#patton cloud

[lefaystrent]

Virgil passes by Roman's open bedroom door.

When nothing happens, he passes by again.

On the third try, he sighs and walks in.

"Okay, what gives?" Virgil demands.

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

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

"First off, rude."

"I'm not wrong."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Patton did all that?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I thought it might be a trick question."

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

"...is this a trick question?"

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

[januscorner]

Patton Sanders Stimboard

💙💙💙 💙x💙 💙💙💙

Requested by anon

[sanderssidesplaylist]

(Strongly encouraged to listen to the song before voting! Lyrics under the cut.)

You're horrible, And everybody ‘round you hates you. You're horrible, Your special spot in hell awaits you.

You're horrible, And all you ever ever do is hurt them-em-em. When will they see that you're an awful person.

You're horrible, You must be feeling pretty sorry. You're horrible, That's something everybody can agree.

You're horrible, And all that you had meant to do was help him-im-im But it seems you're nothing but a nuisance.

Face your fears and tell him what the reason is or Hide the tears and be of dutiful assistance. Disappearing on the day you left him there alone. Oh, what a tragedy! You cannot help but be despicable.

You're horrible, A teddy bear without the stuffing. You're horrible,

You're no more than a good-for-nothing. You're horrible, And soon he'll realize he doesn't need you-u-u, Sooner or later he is gonna leave you.

Anytime and any day, you could choose to take your life away. What a suitable depiction of the one you really are. Unbearable. You're terrible.

Tried so hard but you're the worst. You're too far gone, you can't convert. Hey what's the purpose you have searched for? All those times someone died has lost all meaning.

Hate to say this, but you're bad And they will perish by your hand. The perfect storm of blood and guts, oh All those times someone died is all your fault you know.

You're horrible, You really should've seen it coming. You're horrible, The moral law you've been out running.

You're horrible, And any moment they are gonna catch you-u-u. Buckle up, abandon all your values.

Persevere and fix him up the best you can. Hide your feelings, follow every command. Incoherent, everything’s corroding away. Oh, what a tragedy! You cannot help but be despicable.

Self-control all drained away, So you took the chance to run away. What a suitable decision for someone the likes of you. Deplorable. You're horrible.

Pick your poison, feel the high. Now it's time to say goodbye. Turn your image inside out.

You're letting everybody down. Take a trip, now have a good time. You're defective by design. Go ahead and show them they were right about you all along.

(Look at you, you're a foul mess)

Tried so hard but not enough ‘cause being good was far too much. Such bad excuses for existing. Every time someone dies they lack all meaning.

Hate to say this, but you're bad. You're making everybody sad. The perfect storm of blood and guts, oh Every time someone dies is all your fault you know.

[pleasedonthurtcjstar]

Oh here’s the photo from this aesthetic/collage.

Edited by meeeeee! Don’t you guys like the clouds?

[almeriamovies]

Iglesia de Las Salinas, Cabo De Gata. Films & music videos

[tristomisto]

Moots in the tags below, if you want me to give you your cat vibes and I forgor let me know!

WHAT KINDA CAT ARE YOUR MUTUALS

I REALLY WANNA SIT HERE AMD GO THROUGH TAGGING EVERYONE BUT I HAVE TO GO TO BED NOW SO I’LL DO SO TOMORROW!!!

[part-time-zombie]

Headcanon that remus likes to take some idioms very literally, as in he'll physically manifest symptoms of them as a joke.

He's daydreaming and all of a sudden his head is surrounded by clouds. Patton freaks out thinking his head is on fire, until remus tunes back in and they disappear. (Head in the clouds)

Someone gives him a compliment or shows him genuine kindness and he immediately throws up a bunch of butterflies. Logan shrugs it off as him just eating things he's not supposed to again, and remus doesn't try to correct him. (Butterflies in your stomach)

This idea just came to me and ngl I kinda love it

(if you have any other metaphors/idioms please add them to this, I'd love to see how much other stuff he could do)

[5am-the-foxing-hour]

Finished! And I did not kill my wrist! :D

Finally got some character designs for A Brave New World! Woo!

Superpowers + info under the cut

Logan - Neuron - A neuron, neurone, or nerve cell is an excitable cell that fires electric signals called action potentials across a neural network in the nervous system. Ability - Manipulation of electricity, technology and the body (tho it is very intense for him to do so)

Patton - Heartbeat - A heartbeat is the cardiac cycle of the heart. Ability - Rapid healing, can transfer this to others by touch. Ability to become a calming factor to others who are stressed.

Roman - Bifrost - The Nordic mythological rainbow bridge that stretches between Midgard (Earth) and Asgard. Ability - Conjuring/Summoning weaponry.

Virgil - Stormcloud - A weather phenomenon caused when a center of low pressure develops with a system of high pressure surrounding it. This combination of opposing forces can create winds and result in the formation of storm clouds. Ability - Weather manipulation.

Janus - Ouroboros - A snake/dragon depicted eating it's own tail, it is often interpreted as a symbol for eternal cyclic renewal, or a cycle of life, death and rebirth. Ability - All seeing eyes: can see the world as if watching from a incorporeal satellite with the ability to get extremely close, can also see into the past as if it was recorded.

