#and virgil lives in the sewer

[gravedigg]

Young Enver and Virgil have captivated my thoughts today. Also, I realized that I have the power to give Enver a neck tattoo so I did :-).

They probably just did a heist or smth. Gonna celebrate by trying to kill each other.

[seat-safety-switch]

Earthquakes are rough. It's a betrayal of the landlord contract we all signed with the planet when we moved in. On this issue, the language is clear: the ground is not supposed to move, unless we hit it with a shovel, or a really big hammer, or we split some atoms underneath it. Then the ground does move, and a building falls over.

Now, where I live, we don't really get earthquakes. We're too far from a fault line, so it only ever happens when the big oil company folks trebuchet six tons of plastic waste into an aquifer that they think nobody's using. It would be nice if those dinosaur-squeezing greedheads would let us know that they're doing it beforehand, because when my garage started shaking last night, my prized novelty bobblehead of Virgil Exner fell off the shelf, onto the ground, and became mildly scratched.

Sure, you could blame me for not expecting an earthquake in my house which had never before received an earthquake. That's certainly what the city did when I called them to complain, thinking it was something mundane like a big truck driving by, or a sewer explosion. I'm not one to accept blame of any kind, however, and I soon formed a posse with several other like-minded individuals from around the neighbourhood. Rice-A-Roni Stan from down the block was particularly upset, having had an entire NBA Jam arcade cabinet fall on him during the seismic event, requiring himself to be freed by his small, but heroic, wiener dog.

Here's the thing about modern politics: despite all the foofaraw about "decorum" and "tact," if you walk into City Hall carry pitchforks and torches, they'll find someone else to blame. And sometimes, if you're lucky, they'll even pass the blame onto the right person. In our case, we quickly descended upon the oil company offices. Oil company people are savvy, having spent their entire lives bribing reactionary assholes into giving them a wide leeway. So was it with me: the front desk receptionist decided to placate the leader (me) by presenting me with a scale model of one of their service vans. The little doors even opened and closed.

Sure, if you ask the newspaper, the remaining splinter groups left in the absence of my now-defanged leadership committed a mass murder, slaughtering executives like cattle, but I had nothing to do with it. I was too busy playing with the little model van, making realistic (but exaggerated, I must admit) engine noises with my mouth. Vroom, vroom.

[jurassicteeth]

Refs for the power couple of the Mojave. 😳

(Heres what it all says if its a lil hard to read!)

Harper Virgil Navarro-Garland ( he/him, 24, gay, intersex, transmasc )

Tagged Skills: Science, Medicine, Repair

- His moms, Catherine and Janae, raised him in vault 101 with his much older half-brother, Dante. His moms were friends with James, the Lone Wanderer’s father, so he grew up with the LW.

> He was childhood friends with Amata and Lucas.

> Had a romantic interest for Lucas.

> He was bullied by Scarecrow (LW) and Butch Deloria, however they are friends by the time they arrive in the Mojave.

- Became a BOS scribe, while Dante became a Knight- these titles were short lived considering they both abandoned the BOS.

- Janae and James both died during the Enclave attack on the Jefferson Memorial, Janae’s body being found in a sewer system that she tried to escape through- however her injuries were fatal.

- Generally speaking, project purity was successful with the efforts of Scarecrow, Lucas, and Harper. Collectively they did things that helped DC, however the general trust they had for the Brotherhood of Steel was very slim by the end of the main events of F3(post Broken Steel), which is why they were pretty quick to leave DC with The League.

- Before travelling to the Mojave, he and his family were apart of a group that helped The League out in Chicago to prevent the Brotherhood of Steel from taking over. (2278-2279)

> This group that came from DC consisted of him, Dante, Catherine, Scarecrow, Butch, Lucas, and Charon. They were all brought to Chicago by Tashaun Bruce via vertibird.

> At this point Harper and Charon are in a romantic relationship, which ends once they start their journey to the Mojave in 2280. It made the journey a little awkward but, they remained civil and friendly!

- His group, after a few stops for maintenance and refueling, landed safely near Northside. Tashaun drops them off and bids farewell, and they all stay in Westside for awhile. Charon left first to find work as a mercenary or as a caravan guard. Meanwhile, Harper’s family and Lucas were advised to go to Freeside by Tom Anderson, who asked them to take their skills there so that they could assist the Followers and New Vegas in general.(2280)

> Around this time is when Harper meets Soda-Pop, Kara Roths, Julie Farkas, and Arcade Gannon.

> Became work partners with Julie and Arcade, but worked mainly as a field doctor and representative of the FotA who travelled with Kara and Soda.

- In the beginning of year 2280, Harper and Soda start an on again off again romance for awhile until officially being together. However, Harper fell deeper into his addiction to Med-x, which caused him to be absent in the relationship- and that led to him taking a step back and breaking it off with Soda.

> Harper had this addiction from 2277 to mid 2281.

> Harper becomes friends with Sarsaparilla and Jasper Steele around this time.

> Around mid 2280, he chose to try and focus more on his work as a researcher and doctor… which caused him and Arcade to begin a romantic relationship. They had been friends for awhile, however upon spending more time with eachother they caught more intimate feelings.

- In early 2281, Harper, Julie, and others led the beginning of the independence against the main heads of the Mojave. The Followers of the Apocalypse became a beacon of hope, taking in people from various factions- as refugees or as helpers.

> As tensions got higher between the independence and the ncr/legion/house, things got progressively more dangerous. Because of this, one day while scouting with Jasper and Sarsaparilla, a legionary saw the trio, and shot Harper’s left eye- aiming for the brain, but luckily missed.

Factions/settlements recruited by/protected by the FotA for the independence: Jacobstown, The Great Khans, Novac, Freeside, The Kings, Enclave Remnants, The Boomers.

- Has three kids— Catherine (2282, born soon after the 2nd battle of Hoover), Marlyn (2285), Miguel (2287). He has Catherine with Arcade, Marlyn with Soda-Pop, and Miguel with Cora. They’re all poly/were in a polycule after the Independence won.

- Loves to draw, doodle, and create little statues out of metal scraps and clay.

Arcade Israel Gannon ( he/they, 35, gay, intersex )

Tagged skills: Science, Medicine, Energy Weapons

Canon information: Arcade Gannon is apart of the Followers of the Apocalypse at the Old Mormon Fort. He is a doctor of medicine and got most if not all of his training from the Followers. In 2281, He works mainly as a botanical researcher, due to not being- in his words- a “people person”. They are a man led by their firm moral beliefs, supporting an independent Vegas and individual freedoms. He puts himself down a lot, however they are not only witty, but fairly charming.

Background + headcannons:

- Was born at the Navarro base in 2246 to Mark and Nancy Gannon.

> Mark was an Enclave officer, and Nancy was a vertibird mechanic.

> Both of Arcade’s parents worked at the Navarro military base around the same time that Catherine did when she was younger. They worked in very different sections, but did know of one another.

> His mother died pretty recently, probably a few years before the events of fnv, mainly due to health complications.

- Arcade spent a lot of their teenage years in The boneyard, that being where he got their medical knowledge. When the brotherhood and NCR started cracking down on weeding out former Enclave personel, him, his mom, and the enclave platoon he called family moved progressively closer to the New Vegas area to avoid prosecution. (Probably left the Boneyard when he was 18.)

> Had a few boyfriends growing up, however they never let them get too close, because of being the son of an Enclave officer- and also given him and their family’s inability to settle given the actions of the BOS and NCR. This defensive emotional wall persisted into his young adult and adult relationships.

> They feel extreme guilt over being related to a man who was apart of a fascist paramilitary organization, hiding it from anyone and everyone for a long time. Harper was the first person he tells in detail about his situation, Harp was accepting- considering Catherine was a doctor and scientist for the enclave when she was 18.

- Has been working and living in the Mojave since 2277, and has been a Follower since 2278.

- Arcade has several journals filled with neat, organized notes. He also has a few that are full of various poems, being his main way of venting out a lot of his thoughts.

> In his scientific research he includes small, simple doodles of various plants that he studies.

- When Arcade met Harper, he felt extremely silly- falling head over heels for the fellow doctor… however he kept his distance, out of fear and considering that they didnt work much together when Harper first joined the Followers. When the working situation changed, Arcade managed to charm Harper with witty comments about pre war literature and science jokes- granted he was extremely awkward at first, Harper always thought it was very cute.

- Fights with the enclave remnants in his father’s old gear during the second battle of Hoover Dam, proud of himself for gaining the confidence to do the right thing in his father’s memory. After the battle at Hoover Dam, and becoming a father, he shifts from being a researcher to being a doctor- wanting to help more directly.

Anyways yeah… 😳👉👈 my scrimblos that I love so very much… thank you JE Sawyer for creating Arcade Gannon.

