#also the order of the vines that created the light sides was Patton then Roman then Logan

[halfhissandwich]

Furthering my “Logan is the baby of the family” agenda, this was episode 4 and he’s already pulling the “our nonexistent mom said it’s my turn on the Nintendo Wii!”

[spacegaywritings]

The Wonders of Sleep - Chap 1/5  “Productive Night)

Summary: A bunch of oneshots on Virgil making sure the other sides sleep after long days of work and being busy. This time, Logan has worked until the next day and still refuses to sleep until a certain intervention stops him from getting more coffee.

Tw: trigger?? nO only SOFT RIGHTS, analogical, virgil, logan, nap, softness, domestic fluff. Fluff. Self care, trust, sleep, snuggles, cuddles, naps

 ao3 ! / next chapter .

Support me? KoFi.

Story under the cut! (1326 Words)

Loud typing filled the air of the commons. Tips and traps were emitted by the consistently pestered keyboard as Logan was writing away at a first draft of logical facts that would end up woven into the latest script of yet another episode of the Sanders Sides series Thomathy had created.

 His unoccupied hand reached for the cup of coffee, his fingers wrapping around its handle. It was cream white. A colour fitting into basically any setting. This is why Logan appreciated it. No matter what or where, a good cream colour fit any occasion or location.

It definitely aligned with the rest of furniture Patton had asked Roman to put into their common space.

 When he brought the cup up to his lips, eyes still fixed on the illuminating screen, he stilled down. It was empty. While a bit of remaining smell of dark, unsweetened and bitter coffee greeted him, there was no replenishing liquid left to clear up his senses.

Not to speak of his expanding on his capacity to stay awake further.

 “How unfortunate”, he mumbled to himself as he placed the mug back onto the table and retreated his hand to finish typing up his section.

Finally.

He was not fully done but at least a part of it was ready to be send over to Roman.

 He closed his laptop, glancing over the time in the bottom left corner of the screen.

2:49 am

This was not exactly the prime time of productivity but he had yet to write a frame of safety measurements and otherwise logistic concerns for Roman to consider. It was just a list of things he had to bring up in a meeting with the others in order to make these short videos Thomas made, as well.

To be fair, it just made him remember “vines”. To Logan, these compilations of short sketches were nothing but “vines”. They had to be put into quotations as they were not actual vines such as the plants.

 He got u-.

No, he did not.

Instead of raising to his feet, Logan got somewhat stuck in the process. His butt barely left the soft couch but did not get any further. A certain amount of weight pushed him back down to his seat.

 How odd.

 Logan looked down, mug in his hand and nothing but an empty grab into air with his unoccupied fingers.

Apparently Virgil had placed himself onto his lap while he was immersed in work - not literally, of course, just mentally. It was another of these metaphorical expressions he had picked up.

 “Virgil, what are you doing here?”

 There was no answer.

Huh, strange. Virgil was usually more than fast to shoot back any retort but there was really nothing but silence, not even a flinch.

Any movement and sound were cancelled out.

 Logan squinted, leaning a bit over Virgil to look at his face. It was mostly covered in his bangs. Other than that, he was facing away from Logan, more towards the table with the laptop on it. He had not even realised the weight of a whole head and a pair of shoulders nestling on his lap.

Now there was Virgil and he could not get up to the coffee machine and make himself more coffee.

 “Virgil, please, this is highly unproductive.”

 Maybe it was one of these practical jokes Virgil explained to him? It was worth a “shot” to try and appeal to Virgil from blocking him.

 “This is highly unproductive. It is almost 3am, please let me continue on with my work. Anxiety? Are you ignoring me?” He stared into the closed yes he could see with his back arching a bit further. Virgil looked peaceful.

 They had accepted him a while ago and it had become more and more usual for him to come around and hang out with them despite him having enough after even a few minutes. It must have been due to a lack of consistent social interaction, Logan assumed, for now Virgil was more likely to stay even when a lot of them were together and actively engaging.

It was nice to have a calm person around, especially when Roman and Patton had especially intense days of being... an extra “handful”. Logan did not even know how to phrase it.

 He blinked.

 Now that he thought about it, the weight was sort of nice, maybe hindering him from getting more coffee and postponing his sleep further, yet still somewhat comforting.

It sounded odd but apparently, people sleep better with extra weight since it reduces anxiety and gives the body a feeling of comfort.

 “Virgil?”

 He did not want to wake up the other but he still called for him. It was another illogical action he found himself indulge in more and more.

Sometimes it felt as if the interactions he had with the others made him somewhat dense to sensible actions. Why would he say Virgil’s name for no reason? The idea of risking his sleep was rather bad, to be frank. Virgil needed sleep, it was also 3 am - since when was Virgil on his lap?

 When did Logan get his last coffee? He only remembered sitting down to start on his work in the evening and now it was very early in the morning.

 Well, he did still have a lot of work left to finish . . . Thomathy relied on him.

 “Virgil, please, I have work to do. I really need to keep going.”

 He looked down at the unmoving body and sighed.

 Nothing, not even a single reaction.

If Virgil was secretly awake, he was being rather persistent albeit rather calm about it. Usually, even the slightest bit of stress had him react intensely - which made sense considering he was the metaphysical embodiment of anxiety.

 “I have to finish. Roman and Patton will be lost without me and it will cause you more work to deal with, Virgil.”

 He glanced over the laptop and opened again.

If Virgil did not move, then he would work until he would pass ou-

 Wait.

 Exhausting himself until late into the night and even further meant that Thomathy had to be awake still, had to be awake because of him.

 Logan shoved his glasses up and rubbed his closed eyes. They were so warm.

He cleared his throat and opened up his mouth to speak to nobody in particular.

