#ask rpg sanders sides

[doggocake]

i love your art style so much! it looks straight out of a cozy like.. rpg video game if that makes sense? it brings me so much joy for you to come across my dash! i hope you feel better soon bud!

EEE!! ^^ I’m really glad you enjoy my art!! Dat makes me very happii :D A Lot of my art drives its inspiration from things I grew up enjoying! Most being games like fran bow, and don’t starve :3 Funnily enough i am working on an rpg maker game ;w; It’s still in like SUPER MAGA EARLY DEVELOPMENT! ! ! Mainly cuz i’m still working through the script ;n; There are two versions of the game atm, because I was still working through the lore and designs for the characters when i made the first one. also for the first version I didn't script a thing- here's a clip of first version ;w; THIS IS YEARS OLD BTW ᵀʰᵉ ᵃʳᵗ ᵐᵃʸ ˡᵒᵒᵏ ᵃ ᵇᶦᵗ ˢᵗʳᵃⁿᵍᵉ

It will be a long LONG time before i do anymore work on this. Mainly because of uhh...

. . . and before i do anymore work on reworking the first game i gotta finish the script and work out how the game will play out, though i do have a draft :3 Also I am better :D It was a simple fever and I have recovered!!! and i'm hoping to do more art ♥! ^^

[amylilly]

OKAY SO I DONT REALLY LIKE ASKING FOR HELP BUT LIKEE I KINDA NEED IT (also im shit at explaining sooo, sorry)

So anyone who reads sanders sides fanfics (or just in general) I NEED HELP FOR FINDING THIS ONE FANFIC THAT IS STUCK IN MY BRAIN AND IF I DONT READ IT IMA EXPLODE

My memory is kinda shit but ill try to recall as much as i can

the fanfic was about logan, patton, virgil, roman, and maybe thomas too?? getting kidnapped?? sucked into a game/rpg?? and they had to find some items to defeat the boss and stuff. I remember that they had weapons but idk what they were. i think one of them got their arm broken, and i think they were spilt for a bit (like 2-3 chapters if i remember correctly) i don’t remember how they escape exactly but i remember they woke up, talked about for a bit and went along with their days? i might be remembering wrong for some parts. The fanfic was on ao3 and it was multi-chapter. i think LAMP was also in the tags but idk

if anyone can find it lemme know please its been stuck in my head for days and i had no luck finding it so far.

and now ima head out bc i spent too long thinking about this fic and i really need to do my homework like rn

[the-ultimate-nobody]

Ordem Paranormal x Sanders Sides that literally no one asked for

Let's get y'all up to speed. "Paranormal Order" (Or Ordem Paranormal) is a RPG tabletop game that has horror and puzzle-solving genre. Not much fighting but depends on the campaign. I won't info-dump here since that's not what I'm going through.

In OP, there are these things called elements/entities of the paranormal/whatever the occultist uses. And me, a categorizing nerd, I have placed each of the sides with one of the elements with explanations.

There are Five elements; Blood, Knowledge, Chaos, Death, and Fear.

Let's get the two obvious out of the way:

Patton: Blood

(*Dead stares at the camera*) This element is literally "Feelings". The blood that flows within the "Other Side". This entity is pleased by any intensity of feelings that it comes across... Come on, my guy, it makes sense. (As such as life, these things are like pokemon weakness/strength. Blood surpasses Knowledge)

Logan: Knowledge

(*continues dead stares at the camera*) "To know everything is to lose everything." A quote from the official book/wiki. Same with Patton, this doesn't really need an explanation. This entity is about discovering and learning about everything. Funny that; Knowledge overrides Chaos

And now the 2nd easiest

Remus: Chaos

(*Continues to dead stare*) Remus fits this entity to a T. It's unpredictability, the unfiltered energy that he gives off, and the unexplained nonsense he sometimes say out. Chaos is kinda built different, since it doesn't follow its own logic. Sometimes, Remus will help (in his own way) or sometimes he'll see how the shit goes out for his entertainment. Who knows. Only Remus does. Chaos shouts over Death

Our beloved Anxeity, Deceit, and pure, heroic Light Creativity... the three hardest I have to think about in terms of OP entities.

Virgil: Death

Don't let the word scare you. This Entity is about Time, mostly. It runs in the OP so everything in existence has a place to end. Every story has an ending and this entity is there to see. It. Through. The reason I put Virgil in Death is purely because the others don't show anything like it? Someone can research and try to connect the dots that my brain is trying to connect. Death in OP already has a black/gray color scheme. Death overpowers Blood

Roman: Death

Roman was originally put with Remus into Chaos, but the more I think about it, the more Death seems to fit him a bit more. Roman doesn't have the chaotic energy that either has. But, according to the wiki, Death entity revolves things around itself. Telling things that there's a limit and there's more things to do. Kinda reminds me of that one video, yeah? Death ignores Blood

Janus: Blood and/or Knowledge

You thought I would put Janus in Fear? Nah, Janus is a wild card, same with the other two above. In OP, you can switch elements but kinda have to stick with one. I'm stuck between the two entities for Janus, without making him into a monster. Blood, sure, emotions but it's where he kinda need it and Knowledge (Ignoring that Knowledge entity is known for being yellow) the vibe of it fits the darn snake. I'll let yall do your research if you've read this far. Janus is so hard to categorize without his literal reason of existence.

