#sage vs dream

[fangirlwithasweettooth]

aghhhhh I want to yell about genloss to my friends but no one I know has watched it or even knows what it is so I’m stuck here yelling about it to myself alone in my room fhsjdhdh

[groovyqueer]

I had an interesting dream in which Count Dracula and vampire!Tywin Lannister were jealously fighting over me & my affections! So I made a little moodboard out of it!

[favcharacterpoll]

ROUND 6 MATCH 3: CECIL VS. C!WILBUR

Cecil Palmer from Welcome to Night Vale faces c!Wilbur from the dsmp. @10piecechickenmcnugget get over here sage

Cecil Propaganda:

"Cecil is not only the Tumblr sexyman, he is the first gay protagonist of a podcast that most of us have ever heard. From the very first episode he was unashamedly queer and no one has ever called him out or given him shit for being gay. He is a gay Jewish fashion disaster who is the mouthpiece for an incredibly bizarre town and plays the whole “this horrifying thing is completely normal”thing so well. If Cecil wasn’t there, I think a lot of people wouldn’t have felt so accepted for just being who they were. Cecil is an inspiration and the queer podcast rep we all deserved as we were growing."

"he’s gay. he’s a dilf. he’s ageless. he has been since there’s was nothing and he’s still here after the world ended. he can summon music. his mother is a oracle his father is a tree. his cat is a man who got cursed and also has wings a stinger and poison??? he thinks a tutu and crocs is formal wear and has talked to god and she said ‘I love you. I’m sorry’. he’s definitely guilty of manslaughter from negligence"

"this is the website Night Vale built!"

c!Wilbur Propaganda:

"Accurate depiction of mental health and spiral, handled delicately and deliberately, every piece of his story was thought and planned and in the end he went home to Utah. Thank you lord."

"Please don’t let the name dream smp effect how you feel about this submission, this character is completely unrelated to dream and I’m pretty sure the person who played him has nothing to do with dream anymore. This man single handedly got me through a horrible patch filled with extreme paranoia by also being extremely paranoid. Genuinely really helped me feel seen and I coped a lot by getting invested in this character. I almost cried when he died :("

"He’s so fucking stupid. I could infodump for hours this man transed my gender. Everything has gone wrong in his life. He’s the definition of a bisexual disaster."

"I didn’t fail 10th grade math bc I was thinking about c!wilbur for him to lose round one"

"I mean look at him!! his Minecraft skin is adorable!!!"

"if you people vote for cwilbur i'll draw him in a bikini."

"A VOTE FOR C!WILBUR IS A VOTE FOR GIRLBOYS EVERYWHERE"

"i should not have underestimated minecraft fans they came together"

"Season 1 changed me. I didn’t know minecraft videos could have good acting, dramatic plots, etc. Wilbur was one of the best there. His plot was so interesting with the L’Manburg and the unfinished symphony arcs. He was funny, dramatic, sad… I fondly remember my dsmp days (though I only saw up to like part of Tommy’s exile)"

[lieutenantfloyd]

MW2 men + General headcanons

Includes: Ghost, Soap, Alejandro, Price, Gaz, and Rodolfo

Ghost

Keeps a hello Kitty keychain in his pocket at all times (and can’t sleep without it)

Insists on getting stuffed crust every time he/someone orders pizza

Spends a lot of time daydreaming

Is always listening to music (It keeps him alert and helps keep his anxiety away)

Has bad sensory issues + ticks and intrusive thoughts

Hates cilantro (but doesn’t think it tastes like soap)

Isn’t allowed to use sharp objects in the kitchen

Sometimes eats toothpaste *as a treat*

Has a library card and only uses it to check out joke books intended for 3rd grader’s 

Never returns the books and now has thousands of dollars in late fees

Soap

His favorite food is cherry pie

 Eats multiple bowls of cereal a day (Price is becoming concerned)

Isn’t a huge fan of his Mohawk, but he thinks it makes him look tougher

Reads romance books in his free time

Meticulously shapes his eyebrows every few weeks

Drinks orange juice after brushing his teeth every morning

Spends way too much money on Marzipan De La Rosa + cries every time it breaks

Alejandro

Smells like vanilla, leather, and sage with a hint of roses

Keeps hard candy in his pockets at all times

Rudy is the only person he trusts to cut his hair

Lives on his family’s ranch outside of Las Almas

Frequently invites Los Vaqueros to his ranch and always makes sure they have a warm meal and a safe place to sleep

Comes from a long line of Vaqueros, and named Los Vaqueros in their honor

Gives great, albeit unsolicited, advice

His favorite song is California Love by 2Pac

Makes sure both TF 141 and Los Vaqueros know they can come to him for anything, even the most small of problems

Price

Has three older sisters

Is a natural ginger

Spent most of his childhood in Australia

Watches early 2000’s romcoms in his bunk when he’s deployed (and always ends up sobbing into his pillow)

Has a wide knowledge of Middle age and Saxon history

Loves a good mocktail

Reads a lot of Historical fiction

Has accidentally eaten dog treats (thinking they were cookies) on more than one occasion

His hat was a gag Christmas gift from Laswell but he thought it was serious + is his favorite gift he’s ever received

Dresses up as Santa every year and forces everyone to sit on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas

Gaz

Didn't join the army when he was 18, and instead worked on yachts and charter ships for a few seasons

Struggles with self confidence + often feels like he doesn't belong with 141

Has very strong opinions on the PlayStation vs Xbox debate

Really admired Ghost, but is too nervous to tell him

His favorite video game is DBH

Is in a secret Book/Movie club with Price and Soap

Develops a crush on almost everyone he meets

Rudy

Has family in South Texas and spent a lot of time there as a kid

Has always dreamed of being a singer/songwriter 

Was a very shy/socially anxious kid (and still struggles with social anxiety)

Is a a massive soccer fan + was captain of the neighborhood soccer team

Growing up he spoke Spanglish at home. Which is why he doesn’t really have an accent despite understanding a lot more English than he speaks 

When speaking English he often trips over his words + has to ask Alejandro for the right word/translation

Is a follower, not a leader

is 4-6 years younger than Alejandro

Has several older sisters who helped raise him

First met Alejandro when he was 10-12 years old because he briefly dated one of Rudy’s sisters

After they broke up, Alejandro still came around to visit Rudy, and the two quickly became like brothers

Wasn’t interested in joining the Army at first, but Alejandro convinced him

[dotieeee]

The Dream That Got Away

Masterlist

Premise:

Morpheus creates you, a Dream that inspires passion in humanity for their daily tasks and helps them discover what they want in life. He names you Mera, derived from the Greek word ‘meraki,’ meaning ‘to do something with passion, with absolute devotion, with undivided attention.’ Perhaps it’s you, his own creation, who inspires him, for he realizes his true want for companionship, and it’s you he decides to fulfill that need. So, what if, after his capture for more than a century, he finds you in love with a mortal and hears of your plans to run away from the Dreaming, from him, forever?

Status: COMPLETE, will revisit for edits

Pairing: Dark!Morpheus x You (no Y/N!)

Multi-chapter fic

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43126099

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

Overall Warnings!! Take heed:

Morpheus is DARK – in canon, he changes for the better (or at least, tries to – but we don’t do canon lol, so he goes even more batshit crazy) cue obsession, manipulation, possessiveness, powerplay

18+ ONLY – explicit scenes will be present, some explicit language

DUB-CON and NON-CON scenes

Character death (sort of)

Creator vs Creation drama

And other dark stuff that may be added in the future

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

Chapter 1: The Firsts of Many

Chapter 2: Some Words Are Better Left Unsaid

Chapter 3: True Intentions

Chapter 4: Scarlet Sage

Chapter 5: Your King

Chapter 6: The Sleep Doctor

Chapter 7: Nightmarish Visits

Chapter 8: The Dream Plan

Chapter 9: Courtships with Deadlines

Chapter 10: This Dream is Over

Chapter 11: Your Nightmare, Tenfold

Chapter 12: The Princess in the Tall Tower

Chapter 13: Under the Starry Night Sky

Chapter 14: A Festivity and A Fight

Chapter 15: Your King’s Wish

Chapter 16: Vanilla Ice Cream and Cheese

Chapter 17: Lost and Found, and Lost Again

Chapter 18: A Confession...of Love?

