Bailey-orphic08 - Bailey Orphic - Tumblr Blog

Husk: Aw man, I can't believe I lost my soul to Alastor!

Husk: Well... It could be worse... At least I still have my clothes.

Alastor: : D

Couldn't have said it better myself. Why is they industry like this??

Some people have been complaining that Hazbin storyline is getting rushed and I have some thoughts.

Series are getting shorter and it’s concerning.

Like, few years ago they would have at least 15 episodes, Hazbin only has 8. How do networks expect to create a great narrative when there is so little time?!

Now, you can make an argument that Hazbin isn’t using all it’s runtime properly and that some plot lines could have been cut, but it’s undeniable how this 8 episodes thing is hurting the series.

Percy Jackson also suffers from the same problem, the writers have so little time that they end up recurring to exposition and thus making the narrative worse.

Bring back 15-20 episodes series please 🙏

Remember everyone, if your character is from or based off a background you're not familiar with,

DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!

I genuinely feel like I’m going insane sometimes

fr

everyone: what's your goal in life?

me: to write a story so soul snatching, so gut wrenching and so devastatingly beautiful that it leaves you crying at 3am when you have a 8am lecture/shift and it inspires people to write entire essays, to write entire fanfics, mood boards and playlists based on it.

Wow I can’t believe Janus managed to make Roman look like the A-hole AGAIN.

“Is no one gonna acknowledge that he just dabbed?” - Virgil

Little did he know that Logan was too insecure to believe he cared that much… 😔

virgil in his room to himself before secret santa: no its fine. logan will know smths weird when i give him a newspaper he'll OBVIOUSLY check inside immediately. he wouldnt think id give him a gift that bad. duhh.

Yep. All the sides are autistic.

headcanon that roman is autistic and has a disney special interest. (hes just like me.)

I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and OP was able to put it into words.

My Sander Sides Enlightment

You know what’s always kinda bothered me? Those mean takes on the other sides. Like ‘Janus is manipulating Patton and isn’t actually trying to be friends with him,’ ‘Patton has too much moral superiority,’ ‘Roman never learns,’ So on and so forth. There is something bad to say about all the sides. No hate to anyone who's made one, you are valid and probably right in your own way. I think the only reason they bother me so much is because you can easily say the opposite. The most common phrase being ‘Nobody listens to ____’

“Nobody listens to Patton! He was trying to show the others that Virgil was good all along and only when Virgil was gone did they listen.”

“Nobody listens to Logan! He gets ignored constantly and he’s getting mad because of it.”

“Nobody listens to Roman! Every time he comes up with a solution, he gets shut down only to get blamed for not coming up with a solution.”

“Nobody listens to Virgil! He only gets listened to when he forces Thomas to hear him, and he doesn’t like doing that.”

“Nobody listens to Janus! Even when he has good ideas and arguments, they get pushed to the side because he is a dark side.”

“Nobody listens to Remus! That was the entire point of an episode. And all he wants is to be listened to, it doesn’t matter who.”

And all of these are valid points. But at some point, you have to wonder who’s not listening the most. Which is how I think the criticism posts of the characters came to be in the first place. But I don’t think any of them are to blame. Even when this new side gets revealed, it won’t be his fault either. The fault isn’t on Roman, or Logan, or Janus, or any of them.

It's on Thomas.

And of course I don’t mean ‘Writer Thomas,’ I mean ‘Character Thomas.’ Throughout the series, Thomas has always held himself high. You can’t be perfect, but you can try to be. And every time a situation comes up, he doubts himself, wondering if he’s even any good at all.

And in comes the sides, telling him that he can’t be bad and here's why. In fact, Thomas won’t let himself be bad at anything. Can’t be a bad worker, can’t be a bad actor or singer, and certainly can’t be a bad friend. Even in situations where he wouldn’t even be those things, he can’t even let himself risk it.

And so, the sides follow suit.

Logan becomes the perfect person for knowledge and learning, never letting himself be anything less than right all the time.

Roman strives to be perfect physically and materialistically, coming up with creative ideas that help Thomas move up in the world or, at the very least, make himself feel better.

Patton is the perfectly moral person. Make sure everyone is alright, help whenever and wherever you can, and always keep a smile on. Wouldn’t want anyone worrying for you, right? That wouldn’t be good.

Virgil is the perfect alarm system. Even false alarms are taken with the utmost seriousness. Just as long as no one else knows your anxious.

Janus is a deceiver. And Thomas lies often. So he needs to be the best at putting on a face and making sure nothing goes off without a hitch. Wouldn’t want people catching him in a lie. He needs to be the perfect liar.

And then there's Remus. The only one who tries not to be perfect. But that idea terrifies the others so much, Remus is left to pick up all of the imperfection slack. Maybe that's why Remus was offended when he was called ‘Scary.’

Trying to be so many perfect things all at once, you’re going to but heads with all of the different aspects of yourself. You're going to not listen. You're going to ignore. And in some cases, your perfectionism is going to make you look like the bad guy. And as someone with perfectionism, I relate a little too hard.

Thank you for reading.

Virgil's Gift: An Analysis on It's Symbolism and Possible Foreshadowing

Obvious spoilers for Thomas' newest Sander Asides video: What Makes the Perfect Gift? Go watch it if you haven't.

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So the yearly Sander Sides Christmas special dropped hours ago. (Yippee!) And there's a surprisingly large amount to be said for it to be a 13 minute long Christmas special. In fact, I'd say it's the most story focused episode since Can Plushies Improve Our Health?, and that was an ad for the Sander Sides plushies. There's just so much to talk about this episode. There's the implications of Janus and Remus being invited to play Secret Santa; the mystery to what Thomas' message was with his gift to Nico; the underlying tension between all the sides that reminds us of the angst we've already seen and how things still aren't completely alright and that the worst is yet to come; and, most notable of all, the question as to WHY THE HELL REMUS WOULD WANT TO F*CK ANDREW JACKSON??

But the most interesting thing to me is Virgil's gift to Logan, his reaction, and how it reflects Logan's current situation.

