#neutral patton

[sanders-sides-uncorrect-quotes]

It seems like most of the sides except Virgil are opposites of each other (Janus and Patton, Roman and Remus, Logan and Orange)

Imagine if there was a body swap situation where everyone but Virgil switch with their counterpart and he has no idea what's happening but knows something is up because everyone has started acting weird

[loganslowdown4]

Patton: Brr, I’m a little chilly.

Roman: Here, love, take my jacket.

Patton: Thank you, angel!

Remus: *looking at Janus* Uh, yeah, I’m feeling cold myself JanJan!

Janus: Remus, darling, you literally set fire to your jacket, yelling that God herself didn’t control how you felt temperature-wise, and the weather was all in our minds. I mean this as a lesson, baby, suck it up—

[randomnerd737]

[icy-cold-bitch-latte]

How the Sides would comfort a trans reader who's feeling dysphoric

A/N: this is gender neutral so it can be read by any of my fellow trans peeps who's dysphoria has got them feeling down ✌✌

Warnings: talk of dysphoria, Remus in general lol

Patton

Patton gives you all the hugs, kisses and cuddles ever in order to cheer you up

He's very proud that you decided to tell him how you feel rather than bottling it up because he knows from personal experience that repressing your emotions does nothing but makes things worse

He's not the best at cooking but if you have a favorite go to comfort food that makes you feel better then for you he'll definitely try

He ends up wrapping you up in a ton of blankets and pillows and just lays with you on the couch for awhile

Roman

At first, Roman vows to vanquish the beast that's upsetting you...until he realizes it's not a physical threat you're facing, but a mental one

He tries to take your mind off it by telling you stories of his daring adventures, or by putting on your favorite Disney movie, whichever you prefer

He'll call you an enormous plethora of gender affirming pet names until you're basically begging him to stop, and even then he still refuses until you cave and admit what he always believed, that you're perfect in every way

Logan

Logan uses logistics to combat your insecurities by reassuring you that nobody has the power to tell you what gender you are or aren't, regardless of how you present

He makes to sure look up plenty of coping mechanisms and suggestions for how to deal with dysphoria ahead of time so he has ample knowledge and understanding for how to make you feel better

Not the best at comforting you if you happen to get emotional but he might give you a hug or something if it's clear you need one

Virgil

As a conscious being made up of anxiety, Virgil notices your panic and distress as soon as he sets foot in the same room as you (that's probably what urged him to seek you out in the first place tbh)

When you panic, he panics, but he tries to keep it together so you won't notice and get even more upset

He has several tried and true methods that always work to calm people down, so once that happens and you can explain to him what's up he understands almost immediately

If you want to talk about it, great, if not he's content to just listen to music with you and hang out until you feel better

Janus

You being upset, especially over a topic that's so serious, is not something Janus takes lightly

It may appear as though he doesn't care all that much at first due to his stoic expressions, but that's just because he's trying to think of the right thing to say

He may be the literal physical embodiment of deceit, but if you're upset he'll try his best to be honest with you about how much he cares

Brings out all six of his arms so you can have the most amount of cuddles and physical affection all at once

Remus

Remus's comforting skills leave a lot to be desired, so unless you can deal with him making the most random outrageous sex jokes in an effort to cheer you up it's probably best that you just spend some time alone for a bit

He's incredibly clingy however so it won't be long before he comes begging to you for attention, on literal hands and knees might I add

If you do let him stay with you when you're upset you should make it clear to him you're not in any sort of mood to deal with his shenanigans

He'll actually listen for once and the two of you end up pranking the other sides together until you eventually get bored and decide to watch some horror movies instead

~

Sanders Sides masterlist | 🏷 taglist: @iloveentrapta @feralwenis

[lefaystrent]

Virgil passes by Roman's open bedroom door.

When nothing happens, he passes by again.

On the third try, he sighs and walks in.

"Okay, what gives?" Virgil demands.

Roman raises his head from where he lays on his massive bed. "Hm? Pardon?"

Frowning, Virgil elaborates, "You didn't holler at me when I walked by your room. You always call out to people when your door is open. You're too needy not to."

"First off, rude."

"I'm not wrong."

"Second off! Leave me alone, I'm busy."

"You're not busy. You're just laying there."

Roman huffs and flaps his hands against the blankets, making light thwacking noises of derision. "If you must know, I am cloud watching, Insufferable Hulk."

"Huh, you just can't be bothered to look out a window, can you?"

Virgil glances up at the ceiling, planning to make an obvious show that ceilings don't have clouds.

Except there are actually clouds there. A butt load of clouds cut out of paper and taped to the ceiling.

Roman points a sword at him. Where he pulls it from, Virgil is unaware, but Roman doesn't bother sitting up so he's pretty sure it's an empty threat. "For your information, there is nary a cloud in the sky outside today, so my perfectly precious Patton took it upon himself and gifted me the ability to gaze upon clouds whenever I wish."

"Patton did all that?"

"I know, isn't he the sweetest?" Roman has returned to looking up at the ceiling wistfully. He hugs the sword to his chest. Virgil fights the urge to mother-hen him about the dangers of sharp objects close to vital regions.

Instead, Virgil contemplates acts of romance and how a simple silly gesture can reduce a man to grinning like a loon. If Virgil waits long enough, he'll probably see little cartoon hearts start floating in the air.

Virgil ducks out of the room to leave Roman to his pining. His mind inevitably goes to the subject of his own affections...

Later, Virgil chills in the livingroom with Roman and Patton. Mostly he's enjoying being a one-man audience to the two of them dancing around each other, obviously flirting but both of them too oblivious to take that final leap. Really makes a dude wanna scream.

Hurried steps come down the stairs. Virgil looks up to see Logan with the most pinched expression.

"Who placed glow-in-the-dark star stickers on my bedroom ceiling?" he asks.

Patton and Roman stop. Virgil's face remains neutral, but he almost breaks when Roman immediately looks to him in an epiphany moment.

"Uh, did you do it?" Patton asks with a cute head tilt.

Logan huffs, "Why would I ask if I knew the answer?"

"I thought it might be a trick question."

"Do I strike you as a tricky person, Patton?"

"...is this a trick question?"

As they squabble and it becomes increasingly clear that Patton is playing dumb on purpose, Virgil slips away. Roman's eyes watch him knowingly, and Virgil has a terrible suspicion that they're going to end up having a sleepover at Roman's insistence so they can gush about their crushes, but that's a problem for future Virgil.

[do-you-ship-it-polls]

Do you ship it?

reason under the cut!

They're just really silly! Its the right brain x left brain ship dynamic!! Patton also refers to the sides as "a big happy family" where "[he's] the dad, and Logan's the mom." Patton's done things and Logan has reacted with "WE GET IT! YOU'RE ADORABLE!" They larp as sherlock and watson together,, this is honestly one of the most popular ships but its my personal favorite because im a neerrrdd and a patton kinnie,, they also wear matching onesies and logan gets patton a cat onesie (with a pouch that he can place small dogs in!!) In "The Sides Have a Nice Day" Patton tries his hardest to give logan a good day to help with all the stress recently!! And when he goes too fast, Logan tells him and then he chills out and they do everything again while letting logan enjoy everything!!! Patton may do a lot of things that Logan doesnt understand at first but they entertain each other and teach each other things about themselves, and isnt that just neat? :]

[clydesavage-thefox147]

So, a while back I made a post explaining a lesser known part of Virgil and Patton’s beef as of late. [Read here]. I said I would follow it up in more detail as to why I believe they are at odds. Honestly, shocked to have heard other fanders lately speaking on this similar point, so I'll throw in my two cents to see if anyone else picks them up.