Chapter 19: The Dream That Started It All

Chapter 20: The Abyss Gazes Back

Chatpter 21/Epilogue: A Sibling’s Offer

[mattapparentlystumbltourneys]

Virtual Character Tourney - Round 3 - Bracket 1 - 2

Propaganda below (May contain spoilers!)

Sage propaganda:

I just know she's a weirdgirl. I know it.

She's an AI who becomes more human over the course of the game. Plus she develops a father daughter relationship with Eggman that's really cute.

She's an AI created by Dr. Eggman, she has excellent control over Cyber Space, and gained command of the robots & guardians of Starfall Islands

Kasane propaganda:

HER DREAM WAS TO ONE DAY BECOME A REAL VOCALOID AMD SHE FINALLY DID IT!!!!!! ITS NOT A VOCALOID VOICE BANK BUT ITS A FULL SYNTH V VOICEBANK!!!!! AND A NEW DESIGN!!!!! SHE DID IT SHE GOT HER DREAMS!!!!!! YOURE NEVER TOO OLD TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR DREAMS!!!!!!!

Kasane Teto is a vocal synth, she started out as an april fools joke to parody VOCALOID, with her voice bank in UTAU. although she did start out as just a joke a lot of vocaloid fans grew to really love her and she became rather popular. Kasane Teto is to UTAU as Hatsune Miku is to VOCALOID. But recently on Kasane Teto's 15th anniversary, April 1st 2023, she got moved from UTAU to SynthV. With her voice bank now in SynthV she also got a new character deign alone with how her voice and her singing sounds much more clear and human like than her UTAU voice bank which sounded a lot more mechanical/robotic.

[prince-kallisto]

Kallisto TWST Theories Masterlist

Return to Main Masterlist (Headcanons, Analysis, Fanfiction)

Although this differs slightly from my Analysis Masterlist, my analyses may provide more context to the below theories, especially in regards to Crowley’s character, so feel free to check those out too! ^_^

Princess Leia, Henrik & Dawn Knight Theory

Crowley’s Proud, Beautiful Flower of Evil

Levan’s Overblot and Phantom Grim

EGGS (and why it may be Crowley’s biggest clue)

A Clever Hawk (or Crow) hides their talons: AKA sus Crowley

How does Crowley fly?

Guest Room and Crowley hiding something in there

Crowley & Mickey: Phantom Blots plan

Solving the Dwarves Mine and Purposeful Overblot

Isle of Sages: Crowley vs Ambrose ideals

Beauty can drive one to madness

Direbeast and Dire Crowley: Grim and Crowley’s eyes

Crowley’s Magical Aura and Fae Magic

Overblots, Rollo, and Crowley (Truth behind NRC)

Dire Crowley and Idia: Curses and Blot

Mirrors, Crystals, and Water Basins

Housewarden and Headmage staffs & magic pens

Rook and Crowley’s Parallels (IT CHANGES EVERYTHING)

Silver’s curse & Draconia family

Phantom Vocal Mimicry and birds

Crowley’s prophetic powers and Raven symbolism

Fae Crowley and the Chairman

Anniversary Animation Mysterious Hallway

Lost in the Book with Stitch Library Book mystery

Crowley’s relationship with the Asim’s

Ramshackle Dorm and 90 years ago

Ramshackle Gravestones

Overblot Fire, Souls, and Curses manifesting

End of the TWST world: A Deal with the Devil

Crowley, Grim, and Dark Mirror: Manifestation Link

TWST World Curse: Sleeping Beauty and Malenoa

Book 6 Groups foreshadowing Crowley’s secrets

Book 7 Phantom Blot Enemies, glass jar, and TWST opening

Revan’s Unique Magic: Gift of Prophecy and how Crowley knows everything

Identical Briar Valley and NRC locations

Dark Mirror OB markings and Meleanor’s soul trapped in the mirror

Meleanor’s “Princess glow” staff and the Dark Mirror

Complete Guide to the “Crowley is Levan” theory

Grim and Dinah: A Forced Magical Fusion

NRC School Barrier: Ghosts, Chenya, and Grim

NRC Coffin Gates and Epel’s Unique Magic

Vil, Meleanor, and the Virgin Mary: Crowley’s Obsession

Silver Owls and Dire Crowley’s Mask

Magic Mirror vs Dark Mirror (Red Blot and the Mirrors Missing Gemstone)

Crowley and Levan: Twins or? (Reblog)

NRC lack of history on Fae

Crowley and Levan: Treasured Items and Plans

Malleus expelled from NRC and the birdcage

Why does Crowley remember STYX?

Rollo and Crowley’s Crimson Flowers and Plans

Book 4, It’s a Deal, and Crowley: Jamil’s Revenge

How Crowley sets up the Overblots in each book

Crowley: The False Prophet and the Unholy Trinity

Dire Crowley Magician Tarot

Levan: Dragon, Long, of Raven?

Spectral Soirée: Time Zones and November 2nd

Ghost Camera: Connection between Dreams and Reality

Cradle Tower Incubator & Dark Mirror Chamber

Lilia’s Lie: Carriages, Planes, & Land of the Red Dragons

Crowley’s Political Connections and Briar Valley (reblogged from Ventique)

Floating Coffins & Floating Portraits

Neige’s Unique Magic

Crowley’s Realm Dominance and Mirror Dimensions: A Piece of my World

The Twisted Storyteller of TWST (part 2 to above theory)

Is Levan in the Dark Mirror?

Crowley is Neige’s Father (meme but also Actual Neige Backstory theory)

TWSTs Manga Promotional Video speculation

Crowley’s “Magic Assault Practice” class

Crowley’s Curious Eating Habits and the Significance of Soup

Crowley’s Gibier (A Follow-up to the Soup Theory)

STYX experiment: Levan

Crowley’s Void Magic and Connection to Malleus

Dire Crowley: The Serpent and the “gift” of the Forbidden Fruit

Magic Assault event and Crowley’s HP & Power

Magic Assault Practice & Styx’s Lachesis System

A Soldier’s Habits & Mirror Gemstones (Ask)

Crowley’s Connections to the Ghosts and Underworld (& the Transmutation potion)

“Don’t be shy about striking me” Parallels between Crowley, Malleus, and Meleanor

Mâlum, Mālum, Malus, and Malleus (Crowley’s Apple Tree theme)

A crow’s Multilayered Hues and Malleus’ Egg

Levan vs the Knight of Dawn: The Whip of Love

Malleus and Crowley’s Curse Immunity, and the cause of Malleus’ “CPU overload”

Crowley’s Magical Aura in NRC

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group B Round 2: #B1 vs #B2

#B1: Coming-of-age story set in a “utopia”

#B2: High school performers

Titles, propagandas, trailers, and poll under the cut!

#B1: From the New World (Shinsekai Yori)

Summary:

In the town of Kamisu 66, 12-year-old Saki Watanabe has just awakened to her psychic powers and is relieved to rejoin her friends—the mischievous Satoru Asahina, the shy Mamoru Itou, the cheerful Maria Akizuki, and Shun Aonuma, a mysterious boy whom Saki admires—at Sage Academy, a special school for psychics. However, unease looms as Saki begins to question the fate of those unable to awaken to their powers, and the children begin to get involved with secretive matters such as the rumored Tainted Cats said to abduct children. Shinsekai yori tells the unique coming-of-age story of Saki and her friends as they journey to grow into their roles in the supposed utopia. Accepting these roles, however, might not come easy when faced with the dark and shocking truths of society, and the impending havoc born from the new world.

