logan let out his own huffs of laugher. After a few seconds, Logan realized that neither of them had asked the main question yet. The big one to start everything off.

“Patton,” Logan stated rather softly, but still with a tone that required to be listened to. Patton stopped giggling and met Logan’s pure ocean gaze. “Would you maybe… like to go on a breakfast date with me?”

At that, Patton squealed. He buried his face into Logan’s sweater, happiness leaking from his eyes in the form of another round of happy tears. Logan had said it first. Patton was absolutely terrified of saying those fateful words, but he wanted to say them. He yearned to say them to Logan since the two started actually talking, but Patton never had the courage. Logan did. Suddenly, Patton realized he didn’t actually give a vocal answer to Logan’s question.

“Yes,” Patton all but cried into his Logan’s chest. “Yes, a million times yes.”

Logan let out the breath that he was holding at the end of that sentence. Patton could feel it, but he just hugged onto Logan tighter. Logan personally didn’t exactly know how to feel about all the white-hot touch that Patton provided, but in the moment he liked it. He wrapped his arms around the shorter in his lap, leaning down to kiss the top of his head.

Logan smiled down at his Heart for the millionth time that morning. His eyes flicked upwards at the rising sun again, peace filling the ever circling cavity inside his chest. The pair needed to get to Roman’s house eventually, but that wasn’t necessary at the moment. Right now, in the early morning air, it was just the two of them existing together with love swirling wildling inside of them for one another.

Roman woke up first. He felt the slight weight on his chest which told him that Virgil was still there. There was nothing he could do about the slight blush that crept along his cheeks. Careful not to move the sleeping boy, Roman grabbed his phone from the table. There was one text from Patton that was sent about an hour prior.

Pappy Padre Patton: Hey kiddo, we’re going to be a little late. Logan and I are going on a breakfast date!

Roman broke out into a smile, happy that the text that he decided to send the night prior worked it’s magic. Thinking for a moment, he would have giggled at the odd position he was in if he could without waking Virgil. His head was turned toward the side so that he could see the phone in his arm that was dangling over the side of the couch. Virgil was still half on top of him, his head on his chest. Not only was his physical position quite odd, but the relationship that he was building with Virgil was entirely amazing, weird, and frustrating all at the same time. Roman found himself wishing that his hand was playing with Virgil’s admittedly greasy looking hair. He wanted to see that soft face that knew so many grimaces to smile, to flush with color, and for his eyes to light up like his words did when he talked about something he loved. Roman wanted Virgil to be happy, comfortable. He wanted Virgil to love.

Putting all of these revelations in the back of his mind as Virgil continued to steadily breath on his chest, Roman typed out an unsteady reply with one hand.

Prince Roman: Its alrigjt we had a late night. I just woke up ans Virgils still alseep.

Almost as soon as he hit send, Virgil began to stir. He groaned and shifted, probably assuming that it would be easier to shift than it actually was. Upon being stopped of turning with the pain in his arm and a body underneath him, Virgil snapped his eyes open. The dark abysses almost immediately caught onto Roman’s soft eyes.

“Good morning, Boy Against Humanity.” Roman’s voice was still gruff with morning sound, and it just went directly to Virgil’s already growing blush.

Virgil pushed himself up with one hand on the couch and the other on Roman’s surprisingly hard chest. He got himself into more of a sitting position, but was still on top of Roman’s legs. Roman, realizing that Virgil probably didn’t want to touch him at the moment, retracted his legs. Honestly, Virgil wondered how the two were able to sleep in a position like that while still in their jeans. Instead of saying anything, Virgil grunted out what Roman assumed was something along the lines of “Gonna get changed.”

Afterwards, with a blush still rising on his face, Virgil walked up the stairs into the bedroom that held his clothes. He grabbed out one of the purple shirts and one of his new black jeans, his mind wandering. He couldn’t figure out why he had blushed so badly at laying on Roman. Was is because of the close contact? Was it because of the night before in the recording studio? A shiver ran down Virgil’s spine at the memory. The fond memory. Virgil eventually got changed and got to the bottom of the stairs when the doorbell rang.

“Virgil, can you get it?” Roman called from the kitchen where Virgil assumed he was making coffee.

