#ask thomceit

[sometimes-love-is-enough]

Syzygy: Some Closing Thoughts

I'm writing this at 8pm on my backyard porch, under the wavering light of a distant full moon.  Hello, moon! Please don't kidnap me. I just wanted to hang out with you for a while as I collect my final thoughts. It's a pretty cloudy night tonight, so it's not properly visible, which I suppose is the cloud cover shielding me from a terrible lunar fate. It gives a deliciously hazy atmosphere for the absolute essay I'm about to write.

Apparently, the Farmer's Almanac says that tonight's full moon is a 'Pink Moon', which sounds like it'd be a very pleasant viewing experience. I imagine pastel frangipanis spontaneously sprouting all over the moon's surface, covering every inch of its rocks and crags until the soft pink glow is visible from all the way down here on Earth. Unfortunately it's not named 'Pink Moon' because of that; there's some American environmental factors, etc.

I think it's kind of charming that there's a list of names for every possible full moon, as if the moon's putting on different masks or incarnations every time it tilts just enough that we can see its full face. I'm looking at a list of them now instead of writing these final notes like I probably should. The names are so delightful. Strawberry Moon. Sturgeon Moon. Apparently last month's full moon was Worm Moon. WORM MOON. I could go on. I won't. Let's talk about Syzygy instead.

Syzygy is... Man, where do I even start with this? Let's try the beginning. I started writing Syzygy in February of 2021, after ruminating on it for probably a few months before that, as I often do. That's three years ago, so my memories of the reasons why are a bit fuzzy, but I think I did it for two reasons: one, a desire to have a long-form meaty slowburn fic for a beloved rarepair in the tag so other people could enjoy it, and two, a fascination with the idea of fractured identity, what it means to be a Side without a Centre. The whole thing with the alternate-history steampunk swapped-around Earth came about naturally from that.

Except that's actually kind of a lie, because that's not the beginning, this began in 2020, when I wrote a pitch for a local station that was accepting radio play submissions (rejected, of course) featuring a hardboiled noir detective in a starlit city whose latest client was a tiny shiny girl asking him to solve her father's murder. And that's also a lie, because I think it really began when I tried to write an original novel in high school where the protagonist's name was Avery Allen, because I liked the way the name tripped off my lips.

My stories are always built on each other, especially stories I never get to write. They all recycle into each other in a weird blend of concepts and characters. 2021 was when I sat down and told myself I was going to write the Thomceit time loop fic, and I dove into it with aplomb. I can't recall the exact timeline of events, but at some point I underwent some truly gnarly health problems that left me unable to use my hands for extended periods of time, and so the fic that was meant to be for a Big Bang ended up... Just sitting in a folder for a while. But me and my beta managed to pull it the fuck together, and after adding some extra bits and pieces (the cutaways were a LAST MINUTE ADDITION even though I think they're some of my favorite bits in the whole thing) I started putting it all up.

Okay, there we go, that's enough of an abridged history of this thing. Let's just say: I never expected as many people to like it as it turned out, I thought that it would be a niche little fic for a rarepair, and I was honestly pretty content with that. So it was delightful to see so many people getting so into it, I have enjoyed the FUCK out of all of your comments and theories and predictions. It's been delightful when people predicted a plot point correctly, and honestly even more delightful when they predicted incorrectly. I've had such a blast.

As for the writing... Suffice to say I have many notebooks full of notes and thoughts, more than one spreadsheet to keep track of time loops and lore, and a semi-complete list of all of Virgil's tarot cards, which one day I'll probably polish and share properly, because I think the concept is neat. But that's kind of how it always goes with my writing.

Naming every inspiration for this would take forever and I'd still miss a few, but I'll just throw out a key few ones, because I gotta:

17776: What Will Football Look Like In The Future, because when I first read it I got the wrong idea and thought that Juice (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) was short for Betelgeuse (the star), and that sparked a whole thing about living stars in my brain. Also, just the general way that the worldbuilding and absurdity is handled in that world, it scratches my brain just right.

Welcome To Night Vale. I don't think I need to explain this one.

Madeleine L'Engle's writing, particularly A Wind In The Door, particularly-particularly the bit of it where Proginoskes explains why, precisely, he has to remember and Name every star in the universe. Fucking beautiful book.