Remus - Kraken - The kraken is a legendary sea monster of enormous size said to pull ships to the depths of the ocean/destroy them. Ability - [Redacted] (It is said he can't die from poison or mortal wounds)

[loganslowdown4]

I found an old post that had the core 4 banners from (I assume) the store with Patton Roman Logan and Virgil’s individual logos. These were from a bit before my time. The background symbols all have meanings so I’m going to attempt to explain them!

Here we go!

Patton’s Symbols

- Dog doodle (like the dog face emoji 🐶)

- Bitten cookie

- Rainbow

- Halo Smiley face 😇 (‘cause he’s an angel)

- Holding hands 🤝 emoji (friendship)

- Heart 🩵

- Scales of Justice ⚖️ (lawyer it up)

- Compass (it’s supposed to mean his ‘moral compass’ the direction he takes to do what’s right)

- Participation ribbon (from WDWGOOBITM)

Roman’s Symbols

- Fanfare trumpet (specifically the kind played before royalty make their entrance)

- Knight chess piece (Roman calls himself a knight, the piece symbolizes chivalry, tactics, and unconventional thinking in the game, reps his creativity as well)

- Shield (represents his logo)

- Gem (is in the shape of a double terminated rose quartz, this might be a Steven Universe reference too but I might be reaching lol)

- Down pointed sword (symbolizes peace , victory or end of conflict)

- Long flag on a pole (medieval flag of a knight)

- Diamond ring (represents romance and love, desire for a partner)

- Pawn chess piece (may be weakest piece but are stronger together and can become a queen (strongest piece in chess)if they reach the end of the board; it’s there to show Roman has to work hard to get to where he needs)

- Castle (matches the one on his logo)

- Banner flag (also matches the one on his logo) might also rep his red sash

- Crown on hair (Royal status)

Virgil’s Symbols

- Frown face, broken heart, scribbles (could be punk/emo (band) doodles but I couldn’t find if they were for something specific)

- Alternate meaning to scribbles could be symbol for Aquarius ♒️ which is Janus’ zodiac sign OR journal writing (journal entries seen behind Virgil in Moving On Part 2)

- Brain with lightning above (could represent a headache, mood swing or anxiety attack, definitely something in the ‘brain hurty’ category)

- Cloud (storm)

- Raindrops (more Storm symbols)

- X and skull symbols (I think that particular x is from a Green Day album)

- Semi-colon ; (reps depression, mental health, suicide awareness, it means ‘your story isn’t over’)

- Chemical compound symbol for serotonin (it regulates sleep, mood, and appetite, something Virgil needs regularly)

Logan’s Symbols

- E=mc2 (energy & mass are interchangeable… SCIENCE!)

- ? and ! symbols (reps asking questions and comprehension)

- Owl face (wise bird)

- Infinity symbol ♾️ (math term)(also could mean his work is never finished)

- Down pointing arrow (not 100% sure but I think it’s referring to logical NOR, in Boolean logic (branch of algebra), which is a truth function operator (which is what Logan reps: logic and truth))

- Alternatively the ‘down arrow’ could also be just a pencil ✏️ and I’ve made a mountain out of a molehill lmao

- Graduation cap with tassel (reps school completion)

- √☓ Square root of x (basic math problem)

- Bright light bulb (symbolic of having a good idea)

- Imaginary number symbol (Cursive ‘i’ in math)

- Computer monitor (for doing work)

- Glasses 👓

- ABC (he’s a teacher)

These are not 100% correct but Thomas and Joan I have no doubt wanted us to guess. I don’t know if they’ll be explained or have been explained in full but if they have, let me know! Or let me know what you think the symbols mean! Thanks for reading!

[brokenhardies]

Patton: Look, I know you think my judgement's clouded because I like Janus a little bit... Logan: You doodled your wedding invitation Patton: No, that's our joint tombstone Logan: ...My mistake

[edupunkn00b]

Picking Up the Pieces Together

When Thomas abandoned his plans at betterment and self-care by chasing a date with Nico, Logan had never felt so alone. Virgil was there to help him see he was never alone.

Written for @kieraelieson as part of @tss-camp-and-coffee's Camp Cartoon event. Prompt: tender analogical. It's been a while since I've written this ship and it was nice to come back to it. I hope you enjoy! - My other Camp stories

Notebook hugged to his chest, Logan sunk down out of Thomas’ living room and into his own bedroom. It was precisely as he had left it that morning, desk lamp was off and the curtains drawn closed. A weak glow from the afternoon’s sun bed past the edges. Stale now, the scent of his shaving cream and toothpaste lingered in the air. He remembered humming to himself as he'd shaved, a task not technically necessarily but one which he found meditative and focusing.

After the late night spent planning with Thomas and his nigh owl-fueled optimism, Logan had risen early, readying himself and his space for the day ahead.

Schedule crafted, bed made, and desk cleared; his room was neat, pristine. Empty.

Moving to his desk, Logan pulled out his chair and set the notebook and pen down, a spot of blue on the broad, polished wood surface. His hand closed on the chair back, the wood cold and hard and unyielding in his hand.

Unyielding, like the others, like Thomas. Unwilling to listen even when they knew he was right. Unable to follow his lead, to complete even the list of tasks Thomas himself desired to complete as he’d lain awake in bed, desperate to pull his life together again.

Cold and hard like him, still at a loss for why Thomas cared more about a man he hardly knew than he did about the unhealthy and frankly slovenly state of his own living conditions.

