#Inception AU

[laundrybiscuits]

Found myself reading some old Inception fic and felt the urge to poke at an AU idea—I know ST fandom skews a little young, so I genuinely don’t know how many people will even get this. If there are Inception primers out there, I haven’t bothered to find them, so…you’re on your own, kids. 

“Absolutely not. I do my own forges.” Eddie sweeps the file off the table and directly into the trashcan; admittedly, it’s not the most mature thing he’s ever done, but Henderson’s getting on his last goddamned nerve. 

The little twerp has the fucking audacity to roll his eyes and groan, like Eddie’s the one being unreasonable. “I know this guy, don’t be a dick. He can do it. Don’t you wanna focus on your super special architect stuff?”

“What you and every other dumbass dilettante drowser don’t seem to grasp is that my architecture is alive, and I breathe life into it via my meticulously crafted characters. I create richly textured worlds, Henderson, and I populate them myself. That’s why I’m the best in the fucking business: because I understand that the people and the setting are one and the same, and I can handle both.”

“Eddie.” Henderson crouches to grab the file out of the trash, and smacks it back down on the table. “I’m running this team, and I’m saying I don’t want anything like what happened in Munich to ever happen again. Okay?”

“Low blow, kid,” snaps Eddie. “Munich wasn’t on me.” 

“I know, jeez. I just…” Henderson takes a second to tap the loose sheets in the file back into place, then stands there with his lips pressed together like he’s keeping something in. After a moment, he just says, “This isn’t going to be Munich. Because Steve’s going to be here.”

———

It’s not Munich. It’s not Munich at all. It is the furthest fucking thing from Munich possible. 

Eddie’s never had a job go that smoothly—and it’s not down to Henderson’s obsessive prep, because it should’ve been a slippery one. The kind of job that twisted partway through into something frustratingly unexpected, forcing them to improvise and take whatever half-win they could squeeze out of the mark’s subconscious while dodging completely unexpected security. 

Instead, it’s so incredibly not-Munich that the client gives them a fucking bonus, and when was the last time that happened? The bonus is generous enough that Eddie’s share can cover a whole new safehouse in Melbourne, which should have been great news, something to celebrate, except for the absolutely unholy amount of smugness now radiating from Henderson.

Eddie avoids the I-told-you-so conversation as long as he can, but he can’t run forever.

“I told you so,” says Henderson, flopping unceremoniously into the dark wooden chair next to Eddie.

“This is a library, dude. Keep your fuckin’ voice down,” says Eddie, without much hope. He’d heard Henderson was supposed to be meeting up with Sinclair in Lima this week; so much for that intel.

Henderson waves a dismissive hand, gesturing vaguely at the domed skylight high overhead. “It’s not like a library library. It’s basically a museum.”

“The goddamn State Library of Victoria is absolutely one hundred percent a library library, genius. See all the books? But also, do you think people go around yelling in museums?”

“Maybe they should! What we should be focusing on now, though, is that I was right about Steve, and I think it’s important for our working relationship that you acknowledge I was right.”

“I don’t have to acknowledge shit,” says Eddie, slumping down and ignoring the glares they’re starting to get from everyone in the atrium. “Anyone ever tell you you’re an egomaniac, kid? I don’t even get why you’re so hot on the guy, anyway. He’s like—the least imaginative forger I’ve ever met.”

It comes out a little harsher than he’d meant it. It’s just that forgers, as a people, tend to be easily swept into flights of fancy.

Eddie’s always sort of thought it was a requirement of the profession: when he’s inhabiting a character, part of his mind is always working to generate the little details that make them feel like a whole person. Their secret fears and even more secret hopes. How they deal with boredom or anger, what their gut reactions are. The small gaps between how they see themselves and how others see them. That’s where Eddie thrives, and he thinks that if he were less hooked on the magic of spinning up entire worlds for marks to wander through, he might forge full-time, just for the thrill of riding that uncertainty. It’s how he was taught, but clearly, Steve learned something different.

What Steve does isn’t really classical forging—not in the way Eddie thinks about it, usually. Steve just…walks into a situation, says some stuff, maybe gives the mark a smile all warm and private like a whispered secret. And then the mark folds. It’s maddening how easy Steve makes it look. Oh, he’ll pull on the right costumes and tweak his physicality a little, but it’s always still just Steve underneath. 

Maybe that’s the trick. Eddie’s forges work because he crafts lavishly detailed lies; Steve’s forges work because there’s some kind of real, solid honesty at the core. 

“I’m going to ignore the hurtful thing you just said because I know you hate to admit it when I’m right and you’re wrong,” Henderson informs him. “You really gotta work on that. More importantly, I’ve got a lead on a new job, and Steve already said yes.”

It’s not like Eddie needs the money. Henderson’s a nightmare to work with. And there’s the, y’know. The Steve Harrington of it all. Eddie has a million reasons to say no.

“Yeah, whatever,” he says instead. “When do we start?”

[nicedaybucky]

If you love Top Gun: Maverick and Inception, then don't miss out on this event >>> @tgminception !!!!!

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[marvelmusing]

A Little Dream of You

Pairing: Aleksander Morozova x Reader

Summary: An Inception inspired AU. The King of Ravka hires you to infiltrate the dreams of the Second Army’s General, and find out all you can about him. But what happens when you slowly begin to fall for your target?

A/N: this started as a series of bullet points but then it ran away from me so I turned it into a oneshot, sorry if the pacing is a little weird because of that

Warnings: mild threat and violence

My Masterlist

When the King personally invites you to return to Ravka from your exile, you’re certain he wants something in return. Nevertheless, you pack your bags and catch the next flight to Ravka.

The allusive General of the Second Army, known only by his code name of Kirigan, is your target and the King wants any information you can give him. You specialise in dream manipulation, going into people’s dreams and altering them to reveal things to you. You’re good - one of the best in your field.

The General travels extensively for meetings and security talks with Ravka’s neighbouring countries, providing you with the perfect opportunity.

The private airline is more than accommodating to your requirements, ensuring that the General is put under, without his knowledge, as soon as possible once the plane has taken flight. They store all the equipment you need, and either provide you with a passenger seat or allow you to sit with the staff.

He never seems surprised with how quickly he falls asleep; the poor man never seems to get enough rest. Quite often you find yourself looking at his peaceful expression and the darkened circles under his eyes as he sleeps. Then you go to work.

Aleksander’s memories are scattered, as if he barely wants to think of his life outside of work. The majority of his thoughts are occupied with trying to improve the lives of everyday Ravkans.

You have to start from the beginning. Observing from a distance as a background figure, to find out what will pique his interest or provoke a reaction.

