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Whoo boy. Been in an effusive, sappy headspace about the Sides. The Hippy side of my Creativity is in full force.
So, I felt like making a positivity post of every pairing of the Sides, if not where they’re at now in canon but where they might be in future (written with platonic intent and in no particular order, but you can take what you will of this.)
Holy shit, this thing is long.
Roman + Remus
The funhouse mirror imagery still very much applies. Frankly, @beauty-and-passion‘s amazing write-up on Remus’s necessity to Roman (and c!Thomas on the whole) paints much of this for me. But a few things I figure to point out here is the importance of contrasts in art - tonal, thematic, aesthetic...
Remus can help make more thought-provoking and challenging art - art that a mature mind won’t get bored of or forget. There’s a reason people kinda glaze over at media that’s nauseatingly saccharine. Even if you have a sweet tooth, your body and brain can only handle so much sugar.
Roman, besides being able to refine what Remus brings to the table, I see can curb the opposite problem in art - Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy. There’s only so low a narrative can get before people get numbed by what’s happening. Hard to care if a character is just a punching bag for the author. Recognizing how important tropes like Hope Spots are in a lot of character-driven works.
(Though personally I see merit in being oppressively dark sometimes in art... I would be greatly surprised if Thomas would ever make anything like that in his oeuvre. His artistic voice doesn’t seem comfortable with THAT register, which is completely understandable. But I’m willing to be wrong about that - it could be interesting to see at least once.)
Roman + Janus
They do serve as a partial mirror to each other - as acting is a form of deception, of playing a part. Janus’s skill set can help him be able to challenge himself with roles that might not be so ego-syntonic and easy to portray.
Roman can help with making really creative lies - if the situation warrants it and if he’s okay with it (this does mean there eventually has to be a retool on black & white moral thinking Roman was held to, but I think he will always have personal standards and Janus can/should respect that much).
Janus can also be a creative sounding board on compelling storytelling, as some deception is at play when we’re talking about suspension of disbelief (bread and butter for red herrings and surprising twists).
Janus + Remus
Heh, partners in crime. But in all honesty, it’s clear that Janus is one of Remus’s [pretty loose, but needed] fetters - given that a lot of intrusive thoughts flouts self-preservation (but he’s morally nuanced enough to not be puritanical about it). I think Remus too could/would help with creative lie-crafting, though whether Janus goes with it is at his own discretion.
And sometimes Remus actually sees the point in being subtle and discretionary, from Janus’s example. In the compelling story-telling front - sometimes you gotta play the cards to the chest for a bit before slamming the audience with those neck breaking swerves and shock/awe. (Like when to best utilize tools like jump-scares - sparingly and with atmospheric build-up. Or not. Good/impactful art doesn’t always have to be subtle.)
Logan + Remus
Like Janus to an extent, Logan can be welcome fetter to Remus. As stated in the show, he can figuratively dress Remus down and offer perspective on what Remus is actually capable of. Logan can help Remus plan his ideas out and build contingencies for them, if need be. (Probably in the name of scientific edification, productivity, and/or damage control.)
I think Remus knows that Logan has a curiosity streak to him, and if nudged, can be compelled to explore and test his many ideas. At least the ones with any merit. Honestly, a great deal of science starts with a “what if?“ And he probably impelled Logan and c!Thomas to learn and appreciate new things (like how utterly WEIRD and AWESOME nature is; might be gross/horrifying at first, but when understood it can be very fascinating stuff).
Virgil + Remus
Remus already recognizes how Virgil helps him - fear and anxiety can be vast wells of inspiration for storytelling/art. Horror as a supergenre wouldn’t exist if not to capitalize on our fears. In a more even-keel relationship, Remus might poke Virgil for project ideas and Virgil would be willing to go with it (as long as the projects don’t endanger c!Thomas or anyone he cares about).
Virgil might see Remus’s ideas/imagery as a safe way to engage with and potentially express his/c!Thomas’s fears. A weird way to help keep things in perspective - some scenarios can be so fantastically worse than what Virgil might be experiencing at the moment, that it can help make the mole hill a mole hill again. And that is frequently the main draw for people to horror (it’s definitely a big reason I love horror so much.)
Patton + Remus
I think most of what Remus has to offer Patton is being a force to shake up his comfort zones in general. Albeit this more in the matter of personal tastes and trying to broaden them (therefore affecting what Patton is willing to point Roman towards). Not necessarily in a more deep, philosophical sense like Janus can offer - but still valuable.
Patton in return is another fetter for Remus. Even though at first, he can be a bit prudish and overly strict about it... I think with some time (and the help of Janus), he can appreciate the zest to life he can offer. Remus basically embodies carpe diem (or more aptly, YOLO). But Patton is still going to be a standard bearer in that front.
Patton + Janus
A good deal of the foundational work here was established in POF. Janus reminds Patton of the importance of taking care of yourself - not to spread yourself too thin. That extreme can only lead to burnout and even Obliger Rebellion. He also provides greater nuance to the messy complexity of morality.
Patton reminds Janus that there’s value in helping others out and not to burn bridges. I think some of what Patton represents is the pro-social instincts we have as social animals (see influence of oxytocin here & how humans didn’t get here by lone wolves). Hell, it’s well documented that helping others out can be a valid coping tool (to a point, as Janus may stress).
Virgil + Patton
I believe there’s a lot of overlap between these two, given that a lot of c!Thomas’s emotional reasoning is shared between them. I think that was one reason they could find solace in each other (but also why each other’s rooms respectively intensified them). Virgil can be a good reminder to Patton when things aren’t okay right now and need to be addressed.
