#Janus skeleton

[kin-nit]

Happy 4/20!!

“…I’m taking a picture.”

“Noel!”

Holiday Sanses (Janus, Noel, Valentine, Hollow) - belong to me

Happy 4/20 day!!

My wrist hasn’t fully healed yet, but I wanted to do something small for such a special occasion. Hoping to post more stuff in the distant future, one day.

[swhhdr-wthhr]

don't ask where chapter 7 is. i can't answer for legal reasons

pose reference + original sketch under cut:

[tangerineseed]

An angel of my own creation

[comparativetarot]

The Devil. Art by Nhuw Naof, from Janus Tarot.

[fanderficreader]

Sander Sides Incorrect Quotes As Me And My Friends Actual Texts. Pt6

*virgil and Remus drunk texting each other*

Remus: Did you know they make applesauce with cremated human bones.

Virgil: Yes.

Virgil: Fingers in drawers.

Remus: Skeletons under beds.

Virgil: Janus in the shadows…

*virgil looking at their conversation the next day*

Virgil: What is happening…??

*remus texting back having no recollection of the night prior*

Remus: …I dunno.

Remus: But I’m pretty sure we were both high.

Virgil: ….

Remus: I think it’s the bones.

*virgil slowly turned to Remus- who was sitting right next to him -to look him in the face*

*virgil saw Remus typing something in his phone, and then heard a ding*

Remus: AnyhOOoOooO…

[ssslimyboy]

Patton, thinking: (I need a way to figure out if Janus likes me. I know! I'll crack a stupid joke, and if they laugh, they like me.)

Patton: Why did the skeleton go to the dance alone? Because he had no body to go with!

Janus: That's so funny.

Patton, thinking: (Ok, that wasn't a fair test, that joke is really funny.)

[dikdikpronouncedxylophone]

Logan: What kind of small creature could do this to the pictured animal carcass? Remus: Sea monsters! Logan: Sea monsters aren't that small. Remus: They're their babies. They can gnaw an elephant into a skeleton in half a minute. Virgil: You're talking about piranhas now. Remus: No I'm not. I'm talking about elephants. Roman: I'll twist your elephant's trunk into a bow if you keep talking about it! Logan: Besides, piranhas and elephants live in different continents. Remus: Who cares. I was talking about sea monsters. Patton: They're baby fish. Janus: I don't understand how baby fish can twist an elephant's trunk into a bow and eat an entire continent.

[rauberrauber]

line up baby

wanted to make a sort of ref for everyone so i can keep track of everyone's designs, heights, etc

side hcs below cuz i wanna ramble lol

fyi any links are just for pictures to help visualize what im trying to say

also add to these with ur own i love reading hcs :]

general:

the sides work with a kind of cartoon logic (kinda like who framed Roger rabbit) which is what their shape shifting and such is, they can survive pretty much everything, dont bend to reality type thing

i also dig playing around with the idea that they just arent human, they dont need to eat, sleep, even breathe or blink if they dont wanna. They just play more human around thomas so they dont freak him out (everyone but remus at least, dude doesnt give a fuck lol) they all have their priorities regarding that kinda stuff. like logan doesnt eat or sleep almost at all (there r exceptions tho obvi (crofters))  while patton rly likes to cook and bake so why not eat the stuff you make? meanwhile remus eats literally anything he can find

they can also float if they wanna, same thing where they just dont around thomas. this came about me just imagining remus consistently floating around in the mindscape instead of walking for whatever reason? so yeah they can do that

theres a core mindscape and a ‘dark’ mindscape, that sorta works like the upside down from stranger things (as in the dark mindscape is like literally upside down and mirrors everything, like this)

everyones also got their own unique doors to their rooms. logans is very sleek and modern, pattons in more childlike and almost vintage, romans resemble castle doors while remus’ is more like a dungeons, virgils is typically angsty teenager with tons of posters and ‘keep out’ signs, and janus has tons of locks on his

design wise the core sides have straight teeth and fluffier hair while the dark sides have sharp teeth and rougher(?) hair (since changing, virgil has vampire-esque fangs)

logan:

square rimmed glasses

loves the rain

unintentionally fidgets with his clothes, always adjusting his glasses or rolling his sleeves up and down or messing with the buttons or his tie

playing more into the whole ‘sides dont have to eat thing’ he finds food kinda nasty lol, again only rly eats stuff thats very good to him (ultimate picky eater basically) patton has tried and failed many times to get logan to try and like new foods

roman was the one who got him to try crofters

watches those long ass video essays about random topics on youtube for background noise

patton:

round glasses and heart eyes

has roller blades/skates! specifically these ones that retract the wheels. good way of getting energy out (even if hes super clumsy with them)

tallest + dad bod

tons of bandages, kinda playing around with the phrase ‘broken heart’

him and janus play video games together (both of them are terrible lol)

definitely listens to dad rock/dad music

roman:

starry eyes!

