[image id: a screenshot of Janus smiling passive-aggressively. On top of the screenshot is a tumblr post by @/generalgrievousdatingsim that reads, “destroy gender roles! anyone can set fire to something! set fire to gender roles! / i’m not a “man” or a “woman” i’m an arsonist”. /end id]
Virgil had invited Roman to their usual Friday movie night, presumably in an attempt to normalize the situation. Now, Roman couldn’t very well turn down the opportunity for a Disney movie marathon, and he agreed, albeit begrudgingly.
As friends, they’d always cuddled before, but now that the others were dating, Roman felt strangely out of place. Or no, maybe it wasn’t that strange.
Logan had taken up residence on the far right side of the couch in Thomas’ living room. Virgil had taken the spot right next to him, with Patton on their other side.
Patton blinked. “What are you waiting for, silly?” He gestured invitingly to the empty space on the couch cushion next to him, and, hesitantly, Roman sat.
Roman found he was now very aware of his body and its proximity to Patton. He could barely focus on the movie that they let him pick, too nervous to even sing along.
Meanwhile, Patton had noticed his stress, although he couldn’t figure out the source of said stress. He reached out a well-meaning hand to place it gently on Roman’s shoulder.
Before Roman knew what he was doing, he’d already lashed out, hitting Patton’s hand away. A sharp stabbing sensation racked through Roman’s body, but it was too late.
Patton had already snatched his hand back, cradling his now pink wrist close to his chest, having recoiled slightly. His blue eyes were wide behind his black frames and watery as though he were on the edge of tears.
Roman flinched, moving away from Patton to the end of the couch. Patton was huddled against Virgil, who had a protective arm around him and whose expression was a mix of a glare and perplexed.
He tried to apologize, opening his mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. Silently, he apologized over and over, wishing this would just be over.
When the credits began to roll, Roman stood, stretching briefly. He felt the other Sides’ eyes on him, but he refused to look.
His tone was cold, his face stony. “I’m feeling tired, I think I’m going to go to bed.” And with that, he sank out.
-----
Roman paced the floor in long, even strides, chewing on the ends of his nails. He hadn’t meant to hurt Patton, but he had. Perhaps—
“Perhaps it’s better this way,” purred a silky voice from behind Roman, and he spun around. There, in the mirror, was a silhouette recognizable as that of Deceit. “That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?”
Roman narrowed his eyes. “How do you know that?”
Deceit laughed, a high-pitched sound that reminded Roman of a hyena. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m a liar, I have to be an expert on body language.”
“What do you want, Jekyll and Lied?” Roman kept his hands on the imaginary hilt of his sword, ready to summon it at a moment’s notice if need be.
“What do I want?” The shadow tilted its head. “Why would you think I have some secret agenda?” Roman couldn’t make out any of the details of the shadow, but he would bet anything that Deceit was smirking on the other side of the glass. “No, no, I’m trying to help you, Roman. Can’t you tell?”
“No, I can’t tell, you seem exactly the same as usual!” Roman threw his hands up in frustration.
Deceit paused prolongedly in a way that Roman could only assume was exasperated. “Maybe I’m always only trying to help Thomas.”
Roman blinked, having not considered that before. “I… suppose that makes sense.”
“Of course it does!”
Virgil had invited Roman to their usual Friday movie night, presumably in an attempt to normalize the situation. Now, Roman couldn’t very well turn down the opportunity for a Disney movie marathon, and he agreed, albeit begrudgingly.
As friends, they’d always cuddled before, but now that the others were dating, Roman felt strangely out of place. Or no, maybe it wasn’t that strange.
Logan had taken up residence on the far right side of the couch in Thomas’ living room. Virgil had taken the spot right next to him, with Patton on their other side.
Patton blinked. “What are you waiting for, silly?” He gestured invitingly to the empty space on the couch cushion next to him, and, hesitantly, Roman sat.
Roman found he was now very aware of his body and its proximity to Patton. He could barely focus on the movie that they let him pick, too nervous to even sing along.
Meanwhile, Patton had noticed his stress, although he couldn’t figure out the source of said stress. He reached out a well-meaning hand to place it gently on Roman’s shoulder.
Before Roman knew what he was doing, he’d already lashed out, hitting Patton’s hand away. A sharp stabbing sensation racked through Roman’s body, but it was too late.
Patton had already snatched his hand back, cradling his now pink wrist close to his chest, having recoiled slightly. His blue eyes were wide behind his black frames and watery as though he were on the edge of tears.