 “I.. I consider this a good time to catch up on my lost weeks of sleep as there is nothing better to do. Seeing as Virgil has fallen asleep on me”, he declared. Maybe he was addressing Virgil. He certainly was shutting down his idea laptop and putting it back into its respective bag.

 “Well, then. I will succumb to temporary nonsense for now - but only for as long as my mind needs to rest."

 His fingers pushed away the packed up laptop which nudged the empty coffee mug. Another hand wrapped around Virgil in the now completely dark room.

With the light of the laptop gone, only the faint lights in the kitchen (a sort of night light Patton had insisted on) illuminated the living-room a bit.

 Logan adjusted a bit and managed to eventually bring his legs around Virgil’s body and pull the other close to his chest before he buried them in a big blanket.

Props to Patton for keeping blankets in about any space this house knew. A freezing Morality was an inventive side, Logan noted down in appreciation.

 As he cuddled into the couch cushion, he wrapped his arms around Virgil, glasses abandoned on the coffee table.

  “Thanks for the reminder, Virgil. I really forgot how late it had gotten.”

 The logical side allowed himself to fall asleep to the regular rhythm of Virgil’s calm breathing. He could not see the curled up side smile but he knew for a fact that the other was less asleep than he pretended to be.

 One side down.

[kingdomofgufalla]

Feeding Cycles

Summary

Most plants in the kingdom of Gufalla feed off of human laughter as their primary source of sustenance. Roman made it so that instead of converting light into food, they convert the soundwaves produced through laughter instead. There is also magic involved, so the process isn’t completely scientific. All plants do need water to survive in some way still, because Roman modeled them after real world plants.

What is a Feeding Cycle?

A feeding cycle or feeding time is the calculated amount of laughter that a plant needs to convert over certain periods of time in order to live a long healthy life. It is similar to a diet. Every species of plant has a different ideal feeding cycle, but even those of the same species will vary. Not every plant is exactly the same. The statistic is just a general number that could produce positive results for the plant.

A plant feeds off laughter?

A plant does feed off of human laughter, yes. So, a plant technically could go to a comedy show and be completely full within a matter of minutes. However, the liklihood of a plant actually attending a comedy show by itself is 0, because most of them are like actual plants and can’t move without the help of an outside force. Also, because plants are unable to speak or tell jokes to random humans that may happen to come across them out in the wild, tickling is just the easiest option.

So, it can be any type of laughter?

It could, but the amount of energy the plant retains determines on the type of laughter. Logan and Roman conducted a study together to see what types of laughter give the best energy. If a human just randomly laughs at a joke in the vicinity of a tickle plant, the laughter retained will be 25% than if the person made the same laugh, but it was being tickled by the plant. A plant could even retain fake laughs, but at an even lower pecentage at 15%. So yes, quality and intention do play a massive part into the calculations determined by the feeding cycles. Also, some plants are picky about their laughter and retain more when one person giggles as opposed to a different person. A plant could also like soft giggles more than big belly laughter. As I said before, no plant is the same.

Do Plants know when to stop?

Yes. Roman made sure that none of the plants could go too far when tickling their victim...or at least on purpose. Some plants, like the Feather Fly Trap, get too excited and have a hard time stopping once they get going, much like a dog licking their owner’s face for seconds on end. There is also another instance where a plant may contract a disease, making the plant almost in a zombie trance state where they could tickle forever, regardless if they are full or went too far.

Do plants give breaks during feeding cycles?

Yes! Calculated feeding times do add in breaks for the ticklee or caretaker’s sake. It also depends on the plant’s bond with the person they are tickling. A plant would be much more aware of their favorite person’s state of being than say a random stranger.

How do you know when a plant is full?

The colors of the flowers, leaves, vines, etc. glow bright. The more vivid the colors, the more full the plant is. If a plant begins to flicker between different shades of it’s colors then it is either extremely hungry or starving. This is why the species of plants that do not feed on laughter are usually quite dark in contrast.

Can a Tickle plant get too full?

Yes. It is possible. It happens to the tickle plants who can’t control themselves quite easily when they are tickling their victims. (Also baby tickle plants as they are figuring out how much they can take in.) The repercussions are similar to if someone overindulged in a gigantic meal. The plant will be sluggish, have a delayed reaction time, and an extremely large dose of laughter might throw off their regular feeding cycles.

What happens when a tickle plant is starving?

The first thing I want to say is a tickle plant cannot die if they do not convert laughter for over a long period of time. Roman made sure of that. Instead, the tickle plant will go into a dormant mode. In this mode, they will begin to act like a basic plant, taking in water and sunlight. There are many plants in the Kingdom of Gufalla that act like this because they are so deep in the woods or extremely far from civilization that no one ever visits.

Can a tickle plant recover from their dormant mode?

Yup! Someone just needs to laugh in their vicinity! The laughter should allow it to wake up and smell the bacon, metaphorically! XD Then it will restrain the person gently and get the laughter it needs.

Some tickle plants don’t feed on laughter?

Yes. They are very rare species though and are usually found in dark places like caves, undergrowths, or places that never touch sunlight. All plants that fall into the lee alignment, also fall into this category.

What are the plants’ sources of energy then?

Yeah, the sides and figments are the main characters, but there is over 500,000 random npcs Roman created to live in the kingdom of Gufalla. Their purpose is to exist and also feed the plants and animals with their laughter.

What makes a plant able to feed off of laughter?

It’s a combination of science and tickle magic. Roman wanted there to be enough mystery in the world so that Logan and Virgil could find interest in it to, and not just Patton. 

Is laughter the life force of a plant?

Hmmm...not quite. The tickle plants that do not need laughter to survive dissproved that hypothesis. Plants can’t get healed by laughter anymore than humans could get healed by food. This isn’t Super Smash Bros. or Kirby, unfortunately.