BONUS:

(c!)Thomas Sanders: Fear

Purely, because, Fear is the entity that powers all the other elements. Without it, the "Other Side" won't function. But no person can get Fear and continue being sane. For all I know, putting Fear in him would make him a monster so the protagonists of the campaign have a reason to gain victory.

Poor lil Sides, what happens if you have to kill Thomas yourselves? Hm? What a tasty idea...

(If anyone in the Ordem Paranormal fandom seein' this, uh, shut up)

[donttellthemangosiwashere]

Drow/Dark Elf! RangerWild Magic Sorcerer! Virgil

Design from my rpg-themed au, ask blog ling here: https://ask-fantasy-sanders-sides.tumblr.com/ i'm going to do a little introductory comic to introduce the plot, and then off we go! i wanted to do one with the lightning and one without because i always go overboard on the effects lol

Also version with and without cape so you can see what’s under there

(get it his hair looks kinda like a storm cloud and a lightning bolt, its not dumb its clever i promise)

...

Virgil was a ranger. Raised in the Underdark by other dark elves, he was commanded to either become a skilled assassin or soldier, or join the labor ranks with the rest. He became a particularly adept sharp-shooter, with keen eyesight and natural stealth, and rose in the ranks. Even after he left his hometown and ventured topside with a new group of friends, his skills came in handy on their strange adventures.

Virgil was a ranger -- an expert with a bow, watching his allies from a distance and keeping them alive, stealthy and precise. However, the last time he went adventuring with his last group of 'allies', something happened to the three of them. Virgil woke up with a lacking memory, shaking hands, and a rogue force of lightning magic living within him, uncontrollable and volatile. After that, they 'drifted apart'. He's been on his own for a little while now (well, aside from his pet spider, Valentine).

As our story begins, he finds himself faced with a choice. There are three people in cells -- obviously innocent of whatever they're being held for -- and if he can keep his hands steady enough, he's always been good at breaking locks... But should he help them escape?

Roman – https://donttellthemangosiwashere.tumblr.com/post/187682254398/crown-paladin-aasimar-roman-my-paladin-roman Logan - https://donttellthemangosiwashere.tumblr.com/post/187737129128/half-elf-lore-bard-logan-design-from-my Patton – https://donttellthemangosiwashere.tumblr.com/post/187748093353/halflinghobbit-open-hand-monk-patton-aww-hes Virgil – Here!

[ask-fantasy-sanders-sides]

LOOK AT HIM LOOK AT MY SON LOOK AT MY POOR LITTLE GRAPE BABEY HE’S TRYING HIS BEST This is so lovely, you are a treasure omg <3

Reaaaally loving this dnd au by @ask-fantasy-sanders-sides

Great art, great writing, great character design!

[ask-gt-roceit]

Roman: Oh come on, Mini Fibber! It's not that bad!

Janus: you're the funny sized one!

Roman: Logan said you lost a lot of data because of the corruption and destroying process, there's nothing he can do about it.

Janus: it's absolutely NOT embarassing at all!

=====

Me wanting to have a G/T Roceit Omake XD

-

♥️🔄💬

[seandarling]

Possible New Tumblr RPG???

Shot in the dark here, but I recently got reinterested in D&D, RPGs, and the like, and since I've been stuck on one particular hyperfixation/special interest for a while... it may have spawned a bit of an interest for me.

Would anyone be interested in a new Tumblr managed by me, where I set out a sort of @ask-fantasy-sanders-sides style story? (And for the tag, if you're not comfortable with this, lmk and I won't, I'm not sure if you're the first to do this particular style of game before? But the style is massively inspiring and interesting and feels like it would work well with the story I'm planning.)

It won't be directly related to any fandom, except D&D, and since I don't really actively play canon D&D at all (I tend towards Homebrew RNG RPGs with family), it likely won't align perfectly with D&D lore or mechanics, but I have the DM Guide, Player's Handbook, and Monster Manual on hand, so hopefully it'll at least be recognizable.

And to clarify: it will be 18+. There will be explicit scenes, both in gore and some more mature themes; this may include, at times, themes of sex, kink/BDSM/fetish, drugs, violence, and more. The overarching plot is mostly planned out, but the internal plot points, adventures, and interactions can be suggestions, my own ideas, or mixes of the two. The characters are OCs that were originally based on actors and their characters, but have since defied their origin to the point of their only similarity coming in their personalities, if that, and a slight hint in their backstories.

In terms of a teaser for interest?

...

A secluded Wizard searching for answers to his sudden inability to remember things, cursed with everything around him seeming to go wrong in the perfect ways, and a tower of cursed, blessed, and unknown magicks, tomes, items, and creatures that may or may not play a part in his problems.

A Human with no class, beloved sweetheart of his village, little to no exposure to magic, races, or otherly knowledge, with only one life experience under his belt that could be called an adventure, but otherwise nothing of interest every having occurred, and nothing planned in the future, nor does he have any interest in adventures or quests in particular. Only, the universe seems to see this as a challenge as a single afternoon changes everything he could have thought possible.

An aspiring Bard that appears to be mostly human, if not for his lack of human knowledge, culture, social etiquette, and the occasional non-human event that only adds to his strangeness, as much as an open book as he may be. Despite his Bardic aspirations, he doesn't think himself very interesting... until he meets a terrible band of adventurers that may or may not have saved his life.

