Orpheus and Eurydice's "It's you." "It's me." at the end of Doubt Comes In, but it's them recognizing each other beyond the cycle of the story they're trapped in
for one second, they remember everything--every time they have lived out this story before, every "first" meeting, every failed attempt--and see the lover that they have loved a million times.
I have been getting back into Project Sekai on the dl lately and so this is the result of that lol
Polysho head canon that Emu has a really hard time doing her own makeup and willing herself to be still. So she has Nene sing to her so she can calm down enough to focus. That only works for some things though, and she’s not especially skilled at eye makeup, so she needs someone else to do that part for her. Mostly it’s Nene, humming while she works, but sometimes it’s Tsukasa. Not all the time, since they bounce off each other too much, but he’s decent at it. He’s passionate about knowing everything about theater and stage makeup is one of those things, and having a sister definitely helps his skill level. Nene hums in the background regardless of who’s doing it, if Tsukasa is doing Emu’s eyeliner he’s definitely muttering to himself and wearing the most focused expression ever lol.
Maybe Rui makes a lighthearted joke about feeling left out, but Emu takes it super seriously and insists on sitting on his lap while she gets her makeup done. It’s doesn’t exactly help her steadiness, he’s constantly battling the urge to tickle her (and sometimes he loses that battle), and he can’t help but try and break the concentration of whoever’s doing Emu’s eyeliner by making silly faces or teasing, but now it would be weird without him. Nene responds to Rui’s teasing and joking in stride, with an eye roll and maybe a suppressed yet obvious smirk. Tsukasa falls for it every time, either arguing or getting flustered, messing up, and then having to restart, apologizing profusely to Emu for the delay.
Emu obviously really loves this. She loves Nene’s voice and loves any excuse to be close to her partners. She loves their faces when they’re focusing, and she loves that they’re focusing on her (maybe she won’t admit that last part tho) <3
Mayer Jacobs didn't just tangle with a delivery truck and get a broken leg--he died, with Esther Jacobs following soon after from heartbreak. Now the three Jacobs' siblings are left alone, desperately trying to act normal so they don't get taken away. The boys get jobs as newsies, Sarah gets a job at the factory, and they try their best to keep up appearances and keep their secret from getting out.
Obviously, this isn't true, but we never see Mayer and Esther in the broadway musical, and neither do we see (nor get any mention of) Sarah. So it could work, hypothetically.
How it would work:
"Mom" could be a code word for Sarah.
"Mom's a great cook!" = Sarah
"We had to help our mother with something" = Sarah
Then, you could play these lines nervously, almost like the boys are hiding something.
"You've got folks?" "Doesn't everyone?"
"We've got a father too!"
You could also say that Davey and Sarah will probably never go back to school, since they need to be able to provide for themselves and Les on their own. This is just an excuse they give to the newsies, and they still haven't told Les that they aren't going back with him. They'll still make Les go back after summer ends, though.
"This is so much better than school!" "Don't even think it. When Pop goes back to work, we go back to school."
AND you could say that Davey carries guilt about his father's accident, because he thinks that if he'd just helped his father form a union at work, maybe his accident would've never happened.
"My family wouldn't be in the mess we're in right now if my father had a union."
Earlier I was thinking "Count your days" but then my brain corrected it to "Count your blessings" and then it devolved into "Count your blessings before they hatch" XD
thinking about Orpheus in Come Home With Me and how overly excited he is to talk to Eurydice. Like yes, they just had their "love at first sight" moment in Road To Hell, yes, he's immediately head-over-heels for her and wants to marry her, and that's absolutely valid. Young love and all that. But looking at it from the lens of "he's stuck in a time loop and the loop restarting is the only way he gets to see Eurydice again" makes it make a lot more sense.
Orpheus is so excited to talk to her, to the point of accidentally "coming on too strong." Him saying that he's "the man who's gonna marry you" to Eurydice could be written off as overconfidence or naivety, or perhaps one who knows what the future brings and is ready to share it with her. Maybe he says "I'm Orpheus," looking in Eurydice's eyes for a spark of recognition, any sign that she remembers him. "Oh no, I'm not like that," backpedaling because he knows her story, he knows her past, and doesn't want to be anything like the men she's known before. And Hermes saying, "He's not like any man you've met"--of course he isn't! Orpheus is hers and she is his, forever and ever.
