#Catt being mad

[catttttttttttttttt]

Content: ranting about people gatekeeping autism self-diagnosis and also little message for those that do self-dx

I just don't understand people that gatekeep self-diagnosis (self-dx), especially when it comes to autism. It doesn't hurt anyone to self-dx/self identify as autistic. It doesn't hurt anyone to utilize tools and coping mechanisms that are typically designed/advertised/taught for/to autistic people.

I think that anyone that resonates with autistic experiences and finds relief utilizing coping mechanisms that they have found through autistic people and resources have a place in the community, even if their traits are subclinical or if through their self-exploration and research, they find they aren't autistic. For those that find they aren't, that's totally valid and cool, and through that exploration you have garnered a wealth of knowledge about a group of people that can always use allies.

No one is stealing any resources from anyone by self-dxing autism. Especially as an adult, because there are basically no resources to "steal" lmfao. The resources that do exist don't have a strict limit to them (books, worksheets, blog posts, physical items like weighted blankets and noise cancelling headphones, etc.). I have a clinical diagnosis and all I got was a bunch of paperwork that effects where my husband can be stationed. That's it. Everything else that I have is stuff that's generally accessible and used by tons of people that aren't autistic, or it's stuff I have made for myself (like all my lists and writeups). I know my experience isn't universal, but like, if something helps you in a significant/substantial way, it means it's made for you and those like you.

A large part of the "anti self-dx of autism" shit has to be negative views of what autistic people look like, right? I struggle to imagine any other reason someone would be so fervently against it, to the point they'll attack those that do self-dx. Or do people think you can just walk into some magical treatment facility and say you are autistic and you are whisked away by them and now you're taking up a slot for the "real autistics" ??? There're so many fucking hoops to jump through to get adequate care, at least in the USA. Or is it like people believing that someone else getting accommodations is unfair??? If that's it, why aren't they considering that maybe the world needs to be kinder and more patient, rather than just attacking someone else for getting help? If an accomodation that's utilized by a smaller group of people would be beneficial to the majority, why is that not made the norm??? I'm just so confused by people.

Find something more beneficial to advocate for instead of tearing other people down. Projecting hatred and anger like that is a waste of time and energy that could be used for something way better. It honestly doesn't have to be advocacy or anything, just get a fucking hobby.

[taylormarieee]

Day 4: Thigh Riding

kinktober

Summary: Horny reader goes to her lovely boyfriend for help.

Word Count:635

Pairing: Rick Grimes x Fem!Reader

Warning: Thigh riding, mentions of panties, degrading, mesmerized Rick grimes, Orgasm denial. MDNI 18+ONLY

You were horny all day. Earlier, your boyfriend Rick Grimes, leader of Alexandria didn't let you cum. He was being a tease and you hated when he got all cocky.

Now you're sitting on your shared houses porch swing as you wait for him to finish his duties for the wall. You were sad, and the throbbing between your legs would not stop. It only increased as you watched Rick from afar.

You watched him lift logs and metal with the help of Aaron and Daryl. You watched him order people around while Deanna stood by and watched.

You loved how dominant he could get. When you guys were out in the world fighting for your lives or in the bedroom as you screamed his name at the top of your lungs.

Either way, you loved him but this throbbing between your legs needed to be fixed. And he was, he WILL help you.

You strut up to him angry, hot and bothered and tap him aggressively on his shoulder. He turns around and his yes widen as if steam was coming out of your fucking ears.

"Our house now!" You say sternly.

You walk away leaving him there to question what you could possibly be mad at him for. As soon as you plop down on the couch, Rick waltzes in shortly after.

"What's wrong mama? Hmm? What did I do wrong?" He asks getting on his knees in front of you. You loved seeing him on his knees. It was always so hot. Especially when he did it.

"You left me with this throbbing pain down here." You say pointing to your clothed pussy through your jean shorts. He looks up at you and chuckles.

"Baby, I don't have time for this. This is what you called me in here for? To fix your little problem? I have work to do." He states as he walks towards the open door.

You run towards the door and slam it. You slowly turn around your eyes getting darker by the second.

"You will sit your ass down back on this couch and I'm going to use you as my personal cum toy. I'm gonna please myself, i'm gonna cum and then this is all over and you can get back to the work that is clearly more important than me." You say sternly glaring at him.

He stands there shocked for a moment but obeys and sits on the couch.

You remove you shorts so your only in a shirt and underwear. Your wearing one of Rick's shirts and you know he loves it when you where his shirts as he fucks you.

You straddle his lap and sit on his thigh. The fabric of his jeans and your lace panties are already making you wetter.

You slowly grind on him trying o find a rhythm. "That's right babygirl. Cum on my thigh like the little slut you are." He whispers in your ear. You moan at the words and grind faster.

The feeling of your orgasm nearing closer makes your mind go blank and you feel dizzy.

"R-Rick-hmph- I'm gonna- I'm gonna cum! Please let me cum this time!" You cry out. He chuckles and whispers seductively in your ear.

"Cum for me mama. Let go." He says. with a smirk. on his lips. And at that command and approval, you came all over his thigh and his jeans.

You slow your pace down but you're still grinding on him. You control your breathing. You ride out the last of your euphoric orgasm and rest your head on his shoulder.

"Thank you." You whisper out breathlessly.

"Ofcourse mama. Now canI. go back to work?" He. asks with a smile on his face.

"Nope! It's cuddle time!" You say wrapping your arms around his neck.

Taglist: @sickyrat @sinsandsweetness. @eternalrose81 @iamacowboi. @number1gal @neytirishottie @catt-leya. @carlsdarling @loveforcarl @murdadixon @tied-in-a-knot

~DRABBLE~

[tentacledsnakelover]

The Owl House Finale Rewrite

I love The Owl House. The story, the animation, the music, the characters. It is no surprise the show stands out as a favorite, including mine. But even being a fan cannot make me ignore the flaws of something, no matter how much I love it. I feel while the story was wrapped up well, the series from a writing standpoint was messy. A lot of my gripes with the last two specials involved not using time wisely, the Collector's character being retconned, and ignoring themes of the show. Here is how I would have rewritten the last two specials. I am by no means a professional writer. I have no idea what was going on behind the scenes and I want to give the benefit of the doubt to Dana and her team.

For The Future: The special opens immediately as Luz and her family/friends enter the demon realm. Everyone is on edge after the confrontation with Belos, and everyone with magic is drained, after having used their powers signifcantly in a realm with no ambient magic. Luz offers to bring everyone to the Owl House to recuperate. When they arrive, a wave of starry energy engulfs the house and surrounding area, bringing the puppetfied citizens of the isles with it. Willow and Luz attempt to save Willow's dad from the puppet Owl Beast, but then the Collector arrives with King, having come to play the Owl House game. King is relieved to see Luz, but horrified to see she is now in harm's way. The Collector is shocked too. King kept the Collector from trying to find Luz and her friends by claiming they would want to ruin their game and that the Hexsquad should be left alone. King manages to convince the Collector not to hurt Luz, and he takes her back to the Archives. He leaves the others by encasing the Owl House in a dome at the request of King.

The rest of the Hexsquad and Camila are then saved by a group of resistance members, consisting of Raine, Darius, Eber, the CATTS, and some Hexside kids. Raine explains after the Collector stopped the Day of Unity, Eda attempted to stop the Collector with harpy mode but turned into the Owl Beast. While the Collector dealt with beast Eda, King dropped Raine his collar, who figured out the symbol etched on it neutralized the Collector's magic. Raine has spent the past few months saving the puppetfied citizens, taking them from under the Collector's nose while they play. The Hexsquad's arrival proved the perfect distraction for Raine to save Lilith and Hooty, who the Collector was keeping an eye on due to being important characters for the game, and use the symbol to undo their puppetification.

Raine takes the group back to Hexside, which is hidden using the symbol. The group formulates a plan. Using Lilith's memory of Philip's teleportation glyph combo and her knowledge of the architecture of the Archives, the Hexsquad, CATTS, and Camila, teleport into the Archives, to find and teleport all the puppetfied citizens back to Hexside where they can be safe.

They manage to teleport all the puppetfied citizens to safety, but Odalia turns up. Having been reduced to the Collector's servant, she decides to capture the group in an effort to win the Collector's favor. The group is divided, with Willow, Gus, and Hunter in one group (Willow has her breakdown arc here with Hunter, as she blames herself for getting Luz caught and not being able to do anything). Amity and Camila manage to defeat Odalia and regroup with the kids and the CATTS.

Meanwhile, after having been captured, Luz was brought to the Archives. When they arrived, the Collector dropped Luz to the floor, the impact causing Luz to go unconscious until she is revived by the Collector (While unconscious, she appears in the In-Between Realm, where a mysterious figure tries to get her attention). King is mad at the Collector for hurting Luz, though they try to brush this off, claiming they fixed Luz, and thus it is okay. The Collector asks King to bring Luz to where Eda is being kept underguard by the puppetfied Titan Trappers. Eda is in fact, back in control of herself, and she and King embrace Luz. Eda explains she has seen that the Collector, despite his apathy towards people, is still just a kid, and she has been complying evidence to try and get him to see the error of his ways. However, the Collector arrives, having placed a bug on Luz. The Collector is furious that King lied to them about Eda being stuck in beast form and Luz leaving the demon realm on purpose. The Collector attempts to puppetify the girls but King intercepts the shot, though he remains unchanged.

The Collector now gets nervous, and after being prodded by King reveals Titans are immune to Collector magic, and that he didn't let King know that because he was afraid King wouldn't want to play with him otherwise unless he believe the Collector had control over him. The upset Collector reveals he is the last of his species, who after years of distrust and suspicion of the Titans, led to a war where the two species wiped each other to near extinction. The only surviving adult Titan, King's dad, angrily imprisoned the Collector using the tablets as a catalyst. The tablets were made by the Collector as a gift for the Titans. That way, he could always communicate with the baby Titans, who weren't afraid and distrustful of him like the adult Titans.

Luz, Eda, and King take the Collector on a tour of the isles, trying to get him to understand the importance of empathy and ethics, though the efforts end up striking a nerve with Luz, as the Collector points out Philip thought he was justified by doing what he did, and that Luz also thinks she is justified because she is a 'good guy' too, which worries Luz because she cannot handle the idea of being like Belos. (This references a cut storyboard in which the Collector questions why Luz would say other people but Belos are complex)

The trio are able to make the Collector open to the idea of being more empathetic, and he brings them back to the Archives, where they reunite with the Hexsquad and Camila. Camila and Luz have a heart to heart, which allows Stringbean to hatch. But then they notice the ground below the Archives is shaking, and the sky turns green, with the eye sockets of the Titan glowing blue. The gang realizes Belos is doing something with the Titan, and the special ends on a cliffhanger.

I will try and post my ideas for the rewrite of "Watching and Dreaming later"

[majormeilani]

mei........im gonna do it....for the ask game......

Mr. DJ. Grooves!!! >:3

every question! (Or at least every question you feel like answering! you don't actually have to answer every question, it is up to you. I am just a chaotic bean)

And for the question that's a freebie: would you take mr grooves to waffle house? and if so....waht does he order.... :] 💖

omg catt okai. (meme)

Why do you like or dislike this character? i like grooves because he has a lot of complexity to his character. i like that he's not JUST outwardly nice and has selfish qualities to him. it's just very interesting to talk about and explore. though i also love that he's completely earnest in his behavior too.

Favorite canon thing about this character? i think it's probably how he was voice acted that REALLY makes me like his character and find it to be effective. his VA has a lot of range and portrays his character very well.

Least favorite canon thing about this character? i always agonize about this but i wish he got more of a role in the game beyond his chapter. especially because if you choose conductor as the winner, grooves' character is basically forgotten from there on out. i just wish he at least had more of a presence in the finale of the game, seeing as all the other characters get something to say but he didn't. (except cut dialogue lines that DON'T count at all :////) also more grooves merch please gfb.

If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in? an animated series for a hat in time would be so cool i think and if we could have little animations related to each character that'd be so awesome.

What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them? one of the songs i relate to grooves is 'two evils' by bastille and 'rhythm of the night' by corona. two evils i feel describes grooves and conductor's relationship very well and rhythm of the night is another one that i feel suits him on vibe (tho i also like to relate the bastille cover as well, if on the basis that that ver implies enduring the same thing every day after day and the whole thing driving someone a bit mad)

What's something you have in common with this character? we both love music, musicals and love to dance!

What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like? i absolutely love when people explore his character and also make content of him being close to the kids. i love grandpa grooves content with my whole heart. i also like when people create content that explores his feelings on everything that has happened to him.

What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise? treats him as less important or interesting than conductor and also when people's only perception of his character is when all people have to say about him is just "he's gay." like it's fine of course to explore his sexuality when exploring his character but i just don't like when that's ALL people have to say about him. and him being an afterthought to every other character. 😔

Could you be roommates with this character? as much as i love him, probably not. i just feel like he might be too loud at times or a bit overbearing and that might be a bit off-putting. i can admire him from a distance tho.

Could you be best friends with this character? in my mind i already am lol.

Would you date this character? i joke about it and like to act silly about it but probably not lol. unless we're like qpr's then maybe.

What's a headcanon you have for this character? i have shared many headcanon's but probably my favorite one is him having moments where him and conductor just randomly get along and all seems to go well between them before going back to normal. i jsut think it's amusing.

What's an emoji, an emoticon and/or any symbol that reminds you of this character or you think the character would use a lot? 😎🥺 because it reminds me of that meme where it's a text convo like 'i don't miss you 😎' then another text 'take off ur sunglasses' and then a message with '🥺' it's just funny to me. also grooves canonically has tiny beady eyes to it's suiting to me. tho i also see him to be the type to always send smilies with his messages and spam heart emojis.

Assign a fashion aesthetic to this character. i don't really know how to describe his style but i call it like 'disco-punk' not sure if that's what it's called and maybe someone more aquainted with fashion could tell me better but that's always how i've kinda seen it. also glam rock a little bit it think?

What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.) i don't really have a favorite ship for him but i think discotrain is okay. i used to like it more in the past but now i'm just kinda alright with it ig? like i don't hate it but it's a cute pairing and everything.

What's your least favorite ship for this character? i don't really understand the appeal in snatcher x grooves and maybe someone can enlighten me on that but i just don't see it. no hate to ppl who like it though it's just not for me.

What's a ship for this character you don't hate but it's not your favorite that you're fine with? there isn't really many grooves ships to be honest? so i can't really say much on that. once i saw like. walrus captain and him and that could be cute ig???? but i don't know how it would work exactly and i'm not really invested in it.

How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire? i love love love love how he cares about his moon penguins it warms my heart so much. they care about each other sm. i also adore his relationship with the kids it's just super sweet!!!!

How about a relationship they have in canon that you don't like? can't really say since he doesn't really interact with many of the characters beyond his chapter.....

Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter? DEFINITELY EMPRESS AND I WILL DIE ON THAT HILL. also i can see him and cooking cat being VERY close :]

If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like? i like to describe his actions in a certain flared and outwardly perfect way while him being extremely flawed. i also like exploring his thoughts and feelings on things. what i don't like is trying to come up with things he would say sometimes as sometimes i feel like i don't know exactly how he'd express them. technical stuff related to his job is also hard for me too but i try my best lmao.

