#a very patton christmas

[bailey-orphic08]

Virgil's Gift: An Analysis on It's Symbolism and Possible Foreshadowing

Obvious spoilers for Thomas' newest Sander Asides video: What Makes the Perfect Gift? Go watch it if you haven't.

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So the yearly Sander Sides Christmas special dropped hours ago. (Yippee!) And there's a surprisingly large amount to be said for it to be a 13 minute long Christmas special. In fact, I'd say it's the most story focused episode since Can Plushies Improve Our Health?, and that was an ad for the Sander Sides plushies. There's just so much to talk about this episode. There's the implications of Janus and Remus being invited to play Secret Santa; the mystery to what Thomas' message was with his gift to Nico; the underlying tension between all the sides that reminds us of the angst we've already seen and how things still aren't completely alright and that the worst is yet to come; and, most notable of all, the question as to WHY THE HELL REMUS WOULD WANT TO F*CK ANDREW JACKSON??

But the most interesting thing to me is Virgil's gift to Logan, his reaction, and how it reflects Logan's current situation.

Virgil gives Logan a newspaper, claiming that it seems like something he would like. Logan however, does not read newspapers and is very disappointed by the gift. Remus and Janus make some comments on how unthoughtful Virgil's gift appears. But at the end of the episode, Logan finds out that the newspaper actually has a secret message and is the first puzzle of an entire scavenger hunt, which excites him a lot.

This is by far my favorite part of the episode. Not only is it heartwarming, it also symbolizes how Logan has been treated as a whole, and may even foreshadow future events in the series.

When Virgil gives Logan the newspaper, Logan is very confused, and asks him why he would give him a newspaper. Virgil replies, "Cuz' you're the Mr. Smarty Pants of the group. You like reading and all that." Logan is still confused though. Yes, he likes to read, but that doesn't mean he will read anything. Roman chimes in with Virgil, reinforcing that they think Logan will like it. Logan says, "Is that all I am to you? The reading guy?..." And Virgil replies, "I don't know man, give it a read! I'm sure it has something you like."

This entire interaction represents how Logan has been ignored and misunderstood throughout the entire series. Virgil gives Logan a newspaper, something he doesn't actually want, because he assumes he will like it since he likes to read in general. He made an assumption on Logan's personality based off things he already knew, something Thomas and all of the other sides have been doing since the beginning. Throughout the entire series, Logan is considered the smart one of the group who always provides information and exposition, and little else is expected of him. In ACCEPTING ANXIETY part one, Thomas assumes that Logan knew what his problem was because he provides, "the explanatory exposition in [the Sander Sides] videos because all the other characters are too zany or relatable." And in Selfishness v. Selflessness, Logan is benched after providing information that supports both Patton and Janus' sides because they assume he has nothing else to offer. Time and time again Logan is reduced to his function and the traits that go along with it, such as liking to read. And why these things about him are true, he is far more complex that who they see him as. But, as Virgil didn't seem to care to get him something he would actually like, they don't seem to care to learn more about Logan...

They do care though. And that's shown through the twist at the end. When Logan discovers that it's a puzzle, Virgil jokes, "And you thought I would just get you a newspaper. Tsk. What do you take me for?" Though it appeared Virgil didn't put much consideration into the gift, and though Logan believed Virgil didn't, he did, because he truly cares about Logan. And throughout the entire series, though they don't always listen to him, Thomas and the sides show that they care about Logan. Patton is always nice to him, Roman, while the most harsh to him, does secretly respect him, and Thomas, as shown in the song, "Incomplete," is not only aware that Logan has feelings and is more than just logic, he wants Logan to accept it as well. He also seems empathetic when Logan is disappointed with his gift. This represents how Logan's insecurities get in the way of him being fully accepted. Logan is convinced that Thomas and the sides will only ever see him as his function, and that they do not care about his other traits. This is one of the reasons he represses his emotions, and is shown by how quickly Logan believes Virgil got him a newspaper simply because he likes to read. Though Logan may not realize it, Thomas and the sides love and accept him fully, and Logan needs to see that.

However, it seems that someone doesn't want him to see that...

And that's where the foreshadowing comes into play.

After the conversation Virgil gives Logan his gift, Janus chimes in, saying, "Wow Logan, looks like Virgil put a lot of thought into that one!" He emphasizes how little consideration Virgil's gift seemed to have. In doing this, he reinforces the idea to Logan that Virgil didn't care enough to give him a gift he would like, even though that's not actually true. And if he his doing this intentionally, he may also be reinforcing the idea that they don't care about him.

And Remus soon after joins in, proposing, "Kinda makes you wanna scream, huh?" This is obviously a callback to Logan's outburst in Working THROUGH Intrusive Thoughts. In that episode, Remus showed great excitement towards his outburst, implying that Remus wanted him to get upset. And now again, he suggests that Logan should get angry about it. It is very clear that Remus is trying to make Logan lash out on purpose.

Based off this, I believe that in future episodes, we will see the dark sides, or Remus at least, try to manipulate Logan into believing that Thomas and the sides don't care about him. In doing this, they'll persuade him into joining their side. Perhaps they'll make him a puppet for the Orange Side, or if Logan is the Orange Side, they will make him embrace it. Of course their plan won't work out though. Because even if the do get Logan to join them for a little, the other sides will show that they care. And perhaps if they do, Logan will finally be able to see that, and he will finally be able to accept himself.

[analoceits]

thinking abt analogical in the context of logans potential corruption/orange side arch bc jesus. they make me want to EXPLODE. virgil is really the only side in logans corner rn who gets what he’s going through.

hes been there. hes been stuck between the dark sides and the light sides, hes felt villified and ignored for pointing out the obvious. this is something that he is uniquely qualified in understanding.

like. this is canon too. remember the lntas convo?

“youre lost. [im right here?] its okay, [youre acting weird] i was lost once too.”

virgil is honestly the only side i imagine he trusts. patton and roman have been cold at best as of recent. and even janus and remus who logan has been growing closer with have been trying to egg him on into an outburst for their own reasons.

but virgil, in all their recent interactions to my memory has been kind. he stuck up for him at the end of wtit, even if it was small and just recently he got him a very good gift.

instead of getting upset whenever logan assumed the worst of him he just.. patiently waited for him to figure it out himself. which i cant imagine couldve been fun for anxiety. even when logan invited his two least favorite sides to christmas - he didn’t bother him for it.

so yeah. i love them.

[nandysparadox]

fanart for @fangirltothefullest 's fic Christmas Wish ! this fic is very special to me i first read it in 2020 and absolutely fell in love with it, so it's nigh time i do some fanart i think 😆 roman and patton's relationship is just soo cute i adore it ❤️🩵

[clydesavage-thefox147]

Calling all Prinxiety Shippers, this analysis is for you!💜❤️

So, I have had my eyes set on Virgil's Spotify Playlist for a while now. And a few songs have caught my attention that I'd like to talk about.

The one in particular that I will discuss here is "Sally's Song" covered by Amy Lee from Evanescence, originally by Catherine O-Hara. A classic song from the even more classic movie The Nightmare before Christmas. Now, it's understandable why Virgil would have this song on there. It's from one of his favorite movies, it's a designated emo staple with lines like "We can live like Jack and Sally if we want" in Blink-182's "I Miss You", and overall it's Tim Burton which he's shown interest in as well. But, I wonder why this song in particular. He could've picked "This is Halloween" or "Jack's Lament" but..he picks "Sally's Song"? This isn't the only time he's been affiliated with this song either. In the 2020 Holiday Show, Thomas covered it in reference to Virgil's celebration of the holidays.

It's been stated that the songs on each playlist are on there for a reason. Some songs on each are directed specifically at another Side. I think I know who's being directed at here from Virgil's POV. Think about it, Sally is very similar to that of Virgil. Both are restless and want freedom despite the risks, they are both caution and concerned for others especially those they love, and just their overall aesthetics aline with a stitch work-ragdoll like appearance. The song in question is about Sally showing her concern for Jack. It briefly touches on her need for freedom and inclusion, but it's mostly about her love and consideration for Jack. Hell, she sang it right after Jack took off on his Christmas exploits that she knew would fail and tried to warn him. She thinks the love is one-sided, she gives up in believing it'll happen. However, it was reprised in the end with both of them admitting their love for each other.

Who is Jack in this situation? You could say Jack is a bit like Virgil in wanting to move away from scaring people all the time..but Jack's demeanor and personality isn't very Virgil like. He's ambitious, overly I might add. He's desperate, he's dedicated, he suffered an identity crisis, he's associated with royal standing as the Pumpkin King, and his voice is rather regal. Who does that sound like to you? Roman.

Sally's concern for Jack's actions failing or getting him hurt ties in with Virgil's behavior as anxiety. One major thing is concern for Roman being too forceful in his desperation for a boyfriend for Thomas could've got him rejected or hurt. This was shown in FWSA..the same episode where a sticker of Jack and Sally peaked both of their interest. They both have shown a love for this movie, so much so that Roman wanted Virgil's posters of it back in Accepting Anxiety part 2.

Sure, you could say that this could be directed at Nico but Virgil's playlist was debut in April of 2020, FWSA wasn't released until October. Sure, it could have been foreshadowing but I highly doubt it since the song itself shows that the person the narrator wanted in question, was already known to them and their concern for them was justified. You could say it's directed at Thomas, but this song is too romantic in its undertones to be that, even if it said "friend" in the lyrics...Roman called Virgil "Friendo" (so did Janus as Patton but that's besides the point).With lines like "What will become of my dear friend, where will his actions lead us then" could be reference to how Roman's overambitious behavior and reckless actions could be a problem. Stating a question Virgil was asked back in 2018 at live Vidcon QnA, Virgil did say he liked Roman's ambition..but wasn't sure he wanted that in his life. Maybe he's willing to take the chance now?

So, it's fair to say that "Sally's Song" is directed at Roman. They both are carbon copies of the characters, they both love the film, and the overall hints of this song and film in regards to them are too obvious to miss. ❤️💜

Seems like Virgil wants to live like Jack and Sally with Roman. 💜❤️

P.S: we so need an official Virgil cover of Sally's Song..like come on 😁

[amazable01]

God, I've been thinking about Remus and Patton in canon, but I haven't known what to say, but now with the finale being worked on, I feel like this is a good time to talk about this. Cause if you go back with a fresh mind (blocking out fanon concepts and just watching the actual material), Remus and Patton don't hate each other at all. In fact, in a platonic/foil kind of way, I think they complete each other, and work well together like Roman and Logan.

Remus never once in canon has insulted Patton. He has offered up uncomfortable ideas, but if anything, Remus has encouraged Patton. He gives him a creative blessing for sanitizing, and seems genuinely confused and surprised when Logan brings up Patton being an issue. Remus and Patton also bounce off one another, what with the creative thing in DWIT, but also in the asides with the "kill-joyman" bit and their interactions in the incorrect quotes (and who can forget the air fryer and Remus being genuinely excited and curious about it). Remus never intentionally goes after Patton, and when you would expect him to lash out at Morality, it's said to the group instead of him directly.

And if you look at Remus' few appearances in canon, Patton's presence actually seems to temper him slightly. DWIT, WMPG (Christmas 2023), incorrect quotes, and the asides are VERY light compared to WTIT. While you could call it a change in approach, it's really not. Remus always behaves this way toward Logan specifically, and in WTIT he is intentionally pushing the other far beyond his comfort. Patton not being brought up to help the issue intentionally makes Logan's problem with Remus worse. Which implies Remus does change his behavior slightly around Patton.

But, if Sanders Sides has shown anything across its run, it's to not underestimate the intelligence of any approach or person, regardless of how smart they appear on the surface.

So if Remus was trying to stoke what he imagines is important, he's not going to intentionally kill Thomas' drive by driving him to the brink. I think a lot of people forget that Patton is passion, not Roman. Roman is romantic and creative, but Patton is the actual feeling of passion and motivation for a project. And without that, Roman (and likely Remus) are just thoughts that get lost. And so it makes perfect sense for Remus to not actually hate Patton. Because Patton has never done anything to him, and is the only way that Remus can actually have his thoughts voiced out.*

*Remember that the Split is not canonical or confirmed. There's nothing saying that something like that happened, as Logan said it was "Like an ovum" which would imply this was how they were born. On top of this, if Remus was mad at anyone for separating out the sides like the Split implies, it would be Janus because he decided what was allowed and safe to be known. Patton probably was a contributing factor, but knowing how Patton reacts to changes in environment and nostalgia, I doubt Patton would've actively chosen to change something so drastically. I could make a whole post about this and why the Split isn't really corroborated in canon, but that's another discussion for another time.

[orbmanson7]

Mm, there's so many things I want to say about the new asides episode, mainly because it was so obviously based on the secret santa scenario from the patreon livestream a little while back...

The only thing Thomas really changed was Logan being the organizer instead of Janus and then Patton's gift to Remus. Most of the chat said he'd get Remus an octopus plushie or a slime stim toy, but I agree with the change because it works really well and rounds out the message at the end, too.

Something that the chat had also been insistent on was giving Logan a Perfect gift, and since Logan was the character hosting the stream, he kept insisting that while Virgil knows his interests, it probably wouldn't be something perfect (pretty sure we decided on a space-themed Lego set that was definitely not specifically my own idea I had put out there or anything 👀), so it was fantastic having that turned around into a fun little puzzle which not only got us some tasteful angst but also gave Logan an interesting and unique present that he would absolutely enjoy, which is exactly what we all wanted!

Again, all the other presents were more or less the same, with maybe less gore involved in Remus' present to Virgil, and with about the same responses, too, which was great! Patton genuinely enjoying his present even though it was meant to be a joke, Janus actually getting a second real present that benefits him, Roman not immediately on board with his gift because it's not extravagant but then realizing the freedom and flexibility that comes with it is its own reward... It was all wonderful.

It also, as with the last little asides episode, gives us a great idea of where everyone stands (I guess both literally in Thomas' mindspace as well as, you know, narratively).

It feels significant that Logan insists that Janus and Remus be included in their activities, but acknowledges that they are traveling there, implying the dark sides don't just hang around or anything, they come and go, which makes sense.

Virgil still vehemently hates Janus but isn't making barbs about his inclusion like he has in the past, and Roman still seems uncomfortable with his brother being around while Remus just seems delighted to be included at all. Roman still has animosity with Janus, understandably, but he's already kind of begrudgingly making his way towards acceptance with him.

Now for the more interesting details - first, Janus and Remus purposefully trying to egg on Logan's anger. Not the first time, but they seem more excited about it here rather than teasing him about it as they have before, which definitely implies confidence that it's not only prevalent but also definitely plot-relevant for the future, not that that was even a question at this point.

Next, it's interesting that Janus and Remus seem to be able to bounce off each other even with how very different they are, but the light sides are so full of discontent that there's a natural discourse with their gifts until there's a chance to explain... It shows that the light sides do not have natural trust in each other, which should be obvious but here it's on display in front of the dark sides, too. They are so clearly at odds (even if they can eventually come around) when the dark sides seem to have figured their shit out.

Also, it's nice to see Patton's gift did, in a way, emulate Virgil's gift from the first Christmas episode, as it also kind of implies Janus' acceptance in that way.

I was actually quite delighted to see that Logan's gift to Roman wasn't just the joke from the livestream, but that it showed Logan did genuinely put thought into the gift but realized he wasn't going to be able to meet the expectations of someone with a limitless imagination and instead played into that fact rather than try to war against it, using something not only practical but unconventional to someone like Roman, something he wouldn't expect but would be able to appreciate with time... And also something that technically takes the decision-making tension away from Logan and makes it Roman's problem instead, though Roman wouldn't be one to overthink and view it as a problem, so it works out extremely well. Finding balance and all that.

And then, of course, the end card scene being really adorable and sweet - that Thomas was thinking about gift-giving because he'd wanted to get something perfect for Nico, and I will agree that he did a great job, adding a tiny bit of (somewhat fresh) nostalgia and catering to Nico's interests...but then wanting to make what is usually perceived as a Big step in what is still a budding relationship, ooh boy... That's definitely some plot setup right there!

Overall, a fantastic episode, based on a lot of ideas from a wonderful livestream - I genuinely loved this. It makes me very hopeful for the season finale, whenever we do eventually get it!

[rosileeduckie]

Mean, but Sweet

After all this, I don't know, the naughty list doesn't seem so bad...

Patton can be very mean, if it makes someone else happy 😈💙

Potential warnings: none. Sanders Sides, Janus/Patton tickle fic.