[masquerain-with-a-mask]

shitty summary: you’re obsessed w/ those virgil and Dante guys I don’t really know who they are, and you post a lot abt the ninja turtles I think they’re your special little guys. youd probably love living in the sewers with them

You are so right actually

[hhmvhjnn]

Xxx Burning like Lana

Like ruby said im not a good person

That pain turn my heart kinda purple

And At night they goin to the city like the sermon

But i dont know the city bitch im from hörde

I dont know the city bitch im lurker

She cut me out her life like a surgeon

Cause i dont want the fruit bitch im the serpent

Im not a real person minds its a circus

So id never fuck w yall like a virgin

I was off the white like virgil

Burning desire i was yearning like Lana

Dirty the fanta i was out here like Lana

I was out here like Lana

Burning desire i was yearning like Lana

Dirty the fanta i was out here like Lana

I was out here like Lana

The shower smell like the sewer

And the kitchen like gas

The Walls are turning yellow

From them cigarettes

We dont draw curtains

Like some Atlanta Trap

It was a burning desire

I was burning that gas

Shit smell like the sewer

Break them cigarettes

The Walls are turning yellow

Like some atlanta trap

We dont draw the curtains

My heart was kinda purple

We out out here living dirty

Dirty the fanta we was out here like Lana

I was out here like Lana

Burning desire i was yearning like Lana

Dirty the fanta i was out here like Lana

I was out here like Lana

[thetoxicgamer]

Half-Life but with swords, dual pistols, and rock music, out now

Half-Life's world is often rather depressing. After the invasion of the Combine, there is a sense of hopelessness and despair, especially in Half-Life 2. Gordon Freeman, Alyx Vance, and G-Man are recognisable characters who live in the quasi-Soviet City 17 that is on the verge of collapse. This city is filled of abandoned homes and festering sewer lines. So picture a completely new Valve first-person shooter with rock music, swords, dual wielding, and Gordon Freeman without a shirt on. Imagine Half-Life, complete with its characters, weapons, monsters, and even speech, but with all of Devil May Cry 5's gameplay elements and aesthetic. And picture being able to play it right now. Dear Devil May Crowbar, welcome. Essentially an overhaul mod for DMC 5, Devil May Crowbar replaces Dante with Gordon Freeman, Virgil with the G-Man, and Nero with Dr. Kleiner. And these aren’t just simple reskins. Mod creator ‘Sparky1j’ works with a team of collaborators to record original dialogue for every character. The impersonations are spot on (Gordon, in case you were wondering, speaks via the automated voice of the HEV suit) and all DMC’s signature guns and swords are replaced by Half-Life-themed equivalents. Ebony and Ivory, for example, become Half-Life 2’s pistol and magnum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APSvzMvlyvI Even the enemies have been replaced. Throughout Devil May Crowbar you will battle Combine stalkers, Antlions, and gigantic versions of the City 17 Civil Protection. Oh, and when you activate Devil Trigger, you will now transform into Machinima icon ‘Gorgeous Freeman,’ complete with rippling six pack, underpants, and not much else. Also, the G-Man’s ‘sword’ is his briefcase. Available to download and play right now, if you want to try Devil May Crowbar, you’ll first need a legitimate copy of Devil May Cry 5. After that, you can find the mod right here. Big Half-Life and DMC fan? Try some of the other best horror games ever made. Similarly, if you’ve got the nostalgia pangs for Valve’s iconic shooter, you’ll want to play some of the best old games that you can still run on PC. Read the full article

[sidespart]

Mundane Mysticism

Fake fic meme

platonic or pre relationship LAMP + platonic (or romantic tbh) Demus, Fantasy AU, Circle of Magic (Tamora Pierce) AU

Universe primer for anyone who has not read the books:

Universe where some people are born with magic, with varying degrees of power. Some people get academic magic, where the magic comes from the person, and some get ambient magic, where the person can 'tap into' the magic of something in their surroundings, normally through performing a craft (eg cloth weaving, smithing etc).

Academic magic is much easier to see and children with magic are normally detected early and trained in how to control their powers. They can choose to study to be mages at universities/temples. it is more common and, in general, more powerful than ambient magic. Ambient magic is much harder to spot and can be harder to control, as practitioners are constantly bombarded by magical energy from their surroundings. it can 'get away' from the user and cause problems if they don't learn to control it. Normally taught via apprenticeship by another mage with the same craft.

Actual Story:

Roman (dancing magic), Logan (water magic) and Virgil (weather magic) are all kids with ambient magic who arn't discovered until they're much older (13+). None of them were aware they had magic and had just resigned themselves to being 'weird'.

inevitable tragic backstories:

Roman's family are nuovo-riche and have always been resentful of mages, who they think look down on normal people. They have a 'children should be seen and not heard' attitude and are basically waiting for Roman to be old enough to marry a suitable girl/ take over part of the family business before they will be interested in him. He is absolutely forbidden from singing and dancing/generally making a nuscience of himself, but he can't help but feel he gets good luck for the day whenever he's able to sneak off and dance...

Logan is a street kid with a reputation for always knowing which water pumps are working and safe to drink from. This is enough for one of the local gangs to take him in even though he's not strong and has bad eyesight, although he can see clearly when he looks at reflections in water. His whole gang end up being rounded up and arrested after robbing the wrong rich guys house, but Logan manages to escape through the sewers, ending up alone on the wrong side of the city....

Virgil is a noble and hears voices. His family care about him but are also terrified of anyone finding out that their heir is 'mad' so he is locked up in his room for most of his life. He was tested for magic as a little kid but they didn't find anything, they don't realise he's hearing voices on the wind. When Virgil was little he got incredibly angry with one of the servants, for reasons he now can't even remember, and said he hoped she would die. That evening, she was killed in a freak storm whilst walking home. Even though Virgil didn't know he had weather magic at the time, he still blamed himself and is absolutely terrified of storms as a result...

All three of them get found and rescued by Janus, an academic mage who specialises in 'finding hidden things' amongst other seer related skills, and brought to a temple to be trained. None of them can fit in with the other children (a mix of academic magic users and non magic kids who are training as adepts) so they're moved out of the dormitories and into a cottage on the temple grounds. Janus and Remus (a plant mage who is always covered in dirt) are the adults living there who become their main teachers.

Janus and Remus are trying their best but like....there is a REASON they haven't taken on apprentices before, let alone kids with as many issues as these three. And the kids do not get along. at all. Roman's too loud, Virgil's too quiet, Logan doesn't trust anyone. Things in the cottage are ~tense~

Patton is another kid adept in training who is being raised at the temple. Whilst there, it's discovered that he also has ambient magic - in cooking. This is a much more common, mundane form of magic than the overpowered, rare magics that the other three have. But it does mean he gets extra 'lessons' in the temple kitchens at odd hours, and ends up meeting and bonding with the other three separately.

Roman's terrified of messing up in front of adults and acts loud and obnoxious in his efforts to be 'perfect' (or at least better than the other two) (even though he can't sit still and meditate AT ALL and he knows that drives Janus crazy and he's totally going to kick him out and send him back home to his parents and and and- ) but Patton is just another kid, and Roman can sneak off at lunch break to meet him and just play and dance silly jigs without worrying about it being perfect. And Patton will always clap and whoop and reward him with home made toffees (his parents never allowed sweets) which give him this like. confident feeling he's never had before.

Logan meets Patton whilst trying to steal extra food at night. Logan doesn't trust adults At All and finds all the rules and regs of temple life baffling, but Patton makes sense to him - Logan needs extra food and Patton needs protection from bullies in his dorm. It's a good trade, even if Logan gets in trouble for 'accidentally' soaking some snooty adepts on their way back from the library. Patton gives Logan biscuits which never go stale, even if he hoards them in his room for weeks, and starts teaching him to read in exchange for stories of life outside the temple. He also accidently gets Logan addicted to jam.

Virgil absolutely hates leaving his room but R&J give him one chore which forces him to go outside: collecting breakfast from the kitchens in the morning. Patton notices Virgil looks terrified of entering the busy kitchen, so he starts meeting him outside with a basket of food. Eventually Vigril's starts coming earlier and earlier so he can stand and chat with Patton for longer before he goes back. he doesn't really get WHY Patton likes him but the morning conversations quickly become the highlight of the day. Patton brews him his own bled of tea which gives him this feeling of calm, even during a storm.

ANYWAY. Eventually SOMETHING happens which puts Patton in danger (i'm thinking....Pirates? Fire in the Kitchen? Bears? idk) The other three have to work together to rescue him and end up finally bonding as a result. After that they start hanging out as a four whenever they can. At some point Janus starts inviting Patton along to their group teaching sessions since he's a good influence on the other three and then he starts staying for breakfast/ lunch / dinner until one day Janus looks at Remus and is all "...do we have a fourth child living in this cottage?" And Remus just sighs at him like. Honey. You're meant to be this all powerful seer how did you not notice we essentially adopted this kid three seconds after he tasting that soup he made. And Janus grumbles but like. He loves these kids he wants them to be happy and Patton is TECHNICALY in need of a teacher too, even if he's got way more control of his powers having grown up in a temple, he is still a kid, so its not totally unreasonable he should move into the cottage.

