Chapter Text
Now, it wasn’t like they didn’t know. In fact, one might say it was astoundingly clear from the very beginning who played what role.
No, there was no issue with the clarity of their roles in the famILY.
There was an issue with how those roles were played, though.
Not in the sense of things being too much , but of stuff being Too Much™.
That was confusing. Perhaps the best place to start was at the beginning.
~
Patton was perhaps the easiest to identify in his famILY role. He was the dad character, the sense of right and wrong built up by the society Thomas grew up in. There was never a time when the others doubted that Patton was the Dad™. It was a fact, a truth in and of itself.
He pulled them into hugs gently, always willing to pull back. Sure, he made a face like a kicked puppy, but he got better at explaining that and lessening their guilty feelings.
“I’m not upset that you said no. I’m upset that I might’ve upset you.”
Then one reassured him that no, there was no bad feelings towards him, it was just a matter of expressing their boundaries better. Communication.
He accepted the same with the nudges and the nicknames and occasionally with his nagging that they eat better meals and sleep a bit more often.
It was simple. Patton was the father figure and that was it.
~
Logan was the Mom™, as much as he didn’t wish to admit it.
He worried about the others’ decisions, kept them on tracks and schedules, and was more than willing to give them a lecture if he deemed a choice foolish enough.
Never stupid. He refrained from calling anyone stupid, saying that it simply wouldn’t be true.
Patton and Logan existing in the same space sealed the logical side’s fate of being the mother figure. He was just as involved in making sure things ran smoothly, filling in the spaces that Patton couldn’t reach.
The packed lunches for trips into the Imagination or Dreamscape was enough to confirm he was a true Mom™.
~
Janus was also the Mom™. It did not matter that Logan was the Mom™, because Janus was also the Mom™.
It was clear when he tricked the others into eating or sleeping or putting aside whatever task they were going to do in favor or resting. It was clear when he gave the Mom™ look to anyone who dared argue with Patton or Logan about their health.
It was clear when he started stocking the kitchen with all the others’ favorite snacks, denying any such occurrences. It was clear when Logan accepted his help in making the packed lunches. It was clear when he surprised the others with a hug out of nowhere, and it just so happened that they needed one at that exact moment.
Janus was the Mom™, and they knew he would deny it, so they never even brought it up.
~
“I told you that we shouldn’t have gone down so late.”
“Early.”
“Whatever. It doesn’t matter, because at least it’s sorta working?”
Virgil glared at Roman.
“I suppose you’re right.”
He now glared at Remus.
The twins looked at him as his gaze shifted between them. They waited for him to speak, his mouth opening-
He pulled his hood lower over his head, trying to curl into the meager darkness.
~
It was easy for Virgil to notice. He was meant to notice that stuff, to pick up on all the little details and analyze them and come up with all the possible outcomes and prepare for the worst.
The twins might rule the Imagination, and Remy might control the Dreamscape, but Virgil somehow got the Subconscious to listen to him. He didn’t even want to know how.
It took a lot of effort to maintain his cool daily, pretending that things didn’t bother him as much as they did. Now that he was accepted, now that he was there and acknowledged as important, it was even harder. When people pay attention beyond the sudden appearances in videos or to warn Thomas of dangers, it becomes much clearer for them when he flinches at the loud noises or sudden movement.
He managed pretty well, he thought.
It helped that he avoided them most of the time.
They didn’t seem to be happy when he was around, so he just snuck to get food when no one was up, stuck in the corners during interactions, teleported to his room when there was a lull.
Then Patton started realizing.
He kept Virgil’s two shelves in the pantry stocked in neat piles that weren’t prone to tipping. He left a little light on in the kitchen, that gave just enough to prevent tripping in the darkness.
Virgil didn’t have the heart to tell any of them about the… other bits. Maybe he would someday.
Then Logan started realizing.
He started packing containers with easy handles, that didn’t creak or make noise if they slid. He learned which nights Virgil was most likely to sneak down and grab something, planning accordingly.
Virgil didn’t have the heart to let slip that he knew exactly what was going on, that he’d started going at regular intervals so that Logan wouldn’t leave food out overnight and have it go bad.
Then Janus started realizing.
Thermoses of hot cocoa and non-caffeinated tea sat beside the containers. Bags that barely rustled were discreetly hid amongst his food, providing an easier time in clearing out his shelves in the quiet.
Virgil didn’t have the heart to tell him - or anyone, for that matter - that he didn’t eat that much, didn’t need to fill a few bags for only three days of food.
Though it did fill his stashes around the Mindscape quite a bit.
~
It was difficult for the twins to notice. They were so busy trying to put their creations together into stories, to create the stablest instability in the world of Imagination. It took a lot of effort, a lot of time, a lot of concentration and talking an-
It took a lot .
Roman noticed slightly faster, since he handled the character arcs and plots and things. Remus, however, was never far behind.
~
“Hey, it will be alright, Hot Topic. We’ve got this. As long as we stick together, we can do anything .”
“Yeah! Look!” Remus conjured several blankets, immediately arranging them in a little nest.
Virgil teleported into it, not moving from his hunched position. Roman sighed and conjured another blanket to drape atop the anxious side.
~
The Duke had entered as he always did: covered in something - mud, this time - and holding his morningstar on his shoulder.
“Kiddo, you need to make sure you don’t drip on the floor, please.”
Remus had turned to look at Patton, grin maniacal and entirely prepared to ask if he preferred a different method of dirtying the ground-
Janus had given the Look™, and Remus had hesitated. He changed tactics, confused and slightly worried.
“Sure thing, padre!” He snapped the mud away, replacing it with glitter. The glitter, however, remained firmly stuck to his body, not a single speck falling to the floor. “This better?”
“You look great!” Patton had smiled warmly, and Remus beamed, continuing his journey onward.
In the shadows, Virgil blinked.
Did- Did Patton receive parenting help from Janus?
~
The Prince had entered as he always did: pristine and with his sword in hand.
“Roman, please put your sword away before you knock something over.”
“Ah, but then how shall I protect you nerds?” He’d laughed at his own joke, even as Logan deadpanned him.
Virgil sank deeper into the darkness as Patton leaned out from the kitchen.
“Roman, kiddo, you should be careful with that. What if you swung it and accidentally hit Virge? You know he likes to stay out of sight.”
Roman paused, looked at Patton, and obliged.
“There!” he exclaimed as he sheathed the weapon. “Now our emo shall have nothing to fear!”
Oh, there was definitely more than just a Dad™. Virgil teleported out.
~
“Alright, you sit there while we spruce the place up a bit.” Roman pressed the nest a little bit tighter, tapping the ground right in front of Virgil lightly.
“I’ve got defenses!”
“Make sure you keep them discreet. Nonlethal traps and hidden snares!”
“Lots of soft things on your end! The more we den, the more we kin!”
The anxious side scoffed, too quiet to be heard. The twins weren’t making sense anymore.
~
Virgil brought it up. The twins acknowledged the discovery, made remarks about how it was so obvious , how did it escape them, and moved on.
Virgil didn’t know how to defend them against themselves, to say that it was only obvious to him because he looked for the little things.
He kept a watchful eye on things, keeping well out of situations that would include subjection to multiple parental units. Or any parental units.
Their “quiet” work worked better for him.