He gripped the chair tighter, ignoring the imaginary pain, ignoring the splinter of wood and creak of the metal frame bending beneath his fingers. The back split with a satisfying crack. A cry ripped up from his deep in his guts and he lifted the ruined chair over his head.

His room flashed faintly orange and he threw the chair against the wall. The bookcases were next. Tolstoy, Williams, Shakespeare, Gleick. Volume after volume flung to the floor. Logan moved to the next set of shelves housing Thomas’ old textbooks. The unused books, the unused knowledge left behind little clouds of dust as they fell onto the pile.

Logan’s journals and planners followed. Months, years spent mapping out new techniques, new methods for wrangling Thomas’ chaotic choices and commitments into a rational and balanced life. Self-help guides, printouts of online articles on productivity, bullet journaling, Getting Things Done, all of it fell to the heap where they belonged. Spines split on a few of the older books and the pages carpeted the floor.

He didn’t stop until his hand closed on smooth painted box on the top shelf. Panting, he pulled it down. Smaller than a shoe box, the thin cardboard was painted in layers of purple and blue and white. A swirling starscape, a partial replica of the Westerlund 2 cluster. Virgil had hand-painted this box and snuck it into his room one night after the wedding.

Logan didn’t need to open it to know what was inside. The scrap of gaffer’s tape. The pen printed with the symbol for The National Essential Reasoning Department. An old journal Virgil had swiped from Patton’s room.

And the note Virgil had hidden within its pages, the first of many they’d exchanged over the past few weeks. Logan had added each to the box, marveling at the growing stack.

He cradled the box in his arms, tears spilling down his cheeks as he looked around the wreckage of his room. What would Virgil think of him if he ever saw this? If he ever saw what Logan was truly capable of?

In answer, there was a small, brushing knock at his door.

“L?” Virgil called softly. “Are… are you alright?”

“I am—” His voice cracked, thick with tears he scrubbed from his face. “I am a—adequate,” he managed.

“You don’t sound too adequate there, L,” Virgil said, voice still so soft. With Remus and Lucas in the Imagination and everyone else out on the excursion with Thomas and Nico, he needn’t have bothered. “L?” he called again. “L, can I come in?”

“N—no.” Hands shaking, he hugged the box closer so it wouldn’t join the mess on the floor. His breath grew tight in his chest and he looked around at the ruins of his room. Pages torn and smashed underfoot, his broken chair had dented the wall, a shower of plaster dust covering it and the floor. He’d even knocked down his copies of Thomas’ degrees, cracks spider-webbing out over the glass fronts. “No, I—I’m fine.”

Virgil sighed outside his door. “You’re gonna summon Janus like that and I don’t think either of us want that right now.”

Logan’s hand came up automatically to rub at his neck. Nothing but phantom pains in a metaphysical body. None of it should have any impact on him.

But it did.

“Please, L?”

Clutching the box, he metaphorically looked at his room through Virgil’s eyes. The chaos, the destruction, the utter and complete lack of control. He bit back a sob. There was only so long he could hide this part of himself anyway.

Perhaps Virgil wouldn’t take back the box when he saw Logan had saved it from the rampage.

“You can come in.”

The door opened immediately, stopping after it had only moved a few inches when it jammed on half a copy of Asimov’s Guide to Shakespeare. The other half of the book lay buried under a heap of chemistry textbooks.

“Shit,” Virgil swore, squeezing through the gap and quickly closing the door behind himself. “L, what happened…” His words faded away when he got closer.

Logan turned away, hiding the box and irrationally hoping Virgil might not have caught the fresh tears streaming down his face. “I… happened.”

“You…” Papers scrunched under Virgil’s feet as he turned around, taking in the debris. “Damn, L,” he whistled, crouching down and poking at what used to be a biochem lab journal. “You sure know how to throw a party.”

“It’s not—“ Logan began automatically, turning and meeting his eyes. Virgil looked up at him with a crooked smile, far softer than he would have ever expected.

“I know, L,” he said quietly and pushed up to his feet. He moved closer, stepping gingerly through the piles of ruined books. Still smiling that not-quite smirk, he opened his arms.

“I… I understand.” Shoulders slumped, Logan nodded and offered the box.”I have demonstrated an inability to properly protect and maintain the items under my care. You should take it.”

“Not the box, L,” Virgil huffed. “You.” He stepped closer, arms wide.

“I… I do not understand,” Logan said, shaking his head. “I… I have destroyed my room. It will take hours to repair this damage, and even longer to restore these books from the Library. My function would be better served if I began to—“

“Falsehood.” Virgil’s voice was gentle as he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around him. “Right now you need more than a clean room.”

Logan stepped back, shaking his head even as he clutched Virgil’s hoodie with his free hand. “But I have done nothing to—“

“L,” Virgil murmured, pulling him closer. “You don’t have to do anything to be held.”

Purple and blue box still tucked under one arm, Logan moved in, other arm carefully circling Virgil’s waist. He’d just bowed his head, resting gingerly on Virgil’s shoulder when he pulled back, reaching for the box.

Grip tightening reflexively, Logan froze, then hung his head. "I understand," he said, slowly releasing the box with a small nod.

