Archive of Our Own ^beta

Today sucks.

This was the first thing that came to the mind of the child as his eyes slowly opened to see the white ceiling above him. Faint stars were painted on the surface; ready to glow even though they barely got enough light. The sight had greeted him for seven years and yet today it felt different. It felt more cold then he was used to.

The child blew his messy, brown hair from his face and tried to curl back up in his blanket nest. If he was lucky he could just find the right spot where the sun came in from the small windows and dose the rest of the day away.

Not like I have anything to do. He thought bitterly to himself as he hugged a small, plush dog close to his chest.

Thomas was almost eight now and the side had been in his room for as long as he could remember. It had slowly changed over the years, adding to the host’s growing mind, but the fact was clear that it was the only place he knew. Even when he got Thomas’ memories they did not give him any real taste of the world beyond, if there even was one.

This did not stop the child from feeling impatient. For what, he was unsure, but he just knew that SOMETHING was going to happen soon.

The child’s eyes opened again when sleep escaped him and they landed on the one thing he did not want it to; the grey door. No handle was on it so it was unsure if one should really call it a door. More like a wooden wall that he wished would open.

“What are you looking at?” He groused at the offending object and forced his eyes away. They landed on the mirror that was leaned against the wall near it.

His reflection stared back. A young boy who could barely be seen under all the covers.

From the memories, the side knew this is not what Thomas looked like. Sure he had the same hair color. Same nose, mouth, and even the same faint freckles. The eyes were different though. As much as he tried he could not seem to fix this. One was Thomas’ normal brown yet the other was more gold; the pupil almost pointed if the child did not stay focused on it.

The kid scrunched up his nose at his reflection and pulled the yellow blanket closest to him so it would rest on the top of his head. Now he was just a face curled up in a yellow blanket.

He blinked.

The he blinked again.

Another child now stared back at him from the mirror’s reflection. Her dark hair was braided back to show her youthful face. She still in the blanket cocoon.

“We should get up.” When she spoke a missing tooth was shown.

The boy stared into the mirror and he scrunched up his nose as the words.

“I don’t want to.”

“Falsehood,” the girl said with a giggle. “You just don’t like that you have nowhere to go.”

The boy rolled his eyes at the reflection. “I don’t have a reason to get up.”

“Maybe today is the day something amazing happens,” the girl said with a bright grin.

“Now who is the one telling lies?” The boy huffed and looked away with a pout.

The braids grew back again as he started to shift on the bed to escape his blanket prison.

This was how his mornings worked. Motivation to get up came from Thomas’ memories of his friends at school. He had never a real friend but he knew they helped Thomas a lot when he was having a tough day.

The blanket stayed around the child’s shoulder as he stepped in front of the mirror with the girl looking back.

“Just get dressed at least? You never know.”

His hair shortened and lightened once again. He wanted to believe the words he had said to himself but with every passing day they became harder. Hope was dying.

Probably why he chose Hope to be his motivator today; the girl always made Thomas smile. Not in the way Jeremy did but that was a can of worms he was determined to not poke at.

“It’s just cause girls are gross and have cooties,” he said to himself as he let the blanket fall so he could get dressed. The long-sleeved yellow shirt with a black t-shirt over it was the normal attire. This t-shirt had a nice yellow happy face on it that made him want to smile.

He pulled the blanket up over his shoulders as he put on some jeans to replace his pajama pants. Shoes were not needed; he had nowhere to go.

With the blanket back around his shoulders he let himself fall back onto the beanbag he had on the floor. The soft seat hugged around him in greeting as he let his eyes close.

He had nothing better to do with his time but shift through Thomas’ memories to chose what was important to remember, what was important to change, and what he needed to hide until the time came or forever. Most of the stuff was important to let pass but there were a few things he thought it best to protect his host from.

With his eyes closed he could look through them all easier.

Taking cookies late at night would be hidden. A meaningless thing that a child could do and forget about.

Taking one of his brother’s toys did not need to be told to them just yet. The side would have that be revealed later.

A few more meaningless lies crossed through his mind as he worked. Those would be forgotten before Thomas had a chance to realize they were lies. If this was not his job, the side would not have noticed the lies either.

All was quiet in his room as he worked. He did not expect anything to happen. Usually he would use all his waking hours like this. It was a boring job but at least it passed the time.

The boy did not know how long he had sat there before something broke his focus.

“...Don’t know what happened.”

The side’s eyes snapped open at the sound of a voice. The golden eye was more slitted now as he had let his concentration go. He had never, in all his time, heard another voice before.

A voice that was not his own.

The boy stood up quickly and scurried to the doorway to press his eat against the wood. If there was a voice then there might be someone outside. His tongue unconsciously made its way between his teeth as he listened.

“I just don’t know.” The voice said again and the young side frowned.

Lie.

The voice did not come from where his ear was but inside his very being. The golden eyes seeming to see outside of his room and into another place.

He did not know the room but it seemed rather comfy. There was a couch and a television. A kitchen just beyond a small doorway and a hallway that led somewhere beyond.

The young side would have thought this was another memory if he had not seen three people that he recognized but also did not. They were young, about eight, and all looked like him. All of them were Thomas.

He focused in on all of them. Curious about this new image he was seeing that had to be beyond his room. He let this vision focus in on one of them and he knew in his gut that that side was the liar.

Just as he was about to get a clear picture on this boy he felt the support of the door disappear. In an instant he snapped back to his body and felt himself falling forward. His mind was not able to process on what had just happened; all he could do was brace himself for the impact.

His face came inches from the wooden floor before he felt something catch him.

“Whoa there, Kiddo.” A friendly, young voice said as he was slowly brought back upright and stood up straight. “You okay? Where did you even come from?”