crown can float on its own (same w/ remus’)

has one of these couches in his room to dramatically faint onto

him and remus dont share a room, but they have a sort of portal to each others rooms if that makes sense. a big mirror but instead of reflecting, its showing into the other room and only the twins can go thru

wants to be his own side after the split

roman and remus pierced each others ears when they were younger

virgil:

decently tall but slouches a lot which hides it (slouching hes shorter than the twins but still taller than janus) also rarely stands or sits straight at all so it kinda shocked the core sides when he showed them how tall he rly was (queue roman being mad cuz hes actually the shortest of the main four lol)

has stereotypical emo hair and still has some purple dye in it

hot topic skeleton fingerless gloves and muddy sneakers (idk why it just feels right)

tons of random bruises

draws his nails black with sharpie

listens to metal music to calm down. remus got him into a lot of numetal, screamo kinda music when virgil was still one of the others, it was one of the few times theyd hang out and virgil wasnt 100% freaked out by remus

definitely experimented with scene fashion when thomas was a teenager

drinks tons of energy drinks

janus:

shortest ha

yellow eyes

bow wrapped on his hat

long flowy cape and heeled shoes with spats (thats what theyre called right?)

uses the staff from pof as a walking cane

speaks fluent pig latin, remus and logan are the only ones who can somewhat understand what he says (remus cuz hes been around janus so long, and logan wanting to research and understand whatever the hell janus is saying) it also has always drove virgil up the wall cuz hes never been able to get it, janus will start speaking it just to annoy him

only rly relaxes when by himself, always kinda putting on a mask with the others and thomas, regardless of how trustworthy he considers them

constantly coming up with proper plans and schemes, typically wouldnt let remus near them with a 10 foot pole (affectionately)

knows how to lockpick

scared of the ocean

remus: 

broken crown

eyes can go all crazy, pupils can be different sizes and such (there was a cartoon that did this where the eyes would go red and have a ton of rings around the pupils like spirals kinda? i cant find a pic of what im rly visualizing rip i hope that makes sense)

ton of rings (one of em is an eyeball ring)

is like half an inch taller than roman and will never let him live it down

enjoys all the ‘bad’ disney/pixar movies. (cars, home on the range, etc) and like unironically enjoys them. prolly started ironically to mess with roman but he genuinely find those ones the best and cant fathom why theyre disliked (totally not self-indulgent cuz some of those movies are my favorites)

comes up with random weird plans and ropes janus into them whenever possible, janus plays along best he can

somewhat wants to fuse back with roman (even if hes unsure why)

remus and virge used to make fun of roman together all the time

remus is the one who gave virge his septum and gages

[deltaruminations]

honest to god I don't think "gaster" is actually their family name I think wingdings made that shit up. it's his scary Turn To Darkness name like how janus became magus or that one fucking guy became Voldemort. their real family name is just "The Skeleton"

[moonbeam-dragon]

Prinxiety Fluff Drabble

Virgil wasn't huge on touch. He just never enjoyed it. He had gone a long time without any sort of hugging or even brushing someone's hand. It didn't upset him. He liked his space. He liked his privacy. He liked feeling cold and set apart.

He wasn't with Janus and Remus anymore. He wasn't exactly with Roman, Logan, and Patton at the time, either. He didn't have anyone emotionally close to him, so he didn't let anyone physically close to him. He didn't feel a need to touch humans.

That was until he accidentally took Roman's hand. Virgil blamed Patton for the situation that followed. Virgil hadn't minded it. He'd been flustered and irritated. But the touch itself didn't hurt. In fact, it felt great. Roman's hand had been warm and soft, only slightly calloused. He wanted that kind of gentle, calming contact again. But that meant asking for it. That meant having to be close to one of them. So that was a no. He didn't need anymore touch.

+++

Virgil tucked his face into Roman's shoulder, absorbing the prince's warmth.

It had been such a long day of trying to create something. Videos demanded ideas, which triggered stress and anxiety. By the time they'd come up with something good and started on it, Roman and Virgil were exhausted. Virgil was still shaking from the small anxiety attack they'd managed to give Thomas. They never meant to upset him so much. It was part of the process. Granted, that had been happening less and less lately. He supposed that was good.

The stress had thoroughly exhausted both Sides and they'd retreated to their own rooms. Logan and Patton were used to it. They hardly ever ate dinner as a group anymore. They didn't really need to eat anyways. It had just been a nice thing that they could do to be together. Now Virgil only really ate when he stole snacks to eat while watching endless conspiracy videos. They heard Logan and Patton in the kitchen, eating dinner themselves. They didn't care to join. Neither had the energy to have any sort of social interaction. Virgil only gathered the energy to put on his skeleton onesie, go to Roman's room, and collapse next to the prince.

Somehow, Roman had enough strength to move their bodies closer. Virgil didn't object in any way. Roman knew what he was and wasn't comfortable with. Besides, it wasn't often that Virgil was comfortable with being so close. It was a special moment to cherish if the emo let himself be cuddled this way.

So Roman lay there, holding Virgil to his chest, cozy.

