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Here we are at the end. Enjoy!
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Janus took in a deep breath, pausing his actions as he did so. He looked down at the large basket that usually held Remus's stuffed animals, now full of various crocheting supplies.
Roman and Remus had been 'talking' a lot lately, and by talking, he meant fighting, but they talked during the fight. That was always how those two worked things out, and that still hadn't changed. Or, maybe the fact that they were trying to work things out at all was a change. Regardless, the two of them were still oftentimes at odds, and they still bickered constantly, but… they were getting better at being around each other. Roman had started working through his fears of inadequacy, and Remus was working on his jealousy, both of which were major sources of their fighting.
Now, as he'd offered, Janus was about to show the two of them how to crochet. Or, he was going to show Roman how to crochet and teach Remus more complicated stitches. The two of them got along enough that Janus was pretty sure they wouldn't start a brawl in the middle of the lesson.
Janus should still be prepared for that to happen, though.
And so, he took a deep breath and steeled himself before making his way to the common room on the light side. He didn't exactly like that they were going to meet on the light side rather than neutral ground, but to be fair, the dark side common room was a disgusting mess. Janus never even went in there, and there was no way in hell that he was going to bring his yarn into it. Plus, there was the fact that there wasn't really any neutral ground inside the mind palace (unless you counted the doorway that marked the transition between the sides- but what were they supposed to do? Crochet in a doorway?). He'd also considered suggesting that they do this in his own room, but… he didn't want all of his stuff to get destroyed if the twins did decide to fight.
By the time he got there, both Roman and Remus were already in the room, standing an awkwardly large distance apart. Janus sighed and set down the large basket onto the coffee table. Then, he turned to look at the two other sides and clasped his hands together in front of his chest.
"Right. Are you two ready, then?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Yup."
"Alright, sit down, then," Janus instructed as he settled himself onto the floor.
Normally, he'd prefer to sit on the couch, but with the three of them (including both halves of Creativity), the supplies would inevitably end up across the entire room, so it was just easier to sit on the floor.
The two Creativities sat down as well, with Roman looking particularly awkward.
"So, to start, I think I should quickly show Remus the new stitch he wanted to try, since that shouldn't take too long," Janus announced. "Then, I'll start showing you how to crochet, Roman."
When he received two nods, Janus turned and took out a few balls of yarn and some hooks. He handed Remus the colors he'd said he wanted and took out a tiny ball of scrap yarn and started making a chain.
"Now, to do the arcade stitch, you want your chain to be a multiple of 6, and then add one extra for your foundation chain…"
Janus rattled off the instructions and began to demonstrate each step as he said it, going slower than he would if he was actually crocheting something. Once he'd shown Remus the stitch a few times, he asked Remus to try it, and once he was pretty sure Remus got the hang of it, he turned toward Roman, who had apparently also been watching the demonstration and looked very confused.
"For you, I think we need to start with how to make a chain," Janus told him. "And holding the hook, I guess, but there's a few different ways you can do that, so."
He took a larger hook and some chunky yarn and handed it to Roman.
"It'll probably be easier to start with big yarn so you can see the stitches more easily," Janus explained when Roman gave the thick yarn a quizzical look. "Anyway, to start, you're going to make a slip knot and tighten it around the end of the hook. Like this."
Janus quickly demonstrated, and then Remus chimed in.
"Ya make a noose!"
"Technically, it's not a noose, Remus," Janus corrected. "If you were making a noose, you'd want to pull the loop from the other side so it would actually tighten around the neck properly. If you tried to use a slip knot, it wouldn't work right."
"Oh. Wait, have I been tying nooses wrong or slip knots wrong, then?"
"This is a slip knot," Janus demonstrated again, making it so both brothers could see what he was doing. "This is a noose, but regardless, you're probably thinking of a hangman's noose anyway, Remus, which is also a bit different."
Janus then proceeded to demonstrate how to tie a hangman's knot. It wasn't until he undid it that he noticed that Roman's lips were pursed.
"Why do you know how to tie a noose?"
Janus shrugged.