Virgil gives Logan a newspaper, claiming that it seems like something he would like. Logan however, does not read newspapers and is very disappointed by the gift. Remus and Janus make some comments on how unthoughtful Virgil's gift appears. But at the end of the episode, Logan finds out that the newspaper actually has a secret message and is the first puzzle of an entire scavenger hunt, which excites him a lot.

This is by far my favorite part of the episode. Not only is it heartwarming, it also symbolizes how Logan has been treated as a whole, and may even foreshadow future events in the series.

When Virgil gives Logan the newspaper, Logan is very confused, and asks him why he would give him a newspaper. Virgil replies, "Cuz' you're the Mr. Smarty Pants of the group. You like reading and all that." Logan is still confused though. Yes, he likes to read, but that doesn't mean he will read anything. Roman chimes in with Virgil, reinforcing that they think Logan will like it. Logan says, "Is that all I am to you? The reading guy?..." And Virgil replies, "I don't know man, give it a read! I'm sure it has something you like."

This entire interaction represents how Logan has been ignored and misunderstood throughout the entire series. Virgil gives Logan a newspaper, something he doesn't actually want, because he assumes he will like it since he likes to read in general. He made an assumption on Logan's personality based off things he already knew, something Thomas and all of the other sides have been doing since the beginning. Throughout the entire series, Logan is considered the smart one of the group who always provides information and exposition, and little else is expected of him. In ACCEPTING ANXIETY part one, Thomas assumes that Logan knew what his problem was because he provides, "the explanatory exposition in [the Sander Sides] videos because all the other characters are too zany or relatable." And in Selfishness v. Selflessness, Logan is benched after providing information that supports both Patton and Janus' sides because they assume he has nothing else to offer. Time and time again Logan is reduced to his function and the traits that go along with it, such as liking to read. And why these things about him are true, he is far more complex that who they see him as. But, as Virgil didn't seem to care to get him something he would actually like, they don't seem to care to learn more about Logan...

They do care though. And that's shown through the twist at the end. When Logan discovers that it's a puzzle, Virgil jokes, "And you thought I would just get you a newspaper. Tsk. What do you take me for?" Though it appeared Virgil didn't put much consideration into the gift, and though Logan believed Virgil didn't, he did, because he truly cares about Logan. And throughout the entire series, though they don't always listen to him, Thomas and the sides show that they care about Logan. Patton is always nice to him, Roman, while the most harsh to him, does secretly respect him, and Thomas, as shown in the song, "Incomplete," is not only aware that Logan has feelings and is more than just logic, he wants Logan to accept it as well. He also seems empathetic when Logan is disappointed with his gift. This represents how Logan's insecurities get in the way of him being fully accepted. Logan is convinced that Thomas and the sides will only ever see him as his function, and that they do not care about his other traits. This is one of the reasons he represses his emotions, and is shown by how quickly Logan believes Virgil got him a newspaper simply because he likes to read. Though Logan may not realize it, Thomas and the sides love and accept him fully, and Logan needs to see that.

However, it seems that someone doesn't want him to see that...

And that's where the foreshadowing comes into play.

After the conversation Virgil gives Logan his gift, Janus chimes in, saying, "Wow Logan, looks like Virgil put a lot of thought into that one!" He emphasizes how little consideration Virgil's gift seemed to have. In doing this, he reinforces the idea to Logan that Virgil didn't care enough to give him a gift he would like, even though that's not actually true. And if he his doing this intentionally, he may also be reinforcing the idea that they don't care about him.

And Remus soon after joins in, proposing, "Kinda makes you wanna scream, huh?" This is obviously a callback to Logan's outburst in Working THROUGH Intrusive Thoughts. In that episode, Remus showed great excitement towards his outburst, implying that Remus wanted him to get upset. And now again, he suggests that Logan should get angry about it. It is very clear that Remus is trying to make Logan lash out on purpose.

Based off this, I believe that in future episodes, we will see the dark sides, or Remus at least, try to manipulate Logan into believing that Thomas and the sides don't care about him. In doing this, they'll persuade him into joining their side. Perhaps they'll make him a puppet for the Orange Side, or if Logan is the Orange Side, they will make him embrace it. Of course their plan won't work out though. Because even if the do get Logan to join them for a little, the other sides will show that they care. And perhaps if they do, Logan will finally be able to see that, and he will finally be able to accept himself.

Okay, so- I have this Sander Sides AU that I've had for a long while now. And I think it would be neat to share it with you. I might also make several posts about it. So let me introduce you to:

Sanders Switched is an AU in which the sides' "roles" are switched around. To elaborate, their function (Logan as logic, Patton as morality, ect.) remains the same. Thomas' perception of them is what changes. So where Logan is the voice of reason in canon, another side would take his place. Here's all the sides in Sanders Switched:

Janus: Janus takes the role of Patton as the kind authority figure. He's seen as Thomas' self-preservation and always puts his safety and well-being above all else. He's a sort of motherly figure to the other sides, constantly caring about their well-being and acting as if he's older than them. He's much sweeter than OG Janus, but he still has a sassy side, and lives for gossip.

Remus: Remus takes Roman's role as Thomas' source of inspiration. He is seen as Thomas' comedic side and encourages Thomas to have as much fun as possible. Rather than being a Duke, he presents as a jester. He has issues with his impulsivity, and his jokes tend to be morbid and often mean, but he's overall harmless and much more tame than OG Remus.

The Orange Side: Obviously, I can't say exactly what the Orange Side will be, since we haven't been introduced to him yet. But based off what we do know, I place him in Logan's role as the voice of reason. Assuming he represents wrath of some sort--which is impossible not to believe at this point--he would probably be seen as Thomas' motivation, pushing him to get his work done.

Roman: Most people would probably switch Roman and Remus and make Remus, "good creativity," and Roman, "bad creativity." BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M COMPLICATED AND UNIQUE. So Roman takes the place of Virgil as the original, "antagonist." He is seen as Thomas' pride that pushes delusions that keep Thomas from growing as a person. He arrogant and rude, and claims he is a King rather than a Prince. Because of this, none of the sides really like him at all, with the exception of Janus. But near the end of season one, we discover that Roman only really wanted Thomas to achieve his dreams, and that most of his cockiness hid his secret insecurities. And after Thomas and the other sides realize how important he is, Roman is officially accepted as part of the group.

