|| "I look into people's windows, transfixed by rose golden glows." | Isolation | Candlelight | Found Family ||
Fandom || Dream SMP
Idea(s) || Tommy is talking with Philza about his childhood, and he's talking in present tense and Philza realizes that Tommy feels isolated, is isolated among the other kids he's taken in. it's all found family, oh and they are talking by candle light because the power went out
Title || Reminiscent on What Never Was Mine
Tommy was slow as he walked into the kitchen, eyes darting to the top of the door frame briefly before he stepped into the room. He swallowed when he saw only Philza, his current foster father, sitting at the kitchen table.
Alone.
Very, very, alone and writing something in a journal.
Tommy lightly kicked the doorframe as he walked in, glad to have been wearing his tennis shoes, to alert Philza of his presence.
Philza looked up, a warm smile overcoming his face.
"Tommy! I was just about to call you down, I'm glad that Ranboo was able to find you." Philza stood up, turning and grabbing a soda, diet coke, from the fridge and set it in front of the chair across from him before sitting down himself again. "Please, have a seat." Tommy could see a few cups in the sink, and could hazard a guess that he's given a drink of preference to every one of the other kids too.
Tommy's heart panged, his phone feeling heavy in his pocket all of a sudden.
Tommy moved, sitting down across from Philza, blinking slowly as his leg started to bounce. He was anxious and he wasn't sure if the coke was going to help him or not. He watched Philza as the man moved to a new page in the journal and beginning to write a few things down.
"Am I in trouble?" Tommy asked suddenly, briefly feeling shocked that he'd spoken, or maybe it was surprise that he'd spoken before Philza did. He cleared the emotions away when Philza looked up suddenly, shocked.
"What-? No! Tommy, no, of course not!" Philza seemed aghast at Tommy even thinking that he was in trouble. "I forgot," Philza laughing momentarily before smiling at Tommy. "I forgot that I haven't told you about our monthly meetings." Tommy stared at him confused, looking hesitant or unsure. "Twice every month, I meet with all of the kids, teenagers, adults, just… anyone who lives in the house and make sure that they are being heard. That there are no issues that need to be addressed or anything that is being hidden for the sake of someone else." Philza explained.
Tommy maybe got what he meant about forgetting to tell Tommy. Tommy had only been placed at the Craftson's house for a little over three weeks now.
|| "Please don't cry." | Lamb to the Slaughter | Ceremony | Beg for Forgiveness ||
Fandom || DSMP
Idea(s) || Fourteen year old Tommy is chosen to be a sacrifice to the Old Gods for protection for their lands. The Old Gods aren't exactly happy with a child being chosen for sacrifice and save him, striking down the town in return.
Title || A Sacrifice or a Family Opportunity
"Please don't cry." Dream uttered softly, reaching through the bars and cupping Tommy's cheek softly. Tommy, despite himself, leaned into it despite knowing that it was the hand that had hurt him so many times before. It was the first bit of kindness he'd had in weeks and Tommy was desperate for a soft hold, even for a moment, even if it was from the enemy.
"I'm scared…" Tommy whispered, and Dream's shoulders dropped, as if he was disappointed in Tommy. Tommy lowered his head, bracing for an impact. Dream always smacked him whenever he expressed his fear, but he just had to this final time.
Instead of a slap, Dream gently patted his cheek before reaching up and ruffling Tommy's hair.
"I know. Are you hungry?" Tommy swallowed at Dream's words, looking up through his hair hopefully to the masked man—masked because he had magic that scared the other towns people and it congregated in his eyes.
Only those who were to die got to see him unmasked… or his closest friends.
"A… A little…" Tommy nodded, looking down again.
"What would you like to eat? Anything you want, I'll get it for you." Dream told him. Many things ran through Tommy's mind in that moment. Fear at the blatant willingness to feed Tommy, along with dread at being able to probably guess why he was being given food today. And then it was just filled with the possibilities of what he could ask for.
But there was only one thing he wanted, and it was sweet.
"Could… Could I have a sandwich?" Tommy knew that asking for a cookie would probably only earn him a disdained sigh. "And a cookie…" But he had to ask anyways, in a quieter voice. He looked up at Dream with terrified hope, and Dream nodded at him.