The side could only stare as a face came into view. It was exactly like his but with large glasses on, matching eyes, and a colorful sweater. The boy was at a loss for words. He had never been outside of his room before and this...this was so much to take in.

“Whoa, easy there.” The sweater-clad side gave a warm smile and led the newest addition to walk backward slowly. “Easy. Take your time in processing all this.”

The kid sat down on the couch; his confused look never leaving. How?

“Another one?” Another person said and made both of the sides look to their left. A boy with a bow-tie, sweater vest, and another pair of glasses stood there with an almost annoyed look on his face. “This is the most inopportune time. We only just got comfortable with Creativity.”

The side waved his hand over at Creativity. The boy held himself proudly even when his green tunic was just as messy as his hair. A small bruise had started to form on his cheek.

Before anyone could say another word the new side was up and over to the other in a second. A cold hand pressed against the creative side’s face gently as he inspected the bruise.

The lie.

“Hey, uh, buddy,” Creativity laughed and backed up a little, “What are you doing?”

“Nothing.” The side said quickly as his eyes stayed locked onto the bruise. His mind was already running on what had Thomas been up today.

Had someone said something mean to Thomas today?

“Yeah, right,” The creative side laughed nervously and carefully pushed the new guy’s hands off him. “Look, I am fine if that is what you are worried about. I get into trouble all the time. Real nice that you are so worried after we just met but no touching until we are more used to one another.”

There it was again. That feeling. The new side looked at him dead in the eyes. Creativity’s words died on his lips and he squirmed; a nervous laugh leaving him.

The sweater clad side seemed to disagree with the statement as he clucked his tongue. “That brings us back to the first problem. How you got that bruise.”

“I already did!” Creativity whined, “I just fell off my pony while practicing riding.”

“Lie.” The room when silent as the new side said the world.

Creativity sputtered. “W-what?”

“Lie.”

The green-clad side was at a loss for words on what to say to that so he did the next best thing. His posture got defensive and he pushed out his chest.

“Who exactly ARE you?”

The new child looked at them all with a small tilt to his head.

“I am not Delusion.” After he said the words he frowned and touched his lips. That was odd. He had not meant to say that.

Creativity just looked confused, “I didn’t ask who you weren’t.”

“I did mean to say that. I didn’t want to introduce myself properly,” Delusion tried to explain but it came out backwards. He scowled and stopped his foot. “Yes!”

I can’t even get that one right. What was happening?

The room was silent as they looked at the boy in front of them in confusion. He seemed so frustrated for the small outburst and words. Like he was not in control of what he was saying.

“You said your name is Delusion?” The one with the bow-tie asked slowly as he took a step forward. His mind looked like it was at work behind those nerdy glasses.

“No!” Delusion turned his head to look at the side with hope in his eyes. “Do you not understand me?”

“Interesting,” the kid whispered and narrowed his eyes at the new person, “You seem to be speaking in opposites.”

“I understand why. This has happened before.” Delusion said with a annoyed sigh. This is stupid.

“Opposites?” The one in the sweater now looked lost. “But...how is that possible?”

“I believe we have found the cause of Thomas’ lying streak recently,” the other side said as he moved back. “Delusion is just another word for trickery after all.”

“I had a hand in that,” the child said. He knew Thomas was lying a little bit more recently but Delusion did not think he could actually influence his host. “At least I think I did.”

The sweater wearing frowned in confusion. It seemed this opposite conversation pattern was going over his head a little bit. “Oh...so lying is now a side?” He looked like he did not like the idea of such a thing existing.

The bow-tie side only shrugged in response, “Apparently but he could possibly be more.”

“But lying is wrong!” The sweater wearing one said with a small pout. He obviously did not like the idea of a new side based around lying to be here.

Delusion wanted to shrink into himself because of that. He did not think of himself as bad. He knew that adults told Thomas not to lie but sometimes one had to. Feelings could get hurt if you did not do small lies to some people.

He did admit that he did not like the idea of the other two talking about him like he was not there.

“Um...” he broke the conversation that was happening between the two kids. “If that is not Creativity, then who are you two?”

At least I can ask questions...sort of.

The pair glanced at each other. The one in the sweater did look apologetic for talking about the new addition to the mind palace like he was not there.

Delusion felt grateful for that.

“I’m Logic,” the one in the bow-tie said with a touch of his glasses to straighten them.

“And I’m Heart,” the one in the sweater said shyly, “Sorry for talking about you, kiddo. I am just not a big fan of lying and it has been an emotional day.”

“It is not okay,” Delusion said easily. He hoped that his smile would convey he did not mean the words that came out of his mouth.

“Well,” Creativity clapped and brought the attention back to him. “Now that we sorted out Dee’s situation here. I am going to go change.”

“Not so fast, young man,” Heart’s shy demeanor suddenly went hard as he walked over to the side. “We have still got to talk about that bruise.”

“What is there to talk about?” Creativity said, “We already established that all he says is in opposites so obviously that means I am telling the truth.”

“I was summoned by a lie,” Delusion said. He looked a little surprise to have said correctly. “That was not a truth.”

Certain things then? Why does this even need to be a thing?

“Fascinating,” Logic mumbled to himself.

“We are going to get some ice for that and have a long talk about lying and whatever you did to get that bruise.” Heart said as he led the boy to the kitchen.

Creativity groaned and sent a glare over his shoulder to Delusion. Dee got this impression he was not going to be liked by that side as much as he should be. Still, Delusion could not help but smile at the glare he was given. He went so far as to wave to Creativity as the boy disappeared around the corner.

Today did turn out to be the day something amazing had happened. What a wonderful thing to have lied to yourself about.