And it was really good soup.

Story about the Power of Friendship And Also Home Cooking

[the-girl-with-the-glass-heart]

Sanders sides.EXE (WARNING: SCARIEST CREEPYPASTA EVAH DONOT REAAD!!)

“I was an intern working for Thomas Sanders, nelping him on the newest eppipsode of Sander sides.

Halfway through prodocuction Thom turns to me and asks me “Intern go get the reel on my computer for the next sceens.”.

I did as I was told and I got on his computer knowinh it would be in his bedroom because I was such a good intern I knew were everything was all of the time.

I got on his taplop and looked for da real.

Instead I founded the file called Slambers sides.exe.

I asked Thomas what it was and he told me everything while also screaming and crying for me to not look at it while also giving me the exact instructions on how to access it.

I looked up at the file, watching intently.

The video starts normally, Thomas with the intro, all good so far.

Then Remus popped up with hyper realistic eyes And blood!! Even tho aanders sides Is already live action so it can’t be hyper realistic.

He stabbedeed Thomas to deaf! While looking at me and screaming “I am god o god o am god!!”.

Then we saw Logan! Who committed sewer slide cause no one would listen to him :(!! And orange and Virgil and Roman and Patton were also there and they look so sad but also dead and covered in blood because they killed each other out of sadness.

And then Remus can our the screen of the laptop and killed me and revealed I was remus and you were intern the entire time! I have no gone back to work on sanders aides since....................................:::::........ to be continued...”

[dadswithipads]

Me live posting Static Shock episodes:

"Ep 2, S1"

Okay consistency with the men on the ceiling.

LMAO he put the CD up to his ear and I thought he was literally trying to listen to it. Wait he is. 😀. Lmao freida is just a "Civilian". BRITNEY. BRITNEY SPEARS REFERENCE. YASSS.

Virgil disrespecting Mrs. Spears.

Oh that poor kid. Virgil grabbing both Richie and Frieda🌈📸. Bisexuãl.

Virgil is so wonderful. Dumb f-stop come out and Virg is just like "yo you better run" as if he didn't try to attack you last night. Selfless king moment.

I love puns but only from my son.

Sharon my love

Yikes tho that convo his dad said.

Forensic scientist Virgil lmao.

Robert Hawkins I will name you Bobbert. (Affectionate).

"Virfil and Rochie" --LMAO THAT WAS SPELT WITHOUT ME LOOKING. They share a hive mind.

"You say freak I say unique" An icon.

My smart, smart boy.

Is Hotstreak 14 as well!?!?!?

Why is he just carrying it around in the open? That is an important piece of evidence lmao.

That was a terrible pun omg. Hot dogs. Ew. Try hard. Richie and Virgil are so sweet. Richie just reassures him and Virgil appreciates it and the communication!🖐😘😀.

Super Saiyan!!

Was that, was that poop??

Okay sewer. Ew.

The box that just says "comix".

Omg that cute ass ending with the drawing

[gravedigg]

sometimes you have to force your bhaalspawn into the bath, for the good of the Gate.

[chilled-gay-baker]

Whenever I read fanfiction about Sanders Sides in Thomas's head, the sides are always in the same house, and have rooms on the same hallway, except maybe Janus and Remus. Those two might be in a split off section from the others, since they're dark sides and all that.

I saw somebody ask why people think they all live in the same house, and talk about what if they lived on the same street.

And they do have a point. What if the sides all lived on the same street rather than in the same house?

Roman constantly tries to have the best lawn and garden because he can, yet Logan always takes such delight in watering his plants when he looks up and sees Roman on the other side of the fence, fuming at being bested.

Virgil sits across the street, cross legged, on the roof underneath his bedroom window, eating chips while basking in Roman's pure anger. It's not uncommon for Janus and Remus to sneak over to Virgil's roof and watch too. This is the only time Virgil gets along with the two, so long as they don't take his chips.

Patton and Roman live on the opposite sides of the road from each other, and have cans on strings in each of their windows, so they can talk to each other from across the street. It's not uncommon for something to be misheard, which usually leads to a lot of laughter from both parties.

Remus casually breaks into Logan's house while Logan's sleeping. Logan has done everything he can think of to keep Remus out, but with no idea how he's getting in, Logan just kinda stopped caring. Of course, when Patton and him have a onesie sleepover and play dress-up (secretly of course, serious people wear neckties), Patton's scream at Remus hanging upside down from the ceiling fan wakes up the entire neighborhood.

Virgil comes over to Patton's house whenever there's a spider and takes it outside, seeing as Patton is too freaked out by them to do it himself. In return, Patton makes cookies for Virgil (Virgil makes Patton take some as well), before sending Virgil off to go eat the cookies in peace. Unfortunately, both Janus and Roman love breaking into Virgil's house to taste Patton's magnificant cookies. Virgil now has locks and security cameras and hidden spaces where he places his cookies.

Whenever Patton has begun not taking care of himself, Janus forces him to take a day off and the two have a movie day. At first it was quite awkward, but the two have progressively gotten closer.

Logan and Remus have a bad habit of doing things in the name of science, which will always lead to chaos.

Roman and Remus have the ability to create stuff out of thin air. Surprisingly, Remus can do this at will, whereas Roman has no idea how to control it, leading to things like unicorns in Virgil's bathtub and a goblin walking on Janus's ceiling, or even Sherlock eating icecream in Logan's bed (don't ask). Roman then has to go around and herd up whatever his mind decided to create, and then properly get rid of them all.

Virgil and Logan have chairs and little desks on their front porches, where they'll occasionally sit with megaphones and yell across the street to have a debate with the other. Janus or Roman usually control these kinds of things, but they have their favorites. Logan usually ends up mad at both Roman and Virgil, and Virgil mad at both Janus and Logan. The other two take such delight in seeing the side they aren't favoring get pissed.

Janus pushed Virgil down his (Virgil's) stairs three years ago, and Virgil's been mad since. When Remus did it again a year later, he left the dark sides.

Virgil sneaks into Roman's house and sets up traps for Roman to get stuck in. Roman is constantly learning how to tell where a trap is, yet never can get ahead of Virgil.

Remus crawls through the sewers (on the wall, might I add), and Virgil is disgusted by Remus more than the sewers whenever the emo goes looking for ghosts.

Patton has been recieving mysterious and gross gifts for years at this point. It's obvious that Remus is the one sending them, but he hasn't called him out on it for some reason.

Virgil lays down in the middle of the road. Janus owns a car.

Roman writes poetry about how much he hates Janus, then goes to Janus' house and serenades him with it.

lmao I wrote this a couple weeks ago at 1 am and forgot about it, so you're getting it now. I would add more, but this is all I got. If you got any ideas for what they do on their street, please add on.

[meta-squash]

Brick Club 2.1.19 “The Battlefield At Night”

The moon is full for a few other important events in the Brick. It is full when Valjean robs Myriel and therefore also full for his moral struggle in the field of Petit Gervais, it’s full for Waterloo, it’s full when Valjean climbs over the wall and into the courtyard of the Petit Picpus convent, and it’s (potentially) full for the Jondrette affair. I’m not sure what to do with that information, symbolically, but I figured I’d mark it down.

“Sic vos non vobis” means “For You, But Not Yours,” and were words written by Virgil when another writer plagiarized his work. We saw another instance of this earlier, with Hugo being frustrated that Wellington got all the credit and appreciation wasn’t given to the soldiers who did all the work. Thenardier, now and later, is going to be the personification of this plagiarism.

I don’t understand how Hugo can say that war has realities and that it has ugliness and then believe that victors in war don’t rob the bodies. Does he seriously think that? Sorry, Hugo, I’m with Voltaire on this one.

Wow okay Hugo’s description of the various types that follow in the wake of battle remind me of the various characters that exist in the cour des miracles. These “camp followers” are a mobile cour des miracles, with all the manipulation and disguise and petty thievery and chance-taking and things that that entails.

I don’t think this military cour des miracles is just a description of the types that follow battles. It’s also a quick-and-dirty summary of Thenardier as a personality. He as a singular character embodies all of these characters and characteristics. He is a bearer of uniform who does not fight, he has brought his vendor wagon to the battlefield, as well as his wife, and we are introduced to him in the act of marauding the dead. We are zooming in on the type of people that Thenardier symbolizes, in order to prepare for meeting him. Because a few paragraphs later, he is “neither English nor French, peasant nor soldier, less man than ghoul.” He occupies the same liminal space as the characters on the cour des miracles, who can change appearance at will, manipulate situations, slip into darkness, and who will shut the door as one character and open it as another.

