#I can imagine Virgil just being. like. SO SO MEAN

[sanders-sides-uncorrect-quotes]

:D

I've just thought long and hard about this in the shower so I have more thoughts

I think Virgil would be WAY scarier than he is in canon season 1 if he was a season 2 villain, his voice is almost always doubled (what's it called, Tempest Tongue or smth), he has his spider eyes and legs on full display. I imagine his two moods would be at either 0 or 100. He's either standing completely silent in the dark corner (he can canonically control shadows so I think he'd do that alot in this) staring at you with vacant eyes (I imagine his way of dealing with Remus' and Orange's chaos was to just dissociate from it) or he's screaming

Or in other words his two moods are "I need to kill everyone in this room right now" and "I need to kill myself right fucking now"

In a kind of sad way I don't think his character development would go far past the way he acts in the very first few episodes he's in in the show. Happy purple Virgil basically wouldn't exist

Also yes when I was writing that point I was imagining Accepting Deceit being both funny as fuck and depressing. The situations Thomas gets himself into when he can't lie would be so goofy. Janus is also Thomas's self preservation (iirc I haven't watched the episodes in a little while lol) so that would also go to pot which would be the nail in the coffin for the main 3 of ok we have to get the snake back

I think Virgil's introduction episode would begin with Thomas having the worst panic attack of his life. Virgil's need to help and protect him battles with his absolute burning hatred of the core 4 (especially Janus)

I saw a few posts floating around about an AU where Janus is introduced first instead of Virgil and is the one to get accepted first and tbh I absolutely love that idea and I may have to draw something for it

Janus gets to sing in the song Lies like he wishes he did in canon

He was the one who kept the other darks hidden and slowly let them out so it'd be interesting to see him trying to do that whilst being a recognised good guy, sure he has 6 arms but is 2 enough to hold each dark side at bay when he's not there?

If he ducks out there'd have to be a montage in the first part of Thomas going around and telling the truth about everything and it making his life start to crumble

Janus leaves the dark in the same way Virgil does after AA

Without him there the dark side is basically in anarchy

I imagine Orange to be Wrath/Rage/Anger/smth like that, so I imagine without Janus there he'd just be screaming and throwing stuff around nearly 24/7

Remus' is somehow even more unhinged

Being left alone to deal with those two maniacs (mentioned just above) leads to Virgil basically going insane and hating Janus even more than he does in canon because he used to be the one to calm down the other two (I imagine he and Virgil used to sip coffee together whilst watching Remus and Orange fight in the living room)

Even though Virgil is terrified of him, he forms a very shaky friendship with Remus and they bond over their what-ifs and pain over Janus

Janus is so focused on his friendships with the lights and Thomas that he lets his guard down for a moment and that leads to the dark sides to start rebelling (not sure which one would be revealed first, my gut says Virgil but maybe it'd be cool to leave him til later)

I'm super curious of what Virgil would be like as a villain introduced in season 2, how he would look, if he would still be called Anxiety or something else like Paranoia (which I think could be fitting if he was introduced later on like I said in the last point)

After Accepting Anxiety in canon Patton and Virgil formed a familial-like bond, in this AU Patton and Janus are more marriage-coded

Janus and Virgil's dynamic is a very obviously one-sided hatred. Virgil looks ready to jump at him and rip his head off whilst Janus looks at Virgil with pure grief and regret (because there's absolutely no way that Virgil will trust him ever again, at least in his eyes)

[ilions-end]

i finished statius' ACHILLEID. thoughts thoughts thoughts:

i knew going in it was a VERY short unfinished epic, but i didn't know it would be FUN?? if i ever get that time machine, FIRST THING i go back and find one publius papinius statius, i lock him in a room, and i'm NOT letting him out until he's finished the achilleid!

achilles is statius' BLORBO in a way neither homer, quintus nor virgil have blorbos. statius likes achilles to be strong and pretty and graceful, but most of all ENDEARING even when he fails. and he fails a lot, because this is him still figuring out how to be an adult, not to mention a prophesied legend literally everyone is waiting for to step up

the one thing that gets tiring is just how many prophecies permeate the achilleid. nothing's left to chance, there are so few unknowns. even ODYSSEUS was aware that from peleus' wedding there would come a child destined to be a central warrior in an upcoming gigantic war.

as it stands, the achilleid is more of a... thetisiad? she is very centered in the narrative (we spend more time looking at things from her point of view than achilles') and there is SO MUCH SYMPATHY for her, oh my gosh!! she loves ONE person, her son, the only worthwhile thing she got out of a traumatizing marriage, and she despairs that he's fated to die young in a silly human war.

also i'm a deidamia defender forever now. so three-dimensional, so clever!

aughhh i love how much characterization statius puts in, even in the small scenes! my favourite example is odysseus and diomedes as they walk up to lycomedes' place (literally just moving characters from A to B). diomedes teases odysseus, and odysseus is delighted to be teased. that night we're told odysseus CAN'T SLEEP because he's too excited about showing off his plan the next morning!

the unveiling of achilles is completely different from the chagrined defeat/"achilles is a fucking idiot" ways i've heard it retold! i love that it's collaborative, it's a mutual triumph. it's just as much achilles (who's been suffering in gender dysphoria hell for a year) longing to be exposed as it is odysseus LIVING for showing everyone (especially diomedes?) how clever he is. it's not just the shield and the spear and the bugle, it's odysseus playing the part of the siren, whispering in achilles' ear that he knows who he is and describing how glorious he will be on the trojan battlefield. it's achilles' grateful relief at being ALLOWED not to pretend anymore as he rips off his own dress even before the bugle calls

also it's very important to me that the moment he's no longer hunching over trying to make himself look small and inoffensive, we're told achilles is taller than both odysseus and diomedes

i KEEP IMAGINING how good statius would have made the rest!! especially because as book ii ends, achilles regards odysseus as a cool uncle; he's the guy who rescued him! i want to think statius would have put in the big mystery quarrel achilles and odysseus are said to have had early in the war, something to drastically change that affection. i want to know how statius would have handled troilus, and the gods. augh statius you roman BLUEBALLER

an assortment of story beats still revolving in my head:

chiron is such a sweetheart!! he's SO gallant with thetis, he's so affectionate with achilles. he HIDES HIS TEARS when achilles leaves, awww

statius writes out phoinix completely. as a phoinix stan i object. sure chiron can raise young achilles, but i NEED phoinix to tend to him as a baby

i enjoy how achilles EXPLODES into a mess of teenagerly hormones when he first sees deidaima. it's so funny that thetis is looking on (and we get my favourite simile of the achilleid, of a herdsman delighting in a young bull snorting and foaming at a beautiful heifer) like "aaaaand there's my son's sexual awakening. i see! well, we can use that" and THAT explains why achilles is so willing to commit to the female disguise

(listen. listen. few things mean more to me than the love between achilles and patroclus. but achilles is a teenage boy at the age when a fucking breeze will give him a boner, and deidamia is the most beautiful and the cleverest of her sisters. i really enjoy a story where achilles and deidamia are neither "fated eternal true love" or one's a sneaky opportunist. it's much more compelling that they're both knots of budding emotions and bodily feedback)

i notice that statius never uses the name pyrrha, he doesn't seem to have a fake name at all, just "achilles' sister"

lycomedes is SO honoured and proud that thetis is entrusting her daughter to him. i feel sorry for lycomedes, he seems so earnest and hasn't done anything to get tricked

the one thing i can't forgive statius for is that after spending SO much time establishing that achilles and deidamia (who knows he's a guy) are genuinely into each other, it feels like statius goes OUT OF HIS WAY assuring us that their first sexual encounter is rape. sure they talk right after, deidamia forgives him, AND i understand there are social rules that makes deidamia more "honourable" and "worthy" when she resists, but like. sigh.

aLONG with the previously mentioned interplay between odysseus and diomedes as they walk up to lycomedes' court, there's a simile where they're both starving wolves on the hunt. so sexy it's almost illegal

the feast scene is SO FUNNY omg. all of achilles' careful feminine training dissolving because odysseus and diomedes are there with their boundless masculinity for him to feed off of. deidamia practically WRESTLING achilles back down on the couch every time he forgets himself and behaves too much like a man. odysseus chatting with lycomedes SPECIFICALLY trying to rile up achilles, and then after the women have left (achilles dragging his feet and looking back, YEARNING for their male company) odysseus specifically praises the maiden's "almost masculine" beauty (because ohh he suspects. he just needs to prove it in the morning. he can't SLEEP for it)

when they depart, achilles earnestly swears to deidamia that no other women shall ever bear his children. i find it interesting as a reminder of the social rules of its era. neither of them expect achilles to be sexually exclusive, just not fathering potential heirs. which again makes me wonder about the contraceptives in ancient greece

on the ship towards aulis, diomedes begs achilles to tell them all about his feats and training with chiron, and achilles is so shy about it! who can blame him! diomedes has a WAY more impressive track record

odysseus is SO good at firing up achilles' outrage at paris even as he's just catching him up on what the war's about. and he's so pleased at how easily achilles' outrage can be directed! you KNOW that would have developed in such an interesting way AUGH THE REST WOULD HAVE BEEN SO GOOD.

[part-time-zombie]

Ok I've either reached some sort of analytical epiphany here, or I fully fried my brain and I'm no longer making sense. Either way...

seven sides = seven deadly sins.

Roman = Pride.

Easy enough, he represents the ego and pride in a most literal sense (along with passion and creativity). A wound to his ego creates literal pain, and his reputation/role as a heroic prince means everything to him since his very existence is tied to being the "good" part of imagination.

Remus = Lust.

Another easy one, but I think it's more than just the dirty jokes here. It had been suggested before that since Remus represents all forbidden/unwanted thoughts that c!thomas rejected/repressed because he thought they were bad, there likely may have been a point where he was also his closeted homosexuality in the past.

Virgil = Sloth.

Procrastination is a common practice from Virgil, one he either unintentionally prompts or openly promotes. Anytime something stressful or challenging occurs, Virgil always seems to suggest inactivity and avoidance as the solution, preferring to hide from the issue altogether instead of making any effort into fixing it.

Orange = Wrath (?)

Not much is really known here, but from what we've seen so far it's fair to assume that anger is a driving force if not a direct role for the orange side, though future videos may provide more insight.

Janus = Greed.

Greed is a desire to collect and hoard material wealth/resources, with no intention of sharing or using it. It is innately selfish (and not always in a good way) and the way I feel this translates to Janus is by him wanting c!thomas to prioritize himself above all else, even if it involves letting others down. He wants Thomas to seek out the things he wants in life (like the callback) and to take it without feeling bad about choosing his own happiness. This isn't just for goals/achievements, though, he also wants thomas to save his free time/availability for himself without giving it out carelessly. It's as he said: "it's your time and you do what you want with it". He wants Thomas to remove the blindfold and take what he wants while he still can, before the opportunity is lost again.

Patton = Envy.

This one was a little tough, but I think I made it make sense (at least to me). Patton is Thomas' morality, something instilled in him by observing and imitating those around him. As such, Patton's ideals largely come from him comparing himself and Thomas to others. Sure, Thomas is good, but is he as good as someone else? Can be be better? Can he be perfect, and what counts as perfect to begin with? Patton is constantly looking to outside influences to determine what standards to set, which is why Janus managed to help get through to him when he needed guidance in pof. In a way, Patton is envious of others for them seemingly having gotten it all figured out and being effortlessly good (which is obviously ridiculous, but Patton may have had issues with realizing that).

Logan = Gluttony.

In all seriousness, though, this is about more than just crofters. Gluttony is an obsessive overindulgence of material pleasures and consuming more than is healthy. It differs from greed in that greed focuses on amassing wealth and holding onto it, while gluttony uses up everything it can as quickly as possible. How does that relate to Logan? Well, instead of simply associating this with jam or wine, I like to think he is gluttonous of c!thomas' time. He says he experiences a "titillating, tingling sensation whenever deadlines are met" and regularly tried to direct as much of the focus onto himself and his plans as possible, and becomes frustrated without having surplus time to work. It's not like that time is wasted, though. He does quite the opposite by trying to prioritize all of the time to what he wants, even when it's at a detriment to the others/thomas. He allotted only 0.5% of the day to hopes and dreams, insisting the rest of the day be spent as he pleases. Why? Because being prioritized means he's important and respected, which for him is like the best feeling in the world. And going by how eagerly he devours crofters or chugs wine, it's clear that anything he finds enjoyable will be immediately consumed.

[orbmanson7]

From the Air - A Logangstamatic by Orb Manson

A little more animation than last time, but probably should still be called an animatic at most...

My "logangstamatic" project consists of about 26 different short animations and animatics (and maybe a lyric video or two), in each one, I take a song that reminds me of Logan from Sanders Sides and animate a short section of it in a different way!

The idea is to give a tiny taste of the type of work I want to do, when I someday have better means and the actual time and dedication to give to such projects, haha.

For more information on the full project, go here!

This one features the song "From the Air" by Laurie Anderson, and was animated by me by drawing and creating a bunch of paper doll versions of the characters (most dressed in costumes) as well as creating a paper theater and seats and props and stage setting, then using basic stop-motion techniques to create more of a photo montage of sorts of the story progressing, and used tissue paper to simulate fire. Everything was shot on my phone and then edited in the inShot app.

This song was chosen mainly because I have been a fan of Laurie Anderson's unique music for a very long time, and I originally wanted to do something for "O Superman" from the same album, but I felt this song fit Logan and his thought process way better, especially with how things are going for him currently in the series (and are bound to keep going at this rate).

