Ah, Meus? What happened to our prompt list?
Oh, that. I was carrying in my pocket when Ro said I couldnโt beat him in a sword fight andโ
Tell me, Museโฆ is that your boot print?
*compares smudge to his own boot* Nah. Itโs Roโs. My feet are bigger.
*Janus and Logan exchange a long look*
Next year, Iโm handling the prompt list.
Prompts:
Saturday, Feb. 14: Valentines
Sunday, Feb. 15: Wild/Calm
Monday, Feb. 16: Two Hands
Tuesday, Feb. 17: Theatre/Theatrics
Wednesday, Feb. 18: Spaghetti
Thursday, Feb. 19: Suave
Friday, Feb. 20: Right Place, Right Time
Alternates:
anger, truth, gremlins,
faulty logic, orange eyes, last time,
better off alone
@tsseventhub and @sanders-sides-events, and all you lovely fanders, would you kindly help us spread the word?
We are looking for more blogs to follow for poly-related content. We're also looking for fandom-specific blogs or poly-friendly events who want to affiliate. We'll make a masterpost of poly friendly blogs for the community so we can all enjoy our polyships together (or in our own space).
Remember that this is a MULTIFANDOM blog, so all fandoms are welcome to be in the index.
Reply to this post with your poly or poly-friendly sideblogs. We want to see you!
October 21 - 27: Spooky Sides Week (@spookysidesweek) New event!
November (All Month): The Sleepy Bean Fanfic Cafรฉ (@tss-camp-and-coffee)
November 1 - 7: Intrulogical Week (@intrulogicalweek)
November 8 - 14: Roman Week (@coresideweeks)
November 22 - 28: Friends/Familial Dark Sides Week
December/Jan: Sanders Sides Gift Exchange (@sanderssidesgiftxchange) | sign-up in the Fall
December 7 - 13: Moceitweek (@moceitweek)
December 13 - 19: Virgil Week (@darksideweeks)
*Darksideweeks noted they will run Dukeceitweek only if the original host doesn't want to run it in 2026.
I feel the need to tell you directly that Intruloceit has won the following awards in Round 1 of the bracket:
2nd largest Win Margin (Intruloceit)
Most Notes (Locet V Intrulogical)
Second Most Notes (Intruloceit V Moralisleepmas)
Most Votes (Intrulogical V Loceit)
The count down has begun! Less than 24 hours left to sign up for Camp Cartoon: Dynamic Duos! We wonโt be able to take any more campers after March 28th at Midnight EDT!
Join us in this exciting collaborative writing gift event!!
Welcome, welcome, welcome! I'm just pleased as punch you're joining us for Camp Cartoon! Give this form a looksie and fill it out before Mar
A Giant Snake in our living room? It's more likely than you would think!
I'm back, finally! Writer's block is a bitch but I'm slowly getting over it, I hope, so here's Day 2 of @intruloceitweek! No idea when the rest will come but it will come at some point. Hope you enjoy! ๐๐๐
Summary: Logan just wanted a coffee. Why is there a giant snake in the living room?
Content Warnings: Giant Snake
~~*~~
Logan just wanted a coffee. He'd been working since breakfast and finally conceded that he needed a break. And a boost in caffeine.
Only to be stopped by Patton at the top of the stairs.
"What is going on?" Logan asks, trying to see past Patton who is holding him back by his shoulders.
"Wellโฆ I'm not actually sure," Patton says, glancing over his shoulder himself and worriedly down the stairs. "I was in the living room with Roman and Remus โ they were arguing, you know, like they do โ when suddenly there was a loud hiss and then this big, yellow snake appeared, grabbed Remus and threw Roman across the room! I managed to run up the stairs and Roman joined me not long after, but Remus is still trapped!"
Logan raises a brow and again tries to look past Patton. He does indeed catch a glimpse of something yellow moving past the stairs but nothing more.
"Where is Roman now then? You said he came with you."
"He did, but he left to go get something from the Imagination, I think. First he tried to fight the snake but Remus told him to back off. He seems to believe that it's just Janus? And apparently it's not the first time this has happened?"
