Chapter 17: Paranoia…?

Deceit was watching Phantom of the Opera when Virgil came back from his time with the Core Sides. After High School it was getting harder and harder to get along with Virgil. Thomas hadn't longed finished collage and was now starting to become a decent performer and social media sensation. All of which the dispute between Virgil and Roman started to grow, and the other two Core Sides taking Roman's side, due to Virgil's scary approach; as they called it. Deceit had spied in on a few of those arguments and it was really ridiculous of them to think Virgil was scary. Deceit knew that he himself and Remus could be way scarier than the Anxious Side. So when Virgil came back today, and stomped his way into the kitchen, Deceit watched him and could tell that it was another one of those days. "Bad day again Virgil?" He asked, from his spot on the couch. And the Anxious side began rummaging through their pantry angrily.

"What tipped you off?" Virgil huffed, slamming a cabinet door shut, and turned to face Deceit who was still on the couch. "Do you know what Roman's plan is now that Thomas is making it big?" Virgil hissed.

Deceit didn't say anything. He already knew. Remus had told him about it a few days ago and usually, Roman wasn't too far behind in thinking the same thing. But Deceit wanted to know what Virgil knew first.

Due to no answer, Virgil huffed frustrated. "He wants us to show ourselves to Thomas. To show ourselves to his fans! Their going to think Thomas is insane if he does that!"

Deceit tilted his head at that. "All of us?" He refused to let a hopeful note worm its way through there.

"No, just the good parts of him. They said, I wasn't going to be able to manifest because I'm a Dark Side." Virgil hissed. "That...That we were never meant to manifest."

"Roman's word I presume." Deceit said, rolling his eyes back to the television where the Phantom was rowing the beautiful Christine to his lair as they sung a harmonious melody together. "Perhaps they have a point this time." He added. Virgil was starting to pick up habits from the Cores Sides anyway. So much so, that when he called Remus a scary monster to his face, it had hurt the Duke and upsetted him. It was that day Deceit had learned that Remus never viewed himself as scary and did not like being label as scary. The Virgil and Remus weren't on speaking terms now. And Deceit sadly played the messenger between the two.

"What?" Virgil asked.

Deceit muted the television. Virgil wanted to meet Thomas. Hell, they all did. But Remus, Virgil, and even himself, were not strong enough traits. Repressed personalities, that were labeled as unwanted. "Thomas doesn't need to meet us. When the Core Sides show themselves. We will still be repressed. Besides, the Cores Sides will make him wary of us if we even did manifest."

Virgil kicked at a kitchen chair in anger. "Its not fair! They should take us with them!" The Shadows of the mind creeping out in their home toward the anxious side. Deceit waved away a wisp of shadow that was encroaching on his lap, chasing it away.

"We will not have the energy to follow them Virgil. So I suggest you calm down." Deceit huffed.

Everything went silent for a moment, Virgil seemed to be gathering his thoughts. "How do you know?"

"What?" Deceit asked.

"I said, how do you know." Virgil asked.

"Trust me, I just know Virgil." Deceit said with a note of finality, and unmuted the t.v., done talking to the Anxious Side about it.

Virgil scoffed, and stomped upstairs. He didn't get it. Deceit usually wasn't so dismissive with Virgil. Virgil wanted to meet Thomas. He would be able to protect him better that way. And what better way than actually talking to the one who he was trying to protect. It would make his job easier if he could make Thomas see he was good. Not just not a disorder. But Deceit had shut him down.

Virgil eyed the yellow door. Deceit knew something and he wasn't sharing.

Remus came out of his room and Virgil smirked as an idea hit him. "You stink you know that." He sneered to cover up his smirk.

"Its what I was going for." Remus said, with a feral grin. "Going to find Dee and see what he thinks about it. I'm been fermenting this scent for weeks now."

Virgil rolled his eyes. "He's downstairs hogging the couch." He directed.

