Stages?

play fight

or a short fic about the banter between c!techno and c!dream revealing something unintended that i wrote for @alterdnbweek

The eggnog was deceptively strong. It was rich and creamy, the cinnamon and nutmeg almost masking the taste of the brandy. Techno thought it was the best eggnog he’d made but it had made his head fuzzy and he’d only had one admittedly large mug of the stuff. Dream was on his second mug, hands wrapped around the blue ceramic, his missing fingers letting some of the floral pattern peek through. The flush on his cheeks told Techno that it was likely the brandy was hitting him harder.

It’s a good thing he’s already on the floor, thought Techno and then giggled so hard the sip of eggnog he had just taken went down the wrong way. He coughed and sputtered.

Dream looked at him and asked, “W-what’s wrong with you?”

Judging by the glassy look of concern on his face, it was meant as a genuine question but the wording set Techno off again though this time there was nothing to choke on. He cleared his throat and thumped his chest with his fist before speaking.

“Nothin’, Dream. I choked but thanks for askin’.”

Dream blinked slowly and glanced down at his mug.

“You choked? On—On liquid?”

“Listen, Dream—”

Techno paused and drained the last of his eggnog then debated about getting up for another cup. It was late and something warm and sweet would be nice before bed.

“Techno!” On floor, Dream was staring at him expectantly. He had sat up a little, the blanket that was wrapped around his shoulders slipping off. “What?”

The chair creaked as Techno rocked back in it. With the fire and soft light of the lanterns and the even softer pillow behind his head, it would’ve been easy for him to drift off.

“I’m gonna be honest, man, I have no idea what I was gonna say,” he admitted.

Dream rolled his eyes and stretched his good leg out. The room of the cabin was small enough that he was just able to kick Techno’s hoof with his fur-covered foot.

“Oh my god.” The words were broken up by a silent hiccup. He kicked Techno again but there was no force behind it. A lopsided grin was on his face. “You’re so annoying.”

Nudging Dream’s foot with his hoof, Techno laughed. He knew Dream meant it – he was annoying him – but it was the same kind of annoying as eating sour candy. It might make your mouth pucker but you still liked it. He watched Dream empty his mug and set it aside, shoving it half under the bookshelf. Techno snorted.

“Says you,” said Techno, drawing out the last word with heavy emphasis.

The offended look on Dream’s face was completely predictable and he kicked Techno one more time, stretching out as far as he could and slipping a little in the process. His cheeks turned even pinker. Techno had the passing thought that it was a good look on him.

“Yeah, well, I’m—I’m not even that annoying. You’re the one who choked on a drink like an idiot.”

It was a fair assessment and at any other time Techno might have said as much. He would’ve agreed and Dream would’ve fluffed up, believing that he had won the argument even though they both knew that Techno was giving him an out. But the warm, fuzzy feeling that had settled on Techno’s thoughts had moved to his chest and being flustered really was a good look on Dream. He reached behind him, grabbed the pillow he was resting on, and tossed it at Dream. It hit him square in the chest.

“Bruh. This guy is gonna leave his dirty dishes all over and say he’s not annoyin’.”

Dream looked over at the mug. He pushed it further under the bookshelf before picking up the pillow and throwing it back at Techno. The eggnog had dulled Techno’s senses and while he technically caught the pillow, it still smacked him in the face.

“You’re literally the worst and—You snore, like, all time, Techno,” he said, face twitching as he desperately tried not to smile.

Techno spun the pillow between his hands, one eyebrow raised, before throwing the pillow at Dream again. He half-heartedly tried to block it with one arm.

“And how d’you know I snore, Dream? Hm? Is it because I’ve so graciously let you stay with me and sleep in my bed even though I know you wipe your nose on the blanket?”

Dream’s ears flattened and his nose twitched furiously. He buried his face into the pillow for a moment.

“Oh my god! What is wrong with you, Technoblade! I—I hate you.”

He said Techno’s name in a specific, lilting way that finally made Techno blush and his stomach go all fluttery. Techno laughed. The pretending to be annoyed had been abandoned by Dream and he was smiling without holding back. The flames from the fireplace were reflected in his eyes.

“Nah,” said Techno, “you love me.”

The smile on Dream’s face lessened, became more serious, and he was quiet for a moment as he stared at Techno. It seemed like he didn’t realize he was staring. Techno almost said something but Dream blinked and spoke first.

“I do.”

Once the quiet words were out of his mouth, Dream looked surprised he had said anything. It could have been the eggnog talking. It was the eggnog talking because Techno knew Dream well enough to know he wouldn’t have said anything sober, knew him well enough to know it wasn’t a joke even if the suddenly sad and embarrassed look on his face didn’t give him away. Dream looked away. His eyes were wet and Techno also knew it wasn’t from the alcohol.

