#fiendly virgil

[f13ndish]

Leave him some treats and he’ll maybe start bringing you shiny gifts like a thumbtack or a quarter in the bird feeder

[today-only-happens-once]

Some Fandom Love Vibes

Every once in a while, I think about how much talent and lovely people are in this fandom and my heart grows soft and warm. Like:

@justisaisfine: I still think about the Sanders Bro AU a lot. I still listen to the playlist a lot. I think it’s always going to have a special place in my heart and honestly, props to Isa for not minding my refusal to let go of this au and ocassionally roll into their ask box unanounced to ask a question about it because I just. Love it. And the care and love and dedication they’ve put into developing it just. It blows me away?? And their ART?!?! Is gorgeous??? They always are able to say so much in the characters’ expressions in both the comics and stand-alone pieces and their watercolor approach to coloring is just. Distinct and beautiful and I love it.

@teacupfulofstarshine: Sometimes I think randomly about LDaD and a little part of my brain is like “whoa. She did that.” One day I hope to be able to fold lore so seamlessly into narrative like starshine does but until then, I will continue to read LDaD and look for examples of how she does it because that’s honestly the best way to learn. Is to look at the examples you admire and pay close attention. On top of that, LDaD has gorgeous and vivid setting description and I just. Admire the heck out of it. 

@princeanxious: Luka!! Okay so like. Luka is so flipping creative?? He has so many AUs that are all chock full of deep, rich lore and unlike anything else I’ve ever really seen, and he does it with such a passion and love for his work that it’s so easy to get caught up in it all in the best kind of way. And on top of writing, he also draws?? And it’s awesome?? Like, I’ve said this before but Luka has such a distinct style to me that sometimes I’ll see art on my dash and be like “hey that’s really cool and looks like Luka’s” and then I’ll check OP and realize it was him. Which just always makes me feel a little splash of happy.

@ironwoman359: Every once in a while, I’m going about my day as a normal human being and my brain will be like “remember Our Own Villain? HECK.” Or. “Yo remember that part from A Fiendly Reunion?” and I’ll be like “I’m doing dishes but now I want to go re-visit it.” Or “Hey remember when Lies of Omission smacked you upside the head with emotions?” and I’ll be like “I was grading papers but I guess now I’m gonna sit and think about Patton and re-read that convo with Patton and Virgil from that fic because feelings”. Basically what I’m saying is that Taylor is an awesome writer that always makes me feel a lot and I am so hecking happy she devotes her time and attention in writing to this fandom.

@randomslasher: My brain refuses to stop wanting to revisit so many of LJ’s fics. Like. Sometimes I’ll just be chilling and my brain will be like “Let’s re-read Thespian” and I’m like “aight” and then I fall down the rabbit hole because then I want to re-read Dad and Superfluous too and I feel?? So much?? When I read those??? And then there’s Starved, which I’ve been known to cry when I re-read certain parts when I’m feeling emotional and it’s the carthartic kind of cry, but it’s a sort of comfort fic for me that I go back to when I feel like I need it. Which is hard to explain?? But hopefully that makes sense. ON TOP OF THAT, LJ also makes art that is sometimes beautiful and sometimes cute and sometimes both and always, always awesome. I admire the heck out of the time and dedication they’ve put towards honing both of those crafts to be what they are today. 

These are all just a few blogs that I find myself always revisiting, but honestly this fandom is so rich with talent and kindness and sometimes I think about that and feel sappy in the best kind of way. 

If you make art, or write, or create edits of any kind--thank you. Thank you so much for the time and dedication you’ve put towards each individual project you’ve undertaken. You make fandom an enriched experience and I couldn’t be more grateful for the work all of you--tagged or not--pour into your creations. 

[rainbow-filmnerd]

Random Headcanons (1/?)

Hey guys! So, I’ve thought of this for a little while, and since I have nothing to do (I was going to watch the Steven Universe movie, but I can’t), I've decided to do a new thing on my blog where I write down a list of headcanons I have based on some of my favorite fandoms/shows/movies.

So, in this first set, I’ve decided to write down some headcanons I have based on... Sanders Sides! A few of these are inspired by some fan works by other Fanders, so I’ll refer back to them and their works! So, let’s get to it!

The stitching on some of Virgil’s clothes (hoodie, necktie, vampire cape) is actually spider silk. (Inspired by @parano--vigilant‘s Multiple Limbs/Spider!Virgil AU)

Some time after their separation, Roman and Remus used to get along, until the latter is basically rejected.

Patton adopts the black Pomeranian dog (see Moving On part 2/2) conjured by Roman. He names the pup “PJ”, or “Patton Jr.”.

Deceit has a snake as a pet/companion who uses him to spy on Thomas and the other Sides during some of their adventures. (Inspired by several fan works, but it mainly started with @ironwoman359‘s fanfiction “A Fiendly Reunion”)

Much like how Logan and Patton have onesies, the other Sides have their own onesies; Roman and Remus both have lions that look like Mufasa and Scar, Virgil has Jack Skellington (’cause he’s a Disney fan, and the posters), and Deceit has a snake.

