#dream and his niblings

[darthstitch]

That moment when Rose Walker shyly asks her Uncle Dream to read one of her stories as a podfic/audiobook.

And look, he was with her through the worst of the writer's block, encouraged, advised and inspired her in the creative process. Also, he was responsible for dragging her off to Tesco's on ice cream runs, having learned the lessons of lovingly bullying and caring about one's fam.

What? That was how SHE got HIM to finally have the stones to love on a Certain Immortal History Professor without fear of epic catastrophe. He's returning the favor, that's all.

So Dream of the Endless agrees and he gets himself recorded reading her book.

It's released on the usual platforms.

It's an INSANELY popular hit. Like everyone is now: WHOMST?!! THAT VOICE?!!! HOLY SHIT!!! OMG!!!

Rose, who wasn't expecting THIS kind of crazy, inadvertently adds to the frenzy by staying mysterious about her "voice actor who wishes to stay anonymous, thank you."

"Professor Murphy's" students are all dying because THEY know That Voice but he isn't confirming anything so they're like, okay, we love you and omgg you're gonna get eaten alive, thank god you have no socmed, we'll protect you.

[yandere--stuck]

would u ever write more for stanley.. its so dry out here.. stanation is suffering in a drought……….

You're so right, I'm so sorry, Stanation!!!!

---

💰 Stanley's obsession for you manifests into rocketing between pitiful internal justification for his possessive feelings for you and deep, deep self-loathing and disgust with himself while trying to distance himself from you. Oh, and who could forget, Stanley allowing himself to indulge in fantasies of you returning his feelings and living out happily ever after together. Ha, like that'll ever happen! … But, a man can dream, can't he? Just nice, sappy, romantic stuff, you know? Cuddling together in bed, making the kids breakfast with sleep still in both your eyes, watching the sunset together on the porch, and scaring off any lousy creep that tries to take what's his with one of his many guns. In fact, he may already be doing that last one.

🎲 Talks a big game and acts like a tough guy around you, but it couldn't be further from the truth - at least when it comes to you. In reality, when Stan's around you, he feels one second away from breaking and acting like a lovesick puppy. He feels like a kid with a crush! He hasn't felt this way since he was a young man! It'd be embarrassing if it, if you, didn't make him so happy. He just feels lucky he hasn't turned into a babbling, blushing idiot in front of you or the kids. That's for when your backs are turned. There have been some close calls, though. Like the time he got so lost in listening to you speak that he hadn't realized he'd started resting the side of his face on his hand while staring at you, hearts practically in his eyes. The moment he realized, he'd run off from you with a shout of, “Nonspecific excuse!”

💰 Stan is a bit of a collector, and that certainly doesn't stop with you. He loves snatching little keepsakes from you. Nothing you'd miss, or nothing you'd miss for long. Discarded doodles, forgotten gloves, change that had fallen to the floor unnoticed, and occasionally, your phone, to make sure he didn't have a competition. Everything he keeps goes into his study. He also likes swiping your unfinished snacks or drinks and finishing them himself - he thinks of it as an indirect kiss (yeah, he's gross, what of it?) And it's hard to admit even to himself, but he gets a certain thrill whenever he snaps a candid shot of you from one of the polaroid he swiped from stock for “store use.” That's not all, though! He goes through security camera footage and rifles through it for cute videos of you - ah, but hey, you're always cute, aren't you? He saves them all and watches them religiously. He also may secretly go through Mabel's scrapbook to find pictures of you and make copies of them for his own personal collection, always making sure it gets returned to Mabel seemingly untouched. It's probably the most organized collection he has! And, of course, he's put a framed picture of you right beside the one of Mabel and Dipper in the laboratory downstairs. It makes Stan think of an imagined, impossible world where you and he raise the two together. Your own little family.

🎲 Another fantasy he indulges in is drugging you up and keeping you hidden in the laboratory. It'd be so easy. You're so trusting of him when you really shouldn't be, when he doesn't deserve to be. It'd be so easy to steal you away all for himself. Gravity Falls is a weird town. Strange things happen, and they either go unremembered or unspoken. Sure, you'd be missed, but it's not like the police force in town would get very far. Heck, he'd put more faith in his grand-niblings cracking the case than Blubs and Durland! And, well, you stole his heart first. It's only fair. And Stan would take such good care of you, he knows it! He'd keep you all nice and drugged up. Maybe you'd be euphoric and clingy, or your brain too foggy to escape or do much for yourself, or maybe he'd give you something so that you're too sick to even consider leaving for the hospital lest your condition worsen any further. You'd need him. That's all he'd ever want.

💰 Stan is very protective of you. He tries not to be so obvious, but his temper had such a short fuse when it came to you. You were just so sweet, so nice, even to a scumbag like him! You were so good with the kids, always such a help around the shack, even going so far as to visit on your day off just because you liked the Pines’ company. Liked his company. I mean, how the hell could anyone think they're good enough for you? Nah, nah, nah, he's not letting any mouth-breathing idiots in this town try to make moves on you just because they're too stupid to realize you're outta their league! And if he even thinks he hears someone a bad word about you, he'll be up in their face, cussing them out and making threats (as well as very rude hand gestures.) It's embarrassing for him afterwards, though. He doesn't want to think he's losing control and becoming more obvious, but with how Mabel claims it was ‘so sweet’ of him to be so protective of you, he can't help but worry.

🎲 Stan gradually becomes more physically affectionate with you. “Accidentally” brushing his hands against yours, leaving a hand on your shoulder or arm for a bit too long, nearly embarrassing himself by wrapping you up in a hug in front of everyone. He just can't help it! He's… He's in love! He's in love with you, and he wants to be with you. You make him happy just by being near him. You make his life better just by being in it. He wants to hold you, hug you, kiss you, be with you, and keep you with him forever. But, Stan also knows he can't. You'd never agree to it, surely. No matter how much Stan wants to think otherwise. Old bastard like him, he wasn't good enough for you - but then again, he thought no one was. But he could take comfort in you just being near him (if you ever tried to leave, he doesn't know what he'd do…) That way, at least, he couldn't screw anything up. That's all he'd do, anyway. It'd fail, just like all of his other relationships and all because of him. He should know better. He should know that he's a fuckup, that he destroys everything he touches, and that everyone he's ever known has suffered because of him. He just… He just wishes he could be closer. He knows he's not good enough for you to love him or need him and that he never will be, but God, does he wish he was.

[thegnomelord]

For the 500 followers game (congrats btw) 9 with Price, soap, and m!reader???

Thanks anon, I went back and forth between giving reader or Price the piercing, but ended up with reader. I used some of @rodolfoparras old man price stuff as inspiration :Dd, play the game HERE.

Prompt: "You have a piercing where?"

CW: NSFW, M reader, sub bottom Price, sub top Soap, reader has piercings, oral, double penetration, body shots, light feminization of Price.

Like with most stupid ideas, booze was to blame. It had started out with just sharing a few drinks of Price's special whiskey after a mission, but knowing you and knowing Johnny, that quickly developed into taking body shots off each other. Price had been hesitant to do it but your and Soap's quick and loving, if a bit disorganized, kisses had swallowed his usual words— I'm too old, I'm not good at this, I— until he caved.

Whiskey swirls in the little glass, sparkling in the light as you pour it between his ample pecks, cold liquor forcing a shiver down Price's spine and sticking to his chest hair like molasses. Your hands ease the tension in his frame, firmly pushing his pecks together to create a deep valley you could follow with your tongue, the cold of the booze replaced by the little piece of metal piercing your tongue dragging against his skin as you slurped up the whiskey.

Your eyes meet Price's, your tongue sticking out to show off your piercing and the brown booze pooling around it before you swallowed.

"Bloody tease," Price growls, bringing your faces closer with a hand on your chin so he could kiss you. This is new; you have plenty of piercings but your past partners had soured the idea of wearing more 'extreme' piercings around them, but in this moment Price is happy you'd forgotten to take it out. The heat of your mouth contrasting with the cold metal, the 'clack' it makes when clicking against his teeth, the sensation of something foreign swirling around his mouth— it is just such a new sensation. One he is getting addicted to.

