You are a simple being, a being with a core tenant of keeping things at an even and steady keel, you have by many names been referred to as a reliable individual in a situation impossible to upkeep.
Key face, crown head, his majesty, names given unanimously with a level of utmost disdain and sarcasm. but you have only ever referred to yourself as volition.
For you had up until about…
"How long has it been?"
"Five hours"
Five hours ago had been nothing but a nonphysical representative concept floating around in a nebulous mind sauce of a deranged man by the name of Harrier Du Bois. Who you are ,on an extremely fundamental level, a part of.
Something! That many of your fellow compatriots have completely forgotten.
"Logic… Espirit… Savoire-"
"Savvy"
"Sorry, ehm Savvy."
A small group of you stand around a kitchen table in the center of which is a telephone. A low light casting terrible stark shadows across the room.
"We need to call someone for help." You offer plainly.
Logic gives a contemplative hum "we could call Jean or we could call Kim"
"Call Dora… call her" Pain threshold wails, from his spot tied up to a chair that sits across the room.
"Encyclopedia do we have either of those numbers?" You look over to Encyclopedia who is currently compulsively going over every book in the apartment simultaneously.
"Dora's number is entirely muscle memory, Kim's number is written down and Jeans is 4567686-" encyclopedia starts to rattle off the number far too quickly.
"Could you slow-"
"Nah I got that" Reaction speed interjects, dashing in from the bedroom before running back into the bathroom, something he's been doing for the last two hours, ever since he missed catching half-light before it escaped out the window.
"Don't call that Bino Faggot" physical Instrument grunts from the floor continuing his rep of pushups.
"Don't call him that he wouldn't like that," empathy whimpers from the corner of the room, hand clinging to Inland Empire who has been deathly silent and eerily transfixed to the open window which half-light escaped through.
"Y-yeah he he won't ff-fuck us if we call-called him that" electrochemistry chimes in slithering out from the bathroom.
"Oh my God, what- is that cough syrup?" You bring your hands up to the side of your crown.
If it were physically possible to have a headache you would have one.
"Yeah, how else are we supposed to party without you letting us out, fucking narc." Electrochemistry points to you with an indignant and accusatory tentacle.
"You don't even have a mouth," logic points out.
There's a pause before electrochemistry begins pouring the cough syrup onto the exposed brain section of his cranium.
"You know if you let me be in charge this wouldn't be an issue" Authority looms by the door.
"You're my enforcer, we've gone over this-" you shake your head.
"Fuck that I should be in charge," Rhetoric wedges his way into the table group.
"You will be if we need to discuss politics, but right now we're trying to get ourselves back into Harry's body so we don't all die" you are tempted greatly to flip the table over, can tell that Savoir Faire is having similar impulses, but for entirely different reasons.
"He should be fine as long as endurance stays by his side." Logic reassures you by giving you an awkward pat on the back.
“Savvy, could you wrangle Interfacing to come here? Make sure that Handeye and him don’t figure out where the bullets are.”
Savvy gives several thumbs up briefly leaving to grab Interfacing.
“What do you want? I was busy touching things…” Interfacing gives out a disgruntled whine.
“We need you to type out the number for Kim,” You push the phone toward Interfacing.
Visual Calculus pulls the paper from the fridge and hands it over.
Interfacing paddles his fingers in delight before getting to work.
“So what are we gonna say?” suggestion pipes up from his unguarded lean against the kitchen sink
An oppressive silence falls over the group.
“Perhaps we bring him here on false pretenses and then explain the true intent once his eyes can no longer deceive?” Dramas many faces all break out into a mass of hideous cheshire grins.
The dial tone begins to ring.
Click “Ugh, hello?” Kims voice crackles in from the other end.
“Hello~!” Drama’s voice peaks as he grabs the phone.
“Who-” Kitsuragi grumbles clearly inundated with a grogginess of mid sleep.