"What do you mean, he thinks it's just Janus? As in Janus is responsible for setting it loose?"
Patton shakes his head and worries his bottom lip.
"No, he seems to think Janus is the snake. Like how I turned into the big frog? But apparently Janus isn't fully himself like this and isn't responsive nor does he seem to recognize Roman and Iโฆ It's all really strange, but I don't think you should go down there!"
Patton had let go of Logan's shoulders during his explanation, but immediately grabs for his arm as Logan attempts to step around him.
"I understand your worries Patton," Logan reassures as he gently frees his arm, "but I would like to remind you that we are imaginary and therefore whatever the snake might do, it will not leave permanent damage. Additionally, I do not intend to step foot into the living room, I merely wish to get a closer look at the snake."
"Ahโฆ O-okay, I guess. Just, please be careful?"
"Of course, Patton. I will just walk a few steps down, alright?"
"Yeah, okay."
Logan does his best to smile at Patton encouragingly before turning towards the descend and carefully taking his first step.
He is careful, going slowly and trying to avoid making any noise. About halfway down the stairs, he leans forward, finally being able to see past the outcrop that separates the first and second floor.
A low hiss rises up to him, though not threatening. The creature doesn't seem to have noticed him yet. Still, he can't see much from his current position, so he takes another step.
Yellow scales appear in his field of vision. True to Patton's explanation, the snake was massive, apparently curled around the couch for the most part? Logan can't be sure without getting even closer.
One last step, a good look at the room and then he would go back upstairs.
But he is careless.
His foot lands on the next step and a creak echos through the quiet room. Above him, Patton gasps and before Logan can react further, the snake's tail shoots out and wraps around his midsection before yanking him into the living room.
Logan looses his sense of orientation immediately. He isn't dragged around for long, but in those few seconds he doesn't know what's up and what's down. Then he finds himself on the couch, surrounded by the coils of the giant snake with a bit of an opening above to let in some light and presumably air, the very tip of the tail wound around his leg.
"Oh, Logie! Fancy seeing you here! Now I get why Jannie wouldn't calm his snitties!"
Remus is sitting only a few inches away, some part of the tail wrapped around his midsection that he pats casually. Logan blinks at him, still trying to process what just happened.
"Hello Remus," Logan responds, slowly. "Patton has informed me of your sudden abduction and your claim that this creature is Janus in another form. Do I have that correct?"
"Yeah! It's something that just happens once in a while? I dunno the exact trigger but it makes him shift into this big fucking snake and just go feral for a bit. He only calms down somewhat if he can keep me close, the big ol' sap. And now you are part of this, too, isn't that exciting!"
"Do you know why I have been suddenly added to thisโฆ circumstance?" Logan asks, cautiously observing the surrounding coils before slowly reaching down to pet the tail end still wrapped around his leg. It squeezes tighter for a moment before wounding higher and gathering more in Logan's lap which he can only assume means he should continue the showing of affection.
"I mean, I can't really talk for JanJan, but I have a guess," Remus shrugs.
"I would appreciate hearing your perspective."
"Well, when Thomas was younger, before Virgin abandoned us to hang out with you lot, Janus would gather him up like this, too. Then, the first few times after he left, he wouldn't really calm down even after grabbing me, but he got over it eventually. And now you're here! Which means J-anus really likes you! I mean, I knew that already, he talks about you a lot, but now this basically confirms it on a more instinctual level!"
"I seeโฆ I was not aware that Janus had such views on our relationship. I will consider it as a compliment," Logan nods, still petting the tail in his lap.
"You should! Jan wouldn't do this for just anyone! As you know considering that he left Daddy and Ro-bro alone."
"From what Patton told me, he escaped upstairs before he could be grabbed and Roman was thrown across the room?"
Remus barks out a laugh.
"There's no way Patty-cake would've gotten away if Jannie didn't want him to. As for Ro-broโฆ Well, we were in an argument when Jan came in, so it was probably just his instinct to protect me that made him overreact a little. But Ro's gonna be fine, I've done worse to him."