A Squealing Santa Christmas gift for @trashyswitch! Hoping it's worth the wait, and wishing you the happiest new year! 😊😘 Thanks so so so much @squealing-santa Hypah our hero for hosting this year!! Lots of love for everyone who participated; congrats everybody!! ❤❄

Word count: 6,406

~*~

There’s something very attractive about winter. The season is uniquely deep and dark, and Janus can’t help but thrive when there are shadows aplenty, easy to hide in and hide things in. A societal expectation to make nice with everyone also leads to the hilarious sight of people performing their “best life” routine by lying through smiling teeth and juggling a million more responsibilities that, no, they definitely don’t need help with. What could he say, it all made Janus feel very at ease, in the presence of deceit wrapped in pretty paper.

But, then, he wasn’t so cynical this year. He blamed his cohorts for melting his too-small heart over the course of the year to the point where he could now appreciate the whimsy that twinkling fairy lights give to a chilly winter evening. Still dark, but warm, too.

Metaphorically and literally warm–it was not quite a winter wonderland outside the house. Still, the lower temperature and earlier sunset and merry decorations and seasonal flavors in Janus’ mug and the obnoxiously patterned and colored sweater on his body really did make it feel like Christmas. Certainly, the Mind Palace could have been nestled in a snow globe setting if the Sides so desired, but they were partial to their host’s house in Florida. It wasn’t a white Christmas, but it was cozy and homey and–Janus could begrudgingly admit–nice.

Janus was skillfully juggling two mugs as he walked into the living room. In one hand, he carried a peppermint mocha in a plain red vessel, simple and hot. In the other hand, he held a mug covered with scenes of snowmen decorating a pine tree with little birds. The contents of that mug were just as extravagant and sweet: gingerbread spiced hot cocoa completely obscured beneath a layer of marshmallows, whipped cream, and sprinkles.

When Janus set the dessert in a cup on the coffee table, Patton looked up and smiled, his eyes really sparkling under the lights of the room’s opulent tree beside which he sat. The mug was just the newest addition to Patton’s station at the coffee table. Before him were a few sheets of notebook paper, a quill and ink, and a desk lamp and extension cord, which Janus stepped carefully over to sit on the couch just behind Patton.

“Aw, Janus!” Patton beamed, setting down his quill to reach for the mug. “Thank you!”

Even if the gap was seeming to narrow these days, Janus couldn’t help but marvel at how different he and Patton were sometimes. What an easy but incredible show of trust; any of the other Sides would have asked Janus what he wanted in return for such a thoughtful and good deed. (He would have answered “nothing,” but whether or not that was true, who could say?) “Not a problem,” Janus replied, taking a sip of his own drink. “How’s the naughty list looking this year?”

Patton giggled. He had a mustache of sweet fluff on his lip as he set down his mug and drew his quill. “Oh, I can’t say about that. But I do know Santa will have lots of ideas as to what to get you kids if you DO stay on the nice list.” He dipped the quill tip in his inkwell, humming with an audible grin. “Of course, I can’t imagine why you WOULDN’T be on the nice list…”

Janus crossed one leg over his knee and tapped his foot in a subtle but delighted rhythm. “Patton, lying at this time of year?” he tutted. “That nice list is slippery, you know. And lying around me, no less.” Janus leaned forward enough that the hissing chuckle that spread his lips into a smile could tickle Patton’s ear. “Is that my Christmas present?”

Ducking out of reach with a snort, Patton replied, “It’s not lying if I believe you all deserve the best gifts.” He turned to give Janus a boop on the nose with the fluffy end of his quill. “And it’s NOT the gift I have written down, I’ll have you know.”

For a moment, Janus’ eyes caught on the feather–a beautiful thing of blue and iridescent greens and purples that felt as soft as it looked–but curiosity shook him free, and he looked past the writing tool, blurring the beautiful colors as he focused his gaze on the page of just-dry ink. “It’s not?”

“Hey now!” Patton threw out his arm and leaned to one side so as to block Janus’ view. “No peeking!”

Undeterred, Janus didn’t fall back, just snickered and looked at Patton levelly. “What? I hardly need to know what you think I need for gifts.” He rested his chin in his hand, batting his eyelashes and tapping his cheek with his index finger. “But, say, what if I need ideas for our gift swap with the others? You know how hard Logan is to buy for.” (Untrue; Logan wasn’t hard to buy for, just irritatingly specific, which took out all the fun of surprising someone with their gift. Janus did love a good surprise.)

Eyes narrowed, Patton considered this before shaking his head and turning back to his makeshift desk. “No peeking,” he reiterated firmly. “Sensitive information here, for no one’s eyes but Mr Claus himself.” He paused, musing, then smiled. “Or his secretary. He is a busy guy.”

Janus nodded with a humoring hum. He sipped his coffee, nonchalantly scooting on the couch to be closer to Patton. If the scribe noted the movement, he didn’t mind, even leaning back against Janus’ calf and continuing to write. Janus waited a moment, then another, letting Patton’s guard slowly fall. The snake was hardly invested in letters to Santa Claus, but he did enjoy teasing and getting a rise out of Patton. And, who knows, maybe Janus would end up with someone with a scant wish-list and need a gift idea or two to fall back on. When the air felt calm enough to chance it, Janus leaned forward to peek over Patton’s shoulder.

Quick as a cobra, Patton had whirled around, brandishing his feather quill at Janus. “AH!” he admonished, tipping his head to one side and flashing a warning smile. “You better watch out.”

“You better not cry,” Janus replied with a smirk, leaning back a bit with his hands and mug raised placatingly. “Or what, Patton dear?”

Patton’s lower lip puffed out thoughtfully, and he hummed, clicking his tongue a few times. Janus waited, eyebrows raised and lips crookedly elevated. Then, Patton’s scrunched up thinking face relaxed before brightening into a big smile. He didn’t answer Janus’ question, just turned back to his list. Moreover, he didn’t move away but stayed close enough to be leaned up against Janus’ leg and, potentially, surely, observed by Janus’ looming eyes. The risk was worth the reward, and it would have been punishment to both of them to move apart. (It was nature for a Side, however deeply buried; even the prickliest of them liked company and a cuddle. And pushing their luck.)

Janus took a long sip from his drink and sighed, opening his mouth exaggeratedly wide both because it felt nice and because it tended to freak out any Sides who saw. He leaned forward, reaching purposely past Patton to set down his mug on the far side of the coffee table, securing for himself the perfect view of Patton’s cursive scrawl as well as the ideal perch to view it from, his chin resting upon the soft sweater fabric of Patton’s shoulder. Actually, it was cozy enough there, warm and soothing to the tune of Patton’s breathing and humming, and hard enough to read Patton’s handwriting from that distance, that Janus was content to close his eyes and not even try to peek. So he jumped a little, blinking in confusion, when Patton spoke again, but not quite to his current companion.

“‘And what do I ask of you dear Janus? Well, Santa, that’s quite simple. For my dear Janus, I want him to get the biggest and best–’” Patton paused, striking through the last word of his dictation with a flourish. “‘–the WORSE lee mood for Christmas.’”

Patton glanced sideways at him and smiled when Janus snickered. His head bobbed a bit atop the pleased wiggle that shook Patton’s shoulders. It wasn’t exactly a difficult thing to ask for for Christmas. The Sides, different as they could be, could all find fun in being tickled or making someone else laugh, so moods longing for one or the other were not uncommon. Sure, Virgil was more likely to be yearning for an onslaught of gentle belly tickles, whereas Remus would be more often found with fingers twitching in hopes of digging up screams from between someone’s ribs, and Logan could slide back and forth along that scale in a second. But still, it was a safe bet that someone in the Mind Palace was hoping to be or happy to be tickled. Because even if, somehow, no one was actively in a lee mood, one could pretty easily be teased out. Janus fell in the middle of the chaos, fluid like Logan in the part he was ready to play–tickle monster or squealing victim–and not one to be easily teased into a mood–not to be knocked over with a feather, so to say. Sure, seeing Patton twirl his feather quill thoughtfully and being actively threatened with a lee mood–not even being tickled, just infected with the desire to be–may have flustered Janus well enough, but he was cozy enough where he sat to weather the attack. So he only smiled, smug, closing his eyes and staying cuddled up, however awkwardly leaning, up against Patton’s shoulder.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have been so trusting.

“‘The kind of lee mood that makes you feel so warm and giddy and fuzzy,’” Patton went on, and Janus could hear the big smile around his words, “‘like just thinking about being tickled makes you feel tinsel between your toes and snowflake soft feathers on your belly. I want him to be so happy and flustered that he can only giggle and hiss and do that cute thing where he shakes his legs and taps his feet.’”

They didn’t live in a place with snowy winters, but Janus felt a phrase often used in that region come to mind: deceptively sunny. It was the scenario when one looked out the window to marvel at a beautiful winter landscape, blanketed in crystalline snow and brilliant beneath a crisp blue sky and bright sun, only to step outside and take in a breath that felt like a crackling snap in the lungs. Sunny, but cold. That was Patton. Warm, friendly, happy, but, just beneath, positively wicked. Freezing cold and sharp under a pretty sun, a hot spiced drink under sweet white fluff. Janus felt his stomach turn, swoop like at the drop in a roller-coaster, and burst with a blizzard of butterflies. He couldn’t look away from Patton’s quill as it bobbed, scrawling teases into paper that Janus was suddenly jealous of. Okay, maybe he was easier to tease a mood from than he cared to admit.

And perhaps Patton could read his mind, because he conveniently exclaimed, “‘Oh, and teases! Yes! He needs to get all the teases that make his cheeks go red and his scales change color!’”

Janus’ scales were certainly not doing anything of the sort when Patton paused in writing. He pursed his lips, smiled, and jumped back into his letter.

“‘And, you know, I think this mood’s gotta last until Christmas day, so maybe you can send him some tickly dreams in the meantime, too! Maybe twelve days of them would be fitting?’” Patton’s tongue poked between his top and bottom teeth as he giggled. He cleared his throat, donning a more serious face for continuing his letter to Santa. “‘If that’s too much, don’t worry about it; I’d be happy to take some of the work off your hands. I’m actually writing this letter to you with a beautiful feather quill I got for my birthday–Roman said he just knew I’d get a kick out of being fancy while writing letters. But it’s a beautiful plume, my favorite kind of teal blue and so soft to the touch.’”

‘Writing’ was a stretch; Patton wasn’t even touching the pen to the paper anymore, just twirling the pretty thing between his fingers. It was as long as a hand, with the non-writing end fanning out into a subtle fluffy curl. Its fibers seemed to float lazily as Patton waved the quill around, and Janus imagined they were so delicate as to not even be felt–until they found a place so sensitive on the body that they wouldn’t be ignored. Janus’ usually dark eyes and slitted pupils were bright and dilated, focused so on the gossamer feather that he took little note of Patton looking sideways at him, watching his reactions, with a grin.

Patton sighed dreamily. “‘I bet it would feel so nice tracing down Janus’ neck or around his belly or along his hips. Or circling every scale he has.’” When he smirked at Janus, he would have seen the scales on his face flushed a dark brown-gold. “‘Maybe what I should actually ask you to bring is a good tickle session for Janus on Christmas, and I can do the teasing the twelve days before. Whatever you decide, please know that I am a very good judge of character, and I know that Janus has been SO good this year–’”

Janus’ stomach did another giddy loop-de-loop when Patton chuckled and adjusted his glasses.

“I suppose you’re right, Jan; I should be honest, shouldn’t I?” Patton winked, and Janus’ face may have been warm enough to toast marshmallows on. “‘I know that Janus has been VERY naughty this year, and, so, deserves only the sweetest, meanest, most thorough lee mood, teasing, and wrecking that he’s had all year. And, if your present to me is that I get to deliver this for Janus, I certainly wouldn’t complain. Sincerely yours, Patton.’”

Patton’s smile didn’t falter when Janus stood abruptly from his seat, but his eyebrows did rise expectantly. “I’ve finished my coffee,” Janus answered before Patton could ask. “If you’ll excuse me.” Clutching his half-full mug tightly in his hand, Janus skirted widely around the coffee table and death sentence of a Christmas list. He stopped short at the bottom of the stairs, turning to give Patton a forcibly cool nod. “Thank you for your company.”

After a few startled blinks, Patton snorted and held a hand to his rosy freckled cheek. “Signed, sealed, delivered,” he said to Janus with a grin and a shake of his head. “It’s a little too late to try and get on the nice list now~”

Janus fled calmly up the stairs, ears flushed at the last sight of Patton waving the feather quill to him in farewell.

~*~

The teal fluffy feather was all Janus could see, later–minutes? hours? days? he really couldn’t say–when he lay buried beneath his duvet, trying to pat the heat and smile from his cheeks. The trick really was not to think about it, all the lovely teases Patton had wished for him, but how could he do that when that damn feather was running rampant in his brain, dusting all his thoughts to make them tickly. He had just finished his coffee, too, so he couldn’t even hope to drift off for a cozy little nap. It’d be just his luck though; he’d probably get a dream that would fluster him awake or the second he awoke.

With a huff of a sigh, Janus threw off the covers. If the call was coming from inside the house, there was no point in hiding; if his mind was the monster, a blanket wasn’t going to save him. Besides that, the heat of his sweater and flushing cheeks was beginning to make the bubble of space between his blanket and his bed feel like an oven. He sat up enough to free himself from his sweater and dropped it off the side of the bed and onto the discarded blankets before falling onto his back. If his mind was going to torture him, at least, his body could be comfortable.

But, Janus’ mind sang unhelpfully, now he bore even less protection if some lovely monster slithered down the chimney to leave tickly stardust in his socks and pin him to his bed and–

The pillow previously behind Janus’ head was wailed frustratedly into before it, too, was thrown off the bed. Janus forced himself to take a long, slow breath, burying his fingers in the fabric of his sheets. Okay. Clearly, the lee mood was too grand already to try and wall completely off. Trying to ignore it (and ultimately failing to do so) was just making him irritated. But then, he was too worked up and embarrassed to act on his wants, to ask for it. The very thought was mortifying. Maybe there was a safe middle ground. Maybe he could let the dam leak a little, let the thoughts trickle in. He could handle that, he wouldn’t drown. (He would be dramatic, but he wouldn’t drown.) Surely, he could let himself think about it, a little. Patton had already infected him with the feather fever, after all. Janus figured he might as well try to enjoy it.

Breathing came slower and easier when Janus brought himself to that compromise. He could close his eyes, rein in his agitated leg twitching, wade gently into the pool of his mind.

The image of the quill came back to his mind, and he welcomed it, accompanied it with soft touch from his own hand. As the cerulean feather twirled about, dancing amid the sugarplum visions it had made of his thoughts, Janus traced his fingertips over his belly. With his eyes shut, he could almost pretend the feather to be the perpetrator of the feeling, the gentle swishing back and forth along the border between skin and scales. It was a lovely feeling that made his stomach--just beneath the light show of beautiful sensation--ache with longing.

What else could he imagine? Patton had given him a few cheesy seasonal teasing suggestions, which was kind since Janus wasn't the most creative of the Sides--not the least, but not the most. Janus pictured tinsel, silver and shimmery and soft, threaded between his toes and sawed delicately. His breath caught for a moment, and his toes scrunched against the imaginary sensation. How tauntingly on the edge of feeling.

What else could he imagine? Through his closed eyes, he could see the feather swirling gentle but relentless loops around his belly and scales. He could see the tinsel under his toes. He could see Patton’s smile, his fingers curling and uncurling above Janus’ quivering abdomen. Just a little closer…

Janus sat up, burying his flushed face in his hands. Twelve days of anticipation like this would be its own torture.

A knock to the rhythm of ‘Jingle Bells’ sounded from his door. Janus gave his red cheeks one last chastising pat, floundered for a moment on where to lay his limbs to act natural, and settled on resting his hands on his knees. “Come in.”

When the door opened, the first thing to enter was the bright red and white of a Santa hat, followed by Patton’s merry smile. “Hey, kiddo! You busy?”

“Depends,” said Janus with a hollow scoff. “Did you need more help planning holiday torment, or did you want to bake cookies or something?”

Patton snorted, wiggling his shoulders proudly as he fully entered the room and shut the door. He clasped his hands behind his back, swaying his hips forward and back. “Mm, a bit in between,” Patton decided. “Mean, but still sweet.”

Janus swallowed, trying very hard to bar the dam of his thoughts to keep his hopes from running away from him. “Oh?”

“Well, Santa got back to me,” said Patton, leaning back against the door and crossing his arms with a big sigh. “I know, no time wasted; he is a professional, after all.” He shook his head and smiled sadly, but his eyes were sparkling. “But he said that even he couldn’t make a lee mood and wrecking as wonderful as I asked for in such a short turnaround. So!” Patton adjusted his hat and stood tall, beaming. “He said I should most certainly fill in!”

