Ask The Swapped Sides

Janus: Self Preservation/Self Interest, no longer scaled and determined to make sure Thomas isn’t held back by anything

Remus: Creativity/Impulsiveness, the more prominant creativity and easily excitable

Marius: Passion, easily angered and has a strange obsession with keeping this fair

Virgil: Caution, he just wants to keep Thomas safe

Meet the Dark Sides:

Patton: Judgement, think the dad who is usually disappointed

Logan: Order/Focus, cold and detached for the most part but can get hyper focused to the point of obsession. Certain parts of him have a metal sheen in the light and his chest emits a quiet ticking sound like a clock

Roman: Dark Creativity/Pride, believes every idea he thinks of is amazing but can’t seem to hold onto one enough to follow through on it.

Admin note: this is an au of my regular ask blog @askthelightsides I don’t know if it will be an ongoing thing or not, but I thought it would be a fun little exercise. I see light and in this case less as good and bad, more as in change vs buried

( @squishythesquid592 )

M: Fake? Fake?! Who the HELL are you?

Re: They probably mean Janus

J: I’m as real as I need to be, but your citizism has been noted

M: The only one they like is Virgil, does they opinion really count that much??

V: Umm..thank you! I guess?

M: You’re gonna thank them for insulting us?

V: *clears his throat* thank you

Ro: Of course I have potential, I’m nothing but potential!

L: Is that a positive thing?

Ro: I-yeah! Yeah? It is, right Pat?

( @squishythesquid592 )

( @squishythesquid592 )

V: Oh! Umm...thank you?

J: *appears* Do you agree?

V: *jumps* ah! Sorry, what?

J: Do you agree? Do we not love you enough?

V: What? No! Why is everyone suddenly so concerned with my happiness and my love levels?

J: Who asked about your happiness?

V:Nobody, I just-

J: Lie

V: Somebody else asked if I was happy

J: What did you say?

V: That I was, but I didn't understand why it mattered

J: Of course it matters, Virgil. We all should be happy. Look how good Thomas is doing!

V: No, yeah. I mean yeah, no. I mean...yes! I agree

J: You'd tell me if you went down there on purpose, wouldn't you?

V: What?

J: To the others. You'd tell me if you went there on purpose. I wouldn't be mad, it's fine if you were curious

V: I didn't, I was freaked out, I couldn't get to my room! Why would I do that on purpose?

J: I'm sorry we didn't get to you faster

V: It's fine, you guys were busy and wanted to teach me a lesson or whatever

J: Marius made that up to scare you. I tried to come get you the first day, but I couldn't

V: What do you mean?

J: Patton. He kept me out

V: But he was trying to help me get back

J: Is that what he told you?

V:I..yeah..?

J: Hmm. Well! No matter! You're back and we're all so happy to have you home. And Virgil? If there's anything I can do to make you happier here, you just have to tell me

I'm sorry if my question didn't really make sense. I was asking, do you like your life as it is currently on the "Light Side"? Like, Yes, you are a part of Thomas and you have a function as his anxiety. But are you, Virgil, happy? Because, yes, it does matter. Basically, the other lights seem kind of stressful and I just... Wanted to make sure you're okay.

Sorry if this is weird.

- Bee Anon 🐝

V: No! No it’s not weird! Or..okay yeah it’s weird but not cause you’re checking if somebody is okay, that’s not weird that’s good. Just that you’re asking me specifically. That doesn’t make sense. Sorry. This is why I usually let the others talk.

Stairs :3

P: Oh! Oh my! That’s- *bursts out laughing*

L: Judgement is laughing. Is he alright?

Ro: Ugh. Yes. He always laughs at the worst jokes.

L: I don’t understand, what part is the joke? That’s just a fact about stairs.

Ro: I wouldn’t stress about it, Tin man. You’re not exactly a master of wit even when the joke is good.

L: But I want to understand. I don’t like not understanding.

P. Don’t worry, Logan. Cause do you know what the best thing about stairs is?

L: I- well I haven’t done enough research to be able to actually rank facts about stairs from worst to best.

P: If they get you down, they can get you right back up again! *giggles*

Ro: *snickers but tries to hide it*

Virgil. Are you happy? There is no wrong answer. I just want to know. At the end of the day, regardless of anything else, are you happy? Are you happy living with the "light" sides?