(Side note: I wonder if this is why Thenardier always seems to be portrayed as slimier and even less likeable than any of the rest of Patron Minette. Hugo disapproves of this raiding of dead soldiers. Thenardier is the only one we see who has done this, which makes him even more dishonorable and underhanded than the rest, who rob the living but perhaps don’t dishonor the dead? And perhaps robbing someone murdered by your own hand is different from taking advantage of those killed by others. But maybe I’m going a little sideways from Hugo’s intentions.)

Other people have already mentioned that Ohain is yet another Man Overboard. This time it is not the night-sea of prison, but the drowning crush of tyrannical, selfish society. Also, this time we don’t just have society (carts and/or cannon carriage) crushing the soldiers at Ohain. We have soldiers and horses crushing each other, piling on, fighting each other to survive, getting a horseshoe in the teeth or a heel in the eye. Tyrannical societies don’t just crush the worker and throw him into the night-sea of prison. They force the workers to crush each other, to compete with each other to survive, to tumble down into these hidden pits of poverty or desperation that are impossible to get out of, and then there are no carts on top of them, just other men, and they’re at each other’s throats to try and fight their way out of the pit, but struggling against each other is only going to exhaust them faster, is only going to hurt them more, is only going to suffocate and stifle and kill them quicker.

Oh hey, this is Hugo’s later theory about social mines vaguely popping up. Ohain is society, another drowning man, the drowning of laborers and soldiers via tyranny, via sacrifice for a manipulative society, etc. The lowest depth of Hugo’s social mines is Crime, especially crime that survives society, survives prisons, survives death, but only digs itself down deeper and feeds on that ruination. Those that are in the lowest depths are kind of like cockroaches in that even the most depraved circumstances don’t necessarily destroy them physically, only psychically. And here we have Thenardier, rooting around in the piles of the dead, surviving them only to commit Crime to survive off them.

“He walked with his feet in blood.” is a) a fucking incredible sentence imagery-wise and b) such an interesting thing to say about Thenardier. His hands aren’t bloody: he doesn’t do the killing. He’s a scavenger. But his basis is in blood; he walks in it, as though it’s normal for him, as though he’s walking through mud or sand and can brush it off later. (This may in fact be the only time we see a main character with blood on them that isn’t their own. I can’t think of any other time a character is covered with someone else’s blood.) This is an establishment of how comfortable he is in these depraved situations, an illustration of exactly what qualities he possesses that allow him to survive.

I never realized how much parallel there is between this scene here and the scene where Valjean encounters Thenardier in the sewers. Here, as with Marius in the sewers, Pontmercy is so close to death the Thenardier takes him for dead. Here, as in the sewers, Thenardier steals an object from the “dead” man (ring here, scrap of coat in sewer) and unwittingly helps him to survive (by uncovering him here, by giving Valjean the key in the sewer). He doesn’t know Pontmercy, whose head is covered in blood, and he does not recognize Marius because his head is covered in blood. Pontmercy thanks Thenardier by offering his (already stolen) purse and vowing to remember his name; Marius (unfortunately) expresses his indebtedness to his father’s rescue (and his own, kind of) by paying Thenardier enough that he can leave the country.

One other thought: what I find fascinating about the entire description of Thenardier on the field of Waterloo is that he seems completely alone. Hugo says just a couple sentences before Thenardier is introduced that pillaging continues. And yet Thenardier seems to be the only person out here on the plain, wandering the corpses. He is totally alone until Pontmercy’s hand grasps him suddenly, after he has already robbed him. It reminds me of how alone Valjean was in the field outside Digne, until Petit Gervais came along and his coin rolled to Valjean’s feet. Perhaps this could have been Thenardier’s Petit Gervais moment. Perhaps this is the moment where he could have made the decision to remove his foot from the coin, to return Pontmercy’s purse. Perhaps this is the moment where, if he didn’t do that, he would have moved on, and then questioned his motives, questioned his actions. Except that doesn’t happen. Thenardier cannot and will not have a Petit Gervais moment. He’s too far gone for that.

[max-is-tired]

Misconceptions: A Show

Pairing: Intrulogical

Characters: Remus Sanders, Logan Sanders, Roman Sanders, Patton Sanders, Virgil Sanders, Deceit Sanders.

Words: 3.941

Warnings: sympathetic Deceit & Remus, swearing, some graphic talk bc it’s Remus, screaming in caps

Notes: Finally, I can post this monster of a fic -hey there, @princeyssash, guess who was your secret santa? This fic was honestly so much fun to write, I swear -I loved all of the prompts I had, but this one just called to me,,, I had to,,

Big thanks to @purp-man for betaing this fic for me and listening to my 3am rambles, and shoutout to @afulldeckofaces for helping me flesh out some plot points, like Virgil memeing his way through Roman’s plans. You’re the absolute best <33

Commission me!!  Buy me a coffee!!  My Discord server!!  AO3!!

It was a normal day in the mindscape.

Patton was humming happily in the kitchen, shuffling around with a pep in his step as he mixed the batter for some cookies. In the living room, Logan and Virgil were enjoying each other’s company while doing their own thing, may it be reading or half-slouching on the couch while scrolling aimlessly through Tumblr.

Everything was peaceful.

Until it wasn’t.

“YOU DIRTY LITTLE SEWER RAT GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!!”

Everyone jumped at the sudden shout, Virgil going as far as tumbling off the couch with a startled yelp. From upstairs, Remus’ unmistakable laughter bounced on the walls, followed shortly after by the twin himself bolting down the stairs with a maniacal grin on his face.

“Oh god,” Virgil groaned from the floor, pinching the bridge of his nose, “what the fuck did he do now?”

“Language, kiddo,” Patton called, emerging from the kitchen with a confused frown on his face. 

Turns out, they didn’t have to wait long for an answer.

“REMUS!!” Roman screeched, running down the stairs. He looked thoroughly pissed, eyes flashing dangerously as he glared daggers at his brother.

Virgil took one look at him, blinked, and then promptly broke down cackling.

“Stop laughing, Hot Topic!” Roman exclaimed, cheeks flushing red. Not that his blush was very noticeable, due to the various scribbles and crude drawings covering his face. “Look at what he did to my beautiful face!”

“You just don’t understand real art, brother dearest,” Remus snickered, waving the marker in his hand around.

“Oh, I’ll show you real art,” Roman muttered darkly, unsheathing his sword as he stalked down the last steps of the stairs.

At the sight of the unsheathed sword, Virgil’s eyes widened in alarm, his body tensing slightly as it became clear the situation was starting to escalate. Beside him, Logan looked at the two brothers, sighed in resignation and snapped the book in his hands shut.

“That’s quite enough, you two,” he said, staring the two brothers down with a raised eyebrow.

“Specs, he drew penises on my face! Multiple times!!”

“Which you can easily snap off with a wave of your hand,” Logan pointed out, “I do not believe there is any need for all this screaming, or for weapons to be brought into the picture.”

“Logan, you don’t understand, I gotta fight him now! For my honor!!” Roman exclaimed, waving his arms around -and therefore further proving Logan’s point by almost cutting Deceit’s head off as the side rose up to check what the commotion was about.

“Oi, watch it!” Deceit called out, ducking to avoid another accidental swipe of Roman’s sword, “who are you, Zuko?”

“If Roman’s Zuko then Logan is totally Uncle Iroh,” Virgil added, still lying on the floor.

Logan shrugged. “If we are referring to the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender then yes, I can see the similarities.”

Roman squinted at them, finally lowering his sword. “There is an insult somewhere in that phrase. I don’t know where, but I know there is.”

“It’s because you’re a dumb-head, bro!” Remus cackled, once again calling the attention to himself.

Roman growled, looking more than ready to stalk through the room and tackle his twin to the ground, but Logan anticipated him before the situation could escalate once again.

“Remus, I believe this is quite enough,” he said, turning towards the aforementioned twin.

“Aw, but Logan, I’m just having some fun!”

Logan simply raised an eyebrow, staring him down.

“Ugh, fiiiine!” Remus finally groaned, throwing the marker somewhere behind himself, “that does not mean I’m happy about it though!”

Then, he sank out.

Peace once again established, Logan hummed and leaned back on the couch, going back to reading his book.

Or at least that was the plan.

“What the fuck just happened?” Virgil asked, staring at him in disbelief.

“Virgil, language!!”

“Sorry Padre, but I gotta agree with Cout Woelaf here,” Roman said, sword laying limp in his grip, “that was nothing less but weird.”

“I honestly do not understand where all of this apparent confusion is coming from,” Logan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“You told Remus to stop!” Roman exclaimed, throwing his arms up, “and he listened to you!!”

“Roman, your sword!” Deceit hissed in frustration, having had to duck for the third time to avoid being cut in tiny scaley pieces. “If you don’t put it down this instant I might just try and stab you with it, do not try me.”