You watch little Aleksander playing alone with a tattered teddy bear, while his father grows distant and then completely disappears. You see his mother telling him he will never amount to anything. You see his only friend abandon him in favour of the high school social hierarchy. He loses his first love to illness. His second to another man. All through his life, loneliness follows him like a spectre.

Despite this, he never fails to prioritise the people still in his life. You see him help Genya to personally organise the flower arrangements for Ivan and Fedoyr’s wedding. You see him donate enough money to the University of Ravka for them to fund David’s projects. You see all the acts of kindness he hides from his friends and the rest of the world.

The fact that he’s a good man makes your job all the more difficult.

You begin to appear in his dreams as yourself. Just walking by him in the street at first, a casual glance between you both, his dark eyes locking onto yours. Slowly, so that he becomes accustomed with your presence, you begin to increase your interactions. With every dream, every new scenario, you grow closer.

In a bookshop, your hands meet while reaching for the same book. The entrance to a coffee shop is where you stumble into him, spilling his coffee down his white shirt. As he becomes more accustomed to your presence, you become a more prominent feature of his dreams. Restaurant dates, a first kiss in the rain, cuddles and ice cream when he’s had a long day.

It makes your heart ache for something you’ve never had. Not only are you giving Aleksander exactly what he wants, you’re inadvertently filling a hole in your own heart.

Somehow, even when you’re not working, when you’re in your own bed at home, you find him in your dreams where you have no control over what’s happening. Soft sheets, lazy kisses down your bodies, and a pair of arms holding you safe.

In his dreams, you search through the desk drawer in his apartment in Os Alta. Open every book in his office at the Little Palace. It’s obvious he isn’t a fan of the Lanstov’s, neither were you, but he certainly wasn’t planning anything that the King should be worried about.

You don’t understand it - why him of all people was considered a threat to the Lanstov’s.

It’s Aleksander himself that reveals the answer to your unspoken question. In a dream ballroom, where the two of you dance the night away he tells you how close he is to the line of succession. That his mother is the King’s cousin. With Nikolai being illegitimate, should anything happen to Vasily, as the next male heir Aleksander would inherit the throne.

You’re stunned.

You spend several days mulling this information over in your mind, before you’re summoned to the King, who demands answers.

You don’t give him any. You hadn’t found any damning evidence but the King didn’t seem to care for that, he wanted anything personal that could be used against Aleksander. You refuse yet again, trying to skirt around giving him anything of importance. You couldn’t give away parts of Aleksander, not when he had trusted you with them.

His guards push you backwards, dangling you over the balcony while you gasp and thrash your feet, searching wildly for the floor that’s just out of your reach.

The King surveys your fear filled eyes as you scramble for any sort of balance, nails digging into the arms of his guards. He demands results after your next job. You agree pitifully.

As you’re walking out of the palace, tears in your eyes and body shakily violently, you spot Aleksander. He appears to do a double take as you disappear into the gardens, and looks as if he’s about to follow you until someone calls his name.

Aleksander’s next flight is to Shu Han, and you’re there with him when he falls asleep. The dream you create is simple, just the two of you spending long hours in bed, kissing and holding one another. The sun is warm against your skin as you walk hand in hand with him down a cobbled street, and he feeds you some freshly baked bread. It’s perfect, and you enjoy every second of it.

On the day of his return to Ravka, you hesitate in the airport. You hesitate again as you’re boarding, and even once you’re sitting down in your seat you hesitate. Fingers thrumming nervously against the arm of your chair, you don’t notice any of the people boarding or the man who sits opposite you.

Until he speaks,

“Nervous?”

It’s Aleksander.

Breath catches in your throat at the sound of his voice. It’s a little deeper, stronger than in his dreams. There’s no recognition on his face, and you breathe a little easier knowing he’ll be able to forget about you. You nod.

“A little.”

The stewardess walks down the aisle with a tray in her hand, Aleksander’s usual drink placed on it. The drink that will ensure he’s asleep so that you can join him in his dreams. She offers him the tray with a smile, and your stomach twists.

“That won’t be necessary, thank you.” You tell her, placing your hand over the glass before Aleksander can take it. She raises a brow at you,

“Excuse me?”

“I’m getting off.” You state, standing up and reaching for your bag. “I’m not going back to Ravka.”

“I’m afraid that’s not up to you.” A man remarks and you glance over at him as he blocks the aisle with his arms. You recognise him as one of the King’s guards, and swallow nervously.

Raising your chin defiantly, you toss your bag at him, hitting him square in the face, and turn to run in the opposite direction. Only for another man to be waiting for you. You try to fight him off, but his hands lock around your throat and you’re clawing desperately at him.

Then you’re released, and slump to the floor as you gasp for air, forehead pressing against the rough carpet of the plane. There’s a crash as someone collapses and you tense as you roll onto your back to accept your fate.

Aleksander kneels beside you, cupping your face carefully, dark eyes searching your body for any serious injuries. Further down the aisle, you can see Ivan holding the other King’s guard down on the floor.

Tears spill down your cheeks, as you realise Aleksander had planned this. He had known about you.

“I’m so sorry, Sasha.” You whisper, sobbing as you curl in on yourself. He knows you had tricked him, manipulated him into caring for you. He tucks you against his chest immediately.

“It’s alright, my love. I’m here.” He presses a kiss to the top of your head. “I forgive you.”

“I’m sorry.” You repeat, shaking as you cling to him. His arms are firm around you, and you suddenly realise this is the first time he’s held you, prompting you to cry even harder.

“It’s alright.” He insists firmly, though his tone is still soft, as if he’s afraid of startling you. “Now, let’s get you somewhere safe.”

It isn’t long before the two of you are settled into the master suite of the best hotel Aleksander could find on such short notice. He holds you tight against his chest, as you lie on the huge bed together and he explains everything.

“The King is ill, not many people are aware of it but I doubt he has very long left. After his death, I have plans for Vasily to be caught up in an accident at his summer home.”

“Leaving the throne to you.”

Part of you feels saddened, that the King’s suspicions about Aleksander were right - that he wanted to steal the throne for himself.

“My first order of business will be to establish a functioning government. I’ll remain in office until the elections are over, then I plan to abdicate.”

You blink a few times, trying to process everything he’s just told you. He didn’t want the throne. He wanted to help Ravka. You knew he was smart, and good, but this exceeded your expectations of him.

“How did I never find anything about this in your mind?” You ask quietly as you fiddle with the buttons of his shirt, voicing what had been plaguing your mind. Maybe you were losing your touch? Or had you just been blinded by your own feelings for him?

“You never found the safe did you?”

“A safe?” You shake your head, pausing to think for a long moment. “Not many people keep their thoughts in a safe.” Tilting your head up, you rest your chin on his chest as you look at his face. “You knew I was coming.”

He nods.