If some plants don’t need laughter, then why do they tickle?

All plants have tickle magic, thus all plants engage in some form of tickling. Tickle plants that feed off only water with the ler alignment, like Jack, only tickle because they want to, or think a human is being too cute and needs a tickle. They see tickling as a more recreational past time than something that needs to be done to survive. Also, not all plants that don’t need laughter to survive are lers. There are extremely ticklish lee plants that hide in the dark away from the wiggling fingers of humans. 

So, not all plants have feeding cycles?

Correct. What all plants do have, however, is how often the soil around them should be watered. Always water your plants at specific times of the day so you don’t forget. And if you are forgetful, set up an auto watering system, so that all you have to do is fill it up every once and awhile.

(Will add more later.)

Taglist: @fluffymary @soft-blog-for-tickles @adoryblegiggles@violetmcl@novaticklee @chituri @shadowkittycat97 @agarus-lershal548@babyticklee @thetickleeraven(Let me know if you want to be tagged.)

[miguel-manbemel]

Aspects & Fanfics Ep. 2: The Trouble with Honesty

New entry of the fanfic based on the “Sanders Sides” series created by Thomas and Joan. This is a continuation of the previous entry, “Virgil’s Revelation”. References to that entry appear in the text. Remember that this fanfic ignores any events after “Embarrassing Phases: The Nightmare instead of Christmas”. Also, a new original character is introduced, let’s see if it works out right.

SYNOPSIS: Thomas is having trouble with some friends when one of them tells him something that doesn’t leave the other friend in a good place. When he’s doubting if he should level up with one friend or preserve the other’s privacy, Honesty, a Light Side that Thomas and the other Light Sides already knew from long ago but who hadn’t made an appearance for eight years, suddenly shows up, trying to help Thomas. It won’t help, though, when Honesty learns of Deceit’s recent appearances, as he hates him to death.

WARNINGS: A brief scene of slightly intense horror happens. Mild angst. There are references to cheating, treason and manipulation. Deceit makes several appearances.

EPISODE INDEX

THOMAS: I’m so happy I finally set up a post office box. Now I can receive the things my Famders want to send to me! I asked a friend who has a van to bring the first shipping here.

[the doorbell rings]

THOMAS: [excited] Oh, good! There he is. [trying to calm down] But I mustn’t hold expectations too high. Probably no one knows about the address yet. I’m sure he’s not bringing much…

[While he’s saying this, he gets off-screen to open the door. Then a huge noise is heard and an avalanche of gifts of all kinds, like teddy bears, drawings, photographs, notebooks, etcetera, fills the whole living room from the floor to the ceiling.]

THOMAS: [his voice is faintly heard between the gifts] Help… me…

[intro sequence]

THOMAS: [in a mildly anxious mood] What is up, everybody? Okay, sorry for delivering this video in such a mood but… today has not been exactly the best day, you know? There has been some news today that has got me worrying all day and I’m at the crossroads about what to do.

VIRGIL: [appearing] That’s an understatement. You’re making me work extra hours today, man.

THOMAS: I’m sorry, Virgil. I wish I could feel more chill, but I can’t.

VIRGIL: Wow, instead of blaming me for making you feel nervous, you’re apologizing to me for making me work harder? That’s a first.

PATTON: [rising up] I’m sorry for my share in the issue, Thomas. I’m really affected by the news and I can’t help feeling icky.

VIRGIL: [worried] Are you okay, Patton?

PATTON: I’ve seen better days, Virgil, but I’ll survive, I guess. Thanks for asking, kiddo.

THOMAS: I just wish I knew what to do…

LOGAN: [rising up] The only way to find out is to analyze your options and choose the best solution for this issue… By the way, what’s the issue?

THOMAS: You don’t know?

LOGAN: Sorry, I was in autopilot this morning, I had ordered a new lot of Crofter’s and…

THOMAS: Well, I’ll tell you. This morning I received a call from a friend I had not seen for a long time. They wanted to see me, so I met with them a couple of hours later downtown. You know, in that beautiful cafeteria I like. We talked about how life had been going for them, I talked about how I was doing, and then, after a while, out of nowhere, they suddenly told me something that got me petrified.

LOGAN: What?

THOMAS: I… I don’t know if I should repeat it. It was something related with another common friend that did not put them in a good position, you know? It’s not something I should tell aloud in a video that could be watched by young people.

[Suddenly, an unknown Side rises up in the place between Roman and Virgil’s position, with the TV to his right and the posters behind him, right in front of Thomas. He is dressed in an old fashioned gray suit, with a white shirt and a dark orange bow-tie, wearing a gray fedora with an orange strip and holding an umbrella clinging in his arm that is gray with the handle in orange. Upon seeing him, Patton and Thomas gasp and smile widely, Logan opens his eyes widely, adjusts his glasses and lets go a little smirk, Virgil looks at the stranger in a huge shock]

THOMAS: [happy surprise] Oh, hi, what a surprise! It was about time for you to appear! Glad that you finally decided to show up in one of our videos, Honesty!

HONESTY: [speaking with an old fashioned, marked RP British accent and a slightly posh attitude] Well, you know that I don’t like this kind of stuff in front of the camera, Thomas. I prefer staying in my room in autopilot having a nice cup of tea while you all work out your problems. Hello, Patton.

PATTON: [waving his hand happily] Hi, Honesty!

HONESTY: Salutations, Logan.

LOGAN: Hi, Honesty, it’s good to see you again.

HONESTY: [noticing Virgil’s presence] Now, may you introduce me to your new friend?

VIRGIL: [confused, looking at the new Side] I… I’m sorry, who is this guy?

LOGAN: Oh, that’s right, you two have never met before. He’s an old friend of us, Virgil. He’s Thomas’ honesty. Honesty, this is our friend Virgil, he’s Thomas’ anxiety.

