imtrashraccoon

[imtrashraccoon]

Double mood, I go through withdrawals without it.

COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE

#gotta be hot tea for me #cold tea is good tho

[imtrashraccoon]

Laughs in former British colony

TEA TEA TEA

COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE

[imtrashraccoon]

You find a note on the ground.

Pick it up?

[ 💜 Yes ] [ No ]

I've been here awhile now...wherever here is.

All I have is this magic notebook and an infinite pen, but it's enough to write down my thoughts.

When I finish writing something, it disappears, to where I don't know, but sometimes it comes back with someone else's handwriting.

I think others are out there. How else would they see and respond to my random thoughts? Sometimes, I even find little notes that I don't remember writing.

I keep all of them.

Whenever I get a note back or find someone else's, I add it to the pile. It's growing pretty large now but I cherish every one of them.

Sometimes I recognize a name or someone's handwriting. Somehow my notes are reaching the same people consistently and they keep sending me their own notes. I don't know how but it's really nice knowing that I'm not alone.

This place used to be white and empty when I arrived but I've since made it my own. This notebook is fascinating! I can alter my surroundings if I choose just by writing it down.

Purple is a much nicer colour than white and I have a comfy chair now. I wonder what I should do next? Maybe I could invite someone over? I bet I could summon either of them again if I tried...

#raccoons drabbles #tumblr sona #lore #i guess? #i just felt inspired #i'm also bored #can you spot the mini nootmare? #tumble the trashraccoon

[imtrashraccoon]

Attacks you with my love and admiration

You're an awesome person and I want you to know that! (⁠づ⁠｡⁠◕⁠‿⁠‿⁠◕⁠｡⁠)⁠づ

Also, can I give Ivy a hug? She looks so fluffy!

Awwww thank you so much!!😭✨❤️ also yes you can, she loves physical affection with a burning passion.

#raccoons reblogs #i love this so much you have no idea #thank you for making my sona the appropriate height too! #i like to imagine she's maybe 3 feet tall #small critter with a big heart #friend art #tumblr sona #raccoons future reference stuff

[imtrashraccoon]

Please Reblog This If It’s Okay To:

Send questions about yourself

Ask questions to/about your characters

Ask about your headcanons 

Send questions about your works (fanfics, art, music, RPs, etc) 

Ask about popular ships/headcanons

Ask about plot ideas you’ve had but haven’t acted upon yet (snippets of AUs, a scenario you wish to write/draw but haven’t gotten to yet)

Questions about other ships/headcanons that aren’t as popular or are rarepairs

Questions or comments about favorite tropes, headcanons, characters, foods, weather, or anything else you are okay in answering!

#my ask box is always open #i don't really ship anything beyond oc x canon #also reader x canon #but yeah if you want to have a conversation #i'd love it!

[imtrashraccoon]

Get attacked!! ✨🌈SEND THIS TO OTHER BLOGGERS YOU THINK ARE WONDERFUL. KEEP THE GAME GOING🌈

Thank you!!! I think you're awesome as well! (⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠³⁠˘⁠)💜

#raccoons random garbage #i don't to chain messages like this #but i might do something similar because i appreciate the sentiment #enjoy my messy doodle

[imtrashraccoon]

I don't know why, but inspiration always seems to strike me at such inconvenient times... Like when I have a headache/migraine...

So enjoy this little Part 2 of sorts to a post I made like two months ago!

Headache Help

Underfell: feat. Crimson (Sans), Scar (Papyrus, I previously called him Scarlet), & Violet (Reader)

The sound of the front door closing startled you awake but the bony hand on your back helped ground you in the moment again.

"Ugh, Did You Two Seriously Laze Around The Whole Time? I Was Gone For More Than Five Hours!" Scar huffed as he strode over to your spot on the couch.

You hissed and recoiled further into Crimson's arms as the volume of the taller brother's voice sent a painful throb through your head.

Crimson tisked and rubbed soothing circles into your shoulders with his knuckles. "keep it down, will ya bro? sweetheart had a rough night and has had a headache all day."

"Oh." Scar's expression softened and he crouched down to be a bit more on your level. "You Should Have Told Me During Breakfast. I Would Have Helped If I Could, Violet." He smiled and lightly stroked your forehead with his thumb.

"I thought it would go away," you murmured. "It was worse before Crimson started helping..."

The aforementioned skeleton chuckled and leaned over to press a kiss against your cheek. " 's a great excuse to laze around all day with my favorite human..."

"Well... I Suppose I Can Let It Slide This Time," Scar started to say. "But Only Because I Care For Both Of You."

You couldn't help but giggle, although you immediately regretted it. Scar just looked so funny when he tried to act like he was letting you get away with being lazy. It was too bad that even smiling too much hurt right now.

"if ya want to help, why don't ya make her some more tea?" Crimson suggested.

"Fine, So Long As You Make Room On The Couch For Me."

"sure."

You quietly watched Scar disappear into the kitchen. It looked like you wouldn't be getting up anytime soon now that both brothers knew you weren't feeling well. It was a bit embarrassing to be doted over but you had to admit that the extra attention was nice.

Crimson shifted over towards the armrest and set you in the middle of the couch. You knew he was just keeping his end of the deal, but that didn't stop you from letting out a quiet whimper of protest when his arms left you.

He chuckled as he snaked his arm around your waist and nuzzled against your scalp. " 'm not goin' anywhere, sweetheart..." he purred.

You felt your cheeks heat up, especially when he gave your thigh a slight squeeze. While they slightly pressed into your skin, you knew he was being especially careful with his claws so as to not hurt you. It was kind of sweet that a big, scary guy like him could be so gentle.

The Nightmare of Apathy: feat. Nightmare, Baggs, and Aylin

"you seem out of sorts today. what's bothering you?"

You grumbled and forced yourself to raise your head from where you'd been resting it in your arms on the dining table.

"I'm dealing with a headache," you muttered. It was hard to actually look at the doctor for longer than a few seconds without squinting from the light in the room.