Much like how Logan, Roman, Patton and Virgil had older outfits (from the first video up to the late events of Fitting In), the other Dark Sides had older outfits themselves. (I do plan on drawing them soon!)

Those are all the ones I have for right now. Let me know what you guys think of these, and I can certainly do more once I come up with them!

[ironwoman359]

A Fiendly Reunion: Ch. 1

Navigation: Ch.1, Ch.2, Ch.3, Ch.4, Ch.5, Ch.6, Ch.7, Ch.8, Ch.9, Ch.10

Summary: Virgil has revealed his greatest secret to Thomas, and Deceit is certain his plan is working. But when Thomas reacts not with malice, but with acceptance, plans will have to change. Thomas wakes up the morning after meeting Remus to find Virgil missing, and it doesn't take long for them to deduce that he didn't leave of his own free will. 

In order to get their stormcloud back, Patton, Logan, and Roman must lead Thomas through the darkest parts of his mind…but will Thomas be strong enough to face what it takes to bring Virgil home?

Chapter Warnings: Anxiety, crying, villain!Deceit, lying/manipulation, kidnapping, snake bites.

Relationships:  FamILY LAMPT all the way, baby.

Word count: 3,738

Read on AO3: here!

My Fanfic Masterlist My Commission Info My Ko-fi

--- --- ---

“Just be sure to keep up that personal growth, Virgil. Who knows? Maybe soon, you could be rid of us all." 

"So you’ve never been reluctant to share anything with the group then?”

“It takes a liar to know a liar." 

“Virgil, you’ve never been one to soften the truth. Why would you aspire to be so…boring?” 

“Despite his best efforts, Virgil could never stop being the bad guy!” 

 “Of course I did, Dr. Seuss! I would never hide anything from you!” 

"Because I was one of them." 

Thomas recoiled at the words, and the last ounce of hope Virgil had been holding onto that maybe, just maybe, things would turn out okay dissipated as Thomas stared at him, hurt etched into his features. 

Part of Virgil’s function as Thomas’s anxiety was to consider all the worst possible outcomes to any situation, so he had pictured this exact moment, over and over and over again. He’d pictured Thomas’s anger, his revulsion, his contempt. He’d imagined the names Thomas might call him (liar, traitor, monster), the demands that Virgil get out of his sight and never show his face among those who could be considered “light” ever again. He had steeled himself for that, mentally prepared to accept whatever punishment Thomas saw fit to give him, because he deserved it, didn’t he? 

This though…this was worse. Thomas didn’t look angry, didn’t look disgusted. He didn’t speak, just stared at Virgil with a look that could almost be described as wounded. Virgil’s eyes burned, and with what he hoped was an apologetic look, he sunk away before Thomas could say a word. He’d thought he would be strong enough to face him. 

But Virgil obviously wasn’t as strong as he needed to be.

— — —

Thomas pulled a blanket over himself and sighed as his body sunk into his mattress. If he’d ever needed a late afternoon nap, it was now, but despite his body being completely exhausted, he found that his mind was currently incapable of letting him sleep. Instead the events of the past hour plagued his mind, spinning around and around in his brain. One startling revelation about himself was always difficult to deal with, but two…that was a lot.

As jarring as meeting the Duke had been, Thomas had been expecting to meet another dark side eventually. Instead he found himself thinking about a side that he already knew very well…or at least, that he thought he knew. Virgil’s words echoed in his mind as he stared up at the ceiling: "Because I was one of them.” 

“One of them,” what did that even mean? The more Thomas thought about it, the more it made sense, he supposed…after all, he had once classified Virgil as nothing more than a villain in need of defeating. And the other dark sides he’d met so far he would certainly still qualify as villains. But then again, it wasn’t exactly a secret that he used to consider Anxiety a bad guy, was it? But the look on Virgil’s face when he’d admitted that truth…Thomas could have sworn that Virgil had been close to tears. So what was going on? 

Thomas sighed, and swung his legs out of bed, rubbing his eyes. For the second night in a row, his thoughts were incapable of letting him sleep. At least…Remus didn’t seem to have anything to do with it this time. Thomas wandered into the kitchen, thoughts of a before-bed snack vaguely occupying his thoughts, but as he stared into his fridge, he soon became aware that he wasn’t alone in the room anymore. He turned around, shoulders tense, but they relaxed almost instantly at the sight of Patton standing behind him, the light from the refrigerator reflecting off his glasses. 

“Hey, Pat,” he said, wincing at the roughness of his voice. “What are you doing here?” 

“I could ask you the same question, Kiddo,” Patton chided gently. “Hasn’t Logan told you about-” 

“Not eating anything before I go to sleep, I know,” Thomas finished, rubbing his eyes. “I just…can’t sleep right now.” 

Patton knit his brows, and the expression reminded Thomas of a parent who had just been told their child was having bad dreams. 

“It’s not…” he made a vague gesture with his hands, and gave Thomas a pointed look. “You know?” 

Thomas shook his head and sighed. 