Dream SMP Fics that you MUST read before you die (I'm serious please read these)
this is gonna be a really long list-post, so the actual list itself is under the cut :)
Of course, we have to start with arguably the most well-known fanfic written in the DSMP space, and the first DSMP fic I ever read: passerine by blujamas.
warnings: major character death, graphic depictions of violence
angst, hurt/comfort, character death
“I understand. You heard the place you loved was in trouble, so you came back, but I don’t—I just—why didn’t you take me?” Here it was, at last. Catharsis, or something close to it. “I would have hunted them down with you, Philza, the people who did that to your town. I would have given you your vengeance on a silver platter. I would have given you the world.”
Philza didn’t look guilty. He just looked tired. “I didn’t hunt them down, though.”
//
Or, that fic where Techno and Phil are old immortals, and Tommy and Wilbur are decidedly... not.
76,373 words, 7 chapters, and one of the most bittersweet endings I have ever read. The background characters aren't really focused on, but those who pay attention will be able to guess who is who. And, of course, this is an SBI-centered fic, so we have lots of Neopolitan Trio shenanigans as well.
psst! there are also a ton of animatics that you can find on YouTube that are based around this fic. My personal favorites are unconditionally. by Kazuallyy and For Forever by Tuesoeday.
Next up, this list wouldn't be complete without mentioning tommyinnit's clinic for supervillains by bonesandthebees, which is another one of the most well-known fics in the DSMP space.
warnings: graphic depictions of violence
dark sleepy bois inc, hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending, temporary character death
“W-What do you- I mean can I- are you here to rob us?” The person managed to stammer out.
Siren snorted. “No. I’m just here to order some food.”
“Wh-What about him?” The cashier asked, glancing at Tommy. “Did you- did you kidnap him?”
“I mean… yeah, let’s go with that in case this ends up on the news,” Siren shrugged, looking back at Tommy. “I kidnapped you, right?”
“Yeah, sure,” Tommy agreed, knowing that if they said he was kidnapped, it would keep people from getting suspicious of why he was seen in public with Siren. “Anyway, can I get the chicken nuggets happy meal, with a coke?”
or, how Tommy—who is not a hero, or a villain, or even a vigilante—saves the life of one of L'Manberg's most feared supervillains, and accidentally ends up becoming the resident doctor for every supervillain in town (and maybe gets a family along the way too).
188,572 words, 26 chapters. Absolutely wonderful fic, and another SBI one at that! Can you tell I adore sbi and found family fics? Anyways, I love the worldbuilding and the way that the hero/villain/vigilante systems are set up. All of the hero/villain/vigilante names and costumes are super cool, and I had a lot of fun guessing who's who and then shouting, "THAT'S MY GUY!" whenever they show up. Good ending, too.
If you can't get enough of bonesandthebees (hey, it's okay, me too), don't worry! they have a ton of other great fics that I will list here:
strings of fate, a 'Your Name' au fic with--you guessed it!--more sbi found family! temporary character death. 58,243 words, 9 chapters.
nocturnal animals, my personal favorite fic! a vampire au with--who could've guessed) more found family, this time mostly centering around Wilbur and Tommy. graphic depictions of violence. suicidal thoughts, implied/referenced suicide, blood and injury, violence. 73,288 words, 9 chapters.
the world forgetting by the world forgot, another superheroes/superpowers au but one where Tommy gets kidnapped by Dream and loses his memories of sbi. I liked the ending of this one, simply because it wasn't a happy or perfect ending, AND TOMMY HAD TO WORK HARD TO GET IT. It felt more real, and I am still very glad Tommy has someone to lean on after everything he went through. graphic depictions of violence. dark sleepy bois inc, possessive behavior, hurt/comfort, kidnapping, manipulation. 164,502 words, 21 chapters.
fairyland all around us, a two-part fae au series with even more found family! the first fic revolves around Tommy and Wilbur, and the second focuses on Tubbo, Ranboo, and Tommy. Both are very, very good and extremely well-written! graphic depictions of violence. violence, hurt/comfort, nightmares, sick character.
no time confounds me, another vampire au fic, this time with Tommy as the vamp and Wilbur as the clueless human. Very sweet (in the end), with found family sbi because it's all I read, apparently! Every time I see/think of Virginia, I think of this fic. hurt/comfort, emotional hurt/comfort, angst, angst with a happy ending. 45,357 words, 4 chapters.