“Kitsuragi yes?” Drama pushes forward, flourishing the receiver cord in his hand and cocking a hip to the side.
“Yes.” a firm resolute response.
“Harry is in a bit of a pickle, hmm he is in great need of your assistance.” Drama tutts an overly sympathetic lilt to his voice.
“Who is this?” The response comes out rather harsh and defensive.
“Who isn’t this?” Drama chuckles.
“What?” unamused.
“Sorry bad joke, Im one of harry’s neighbors” drama gives a firm nod and thumbs up to the rest of the room.
“Where is Harry.” Kim is fuming, absolute fury beginning to bubble up to the surface.
“Oh wow, possessive much?” suggestion gives a wide grin.
“Think he’s into us?” electrochemistry slides over the couch continuing to nurse his bottle of cough syrup.
“No idiot he’d be into Harry if anything” logic grits in a sharp whisper.
“Who else is there?” Kim picks up on the ambient murmurs.
“Harry is unconscious and those are the rest of the neighbors' house party.” drama raises his free hand to hush the group. “He just before he passed out was very adamant that you be the one to come to his side, he was very very insistent on it.”
Kim lets out a frustrated sigh.
“We think it was a panic attack, I mean he hadn’t even had anything to drink, though…” Drama trails off for added effect.
It was eerie in its effectiveness.
“Ill be there, just if he wakes up tell him that.” you hear the shuffling and click of the receiver.
“tada” Drama clicks the phone back onto its cradle and gives a resolute bow to the group.
Half amused applause emanates from those capable of clapping.
“So…Who wants to join the ‘lets bang kitsuragi gang?’” Suggestion casually sniffs raising a hand into the air.
“No! No one is going to be-” You close in as quickly as possible on stopping the idea from spreading to the rest of the room.
Electrochemistry had heard the word bang and was already raising a horrid tentacle to the air.
More surprisingly was the feeling of abject horror that bloomed from your chest when, despite your disapproval of the very concept, Encyclopedia began to raise his hand.
“Wh- what? Why?” you nearly collapse with the level of exasperation quickly flooding your senses.
You figure that encyclopedia, if capable, would be blushing with the way he tucks his face back into a book far too close to even read.
Empathy’s hand comes timidly up.
“It would be a novel opportunity,” Logic shrugs.
Esprit raises his hand.
“Et tu Esprit?” you turn to his hooded figure with the utmost betrayal.
“I-...” Authority pipes up before shutting his mouth and looking sharply away before raising his hand up.
“Ha you just wanna get stepped on huh!” Electrochemistry goads from his lounged position on the couch.
“No! No, no one is getting stepped on or, or pissed on or whatever you sick freaks want to do.” you slam your fists down on the table in front of you.
A long pause.
“Woah volition wants to get pissed on, that's new.” Physical Instrument stands to its full height, finishing its last rep of push ups.
You slam your head against your palms as Authority opens the door to the singular knock kim leaves there.
“Wait!” Reaction Speed tries to dash to stop him but is too late as the door swings far too wide for Kim not to see the chaos inside.
“What the fuck?” Kims face drops into something more akin to frustration than in anything resembling concern or confusion.
“I'm so sorry” you grumble from the space between your hands.
Savoir Faire takes very little time to move toward the entrance reaching out to push kim inside, shutting and locking the door behind him with a flurry of arms.
Kim takes a long stunned look around the room.
“We spoke on the phone” drama offers his hand out.
“What?” Kim looks around the room again, still having difficulties understanding the actual physical nature of his reality.
“We’re the physical manifestation of Harry's internal personhood, fractured into groupings based on utility, the “furies” or “skills” he’s mentioned in the past” encyclopedia stands up and moves in close, far to close into kims space a bit like an over eager puppy.
Inland turns or doesn’t turn but emanates in its hollow and ethereal way “It’s best to think of this all as a dream. Help us back and you’ll wake up soon.”
