#but he does and Hob’s there to let him know that he’s not any weaker for it

[littledreamling]

As someone who has a lot of pride, I can speak with authority in saying that there’s probably a lot Dream just… doesn’t know how to do, simply because he would see it as undignified to lower himself to learning. For example: ballroom dancing. Yes, it’s an adorable headcanon that Dream and Hob dance together after making up in the quiet of Hob’s flat or under the stars of the Dreaming, but I can honestly say (as someone who is learning how to ballroom dance myself), dancing isn’t a talent, it’s a skill. And it’s not easy. Unless Dream was created knowing how to dance, he would’ve had to have gone through the humiliation of messing up (a lot) (no really, A LOT) to actually learn how to dance well, and I don’t necessarily think he would’ve done that. I’m not sure his pride would let him admit that he doesn’t know how to do something, so he would just never learn how to do it.

And the same goes for a lot of “human” things because he doesn’t spend enough time in the Waking to be able to learn by watching (and yeah, maybe he’d learn by watching in people’s dreams, but dreams are never very reliable in terms of realism and accuracy to real human customs, so maybe he actually learned wrong). Idk I just think it would be an interesting concept to see be explored in fics, especially since Hob is the main catalyst of disarming Dream’s debilitating sense of pride

[runningfrom2am]

cold nights // part sixteen

summary: you showed him colours he knows he can't see with anyone else.

pairing: coriolanus snow x fem!reader

wc: 3.3k

masterlists / nav / requests

tags/warnings: tribute!reader and mentor!coriolanus, r is very sweet (too kind for this world. literally.), sunshine x grumpy trope kinda, he falls first, violence typical for the source material, r is very smart (as she should), district twelve!reader.

a/n: i am so excited for you guys to see everything I've got coming up for this series- ah!! also, should i post the masterlist for requiem soon?? i can't post the first part just yet, but i'm excited ab it so let me know if you guys want to see that to be able to get the vibes and stuff!

my asks are also open to talk about this series! (i do have emoji anons open now too!)

send me any and all of your thoughts! here!

series masterlist // playlist

"Hello there, Miss." Coryo grins at you, extending his arm to you to hold as you step out of your house and close the door behind you.

You pretend not to see, reaching down to retie your shoe which was already laced up perfectly. "Hi." You reply quietly, and his smile fades. You already seem in weaker spirits than you were this afternoon.

"Did you enjoy your nap?" He asks as you stand up straight again, making your way down the front path of your house to the street and he follows like a stray dog.

You turn when you reach the road, looking at him only briefly. "I did. Thank you." You mumble, unable to make extended eye contact without your heart beating out of your chest. It was hard to tell if you were awake or asleep when he was around.

"That's good." He nods, joining your side. He's there to walk you to The Hob, but he honestly was relying more on you to guide the way.

You don't say anything, walking with your arms crossed carefully, protectively across your midsection.

Coryo is worried, but he does know that you don't want to walk alone at night, so he tries to convince himself it's just that. Not him.

"You, uhm, you look nice." He tells you, taking notice of your change of clothes. It was refreshing to see you in something other than that short dress with the sewn-in shorts, though with the longer skirts you had worn today, it covered much more of your skin. Part of him missed the short dress that was now most definitely unwearable. It was your favourite, he remembered.

"Thank you." You say back, the hair on your arms pricking up from the chill that was starting to settle in. It wasn't a cold night, you didn't think, but colder than Twelve often saw in mid-August. Maybe it was just you. "You do, as well."

He laughs, and you look at him for the first time tonight. His blue eyes shine with the reflection of the sunset, and you're no longer cursing yourself for trusting him to walk you this afternoon. He wouldn't hurt you, and you knew that. Stupid dreams. Stupid nightmares. He saved you- he's the only reason you're alive today, you're certain.

"We're trying to blend in, Sejanus thought we were scaring people." He explains, laughter subsiding.

You smile at him. "I was going to say, that style doesn't feel like your own." You giggle. "But I like it."

"Why, thank you." He grins, tugging on the front of his white t-shirt as if he was adjusting a suit jacket.

Your dreams were just dreams. If he had that evil in him, could you live with it? That was what you had to figure out. Right now, though, with you, that darkness was nowhere to be seen. You were awake. You must be.