Wilbur Soot's Guide to Befriending Wild Raccoons, a sweet fic about Tommy stealing food from Wilbur and Wilbur immediately adopting him as his brother. hurt/comfort. 12,360 words, 1 chapter.
when life gives you a goose, just a funny freaking fic about people who meet their platonic soulmate via a goose. It's Wilbur's goose day, and guess who his soulmate is??? 4,943 words, 1 chapter.
Moving on, we have His Curse of Binding, another fantastic one for the books.
warnings: major character death
hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending, angst and humor
Tommy had lived and died as Theseus, Icarus, Orpheus and Sisyphus. But all he wanted to be was free.
In which Tommy Soot, originally born in 1509, is cursed to be reborn, to never reach adulthood unless he figured out the Greek myth of his lifetime. He had one rule of not allowing himself to get attached to people but he would have never guessed that a foster family of the creator of Minecraft, an anime stan and a Soundcloud musician would break that rule.
~ SBI Foster AU but with Greek mythology.
144,446 words, 30 chapters. This fic makes me sick in the best possible way. Tommy gets reincarnated over and over by some sick god (you have one try to guess freaking who) if he can't figure out what Greek myth his life is supposed to follow by the time he's seventeen. Only problem is, he gets attached to the people who foster him in this life. And now he has a reason to stay. So SBI again, but we also get quality bench trio moments too :D Also Wilbur is extremely mentally ill in this. Just thought I'd put that out there.
Now for one of the rare mer au fics, tail as old as time by thanotaphobia!
magic
Ranboo is not lonely, he tells himself as he works a summer job on the coastline. He's not lonely, he says as he crashes into two of the oddest people he's ever met.
He's not.
(or, Ranboo finds family in the most unexpected place. Mermay is abound.)
12,353 words, 1 chapter. This is one of the sweetest and fluffiest fics I've ever read! I love found family, and the fact that this one centers around Ranboo in particular is wonderful. Bench trio abounds, and Wilbur, Techno, and Phil show up closer to the end. I also happen to love mers and the trope of a human finding a found family in creatures and then becoming said creature.
psst! this fic also has an awesome fully-cast podfic that I highly recommend listening to while reading the fic itself.
And now for another fae au (this one being freaking epic), namely, The Snow King by Poker.
possessive behavior, dark sbi, kidnapping, forced adoption, dark, hurt/comfort, angst, canon-typical violence, non-consensual body modification.
When Tubbo’s friend Tommy is stolen away by the Winter Court, he refuses to let him go without a fight. Armed with his wits and a compass, he agrees to a dangerous wager: gather a charm from each Faerie court and bring them back before the winter solstice.
Everyone expects Tubbo to lose, to disappear into the clutches of another Court. But Tubbo plans to win, and bring his friend home.
135,687 words, 35 chapters. I 100000% regret not reading this fic sooner, because it had me on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE time I was reading it! It's a Tubbo-centric fic, which is awesome, and the dark sbi is definitely darking! They are mean fae and they own it basically XD Plus nearly all the characters you expect to show up do, and the way the Courts are set up are extremely whimsical and dangerous. Very cool worldbuilding all around. AND THE END! OUGHHH!!
if you can't get enough of this fic, I highly recommend checking out the fic the author has for extra one-shots and alternative endings to the fic itself. (Changing of the Seasons)
Poker also has a currently unfinished mer fic featuring the Manipulated Minors (Purpled, Ranboo, Tommy, and Tubbo) that you should definitely also check out :D (When the Water Ran Red)
Time for Human Error by teeth_eater, MY BELOVED!!! This is a full series about SBI (+ Tubbo and Ranboo) in SPACE as various ALIENS, except Tommy is a human. The two fics I like specifically from this series are Home Again, Home Again and Ranboo's Interlude, but there are also lots of great continuations to the first fic and little one-shots scattered in the mix.