“No, it’s not Duke stuff this time, I-” he paused, glancing at Patton. Did he know about Virgil’s past? It made sense that he would, the sides all seemed to know more about his mind than he did, but whatever the significance of what Virgil had told him, it’d obviously taken a lot for Virgil to trust him with it. Would telling Patton be betraying that trust? 

“Kiddo? What is it?” Patton pressed, and Thomas rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger. 

“It’s just…Virgil told me something, at the end of the video today, and I’ve been…thinking a lot about it.” 

“Aaah.” Patton clicked his tongue sympathetically. “So he finally told you the truth, huh?” 

“You knew?” Thomas asked, his eyes widening, and Patton nodded. 

“We all do. It just…wasn’t our secret to tell.” Thomas didn’t respond, so Patton pressed further. “So…how’re you taking the news then?” 

Thomas ran a hand through his hair, and closed the fridge door. 

“There’s…a lot that I still don’t understand,” he admitted. “About…Virgil, and the Others, and what it all means. It’s…a little confusing.” 

“Well, we’re always here to help you through it, Kiddo,” Patton said with a smile. “I can answer any of your questions about the Others if you want. All you have to do is ask.” 

“Thanks, Pat.” Thomas smiled back at the moral side gratefully. “But I think…I’m going to wait so I can talk to Virgil about it tomorrow. He seemed really upset when he told me…I want to make sure he has a chance to tell me everything that he wants to. And…I want him to know that I’m proud of him. For opening up like that, I mean.”

Patton blinked, then nodded in understanding. 

“That’s really mature of you, Thomas. But while I know you want your answers as soon as possible…it may be best to let Virgil have his space for a little while.” 

“Oh? How come?” Thomas asked, and Patton grimaced. 

“Well, it’s like you said, Kiddo. Virgil was upset when he told you, right? Remember, he is Anxiety. He probably thought that you’d react really badly to the news, maybe think he was some kind of monster for being one of the Others. That’s probably why he left without another word, so he wouldn’t have to face your reaction.” 

“Oh, no…” Thomas heart ached as he remembered the crumpled expression on Virgil’s face as he’d sunk out of sight. “I should talk to him, I can’t let him think that-” 

“I know, Kiddo, I know,” Patton interrupted, his voice gentle but firm. “But I’ve learned the hard way that it’s best to let Virgil have some alone time when he’s upset. When he’s ready to talk again…he’ll come to you. Okay?” 

“Okay,” Thomas sighed in agreement. He looked at his moral side and smiled again. “Thanks for talking to me, Patton.” 

“Anytime, Kiddo!” Patton chirped happily. “Now, it’s getting late, and I seem to recall a certain logical side telling you to go to bed?” 

“Okay, okay,” Thomas laughed. “See you later, Pat.” 

He made his way back to his bedroom and settled under his blankets, sighing in relief as he finally felt some of the tension of the day drain away. There was a lot he still had to figure out, but as he drifted off to sleep, he took comfort in the fact that he didn’t need to figure it out alone.

— — —

Virgil wasn't sure how long he cried for. Upon rising up into his room, he'd immediately collapsed on his bed, his shoulders shaking with sobs. It was all over now, he was sure of it. This was the end of cozy movie nights, easy conversation, and casual gestures of affection. He'd shown his true colors, and there was no way Thomas would want him to stick around anymore. Well, no matter. Virgil didn't need to be part of the famILY to do his job. Patton's dinners, Roman's adventures, Logan's debates...they were all nice, but they weren't why he did what he did. He did what he did to protect them, and to protect Thomas. They didn't have to like him for him to keep them safe. 

But the thought of losing them...it still hurt. 

He must have cried himself to sleep, because the next thing he knew, he was waking up to a genlte knock at his door. He whimpered and pressed his face deeper into his pillow, but the knock sounded again, and Virgil knew whoever was at the door wouldn't go away until they got an answer. 

"What?" he croaked out, not caring if they could hear the break in his voice.

"Virgil? Open the door," the knocker called out, and Virgil's stomach dropped. Thomas had come to the mindscape himself? He hadn't expected that. Still, he could never bring himself to refuse Thomas, so he slowly forced himself off his bed and cracked open the door to his room. 

"Hey," he mumbled, keeping his eyes on the floor. 

"Hey," Thomas repeated. The two of them stood in silence for a moment, then Thomas sighed and placed a hand on Virgil's door. "Can you let me in, Virge?" he asked. 

"I...my room..." Virgil stammered, but Thomas waved his hand dismissively. 

"I'll be okay, Virgil." 

Virgil shrugged, and stepped back, allowing Thomas to enter the room, keeping watch of the dusting of eye shadow that appeared under his host's eyes. The two of them sat down on Virgil's bed, and Virgil clenched his hands in his lap, waiting for Thomas to speak. He didn't have to wait long. 

“Virgil, I..." Thomas ran a hand through his hair, and the shadow beneath his eyes darkened half a shade. "I don't think that I have to tell you that I'm...a bit disappointed in you."

Virgil's heart skipped a beat, and he stared resolutely at his lap. He'd expected this. He'd prepared for this. 