If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don't like? i kinda mentioned it before but things that go in-depth with his character are my favorite. something i don't like is him not being given the same complexity as other characters (which is a common issue) and exclusively to discotrain stuff is when people just treat him like an accessory to conductor and never explore him beyond surface level. i haven't read much fic but i always seen this as a problem.

What other character from another fandom of yours that reminds you of them? uhhhhh i can't really say atm? grooves is rather unique to me so it's hard for me to compare him to other characters. at least in the fandoms i'm a part of there's no characters i could really compare him to? i have seen others draw parallels to him and other characters but most the time it's characters i'm unfamiliar with.

What was your first impression of this character? How about now? to be honest, when i was playing hattytime for the first time, i didn't think all that much of him. originally i did kinda prefer conductor but not in a like 'he's better' way but more like conductor's personality is really strong and stood out more initially.

having conversations with people and seeing a lot of fan content about grooves made me realize that FUCK he's a really good character and then i started looking at canon content with a whole new light and suddenly my favorite character was dj grooves.

Favorite picture of this character?

this concept art i love it a lot!!!

FREEBIE QUESTION: would you take mr grooves to waffle house? and if so....waht does he order.... :] 💖 yeas i would.... though i haven't been there in a while so i'm not super familiar with the menu, it think he'd get a couple waffles with some syrup and whipped cream and maybe a hashbrowns bowl and some bacon. maybe some eggs too.... whatever his little heart desires LOL.

[rabbiteclair]

anyway I'd been planning to hold off on reading WonderLab, but like eight people recommended it over about two days, the friend I talked to throughout the whole time I was playing LobCo finally decided to read it yesterday morning, and then I ended up taking the day off work anyway and was too out of it to do anything that required effort, so I took this as a sign

p. good

the ground-level view of what all this stuff looks like in practice is handy. if I were more inclined to write fanfic in this setting I'd practically be weeping with joy.

I was entirely too amused by the whole insinuation that yeah, the Wizard of Oz critters and the magical girls had sets that could do Apocalypse Bird style stuff too, but they just sent their friends off to another facility to make life simpler so it never quite came up. I am also very torn about this because rounding out the magical girls would be great and Servant seems conceptually cool, so I'd love to see her in the game, but the Scarecrow/Woodsman already suck to work with and I don't think the thing they were missing was a way to make this everybody's problem.

the new abnormalities here really tread that kinda line in general. I suspect that there are some rejected ideas from the game in here, because a whole lot of these seem like they'd be nightmares to have in the game. 'every time this breaches it's going to take out anyone who has its gift' and 'only one person can work with this and it will inevitably kill them' and 'if this breaches literally everybody dies' stuff. I guess they can afford to be a bit more complicated in this kinda medium

Rose's end seemed like a pretty direct reference to the scene where Sayaka became a witch in PMMM, and the scene with Taii summoning the sword toward the end had some real Utena energy, so now I am wondering how many other anime references I'm missing in here.

Taii is cool as hell though. I mean all three of the core characters are good but I've got a soft spot for 'gentle nerd becomes a badass warrior (who's still a gentle nerd actually)'. with the way the first several arcs liked to introduce new characters and then kill them off, it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that Rose and Taii were sticking around, and right around the time that I was convinced all three were gonna make it to the end..... that happened. I should've known better. if only one of 'em was going to stick around though, Taii was the right choice. I'd get mad if they killed them. Catt actually being afforded the opportunity to relax and connect with actual emotions again would've been really nice, but. look this is a hell company where good things go to die. I can't say I'm surprised it turned out like this.

also cool as hell: Shasha. and I feel like the company must have some kinda 'Disciplinary head's gotta have a cool eye scar' policy. all of the department heads made good use of what little screentime they got though.

[lampmanliveblogs]

Some last thoughts before episode 20...

Before I start on episode 20, I wanna go over just a few quick things, just to sorta recap some of my theories and predictions. A lot of this I went over in my Conspiracy Corner 3.0 post, so I’ll try not to repeat myself too much.

The Day of Unity Comes And your world is already lost

The Day of Unity is upon us. The end of the world is nigh. Can our heroes stop it? Probably. Maybe. I’m not sure exactly what they’re going to do or what their pan is. It is a commonly reoccurring trope within many stories that a if a plan is unspoken and not revealed to the audience beforehand, it will succeed. Whereas if a plan is presented to the audience, something will inevitably go wrong. Because tension and all that.

What I do know is that the CAtTs (more on them in a sec) have a plan to try and stop Belos’ mad plans. The Hexside Alliance (more on them in two secs) are most likely also going to try and stop it.   

What is Belos’ plan then? He plans on draining the magic of all witches on the Boiling Isles with a draining spell. The magic energy is channeled through nine powerful witches, the Coven Head Witches. What the ultimate purpose of the spell is I’m not sure, but it appears its purpose is to wipe out all life in the Demon Realm.

As a side effect, this will somehow also release The Collector (more on them in three secs).

The Coven Against the Throne Hisssssssssss

Referring again back to my Conspiracy Corner 3.0 post, the Coven Against the Throne (or CAtTs for short) is a fusion of the Owl House Crew and the Traitorous Trio, with a few exceptions. This rebel group consists of Eda, Lilith, Luz, King, Hooty, Raine, Amber, Katja, Derwin, Darius, Eberwolf, and last but most certainly not least, Steve.

(oh, by the way, called it on Steve joining the good guys)

This group has a plan and a lot of skilled and powerful witches. Raine, Darius, and Eberwolf being part of it also throws a wrench in Belos’ plans, as they are needed for his draining spell to work properly.

The Hexside Alliance Goes on a school trip

While they haven’t shown up as an official rebel group yet, it was strongly hinted in Labyrinth Runners and I believe they will show up during the Day of Unity as allies to the CAtTs.

This group consists of Hunter, Amity, Willow, Gus, and various other Hexside students, as well as teachers, including Mattholomule, Skara, Viney, Edric, Emira and principal Bump. Hunter, with his insider information can hopefully orchestrate some form of attack plan.

I think it is a given that Hunter, Amity, Willow, and Gus will be there at the Day of Unity, seeing as they are very important characters. And any extra allies are always a good thing. Exactly what The Hexside Allaince will contribute with I don’t know, but I’m sure they’ll do something important.

The Lord of the Fireflies In The Collector’s Shadow

As I pointed out during O Titan, Where Art Thou, if Belos plans on exterminating all life in the Demon Realm, and The Collector just wants company after so long buried beneath the bones of Ymir, then their desires clash. With that in mind, I think it is very likely that The Collector will betray or go against Belos in some way. Maybe they’ll stop the big spell once they’re free or something.

It is very hard to get an exact read on The Collector. Based on what we learned in Edge of the World, this Grand Huntsman seems like some wrathful god. In Hollow Mind, he came off more as a childish and mischievous spirit. It is this level of unpredictability that made me label The Collector as a wildcard.

Fight through this, Blight Find the light at the end

Unless this is somehow the very first post of mine that you’re reading, you will by now know of my ”Alador will betray the Emperor and turn the abomatons against the Emperor’s Coven” theory. I’ve had it since… I don’t even remember when I first got it, but I think I brought it up in the Mid-Season Intermission I did between episode 10 and 11. So a while now.

I think that he will see Amity (and possibly Edric & Emira too, although he didn’t get an episode to bond with them) fighting against the Emperor’s Coven and chose to stand on the side of his kids. Odalia might also do that, but like… she didn’t get an episode where she bonded with Amity. Just saying.

For now, Alador remains a very useful potential ally to our heroes. Speaking of which…

Chiroptera Queen In the Forest of Misfit Palismen

Hey, remember when Luz promised Bat-Queen to help her find out about her past? I sure do. I don’t know if Luz does though, because there has been no follow-up on that plot thread at all. Still, she last appeared in Hunting Palismen, they did make a point of showing that Eda still has the whistle and that Bat-Queen still owes her a favor.

Now, I can see it going one of two ways during the Day of Unity. Either Eda calls on BQ to help  out during their attack. I do think it might be some nice karmic retribution to see Belos swarmed by a small army of damaged palismen.

The other way is if things go wrong, Eda might call on Bat-Queen to get them out of there.

In Conclusion

I can go on and on, imagine countless scenarios, come up with all the theories and predictions I want. And at the end of it, I would still have no idea what will happen. The only way for me to find out what happens is to just watch the episodes. Which is why I will do that now.

…right after I make one more post.

[catcze]

not the huffman slander i won’t tolerate it 🤬

n e wayzzzz i’d do anything for the best, most attractive knight of favonius 🥰🥰 ANYTHING

@3rdgymbros See that??? No Huffman slander here, babe 🥱✋

I believe you would do anything for him babe and I support u 100% mhm mhm 😌💞

[felassan]

Dragon Age: Absolution creator Mairghread Scott posted this update today on her website, Mairghread Scott Writes. It confirms Rezaren's surname as Ammosine (see source link, it's contained in an image caption) and mentions that the development of the show began in Spring 2019, when Mairghread pitched several ideas to BioWare and Netlix. Maighread says that the show has been a huge passion project for her, that to prepare she spent weeks immersed in DA lore, and that they wanted to make something fans could be proud of. She describes the new characters as wonderfully flawed. She also mentions that "BioWare was committed to excellence every step of the way" and "everyone from the recording studio, to the post house, to the marketing team brought their A-Game" -

DRAGON AGE: ABSOLUTION OFFICIAL TRAILER AND RELEASE DATE (ALT: MAIRGHREAD GETS SUPER-SAPPY)

Hi everyone. Happy November! We’ve got news!

Netflix just released the official trailer and poster for my show, Dragon Age: Absolution and announced that all six episodes will premiere on Netflix, December 9th. Watch the trailer here!

This has been a huge passion project for me. I loved DA:I from the moment Cassandra accused my Inquisitor of being a terrorist (BTW, rude! But I can’t stay mad at Cass). Back in Spring 2019, I pitched several ideas to Bioware and Netflix, and this was the one I NEVER expected them to pick. This was the pitch I did just for me, sure no one else would believe in it. I’m so glad I was wrong.

When I got the job, I replayed and rewatched everything I could get my hands on. (Thanks to all you YouTube DA Lore Keepers out there!) I spent weeks scribbling weird insights on my office walls (they were glass at the time, don’t panic), and listening to songs on repeat for hours. Then in Fall 2019, I got to bring on the incredibly talented Tim Sheridan and Mae Catt, and our amazing writer’s assistant Grace Deppe-Waldschmidt. We brought so much of ourselves to this story! We wanted to make something fans could be proud of. Netflix was a dream to work with and Bioware was committed to excellence every step of the way. Then in 2020 Red Dog started bringing our show to life, and the last several years have been full of late night meetings with Korea, art approvals, and finally animation. (Bae, if you read this, you’re the absolute best!) So many people worked so hard throughout the pandemic on this. Our amazing voice cast recorded the whole thing from their homes over video conferences. (Best Zoom meetings EVER!) And everyone from the recording studio, to the post house, to the marketing team brought their A-Game.

It’s funny that in writing a show about such wonderfully flawed characters, I got to meet so many flawless professionals. I’m truly the luckiest showrunner in the biz. Now, three and a half years later, it’s all come together and we can share this with you. Whether you’ve played from the beginning or are brand new to Thedas, I hope you’ll watch on December 9th and fall in love with these characters as much as we did.

See you in Tevinter! Mairghread Scott"

[source]

[eyeofthehawk68]

Stay Mad

Theory time with fanfic to follow at a later time

What if Belos never made Lilith take a coven sigil (we never see it on her arms throughout the whole show) despite being the head of his coven?

He knew the effects of the draining spell and once reminded of a witch that looked and sounded so much like Lilith from his past he decided to take her words to mind. Stay mad

So his petty self decided to have one witch without a sigil to watch as all others slowly died to show how mad he was at said witch.

Headcanon until disproved is that Lilith watched as everyone around her- her sister, the CATTs that were tied together to her, and literally everyone she knew- slowly died during the draining spell because Belos took Lilith’s words to heart “stay mad”. Fortunately for her the collector ended it before she was the last witch of the Boiling Isles.

[dull-bun]

Them with an s/o who is the definition of head empty

VGHERJFNJ THE TITLE IS VAGUE BUT- Baku, deku and shoto with an s/o who is the definition of ‘head empty, no thoughts’  (OR- them with an s/o who spaces out a lot or forgets a lot, I dont know how to explain-) WARNINGS/TW: Swearing, bad writing, OOC characters, short writing, talking about bees and falling 100 feet Gender: Neutral this is a very self indulgent fic <3

BAKUGOU KATSUKI

The first time you both met was at U.A

He noticed your small opened mouth smile, and your eyes were closed

you were standing in front of the door which was a problem (to him)

he could’ve easily moved past you bUT OKAY

he thought you were cute but anyway

He shoved passed you, saying something like ‘move it extra’

you opened your eyes and stumbled, making a humming noise

You stared at him with squinted eyes, not understanding why he pushed you

You didn’t mention it but it agitated you

ANYWAY

When the dorms got introduced and bakugou wasn’t such an aSSHOLE

You two started to talk

by talk I mean you joining his little group (courtesy of Sero and Denki) and you guys exchanging like 3 words

You didn’t really talk

You just stared mindlessly into your food and chewed slowly, occasionally joining in on the conversation

You started talking to him more

And he started noticing more about you

Like how you stuttered slightly when someone suddenly asked you something

Or how you stopped talking in the middle of your sentence for a little while then continued talking (or ask him what you guys were talking about again)

Once he asked what you and Izuku were talking about after you got done talking with him

You thought for a couple of seconds then said ‘I forgot’

You also did this thing where you and him would talk, and you nodded aimlessly, then after he finished talking you would say something like ‘I wasn’t listening what were you saying?’

That usually led to him grumbling and reluctantly repeating what he said

Sometimes you ask weird weird questions

like

‘If I spent all your money on frogs would you be mad?’

Safe to say he checked your room for frogs

(spoiler he didn’t find any)(unfortunately)

MIDORIYA IZUKU

head empty couple head empty couple-

*COUGH*

ANYWAYS

You were in class 1-B, and he was in 1-A lets get that out of the way

So you guys never really interacted with each other

But one day

When he was going on a walk, he heard soft music coming from behind a bush

It sounded so peaceful (something like this (if you dont really like this kind of music, then you can just imagine another one! no worries :))

It confused the poor bby

So, as anyone would, he checked behind the bush (he tells himself it was to check for villains but we all know he’s lying)

and he sees you, laying in the starfish position on the grass

Your eyes were wide open, the sun making your skin look all the more beautiful

you suddenly turned on your stomach and laid face down

w - w h a t

He stared at you for a good second and poked you on your back

You sniffed and looked up at him, a doopey smile on your face

thats when he knew he would love you forever

then you just made little gremlin noises and rolled away with your phone in your hand

ANYWAYS

After that you two met up more often

Sometimes you did things without thinking

Like that one time you found a fluffy bee and named him Michael 

Like he just walks in on you staring at a bee and it staring back at you

Then there was this other time you suddenly said ‘What if I fall 100 feet and have a bucket of water then pour it out in the last second before I hit the floor.. would I die?’