“Just putting it away, L,” Virgil murmured. Keeping one hand resting at the small of Logan’s back, he stretched and tucked the box back in its spot on the highest shelf. “There,” he said, pulling Logan close and wrapping both arms around him.

Pressed close, shoulders to hips to thighs, Logan’s breath hitched. He softened into his hold in little ratcheting jolts, inch by inch until a sob pushed up from deep in his belly. Logan clapped a hand over his own mouth, holding his breath.

“Nuh-uh,” Virgil muttered. “None of that now. It’s me, L,” he said, rubbing Logan’s back. “You have nothing to hide from me.”

“I—“ His voice broke, breath stuttering as tears pushed past eyes screwed shut. “I am… not… not supposed to…” Abandoning his words, Logan clamped his jaw shut, face buried against Virgil’s shoulder even as he shook with silent sobs.

“You’re supposed to feel whatever you’re feeling,” Virgil whispered. “It’s okay, L,” he said, holding him tight. “Whatever you feel is right.”

The quiet words shattered Logan's control. Fingers twisted in Virgil’s hoodie, he shuddered, tears breaking free in a muffled wail Logan was sure would finally drive him away.

But Virgil didn’t let go, didn’t withdraw. One arm firm across his back, the other carded gently through his hair. “You’re not alone, L,” he whispered. “I’m right here.”

The minutes ticked by and Logan had just begun to catch his breath when they both felt the pull. “Thomas,” Virgil murmured as they both resisted his summons. He held Logan close, shaking his head.

It didn’t take long for their small denial to summon someone else.

“Yes, I know he’s neglecting his—“ Janus stumbled as he rose up in the middle of the sea of torn papers and books. “I see he’s not the only one,” he murmured, taking in the room before his eyes landed on Logan still clinging to Virgil.

“Can you just…” Virgil growled before he forced a slow inhale. “Can you manage without us?”

Janus’ smile was audible and Logan shifted in Virgil’s arms to peek past his shoulder. His lips curled in a smirk but his brow was furrowed in confusion? Concern?  “Are you granting me permission to take your places?” he asked, meeting Virgil’s eyes.

Virgil sucked his teeth but only tightened his arms around Logan. “Don’t be an ass about it, alright?” he said quietly.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Janus purred. His gaze lingered for one more moment before nodding. “Take care of him,” he said, then disappeared.

“Thank you,” Logan managed in a broken whisper. “I know…” he started, then shook his head. “I know.”

~

Virgil held him for a long time, long past when they heard Patton's and Roman's giddy voices in the hall, long past when the sunlight spilling through the gap in his curtains had stretched and faded into the purple shadows. Long past when Logan’s tears ran dry. Still they clung to each other in the quiet dark room.

“Thank you,” Logan repeated, voice stronger this time. He peeled away from Virgil’s arms, not quite he ready to let go completely. “I must take care of all this,” he said, fighting to square his shoulders against the weight of task ahead. The darkness did little to hide the destruction of his room. If anything, the long shadows only accentuated the peaks and valleys of the rubble surrounding them.

“Where would you like to start?” Virgil asked, hand lingering on Logan’s.

He moved toward the desk. “I shall need to—“ Frowning, he stopped short, Virgil’s grip firm on his hand. When Logan looked back, Virgil’s crooked smile was just barely visible in the darkened room.

“Where would you like us to start?” he asked. Moving with Logan to the desk, he clicked on a small reading lamp. The room’s wreckage shrank beneath its warm, soft light. Virgil raised Logan’s hand to his lips and pressed a single small kiss against his knuckles.

“I told you, L, you’re not alone.”

[cksirface]

I want to talk about Logan and Remus’ relationship for a second. This can be viewed romantically or platonically. (Side note, I have not watched anything past the intrusive thoughts episode where Logan’s eyes turn orange! I have no knowledge from that point on because I took a break in the fandom and am trying to work through the rest of the series slowly!)

One thing that I would like to think happened is that, after the intrusive thoughts episode, Remus started to become fascinated with Logan. And Remus is no stranger to poking and prodding until he gets what he wants, which in this case in Logan talking to him. This mostly just started off as Logan pushing him away or getting varying levels of angry.

Eventually, Logan lets Remus speak. Of course, it’s like talking to a brick wall, but he wasn’t pushing Remus away. Progress.

This keeps happening until Logan gives little slivers of information as well. What does Remus do? He takes this little information and builds off of it. It surprises Logan, usually others tend not to listen to him at all. But Remus, remember, is Roman’s counterpart. He is just Roman but darker and without the ego. Remus does not have this pride that clouds Roman. Each of them have something that clouds their judgement, Patton being his emotions, Virgil being his own anxiety, and Roman, most notably, being his pride. Remus doesn’t have this issue. No one respects him, he had no expectations or pride to speak of.

This reminds Logan of the early Roman, the one that wasn’t so prideful and just fantastical. Logan starts to crack, his walls start to fall. Progress.

This then mounts to Logan wanting to be around Remus. Remus reciprocates his talking and builds on it. They word vomit to each other and listen intently each time.

I think that Logan would act genuinely around Remus in private. He would act weird, he would let himself let loose, he would let himself act illogically. Remember, Logan can act illogically. He has before when he has these bouts of anger. He lets himself be illogical around Remus, he lets Remus be unapologetic about being his trait, intrusive thoughts. It’s a safe space, a judgement free zone.