"I can do that." Dream sounded like he was smiling. "Ham with cheese, right? Little bit of lettuce, tomato, and a touch of bacon… right?" Tommy felt his eyes widen. Dream remembered his favorite kind of sandwich. He nodded, a little fast, a hopeful part of his mouth as Dream chuckled. "Okay, I'll be back. You stay here and be good. Okay?" Tommy nodded.
"I will, I will! I'll be good." Tommy closed his mouth and swallowed.
"Good." Dream lifted his hand from Tommy's hand and turned and began walking away. Tommy ignored how he forgot to ask for a drink, but Dream asked if he was hungry not if he was thirsty.
Content Warnings || Dream SMP, Dream is a Character, There is death, Human Sacrifice, there is Child Sacrifice, Whump (it's a whump event), Near Death, Near Death of a Main Character, Main Character is a Child, Death of a Side Character, References / Implied Child Abuse, Implied Massacre
Links || Archive of Our Own (Ao3)
Chapters || 1/1
Word Count || 3,036
"Please don't cry." Dream uttered softly, reaching through the bars and cupping Tommy's cheek softly. Tommy, despite himself, leaned into it despite knowing that it was the hand that had hurt him so many times before. It was the first bit of kindness he'd had in weeks and Tommy was desperate for a soft hold, even for a moment, even if it was from the enemy.
"I'm scared…" Tommy whispered, and Dream's shoulders dropped, as if he was disappointed in Tommy. Tommy lowered his head, bracing for an impact. Dream always smacked him whenever he expressed his fear, but he just had to this final time.
Instead of a slap, Dream gently patted his cheek before reaching up and ruffling Tommy's hair.
"I know. Are you hungry?" Tommy swallowed at Dream's words, looking up through his hair hopefully to the masked man—masked because he had magic that scared the other towns people and it congregated in his eyes.
Only those who were to die got to see him unmasked… or his closest friends.
"A… A little…" Tommy nodded, looking down again.
"What would you like to eat? Anything you want, I'll get it for you." Dream told him. Many things ran through Tommy's mind in that moment. Fear at the blatant willingness to feed Tommy, along with dread at being able to probably guess why he was being given food today. And then it was just filled with the possibilities of what he could ask for.
But there was only one thing he wanted, and it was sweet.
"Could… Could I have a sandwich?" Tommy knew that asking for a cookie would probably only earn him a disdained sigh. "And a cookie…" But he had to ask anyways, in a quieter voice. He looked up at Dream with terrified hope, and Dream nodded at him.
"I can do that." Dream sounded like he was smiling. "Ham with cheese, right? Little bit of lettuce, tomato, and a touch of bacon… right?" Tommy felt his eyes widen. Dream remembered his favorite kind of sandwich. He nodded, a little fast, a hopeful part of his mouth as Dream chuckled. "Okay, I'll be back. You stay here and be good. Okay?" Tommy nodded.
"I will, I will! I'll be good." Tommy closed his mouth and swallowed.
"Good." Dream lifted his hand from Tommy's hand and turned and began walking away. Tommy ignored how he forgot to ask for a drink, but Dream asked if he was hungry not if he was thirsty.
Tommy waited until he was out of the cell hall before moving and sitting at the center of his cell. He told Dream he would be good, and the only way to do that would be to sit and wait until he was back. And he could do that without a problem, Tommy knew that he could do that.
Tommy worked on his breathing, meditating while he waited because that helped him stay calm. He was going to die and he didn't want to be so fearful when it was his time. Dream was always telling him that this was his way of paying back the village for taking him in when he was little. That Tommy would be loved after he passed, because he brought peace and prosperity to the town with his death.
Tommy ignored how it seemed that he was the problem, that he brought chaos and disruption, that he ruined crop seasons just with his presence. Dream always had a way of twisting words like that. He had a way of knowing what would hurt and what would get what he wanted.
When Dream got back, he had a small plate and a cup with him. Tommy couldn't see what was in the cup, but he was interested in Dream's movements. His eyes followed Dream, curiosity and hope in his eyes as Dream got to the front of his cell. Tommy pushed himself up from the ground, moving towards the front of his cell.