Baggs made a tisk sound and rolled his eyelights. "tell me about it... has killer been pestering you as well?"

You rubbed at your eyes with one hand and waved him off with the other. "No, no more than usual..."

"you sure? cause i'll have a few words with him if you want me to. wait... you meant you have an actual headache, right?"

You nodded wordlessly.

His bonebrows pinched together with concern. "oh darling, i'm sorry to hear that. if you can eat, i can get you something for the pain if you like."

"Please...it feels like my head's gonna explode," you hissed.

"Now wouldn't that be a shame~"

You almost jumped at the sound of Nightmare's velvety voice in your ear. When you glanced over your shoulder at him, he pressed a gentle kiss against your forehead.

"I was starting to wonder where you were. Are you alright, dear?" he asked.

You sighed and shook your head. "Sorry, I stayed up too late and now I'm suffering the consequences..."

Baggs made a sound of clearing his throat. "i'm sure Horror wouldn't mind whipping up something for you. i'll go find him and be back in a bit, okay?"

You nodded and went back to burying your face in your arms.

Nightmare pulled out a chair and sat down next to you. "Would you like me to help you feel better?" he asked in a soft voice.

Before you could properly answer, he wrapped his arms around your shoulders in a warm hug. He even added one of his tendrils to the embrace, letting it coil around your waist. He didn't do this very often, but almost instantaneously, you felt the negativity begin to ebb away.

It was kind of handy actually, dating a god who was so attentive to your emotions and could fix things in a matter of moments. Although, it was a good thing that he also knew how to do it subtly, to avoid the numbness that followed whenever he siphoned off your emotions like this.

#self reblog #i love my boys so much #need cuddles right now

[imtrashraccoon]

Edit: I wrote this on January 8, but kept it my drafts to avoid spoilers for Have Some Empathy, Dear.

Got my first migraine of the year recently and it gave me the idea to write some headcanons down for the boys that I have written for and plan on posting/have posted for. Some of these are more specific than others and generally take place in their respective stories if that makes sense.

The Ones You've Met

My UF!Papyrus aka Edge:

He got home to find you sitting at the kitchen table with your head in your hands. He realizes there's something wrong immediately and when you tell him you're suffering from a migraine, he wants to help.

Only problem is he isn't sure what to do exactly. He knows how bad migraines can be as he's both experienced them and helped his brother deal with them firsthand. He just doesn't know where to start to help you, especially if you're a human as your anatomy is far different from his own.

Fortunately for you, he knows healing magic and is quite talented. You're in good hands with him, literally. (He might even be mildly amused if you point that out.) Depending on the severity of your migraine, his magic may not be able to fully make the pain go away, but it's enough of a relief to make a difference.

He'll offer whatever else he can afterwards like pain meds, tea, a hot bean bag or an ice pack if you prefer, but most importantly, he'll offer cuddles. He doesn't get a ton of down time in general but he's quite happy to just lay on the couch or in bed and hold you close until you do feel better.

My Horror Sans aka Baston:

Your seasonal allergies were acting up and in combination with probably smacking your head recently, you ended up with a migraine. Baston only needed to take a look at you to determine that you were in pain and he was by your side instantly.

He knows loads of homemade pain relief treatments from personal experience and what his brother, Hemlock, has studied. He'll get you situated with a mug of some strong but surprisingly not awful tasting herbal tea in no time. He'll probably even let you lay down in his own bed for a while if you're over at his place.

If you fall asleep, you'll probably wake up to him sitting next to you, gently playing with your hair. If you're still not feeling 100%, he'll try something else but if he isn't needed elsewhere, he'll be staying nearby for a while, just in case.

My Post-Echotale G!Sans aka G:

He travels a lot so it was likely sheer coincidence that he found you while you were suffering from a migraine. Maybe he had to actually go to your house as you weren't at any of your other meeting spots. He's quick to grow serious when he sees how bad you feel too.

While he's often a bit standoffish or casually flirty, G is also surprisingly tender when he wants to be. He'll check if you've already taken pain meds yet and help with that if you want to. Beyond that, he isn't sure what else he can do for you.

Unless you give him ideas, he'll probably just resort to trying to make you comfortable and relaxed. You are getting wrapped up in a blanket burrito and he will hold you as close as you want for however long it takes for your migraine to go away. He'll even lightly massage your head and gently play with your hair until you fall asleep.

He'll likely still be there when you eventually wake up too. You might even catch him in a contemplative mood before he realizes you woke up. He spends a good deal of time thinking about the past and the future which can put him in slightly negative moods, but he's quick to hide this around others. He's willing to talk if you're feeling up to it at least, although you'll have to convince him that you're feeling fine again first.

Lord Nightmare:

He knew something was bothering you from across the castle as he could feel your negative emotions brought on by the intense pain. He found you tossing and turning in your bed as you couldn't find a comfortable position with how bad your migraine was.

He doesn't have a lot of experience actually caring for people but he cares a lot for you and hates seeing you in pain like this. He always spares no expense when you're sick or injured and now is no different. He'll personally go get medication to relieve your pain and tell the boys to leave you alone for the rest of the day.

He'll stay by your side while you take your medication and if you don't mind, he'll gladly siphon off the negative emotions you're experiencing and calm you down with his magic. He'll cuddle you even if you aren't really in the mood as he just wants you to feel better and can't do much more in the moment. The plus side is that his tentacles are soft and cool to the touch which is rather soothing for your poor head.

You aren't leaving your room until he's positive (heh) you're feeling better. Even if you insist otherwise, he'll keep snuggling you just to make sure you'll be okay. He means well of course, but he's also rather possessive of you and since the boys can't bother you right now, he might as well give you as much affection as he can. (The boys will likely be desperate to find out if you're alright once you are released so you're going to be doted on for a while afterwards.)

Note from Trash: I see Lord Nightmare as very similar to the Nightmare I wrote for "Have Some Empathy, Dear" so they'd likely act the same or similarly.