"How has Twelve been treating you so far?" You ask, suddenly self-conscious of his impression of your home as your feet crunch over the gravel path beneath you.

"Okay." Coryo shrugs, shoving his hands into his pockets. "It was hard to find someone to talk to us long enough to get a lead on where to find you."

"People tend to keep to themselves." You explain. "Also looking for me is an odd request."

"Why?"

Now it was your turn to shrug. "No one really wants to talk to me now, either." The stares you got were seemingly endless. People would stare, point, whisper, and it didn't particularly bother you, but you hated that maybe people were afraid. You feared that everyone thought the games turned you into something fragile, and they were scared of upsetting you with the wrong words or the alternative; you were a weapon ready to explode at any moment.

"That's because people are careless and cruel." Coryo replies, no hesitation behind his tone. "And they have no way of understanding... you."

"They're good people, honestly, I just-"

"I know that." He assures you, sensing your panic. "But it's not your place to prove to them who you are. Changed or not."

"Do you think I have changed?" You ask, genuinely curious despite the softness of your voice.

Coryo is quiet for a moment. "I would say no," He looks at you as you walk alongside him. "but you have, I think. There's more to you, now."

You chew on your lip, watching your steps as you pass under the streetlights.

He watches your reaction, nervous when you don't respond. "I don't mean that in a bad way." He clarifies. "To me, you're still you." He wants to tell you you're less naive, more experienced, that it will keep you safe, but he feels as though that wouldn't be the right thing to say. "But it's impossible to walk out of that arena the same person. We have that in common."

The flickering street lamps illuminate the blush on your cheeks for just a moment. "Thank you, Coryo. That means a great deal." 

"Of course." He hums, walking close enough now to just brush your arm with his own.

Your heart leaps in your chest, from fear or excitement you aren't sure- but you're grateful to be able to finally hear the music coming from The Hob as you approach the rundown building.

There's nowhere else you would want to be any less than The Hob during one of Lucy Gray's shows. You loved her, The Covey, the beautiful and fun music they made together, but since you'd been home, it had been impossible to enjoy yourself there.

You didn't even try until tonight.

Your fears came true. Almost as soon as you and Coriolanus walked in, scattered eyes were on you. You could feel it like pricks in your skin. It didn't help that you were with a stranger. People were dancing, drinking, laughing, but you couldn't help but feel like the laughs were directed at you. Certainly, some staring was.

Coryo looks down at you, seeing your hands still gripped onto your own arms, holding yourself together. He wasn't great with crowds, and seemingly neither were you. His urge was to retreat to the nearest wall, and so was yours. "Let's see if we can track down Sejanus." He offers, holding his arm out behind you while he looks around.

He doesn't want to touch you for fear of making things weird, but god, would it just be so easy to slip his arm around your waist and guide you more effectively. 

"There." He almost doesn't hear you over the music and the shouting surrounding you both, but he follows your finger as you point over to the bar, leaning down closer in case you speak again.

Sure enough, Sejanus is there chatting with some local guy. Coryo sighs. "I leave him for twenty minutes..." He chuckles, shaking his head. "I'll get him, are you okay to wait here?" He asks and you nod, giving him that smile of yours that he hasn't seen all night.

"Good. I'll be right back." He promises, stepping away and through the crowd to go get your friend.

You watch him go, but your attention is drawn when someone pushes past you rather abruptly which makes you jump. The girl looks at you like you're crazy, as you expected she would, so pulling yourself together again, you find an empty table by the side wall and go to sit down. This was too much for you already; you knew that before you even walked in the door, but you were just here to see your friends. Coryo would come back, Sejanus would be with him, and Lucy Gray would sing her songs while you laughed and talked like normal people do. As soon as they returned, it would be okay.

You keep your head down until you hear them bickering over the normal sounds of the bar.

"We're not here to make friends, Sejanus, we're here to-"

"No, no, I get that, but what's the harm?"

You smile at them, taking a shaky breath. "Welcome back."

"Y/N!" Sejanus grins, looking at Coryo briefly before taking the seat across from you. "Glad you could make it."

