Mass Emotions

Damsel in Distress

In the valley:

"VIRGIL! VIRGIL PLEASE WAKE UP!!! VIRGIL!"

"Hush now, your prince has fallen into a deep slumber thanks to my sleeping spell."

REMUS! What sleeping spell, you stomped on him until he passed out!?"

"It's an original, I call it Stompus Knockoutus!"

"Ugh, whatever! Just let me down this instant you dirty marauder!"

"Wooooh! Marauder, I like that. Thanks for the darling nickname Princey!"

"Aaaahhhh! What are you even going to do with me?"

"I'm taking you back to my little hole in the wall so we can play together like old times."

"Li-like old times?"

Roman shuddered at the memories of when his brother and he would play 'games' before the destabilization occurred. Once Roman and Remus had split from the same trait they stuck together still as brothers who had no idea how to be separate people. Those days started out pleasant with their creative minds expanding everyday. Roman imagined far off lands, magnificent castles, heroic adventures, and more. Remus, on the other hand, imagined tentacle arms, vomiting spiders, eyeball spaghetti, and more disturbing imagery.

It quickly became obvious to the others that Remus was beginning to unravel once Roman started distancing himself from him. It's all he could do as Remus's thoughts were too extreme for Roman to take in as their imaginations interfered with one another. In response, Remus became a recluse and locked himself away to drown in his own madness. Roman tried desperately to talk with Remus, to find some kind of solution so they could stay together, but to no avail. Then one night a large crashing sound shook the fort awake. Roman dashed to his brother's room in a panic and swung open the door, only to find a now 150 foot tall giant grinning menacingly at him.

"I've found a solution to our problem brother! If I simply take you away from here then we'll never be separated again."

Roman was petrified with fear and had no strength left to flee as Remus's giant hand snatched him higher and higher into the air. There was no tenderness in his touch as Roman's bones cracked and he yelped in pain.

"Singing cheers of our reunion all ready? Glad to hear them, keep it going!"

Remus squeezed even tighter as he violently pumped his fist in the air, with Roman in hand. Roman screamed loudly in pain and tears began to well up in his eyes.

"Tears of joy as well?! Oh brother, you really do know what I like!"

Now fully enjoying his new stature Remus cheerily skipped away from the fort, into the forest and up the mountain to a cave that could fit him. For the next month Roman endured a variety of Remus's 'games' and was treated like a plaything. He would be punished if he misbehaved and he was kept in a drawer with only a small hole where the knob should be for air. Eventually, Patton and Logan were able to find him when Remus was away and promptly rescued him. However, the experience left him traumatized.

That's why it had been so hard for him to adjust to Virgil being one of them. Luckily, with time, he realized that wasn't true and that Virgil was special. He was special to him. Roman could feel his consciousness fading as he was still exhausted and slowly passed out as Remus carried him off into the mountains. He was simply too tired to fight back or stay awake. Roman could only hope his friends would be able to find him soon.

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Back at the fort:

"ROMAN'S BEEN KIDNAPPED!?"