Horror Sans aka Axe:

You'd gotten home from work late as you'd had to stay until you'd finished up one final report that couldn't possibly wait until Monday. Axe had been incredibly worried something happened to you and was just about to go look for you himself when you returned. He knows you're not doing well before you even tell him and practically goes into mother hen mode.

If you can stomach food, he's making you something easy to consume that's so packed with healing magic, you'll almost be swimming in it. He'll also make you a tea and all but insist you go relax while waiting. He can't use much magic anymore but he can make great food at least so that's what he'll do.

He's had quite a bit of experience dealing with pain as he deals with it on a near daily basis. It especially hurts to see someone he counts as a friend, let alone you, in pain. He keeps a level head though and will do anything to help ease your pain.

He'll stay with you as long as physically possible just so that he can reassure you, and himself, that you'll be okay. He likes touching your hair and skin, although he is a bit worried he'll hurt you worse so he won't be giving you a massage. He will play with your hair though and stroke your scalp if you're okay with that.

Murder Sans aka Dust:

He was probably already dealing with a headache today (literal or metaphorical in the form of Killer lol) before he teleported to your place for a break. He can sympathize with your pain but he's not great at the whole caring thing.

You'll probably have to be Pain Pals together for a while, which isn't so bad actually once you get some medication or get comfy. Dust is a great cuddler although he isn't always in the mood. Lucky for you, he happens to like it when you touch him on his bad days.

He'll stay overnight if you let him and may even be there the next morning when you have to leave for work. You'll probably have to untangle yourself from his koala hug though, which could take awhile. Interestingly, he's even more mellow than usual in times like these, although he won't admit that your gentleness and affection are almost like drugs to him.

Killer Sans aka Killer:

He's also very bad at the whole empathy thing. He showed up and made loud noises while doing so until you angrily told him to shut up. He doesn't take your pain seriously at first and very likely finds it hilarious, as pain often is for him (usually other's pain though).

Once he realizes you aren't any fun in this state, he grows deathly serious though. He'll bring the entire contents of your medicine cabinet to you and steal all the blankets in your home just so he can build a blanket fort around your couch. He says little while setting everything up which is a little scary until he flashes you his trademark smile and forces you onto the couch if you aren't there already.

Unfortunately, he isn't going to leave you alone. Expect to be spooned and whispered to incessantly until you tell him to shut up again. He will, for a solid thirty seconds, when he can't handle not saying something stupid anymore. You either have two migraines to deal with now or a buddy who's doing his best to help distract you from it.

The Ones You Haven't Met, Yet...

Fractured Souls - My other Underfell AU:

My Other UF!Sans aka Crimson:

He hates ever seeing you in pain, whether it be emotionally or, as is the case this time, physically. He's a tough guy that had to grow up quickly in a rough world so he isn't the greatest at helping at first. He has the head knowledge on what to do but struggles with figuring out what order to do it in.

If you can stomach food, you are either getting some awesome leftovers of whatever Scarlet made recently or Crimson will make you something simple himself. If you're okay with taking pain meds, he'll make sure you take the correct amount and make you a golden flower tea as well.

He doesn't know what else he can do for you but will sit and give you all the cuddles you could ask for, if you're comfortable with that anyways. He's a big guy, so he gives great cuddles. You won't want for anything and all you have to do is ask if you do.

If your migraine goes away soon, he'll probably continue to dote on you for the rest of the day. You aren't doing any chores or even lifting a finger on his watch. He will call you out if you force yourself to do anything strenuous too.

My Other UF!Papyrus aka Scar:

Unfortunately for you, he doesn't notice you're in serious pain until he actually stops whatever he was doing and takes a good look at you. When he realizes how awful you're doing though, he's dropping everything to take care of you and if you feel guilty for bothering him, he'll insist your health is more important. You're weaker and more prone to sicknesses than he is afterall. He doesn't mean to be harsh or anything, that's just how he is.

He will make you some soup or a golden flower tea if you'd rather that. Otherwise, you are getting sent to your room and under strict bed rest for the rest of the day. None of his other brothers are permitted to disturb you either. Scarlet will make sure you have anything you need throughout the day like medications or a hot or cold pack for your head.

He checks in on you every few hours but carries on with his responsibilities otherwise. If you're doing especially bad or if you ask him to, he will concede and stay with you for a while. He has a real soft spot for you afterall and he hates seeing you sad.

It'll be back to business as usual the next day though. So good luck getting out of any chores because he'll send you right back to bed if he thinks you still have a migraine. He's a bit cold that way but he means well.

My Other UF!Gaster aka Vermillion:

He takes an even more clinical approach than Scarlet would and let's be honest, you only came to him for help because his younger brothers were too busy. He cares a lot about you, maybe not as much as Crimson does, but he does in his own way.

Vermilion knows many ways to make you feel better and will suggest multiple options for you to choose from. He'll make sure you get the exact dosage of medication and give it to you at the correct times if you need more. He'll make sure his brothers are quiet when they do find out about your migraine, but won't interfere if they also want to help.

You'll probably wake up to find him sitting next to your bed watching you fondly or holding your hand in his much larger one. You're such a small human compared to him and his brothers and he finds you absolutely fascinating. Fine, he was also watching you to make sure you would be okay while you slept. No, it's not strange, it's called putting you on Observation... Yes, he is aware that you know that's not what that means.

The Caged Canary - My attempt to rewrite my first Classic fic ever:

My UT!Sans aka Classic:

He could tell something was wrong the moment you didn't at least give him a pity laugh at any of his awful jokes. He's quick to grow serious and he'll try to get you to tell him what's wrong. To his relief, you've only got a migraine and aren't being harassed by your awful family or something.

Classic is great at taking care of you as he took care of Vanilla for many years when they were younger. He'll make sure you drink plenty of water or tea, get pain killers for you if you can take them, and even taking you home if you're out somewhere together.

