#background virgil

Arial was visiting the sides for a little while today. She had eaten a really warm soup and sandwich lunch meal with Patton and some of the others, and was now just hanging out in the living room with Patton and Roman. Roman was coloring in a coloring book on her left, while Patton was playing angry birds on his own phone.

What was Arial doing?

Well...She was looking at fanart on Tumblr that was made by @fluffymary! There were tons of really good fanarts of the Sanders Sides, coincidentally. Looking at the pictures were making her a little flustered, but it depended on what spots the fanart focused on. Why she was looking at fanart instead of just declaring a tickle war in the middle of the living room?

Easy: Too embarrassing. As much as she’d love to, something told her a few of the sides wouldn’t be quite as amused with her childish endeavors. Specifically...Logan.

Arial soon moved on and looked down a list of lee questions. It didn’t take long for her face to flush a light magenta color. Whoops...Guess she didn’t really think this through...Now her face is all flushed and they’re all gonna notice because it’s magenta contrasting with her snow white skull. What’s she gonna say if they notice and bring something up?

“Hey Arial! Look!” Patton said to her, pointing to his phone. Arial just about jumped 5 feet, but managed to keep her composure while she looked at Patton. The phone was showing her a video of a puppy that was trying to learn to howl, but was doing a lot more baby babbles than actual howls. Arial burst out laughing and allowed her face to flush with color again. This was worth being flustered at!

“Awwww! Babbling pup!” Arial reacted.

“I know!” Patton reacted before pulling his phone away.

Arial smiled and thought of the puppy for a little longer, before focusing back on the reblogged questions. She had started to determine which numbers to answer, when she froze and looked to her right side. Roman had stopped coloring in his book and was now reading her phone!

Uh oh…

“Uuuuuh…” was all Arial could get out of her mouth.

“Can I see the phone?” Roman asked.

Arial widened her eyes and looked at him with nervous eyes. She looked down at her phone, before slowly looking back at the man who had caught her in the act. Should she give him the phone to lessen suspicion? Or should she tell him no so that she doesn’t get any more embarrassed than she already is?

Finally, Arial handed him her phone. Roman started reading the questions and picked the second one. “Would you rather be tickled on your worst spot for 5 minutes? Or on 5 less ticklish spots for 1 minute?” Roman asked out of nowhere.

Arial’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. The other sides had looked up from their entertainment to listen to the question and hear the answer. Arial felt like she wanted to sink into the void hidden under her seat and hide in space forever. Did he just seriously ask her that?

Not fully in control of her actions, Arial slowly hid her feet under the couch. “Uuuuuuh…” Arial muttered.

“Worst spot for 5 minutes, or 5 not as bad spots for 1 minute?” Roman repeated.

“5 spots for one minute.” Arial got out quick.

“Alright. Would you rather see someone else get tickled? Or have someone watch you get tickled?” Roman asked, still reading off her phone.

Arial grabbed her hair and hid her face behind her newfound hair curtains. “See someone else get tickled.”

Roman chuckled. “Would you rather be tickled with tools? Or just fingers?” Roman asked with a smirk. Arial squeaked like a mouse and sunk deeper into her seat. To make matters worse, Roman had summoned a hairbrush, a toothbrush AND a feather! All in one hand! The moment she looked up and saw THAT freaking bundle, Arial shrieked and fell into Patton’s side.

Patton giggled. “Uh oh! Is Arial flustered?” Patton teased. “Because I hate to break it to you…” Patton leaned in really close to her ear hole, “...but you just bumped into the biggest tickle monster in the house.” Patton whispered.

“Hey! I heard that! I thought I was the ultimate tickle monster?!” Roman protested.

“I mean...You are a close second…” Patton let him know. “You’re my assistant!” Patton explained.

Arial didn’t know how much more of this she could take. “Are you ticklish by any chance?” Patton asked.

“Can skeletons even be ticklish without nerves?” Virgil asked.

“Actually, bones have nerves hidden within the blood vessels that bring blood through the bones. Not only that, but bones can also contain nerve endings within the bone marrow. So anatomically, Arial could be ticklish.” Logan piped up.

