#sephirot(h) save me. save me sephirot(h)

[demigod-of-the-agni]

hiii everybody want to see this cool little edit i made last night

the joke is that ffvii and ffxiv both have a sephirot(h) and they both have GOOD FUCKING THEME SONGS LIKE YES MURDER ME WITH THOSE BEATS GODDD AOOUU

(also the url for the video literally has "SLay" in it i'm literally crying)

[snake-noodles]

Hidden Away - Chapter 3

TW: talk of death, mentions of alcohol, body horror, implied self harm, parasites, spiders, skin trauma. Please tell me if I missed anything

Words: 3961

Read on AO3

On the very top floor, preparations were being made.

It was a very special day. Very special indeed. For once in the longest time, they would be seeing the founder himself. He barely came around, being one of the only ones able to leave this place.

A smiled in the dark room. Smiled as cheerily as he could for an AI programmed without emotions. All for Thomas, he'd remind himself. He knows that Thomas will be upset- but it's okay. He'll get used to it, and he'll learn that A has everything under control. Then the corporation will thrive better than ever! He fills the champagne glasses, despite not being able to drink himself, and sets it down gently. Everything must be perfect. Even though he knows neither of them will drink. Even though he knows they don't agree. Even though he knows this meeting won't last long. Even though he knows that Thomas will be upset. Soon, he'll be able to have everything under his careful control.

The door opens, and the lights come on. A looks over, an uncomfortable smile sitting on his face. Remy, whom he called in, blows his kazoo half heartedly.

Thomas steps in, and is Greatly Confused.

"Greetings, Thomas. It's so good seeing you again." He says, no emotion in his voice. Remy drops his kazoo.

"Heya, daddy-o. I don't know what this celebration is for, but I see alcohol." He smirks. "The others should be here soon."

"... What is happening exactly?" Thomas asks, confusion clear on his face.

"Oh, right. You might think that it's someone's birthday or a celebration of sorts." A hums. "But it's not. Congratulations on your first death in the new team! One more death, and plenty more to come."

A claps, and Remy looks uncomfortable, suddenly not really into the party. Thomas looks pale.

"Do you have to do this every time? Everytime we get a new team, you do this and celebrate the first person to die." Thomas furrows his eyebrows. A blinks.

"I'm simply getting you used to death, sir. It isn't all bad." A clapped his hands, and Remy rushed to leave the room and get back to his team, mumbling something about letting the other sephiras know. The two stare, before A's head snaps back to Thomas unnaturally. "But, enough of that. We have important matters to discuss, after all."

The two sit down, an uncomfortable silence settling over him as Thomas stares at his AI counterpart.

"You do understand why I've called you here, correct?" A states, voice suddenly cold. Thomas nods.

"Yes, I do. And I don't agree with you." He states firmly, a stubborn look across his face.

"It would greatly benefit all of us, sir." A pauses, narrowing his eyes, leaning forward. "Do you want this to fail?"

"Of course not! But-"

" Then you will do as I say ."

Thomas flinches as the cold hand is wrapped tightly around his wrist. He knows that A could easily kill him. Both of them know this. But they know just as well that Thomas could easily dispose of A. They could cause each others demise. And even though they were two sides of the same coin, there was no trust in their relationship. They had to be aware of each other's moves at all times. It was like a dangerous game of chess, and they both had their eyes set for the king.

"I will not." He says, trying not to let his voice waver. It was hard to stand up to A. He's a naturally emotional person. A isn't even human.

A sighs, taking his hand away and folding them on top of each other.

"You will come around eventually. We have no use for these emotions getting in our way… Face it, Thomas. You need me. I can show you the way. We shall thrive." He reaches out to grab Thomas's hand, but he pulls back, standing up.

"No. Not like this. Not with how you're running things."

"Oh? And what are you going to do about it sir?"

"I'll run this place myself."

A's eyes widen, and then he smiles, standing himself. He tilts his head.