The Duke was gone before Virgil even finished talking. Proud of himself, Virgil pushed open the yellow door to Deceits room. Deceit knew things and Virgil was going to find out what it was. Now he just hoped that Remus would keep Deceit busy enough, so the Anxious Side could snoop around, with much worry. Or at least less worry, than what he already felt.

Looking around the room Virgil tried to decide where to look first. Deceit kept his room neat and organized, so it shouldn't be hard to find whatever it was that Deceit was hiding. Virgil made a beeline for the bed and looked under it finding it clean underneath. Which sucked. That was where Virgil like to hide things. He looked through Deceits closet and dresser drawer; and still nothing. The Anxious stood in the middle of the room, trying to figure out where Deceit would hide something and then his eyes landed on the desk. He hadn't checked it yet.

Virgil tried not to move thing to much. He didn't want Deceit to know that he was snooping. And Virgil wasn't finding anything in the desk either, and was going to just give up and leave, until he found a drawer that wouldn't open. The Anxious Side look around for a paperclip or something that would help him open it. He had seen plenty of YouTube clips on how to pick a lock and once he found a paperclip he put that knowledge to use, and was very happy when the lock gave with little effort and the drawer popped open revealing eight journals with their names on all of them.

1. Thomas Sanders

(Morality)

(Logic)

5.King Romulus(Creativity)

(Anxiety)

(Creativity)

(Creativity)

Virgil picked up the journals. Why did Deceit have journals with all their names on it? The journal with Thomas's name on it was thick and had a rich leather brown cover with three locks on it. Virgil wanted to so badly see what was in this journal, but how could Deceit have such a thick journal on Thomas, if they never met Thomas? Virgil sat the Journal to the side. It was weird a journal with Thomas's name was even in Deceits room. It was weird that there were journals with their names on it. Just like the one with Thomas's name on it, the other journals had locks too. But not as many as the first. The journal with Deceits own name was on didn't even have the Lying Side's real name on it. And Virgil didn't understand why there was even a journal for the long gone King of Creativity, but that wasn't important right now.

Not wanting to stay in the room any longer Virgil placed the journals back into the drawer and the way he found it, except for three and the paperclip he used to pick the lock in the first place. The Anxious Side immediately ran from the room and into the his own, making sure to lock the door before jumping on his bed and laid the three journals in front of him. These three journals would tell him what he wanted to know. He could feel it.

He wanted to jump right to the one with his name, but he was too anxious about what he would find in it so he pushed it further away. That left Deceit's journal and Thomas's. Virgil pushed Thomas's journal away too. He felt guilty for even thinking about it and for even taking it in the first place. So that left Deceit's own yellow themed journal. Unlike the other journals Deceits had a simple little lock on it. Virgil didn't feel guilty when he looked at it. Deceit seemed to be keeping tabs on everyone. Wasn't it fair that someone knew something about Deceit?

It didn't take much to pick the little lock and open the journal. Virgil scanned through the pages trying to find out how Deceit knew they couldn't manifest. He was a few pages in when he found it. The pages was cover in his scribble and an unsteady handwriting, with traces of jelly or paint on it.

Dear Diary.

Its Deceit again. Today Thomas turned four and I felt weird today. So weird and King Creativity was acting weird too. He kept stalking me and saying mean things about my scales. I wanted to say mean things back, but I didn't. If I hurt the ego I hurt Thomas and that was is wrong. Today I learned that I could change my shape. I can look like Logic, Morality, and Creativity. Its fun to change shape. Its fun to confuse the others too. I can get away with a lot of pranks this way.

That weird feeling stay for the whole day though. Like someone was tugging on me. When it was playtime, that pulling feeling got worse and pulled me into the ground and I fell, right in front of Thomas. I knew it was Thomas. We look the same. I was just more scaly. I was going to tell him my name but he gave me a better one. Then he changed it. I showed him my trick and made him laugh.