“As soon as the King called you back to Ravka, I had my people begin looking into you. Your old mentor, Botkin, helped me make the safe and tested it himself.”

“I can’t manipulate a dream if someone knows I’m there.” He nods slowly as you frown. “The only way I would be able to change your dreams…”

“Would be because I let you.” He finishes. Lips parted, your brows crease in confusion.

“Why?”

“Perhaps, I was curious about what you would do.”

The two of you are quiet as you think over the time you had spent with him, in his dreams. The conversations you’d had; the moments you’d shared. Despite the reason for why you were in his mind, you hadn’t demanded anything of him.

You place your palm on his chest, directly over his heart, feeling it beat beneath your touch as you tell him something that you desperately need him to understand.

“It was real for me, Aleksander. All of it was real.” His own hand lies over yours, his fingers curling around your own as he says,

“It was real for me too.”

»»---------------------►

marvelmusing Tag List: @dreamlandcreations @blanchedelioncourt @idaofinfinity

BB Characters Tag List: @rachlovesactors

[darjeelinh]

dream a little dream of me | rating: M | chapter 4

Six of Crows x Inception

—————————

Read chapter 1 2 3

Summary:

Inej had fallen into limbo twice.

There were usually two ways to wake up from a dream: a jump from a high enough point to startle you awake, or in worst case scenarios, die in the dream. But that was if all the dream levels were intact. Their plan hadn’t been based around not letting the dream collapse for no reason: nobody had ever made it out before.

TW: blood and injury, mention of suicide (all of these are in dreams)

Posted this on ao3 a week ago but life happened and I forgot to post an update on tumblr so this is so belated 😭😭

One of the most challenging chapters I ever wrote, but I had a great time imagining Inej working through the levels of dreams - the suspense of Inception was always one of my favorite parts of the movie. And I love love love writing about Inej's friendships with the Crows, their love for one another is the thing that kept drawing me back into this universe.

Thanks always to my beloved @starklystar for beta-reading 🖤🖤

[leverage-ot3]

idk of you've seen inception but i rewatched it and now an inception/leverage crossover is spinning in my head like a rotisserie chicken

I have not but I will definitely put it on my list of to-watch movies

[antimonyandthyme]

An au you want to write but don't have plot/energy for?

this would unfortunately be inception au :(((( i want a story in which mick is one of the world's finest dream architects who can no longer architect anymore because he constantly goes back to his dreams to find seb while the seb in his dreams tells him to stop looking for him and i want mick to time a free kick whenever he sees the seb in his dreams go all sad so he can nope out of the dream in that instant and not hear what needs to be said and i want him to go on a heist like a one last job kinda thing and i want him to try architecting again and i want him to create mazes the enemy can't even hope to escape except it backfires because in every corner of the maze mick sees seb's shadow and it turns out maybe he won't be able to escape himself

[sageandlily]

Aiwralia (San's kingdom)

"Once upon a time, Aiwralia and Serith were joined kingdoms. San and Jongho's father split it when he gave up the throne to his sons. Now, the eldest of the Choi family become the ruler. It was famous as a fruitful kingdom where the land was fertile year-round. A wealth of food and clean water came from Aiwralia and it served as a booming merchant trading post. Aiwralia flourishes with lush greenery and wildlife. Most of the kingdom lives off the land and does pretty well for themselves. Plenty of plains and pasture, some forests, and wetlands. Very diverse biome. It experiences all four seasons with winter lingering a little longer further north where Serith is and spring rains falling a little heavier to the south. Rainad lies on Aiwralia's western border and does lots of trade with Wooyoung's kingdom."

moodboard masterlist

《all the artworks and photos are credited to the owners》

[sometimes-love-is-enough]

I haven't read all your fics but the two scenes that stick out most to me are 1) Logan hugging Janus in the Matilda fic, mainly because I'd been waiting for him to do that the entire fic, and 2) the spider egg sac in the Inception fic, which was very Magnus Archives of you and I liked it a lot.

i DO love my hugs. and spider-related visceral horror

[occhiolissimo]

I saw you reblog that Evie and Rick O'Connell post and tag it Mal/Dom-coded and. I gave myself a minute to think about it, and it made me /sad/.

Admittedly I'm guilty of thinking of all my favourite pairings now as Mal/Cobb-coded 😭 But Evy/Rick especially! I love thinking of them as the happily-ever-after AU version of Mal and Cobb, their dynamics are so similar. Researcher and adventurer couple in ancient Egypt, the same way it's implied with Mal and Cobb-both of them working together in dreamshare exploration. Also the familial connection of Evy's dad being famous explorer, like how Miles is a dreamshare-architect pioneer? The team vibing like the Inception crew?? Chef's kiss! they're all alive because I say so.

And of course I love, love the fact that Evy/Rick is married with kids, just like Mal/Cobb. It makes my heart go all the time😄 Phillipa and James will grow up to be as precious and precocious as Alex hihi

[rose-tinted-vision]

I've connected the dots...

Sampard Inception AU

where Gepard is the point man (Arthur, I think it's pretty self-explanatory) and Sampo is the forger (Eames) bc he's canonically good at disguising himself (also the Masked Fool theory).

If we're digging a little deeper:

Seele as the Extractor (Cobb)

Bronya as the Architect (no pun intended, I just think it could be a parallel to game canon where she finds out about her foster family, decides to 'switch sides' and joins seele's team as the new member)

Serval as the Chemist (Yusuf)

Natasha as Saito, kinda sorta maybe the catalyst who starts everything.

[laundrybiscuits]

I had zero plans to continue this but @shdwsilk came in with the extremely good takes sooo…

If you don’t know Inception this is probably incomprehensible. Soz.

“Shouldn’t you be talking to the mark?”

Steve visibly startles as Eddie slides onto the barstool next to him. Steve’s in a suit, because the mark is the most boring person alive and thinks a fancy cocktail party in a hotel is the stuff dreams are made of; Henderson was extremely specific about the number of dashing rogues Eddie was allowed to drop in for passionate speeches and/or dueling purposes.*

“Eddie?” says Steve. 

“Mm, no, Johanna Berger.” Eddie tosses his head, letting ice-blonde hair cascade over his bare shoulders, and smirks up at Steve. “I am quite charmed to meet you, darling.”

Johanna is a young widow who may or may not have had something to do with her late husband’s untimely death, so she’s wearing a plunging black dress designed to show off some real bombshell curves. He’s pretty proud of her rack, honestly; it’s harder than you’d think to make sure everything looks realistic. 

“Are you doing an accent?”

Eddie scowls. Johanna went to an international school, so her accent’s subtle to the untrained American ear, but he spent two solid hours last weekend reviewing Austrian vowels with his dialect coach. 

“Are you not doing an accent?”