Propaganda:

Shinsekai Yori is not the flashiest show, or the fastest pace, but the slow and steady build of the horror and mystery will keep you entranced from beginning to end.

At its heart, this show is a coming-of-age story. We follow the protagonist from her childhood to adulthood, with all the messiness in between. From puberty and discovering sexuality, to learning the darker truths of society and having to live with unwanted knowledge, we see through Saki’s eyes. The setting of this world is a post apocalyptic future, and what society has been rebuilt as is one of the main mysteries we discovered.

This show is very complex and dark and sad, but it’s absolutely beautiful. The visuals, backgrounds, character expressions, music all come together to create something truly unique. The only show I know to compare it to might be Psycho-Pass, for it’s similarly deep deconstruction of society. However, whereas Psycho Pass is one of the most praised anime of all time, Shinsekai Yori is barely known. This is a shame, because it truly has something special to say that everyone can relate to. How hard growing up can be, fighting against your own hormones, traditions, adults, family, friends, your moral code.

This is not a happy story; it’s a bittersweet, cautionary tale.

Trigger Warnings: Animal Cruelty or Death, Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore, Suicide

#B2: Kageki Shoujo!!

Summary:

After being forced to graduate from JPX48 following a controversial incident with a male fan, Ai Narata swears to never interact with another man ever again. Using her talents and strong desire to get away from men, Ai auditions for the exclusive all-female Kouka School of Musical and Theatrical Arts. The school is renowned for producing the best actresses that go on to perform in the famous all-female Kouka Theatre Troupe. Coming from the idol industry, Ai is the perfect candidate for the school's hundredth generation class, but her aloof demeanor alienates her from her classmates. The eccentric Sarasa Watanabe is the only person who wishes to become Ai's friend. She enters Kouka with the goal of becoming a top "otokoyaku" performer—an actress that plays traditionally male roles. After seeing a Kouka performance of The Rose of Versailles when she was younger, Sarasa dreams of performing as Lady Oscar one day. Unfortunately, Sarasa's inability to read a room causes friction between her and her classmates, including Ai, who reluctantly becomes her roommate and partner in many of their classes. Succeeding at Kouka will involve more than just raw talent for these young girls as jealousy, deceit, and the harsh realities of show business put their mental fortitude to the test. Will Sarasa and Ai be able to rise to the top and stand on the silver bridge?

Propaganda:

If theatre setting/schools is your thing, you’re probably going to love this series! We follow our protagonists and their schoolmates following their dreams to become actresses for the prestigious Kouka Revue. Not an easy road as they will have to face and overcome many challenges, the hardest ones coming from themselves. Indeed, the story is not afraid to address sensitive topics and their resulting traumas (see TW list) always rightfully handed. These episodes may be a bit hard to see if you’re sensitive to these topics, but the show never leaves you in discomfort: everything is properly addressed, and characters are cared for realistically.

The characters are all very well-written, portraying individuals with way more depth than they may appear at first glance. We follow their growth—or its start—during the series. Sarasa is a walking sunbeam, and her blooming friendship with the withdrawn Ai is a delight to watch. We learn to know—and love—all their classmates as well, as episodes switch focus to one or the other.

The OST is really good, with a catchy opening, and no less than five different versions of the ending song, a fabulous duet voiced by the cast! The animation features really pretty art with iconic details like the stars in Sarasa’s eyes. The series is a homage to Takarazuka and scatter references to famous real-life Revues and older famous shôujo manga series like “Versailles no Bara” or “Glass no Kamen”. Actually, it feels like a modernized version of their essence: roses, sparkles, spotlight, drama, all while staying safe!

This anime is like candy for eyes and soul, and I really hope we'll get a season 2 to explore the girls' voices further!

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Pedophilia, Self-Harm

Nothing is too graphical nor explicit, just the right amount to let the unsettling situations be clear enough to watchers, and they’re always addressed correctly.

Child abuse/ Pedophilia: episode 3 (+4), about Ai’s traumas

Self-harm: episode 5 focuses on a girl with an eating disorder, forcing herself to vomit (not sure if that really counts as TW?)

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how they’re presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

[jerktournament]

The Tumblr Jerk Tournament Bracket...

...has dropped. I put all my love towards these assholes into it.

Seeded according to uhhhhh "my brain thinks these sources allign in same genre or medium, and if not, then it's because I think the characters have similar themes in some way in my brain". Contestants all chosen by YOU (+ Palpalymo, for diversity /j).

Polls: TBA. Once I finish making them all and draft them, I'll make an announcement.

There's no right or wrong criteria for who to vote here because trying to establish that via Tumblrpoll is useless. You can vote for someone because they're your favorite, because their propaganda swayed you, because they look cool, or because they're the meanest. Just think: Do You Want Them To Emerge Victorious? Or are they such an ass you'd delight in seeing them get swept?

I highly encourage taking the time to read some propaganda. These guys have lots of love behind them.

And last but not least, be nice to other people on the internet. These polls may be for asshole characters, but that gives you no right to be an asshole back. Anything attacking the fans or fandom of a character will get taken out via my sniper team.

Thanks for your patience and let the whooping begin.

Tag directory // Inbox, for propaganda, questions, chatter, etc.

Round One matchups, in text:

Zote the Mighty (Hollow Knight) VS Mothiva (Bug Fables)

Marvin Garden (Falsettos) VS Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Vic Sage/The Question (DC) VS Magic Man (Adventure Time)

Gary Smith (Bully) VS Jess Mariano (Gilmore Girls)

Theseus (Hades) VS Gavin Reed (Detroit: Become Human)

Murdoc Niccals (Gorillaz) VS Shrek (Shrek)

Seto Kaiba (Yu-Gi-Oh!) VS Fakir (Princess Tutu)

Scott Pilgrim (Scott Pilgrim) VS Dennis Reynolds (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)

Romeo (& Juliet) VS Tybalt Capulet (Romeo & Juliet)

Revali (Legend of Zelda) VS Ankh (Kamen Rider OOO)

Osamu Dazai (Bungou Stray Dogs) VS Berdly (Deltarune)

Louie (Pikmin) VS Scaramouche (Genshin Impact)

Vegeta (Dragon Ball) VS Sentinel Prime (Transformers Animated)

Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice) VS Waldo Trumbull (Comedy of Terrors)

Herbert P. Bear (Club Penguin) VS Snowball (Battle for Dream Island)

Takaya Abe (Big Windup!) VS Bakugou (My Hero Academia)

Goro Akechi (Persona 5) VS Monoma (My Hero Academia)

Byakuya Togami (Danganronpa) VS Yesod (Lobotomy Corporation/Library of Ruina)

Vriska (Homestuck) VS Eridan (Homestuck)

Five Pebbles (Rain World) VS Dingo (Pikmin)

Dio (Zero Escape) VS Dio Brando (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)

Cordalia Chase (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) VS Dr. House (House M.D.)