Patton: Patton takes the role of Janus as the antagonist to all of Thomas' beliefs and the possible leader of the dark sides. He is seen as Thomas' overbearing moral code that constantly tries push harsh rules rooted in Catholic Christianity onto Thomas and the other sides. He is extremely passive aggressive and overly judgmental towards the sides he deems, "wrong." Almost everything he says is a critisism of something Thomas or the other sides do. Despite being so harsh however, he loves puns and making jokes just as much the OG Patton, and loves to torture Logan with his puns.

Logan: Logan takes Remus' place as the bad influence Thomas tries to ignore. He is seen as Thomas' inner critique who judges Thomas for everything he does. He insists that Thomas' lifestyle is, "childish," and that he should abandon it for a, "mature," way of living so that he can live, "a normal, healthy life." He is extremely judgmental and criticizes all the sides for the smallest of details, making everyone hate him, even Janus. Despite this, he generally harmless, and he can easily be ignored.

Virgil: Virgil takes the Orange Side's place as the mysterious secret side that the fandom makes a million theories about. I can't fully explain who he would be, since, again, we haven't been introduced to the Orange Side yet. But for now, he still represents Thomas' anxiety. And when he reveals himself, he will call Thomas and all the sides out on their BS.

That's all for now. It isn't fully developed, and things will surely change when the Orange Side finally does reveal himself. But there's still a lot of things I would like to share. So please let me know if you want know more!

Guys.

What if when the Orange Side reveals himself, he berates Virgil for leaving the Dark Sides because they used to be very close and he felt betrayed and abandoned when he left?

Apparently people actually wanted the full presentation so - BEHOLD! why “Learning New Things About Ourselves” is the Most Important Sanders Sides Episode. (Obviously, click on the images to be able to read them better).

I'm always a hoe for Logan angst.

AND NO ONE TAKES YOU SERIOUSLY.

/nf

Everyone combining Sander Sides with Disney likes to compare Janus to Dr. Facilier. And I get it. They have a similar aesthetic, and the both have "friends on the other side." But I feel there's one Disney villain that Janus has more in common with:

Mother Gothel.

Just think about it:

They're both frequent gaslighters

They both use manipulation to get their way

Mother Gothel tells Rapunzel the horrors of the world as Janus tries to remind Thomas the horrors of the world

They both keep people hidden (Mother Gothel locking Rapunzel away in a tower and Janus keeping the Dark Sides unknown to Thomas.)

And they're both sassy queens

*Also, I would love to see a version of Mother Knows Best with Janus trying to manipulate Virgil into staying with the Dark Sides

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

Am I the only one who's afraid of the season finale and the Orange Side's reveal?

It's not that I'm scared of the finale itself, more that I'm anxious about the fandom's reaction to it.

We have been waiting a very long time for this finale and the reveal of the Orange Side. And this time has given us the chance to create dozens of theories about them. We've guessed some of the main events of the finale, and we've dissected everything we could to predict the Orange Side's role in the story, personality, and even appearance. And while it's fun to make theories and headcanons, we have made so many that we've created an image of what the finale and Orange Side will be like.

And the problem with that is that they won't match the image in our heads. Even if Thomas tries to fulfill all our expectations (which I'm sure he will), the final product is going to be exactly as we imagined. And I'm afraid that in comparison to what we imagined, the final product will seem disappointing.

Or even worse, what if Thomas tries too hard to please us? We all know that hates to disappoint his fans, that's why the Sander Sides episodes are getting more elaborate and why production takes so long. A concern of mine is that in trying to meet our expectations, Thomas overcomplicating things, creating a confusing story that makes the overall show worse.

Of course, I'm not saying that these things will actually happen, or that we should expect them to happen. I mainly write this as a reminder that our headcanons are just that: headcanons. What Thomas makes is not going to make the same thing you've thought of, and that's okay. We should all just prepare ourselves for a finale that might be very different from what we imagined. And of course, let's give our respect and support to Thomas and the crew. They're stressed enough as it is. And the better Thomas' mental health is, the better his content will be.

Guys, I have to be honest: I've never really liked the, "Logan being the Orange Side" theory. But you know what I do like?

Logan being manipulated by the Orange Side.

I can't believe so many people think that the orange side is going to be mean and ominous and scary. That's so rude! For your information, I've met the orange side and he is literally the sweetest guy on Earth! Shame on all of you!

THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION ABOUT THE ORANGE SIDE

I see so many theories about the orange side; what his role will be, how he'll interact with the other characters, and most of all, what he represents. But of all these theories, I never see them ask the real questions, about the most important thing we need to know:

AESTHETICS

Every side has their own unique aesthetic. But this isn't usually talked about since people theorize about other things. Which is fair, since the orange side's role is significantly more important. But I still think aesthetics are fun to talk about. So I have made it my duty to make the theory myself.

To me, there two main aesthetics that I think are the most probable or exciting:

Cowboy and Grungey Gamer Boy

Firstly, the reasons I think he might be a Gamer Boy:

Most obvious reason, the first episode that hinted at his existence was POF, which had a lot of video game imagery

It's likely that the Orange side represents anger or some type of negative emotion, and gamers are notoriously known for being angry

If you believe Logan and Orange are opposites, then an unruly gamer would be a good contrast to a strict teacher

If you believe Orange and Virgil are/were close or related in some way, the aesthetics are pretty similar

A really cool style

And now, the reasons he could be a Cowboy:

Like gamers, cowboys are often associated with anger due to stories of vengeance and gunfights

Cowboy stories are often in the Old Wild West, a primarily ORANGE setting

Such an elaborate style would fit right in with Janus and Remus

Very unique and stylish

So you see, there is evidence that supports that the Orange side will be a gamer boy, and it would be really cool if he was a cowboy. And thus, those are my two main theories on his aesthetic.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

The Voice of Reason ~ Part Two (And the Final Part)

Synopsis: Logan is getting more and more frustrated about being ignored. But fortunately, a certain rat affiliated Duke knows how to help. ;)

As you can tell from the title, this is the second part. Go read the first part so you can understand what's going on!