A particular Untamed/Mo Dao Zu Shi fic I read years ago and haven't been able to track down again, which also features two people stuck in a time loop who are initially unaware that they're in it together AND dying at the same time. I believe they also meet on a bus? The details are fuzzy. The worldbuilding and descriptions of that fic were so stunning to me, it had me unable to read anything for a solid few weeks, it is definitely a superior work to mine in every respect. If anyone finds it, let me know, I don't think I finished reading it and want to know how it ends.

An unpublished fic that I had the privilege to read while it was being written, that changed my brain chemistry re: the Sides unknowingly existing without Thomas. The Flowerwall Cafe originally hails from this one, too, graciously borrowed and greatly beloved.

Both Ghibli films in general AND Dianna Wynne Jones books in general, and obviously the intersection between the two, Howl's Moving Castle, which is fascinating in how both mediums handle the setting.

The Doctor Who audio drama Scherzo, which is a wild ride, and there's a major plot point revolving around the two main characters holding hands and fusing gruesomely into each other - and another involving an in-story fairy tale.

There was no huge inspiration for the clockwork city and weird steampunk carriages, apart from (perhaps) Fallen London. Certainly, the idea of a background organization that wants to kill the sun, who also happens to be a sentient being, is cribbed from the Liberation of Night.

Syzygy also happens to be packed full of many obscure references to... like... personal projects of mine, some published and some unpublished, as well as a lot of my friends and co-writers, and some really REALLY niche stuff that only I will ever properly understand. I buried a lot of myself into this story, is what I'm saying. Juice hails from a completely different project (a TTRPG with my friends, of which she is a beloved and cherished NPC), the in-universe author for Avery Allen (and Mallory Wynn too) are named for a fictional TV author I created when the writing discord was making a nonexistent fandom, Logan's dumpling recipe is my favorite recipe of all time.

I have an apartment ghost, too. I talk to it regularly.

Final thank-yous, because I want to post this very very soon, I've been typing for too long and the mosquitoes are starting to get to me. Thank you to:

Everyone on the TSS writing server who listened to me complain while I was writing it the first time round, and has subsequently listened to me complain while editing it these past two years. So many people in there are responsible for little bits and pieces - phrasings, words, nicknames, jokes - and I couldn't begin to name everyone who helped.

Saphira and the rest of the people who are currently working on making a full-cast audio drama out of this fic (???) (???!!!!??) (!!!!). It is SO baffling to me that it's happening, I'm in complete disbelief whenever we talk about it or I see the script or I get asked logistics questions, I'm terrified and thrilled to see how it turns out, what the fuck! The very existence of that project has ended up influencing a few things about this fic's endgame, too.

Everyone who's commented extensively, commented entire academic analyses, commented numbered lists, commented laconically, left a single emoji in the comments, left kudos, bookmarked it, sent me asks on Tumblr, given me thumbs-ups on Discord, or even just silently read the fic without interacting at all. Your witness brings my words to existence. Love you love you love you.

And Len, who lives in my brain and my body and my heart and my throat, and who is honestly singlehandedly responsible for dragging this fic out of the depths of Google Docs and into the arms of AO3. They've already said I don't need to thank them, but come on, I totally do. Len is the best beta, and puts up with all sorts of deranged nonsense from me, because I have an unhinged writing process where I don't think about anything before I put it down on the page, and I use way too many connecting-dashes and not enough semicolons. Kisses kisses kisses. Thanks for doing this with me, and I can't wait to do it again.

Myself. I managed to write this and I managed to finish it. That makes me a pretty cool person, all things considered. I'm glad I did this.

What next? I've got to rest. Well, I need to get some things done... and then rest. I've been juggling a hellish amount of projects for a while now, and now Syzygy's finally cleared from my plate, I'm going to try to let the others get cleared too so I can take some time and be less stressed. The Locked Tomb AU will be ongoing, as I get through final edits of chapters, so keep an eye out for that - if you're interested in a fic that's rather less starry and shiny, but very much Thomceit and death themes, check it out  - and then....... Well, whatever comes next, whenever I have the energy to do it. I adore writing in this fandom. I'll be back with something weird soon enough.

Ad astra, baby! It's been a blast.

- Min (2024)

[goldenduckie]

I dare you to rank all sanders sides ships on a scale of 1-10. At least, as many as you can think up of.

OOO SOUNDS FUN ANON! Ill try to get as many ships as i can (but not that one, you know which one)

Rankings under cut

btw i used fanlore.org to look for all the ships, so idk if each of the ship names are right

AND THIS IS JUST MY SILLY OPINION! IF YOU DISAGREE THATS ALRIGHT THIS IS JUST WHAT I THINK!