The moment Techno tried to stand, the brandy went to his head and he almost pitched forward. He managed to right himself at the last second. He took one step forward then dropped to the floor ungracefully next to Dream, one leg tucked awkwardly underneath him. It startled Dream and he jumped slightly as he turned to look at Techno, mouth partly open. He was going to say something. That was another thing Techno knew. The blush had faded until his cheeks were a soft pink dotted with freckles.

“Y’know what, Dream?”

Dream closed his mouth and waited. It would be too much to kiss him even if Techno badly wanted to kiss him. If he kissed him now, they could write it off as too much eggnog on a winter night. He put his hand on the back of Dream’s head, fingers threaded through his hair, and pulled him close until their foreheads were touching.

“What?” asked Dream, tense.

His breath smelled like cinnamon. It was hot on Techno’s face.

“Same.”

It took Dream a moment. This close, Techno could feel the exact moment Dream fully processed what he was saying: it was a small hitch of his chest and a gentle exhale. Dream put a hand on Techno’s knee, fingers clinging to the fabric of his pants.

“Oh my god,” Dream said again but it was soft, giggly. “You’re—You’re so lame.”

Techno grinned. He pressed his snout against the side of Dream’s head.

“Maybe, maybe, but what does that say about you?”

Blindly, Dream grabbed the pillow with his other hand and smacked Techno right in the side of the head with it. This close and with the awkward angle, it hit him as well but he didn’t seem to care. He was laughing. The hit wasn’t forceful – it couldn’t be – but Techno made an exaggerated ‘oof’ noise and let himself fall to the side, taking Dream with him, arms wrapped around him.

They were both laughing.

What are all the lessons in Itwall?

:) well you see...

itwall is just a conversation between cdream's doubts and the universe. in order to convince him to stay in the arctic, i knew i'd have to appeal to dream's sense of logic and convince him that it was his most reasonable option, so i designed the plotline like an argument that would dispel his anxieties about staying. the argument goes something like this:

techno & philza: we want you to be safe. (but does safety mean being trapped?) phil: no, you are never trapped. but we should be prepared. if you're in danger, hide and let us fight. (i don't want them to fight for me. when i'm in danger, i'll run.) circumstance: you will run into the forest and get frostbite. techno and philza will need to save you. (fine. when i'm in danger, i'll hide.) circumstance: hiding works. (but i don't want to be a burden.) techno & philza: we love you, and you aren't a burden. (okay, but i can't trust them to tell me if i'm being a bother. they wouldn't tell me.) kristin: i know my husband, and you aren't bothering him. (but i need to fix the server) kristin: no, you don't. (but sapnap will listen to me if i try hard enough) sapnap: i won't. and ultimately that's where the title comes from. dream has a series of lessons to learn that all teach him the value of staying in the place where he feels most at peace, where people will care for him, and where he isn't a burden.

@lookinghalfacorpse hoof trimming

"i just do not see any romantic chemistry i'm sorry." ANON U R DELUDED. DREAM YEARNS FOR THE TOUCH OF A POSTIVE FATHER FIGURE AND PHIL'S LIKE "i can fix him"

Phil is Dream’s manic pixie dream girl

horror movie au!dream finally getting to experience someone who likes him for him and it doesn't involve fancy dinners and expensive cars or anything like that. it's him and techno in a crappy motel eating stale chips from the vending machine or sitting in the back of techno's van that smells like wet dog and shampoo.

This is an appreciation post for the fanfic authors who aren’t included on rec lists

For the fanfic authors who don’t get art of their fics

For the fanfic authors who can’t get to 1000/500/100 hits

For the fanfic authors who don’t get comments/reviews

For the fanfic authors who write for small fandoms

For the fanfic authors who write rarepairs or gen fics

For the fanfic authors who get hate for the ships/characters/fandoms they write

For the fanfic authors who write in English despite it not being their first language

For the fanfic authors who don’t write in English

For the fanfic authors who don’t think anyone reads or likes their work

For the fanfic authors who aren’t big name fans

For the fanfic authors who don’t get requests in their inboxes

For the fanfic authors who can’t write stories that are more than a thousand words

For the fanfic authors who only write one ship

For the fanfic authors who are just starting

For the fanfic authors who have been writing fic for years

For the fanfic authors who use fanfic to practice writing

For the fanfic authors who write self-insert fics

For the fanfic authors who write about their OCs

For the fanfic authors who write to vent or cope

For the fanfic authors who are just waiting for their big break

Keep creating, I love you ❤️

in every single one of my fics, c!dream is a gross little freak because his priorities are so skewed by his focus on Survival and The Plan that even after he's out of prison and healing in the arctic with c!techno, he's still wiping his nose on the blanket or putting a knife he just used back into the drawer and techno is just like. bruh.