For someone whose thoughts had just been flooded with elated relief, Janus’ mouth was quite dry. He wouldn’t have to wither away the winter waiting. Patton’s hands and feathers and tinsel and smile were near and real. Janus felt a funny mix of gratefulness and annoyance, seeing as how Patton had been the one to drop him into such a state in the first place. But then, he was too excited already to be annoyed. “Oh,” he said again.

“If you’re not busy.” Patton took a step further into the room.

“Well–” Janus started to say.

“You don’t look busy,” said Patton. Two more steps took him to the edge of Janus’ bed, where he stood, head cocked and smile crooked. “You look like you were expecting me.”

Such rare smugness from Patton was enough to snap Janus from flustered to–well, he was certainly still flustered, but also–indignant. His mouth hung open, and, when no words miraculously filled the empty space, Janus stuck out his forked tongue.

“Don’t be naughty,” Patton chastised with a giggle. “I wrote you a song. May I sit with you and sing it for you?”

Janus nodded, pushing himself up with his hands so as to scoot back and make room for Patton on the bed, but Patton stopped with a gentle hand on his knee.

“Lie back and get comfy,” Patton instructed with a grin. “It’s not a short song.”

His sweater and blankets had already been tossed to the floor; Janus had neither protection nor a saving excuse when the heat in his face spread to his ears and down his neck. He lay back, resting his hands on either side of his head, and, mercifully, Patton commented on neither Janus’ flush nor his eagerness. Instead, Patton whistled a little yuletide carol, climbing onto the bed and kneeling over Janus’ legs. He didn’t settle yet, but turned his torso toward the foot of the bed and tugged off his Santa hat, holding it behind his back and out of Janus’ sight. But Janus could still hear as the hat was held open and its previously unseen contents came tumbling out, rattling like cartoon pots and pans fell onto the sheets. Janus had a guess as to what the hidden pile may have included, but he couldn’t fathom how Patton had managed to hide such a trove so impossibly under his hat. Said hat was placed on Janus’ head as soon as Patton had turned to face forward again, the puff of it being booped on Janus’ nose. Janus' face scrunched up in feigned distaste and fruitless effort to keep from smiling anticipatorily.

Patton adjusted himself to kneel fully and comfortably on Janus’ legs, reaching behind him for a moment to neaten up the mystery gifts from Santa’s hat, then faced Janus once more with a smile. “Alright.” Leaning forward a bit to hunch his shoulders and flex his fingers, Patton began to softly sing. “On the first day of Christmas, I count on my merry lee~”

Janus let out a groaning chuckle. Of course, Patton would come up with the silliest teasing twist on a seasonal song. A song which–Janus realized, derision turning to giddy panic–often had twelve verses that only got longer. He yelped, startled from his thoughts by a sudden whispering soft sensation swirling over his lower belly, and came face to face with the evil feather that had started the whole ordeal. Patton circled the teal feather around Janus’ navel, grinning at the smile straining to be free from Janus’ bitten lower lip.

“A giggle button on his belly~” Patton set the feather by his knee and reached behind him with both hands. “On the second day of Christmas, I count on my darling lee…” And, instead of grabbing a new tool, Patton scribbled his fingers up and down Janus’ soles, prompting a squeal and buck from the man. “Two wiggling feet,” Patton sang, before swinging his hands back in front of himself to dance upon Janus’ stomach once more, “and a giggle button on his belly~”

Second verse cleared, ten more to go. It was too late for Janus to curb his smile–the thing had taken off and spread its wingspan across his cheeks–but he could keep from laughing, he could. He had to. Because, of course, it wasn’t just ten more verses in single phrases; it was ten verses consecutive to all the verses that came before. Janus’ mind was too scrambled to do the math on how many teases in total he was about to endure–he was excited to endure.

“On the third day of Christmas, I count on my dashing lee…” Patton fell forward, hovering above Janus nose-to-nose and grinning. The heels of his hands came to rest on Janus’, his fingers sliding up Janus’ palms until their digits were parallel and easily intertwinable. Janus didn’t know whether this move was a moment of mercy early on or of false security, and he tried to hold Patton’s hands and take as deep of breaths as his cantering heart would allow. Patton squeezed his hands once before curling his own fingers inward. Janus’ eyebrows furrowed in confusion before shooting up in realization, just in time for Patton’s nails to scratch delicately along the palms of Janus’ hands. “Three pairs of twitchy palms~”

Janus snorted, and he would have blamed the tickling, if anyone had asked. No way, no way, was Patton going to get him to unfurl his other two sets of arms into a visible and tangible state. Even if doing so would gain Janus four more terribly ticklish spots to be doted upon… No. He would not so willfully participate in his own demise.

Most all his resistance dissipated into delighted terror when Patton drew back, aiming his wiggling fingers behind him until they touched down to rake Janus’ heels. “Two wiggling feet~”

Janus held his breath and clenched his jaw. He’d already let a little laughter sound loose; even if it was a relief to do so, it was too early in the marathon to let himself go. Wasn’t it?

“And a giggle button on his belly~”

Poor Janus arched his back and threw his head into the mattress as Patton’s fingers danced around his stomach, trailing long slow paths from the bottom of his ribcage to the top of his hips and back up again. On the second trip, Patton changed techniques, using one hand for featherlight skating down Janus’ sensitive skin and using the other for just a bit rougher scratching down his scales. At last, the giggly dam crumbled, and, albeit through his grinning teeth and scrunched nose, Janus began to laugh, a hissing breathy happy sound.

Patton hummed, pleased, and sung on. “On the fourth day of Christmas, I count on my cutie lee…”  From where his hands splayed on Janus’ waist, it was easy as fruit cake for Patton to slide them around until he was holding Janus in a hug, warm but made menacing by his nails sudden scurrying into Janus’ lower back. “Four spine-y squeezes~”

Grabbing at his hat to hold himself still, Janus cackled, shoving his back down into the mattress in attempt to make the spot inaccessible for Patton, but to no avail. Still, he didn’t even have time to get used to the sensation before the song went marching on. Patton gently pried Janus’ hands free to scribble into his palms, fell back onto his legs to skitter down his soles, and bowed forward to dig into the soft flesh of his stomach.

“On the fifth day of Christmas, I count on my love-a-lee…” The flurry of movement from the last verse had paused, and Patton lay, for a moment, his cheek still on Janus’ panting midsection. Janus kept his guard up, though. Haggard as he was, he felt vindicated when he saw the mischievous twinkle in Patton’s eyes immediately before he took a big breath and blew a vibrating raspberry in Janus’ belly. The hilarious and heinous weapon was matched in volume by Janus’ wail of laughter. “Five raspberries!” Patton lifted his head, beaming. Janus shook his head, too breathless to form words and soon swept up once more in a tidal wave of howling humor as Patton planted one, two, three, four more raspberries on Janus’ tummy. It certainly didn’t help that all the Sides had slight stubble growing recently; the scratch of Patton’s peach fuzz, especially on Janus’ scales, made for the most awful raspberries he’d probably ever felt.

No rest for the wicked; Patton’s song carried on. Janus, through quite brutal a memorization process, was starting to get used to the pattern mentally, but not physically. The jumping from spot to spot was too sudden and speedy for him to get used to anything, so all he could do was brace for what he knew was coming next. Four scribbles down his spine (and shoulders, which Patton did not need to be so mean as to target), three pairs of palms subject to little but effective scratches, two feet menaced this time by that damn blue feather, and one belly button turning pink from aching laughter and attention.

“On the sixth day of Christmas, I count on my dearie lee… six ticklish armpits~” 

Another pause, during which Janus gulped giggly breaths before cracking an eye open. Like spiders cut loose from their webs, Patton’s hands descended, diving into Janus’ uppermost armpits with clawing fingers.

It was good that Janus had already let his laughter loose, because, when the newest bout of cachinnation rocked his frame, he needed all his resolve to hold his arms still. His grasp was white-knuckle tight on his arms and hair, and his laughing grin was wide enough to make his cheeks burn from the ache of exertion as well as the heat of elation. And then Patton took the elevator down to the next floor of terribly ticklish underarms. Janus’ elbows strained to flap, and his head whipped back and forth, shoving one chortling cheek and then the other into the bedspread. How long could this verse possibly be?

Another brutal raspberry to his belly amidst the armpit assault prompted a shriek from Janus. He couldn’t verbalize how unfair it was to double up on spots, and Patton’s explanation was hardly sympathetic. “Five!” Patton crowed, burying his face in Janus’ stomach to deliver vibrating lips and nuzzling stubble with each syllable. “Rasp! Ber! Ries!” For as much effort as Janus was using to keep still (aside from his thrashing laughing head and heaving stomach), he was startled at how easy a time Patton had muscling him halfway onto his side. That was definitely why he squealed, and not because Patton had finally moved down to scribbling into his lowest armpits with one jumping hand and feathering his lower back with the other.

“Four spiney squeezes~”

It was small but a mercy still that Patton didn’t make Janus release his ironclad grip on his own arms for the next stanza, settling instead on brushing that evil plume along his forearms and into the crooks of his elbows. (The song’s alignment to Patton’s actions had been askew from the start anyway, but Janus was having too much fun to nitpick.)

“Three pairs of twitchy palms~”

Perhaps unintentional, but there was another brief respite for Janus in the few seconds between Patton pulling back from his upper body to reach back for his feet. Very brief, maybe long enough for one guffaw to have a longer inhale than the rest before tumbling once more into wailing laughter as Patton’s fingers scribbled into his arches.

“Two wiggling feet~”

Patton pounced forward and giggled when Janus snorted amid his laughter, only to place a teasing kiss on his stomach.

“And a giggle button on his belly~”

If Janus wasn’t half-past loopy already, he would have marveled at Patton’s masterminding. This session was pure psychological evil. Janus was all heightened nerves and anticipation; after the reveal of what spot would start the new verse, he technically knew what was coming next, but he was still awash in thrill and terror, like he was experiencing each spot anew.

He also would have applauded six ticklish hands for Patton’s composition skills. Once they’d gotten to the tenth verse, it was a very smooth and terrible line up from Janus’ toes to his knees to his thighs to his hips. The next, eleven, was not so limited in its geography but its choreography, but Patton performed it wickedly. That beautiful quill was the star of it, and Patton made use of his ‘eleven feather swishes’ to waltz up Janus’ tummy, across his chest, dipping into his armpits, to his neck and ears–eleven was so many swishes. If he’d had the wherewithal and malice for it, Janus would have thrown Patton six calling birds for his villainy.

The echoes of the last verse and laughter lingering in the corners of the room, Janus lay, limp and gulping air through lingering giggles, eyes shut and an utterly relaxed smile upon his lips. Patton lay as well, still and content, his cheek resting on Janus’ stomach and his index fingers tracing the scales on his sides.

“How ya doin’, kiddo?” Patton asked with a sigh, chuckling when he received only a happy hissing exhale in reply. “I’m glad.” He sat up, tapping a little tune on Janus’ tummy and biting his lip. “You think you got it in you for one more verse?”

Janus’ eyes scrunched further shut, and he giggled at the mere thought of Patton’s proposal. He peeked through one eye and nodded.

“Okay.” Patton’s soft, fond smile sharpened into something sinister. “But, you know, darn it, I think I’ve forgotten the words. Do you remember them? Think you can sing it for me?”

Janus snorted at that. Yes, an excellent idea, let the snake whose brain had been reduced to happy goopy goofy mush come up with the words to the teasing song that had been his detriment. Don’t let him sink fully into elated sleepiness, make him force himself to stay awake enough to bear a bit more, draw out the session a little longer to make it truly the best Christmas gift… Upon deliberation, Janus could see the appeal. Mean but sweet, indeed. Janus pulled himself up, physically and mentally, assuming the familiar position of bracing his own arms and coaxing his mind from the edge of sleep. He’d certainly heard the verses enough times to know the words. He cleared his throat, voice hoarse and happy from laughing so long. “On the twelfth day of Christmas, the tickle monster gave to me: twelve heaving ribs– PATTON!”

The newest rendition of the song had been softer, wavering a bit, compared to Patton’s more confident and lilting tone. Well. It had been quieter, until Patton had unleashed hell upon Janus’ ribs. Vibrating, scratching fingers followed the furrows of the bones, left to right, and then raked down them like a washboard. Rinse, repeat.

Oh, Patton had been going easy on him all this time. That whole marathon thing had just been a prelude to the real event: the sprint.

“Yes, Janus dear?” Patton grinned. “Go on, just waiting for you to sing the next bit and tell me where to tickle!”

OH, not even a sprint–a sprint implied pushing it to the limit for a short time. This pseudo-sprint’s pace was to be determined by the man whose legs had been jelly for the past ten minutes. So it could have been a short time, if Janus let his shrieking, snorting laughter overtake him, or it could take as long as it took him to think coherently while being tickle tortured. A very, very long time. He really must have been on the naughty list.

Like with the previous, Janus had barely crowed out the next verse before Patton had that damn feather darting everywhere it could reach, his neck and ears and stomach mostly, until it could fly back to saw between his toes for the tenth day of Christmas. The feather flipped to scribble the quill end under Janus’ toes as Patton’s other hand squeezed up until it reached his knee. Nine. Both hands dove in to spider and scratch his thighs. Eight. Then to massage their thumbs into his hips bones. Seven.

Janus was a gay mess of exhausted but elated guffawing and kicking feet and flapping elbows. He could barely get out the words to direct Patton where to tickle next. If he’d been asked to lead a verse earlier in the session, he might have mucked up the order a bit on purpose to make it easier on himself. That option was out the window now, as he could hardly keep up with calling out spots as Patton was actively tickling them. He was swept up in the speed and brutality of the menacing of different spots, all scribbling nails and stubbly kisses. Patton was laughing with him, cheeks red from the upped pace of the activity and smile wide and beaming from getting to make Janus feel so happy and safe. He was jumping and falling between spots on the final countdown, half leading and half following Janus’ howling hymnal. With one final raspberry to Janus’ navel, the both of them collapsed in a cuddly heap, Patton rolling off Janus' body to hug him properly.

Eyes heavy and chest heaving as he took slow, deep, relaxing breaths, Janus gave Patton a boop on the nose with the Santa hat that sat crooked on his head. “Merry Christmas, meanie.”

“And a sweet New Year,” Patton giggled, reaching over the side of the bed to grab the duvet and wrap them both up in it for a well-earned snuggle.

[transfemlogan]

this will not be constructive criticism this is just me complaining like a 6 yr old & also i just woke ul

virgil is a hypocritical annoying asshole . i geetttt he was treated baadlyyy or whatever but all he does is whine & whine. i understand he has very interesting lore to his character and why he acts the way he does (eg. treat the dark sides the same way he was treated, treat logan & roman the way he does, act how he did in embarrassing phases tho arguably that was thomas' fault 4 not knowing how 2 write) but hes given SO much attention w/o any input on his lore that its just like . unbearable 2 even watch

this got rlly long im putting a read more

he doesnt like when thomas tries 2 accept the other dark sides, but he was once a dark side & wanted 2 b accepted . the entire way he treats roman & logan in the puppet vid is SO ANNOYING. i swear 2 god theres this 1 line where virgil tells roman not 2 like. overreact in a mean way 2 logan or whatever his phrasing was & then he IMMEDIATELY DOES IT 2 LOGAN. he dislikes when ppl mess w/ his look, in making some changes, but then does it 2 the rest of the sides in embarrassing phases YEARS after it happened so i dont even think it could be written as like a "revenge" thing hes been accepted for AWHILE. so hes just purposefully being weird & a dick 4 no reason. "but revy it was for—" i do not care

and dont get me started on the fact that hes thomas' fave little boy so all of the fucking content is about him. hes not even the most interesting side to write about !!!! oh, he used to be viewed as bad but wasnt the whole time but became bad bcuz he thought he had to? ok megamind, i have HEARD it & i do not care. lets talk about fucking patton hes the most interesting character in the entire fucking show . lets talk about ROMAN. ANYONE.

like virgil could be a really interesting character but the way thomas' treats everything abt him it just makes him so bland and downright annoying. his hypocrisy could be used in a way that makes him Not annoying but i highly doubt thomas is ever going to even touch on anything he does. i jsut. i want to grab his neck & squeeze it & shake him back and forth if i ever catch virgil irl im beating his ass

& virgils personality cannot be written One Way. it changes every episode. correct me if im wrong bcuz i just woke up but i swear 2 god theres not a single episode whwre he is in the wrong & needs 2 apologise or has done something thats not okay. like all of his actions r always put into a good light bcuz obviously he is our pure little cinnamon roll angel anxiety 😍. am i crazy is there actually no episode where he is wrong. i know theres episodes for logan, roman, & patton.

