Janus stormed up the stairs, furious and having an intense desire to hit something, or somebody. He didn't want to hear excuses. He didn't want to hear Logan's side of the story. He certainly didn't want to work through this like mature adults and find some understanding. All he wanted to do was tear Logan apart for daring to mistreat his puppy.

Janus wanted to go straight to Logan's room, but as he passed by Patton's room his arm was grabbed. He whipped around with a hiss to see an alarmed and concerned Patton staring at him.

"Janus," Patton said quietly, cautiously. "Are you okay? Virgil said you weren't doing very well."

"I'm fine." Janus said stiffly. Remus was the one who was hurt. Janus understood why Virgil might have been misleading about just who was doing unwell right now, but he was not in the mood for this nonsense. Patton was still prone to assuming the absolute worst of Remus. Janus completely understood, as Remus was perfectly terrible more often than not, but that didn't mean that he didn't deserve help.

"You know, Kiddo, if something's wrong you know it might help to talk about it." Patton said. "My door's always open."

"I completely despise the sentiment, and absolutely won't keep that in mind." Janus said. "If you don't mind, I need to speak to Logan, and I assure you this will certainly be a conversation you would want to be a part back to your room, and make sure you go downstairs before I tell you to."

Patton's eyes widened in panic and Janus thought that he felt the other side's hand shaking. "W-why? What's downstairs?"

"Remus." Janus said. "I'm taking care of it. This is nothing you have to worry about. Now, please, let go."

Patton reluctantly took his hand away from Janus' arm. The deceitful side continued on his way to Logan's room. He pounded his fist against the door with force that wasn't like him. Janus normally preferred to deal with things in a more subtle maner, only getting physical when he could make it look like an accident or when it was completely unavoidable.

Being Remus' Master always brought out his more primal instincts. It was absolutely exhausting, and he wasn't used to being like this for an extended period of time, but he wasn't going to go back to normal until he was completely sure that Remus was okay.

Janus hissed to himself as he knocked harshly on the door. "Logan! Open this door now." He didn't hear anything from inside, as Logan's room was soundproof, just like Janus', Virgil's, and Remus' all were. He knew that Logan couldn't actually hear him, but he had to know that Janus was looking to talk to him. They could all sense when somebody wanted to get in their rooms. A moment passed and Janus was about to start knocking again when the door was opened by an exhausted yet confused Logan.

"Ah, Janus," Logan adjusted his tie. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Don't you dare." Janus said lowly as he forced himself into Logan's room. He tried to leer at him, but Logan wasn't so easily intimidated. He didn't even step back in alarm. "After what you've done, don't you dare think that I'm just here for a social visit."

Logan had the audacity to look confused. "And what, may I ask, did I do to offend you? I assure you, it wasn't intentional, but if there's anything I can do to rectify whatever wrong you feel I did-"

Janus let out a harsh, humorless chuckle. "You light sides are all the same. You feel that just because something was an accident means you're entitled to forgiveness. I might have considered going soft on you if you had at least an idea of just how badly you messed up, but this obliviousness, this reckless carefree attitude, it's the exact kind of thing I told you I wouldn't tolerate from the start."

Logan looked like he couldn't decide whether he was concerned or annoyed. "Janus, I'm sorry for whatever you think I did, but-"

"Don't apologize when you don't even know what's wrong." Janus growled.

"I would know what was wrong if you would tell me." Logan said impatiently.

"I shouldn't have to." Janus snapped. "The only reason why I trusted you with my pet was because I thought you were responsible enough to take proper care of him. You know how much I love being proven wrong."

"Remus?" Logan frowned. "This is about Remus? Is he alright?"

"Don't pretend like you care." Janus said. "He deserves better than these games you've decided to start playing."

Logan's brow furrowed in concern and confusion. "I haven't been playing any games with Remus."

"You were last night." Janus said.

"Are you upset that I played with Remus last night?" Logan asked. "If you wanted him last night you could have said something to me. I would have been more than happy to postpone our scene."

Janus felt his fury build. Even after he'd told Logan that something was wrong with Remus, he was still dismissive. He refused to see that there was a problem.