"Fine then. I'm glad you've stopped hiding like a coward." He steps forward, straightening Thomas's jacket.

"But I'll show you. You need me, Thomas. Isn't that why you created me?"

He says nothing.

And the game of chess has officially begun.

> Welcome back to Lobotomy Corp, PATTON.

> …

> You have 2 new messages. Would you like to read them?

> NO.

> Understood, I have saved them for later.

Patton sighs, rubbing his aching head. He feels exhaustion, and he glances over at his sleeping roommate. He should be asleep too. He needs to be in tip top shape if he wants to do a good job. He wants to be able to see Virgil. Even though his containment absolutely terrifies him, he doesn't want to leave Virgil. Not ever again does he want to leave him.

It made him sad. Which isn't great since he's supposed to be happy! Happy and cheerful nurse that makes others feel better! He doesn't want to drag anyone down with him.

But… Logan already seems to be going down.

He's never seen Logan scare an abnormality like that before. He's never pulled his weapon on one that didn't even breach containment. And that scared him.

He didn't want to be scared of Logan. He shouldn't be! They're friends, after all. The abnormality seemed terrified. He didn't look like too much of a threat- maybe he didn't mean to affect Logan like that? He doesn't know. He always tries to see the best in everything. Even the abnormalities.

He didn't like seeing the abnormalities locked up. He knows with his position, he's not allowed to say anything about that. It just felt… inhumane. The spaces were so small and cramped. It's no place for anyone to comfortably live.

He hates seeing things in pain. He regularly has to visit a few of them. F-02-44(T) hated itself with a passion, and it reminded him of The Du- Remus. Remus. It always hurt itself, hating how grotesque it looked. Remus is one he also visited frequently. He always managed to somehow hurt himself. Even with the chains wrapped around him that Patton hates looking at. Virgil was the one he visited the most. He didn't need as much treatment as the previous two, but… Patton felt better when he spent time with Virgil. He wants to make up for all the time he didn't when Virgil was still…

Patton shakes his head, laying back in his bed and staring at the ceiling, his roommate's soft snoring filling up the empty air. He felt like there was a hole in his chest. A hole that's been slowly growing ever since he started working here.

He realizes that the plot of his life doesn’t make sense to him anymore- that although he thought he was following the arc of the story, he keeps finding himself immersed in passages he doesn't understand. Like right now. He never would have expected himself to end up in this place.

He longed for his freedom again, after having it thrown out into the wind, watching it leave him while all he can do is stand and wait for death.

He didn't like thinking about that, either. He knows Logan would scold him if he found out, but god he's terrified of dying in this place. He'll never get to see his family again. Maybe his family was small and broken, but now that he's been taken away from it, he realizes how much he really loved them. He knows he loves his family, but being stuck here only made him realize how much he truly cares.

He wishes he could talk to them. To hug them one last time. He doesn't want to die here. At least, he'd like to see them again before dying here. He missed them. He missed them more than he could ever possibly handle.

Everything was perfect for him. Even with his small, struggling family. Things were finally looking up.

It was perfect.

Until it wasn't.

He's grown used to crying silently. He can't be a child here. He can't be immature. So, whenever he cries, he's learned how to suppress his sobs and his hiccups.

He curls up, exhaustion weighing on his body like a heavy blanket. He doesn't remember when he fell asleep.

Morning broke. Or at least he could assume that it's morning. His clock said it was morning. He couldn't be too sure, though. He sighs, rubbing his tired eyes. Nurses had to get up earlier than regular employees so that they wouldn't get in the way of research when treating an abnormality. He was tasked to check on O-01-62(H) once more this morning to make sure he didn't revert back to the state he was in yesterday.

He was a little nervous, he didn't really know about this new abnormality after all. He was still in risk of danger himself. He stands up, stretching out his tired limbs, trying not to wake up his roommate. He just needs to take his meds, get dressed, and be on his way!

