Virgil's Birthday- Or Not

Gone Fishing

"...Virgil?" Patton said into the darkness as he opened the side's door. There was no response and Patton assumed he was sleeping when he saw the note on the dresser. He quietly retrieved and read the scribbled handwriting:

Dear person reading this,

I went on a walk. Text me when you find this or you want me to come home. Either works, just leave and stay out of my room once you read this.

-Virgil

Patton sighed and stuffed the note into his pocket. Their plan would have to wait now, Virgil wasn't home. Morality could text his son, but he knew that Virgil didn't spend enough time outside his room and when he took walks, he always returned calm and just, in general, in a better mood.

The father figure figment was about to leave when something in the trash can next to the dresser caught his eye. His shoulders dropped even more when he saw it was the lipstick Virgil had been wearing on his birthday. We all messed up , Patton thought as he picked the lipstick tube out from the otherwise empty bin and went back downstairs.

The others looked up as he came down the stairs. Patton looked at them in defeat. "He went on a walk." They all sadly nodded. Morality brought the lipstick up to his chest and turned it in his hands, staring at it. 

"I found this in his trash can," he said, voice wavering. Roman hurried over and hugged him, and soon they were joined by Remus, then Janus, and finally Logan. They stayed there for a moment, silently consoling each other, before they all decided to watch TV. Hopefully Virgil wouldn't be sad enough to deny their offer for tonight.

---

Virgil wrapped his fingers around the handle, hesitant to enter the house. He felt much better now, he always did after walks, but he still didn't know how they would react when they saw him again. Summoning what little courage he had, he slowly twisted the handle and quietly opened the door, stepping inside. After he closed the door, he found all of them watching TV: Roman and Patton on the floor, Janus and Logan sitting on the couch, and Remus peeking from behind it.

He silently crept towards the staircase, hopeful that they wouldn't see the movement. Unfortunately, Remus saw him. 

"Virgil?" he called in a quiet voice. Virgil stopped and turned around to find five pairs of eyes on him. "Y-Yeah?" he said, wanting to pull his hood further over his face until they could no longer see him. They looked at each other until Logan finally spoke. 

"We all feel guilty for forgetting your birthday. I know I do, as I keep track of every little date and somehow managed to forget one of the most important days of the year," he explained. "It's not important, you guys are fi-" Virgil was cut off by Janus making him slap his own hand over his mouth.

 "We wanted to make it up to you. So we came together and tried to think of the best possible birthday gift for you," Logan continued. "One idea was presented and we all agreed it was the best we could think of, so we had Roman and Remus create it."

Virgil looked in confusion between everyone as they began to stand up, walking towards the door that led to the Imagination. "C'mon," Patton encouraged, waving him over. Hesitantly, he followed them. Remus grabbed his hand. "Your birthday is important- you're important, more important to me than my deodorant," he scolded. Virgil's eyes widened- that was Remus' all-time favorite food. 

"Oh don't look so surprised, emo. Deodorant is just a pleasantry, you're family." Virgil smiled and looked ahead where all the others were filing into the doorway. The gray liquid-looking barrier seemed to swallow them as they stepped inside. Remus grinned a crooked smile before letting go of Virgil's hand and bounding into the Imagination. Taking a deep breath, Virgil followed them in.