#Virgil and Janus stop being stubborn assholes challenge

[fangirlwriting-stories]

Hello darling ❤️ gosh I can't even pick one but like, god— PROTECTOR. I actually wanted to wait for it to be posted in full before reading it all at once but like, I know how much you love the relationships between the characters in the fic and how messy and nuanced and just shsksjs they are. (the brotherly dukexiety in particular is 🥺✨👌🏽👏🏽😭). So can you talk a bit more about that? Like, the relationships between each character etc? I would love to hear you ramble about the Bois 💜💚

God, the relationships. The relationships in this fic are my favorite part and also the bane of my fucking existence. They are the entire reason this fic is 111,000 words and not like, 45,000. Well, that and the fact that Virgil and Janus flat out refused to talk about anything, and then they refused to talk about everything at the same time, and then by the time they finally got to the point I needed them to in order to move the plot forward it was goddamn chapter 18.

But mostly it was Virgil’s fault. Virgil was supposed to be angry at the core sides and stay angry at the core sides, but no, he had to start caring about them, which overrode just enough of his anger to make everything way more complicated, the little shit. Virgil’s relationship with Remus was actually the easy one, he was always supposed to care about Remus to the point of causing problems for everyone else. What he wasn’t supposed to do was start caring about Remus’ stupid asshole princey brother, or the softie Patton, or the robot Logan, or the actual asshole that abandoned them in the first place. Virgil you’re supposed to be a prick, why do you have to secretly be such a softie?

Anyway, yeah, specifics. Writing Patton and Virgil was fun because I got to make a ton of bonding and tender moments and symbolism out of things like Patton showing Virgil how to cook or do the laundry. They’re the entire reason I love writing realistic fiction, I get to shove so much character into those moments. It’s not about the laundry guys, it’s about they love each other!

Logan and Virgil was supposed to be how Virgil learned a couple coping skills without Logan realizing that’s what was happening, but then Virgil accidentally stumbled into a friendship that worked really well for both of them. Virgil being surprised that he cared so much about his time sitting with Logan was a bit of a surprise to me too. Honestly so much of this story was Virgil telling me through the writing “my feelings about this have changed” and me going “seriously? Okay I guess we’re doing this now, great”

Roman and Virgil were probably the most similar to how they are in canon, in that they fought quite a bit until something forced a perspective change, the only difference being the perspective change was caused by Janus. I do remember when I sent you (Mishii) the “Why do you have to be so much like our brother” line and we both just started screaming “OUR BROTHER” back and forth xD

Virgil and Janus, as I said, were this story’s biggest stallers. They didn’t want to talk. They didn’t want to do it they didn’t want to talk and no matter how many times I got at their feet and begged them they just wouldn’t do it they’re so goddamn stubborn I can’t take it—

Anyway they have the most complicated relationship throughout the story, for obvious reasons. Virgil’s dealing with the very difficult situation of realizing that someone who was shitty family to you is very good family to other people, and it’s naturally gonna cause some confusing and complicated feelings. These two still have a bit to go for the rest of the story, but the place they end is both inevitable and fucking exhausting for me, the author.

Virgil and Thomas were about how they were in canon, just in a different order. Thomas is kind and understanding at first because that’s who he is, and learns things about Virgil he later thinks are lies but are actually true. So his feelings fluctuate a lot, while Virgil’s stay positive throughout, whether it’s complicated love, uncomplicated love, complicated love again, and ending on uncomplicated love. Thomas is always his Thomas, it’s just his behavior that’s changing.

And Virgil and Remus, despite being the story’s most important relationship, are also the least complicated one. They’re just ride or die brothers and best friends who have each others back, and I love them for it. Guys, thank you for staying consistent for me and just agreeing that you love each other, you made my job slightly more easy than it would have been.

Anyway. Wow this got long. Fuck characters having free will. It makes the story better but it is fucking annoying for me.