HONESTY: [taking his hat off politely] How do you do, sir?

VIRGIL: [in a more casual manner, still recovering from the shock of his unexpected entrance] Sup.

THOMAS: And what has brought you to us this time, Honesty? I don’t even remember the last time you showed up in person before us. I think it was even before Vine. Have you ever been in my apartment even?

HONESTY: Well, I felt you were having issues relating to honesty, right? I thought that my presence was needed today.

LOGAN: Well, it’s certainly not the first time we’ve had honesty issues, you know?

VIRGIL: [frowning] …or dishonesty issues…

LOGAN: Oofff… please don’t mention him, Virgil.

HONESTY: Mention who?

PATTON: Roman, Thomas and Virgil use to call him Slimy Boi, but his name is Deceit.

HONESTY: [suddenly angry, waving up his umbrella, yelling and startling everyone] What!? That vicious snake has been here!? I thought he was locked down in the dark vaults forever! How did that cursed serpent get out!?

THOMAS: [a bit shocked] It’s… a long story… but calm down, Honesty! I didn’t know you hated him so much!

HONESTY: [still yelling] Of course I hate him! I’m honesty, and he’s dishonesty! He represents everything I hate in this life!

VIRGIL: [smirking] I’m starting to like this guy.

HONESTY: [calming down and returning to his posh attitude, he clears his throat] But you’re right. It’s important to keep self-control and never lose manners, so I apologize to you all. Now, I think we should get back to Thomas’ trouble.

THOMAS: Oh, right… As I was saying, I don’t know what to do about it.

LOGAN: Could you be a little more specific, Thomas? It’s hard to help you if you don’t give us enough data.

THOMAS: Okay, I’ll tell you as much as I can. My friend, let’s give them a casual name… Amethyst, told me something about the other friend, um… Garnet, related to a supposed betrayal of Garnet to another one of my friends who is Garnet’s romantic partner, let’s call them, um… I don’t know… Pearl.

LOGAN: [ironic] I wonder where you get those names from…

THOMAS: If what Amethyst told me is true, that could mean the end of Garnet and Pearl’s romance forever.

ROMAN: [rising up] Did someone say Roman?

THOMAS: No… but anyway, glad to have you here, Roman, even if a bit late today. Look who has honored us with his presence today.

HONESTY: Roman, punctuality is capital.

ROMAN: [happy] Oh, hello, Honesty, good to see you!

THOMAS: Anyway… The crossroads I am at now is about what I should do. [while he says this, there are shots of the different Sides getting progressively lost and confused] They’re all my friends. I don’t know if I should be honest with Garnet about the supposed betrayal, or with Pearl about telling them that Amethyst told me that, because… you know, Amethyst is my friend too and I would be betraying their trust if I uncovered them… and I could also tell Garnet and Pearl together that Amethyst told me that. I don’t know! My mind is a mess and I’m confused!

VIRGIL: [holding his temples] Who wouldn’t be with a phrase as convoluted as that?

ROMAN: [to Patton with a low voice] As I feared, Don Quixote of Thomancha, has gone nuts for watching too much “Steven Universe” and now he thinks the Crystal Gems are real.

PATTON: Nah, it’s not that, I’ll tell you later…

ROMAN: What are you, his Sancho Patton?

HONESTY: Well, Thomas, you certainly have your ideas all mixed up, but the answer to me is cut and dry. Tell the truth always.

PATTON: But that could break someone’s heart, Honesty.

HONESTY: I understand, Patton, but if it’s not Thomas, it probably will be someone else who tells them. Who can assure you that Amethyst hasn’t told the same thing to somebody else already? That, if they’re the only one who learned about that secret in the first place. Sooner or later the truth will probably arrive to Pearl one way or another, and it would be better if it arrived from a friend they trust rather than from another one who may not tell them as pleasantly.

THOMAS: It’s a way of seeing it, but…

HONESTY: [suddenly a bit unsettled] Now that I made my point clear to you, Thomas, if you excuse me, I think it’s time for me to go.

THOMAS: Oh, you’re leaving so soon?

HONESTY: You know I don’t like this camera thing, Thomas. It makes me nervous. It was a pleasure meeting you, Virgil.

VIRGIL: [little smile] Yeah, it was cool to… meet you too, Hon.

[All the Sides and Thomas stare at Virgil]

HONESTY: I beg your pardon?

VIRGIL: Short for Honesty… [after noticing the others staring at him, suddenly anxious] Oh, you thought I called you honey? It wasn’t that, I’m sorry!

HONESTY: Oh… I understand… Well… Having a short nickname is not exactly my cup of tea…

VIRGIL: It’s okay, if it makes you feel icky I won’t use it, Honesty, I’m so sorry!

HONESTY: Oh, don’t worry, everyone among you has some kind of short name, and you too, I presume. I understand that my aspect name is a big word…

PATTON: Well, my aspect name is a bigger word, I’m Morality.

HONESTY: Yes, but I think we were calling you Dad even before you told us your aspect name.

PATTON: True, Hon.

HONESTY: [more unsettled] As I was saying, I’m not accustomed to be called by short names, but I can get used to have one too if you think it can help you save time, for practical reasons… Now, as I said, I really must go.

ROMAN: I hope we don’t have to wait for another eight years to see you again in person, Honesty.

THOMAS: [to himself] So eight years it was… Yep, it’s the first time he sets foot in my apartment.

HONESTY: [to Roman] We’ll see. [sinking down] Good-bye, gentlemen.

PATTON: Byeee!

THOMAS: Well, it was good to see him again… but I feel like I haven’t moved from the starting position here. I’m still not sure about what to do.

ROMAN: So, telling the truth does not convince you completely?

THOMAS: I mean, I want to tell the truth, but I also don’t want to hurt anybody.