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"Wha- But that doesn't make any sense," Logan chuckled in disbelief, "that was what I was telling them to do, and they didn't listen to me. Why would they ignore my suggestions only to come to the same conclusion later on?"

"I don't know..." Remus said with too much innocence, "Have you ever considered that you're not relevant anymore?"

And as quick as Remus said that, Logan's attempt to keep his composure collapsed.

"Get out of my room!" Logan threw a book at Remus, hitting him in the face.

"Why do you even bother telling me these things?" Logan snapped, "Do you find that much pleasure in making my day worse? Everyday I get up and I work as hard as I possibly can to ensure that Thomas--and by association, all of us--can live a happy, healthy lifestyle! You think it's 'fun' to laugh at that effort? You have no idea how much work that is! I make plan after plan and schedule after schedule. I keep the other sides from making reckless mistakes. I keep Thomas from making reckless mistakes. Everyday I put in so much effort! And on top of all that, most of these efforts aren't wanted by them. They don't care about my efforts!.. They ignore my efforts... They- they-"

Logan stopped rambling, realizing how irrational he was acting. He also saw that he wasn't proving anything to Remus anyways, for all his actions did was send Remus into a maniacal fit laughter. Along with that, he began to notice a cold and strange tingling sensation run down his face. He lifted his hand to his cheek to feel what it was... Logan was crying.

How could this be possible? Logan didn't cry. Logan couldn't cry. Crying was a response to pain. Logan wasn't in pain, he was physically fine. That could only mean the pain is emotional. But that was impossible. Logan didn't have emotions. Logan was logic. And logic can't feel emotions. Logic is reasonable. But before he could ask himself anymore questions, he began speak out to Remus, his words spilling out before he could process what he was even saying.

"Oh no," he wept, "oh no, Remus you're right. I'm not relevant anymore! I was never the most exciting side, or the nicest, or the most pleasant, but they were able to deal with me. They dealt with me because I was important. I was able to make decisions they couldn't. I was the voice of reason. And so I was one of them. But things are changing, Remus. The questions Thomas has, the choices he has to make, they aren't rooted in logic anymore. I can't answer them. And now that I can't there's no purpose in the others dealing with me--I'm not the voice of reason anymore. I thought if I tried to be kinder they would still at least want me, but it seems that I'm not nice enough to hide that I'm essentially useless now..."

At this point Remus had stopped cackling and just stood there in silence, completely stunned and unsure of what to do. He knew when he arrived that he would upset Logan--that was his goal--but he had no idea that Logan would start crying over it.

"They're going to replace me Remus, I'm going to be replaced!" Logan continued, still sobbing, "They're already replacing me! Janus is taking my place! He's so clever, so well put together, but most of all, he's reasonable! He understands the questions Thomas has now. He can answer his questions. Thomas and Patton have already started to warm up to him, it's only matter of time before they all accept him. And then he will be the voice of reason! And all I will be able to offer is exposition... He'll do a better job anyways, he actually knows what he's doing! I make so many mistakes--I can't even think rationally enough to not cry!"

His sobs grew louder and louder as he lost the ability to speak. Remus was still standing there, now even more unsure of what to do. Should he tell someone? Surely at least one of them cared about him enough to comfort him, and he definitely wasn't qualified to do it himself... Wait--why did he care? He didn't like Logan. He didn't like him at all! Logan was an arrogant know-it-all, and he always got in the way of his plans. He came here because he wanted Logan to get upset! So should he go? He got what he wanted, so there was no point in staying... No... Remus had no reason to care, but for some reason--for some strange reason--he couldn't help but feel extreme pity seeing the man who showed nothing but indifference and agitation towards his antics act so depressingly pathetic.

"Hey don't cry," Remus whispered as comfortingly as he knew how, "there's nothing wrong with being a little useless. People love useless characters!"

That had the opposite effect. Logan began crying even more violently.

"Well there's no point in crying about it if you know it's inevitable!" Remus blurted out, "Either accept your new purpose in life or find a way to keep the one you had!" Then Remus got an sudden idea. An idea with no flaws in his eyes. The only thing that could go wrong was if Logan refused.

"Hey, hey, stop crying," he whispered again, though with more energy, "I know how you can become the voice of reason again."

That caught Logan's attention.

Remus would help him keep his place? How? And why? Logan thought to himself for a moment. There was a remarkably low chance Remus' plan would actually work, and an even lower chance he had good intentions... But at this point, any solution was worth hearing out. He tried to cease his sobs.

"Well, if you really have a possible solution," Logan sniveled, "then tell me how I can maintain my position as the voice of reason." Remus grinned eagerly.

"You know how you earlier you said they kept you around despite not being nice or exciting?"

"Yes?..."

"And you know how you tried to be nice when you stopped knowing all the answers?"

"Of course, how couldn't I?"

"And you know how that failed?"

"Where are you going with this?"

"Well you said you weren't nice or exciting. You tried to be nice, and that didn't work. So have you considered being more exciting?"

Logan was perplexed. He didn't really think of that. The others were always agitated when he spoke up, so he decided to speak less. But what if he spoke more?

"See, your problem is that you don't stand out enough," Remus explained, "The other sides have such extreme opinions that yours get kicked to the curb. If you want them to listen, you've gotta be as drastic as they are."

"And how exactly do I do that?"

"Well, the other sides do several extreme things. And you're a pansy, so I know you won't do that. So instead of doing several small things, you should one great thing..." Remus' grin grew larger and more mischievous.

"You have reasoned with me long enough, just tell me what to do!"

Knock. Knock.

Out of completely nowhere, the two of them suddenly heard knocking at Logan's door. After a ominously long moment of silence, his door began to slowly creak open. An orange mist started to fill the room. Logan's eyes stayed fixated on the door, contemplating what could possibly be happening right now. Remus' smile grew wider; he knew what was to come. When the door was completely opened, the haze started to fade, revealing who it was at the door.

