Sanders Sides Stories

Steady in the Mist (Analogical)

Possible TW: Restless uneasy sleep, anxiety, TOO MUCH SOF LOGAN SANDERS

Logan walked by Virgil's door, noticing the sleeping emo laying on his right side. He nearly always slept in the same position it seemed. Logan continued on his way, setting the books and papers he was carrying down on his desk. As he began to work on his task at hand, he couldn't shake the thought of Virgil resting so... vulnerable. When he caught himself rereading a paragraph for the third time he finally sighed, closed his book and stood, heading toward the black and purple door.

***

Virgil was resting... in a very loose sense of the word. Patton had asked him about his sleep schedule again and insisted that he take a nap while Patton was baking. Ordinarily, Patton would probably hold him on the couch to get Virgil to sleep, but he was busy. Still, he insisted that Virgil sleep this instant. So here he was, on his side as usual, eyes closed, attempting to relax enough to feel some difference when he woke up. If he woke up. Meaning if he actually slept.

What's something calming that Patton says to think of to sleep?

Clouds. A grey cloud cover. Heavy and comforting. Surrounding. Darkening slowly till you slip into silent sleep.

Unstable. Too wispy, misty.

Suddenly he was uncomfortable. Something was not right. It was too.... Flimsy. Nothing to steady him. Floating, he didn't like floating. Mist. Nothing real. Shapes take form, without form. Nothing below his feet.

Can't wake up. Can't sleep.

There's nothing quite unsettling like being aware that you are sleeping, uncomfortable with your thoughts and dreamlike state, but too far asleep to change anything.

Foggy, frozen, uneasy silence.

***

Logan paused in the doorway, watching Virgil for a moment. He seemed to be asleep and was quite still and peaceful. Logan almost turned to go back to his desk.

No... too still.

There was not the deep steady breathing of sleep, but rather the quiet shallow breaths of someone scared and hiding. The thoughtful side quietly entered the room so as not to startle the nervous one as he debated what the best course of action would be to take. Virgil still lay in the same position, still quietly breathing, still unmoving. Not tense, yet uneasy in some small indescribable way. Logan stood in front of Virgil and was going to lay a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to gently wake him and ask if he was alright. But then he remembered that Virgil tended to lash out when woken unexpectedly. He decided that reaction was a likely possibility in Virgil's delicate and uneasy... something beside slumber. So Logan thought if Virgil were to react physically, it would be better to be able to hold and steady him as he awoke, rather than get a black eye and a high strung emo besides.

***

Dark. grey. Just enough light and presence to be aware that there was nothing. Nothing to see, nothing to touch, nothing to hold. No movement. Just still uneasiness. Trying to find comfort in this mental cloud cover, but only producing uncertainty.

Then... something. A presence.

***

Logan sat gingerly on the bed behind Virgil, lifting himself closer to be right next to him. He didn't want to startle the dark side awake before he himself was prepared. He didn't actually want to startle him at all. Now, sitting directly behind Virgil on the bed, Logan laid a steady gentle hand on Virgil's shoulder, almost on his back considering how the side was curled facing away from him.