Janus summoned his staff and quickly swung it so the crook went around Logan's neck. He yanked him closer till they were only inches apart. For the first time since Janus had arrived here Logan looked uncomfortable and nervous.

"If I hadn't wanted Remus to play with you, he wouldn't have played with you." Janus said quietly in a near whisper. What I take issue with is that you hurt him. I was gracious enough to lend you my favorite toy, my plaything, and you broke him."

Janus knew that Remus would be furious with him if he heard him phrase it like this, but Remus didn't need to know. Janus didn't truly believe that the intrusive side was broken. He was messed up, and had so many issues, but saying that something was broken implied that it was irreparable and better off being thrown away. Patton and Roman may often think that of Remus, but Janus never would.

There were better words that Janus could have used to describe Remus' state, but he didn't say that he was broken for his own sake. He used the powerful word to try to cause a strong reaction from Logan. The logical side's eyes widened and he looked uncharacteristically alarmed.

"He...I...what happened?" Logan stammered. Janus would normally be quite amused to be bringing out this side of Logan. He made a mental note to tell Remus of this reaction. Remus would certainly get a kick out of it. They could have a good laugh about this over a drink (wine for Janus, vinegar for Remus). At this moment though Janus was far too infuriated to fully appreciate this rare moment.

"Since you're more dense than usual today, I'll spell it out for you." Janus said. He used the crook to manipulate Logan's position to shove him into his chair. Janus stalked closer to him. "You touched his back after I gave specific instructions that you were to leave it alone."

Logan opened his mouth, probably to push the blame for that incident onto Remus. Janus waved his hand and made Logan raise his own hand and cover his mouth.

"I'm aware that Remus didn't talk to you like he should have." Janus said. "But you are not faultless. You should have asked if there was anything off limits before you even started." Janus held up a finger, and then lifted a second one. "You not only brought a new element into your game without discussing it with me first, but you didn't do your proper research into it, which is incredibly dangerous."

Janus lifted a third finger as he leaned closer to Logan, who was giving him his full attention. "You didn't implement an alternative safeword or gesture for Remus to use while he was muzzled. Do I need to tell you how serious this is?"

Logan shook his head. Janus lifted another finger. "Finally, at least for now, you broke one of the rules that I've hammered into you over and over again. Can you tell me what that rule is?" He released his hold over Logan, who took several seconds to lower his hand himself. Logan averted his gaze.

"Aftercare." Logan said almost inaudibly. "I'm supposed to provide aftercare, no matter how long we play and how intense the scene is."

Janus clapped sarcastically. "Oh, very good, Logan. So you do remember my rules. So tell me something," He slammed his hands on the desk just behind Logan, leaning close to him, far closer than either of them were entirely comfortable with. "If you remembered my rules, why would you disregard them last night?

"I-I had work to do last night." Logan said.

"So you were too busy to give Remus the attention that he deserves?" Janus said.

"That's not what I said." Logan said defensively.

"But it's what you meant." Janus said. "Did you, or did you not, prioritize your own work over taking care of Remus and making sure he was properly taken care of?"

Logan swallowed thickly. He looked pained. "...I did."

"I thought so." Janus stepped away from Logan, who was starting to look desperate.

"I apologize, I thought that he would be alright." Logan said. "He is not very fond of aftercare in the first place. I thought he wouldn't mind."

"Aftercare isn't about what Remus wants," Janus said. Remus frequently wanted things that weren't good for him. It was Janus' job to guide him in a way that would keep him from completely destroying himself. "This is about what he needs. One of the most important points of aftercare is showing your partner that you care about them, and see them as something more than just a tool for stress relief. When you kicked Remus out you all but confirmed that you don't truly care for him."

"But I do!" Logan said, showing much more emotional vulnerability than he would normally dare to. Janus could smell the truth in his words, but just because someone thought they were being sincere didn't mean that their actions would reflect their words. Logan could swear till the end of his days that he cared about Remus and wanted what was best for him, but if he didn't put in the appropriate effort then his word couldn't be trusted.

Janus may be a liar, but he thought that somebody who deceived with their words was much better than someone who deceived with their actions.