He had to stop you from doing that

Sometimes you just stare at him for a really long while 

Then go back to whatever you were doing

Sometimes you also just lay in your bed and stare at the ceiling, playing with a string you attached to the ceiling of your dorm

he still doesn’t know why you did that

You had to let go of Michael the bee :(

TODOROKI SHOTO

HE AND YOU ARE THE DEFINITION OF HEAD EMPTY

sometimes when you and him are studying together you write one little thing and just stare at it for a couple of minutes

Then you start writing once again GHEBJBJFERJ

Sometimes being head empty is hard smh ✋😔

One time you were listening to your playlist (could be any) and you had an unreadable expression on your face

then suddenly tears started falling down your face 

:(

But you weren’t sad

So you just sniffed and went to Todoroki’s dorm and face planted on his bed

it was 3am

You baffle him so much pLS SLOW DOWN-

Sometimes he’ll find you sitting at a bench somewhere doing that,, thing with your lips

You know

THE THING

You know when you blow air through your lips and they flap up and down?

If you know you know ✋

His favorite thing is when you stare at him or something else and part of your tongue is sticking out

YOU LOOK SO CUTE🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

YOU REMIND HIM OF A LITTLE CATT

(hehe picture isn’t mine)

ANYWAYS

Sometimes when you’re both walking together you stop talking so suddenly and play with your fingers

He stops walking and asks you what’s wrong

then you just kiss him on the nose and start walking again

he’s deadass just standing there like 🧍

Then there’s rare but welcomed times where you both are together and alone

just hanging out

And you’re doodling with some music on

You just stare mindlessly at the way your pencil/pen moves

Not even paying attention to what your drawing

LISTEN HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH SMH

one time you were making macaroni and forgot about it

lets just say you weren’t allowed in the kitchen after that 

*COUGH* ITS BEEN LIKE A MONTH BUT UM HERE’S THIS PILE OF S H I - ANYWAYS I’m very sorry for the ooc characters! I’ve been out of touch with mha for a bit but I tried my best! Have a great day and as always, thanks for reading!!

[spyrkle4]

aaaah just finished the episode ;-;

gonna scream about it more

-so glad the theory about there being a spy in the CATTS was wrong! bc i dont wanna think of anyone as an imposter!!!!

-omg collector looks like a bby... a deadly bby.... but a bby...

-im scared Hunter since he had gotten some goop on him

-i cant believe belos is mcdead (*eyes the goop* OR IS HE?!?!?!)

-WTF TERRA I CANT BELIEVE U SAID THAT TO RAINE AND EDA (her being proved wrong was karma tho... I still hate her tho)

-Gray looking like a wreck lmaooo thats what u get for trying to convert children against their will

-RAEDA FEELS?!

-THE SMOL HEXSIDE FLASHBACK!!

-the beginning of the ep still makes me laugh bc its just willow and the palismen being all “EAT A SNICKERS!!!”

-Ok I don’t like Kikimora bc shes the bad guy but I felt so bad for her when Belos said... that to her... what the fuck dude 

-The delusion Belos has... like he seriously thinks the Boiling Isles is a threat to humanity but he’s the one acting like the threat to humanity

-DID HE REALLY THINK THE HUMAN WORLD WOULD BE THE SAME AS HE LEFT IT?! TF?!

-Oooh god that monster form... its like the one the palismen had... foreshadowing D:

-CALEB?!?! DID HE JUST MCSAY CALEB?!?!?! FLAPJACK WAS HIS PALISMEN?!?!?!

-I literally just googled when flapjacks were first made and it was 1620 so THE WITTEBROS WERE AROUND WHEN FLAPJACKS GOT INVENTED HENCE WHY FLAPJACK IS CALLED FLAPJACK

-The fact it was King’s dad who locked up the collector... im scared o-0

-thiiiis makes me wonder what dana is gonna do with the collector... 

-the fact that they casually de-armed Eda like that... Raine ik you were trying to protect her but some of us got amphibia flashbacks from that

-SPEAKING OF THAT... cant believe amphibia and owl show are in the same universe 

-ALADOR :(((((

-AND THEY’RE STUCK IN THE HUMAN WORLD NOW

-THAT ENDING IM STILL NOT OVER IT WHAT THE HELL

-and im mad that we wont get a proper season 3 bc the heads at the mouse >:C, stop micromanaging cartoons r u trying to pull a cartoon network?!

[cupcake-bee-boy]

Not me projecting onto a fictional 16 year old and giving him my same problems and responses to trauma lol 😂😂😂

Oh I haven’t posted fan fiction in a while. This feels weird. Also, this is set in the CATTS hideout and the person mocking Hunter at the beginning isn’t supposed to be anyone. Just imagine a few other witches joined the rebellion and one of them is being mean I guess

Warning: lotta angst, character feeling bad for setting boundaries, self hate, talk bad about oneself, and Hunter’s whole trauma surrounding Belos. Also I wrote this on my phone at almost 2 in the morning and idk how to write Luz. So. This might be shit

— — —

“I just- I don’t want to hear that right now. Please.”

“Wow, and I thought you were supposed to be on our side. I guess once a loyal lap dog, always a loyal lap dog, huh? Isn’t that right, Golden Guard?”

Hunter stood up, tense with suppressing the urge to attack this person, and walked away, shutting himself in a closet. It was fairly big. He couldn’t cry and break down in front of all the entirety of the rebels, so he had ran off. How typical. Couldn’t even face his allies and only friends, if they would be still willing to call themselves that. He really screwed up this time, didn’t he?

Luz came in and sat next to him.

“Hey, what’s up? What happened back there?” She asked, trying to go for a kind, more light-hearted smile. The worry in her eyes betrayed her, though.

“What happened,” Hunter said, moving away from the undeserved comfort, “was that I’m a selfish jerk who can’t even handle a few comments-“

“Hey. No. Talk to me, Hunter, it’s alright. You aren’t selfish and no one is mad at you.”

“No one?” He scoffed.

“No one that matters.”

He sighed, looking up at the ceiling.

“Whenever… hmm. Whenever someone mentions how much they hate the Em- I mean, hate Belos, I… I don’t know, it’s like a freeze up and start getting really defensive. But that’s stupid! I hate him too and I talk about how much he sucks too. There’s no reason for me to suddenly get so upset at people rightfully hating him. I’m just being stupid.”

“I already said stop, ya big goof. You aren’t stupid or selfish or anything like that. You’re just Hunter, my friend who was raised by a bad person. You’ve talked about this before, right? With Gus?”

“I guess? I mean, that was more me saying how sometimes I still want to believe in his lies. But I suppose this is similar. Yeah. It’s like, I grew up being told that Belos was the greatest.”

“So when people say ‘bad’ things about him, you get defensive and upset. Like how you were raised to act.”

Hunter nodded slowly, deep in thought. Was that the problem? That he couldn’t let go of the lessons? The fear?

Whenever someone said or did something against the Emperor- Belos. Belos Belos Belos. When someone acted against Belos, something bad always happened. Something scary. And it was always his job to make sure everyone else understood why rebelling was bad and wrong and got witches hurt. It was his job. So even now… even now, when he knew that he was bad.

“I’m acting exactly how I was told to. Like a dog- sorry. I’m trying.”

“I know you are,” Luz said.

“But, anyways, so… I know now that hearing insults against the Emperor-“

“Belos.”

“Against Belos, I get upset. Alright. So what should I do now? I mean, I know that I need to just take it and not react, but-“

“What? No! It’s clear that hearing those things makes you super upset. And it’s not okay to just take things that make you deeply uncomfortable and anxious.”

“But- it’s true! Belos is bad and terrible! He killed- he killed… all the others. His own brother too, right? He’s bad.”

“Of course, he’s bad. But you are traumatized. Just because all those things are true doesn’t mean their effect on you isn’t okay. You get really upset, anxious, and mad when you hear those things, even if you agree with them. So when you can help it, avoid those things or ask people to not say that around you unless necessary.”

Hunter was quiet for a while. Luz eventually went on.

“Okay. In the human realm, there’s this little word. It used to be used as an insult against a group of people. A slur. But since then, some in that group have used it as a way of identifying themselves. But others still hate the sound of the word. It brings up so many bad memories and trauma. They kindly ask their fellow group members to not use that word in front of them or call them by that word. They respect the ones who have reclaimed it, but still want no part in it. Are you understanding this so far?”

Nod

“So. Some of the people who dislike the word take it too far. They start demanding that the whole group must stop using the word as identification. That’s not okay. But asking kindly to be left out is. Do you get what I’m trying to say? Its not a perfect example, but I think it’s similar enough. You have trauma around people talking specifics on how bad Belos is. So you are allowed to kindly ask them to not say that in front of you. You understand and are completely okay with the fact that you can’t demand everyone to stop talking about it. But you can and should set boundaries.”

Hunter looked at his feet before standing up. He helped Luz to her feet too.

“But…” he began, “but what if people don’t understand? What if they still say it in front of me?”

Luz looked dead into his eyes, fully serious for once.

“Cut ties. Only work with them in the rebellion when absolutely needed. Anyone who can’t respect your trauma while you’re respecting their’s by understanding that you can’t eliminate all criticism of Belos isn’t worth being around. You deserve kindness. I promise, your real friends will show themselves and listen to your boundaries.”

Together, hand in hand, the adoptive siblings walked out.

— — —

And that’s it! Also that word from the human realm is queer, if you couldn’t guess. I personally use the word a lot to talk about myself, but I have a headcannon that Luz is a bit more hesitant to say it than I am. I also share the same opinions that if someone who is lgbtqia+ asks you to not call them queer or not say it around them much, I think you should respect that. It’s really rude not to. But it’s also not okay when people go around demanding everyone stops using the word queer. Anyway, I will not be answering any questions about my trauma that I’ve changed to fit Hunter. Not that I exactly expect people to ask but just in case. My trauma isn’t anyone’s business but mine and my therapist’s. Anyway byeeee and good night or morning or afternoon or whatever

[pathetic-dumpling]

And to Those Gods I Will Speak Bluntly

Summary: Dream tries to learn to heal and let go, but his need to protect the server will never leave him. Just like before, they get him into trouble. After things go wrong, and all feels hopeless, the ones who love Dream find him once again, and for once, he doesn't have to face the world alone. pspsps @stabbysideblog it's here!!

Word Count: ~14.7k

Warnings: discussion of death, referenced torture, major character death, graphic murder, death threats, grief, manipulation, quackity+sam crit, referenced self-harm, implied child death, implied hybrid discrimination, explosions, violence

Read on ao3 instead!

Warnings: discussion of death, referenced torture, major character death, graphic murder, death threats, grief, manipulation, quackity+sam crit, referenced self-harm, implied child death, implied hybrid discrimination, explosions, violence

“Catt?” Dream asks. His arms tighten around him and Robin, pulling the two of them closer to his body.

“It’ll be alright, Cornelius,” Catt soothes. The banging at the door betrays Catt’s words, but Dream lets himself sink into them anyway. Catt’s soft ears are pressed back, with his tail flicking wildly against Dream’s back.

“It’ll be okay,” Catt says. He says it to himself, to Dream, and to Robin, who cowers in their arms, holding onto Catt tightly as the banging gets louder and louder. The wood splinters, revealing the sharp glint of an axe. A man bursts into their house, dark and foreboding. They’re just kids. They’re only kids. What are they supposed to do?

“Catt,” Dream quickly says. “Catt, I’m sorry.”

Dream closes his eyes-

And then he wakes up.

Dream shoots up in bed, grasping at his chest and gasping against the tightness that coils around his heart. He hasn’t dreamed about that night in a long, long time. It was years behind him, now, more than he could count, but he can still remember every bit of his life back then with shocking clarity.

It wasn’t long after Dream’s village was destroyed by madness that Puffy picked him up and took him home. He’d never known something like that before-- he and Catt were always hated for their odd appearances. For not being entirely human, like the rest of the village. They had to look out for Robin constantly, so he wouldn’t have to suffer the brunt of the village's bigotry, but being with Puffy was nice. Puffy had animal features, like Dream. She and her crew gave him his name and his mask. They taught him what it was like to live and explore and have fun.

Dream sighs. He gets out of bed sluggishly, deciding he needs to make himself busy to get his mind off of these memories. He knows his brain is coming back to this because he’s finally settled down, which makes him bitter. Why can’t he just have one good thing?

Somewhere deep inside Dream, he knows his little bubble of peace can never last. He’s changed a lot, stumbled and fallen over his own feet and been hoisted up by the ones around him, lost and found families and comfort, but none of it has left the arctic. Dream’s love, comfort, and safety haven’t left this place, despite the Syndicate’s best efforts. It’s dangerous for Dream, out in the SMP. He’s still too weak to defend himself if someone were to decide to hunt him down and not listen to anything he has to say, which is far more likely than anyone is comfortable with. The arctic has been made a neutral ground, protected by the Syndicate, for that very reason.

Dream will never be able to voice how thankful he is or how much happier he is now, but he knows he can never escape his past. He’s tried to learn to make peace with that and move on. Sometimes it still stings. He knows his old family is gone, destroyed by his hands and the world. He knows Sapnap and George are hurting in a way that’s no longer his responsibility to fix, no matter how much he wants to. He knows the SMP thinks poorly of him, even the people he thinks fondly of, and he’s trying hard to be okay with that.

The mission had been to kill Dream, use Dream, have him as leverage for so long that the server doesn’t know what to do other than that. Dream knows how determined the people who have hurt him are. Quackity, who committed himself to atrocities daily, and Sam, who sat by when the prison was at its worst. Dream knows they won’t give up easily just because he’s escaped. They want something from him, be that power, control, or their own self-affirmation. Dream will never be anything other than a monster and a tool to them, which he knows.

He thought he had made peace with that until word of what Quackity was threatening to do to draw Dream out of protection made its way to the arctic. Quackity planned to round up everyone on the server with only one life left and execute them until Dream is forced to come out of hiding to revive them. Even if most of those on their last lives are people Dream doesn’t care all that much about, there would inevitably be someone who tracks him down to get their loved one back.

The thought makes Dream sick, and he’d like to think that Quackity would never, despite the past half-year of his life, but at the same time, he knows how determined Quackity is to get what he wants and protect what he already has.

Even as powerless and weak Dream is now, he’s still apparently a threat. Which brings Dream to his present.

“You know this is a trap, right?” Techno says, leaning against the cabin wall. He looks unamused, to say the least. “He just wants you to leave neutral ground. That’s all this is, Dream.”

“I can’t risk it,” Dream replies, lacing up his boots. “You don’t know Quackity- what’s he’s capable of. I… I know him. I know what he can do.” Dream drags a hand down his face, pulling at his cheeks until his eyes water. “Some awful part of me says he will just start killing to draw me out.”

“Then let him,” Techno urges, pushing himself off the wall and stepping towards Dream. “Somebody else will stop him. He’ll be the new whatever-you-used-to-be. You’re just putting yourself at risk here, man.”

“But what if they don't?” He asks. He glances up with wet eyes, already red with unshed tears. Dream has already made his decision, and they both know it. “What if some guy with fancy words manages to turn the tides against me again, Techno? What then? What will we do when the entire server rallies to come out here and drag me back to the prison just so Quackity will stop? Fuck the neutral ground, Techno! When has this server ever respected the rules?”