"Me too." You nod, avoiding looking at Coryo as he takes the spot standing next to you, considering there wasn't another seat.

"Here," He says, voice low in your ear as he holds a glass out to you. "Got you a drink."

"Oh, thank you." You mumble, blushing as you take it from his hand. You can't think of anything worse than being intoxicated and vulnerable in this environment, but the gesture was nice. You wouldn't deny him that.

He rests his arm on the back of your chair, leaning on it and you rest your arms on the table so you can place the glass down as you look at Sejanus. "Tell me more, what have you been up to?" You ask, desperate for some conversation to distract yourself.

"Well, we graduated." Sejanus answers, nodding toward the boy standing beside you.

"Oh, gosh, congratulations!" You smile, looking between the two of them. Coryo is stone-faced.

"I sent you an invitation." He says into the rim of his glass, looking down at you.

"Oh?" You ask, and Sejanus nods in confirmation.

"We were hoping you'd be able to make it. We were going to come get you." He explains, and Coryo lets the glass scrape against his teeth. It was his invitation that he sent, and he was the one who offered to come get you. Sejanus had nothing to do with it besides encouraging him to actually send the letter.

"I didn't- I didn't get it." You tell them honestly, brow furrowed. "I don't know if I could have... gone back, you know, but I would have at least sent a gift, or something. I am so sorry."

Coryo raises an eyebrow. "You didn't get it?" He asks, almost relieved by the idea.

"No, nothing."

"Oh. Well, nothing could be done then, I suppose." He shrugs it off. Maybe if you truly hadn't received the invite, you haven't received any of the letters he sent. Someone along the route to the address he used decided you weren't worth looking for, and that wasn't your fault. Lucy Gray had told him as much, but he trusted it more falling from your lips.

"Truly, though, I am so sorry I couldn't be there." You say, looking between the two of them with a newfound urgency. You didn't want them to resent you, especially if they thought they had been ignored. "I didn't know, honest."

"Don't worry about it." Sejanus assures you. "We didn't want to be there either."

"But I did, I would have loved to but it's just hard to get out of Twelve and I wouldn't have anywhere to stay and like I said I'm just not ready to go back but I really would have loved to be able to be there for you."

"Y/N, hey..." Coryo chuckles, leaning down again to be face-to-face with you. "We get it. We're not upset with you, I promise."

Promise. The two of you were always making promises to each other, apparently. It made you feel better and he knew that.

"O-okay..." You nod slowly, deciding now is as good a time as any to try your drink. You turn your face from him, having been just inches apart to take a sip. Beer was far from your favourite, but you were never much of a drinker anyway. You place the glass back down and smooth out your skirt over your lap, regaining your normal grin. "Well, Fortune is merry, and in this mood will give us anything."

"Very good point." Coriolanus agrees quickly, tapping his hand on the back of your chair. The smile that crosses your face when you look up at him, thinking he understood and cared to respond makes him want to collapse in on himself and sink into the floor. You deserved so much more than being elated when someone understood you, and he could give you everything if you would just trust him.

"Y/L/N, how dare you show your face here!" A voice calls you by your last name and you snap your head in their direction.

Coryo furrows his brow, watching warily as a boy about his age walks up to your table. He's ready to step in, maybe this is why you hadn't been coming- because people, boys had been harassing you. He should have seen that coming. You were beautiful, every time he looked at you it was hard to look away again- obviously, this kind of attention would be a common occurrence. He lifts his shoulders and puts down his drink, but he looks at you and you're smiling.

"Hi." You giggle, actually giggle- and it makes Coryo almost just as angry as if this random guy had just threatened you.

He leans his elbows against the table. "Been a long time since I seen you. How you been?" He asks, sipping his beer as he makes dead eye contact with you.

"Only a couple of days, River." You grin.

"Oh yeah, that's right..." He hums. "Been real interested in that book you let me borrow, you know."

"Have you?" You smile, leaning in with excitement, ready to discuss it.

Who was this guy? A friend? Something more? The way you were looking at him, the fact that you let him borrow one of your books made envy swirl in Coryo's stomach. He hated it. He clears his throat to remind you they were there before you got sucked into talking about whatever book you gave the boy.