quick little fanart for the "Face Me and Scream" fic by franticdesert on ao3

Hi! Doomsday trio prompt- The Most Hated Breakfast Food. Not the best. The worst.

this is SUCH a good prompt and i didn't do it correctly :') here's what my brain did instead. at least it was breakfast themed?

part of the doomsday preparation drabbles

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Breakfasts Prepared in The Days Before Battle (aka how do you feed a young man, an immortal birdman, and a piglin in one meal?)

Day 1: Oatmeal and toast. A simple dish, but sincerely one of the most beautiful and put-together meals Dream has ever seen. He didn't expect them to feed him at all, much less prepare a bowl of well-arranged, colorful fruits in a vintage bowl. He stood in the kitchen, frozen. Eating in front of Techno and Phil might mean taking his mask off in front of them, and he was tempted to grab the food and eat in another room, like an anxious dog. He settled instead on tilting the mask up a bit. They saw his mouth, and they didn't make any indication that they even noticed. Techno had three bowls, Phil had one and a half, and Dream had one (he was too embarrassed to ask for more).

Day 2: Avocado toast with pico and eggs. Techno shyly admitted that they were trying to get through this loaf of bread before it went bad. Then, he went on some nonsensical ramble about how it was Dream's sacred mission to help them. "Forget the battle," he said, "we gotta get rid of this bread." Techno had four slices, Phil had two, and Dream had two.

Day 3: Omelettes and yogurt. There was something a bit comical about seeing Techno use silverware. His hands were too big for them, his shoulders hunched forward, and he used them so politely that you wouldn't expect him to be the most feared warrior this civilization has known. After breakfast, he absolutely dominated in a sparring session against Dream. Techno had two omelettes, Phil had half (but two bowls of yogurt. He was "in the mood for it."), and Dream had one.

Day 4: Breakfast sandwiches. Sausage, egg, and cheese, all in a biscuit-like bun. Dream nearly took his mask completely off at the table, and fumbled with the clip as he desperately tried to put it back on without showing more skin than he already has. Techno had his back turned as he was serving himself, thankfully, but Phil sat beside him. The old man didn't even look up from his plate, unbothered by Dream's dilemma. Techno had two sandwiches, Phil had one, Dream had one, and the dog whining softly under the table got two pieces of sausage from Dream's palm.

Day 5: Sausage soup. It was a piglin thing, apparently. Techno mentioned it and then grew quiet, enjoying the meal but never losing a distant, foggy look in his eyes. Dream watched, unable to think of a follow-up question. Between the three of them, he was not the only one with secrets. Techno had five bowls (the most Dream's ever seen him eat), Phil had one, and Dream had one.

Day 6: Pancakes and scrambled eggs. A classic breakfast. Phil seemed nervous about preparing the pancakes a way Dream would like, so he made them plain and provided a variety of toppings. Dream opted for a variety of fruit and the chocolate spread, but he said (with confidence) that he would've eaten whatever was prepared for him. Techno had four pancakes, Phil had two, and Dream had two.

Day 7: Bagels. Somewhere between preparations and trainings, Philza found time to pick up bagels. Dream found it odd to prioritize food with such a decisive battle on the horizon. He sat, he tilted his mask, he ate, and he talked to Techno about horses. Techno had two bagels, Phil had one, and Dream had one.

Day 8: Biscuits with Eggs. Or, as Techno called it, "Biscuit with guts." A poached egg was poured into a hole in the biscuit, making an interesting mix of textures and flavors. Dream wasn't the biggest fan of poached eggs, but true to his word, he ate whatever was served to him. Techno had four biscuits, Phil had two, and Dream had two.

Day 9: Creamy potato soup and sausages. Carbs and proteins for fuel. The battle loomed, and Dream was feeling anxious. He wasn't sure why; he wasn't afraid, per se, he was simply buzzing with energy that had no where to go (He wanted this to go perfectly). He asked Techno to spar with him again. He asked Phil for a refill of potato soup. "Remind me to get you the recipe, mate," Philza said, "If you can make mashed potatoes, you can make this. Good for travel, too." Dream replied stupidly with some comment about how much he liked potatoes. Techno had three bowls, Phil had one, and Dream lost count of how many times he made it while he traveled. Much later, he'd make it again within the prison walls, and he'd run to a nearby chest to vomit.