#patton and remus are only mentioned though

[monkeythefander]

A Halloween Meet Cute ❤️💜

Summary: Virgil doesn’t usually like parties. But this Halloween party might result in the start of something wonderful, with a certain someone in a sparkly costume.

Relationship(s): Romantic Prinxiety, background/mentioned Romantic Intruality

AU: College/Human AU

Content Warning(s): mention of alcohol (not in detail though and none is physically present in this story). Let me know if I missed anything else.

Click below the cut to read the fanfiction

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Virgil sits on the back porch of the house. He takes a deep breath and not for the first time this evening, contemplates why he came to this party in the first place.

It’s Halloween night and Virgil is currently sitting on the back porch of Patton’s family’s house. Patton had invited several students from their university to his Halloween party. Virgil knew he wouldn’t know anyone besides Patton and Remus at the party, but he couldn’t find it in himself to decline Patton’s invitation. The bubbly man had told Virgil about all the decorations he got and activities he had planned for the party throughout the planning process. Patton also wasn’t planning on letting anyone bring alcohol to the party because most people who he invited are under legal-drinking age, and he also wanted to avoid anyone causing chaos or getting sick. Overall, the party plans sounded fun and safe, so Virgil ended up attending.

But as he sits out on the porch in his vampire costume, he can’t help but feel stupid for attending. Patton, being a social butterfly, spent most of the party trying to chat with everyone and keep everyone entertained. He was also spending a lot of time with Remus, which makes sense because they’re dating. This resulted in Virgil being left alone a lot because he didn’t feel comfortable joining large conversations with a lot of people he didn’t know.

Maybe Virgil should just go home. Patton’s probably too busy to notice him leaving, so he can send an apology text later.

“Hey, Count Woe-laf. What’s got you sitting out here alone?”

Virgil jumps slightly at the unexpected voice and turns around to see a person standing in the doorway. The person is wearing a white, long sleeved, knee length dress that has a gold flower design on it. The person has reddish-brown hair that’s tied up in a ponytail. They are also wearing a flower crown with red flowers, fake-pointed ears, sparkly red eyeshadow, and sparkly fairy wings.

“Uh- I just wanted some space from all the festivities…” Virgil mumbles in response while looking away from the newcomer. Suddenly, he hears footsteps approaching him and the sound of someone sitting down next to him.

“I could use a break too. Being social so much can get tiring. I’m Roman, they/he. What’s your name?” The person, Roman says and they stick out their hand to Virgil to shake in greeting.

“I’m Virgil, he/him.” Virgil shakes Roman’s hand back. The person smiles brightly.

“So, how’d you get invited to this party if you don’t mind me asking. Considering you’re sitting out here, you don’t seem like someone who attends parties often.” As Roman says this, his head tilts slightly to the side and Virgil can’t help but find this action cute.

“I’m friends with the party host. How’d you get invited, Sparkles?” Virgil decided to throw in a nickname. Roman gave Virgil one, so he might as well give the person one in return.

“Sparkles? I like that. I was invited to this party by my twin brother, who happens to be dating the party host.”

“You’re related to Remus?!” Virgil asks a bit louder than he meant to. If Roman is related to Remus, then how come he’s never seen them before. Also, Remus’s aesthetic is completely different compared to this sparkly, fairy person sitting in front of him. How can they be twins?

Roman laughs before replying, “I’m guessing you know Remus too since you said you’re friends with Patton. I know I probably don’t seem like I’d be Remus’s twin, but we are. I’ve grown up with him for my entire life.”

“I can see the resemblance now that you’ve told me you’re related actually.” Virgil says, looking at Roman’s features again. Roman and Remus both have reddish-brown hair, green eyes, and freckles scattered across their faces. Remus just happens to have a mustache, a gray-streak in his hair, slightly shorter hair, and lots of piercings.

“So, what year and major are you?” Roman asks, tilting his head cutely again.

“I’m a second year, and an English major. What about you?”

“I’m also a second year. But I’m an art major. I want to make my own animated series one day.”

“That’s cool, Sparkles. What do you want your series to be about?”

“Hmm, I’m not sure yet. I just know I want it to probably be fantasy themed and have a nonbinary main character in it. I want to create a show that I would have liked to see growing up, you know?”

“Yeah, I get that. I want to write a novel with an asexual character in it for that same reason.” Virgil says.

“I’ll have to read your book someday then, J.D-lightful. It already sounds like it will have a cool character in it.”

“T-Thanks.” Virgil says, blushing slightly under his vampire makeup, feeling a bit flustered because he’s not used to receiving compliments from people he finds attractive.

Roman giggles, “Are you blushing under all that makeup, Virgil?”

“N-no! I’m not!” Virgil covers his face with his hands, feeling embarrassed by his strong reaction. Suddenly, he feels his wrists gently being pulled so his hands don’t cover his face anymore.

“It’s okay if you are blushing, Hot Topic. I don’t mind.” Roman says softly to him, his eyes shining slightly in the moonlight.

Virgil stares back at Roman, feeling more flustered. Did Roman just imply that they find him hot?!

Suddenly, Roman grabs Virgil by the hand and gently pulls them both up to stand. Then they let go of Virgil’s hand and reach into a pocket in their skirt. Roman pulls out his phone and proceeds to tap around on it until the song, “Calling All the Monsters” by China Anne McClain starts playing.

“Dance with me.” Roman says and he places his phone back in his pocket and offers a hand to Virgil.

“Uh- I’m not the best dancer…” Virgil says nervously. The only dancing he ever did was Just Dance with Patton.

“That’s okay. You can just dance however you want to. Feel the music and just have fun! It will also just be us out here, if that makes you feel a bit more comfortable.”

Virgil takes a calming breath before taking Roman’s hand and letting the fairy lead him in a dance. They sway and spin each other around, almost tripping a few times, but laugh about it together. Virgil never thought he’d ever feel this at ease at a party before now. Roman truly is magical.

When the song comes to an end, Virgil finds himself being dipped by Roman despite the fairy being shorter than him. The two stare into each other’s eyes and it feels like the entire world is just them. Once Virgil is standing again he finds himself leaning his face closer to Roman’s face. Roman leans closer too, and the next thing Virgil knows, the two of them are sharing a kiss. Roman’s lips are soft and taste like vanilla. Virgil wonders if they put on vanilla chapstick before the party. When the two pull away from the kiss, they stare at each other softly.

“You’re a good kisser. And you were a pretty good dancer.” Roman says with a grin on his face, blushing slightly.

“Same goes for you, Sparkles.” Virgil says, happy and surprised that this is going so well. He usually is awful at romantic interactions. He should probably ask Roman on a date now. Yeah, that’s the right next step. Before he can get to asking that though Roman speaks up.

“So you wanna go on a date sometime, Hot Topic?”

“Yes! I mean, yeah, sure.” Virgil coughs to clear his throat afterwards, feeling embarrassed over how excited and loud his first response was.”

Roman giggles and once Virgil is calm again the fairy glances at Virgil’s lips again, asking for permission. Virgil smiles and leans down to kiss Roman again. He can get used to this.

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End Notes: Thanks for reading! If you liked this fanfic, please consider leaving a like, reblog, and/or a comment. I wrote this randomly and didn’t spend a lot of time proofreading, but I hope it’s still a fun read.

-Monkey💜

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AO3 Link to this fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/59735275

[delimeful]

just a little rush (2)

G/T July Day 5: Caught

warnings: angst, remus POV w more theoretical gore than usual, mentions of surgery & gore, jerk giant minor oc, panic, dissociation, dehumanization  

-

Remus hated to admit it, but Pattycakes had been right.

He definitely should have waited a little longer before trying for his next escape attempt.

It was the woulda-coulda-shoulda sort of regret that he didn’t usually waste time on. He was well aware of how many of his plans were bonafide bad ideas, and he generally went through with them anyhow.

The alternative was letting the fire ants under his skin grow more and more intolerable until he ended up doing the dumb thing anyway, but even more recklessly. It wasn’t so much a ‘choice’ as it was a ‘delay of the inevitable’.

After all, he was the only one getting hurt in the end, right?

Now, watching helplessly from behind birdcage bars as that bastard human loomed over Patton, he was finding that there were some consequences that could make him feel regret, after all.

Initially, the bastard had seemed eerily unperturbed by catching Remus in the act, even if his grip had gone dangerously tight for a heartbeat. He’d dropped Remus back in that gaudy cage without even a single word of scolding, turning away with a preoccupied gaze.

That should have been the first sign that something was about to go horribly wrong.

As it was, Remus’s bad feeling didn’t catch up with the reality of the situation until the human walked in mid-phone call, stopping right in front of them. The bastard looked them over with a calculating eye as he spoke to the tinny voice on the other end about prices and procedures, as though they were too dumb to put the pieces together.

Patton hadn’t stopped shaking until hours later, his wings tucked as tight against his back as they would go. Remus had forced himself silent for once, knowing that the gory thoughts he had to offer would only make the situation worse, and simply squeezed Patton against his side as securely as he could.

It wasn’t enough. It was never enough. No matter how hard they tried to cling on, it only took a single human hand to wrench them apart.

When the bastard had walked in with heavy leather gloves on, Remus had thought he was ready. He’d been prepared for his wings to be mangled, for tiny hollow bones to shatter and wiry muscles to be ground to a pulp, for even the lifelong pain of a botched amputation.

He hadn’t been prepared for the human to grab Patton, instead.

He was shouting, barking swears and threats and pleas that he barely registered as words as Patton was pinned against the polished wood of the nearby table.

It was like he had to make as much noise as possible to counter Patton’s awful, tremulous silence. His cellmate’s face had gone blank and pallid, eyes distant. A few of Remus’s shouts had made him twitch, but nothing seemed enough to bring him back to himself now.

The human— the monster pressed down on Patton’s wing joints and forced the feathery limb to flex open, soft blue plumage on full display.

It picked up a pair of narrow scissors, ignoring the compulsive twitches of the overextended wing under its hand.

The howl that Remus made was inhuman, shredding out of him like razor blades in his throat, and the human paused to glance over at him for the first time.

“Huh.” Its expression was pleased, almost smug. “That vet was right on the money with that ‘social creatures’ thing. Maybe this will finally teach you that there are consequences to your actions, hm?”

It flicked the scissors open with a metallic sound, and as though it was a signal that all was lost, Patton went entirely limp with resignation.

Remus forced himself to keep gripping the bars with numb hands, to keep his ears uncovered, to keep his gaze locked on the only friend he had here. His heart felt like a hammer against his ribs, his mind conjuring up a hundred different gruesome imaginings that were all nothing in comparison to knowing it was about to happen for real.

Patton was going to be grounded forever, at best, and it was his fault. The least he could do was witness exactly what he’d caused.

The monster slid the scissor blades into place, adjusting the angle once or twice, and then snapped them shut with a sharp snkt!

A fistful of feathers tumbled free from Patton’s wing, jagged at one end from where they’d been sheared off. Another cut, and more downy blue scraps fluttered down to the desk’s surface.

Remus felt his breath catch in his throat, a sick and sudden hope twisting through him.

He waited on pins and needles as first one wing, and then the next, had their feathers cropped short with snip after snip of the scissors. There was no split flesh or severed bone, only the near-silent whisper of more and more feathers being cut away.

There were a few moments where the scissors got dangerously close to clipping a blood feather, but ultimately, when Patton was deposited back in the cage, it was without a single wound.

Well. Without any physical wounds.

Even as Remus gathered his friend into a crushing hug, Patton remained unresponsive. Checking him over revealed dull eyes and his shorn wings laid out limply behind him.

He didn’t twitch, not even when the human reached in and clicked a thick, bulky piece of plastic around his shin.

More than willing to pick up the slack, Remus lunged at the intruding digits with a snarl and bared teeth, his wings flared out aggressively.

There was no biting through gloves that thick, though, and with a few casual movements, it had him pinned down with suffocating force. A pair of fingers pinched around his leg, pulling the limb straight and maneuvering something hard and smooth into place around it despite his best efforts to kick and writhe.

There was a click, and the bastard finally, finally withdrew, closing and locking the cage door thoroughly behind it.

Remus barely spared a glance for the thick plastic cuff that had been latched around his lower leg or the wire cord connecting it to the other half of the restraint where it sat on Patton’s own leg. It didn’t matter, not compared to the insistent urge to reach out and make sure that Patton was really there, really alive despite his current lifelessness.

At first, he scoffed at the idea that it was a punishment to be linked to his only companion in this sterile gold-leafed hell, but a closer inspection of Patton’s wings revealed the truth.

Almost every single primary had been severed, an obvious gap with a long stretch of jagged angles left behind. Patton wouldn’t be able to fly like that. Remus would be surprised if he could even manage to glide like that.

Oh. He understood now.

Without use of his wings, the chances of them escaping dropped as abruptly as a piano from the top of a skyscraper, going from challenging to near-impossible.

Hurting Patton and making him watch had been the punishment. Cuffing them together, making it so that any attempt to fly, to escape, would end with Patton inevitably dragging them down— that was a reminder.

Maybe they could still manage to find a way out, if Patton could be persuaded once he came back to himself.

Maybe next time they got caught, it would be the wing itself that was snapped, instead of just the feathers.

Maybe the punishments would continue to escalate until all that was left to cuff Remus to was Patton’s bloodied corpse.

“Sunshine,” he tried with an unsteady voice, desperate for a response, anything to get his mind off the miserable hopelessness of their situation. “Can you hear me?”

Patton didn’t even blink, his mind far away and his body unresponsive. He stared through Remus with glassy eyes, and Remus bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, forcing his breathing into something steadier out of spite alone.

Okay. Patty Wagon wasn’t quite ready to come back yet. That was alright.

Remus could take care of them both for a little bit.

He drew Patton closer, folding his friend’s wings back in as neatly as he could and resisting the urge to run his fingers obsessively over the irregular edges of the cut feathers– they’d need to be removed, but not now. Not now.

Once his mangled wings weren’t laying askew, Patton started looking a little less like roadkill. It was alarmingly easy to maneuver him into a hopefully-comfortable sleeping position, as simple as wrapping an arm around his shoulders and squishing him against his side like they were dead fish in a tin.

It might have been his imagination, but when he ran his hand over Patton’s back, he thought it was a little less tense than before.

With nightmarish visions still playing on the back of his eyelids every time he blinked, Remus mantled his wings to hide the both of them as best he could, and settled in for a sleepless night.

[part-time-zombie]

Waiting Out The Storm

pairings: roceit (could be romantic or platonic)

summary: After a rather nasty storm ends up ruining both Roman and Janus' plans, the pair find themselves coming together and putting their differences aside as they cope with the weather.

tags/warnings: hurt/comfort, both sides refuse to talk about their feelings, Virgil's a bit of a jerk for a moment, no other sides are there

word count: 3733

A/N: This fic was the result of me getting inspired by the most recent incorrect quotes video, writing two very similar fics, and putting them together because they fit so well in my head. I had a lot of fun writing this, so I hope it's still good.

Janus should have known this would happen. He had only meant to find some proper peace and quiet by retreating outside to read his book in peace, it’s not like he was asking for much. Of course it was going to rain today. Logan had actually mentioned that to him before he headed out, now that he thought about it. He hadn’t bothered to listen to him at the time, and now he wishes he did. The rain was pelting fiercely around him, and the flimsy awning he was hiding under hardly provided any cover against the seemingly unending storm.