A raging Half-Elf of Drow ancestry, defying Barbaric Class and his home and family to prove himself... to himself. And even if he wanted to avoid the terrors that come with the little band of mischief, frustration, and endless headaches, they seem to have already become attached to him. Not that he really wanted to. They seemed to have made him become attached to them as well.

A world that seems, at the surface, simple, but upon closer inspection, contains signs and symbols that don't fit no matter what way you look at it. A point of view that has no reason to exist. Things feel just slightly off, as if the universe itself were... wrong. Just enough to add tension to adventurers' shoulders as they travel, an undercurrent in their added hush when they whisper in taverns, questions of knowledge and possibilities that never existed, but may have existed long ago, or possibly far, far in the future...

...

Let me know if anyone is interested. I've been working on it for like 2-3 days and I'm so invested atm.

[ask-fantasy-sanders-sides]

Ooo! Interesting you chose roman for that line and not Remus >:D

Sooooooo... The song continues on ! This is a lot of fun and I still want to thank the amazing Lord Ao for inspiring me like this ! ( @ask-fantasy-sanders-sides ) -Cy

[pattonwillliterallyfightyou]

may i ask what the sanders sides fangame Digital nightmare is?

a little rpg done by @the-blue-recluse that you can find here

 https://the-blue-recluse.tumblr.com/post/613783596629737472/sanders-sides-rpg-out-now-link-here-im-excited

[ironwoman359]

Imagine if you will, Sander Sides DnD classes: Patton as a Barbarian- which is a class who uses any type of Emotion (usually rage) to increase power. Logan as a bard- college of poetry anyone? Roman can be an Artificer- one who looks at the world and invents ways to unlock magic from the mundane.

DnD Sander Sides Cont.... Janus as a sorcerer- his power can be drawn from bloodline or magical gift. Remus as a Blood Hunter- one who embraces dark gifts to do good. And Virgil could be a Paladin- one who stands before the others, protecting them under his sacred oath.

-

Oooh, that does sound neat! Virgil as a Paladin, that’s not one I would have guessed right away, but would be so interesting! Also anon, you should check out @ask-fantasy-sanders-sides, it’s a rpg style ask blog where Virgil is a Drow, Patton is a halfling, Logan is a half-elf bard, and Roman is a....paladin I think? i dunno I forget exactly what his deal is but he’s a magic angel boi of some kind, it’s cool you should check it out!

[ask-fantasy-sanders-sides]

How about you go through each kind of Vampire, Roman? Even the rare ones, I personally am very curious about those 4~CS

     Roman shivers in fear for just a second, then returns to his usual confident grin,

      “But, they do have weaknesses! And, it's my job as a Holy Warrior to know what they are. For example, vampires can't do magic, regenerate, or shapeshift in direct sunlight! But, they can still heal themselves by drinking fresh blood.”

      Roman searches his memories for what else he’d been taught, waving his hands around aimlessly as he thinks,

      “Ashwood stakes and thorned roses can be used to paralyze Vampires as long as they're caught while resting, but they don't actually harm them. Also, sprinkling holy water on your weapons can keep a Vampire from just grabbing your blade and snapping it in half with their super-strength, but doesn't do any more than that. And, oddly, being surrounded by running water keeps vampires from transforming out of their humanoid form! Not sure why, but it’s very useful for avoiding the mist thing.”

      Roman grins, looking quite proud of himself for remembering one more important detail,

      “Lastly, the holy spell Sunbeam can decimate a vampire if held up for a whole minute! ...I mean, good luck keeping concentration on the spell when an angry vampire wants you dead, but it’s an absolute must-have. Unfortunately, it's such a high-level spell that basically no one knows it. Paladins can't even learn it at the highest level, it’s Cleric only.”

      Roman sighs, “Contrary to popular opinion, all the stuff about garlic, silver, and holy symbols is hogwash. Silver only affects Lycanthropes, and not inviting a Vampire into your home won't do anything, either. The invitation rule only applies to holy sites like temples.”

      “Oh, and the most important thing to keep in mind for all of this,” Roman’s face suddenly becomes very serious, his tone less jovial than before, “All cursed vampires are inherently evil. Lycans are still basically themselves after they’re infected — Thank the gods! — but zombies and vampires are undead. 

      “They are not the person who was bitten. That person is dead now, killed by the sire. They are a malevolent undead creature inhabiting that person's body. They can access some remaining snippets of the dead person’s memories and personality from their now-dead brain, but only to mimic them and look more human to living people. All Vampires desire is to cause pain and death, drink blood, grow their armies, and feed their pride.

      “Many charismatic Vampires, like Lords, will try to convince you otherwise! They'll say that they're just sad, misunderstood people who can be made human again with help and affection, but they are lying. They are waiting for you to let your guard down so they can hurt you, and they will hurt you.”

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Ask 125.1 (Interlude 5) 

Previous

Next 

Game Start

Rules

Most Recent Recap, in case you feel like you missed something!

Available for questions: Roman and Patton!

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A quick interlude about the types of Vampires!

[ask-fantasy-sanders-sides]

Ahh!! This is wonderful!!! Dee’s noodle son!!! I love him <3 <3 he gives off chaotic goofball energy, and that is 110% cannon

Look at his little snoot,,, i’m lov him

@ask-fantasy-sanders-sides

I think you said Dee’s familiar’s name is Ethel...