“Uh, no? Because I don’t need to? The mark’s from Connecticut.” 

“Perhaps the both of you could use a little more exposure to…foreign affairs.” Johanna leans in coyly, trailing one red nail up Steve’s arm. 

Steve lets out a snort that sounds completely unrehearsed. “Does that ever actually work for you, dude?”

Johanna tilts her head, gazing up at Steve. She’s not the type to get intimidated, but she is the type to be curious. She’ll take risks if it means getting a chance to pry someone open. 

“You don’t spend much time with other forgers, do you?” she says. 

Steve shrugs. “I don’t really do the whole, uh, dreamsharing community. I mean, I guess I’ve kinda been doing this a while, but like—not seriously, you know? It’s not really my thing. Wasn’t planning on any more jobs at all, but Henderson showed up, and you know what that kid’s like.”

Steve looks so openly fond just saying Henderson’s name that Johanna has the sudden urge to shield Steve’s face from the crowd somehow. The poor fool, she thinks in despair. He has yet to learn that a tenderness like that is to be protected.

Or—maybe Johanna would be contemptuous. Maybe she’d think: what a fool. Anyone could see how to break Steve Harrington’s heart.

“Yeah,” says Eddie. “I know what Henderson’s like. Biggest pain in my ass imaginable.”

The soft look on Steve’s face shifts into a real smile as he glances over. “Tell me about it,” he says. “Hey, you sound like you again.”

“What, no I don’t,” says Eddie. 

“No, it’s good. It’s better than whats-her-name.”

Eddie looks down at himself, thoroughly-researched curves straining at the satiny bodice and a manicured hand still resting on Steve’s arm. “Maybe you just need to get to know Johanna,” he says. “She’s a hell of a dame.”

“Sure.” Steve winks. “Tell her to give me a ring sometime.”

“Oh my god, why are you hanging out with projections,” says Mike freaking Wheeler, popping up like a bad penny in a cater waiter outfit. “Steve, go talk to the mark! We’re running out of time!”

“Okay, okay, sheesh,” says Steve, pushing away from the bar.

“Jesus, Wheeler, we’re two levels down. We got plenty of time,” says Eddie, pointedly not watching Steve weaving through his crowd. 

“Wait, is—are you—Eddie?” The kid is openly gawking at Johanna. 

“Eyes up here, champ,” says Eddie. “This is Johanna Berger, and she’s here to make sure everything goes according to plan. Also, she’s here to look appropriately and publicly devastated at the tragic death of her husband, because the yacht club wives are getting gossipy.” 

“Whoa,” says Wheeler. “That…wasn’t in the briefing.”

“Keep up, yeah? You’re in the dreamshare business, the briefing never covers everything.” Eddie puts a tray of champagne flutes in Wheeler’s hands and snags one for Johanna as Wheeler fumbles to keep from dropping the rest. 

Johanna sips the champagne. It doesn’t taste like anything at all. 

“Darling,” she says. “If you learn to let dreams surprise you, I think you will have a better life, yes?” 

Across the room, Steve looks up from charming the mark. He smiles at Johanna, just a quick and completely unprofessional flash of teeth before turning his attention back to a Connecticut banker who probably wouldn’t have a hope in hell of catching Steve’s attention in the waking world.

Or maybe that’s Steve’s type. Maybe he’s got some smart, boring wife in a conservative pantsuit tucked away somewhere. Maybe she comes home every day like clockwork to a hot meal and freshly-bathed children and has absolutely no idea that her trophy husband inhabits dreamscapes in his spare time. 

No, he is better than that, thinks Johanna. In my soul I know that he deserves better. I would take him away from such a woman in an instant.

Which is just—

Okay, so Steve Harrington might be a slightly bigger problem than Eddie’d thought.

*“Zero, Eddie! Zero rogues, zero secret Cinderellas, whatever that means, zero drama. Just assume the answer is always going to be zero with this guy!”

“Then what’s the goddamn point, Henderson?”

“Uh, maybe the nice fat paycheck coming our way?”

At this point, Eddie can either admit that he isn’t actually in it for the money (gross, not an option) or subside into a sulky silence. So: zero dashing rogues. It’s fine. He’s not bitter at all.

[imagines-babes]

Can’t pretend (sapnap)

Hello everyone, this one is for sapnap and it's based on a movie called Inception. It's a good movie with some familiar faces. Anyway, the movie is about being in a man having some problems with his home. One man could help him go back home if he goes into a person's dream. Honestly im not good at explaining but that's the main point somewhat. The song I used is 'Can't pretend' by Tom Odell. It's a good song. This is she / her reader and the word count is 2527 Also have any requests let me know thanks for the votes for the last one I did.

Sapnap List Masterlist

************

One day after the accident.

"I want you to go first okay I will be right behind you okay,"  the dream was changing as the person started to wake up. I tried to abject but y/n wasn't having it. " it is an order Sapnap. You go and I will be behind you.  Now Go!" I started to run to the door waking up from the dream and taking in a deep breath as I look at the others. "Where y/n?" Wilbur asked as I look to the side to her, "she told me to leave but she said she's coming." We waited the second slowly turned to minutes. We knew what this meant. Wilbur left that room as I stay still holding her hand. "She's not coming back"

8 months later

"All we have to do is follow the 5 rules." The leader turned to face us. "1. Blend in. 2. Don't forget who you are. 3.  Use something to know what reality you are in 4. Don't go too deep into a dream there will be consequences. 5. Be careful cause If you die in a dream and go deeper into another dream chances are you die in the real world" These Were all the 5 rules we knew since being in someone's dream. This time we wanted to wake up a personal friend of ours. Yn. She was like us. Till there was an accident she went too deep into a dream. It was a team mission in someone else dream something went wrong she said she was behind me so I could wake up first but. That was a lie.

We all went to a building where her body was. The people we were taking were Wilbur, Alex, Karl, Clay, George, and myself. Everyone had a role Clay is our Exactor. Wilbur is our team point man. When Clay needs a background check or to keep us in check with the task we are doing. George and I are our architects. Designing a Maze in the Dream. Alex is our Forger. He can change his physical form. Karl is our Chemist. Creating the drugs we need to fall to sleep. Y/n was our Forger and our Topman. Since the incident Clay took their spot. Everyone got one more hearing of the plan. Then it came to action. Everyone sat on a chair while Karl set it up.

Putting a needle inside every one of us than bringing y/n body over. We were ready Karl pressed his machine. Under the gas, once more breathe till slowly everyone fell asleep.