I don't know why, but when listening to this song while thinking of Logan, I vividly imagined the words being spoken not by a pilot as a plane was crashing, but rather a stage manager watching everything unravel behind the scenes of a doomed stage play and once a spark sets the curtain aflame, he begins giving instructions on what to do, taking charge to clear things out but not once bothering to fight the flames, knowing no one would listen to what he has to say anyway, and eventually even revelling in how this is one of the only ways he can regain control of this unending stage of drama...

The storyboard was drawn almost instantly, haha, it just took a lot longer to find time to make all the pieces and then get it all put together.

Like the other video, I'd love to someday animate this whole song in a similar manner, preferably with a better camera and better software so it comes out more presentable and with way more animation on display. I was very limited in what I could accomplish with this, so if given the chance, I'd love to do it again but better.

I already have a few more of these other animatics and animations in progress, so stay tuned for those coming soon. As I said, there will be 26 in total!

If you liked this, please let me know with a like or a comment! It is greatly appreciated!!

Music Credits:

"From The Air" by Laurie Anderson, from the album Big Science

Art Credits:

All art, props, and animation done by me!

Character Credits:

Logan, Virgil, Roman, Patton, Remus, Janus, and Thomas Sanders are characters from Thomas Sanders' series, Sanders Sides

Lyrics Used In This Video:

Good evening

This is your captain

We are about to attempt a crash landing

Please extinguish all cigarettes

Place your tray tables in their upright, locked position

Your captain says:

Put your head on your knees

Your captain says:

Put your head in your hands

Captain says:

Put your hands on your head

Put your hands on your hips

Heh heh

This is your captain

And we are going down

We are all going down

Together

And I said "uh oh"

This is gonna be some day

Standby

This is the time

And this is the record of the time

This is the time

And this is the record of the time

[theelmoarchive]

Sanders Sides theory (rant). I know im mainly a mh acc here but I have thoughts i need to get out there

(just fyi this theory is Roman centric, I know most TSS people nowadays are talking ab Orange and Logan so if Roman's not interesting then continue on 🔥🔥)

(Also slight TW, talking ab the sides "ducking out" and depression themes, so yeah👍👍)

Okay so. I was scrolling through Sanders Sides theories and found that no one seems to have this theory, even though I thought the Roman angst enjoyers like me would be writing this all over the place but. Ig that means I need to talk about it.

I've had this theory for years now, since the day I first watched SVS Redux.

I think Roman is going to duck out.

I dont know if I have to explain why but. I mean, just looking at the explosive end SVS Redux had will tell you a lot.

He doesn't belive Patton when he tells him they love him. He thinks Thomas has lost all faith in him in favor of the person Roman views as the epitome of evil. He's been switching views left and right to stay on Patton's side (because Thomas prides himself on his morals), but he always ends up doing something wrong - he always ends up as an antagonist. He no longer believes that he is the one thing that being has kept him stable since "Am I Original?" - Thomas' hero. The only side he has a stable and positive relationship with is VIRGIL of all people. And tbh that could quickly be ruined too. Logan is second, though, but that's EXTREMELY fragile, as we've seen.

Roman always does something wrong and it will and has sent him over the edge. From Roman's perspective, with a very flawed view of everyone around him, he is inherently the thing that flaws Thomas.

+ Roman is really dramatic obviously, so ofc he would do this.

When you look at Virgil's reasonings for ducking out, it seems plausible after everything Roman has gone through recently, too. I mean like:

"I quit. Decided it wasn't worth it anymore"

Why would Roman keep fighting a battle he knows he will never win?

"Well, It didn’t seemed like I was wanted. You all made that pretty clear any time I showed up."

Again, from Roman's perspective, he is constantly and consistently antagonized.

"If I wanted to stand around being insulted, I would've shown up I would've shown up in person like I usually do."

[same thing]

"I actually think you were right to not want me around."

Roman fears that he is becoming the villain (as we see in SVS, SVS Redux and DWIT).

(In fact, Roman has already said something quite similar to that last one in sentiment.

In SVS Redux, Roman says this, which is pretty funny because of the dramatics and the stupidity, and does get shot down quickly, but I am begging you to listen to him.

"The blame falls to me. If you're missing that do-gooder drive... I think It's because I'm in the driver seat... And I'm an awful driver... Perhaps... Perhaps I should let Patton take the wheel.")

(2nd sidenote to the Virgil quotes, can we talk ab Thomas' acting again I just love how tired Virgil is in AA. He's so. Troubled. I love him.)

WAIT ALSO I FORGOT TO ADD THIS UNTIL I WAS AB TO POST IT-

"I've always aimed to protect you,"

THIS!! First of all his face makes me so sad BUT SECOND OF ALL yeah. Roman core idk what else to say, you get it right.

"I thought I was your hero."

So yeah.

Anyway, I think the episode where Roman does this will be centered around depression. Without Roman, Thomas is depressed. Let me explain this further.

Roman is Thomas' creativity, imagination, ego, passion, love, wills and wants, hopes and dreams, aspirations and enthusiasm.

Without any of that, what is left? A guy who can't even will himself out of bed, but can still feel the nagging voice of reason and logic telling him how unreasonable he's being. A guy who cant will himself to talk to friends, family and loved ones, but can still feel sorrow for letting them down and worrying them. A guy who can't will himself to pursue creative content that he relies on for a living but can still feel anxious about letting millions of people down and never being able to create again. A guy who cant even make food for himself or brush his teeth, but still knows he NEEDS to take care of himself. A guy whose only creativity is activly trying to disturb and scare him.

So yeah thats really awesome idk.

Furthermore, I think the sides might be SEVERELY impacted.

It has been said many times over the series that the sides are purely figments of Thomas' IMAGINATION. so. Without Roman, I doubt anything would be left. Obviously, if Roman does duck out, I don’t think they'd all immediately just cease to exist because an episode still needs to occur, but I find it likely that they'd all start slowly fading or maybe even "malfunctioning", glitching, putting them on a timer to get back Roman and making it far more tense.

Is this theory weird?????? I feel like it's the natural progression TO ME but I've seen no one even getting near this and im just confused ghfhfhfh. Maybe it is kind of weird and im just too much of a Roman enthusiast. SORRY I LOVE ANNOYING WEIRDO FREAKS!!!! AND IF I WAS HIM ID DUCK OUT TOO BECAUSE NO ONE IS APPRECIATING HIM ☹️☹️☹️ EVEN THOUGH HE'S LITERALLY WHAT MAKES THOMAS DO THINGS. 🙄🙄🙄🙄

Anyway.

I also think it fits really well because of Prinxiety's parallels, such as:

(using the ship name just as a duo name because that's what I usually do I am not trying to push the prinxiety agenda although I am a fan of it ghfyfgfh)

"Thanks everyone... Well, almost everyone."

And

"I mean, it's cool to see you all trying to be helpful. Well most if you, but-"

The only difference in these two is obviously that Virgil just silently ducks out, while Roman has the entire "You make us better" speech, probably effectivly saving Virgil and Thomas, because it seems like Virgil was going to insist.

(Also another sidenote that I think everyone will agree with: WE NEED A "YOU MAKE US BETTER" SPEECH BY VIRGIL FOR ROMAN that is all)

Also. Who can forget.

Virgil saying that he tried to "duck out" and then

"That's a thing you can do?"

😐

Do you understand what I'm saying. Do you. Huh.

Okay anyway.

Idk how to end this I feel like theres still more I wanna say but i forgot. In conclusion: prin up that xiety. Reminder that FWSA was real and not a fever dream. I lied this is actually prinxiety propaganda.

But Hey That's Just A Theory. A really quite depressing and sad theory. Thanks for tumbling down a hill with me 🫶

[idontknowreallywhy]

Resurface 31 - Review

Happy Birthday Virgil 💚 I didn’t get you a present but I finally got you and your brother back on the path to Best Brodom. Just, um, bear in mind it’s just the start of the journey and maybe don’t read the last paragraph until tomorrow?

I hope this is ok, I have agonised because this chapter contains Virg headcanon that is dear to me and I just hope I did it (and his inner voice) justice. It’s probably too long but… well… here it is. Thanks to @sofasurf and @astranite for the encouragement / chivvying / poking with stick to just get this done and out there.

Story so far

They had to start somewhere… literally at the top is as good a place as any, right?

💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚

“You’ve dyed it! You’ve dyed your hair!”

Scott blushed and his hand returned to his forehead, as if to hide the evidence.

“Uh, yeah… thought I might give it a go…” he cleared his throat awkwardly “I couldn’t find exactly the right colour it was kind of hard to tell on the website… who knew there were so many types of brown, huh?” He paused and grabbed a dishcloth to rub irritably at the gel residue on his fingers before glancing over at his brother. “I mean, obviously YOU would.”

Virgil narrowed his eyes. Scott wasn’t kidding, the former greys were a much redder shade of brown than the rest and on close inspection looked a little… odd… but he wasn’t about to make his brother even more self-conscious by pointing it out. He picked up his coffee with both hands and took a long sip to buy himself some time to work out what to say.

“You don’t approve?” The chuckle was more than a little forced.

“You don’t need my approval, Scott. I’m just… surprised, I guess? You’d always swore you’d never dye it. Didn’t you say you’d earned every last one of them and had nothing to be ashamed of?”

His brother snatched up his own coffee and feigned a sudden interest in the view from the window.

“Is no big deal… you were bothered by it so I just sorted it out.”

“I was bothered by it?”

“Uh, yeah. When… the other day when you were really… err…” Scott cleared his throat “… upset, you said so and I figured maybe you were worried I was getting old or… or maybe I was looking too much like… uh, well…”

“I complained… about your hair?” Virgil was baffled. The silver streaks were the subject of much banter in the Tracy household but for a long while had been a part of who Scott was. While in theory Virgil might have said almost anything in his state of confusion, he had still been himself even while his perception of the world around him had been faulty. He just couldn’t imagine being negative about a feature he’d always felt rather affectionately for.

“Well, not in so many words but…”

“Can you remember my exact words?” Virgil knew full well that if Scott had been worrying about this enough to break his avowed hair dye abstention he’d have gone over what had been said again and again and again. And then probably again just for good measure. Sure enough, the response was immediate:

“You said you didn’t want me to be grey. And then you literally begged me not to go grey. So I decided not to. It’s not a big deal.”

Virgil closed his eyes.

Ah.

Sometimes it would be handy to see the world in the simpler, more solid way other people did, as if everything was a hollow photograph existing in straightforward three-dimensional space. He’d never choose to live life without the full range of his sensory experiences and feelings overlaid in glorious technicolour… but he learned very quickly other people, even artists, did not see the same and thus he tended to avoid any accidental references to it.

Obviously he was less careful when he was out of his mind.

He suppressed the sigh and took a measured breath.

Virgil opened his eyes to see his brother had already drained his coffee and was almost vibrating with the effort of maintaining his fake casual stance leaning on the kitchen island. He’d have expected pacing by now except that this was his big brother’s way of showing that not only did he want to hear his brother out, he wanted to reassure Virgil he was, definitely, listening.

He grabbed Scott’s hand which was discharging some of the discomfort via quiet but incessant tapping on the work-surface and interlaced their fingers. The relentless movement continued more softly and for a moment Virgil allowed himself time to notice the vibrations travelling through his knuckles and up his arm and for his mind to quietly acknowledge the subtle shift in rhythm from need-to-explode to need-to-connect. He mirrored it back and Scott squeezed his fingers in response.

“Let’s walk for a bit?”

Virgil knew it was the right call even before the relief flooded Scott’s face and he made a beeline for the door.

They made their way down on to the deck and then up the stone staircase via the roundhouse and took the path towards the caldera.

“I didn’t mean your hair, Scooter.”

“You didn’t?”

“No, I don’t think so. I reckon I can explain but you’ll need to give me a minute and try not to be too… literal about it?”

“I can do that.”

“Right.” The path narrowed and demanded single file. Virgil gestured for Scott to lead the way and smiled wryly to himself as the steep incline accentuated the slight height difference between them to the extent that his current view of his brother was very much the waist region. Nevertheless, he could see from the slightly uneven movement of his hips that the leggier man was moderating his stride so as not to get too far ahead to hear.

Ha, he was so familiar with his brother’s body language he could even read his…

“So…?”

Oops.

“Sorry, got lost in my own head there.”

“It’s not a problem.” Scott’s hurried response betrayed his even-worse-than-usual anxiety for a brother and Virgil really needed to fix that asap. But first he needed to sort out the immediate confusion.

“Ok… you know I see a lot more things in colour than most people do?”

“Two makes forest green noise and One makes gold and light blue.” Scott immediately confirmed and Virgil experienced a little rush of warmth at the thought his big brother had felt the detail important enough to commit to memory.

“Yeah! Yeah, that’s the kind of thing. Well it isn’t just sound it’s… everything? Smell, taste, heat… and err… kind of… mood? Not exactly mood… um... The way people are? Their personalities, almost?” Virgil faltered a little, desperately searching for better words to form a neat box around the web of overlapping sensations in his head, but it felt much like the time he’d tried to explain to Alan why magenta made his teeth fizz. Some things just… were. Maybe if he tried to tie it to something easier to pin down:

“Ok, maybe the best way I can explain is - you know it was me that picked the colours of the birds? Well, One, Two and Four anyway…”

“I didn’t!” Scott was evidently curious “I never thought to wonder who did.”