"Oh." You look up at him. "River, this is-"

"Yeah, who are these clowns? Botherin' you?" He interrupts you, and Coryo is more peeved about that than the fact that he was just referred to as a clown.

"Not in the slightest." You hum. "These are my friends, Sejanus and Coryo. They came all the way from the Capitol just to visit me, isn't that sweet?"

"Ah..." The boy hums, standing back up and holding a hand out for Sejanus to shake before turning to Coryo as he keeps his grip on the back of your chair. "Nice to meet you both, then."

"It's Coriolanus." He corrects you as he shakes the boy's hand, squeezing it probably more than what is polite.

"Oh wow." River's eyes widen and he chuckles, looking down at you again. "You're not really the friendly type I guess. Y/N here can make friends with just about anyone, I suppose."

"River..." You frown, shaking your head at him. Coryo clenches his jaw.

"I'm sorry! Sorry, I'm not great with new people either. That's my bad." He laughs it off, patting Coryo's shoulder as he drops his hand. "Anyway, Y/N, I didn't expect to see you out and about. Holdin' up okay?"

"I'm well. Thank you." You nod, taking another sip of your drink. River was a good friend, maybe even a great one. He works with your father in the mines, he started as soon as he turned eighteen a few months before you. You've become closer since then.

"Glad to hear it." He nods at you, looking around the crowded room. He bottoms his drink, shaking it in your face. "Time for a refill so I'm gonna leave ya be, but shout if you need anything, alright sweetheart?"

"Thank you!" You call after him as he turns to walk off, winking at you.

"Sweetheart." Coryo mumbles into his glass with a slight shake of his head as he watches the boy walk away. You didn't hear him, and he wasn't sure he wanted you to.

"Who's that?" Sejanus asks. "He seems nice."

"We went to school together, now he works with my father," You explain. "but I've known him most of my life. He's very kind, just a little... outspoken. He'll always tell you what he's thinking." You chuckle, and Coryo bites his tongue.

You catch his expression of disapproval. "He didn't mean any harm, just trying to be welcoming. He was nervous, I could tell." Returning your gaze to Lucy Gray up on the stage, you smile and give her a quick wave. She smiles back, nodding at you.

"You never mentioned him." Coryo comments.

"Well, I..." You stop yourself, staring down at your lap. "I had a lot on my mind..."

"Do you know anyone else? Give us the tour." Sejanus suggests quickly, pointing around the room.

You smile, forcing yourself to ignore your worries about how Coryo is feeling. "Almost everyone, yes." You giggle, covering your mouth with your hand as you speak.

"Is that why you didn't want to come?" Coryo asks you and you look up at him again, smile faltering.

"I- It's not that I didn't want to." You answer, fidgeting now with the fabric in your lap. "I just... I don't know. It's hard to... I don't know. Everything feels so difficult these days..." You laugh nervously.

There's that word he was so afraid of. Hard. In reference to something as simple as going out and spending time with your peers- people you had clearly considered friends before the games. It seemed like another lifetime to you, he could see it in the way you so intensely watched yourself pick at your own fingernails. He wished while laying in his bed at night that you were happy here, that your life was normal, even if he couldn't be a part of it; but that was unrealistic and part of him knew that.

"It's okay." Coryo reminds you quickly. "You don't have to explain yourself to us." He smiles, trying to be reassuring. "If you want to leave we can go. Just say the word, Y/N/N."

You shake your head, looking back up at him with that same glowing smile that subtly begs him not to worry about you- but he has to. "It's completely okay." You assure him with a quick wave of your hand. "Okay, so..." You drum your fingers on the tabletop, looking around and attaching names to faces.

"That's Sienna, I went to school with her sister." You point over to a girl in a group of a few others. "And she's with Fern and Hazel, Hazel's the one with the light hair." The boy's eyes follow where you're pointing as you look over at another group. "Oh, and over with River, the taller boy next to him is Rowan." You explain. "His little brother is friends with mine. Then over there, by the stage is Billy Taupe- that's Lucy Gray's boyfriend. Kind of, they're on and off these days."

Coryo nods, trying to commit these names to memory. He didn't plan on speaking to any of them, but if you wanted to, which he doubted, he would try. 