LOGAN: This is getting strangely familiar.

DECEIT: [suddenly appearing in the spot between Thomas and Patton, with the window and the coffee table behind him] It certainly isn’t familiar at all.

THOMAS: [yelps, scared] Deceit! What are you doing here?

[Virgil looks at Deceit with a worried face, Patton with a face of slight horror]

ROMAN: [ferocious face and voice] How dare you show up after what you did, you viper!

DECEIT: [with a semblance of dignity] I’m sorry, but you are talking about an issue related to lying. I’m still a Side of Thomas and if he’s considering lying, that’s my job and you’ll have to hear me. Whether you like it or not, you’ll have to deal with it.

ROMAN: [making a gesture of approaching Deceit to punch him] Why you…

THOMAS: Roman, no violence in this apartment, please. Then it would be me who stays here cleaning the stains of blood from the carpet all night [low voice] like the last time…

VIRGIL: [sighs] I’m afraid Deceit’s right.

ROMAN: [surprised] Virgil, what are you saying? This Aliegator can’t be trusted in anything he says!

VIRGIL: Trust in me, then, Roman. For better or worse, I know him very well, and right at this moment, he’s the only one who can be useful in this issue. We need him if Thomas intends to lie, even for the tiniest little lie.

DECEIT: [dangerously sweet voice] That’s right, old friend…

VIRGIL: [angry] Don’t get me wrong, Deceit! We’re not friends anymore, especially after what you did! Stick to do your job and leave me alone!

THOMAS: Okay… If we’re going to do this, let’s do it already. [sighs] What do you have to say, Deceit?

DECEIT: Well, we haven’t already analyzed all the ways to lie before, Thomas, so I’m not gonna add anything else. There is another way of lying we fully covered.

LOGAN: [sighs] Couldn’t you just avoid lying for a little moment, Deceit? At least during the exposition so that we don’t get lost in translation?

DECEIT: I’m not sorry… I mean… [struggling a bit] I am sorry. It’s the habit. I said there was a way of lying we didn’t fully covered: white lies.

LOGAN: But white lies are not a specific way of lying. They are lies of omission, commission or character like the others, only the purpose varies.

DECEIT: Yes… but it is important for Thomas to understand the implications of this type of lie. Sometimes, Thomas, there is no other option but lying. There are times you have to hide the truth to someone in order to avoid hurting them or others.

PATTON: But lying is wrong!

DECEIT: Isn’t hurting someone also wrong if you can avoid it?

PATTON: Well…

DECEIT: If a lie works to avoid a great harm for other people other than yourself, is it still wrong?

PATTON: I guess… it depends on the situation.

DECEIT: So you admit that lying isn’t always wrong.

PATTON: I already said there were some rare exceptions, kiddo, but that doesn’t mean giving Thomas carte blanche to lie. It has to be well justified to be acceptable.

DECEIT: Then the point here is finding grounded justifications for lying, isn’t it? And I suspect Thomas has already found them long before I came here.

THOMAS: You’re right. I think it would be justified to hide the truth in this case. Besides, whatever I do, I’d have to hide the truth to someone, I’m afraid.

ROMAN: So, what will you do?

THOMAS: I don’t know.

LOGAN: Perhaps you should tell the supposed traitor, I mean… Garnet, what Amethyst told you to let them explain themselves, and then act in consequence depending on what they say. You don’t have to tell who told you that, so you don’t have to uncover them.

THOMAS: So you mean I have to tell Garnet the truth and a lie of omission at the same time?

LOGAN: Correct.

DECEIT: [face of delight] Mmm… A truth and lie salad, my favorite…

THOMAS: But what if they ask me how do I know or who told me?

DECEIT: Then I guess you’ll have to make something up. I can help you with that…

THOMAS: Yes, I guess so.

VIRGIL: Okay, Deceit, now you’ve made your point. I think it’s time for you to go now.

DECEIT: [sinking down] All right, but I won’t be back soon…

VIRGIL: [threatening voice] You’re better saying the truth right now.

THOMAS: Well, now I must draw a plan of action. Any suggestions?

LOGAN: If you have their phone number, I suggest that you call Garnet and tell them on the phone. It may make the conversation easier.

THOMAS: It’s an idea.

HONESTY: [suddenly rising up] Where is he!? Where is that poisonous snake!?

THOMAS: Oh, Honesty, you’re back! Deceit has just left.

HONESTY: [shouting] You can run but you can’t hide, Deceit! Sooner or later I’ll get you! I hope you’re not paying attention to anything he said, Thomas!

THOMAS: I’m sorry, Honesty, but in this case I think both of you have part of the reason. There is no possible way I can tell the truth to everyone without causing a huge mess.

HONESTY: [offended] I can’t believe you’re considering…

VIRGIL: I like the idea as much as you do, Honesty. Lying only brings up trouble and… well, anxiety, but sadly there’s no choice here.

HONESTY: Okay, if you’re all decided, then I have no reason to stay here and watch such a pitiful show. Good luck in your dishonest ways, Thomas.

THOMAS: But please, don’t get mad at me, Honesty.

HONESTY: [angry] How could I not get mad when you’re denying me and refusing to pay attention to me?

THOMAS: I do pay attention to you! I always try to be an honest person, so you play a huge part in my life! But, within some limits, I need to pay attention to the other Sides too, if the situation calls for it. Even to those I don’t like so much and even if I don’t like what they propose.

HONESTY: Well, you’re the boss, Thomas, but don’t complain to me if anything goes wrong, which probably will!

VIRGIL: Please, don’t make him more anxious, Honesty, that’s my job and I’m already at full cap.

[Honesty doesn’t answer. He simply sinks down and leaves]

LOGAN: Wow, he’s really got angry.