"Oi, don't bloody forget me," Soap growls, capturing your attention and your mouth the second you separated from Price, giving you a sloppy kiss.

"Wouldn't dream of it." You chuckle, reclining back on the bed just enough for Soap to pour booze haphazardly on your abdomen just so he could taste your sweat mingling with it. They were all half naked and sticky with spit, alcohol, and sweat, a heavy scent of heat in the air making you flush.

"Fockin' 'ell," Johnny breathes against your skin, collecting the last drops of liquor in his tongue and jerking up to kiss you, sharing the burn the whiskey brings. "That piercing's some'tin' else." He chuckles, suckling on your tongue and the piercing.

"Do you have any more lad?" Price asks, a low flame burning in his belly from watching his sergeants act like that.

"Got my dick pierced." You shrug without thinking.

Price sobers up real quick at your words, glancing at Soap as if to ask if he heard you right. "Repeat that," He says, his eyes narrowed. "You have a piercing where?"

You open your mouth, but Soap beats you to it. "Hold on," He shakes his head, a look in his eyes denoting trouble. "Yea've got a thing in yer knob?" He looks bewildered, then perks up. "Show it."

Your eyes swivel to look at Price to see a familiar look on his face; that uncertainty — same one your previous partners had. "I don't know..."

"Oh come on, I'm begging on me bum knee," Soap whines, tugging on your pants with a desperate whine, turning his attention to Price. "C'mon, back me up here geezer."

Price's eyes narrow at the name, but can't help the way heat flares in his stomach. There's a sort of morbid curiosity in him, wanting to know what your cock would look like with piercings, what they would feel against his tongue, how they'd feel inside him—

"Yeah," He breathes out, leveling his gaze with you, determination hiding the slight trepidation nibling on his bones. "Yeah, we want to see it."

You look unconvinced, but relent. Shuffling off the bed you quickly find your piercings and come back to bed, sitting on the edge. Before you know it Soap's in front of you, "Oh, don't go hiding now." He grumbles, watching your every move like a kid on Christmas.

"He's right," Price sits next to you, a gentle hand on your neck as he kisses you sweetly, "We won't judge you."

You breathe out a short laugh and quickly undo your pants, your hard cock springing free. They watch transfixed as you put your piercings in, a prince albert and an apadravya, the metal shining brightly against your flushed skin.

"Well fock me sideways," Soap laughs in disbelief, falling to his knees and taking hold of your shaft, "It's like yer cock's got horns!"

His words bring a laugh out of you, and Price chuckles along, the light atmosphere helping him gain the courage to sink to his knees next to Johnny, their broad shoulders keeping your legs spread open. "It is something." He hums, licking his lips.

"Stop staring at it." You grumble, not expecting Soap to swallow you balls deep in one go the moment your words leave your mouth. The way your piercings hit the back of his throat has Johnny groaning like a whore, bringing moans from your chest.

"Leave some for me you muppet." Price growls, yanking Johnny by his hair, a wet and lewd 'slurp' ringing across the room, your shaft shining with Johnny's spit. You don't have any time to breathe before Price leans in to experimentally lap at your cockhead, his breath stuttering as he takes you into his mouth.

It's the sensation of the cold steel resting on his tongue and Soap's encouraging but sloppy kiss at the corner of his lip that has him taking a bit more, wrapping his plump lips around your shaft and hollowing his cheeks to swallow around you, his own dick getting harder from your resounding groan.

Johnny joins in soon after, giving wet and messy kisses along the flesh not in Price's mouth, the difference in Price's constant pressure on your cock and the sloppy tongue bath Johnny's giving your balls making heat gather in your stomach. Hell, the sight of them both almost worshiping your cock has your mind fuzzy with desire, your heart fluttering every time you feel Price's inquisitive tongue swirl around your metal piercings.

"Shit," You breathe out, your fingers carding through their hair without trying to push Price down further on your cock. "I'm not gonna last long." This time you grip Price's hair just firm enough to lightly tug him off you, patting your thigh "How about it captain, want us to take care of you?"

A violent and pleasant shiver races down Price's spine, not at all aided by the hungry groan Johnny lets out. The last time you two had 'taken care' of him he'd been fucked within an inch of his life and been walking funny for a week, but fuck, had that felt wonderful. And not to mention that now he was given the chance to feel your piercings inside him.

Price doesn't say anything, only standing up long enough to take off his pants and boxers before sitting in your lap, your cocks hard and flush as they rub against each other. "Yeah," He finally says, his hands wrapping around your neck when you roughly fist both of your cocks, only to jump when Soap's tongue sloppily swipes across his puckered rim.

"Fock, forgot what an ass yae have Capt'n." Johnny groans, blindly passing you the lube before he focuses on eating Price out like he's Johnny's last meal, wetly slurping at his hole, his spit drooling down his chin and cock twitching at the way Price groans.

Price shivers and whines, his head falling to rest on your shoulder the moment your lubed fingers press alongside Johnny's tongue, cock twitching the moment your first finger breathes him. "Yeah? Like that Captain?" You put emphasis on his rank, pushing a second finger in and scissoring, spreading his hole open so Johnny's tongue can push inside unrestrained. "You like it when we use your cunt?"

"Yes," Price groans, mind swimming with arousal, low and husky moans falling from his lips with every brush of your fingers against his prostate, every swipe of Soap's tongue, the way you work him up to four fingers making his body burn with the stretch so pleasantly. "I love it when my Sergeants use me."

You smirk, continuing to stretch him open, uncaring of how much he shifts and tries to wiggle his hips in an attempt to get you to fuck him. "Hear that Soap?" You hum, feeling Soap's groan vibrate against your fingers. "We'll have to fuck him good, pump him full," You continue, knowing how much your dirty talk fuels both of their arousals.

Price is whining soft little 'please, sir fuck me,'s against your ear when you finally pull your fingers out of his spasming hole, even without looking you can tell his hole is clenching around nothing, greedy thing. "You get your wish now." You lift him up to position the head of your cock against his hole, letting gravity do all the work on the way down.

"Fuck-" He moans, head lolling back and heavy chest heaving for breath. You'd stretched him good, but he's unaccustomed to the way the piercings scrap against his walls, precum spurting weakly from his tip the second your piercing presses insistently against his prostate. "-so good,"

"Don't forget about me," Johnny grins, wrapping a rough hand around his waist, his cock nudging against Price's hole as it flutters around your shaft. "Here ah come," He says and pushes. Initially his body tries to resist, clamping down on your shaft you nearly cum there and then, but a few swipes of your thumb against Price's tip has him relaxing just enough for the constant pressure of Johnny's tip to finally slip inside.

A weak sound leaves Price's throat, mouth moving in a silent moan as Johnny pushes inside inch by inch, forcing his body to yield. You all stop to give him a few seconds to catch his breath, your cocks twitching inside his tightly clenching walls. "So good for us captain." You chuckle and buck your hips without warning, drawing a moan and a spurt of precum from him when your piercing brushes against his prostate.

"Aye, good fockin' cocksleeve." Johnny groans in Price's ear, following your movements and bucking harshly into his tight heat. You swallow Price's moans with bruising kisses, letting Johnny rut into him like a bull while you languidly roll your hips, abusing him with sensations that leaves him shaking and moaning, pathetic tears prickling his eyes.

"That's right captain?" You ask, subtly picking up the pace, spit and lube noisily 'squelching' as both of your cocks push and pull inside him, "That's what you're good for, taking us so well,"

"Yes, yes, yes-" Price moans, cock dribbling precum like a tap from the way your cocks stretch him, from the way your piercings rub firmly on his prostate, "-please, give me, I need-" He moans before he can finish, but you understand what he wants, one look at Johnny telling you he won't last long either.

Finally you two cum, and the sensation of your and Johnny's cum flooding his insides pushes him into his own orgasm, painting your front in white, watery cum. The both all but collapse on top of you, your cocks plugging up your mixed cum inside him.

"You alright?" You ask, brushing a sweaty lock of hair out of Price's hair.

"Yeah," He smiles, pleased like a fat cat. "Maybe I should get a piercing too." Price slurs, giving you a lazy kiss.