I really like the version of them I’ve made in my head ! :^)

[nb-octopus-writes]

once you’re in the hive, the other bees assume you’re supposed to be there

[Masterpost]

Chapter 6: Baiting the Trap

Wordcount: 1.8K

~~~~

Virgil is woken by his alarm and has never once in his entire life been less interested in getting out of bed.

He's comfortable. The bed is soft, the blankets are warm, and Virgil is sleepy and wants nothing more than to just lie here forever.

He snoozes the alarm and drifts back off.

Five minutes later, of course, he's dragged back out of sleep by the insistent melody.

Virgil seriously considers quitting his job so he doesn't have to ever leave this bed, but he does actually need money to buy groceries and pay his rent, and also his hosts have been real gracious but even their patience would surely wear thin if Virgil never left.

So, regrettably, Virgil sits up. He yawns. He longingly contemplates lying back down, but forces himself instead to get out of bed.

At some point in the night, someone—Patton, presumably—had returned his cleaned clothes, which are now sitting folded on the floor by the foot of the bed. Virgil dresses. He folds the borrowed pajamas and sets them on the foot of the bed. He doesn't usually fold his pajamas, but it seems like the polite thing to do in this case. After a moment, he makes the bed too.

And then he goes downstairs.

They're all in the dining room again, and they give him breakfast, and this time he's calm enough to appreciate it.

Princey drives him to work, and he has an otherwise normal day. He borrows a clean apron, and he makes a lot of coffee. He eats lunch at the shop, he takes the bus home, he has leftover spaghetti for dinner, and he does that load of laundry.

His bed seems even harder and lumpier than usual, contrasted with the memory of the bed—no, the actual literal cotton candy cloud—he'd slept on last night.

At least it makes it easier to get out of bed in the morning, when staying isn't bliss. If only by a little. Virgil is not and has never been a morning person. Still, he manages to actually catch the bus for the first time this week, so that's good.

Their newbie’s here for her second day of training, which means that Virgil splits his time between his usual duties and showing her the ropes. She's wary of the fancy coffee machines, and looks attentive but intimidated when Virgil walks her through one of the more simple brews.

She does better with the register. Its layout is also unfamiliar, but at least the potential worst-case consequences of pressing the wrong button are much less severe than “breaking an expensive machine” or “third degree burns and coffee everywhere.”

Several hours into Virgil’s shift, his manager joins him in the back while he's on break.

“There's someone out front looking for you,” Morgan tells him.

“Who?” Virgil asks.

“Nobody I recognized,” Morgan says with a bit of a frown. “Said he was a friend of yours though.”

“Did he give you a name?” Virgil asks, and Morgan's frown deepens.

“No, and I asked,” she says. “I said to him, ‘and you are?’ and he said ‘oh I'm roamin’ like that's an answer, so I prompts him, ‘yer name?’ and he just says ‘yeah’. So seeing as he's decided to just be evasive I told him he could order something or he could leave, but he couldn't hold up the line any longer, so he bought a coffee. Paid in cash, too, so I didn't get to see his name on the card neither.”

“He said he was roaming?” Virgil asks, gears turning.

“Yeah, ’cept he ain't, he sat down with his coffee,” Morgan answers.

“Brown hair?” Virgil asks, fighting back a rising laugh. “Maybe bout this tall, looks a bit like Remus if he ever shaved and combed his hair?”

Morgan nods. “Do you want me to get rid of him?”

Virgil pinches his lips together and shakes his head. Morgan squints at him.

“And what exactly is so funny?” she asks.

The laugh spills out of him. “Sor– sorry, Morgue,” he says. “I think you misheard him. His name’s Roman.”

“What, like Greeks and Romans?”

“I think so,” Virgil says, still grinning. “He's Remus’s brother.”

“I see,” Morgan says. “Well, if you don't want me to get rid of him, do you want to talk to him, or stay back here til he leaves? Lexi and I can handle the customers for a while yet if you don't wanna see him.”

“Nah, I'll go see what he wants.”

Roman is sitting in one of the booths, sipping a coffee and staring dramatically out the window. He turns as Virgil approaches, and then perks up. “Finding Emo!” he says. “Your coworkers said they had never heard of you in their lives. I was starting to think I’d gone to the wrong coffee shop.”

“Nah, just being protective,” Virgil says, sliding into the booth across the table from Roman. “We don’t give that kind of information to customers.” They’d had problems with stalkers trying to get information on employees before, and one bewildering man who’d kept coming round looking for someone Virgil had genuinely never heard of, til Morgan banned him from the shop. “What’s up?”

“So we realized your bike is still at our house,” Roman says. “I wanted to see if you’d like a ride over to get it back. Also if you would be interested in watching more Unfortunate Events, because we left off at a really climactic bit, and I know I already know what happens next, but I want to know what happens next, you know?”

“I definitely want my bike back,” Virgil says. He glances at the clock. “I don’t get off for a while yet today, but if you want to come back around five?”

Roman nods. “And movies?” he asks eagerly.

“Maybe just a little bit,” Virgil says. “I don’t want to bike home in the dark.”

“Oh of course,” Roman says. “I'd never force you to do that.”

Virgil glances back toward Morgan and Lexi at the counter. They’re busy with customers, but the line isn’t very long. Lexi catches his glance and grins at him with a little wave.

“Do you need to get back to work?” Roman asks.

“Not yet,” Virgil decides, settling more comfortably into his seat. “I’ve got a few minutes left before my break ends.”

~

Roman returns just before five, as Virgil’s getting ready to hand off the machines to the next shift. He orders three coffees to go “and whatever Virgil would like,” with a wink in Virgil’s direction.

Virgil rolls his eyes and makes himself a hot chocolate, which he sips on the drive back to Roman’s house. The sun is already dipping toward the horizon, so it looks like there isn't going to be time for tv before he has to bike home. It's a shame, because he really was looking forward to it.

“We’re home!” Roman calls as he opens the door from the garage into the rest of the house to lead Virgil in. As they cross the threshold, Virgil is hit with a nearly tangible wall of scent, stopping him in his tracks. The air smells rich and warm and delicious. He can smell fresh bread, and roasted meat, and something sweet, all mingled together into a tantalizing aroma that makes his mouth water and his stomach perk up eagerly.

“Oh good!” someone Virgil can’t see calls back. “Great timing!”

Roman pulls his jacket off and hangs it on a hook by the door. “It smells great in here!” he says brightly, heading deeper into the house. Virgil manages to unglue his feet from the floor and finally closes the door behind himself and follows Roman.

Calico is putting a steaming dish onto the table when they enter the dining room. “Welcome home,” he says fondly. “Dinner's just about ready.”

“Oh good, I'm hungry,” Roman says. “It smells fabulous, darling.”

Calico beams, eyes scrunching up with it. “Thank you,” he says.

“We brought coffee,” Roman adds, and hands Patton one of the to-go cups. “Your Chemical Romance made this just for you.”

“Aww,” Patton says, smiling heart-meltingly at Virgil. “Thank you.”

Virgil finger-guns awkwardly back at him with his free hand. “No problem.” Making coffee is literally his job. Roman was the one who had paid for it, and picked the flavor.

Then Patton notices what Virgil had put on the side of the cup instead of his name. “Aww!” he exclaims. “You drew me a kitty!”

“Yeah, I figured– you like cats, right?”

Patton looks up at him with shining eyes. “That is paws-itively precious. Thank you so much!”

“Please do not keep the empty cup just because there is a cute cat on it,” Logan says. Roman hands him his own coffee, on which Virgil had drawn a robot face and a triangle science beaker. “Thank you. We do not need additional clutter in our home, Patton.”

Patton pouts at him. “But look, it's so sweet!” he says. “Look at this precious little kitten drawn specifically for me and tell me that you want to throw her in the trash!”

Logan sighs. “At least cut the picture out of the cup instead of keeping the entire thing,” he says.

“Deal!” Patton agrees cheerfully.

“Sorry,” Virgil says. He had not expected Calico to appreciate the art to quite that extreme. He might've put more effort into it if he had.

“No need,” Logan replies. “This is hardly the first time something like this has occurred, and I hold no illusions that it will be the last.”

“Sure won't!” Patton agrees shamelessly.

“Um, so where's my bike at?” Virgil asks after a moment.

“By the door still,” Roman says, taking a seat at the table. “Do you wanna sit next to me again?”

Virgil just now notices that the table is set with four plates. “You… want me to stay for dinner?” he asks hesitantly.

“Of course,” Roman says, now looking puzzled himself. “Why would I bring you to dinner and then not want you to stay and eat?”

They hadn't discussed him coming to dinner. They had planned for him to retrieve his bike, and perhaps watch tv with Roman, but the topic of dinner hadn't come up.

Virgil means to say no, that he had better get going, but it does smell so very good, and they did set a spot for him, and he is hungry, and if he goes home now he'll have to figure out some other meal and honestly it's not going to be anything fancier than frozen pizza and fries, or maybe just ramen since that would be faster.

“Okay,” Virgil says, and sits next to Roman.