[swhhdr-wthhr]

it's come to my attention that i've drawn virgil from my au at least 10 times, but i haven't drawn janus once?? even though i had a whole design planned out for him. this simply will not do

[an0thergl1tch]

Remus headcanons because I am bored :

*This dude either had a giant ring of skeleton keys or can pick any lock because you know damn well you can’t keep him out of anywhere

*Logan and Remus trade information for fanfiction purposes “hey where is the safest place to stab someone I wanna give my main character trauma” “any place could kill a person however aiming for fatty areas of the stomach and thigh decreases the risk you will hit a major organ or artery” “thanks”

*Remus has every notification noise set to the Grindr ping, Janus has to silence remus’s phone when they go out in public.

*Remus doesn’t wear headphones when listening to music or watching videos in public he just plays it at max volume (he’s that dick, he would be that one guy walking around with a boombox.) He is not allowed the aux cord because otherwise he will play the raunchiest shit at max volume with all the windows down.

*Chronic iPad kid. Easiest way to shut him up is to give him a phone with angry birds on it.

*Clingy as hell, wants to go under your skin, is a biter. Also he’s fucking obsessed with fangs if you have fangs he will ask you to bite him.

*His room isn’t even scary it’s just shelves upon shelves of trinkets. Definitely has a sex toy collection somewhere though. He calls his room the sex dungeon to keep people from snooping around. Probably has a workbench somewhere with a sewing machine on it because he definitely is the type of punk to make ALL of his clothes. Makes a bunch of shit: jewelry, weapons, dolls, and probably has a assortment of taxidermy projects.

*Definitely into witchcraft and paganism, has multiple alters, some serious, some to random male celebrities Thomas has a crush on. Probably has some voodoo dolls stashed somewhere, among his very large handmade doll collection that may or may not of been due to Coraline.

*Oh he definitely has a fur suit somewhere in his room, your telling me this fucker doesn’t have one of those neon wolf fursonas, probably made it himself.

*So. Many. Scars. Half of them from Remus being a dumbass, half of them from Remus testing the limits of his immortality. “hmmm I wonder If jumping off the roof will kill me” “nope”

*Cannot take a compliment. If you compliment him he will immediately assume your trying to get in his pants. If you say it’s a compliment, he will malfunction.

*Fucking loves animals, all animals. ALL animals. Will try to pick up a wild bobcat. Along with his brother he also has the “all animals love me” Disney princess genes. Probably has befriended a murder of crows.

*Very good at making cocktails however you will be hammered after a single glass because he is quite heavy handed.

[esmereldapearl]

I’ve just decided that this blog will just be about random interests I have or ideas/head-cannons about characters so here’s what songs I’d give to Sanders Sides characters/duos/ships ! (P.S with the twins it’s just them as siblings, I would never and have never shipped them before)

Also, I’ll probably do a bunch of these as I listen to more music, this is just as I see it right now

Roman: Not Strong Enough by BoyGenius and Waiting Room by Pheobe Bridgers and Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri

Virgil: Skeleton Song by Kate Nash and Digital Silence by Peter McPoland

Patton: No More Birthdays by Sophie May and Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men

Logan: Digital Silence by Peter McPoland and HUMANS by GEN.KLOUD

Janus: Bird Song by Regina Spektor

Remus: You’re Gonna Go Far Kid by The Offspring

Orange: Don’t Listen by Jakeneutron

Prinxiety: Eet by Regina Spektor and Why do You Let me Stay here? By She & Him

The Twins: Call them Brothers by Regina Spektor (Feat. Only Son) and Family Jewels by Marina and The Diamonds

Mociet: I Will Wait by Mumford and Sons

Logicality: I Wouldn’t Mind by He is We

(Can’t think of any more— can anyone tell I was a Gacha kid right as I started watching Sanders Sides in 2020 lol)

[beetlewine-art]

Hey guys, do you remember this post i made about an AU were Thomas is Batman and his sides are Batman villain: https://www.tumblr.com/beetlewine-art/710102337156530176/okay-listen-ive-been-thinking-a-lot-about-a?source=share

Well, i mentioned that i also wanted to make a post about the sides as Spiderman villains, so here is what i have so far:

Those are my takes, i want to clarify that i'm putting Virgil as Spiderman, mostly because i think it fits him too well. Also, i wasn't happy with making him any of the villains, i thought of making him Electro but i decided it didn't match well outside of the electric aesthetic. So far i think they all match pretty well, specialy Remus as Mysterio, i thought of switching Remus with Janus, but i am not sure. I feel like Remus could be an amazing villain if he had Mysterio's powers and the outfit just fits so nicely.