[cuubism]

Made in an Instant (2/5)

part 3 of Wish. Chapter 2: Dream's eldritch baby shower

--

Later on, Lucienne and Matthew put together a baby shower for Dream in the Dreaming. It’s very sweet. Hob invites Death, though by the time he does she seems to already know, he’s not sure how. Death brings Desire, Despair, and Delirium along with her, which Hob is a bit dubious about, but he can’t exactly tell Death what to do. Even Dream’s remade version of the Corinthian shows up, which Hob is even more dubious about.

They all meet in Fiddler’s Green, ostensibly to surprise Dream, though Hob tips him off beforehand because Dream doesn’t actually like being surprised very much. “Just pretend you weren’t expecting it,” Hob tells him. When they arrive, Dream doesn’t do a very good job of pretending, though he does seem touched. Lucienne catches Hob’s eye and gives him a little smile, and he realizes she was probably counting on him to do just that.

They set up on the grass under one of Fiddler’s Green’s large shade trees. For some unfathomable reason, the Corinthian is the one who brings cake. Hob doesn’t know who allowed him to be in charge of that.

Corinthian sets the cake on a picnic blanket. It looks extremely normal, which is only more unnerving.

“That doesn’t have eyes in it, does it?” Matthew asks skeptically from where he’s perched on Hob’s shoulder—presumably positioned there to keep Hob between himself and the Corinthian. Thanks for that, buddy.

“So what if it does?” says Corinthian. “It’s important for the baby to develop proper bloodlust.”

Seemingly unperturbed, Dream takes a slice and starts eating it with a tiny fork. Under the vanilla frosting, the cake is pure red. Hob hopes it’s just red velvet.

He’s too unnerved to eat any of it himself.

Despite the possibly cannibalistic cake, Hob is briefly hopeful that it might be a nice event. No one’s tried to kill each other in the first five minutes, so that’s a plus. Maybe things will actually be normal.

Then Desire sits down in the circle.

“Why are you here,” Dream says with open hostility, and Hob mentally braces himself.

Desire just grins at Dream toothily. “She takes after me,” they declare. “I can tell already. We may be enemies, dear brother, but I hold nothing but fondness for my little nibling. I will be Auntie and you cannot stop me.”

“Auntie?” repeats Dream with derision, but Desire does not seem put off.

“Indeed. I do believe we will be the best of friends.”

“Your influence can only be negative,” says Dream.

Desire waves a hand. “We all need negative influences in our lives. And you speak as if your influence will be any better.”

Dream’s mouth pops open in outrage, but Desire thrusts a gift into his hands. Not only did they bring a gift, Hob reflects, but it’s even wrapped. Babies make people so weird.

Dream looks at them suspiciously, then at the gift with even more suspicion, but carefully unpicks the wrapping.

Inside is a knitted baby blanket in the shape of a large red heart.

Dream stares at it while Desire grins at him. “For sweet dreams,” they say.

Hob thinks it’s meant to be at least somewhat mocking but it’s… kind of sweet, too? In Desire’s twisted way.

“Do not taunt me,” Dream says at last, glaring at Desire, and they roll their eyes.

“Can’t you accept one sincere expression of love?”

“Are you capable of sincerity?”

“Enough,” Death cuts in, and they both quiet. “I didn’t bring you to cause trouble,” she says to Desire.

“I’m not!”

Dream still looks suspicious, but when he looks down at the blanket in his hands again, Hob sees something soft flit briefly across his face. “If you are sincere,” he says, “then I thank you.”

Desire settles back, satisfied. Somehow, Hob actually believes that they genuinely want to be their child’s Auntie. He doesn’t know how that will turn out, though.

Dream sets the blanket in his lap. “Perhaps you should attend your own grandchildren before worrying about mine.”

Desire waves a hand. “Oh, we’re thick as thieves, don’t you worry. I gave Rose dating advice just the other day!”

Dream looks alarmed by that, as does Death, but before either of them can react, Delirium, who’s been bouncing in her seat, jumps forward and hands Dream her gift. “Open it! Open it open it!”

Her gift is not so much wrapped as it is… an immaterial swirling ball of sparkles. Dream takes it, and it hovers in his hands, then explodes in a shower of light.

Inside is a mobile hung with glittery fish, to put above the crib. Only it’s not really a mobile, because the fish aren’t actually attached to any wires. They just hover in the air, swimming around each other in mesmerizing circular patterns. Hob has to admit that even to his adult eyes, it’s… pretty hypnotizing. Almost trance-inducing.

“I made it!” Delirium says.

Unlike with Desire, Dream has no cutting words for Delirium. “Thank you, little sister,” he says solemnly. He sets it before him, and the fish dart up to spiral around his head, then return to their meditative spin. “You must come to visit, and set it above her crib.”

Delirium claps her hands in delight. “Babies have such fun imaginations!” she says. “Even I can feel them.” She throws her arms around Dream in a bear hug. He tolerates it in good humor, but Hob sees his tiny smile over her shoulder.

Everyone else has brought gifts for Dream too. He seems nervous about it, not being used to receiving nice things. Hob urges Lucienne to go next as he knows she’ll have been sensible about it—God only knows what Corinthian’s picked out. Hopefully just the bloody cake.

Lucienne gives Dream a newborn-sized onesie that says future librarian. Dream raises an eyebrow. “Claiming my daughter as your apprentice already?”

She smiles. “More an offer of babysitting.”

Lucienne is one of the few people in Dream’s vicinity that Hob thinks is actually capable of taking care of an infant. Everybody else in the Dreaming… he’s really not so sure.

“I thank you, Lucienne,” Dream says, and clasps her hands with a small, but warm smile.

Then Despair, who’s been keeping to herself so far, passes Dream a small package wrapped in newspaper. Inside is what seems to be a plastic teething toy shaped like her hook-and-ring sigil—though with the sharp hook suitably blunted.

Hob’s immediate first thought is will the baby even have teeth, which is insane and makes him wonder how prepared he actually is for any of this. But before he can ponder it more, Despair says, “When she is hurting, I can ease it.”

Hob’s been a bit leery of letting Despair near the baby to begin with. But from what Dream has said in the past, when she isn’t being pulled into her twin’s schemes Despair can be the kindest of the Endless. Hob is still wary of that form of kindness, especially when it comes to Dream himself. But he thinks perhaps he can see what Dream means.

Matthew gives Dream the book Quantum Physics for Babies, which he seems to have procured from a Waking world bookstore despite there most definitely being a copy in the Dreaming library somewhere. “Listen,” he says, “I gotta give the kid a better start in life than I had. Speaking of which, should we set up a college fund?”

“Hob can afford higher education,” Dream says placidly.

“Great,” Hob complains, “just put all the childcare costs on me, then.”

“S’what you get for knocking up a guy who’s got no money,” Matthew says, then immediately croaks in regret for having said that out loud, hopping several feet away from Dream.

Dream just gives him a look but doesn’t comment. It’s not like Matthew’s wrong, after all.

Fiddler’s Green crafts a flower crown of budding blossoms, and floats it down onto Dream’s head, which makes him smile faintly, touching the soft petals. Corinthian gives him a stuffed toy cat with a baby-sized knife stashed in the belly; apparently, it can be eviscerated endless times and will just repair itself. Hob had been expecting body parts so he can’t complain, really. An indestructible toy might actually come in handy.

Death doesn’t have a physical gift for Dream. Instead she leans in close to his side and whispers something in his ear. When she finishes speaking, Dream is close to tears. And Hob thinks he knows what she’s said.

It’s something he hadn’t even considered. Dream had said the baby wasn’t Endless, but Hob had still been assuming she was like, kind of Endless, some sort of ethereal nonhuman creature. To think he was wrong makes his stomach drop; he nearly grasps onto Dream’s arm for balance before the past few seconds catch up to him and he remembers what Death said. Presumably said. Christ, not even born and the baby’s already giving him a heart attack.

“I thank you, my sister,” Dream says, with more than his usual solemnity, clearly—to Hob’s eyes anyway—blinking those burgeoning tears back. Hob finds his hand and squeezes it, close to tears himself.