Virgil made a grunt of sort to signify his answer, making his way to the door from the stairs with a little too much knowledge. Upon opening it, his heart stopped.

Logan was at the door.

Why the fuck was Logan at the door?

“Logan?” Virgil finally found his voice after several seconds of staring. His grip on the door handle fell in astonishment. Logan was supposed to be in Massachusetts. He wasn’t supposed to be here. “You’re supposed to be at Harvard.”

“And your life was threatened,” Virgil visibly paled. Logan wasn’t supposed to know about that. “You take priority.”

“I don’t--” Virgil stumbled on his words. He lifted his arm to wave it around to prove a point, but the pain that jolted upwards said otherwise. He winced, which made Logan’s concerned face show itself. Virgil hated just how much of that face that he saw.

“Virge?” A soft voice asked behind Logan. Virgil took his eyes off of his button up and sweater clad friend for a moment, just long enough to see Patton behind Logan. “Virgil, honey, can we come in?”

Virgil must have waited a moment too long in not replying, because Logan took a step forward. On instinct in his still shocked state, he took a step backward. Logan took a visible deep breath, all while keeping his eyes on Virgil. The oldest out of the four boys shifted his messenger bag before slowly raising his arms. Logan rose them slower than he took the first step as a way to show Virgil that everything was alright. He took another agonizingly slow step forward to be able to gently place his hands on Virgil’s shoulders.

“The sun has set; the danger’s gone,” Logan started. Virgil visibly relaxed. Logan’s hands on his shoulders held a specific weight. His hands were softer than Roman’s, bigger than both of theirs, and more squared off. They were his, not like anyone else’s. “Je suis là pour t'aider, mon frère. Laisse moi aider.” I'm here to help, brother. Virgil’s mind didn’t need to translate it. The French words were known better than their English counterpart. Let me help.

Patton had no clue what was happening with the two older boys. He didn’t know what Logan just said, as he had taken Spanish instead of French. What he did know, though, was that Virgil was visibly relaxing, and that was a good sign. His shoulders returned to their normal place, non-hunched. Virgil did move his shoulders up and down for a moment, most likely to feel the weight of Logan’s hands again.

After a few more seconds of Logan and Virgil just standing together, breathing, Virgil made a move. He returned his hand to the door, slowly opening it as Logan dropped his hands. Patton could have sworn he hummed something softly. He being Logan.

The three then retreated into the house, Virgil leading the way to where Roman was in the living room. The boy with blackberry hair was hunched over, arms around himself in a self hug, and completely shut off. His facade of being strong and uncaring was nowhere to be seen. He didn’t need it. It was obvious to the boy that the people here already knew about the broken, scared, and scarred boy underneath the grimace he usually wore.

“You told them?” Virgil asked in a weak tone as Roman looked up from his phone. Virgil kept his eyes on the ground. Logan and Patton shared a look as Roman stood from where he was sprawled on the couch.

“You couldn’t yourself, and I know for fact that you wanted to tell Logan.” Roman tried to back himself up and he walked forward to the other three. Upon hearing his name, Logan looked toward Roman and obtained eye contact with him. The two stared at each other for a moment before Logan reached out to shake Roman’s hand. Roman compiled and took the larger hand inside his own.

Virgil watched the odd exchange from the outskirts, slowly shrinking in on himself. Logan would be mad at him that he didn’t tell him the full truth the night of its occurrence. Patton would scorn him for not telling him sooner about all of the shit that had happened. Roman would hate him for putting the pressure of what happened that night onto his shoulders. Hell, he probably already did. They all hated him. The three most important people to Virgil certainly hated him now. There was no way around it, or at least there wasn’t in Virgil’s mind.

While Logan and Roman were caught up in their silent thanks to the other for protecting Virgil, Patton noticed Virgil getting smaller and smaller. Patton considered Virgil’s hunching in on himself something that he did when he felt threatened, or afraid, but that was with the minimal information that he was going on off of him. Patton didn’t know as much as he would like to know, but he still would attempt comfort for his love’s best friend.

“Virgil, it’s okay. None of us are mad at you for what happened, or how we found out.” Patton started, which made Virgil’s head pop up again.

“Indeed,” Logan continued on for Patton, retracting his hand from Roman’s and going to hold Patton’s instead. “Besides, from what I understand, you or Roman could not have said what happened more than once. I don’t blame you for that. It is best that we all knew… just so that we three could be able to be a better support system for you.”