Roman is not in the post because, if i am honest, i have no idea of what villain he could be. I just can't make my mind about him, the only one that i can think about is Mysterio, but I already made Remus Mysterio and i don't want to repeat it. So, i am taking suggestion about wich villain would fit Roman the best, because at this point, my shipper side and my funny side is thinking about Roman being either one of this two:

Neither of them fit, but i'm a prinxiety shipper so in my mind it makes sense the Black Cat one. And for Carnage... Well, they both red, to be honest, it would be more about Roman having a Symbiote more than him being Carnage. So if anyone has more suggestions, i'm listening. (Might as well just make him MJ)

Also, about the Batman AU: I think i'm going to change some things, don't worry, Bane!Patton and Scarecrow!Virgil are staying, Remus is also staying the same most likely. I thought of changing him and instead of making him the Joker, i could make him "The Creeper" but aparently Creeper is not actualy a Batman Villain (i need to investigate more about him) and every Batman needs a Joker, so i think Remus is staying as the Joker. Logan and Janus are going to change, Logan is most likely going to replace Janus as Riddler and Janus is either going to be Two-Face or Pinguin, mixed a little with Killer Croc.

I'm, again, not sure about Roman. I want to keep i'm as The Music Meister but i also got some very cool suggestion from @donttellthemangosiwashere about making him Clayface or Babydoll and now i can't unsee it (Calendar Girl is good option too). I'll see what i do with him.

Tag list: @maze-arts @roman-can-gay @dorkyduckling16 @emomightmareace @full-of-roman-angst-trash @pyros-random-thoughts @skeleton-obsessed-idiot

[not-sure-what-im-feeling]

Sanders Sides as things I’ve said/heard Part Three

part one

part two

As always, use these as inspo for anything, as long as you give credit. Speaking of credit, credit to my friends and students at [REDACTED FOR PRIVACY]. Y’all contribute a lot to this cause.

<<•>>

Janus: I didn’t lie, I just… willingly spread misinformation.

<<•>>

Virgil: Remus is a dirty thief!

Remus: Hey! I may be a thief but I am not dirty. I’m also a murderer, but we ignore that!

<<•>>

Logan: Remus, that is not “fucking around”, that is property damage.

<<•>>

Janus: Pure capitalism… just the way god intended.

<<•>>

[About Logan]

Janus: He’s just so hot when he’s covered in the blood of his enemies.

Remus: I KNOW!

<<•>>

Roman, trying to write: Ugh, what’s it called when someone shuffles from side to side?

Patton: …The cha-cha slide?

<<•>>

Virgil: Stop being queer, god.

Roman: *blows kiss*

<<•>>

Logan: You’re hypocrisy is astute.

Roman: EXCUSE YOU, I BELIEVE IN DEMOCRACY.

<<•>>

Janus: My name… is Janus.

Virgil: Okay?

Janus: Aren’t you going to make some remark and say “Janice? What are you, a middle school librarian”?

Virgil: Nah, you sound more like a stay at home mom.

Janus: Okay that is worse.

<<•>>

Logan, counting money: Four dollars…

Patton: Perry the four dollars?!

Logan: What.

Patton: I was making a Perry the platypus joke!

Logan: Okay,.. Five dollars.

Patton: Perry the five dollars?!

Logan: Stop! Six dollars…

Patton: PERRY THE SIX DOLLARS?!?!

Logan: STOP IT!

<<•>>

Virgil: Dad?

Patton: Yeah?

Virgil: If you were a skeleton, would you play your ribs like a xylophone?

Patton: Obviously!

[This one was a canon interaction between me and my mum)

<<•>>

[On Patton. Unfortunately this was what the original quote was about.]

Logan: His toes are poking out.

Remus: His dogs are BARKIN!

<<•>>

Roman: I’m alone :(

Virgil, creepily: You’re never alone…

Roman: WHAT?!

<<•>>

Logan is enjoying a cup of coffee.

Virgil: AUTISM JUICE

<<•>>

Logan: Oh, my coffee’s really hot right now.

Virgil: Just like you! Ayyy

Logan:

Virgil:

Logan: what?

<<•>>

Patton: Logan! Logan! Can I eat raw cookie dough?

Logan: Well, you can, but you run the risk of E. coli and salmonella—

Patton, running to enjoy the forbidden snack: I DON’T CARE ABOUT E. COLI!

Logan: What do you MEAN you don’t care about E. coli?!?!

<<•>>

Remus: Well piss my pants and fuck me backwards!

<<•>>

Janus, giving business advice (trust me it’s real): There’s two things you need to know about bananas.

1. There’s money in a banana stand.

2. There’s money in a banana ripening warehouse.

<<•>>

Roman: These boots are made for walking, not running!

Virgil: I’m made for walking, not running!

<<•>>

Logan: Alright, twelve nuggets.

Roman: *gasp* A baker’s dozen!

Logan: …You’re pretty.

Virgil: Roman is pretty!

Logan: I was calling him dumb.

Roman: Yeah I got that :(

<<•>>

Logan: Hm. I just killed two flies having sex.

Remus: *laughing* Imagine— imagine if- if god did that *laughing* to two humans *laughing fit that causes coughing*

Logan: Is this too much for you?

<<•>>

Roman: Backflip.

Janus: Evil roman be like. Front flip.

Roman: What?

Remus: FRONT FLIP!

<<•>>

Remus: You’re allowed to be any size, but if you’re tiny, you’re allowed to be discriminated against.

<<•>>

And that’s all for today! I have at least 12 more quote books worth of content, though, so let me know if you want more!