"I mean...It's not just that you used to be a Dark Side. It's..that you lied to me about it. You know how I feel about lying, Virge." Thomas continued, and Virgil's eyes burned. 

“I know,” he mumbled, and he hated that his voice wavered, that he couldn’t even look Thomas in the eye. Didn’t his host deserve at least that? Virgil had betrayed his trust, and now he had to accept the consequences. 

"I have to admit, I thought better of you than that, I really did,” Thomas said, and Virgil felt tears well up in his eyes again, but to his surprise, Thomas kept talking. "Still...I understand why you did it." 

Virgil's eyes widened and he snapped his head up to look at Thomas. 

"You...you do?" he asked, and Thomas nodded. 

"You thought you had to protect me from them," he said, and with every word he spoke, the tightness in Virgil's chest loosened just a little. "And you thought that protecting me from them included...protecting me from you. From what you really are." 

Virgil nodded, fresh tears blurring his vision. 

"I'm sorry," he whispered. “I’m so sorry, I-” 

Thomas reached forward and pulled Virgil into a hug, cutting him off before he could even finish his apology. 

“It’s okay, Virgil,” Thomas murmured. He tightened his grip, and Virgil nestled closer to him. “I’ll make everything right again.” 

Virgil opened his mouth to say thank you, but what came out instead was a gasp of pain as something sharp dug into his neck. His eyes widened as Thomas’s form rippled and shifted in front of him, revealing a glowing yellow eye and a satisfied smirk. Virgil tried to pull away as the snake that bit him slithered across his arm to rejoin its master, but he could feel his strength sapping away as venom worked its way into his bloodstream. 

“N-no...stop...y’can’t…” Virgil slurred, but already his vision was going dark and he could barely hold his head up straight. 

“Shhh, shhh.” Gloved fingers carded through Virgil’s hair as the last of his consciousness slipped away. “Didn’t you hear me, Virgil?” 

Deceit smiled coldly as Virgil finally went limp in his arms. 

“I’m going to make everything right again.”

--- --- ---

Thomas woke up with the sunlight, feeling truly rested for the first time in what had to be days. He sat up and stretched, then let out a contented sigh. Finally, he’d been able to get a night’s rest without being  plagued by any thoughts from- 

The Duke suddenly stepped out of his closet, a massive grin on his face. Before Thomas could even react, Remus pulled out his stick of deodorant and took a giant bite, all while maintaining direct eye contact with him. Thomas blinked, then rolled his eyes and got out of bed to head to the bathroom. 

The Duke followed him around all morning, munching on his deodorant stick, making rude gestures, and laughing.  Somehow though, Thomas managed to film his video promo without too much difficulty, and eventually, Remus seemed to bore of lurking around the apartment and sunk back to the mindscape. Finally rid of his presence, Thomas sat down on his couch with his chickpea couscous and switched on the TV. 

He didn’t get to watch his show uninterrupted for long though, as after barely five minutes, Patton rose up to sit on the couch next to him.

“Hey, Patton!” Thomas smiled, but his face fell when he took in his moral side’s expression.  Patton’s brow was drawn tight with worry, and one hand was picking absently at the seams of his khaki pants. “Is something wrong?” 

“Hey, Kiddo.” Patton smiled nervously. “Sorry to bother you,” he began, but Thomas waved his apology away. 

“You’re never bothering me, Pat, you know that.” 

Patton seemed to relax a bit at that, and he pressed on. 

“This might seem like a funny question, but...you haven’t heard from Virgil today, have you?”

Thomas frowned. 

“No, I haven’t. I haven’t talked to him since after the video yesterday.” 

“Neither have I,” Patton said, biting his lip. “Logan and Roman haven’t seen him either, and it’s past noon. He’s usually at least come downstairs for his coffee by now. I went and knocked on his door earlier, but there was no answer.” 

“Well, I can see why that’d be upsetting,” Thomas acknowledged. “But I thought you said that he would need some time to himself to process everything?” 

“What?” Patton asked, frowning in confusion. “When did I say that?” 

“Last night,” Thomas said, a frown of his own forming on his face. “You know, when we were talking about him last night? You said that when he was ready to talk, he’d come to me.” 

“Thomas, what are you talking about?” Patton looked truly worried now. “We...didn’t talk last night. About Virgil, or anything else.”

Patton paused, and scanned Thomas’s face. Something akin to dread was slowly building in Thomas’s stomach, and he swallowed nervously.

“Then...who was I talking to?” Thomas asked, his voice barely a whisper. 

“Tell me everything,” Patton urged, and Thomas did. 

Patton, for his part, tried to be an attentive listener, but he couldn’t stop a gasp from escaping his lips when Thomas told him about Virgil. 

“He finally told you,” he whispered, raising a hand up to his mouth in awe. “Oh my goodness...that must have been so hard for him, he’s been so worried…” Patton’s face fell as the realization struck. “Oh, poor kiddo...that’s why he’s shut himself in, isn’t it?” 