You're in great hands with him (quite literally he'll be quick to point out). If you have energy, he'll attempt to cheer you up with humour or just pleasant conversation as charisma is one of his strong suits. You'll probably learn something new about him for once and maybe end up revealing some of your own secrets in the process.

He may or not be there in the morning if you fell asleep, depends how comfortable you are around him. He'll check in on you later though and try some more jokes just to make sure you're back to normal.

My UT!Papyrus aka Vanilla:

He's much more observant than you thought and he surprised you by asking if you're doing okay. You tried to play it off and claimed your head just hurt a little, but he easily saw through your lie. For crying out loud, he lives with his brother, the master of deflection and distraction, you are an amateur in comparison.

He's very kind and tries to gently get you to let him help. He'll take you somewhere quieter and make sure you aren't dehydrated or hungry before anything. If you'll let him, he'll also offer to use healing magic to cure your migraine. Otherwise, he'll offer to make you some food with healing magic. (He's gotten really good at cooking now!)

Vanilla won't leave you alone until he knows you'll be okay and he'll go out of his way to make sure you're okay before even dreaming of leaving you. Would a hug from the Great Papyrus help? Of course it would! He is the best at giving hugs! That's what friends are for afterall - making sure you're okay.

He's one step away from acting like a mother hen and will check in for a little while afterwards just to make sure your migraine is completely gone. Maybe he'll ask to come over to hang out just to make sure, but he also wants to spend quality time together don't get him wrong!

#self reblog #feeling rough today and wanted to revisit this

[imtrashraccoon]

100 follower event!!

WOOHOO!! I finally got 100 followers here on this precious hell site!

To celebrate I'll be throwing a special event! Send in whatever Undertale character you want (from any au), yes even non Sans or Papyrus ones and I'll write a short one shot for them (around 1000-2000 words long) if you have a particular idea or theme for the one-shot then go ahead and add it in! Otherwise I get full creative freedom

rules:

can be any character

I won't write smut or anything, suggestive is fine though

That's all the rules I can think of lol If you still have some questions you can ask under this post!

#congrats! #now i gotta think about this #you deserve those followers for the awesome work you do!

[imtrashraccoon]

Now I'm scared I KNOW HE'S A MURDERER BUT DON'T MAKE MY POOKIE TOO MEAN (thats a joke, he's literally the worse lol)

and Colleen Hoover is a pretty questionable book writer (in my opinion) I don't recommend any of her books.

Nah, he's gotta be redeemable somehow... Let's just say what happens is a result of how mean he is...

He's the worst...but we can fix him. Lol no, he'll change on his own!

I figured since I've only heard her name from random videos on booktok. Ugh, I don't even like typing that word out.

#can you tell i'm hyped #i got a few things left to do before posting it though #soon my lovlies soon...

[imtrashraccoon]

Okay I don't mean to sound like a freak but that latest chapter..... I just wanna say, wish that was me fr because what I would do to be in her position. (like damn bro it's the third chapter and there's already tension)

better then any Colleen Hoover book I ever read/silly

you're keeping me fed with ur writing.

Okay. Um. You do you. I'm not judging but I am concerned. And yet I wholeheartedly agree because I know how the story is gonna end...

Fair warning... Chapter 4 gets worse... Like, I have to update the tags again worse. Curious if you'll still be saying this lol.

Or maybe I'm just over exaggerating. This is the first time I've written something like this...

#i've literally never read anything by colleen hoover #does that make me uncultured? #i dunno #i don't care either way lol #i pride myself at the awesome tension i have created tho! #thank you!!!

[imtrashraccoon]

I JUST REALIZED YOU HAVE AN AO3 AND NSJNDJDNDJNDMSJAMAKMSKS- i-uh I like the x reader (w/ Nightmare especially-) Can I make some fanart?

I do. <⁠(⁠￣⁠︶⁠￣⁠)⁠↗

Of course you may make fanart! Anyone and everyone is welcome to make fanart of anything I've made! Please tag me so I can see it!

I don't really have a solid look for the Reader insert in The Nightmare of Apathy beyond a name and outfit. So if you have questions, I'm happy to answer them. Otherwise, do whatever you want. I'm excited to see what you might do!

#chapter 4 will be posted sometime this weekend! #i'm editing it and drawing up some more things to go with it #so hyped!

[imtrashraccoon]

I’ve stalked you and found you reblogged my commission from @soul-shenanigans, and I just wanted to say thank you for complimenting my oc- I really appreciate it… have a pleasant day 🫶

Hey, I'm honoured you would bother stalking me lol. (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠)

And you're welcome! They're adorable! It's not very often that I come across OC's that I find that cute!

I hope you have a pleasant day as well! Thank you!

#makes my day getting any asks lol #i'm gonna have to stalk your page as well now #it's only fair!

[imtrashraccoon]

I DO obsessively read peoples tags when they rb my art

And, yes, I DO kick my little feets and giggle when I get compliments

#raccoons two cents #and this is why i try to leave compliments #because i want people to be as happy as i am when they see it

[imtrashraccoon]

It's funny how a silly fictional character can come into your life and then take over your entire brain chemistry

#it is funny #i would make that a plural though #or just swap in the word fandom #it's had me in a death grip for nearly ten years now

[imtrashraccoon]

Got some new folks around who may not know what I've been rambling about lately. The brainrot is real and I'm afraid it's terminal... (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)

@kiok0r0 This is what I was talking about.

Edit: Future Tumble here! I just wrote a short drabble that is related to this fic. Check it out here!

Or check the rest of the fic out here.

The Nightmare of Apathy: Chapter 1

Word count: 4,712

Nightmare x Female Reader

く⁠コ⁠:⁠彡 ~ ~ ~

"Don't forget to refuel your lantern before you leave!"

You stopped abruptly at the door, groceries in one arm and your other hand on the knob. Glancing down at the lantern swinging from your hip, you saw that while the fuel was low, it wasn't dangerously so just yet.