The first fic, Home Again, Home Again, focuses more on Tommy stowing away on Wilbur, Phil, and Techno's ship and slowly bonding with them once Tubbo is added into the mix, before eventually being straight-up adopted by the aliens! (33,252 words, 13 chapters.)
The second fic, Ranboo's Intelude, is--you guessed it!!--about Ranboo and how he meets the crew, discovers Tommy, bonds with Tubbo and Tommy so we can have bench trio, and eventually also gets adopted by the aliens :D (31,129 words, 11 chapters.)
and now, onto one of my favorite DSMP wingfics, perhaps i lacked some foresight (should have known) by iorion.
warnings: graphic depictions of violence.
angst, whump, emotional manipulation, hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending, swearing.
Tommy changes in exile, in more ways than one.
33,604 words, 20 chapters. yay, exile fic! except Tommy escapes way sooner and Phil and Techno (eventually) get to take care of him. I love the way the main plot is intercut with flashbacks from Tommy's childhood with the SBI--it really sets up the mood of the fic and calls back to all the times Phil should've expected what happened to Tommy to happen sooner.
quick Drhair76 tangent, because, like bonesandthebees, they also have a lot of great fics that you should check out! I will list my favorites below:
icing those hurts (written with plantform), an Olympics au where Tommy is an ice skater, Tubbo and Ranboo snowboard, and Wilbur plays ice hockey. Tommy gains...not exactly a found family, but just really close, good friends who help get him out of a bad situation. highly highly recommend this one for anybody who likes a lot of fluff intercut with angst XP hurt/comfort, overworking, verbal abuse, anxiety attacks, angst with a happy ending. 33,534 words, 1 chapter.
When the curtains fall, an sbi actor au where they all pretend to be a family on a sitcom, and Tommy gets a bit more than a little attached. Another lovely "found family" fic with a healthy dose of bench trio for good measure, and also no one is bad, not even Dream! nightmares, bullying. 28,301 words, 1 chapter.
There's always more. okay, this fic literally made me cry. it's very heavy, dealing with themes of suicide and depression, but oh my goodness, does it carry the theme of the beauty of life and hope even in the worst circumstances. After reading this fic, I wanted to go out and live my life to the fullest. get in a good headspace before reading this, but please do if you ever get the chance. suicidal thoughts. 11,037 words, 1 chapter.
okay, back to the individual fics with From underneath the stormdrain by sircantus!
The door opens with a slight squeak-- a problem in the hinges that Techno’s has to get around to fixing-- and the warm light from inside pours out onto the front porch. It’s a stark difference from the dim rain of the night, and already, Techno can feel a chill rush in.
Wilbur stands there with wide eyes, soaking wet from head to toe, with something small held up to his chest. It’s wrapped in what looks to have been his jacket.
“Ah.” Wilbur gives a half-hearted grin, ignoring the insistent meow coming from the bundle of fabric in his palms. “Hi.”
Techno slams the door shut.
(Cat-shifter AU with just pure fluff bc yay cats)
7,462 words, 1 chapter. what can I say, this fic is freaking adorable. this is the first cat shifters fic I ever read, and it left an impression on me! especially considering it has neopolitan trio and Tommy getting adopted by Wilbur and Techno, thinking he's a just a cute lil kitten. 10/10 fluffy fic, would highly recommend for my fellow cat shifter fans out there.
sircantus has also written some other lovely fics, such as:
The Wolf's Lambs, a vampire!Phil in an apocalypse au, where he picks up Wilbur, Tommy, and Techno to "take care of" and then ends up very attached. blood and violence, angst, hurt/comfort, temporary character death. as of right now, 43,599 words, 7/? chapters.
Change fate by being aggressively kind--as sircantus puts it, "Phil is such a dad that he stops the apocalypse" by adopting and raising the three kids who are supposedly meant to bring it about. It's an sbi fic, of course. as of right now, 156,326 words, 33/? chapters.