PATTON: Well, I understand him, what we’re going to do is wrong… or at least it’s not completely right. Gosh… morality can become so complicated sometimes…

THOMAS: Guys, I still haven’t made up my mind about what to do. Honesty has made me reconsider everything again…

LOGAN: This is starting to look like a ping-pong match, Thomas. In the end it’s you and only you who must make the choice about who to tell the truth and who to lie. We’re here to give you the options but we can’t choose in your place.

THOMAS: I know, Logan, I know…

DECEIT: [appearing again] Then if you know, you should get to work right now. The more time you wait, the worse it will get and the harder it will be for you.

VIRGIL: What are you doing back here?

DECEIT: I felt he needed a little extra push to start lying, so I came here to bite him.

THOMAS: What?

DECEIT: I mean… I came here to give you words of courage.

THOMAS: I see… Well, Deceit, I don’t think it’s safe for you to be here right now. Honesty is looking for you and he was especially angry today.

DECEIT: [angry voice, yelling] Oh! That magnificent, wonderful, father of a virgin!

PATTON: I don’t think I want to know what he really meant with all those inverted qualifiers.

THOMAS: Yeah, at least he saved me some time in the editing room with the censor bleep effects and all…

DECEIT: You say he’s been here? No wonder why you lost your will to lie! I’m not afraid of him! I’ll wait for him and we’ll see if he has what it takes to face me!

THOMAS: Again, no fighting in the living room…

DECEIT: Oh, there wouldn’t be any fighting at all. It would be so short no one would even notice.

[Deceit opens his mouth in a grotesque smile and reveals two long fangs covered with poison that looks like viscous green slime]

ROMAN: [disgusted] Eeewww!

VIRGIL: [looking away] Gross…

PATTON: [unimpressed] What? What’s wrong with goo? I like playing with goo.

LOGAN: Would you mind hiding those fangs, and that poison? [mumbling] So that’s why they call you Slimy Boi…

DECEIT: [with the fangs already gone] I think I’m gonna go get him myself first. So he’ll better not be looking for me, cause he’s gonna find me, and he’s not gonna like it!

[Deceit sinks down]

THOMAS: Okay, this is getting me way more anxious than it should, and I was already quite anxious today.

VIRGIL: [with his hood on, and with a demonic voice] YOU BET…

LOGAN: Okay, let’s sum up. You had considered three options. One, tell Garnet what Amethyst told you without uncovering them; Two, tell Pearl what Garnet supposedly did; or three, tell Pearl and Garnet what Amethyst has told you.

ROMAN: So, Thomas, the time has come. No more hesitation and no turning back. You must make a choice. What do you choose? Option number one, option number two or option number three? Man, I sound like Wayne Brady from “Let’s Make a Deal”!

THOMAS: I think I’m gonna let Garnet explain themselves. I’m gonna call them first. And I’ll act based on what they say.

LOGAN: Okay, it’s your choice. Let’s hope it comes out right.

THOMAS: Me too, Logan, me too. Okay, I’ll call him…

[Thomas gets away from the Sides, sits down in the sofa, picks up the phone and calls a number. We can’t hear was he’s saying while the other Sides speak]

PATTON: You know what? I think he chose the best option out of the three. At least he’s gonna give them a chance to defend themselves.

LOGAN: I agree with you, Patton. The less falsehoods he has to commit, the better.

VIRGIL: You know what? Hearing you two is calming me down…

ROMAN: Oh, look, he’s hung up. He’s coming back… Well, how did it go?

THOMAS: [angry voice] I’m so angry now, you guys!

PATTON: Why, kiddo?

THOMAS: Can you believe it? It looks that Amethyst has lied to me! Garnet already knew who had told me from the moment I started speaking. It happens that Amethyst has used me to try and break Garnet and Pearl’s relationship. Garnet even had an alibi, and they sent me a pic to my phone to prove it!

VIRGIL: Wow!

THOMAS: I’m feeling like such a fool! I never considered the option that Amethyst could be lying to me all along! Sometimes I can be so gullible!

PATTON: Wow! You were trying to avoid breaking your friends’ hearts and the heart that has ended being broken has been me! I mean yours!

THOMAS: I’ll have some words with that liar, for sure, but not today. I’m too nervous and I don’t wanna lose control. But Amethyst’s gonna hear from me, you bet they will!

LOGAN: Okay, with that settled down, I think we have another issue in our own hands now.

THOMAS: What do you mean?

LOGAN: Deceit and Honesty. If they find each other, the Great War is gonna look like a game of Battlefield compared to their clash. [sinking down] Let’s hope we can find them before it’s too late.

ROMAN: [sinking down] Yes, I’m going with you.

PATTON: [sinking down] I hope they don’t hurt each other. I don’t want anyone of you fighting, kiddos.

VIRGIL: [sinking down] Well, I wouldn’t mind Deceit receiving a lesson, but I don’t like the consequences that could have on Thomas, so…

THOMAS: Good luck, guys. Okay. If you ever encounter or have already encountered yourselves in a problem like the one today, you must always think carefully your course of action. Thinking carefully about what to do is vital to make the right choices. You may encounter yourself at a disjunction where the many options could feel both good and bad. If that happens, trust your heart, follow your principles, think about all the possible outcomes and act in consequence. Lies, as we already know, are difficult to avoid, and sometimes they’ll be literally impossible to avoid. Be careful in those cases to not take the lie too far away up to a point it would be harmful for yourselves or anyone involved. In the end, the choice about what to do or say is always yours, and I know that being honest may not always be possible, but in my experience, being as much honest as you can and not lying more than what is needed is the best way to live in peace with yourselves. Until next time, take it easy, guys, gals and non binary pals. Peace out!