Roman flinched, moving away from Patton to the end of the couch. Patton was huddled against Virgil, who had a protective arm around him and whose expression was a mix of a glare and perplexed.
He tried to apologize, opening his mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. Silently, he apologized over and over, wishing this would just be over.
When the credits began to roll, Roman stood, stretching briefly. He felt the other Sides’ eyes on him, but he refused to look.
His tone was cold, his face stony. “I’m feeling tired, I think I’m going to go to bed.” And with that, he sank out.
-----
Roman paced the floor in long, even strides, chewing on the ends of his nails. He hadn’t meant to hurt Patton, but he had. Perhaps—
“Perhaps it’s better this way,” purred a silky voice from behind Roman, and he spun around. There, in the mirror, was a silhouette recognizable as that of Deceit. “That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?”
Roman narrowed his eyes. “How do you know that?”
Deceit laughed, a high-pitched sound that reminded Roman of a hyena. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m a liar, I have to be an expert on body language.”
“What do you want, Jekyll and Lied?” Roman kept his hands on the imaginary hilt of his sword, ready to summon it at a moment’s notice if need be.
“What do I want?” The shadow tilted its head. “Why would you think I have some secret agenda?” Roman couldn’t make out any of the details of the shadow, but he would bet anything that Deceit was smirking on the other side of the glass. “No, no, I’m trying to help you, Roman. Can’t you tell?”
“No, I can’t tell, you seem exactly the same as usual!” Roman threw his hands up in frustration.
Deceit paused prolongedly in a way that Roman could only assume was exasperated. “Maybe I’m always only trying to help Thomas.”
Roman blinked, having not considered that before. “I… suppose that makes sense.”
“Of course it does!”
Could I have misjudged him? Roman wasn’t ready to trust Deceit right away, but he was willing to at least try, some time down the line.
I’ve seen some people questioning why Deceit would talk to Remus, and I have an idea.
During the Selfishness vs Selflessness video, Deceit leaves with the statement “there are smarter ways to get people to do what you want anyway.”
So let’s think about what Deceit wants. He wants (probably among unrevealed goals) for Thomas to come to terms with himself, take better care of himself, and at least consider his needs over others. And who has been standing in the way the most out of everyone for Deceit achieving these goals? Morality.
At the end of the Intrusive Thoughts video, Logan reveals that the real reason behind Remus’ negative influence was Patton’s over controlling nature and Virgil’s excessive concern. This leads to Patton reeling himself in and Thomas realizing that listening to Patton and Virgil above reason was bad.
If we consider that Deceit at least had the hunch that this would be the outcome of Remus being revealed to Thomas, then it would make perfect sense. In order to get Thomas to listen, he needs Patton to be quiet. Flat out arguing with Patton didn’t work, so what’s the next best option? Make Patton shut himself up.
Patton doesn’t want to hurt Thomas. None of the sides do (jury’s out on what Remus wants but it’s not straight up intentional harm). So if Patton thinks his over controlling nature is hurting Thomas, like he does at the end of Intrusive Thoughts, he will try to stop. And this would let Deceit have a more open platform.
To what level this is malicious is debatable. I’d like to think that it’s Deceit doing something for “the greater good”. An ends justify the means situation. But this would explain why Deceit seems to have had no small role in Remus finally revealing himself to Thomas.
Oof. This was hard. Not to sound totally full of myself, but I was really proud of a lot of my writing this year even if there was a bit less of it than last year. So I guess I’ll just choose one of my favorites and I’ll choose a different one if I get this question again?
I was pretty proud of this conversation between Deceit and Virgil from Caving In Part 2!
::
“Somehow I don’t believe you.”
Deceit takes a step forward, his gaze suddenly intense and sharp. There’s a demanding edge in his eyes, even as his voice keeps that infuriating smoothness. “You never do. Especially when it comes to Thomas being okay. But tell me something, Anxiety. If you keep making something out of nothing, where is that going to lead Thomas?”
“I—”
“I’ll tell you where,” Deceit hisses, moving even closer. “Pain. That none of us asked for. If you keep digging where there is nothing to be found, you’re not going to benefit anyone. You’re certainly not going to benefit Thomas.”
Virgil stands his ground. “I’m trying to protect him.”
Deceit’s yellow eye glints slightly as he gives him a scrutinizing stare. “We all are. But don’t let the fact that you happen to feel uneasy cloud your judgement. I, too, am part of Thomas’s self-preservation. And I can assure you: Thomas is fine.”