“You know I just want you to be happy, Dream,” Death says, cheery despite the heavy topic. Not so heavy for her, though, Hob supposes.

“I do.” Dream almost seems to believe it.

Then, Death hands him a package wrapped in brown paper. Dream reads the label, frowning. Then just stares at it, for at least a full minute.

“Dream?” Hob asks tentatively.

Dream picks open the wrapping on the package and opens the box. He lifts out a child’s art kit, finger paints and crayons and so on. He doesn’t say anything.

Desire looks pale. “Is that from—?”

“Brother!” Delirium squeals, and snatches not the gift itself, but the wrapping from Dream’s hands. She turns it over, lifts it above her head to look at the underside, tilting her head and frowning. “No address.”

“Where did you get this?” Dream demands of Death.

“It was left on the doorstep, so to speak,” Death says, then doesn’t elaborate further.

Hob almost doesn’t want to ask, given their reactions, but he’s dying with curiosity. “Who is it from, then?”

“Our brother,” Dream says. It might as well be a sentence to death for the way he intones it.

Oh. Hob has heard about this. Or at least, he’s heard Dream say there are seven Endless and then only talk about six. He’s heard the space around that name.

“He’s not coming, though,” says Despair, twisting the lank strands of her hair between her fingers.

“I don’t think so,” says Death.

“Why would he do this?” Desire demands. “If you’re gonna stay away then just stay away.”

“But family,” says Delirium. She’s still holding the crumpled gift wrapping in despondent hands.

Desire snorts. “What family?”

“I’m sure he has his reasons,” Death says, defusing the argument. “Whatever they may be, he clearly wants to show he cares. I think we should leave it at that.”

Neither Desire nor Delirium look like they want to ‘leave it at that,’ but Delirium only fidgets nervously and Desire huffs, rolling their eyes, when Death casts them a look, but ultimately stays quiet. Meanwhile Dream has set the art kit down on the grass before him and is studying it, brow pinched. Hob rests a hand on his lower back.

“We will not solve the matter now,” Dream finally says.

The art kit vanishes, whisked away by dream sand to Dream’s chambers, or possibly deposited somewhere in Hob’s flat, it’s hard to be certain. Hob’s unsure whether it will make another appearance. Dream doesn’t seem like he’s quite ready to deal with that yet, and knowing him, their daughter will be as old as Hob before he is.

Gradually, the tension dissipates. Delirium folds the wrapping paper into a flower and tucks it behind her ear. Desire pulls the entire rest of the cake towards themself and starts picking at the frosting with their fingers. Despair joins in soon after.

Lucienne gathers herself and tries to rally them all. “Any other gifts?” she says.

“Hob’s gift! Hob’s gift!” Delirium chants.

Indeed, Hob is the only one left who hasn’t gone. Before he can even speak, Desire smiles slyly. “Hob doesn’t need a gift. He already gave Dream his sperm.”

“Desire!” Dream and Death say simultaneously.

“Wrow,” drawls Corinthian. “Let’s hear more about that.”

“Let’s not.” Lucienne glares at Corinthian. How she survives this on a daily basis, Hob really doesn’t know.

“Let’s not,” he agrees, and Corinthian grins at him with all three of his mouths. Hob shudders, but ignores the nightmare in favor of pulling a gift box from the fabric of the Dreaming.

He’s gotten better at manipulating the Dreaming. He’s pretty sure he even managed to hide his gift from Dream despite it being in the Dreaming the whole time and made of dream stuff.

Indeed, Dream takes the box, eyes widening in surprise as touch reveals its origins. He opens it and takes out a small rectangle, somewhat akin to a mobile phone in appearance. He tilts his head, studying it. Hob taps it, and the screen lights up, showing a camera view of the spare room in Hob’s flat they’d converted into a nursery.

“It’s a baby monitor,” he explains. “Has sound, too.”

Hob knows plenty well that, while he might be able to convince Dream to take some time off after the baby is born, Dream isn’t going to be able to just be with them all the time, even if he wants to. His job is too all-encompassing and too important. And Dream won’t complain about it, because he never does, but he will be sad about it, and he will worry about his baby when he’s not there. Hob just knows it.

Hence, the dream baby monitor that’s connected to the Waking world. Dream can, of course, look in on Hob via dreams if he needs to, or send Matthew to the Waking to be his eyes from afar, but he’s not omniscient, he can’t just know what’s going on in their flat. Except now he can.

“Getting it to connect to the one in my flat was the tricky bit, but I think I’ve managed it,” he says, and Dream turns to look at him.

“You made this?” he says.

Hob scratches the back of his neck. “Well, the Dreaming was inclined to help, I think.”

Lucienne is smiling. Death, too. Dream just keeps staring at him, perplexed, or surprised, Hob’s not sure.

He nudges Dream in the side. “I wanted you to be able to see her.”

“To see her,” Dream echoes. He looks again at the screen of the baby monitor. Touches the dream-glass with a light fingertip. His eyes shine, but he doesn’t cry—he never does in front of his subjects, and rarely does even in front of Hob. Hob rubs his back.

“Thank you,” Dream finally says, quietly, and tucks the baby monitor carefully into the inner infinity of his coat. “You have become quite adept at dreaming, it seems.”

Then he lifts Hob’s hand to his mouth and kisses his palm.

Delirium makes a squealing, cooing sound. So does Corinthian, but mockingly. Hob’s pretty sure he hears Desire gag.

But as usual, he only has eyes for Dream, and cradles his cheek in his palm, thumbing over the corner of his mouth. Dream’s eyes hold promises for later that needn’t be spoken in present company. But above all is the love there, the devotion, the promise that is the two of them. 

“Can we please open the wine now?” Desire begs, and the tension is broken, but Hob catches Dream’s gaze intermittently throughout the rest of the afternoon, and he knows what he sees there, subtle though it is. It’s happiness.

“He loved it,” Hob tells Lucienne later, when the group’s mostly dispersed.

She smiles, quietly pleased. “I know.”

[loveislarryislove]

this brokenness inside me might start healing

by LiveLaughLoveLarry/@loveislarryislove– 29k with art by @becomeawendybird for the @onedirectionbigbang

Louis grew up in a tiny town, where everyone knew everyone -- or at least, they think they do. Then he left, and became a successful singer-songwriter, a star that everyone in the country knows -- or at least, they think they do. But when Louis returns home for the birth of his first nibling, he meets a librarian who doesn't know him at all. And that's all Louis could ask for.

“I remember when you were a teenager," Miss Susan says, "telling me all the things you wanted to accomplish, the places you wanted to go. And I’ve seen a lot of kids, with a lot of big dreams – but you were different. You had this… quiet energy, this determined certainty. When you told me all you were going to do, I believed you.” She smiles, spreading her arms. “And now here you are.” Here he is indeed, Louis thinks bitterly. Back where he started. His dreams on pause, his future uncertain. His whole identity built out of secrets and half-truths, while everyone thinks they know exactly who he is. He left to find himself, he came home to find himself, and yet – here he is, feeling more lost than ever before.

[1dcommunityficrecs]

Long Distance Fic Recs

I didn't know this would happen when I picked this theme, but my fiancée spent the last week away at her sister's -- celebrating a new nibling! So an exciting time, but I definitely missed her, even for only a few days. So really feeling this list of long distance recs, loving each other despite the miles and yearning to be reuinited. Here are seven amazing fics!

Baby, I'm Right Here by FallingLikeThis/suddenclarityharry (8186, Explicit, Louis Tomlinson/Harry Styles) – fic post

Leave it to Harry to not realize he's in love with his friend until they're living in different hemispheres. It takes a date with a lovely guy who just isn't HIS lovely guy for Louis to finally say what they've both been thinking.

Reccer says: I love their easy back and forth banter and the comfortable solidness of their friendship. And when that transitions into romance -- beautiful. I'm always a fan of a meddling Niall, too, even if he's meddling in a different way than usual here!