"And that's-" Your voice cuts out so quick it's as if someone had slapped a hand over your mouth when another boy walked up to join the two standing by the bar. Quickly Coryo is looking down at you again as the blood drains steadily from your face. You cough, shaking your head. "Uh, I don't really know anyone else's names." You lie.

"You okay?" Sejanus asks you and you nod, quickly grabbing your glass and taking a few large gulps, the foul taste of beer forcing its way down your throat. 

"Yeah, just, I haven't seen these people in a while."

Coryo watches, jaw clenched tight as River converses with the blonde boy who just walked up to him and your other friend whose name he's already forgotten. River takes a swig from his drink, laughs as he puts the glass down on the bar, and then points over to the three of you. He was telling whoever the hell that was that you were there- and clearly you weren't keen on him.

"Let's go, yeah?" Coryo suggests quickly, abandoning his drink on the table to step in front of you. He extends his hand to help you up which you gratefully take. He could feel your hand trembling in his. 

He squeezes your hand gently, still shielding you from the group of boys. You didn't need to say a word. "Sejanus, I'm going to take Y/N home, are you okay here?"

"For sure." He nods, looking worried now at the very sudden shift in your energy and Coryo's clear protectiveness. "Do you want me to come?"

"No, no. It's okay." You smile, comforted by Coryo's presence behind you. "You stay and have fun."

"Alright, well, I'll see you soon?" He smiles and you nod, but Coryo is already guiding you away.

taglist: @soulessjourney , @that-veela-girl ,  @dreamyysouls, @rockstarbfs , @maysileeewrites , @baybieruth , @kitscutie ,  @fratboyharrysgf0201 , @totallynotkaibiased , @stelleduarte , @secretsicanthideanymore , @bejeweledreverie , @drewsandsebastianswife , @niicole-87 , @queenofshinigamis , @innercreationflower , @nallasstuff , @scorpiolystoned , @iovemoonyy , @thatmarvelchick19 , @wearemadeofstardust0 , @regulusblackcore , @puredreamagination , @fantasticchaosthing , @becauseseaotters , @secretsicanthideanymore

okay suddenly tumblr isn't letting me tag more people than this so i just made some cuts unfortunately :') i just left the max amount of people i could whose users i recognized and see in my notifs all the time :) if you're not on here and you should be i'm so sorry!

also this taglist is closed now!! if you’d like to get a notification when i update, turn on my post notifications!! i promise i won’t spam y'all :,)

[gabessquishytum]

more Immortal Throuple omegaverse <3

Hob, during this stage of his immortal life, has become a thief. He's infamous for stealing paintings and jewelry from royalty and nobility. And if he thinks you deserve it (unfair taxes, abuse of power, etc), he will absolutely destroy you.

The people love him for it. Nobles, not so much. They want him dead. Except nobody actually knows what he looks like, save a few servants here and there who have seen him- and why would they ever say anything?

Unfortunately for Hob, all of this makes him a bit cocky. So when he decides to break into the castle of King Dream and Queen Calliope, he doesn't really question why there aren't any guards or servants around that night. The King and Queen can protect themselves, after all, but why no servants?

Part of Hob's brain is screaming at him about how wrong it all feels, but he keeps going. There's a particular painting he's after, and a lovely ruby necklace he'd love to get his hands on.

And then there's a crash from the second floor.

Hob tries to stick to the shadows when he hears running but the shadows keep moving, almost like they're alive, and then suddenly he can smell Alpha and now there's two of at the top of the stairs, looking at him with wild eyes.

Hob knows better than to run from an Alpha in a rut, let alone two of them, but, well. Instinct is instinct and he'll be damned if this is how he gets caught.

He does. He does get caught. After a merry chase through the castle (he tried to lead them outside, at one point, hoping to steal a horse, but none of the damn doors would open), feeling like prey (he very much was), Hob gets caught.

It's easy to forget it's his own fault when there's two cocks fucking into him at once- one in his cunt, the other in his ass, almost always knotting him at the same time (he's never done this before, it's so good so good so good); two mating bites on either side of his neck; and two Alphas telling him how good he is, how they're going to put a pup into him and keep trying until they do.