Roman grumbled but complied, making the sword disappear with a wave of his hand. Then, he crossed his arms, looking once again towards the logical side. “My point still stands though. Remus never listens to anyone, like, ever.”

“Yeah, I think I have to agree with them here Lo,” Patton said, still standing under the kitchen’s doorway, “that was a little weird.”

“Well, I do not know what to tell you,” Logan countered, “I asked him to stop, he complied and then sank out -it’s as simple as that.”

“If you say so,” Roman said, squinting at him in suspicion.

From the other side of the room, Deceit gave him A Look, appearing to be torn between amusement and concern. Logan subtly raised an eyebrow in response, making sure the others would not notice their silent exchange.

After all, it wasn’t like he could just tell them the truth, could he?

+++

When Logan finally sank up in his room, sometime later, he was not surprised to see a very familiar side sprawled on his bed, head hanging from the side of the mattress as he threw a tiny dagger up and down in the air.

“Lolo!!” Remus grinned, spotting him, “took you a while, I was starting to get bored!”

“I wanted to finish this novel first,” Logan said, putting the book in question back to its place in his large library, “it was rather interesting.”

“You know what would be interesting?” Remus asked, not looking away from the other as he kept playing with his dagger, “to find out what would happen if this dagger hit me in the eye!! Do you think it would reach all the way to my brain?”

“I suppose it would,” Logan hummed, sitting beside the creative side and quickly catching the dagger out of the air when Remus threw it again, “but between proving that hypothesis and spending the rest of the day with my not-injured husband, I think I prefer the second option more.”

“Oh really?” Remus grinned, sitting up -a slim silver chain fell out of his shirt with the movement, the golden ring hanging from it twinkling in the light of the room. “And tell me, how would you like to spend that time, my dear?”

Logan hummed, the light pressure of his own ring hiding under his shirt bringing a smile to his face. “Oh, I’m sure my dear husband will have some ideas of his own to share.”

“Oh, you are wicked,” Remus said, before leaning in to capture Logan’s lips in a kiss.

+++

For a while, it seemed like whatever had happened in the living room had been forgotten -the others were still confused by how easy it was for Logan to make Remus listen to him, but most of them waved it off as Logic easily overpowering Intrusive Thoughts with rationality and all that shit.

(Deceit knew better than that, but that was mostly because lying to him was next to impossible and Logan had been smart enough to let him in on their secret as soon as it had started to become a serious thing, both to help the couple lie to the other sides and to avoid him finding out on his own and potentially jeopardizing their cover.)

Point is, no one had yet discovered the real reason between the apparent chemistry between the two sides. But that didn’t mean they weren’t starting to notice things.

The first one to start suspecting something was, surprisingly enough, Virgil.

He had been sneaking to the kitchen around 3am, planning to grab a quick snack from the pantry and then tip-toe back to his own room, all the while hoping not to alert anyone of his nighttime escapade -he had already been at the receiving end of several stern talks about his fucked-up sleeping schedule and did not want to have to sit through another one, thank you very much.

What he had not been expecting, was to find himself staring at Logan’s back, the logical side looking busy filling two mugs with steaming water.

Virgil froze on his tracks, eyes wide in alarm as he tried to figure out how to sneak back out of the kitchen and up the stairs without being noticed. Unfortunately, Logan seemed to have other ideas and turned around before the anxious side could make up his mind about the next course of action.

“Uh,” Logan said, blinking in surprise, “hello, Virgil. I have to be honest, I was not expecting to meet anyone at this hour of the night.”

“Likewise, I guess,” Virgil shrugged, giving the other a tiny smile, “why are you up at this hour anyway? Weren’t you the one waxing poetry about the importance of a regular sleep schedule?”

“I got sidetracked, I guess. One late night won’t harm me in any way or form, I assure you.”

Virgil snickered. “I’m telling Patton you said that.”

“I don’t think you will,” Logan countered, calm as ever as he put down the kettle and moved to grab the two cups, “because if you do I will tell Patton about you sneaking into the kitchen at 3am with, as it appears, not a single ounce of sleep in your body.”

“... harsh, L. Real harsh.”

“Just stating facts,” Logan said, before walking out of the kitchen.

Virgil stared after him, watching the logical side leisurely cross the living room and walk up the stairs until he could not see him anymore. Then, he shrugged, quickly walking to the pantry and grabbing the snack he had come for.

He straightened up, holding triumphantly a bag of chips, only to freeze up again when a tiny detail finally struck him.

“Wait, why the fuck did he have two mugs?”, he wondered, turning back to glance at the stairs. Then, he turned towards the kitchen counter, noticing a little bag sitting just to the side of where Logan had been standing just a few seconds before.

“Kuding Tea” read the caption on the front of the bag, the inside filled with slim, dark tea nails.

Virgil frowned, rolling the name around in his head. He was sure he had heard it before, but where?

+++

The second one was Roman.

He had been strolling idly around the Imagination, humming a song under his breath as he walked along a path in the woods. Of course, his guard wasn’t completely down, not now that he was so near Remus’ side of the Imagination -while his relationship with his brother had greatly improved in the last year or so, he was still very much aware of the dangerous creatures lurking in his brother’s domain, and Roman had no desire to be caught by surprise by one of them.

Could you imagine the teasing, if Remus ever were to find out?

So yeah, he was still being very attentive to his surroundings -that’s probably half of the reason why he found himself hesitating when what sounded like distant laughter reached his ears.

Roman stilled, focusing on his surroundings. But all he could hear was silence, and after a few more seconds he was about ready to shrug it off to his imagination.

Then, the same, faint sound echoed from somewhere in the forest.

Curious, Roman started following the sound, watching his steps as his hand moved to hover over the handle of his sword -better be safe than sorry, he figured.

It didn’t take long for him to reach his destination, the forest receding just a few feet in front of him to make room for a vast, lush clearing. What he found, however, was something he could have never fathomed.

In the middle of the clearing, sitting on the grass in front of each other, were Remus and Logan, looking way too engrossed in their own conversation to notice the stunned prince staring at them from just behind a tree.

Remus seemed to be showing Logan something, looking completely enraptured by whatever Logan was saying.

The logical side was talking animatedly, waving his hands around with a grin as he occasionally gestured to something sitting between them. And Remus, well, he was staring at Logan with an expression Roman was pretty sure he’d never seen on his twin’s face.

He was looking at Logan like he was the sole holder of every secret of the universe, like he was everything he could see and hear.

He looked absolutely, utterly smitten, and Roman did not know what to do with that information.

+++

For Patton, well, it was more of a gradual realization.

He may not be the smartest in the group, but he was not by any means an idiot. He had noticed right away the potential chemistry between the two sides, the way Logan never seemed to be fazed by Remus’ shenanigans or the way Remus seemed to enjoy poking fun at the logical side.

Initially, he had not been very thrilled about it. But as time went on and they started to get closer to the dark sides, he could see how those two being friends could be highly beneficial for everyone, Remus and Logan included.

And he thought that was all it was -a blossoming friendship!

But the more time passed, the more Patton started to realize how that wasn’t exactly the case.

He didn’t know what initially tipped him off, really. Maybe it was the shared glances when one of them thought the other wasn’t looking, or the smile both of the sides seemed to fight down when in the presence of the other.

Maybe it was the subtle change in Logan’s demeanor, the way he’d grown calmer, happier, metaphorically softer around the edges ever since he and Remus had started growing closer.

Something was starting to bloom between the two sides, and Patton was not so sure it was a simple, innocent friendship anymore.

+++

Things came to a head one fateful Saturday afternoon, with Logan stuck revising schedules with Thomas and Remus doing who-knows-what in the Imagination.

The other sides were all lounging in the living room, all doing their own thing.

Then, Roman spoke up.

“Do you guys think something’s going on between Remus and Logan?”

Virgil, who was very much not expecting to hear something like that in the foreseeable future, jumped up from where he had been sprawled on the couch, headphones hanging limp from his neck as he stared wide-eyed at the creative side.

“Please tell me you’re not implying what I think you are implying.”

Roman shrugged, looking away as he scratched the base of his neck. “I don’t know what to tell you, Panic! At The Everywhere -I’m just asking.”

“If I have to be completely honest, actually,” piped up Patton from his place on the floor, stopping the episode of Parks & Rec they had been using as a background, “I have noticed some strange things too.”

“Right??” Roman exclaimed, “I saw them in the Imagination, last week, and I swear to god at one point Remus’ expression almost rivaled the way Logan usually looks at a jar of Crofters.”

“Whoa there Princey,” Virgil said, “don’t you think you’re exaggerating a little?”

“I know what I saw, J.D-lightful.”

“And I think Logan could be developing some feelings for Remus, even if he probably hasn’t quite realized it yet,” Patton added.