Mrs. Jones appeared from the back of the shop with a child on one hip. She looked haggard and a rather thin considering she'd had five kids by this point, yet her face was stuck in an annoyed expression. "You know what will happen if you get stuck in the dark..." she warned, although the tone she used sounded like she was scolding a small child.

You shook your head, "Yes, I know, but it's fine. My home isn't far and I'll be able to get there quickly enough if I run."

The shop lady sighed and shook her head. She seemed a bit more stressed than usual and you knew she'd only reminded you about your lantern out of habit from reminding her own family.

"Right. May the Moon keep you..." She turned and returned to the back room to finish whatever she had started doing earlier before you'd stopped by.

You scowled and, more harshly than you should've, responded, "And may he guide you for the night..." You opened the shop door and left, the little bell signaling your exit.

While you knew in your soul that Mrs. Jones was only wishing you to be safe as was custom, you couldn't help but feel disgusted whenever anyone did so. Why should you partake in some stupid religious tradition when it had never been helpful before? You scoffed and descended the steps to the cobblestone road, before beginning to make your way home through the dim streets.

This whole world was cursed and you had been unlucky enough to be born into it. It was perpetually in a cycle of darkness and twilight, but never to be any brighter. Only the stars and the moon pierced the veil of permanent black and granted some relief to its denizens. It was often chilly, even in the warmer months, but the cold of winter was more often than not, deadly to any creature caught without shelter.

It was all you'd ever known and all you would ever know. You were unimportant and worth little more than the clothes on your back. No amount of hard labour could change that, which was a fact that everyone seemed only too glad to remind you of at every little opportunity.

You were lucky to have lived as long as you had. If not for your late grandmother, the darkness would've taken you long ago after your parents both suddenly passed. She was a kind and infinitely selfless woman, who cared for you as if you were her own child. But even she could only give so much and as hard as you'd tried, you were unable to save her when she fell ill last Winter.

Now, you were completely alone. While you were fortunate to have a job working at the local mill, it was hard work and you often had little time for anything else. The pay wasn't great either but at least you only had yourself to worry about. If you needed to, you could skip a few meals here and there to help save money.

You glanced up at the crescent moon and scowled again before quickening your pace. You needed to get home before your lantern did run out of oil or else you'd really be in trouble. While this town had lanterns on each street corner and at major intersections, the spaces in between were often large and nearly pitch black once the shops were closed.

You weren't afraid of the dark per say; you and every other child growing up had quickly squashed that fear early, but it was what lurked in the dark...or what could. While wild animals would certainly be something to fear, a far greater evil dwelled in the shadows. One who no one dared to speak his name carelessly lest his anger be turned on them.

Lord Nightmare.

Even just the thought of his name sent shivers down your spine, for good reason too. He was a god, the Lord of Dusk and Shadows, and the ruler of this cursed world. His word was absolute and he ruled through fear and an iron fist.

No one could stand against him, though countless fools had tried. Yet they'd only served as grim reminders of his absolute power. Not only was he physically powerful, but he was also prone to targeting the mind, even when you weren't anywhere near him. Indeed, constant nightmares were the norm for everyone and the only known temporary relief was by taking an expensive and highly dangerous drug, but when that wore off, the nightmares would only return in full force.

In the face of such bleak hopelessness, it was only natural that people would turn to anything that could promise them even a smidgen of hope. Enter the commonly held worship of the Moon. While you'd never been interested in the schematics of the belief, nowadays it seemed most worshippers only believed in spirit, rather than actively taking part in any actual worship. You only saw it as a superstition, like wishing someone good luck, and didn't actually believe the Moon had any power over someone as powerful as Lord Nightmare.

Of course, when the worship of the Moon came to his attention, he'd threatened to block it out entirely unless his demands were met. He really could block out the moon though, and regularly did so whenever the people were late with the yearly tribute that was really just a tax. Speaking of, he regularly demanded exorbitant taxes that were due each year once Spring had arrived. And if the tribute wasn't deemed good enough in his eyes? He'd lash out and punish everyone severely, be it in the form of increasingly horrible nightmares or whatever other twisted punishment he could think up.

Still, you had more immediate concerns to worry about, like getting home so you could refuel your lantern for one. You still had enough oil to last at least another day or two if you conserved it. For now, you would do what you'd always done, live one day at a time and not worry about things outside of your control. One day, you would save enough money to live in a better house and maybe after that, you could save enough to at least live comfortably.

You were in such a hurry that you almost weren't watching where you were going and you rounded a corner a bit too sharply, nearly barreling into someone. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you and I...." Your apology died in your throat as you regained your balance and saw who it was that you'd collided with.

The girl snarled and shoved you away from her. "Yeah, you'd better be sorry," she grumbled and very obviously looked you up in down, her ugly face curling into even more of a disgusted look.

The ever so wonderful, Catherine "Cathie" Lee, the mayor's daughter and your worst enemy. What you did to warrant her hatred? You still had no idea and you could only remember one time when you were both kids that you weren't able to go to a birthday party of hers. She'd seemingly hated you ever since and it had only gotten worse as you'd both grown up.

To top it off, she wasn't alone. Two other girls stepped around the corner and stood beside Cathie. Their tittering laughter only made you even more angry than you'd already been. Of course all three were wearing matching sparkly pink cocktail dresses and of course they looked like they'd just stepped out of an equally disgusting speakeasy. You could swear they stank of alcohol above all that perfume that was practically cascading off their skin.

You took a deep breath to try and remain calm. "Becky, Marcelle,...Cathie. Lovely evening to be out on the town I see..." You weren't even trying to hide your irritation but you were at least attempting to act civil, even if you were being snarky while doing so.

"Well it was, up until a minute ago," Cathie grumbled.

"Then, you know what, I'll do you a favour and remove myself from your sight," you muttered and rolled your eyes slightly. "Stars know my evening will improve drastically..."

You went to walk past them but Becky and Marcelle moved to block you. You narrowed your eyes at them and tried to go around but they blocked you again, this time trying to restrain you as well.