Loceit: 8/10 Really good, love it, love the content of it

Moceit: 50/10 MOCEIT IS MY OTP! MY EVERYTHING, MY ABSLOUTE FAVOURITE SHIP

Dukeceit/Demus: 7/10 Its really good! Lovee their dynamic, its a shame we dont see these guys interact in the show much :(

Roceit: 7/10 Love roceit, so many angst and fluffy opportunities, honestly love the angst

Thomceit: 5/10 Honestly im not enthusiastic about sides x Thomas ships, but they can be pretty sweet! This ones really good, i see the appeal

Anxceit: 9/10 AHGG THEM! Sooo good! As platonic, romantic, familiar, and bitter exes! Love it! So many fun amd angsty posibilites!

Logicality: 7.5/10 Its so adorable!! I loveee logicality fanart and fics! I really loved logicality when i first joined watched the show, so it gets an extra .5 for nostagic sake

Intrulogical: 10/10 like DUDE INTRULOGICAL MAKES ME FERAL! Its so silly and adorable and freaky ahsxhjlsxkjkjhsx

Logince: 9/10 aaa its sooo fun! Their chemistry is SO INCREDIBLE

Lomas: 5/10 Again, not big on thomas and side ships, but this ones pretty cute

Analogical: 10/10 YESSS! YES YES YES! I COULD TALK ABOUT THEM FOREVER! THEY MAKE ME SOO HAPPPPYYY!! ESPECIALLY AS QPPS!! AAAA I LOOOVVEEEE THEMMM SO MUCH!

Intruality: 6/10 I like it! Its growing on me! Has a lot of adorableness

Royality: 6/10 Love it platonic, indifferent to it as romantic, and its just very sweet and seeing content of it makes me smile

Momas: 5/10

Moxiety: 6/10 again, love it familar and platonic, with a father son relationship! Honestly dont like it romantic

Platonic Creativitwins: 9/10 Yes! The twins! I love them just being chaotic siblings, or even on good terms and having being good brothers to eachother

Intrumas: 4/10

Dukexiety: 7/10 I like it a lot!!

Prinxiety: 8/10 its reeaally adorble, honestly love it lots

Analogince (Lo/Ro/Virge): 7/10 cute!

Romas: 5/10

Thomxiety: 5.5/10 this ones pretty cute

Logicalceit (Jan/Lo/Pat): 8/10 Its content is soo sweet

Intruloceit (Jan/Lo/Rem): 9/10 YEAHH I LOVE IT!! MAKES ME FROTH AT THE MOUTH

Roloceit (Jan/Lo/Ro): 7/10 Seems loevly

Analoceit (Jan/Lo/Virge): 9/10 At first i was indifferent to it, but a certain mutual made me see how amazing this ship is

Intrualceit? (Jan/Pat/Rem): 5/10 i think thats the name

Royalceit (Jan/Pat/Ro): 5.5/10 havent seen much of it, but points for that sick name

Moxiceit? (Jan/Pat/Virge): 7/10 ive seen some cute suff with this, i think thats the name

Anxceitmus (Jan/Rem/Virge): 9/10 YESS! AAAAA THESE THREEE MAKE ME SOOOO INSANE!

Anaroceit/Prinxieceit (Jan/Ro/Virge): 8/10 so much potential for a toxic yoai polycule

Intrugicality (Lo/Pat/Rem): 5/10

Morolo/Moralogince (Lo/Pat/Ro): 8/10 SO ADORABLE

Analogicality? (Lo/Pat/Virge): 6/10 i think thats the name

Anaintrulogical? (Lo/Rem/Virge): 6/10 i can see the appeal, i think thats the name

Anaintruality? (Pat/Virge/Rem): 5/10 i think thats the name

Anaroyality? (Virge/Ro/Pat): 5/10 i think thats the name

LAMP/CALM: 9/10 LOOOVEE IT! I DO NOT MAKE ENOUGH CONTENT OF THEM! ITS SO ADORBLE

DLAMP: 7/10

DLAMPR: 8/10 YES! ONE BIG HAPPY POLYCULE! THE BEST KIND OF SHIP

Thanks for the ask anon! Again, all these rankings are just my opinion, please dont fight me

[thomasxsides]

For Thomas and Janus: What are your favorite relaxing activities to do together? And how do y'all feel about PDA?