Dan (Dan VS) VS Eleanor Shelstrop (The Good Place)

Church (Red VS Blue) VS Hank J. Wimbleton (Madness Combat)

Catra (She-Ra) VS Boscha (The Owl House)

Stan Pines (Gravity Falls) VS Azula (Avatar the Last Airbender)

Astarion (Baldur's Gate 3) VS Shen Jiu (The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System)

GLaDOS (Portal) VS Arnold Rimmer (Red Dwarf)

Harrowhark (The Locked Tomb) VS Jonathan Simms (The Magnus Archives)

Rinne Amagi (Ensemble Stars) VS Papalymo (Final Fantasy XIV)

Owen Harper (Torchwood) VS Sawyer (Lost)

Chloe Bourgeois (Miraculous Ladybug) VS Heather (Total Drama)

[crusherthedoctor]

(Twitter Takeover anon) And I agree. I'm generally lax about this sort of thing because there's a difference between VA's under an official script and guidance, vs them just playing around with silly prompts. (Whether they're under personal company rules are not) And therefore, the latter shouldn't be used as fuel for anything. Something I think some DO understand the concept.

It's just that unfortunately with this series; rather the fandom, there's no balance for anything. Everything is held to the exact same value, when it really shouldn't and it comes back to causing a bigger mess; more than being an extension. (Especially non-game works that are basically trying to "eclipse" the original source material, to no avail.)

Eggman in the most recent official game: *no mention of Sage whatsoever, nowhere to be found in his dreams*

Eggman in a Twitter Takeover: Sage is the reason I exist

Fans: Well that settles it, he cares for her, it's canon, told ya he's not so bad

[xgoddessoffandomsx]

Stiles Stilinski vs The Universe: PT 2

@axelwolf8109 @wendysbrassknuckles @greek-freak101 @epickiya722 @thebejeweledwatercat @sterekmpreg

Stiles dreamed about his dream guy for the next two weeks, every time he scowled at him with absolute contempt and ignored Stiles.

And yet he couldn't stop thinking about him. Stiles had been tasked with helping Isaac pick up some gaming guides at the library. The twenty year old went on and on about Bayonetta and Mario to the point Stiles thought that Isaac was making stuff up.

The two descended down the stairs, Stiles stopping in shock. His dream guy was right there!

He was handing a package to the lady at the front desk, a ghost of a smile on his perfect face, green hazel eyes sparkling, and of course the red streaks.

He looked up at Stiles who hid his face behind Isaac's many books. He softly laughed and skated away.

-----

"Why are we going to Theo's party, I hate Theo" Stiles whined. "I do too" Isaac whined identically. "Because he invited us and we need to relax before we enter this battle of the bands" Scott said.

Allison rolled her eyes, immediately going to get drunk. "This sucks!" Stiles yelled before running to find Liam Dunbar, Theo's boyfriend who knew everyone.

"Liam! Have you seen a guy? Hot, green eyes I wanna swim in and red streaks?" "Oh yeah, Derek Hale, he moved her from New York" Liam nodded sagely. "He's here" "What?!"

A spotlight might as well have Illuminated Derek leaning against a wall, looking uncomfortable. Stiles slid over to him.

"Hi" "Hey" God even his voice was hot!

Stiles resisted the urge to squeeze his muscles. "Are you gonna ask stare at me or?"

"How are you in my dreams?" Stiles blurted out. "Subspace, I work at Amazon, yours is the fastest way I can get to my deliveries. I forgot you don't have that in California"

"Wow" Stiles said dumbly. Derek laughed again. "Not gonna lie, you've grown on me a bit" "Uhhhhh" "You wanna get out of here?"

------

Derek used subspace to get Stiles to his house, holding him on his back.

"I can see why you like using that!" "Right? It's faster than a car" Derek took off his leather jacket. "Why'd you move from New York"

"Bad breakup, I have a lot of those unfortunately" He sighed, making a cup of peppermint tea. "You?" "Just one really, Lydia Martin" Stiles said sadly, expecting Derek to call him a liar like everyone else did.

"Well her loss" Derek shrugged.

Stiles gaped. "My ex girlfriend always said I move on too fast, in my opinion we can do whatever we want" Derek sat next to him.

Stiles stared into his green eyes, Derek cupping his cheek and kissing him. Stiles kissed back, not caring that they were moving extremely fast

------

Derek dropped Stiles back at his house. "Um, my band The Wolf Pack are playing tomorrow night at the Eclipse theater, you wanna come?"

"Sure, why not" Derek grinned. Stiles whooped when he got inside, not realizing the world of chaos he was about to face.

[enstarsfunniest]

🌟FUNNIEST ENSTARS UNBLOOMED🌟

here is the bracket! polls and matches are written down under the read more

ROUND 1

Dog of the New Year (Midori Takamine) vs Departing Orient (Midori Takamine)

Sports Festival Decision (Tetora Nagumo) vs Black of Diligence (Tetora Nagumo)

Magic Recipe (Wataru Hibiki) vs Surprise Diner (Wataru Hibiki)

Librarian (Keito Hasumi) vs Serene Sage (Keito Hasumi)

Wind-Reading Surfer (Rei Sakuma) vs Sacrifice's Resurrection Sunday (Kaoru Hakaze)

Halloween Wolf (Koga Oogami) vs Labyrinth Racer (Yuuta Aoi)

Lily of the Valley Faerie (Nazuna Nito) vs Model Instruction (Izumi Sena)

Having a Blissful Dream (Ritsu Sakuma) vs Demon of the Twelfth Lunar Month (Ritsu Sakuma)

Shinsekai and Retaliation (Mika Kagehira) vs Train Conductor's Whistle (Mika Kagehira)

Revival Diner (Eichi Tenshouin) vs A Breath Of Spring Air (Eichi Tenshouin)

Watchdog Husky (Yuzuru Fushimi) vs Sprouting White (Ibara Saegusa)

Desperate Blow (Tomoya Mashiro) vs Genius and Ordinary (Tomoya Mashiro)

Satellite's North Star (Hokuto Hidaka) vs Chill Yellow (Hokuto Hidaka)

Bankara Youth (Jun Sazanami) vs Dream of the Wasteland (Nagisa Ran)

Righteous Brim (Tsukasa Suou) vs Snow-White Brim (Tori Himemiya)

Sea breeze and Gondola (Tsumugi Aoba) vs Panic-stricken Spider (Kohaku Oukawa)

[tournamentofchaoticneutral]

I was bored today so here's the bracket for round 1- happening around sunday 4:00 pm cst

I just put them all into a random pairing thing, none of these were my doing btw

also, if you want to do propaganda or anything to put on the polls (some characters don't have any), feel free to tag me or rb this post with it and I'll put it on the poll :)

MATCHES:

Link (Legends of Zelda BOTW/TOTK) vs. Scam Likely (Dungeons and Daddies)

Sun Wukong (The Monkey King, The Great Sage Equal to Heaven) (Lego) vs. Double Trouble (She-ra and the Princesses of Power)

Bugs Bunny (Looney Toons) vs. Hando Ohnaka (Star Wars)

o!Sneegsnag (Origins SMP) vs. Gomez Addams (The Addams Family)

Fearne Calloway (Critical Role (Campaign 3: Bell's Hells)) vs. Leo Valdez (Rick Riordan)

Julio Scoundrél (Order of the Stick) vs. The Shapeshifter (Odd Squad)

Dariax Zaveon (Critical Role (Exandria Unlimited)) vs. The Collector (The Owl House)

c!Purpled (Dream SMP) vs. Floofty Fizzlebean (Bugsnax)

Sombra (Overwatch) vs. Jester Lavorre (Critical Role (Campaign 2: The Mighty Nein))

Grian (Hermitcraft) vs. Black (Not Me: The Series)

Missi (The Night (Youtube)) vs. Wei Wuxian (The Untamed)

Mort (Madagascar) vs. c!Technoblade (Dream SMP)

c!Philza (Dream SMP) vs. Taako from TV (The Adventure Zone)

c!Wilbur Soot (Dream SMP) vs. Dark Pit (Kid Icarus)

Cuno de Ruyter (Disco Elysium) vs. Gary Goldstein (Black Friday)

Tan (Manner of Death) vs Nimona (Nimona)