Arial gulped and looked towards Logan. Logan just sent her a wink, which sent chills down her spine. Then, she looked at Roman. But Roman, being the hidden devil he was, booped Arial on the nose hole with the feather. Arial slapped the feather out of his hand. “Knock it off!” Arial ordered, growing slightly annoyed.

Suddenly, Patton wrapped his arms around her. “Uh oh! Looks like someone is getting a little impatient! Could I at least hear a pleeeeaaaase?” Patton asked with an innocent voice.

Arial whined. Did she seriously have to say please in order to get tickles from them? “I wanna hear a please first…” Roman told her.

“You gonna ask? Or you gonna stay quiet?” Patton teased.

Finally, Arial gained a slight bit of courage to say it. “Please?” Arial asked.

“Please...what?” Patton asked.

Arial whined yet again. SERIOUSLY?! “Pleasetickleme?” Arial asked.

“I think I might’ve understood what you said, but...I think I need to hear it again...just to make-”

“PLEEEEAAASE TICKLE ME!” Arial yelled.

Roman widened his eyes. “Oh my…”

Patton chuckled. “I appreciate that you said it, but I didn’t really like HOW you said it.” Patton told her. Arial let out a toddler-like whine. “Can you please ask me again...but with less attitude?” Paton asked.

Arial growled and finally shoved her hands into Patton’s sides. “AriaAAAHAHAHAHA! Nohohow hold on there, Arial!” Patton laughed, unable to stop himself from laughing from the accidental, aggressive tickles.

“You’re frustrating the poor girl, Patton. Let me help:” Roman suggested before skittering his fingers on her ribs. “Besides, I’ve always wondered how ticklish you might be.” Roman added.

Arial let out a squeal and started giggling almost immediately. “Wooooow! Not even holding anything back, huh?” Roman reacted. Logan looked over at Arial and smiled.

“I see you have ticklish ribs!” Logan commented. “Makes sense.”

“But just HOW ticklish are these ribs?” Roman asked before drumming his fingers up and down her ribs.

“NononONONOOOHOHOHOHOHO!” ROHOHOHOMAHAHAHAN!” Arial bursted out laughing.

“Whaaaat?” Roman replied.

“IHIHIHIT TIHIHIHICKLEHEHEHES!” Arial yelled at him.

Logan chuckled and got up. “I will remind you that you were actually asking for this.” Logan added as he walked up to the scene.

“THAHAHAT WAHAHAS UHUHUHUNCAHAHAHALLED FOHOHOR!” Arial protested.

“Uncalled for, you claim?” Logan reacted. “Okay. Let’s play it that way then.” Logan sat down at the end of the couch and grabbed her ankle. “Is thiiiis uncalled for too?” Logan asked as he skittered his fingers on her feet.

Arial let out a loud, high-pitched SCREAM! She wanted to protest against him, but her cackles and quick loss of breath stopped her from even trying to talk! Logan stopped tickling her foot almost immediately. “WOW...That was...very unexpected.” Logan admitted.

“I guess her feet are her death spot!” Roman reacted. “Now, how ticklish are your armpits?” Roman asked rhetorically before lifting her right arm up past her head. Roman didn’t waste a second and had dug into her armpit almost immediately!

“OOOHOHOHO GAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HOHOHOHOW DAHAHAHAHARE!” Arial yelled at him.

“Oh, you don’t think I dare touch the ticklish skeleton’s armpits? I most definitely dare!” Roman replied. “I even dare to ask Logan and Patton to join me!” Roman added.

Logan smiled and winked. “I’d love to help!” Logan replied.

“I’ve been waiting very patiently! Now is my time to SHIIINE!” Patton shouted before kneeling in front of the couch. Patton brought his hand up to her belly and was about to start tickling it. But...the shirt caved right in. Patton widened his eyes and lifted her shirt up a bit. There was indeed no belly to tickle! “...What?” Patton asked.

“IHIHIHI’M AHAHA SKEHEHELETOHOHON! IHIHI DOHOHON’T HAHAHAVE AHA BEHEHELLY!” Arial explained.

Patton frowned and crossed his arms at first. But it didn’t take long for Patton to try going fo her pelvic hollows on either side. Arial squealed and fell into a hysterical laughing fit almost right away! She was swaying her body left and right, yet still couldn’t shake Patton’s hands off her upper hips. “There we go! Tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle, Arial!” Patton teased. “Who’s got such ticklish hips? Remember, no lying! Cause girls with your kind of hips CAN’T lie!” Patton teased.