Anyway here’s a snake!!

[donttellthemangosiwashere]

https://ask-fantasy-sanders-sides.tumblr.com/post/187894337103/a-star-speckled-dusk-settles-over-the-rippling

Want to see the whole ask blog/comic and/or participate? Go to the above link! ttrpg/rpg au with drow/sorcerer virgil, monk/hobbit patton, half elf/bard logan, and paladin/angel roman! they’re not in a great spot at the moment if you couldn’t tell, lol

[theinkyisles]

I started reading through @ask-fantasy-sanders-sides fantasy rpg au and oh boy did I get hooked, so have some fan art of their Drow/Dark Elf Virgil!

Edit: I forgot his gloves but we’re just not gonna talk about that sjkasjskssjskl

[entity9silvergen]

Oblique- Chapter 3 (Sanders Sides Fanfiction)

Previous Chapter, Full Story

Story Info:

Summary: Unable to experience romantic attraction, Remus feels incomplete. Unable to feel sexual attraction, Roman feels less than. Maybe as the King, they decide, they will feel whole again. Their partners and friends, however, know this isn’t the solution and seek to help them realize there’s nothing broken about them before it’s too late.

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Characters: Logan, Patton, Roman, Virgil, Nate, Remy, Emile, Seth, Toby, Janus, Remus, Unnamed Orange Side, Romulus, Dragon Witch

Relationships: Logan/ Patton, Virgil/ Roman, Janus/ Remus, Remy/ Emile, Toby/ Seth, Nate/ Orange Side

Other Tags: AroWriMo, Aromantic Remus, Asexual Roman, Spider Virgil, Snake Janus, Orange Side, 7th Side, Additional Sides, No OCs, Short Vid Characters

Author’s Note: This chapter takes place directly after chapter 1.

Warnings: Internalized acephobia, internalized arophobia, minor fighting, mentions of sex

======================

King Creativity. The most powerful of all the Sides, an omnipotent force of Thomas’s mind.

Romulus. An old friend to many Sides, someone who vanished long ago.

Two sides of the same coin. 

Virgil knew him as the King. Janus knew him as Romulus. That probably had something to do with the vast difference in their reactions. Virgil hadn’t been around when Romulus was. He’d formed much later but Logan, Patton, Janus, and Remy had told him a bit. Roman and Remus didn’t remember much, Seth had formed right after, and the rest of the Sides hadn’t appeared until the time Virgil had so they soaked up the stories like sponges. 

Logan often spoke of his abilities. He could do so much. He gave Thomas so many ideas and could bend the mindpalace with a mere thought. Patton liked to play with him. As children, they had many adventures together. Remy’s stories were more real. Just little tidbits about his quirks and personality, often teasing and fond. And Janus… He was Janus’s friend. Which must be why Janus looked so shocked right now.

Virgil couldn’t imagine what he must be feeling right now. As much as he and Janus hissed and fought, Virgil felt something akin to friendship for him deep down. He would never wish the sheer pain Janus had on his face onto anyone.

Was he happy to see his friend? Relieved to see him whole once more? Or was he horrified his partner was gone? That Remus had done something so drastic without telling him? Was he afraid of the King’s power? Virgil didn’t know. It was hard to read Janus’s face sometimes. Good feelings, bad feelings, it was all there in a big melting pot. Virgil wanted to slap him. When Virgil looked at the King, all he could see was something that had stolen Roman from him. He couldn’t hope to fathom Janus’s thoughts.

And that made him angry. 

Not at Janus. At Romulus, the King. And maybe Remus. Roman would never want to merge. He’d bet almost anything that Remus made him. He wouldn’t be surprised. Remus was always jealous of Roman’s role in Thomas’s mind. That he was the more dominant side of creativity. The King was powerful. He’d just taken out the Dragon Witch without breaking a sweat, for fuck’s sake. Remus probably wanted that power. Right? Maybe? Possibly? He knew it was cruel and unfair to pin everything on Remus but he couldn’t bear the thought of Roman willingly leaving him right now.

But when the King sauntered over, Virgil couldn’t bring himself to hate him.

The group hadn’t moved. Remy, Logan, and Janus were all standing around him, shocked and emotional at the sight of Romulus, on what had been a battlefield not a minute ago. None of them moved, somewhere between frozen in shock and wanting to run to the man who’d been their friend so long ago. But as the King neared, it became apparent something was wrong.

“Help me,” the King croaked as he stumbled over. Tears ran down his face, leaving clear tracks through the dirt caked on his skin. His steps were uneven as he stumbled and his weapons fell from his hands. He crouched down but he didn’t try to pick them up, instead just letting himself collapse onto his knees. “Help me.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Remy asked, visibly alarmed as the King reached out weakly for them.

“I think- I don’t think they merged properly,” Logan stuttered out. He stared at the grey-clad man with wide eyes before somewhat regaining his composure enough to explain himself properly. “Roman and Remus have always been able to refuse if they wish. They-”

“They have,” Remy interrupted. His sunglasses had somehow returned to his face but it was clear his eyes were fixed on the King behind them. “Not often but they have. A couple times. Here. In the dreamscape. By accident. And on purpose. They haven’t done it in years. But it was always fine. And Romu- The King never looked like this.”