(Three days later, Dream and Calliope snap out of their ruts to find a strange naked man in bed with them, covered in cum, two mating bites, wearing Dream's ruby necklace, and... smelling of pup and contentment.

Well then.)

Ashsjdjdhah this is absolutely amazing. And then you managed to top it by sending even MORE fodder for my horny mind!!

I particularly like this idea of Hob getting totally blindsided by two alphas in rut. He'd be weaker than them at the best of times, but in rut? He stands no chance. Worst of all Dream and Calliope work together to subdue him. He's pinned down, has the back of his neck bitten, and before he knows it he's being double knotted. He barely even feels the pain because his body is changing and that's the overwhelming sensation. Slick is pouring from his hole, hormones are pumping through his body, and by the time he passes out his knows that it's already happened. They've made him into an omega.

He should probably be more mad about it, but when he wakes up to two apologetic, whimpering alphas, who lick his wounds and submit themselves to his wrath... he finds himself unable to be angry. Life as a lone alpha kind of sucked, and now he feels this peace and contentment in his body. Plus he ended up getting Dream’s ruby anyway... and he can definitely exploit these two rich, sweet scented alphas into taking proper care of him...

They'll have to wait until his first proper heat to get him pregnant, but Hob’s going to make damned sure that they do. He wants pups, as many as they can give him. He's always been greedy and cocky and just because he's an omega now, that isn't going to change.

Oh, and Dream and Calliope are in love. Their omega has utterly bewitched them, and they can't wait to spoil him absolutely rotten.

[igotanidea]

Side Effects: Morpheus x reader

Request based on prompts list:

Hob: I brought you your coffee (128)

Morpheus: why does she need one, it's the middle of the day?

Reader: Oh I haven't slept in 4 days (132)

Morpheus: Run (130)

Midterms are a pain the ass, forgive my language. When the times comes, twice a year, for 2 weeks I become a hermit working 24/7, limiting contact with friends and family and acting like a living zombie. Thankfully, there are just a couple of people who are not afraid to see me in this form, with messy hair, sleepy eyes, barely controlling myself and snapping at every negative or sarcastic comments. If I were to be absolutely honest, I would say that I’m not the person you can easily get to, but Hob and Morpheus were an exception to a rule. And Matthew, of course. Hob were constantly checking on my mental an psychical help, his smile and attitude making surviving a bit easier even if I never explicitly showed that, he just knew. As for Morpheus his lack of knowledge about humans and life in general made it complicated. He couldn’t understand why I spend my time poring over books instead of joining him in his Realm and it took joint effort of me, Hob AND Matthew to stuff his head with the importance of education in modern world.

“You know, Dream, in XXI century girls are allowed to study and gain knowledge on the same terms as men….”

“But…..”

“And that is exactly what I’m going to do”

“But…..”

“No buts.” I shook my head in disapproval “I’m not asking for your permission or anything like that.”

“I don’t mind your studies.” He muttered

“Don’t you?” Hob smirk “Last time you mentioned something about missing her and …..”

“Stop it!” Dream’s voice turned stone cold, his glistening with anger and embarrassment gaze focused on the man.

“Just saying the truth” Hob raised his hands in surrender “It’s not my fault you don’t like it.”

“Guys, quit it, please. As much as I enjoy the show you put on I don’t need it now, ok? Can I get any support in my approach to schooling? Matthew?”

“Yes?”

“Were you even listening to what I was saying?”

“Barely, sorry” he looked down.

“I hate you, you know.” I stood up with anger on my face “for a beings of many, many years old you should at least try to understand it. Hob, you disappointed me. Given your experience with changing times I expected more of you. And as for you Dream ….. “ I shook my head “It’s just sad, you know. I’m gonna go.” Grabbing my backpack I didn’t even listen to their voices calling after me as I left and walked straight home. Back to my books.

 “Look what you both have done.” Matthew cawed

“What did WE do?” Hob’s eyes widened “you weren’t even listening to her”

“Maybe, if I were I would absolutely support her.”

“I never said I don’t stand on her side. This one did” Gadling pointed towards Dream being absolutely sure that the Dream Lord would never hurt him, even after such offensive assumption.

“Quiet!” King of Dreams got impatient and his companions immediately went silent “why is this so important to her? This … education?”