He tried to show me to his parents but they couldn't see me. No matter how much I waved. But that's okay. They seemed to like me anyway and called me his imaginary friend. I found that funny. Thomas said we would play next time. Sadly, I couldn't play long. So I am here. I am really tired. I am going to show myself to Thomas again.

Dear Diary.

I can't show myself to Thomas anymore. I keep getting him trouble and his parents are telling him to not listen to me. So I will have to stay in the mindscape and talk to him there. I also keep turning into a snake after each visit but I stayed longer than usual. I wanted to spend as much time as possible with him. I faded. I think. I went to talk to Logic . I didn't tell him I had shown myself to Thomas. That was my secret. And he said that if something like that were to happen we were too young to handle losing so much energy it took to become solid. But as a Core Sides manefistain (Logic uses too many big words) manifestation could be probable. I think he was saying that we or I should have died. Its scary now that I think about it. I'm not strong like the Core Sides. I should have died.

But I can't tell anyone. Thomas doesn't need me anymore anyway. Creativity is always saying I am not good for Thomas and Thomas's parents agree. I'm a snake. That's all I'll every be. My name is Deceit.

Virgil couldn't believe it Deceit had shown himself before all of them. And Thomas named Deceit, but Deceit didn't write down the names. Virgil took a guess as to what name he was given and if that lying snake thought he was going to get away with it; He had another thing coming. The more Virgil read the more Deceits talked about how the Core Sides were different. How they were the ones who manifest. How he wasn't going to any other side manifest, not when Thomas didn't want to see them. Claiming Thomas probably would never be ready. Deceit wasn't going to let Virgil manifest and show himself to Thomas. The more Virgil thought about the angrier he became.

Any thoughts of not looking into the other two journals vanished has he went to pick the lock and opened the journal with his name on it. And ripped the pages out once he seen that it was notes on what he did everyday of his existence. Every little thing was written in it, from what Deceit was able to convince Virgil to do to the Anxious Sides own secrets. Virgil didn't stop reading there either, but he did rip out a few pages of Deceit's personal journal as well for good measure. For the hurt of betrayal and dishonesty that had always been between them. Once done destroy the journal Virgil moved to the one with Thomas's name on it. He tried opening it the same way he did the other journals but apparently the locks on this one was different. He couldn't get it open. He even went as far as to get scissors and it was just like this journal was different from all of the others. Virgil tossed it back on the bed. He didn't need to look in the stupid book. He could already guess what was already in there. The Snake notes for when he spied on everyone. Deceit couldn't be trusted.

He wasn't going to let Deceit get away with it. Wasn't going to let Deceit hold all the cards. Wasn't going to sit in his room and do nothing. Instead of walking through the house like they usually did. Virgil popped from room to room, but Remus and Deceit were gone. That left Remus's castle in the Imagination.

(Remus's Castle)

"Read it!" Remus said, excitedly shoving a book into Deceits hands and pushing the Lying Side into one of the library chairs in castle. Deceit sighed heavily already missing his spot on the couch Remus had dragged him from.

Instead of trying to argue or talk it out with the Duke, Deceit looked at the book that was being given to him. 'Lord of the Lies'. "What is this?" He asked.

"I made it for you. So take it!" Remus grinned, moving himself to sit on the arm of the sturdy chair so he could look over the Snakes Side's shoulder. "Now read it! Its full of devious misadventure and cunning play from the main character."

"Sound horrible. I suppose I should give it a read then." Deceit hummed a small smile making its way on his face. He wasn't going to ask why the Duke was giving him another present. The Creative Side seemed to always be bring the Snake side gifts. And who would deny themselves gifts, even if some of them were a bit unconventional and disgusting; Call him selfish but he liked the gesture.

Plus his skin has been itching him lately, and that meant his shed was close. So this was a nice thing to received before he locked himself in his bathroom and suffered alone for about a week. And this time it wasn't a dead animal it was something he could take with him and read. This was a nice moment between them.