Bonus question for Thomas. What's the easiest way to fluster the snek boy?

"We enjoy wine and movie nights at least once a week. That's definitely a favorite." "Sometimes Thomas will convince me that we should dance together. I suppose I don't mind that. ♥ As for PDA, I find it completely abysmal. Disgusting. Atrocious. Wouldn't dream of it."

"I like PDA. A little. Some hand-holding and little kisses. But nothing too gross. I don't want to make the people around us uncomfortable. And the easiest way to fluster Janus is telling him how pretty his scales look in the sunlight or fresh after a shed."

*embarrassed grumbles and hisses*

[princeanxious]

💕Them 💕💛💖💛💖💛💖💛💖💛💖

Theyre so somft and deserve to be happy ;;

[aidensm8]

Can we have some good hurt/comfort with Thomas comforting Janus? There is not enough platonic Thomceit content on this site lol.

Litol platonic thomceit, here you go. Let the snek vent 2020

[perfectly-princely-emo-nightmare]

I’m not sure if you like Thomas/side ships, but Thomceit? If not feel free to just ignore this and I’m sorry for bothering you

Don’t worry about it, I don’t mind!

Honestly, Thomas X any of the other sides is a really fun concept. I like the idea of someone asking about his love life and Thomas is just like “Sorry I’m in love with a facet of my personality.” It’s very comedic. As for Thomceit, I think that could work somehow, as good friends at the very least. Janus definitely cares for Thomas a lot. Can’t have a rainbow without the yellow after all!

[blossom-arts]

I can't think of a specific question but would you please ramble about your AU? I would love to hear :D

:O!!! Absolutely!! I’ve just made a post on Thomas’ powers, but I could talk for ages about this!!

Hmmmmm.... I guess I can make this post the background info of the AU! It needs a background post anywho’s!

Okay so- let’s set the scene! 

Thomas:

This AU is a Highschool AU as well as a superhero one- Thomas (as our main character) is in his senior year. He’s 17 turning 18 at the beginning of the school year, and he actually lives in France- namely Paris- with his aunt, the Dragon Witch, or as I call them- Morgan! (I headcanon Morgan to be a they/them ace lesbian, just for context).

The reason he lives with his aunt is that his parents are too busy with work and making an income and couldn’t look after him properly, so Morgan offered to help when Thomas was little, but as a result, he had to move from Gainesville to Paris as their whole livelihood was there. So coming back to the present of the AU- Thomas and his aunt live in a flat above Morgan’s flower shop which he helps out at sometimes. 

It’s like in Miraculous, where Marinette and her family run a bakery and live in a flat above it- and her room is at the top of the house, with a hatch that leads to a rooftop balcony. Thomas has that, but instead, he lives above a flower shop with his aunt.

(Also, because his aunt raised him, he’s been going to school in Paris for his whole life, and they have an awesome relationship!)

Janus:

Now here is the time to note that this is a Thomceit AU, so if you are uncomfortable with that ship or TS x Sides I wouldn’t recommend this AU (or most of my AUs, for that matter-)

Okay- let’s move on to our deuteragonist (the second protagonist), Janus! Janus has a very different life to Thomas- he’s lived in France his whole life and has an incredibly rich family, especially compared to Thomas’, and he despises that.

Mostly because ‘Eat the rich!’ but also because he knows everyone thinks he’s snobby and bratty, but he’s actually just this isolated kid with a father who rarely lets him out of the house (especially after losing his mother- she isn’t dead though) despite him being a world-famous musician who goes on tours constantly.

Janus has the musical talents of his parents, and he often has to go do Important Business Stuff™, but he’d really just rather be a normal kid who wasn’t trapped and homeschooled- especially since it’s senior year!

Though being a superhero does help- he’s been one for a while and it’s one of the only ways he can escape the house, until the beginnings of this AU, that is!

(As for Janus’ relationship with his father..... yeah, no- not good.)

