-----  Warning: Violence, Censored swearing. Mentioned/implied abuse.

-

The floorboards creaked beneath the balls of his feet then fell silent, heavy breaths misting in the air as Virgil scanned his surroundings. Panic pulsed low in his veins as he looked over every nick and cranny of the hallway, bloodshot eyes landing and lingering on a light blue then red door before darting away, his ears straining to pick up the quietest of squeaks.

"Ok.." Virgil breathes, reaching for a white door handle with a twitchy hand, "I can do this." He twists it open, stumbling forward he latches onto the door, feet stopping before they could topple down the stairs...

It was dark, one could make out about four stair steps before there was nothingness. Who was to tell if the stairs even continued? Maybe it was a drop-off, a trick, god he knew this was a bad plan. He shouldn't have even come here.

Creakkkk

Virgil's eyes flew wide open, a door, someone had opened a door, he took a step forward, feet stepping down onto a step, closed the door and then his eyes. He took in a deep breath, then held it, crossing his finger that whoever woke up wouldn't think to check up on him there. It wasn't likely, was it?

"Hey, kiddo, are you awake?" He heard Patton's voice echo outside the door, a knock sounding in the distance, "I think I heard someone walking around, was that you?" How on earth could he pick up on that!? Was he just waiting for Virgil to screw up?

Silent, Virgil stayed silent, pressing his eyelids together tighter. The way a child would, if I don't see you, you can't see me.

"Look, if it's about yesterday, I said sorry.." Patton mumbles, fingers clicking against the wood. " You know Roman didn't mean to go that far."

Virgil dug his nails into the skin of his fist. Of course Roman didn't mean to go that far. He never meant to go too far. Not when he-

"Virgil? Kiddo?" Patton called out.. "Oh, I guess you're sleeping." Virgil heard footsteps again, heading away "I'll let you rest, sleep is good for healing."

He heard a door click shut, okay this was his chance, he opened his eyes to darkness and quickly began patting down his pockets, once the right lump was found he retrieved his phone. Scrolling through his apps, he found the flashlight and flicked it on.

The light shone revealing a twisting, oak wood staircase. Carefully Anxiety began to descend it, feet cautiously padding across wood until he reached the end, a small room..

"I thought there was going to be something." He stepped forward, flashlight flickering in his unsteady hands. "Patton always told me not to go down here." He blinks, moving the flashlight around. "But there's nothing in here." He crouches close to the ground, rubbing his hand across the surface, before bringing a finger to his face. "Hm, no dust.."

He stands back up and spins around once, "It's quiet in here." He approaches one of the walls, hand feeling across it for something. "There has to be a reason.. Patton keeps mumblings about people, and doors that open up in places..." he mutters, fingers twitching against the cool surface of the metal walls. "God I wish logan was here, he'd be useful."

He reaches the end, fingers cold. "Nothing.. Maybe I opened the wrong white door, there's quite a few littered about the place, moving and changing.." He frowns, "Patton won't let me touch them though." He takes a step back onto the stairs. "God now, I'm talking to myself. I really must be going crazy." He rests his hand against the wall, tilting his flashlight up to reveal the staircase, without a railing this was going to be a hazardous climb.

Creakkkkk

Virgil freezes, nearly falling onto his behind as he stumbles off the bottom step and back into the room. God, did they open the door? Was it Patton!? He couldn't handle Patton right now. Or maybe it was just Roman? Yeah, that's not as bad, he could deal with some bruises, stitch some wounds, or place ice on his bruised lips... preferably, it'd just be Logan and he'd send him back to bed, perhaps with a glass of water. He could probably convince him to stay over, and be able to sleep peacefully tonight.

The thought of glancing behind him for a door, didn't occur to our dear anxiety. Not until something smooth snagged his ankle, drenching his pant leg in a foul-smelling substance. Another little creek was heard, then some ruffling as he was pulled forward. Air leaving his lungs as he crashed into the floor winded, legs kicking out as his phone cracked bathing him in darkness.

"What the F-'' He didn't finish his sentence as he soon realized he was being dragged forward, his shirt riding up uncomfortably, as his foot seemed to go through the floor. THE FLOOR!? He twists, body curling like a worm some kids found and sprinkled with salt, muscles seizing as he squirmed, nails biting into slime as he clawed. Panic gripped his chest the way a meat hook would a squirming piglet, hoisting him far up into the unknown. Or in virgil's case, low, low, somewhere unwanted.

He kicked out again as his torso, hit something rough, an edge, he squeaks, fear increasing before he bonks his head on something heavy. He blinks, body going still, then fwoosh, he passes through.

"Double De Look was I found." A screeching voice, hoarse and high announced, parting through the noise of Virgil's beating chest. "Loookie isssnnn he cute!?"

"Remusss." A hissy voice called out, "let him go." it demanded..

Virgil found himself lowered to the ground, pupils straining to filter through the very little light in the room. "What. where am I?" He mumbles, feet pushing against the floor, the bottom of his pants scraping against the ground until he hit the back of a wall.

"*Not* the Darkside darling." A snake-like voice told him, a yellow gloved hand appearing in front of his face. "Now, let me *not* help you up, dear."

Virgil's eyes widened, the Darkside, he quickly swatted the hand away. Patton warned him about them, constantly threatened to send him there if he didn't behave, if he didn't keep quiet during playtime. He rose up onto shaky feet, "G-get away." he attempted to say with force, but instead, it came out shaky and strained, as he started taking in the two figures.

The green one giggled, "Nah." he replied, taking a step forward, "Why were you down there, were you wanting to get kidnapped?"