[larabar]

woubgh emotional over frontiers music again. watch me copy/paste a note i made about it at 12am a while ago

thinking about the significance of electric guitar in sonic music

sorry im with you always gets me emotional

the way that its an almost calm ? song focused mainly on the piano (which i associate with sage) and techo sounds with the guitar solo in the middle. thats where it gets me

i feel like sonics always been associated with electric guitar. even though it only started in the modern games

its just. something about it

one thing i like about how its used in frontiers is how it goes along with the theme of digital vs real. techno vs traditional instruments. but electric guitar is a really nice inbetween

its a traditional instrument yes. but the sound is amplified digitally. and mixed with everything else it sounds so cool. Especially in im with you. its a clash between the two sides but then rhe guitar comes in and it just. ouhg idk i gotta learn music theory or something to explain it

but yeah it carries over to one way dream too

it becomes the main focus of this one so its kinda everywhere but in the chorus theres this little flare it does in the background and something about that part just itches something in my brain it makes me so happy idk

but uh. yeah the range of emotion electric guitar can have is really fitting for sonic i think. like youve got one way dream and reach for the stars and we can. but then theres All The Titan Themes and those just. have a completely different energy to them

but THEN you get into acoustic guitar and sonic and the black knight. ouhdhfhhf the violin with it ...... ..

gonna stop here but yeah guitar cool 👍

WAIT NO also. the fact that the majority of the things i mentioned are linked to super sonic. all the intense songs are when he goes super. the energy both literally and metaphorically SPIKES and they just Fit the music always feels right

ok now im done

[mysterycharacterflowers]

A bouquet of aloe, fern, blue iris and sage VS Blue Roses 2

First, let's talk about the bouquet of aloe, fern, blue iris and sage

Meaning and why these plants were chosen: Aloe represents affection, grief and bitterness, I chose this flower to represent their relationships. There are only very few characters they are affectionate with, and two of them die a tragic death, at the same time they usually approach everyone with a certain bitterness, even those they consider friends.

Fern represents magic, fascination and secrets. The character's most defining trait is their curiosity and fascination with the world around them, especially when it comes to topics such as magic and faith [...]Additionally their bitter attitude makes them seem as if they have a major secret to protect.

Iris represents trust, faith and hope, blue iris specifically wisdom and knowledge. The character is quite the genius, always eager to learn, and throughout their story dependent on their trust in their friends and within the dynamic one who provides information and strategical support. I also chose blue iris as one type of blue iris (stinking iris) is native to Britain, and the character takes great pride in their British heritage.

Lastly sage, which is most commonly known as a useful herb, and often mentioned within witchcraft rituals, and represents wisdom. I chose both fern and sage as plants within a bouquet that are not exactly flowers as the character has a primarily pragmatic view on life, but also included actual flowers as the character might at first appear harsh and practical but also cares deeply about the well being of others[...]

Description: The character is curious and intelligent, a social outlier by their belief in the supernatural, and yet a very rational personality. Despite their tough, and often insulting, attitude to the people around them they care deeply about everyone's wellbeing. They are an idealist [...] and tend to get impatient with people who do not share their urge to fight for social justice and global equality. Through their own outlook, but also unfortunate life events, they have a very narrow social circle and are predominantly introverted, and yet very attention demanding. [...] this character is immensely devoted to their few friends and even after years still deeply hurt by their loss. The character is well aware of their physical weaknesses and has no greater issue explicitly mentioning them, but they do repeatedly lie in order to cover up their struggle with social interaction and interpersonal relationships.

Check this character post here for the full description

Now, let's talk about the Blue Roses 2

Meaning and why this flower was chosen: – This flower can represent "a dream come true" or an "imposibility" -blue roses do not occur in the wild, and have to be artificially dyed through human effort.

This alludes to the fact that this character is transmasculine, but realizes over the course of their character arc that they'd be happier identifying as nonbinary. Though they thought they'd be happier as a boy, it turns out what suits them best is something that fits within the gender binary, something that has to be achieved through human effort.

– Ton of people are stuck in a matrix, and fighting to escape the escapist world lets you unlock superpowers that besides a weapon, gives you flowers.

There's this guy,[...] First guy to join the breakout gang. [...]They have a crossbow, and also a binder and heels. And Blue roses.[...]

This character's regret is he didn't get to transition publicly. But also now that they're here, they're not getting that expected gender euphoria. They discover theyre TRANSMASC NON-BINARY. SEXUALITY? YES. Dated both guys and girls. Canon. Discussed. [...]Blue Roses aren't natural, you need to make them yourself, just like how this character wants to transition irl. Just like the identity they forged for themself. It's all about self-realisation and ACTUALISATION Description: – The classic best friend character in an urban fantasy JRPG - a second in command who puts a voice to the team's plans that the silent protagonist cannot. Perceptive, good natured, and an all around nice guy, they're a memorable character even amongst the "best friend" archetype. [...] – Your best friend, ally and partner, because that's a role they've always wanted to play. Still figuring out their true self. Make sure not to leave them alone at a subway, they'll memorise every single timetable.

Check this character post here for the full description

[dotieeee]

The Dream That Got Away

Chapter 4

Pairing: Dark!Morpheus x You (no Y/N!)

This is a multi-chapter fic — Weekly updates (either Saturday or Sunday) because I found a rhythm of sorts lol

(The entire fic has been outlined, so I will see this to the end, you have my word)

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

Link to the Masterlist

Overall Warnings!! Take heed:

Morpheus is DARK – in canon, he changes for the better (or at least, tries to – but we don’t do canon lol, so he goes even more batshit crazy) cue obsession, manipulation, possessiveness, powerplay

18+ ONLY – explicit scenes will be present, some explicit language

DUB-CON and NON-CON scenes

Character death (sort of)

Creator vs Creation drama

And other dark stuff that may be added in the future

This chapter’s warnings:

Some mentions of violence

Mild voyeurism

You have been warned!! Proceed with caution!!!

Link to the previous chapter

Chapter 4: Scarlet Sage

A whimper escapes the back of your throat as you place your palms on his chest in an attempt to push him away – but you might as well have pushed against a brick wall. Seemingly aroused by the sound you made, he sucks on your lower lip and angles your head for better access. He starts leaving open-mouthed kisses on your jawline, leaving you winded and your lips raw red.

“Please, my Lord…” you beg with a quivering voice.

The moment you start feeling his hot breath on your neck, one of the library doors opens with a soft creaking sound followed by muffled footsteps. The Dream King stills at the intrusion with a small growl – using this momentary distraction, you break away from his grip and make a wild run for it.

You might’ve heard him chuckle under his breath, but you’re not quite sure. At that point, you didn’t care – you don’t dare look back as you dash madly out of the library, and eventually out of the palace grounds. You put as much distance between your king and yourself, paying no mind where you were going or how fast you were going. You run until you reach the foot of the bridge connecting the palace and town plaza, clutching a stitch on your side, and panting heavily for air. Hanging on to the bridge railing for support, you allow your breathing to slightly even out before breaking into a sprint once more, narrowly avoiding collision with a man pushing a cart of what looked like tiny red flowers on stalks.

You reach the forest, noisily rushing past the floor of dead leaves as you flee, tripping occasionally on protruding tree roots. You get a little paranoid; you slow your pace a little and peek behind you because you thought you heard rustling – assuming that your mind must’ve been playing tricks on you, you resume your trot – 

Only to slide into a shallow, well-hidden ravine with a loud yelp that echoes throughout the woods.

Fortunately, you land on a pile of dried leaves, so it doesn’t take you long to gather your bearings and finally let the adrenaline wear off. You let out a few mild coughs before greedily gulping in the air of the forest, and, plopping down on its floor, you lean on the thick, exposed tree root behind you. At that point, it finally dawns on you exactly what made you run away in the first place.