"I don't believe you." Janus said. Logan looked like he was stricken. His logical brain was probaby trying to figure out how somebody who could sense lies could not believe in something he knew was a truth. Janus did not feel like explaining it to him. "More importantly, I don't think that Remus does either."

"I'll make it up to him." Logan said quickly. He cleared his throat and tried to gather himself. "I understand where I failed, and I will make a note of it. I will do better next time."

"See, that's the thing, Logan." Janus stepped away from him and adjusted his cape. "There won't be a next time. I trusted you with my friend, and you abused that trust so horribly that I see no reason to give you a second chance. I'm stripping you of your title as Sir."

"That is not your choice to make." Logan got to his feet. "Despite what the connotation of your nicknames for Remus imply, you don't own him. He can make his own decisions. Our game was between the two of us, and if he wishes to continue then you have no right to stop him."

"I have every right." Janus said coldly. "Whether we're playing our games or not, Remus is my responsibility. I admit, he can be a handful when he's upset, but while the rest of you may prefer to push him away, I would much rather get rid of the thing that's bothering him, and right now that thing is you."

Janus sighed. "Unfortunately, Thomas still needs his logic, so I can't get rid of you. However, there's no reason why I can't keep you away from Remus. With that, I hope you have a wonderful day. I'm going to return to my pet. Don't follow me."

Janus whipped around back towards the door, making sure to whack his staff into Logan's head. He wanted to fight him, make him pay for what he had done to Remus, but he held back. Janus would rather fight with his words and leave the physical altercations to Remus.

Janus stormed out of the room, ignoring the alarmed looks that Patton gave him as he passed him. Apparently he hadn't gone back into his room like Janus had told him. Since neither he nor Logan had closed the door behind them, their little disagreement had been clearly heard.

"Janus, what's going on?" Patton asked.

"Padre, I think you should leave it alone." Roman said as he poked his head out of his room. He gave Janus a look that was so hard to read. Of all the sides, while Roman was one of the easiest to manipulate, he was also the hardest to get a read on. His acting skills gave him an impressive mask. He could be a formidable liar if he put the effort into it. "

Roman stared at Janus for a long moment before his face fell. "Keep an eye on my brother."

Janus didn't know whether Roman was asking him to make sure that Remus didn't cause too much trouble, or if he was asking him to keep Remus safe and happy. Either way, Janus would do so, even if Roman hadn't said a word about it.

"I always do." Janus said before he pushed his way past them and made his way back downstairs. He hadn't been talking to Logan for too long, but Remus and Virgil had left the kitchen and were now sitting on the couch, watching a movie. Janus hated to interrupt them, but he knew it was only a matter of time before Patton or Logan came down to see just what was going on with Remus, and he didn't deserve that stress.

"I'm afraid your playdate will have to be either rescheduled or relocated." Janus said stiffly. He snatched Remus' leash from Virgil's hands, pausing the movie they had just started with a mere thought. "We've overstayed our welcome."

"What did you do?" Virgil asked tensely. "I can feel Patton and Logan's anxiety from here."

"I did what was necessary." Janus said. "It's not my fault that they didn't like what was said."

Remus frowned as he stood up, letting Janus pull him along. "Why did you talk to Patton?"

"He was in the hall when I spoke to Logan." Janus said. "Roman may or may not have heard everything as well."

Remus' eyes widened. He looked alarmed, which was not something that Janus liked to see from him. "They know? B-but Sir didn't want them to know about our games."

"Do not call him Sir." Janus said. "Your games with him are done. After everything Logan did in just one night, I'm not letting him anywhere near you."

Remus pouted and his dog ears drooped. "I can't play with him anymore?"

Janus sighed and ran a comforting hand over Remus' hair. "You don't need Logan. We can still play our games together."

Remus tilted his head and seemed to study Janus for a long moment before he smiled. "Can we play today? You've been taking such good care of me, and I know you're stressed. Let me help relieve some of that stress."

Janus thought about it for a long moment. It was an incredibly tempting offer. They usually played games for fun, or to give Remus an outlet. When they did a scene for Janus' sake, they did things in a very specific way. Remus went from a mischievous puppy to a service dog. The whole point of the scene was for Remus to do what Janus wanted.