This point in particular being about the most recent reason why there's a disconnect between them. That reason being Patton’s new found friendship with Janus. To start off, I think this is a commendable leap for Patton. He went from viewing Janus as a moral obstacle and an opposer to his “good person” image that he pushed harshly onto Thomas. Then, once Janus had explained his motives or at least attempted to, Patton started having a change of heart. He could tell Janus wasn't as such an awful guy as he once thought. Janus actually had sincerity and even helped reassure Patton that making mistakes is okay just as long as you're obviously trying to do better. Patton then later even admitted that Janus wasn't exactly wrong in the matter, proving that he did have a point. This flip in view for Patton is a good one, for both him AND Janus. Patton, with Janus' philosophically nuanced views and his lawful neutral-bridging evil approach, could learn to understand the grays of morality and selfishness. While Janus, with Patton’s softer demeanor and strong empathy, could learn to embrace his own softer side and even take a chance on selflessness towards others. This could be the first step in balancing out Thomas' mind and finding common ground. Despite Thomas' weariness to fully trust Janus, he's willing to give him a chance. This is a positive swing in the right direction. 

However, to Virgil, it may not be. We all know Virgil has his own personal vendetta with Janus, as well as the Dark Sides as a group. He has pushed time and time again that Janus is not good to have around and he isn't to be trusted. Later in Dealing With Intrusive Thoughts, he had admitted to wanting to protect Thomas from the Dark Sides or “The Others” as he called them. This was why he was so persistent in trying to keep them at bay. So, on the surface, he wanted them gone for safety but..his personal views on them are underlining the tension. Particularly with Janus, he has this aggressive behavior whenever Janus is present, showing that his views on Janus aren't very good. This is understandable seeing how it seems that Janus triggers something within him. He constantly pushes the notion that Janus is an untrustworthy, conniving liar. That's how he views him. This is the last image of Janus that’s ingrained in his mind. So, seeing him in a softer light like Patton is now, isn't going to be easy for him.

It's funny that Virgil said that Patton struggles with issues involving the past(which is a valid point to bring up) but..he himself is struggling too. Since he's holding onto these grudges, he can't embrace any form of compromise. Though, he could be valid in these grudges. We have yet to know what really transpired between all of them but it might have been quite tragic or traumatic to say the least. So, it's understandable why Virgil wouldn't want them around. They must've hurt him in such a way that made him outright refuse to view them as anything more than what his warped mind chose to view them as now. That’s why in Perfect Gift, when Janus gave Patton a genuine gift, Virgil didn't know how to exactly respond. His expression gives one of two feelings. Either one of not being able to see Janus in this softer light and finding it off-putting or maybe one of jealousy over Patton being treated nicer than how he might've been treated by Janus. I mean hell, they both gave Patton the same gift albeit years apart. Maybe Virgil saw it as competition for Patton’s affection? Or maybe, could Virgil be thinking that Janus is trying to manipulate Patton as well?

To further add, Virgil could also be feeling a strong sense of failure. He said he wanted to protect Thomas and the other Cores from the Darks but he felt like he failed with them becoming progressively harder to combat. Now, seeing the embodiment of Morality being friends with the embodiment of Deceit could be rubbing salt in the wound. He feels betrayed by Patton here. He constantly pushed that Janus wasn't trustworthy but those warnings were ignored.

Think of it like this: You have a toxic partner/friend/bully in your life and you have routinely ranted about them with your peers. They all agree you should leave them or ignore them. You do and everything seems fine for a while. But, then you turn the corner one day just to see your so-called best friend hanging out with this person. How would you feel? You'd feel hurt wouldn't you? This is how Virgil is feeling. It's a valid feeling. Seeing someone you trusted being with someone you couldn't trust is heartbreaking. Patton was Virgil's first supporter when he first showed up and now seeing Patton trying to accept Janus, his sworn enemy and/or possible ‘abuser’ is painful. Sure, Virgil was pushing Patton away due to previous issues between them but Patton still cared about him and wanted to reconcile. However, it seems like that won't be happening any time soon. Now, by giving Janus a chance, Patton not only pushed Virgil further away but cut a rift between himself and Roman. Now, Roman and Virgil are best friends all because they have a mutual hatred for Janus. We know why Roman hates him, but for Virgil, we don't know the exact reason(s) yet. Hell, Roman and Virgil were calling Thomas a liar throughout FWSA all because he decided to give Janus a chance too. Both Roman and Virgil feel betrayed by Patton here. But, I think Patton is in his right to fire back at Virgil with “Well if I can learn to accept you, why can't I accept Janus?” Then Virgil could either fall silent and not know how to respond, blurt out something so revealing about them, or something subtle yet still telling. Virgil hates the new found friendship Patton and Janus have formed but Janus could be annoyed with Roman and Virgil’s new connection formed around the hatred for him. These four are going to really have a brawl going forward and it could end great or tragic depending..and seeing how things have been escalating... probably tragic

But in summary, Virgil feels betrayed and hurt by Patton's involvement with Janus after repeated attempts to steer him and the others away from the Darks. He's not going to take this lightly at all. However, Virgil's hypocrisy in not being able to move on from his past grudges is blinding him from the positives of the situation and possible reconciliation. But, what do you think, do you pick up the two cents I just threw down?

P.S: I will add more explanation to Pat and Virge’s issues in another installment later hopefully.

[alex-logan-w]

THEORY TIME!!!

Logan used to be a dark side.

Let's see how long this gets I might have to put a break in the post-

Ok so I was just rewatching WTIT and I noticed some really interesting things.

First off, Logan and Remus seem to have some sort of... Relationship for lack of a better word. For example, when Remus got stabbed in the eye, Logan seemed to find it somewhat amusing, almost to an endearing degree. Alternatively, the Dunce Scene. Obviously this is Remus being Remus, but Logan seems almost used to Remus' antics, similar to how Janus is. He also seems to know how the dark sides work and how to take them down, including Virgil.

Then, let's call it the Confrontation Scene (when the orange eyes are revealed), Logan admits that Remus has merit and purpose, something that the other light sides can't seem to do. This may be in part to him believing he is emotionless and therefore unbiased, but we all know that's not true. Logan has always advocated for the dark sides, and has primarily been the only one to do so, going so far as to include them in a gift exchange.

My final bit of evidence isn't involving anything canon, but more of a development thing. As kids, Logic seems limiting and fantasy is the most interesting. Exploration is essential for learning and experiencing things that shape us, and while logic has a part in that, it is mostly Morality and Creativity. Another thing is that there's a point where kids think they know everything and everything they say is correct. This could also be because of a "dark logic" taking control.

So my theory is that as a child, Logan was a dark side or neutral at best.

Back to canon, Virgil was only fully accepted into the group when he got 'His Color' and his 'true item' (patchwork hoodie). In the end card, the orange eyes don't have glasses. So what if each side has to go though some sort of metamorphosis to become the most useful to Thomas and they gain a signature item (hoodie, hat, mustache, sash) through doing that.

Logan's metamorphosis could have been going from Orange to Blue (a color that had already been claimed by Patton, technically) and his item is his glasses. But when/if he reverts back to his "dark side", he loses his item (glasses) and becomes Orange again. This could also be the reason he had such a subtle change in his design compared to Virgil, who hadn't had a metamorphosis yet.

And this could also tie into my theory about the Orange Side being Narcissism! I touched on it a bit in my other theory, but sometimes narcissists use logical language to 'prove' their point and manipulate people further, as well as excuse their own behavior.

But yeah! That's my theory! It's not a very strong one and it could easily be blown out of the water if I delved deeper into it, but it was fun! I'm excited to see where Thomas and the team take the orange side regardless of any theories.

[emetophobic1]

TODAYS TOPIC : If the sides were genderbent, what would their names be?

While I’ve seen people go basic, calling Logan: Lauren, Patton; Patty, Roman; Rachel, etc. I find that not only boring but it in a way takes away from how their names are based on greek, roman, and otherwise mythology! — I want to keep their names to the first initial of their original names, otherwise… it doesn’t make sense. And it’d be impossible to keep the coresides having “an, on” at the end of their names and the darksides having “us” at the end of theirs.