“Really, boss? Are you serious?”

“ I’m not known for joking around, am I? Now, speak”

“She is smart, ok? Like really smart. And today’s world is not exactly welcoming towards the smart women. They are constantly undermined, limited in their attempts for more, believed to be weaker than men and way to often judged only by their looks. Nothing strange in her wanting more. Education is important and helps you in life.”

“From every being in the universe you should know the effect of ignorance of existence, first-hand Dream” Hob mocked him once again and this time Dream Lord did not let it pass.

“That is enough, Hob Gadling. One more word and I will send a nightmare after you”

“No you won’t “ Matthew and Hob said in unison, knowing better.

***

Did I mention I only let a few people (and a talking Raven in)? Yes, I was angry with them all. Yes, I felt like they treated me unfair. But on the other hand I was also aware that because of being tired my reactions were a bit … exaggerated. So, the next day I decided to take a quick trip to the New Inn and grab myself something to drink, tea perhaps since too much caffeine was bad for my nervous system. It seemed, however that someone knew me better and therefore my walk was postponed.

“I brought you your  coffee” Hob was nonchalantly leaning on the doorframe, widest smile on his face reaching towards his eyes, handling me the biggest cup I’ve ever seen.”

“Appreciate it” I took it looking down and biting my lip “look, Hob I’m sorry for….”

“Hey, it’s ok. I get you are under stress, so no worries. Besides, I like this edgy and feisty side of yours.”

“Do you?” I raised an eyebrow “Well, that makes me happy. I enjoy our bantering and sarcastic relationship. You wanna come inside?”

“I thought you were studying?”

“ I was heading for a break, so might as well ask you.”

“Well, who am I to refuse a girl?” he grinned happily and moved to walk past me. Unfortunately, he did it a bit clumsily, hitting me and causing a bit of burning hot coffee to spill on me.

“Ouch, Hob!” I yelled and rushed towards the bathroom to clean the T-shirt and avoid stains and burning sides on the skin.

“I’m sorry!” he followed me quickly but bounced off the door I shut in front of his face “I did not mean to.”

“I know, but it hurts now!”

“Please let me in so I can help you!” he banged on the entry.

“In your dreams!” I spit desperately trying to clean the stain

“What happened here?” third voice came on the stage.

“Darn! What are you doing here, Morpheus?!” I opened the bathroom forgetting I was only in my bra “what?!” I yelled noting their gaze on me “Oh…. Right, just a second” covering my chest and stomach I moved towards the bedroom, grabbing first clean shirt and putting it on before coming back on sight. “What are you doing here?”

“You called my name.”

“I called…. Oh, shit! Me mentioning dreams had nothing to do with you.”

“I see.”

“Are you going to go back to Dreaming?”

“No.”

“Why?” I whined “I need to study.”

“Just a minute ago you said you were in need of a break” Hob pointed out

“Well thanks a lot Hob!”

“What? I’m just saying the truth

“Yeah, you have an annoying habit of doing that!”

“What. Happened here? Why are you hurt?” Dream interrupted us before we rushed into each other throats.

“I only brought her coffee.”

“Why does she need one? It’s the middle of the day.”

“You know Dream, for a lord of the sleeping realm you are uncharacteristically oblivious, to put it lightly” I tapped my forehead “I haven’t slept in four days. And you two are making me angry so let me tell you this is a dangerous zone you are entering.” I took a step forward, clenching fists.

“You what?”

“You heard me the first time.”

“Dream? You got paler than before. I never knew that was even possible” Hob examined the other man’s face, surprise and a bit of fear in his tone.

“Hob?”

“Yes?”

“Run.”

@somest1 @pinksirensong

[theaterism]

Story notes!

Okay, so I had energy and decided to write some notes for the story I posted yesterday! I didn’t delve too much into character analysis (especially for Nathaniel) bc this would have gotten even longer if I had, but these are some main points/details I wanted to explain further.

mo leanbh — Means “my child” in Irish, used as a term of endearment. The brothers’ mother, Brianna, was originally from Ireland, specifically Donegal. The Cammish cottage is in North England (I typically use places like Lancashire as a reference).

their mother’s voice — Brianna’s voice was naturally vibrant, but it held magic as well, which gave extra color and life to her stories. It also let her influence people to some extent. She rarely used her magic to sway people because she found it manipulative. Most often, she saved it for weaving stories and for keeping those she loved safe and content. Brianna never told her children she had this magic. When she died, the lingering sway of her voice faded.