“Well, it was me. Mostly. Well a bit. Brains was going to have them all in silver and I suggested that some form of colour coding might be a plan, for easier recognition compared with other organisations’ ships and machinery and bright colours are a more friendly sight for scared rescuees, you know?” Virgil paused to use his breath to navigate a particularly steep part of the track. Scott, possibly misinterpreting the pause for uncertainty sent encouragement over his shoulder: “Makes sense to me. Our public face needs to be unthreatening.”

“Yeah, exactly and in that time just after the… um, well it needed to be clear they weren’t military ships…” there was a grunt of agreement from in front. “It took a while to decide which would be which colour. For Three Dad picked red because in little Allie’s mind rockets were always red and it was his way of reaching out to the little guy I guess. But it’s not right really, Alan is light blues and bright purple. And of course One should have been primarily Cerulean to contrast with the Maya Blue but he wanted silver to represent speed and so… we had to compromise on her design but I did win with Four because he thought she should be orange, like a life buoy, you know? But I said no - Gordon’s bird couldn’t possibly be anything other than sunshine yellow. John picked his own so I didn’t get involved there but…”

“Virg, you’re losing me a little. Alan is… blue and purple?”

“Light blue. Bright purple. When he’s cheerful, yes. He gets steely blue when he’s angry same as you.”

“So we all have a colour?”

“Yeah. Well, a palette of them. Kind of. It’s… I’m sorry it’s the best way I have of describing the presence you have. Words can be a bit limiting sometimes.”

“Maybe you should try painting it?” Scott‘s voice lifted a little and he was looking at him intently. “I’d like to see us the way you do.”

They had finally reached the top of the volcano and stood together admiring the view to the east. A vigorous breeze, sharpened by the bright metallic tang of salt, dried the moisture from Virgil’s lips and he pressed them together with a doubtful hum.

“I’ve tried before and it didn’t really…” the glimmer of eagerness dulled and Virgil hurriedly sought to breathe life back into it “but I guess I could give it another go?”

His big brother smiled and lit up again for a moment before the cloud crossed back over his face and his eyes dropped from Virgil’s.

“And I’m… grey, then?”

“No! Not usually! You’ve always been blue, like the sky… there are so many shades of it, with hints of yellow or gold…”

“There’s a but coming, I can feel it.”

Virgil grabbed Scott’s hand again as if to reassure himself his brother wouldn’t float away before he managed to express this.

“Sometimes it’s like you fade a little.”

“I fade?”

“You try to be a lot of things, Scotty and it’s admirable, it really is, and you do it so well but sometimes I worry there isn’t enough of you left to be you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. You’re blue when you laugh at your own jokes, or smotherhen us and make a leaning tower of pancake… when you beat Gordy at his own prank game or act all melodramatic when you’re smuggling in the sweets Grandma doesn’t approve of. When someone says pie and your eyes gleam and when you randomly recite Shakespeare inaccurately and out of context or run up the stairs for no reason and surprise hug Allie… those times you’re a rainbow of blues. In the field when you’re problem solving at the speed of light and oh! That time you flew Shadow just for fun you came back shining so brightly…”

Yet again at the mention of Shadow, Scott had startled but recovered quickly and deflected:

“My Shakespeare is always in context.”

“Sure it is, Scott. And it’s very YOU.”

A flicker of resolve hardened his brother’s expression and Virgil was suddenly terrified as to how his clumsy explanation could have been interpreted by someone who was already chronically shackled to the ‘brave face’ impulse…

“But Scott, listen to me, this is important.”

He waited until his brother dropped his eyes from the horizon and met his own.

“I’m not saying it’s just when you are happy, you know? When you’re worried or angry or even sick or even… no, especially when you let yourself be vulnerable for one damn second, you’re you then too.”

“Then…” Scott sagged a little and an edge of indigo desperation coloured his voice “I don’t understand what the grey thing is meant to mean!”

“The grey thing… I guess it’s how my brain interprets the way I sometimes miss you when you are right in front of me. When you get hidden by everything else you think you are supposed to be. You lead so naturally, you do it without even trying but sometimes… sometimes you put on that damn grey baldric and it smothers you.”

“But the baldric is silver. My baldric is silver to match One!”

“It used to be blue though. Blue to match you.”

“Oh. And that’s what is bothering you?”

“No! No, I’m not saying the baldric needs to change. You can have salmon pink or zebra stripes if you like - that’s what I meant about not being too literal about this. I just… I wish you wouldn’t feel like you had to act like someone else. Just… be you, you know?”

A slight squeeze of the hand said message received but Virgil knew it might take a while to process. An unspoken agreement saw them taking the shallower broader path down towards the shore.

“Please don’t say that thing about the baldrics to Gordon, you know he’ll come up with something hideous.”

“He really would. It’d be burnt orange with pink polka dots within minutes.”

“I can just see it now.” Scott facepalmed melodramatically then ran his fingers into his hairline.

“So you weren’t worrying about the hair?”

“No, Scott. I don’t have any problem with your hair. I’m sorry I confused you. I just want you to be happy and be yourself. That’s literally all I would have meant by it.”

“I’m trying, Virgil, I really am.”

“I know. I’m proud of you.”

He really had been trying. Scott’s attempts to reconcile his past and present and figure out who he was again had actually been a source of real joy to Virgil. It had been so long coming.

Years of encouraging, nagging… in all honesty borderline-harassing his big brother to break out of his self-imposed exile from life, to take the opportunities to enjoy himself when they came… and finally, FINALLY there had been some movement. Previously there were deleted emails, invitation cards hidden in drawers… if it wasn’t for Penny’s sake or for the good of the business, Scott didn’t see it as worthwhile. But this time, Scott had pinned the gilded rectangle of card to the noticeboard with a hurried circle around the date and a carefully inked question mark.

It was bitterly ironic that after all that time… even after actually standing over Scott with folded arms and while he messaged his friend to RSVP in the positive… when he’d nearly actually succeeded in nudging his brother into the light somehow as a result Virgil himself had run headlong into the dark. A cold, slimy tendril of fear crept into his heart and asked who on earth Virgil thought he would be if Scott didn’t need him anymore…

He shook it off because it was ridiculous.

Not to mention selfish.

“Scott, I’m sor….” he began but his brother had not been party to the developing inner monologue and was still some way behind him, despite leading the way off the rocky track on to the beach.

“So I can get rid of this?” He gesticulated irritably at his own forehead

“YES, Scooter.”

“Thank heaven, I hate it. Will it wash out?”

“Eventually. I have to top mine up every few washes.”

“Yours literally obliterates light particles though.”

The affectionate shoulder nudge was brief but it heralded a return of the easy natural proximity he’d missed so badly. His brother was back by his side and Virgil realised with a shock that breathing was suddenly effortless again.

There were other things they needed to discuss, difficult things he knew were coming and no doubt even more difficult things he was still as yet unaware of. But for a few moments, Virgil was more than happy to enjoy the respite of their well-rehearsed haircare banter:

“That’s not the dye it’s the secret ingredient. I told you, quit the super shiny addiction…

“SUPREME shiny…”

“Pfft, you know it’s the same formula, you’re just paying for the fancier packaging.”

“Not true, it’s a far higher quality product.”

Virgil poked his brother in the side of the head “And yet by some miracle, chemically identical.” He made a show of wiping the tip of his finger off on Scott’s shirt while meeting the faux-glare dead on. His brother’s eyebrows said outraged, the sparkle in the blue said bring-it-on. “Ditch the dark side Scotty, leave the slimy stuff to the teenagers and join team pomade. More natural, less greasy. Best tip Dad ever gave me.”

His brother’s flinch was fleeting but sent a shockwave through the narrow pocket of air between the two of them. Scott’s eyes slipped from his, the pocket widened and the warmth suddenly drained out of the sun.

💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙

[dndeceit]

I don't usually do a lot of analysis or theorizing, but I did have half of this written out after some thought moved me to do so a while back. And I saw a post today touching on some of the same things, so I thought I'd slap at least a half-assed completion of my thoughts and send it out into the world just to get it out of my drafts.

I always feel baffled by the interpretation of Virgil and Janus being "former villains" or having had a redemption arc, because I feel like there's a crucial point that has been missed.

The overall theme of the series is about accepting that people are made up of a bunch of messy and often contradictory impulses that nonetheless all serve a purpose. Overall, it's about finding a balance in our lives to settle these conflicts. Virgil and Janus were never villains, they were vilified and that's different. The "Dark Sides" arc is about understanding that treating these impulses as wholly "good" or "bad" is typically harmful.

Virgil's arc through the early series was, in part, about him learning to work with the other sides, but it's as much (or more) about the other sides learning to work with him. Anxiety doesn't just go away when you ignore it, you have to find methods of addressing it instead that are right for you. The reason Virgil and Roman butt heads so frequently is because Thomas's anxiety is a barrier to his self expression and his pursuit of endeavors (creative and interpersonal) that require him to take risks. In Accepting Anxiety, Roman came to understand how the awareness of those risks are essential for making it possible to pursue them effectively, and a part of what gives the achievement of them meaning.

In the same video he is introduced, it is explicitly stated that Remus isn't the real problem. The thoughts he represents are distracting and gross and unpleasant, but Patton and Virgil's defensiveness against the thoughts is what make them distressing. It's the moralization of them, the fear that they must reflect on Thomas in some way, that is hurting him. It's why one of the first things that Remus says (one of the few constructive things Remus has to say) in the episode is that repression is bad. And I imagine that, eventually, his arc as a side is going to touch on the exploration and expression of dark themes and thoughts as a source of catharsis, because one of his primary complaints is Thomas's insistence on keeping his influence out of his art.

If there's a redemption arc going on in SvSR, it's Patton's. Janus's acceptance into the group wasn't won by him changing. It was made by proving that he, by representing Thomas's most self-serving impulses, was necessary, and by extension proving that Patton's black and white thinking on the subject of selfishness and self sacrifice was hurting Thomas. (A life lived solely for the good of others isn't much of a life, you have to live some of it for yourself.)

My theory is that the remaining arc, for Orange, is going to be framed as a conflict between himself and Logan for very similar reasons. Logan's rejection of emotions (which he clearly has) are setting up against a character who likely represents either certain emotions which are viewed as disruptive (anger, or similar) or the consequences of repressing them (resentment).

Like Anxiety, feelings of anger or frustration don't go away by pretending they aren't there. If they aren't addressed, they fester. And just as with Anxiety, to process them in a healthy way you need to find a way to work with them.

Anger pops up in a lot of situations where it can feel irrational, even as we're feeling it. Ultimately, Logan can't "logic" Thomas's way out of feeling anything. However, leaning into Remus's area of his imagination in his creative life could provide an outlet for those feelings and provide catharsis that can help him work through them. (And, inevitably, Logan's "redemption" would likely relate to the understanding that some feelings have to be felt in order to be processed, however illogical or counterproductive feeling them may seem.)

[brandstifter-sys]

Imagine if when Virgil was a darks side Remus and Virgil were like besties. Like when they argue they wouldn’t even apologize they’d just get over it and move on to the next thing 2 minutes later lol.

Bonus points if they were the friends that flirted all the time for shits and giggles. Only to realize they were actually in love when Virgil left.

YES

Getting into really stupid arguments is so easy for these two gremlins. And by stupid, I mean like "which horror movie villain is hotter" and "would a vampire be okay with a ton of sunscreen?" They argued all the time about that stuff, and they constantly flirted even during those arguments. If it got heated, it was probably because of their latent sexual/romantic/alterous/qp tension.

Of course it always ended with Virgil stepping away to cool down, only to come back to Remus being a dork. He's a goofball and Virgil always laughed at his antics. They could be besties again in an instant.

And then Virgil left. And he's not exactly happy. Something's missing. Maybe it's the light feeling he got around Remus. Maybe it's the way the duke accepted him unconditionally and genuinely. Any acceptance he has now feels conditional. Maybe it's that impish smile and that goofy mustache. Maybe he just wants to kiss that trash panda.

And Remus, dear gods, he knows he misses Virgil. He misses the snark, the attention, and the spider's laughter. He knows he's smitten—it doesn't take Roman to figure that out! He is determined to get Virgil back, even just as a friend. And the best way to do that is to make him laugh.

Can you tell that I love your idea?

[a-small-batch-of-dragons]

Crush Symptoms

idea, but no pressure: Touch-starved analogical? Maybe a bit of hurt/comfort where they both think the other doesn’t like hugs/other touch, but really they just don’t know how to ask? love your work! – amateurmasksmith

I was wondering if you could do a fic with Virgil as the comforter, since he’s rarely in that role. I was thinking Logan starts working more and taking worse care of himself, and instead of processing his stress and feelings he holds the stress in his body, which combined with sitting more and shit is causing him physical pain, and Virgil, being anxiety, helps him relax and relieves the pain. No pressure tho lol I just thought it’d be interesting to see some physical comfort since you write mental comfort so well – anon

Read on Ao3

Warnings: chronic pain, not-actually unrequited love

Pairings: analogical

Word Count: 3306

Logan is aware that he is what some people might call 'standoffish.' This does not prevent him from developing quite the crush on Virgil. Now, if only he could find a way to talk about it that didn't involve having s mental breakdown...