"Janus!" Virgil's voice echoed in the library causing the two other Sides to look up as the Emo popped in front of them.

"Who's Janus?" Remus asked, before looking down at Deceit. "Wait is that your real name?"

"Yes, you numskull, that is his name, that special little name that Thomas gave you isn't it?!" Virgil hissed.

Deceit stood up quickly, making sure to leave the book in the chair. "How do you know that?! You can't know that unless, unless…." He looked from Remus to Virgil again. "You found them?" He hissed back.

"OOO~ Virgil's in trouble!~" Remus sing. "Found what?" He asked quickly after.

"Yes I did." Virgil snarled.

"You stole from me." Deceit accused. "You went and snooped through my room! How much did you read?! How did you even get to them?"

"Want to chop off his hand as punishment?" Remus offered, although Deceit wasn't paying attention to him.

"Don't worry, I only read through your journal. But that was enough." Virgil said, summoning the yellow journal from his room and threw it at Deceits feet. "You showed yourself to Thomas." He stated.

Deceit didn't reach for he journal. He didn't know when he started keeping journal on everyone. He just knew that, that was part of his job. To write everything down. To know what is happening, when it happened. Those journal gave him new pages each day. Nothing could happen to those journals. "I appeared as his imaginary friend. It wasn't the most reckless thing I have ever done. And certainly not something that needs to be repeated." He said calmly.

"I will show myself to Thomas." Virgil stated.

"You are a Core Side you can. I will not let you." Deceit denied. He couldn't. He wouldn't risk losing Virgil just because he wanted to be one of the Cores. The Anxious Side had to come to terms that Thomas would not welcome the manifestation of anxiety with open arms.

"Watch me." Virgil challenge, his eyes going purple and the shadows of the mind coming to his call.

"Say the word Janny, I'll take him out in one hit." Remus offered.

Deceit shook his head and using his own ability, pushed to send Virgil back to his room, but was met with resistance.

"You are not going to repress me!" Virgil shouted, as he sunk from the imagination. The Shadows coming to wrap around the Anxious Side, creating nothing but a silhouette of the side with glowing purple eyes.

Deceit rubbed at his face. "No, not fully. But you are going to send Thomas into a panic attack, because you have become so paranoid. That you went through my things."

"Yup, looks like its time for a time out, Paranoia." Remus quipped, although he sound anything but amused.

Virgil gave one more hiss before he was fully sent back to his room, where Deceit locked the door Emo's door and made it to where he would be unable to leave. The Snake Side then summoned his books the ones that Virgil took and held them close when they appeared in his gloved hands. No one was to read these books. He was happy to see that Thomas's journal was still locked.

"So?" Remus started, causing Deceit to look at him warily. "Can I call you, Janjan now?" The Duke smiled.

Deceit did not return it, instead he picked up the book Remus made him and decided it was time to leave. "Whatever." He mumbled, sinking out of the imagination and into his room. Remus apparently lose behind. "Stay over there." Deceit snapped. Pointing the Duke to the bed and away from his desk, as he opened the drawer that held the journals. He didn't even check to see if Remus had followed his instructions. He would have to put them somewhere else.

He careful opened the journal that he used to keep track of Virgil, frowning even more seeing some pages ripped from the book. He would have to recreate them. Pushing the ruined journal aside. And moved his attention to the most important one of all. Thomas's Journal. Deceit never wrote in this one. He didn't have to. Thomas was the one that created the pages within this one. The locks on this journal may look normal but they weren't. Those locks would only open when in Deceit's hands and only when Thomas had something to say. Something he wanted. Something he needed to hide. Something that only Deceit needed to archive. Secrets, wants, and Lies. Deceits let his gloved hand run over the precious journal that was Thomas's. Glad that Virgil had not been able to look at it.