Logan would be renamed to; Lilith — “Belonging to the night, Demon, Spirit, Night Monster” — Lilith, female demonic figure of Jewish folklore. Her name and personality are thought to be derived from the class of Mesopotamian demons called lilû (feminine: lilītu), and the name is usually translated as “night monster.” While it doesn’t match in terms of who he is, I believe the night aspect of it works, plus Lilith is much prettier than Lethe as a name personally.

Patton would be renamed to; Persephone or Phoebe — “Persephone, Goddess of the underworld, spring, the dead, destruction, life, grain, and nature.” — “Radiant, shining one” Phoebe is the Latin variation of the greek name Phoibe, Which derived from Phoibos, meaning “Bright” in classical mythology. — Phoebe is a much more… human name, I’d say that one works better.

Roman would be renamed to; Roma — “Wisdom, War, The arts, battle, warrior” — Roma, personification of the Roman state, the city goddess, resembles Minerva as a female warrior but is usually shown seated on a throne and identified by legend. My other one was Rhea but… come on, Roma, Roman?

Virgil would be renamed to; Venilia or Violet — “Venilia, A Roman Deity associated with the winds and the sea. According to Virgil and Ovid, she was a nymph” — “Violet, Purple, The cycle of the seasons and the passage of time.” While Venilia is actual mythology… to my dismay, Violet does make more sense.

Janus… Janus stays Janus I fear. His name is a heavy gender-neutral name and it is of Roman Mythology!

Remus would be renamed to; Rhapso — “In Greek Mythology, Rhapso was a nymph associated with stitching, sewing was a common motif in Ancient Greece, used as a metaphor for the thread of life.” While this doesn’t make as much sense as I’d like it to, Remus was harder to do than you’d expect! Not only did I try to find a name to match Romans, but I had to try and have it make sense for his character… it’s difficult okay ☹���

And while Orange is not canon, I can imagine him being named Lyssa. “Rage, Fury, Crazed Frenzy, Rabies.” Lyssa was the goddess or personified spirit (Daimona) of mad rage, fury, crazed frenzy, and rabies in animals. The Athenians spelt her name Lytta. Lyssa was a figure of Athenian tragedy.

So, opinions! What do you name the sides in your genderbend AUs? (I actually just keep them with their original names because my brain can’t filter them with different names 😭)

[sanders-sides-uncorrect-quotes]

What if Virgil formed as a gray/neutral side but Janus saw the little spider eyes forming under his regular ones how snarky and jumpy and standoffish he was and how he hissed just like Janus when anyone approached too quickly and was like "is anyone gonna adopt that" and didn't wait for an answer (because he knew if he did then Patton would appear with his hand up immediately)

[mysisypheannightmare]

A Necessary Proposal

Word Count: 3487

Warnings: Unreliable narrator, negative thinking, typical angst

--

His fully thought-out proposal hadn't been quite as easily accepted as he'd planned, but he really shouldn't have been surprised by such outcomes at this point. At least he managed to complete the presentation before the questions flooded in this time.

Logan stood in front of the other sides, all gathered in the commons, neutral expression staunchly in place while the others all looked back at him with a wide variety of expressions, ones Logan had little hope to properly interpret.

"Logan, you can't be serious," Virgil sounded exasperated. Logan was unsure if this was from disbelief or irritation, but he'd guess it was the latter.

"I assure you, I am," he told him plainly.

Patton seemed to stumble over his words, trying and retrying to say something but he didn't seem to even know what he wanted to say. There seemed to be a squeak or a sob in there, probably. Logan wasn't sure how to interpret that at all.

Roman, defiant as always, crossed his arms and remarked,

"And you expect us to just carry on without you? I hate to admit it, but I'm pretty sure we do actually need you around."

Logan glanced his way, having already prepared for the creative side’s exaggerations.

"You are all clearly capable of handling your roles and tasks without my assistance," he replied. And it was true, he’d witnessed it on many occasions.

Roman's brow furrowed at his answer and Logan attempted in vain to understand what that could mean. Thinking? Maybe considering Logan's point?

Roman didn’t stay quiet long, however, and eventually just sighed dramatically, stating,

"I mean, roles? Sure. I can get Thomas to land any role he wants, yeah? Get him to work his little tush off memorizing every line and playing that part the way it was meant to be played!"

He posed his arms in a way that Logan assumed would be uncomfortable, but Roman only continued,

"But if you don't remind him to set his alarm or tell him the directions to get to the theatre for the audition, then all my work is for nothing!"

Logan rolled his eyes.

"Any one of you could give reminders. And Thomas has a functional GPS on his phone for directions," he explained. "There's very little reason for my participation."

Patton seemed to finally find his words, tripping forward for a moment and exclaiming,

"But...but we've been over this before! We're all important to Thomas!"

Logan nodded.

"Indeed, you are all very important."

Patton frowned. Logan could easily guess what that meant – disappointment.

"Logan..." Patton whined, but he didn't argue further.

Logan could see the matching looks of discontent on the others' faces. He’d thought his proposal would properly lay out everything they’d need to know about his decision in this matter, but clearly he’d been wrong. Perhaps he just needed to explain in a bit more detail…

"It's not as though I intend to leave him without logical functionality," he reassured them. "But to make adequate room for all necessary parties, it may be best that I stay out of the way. You all have a lot to contribute, and you deserve to be heard."

"So do you!" Virgil rebutted, gesturing directly at him.

Logan glanced down at Virgil’s outstretched hands. He'd genuinely thought this proposal would go over much more smoothly with the other sides, but it seemed he underestimated this group's innate desire to argue trivial points.

He tried again.

"...this is to best benefit Thomas, as well as all of you."

Virgil only appeared angered at this addition.

"I don't get how you being gone is meant to be a good thing for anyone, Logan."

"I will not be gone," he corrected him. "In fact, I'll make sure my door is always unlocked and I am always available for any questions should the need arise."

Patton put a hand to his head, as though in pain. Was he in pain? That was an unforeseen outcome from all of this.

"...I just. I don't understand,” was all that Patton said.

Logan nodded,

"I know, and that's alright."

"Is this what you want, Logan?"

Logan looked over. Finally, Janus had spoken up, after standing there silently and merely observing the lot of them this whole time. Logan had guessed that Janus would wait to give any input, as he so often does, so this must have been that moment.

Logan answered genuinely.

"Yes."

Janus tilted his head to the side a bit, eyeing him oddly.

"Are you sure about that? You seem hesitant in your answer."

"Yes," Logan reiterated. "As I said earlier, this is to benefit Thomas."

"But does it benefit you?"

Logan tried not to change his expression at such a question. This definitely wasn't the direction the presentation was meant to go.

He tried answering as briefly as possible.

"Well, it doesn't...have...to." Not his best work, but close enough. "With my absence, I can create more comfortability for all of you to--"

"How does that benefit you?" Janus cut him off.

At least Logan was used to that happening by now. But it still wasn't a question he'd anticipated.

He tried to come up with something acceptable to say, but there wasn’t an adequate answer to give, so he simply didn't respond.

Patton glanced over at Janus, another unreadable expression on his face.

"...Janus?" he questioned, as though he'd get an answer.

Janus kept his gaze focused directly on Logan, carrying on.

"You said you'd answer our questions, so I'm asking. How does this plan of yours benefit you?"

His words sounded casual and curious, but Logan knew he was only disguising them that way. He may not have known what Janus was truly getting at, but at least he could see it was a lie.

Unfortunately, that knowledge didn't help him answer the question. He’d have to come up with something.

"There is benefit..." he tried. "It's just... difficult to explain."

Janus kept his eyes on him.

"Try."

Logan swallowed. He really should have known he'd get these kinds of questions from his proposal, but he'd genuinely believed the others would be more accepting of the decision, especially once he explained the benefits for Thomas. He'd even laid out how all their usual tasks would still be accomplished, if not improved. Surely they would understand, right?

Logan straightened his back even more. He just needed to answer these questions for the sake of understanding his reasoning, right? He could do that. They deserved to understand, and it was his job to help in that exact regard, after all.