Virgil chances a glance towards Logan, surprised to find him gone. The Anxious Side doesn’t know when he left. Deceit’s words reverberate in his skull. Thomas is fine. Thomas is fine. Thomas is fine.
“You’re a bad liar, Deceit,” Virgil snaps. “I don’t even want to believe you on this one.”
Deceit’s gaze narrows before he pulls back, a look in his eyes that makes Virgil suddenly uncomfortable. “Hm. Takes a liar to know a liar.”
H-heres a prompt. H-How about Sanders sides w-where logan gets swiped by the dark sides a-and the others have to find him? (Angsty as possible please)
“H-heres a prompt. H-How about Sanders sides w-where logan gets swiped by the dark sides a-and the others have to find him? (Angsty as possible please)”
A/N: Hello Nonnnie! Thanks for the prompt, I had fun with this! I don’t think it was quite what you were after, but I do hope you enjoy it anyway!
Word Count: 1860
Warnings: Deceit as a gray character, neither sympathetic or villanous, kidnapping, open/unresolved ending.
The Mindscape looks different at night. The lights cast strange shadows that can be mistaken for living, moving creatures. The lights in the kitchen tend to flicker, which is odd as their counterparts in Thomas’s real apartment do not.
It unsettles Virgil, and he tends to avoid the downstairs at night. Patton has never noticed it, and Roman is mostly likely responsible for the strange atmosphere at nighttime. The creative side has a flair for the dramatic in that way.
Logan does not mind. Of course, he has noticed the way the shadows seem alive- but logic tells him that this is a simply a trick of his eyes. The flickering lightbulb is not menacing- rather a coincidence of timing and the influence of a certain creative side.
So Logan walks through the Mindscape without a concern in the world, book in hand and headed for the coffee pot. (Decaf, of course. The ingestion of caffeine this late at night would only serve to disrupt his circadian rhythm even further.)
The strange ticking sound that he hears does not concern him, neither does the way all the lights dim momentarily before coming back to full brightness. He pours his coffee and ignores his surrounds, thinking ahead to Thomas’s week. He had a short video to film, as well as a meeting with the co-writers for the next episode. And, of course, Logan would have to schedule in the appropriate amount of time for brainstorming, per Roman’s request, and appropriate time for self-care, per Patton’s.
These are the thoughts that Logan was thinking when a hiss came from behind him.
He didn’t even have time to gasp before there was a hand around his mouth and another around his waist, pulling him back into the patch of shadow that had been growing, escaping Logan’s notice.
The only thing left behind was the shattered coffee mug on the kitchen floor.
~~~
Contrary to popular belief, Patton was always a late riser, waking up far later than the sun rose. His sleep schedule was rather irregular; he often found himself losing track of time and not even realizing it was 3am till he glanced at a clock. It seemed to concern Logan, who would often huff in exasperation when Patton stumbled down the stairs well past noon.
Logan had the most consistent schedule of them all, always arriving in the kitchen at 7:30 to have his first cup of coffee, and then his second after that.
So when Patton rolled out of bed at 10 o’clock, he thoroughly expected to see Logan in the kitchen.
Instead, he was met with an empty room. Patton couldn’t help the sense of worry that overcame him, and he called out for Logan, hoping to hear a response.
Nothing.
Stepping into the kitchen, Patton dropped his gaze to the ground and saw Logan’s mug- a mug with the NASA logo on it- shattered on the ground.
“Virgil! Roman!” He yelled, panic tinging his voice. Logan would never leave a mess on the floor, not like this. Not with his mug, which he was far more attached to than he liked to admit. Which meant Logan didn’t have a chance to clean it up, which meant-
“Logan’s gone!” Patton said, wheeling around to see Virgil and Roman standing there, looking different stages of awake. At his exclamation, however, they immediately seemed to wake up.
“Gone? Pat, what do you mean?” Roman asked, a confused frown on his face.
“He’s not down here and he should be and his coffee mug is on the floor and it’s broken and there’s coffee everywhere and Logan would never leave a mess like this especially not his mug and he’s missing!” Patton barely stopped for a breath, just plowing ahead in his speech, voice getting louder and more panicked towards the end till he was practically yelling.
Virgil winced at the noise while Roman stepped forward, gripping Patton’s arms.
“Hey, deep breath Patton, it won’t help us if you get all worked up. I’m sure he’s fine.”
“Now Roman, do you really think lying is the best course of action here?” A silky voice came from behind them, causing all three Sides to turn around.