"Don't touch me!" you growled and yanked your shoulder away from their grasp.

"Do you ever stop talking?" Cathie hissed as she stepped closer to you. She shoved you roughly, causing you to stumble backwards into the arms of her cronies.

They grabbed your shoulders again, much tighter this time so you couldn't so easily pull away. Your bag of groceries you'd been carrying hit the cobblestone and the contents spilled out, much to your irritation. Once again, you tried desperately to pull away from them, but their grip held fast and your efforts were futile.

"You know what, your attitude reeks...must be because you spend all your time in the graveyard!" Cathie shouted in a mocking tone.

"I do not!" you shouted back. "Just because your parents are both alive, doesn't give you any reason to say that!"

Cathie growled and kicked the brown paper bag, scattering the contents across the street. There hadn't been much in it anyways, but much of it was fragile like fresh produce and eggs. She noticed this and made eye contact with you for a moment, before stomping and kicking everything until there was little hope in salvaging any of it.

You fell silent and just stared at her. This wasn't the first time her and her friends had accosted you, and likely wouldn't be the last. Sure, you could buy more food, but you still had to buy oil for your lantern. You weren't due to be paid until next week too.

Seeing the effect her actions had on you, Cathie grinned triumphantly and planted her hands on her hips. "Look what you made me do..." she grumbled and tried to wipe the bottoms of her feet against the stone. "My shoes are ruined, what do you have to say for yourself, Grave Girl?"

You stared passively back and refused to answer. Evidently, this only served to infuriate her and she backhanded your cheek in retaliation. This earned her a harsh glare and you spit at the ground in disgust.

"What do you want me to say? You did it to yourself, so why don't you go beg father dearest for new ones? Or has he finally smartened up and realized how much of spoiled brat you've become?"

Cathie scoffed and waved dismissively at Becky and Marcelle. They let go of your arms and you jerked away as soon as you were free, shooting a glare at them too.

"You worthless rat..." Cathie hissed under her breath as they started to walk away. "You'll pay for this..."

You tentatively touched your cheek and winced slightly from the stinging. That was probably going to swell up and bruise. You would have to deal with people being nosy and staring at you for a couple of days now.

With a sigh, you tried to salvage what you could, which wasn't much. Some of the vegetables could still be used and a small pouch of chili powder hadn't been burst open. Everything else had already mixed with the dirt of the road and by the sputtering of your lantern's flame, you couldn't afford to spend any more time trying to save anything else.

く⁠コ⁠:⁠彡 ~ ~ ~

You were woken rather rudely by heavy pounding on your front door and someone shouting for you to open up. The commotion shook your little shack and you worried they would knock your door off its rusty hinges if you didn't.

It turned out to be the Captain of the Town guard and with him were six heavily armed soldiers. Their weapons were drawn when you opened the door and they immediately set upon you. Roughly pinning you to the ground, they cuffed your wrists together and despite your protests about what was going on, hauled you off to the dungeon.

You were left to stew there for several hours. Your body ached from how rough they'd been with you, even though you hadn't even tried to resist. You probably had many more bruises to add to the one on your cheek now.

There were several questions that swirled in your mind as the hours stretched on. Why me? What did I do? Surely they'll realize this was all just a big misunderstanding, right...?

You were held there for several nights. While you tried to get answers from the guards, no one would explain what was going on and they treated you with the same amount of care as any common criminal. Yet you had committed no crimes so it made no sense.

Catherine Lee. This was her doing...it had to be! She must've gone crying to daddy and spewing lies, for them to treat you this badly. While you could feel the despair threatening to consume you whole, you also began to feel angry. It started out small but with each cold night that you spent rotting in the dungeon, your rage at the injustice of this situation grew more and more.

By the end of the week, they finally retrieved you, although they weren't much gentler this time either. Your wrists were once again cuffed and you were brought into the court house, again with a heavily armed guard as if they expected you to attack someone.

It looked like nearly the whole town had filled the room, save for the children and infirmed of course. However, it immediately became apparent that this was no trial. No, this was your sentencing.

"Ha...guilty until proven innocent? What a joke!"

They still hadn't told you what crime you'd committed and they wouldn't let you plead your case, let alone ask any questions. The only thing they were willing to discuss was the annual tribute.

"What do you mean there isn't enough?!"

"...it was raised last minute..."

"Well what are we supposed to do?!"

"There is one thing..."

They planned to send you as the tribute.

You were stunned.

"This can't be happening..."

Lord Nightmare was flexible when it came to payment, so long as it was on time that is. His subjects could give a majority of their livestock and harvest, which wasn't usually feasible after a hard Winter, or a hefty sum of gold, which was the preferred method. He had never accepted humans as tribute with the closest being the few times he'd accepted some of the best builders, artisans, or crafters to work on his domain. The last time this happened though was at least fifty years ago.

"At least she isn't completely ugly..."

"He's not human, there's no way he'll know any different..."

"...it'll be good to get rid of her...."

You were given a nicer dress and forced to wear makeup to hide the bruises you'd sustained during the arrest. After practically being threatened to go along with this for the sake of the town, you were shoved into a carriage for the several hour journey to Lord Nightmare's domain.

So much for being lucky...

く⁠コ⁠:⁠彡 ~ ~ ~

The forest was so dark. Only the lantern at the front of the carriage permeated a few feet into the inky black. The horses didn't care though and they continued to faithfully pull the carriage through the darkness.

You knew you were close by now. Your nerves felt frayed, like the slightest tug would cause you to unravel completely. You had to be strong right now though, for the sake of your people.

The carriage came to a stop and one of the horses whinnied softly. You could hear the two soldiers disembark and one came to open the door to let you out. You didn't need to be told twice and hopped to the ground with a small huff. The other soldier was talking with two guards in front of a massive iron gate.