He finally responded,

"There's... It is easier to conduct my work from afar," he explained in earnest. "The necessary work for Thomas, that is. I can administer instructions without direct involvement with him or any of you."

Janus didn't even blink, his eyes boring into him as he spoke.

"Why?" Janus asked, his voice sounding somehow more fierce, more determined.

Logan was thrown off a bit by his tone, unsure what that could mean.

"...why?" he repeated.

"Why is that easier?" Janus clarified, again his tone sounded...angry? Distressed? Logan really couldn't be sure. He was never sure.

But at least this was a simple question to answer.

"Thomas takes it into consideration quicker if I'm not the one who--"

"Why is it easier for you, Logan?" Janus cut in again.

Logan resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the irrelevant question.

"I just said, Thomas takes it into consideration."

Janus clapped his hands together, the gloves muffling the sound, the tips of his fingers touching his lips as he inhaled sharply.

Logan had already started to give up on interpreting these odd expressions and behaviors.

Janus sighed and went right back to his questioning.

"So, it's only easier because Thomas listens that way? Why does he only listen if you're not around?"

Logan blinked.

"I...don't know."

In fact, he hadn't even really considered WHY that was the case. He just knew that it was.

Janus crossed his arms, looking more annoyed now. Logan knew that particular expression well enough by now, as all the different sides shared it, especially when speaking with him.

"Have you asked him?" Janus raised an eyebrow.

Logan finally glanced away from the constant gaze that was on him. He hoped he didn't look as uncomfortable as he felt.

"No," he told him. "I doubt Thomas knows why, either."

"So the only reason you want to do this is because it lets Thomas listen to you?"

"No," Logan replied instantly, trying not to sound defensive. This wasn't even ABOUT him, and especially not about Thomas refusing to listen to him! Why would that be their first assumption??

Janus waited, likely to see if Logan would elaborate but he didn't. He shouldn’t need to, either.

"Then what's the other reason?" he asked.

Well. Shit. Logan tried to school his expression to stay neutral, but he knew he'd floundered at his own slip-up just then.

He couldn't help but glance around at the others, who all seemed to be looking between him and Janus in mostly confusion. Probably. That was another expression he was relatively familiar with, after all.

Janus clicked his tongue, dragging Logan's attention back to him.

"You just said that wasn't the only reason," he remarked. "So, what else is there?”

Well, he certainly couldn't respond to that. There were several reasons, sure, but none of that mattered in getting them to understand his decision. Yet, now the other sides were all looking at him expectedly, all because of these incessant questions.

"Logan?" Virgil spoke up. Yet another question with no answer.

Maybe that was what Janus was trying to do…

Logan turned back to Janus, hoping he didn't portray any anger in his realization.

"You are trying to make this about me, Janus, but this isn't about me." He responded coldly. "Yes, it would be better if Thomas listened, for his own survival and betterment, but we are all well aware that such concepts rank low among his priorities.

And that is alright! He has big aspirations and a lot of emotional turmoil to attend to, so it's understandable that the rest is pushed aside."

He crossed his arms, looking pointedly at both Janus and Remus.

"However, he is at a current juncture where he needs to give more time and energy towards self-preservation and expanding his imagination, and so, I am giving him the room he needs to do that by removing that which he already finds... extraneous."

Remus grimaced at him from over Janus' shoulder.

"So it's our fault then?"

"I did not say that," Logan replied. "You are all very important and necessary to Thomas. I am not. So, I am doing what I can to make up for it."

Janus' eyes narrowed at him, some sort of clear emotion was definitely there if Logan could be bothered to try and figure it out.

"And that doesn't bother you?" Janus took a step forward, "That you're the only one getting shoved aside in all this?"

Logan kept his gaze steady, not intimidated in the slightest.

"This is a plan of my own design, Janus. I don't see why I'd have any qualms with its execution."

And he didn’t – have any qualms, that is. If it were for Thomas’ benefit, if it made his life better, he’d do whatever it took. He wasn’t about to argue against his own decision, after all.

“And the only reasons are because Thomas listens more when you're not around and because you think you need to make room for Remus and I to contribute whatever we have to say?” Janus continued.

Finally, they were starting to understand.

“Yes,” he told him.

Janus laughed, insincere as ever.

“Now, why don't I believe that?”

Logan frowned.

“I wouldn’t know, but I can assure you, this will be to great benefit for all of you and Thomas.”

He didn’t understand how they couldn’t see why this was a good idea. The pros far outweighed the minimal cons, they would not be hindered by his absence, it all was meant to help all of them. Why couldn’t they just see that?

Janus was still staring at him, with an odd look in his eye. It was very unlikely he’d know what that could be.

“May I ask how you came to that conclusion?”

Logan crossed his arms, getting tired of this constant go-around.

“You have a lot of questions today, Janus.”

The other side only smiled.

“Do you have an answer?”

Of course he had an answer, he just didn’t want to give it. But, if they all needed more information before they could truly understand his decision, then so be it. He could indulge…but only a little bit.

“...I've been...conducting research for quite some time,” he started. “Tested some hypotheses, found the conclusion with the best results. That is all.”

“May I ask what these hypotheses were?”

Janus continued to smile. It was irritating to see, but Logan quashed the feeling down. None of that was necessary here. He simply needed to answer these inquiries and be done with it.

“...I would think it obvious, but sure,” he responded. “I was theorizing my purpose among all of us as sides and if Thomas responded better to my participation or ...others impersonating me...or my absence with simple influence instead.”

“And you found this to be the best option?” Janus asked.

“Yes.”

Obviously.

“Well, then I guess I have no further questions,” Janus concluded, that smile still present.

Logan took a breath. Thank goodness that was over.

Janus turned around, as though he was going to walk away, if that somehow meant he could walk through Remus, who was still standing behind him. Odd, but Logan wasn’t going to interpret that, either.

But then he turned back,

“Oh wait, I do have one more!”

Logan grumbled,

“What?”

Janus turned back around, stepping towards Logan again.

“Well, you see, your mention of experiments got me wondering...” he said, and then pointed back over his shoulder, “I've seen Remus over here get all kinds of riled up doing little experiments of his own, so I have to ask...

How did it feel doing that research, Logan? What feelings came about once you got to that conclusion?”

Logan didn’t bother to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Janus was back to the inane questions, it seemed.

“...I don't feel, so there were none,” he replied.

Janus looked surprised.

“Really?” he responded incredulously. “You found out that Thomas is better off without you, and you were just fine with that?”

Logan’s eye twitched involuntarily. The irritation was back.

“Yes.”

Janus stepped forward again, leaning more to the side while still eyeing Logan in that weird way.

“I mean, I think I'd be devastated,” he told him. “I took a lot of measures myself to get Thomas to finally listen to me, but you were perfectly fine just rolling over and letting him treat you like that?”

Logan wasn’t even sure how to interpret this line of questioning. All this meeting had meant to be was a simple proposal, maybe a quick Q&A session, and then he’d return to his room, never to exit again. This was supposed to be uncomplicated, easy. But Janus was making it into an interrogation of sorts, and he had no idea why.

“...yes,” he finally replied. It didn’t matter what this was meant to be at this point. Janus had managed to take control of the conversation. There was little else he could do but answer the questions until they finally stopped being asked.

Janus, now on a roll, just kept going.

“It really didn't bother you in the slightest? You're not upset that you serve no purpose here? That you did all that work for nothing? Thomas made you to be a part of this group but he doesn't actually want you here?” he stepped forward again, this time far too close for comfort. “That doesn't make you angry, not even a little bit?”

Well, this was just getting ridiculous. If the only reason Janus was asking him all these questions was to get a rise out of him, he should have just shot down his initial line of irrelevant questions earlier. So much for camaraderie.

“Your leading questions won't accomplish anything, Janus,” he told him. “You already know I don't have feelings.”

And that these questions won’t get the result he apparently was fishing to find.

Janus leaned back,

“Are you sure? You seem rather frustrated right now.”

Logan sighed quietly. This was absurd.

“I can assure you, I'm not.”