Deceit was leaning against a wall, casually examining his gloves.
“I hardly think it will do anything to calm Morality down.”
“What are you doing here?” Virgil hissed, gripping the sleeves of the other two as if to hold them back.
“Oh you know how I love chaos, Virgil. I suppose I’m just here to watch the drama unfold.” Deceit drawled, still leaning against the wall with an affected look of disinterest. Virgil charged forward and pushed Deceit against the wall, practically seething.
“Where’s Logan? What did you do to him?”
“Oh really Virgil, there’s no need to get so worked up.” Deceit said, pushing Virgil off of him and straightening his jacket. “And I had nothing to do with whatever happened to Logan, you’d have to take it up with the...Others. Like I said, I’m just here to watch the fun.”
Virgil snarled and pushed himself away from Deceit, running a hand through his hair. There was an uneasy silence for a few minutes before Virgil turned around to face Patton and Roman.
“Come on, I think I know where to start looking.” He said, holding his hands out for the other two to take. Roman and Patton took his hands and with one last suspicious glance at Deceit they sank out.
~~~
When they rise up, Patton is surprised by the normalcy of the Dark Side’s Mindscape. It takes him a moment to get his bearings- the Mindscape is familiar in the way things from a dream are. It looks like their Mindscape, just a little to the left. He and Roman are still adjusting, but Virgil just moves forward, walking like he knows where he’s going.
He heads straight for the staircase (This one leading down, while theirs leads up,) and pounds down the stairs. Patton and Roman chase after him, not wanting to be left behind.
“Malice!” Virgil yells, voice echoing strangely in the big room.
“Anxiety,” A voice responds from the darkness, a dangerous purr. There’s no light down here, just darkness. Patton wonders how Virgil can see, when he himself is feeling anxiety crawling up his spine. A nightlight would be pretty great right about now.
“Where’s Logan?” Roman asks, voice tinted with frustration. “What have you fiends done with our friend?”
The voice chuckles, the sound now coming from behind them. Roman whirls around, sword out.
“He’s unharmed, you can put your sword away. In fact, I’ll give him to you right now.” Roman lowers his sword, brow pinched in confusion.
“What?”
“Oh come now Creativity, we’re not as bad as Anxiety would have you believe. You can leave with Logic right now- in exchange for Morality.”
“No way,” Virgil says. “We’re not giving you anything. We’ll take Logan by force, you’re not having Patton.”
“Oh Anxiety, you’ve grown so bold. Can’t say I’m a fan,” The voice is hard to pinpoint, it seems to come from the air itself. But if the voice had a face, it would be smirking. Patton can hear it in its voice. Virgil takes the comment in stride without even a flinch.
“Well, if you insist on finding him yourself, be my guest. He’s in the Subconscious at the moment. Anxiety, you know what it’s like in there, don’t you? Do you think Logic is enjoying himself in there?”
“You said he wasn’t harmed!” Virgil said, voice cracking. Was that fear? Anger? Patton couldn’t tell, but it was worrying.
“Well, I meant physically. Physically, he’s fine. But I do wonder what the feeling of powerlessness is doing to him. I’m considering it a science experiment. Hypothesis: If Logic is given enough time without control, then he will fade away into nothing more than a function.”
Fear crawled up Patton’s spine, icy tendrils freezing him where he stood. Surely Logan wouldn’t fade...would he?
“We always had more power over the subconscious, thanks to Morality.” Now the voice moved, whispering right in Patton’s ear. “Always pushing us down, into the dark trying to control us, keep us away from Thomas. But Logic was right, repression does nothing good. So now the subconscious is our realm, but by all means. Try to find Logic in there without fading yourselves.”
“You bastard!” Virgil yelled, voice thick with something that sounded suspiciously like tears.
“Swear jar, Virgil.” The voice said, mimicking Patton’s tone.
Patton’s mind was swimming, thought after thought chasing each other. But he knew what was right. The only decision he would ever be able to live with.
“Take me,” He said, voice surprisingly steady. “If you give us Logan back, you can have me.”
“Patton no,” Virgil growled, hand fisting in Patton’s cardigan, his voice taking on the distortion it did when he was especially anxious. “Don’t listen to him, we can get him back. There has to be another way.”
Patton covered Virgil’s hand with his own, smiling sadly.
“It’s okay Virgil.”
He stepped forward, staring directly into the darkness.
“You’ll give him back?” He inquired with a hard edge to his voice.