He tried to head back inside the second he felt the first raindrop, only to find the door stubbornly locked and barring him from refuge. No one seemed to hear or acknowledge that he was still outside, no matter how loudly he knocked at the door. They all must be busy in their own rooms, unless they were just ignoring him. Janus didn’t know, but at a guess it may be a mix of both. Patton and Logan have yet to fully hate him, so the only reason they would abandon him to the weather is that they simply didn’t realize he was still outside. Remus was probably doing his own thing as well, because even he wouldn’t subject Janus to this indignity too much. Maybe for a little, but not for this long. Virgil, on the other hand, likely wouldn’t care if Janus were locked out all night.

He had seen him, of course. Virgil just happened to descend the stairs shortly after Janus had knocked, presumably to investigate the ruckus he was making. Looking through the glass, Virgil saw him outside huddled close to the window in a desperate attempt to stay dry as the storm continued to rage around him. Janus gave him the most pitifully helpless look possible, hoping he could appeal to some speck of sympathy in Virgil’s heart. It almost seemed to work for a moment, his face softening in realization as he saw him.

Then he closed the blinds and left him stranded outside.

At any other time, Janus would have found that hilarious. It’s the kind of thing he would do himself, and if he weren’t currently on the receiving end of it he’d be laughing. Right now though, he could only shake in the rain, unsure if it was from the cold or anger.

Janus had hoped that Virgil was willing to move on after all this time. Sure, there had been a falling apart between them years ago, but Janus didn’t hold it against him. Not anymore, at least. He had grown past what had happened, but it looks like Virgil hasn’t forgiven him yet.

He’s really going to let him have it when he gets back inside.

It’s not like they can lock him out forever, right? Surely they wouldn’t do that. Patton likes him at least, and Logan respects him enough. All he has to do is wait until they remember he’s out here and then they’ll let him in, a thousand apologies spilling from their lips.

Janus dismissed the thought with a willful shake of the head. Who was he kidding? Logan didn’t really care about him, and Patton probably forgot about him entirely. The only one who knows he’s out here is Virgil, and it was clear he wasn’t letting him in anytime soon. He thought about finding a way to break in somehow, but he knew he wouldn’t actually do it. They need him to be good before they’ll accept him, and good guys don’t pick locks or use dirty tricks to get what they want, even if it’s just to seek shelter from a storm.

He was already on thin ice after everything else he did, he can’t make it worse now.

Roman actually didn’t mind the rain all that much. Sure, it came with the risk of ruining his outfit, but it was usually worth it.

Besides, they were bound to let him in anytime now. He just has to wait a little longer…

He had merely gone out for a quiet stroll in the park, a chance to clear his head and be by himself for a moment, when he heard the distant clap of thunder rapidly approaching. Luckily, Logan had warned him of the storm and he brought an umbrella just in case. At first it simply made for a nice prop, a bright red to compliment his sash as he idly carried it over his shoulder as he walked. With the rain now cascading all around him, he’s rather glad he thought to take it with him.

The weather hardly hindered his time outside, if anything it only improved it. With the rain came a lovely quietness and solitude he didn’t realize he needed, and as he reached out a hand from under his umbrella to feel the rainfall, he found it to be very grounding and calming. It also gave him the opportunity to quote musicals and romantic movies, though it would be nice to sing a proper duet with a partner some day.

That thought had him somberly slow his steps as he headed back to the apartment. He knew no one would want to do that with him. Logan and Virgil would only roll their eyes in quiet criticism, and as enthusiastic as Patton would be, he wouldn’t take it seriously and would probably only make it into something foolish. At least Roman could sing a few songs by himself on the walk back.

By the time he had returned from his walk, the rain had gone from a light shower to a full-on storm, and he was now more than eager to head back inside.

He almost didn’t even see Janus huddled up by the door, shaking and soaking wet.

Janus looked up and saw him, expression shifting from desolated to defensive. He looked away quickly, wrapping his arms even tighter around himself as he tried his best to look unbothered by the rain, and failing spectacularly.

“What are you doing out here?” Roman couldn’t help but ask.

“Enjoying myself, obviously,” Janus replied with a sarcastic sneer. “I just love being subjected to the elements for hours on end, don’t you?”

Roman rolled his eyes as he walked to the door. If Janus was just going to start another petty squabble again, he’d rather get somewhere dry before the fight could start.

The door didn’t budge when he tried to open it.

“It’s locked, idiot,” Janus muttered. “It’s not like I’d still be out here if I had a choice.”

Roman bit his tongue before he said anything too hurtful. Now was not the time. He knocked loudly on the door, to no response.

“Don’t you think I’d have tried that already? They’re not opening the door; they either don’t hear or don’t care.” Janus sighed, absently kicking at a puddle as he spoke. “I doubt they even know it’s you knocking, they’re probably too focused on letting me suffer to remember you’re stuck out here too.”

Roman only huffed in response, grabbing his phone to call someone only to remember all too belatedly that it had died halfway through his walk. Great. Locked out of the house during a storm with Janus is exactly how he wanted today to turn out.

“I don’t suppose you have your phone on hand, do you?” he asked with a sigh.

Janus shook his head in defeat. “Left it in the house by mistake. I doubt anyone would have even answered if I called them, though. They likely have my number blocked.”

“Why the hell would they lock the door on us?”

Janus only shrugged for a moment, leaning against the wall as the rain continued to pool around his feet. “Who’s to say? Maybe they forgot we’re out here, maybe they thought you had come back by now and just wanted to keep me from getting inside, maybe they knew we were both outside and thought it would be funny.”

Roman didn’t respond to that, instead turning and pounding on the door again, though he knew by now that it wouldn’t work.

“If they didn’t know I was out here, they might have answered by now,” Janus commented. “I think they’re too busy ignoring me to remember you.”

Roman started getting defensive. What did Janus know anyway? “They wouldn’t do that.”

Janus arched an eyebrow. “Oh? And you’re so sure?”

“Of course, we may all joke around but we’d never be so wicked as you’re suggesting.”

Janus turned to face him head on, his expression hardened and full of resentment.

“Virgil closed the blinds on me,” he started, voice flat and deadpan. “He looked right at me and left me out here, knowing full well how bad this storm is.” He gave Roman a humorless grin, one that was sharpened with grim understanding. “Tell me you wouldn’t have done the same thing. Tell me how you wouldn’t even think of doing that to me.”

Roman swallowed uncomfortably. He wanted to say that he wouldn’t, but in truth, he probably would. He might have even locked the door on Janus, if it were him.

That’s hardly heroic of him, but it’s the truth. It’s the horrible, horrible truth.

Janus seemed to take his silence as answer enough, as he hummed knowingly before turning away and watching the storm instead.

Roman looked at him, feeling the weight of what he had said settling over him. Sure, he was still angry about what had happened between them, and that pain may never fully heal, but do either of them deserve that? How much longer will they continue to let each other suffer, all because they’re both too proud to do anything else?

The water was now pooling at Roman’s feet, but he hardly paid it any mind. This always happens, doesn’t it? Roman and Janus fight and no one else does anything about it. It’s almost become as predictable as Remus making a mess or Patton messing up.

He gasped as the thought entered his mind. How could he have forgotten? Roman moved away from the door and started blindly feeling around in the rocks by the back porch with his free hand, much to Janus’ confusion.

“What is it that you’re doing now?” he asked, exasperation evident in his tone.

“Usually it’s Patton who gets locked out of the house,” Roman explained as he continued his search. “And it happened enough times for Logan to get fed up and make a spare key. Virgil insisted we hide it to be safe, and it should be right about…” he trailed off, finally locating the large rock it was under. “Here!”

Roman lifted the key with a victorious flourish, hurriedly unlocking the door. Janus all but raced inside and made a beeline for his room, with Roman hanging up his umbrella close behind.

He, unlike Janus, froze in place immediately when he realized just how dark the apartment was. All he could focus on was the suffocating darkness that had filled every corner of the room and flooded his mind with panic. The whole apartment was vacant and void of light, casting eerie shadows and creating frightening shapes in their wake.

The power was out.

It was no secret that Roman disliked the dark, though he tried to downplay just how badly he was frightened of it. It obscured and obstructed his sight, leaving the surroundings open to his overactive imagination (which always ran the risk of manifesting) and left him feeling far too vulnerable and exposed for his liking. He felt simultaneously cut off from the world and surrounded by danger, and despite the faint flickering of a few candles that had been lit to compensate for the darkness, Roman could only think to search of light and safety.

Janus had gone upstairs, and the other sides must be up there, too. Even if he can’t find light he can at least make sure he’s not alone with the shadows. He hurried upstairs in a frantic search for sanctuary, pausing to recollect himself after finding the hallway to be even darker than the living room. Roman tried to gather his breath and cleared his head before finally spotting a sliver of warm, welcoming light peeking out from behind one of the bedroom doors.

Safety at last.

Eager to escape the darkness that surrounded him, he hurriedly tried to open the door, knocking loudly when he found it locked.

Janus finally opened the door, a warm glow from his room seeping out behind him. Despite his time spent left out in the rain, he was surprisingly dry.

“Are you trying to break my door down?” he hissed. “Not to be rude, but I’ve had enough socializing for today, so if you don’t mind I’d like to be left alone now.”

Janus started to close the door on him, and Roman felt his heart lurch as he realized he would be deprived of that safe, soothing light in Janus’ room. Panicked and desperate, Roman reached out a hand and caught the door before it could close, trying his best to force it back open.

“Are you serious?” Janus exclaimed, still blocking Roman from entering his room. “I told you to go. You’ve been more than willing to avoid me before, right?”

“Please,” Roman ignored the shake in his voice. “The power’s out and it’s dark everywhere else.”

“So?”

“So I can’t stand it. I just want some light, that’s all. I don’t like being in the dark. Please, Janus.”

On any other day, Roman would die from embarrassment at the thought of him begging Janus for help. Especially when the help involves admitting to his own weaknesses and fears. Right now, though, all he can focus on is how well-lit Janus’ room is, and how badly he wants to feel safe.

Janus stared silently back at him, an unreadable expression on his face.

“You’re scared of the dark, aren’t you?” he finally asked, an unpleasant mixture of condescension and intrigue in his voice.

Roman nodded, an inkling of shame now joining with his still present fear. Of course Janus would mock him for this. What is he thinking, going to Janus for help? It’s not like they’ve buried the hatchet in the storm outside or anything. Janus still hates him, and going to him for help is still a terrible idea. He must have lost his mind to think anything good would come of this.

“Please,” he whispered.

Janus gave him another look before letting out a deep sigh and stepping back, granting Roman access to his room.

“Normally I’d say no, but since you got me out of the storm I’ll oblige this one time,” he said with a groan. “Besides, I don’t like owing people.”

Roman thanked him before quickly heading inside, already feeling himself calm down now that he was out of the dark. Janus’ room was surprisingly decent, with ornate furnishings and regal gold decorations that stood out nicely against the black accents. On the wall to his right was a large, lit fireplace, the source of the reassuring light that lured Roman in here.

Janus sat down on a plush cushion close to the fireplace, picking up the book he must have been reading when Roman interrupted him.

“I wanted to enjoy some much-needed peace and quiet today, and I still intend on doing so, so while you’re here I want you to keep your hands and opinions to yourself, alright?” Janus asked him, the stern tone in his voice leaving no room for debate.

Roman nodded.

“Good, now make yourself comfortable and I’ll do the same.”

With little else to say or do, Roman obediently grabbed a cushion of his own and seated himself on the other side of the fireplace, close enough to be eased by its light while maintaining a respectful distance from Janus.

He didn’t have anything with him to occupy his time, so he instead looked around the room as his mind wandered, taking in the intricate and presumably expensive décor Janus filled his room with. Everything was organized and majestic, and despite Roman preferring lighter and more colorful shades, the lavish accents and atmospheric layout of Janus’ room were surprisingly appealing to his own personal tastes, save for the excessive snake-themed memorabilia, that is.

Roman’s gaze eventually wandered back to Janus, who was still focused on his book and seemed to be trying very hard to pretend Roman wasn’t there. The firelight illuminated his features and wrapped him in a warm and not unpleasant glow that, Roman had to admit, made him look more delicate and even approachable in an enigmatic but alluring way.

“You’re staring,” Janus muttered, eyes flicking up to him for a moment before returning to the page. “Is there a problem, or am I just that handsome?”

Roman flushed, looking away for a moment. “What? Oh, I mean, it’s just… I guess I wanted to say thanks. For letting me in your room, that is.”

Janus looked back up at him, eyes shining by the firelight. “… oh.”

“Uh, what are you reading?” Roman continued, now feeling obligated to keep up the conversation.

“Why are you asking?”

“Well, I’m curious. Is it a good book?”

Janus shifted in his seat. “I think so, but why do you care?”

Roman shrugged, not quite sure how to answer. Why does he care?

Janus let out a huff before going back to his book, muttering a quiet “that’s what I thought,” under his breath as he turned the page.

Janus continued reading, shuffling even closer to the fireplace with what sounded like either another sigh or a shiver. Considering the slight tremble in his hands that he couldn’t fully hide, Roman was tempted to think it was the latter.

“Are you alright?”

“Of course I am,” Janus replied with an unsubtle eye roll.

“It’s just, you’re kinda shaking a little bit. Do you not like the dark too?”

Janus stiffened slightly, his grip tightening on the book that he tried to look invested in. “I’m not afraid of the dark, Roman. You’re projecting.”

“Then why are you sitting so close to the fireplace, and why did you light it in the first place?”

Janus sighed before giving Roman a look that suggested he already knew the answer. “Fire isn’t just bright, Roman. Surely you’re clever enough to piece it together.”

Roman ran it over in his head. Janus had shivered just now, but he didn’t look afraid. He definitely didn’t look comfortable, though.

“Are you cold?”

“Congratulations on solving today’s puzzle,” Janus teased, his tone now a mocking version of a game show host for a moment before returning to its usual sardonic state. “Why else did you think I’d have a massive fireplace in my room? It’s good to have a backup heat source, and besides, it does set a rather nice ambiance,” he explained.

Well, it did make sense. He was coldblooded, after all, and even if it’s not freezing right now, a sudden chill can’t be good for him since the weather had taken out the thermostat with the lights. Roman wordlessly summoned a blanket before tossing it over to Janus, only shrugging in a vague response when he looked up at him in confusion.

“I suppose I should thank you,” Janus muttered, not fully looking at him as he wrapped himself up in Roman’s offered blanket.

“If you want. If you do, though, I should probably apologize.”

“Do you want to?”

Roman didn’t know how to answer. Part of him wanted to put this whole mess behind the both of them so they could at least try to get along together, but another part of him was still far too bitter and stubborn to let go so soon. They had both hurt and been hurt, and that pain wasn’t going away any time soon, but he’d be willing to apologize as long as he wasn’t the only one doing it.

“How about we leave it unspoken, then?” Janus offered with a small but sincere smile.

Roman gave him a similar half-smile in return. “That works for me.”

Janus gave him a brief nod in agreement before returning to his spot on the page, now looking noticeably more comfortable and far less displeased.

Roman couldn’t help but smile to himself, partially at having earned some gratitude from Janus, but also at how endearing he looked while bundled up in one of Roman’s blankets. Roman didn’t expect to actually refer to Janus like that, but then again he didn’t think he’d wait out a power outage with him either. This whole situation was surprising, but Roman didn’t really mind.