“But-” Virgil choked on his words. Stop being so weak. Stop showing so much weakness. “But now Patton, he… I?”

“You don’t have to worry about protecting me, kiddo.”

“You don’t have to worry about protecting any of us,” Roman said. “You’ve spent so much time taking care of others that you haven’t been able to take care of yourself. We’re in this together. We’ll all protect each other.”

“Indeed,” Logan used the word to agree again. “Virgil, you’ve kept me safe before. I’m going to return the kindness. We are going to do this together.” He directed his voice at Virgil, which was honestly amazing for the younger. He hadn’t heard his voice so clear and so close in too long.

It made Virgil relax slightly, but he still tried to groan in protest. They don’t mean any of the things they’re saying. His darker thoughts started to rage. They’re pretending they care but they don’t. They can’t. They don’t care about you. His vision was becoming blurry. They’ve probably talked with your father and he’s making them give you a false sense of security. Virgil couldn’t see. Tunnel vision was taking over. Or was it that he closed his eyes? You’re going to lose everything you thought you cared about.

“Virgil, Virgil.” Logan’s cold and soft voice swayed into focus.

He could see Logan’s hands, so his eyes were open. Both of them were on his shoulders now. Virgil didn’t know when that happened. He couldn’t hear anything but the mantra in his head. Who are you kidding? They never fucking cared about you. It was all just a fucking joke to them. They don’t care. They don’t care. They don’t care. They don’t care. They don’t care. They don’t. They don’t. They don’t fucking care. They never fucking did.

Virgil was shaking hard. His breathing was shallow and erratic. He was still hunched in on himself, but Logan’s hands as a weight on his shoulders was preventing him from hunching farther. It was preventing him from his legs becoming weak, or his breathing get to the point to where he couldn’t breath out at all. He still couldn’t see, though. Or could he? He couldn’t tell. The only clear thing was Logan’s hands and the fact that no one cares nobody fucking cares about you.

“Pat-love, can you and Roman please go grab the information we need for the case?” Logan’s voice was clear as day, though everything else was murky. Everything but Logan was twelve miles under the ocean water. Virgil was drowning. He was drowning. He was drowning. Footsteps away, muddled and almost unheard but definitely there. “Virgil, Virgil,” Logan’s crisp voice broke through again. “You’re safe. The sun has set; the danger is gone. He can’t get us here, I promise. I swear on it.”

Logan never swore on anything he didn’t believe in. Never. Virgil’s breathing started to become less erratic.

“The chances of him discovering where you are right now are one in 33.2 thousand. Even so, Roman as a bodyguard on speed dial. We are safe. You are safe,” Logan took a deep breath in, held it, and exhaled. Virgil’s breathing pattern. “We care for you. You are the reason I am breathing fine. You mean so much to me, Virgil. Virgil, Roman cares for you. Patton cares for you. On those two facts I also swear.”

Logan never swore on anything he didn’t believe in. Never. Virgil’s breathing calmed more. It was easier to take in breaths now.

“We just want to help you, Virgil. Virgil, we love you and care about you. I want you to be safe. I don’t want you to be in fear anymore. That’s why I’m going to help you anyway I can,” There was a pause. Logan’s hands held onto Virgil’s shoulders harder. “I want to help you go to the police. It’s scary. It’s frightening, but I will be there. Patton will, and so will Roman. We are here for you. For you. On this I swear.”

Logan never swore on anything he didn't believe in. Never. Virgil’s breathing calmed back to it’s normal pace. He lifted his eyes to look at Logan.  

“There you go, Virgil. Virgil, you’ve done so well.” Logan’s calming voice told him. The voice was full of love and kindness. He did not remove his hands from the other’s shoulders. Virgil liked hearing his name over and over like what Logan did. Only he did it, and it only was when he was panicking. It was safe, calming, and something to signify that Logan was there for Virgil. They had a lot of those, Virgil was realizing.

Roman was amazed at how calming Logan was for Virgil. From what he could see from where he was at the kitchen table, Virgil was panicking a tenth of what he was when he was in Roman’s care. He could have to ask Logan for tips on how to calm down their friend. Or, at the very least, talk to Virgil about what helps him recede from panic.