[lefaystrent]

Friendly Neighborhood Criminals Part 4

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Pairings: platonic Patton/Dark Sides

Summary: Tis the season for spooks.

Alternatively, this has nothing to do with Halloween and everything to do with how three criminals changed a young man's life.

Ao3 Link: click here

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

WARNINGS: Past child abuse, depictions of panic attack

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

The Fall season comes in full swing.

It's Florida, so the temperature only dips slightly instead of plummeting like in places other than Florida. It's a cheery season regardless, because first comes Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and finally Christmas and New Years! This will be the first year Patton will be able to celebrate without walking on eggshells.

And Halloween! He's never been able to celebrate Halloween before! He had been told numerous times that it was the Devil's holiday, but all the kids in his old neighborhood had such cute costumes and their houses were decorated with carved pumpkins and funny skeletons. Patton is for sure going to get his hands on a pumpkin this year to carve himself!

And...maybe his new friends would want to carve some with him?

They've been sharing so much with Patton lately. By now, his home is practically overflowing! His fridge is always full, and just the other day Janus stopped by with a coffee table. He said he was going to throw the table out anyway, so it wasn't a big deal. Patton was touched all the same that he thought of him.

And therein lies the issue. What has Patton ever done for them? Other than not call the cops? That first night they met seems so distant now. And since then, they have given and given and-

What has Patton done? Just accept their gifts and kindness every time. A one-sided friendship like that is not a friendship at all! It was...

Selfish.

Patton's eyes grow distant as fog rolls in. A ringing buzzes in his ear.

He's been trying hard not to think about it. To remember. He just wants to think about the positives in his life now. He wants something to look forward to.

You're so selfish. Don't you know how hard we've worked to raise you?

A wave of apathy shrouds him. His hands tremble, and he watches stupidly as he drops what he's holding. That's right, he's supposed to be stocking the shelves. They have lots of totes to work. He likes the repetitiveness of stocking, and he enjoys filling up the empty holes on the shelves, to line them up all neat and pretty. It makes him feel good, like he's made a difference or something.

Why are you crying? I haven't even hit you yet.

Patton can't breathe. Joan has come over to talk to him. They're standing right there, and Patton can't breathe, can't move. Joan likes stocking with Patton. They told him so. They said that Patton's always cheerful and puts them in a good mood. And Patton can't make them mad. He can't disappoint. He doesn't want this to happen at work. He's been so good, so good–

Children are like snakes. They lie and they take, and they take–

If that's true, then why did they keep him? Why didn't they just...let him go? If they hated him so much?

Joan has him by the shoulders and the touch scalds. He's sitting down on the floor. When did that happen? He doesn't remember sitting or falling, he's just there now. And Joan's face is pinched with worry.

Oh.

He's messed up.

***

Patton sits huddled in the break room. Joan had removed him from the store floor at some point. Time is coming back to him sluggishly. The tightness in his chest remains, but he'll be okay. He'll figure out how to smile again soon. He just needs a breather.

Perhaps the season has brought an onslaught of memories with it. It would explain why he hasn't slept much these past few days. And why his stomach rebels at the mere thought of putting food in his mouth. When he lived with his parents and he was really hungry, his mom used to eat in front of him and tell him how good her cooking was–

Patton's fists clench on his thighs. He takes a deep breath that rattles his lungs.

He's not there anymore. He's not.

It's a cycle, the thoughts. They catch him off guard and he has to build his barriers anew. He forgets that he's supposed to be waiting for Joan to come back. At least, he thinks he's supposed to wait for Joan to come back and let him out. He's not supposed to open the door. Dad hates it when he tries–

The door opens. Joan has returned and they hold the door open for a black clothed figure.

Patton squints. "Janus?"

"Hello, dear. What's this I've heard about a dizzy spell?"

Patton can't sus out why Janus of all people is standing here. Here, in this dirty breakroom with its white plastic table and microwave that doesn't latch closed correctly. Janus dresses too nice to be in a retail store breakroom. Yet he walks in like he owns the place.

"What are you doing here?" Patton says woodenly.

Joan frowns. "He was on your emergency contact list. I'm sorry Pat, but I think you should take the rest of the day off, and I'd worry about you getting home alone."

"You're my emergency contact?" Patton wonders. He's pretty sure he left that blank on his application form.

Joan's frown deepens. "...did you not know?"

Janus butts in and starts petting at Patton's hair with a gloved hand. "Poor thing is so exhausted, he must have forgotten. Come along, Patton. I have the car waiting outside."

"But....but I have to work," Patton tries. He really tries. The thought of going back out there, pretending to be happy, it breaks something inside of him. But he has to. He can't let them down.

Janus leans forward to meet his gaze. His eyes soften. Patton didn't know he could look like... like that. "Patton, sweetie, it's okay to rest when you need to."

"It is?"

Janus's jaw clenches and before Patton can think he might be mad at him for speaking, the softness is back and his voice is lilting in sympathy, "Yes, sweetie. It's better to take care of yourself early, before you run yourself into the ground. You've worked hard enough. Your manager was just telling me what a good employee you are. They want to make sure you're healthy. Will you help me do that?"