“You’re staring again.”

Roman felt his face heat up, and most certainly not from the fire. “Do you want me to stop?”

“… Not really,” Janus muttered. Roman only just managed to catch the slight blush on his face.

The two sat in silence after that, but it was a comfortable one with none of the tension from before. The rain could still be heard outside, though it was considerably quieter now. The storm must be passing now, and with luck the power might return within the next few hours.

But on the off chance that it didn’t…

“I wouldn’t mind it,” Janus mumbled, almost like he didn’t want to say it out loud.

Roman leaned forward slightly, straining to hear him better. “What was that?”

Janus held the book higher over his face, as if he were hiding behind it. “I was saying that if, for whatever reason the power is out all night, you’d be allowed to stay over. I wouldn’t mind it.”

“Wait, really?”

“You’re sleeping on the floor, but yes.” Janus lowered the book again, staring at Roman. “Unless of course you’d rather be alone in your own dark room all night.”

“Absolutely not,” Roman replied, a little too hastily. “I mean, um, I’m not against staying over, as long as you’re fine with it. Thanks, I guess, for offering.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Janus gave him another subtle smile that Roman found himself returning, and he realized he wouldn’t mind it if the lights didn’t come back on right away. Spending a dark and stormy night like this with Janus might not be the worst thing in the world.

taglist:

@lio-the-chaotic-nonbeanie-weenie @nico-the-overlord @rougeside4 @britt-ish123 @oatmeal-stans-the-trash-rat @holdnarrytight @new-zee-land @yuckypuppie @can-i-take-a-stab @keitaisghost

[sanderssideswriting]

Just watched the Halloween video from this year and saw screencaps of the Halloween video from a few years back… I just don’t understand how we can go from Frankenstein prosthetics for Logan in that episode to messy eyeliner with visible mess up marks for Janus in the new one. Like it’s not a difference of a new makeup artist, it just feels like a lack of caring for it to be as good as it’s been.

I just loved this series so deeply before, so it’s frustrating to see what seem like such flippant disregard for the quality of what they’re making

thank you for this ask because I've been thinking of going through each makeup look and analyzing them more. I totally agree with you about the lack of care. The whole thing is so insanely rushed when they could've taken like, a few more days of planning if they wanted to get it out for halloween, or hell a few days after and have them spin it as them being sad spirit halloween is gone for the year and what a spirit christmas would be like. Or like, the 12 days of christmas but 12 days of spirit halloween? I just feel like there could've been some better ideas. The makeup looks like they were given 5 minutes to figure out what each side would be and 5 minutes to do the make up itself.

onto the make up analysis that'll be under the cut.

Little disclaimer before though, I'm in no way a makeup artist, what I am is a cosplayer and I've pulled together some pretty cool shit with very limited supplies and knowledge.

editors note: so according to the comments it seems like everyone's a character from the nightmare before christmas? Or at the least, Remus, Virgil, Roman and maybe Logan. I don't know, I've seen the movie like twice. just keep that in mind I didn't know until after writing everything below. But it really doesn't change my criticisms of the makeup

first on the list: JANUS

now this is just, I don't even know what it is. I think it's from the I'm Mr White Christmas, song because every year people do half Mr. White Christmas and half Mr. Sun makeup and it looks very good. But you don't need it to look that good. Like, I'd personally make the contrast between the blue and red way more, because it just isn't there. Maybe to keep the snake appearance do like, orange scales or orange underneath then red? Something to look more like fire. the joker esque smile doesn't work, again the contrast is very bad. The blue sticks out but the red doesn't so I'd get some lipstick, maybe a blue eyeliner if you can't get a blue lipstick, and loose the black lines, maybe make the blue side white and the red side more of a very dark red?

VIRGIL

I've got no idea, it's just so generic. A ghoul? A zombie? Who knows, not me. first of all, make the eye makeup darker, maybe some dark contour to make his cheeks look sunken in. if the stitches have to be purple then I'd say make it darker and use a black eyeliner pencil to add some definition and some detail that's harder to do with the eyeshadow

LOGAN

Frankenstein's monster? Or Frankenstein, the thing on his forehead says monster, the lab coat says man. why the fuck is Logan the only one who's got something over his usual attire. I guess you could argue that he just has one laying around? I'm not going to get into the wonky line, straight lines are hard. but the screw, again could've been done better with an eyeliner pencil because they are very pale.

PATTON

also I'm not trying to take unflattering screenshots, I'm just trying to get a clear one of Thomas facing the camera

a clown! very simple, very easy and the makeup is fucking visible!! Personally, adding the triangles around the eyes would be nice, for Patton I'd definitely lean on the fun side of clows and not the scary side. I just think a little more could be done. But I'm just thankful there's an actual red nose. The bar is low. I have to mention Patton's verse again, it's so bad, so rushed, could there not have been a little more thought into it specifically?

ROMAN

Jack Skellington I believe? I don't fucking know. my issue is the eyemake up once again, Make it much darker and less blocky. maybe some nose contour or try to make it look like an actual human skull? the stitches are eh, but I feel like they could be darker, maybe a liquid eyeliner in this case. This is also the only one where I think they really tried to hide Thomas's mustache I guess for the lip stitches?

REMUS

THe boogey man? Also from the nightmare before christmas. Are Roman and Remus doing a group costume? Remus's is probablt the best, he is also the only other side with something over his costume. The makeup looks pretty good, the black is solid at least around his mouth. Again, the eye makeup should be darker. the things on his cheeks are worms I believe. those are alright, I'd probably try to make them stand out a little more

[edupunkn00b]

Just Like Magic, Chapter 11: Heal

Prev - Heal - Next - Masterpost - [ AO3 ]

From Chapter 10: Help

Slowly, Logan looked up. The man had crouched next to him, and the twins stood just behind. In the man’s other hand sat two bright blue lucis. His lucis, the ones he’d sent after finding Janus. “We’ve come to help,” he said.

“You can really help him?” Logan asked. Between the lucis and the kind glimmer in the stranger’s eyes,  Logan’s fear cracked and he peeled back the corner of Janus’ cloak to reveal his wound. “He’s been stabbed, I think… I…” He shook his head, shame at his failure to heal his new teacher bubbling up, choking him. “I’ve already tried every healing spell in my book… Well, the ones for which, well, I—I am successful, at least. Ca—can… Do you use… magic?”

Worry creased the man's forehead, but he smiled, a warm, inviting grin that softened the splinters growing in Logan’s throat. He was a complete stranger, and the three of them had made an impossible claim. He didn’t even know this man’s name, let alone even begin to understand how—

“Call me Patton,” he said, like he’d heard his thoughts. “And here,” he added, offering the lucis. “These are for you.”

Logan held out his own hand and the lucis flew to him. The lights floated above his palm, bouncing against his fingertips and each other. Warmth washed over his hand and flowed up his arm, filling his chest with each breath. But the lights didn’t change shape the way they had in Janus’ palm, and Logan looked up, question on his tongue. Before he could ask, Patton nodded.

“Kiddos?” He turned and addressed Imaginary—real? And grown?—Roman and Remus. “Will you help Logan with your charms while I take a look at Janus?”

“How…” Tears pricked his eyes and the lucis tapped his palm, reassuring. “How do you know my name? How do you know his name?”

“C’mon, Logie.” Remus took one arm and Roman the other. Together, they helped him to his feet without him having to let go of either the lucis or his staff. “We’ll show you how to use these.”

Roman grinned at him, giving his arm a squeeze. “Then Padre will explain everything.”

Clutching the lucis close to his chest, Logan nodded and let himself be led to the other side of the firepit.

A blend of spice and sage filled the air when Patton loosened the knot keeping his satchel closed. Logan peered over his shoulder, watching as the man pulled several clay jars and a hollowed out stone dish from his bag.

He froze. “You’re a chemist!”

“Yes.” Eyes twinkling, Patton nodded. “Khymiá is my specialty, like Janus’ is protection charms and…” He smiled down at Janus, removing his own cloak to serve as a pillow beneath his head. “And a few other tricks he’ll likely show you some day.” Patton's eyes flashed over to Roman, nodding in silent conversation. “Janus has taken you on as student, yes?”

He didn’t know what else to do but nod. He’d thought chemistry was a myth. There were warnings of it in the few books he could find that mentioned magic. Usually it was as the villain of children’s stories of dragons and telepathy and… prophecy.

Logan’s throat went dry.

“You’re going to learn so much!” Remus bounced on his toes, both hands gripping his sleeve. His eyebrows twitched as his whole body vibrated, a leaf on the wind. Just like he used to when they were little. “You’re going to be just like us! Someday all you’ll need to do is touch someone and you’ll—”

“Re?” Patton interrupted with a crooked smile. “First things first, please. Help Logan with the charms. You heard him—he’s exhausted himself.”

It took Patton’s pointed look at his wobbling knees for Logan to realize he’d have fallen over if the twins didn’t have him in their grip. He tried to straighten, to stand on his own, but only fumbled the lucis. They never dropped, though, and remained close to him, hovering patiently.

“We’ve got you, Lo,” Roman murmured near his ear and carefully sat him in a mossy spot near the fire Logan was sure hadn't been there before.

“And we’re never, ever leaving you alone again!” Remus grinned, all teeth and laughter.

“Don’t scare him, Re!” Roman shook his head. “You make it sound like a threat!”

“Eh, promise, threat…” Remus winked at him and, despite himself, Logan chuckled. “It’s all the same thing.”

Lulled by the familiar bickering and the warm purr of the lucis in his hands, Logan had begun to regain a bit of the hope he’d felt when Janus had first promised to teach him. “You… You really are you,” he said, cheeks warming at the inanity of his words. “I m—I mean…” He peered closely at each of them. The brows above his friends’ familiar green eyes now thick, their voices deep and rough. Hands strong. But their movements, their words… they… “You two haven’t changed.”

“Neither have you,” Roman smiled, cupping his hands before him, palms up.

“Eh… You’re a helluva lot skinnier,” Remus said, mimicking his brother’s pose, laying his hands on top of Roman’s. “But Pop’s cooking’ll take care of that.”

At the mention of their father—teacher? Was padre the same as Consililario?—Logan peeked past Remus’ shoulder at Patton and Janus. The chemist had lifted Janus’ tunic, tutting quietly as he prodded at the wound. Dipping a cloth in a solution from one of the clay pots, he wiped away the new blood that had collected, whispering under his breath.

Right before his eyes, the wound closed and Janus’ bleeding stopped. With a little rhythmic hum, Patton’s broad shoulders dropped in obvious relief. He tucked the cloak around Janus’ form again, gently stroking the hand he’d laid over top.

“See?” Roman whispered. “Padre takes good care of him.”

Logan’s brow furrowed in confusion. But before he could work out just what felt odd about Roman’s words, Remus moved their hands beneath his, layering Logan’s between the lucis and the twins’. “Now let us take care of you, Logie.”

~

Light danced over Janus’ closed eyes, soft red fading into black. Whispers wove through his dreams, an old melody he’d almost forgotten. Laughter. He was wrapped in warmth and softness, fluffy down and golden sunlight. The fire at his back abated, high tide retreating with the rising sun.

It grew quiet again and he drifted in darkness and dream, honeysuckle fields and the clear blue bay. Starlit paths. A strong, soft hand in his.

He woke to candlelight, a damp cloth at his forehead and a deep voice humming a healing chant. He groaned when he swallowed, throat papery, and licked dry lips. The humming stopped and a wave of nutmeg and clove and honey filled his lungs. A cup was lifted to his mouth and he drank.

Slowly, Janus blinked and eyes the color of the Puget Bay appeared before him. The entire room glowed with their light.

“I know those eyes,” he murmured, voice cracking. He drank gratefully when the cup tapped his lips again.

“I should certainly hope so, Mister,” Patton replied with a put-upon huff and a poorly concealed grin. “It hasn’t been that long.”

“It’s been long enough to dearly miss—Logan!” Janus bolted upright, spilling the potion. His head whipped around the room as he fought with the blankets tangling his legs. “Logan? Where’s—” He pulled at Patton’s sleeve. “Please, Pat! My student—He's—Where’s—I sent him to find a sta—”

“Shhh, Jan… Everything’s alright,” Patton soothed. “Logan’s fine. He’s perfectly safe.” He nodded slowly and smiled when Janus stilled. He straightened the covers and dabbed at the wet spot with a towel. “Logan’s in the other room with my boys.”

“Your…” Janus stared at him. “Your boys?”

Patton smiled back, laughter in his eyes. “My boys. If you’re feeling strong enough to get up, we can get you all introduced.”

Janus took his offered hand, surprised at how little his side ached as Patton slowly helped him sit up again. “Lead the way.”

~

The main room in Patton’s home bubbled with activity, a large fire snapping and popping in one corner, a lush sitting area with a low table and puffy cushions and knitted throws across from it. The opposite corner, beneath a window box bursting with herbs and flowers, housed a long worktable covered with vials and jars and the large crucible Janus had helped Patton cast when they young.

At the other end of the room sat the kitchen. Crowded together on the wood stove, three pots simmered and spat, spilling the scent of garlic and ginger and fresh morels into the air. A loaf of bread sat cooling in one corner, and the yeasty aroma wafting from under a towel-covered bowl next to it meant another loaf was well on its way.

The biggest source of activity in the room, though, were the three men working over the heavy wooden table, chopping and peeling and stirring. And laughing.

Janus paused at the doorway, one hand on his staff, the other hooked through Patton’s steady arm. Logan’s face was bright, the warmth of the fire and the company bringing a rosy glow he’d yet to see on his new student’s face. His aura was blinding, waves of deep blue dancing at the edges every time the glittery red and green auras of the others—Patton’s ‘boys’ were fae?—overlapped.

He sighed, a release of worry for his student, for his future, for his ability to find peace enough to practice and learn and live after all he’d already been through.

The soft sound managed to alert the trio to their presence. “Janus!” Logan cried, smile growing as he rushed to wipe his hands on a towel tied at his waist. He dashed past the table and ran to him arms open wide, hesitating only at the last moment before embracing him.

“Is this your doing?” Janus stepped closer and released Patton’s arm to pull Logan into a hug.

Logan melted against him, nodding before giving a little shrug. “They came for us when I sent luminaria.”

Pride burst from Janus’ chest and he pulled back to meet Logan's eyes. “You sent them on your own?”

He caught Patton’s eye over Logan’s shoulder and Patton beamed. “He sure did!”

“I’m so proud of you, Logan,” Janus whispered. “I showed you the spell only once.”

“You needed help I couldn’t give,” Logan whispered back. “My magic could not help you.”

“Oh, Logan,” Janus shook his head and cupped Logan’s cheek. “Look where we are. Your magic did help me.”

Grinning, Patton ruffled Logan’s hair. “He’s right, Kiddo. And you should’ve seen him, Jan.” Logan’s eyebrow quirked up at the nickname but he only listened. “He looked ready to take our heads off with his staff before I could convince him we wouldn’t hurt you.”

“Your staff?” Janus’ eyes widened. “You found one?”

“Well… It is uncarved, and…” Logan demurred. “And I…”

The thinner twin turned and stroked his back, nudging him toward the door. “Logie, show him.”

Logan looked back at each of them and the twin fae grinned at him with matching smiles. Lip caught between his teeth, Logan hurried to the doorway where a tall bluish branch lay propped next to a row of cloaks and boots.