Janus turned on his heel and walked away again. Logan took a second to glance at the other sides, only to see they all looked both concerned and uncomfortable. Well, they certainly weren’t the only ones…

“And you've never been frustrated before? Not even once?” Janus continued.

Logan ignored the burning sensation in the back of his throat.

“I have not felt emotions,” he told him frankly.

Janus looked back over his shoulder at him.

“Then how would you know?”

Logan furrowed his brow, confused.

“...what?”

Janus crossed his arms, his expression having changed again in a way Logan couldn’t hope to recognize.

“Well,” he said, “if you've never felt emotions then how would know if you're frustrated or not?”

Logan paused. While an intriguing but albeit pointless question, this was really neither the time nor place for such a discussion. To end this quickly, he gave a concise and simple answer instead.

“...it's not as though one needs to experience something to know the truth behind it. Thomas doesn't need to place his hand on a burning stove to determine it would be hot, for example.”

“Would he know what heartache feels like if he hasn't lived it, though?” Janus immediately asked in response.

Logan sighed.

“...how is that comparable?”

“Would he know what satisfaction is without experiencing a positive outcome after working so hard to finally achieve it?” Janus continued. “Or betrayal if he's never had someone go out of their way to work against him?”

Clearly this discussion was happening anyway, despite his efforts. While he’d realized Janus took control of the conversation earlier as a means to distract him and make this about something else entirely, he only just now remember that he hadn’t yet bothered to reign it back in.

He’d just have to try his best to get this to finally end.

“I fail to see the point you're trying to make with this line of questioning,” he told Janus, getting right to the matter.

Janus smiled that perturbing smile again and Logan tried not grimace in return.

“How do you know if you're frustrated or not, Logan? If you don't have feelings, how do you know?”

The second Logan opened his mouth, it became much harder to ignore the burning sensation that kept creeping its way up his throat.

He swallowed around it as best he could.

“I... I just, I don't. I…” he wasn’t really sure what he could say. He certainly couldn’t say what he wanted to, either.

“You don't know?” Janus supplied.

Logan took a deep breath and looked away from Janus’ obnoxious grin.

“Unfortunately, there are quite a few things I do not know,” he explained. “But I intend to still offer as much assistance as I possibly can, for all of you. If...if you need it, that is.”

Janus didn’t stop, though.

“...and if we don't?” he asked.

“Janus!” Patton whisper-shouted.

Logan hesitated and ultimately chose not to look at the other sides, hoping it’d make things easier.

“...well, then, that's understandable,” he responded. “I'm well aware by now that I am unneeded.”

When the next few seconds were left empty, no more questions instantly being asked, he couldn’t help but give his own.

“Are we done with the questions now?”

This only seemed to upset Patton, though, and he whined,

“Logan—"

“Are we done with the questions now?” Logan repeated sharply, careful not to raise his voice in his desperation.

Patton backed down, glancing around at the others, who all remained quiet, even Janus.

“...I guess?” he finally replied.

Logan nodded, grateful. He didn’t feel relief, though, as he never felt anything, of course, except that hot burning at the back of his throat that refused to go away.

“Good. I'll be in my room.”

He didn’t wait for anyone to change their mind and come with even more unnecessary questions he didn’t want to answer.

The last thing he heard as he sank out back to his room was someone shouting at Janus for answers instead, ones he knew the other side likely didn't have.

At least all the questions were finally over, meaning he could start what he had just proposed - to keep out of everyone's way.

And, if he was lucky, it'd be permanent.

[mcsm-confessions]

Since Eric Stirpe said that F!Jesse was the version of Jesse he and the team were most familiar with during production of both seasons, as Patton Oswalt was the celeb VA and recorded his lines last, it means that all of Petra's interactions with Jesse in S2 despite being written as gender neutral, were pictured and mostly voiced with F!Jesse.