"Hey, I heard that you're 'friends' have a problem with ignoring you," he said, "I can help with that..."

The Voice of Reason ~ Part 1

Synopsis: Logan is growing more and more frustrated about being ignored. But fortunately, a certain rat affiliated Duke knows how to help. ;)

*Disclaimer for alcohol use

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"It happened again," Logan muttered to himself, sitting at his desk piled with scrapped schedules and forgotten papers. Next to him sat a tall bottle of wine; he had stopped seeing the purpose in pouring it into a glass. He said it again, this time in disbelief,

"It happened again."

Earlier that day, Thomas had the supposed fortune of winning two tickets to a Broadway performance of, "The Lion King," an apparent honor that brought him great joy. Logan didn't care much about it. Theatre was never his thing. But everyone else ecstatic. Patton happily listed all the friends Thomas could possibly bring with him, while Janus suggested he forget about the second ticket and use this as a chance to please himself. Even Virgil seemed slightly cheerful about the situation. All this joy ceased however when Roman proposed the idea of bringing Nico.

Roman, being the hopeless romantic he is, thought that it would be the perfect opportunity for Thomas to confess his feelings to Nico. Janus and Patton however, were not too thrilled of that idea, and believed that Thomas should be focusing on himself. Roman argued that the companionship of Nico would improve his mental health, which would be beneficial to everyone. But Janus and Patton wouldn't listen, and refused to let Thomas bring Nico. Virgil quickly sided with Roman (a huge shock to everyone), claiming that they may not have a better opportunity, and that Thomas has a habit of letting good things slip away from him.

And so, a huge fight broke out. To Logan, this situation was blown way out of proportions for no good reason. He argued that Thomas could bring Nico without having to make romantic advances towards him. But they ignored him, only acknowledging him when he was able to give information that supported their own point of view. Eventually, Logan got tired of their extremism and left. As far as he was aware, no one noticed or even cared.

A situation like this would leave anyone agitated. But there was one thing that made it truly upsetting to Logan: This has happened before. Several times before.

In several occasions before this one, the sides have gotten into many arguments over situations that really weren't that serious. Logan would try to point out the absurdity in the situation, only to be ignored, and only to be heard when providing exposition. Example, once the sides created a court setting to decide if Thomas should go to a callback or to his friend's wedding. Thomas could have easily explained the situation to his friends, and they would have likely been understanding. But Logan didn't have time to mention this, for after being questioned by Janus, he was benched for the rest of the trial. No one protested. When Remus introduced himself, the sides panicked, seeing Remus as a threat. Logan of course knew he wasn't, and he was actually able to tell them that, but only after the sides saw no other option. When Thomas went to the wedding, he felt like he missed out on a huge opportunity, leading to Patton sharing his flawed ideas of selflessness. Logan tried to point the absurdity in Patton's thinking. But Patton didn't like that, and he was literally pulled away from the scene. No one cared.

But the most frustrating instance of this, to him, was when he tried to convince Thomas to clean. Thomas' apartment was a figurative wreck, so Logan created a schedule for Thomas to clean it. He was so excited when Thomas went along with it. But then Remus showed up, and filled Thomas' head with thoughts that kept him distracted. Thus, Logan had to put aside his schedule for Thomas' sake. And he was fine with that. He thought that if he was able to deal with Remus, he would still be able to get most of his activities completed. He would be able to get something done. But he wouldn't go away. And he wouldn't listen. Eventually Nico called, offering a chance to hang out. Thomas immediately accepted, leaving behind the schedule he didn't even start. He still had not cleaned his apartment.

And now he was being ignored again. And he didn't know what else to do. He did everything he could think of, and they still wouldn't listen. And so he sat at his small messy desk, drinking a whole bottle of wine as he vented to the only person who would listen: Himself.

"They never listen to me. Never! It doesn't make any sense. I'm the voice of reason, I know what's best!..." he lamented, taking a large sip of wine while doing so, "I may not be the most empathetic or friendly side, but I've gotten better. I've been trying to do better! I've made an effort to understand Roman and Patton's passionate ways. I've tried to be less invasive in their eccentric activities. And I've compromised my wants and goals for the sake of theirs. But they never do the same for me! Why can't they do the same for me?"

Hours passed as he ranted to himself. One bottle of wine turned into two and a half. His anger had grown and gown and at this point he was practically yelling.

"I do so much for them! I try to help by giving my point of view, but they don't want it. For why would they want my opinions? They only need me for exposition! All I can do is spout information! Not all of it is necessary though. No. They only bother to hear when they know it benefits them! In any other case, I should keep my mouth shut!" He took another large gulp of wine. "I can do so much more than what they want from me! I'm literally the voice of reason! But at this point, they listen to Janus more than me. And they barely know him! It's like they- it's like-... It's like he's..."

Before he could finish his figurative train of thought, he heard a sudden rustling behind him, accompanied by an obnoxious giggle. Logan turned around in shock, readjusting his tie. As he scanned the room, he noticed two black boots poking out from under his bed. He sighed in agitation, immediately recognizing them.

"Remus, is there a particular reason you've decided to lay under my bed?" Logan asked. Remus slid out in a pout.

"Damnit! You caught me!" Remus whined, "I was gonna choke you in your sleep when you decided to go to bed!"

Logan rolled his eyes. This behavior was typical of the Duke. And ever since he revealed himself to Thomas, he was especially eager to bother Logan. Logan tried to hide the empty bottles of wine, and made a feeble attempt to organize the piles of papers scattered on his desk.

"Is there any other reason he came to visit?" Logan asked, hoping he would leave now that he had been caught.

"Oh yeah, actually. I was only under your bed for shits and giggles. I'm really here to catch you up on Thomas' recent little dilemma, since you decided to abandon us halfway through."

"Oh?" Why would Remus want to tell him what happened? Surely he had no good intentions. But Logan supposed that what Remus had to say couldn't be that bad. And he would like to know how their conversation went after he left.