Roman and Arial both bursted out laughing at that weird comment. “WHAHAHAT DOHOHOES THAHAHAHAT MEHEHEHEAN?!” Arial asked.

Patton giggled. “I was referencing the song ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ by Shakira!” Patton explained.

“Were you calling her Shakira?” Logan asked.

Patton tilted his head. “Did it...sound like I was?” Patton asked.

“It kind of did, yeah.” Logan replied briefly.

“Then yes! I did call you Shakira! You have some nice hips.” Patton said as he started poking the sides of her pelvis again.

Arial’s laughter raised an octave from both the really weird but endearing compliment, and from Patton’s poking. Arial couldn’t stop laughing for the life of her. Two people were attacking her really ticklish upper body!

“Where else should we go? Is your neck ticklish by any chance?” Roman asked before he started skittering his fingers on the neck part of her spine.

Arial curled her neck back and squeaked. “HEHEHEHehehehehey! Ehehehevihihil prihihihince!” Arial protested.

Roman guffawed. “So, I touch your armpits and you’re all like ‘Hehe! That tickles!’. But the moment I even SLIGHTLY tickle you’re like ‘Nuuu! Bad Roman! Evil Roman!’ Why is that?!” Roman reacted.

“Ihihihi dohohohon’t knohohohow.” Arial replied.

“Maybe she just can’t help the words that come out of her mouth!” Patton suggested. “Or maybe...light tickles are harder to handle than intense tickles.” Patton also suggested.

“It might be a bit of both.” Logan concluded. “I mean, how would you feel if someone just started tickling your neck for a while without stopping despite your protests?” Logan asked.

Arial looked up and smiled when she saw Logan tickle the left side of Patton’s neck. “eeEEK! No! NNNNO! Hands! Away!” Patton ordered.

“How about YOU keep your OWN hands away?” Logan suggested as he grabbed Patton’s hands and pinned them above his head with both his hands. With his arms out of the way and bent to give Logan more room to tickle, Logan leaned into his neck and blew a raspberry onto Patton’s neck. “NOOHOHOHOHAHAHAHAHAHA! LOHOHOHOGAHAHAHAN!” Patton shrieked like a child.

“See? You can’t quite think properly when you’re being tickled by someone.” Logan explained. “Buuuut...how about light tickles?” Logan asked as he adjusted his grip. With one hand holding both his arms, Logan started skittering his fingers on Patton’s neck. When it was covered, Logan would move to an exposed neck spot. Logan kept doing this so he could guarantee lots of light tickles for Patton.

“Stahahahap! Whyhyhy mehehehe?! WHYhyhyhy?! Ihihihi thohohought wehehe wehehehere tihihicklihing Ahaharial?” Patton giggled and squeaked.

Logan smiled. “I’m just proving a point.” Logan replied confidently.

By now, Roman had stopped tickling Arial and let her go. Not only that, but Roman even took the time to whisper something in Arial’s ear. With new information in her mind, Arial lifted herself up and started tickling Logan’s hips.

“BAHAHA! ARIAL, NOHOHO!” Logan jumped, collapsing onto the couch.

“You’re right: Arial no. Buuut, Patton YES!” She replied. “Go for it, Pat!” Arial declared to him.

“You got it!” Patton started quickly tickling Logan for revenge. “Can’t test a theory without testing it on yourself!” Patton declared as well.

Logan giggled and started laughing hysterically in less than a minute. Patton chose the really ticklish and juicy spots, which ended up keeping Logan down and stuck in defeat. While Arial only watched the tickle fight from there, Arial did get some information on where to go when tickling Logan. She also eventually found out Patton’s many ticklish spots when he managed to dominate Patton once again!

The day ended up turning into a big tickle fight between her, Roman, Patton, Logan and eventually Virgil. And this all wouldn’t have happened, if Arial didn’t show Roman the embarrassing list of questions on her phone.

The Dragon Witch, people would later call her. Whispering the name in fear that even just mentioning her aloud would summon her.

Roman remembered that they had been at a mall on that day. Mamá had bought them ice cream. For him Chocolate, for Remus Banana and as always they had let the other have a little bit of their own because Mamá liked it when they got along and the combination of both Chocolate and Banana was great.