Chosen by the stars, a wingfic where only the royal family (SBI minus Techno) have wings, supposedly given to them by the gods to show that they are fit to rule and are powerful. Only, Techno somehow gets some. So now the royal family is trying to bring them back to their castle to adopt him, except he's literally just a farmer and doesn't want to be like them. dark sleepy bois inc, hurt/comfort, possessive sleepy bois inc, manipulation, forced adoption, unhealthy relationships, codependency, emotional manipulation. as of right now, 99,598 words, 18/? chapters.
now, this next one is technically real person fiction based on the actual content creators involved in the dream smp. however, I am counting it because this fic is sick!! give it up for: The Multiplayers by CalistaWon!!
The Multiplayers are a faceless band that the internet has gone wild about. They started by playing covers and posting them on YouTube but now they’ve got a slew of original songs and one hell of a fanbase.
Tubbo, Ranboo, and Tommy started the band as a joke after a stream one day because “oh, haha, we all play instruments!” but now people actually like their songs… not that anybody actually knows the songs are theirs.
27,547 words, 14 chapters. so, yup!! band au with bench trio where they record covers, write their own music, and still find time in the day to stream--all while keeping this a secret from their close friends. this is a very fun fic, and well-written at that! the author wrote a bunch of original songs for the band, and even included fake social media threads, newspaper articles, and interview transcripts that real immerse you in the world! it's a really great read!
psst! you should also watch It's ya' gurl ! Vita's animation for this fic once you're done reading it :D
ooh, another wingfic, coming up! it's flight risk by angelsdemonsducks!
hurt/comfort, emotional hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending.
It’s stupid, but when his back first begins to ache, he assumes it’s old age.
Wilbur has never had wings. He has long since resigned himself to that fact. However much of his father's blood runs through his veins, it is not enough to grant him that gift.
Wilbur comes back to life, and his back starts to hurt.
6,127 words, 1 chapter. this is a wingfic about Wilbur, for once, haha! I like the idea that dying and being resurrected fundamentally changes something about a person, and this fic delivers on that idea so well! Wilbur having to cope with having been changed, something completely out of his control, as well as having been brought back to life and attempting to reconcile with Tommy and Phil. Overall, a really great hurt/comfort fic for Wilbur!
now for a more simple--but still very good!!--fic, I Won't Let Go (of your hand) by angeloncewas.
hurt/comfort, angst, implied/referenced character death, nightmares, death talk.
Tubbo has Tommy within arm's reach now that Dream is the common enemy. No matter how much of a relief that is in the days leading up to their final battle, it makes it ever more apparent how wide the gap between them is.
-
He calls it Snowchester. He calls it home. He calls it hope.
Tommy calls it denial.
2,848 words, 1 chapter. basically, just a gorgeous exploration/introspection of clingyduo, post-fall of Manberg as they're trying to rekindle their friendship after everything that happened. this fic gave me the feels!! highly recommended.
onto homeward bound, a short but lovely fix-it fic where everybody gets a hopeful ending.
hurt/comfort
Wilbur says, “I wish we could try again.”
Tommy says, “Why don’t we?”
(or, L'Manberg; redeux, rebuilt, reunited.)
2,267 words, 1 chapter. Wilbur attempts to reconnect with everyone he left behind when he was killed by his father. Everyone attempts to pick up the pieces of their server and try to find peace. Tommy and Wilbur decide to rebuild L'Manberg again--not perfect, not idealized, but a home. For everyone.
and finally, last but certainly not least, the phonebooth at the edge of the world by maelstromofemotions!
There is a little, red phonebooth at the edge of the street, and if you arrive early enough, before the sun remembers its name, there is a shadow waiting just for you.
Or: a crimeboys, soft horror au.
8,600 words, 1 chapter. horror is not usually my thing. HOWEVER! this fic is amazing. it's soft horror--almost cozily unsettling in a way?--and crimeboys, so of course I love it hehe! the descriptions are all lovely, the narritive is woven slowly but not so slow that you get bored, and the ending is as mysterious as it is hopeful! definitely check it out if you love crimeboys and liminal spaces/Studio Ghibli.
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there are about a million other fics I could put on this list (and I will probably add to it when I find some more!), but for now, here is my list of DSMP fics that you must read.
on that note, if you have any recommendations, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! I am always looking for more fics to read.
and, if you'd like me to do a similar list for another of my fandoms (Ninjago, EPIC, or OTGW), also let me know! I have plenty of recommendations I can give if they are in demand :)