Logan is aware that he is what some people might call 'standoffish.' He does not invite the same camaraderie that a few of the other Sides do, nor does he make himself approachable for things such as hugs or other forms of physical affection. By and large, he is content to remain this way, as it allows him to perform his duties and adhere to his schedule without being waylaid by those who will not be named that are quite fond of occupying laps or other physical spaces as would a particularly affectionate pet. That is, offended by any sort of dislodging or movement that impedes their ability to use him as a pillow.

Now, this does not mean that he is averse to offering physical affection, far from it. If Patton is in need of a hug, or if Roman insists on sweeping them all into some form of ballroom dance, he will oblige. Firstly because often it is no hardship, secondly because if it is a hardship, complying usually gets it over with a little quicker. However, there are certain forms that he resists wholeheartedly, namely being tackled onto the nearest surface, soft or otherwise. He has several bruises from the trial and error period of figuring out how best to avoid such circumstances.

While this serves him perfectly well the majority of the time, he would be remiss in his conclusions to say that it works out all the time. He is still human, metaphysical or otherwise, and as such, is subject to the same things that all humans are when it comes to his health. He must still endeavor to eat relatively healthily, he must get an adequate amount of sleep, and yes, he must socialize. This can typically be achieved by attending the 'family dinners,' as Patton is fond of calling them, regularly scheduling movie nights for everyone, and partaking in whatever events the twins conjure in the Imagination for them to enjoy. Recently, however, he's been noticing something amiss.

He's begun to get quite cold. At first, he ascribed it to the changing seasons; despite the fact that Thomas lives in Florida, the coming of the winter months is accompanied by some decrease in average temperature. It made sense, then, that he would be colder if it were colder outside. However, the general feeling of the Mindscape did not alter significantly, nor did adding sweaters or cardigans make any sort of meaningful difference. He tried switching his water intake with hot tea, keeping a blanket on hand to drape over his lap when he worked, even trying to make his room warmer using a few extra heat lamps Janus deemed insufficient. Nothing worked, in fact it made it worse. Now he felt both too warm and too cold at the same time, which was endlessly perplexing. How could he be sweating and still feel cold?

It became clear this was not a typical issue of temperature. There is something else at work here, clearly, that is giving him the sensation of being cold without the physical symptoms present. Perhaps some sort of latent emotional response due to something happening in Thomas's life. But as much as he tries to investigate that avenue, he fails to find anything significant enough to warrant this sudden feeling. None of the others imply that anything's wrong, Thomas isn't undergoing any significant struggle, and even checking in on the status of his own work fails to result in anything useful.

The last option, then, is that the problem is entirely internal.

At first, the conclusion makes Logan scoff. What could he be doing or not doing that would result in him feeling cold? He was maintaining his physical fitness, his general health, even his social requirements. He'd just come from movie night, after all, where all of them ended up on one of the large mattresses the twins could summon, huddled under blankets while some generic action movie played on the TV. He hadn't felt cold during that, had he?

Logan sits down at his desk, fingers steepled in concentration. He closes his eyes, trying to remember how he felt a few minutes ago. He'd been sitting with his back against the couch, yes, with Roman and Remus cuddled up near the edge of the mattress as Janus quietly explained to Patton what was going on. Virgil had been on the other side, twisting his hoodie strings back and forth as he watched. Logan hadn't been cold, how could he have been, what with the twins acting as space heaters under the blankets? The only time that he had even approached getting cold had been when Remus got up to use the bathroom, pushing his way through the pile of them and the blanket had flipped up. Virgil had leaned forward to pull it back down and brushed against Logan's arm.

Logan blinks.

Virgil's arm had been warm. Distressingly so. As though someone had taken a hot water bottle and pressed it against him. It had lasted barely a second, as Virgil had quickly pulled away with a muttered apology. But that is, to date, the only memory Logan has of actually feeling warm instead of cold.

Glancing at the clock, he sighs and opens his laptop, quickly typing something in and adjusting his glasses. The cold feeling reemerges as he reads, one hand unconsciously going to the front of his chest as he takes in the words on the screen. He amends his conclusion about what's going on both too quickly and too slowly.

He's touch starved.

Had someone brought up the possibility even an hour earlier, he would have scoffed. He wasn't the type of person to become touch starved. He had all the options for physical affection he would want, how could he be touch starved? His role didn't give him any sort of predisposition to it either, that was reserved for Patton, Roman, Remus, even Janus. Logic, touch starved? The very notion was preposterous.

And yet, once you have eliminated the impossible…

He closes the laptop again and sits back, the hand still on his chest now feeling woefully inadequate. There are solutions to this problem, obviously, his disbelief at its existence signifies as such. He would be able to receive assistance from at least three Sides if he went to them right this moment and informed them of his predicament.

He sits in the chair, unmoving.

Patton would baby him. Treat him as though he were a child, someone to be smothered and cooed at, perhaps even forbid him from being on his own for a while until it was solved. That in and of itself might have the complete opposite effect and make him resent the idea of touch altogether.

Remus would be more aggressive. He might be wrestled down and held until Remus deemed it alright to let him up, which wouldn't be for a considerable amount of time. Besides, he's seen Remus's choice of affection and he's not sure such treatment would work to resolve the problem.

Janus would tease him. Or at the very least, hold it over his head in some way, no matter how innocent or playful it would be, in exchange for his help. He's embarrassed enough as it is, he can only imagine that having to watch Janus smirk and chuckle at him as he tried—badly, because that is all he can do at the moment—to make himself ask for physical comfort.

Roman…might be alright. Out of all of the Sides, Roman is perhaps the only one who Logan can actually imagine struggling with touch starvation. Roman would understand and probably wouldn't hold it over him in any way, or make him uncomfortable about it. He would understand the severity of the situation and the significance of Logan coming to him for help, but…but…

But if Logan is being very honest with himself in this moment, there is only one Side he truly wants to go to and ask for help, and it isn't Roman.

He gets up then, going to the bathroom to finish his nighttime routine, turning off the light and settling into bed. He sets his glasses on the side table and turns over. After a moment, he takes one of the spare pillows and tucks it against his chest. If he closes his eyes, he can attempt to imagine someone else here.

His crush on Virgil is an open secret between him and Roman at this point. Ironically enough, it was one of the first things that solidified this new friendship between them. Roman wouldn't betray his trust, he knows, nor would he actually bother him about it if he knew it was causing him this much distress. Sure, he'd coaxed Logan into doing one of those horrifically cliched rants about how much he liked Virgil once or twice under the justification that it was better to get it out in some way before it spilled out uncontrollably, but other than that, he left it alone. Which was excellent, because then there's a smaller chance that Virgil will find out, but also, that almost definitely rules out going to Roman for any sort of help.

Because Roman is, contrary to Logan's insistence, quite sensible, and he will no doubt suggest that Logan go and actually talk to Virgil.

Even the thought crossing his mind is enough to make him scoff again, burying his face in the pillow. Virgil is not one for physical affection either, which renders the entire solution pointless. If by some miracle he actually accepted Logan's affections—he does not dare give himself the hope that Virgil would return them—that was no guarantee that anything beneficial would become of it. He would simply have to deal with this on his own, or find some way to achieve a solution that would stem the worst of it until he thought of something better.

The cold feeling in his chest spreads a little bit as he falls asleep.

He does not, in fact, succeed at doing either of these things. Instead, he decides that the best way to avoid dealing with this problem is to devote himself to his projects, reasoning that if he has less brain space to worry about it and dwell on his inability to resolve it, it will become less of a problem. In doing so, he forgets three key things: one, you cannot reason or think your way out of being in pain, two, ignoring a problem does not make it go away, and three, ignoring this particular problem makes it much worse.

Much, much worse.

The first time he tries to get up and has to wince at the pull in his shoulders, he doesn't think anything of it. Perhaps he was sitting for too long. He rolls them a few times to stretch them out and continues about his day as though nothing's gone wrong.

The first time he gets up and has to immediately sit back down, he has the thought of reaching for his water bottle and a snack. He looks at the clock and realizes he's been working far longer than he anticipated. Perhaps that was it, just losing track of time.

The first time he wakes up and every single muscle in his body aches, he knows he's gone too far.

He has half a mind to scold himself the way he does the twins for neglecting his physical health in favor of his work, but just as soon as the thought crosses his mind, another pushes itself to the forefront. The physical manifestation of stress has not only caused him to become virtually immobile, but it has a high likelihood of directly alerting the one person Logan would really rather not know about any of this.

A dread that is instantly realized when he feels something soft and warm brushing his hair back from his face.

"Hey, L? L, can you hear me?"

"Virgil?"

"Yeah, it's me." He must be imagining the relief in Virgil's voice, why else would he sound like that? "Sorry to come in without asking, but it seems like you're really not having a good time right now."

He manages to pry his eyes open and sure enough, there is Virgil, looking down at him with concern written plainly across his face. He swallows and his throat protests. Virgil seems to take that as an answer.

"I think you've overworked yourself a bit," he says in that soft way that isn't teasing, not really, but enough to make Logan flush, "can I help you figure out something else?"

"Like what?"

"You're in pain right now, yeah? Shh, hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like a bad thing—I mean, it's a bad thing you're in pain, but I'm here to help you not be in pain, not make fun of you for being in pain."

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize for reacting like you're hurt when you are." His hand cards through Logan's hair again and he has to bite his lip at how warm the touch is. "Can I help, though? I know a bit about making this sort of pain go away."

This is a bad idea. This is in fact a terrible idea. This is not something Logan should agree too.

"Okay," Virgil says, when Logan nods because of course he does, why should he stop making bad decisions now, "here's what we're gonna do, okay? I'm guessing there's a lot of pain just sort of in your limbs, am I right?"

"Yes."

"Got it. I'm gonna start stretching them out, okay? You let me know if anything hurts too much and I'll stop right away."

"Okay."

"I'm gonna start with your arm." Virgil's hands are so warm and solid on his arm that he almost bites back a whine. "That okay? Not hurting too much?"

"N-no."

"Okay. Let me know if that changes."

He starts lifting and rotating Logan's arm, bending and straightening it and massaging the tender skin. Some part in the back of Logan's brain recognizes he's trying to restore regular blood flow and a decent range of movement, but the rest of him is currently swallowed in the dry warmth of Virgil's touch. He lays that arm down after a while and moves to the other one. But this has him leaning over Logan with his shadow falling across Logan's face and he can't stop the slight rush of breath that escapes him.

"Hey," comes the gentle voice and that isn't helping matters at all, "hey, what's wrong, bud? You doing okay? Am I being too much?"

"No," he says far too quickly, "no, you're…you're fine."

A bemused smile comes to his face and he nods, continuing to work on the other arm. Logan's torn between letting his eyes fall shut to enjoy the sensation of just someone else touching him and keeping them open so as not to miss a second. Virgil seems mostly oblivious to his dilemma, patiently working his way up and down the arm until he lays it flat once more. He sits back on his haunches, a hand resting on Logan's knee. Even through the covers, the touch burns.

"How're your legs doing, bud? They hurt too?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I'm gonna need to take the covers off so I can see 'em, is that okay?" Logan nods, but as soon as the cool air hits him, the swelling sensation in his chest buckles and he's gasping for air in the next second. "Whoa, whoa, hey, hey, shh, shh, L, it's okay, look, there, the blanket's all back, see? Shh, it's okay, you're okay."

"Sorry," Logan gasps out, "sorry, I'm so sorry."

Virgil shuffles closer, a furrow between his eyebrows. "You've got nothing to apologize for, L, I mean it. I'm here to help, okay? If something I'm doing isn't helping, then you tell me and I stop it. That's what you did, you're doing great."

"N-no, I'm sorry you—you have to help me like—help me like this."

"Like what?"

"You have to—to touch me."

Virgil goes quiet. Logan squeezes his eyes shut and waits for the telltale noise of sinking out. Instead, he almost loses his entire composure when a hand gently cups his cheek.

"Logan," comes the voice, soft, too soft, too sweet, "open your eyes, look at me, sweetheart."

Oh, no. Not the pet names. Literally anything but that.

But Logan is weak and already doing what Virgil asked. The thumb brushing his cheek does make him want to shut his eyes again, because this cannot be real, but Virgil is smiling at him.

"I don't mind touching you," he murmurs, "that's not a hardship for me. Is it that you don't like being touched? Is that the problem?"

"You…" None of his brain wants to work so long as that hand is on his face. "Can't think."

The hand leaves and the cold makes him whimper. Virgil's hand touches his knee again. He blinks.

"You don't like being touched."

"What makes you think that?" Logan just stares at him. "Just because I don't like being tackled by Remus doesn't mean I don't like being touched."

"O-oh."

"Besides, if it were you, I don't think I'd have any problem with it at all." Virgil chuckles when a flush decides that now is the perfect time to spread all over Logan's face. "Wow, okay, I wasn't expecting that."

"You—you—what?"

He leans forward, both hands reaching this time, and they fit gently around the curve of Logan's neck. The rush of warmth is staggering, not helped at all by Virgil's soft voice still murmuring to him. "I thought you didn't like to be touched, sweetheart, that's it. I'm happy to help you, I promise. And Princey's definitely gonna tease the hell out of me when he hears about this."

"Wait, why?"

"Because he knows about the big fat crush I have on you and if he could see me right now…" Virgil trails off when he notices Logan's eyes brimming with tears. "Hey, hey, sweetheart, don't cry, I'm sorry, that was too much to dump on you right now, here, let me help you with your legs and you can—"

Logan doesn't let him finish, surging forward to clumsily press his mouth to Virgil's. The hands cradling his face stutter and for a moment, he thinks he's made the worst mistake of his life, but then Virgil sighs and kisses him back like it's the only thing he wants to do.