"Good." Dream nodded, and it sounded like he was smiling when he said it. "Sit down." Tommy moved and sat down carefully, Dream following his movements and sitting outside Tommy's cell just across from him. "Here, eat slowly. I want to talk to you, but I only have until you finish eating." Dream grabbed half the sandwish and passed it through the bars to Tommy.
"Thank you, Dream." Tommy uttered his thanks, taking the half a sandwich from him and bowing his head. He took a bite and Dream started talking.
Dream talked about the ceremony that would take place. What Tommy needed to do and what was expected of him. How Tommy needed to behave so that the Gods would accept their sacrifice. Which meant absolutely no crying.
The Old Gods had to see that Tommy was willing to die for the town.
Tommy was half way through his half of the sandwich when Dream started going into specifics.
Tommy's throat would be slit, and his blood would be drained on the altar while he was still alive. It was important that Tommy did not cry. He also had to stare up at the sky the entire time, no matter what happened.
Tommy continued to eat silently as Dream handed him the other half of the sandwich.
Tommy was bathed, not by himself, but by the village leader who was the most careful with washing him. His hair was scrubbed and all the dirt was soon gone. shampooed and conditioned, soaked with water and then his skin was scrubbed. Tommy had forgotten that he had golden blond hair, or that his skin was so light.
He'd spent almost three years without the ability to bathe, having been locked in the jail house the moment he was accused of stealing food from the markets nearly five years prior. Too much 'lying' had his bathing privileges taken away.
Tommy wanted to splash a bit of the water, but he knew better. Any actions that were not explicit compliance would have him in trouble and Tommy knew it.
Afterwards, Tommy was dressed in a white button up shirt and dark brown, maybe black, slacks. He felt cold as he was left barefoot, walking across marble tile towards another cell—just in case he decided to run at the last moment, Dream had said.
Tommy entered it willingly, surprised to find two cookies sitting innocently on a small table that was in the room. He turned to look at the town's leader, who only winked briefly before locking the cell and leaving.
Tommy smiled to himself and grabbed the cookies carefully. They were chocolate chip, and the chocolate chips always had the chance to smear on himself or his clothes. And Tommy had no cloth to clean himself afterwards.
Tommy was laying on the altar now, and his breathing was a little shakey. He swallowed, eyes locking on the sky as the sun started to rise. The smear of chocolate from the cookie that one of the guards had snuck up was carefully wiped away by the village leader, who seemingly made sure that Dream did not see his movements.
A velvet ribbon was laid across Tommy's chest before it was carefully wrapped around his shoulders; signifing that he was the sacrifice, his soul a gift for the gods. Tommy blinked, swallowing again as the village leader appeared above him.
"I'm truly sorry, young child… But the village thanks you, for your sacrifice." Tommy didn't look at him, even with him above Tommy. He merely blinked, and the village leader gently brushed Tommy's hair back from his face before fixing it suddenly. "He's ready." The village leader claimed suddenly, stepping back and turning towards Dream, who would be the one… who would be the one to slice Tommy's throat open.
Tommy had been told that it had to be the one that Tommy was 'closest' too.
He wasn't sure if he should feel hurt or disgusted or happy, that Dream was considered the one that Tommy was closest to.
Tommy took a breath as Dream approached him from the left, letting the town watch as Tommy was killed… as Tommy was sacrificed. He wasn't being killed, he was a sacrifice. If he was just being killed, they wouldn't be putting so much effort into the spectacle.
"Thank you, Tommy," Dream uttered, the his ceremonial blade coming to rest on his neck. Tommy continued breathing as normally as he could as the panic bubbled up inside of him. He was scared, he didn't want to do this, Tommy didn't want to die or be a sacrifice.
But he had no choice. Sacrifices never did.
Tommy let himself stare at the passing clouds as the tip of the blade pressed into the right side of his neck. The motion, of slicing a neck open from right to left, was supposed to signify Tommy opening himself to protecting his town, his village people. That letting his heart bleed out, with the blade ending at the left side, was supposed to signify his love for the townspeople.
But Tommy didn't love the towns people.
Tommy could feel tears slowly building in his eyes, but he kept his eyes focused on the sky. He blinked briefly, and the pain in his neck started hurting more. It burned, and it felt like there was more than eyes laying on his form.
It felt like he was being analyzed.
Tommy's breath caught, but Dream didn't hesitate as he started sliding it across. Tommy didn't know if Dream saw the tear slide down the ride side of Tommy's face, but he really hoped that the man didn't.