He remembered almost running into a woman with a floral print dress and stuttering out a 'sorry' and then the glass ceiling collapsed. Shards of glass rained down. People screamed. The flowers on the woman's dress were shredded. New, red ones grew on the bright fabric and she fell to the floor.

Roman looked up.

A giant dragon landed in the food court. It had brown scales and yellow fire puffed from its nostrils.

Remus grabbed him and pulled him back behind a corner and they both peeked out from behind it. Remus didn't let go of his hand. Neither did Roman.

Mamá had told them to stick together if anything happened. To protect each other.

"Un dragón", Remus whispered and Roman couldn't tell if he was excited or scared. "Un dragón verdadero."

The dragon began to shrink and shift until all that was left was a woman with scales on her arms and face and wings standing in the middle of the broken glass.

A few people had fallen. A lot more were hiding just like the twins were.

The Dragon Witch said something. She spoke loudly but Roman couldn't understand her. She was speaking English and using too many words he didn't recognize so that even the few familiar ones sounded foreign in the mass of unknown gibberish.

"Donde esta mamá?" Roman asked. Mamá always told them what the words they couldn't understand meant but now Roman couldn't see her anywhere.

"No lo se," Remus shrugged.

A young man grabbed a roasting spit and ran at the woman with a shout. Her wing hit him before he even reached her. He was thrown through the air and crashed into the wall just next to the twins' hiding spot.

Looking back Roman was pretty sure that at that point he had been in shock.

The young man didn't get up from his position slumped against the wall. Something red tickled over the dark skin of his temple and from his lips.

Police sirens cut through the air suddenly, making Roman jump.

But before the policemen could make it into the building the woman had already turned into a big red dragon and as she flew up towards the hole in the roof thousands of coins and jewellery flew towards her like metal to a magnet and stuck to her body until she was fully cooper and gold. In a twisted way, it was beautiful.

Paramedics checked over the people and at some point, a blanket found its way over the twins' shoulders. They sat on the steps in front of the mall, still holding onto each other, neither having spoken a word since the Dragon Witch had disappeared.

"Donde esta mamá?" Remus asked quietly after a while. His voice shaking.

Roman looked around. There were many people on the steps, most of them crying a few looking for others. Then he spotted a familiar head of black hair pulled up in a bun.

"Mamá!" he called and tried to stand up but his legs gave out underneath him and he plopped back down.

She turned at his voice, spotted them and came running towards them.

"Roman! Remus! Estas herido?" she hugged them close, pulled back and frantically looked them over. "Oh, mis hijos."

"Nosotros estamos bien!" Roman told her and burried his face in her shirt.

For a long time, the three of them just sat there, holding on to each other. Roman wasn't sure when he and Remus had started to cry.

It wasn't a day he liked to think off. It haunted him. To this day, despite being an adult now, he felt anxious in malls and under glass roofs.

Over the years people became less afraid of the Dragon Witch. A hero showed up, calling herself Lauda and fought against the Dragon Witch time and time again. By the time Roman was ten, there were no casualties mentioned on the news anymore and his dream to become a hero himself was cemented even further. When he was thirteen his friends began to talk about how the hero and the villain should hook up and he told them that they were being stupid. A hero and a villain couldn't fall in love.

"Have you watched the news lately? They are sooo gay for each other!" Lauren laughed at him.

He hadn't been watching the news. At least not the fights. Seeing the Dragon Witch still stirred up too many bad memories. Mamá had sent him and Remus to a therapist a few times after the incident but hadn't been able to afford it for long. As soon as Remus and him went to school she had to make the choice between proper meals or therapy and she choose the food.

When the twins were fourteen they presented with abilities. Remus made the rat in the kitchen cabinet obey his every will and Roman burned bright and hot without ever burning himself. Mamá was proud of them, helped them figure out their abilities as well as she could without having one herself and whispered in that she had always known that they were extraordinary.

When Roman turned fifteen he started carrying out newspapers and picking up every job he could cramp into his schedule or that Remus hadn't gotten to first. He lost most of his friends during that time. Both of them did even if Remus hadn't had many friends, to begin with.

"We never hang out anymore!"