"I've been told he went to the Imagination to grab something that is supposed to help this situation, but I do not know what that something is."
Remus shrugs.
"Let him. Jannie can defend himself if he tries anything stupid. For now, all we can do is sit back and relax. We'll be here for a while."
"Oh? How long approximately?"
"No clue!" Remus giggles with delight. "Could be a few minutes or several hours! It varies a lot. Once I was stuck for over a day! But I don't think it'll be that bad this time. Jannie probably just needs a nap." Indeed, the shifting of the coils has pretty much stopped, signaling that Janus has settled down.
"Very well then." Logan has more work he could be doing, but he had made good progress this morning and had come down with the intention of taking a break, so he isn't all that bothered. "Would you mind telling me more about this state of Janus'? Has something similar happened to you as well?"
Logan watched as Janus plucked the fluffy wool tail out of Remus' hand and laid it over his working wool.
"Go on," Janus encouraged.
Remus twirled the drop spindle again. "Pull and twist, pull and twist," he mumbled to himself, keeping a rhythm.
It was just after shearing season, the summer sun high in the sky. Each year, Janus was granted an allowance of wool too coarse to bother selling from his employer. Ordinarily, he'd spin and knit it over the winter, when the dark trapped him indoors for hours on end; but when Remus had asked to learn how to use the drop spindle, Janus had been easily convinced to start early.
Remus had plenty of rhythm, and perhaps more curiosity than what was good for him. What he lacked was patience and finesse.
How Remus was such a good trapper was beyond Logan's understanding.
"It broke again."
"That's because you pull more than you twist, dear. Try it again."
To be fair, Logan had never tried to spin on a drop spindle himself. For all he knew, Remus was doing well for his first time. Perhaps he'd ask to try it himself one of these days.
Remus wound the uneven thread he'd made so far, spun the spindle, and kept going. Janus' soothing hands were wrapped around his waist, his chin hooked on his shoulder. "There you go, thorn of mine."
When the thread broke and the spindle hit the ground again, Remus' shoulders slumped. "You do this to all that wool?"
"Every bit of it," Janus confirmed. "It gets easier with practice."
Remus groaned. "That's gotta take like five-ever!"
Janus chuckled. "It does. But it's not like I lack time over the winter, is it? One more time, dear."
Remus sighed and picked up the broken thread, unwinding it to reattach it to his wool.
"Easy there," Janus coached as the spindle dropped and spun again. "That's it. See, you're getting it." With that; a few seconds worth off error free spinning; Janus snatched the spindle from the air and smiled warmly at Remus. "Well done."
Logan recognized it for what it was: halting the lesson when it was going well, so they might end on a positive note and be more inclined to get back into it at a later date.
Remus grinned. It took so little to make him smile. What a wonder he was, to have such a joyous outlook on the world. "Thanks Janny!" He made use of their proximity by pressing a kiss to Janus' lips. Janus reciprocated, but only for a moment; they'd all come to learn how easily distracted Remus was. At Janus' shove, Remus bounced back to Logan instead and flopped onto the ground with his head in Logan's lap. "Heya!"
Logan couldn't help but smile, his hand automatically finding Remus' hair. "Hello, my enigma." The reason for the nickname was about what one would expect: Logan couldn't tell why Remus could guess so much of his and Janus' life. Of course, he knew the widely accepted theory; the theory about past lives, widely accepted because both Janus and Remus bought into it, which would be two thirds of everyone who'd heard of it. Of course, their sample size was abysmal and every person in it was biased one way or another.
Still, Logan gave it more credit than he used to, partially because the sheer number of details Remus had guessed correctly formed a metaphorical pile that was simply too great to ignore. The kicker had been the "untasseled blanket", as Remus called it. Years ago, Janus had a blanket with tassels along the short edges. When he found out that they were a sensory bother to Logan, Janus had spent days removing the tassels and weaving in the loose ends. Apparently, it wasn't the first time. Remus had recognized it on sight.