The room exploded in light no-one else could see as Logan drew near the bough, a bright blue-white streaming from his hand as he reached for it. Logan and his staff’s aura filled Janus’ vision, slowly dimming until he could just make out his form as he returned, presenting his staff to him.

“Logan,” he gasped. “It’s remarkable.” Fighting to clear his vision, Janus blinked until he could see the broad smile brushed across his student’s face.

Logan looked over his shoulder at Patton’s ‘boys’ and smiled. “I had help from some old friends. I…” Moving the staff to one hand, he held it upright like Janus held his. He let his free hand float near Janus’ and the staff responded, golden light spraying out to meet his hand. Logan smiled and stretched his fingers, likely feeling the light.

“The first wood I found was just like yours. Buzzy and… warm. I thought it was the wood I should choose. But then…” He grinned at the twins. “They helped me find this one and…”

Janus gripped his shoulder. “And you knew.”

“And I knew,” Logan nodded, a bit of pride spilling into his voice. After a moment, he cleared his throat and turned to face each of them. “Janus…” A blush dusted his cheeks as he gestured to the twin fae still working in the kitchen. “I’d like you to meet Remus and Roman.”

[prodigal-explorer]

i have a sanders sides au concept on the brain

they're all siblings but they all sort of defy expectations when it comes to sibling dynamics. all six of them live together.

(cw for mention of substance addiction under the read more)

janus is the oldest at 23, and he struggles a lot with the whole "parenting" thing. he's very ambitious, and he's working to further his career in the detective industry so he can better provide for his family, but he is extremely emotionally and physically distant, and it's rare that he does anything with his brothers, whether it's helping around the house or playing with them. he does love his brothers, but he has trouble connecting with them.

virgil is the second oldest at 21. he had to drop out of college in order to provide for his younger siblings' needs at home, and he resents janus for staying in college and leaving virgil to be the one to drop out. virgil is a bit of a "bad cop" when it comes to parenting his younger brothers, but he'd rather be a little mean than be the reason why his brothers get hurt. he cares a lot about safety, and he's super protective over his brothers. but being the one who does all the chores and the cooking and the paperwork is super taxing, and virgil runs on practically no sleep and no self care.

patton is the third oldest at 20. he's the "fun one" to the younger siblings, and he also stays home to help his brothers when he isn't working his job at a bakery, but he doesn't do as much around the house. he's the "parent", the one who gives the children baths, reads them stories, comes to their school events, etc. he's practically worshipped by the littles, but he's hiding a horrible secret that puts his brothers in danger whenever they're around him. he has a bad habit of babying his little brothers, especially roman. he also tends to spoil them with money that they do not have.

roman is the "middle child" so to speak at 18. he's a new adult, but nobody really considers him as such because he is severely intellectually disabled, having the estimated mental capacity of a six-year-old in terms of physical and intellectual ability. despite being the fourth oldest, roman is sort of regarded as the baby of the family due to his disability, which is something he does not particularly like. roman is very close with all of his siblings, even though he has a tendency to dramatize things and make up grand stories. despite struggling with academic and common sense related skills, roman is extremely emotionally intelligent, and he is probably the wisest sibling in the bunch.

remus is the second youngest at 14. he's at a difficult age, where everything is getting harder, and nobody is truly there for him. between family fights left and right, siblings who seem to always need more than him, and his tendency to brush off emotions, remus is often floating around on his own with no guidance. he is addicted to nicotine due to looking up to some bad influences at school, and he's going down a very dangerous path. he's gritty, sarcastic, and overall just angry at the world. angry at his family. angry at himself. just...angry.

logan is the youngest at 10. he's a shockingly serious child, being a prodigy. he's extremely skilled academically, especially in subjects like math, science, and grammar. despite being the youngest, he hates being regarded as a baby, or a child, or anything similar. being the only member at the family adept at math, he does the family's taxes, and ends up being a kid who grew up way too fast. he's the only one who knows patton's secret, and he's sitting on it with sealed lips until he can figure out what to do about it. despite being very mature for his age, logan is still very clearly a kid who needs help.

i just have so many scenarios pertaining to this au as a whole and i might need to write some snippets.

[icequeenoriginal]

Fairest of Them All

Pairings; (Implied) Prinxiety 

Warning: Crying, having bad thoughts, Remus, self-punishment, hurt/comfort, Roman angst, capslock, movie death mentioned (let me know if I missed anything)

Author’s Note: The saga of me making Roman every Disney princess continues! This one is a bit different because I am not actually putting the Sanders Sides characters in the Snow White story, you’ll see what I mean in a second. I hope you enjoy it. All feedback is appreciated. 

~

Roman likes fairytales. 

What’s not to like about them? They have princes, ballads, and the occasional dragon witch. The characters go on these amazing journeys where they can see beautiful places, wear beautiful outfits and meet beautiful people.

Best of all, they always had happy endings.

Roman loves happy endings. Happy endings mean that everyone is safe and happy. Where people fall in love. 

Where the prince’s efforts paid off. Where his family shows they care about him. Where no one thought he was evil. 

Roman wanted a happy ending. 

The happy ending where he would be told he did the right thing. The happy ending where he saved the day. The happy ending where he was Thomas’ hero again. 

But that did not seem likely.  

Not after the wedding, not after the argument, not after the whole “Janus” fiasco. 

Not after Janus confirming his worst fear. 

As Roman paced around his room, he knew he had to face the facts. There was no way he was Thomas’ hero now. 

Janus’ nod felt like a death sentence. The last thing he saw before his head would be chopped off while the crowd cheers for his death. Unwanted and rejected. 

And now there was nothing he could do. 

Well, not exactly. 

There was a lot he could do. He could ignore everyone and pretend that everything is okay. Continue to be himself. Not likely, as proven earlier when he tried practicing fake smiling in the mirror but only led to him breaking down. So that idea was out. 

He could yell at everyone, telling them what he really feels, especially to Janus. Terrible idea, as the events of today, have shown him. 

Option three is to answer Patton’s request to talk. Even though Patton had stopped knocking, Roman knew he was still standing behind the door.  Roman could see his shoes under the door. He knew Patton would listen to him, let him rant, and give him advice. He might even apologize. It seemed like the best option.

But he didn’t want to.

He didn’t want to listen to Patton now. He didn’t want to even get close to the door.

He wants to be angry. He wants to throw something. He wants to open the door just to slam it in Patton’s face. He wanted to be the villain they all thought he was.

The only thing he could compel himself to do was lay on the floor and cry. Cry until he could never cry again. He knew it wasn’t good for him...or maybe it was, he can’t remember Logan's lecture about cry at this moment. 

He couldn’t really think about anything, his head was too loud but all he could hear was static.. He felt like that would go on forever before his thoughts were interrupted by the soft melody of ‘One Song’. 

Roman looks over to see his Snow White music box. He silently watches Snow White and the Prince dance as the melody plays. He is not sure what activated the music but he appreciates it nonetheless. 

 As the song continues, Roman takes deep breathes, calming himself down. He manages to sit up all the way by the end. His breathing is finally back to normal and the tears seemed to stop. 

What did Logan say about distraction? That sometimes it was the healthy thing to do? God, that movie session seemed so long. He is going to miss those, now that everything’s different. 

Maybe watching Snow White would make him feel better. He could have a snack and cuddle with his stuffed animals while ignoring his feelings. 

There was only one problem, he would have to leave his room. Everything, including Thomas’ Snow White DVD, was in the living room/kitchen. He already promised himself that he wasn’t going to leave his room so that idea was thrown out the window. 

Before that thought could worsen his mood more, a bright light and the sound of a door being open caught his attention. 

The Imagination. 

Roman took a few moments to just stare at the bright white light. It practically begged him to come in and play. 

“Huh, that might not be a bad idea.” Roman thought to himself. He could make his own Snow White and having to focus to keep the world together would be an even better distraction. 

Roman pushes himself off the floor and he walks through. Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath as the blank white world fills with the scenery of the classic Disney film. 

He looks down to see he is wearing gray, faded ratty pants with different patches sewn into the pants leg. He turns to the window next to him to see he has an equally ratty shirt on. 

Huh, guess he is being Snow White. 

He didn’t intend to do that but there was no going back now. Not when he put so much effort into this already. Well, the imagination did anyway. It did that sometimes, give him what he wanted. Like it had a mind of its own. Like a friend he could always rely on.

He gives himself another once over before snapping a small navy blue bow clip in his hair. Details matter!

(It’s not technically accurate to the original, but he never really could stand to have a headband on for long.)

He checks over the castle, making sure every brick is as accurate to the movie as possible. He does the Evil Queen’s room last. He makes sure to get every spellbook and every vial.    

Now it was time for the evil Queen. 

But first, he had to take a moment to admire his work. Yeah, that’s the only reason. 

So he stared for an agonizing long time, until his eyes started to gloss over.

Roman sighs and rubs his face, he couldn’t put it off anymore. His mind immediately wanted to make Janus the Evil Queen but a sharp pain of guilt in his stomach made him stop. 

He knew that would be mean and vindictive. If someone walked in, they would tell him he was wrong, again. He is not sure he could handle that. 

That meant Remus was out too. Better to be safe than sorry. 

Any image of Patton flashed through his mind, but not Patton dressed in his normal attire. No, Patton dressed as the Evil Queen. 

Roman is nearly knocked over by the thought. He covers his mouth to suppress the sob that seems to come out of nowhere. 

“I thought I was done crying,” Roman thinks bitterly. 

Evil. Evil! EVIL! That was a thought only an evil person would have. To make Patton the villain, kind, sweet Patton just because he was mad at him. 

Maybe he was evil. 

He deserved to be punished. That’s what all villains deserved. 

He summons the Dragon-Witch to play the Evil Queen. This had to be the simplest choice. Why didn’t he think of this first?

Oh right, because he is a bad person. 

The Dragon Witch snarls at him, “With your father gone, I know have to run this Kingdom alone. You will no longer sit around. You will cook, clean, carry your weight around here.”

Roman silently nods. 

“You may be a prince but you are not my son.” Roman didn’t know why that stung so much. 

The dragon witch shoves a mop into Roman’s arms which Roman accepted without question. He stays silent as he heads out into the hall and begins to mop. 

He finds himself smiling. “This is perfect actually. Cleaning is good AND distracting. And, and it’s a punishment! This is perfect.”

Roman looks out the window and sees the wishing well. It was one of his favorite Disney songs. 

But…

Roman shook his head, he felt as though he didn’t deserve it. 

He would clean until he tires himself out and just ends the scene here. 

That, he felt, was good.

~

Remus, like any of the sides, was a fan of Disney. He loved all the hidden adult jokes and his absolute favorite movie was Tarzan with all its violence and that ending…

You know with the bad guy hanging around! Haha!

Remus had himself a good chuckle before checking over the scene in front of him. He seems Roman scrubbing the balcony of Snow White’s Castle as the Dragon Witch watches him disapprovingly. 

“Huh, This is...different,” Remus thought.

In the past, whenever Roman put himself into stories, especially Disney ones, he was the “brave and wonderful” prince, and Remus played the “vile and evil” villain. So to see Roman as the damsel was odd. 

That was the only thing off. He didn’t care that Roman never asked him to play anymore. 

It was out of character, he wasn’t actually concerned. 

He was just going to mess with Roman, that’s why he moved closer. That was the only reason. 

Turning himself into a dark black raven, Remus flies down and sits on the very wishing well that Roman was staring at, moments ago. 

He sits on the end of the wishing well and spots the Dragon Witch watching Roman in the window, she has a disapproving scowl on her face. Roman continues to clean the courtyard stairs though there is something very very off. 

Why wasn’t he singing?

Roman, Mister Disney extraordinaire and number one anti-remakes, was always faithful to the original, though he would make always make it gay. 

“It doesn’t count,” Roman would always argue, “I’m gay, Thomas is gay, we’re all gay, we don’t kiss girls”

Remus had seen this movie, as had every one of Thomas’ side, about a million times. The birds were in position but Roman was not singing. In fact, Roman starts to clean away from the wishing well. 

Well, that can’t be right. 

Remus observes Roman for almost half an hour before deciding that Roman has no intention to continue the story. 

“How boring!” Remus thinks, “What kind of story is ‘boy who cleans all day’? There’s no heart, no blood, no creativity! This will not do, no, no. Guess I have to make it fun.”

Remus flies swiftly by Roman, who barely even glances at him.  

He just continues to clean, clean, and clean. 

Just clean, clean, and clean...

~

Virgil drapes his left leg over the armrest closest to the kitchen and his right leg rests on the top of it. His head was just under the other couch’s arm. His right arm lays lazily over his chest as he holds his phone close to his neck while his left hand dangled near his bag of chips on the ground. 

Thomas was having a lazy day. It had been a few days since Lee and Mary Lee had visited and while an outsider might think things were all good now, Virgil knew better. Just because one good thing happened, doesn’t mean all the shitty other problems would magically go away. His job would be so much better if it did. 

A blind man could see how tense everyone was. Thomas was going through a lot and they all felt the effects of it. 

He honestly didn’t know what he specifically should be stressing about, there was that much stuff going on right now. 

Luckily, he didn’t have to pick because it was simply picked for him. One moment he was staring at the ceiling and the next moment, Remus is floating over him, smirking evilly. 

Virgil definitely DID NOT squeal as tumbled off the couch. That definitely DID NOT happen. 

Remus bursts into laughter as Virgil huffed and stood up. “Ohohohoho, how that never gets old.” 

Virgil rolls his eyes, “Yeah, great, hilarious. Are you done?”

“Not quite! I have so much more up my sleeve!” Remus announces as he pulls out a dead rat from his right sleeve. 

Virgil only blinked at him, too used to seeing things like this. “Okay, now are you done? I have a whole lot of nothing to be doing right now.”

“Actually, in a minute, you will have a whole lot of something to do.” 

Virgil audibly groans and pushes himself off of the couch, “Are you kidding me, Remus? What did you do now? This is possibly the worst time for you to do something to Thomas!” Virgil began to pace around the room sporadically. He opens and closes his fist as he does, trying to ground himself. 

He was so focused on that, that he didn’t notice that Remus wasn’t reacting to him at all. In fact, he was so still that he almost faded into the background. 

Once Virgil does realize, he stops and turns to Remus, “What? Why are you staring at me?”

“I’m waiting for you to shut up.” 

Virgil was so shocked by what Remus said that he could not stop his jaw dropping in shock. Remus decided that this was a victory and to continue, 

“Look, a little bird told me, before I ate it of course, that Roman is acting strange in the imagination.”

“Strange?”

“Strange and unusual! Unfortunately, it is not the good kind. He is not even doing his boring work for Thomas and I know that is all you guys care about.” Remus says as he smirks, clearly trying to taunt Virgil. 

“Hey, that’s not true–”

“Oh? Then prove it. Go to him. See what’s wrong.” Virgil’s eyes widen as he hears the shift in Remus’ tone. There was none of his usual teasing, no chuckling, nothing.  

He truly never thought he would ever see Remus be serious. 

Virgil takes a deep breath, “I’ll go. Lead the way.” 

“Wonderful!” Remus shouts as his only warning before grabbing Virgil’s arm and sinking out of the living room. 

~

Popping into imagination, Virgil hesitated to open his eyes. Was the imagination in shambles? Or fire? Were there monsters everywhere?! 