- Bee Anon 🐝

V: Yeeeees? I’m not..I don’t think I get the question. What do you mean am I happy? I don’t know, sure? I guess? Why does that matter? I mean that’s not my job, I’m anxiety, how does happy factor into it?

-⭐️ ( @sun-creativity )

I notice if I don't see my cat for like 5 hours what do you mean they didn't notice a- well you guys aren't human... something human-shaped was missing for 2 weeks????

I didn't even realize that post was that long ago wow

[ @just-a-lesbian-human [hi like 90% sure this is my first ask on this blog because I keep forgetting oopsie :D] ]

M: Is it suddenly my job to always know where Virgil is?! Do o need to put a bell on him or something?! Would that make everyone happy?!

V: Hey, please don’t

M: He’s the one who got stuck down there, I think we should have left him there until he figured out how to get home

Re: And look in our defense he’s quiet and hides in his room a lot, we don’t see him for days anyway

V: He’s in the room, you know

Re: What are we whipping?

Ro: It’s a Work In Progress, you absolute creature

Re: Never heard of it

Ro: What do you mean?

Re: Is it like…in progress because you’re hands not done typing? What are we saying? You just do the thing. You get it all out, then you move onto the next thing

Ro: But what if you get stuck?

Re: just write stuff…then when you don’t wanna do that anymore write “The End”

Ro: What if it’s bad?

Re: Fix it later, or do something that sounds more fun. Oooo or improvise

Ro: This is awful advice. Just…try to write/create a little each day, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. That’s what I do.

Re: And we’re all looking forward to the end of that first sentence by new years

Ro: Excuse you!

Re: To where? Sorry broken bro, there’s a reason I’m the favorite around here. I actually finish

Ro: Are you saying my work isn’t good?

Re: You’d have to finish for me to say if it was good enough…but yeah probably sucks

Ro: I will punch you in the face

Re: Do it! I’ll eat your f***ing eyebrows!!

V: Yeah? They said that? *looks around*

It was…fine. It was different, I guess? Like different than my usual life but also different than I expect it would be. They’re weird, Janus wasn’t wrong about that, but mostly all just seem kinda sad? Shit, that sounds mean. I don’t mean it like that. Patton, he seems less harsh once he relaxes? Logan is tricky to talk to sometimes, like we’re speaking slightly different language but I think we got along alright? He’s…intense, and that does put me on edge a little bit weirdly I never felt like he’d let anything bad happen.

Roman was surprisingly cool. Remus always talks about him like he’s this dull moron but I dunno, he didn’t seem that way to me. I think once he realized I wasn’t going to make fun of his work he was a lot nicer, even showed me his room eventually which Patton made it seem like was a big deal. It’s a pretty impressive room, to be fair.

Sooooo yeah…two weeks. That’s how look it took for the others to notice. Janus said he knew immediatly, that he thought I’d run away and wanted to teach me a lesson by leaving me stuck there for awhile but I don’t think I believed that, I think he was just embarrassed that he hadn’t noticed I was gone. He did seem worried about me, though, said being down there too long could mess with my brain or something and that he needed to know everything they said to me.

He might have been at least a little right about the being down there too long thing, I was getting a few headaches after the first week but they went away eventually. When I came back home they started again and I slept for like 3 days. Then when everything was back to normal Marius and Remus can’t acting like I was infected with something until Janus made it so they couldn’t talk for the rest of the day. Kinda did hate that.

P:…they did

Ro: But we’re trying to avoid the “v” word right now

L: Is he here? Did he come back?

P: No, kiddo. I’m sorry, he’s not back yet.

L: That’s okay. He said he would visit, but he never specified when and I thought it would be rude to ask.

Ro: wait but don’t you see him when you get summoned?

L: Well yes but I’m working, and so is he. I don’t want to distract anyone.

P: I’m sure he’ll be back very soon.

L: I dont believe that’s something one can be sure of, but I do hope you’re right. I wanted to continue my experiments regarding the effects different smells might have on someone in a heightened state of emotion, I’m sure we can find some with calming effects.

Ro: I’ll admit he wasn’t too bad to have around. I even caught him humming along with some of my music, with more time I bet I could get him to sing.