Techno sighs, knowing that ultimately, Dream is right. As much as Techno hates it and wants Dream to be safe, this situation creates a very real risk for them. Plus, he knows he wouldn’t be able to stop Dream, even if he tried.

“Are you sure you won’t let me come with you?” Techno asks. He offers Dream his hand, helping the man up and patting his shoulders. Dream is wearing his new cloak- a dark green embroidered with the colors of the Syndicate. A gift from all of them.

“I love you, but you’re not very stealthy,” Dream jokes, tilting his head to the side. His grin pulls at his cheeks, and despite all odds, Techno is comforted by it.

“Hey. I am very stealthy, thank you. I only walk heavily, so you don’t jump outta your skin every time I round a corner.”

“You’re also seven feet tall.”

Techno snorts. “Fair point.”

Techno sighs, letting his hands fall from Dream’s shoulders, tracing down Dream’s arms to hold his hands. “Please… please be safe.”

Dream leans forward, resting his forehead against Techno’s. “I’ll try, I promise. I might do something stupid anyway.”

Techno huffs, nodding slightly. “Please don’t. You know I’m heading out right after you, Dream. I’ll be long gone after, like, half an hour, okay? Please be careful. Message Phil if you need something.”

Dream smiles. “Sure.” He sighs shakily. “I’ll, uh, need a new mask, I think. I don’t want to go out there like… this, you know?”

“Figured.” Techno takes a step back, opening one of the various chests pushed against the cabin walls. “I had Phil whip this up for you. Think it'll work?”

Techno turns around, presenting an oval wooden mask to Dream. The wood is a beautiful spruce, and looks smooth like it would feel nice against his skin, and a small smile is carved into it. The eyes are much larger, and little less circular, and far less creepy-looking than before. Dream smiles, reaching out and taking the mask into his own hands. His fingers traced over the leather buckle cut smoothly and stained a dark brown.

“It’s perfect,” he says. Dream brings the mast up to his face, securing the buckle and blinking. It’s been a while. “Tell Phil I say thank you.”

“Sure thing.”

And then Dream heads out.

He trudges through the snow, slowly making his way towards the Nether portal. Dream sighs as he steps in. It’s been a long time since he left the tundra, even longer since he went into Greater SMP territory. This is probably a trap. This is definitely a trap, but he can’t risk anything happening after this long.

Dream travels through the Nether, stepping out of the community portal into the middle of SMP lands. He walks through the Community House, a mere shadow of what it used to be, looking around warily. Almost everyone has moved out by now, but being cautious never hurts. After all, it is still the central hub, and even if no one lives here, it certainly doesn’t go unused. Dream stays off the Prime Path, weaving behind buildings, staying out of clear view of anyone who may be passing through. As he follows the path, voices start to pick up in the distance.

Heavy footsteps falling on the Prime Path make Dream duck for cover. He presses his back to the wall of one of the many buildings he hadn’t watched the creation of, holding his breath and listening. The person isn’t speaking, but they only have two legs, so it certainly isn’t the Warden. They at least know where they’re heading, and Dream listens carefully to the direction they head in. It’s a straight shot down the path, going toward the Badlands. He can still hear voices coming from that direction, too, so he assumes they’re a little late to whatever is going on.

Dream crouches down, straining his pointed ears to listen a bit more for the voices as he walks. There’s plenty of them-- they’re all yelling, and one of them is Quackity. His voice makes Dream shudder, but he figures that’s where the action must be happening, so he steps forward slowly and carefully. The voices lead Dream right where he suspected, around the corner of Bad and Skeppy’s house, making Dream stop in his tracks.

Out of everything, Dream was the least prepared to see the prison. A big, impenetrable box he once had so many plans for. Those plans are dead and gone-- they died with him in that place. Dream shakes his head. He has to focus. Something is going on, and he needs to see, just to make sure nothing is really happening. That this is just a trick, that Quackity is lying to draw Dream out and isn’t actually rounding up people to slaughter.

Dream knows, distantly, what that kind of desperation feels like, but it still makes him sick to his stomach.

Dram quickly spotted a group gathered together on the grass. It looked like nearly all of the SMP was there, with a few notable exceptions like the Syndicate members. They are all standing in the flat area just behind the mansion, easily in view from the hiding place Dream had chosen, concealed by the forest.

Quackity is standing in the middle of the group. Everyone is in a half-circle around him as he makes his grand speech, swinging his axe around wildly. Sam stands guard, ever loyal through Quackity’s smooth words. Seeing those two again, after so long, makes Dream flinch. The urge to curl in on himself and make himself small is almost overwhelming, but Dream knows it just from a time when he was at their mercy. If all goes well, he’ll come and leave without anyone noticing. Dream has to take a moment, still, hiding behind a fallen tree and holding himself, so he doesn’t start crying and alerting everyone to his presence.

Quackity’s speech cuts through the fog in Dream’s mind- yelling about the person Dream used to be. The thing they threw away, locked in the prison so he couldn’t hurt anyone anymore. Quackity talks about how suspiciously quiet everything has been, especially from their greatest enemies. Dream takes a breath, steadying himself. He glances around the crowd. Everyone looks nervous, suspicious even, but mostly disturbed. How long has it been since they all have seen Quackity? Have they seen the person he’s turned into yet or only mere glimpses?

Quackity glances over, making eye contact with Dream. His smile widens, crooked and cruel, and Dream can’t breathe. The longer their eyes hold each other's gazes, the tighter and tighter Dream’s throat gets until he’s choking back something he doesn’t even understand. Quackity just raises an eyebrow, daring Dream to challenge him. Dream is the first to look away, turning his head and gasping for air behind his mask. Quackity turns back to the crowd, satisfied, letting a more neutral expression wash over his face.

“But I think we should be the first ones to make a move this time. We shouldn’t sit around here like sitting ducks, waiting to be bombed or attacked like we always have. I think we should lure Dream out and put him back where he belongs.” Quackity’s eyes scan the crowd. “Starting with our first demonstration.”

Quackity lunges forward, grabbing Puffy’s arm and yanking her towards him. Dream’s breath catches in his throat. Mom? This can’t be right. Puffy isn’t supposed to be on her last life; she- did she lose some during the time that Dream has been gone? What happened? What did he miss? Several people follow and pull Puffy back, but Sam jumps between them, brandishing his trident. The creeper half of his body almost completely blocks off the view of Quackity, but Dream can still see perfectly.

“EVERYONE, BACK OFF!” He yells, steam escaping from his gas mask. The crowd is stunned into silence, watching in horror as the events unfold. Quackity grins, adjusting his grip on his axe- no- and throwing Puffy to the ground- no- raising his axe above his head and- NO- slamming it down on Puffy’s chest.

“MOM!”

Dream’s and Puffy’s screams mix together in a beautiful symphony of suffering. Dream bursts out of the trees, holding tightly onto the clasp of his cloak. No. No. No, no, no no-

Dream skids on his knees, not even noticing how the crowd parts for him or how Quackity steps aside with a self-satisfied grin.

“Mom, mama, please-” Dream gathers Puffy’s head into his lap, desperately running his fingers through her hair and tracing the shape of her face. He ignores the ache in his legs from the short run and chalks up his heavy breathing to the fact that he’s panicking. “Mama-”

“Dream?” She asks quietly, lifting her hand up.

“Mama, I’m- I’m here, I-” Dream chokes on a sob. He pushes up his mask, revealing his wet, blotchy face, letting the tears that had gathered underflow freely. “I’m here. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

Puffy sighs, a high, wheezy thing. “What are you sorry for, baby?”

“Everything,” Dream sobs, leaning forward, so their foreheads touch. “It wasn’t supposed to go this way. We were- we were supposed to be a family.”

Dream is brought back by a gentle hand in his hair, making him lean back to face Puffy properly. She smiles at him, warm and comforting but deeply, deeply sorrowful.

She brings a hand down to his cheek, wiping away a tear with her thumb. “Ducking,” she starts. Then Puffy’s eyes unfocus, and her smile fades. Her hand falls from Dream’s cheek, landing lifelessly on the ground.

A death message rings out. A final one.

Dream screams. He runs his hands down her face, his tears landing on her cheeks and rolling down as if they were her own.

“Mom, mama, please- no, no--” Dream gasps, feeling like he can’t breathe, like he’s going to throw up like everything is too fast and too slow all at the same time. No. No. This can’t be happening. It can’t. Dream wasn’t ready. He isn’t ready. Dream’s suffering is backed by the beautiful glow of a sunset, and it all feels so wrong.

Puffy’s body lays in his lap, bleeding slightly as her blank eyes stare up at him. Her jacket is ruined, and the white undershirt is ripped down the middle where Quackity’s axe had crushed her and it's now caked in blood. And her chest. Oh god, her chest. It was destroyed, blood spilling out of the hole slammed into her. Dream can see bits of bone or organs sticking out, and he has to clamp his hand over his mouth to keep from retching.

Dream gasps, his fingers tingling with the power of the server as he summons his revival book. This is a trap, this is a trap, but it doesn't matter. It doesn’t matter because Dream is still a scared twisted kid, holding the corpse of his mother in his lap. So frail and mortal but everything to him. The book appears in his hands, the pages flipping by themselves like the kind in an enchantment table. Dream scans to the right page, muttering the small incantation quietly. He brandishes his flint and steel, striking the ground, ready to throw the book in, when suddenly he’s tackled, and the book is knocked out of his hands.

“NO!” Dream is pushed into the ground, the wind getting knocked out of his chest as he hits the grass. He gasps for air as his hands are secured behind him by Sam. the Warden breathes, more steam escaping from his mask, hissing out a threat, but Dream doesn’t stop struggling. He doesn't freeze until pristine dress shoes come into view, right in front of his face. Quackity leans down at the waist (like a whore), picking up the book with decorated fingers. The jewelry is all silver and somehow feels much, much colder than Techno’s. Dream forces his head to the side to look up, seeing Quackity flipping through the book with a casual grin. He snaps it shut, looking down on Dream.

“Now, wasn’t that easy?” He asks.

“You- you killed-”

Quackity tuts, silencing Dream. “And it’s your fault, isn’t it? You saw me. You could’ve come out at any time.”

Dream doesn’t know how to respond. He stumbles over his own thoughts, reeling from the statement and barely able to form a sentence.

“Sam,” Quackity starts, making the Warden look up, but he doesn’t loosen his grip. “Let’s take him back to where he belongs.”

Sam nods, jerking Dream up to his knees. He can’t keep his eyes off his mother, lying dead on the grass. Dream is sure he’s bloody now, too. He looks up, scanning the crowd for something, anything, but he just sees shock. People look between him, Quackity, the Warden, and Puffy with equal amounts of shock and horror on each of their faces. Dream doesn’t know if it's from seeing him, or what just happened, witnessing what Dream has known about Quackity for so long now, or a mixture of everything.

Dream screams as he’s pulled away, planting his feet in the grass and trying to struggle away as everyone watches. They just watch. Dream screams and cries and kicks at the ground like a child because that’s all he can do, starved and weak and tortured. A child reaching out for his mother, who he watched die, a child who was used even though he knew it would happen because he couldn’t stand the death of everything to him.

It hasn’t even been three hours since Dream left the arctic, and things have already gone so wrong. Hell, it’s on the cusp of forty minutes. Techno is probably long gone out of any sort of communication range, and Dream has no idea where the hell Phil is. To the rest of the world, nothing is wrong. Nothing has crumbled below their feet quite like it has for Dream. Quackity guards the exit of the portal room, watching Dream with a smile. Dream walks through the Nether portal, clinging to all he’s worth, knowing it's nothing now.

Quackity has the book. He’ll be left in here to rot. Or maybe Quackity will come back for more stress relief. The thought makes a new wave of tears spill over his cheeks as Sam begins speaking, taking Dream by the arms and cuffing him. They walk down a hallway that feels so familiar yet so foreign until Dream can’t breathe. He stands in front of the maximum-security cell, lava so bright it nearly blinds him. Sam at least gave him the dignity of pulling his mask down before sending Dream across the lava.

He’s been relieved of his items, but that isn’t actually what’s on the front of Dream’s mind. He knows Techno will come looking for him, eventually. Phil might even be waiting on a message right now. They both expect a very specific, very punctual message that he knows Sam will get wrong. If Sam responds at all. No, what takes over Dream’s mind until he falls dazed and detached as he steps into the cell is how worthless he’s become in this place.

Quackity has the book. Quackity hasn’t wanted the book for quite some time now, but other people did. If Quackity had killed Dream all those months ago, the server would be outraged at losing their free ticket to life after death. But Dream doesn’t have that kind of protection anymore, no matter how shallow it was. In this place, that’s numbed him to pain and broken him down, the place that’s rebuilt him into a worse version of himself, he is defenseless. His mother is dead, and his family of the past is gone. He has the Syndicate, sure, but they’re not quite family yet. Dream takes a shuddering breath, scrubbing at his face. His cheeks are wet. Is he still crying? Dream sits down in a corner, pulling his cape around him as best he can with his hands still restrained.

What shall he do now that the world is silent?

He leans on his side, facing the wall, and breathes. This place feels too familiar. He closes his eyes and lets a familiar kind of numbness creep into his brain, taking root in a place he’d tried so hard to keep weed-free. He shudders despite the heat and lets himself get lost in the inky blackness of the obsidian and his dark shadow bleeding together.

---

Sam finishes setting every lever in its correct position as the lava falls over the entrance to the cells. He sighs, dusting off his hands, and turns towards Quackity.

“So,” he says flatly. “You got it.”

Quackity smiles widely, brandishing his golden tooth. “I got it.”

“What do you plan on doing now?”

“Well, I really think this would be a great addition to Las Nevadas. Could really up the stakes in gambling, y’know?”

Sam quirks an eyebrow, but it doesn’t show through his mask. “But you plan on reviving Puffy first, don’t you?”

Quackity tisks, looking off to the side. “You saw what she did to Antfrost, Sam. Do you really think she’s just gonna act like everything’s all hunky-dory if I bring her back? No. No, Sam. She’s a threat to Las Nevadas if she tries something like that to us.”

Quackity pushes past Sam, humming happily to himself and tossing the book up and down in his hand. He waits for Sam to open the guards' access before stepping through, ignoring Sam’s sputtering.

“But- but that was the agreement, Quackity.” Sam steps around him, putting his hand out. “The agreement is that I helped you as long as you agreed to revive Puffy afterward.”

Quackity hums. “Well. You’ve also agreed to be a part of Las Nevadas, and as the power running that amazing country, there’s been a change in plans. And, I mean, come on. You've let me get away with worse.”

“Quackity, no, we’re- we’re… We are good people, Quackity. We can’t just-”

Quackity bursts out in a laugh, even wiping an imaginary tear from his eye for added effect. “You’ve really deluded yourself here, huh? We’re not good people, Sam. We haven’t been for a long time, alright?”

Quackity pats Sam’s cheek, giving a close-lipped smile. He slides past the Warden, through the open walkway into the main room of the prison, stepping up to the nether portal.

“Be a dear and let me out, though? I have some business to take care of.”

Sam swallows, stepping behind his podium. He reaches under the ledge, hesitating for a second before pressing the button that links the correct portals. He clears his throat awkwardly and dips his head. “You’re free to step through.”