“I assume so,” Thomas agreed grimly. “Then that night, I couldn’t sleep, so I went to the kitchen and you were there...or, I guess, I thought you were there, and we talked, and you basically told me that Virgil was probably really upset, and that I shouldn’t bother him.” 

Patton shook his head emphatically, his eyes wide. 

“No, no no no. I didn’t, I wouldn’t say that, that’s not what Virgil needs. You have to seek him out, otherwise he’ll just try and avoid what’s bothering him until it goes away. He needs to be shown that he still has support, otherwise he might spiral-”  Patton  froze, then suddenly he reached out and grabbed Thomas’s wrist. “Thomas, we have to go find Virgil, right now,” he urged. 

“I- okay, but why?” Thomas asked as Patton pulled him to his feet. 

“Because,” Patton said breathlessly. “Whoever was pretending to be me last night told you not to talk to Virgil this morning. Your first instinct was to find him, but they wanted to stop you from doing just that. So-”

“So why didn’t they want me to check on him?” Thomas gasped, and Patton nodded. 

The two of them sunk out without another word, and as soon as Thomas appeared in the mindscape Patton started dragging him up the stairs towards the hallway where all the sides’ bedrooms lay. 

“Virgil!” Patton called, knocking on the pale purple door at the end of the hall. “Virgil kiddo, please open the door.” He glanced over at Thomas, who took a deep breath before calling out himself. 

“Virgil? Virgil, it’s Thomas...are you in there?” 

Silence. 

“Virgil, please,” Thomas said again. “Let me in...I have to talk to you. You’re not in trouble, I…” he looked over at Patton helplessly, and the moral side attempted to give him an encouraging smile. “I want to make sure you’re okay, Virgil.” 

Silence again. 

Patton pushed on the door, but it didn’t budge, and he let out a small, frustrated whine. 

“No, it’s locked. Virgil, please!” he banged on the door again, and Thomas tried not to focus on the growing pit of dread in the center of his stomach. 

“What are you two doing?” Logan’s cool, calm voice cut through the panic that was growing between the two, and Thomas felt some of the tension in his chest leave. 

“Logan!” From the tone of Patton’s voice, it was obvious that he was equally relieved. “Can you help us get this open?” 

“Get it open? What do you need Virgil’s door open for? Can he not just open his own door?” 

“He won’t answer us, and he might be in trouble, I don’t know, but he’s not responding and now we can’t get the door open and-” 

“Breathe, Patton,” Logan said, placing a hand on Patton’s shoulder. 

“Right, sorry.” Patton took a deep breath, and Logan turned to Thomas. 

“What exactly is going on here?” he asked, and Thomas swallowed.

“Virgil...he won’t answer his door, and we have to see him now, it’s really important.” 

“Why is it so-” 

“He told Thomas the truth, Logan,” Patton interjected, and the two of them shared a look. 

“I see...Virgil, are you there?” Logan called, but Patton shook his head. 

“Something’s wrong...we’ll explain later, but we need to get in there, now.” 

“I see,” Logan said, then he turned to Thomas. “Thomas, you should be able to accomplish this.” 

“What?” Thomas blinked in surprise. “Why me?”

“Technically, when we are in the mindscape, we are inside your head. This whole place is made of your thoughts. Because you hold the control, you should be able to override the quote-unquote physical lock of the door.”

“Okay...how do I do that?” Thomas asked. 

“How does he do what?” a booming voice echoed down the hall, and Thomas turned to see Roman coming towards them, his sword draped over one shoulder. 

“Ah, good afternoon, Roman. I was just going to explain to Thomas how to open a locked door in the mindscape,” Logan said, nodding to Roman in greeting. 

“Uh, not that that’s not a super cool trick he can do, why are you explaining it now? And why are we having this powwow outside Dark and Stormy’s room?” 

“Virgil could be in trouble, Roman,” Patton said, biting his lip. 

“Trouble?!” Roman cried. “What trouble?!” He stepped forward with his sword, but Logan held up a hand. 

“Thomas has promised to explain everything in a moment, but we must focus on one thing at a time. Thomas. Visualize the door being open to you clearly in your mind. As the master of this plane of existence, your projected thoughts can, with enough concentration, come to pass.” 

“Are...are you saying that if I just believe really hard that the door is open, it will be?” Thomas asked. 

“If that mindset helps you achieve the desired results, then by all means,” Logan said, pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh. 

Thomas looked back to Virgil’s door, then put his hand on the doorknob. 

Open, he thought, feeling a bit silly, if he was honest with himself. You’re an open door, you’re unlocked. Open. Let me in. 

To his surprise, after a moment the doorknob clicked quietly and the door swung smoothly open, revealing a glimpse of Virgil’s room beyond. 

“Bravo, Thomas!” Roman exclaimed. Patton beamed proudly, and for a moment, Thomas forgot the worry that had lead them all here. 

Then, Logan cautiously stepped into Virgil’s room, and as Thomas and the others followed, the momentarily high spirits came crashing back down. 

“Virgil?” Patton called, but it was no use. The room was empty, with hardly a trace of their little worrywart in sight. 