"Sometimes, my games include executions," he explained. "A lot more of them do now, actually, since Remus joined in."
"Yeah, 'Cuz executions are fun!"
Roman sighed.
"Alright. So, I just do this, then?"
"Yes, and then you wrap the yarn around the hook in front of the loop…"
Janus continued to teach Roman for a while, and before long, the other creative side got the hang of it. Then, he started showing Roman the rest of the basics, and once he finished those, Janus gave him a nod.
"Good. Now, let's start making a potholder."
"Whyyyyyyy?" Roman whined. "I want to make a dragon!"
Janus rolled his eyes. Despite their differences, the twins could be so alike sometimes.
"I can teach you how to make a dragon later. First, you need to learn the basics so you have an easier time trying more difficult things," Janus denied. "Plus, if you make a big potholder or a tiny dragon, you can use the potholder as a cape for it."
At that, Roman's eyes lit back up and he stopped complaining.
"I bet my first potholder is better than yours is gonna be!" Remus declared.
Roman shot him a quick glare.
"Oh, it's on!"
Then, Roman took some bright red yarn and stared at Janus, waiting for him to explain how to make a potholder. Janus sighed. Well, at least the two of them weren't physically fighting, so it was fine.
Eventually, both Roman and Remus were fine enough on their own, allowing Janus to take out his own project. He had started making… another jellyfish, this time PB&J themed (and yes, he already made so many jellyfish, but- it was going to be a peanut butter and jellyfish).
Some time after Janus had started working on the tentacles, Logan came into the room, settling down onto the couch to read after greeting the three of them. Not long after, Virgil and Patton both came in at the same time.
"Heya, Kiddos!" Patton greeted. "How's the lesson going?"
"My blanket of destruction is going awesome!"
Remus held up the beginning of his blanket to show it off to the fatherly side. Janus looked up as well, and he was impressed with how far Remus had gotten already. Sure, they'd been at it for a few hours by now, but Remus had already made a good few inches of a long blanket. He'd chosen a combination of black and bright green and had decided to switch the colors every few rows, giving it a nice effect.
"Well, my… potholder… is also awesome!" Roman insisted.
Roman was almost done with his potholder. He was a lot slower than Remus since he just started and had a few mess-ups, but he was almost done with it. Actually, he probably would have already been done with it if Janus hadn't suggested making it bigger than usual so it could be a cape for a not-yet-existent-dragon.
Patton smiled at both of them, sending out a pair of thumbs-ups.
"Great job, you two!" he cheered. "What're you making, Jan?"
Janus opened his mouth before he realized.
Patton was never going to let him live his down.
"… A peanut butter and jellyfish…," he answered eventually.
Patton's grin widened and he squealed. Virgil, meanwhile, snorted.
"Ooooooh, you're crocheting a pun! I've never been more proud!"
"Awe, aren't you proud of us, Daddy?" Remus asked jokingly.
"I have enough pride for all of you!"
"Careful, Patton, or we might start thinking you aren't straight," Janus joked.
"Gasp! You take that back, Jan!"
"Oh my god, you're all dorks," Virgil laughed.
"So are you, emo nightmare!" Roman pointed out. "Logan's the biggest nerd, though."
"… Roman, I am literally just sitting here reading," Logan told him. "I've had no part in this."
"Aaaaand, you just proved my point."
"Eh, you're all nerds. I'm cool, though."
"Nah, Rem, Janus converted you into a crochet nerd," Virgil disagreed. "It's too late for you now."
"Oh no! Is it terminal?"
"Yep."
Janus couldn't help but smile at the entire exchange.
Things were… Things were good. Better than they ever had been. They were all getting closer, all becoming friends and mending bridges, and Janus was able to be more open than ever before. He was able to be himself more, be both the parts he always showed and those he had hidden away, and even though he was Deceit, it felt good to be honest in this. It felt good to have this.
And maybe it had taken them a long time to get here, and maybe they weren't done and never would be, but here they were anyway.
The chattering and crocheting continued until it eventually settled down as Patton and Virgil started watching tv. All six of them continued in their respective activities for a while.