Despite it all, Logan wasn't fully convinced, but he was trying to get used to that. Even if Remus was wrong, it didn't necessarily matter. The three of them were happy together. Remus was a useful counterbalance to Janus and Logan's existing relationship. They could see a future together. That was all that mattered.
Of course, the prospect that the enigma would remain unresolved was a fact that Logan was still adjusting to. Proof of past lives would have such wide ranging existential implications; implications that Logan did not find himself qualified to consider. Perhaps in a future life, he'd be a philosopher, highly educated at some academy or another, capable of proving the concept of past lives through logical conjecture alone.
He doubted it.
"I see it now." Remus' voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Hm? See what?"
"The stars in your eyes." Remus' smile faded slowly. "Janus used to always say he could see the stars in your eyes."
Logan let him finish, even though he'd heard it all before. Janus had been saying it periodically for years, and now, from nowhere, Remus had picked it up too. Just another coincidence to add to the metaphorical pile. "He still does."
To accompany them, a moody melody from Janus' split flute drifted into their ears; no doubt Janus was reconnecting with the lands, learning any updates regarding the weather or nearby threats. He was vigilant, a good shepherd to the flock he loved so much. One day, he hoped to buy the herd for himself. His employer had been talking about how there was apparently more money in cattle than sheep, and Janus had been talking about how, if he played his cards right, he might convince her to sell him the flock at just the right time: when he'd saved up enough money.
After that, they would build a home together at the outskirts of town; close enough to town for Logan's employment, close enough to pasture for Janus', and close enough to the forest for Remus'.
Even though his first visit to the forest had been less than ideal, Remus had since managed to negotiate with the faeries to let him rig traps for the wild animals who lived there. He said they seemed to enjoy watching his jury-rigged contraptions and machines. Unfortunately, that didn't stop them from cursing strangers. Only Remus was spared.
Since no one else in town dared to hunt in their curse-infested wood, Remus' game brought in good money; money set aside for their dream of a home and a herd.
"Logan?" Remus slid Logan's hand from his hair to his chest, pausing halfway to press a kiss to his palm. "After this, when we die, do you think we'll find each other again?"
"It's hard to say."
"Yeah, but what do you think?" Remus' fingers worked through Logan's, entwining them together; but not the way boyfriends might ordinarily entwine their fingers when holding hands. When Remus was self-regulating, he'd twist their fingers together the same way one might tangle the fingers of a prisoner before wrapping their hands with ropes to ensure escape would be impossible.
"I think we will," Janus shot in. He'd rounded off his tune, and was now hooking the string of his flute over the loop of his shepherd's crook and taking a seat next to Logan. "We found each other twice. We'll find each other again." Janus had a tendency of saying what Remus needed to hear, as opposed to what was true. If he did it to Logan too, Logan wouldn't know.
Unfortunately, Logan couldn't help but be factual. "It doesn't get statistically significant until the third time."
"So then next time's kinda make or break," Remus said.
"Not necessarily. Three isn't a very large sample size."
Remus took Janus' hand and added his fingers to the tangle. How he managed to manipulate their fingers so tightly without hurting them was a wonder. "I hope we find each other younger next time."
"We'll find each other when the time is right," Janus assured.
"And when the place is right," Remus added.
"Yes." Janus chuckled. "But until then, we have a whole lifetime to enjoy right now."
"More like two thirds of a lifetime," Remus corrected, sparing Logan the trouble.
Janus shrugged. "I'll take however many thirds we're given." He put his free hand over the knot on Remus' chest. "And however many more after that."
A/n: I plan on continuing to write stories set in this universe. If you wanna keep up with it but don't wanna follow my mess of a blog, no problem! I have a tag for this story (#memories fic) and for the au as a whole (#ley line lifetimes au). I also have a tag for the previous story (#starlit sky fic), to which I'm intending to keep adding bonus chapters. Looking forward to it all!! ^^
We promised more details about this year's Camp Cartoon and we're just pleased as punch to announce the 2026 Theme:
Dynamic Duos!