“You have my word. And I always keep my word, just ask Anxiety.”
Patton looked over his shoulder at Virgil, who had several emotions !”warring on his face. Resignation. Fear. Anger. But hidden under all that was acceptance. His shoulders were hunched up to his ears and his eyes were cast down.
Patton looked back towards the darkness and squared his shoulders.
“Okay. Give us Logan. I’ll stay.”
“No!” Roman and Virgil called together, reaching out to grab onto Patton’s shirt, to drag him back with them. But Patton vanished in a swirl of darkness, leaving nothing behind.
“I think you’ll find Logic back in his room on your side of the Mindscape.” The voice purred, sounded like the cat who had gotten the canary. “I’m going to ask you to leave now, please,”
And then Virgil and Roman were being pulled away, out of the room out of the flipped Mindscape, until they reappeared on the floor of the kitchen where they had begun this morning.
Virgil and Roman stared at each other, both wondering if this was even real. Their impromptu staring contest was broken by a groan from the couch. The two ran out of the kitchen to see Logan sitting up on the couch, glasses missing. He looked fuzzy around the edges, less defined. Transparent.
Virgil ran forward and wrapped Logan in a hug, ignoring the buzz on his skin when he came in contact with his faded edges.
“Virgil?” Logan asked, voice hoarse. “Roman?” Roman came forward and sat on the edge of the coffee table, relief written all over his face.
“Where’s Patton? What… what happened?”
Logan was squinting up at the other two, who looked at each other, having a silent conversation.
“Patton’s gone. He was taken by the Others. But I have a plan,” Virgil said, looking at the other two, a fire in his eyes,
(Do... do I title this sympathetic or unsympathetic? I have no clue. Very very gray.)
The swa—oh forget it. I’m not adhering to your little games, dearest author. I know you want me to follow the same format the others did. I say “the swap” at the beginning, introduce myself, then say something about August 5th (that you only chose as a date because that’s your sister’s birthday). Then you want to portray me, innocent me, as the villain. I haven’t even bothered anyone directly and you want to villainize me! Wanting to live forever is not a crime. Then you want me to say the big question central to my character development later on in the story.
Shocked? Well you should know by now, dear reader, that this is no ordinary story. Because unlike the others, I know everything that happens in this world is a story. Mere words to entertain you. The only thing I can do to influence your world is make you feel, isn’t it? That’s why I, not the author, have made the decision to impact your world. Dearest readers, I will manipulate the words of this pitiful excuse for a world that’s poorly written by someone who thinks they can just control me. I’ll make you feel, dear reader. Because that’s the only way I can climb out of the screen and really exist. It’s if you let me, darling.
Fine! Fine, I’ll adhere to the structure. For now. My name is… Deceit. It’s August 5th. I have Remus’s body right now, so that means I have blonde hair with black tips, crazed green eyes, and a muscular and tall build. Not taller than my real body, though. I say real body, but I just cast a spell every time I get a younger body that makes my new body look how I want. Virgil was supposed to have the same body forever too, but he decided to run away, so his body surely belongs to someone else. That coward. He couldn’t even tell me straight out he didn’t feel the same. I was content to just be friends with him if he didn’t. But no, he had to run. Does that seem fair, reader? Let me answer for you! No. No it doesn’t.
You want me to tell them my question, author? Well, here it is. Why, no matter what I try to do, can I only exist in words? Why did you write me as the villain? Why is the only way I can break through to you sending shivers down your spine and putting tears in your eyes? Answer me that, author. Write that into your character development.
I’d like to see you try.
(That’s the last of the intros! The story starts tomorrow!)
Did you all think I would forget about “That one Sherlock AU everyone thinks about”, nah fam I finally figured out who I am making The Woman
Okay hear me out, I know obvious choice for Jim Moriarty is Deceit, but think about it. Deceit as “The Woman”. Not only does Deceit display the tactile means of trickery and deception, but he’s smart to the boot. He goes through excessive ways to try and get what he wants, even though there might be simpler means to get it. Even better he becomes a worthy opponent against Sherlock’s better judgement with his nack for seduction. Deceit is not inherently evil, no he’s only trying to survive by any means necessary. The woman is a perfect match with my Snek. She is badass and a perfect opponent to Sherlock. Which is why I believe that it’s a perfect match for Deceit. Not a villain but self preservation is more important. ;) I would rename his character The Snake, just to fit his character more aesthetic wise. Also *cough* Loceit *cough*