“It feels wrong!” the King screamed into his hands, seeming to forget the other Sides were there. “It feels so wrong. What’s wrong with me?”

“They must not have been in the right state of mind when they fused,” Logan continued hurriedly. “He seems to be in pain. Perhaps Roman and Remus were distressed when they attempted to fuse? And that caused… this.”

“It hurts,” the King moaned. “The reflection’s gone. It’s not art, it’s not bleeding. It’s just empty. It was empty before but now… I thought I’d be whole! But it just feels worse.”

“What’s he talking about?” Virgil asked, sliding a foot back defensively. “He’s not making any sense.”

The other Sides ignored him. Janus got on his knees and took Romulus outstretched hand before glancing back at the others. Worry shined in his yellow eyes. “We have to help him.”

“I don’t think we can-”

Logan was interrupted when the world cracked.

A massive fissure sliced through the terrain, unnatural rays of light flowing out of it. Smaller cracks appeared in the earth around it, these ones filled with unnatural wails and shrieks. Virgil could feel his spiderlegs begin to sprout from his back as his guard went up. Something was coming.

Tentacles shot out of the holes like trees in a forest and unholy creatures began crawling out of the fissures. The cracks and tentacles cut off Virgil’s line of sight and he lost view of the others. Logan and Remy, he knew, were together and he’d bet Janus and Romulus were close to each other. It was just Virgil who was isolated.

Not for long though. Virgil extended his extra climbs, lifting himself to the air, and waded through the forest of writhing tentacles in search of the other Sides. There weren’t any creatures going after him quite yet but he didn’t doubt they would soon.

“Someone get help!” Virgil yelled into the void as he kicked a tentacle that suddenly lunged for him. “Tell them the dreamspace is attacking!”

=================

“Someone get help! Tell them the dreamspace is attacking!”

Janus heard Virgil’s voice but he couldn’t see him. He couldn’t see much of anything. He wasn’t really sure where Romulus was anymore. He’d been right next to him but then the world began shaking and a wave of anguish barreled into him and he was knocked senseless.

Was this what Romulus was feeling? What Roman and Remus were feeling when they tried to merge? What was making the dreamscape so disordered? If so, Janus couldn’t blame them. It was an overwhelming feeling and he was just experiencing it secondhand. If this was what they were feeling, he was surprised the situation wasn’t worse.

The feeling began to fade, just a little bit. Chances were that the King was just moving away from him, not that he was getting his emotions under control. The world around him was still as entropic as before. Maybe even more so. He could hear the roars and bellows of manticore chimeras crawling out of the ground. The tentacles reached for the sky, growing thick and dense like a forest. Carnage had enveloped the dreamspace.

But Janus was a slippery snake and he knew how to avoid this kind of chaos, well experienced too. He weaved between the trunks of the tentacles and avoided the creatures surfacing from the terrain and made a break for the exit.

The exit to the Sides’ rooms and realms wasn’t a true exit. There was no door or portal to step through. Just a vague ring where Sides could sink out, rise up, or appear freely. The area was currently untouched by the King’s creations and Janus wasted no time throwing himself onto it and sinking out.

His momentum made the transportation awkward. He ended up appearing a couple feet off the living room floor at an odd angle and fell onto Patton’s lap, kicking something out of Toby’s hands in the process.

“Shit!”

“My pokemon!” Toby yelped, scrambling to catch his DS before it hit the ground.

“It’s a turn based rpg, you don’t need to- It’s fine if you drop it,” Seth sighed as Janus rolled off Patton and onto the floor. “You okay, man?”

“Everything is great,” Janus responded, feeling the lie slip out. “Roman and Remus totally haven’t merged and the dreamscape is very calm and peaceful right now. I definitely know if Logan, Remy, and Virgil are okay.”

“Oh that’s good,” Patton said pleasantly. Then he seemed to catch up. “Wait…”

“What the fuck?” OJ said, sitting up from where he was lying on the floor a few feet away from Janus. “That’s… What the fuck? Why?”

“I know,” Janus exclaimed. He got to his feet. “Don’t follow me. We should totally let them all die.”

“Oh no,” Patton whimpered as everyone got to their feet and followed Janus as he sprinted back towards Remy’s room. “I hope everyone’s okay.”

“I doubt they are but we should be able to help if we get there fast enough,” Emile assured him. He broke ahead of the group and opened Remy’s door, ushering everyone inside.

Last time, they hadn’t needed to visit Remy’s room to get to the dreamspace but thankfully Emile seemed to know his way around the sassy Side’s room. If the situation was any less dire, Janus would’ve taken the time to soak in the messy array of coffee cups, scarves, and hoodies. Thomas really needed to work on his self-care habits but they could worry about that later. Creativity was the concern right now.

“Walk through here,” Emile instructed, opening Remy’s closet. Janus didn’t hesitate and stepped in, standing back on the teleportation ring in the dreamspace in a heartbeat.

The other Sides seemed a bit put off by the unusual method of transport but quickly forgot about it when they saw the state the dreamspace was in. The forest of tentacles had expanded into something akin to a lush redwood forest, the tendrils stretching like the tails of cats until they licked the clouds, and the gaps in the terrain had only grown wider. And, now the creatures that lurked within were visible. 