P: I understand that our little visitor has everyone more excited than usual, but we need to accept that things are going to go back to normal around here.

L: Define no-

P: Nothing has changed, Logan

L: I don’t understand. They came here, that was a change.

Ro: Well…not all of them. My brother couldn’t be bothered, big surprise.

P: Something different happened, but that doesn’t mean the way things are has changed.

Ro: Sorry, Tin Man, but he’s right

L: I know that, while I am the smartest side in this entire mind-

Ro: Ok, rude

L: I was only stating a fact. I am the smartest side, but I also understand that I am lacking when it comes to…how things always work socially, and for that I do rely on the two of you to help me navigate. In this case, I think you’re wrong.

P; You know what, buddy? I hope we are. Really I do.

V: I slept on the couch

L: I offered him to sleep in my bed and I’d sleep on the ground, I don’t mind the ground, but Patton thought that any of our rooms might be detrimental to him

V: I mean technically I didn’t sleep. I laid down on the couch until morning happened.

L: Why did you not sleep? I made sure it was the correct temperature and that it would stay silent all night.

V: I just…I don’t know, it’s not my home? I couldn’t relax?

L: Sleep is incredibly important. I have a book on that somewhere, let me find it. I know I talked to Thomas about this once. Do you think he remembers?

V: I-I don’t know? Maybe?

L: Do you think he remembers us?

V: W-what?

Ro: Does he even mention us?

V; I mean..not to me but that doesn’t mean-

P: Of course he wouldn’t, Roman. He wouldn’t want to make the others feel bad. That’s just the kind of guy he is. Right Virgil?

Ro: More like he burnt us out in the process

P; …he kind of did, didn’t be? I don’t think he meant to.

V: It’s been…fine? I just sort of thought somebody would have come and gotten me by now

P: Here’s hoping they’re not using this as an excuse to try to get Thomas to do something you’d never let happen

V: Wait I didn’t think of that. Do you think that’s what’s happening?

L: They most likely just haven’t noticed you’re gone

V: Oh…right…

L: Your eyes are now looking at the ground and your voice is softer indicating I may have just made you sad.

Ro: Yeah TinTin, you kinda just suggested he was forgotten

L: Not because you’re forgettable, more because they’re self centered. And I’ve witnessed them forget about things many many times. It’s why I’m in charge of your calendars.

V: No, you’re probably right.

Ro: Well I suppose he can stay as long as he wants if it means Patton will make pancakes

P: I have offered to make pancakes so many times!

Ro: Yeaaaah but it always comes with you guilting the entire meal that we don’t do things like eat together, even while we’re eating together.

P: A- that..do I do that?

L: Would it help if I provided a recording?

P: It wouldn’t. Okay. Then I will just have to work on that.

Ro: Wow look at Patton.

P: Because I can learn to be better, because I am nothing like Janus

V: You’re not going to let that little comparison I made go are you?

P: Hey now! That is a lot to just go assuming out of nowhere!

Ro: Yeah, why assume it’s all our fault?? Thomas just suddenly decided he wanted to explore…other parts of his creativity

L: And abandon all the plans we had set up together for how things were supposed to go.

V: Yeah why shouldn’t I?

P: Fine! Go ahead! Go see what happens

V: I’m just asking-

P: If you think you know best, then go ahead

V: …okay now you just sound like Janus

P: What?!?

V: I wasn’t picking a fight, I was genuinely asking why it’s a bad idea. You can say you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine, but don’t get mad

P: I- *deep breathe* No, I’m sorry. You’re right. If you’re asking a real question I can give a real answer. Logan…he didn’t take well to being sent to this part of the mindscape. He’s probably suffered the most so he gets really into his science projects as a distraction and sometimes forgets things like safety or other people when he does them. He doesn’t mean harm, he just doesn’t think about those sorts of things. I’d hate for him to get excited to show you something and it to end with you either scared or hurt or both and he might not understand why, he doesn’t do well when he doesn’t understand why.

V: Ok. Then maybe I’ll just stick to letting him show me notebooks

P: Wait so you’re going to take my advice?

V: Yeeeees? I don’t wanna get hurt, I don’t wanna cause Logan more stress. Is that a problem?

P; No! No. Sorry. It’s just been so long since somebody has actually taken my advice.

V; Well thanks for the heads up, Judg- Patton