We were in a car, everyone dress nice in suits as for Alex he change his appearance to a woman. The scar stopped as we all went out going inside a building. It was a hotel with a casino and dance studio. The words on the Billboard were, "Please join us for tonight's show and poker tournament." walking into the building getting sign-in for our room. Alex and my task were to try to find y/n. This was their dream after all wouldn't be too hard to find. Going into the casino, Alex and I nod split ways. Trying to look around a waitress walked around with a plate of champagne and passed by me grabbing a glass.

Looking over at the slot machine a leg with a heel stood out. Her skin looks smooth with the color of her skin. Slowly walking up to her with the drink in my hand. Her drink was on their side. The dress that was one was a dark red shade. Maroon, I believe it is called. She looked up to notice me coming up to smile at her. "Sapnap?" All I did was nod as she came up to me holding me close. "I thought you weren't gonna show up here. Is it only you or are the others here." She pulled back with a smile, "oh the others are here upstairs honestly wanna come to say hi?" She nods, "lead the way"

This was one of y/n side's life. Her being here with the lights, drinks, and gambling. It was Her and Alex going to the spot after any mission. Or at least tried to. After y/n hasn't returned, Alex never steps into a casino. To him, it felt weird like missing a piece.

Opening the door to the room, the rest of the boys notice y/n. All in a rush jumped in to hug them. "Wow can't believe you missed me that much you boys were just here last week or so." She questions as we all laughed. "Well, what can you say a lot of things can happen in a week including missing our top man," Wilbur replied. She just nods without a question. Karl came up behind her injecting something in her neck. She slides down to the floor. "We have to hurry that won't keep her asleep for long." Everyone grabs a chair putting another needle in their arm. "I will be staying to keep a check in here being here for too long the people in her dream will start to notice so hurry." Karl glanced up turning on the gas once more. Before going out Karl went to my side of me. "Bring her back alright." All I nods was nod closing my eyes once more.

This time we were in a different area. It was familiar to us once more. It was a memory to her. On the side of a house, walking in to see the party banner and flags were in. She jumps up from a counter. "Suprise boys," she blew into a horn. We all looked at each other. "Y/n wants all this?" Clay has questions about looking at the balloons. She moved away from the counter giving us hats. "Since we are always busy with work or finding information for a job or training. With today being our day off. I decide to plan a birthday party for all of us today.," she looked around, "uh is karl coming? He usually helps me?"  I shook my head as she just shrugs. "I hope he is here soon. Well, boys let's get the party started." she press the speaker to play a song. The song was giving us nostalgia, Stargazing, they would always play it after every mission. At first, it was annoying, but slowly we all got used to this song. My heart broke a little. "Do it," I heard a whisper from George and Clay. George started to walk up to her embracing a hug. It was a long hug. Y/n felt a needle pull away from George. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" She pulled a gun and faced us. None of us spoke. "One of you answer me or I will pull the trigger."  None of us believe her till she pulls it only to face the roof. "Y/n this is a dream we have to get you back." Wilbur started to walk closer she face him. "You can't take her out of there." This y/n was crying, "she gave up on you guys. She waited every day and told me that she will come but none of you did. She's dying " Her hands started to shake. "If you go further-," she choked, "if you go into another dream there will be consequences." I started to walk up slowly, "please just let us. We accept any consequences we just need her back." This y/n shook her head. "She doesn't want to go back Sapnap she doesn't any of you. she accepts that none of you came. Y/n told me to do anything for you to not drug me." Pulling the trigger at me. With a tear coming from her right eye. It started to turn into chaos. Feeling Clay bring me to behind the counter. "I don't want to but I'm her you can't take her." The blood makes it through my clothes.

Karl was checking vitals till something red caught his eye. Going closer to the body. Touching the red moving it around his fingertips. "Blood"

Clay started to wrap my stomach as we continue to hear the sobs and shots. He started to give a plan to Alex, Wilbur, and George. Acting as if they surrender will I laid on the floor. "You are staying in this dream. You aren't coming along Sapnap. You've had enough." The words were like bullets but I wasn't going to stand down. "I am going to get y/n back either it kills me or she kills me. I need to Clay. I need to." Saying it is more demanding for him to hear. Hearing the thud on the floor with Alex on top. Y/n body faced down on the floor with the needle in her neck once more. "Now we don't have much time." The one that was staying this time was Wilbur, he volunteer himself to stay.  Cleaning my wound l. I walk to a chair. "I know we never see eye to eye after y/n been trapped here but she's like a sister please get her back." Wilbur is never the one to plead. This Wilbur was broken without y/n. All I did was nod. Falling into a sleep.

Walking up to the final Dream. I tried to stand as Alex walked over to me for help. I sigh leaning some wait on him. We walk through the building in her mind. All of them were from her past with us. Walking into the center. We notice our building. Slowly walk in. I started to couch as they watched me. "I'm fine we don't have a lot of time."

The deeper I got I started to lose myself a little. Walking slower. Taking in my breaths. My eyes were droopy. I was slowly dying. I'm not giving up till I see her.

Walking into the top floor there she sat. She watches her watch on the phone. Putting down the drink she had in a glass. Standing up slowly she took in a breath turning to face us. "Well, I'm guessing you are here for me?" She questions while Clay nods. "Yeah, we are here to bring you back to the real world." There is a laugh escaping y/n mouth. We didn't know why a laugh maybe a thank you and a hug but not a laugh. "So it took you 8 months give or take to come and rescue a friend," the silence filled the air but outside of the building the winds started to change, "but if it was anyone else you all would've done it in days or weeks. Not months." She pulled a gun out of her hand and pointed it at the window. We question where it appears, "Crazy how it appears in just a thought, right." Pulling the gun to hear a shot. The glass shatter as the wind speeds increase. 

Wilbur started to notice the bleeding getting worse from sapnap. As for karl, he tried to hold the wound and check the pulse on his arm. It started to go slower.

"Now leave and I won't tell you again." she held the gun as she face us. "But if you don't go with us you are dead." I walked up a little with a limp. She looked at me and then at my hand. "What's wrong with you?" Clay answered, "your past dream. That version in shot him if we didn't leave." Y/n face fell a little. "You should've listened to them or the rules at least the longer you are in here. There is a small chance you won't make it back alive"  "y/n please just come with us. We miss you. I miss you" Her eye started to leave a tear. "Leave. all of you. I'm not gonna ask you again" We were giving up. They went to the window. As I stood in front of her. The three turn to me, "Sapnap what are you doing let's go" I turned to back to George. "If she not going neither am i" "Sapnap let's go she's not coming" Clay started to walk up to me. "No im not. I'm not gonna take orders from anyone this is how we got to this situation anyways," The rest just nods as they jump off the window first Alex. He looked at both of us once more. Y/n was breaking I saw it slowly. Next was George, he saw y/n as a sister but this y/n he didn't know who it was. Last was Clay, he was worried about what was gonna happen to us. With just a nod he jumped.