And then Roman spoke.
"Hey, guys, I was actually wondering if we could discuss something," he said suddenly.
Roman sounded apprehensive, and with that, Janus felt a spike in his own chest. They were just having fun, weren't they? Why did Roman suddenly sound like he was anxious about something?
Patton and Virgil turned the television off, and Logan set down his book. Janus had already finished his newest jellyfish and had been holding it while watching tv. And Remus didn't stop what he was doing, but he did seem to turn most of his attention on his brother, at least.
"I was…," Roman trailed off for a moment before starting again. "I know things have been like this for a while, and I know we're all used to it… But…"
What? What was Roman talking about? Was he upset that they were getting along now?
Roman rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well. I-I thought…"
The creative side took a deep breath in.
"What do you guys think about some remodeling?"
The question hung in the air for a few moments as everyone took it in with some confusion. Why was Roman making such a big deal out of remodeling? They changed things around in the mindscape all the time. Heck, Janus used to periodically move his room out of paranoia all the time.
Then, however, Janus realized that Roman was looking at Remus, who had stopped moving, more than anyone else. And that's when it clicked.
Roman was talking about eliminating the difference between Light Side and Dark Side.
"Um, can you guys say something…?" Roman requested.
Suddenly, Remus sprung up and grabbed his brother. Rather than an attack, though, Remus was giving him a tight hug.
"Awe, so you do like my trash piles!"
"…"
Patton smiled at them.
"I think remodeling's a great idea, Kiddo."
Virgil shrugged.
"I mean, I don't see why not. Those two are always over here anyway."
"There really hasn't been much of a point in splitting the mind palace in a long time," Logan spoke. "It will take a lot of planning and designing, but we probably should have done it by now regardless."
At that point, Janus realized he was the only one who hadn't said anything yet.
Except he didn't know what to say.
Even with he and Remus being accepted, and even with the distinction being pointless now, they had lived with that distinction and that physical barrier for so long. It would be strange to not live separately anymore, to not be two halves, but rather, one whole. It… It should be a good thing, but it would also be so different.
So, instead of using words, Janus just nodded.
After that, the two halves of Creativity ended up abandoning their crochet projects to get out big pieces of paper to start planning. There really was a lot that they'd have to figure out. They'd have to find ways of combining the two halves so that one side wasn't favored over the other. Roman also insisted that they should create special rooms for each of them with the extra space they would end up creating, and Janus felt his chest flutter when they mentioned making a room for him to store his yarn supplies and craft.
And so, the six of them continued planning long into the evening, only stopping to eat and make tea. Even by the time they went to bed, they weren't quite done, but it was a work in progress.
Just like they were.
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Aaaaaaah, and it's over! I really loved working on this fic, which is why it ended up WAY longer than I originally intended (like, well over twice as long…)
I actually started this fic in January of 2021 (Yes, I know that I started posting it in June. It took me a few months to work up the nerve to actually post this one lol), so I've been working on this for a while.
I really love both crocheting and Sanders Sides, so this fic was really a way for me to combine those two things, and it honestly surprises me how many people read/enjoyed this fic since I figured this thing would probably end up not appealing to a lot of people. I'm also so ridiculously glad that this fic made some people want to try/continue with crocheting/knitting/etc.
Also, just as a note, I've actually made a bunch of the things Janus mentioned in this story (the peanut butter and jellyfish is real, fellas). I tried to link photos when I could, but honestly, I forget to post things a lot, so I don't always have a post to link to, lol. I'm honestly not sure how many people exactly check out those links, but I can kinda tell that some people have based on the Insta notifications I get, so thanks to those who checked out my irl yarn projects.
And most of all, thanks to everyone for reading, especially if you're actually still here at the very end! I'm gonna miss this fic, but honestly, I feel like this is a good place to stop. This story is mostly about Janus, but Remus was also a big part of it, and the decision to end the distinction between Light Sides and Dark Sides has really been the end goal for a while now with this story (though not at first, since I originally only intended for this to end after 'Janus and YarnCrafts').
Anyway, I hope I ended this on a good note. Bye!
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