#borrrowers

 Patton sighed. “I keep trying to tell you. I can’t do that because it doesn’t exist.” This was starting to grow tiring for Patton. Especially with the knowledge that Virgil might very well be in trouble.

“If you’re truly worried, you should drop this charade.” Logan said, getting tired and nervous himself. The borrower just wanted to go home and stop dealing with this lunatic. “Go ask on the street, see if he managed to get out and about.”

 “I can’t do that!” Patton exclaimed loudly, before his eyes widened and he covered his mouth. “O-Oh, I’m so s-sorry.” He hadn’t meant to yell at the poor borrower.

Logan had flinched, and now slowly uncovered his ears. He took in the human’s demeanor, so stressed and filled with rising panic. Either he was a very good actor, or… this wasn’t a game.

“No, I apologize.” Logan said carefully. “I know you must be concerned for him.”

 “I am. I just-there’s no way for me to ever find out if he’s okay if something were to happen and I can’t...I can’t handle the thought.” Patton spoke, tears starting to form.

“Oh dear, please do not cry.” Logan was uncertain how to comfort a human stranger, only knowing tactics that applied to Roman.

 “S-Sorry, I’m just really, really worried.” Patton said, glancing at all the entrances again before sighing. He turned to Logan again. “M-Maybe you could go look in the walls to see?”

“I- “ Logan glanced back, uncertain. “I don’t think that would be wise.”

 Patton deflated even more. “Why?”

“Because...I've never been in the walls.” Logan admitted. “At least, not until this morning, and that was only briefly when I awoke there.”

 “Wh-What? Really?” Patton asked in shock. “B-But...how?” How had a borrower never gone in the walls before?

“I’m a domestic; humans have always taken care of me.” Logan rubbed his arm self-consciously. It was not a big deal, but to actually have to explain the process was a bit dimeaning.

 “But...but humans don’t know that borrowers exist...unless a human found you when you were young?” Patton tried, maybe that was the case. That could explain the borrowers strange behavior.

“I have no idea where this region might be, but where I come from borrowers are no secret.” Logan had begun to hypothesize he had ended up in a rural town far from civilization that had somehow missed the memo. “The entire world knows of our existence.”

 “Okay...Okay I don’t have Virgil here with me to back me up on this so...Okay, what evidence would convince you that the world doesn’t actually know you guys exist?” Patton asked.

“Nothing.” Logan said firmly. “I know my reality.”

 “Well, so do I.” Patton said with a sigh. Suddenly, Patton had a crazy idea. One that might just work but would definitely make Virgil mad at him. He went back and forth on it, before taking out his phone and putting in the phone number for information. He put it on speaker and set it down in front of Logan.

 “Hello, this is information, how can I help you?” A voice answered and Patton took in a deep breath.

 “Hi, sorry to bother you, but do you know what a borrower is?” There was silence on the line. 

 “I’m...sorry? A what?” The lady asked, confused. Patton looked to Logan.

“A, a borrower?” Logan repeated, careful to speak up, feeling a bit unsure.

 “...Is this a prank call?” The lady asked with a tired sigh. “We don’t tolerate those here.”

“No, ma’am, this is no prank.” Logan frowned, wondering if perhaps the term ‘borrower’ was regional. “Perhaps ‘Littles’ is more precise? We also go by ‘tinies’. The race of small, humanoid figures.”

 “Okay…” The lady let out a large sigh. “No. Whatever you are talking about, they don’t exist. Now please stop this childish behavior. Good day.” And with that, she hung up. 

 Patton took his phone back. “See?”

“Well, perhaps I exaggerated by including the entire world.” Logan relented, but even he was biting his thumb from nerves.

 “Come on! That’s pretty solid evidence right there.” Patton pouted. Were all borrowers just born stubborn?

“But that’s not logical!” Logan insisted, even if it did seem a bit extreme for a simple role-play experience. 

 Patton sighed. “Look, I don’t know what else to tell you. Borrowers are a secret and the only reason I know about them is because I found Virgil about a year ago borrowing from my kitchen.” He both smiled and winced at the memory. He hadn’t reacted...the best.

“I-but-” Logan stammered, attempting to form a coherent thought as his mind began to consider the possibility that Patton was telling the truth. “Where’s Lightwilde then? Where am I? Where’s Roman?”