You were ushered over to the guards and you could now see that they were far from human. They both towered over the soldiers by at least a foot and you estimated they were probably close to seven feet tall. They appeared like they were wearing plate armour, though it was hard to tell as they were covered in an inky black substance. Their heads seemed to be skeletal and they had sharp teeth as well as cyan pinpricks in their hollow eye sockets. Definitely fitting guards for Lord Nightmare if you were to say.

Frankly, you didn't pay attention to how the conversation went and you were unceremoniously handed over to the skeletal guards. Then the soldiers from your town got back into the carriage again. They left hastily, as if they were afraid Lord Nightmare himself would stop them if they didn't. You didn't blame them, but you couldn't help the wave of disgust that welled up inside you at their obvious cowardice.

You were guided through the iron gate and up a winding path to the castle itself by one of the guards. It was hard to grasp the sheer scale of this place because much of it blended into the night sky, but it was by far the largest building you'd ever seen.

The castle was made of large stone bricks but you weren't an expert on rocks, so they just looked like vaguely dark gray stones to you. Even in the darkness, you could see that the lawns were well manicured and there seemed to be some rather nice landscaping too.

The castle itself was decorated much more opulently than you'd initially expected. Numerous paintings and tapestry hung on the walls, depicting various scenes and themes, and you could tell the creators were far more talented than you could ever dream of being. The rooms were also lit with a variety of different light fixtures like lanterns or candles, but the flames were a light blue and most fixtures seemed to be made from gold.

The further into the castle you were led, the more expensive everything seemed to get. The floors were now covered in long plush carpets with intricate patterns, most of which seemed to be of the stars and the moon interestingly enough.

Finally, the skeletal guard came to a pair of beautifully carved wooden doors and with basically no effort, pushed them open. You immediately realized that this was the grand hall and also the throne room.

There were multiple stained glass window murals depicting what you recognized as the tale of how Lord Nightmare came into power. Weirdly enough, there were a couple of scenes and figures that you didn't recognize though. In the middle of the room was a long table that had room for at least two dozen seats around it, sporting an intricate black lace table runner.

But it was beyond the table that really caught your attention. There, casually lounging on his throne, was the god of this world and the one you now essentially belonged to.

Lord Nightmare himself.

Due to the consistent nightmares, everyone already knew what he vaguely looked like, but to actually see him in the flesh? Well, to put it simply, it was taking everything in you to remain standing and not drop to your knees right now. You could literally feel how powerful his aura was from here and he wasn't even trying to manipulate your emotions, yet.

Lord Nightmare seemed to be a skeleton although he was much different from a human one. Aside from being constantly coated in some sort of black substance, his bones appeared to be wider and thicker, giving the appearance of mass underneath his clothing like he actually had flesh. His phalanges were tipped with sharp claws and adorned with several gold rings, all of which had precious stones embedded into the metal.

On his skull was a circlet formed from gold with a black moon in the center. The black robe he wore was definitely made of the highest quality fabrics to be found and had been tailored to fit him perfectly. Underneath that, he wore a plumb coloured dress shirt with the top button undone, revealing his sternum and the top of his first pair of ribs. While his gray pants looked simple, you knew they were likely far from cheap, and even his shoes were made from a high quality black leather.

His singular glowing cyan eyelight narrowed as he leared down at you from his throne before he beckoned you to approach with a claw. Steeling yourself, you did so, although you hoped he couldn't see how badly your hands were trembling.

"What is the purpose of your visit?" he inquired. His tone of voice was low and it seemed to permeate into the very back of your mind before almost curling up inside. There was a general air of boredom about him at the moment and you really hoped things wouldn't get worse than that.

You took a steadying breath and bowed respectfully. "My Lord, I am here to present the annual tribute from the town Rynbarn," you answered. Your voice was higher pitched than it normally was and your palms felt clammy from how nervous you were.

His eye socket narrowed critically and you could feel the way his eyelight studied you. "Alright, where is it then...?" His tone suggested that he was unimpressed so far and it only caused your heartrate to increase further.

Realizing you should've been more clear, you quickly tried to course correct. "My apologies, I meant to say that they sent me as tribute..." You couldn't help the way your voice trembled at the end of your explanation.

He stared at you for a long time. You couldn't tell if he thought you were lying or if he was simply shocked by what you'd said. You subtly tried to wipe your hands on your dress and shifted your weight from one foot to the other.

He sat up straighter and rested his chin on one of his hands. He definitely didn't seem bored anymore, rather his demeanor seemed more confused than anything. "I see..." he murmured.

You swallowed nervously and looked down at your shoes.

He sighed and muttered under his breath. "Are they fools?" His tone suggested that the question was rhetorical and he continued speaking, rather than wait for you to answer. "Or do they care so little for you that they would rather give you away?"

"I wouldn't know really..." you responded quietly. Well, you had some pretty strong suspicions as to what had happened but you weren't about to complain in front of Lord Nightmare and risk upsetting him.

He made a quiet tisk sound and shook his skull. "I'm genuinely trying to understand the situation but frankly, I am more than a little bewildered." Tilting his skull, he studied you once more, trying to make some sense of this.

"Do you have any enemies or anyone that would wish harm on you?" he asked.

You hadn't been expecting a question like that and for a moment debated how you should answer. Ultimately deciding to be truthful, you took a deep breath and looked up at him again. "I'm afraid so, my Lord."

He raised a bonebrow at that and motioned for you to elaborate. "You hardly seem like the type to purposely make enemies. So, tell me why they sent you specifically."

You got the sense that he was only asking to satisfy his curiosity and not because he felt empathetic towards your plight. Nevertheless, you didn't really have the right to refuse him.

"Well... I may have slighted the mayor's daughter once when we were children and she's seemingly had it out for me ever since. I suspect she spread some sort of lie about me and turned the whole town against me," you explained.

For a fraction of a second, the corners of his permanent grin seemed to quirk up slightly before returning to a more passive expression. "A shame," he murmured. A moment later, his low tone shifted and he raised his voice slightly. "So, this whole situation was caused by a childish squabble?"