(edit: THE CHRISTMAS EPISODE i 4got he was mean 2 roman there but i think thats it is it or am i just making shit up 2 hate virgil /j)

[lookupthewordjokeinthedictionary]

Did you miss me? (your mum misses you)

I'm back with another Sanders Sides draw each other, this time, Patton!! And oh boy, prepare for some angst!! (personal favourite)

I wanna believe I've improved also, but I'd love to hear your comments on what I can do better.

First we have Virgil!! Bullet point time for details:

Like a controlling parent™, Virgil has no eyeshadow!

He also has no hair in his eyes (almost, I couldn't let our boy suffer)

Honestly, if without his hoodie and the banner of his name, would you recognise him?

Not because I'm a bad artist (true), but because Patton has devoided his dark strange son of his dark strangeness.

Unthreatening Virgil for the win?

Next we have sexy Logan.

I'm sorry!! I wanted to draw sexy Logan and I found an excuse, okay??

To be honest, Logan hasn't changed his behaviour towards Patton throughout the series.

He's always been dismissive, so why shouldh we change our logicality drawing style of him?

Kinda proud of this one, sorry for the lack of details though (I hope I can compensate with sexy Logan)

Ah, Roman, here at last. Can you feel your eyes filled with tears yet or shall I explain? Have to do everything around here myself:

Everything about this is so *chef's kiss*

From the fact that out of all Scenes, Patton decided to draw Christmas Carol Roman.

From the fact that he drew him in a happy (almost cocky) way.

From the fact Roman is holding the folder, smiling, ignorant as ever.

Or even that Patton really likes to drill in the mistakes of others, proving he's the (morally) better side.

But eh, you could also view it as a heartwarming declaration of support from a father figure.

Up to you, I suppose. Not as fun though.

The dark sides, everybody, have arrived. Janus! In the courtroom:

We haven't addressed that the most Patton has seen of Janus is in the svs episode.

But this man really knows how to draw him sassy

The episode was basically Patton fighting for his life (and losing??)

You may ask, omg why this one??

Plot points

Sassiness meter

You'll figure it out in the next couple drawings, you impatient buffoon

Seconds, anyone??

You can see how Patton rushed through with this drawing (not because I'm tired and it's three in the morning)

He's terrified of him, but drew him kinda cutsy

Patton officially doesn't know how many legs an octapus has

Remus is "smiling" because never in the entire dwit episode did Remus insult or offend Patton

Surely he said some things that were very out of pocket, but he never even hurt the little guy (or the giant frog)

Really, check back, he even gave him his creative liberties!!

Lastly but not least-ly (nailed it) Patton drawing "himself" :

I can already here the confusion (through my screen, yes)

This is indeed Janus! Patton and not the truthful representation

Why?? Hah! Naive naive fellow fander

Patton (in canon) is coming to the realisation that his moral compass is pointing south (towards hell).

Not all the time, ofc, he has some great attributes.

However he does need the help of a little sharp side

What better way to cry for help than to show the importance of cooperation/integration

Also,, moceit.

[colorfullpaperbird]

Taste in books i think each of the sides on Sander Sides would have

Logan: Easiest side to tell since he says his book taste in canon lmao, mistery books guy, agatha christie, sherlock holmes, murders on rue morgue, he just really enjoys a good mistery (he’s just like me fr). He also probably reads books about scientific discoveries and psychological studies on a day to day basis (since he seems to have an answer for everything), either really likes or really hates sci fi depending on the scientifical explanations the books gives

Patton: Ok so, im gonna be honest, i don’t think Patton reads much? In fact hes probably the one who reads the least out of all sides, but he does seem to know his stuff, quoting studies in some episodes ( ‘Can lying be good?’ being the one who comes to mind ), so he probably reads a few articles about Morality and philosophy, also when i imagine Patton reading i imagine children’s books with deep messages like Dr Seuss, so personally i think Patton’s taste in books would be books like “The Tao of Pooh” which explains philosophy in a simple fun way taking inspiration from children’s media.

Roman: Roman’s my favorite side and although i would like to dump my personal taste on him i am aware that he canonically hasn’t read my favorite book and dislikes dark retellings of fairytales, leaving me to tears since those are my favorite kind of story. However i will indulge a bit and say that Roman would love Shakespearean plays ( His favorite would be Hamlet bc it inspired Lion King ) and typical fantasy books. Im also 100% sure that guy has a shelf full of Disney Movie Books like the novelization of Beauty and the beast and the villain’s origin books by Serena Valentino, also has those super pretty Disney Classics books ( lucky mfer ). And obviously he would have the original novels of multiple musicals ( Wicked, Be more chill, Dear Evan Hansen…) and some ballets/non-Disney classics as well (The nutcracker, The wizard of oz, Swan lake… ). Also Harry Potter i guess, since that’s canon 😒

Virgil: We all know what im going to say, Horror fan. Likes Edgar Allan Poe’s stories and classic horror books that inspired movies/series ( Carrie, Ring, the haunting of hill house… ), also reads a concerning amount of True crime about unsolved murder cases, and he has a special edition of the novel of The nightmare before Christmas somewhere trust me. And to self indulge a little, Dark retellings of fairytales, especially the Horror leaning ones.

Janus: I feel like Patton would read simplified philosophy books while Janus would grab shit like The gay science by Friedrich Nietzsche at the local library (never read this book, hilarious title tho), Overall i think Janus’s taste on books would consist of either philosophy and sociology books (especially the ones that annoying people read to keep gloating about how smart they are, except he actually likes them), and influential plays like Shakespeare, The Odyssey, The Iliad, Medea, Phantom of the Opera etc… His taste is the perfect combination of annoying Theater kid with pretentious philosophy kid (He is the guy they strive to be 😭)

Tw: Remus and everything that comes with him

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Remus: YES, REMUS READS, YOU CANNOT CHANGE MY MIND ON THIS, The books he reads? Very simple, Dark romance and horror, the books are his inspirations for new creative ways to annoy the shit out of the other sides, he is slowly but surely making a list of new horrid murder and torture methods he learned via horror books, also dark romance for him is just romance since he thinks normal romance books are boring and lack taste, some other side definitely walked in on him reading once ( picture him reading on the sofa twirling his hair and bouncing his legs in a very stereotypical teen girl way ) and asked what he was reading only for him to answer something like “ ‘Taken Hostage by the Hot Mafia Boss’ :D” Also definitely read the Kam4 Sutr4.

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Bonus: Remy/Sleep has a book detailing the multiple different ways on how to brew coffee and Picani has every Kids Show Book he could find ( Gravity Falls 3rd Diary, Star vs the Forces of Evil Book of spells etc… )

ALSO WARNING: If you want to buy any of the books i talked about here be aware there is currently a boycott of Disney and any other properties that have ties to the genocide committed by Israel!! And mainly, i would recommend to grab any book i mentioned in the library since they’re one of the only public community spaces that haven’t shut down yet, support your public library to make sure it stays that way!

[edupunkn00b]

Roomies, Ch. 7: Realizations

Prev - Realizations - Masterpost - [ AO3 ]

WC: 6460 (My hand slipped) - Rated: T - CW: Parents being assholes (but also parents being awesome); uh, swearing; kissing - Written for @intrualityweek 2024: Realization

When everything comes to light.

Despite rushing and more than a little haphazard packing, they didn’t quite finish gathering up Patton’s stuff before Ro and Logan had already bundled into the Reyes’ truck. Accustomed to driving around half the cast of whichever play Ro was in or transporting giant sculptures from the school and out to community gallery showings for Re, the Reyes’ drove an impossibly large SUV. With all the seats up, it seated eight.

For this trip, though, to make room for all their bags—and a small cooler of snacks and drinks for the long ride—Mr. Reyes had needed to drop one seat in each row.

When they got downstairs, Ro and Logan were happily squished together in the middle row, leaving two seats for Re and Patton in the back.

“It’ll be cozy,” Re smiled, a little nervously, maybe. Was he afraid Patton got car sick?

“Are you sure—” Patton looked back over his shoulder and up at the dorms. He couldn’t see their window from here, but maybe seeing the truck so full might’ve changed their minds. “I’m gonna squish you.”

“No you won’t,” he said and opened the car door. When Patton got closer, he bent his head and whispered near his ear. “I hate riding alone in the back.”

His voice was light, like he was about to add a punchline but his eyes were serious and Patton whispered back, “Really?”

“Really, really,” he said, grinning when Patton clambered inside and buckled his seat belt. “See?” Re said once he’d folded himself into his own seat. “We fit just right.”

Re was right, the back row was cozy, but not cozy the way a too-tiny studio was called ‘cozy.’ Comfortable cozy. A mug of hot cocoa in the dining hall and listening to Re talk about his newest project kind of cozy. Hiding together in the utility closet across the hall from Ro and Logan’s dorm room during the first water balloon incident kind of cozy. 

With a bag on one side and Re on his other, Patton felt hugged in the best of ways.

He nodded. Pressed up against his, Re’s leg was warm, even through their clothes, a very much appreciated warmth when he remembered how the Reyes’ liked to keep the car cool on long drives to make sure whichever one of them was driving stayed alert. As the car drove out past the college gates and out onto the highway, Logan unzipped the bag next to him and pulled out a small throw blanket.

Re shivered next to him and Patton looked at the bags surrounding them. “Hey, my sweatshirt’s near the top,” Patton murmured to Re, twisting over the back of the seat to reach his bigger bag. “Lemme get it.”

“Oh, sure, yeah,” he said, doing his best to move out of the way. He chuckled when the sweatshirt caught on his head when Patton retrieved it, knocking his hair in his eyes.

“Sorry,” Patton laughed, helping right his curls in the dim light before unzipping the oversized hoodie.

Re blinked at him when he covered both of them with the plush fleece. “You don’t mind?”

“‘Course not. Oh—unless you mind?” Patton added, eyes wide. It was dark outside and hard to read his expression. Was Re just trying to be polite?

“Never,” he grinned, teeth flashing under a passing streetlight. He chuckled as he helped cover their laps with the hoodie then sat back with a sigh. “We’ll be warmer together.”

~

It was after midnight by the time they turned off the highway and down into the local streets. Most houses were dark, with only a few whose Christmas lights hadn’t yet been turned off for the night. It felt weird to be back, a queasy nostalgia for a neighborhood Patton didn’t think he’d see this Christmas. Or ever?

For not the first time, Patton was grateful his parents lived deeper into the cul-de-sac than Re and Ro did. This time, though, instead of the thrill of a glimpse of the Reyes’ house on his way back home, he was relieved it meant the Reyes’ likely wouldn’t need to drive past his parents’ house on the way in. And likely spot their car in the driveway.

Mrs. Reyes eased the car to a stop and put it into park. “We’re home, niños,” she said quietly, chuckling when she looked back at them through the rear-view mirror.

All three Reyes men were asleep.

“Nothing to do but love them,” she said, shaking her head with a smile. “Lindo,” she murmured, touching Mr. Reyes’ shoulder. [ ‘Cutie,’ ] “Corazoncito, we’re here,” she said when he didn’t budge. Patton didn’t know that word but she’d said it before. He could ask Re later. Whatever it meant, it seemed to work because Mr. Reyes opened his eyes with a little groan and climbed out of the car.

Half-listening to Logan’s sleepy attempt to wake Ro, Patton brushed Re’s arm. “Hey, Re,” he murmured. “It’s time to get out of the car,” he added, a little guilty for waking him at all. Deeply asleep, head tucked between the headrest and one of Patton’s bags, Re’s eyes and mouth were completely relaxed. “Re?” he said again, giving his arm a little shake. 

“Mm-hm,” he said, nodding with his eyes still closed. Mumbling something Patton couldn’t understand, Re shifted closer and curled one arm around him, head rested on his shoulder. Re’s hair tickled his nose, soft against his cheek. It still smelled faintly of the hair dye they’d picked out together the week before.

Even in sleep, Re’s grip around his middle was strong and secure, a firm but not unwelcome hug. Smiling in the still dim back seat, Patton carefully laid his arm over Re’s and gave it a little pat.

The car went quiet. Patton didn’t move, didn’t look up. The spell was broken a moment later when Ro reached over the middle seat and shook Re’s shoulder. “Dude, wake up,” he said. “You’re laying all over Pat.”

“Wha—” he jerked awake, looking first at his brother and then at Patton, eyes wide. “Oh, fuck, I’m sorry,” he said. 

“It’s okay,” Patton tried to smile, bubbles popping in his stomach. He probably shouldn’t’ve liked it as much as he did. Re hadn’t meant to hug him in his sleep. He was… asleep, after all.

“Pendejo,” Ro muttered under his breath, too quiet for their parents to hear. Re looked away, unbuckling and climbing out of the car before Patton could ask him what it meant.

His confusion must have shown because Logan whispered as he got out, pulling a bag along with him. “It means ‘creep,’” he explained. “Letch.”

“Ro, he wasn’t—” Patton called after him but he didn’t stop, just picked up two of the larger bags and kept going. Patton clambered out of the car, dragging the bag next to him. Laden with bags, the Reyes’ and RoLo headed inside the house. Re was at the trunk, taking out the remaining bags and setting them down on the floor of the garage.

He didn’t say anything at first when Patton joined him, just pulled out another bag, grunting when the strap snagged on a hook in the back. Patton reached in to help free it and Re gave him a weak smile. “Thanks, Pattycake. I…” He shook his head, still not quite looking directly at him. “I didn’t mean to… I mean I wasn’t trying to…”

Patton reached for the bag, covering his hand. “I didn’t mind, Re,” he whispered back. “It was…” He took a deep breath then looked up to meet his eyes. “It was kinda nice, actually. I liked it.”

“Really?” A smile tugged up one corner of Re’s mouth. Gaze still fuzzy with sleep, his eyes practically twinkled in the low light. 

Patton nodded. “Really, really,” he grinned and hooked the bag over his shoulder.

~

The rich scents of coffee and chilis fried in butter greeted Remus when he woke the next morning. “‘Morning, Patty—“ he mumbled, rolling over to face his own closet in his own quiet room back home. 

But Pat wasn't there. Shaking the last of his dreams from his head, he stretched and shoved aside his blankets. No, Pat wasn't in his room, but he was just down the hall. He pulled on the first T-shirt he found, brushed his teeth and took his meds, then rushed out of his room.

He lingered in the hall, listening to Pat’s muffled laughter dancing up the stairs. Sounded like Ro was already up, too.

Early in the morning after their 13th birthday sleepover, Ro’s voice was the first thing Remus heard. Well, his braggadocious brother was the second voice he’d heard that morning. He’d been woken by Patton’s stifled laughter outside his door as he and Ro had whispered in the hall on their way downstairs. Now Ro boomed up from the kitchen. “So we were at two minutes to curtain and the props master still couldn’t find my goblet~” Remus snickered to himself when Ro’s voice cracked at the end. Puberty’s a bitch, huh, Ro-Bro? Ro cleared his throat and Patton’s voice tittered, “And then what did you do?” “Well—” Standing on the upstairs landing, Remus didn’t have to see his brother to imagine him standing tall, shoulders back and a hand pressed regally to his chest. “I had no choice! I had to go on stage without it.” “Oh!” Patton gasped. He would be looking up at Ro, eyes big and round, mouth drawn into a soft little O-shape. Or maybe he’d covered his mouth entirely, ready to laugh at Ro’s wind-up. “But it was the grail!” he said. “I know,” Ro intoned, deathly serious. Remus rolled his eyes and ran down the stairs, only half listening. “I held my right hand upstage for most of the scene and then at the very last minute—” “Good morning!” Remus cried, bounding into the kitchen. “Re! You ruined my story!” His brother whined, stomping his foot. Smile gone, Patton slid to one side, keeping Ro between Remus and himself. “Morning, Remus,” he said quietly to the floor. “Um, would you like some sofrito and eggs?” he asked, pointing to the big skillet at the back of the stove. “There’s plenty.”  “Pattington, you needn’t bother— “Nah, just coffee’s good for me.” Reaching for the pot and his favorite mug, Remus interrupted whatever snide remark his brother hoped to make. “I can’t believe he drinks that sludge,” Ro complained under his breath to Patton before turning back to him. “You’ll stunt your growth that way, you know.” Remus shrugged. “Still taller than you, little bro,” he cackled, sipping to see if it was hot enough. Nodding to himself, he opened the fridge and rooted around for an open can of condensed milk. “And wouldn’t Mamí just love to hear you call her café con leche ‘sludge.”” “You wouldn’t dare! And I am the elder brother!” Ro stomped his foot again. “By two hours,” Remus laughed. “You sure as fuck act like it, too.”

