Welcome to my first attempt at a fic with an actual overlying plot across multiple chapters! Deceit starts showing up more and more often, even when they aren't filming a video, just to hang out with the Main Sides. Well, except for Virgil. And although Patton, Roman and Logan start to get along with Deceit, Virgil still neither likes nor trusts him. He subtly tries to keep Deceit away from them. The argument that ensues when they figure this out doesn't go well. But Virgil knows what Roman just said was wrong… even if they can't see.

The plot was taken (with permission) from Fake Fanfiction Summaries by Light_It_On_Fire on Archive Of Our Own.

Warning for unsympathetic Janus.

The first time wasn't a lot. It was actually fairly simple. It was 4:27 on a Tuesday afternoon, and Roman was reading through The Tempest with Logan.

Roman said, "Why, how now? Ho, awake! Why are you drawn? Wherefore this ghastly looking?" In a different voice, he added, "What's the matter?"

Logan responded, "Whiles we stood here securing your repose, even now, we heard a hollow burst of echoing, like lions, or rather bulls."

Deceit appeared and corrected him: "Like bulls, or rather lions."

"What?" said Logan, somewhat startled.

"The line is 'a hollow burst of echoing, like bulls, or rather lions.' Ask Roman if you don't believe me," drawled Deceit.

Roman looked surprised. "Deceit's right," he confirmed.

"Now, here's the question," said Deceit. "Why are you reading through a play like this with only two people?"

"Virgil and Patton wouldn't," explained Roman, "and that just leaves the two of us."

"I think you've miscounted," said Deceit. "There are three people in this room. Now, who should I play? Antonio?" He summoned a copy of the play and glanced at the scene they were on. "And Ariel too, I think."

"I'm not sure if this is a good idea," said Logan plainly.

"Oh, come on, Angry Nerds. What harm is he gonna do reading through a play with us?" Roman protested.

Logan sighed. "I don't like it, but that's a fair argument. Very well. Whiles we stood here securing your repose, even now, we heard a hollow burst of bellowing, like bulls, or rather lions. Did't not wake you? It struck mine ear most terribly."

"I heard nothing," said Roman, getting immediately back into character.

"O, 'twas a din to fright a monster's ear, to make an earthquake! Sure it was the roar of a whole herd of lions," Deceit proclaimed dramatically.

"Heard you this, Gonzalo?" Roman then answered his own question, saying, "Upon my honor, sir, I heard a humming, and that a strange one too, which did awake me. I shaked you, sir-" at this point Logan emphatically mouthed shook, but said nothing- "and cried. As mine eyes opened, I saw their weapons drawn."

The three Sides continued like this for a while. They were in the middle of Act Three, Scene Three ("You are three men of sin, whom destiny- that hath to instrument this lower world and what is in't- the never-surfeited sea…") when Virgil happened to pass through the living room, and his jaw dropped.

"What is he doing here?" Virgil demanded, pointing at Deceit.

"It's okay, Virgil," Roman reassured him. "He's not trying to rope us into making Thomas do anything. He's just reading through The Tempest with us."

"What? Why?" asked Virgil. "And how can you be sure he doesn't want anything?"

"Well, he's reading with us because there are a lot of characters, and having three people works better than two," said Roman. "And he clearly doesn't want anything, because he hasn't asked. He hasn't even said anything that Shakespeare didn't write."

"Geez, Roman," said Virgil. "If this is important enough to you that you're willing to ask him to participate, I'll do it with you next time."

"Well, I didn't exactly ask him to," Roman said. "He offered, when he came to correct Logan. But I swear, he's not up to anything sinister- at least, not right now."

"I guess he can stay for now, if you're really that sure," said Virgil after a pause.

"I am," said Roman. "Don't worry."

Virgil raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Roman, Logan and Deceit picked up where they'd left off and continued with the play. Meanwhile, Virgil placed himself directly between Deceit and Roman and didn't move an inch until Deceit was gone.