"Well," he says softly when they break apart, "I think Princey's gonna be teasing both of us, then?"

"Probably."

Virgil chuckles and rubs their noses together. "How about this, then: let me help stretch your legs out, get you some painkillers, then we'll cuddle in bed and not worry about how smug Princey's gonna be until later?"

"That sounds perfectly adequate."

"'Perfectly adequate,' alright, I can work with that."

Roman does indeed end up being very smug, but he's quietly smug about it, which Logan will take as a win.

General Taglist: @frxgprince@potereregina@gattonero17@iamhereforthegayshit@thefingergunsgirl@awkwardandanxiousfander@creative-lampd-liberties@djpurple3@winterswrandomness@sanders-sides-uncorrect-quotes@iminyourfandom@bullet-tothefeels@full-of-roman-angst-trash  @ask-elsalvador @ramdomthingsfrommymind@demoniccheese83@pattonsandershugs @el-does-photography @princeanxious@firefinch-ember@fandomssaremysoul@im-an-anxious-wreck@crazy-multifandomfangirl @punk-academian-witch@enby-ralsei@unicornssunflowersandstuff@wildhorsewolf @thetruthaboutthesun @stubbornness-and-spite @princedarkandstormv  @your-local-fookin-deadmeme @angels-and-dreams@averykedavra @a-ghostlight-for-roman @treasurechestininterweb @cricketanne @queerly-fluid-fan @compactdiscdraws@cecil-but-gayer@i-am-overly-complicated@annytheseal@alias290@tranquil-space-ninja @arxticandy @mychemically-imbalanced-romance@whyiask@crows-ace @emilythezeldafan@frida0043 @ieatspinalcords @snowyfires@cyanide-violence@oonagh2@xxpanic-at-the-everywherexx@rabbitsartcorner @percy-07734@triflingassailantofmyemotions @virgil-sanders-the-gay-emo@cerulean-watermelon@puffed-up-bees@meltheromanstan@joyrose-fandomer@insanitori@mavenmush@justablah65@10paradox10@uhhh-hi-there-i-am-nervous@cutebisexualmess@bella-bugatti-frogetti-baguetti@ultrageekygirl

[thecrescentmind]

Silly sanders sides au I made up: the kids show au!!! As the name would suggest, the basic premise is the story of Sanders Sides but if it was a tv show for younger kids instead of a webseries for whatever the age demographic for SaSi is supposed to be.

C!Thomas is a child in this one (like eight/nine I’m thinking?) and on his birthday he receives a magic (kind of not really? I’ll get to that) mirror and with it he can travel into his mind and meet his sides! With his creativity, logic, and morals by his side he goes on adventures through his mind fighting imaginary monsters and even other sides. Through these adventures he learns lessons about himself and how to deal with problems in the real world. This au is pretty light hearted compared to the other ones I’ll post about, there are story developments and bad things do happen, but since it’s meant to imitate a kids show it’s a lot more sanitized and everything always works out eventually.

More info under the cut:

It’s sort of vague whether or not Thomas’ adventures or imaginary or not and if the mirror is actually magic, I think it’s kind of implied it is his imagination? But like in the same way it’s implied the canon sides are imaginary so nobody cares and we all collectively treat them like they’re real

The biggest difference in the characters other than age is our creative side, I picture Thomas’ creativity not have been split, at least not when the story starts. So we have Romulus aka King Creativity (we’ve all accepted that piece of fanon right?) hanging around. I picture at some point there’d be a big fight between him and Patton that results in the split, imagine like a two part special. In the end they’re able to save Romulus (it’s a show for young children afterall) and decide to keep him aswell as Roman and Remus around, so sometimes they’ll be seperate and sometimes they’ll be fused depending on the situation.

All of the sides are kids in this one but not all of them appear the exact same age as Thomas. Logan is the youngest (do yall remember that thing that was going around a while ago about Logan being the youngest when Thomas was a kid cause the logic part of your brain develops later or something idk). The creativity twins are around Thomas’ age but a bit younger. Romulus and Janus are both the same age as Thomas (Janus might be slightly older but just barely). Virgil is older than Thomas, sort of imitating Thomas’ perception of a mean older kid type. And Patton is the oldest (he’s still a kid though).

I haven’t mentioned orange but I will probably add an orange side if I do more with this au, I think he’d be anger. I’m a firm believer in him and Patton being related somehow so they’d probably be siblings in this au. Not sure when that split would happen but that could maybe be after Romulus’ split because Patton feels guilty about what happened. “You can’t get angry anymore! Look what happens when you get angry! You hurt people” or something like that. I think he’d appear the same age as Logan.

The dark sides aren’t really a plot twist here, especially since two of them might just- not exist at the beginning of the story. They do get introduced over time though in probably the same order as in canon. They get redemption/acceptance arcs over time as well.

[skeefee-sky]

'Song of Memory.'

@thunder-tober Day prompt: 23- Song Characters: Virgil Tracy, Thunderbird Two Word count: 585

Everyone has a song that reminds them of a loved one that’s passed, or one they associate with that person – their song. Haven’t mentioned the song in particular; gonna leave that up to reader’s interpretation <3 During a maintenance check, Thunderbird Two asks Virgil about the song he’s humming. She finds out it has deeper meaning than she thought.

💙💚TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB 💚💙

“What are you humming?”

Virgil had expected the question by now. He’d make some sort of musical noise to pass the time during maintenance. And his Thunderbird would always inquire the melodies. He personally loved her curiosities in music, one day promising to play her a few tunes from the piano.

“Just a song…” he started, glimpsing over one of the scans as he walked past.

“Captain, it’s not ‘just a song’,” Thunderbird Two lightly poked. She had been listening; it definitely wasn’t just all that. Virgil softly scoffed.

“If you’d let me finish… It’s, just a song I used to listen to with my mother… It’s her song.”

The Thunderbird quietened at that, softening her engines as best she could out of courtesy. She hadn’t quite been expecting that answer... She hadn’t heard much about the boys’ mother – they rarely spoke about her at all. But she did know they’d all been fairly young when she had passed. Being a machine, Thunderbird Two didn’t quite understand the feeling of loss, but she had to imagine it hurt something awful…

“Sorry…”

“You’re fine, Two,” Virgil reassured, a soft chuckle escaped his lips as he paced her module. “I know I… we don’t talk about her as much as we do Dad but, we definitely should. I feel like, some of us are starting to forget her…”

He turned to input a few details into the monitor behind him, frowning at some of the data already on the screen. Well that was something he’d have to get Brains to check later… Fingers swiftly moved as he typed, and he started to hum again unconsciously.

“It sounds like it’s a sad song…” Thunderbird Two spoke up suddenly, softly. She didn’t mean to keep interrupting him; she wanted to hear the whole song out. But, something felt different about this song, and know that she knew it related to his mother, her curiosity was getting the best of her. Unnatural for a ship, but not a Thunderbird.

“Can you, tell me some things about her? Your mother?”

Virgil lifted his hands from the keys, breath caught in his throat as he paused. He then swiftly put in another command and moved away from the monitor, leaning up against the side of the module as he exhaled.

“She’s who encouraged my musical talent, you know… She’d be at the piano at any given opportunity, plunking for inspiration or playing a few notes of a song,” he started, tilting his head back a little as he spoke. “This song in particular, it was by one of her favourite artists. She taught herself the piano track to it, and would sing it to us before she tucked us into bed. It’s, not so much sad, as it is, reflective, in a way.”

Thunderbird Two listened intently, playing the song silently along her processor so she could try and picture what her pilot described. She could only imagine…

“I’d sit with her when she played; sometimes John was with us… She taught me right-hand, then left, but for some reason I struggled so much to put it together at first.” The laugh that left her pilot’s lips had the Thunderbird rumbling softly. He didn’t have to, but she was glad she’d gotten him talking. The conversations they had between each other during her maintenance checks did always seem to make them go faster.

“Maybe… Maybe I can play it for you one day, Thunderbird Two…”

“I’d like that, captain… Thank you.”

[lefaystrent]

Me, Myself, and These Guys Who Kinda Look Like Me Ch. 3

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Pairings: Thomas/The Sides

Summary: It starts with dreams. Then Thomas starts seeing the dream people in the waking world.

Thomas doesn't know how to bring it up to anybody or if he even should at this point.

AKA, Thomas has to acknowledge the six colorful characters in the room, much to their long-awaited delight.

AO3 Link: click here

Chapter 1, Chapter 2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thomas comes back to consciousness without realizing he left it.

The room is dark and the TV's volume turned down. A movie plays now, Harry Potter but he's not awake enough to decipher which one. He's seen all of them, loves them all. He owns plenty of merchandise to boot(probably too much merchandise). The familiar trills of music are a lullaby to his sleepy brain.

For a wonderful moment, Thomas can pretend he fell asleep on the couch and nothing weird or bad or potentially mind-altering is going on.

A hand pets at his head sending a jolt of awareness through him. Fingers slip under his bangs, and the coolness is a startling contrast to his heated skin. The rest of Thomas's body catches up and tells him he is freezing and this one thin blanket is not doing enough. He gives a pathetic whimper and a shiver wracks up his spine.

"I think his fever has come back," a low voice says. He's not sure who. The hand presses against his forehead more firmly. "I uh, I think his head feels hot. I'm not used to being able to touch things though, so don't quote me on temperature differences."

"Thomas? You awake kiddo?"

"Uh-uh," Thomas moans in spite. He'd very much like to be back asleep.

Someone snorts and the hand falls away from him quick as lightning. He opens his eyes to see Virgil in the dim light of the TV, blocking his view as he hovers over him. He's on his knees in the spot where Roman last sat, and he's chewing at his lip fiercely.

Thomas eyes his jacket, the thickness of the sleeves, the lines of patchwork sewn in... Would Virgil lend it to him if he asked pathetically enough? It looks very warm and bulky in a way that would be like wearing a cloud.

Virgil rears back a bit, catching his gaze and unable to look away. "You can still see us, right Sanders?"

"Yeah... You're Virgil."

That catches him off guard. It occurs to Thomas that Virgil never formerly introduced himself. Thomas had just picked up on his name at some point from the others talking.

Speaking of the others, he notices Logan, Patton, and Roman huddled over and around him, heads poking over each other almost comically.

"You're still here," he says, a little dumbfounded, a lot tired.

"And you can still see us," Patton says sappily. He's flapping his hands up and down in excitement.

Roman pushes through. "Quick, me next! Do you remember me too?"

Thomas resigns himself to them being strange about him saying their names. "Roman. And Patton and Logan. Where's the other two?"

"Stepped out," Virgil replies. Like last time, Thomas has no idea what that means. He imagines they're out on his front doorstep, just making a phone call. Highly likely. When he continues to stare at Virgil, the emo fidgets with his hoodie-zipper.

"How are you feeling?" Patton interjects before Thomas can gear himself up for a proper questioning.

"Not good," Thomas admits. "Very not good."

"Right, uh, medicine?" Virgil looks left and right as if a bottle of medicine will appear.

Logan pauses him. "First, we should check his temperature. It's important to monitor any major fluctuations."

"I don't have a thermometer," Thomas mumbles. "I had one, don't know where anymore. It probably ran away. "

"Your life is in shambles, man," Roman muses.

"I know."

"Then we will have to use means by comparison." Logan sits on the edge of the coffee table. During Thomas's sleep, he had stretched out on the couch and taken a lot of the room to sit. No, he will not feel guilty about that. "Thomas, how do you feel now on a scale of one to ten?"

"Negative zero."

"By definition, zeroes cannot be negative. Besides, the numeric rating scale is traditionally an ascending test of pain or illness, with zero representing perfect health and ten suggesting intolerable or dire levels of symptoms."

"Did he fail the test?" Patton asks in concern.

"Shoulda studied," Virgil quips.

"Negative one then," Thomas grumps. "I feel negative one."

"If you must remain obtuse about this and reverse the scale, zero would then mean near-death. Tell me Thomas, do you feel close to death right now?"

"I'm not good with numbers, but does dead inside count?"

Logan adjusts his glasses. Twice. Then he holds his hands palms upwards and stares beseeching at the others. There is an unsaid, "What do I do with this idiot?"

Roman pitches in, "Thomas, on this negative scale of badness, how did you feel last night?"

Thomas hums and thinks about it for a moment. "I guess like a solid negative nine?"

Roman smirks at Logan. "There you go, comparison point made. He feels bad but not as bad."

"Bad is still bad though," Patton says. "Do you feel like you're running a fever?"

"Uh-huh."

"Would you like some more medicine?"

"Uh-huh."

"Okay, sweetheart, let's get you taken care of."

Taking medicine, as it turns out, involves sitting up. He could swallow a pill sideways. Drink some water while horizontal. He doesn't have to get up for that and leave his meager nest of warmth.

Virgil points out that he could choke and die and that it'd be really embarrassing if his friends or family found his body like that. Thomas commits to the horrible process of becoming vertical.

"I feel icky. And whicky. And all forms of sicky." Thomas is just being petulant and needy at this point. He's almost forgotten that these are dream people and not his friends who he's used to bantering with. It feels...scarily natural for him to be this way with these guys.

He blames the fever.

"Alright Mr. Icky Whicky. Bottoms up."

Thomas takes the glass of water from Patton and drinks down the pills.

Thomas pouts. "It didn't work."

"Ibuprofen generally takes about thirty minutes to take affect and reduce symptoms."