Camp Cartoon will be open for sign-ups from March 15 - March 28. The event starts on April 1 and will run for six weeks, through May 15.
For this year's event, each camper will be paired up with another teammate to complete two prompts together. Teamwork really does make the dream work this year and we're excited to see what you all create!
When you sign up, you'll submit one prompt, along with info on what kind of stories you like to write (and what you can't write.) We'll use that to pair you up with your writing partner. Each team will get two prompts to write together over the course of the six week event.
Teams should aim for around 2.5k - 12k words for each story.
Below is what you can expect to see on the sign-up form. Please read through and let us know if anything doesn't make sense! We love questions, so send 'em our way!
Example sign up form. The actual form will be released on March 15th when sign-ups open.
Your Prompt (What a team will write for you):
Main character(s):
Primary relationship(s):
[please indicate if you prefer romantic, platonic, familial, or any]
Prompt in eight words or less: [examples: The Sides go to the beach. Logan and Remus make a discovery. Canonverse DRLAMP soulmates.]
Icks and Triggers: What do you NOT want to read in your story? (examples: no major character death, no u!Sides, no violence, etc.)
What You Write:
Important note: This is an all-ages event. Therefore all stories must be rated either General or Teen and cannot include or reference underage sex or incestuous relationships.
Characters, relationships, settings, tropes, etc. you especially like to write:
Characters, relationships, settings, tropes, etc. you CANNOT write:
Anything else we should know when matching you with a teammate?
---
@tsseventhub, @sanders-sides-events, and Fanders everywhere, can you help us spread the word?
As Janus pulled out his split flute and played a haunting melody, no doubt to reconnect with the lands and let them update him on potential dangers, Remus flopped down into the grass and put his head in Logan's lap.
"Now I see it," Remus said.
"See what?" Logan asked.
"The stars in your eyes." Remus' smile faded slowly. "Janus used to always say he could see the stars in your eyes."
Logan let him finish, even though he'd heard it all before; Janus had been saying it periodically for years, and now, from nowhere, Remus had picked it up too. Just another coincidence to add to the metaphorical pile; a pile large enough that it was becoming difficult to ignore.
Chapter 7 will be delayed, but I still wanted to post something today for the last day of @intruloceitweek. It's been a blast! Thank you to the mods for hosting!! <3
The full chapter will be out eventually, and after that, I'm hoping to go back to writing bonus chapters for Starlit Sky, the previous story in this series. If you don't want to miss out, you can follow the relevant tags (#starlit sky fic and #memories fic for the individual stories, or #ley line lifetimes au if you want to see both of those in addition to future installments in the series!)
Thank you to everyone who participated! It's sad that both us mods were too busy to contribute much and I myself fully intend to catch up still, but I still had fun with the submissions we got!
We will always accept late submissions, so please share them with us!
Hope to see you next year and have a good timezone! ๐ฅฐ
He's scared of the ocean because we don't know what's down there. He should be allowed to be scared of the dark because he doesn't know what's out there. He feels childish for it and angry or whatever blah blah blah but just imagine him shuffling quickly through the dark side of the mindscape hand in hand with one of his boyfriends while they guide him because they can see in the dark? Like?? That's so cute???
Logan adjusted his glasses. "I'm seeing no signs of infection and no signs of a curse, though I'm not convinced there simply isn't one."
Logan was more at ease than Remus had seen him in a hundred years. To be fair, he'd spent the bulk of those hundred years in orbit. Still, that evening at the Fae Hideaway had really loosened that stick up Logan's butt. Now, laying down in Logan's clinic, with his dearest nerd poking and prodding the scratch on his head, it felt almost like old times.
"So it's like a sneaky curse?" Remus responded. "Hiding in the shadows just like that squirrel."
"Maybe. It wouldn't be the first time a curse takes its time to make itself known. Then again, injuries without curses have certainly also occurred before, even in our curse-ridden forest."
"That's what happened to Janus, right?"
Logan froze. "He told you?"
"Yeah."