~~~~

Chapter 7: How They Kept Him Very Well

[warnadudenexttime]

Ok here’s my personal rewrite on “the sides have a nice day” video

DISCLAIMER: if you infact like that video, that’s so real, so valid, good for you, I’m just here to change it a lil into something I think makes more sense/fits the characters better-

I think the premise is fine, but the execution is ehhhh- like look, I’ll keep the original spirit of the video and keep the big 3 inside it cause I know thomas likes them. So I’ll keep logicality then prinxiety then demus. Thumbs up? HWJAJSJ

I think the part of the video that probably needs the smallest tweaking is the first portion with Logan and Patton. It’s fine enough, Patton wanting to do something nice for Logan? Makes perfect sense, dude loves Logan. But the explanation as to why Patton is accidentally ruining Logan’s like- fun day experience? Is like, bro you’re SHJSJSS really running with innocent stupid doe eye’d Patton characterization rn huh?

Consider this instead, so instead of Patton was stupid “oh I didn’t realize the videos were just edited together! That’s why they went super fast!” Just say he was really excited to see Logan enjoying things, he got caught up in his excitement/feelings. Like to just say, oh he’s dumb and didn’t notice at all lol hurts- cause we know Patton is really emotionally intelligent and he would be able to notice at least after a while. So have Logan stop him, and Patton apologize and realize he just let his emotions cloud his goal of giving Logan a nice day. Ok good.