Your creator and master, Dream of the Endless, had just maybe confessed the nature of his intentions towards you.

“Shit. Shit. Shit!” You mutter to yourself out loud, burying your face in your palms.

Without your control, the incident in the library flashes in your mind; the way he cornered you and pressed against you; the way his breath fanned your face, and the way his lips insistently roamed yours and demanded access –

Mentally, you shake the feeling of him off you. How many teenage girls’ dreams have you seen involved such romantic trysts with their childhood crushes among the hidden confines of bookshelves, stifled giggling, and hushed voices? You certainly remember how the dreams felt: they were sweet and, at times, awkward; but also, thrilling and full of innocence. Your first kiss with the Dream Lord, however, felt almost too heavy and too sensual – it felt wrong.

And then there’s that other matter: you, a mere dream, had just maybe rejected his advances.

You gather your knees to your chest and buried your face in them, groaning in frustration. You have never gotten on the Dream Lord’s wrathful side – Candor herself has stated that he was somehow more lenient, daresay more affectionate towards you. Certainly, you’d fall in more favour in his eyes should you submit to him. But, as hard as it is to admit, he is your creator and King – and thus you see him only as a monarch, a figure of authority. You are loyal to him, that has been proven, but crossing that boundary was something else.

Now, you’re sure your refusal of him had deeply disappointed him, even enraged him – but was that enough to warrant an unmaking? Would he summon you, or search for you himself, and sentence you back to the dust from which he formed you? Just what have you dug yourself into?

   The gravity of your actions starts to hit you: you might’ve just doomed yourself to roaming the kingdom – his kingdom – a fugitive, forever in fear of his shadow, a subject of his ire.

Just then, a shuffle of dried leaves startles you. You leap to your feet and start backing away. Has he finally come to find you and punish you for spurning him?

“Who’s there?” You summon the courage to speak, your voice high-pitched and shaking.

Out from the distance, you hear a wild hacking noise – like someone was getting dirt out of their throat. You approach the sound a little more confidently now that you’re sure it isn’t the Dream Lord. True enough, you walk into the sight of Abel, sitting up half-buried in freshly dug earth; he really was trying to get the dirt out of his throat. Rushing to his side, you help him get to his feet and brush the damp soil off his hair.

“Thank you, Mera. My brother sure did a number on this grave – it took me a while to dig my way out of it,” Abel says cheerily.

Chuckling lightly, you pick up the earthworm that managed to crawl into his jacket pocket. “Hello to you too, Abel.”

There only have been a handful of times you’ve seen Abel rise from his grave, but the first time sure gave you quite the shock. Such is the fate of the first brothers: one forced to kill, the other forced to resurrect in a never-ending cycle of bloody murder that went on since the dawn of mankind. One could call it a ‘twisted’ form of brotherly love. Will you suffer the same fate, you wonder, under the hands of your creator? Will you also be forever cursed to roam the realm, being unmade and remade at the whim of a jilted monarch?

“Mera? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Abel waves his hand in front of you to get your attention. “Well, granted you have seen a corpse, or at least one’s that’s recently been…are you alright?”

Giving him a weary smile, you respond, “You know what, Abel, I don’t think I am.”

Immediately, Abel’s jovial expression turns to one of concern. “Oh, dear. Is that why you’ve come all the way here? To be honest, I do find it peculiar why you’re here, of all places.”

Trying to lighten his sullen mood, you joke, “To be fair, this isn’t where Cain usually buries you.”

Letting out a dry chortle, he relents. “Yeah, he really wanted me to have a hard time.” His face suddenly lights up and offers, “If you’d like, we can talk about whatever’s bothering you on the way to my house. And we can finally have tea! Your last visit was cut short, after all.”

“Yes, I’d like that very much.”

“Wonderful!” He exclaims, rummaging on the back of his jacket for something you can’t see. “Aw, rats. I told Cain to be careful with this coat; he knows this is my favourite…”

***

You tread along Abel at a leisurely pace through the thick of the woods. You listen to him rant about how his older brother always manages to ruin this specific jacket every time he kills him, pointing at this back where a large tear is, in the middle of a huge splotch of blood. This somehow comforts you, listening to someone else’s troubles for once. It’s a humbling experience, knowing that the Dreaming Realm, its residents, and its dreamers would continue their lives just fine even if your master decides to uncreate you. It’s a bizarre feeling, but you relish it, nonetheless. So, when he asks you to tell him what was bothering you, your head is a lot clearer, your mood calmer – so you conveniently leave out the other details of that event in the library, only revealing to him that the Dream Lord ‘caught you by surprise’ and that ‘pushed him away in your haste.’

At your careful wording, Abel’s eyes widen and his jaw drops to the floor, indicating he understood what you meant.

“You mean, he’s just told you?”

Eyeing him questioningly, you ask, “What do you mean ‘just?’”

He meets your cautious gaze with an apologetic expression. “I mean, come on, Mera. It always has been painfully obvious to everyone in the Dreaming how he’s had eyes on you from the beginning.”

“‘From the beginning?’ How come no one bothered to tell me, then?” you mutter sourly. “How come it seems like everyone knows something except me?”

“Honestly, Mera, no one wants to interfere with his…affairs. I thought you already knew, given that he’s always around you and all. Anyway, I wouldn’t worry if I were you. I’ve seen him around you. With you, he’s a lot…nicer. I don’t know how else to put it. With anyone else…oh boy,” he lets out a dry chuckle, before continuing. “The gloom emanating from him – hard to imagine how he’s related to Death, she’s always so sweet.”

“I’ve heard that before,” you mutter darkly, but Abel doesn’t seem to hear.

“Oh, look! We’re nearly there! There’s that old path leading to the house.” He points to a narrow, beaten path, and sure enough, you can see how it led to a thinner set of woods with much more clearing, indicating that you were almost about to exit the forest. “You’re still coming over for tea, right? I can bake us some gingersnaps. You know, Cain once clobbered me on the head with a cast iron pan for making them too sweet…”

Glad for a change of topic, you follow Abel to the path, listening to him recall the cookie recipe, absently noting how he’s forgotten to add salt, of all things, to his mental list. Right now, you needed a strategy: the Dream Lord might’ve taken you off work temporarily, but it doesn’t mean you can’t pop by the sea of dreams unnoticed. Figuring it was the only way you could avoid him, you resolve to stay away as much as you can and for as long as you can from the palace grounds, at least until your master’s interest has waned – you silently offer a prayer to the Fates that it does soon.

Good luck with that, the Voice mutters darkly. 

***

Dream of the Endless immediately feels the loss of your warmth the moment you wriggle away from his embrace. Chuckling darkly to himself, his heated gaze follows you as you scurry your way out of the library, leaving him to deal with a rather painful arousal that’s begging to be relieved. He regains control of himself before sauntering over to the table where your scribbled notes were, lazily running his fingers over the papers in deep thought. Would he have taken you right there, on the table, had you not resisted? He would’ve, he admits to himself, but he’s also aware it’s hardly the proper place – he wants your first time with him to be burned into your memory; thus, he would have to make it special and in the privacy of his own chambers. Besides, even that kiss you briefly shared with him seems to have proven too much of a confession for you. He couldn’t deny that he’s thrilled by the chase you’re giving, but he could drive you further away should he increase his pace. He would have to keep his distance, for now, taking satisfaction from the fact that he’d eventually win you as his prize in this game he could play for eternity.

Quietly, he approaches his librarian’s desk. He had other matters in the Realm to take care of before he can contemplate his next move on you.

“Lucienne.”

The royal librarian in question nearly jumps from her seat at his call. His tone might’ve come out a bit more biting than usual – he is, after all, still displeased with her interruption, however unaware she was of it.