It had been a long time since Remus had volunteered to be Janus' service dog. Remus wasn't too fond of the play himself, but he liked it because Janus liked it, and he wanted to make him happy. That was the whole point of being a service puppy in these games.

But Remus had been a puppy for a long time. Had these games Janus knew that there were people who saw these games as a way of life, a way that they did things more often than not, but he and Remus weren't like that. They played in short scenes, just a little bit at a time. Janus had no objections against having longer scenes, extending past hours and playing for days, or maybe even weeks, at a time.

But now, when Remus was in such a potentially fragile state of mind, was not the best time to experiment with something new.

"You know I'd love to." Janus said. "But I think you need a break. You've been a puppy for nearly twenty four hours."

"But I feel fine." Remus said. He leaned closer to Janus, staring at him with wide eyes. "I may look like a puppy, but I feel like me. My mind's okay. Please, I want to serve you."

Janus knew that he should say no. This was one of those instances where what Remus needed was different than what he may want. It was just so hard to deny Remus' request when Janus wanted it so much himself.

Janus sighed. "Very well, but the moment I say that we're done I don't want to hear a word of complaint from you." Janus said. Remus giggled excitedly, and Janus held up a hand before he could get himself too worked up. "I will be color checking you periodically, and I will know if you're being honest in your responses."

"Deal!" Remus said cheerfully. He turned to Virgil. "Are you coming with us?"

Virgil glanced towards the stairs. Janus could see Roman watching them curiously, but as soon as he saw that he was caught he drew back and went back upstairs. Janus suspected that he would have to talk to Roman about whatever this was sooner or later.

"You know, I think I should stay here." Virgil said. "I've gotta make sure that Patton and Logan are okay."

Remus' face fell in disappointment and Janus glared at Virgil. "Remus was the one who was hurt, and they're the ones you're worried about? I guess you really are a light side now." Janus scoffed. "Only worried about those in your immediate circle."

Virgil scowled. "That's not what I'm doing."

"I'm locking the dark side." Janus said. Virgil and Remus looked at him in shock. He didn't plan on keeping the dark side locked up for long, but he needed to make sure that they didn't get any unexpected visits from Logan or any of the others.

"Hang on," Virgil said. Janus ignored him. Holding onto Remus he sank the two of them out. They were back in the dark side, and nobody else would be able to follow them. If there was an absolute emergency Thomas would be able to bring the others down here, but Janus doubted anything like that would happen.

Remus pulled away from Janus. He was still pouting in disappointment. "I never get to hang out with Virgil anymore."

"I'll convince him to make it up to you." Janus said. "Do you still want to play?"

"Yes please." Remus said. "Tell me what you want."

"I've got some things in mind." Janus smirked. He gave Remus' collar a sharp tug. "First, close your eyes." Remus, who loved a surprise, grinned excitedly and squeezed his eyes shut tight. He was nearly bouncing on his heels. Janus had a way to fix that. He gently pushed Remus onto the couch and then waved his hand, fummoning some accessories right onto Remus' body.

The intrusive side now wore a pair of black ballet boots with neon green laces., as well as chartreuse gloves, and a loose fitting leather harness with the words Service Puppy written boldly across it. This harness always helped Remus get into character.

"Alright, take a look." Janus summoned a full-body mirror. Remus' eyes snapped open. He tried to jump to his feet but his ballet boots made it difficult to find his balance. Janus steadied him.

"Careful, pup," Janus said. "You can't exactly move quickly in these boots." It was the entire reason why Janus had summoned these particular shoes in the first place. He thought that Remus, eccentric as he was, would appreciate the style.

"Ooh." Remus admired his reflection, turning and posing to see the ensemble from all different angles. "I love it!" Remus looked at his gloves, which were skin-tight and went up above his elbow. "Why the gloves?"

"You'll see." Janus gave Remus' leash a small tug, smirking when the other side nearly lost his balance. "Do you think you can make it up the stairs? Or do you want me to carry you?"

"I want to try walking." Remus took a slow, careful step. Janus quite enjoyed seeing Remus take his time doing anything. Remus took a few experimental steps before he found his confidence. "This is kinda fun. I feel like a danseur noble that can kill you."