[end card. Honesty is in a random room in the Mind Palace]

HONESTY: Where are you, Deceit? Stop hiding right now! I can feel you really close right at this moment! I know you’re approaching to me! What? Do you wanna fight? Then you’re gonna… Ugh!

[suddenly, Honesty feels a huge pain in the stomach as if some invisible fist had punched him. An orange cloud then covers his whole body. While he screams, his shadow is seen inside the cloud, and it morphs slowly. The umbrella disappears, the suit turns into a capelet, the fedora into a bowler hat and the cloud color changes from orange to yellow. Then finally the cloud disappears and from the cloud Deceit emerges. He feels a little dizzy for a few seconds, then he starts yelling]

DECEIT: Where are you, Honesty? I can sense that you’re near! Stop hiding! Sooner or later I’m gonna sink my fangs into your heart and you’ll stop being a nuisance once and for all!

[Roman rises up next to him]

ROMAN: Oh, Deceit, there you are. Guys! I found him!

[All the Sides rise up next to Deceit]

DECEIT: What are you all doing here?

LOGAN: We’re avoiding a massacre, of course. You’re not gonna do anything to Honesty. He’s our friend and Thomas needs him.

DECEIT: And what are you going to do to stop me?

VIRGIL: Guys, don’t worry about it. I can take care of this from now on. I know how to stop him.

ROMAN: Are you sure, Virgil? You don’t need any help from us?

VIRGIL: I’ll be okay, guys, don’t worry. You guys, go find Honesty. I know how to deal with Deceit.

PATTON: Well, if you say so. But be careful, kiddo.

VIRGIL: [smirks] Yes, Dad.

[Patton smiles. Then all the Sides except Virgil and Deceit sink down]

VIRGIL: Okay, Deceit, they’re gone now. You don’t have to keep up your act.

DECEIT: Act? What act?

VIRGIL: Come on, I’ve pretended all the time out there I didn’t know who you were, even though I almost messed up the first time I saw you there all so posh. Don’t you think it’s time to stop this nonsense?

DECEIT: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

VIRGIL: Come on, Deceit. I know you didn’t know that I had seen you long ago in the Dark Realm shape shifting to that form but I did. Stop pretending and tell me what you’re up to before I tell the others!

DECEIT: Living in the Light Realm has made you go crazy, Virgil. I… Ugh!

[Suddenly, Deceit feels pain in the stomach and the yellow cloud appears again]

VIRGIL: Oh, look, Brigadier, look, I think he’s changing!

[The transformation happens again and Honesty appears in front of Virgil]

VIRGIL: Well, here we go again…

HONESTY: [after shaking his face a bit] Oh, hello, Virgil. Have you seen Deceit? I can feel he’s really close but every time I approach him, he slips away from me! It’s like I get close and close, almost as if he was facing me, and then the next second he’s gone. He’s as slippery as the snake he is, for sure!

[realizing that Honesty doesn’t know he’s Deceit and Deceit doesn’t know he’s Honesty, Virgil shows a face of huge shock]

HONESTY: What’s the matter? It looks as if you had seen a ghost!

VIRGIL: [talking to himself] Wow… things are gonna get complicated from now on. How am I even going to tell the others now?

[thestoryofme13]

Hidden Anxiety

Concept: Virgil has existed for a long time but never showed himself to the others or Thomas until Taking on Anxiety video.

Warnings: Self-loathing, anxiety, isolation, self-depreciation 

A/N: I’m sorry if some of this sounds familiar, I used some of my writing from Loved to Villain, I’m sorry, creativity is not my department.

Virgil had always existed well to an extent, he appeared first when Thomas was around six but at that time he was fear rather than anxiety, it was nothing too dark and sinister but rather monsters in the closet or he would influence Thomas to run up the stairs after having turned off the basement light for fear of something being down there.

He was the only one of the sides to have completely changed as Thomas matured. He could sense the shift as Thomas got older, originally, he kept Thomas from doing dangerous things like climbing trees, but as Thomas became a teenager the more fear Virgil had to be in control of, it had become a full-time job, the main thing Virgil struggled with and by an extension Thomas was fear of rejection.

Virgil’s fear of rejection had outweighed his fear of loneliness, and therefore to keep himself safe he remained in his room at all times. The good thing about being an aspect of Thomas and not in the real world is that anything he wanted within reason, food, and any other necessities to sustain life could be summoned with just a thought, which meant there was never truly a reason to leave. Thomas had always been an introvert so the other three were not too worried by his refusal to leave his room or his feelings that came up when he was put in social situations. Virgil was the reason for Thomas’ social anxiety but no one would know. Roman and Patton had come to believe that it was Logan’s fault, due to his introverted personality and the general need to study in order to do well in school. It only made sense that Logic would keep Thomas from doing stupid things that could get him hurt as well as cause Thomas to have uneasiness about social interactions since humans could have infinite reactions in certain situations that Logan couldn’t possibly foresee every outcome, it was this variability that the other two had known would have to be Logan’s undoing.

Roman, Patton, and Logan had always been intrigued by the fourth door in their hallway but they had chalked it up to awaiting the appearance of a new aspect of Thomas as he matured, it had never occurred to them that it might be inhabited. Everyone assumed that Patton would be the curious one but in actuality Patton was curious but he was also very patient. While Logan, on the other hand, had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and knowing the answer to everything, which fueled his curiosity, although he would say that anything he did was purely for science and learning rather than to fuel his ego. One-day Logan’s curiosity had gotten the best of him and he approached the door, he looked down the hallway to make sure that no one was watching, since he knew what he was doing was wrong; he wouldn’t want anyone looking around his room when he was absent. He put his hand on the doorknob and oddly enough it was unlocked, how strange he thought. He pushed the door open and walked in only to enough to take in the room as a whole, it was immediately cold and dark compared to the hallway. The way this room made Logan feel was bordering on fear, he noticed that the room contained some of the more sinister things like spiders and some of the darker Disney films. He wondered since this room seemed to make Logan afraid and possibly encompassed some of Thomas’ fear if perhaps Roman had created this room to deal with Thomas’ nightmare in a healthy way, he’d have to commend Roman, but that would just make him more incorrigible, so he thought better of it, also if paid Roman a compliment on the room then people would know he went in and he’d never hear the end of it. Logan recognized that there wasn’t a lot to be learned in this room so he decided to return to his own. Virgil had gotten lucky he heard the doorknob rattle before it had turned and managed to get under the bed quickly before being found. From then on he made sure to always lock his, he was not prepared to deal with others, he was certain they would hate him.