Tommy felt the blood begin entering his throat as the knife slid across the middle of his throat, and his eyes were watery from the pain and the fear. Dream didn't stop. The burning of his neck turned sharp, and Tommy choked on his blood briefly before he managed to get another breath in.
He's not a sacrifice… He's a child.
What? Blade, what are you—Oh… Oh…
Stop the towns people! Kill them! Kill them! Kill them! Please, please don't let him die!
We can't until the blade is set down, Mirage.
I don't care! Stop them! Don't let them kill my brot-
He can hear us…
What? Blade what are you talking about?
The boy, the child, his eyes are moving as if looking at us… He can hear us. He's…
He's one of us.
He's my brother! Don't let them kill my brother!
Tommy was pretty sure that he was hallucinating the voices in his head, the echoy words fading fast as black spots started appearing in Tommy's vision. The blade sliced through the left side of Tommy's neck, and he gasped weakly as his neck burned.
"Something's wrong… Dream! Something's wrong! The sky! Look!" Someone was shouting. Tommy's eyes fluttered as he bled freely. He could hear the dagger drop to the ground and a surge of power rushed through the area.
"Dream!"
"Dream!"
"What did you do?"
"Cursed Child! He was a cursed child!" Someone was screaming and crying and there were other screams, but Tommy was fading out of consciousness.
The last thing he thought he would ever see was a man with long pink hair gently brushing his hair back from his face. The last thing he felt as his vision failed him—too many black spots overtaking his vision at last—was someone carefully and gently picking him up and cradling him against their form.
Dream felt like he'd done something wrong, despite knowing that he hadn't.
Tommy was just a troubled child, a perfect sacrifice to the Gods to give them at least a few years of prosperity before their village died of the plague that was sweeping through the country. There were too many children and he didn't want to see them suffer. They should get to be at least a little bit older… or maybe a cure would be found before that could even happen.
But no… Something had gone wrong and now the gods were striking their village down.
Dream panted as he turned a corner and stopped short. There was a boy standing at the other side of the hallway, his head lowered and looking suspiciously like Tommy did, laying on the altar. A white shirt and dark brown slacks. The only reason Dream didn't think that this was Tommy, was because Tommy was bleeding out on the aforementioned altar…
And the boy was also staring at him with sharp purple eyes… and his hair was shorter, neater, than Tommy's was.
"Who-" Dream stopped himself, a few of the key physical traits clicking in his mind. This was a God Child. He couldn't recall a name for the life of him, and he took a step back as his felt his eyes widen. "Why… Why?" Dream asked panicked, mind racing to figure out what they had done wrong.
He was coming up empty.
There was nothing that Dream could think of that would give the Old Gods reason to strike them down.
"You know what you did." The God uttered, blinking slowly at him. Dream took another step backwards and found himself tensing as he ran into a wall that had not been there before. Dream knew the halls of Town Hall better than almost anyone else did. It was where he was raised. So he knew that there was supposed to not be a wall there. This was a hallway for prime's sake!
"I-I-" Dream was shaking his head, stopping, and then continuing to shake his head. "I don't." Dream's mind was racing, he'd followed all the steps to the sacrifice down to the letter. He had the willing sacrifice, he had the ritual blade, Tommy never once looked from the sky…
Did Tommy cry? Is that where he went wrong?
"I don't…"
"You hurt my brother." The God snarled suddenly. Dream's breathing studded in his chest before it could even exhale. Tommy was a God. Or, at the very least, a godling. He was shaking now as he shook his head, pressing his back against he wall as tears hit his eyes.
"I-I-" Dream was sliding down the wall, arms coming up to wrap around himself as he continued to shake his head. "No… No… I didn't know!" Dream shouted suddenly. He felt his blood turn cold, and he was shaking and how did everything go so, so wrong?
"Please… Please…" Dream was shaking his head, shaking as the God continued to walk towards him. "I didn't know! I didn't know! Please…" Dream was pleading to the God for his life, he knew it and it was pathetic of him.
When a god decides that he is to die, he was supposed to accept his fate with grace and to just let it happen. But Dream was terrified, and he didn't know that Tommy was the gods brother, and… And Dream just wanted a chance.