“I think it’s time that you two explain exactly what the trouble is,” Logan said, and as Thomas and Patton took turns explaining, the logical side’s expression turned grim.

“That snake!” Roman growled, punching one of the throw pillows on Virgil’s bed.

“Yes, it does seem likely that it was Deceit you were conversing with last night, Thomas,” Logan agreed. “It is difficult to offer speculation on why he would desire to keep you from checking on Virgil, but the fact that his room is empty after such a conversation is...troubling, to say the least.” 

“What are we going to do?” Patton whimpered, and Thomas clenched his fists.

“I’ll tell you what we’re going to do,” he proclaimed. 

Three heads turned towards him, three faces that mirrored his own curiosity, his own worry, his own determination. Thomas took a deep breath, and met each of their eyes in turn.

“We’re going to find him.”

--- --- ---

Next Chapter

A/N:  Aaaah, I’m super excited to get this story going! The plot of this story will focus on Thomas facing the darker parts of his mind, but I don't know all the specifics yet, so please make sure to check the content warnings on each chapter as needed, and remember to keep yourselves safe! This will have multiple chapters, but hopefully won't be TOO long, and I'm still planning on working on my other wips alongside this one, so don't worry, nothing's been replaced! Hope you enjoyed this <3

-Taylor

(taglists will be in reblogs)

[ironwoman359]

In case anyone was wondering how chapter four of A Fiendly Reunion is coming along...

[ironwoman359]

📔

“Prove it,” Remus purred into Virgil’s ear, then he grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around to face–

Send me a 📔 and I’ll respond with the last sentence that I wrote

[ironwoman359]

📔

“Is that sooo?” Remus asked, a new glint in his eyes as he met Virgil’s gaze. “Well, we’ll see about that, won’t we?”

Send me a 📔 and I’ll respond with the last sentence that I wrote

[ironwoman359]

Dude is Virgil okay though

In A Fiendly Reunion? Well…..he’s not dead or dying?? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ He’ll be fiiiiiine eventually.

[ironwoman359]

So, any updates on a fiendly reunion?

Well, it’s for sure going to be multi-chaptered, and I know for a fact the first chapter won’t be posted today (even if I get it done today, I haven’t set up my desktop yet and I don’t trust my tags from my laptop), but I can give another sneak peek! 

Virgil didn't need to be part of the famILY to do his job. Patton's dinners, Roman's adventures, Logan's debates...they were all nice, but they weren't why he did what he did. He did what he did to protect them, and to protect Thomas. They didn't have to like him for him to keep them safe.

But the thought of losing them...it still hurt.

[ironwoman359]

A Fiendly Reunion Masterlist

Summary: Virgil has revealed his greatest secret to Thomas, and Deceit is certain his plan is working. But when Thomas reacts not with malice, but with acceptance, plans will have to change. Thomas wakes up the morning after meeting Remus to find Virgil missing, and it doesn’t take long for them to deduce that he didn’t leave of his own free will. In order to get their stormcloud back, Patton, Logan, and Roman must lead Thomas through the darkest parts of his mind…but will Thomas be strong enough to face what it takes to bring Virgil home?

Relationships: Platonic LAMPT

Content Warnings: Kidnapping, imprisonment/restraint, manipulation, mind games, stabbing, villain!Janus and villain!Remus

AO3 link

Ch.1 

Ch.2 

Ch.3 

Ch.4  

Ch.5 

Ch.6 

Ch.7 

Ch.8 

Ch.9 

Ch.10 

Full Masterlist Commission Info Ko-fi

[ironwoman359]

Do u have any recs for fics where it's LAMP but Virgil (wrongly) thinks they would be happier/better off without him and tries to distance himself, but luckily the others are Not Having It and assure him that they love him and are so much happier with him than without? I've read a couple but it's just such good angst/comfort that I want to read more lol

Well, for ones I’ve written, there’s Burdens, Conditional, A Part of the FamILY, and A Fiendly Reunion. 

Then, for ones by other people, I’ve got a whole list for ya, all by @randomslasher (who also writes on @random-snippets)

Solo, Snow Day, Back Pain, Superfluous, Starved, Reassurances, and honestly pretty much anything else on their masterlist, it’s good stuff!

[ironwoman359]

Do you hate Deceit?

Um, no? I quite like our snakey boy. Is this about the way I write him in fics like A Fiendly Reunion or Lies of Omission where he’s a manipulative villain who will hurt the others in order to get what he wants? 

If so, then might I also direct you to I’m Left in the Dark or I (Definitely) Deserve This where he’s a neutral presence, erring on the side of sympathetic but clearly not 100% Good or Innocent. 

Or Paws and Claws and Tooth and Claw, where he’s morally grey with the potential to get either worse or better depending on what choices he makes as the story progresses (and which are also both about dragons, funnily enough). 

Or A Good Place, where he was less than stellar in the past but is a different, more mature person now willing to make amends. 

And then of course there’s Rescue and Love Song for a Siren and Sacrifice and the Sanders Sanctuary AU where he’s just....one of the good guys. No strings attached, no ulterior motives, no grey shades of morality, just...one of the good guys, full stop. 