Kim turns to look at him and then down to empathy who nuzzles up against Inlands leg shyly at being noticed.
Suggestion slithers in and leans an elbow against the shelving above Kims head cornering him in slightly. “Yeah, baby don’t worry about anything, we’re just a figment of Harry's psychosis induced reality, and that would be followed by a seductive wink if I had eyes,” you figure that Suggestion would be winking alongside the finger guns he shoots at Kim as per his description.
Savoir faire compulsively shoots more finger guns at Kim, riddling his body with metaphorical bullet holes.
Kim pinches the ridge of his brows. “Okay. Whatever, what do I need to do?”
You remove your hands from your face area “huh? Really?”
“Yeah, sure. I'm too tired and honestly at this point, this might as well be my reality” Kim shrugs giving an ocular pat down of Suggestion who simply gives a toothy seductive grin in return.
“Oh! Excellent, well I'm Volition, I'm kinda the voice of reason, It’s a pleasure to meet you, uh by the way you’ve been an excellent influence on Harry, Its truly amazing to meet someone who has their self figured out!” You’re rambling, why are you so fucking nervous, oh god his eyes are so fucking brown and his lips look so soft and his voice is so caring and gentle.
Fuck.
Reaction Speed is definitely looking right at you, so is empathy, oh god they all know…
“Well, It's mostly an act, I'm not even close to perfect.” Kim quirks a sympathetic eyebrow at your enthusiasm.
“Im Suggestion and might i suggest that: one,” Self satisfying grin erupts from his features “Ignore sir crowns a lot over there,” He jabs his thumb over his shoulder and over to you. “ Harry’ll be fine,” He waves it off dismissively.
“And Two, we should spend some time and get to know you more…trust me.. When i say that oooh boy would we *all*, Like to get to know *you* more '' Suggestion tilts his head down and up, raking his non-existent gaze over Kims form.
Encyclopedia closes in from the otherside nodding enthusiastically, mouth practically drooling. “D-did you know that umm ah during the revolution communard aerostatics used intestinal casings for holding necessary fueling gasses and in Graad for the war effort they had to ban the consumption of sausages in order to make sure they had enough to repair any damages done to the aerostatics” Encyclopedias hands waver hardly constrained over Kims shoulder and neck.
“Dude what the fuck?” Suggestion grimaces hand coming around Kim to shove off Encyclopedia's face.
“God you guys are fucking terrible at this.” Electrochemistry shakes its head before pouring more cough syrup onto its cranium.
“Is no one going to take that away from him?” Rhetoric pipes up “No? Then I think perhaps that Volition is a weak leader and that we should reconsider authority being in charge!”
“What? Why are you doing this?” You hiss, pushing your hand down atop the smooth surface of Rhetorics head.
“Political intrigue, Duh?” Rhetoric scoffs, shunning your hand from his skull.
“Uhuh, okay how about I'm in charge?” Kim adds tentatively, a genuine inquiry.
“Y-yes~” Authority spills out a soft half moan in response.
Kim looks over with a raised brow.
“That's authority, he, uh, he really hasn’t been the same since Martinase.” logic gives a solemn shake of his head “ Im logic by the way, that's rhetoric” he points to rhetoric “Thats encyclopedia” He points over to the now panting, hardly restrained murmuring mess that has become Encyclopedia.
“Im electrochemistry and I'm an Alcoholic" Electrochemistry interrupts parading its half emptied bottle of cough syrup in the air.
“Dooraa” a wail emanates from Pain Threshold.
“That's Pain Threshold, you should ignore him for now” Electrochemistry continues. “Inland, empathy-” He points to the two of them by the window.
“Im Savoir Faire but you can call me Savvy” Savvy interjects with a flourish of arms all bowing.
“Drama” Drama not to be upstaged, gives a little curtsy.
“I'm not introducing myself to this fa-” Physical Instrument starts only to be quickly interrupted by reaction speed.