Next one. So, Virgil is giving Roman a good day, I get why- you know. You wanna push that new Roman and Virgil hating Janus friendship. But this whole section makes Virgil look like the biggest a**hole HEJAJSJ- like he’s making Roman uncomfortable or scared throughout it all and he doesn’t notice until the end where Roman basically self projects and is really sad HEJAJSJ I understand you wanted this to be an opportunity for Roman to feel better- or the comedy that is Roman reacting to Virgil sucking at being… a good friend- but consider this!

Roman sees that Patton gave Logan a good day and Roman’s like, he needs something to cheer him up, get his mind off being a downer of a prince. So he’s gonna one up Patton and give virgil a good day! Virgil! The dude who’s like doom and gloom! But if you still wanna have that comedy of something going wrong. Instead of it to where virgil is giving Roman choices he thinks he may likes but then turns out it’s just stuff virgil enjoys- have it be Roman giving stuff he enjoys and thinking “well if I like it, it’s great, so virgil will like it too!” But instead it twists into something virgil likes!

Follow me here, for example. Roman gives Virgil the option of sharing adventure stories, something he enjoys. But Virgil ends up telling Roman a spooky story which freaks Roman out and Roman’s like well that failed! It didn’t go according to my plan! And he keeps offering choices he would like, but virgil twists it into something he would enjoy or it just ends up like that.

And by the end Roman feels awful, he thinks it must have sucked and wants to apologize to Virgil. But Virgil’s like no dude I had an absolutely great day you’re a really good friend, you knew exactly what I like! So that way you get the sweet moment at the end but also the comedy of Roman reacting to things going poorly inbetween. I think it as well just makes more sense for Roman to do that initiative and go for something like this.

Ok so, this last one… it still hurts me so badly to hear Janus say “I’ve convinced Thomas to lean into his intrusive thoughts today” GOD IT HURTS SO BADLYYYY like not only is that such a misrepresentation of what intrusive thoughts are supposed to be, they’re not silly tik tok impulsive thoughts I’m gonna- ok I’m getting off topic.

I’m gonna be real this section is going to be very biased because I don’t like Janus and Remus being close besties, I’m admitting that here so you already know what we are getting into. I just don’t think self preservation, someone trying to keep Thomas at the top and in good health would be like HELL YEAH THOMAS DANGLE YOUR PHONE OFF A BRIDGE GO BANG UP A CAR GO TO JAIL FOR ALL I CARE! But anyways.

The whole joke at the end is, wow Patton and Virgil kinda suck at doing this but I Janus can give that little freak a good day so easily!

Here’s my pitch, have Remus at the end pop up to say, this video has gotten too mushy and feelingy and all that sh-t I’m gonna give Janus a bad day because why not! Seeing him in misery is fun!

And then just have short sections of Janus outsmarting Remus everytime he tries to give him a bad choice, Janus ends up flipping it somehow to something he would enjoy. Kinda like WTIT where Remus is like OH NO YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO OPEN THE DOOR! Then he gets stabbed because he’s stupid. I think this just personally makes more sense to me, then like- yes Janus would probably wanna show up the others but I can’t see him leaning into intrusive thoughts. But as I said, I’m biased.

So yeah there’s my rewrite of that video this was long but yeah :3 if you didn’t like this rewrite and/or prefer the original you’re so valid! Anything here is just my opinion and obviously isn’t the actual best approach.

[candied-peach]

ao3: "i'll perfect it 'til my heart explodes" rating: T genre: fluff, birthday fluff warnings: prinxiety, birthdays, makeup troubles, kissing prompt: roman's birthday description: Roman's having makeup troubles on his birthday. Virgil's happy to help him out. (for @prinxietyweek , lyrics from lifehouse "hanging by a moment")

I'm falling even more in love with you Letting go of all I've held on to I'm standing here until you make me move I'm hanging by a moment here with you

Roman huffs a frustrated breath, peering at himself in the ornate, gold-framed mirror that stands on his desk. He should be doing this in the bathroom. Maybe that's the problem. He glances at the lights in his room. Why is his eye shadow not coming together the way he wants to? It's his birthday, he has to look fabulous-

Well, not really. It's not like anyone else actually cares. Logan puts as much effort into his appearance as a notebook. Patton thinks cheek stickers are the height of fashion. Remus would just as soon show up in the buff, or covered in obnoxiously colored slime. Thomas himself wears the same flower-patterned shirts over and over and prays no one will catch on. The only people who really care about fashion, at least in some sense, are Janus and Virgil, even if Virgil's tastes are nothing like Roman's own.

A soft smile steals across Roman's mouth as he thinks about his boyfriend. The makeup brush falls, careless, to the desk top. Virgil's a new development. They bonded after the wedding fiasco, before the dust had settled. It had taken months, months of talking until the sun rose, of watching movies and picking apart the missteps in plot or errors in production. Virgil made Roman a mix tape of emo songs, and Roman created a similar vibe with songs from Broadway and West End. Virgil confessed, in a low mumble, at the end of one of their little outings in the Imagination, under the stars. It was one of the happiest days of Roman's life.

So his birthday's not really the most special occasion, but he would still like to put in some effort. He's even wearing a skirt, a new one that's floaty around his knees. Roman picks up the makeup brush, stares at the red still staining the bristles, and sighs.