I wrote all ten of these fics, and could link a dozen more that all characterize Janus differently. I do like making him a villain a lot, for sure. He’s the villain in a lot of my chaptered fics, especially ones started back in 2018 that I have yet to update, where Deceit was kinda the only antagonist option for the series and “sympathetic” deceit was still young and relatively uncommon. I used to like sympathetic deceit content in theory but prefer more villainous characterizations, but then Deceit’s character evolved in the series and with that evolution came more nuance and by this point I’m equally as likely to write a new ficlet or prompt where he’s the whumpee as the whumper (see the fic I posted literally yesterday, Gaining Trust, in which Janus is rescued from unethical human experimentation and reunited with Virgil). 

So no, I do not hate Deceit. I love him, and I love writing him in a myriad of different ways, becuase he’s a fantastically fun character to play with. I love him as the villain, I love him as morallly grey, and I love him as a soft snek who needs love and cuddles. 

This boy?

This boy is alright by me <3

[ironwoman359]

19 for the Sanders Sides fanfiction ask?

19: Favorite review you ever recieved on a sanders sides fanfic?

Here are a few that have stood out to me on AO3 (since those are easier to track down again):

“I need to gush some more and now I have, like, a specific gush.

Deceit's deceptions here are so perfectly calculated. He tells Thomas "Don't initiate the awkward conversation; it will turn out better if you wait for the other party to do it," which is exactly the sort of thing a person with social anxiety would prefer to believe.

And when he goes to Virgil, he starts by pretending to be hurt!disappointed!mildly angry!Thomas, thus appearing to confirm Virgil's fears, which has two effects: 1) It avoids tripping Virgil's suspicions by appealing to his pessimism, and 2) it primes him to crave Thomas's forgiveness all the more, so that he leaps at the chance to hug sweet!supportive!Thomas.

He played them both like ukuleles and it's fantastic.” - Karalora on A Fiendly Reunion ch. 1

“This was...everything I needed to read right now and didn't realise I was looking for.This truly deserves a long rambling chapter about how PERFECTLY you captured Patton's character. How everything, from the initial incident, to how he chose to hide it, to the nightmares, felt so GENUINE. I want to take the time to analyse and rant about how beautiful this fic really was, and how I can't express enough how much I love the way you ended it. You didn't take the easy route, you didn't claim a group sleepover would be enough to end his nightmares and fix everything, but instead you showed the sides' dedication and willingness to commit to helping him recover. Things don't always have a magical fix, but that doesn't mean these issues can't be helped. Just...thank you.” -storytellerontheside on Lies of Omission

“I read this all in one day and about 30 seconds after I finished it.. .i cried. Your story made me cry, which made my cat a tiny bit concerned about me (or he just wanted me to give him attention). This story (especially ch 9) kicked me in the feels (in a good way!) The way you wrote the characters, I could connect with how they were feeling (even though I wanted to knock Logan upside the head for being Too Damn Stubborn.) This is one of those stories that'll make me come back and read it again. ^_^” - Guest on ch. 10 of A Sanders Carol

Sanders Sies Fic Writer Asks

[ironwoman359]

I saw your post on how to write for the Sides' dialogue in fanfiction work. I'm writing my first one-shot, and do you have any tips on how to write dialogue for Deceit?

There’s basically three ways to write Deceit’s dialogue, which I will highlight using examples from my own work because I’m too lazy to come up with new ones XD 

Way 1: Have him talk normally, with the occasional obvious lie said in an exaggerated way. He isn’t constantly speaking in doubles, but he occasionally does for sarcastic effect. 

Example: “Really now Virgil, do you think I would be so self destructive?” Deceit asked, examining the tips of his gloved fingers. “True, I’ve lamented the extent of Morality’s control on Thomas’s decisions. You could even claim that I’ve been trying to break Thomas free of his oppressive grip in recent months. But you of all sides should know that Patton is more than Morality. And Thomas obviously doesn’t need all of Patton’s other traits in order to stay Thomas.”  - I’m Left in the Dark ch.2 

Way 2: Have him talk in total opposites nearly all the time, in simple and obvious ways so that all you have to do to understand him is flip the meaning. 

Example: Deceit meant to say “okay,” but when he opened his mouth a different word came out. “Why?” “What?” Virgil asked, raising an eyebrow.“Why…why aren’t you helping me? Why didn’t you take me in? Why didn’t you let me in your room? I was wonderful to you…why are you being so mean to me?”  -I (Definitely) Deserve This

Way 3: You the author know what he means as a lie and what he doesn’t, but unless he’s being sarcastic for the sake of it, there’s no easy way for the characters to tell what he means, adding tension and making the reader question his words and his motives. Use this if you want Deceit’s manipulation to be front and center in your story’s plot.