Virgil glances up, wincing as the trap door snapped shut and just vanished. "I'm.. I'm kidnapped?"

The yellow one pushed the green one aside, wait what did they call each other, right, de pushed Remus aside. "*Yes*, you're kidnapped." He told him, "You *certainly can't* leave." he whispered, offering his hand again.

"what?" Virgil, questions with a voice full of bitter suspicion, moving away from the hand again, raising a brow, he said it so sarcastically he didn't know how to take the words at face value.

Remus giggled, "De can only speak in lies, that's why he gets confusing." he explains, waddling closer like a penguin and then boops the purple boi's nose. "He's trying to say you can leave... I don't want you to leave though.. What are you?"

Virgil flinches back at the touch, eyes raking over Remus, he looks so much like Roman, he shivers at the thought... "Uh.. Anxiety. Can I leave now?"

Remus hums, glancing at De, his shoulder slouching at the glare.. "Yeah... I guess." A trapdoor opens beneath Virgil and suddenly he's falling once again, into blackness.

Then there was light as Anxiety found himself in an audience full of people, he looked around, confused, taking in the sight of the audience and then the stage below. The imagination he realizes. He must be in the imagination. Virgil scans the stage with nervous eyes for Princey and finds him belting out his lines, dressed up in an even fancier prince suit than normal. His pearly white teeth gleaming as he pulled out his sword and with a flick of his wrist, swung and sliced the fake enemy. The blade cleanly passes through watermelon guts. Virgil held back a grimace, silently coming to a stand at least it wasn't his. Glancing behind himself for a moment he realized it was still night, he was supposed to be in bed, Heck, Roman was supposed to be in bed. What was he even doing? He steps onto the red carpet, and begins walking, assuming it was the way out.

"Virgil!"

Anxiety went rigid like a board, glancing down he saw that Roman had turned to face him and was looking up. Fck, he was spotted.

"C'mere my Dark Prince." Roman yells out to him, beckoning him forward with a smooth hand gesture. "You're just what I need."

Virgil shakes his head, "Sorry Ro, I don't feel like playing the villain right now." He chuckles, with a shrug, "Uh, Pat just wanted me to check up on you.." He gestures around the room with his lie, it sounded believable enough since Ro was supposed to be sleeping as well." Uhhh, I'mma go now. Let him know you're okay" He spun back around, feet hurrying across the carpet as he picked up his pace, twitchy hands shoved in hoodie pockets.

"Doom and gloom I insist." Creativity declares, tone dark as he snaps his fingers, the rug lifting up, and around Virgil, dragging him on over. "I need a Prince to save."

With a yelp, the Anxious one felt cloth grab onto him tightly, pulling his squirming body across the floor then up the bumpy stairs. God, he was going to have bruises for a week or two. Son of an idiot..

The carpet opens and he takes in a deep breath, body shaking, as he took in his fuzzy surroundings. "Look, maybe next time.. Mphh." He manages to say before Roman snaps his fingers again, gagging him with a rag.

"Shh, damsels don't negotiate." Roman hushes, picking Virgil up and placing him behind the cardboard cell. "There, aren't you cute." He purrs before trotting on over back to the front of the stage.

With a bow, he announces the beginning of the start of what was probably his 5th play of the night.

-----

Virgil arrives back to his room, his muscles sore as he limps to his door. He rubs his cheek and wince's at the fresh sting of a forming bruise as he opens it. The common hall was lighter, the shine of the fake sun outside alerting him it was becoming day and that Thomas was going to awake soon. Virgil groaned at that thought, but hey it was the weekend so Thomas might sleep in which would give Virgil a chance to get a little bit of shut eye. He steps in and flicks on the lights.

"Good morning Virgil." The anxious man's eyes widen, his blood vessels clear in the light of the room as his gaze lands right on his bed. Patton's sitting there with a wide smile, his legs crossed and a book in his hands. Virgil steps back, feet riding up the carpet as he watches Patton flick his wrist and feels his behind hit the back of the now-closed door.

"Pat, I... in my room... why?" He asks, scanning his room for anything out of place. His eyes looked over posters, spider curtains and purple-black bed sheets. He dug his fingers further into his pockets, appendages findling with loose threads as he winced in his head as he prepared for whatever the man had to say.

"What were you doing?" Virgil feels some of his colour return to his face. Okay, that's good, Patton doesn't know what he's doing. If he's asking it must mean he has no clue, he's not Logan who will play mind games to find out whether or not Virgil was taking care of himself, then trick him into eating something.

"A walk." He replies, taking a step forward. "Just needed to get some air and to think."

Patton narrowed his eyes, a twitch to his lips as he nodded in a way that showed he didn't quite believe him. His smile fell and Virgil assumed he wasn't going to argue as he simply sat his book aside, stood up and stared Virgil down. "I'm only going to ask you one more time what were you doing last night. Don't lie to me kiddo."

Virgil's hands twitched in his pocket as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. He turned his attention to his carpeted floor, taking in the occasional patch of spilled coffee or paint. "I was spending time with Roman. To make up for getting mad at him."

Patton halted in his approach and then started rocking back on the balls of his feet. "That's good news virgie, one must learn to forgive and forget!!" He squeals with a clap of his hands.

Virgil winced at the noise, scrunching further into his body. "Yeahh"

"Oh I'm so proud of you," Patton announces as he steps forward and smothers Virgil in a hug. "You're making so much progress and here I always worried you'd turn to the dark with your selfish ways."

Virgil blinks. The dark? What does he mean by the dark, could he mean? Virgil bite's his tongue as he shakes away his pestering questions and replies "Of course not dad.."