Horrendous mash ups of animals were prowling around, some on the ground and some in the air. Their eyes flashed red and green as they yowled. Janus normally didn’t care for the fabrications of dreams but his heart went out for them. Their anguish was reflecting Romulus’s. They had to help him.

“Seth, Patton, don’t find Logan and Remy. Put them in danger. Make sure you stay in harm’s way,” Janus barked, his tongue still doing strange things in his mouth. Was he panicking? Maybe. He couldn’t remember the last time he had this little control over his lies. It was fine though, everyone knew how to decipher his speech when he was like this. “Toby, OJ, Nate, play with the creatures. Let them hurt you. Make them grow. I’m not going to look for Romulus and Emile shouldn’t come with me.”

Everyone seemed to understand his orders except Patton but Seth dragged the fatherly figment after him without resistance. OJ made some snappy remark but Janus was too distracted to hear what it was. Soon, it was only him and Emile.

“Do you know where he could be?” Emile asked, eyeing the horizon warily. The whole dreamscape was disordered. It’s dreamlike, fuzzy quality had somehow grown more intense and faded. Maybe that was what happened during nightmares? Shit, Janus hoped Thomas wasn’t sleeping right now.

“Yes,” Janus answered, looking around for any sign of the King. “I think- Don’t look. There’s Virgil. Down there.”

Emile looked down before realizing it was one of Janus’s twisted sentences. Virgil was using his spiderlegs to climb up one of the tentacles. That one looked dead, dried and unmoving. He was pretty far and pretty high up. Janus didn’t know if their voices could reach him at that altitude. But then Virgil seemed to spot something in the distance and took off, leaping between the tree-like structures.

“Follow him!” Emile exclaimed as he began hurrying after him. Janus could feel his serpentine characteristics grow more prominent as his adrenaline kicked in. Vision sharper and movements more agile, he quickly pulled ahead of the therapist and disappeared deeper into the bizarre jungle.

He only slowed down when Virgil began sliding down one of the tendrils and landed heavily in a clear patch in the frenzy of plants and animals. He froze, not advancing any further, which gave Janus a chance to catch up.

It was a relief not being surrounded by those thick, winding pillars and atrocious creatures but the clearing was unsettling in a different way. Within it stood Romulus. Janus felt a flash of joy upon the sight of him but it was quashed immediately by the dire sense in the air. They were in the eye of the storm and it was clear Romulus was its source. 

The King was sitting. He looked so much like Remus right now. Remus wasn’t good with feelings. He was normally very expressive but not always in a positive way. He always made the most destructive creations to let his feelings out. But when it was bad, he’d just curl up. He didn’t think Janus knew but there were so many times Remus would just sit in the shower or ina closet and cry. It was worrying but Remus always came out feeling better, ready to make a brand new slime pit or cut nipple holes on OJ’s shirts.

Janus could imagine Roman coping similarly but he’d never seen it himself. Roman always had more positive creations but they were more uniform than emotive. The things of stories and fantasy, creative in their own right but not the way Remus was. He’d bury his feelings with stories and wild adventures. Maybe he sat like this too, when he was alone and at his worst.

It’d been a long time since Janus had seen Romulus. They’d still been kids, still playful and innocent. Unseparated by the idea of Light, Dark, and Neutral. They’d been a family. Right now, sitting in the one tranquil spot in the middle of a sea of horror and havoc, Romulus looked like that kid again. And that hurt Janus somewhere deep down.

This was his friend but it also… wasn’t. This was some uneven fusion of Remus and Roman, not a true King Creativity. He was his own man but he’d still taken Roman and Remus and it was painful to be reunited with him knowing the brothers were sacrificed to let it happen.

And it was no solace knowing the King was so distressed. No, that made it worse. If Romulus was acting normal, then at least he knew Remus was doing okay. But with the world falling apart more and more by the second, Janus couldn’t help but be afraid. For Thomas’s safety, for Remus and Roman, for Romulus, for his fellow Sides, everything.

Romulus seemed to notice the newcomers and looked up. He seemed to relax a bit at the sight of them. He was still a mess but he looked a bit more like his old self. God, Janus really wished he had the chance to see his friend in all his former glory. Not this… shell of the man he was meant to be. Janus didn’t want Remus and Roman gone but Romulus deserved peace as well.

“Dee,” Romulus whispered and reached out. Janus went to his side in a heartbeat, despite Virgil’s glares, but stayed silent. He wanted to comfort him but he didn’t trust his mouth right now. His presence seemed to be enough though. Romulus smiled, a look of happiness filling his eyes, but his face was still tight and uncomfortable. “I don’t understand what’s happening to me. This has never happened before.”

“Logan said you fused wrong,” Virgil told him, coming over. He looked uncertain, like he was meeting a stranger. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t. Janus didn’t bother dwelling on it.

“I’ve never… that’s never happened before,” Romulus said quietly with a frown. He hiccuped. “Normally… Normally I just feel whole again. My two Sides come together and then I come back. I spend time with Remy and I use my powers then I split again. Which hurts. A lot. But, guys, this hurts even more than splitting. It- It feels like something’s wrong. I just want… I want to separate again. Please, help me.”

Janus had never seen Romulus so… sniveling. He always acted so regal and grand. Strong and confident. Something must really be wrong to make him like this. What had been going through Roman and Remus’s minds when they fused? Janus didn’t even know they could fuse but it sounded like something both of them would hate. What was so bad that they felt like they had to?