Logan went back to picking at Remus' temple, where a rabid squirrel had managed to take a chunk out of him. Neither of them had heard of a squirrel with fangs before today.
"He doesn't usually like talking about it," Logan noted.
"Cause of the lamb?"
"That's not for me to say," Logan deflected. "That sounds like Janus' business."
"Okay."
Logan had always been like this: staying as much out of other people's beeswax as possible.
"D'you think Janus and I will match?"
"Hm?"
"My gnarly scar. His gnarly scar." Remus smiled, and Logan couldn't help but follow suit.
"Your injury is much smaller."
"Is it gonna make me look hot and badass?"
Logan's smile widened. "I'll let Janus be the judge of that."
"No, I wanna hear your take."
Logan took a long moment to respond as he prepared the first suture. "Give it another week or two, and we'll see. Hold still now." A poke, and then another poke, and Remus felt his skin being pulled taught, all without budging. "Hm. Your pain tolerance is high."
"I just feel it differently. It's never made me flinch."
"Well, now you're deliberately trying to sound 'badass', as it were," Logan accused.
"No, it's true!"
"I can see that. Hold still."
Remus hadn't even noticed that he'd tried to sit up in his excitement. Now, he pushed himself back down. "Sorry, doc."
"Medic. I'm not a doctor." Logan was back to work immediately.
"Med doesn't have the same ring to it. And I can't call you dic. Can I?"
Logan's frown was amused. "You seem creative enough. I'm sure you'll think of something more fitting to call me than 'dick'."
"Logie. Lolo," Remus mused. "Starlight." Janus had always said he saw the stars in Logan's eyes. Remus hadn't. Only sometimes, when the lighting was just right. "So what's the difference anyway? Between a doctor and a medic?"
"A doctor is trained at an academy or university. I'm not."
Remus compared and contrasted that with the scholar he remembered. "Why not?"
"My mothers taught me everything I'd need."
"Where are they now?"
"At home. In Bloomwood Village."
"So how come you're here?"
"As opposed to Bloomwood?"
"Yeah."
"I heard Brightfield needed a new medic. And Bloomwood already had all the healers it needed, between all my mothers."
Remus suddenly imagined a flock of them. A flock of mothers. "Do you go visit?"
"I try to visit them each summer."
"That's nice." Remus felt another tug. A strange feeling. Not unwelcome though.
"What about you? Do you have someone waiting for you?"
"My sister. Penelope. But she and her husband can run the farm fine without me. I just wanted to- um." Remus cut himself off. Logan shot him a look and waited for him to go on. He relented easily. "I wanted to see the tower again. And when I heard about Thornfall, I figured I might as well make a detour, y'know?"
"I see."
"She won't expect me back until another week or so."
"Do you think you'll go back when the time comes?"
"I guess not. Guess I should go back and explain what happened. Then I should find some work around here."
"Well, I won't let you look for work or travel home until your head is healed. I'd like you under my supervision for at least a day or two."
"Do I get to come check on Olivia's shedding and boils?"
Logan let himself smile again. "Alright, but only if she agrees to it."
"Deal."
They fell quiet for a while as Logan did up his face and layered it with some sort of paste and then some leaves picked off a house plant. "There," Logan says as he finished bandaging it. "Do I have to remind you to stay out of the forest?"
"I think Scuzzy Kizoozle did that for ya."
"Scuzzy what now?"
"Scuzzy Kizoozle." Remus nodded toward the dead squirrel he'd dumped by the door. She'd gotten a chunk out of him, but he'd gotten her back.
"Scuzzy Kizoozle," Logan echoed. "I've never heard of that."
"Me neither! But if I discovered a species of homicidal squirrels, I get to name em, right?"
Logan chuckled. "I suppose so."
Remus sat up and swung his legs off the side of the table, eyeing Logan. "You know, I think you like me more than you admit. Even to yourself."
"That's preposterous," Logan responded, but he was a little too expressionless for Remus to believe him. No disdain. No frowns. That meant they were halfway to joy already!
"I think you feel it. You just won't say it."
"Feel what, exactly?"