Raking his hands through his hair, Remus shook away the memory. He closed his eyes and focused on Pat’s sweet smile last night when they’d finally gotten all the bags inside and the guest bed made up and they’d said good night, promising each other breakfast in the morning. Everything was different now. Wasn’t it? 

Pushing down the butterflies in his stomach, he fluffed up his hair then dashed down the stairs three at a time.

“Gooood morning,” he called, bounding around the corner. He stopped short when he found the person making Pat laugh in the kitchen hadn’t been Ro.

But Mamí.

“Good morning, Re!” Pat grinned at him from the other side of the stove where he was beating eggs in Mamí’s big steel bowl. Sunlight streamed in from the kitchen window, setting his curls ablaze with threads of gold and copper and platinum. “Oh, no,” he said over his shoulder, pouring in the egg mixture at Mamí’s prodding. The eggs sizzled with the chilis and tomatoes and a rush of yummy steam curled up toward the ceiling. “Did we wake you?”

“Nah,” he said, shaking his head and stepping into the kitchen. He bent to accept a kiss on the cheek from his mother, watching Pat shake the big skillet over the burner.

“How did you sleep, mijo?” Mamí peered into his eyes, a quick press of the back of her hand to his forehead another tell that his thoughts had subtitles again.

“Really good,” he said, smiling down at her before glancing at Pat scrambling the eggs in their pan. “Hungry, I think.”

Pat laughed, “You’ve come to the right place, then. Your mom’s been cooking up a feast this morning.”

Mamí hummed, giving him a little squeeze before moving to the percolator bubbling at the back of the stove. “This is almost all Solecito’s work,” she demurred, passing Remus the coffee pot. “He really knows his way around the kitchen.”

Blushing, Pat looked down with a little shrug. “I like to cook. I’ve missed it,” he added after a moment.

“Not much of a chance to cook at university, is there?” Mamí said. “It will be good to be home for a while, ¿verdad?” she asked, giving his shoulders a squeeze.

“Mm-hm,” he nodded, turning as he piled the eggs onto a waiting platter. Profile backlit and his head bowed, Remus nearly missed the way Pat’s smile evaporated as he scraped the pan. 

He stepped closer, then Mamí tapped the hand holding the coffee pot. Remus blinked. “I’m going to wake Papí,” she said. “So we can get to the grocery store before it gets too crowded.” She raised her eyebrows and added quietly, “Cuida a tu invitado.” [ ‘Take care of your guest.’ ]

“Si, Mamí,” he murmured and kissed her cheek before turning to Pat. “Hey, Pattycake. Want some coffee that’ll put the dining hall’s to shame?”

Pat turned and met his eyes, and Remus warmed all the way to his toes at the return of that perfect little smile. “I’d love some!”

~

“Please, Re?” Pat looked up at him, the wetness in his eyes nearly making him back down. “You go unpack in your room while I finish washing up. I’ve got this,” he insisted, giving his arm a squeeze. Remus could take his hand right now, pull him into a hug and just make him take a break. “It’s the least I can do.”

Pat's soft fingers brushed over his as he took the stack of dishes from his hands. “No, the least you can do is go take a nap upstairs like RoLo.”

His blush could set off a fire alarm. “I don’t think they’re sleeping upstairs,” Pat whispered conspiratorially. He shrugged, more embarrassed than jealous and Re had to keep his hands shoved in his pockets to resist the urge to hug him.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he chuckled, looking up at the ceiling. Thank fuck for good sound insulation. “All the more reason to let me help you down here, yeah?” he said, bumping Pat’s shoulder.

“Alright,” he conceded before flashing him a grin. “I’ll wash, you dry?” Pat jerked his head toward the tall cabinets. “You’ve got better reach, anyway.”

“Aye, aye, Cap’n,” Remus grinned and picked up a towel.

~

Dishes washed and put away, Patton leaned back against the counter, looking around the Reyes’ kitchen. The PTSA calendar had been replaced with a print out of the college’s semester schedule. Patton smiled. That, and a class schedule for salsa lessons at the studio downtown. Everything else, though? 

The whole house had hardly changed since the last he’d been there, a couple days after graduation. One last sleepover at Ro’s house before his summer classes started, one last hurrah before Pat left for camp. One last bit of his old life before everything happened.

“Hey, Pattycake.” Re crooned, sliding along the counter to stand beside him. “Where’d you go?” Patton realized he’d crossed his arms over his belly, pressing away the dull ache he’d had since he first woken. Re looked down at him, big green eyes soft and concerned. One hand gripped the counter just next to him and Patton had the wild urge to grab it and wrap his arm around him the way he had in the car.

Patton smiled up at him, mostly real. “Distracted, sorry. Maybe I’m just a little tired?”

“It’s probably safe to head upstairs for an actual nap if you want,” Re shrugged. 

He looked up at the stairs. The guest room was nice—really nice, with a big double bed and fluffy comforters. But it was… Patton looked up at Re. It felt weird to sleep without someone else in the room now. Without Re in the room. 

Re was still watching him like he could read every thought as he had, because he suddenly smiled. “Or we could chill out together on the couch? Put on something brainless and veg?”

The tight band wrapped around Patton’s chest loosened and he nodded. “Yeah, let’s do that.”

Smiling, Re bowed like he had that first night in the dorms, one arm swung wide. “After yooooou,” he said, voice dropping as he bent all the way over until his hair almost touched the floor.

“Nooooo, yooooooou,” Patton said, laughing.

~

Rain clouds darkened Pat’s eyes, even as a sweet giggle spilled out at his performance. Pat was trying so hard to act like he wasn’t hurt his parents couldn’t fucking be bothered to make a home for him over break—over both breaks, Remus thought with a sinking feeling in his gut. He’d been so fucked up last month, he’d just accepted that Pat’s parents really had chosen a cruise over their own son.

He followed Pat’s gaze as they entered the living room, passing the wall covered in Mamí’s favorite photographs. Some were ancient, tiny black and white photos now with sepia edges, stowed away in suitcases for decades. Some were from last year’s prom. Pat paused in front of the one of him and Ro when they were just kids. Standing side-by-side at the beach, missing front teeth and all. Mamí sat between them, hugging both of them in front of a giant sand castle they’d built together. It was taller than each of them, with the final spires completed with Re perched on Ro’s shoulders. Papí’d snapped it right before Ro chased him into a wave.  

Pat’s eyes were wet when he looked up at him. “Your parents love you so much,” he whispered. “You’re so lucky.” 

“Pattycake?” A tear slid down his cheek and Remus caught it with his thumb, brushing it away before catching another. Closing his eyes, Pat covered his hand and pressed it to his cheek. “Pattycake, what’s going on?”

Eyes down on the floor, Pat moved closer. “I… I need to tell you something,” he said, voice so, so small. “I—My parents—” 

He jumped when the garage squealed open. “¡Niños!”  Papí called inside. 

“Fuck,” Remus muttered when he heard the door upstairs. 

“¡Niños! Come and help with the bags, please!”

Straightening, Pat scrubbed at his eyes. “We should go help,” he said, glancing up at him with wide, scared eyes. Chin puckered, his lips trembled before he looked back down at his toes. What the fuck did his parents do?

“Pattycake, no.” Fuck it. He grabbed Pat’s hand and cradled it between his, tracing the squishy peaks and valleys of his knuckles. Somehow Pat didn’t pull away so Re drew closer and whispered, “Let Ro pull his weight, you’re—”

But Pat shook his head firmly, tugging him closer to the garage door. Only then did he loosen his grip and wipe away the last of his tears.

Giving in, Remus leaned close just as RoLo bounded down the stairs. “Later?” he whispered.

Nodding, Pat swallowed hard before whispering. “Later.” He pulled open the door and led them out to the garage. “I promise.”

~

The Reyes were quieter than usual as they all worked to unpack the car. Looking at the bags and bags of groceries and the long, curled receipt Mrs. Reyes shoved in the recycling bin with a little frown, Patton imagined whatever this all must’ve cost would put anyone in a bad mood. Mr. Reyes squeezed his shoulder as he lugged three of the last bags, lips thin as he nodded. “Gracías,” he murmured and closed the trunk, waiting to see the dome light click off.

“Happy to help,” Patton said quickly, looking down at the bags in his hands. At least some of the extra food they’d bought had probably been with him in mind, the extra mouth to feed they’d taken on—unknowingly—for the next two weeks. Maybe he could convince them to lend him their car and he could make a grocery run when it became clear his parents were never going to show up.

A touch of his guilt allayed with his new plan, Patton set the last bags on the counter and joined Re. He’d already put away most of the groceries in the kitchen while Ro and Logan tackled the cold bags out in the garage freezer, laughing when Logan referred to it as ‘applied Tetris.’

“Solecito,” Mrs. Reyes called to him from atop a step stool next to the stove. She shook an opened box of baking powder as she stepped down. “Will you check to see we have another of these in the bags? I thought we’d bake cookies today.” Her gaze lingered on his face, like she was looking for something besides just if he thought she’d bought what they needed.

“Oh! What kind would you like to make? Can I help?” He swallowed hard when he pulled out the big ten-pound bag of flour. He and his mom baked together every year for the neighborhood cookie exchange. He wondered what she baked without him this year. Carefully setting down the bag and dusting off his hands, he looked up and met Mrs. Reyes’ watchful eyes as she approached.

“¡Sin duba!” she said, smiling. “It wouldn’t be Christmas without your snickerdoodles, Solecito.” She curled one arm around his back and squeezed.

“Yeah, they’re the best!” Re grinned, taking two giant Costco-sized cans of condensed milk from the last bag and sliding them onto a high shelf in the pantry. “Especially Ro’s secret stash,” he stage-whispered with a glance at his brother to see that he heard as they came in from the garage.

“Ah!” Hand pressed to his chest and mouth agape, Ro gasped at his brother. The lump in Patton’s throat softened just a bit. “You stole the cookies Pat made especially for me?”

“Damn right I did,” Re cackled, winking at Patton when he let out a broken laugh. “And they were absolutely scrumptious, too.”

“And you laugh!” Ro turned to Pat now, unable to hold back his own smile. “The absolute betrayal!”

Patton laughed again when Ro flung his arm over his eyes and swooned, falling into Logan’s waiting arms. “Don’t worry, I’ll make a double batch for each of you, all of you,” he added, grinning at Logan. “If—” His smile faltered and he looked back at Mrs. Reyes. “Oh, only if that’s okay with you. I—It—it’s your kitchen.”

“Ai, of course, Solecito!” she smiled and ruffled his hair. She used to call him that all the time when he was little and then she’d stopped sometime around high school. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed it until she’d started saying it again in their dorm room. “Why don’t you start a batch now? You can keep me company while I start the masa.” 

Mr. Reyes gripped his sons’ shoulders. “And you three,” he grinned as he included Logan, a wide smile reminiscent of both Ro’s and Re’s. “Come help me bring up the big leaf and some extra chairs from the basement.”

Patton looked through the little cutaway out at the Reyes’ dining room and the mahogany dining table that perfectly seated five. Tears stung his eyes. They wouldn’t need the extra space if he weren’t there.

“Go on, we need the room to bake,” Linda shooed the rest of them toward the hallway. “You, too, Garrochón, I’ve got all the help I need right now with Solecito here.” She wrapped a warm, soft arm around Patton’s shoulders and the burning in his eyes only grew. “Later you’ll help me wrap the tamales.”

It was only then Patton looked up and saw Re hadn’t followed his father downstairs. Instead he’d stepped into the kitchen and was watching him, gnawing the edge of his mustache with a wrinkle between his brows.

“Confía, mijo,” she whispered and, after a long moment, Re nodded and flashed Patton a grin.

“Whaddya say about sneaking in some cayenne into some Ro’s batch?” he said none-too-quietly.

“I heard that!” Ro called from the staircase.

“You were supposed to,” Re laughed back, eyes never straying from his. “You’ll come find me when you need a taste tester, yeah?” he said to Patton, quieter. 

“You really thought last year’s cookies were ‘delectable?’” 

“Of course,” he grinned, backing into the hallway. ”Why do you think I steal Ro’s cookies every year?” he added in a whisper before winking and heading down the stairs.

“Payaso,” Mrs. Reyes muttered with a laugh, shaking her head with a proud smile.

“Love you, too, Mamí,” Re laughed, then the door to the basement closed and the house grew quiet again.

While Mrs. Reyes took out bowls and measuring cups, Patton quickly cleared the rest of the counter, folding bags to put back in the car for next time. She hummed tunelessly, like she was thinking. Finally, she cleared her throat and spoke.

“We bumped into your mother at the store today.”

Grateful his back was to her, Patton tried to still his shaking hands. “O—oh?” He’d tried to sound conversational, but his voice shook and cracked. What else could he say?

When Mrs. Reyes remained silent, Patton nodded and continued to fold the stack of grocery bags. He had enough money in his account to get back to campus if he had to. And the room was still stocked from what he’d expected would be a two week break there. He might have a bit of a wait with the holiday Greyhound schedule and he’d need to get off the local bus early. With the road work it wouldn’t go all the way onto campus. He’d figure it out once he got up there. It was all totally doable, he nodded to himself. Totally doable. 

She still didn’t speak, just waited for Patton to explain. Explain why he’d lied. Explain what the hell he was doing in their house.  “Wha—what did she tell you?” he asked, playing dumb like the coward he was.

Mrs. Reyes moved closer and laid a soft hand on his shoulder. “Everything.”

Finally he turned to face her. Her eyes had grown just as watery as his. “Ai, pobrecito,” she whispered and opened her arms. Patton fell into her hug, a small sob escaping his lips. She held him close, her shirt smelling like sofrito and the same flowery perfume she’d worn for as long as Patton could remember. Tears forced their way out past screwed shut eyes and he cried, hiding his face against her shoulder.

She never let go. Simply rocked him, stroking back his hair and making little shushing sounds. When his tears slowed, she whispered, “Solecito, why didn’t you tell anyone?” 

“I…” He let out a shuddering breath. I was going to. “I was okay,” he said instead. “I was lucky. I wasn’t like Logan, I had a lot of my stuff, and a job and—”

“No, that’s fine, Ro Bro,” Re’s voice burst out as the basement door opened. “You just keep reliving your glory days with Lo Lo down there, I’ll bring up—Pattycake?” Soft, worried, so unlike his previous snark for his brother.

“Ven,” Mrs. Reyes’ moved one hand from his back, beckoning Re closer. “But shut the door,” she murmured.

Re put down the chair he’d carried up and followed her instructions. He drew close and a warm, strong hand curled around his shoulder. Patton looked up and Re brushed back his hair from his eyes. “Is later now?”

“Why don’t you two talk?” Mrs. Reyes suggested, turning him to face Re as she let go. Patton wrapped his arms around his belly, already missing the warmth of her hold. “Can I tell the boys downstairs?” she asked him and he nodded quickly, relief flooding his veins.

He didn’t want to see their faces when they heard. 

“Thank you,” he whispered, throat still too tight for anything louder.

Re didn’t move until the basement door opened and closed again. “Pattycake?” he said again, hands twitching at his sides. “Can I hug you?”

Patton couldn’t look up, just nodded, melting into his embrace as Re wrapped strong arms around him. He finally broke when Re reached up and stroked his hair. “I’ve been lying to you,” he choked out, face tucked against his chest. “I’m sorry.”

Re hummed, rubbing his back. “What about Pattycake?”

“My parents aren’t…” The web of half-truths and outright lies tangled in his throat and he hardly knew where to begin. “They’re not out of town. That’s not why they didn’t pick me up.”

“Did you kill ‘em?”

Re almost sounded serious and a wet laugh pushed its way up Patton’s throat as he peered up into bright green eyes, soft with worry even as a wild smile stretched across his face. Patton shook his head.

“Oh, well if you had,” Re met his eyes, jaw set. “You know I’d help you bury the bodies, right?” Patton was pretty sure he meant it, too. Arms curled tightly around him, Re had lost his grin but his gaze was still soft. Pat couldn’t remember ever seeing him look at anybody else like that. “What’d they do, Pattycake?” he murmured.

“They don’t want me,” Patton blurted out. “I…” He sucked in another breath when his throat closed up and after a moment tried again. “My parents aren’t like yours. I knew that,” he said, nodding. “I just… I just thought they just needed time, you know?” 

Understanding bloomed in Re’s eyes and Patton continued.

“I waited until I was at camp to tell them,” he whispered with a shrug. “To come out. Let them think about it, let them see how everyone at camp was supportive and—” His voice broke and Re pulled him close again, fingers carding through his hair. “I thought when I got back they’d be ready to talk about it.”