Example: “Now, Virgil,” Deceit scolded, once again ignoring both Remus’s words and Virgil’s cringe of disgust. “This is for your own protection. If I let you go, you’d just go running back to their side of the mindscape. But what makes you think you’d be welcome back there? Your little secret is out, after all. This is the only safe place left for you.” Virgil opened his mouth to fire back, but as he did so, Thomas’s hurt expression flashed through his mind again, and the words died in his throat. Deceit seemed to know just what he was thinking, and he smiled as one would at a child who had just yawned after insisting that they weren’t tired. “Sooner or later, you’ll accept the truth…when you do, we can talk about removing some of your restrictions,” he said. He reached down and brushed Virgil’s bangs out of his face, ignoring the way the anxious side jerked away from the touch. “Until then, I’m afraid you’ll have to stay locked up, little shadow. But it’s only temporary, providing you cooperate, of course.” -A Fiendly Reunion ch.2

[ironwoman359]

Fake Fic Title: Fiendly Reunion

After Virgil admits to Thomas that he was once one of the Others, Deceit is sure that his plan is working. But when Thomas’s view of Virgil doesn’t change, Deceit has to adjust his plan for getting the anxious side out of his way. With the help of the other “dark” sides, he kidnaps Virgil and locks him away in their side of the mindscape.

In order to get their stormcloud back, Patton, Logan, and Roman must lead Thomas through the darkest parts of his mind...but can Thomas fight those inner demons without the help of his protector?

Title prompts are closed.

[ironwoman359]

Hullo! I've been diving down Sanders Sides fanfiction hell and I was wondering what you would say are your top 5 fic out there?

My top five that I’ve read or that I wrote? I assume the first, but I’m gonna do a list of both, cuz eh, why not. Also I have such a hard time picking favorites and I’ve read SO many good things in this fandom, choosing has been SO hard. 

In no particular order, my top five favorite Sanders Sides fics I’ve read: 

Snow Day by @random-snippets. Honestly, it was so hard to only pick ONE of LJ’s fics to put on this list, but I went with one of the ones I consistently return to. This three parter is full of angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, guilt, famILY love, Christmas joy, it’s wonderful. Don’t let the angst of the first chapter deter you, things get better for our boy!

Winter Winds by @asofterfan. Jude’s punk AU is fantastic, I adore it so much, and when Winter Winds was coming out, I was waiting with baited breath for every single chapter. It’s such a masterpiece, the writing, the emotions, the characters, it’s so. GOOD. Genderfluid, aroace, punk tattoo artist Remy is the greatest (and the saddest) person ever and I would die for them, and while I’m rec-ing this whole AU in general, Winter Winds in particular makes me FEEL THINGS oh my GOODNESS. 

Learning and Loving by @virgilsjourney was one of the first fics I read in this fandom and oh my god it’s so GOOD, this story is Prinxiety GOALS (with some lovely pining glasses gays content in the background), the emotions of it all are just so fantastic, and the journey that the characters go on is just so real and heartwarming and heartbreaking and beautiful, I love it so much. 

All You Knead is Love by @not-so-innocent-bi-sander. Again, I was staring at Jordan’s masterlist for awhile trying to figure out what to rec, because it’s all so GOOD, I honestly haven’t met a fic of theirs I haven’t liked. But I went with this one because it’s cute, it’s sweet, it’s utterly adorable and completely fluffy, and it’s a LAMP bakery AU, what could be better?

Lovely, Dark, and Deep by @teacupfulofstarshine may not be finished yet, but it is so amazing that I’m putting it here anyway. You’ve got mermaids. You’ve got Analogical. You’ve got platonic/paternal Thomas and Virgil. You’ve got Patton being a giant, eldritch horror but also World’s Best Dad to Roman and Logan. Mysterious villains. Beautiful family dynamics. Hopelessly clueless gays. This story has it all and it’s fantastic.

Honestly, there are so many other stories and authors I could put here, we’d be here all day, but to fire them off quickly besides all the other works by these five lovelies, you should also check out @stormcrawler75, @a-valorous-choice, @tinysidestrashcaptain, @notalwaysthevillian, @storytellerofuntoldlegends, @stillebesat, @tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors, @imtoobiforyou, @theeternalspace, and honestly I’m probably forgetting so many more, but there are just so many amazing authors in this fandom, I can’t keep track of them all!

And in no particular order, here are my top five favorite Sanders Sides fics I’ve written:

A Sanders Carol - Multi-chaptered, complete, Logan centric. A retelling of the classic A Christmas Carol with a Sanders Sides twist. 

Our Own Villain - Multi-chaptered, wip. Something is terribly wrong with Roman’s realm, and the other three sides must navigate their way through a landscape of danger and betrayal in order to save Roman and return things to normal.

Lies of Omission - Patton centric oneshot. Deceit kidnaps Patton to take his place in CLBG, and Patton must first escape, and then deal with the aftermath. 

Unspoken - Analogical oneshot. Logan and Virgil get into a fight, but then tragedy strikes and Logan must confront his emotions before it’s too late.

A Fiendly Reunion - Multi-chaptered, wip. After Virgil reveals his past to Thomas, Deceit kidnaps him and the others must fight through the darkest parts of Thomas’s mind to get him back.