Virgil went to argue, but suddenly a realization struck him.

“Oh fuck,” he whispered in shock, suddenly looking like he was reevaluating everything he’d ever known.

“What?” Roman asked, confused.

“I caught Logan down in the kitchen, the other day,” Virgil explained, “he was brewing two cups of tea -which I found rather strange, really, but it was something like 3am so I didn’t question it too much. But I saw the name of the tea he brewed, and it felt familiar but I didn’t connect the dots until now.”

“Well?” Roman prompted, “We’re on the edge of our seats here, Marilyn Morose.”

“It was Kuding Tea, aka Remus’ favorite,” Virgil revealed. “He made us brew it all the time, and he was the only one able to drink that stuff because it’s one of the most bitter things you could ever try to swallow.”

Patton hummed, looking deep in thought. “Looks like those two might be closer than we thought.”

Roman grinned, something akin to mischief glinting in his eyes. “How about we help them grow just a little bit closer, uh?”

“We can discuss all of that later, Ro, but first there’s another thing we need to talk about,” Patton said, before turning to look at Virgil with a stern look on his face. “Virgil Sanders, what’s this I hear about you being up at 3am again?”

(Engrossed as they were in the new revelations, none of the sides noticed the tiny smirk stretching on Deceit’s face as he watched the scene unfold. He could have tried to stop them from trying to meddle, sure.

But where would be the fun in that?)

 +++

As it turned out, not a single one of the sides’ plans came even close to its goal.

First came Patton’s idea, which was arguably the most subtle. They set up a family dinner, pestering the two sides until they confirmed their presence at the table. Then, very last minute, everyone gave random excuses as to why they couldn’t come. Everyone was sure it would work, even if they didn’t stick around to find out -knowing Remus’s tendency to make things rather… spicy, they didn’t want to find out what would happen after the two finally confessed their feelings.

However, when, the day after, they asked Logan how the dinner had gone, the logical side simply leveled them with a confused stare.

“Since you all weren’t there we just agreed to bring the food back to our rooms and keep doing our work -I still had some possible scripts to read through so it worked just fine for me.”

So, it looked like plan A had been a failure.

Roman, in all of his finesse and “romantic prowess” (his exact words), decided to put his own plan in action -which consisted of not-so-subtly shoving the two sides in the same room and “accidentally” break the doorknob, effectively trapping them inside.

(“Wow, a true Cupido alright.”

 “Oh, shut up, you Emo Nightmare.”)

However, Roman’s incredible, astonishing, foolproof plan (again, his exact words) did not account for one specific aspect, aka Remus’ tendency of not letting puny, material things like doors keep him trapped.

In less than five minutes, the two sides were free once again, easily sidestepping what little remained of the door with Remus still holding his morning star in his hands.

And just like that, plan B joined its predecessor down the metaphorical toilet.

Last came Virgil’s plan, which was quite different from the other two’s -it was succinct, concise, and the farthest thing from subtle you could ever think of.

“Hey L,” he called one day, not even looking up from his phone, “what if you went and kissed Remus?”

Logan slowly looked up from his book. “... I apologize, what?”

Virgil shrugged, smirking. “Don’t worry, I’m just kidding. Unless…?”

Logan blinked at him, looking thoroughly confused. “Virgil, are you unwell? How many hours of rest did you get last night?”

And that’s how plan C joined its sibling down in the metaphorical sewer.

(“Your plan was a meme??”

“At least I didn’t try to cliché them into a relationship, Princey.”) 

Point is, by the end of the week the three sides had still to come up with a tactic that could actually work. So, they planned another brainstorm question in the living room.

Only, they appeared to have greatly miscalculated Remus and Logan’s whereabouts.

“Alright, you guys want to share with the class what the fuck is going on already?”

The three sides jumped in unison, whipping their heads around to stare at the two sides standing at the bottom of the stairs. Remus was leaning on the railing, looking at them expectantly, while Logan was standing just beside him with his arms crossed in front of his chest, one single eyebrow raised in a silent question.

“Uuuuuh…” Patton spoke up, looking at the other two in search of help, “language?”

“Pat, I think my language is the least of our problems now,” Remus retorted, refusing to drop the subject, “so, who wants to start talking first?”

The three sides, who looked like three deers caught in the headlights, seemed to grow more panicked by the second, searching for a possible explanation and coming up empty-handed.

“We found out you guys have a crush on each other and wanted to help you two get together!” Roman finally blurted.

“Roman!” Virgil growled, turning to glare at the creative side.

“I’m sorry!” Roman squeaked, throwing his arms up in frustration.

“You could have been a little more… tactful about it, kiddo,” Patton said, smiling nervously as they all waited with bated breath what the two’s reactions would be.

Logan and Remus blinked, dumbfounded. Then, they turned to look at each other, before Remus decided that the best course of action was, of course, to break down into hysterical giggles, compete with wheezing and tears prickling at the corners of his eyes.

As for Logan, well, he limited himself to chuckling, looking downright amused by the whole situation.

So yeah, not exactly the reactions the others were expecting.

“... what?” Virgil asked, “please tell me I’m not the only confused one right now.”

“Apologies, Virgil,” Logan said, as Remus kept merrily cackling his lungs out on the floor, “we just thought something serious was going on, since you have all been acting strangely during the last week or so. Discovering that the reason behind your strange behavior was that, well, is rather amusing.”

“Wait, is that your way of telling us you actually don’t like Remus?” Roman said.

“Actually, I do like him, in a romantic sense,” Logan chuckled, throwing a fond look at the side wheezing on the ground. “We have been engaged in a romantic relationship for a while now.”

“... I know I probably sound like a broken record but what?”

“He wants to tap this booty, Vee!” Remus cackled, “and I’m 100% down for that!”

“ By the horn of a unicorn, please spare us the details,” Roman muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“So that means you guys are already in a relationship?!” Patton exclaimed, a wide grin on his face as he clapped his hands in obvious delight, “oh my gosh, that’s so cute! I’m so happy for you guys!!”

“I don’t know if I want to be angry because you guys didn’t tell us or because my brother somehow managed to score a boyfriend before me,” Roman grumbled.

Logan and Remus shared a glance at that, mischief twinkling in both of their eyes. Then, once it appeared they were both on the same page, Remus spoke, barely stopping himself from giggling in anticipation.

“Actually we’re married, but go off I guess.”

Silence fell, seconds ticking by as the news started to sink in.

“Now hold on a second you guys aRE WHAT-”

And then, chaos.

[littleboy-logan]

Brother in Arms (5) END

The final chapter!! I can’t believe I actually finished this up so nicely!! I could make a continuation if y’all want, but more than anything I plan on focusing on a different project 👀 hope you like this last chapter!!!!

Summary: An unexpected twist occurs during a faux camping trip in the living room. Logan has a secret he doesn’t wish to share, but a thunderstorm may force him to.

Characters: Logan, Virgil, Roman, Patton, Janus, Remus

Pairing(s): analogical, royality, dukeceit (all ships can be read as romantic or platonic depending on preference and no romance takes place while regressed, as always)

Warnings: a thunderstorm, crying, a story is told that implies death and mentions ghosts, a clown mention, and i believe that’s it but lemme know if I missed anything!!!

Word count: 1,244

~

Logan was a caregiver. Not a regressor.

He told himself this every time he watched cartoons with Virgil. Whenever Virgil got him to play pretend with him. All the moments he shared with a regressed Virgil, he had to remind himself that he was the grown up.

He had to be.

Now everyone was getting ready for the “camping trip” that night in the living room. Logan got the s'mores ingredients gathered and the fake campfire set up while Patton and Janus did the blanket tent. The regressors were quite excited about it, and so was Logan.

Excited... for the regressors, of course.

Soon they were all gathered and the fun could begin. They were starting with the s'mores, roasting the marshmallows over the fake campfire.

"I wanna set mine on fire!" Remus declared.

"I don't like burned marshmos," Virgil murmured.

"How we know when they're ready?" Roman asked.

"I think they're ready now," Logan said, helping everyone make their s'mores. The marshmallows squished perfectly between the graham crackers and the chocolate, much to the regressors' amazement.

Logan had, of course, put the marshmallows in the microwave for just a few seconds to soften them up before the "roasting".

He... definitely did not want one for himself. He had to remember that this was for the regressors, not him. He couldn’t give in to the temptation to indulge in their hobbies.

With the s’mores eaten, they all told scary stories around the fake campfire. The caregivers started, though when it was Logan’s turn he tried to decline.

“I wanna hear your story, Logie!” Virgil exclaimed.

“Yeah, nerdy pants!” Roman agreed. “Story!”

Logan sighed fondly. “Alright, I suppose. Um... there once was a... little boy... who had a paper boat. It was raining out, so he... floated the paper boat along a stream of water on the sidewalk until it fell into a sewer. Looking down into it, the boy found a clown.”