“I’m proud of my kiddos.” Patton said, a genuine smile on his face.

“Wait, so you and Logan didn’t go on a breakfast date?” Roman stopped laying out papers in favor of giving Patton a perplexed look.

“Oh no, we did! Old habit of calling him kiddo.” Patton was unfazed at his friend’s confusion, instead still sorting everything that Logan had brought with him. Roman honestly didn’t know when Patton grabbed Logan’s messenger bag, but apparently it happened at some point.

Virgil didn’t know what to say. His darker thoughts were still screaming at him like they always did, but the confidence in Logan’s voice was pushing them away. He believed Logan. The older strayed away from lying the best he could, and swore to never lie to Virgil. It was comforting that Logan was there, that Roman was just in the other room waiting for them. Patton, the sweet bean who barely even knew Virgil, was there too. He had support. He had people who want to help him. His brain and muscle memory told him that he couldn’t trust them, that they would turn on him when opportunity struck, but he was solid in Logan. Logan wouldn’t let them hurt him. He wasn’t alone.

“Glad I don’ haveta do this alone,” His voice was barely above a whisper, words still slightly slurred with early morning grogginess, “Might take some time to get used to... not being alone.”

“Take as long as you need, Virgil,” Logan reassured him. “Virgil, I believe we all would be more concerned if you changed how you felt quickly. Healing and changing a mindset takes time, but it will be well worth it.”

Virgil didn’t know why, but he slowly opened his arms as an inquiry to hug Logan tightly. He wasn’t sure if it was a hug of thanks or a hug of affection but he didn’t care. Logan was here and ready to help him. Nothing would stand in Logan’s way. Virgil knew that when the oldest boy set his mind to something he would do everything in his power to make it so. That was grounding in a weird way.

Logan wrapped his arms around the lanky boy. Virgil didn’t seek touch often, so when he did, it held a lot of meaning. Usually, Logan would hypothesize why the other wanted the contact, but right now he could care less about that. All that mattered was giving Virgil all the support and love he needed. Logan gently began to card his fingers through the purple hair soothingly. I failed you in keeping you safe sooner, but I will not do so anymore. I will make sure you’re free from harm Virgil. I swear it.

Virgil pulled away a moment later, turning to see that there were others in the room. Roman’s gaze still held a flame that was both terrifying and soothing, his body stock still and raised to his full height. Protective. Patton’s eyes held love and understanding, his arms wrapped around himself with a slight bent in his posture. Comforting.

“What do we do now, Logan?” That sounded like Patton, but Virgil couldn’t tell for sure. He was looking at Logan again, eyes fixed on the star necklace that he gave him hanging from the older’s neck. He wondered when that came out from underneath the older’s shirt.

“I believe we should get the information together that we have. There may be gaps in what Roman and I have collected that Virgil might be able to fill in for us. I know it’s painful to speak about, but it will be beneficial.” Logan’s look held an apology.

Virgil breathed deeply, closed his eyes, and nodded. You can do this. Logan will protect you. Last night with Roman wasn’t a dream. He’s there for you too. He tried to psych himself up for what was to come. He could do this. The positive reinforcement that he was trying to give himself felt oddly foreign in his head, but Virgil still tried his best at it. If he were to truly not have to go back home, he needed to talk about this stuff. Virgil needed help. He didn’t want to go back to that godforsaken apartment. He couldn’t.

The four moved to the dining area once again, the papers on the table sorted into piles based on month. The months with excessive amounts of notes were further sorted into weeks, but those only started after July. Virgil was shocked by the sheer amount of data lying along the space available on the circular table. Logan was impressed by how efficiently the two were able to sort things.

As much as Logan wanted to start at the very first piece of paper, he knew that the most important ones were when his data and Roman’s overlapped. “Roman which pile is the first one containing your information?”

“This one.” Roman picked up the July pile for the previous year. “We split the month apart into just your information and when mine started on the 19th.”

“That was an incredibly smart idea,” Logan took the pile and gave a impressed frown-sort of expression. “Patton, would you be willing to take any additional notes?”

“Sure thing,” Roman handed him a composition notebook. “Thanks, Ro.”