"He's not serious, Dr. Pill."

"I'm so serious that I'm black," Thomas says.

There is a solid five seconds of everyone staring at him uncomprehendingly. Finally, Roman snaps his fingers.

"Ah, Harry Potter! It's a reference, not a confused caucasian."

"I'm always confused." Thomas wants to drift back into the embrace of the couch cushions. He wants to close his eyes and will away the low throbbing sensation in his temples. He wants to ask for them to bring him another blanket and let him go back to sleep.

He wants to pee, most of all.

"I'll be back," he tells them.

They part for him. Patton calls after him as he climbs up the stairs, and Roman asks if he needs a battle buddy, but Thomas waves them off. He just needs a moment to himself and feel like he's in control of his own space.

***

He finishes up his business and wanders into his bedroom in search of his robe. He knows he has one somewhere, the blue one...

Remus sits primly on his dresser, one leg crossed over the other and hands daintily placed on his knee.

"Don't mind me, I've only been up to devious schemes while you were gone to Snore-ville." Remus smiles, very cheshire-cat like. This close, Thomas can see the purple tint of his eye-shadow. Paired with the mustache and ruffled costume, he looks like a dramatic villain. The kind that tie up damsels to train rails while busting out into a musical number.

Thomas glances around the somewhat messy room. Nothing is out of place, but all of the pictures and posters he has on the walls have been turned upside down.

"But why?" he asks.

Remus cackles, "Whys are only for why-ners! Maybe you should think more 'why nots' instead. It can open a lot of doors for you, you know. And windows that you can jump out of."

"Did the other guy jump out of the window? Is that where he went?"

"Sure, why not?"

Thomas shifts on his feet and glances towards the window, still out of sight behind his curtains and presumably closed. Out of all of the dream people, Remus makes him feel the most uneasy. He shares Roman's bold flair, but none of the others' tact or restraint. There's a real possibility that Remus threw Bowler Hat out the window. Or Thomas. He could throw Thomas out the window. It'd be like tossing a limp noodle.

"It's not that I just can't see him again, is it?" Thomas asks. He doesn't know how any of this works. If this is temporary, or if they'll fade in and out. Or if they're setting him up for...something.

Thomas had seen a lot of movies. Lots of TV shows. These guys could be angels, or devils on his shoulder.

Devils that swoop in and make him oatmeal and watch Harry Potter while he's sleeping. How dastardly.

Remus hums and shakes his head. "Not like you're thinking. I can't see him either, if it makes you feel any better. He sunk out a bit ago."

Sunk out. Not 'stepped' out.

As much as these people claimed they didn't fully understand their existence or tie to Thomas, they were definitely hiding things from him.

Thomas shivers and it's not entirely the fever to blame. "Can you guys... are you guys... Can you leave when you want? Do you go elsewhere at times? Like away from me or- or different realities?"

Remus slinks off the dresser, the material of his gaudy sleeves rustling like a titled moracca. There's no more smile on his face, but there's a smugness in the way he tilts his head back to stare down his nose at him. In exaggerated movements, he opens the nearby closet door, arm braced against the door frame. He's almost posing, or leering.

"There's no denying that we're tied to you Thomas. We're all sewn together in your silly string, tangled and knotted. But you're starting to think 'why not'. Keep it up, Tommy Boy."

He falls backwards into the rack of clothes, slamming the closet door behind him.

When Thomas throws the door back open, no one is there amongst his shirts and pants. But he does find his blue robe hanging off the door handle where once it hadn't been.

Why him. That's what he's been thinking the entire time.

"Why not," Thomas mutters and throws the robe on.

***

Following Remus's over-the-top exit, Thomas goes downstairs. Roman and Logan have migrated to the kitchen and are fussing over a boiling pot on the stove-top. From the sounds of it, they're fighting over the nutritional value of ramen (it has none). Patton sits on the couch with an arm slung over Virgil's shoulder while the other bites at his nails. They perk up when they see him.

Virgil jumps to his feet. "Everything...good?"

Thomas smiles bitter-sweet. "I don't think so."

The two in the kitchen have stopped in favor of listening to him.

"Oh..." Virgil says, and it's so damn crestfallen. In an instant, the discontent wars with empathy.

He grew up with brothers. Lord knows they had plenty of disagreements. The one thing that would break them every time was when one of them showed they were sad or upset. How many times had Thomas cut himself off mid-sentence to go give his brothers a hug? They'd do the same for him too, enough that their mom had gotten into the habit of telling them to "hug it out" whenever their disputes became too heated.

Thomas hugs himself in measly consolation. It's nowhere near the same. "Everything isn't bad either though... It's... I don't know what everything is."

"You don't have to do that," Patton says. His fingers are twined in his lap, his gaze focused on them. They all appear to be around Thomas's age, give or take. And by their accounts, they've only been conscious of their existence for, what? Ten years tops?

Patton though, he seems old right now with his honey eyes and crow's feet.

"None of us will think any less of you Thomas, if you're having a hard time with this. I think we'd be more surprised if you found this easy. You don't know us. We know you, but you don't know us."

No, he really doesn't. They have him at a complete disadvantage. "You guys have been watching me for a long time."

"We have," Patton agrees. His eyes are warm, if tinged sadly.

"Not in a creepy way!" Virgil blurts out. Then he immediately slaps a hand over his mouth, embarrassed. He grabs at his jacket several times before flipping his hood over his head. "God, I'm just making it sound more creepy. I swear we don't watch you all the time. We're not- it's not like that."

All the quiet moments he thought he was alone.

All the private times, the intimate ones.

The times he closed his doors and drew his blinds, and he let himself relax with no expectations. No one to please, and no one to see him at his lowest.

All those times he hadn't truly been alone.

Distantly, he's been aware of this fact since they showed up. But putting it into perspective...

"What is it like then?" Thomas asks, and it comes out surprisingly much more stable than he feels. "If it's not like that, what is it like?"

Virgil turns to Patton and mumbles, "I'm just messing this up."

Patton scoots forward to perch on the edge of the couch so he can pat at Virgil's arm. "No one's messing anything up. To answer your question, Thomas, it's like a one-sided friendship. We've hung out with you, watched you play games, watched you cook–"

"Try to cook," Roman intercedes. Logan elbows him to shut him up. "Right, sorry, not the vibe."

Despite the sass, Patton smiles, "Yeah, we've seen you try to cook. But we've also seen you practice lines and write songs. We've been to your performances, and we've seen you interact with the theater community and your fans. Your family and friends. And we've seen you do a lot of good kiddo. You're really amazing! And inspiring! You're able to inspire all of your friends to be better, because you do better for them. And I think that affects us too."

Patton stands up and approaches Thomas. His hands are clasped still and he makes no sign that he'll touch Thomas if Thomas doesn't want him to.

"It's been like a privilege," he says. His eyes don't water, yet the emotion is there all the same. "We've been rooting for you this whole time."

Thomas has to look away. His face feels like it's on fire. He's a total sap for mushy sentiments, and he's a melting puddle when they're directed towards him.

He just can't see why it's deserved.

Why not, Remus's voice whispers in his ears.

Thomas shuffles. He busies himself, retying his robe.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Virgil asks.

"Okay." Thomas nods. "But I want to know more. Like about you and where the others are right now. What does sinking out mean?"

That throws them for a loop. Patton and Virgil pause to stare at each other. They go on a journey of silent conversation through a serious of facial expressions.

"Perhaps I can explain."

Logan comes around the kitchen archway. His hands are behind his back and he stands sure of himself. Paired with the tie and glasses, Thomas thinks he wouldn't be out of place in a classroom setting. He's got the tone for it too, speaking more clinically.

"We are not corporeal, or wholly so. We can move through walls and objects, and until recently, we were able to touch or move inorganic material only rarely."

Thomas remembers Remus disappearing in his closet. He could have went through the floor or walls. Oh God, were they just- hanging out in the walls right now? Was that hurting the insulation?

Wait.

"Is that why sometimes I can't find things? Like my keys?"

"Mostly no. That would be more attributed to you being incredibly disorganized and absent-minded."

"Ah, I suspected, but thank you for confirming."

"Indeed. To demonstrate," Logan lifts his arm to touch the back of the couch. Except his fist goes into the material. His hand is simply gone up to the wrist, as if there is a hole he had stuck it through.

"Hah, okay," Thomas exclaims. He holds a hand to his face, mouth open. "Okay, okay, okay."

Patton shrugs innocently. "Can't really cushion the blow on that one."

The exasperated expression Logan gives him is enough to startle a choked laugh out of Thomas. Especially when Roman chimes in with a, "Sofa, so good!"

It's honestly the little jokes like that, that have kept him from becoming entirely unhinged. It's not unlike him to crack jokes to cover up the bad feelings. These people so get him that it's hard not to like them.

"As I was saying," Logan says with a clear tone of disdane. "We have the ability to pass through inorganic matter or interact with it. Save for last night, we have never done so efficiently, and we certainly never were able to interact with organic matter."

"Can you talk any less like a textbook, Bill Nye the Science Tie?"

"Can you boil water properly, Roman?"

Roman realizes at that point that the pot is bubbling over. He curses and rushes to turn down the heat.

"We've never touched people. Real people, I mean," Virgil offers. "They just walk through us like we're ghosts."

"But we can touch each other!" Patton proves this by hugging Virgil. He acts like he doesn't notice the other's grumbling.

"So you feel real to each other?" Thomas questions, peering forward. It doesn't look off or anything. It's just two people hugging in his living room. Or one being assaulted with hugs, rather.

"Real enough!"

"So...not real?"

"Have you ever imagined touching someone?" Roman calls over while he's busy pouring in squares of ramen.

"He was once a teenaged boy. It's only natural with heightened hormones–"

"Not like that, Logan!" Roman is so flustered he doesn't bother with a nickname. He swipes a hand through his hair. "Sheesh, platonic touching! Platonic!"

"Well you didn't specify–"

"I'm specifying now! Thomas, have you ever daydreamed of holding someone's hand? Of embracing your friends, or leaning against a shoulder? Have you thought about fingers tracing your skin, or hands cupping your cheeks?"

"I'm not sure where this is going, but yes. Touch is nice and I think about it a normal amount."

"That is how we feel to each other. The sensation is there, but only almost."

That...sounds fairly close to ghost territory, or what he'd imagine it would be like to be a ghost.

It's also incredibly depressing. He thinks back to that morning after his shower when he came out and Roman kept touching him.

"Is it different with me?" Thomas asks, holding up his hands as if he can see a difference between them. "When you interacted with me?"

Logan shuffles and stills himself just as quickly. "There is a noticeable tangible difference, you are correct. As Roman has described, touch between ourselves has a detached quality. Our limited experiences with you have involved a startling substantial quality."

"It's nice," Patton agrees.

Thomas takes a step back from them all. He pretends not to see the hints of hurt. He plays it off with grabbing his abandoned glass of water and takes some sips.

"So, how does this have to do with my question though? With where the others are?"

Logan again takes the reins. "Our metaphysical bodies are not bound by the same laws of physics as yours or other people's are. We are able to pass through walls as well as what I believe to be this dimension as we know it. Tell me Thomas, are you familiar with String Theory?"

"As in I have heard that it's a term that exists?"

"You know the Marvel movies?" Virgil throws out and Thomas brightens immediately.

"Oh yeah! Like with the multi-verse!"

"You gotta cater to your audience," Virgil explains to Logan's askance look.

"So the multi-verse is real?!" Sickness begone, Thomas has new priorities now. He can and will leap around the room. He nearly drops his cup in excitement.

"Why wouldn't it be!" Roman says. He's waving around a pasta spoon like it's a sword and Thomas wants to join him. Where's the TV remote?

"No, no, not like you're thinking," Logan attempts to settle them down. Then reevaluates. "Well, maybe, but it can't be proven as of yet. I don't wish to burst your figurative bubble, but the evidence we have accumulated, while suggesting more is plausible, is limited to smaller scale dimensions. Each of us have a fold in space that we 'sink' into that is specific to each individual."

"So Remus and Bowler Hat are in a tiny dimension right now?"

"Bowler Hat? Who– oh, he never did introduce himself, did he?"

"Don't you dare hijack his introduction too, Microsoft Nerd!"

"We can just keep calling him Bowler Hat," Virgil suggests in an amused lilt. "I'd like to see his reaction."

"Maybe Janus is the spy, you guys! He's pretty sussss, if you know what I mean!"

"This isn't Among Us, Popstar."

"So they're in a tiny dimension?!" Thomas yells over them.

Virgil shrugs. "Like a pocket dimension."

As if on cue, both Patton and Roman start singing "Pocket Full of Sunshine". It's incredibly good actually. Like they do harmonies and riffs in perfect sync.

If they've had years to themselves, stuck around Thomas, and unable to interact much with the world around them, they must have gotten awfully bored. If it were Thomas, he imagines he'd comfort himself with singing. A lot.

Or no, they weren't stuck around him?

"So you guys aren't attached to me? You can go to different dimensions?" Thomas asks, feeling like he's getting mixed signals.

"Just the one," Logan answers. "Think of it like walking into another room, but that room is a reflection of the previous room without any outside influence. Our 'rooms' are personalized to ourselves. To compare, my room looks like this living room but the art work is inspired by the De Stijl movement, there are more bookcases, and everything is neatly organized. Meanwhile, Patton's room is a veritable pile of stuffed animals."

Patton nods while grinning. "It's a com-pile-ation of all the best things."