Patton can't deny him. He lets Janus haul him up and pull his arm around his for support. Arm in arm, Janus bids Joan a farewell and they leave the store.

As they walk, Janus pats at his hand and tells him that he's doing a good job. Patton doesn't believe it, but it's nice of him to say it. It's odd to see Janus here, without the other two. Whenever it's all of them, Patton can use the others as a buffer. Janus still intimidates him. It's not his fault; Patton just can't be normal.

Outside, there is indeed a car waiting for them. It's a sleek maroon sedan. Patton doesn't know cars past that. It's fancy and probably worth fifty grand at least. It makes him wonder how they can afford stuff like this by breaking into poor people's apartments. There has to be more going on in their lives, other jobs that Patton isn't privy to.

Janus ushers him into the backseat and follows him in. It's leather interior, of course. In the driver's seat sits a familiar face.

"Your worst nightmare, reporting for duty," Virgil says, deadpanned.

"We really must work on your people skills, Virgil," Janus drawls. He doesn't wait for Patton to buckle himself in. He reaches over and does it for him, leaving Patton to blink at what just happened.

"Like you work with me for my people skills," Virgil fires back. In the rearview mirror, his shadowed eyes meet Patton's, serious. His tone shifts, gentling. "You okay back there, Pat?"

Patton wonders if he looks like a deer in the headlights.

He hums an affirmative and nods.

"Cool, ready to get home?"

"Actually, Virgil, I was thinking a change of scenery might be in order."

Virgil shoots Janus an unimpressed look. "You don't think he wants to go home?"

"He said he doesn't," Janus lies smoothly. "Let's head back to the lair. It'll be good for him."

For some reason, Virgil startles and whips around to stare wide-eyed at Janus. "What? Why? Why there? We could go literally anywhere else!"

"Because I said so. And also, because it will most likely be the best place we can take him that won't stress him out further. Wouldn't you agree?"

Virgil growls out some protests, but in the end he faces forward and jerks the gear shift into reverse. They cruise out of the parking lot and down the road they go.

Patton most certainly never mentioned a desire to not go home. Why would Janus lie about that? And what is the lair? Patton thinks of cartoon villains with their evil lairs. Maybe he's being kidnapped and he'll never be seen again. Mwhahaha.

Patton doesn't watch out the window like Janus does. He stares forward at the back of the driver's seat, letting the world pass around them. Partway through the drive, Janus holds his hand out to him. He doesn't look over, but the hand hangs there in the air, waiting.

Twenty seconds pass, and when it's still hanging, Patton reaches up to grasp it in both of his. He sneaks a peek at Janus, but nope. The man acts as if nothing is occurring.

Patton ensures that he doesn't hold too tightly. He lets the hand sit in his lap, palm upwards, and he kind of runs his fingers over Janus's. The glove is smooth cotton, not as silky as he originally thought. He plays with the finger joints and fiddles with the glove tips, and he doesn't think about bad things.

The lair is revealed to be a sinister looking apartment complex in downtown. And by sinister, it's completely average. It's a series of gray brick buildings, each with second floor apartments with outside staircases. Virgil pulls up to one of the buildings.

"Last stop, all passengers please depart," Virgil mutters. He doesn't wait for them and hops out himself. Patton watches him take the stairs two at a time and duck into a second floor apartment.

Janus snickers, "He's probably rushing to clean before you see the pigsty he and Remus live in."

Patton slides his attention over to him. Janus hasn't made a move to remove his hand or reprimand him for still holding it. He's watching Patton, warmth brimming in his eyes that can't be for him. He props an elbow at the window and leans his chin on a fist.

"They live here?" Patton asks. It's dumb of him to ask, because Janus more or less just confirmed it, but he can't stop himself.

"Oh yes, like the gremlins they are."

"Why are we here Janus?"

"To visit said gremlins in their natural habitat."

"...why am I here, Janus?"

And there it is. Patton has finally found the will to question them in their endless series of complicated generosity. He wants to know more than he wants it to continue. He needs answers, even if it costs him.

Janus appraises him. He doesn't act confused or angry. He knows exactly what Patton means. "Because believe it or not, I meant it when I said you deserve a rest. And letting you go back to that lonely apartment of yours will only be counterintuitive. You'll look at those same walls and that brain of yours will try to play tricks on you. Don't think I haven't noticed how tired you are."

Patton swallows back the shame. "I'm sorry," he whispers miserably.

Janus swoops in and nudges his chin back up from where he looked away. "Don't be sorry, darling. Be angry. Be gallantly angry at this world that has failed you. Live to spite those that tried to ruin you. Don't let them win."

Patton grips at the hand in his lap, and the hand squeezes back. "I don't like anger. It scares me."

"When you first met me, I scared you, didn't I?"

It's true. As much as Janus has done for him now, Patton can't rid his mind of the yelling from that night, the sheer ferocity of it.