Waking up to see Wilbur pacing. "What are you three doing here? Where y/n and sapnap?" No words were passed just looks to y/n and Sapnap bodies.

"Why didn't you go you know your dying?" y/n turned to look back at the window. "I can't leave without the person who made me appreciate life." she froze placing the gun on the table. "You are talking childish you know," looking over at her, "I'm not the old y/n any more sap. I waited but the person I needed wasn't here to help me. Help me get out of this dream." The blood on my shorts started to spread more going over to a chair. "You didn't think I tried to tell them y/n. I would ask every day when we are gonna take you out of this dream. But I listen to the orders of clay.." Taking in a breath as I close my eyes slowly. "Sapnap-," y/n went over to my side trying to wake me up, "You need to go olay and forget about me. You are dying in here." I gave a small laugh as I cough. "You and I both know even if I do there is a chance I won't make it. This job takes risks but you are here with me I would take any risk for you." She held me as my arm was put around her shoulder. "Why did you have to be so stubborn Sapnap?" She mumbles as I looked over at her. "I love you y/n"

Karl was the first to wake up. Started to look at his time on the watch. Standing in front of sapnap to check his pulse. Shortly after hearing a gasp looking over at Clay. Then George. Then Alex. To Wilbur. Finally to y/n. She looked over at us all. Then to her side to see he was there. She started to pull the needles. " we have to get sapnap to a hospital now.!" Getting up from her chair. The rest stayed in their chair not moving. "What are you about guys doing let's go!" Karl stood from his chair he just hug her. She look over to sapnap as he didn't wake up but the wound got to him. All in her head replay were the last words he said.

[marvelmusing]

Inception AU

Aleksander Morozova x Reader

The King of Ravka hires you to infiltrate the dreams of the Second Army’s General, and find out all you can about him. But what happens when you slowly begin to fall for your target?

Fic coming soon

[darjeelinh]

dream a little dream of me | rating: M | chapter 7

Six of Crows x Inception

—————————

Read chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6

Summary:

It took two days after Kaz arrived in Ravka for him to approach Inej. In his defense, she had avoided him as much as he had hesitated to talk to her.

He was here now, standing before an opportunity to pay this last debt he owed her, to give her the freedom he had promised her once, and that had to count for something. He would do anything to make it count.

A/N: almost forgot to post an update to tumblr 😭

once again almost died writing this chapter. obviously this is a kanej-focused chapter, but there's one kazper moment in this chapter i really love (spoilers (?) below cut)

maybe one day after i finished writing this entire monstrosity of a fic i will talk more about the little intricacies of the crows and their relationships with one another

anw thank you for reading 🥲

[nutteu]

Midnight Sun

-

[AO3]

There was no escape from the Limbo. The Doctor had been so desperate in their last showdown with Talulah, but that had never been Executor’s battle. He battled with time, with the impossible, with a tragedy. In the city that should have been devoid of souls, Flamebringer waited for him. [exeflame; inception au; published 2020-07-08; word count: 3,362]

-

In a summer where the sky was bright and they could hear their heartbeats so clear within their ears, Executor had fallen in love.

Flamebringer was a dying man, with eyes that never feared death. He took the Doctor’s hand one last time, and had looked at Executor with burning ambers in his tired eyes. His fingers were long as he grasped the offered hand. “Get out of here before he ate you alive,” he had said with a smile full of irony. It wasn’t a lie; the Doctor was a desperate, ambitious man. The team he had gathered in two weeks alone was consisted of top notch individuals on their fields. Even Perfumer, who was hired just mere days before they all gathered in France, was a woman with quite a repertoire in creating concoctions that would be crucial for their plan later on.

So Executor created a labyrinth, and watched as they tackled his traps. He built it again, with more elaborate, deadlier traps. Again, and again, and again until they understood the way he built his dreams, and he understood the way they thought within his labyrinth. Flamebringer had touched his back, and said, “I should hire you to design my funeral,” and Executor’s heart ached for the first time in a long, long while.

He watched as Flamebringer changed, into an old man with flowing white hair, into a woman with tragedy in her eyes and a sword by her side, into a young nun with unholy smile, into everything that the Doctor wanted him to be.  But he could see Flamebringer. Even in his suits, in flowery dresses, in uniforms, in a wedding gown marred by blood—he could see him still.

Perfumer had taken one look at his face on the day Flamebringer had worn the wedding gown, and smiled at him with sad, sad eyes. She embraced him then, her small frame enveloping him in warmth that made his heart clench despite the lack of emotions on his impassive face. “I’m sorry,” she had said, and he understood.

Loving a dead man was a tragedy he couldn’t escape from.

On a bright summer day he had made within his dreams, Flamebringer stood on a florist’s patio, clad in a cream jumpsuit and a pair of pale blue pumps; in his arms, a bucket of forget-me-not. And Executor had never felt this way. Even before he forgot how to feel, he had never felt this overwhelming sensation of longing and want. Under the shade of the patio, he kissed him for the first time, and let his heart broke into million pieces when Flamebringer sighed into his mouth. He said, “You should have never loved a dying man,” and Executor kissed him again just to feel his heartbeat against his chest.

-

It was not unlike a ticking time bomb, their relationship.

Flamebringer, for all that he said to him on that day, still let Executor stay by his side. Let Executor kiss him breathless, touch him with reverence and desperation, embrace him in their sleep, but he never, ever let him say love.

“Don’t,” he had whispered one night, closing his eyes as Executor kissed his neck softly, “don’t hurt yourself more than this.”

So he didn’t, kept the words under his tongue, stuck on his throat on the days Flamebringer smiled at him with a touch of softness so foreign on his callous behaviors; let the millions of I love you’s festered within his heart, spreading the tendrils of heartbreak and heartache deep within his roots. The longer he kept it in, the more he felt like he was the one dying. But he never said it, so that Flamebringer would let him stay until his last intake of breath.

But for all that Executor was a man with impeccable control, so cold and immovable, he was still a mass of nerves and blood, of breaths and heartbeats. Ever since he learned how to design his dreams, he had never dreamt of anything beyond his creations anymore. Good dreams, nightmares, none of them. And yet, every moment spent inside his labyrinth with Flamebringer was a flutter of happiness between the crushing weights of the war they fought against Talulah.

But there would always be two sides of the coin. Day after day they prepared for the last showdown; and day after day, the fear within Executor’s heart grew darker and darker. This was Flamebringer’s last mission, the Doctor had told him.

“I’d like to die surrounded with scent of lilies,” Flamebringer had told Perfumer one day. She was stunned for a moment; soft gasps caught in her throat, before she closed her eyes and sighed. She smiled like she wanted to cry when she said, “That would be lovely.”