Re’s voice rumbled in his chest. “What’d they do, Pattycake?” he asked again.

“They said I wasn’t their son anymore. They reported my car stolen, cops came to camp and towed it ‘cause the title’s in their name.” Once he started, the words spilled out. “They bricked my phone, told Camp to take them off my emergency contacts, said they’d—” 

Re growled and held him tighter. 

“They said they’d call the cops if I ever went back home. That it wasn’t my home anymore.”

Re curled around him, cheek rubbing against the top of his head. “They’re right,” he whispered. 

Patton held his breath, hope and fear warring in his chest. 

“This is your home right here,” he said, long arms still wrapped around him as he pulled back just enough so their eyes could meet. Re smiled. “If you want it to be.”

Epilogue

Patton only saw his parents once that winter break, walking with Mrs. Reyes to deliver their cookies for the neighborhood cookie exchange. It was cold out, with an icy rain just shy of snow as they trudged through winding streets. Patton was kept warm by her proud smile as they handed over a double batch of espejos and snickerdoodles they’d baked together. 

She didn’t even slow when they neared Patton’s old house, sucking her teeth and muttering, “Deja que Dios los perdone,” as they passed. Only one other house wouldn’t answer the door when they knocked and Mrs. Reyes shrugged with a wide smile that reminded Patton of Re as she stepped off the porch with him. “More cookies for us, then,” she said, handing the paper box to him to carry with the other cookies and treats they’d been given by the other houses.

Patton’s parents walked together on the other side of the street, pretending not to see them.  They walked up to the Greyson’s house, stopping when the porch light clicked off on their approach. Patton hitched his bag up on his shoulder, keeping the waterproof flap shut. 

The Greysons had given him and Mrs. Reyes two boxes of cookies in the exchange. 

Watching from the corner of his eye, Patton saw the next house was the same. His parents knocked and rang the bell, and though two cars sat in the driveway, Christmas lights twinkling brightly in the lit windows, no-one answered. Mrs. Reyes took his hand and gave it a little squeeze. “Keep going?” she asked.

He nodded. “We’ve got more cookies to deliver.”

~

Christmas Eve, home again after midnight mass, after all the ‘good night’s were done, Mr. and Mrs. Reyes, then finally even Ro and Logan had headed off to bed. Pat sat across the kitchen table from him, each nursing their own hot chocolates. Without the draw of morning classes, neither of their sleep schedules were where they should be, and getting back into the right routine would be a bitch. But for now, Remus treasured the quiet time with Pat.

They both drank slowly, like a reverse race to see who could finish their mugs last. Not the Remus minded. It was getting harder and harder to fall asleep in the room by himself and as good as it felt to be home, he’d found himself counting the days until they got back to their dorm room and he could fall asleep listening to Pat breathe.

Pat yawned but shook his head, eyes watching the stairs like they might slither over and bite him. “I don’t wanna go to bed,” he blurted out, blinking in surprise at his own words. 

Remus grinned. Maybe Pat was having the same problem he was.

“Hey,” he whispered and Pat looked up, a sleepy smile curling up his lips. “We could crash in the living room, say we were waiting for Santa or some shit.”

Giggling, Pat nodded. “Okay.” Taking his hand, another bubble of laughter burst out from his chest and Pat led the way to the big couch, stopping only when he passed under one of the little sprigs of mistletoe Ro had been putting up around the house all week.

Remus’ laughter fizzled out, eyes up at the little green and white bundle tied with a bright red bow. “Look out, Pattycake,” he said, waggling his eyebrows. “If you stop here, somebody might try to kiss you.”

Bottom lip caught between his teeth, Pat smiled up at him. “Somebody might,” he said, nodding. 

Remus’ throat went dry when Pat stepped closer, hands reaching up and resting on his shoulders. Distantly, he heard a door upstairs open and close, but then Pat pushed up onto his tiptoes and grinned. Automatically, Remus’ arms circled Pat’s back, steadying him.

Pat tugged him closer. “Unless I kiss somebody fir—”

“Remus!” Ro hissed from the hallway. 

He and Pat whipped around, one arm still curled around his waist. Ro glared at him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” 

“Ah, Roman—” Logan began, gripping his shoulder.

“No!” Ro shrugged him off. “I will not simply stand by while my lecherous brother takes advantage of—”

“Roman!” Pat grabbed Remus’ hand and slid between them, staring up at Ro.

Warmth shot up Remus’ arm and he shrugged, giving Pat’s hand a little squeeze. Pat squeezed back. “At least I’m not the one who spent the last week hanging these damn things all over the house just so I’d have an excuse to make out with my boyfriend!”

Red splotches spread over Ro’s face and he stabbed a finger at him. “No, but you are the one who lured poor Patton over here to try to mack on him!” Ro stepped closer, talking over Patton’s head. “And you are the one who draped your body all over his in the car on the way back home! He’s been through enough and—”

“Roman, stop it!” Pat snapped in an angry whisper. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe I want to kiss him?”

Ro’s mouth hung open and he looked back at Pat with giant eyes. A dead fish on a slab.

“Come on, Roman,” Logan murmured, tugging him back toward the stairs. He flashed Remus a tiny smile, nodding approvingly before drawing Ro closer. “Let’s give them their privacy. You can apologize in the morning.”

“But, mi amor,  I—”

Their voices faded as they walked upstairs but they both caught Lo’s insistent repetition. “You can apologize in the morning.” 

Remus relished Pat’s chuckle as he turned to face him again. They both looked up. They’d moved and the mistletoe was no longer above their heads. He shrugged, working to keep the disappointment from his voice, “They’re all over the place, we’ll—”

Pat cut him off, pulling him down and pressing their lips together. He tasted like chocolate and spice, a hint of peppermint. His lips were as soft as Remus had always imagined they’d be and he had to fight the impulse to chase them when he broke away with a sweet laugh. “I hope that’s okay,” he whispered, cheeks pink. “I didn’t ask.”

“More than okay,” Remus nodded, tracing his thumb over Pat’s bottom lip. “I… You…” He swallowed hard. “You don’t know how long I’ve thought about doing that.”

Pat’s smile put the Christmas tree lights to shame. “So I’m really not just your brother’s dorky friend from high school?”

“Uh-uh,” Remus shook his head, drawing closer. Slowly, slowly, slowly, he curled one arm around Pat’s back, the other hand cupped his cheek. “I’ll fuck up anyone who ever made you think were.” Remus hovered there, Pat’s breath warm against his cheek and his neck.

Pat was the one who closed the distance and kissed him again.

Remus chuckled against his lips. “And I’m not just your best friend’s creepy evil twin?”

“No.” Pat shook his head before kissing him again. Slower, this time, he parted his lips, giving him just a taste before pulling back again. 

Dizzy, Remus’ blood roared in his ears and he could never have imagined Pat’s next words.

Blushing, he whispered, “And I’ll fuck up anyone who ever made you think you were.”

[roseianxiety]

All wrapped up by the fireplace

Ship: Romantic Roceit

Content Warnings: Mentions of alcohol usage, drunkenness, foul language, slight innuendo

Synopsis: Roman has some alone time with himself after their little Christmas Eve celebration, but a certain drunken snake approaches him and ruins his peace. At least that's what he thinks.

AO3

“Roman, is it really necessary for you to turn the living room into THIS?” 

Logan queries loudly as he gestures to the living room, now completely covered in Christmas decor and where their TV stood was now replaced with a grand brick fireplace. Roman really put a lot of effort into all this grandiosity.

“Yes, Logan, it is necessary.” Roman drawled out as he gave Logan a look while hanging the last ornament on the Christmas tree. He then added, hopping off his little stool. “You'd really expect ME to NOT go all out on Christmas?” he remarked at Logan.

Logan merely sighs and rolls his eyes, making his way towards his recliner chair. “I shouldn't have expected less from you and Patton when it comes to celebrating festivities,” he stated, gently sitting down and opening up one of the newspapers Virgil gave him. 

Roman hums proudly before strutting to the kitchen to check on whatever Patton was working on.

“Hey, Popstar, how's the baked goods doing there?” Roman questions cheerily from across the counter, propping his palm under his chin while he watches Patton do his thing.

Patton turns around, slightly surprised at Roman's sudden appearance but then giggles. “Oh hey ya, kiddo, didn't see you there.”. He continued, pulling out a tray of gingerbread man cookies out of the oven. “I'm almost done with the last batch. Careful, they're very hot.”.

He says before placing the tray down on the countertop to let it cool. Roman immediately reaches for one but hisses in pain and pulls his hand back when he burns himself with the piping-hot cookies. “Ow…”.

Patton tuts and shakes his head at Roman's impulsiveness, “I did tell you they're hot. You saw me take them out of the oven just now.”. He reaches to take Roman's hand but the other declines and pulls away. 

“Nah, it's okay. This burn is far from reaching my intestines anyway, so I'm cool. I was merely excited to taste your fantastic cookies, Padre.” Roman shrugs and moves to try and take one but Patton gently slaps his hand away. The creative prince pouts at that.

“No no, they're still piping hot. And, we still have to wait for the last batch before we can finally eat all of these.” Patton states with a raised chin, trying to seem authoritative but he looks silly and cute. Don't tell him that.

“Bummer,” Roman mutters with a pout before sighing. He straightens (ha!) his posture and stretches his arms over his head, turning on his heels. “Anyways, you better continue that while I go check whatever chaos Remus is doing. Don't want him ruining my party.”.

He says as he makes his way back to the living room. As he does so, he could see Virgil hissing aggressively at Remus while his twin brother was teasing the crap out of the anxious facet.

“Come on, take him! He's Mr. Fuzzy’s boyfriend!” Remus exclaimed, trying to give another handcrafted hairball abomination to Virgil who was desperately trying to get away from him. And Janus was there, laughing his drunk ass off by the sidelines.

Virgil notices Roman walking towards them and immediately calls for him while trying to stop Remus from getting close to him. “Roman! Come get your unhinged brother!” He exclaimed, before hissing at Remus.

“Hi, Roman~” Janus giggles drunkenly as he gives Roman a small. Geez… he really was drunk. Roman chooses to ignore him.

“Sorry Virgil but you're gonna have to deal with him yourself.” Roman hums, raising his hands in defense. Virgil groans at his response, now more annoyed. Remus then pushes the hairball abomination right at Virgil's face, causing the other to yelp.

Roman leaves them be and walks towards the couch, plopping just beside Logan who was engrossed with his puzzle thing or whatever it was. He tried to take a peek at it only for his face to scrunch up in confusion, not understanding one bit of it. Roman didn't what was so interesting about it but eh, at least Logan was having the time of his life.

He leans back on the couch while he watches as the fire crackles in the fireplace, emitting a cozy warmth that he always loved. Roman might now admit it out loud but he loved enjoying his Christmas with everyone. It’s good not to be alone.

“To be honest, I didn't think Remus would be this… tame when he is drunk. How surprising.” Logan comments as looks down at Remus on the floor before sipping on his wine. The chaotic individual was currently splayed out on the living room floor, already deadbeat asleep.

Patton carefully takes the empty mug from Remus’ grasp, trying not to wake him up. “So alcohol is just the way to calm him down?” He says, letting out a soft yelp when Remus grumbles and pulls the mug away from him, hugging it close. Patton frowns and leans back on the couch but not before grabbing two cookies from the snack platter.

“You know, it's already late and I already feel the spirit of Christmas welling up inside me. And by that, I mean vomit. Merry Christmas y'all, I'm gonna go bury myself in the comforts of my blankets.” Virgil suddenly says as he gets up from his usual place on the couch before sinking out, not letting anyone say a word.

Logan proceeds to check the time on his wristwatch. “Virgil is right, it is past twelve and my bedtime schedule. Merry Christmas everyone. Be sure to sleep well.” He says in a monotone, glancing at the rest of them. He then leaves as well, following right after Virgil.

“Aww geez, everyone's going to sleep now. I'm starting to feel eepy too. So sorry your party didn't go the way you wanted it to, Roman.” Patton apologizes with a small frown as he looks at the princely trait but Roman waves it off.

“It's quite alright, Patton, I am not easily upset at something so trivial.” He says casually, getting up from his spot on the couch and beginning to stretch his arms, hearing satisfying pops from his joints. “You go ahead and rest your adorable self, I'll deal with all the mess here.” Roman then added.

“Are you sure? I can help you—”

Roman immediately cuts Patton off before he can even continue his sentence, “Shush, Patton. I can handle this. You've been dozing off a lot, it's best for you to rest.”.

“Plus, I've still got a pump of adrenaline in me so I'm not that tired yet. I'm gonna spend all that leftover energy cleaning all of this.” He chuckles, trying to reassure the fatherly figure.

“Oh…if you say so. But don't forget to rest too. Merry Christmas, kiddo! I love you!” Patton exclaims before throwing himself on Roman, giving the other a tight, warm hug. Roman smiles fondly, hugging the other back. Eventually, Patton sinks out and returns to his room.

When Patton left, Roman immediately started his work. He cleaned all of the junk left in the living room, from the torn gift wrappers to the various cookie crumbs lying around. Roman resorted to carrying Remus onto the couch, Remus might not be the physically built one between them but God, was he heavy. 

He continued to clean the living room and even cleaned the kitchen as well, making sure there wasn't any mess left in the morning. After half an hour or so, he was finally done.

He makes a little nest out of pillows and blankets by the fireplace before situating himself in his creation. Even after all that cleaning, he still wasn't tired. And he couldn't think of anything to do. So why not look at fire instead?

Janus stumbles down from the stairs, drunk as fuck. He was planning to get some water but his eyes landed on something by the fireplace. Or more likely, someone.

“My my, what's our beloved prince doing here all by himself?”

Roman suddenly snaps his head back as soon as he hears that all too familiar sultry voice. His eyes narrow at the very presence of his archenemy. Janus was making his way towards him, while almost tripping on his own feet. He clearly was still not sober.

“What do you want, Janus? I'm not exactly in the mood to deal with you right now.” Roman groaned before turning back to the fireplace, crossing his arms over his chest.

“What? Am I not allowed to be in the living room? I just wanna get warm.” Janus huffs before plopping down beside the prince, causing the other's face to scrunch up more in frustration and annoyance. Roman scoots away from him and avoids meeting his gaze. He crosses his arms further, a big pout already forming on his lips. 

There was a big silence between them, and Roman liked it that way. Heck, he even forgot Janus was there beside him in the first place. Out of annoyance and trying to avoid the other, he got distracted by watching the fire slowly move and crackle in an intricately artistic dance. Not until Janus said the most out-of-pocket thing ever which ruined the vibe.

“You know, you could've done other things to warm me up than buy me socks.”

Those. Those were the very words that ruined his perfectly good vibes. Because what the actual fuck!?

“W-what? No!” Roman remarked quickly in sheer embarrassment, his whole face as red as his sash. Now why did Janus have to say that?!

Janus only tilted his head at him, staring at him innocently for a few minutes before letting out a sadistic cackle, making Roman turn red. “I'm just messing with you, Roman.”.

He then stops momentarily, batting his eyelashes at Roman as he bites his lips suggestively. “Unless you want to…”.

Roman's whole face immediately burned up like the fire in the fireplace. For some random reason, the way Janus was saying that in a low and sultry voice while biting his lip was absolutely sending him. Jesus Christ on a stick, it was not the right time to be a gay mess.

“How many bottles of wine have you drunk today?” Roman queries, gently gripping Janus' face as he tries to look for any sign of sobriety.

“Just a bit. Like, three or four bottles. I don't know, I forgot. Silly me.” Janus giggles, looking up at Roman with a drunken gaze, his whole face dusted in pink. Okay, but truth be told, he was quite cute when he was not up to something devious. Not that Roman would admit it.

“Geez, you're so drunk right now. You need to go back to your room and sleep.” Roman clicked his tongue before letting go of Janus, causing the other to slump forward against him.

The deceitful facet whined, clinging close to him. “I'm not drunk! I am very sober as you can see. Iz jus very very cold… hmm, you're warm.” he grumbled lowly, nuzzling close to Roman. The creative prince was having second thoughts if he should push Janus away or let him cuddle with him, he's still not on good terms with Janus after all and the latter was drunk.

“Even while drunk you still have the gall to lie.” Roman scoffs with a roll of his eyes.

“So warm… you are like a walking furnace. Very warm. I like warmth.” Janus babbled, not wanting to let go of Roman. The other could do nothing but grimace, having no choice but to let Janus cling to him like a koala bear.

“Not gonna lie, you're sorta cute when you're drunk. And pretty annoying too.” Roman commented, glancing at Janus for a moment.