Virgil quickly snapped his eyes open and looked around. The first thing he noticed was how normal everything looked. The sun was shining brightly, the birds were singing and he could see unicorns running in the distance. 

Virgil briefly wondered that maybe Remus was just trying to get him out of the living room so that he could have the couch for himself, but she dismissed that thought as soon as he had it. Remus would have just sat on top of him or thrown him off the couch. 

He turns to leave the imagination when a dark raven with bright green eyes flies in front of him. They silently stare at each other before the raven flies to his left. It pauses and turns back to Virgil, waiting for him to follow. 

Virgil rolls his eyes as he follows the bird. God, can this get any more dramatic?

~

Apparently, it can get more dramatic! In the form of a giant castle. 

It wasn’t like the giant castle Roman normally has in the imagination. For one thing, this castle was much more white than it did red, and there was no gold to be found. Second, this castle was on a cliff. Roman hated cliffs, he shared Patton’s fear of heights (though he would never admit it). Finally, the style of the castle did not match the rest of the imagination. It looked more like a giant painting that was plopped into the middle of the imagination by accident. 

The raven flew up and perches itself on the wall closest to Virgil. 

Virgil stares up at it, “You don’t expect me to climb this wall, do you?” The raven said nothing, only tilting its head. It blinks at Virgil for a few moments before screeching loudly. 

A bright green light circles around Virgil. He can feel his hoodie disappearing off of his body and being replaced by something a bit heavier. 

The light is so bright and intense that he is forced to shut his eyes. 

He has no idea how long he has had his eyes closed. He only opens them again when he feels a small weight on his right shoulder. He sees the raven perched there on his shiny new pauldron. 

Wait, what?

Virgil examines his new outfit. He is wearing shiny black boots that blended perfectly with his dark purple pants. He is also wearing a matching dark purple tunic, the sleeves of which are tucked into thick black gloves. 

The pauldron is attached to a brown leather strap that goes across his chest, under his left armpit, and across his back. To round out his outfit, a brown leather with a scabbard holding a rapier. 

“Isn’t this a bit much?” Virgil asks the raven. Its only reply is to fly back up to the spot it was in on the wall before Virgil’s transformation. 

“Yeah, this is Roman’s domain after all.” Virgil takes a deep breath, “Alright, let’s do this.” he says before grabbing the wall. 

Almost immediately, his arms began to burn as he pulls himself only a few feet off the ground. He definitely needed to exercise more. To think he had planned to spend today lounging around and snacking... 

How the hell am I going to climb this wall?

~

It took him 17 minutes to get up the wall, though it felt like hours. 

His arms are burning, he is covered in sweat and he is beyond frustrated. 

He is going to kill that bird. 

He sits next to the raven on the top of the wall and takes long and loud deep breaths. 

“You. Nearly. Killed. Me. With. That.” He growls between each gasp for breath. 

The raven did nothing but stare at him. 

Virgil hisses and swipes at the raven…which only leads to his falling forward and off the wall. 

He manages to turn himself fast enough that he falls onto his side instead of on his head, though the strap does dig into his side painfully. 

Virgil groans as he sits up, questioning all the decisions that have led him to this moment. He feels a presence approaching him. 

He looks up, expecting the raven again. Instead, he is face-to-face with Roman. 

Well, almost Roman. This Roman wasn’t wearing his usual outfit nor his usual boisterous simile. This Roman’s clothes were tattered, and he looked frightened. 

“Roman?” Virgil asks as he stands up, swiping the dirt off of him. 

Roman takes a step back from him as he exclaims, “Who are you and how do you know my name?!”

“What are you talking about? It’s me, Virgil. Why are you acting so weird? And what is this place? This isn’t your usual castle.”

Virgil takes another step towards Roman, his stomach dropping as Roman shrinks away from. 

This isn’t right, this isn’t Roman. Remus was right, there is something seriously wrong. Oh god, if Roman is like this, what could be happening to Thomas?!

Before Virgil could spiral any further, Roman continues, “Look, I don’t know why you are and how you know me but you need to leave before my stepmother notices you’re here. She hates intruders.”

Virgil can hear a record scratch in his brain. Stepmother? When have any of them had a stepmother? Thomas doesn’t even have a stepmother. 

Wait a minute. 

Stepmother, castle, cleaning. 

Virgil looks over Roman’s shoulder, seeing a very familiar long window.

“Ohhhh, are you doing some kind of scene? Is that what’s going on?” Virgil finds himself relaxing a bit. If it's a scene, then nothing is wrong. If it’s a scene, then Roman is okay. 

“A…scene…?” Roman says before suddenly freezing up. His outfit flickers from the tattered servant clothes to his normal outfit as he grips his head in pain. 

“Roman!” Virgil puts his hands on Roman’s shoulder, stopping the outfits from switching. Roman, back in his original outfit, lets go of his head. 

“Virgil?” He asks softly. 

“Hey, Ro. Mind telling me what is going on?”

Roman pauses and looks around, his expression is unreadable. He takes in the scene around him, and his eyes widen as he remembers. 

“Oh…oh no…Virgil…I made a huge mistake…”

“Hey, it’s okay. I’ve gotten lost in my head plenty of times before.” Virgil slightly chuckles “Thought, I will admit that this is much cooler than what my head gives me.” 

Roman blushes slightly, looking down at the ground as he spoke, “T-Thanks…but that’s not what I was talking about…”

“How about you tell me when we get back?”

Roman’s head shot up “Back…?” “Yeah, we can split some ice cream and vent,” Virgil extends his hand to him with his signature smirk on his face. “Come on, let’s go.” Roman stares at Virgil’s hand for a few tense moments before slowly moving his hand towards Virgil’s. Just before their hands make contact, a boom voice causes the both of them to jump. 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

The dragon witch, in all her Evil Queen glory, flew down and land right behind Roman. The instant that her feet touched the ground, Roman froze. His outfit immediately changed back to the ragged one he had on previously and he shrinks away from Virgil. 

“Excuse me, but who are you?!” she snarls at him, “Get out of my castle immediately! Roman, how dare you not send this man away! You are such a failure. Absolutely useless.”

Roman shrinks in on himself, staring intently at the ground. Right, this was his punishment. He deserved this. He–

“Hey! You can’t talk to him like that!” 

Both Roman and the Dragon Queen’s eyes snapped towards Virgil. Even the dark green crow, who had made himself comfortable on a nearby tree branch, cocked its head to listen in.  

“Excuse me?” the dragon queen growled, “Do you know who I am?! I am the queen and this is my servant, I can say whatever I please to him!”

“Oh no, I’ve seen this movie about a million times, I know that he is the prince and the rags, the cleaning and everything is because you’re insecure about your looks!”

“How dare you--”

“Can it, lady! Roman is my boy--I mean one of my best friends! He’s passionate, hardworking and super kind. He never backs down from what he believes and also makes very good hot chocolate that is just prefect for a rain day! And he may be loud when he sings but his voice is so amazing that I don’t care! He is a great prince and a 1000% better rule of this place than you so you can get out and far away from him!”

And just like that, the dragon witch disappears. Along with the castle, the scenery, and everything else. Even Roman turns back to normal, relaxing the knot in Virgil’s stomach. He looks down, happy to see himself back in his normal hoodie. 

Strangely, as the imagination turned back into an empty white void, the dark green crow stayed. It was forced to fly when its branch, though it wasn’t annoyed. It flies over to Virgil, landing on his shoulder. 

“I think everything will be okay now, Remus.” VIrgil whispers. The crow doesn’t reply, only flying off and out of the imagination. Virgil watched it go with a smile before turning back to Roman. 

Roman was staring at Virgil in disbelief, as if he couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing. Virgil started fidgeting with his hoodie string, embarrassment flooding him as he realizes that Roman definitely, without a doubt, absolutely heard every word he just said. 

“Oh god, this is awkward…so Ro--”

Virgil’s mouth slams shut as Roman pulls him into a hug, but quickly turns his mouth into a smile. 

Someone somewhere said something about how actions are better than words. A hug, a hug is good. 

~

They silently popped back into the living room, unable to look at one another. 

Virgil didn’t like this silence. It was so tense. He had to fix this. 

“Listen,” Virgil says as he rubs the back of his head, clearly nervous, “Thomas is heading to the mall now. It’s not a high-stakes adventure, but it’s out of the house.” Roman looked into Virgil’s eyes. There was no disappointment, there was no hate. In fact, they were filled with concern, hope, and maybe even...love? It was hard for Roman to believe that but the evidence was right in front of him. 

Roman smiles and nods “That sounds like fun.”

Little did Roman know that he not only would have fun, but it was the fairy tale story he was looking for.

~

I'M SO HAPPY TO BE BACK.

[askdarklogan]

Story clues I left on the original Amino! Explanation edition lmao.

-theres more to the Mindscape than the Sides and their rooms

Originally I was going to call it The Rift as a reference to original character(s) I was going to use in the au (for anyone who noticed the mentions of “she” or “her”, it was in reference to them), but now I’ve started calling it the Outskirts. These characters were meant to be guardians of the Mindscape as a whole, and Mania mentioned that he was somewhere where the “people here won’t be happy to see me”, which was in the Outskirts where the Guardians (they’re called Angels sometimes) basically live.

-there's a reason Janus isn't wearing his hat and cape

In the au I wanted to implement a headcannon I had that Janus could not only silence the other sides but basically hypnotize and mind control others, but in the au he’s insecure about it so it’s why he wears gloves. His cape and hat to my personal interpretation was that they represented him covering himself and being walled off, not willing to let others see his more vulnerable parts. It plays on how I think he disguises himself as the others bc he believes it’s the only way he’ll ever be listened to. With Patton though, they’d gone through some traumatizing shit (more on that later) and through that experience they decided to promise to eachother to not hide themselves or keep secrets, and to seal the promise Janus gave Patton his hat and cape.

-the darkness of each Side's hair means something

It’s meant mostly to represent how “dark” a character is, which is why Logan’s hair darkens and lightens depending on how corrupted he it. It’s based around the fact that I draw characters like Patton with lighter hair and Remus with black hair.

-notice the way Logan's hair keeps changing (yes, it's intentional)

Another signification of how corrupt and gone Logan is. When his hair is dark, limp and covering his eyes that’s when he’s most corrupted, and when it’s brown and upright he’s less corrupted.

-and yeah, the fact that the vines are blue does tie in with Patton

Major lore dump here: Patton and Mania were once one entity, but split.

In the au Patton was once a simpler concept, living in the Outskirts with others like him (ex Sleep, bc he was gonna be in this au and be Janus’ annoying confidant), and that was when he was known as Virtue. Virtue would however leave the Outskirts and go on to become Morality, getting the name Patton (because complicated concepts become Sides, and therefore are unique enough to have names.)

Vice, however, was left in the void, virtually formless. Stewing in its bitterness, it became a shadowy force of nature that could only take the forms of others, only capable of being a heightened version of something that already exists. That’s why it refers to itself as all the sides, because it can encompass an aspect of all of them. Mania would then go on to seek revenge on its other half, Patton.

-Roman's wearing his sash around his neck

When Logan turned “dark” he attacked Roman, attempting to choke him out, and the incident left Roman with scars and bruises on his neck that won’t seem to go away. He’s incredibly ashamed of his neck, so he used his sash as a scarf to cover it.

-this isn't their first time dealing with Mania like this

In the original idea I had for this au it centered on Patton being possessed by Mania, and the time he tried to in secret handle Mania himself. In the original story Patton tried keep everyone safe but it was getting worst by the day, until eventually all hell broke loose and Mania took full control. Janus (who was in a secret relationship with him) managed to get Mania/ Patton away from the others and used his powers on Patton, lying to make Patton's emotions override Mania. A part of this story can be read in this post.

-there's a reason the others aside from Patton and Janus don't seem to remember Mania

In the beginning of the post linked previously, there’s a little scene of Patton and Janus talking about what they should do. This takes place in the aftermath of Patton’s possession. Another headcannon I had in terms of the powers the sides have (ex Janus’ hypnotism, Virgil’s spider sense that I never got to introduce lol) is that Logan has the ability to erase memories, given he is the mind after all. They go to Logan and ask for him to erase the memory of Mania from the others and it worked (except Remus, because he can’t be bound by the powers of logic, but he’s under the assumption that everyone else knows so he doesn’t bring it up).

—————

So yeah! This au has a lot of details that can be pretty subtle, and theres alot of intentional details I added with vague hints to the larger story in the ask blog, because sadly I learned my way of writing from Scott Cawthon and I trust my audience too much 😭😂

I again encourage anyone curious about the story to ask! I’m still in the process of trying to re-remember everything and gather stuff I made for this au so I’ll try to update for the people that have suddenly arrived lmao. I’ve honestly been considering making a discord server bc that’s my main form of social media hah.

[naminethewriter]

What story do you have backstory that no-one seems to ask about? I want to hear it all!

Oh Edu, that's a can of worms you're attempting to open 😂 I basically never get asked about backstories to my stuff, so I'll see what I've published so far and what I remember of those. I might have talked about some of these things before but for most of them it's been so long, I don't really remember 😅

Let's start with my first Sanders Sides Gift X-Change story His Brother's Wedding. It's a Romile story, my first and only for that ship, and I had a lot more ideas for the AU then I got around to, both because of procrastination and other story ideas. Coincidentally, as I saw in my notes, I did plan to add Lilith to this one as well! Emile is in town to help his grandmother with her flower shop and he's taking a break from his psychology degree to do so. Roman on the other hand is working in Remus' tattoo parlor, though he actually wanted to be an actor and was in Los Angeles for a year or two trying to get into the industry but he failed. He hasn't given up on his dream yet though! As for the other sides that weren't mentioned in the fic, Patton is Emile's cousin who lives in town and is otherwise the one who checks in on Granny Maggie the most. Virgil is his best friend. Janus is Remus' best friend from their school days and he'll be Logan's best man since Roman will be Remus'. Lilith is a distant relative of Remus' landlords, an elderly couple that adore him and see him as their son to a degree. Lilith is spending her summer vacation in town and bonds with Remus, even becoming the flower girl at his wedding.

I might still return to this AU someday, but it's not very high on my priority list...

Second, let's return to Between Two Lives, which I wrote for Intrulogical Week 2 years ago. I don't actually have a lot of extra info about my future plans for that AU written down, but from what I remember some background stuff that might come up is that Janus always has been a demon and he is the reason why Remus became one too. Roman arrived in the afterlife after Remus and while Remus couldn't be there to greet him as soon as he died, he visited him as soon as he could. Roman did think about reincarnating for a bit but decided against it in the end, becoming an angel instead. Patton is one of the first soul to ever become an angel, as in human souls transformed to be an angel. Virgil is a spirit of death that guides souls to the afterlife.

The one one shot I wrote for a ship week that I'm really proud of and that didn't get much attention is Cursed Woods. I really like the vibe I created with it and while I don't have the backstory for it entirely figured out, I can say that Janus is not trapped in there maliciously. In fact he made that choice himself, even if he doesn't remember it. Roman on the other hand was betrayed by someone he trusted and banished. It will be a struggle for him to rebuild his position once he gets back.