Leaving his room, he mentally tries to cheer himself up. He was always down when it was early morning. The only other people out in the hallways were the sephiras, guards, and other nurses. Though the hallways were still sparse. He waves at Remy as he passes by. Remy, despite being on a different team, was the one he saw most often. He never really saw the sephirot for the team he helped with. Nate was his name? Or maybe it was Toby? He's not sure, he can't quite remember.

Once he makes sure he's on the right floor, he double checks his notes before walking down the empty hallway, his footsteps echoing. He trails before stopping at O-01-62(H) . He takes a deep breath, before entering the containment.

Inside laid the serpent. Coiled around himself in such an unnatural, inhuman way that made Patton tense up a little. Upon hearing the door open, his head snaps up and he smiles. Patton smiles back, albeit more nervous.

"Well, if it isn't Nurse Joy." He hisses, slowly standing to his full height. Patton liked to think he was rather tall himself, only just being a few inches shorter than Logan, who was 6'4. He was the perfect dad height, in his opinion. But standing in front of abnormalities makes him feel… tiny. The reptile was tall. Perhaps 6'8? He was only a few inches taller than Logan, he thinks. Not the tallest in the building for sure, but perhaps it was more so his anatomy that added to the unpleasant nervousness Patton was feeling right now.

He smiles awkwardly.

"Hello! Deceit, was it? I was sent to check up on you this morning." He smiles, stepping forward. When the other doesn't make any moves to stop him, he approaches. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Oh, I feel absolutely miserable. I think I might be dying." The snake drones, putting the back of his hand to his head. Patton giggles.

"Very funny! But, I need the truth if you wanna feel better." He puts his hands on his hips, and the two stare at each other.

"Hm…" He hums, leaning down to match Patton's height. He stares for a moment. "I'm fine. I'm sure there are other abnormalities that need help more than I do."

"Well, as long as you're doing okay…!" He hesitates, fiddling with his pen. "Logan doesn't usually act like that… Maybe he's just stressed! He's really a nice person…"

Deceit stares longer, before looking at his long nails, his forked tongue flickering out of his mouth. Patton has to hold himself back from immediately squealing.

"Logan is… Not normal… I know that's rich to hear coming from a freak of nature such as myself." He chuckles darkly, the noise brings a chill down the nurse's spine. "He doesn't seem right in the head. He used to be just like everyone else, I believe… But something happened."

He crosses his arms, two more coming out to tidy his hair and straighten his hat before sinking back into his body. Patton tries to ignore how his stomach twists.

"... I don't know… I'll try talking to him, if I can. He doesn't… do those sorts of things." He frowns, and the abnormality clicks his tongue.

"You're different than the others… I'm sure anyone else would be happy to let the nerd kill me… but you should be going. I'm fine, after all. You're Virgil's little friend, right? Go and bother him instead."

Patton freezes, eyes widened as he looks up at the abnormality. His fingers twitch and he anxiously wets his lips.

"... How do you know about Virgil?" He asks, voice silent. The snake smiles, putting a finger up to his mouth.

"I don't know anything, Patty cake. Move along little lamb, other patients need you more than I do." His eye glows, a brilliant gold that captivated Patton. And without even thinking, Patton turns and leaves the room.

He steps into the hallway, blinking. Was there something he should be worried about? He isn't sure… Well, it's probably not too important, whatever it was! Humming, he decides to check up on Virgil. He felt a bit anxious, walking down his dark hallway, but if it were lightened, Virgil wouldn't be afraid to leave his containment. He sighs, looking up at the door, T-01-43(T) . He braces himself and steps inside.

The containment was illuminated by a single lightbulb, and Virgil would draw to it like a moth to a flame.

He looks up, seeing the long, spindling spider legs. They were bigger than Virgil himself. The were long, and sharp, and twitched uncomfortably. Patton swallows, and the spider looks down. Virgil is so pale now. His eyes are nothing but black. Slowly, he climbs down- his spider legs clumsy and uncertain in the way they move. Patton was scared. He hates that he's scared of Virgil. But he still smiles, anxious.