“Awww, you think I'm cute AND pretty, Roman? Do you like meeee?”

The creative trait could feel his cheeks heat up at Janus' bold words. He tries to hide his blush by averting his gaze from Janus while his heart begins to ram against his ribcage.

“No way! I-I meant pretty annoying! Nothing else.” Roman exclaims in defense but Janus merely chuckles at him, clearly not convinced with his answer. And of course, Janus doesn't stop taunting him.

“Then why are you blushing?~” Janus teases as he reaches to grab Roman's face, urging the other to look at him. 

“I'm not!”

“You so are.”

Roman let out a frustrated groan and covered his face. Janus was going to be the death of him if he didn't stop teasing him. He wanted to rip out his hair and scream. Roman took back what he said, Janus was not cute when he was drunk, more like annoying.

“By the way, how did you know I'm cold-blooded? I never truly told anyone that.” Janus wonders, seemingly having calmed down from his amusement. Roman glances at him, slightly caught off guard by his question.

Roman thinks for a moment, he didn't think of the possibility that Janus might ask that question. When he got Janus for Secret Santa, his first plan was to give him something shitty like a passive-aggressive letter but he scrapped that because he might seem like too much of an asshole. So he went for something useful. He may or may not have done some research for Janus' gift.

“I just assumed because you're a snake and all,” Roman muttered, still refusing to look at Janus at the fear that the other would tease the crap out of him or if his heart would fully jump out of his chest. “They're not that special, just some pair of yellow socks.”.

“I like them though, they're yellow and keep my feet warm.” Janus hums happily before raising one of his feet up to show off his cool new socks, then wiggles his toes a bit just to fuck with Roman. The princely facet gave him a disgusted look but it quickly melted away into a hearty laugh.

“Didn't expect you'd wear them immediately. Thought you might throw it away because it does not match your ‘Disney Villain’-esque aesthetic.” Roman chuckles softly. Janus smiles at him, a sincere and genuine one at that.

Roman wanted to admit it, but Janus was growing on him. He had never seen this side of him before when he was sober. He was less villainy and scheme-y, although Janus still got that sass and all. Yet it was his first time seeing him smile so genuinely. It was a fresh sight to see.

Their eyes suddenly met for a moment, the both of them could feel a quick spark of electricity as soon as their gaze landed on each other. Roman could only watch as Janus slowly leaned closer toward him, almost climbing on his lap. 

They stare at each other intently, not knowing what will happen. Roman's gaze moved from Janus' eyes down to his lips, then back up, before gulping softly. There was a pregnant pause between them, but it was broken when Janus leaned forward, closing the gap between them.

Sparks fly as their lips collide in a kiss, likening it to a fireworks display. All the background noises seemed to quiet down behind them, only the loud thumps of their passionate hearts that seemed to jump out of their chests could be heard. Roman only stared at Janus in shock as he sat there, frozen. His brain was still processing what was happening. 

But before he could, Janus suddenly pulled away. 

“I love you…” He mutters against Roman's lips before moving away to rest his head on the prince’s shoulder.

Then it finally clicked to Roman. He snapped out of his trance and immediately reached to touch his lips with his fingers, trying to feel the bits of the presence of Janus' kiss as his whole face warmed up. Janus kissed him and confessed to him… Janus…kissed…him

.

.

.

.

.

.

JANUS KISSED HIM!

The realization dawned upon him like being hit with a ten-wheeler truck. Did this mean Janus liked him all this time?! No… no, that can't be the case, right? He was drunk. That cannot be true… right? But it did seem genuine.

He was about to question Janus when he realized the other had already fallen asleep while lying on his shoulder. Really? He just kissed Roman and gave him a dilemma then went to sleep!

Roman let out a groan, mentally slapping himself on the face. He did not want his Christmas to start with him overthinking about this. After a long while, he lets out a long sigh, choosing to accept his reality. Maybe Janus did like him. But does he like him back?

He glances at Janus once more, observing his features. Huh, his scales were interesting up close. They shine like emeralds. A small smile creeps up on Roman's lips while he watches Janus sleep peacefully, he really is stunning.

Janus suddenly shudders in his sleep, clinging more to Roman. The personification of creativity notices this and decides to pull the other closer, basically letting his archenemy cuddle him. Roman looks around for the blankets until he finds one, draping it around him and Janus, hoping that would shield them from the chilly breeze.

Roman then queries softly, “Still cold?”. 

Janus then unconsciously shakes his head as a response while he nuzzles the other. The creative facet chuckles softly, wrapping his arms around Janus to keep him warm.

He continues to observe the other for a few moments, watching as he softly breathes and snore. It was cute. This could be good blackmail material for Janus, but Roman wasn't exactly in the mood. All he wanted to do right now was admire him. Roman then whispers to him, pressing a gentle kiss on Janus’ forehead. 

“I love you too, Janus.”

-----------------------------------

Writing Taglist: @cutebisexualmess @extraintrovertedalien (please tell me if you want to be added or removed in the tag list)

[muppetable]

incorrect quotes day featuring more stupid shit my friends and i have said!!

roman, using a glue gun: scissors beats paper, but will scissors beat gun?

virgil, using scissors: let's find out

*war ensues*

remus: yeah his name is bob hes really annoying. he doesn't work. i want to pay 400$ to get rid of him but jan won't let me.

patton, not knowing bob is a roomba: *stares in horror*

patton: it's almost like you've never seen the vine boom sound

logan about to snap: oh no i've dropped this apple. very hard. in your direction. at your face.

remus and virgil: *playing with christmas ornaments*

remus's ornaments: *break*

remus: OH NO MY BALLS

virgil: im gonna film as you clean that up

roman: *throws inflatable ring at logan* TRENCH WARFARE

*playing trivia*

virgil: your turn, tap in *slightly pushes logan to his chair*

logan: *trips*

virgil: OH SHIT YOU GOOD

logan: SIR

[clydesavage-thefox147]

SEASON FINALE AND SONG PREDICTIONS

So with Thomas dropping the fact that there will be 6 SONGS in the Season Finale, I'm going to talk about what songs could be possible and/or what I'd(and what I assume others) hope for.

First talking point is: how many times has each side actually sang in the series? Well, if you count actually singing instead of "speak-singing", Virgil has sang 2 times with "New Year's Lies" and "Incomplete". Logan has sang 1 time and that was during the "Crofter's Musical"(if you don't count the brief lines he sang in "12 Days"). Patton has sang a total of 2 times, once in "12 Days of Christmas" and once during "Incomplete". Roman's sang the most out of the main four, 3 total times with "Incomplete", "Crofter's Musical", and "12 days". However, if we are counting how many songs they played a significant part in...Virgil has had 3 with "New Year's Lies", "12 Days" and "Incomplete". Logan has had 4 with "Crofter's Musical", "Incomplete", "Rap Battle" and "12 Days". Patton has had 3 with "12 Days", "Rhythm Redux" and "Incomplete". Roman has had 5 with "Incomplete", "Rap Battle", "12 Days", "Crofter's Musical" and "Rhythm Redux".

So in simple terms: Virgil sang 2 times, featured in 3 songs. Logan sang 1 time, featured in 4 songs. Patton sang 2 times, featured in 3 songs. Roman sang 3 times, featured in 5 songs.

So Roman has sang the most and has been featured the most. Logan sang once. That's just out of the main 4. Patton and Virgil are basically tied.

Remus has only one main song with "Forbidden Fruit". But he's so far the only Side who's had a full song dedicated to him. Janus never had a song in the canonical series. Yes, he did sing "Into The Unknown", however that is a cover, not an original song. He was featured in Remus's song but it more or less was a flashback scene and sang from Remus's perspective so it really doesn't count. And since Orange will be hopefully making an appearance, it's safe to say he might make a musical debut.

So, what could this all mean? Well, seeing as there will be 6 songs, 6 possibilities. But here's my hope:

1: a Janus centric song. He is the only side(minus Orange) without any official, original, canonical song. So, it only goes to show that maybe he will get his own. It would be a great way to flesh out his character. Show an emotional side, show a devious side, show a sensual side... anything about him. It would be interesting to see a burlesque like show from him or like a jazzy slow cafe swing song. Hell, we could get a reprise or revision of "New Year's Lies" or some level of a reference to it.

2: A duet of anything kind. It would be very cool to see some duos that have been at odds lately having a dueling duet. Janus and Roman, Virgil and Janus, Virgil and Patton, Logan and Roman, or Logan and Remus. Or maybe get a villain duet with Janus and Remus like a Partners in Crime kind of thing. Or maybe a duet with recently newly formed friendships like with Roman and Virgil or Logan and Virgil. I think any of this would be fun.

3: a Logan centric song. Logan has sang the least out of the main 4 and has a lot of pent up words he so desperately wants to force out, so what better way to do it than with a ballad or an aggressive tantrum-like rage song. Something that shows his true deep seeded emotions and maybe shows the corruption from Orange's influence. It could be a song from Logan in private or could be one directed at everyone outwardly. Maybe he could end up singing it under Orange's influence.

4: An Orange Side villain song. Now yes, a corrupted Logan song would technically count but it would be from Logan's perspective and issues. An Orange centric song would introduce him, his motives, his behaviors, his vibe etc. It would be perfect. If Remus can get a debut song, why can't Orange? Or, imagine a confrontational song with Logan vs Orange.

5: a Roman centric song. Roman has been having clear issues throughout the season, if not series as a whole. Insecurities with himself, fragile and broken ego, loneliness, jealousy and animosity with almost everyone. He's been on the brink of snapping and breaking down just as much as Logan has been lately. So, it's safe to say that a song from him is possible. An emotional ballad? And Villain song? And mix of both? Who knows. He has sung the most and has been featured the most so I don't think he really deserves another song honestly but then again, this would be from his perspective completely and not mixed in with everyone elses' or a duet.

6: a Virgil centric song. Now yes, I don't really see a huge possibility of this but it would be interesting to hear from Virgil's perspective on everything under the quise of a song. His dark side connection and reveal, his feelings on his neutral side balance, and his relationship with everyone. It would be a rather cool and emotional moment for him. Like I said before also, would be nice to see a duet with him and either a side he's fond of or he has animosity with. But if it's a full song on him alone, all that could be mentioned entirely.

7(bonus?): a Patton centric song. Similar to Virgil's. An emotional ballad on his recent struggles. Moving On, new relationship for Thomas with Nico, his relationship with the other Sides, his depression, his strictness/religious trauma. It would be a very strong song in my opinion. But it would be neat to see a duet too of him either with Virgil or Janus.

Now, will all these happen? Probably not but it's safe to say that the ones that are of most likelihood are a Janus centric song, an Orange centric song, a Logan centric song and maybe a Roman centric song. It's also likely that we might get two songs in one part. So say: 2 songs in the 1st part, 1 in the 2nd, 1 in the 3rd and 2 in the 4th. I hope that whatever songs we get are bangers and becomes huge staples in the fandom just as much as the others.

What do you guys think??

[amazable01]

A little quick write inspired by @dailysandersidesaudoodles mafia mociet drawings. Soz if it's not great, I wrote this at midnight <3

TWs: Mafia-typical gun violence; coercion; morally gray sides; mentions of sickness, poverty, intoxication; description of injuries (bruising and being tied up); implied animal death (hunting); toxic relationship dynamics

“Can you do it?”

Four words. Four deceptively simple words.

Patton held it in shaking hands, eyes trained on the barrel in front of him. He’d never fired a gun before; never even thought about it. His pop had tried to teach him when he was little, but he’d never had the stomach to hurt the animals he was told to hunt. The ripple of power, the loud bang, the whimpering pain the creature released as red sprayed across the ground before him. Patton had vowed then and there never to hunt again, never to shoot a living thing.

And yet, here he was.

The man they had chosen for this was someone Patton knew all too well. A stock broker. A conman. A monster and abuser. And, of course, Patton’s boss. He’d been bound to a chair, tied down tightly to the wood. The bright ropes cut into his bruised skin to leave colorful dots and lines, not unlike a pretty package on Christmas. Even the green gag had been wrapped in the front in a sadistic mockery of a bow, all ready to be splattered and frayed with the shot Patton had been gifted.

The hand on him shifted, now placing its palm flat against his lower abdomen. Patton couldn’t tell if it was meant to be comforting, encouraging, or mocking. He… really didn’t think he wanted to know, come to think of it. Seeing that crooning face all over again wouldn’t help his rapid, unspooling indecision any more than it had the first time.

This group was Patton’s last resort. Almost destitute, Patton had crawled pityingly to their doorstep with his ill son in hand. Logan was of a sickly nature; brilliant of mind yet feeble of body. It had taken only one boy at school to walk in feeling under the weather, and Logan was unable to move on his own. Patton had tried to cure him, tried to pay for the treatments, and no one bothered to give any real help. He’d lost every penny on the boy he so desperately loved, and he was rewarded with being kicked to the curb by both his landlord and boss.

Janus was the lucky one to answer his endless pleas for sanctuary. The man brought them in, nursed Logan back to health with no cost. Not only that, he housed them and gave Patton a job close by in order to get back on his feet. He wanted Patton around because it was apparently rare to see such a bright mind and a beautiful face together at the same time. Patton had fallen for the flattery and adoration on the spot.

As time had passed, Patton became more desperate for Janus’ affections. The man acted like Patton was the most interesting little doll he’d found at a charity shop: only worth bothering with because there was a spark of potential and the soft slump of obedience in Patton’s gaze. And as for Patton, Janus was the very air he breathed: smokey and husky and tainted with feelings best left in the quiet hours after intoxication. At this point, Patton was under his spell completely, willing to do everything Janus had asked of him and promising he always would be.

And here they were now. Janus wanted to see precisely how far Patton would go if asked. Patton had promised once more he would do anything.

The gun trembles. He runs a finger over the hammer.

“Is he not worthy enough to die? Is my word not enough for you?”

An immaculate finger ghosts over Patton’s earlobe, barely there but enough to make him shudder in equal terror and agony. A tear wells up behind his lenses.

‘No one would know’, Janus had promised. It was to be their little secret, a truth unspoken to all and carried to the dusty grave Patton would be lowered in. It was to be his hell, his horror, his beauty and acceptance. In doing this, Patton would belong to them, to him. There would be no point in leaving after he made this choice; Janus would have more than enough evidence to get Logan off him before throwing Patton away somewhere so he wouldn’t talk.

Not that Patton would ever talk. He was in too deep for that, now.

“Maybe you need direction? Perhaps you have forgotten what I need of you…”

A hand cups Patton’s shaking one, and steadies it as Janus gently shifts Patton’s hand into proper aim. Patton watches as a thumb reaches around ever-so-gently, and cocks the hammer into place to prime the gun.

The man in the chair squirms and screams. Janus chuckles gently under his breath.

Patton closes his eyes, and shifts his finger onto the trigger.

“Fire.”

There was no other option, in the end. There was no world where Patton would not choose to obey.

[ashs-random-writing]

Giants in the woods

One-shot

Ao3

Christmas gift for my amazing qpp @a-chilly-pepper

—

When Patton was enveloped with magic, and ended up in a strange land where fairies were to scale to everything else, and he was a giant, he’d not known what to expect

When Virgil found a giant in the woods, he couldn’t help noticing how much it resembled different aspects of nature

—

There was something about the darkness, Patton thought to himself, as he closed his eyes. Something different, that was drawing him in. It was warm, and inviting, and he had never felt like this before.

He woke up a little while later, somewhere new. There were trees around him, but it was as though they had been shrunk. Unlike most trees that looked like that, with that many branches, and that thick, they were only about a foot taller than him. He adjusted his glasses nervously.

He was stood up for some reason when he woke up

There were several bushes around him, though they were also strangely small. The only thing he could see was more trees, more bushes and more plants. If he looked up, he could see a night sky that was entirely unfamiliar to him.

Those… those weren’t the constellations that he saw every night, weren’t the ones that Logan had mapped out and explained to him about a thousand times. He wrapped his arms around himself, in a parody of a hug

He didn’t know where he was, nor did he know why. He knew that he didn’t know what was going on, that it was an unfamiliar situation.

He reminded himself that he needed to think positively- new and unfamiliar, didn’t mean bad. He was supposed to be an optimist, and he supposed that the sky was pretty here.

He sat down on the ground, careful to not crush any plants or animals. He couldn’t hear anything but the chirping and squawks of nighttime birds, but they sounded… smaller.

He tried to ignore everything that was different, wrong, and strange; this… this could very clearly be a fun experience, if he was positive about it!

He was a giant here. It didn’t really take a genius to figure out. He wiped his eyes of the tears he had only just realised he had been crying.

He wondered if there were other people here. Would they be tiny as well, or would they be like him? He wondered how they’d feel about him.

Hopefully, good feelings.

He wondered how Logan was faring with his absence. Logan was there when he… disappeared, wasn’t he?

When the strange feeling had encompassed him, Logan was there as well, right? He nodded to himself.

Yeah, he was there, they were watching one of Logan’s smarty-pants documentaries after Patton had shown him one of the animated movies that Patton liked. It was how they liked to hang out, showing each other their interests and listening and watching intently to the other

Their interests didn’t often coincide, but neither of them minded. Patton hugged his knees.

What if they never got to do that together again? No, he was going to go back home. He had to think positive.

For the next few days, Patton was living in the woods. He had found some plants that he knew were safe to eat, and he ate those, not being able to look an animal in the eye and kill it, even for food.

He hadn’t seen any people. He didn’t want to seek them out, either. He didn’t want to get more lost

He knew his little stretch of trees, and the few little bushes that had surrounded him the past few days.

Some of the plants glowed every so often, and it was mesmerising. He didn’t touch them that often, knowing that it could be dangerous. He looked up at the stars at night

“Would Logan like this new sky?” He’d mumble to himself, and hug his knees.

He needed water. He was sure there was a river nearby, but he didn’t know if the water was clean or if there was enough.

He gave in, and walked as quietly as he could to not disturb the wildlife. He found the river soon enough. It was crystal clear. He breathed deeply and he cupped some water in his hand and he drank.

It helped his lightheadedness and his sore throat.

He carried on drinking and then went back to the small section of the woods where he had been staying.

It was just like camping, he decided. There was nothing wrong with it.

He stayed there and fell asleep.

The next few days were similar. He hadn’t seen any people.

He was lonely. He wondered what Logan had been doing. He closed his eyes and laid down. The ground wasn’t the most comfortable, but it was bearable.

He woke up a few hours later, and yawned, rubbing his eyes. He sat up, and then he noticed he wasn’t alone. There was a (person? Fairy?) in front of him, to scale with everything else around him, making them as small as a doll to him.

He blinked in surprise, hand twitching slightly as though to grab them, but he stopped himself

“H-hello?” He asked, almost nervously.

They had dark purple skin, and hair that covered part of their face, meaning he could only see one obscenely wide eye. Their clothes were strange. All dark colours and purples. They were lanky in the way only a teenager could manage

They looked… scared. Of him.

He brought his hands closer to his own body. He’d probably also be scared if faced with a giant. Their eye was a mint green, and swirling with yellows, looking at his body, his hands, and his face, interchangeably.

“It’s okay, I’m not gonna hurt you,” he said as softly as he could manage, but their face stayed blank, terrified, shocked

“You… you don’t understand me, do you?” He tried about ten seconds later, voice dejected

They stared up at him. Patton felt awkward, upset and embarrassed.

Of course they wouldn’t understand him, what was he thinking? This place was so far from home that there was a different sky, why would they speak English?

The little person stared at his face as though they were studying it, before carefully backing away, never looking away from him, as though scared he’d pounce

He realised belatedly that the plants were glowing more with proximity to the tiny person.

They slowly dimmed.

He could admit that he was a little bit upset with the departure of the tiny person. He stared at where they had left, and he hugged his knees.

He missed home. He missed Logan.

The tiny person was about 4 inches tall, to him. How tall would Patton be for them? It probably wasn’t fair that he called them the ‘tiny person’; they were to scale, he was the one that was big.

He spent the next few days trying not to think about the things he might be missing at home, good or bad. He hoped that Logan wasn’t too worried about him, he was fine, even if he had no clue how to get home.

He wiped his eyes and rested his chin on his hand. He didn’t know what he was going to do

The tiny person, extremely surprisingly, came back.

They had a long cloak, a dark one, that looked like the sparkling night sky. He was mesmerised by it. So much so that he almost missed that it looked so much more like his night sky than it did theirs.

He stared at it, feeling tears well up in his eyes. He missed his sky.

The tiny person stared up at him, clearly taken aback by his sudden emotion.

“S-sorry… just miss home,” he apologised between tears, though he knew they couldn’t understand him.

They walked a little closer, staring up at him, before removing their cloak and setting it before him like a gift.

He slowly reached out a hand, watching their reaction intently. They were watching him back.

He gently picked up the cloak, and he looked at the patterns on it with wonder.

He could see his favourite constellation. He smiled, tears still falling.

The different constellations weren’t where they should be, but it was his sky, his constellations. That people knew his sky, it gave him hope of getting home.

He hugged it close and looked down at the tiny person.

They were still watching him, face unreadable. He offered their cloak back to them, which they hesitantly accepted, wrapping it back around their shoulders. They stared at him, before clearing their throat

They started speaking, but Patton couldn’t understand a single word they said. Their voice was somewhat high pitched, with a language that sounded like chittering and clicks. He frowned

“I don’t… I don’t know what you’re saying,” he tried, but they clearly also didn’t understand him.

He wondered about this place. Why was he here, where was here, why were the people tiny and colourful, why was he a giant?

The tiny person slowed down their speaking, and took a deep breath, before gesturing to themself and saying something. Probably their name. He repeated it as best he could, and watched their reaction.

They corrected him on pronunciation, and he repeated the corrected version again. They nodded slowly. Patton grinned, clapping his hands very lightly

He gestured to himself and said his own name, the same way they had said theirs.

They repeated it. Of course, considering their vocal cords seemed different to his, they didn’t get it entirely correct, but he didn’t have the energy to correct them.

He just grinned, undeniably happy. He clapped again, careful not to make too much noise. Tiny ears were bound to be more sensitive.

He saw their wary smile, but they still didn’t get close to him. Like a particularly nervous kitten, he likened them to mentally, smile growing at that comparison.

Maybe he could name a cat after them when he got home.

He leant down

“We’re friends, now, Virgil!” He announced quietly, still knowing that they couldn’t understand him, but wanting to share that fact anyway.

They looked at him with wide eyes (or, eye, since he could still only see one) and muttered something, presumably to themself. Patton leant back, and looked at the sky. The sun would be setting soon.

Virgil followed his gaze and frowned.

Patton watched as they left with a feeling of sadness growing. He had just made his first friend in this new place, and now they were leaving

He watched them pull the hood of their cloak up as their small figure left his sight

—

Virgil had seen the biggest shock, and incidentally one of the biggest things, of his life. He had just gone for a morning walk in the extensive woods at the border of his village

And then, he’d stumbled upon the sleeping giant. Its skin was the colour of sand, its hair the colour of the very earth beneath his feet, the colour of the dirt that made up the homes of countless animals and other creatures.

In addition to its sheer size, it was clearly powerful. It looked like Nature Herself had carved it out of Her image. It awoke, after a few minutes of Virgil staring at it.

Virgil could feel his heart racing, as it sat up. If Virgil thought it was large when it was on the ground, it was even larger now it was sat up. He took a wary step backward, and watched its eyes move to stare back at him.

Shit, it had noticed him

He looked at its eyes, the colour of the grass beneath his feet, but swirling with browns and golds also, as though they were stolen from the sunlight hitting the trees.

He felt his chest rising and falling in response to his panicked breathing.

That was some kind of nature deity, or at least something 10x more powerful than Virgil could ever hope to be, and suddenly it spoke

Not in any language that Virgil could understand, but rather something that was deep, rumbling and similar in pitch to a rockslide. He stared in shock, not comprehending the words, or the language.

Its facial expression changed to something almost disappointed, but it spoke again.

Virgil thought for a moment. He’d come back at some point, but he felt the need to leave now. He carefully backed away, not taking his eyes off of them, in case it was taken as some kind of disrespect.

He walked back to his house, and picked up his books. He had always been fascinated by the idea of the supposed alternative world of everything natural, with no magic, but he’d thought it was just that; an idea.

This seemed to prove otherwise. He spent the next few days reading, and contemplating. He hadn’t spoken to his friends in a few days.

He had known that the theorised alternate world was supposed to have different stars, it had been one of his favourite things to think about for a while

He had made a cloak embroidered with the depictions of what these stars might look like. He hadn’t thought about it in a while

He looked at it in thought, before pulling it around his shoulders and walking towards the trees. Perhaps the giant would appreciate it, a kind of… offering.

When he got there this time, it was awake, and noticed his arrival near immediately, staring not so much at him, but at his cloak, eyes going wide before beginning to fall with tears.

He stared. Its tears were clear, unlike fellow fairies, who cried pure black. His confusion took on a kind of horror as he realised that it was salt water.

As a fairy, salt was painful, a kind of torture, unless naturally part of a substance like the ocean, rather than artificially added. That the few stray splashes weren’t painful was only a small blessing

It only seemed to prove that it was even more powerful than originally assumed. The ocean’s own waters fell from its eyes.

It said something in that strange language, its deep voice rattling him, and he took a deep breath.

His cloak was removed from his shoulders, and carefully laid flat in front of the giant, which tilted its head

Virgil took a small step back, and it slowly and carefully picked the cloak up between two large fingers, looking at it with a smile, and still having tears running down its face.

It held the fabric close for several long moments, before looking back down at him, and carefully putting it back down like he had done to gift it to it.

He weighed his options for a single moment, before slowly pulling the cloak back around his shoulders.

“Your generosity to give me the cloak back is greatly appreciated, giant,” he said politely, on the small chance it could understand him.

It stared at him with non-comprehension, before slowly speaking in its own language.

Virgil stared back again, thinking of a way to communicate.

He took a deep breath, and placed a hand on his chest. A name would be as good as any place to start

“Virgil,” he enunciated carefully, watching it slowly nod

“Virkil?” It parroted, getting it wrong. Its vocal cords weren’t meant for this

“No, it’s Virgil,” he corrected gently, ignoring the annoyance that was creeping up in his mind

“Vir-gil,” it parroted happily, clapping, before placing its hand on its own giant chest

He mimicked their own, strange name, trying to make it sound like their language, but he was sure he messed up somehow. It still grinned, and clapped again

Virgil was happy that it seemed like an excitable creature, rather than a vengeful, easy to anger one.

He smiled a bit, but shuffled backwards a tiny amount. It was so… big.

It leant down, its giant face now only a few feet above him

It said something that ended in his name, but Virgil couldn’t figure out the sentence

“Oh, what have I gotten myself into?” He muttered nervously, fidgeting. It leant back, and started looking at the sky.

Virgil also looked up. It was starting to get dark, he’d have to go if he wanted to see the path home.

Of course, there were the glow plants, and they never really stopped glowing, but they were few and far between, except in this little clearing where his nature giant had spawned

He slowly backed away, and once he was far enough, he flicked his hood up and turned around to see where he was going. He could almost feel its watchful eyes on him, though they were partially obscured by the lenses that covered them.

Once he got home, he slumped against the door. That was one of the most stressful interactions he’d had in his life, and that was saying something. He should probably tell his friends about the (giant? deity?) in the woods.

They’d probably want to know about that.

He felt his breathing speed up ever so slightly. He didn’t even know what was happening, let alone how he’d explain it to his friends.

What would Roman say? He would probably not believe him, but he wouldn’t lie about something like this.

There was something powerful in the woods. He could only imagine what could’ve happened if it wasn’t as benevolent as it seemed. He wrung his hands

He magicked a book closer. What did it say about giants? Why was it just always in the woods, why was it so happy when they exchanged names, what was it?

It mentioned nothing. Just stories of people who somehow ended up in the other dimension, where these deities had somehow harnessed the power of lightning for everyday use, without magic.

If Virgil had doubted the power of this giant (he hadn’t, but), he certainly wasn’t now. He read up until the sun rose, at which point he left his house, and traversed towards Roman’s home.

Compared to Roman’s house, Virgil lived in basically a shed. Roman’s house, still wouldn’t be big enough to house ‘Patton’, even with all the walls cleared out.

He knocked on the door, and waited to either be let in, or for Roman to come out.

Roman opened the door, and Virgil quickly grabbed his arm, and pulled him outside

He stammered a little bit, trying to figure out exactly how to explain this

“Listen, you know how I sorta obsessed over the idea of a complete alternative world last month,” he asked, fidgeting and avoiding eye contact

He saw Roman nod, and he carried on

“I- I might have found proof that it exists, and that everything is giant there. Also, maybe there’s a deity in the woods, and you should follow me, because I know it’s hard to believe, but it is there,” he said, rambling in a way that probably wasn’t as convincing as it could’ve been

He looked up and studied Roman’s face

“Okay, well, I only caught about half of that, what do you mean there might be a deity in the woods?” Roman asked, wide eyed

Virgil took a moment to think rationally and explain

“There is something in the woods. It’s giant, it embodies nature as far as I can tell, and it cries saltwater. Like actual, natural saltwater,” he explained, watching Roman’s eyes widen more

They spoke for a few more minutes, with Virgil trying to convince Roman to believe him, and Roman trying to counter his claims

“Okay! I know this sounds insane, but I’ve seen it, and I need you to believe me! Just- just follow me, and I’ll bring you to it,” he pleaded

Roman finally conceded, and Virgil started dragging him towards Patton’s clearing.

He explained the small things he had learnt about the giant, that it didn’t know any language he had ever heard of, that it seemed intensely linked with nature, that it seemed like it was kind, easily excitable.

Roman trailed slightly behind him, evidently still not believing him too much

“And… how big did you say this thing was?”

“Well, let’s say that you’d probably be the size of a finger to it,” Virgil replied, noting that they were getting closer

He stopped

“Just saying, it might be asleep for a little while at this time of day,” he admitted

It was, the last time he’d shown up at this time. They got to the clearing soon enough, and he felt Roman grab his hand.

Patton was sleeping, large face pressed into the ground.

Roman stammered next to Virgil, staring at the giant

Suddenly a sound akin to a whimper left the giant’s mouth, and soon, Virgil had been grabbed by Patton, who was still sleeping.

Virgil didn’t enjoy being grabbed, or being held by a hand that was larger than him, but he couldn’t get out. Roman was staring wordlessly at him.

Virgil could feel the heartbeat of the giant, for the next five minutes, while he was held like some kind of comfort object. He was trying to suppress his panic attack.

There was a shift in movement, and Patton woke up, immediately letting him go, and shuffling backwards slightly, beginning to ramble in their strange language

—

Patton had been upset when his new friend, Virgil, had left. But then he’d fallen asleep, so it didn’t matter really.

His dream was upsetting. He had fallen asleep thinking about friends, and therefore thinking about Logan. He had seen Logan in his dream, and Logan had been glad he was gone, glad to get rid of him.

Patton knew logically that Logan was his friend, and that he probably wouldn’t be glad of his disappearance, but that was also a distressing thought. He didn’t want to make Logan upset, either.

It was a very upsetting situation. When he’d woken up, he’d noticed that he was holding something.

He looked down, finding that he was holding Virgil close to his chest, like he did with his stuffed animals when he’d had a nightmare at home. He’d hastily let go of them and started apologising profusely, finding them staring at him with those wide eyes.

He noticed as well that they had brought a friend with them this time. Oh, what a bad first impression he’d made…

His apology faded out as he stared at the new arrival.

They had curlier hair than Virgil, and a different colour scheme. Darker green eyes, of which he could see both, and a pinkish-red skin, and blood red hair. Their clothes were fancier than Virgil’s, and they were red and gold.

He looked between them and rested his chin on his knees, feeling very guilty.

They looked at each other, speaking in hushed voices as though they were scared he’d suddenly be able to understand them. Soon, Virgil’s friend stepped forward, and introduced themself the way Virgil had

He repeated the name, nodding to himself, and then he introduced himself as well, watching them repeat it too, having similar trouble as Virgil with pronunciation. He smiled.

For the next few months, he stayed in those woods, visited every other day by Virgil, or Roman, or both. They were teaching him their language, but it was slow going.

Patton wasn’t very good at this kind of thing. They seemed to be somewhat nervous to be around him. At first he had chalked it up to his height compared to theirs, but he’d started to notice that it was something else.

He couldn’t puzzle out what.

It was on one of these visitations that he heard a noise. He strained his ears to hear it again. It almost sounded like…

“Patton!”

Patton’s eyes widened. He knew that voice

He shot up, into a standing position, something he never did when he was with his little friends. They got nervous easily

He called back

“Logan?”

Logan was here, how was Logan here? He started running towards the voice, and barrelled into Logan’s arms

“I- I missed you,” he said quietly.

Logan returned the hug, just as tight as Patton had started it, and Patton felt his eyes burning with tears

“Let’s go home,” Logan whispered, voice on the edge of cracking.

And, they found their way back home, something Patton had been worried about for a long few months.

—

@a-chilly-pepper @da3dm