Virgil who has been getting more and more troublesome the more he went to the Cores. Virgil wanted what the Cores had and Deceit couldn't give that to him. They were not meant to. Deceit was not meant to let them. Virgil did not understand the big picture and Deceit could not let Virgil change how things were going. Deceit eyes the corners of the room. The shadows there growing the longer Deceit watched them. Virgil was still upset.

"Janus." Remus called, un-naturally quiet.

"I need to talk to Virgil." Deceit said quickly, moving swiftly to his door. "Go back to your room Remus.

"But I don't want to." Remus pouted, getting up and following.

"Wonderful! Then go to the Imagination. I don't care!" Deceit snapped, locking his room door and leaving Remus to stand in front of it, as he went to Virgil's room. Ignoring the inch that was running down his scales, as he entered without knocking. Pleasantries were long gone now. "Virgil! Your behavior today is unacceptable." Deceit hissed. Stopping as he glared at the black silhouette with purple eyes.

This wasn't good.

"You spying on everyone is ACCEPTABLE! WHAT ELSE ARE YOU HIDING FROM US JANUS? I THOUGH WE WERE A FAMILY! I TRUSTED YOU!"

"Nothing else. Your being paranoid and if you don't calm down I can't let you leave." Deceit warned.

"YOU DON'T GET TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" Virgil hissed. The shadows lashing out and pushing Deceit against the door, the doorknob digging into the itching scales there. The shadow covered side stomping closer to Deceit. "I'M LEAVING! I'M NOT GOING TO LISTEN TO YOU ANY LONGER! I WILL PROTECT THOMAS FROM YOU! FROM EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING! CAN'T TRUST! GOTTA KEEP HIM SAFE! CAN'T LET HIM TRUST SO EASILY! CAN'T LET HIM TRUST YOU!"

Deceit hissed as the Virgil shadows whipped around him and pushed the doorknob deeper into his back. "I can't let you leave then. Not if you are going to keep being paranoid! This here is paranoia, Virgil. This is what you are becoming."

"I AM NOT PARANOIA!" Virgil shouted. Slamming his fist beside Deceit's head.

The Snake having enough of this temper tantrum grabbed at Virgil's arms and bit down on the forearm, causing the other side to pull back with a pained hiss. The purple in Virgil's eyes taking on a yellow tint. But Virgil was fighting it. Deceit didn't care about truths here. Deceit need to help Virgil from devolving before he becomes a problem for Thomas. "Sorry, Virgil. But I can't let you leave." Deceit said with finality, slipping from the room.

Deceit kept his hands on the door watching as yellow veining trickled onto it and a very clear lock sounded, just as Virgil on the other side started to throw himself against it. "LET ME OUT! YOU LYING SON OF BITCH! YOU LIAR!" Virgil shouted. The Shadows of the mind wisping through the mind and collecting near the Anxious Sides door.

Deceit walked away, ignoring the loud pounding of Virgil trying to break down his own door. "Janus."Remus said un-naturally quiet again. When Deceit neared. The Creative Side having not moved from his spot in front of the yellow door.

"Just don't….Remus." Deceit said, holding up his hand and quieting the usually talkative side. "I-" he started but stopped. Virgil was right about one thing. They were a family and Deceit was tired of going through his shedding alone. "I will let him out when he calms down." He said instead, gloved hand going to scratch at his scales on his face. The itching was getting worse. The stress with Virgil was probably bring the shedding on quicker.

But instead of asking the Duke to stay with him. Deceit went into his room and locked the door.

(Two days later)

Deceit wasn't having a great time. He was sweating and getting chills, and his stomach was bothering him. But the book Remus had written for him was a delight to read as he laid on the floor of bathroom trying to peel the layer of old scales away. Sometimes soaking just to help the old scale loosen a little. Still though, the scales on his back were the worst. They were always the worst to get.

He still had Virgil locked in his room and if the thin mist of shadows gathering in their home was anything to go by the other Side was still upset. To pass the time his little snakes would come and go to keep him updated. The Core Sides still planned on showing themselves. And Roman was busy planning the for Thomas's next video in which the Sides were going to be introduced.

