Virgil was sitting in the Light Side common room, listening to his music, when Logan came in. He looked awful, like he hadn't slept even after going to bed. Patton and Roman were off playing games in the former's room. That meant this was the perfect time to help Logan. He had doubts that it would go like it did with him and Janus and Remus, but Logan needed help. Help that Roman and Patton just wouldn't be able to give him. So he pretended to ignore Logan and summoned Janus and Remus to the Light Side common room.
Remus appeared and immediately camouflaged himself and stationed himself by the hallway that went to the Light Sides' rooms. Janus tipped his hat then tossed it to Virgil.
"Hold this. I rather hate it."
Virgil did so, then put away his phone. He was too anxious to pretend to look at it, and if things went in the way it did with him and the other primal Sides, then he wouldn't be able to ignore what was going on. He grabbed Janus's arm and tugged gently.
"Please don't… don't destroy him."
'Like you did with me,' he added in his head. Janus seemed to understand and looked him up and down.
"No promises."
Virgil relaxed. "Thank you."
Janus shrugged. "No idea what you're talking about."
At that moment, Logan came out of the kitchen, guzzling a mug of coffee. When he saw Janus and Virgil, he immediately tried to act like he hadn't just been desperately downing the caffeine.
"Ah, good morning, Janus."
"Liar," Janus said smoothly.
"I beg your pardon?" Logan asked, startled.
"You don't think it's a good morning."
"Ah," Logan shifted. "Well, lack of sleep. How are you?"
"Mm, the real question is how are you?"
"Fine."
"Liar."
Logan flushed. "Adequate, then."
"Adequate. Yes, that's a slippery word."
"A word cannot be slippery. It is not a physical substance."
"Oh, but context is so important, Logan," Janus purred. "Adequate is slippery. Because you can say you're doing adequately, but that is a word steeped in your own subjective experience. For example, your adequate and my adequate aren't the same thing. You couldn't get away with saying that you are fine because fine has a generally acknowledged definition, so you chose a word that you could use to try and manipulate me into thinking you are fine without using that word."
Logan looked a bit peeved. "What's your point, Janus?"
"I want to know how you are," he said his eyes taking in the common room.
"I told you, I'm fine."
"Lies again. And lies so often aren't logical."
Logan seemed to be genuinely upset by the situation. He glanced at Virgil, who stared at him with his eyebrows raised.
"Does he want something?" Logan demanded.
"The truth," Virgil said. "You better tell him. He'll get it out of you anyway."
"The Lord of the Lies wants the truth?" Logan sneered, a flash of anger in his eyes. Then he took a deep breath and sighed it out. "I will be fine later."
"Liar, liar, pants on fire," Janus crooned. "You don't know you'll be fine. I bet you're pretty sure you won't be."
The flush on Logan's face grew darker. But still, he took another deep breath and removed his glasses to clean them with a microfiber cloth.
"No answer I give will be good enough for you."
"The truth would be," Janus said. "So just tell me how you're really doing."
Logan crossed his arms, an irritated look on his face. "Well, I'm a bit sleep deprived."
"Mm, true," Janus said, beginning to pace back and forth.
His gleaming eyes were locked onto Logan, like a snake observing its prey. It would strike when the time was right, but even Virgil knew it wasn't the right time yet. Remus said nothing, and Logan hadn't noticed him yet. His fingers were playing with his clothes, and he was vibrating with delight at the thought of the chaos about to ensue. It wasn't too often he got to see the Light Sides let off steam, and this was going to be even better than usual because it was cool, calm, collected Logan that was about to pop.
"Is that an adequate response?" Logan asked, watching Janus warily.
"That is a part of how you're doing. But tell me, Logan. How are you feeling?"
Logan's lips tightened and he quickly looked away and adjusted his glasses. "Fine."
"Liar."
"Adequate."
"Slippery tongue."
"Decent."
"Not quite."
"Irritated," Logan shot back.
"Over little old me? I can't see why," Janus purred. "But what interests me is why you're not telling me how you're feeling."
"I don't feel!" Logan burst out.
A slow, satisfied grin spread over Janus's face. "Now that's the biggest lie yet."
There was the sound of a door opening and quick footsteps sounded out. Patton appeared in the hallway and peered in.
"What's going on?"
Remus threw his hand up and conjured slick, sticky vines from the Imagination, which wrapped around Patton's legs and tightened as they clambered up his body. Patton screamed, a high, frightened noise, but before he could move, he was engulfed up to the neck in the vegetation.
"Hey! What's happening? Let me go!"
There were more quick footsteps, and Roman came barreling out. In a second, he scanned the room, missed Remus completely, then dodged past Patton to lunge at Janus, but Remus tackled him and lost the camouflage as he drove his brother into the wall.
"Ah, ah, ah," Remus teased, twisting Roman to the ground. "Mr. Logic hasn't answered the question yet."
Roman yowled and turned to bite Remus's hand. Remus only threw back his head and laughed as he tightened his grip, undeterred by the pain. Then he turned them to see the room. Roman struggled fruitlessly against his twin, who'd caught him off guard.
Logan watched this with a growing tightness in his chest. What was going on? Patton struggled in the vines, and Roman struggled on the floor. Janus observed them with a raised eyebrow then pivoted to stare at Logan again.
"So sorry. Where were we?"
"I was going to my room," Logan said.
"Slippery tongue," Janus chuckled, a sibilant hiss coming out with the 's'. "That's where you wish we were, but that was at the beginning of the conversation. Now, Logan Sanders, answer my question. How are you feeling?"
Logan took a step back and flushed. Patton stopped struggling.
"Is something wrong, Logan?"
"No."
"Liar," Janus crooned again.