The four got to work. Logan and Roman compared information and gently asked Virgil to elaborate if they felt it was needed. Every once in a while Patton would interject when he felt that Virgil was starting to get worried and curl onto himself. Virgil was glad for Patton in those moments. Being asked to relive those parts of his life were hard, the hardest thing he’s ever done, but knowing that the people around him were understanding and wanting to help made it easier.

With one date, things started to slow.

“March 21,” Logan breathed, which made Virgil suck in a sharp breath. That was the worst date. “This is the worst date, to my knowledge.”

“It was… Actually the 20th, a few weeks after I started to shut R... Princey out,” Virgil switched the names mid thought. He didn’t need this to get personal when Roman was sitting across from him. He pulled away from Patton, who let him. He pulled his sleeves further over his hands, then wrapped them around his middle. “He was mad I was skipping classes,” Virgil shook his head and took a deep breath. “It’s the day my mom died too.”

Logan nodded, writing a few things down with a somber but concentrated look on his face. He had that look on his face for a while now. Roman was staring at Virgil, to which Virgil shifted uncomfortably. He removed his gaze and grabbed another piece of paper. Just like that, things started moving faster again.

The only breaks any of them took was when they had to use the restroom, and when Patton insisted they stop for lunch. Virgil only picked at his sandwich that Logan made, considering his stomach was doing flips, but the others understood. Patton tried his best to soothe the lanky boy with smooth tones and light touch. Roman and Logan also gave him words of encouragement throughout the process, of course. All three of them brought their own way of comfort to Virgil. Patton was warm, soft, and gave physical touch. Roman was solid, protective, and gave both touch and many concrete words. Logan was cool, collected, and gave reassuring words. It was a mixture that Virgil needed to get through this.

Around one in the afternoon, the pace was slowing. Virgil was stressed, basically hanging off of Patton as he closed his eyes and recounted why he came to Logan with bruises on his neck and a cut in his side. Roman was stone faced, something that no one at the table saw regularly, if at all. He was in the middle of a sentence when the unmistakable sound of creaking stairs filled the space.

Immediately, Virgil stopped, Logan stopped writing, and Roman whipped his head around. There was a few more footsteps, and suddenly Roman’s Ma was standing in the entrance to the room.

“Honey?” She asked, confusion entering her features when she saw the four boys surrounding her table.

“Hi, Ma.” Roman said slowly. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Virgil hunch onto himself a little.

“What’s going on, Roman?” She asked, noticing all of the papers.

Virgil kept folding in on himself. If she sees any of these papers she’s going to kick you out. She might even kick Roman out for helping you. You can’t risk Roman losing his home. God, Virgil, you’re such a fucking idiot. Why did you believe this was a good idea? She’s going to find out and hate you too. She’ll probably even call your father. Before he knew it he’d started to pull slightly on his hair.

“Just some papers we all worked on for a summer assignment. We wanted to make sure we had everything.”

Andrea raised her eyebrow, not fully believing the story. “Alright,” She said, figuring there was a reason Roman was keeping something from her. “I’m willing to help in any way-”

Logan cut her off, his voice polite but with a tone that left no room for any argument. “Actually that isn’t necessary. We were just collecting the paperwork we needed. Virgil and I will be out of your hair in just a few moments.” He started to pick the papers up, sending a worried glance at Virgil as he did.

Patton caught onto what Logan was doing as he helped the older boy pack the paperwork up by month. “I’ll drive you guys.”

“Thank you, Patton. That would be helpful,” Logan pulled his messenger bag onto his shoulder and gently pulled Virgil to his feet. “Come on, Virgil.”

Virgil let Logan pull him away from the kitchen to the main room where they paused to pull on their shoes. It took Virgil a few moments longer than normal due to the daze he was still in. Once he got them on and stood the trio heard another set of footsteps coming down the stairs. Patton looked up and saw Cinthia, Roman’s madre, walking down the stairs.

“Patton?” She asked softly. “Everything alright?”

“Sí. We have to run and do something but I’ll be back.” Patton answered a little quicker than he usually spoke as he held the door for the other two boys.