Still clutching her chest at his sudden presence, she asks, “Yes, my lord?”

“I have other nightmares to apprehend and a matter to investigate. In the meantime, I have a task for you.”

***

It’s been days since you last been in the palace. You’ve been resting minimally since in the lush lands of Fiddler’s Green, and while it sucked to be essentially homeless and on the run, you’re grateful that you have not seen a single hair of your creator since the library incident. Not even in the dreams you have visited so far did you feel his presence. Still, even your reprieve could not take your mind off the notes you’ve left on the desk; those were notes which could immensely help with your work, now that you’re spending more time than usual in the dreams of the humans.

So, it’s in this uneventful night that you decide to sneak into the library and retrieve the papers, wishing your luck in the last few days extends to this little trip. You tiptoe noiselessly through the vast halls, your eyes scanning every nook and cranny with wary eyes. Finally, you reach the tall doors that lead to your target room. You press an ear on one of them to check for signs of anyone inside, and when you heard nothing, you gingerly push it open, whizzing past the bookshelves to reach the desk.

Finally, you reach the desk where the papers lay, stacked neatly on its corner with a paperweight on top. Lucienne must’ve tidied them up for you. Making a mental note to thank her later, you make a quick grab for them and move to head out.

When you reach D wing, however, you pause at the sound of a pen scribbling on paper. You crouch down, hiding under the nearest desk, straining for any sound that might give you a clue as to who it is. To your horror, Jessamy, the Dream Lord’s raven, lands squarely in front of you, her beady eyes staring at you with curiosity.

Panicking, you gesture to her to keep it down please, but in an act of treachery (or loyalty), she lets out a loud ‘caw,’ alerting whoever is with her of your whereabouts. Cursing under your breath at your rotten luck, your heartbeat thrums in your ears as you wait for the inevitable –

“Hello? Who’s there?”

It’s Lucienne! Fortune must’ve favoured you at the last minute. You crawl out of your hiding place to greet her, beyond relieved that it was her you’re greeting instead of a certain Endless.

“Mera? Oh dear, what are you doing down there?” Lucienne rushes to your side to help you up, as Jessamy flies to perch on the top of one of the bookshelves.

“Hello Lucienne, sorry if I startled you,” Smiling apologetically, you gesture to the papers in your hand. “I just had to get them back…”

She flashes you an exasperated smile, before inviting you to sit with her on the desk she’s working on. “Where have you been for the last few days?” She questions, settling once more on her parchment, writing.

“Uh, I’ve been around. Is he here?”

“If you’re talking about Lord Morpheus, no he’s not,” she replies, raising her eyebrows at the way your shoulders relax. “And don’t think you can evade my question, Mera.”

At her stern gaze, you balk and respond, “I’ve been to the dreams and Fiddler’s Green –”

“Mera, you know very well that Lord Morpheus has told you –”

“Stay here and recover, yes, but I’ve been so bored, Lucienne,” you say with a pleading look. You don’t tell her the other reason why; you figure she doesn’t need to know.

“I understand you’re eager to get back to helping your dreamers, Mera,” she says with a sympathetic expression. “But you know how he can be if his word is disobeyed.”

You offer no response to her comment. Flashes of him cornering you among the bookshelves replay in your head, and you mentally shudder.

“I’m under explicit orders from the Dream Lord to keep you in the palace.”

Mouth agape, you begin to protest but, one look from Lucienne silences you.

“He has ordered your own chamber to be made within the palace, where you are to rest from now on. I suggest you collect your belongings from the staff quarters and transfer them there. I can show you where it is.”

Resigned to your fate, you merely respond, “So I’m under house arrest.”

Lucienne’s sympathetic expression never leaves her face. “Don’t give me that look, Mera. I’m sure Lord Morpheus will be willing to let you go back to work once he has caught all the missing nightmares. There is one that currently keeps eluding him.”

You simply nod, even though you were dreading being in his immediate reach as soon as he returns. You have yet to meet with him since he stole your first kiss, and you’re still unsure what his true intentions are of you after you all but rejected him.

“There’s one more thing. Jessamy will watch over you from time to time.”

At that point, you let an aggravated groan, while Jessamy ruffles her feathers in seeming indignance.

***

The staff quarter wing is almost always empty, and the rooms were small and bare. Most of the dreams and nightmares recuperate elsewhere, and you can’t blame them for it – while the rooms were more than adequate for the rest your kind take, nothing could compare to the sprawling views that other places in the Dreaming can offer. Entering the room you’re assigned to, you’re followed by Jessamy, flying in low and settling on the bed’s headboard with a single, soft ‘caw.’

“I’m sorry about, you know, back in the library,” you say. “No hard feelings?”

As if accepting your apology, she caws again, this time a little louder.

Giving her a wan smile, you start scanning the room for anything you can bring with you. You don’t have many possessions, anyway – save a few clothes and a book to which you usually bind your notes, there isn’t much to collect. Together, you and Jessamy make your way back to the main hall, where Lucienne was waiting. Wordlessly, she beckons you to follow, and, climbing through the grand marble staircase where the suites are, she leads you to a floor high up in the palace – the floor which you recognize is where the Dream Lord’s chambers are located. Even as a wave of nausea hits you at this knowledge, you walk on, concentrating on the sound of Lucienne’s heels on marble and the flapping of Jessamy’s wings.

“This is where you are. Down that hall to your right. You’ll find everything you need in there, but Lord Morpheus also assigned you a lady-in-waiting should you want anything. She’ll be available tomorrow.”

“Wait, but I don’t need one…”

“Dream Lord’s orders, I’m afraid.”

You nod tiredly in acquiescence. “Thank you, Lucienne. I just wish I was back at work, you know.”

“You will be, soon,” she says in a reassuring tone. “For now, try indulging him. You gave him quite the scare after the demon attack, even if he didn’t show it outwardly. Good night, Mera.”

And with that, she marches off to the hall before going out of sight.

Sighing inwardly, you head off to the end of the hallway where you reach an ornate double door with brass handles. Pushing it open, you couldn’t help the gasp that comes out of you.

The room, after all, simply took your breath away.

The circular room is enormous and sparse of décor, save for the chaise lounge upholstered with rich velvet, and the towering four-poster bed at the center adorned in dark silken drapes. The room’s source of light, aside from the rich moonlight shining through the tall glass windows, are millions of glittering stars painted on the ceiling, forming constellations and galaxies, all twinkling and swirling as if they were plucked straight from the very blanket of the universe. To your left is a door, left ajar, leading to a balcony that you’re sure is overlooking one of the best views of the Realm the palace can offer.

And yet, as you sit on the edge of the chaise, with all the beauty surrounding you, you’re left with a staggering feeling of foreboding – deep down, your heart knows that all this grandeur comes with a price you know you can’t very well pay.

Jessamy lands on the railing at the foot of the bed, cawing, before flying off out to the balcony and vanishing into the night.

Emotionally exhausted and pointedly avoiding the massive bed, you curl up on the sofa and drift off to sweet oblivion.

*** 

Get up, sleepyhead.

Piss off, you bite back at the false saccharin tone of the Voice, now widely awake on the bed you didn’t fall asleep on last night. Throwing off the silk blanket, you leap to your feet and out of the bed, dizzying yourself in the process. A soft ‘caw’ alerted you to the presence of Jessamy perched on the chaise lounge, except there is something else draped over the couch.

You tentatively approach the thing like it was a bomb about to go off. Upon closer inspection, you make it out as a silk ruby-red dress, and on it a note:

To my little dream

You back away, hyperventilating, the bed breaking your fall. Who else would leave a dress of that colour and call you ‘their’ little dream?

A knock on the door makes your heart skip a beat.

“Who’s there?” You call out, dreading the response.

From the other side, a tiny voice squeaks, “M’lady? Are you awake? May I come in?”