"So like a literal pocket dimension," Thomas says. He sits the glass back down so he can move his hands in the air to elucidate. "Here we have my living room. And then underneath that, there's Logan's room. And underneath that, there's Patton's room. And when you sink out of...this reality, you go to your own rooms?"

"Well done, Thomas!" Logan beams, and whoa. That's weird to see him excited. And proud. These guys are way too encouraging to his need for validation.

"Freaked out yet?" Virgil asks.

The mood shifts. Underneath the jokes and conversation, there's a tension to them. Thomas sees it in Virgil's bitter smirk, how Patton tugs at his collar. Logan's momentary smile disappears and the gaze left behind is anticipatory. Roman has stopped watching him, eyes burning holes in the noodles he stirs.

They're waiting for the other shoe to drop.

They're waiting for Thomas to panic and reject them.

"Maybe," Thomas concedes. "I won't lie, it's probably going to hit me later. Um, if you guys see me having an anxiety attack, I apologize. Please don't take offense."

"Aw, kiddo-" Patton gasps, hands flying to his chest.

Thomas bulldozes over him and the pin-prickling sensation of being perceived as a person. "Not that it's a new thing, or anything! Which you guys probably already know because you've been watching me for years, and wow, that's embarrassing. I've had some really ugly ones, but that's not the point! It's all a part of the processing process!"

"Compartmentalizing," Logan summarizes.

"Yes, common tex-tiling!"

"No, compartmentalizing. It is a form of psychological defense mechanism in which thoughts and feelings that seem to conflict are kept separated or isolated from each other in the mind. Its purpose is to avoid the mental discomfort and anxiety caused by a person having conflicting values, cognitions, emotions, beliefs, etcetera within themselves."

"That makes me sound smarter than I am."

"It sounds like repression," Virgil comments.

Logan waves a finger. "Not quite. It can be the precursor to repression, but it is not inherently an unhealthy habit. Psychologist Tara Swart posited that compartmentalizing can be useful when dealing with difficult issues that cannot be prioritized in the moment. In fact, it can even be healthy when one needs to carry on daily tasks or work and is not in the proper environment to process their thoughts and emotions about a particularly troubling matter occurring in the background. It is only unhealthy if you avoid the matter with the intention of never returning to it."

"Um, where did all that come from?" Roman asks.

"As I said, psychologist Tara Swart-"

"No, we got that part. Since when have you been reading up on psychology enough to cite sources?"

Logan's mouth opens briefly, only to close again. His eyes narrow in thought. "I... must have remembered it from a text Thomas read. Perhaps during his college education?"

"I don't even remember college, and I was the one who went," Thomas says. His brain hurts just thinking about it. Not that his head ever stopped hurting. He's starting to feel tuckered out. Second-wind done blown away.

"It must have been something that stuck with me," Logan explains. "I happen to have an excellent memory."

"That means he never let's go of anything," Roman stage-whispers loudly.

"Falsehood."

Thomas collapses onto the couch. He debates keeping score on how many times Logan and Roman will dissolve into spats. He'd need a hefty notebook.

"Have they always been like that?" Thomas asks quietly to the calmer two who refuse to be drawn in. Patton does appear to be tempted to say something to them, if the way he bites his lip is any indication. He chooses to leave them to it in favor of flopping down on the couch beside Thomas.

"It used to be worse," Patton admits. Virgil gives a little, "You have no idea," under his breath, making the bespectacled man giggle. "They used to lash out at each other often back then. They're both pretty strong-willed. Remus used to be the only thing that could break up their fights."

"Yeah, by causing more fights," Virgil huffs. He climbs onto the coffee table and hunches there over his crossed legs. His black pants have artistic rips in the thighs, and he picks at them.

"Mm-hm, but it worked. They would stop yelling at each other and would team up against Remus instead."

"Remus would make them mad on purpose?" Thomas asks. He knows there are people like that, attention-seeking, but it doesn't sound very healthy.

Patton smiles like he knows what he's thinking. "It was fun for him, though that's not why he did it. And eventually he didn't have to do it as often."

"What about you guys?" Thomas asks.

"What about us?"

Thomas doesn't know what he's asking. He's looking at Patton with his cardigan-clad shoulders and wearing his Sunday best, and he's staring at Virgil with his painted fingernails and purple dyed bangs. There's a draw to them. Thomas stands over a well and the world is tilting him on its axis, beckoning him to fall in. He wants to fall in.

At length, Thomas wipes at his face. He sighs, "Nothing, never mind."

Worry etches lines into Patton's forehead. He frowns and gives a tentative pat to Thomas's knee. "How are you doing?"

"Tired?" Thomas says, and that about sums it up. His stomach growls and it's loud enough that he knows they hear it. "And hungry?"

Just like that, Patton's smile returns. "Okay, kiddo. Let me go hurry dinner along."

He leaves him with Virgil to go wrestle the others into shape.

Virgil doesn't say anything, giving him some room to breathe.

Thomas is infinitely grateful.

[wordy-little-witch]

Edge of Midnight incorrect quotes

Farryn: What’s it like being so tall?

Jericho: Is it nice?

Marius: Can you reach comfortably for the cupboards?

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Yorgrim: We live in constant fear of the short ones who, in my experience, will climb four chairs, two boxes, a small coffee table, and six oddly placed stools to get what they want.

Briggsy: Boil up some Mountain Dew. It’s gonna be a long night.

Briggsy: *slams books down in front of Lethica*

Lethica: You could of said literally anything else.

Briggsy: Cauldron boil and cauldron bubble, Baja Blast to fuel my trouble.

Lethica: I’m going to just stop challenging you when you say random shit. I won’t win. I realize this now.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Briggsy: You look good in that hoodie.

Jericho: You know where else I'd look good?

Briggsy, zero hesitation: Mari's bed.

Jericho, at the same time: In a hug- wait, what?

Marius:

Briggsy: did I stutter

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Briggsy: I’m really glad “fight me” has replaced “sue me” in the common vernacular because I don’t have money, but I do have fists and I am always angry.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Lethica: What do rainbows mean to you?

Farryn: Gay rights.

Briggsy: There's money.

Marius: The sign of God's promise to never destroy the whole Earth with a flood.

Yorgrim: It is an optical phenomenon that separates sunlight into its continuous spectrum when the sun shines on raindrops.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Farryn: What do I get?

Jericho: A night of fashion, mischief, mayhem, and possible death.

Farryn: Ooh, check, check, and check; not sure about that last one.

Jericho: It won't be you.

Farryn: I'll get my coat.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Jericho: How is spring not everyone’s favorite season? The trees are PINK, guys!

Farryn: Allergies are also a problem, y'know.

Jericho: But pink.

Lethica: And it's hot.

Jericho: PINK!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Jericho: The only thing I'm guilty of is being adorable... ...and also assault with a deadly weapon.

Virgil: CAW >:}

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Jericho: What do you all intend on majoring in?

Yorgrim: Respecting the dead

Farryn: Minecraft.

Marius: Criminal justice and psychology.

Briggsy: I'm terrified that I’ll lock myself into an interest that I’ll no longer be passionate about in a few years like all the other areas of study I’ve pursued over my life!

Lethica: Minecraft as well.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Farryn: Get in, loser, we’re committing vehicular manslaughter!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Briggsy: Here comes the lightning!

Briggsy, whispering: You've got to imagine it coming out my fingertips, wherein I am an almighty wizard.

Jericho: Ok, currently imagining that. Hmm, not bad. Not bad at all.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Farryn: I'm going the fight the next person who insults Jericho.

Jericho: I don't rightly think I like myself all that much.

Farryn: Alright, square up.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Yorgrim: Plants are basically the ideal friends. They are quiet, friendly, and easy to please. All they need is a little water and fresh earth, and they are perfectly happy to lie there all day in the sun. And they don’t make increasingly awful life choices, or hide their relationships. They have never, as far as I know, fucked a bee.

The rest of the party:

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Briggsy: Physically, yes, I could fight a bird, but emotionally? Imagine the toll!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Virgil, the bird in question: >:}

Jericho, trying to flirt with Marius: So, I heard you like bad girls… I time travel in Animal Crossing.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Marius: Valentine’s day is just a consumerist holiday that holds no real value other than drive people insane buying heart shaped chocolates for their significant others and pos-

Jericho: I wrote you a poem.

Marius, already crying: You did?

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Yorgrim: You made enough pasta that you could take it to lunch tomorrow. Put it in a container.

Farryn: Shovel the pasta into your face. Do it. Put it in your face. The future is meaningless but the pasta is now.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

*when the party drops food*

Marius: Eh, oh well.

Yorgrim: FIVE-SECOND RULE!

Lethica: FUCK!

Briggsy: *just gets more food*

Jericho: *drops to their knees and mourns the food*

Farryn: *eats the food off the ground*

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Jericho: I am going to need you to swear-

Briggsy: Fuck.

Jericho:

Jericho: ...swear as in promise.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Farryn: Ow!

Jericho: What’s wrong?

Farryn: I have this weird pain right above my eyebrow.

Jericho: It’s called a stress headache. I got my first one when I was four.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Farryn: Is there anyone here who’s actually straight?

Briggsy: *raises hand*

Yorgrim: *puts their hand down*

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Lethica: What scares you guys the most?

Farryn: Werewolves!

Marius: Sharks.

Jericho: The unstoppable marching of time that is slowly guiding us all towards an inevitable death.

Everyone:

Jericho: also locusts - them critters are horrible for crops, lemme tell ya-

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Marius: Can you be serious for five minutes?

Jericho: My record is four, but I think I can do it.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

*The gang responding to being stabbed by a sword*

Briggsy: Rude.

Lethica: That's fair.

Farryn: Not again.

Jericho: Are you gonna want this back or can I keep it?

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Yorgrim: You use humor to deflect your trauma.

Jericho: Awww, thanks-

Yorgrim: That’s not a good thing.

Jericho: All I’m hearing is that you think I’m funny.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Marius: What's wrong with you?

Briggsy: Off the top of my head, I'd say low self-esteem, a lack of paternal affection, and a genetic predisposition for anxiety and depression.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Jericho: If a demon possessed me, I’d just be like, “Okay, take it from here, good luck man.”

Virgil:

The party:

Jericho: see, it's funny, on account of it being real

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Farryn: You're a lying piece of shit!

Marius: Oh yeah? You're the idiot that thinks you can get away with everything you do, WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD!

Lethica: I'm leaving and I'm taking Jericho with me!

Yorgrim, gathering cards: Aaaaand that's enough Monopoly for today.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Jericho: Due to some personal reasons, I will be fucking sinking to the bottom of the ocean in a large metal box.

Yorgrim: Did Marius say 'I love you' and you said 'Thanks'?

Jericho: THE REASONS ARE MIGHTY PERSONAL–

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Briggsy: Which country has the most birds?

Briggsy: Portu-geese!

Lethica: That's a language.

Briggsy: Portu-gull?

Lethica: Good recovery.

Farryn: I think you mean good re-dovery.

Jericho: TURKEY. HOW DID WE MISS TURKEY?

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Marius: Look, I know you think my judgement's clouded because I like Jericho a little bit.

Farryn, holding Marius's notepad: You doodled your wedding invitation.

Marius: No, that's our joint tombstone.

Farryn: My mistake.

[remembrancer-of-heresy]

The Bloody Trio (Headcanons about main characters)

AU Reverse Therapy

Author's Note: In this post I decided to tell how I came up with the characters and some facts about them.

Tag List: @kit-williams, @druidwolf21, @pluvio-tea

Character: Malina

*collage pictures: 1, 2, 3, 4

Age: was kidnapped saved when she was 23

Height: 5,74 (175)

Description: dark brown eyes, dark shoulder length brown hair with bangs, olive skin.

Distinguishing features: none.

References: I love the Yellowjackets series and Lottie Matthews is my favorite character. This is exactly how I imagined Malina. One day I just rewatched one episode and thought that Malina definetly has the same Bambi eyes. + the actress also starred in Mad Max (an amazing series of films). It is not surprising that this is the image that appeared in my head.

Name: name Malina is a female name of Greek origin meaning "raspberry". By the way in some slavic names a word "malina" literally can be translated as a "raspberry". But this name is also a short version of a hebew name Magdalena (which means “tower”, “soothing” and also “raspberry”). I chose this name because Luka thought it sounded sweet and innocent. The girl is loved by the Space Marines, but it's a very dark, obsessive and unhealthy love. They gave her the name as if she were a pet. The heroine has a real name, but it was not mentioned because the girl had to get used to her new home. And for that, she had to become Malina.

Facts about character:

The girl grew up on the agri-world of Astarte in the Segmentum Obscurus sector. The planet was home to about 300,000 people. Most agri-worlds are polluted places, the sky is orange, and people are forced to work in gas masks. But most does not mean all. On Astarte, the sky is blue, and the atmosphere is not polluted. The planet's main export is fruits and berries.

During the Thirteenth Black Crusade, the Maelstrom merged with the Great Rift and the Red Corsairs have now been sighted further from their home than ever before (from Lexicanum). It was for this reason that the Red Corsairs attacked Astarte.

In fact, her uncle did not find a copy of the book about the Sister of Battle and the Imperial soldier. He was the one who wrote it for his beloved niece. It was the original, there were no copies. He always had heretical thoughts, so it is not surprising why he joined the Chaosites. He believes that his entire family perished under the rubble of the building.