“Im reaction speed, thats Physical Instrument,” reaction speed paces from one foot to the other.
“Coach, you call me coach.” Physical Instrument huffs turning away and back toward the bedroom.
“Im Visual Calculus and in there” He points to the bedroom “ Is where Harry and Endurance are staying, we’re pretty sure endurance will keep him stable as long as he’s nearby.”
“It's a sound theory at least” Logic shrugs.
Kim's eyes peak toward the bedroom before swiftly returning.
Interfacing waves as Kim briefly passes his eyes over him.
"So… how do I help exactly?" Kim folds his hands behind his back.
Suggestions grin widens wolfishly.
"Tell me everything you know, let me make sweet tender love to the knowledge you have in that big beautiful brain of yours," encyclopedia practically pounces Kim but is stopped swiftly by a random household object wiffed in a perfect arch and at the perfect velocity into his face.
Hand Eye coordination blows the dust off his finger gun and fake spins it into its fake holster.
"Thank you Hand Eye," You can't help but sigh.
"Right," Kim shifts out from the proximity of suggestion and encyclopedia, joining instead the area you've secretly deemed 'the adults table'
Esprit de corps salutes "Pleasure to meet you lt."
"Oh! Uhh" Kim shifts nervously "khm, and to you …?"
You shake your head disapprovingly at Esprit.
“Esprit De Corps, present and ready” Esprit gives a firm salute
“I have to ask, how did it come to be that you ended up” kim gestures to the area “and not inside of-” he finishes the gesture at the opening to the bedroom.
You can’t actually remember, only that it had something to do with an imminent thought in the cabinet, a concept that Harry hasn’t quite explained to Kim yet.
“Uhh-” You flounder to come up with some sort of reasoning, you glance over to Drama who has now seemingly grouped up with conceptualization and Inland Empire all of which are speaking in hushed whispers.
Logic interjects “We’re not entirely sure, some thought Harry had ejected us from his brain, some idea that he couldn’t come to terms with.”
“Ha” Electrochemistry shakes its head from where it’s seated, swilling the cough syrup jar around like a fine wine.
Kim turns his attention to the couch “Do you have some sort of insight?”
“Hmm? Me? … Maybe but its not like anyone here would LIKE it if I went and spilled the beans” He drizzles some syrup onto his cranium “Especially not MR.Perfect over there,” It flicks an indignant tentacle in your direction.
“Its not important why, we just need to make sure we get everyone back inline and then back inside Harry,” You move past it swiftly drawing kims attention back to you, where you like it.
Really, really, like it.
Electrochemistry gives you a disapproving and knowing shake of its head.
“Is not everyone here?” Kim raises a firm eyebrow.
Authority cowers up against the door.
“No, two of us are unaccounted for, one escaped and the other one never appeared.” Esprit explains.
“Who is missing?” Kim looks around the room.
“Shivers never manifested and “ Esprit hesitates before gaining the courage to continue “Halflight jumped out of that window over there.”
“Thats..bad” Kims brow knits together in concern. “I take it?”
“Harry’s ‘fight or flight’.. So yes extremely bad” Logic confirms.
The worry lines on Kim's forehead crinkle.
You're struck with the overwhelming urge to soothe them away.
A quick glance to those immediately around you seem to concur with this desire.
Logic gives you a pensive look and nods affirmatively.
'yes' it says 'this is probably at the very least a crush'
With the way electrochemistry keeps glancing over towards everyone knowing and self satisfied.
With the way Suggestion and Encyclopedia, the way that the majority of you have been acting.
With the sudden striking memory of the thought that had ejected you sliding back into the forefront, you now have the unfortunate insight to know that this is probably something much worse.
Worse than shivers being unaccounted for, worse than Half-light roaming wild in the streets, worse than being removed from Harry's body entirely.
No this is very likely to be the very worst thing of all.
Love.
Harry had been ruminating over his feelings for Kim and the answer had been far too much to handle.