Still breathless from the rush, you call out ‘yes,’ after which the door creaks open, and in comes a wispy-looking young woman carrying what looks like a bunch of towels.

“I’m Morwyn, m’lady, and I was assigned to you. You can call me for whatever you need from now on.” She gives you a shy, toothy smile which you return with your own.

“What’s with that?”

“With what, m'lady?” She questions curiously.

“The title. You can…well, my name is Mera – I’m just like you, you know…” You trail off, giving her a teasing smile that doesn’t quite reach your eyes.

“Oh, but I can’t! The Dream Lord would never allow it, m'lady.”

“Screw what he thinks,” you mutter under your breath. Thankfully, she doesn’t seem to hear it.

“Well, I came to draw you a bath, m'lady,” she says, walking over to the chaise where the dress is. “Is this what you’ll be wearing? It’s a lovely choice.”

“What? No. I can’t wear that,” you remark.

“But,” she starts, her face scrunching in confused panic. “It’s a gift! It will be rude not to…not that I’m implying anything –”

“Relax, Morwyn, please.” Giggling, you reassure her that you’ll wear it, but only to appease her. She visibly eases her tense posture before excusing herself to the door on the corner leading to the bathroom.

It’s going to be a long day, you think to yourself.

***

The dress was only the first of a string of gifts you’d be waking up to for the following days. They always came with the same note, the same piece of paper that seemed to hand down your sentence in the most subtle of ways. You wanted to ignore them, but under Jessamy’s watchful eyes, doing so would only earn the gift giver’s displeasure. So, whatever you find lying on the chaise lounge in the morning, you grit your teeth and wear them, even if they make you feel like branded cattle. You never had a taste for material objects, and you’re sure that’s not about to change, no matter how fancy the gift is.

What he couldn’t control, however, were your illicit visits to your dreamers. You’ve been sneaking in and out whenever you can just so you could alleviate the boredom; you know very well you couldn’t sit idly around the palace all day, waiting for an Endless that may or may not come. And you’ve been productive, too, even with lesser time on your hands. You know Lucienne was aware of it, judging by the way her eyebrow would be raised when you come into her view from one of the bookshelves, you’d just shrug it off and smile innocently as she shakes her head and rolls her eyes in exasperation.

After one of your little trips, you decide to take a stroll to the town square. Jessamy or not, at the very least, you had the right to enjoy the wonders of the realm that you love so dearly. For once, it felt like you were back to being the normal dream you always were. You get a bag of chocolate-filled croissants from the corner bakery before your eyes land on the flower shop – and the baskets upon baskets of pretty little red flowers on long stalks you’ve seen growing in the lush gardens in the palace. Oddly enough, that was the only flower they have on display.

Curiously trotting over to the shop, you peer inside to check if they have any other flowers, thinking you might just get some for your room to liven it up a bit during the day.

The florist greets you jovially with a tip of his hat, saying, “Good day, lovely miss! What can I get ya?”

You give him a bright smile in greeting before asking, “Hello, my good sir. Do you happen to have any other kinds of flowers at the back? Something I could use to…brighten the mood in my room a little.”

He shakes his head sadly. “So sorry, miss, but these flowers are all that grow in the kingdom lately, although a few gardeners in the kingdom are cultivating other variants. Harvest comes in a few weeks. I could save some for ya, then.”

“That’d be wonderful. Thank you!”

You walk out of the store, perplexed. How could the kingdom run out of other flowers, and the realm of an Endless, no less?

***

The Endless in question is somewhere deep in his own kingdom, in the lands long forgotten and abandoned by his subjects and his dreamers. He had received intelligence of unaccounted-for beings lurking in these barren terrains which didn’t sit well with him – the last time he had creatures of unknown origins enter his realm without his knowledge, he almost lost the Dreaming, his rule almost overthrown. If these rumors proved true, it was his duty as the monarch to drive them out before they become an unstoppable threat.

That doesn’t mean he couldn’t watch over you through the eyes of his loyal raven.

With the very little free time he had in his hands, he had been closely shadowing you with the help of Jessamy, making sure you were kept from harm's way in his absence. He had been diligent in his quest to draw you closer to him. He was quite proud of the palace chambers he constructed; the way he saw your face light up at the sight of it gave him such a rush, he couldn’t help but go back to the palace and tuck you under the bed covers himself. It had taken all of his strength to pull away from you, but he had to be content with a single chaste peck on your lips, and a soft caress of his fingers on your cheek. Perhaps it was the kiss that had inspired him; for with a stroke of genius, he conjured a dress he had fantasized you wearing, leaving a little note he was sure you’d find. He made sure the dress matched the ruby you wore on your head – his insignia, his mark – he was quite proud of himself with his handiwork, for it was only you in his kingdom, save himself, that sported the jewel: a silent declaration that there was no one else you belonged to. He’d do anything to see your eyes light up like that again, and so with those little gifts he started leaving in your room, he chased that high – only to be a tad disappointed that you seemed to find them wanting. No matter: he has more than enough time to uncover your heart’s desires once he returns.

Channeling Jessamy’s vision, he scans the surroundings for you – you were in the town square, strolling, wearing the jewel-crusted auburn robe he had left for you that morning. You were wrapped in it so elegantly, exposing the delicate skin on your neck and collar bones. He couldn’t help but grin, recalling how he was so close to marking that soft flesh with his lips, had he not been interrupted that day in the library. 

If there was one thing he has learned about you so far, it was that little defiant streak in you, manifested by those surreptitious little visits you made to your choice of dreamers. Although these trips had him worried for your wellbeing, he had to admit that this previously undiscovered part of you he found rather enticing. Only time will tell what other facets of you he can bare – and he has an eternity of it.

Breaking off the connection with his familiar and acting on impulse, he transports himself stealthily back to the palace, deciding to leave one more gift before he continues his journey.

***

It wasn’t the first time you’d seen those flowers in abundance, but its name had escaped you, and you had always forgotten to look them up in the library. You’re beyond curious now, and although you had learned how this feeling seemed to always lead you to trouble, it couldn’t hurt, could it? It was no big deal, after all – just a harmless little flower.

The library is empty, you discover. Lucienne might have run on a quick errand, so you have the library all to yourself for now. You head to your favorite reading spot, intending to leave the bag of pastries on the coffee table.

Once you get there, however, the bag drops from your hand, and the once-quiet library begins echoing with ungodly screams coming from your head. Covering your ears in the stinging pain, your eyes try to scan the immediate area for what the Voice was screaming about.

There, laying innocently on the couch you loved is a bouquet of the very same flowers you had intended to research, wrapped in a neat ruby-red bow.

On the library floor, you wait on your fours for the screaming to stop, bewildered at its reaction to a seemingly innocent bunch of blooms. You get up, practically running, in frantic search of those flowers, anything that could help you pinpoint the meaning behind their appearance.

You find it in one of your dreamers' books: ‘A Florist’s Folio of Fabulous Florals’ by Ferdinand Fink. There, beside a pretty painting of the crimson bloom, read:

Scarlet sage

Scientific name: Salvia splendens

Symbolism: The red-blooming Salvia flower is traditionally associated with love and romance; “forever mine”

And like a red-hot coal, you drop the book, watching as its pages close shut before landing on the carpeted floor with a muffled thud.

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

Link to the next chapter

Author notes:

Thank you, THANK YOU for reading!!

Please engage, comment and reblog!! I love feedback from you guys :) This is my first ever fic, so kindness is truly appreciated!

Thank you to my queen @queenshelby @endlessdreamqueen3 for encouraging me to pen this, as well as to my fellow Dark!Morpheus writers whose work I have thoroughly enjoyed and keep rereading :)

Post date: 11/13/22

Edit date: 11/13/22

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