You shrank back at the sudden change in his demeanor and could feel the way his voice bounced off the walls. While he didn't seem angry per say, you could feel his aura had shifted to a darker emotion from before, which was concerning.

He calmed down again a second later, as if nothing had happened. "Ridiculous..." he muttered to himself and shook his skull. Looking back up, he frowned at the distance you'd created and motioned for you to come closer again.

Only once you'd done so did he speak again. "I am slightly insulted that they thought they could both get rid of you and appease my demands at the same time. However, I can't very well send you back now either..." He trailed off and studied you thoughtfully for a moment.

"Um, if I may..." you started to say, although you almost immediately regretted doing so with how sudden his gaze flicked to your own. "I can be useful...if you're willing to give me a chance?"

He nodded thoughtfully. "As you may have noticed, I already have my own staff, however, something about you intrigues me. Do you have any particular talents? Such as, baking or gardening for instance?" he asked.

You shook your head, but quickly tried to explain before he could become too disappointed. "My late grandmother taught me everything I know about baking and while I remember several of her recipes, I wouldn't say I'm better than any other person. And gardening was more of a hobby of hers but I helped out when she wasn't able to keep up anymore."

To your surprise, he seemed pleased by your response, although the moment was brief before his expression returned to it's previous passive state. "Very well," he hummed. "You will show me what you can do and if it is suitable, then that will be your place here. If not, well..."

He trailed off and held eye contact for what felt like ages. You didn't dare ask what he was going to say next, but it probably wasn't good. Still, you struggled to keep the staring contest going, although you quickly lost your nerve and dropped your gaze to the floor once again.

He reached out and tilted your chin up with a clawed digit, forcing you to maintain eye contact with him again. You hadn't noticed it much earlier, but now his expression was positively frigid. Even without words, his intentions were immediately clear to you now.

Entertaining this chance for you to prove yourself was him showing kindness, but, you only had one chance to do so. He had been far more civil and patient than you'd expected, yet he had no patience for fools or those who would waste his time. He held the power here and there was nothing you could do to change that.

"I expect utmost loyalty from my subjects and you are no exception. Do you understand?" he asked.

You swallowed nervously. "Yes... I understand very well, my Lord."

"Good." He let go of you and leaned back again. Changing the subject, he asked, "What is your name?"

"Aylin, my name is Aylin," you murmured.

His cyan eyelight seemed to glow brighter and a look of recognition flickered across his face. It was enough to send a shiver down your spine, especially when he let out a soft chuckle.

"A fitting name indeed..." he purred.

く⁠コ⁠:⁠彡 ~ ~ ~

Hey, Aylin is a Turkish name meaning "moon halo" or "the one who belongs to the moon". I wasn't originally going to name the reader but it is a very fitting name, wouldn't you say?

Updates may be slow but I intend to post a part two at some point.

#needless to say that is a joke!

[imtrashraccoon]

Consider this... The Nightmare of Apathy but Dreamswap

I'm kinda experiencing brainrot over Helios and Eos at the moment...

Dream is the one who rules over a world that is permanently day where everyone is happy and adores him. I imagine there would be sun worship but it's morphed into worshipping the deity that literally glows and makes everyone's life better.

Plant life flourishes and the climate is always comfortably warm. I don't think animal life would be much different with permanent sunlight but I'm not going to be putting thought into this right now lol.

Somehow, MC (probably named something vaguely related to the sun to have a nice parallel) meets Dream. Not sure how or why but it would either be transactional or a coincidence. Or maybe they have a "dark opposite" soul and Dream wants to "fix" them.

Dream and Nightmare still quarrel over the multiverse, although Dream has more influence thanks to time and positivity being easier to spread. Nightmare is gaining ground though which is rather concerning to Dream.

Nightmare forms his own team, not sure if it'd be the usual rabble or others. Without spoiling possible future plot points for TNA, there is a conflict between the brothers that leads Dream to forming his team. Again, possibly the usual rabble but it could be interesting if he "converts" bad guys to his cause.

I could go on but I will end up spoiling the finale to my fic... ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ

Or maybe it's like how Swapfell and Fellswap are similar but different? (Swapdream?)

Same premise as above, but Aylin is on Nightmare's side the whole time. ("Dark opposite" soul again?) I think this would be more like a desperate rebellion against a vast empire, except the rebels are technically the bad guys. So lots of angst and action scenes where they barely get out alive?

Aylin would meet Nightmare on more normal terms. He isn't a domineering lord but a pathetic outcast, hated by everyone because he only brings negativity when he's around. Or maybe his world is the one place his brother can't "taint" and while he's not loved by the populace, they understand all would be lost if he wasn't trying to maintain the balance. Maybe the economy is hyper focused on production for war efforts?

They'd get into a relationship much more quickly, especially after saving each other's lives a couple of times. Nightmare teaches her to fight, use magic, and possibly other skills he learned too. In turn, she teaches him what she knows as a herbalist and creates many valuable tonics and potions for conflict.

They pick up friends along the desperate, uphill, in the rain battle that is trying to re-establish emotional balance in the multiverse. Could be the usual rabble, although they'd probably have to rescue them from Dream's clutches first. Not sure if the boys would be more or less insane, especially if Dream was forcing them to be positive through magic.

The duo aren't loved by the majority of the multiverse and would likely run into many powerful players. Or maybe Dream hires bounty hunters to go after them. (Fresh might make sense here as he isn't a good guy and probably wouldn't appreciate Dream.)

The potential for a "happy" ending is very low and something drastic would have to occur for that to even happen. I would explain what but again, I'd literally spoil everything for TNA...

I think I like this idea much more than the previous one... (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)

#raccoons rambles #no i'm not writing this anytime soon if ever #i got too many wips #tempted to write a oneshot for the second idea though #gonna have to ask if i can use helios and eos though #they're so cool! #or maybe i'll just use my own bois #no promises! #i just took a small break to stretch my writing muscles #on a roll at the moment with chapter 4 #it's got like two sections left? #the nightmare of apathy #dreamswap