"If you ask me, all danseur nobles can kill you." Janus said. He'd always thought that ballet dancers were incredibly intimidating and vicious, but especially the principal dancers.

Remus grinned ferally and lifted a leg back, trying to mimic a graceful ballet pose and somehow looking more murderous as he did so. He looked absolutely terrifying, and Janus couldn't love it more.

"We can dance together once you get used to your shoes." Janus said. He had other things planned out first. He made his way towards the stairs, using the leash to guide Remus and steady him when he started to tilt too much. Janus led the way into his room and into his bathroom. His bathtub was still full of hot water. Oh, the beauty of living in Thomas' mind.

"Cover your eyes." Janus said.

"Prude," Remus muttered. Janus gave him a scolding look. Remus rolled his eyes but put his hands over his eyes. Janus slipped out of his clothes and climbed back into the boat, sighing contently when he felt the warmth across his skin. He summoned some scentless bubbles until the water was barely visible. He didn't want Remus trying to get a peek to see if he actually had two dicks.

"Alright, you can open your eyes again." Janus said. Remus quickly did so.

"You're taking a bath?" Remus tilted his head curiously.

"My bath was interrupted yesterday." Janus said. Remus grimaced slightly. "No, don't do any of that. I would rather make sure that you're okay then take a bath any day. If you want to make it up to me though, that's what we're here for." Janus leaned his head back, resting his neck against the water-proof pillow he'd put on the side of the tub.

"The most tedious part of bathing is washing your hair." Janus closed his eyes. I like how soft it makes my hair, but when I'm relaxing I don't exactly want to work."

"You want me to wash your hair?" Remus asked. "Me?"

"I know you can be gentle when you want to be." Janus said. Perhaps it was too much to ask from somebody who struggled to wash his own hair, but Janus loved to see how hard Remus tried for his sake when they took on these roles.

"Is that what the gloves are for?" Remus asked.

"We wouldn't want the soap to hurt you." Janus said. Unless you splash around a lot, you should be just fine." He gestured to where he kept his preferred shampoo. Remus made an odd sound, but a moment later Janus heard the sound of him getting the soap and a moment later Remus began to slowly lather it into his hair.

Remus' technique wasn't very good. His hands naturally curled into a claw shape, getting caught in Janus' hair. He moved slowly enough that he didn't pull Janus' hair. Whenever he gave it a light tug he quickly corrected himself.

Remus was trying very hard to do what Janus had asked of him, and even if the result wasn't perfect Janus appreciated it for the effort itself.

Janus relaxed for a few minutes as Remus began to just run his fingers through his hair. It wasn't very effective for washing, but it felt very nice. Janus was just about to doze off when he heard Remus yelp in alarm and felt a harsh tug on his hair. Janus hissed in pain. He turned around only to find Remus sitting on the floor, looking slightly stunned.

Janus could take a guess as to what happened. "Did you get bored?" When Remus got antsy he began to fidget. That was part of the reason why Janus had him wearing the boots. He'd hoped it would discourage from fidgeting, but all it had done was make him lose his balance.

"Sorry." Remus said with the most adorable pout. "I didn't try to pull your hair. It was instinct."

"I'm not upset." Janus said. When one is falling, their first thought is to grab onto something to stop them. Since Remus' hands were in his hair, that was what he'd tried to grab.

"If you want to have something else to do, I was thinking of having some wine." Janus said. "Why don't you go down to the kitchen and get us some drinks."

Remus brightened. "I can do that!" He pulled himself up to his feet, steadying himself on the edge of the tub. He got to his feet and practically dashed towards the door, almost tripping on his way out.

"If you spill anything you'll be the one who will have to clean it up." Janus called out. "Without the use of your powers." Remus didn't give any response. Janus hoped that he had heard him. Janus would still have Remus clean up any mess he made, whether he had heard him or not, but there would be much less whining involved if Remus was aware of the consequences before anything happened.

Janus summoned his book and began to read. For the first time since he had sensed Remus using his safeword the night before he began to feel somewhat at peace and relaxed. Remus was okay, he was safe, and there was a very low chance that the light side would force their way down here and make a mess of everything under the pretense of fixing things.