Both brothers inherited a slight trace of this magic in their own voices. Still, the sway of their voices was much weaker than their mother’s. It mostly affected those who could be easily manipulated. Nathaniel’s talent in manipulation truly lay in his own cunning. He also never realized his voice held any magic.

the brownie — A brownie is a creature who lives in a house and comes out at night to clean and do other household chores in exchange for an offering, such as milk or honey (or honeyed milk, which Brianna discovered their brownie liked most). Brownies prefer staying unseen and can vanish themselves when needed, though they are quite sneaky on their own. In English folklore, they are also called hobs.

Brownies are easily offended. If a brownie is slighted, such as if the homeowner does not leave an offering, he can vanish from the home forever. He may also turn malicious (becoming a boggart) and wreck the house before leaving (which happened in this case). This may involve spoiling foods and vanishing items. The brownie in the Cammish cottage was especially tetchy, hence why he caused such damage upon turning into a boggart. He only stayed as long as he did due to Brianna’s diligence in appeasing him.

Another way to offend a brownie is by laughing at him. Nathaniel also responded with irritation when someone laughed at him, and Brianna found it an amusing possibility that he somehow picked up this trait from the brownie within their cottage.

na daoine maithe — Means “the good people” in Irish, refers to a sort of fairies living in Ireland.

the brownie’s mischief — The chaos the brownie/boggart caused did have some order to it, albeit a tricksy order common among the fae. The honey on the doorknobs was related to the honey in the milk (if the Cammish family neglected to spare some for the brownie, then no one deserved to have it). The boys’ grandfather, William, tossed the milk out the kitchen window, so the entire milk jug ended up on the bush outside the window. Since William was also the one who discarded the offering and offended the brownie, much of the brownie’s mischief targeted him (e.g. his jacket, his antique coin collection, his hat, his sound jars, and the bruises on his arms). The brownie had the highest opinion of Brianna since she had never slighted him and since she’d always spoken of him in respectful terms, which is why he left her belongings untouched. He didn’t damage anything (or anyone) she’d loved within the house.

the two cats — Pangur and Fiona. Brianna named them and loved them, and they liked her the most, though Benjamin was a close second. Samuel, the boys’ father and Brianna’s husband, also treated the cats nicely and earned their respect. They usually acted pretty neutral toward Nathaniel. They despised the boys’ grandfather for many reasons.

their father — Samuel Cammish, the son of William. He never quite learned how to stand up to William, but he loved Brianna enough to protect the dish after she died. This is why William could only empty it when Samuel abandoned the cottage for a week out of grief. Samuel died as a soldier in the British army — specifically, as a signaller responsible for relaying military messages (opposing forces attacked and destroyed the communications location he was working at). It’s ironic that Nathaniel’s children also became interested in codes and signalling, enough to choose words from the NATO spelling alphabet (used over military radios) as their nicknames.

william and the dish — William emptied the dish, but he didn’t break it. On one hand, this showed some compassion. He knew his son treasured the saucer as a reminder of Brianna, even if Samuel himself couldn’t find the strength to push through his grief and fill the saucer like Benjamin. William didn’t want to shatter his son along with it. However, this was ultimately based in William’s own materialism. He could relate to the pain of a broken object because of the pain he felt when any of his sound jars broke. He spared his son from that pain and felt quite satisfied with himself for doing so. William did not spare his son from sharp criticism when Samuel returned home, despite knowing his words cut like knives.

sídhe — Refers to the hills in Ireland within which na daoine maithe live. “The good people” are also called aos sí or daoine sídhe, both of which roughly mean “people of the mounds” or “people of the faerie mounds.” Like the barrow near the Cammish cottage, many sídhe are burial mounds. Generally, it is wise to stay away from a faerie mound and the surrounding territory, as faeries will protect their home fiercely and may harm and/or kidnap a trespasser.