Malina wears rather simple clothes, although made of good quality fabric (the space marines bring her new clothes from looting). Long skirts, shirts, and sometimes dresses of a simple cut, but with cute patterns (she doesn't know that sparkles are literally gold). And of course, she constantly throws a shawl over her shoulders. Malina generally likes to bury herself in a blanket up to her head or hide in Luka's or Virgil's shoulder.

Even after she has finally come to terms with her situation, she still reads religious books. Luke and Virgil very rarely, but still sometimes allow Saint Ignatius to come "to visit" so that Malina can pray with him. This lasts for 15 minutes at most, but that is enough for the girl. However, now she cannot say for sure whether she really believes in God-Emperor or prays because it calms her down like lullabies in childhood.

As her uncle used to say, the girl is very resourceful. She has a rather mediocre education. But considering that many inhabitants of the Imperium do not have it, she stands out significantly. She can read and likes it (especially fairy tales and romance novels). Malina has a sense of humor. And the fact that she jokes with a serious, and sometimes innocent, face makes it even funnier and cute (at least in the eyes of Luka and Virgil).

Malina loves Luka and Virgil. She forced herself to become attached to them, receiving a bit of tenderness from the Space Marines. Besides, it was better than being outside the quarters. She began to behave more freely with them, jokes and sometimes climbs up to the men for hugs. But even so, Malina is still afraid of them, because she understands that they are kind only to her. And other mortals suffer from meeting them.

Character: Luka The Angel

*Collage pictures: 1, 2, 3, 4

Age: around 30-35

Height: 6,98 (213)

Description: blue eyes, beeline honey hair, pale skin, snub nose.

Distinguishing features: has a one scar on the left eyebrow and freckles on the cheeks and nose.

Wears standard Lamenters armour, with the symbol of Chaos Undivided painted on his belt and the symbol of the Red Corsairs on his right shoulder pad.

References: I think Luka's appearance and personality appeared in my head thanks to the art of Natalia Kikicheva. Blood Angel (in the centre), and two lamenters. And I'm also sure that I was also impressed by Varial by @kit-williams and Theo by @pluvio-tea. And Luka's image was slightly influenced by such a character as Raleigh Becket from Pacific Rim.

Name: The name Luka is thought to mean “bringer of light” or “man of light”. The name Luka is derived from the Latin word “lux”, which means “light”. The same name had Luke the Evangelist. Malina sees Luka as her savior while her planet is being torn apart by heretics. He was supposed to be a beacon of hope for humanity as the Lamenter, but he ended up being a traitor.

Facts about character:

Luka had a loving family and always wanted to be a hero. He was one of the most promising Lamenters. Just 2 years after becoming a Space Marine, his first mission became his last as a Loyalist. On one of the death worlds, his small squad was abandoned by the Lamenters as they were considered dead. Due to the extreme conditions, Luka literally ate his comrades. Some of them were still alive.

Luckily for him, the Red Corsairs were passing by. Bacchus didn't even have to persuade Luka, as he said he would go with them when they met (the worst part is that he was smiling at the time, finishing off his brother's head). At first, he lived with three other Space Marines, but later ate them. Bacchus considered them trash, so he didn't care much about it. After that, Luka was handed over to Vergil, who was supposed to be the Lamenter's mentor.

Luka considers Virgil his best friend. He is much easier to talk to and he doesn't even want to eat him. The Lamenter is obviously one of Bacchus' favorites due to his obedience and incredible combat skills (and he was only a neophyte recently). Therefore, he is forgiven for a lot. In particular, because of his character. Even Eurydice can't stay angry with him for long.

One of the few Space Marines who did not change his armor. He only added a couple of insignia to distinguish him from a loyalist. However, it is warriors like him who are the best strategy for boarding. Since the Imperials who see loyalist traitors are immediately confused.

Luka suffers from cannibalistic desires. Lamenters do not suffer from the Black Rage as much as other sons of Sanguinius. However, after the death world, Luka constantly suffers from bloodlust. But it is because of this that his "failure" (if this is not an Imperial myth) disappeared and he became more successful. After he met Malina, he began to suffer from Blood Thirst even more and ate more and more mortals (he also started to eat children which makes him really sad). But thanks to such a sacrifice to the Chaos Gods, he will never be able to harm the girl and she will live with him forever.

Luka sacrifices and performs rituals to the Chaos Gods like all Red Corsairs out of necessity. He does not despise Chaos Undivided, he simply does not care.

Before, Luka was much kinder for a heretic. He constantly saved children and dragged them to the ship. Although his previous neighbors eventually abused the children, which upset him very much (that is why he eventually ate them). And also after the reverse therapy, he began to "court" girls. Or rather, kidnap them. But all his attempts turned into failures. 5 girls died by "accident" (fucked to death, drank too much blood, another space marine killed), but he tortured 3 himself because they behaved badly.

After he found Malina, he did not care about all the mortal girls. He is literally obsessed with her and worships her, which has never happened with any other mortal. Because of this, he has become even more deadly and effective on the battlefield. Now Luka himself leads the warriors to boarding and commands the squad. Luka is extremely emotional and behaves almost like a child. He can be very nice to some people. But at the same time, he is also cruel to others. Luka is unstable and extremely dangerous chaosite. And this is coupled with his angelic appearance.

NSFW Facts:

Luka always wants to see Malina's face. To watch her face twist, her eyes water. To see how she finally starts to quietly make sounds from unprecedented sensations. Not seeing her face is taboo. And he also likes her small breasts. He thinks they look charming.

That's why most often, when it comes to bed, it's the missionary position. Or she sits on his lap, resting on his chest. He just adores how she clings to him. As if he is the only person who will protect her. As if HE is her God-Emperor.

He gets an erection EVERY time Malina calls him "Angel". This is Luka's favorite nickname. But he also loves to hear Malina praise him. That he saved her, how noble and handsome he is. How she gently touches his shoulders, cheekbones and cheeks. Looks into his eyes.

And if this happens during sex, it is harder for Luka to restrain himself. The Lamenter would also like to say something to her, but he is too delighted and obsessed with her at such moments. Therefore, he only moans and growls like an animal. His pupils dilate, and drool flows from his mouth. And the whole process is really rough. The girl is always terribly scared and Luka later has to apologize to her for a long time and wipe away her tears.

But after sex, he hugs her and kisses her entire face, saying how lucky he is. How wonderful and gentle she is. How he will take care of her. Always. That he will kill for her. He is ready to drown everything in blood just to get her a beautiful dress or feed her with berries in chocolate. And yes, if he said so, then he would do it.

Character: Virgil

*collage pictures: 1, 2, 3, 4

Age: more than 650 years

Height: 7,44 (227)

Description: red eyes, bald, grey almost white skin, white eyebrows, shark-like claw teeth, long black tongue.

Distinguishing features: Has several scars on the face. The largest ones locates along the nose. And the second one on the lip to the cheek on the left side of the face.

Has a armor of Red Corsars with the sign of Flesh Tearer on the left shoulder pad. On the belt is a cut piece of human's skin. Has a three stakes with skulls behind the back.

Reference: I think Virgil's appearance came to me spontaneously. I just imagined a typical Chaos Space Marine. But when it comes to his personality or history, I remember this meme. And I think I was also partly inspired by Immortan Joe (more from Furiosa, not Fury Road). If I had thought up Malina and Luka a long time ago, then Virgil’s character and personality were finally formed while I was writing him.

Name: The character was named after the Roman poet Virgil. Or to be more precise, in his image of the guide from Dante's Divine Comedy. Only this Virgil does not embody the human mind. And he is not just a guide in Hell and Purgatory, he literally lives there. And no, in Warhammer our flesh tearer and Chapter Master of the Blood Angels did not meet.

Facts about character:

Virgil had been fighting for the Imperium for quite some time. He was a rank-and-file Flesh Tearer, no different from his brothers. Virgil was not a sociable person, always hiding in the shadows. And in truth, he defended the Imperium as if he was following a manual. He was born an orphan and decided to become a Flesh Tearer in order to become a warrior. He only cared about war.

He did not consider the Black Rage a curse of Sanguinius. More like a gift. Moreover, he suspected that the Red Thirst was a manifestation of Chaos. Virgil always had contempt for mortals. So it is not surprising that at some point he decided to join the heretics. It was a conscious decision after 150 years of service to the Imperium. In his opinion, Chaos could give him more strength and power. And then he met the Red Corsairs.

If Virgil did not stand out in the ranks of the Flesh Tearers, then after serving under the hands of Bacchus, he quickly rose through the ranks. He enjoys power, although he does not seek to take Bacchus's place. He is much happier with his current position.

Although when he was given Luka to look after, he was not at all happy about it. But in the end he got used to the puppy, even finding him funny. But he can't call him a friend, because he never had any friends. For Virgil, Luca will always be a puppy that needs to be looked after, even if he became his leader in an alternate universe. In addition, it was thanks to him that Virgil got Malina.

The Flesh Tearer did not stand on ceremony with girls, simply raping them, and sometimes killing them during the process. But Malina calms him down and Virgil unexpectedly for himself became very attached to her (although, unlike Luka, at the very beginning he saw her as just a pretty face). Now he really does care about her in a genuine way, which is still new to him.

Virgil is constantly angry and almost always irritated. Although, unlike many Space Marines, he behaves more calmly. Therefore, it is very important for him to relax. Because of this, he often uses drugs and constantly goes to apotecary Baphomet for a new injection. Since he no longer tries to control the Blood Thirst, he can now drink blood whenever he wants.

NSFW Facts:

Virgil wants his partners quietly during sex the most. But suddenly, after Malina appeared, he realized that he liked the way she slept.The way her eyelashes flutter, the way her whole face relaxes. The way her lips open just a little. They are so wet with saliva. She is so relaxed. And if he also gets her drunk or uses the right drug (but only a safe one), then her body is more like jelly.

He loves to please her. Virgil thought that the Gods of Chaos gave him such a long tongue to better feel blood and the taste of drugs. Maybe, but now he uses it to devour her pussy. And he is very skilled at it. And if Malina is on her period that day, he can do this for 2-3 rounds. And considering that he forbids Luka to lick Malina, he practically works for two.

He is very slow and careful. Virgil does not want Malina to wake up. And sometimes that is exactly what he wants. After all, Malina is a good girl, she will be quiet. She will try not to make sounds and will even try to fall asleep again. And if she cries quietly, Virgil will get even more excited and will start licking her tears. Because of them, he wants to take care of her.

After Virgil finishes, he looks at the girl for a long time. And is silent. And this process lasts quite a long time, which makes Malina feel uncomfortable. Because it looks very creepy. After that, Virgil lies down on his bed. Very rarely, he kisses the girl on the forehead goodbye.

[tulipanthousa]

pslsjs i can imagine patton trying to convince logan and virgil that slut just means like. 'someone with multiple sexual partners' or something so they can truthfully say it and them having to be like 'sorry :(( that is not going to work :(( i know that is not the case :(('

Virgil cant say it because when fae use it its not connotative as "person who has a lot of sex" but as "person who has a lot of unfaithful or immoral sex" which isnt really something he personally can train his brain out of

Logan cant because he has BaggageTM around the word slut specifically (see Loyalty), but roman and pattons joking isnt something that bothers him more than typical "partners teasing me" pouting

however this winds up being fucking hilarious because Remus and Iolanthe think that the human usage of "slut" as "person who has a lot of sex" is HILARIOUS (who insults someone for having a lot of sex??? losers who cant get any tail thats who 😂) so they use it as a joke constantly.

so you wind up with them calling each other "slut" all silly and affectionate and Logan and Virgil over in the corner all Scandalized. roman and Patton also think this is hysterical

[where-are-the-spooky-gays-2]

It looks like it's time for a fluffy hc

So Virgil is anxiety, he's fear. He is naturally drawn to it and he usually has to investigate.

When he finds someone asleep and scared he can reach into their dreams and remove the nightmare and send it to the imagination. Usually it's just a foal or a fully, not a full grown mare. And he just soothes the little horse until it gets swept away by like magic dust.

Recurring nightmares grow and stick around longer. Virgil takes care of them. Only a select few ever get big enough to support a rider. Those big horses are all from Remus, and he is the only one who knows about them and Virgil caring for them. The man is so sweet and gentle with those horseies!!

On one occasion, at least, Remus has snuck into Virgil's stables disguised as a horse, just to get affection. He doesn't account for the fact that Virgil knows each and every last nightmare he tends to, and he would know Remus is trying to get attention.

Virgil just shrugs and takes the opportunity to be sweet and tender with Remus while also flirting to get him to drop the act. It doesn't work but shhh they're having fun!

Virgil also teaches Remus how to ride a horse. You would think he'd know being a fantasy duke, but nope! He's a slimy sailor boy and he can just appear whenever and where ever he wants! He wants to learn because 1) Virgil looks so hot on a horse 2) he wants to look hot too, and 3) he wants some quality time with his spider. It takes forever to learn because he's busy being gay

Hell Y E S Fluffy hc time!!! That is both S O fucking cool and sweet oml P L E A S E!!! I'm a S L U T for Vee taking care of animals and the fact that it's Nightmare Horseies makes it even more badass!!! I'm cackling at the thought of Horsemus being so painfully obvious of being Ree just by appearance alone and he occassionally breaks character when Vee flirts like "If I didn't know any better I'd say you're as cute as Ree" "Sure am! I mean neigh!" XD It's really sweet that the Emo teaches his chaotic Duke how to ride a Horse but once Dukey starts paying attention more he'll be taking his Spider on adventures with him in no time XD <3