"Come on! Come to Henry's party with us! It'll be awesome!"

"You don't do anything besides working and studying!"

Roman always wanted to tell them that that wasn't true. He did have hobbies. He was part of the drama club. He wrote stories and poetry and even sew if you could consider patching up ripped clothes a hobby. He never did though and on Christmas Eve he realized that it was just the three of them again. Him, Remus and Mamá.

But he'd be a hero one day and then things would be different. They'd move into a nice house without mould in the kitchen that never got cold in winter because as bright as he could burn the house could burn too and he knew that that would mean their death, and they'd have a big meal for holidays and he and Remus wouldn't have to put their money together to buy Mamá a nice gift. He'd save peoples lives and they would love him for it.

So he curled up under his blanket, tried not to shiver as snow fell outside and held onto that dream.

Remus move out as soon as they graduated. He only let them know that he had gotten a scholarship somewhere but wouldn't tell either of them where and what for. He let Roman help him pack his bag, hugged him, gave Mamá a kiss on the cheek and then he took the next train to somewhere.

Roman applied himself to the nearest T.L.I.H. program.

"You really want to try out for being a hero?" Mamá had asked and looked so damn tired like she hadn't slept in years.

"Yes, and I will make it", he told her.

Mamá had sighed tiredly but smiled.

"It's supposed to be extremely hard", she just said as if he didn't know.

"I will make it."

When two weeks later a letter came telling him that he had been accepted to the program he couldn't believe it.

200 spots, over 35000 applicants and he had gotten in.

Of the 200 people 10 would become heros at most.

And Roman would be damned if he let this chance slip through his fingers.

He didn't have the money for a gym membership but he and Remus had found ways to work out anyway over the years. After the third fight you begin to learn how to fight.

The T.L.I.H. program started in October and for months Roman did everything in his power to prepare himself.

On October 4th, standing in front of the address they had sent him - a tiny hotel that didn't seem like the right place o train future heroes at all but maybe that was the point - he had nothing but a bag of worn clothes, a crumpled twenty, an old burner phone, an old notebook with a pen and his mothers blessing. His knees felt weak and he couldn't tell whether the nausea was because of nerves or because he hadn't eaten since yesterday.

If this didn't work out he'd have no back-up plan. The chances of being accepted to the program twice were lower than being struck by lightning three times, three years in a row on the same day while wearing the same clothes.

Failure wasn't an option.

Mamá was counting on him.

Roman pushed open the hotel door and made a face when it squeaked loud enough to ring in his ears.

The lobby was grey, lit by two neon lights. One was broken. At the counter, a teen sat, a few years younger than Roman and looked up from re-doing his eyeliner, obviously bored out of his mind. The kid looked like a stereotypical emo. Lauren would have been jealous of that eyeshadow.

"I'm here for the T.L.I.H. program", Roman told him confidently.

"Figured that much", the kid - Julian DiCaprio, according to his nametag - mumbled and his voice sounded slightly too feminine. "Name?"

"Roman. Roman Rodriguez."

Julian tipped around on the ancient computer keyboard, nodded to himself and stood up to get a key off the wall behind him.

"Follow me", he ordered and sauntered towards the elevator like he owned the place.

"I think I can find the room on my own," Roman tried but Julian acted like he couldn't hear him and pressed the 4 a couple of times until the button finally lit up.

"What's your shoe size?" he asked instead catching Roman off guard.

"My- My what?"

"Shoe size. What is it?"

The elevator arrived and slip halfway open. Julian slipped through the gap and Roman followed him.

"I don't know? 18, maybe?"

"Shirt size?"

"Wha- Why do you want to know that?" Roman sputtered. He had the sneaking suspicion the kid was going to make fun of him. He knew that his shirt was too big, damn it.

Julian looked him dead in the eye.

"Do you know how many people get in here just because they're rich?  They are pretty good but they never would have reached that level without money. About 90% of the candidates are rich kids according to Mama. Do you know what they will do with you if you show up looking like this? They will tear you apart like chickens."

Roman was quiet for a moment.

"Chickens aren't threatening," he then said. "They only eat seeds and worms."

"Wrong. They eat anything. Once saw a few chicken tear apart a steak in under a minute. They are mini dinosaurs, those feathery beasts."