Thomas had started to create YouTube videos, much to Virgil’s dismay. He had tried to push Thomas into believing that no one would want to hear him for over 6 seconds or that none of his followers from Vine would want to switch to a different platform, but Roman and Patton had insisted that this would make him more interactive and he could showcase his creativity more without such a short time limit. Virgil had to watch this train wreck so he waited until Thomas uploaded it to YouTube, he hadn’t quite realized that all four of them were imperative to Thomas functioning correctly. If the other three were aspects of Thomas’ personality then was Anxiety also part of his personality, or was he different? Was it possible that what Virgil had read on the computer about Anxiety being a disease or a disorder was true, but then why would he also be part of the mind and Thomas, maybe he was just as necessary; Virgil knew he was definitely the bad part of Thomas, the part no one wants to acknowledge, the part he wanted to hide, the part he didn’t want to accept.

Thomas had uploaded two videos to his channel by now and Virgil could no longer hold his tongue. He had to end this madness, if that meant appearing in front of Thomas then so be it, these videos were so cringe-worthy, the jokes, exposing all the intimate details of who Thomas was as a person, it was utterly embarrassing. Thomas had started making his third video, when Virgil decided before the others appeared, it would be easier to only have to interact with one person rather than four. He sunk down and appeared on the stairs, waiting for Thomas to notice him. Virgil was beginning to get impatient with Thomas being oblivious and all this talk about how good he felt, he started tapping his foot. Thomas looked toward the stairs and jumped nearly ten feet in the air, “What the fork are you!” Virgil rolled his eyes, “You already made one fork joke today, let’s not add to this tally. It’s sad really.” Thomas moved to turn off the camera and deal with this interruption, “You didn’t answer my question.” Virgil was lounging on the stairs looking perfectly at ease, he had time to perfect how to hide any emotion thank god, “I’m your anxiety. I keep you from doing stupid things, like these videos, or at least that’s what I’ve been trying to do. Who did you think was in charge of uneasiness and general anxiety you felt?” Thomas looked thoughtful for a minute then answered, “Well I assumed Morality was probably in charge of the emotions behind how situations make me feel and that Logic kept me from doing things he deemed were nonsensical and stupid.” Virgil scoffed, “If either of those morons were in charge you would’ve been dead long ago.” Thomas had quite had enough of this persona, “I’m going to summon the others, to see if they know anything about you.” Virgil wanted to run, he was not prepared to deal with more people, the amount of energy he had was fading, after many years of not physically talking to others it was draining. Thomas summoned the other three but Logic appeared first and nearly tumbled down the stairs and on top of Virgil. Logan was frustrated that there was someone in the exact spot he had been in but decided maybe today he could switch, obviously whatever the problem was had to deal with this thing on the stairs. Logan picked himself up off the anxious trait and moved to the spot near the handrail, glaring at the newcomer for making him move, it was assigned seating! Finally, all of the sides were here, Thomas spoke, “What do you all know about him,” he said pointing at Anxiety. Virgil shifted uncomfortably with everyone staring at him, “Hey,” he managed to say while doing his two-finger salute. Princey, Morality, and Logic looked between each other, all agreeing that they had no clue who this new person was; then Logan spoke, “We were unaware that he existed. We all knew there was a fourth door but we assumed it would be a trait that came as you matured, you are still working on that so we assumed it was still empty.” Thomas nodded, this seemed to make sense, he turned back to the anxious trait, “How long have you been around?” Virgil grimaced, should he lie to make the others feel better, he decided he should tell the truth, “Well I first came about when you were six, then when you became a teenager I guess I sorta grew with you. Before me, Morality over there was in charge of your fears but as you got older and developed more fears and not really having a reason for it, it became too much for him. It is a full-time job keeping you from dying and doing things that would embarrass yourself, Sanders.” The others looked shocked how was it possible that this persona had lived with them for so many years yet no one knew of him. Morality was the next to speak, “Where have you been this entire time, kiddo?” Virgil squirmed at the question and the others prying eyes, “I had been in my room, that fourth door you guys noticed. I can summon anything I need from in there so there was no reason to leave. I’m only here now because I wanted to tell Thomas to stop posting YouTube videos!” Roman finally voiced his opinion, “And what gives you the right to dictate what Thomas does and doesn’t do, Dr. gloom?” Virgil flinched at the tone in the fanciful sides’ voice he was angry, “I don’t have the right. I just don’t understand why everything Thomas thinks has to be on the internet for the world to see! Should he really be speaking about his love life and what he is looking for to complete strangers, let alone thousands of them? I had tried to stop this YouTube video thing before it even started but my influence was outvoted by Princey.” Logan looked at the anxious side he tended to agree, “Thomas it is possible you are oversharing, maybe we could tone it down. Would that work better Anxiety?” Virgil nodded and then spoke, “In theory better would be he takes down the current ones, doesn’t make new ones and just stays in bed all day. I will settle for toning it down, now I have other things I need to take care of, this look doesn’t happen naturally. See ya losers.” With that Anxiety sunk down leaving the others to look at each other and start the video.