Danger I can’t hide by CelticSky (227290, Explicit, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

Flying Officer Styles and Sergeant Tomlinson would have likely never crossed paths in a time of peace, their lives laid out neatly, predictably before them. But then the world became unrecognisable. Too soon they grew accustomed to fear, surrounded by death and destruction, not even their freedom a certainty any more. Until they found eachother. Comfort. Companionship. Understanding. Another person to lose.

Reccer says: In my opinion, this fic is the masterpiece of 2023. It's one of those fics that should be a movie. It's perfect. The script is masterful. The story is gripping. The characters are masterfully constructed. There's emotion, anguish. It's beautiful. It's powerful. A gem.

Du är mitt livs kärlek (You are the love of my life) by goldenkinglouis (1749, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

Harry finally meets Louis at the airport after six months of long-distance love.

Reccer says: This fic is so sweet my teeth hurt and I just want more. So adorable and romantic and full of love.

From Eight Until Late, I Think About You by supernope (35227, Explicit, Louis Tomlinson/Harry Styles)

Louis and Harry are both YouTubers, and if they didn't want all their viewers to ship them they should maybe stop flirting in the comments of each other's videos. They don't live all that far apart in miles, but it still takes almost a year for them to meet in person. When they're paired up as roommates at a YouTube meetup, there is NOT only one bed, but that doesn't stop them.

Reccer says: I always love watching a relationship build and grow, and this fic does it beautifully. From joking comments to texting to Snapchat to meeting up (and promptly making VERY questionable but hysterically funny decisions together) it's just great.

miles away from seeing you by LiveLaughLoveLarry (SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFic) (1749, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

Harry is in his final year studying marine biology, and is doing an international exchange at the University of Auckland. This fic is entirely told through images of social media posts and conversations (Image descriptions are available)

Reccer says: it was the first all-media fic i've read, but i was impressed how the entire story/feelings etc came across in just pictures

seven hours behind by justanothershadeofblue (5000, Explicit, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry gets Louis off over the phone during Louis’ first tour.

Reccer says: Really fun slice-of-tour-life fic, and also hot!

the blue never ending sky by justanothershadeofblue (4000, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

a heart-aching AU where Harry and Louis had a dream to go off and make music together after school, but then Harry goes… without Louis. Louis PoV, with an epistolary element.

Reccer says: this fic is simple but perfectly angsty! you don’t see a lot of ambiguous-ending fics in this fandom, but this one nails it.

[chaosclimber]

receptionist

“...for the love of…” Hob muttered under his breath, then glanced back up at the receptionist. “No, I don’t have an appointment, I’m not here professionally. Desire is my sibling-in-law, and they’ve got my child today. I’m just picking Orpheus up. You’ve seen my ID, what can possibly be the hold up?”

“Mx Aeturnus was very clear that they’d receive no visitors today–”

“Because they’re spending time with their nibling!” Hob’s exasperation was reaching a boiling point. “C’mon. Please, ring up and ask them, if you don’t want to just let me in. I promise you, I am not trying to monopolize their creative energies, or do…paparazzi…things…or whatever it is you think I could be doing!”

She sighed audibly, then pressed the intercom button. “Yes, Mx Aeturnus? There’s a….Robert….here to see you.”

“I told you, no visitors, Brenda.” 

Robert.  Dammit, she had to use the proper name. No one ever called him Robert unless he was in trouble. Hell, he doubted Desire even knew that was what Hob was short for. He took a few steps away, and dialed Dream’s number. 

“...Not that I’m not happy to hear from you, Hob, but whyever are you calling?”

“Call or text your sibling, let them know I’m stuck in the lobby of their apartment.” 

There was a moment of silence, the slight crackling of the line the only noise as Dream absorbed the request. “...You cannot be stuck there. You’ve got your ID.”

“We’re not married, yet, love, so my name means nothing to those that care. And when she buzzed up to check with Desire, she just said Robert. Not Hob, not even Mr. Gadling–which, I think Desire would have recognized. Just Robert.” 

The wince was practically audible. “You poor darling. I shall inform my sibling of your arrival. Are you prepared to withstand the indignities of being addressed by your full name further? Desire will weaponize it now that they know it.”

“I don’t suppose I have a choice?”

“None.” There was very much a low rumble in his voice, notes of wry amusement that avoided coming out as laughter. 

“Damn.” Hob smiled lightly even as he said it. “Alright, I’ll let you go so you can pester your sibling on my behalf. We’ll see you when we get home.”

“Alright. I love you. Tell Orpheus I love him, as well.”

“I will. I love you, too.” He hung up.

Exactly three minutes later, the intercom crackled to life once more. “You didn’t say it was Robert Gadling, Brenda. My brother’s paramour is always welcome~” 

Paramour, huh? Well, at least he was welcomed. 

@domaystic

crossposted to AO3

[thicctails]

Gravity Falls is finally popping off again, so naturally my obsession with it has been dragged out from deep within me and thrust to the front of my mind, so here's a collection of various au ideas i have.

Explanations below! Contains Book of Bill Spoilers!!

A different form, a different time: Due to a widescale time and space fuck up, both Bill Cipher and the Axolotl get reincarnated (temporarily?) as humans. Specifically as older teens/very young adults. Hot topic wannabe and pink gumball son of a bitch must learn to navigate the hell that is mortality and human puberty as they set out on a road trip to try and reach the only place they can think of to find answers: Gravity Falls.

Obligatory dragon au: exactly what it says on the tin.

Time Stuck... with a twist: Something goes horribly wrong with the Time tape, resulting in Mabel, Dipper, and a 12 year old Billy Cipher being sent to the 80's. Trapped in the past/future, depending on who you ask, the preteens end up on the run with a mullet-wearing grifter with a familiar face, and must learn to work together to set things right. However, having two Bills' will make things much harder than usual, especially since one absolutely adores his star-marked humans and their weird Larger Human, while the other wants nothing more than to watch them burn.

Monster Falls but they're both Unitaurs: Mabel and Dipper are twins, let them be the same monster you cowards.

Under the Falls: This is one of my older ones! Its a strange little mer! au, where a younger Stan and Ford must take in their niblings after a monster hunter slaughters the rest of their family. Baby mers cant disguise themselves, so they must stay in the nearby lake. Luckily, their cat-eyed deer friend is more than happy to keep them company, and take them on Non-Grunkle-Approved adventures.

I Grow Maddened (From Grief): In the Book of Bill, we learn that Mabel and Dipper don't make it to 13 in pretty much every other timeline. Now, Bill 100% could be bullshitting, but i like to think thats its at least partially true: Dippers and Mabels don't tend to last in the Multiverse. But what about their Grunkles? Surely there are quite a few timelines where one set of twins is left to mourn the other.

This au follows a Ford that lost his Dipper and Mabel to a dangerous creature that escaped confinement while he was distracted by his work. It managed to also near fatally wound Stanley and nearly take one of Ford's eyes before he managed to kill it, leaving him with two dead family members and his twin on the brink. Consumed by guilt and refusal to live in a world without his beloved niblings, Ford set Stanley up on cryogenic life support and managed to lie his way into more time by convincing the twin's parents that both of them would be more successful under his tutelage.

Once everything was in place, he threw himself back into the multiverse (this time with a way back) and began hopping through other timelines, looking for the perfect replacements for his missing family. Man spirals hard, eventually deciding that the twins, when he gets them back, would not be leaving his and Stanley's sides again, because his twin is also not leaving. After all, their parents clearly dont value them like they should, and Ford knows that it will be easy to remove any memory of the twins all together.

Euclid + Scalene live (and get better children): Somehow spared from the genocide of their entire dimension, the deeply wounded Cipher parents eventually find themselves inexplicably drawn to a little backwater planet. The two find themselves becoming attached to a pair of twins that seem blessed by the Axolotl itself, and although their last child had caused violence on a previously unseen scale, both Euclidians find that they want to try again. The Ciphers become mostly unseen guardians to the little Pines, content to simply watch over them and bring them sweet dreams while they struggle to hold themselves together.

Then Bill shows up, and everything goes to shit.

[jessicamdawn]

The "We Are" Couples and Kids

Tan and Fang adopt a baby girl. The first time she cries when Fang is the only one home, Fang panics and calls Tan for help. Tan talks him through checking the reasons she's upset and, in a few minutes, she's happy in her father's arms.