Quackity bids him farewell and disappears from the prison.

Sam sighs, unbuckling his mask. As soon as it detaches from his face, steam begins to pour out, spilling between jagged teeth. He runs a hand down his face, rubbing over the bridge of his nose. Quackity… Quackity can’t be right.

Sam was a good person. He still is; he’s just made some mistakes and fucked up, like everyone else. This shouldn’t- it can’t change anything. Sam is supposed to be good; he’s the Warden, the protector; he’s doing this for the good of the server. Nobody can get hurt as long as the villains are locked up-- kept away from everyone and everything.

Sam thinks, briefly, about Dream’s tear-soaked face. He thinks about pulling down the mask of someone who used to be a friend a million years ago. He wonders, briefly, if a monster and a villain could mourn like that.

Sam can’t start this now. He steadies himself, gripping the podium until his hands stop shaking. He doesn’t know how long it takes for him to compose himself, but it’s dark by the time he exits the prison. Puffy’s body is gone, so someone must’ve taken her away to somewhere where she’d be safe. Sam sighs.

He begins walking home when a trident embeds itself into the dirt right where was just about to step. The deep, booming sound echoes through the flat area, making a few stray birds fly away.

“Sam,” a voice says, one that used to be so happy and familiar. Sam slowly turns his head to see Foolish stalking towards him, summoning the trident back to his hand. His lips are pulled back in a snarl, and he towers over Sam, not nearly as tall as his original form but obviously a bit too emotional to have complete control over his shifting abilities.

“Quackity just told me some wonderful news, and I think we should talk.”

---

It has been a long time since Dream has been truly, utterly alone. Even when he barricaded himself in his room, Techno was always just in the room over, Phil would be outside working, and there would be people coming and going in the cabin. Now it was just Dream, and he had nearly forgotten how much he hated it. He could already feel paranoia clawing at his mind like an old, awful friend.

He thinks if he strains his ears, Dream can hear the faint rumble of thunder, but he has no way to confirm whether or not he’s hallucinating things again. He shouldn’t be, not this early on, but Dream doesn’t know if he’s ever truly recovered from his last imprisonment yet. He wouldn’t be surprised if he settles back into the routine he had going before Quackity started coming in the next day or two. There’s not a lot to do in the prison, and the tiny bits of familiarity felt nice when he was all alone.

Dream rolls over on his back, trying to breathe deeply through his nose. His cheeks are stiff from dried tears, but he doesn’t have the energy to stretch his jaw. He turns his head, staring at the lava wall across from him.

His mother is dead. He doesn’t know when anyone will be coming for him.

What does the server think of him now? He hates that they all saw him like that. Weak and vulnerable. Maybe they think he’s a hypocrite for mourning someone so fiercely when he had threatened to do the same thing once. Dream sucks in a deep breath. He can’t start falling back into old habits now. The Syndicate would be upset. They want him to be better, but the itch in his fingers begins growing with every second in this damn cell.

He’d forgotten through all of the torture and fear how boring this cell was. For Dream, whose mind runs a million miles a minute, thoughts coming and going by the second, he would’ve described it as torture. He did, at one point. But he knows what torture feels like now. The hell and suffering that comes with it. He’d take the numbing boredness, bordering on physical pain and the ever-present drowsiness that comes with it, over anything Quackity has to offer him.

That doesn’t make it any less hard, though. Dream clasps his hands together, trying to breathe in and out slowly. He needs to stay calm. He’s been suppressing what’s happened over the past day, trying his best to block out the memory of Puffy’s body in his arms. Her last words that she never got to finish. She was warm, so warm in Dream’s arms. He lost her in the blink of an eye, falling right into Quackity’s trap and losing everything that made him valuable to the server. He had been dragged away from her, not even allowed to spare her life. Quackity probably just wanted to see how the book fucking worked.

Through Dream’s efforts to think about anything else, he allows thoughts of his old village to invade his mind. Curly, dark hair and a soft, deep voice try to soothe him, but it only serves to make it harder for Dream to keep himself together. He holds himself tightly, curling in on himself. He’d gotten comfortable, living with people who would live as long as him. He’d forgotten how mortal everyone around him is, how easily their life can be snuffed out, how quickly he can lose them.

Dream grits his teeth, muffing the frustrated yell that escapes him. He presses the heel of his palms into his eyes until shapes burst behind his eyelids, filling the darkness that seems to consume him. Hot, rebellious tears escape running down Dream’s face as he tries not to scream.

It's not until the first raw potato is automatically dispensed hours later that Dream loses it. He screams, and he cries, pulling at his hair and kicking the wall. He feels the throbbing pain almost immediately because Sam had taken his shoes of all things, if only because Techno had always wanted to keep him safe and gave him steel toes in his boots, which Dream had put to good use trying to get back to his mom. He hopes his kicks fucking bruise. He yells at the world for taking more than he could ever give, and he yells at himself for letting it twist and snap him into something he barely recognized.

Dream chucks the potato into the lava, knowing that he’ll regret it in the long run. He cries, and hours later, when he wakes up, Dream won’t even remember falling asleep.

---

Phil knows something is wrong when he checks his communicator at the end of the day to see a death message. Puffy’s death message. He quickly messages Dream, fretting over his communicator for the next hour. He doesn’t let go of it once, gnawing on his lip as he waits for something. Anything. Even confirmation that Dream has even seen his message. But nothing. Nothing changes. No response, no blips to show where he is or that he’s online. Nothing.

Phil takes a deep breath, running his hand through his hair. He has to go over and check, just to make sure nothing has gone wrong. (He knows they have. Dream hasn’t come home yet, which means something has stopped him.)

Phil throws on one of his lighter capes, bracing to face the chilling arctic night as he makes a mad dash to the portal. He steps through the community portal, weapons held tightly to himself. With a slight sound of disgust, Phil raises a wing to protect him from the sudden downpour covering the Greater SMP, scowling as every bit of him begins to be soaked to the bone. He won’t be able to fly at all in this weather, which means he’ll have to go on foot.

He runs down the path, glancing around for any sight of a commotion. When he finally passes the Badlands, he sees the scene of the event. There’s still a bloody patch of grass where Phil assumed Puffy was killed, making him bite back something vile. At least her body wasn’t left to rot out on the grass for the world to consume. The prison, though, looked suspiciously active. A lot of the lights and exterior defenses had been turned off after Dream’s escape, but they’re all on again, which makes Phil swallow nervously.

A quick look around reveals some disturbed soil in the shape of three trident prongs. Grass around the area is singed, as well, like they’d been struck with lightning. Looking up, Phil could tell it wasn’t thundering at all, so it couldn’t have been from the storm.

Phil casts a look over his shoulder at the prison one last time. He sniffs, readjusting his cape. Phil's brows set, and he begins running back to the community portal. He’s determined to find someone who knows a little more about the situation than he does, and he thinks he knows the perfect man for the job. The prison lights glow over the horizon, making Phil pause just before he steps into the Community Portal. He contemplates the brief horror that Dream is stuck in there again, determined to not let him rot this time. Dream will get out and doesn’t care how much he has to bloody his hand to do it.

---

Foolish leans back in his chair with his arms crossed, feet propped up on the table, and it’s obvious he isn’t buying any of Sam’s shit. He’s a much more reasonable height now, but he still wanted to make Sam feel small under his gaze. Thunder booms just outside the building.

“For the good of the server, huh?” Foolish quirks an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side. “Sounds familiar.”

Sam’s own expression hardens, and for the first time, he dares to look Foolish in the eyes. “It is for the good of the server. Dream is a danger- a monster. We can’t just have him running around free!”

“And what did my father have to do with any of that?” Foolish rests all four legs on his chair on the ground and leans across the table, setting a webbed hand on it for good measure. “What role did she have to play in this, huh?”

“Look. Dream forced our hand. He’s too dangerous running around with the kind of knowledge he has-”

“And you have it now, too, right?” Sam falls quiet, which makes Foolish smile. “So why not revive her now, huh? Ignoring the fact that you let her fucking die, why not bring her back?”

“Quackity-”

“Sam. I don’t give a shit what Quackity says. As you may imagine, I don't take very kindly to my boss flaunting a revival book in my face while also celebrating my father’s death. You’re supposed to have, what, a little power around here, right? What the fuck do you plan on doing about it?”

Foolish sinks back into his chair, staring down Sam like an insect under his shoe. He even tilts his chin up to look down further, adding insult to injury. Sam, at a loss for words, directs his attention at the intricacies of Foolish’s office. “I… can’t answer for Quackity’s actions.”

“Your lack of action speaks volumes, Sam,” he says. Sam shrinks in his chair. “Tell me, have you always just sat and watched as things went wrong around you?”

Sam stays silent.

Foolish’s eye twitches. He sighs and stands up, summoning his trident back into his hand. “Fine. Then I’ll go visit Dream in prison and see if this is really all his fault. I mean, if he hasn’t changed at all, I’m sure he’d be happy to rub his winnings in my face.”

“Wh- Foolish-”

“What?” Foolish whips around. “Are you going to stop me?”

Again, pathetically, Sam falls silent. Even with his position as the Warden, he knows Foolish outmatches him in every way. He could probably do more damage than Sam was willing to fix, so it was better to go along with it.

“No… I- you- we have to go by protocol. I’ll escort you.”

Foolish hums. “And Sam?”

“Yes?”

“I never want to see you at my summer home again. I was on your side once, but I can’t forgive this.”

Sam nods mutely, and they set off.

The walk to the prison from Las Nevadas was long and silent. Foolish keeps the same hard-set expression and the grip on his trident tight. It hums with enchantments under his skin, providing the tiniest bit of comfort to his aching heart. Both he and Sam are soaked with rain by the time they arrive. He doesn’t look when they pass a bloody patch in the grass, even though it's been mostly washed away by the rain. He presses the button at the portal entrance, watching Sam disappear from sight and waiting for his invitation to go through.

His answers to the questionnaire are clipped and short. It's nice to know he still has power over Sam, even in this place. The walk to the maximum-security cell is silent on Foolish’s part. He signs each waver and documents with a hard stare, keeping quiet as Sam goes about the protocol. He stands patiently, staring into the wall of lava as he waits for it to drop and reveal Dream to him. Foolish has his doubts, but he needs answers.

---

When the lava drops, Dream seizes up. His body goes stiff in the corner he’s lying in, too terrified to look over his shoulder and confirm his fears. But Quackity’s voice never comes, doesn’t echo off the chamber walls, doesn’t pierce Dream’s ears. Quality had taken a liking to making his presence known in the last month of Dream’s torture, and Dream doubts he would’ve stopped now. He liked watching Dream freeze in fear far too much.

He still doesn’t turn over when the person arrives at his cell or when the netherite blocks drop. He doesn’t want whoever it is to see him. See the way he’s crumbled after all these hours alone, with nothing but his thoughts and the memory of what’s happened. He curls in on himself a little tighter, cringing when his handcuffs clink together. Even with his new mask, he feels so exposed.

“Dream?”

Dream’s breath catches in his throat. His head snaps over his shoulder, seeing Foolish. Foolish, his brother. A God of Undying, a God of Death. Foolish, who wasn’t there to watch him crumble through the earth as his control over himself and the world slips. Foolish, who must’ve been easier to care for. Foolish, who replaced him. Foolish. Foolish, who was looking down on him with more than a little bit of concern in his eyes, but also an age-old fire. Dream feels something swell up in his throat. Maybe the relief from seeing someone so familiar. Maybe bitterness and anger from seeing someone who could keep their family, even after all this, but he tries to push it down. It’s not Foolish’s fault.

They knew each other, sure, but they were more distant than anything. They shared a parent and almost nothing else. Dream isn’t Foolish’s responsibility. He never has been.

“Dream.” Foolish steps into the cell, glancing behind himself as the lava dropped. “When I met you, I never thought I’d see you in a place like this, but considering what you’ve done….”

Because Dream is vile and nasty and lashes out when he’s scared, he bites back, “Like you have any room to judge.”

Foolish looks startled and turns his attention to the floor, rubbing his fingers over his claws. He looks like he wants to say something but gives up halfway through. “Look. I need answers. I know- you know Puffy is dead. My dad is dead, and everyone is telling me it’s your fault.”

Dream breathes for a good, long second. He tries to sit up, struggling when his hands catch on things and don’t bend the way he wants them to. He jerks away from the help Foolish tries to offer, settling against the wall. His wrists strain uncomfortably against his handcuffs, the netherite material digging into his skin every time he tries to shift.

“Why would I want Puffy dead?” He smiles wetly. “For the biggest part of my life, she was the only person who looked after me. She’s my mom. Why would I want her dead?’

Foolish’s jaw sets, and he nods. “Those were my thoughts too.” He sits down, trying to be level with Dream. “I don’t know much about you, I’ll be honest, you and I were never close, but… You didn’t seem all too interested with us, even when you were off doing... Y’know. But I need to know… why is she dead? What happened?”

Dream drags a hand down his mask, the other following limply. “Quackity wanted the revive book. He’s done worse before. I shouldn’t have been surprised when he resorted to killing off people when I escaped.”

“Worse?”

Dream nods stiffly. He doesn’t offer up more than that, which is concerning, but Foolish doesn’t have time to linger on that bit of information.

“Okay, yeah, I… he was flaunting it in Las Nevadas. How did he get it?”

“He killed Puffy, and I tried to revive her… He watched the ritual, but before I could finish, he-” Dream gasps, “he-”

“You were trying to revive her?” Dream nods. Foolish’s expression sets. “So. If he won’t, then you will.”

“…what?”

“You’re the only other person who knows how to work revival. If Quackity won’t bring Puffy back, then you will.”

“I mean- I- what is happening right now?”

“I’m breaking you out. Isn’t it obvious? After this, as long as you don’t get in my way, I don’t care what you go back to doing. You don’t look like you’re going to be manipulating or fighting anymore, and Technoblade is more than I’m willing to deal with, so I don’t give a shit.”

Before Dream can even process what was going on, Foolish is turning around and closing his eyes. Dream feels a spark of electricity burst through the room, something Dream recognizes as the brief moment before lighting strikes. He ducks, putting his hands over his head before a loud boom rings through the room. When he looks up, the lava wall is dropping, and the bridge is coming back over.

On the other side of the room was Sam knocked into a wall, clutching at his side and struggling to stand. The various levers lining the walls are all sparking and fizzing out. Foolish grabs him by the shirt, hauling them forward onto the arriving bridge. It fizzes out and starts turning back at the same time the pistons turn back on, spewing lava back into the room. Dream looks between the edge of the platform and the ceiling nervously, already feeling the heat of the lava on his face.

“Foolish-”

“It’s fine.”

They stay on the bridge a little longer, but it soon becomes clear it won’t make it to the platform.

“Can you jump?”

“What?”

“I said: can you jump?”

Before Dream can answer, Foolish picks him up and tosses him over, jumping across himself seconds after. Dream catches himself in a roll, skidding to a halt. Foolish steadies himself across the room from Dream, dusting off his ornate clothes and checking his tail to see if anything had burnt.

Sam gasps, trying to stagger to his feet. Foolish loses his loose smile, walking over with a weight in his step he didn’t have before.