[ambersky0319]

I have come with more Thomceit! -Thomas is the only one Deceit will openly lay against in order to get warm. Thomas learns this and is soft because Dee trusts him a lot. -When sunbathing, Deceit will remove his hat and occasionally his shirt in order to free his scales. Thomas is the only one allowed to touch his scales when he's like this. -Thomas steals this chance to kiss all of Deceit's scales, giving him praise for being vunerable -You bet they husbands. Definitely

Soft thomceit soft thomceit soft thomceit soft thomceit soft thomceit soft thomceit soft thomceit soft thomceit soft thomceit soft thomceit soft thomce-

I totally didn't forget to post this

But seriously, so soft!!! I absolutely love these!!! 💛💗💛💗💛💗💛💗💛💗💛💗💛💗💛

[tsxsides-hotel]

Are there any TSxSides ships you want more of? I wanna give all the ships their time to shine so I would be more than happy to write a prompt or story about them.

[softlysugar]

In response to the ship thingy. Thomceit 💟: who spends time reading their zodiac compatibilities?

I feel like that's something they'd both do together, just for the fun of it, and then Janus would probably tease Thomas about it lol

[sometimes-love-is-enough]

mIN- MIN I HAVE THE MOST URGENT OF DILEMMAS /hj

Okay so I have this AU that I've FINALLY gotten the motivation to work on- at least at a planning stage- and in the two and a half years I've had this AU, I have literally never been able to give it a name and so I ask, dear co-captain of the Thomceit ship, for your assistance on this as I have nary a soul to turn to-

For reference: It's a Thomceit superhero AU that I want to draw/animate where the whole shtick is that the show is just the adventures of C!Thomas dealing with school whilst adjusting to becoming a superhero, whilst Janus is dealing with being a superhero and adjusting to school because this is his first year not being homeschooled and also there's kissy kissy mwah mwah shenanigans with some good old fashioned secret identity nonsense, and like an overarching villain plot ig- but the Thomceit is obvi way more important!!!

If you can help me dear friend I would be very very grateful, but if not- that's okay too, I haven't managed in two and a half years so I have no idea how well you'll fare- /lh

hi! yes. HI. oh fuck I'm so bad at naming things - I only just settled on a title for the TLT fic and it's been a full eight months on that bitch.

my advice for you is to either: pick a single pretty but obscure word that vaguely relates to the themes and use that (i usually end up combing the Phrontistery), name it after one or both of their Superhero Names, pick a lyric/line from the song/poem you inexplicably associate with the AU, or just call it something like the Masks AU.

[raidahblossom]

For the art thing. A3 for Janus and/or C2 for Thomas.

Here ya go anon!

I decided to draw my Farm AU after ages and uh ye-

Janus told a really bad joke and Thomas is trying his hardest not to laugh whilst thinking ‘bout how cute Janus is-

[thomasxsides]

Just had the silliest thought: Thomas: Who's my favourite lil' snake boy? YOU ARE, you're my favourite lil' snake boy! Ohhh what a cutie, let papa give his favourite snakey some kissies!! Jake: *happy baby babble as he's smothered with kisses* Janus: *irritated grumbling and muttering about how HE'S the snake boy* My man out here being jealous of a whole toddler like damn- and it's HIS toddler! Anyways I think that's hilarious and had to share it ~🌺

Janus, to his own child later: “There can only be one.”

[gamerzylo]

Thomceit?

A+: OTP

I love it, whether platonic or romantic - especially fanfics where Thomas has come to finally trust and accept Deceit or AUs like where the sides are just acting out scripts for the series (the whole meta “they’re just acting for Thomas’ channel” thing) or things ended up going much differently and Deceit is one of the sides he trusts the most.

[min-violet]

Hey friendo, about the Character Thomas needs more love post that- at the time- I didn't have a clue on what to suggest-I now do! So, ya know how Thomas recently bought some crop tops? I was wondering if Character Thomathy would like wearing the crop tops plus a skirt and he shows the Sides and they're like "Awwwww" but then he shows Deceit and slimy boi becomes a blushie boi and just fluffy Thomceit, ya know? I'd love it if you wrote that prompt and take your time if you do want to!

...Now that's the purest shit I ever read for Thomceit and some platonic TS x Sides. Considering I'm on vacation, I'll have time to write it! So, please, be patient and I will begin writing this fluffy Thomceit one-shot!

[5am-the-foxing-hour]

Top five Thomceit headcanons?

ÖwÖ

It came on so natural and slow neither of them realised it until Logan of all people pointed it out.

Thomas is a bit curious about the scales and why just Deceit has them.

Deceit trusted Thomas first with his name out of all of them, Virgil is trying not to feel too jealous about it.

snuggle sessions while watching movies on the couch.

Thomas loves to play around with Deceit’s fluffy hair, the noodle is not complaining and can be found bleping during these times.