"Virgil, how are you today?" He asks, stepping forward. Virgil takes a shaky breath, backing up, only to jump when his extra limbs hit the wall.

"Good, g-good. I'm good. I'm fine. Good." He rambles, wringing his hands together and trying to make himself smaller. Patton frowns, taking a step closer.

"Hey, it's okay, kiddo. We'll figure this out… Has it gotten any worse?" He asks quietly, hand hovering over the spider's shoulder, but not touching it.

"I-I don't know… still hurts.. hurts alot. I want to pry them off." He sucks in air through his teeth.

"L-Let's not rip off any limbs!" He laughs nervously. "... Is it okay if I look?"

Virgil hesitates, before nodding. It was hard to put on and take off clothing, but he'd rather die than be shirtless all the time. The backs of all his clothes had large slits in them, keeping them together with two buttons, sort of but not exactly like a hospital gown. Of course, this meant he couldn't wear his jacket anymore, but it was always wrapped around his waist.

Patton slowly unbuttons his black shirt, extremely careful to not touch the protruding spider legs. Once it's off, he frowns.

"... Is it bad? Getting better? I-I can never see it. I-I-I don't- I don't want to see it really- please don't tell me how bad it is-" He breathes heavily and Patton gently pats his shoulder for some sort of comfort.

Besides the very obvious spider limbs, a problem they've been keeping their eye on has been the slowly growing blackness in Virgil's skin. It apparently hurts, but not too much to where it's excruciating. And it all stemmed from the bump in the back of Virgil's neck. The smooth exoskeleton of what used to be another abnormality, burrowed into Virgil's skin. It was a parasite of sorts. And they couldn't remove it. Even touching it made Virgil's stable mindset slip.

But the dark, almost purple color has been spreading slowly.

He's scared that Virgil will be lost completely before he can find a way to reverse this. He's already been slipping into more monstrous tendencies, and even though he isn't used to using his new legs, he's made things that resemble webs. Touching them burn , though. Not to mention how Virgil has started eating.

Patton grimaces, before coming to sit in front of Virgil.

"How's your eyesight?" Patton asks, brushing some hair out of the way of Virgil's eyes.

"... It's getting darker… It's really hard to see… I-Is the light still on? The lights are still bright, right? Patton, I-I don't wanna go blind. It's getting hard to see- I can't- I don't-" Virgil panics, voice slipping for a moment, but Patton grabs his hands carefully.

"You'll be okay. It's gonna be okay. We'll… We'll definitely solve this! I'll make sure to have a brighter light installed… I-Is there anything else I should know?"

Virgil shakes his head, and Patton nods.

"You're not leaving, are you?" He asks, voice quiet and desperate.

"I have to. I promise I'll come back tonight, though. We'll figure this out, okay?" He speaks, voice barely a whisper. He's not sure why he's whispering. Virgil nods, slowly pulling his hands away and folding them on his lap. His legs move, shifting awkwardly in the small room. He looks small. Uncertain. Unsure.

Patton hates leaving him.

But the moment he does leave, he feels exceptionally less anxious, despite the ghost feeling of creepy crawlies all over his skin. He shudders, scratching his arms. He spent more time there than he should have. Now he'll have to check up on Remus later, which didn't sit quite well with him. Even though he'd leave that cell with at least one injury, he hated leaving him to hurt himself.

He hates entering that room, but he's sure Roman has it much worse… seeing his own brother chained down and turned into… that. He frowns, rubbing his wrists.

He needs to speak to Logan, still. What happened yesterday wasn't sitting right with him. Logan wouldn't hurt something that couldn't fight back, right? He wouldn't hurt something that didn't even escape, right? He's not sure. He wants to trust his friend with this. They've been friends for a while now! Logan wouldn't do something like this. He's sure of it.