"Alright Remus," Logan inquired, "what happened while I was gone?" Remus snickered, eager to tell Logan what he missed out on.

"Well, to make a reeeeeeeeeeally long story short, Daddy Patty and Janny were making some good points, and that got Virgil real mad, so he blurted out that he would rather have Thomas lose Nico than lose everyone else because of Janus. Yeah, turns out he didn't believe in Roman's point AT ALL, and was only using it as an excuse to keep Thomas from listening to Janus. After that, they had this super juicy confrontation about it, and Pat-Pat was able to convince Virgil to join their side. But Roman WAS NOT DEALING WITH THAT. Ha! Yeah, he got suuuuuuuuuper upset and kicked all of us sides out of his room! Guess he got insecure or something. But after like- I dunno- thirty minutes? We went back to his room and had this SUPER lame conversation about how, 'We love him unconditionally,' and how, 'Roman's sooooooo important somehow.' Ugh! Yeah it was dumb. And they even made me apologize for killing him! Not actually sorry though. Hee hee! But yeah, that's what happened." Remus then stared at Logan with a cheeky grin, waiting to hear Logan's response to his 'wonderful' summary.

"Well..." Logan replied in uncertainty, "how did it end?"

"End?" Remus questioned him with a laugh, "I've already told you, we all apologized to Roman. I'm starting to think that alcohol you're bad at hiding is starting to mess with your head."

"No, how did the debate end? What was Thomas's final decision?"

"The final decision?..." Remus paused for a moment. Then a mischievous smile grew on his face, "Oh, it was a lame conclusion honestly. No one even won! Thomas decided that he would bring Nico along without confessing; a compromise! I hate compromises! they're so boring!"

...

What?

Logan stood there for a moment, trying to process Remus' answer. Then he responded, almost with a laugh, "Remus, is this some form of jesting? It won't work on me."

"Are you calling me a liar?" Remus barked, feigning offense, "Listen, I don't hide the facts, and the fact is, they came to a compromise!"

"Wha- But that doesn't make any sense," Logan chuckled in disbelief, "that was what I was telling them to do, and they didn't listen to me. Why would they ignore my suggestions only to come to the same conclusion later on?"

"I don't know..." Remus said with too much innocence, "Have you ever considered that you're not relevant anymore?"

And as quick as Remus said that, Logan's attempt to keep his composure collapsed.

We all know that Remus and Janus are the only sides that don't have their own jam and it's unfair and devastating. (There's also the Orange side, but he hasn't even been introduced.) So I've made it my responsibility to give them what they deserve:

Remus' jam would have an extra sour green apple jam, and it would be called "The Forbidden Fruit Spread" or "Remus' Forbidden Fruit Spread." (It may or may not have a few "creative" items mixed in as well.)

And Janus wouldn't have a jam. He would have a lemon marmalade. (Yes, there's a difference.) It would be called, "Lying Lemon 'Jam.'" But I'll gladly replace that for a title with multiple S's.

Everyone who makes Remus angst talks about how Janus' evil twin comment to Roman would hurt him too since he technically called them both evil. But as seen in DWIT, Remus loves to be insulted. He would be honored that Janus thinks he's evil. And if anything, he'd be offended that Janus implied that Roman's actions are comparable to his. Because to him, that would make him somewhat good.

Sander Sides Season Two Finale: Thoughts and Wants

    Okay, so if you’re here, you likely know how Sander Sides is doing. It’s broken all our hearts and all we can do is write fanfiction and theories as we slowly edge our way to the season two finale. Emphasis on slowly because anyone who’s been part of the fandom for at least a couple months knows Thomas is insanely slow when it comes to releasing new episodes. So slow that the last true Sander Sides episode was more than two years ago, and that was an Asides video. For two years we have been waiting for a follow up to Working THROUGH Intrusive Thoughts! But us Fanders don’t judge. Thomas is an adult, so should be allowed to take as much time as he needs for the sake of his health; and while he takes his sweet time, we have time to craft theories on what this season finale beholds. And that’s why we’re here today.

    Hello, I’m Bizarrio, and today I will share my predictions of what I think—and want—to happen in the Sander Sides season two finale. Quick disclaimer, the only two things we know for certain about the finale is that there will be a lot of songs and that it is planned to be four parts long. So there is no way I’ll be able to guess everything that’s going to happen. Anyways, I’ve stalled enough, let’s get to the part you’re here for.

The Structure

    Four parts is a lot of parts, but I think I’ve made a formula that the finale could follow.

    The first part will introduce the first problem, a simple problem that would be addressed in any Sander Sides episode, from dealing with an issue Thomas has to answering a question about life. In part one, the sides will try to find a solution to said problem. But as the episode goes on, it gets more and more clear that their action and the way they treat each other is stemming from something far deeper than this simple issue. And at the end of the episode, this is confirmed when one of the sides does something drastic, whether it be blurting out something they shouldn’t have or even physically hurting another side.

    This leads to part two, where everyone tries to discuss the real problem. In this part, they will try to find the problem and what’s causing it. After finding the problem, they will make a solution that leads to one of the sides being unhappy, which will lead to that side breaking down, causing the events of part three.

    In part three, the actual cause of the problem is revealed. And this side’s problems will be on full display, showing a level of despair we haven’t seen of him to this point.

    Now knowing the real root of the issue, the fourth and final part would be about Thomas and the other sides comforting the side in their breakdown. They would then find the true solution to the problem. And after they find this solution, Thomas gives his final speech about what he’s learned, kisses Hello Fresh’s feet, and shows us the end card, where we can finally prepare for season three.

The Plot

    So that’s what I think the structure will be, but that’s not a plot, so who’s it with?

    Well, for starters, the finale will likely focus on one side, and based on recent events, I think that this side will be Roman. Roman’s insecurity has been present since the very beginning and has only gotten worse. And throughout the entirety of season two, he’s been forced to compromise his wants or admit that he is in the wrong, especially in more recent episodes. So I feel like it would be suitable for the finale to be about him. I feel like with the structure I set up, he wouldn’t be the main focus of part one and a portion of part two, but the rest of the parts would definitely start to focus on him, putting him in full center.