Janus swipes a thumb across his cheekbone. "I'm sorry that I did, but I can't say I regret it. Do you know why?"

Patton shakes his head.

"What came after that night?"

They did. They stayed in his life. They filled the empty void in his apartment and his soul. They kicked off his new lease at life with a flurry of chaotic excitement. They were so interesting, and complex, and different than other people. Most days, Patton waited for when they would show up next.

Janus lets him think about it. He doesn't have to answer; Janus can see where his mind strays. "That wasn't so scary, was it? It's alright to be angry. It's what you do with it that matters. Some of the most influential people changed the world for the better simply because they got angry enough."

Patton glances down at the hand he holds. He leans in a little at the hand still placed on his cheek. "You're not mad at me though, right?"

Because even now, he has to make sure the voices in his head aren't right.

"Never, love. Never."

***

The inside of Virgil and Remus's apartment is a cluttered mix of Gothic meets scene kid. Decorating the walls are band posters, artwork of live action and cartoon TV shows that are somewhat recognizable, and haunting landscape paintings. There's a metal shelf entirely dedicated to skull sculptures. Centered on the middle shelf is a giant crystal skull with a gear shaped clock in its mouth.

Patton looks up in wonder at a large, black spiderweb hanging from the corner of the ceiling. Nestled inside are various stuffed animals, some of famous fictional horror monsters and lots of Pokémon. Like so many Pokémon. It continues with little figurines of them on floating shelves.

"Oh," Patton utters, glancing this way and that. There's just so much to see! There's a massive boardgame collection on the other side of a dining table, filling up every inch of two shelves pushed together. And there's a neon standing lamp shaped like a martini glass! And elegant black and purple curtains that you'd find in a vampire's house. And goodness! The centerpiece of the table is a small rainbow Christmas tree decorated in Halloween ornaments! It's got little orange pumpkins and black bats. And sitting in one of the chairs is a human sized plastic skeleton, head tossed back like it's in the middle of a good laugh.

"Wow," Patton says in awe. Lair indeed.

He jumps when a door slams. It's Virgil. He's pressed back against a door and smiling sheepishly.

"Just don't open this one," he says.

Janus stands there, arms crossed. "Did you just toss your collective mess in there to worry about later?"

"....no."

"Right, I suppose that's where the dead bodies are stowed then?" he suggests. Then he turns around where Virgil can't see to share a secret shake of his head to Patton to let him know that he's kidding.

"No, that's Remus's room."

"Indeed. Well, that certainly won't come back to bite you later. Let's eat then! I don't know about you, but I'm famished."

They filter down a little hallway to the kitchen. Despite this being Virgil's and Remus's apartment, Janus knows where everything is located. He opens cabinets to pull out spices and a mixing bowl and orders Virgil to retrieve some thawed chicken from the fridge.

"Remus was gonna make chimichangas."

"Well, Remus isn't here, so we're going to use it to make alfredo. He'll be absolutely devastated when he comes home to a meal already prepared."

Patton watches them while fiddling with his fingers. He doesn't want to interrupt but he doesn't want to stand there uselessly. Did they even want him to follow them to the kitchen anyway? Patton could be intruding. Maybe he should–

"Patton dear, could you come sit up here please? I have a task for you."

Patton obliges and follows Janus. He hesitates when his 'chair' is indicated to be the kitchen counter. Virgil doesn't bat an eye, so he hops up.

"Wonderful," Janus approves. "Now, Virgil is going to cut up the chicken for me while I prepare a bread option for us and perhaps a salad. I need you to supervise Virgil while he works."

Virgil snorts as he drains the chicken package into the sink. Patton doesn't think Virgil needs supervision. Patton's the youngest person here, he's sure.

Janus whispers behind a hand, "He has a thing about raw meat, so keep an eye on him, will you? Oh also, here, eat this."

A pudding cup materializes out of nowhere and is deposited in his hands along with a spoon. It's chocolate and vanilla swirl.

"Oh, okay," Patton responds too late. Janus has already moved across the kitchen. Virgil slides in on the counter to replace him.

"Don't listen to him, he's a worry wart. And that's coming from me."

Patton fights back a grin at their antics of playfully trying to undermine each other. "I don't know wart you mean," he says quietly, and it's the kind of joke that he would usually keep to himself. The kind that no one wants to hear and only he thinks is funny.

But Virgil...he laughs.

Dazed, Patton watches Virgil hide his face into the shoulder of his hoodie where he gives an adorable snort-giggle.

"What's so funny?" Janus calls over, hearing the bout of amusement.

With a big grin plastered on his face, Virgil tells him, "I said you're a worry wart, and Patton said, 'I don't know wart you mean'."

"Terrible. Absolutely horrendous. Tell me more."

And Patton keeps them company while they prepare dinner. Virgil chops the meat, Janus tosses together a salad mixture and pulls out a bottle of wine, and Patton nibbles at his pudding in between telling shy puns that he's collected for years.

Dinner is ready by the time Remus returns. They hear his motorcycle engine rev as they're setting the table.

Janus rolls his eyes. "Of course he shows up after it's already ready."