In conclusion: Minecraft Yuri canon

~~~

[not-your-average-highschool-au]

✨Dynamics✨

Okay so👏 Character dynamics at the “start/beginning” of the au:

Patton, Logan, and Roman are a tiny best friend group. They don’t really have many friends outside of this group since Roman finds it hard to mesh well with people, Patton finds it hard to even talk to new people, and not many people appreciate Logan and his fandom talks. So they don’t have too many friends outside the group but they don’t mind.

Remus and Janus are super close. They’re the best of friends and constantly are spending time together, only not being seen together when they’re off doing their respective school activities (ex: Janus’s practices, Remus’s academic activities, etc). Aside from that, they’re basically attached at the hip.

Virgil is apart of a completely separate friend group and is kinda detached from everyone at first. Since he’s super popular, he’s got a huge friend group and they’re who he mostly hangs out with. However, he knows of the other sides and they know of him.

In terms of groups crossing paths with each other (idk how else to word it lol); Patton, Logan, and Roman do end up hanging out with Janus and Remus since… you know, Roman and Remus are brothers. Since Janus and Remus are older though, they kinda lovingly make fun of/tease the group. They don’t think badly of them but they still tease them a bit. Logan and Patton don’t really mind but it really can get under Roman’s skin for sure.

With Virgil, Janus and Remus respect him due to how popular he is and they do sometimes hang out when the opportunity arises. As for Patton, Roman, and Logan, the dynamic with Virgil is a tad different for each pair individually.

With Virgil and Patton, they both had a mutual respect for each other. Patton admires how kind Virgil is to him and others while Virgil thinks that Patton is super cool (he’s a huge fan of Patton’s aesthetic). Currently working on a drawing to show off a bit of this dynamic so keep an eye on for that haha

With Virgil and Roman, Virgil thinks Roman’s pretty cool but Roman can’t really stand Virgil. Roman doesn’t hate him exactly but he is a little annoyed whenever he shows up. Roman can’t really explain why he has this kinda distain towards Virgil. Maybe it’s cause deep down, Roman’s a bit jealous of how popular Virgil is; idk👀

With Virgil and Logan, there’s also a kinda mutual respect. It’s not in the same way as Patton and Virgil though; it’s a bit more of a muted and chill respect, if that makes sense. Logan thinks that Virgil’s generally pretty cool and has more of a neutral, positive leaning feeling towards him. Virgil feels a similar way towards Logan; he admires how open he is about his interests but he doesn’t really admire it as much as he admires Patton.

Anyways, I think that’s everyone!! Thanks for reading!

[amcrfatti]

PREPARE TO GET STARSTRUCK! Acabamos de ver PARK JINJOO passando pelo tapete vermelho! Com seus 33 ANOS, ela é uma ATRIZ, MODELO, CANTORA e COMPOSITORA conhecida pelos seus fãs por ser muito OBSERVADORA e AMBICIOSA, embora há quem diga que nos bastidores ela possa ser bastante HIPÓCRITA e METÓDICA. Você ouviu o que os tabloides andam dizendo sobre ela? Não? Ah, eu te conto! Estão dizendo que JINJOO MORREU E FOI SUBSTITUIDA! Será que isso é verdade? Hm… esperamos que não comprometa os seus futuros projetos porque realmente gostamos de vê-la no topo!

͏ ͏ ͏ ͏⠀ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏⠀ ͏ ͏͏ ͏ ͏ ͏⠀ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏⠀ ͏ ͏͏ ͏ ͏ ͏⟆ headcanons ♰ connections ⟅

⛧.   ━━  𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐒.

nome: park jinjoo. idade: 33 anos. aniversário: 22 de abril de 1991. local de nascimento: seoul, coreia do sul. ocupação: atriz, modelo, vocalista e compositora do the freaky reckless. orientação: bisexual. mbti: intj. temperamento: colérico-melancólico. alignment: neutral evil. gosta de: chocolate, salto alto, true crime podcast, maquiagem forte, gatos, conhecer lugares novos, óculos de sol, rock clássico, livros, filmes de terror. não gosta de: altura, dependência emocional, machismo, ser ignorada, incompreendida ou subestimada, insetos, segundas-feiras.

⛧.   ━━  𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐒.

How the Grouch Stole Christmas (2000, paródia de Grinch): Jinjoo interpretou Candy-Lou Who.

Levi: The Professional (2003, paródia de Léon: The Professional): Jinjoo interpretou Madelyn Yeon.

Me (2019, paródia de You): Jinjoo interpretou Cherry Salinger.

XOXO Girl (2007–2010, paródia de Gossip Girl): Jinjoo interpretou Jessica "'Jess" Lee.

Garota Diabólica (2010, paródia de Garota Infernal): Jinjoo interpretou Kitty Lesnicki.

Squad Game (2021, paródia de Squid Game): Jinjoo interpretou Kang Jaebyeok.

Once Upon A Time In… Los Angeles (2019, Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood): Jinjoo interpretou Lydia Fromme aka Freaky.

The White Lily (2021, paródia de The White Lotus): Jinjoo interpretou Rose Patton.

The Batman (2022): Jinjoo interpretou Selina Kyle.

Daliah Jones and the Six (2024, paródia de Daisy Jones & the Six): Jinjoo interpretou Daliah Jones.

Park Jinjoo é a vocalista da banda The Freaky Reckless, criada em 2010 que está em hiatus indefinido desde 2021. (inspirado em The Pretty Reckless).

ALBUNS: Light Me Up (2010), Going to Hell (2014), Who You Selling For (2016), Death by Rock and Roll (2021), Other Worlds (2022, álbum de regravações).

⛧.   ━━  𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘.

Jinjoo se mudou da Coreia aos três anos para o Queens em New York. Seus pais eram sonhadores e desejam que a filha tivesse a melhor vida possível em terras americanas, por isso, fizeram a garota participar de diversos concursos, comerciais até conseguir seu primeiro papel da adaptação de Grouch. A garotinha conquistou o mundo com sua interpretação de Candy-Lou Who e as portas para sua carreira de atriz estavam definitivamente estavam abertas. Propostas iam e vinham e seus pais eram quem administravam tudo. O problema é que, apesar de ser boa naquilo que fazia, não estava vivendo seu sonho e sim de sua família. O desejo de Jinjoo sempre foi estar nos palcos, mas não de maneira teatral. Ela gostava de música, do rock e não de ser a menininha fofa de Grouch.

Aos 16 anos, quando entrou para o elenco de XOXO Girl, os rumores de que Jinjoo era uma pessoa difícil de se lidar nos sets ganharam força e ela não se importou em desmentir. Veja bem, não era como se ela fosse difícil de lidar, ela ainda era uma adolescente além de estar criando seus próprios gostos. Não tornou-se menos inteligente ou menos dócil, apenas passou a seguir seus instintos, construindo novos gostos, prazeres e costumes que — obviamente — eram muito mal vistos pela família e pela mídia que esperava outra imagem dela que passou assediar bastante a imagem da garota.

Não dá pra dizer ao certo em que momento Jinjoo passou da princesinha perfeita à adolescente rebelde, mas ela nunca deixou de ser a garota que era, apenas passou a ter hábitos diferentes. Ao invés de passar todas as noites lendo, preferia intercalar a leitura com as festas noturnas que tanto apreciava. Não mais se vestia da mesma forma e preferia trajar o que lhe fazia sentir confortável e bonita, mesmo que talvez fosse um choque. Os cabelos antes virgens e intocados agora foram cortados por si própria e vivem em constante transformação. Não dá pra dizer que Jinjoo era uma nova garota, mas sim que era a verdadeira Jinjoo e ela estava confortável daquela maneira.

Quando alcançou a maioridade, sabia que o que faria. Era oficialmente dona de todos seus investimentos como atriz e um último filme foi o suficiente para que ela deixasse a indústria cinematográfica para entrar nos estúdios e se afundar na carreira musical. Jinjoo fundou o The Freaky Reckless com conhecidos, produtores e musicistas e finalmente estava realizando seu próprio sonho. Teve alguns problemas com a gravadora no início por conta do vazamentos das músicas antes do lançamento e a banda não foi muito bem recebida por seus primeiros EPs. Mas quando o primeiro álbum Light Me Up saiu, a banda brilhou e Jinjoo era o destaque entre os adolescentes com sua voz poderosa, composições profundas e o estilo marcante. Estilo grunge e metal, tatuagens, cinta liga, salto plataforma de strippers, sex appel e muito lápis de olho, a banda saiu com sua primeira turnê e abriu para nomes importantes na música.

Jinjoo declarou em diversas entrevistas que jamais voltaria a atuar porque finalmente havia encontrado seu caminho na música e a banda seguiu por quase 7 anos até um dos produtores mais importantes da banda falecer. Isso abalou não só o TFR como a própria gravadora. O hiatus veio e junto com ele uma proposta de seu agente que jamais imaginou que iria aceitar: um papel em uma nova série da Netflix. Ela recebeu todo o script e leu, pensando se deveria voltar aquele ramo. Depois de tantos anos, não parecia uma ideia tão ruim. Não era como se ela estivesse sendo obrigada, agora ela era dona de si mesma e de suas escolhas. Levou um tempo, mas Jinjoo aceitou.

De um lado uma enxurrada de críticas vieram por suas declarações em anos anteriores, mas por outro... As pessoas estavam felizes pelo seu retorno ao universo cinematográfico. Especialmente numa série que foi tão bem em números. Jinjoo também estava feliz e seu conforto era sua prioridade. Ainda assim, criou um muro ao seu redor e os rumores de ainda ser uma pessoa muito exigente seguiram. Foi quando partiu para a Coreia, onde estreou um dorama de grande sucesso no mundo todo. Ao mesmo tempo, a gravadora decidiu tirar o The Freaky Reckless da geladeira e Jinjoo sabia que era por seu sucesso nas telas. Não demorou em aproveitar a chance, lançando outro álbum antes que voltassem a um hiatus que sabia que não sairiam tão cedo. Queria continuar na música, mas a gravadora era rígida e focada em outros projetos. O jeito era continuar na atuação para tentar ganhar holofotes. Depois quis arriscar um papel grande: Selina Kyle. Para sua surpresa, Jinjoo passou na audição e ganhou o papel da felina. A perseguição veio, mas junto a aclamação do filme e de sua carreira. Agora ela precisa lidar com o fruto das suas escolhas em lidar com a carreira musical e a de atriz.

[radioactive-dazey]

Thinking about how if Roman and Remus didn't "split" then Creativity would probably be considered a neutral side or a gray side between the "light" and "dark" sides and idk man that as a concept is super neat.