He was planning to euthanized himself, Executor had realized then, and for the first time in his life, experienced the crushing, consuming grief that washed over his entire body like a burning poison. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t—he couldn’t. Every beat of his heart felt like an echo of a scream.

That was the start of his nightmares. Flamebringer had looked so beautiful in it, a serene smile on his lips, a bucket of bloody forget-me-not, the scent of lilies so vivid in Executor’s nose as the world collapsed around them. He whispered something, too soft to be heard amidst the chaos unraveling within his dream.

“Don’t save me, Samuel.”

Executor woke up with cold sweats, heart beating hard against his ribcage. On nights like this, he slept on the floor next to Flamebringer’s bed, listening to every breath he took, feeling the warmth from their interlinked fingers. He was alive, he reminded himself, and pretended that he wasn’t counting his heartbeats like a countdown to the gallows.

-

“I like France,” Flamebringer had said, sharpening his knife with a practiced hand. The bones on his wrists were sharp, more prominent than two months ago. “The flowers are nice, the food’s great, and no one would find me there. Well—except for the Doctor, but he could find anyone, anywhere. He can even find Mostima,” he said with disbelief on his face. “That’s some scary shit right there.”

“Indeed,” he had said, and thought back to the way Mostima had looked at Exusiai like the girl had put a bullet through her heart, and break it into bloody remains. He could understand the sentiment. “Would you like to live here, someday?”

Flamebringer’s hand slowed down at his words. There was no someday for a man like him. But he scoffed, and looked at Executor and said, “Yeah. That would be nice.”

-

“I’ll meet you in your dreams, Samuel,” Flamebringer whispered on the night before the last mission. “So promise me, you won’t chase me down the rabbit hole.”

Executor had cried then, feeling like someone had crushed his heart in their palm, an unimaginable pain that made him keel over from the sheer sadness that wrapped around him like a veil of death. He couldn’t stop the tears, couldn’t stop the litany of please, please, please don’t leave me alone that poured from him mouth like a prayer left unheard by some cruel god up there. How could someone ever cope from this? This latent sorrow that shattered any semblance of hope and coherence; like he tasted death on his tongue, even before Flamebringer’s breath ran out of time.

“Oh, Samuel,” Flamebringer had sighed, gathering him into his arms. His hip bones ground into Executor, his clavicles felt so sharp beneath his cheeks, and once again he was reminded that they couldn’t outrun time. No matter what they did, wherever they went, time would stop on a heart that had been touched by the reaper.

He kissed him then, cupping his face like he would crumble into dust if Executor didn’t hold him close enough. He kissed him like he wanted to say a thousand words that could never escape his lips, like a song on an empty theater. Echoing, before falling silent. Flamebringer smiled into the kiss, and when he let Executor embraced him that night, strings of his name falling like a raindrop from red-bitten lips, it felt like a farewell.

“Don’t,” Flamebringer said afterwards, lying next to each other, breathless and hurting.

So Executor swallowed his words, and held him tight, and went to sleep feeling like a man lost in the desert. Stranded and disoriented, finding an escape that had never been there in the first place.

-

Flamebringer walked with the confidence of a man who knew he would win this war. The red qipao hugged his figure like a second skin, bare skin of his legs showing from the slits on the side every time he took a step. The heels clicked against the tiled floor as he made his way to Talulah’s dream Architect, and charmed him with wicked smirks and firm, sure touches on the man’s arm. He hid the tremor on the surface of his drink with a slow toast when he felt Executor’s design rippled from the strain of containing Talulah’s mind. Just a little bit more—

“A small vault in her old house. The one she shared with Che’en,” he said into the earpiece hidden from the sight of anyone who weren’t part of their team. “There should be a necklace inside. That’s our lottery ticket.”

There was a woman dying inside that house, a gunshot wound bleeding profusely as she cried for help. Flamebringer breathed through his nose as he stepped through the threshold, and looked into the mirror. A perfect replica of the dying woman, of Talulah’s mother. Executor gritted his teeth; head spinning as he meticulously reconstructed Talulah’s childhood house and her most guarded memory.

Talulah arrived not long after Flamebringer fell to the ground, an illusion of a gunshot wound on his chest; skin pallid like death had just kissed his lips and stayed in his veins. She screamed then, holding him and crying out for a mother that had been long gone. He pitied her, for all those horrendous things she had done in the name of revenge, she was just another victim of life. When she opened the vault, and took out the necklace inside with quivering hands, Flamebringer stood up on shaky legs and embraced her tight. “I’m sorry,” he said in the dead woman’s voice. “I’m so sorry that I had to leave you.”

The world rippled around them as Talulah’s mind broke, letting her guards down and allowing Flamebringer’s words lulled her into believing that she should stop here, should stop and thought back about her childhood, about her mother’s memories, about Che’en. When she disappeared a moment after, Flamebringer let out a harsh gasp and fell on his knees. The tremendous grief that he had felt from Talulah’s memories and mind stayed there long after the girl was gone.

“We’re done here,” he said. “You can go home, now, Doctor.”

As Exusiai’s cheer filled their intercom, Executor took a deep, trembling breath, and aimed his gun.

The gun shot rung like an echo of a promise in the third layer of Executor’s dream. Flamebringer fell to the ground for the second time, gasping for breath, and stopped moving after a moment. Exusiai screamed in his ears, calling for Flamebringer’s name as he opened the door to Talulah’s childhood house and lifted the bleeding man to the bed. He caressed the side of his cold face, and said, “I’m going down to find him.”

“Are you out of your mind?!” the Doctor roared. “Get out of there, we don’t have much time!”

“I do. I have all the time in the world once I get to the Limbo,” he calmly said.

There was a silence for a moment, before the Doctor spoke again. “Executor, you—“

“Farewell, Doctor.”

He held Flamebringer close in his arms, feeling the blood seeped into his shirt, like tendrils of judgment searching for a sinner. He closed his eyes, and felt the world around him ever so slowly dissolved into dust as he descended to the Limbo, chasing a dead man with wicked smirk and eyes that felt like home.

-

Lena woke up with a gasp. She coughed out the water filling her throat as someone dragged her from the shore. She willed her irregular breaths to calm down, trying not to feel sick when she remembered what had just happened.

Talulah was lying on Mostima’s lap, still not conscious as her mind tried to reconstruct the balance she had lost abruptly. Exusiai was—she looked so lost. Her eyes wet with tears, gaze empty as she looked at the Doctor. Lena, because she felt as lost, because she remembered—I’d like to die surrounded with scent of lilies—because she knew that Executor had died the moment they started this last mission, looked to him as well.

The Doctor didn’t look at them, but he knew. He stared at the vast expanse of the river, the bridge, the city that Executor has constructed meticulously. “They’re not coming back.”