    And since the finale is Roman centered, the first problem in part one is gonna have a lot to do with him. And that problem will be about Nico.

    I think the first conflict will be Thomas trying to decide if he should make a move on Nico. This could be anything from taking him somewhere to straight confessing. I don’t really know, but regardless, Roman is absolutely rooting for Thomas to go for it. Janus and Patton on the other hand, think that it would be a terrible mistake.

    Janus thinks that Thomas isn’t in the right headspace to start any relationships, and should be focusing on himself. And from what Patton said about Nico in the five year anniversary, we can tell that he isn’t exactly thrilled about the idea of him. I assume that he’s likely scared of the heartache that would occur if the relationship failed. And after some recent—and totally uninfluential not upsetting—events, I feel like he would also see the merit in Thomas focusing on Thomas.

    Things look bad for Roman(and they will be later)but it’s okay. He’s not outnumbered, for he has a very smart, and very cool guy on his side, who also believes that it is reasonable for Thomas to take this chance: Virgil.

    When confronted with the issue, Virgil sides with Roman almost immediately, which is a huge shock to everyone. Virgil says that Thomas should get it over with because Thomas has no way of knowing how much time he has, so if he doesn’t do it now, he may never get the chance.

    So yeah, part one would mainly be Roman and Virgil vs Patton and Janus as they try to convince Thomas why he should or shouldn’t make the moves on Nico. Patton and Janus’ argument is that it’s the wrong time to do it, while Roman and Virgil’s argument is that this may be the only time. And Roman and Virgil will be absolute couple goals as team up and absolutely obliterate Janus—figuratively. 

    Also, all the multiple-part episodes so far have involved going to another side’s room. And since this is a Roman centered finale, he’ll take Thomas and the other sides to his room to prove his point about taking risks, and that’s where they’ll be for the rest of the finale. I imagine his room to be vibrant and shiny, covered with shades of red and pink, white, and gold. It’s also very cluttered and messy, with discarded papers and costumes scattered all over the ground, and posters, artwork, and Thomas’ biggest accomplishments hung on every wall. So much stuff is in there, it almost feels claustrophobic. And the different rooms have different effects based on the side it represents. I think that Roman’s room would cause Thomas and the other sides to lose touch with reality, and become fixated on their desires.

    *Insert song about time and when you should and shouldn’t take chances.*

    But things aren’t all well, for as the episode goes on, the argument gets more and more tense, especially Virgil’s argument. And at the end of part one, Virgil blurts out something along the lines of, 

    “Of course it’s a bad idea! But which is worse? Losing one friend by making a bad choice, or losing all of your friends to him?” Virgil would be referring to Janus of course. This shocks everyone—especially Roman—and reveals Virgil’s true intentions.

    You see, there was more to Virgil’s quick decision than just time. In fact, he never thought Thomas should do it at all. The real reason he was telling Thomas to do it is because he didn’t want Thomas to listen to Janus. It’s clear through every interaction he and Janus have that Virgil hates him, and doesn’t believe that he should be trusted ever. And from recent episodes, it’s shown that Virgil has even started resenting Patton. So I feel like Virgil would be much more happy if Thomas listened to Roman than Patton and Janus.

    Then in part two, they discuss the real problem. After discussing this, Virgil finally accepts that it would be better if Thomas didn’t confess his love, and that it doesn’t make Thomas a bad person to listen to Janus this time. And it seems that everyone is satisfied…

    But wait.

    What about Roman? He’s not satisfied. He didn’t get what he wanted. Time and time again, Roman has given up on his desires, making compromise after compromise for Thomas’s sake. And once again, he’s the one who has to sacrifice his happiness. He’s the one who gets the short end of the stick. He’s the one who gets called out for his poor decisions. And do they even care? They act like they care, but it’s only really for their own gain.

    Nobody understands. Nobody cares.

   Tired of this cycle, Roman snaps. He kicks all the other sides out of his room, putting all focus on him. And in part three, Roman makes a pitiful final attempt at convincing Thomas to confess to Nico. And all of his insecurities are displayed.

    *Insert absolutely heartbreaking song about how everything Roman does is for Thomas and how he feels worthless because his contributions seem less important and even more harmful than the others.*

    Near the end of part three, or the beginning of part four, the other sides return. Or maybe Roman brings them back? Or maybe he never kicked them out in the first place and he shut them up a different way? I don’t know. But the sides are there. And in part four, they all comfort Roman, claiming that he is important and helpful, and that they wouldn’t be where they are now without him. Patton apologizes for misleading him, and Janus apologizes for taking advantage of him. And I think it would be cool if Virgil had a beautiful speech about Roman, similar to Roman’s speech about him in Accepting Anxiety. Considering that Virgil was Roman’s final straw, and that he hasn’t tried to be nice to Roman as Roman has to him, I think it would be a nice way to bring things all together.

    *Insert song about how everyone will always love and appreciate Roman and how he is just as important as everyone else and how Roman and Virgil should totally kiss when this is over.* 

    And after everyone says what they want to say, and Roman starts to feel better, they go back to Thomas’s living room. Thomas comes to a compromise that makes everyone happy, and he finishes the video off with what he’s learned: Acceptance and the merit to taking risks.

    And then he tells us about Hello Fresh and how it’s the superior way of eating.

    Wait a minute. I think I’m forgetting someone. Someone who’s really important to the series, and could add some really interesting—and even logical—points to the argument…

    Oh yeah, what about Remus?

Remus and the Orange Side

    If the finale is centered around Roman, then Remus has to be there by obligation. A main theme within it would be Roman’s insecurity, and we know that Remus is one of his biggest. So it simply wouldn’t make sense for him to not be there.

    In the finale, Remus is just gonna be himself. He’s not gonna pick a side or provide helpful information. No, he’s going to make the same discomforting jokes and taunt everyone, making them feel worse than they already do, especially Roman. 

    As entertaining as he is though, I don’t see him actually contributing to the plot, other than making things worse. I don’t even see him apologizing to Roman in part four. At most, he’ll begrudgingly apologize for killing him after Janus looks at him sternly.