Like that version of creativity would be the link between the two instead of how Virgil is the narrative link between them. Would he basically be a fusion of how Roman and Remus currently behave? Would he unsettle Patton as much as Remus unsettles him? What's his relationship with Janus and Virgil (if one exists)?

Im imagining he would probably an absolute menace when he needed to be. Incredibly passionate, dramatic, and would weirdly be able to sway others to agree with him? Like he knows how to use the other sides behaviors to his advantage?

Maybe bro would have sided with Janus about the callback and just was like "Patton, babes, I have to. I want this so badly." And it makes Patton feel so betrayed and agh.

Because he's the link between light and dark sides he wouldn't have made fun of Virgil or Janus's names. But he may not have known what they are either. Same with the light sides. He doesn't fully fit in with either and is semi-rejected by both, hence getting to know their names is like a way to say "hey, I trust you" (but let's be real, he probably would feel more at home with the other dark sides since they are pretty ostracized by the light sides)

Idk, maybe I'll incorporate these ideas into one of my abandoned comics •<•)

[part-time-zombie]

Blame It On The Alcohol

pairings: loceit (romantic, can be read as platonic)

summary: janus is used to having a drink or two alone. he's not used to logan showing up at his door asking for a glass, and definitely not after it looks like he's already had a few drinks himself.

tags/warnings: alcohol use, drinking and getting/being drunk, sharing a bed, hurt/comfort, angst, logan isn't okay, janus notices, janus gets slightly flirty and logan gets slightly flustered near the end, he doesnt take advantage of him or anything though, yeah they both get drunk but nothing smutty happens

word count: 3464

The last thing Janus expected to hear was a knock on his door. It was late, for one, and he along with most of the other sides are usually winding down for the night at this hour. Not to mention the fact that no one had ever bothered to knock on his door at all, or even stop by for any reason. Well, Remus would let himself in and he often stays up this late, but he never knocks first, always just kicking the door open and making himself at home whether Janus was there or not.

So it wasn’t him, but he couldn’t think of any reason anyone else would be here. Patton is never up this late, and Roman and Virgil would rather let the house burn down than talk to him voluntarily, so why on earth would someone be at his door right now?

The knocking resumed, a slow but heavy pounding at a wavering rhythm, and Janus decided he may as well answer it before whoever it was got bored and left. Sparing a moment to ensure he looked decent (he had been getting ready for bed after all), he opened the door with his best attempt at a neutral expression.

Logan stared back at him with the same look, leaning casually against the door frame once the door was opened.

“I’m out of wine,” he slowly mumbled, raising an almost empty bottle to further emphasize his point.

Janus took a moment to respond, taking in the sight of Logan most certainly drunk at his door this late at night. His tie had been loosened and his shirt was uncharacteristically wrinkled, and every so often he should shuffle in place as if he were trying to keep his balance. He looked dead tired, and almost undone in a way Janus had never seen before.

"I can see that,” he finally said, still trying to make sense of the situation. “Although you technically still have a bit of wine left in that bottle. Why are you here, exactly?”

Logan looked back down at the bottle in his hand before bringing it to his lips and tilting his head back, easily downing the last of the wine without hesitation. Once the bottle was completely drained, he all but shoved it into Janus’ arms.

"Now I’m officially out of wine,” he corrected. “And to answer your question, I know you likely store some of your own in your room. I would like to have some if you don’t mind.”

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?”

Logan's eyes narrowed. “Not hardly.”

Well, if he was so set on getting blackout drunk, who would Janus be to deny him another glass or two? This was going to be fun.

"Very well. By all means make yourself comfortable,” he said, moving aside and letting Logan stumble in to his room. Logan all but fell into the plush seat by Janus’ desk, running a hand over his face with a sigh.

Janus set down a fresh bottle of wine before moving to unlock one of the desk drawers for some glasses. He had to take such drastic measures after Remus stole all of his wine glasses some time ago. He grabbed what he needed only to see Logan already chugging straight from the bottle, nearly a quarter of it already having been drunk.

Janus quickly snatched the bottle out of his hands and placed it on the farthest end of the desk, ignoring Logan's whine of protest.

"And here I thought I was the selfish one,” he chided. “It would only have taken me a moment to get a glass, you know.”

"But I don’t just want to have just a glass of wine,” Logan replied, his words now slightly slurred. “You’re allowed to drink until you’re totally inebriated, why can’t I?”

“Because you’re the responsible one.”

“What if I don’t want to be?”

That brought a weight to Janus’ stomach, sinking uncomfortably within him.

“What are you saying, Logan?”

Logan sighed in frustration, as if the answer was obvious and Janus was an idiot for needing to ask. “I’m saying I don’t see the point in doing all the work around here when it doesn’t get me very far. Everyone else is allowed to be silly and stupid and selfish, and I always end up cleaning up after them. Don’t I deserve a break?”

“Of course you do, but I don’t think this counts.”

Logan shrugged, glancing wistfully at the bottle Janus kept out of his reach. “Maybe not, but it’s the closest thing I can get. I can drink until I stop thinking for the night and recover in the morning to get back to work, it works well enough.”

“You’ve done this before?” Janus asked, though they both knew it was more of an observation than a question.

“On occasion, when I don’t want to have to deal with everything. I just happened to run out of wine tonight, and I knew you’d have some.”

Well, this wasn’t nearly as much fun as Janus had hoped. He reached over and grabbed the wine, taking a rather large swill from it in the same manner that Logan had before passing it over to him. He didn’t want to be fully sober for this conversation.

"So how long have you been drinking your cares away, exactly?”

Another shrug. “I’d say roughly around the same time you started making appearances, if not a little bit before. It wasn’t necessarily because of you, though.”

Well that was a relief.

“Then what was it about?”

Logan took another long drink before passing the bottle back to him. “Something tells me you already know.”

He had an inkling or two. He took a drink as he tried to come up with a way to bring it up, passing the bottle back and Logan quickly started chugging from it.

“At a guess, it’s probably about the others. Perhaps even Roman specifically.”

Logan set the bottle down with a sigh, not looking up at Janus. “It’s not just Roman, or even about the others really.”

“Then what it is about?”

“Why should I tell you, exactly? You don’t even know what it is yourself, not to mention I know how much you love gossip. Frankly, me coming to you at all was a mistake.”

Logan got up from his seat, making his way to the door. Or at least, attempting to do so, as he staggered unsteadily and ultimately fell to the floor with a painful grunt.

Janus fought back a grin as he helped Logan back up, placing him back in the chair.

“Something tells me storming off won’t get you very far,” he teased.

“I shouldn’t have come here,” he slurred, head drooping heavily. “Now you’ll go telling everyone about how foolish I look, and then I’ll never hear the end of it.”

Janus almost felt sympathy for Logan. Or maybe it was pity. Or the wine. Either way, seeing him so dejected and defeated by something he wouldn’t share tugged at something in his chest, and he found he couldn’t stand Logan being like this.

“I admit I love to spread rumors and drama, but I promise I won’t talk about this to anyone. This isn’t just some petty squabble to laugh at over dinner; whatever is going on with you isn’t something I’d joke about with anyone.”

Logan scoffed in response before taking another drink.

“I’d still like to know whatever or whoever it is that’s driving you to drink. I could help make sure it doesn’t get this bad again or find a means of getting you a proper break.”

“You won’t like the answer.”

“I still want to hear it.”

Logan took a particularly long swig from the bottle before passing what was left over to Janus, sighing to himself as he did so.

“It’s Thomas.”

Janus was glad he hadn’t taken a drink yet or he would have done a spit take right then and there. Of all the things Logan could have said, Janus never thought it’d be that.

“Thomas is the problem?”

“More accurately, I am.” Logan replied. “No matter what I do or how I try, nothing ever works. He won’t listen to me; he won’t even interact with me at all unless there’s another problem the others are too dramatic to fix. I’m just a tool to him, something to be used when needed and left to collect dust otherwise. I don’t know what it is I’m doing wrong or why I can’t get through to him, but it always ends the same. I beg for him to see me, and he looks straight through me. It’s like I don’t exist to him anymore.”

Logan was right, Janus hated this answer. Knowing that it had gotten this bad and that he was this neglected by not just the other sides but by Thomas himself made his stomach turn. He took another sip of wine, hoping that it would somehow make this easier.

Maybe that’s what Logan hopes for when he drinks.

Janus thought back to the few times he and Logan had interacted, how stressed he seemed and how much the others ignored him. He remembered how often he would shut Logan up or even remove him from the discussion entirely. He really was a part of the problem, wasn’t he? If he hadn’t taken such efforts to hog the spotlight for himself, maybe Logan would have been heard more clearly.