Fang is the parent she takes her first steps with, and the one she curls up with to take a nap or watch a movie. Tan is the one who hypes her up, makes eating food she doesn't like or doing things she doesn't want to do into a fun game.

She's a loud girl, but she's proud and confident and pursues her dreams without hesitation.

Even into high school and college, Fang is the parent she is most comfortable going to with personal problems--not because she doesn't trust Tan, but because Fang is less likely to suggest truly outlandish solutions.

-

Phum and Peem adopt a ten-year-old boy. He's rough and angry at being abandoned, and the guys wonder if they made the right choice a lot in the first year. But Phum understands where he's coming from and talks to him a lot, and Peem's general calm and security comfort him as much as it ever comforted his friends.

He learns to paint from his dad, but Q teaches him to play guitar and Toey teaches him to skateboard.

He gets a lot of penguin-themed gifts from Pun every time they meet. He stops being scared of dentists and doctors because they always go see Chain.

Tan and Fang help him find ways to get his anger out that isn't punching, and trust him to babysit their little girl.

Mick and Matt buy him video games and play them with him. Beer teaches him to cook, since neither of his dads are very good still.

The kid has more family than he knows what to do with, and it's comforting, and it's warm, and he loves every minute of it.

-

Pun and Chain don't adopt kids. They adopt animals. Or, Pun keeps finding hurt animals on his way home from work and, as long as they're not a wild animal, Chain never has the heart to tell him no.

They end up with cats and dogs named Emperor, King, Gentoo, Humbolt, and Rock--all after types of penguins, obviously. They are the most spoiled pets any of the friend group have ever met, since Chain and Pun spend more money on them than the others do on their kids.

-

Q and Toey don't adopt, but love being uncles to everyone else's kids (or animals). They buy their niblings gifts, babysit, take the kids to events and theme parks. The others tease them for spoiling the kids rotten, but they just stick out their tongues and spoil the kids a bit more.

[vendetta-if]

Same anon as the gushing, but I don't know how to spoiler text things. Did Luka hook up with Skylar's dad (Mayor Marsh can't remember his first name) during the Halloween story? I love a puzzle. If he did, he must have been good. (Way to go Uncle Luka) A BMW is a big birthday gift.

Heyy, I’m so glad someone tried to figure out the little easter egg I put in the Halloween Side Story 🤭 It’s a good guess and it would’ve been funny if it was Skylar’s dad, but unfortunately, Mayor Moore doesn’t swing that way.

Marsh is actually the corrupt police commissioner guy that MC (or Ash) assassinated in Chapter 3 😆 It was simply a one night stand thing and I doubt any of them even thought about it by the next few days.

At least Luka didn’t think much about it. I don’t know about Marsh though; maybe he had those moments where you lie awake in your bed in the middle of the night and suddenly remember something from years ago and he was just like, “Damn, did I really sleep with Luka Morozov once or was that just some kind of fever dream?” 😂

As for Mayor Moore giving a BMW for MC’s birthday was more like, “I’m sorry I didn’t attend your nibling’s big 20th birthday party. Let me at least gift a good gift in exchange. Please, don’t get mad at me.”

[darthstitch]

fic: but all I want is for you to shine (shine down on me)

1.

This really started with Jeddie.

If it had been up to Rose Walker, she might have wanted to forget about Dream of the Endless, the whole business about being a "child of the Endless," her best friend suddenly ending up pregnant with a magic baby and nearly getting murdered.  Sure it was to save the world and all, but still.  "Mixed emotions" was an understatement.  

Her dreams were blessedly ordinary for a good long while.  Memories of Mom and her childhood, Grandma Unity's dollhouse and her as a little girl playing with it, although she had never gotten to do that in real life.  Sometimes, there were dreams of flying or swimming in a vast ocean filled with stars.  Sometimes it was bits of inspiration for her book.  

And okay, if she had just vented a little bit about how she'd been manipulated in the way she'd written the character of King Somnio, well, who could blame her, right?

"He's really nice, Rose," Jed said to her after reading her very first book - her first published novel, which was still quite thrilling to her.  

"Who's nice, Jeddie?"

"Uncle Dream.  He's nice."

"You call him Uncle Dream now?"  Rose was incredulous.  

Jed chortled. "Yeah, that made him look all funny but then he said, 'I suppose that is technically accurate, Jed Walker, less a few "greats."' Her little brother did his best impression of Dream's deep, resonant voice with the expected comedic results. "He actually liked it. I can tell."

"But why do you say he's nice, Jeddie?"

"He listens and he helps me when I go on adventures as the Sandman and he likes it when I show him my Sandman comics and we get to talk about what we're going to do next as the Sandman, fighting the regular bad guys and the nightmares too." Jed beamed. "He doesn't think it's stupid or silly like… well, not-Uncle Barnaby." He scowled. "Just Barnaby. He's not my uncle anymore anyway."

"Aww, Jeddie. Barnaby's not gonna hurt you anymore. Nobody's gonna hurt you anymore, I promise." Rose drew her little brother close for a hug, still thankful that she'd gotten to him in time.

"Uncle Dream also helps me face the nightmares too, Rose," Jed murmured.

She hugged him tighter.

2.

Rose doesn't expect to find herself in the Throne Room of the Dreaming. Then again, maybe she should have, after that conversation with Jeddie a few days ago.

The King of Dreams is not actually sitting on his throne. He's on the floating staircase that's leading up to it, sitting in a comfortable sprawl, his ridiculously long black coat trailing behind him.

Her book is in his hands.

A hot flush rises up the back of her neck. For some reason she just feels horribly embarrassed, even though she really shouldn't be, because what is there to be embarrassed about right?

There's a faint smile on his face as he's reading her book.

"Hello, Rose Walker. How have you been keeping?"

"Um. I'm… fine?"

"You sound unsure," And he sounds amused, damn him.

"I don't know - I mean, you're reading -- " She gestures helplessly at the book in his hands - her book.

"It's really very good. I rather enjoyed it. Although Lucienne thinks you might wish to be kinder to the King in your next story."

She huffs. "You would think that."

"I said it was Lucienne, not I." His expression turns wry. "I believe the King has gotten no more than what he deserved, don't you think?" He gestures at her to sit next to him - the movement is, as always, regal and graceful.

She does.  She draws her knees up to her chin, blows out a breath.  "Will you tell me about the previous vortex you had to deal with?"

"Why do you ask me this question, Rose?"

"Because I don't know how to feel about you anymore!" She finally explodes.  "I liked you, Morpheus.  And then suddenly, I'm this vortex and I could end up ending the universe and you were gonna have to kill me and I just wanted to find my brother but I'm gonna have to die and then my grandma had to do it and I only just found her and, and after my mom died -- "

She's horrified that she suddenly bursts into tears but she can't stop herself, the words and the feelings just tumble out.

There's a hand on her back, a gentle, almost tentative touch.  Through blurry eyes, she's being offered a handkerchief.  It's white.

She finds herself making a watery, hiccupy laugh.  

"What is it that you find so amusing?"

"I thought it would be black, what with the whole emo goth thing you've got going on."  She takes the handkerchief anyway, blots at her tears, blows her nose with an inelegant snort.  

"I am sorry, you know."  There was a soft sigh.  "I had intended to simply use you to find the other Arcana.  I had a realm to rebuild and I had been away for far too long.  It was wrong of me to treat you thus.  If you fear me now, it is no less than what I deserve."  

"But that's kind of the point, Morpheus.  I don't want to be afraid of you.  Jed isn't afraid of you.  And I don't have so much family left that I can just ignore my newly found great-great uncle, even if he happens to be some kind of magical eldritch being."  

"Dream."

"Huh?"

"Dream is the name I would prefer, for family and dear friends."  

"All right.  Tell me about the story about the vortex."  Rose takes a deep breath and tries it out.  "Uncle Dream."

And he does.  

3.  

"NOPE."

Rose is fully aware that Dream of the Endless is perfectly capable of turning her into a mushroom or a frog or some such thing but she doesn't care. She is far too busy dragging along her not-struggling-too-hard magical eldritch Addams Family member into the nearest Tesco's because this requires reinforcements.  