Still, he's not sure how he'll bring it up to Logan. What if he's dismissive? What if he doesn't care? What if he gets angry? His stomach twists and he frowns. Why is he worrying so much? This will be fine! He just needs to catch Logan when he's not busy!

… Which might take a while.

Patton looks down, seeing that he needs to get to his office in 30 minutes. So he has a little time to maybe grab a drink and something to eat. He can't have much though. He really wishes he could have proper meals, but most of his time is dedicated to his work.

He stops by a vending machine to get food so he won't starve to death. He wants to bake again. He doesn't remember the last time he's baked. But, well, he can't waste his time getting sad about it..! He adjusts his glasses and eats as he walks, hoping to not waste any time. He waves as he walks by some workers he knows, but slows down when he sees three people talking. There's Remy, A, and… someone who looks a lot like A. He blinks, and Remy catches his eye- at least he thinks so. It's hard to tell with the sunglasses.

"Hey, Patton-cake!" He waves with his free hand, the other holding a mug. The other two turn to look, and he suddenly feels very put on the spot. A was… incredibly strict. If he messes up, who knows what will happen.

"Uh, hello! Did you need me?" He asks, walking over.

"Not really, but I thought I should introduce you." He smiles, patting the nurse on the back.

"This is Patton Hart, he's one of the best nurses here. I'm sure it'd help him alot if we, I dunno, got better medical equipment Thomas?" He asks, nudging Patton slightly. Patton freezes up some more. God, it's the founder himself out of all people. He prays that he doesn't die today.

"We do not need-" A speaks up before Thomas holds up a hand.

"We'll look into supplying the doctors with better equipment." He says quickly, never once turning to look at his AI counterpart, who wore a scowl. It was scary seeing the so called emotionless robot upset.

"I-It's really nice meeting you, Mr. Sanders..! Thank you, I should get going I'll do my best!" He says quickly, getting out of there as soon as possible. He hears Remy say something, but he's already in the elevator.

He takes in a deep breath, looking down to see a message from Remy.

> Make sure to get the new medicine from Emmi's office, boo~ ♡

A smile tugged at his lips, and he looks away, glad that no one was upset with him. He lets out a breath, waiting for the elevator. Despite this being a high tech place with alot of cool stuff, the workers were given the short end of the stick. Not like he's allowed to complain.

But, he wonders why Thomas was here. He almost never shows himself, and Patton has never even seen his face until today. Did something happen? Why did he suddenly come back? Is work going to get better or worse now that he's here again?

He isn't sure. A was already incredibly intimidating, and never thought about people's lives. He wondered what Thomas would be like. Thomas is human, right? Surely, he must have better morals compared to something that isn't alive. He gulps, suddenly incredibly nervous. He has a lot to worry about today, huh? At least getting the medicine won't be hard… Emile was kind.

He doesn't want to think about dealing with Remus later. And thinking about talking to Logan is stressing him out a lot more than it should. Not to mention he doesn't even know how many patients he'll get today. This is too stressful for him. He just wants to eat cookies and watch movies. He huffs, and the elevator shakes as its doors open. He steps out, adjusting his glasses.

Guess he won't be eating lunch today.  

In a dark room on the very top floor, a chess piece moves across the board. His eyes glowed in the dark room, the only color on him. A cold, icy blue.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, sir ?" The word comes out as more of a taunt, venom dripping off of his words.

"Of course. Do you know what you're doing?"

"I do. I always know what I'm doing."

Neither of them speak as a pawn is taken off of the board. It's silent. The slightest of noises could be heard.

They stare at each other, neither daring to look away. Then, the door opens.

"A, you're needed." The AI speaks, and A stands up, putting a hand on Thomas's shoulder.

"Just have faith in me. I will make everything better."

And he leaves without waiting for a response. Thomas sits there, fists clenched.

He walks down the hall, a smile on his face. He will make things better. He will make this corporation thrive. And if he has to play dirty to get there, then so be it. He can play dirty.

Thomas won't even know what hit him.