Roman frowned and looked down at his stained and torn jeans.

"Few years ago a guy showed up looking like that," Julian continued. "He was good. Could control gravity. Heart in the right spot. They drove him to attempt suicide within half a year. Mama doesn't want that to happen again so she makes sure that people like you get something presentable. If you don't know your sizes we'll just have to measure."

A tiny smile spread over Julian's black lips at the last few words.

"Do you like measuring out?" Roman asked.

"With guys," Julian said and the elevator finally came to a stop. "Most of you are ripped as fuck and I'm gay as hell."

Roman hummed in acknowlegement.

"How did you know I wouldn't beat you up for that?" he asked following Julian down the hallway.

Julian looked back for a moment, eyes wandering down and then up again.

"I have awesome gaydar. Besides, I doubt Mama would've let you in if you did that."

"Who is your mother?" Roman asked. She must be an important person to be able to make all those decisions.

"Wouldn't you like to know, weather boy?"

Roman raised an eyebrow as Julius unlocked one of the many doors.

"Really? Quoting Vines?"

Julius shrugged and let Roman into the hotel room.

It was just as shabby as the rest of the hotel but warmer than his room at home and there were no bugs so he could deal with it.

"Here's your key. I'll just go and get the measuring tape," Julius told him and disappeared again.

Roman watched him go. When he entered the elevator again Roman went to unpack his stuff, as little as it was and called Mamá to tell her that he had made it safely. She always got anxious when it came to anyone using the subway and he didn't want her to drive herself crazy.

Julius came back a little later, made Roman write down whatever he measured, took the paper and studied it for a moment before doing that thing again that Roman was pretty sure was Julius' way of checking him out.

"You like floral prints?" he then asked.

Roman shrugged. "I've never worn anything like that."

Julius nodded in acknowledgement.

"I'll get you a few things to try. You can just pick out what you like then. Oh, and before I forget, dinner is at eight on the second floor. There are signs, so you should be able to find it just fine."

Roman glanced at the clock over the door. He still had over an hour. Taking a seat on the bed he pulled out his notebook and began to write. For almost half an hour he wrote and rewrote, completely sunken into the story, before someone knocked again.

He opened the door to Julius and another young man who looked a bit older than Roman. Roman found himself staring at the left half of his face that was a lot darker than the other. Both were carrying two bags each.

Julius pushed past Roman and set the bags down on the bed, his companion doing the same before checking his phone and cursing.

"Fucking hell, I'm gonna be late," he sent a glare over to Julius. "This is the last time I help you with this stuff!"

Then he hurried down the hallway.

"Sorry about my brother. He's trying to start a company or something and really stressed lately," Julius told Roman. "Anyway. You can try on this stuff if you want to, the things you don't want you can just bring down to the counter. If I'm not there just put it under the key wall, okay?"

He didn't wait for an answer and closed the door behind himself forcefully.

For a moment Roman just stood there, stunned, before he slowly moved over to the bed.

He picked out the first shirt and pants he found and pulled them on. A black shirt with red flowers and dark jeans. It fit perfectly. He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror and realized with a start just how different he looked wearing it. He looked like a damn model or something, with his muscles faintly visible and the rolled-up sleeves. The fabric was soft against his skin.

He looked handsome.

Roman looked through the other bags, looked through all these nice clothes and wondered just how much money Julius had spent on this stuff. He couldn't find a price tag anywhere but guessed that it must've been at least 200$.

So, he brought it back down to the counter.

Julius was painting his nails as he came down and raised an eyebrow.

"Something wrong with them?" he asked.

"I can't take this."

Julius' eyebrow crept higher.

"Why not?"

"This stuff is worth a fortune! I could never pay you back for this!"

"You're not supposed to," Julius said calmly and checked if the paint on his pinky was dry. "Look, just take it. It's a gift. No one ever teach you that you're not supposed to give gifts back? Now go back up. Dinner's soon. And don't you dare leave the clothes here."

Roman wanted to argue but Julius sent him a glare and he gave up.

"Fine, I'll take it."

Part of Roman had expected the dining room to be full of others like him but when he came down a few minutes before eight the only other people were a punk couple and an old lady.

A young woman distributed potato soup with sausage at a small counter. Compared to the rest of the hotel it was completely clean here.