Lastly (for now), let's talk about the story I gifted to you: You're Not Alone. As is very clear in the story, Logan was raised by a single mother, but Janus and Remus both have loving parents who all made it their mission to give Logan all the parental love he missed out on. Remus and Roman's parents are immigrants from Germany and they were with the twins on their Christmas trip though they stayed longer and will only come back in the new year. Janus' parents live a state or two away but they will come around before the year ends. They're a bit hippy like and like traveling a lot. Patton, Roman and Virgil are in a QPR, though only Roman is aromantic so Patton and Virgil are dating.

That's all I have right now and a lot of this is more me making up stuff on the spot than actual notes I made but all of these stories have a place in my heart and I could spin more out of them if I wanted to. But there are other projects I feel more connected to. For now at least 😉

Thank you for the ask, even if it took me a bit to get to it 🤭

[krayonkiddos]

i think logan realized he was a regressor and was like. not ready to talk about it for the longest time. but then maybe he accidentally regressed in front of the others and decided he might as well explain it in his own words instead of let them come to their own conclusions

and then roman was like ,, omg you regress too?? but he didn’t have the terminology for it cos he didn’t know what it was, he just knew he was becoming younger for periods of time

so those two are like. bonding over being regressors i guess, and meanwhile remus is oblivious to his own regression until the next time he does so, and it’s like a lightbulb moment. and he runs out to the others and yells “GUYS YOULL NEVER GUESS WHAT I JUST REALIZED”

then virgil is like. slowly realizing he’s the same way, but he’s a teen rather than a child. it takes him a little while to fully notice, cos he tries to think of times when he’s a child rather than a teen. and he’s not aware of teen regression being a thing until logan mentions it offhand one day. and virgil’s like. wait What

for a while, it was the four regressors and janus and patton were the caregivers. except janus has a secret; he’s known he regresses even longer than anyone else

he can’t let himself be vulnerable by confessing to being a regressor. the others can have their little time, but it’s not for him. he can live without it. he’s fine regressing in private without anyone knowing

then he accidentally regresses in front of patton. so that plans out the window

and so patton is the only one who doesn’t regress. thats fine by him! he loves caring for his kiddos :3 though sometimes he does get kinda lost in playtime,,, and he might feel a little fuzzy around the edges when watching cartoons with the littles,,,,,,,, and he catches himself acting a lot more childish than usual- oh and now he’s nonverbal and everything feels scarier than normal and he’s crying and wants a hug ok maybe he regresses

and thats how everyone realized that everyone regresses 🥰

[popsocket-mouth]

posting my orange side theories, i think that orange is of a similar vein as Virgil. We've been given various hints that the sides functions can adapt and change as the characters grow and that, when Virgil was a dark side, he may have been referred to as 'Paranoia.'''

i used to think that orange being a separate character would be interesting, but all mentions of orange have related to Logan, as if only he could reach him. Which makes me think Logan is the orange side under layers of repression. Remus does highlight that during his introduction and while, he's obviously alluding to Virgil and Patton in relation to the night of intrusive thoughts, maybe...

i just think it'd be so fascinating for Logan to have hid himself away like that, maybe to be taken more seriously. Him and Patton are the only sides to share a color, and his old character (while based on the vine teacher) was far more passionate when discussing with Thomas and the other sides. Maybe it's a corruption thing. Maybe it could have something to do with Pattons' influence overarching and overriding the other sides because of how highly regarded morality and emotion are to Thomas. Maybe the switch from orange to blue occured to please Patton when the mindscape split.

Idk. Idk if his function would change, or even, what it was before. I was thinking passion or obsession, but I really don't know. I love the idea, though, and I'm so attached to it that I think if orange is a separate character, I'll generally be upset. But if we were working up to a new side, wouldn't there be a higher focus on his function rather than the color. No other side introduction has gotten this kind of treatment before, or at least, this level of hype for their introduction.

maybe he'll finally show his 'true colors.'

these are just my thoughts, though. I really don't know what will happen.

[oatmealdaydreams]

DarkSides Family AU - Uncle Roman

So, someone in the tags wanted me to add Uncle Roman content. Yes, I saw that. I always read the tags. Y'all make me smile.

Features some side mention of Patton, Emile, and Logan as well. But mostly about Uncle Roman.

OH, and trigger/content warning: mention of past child abuse (be careful y'all, not very descriptive tho), mention of sexual organ (it's Remus being Remus)

It's a few months after Virgil is officially adopted that he meets Roman

Remus has mentioned a twin brother a few times before, saying how he's always busy as a Broadway actor & occasional playwright, so not surprising that it takes so long to actually meet him

There's also the point of Virgil not being comfortable enough to meet him until months later anyway, so it panned out well in that case

Plus, Virgil's only other interaction with an 'uncle' was from his birth family and that went horribly (the uncle got thrown into jail, thank god) (dumb little uncle man, evil b*tch)

Anyway, though Virgil knows his current family is NOTHING like his birth family, he still feels anxious about meeting Roman

Both parents decide to take a day off from work (Janus has no urgent case, though he'd easily drop one for his spouse and son) and drive almost an hour to visit Roman

Roman has a break between plays, and invites them over cause he really wants to meet his nephew (like omg, his twin has a SON, omg I want to meet him)

It'd been Virgil who mentioned wanting to meet Roman, after Remus mentioned him inviting them all over for a day, and they all agreed to go together

So yeah, the drive up felt a little anxious for their son, but they distracted him by playing his fav music CD on the radio thing

They also were making fun of a particularly dumb plaintiff from a past case and Virgil couldn't help but snicker at the dumb-dumb's ignorance to basic laws

Like Janus says something like "Literally one of my easiest cases, they were so f*cking dumb." And of course, Remus cackles at that and Virgil snorts

And yeah, they help ease Virgil's worries (they already know a good portion of what his birth family did to him cause it was in his case file, and God did they want to kill them and Virgil's so-called uncle, that perverted bastard)

Side Note: Roman lives alone with a German Shepard dog named Liv (she is very cute and a cuddle-bug and actually pretty good around kids)

Anyway, Virgil's nerves slowly trickle back in as they pull up to this kinda bigger fancy house Roman lives in (what, is he rich or something?? Like wtf, it looks so dramatic for a house)

Remus and Janus take notice as they all exit the car, and they pull their son aside and tell him that they can leave at any time if he needs them to, like you're more important, okay? We love you and want to keep you safe, and although Roman IS safe, we'll go if you feel uncomfy around him (which makes Virgil want to cry cause he's still getting used to being cared for so he just settles for a nod instead, not trusting his own voice)

Janus hooks a finger with Virgil, keeping a firm hold so he knows he's there as a way to reassure his son

Remus goes up to the door, doesn't even knock, and just yells "HEY MF, OPEN THE DOOR B*TCH." which Virgil finds amusing as Janus sighs (in a fond way, of course)

Roman appears as he opens the door, an annoyed look there for a brief second before caving in and hugging his twin, saying a "Nice to see you too, you gremlin of a sibling."

Yeah, they're definitely siblings

And Virgil can see how they're twins, though appearances were a little different: Roman had no facial hair but they both shared brown curls and a wonder-filled gleam in their eyes and though Remus had a streak of white, Roman and them shared almost the same face shape (honestly, they probably pulled very believable twin pranks as kids, seeing as how similar they looked and seemed)

Roman's smile was warm, unlike Virgil's jailed birth uncle, and that put a little ease for the anxious boyo

As Janus and Virgil came up the steps, Roman let go of his sibling and greeted them two

He gave Janus a welcoming pat on the shoulder and asked him how things were going

Then Janus put calming hands on Virgil's shoulders and introduced him to Roman, which went like "Roman, this is our son, Virgil. Your nephew." And Virgil kind stood there awkwardly and gave the smallest wave hi

Roman's eyes lit up as soon as he saw the kid, excited to finally get to meet him, and gave a big grin and welcomed him

After a few minutes of basic catching up, they all went into Roman's house, and Virgil decided that this guy was definitely wealthy to some degree bc who tf has a like a million broom closets under their stairs?? Like why is there so many-

They all migrate to the living room and chill on the couches (yes plural, who owns this many couches?), and continue chatting

Roman sits on one of them alongside his twin, and Virgil sits on a different one near a corner by Janus (Janus is now holding Virgil's pointer finger in his own and Virgil appreciates the small gesture)

After a little bit, Janus decides to mention their son's school accomplishments like the proud dad he is

Like "Yeah, Virgil here has an A in algebra. He's very smart." Or even a "he likes art, and he's really good with comic stuff." and Virgil kinda blushes slightly in embarrassment at each compliment and cause of the attention on him

And yus, Remus joins in boasting about their son like "yes my son is very artistic and cool." And also like "he knows many things, and I taught him how to deck a b*tch if they ever get too close."

Side Note: at some point, after that whole bully situation (mentioned in the first post), Janus & Remus taught Virgil self-defense n sh*t

Roman makes a joke about him being a nerd and that he knows more than one now, which kinda makes Virgil uncomfy slightly, but Remus notices and shoots a quick glare at their brother like "stop that sh*t before I pummel you into a dickless form of agony" and Roman understands (kind of?) idk, he stops with the nerd jokes after that

Roman mutters a "sorry kid" and mentions how he knows someone that is very smart like that, like with math and stuff; thus he tells Virgil about his friend Logan who is an inspiring astronomer but currently works as a teacher at a high school, and how Logan was also smart even as a kid, and Remus laughs and is like "oh yeah, I picked on him all the time, that little smartass." And Roman kinda is like "lmao we both did, idk how he managed to tolerate us." And Janus silently knows the answer to that cause it's the same reason he himself married Remus and stayed friends with Roman: all thanks to love cause you just can't help but love the two chaotic twins

Side Note: Logan is a single dad to a pair of siblings, Patton and Emile, who were about a year apart in age but were a little younger than Virgil was, and he does his best as a single parent and his kids seem to love him all the same; Logan doesn't yearn for a partner, he's literally aro/ace, but sometimes he wishes for a co-parent or help now and then

Anyway, Virgil feels better at the mention of someone smart like him and the good memories the twins share, seeing the twins share memories and laugh with each other makes him smile a little bit

Some time passes and it's almost dinner time, so Roman offers to order pizza or something cause he was gonna have pizza anyway, and then three are like "yeah sure, why not" (Virgil is okay with staying a little longer since Roman has been pretty nice so far; plus free pizza)

Yeah, and as pizza is being delivered to Roman's place, Remus gets up to go piss or something, leaving Janus and Virgil with Roman

But then Janus gets a call from work and needs to step out for a sec, and looking to Virgil he says "I need to take this, are you gonna be okay with Roman for a few minutes, darling? I can always wait until Rem gets back." But Virgil shakes his head no and says it's fine, it's only a few minutes and Janus hesitates but is like "okay, but pls hollar if you need us, okay?" And Vi is like "okay" and Janus leaves to step outside and takes the phone call

Virgil didn't miss the grumbling Janus made before picking up the phone and going outside (he muttered something about "istg someone better be dying, this is my day off, like just let me be, b*tch")

And now Virgil half-regrets doing that cause he's in a room alone with an adult he doesn't know a whole lot and it almost feels similar to his birth uncle but not entirely cause at least Roman sits on the other side of the living room, at least there's that; you're fine Virgil, as long as he stays over there you're fine; and yeah, some anxiety starts to trickle in yet again

But then Roman does something Virgil doesn't expect, and says "I know you probably don't like being alone with someone you don't know, but I just wanna say that I'm glad I got to meet you and that I just want to make you feel comfy while you're here." which is surprising because hey, maybe he's not so bad, he's being kind at least

Virgil relaxes a little at that but not by much, and Roman notices so he gets an idea, and he whistles

Virgil is very confused until he sees a dog walking in, wagging her tail

Virgil's eyes light up at the sight of a cute little doggo, and Roman is very glad he has Liv

"Her name's Liv, btw. She likes kids." Roman says, as Liv spots Virgil and walks to him and sniffs him

Liv rubs her head against Virgil's hand so he pets her, and he does pet her and lets out a small giggle at the dog cause he f*cking loves dogs

And of course Roman is like "omg my nephew is adorable, I love him already, kskwsidks" with a little side thought of "God damnit, I sound like little Patton lmao"

And yeah, Virgil eases up a lot with Liv around him, and Liv decided to lay down with Virgil and cuddles him (which makes Virgil laugh again cause yus doggo is cuddling, so cute, yus, she is a good pupper, omg yusss)

Roman is glad to know Liv calms Virgil's nerves down (maybe Virgil would do good with an ESA?)

After a few minutes, Remus returns to see the cute scene of Virgil smiling at a cuddly dog and Roman chatting idly with his nephew (though Virgil only gives small answers here and there)

Remus is happy to see their son relaxed and comfy around their brother

Janus' call goes for a little bit longer than he originally thought, and it kinda irritates him cause he just wants to see if Virgil is doing okay with Roman or not, but this mf on the other end won't shut up like omg no one cares, Janus isn't gonna take a case on his day off, f*ck that sh*t

After his phone call, he goes back into the living to see Remus sitting with Liv and Virgil, a content aura in the room as the twins chat away again and Virgil chimes in a few times as well

That makes him smile and his foul mood is nearly gone

But he still just wants his partner so he plops down next to Remus and immediately leans his head against him

Remus understands and combs a gentle hand through the attorney's hair, getting a content hum from their husband

Yeah and the visit goes good from there and they have pizza and a good time

When they leave after dinner, Virgil feels a little sad saying goodbye to Liv but also to Roman, cause Romans turned out to be okay and generally safe

As they all say goodbye n stuff, Virgil surprises them (even himself) and gives Roman a quick little hug before heading to the car

And Roman kinda cries cause Remus and Janus mentioned Virgil not being touchy but he was okay with giving his uncle a quick hug, so yeah now Roman is crying cause that means Virgil feels safe with him on some level

Remus teases him like "bro you're so dramatic lmao" and Roman is like "f*ck off, he's so awesome, I love him already, he hugged me omg" and yeah Roman is a sensitive boi

Eventually the fam leaves and while in the car, Virgil blurts something out about liking Liv and that "eh, Roman was alright ig" even though they all know Virgil was okay with Roman and was just putting up a little front cause he be like that (blame trauma and trust issues, I'm going to murder that damn evil birth uncle of his, istg, cue author rage)

Side Note: Roman is still geeking out over his nephew cause he loves him so much, even well after they all left

Yep, I love Uncle Roman <3

There ya go, y'all. Wholesome interactions. I really like this au, so I'll probably write more about it.

[delimeful]

just a little rush (1)

G/t July Day 2: Bird 

patron prompt: patton & remus comforting each other through touch!

warnings: dehumanization, captivity, highly improper handling of a little guy, injury & muscle cramps, mention of past injury & abuse, many remus-typical nsfw & gore-adjacent comments, swearing, lmk if i missed any

-

Patton wiggled his shoulder through the bars and craned his neck, straining to get a good enough angle to see the other half of the clock across the room.

Enough of the clock’s face was visible that he could guess the time most of the day, except for the stretch of time in which both the hour and minute hands were out of sight. Patton wasn’t usually overly concerned about the loss; Normally, it didn’t really matter either way.

Now, when it had been what felt like ages since he’d last seen Remus, it mattered a lot more.

Of course Remus had chosen the most inconvenient timing possible to stage his latest escape attempt. Patton would smile if he wasn’t so worried.

Heavy footsteps came down the hall, and Patton hurriedly yanked his arm back through the bars, his wings prickling up with nerves at the thought of being caught ‘outside’, even if it was only a single limb.