Four plates are dished out and a minute later, Remus swings open the door. He's shuffling his feet in a dance, tossing his keys into a pretty ceramic bowl while he sings.

"With the taste of your lips I'm on a ride~"

And then he stops mid-twirl as his eyes land on their get-together. More notably, the fact that Patton is sitting there at the table beside the perky skeleton. He goes unnaturally still, a perfect statue in leather studs.

Patton offers a timid wave. Virgil throws a breadstick at him to no affect. "Just come eat, you doofus."

A sly grin stretches up Remus's face. "Did you guys kidnap a cute little puppy while I was away?"

"Is it really kidnapping if it's consensual?" Janus debates. "Also, we're having chicken alfredo. I tried to tell Virgil you wanted to save the chicken for chimichangas, but he just wouldn't listen to me."

Virgil hacks into his wine glass and throws a breadstick at him next along with some colorful swearing. Janus laments the waste of carbs, the only thing he's truly sorry for.

Remus saunters over and sits across from Patton. He doesn't seem broken up about the change of meal plans at all and tucks into dinner. He slurps down a noodle messily.

"So Pattycake, what's a guy like you doing in a dank hole like this?"

"Oh, your place is really cool actually... I like it, it's got a lot of..."

"Skulls?"

"Clutter?"

"Diseases?"

"Character," Patton finishes after everyone takes a turn.

Remus shrugs. He offers a bite of pasta to the skeleton, but the skeleton must not be very hungry and chooses not to partake. He carries on eating unperturbed.

And they eat together, and chat together, and laugh together. As if Patton isn't invading their space. As if he belongs there.

Patton's hands only shake a little bit.

After the meal, Remus lays down in the middle of the living room floor, limbs star fished out. He begins snoring less than a minute later.

Patton gawks at him in amazement. "Did he really fall asleep that fast?"

"You should see him fall asleep standing up," Virgil says. He leans closer to Patton, his voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "Better yet, I've seen him fall asleep with his eyes open."

"That's possible?!"

"No, which is why I don't think he's human."

Patton stares at Remus in a new light, and he must be making a face because Virgil sniggers. The volume doesn't bother Remus in the slightest. If anything, he snores louder.

Janus collects the dirty dishes and piles them together. "Remus had a long night. I say he's earned himself a rest...for now."

"Do you want some help?" Patton asks, jumping up.

Janus waves him off. "Don't worry about it. You're a guest. If anything, our host here should be tidying up."

Virgil scrunches up his nose. "Ew, dishes. Sounds like pleb work."

Janus goes to cuff him on the back of the head, and for a second Patton's heart leaps into his throat, but Virgil ducks out of the way and scampers off in a comical run, snickering and calling Janus an old man.

"This is the thanks I get for raising them," Janus says flatly in a way that belies his amusement. He gathers what dishes he can and carries them off to the kitchen.

Patton sits at the table alone with the skeleton. Janus said he doesn't need help...but could that be a test? He doesn't seem that mad at Virgil for skimping out. In fact, he acted like it was to be expected.

He doesn't want to let the moment pass though and get it wrong. Just in case, Patton scoops up the remaining glasses and takes them to the kitchen.

Janus has begun filling the sink up with soapy water. His jacket has been removed, and he's in the middle of rolling up the long sleeves of his yellow button up. The gloves are gone as well. There are tattoos swirling up his forearms.

He takes one look at the dishes in Patton's arms and he clicks his tongue at him. He comes forward to take them from him. "Thank you dear, but I have this part under control. Why don't you go spend some time with Virgil? He could use some company. Plus, I think you're a good influence on him."

"Really?" Patton blurts out, distracted.

Janus smiles kindly as he deposits the dirty dishes in the sink. "Don't act so surprised. Virgil's more lively when you're around, and Remus actually settles down now and then. Now run along. Make sure they don't get up to trouble for me."

Patton scurries off.

In the living room, Virgil lazes on the couch, head resting on the arm. The TV remote spins in his hand.

Virgil spies him and asks, "Wanna watch a movie, Pat?"

Patton agrees and soon a film is playing. It's a superhero movie, one of the Avengers movies. Patton hasn't seen much of the others, so he listens to Virgil explain the characters and bits that he doesn't recognize. Virgil offers to watch them in order, but Patton enjoys listening to him more.

Eventually, Virgil's descriptions become less frequent. Patton glances over to find he's nodded off. Remus snores away on the carpet, dead to the world. From the kitchen, Patton can hear the dishes clinking lightly.

He thinks this is what home is supposed to feel like.

Later, Janus finishes cleaning up the kitchen. His boys have been suspiciously quiet, so he goes to check on them.

In the living room he finds them all conked out. Virgil dozes on the couch, and Remus still on the floor, but the part that really inspires him to sneak out his phone and steal a picture is Patton.

Patton lays on the floor sound asleep, using Remus's chest as a pillow. He's tucked into the crook of his arm, and Remus snores on, oblivious to the cute little puppy seeking warmth from his big guard dog.

Janus is making that picture his home screen.