"Nothing's wrong," Logan said more forcefully.
"Dissembler," Janus countered.
Logan turned redder and his eyes darted around as he sought an escape. "I simply don't have time for this."
"You're prevaricating."
All eyes were on Logan, and he felt the distinct desire to flee. But there was nowhere to go. Patton, Roman, and Remus blocked the doorway. He gulped and glanced at Virgil, who had an odd expression on his face as he sat with his arms curled around his knees. As soon as Logan looked at him, he pulled his hood up then clutched his hands around his knees again.
"Answer his question," Virgil murmured, a dark undertone to his voice. "He'll keep pushing."
"Why?"
Janus thumbed his bottom lip then turned his eyes up to the ceiling. "Because I care about you, of course."
"Liar!" Roman spat.
As an ugly flush rose up Janus's cheeks, Remus snarled and twisted his brother's wrists until Roman shouted with pain. "You don't know what you're talking about!" he hissed.
"It doesn't matter," Janus said flatly, staring at Logan. "What matters is that Logan isn't answering a simple question. I want to know why."
"It's a stupid question," Logan said.
"Is it? Or is it that you don't like the answer?"
Logan frowned at him. "What are you driving at?"
"You try so hard to be the seat of logic inside of Thomas," Janus said smoothly. "You wish to be a robot, but you're not. Logic and emotions are not opposites, Logan. And you're feeling emotions. Strong emotions. And you're trying to ignore them."
Logan's cheeks turned splotchy red, and his voice grew quiet. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Then why did you have an anxiety attack in the kitchen last night?"
"What?" Patton asked in surprise.
"It wasn't an anxiety attack. It was the need to sleep," Logan shot back, fear crossing his face. "I'm completely fine."
Janus sneered. "Liar," he hissed, his eyes glinting.
"Stop saying that!" Logan snapped.
"Then stop lying," Janus countered. "Face it Logan, you're feeling and it scares you. You don't want to feel. Emotions aren't always logical. But you need to feel. Why are you so angry?"
"I'm not angry!" Logan snapped.
Janus strode forward and got right in Logan's face. "You are a liar, Logan Sanders!"
Logan reacted before he could stop himself. He shoved Janus away, and the embodiment of Deceit stumbled back a couple steps.
"Leave him alone, snake!" Roman burst out.
"Keep quiet, Romy, or I'll cut your tongue out," Remus snarled.
Janus's pupils constricted and his nostrils flared. Things were changing fast. Virgil and Remus sensed it, too, and Remus giggled. Virgil licked his lips and a shadow passed over his eyes. His eyeshadow seemed to darken and spread across his cheeks as he watched Logan blush as he realized what just happened.
"I'm sorry for such an extreme reaction, Janus, but I no longer want to have this discussion. Maybe later."
"Liar," Janus breathed. "You don't intend to ever finish this conversation. So you're not going anywhere."
"Logan, seriously. Is something wrong?" Patton asked, squirming uncomfortably in the vines. "If there is, there's nothing wrong with admitting it."
"Why would anything be wrong?" Logan asked brusquely.
"Well, you have been hiding in your room for a while," Patton said. "You don't come out and you didn't answer me last night. Roman's worried, too."
"Well, nothing's wrong," Logan said.
"Liar!" Janus shot back, his eyes sparkling. "Something is wrong! And you aren't leaving until you tell us."
"I'm warning you, Janus! Back off!" Logan snapped.
"Or what?" Janus asked.
"You won't like it."
"On the contrary. It's what I'm looking forward to," Janus purred. "Now what's wrong?"
"Logan?" Patton asked. "Really, talk to us."
"You shut up!" Logan growled. His eyes flashed dangerously, and Janus shifted forward.
"Me?" Patton asked, bewildered. "What did I do?"
"Nothing, Patton," Logan said, trying to take a steadying breath. He was interrupted, once again, by Janus.
"Another deception! Social niceties aren't usually your strong suit, but you've made such an effort to include them."
Instead of calming Logan, his fingers suddenly tightened on the mug in his hand. "I have. So what?"
"Oh, nothing," Janus sighed. "It's just such an effort for you. And nobody seems to have even noticed. Or cared."
A dark look flashed into Logan's eyes in a burst of orange. He bared his teeth in a snarl then his eyes turned brown again. He reached up a shaking hand to adjust his glasses. "That doesn't matter."
"Is it that it doesn't matter? Or is it that you don't matter?" Janus hissed. Any time now…
Logan straightened, his eyes crackling with energy. "Of course I matter!" he snapped. "I am Thomas's embodiment of logic and reasoning! I structure his day! I remind him of healthy habits!"
"Then why do you feel like you don't matter?"
Pain lanced across Logan's face, and he cringed as he slumped. For a moment, he looked utterly destroyed. Virgil, Janus, and Remus could sense the tension. It could go one of two ways. They always knew which way it would go with them. But even now, when Logic was an inch from a breakdown, they didn't know. Then rage filled Logan's eyes and Janus grinned triumphantly as anger was chosen over tears. He would be cleansed with fire then.
"Shut up!" Logan snarled, throwing his mug to the floor. It shattered, spraying warm coffee over the carpet. "You little insignificant serpent! How dare you tell me that I don't matter! I matter more than anybody here! I am the reason Thomas is separate from the animal kingdom!"
"I never said that you don't matter," Janus said. He shifted and relaxed his whole body. "But you think that, don't you? Because I know how you feel. You feel like you don't matter anymore."
Logan couldn't take the calm tone, the small, smug smile. Before he knew what he was doing, he swung his fist. And Janus, to the bewilderment of the other Light Sides, did not duck. But he did laugh.