“I’m sorry, Sam,” he says. “You used to be my friend, but there are things that are more important than that now. I hope you come to your senses, but until you do, stay out of my life.”

He punches Sam, knocking the creeper-hybrid into unconsciousness. Foolish sighs, rummaging through Sam’s pockets and pulling out his Warden key card. Straightening out his back and then turned to Dream. He removes Dream’s handcuffs, tossing them into the lava.

They take a second to breathe, staring at Sam’s body, backed by the ever-present flow of the lava. It bathes the room in a strange orange glow, bouncing off of Foolish’s metallic skin.

“Gods…” Foolish sighs. “Where did this all start going wrong? I mean… all of it. How did we get here?”

“When the server turned its back on me,” Dream replies, walking over to the wall of levers. He finds the one that dispenses potions, resting his hand on it.

“I mean, people kind of had every right to hate you-”

“This was a time before you,” Dream bites back. He breathes for a second, remembering what Techno told him about lashing out. He has to be kinder if he wants people to listen to him. “The server was new. Wilbur and Tommy wanted to make an empire around a drug van because I wouldn’t let them sell any of it. Wilbur twisted the narrative into something that was never me, and everyone bought into it. Everyone who stood with me in the war were the ones L’manberg had rejected. They were never mine to keep. Gods, I wish they were mine to keep.”

Dream stops talking after that. Foolish is looking at him. He can feel it crawling across his skin, and Dream hates it. He wipes at his cheeks under his mask and straightens his posture. “Just. Go stand on the shroomlight so I can splash you with potions.”

“You know how to work this?”

“I helped design it. I don’t know any of the Warden’s paths, though, so we’ll have to take the same one you did.”

Foolish runs into position, then happily trades places with Dream, so they receive the necessary potions. Together, they travel through the winding tunnels and long hallways back of the prison. They find where Sam had stashed all of Dream’s items, and Dream finally gets to take all of his belongings back and get dressed in something a bit more comfortable. After what feels like hours of walking, but in reality, was only a few minutes, they make it to the prison entrance. Dream opens Foolish’s locker, letting him retrieve all of his stashed items before turning to the portal.

“How are we both going to get through?” Dream asks. “Someone needs to stay behind to work the portal.”

Foolish hums. “I have an idea. Follow me.”

They step through the portal. Foolish allows Dream a moment to recover from the nausea of traveling through a Nether portal and then gestures for Dream to stand back. Dream steps into the corner of the room, watching as Foolish grows in size until he’s pushing at the walls of the portal room. He punches and kicks, using his body to create a large hole for them to escape out of. Foolish lands on the ground outside, giving a satisfied huff of hair. He then leans up to peak his eyes into the room, calling Dream back over.

“Take my hand,” Foolish instructs, “and be prepared to catch.”

As soon as Dream’s hand wraps around Foolish, the totem God shrinks almost in the blink of an eye. All of his weight pulls Dream down, making him crash to the ground and clasp his other hand around Foolish’s. He gasps, feeling his arms begin to shake as he pulls Foolish back up, placing his foot against a jagged part of the wall for leverage. Foolish hikes himself up as soon as he’s able, pulling himself up with his own strength.

“Whoo. I can’t believe that worked! Thought you were gonna drop me there for a second.” Foolish sits down next to Dream, who leans back on the floor. Both of them are gasping for breath, and Dream’s arms shake.

“Don’t ever do that again,” Dream begs. “I’m not… strong. I can’t do that again if you suddenly decide to drop something on me.”

“Sorry, sorry, I just thought you’d be… I dunno. You said Quackity had done worse to get something out of you, so I’m assuming that’s part of it.”

“Sam, actually.” Dream correct. He sits up, adjusting his mask. He can feel Foolish’s eyes on him, but he can’t identify the feeling behind the bright greed irises. He sucks in a deep breath, grabbing onto the wall to stand. “Let’s keep going. Who knows when Sam will wake up and start calling for people.”

Foolish nods, pulling out blocks and beginning to bridge to solid ground. From there, they hop onto one of the paths leading back to the community portal. Foolish guides Dream to keep going, so they run up a set of stairs and jump onto a narrow, icy path.

“Where are we going?” Dream asks, clinging to the walls of the path. His boots are spiked on the bottom, which keeps him from slipping, but his legs are starting to shake and give out on him.

“We’re going to my summer home. That’s where I took Puffy.”

“Wh-” Dream reaches out, grabbing Foolish’s arm. He’s thankful Foolish stopped because Dream would’ve been knocked to the ground if he had kept moving. He’s quickly running out of strength. “Wait. I don’t-” he gasps. “Quackity has the book.”

Foolish steps closer to him, holding a cautious hand out. “We should go there anyway, just to gather supplies, don’t you think?” He waits for a second as Dream gasps for air. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Dream heaves, and he’s not fine. It’s obvious he’s not fine, but he forces himself to take a step forward anyway. “We need to- we have to keep moving.”

Foolish looks at him, and Dream can’t quite tell what it means. Maybe pity, concern, worry that Dream will drop dead at any moment and the only person left with revival knowledge will be Quackity. Perhaps all of that. A messy pot of concern and pity for the person Dream is now. Dream pushes forward.

They make it to Foolish’s summer house. The first thing Dream notices is that it’s bright. So bright it hurts Dream’s eyes. Despite all of the lava, the Nether and the cell had been dark. It makes Dream squint, and he stumbles when he first exits the portal. It doesn’t help that he’s two seconds away from collapsing. Before he does, though, he sees a familiar, warm sight and almost begins crying. Phil is waiting for them at the temple, fretting over a letter with crows perched on his shoulder. They fly away as soon as Foolish arrives, which prompts Phil to look up.

“Foolish! Mate, I’ve been looking everywhere for you. I promise I’ll explain later, but we-”

“I already got ‘em,” Foolish smiles. Phil’s eyes snap to Dream.

Almost instantly, Phil rushes over and gives him a hug. It’s then that Dream’s legs finally give out, and he crumbles into Phil’s hold.

“It’s okay,” Phil soothes, feeling Dream’s weak arms wrap around his middle. “I’ve let Techno know. He’s coming home. We’ll be okay.”

Dream nods, hiding his face in Phil’s chest. Okay. He’s okay.

It’s only now that he realizes he’s out of prison for the second time. He gasps for breath through the adrenaline and the shakiness that’s consumed his entire body. His face is wet, so he assumes he’s crying again. He’s gotten so much worse at regulating his emotions.

“Puffy-” he sobs, and Phil shushes him gently.

“I know, mate, I know. I came as soon as I saw it.”

“Quackity has the book,” Dream cries into Phil’s chest. His fingers tighten around Phil’s cloak, and Phil’s grip tightens too. Phil looks over his shoulder at Foolish, who confirms Dream’s words with a slight nod. Phil presses his lips together, wrapping his wings around Dream.

“We’ll figure something out,” he says.

Dream goes quiet after that, so Phil turns to Foolish, sighing heavily. “It seems like we’re all exhausted right now. Do you have somewhere we could sit down? Somewhere secluded, preferably.”

Foolish nods. “I’ve got a place, sure. Um. Just follow me.”

Foolish leads Phil, with Dream in his arms, under the central archway of his temple. He produces a lever, setting it down on the edge of one of the many murals lining the walls, pulling it down to reveal a secret door leading down, further under the temple. He removes the lever behind them, ushering Phil in quickly.

“Just keep heading down,” he tells them, and Phil nods, quickly descending the narrow steps. His wings tuck tightly into himself as Foolish joins his side, glancing at Dream worriedly. Phil purses his lips. He’ll ask when they get to wherever Foolish is taking them.

As Phil walked, he turned his attention to the walls. Each layer had a different depiction of an emerald beacon, with everything still decorated and rimmed beautifully with gold.

Finally, at the bottom of the stairs, they reached a blank wall. Foolish activated some set of Redstone, pulling back the sandstone and revealing a giant statue decorated in anything valuable.

“This is my hidden… vault sort of thing,” Foolish supplies, growing in size a few feet and stretching out. “Nobody else knows about this place, and we’re low enough that we won’t show up on any local tracking. We should be safe here while we rest.”

“Thank you, Foolish.” Phil gathers his various layers, laying one layer of cloaks out on the floor and resting Dream on top of it. He takes off his second layer and drapes it over Dream. He sighs, resting his hand over his communicator. Techno will message him when he gets to the temple, so he just has to wait. Foolish begins working behind him, shuffling bits and pieces to the side.

“Gods. This is a mess,” Phil sighs. Foolish huffs behind him.

“You could say that again.”

“Do you know what even happened? Were you there?” Phil turns to look at Foolish over his shoulder. Foolish glances at him quickly before looking away.

“I wasn’t there. If I was, things would be a lot different, but I’ve heard things from word of mouth.” Foolish sighs, tossing a boulder to the side. “Basically what went down is that Quackity decided that he had a genius plan to get Dream back by, I don't know, threatening to kill people on their last lives so Dream would have to come out and revive them, I guess? This is all from Sam, by the way. And naturally, since I have a thing about killing, Quackity sent me off on a huge fucking project for Las Nevadas and didn’t tell me any of this until he came back flaunting the revive book and my dead dad in my face.”

“Damn.”

“Yeah. And now he’s refusing to revive her. So. You know.”

This is a mess. Phil knew Dream wanted to go alone and handle this independently, but he’s really regretting letting the situation get so far out of control. Techno probably feels the same way. He’s probably been beating himself up the entire time for letting Dream go alone. “Hey, Foolish?” Phil asks, turning his attention over to Foolish properly. Said man perks up, dropping a small pile of sandstone in the corner of the room.

“Yeah?”

“Why did you… why did you break Dream out? We know the fuckin reputation he’s got around here. Why the hell did you take that risk?”

Foolish looks at him for a second, pursing his lips. “Do you want the answer I’ll give everybody else or like? The actual reason?”

“Both would be nice, actually.”

Foolish laughs, ducking his head. “Yeah… both would be nice. Well, it’s kind of a mix of both? What I’ll tell everyone else is that he knows how to revive my dad, and Quackity refuses to, and Dream can’t revive her if he’s in prison, so. You know. The other reason is… he’s my brother. Half-brother. We don’t know each other all that well, but I fucked up really bad in the past, and he didn’t turn me away. So, I guess it would be hypocritical of me if I turned him away, you know?”

Phil chuckles, too, lightly. “God. The family trees on this server make no sense. He’s your brother?”

“Half brother,” Foolish stresses. He smiles, though, wide and toothy. “That’s what I just said. Do you listen to anything, Philza Minecraft?”

Phil shrugged, glancing back to Dream. At least he’s asleep and resting. Techno will be worried, for sure, so Dream taking some time to get some rest will be good for all of them. Phil sits down against the wall, draping his wing over Dream the best he can. Foolish sinks to the food across from them, crossing his legs and pulling them close to his chest.

“What happened to him anyway? He said something about Quackity doing something worse to him than whatever went down… yesterday? Two days ago?”

Phil breathes out a long sigh. He rests his head against the wall before glancing worriedly down at Dream. He’s wearing his mask, thankfully, but Phil could already tell that he had been nervous and sluggish before passing out in Phil’s arms. How relevant will Dream’s relationship with Quackity be? A lot because it sounds like they’re going to go to Quackity and get the book back. Phil’s ear flicks, and he turns his attention back to Foolish.

“I’m only telling you this because we’ll probably run into some problems with it,” Phil says. “Dream is asleep. Don’t let him know that you know or that I told you… His sense of trust is so fucking weak, and I can’t do more damage than what’s already been done.”

Foolish’s expression hardens. He straightens his back and nods. Okay.

“Quackity… tortured Dream. In prison. Anything you can think of, he did, and it was to get the revive book for a while. Dream hasn’t told us much, and we haven't pushed, but we’ve kind of figured out that at some point…. Quackity stopped caring about the books and just did it for his own pleasure.”

Foolish makes a slight sound of disgust, which Phil nods at.

“It’s… it’s bad, and realistically, Dream is probably still scared of Quackity. Quackity might try something, and it's our responsibility to stop that, alright? Nobody deserves that kind of shit, nobody deserves to suffer and hurt like that, no matter what they’ve done or how bad of a person they were, you know? When Techno brought him home, Dream was just this broken, bloody little thing…. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen, and you… you know who I am. It’s just… I don’t know.”

Foolish hums. “No, I… I get that. That sounds…. Awful. Look, I don’t care what Dream does after this, okay? He can kill Quackity for all I care. I know I certainly want to. As long as he stays out of my business, I’ll stay out of his.”

Phil nods. In his pocket, his communicator beeps. A message from Techno pops up on the screen, blinking slowly before the screen goes dark once again. “Techno’s here,” Phil announces. “I’ll go get 'em.”

Phil makes his way up the stairs, moving as fast as is reasonably possible. Techno will definitely make fun of him for getting breathless, no matter how many flights of stairs he scales. Phil’s wings flap gently behind him, pushing him up the stairs until he reaches the hidden door. He breaks it open, peeking his head out to see Techno pacing anxiously, clutching his communicator.

“Techno.”

Techno’s head snaps up, and his shoulders sag immediately as soon as he sees Phil.

“Oh my god, Phil, you have no clue how worried I was.” Techno walks over to the hole Phil greeted, dipping his head down to bump his forehead to Phil’s.

“I know, mate.” Phil wraps his arms around Techno, draping his wings over his friend’s shoulders. Techno returns the sentiment with a slight rumble bubbling in his throat. “Dream’s down here. We’re all resting for a second.”

Techno ducks into the hold, waiting for Phil to patch it up before they both head down the stairs.

“What is this place?” Techno asks, glancing at Phil quickly.

“Foolish’s summer home.”

“Who’s?”

“Foolish?” Phil looks at Techno, who lacks any kind of recognition in his expression. “My pen pal?”

“You mean the only reason we have a mailbox?”

“That’s him. Broke Dream out and brought him back here.”

Techno huffs, trying to hide the small smile that tugs at the edges of his mouth. “Better him than nothing, I guess.”

Phil hums. The rest of their walk is spent in silence until they finally get down to Foolish’s vault. Techno cuffs lightly upon seeing Dream hurrying over to him. Techno takes Dream’s face in his hands, pushing back his mask ever so slightly so he can check for bruising or injuries. He pulls Phil’s cape off of Dream, too, snorting softly. He checks over Dream’s body lightly, noting how his boots are laced up poorly, but nothing seems to be broken or bleeding. Techno falls back onto his haunches, huffing loudly.

“He’s not hurt at least,” Techno sighs.

“He wasn’t doing too great, either,” Foolish pipes up, catching Techno’s attention. “He didn’t want my help, but he was definitely struggling to walk at the end.”

Techno groans, dragging a hand down his face. He knows how much Dream struggles with touch, and trust, and everything else under the sun, but it would be nice if he didn’t push himself to the point of passing out all the time. He gently cards a hand through Dream's hair, trying to study his face through the mask. Dream groans seconds, shuffling slightly until he wakes up. He immediately flinched away from Techno’s hands, gasping sharply, head darting around between everyone hovering over him. Techno holds his hands up in a gentle surrender, moving himself to take up more of Dream’s view.

“Techno?” Dream asks.