    What I do see however, is some major foreshadowing. When Remus isn’t making inappropriate comments about the situation or blatantly insulting Roman, he’ll try to bring up completely random things that have absolutely nothing to do with the conversation. Thomas and the other sides will brush it off as Remus being his usual self, but those remarks will actually be information of the orange side, and foreshadowing of what he will do in season three.

    Speaking of the orange side, what will he be doing?

    Honestly, I have no clue, which is why I haven't talked about him so far. It’s pretty clear that the orange side is linked to anger and negativity in some way, and likely has the ability to take control of others when they're upset. And you can’t exactly say Roman’s content during the finale. So it would make sense for orange to reveal himself at this time.

    But apart from what he could represent and one of his abilities, we know absolutely nothing about him. And since we don’t know his personality or even his goals, I can’t tell you how he would act in the finale.

    Additionally, I also think that a lot has happened in season two so far. The series has grown to be really complex with all its different plot points. And this finale is definitely going to be the effect of all this complicated commotion. So adding the orange side into the mix might make it too complicated. I’m not saying that it couldn’t work or that Thomas can’t make it work, I just feel like the orange is an issue better left to address in season three.

The Other Stuff

    There’s also a couple of other things I want to talk about that didn’t really fit in with the other stuff, but weren’t big enough to earn their own section, so I put it all here.

    Firstly, I find it very possible that there will be a common analogy in the finale. I’m referring to how Logan and Roman used visuals to prove their points in Why Do We Get Out of Bed In The Morning?, and the whole video game theme in Putting Others First. I think it would be cool if it had a cartoon theme where every side has their own art style. Though, for the finale, it might be more fitting to reference different musicals, since Roman is deeply obsessed with theater. And it would explain why there’s so much music in the finale. But that’s more of a cool idea than an actual prediction.

    Second, I’d like to talk about Dark Roman, or Roman becoming an antagonist. I don’t think he can become a darkside, since the dark sides are just parts of Thomas that he hasn’t accepted as good yet, and Thomas already knows that Roman can be a positive influence, even if Roman doesn’t feel like it. That being said, I can definitely see him dealing with not being Thomas’s hero by doubling down on the antagonist thing, and becoming a “villain.” It would also be a good way to involve the orange side.

    However, I also feel like even if Roman really tried, he wouldn’t really be that big of an enemy. He may be trying to embrace his evil side, but at the end of the day, he still cares about the other sides and especially Thomas. And I feel like this care for them would hold him back from doing something truly evil. Besides, we already have an evil Roman! And I feel having one of those around is plenty enough.

    Also, I think Thomas’ living room should still be messy, showing that he still hasn’t cleaned it after Working THROUGH Intrusive Thoughts.

    And Janus should get his own song. It could be about literally anything, just give him a song. He’s earned it.

    So, yeah. Those are the things I think will and want to happen in the Sander Sides season two finale. Of course this doesn’t fill in every detail, it would be impossible to guess everything that will happen. And there’s no way everything I’ve said will actually happen. So I’d like to see your thoughts too. Anyways, that will be all, so goodbye every-

    Wait. Wait. Hold on a second. I’m forgetting something. Something I’ve seemed to ignore despite being very important to the series. Something that’s been here since the very beginning, and has been a part of some of the best moments in the show. Something all the fans have grown to love…

    What about the end credits!

The End Credits

    The end credits have shown us some of the cutest scenes within the whole series, and have provided some really interesting foreshadowing and tension as well. So we have to talk about them!

    The end credits of part one will be all the sides berating Thomas for leaving on such a cliffhanger. He’ll try to reassure them by saying that part two will come out really soon, but absolutely no one will believe him.

    The things I’ve said so far have been speculation or headcanon, but this one is actually correct. After all the time we’ve waited, it would be such a missed opportunity to not make the joke. So this will be the first end credit or else. No, no, I’m kidding… Or am I?

    We’re at the second end credit, and at this point, I’m sure you can tell I’ve been leaving someone out… And it’s Joan!

    No, this joke has gone on for long enough. As you can tell, I’ve been avoiding Logan. And it’s not just because I don’t see him having a place in a Roman centered episode. In fact, I do see him in it.

    He would call both sides irrational, and propose a compromise. (The same compromise they make in the final part…) But he would be ignored as the other sides try to talk over each other. And it would be especially bad this episode. So much that he would quit trying and leave the conversation, similar to how he did in Moving On and Putting Others First. Only this time, no one will be there to notice or care…

    And that’s where the end credits come in.

    The second end credit will show Logan right after he leaves to his room. He starts to talk to himself about how frustrated he is about being pushed aside so often. He talks about feeling unwanted and possibly unneeded as Janus is slowly taking his place as the voice of reason.

    The third end credit continues his monologue, showing him grow more and more upset. 

    We finally reach the fourth end credit and Logan is completely furious. But his monologue gets cut off when Remus enters his room, he of course immediately masks his anger. He tells Logan about everything he missed and how they came to the exact same conclusion he was trying to push, only to be ignored. This breaks Logan’s composure, and he starts lamenting all his frustrations to Remus. Remus interrupts him, claiming that the root of the issue is that he doesn’t stand out enough, and that all he needs to do is be as loud as they are. They then turn to Logan’s door as they hear footsteps; Remus smiles. We see a glimpse of the man at the door. Perhaps we see an orange-hazed silhouette, or a pair of shoes we have yet to see. Or maybe, just maybe, we even hear his voice,

    “I can help with that…”

Conclusion

    And that’s everything I think will and want to happen in the Sander Sides season two finale, for real this time.

    And as I said before, almost anything can happen, so I’m bound to be wrong about something. Thomas has also said that he plans to to get at least parts one and two out by the end of the year, so we’ll get to see any day now.

     And in the end, while I may not know exactly what will happen, I do know that this finale will leave us laughing, crying, and absolutely hyped for season three. I am so excited for the finale, and I know I’ll love it, regardless of what happens.

    Goodbye everyone.