He felt Logan grow standoffish again, but couldn't stop himself. "Janus says 'connection'."
"Yes, well, Janus and I see the world a little differently."
"I know. You said you see the effects of magic at least once a month when some poor sucker stumbles into the Fae Hideaway with a curse up their ass, but you're only almost right."
Logan had in fact said something to that effect that night at the inn, even if he'd phrased it differently. "Oh?"
"Yeah. That's not magic. It's fae talent."
"Tomato, solanum lycopersicum."
"No, but it's not the same thing!" Remus hopped to the floor with a heavy thud. LFae have magic in them, but not all of them use magic like we do!"
"Well, our fae use magic to curse," Logan persisted.
"No! Or, I mean, maybe. But they don't have to be mages like we are to do it. Think of it this way." Remus picked up a pencil and tossed it to Logan, who barely caught it. "You can throw that pencil, right? You can just do that. It takes no magic. You just do it if you want to."
Logan narrowed his eyes, growing interested. Intrigued. Invested. "Yes?"
"Yeah, well, some fae can just cast curses. They can just do it! No magic needed!"
"How do you know this?"
"Janus. He was fae." Was Remus sure about his conclusion. No. Did he have reason to think it after spending a lifetime with fae Janus? Yes. That was reason enough for him. And maybe if Logan didn't think of magic as this horrible thing that hurts and kills people all the time, maybe he'd be more willing to think that magic brought them back together.
Logan took a deep breath. "That's what we call circular reasoning. It's a faulty use of logic. But you're welcome to believe it. I'll respect it."
Remus nodded. Maybe he was being overly optimistic, but he thought Logan would believe it soon too.
To Woo the Losers Finale! (Probably) (Might write an epilogue)
Day 4 prompt: Theatrics
The trio continued their path to the main attraction, occasionally getting sidetracked by other rides. Remus thought his friends were walking impossibly slow, but he wouldn't say it. He wanted them to have a great day too. His grand finale could wait.
At some point, they stopped for lunch. That is to say they found a bench to share and ate the granola bars Janus had sneaked in.
The sun warmed them unlike the cold February air. Remus sat next to Janus, almost sitting on top him, trying to steal his warmth. Janus, in turn, slid away, which trapped Logan between him and the arm of the bench.
It was cozy, squishing his crushes into a bench so they couldn't leave.
"Remus, while this is delightful, could you please move over?" Janus pushed against Remus' side. Remus pushed right back.
"The other direction!" Janus shoved him. Remus dramatically fell off the bench.
"Oh! To be betrayed by my best friend! How dare such a tragedy occur!" He covered his eyes.
"Please get off the ground. It's dirty." Logan proffered his hand. Remus accepted it, standing up. If his heart beat faster, he wouldn't say, not yet.
They finished their snack and headed off.
Eventually, the trio reached the end of the path, marked by a tall red roller coaster, temporarily named "Heartstopper."
Remus sprinted to join the line, though the park was so empty that he didn't have to run. The others trailed him.
He hoped to have front row seats, the perfect place to execute his plan. Thankfully, the lack of a line meant his plan would go quite smoothly on that front.
They sat in the cart, a giant unit of seats in rows. Remus was in the middle with Janus on his right and Logan on his left. The conductor came around to check their harnesses before going back to the control booth to start the ride.
The cart climbed the metal track, higher and higher. The excitement sent electricity through Remus' body. He had one chance to get this right, 3 seconds of baited breath to confess. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Janus, smiling nervously, and Logan, his eyes closed to face the wind. Remus struggled against the restraints, taking their hands in his as they crested at the top.
The ride froze, dangling them 300 feet in the air.
"Logan, Janus, I love you!"
Logan had just enough time to say "Wha-" before they plummeted, g-forces pushing against their bodies. The wind was so loud that anything said was drowned out, though no one said anything, adrenaline silencing any thoughts.
Somehow, Remus kept hold of his friends' hands. Whatever they had to say after this was future Remus' problem. Right now, he could bask in the feeling of being honest, free from the secret he'd been keeping.