Patton has been a source of comfort to Virgil - being the fellow in the Feeling Function, it was natural that he would be the first to accept Virgil. Patton can remind Virgil that things can be okay. Nurturing/finding hope is a core concept in a lot of recovery paradigms (which can be a journey in of itself).
I do think that it’ll be important that they strike a balance - listening to each other’s inputs/concerns - to avoid problems of emotional repression (in some respects, I think Patton’s historical infantilization was minimizing to Virgil, and the cues he represents, but I don’t think there was any malice intended) or distortion (which would have some overlap with Logan’s help).
Logan + Virgil
The Negative Thinking episode illustrated a strong case for what Logan had to offer Virgil. As per his domain, Logan is best equipped to identify when cognition is distorted. He can highlight whenever there’s just not enough evidence to suggest a conclusion. Logan can and does give Virgil a realistic sense of perspective.
Virgil functioning as an alarm signal can legitimately give Logan the ability to better triage issues/problems. That way Logan can spend his mental resources on things that are more pressing to c!Thomas. This quote from AA illustrates that pretty clearly, “That's the thing! Is anyone among us worried?”
Virgil + Janus
I think what Janus has most to offer to Virgil is the tools to fake composure when the situation warrants it. It definitely won’t feel natural for Virgil, but he can play enough scenarios where c!Thomas panicking really wouldn’t help anyone. I feel like it would certainly take time for Virgil to be comfortable with that, but it would be worthwhile!
Virgil is often a good thermometer on c!Thomas’s well being and Janus will use that information to reinforce their self-preservation functions. The image of “canary in a coal mine“ comes to mind, but it’s not quite a good fit. Virgil is too important to be put under such an extreme situation. But Janus can then boost Virgil’s signals to reevaluate a situation.
Logan + Janus
A good lie has to have a logical underpinning to it, and Janus recognizes this. He can lean into Logan’s base of knowledge and devices in his own rhetoric to make it stronger. He wouldn’t’ve gotten this far as a function of c!Thomas if all he said were complete non-sequiturs. It has to make sense, to c!Thomas, to others, and to the situation at hand.
I think the biggest skill set Janus has to offer Logan is in matters of persuasion and being better able to communicate what he knows to the rest of c!Thomas and to the world. Janus can better navigate some nuances in language than Logan can - and improve his relationships in the process.
Logan + Roman
Logan has a few overlaps in role between him and Remus as him and Roman here. Largely, Logan can help structure and plan through Roman’s ideas. He can help create the connective tissue to make these stories/projects cohesive. Logan can help with this so-called “boring” stuff so it frees Roman up for new ideas/connections. I want to think that Roman appreciates it and Logan enjoys being able to help.
Roman can be a force in helping Logan be more flexible in his planning process. To better handle potential snags and changes in plans. Be it for the next gig or more longterm goals that c!Thomas wants to pursue. In a lot of ways, Roman’s passionate nature has a similar virtue to Remus’s - carpe diem. Recognizing that what Logan has to offer is important, but asking him to ask what it’s all for.
(Some of the work was really kickstarted in WDWGOOBITM - but they definitely need to work on their communication, going forward. And I do think that they are capable of doing so.)
Roman + Virgil
There was definitely a breakthrough here in AA. Roman saw the value in the nervous energy Virgil created before performances. He probably emotionally connected the information Logan brought up to realize Virgil adds fuel to the fire that motivates him to do his best work. (This also speaks to a tool in recovery known as reappraisal - one way to manage anxiety is to frame it as excitement instead of fear/worry. This can work because you get a lot of the same body cues for both emotional states!)
Virgil can look to Roman as a means of distraction to cope with heavy states. I think we saw a bit of that kind of rapport in the DSoD episode - Virgil enjoyed getting into it with Roman. I also think when Virgil successfully plays along with Roman, it can be interpreted as turning his own distress into their eustress (making art is a wellness tool for a reason.).
Roman + Patton
This may veer somewhat back into my MBTI analysis cap in reiterating the notion that Roman is mostly a Perceiving Function of c!Thomas - as such, he needs some direction in his visions. Someone to judge his ideas and set forth clear expectations. Patton serves as this for Roman. When they’re both resolute - he can thrive. (But when not, Roman does flounder. I see the relationship as somewhat fragile but beautiful at it’s best.)
I think what Patton represents can limit his insight on making new ideas and being able to look at things from more lens without the help of Roman. He needs that information (and information from the rest of c!Thomas) to create a more stable, mature sense of his domain as Morality. Roman can also help him better express how he feels than he otherwise would be able to, the Valentines episode comes to mind here. (Looking back, this line from Roman made me chuckle, “He wrote this down?”)
Logan + Patton
(A bit more of my MBTI stuff here too. Specifically the purposes served by the Thinking and Feeling functions and how they need each other, in order to make sound judgments.)
Like with Virgil, Logan can provide much needed context to an emotional situation. It can be easy to get overwhelmingly affected by a situation - where one acts on knee-jerk reactions and misunderstands where it’s coming from. Patton may represent affective empathy, may be able to feel strongly other people’s states - but he might not have all the information. (This is slightly more of a Virgil thing, but I often present the scenario of “if someone is mad around you, you can feel like it was your fault instead of any number of other reasons.”)
Patton reminds Logan what he values and why values the things that he does. Patton can also open the floor for Logan to explore his own feelings too - because it’s obvious he isn’t completely divorced from them. This can also help Logan understand this realm better and be better at communicating with the others for it (much like Janus).