The door was shoved open heavily, and Patton was greeted by the face of their captor, creased sharply by a disgusted sort of annoyance.

Heart pounding in his ears, Patton flattened his wings against his back on automatic, making himself smaller in the face of the man’s clear anger. He ignored the urge to dart away, find a small place to hide in until the threat had passed.

Even if it wouldn’t only make their captor more upset, there was no point. Their cage didn’t have any hidden-away nooks or crannies; it was designed first and foremost as a display case.

After all, what was the point of having a rare treasure if you couldn’t see it and show it off whenever you wanted?

Instead, he kept himself rooted firmly in place, ducking his head slightly so that he could subtly scan the man’s hands for— there.

His heart skipped an agonizing beat at the sight of Remus’s wings, askew and rumpled— but they were still attached. It was just a constricting hold, clamping the wings together between two fingers so they couldn’t flap around or beat against the hand clenched tightly around the rest of Remus.

Remus was quiet, which was never a good sign, but Patton could see the way his pinned wings were twitching slightly, and knew that he was still alive and hopefully still mostly intact, as well.

“Idiot fucking bird,” their captor muttered, stepping close to the cage and undoing the locking mechanism with sharp, irritated yanks.

He’d had the lock upgraded several times, enough that it was now far more difficult to unlatch, especially from inside, but the unfortunate side effect was that the complexity of it was nearly as agitating to him as it was to his captives.

Patton could see now why Remus hadn’t butted in with a mocking comment to torment the human more: the man’s gloved thumb had been pressed over a good portion of his face, completely concealing his mouth and getting dangerously close to covering his nose, too. Remus had turned his head as far as he could manage to keep his last airway unsealed.

With a final noisy clatter, their captor pulled the door down and wasted no time before shoving his hand inside and dropping Remus into the cage like he couldn’t stand to hold him a second longer. He immediately pulled his hand back out and slammed the door shut, as though he thought Remus would instantly jump to his feet and lunge at the open exit.

From where he’d collapsed into a tangle of limbs on the cage floor, Remus’s mouth curled into something smug even as he took deep, gasping breaths. He’d always enjoyed earning his reputation by getting a reaction out of the human, no matter how negative, no matter the cost.

And this time, the cost was certainly high.

Patton could tell from the way his only friend’s vibrant green wings were spasming that some of the muscles had been sprained, forced to bend just slightly too far in the wrong direction, and they’d be too sore to fold reliably for days.

It wasn’t the worst that could have happened, but it was a bad sign. An injury like this, coming from the human that prized their ability to flutter around so highly? Remus was pushing too far, and soon he’d get burned for real.

“Bluebird, at least try and be a good influence, won’t you? Make sure he stays in there. Next time, I won’t be so nice,” their captor snarled, smacking a hand against the bars of the cage to create a metallic ringing that made Patton cringe away, his head aching slightly from the sound.

Remus’s gaze went dark, and he inhaled harshly, like he had something to say, only to start up a hacking cough as the air went down wrong.

Their captor dismissed the noise with a flick of his head, already turning away to return to whatever he was doing before he caught Remus. Patton hurried forward the moment his attention was off of them, folding down to his knees at Remus’s side and immediately reaching out to grab the thickest muscle of his wing.

They were still twitching, and if they were left as is and Remus reacted too poorly to an uncontrollable spasm, one of those fragile joints could dislocate entirely. Patton dug his thumbs in, massaging the closest knot of muscle as firmly as he could.

“If you’re going to work me over like this,” Remus gasped, “at least— ghng— buy me dinner first, will ya?”

He twitched his head sharply to the side and clenched his fists through the pain as Patton continued working his fingers against the arch of his wings, easing them through the convulsive cramps as he slowly folded them out of their overextended position.

“Why, of course,” he answered a beat late, trying not to let the strain of the work infect his tone. “Only the finest of sunflower seeds for my most pheasant of friends.”

Remus barked out a laugh, the unhinged grin not leaving even as his wing muscles jumped painfully under Patton’s thumbs. “I think that’s the first time anyone’s ever called me pleasant.”

“Not even, erm, in the bedroom?” Patton said, his unpracticed delivery falling a little flat as Remus flinched a little at a particularly painful feeling cramp.

He’d grown plenty used to hearing innuendos of all shapes and sizes over the past few months Remus had been here, but that didn’t mean he was any good at saying them. Not even to distract his friend.

Remus processed the words a bit late, his breathing a bit strained, and then threw his head back a tad and cackled.

The noise briefly turned into something closer to shrieking laughter as Patton finally smoothed out one last twitching length of muscle, but then it was over, the worst of the cramps over and done with, with only the aching and torn muscles left behind.

Patton sat back on his rear heavily, and Remus dragged himself close enough to flop over one leg, still panting slightly.

“Nah,” he said after a moment, waggling his eyebrows. “In the bedroom they call me nasty. And outside the bedroom, really. I’m a freak on the streets and in the sheets!”

Patton laughed despite himself, a far cry from the flushed ears and fluffed out feathers he used to sport whenever Remus said anything remotely… saucy.

“I guess that’s the nast-key to your success, huh?”

“The nastkeys,” Remus echoed. “There’s a BDSM joke about handcuffs there somewhere, I can feel it.”

Patton snorted, and reached over to carefully shuffle one of Remus’s limp wings so that it stretched across his lap. It went taut for a moment before sagging again, the wing spreading wide over his other leg so he could see the extent of the damage.

Patton whistled, his lips going thin the more he looked. “He did a number this time, huh.”

“Bastard’s just jealous he doesn’t have my swagalicious escape artist skills,” Remus replied, glancing over at the many disturbed and torn feathers and averting his gaze sharply. “The nast-key to that particular skillset is lubrication. Lots and lots of lubrication.”

“I think that joke is the opposite of the handcuffs one,” Patton murmured, slowly working his way through the top layer, adjusting and aligning feathers where he could and pulling the damaged and loose ones free where he couldn’t.

“I always manage to work one in somewhere,” Remus said, turning the phrase into an innuendo through tone alone. “I’m just flexible like that.”

Patton’s ears were growing pink now. He hadn’t built up as much tolerance as he’d thought. He opened his mouth to change the subject, hopefully with a pun.

“I wish you would stop,” he said instead, voice so quiet it was barely audible.

There was a pause.

“I wish you would grow a pair and help me, but I don’t ask anymore, do I?” Remus replied, his voice blunt for all that the words were harsh. “I can’t stop. The minute I give it up, I might as well roll right over the nearest ledge and decorate the bougie tiles with the resulting splatter.”

Patton didn’t stop his gentle grooming, but his hands did gain a barely-there tremor. He bit back any possible responses, keeping his eyes locked on his task.

“…Sorry,” Remus grumbled, ungraceful but sincere. “I know you have your reasons. I’ve got mine too, though.”

“I know,” Patton said, bobbing his head in a hurried nod. He hesitated, his wings tucking even further against his back, before continuing. “It’s getting more dangerous, though. If you keep pushing him, he’ll get too mad to remember that we’re… valuable.”

The silence this time was much more charged. Patton smoothed his hand over a patch of feathers that had already been all straightened out, still not looking up.

“That sounds like you’re speaking from experience, Sunshine,” said Remus, solemnly.

That nickname was a lot more welcome than the one their captor had given him. Probably because they both knew it wasn’t meant to replace his actual name.

Some days, he asked to just be called Patton. Just so he could remember the name was real. That he was still a person.

(He was so glad to have someone to say it again.)

“I used to argue with him,” Patton started, and then corrected himself, “I would try to convince him that what he was doing was wrong.”

Remus made a sound that might have been a laugh, if it wasn’t so unhappy.

“Yeah,” Patton agreed, lips twisting to the side in a miserable half-smile. “He, uh. He started to get sick of it, give me warnings like he just did. And I didn’t listen. And, uhh…”

His voice trailed off briefly, and Remus turned to look at him, no pity in his stare.

It gave him the courage to stretch a wing out and stare at the soft blue-grey plumage, finding the two points of his wings that still ached on stormy days. He touched his finger to each spot, one after another. “The bones snapped here, and here.”

There was the briefest beat of silence, and then, “You know this doesn’t really motivate me to stop, right? Now I just want to make a pit stop mid-escape to tear Bastard’s throat out with my teeth personally.”

Patton laughed a little despite himself, his mind shying uneasily away from the gory imagery, but... not quite as much as it might have for anyone other than their captor.

“He complained about the vet bills for a long time,” he replied, softly. “If it happened again, I don’t think he would try to fix us. Fix you.”

Remus gnashed his teeth for a moment, visibly chewing on whatever he wanted to say. Patton continued before he had a chance, fingers still ghosting over Remus’s primaries.

“I don’t want to be alone again.” His voice was nearly a whisper.

Whatever he’d been about to say, Remus swallowed the words with a sour expression, melting further against Patton’s lap with a gusty sigh.

“I’ll take a little vacation,” he finally said, reaching a hand up to card his own fingers through the lower feathers on Patton’s half-outstretched wing.

He couldn’t often preen Patton back, not with his persistent worry of impulsively yanking out feathers, but his touch now was anything but rough.

“Not forever,” he warned, “but I can turn down the heat for a little bit. Let Bastard settle back down to a simmer before I start our little looney-toons game of cat and bird once more.”

Patton felt the little ball of tension inside him unwind a little, sniffling a bit from the force of the quiet relief that washed over him. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah, don't be a sap. Anyways, those old cartoons with the animal chases are actually super fucked up. I’m talking graphic violence, adult jokes, unethical cat-and-dog rivalry stereotypes…”

Patton gestured for Remus’s other wing, keeping half an ear on his friend’s rambling as he began repairing as much of the dishevelment and damage as he could.

As long as they had each other, they would be okay. He had to believe that, just like Remus had to try to escape. So he did.

Around them, their gilded cage continued to glitter.

[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.

@britt-ish123 @lio-the-chaotic-nonbeanie-weenie @oatmeal-stans-the-trash-rat @nico-the-overlord @can-i-take-a-stab @rougeside4 @keitaisghost @new-zee-land

[sanderssidesthehouse]

Logan is feeling a bit rejected and dejected, but he finds company in a similarly discouraged side. Rated T for Remus.

Patton was sweet. Virgil was sour. Janus was salty. Roman was umami. Remus was oleogustus. And Logan. Logan found that he was bitter. Bitter was most well known to animals as the taste of yuck don't eat that or you'll die. Animals are naturally inclined to prefer sweet and salt. Umami and oleogustus were a big part of many cultures, though they weren't for everyone. Many folks enjoy sour. But bitter. No one likes bitter. Only the rare fool with no inkling of self preservation. That's the way Logan saw it. Unfortunately, or fortunately, there was one such fool.

"Logie! Lolo! Where are you hiding?!" Remus burst into the common area. "I'm right here, Remus." Logan responded from the couch. "Ah! Look what I made!"

Logan looked up from the book he was reading. Remus had a small, round, likely amphibian creature in his hands which was being thrust very close to Logan’s face. Once he was able to focus on what was in front of him, he found it was actually kind of-

"Skreeeeeeeeee!!!" The creature let out an ear splitting screech. "It's rather loud." "That's what I was going for! Since you told me about how the vibrations work in bigger and smaller instruments I wanted to see how high pitched I could get a creature to be." Despite himself Logan smiled fondly with a slight blush. "I'm happy I could be of some service." "These get real big too. The adults have screams so low pitched you'll pee yourself." They heard footsteps come down the stairs. "What the hell was that?!" Virgil stopped to yell at them as soon as they were in view. "Joy was just saying hi to her new friend." "Ugh. What is that thing? Put it back where it came from, or better yet, put it through a blender. It would be less obnoxious that way." "Now, Virgil, that's not very nice. Why don't you go lay down and I'll get you some water," Patton implored, having come out of the kitchen when he heard yelling. "Yeah, ok." Virgil turned himself around and went back up to presumably his room. "He has a headache," Patton explained. "Maybe you two should go somewhere else." Logan, noticing the hurt Remus was desperately trying to cover, decided to speak up. "Why don't you take me to meet Joy's mom?" Remus lit up. "Ok!" He grabbed Logan's hand and all but dragged him to his side of the imagination. It had more monsters and dangerous creatures, but Logan still felt safer there than anywhere else. Remus's creations would never hurt him, unlike some of the other creatures around the mindscape. Maybe that was a bit harsh, though. They hadn't meant to after all, right? On their way Remus unsurprisingly got distracted. “Oh these are Joy's favorite here, try one.” “And I won’t die from this?” Logan took a fruit from Remus’s hand. “Joy didn’t.” “Right, well, ‘cheers to that’ I suppose… They’re… interesting.” Interesting being code for what did I just put in my mouth because it was not good. “I thought so- Oh! Do you feel that?” The ground and trees around them shook, just enough to be noticed. “Is that an earthquake?” “Nope! That’s Momma. Let’s go!” And go they did. Remus was correct in stating that the creatures got rather large, but he had neglected to mention that large meant a sphere as tall as a six story building. Joy did a happy roll and screeched. Remus snapped before Momma replied and placed earplugs in both of their ears. Their whole bodies and everything else around them trembled.

“Fascinating.” “What?!” “Nothing!” “What?!”

Logan just shook his head.

Remus set Joy down and they watched as she hopped closer to her mother. They seemed to greet each other with their cries. Remus tried to speak to Logan again, but that clearly wasn’t going to work, so he led Logan far enough away that while they could still hear his newest creations, they could also easily hear each other without getting a headache. Because if Logan got a headache, he would have to leave.

“So what do you think?!” “They are quite fascinating. Joy eats berries, but what does her mother eat?” “The giant wasps.” “The giant wasps?” Logan blinked. “Oh, yeah. Super venomous. They really needed a predator to keep their numbers down.” “Well one that grows to be that large is a good choice, I think. Due to its size and diet, it is likely to keep its own population in check through environmental stressors such as competing for food and how it spends its energy. I believe it would fill a niche similar to a whale in the ocean. The vibrations it creates are likely helpful for disabling prey, though I’m sure particularly determined giant wasps could get through to a still large but smaller specimen in a relationship similar to mongoose and cobras. Though I have to wonder what the young get out of eating berries. It doesn’t seem like it makes sense for the amount of energy they need to grow so big.” “Ah, I see what you mean. These berries aren’t normal berries!” Remus grinned at him in a way that made him think maybe he really shouldn’t have tried one. “They’re made of flesh!” “Huh.” Logan gagged a bit, eye twitching. “That’s very… interesting.” “You said.” “With as realistic as some of your creations are, I tend to forget that creativity need not be bound by the rules of Thomas’s world.” “Mm. I think the realistic stuff can be more fun, but meat berries are a classic for horror!”

A classic, huh? Logan was pretty sure that wasn’t exactly the case, but having things that normally weren’t made of flesh be made out of it did tend to be a somewhat common occurrence, usually to symbolize one thing or another, so maybe it was somewhat the case.

“But I think Thomas and the others might actually appreciate this one. Since it’s cute and all,” Remus admitted. “At the very least I appreciate it. Virgil probably would have thought it was funny if he didn’t have a headache.” “You don’t have to do that, Logan.” “Do what?” “Pretend like the others care about the things I make. I know they’d all prefer if I would just… disappear. Maybe not Janus, but I do tend to make things difficult for him.”

