Do or Die

Sleepless in Florida

If he were a severed heart where would he be?

The chance was minute his missing piece was anywhere except Janus' room or study. 

Still couldn't hurt to check. 

Virgil glided about the Otherscape peeking at drawers and cupboards. 

At this point he was just procrastinating. 

So why didn't his body get to the task at hand? Why did his heart race and his head swim at the thought of a confrontation?

****************

Thomas shoved off his sheets to no avail. 

It wasn't the heat of a muggy Florida night that was keeping him awake. 

This was inside. Would help to know what this inside turmoil was. 

"Yeah good luck with that Tommy," snorted a voice he hadn't heard from in a while. Even in the dark he picked out a bomber jacket and aviator glasses. 

Leaning against his window was Sleep, Remy. 

"So while yer up how bout a good ol' rousing round of crammin?  I don't mind too much what."

A Starbucks latte appeared at his bedside table. 

"No, no I cannot stay up. You need to leave."

"No can do not till you're actually doin' your part bitch," he said pointing at Thomas. 

"Oh my God," he muttered. "Virgil." The spot remained empty. Thomas chanced looking around. Still no patchwork hoodie and a fidgeting Side gritting his teeth. 

Wha-? Where. Was. He?

Over and over Thomas mimicked the motion he'd seen Roman and Logan employ. He could force him to appear so why wasn't he here?

Remy sucked in and then let it out in a chipmunk munching noise. "Oof emo's off duty that ain't good. Soooo 'bout the bender or you could whack yourself over the head."

Thomas threw himself back down into his bed. 

Why was everything going wrong?! 

His hands clenched and squeezed at his sheets feeling hid muscles coil taut. 

He was oddly light, absent from his physical body. It was still an imposition but more of a mache wall than anything truly firm. 

"I don't get it," he said to Remy who still refused to leave and currently perused a sitcom in the background. "I feel Virgil working heck he's in overtime but I just... I dunno can't lock onto him."

"Look I barely got a clue that snakey's out in the light again so don't ask me." Remy went back to sipping his surely limitless coffee. "But if you absolutely needed me to harbor a guess it isn't impossible to force a Side down and that's usually cuz of some whole other ripple effect."

Eventually Thomas had to face it. Even with all the effort and techniques he had he'd get three or so hours of sleep at best. 

His mind split between the controller for the console and what Remy had shared. 

A Side could be forced down. Forced out of Thomas's own sphere of influence. He had a suspiciously strong idea of who it could be. 

And he didn't think it would be so easy as jumping on the bandwagon and shunning Deceit. If he really thought about it this was why all this was happening.