Patton's room had an overwhelming smell of citrus, and Deceit hissed quietly to himself. He could hear Patton's rapid breathing, could almost feel the self-deprecation in the air. He could play for a little while, he supposed. He'd see how Patton reacted, see how much fun Deceit could have messing with Virgil's favourite Light Side.

"You're doing the right thing, you know," he purred, slinking out into the open. The brief terror that speared through Patton's eyes made Deceit's choice for him. Too bad the game was cut short as Patton started singing quietly to himself. 

Fine. Deceit could play like that. He had things to do anyway, things that needed his attention more than Patton did right now. "You think you can protect him forever." He kept his voice soft and gentle, because Patton needed a friend right now and Deceit could be that for a little while. Patton would need him eventually, and as soon as that day dawned, Deceit would ruin them.

Virgil would learn that the Dark Sides were his real family. Deceit vowed it. 

"Please reconsider," he breathed to Patton, and then he let the shadows sweep him away. He'd sown the seeds of doubt. Now to let the garden grow.

.

"You're playing the long game," Remus said conversationally as Deceit paced. "Trust me, I love long things, but this is borderline ridiculous. My dearest snake-in-the-grass, why not just go to Virgil directly?"

Unfortunately, the Duke brought up a good point. Why didn't Deceit just go to Virgil? Deceit didn't have an honest answer. 

"I want him to come to us," he hissed, lying through his teeth. That was what his specialty was - dishonesty. Remus wasn't owed an answer. Deceit could do whatever he wanted, he wasn't some petulant child who needed a babysitter. "I want him to remember and I want those memories to drive him here, to force him away from his pleasant little friends and make him come home."

Remus gave him a considering look, oddly solemn. Deceit glared back. "You know," Remus said slowly, something twisted making his eyes look sharp and bright. Deceit's glare intensified. "This seems to go beyond getting Virgil back for us. What's so personal about this, DeeDee, hmm? Why are you so insistent on getting him back and why are you so upset by the Light Sides?"

Deceit ground his teeth together in frustration. Remus was getting too close, asking too many questions that Deceit couldn't answer. There were too many 'whys' floating around, and he didn't know why. He didn't know. 

"I want him back where he belongs," he spat through gritted teeth. "I hate people who pretend."

Remus gave a knowing hum, because Deceit had just given himself away. "You pretend, do you not?"

And no, that's not what Deceit meant at all! Damn it! He snarled lowly. "I am dishonest, Duke, and I lie. I do not pretend."

Deceit's face was burning with indignant rage when Remus strutted away, cackling to himself. For a liar, the snake was really bad at lying. Why didn't he confront Virgil himself? Why not come out and say it? Why make the game stretch on longer than it had to?

Maybe because Deceit wanted to destroy Virgil's relationship with the Light Sides. If they weren't friends, if they were angry at him or scared of him, Virgil would come running back to the Dark Sides. He would run home. And nobody would come after him to bring him back. Yes. That sounded right. That didn't sound like a lie.

Still, Deceit was troubled as he slipped into the shadows and felt something cold grip onto his soul. 

"Time is running out Deceit," a voice hissed from the darkness, and Deceit couldn't stop the chills that broke out across his skin. "Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock-"

"I get it," he growled lowly, eyes flickering back and forth, trying to find where the voice was coming from. He found nothing but unending, icy black. Something dangerously close to fear crushed his chest, squeezed his throat, crippled his heartbeat. He loathed the feeling. He loathed it. "I want this to be easy."

That voice let out a breathy laugh, and Deceit struggled a little bit harder. The shadows didn't let him go. "Tick tock, Deceit," the voice whispered. "Tick tock."

All too suddenly, he could breathe again and he stumbled out of the darkness and into his room. Stupid, stupid, stupid. It was stupid to think he could wriggle out of this one. The others were expectant now, were waiting for him to bring Virgil back to them. They missed him. They wanted him. 

Something sour gripped him, and he knocked the bowler hat off his head and ruffled his hair, hissing to himself. He just wanted Virgil back, was that such a bad thing? He wanted Virgil back, because it wasn't fair that Virgil could just walk away, and leave them alone, and not care. Virgil didn't get to rest easy, Virgil was supposed to always look over his shoulder. Keep one eye on the shadows. 

How far the Dark Side had fallen. Virgil had tricked himself into forming some form of bond. How utterly foolish. Deceit bared his teeth, pacing. He'd get Virgil back for them. He would sweep in, and he would burn it all. Remus could go to hell with his questions. Deceit was doing this for Virgil, and that was all. Virgil needed to be back with them, with his family.

He was doing it for Virgil.

The shadows choked on mocking laughs as he slipped away again, face set in grim determination.