"You are taking very great liberties with my person, Rose Walker, I hope you realise this."

"Balls or bollocks to that," Rose tells him archly.  She does a quick scan of the freezer.  "HA! FOUND YOU!"  She grabs two tubs of ice cream, coffee and chocolate fudge and hands it off to Dream.  "Hold this.  I'm getting cookies."

"Why are we doing this?"  The tone is hilariously plaintive.  It's adorable.  She's not sure how Hob Gadling has let her ridiculous dramatics-prone uncle out of his sight and reach for even just five minutes.  They're both idiots, she decides then and there.

"Because you are not going to play the tragic figure, standing in the rain, pining over lost love."  Rose pokes him in the chest.  "You are going to tell me about your boyfriend of the past 600 years -- "

"We are not romantically entangled -- "

"THAT'S THE ENTIRE PROBLEM, YOU NUMPTY!"  People are staring, some hastily stifling smiles as they're getting the gist of the situation.  Rose does not care.  "You want to be, right, Uncle Dream?"

"..."

"Sorry, Uncle Dream, I don't speak eldritch mumble."

"yes"  The admission is so soft, so painfully quiet and pained that Rose's heart aches for him.  She settles for gently patting his arm.  

"It is a human rule that these kinds of things are best resolved with ice cream and cookies," She tells him decisively.  

"I have not heard of this human rule."  

There it is, a ghost of a smile fleeting across that pale, handsome face.  If Dream had ever directed the real version of That Smile in Hob Gadling's general direction, he'd have been pounced on immediately. That is, if the man had any brains.  The jury is still out on that, Rose knows.  

"You're hearing it now. So ice cream, cookies and talking like sensible grown-up beings.  No ridiculous tragical pining, not on my watch.  Okay?"

"As you wish."

She chortled.  "See, Princess Bride references already!  You're on the right track, Uncle Dream.  Let's go snag your Dread Pirate Roberts, all right?"

"You realize that you have cast me as Buttercup in this scenario."

"... and Hob is an ancient medieval nickname for Robert.  Your point being...?"

A sigh.  "The point is that I would very much like chocolate chip cookies.  The ones that your brother Jed says are the chunky kind."

Rose blinks.  But Dream looks less like a sad wet cat now and those brilliantly blue eyes are gleaming with mischief, rather than tears.  She's gonna take what she can get.  "Chocolate chunk cookies it is."  

4.

It is entirely due to the Tesco's Ice Cream Incident, which subsequently led to a Certain Pair of Idiots Finally Getting Their Shit Together, that led to Rose being formally inducted into the Conspiracy of the Ravens.  

Okay, so it's a Raven, an ex-Raven-turned-Librarian, Mervyn Pumpkinhead, one son of Adam, a baby Gargoyle and one immortal.  But Matthew said that the name sounded cool and Rose had to agree.  

When Matthew explains to her what the Conspiracy was all about, she finally realized the truth.

Matthew was the shared brain cell between her idiot uncle and idiot history professor.  

Lucienne deserved to be crowned Queen of the Universe, for putting up with so much of this clusterfuckery.  

Her gods-be-damnned grandparent definitely deserved a massive kick in the nuts.  Twice. For her grandma Unity and Dream.

And nope, Certain Things were not going to happen to their Morpheus, not if they had anything to say about it.  

Rose was in.  

5.  

Rose, of course, was absolutely right about Dream's smile and its effect on one Professor Robert "Hob" Gadling.  Folded like a wet paper bag.  Melted like butter on a hot pan.  Absolute slush.  

It was simultaneously hilarious and adorable.  

Rose also noted the more frequent appearance of those smiles and was rather surprised and touched to learn that she and her brother were also causing them.  

As was the first time Dream had referred to her with unmistakable affection as "my dear Rose."  

She also found that it was very useful to have an uncle who also happened to be Prince of Stories and absolutely refused to indulge her own bout of self-pity while suffering writer's block. Being literally carried off to Tesco's for ice cream and cookie therapy was its own kind of mortifying and endearing.

Matthew was no longer her favorite Raven as he had been too busy laughing at her own predicament.

6.  

Excerpt from a book review from The New York Times:

Rose Walker continues to be a fantastic new voice in the realm of fantasy, with the follow up to her best-selling debut novel.  It is also a further expansion of her earlier published short story, "The King of All Night's Dreaming."

She continues her enchanting tale with the charismatic and mysterious King Somnio, who is fast becoming one of the most beloved characters in fantasy fiction.  The character development here is nothing short of compelling, as the layers are peeled away from what we earlier thought was a cold and calculating monarch ...  

The dedication page of Rose Walker's second novel:

For Uncle Dream, our Prince of Stories

-end-

Footnote the First:  The TikTok channel run by the Hellfire Club has a new update.  The hashtag is #storytime.  It has a brief clip of "Professor Thomas Murphy" reading from The Princess Bride.  The audience is a mix of university students and their younger siblings, all clearly having a great time.  

Footnote the Second:  There is also a clip of "Inigo Montoya" (Duncan MacLeod) and "the Dread Pirate Roberts" (Hob Gadling) reenacting their duel on the same TikTok channel.  Clearly, Professor MacLeod was having too much fun delivering the immortal lines:  "My name is Inigo Montoya.  You killed my father.  Prepare to die."  

Footnote the Third:  Lucienne is a huge fan of Rose Walker's books and is absolutely delighted to read the latest installment when they appear in the Castle Library.  It takes an enormous amount of self-discipline not to spoil anyone as to what happens next.

Footnote the Fourth:  There was a lot of speculation about the dedication in Rose Walker's book and rumors abounded that "Uncle Dream" was, in fact, the real-life inspiration for King Somnio.  Rose declined to comment on this when asked, opting instead for a mysterious smile. 

[candyheartedchy]

I just had a little dream about your Digital Circus sona and Jax that I thought you would find pretty amusing.

You had posted a little comic about your sona and Jax doing a ventriloquism act (you were the ventriloquist, Jax was the "puppet"). (I'm guessing my brain went with that because Jax doesn't open his mouth when he talks.)

Either way, Jax was going way off script, telling his own jokes and your sona was getting mad about it. This ended up starting an argument (your sona was actually arguing, Jax was more bantering) which ended with a kiss? (Jax: GUYS I SAID "OOO YOU WANNA KISS ME SO BAD" DURING AN ARGUMENT AND SHE DID IT, SHE KISSED ME, WHAT THE FU—)

I'm not sure how accurate this is to your sona and Jax's dynamic, but I wanted to share. Enjoying all the Jax posting either way!

( @gible-love-nibles )

I’m sorry but I had to draw this out!

[ask-zedaph]

*Doc holds Doccy, watching as the sculk spreads on his child, too farcome in his own sculk to see very far. He just slowly keeps going forward, away from the lab he had found Doccy at.*

- @ask-docm77

*Zed wakes up in a cold sweat, having unintentionally fallen asleep with dreams of his friends skulked faces. He rubs his head and forces himself to stand*

Doccy, come on let’s get you some food…

*He looks over at the discarded art supplies, and his heart sinks*

Doccy? DOCCY? WHERE ARE YOU KIDDO!?!

*The sheep frantically searches the lab and finds the emergency lockdown switch deactivated*

NO! Nononononononono! DOCCY!

*He runs to the front door and sees a twisted, skulk version of what used to be a normal picture; Doc holding his sleeping child. Zed drops to his knees, knowing he’s failed yet another person, this time his poor innocent nibling. He lets out a pathetic Baa*

[robotgirlworld]

So um... I had this Pjsk au in my mind for a while

(I'm not really good at english so please don't mind the bad grammar)

So it was like "what if the vocaloids were actually some people or something but they still try to help our main cast" type of thing.... HEAR ME OUT..... (The sekai still exists btw but without the vocaloids).

So each vocaloid is actually a human and while trying to help the cast, at the same time they also realize things about themselves. They can enter the sekai too, but they don't know how it works, they just know that it's made out of feelings.