Maybe he does need a change of scenery.

He throws everything back into his makeup case, zipping it up tightly, but instead of retreating to the connected bathroom, he finds himself leaving his room, slipping down the hallway toward Virgil's room. His boyfriend might still be asleep, now that Roman thinks about it (it's not even breakfast time yet), but he knocks on the door anyway. A sleepy "come in" lets him turn the knob.

"Ro," Virgil greets him, with a yawn. He's still in bed, but he's sitting up, and his phone is resting on the blankets. So Roman probably hasn't actually woken him. "What's up?"

"I'm, er..." Roman trails off. His face is red, and it's not the makeup. "Could you help me?" He asks, in a rush. "I saw this really cute red and gold-themed makeup look online, fit for royalty, but-" He makes a deprecating face. "Apparently my makeup skills have not risen above peasant."

"I don't know if mine have, either," Virgil jokes, pushing the covers aside and clambering out of bed. His face is soft, though, eyes brilliant green and purple, and Roman feels his shoulders relax at once. "I can try," Virgil promises, raising up on tiptoe and planting a kiss on Roman's cheek. Roman turns his head and captures Virgil's mouth with his own. Virgil's lips are soft and they vaguely taste of pomegranate, the flavor of his lip balm.

"Roman, I must have morning breath-" Virgil breathlessly protests. Roman beams at him, giving him another lingering peck on the lips.

"My storm cloud could never," Roman vows. Virgil snorts, and the sound makes Roman's smile brighter.

"Okay, good, you have your makeup," Virgil says, seeing the bag in Roman's hand. "To my bathroom."

The bathroom is crowded with the two of them, but Roman doesn't mind standing so close to the love of his life. He pulls up the makeup look on his phone (somehow also crammed in with his makeup on autopilot), showing the screen to Virgil.

"Oof, that's complicated," Virgil says, with an explosive outburst of breath. He glances up at Roman, worry darkening his eyes. "You still sure you want me to help? I mean, I look more like a Halloween reject every day, this is fancy-"

"I have no doubt that you will do a fantastic job, assisting me, and that I will love the results," Roman declares, enjoying the flush of red that ripples across Virgil's cheeks.

"Right," Virgil says, clearly flustered. "Uh, sit down on the toilet seat or something, would you, you're taller than me."

Virgil ends up mostly doing it himself, because Roman can't see himself anymore, but Roman can't bring himself to mind not contributing at all. How can he, when Virgil is so close to him, close enough to feel Virgil's breath against his skin, to hear the little hums of thought as Virgil ponders his next move, the huffs of frustration when he has to get a damp q tip and fix something. Virgil is almost painfully gentle with him, hands slightly shaky but so delicate against Roman's face, it nearly brings tears to his eyes. It would, he thinks, if he didn't know that Virgil would misconstrue it.

"There," Virgil declares, several minutes later. "It's not perfect at all, but uh, I tried? It kind of looks like the picture?" He steps back to let Roman stand up. Roman peers in the mirror, the red and gold dancing across his skin making a smile bloom. There are a few smudges and wonky lines (Virgil didn't lie), but Roman loves it all the more for the little imperfections, the proof that Virgil is the one who painted his face with elegance. 

"I love it, storm cloud," Roman says, voice thick with sincerity. "It is absolutely beautiful. You did a wonderful job. I have no complaints."

"Are you sure?" Virgil asks, fidgeting with the last makeup brush he used. "I mean, I know I didn't do the fake gold freckles right, and the eyeliner is-"

"The eyeliner is stunning," Roman interrupts him. "It's gorgeous. Perfect for my birthday. Thank you." Mindful of the red staining his lips, he still kisses Virgil on the mouth, leaving behind a faint red smudge. 

"You're too sweet to me, Princey," Virgil grumbles. He is smiling as he says it.

"Will my beloved do me the great honor of accompanying me to breakfast?" Roman asks. Virgil looks down at his pajamas, then back up at Roman.

"Can I get dressed first?" He asks, and Roman laughs.

"You may," Roman says, with a little flourish toward the bathroom door. Virgil giggles and darts away toward his closet. Minutes later, he returns, dressed in his hoodie, a black shirt underneath, and the purple plaid skirt from the skirts videos.

"Oh," Roman says, a little surprised. "You look fantastic, my love." 

"I had to dress up for my boyfriend's birthday," Virgil says, with a crooked smile. He bites his bottom lip a second later. "It looks okay?"

"You look gorgeous," Roman assures him. Virgil's eyes soften as he slips his hand into Roman's.

"Happy birthday, Ro," he murmurs. "I love you."

[intrualityweek]

Intruality Week 2024 Prompts!

Decorative image of all the prompts in a word cloud, weighted by final votes.

Blue Prompt List

wonderland/fairy tale chaos plushies best friend's brother domestic stitches music

Green Prompt List

butterfly fear sharing clothes dreams flowers realization adventure

In keeping with the themes of duality and chaos, we will have TWO prompt lists this year.

Pick one, follow it all. Or pick a word from each and mash them together. Or tear them up and throw them all in a hat and see what comes out. Do what Remus and Patton would do and have fun with it!

Intruality Week starts July 14th so get crackin'!

Collection link below!

Logan helped make sense of this all. If you're interested in more, there's a full breakdown here: