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vincent-g-writer · 3 years

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The Silver Screen Savant, pt 2- the Meh, the Bad and The yikes.

Hello Writers!

Last time here on Starry Starry Write, I talked a little about Autism in the media and my personal experiences therein. Today, I’d like to go a little broader, and tackle the topic from a macro perspective.

In recent times, you’ve probably heard “Representation Matters” oft repeated. Especially in prominent talking spaces like social media. But what does that mean, exactly?

Why “Representation Matters,” and how.

The short answer:

Diverse representation in media tells us that everyone has a place in the world. That everyone’s story matters.

The long answer:

It’s no secret that we begin engaging with media at a young age. When I was growing up in the 90’s and 00’s, TV and video games were often the babysitters of my peers. I was one of the few kids in my neighborhood whose parents weren’t divorced. The kids I knew? Not so much. Most of them were raised by single parents, grandparents and of course-the boob tube. I personally prefered books, when my mom wasn’t yelling “it’s too nice out to be holed up in that dark bedroom!”

Now, don’t mistake my preference for some kind of intellectual superiority. I watched plenty of TV too. Besides, books aren’t magically out of the equation. Printed material is our oldest form of media. And- often just as problematic. Though I will say- I saw a much broader range of people on covers adoring library shelves than I ever did titles on a TV roster. But, I digress. The point is: for many of us, consuming media begins at an early time of our life. And that’s where the problem starts. Even in my childhood, where The Magic School Bus, Hey Arnold, and Sesame Street showed people of all kinds, I can point to many that did not. Especially not people like me. Which did me a grave disservice. I didn’t know I was on the spectrum for a long time, and when I finally found out, I was horrified, thanks to what I had seen on TV.

Because media is not only a wonderful way to learn about people that don’t look, act or sound like us. It also informs our ideas of who we are, and what we can be. Whether we like it or not: it shapes how we understand the world. And it doesn’t stop with Childhood.

Time Changes Much, but not all.

Things are better now. Well, a little bit, anyway.

As an adult, I see more people like me on the screen nowadays. Which is nice.

Ish.

Why “ish?” Well…

Frequently, these “noticeably different” characters (read: Autistically coded) are branded “NOT AUTISTIC!” You heard it here first, folks! That one character (insert your favorite) is Totally Not Autistic. Despite being written in a way that gives every indication otherwise.

*Facepalm*

Now for some examples, which we’ll call the “Meh,” “The Bad” and the “Yikes.” For “fun,” we’ll also go into the off-air perceptions of the characters.

The “Meh.”

First on the list is Dr. Spencer Reid, from CBS’s “Criminal Minds.”

Dr. Reid is the youngest member of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, having joined at the age of 22. He holds three B.A degrees in Sociology, Psychology and Philosophy, as well as three Ph.D’s in Engineering, Chemistry, and Mathematics.

He also has the social skills of a limp dishrag. Wait, what’s that? High Intelligence + Low Social Awareness? Hmmm…Then there’s his restrictive behavioral patterns, obsessive interests, and general “quirkiness!” that we could talk about. But let’s hear a quote from the actor who plays him, Matthew Gray Gubler:

“..an eccentric genius, with hints of schizophrenia and minor autism, Asperger’s Syndrome. Reid is 24, 25 years old with three PH.D.s and one can’t usually achieve that without some form of autism.”

Hoooo-boy. I could go into all the things wrong with this, including why the term “Asperger’s” is both horrific (TW: Eugenics,Ableism, N*zis) and harmful. However, today we’ll simply leave it with the fact that this term is no longer applicable, having been reclassified in 2013 as part of Autism Spectrum disorder.

The “Bad.”

Next up, we have Will Graham, from NBC’s Hannibal.

Like our first example, Will works for the FBI. He’s a gifted criminal profiler with “special” abilities, namely hyper empathy, which allows him to reconstruct the actions and fantasies of the killers he hunts. He’s intellectually gifted, hates eye contact, socializing, and prefers to spend…most of his time…alone.

Oh dear. Haven’t we been here before? But, I mean, he doesn’t have Autism! The show runner says so!

For Will Graham, there’s a line in the pilot about him being on the spectrum of autism or Asperger’s, and he’s neither of those things. He actually has an empathy disorder where he feels way too much and that’s relatable in some way. There’s something about people who connect more to animals than they do to other people because it’s too intense for whatever reason.

You can’t see me right now, but I’m cringing. A lot. This is just…ugh. I mean, for starters, I know a handful of autistic people who struggle with hyper empathy, which can make social situations overwhelming and hard to navigate. In fact, I happen to be one of them. Plus, there’s a cool little thing about how, frequently, people on the spectrum more readily identify with animals. But, y’know. Who am I to say? I’m just someone, one of many, who’s dealt with this my whole life.

Now, onto the “Yikes.”

*sigh*

And finally, we have BBC’s Sherlock, a modern adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s renowned “consulting” detective, and probably the most famous fictional character of all time.

Now, I’ll start by saying that the BBC incarnation is not the first to be Spectrum labeled. In fact, Sherlock was my childhood hero, and the first “person” I saw referred to this way. My aunt, an avid reader herself, casually remarked to a friend “I’ve always wondered if Holmes is Autistic,” after I came yammering on about how fantastic the books were. Had I not been champing at the bit to get back to my reading, I might have asked her what that meant.

I also believe this fandom driven speculation is why many detective type characters (see above) are often coded as Autistic, intentionally or otherwise.

In this New York Times article, Lisa Sanders, M.D. describes Holmes traits:

He appears oblivious to the rhythms and courtesies of normal social intercourse — he doesn’t converse so much as lecture. His interests and knowledge are deep but narrow. He is strangely “coldblooded,” and perhaps as a consequence, he is also alone in the world.

Now, before we go any father, let me take a moment to defend his creator. During the time Sir Arthur Conan Doyle first created his most famous work, Autism was not known. That isn’t to say it didn’t exist. We’ve always existed. In fact, it’s now believed that the Changeling Myth, a common European folk story, was a way to explain Autism. In one telling (there are a few) children displaying “intelligence beyond their years” and “uncanny knowledge” were imposters, traded out by Fae creatures for offspring of their own. Children believed to be “Changlings,” regretfully, often came to a bad end. A chilling reminder that the stories we tell impact our real lives.

So while Autism was at least somewhat recognized, it did not become its own official diagnosis until 1943.

Meanwhile, Sherlock Holmes was first published in 1892. Now, as a writer who often draws from my personal reality, I imagine Doyle probably “wrote what he knew,” which is to say, acquainted with one or more Autistic people, he used them as inspiration.

On the other hand…

BBC’s Sherlock first aired in 2010. And while one might argue that the writers simply capitalized on the Autistic fan-theory, or took already available traits and exaggerated them for their version… they left a lot to be desired. Autism aside, this new Sherlock is…well…an asshole. Narcissistic, abusive and egocentric (to name a few) he sweeps his caustic behavior under the rug of “high functioning sociopath,” and blytly ignores the consequences.

Which is a major problem. Because while doing this, he’s still “obviously” (at least in the Hollywood sense) Autistic. In my previous post, where I said some characters are “too smart™, and logical© to ever have feelings, friends or empathy,” this is what I meant.

This is bad. We’re looping right back to Representation Matters. Bad representation, and the navigating of such, is just as important for writers to think about as good representation. Maybe even moreso. Because bad representation paints real people into cardboard, stereotyped people-shaped things. It otherizes. And it’s harmful. You would not believe the people I’ve met assume I’m not Autistic because I’m not an egotistical jerk. Why? Because they watched, you guessed it, BBC Sherlock.

Confession time:

Now here’s my little secret:

I love all of these characters. They are some of my favorite on tv. Why? Because for good or ill, I recognize myself in them. Finally, I can turn on the TV, and see myself. Or, somewhat, anyway.

My favorite character out of this list? Loath though I am to admit it… Is Sherlock. See, what those well meaning folks didn’t know (the ones who say I’m I’m “too nice,” to be Autistic) is… well, if we’re being honest, I wasn’t always nice. A few years ago, I was that guy. I was a jerk because I thought I was the smartest person in the room. Which is really not a good look. In fact, sitting down and watching the first season of sherlock, (around three or four years after it came out) made me realize how much of a jerk I actually was.

There are other things there too. Things that tie me to all these characters, that I didn’t list. But that’s for another today.

For now, I’d like to add a caveat or two:

1) I’ve watched all the shows listed above, and adore them. As I mentioned, Sherlock is my favorite. He’s also the one I’ve watched the most (Repeatedly, in fact. Whoops.) and I recognize it’s not all bad. In the end, he learned to treat people better (somewhat) and certainly became more human over time. And, there are other deeply problematic elements of the show I’d like to tackle, eventually.

*cough* Queerbating! *cough*

2) I’m well aware that the above cases are all thin, white, able bodied, “straight” males. But I chose these characters for a couple of reasons. One, they’re the most prominent type on TV. Again, we loop back around to representation, and why we need more positive, diverse examples of it.

And finally-

3) In my last post, I mentioned I’d give some “good” instances of Hollywood Autism trope. But I didn’t exactly do that. Partially, because half way through, I thought…perhaps…I’m not the best to judge what might be a good Autistic character. I mean, I’m sure someone will read this and think my current aforementioned characters are fine. Heck! They might even argue my perception here, and say the characters are just fine. I accept that. In my life, both on and off the page, I recognize that I cannot, should not (and don’t want to) speak for an entire community.

Because of this, I cannot tell you how to write a “good” Autistic character, or what media is “acceptable.” I can’t even really tell you what a bad character is. Sure, I have a lot of opinions about it. But- if you’re on the spectrum and like and identify with the above? That’s fine. I mean, even with all the problems I noted (and some I didn’t) I certainly do.

On the other hand, if you’re a writer, and you want to write a character from this (or any, for that matter) community you aren’t part of, I caution you.

Do your research. Preferably from multiple credible sources.

Talk to people on the spectrum about what it’s really like. (Though try to steer clear of asking for emotional labor.You could, say, hop on reddit and ask the community there, for instance, which is a no pressure way to obtain potentially decent info.)

Finally, whatever you do, remember this-

Autistic people can look like anyone. We can act, and think and be different, like anyone. We are real, living, breathing people. Not robots, not sob stories, not tropes. People. So if you write about us, write us like people. And your work will be all the better for it.

-Your Loving Vincent

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lefaystrent · 5 years

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LeFay’s Masterlist

Here’s a list of all of my Sanders Sides stories. There’s a lot down there. Lots of pairings, lots of genres. Don’t get lost.

ONE-SHOTS

20biteen??? – Patton’s really confused and Logan’s just trying to make a sandwich.

A demon? In my attic? More likely than you think -- “Well that’s what happens when your dad asks you to clean the attic and it’s filled with a bunch of junk from his wiccan days,” Virgil explained, though from the demon’s pinched expression the explanation left a lot to be desired.

A Dire Situation - Logan tries not to make a single move or sound. His whole body coils tight with tension, knowing that the animal can strike at any moment. (additional parts can be found here)

A Storm Rolled into Town - It’s not like Virgil meant to become famous anyway. It just sorta happened. And now he’s shopping in some small-town mom-and-pop store on a weekday morning. Despite wearing the hood of his jacket up and perhaps looking the more conspicuous for it, he can sense that someone somewhere in this store is watching him.

Ashes –Three months ago, Roman returned home to find the house that he shared with his younger brothers up in flames.

Baby you’re a Firework - “Patton is MY best friend!” you screamed, and then you looked to me with those eyes. How else was I supposed to react other than to tell you that we would be together forever? Logicality

Beneath the Boughs –The feeling of tender fingertips tracing from his jaw to his temple made him want to run through fields, but he wouldn’t move an inch away from this spot for anything in the world. Royality

Curiosity – Deceit’s mission to annoy Logan somehow involves sharing a bed with him and refusing to leave. Logan doesn’t really mind. Loceit

Death of a Bachelor - Virgil invites a bunch of billionaires to his fake wedding with his roommate, Logan. He doesn’t expect one of them to actually agree to go.

Dino – Patton visits his local library one day and meets the librarian Logan, a man who loves dinosaurs.

Down by the Pier – Patton lives by the ocean. He likes to go sit out on the pier because the view is sweet but the company is even sweeter. Moxiety

Every Friday Night – “There’s a cat? In the sink?” Virgil said. platonic LAMP

Existentialism – Patton is a demon and really bad at it.

Five Times – There were five times that Virgil’s path crossed with Logan Sanders. Each time memorable, each time helping to shape Virgil into the kind of person he wants to be. platonic Analogical

Flutter and Fall – Virgil doesn’t believe in love at first sight, but he wonders if you can fall in love with a moment. Prinxiety

Happy Birthday, Virgil – Logan tends to take things literally.

Heartbeat – Roman’s out on the hunt for prey. He gets more than he bargained for.

Heartbeat AU – More info on the story.

Hello Mr. Spider - He’s heard the screams of people whenever they lay eyes on him. They take one look at him, this monstrous being with too many limbs and eyes, and they quiver in fear and tears. He doesn’t blame them. He hides himself away, hoping to never hear those horrified screams. Moxiety

Hello Again - Humans trespassed into the church occasionally. Some during the day, most of them at night. Never did humans come two nights in a row. Moxiety (Sequel to “Hello Mr. Spider”)

Hold On - He felt someone grip the sleeve of his shirt. Logan looked to his side where Deceit stood, holding onto him. platonic Loceit

How to be a Good Person - “There’s an unconscious man in my flowerbed. What should I do with him?” Dee should be used to getting phone calls from his brother needing help. brotherly Moceit

I got to pet the dog - Patton gets distracted easily. Virgil doesn’t have the heart to tell him he’s supposed to be working.

I met God last night - Predictably, Patton looked up to stare at Virgil. He set aside his scrapbook, clasped his hands together, and said, “Okay, I’m listening.” platonic Moxiety

I wanna intimi(date) you — Virgil teaches Patton to be more intimidating. It doesn’t go very well.

In a magical kingdom far away… — The evil Lord Of Logic descends on the land, forcing all it touches to obey the laws of physics.

It’s hot – Virgil won’t take off the jacket.

Love Isn’t Blind – Patton notices a lot more than what people think he does.

Never Too Old – Patton worked as a manager at a toy store in the mall. Lately, the employees were noticing a reoccurring customer. Well, if you could call him a customer. He never actually bought anything. platonic Moxiety

Picture That – “What are you doing?” Patton says between a flurry of giggles. He lifts the book he’d been reading to half hide his face. Roman dances around him snapping pictures as if Patton is a model. Royality

Piggyback – It’s late, and Patton’s falling asleep on the couch. Virgil’s not used to being the responsible one. Moxiety

Potatoes – Virgil has worries for days, but there’s only one thing that truly scares him. Moxiety

Rewrite – So here Roman is, lying by the sidewalk, very much not okay. Not because the local squirrels ostracized him, and not because he’d tripped or some such unfortunate mishap. No, he just has a lot on his mind. Prinxiety

Ribbit – Two lab partners and one dead frog do not make for the most romantic atmosphere but Roman tries. Logince

Roamin’ Nights - Not that anyone’s looking right now, but Virgil’s glad that it’s dark in the kitchen, lest the color in his cheeks show. Roman’s not usually this affectionate with Virgil. Makes him wonder if he even realizes that this is Virgil he’s basically trying to use as a pillow. Prinxiety

Round and round we go – Logan stood there long after the commotion began outside, the one where everyone realized what had happened and were running to help and call an ambulance.

Sacrificial rituals and other fun activities – Virgil was a mage—one of the best. He’d seen a lot of things, but a handsome man chained up in the middle of a field? Even he had to take a moment. Prinxiety

Shark Attack! - “I could be wrong here, but I’m pretty sure sharks don’t attack their victims with hugs.” platonic Moxiety

Sicky Icky – Most people assumed Roman would eat up all the attention he could get even when sick. They’d expect loud dramatics and Roman acting like he was dying every minute of it. That’s not how he was at all. Logince

Side-by-side – Virgil’s tired. Moxiety

So help me, I’m not moving from this spot – Virgil has the day off from work and chooses to spend it in true Virgil style. Queer platonic LAMP

Soft Prinxiety – Literally just a softy prinxiety scene. Prinxiety

Some Days – Some days are better than others, and some aren’t. These are Virgil’s days in the mindscape.

Someday I’ll find my way home - Love cut deep and left scars on the heart. The heart never quite beat the same way again afterward. Analogical

Supposed to be – People get locked into a certain kind of perspective and decide what kind of person you’re supposed to be. Patton is frustrated.

Take Over the World - There’s not much else to do in the Mindscape for Deceit and the Duke.

That one time Deceit played hero in the mindscape – Deceit goes to the common rooms to find that everyone…is acting too much like themselves.

The Hug Booth - In Patton’s free time, he had a booth set up somewhere on campus and he’d go sit there. The booth advertised ‘free hugs’.

The Ties that Bind – Everyone has a soulmate. Even the ones who probably shouldn’t. Logicality

This is the police! – “This is the police! Open up! Tell me something about yourself, don’t be afraid.” Prinxiety

Ties - Roman and Patton try to persuade Logan to wear a bow tie. Logan is uncooperative. romantic LAMP

Trances – The sides go into trance-like states sometimes.

Trouble in Tiny Town - Logan is six inches tall. And somehow the human is the one cowering in fear.

Useless gays are useless – Patton is shirtless and Roman and Virgil are very, very gay. Roman/Patton/Virgil

Stil Gay - Roman and Virgil are still thirsty gays, and Patton is a tall drink of water. One night of tv watching with his roommates leads to none of them paying attention to the tv. Roman/Patton/Virgil (Sequel to “Useless gays are useless”)

Wake up call - There’s a muffled siren blaring from outside somewhere. He can feel the time slipping between his fingers.

We are family~ - “Patton,” Logan called. He stood in the doorway, stern-faced for a moment before slumping forward with a pout. “I require physical affection.” platonic LAMP

MULTI-CHAPS

Analogince - What started as a list of headcanons became a story of how three men fell together. part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4

Dog Days – In the midst of grieving for his beloved pet, comfort comes to Thomas in a curiously small form. platonic LAMP/Thomas, borrower!sides

If you have nightmares, we’ll dance on the bed - Fae thrived on chaos and the fear that came with it. Well, most of them anyway. Virgil never really shared that sentiment. (Or alternatively, the story of how Virgil loves humans so much that he makes stupid decisions because of it, like save princes from attempted assassinations.)

Kid!Logan AU – Logan somehow finds himself back in time, waking up in his eleven-year old body.

Reverse Kid!Logan AU – Roman just wanted a normal babysitting job. Now he’s caught up in debunking why he sees five-year-old Logan Sanders as if he were a grown man. part one , part two

Lifeline – Long ago, when his sides first started showing up, Thomas had pondered long and hard about reality versus imagination. But this? It became more apparent that Patton was carding his hand through Thomas’s hair. It was as if any of his friends were doing it, so tangible it was. Tangible in a way that shouldn’t be possible. platonic LAMP/Thomas

Nursing Home AU - Patton had seen Virgil during the hiring process, and his personality didn’t seem like a … good fit. Too closed-off and kinda gruff, and probably not a good bedside manner, right? Plus there was that criminal record to consider… But he’s hired anyway, and Virgil joins the staff.

Psychic Therapist Virgil – Virgil’s not your run-of-the-mill therapist. part one, part two

Roses – The humans steer clear from the forest, warning their children with every generation, “Do not stray into those woods. They will devour you.” But it’s modern times now, fairy tales aren’t real, and Virgil and his friends have just moved into town and want to investigate the ‘haunted’ forest.

Variants – Patton was surprised by the mutant breaking into the jewelry store one night. And by break in, he meant that they seeped into shadows and appeared on the other side of the windows without breaking anything at all.

Weclome to the Neighborhood –Virgil’s really bad at peopling, or so his new neighbors find out. Prinxiety

Witch Way - Virgil just wants to live a quiet life with his familiar, Logan. But we can’t always get what we want.

#lefay's masterlist #sanders sides

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virgilmydarkstrangeson · 6 years

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A Halloween Surprise

A/N: Hoo boy, it’s been so long since I really wrote a one-shot, but I was a part of the Halloween exchange in the lovely @darknightvirgil discord server (join that btw there are so many awesome people). I had Kai, a fellow Brit, so I hope you like it, Kai!

Summary: Logan had to have been dreaming. There was no other way to logically explain what he had witnessed, yet no amount of pinching his skin or reading multiple signs and pages alerted him to be dreaming, except for what had ensued. Pairing: Romantic Analogical, platonic Moxiety Trigger Warnings: Mentions of blood / wounds, demons, werewolves, other spooky creatures, if you see anything else just tell me!! Word Count: 1868

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Logan had to have been dreaming. There was no other way to logically explain what he had witnessed, yet no amount of pinching his skin or reading multiple signs and pages alerted him to be dreaming, except for what had ensued.

It had been a regular Saturday, there was no indication of anything strange happening, even with it being Halloween. The office where Logan worked had a few cheesy streamers and fake cobwebs littered around, and most of his coworkers had dressed up for the occasion, but that was it, not a single paranormal occurrence, as if Logan would ever believe in ghosts or anything of the sort by a door randomly opening or a light switch flicking.

After work, Logan had stopped by the nearby cafe - which had been completely decked out with jack-o-lanterns, fake spiders, skulls and the like - to pick up his boyfriend of nearly four years, Virgil, from his own work. Having had a very stressful week of working on top of already high anxiety, Virgil didn’t feel up to celebrate Halloween this year, so neither of them had dressed up or even decorated their shared apartment, instead choosing to buy some takeout and head home for the night.

This was when the unexplainable event happened. While Logan and Virgil were walking through an oddly quiet area of town, what sounded like metal scraping against the ground sounded from the alleyway they had just walked past, followed by a shriek.

“What was that?” Virgil’s head snapped towards the alleyway, instinctively grabbing hold of Logan’s arm.

“It was most likely nothing. Do you want to check it out?” Virgil nodded, and together they slowly made their way back to the alley, Virgil’s grip on Logan’s arm becoming an almost deathly tight hold with each step.

There was a figure, shrouded in shadow but appearing all too large to be human, standing in the middle of the alley. Virgil seemed to stiffen up, however, Logan felt his unease dissipate. “Just somebody trying to scare us on Halloween, let’s go get some dinner.” Logan turned to walk away, and a hushed, almost inhuman whisper was his only warning.

“Dinner indeed…”

“Lo, look out!” Virgil yelled before Logan was pushed to the floor, his glasses being knocked off his face in the process. A kind of purple mist seemed to roll in from nowhere, and by the time Logan scrambled to his feet and slipped his glasses back on, Virgil was on his hands and knees, clutching his side and panting.

“What on Earth just-” Logan started before he realised that Virgil was bleeding from where he was holding onto his side. “Virgil are you okay!? Holy crap we need to get you to a hospital-”

“No,” Virgil coughed, struggling to stand on his feet. “We should go to Pat’s.”

“You’re bleeding and I didn’t even see anything happen, we should get you professional help right away.” Virgil looked Logan straight in the eyes, an action Logan wasn’t used to due to Virgil’s aversion to making eye contact. What was even stranger was that Virgil’s eyes were a brilliant yellow, a stark contrast to the usual dark chocolate-esque colour, and Logan could’ve sworn his eyes were a natural colour just a few minutes ago.

“We’re going to Patton’s, now.” Yet another occurrence, Virgil never referred to Patton by his full name, not in the time Logan had known them at least, as Virgil and Patton had been best friends for longer than Logan had known either of them. But, upon hearing the urgency in Virgil’s voice, Logan fought the logical side of his brain that was screaming at him to call an ambulance and helped Virgil a few blocks over to where Patton’s apartment was located, on the ground floor luckily for both Virgil and Logan.

Patton opened the door with a beaming smile, but as soon as he saw Virgil his face became sombre as he led the pair into his living room and got Virgil to lie on the couch. Strangely, he didn’t seem confused or even alarmed by the sudden appearance of a bleeding Virgil and began to dig out a first aid kit and bandage Virgil up without hesitation.

“Can you tell me what the hell happened now?” Logan spoke up around five minutes later, once Virgil’s wound was fully bandaged. Virgil slowly sat up and sighed, refusing to even look at Logan, let alone make eye contact.

“That thing that tried to kill you… was a demon.” Virgil’s voice was hushed, and while Patton gasped, seemingly horrified, Logan simply cocked an eyebrow.

“A demon? Virgil you know I don’t believe in mythical creatures.” Meanwhile, Patton was reevaluating Virgil’s wound, as if this information was life-threatening.

“Funny thing to say as the only human in the room,” Patton commented as if it was a normal thing to say, which had Logan’s breath catching in his throat.

“Excuse me, Patton?”

“Pat, he doesn’t know…” Virgil groaned out, trying to swat Patton’s hands away from his wound. “I pushed him down and his glasses fell off.”

“So you mean to tell me you fended off a demon in the little time it takes to put a pair of glasses on?”

“It didn’t seem to be a part of the big clans, I think it was just looking for defenceless humans to get a quick fix. It went for me once then ran when I retaliated after all.”

“Okay, can someone please explain what the hell is actually going on?” Logan could feel the anger starting to bubble in his throat, now thoroughly stressed out at not knowing what on Earth Patton and Virgil were talking about. After sharing a look, Patton was the one out of the pair that spoke up.

“As Vee said, the creature that attacked you was a demon. Demons are soul-suckers and occasionally also drink human blood, and obviously, it wanted to go after any unsuspecting trick-or-treaters.” Patton shuddered slightly and took a breath before continuing. “Demons are really bad news for us, but luckily this one should’ve been scared enough by Virgil to not come back anytime soon.” Logan rubbed the bridge of his nose as he tried to take in the information. It was absolutely absurd, yet Patton was never one to lie, and when he did he was exceptionally bad at it.

“Say I were to believe you, that doesn’t explain what you said earlier about me being the only human in the room.”

“Well, it’s true. Guess we can’t hide it anymore if you were attacked by a demon.” Patton shrugged. “I’m a Puck, well I’m part Puck at least. Pucks are like nature spirits kinda, but we’re not fairies. It’s why I’ve always had this.” Patton pointed to the spring green streak that ran through his hair. “Since Pucks have green hair, I ended up with a bit of it. And Virgil-”

“I can shapeshift a bit,” Virgil mumbled, his head down. “Only into a wolf, though.” Logan’s eyes widened, and what he said next was a whisper, as if he couldn’t believe what e was saying.

“You’re a… werewolf?”

“Hey, no, that’s rude,” Patton piped up, looking genuinely annoyed. “That’s a really rude way of referring to people who can only change into wolves. He’s a Lupus, they’re Lupi. That’s like calling a Drake a weredragon.”

“A… Drake?”

“Draconids, or Drakes, are like Lupi but they turn into dragons instead of wolves.” Virgil sighed. “Roman always has to be so extra.”

“Wait, Roman? As in, my childhood best friend, the guy who’s like a Disney prince fell out of a movie, Roman Preston?”

“The very same! He’s a Draconid, and super proud of it as well.” Patton beamed, and Logan had to sit down, this new information was making his head spin.

“So what, you three have been hiding that you’re… monsters?”

“Rude. We’re supernatural creatures.” Virgil corrected, and Logan couldn’t help the small pang of guilt that shot through him as he saw the pain in Virgil’s face.

“I mean, you’re the only human in our whole group. We may have been waiting for you to reveal some supernatural trait for a while now but you never did.” Patton laughed nervously, and Logan was gone, he was losing his mind at this information.

“None of you are human? What about Remy?”

“Incubus. A sprite that feeds off of affection, and sort of a cousin to demons.” Patton explained.

“Emile?”

“An Empathy Fae,” Virgil spoke this time. “Can read people’s emotions.”

“Wait, Virgil, is Thomas even your half-brother?” Virgil nodded. He still hadn’t looked at Logan since revealing this secret.

“Uh, yeah. He’s half-Lupus.” Logan sat back in his seat, glasses off and hands pressed against his eyes as his mind tried to process the knowledge of, well, another world. It was mind-bogglingly difficult, especially for Logan’s logic-centred brain, to comprehend, that his friends and boyfriend weren’t human.

“I… I need a lie-down…” Logan spoke maybe five, maybe ten minutes later, before standing up and heading to the spare bedroom that Patton always kept clean in case anybody needed to sleep, and Logan did just that. He laid down and was immediately asleep, his mind whirring even in his dreams.

When Logan awoke, his mind was foggy, and he felt as if he had been sleeping for years. He sat up, found his glasses and looked around, before realising that he was in Patton’s guest bedroom. It was then that Logan remembered the obscene dream he had, where all of his friends were actually monsters in disguise. Had to have been a dream, obviously.

So when Logan left the room, he saw Virgil in his signature hoodie, eyes their natural colour, and Patton, with that weird green streak in his hair he insisted on never changing for some odd reason, talking over mugs of what Logan could only assume to be coffee, knowing Virgil. Speaking of, it was Virgil who first noticed that Logan was there, and he was up, looking worried.

“How do you feel?” Virgil’s voice was low and concerned, which puzzled Logan slightly.

“Fine, although I don’t remember exactly how we got here.” In his half-awake state, Logan missed Patton’s alarmed look towards them from the kitchen, as he was zeroing in on both Virgil and the smell of coffee.

“This random guy was being a dick and trying to scare us, and I’m not sure how but you slipped and kinda hit your head a bit, so I brought you back here to make sure you were okay.” Virgil gave Logan a small smile, before giving him the mug of coffee he had been holding. “Pat was just telling me about the trick-or-treaters he got last night.”

As Logan sat down, he missed the look that Patton and Virgil shared, and he failed to see the faint yellow glint in Virgil’s eyes and the fact that the green streak in Patton’s hair was brighter than before. But he wouldn’t have thought anything of it if he had seen either of those things after all his dream was just a bizarre dream, and monsters were make-believe for Halloween movies and cheap costumes.

~~~

General writing taglist: @noahlovescoffee @canadian-crofters @infinitysgrace @darknightvirgil @singingjo @peanut0303 @introverted-happiness

#thomas sanders #logan sanders #virgil sanders #patton sanders #roman sanders #sanders sides #halloween exchange #analogical

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