Logan gently took Virgil by the arm and lead him out of the house. Patton waved at Cinthia as he followed and closed the door behind him. Cinthia wore a very confused expression, but heard Roman’s voice in the kitchen. He sounded frustrated, as if he were in denial. In that moment, she decided to see if she could find out what was causing Patton to act so odd.

next part

hello id be lost without @lovecrazyjennybear for several reasons so lets list a few. shes the one who reminds me to post chapters. constantly. i definitely would have forgotten to post this if she didnt remind me. she also lets me rant and ramble to her? like?? thats literally amazing. that has nothing to do with this story but still. she lets me ramble about plot lines and emotions and i listen to her when she rambles and its just amazing and shes just such an amazing friend. and!! recently she posted her first original work and its amazing. its called The Tin Man Has A Heart and its gold and you definitely should go read it after you finish this okay bYE

[ebonguard]

To understand the order, we must first understand the crime that brought its existence to light. On the fifteenth evening of Thaliak’s moon, Measoix is reported to have left a tavern he frequented intoxicated with a hooded Elezen of indeterminate descent, speculated to be Daimetois. Later in the night, after the sun had gone down, Measoix’s wife returned home to find her husband pinned to a wall by the throat, his body riddled with wounds created by means of magic. She cried out into the night and, once he realized he’d been caught, Daimetois escaped out of a back window.

Neighbors rushed to the scene and soon Measoix’s wounds were being tended to. The rest of the able-bodied fanned out into the wood to search for the man who had so brazenly attacked a Wailer, but he was never found [...]

While the criminal himself escaped and to this day is said to remain at large, the methods he used to win Measoix over so quickly and catch him off-guard were soon uncovered. Arcane runes inscribed in a small, hollow orb made out of silver found discarded several yalms away from Measoix’s home is thought to have played a role in manipulating him into cooperation by means of wicked magick, and a mysterious vial of blue liquid is thought to have been used to initially subdue the Wailer so that Daimetois would have an easier time doing the deed.

- Exerpt from “Blackback” Written by Yhan’to Whurna Originally published in The Raven

Rinzhi, enraged at the way her ‘honored guest’ had been treated and upset that her fine evening had been interrupted, opted to, instead of tearing each and every man, woman, and child present a brand-new asshole, get them off her back with a juicy tidbit that would likely keep them busy for a while: an arranged meeting with a former member of the Lanner’s Eye in a sennight’s time. A man calling himself Grackle, and, apparently, her brother.

The Second Sun of Menphina’s Moon.

The appointed time swiftly approached as Leonnaux awaited the people that Crow had hired for the evening: Itara Irispyre, a Duskwight dancer he was well-acquainted with; Soalean Monterey, a Hyur that struck Crow’s messenger as having a good head on her shoulders even if she decided to answer Crow’s call while she was still injured; and the ever-reliable Shiori Eikitaika, whom was also injured within the past week due to misfortunes that befell her when helping other members of the Artifice of Reason with something decidedly irrelevant to the task at hand.

After a short bit of debriefing and a bit of idle chatter, the four of them happened across their contact: Grackle, a middle-aged Miqo’te with red hair and mismatched eyes of gold who seemed very willing to help them in an effort to make up for some transgressions he perceived in the part of his sister for the rather… Cold reception that had been given to these people who were looking for the Lanner’s Eye’s caches. He revealed that he was in the possession of one of the caches, which contained some enchanted jewelry as well as a scrap of fabric that, according to Grackle, was attracted to others of its kind and could be used as an aid to find other caches.

Though already more than happy to share what information he seemed to know, Grackle was only even more willing to share thanks to Soalean’s offer to bring him some warm antelope stew and a blanket. After all, if they were looking for the caches and they were willing to offer his food… Well, certainly they must have been friends of Magpie’s – who had left in Grackle’s cache a note that read:

“For some years now I have suspected that the downfall of the Lanner's Eye was not an accident. To you I trust this cache, which I will return for when it is safe to do so. I will get to the bottom of this.”

Familiarity with the way Magpie tended to operate must have lead Grackle to that conclusion…

After reaching No Man’s Hovel, which both Grackle’s intel and the scraps of fabric lead them to and a brief argument about who would be doing the digging, they finally came into possession of a second cache, containing even more enchanted materials and the fragment of fabric that had helped to lead them there. After examining the contents briefly, the team devised a plan of action: to remove one of the fragments of fabric from the Shroud so that the one remaining would lead the group to the next-closest cache, since the fragments were attracted to the closest of their kind.