So here are the vocaloids:

Kaito: A man who gave up his dreams on being an actor and decided to find a job that would let him at least live in an apartment.

Meiko: A woman that works at her somehow successful cafe (living better than Kaito of course) and takes care of her 2 niblings (Rin and Len).

Len: A boy who goes to Kamiyama high school, his dream is to become a famous street singer and after finding "Vivid bad squad" his dream of becoming famous gets more powerful.

Rin: A miyamasuzaka student who not only has the same dream as Minori (becoming an idol) but also wants to help her achieve her dream. "More more jump!" help her to her journey as an idol too.

(They both help Meiko at her cafe)

Luka: The lead guitarist and singer from a not so famous band who helps Ichika and her friends + sometimes does free guitar classes to Ichika.

Miku: The youngest of all vocaloids (being 13 to 14). She found out about Nightcords music and felt identified. Even if she's young, she shows a huge maturity towards the Nightcords and helps them a lot. She sees the Nightcords as inspiration.

And that's it, I'm not really good with aus or in general making my own stories but I thought that it was a good idea 乁⁠(⁠ ⁠•⁠_⁠•⁠ ⁠)⁠ㄏ

(thinking of drawing their designs in the future)

[bestanimatedmovie]

Revenge of the Underrated

15. Help! I'm a Fish vs Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs

Vote in the other polls!

Propaganda:

Help! I'm a Fish

"It's a Danish movie from the early 2000s, so it already has that uncanny valley feel of being unfamiliar to the average American viewer, and is almost entirely 2D animated with 3D only used to help instead of being the main medium. It's about 3 kids that stumble upon this scientist's lair and the youngest of them, Stella, accidentally drinks a potion that turns her into an aquatic animal (a starfish for her) thinking it was Kool-Aid (or lemonade, depending on the dub). Her brother, Fly, throws her into the ocean not realizing that the starfish was his transformed sister and he and his cousin, Chuck, drink the potion (a flyfish and a jellyfish respectively) so they can search for her in the ocean. Along the way, they accidentally drop the potion into the sea which gives sentience to a pilot fish and shark, the main villains. They then start to administer the potion to any fish they find.

I heard about the movie from a Youtube review and then watched it for myself that night. It was super fun and I could totally see this being a fever dream movie from some unsuspecting 8 yo. Part of the reason I say that is because the movie isn't afraid to have its dark moments. Fly gets slashed by a crab and almost DIES. Chuck has to do a risky mission in order to get Fly and Stella back to the scientist's lair so he can turn them back. Stella admittedly didn't do much, but she's 4, she gets a pass. She makes a seahorse friend, so that's good. The parents of the kids track down the scientist in his lair and confront and are ready to beat him up before he manages to show them the video of Stella turning into a starfish (the scientist planned to drink the potion on camera to prove it works, but forgot he had to get the antidote, leaving the potion alone and getting Stella's transformation on camera). There's even a moment where you think Chuck's mom straight up (accidentally) stomped on Fly's fish body before you find out it was just a stuffed fish and Fly is a human again.

As for the villain, he was a fun little sleezy villain, immediately creating a dictatorship with his newfound intelligence (he had a whole song about it). And Fly uses that against him by tricking him into drinking more of the potion to become smarter. Unfortunately, the potion doesn't just give fish human intelligence, it MAKES them human, and the last you see of the villain is him drowning and floating away as a half-fish, half-man igor. Horrifying but so, so awesome.

The animation is spectacular, the voice acting is great in both English and Danish (plus Chuck is voiced by one of the dudes from Breaking Bad), and with actual peril for the main characters (I forgot to mention that they would be stuck fish if they didn't take the antidote in the next 24 hours). I'm definitely going to find a CD of this movie to show/traumatize my future kids + niblings. "

Really cool animation, really interesting storyline and fun songs that stick to your brain like a fever dream

Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs

Red Shoes is a Snow White retelling that features a plus size princess and teaches that it's who a person is on the inside that matters. It contrasts Merlin, the male lead, who is normally conventionally handsome but cursed to be a "hideous" (actually quite cute) dwarf, a form he's desperate to escape, with Snow White/Red Shoes who is normally an adorable plus sized princess (ie not the traditional beauty) who is trapped by necessity in the form of a thin traditional princess, a form that she's incredibly uncomfortable with. It's ultimately about being your true self, loving who you are, and looking past appearances to find the beauty that lies within. Also, Patrick Warburton is the magic mirror.

It's an adorable, sweet movie that deserves more people to know about it! It was so fun and funny that after I watched it the first time, I turned around and immediately rewatched it with my husband (like he came in during the last 5 minutes, and we immediately started it over).

[atruththatyoudeny]

Happy 28th! Here are the amazing fics I read this month: Lost But Won | 2tiedships2 | [16k] If you start out by talking about your weekend of golfing I swear to god I will stab you with a pen,” Louis said by way of greeting. “You’ll have to give me a few minutes though so I can see if I even own a pen. But the warning stands.” “Hello to you too, dearest Louis,” Niall yelled from where he still sat on the couch next to Harry. There was a clunk on the floor and what sounded like shoes hitting the wall as Niall announced, “We have a guest. You might want to save stabbing me until you don’t have a witness.” “Well if they are obsessed with golf then…” Louis trailed off as he made his appearance in the living room. Harry’s mouth dried up. This was not the alpha that Niall had described. When Harry loses his passport after a weekend trip to see Niall, the inconvenience of being stranded in America becomes a little more bearable after meeting Louis. Or a lot more bearable.

frightened by the bite, no harsher than the bark | localopa | [21k] louis loves going to the barricade during his shows. if it’s because he’s got a bit (lot) of touch deprivation and is using it as an excuse to have his big alpha bodyguard, harry, touch him, well, that’s a secret he doesn’t need to tell.

Scarred | allwaswell16 | [23k] As a male omega, Louis has learned to live with disappointment and rejection, but he dreams of the day he finds his soulmate. When Harry inadvertently rejects him as his soulmate, Harry has no idea he's doomed Louis to a slow, painful death. Pride doesn't keep Louis from telling Harry the truth. But love does.

this brokenness inside me might start healing | LiveLaughLoveLarry (SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFic) | [29k] Louis grew up in a tiny town, where everyone knew everyone -- or at least, they think they do. Then he left, and became a successful singer-songwriter, a star that everyone in the country knows -- or at least, they think they do. But when Louis returns home for the birth of his first nibling, he meets a librarian who doesn't know him at all. And that's all Louis could ask for. ~*~ “I remember when you were a teenager," Miss Susan says, "telling me all the things you wanted to accomplish, the places you wanted to go. And I’ve seen a lot of kids, with a lot of big dreams – but you were different. You had this… quiet energy, this determined certainty. When you told me all you were going to do, I believed you.” She smiles, spreading her arms. “And now here you are.” Here he is indeed, Louis thinks bitterly. Back where he started. His dreams on pause, his future uncertain. His whole identity built out of secrets and half-truths, while everyone thinks they know exactly who he is. He left to find himself, he came home to find himself, and yet – here he is, feeling more lost than ever before.

Look To The Sky | babyhoneyhslt | [82k] “Harry, it’s been five years,” Liam says softly, heaving an exasperated sigh. “I know it’s hard, but you need to let it go.” “I can’t let it go.” Harry shakes his head. “He’s my husband, Ash’s father. I can’t give up on him.” “I’m not asking you to give up on him, but you need to stop questioning them. Or trying to get your nose in places it’s not wanted.” Liam watches him. “You know you’re one of my best workers, and I can’t lose you. I’m giving you a warning now, please stop this.” “Or what?” Harry looks at Liam. “You’ll fire me? For wanting answers to what happened to my husband?” ~.~ On the 28th January 2019, British Airways flight BA289 took off from Chile at 10:04am. The fight was due to land in London Heathrow Airport at 12:44am. The flight was flown by experienced Captain Louis Tomlinson, accompanied by the first officer Oli Wright. Around five hours into the flight, BA289 disappeared from air traffic controls radar, and did not arrive in Heathrow at the estimated time. Search crews are currently looking for any signs of wreckage, but the question stands, what happened to flight BA289?