"I have no mercy… for those who harm my family." The God said, now just a few feet from where Dream was crying, curled into a ball, and pleading for his life.
"I didn't know!"
Tommy gasped awake suddenly, feeling his throat burn with the force of the action immediately after having done so. He was trying to turn his head to look around himself, but his neck hurt so damn much, and it felt like his skin was pulling on itself and it hurt so damn much.
"Hey, hey, wait, wait," Tommy's eyes locked on a boy sitting at his bedside. "You're going to hurt yourself, please, please, calm down… okay?" The boy was trying to soothe him but Tommy didn't know who he was. H edidn't know where he was either.
"Whe-" Excruciating pain radiated through Tommy's being, and he cried out which only made it hurt more. He swallowed saliva building in his throat and tears started streaming down his face. Everything hurt. Nothing would stop hurting and he just wanted to be in the little makeshift room he'd had as a small child.
It had been the only source of comfort when he was first found by the village.
"Please don't cry…" The other boy sounded strained but Tommy couldn't help it. He was curled into himself as he sobbed almost silently, not that he had realized when he started to. His voice was nearly gone and the towns people had hated him and Dream had hurt him. "Tommy, Toms, you're safe now." The boy reassured, moving a little closer as if to pull him into a hug. Tommy flinched, backing up into the wall even more, eyes darting to the boy as his breathing only continued to pick up.
Dream had hurt him so much throughout the years and it was just crashing into Tommy. Tommy didn't know who else would want to hurt him, or if he would ever be safe ever again. Realistically he would be safe, he would always be safe once he knew how to look for signs of others wanting to hurt him.
But the eleven year old was terrified, and he was shaking, and everything hurt.
"Purpled, give him room." A monotone voice sounded in the room. "You don't mean too, but you're scaring him… And it's causing him harm." The boy recoiled, turning towards where the voice was coming from. Tommy couldn't follow his movements because of the bandages wrapped snuggly around his throat to keep him alive.
"I-"
"Go train, Purpled. We'll make sure he's safe and stays that way. It's okay." Another voice sounded, softer and sounded oddly paternal and familiar.
"Okay…" The boy, Purpled, sounded crushed even though Tommy could just about tell from a glance that Purpled's face never wavered from blank, if maybe turned strained. The boy got up and walked out of the room, gasting a glance back over his shoulder and meeting Tommy's eyes briefly before continuing out of the room.
Tommy ignored the two men now sitting in the room, just working on calming himself as he shook on the bed. He wouldn't even look at them.
|| "You've got a lot of nerve to dredge up all my fears." | Prophecy | Sewer | Taking Accountability ||
Fandom || DSMP
Idea(s) || Technoblade and Tommy have a massive fight after a mission that went sidewise. Hero AU
"You've got a lot… You've got a lot of nerve to dredge up all my fears." Technoblade growled, facing Tommy with the meanest look that had been directed at Tommy… ever. Even when they didn't know each other and Technoblade found Tommy too annoying to put up with. Tommy was shaking, head lowering as he nodded.
"I know." He whispered.
"You know? You know?" Technoblade snarled, and Tommy flinched back before steeling himself. He deserved this. Tommy knew he deserved this. He looked back up at Technoblade, ignoring the tears welling up in his eyes.
He did know. Tommy did know that this would be the inevitable outcome from that mission. If neither of them died. He'd seen it. But he couldn't tell Technoblade that. Tommy swallowed, straightening up as he had another vision come across his eyes before it cleared away.
Of course, Technoblade wouldn't have noticed. Time always seemed to stop for the duration of the vision. And Tommy would never be believed because that was just part of a curse that had been placed upon him at birth.
No one with the gift of prophecy was to ever be believed.
"I did know." Tommy's voice sounded surprisingly even. Technoblade looked taken aback, briefly, before his gaze hardened into a hard, hard glare. Tommy felt his resolve weaken. But he didn't. He swallowed thickly before he continued speaking. "I don't, didn't, think that your plan was going to work. So I took matters into my own hands." Tommy told him.
"Take matters into your own hands? Tommy you nearly died!" Tommy flinched, eyes dropping to the floor again.
"Is that so bad?" He whispered. He knew that Technoblade had heard him, but… Tommy almost wanted Technoblade to hear him.