“How do you separate normally?” Virgil asked, shifting onto his knees so he was on eye level with the King.

“I don’t know! I think… Normally it wears off?”

“Wears off?”

“I never want to unfuse but I think Roman and Remus do? I split when we all start getting tired. I’ve tried splitting myself but we’ve been apart for so long. I still feel… It feels like I should be together longer but it just feels so bad. I want to unfuse but I can’t.”

Janus glanced at Virgil, sensing that this was more up Virgil’s alley than his. “You know who I am, right? I’m Anxiety. I know how it can feel to be overwhelmed and how hard it is to regain control when I’m like this. But it’s possible. Just breathe with me. Come on, let’s breathe in for four seconds. One… two… three… four… Good, now hold it for eight. One… two…”

Janus coiled up beside Romulus, leaning on him slightly, as he tapped along to Virgil’s counting on the back of Romulus’s hand. The touch could be grounding or overstimulating, Janus didn’t know, but Romulus didn’t protest so he figured it was helping. They ran through the exercise a couple times before Janus could feel some of the distress wash away from Romulus’s body. And soon, he began to split.

======================

Emile was a bit annoyed when Janus abandoned him but he couldn’t hold it against him. He’d be worried if something happened to Remy, though this situation was far more than just the disappearance of a partner. Emile knew he could never really relate to what Janus was feeling at the moment so he wasn’t that mad.

He ended up having to fight off a manticore chimera on his own. Difficult, considering Emile was far from a fighter. Unlike the Dark Sides, he had no unique animal abilities and unlike the Light Sides, he didn’t have the raw power to turn the tides of a battle in his favor. He ended up just running around in circles until his screams attracted another one and the second beast attacked the first. Not the best strategy, Emile knew, but it worked so he couldn’t complain.

He found Janus in a sheltered haven separated from the madness the rest of the dreamspace had fallen into. It was oddly quiet in there, save the low voices of the people within. Janus was there, along with Virgil and a man Emile could only assume to be the King. He’d never met him himself but Remy liked telling stories about him. This man fit his descriptions perfectly.

Well, almost perfectly. He looked kind of crumpled right now. Upset. Lost. Emile’s heart immediately went out for him. He wanted to help, to talk to him and figure out what was wrong so he could make the pain go away. Janus and Virgil seemed to have it handled though. They were guiding him through one of Virgil’s breathing exercises. Virgil and Janus’s extra limbs and scales had receded and the King looked much calmer as well. Already things were looking brighter.

Soon enough, the King had split and Roman and Remus lay in the stained grass.

Roman was coughing. Remus was lying on his back taking deep, heaving breaths. Their grip on the dreamspace slipped and things seemed to calm a bit but they both still looked wild, overwhelmed, and confused. Emile felt like this was a good time to make his presence known.

Both Janus and Virgil spared him a glance when he moved inward but they were focused on comforting their respective partners. Both twins were gasping for air, eyes and noses running. They were holding onto each other, like they weren’t quite ready to be apart yet, but also clung to their partners like lifelines. Neither had noticed Emile yet.

Emile got down as slowly and quietly as he could, coming into the brothers’ line of sight. He offered a weak smile and felt a flash of relief when he saw the recognition in their eyes. He was familiar with fusions, being a fan of Steven Universe and all, but this was real life. Roman and Remus had lost their memories after the first split, he had no reason to think now would be any different.

“Why did you feel like you had to split? Is there something wrong?” Virgil asked as quietly as he could after a few minutes. In his hold, Roman visibly stiffened. Remus looked away, not wanting to answer the question either. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk right now but…”

“You scared us,” Janus jumped in. Remus wiggled a bit so more of his body was draped over him. “I know you didn’t mean to but I don’t know how we can help you if you don’t talk to us.”

Remus and Roman exchanged a glance. Emile could sense their hesitance. And a number of other emotions. He wasn’t as empathic as Patton but he was still Thomas’s inner therapist and was strongly connected to the mental wellbeing of everyone in the mindscape. He could probably understand what was happening better than anyone.

“You feel inadequate,” Emile spoke up, trying to voice their feelings to the best of his ability. “You felt like something was missing. You thought that feeling would go away if you fused.”

“We thought we’d be whole,” Roman admitted softly, “but we just felt more broken.”

“Logan said something about their feelings affecting the fusion?” Virgil brought up. “Could that be part of it?”

Emile shrugged. “Maybe that was why Romulus was so distressed but it probably didn’t affect the fusion. Roman and Remus are their own fully fledged, complete, rounded Sides now. They’re not meant to do that.”

“If we’re supposed to be complete, then why do we feel so broken?” Remus asked, sounding more hopeless than Emile thought the normally joyous Side was capable of. 

“You’re not broken,” Janus soothed. Remus’s face said he felt otherwise. “Why would you think that? Because of the split? That was so long ago.”

“Because we lack what the other has,” Roman spoke up. He stared at the ground, not wanting to meet anyone’s gaze. “I can- I feel so much love. But Remus doesn’t. Not like me. And he can do… stuff. I can’t. It makes me feel weird. Like it’s wrong.”

“That’s what this is about? Roman, it’s fine if you don’t want to-”

“But I told you, I do want to,” Roman interrupted his boyfriend. “I want to feel… those feelings but I just can’t. And trying makes me feel bad.”