“The one and only,” Techno chuckles. “Came as soon as I heard. What happened? Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

Dream shakes his head harshly. The best he can, he slowly shifts until his back rests against the wall. He flinches away from Techno when he tries to offer his hand, so he’s left to shift about on his own. “I’m- I’m fine, Techno. But. Puffy-- do you- do you know?”

“I heard,” Techno soothes. “I know. We’re gonna figure this out, alright?”

Dream nods weakly. Phil carefully drapes a wing over Dream’s shoulders, which he accepts. He shivers despite the heat but doesn't lean into Phil anymore than he already is. Foolish glances between the trio awkwardly, wringing his hands together.

“So…” He starts. “Do we? Have a plan? I mean, I’m totally willing to just go in guns blazing cause Quackity has really tested my patience for pacifism, but, like. You guys got anything in mind?”

Phil clicks his tongue. “You helped build Las Nevadas, right, Foolish?”

“Yeah! I got a huge portion done over the past few months.”

“Then you have the blueprints,” Phil concludes, “Or at least you know the layout.”

Recognition flashes through Techno’s eyes. “Stuff like this’ll keep happening if we leave Las Nevadas untouched.”

Phil nods. “We need to burn it to the ground. Cut it off at the source. You good with that, Foolish?”

Foolish nods. “Really, the only place I give a shit about is here. This place. My temple. Quackity let me die at the red banquet, he let the egg into my head, and he ruined what was supposed to be a sanctuary for me. He makes me feel small, and I fucking hate it. I don’t care what happens to that stupid country. Not after this. Not after what he’s done.”

“OKay.” Phil sighs. “How are you feeling, Dream? Do you need another hour or two?”

Dream adjusts his mask. Beneath it, he presses his lips together tightly. Destroying Las Nevadas means going to Quackity, being in his territory, being in unfamiliar lands surrounded by people who most definitely hate him. He doesn’t dwell on the fact that it isn't just the country that’s the source of this, not Las Nevadas. He can’t think about that.

“H- hungry,” he mutters instead.

“Oh!” Foolish paps his hands against his knees. “I’ve got plenty of food lying around! What do you want?”

It turns out that they have to go above ground to retrieve the food, so slowly, methodically, everyone makes their way up the stairs. Foolish breaks off to retrieve some bread and steak for everyone before they head off. They find a spot to sit on top of a statue in the courtyard area, keeping an eye out for anyone who may try to sneak up on them. Dream eats slowly, keeping his mask pushed just above his mouth. Dream should be fine having it off, Foolish has known him far before he started wearing his mask, but it just felt weird. It felt strange and far too exposing for today.

Phil and Foolish talk aimlessly about building as they eat and take this small moment to decompress. When Dream closes his eyes and imagines hard enough, he can turn the heat of the sun into how he feels when he leaves the house without all of his layers. When he’s so cold that he feels hot. He imagines that Foolish has suddenly decided to visit as he could see Dream and talk to Phil. He can imagine that none of this happened, that he hadn't cradled his mother on her deathbed, that he hadn’t spent a whole day riddled with the fear of torture or isolation or starvation again. Hell, if he thinks hard enough, digs back into his brain, he can imagine it’s a nice summer day. Catt is by his side as Robin runs in the grass. They’re somewhere the village people won’t find them.

Then Techno bumps Dream’s arm, and the immersion is broken. Dream opens his eyes and turns his attention to his friend. Techno chuffs, low and quiet, ripping off a piece of his bread and handing it to Dream.

“You alright?” He asks. It’s a heavy question, and Dream isn’t entirely sure Techno knows how much it weighs.

Dream closes his eyes and breathes. “I held her,” he says. “I held Puffy as she died, and I was fucking- I was dragged away. They wouldn’t let me do shit about it, and then they threw me in the fucking prison again. I can still… feel it against my skin. It was so hot. They took everything I had. It was just me and the obsidian.” Dream clenches a trembling hand and shakes his head. “It’s like I never left.”

Techno’s ears droop. He turns his attention away from Dream and holds his hand out, quietly, as an invitation. It’s something he’s done a lot, when Techno doesn’t know how to offer comfort or reassurance but still wants to give it. Dream takes Techno’s hand despite his reservations about it. It’s for Techno-- to ease his worries. Dreams can, at the very least, do that. Dream squeezes Techno’s hand with what little strength he has, and Techno squeezes back.

“I’m sorry, Dream,” Techno says. “I know we can’t fix, fix this, but… We’ll make it better. We’ll get your mom back, alright? And when this is over, we can go home and make things better.”

“We’re starting over,” Dream says.

“Well. Not all the way.” Techno tilts his head. A playful grin pulls at his lips around his tusks. “You’re still talkin’ to me. You’re holdin’ my hand. We’re not starting all the way over.”

Dream squeezes Techno’s hand again, softer this time. He nods and closes his eyes again. Better. Better sounds okay.

The sun sets, casting a golden glow across the temple. It reflects off of the countless collections of jewels scattered across the wall and statues, but it somehow isn’t blinding. Foolish and Phill collect their resources, and Techno creates a more detailed plan. Foolish happily supplies any information about Las Nevadas he can, including a secret bunker he had been tasked with building. “Quackity or the book may be in there,” he said before detailing the security of the bunker.

TNT is crafted, wither skulls are plucked out of ender chests, and armor is repaired. Dream centers himself as he watches the small commotion. The last time he’d ever really come together to accomplish something was Doomsday, where Techno and Phil stood at his side. Now one more person stands there too, and that makes the ache in Dream’s limbs a little easier to bear.

Las Nevadas is about as big and intimidating as it could possibly be. Thunder rolls in overhead as Foolish grips his trident. Everyone looks at the bright, flashing sign, reading Las Nevadas, proudly displaying the name like it was something great. Like this country truly was the haven it claimed to be full of riches and fame, instead of a cleverly thought-out plot to make everyone in the server indebted to Quackity.

Dream swallowed thickly. He knows that everyone is here for revenge, to right wrongs, to keep corruption from continuing to destroy the server, but he also knows they’re all there for him. They’re here for Dream too. The smell of gunpowder is heavy on their clothes, and wither dust covers their hands, trapped under their nails and staining the skin. The skulls hanging around Techno’s waist bump together with each step. Phil and Foolish each have their own weapons drawn, which the distant lightning reflects off of.

They all stop, feet planted solidly on the road leading straight up to the casino. Foolish had been through here hours ago, finding as many of the Las Nevadas staff kept here by contracts as he could. He warned Purpled and Slime to take the day off but keep quiet about it, and now they’re ready. Phil looks across at Dream and Techno, adjusting his bow and pulling an arrow from his quiver. Techno grins, looking back at Phil. He stretches his arms quickly, giving a small, satisfied sigh.

“Alright. Let’s get this started.”

Techno expertly throws down the soul sand base to a wither in the middle of the road. He grabs two skulls off his belt and presses them into the sand before turning around to face Dream.

“Would you like to do the honors?” He asks, holding out the last wither skull. Dream stares at it for a long time. He glances at the giant, shining casino at the end of the road and swallows thickly. All of this is for him, and his revive book-- for the peace that has been stolen from Dream again and again. It’s for the families he watched die and the ones that slipped through his fingers. It’s for the torture and the abuse. It’s for his mom and his brother and everyone and everything he’s ever loved.

Dream takes the skull. He presses it into the sand, and it doesn’t cringe at how it gives away or how he swears a small gasp is emitted from the sand as the skull is placed.

Everyone backs up as the sand begins to glow, and with a start boom, it explodes into a wither. It turns its attention to the group, gasping sharply as it charges its attack.

“I’ll lead it towards the casino!” Foolish calls, throwing his trident at the wither to catch its attention. “Start planting TNT!”

The rest of the group call out their responses at Foolish runs away, and it’s a blur of action after that. Everyone is throwing down stacks and stacks of TNT and Redstone, connecting each bit until they’re far away enough to be protected from the blasts. Phil laughs as the building comes crashing down into nothing but rubble. Smoke and dust pour up from the wreckage, only adding to the dark clouds in the sky.

“Let’s go join Foolish!” Techno calls and everyone follows.

Sam and Quackity run out of the building as Dream, Techno, and Phil arrive. Sam clings to a totem of undying, which makes a growl form in Foolish’s throat.

“What the fuck are you doing!?” Quackity yells. “Dream!? How’d you fucking get out? Foolish! What the fuck!”

Foolish downright snarls. He throws his trident, knocking Quackity to the ground, neck couch in between the prongs. He pins Quackity to the ground, ripping his trident out of the quartz stairs and leaning in close. Sam moves to kick Foolish off, but he’s tackled and dragged to the ground by Phil. Dream and Techno take over, guiding the wither to destroy the buildings, spawning more and more as they go.

“What am I doing?” Foolish seethes. “I am a God of Undying. I am a totem of Death. You picked the wrong fucking person to orphan, Quackity.”

Quackity swallows. “I’m the fucking ruler of this country; you signed a contract-”

“You think a measly little paper is going to stop me?” Foolish’s smile and wide and jagged. His teeth had never looked so sharp, nor his eyes so unsettling. “Nothing short of a soul bond could stop me if I really put my mind to it.”

Quackity breathes in a sharp breath. Beside him, Sam still struggles on the ground. Explosions rain down through the country, bringing down buildings and destroying the layer of false sand laid across the dirt. The totem Sam was holding pops in a bright green flash, and then Sam is shoving Phil away, newly healed and gasping for breath. Phil hisses sharply at him, spreading his wings to block out whatever sun comes through the smoke and ash.

“It’s over, Quackity,” Foolish says. “Give us the revive book.”

“You motherfucker-” Quackity starts, but he’s cut off by a sharp punch. He spits out blood, and his nose begins to bleed.

“Shut the fuck up.” Foolish leans in close, barely a hair’s width away from Quackity’s face. “You let me die. You insulted my home. You tortured my brother; you killed my fucking dad. Where is the revive book?”

“Wh- Dream? You fucking care about him?” Quackity laughs. “I thought he didn’t have anyone left on this shitshow of a server.” Quackity leans his head back on the front steps of the casino. It’s one of the few things left at that point. Quackity can see Dream running around from where he is, skidding to a halt and shooting a crossbow almost like it was natural. His chest swells with pride at the limp in Dream’s steps, though. “I guess I was wrong,” he sighs.

“The revive book,” Foolish repeats. He presses his trident to Quackity’s throat. “Or you die with your country.”

Quackity has always known when to call it quits. Maybe he held on a little longer than he should sometimes, but he always knows when he's come to the end of his rope. Why is it always with countries? There’s no loyalty here, in Las Nevadas, and Quackity knew that he knew when he made the contracts and recruited every member, but-- Seeing Foolish no, over him, angry, threatening his life. It finally sinks in. There is no loyalty here. Quackity’s lost.

“It’s in my ender chest,” Quackity sighs. Foolish hums, satisfied with himself.

“Did you make any copies?”

“No. Didn’t get the chance.” Quackity’s voice is nothing but a flat grovel at this point. Foolish takes his response, though. He calls Techno over, requesting an ender chest. Dream trails behind them, holding onto this weapon tightly.

Quackity takes the revive book out of Techno’s ender chest. Foolish yanks it from his hand, passing it to Techno, who gives it to Dream.

“This it?” He asks.

Dream’s fingers trace over the familiar backing of the book- the delicate, gold details and the rounded corners. He flips the book open over reverently, eyes and tongue tracing over the ancient language scrawled messily inside. The book shimmers with hidden enchantment, and a signature that isn’t Dream’s own but still tugs at his heart.

Dream nods. “This is it.”

“Good.” Techno slings his axe over his shoulder. Withers gasp and hiss in the distance. The country is burning, the buildings have crumbled to the ground, and the Redstone is destroyed. Phil’s feathers smooth slightly, seeing that they’ve got what they’ve come for. He hisses and snaps at Sam one last time before joining the group, offering his hand to Foolish and pulling him up.

“Let’s get out of here,” Techno says. “I think we’ve done what we’ve come for.”

“I'll just start again,” Quackity promises to their backs. “I’ll fucking come for you, Dream. I’ve built every single thing I’ve got from the dirt, and I’ll do it again!”

Dream pauses. His hands shake around the revive book, clinging to it with all his might. He turns around slowly. For once, Dream stands tall, and Quackity is on the ground, bleeding, broken, making blind promises for a chance at something.

Dream pushes up his mask, and he meets Quackity's eyes, no matter how briefly. He glances at Sam, too, standing off to the side. These people have done more to him than Dream can ever describe. He’d finally been free of them, was finally thinking about something other than the prison and the torture and the blood and pain and the hunger. He’s felt angry. He’s wanted revenge and to make them feel even an ounce of what they made him feel, but… When he looks at Quackity, Dream sees himself. Fresh out of Pogtopia, fighting for a cause he doesn't even believe in because all he wants is a little leverage. Something to get people to listen. The crazy, hungry desperation that comes with having nothing.

Dust swirls around them. It tugs and pulls at Dream’s warm cape, and with his boots, he’s stable, and with his weapon, he isn’t powerless.

“Find something that loves you,” he says, and Quackity falters.

Dream turns back around and runs to join his group. Techno slings an arm over his shoulders, supporting parts of Dream’s weight so that he can walk home like the rest of them. Foolish and Phil celebrate quietly, punching Dream on the shoulder with no actual malice, and they smile. He still flinches away from them and recoils at the touch, but he makes it home in one piece, and that’s all anyone could’ve asked for.

The people who love Dream found him. All throughout his life. It was Catt who invited Dream into his house, it was Robin who ran to them for protection, it was Puffy who took him home, George, Sapnap, and Bad who joined his team. It was Techno who came for him in prison. Phil, who pulled him out of the snow time and time again. Even Foolish, who came to talk. Understand. Kind mortals and ancient beings alike all found Dream at some point to love him. And Dream is better for it. So much better. He thought he didn’t deserve it each time, but he got it anyway, so maybe he did, and maybe others deserve it too.

When they get back, Foolish brings them into the main room of his temple. The air is thick with magic, almost stifling, but that isn’t what catches Dream’s attention first. Instead, it’s Puffy, resting in the center of a bright green beacon. Foolish puts his hand on Dream's back gently, giving an encouraging push forward.

“I put her there to keep her… healthy,” Foolish supplies. Dream nods.

Carefully, Dream walks forward. The room is large and empty, making his footsteps feel too loud for himself. He pulls out the hastily-made copy of the revive book and a flint and steel. Puffy’s body has long since stitched up and taken care of, which makes Dream sigh in relief. He doesn't think he could handle her looking so broken again.

In Dream’s hand, the book flips open, and the pages begin turning themselves. Dream whispers the incantation as he finally approaches Puffy’s body. He keeps his eyes on her as he speaks, making sure the world knows that it’s her he wants. Dream lights a fire and throws the book in.

A sharp headache pierces Dream’s head, and he blinks harshly before opening his eyes to the void. He floats for a moment before his feet land on solid ground. It’s wooden but has an echo that tells Dream it’s hollow on the other side. The floor rocks in a way Dream was familiar with once. He ignores his surroundings, though. He doesn’t want to know what his mother’s limbo is like. Instead, he just finds Puffy as soon as possible and grabs her arm, ignoring the water beginning to pool around his feet. She looks surprised to see him, but he just smiles.

“Hey, mama,” he says before pulling them back to the Overworld.