He was in the middle of holding one of his little creation that there was a loud crash from his room and then Remus was in his bathroom. Looking down at him. "Hey look I finally caught the snake that's been stalking me!" He smiled, holding one of Deceits little yellow creation by the tail. "Do you want it? Or can I eat it?"

"Its not mine." Deceit admitted, and let the creature disintegrate into little lights even the one he was holding.

The Duke's eyes held a glint of un-contained curiosity watching the little light as they went back to Deceit. For a full minute there was silence before the Dukes face changed, into a serious one. "Your not suppose to be able to do that." Remus stated.

Deceit let his head drop back against the tub, his neck muscles aching and itching. "I don't know how. Its a part of me. It is me."

Remus had dropped down to the floor in front of Deceit, sitting crisscross applesauce and leaned really close to the Snake Side. "Are you sick Janny? You look sick. Did you throw up? Can I have it?"

"I'm not shedding. And I do not need help." Deceit nodded.

Remus thought about for a moment. "Can I keep the scales and make a soup with them?" He asked.

That got a laugh out of the Snake Side as his maneuvered himself to where his back was facing the Creative Side. "You get my back to stop itching and get them off, I will cook the soup for you myself." He could practically feel the Dukes wide grin behind him as arms wrapped around him and pulled him up, until he was being carried to from the bathroom and to his bed. "Remus?" He asked cautiously when he was laid face-down.

"Just getting comfortable. I'm not going to rape you. I mean I could if you want me to. I could rip your pants off right now and hold you down. Make you scream until you-"

"Remus, do keep rambling, I am not suffering right now." Deceit interrupted, looking over his shoulder at the Duke. Remus was crouching over him like a prowling predator with a hungry type of look in his eyes when his hands hovering just the Snakes Sides pants, that the sight almost had the Snake Side to jump right out of the bed, shed or no shed. "What do you think you're doing?"

Remus didn't even look sorry about being caught. "Going to rape you." He answered.

"My scales, sweetie." Deceit reminded. Letting his head drop back onto his bed. "Or no soup."

"Your no fun today." Remus pouted, starting to peel the dead scales off the Lying Sides back. Summoning lotion, to rub on the scale patched to try and help moisten and further loosen the skin. The ministration of rubbing the lotion in seemed to relax the Snake Sides muscles slightly.

"And your full of it. I think that's enough for both of us." Deceit hummed, letting the Duke work at getting the scales off. "Is Virgil still trying to get out?" He asked.

"Yup." Remus answered popping the 'P'. "Kick at the door and screaming like a bitch. It stopped being funny yesterday. It would be more entertaining if something besides him ramming into the door happened."

Deceit hummed. He already knew that. But hopefully soon the Anxious side would tire and the shadows would retreat. Deceit felt his eyes slowly start to droop. With his room the perfect temperature and Remus's magic fingers removing his old itchy scales it felt so good. "Remus. I'm not going to sleep. I expect to you to be done when I open my eyes again"

"I got ya Noodle." Remus reassured. The Duke leaned over the Snake Side when he received no response. Janus was out. Remus sat up straight and went back to his mission; removing the old scales.

He was learning more and more about the Deceitful Side. And while Virgil was the one to let Janus's name slip, it was nice to know. Janus fitted Deceit. And now he had two names to help make nicknames. As if the Lying Side couldn't get any better, he sheds. Janus was a dream come true. And Remus wasn't going to mess it up. At least not like Virgil. Virgil was crazy wanting to leave and spend time with those boring Core Sides. There was no fun there.

But Virgil was making Janus feel bad. Maybe Virgil should leave. Remus frowned. He could help the Emo get out. Deceit was sleeping so it wouldn't be too hard. But did he want to help get rid of Virgil?

Maybe he should ask Roman?

TBC