Emile was confused for a moment but Remus was nodding along like he understood. “We feel incomplete. We thought maybe we’d get those feelings if we were one again but we just… didn’t. I don’t understand why. Maybe Logan was right about our feelings affecting the fusion. Maybe we needed to calm down first or something.”

Something clicked in Emile’s mind. “You’re aspec.”

The four Sides titled their heads to look at him. “What?”

Emile smiled. Everything was making sense. “You’re aspec. Aspec, it’s an umbrella term for people on the asexual and aromantic spectrum. You see, there are different kinds of attraction but sometimes people don’t experience one or two or any of them. And that’s okay. It’s natural in humans. It probably has nothing to do with the split. It sounds like Romulus is aroace himself.”

“...What?”

“Say again?”

“Sorry,” Emile said and tried to slow down. “So, you understand attraction, yes? It’s a feeling, a desire. What draws us to others. Sexual attraction is what gives us the desire to perform sexual actions with people and do more physical things with a partner. Romantic attraction is what gives us the desire to pursue a romantic relationship and do things typically associated with the emotional side of a relationship. Most people experience both but some people only experience one or neither. Someone who doesn’t experience sexual attraction is asexual, or ace, and someone who doesn’t experience romantic attraction is aromantic, or aro.

“Asexuality is a spectrum. A lot of different experiences fit into the term and some asexuals still like or want to have sex. The same goes for aromanticism. A lot of aspec people are in queer platonic relationships that aren’t romantic or sexual in nature but aren’t necessarily  not. Those relationships are still equal to romantic or sexual ones. There are many kinds of love but it’s also okay to be loveless. That doesn’t make us any less human- er, doesn’t make us any less of a Side.”

Emile was not expecting Remus to burst out crying when he finished.

He wasn’t sure if he’d ever seen Remus cry. What he’d been doing before was silent, more of a reaction to being overwhelmed than crying. But here he was, sniffling and sobbing his heart out. Janus made a noise of concern but Remus was smiling.

“Thank you,” Remus breathed. Emile had never heard more gratitude in anyone’s voice before. “I felt so wrong for so long. I owned it, obviously, but I still felt so bad all the time. And- and now you’re telling me that it’s okay? That it’s normal not to feel love? I mean, I care about you, Janus, but I don’t think it’s the same way you love me. Is that okay?”

Janus gave him a watery smile and nodded genuinely. “It is, Remus. I’ve told you so many times, you’re more than enough. I’m just happy you can understand that now.”

Roman smiled at his brother, looking happy for him, but there was still something hidden behind his features. “I don’t… I don’t feel that way. I still feel kind of broken. Are you sure this isn’t from the split?”

Emile nodded. “Like I said, you’re your own Side now. And asexuality and aromanticism occur naturally in humans. There isn’t a reason for it other than that’s just how they are. A lot of people on the asexual and aromantic spectrum still feel broken though. There’s a word they use to describe it. Amatonormativity is the expectation that happiness comes from the pursuit and maintaining a monogamous, heterosexual relationship that is both romantic and sexual in nature. Even if you disagree with it, we still feel that pressure and it can take time to accept who you are.”

“I- thank you, Emile. I’m truly grateful,” Roman said before glancing at Virgil. “I think… I think I need some time to figure this out. For me. It has nothing to do with you though. You know I still love you, right?”

Virgil nodded. “Yeah. I know. And there’s no hurry to figure yourself out, Princey. Remember how long it took us to accept we’re gay? We all did it at our own times. This isn’t any different.”

“We should probably find the others,” Emile said, getting to his feet. Roman and Remus jolted, started. They looked around as if they were seeing their surroundings for the first time. They might as well have, being as disoriented from the split as they were. But the others would be worried and they shouldn’t waste time.

“We did this?” Remus whispered before breaking into a grin and springing up to survey the cove cut out from the forest of tentacles and listen for the howls of manticore chimeras. “Nice!”

“What do we tell the others?” Roman said in a more serious tone, rising to his feet but still leaning heavily on Virgil. 

“Whatever you want,” Emile told him. He glanced between both Remus and Roman. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Aspecs are as valid as any other member of the lgbt community. You don’t need to come out if you don’t want to or you’re not ready.”

“I want to,” Roman said, “but I’m not ready. Um, Janus, can you come up with some good excuse? That’s at least kind of believable?”

Janus smirked. “What kind of amateur do you take me for? Deceit’s the name and lying’s my game. Those suckers won’t know what hit them.”

Both Remus and Roman laughed, already sounding better. Emile exchanged a glance with Virgil, the other Side looking a lot less worried than he had a few minutes ago. Everything would be okay. Maybe not yet but soon hopefully. Roman and Remus weren’t broken and now they knew that. It may take awhile for them to accept it but until then, they’d have support from whoever they needed it from.

==================

Author’s Note: The portrayal of the aspec experience in this fic is not 100% spot on. There is a wide variety of experiences and very few are like this. If any of this speaks to you, I encourage you to do further research.

[ask-fantasy-sanders-sides]

I’m in love,,, im honored,,, LOOK AT THIS YOU GUYS WE GOT A DUB

the music choice is so good!!!! ahh im so warm and fuzzy in my heart

@ask-fantasy-sanders-sides