Dream wakes up, somewhat steady on his feet. Puffy stirs under him, slowly waking up. She hisses, touching her stomach before her senses seem to catch up to her, and she looks around frantically. Her eyes land on Dream, and while he doesn't know what she’s feeling, he’s happy to see her. He offers his hand scarred, pulling her up to stand. She notices his missing finger and the rough texture of his skin, but before she can say anything, Foolish is running over, yelling happily. He jumps into her arms, which she receives happily. Puffy spins Foolish around, smiling and laughing. She kisses his forehead as she sets him down on the ground, and they quickly get caught up in their greetings.

Dream takes a step back, starting when he runs into something. Techno stands behind him, and Phil is now at his side as they watch Puffy and Foolish reunite. Techno clears his throat loudly on Dream’s behalf, catching both of their attention.

Foolish backs off shyly as Puffy turns her attention to Dream fully this time. He wrings his hands together nervously, so Techno gives him a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder. Dream steps forward, meeting his mom halfway.

“Mom, I-”

“Duckling,” she cuts Dream off. He falls silent, holding his hands tightly. She slowly reaches out, cupping the side of his face. “I know you’re sorry, Dream. I heard you. I remember.”

Dream nods. Tears prick at his eyes.

“I’m sorry, too,” she sighs. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how that all got so bad.”

She tries to hug him, but Dream skitters back, hitting Techno again. She looks a little hurt, which makes guilt begin to fester in Dream’s throat. Before it can spill out in a string of apologies, Techno raises his hand, cutting through the tension.

“A lot’s happened that nobody’s been really filled in on,” he says. “But. Uh. It’s best to not really touch him.”

Dream nods shakily, and that only makes Puffy look even more hurt. Foolish even presses his lips together and looks away.

“Duckling,” she says. “Are you okay? Are- are you hurt? Did something happen?”

“Something,” Dream says, and he can't stop the wetness in his voice or the slight crack that breaks through. Puffy deflates a little, gently reaching her hand out. Dream takes it, and she pulls him forward, not quite in hugging range but enough for them to speak quietly.

“Are you okay?” She asks. Dream shakes his head but also dismisses the statement.

“I've- I’ve started dreaming about them again,” Dream says.

“Your village?”

He nods.

“Is that… a good thing?”

“I think it’s a good thing,” Dream laughs. He sniffs, wiping at his nose. “I haven’t thought about them in so long. I… miss them.”

“I know, Duckling. It’s okay to miss them.”

Dream nods. He’s startled by the soft hand against his back, but he turns to see Phil smiling gently at him, and the tension drains from his body. Dream is… so exhausted. His body aches from running and walking and sleeping on hard floors. He hurts from the obsidian, and his hands shake from Las Nevadas. He leans his head forward and cries, letting himself go limp because he knows someone will catch him. And he is caught. Techno takes Dream in his arms gently, turning Dream to lean into his chest. They’re speaking, with Puffy, probably, before he feels himself being lifted.

Techno keeps his arm under Dream, bidding his farewell to Foolish and Puffy. They’re all dusty and dirty, and they all need to get clean and sleep. Dream falls asleep on the way home, but he’s restless. At the very least, Techno is able to clean everyone off a little bit before they all head to bed to rest and recharge from the stress and the worry that came from the last few days.

Dream wakes from a nightmare barely two hours later, screaming and crying. Techno and Phil rush to his side, gently pushing away the memories of the prison cell and the overwhelming fear that he’ll be trapped there forever, caught in an endless loop that’ll never break. They soothe his worries with soft words and a cup of water until he’s finally ready to fall back asleep.

He still feels like a small part of him was left in the prison cell when he was taken a second time, when he watched his mother die in his arms, when the server did nothing but watch as he struggled. However, he feels the warm material the Syndicate’s love created pressing in to fill those holes, just like they have with everything else. A little bit of fill-in material that can close the gaps until Dream feels whole again. Then it can be wiped away and be traded for something softer. Nothing but a delicate coating of warmth and food.

When Dream dreams again, he instead is given a sunny afternoon with Catt. A kiss is pressed to Dream’s forehead, and there is no blood on his hands. No knife stuck to his palm like glue. For once, after all of the exhaustion, all of the fear, and emotional whiplash, Dream rests.

He wakes in the morning to a letter from his mom, asking to talk and for Puffy to become a part of Dream’s life again. Shakily, Dream accepts. He has a lot to say, and he’s not sure he’s ready to say it all, but he knows at the very least, he misses his family. His little, mortal family. Their mortality is so fragile, even with Dream's powers. The last few days have done more than enough to prove that to him. His bubble of peace may be shaky at best, but it’s defended by the strongest people Dream knows, which makes it easier to start letting people back in.

[uriahcantdraw]

Bunch o stuff from Clouds On The Horizon!

(and stuff no one is talking about for some reason)

SPOILERS BELOW!

So,i noticed that the collector looked really animated in this part, witch was honestly kinda cool! Also,he makes a fair point,Belos hasnt been to the Human Realm in forever. i wonder what will happen to him? But look at that bone jeez okay.

“No,not untill ive dealt with this one.”

I was already scared but now i am even more so.

THE COLLECTOR MADE BELOS PINKY SWEAR IM DYING-

Kiki did get demoted after all

I honestly love Luz’s new look

ALSO THE HISSSSSSSSSSSSSS UNDER THE CATTS LOL-

I was honestly kind of mad when i saw this,i wonder how long it will take this to hatch?

THE KIDS GOT SWAGGGG

Also,Hunter has litterally had a new outfit every episode

Looks like Gus kept Adrian’s illusion thing

THEIR HANDSHAKE

THEY ARE EVERYTHING TO ME

“Listen,I dont know if im a witch or a human. All i know is that im a copy of someone Belos made… dissapear”

well damn that hurt

Also Luz not wanting to talk about Phillip

JUST TELL THEM HUNTER

I honestly wasnt surpirsed when he said he knew about Phillip

WHEN THEY SLIDE IN UNISON I CANT-

Only 10 pictures per post,so the rest will be just text:

11:22 and 11:34:

I NEED THAT DATE NOW DANA GIVE IT TO MEEEEEEE

11:25:

When the Animation speeds up you know shits about to go down

11:40:

KISS KISS KISS KISS

FINALLY

“CRIKEY” LUZ WHAT WAS THAT

13:25

BITCH THAT AINT STEVE THATS LITTERALLY ADRIAN’S GLOVE

(See my pinned post)

14:05

ooo collector is coming back aggggaaaaiiinnn

They are gonna go down the:

“The collector was just another victim” path,aren't they.

15:36

Hey look! Eclipse Lake flasbacks!

16:04

I was caught off guard here,they look so different than the other characters,like they are in another style.

17:56

“Hush brat.”

BITCH IM GONNA SMACK YOU ACCROSS THE FACE

18:24

“Maybe he’ll make me the new golden guard!”

Kiki no. That is NOT something you want

18:42

LUZ BEING A GOOD YOUNGER SISTER LETS GOOO

“Belos has eyes everywhere”

(again, see my pinned post)

20:02

I should have noticed the clues that were left to show the switch

(i have reblogged several posts about that,so go look at them.)

20:22

WILLOW GOES APESHIT CRAZY

21:12

Welcome to the glowey eye club Alador!

21:52

AND HES DIVORCED

22:18

Amity was like: WOAH WTF DUDE YOU AINT MY GIRLFRIEND

22:45

LUZZZZ NOOOO

Final:

PLS TELL ME EDA IS OKAY PLEASE

Also,im curious as too what happened with King

[spitefulcrepechan]

Hey you! I wanna test your schematics!

Howdy ho, how is yo? The name be Crepe, but you can also call me Timidys (tea-mid-dees)

I'm a 19 year old trans demigirl, I go by she/they/crepe/spam/bee pronouns, I am Pansexual Demiromantic, and I love making OC designs, though this blog will be mostly where I showcase random cookie run comics.

Special Interests/Things I'm familiar with:

-Cookie Run

-Deltarune/Undertale

-Touhou Project

-Dandy's World

-The Grey Garden/Wadanohara And The Great Blue Sra

-Mad Rat Dead

-Magia Record/Madoka Magica

-Lobotomy Corp/Library of Ruina/Wonderlab

-Octonauts

-Transformers (specifically Animated)

-Pokémon

-Dave and Bambi

-Splatoon 1-3

-Genshin Impact

-Honkai Star Rail

Comfort/Favorite Characters

Strawberry Crepe Cookie

Amber Sugar Cookie

Longan Dragon Cookie

Timekeeper Cookie

Shadow Milk Cookie

Shelly

Vee

Tisha

Sudachi Sawa

Melissa de Vignolles

Ui Tamaki

Utsuho Reiuji/Okuu

Catt

Siralos

Bumblebee

Swindle

Latias

Genesect

Tapu Koko

Screan Tail

Celebi

Bambi

Expunged

Frace

Commander Tartar

Kin List

Strawberry Crepe Cookie

Amber Sugar Cookie

Timekeeper Cookie

Triple Phonebreakers Bambi

Sayu (Genshin)

Alina Grey

Scream Tail

Longan Dragon Cookie

Cloud Haetae Cookie

Shadow Milk Cookie

Feel free to ask me about

Art

OCs

Headcanons

Opinions on stuff

Random silly shit

Memes

Discourse

SOME THINGS TO KEEP NOTE

While I know I can't stop them from interacting, just know I am very against proshippers and thus would appreciate if they don't converse with me.

With that said, I firmly believe that one can seperate art from artist, as well as one's interests not defining them as a human being. I don't support or condone people such as RoxSerpent or Deep-Sea Prisoner.

Fairly vulgar, can get a bit reactionary, autism kinda does that to a bitch, if I ever make you uncomfortable You're completely free to block me though I do appreciate if you let me know if I'm breaking any boundaries- just know I can get fairly passionate on things but also very much willing to accept when I'm in the wrong.

I'm not super political, but I will say I'm all for human rights, am very much pro-choice, very in for legalization of gay marriage, ACAB, pro-palestine. I may not be super vocal about it but rest assured, I will drop kick a nazi-

Hope yall are having a good day!

With that being said, I hope you enjoy your stay!

[lonewolfel]

Fictober 2022 Day 6

Prompt: 3 - "That was not my intention."

Fandom: The Owl House

Rating: Gen

Relationships: N/A

Characters: Eda, Raine, Luz, King, Original Golden Guard/Grimwalker

Note: Part of an AU I have been working on off and on. Basically, it is where Eda adopts Hunter 5 years before canon.

Eda looked over at Raine as they walked to the CATT's secret base. She couldn't help but be glad that they remembered and were ok. She was kind of mad but she understood the feeling. 

Luz followed beside her with Omri clutching tightly to the human teen. Omri looked at everyone with clear distrust and fear. The poor kid has been through a lot the past couple of days. Luz as well.

King was in her arms. He had also been through a lot. He was a titan and not only that but the last one. Lilith was walking behind the group with Hooty attached to her back talking to Steve. 

All of this reminded Eda of the one kid missing from this. 

It's been months since she last saw the eldest teen. The last time she had seen Hunter was the early morning of the day Luz had that they all had been captured by the Emperor's Coven. Omri claims that he had escaped a while ago but Eda hasn't seen any sign of the blonde teen. Eda tried to hold out hope that he is still alive but it was getting difficult with the silence. 

"Is this everyone?" Luz asked.

"No, there is one more but he decided to stay behind," Raine said. 

Eda felt her hope rise. Maybe... No best not to get her hope up. She'll only be let down in the end. 

They entered the building. There was a pale teen with blonde hair. Eda felt her breath catch in her throat. It looked like...

"Hey, you guys are back. Where did you..." Hunter said. He turned around and froze. 

Hunter's blonde hair has been cut with his cowlick no longer visible. He had eyebags similar to when Eda first found him. His magenta eyes were wide in shock. There were no visible changes in scars but that doesn't mean anything with Belos. He was wearing an actual nice outfit that didn't look like he had thrown it together with his eyes closed and had to repair it multiple times. He had a red bird on his shoulder. 

A palisman, Hunter had gotten himself a palisman while he was away. Eda's heart kind of dropped. She had hoped that she would be there when he got his palisman. 

"Hunter!" Luz cried. She ran forward, with Omri forced to lose his grip on her. She tackled the older teen into a hug. Hunter stumbled back and looked really confused. It was good to see that he was still awkward with physical contact. 

King jumped from Eda's arms and flung himself onto the two teens. Hunter's look of confusion deepened. He awkwardly set a hand on both of the younger kids.

Omri looked unsure. He seemed to want to rush over to Hunter and yet he didn't seem to know if it was welcomed. Eda placed a hand on the boy's dirty blonde hair. He looked up at her and she smiled reassuring him. 

"Uhm...Hi?" Hunter stammered. Eda let out a chuckle.

"I was so worried. I thought you...I'm so sorry that was all my fault." Luz cried. Hunter frowned.

"Hey, I made my own choice it isn't on you. This wasn't your fault." Hunter said. Luz began to sob into the older teen's chest. Hunter froze unsure what to do.

"We thought that Belos killed you." King finally said. Hunter's face contorted into pain.

"I thought he would," Hunter muttered. Luz and King's arms tightened around the older teen.

"Why didn't you come back?" Luz sobbed. 

"I...It's a long story. A lot of stuff happened." Hunter said

"Hey, Blonde, we need to talk." Eda finally broke in. Hunter flinched slightly. Eda had to stop herself from frowning. Before Hunter's flinch at being called to talk was almost completely gone. Now he was back to the way he was 5 years ago. It hurt her heart.

"Uhm, sure." Hunter agreed. Luz and King let him go. He walked towards the grey-haired witch. 

"There's a room over there where you two can talk in private," Raine told her. They pointed at a room off to the side. Hunter looked like he wanted to do anything but that.

The two of them walked into the room. Hunter fidgets nervously. Hunter hadn't been afraid of Eda like this in years and it hurt. It made her want to go into Harpy mode and kill Belos even more than she already did.

"You're not in any trouble, Blonde," Eda said trying to reassure him. Hunter thou looked anything but reassured. "I just want to understand why you didn't come back when you escaped." 

"I figured you didn't want me back," Hunter admitted. Eda felt pure horror.

"What!" Eda exclaimed. Hunter flinched and began to fidget with his hands.

"Well, I figured since you had Luz now you wouldn't want a traumatized teen around," Hunter explained.

"Oh, Hunter," Eda said.

"I mean you and King were over the knee with Luz. I don't know I just figured that the only reason I was still around was cause you're too nice to kick me out." Hunter further explained. Eda rushed over and hugged the teen. He tensed up at the touch.

"That was not my intention to make you feel like that," Eda said. Hunter allowed himself to relax. "You always have a place with me, Hunter."

"Thank you." Hunter breathed. Eda chuckled.

"You don't have to thank me, kid," Eda said. The hug broke apart but they stayed close. Hunter had a small smile on his face. 

"So what all did I miss?" Hunter asked. Eda paused. How did you tell a kid that he wasn't a witch and was created by his so-called uncle? Eda remembered Omri's reaction. The kid was silent for a couple of days and was latched onto Luz so tight she had practically gained a new limb.

"A lot." Eda finally conceded. "I'll tell you after the Day of Unity." 

"Alright," Hunter agreed.