 “I...I don’t know.” Patton was sad to admit. “The internet says it doesn’t exist and the phone number you tried was wrong…” Patton looked at Logan. “And you really believe that you live in a world...where borrowers are pets…” Patton’s eyes widened.

 “That’s it!” Patton snapped his fingers. “You must be from a different dimension!” This was just like the movie he saw a few weeks ago. If only he could remember the name.

“What?” Logan frowned at this declaration. Having read up on the theory of parallel dimensions Logan knew it wasn’t impossible, but still highly improbable. “How exactly would I have managed to travel dimensions without being conscious of it?”

 Patton shrugged. “I’m not sure but...wait, maybe that’s where Virgil went! Maybe you two somehow switched places while you were asleep!” Patton grinned, that had to be it. His grin turned to a frown though when he remembered how Logan’s world was. “Oh, poor kiddo…”

“So you’re suggesting, not only did the most insignificantly probable form of dimensional occur… it occurred twice? And teleported us to the exact locations of the other individual?” Logan entertained that thought for a moment. “I...suppose there could be some amount of logic behind the concept of dimensions needing to retain the same amount of material matter to function…”

 “Yeah! And think about it, it explains everything! Your address and Roman don’t exist here because they’re in another dimension!” Patton was happy to have figured this all out. But he quickly deflated. “But then...how do we get Virgil back?”

“And how do I return.” Logan said pointedly, noting the way Patton had only voiced a concern about Virgil.

 “Huh? Oh, wait.” Patton looked at Logan confused. “You...want to go back? I mean, I get wanting to go back to a known human when you still thought you were in your world but...here, in this world, you don’t have to be a pet anymore.” Patton smiled gently. “You can be free like borrowers are supposed to be.”

“Borrowers are not meant to survive like this.” Logan shook his head. “It’s unsustainable, unsanitary, and unsafe. Wall thieves were just as dependent on humans, but with a known link of communication a borrower’s life expectancy and quality increases.”

 Patton frowned. “I mean, all that might be true, but is that really worth giving up your freedom for? I’ve talked to Virgil about it and he’s always saying that he’d rather have his freedom then owned by a human. And he seemed to be doing just fine by himself, living in the walls and borrowing.” Patton explained. Could Logan have been brainwashed to think all those things? It was likely.

“The freedom you speak of is a lifestyle that was never mine; I’m giving up nothing.” Logan explained coolly. “While this Virgil remains stubborn, and you may not have put a title on your relationship, it’s clear he is already dependent upon you.”

 Patton furrowed his eyebrows. “I don’t own him. And yeah, I may help him out here and there but I’m not forcing him to stay with me all the time. He still very much likes his freedom.”

“His freedom is merely an illusion of independence.” Logan adjusted his glasses. “Who exactly do you think he’s borrowing from, hmm?”

 “Uh, me? The other residents in this building?” Patton answered.

“Exactly.” Logan said this as though Patton had proven his point. “He is still dependent on humans for all his resources, just indirectly. Not to mention, committing petty theft.”

 Patton frowned. “It’s better than being a pet.” Patton repeated what Virgil had told him. “It’s better than being locked away in some cage and forced to do whatever a human says.”

“I think you misunderstand my dimension.” Logan felt the need to clarify. “Mental stability is not an issue- it does not feel enclosing to be under someone’s care, and Roman only ‘forces’ me to act in ways that are beneficial to the both of us due to my stubborn nature.”

 Patton sighed, realizing his own assumptions must be right. “Kiddo…I think the world you live in has brainwashed you to think that. To be okay with it, because you’ve never known anything different.” He looked at Logan sadly. “But that doesn’t make it okay.”

“I am of sound mind.” Logan frowned, not understanding why Patton was so intent on convincing him otherwise. “Regardless of your thoughts on the matter, I like my existence there and I plan to return.”

 Paton sighed, he supposed he would just drop the subject for now. “I feel so bad for Virgil...he must be so scared. Especially if he’s with Roman right now.” He looked at Logan. “Is Roman...nice? At least?” As nice as someone could be who had a person as a pet.

“Yes, Roman is...exceptionally kind.” Logan shook off the feeling of nostalgia that came over him, after less than a day already missing his human. “Virgil will be well taken care of in his company.”