“This is the plot of It!” Remus said.

“I told you, I’m bad at this!”

“You gotta reach deep down in your gut and pull out your sense of imagination! Just rip it out of there! That’ll help you tell stories!”

Logan paused. “Thank you, Remus.” He decided to think of something else, something unique. “Um... okay, different little boy... who learned how to fly. Everyone told him he couldn’t do it. No one believed in him. He couldn’t fly, he was only a boy. Um... but one day... he decided to try. He went to the edge of a cliff... no, perhaps this is more sad than scary.”

“No, keep going!” Roman exclaimed. “Did he learn how to fly?”

“Yeah, keep going,” Patton encouraged with a smile.

“Alright. Um, he went to the edge of a cliff, taller than the trees. He knew he could fly, he just had to believe. So he jumped. He closed his eyes and willed himself to fly. Then he fell. But he did learn to fly, because his ghost flies around that cliff to this very day.”

“Wow,” Roman whispered.

“He died?” Virgil shrieked.

“Cool!” Remus said with a smile. “Tell another one!”

Logan chuckled. “That’s all the storytelling I’ve got in me, I’m afraid. Who’s next?”

As Logan listened to everyone’s stories, he could feel his brain getting fuzzier and fuzzier. He fought it off, trying to pay attention to what everyone was saying.

Then the thunderstorm hit.

A crackle of thunder got Logan jumping to his feet, his heart pounding. He was very much not a grown up right now and he did not care for that fact, not at all. He had to be the grown up, Virgil needed him.

However, Virgil was clapping his hands and giggling.

“Stormy!” he yelled happily.

“Logan, you good?” Janus asked amusedly, Logan quickly sitting back down.

He cleared his throat. “Um... I’m fine, just caught me by surprise.”

It was ridiculous for him to be scared of a little thunder. The storm couldn’t hurt him, he was being silly. He would be fine, he just needed to focus on the camping. Focus on Remus’s story.

Thunder clapped just as Remus began cackling maniacally as part of his storytelling. That was not helpful.

Logan needed to breathe. He was on the verge of tears, but he couldn’t be, not right now. Why was the storm scaring him so much?

It was then Roman’s turn to tell a story, and hopefully it would be less scary and Logan could take his mind off things. Things such as fear and thunderstorms.

As it turned out, Roman was much better at scary stories than Logan gave him credit for. Terrific.

“Just when she thought she escaped the butcher, the door creaked open and she screamed!”

Thunder went along with the story and this time Logan screamed before bursting into tears.

“Oh gosh, Logan, what’s the matter?” Patton asked, holding Logan in his arms.

Logan couldn’t speak. He was too young.

“Logie, you scared?” Virgil asked, moving closer to Logan and holding his hand. “It just thunder. Won’t hurt you.”

Logan was inconsolable. He didn’t know how old he was but he felt completely helpless. All he could do was hold onto Patton for dear life and cry his eyes out.

“Lo gon’ be okay?” Remus asked.

“He’ll be just fine,” Janus answered. “He’s just scared of the storm, that’s all.”

“I thought grown ups weren’t scared of anything?” Roman pondered aloud.

“That’s not quite the case, little prince.”

More thunder crashed and Logan jumped. Patton held him more closely and gently shushed him.

“Shh, it’s okay, Loganberry. I’ve got you. You’ll be alright.”

He continued to murmur words of comfort in Logan’s ear, who began to calm down. He had tears and snot running down his face but didn’t have the will to clean it off.

“How old are you, Logan?” Janus asked.

Logan could only babble in response. He wanted to say words but wasn’t sure how to.

“Oh, looks like we’ve got ourselves a little baby boy!” Patton declared with a smile, Logan giggling and clapping his hands.

Patton had Janus get some tissues so he could clean Logan’s face. He carried him into the blanket tent and laid him down. He knew Logan would be needing a diaper at such a young age, so he summoned one and quickly put it on him.

“There we go!” Patton cooed. “How about some nice, cosy pyjamas, hm?”

Logan clapped his hands and kicked his feet absentmindedly. Patton got him changed into a blue baby romper that fit him perfectly, and summoned him a space themed pacifier.

Virgil poked his head into the tent. “Can I see baby?”

Patton chuckled. “Of course! Be gentle with him, he’s much younger than you.”

Virgil crawled into the tent and Logan instantly made grabby hands at him. Virgil laid down next to him and held him.

“Is he like my little brother now?” Virgil asked.

“I don’t know, that’s up to the two of you,” Patton replied.

Virgil held him closer. “I’mma protect you from all the storms in the world, Logie.”

Logan let his eyes close and Virgil’s warmth overtake him. He gripped Virgil’s onesie tightly, never wanting to let go.

He didn’t want to be a regressor. Though with such a loving, accepting group of people he could call family, it wasn’t the end of the world.

Besides, it would be fun to be a child. Every now and then.

[ask-dnd-sides]

Remus, what's an Otyugh? - duck anon

(Remus’s eyes widen and his body nearly begins to hum in excitement.)

Remus: I declare this question not a part of the 20 questions because it’s about another question because I can do that and no one can say anything about it.

Remus: An Otyugh is like a big aberration that almost looks like a displacer beast, but has a bajillion teeth and andandand. They can eat waste, like some places use them for waste disposal and they live in sewers and they are my favorite!

(Remus turns to Virgil, who had nearly lagged behind in Remus’s ramble. Virgil’s ears are perked up and a vacant smile on his face before he blinks and the smile is gone, replaced with a subtle flush of a lighter shade on his cheeks. Remus doesn’t comment, but his smirk and subsequent eyebrow wiggle say it all)

[iwrestlenow]

TITLE: Many More To Die (Chapter 14)

FANDOM: Sanders Sides (Necromancer AU)

SUMMARY: A gift from the past secures the future. Knowledge is our greatest defense.

Or, this time, Logan means it when he says he'll never let go.

SHIPS: Logince (Logan/Roman), Moceit (Patton/Janus) and Dukexiety (Remus/Virgil)

WARNINGS: graphic descriptions of violence and death related grossness (i.e., decomposition and fantasy derived nastiness)

There's an epilogue after this, so sorry it's kinda short--and I'm not kidding, guys, shippy bullshit to follow for the next 739 years.

NOTES: This is based on the gorgeous piece of art by @gretacticdraws that can be found here. I ended up writing a ficlet for it, and then my brain got swallowed up. Breathe at me wrong, and I’ll write more…hell, who am I kidding? I’ll write more anyway because this? Is self indulgent drivel. XD

Also located at AO3 over here.

1023, A.A.

Thomas felt a little bit like he was going insane.

Venturing through the deepest of the forgotten sewer tunnels beneath the palace, he shut his eyes and thought of Nico—his unruly curls, his too wide smile, his infectious laughter.

It wasn't his imagination—he heard it echo, somewhere worlds away, bright as the sun.

The grief knotted tight in his chest for an instant before it began to loosen again, bleeding comfort into the raw places in his heart.

They keep the Vigil. He reminded himself. Outlaw wouldn't lie to you.

Taking a deep breath, he quickened his pace.

Once he reached it—a break in the tunnel, where the unfinished pipe sharply cut off into stone and earth, Thomas knelt before the spot where he'd buried the parcel that Outlaw—Josiah Crofter—sent him.

A simple wooden box containing a vial of ashes and a single thread.

“You know what the Vigil is: our funeral rite, our means of keeping the dead alive in the worlds beyond. The Necromata got no souls, so memory's all we have. So we lay their body to rest, and the memories...trinkets, letters, clothing...we give to the funeral pyre. One that never ceases burning.”

Reaching into his belt, Thomas pulled out a dagger.

“When the fire dies, ashes are collected from the freshest embers and kept—and every year, they are added to a fresh pyre. Ashes are collected. The cycle repeats. The fire always burns...so long as the Necromata hold the flint and steel, the Vigil will continue.”

Gritting his teeth, Thomas lay the dagger against his palm, took a breath—and drew the blade against his skin with firm, even pressure.

“But the power of the Vigil is stronger than that. A secret, long kept by our people...that the Vigil don't just safeguard life after death.”

The skin yielded beneath the blade, weeping a garish line of crimson.

“It can safeguard life itself.”

Thomas bit his lip at the sting, but made a fist over the little mound of earth before him.

“The vial I gave you—the embers of your beloved's Vigil, a single thread from the handkerchief you gave me, stained with his blood. Buried 'neath your palace, you join us in the Vigil's keep...offer it blood and a blessing, and the Sacred Souls will let your beloved keep yours in turn.”

He watched his blood hit the dirt, little drops of red catching kernels of earth on their surface.

“The living remember the dead to keep them alive...so it goes when the dead remember the living.”

“For our sons, my love.” Thomas whispered. “For them, and them alone, keep my Vigil.”