“I’m sorry, Logan. Truly.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Maybe not fully, but I had a hand in this all the same. I pushed you off to the side and let the others overlook you when you actually were the most helpful one there. I should have made the others, made Thomas, pay more attention to you. You don’t deserve this.”

“Maybe I do. Maybe it’s something I’m doing wrong. I know everyone else can get his attention easily, so it has to be a failure on my part.”

“Now that’s just not true,” Janus added, passing the bottle back to him. “The others get his attention because they’re loud and dramatic. It’s hard to hear the weather alert on the news when there’s a storm howling outside. Just because you aren’t as obnoxious and over the top as them doesn’t mean you’re less than. If anything, I’d say it makes you better than them. You don’t resort to something so childish to be listened to.”

“Perhaps I should. It works for them, after all.”

“But is that how you want to be seen? Throwing a temper tantrum until all they hear is you screaming at them?”

“What other option do I have at this point? Everything else has failed.”

“Well, we can figure something out here. I can help to make him listen to you.”

Logan looked back up at him, skepticism shining in his hazy eyes. “And why would you offer to do that for me?”

“Because you’re an essential part of Thomas, and I admit I respect you a great deal.”

“Really? Even now, after you’ve seen me like this?”

Janus nodded, not trusting himself to not say anything too sentimental. Logan seemed to accept it as a viable response though, offering him a small smile before taking the bottle and finishing off the last of the wine in one final gulp.

“I should go to bed,” he mumbled, words slurring over again. “So should you.”

“You’re the one who knocked on my door this late at night,” Janus joked.

“Right, sorry about that.”

“Never apologize for coming to me, especially for something like this.”

Logan looked confused. “Requesting alcohol?”

“Needing someone to talk to.”

“… oh.”

The two sat together in silence for a moment, neither of them capable of finding something to say. Eventually Logan stood up from his chair again, albeit shakily, as he prepared to return to his room for the night. Janus watched as he tried and failed to walk on his own, before making up his mind with a sigh and gently grabbing hold of his arm.

“Janus, what- “

“You’re not making it to your room like this, not on your own anyway. I could walk you back if you want, but that’ll run the risk of someone seeing me escorting you out of my room in the middle of the night while you can barely stand. I think even in this state you can imagine how that would look to anyone.”

Logan nodded in agreement, head lolling about on his shoulders. “What do you suggest, then?”

“Well, I’m not exactly against the idea of you staying the night.” Janus felt himself blush as the implications of the idea came to mind. “I mean, only if you want to. Nothing is going to come of it and it doesn’t have to mean anything, it would just make sense for you to have somewhere to rest for the night without anything happening.”

Logan stared back at him, swaying lightly in his hold, before sighing. “I suppose so. If anything, the company might be nice. As long as you promise nothing will come of this. I doubt I’m in any state to start something like that right now.”

“Something like what?”

Logan didn’t respond, only flushing a beet red that definitely wasn’t from the wine.

Janus chuckled softly at the sight, greatly enjoying seeing Logan so open and emotional. He’d never had the chance to see him like this, and it was quite a sight.

He gently guided him back to the bed, changing them both into pajamas with a snap of his fingers. Logan sat down with a huff, leaning back towards the headrest as Janus crawled into the bed beside him. It took a few minutes of awkward maneuvering, but Logan eventually managed to slip beneath the covers, wasting no time in cozying up to Janus.

Janus froze, not quite sure what to do or how to react, but as he felt Logan's body heat washing over him and his arms wrapping tightly around him he found he didn’t quite care. If Logan needed this from him, who would he be to deny it?

“Pretty.”

“What was that?”

“Your scales,” Logan explained, looking up at him. “They’re pretty.”

As if to further prove his point, he reached up and let his hand drift slowly across the left side of his face, gently caressing the scales there.

“They’re smooth too. I like them.”

Now it was Janus’ turn to blush, sputtering out some vague semblance of a thank you before turning on his side, ensuring Logan couldn’t see his rapidly reddening face. The change in position also prevented Logan from further touching his scales, and Janus tried to pretend he wasn’t bereft of the experience. Not many people complimented him on his scales, and he had never let anyone go so far as to touch them before, but feeling Logan's skin softly against them felt pleasant in a way he couldn’t describe, much less address.

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” Logan said from somewhere behind him, voice tinged with regret.

“You didn’t, it’s just… sensitive, is all,” he lied. Mostly.

“Ah. Apologies.”

“It’s no problem. Goodnight.”

“… goodnight, then.”

Logan didn’t try to hold him again, and Janus tried not to think about how much he wanted him to.

“… Janus?”

Logan's voice echoed in Janus’ ear, pulling him out from the depths of sleep. He blinked his sleep-crusted eyes open groggily, groaning at the brightness of the light seeping in through the curtains.

 Turning his head with an aching stiffness in his neck, he found himself face to face with a very flustered Logan. A Logan that was currently wrapped tightly in his arms.

“What happened last night?” he asked him, eyes wide.

Shit. What did happen last night? He was getting ready for bed, then Logan showed up asking for a drink, then…

Ah. Right. That.

“Don’t you remember?” Janus asked, letting a playful smirk make its way across his face. May as well have some fun with this for a moment, after all. “It was definitely an eventful night we had, I’m sure at least some part of it is still fresh in your mind.”

Logan opened his mouth like he was about to say something only to close it again as he wriggled free from where he and Janus had evidently tangled together in the night. He sat up in bed, pulling the blankets up to his chest even though he was wearing a shirt and Janus fought back the urge to laugh. He was surprisingly cute all flustered like this.

“Look, whatever happened between us last night, it didn’t, alright? It didn’t mean anything, and it won’t happen again, so just please leave it alone.”

“Leave which part of it alone? The part where you all but fell into my arms in a drunken stupor, or the part where you let yourself be even more open and emotionally vulnerable than you might even be with yourself?”

“All of it, ideally. Especially the part where we woke up like… this.”

Janus arched an eyebrow. “Is that what you think happened? Some drunken one-night stand fueled by alcohol and repressed feelings?”

Logan squirmed under the teasing scrutiny. “… is that not what happened?”

Janus couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “Not at all. We drank, we talked, and when you could hardly stand let alone walk to your room, I offered you my bed. Nothing else happened between us last night, at least, not like that.”

Some of the tension left Logan at that. “So you’re saying we didn’t… “

“Nope. I may be a horrible person, but I would never take advantage of you like that.”

“… oh. Well, that’s good to hear, I suppose. What did we talk about, exactly?”

Janus felt his smile slip, quickly replaced with a sympathetic look. “We talked about why you were drunk, and why you drink like this so much.”

Logan looked away, the tension from before returning. “I talked about that?”

“Seems like you needed to talk about it. You’ve been dealing with all of that for a while now by the looks of things.”

Logan cringed to himself, still not looking at Janus. “Right. I didn’t mean to bring that up with you. Whatever it is we discussed, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone else.”

“I don’t plan on anyone else knowing, as long as you’ll do something for me.” he said, letting a trace of mischief slip through his voice.

“What is it you want from me now?” Logan asked, tone thick with skepticism.

Janus sat up in his bed, ensuring he was looking Logan head on and that he was looking back at him. He held his gaze, face slack but somber.

“Next time you want to drink, come to me. I’d rather you talk to me about whatever’s bothering you than have you drown yourself in wine again. I swear nothing you say will go beyond this room, but please just go to me instead of the wine.”

Logan fixed him with a deadpan stare. “That’s a bit hypocritical of you, isn’t it? Last I checked, you’re just as inclined to get inebriated if not more so.”

“That’s fair,” he chuckled. “But I drink for fun, not to forget about my problems.”

“… touché.”

Logan gave him a small smile, one that Janus returned.

“I didn’t make a fool of myself, did I?” he eventually asked.

“Not too much, though you were awfully affectionate near the end.”

Logan flushed. “Affectionate?”

“Just a little. You… may have complimented me. You said you liked my scales.”

“Oh. I didn’t mean to- “

“Make me uncomfortable?” Janus teased. “You said the same thing last night. Don’t worry, I don’t mind. It was honestly rather sweet of you to say.”

Logan blushed and looked away again, and Janus let him. It meant he wouldn’t see the blush steadily creeping on his own face.

“I should get dressed, I have work to do.”

“Of course, I should get started on a few things myself.”

Logan quickly shuffled out of bed, Janus doing the same. With a wave of the hand, they were both changed back to their usual garb, and remaining equally flustered.

“I’m going to my room now,” Logan mumbled, still avoiding Janus’ gaze.

“Right, you do that. I’ll talk to you later then.”

Logan gave him a curt nod before walking out the door, closing it softly behind himself. Janus let out a breath, running a hand over his face. Wow, that was awkward.

At least he managed to get a little closer to Logan, right?

If only he knew how to proceed after all of this.

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