Meanwhile, a mysterious hooded figure briefly accosted them, leading to some discussion about his identity… Grackle aptly described him as sounding like “Magpie, if Magpie reeeeeally hit the fogweed.”

[22:00]Shiori Eikitaika reaches out for one of the cloth scraps. "Is Magpie someone we don't want to deal with?" [22:00]Leonnaux Altoix: "On the contrary... He's the man we're looking for, aside from the caches. Vaicean --Daimetois." [22:00]★Itara Irispyre: "I believe Leon said he wants to find him?  Though if Crow is just after the gil I don't quite see why..." [22:01]Leonnaux Altoix presses his lips into a thin line and he looks off in the direction that the hooded figure left in. "The bounty, mayhap?" He doesn't hush his words then, and Grackle's ears press flat against his head in response. [22:01]Leonnaux Altoix || [GRACKLE] "Bounty? S-so... You ain't workin' for a Magpie?" [22:02]Soalean Monterey: "Tha' seems unlikely, Leon." [22:02]Shiori Eikitaika: "Well either way perhaps it's not best to mess with him now, yes? Considering the only combatants we have are injured." [22:02]Soalean Monterey: "Why woul' he want t' meet 'im on amicable terms if it was jus' fer a bounty?" [22:02]Soalean Monterey: "IF he was after th' bounty, th' better plan woul' be t' anger him an' lure 'im int' a trap. So we can reasonably assume Crow's no' after any bounty." [22:02]★Itara Irispyre: "You said Crow respects the man, but he wants the bounty on his head?"  Itara shook her head and chuckled, "Doesn't quite add up to me." [22:02]Leonnaux Altoix: "Well, he'd want him alive, and Crow is more of a negotiator than a fighter, ah... But yes, it's best to avoid confrontation.” [22:03]Leonnaux Altoix: "W-w-well sometimes Crow doesn't make sense!" He turns on Itara almost unduly quickly. [22:03]Shiori Eikitaika laughs at you. [22:03]Leonnaux Altoix: "I'm the least competent messenger he could ask for, and yet I'm not unemployed! Ahah..." [22:03]★Itara Irispyre: "Or he is keeping something from you." She pauses, "Or you are keeping something from us."

But with their mission accomplished, the group went their separate ways after agreeing on the mode of payment: favors from the illustrious Crow who claimed to be the leader of Ebonguard. Shiori took one fabric fragment with her, while Leonnaux himself hung onto the other along with both of the caches.

ACQUISITIONS:

Cache 1:

Vajra Pin - A curiously-shaped pin, fashioned primarily from silver and coated in aurum regis. Arcane runes are carved into its surface to reveal the silver core of the pin.

Ribbon Fragment - A fragment of impossibly soft fabric enchanted with magic so strong that even after fifteen years, it's still faintly palpable. It is drawn to other fragments cut from the same enchanted cloth, and can serve as a method by which to locate other caches.

Magister's Crest - A small crest made out of hardsilver with myriad arcane runes inscribed in minute detail on the surface. Laying hands on it seems to invigorate your mind.

Lanner Coins - A coin carried by members of the now-defunct Lanner's Eye. Unremarkable, apart from the organization's insignia engraved upon it. Likely valuable.

Cold, hard cash.

Magpie’s Note.

Cache 2:

Lucky D20 - A die that always seem to land on what you need. Why someone would enchant dice rather than simply weight them is perhaps as great a mystery as any other when it comes to the Lanner's Eye.

Vajra Pin - A curiously-shaped pin, fashioned primarily from silver and coated in aurum regis. Arcane runes are carved into its surface to reveal the silver core of the pin.

Martyr’s Emblem - A small crest made out of steel with an onyx gem set into the center. Laying hands on it seems to invigorate your body.

Ribbon Fragment - A fragment of impossibly soft fabric enchanted with magic so strong that even after fifteen years, it's still faintly palpable. It is drawn to other fragments cut from the same enchanted cloth, and can serve as a method by which to locate other caches.

Lanner Coins - A coin carried by members of the now-defunct Lanner's Eye. Unremarkable, apart from the organization's insignia engraved upon it. Likely valuable.

Myriad scribbled, now-unreadable notes, and a journal that’s slightly-better off that provides some easily-gleaned details about the enchantments.