The drops of blood sank into the earth so abruptly it startled him.

He heard his husband's laughter again—barely an echo, worlds away.

Even as his tears began to fall, Thomas felt himself smile.

********** 1033, A.A.

THOMAS.

It didn't feel like coming back to life—it felt like remembering.

The heartbeat that eluded his thoughts, the breath that danced on the edge of his consciousness, thoughts and reason and existence that lay just on the tip of his tongue.

A body to live, of course, how had he forgotten? Eyes to open...yes, certainly...

...well, that was a little bit harder. Something was wrong, terribly wrong...

That was when Thomas realized that his body hurt—everything hurt.

“...I may be mortal, but I am still a Weaver...with power over life and death.”

Somehow, over the sudden din, Thomas heard the choked sound of someone unable to breathe. It was a sound he vaguely recognized—a sound that chilled his blood, which already felt strange moving through his veins...chill, sluggish...

THOMAS.

...Nico?...

FOR OUR SON...KEEP THE VIGIL.

Thomas finally managed to open his eyes, head slowly rolling to the side.

The first thing he saw was the door of his bedchamber shattering. A hound swiftly followed, a massive creature with glowing blue eyes that made a beeline for one of the royal guard. Half paralyzed, half fascinated, he watched the animal's jaws close around the guard's throat and his head shake, tearing flesh...

Ichor, black and nauseating, spurted from the guard's throat instead of blood.

On the animal's heels came...yes, that was a heart healer, picking through the splintered wood with a look of horror on his face. A mage came to his side, a prison mage from the look of his robes.

He heard swords clashing—a gleeful cry of triumph. Oh, Remus, his beloved slice of chaos personified...

If Remus could bellow like that, however, he could breathe.

Thomas's eyes finally found the middle of the room—a chair, Roman's body slumped in unconsciousness.

THOMAS.

“I know.” Thomas croaked, struggling to sit up. Every one of his joints felt stiff and brittle, his throat sandpaper rasping one face to another.

Still, he got to his feet. Still, he stumbled over to where Roman sat, reaching out a too thin, too gnarled hand to pat his cheek.

“Ro...Ro...Ro—damn it. Roman!”

Roman stirred, his eyes slowly blinking open with a moan.

“...not...Ro...Roman...”

“What? I don't understand...”

Roman's head lolled to one side, his features paling. Thomas followed his gaze...

He knew the soldier—Colonel Mori, the man he'd barred from that young necromancer's presence once he'd realized what had been done to the poor child.

A poor child sprawled on his back—and Thomas couldn't be sure how, but he knew, he felt it in that place within his chest that tingled when Remus learned a new way to blow something up. He knew it in that place behind his brain that lit up when Roman was about to burst into his chambers with some new poem or story.

The part of him branded father strained towards whatever it was within Roman that was branded son, and Thomas knew it was in the wrong body.

“Rest.” he reassured the boy in Roman's body, patting his shoulder. “I'll be back in a moment.”

Straightening, his limbs grew looser as anger swelled in his chest...no, rage.

Rage for the young life that had been stolen. Rage for his son, who lay dying on the ground—rage for a man that he hated for what he'd done to someone Thomas respected and trusted.

Rage, even, for his broken bedchamber door, and the bodies falling all around the room. Rage filled him, revitalized him, resurrected him from the last dying embers of the grave.

Walking up behind an unsuspecting Mori, Thomas reached out and, without a single shred of regret, grabbed the man from behind to pull him close.

“I should have let the executioner do this ten years ago.” he spat in Mori's ear before he gripped his chin in one hand, secured the other at the right angle, and wrenched with a cry of fury that only died when he heard the satisfying snap of bone and sinew.

He swore, as Mori fell, that he could hear another voice alongside his—no longer worlds away, but so close he could nearly smell the bright citrus of his favorite cologne.

“I'm sorry, my love—but today is not our day.” Thomas couldn't stop himself from whispering. “Wait for me?”

Nico's laughter rang right in his ear, clear and true, before it receded back into the worlds beyond the reach of the living once again.

Roman.

Remembering in the absence of two men's anger, Thomas fell to his knees. The body before him was too still, the eyes glassy and distant.

“Roman...Roman, please!...”

“Your Majesty.”

Thomas turned sharply. At some point, the din had died and silence fell heavy over the room. A young cadet knelt beside him, blood and ichor staining his clothing and his cheek. His eyes were wide and haunted.

“No.” Thomas breathed as the cadet looked to the body on the floor and reached out to gently close its eyes. “No, no no no...”

Arms wrapped around Thomas from behind. Tears dampened his neck—blindly, shaking, Thomas reached behind him to run soothing fingers through Remus's hair.

“Logan, he—he has a Claim.” Remus stammered through deep sobs. “He—he can't be dead. Not when Logan can't...when he can't...”

Thomas didn't understand, but as he glanced towards the chair where Roman's body had been slumped, he watched Roman stand slowly, shuffling towards them, and kneel carefully on the other side of Roman's corpse.

“The Claim is bound to flesh, and it suspends when the soul leaves the body.” the necromancer in Roman's body replied—Logan, his eyes cold and hard and nothing at all like his dear, passionate son.

“He wasn't supposed to come for me.” he continued, running a hand over Roman's hair, his voice too flat, too lifeless. “I warned him...”

Logan trailed off, his eyes widening. Something dangerously like hope sparked in Thomas's chest.

Before he could even draw breath, Logan slammed a fist into the corpse's chest.

********** Knowledge.

“Logan, what the fuck?”

Knowledge is how.

Logan planted his palm in the middle of Roman's chest.

He covered his hand with his other, firmly meshed his fingers.

It is our best weapon...and our best defense.

Throwing all his weight behind it, Logan drove his hands into Roman's breastbone, establishing a steady rhythm.

“Logan, you gotta stop...”

“Virgil, move.”

Remus's voice, deafening silence. Logan kept his gaze focused on his hands in Roman's chest, tried to keep his vision clear so he could do it right.

The way Roman taught him, as his brother taught him.

“Stop.”

Remus's voice. Logan stopped.

Roman's chest barely lifted, then sank.

“Go.”

Logan resumed the compressions. A rhythm, a count...

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Stop. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Stop.

The vital breath—a means to raise the dead without magic.

The cycle continued. Logan gave up his soul with every thrust of the heel of his hand, let it fly into the ether, let it burn to nothing and filled himself instead with Remus's brisk instruction, with the drumbeat of the pulse he desperately tried to tattoo into Roman's chest--

“Logan, stop!”

Logan stopped. Someone was coughing, spasming, rolling to the side...

With an animalistic wail of agony, Logan flung himself around Roman, and followed his soul out of his body.

********** When Roman came to, he was hacking, his lungs burning, his whole body feeling...

...he lost the feeling as dizziness overcame him, and he was suddenly holding Logan instead of being held, the smaller man wracked with wheezing, desperate gasps for air. Everything still felt chaotic, off-kilter...

Chaos. The Animator.

This time, when Roman gathered him close, Logan didn't rear back. He burrowed hard into Roman's chest, shaking like a leaf, and clung so hard to Roman's shoulders he was certain there would be half moons left behind of Logan's nails on skin. Holding him tight, Roman surveyed the rest of his father's bedchamber.

There were bodies everywhere, many of them untouched. There was some blood, but most of the black stuff that filled the air with the smell of rotting death had been spilled from bodies under the Animator's control that were so long dead that their blood had turned to sludge—and now that they were inanimate again, in varying stage of decomposition as they lay, mutilated.

The only people left standing were the victors.

Emile and Remy, wrapped around each other, Emile strangely calm while Remy's solid black eyes took it all in with an equally strange, haunted expression.

Virgil and Remus, side by side, kneeling there before him. Virgil was visibly swaying, but Remus looked perfectly serene—blood and ichor dotting his face, smearing his hands, a rock in the middle of the rapids.

Janus, standing in the middle of the room, equally stained by battle and yet no less resplendent for it. By his side, still in animal form was Patton, calmly licking the blood off one massive paw. Janus had his fingers barely stroking Patton's head, and the side of his face layered with scales was spattered heavily with that same combination of red blood and black rot.

As Janus met his gaze and smiled, Roman felt certain in that moment that Janus had surrendered to Patton the human portion of his dual drake's soul.

Then there was his father, just at his elbow—somehow beautifully, miraculously, alive and watching him with a watery smile. He still looked...well, terrible, features still too thin and leathery, his pallor still that of a corpse dessicated by magic, but his eyes were open and sparkling with real, vibrant life.

“Hold on,” Roman breathed as he smiled back at his father and pulled Logan impossibly closer, “don't let go.”

Logan laughed, then hiccuped, pressing his face to Roman's neck. For the first time in ten years, Roman felt himself draw a true breath: free, clear, and clean as Logan clung to him tight and meant the words as he said them.

“I never have. I never will.”