They went into this mission as a team of six people with various reasons, working under one goal. There were only four people left now, as she realized that stopping Talulah had never been Executor’s goal since the moment he laid his eyes on Flamebringer. Bringing him into the Limbo was. If time wouldn’t stop for Flamebringer in the real world, then he would stop time in their dreams and make the Limbo as their real world.

She sighed. Loving a dead man was a tragedy Executor couldn’t escape from. She just hoped that whatever he found down there would be enough, would worth the live he had thrown away. She hoped they found each other.

“He made his choice,” the Doctor had said. He looked wistful, like he was seeing a memory from a long time ago. Maybe he saw Kalt’sit, Perfumer thought, maybe he saw Theresa. Maybe he saw something else that they couldn’t understand. Something that Executor could.

He turned towards them, glanced at Talulah’s prone figure, and said, “Let’s go home.”

-

Samuel was born in France twenty-two years ago. He knew the cities, knew the streets, the food, the churches, the cathedrals, the places, the scent; he knew Paris, his hometown, by heart. Every little details of it. But then again, he remembered every single place he visited by heart in his training as an Architect of dreams. France, though dear in his memories, had never been his home to begin with.

But, as he walked down the streets, inhaling the scent of coffee grounds that wafted in the morning air, he thought that he could make it his home. Right here, underneath the summer sky, in a city where he spent the most of his childhood in.

He walked past an empty diner, an empty bakery, a towering church filled with memories, a house that he never visited anymore the moment he became an Architect, a warehouse where he built the labyrinth for the Doctor’s team. This is a city that he knew by heart, where every little details was as vivid as the memory of the real world. This wasn’t, of course. Samuel knew that, always had to know where the line where dreams began and reality ended.

But this was his Limbo, a place where he never had to draw the line. This was a city filled with memories, but would always be devoid of any soul.

Except for him, and the man sitting on a florist’s patio, wearing a cream jumpsuit and a pair of pale blue pumps, with a bucket of daffodils laid carefully on the wooden table. He was wearing a dusty blue blazer, hanging from his wide shoulders as he sharpened his knife with slow, deliberate motion. His earrings glinted in the summer sun, swaying back and forth as a sudden breeze went through the streets.

Enkaku lifted his head when Samuel stood in front of him, casting shadows over his body. He smiled; soft, tired. “You’re such an idiot, Samuel.”

He took Samuel’s hand when he offered, leaving behind the wilting daffodils. They strolled through the empty streets, not saying anything, just listening to each other’s breath.

“They went out safely,” he said.

Enkaku hummed next to him. “What are you doing here, then?”

They turned around the corner, passing a pizzeria that Enkaku often came to in his time in Paris. Samuel knew. He built this city based on his memories of Paris, and his memory of Enkaku, after all. “Chasing the rabbit down the hole,” he answered.

Enkaku sighed. He sounded like someone who had witnessed how the world started, and had seen as well as it turned into ruins. He sounded like a man in his thirties, dragging his heartbeat day by day as he waited for an end. He sounded like someone who had said his farewell.

“This is a lonely city, Samuel,” he said, stooping to hook his pumps off as they arrived at the beach. “This isn’t a place for the living.”

Samuel walked in silence beside him. His white hair fluttering as the breeze greeted them from the edge of the sea. The shore, just like every place in the city, was empty, save for a few gulls here and there. He could create life here, a bustling city just like what he remembered. He could do it, and more. But he had to make Enkaku understand first.

“Up there is not the place for a dead man with a beating heart, either,” he said.

They sat down on the sand, Enkaku’s pale blue pumps laid between Samuel and him. They were probably boarding the plane right now, back to each of their own hometowns. Talulah might be well on her way to China, to reconcile with Che’en. Time worked without rules in Limbo. It might be days already since his descend from the third layer to Limbo. Enkaku might’ve wait for weeks on end, for all he knew.

Their bodies would be kept by Lena, sedated by her chemicals until their body withered away through time. But here, they were timeless. They could live forever. They never had to say farewells.

“They’re home, by now,” he said. Then he turned to Enkaku, reaching for his hand. “I am home, too.”

Enkaku didn’t look at him, didn’t talk for a moment, and Samuel was fine with that. They had all the time in the world in the void of Limbo.

The summer breeze ruffled Enkaku’s hair; the blazer on his shoulders slipped down and fell to the sand. He didn’t move to retrieve it. He just breathed slowly and stared at the lapping waves on the shore. “You killed me, didn’t you?” he asked then.

Samuel closed his eyes. There were prices to pay for this decision, but he was willing to pay every single one of them. “Yes.”

Enkaku’s smile was sad, filled with melancholy and regrets. He didn’t say anything anymore, but he didn’t let go of Samuel’s fingers either. After a few moments, he turned to Samuel, amber eyes filled with resignation and acceptance. “You’re a fucking idiot, you know that?”

“Enkaku,” he said, and let the words—that had been hiding under his tongue, stuck in throat, festering in his heart—pour from his lips. “I love you.”

The taller man let out a soft chuckle. And then he was leaning forward, cupping Samuel’s face with his long fingers and calloused palm. He kissed him slowly, tenderly, and Samuel’s heart clenched in his ribcage when he realized that it didn’t taste like a farewell.

“Welcome home, then, Samuel,” Enkaku whispered after they separated. Samuel smiled at him, and let himself fell in love for the second time with this man.

There was no escape from the Limbo. Time didn’t apply to a world so far away from reality, so detached from a fate that Samuel had rejected. He held Enkaku’s hand in his, and stared at the horizon where winter would never come; an eternal summer for two dead men in a city of ghosts that felt like home.

-

[antimonyandthyme]

sebmick inception au thoughts

where it starts off with mick and seb on a date, hands held in the streets sun on their cheeks and mick’s happier than he’s ever been he can taste this happiness he can and then seb pulls him into an alleyway and kisses him and then mick—

pulls a gun on seb, says who are you? seb is visibly confused, and without hesitation mick shoots him in the shoulder. oh, the walls start crumbling and the structures around him start collapsing, which is proof enough. mick shoots this seb in the head and the dream collapses—

and we find out some organization is in the process of extracting info from mick and he’s hooked up to a PASIV. they don’t expect him to wake but he does, having killed the dreamer in the dream, and he makes it out—

he goes back and hooks up to his own PASIV (can’t dream without these things anymore, side effect of the job) and we see him with—

seb, in the kitchen or something. mick says, they tried to get me with you.

seb says, how did you know it wasn’t me?

mick says, the way you kissed me.

but instead of looking happy, seb in his dream just looks broken, and he says, very soft, mick, you have to let me—

and mick wakes up with a timed kick from the real world, having programmed it just so whenever seb in his dream tells him that, because he doesn't want to hear the end of that sentence.