For Remus to actually be saying something, it must really be bothering him. While he did usually spout any and every thought that came into his head, he usually refused to show weakness. Not that wanting to be accepted or appreciated and feeling bad when you weren’t made you weak.

“Regardless of whether or not they want you to disappear, which I would argue they don’t, you can’t. You are essential to Thomas. We all are. Even if our contributions aren’t always appreciated.” “Our contributions?” “Ah, I misspoke. I meant your contributions, of course.” “Yeah, I’m not buying it. You can’t get out of your Freudian slip that easily.” “Freud was a hack.” “Gee, Logan, tell me how you really feel. But you should know by now I already know how you feel. They never pay attention to you, do they?” “Whether or not any of you do, is irrelevant. It is only important that Thomas heeds my advice.” “Any of us?” “Any of you.” “Logan, I am sorry about that.” “What?” “When I kept trying to shut you up. I was afraid that if you helped Thomas out of it too quickly, I wouldn’t make an impact. And I didn’t want to go back to being shoved away in a box like a kitten on the side of the road when it’s raining, doomed to death by starvation, illness, or a rogue Prius.” “Ah, um, ahem, well… Apology accepted. And for the record, I wouldn’t have allowed that to happen. It’s high time Thomas stop repressing parts of himself. It’s unhealthy.” “Of course… For Thomas…” The duke fell quiet and turned to face away from Logan. “That is how I felt then. Now that we’ve spent more time together…” Remus looked back, hopeful. “I have come to appreciate your company and enjoy the thought exercises you present me with. If I didn’t want you around I would hardly go out of my way to spend time with you.” “For the record, I enjoy spending time with you as well. And not because you’re the only one who will entertain my deranged ideas, though that helps. You make me want to be smart, too. And feel like I can. I could learn so much about real world accurate zombies or mutants or zombie mutants that tear your face clean off like a pet monkey, or I can learn how to create a creature that oozes acidic slime strong enough to melt bones!” “You could have done that before.” “But I didn’t think I could, and with creativity, that’s half the battle.” “Janus never encouraged you?” “Not like this. In his own way, sure, but not like this.” “I’m glad, then, that I could do this for you.” “You’re worth more than what you can do for others, you know.” “What? I don’t- I mean our literal functions are-” “What would you say to Virgil or Patton or Roman, hmm? That they are only as valuable as the services they can provide everyone else?” “Of course not, I… I see your point.” “You can if you want to.” “What?” “What?” … Probably an innuendo and he didn’t want to know. “Thank you for… comforting? Erm, correcting me.” “I can comfort you anytime, and if you wanted to comfort me, you could start by taking off your shirt.” “I’m not doing that.” “The tie can stay on! In fact-” “Not happening.” “Awww. Fine, but can you come help me with my ooze monster? I was serious about that.” “I’d be delighted to.”

[edupunkn00b]

Guardian ad Liber, Ch 2: The State of Washington v. Kelly Croft

Photo by Matt Tulos, CC 4.0. Edited by author. n.b. Liber can mean book or child.

Prev - WA State v. K. Croft - Next - Masterpost - [ AO3 ]

WC: 2643 - Rated: G - CW: mentions of child welfare system, implied neglect. Written for @loceitweek, a continuation of last year's story. -

Logan stood frozen in the hallway, staring at the squirming, squalling toddler in his hands. Either sensing his trepidation or simply fearful, abandoned and dangling in the arms of a complete stranger, the child's movements grew even more frantic. Little eyes screwed shut, Patton howled, choking on his tears as he clawed at Logan’s hands, digging sharp, unkempt nails into his skin.

“Patton, you’re safe!” Logan said as calmly as he could manage, wishing for the third time in as many breaths that Remus was there instead of him. He at least had actual experience with children. “I will not hurt you and you may not hurt me.”

The boy behaved as though he couldn’t even hear him. Given the surrounding racket of a typical midday in the courthouse, Logan wasn’t all that surprised. 

“Patton, please!” he said, louder before clamping his mouth shut. There was little point in trying to be heard above the couple arguing loudly only a few feet behind them. He scanned the hall, a wild hope there might be a vacant interview room nearby.

He spied a half-open door across the hall and, holding Patton out in front of him like a torch, made for the room. The crowd parted before them and whether it was the screaming child or the confused lawyer in a three-piece suit that managed it, Logan neither knew nor cared.

They burst through the door, startling the court reporter disassembling her dictation machine.

“Ah, hello,” Logan said. “I apologize, we—”

“Court’s not in session,” she said tiredly, barely looking up. 

“Yes—” he muttered, grunting when Patton landed a blow on his bicep. His arm jerked reflexively, threatening his grip on the struggling toddler. Knocked off balance, he bumped into a table, eyeglasses now hanging from one ear. Patton hit him again and his glasses fell off completely, miraculously captured on his forearm.

Faster than he could prevent, Patton snatched them up and closed his mouth mid-cry, staring down in silence at the delicate frames in his hands. 

Logan held his breath. He couldn’t take them back while he still held the boy but his glasses were no match for the strength or impulse control of the toddler. He squinted at him past fuzzy vision. “You found my glasses,” he said without really having a plan for how to get the child to return them intact.

Remarkably, the boy looked up at him and nodded, gripping the frames far more gently than Logan would have expected.

Afraid to break the spell, Logan copied him and nodded, holding his gaze. “Thank you,” he said, trying to smile.

Patton smiled back.

Encouraged, Logan nodded again and the boy mirrored his movement. “Would you put them back on my face?” he asked, holding Patton closer so he could reach. The little boy looked down at the frames in his hands and Logan nodded again. “Those stick parts go over my ears,” he said after a moment.

Suddenly Patton looked up at him and stuck the frames—upside down—on his own face. Giggling, he lifted his chin, balancing the oversized frames on his nose. Refracted through the lenses, his big blue eyes appeared even larger and they danced over Logan’s face, fighting to focus through a prescription not made for his vision.

Before he could stop it, a laugh burst from Logan’s lips and Patton giggled again.

“I imagine I look very strange to you through those lenses.”

The little boy nodded, looking around the room.

Unsure how much the toddler understood, Logan took advantage of the distraction and carefully drew him a little closer until he was holding him on his hip with one arm.

Patton grasped the glasses with both hands, not yet ready to relinquish ‘his’ treasure. “I need my glasses to see properly,” Logan said, holding out his now-free hand. “Please may I have them back now?”

He blinked up at Logan several times before finally plucking off the glasses and placing them gently in his hand. Ignoring the smudged lenses, Logan quickly placed them back on his face and smiled at the little boy.

“Thank you very much, Patton,” he said. Relief at both the return of his eyeglasses and Patton’s continued calm broadened his smile.

“Wewcome,” Patton said quieter than Logan predicted he could.

Though Patton had stopped crying the moment he’d touched Logan’s glasses, his face was smeared in tears and nasal secretions and saliva. One arm still looped around the little boy's back, Logan fished in his pocket for a packet of tissues. “May I dry your face, Patton?” he asked, holding out the small paper square.

The little boy frowned and sniffled, eyeing the tissue suspiciously.

“I will be very gentle and it might help you feel better,” Logan said, finding a smile.

Patton nodded once, wincing when the tissue first touched his cheek. Logan waited and Patton nodded again, this time more firmly. Using a slow, careful touch, Logan wiped away the worst of it before tossing the soiled tissue in a dented trash can near the door. He then retrieved another tissue and offered it to Patton. “Would you like to do more?”

He blinked at him, surprised, but accepted the folded tissue.

“Dab like this,” he said, miming patting his eyes. “With your eyes closed.”

The little boy followed his instructions, a tiny giggle slipping past a stern expression. Logan realized he himself had been frowning and he took a slow breath, letting a small smile show through.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Sanders,” the court reporter interrupted. In the chaos of their arrival, he’d failed to register that he’d seen her around the courthouse before. He caught sight of the monogram on her roller bag, DMB and wracked his brain. Barni? “I’m closing this room in another couple minutes. You and your son will need to leave.”

Dropping the tissue, Patton’s tiny hands pinched his shirt, gripping the material with as much ferocity as he’d fought just moments earlier. “Oh, yes, er—I mean—” he shook his head. “He’s not my son, I’m merely assisting a social worker from Chidlrens’ and watching him while she testifies. Though—” When he made no move to put him down, Patton relaxed his grip by a fraction and leaned his head on Logan’s shoulder.

His eyes, though, were fixed on the door that had closed behind them.

“Patton? Did the noise out in the hallway disturb you?” he asked, suppressing his fear of sounding foolish at asking a toddler such a question.

But Patton nodded, eyes wide.

“Is that why you fought against being held?” He shrank in one himself and Logan squeezed his arm carefully around the little boy. “I am not angry, only curious. You are not in any trouble.” 

After a long moment, he nodded once more.

“You know,” Barni said. “If it’s just for little while…” She smiled, eyes never leaving the toddler’s face. “I can always start my indexing down here. It’s quieter than the reporters’ room this time of day, anyway. You can stay.”

Patton relaxed completely then, though Logan couldn’t imagine the child understood everything they were saying. Still, Logan shared the relief pouring off of him. He clearly understood enough. Well… “Patton, we will need to be very quiet so Ms. Barni can concentrate.” He met the boy’s eyes and he nodded solemnly. “Do you understand?”

“Quiet. Like naptime,” he said in a tiny whisper.

Fear flashed over his eyes but was gone after a moment, so Logan nodded. “A little bit.” He looked around the room and spotted an abandoned newspaper at the furthest table, probably from someone else who’d needed a reprieve from the ruckus of the hallway. “Let’s settle in over there, shall we?” he said, pointing to the corner.

The little boy’s smile melted but he nodded again, a little hesitantly.

Working hard to keep a small smile on his own face, Logan wondered what caused the new change in his demeanor. Instead of addressing it directly, though, he moved closer to the three chairs at the table and gestured at each of them. “Which seat would you like?”

Face screwed up in confusion, he pointed to the one furthest from the reporter.

“Very good,” Logan nodded. “And which seat would you like me to use?”

Without hesitation, Patton chose the seat in the middle, closest to him.

“Alright then,” Logan said. “I’m going to put you down and I need you to stay in this seat while Ms. Barni works. Do you understand?”

He nodded and quietly cooperated with Logan’s efforts to get him seated. Logan quickly sat beside him and pulled the newspaper closer, flipping the pages until he found what he’d hoped was inside.

Comics.

“Would you like to look at these?” he said, taking out his phone and sending a quick text to Janus to let him know where they were before looking up Grace’s number to send the same. “I need to send a message to Miss Grace and my colleague.” The little boy frowned and Logan chuckled at himself as he typed. “My friend.”

“Mr. Janus?”

Fumbling the phone, Logan’s eyes flew wide open. “Y—yes… How… How could you possibly know that?”

Rubbing his hands over the colorful newsprint in front of him, he shrugged and glanced at Logan’s phone. 

Logan looked down at the screen before it clicked. Grace had been speaking on her own phone when he’d first approached. “Were you listening to Miss Grace on her phone call?”

Patton curled in on himself and wouldn’t look at him. 

“It is quite alright if you were,” Logan said. “No-one is in trouble.”

Those magic words seemed to shift something in him and he looked up at Logan with big, wet eyes. “Mommy was mad.”

Ice water flowed through Logan’s veins at the shakiness in the little boy’s voice and he fought a sudden drive to pull him onto his lap. Instead, he took a slow breath and nodded, wrapping himself in a bit of his interview objectivity. Judges were generally reluctant to remove children Patton’s age from their parents. Whatever this child had been through, it hadn’t been good. “Grace can talk to your mother,” he said, reluctant to over promise. “And that’s why you’re here, isn’t it? You—”

Shouts from the hallway poured in as the door swung open and Patton launched himself into Logan's lap, face buried against his chest. “Close the door!” he said as he turned, sharper than he intended.

Grace and Janus stood in the doorway, stunned. “Please!” he said and Janus recovered first, turning and pushing the door shut.

“Lo, are you—” Janus rushed forward, stopping only when Patton flinched in Logan’s lap and curled even closer to him.

It was only then Logan took in his own state. Tiny red cuts covered the backs of his hands and his tie was crooked. His jacket sleeves were pushed up almost to his elbows. The button on one shirtsleeve had popped off somewhere and the material flopped open, revealing tiny scratches and red marks over his forearm.

“I’m fine, Jan,” he smiled. “Truly.”

“I…” Grace found her voice and stepped closer, arms out to take Patton from him. “I am so sorry, Logan. He acts out but I didn’t think he would—”

Whining in distress, Patton scooted to Logan’s other side, clinging to his arm as he moved as far from Grace as he could without leaving Logan’s lap.

“The noise outside is too much for him,” Logan said, noting Janus’ raised eyebrow. “Where will you take him?”

“I…” Grace frowned, shaking her head. “I don’t have a placement for him until someone from Children’s arrives tonight and then…” She shrugged helplessly.

Logan and Janus exchanged a glance. They’d had enough experience as GALs on other cases to know what that meant. Patton would likely sleep in someone's office while another social worker spent the night trying to find a home for him. The rare children his age were usually easy to place. But if his earlier behavior was any indication, his high needs were likely making placement difficult.

“Why don’t you bring him to our offices and wait there until your relief arrives?” Janus suggested, nodding at Logan's grateful smile.

"That's better than my plan," she said and moved to take Patton again. But before she could reach him, her phone rang. She looked surprised at the caller ID. "I have to take this," she said to them and answered the call. “Miss Croft, yes, thank you for—” Grace’s face crumpled and she turned, cupping her mouth and speaking lower. “If you do not appear tomorrow, you—” She scoffed and shook her head as though whomever she was speaking to could hear her.

Patton shrank against him and before Logan realized what he was doing, he began to pat the toddler’s back. “Everything will be okay,” he promised, avoiding Janus’ pointed gaze.

“I hope you understand—” Grace began before turning the phone to stare at a blank screen. “I can’t believe she hung up!” she cried.

“I’m sorry folks, I need the room.”

Frankly, Logan had forgotten the court reporter was still there. “Thank you, Barni,” he said, rising to his feet and using both arms to hold Patton close. Not that the little boy gave him much choice. Tiny fingers digging into his arms, he clung to Logan, not budging from his position.

“Grace,” Janus said, one hand resting gently on her shoulder. “Let’s finish this discussion at our offices.” He peered closely at the boy’s tiny fingers. “Re is off today," he said to Logan. "Perhaps I can ask him to bring us all some dinner?”

Patton’s stomach grumbled strongly enough that Logan could feel it against his back. “Good thinking,” he smiled at Janus. “Patton?” he said quietly. “We will need to go back in the hallway to get to somewhere quieter. You do not have shoes,” he observed, glancing at Grace.

She shook her head, frowning.

“I can carry you or Miss Grace—”

Patton shook his head, another whine pushing up from his throat as he held on even tighter.

“Very well, I will carry you. It is not far.” Logan followed Janus and Grace to the doors. “Would you like to cover your ears? I will not let go.”

Nodding quickly, the tiny boy clamped both hands over his ears and buried his face against Logan’s shirt.

Janus opened the door and the four of them braced themselves before stepping into the din of the hallway. Focused on making their way quickly through the slowly thinning crowd, Logan caught only part of Janus’ next words to Grace.

“Croft, you said?” Janus’ voice seemed perfectly modulated to not be heard beyond their small group. “That wouldn’t happen to be Kelly Croft, would it?”