Janus was able to read an entire chapter before Remus returned. He was holding two glasses in his hands and had his leash wrapped around his arm to keep him from tripping on it. The glasses were only half full, they were Janus' least favorite glasses, ones where the handles were in the shape of an octopus' tentacles, and he could tell at just a glance that it wasn't his favorite glass of wine. Remus had done what he was asked though, even with the added challenge of his shoes. Janus knew better than to be too picky with anything that Remus did for him.

"Here, Jannie." Remus offered him one of the glasses.

"Thank you, Darling." Janus said. Remus held his own glass out, and Janus clinged his glass against it. Remus giggled and began to down his drink in massive gulps. Janus was satisfied with just taking a small sip at a time. He watched as Remus drank, moving on to his next little idea as soon as Remus was finished.

Janus twirled his wine slightly, summoning a soft towel. He handed it to Remus. "Put it on the ground next to the tub." Janus said. "It'll be something soft to kneel on."

Remus put it down and knelt on top of it. "What are we doing now?"

"Hold your hands out." Janus said. "Palms up." Remus frowned slightly but obeyed. Janus nudged his hands together and then placed his glass on Remus' hands, balancing it on his palms.

"This service is very simple." Janus said. "Your hands will just be acting as my side table for my drink."

"The whole time?" Remus' eyes widened. "But you take forever to drink."

"Which is why I gave you a towel." Janus said. "I wouldn't want you to hurt your knees." He gave Remus a careful look. "Color?"

"Green." Remus said. Janus could sense the sincerity in his tone. Remus was such a good little sub. Even when he was doing something that he didn't completely want to do he still gave enthusiastic consent. Remus was usually self-serving, but when it came to being a puppy he wanted nothing more than to make somebody else happy.

Janus returned to silently reading his book, occasionally reaching for his drink to take a sip from it. Every once and awhile he would hear slight sloshing as Remus shifted. Every time he heard it he would ask Remus for his color. Each time his answer would be green. After half an hour or so, when Janus asked for a color, Remus still said green, but Janus could sense the little lie in his tone. He set his book down and looked at Remus.

"What is your true color?" Janus asked. Remus shifted uncomfortably.

"Yellow." Remus said.

"Is it because you're sore, or because you're bored?" Janus asked. "Whatever answer you give, I won't be upset."

"I'm bored." Remus said.

"Well, you were sitting still for an extraordinary amount of time for you." Janus took his wine glass and took a final sip, finishing it off. He snapped his fingers, making the wine glasses vanish. "How do you feel about continuing?"

"Yes!" Remus said enthusiastically. "Green. I'm very, very green."

"Very well." Janus smiled. "Close your eyes." Only after he was sure that Remus couldn't see him did he come out of the bath. He summoned his silk bathrobe. "You may look now. Come along." He took Remus' leash and led him into his bedroom. He brought Remus to his armchair with snake designs on the armrests.

"I'm going to take a nap." Janus said. "While I'm sleeping I want you to stay here and draw me a nice picture. It can be whatever you like, but I want you to only use a pencil, and you're not to move from this spot." Janus didn't want to wake up to a mess. "If you need to stop, say MCR. The lock over the dark side will open just for Virgil. He will sense that you need him, and he'll come right down."

"What if he doesn't?" Remus asked.

"Then you have my permission to scream and throw stuff at me until you wake me up and get my attention." Janus said. "But unless there's an absolute emergency I ask that you wait at least five minutes to give Virgil the chance to respond before waking me."

Remus nodded. "I can do that."

"When I wake up we'll do your aftercare." Janus said. "And that means that your ears, tail, and collar will have to go."

Remus sighed in disappointment but nodded. "Fine. Night, Jannie."

"Goodnight, Remus." Janus lounged on his bed, underneath his heated blanket and heating lamp.

"Wait," Remus said. Janus rolled over to look at Remus, who was already holding a sketchbook and pencil. "Did I do good?"

Janus smiled fondly. "You're the best service puppy I could ask for. You did wonderfully." Remus smiled and wiggled happily. He pulled his legs up, contorting them slightly to accommodate his boots. He hummed to himself as he began to sketch. Smiling to himself, Janus rolled over, curled up into a tight ball, and soon fell asleep to the white noise of Remus creating as quietly as he could manage.