“So, I am to understand,” Logan began, speaking slowly as Thomas just grinned at him expectantly, “That you desire us to craft playlists of songs that we find…compelling?”
“Not playlists, Logan! Side Tracks!” Roman swept a hand through the air as if Side Tracks would appear in glittering letters above him. As he was not in the Mind Palace, it didn’t.
“Side tracks?” Virgil echoed, raising an incredulous eyebrow at the creative side.
Roman nodded excitedly, “Yes! Our fans will become sidetracked when they lend an ear to the dulcet tracks compiled by each side. Side Tracks!”
Virgil lifted his eyes to the ceiling and mumbled something inaudible.
“Oh, sounds fun!” Patton clapped his hands together, bouncing excitedly.
“I knew you’d love it, Patton!” Thomas gave the moral side a thumbs up, “I know you’ve got some good songs to share.”
“Oh, definitely!” Patton’s chuckle slowly died off as he stared happily into the distance, nodding to himself.
Roman considered a moment, then gave a loud sigh, “Oh, don’t tell me you’re going to add the Spongebob song!”
“Of course I am! That song is fire…even though it’s sung in the ocean!”
“Wait, which Spongebob song?” Logan interrupted, “There are a multitude, all of which have been stuck in Thomas’s head at one point or another.”
Patton placed his hands on his hips, leaning forward in a suspiciously mischeivous manner, “Well, I could tell you which one…Or…”
Logan blinked in confusion, “Or what?”
“Don’t encourage him!” Roman cautioned.
Patton spread his arms out wide, “I could sing you which one!”
“Oh, n-no,” Logan’s eyes widened and he made a placating gesture with his hands “That is not…you don’t have to-”
Patton took a deep breath, “LLLeeeet’s-”
“Okay, Pat, okay.” Thomas said hurriedly, “We don’t need to hear a full rendition right now. We’ve still got to explain some things.”
“Okay, Thomas,” Patton said, his cheer not dampening in the slightest, “I guess it only helps if you sing along, anyway.”
“Oh, brother.” Roman murmured.
“Anyway,” Thomas turned his attention back to the original question, “Yes, Logan, you’ll each pick some songs that you can relate to and I’ll put it on Spotify on individual playlists.”
“How many songs?” Logan asked, ignoring Roman’s outburst.
Thomas shrugged, “I dunno. Roman and I were thinking about 15 to 20-ish.”
“What?” Virgil seemed more alert.
Roman rolled his eyes, “Oh, what, you don’t have 15 to 20-ish emo songs in your repertoire, Parabore?”
Virgil shot a swift glare at the creative side before lowering his gaze, “It just seems a bit…much, don’t you think?”
“Well, how many were you thinking, kiddo?” Patton asked.
Virgil adjusted his hoodie where it lay on his shoulders, “I don’t know, like…five?”
“Five?” Roman scoffed, “How is anyone to become sidetracked with five songs?”
The anxious side looked uncomfortable, “I mean, you want 20 songs we can relate to…seems kind of personal…”
“Well, yeah, Virge,” Thomas said before Roman could respond, “The goal is so the fans can understand you all better.”
“I would think the fans understand us well enough considering all of the dilemmas they have watched us guide you through, not to mention the…feelings you all express on occasion.” Logan said with a slight look of disgust.
“I know, but…” Thomas sought the right words, “I just think the fans would be interested to see what kind of songs you like. Maybe your music choices will inspire them.”
“And inspiration is the greatest gift of all!” Roman declared.
“I thought the greatest gift was the announcement of a Percy Jackson show on Disney+.” Patton said.
“Well, yes, but that was yesterday, Patton. Today, it is inspiration!”
“So far I’m not feeling particularly inspired.” Virgil remarked.
“Oh, just slap some Panic! At The Disco and some MCR together, Harry Pouter!” Roman waved a distracted hand in Virgil’s direction, “That’s all you listen to on those headphones of yours!”
“Now, Roman,” Patton said in his classic dad voice, “If Virgil doesn’t want to make a playlist-”
“-for himself, we shouldn’t pressure him into doing it.”
“Oh, is this optional?” Logan inquired.
“Well, I mean,” Thomas spoke up sheepishly, “I’m not going to force any of you to do it if you don’t want to.”
“What?” Roman rounded on Thomas, “But we spent all night talking about this, brainstorming songs, even calling Joan to talk it over with them! I- You were so excited!”
“I am!” Thomas hastened to say, “But we’ve all agreed to respect each other’s boundaries, remember?”
He turned to his anxious and logical sides, “If you guys don’t want to do it, that’s okay.”
Virgil and Logan shared a glance. Virgil let out a long exhale, “Ah, what the heck? I’ll do it. Roman’s right: I can slap together some emo songs.”
“Yes, and I too will compile a list of songs I can ‘relate to’.” Logan added.
Roman looked surprised for a few seconds, expecting more of a backlash. He smiled.
“Uh, thank you! That’s more like it!”
“Wow, that’s the fastest we’ve solved an issue in a long time!” Patton remarked.
“To be fair, it wasn’t an intense issue.” Logan noted.
Patton waved the sentiment aside, “Regardless, I’m proud of you all!”
“Well…thank you, Patton.” Logan nodded to the moral side.
“I say, in celebration, that we gather around…”
Logan seemed confused, “We are gathered.”
“And sing our campfire song!”
“I told you not to encourage him!”
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