#but i am stubborn af

[beanghostprincess]

He loves me (He loves me not)

For @sanusoweek || Day 4: Hanahaki (pretend this was posted on time) (yes. I am again late) (again)

Relationship: Sanji/Usopp

Rating: General Audiences

Tags: Angst with a happy ending / Hanahaki Disease / Not actually unrequited love / Love confessions / Getting together / Codependency

Words: 11,043

Summary:

He will die. He will let the petals cover him whole and asphyxiate him. Because he loves Sanji and wants to keep doing so in secret without ruining what they have. Usopp is going to be brave for once and sacrifice everything he is and could be for him. To keep him closer a little longer. Because a life without Sanji is worse than any death. A life without Sanji is worthless. Devoid of color. Devoid of summer. When Usopp dies, he will be glad the one ending his life is the one who taught him to be brave in the first place. Or that is what Usopp would say if he was brave. And he isn’t. He doesn’t want to fucking die. Is he crazy?! Chopper stared at him with the saddest, most sorrowful look on his face when he told him the way to end this suffering, and he believed Usopp was going to give up his life to keep Sanji a bit longer. Turns out Usopp is still a coward and he has never been as romantic as he tries to seem in his tales. So he is going to confess. He is going to let Sanji hate him forever. And he is going to live. Because no matter what fate is ahead of him, somebody would have to be insane to think that is worse than dying.

Read on Ao3

More of my works!!

#okay so i don't really like this trope but #but i am stubborn af #and bold of you to assume i am going to leave one day unwritten #'you are late' i don't care okay i have to go to work and do things irl #<- literally nobody is saying anything i am the only one complaining abt being late #i really like usopp saying 'nope this is dumb y'all are mentally ill and codependent with your partners i am NORMAL' #and then he is not normal at all #one piece #usopp #black leg sanji #sanuso #sanuso week

[campingwiththecharmings]

ever get the feeling some people are just...tolerating you?

#like #they don't really wanna talk to you #but they feel bad if they don't. like they're ignoring you or something. #so they do it out of...some kind of pity #or obligation #or so they don't feel guilty #like pls. if that's you know that i dnw you being my friend out of pity. #and i mean that #if you don't really like me or are meh about me #that's okay #ik i can be a hard pill to swallow sometimes #stubborn af #talking to me is sometimes like pulling teeth #low self esteem and trust issues #lol #i have a lot of issues and i get that people don't always wanna deal with my shit when they have their own #maybe i just need to accept that there's no one who really wants to put in the work it's gonna take to 'crack' me #bc i'm sure it takes hella patience and perseverance #and like for what lol. what am i even offering? #my insecurities? my awkwardness? my trauma? #don't get me wrong ik i have good qualities but #those are the things you'll have to deal with if you want to be close to me #i will make you jump thru hoops. i do not trust easily. #it takes a lot to get me to open up and ik some people will not see me as worth the effort #and that's okay #i wish it was easier for me to open up to people but...it isn't *long sigh* #sorry lol i'm on my period and rly in my head today apparently #ignore me

[ardentfervour]

Crowley situates himself next to Aziraphale once the angel is seated on the couch, nerves bundling. Some minutes pass, and still, Muriel has offered nothing in lieu of any explanation for being there, and Crowley points at the box, frustratingly sputters, “Are we guessing what’s inside, or are you going to actually tell us?”

“Oh, right!” Muriel fumbles with the box, apologising quietly, “It’s nothing bad, I probably should’ve led with that.”

Crowley grinds his teeth, and Aziraphale reaches for his knee, squeezing lightly. “Nothing bad,” Aziraphale repeats, letting go of Crowley’s knee, “Go on then, Muriel.”

Muriel flicks their fingers, and the box lands in Crowley’s lap, the retired demon staring at it like it would soon catch fire. 

“Your attempts at discretion weren’t very successful,” Muriel says as Crowley opens the box carefully but then quickly slams the cover back down at the sight of the first picture.

Aziraphale peers at him curiously and tries to take the box, but Crowley’s grip on it is fierce.

“Can’t really say discretion was much of a conscious consideration,” Crowley replies, much more relaxed with the awareness this was all it was. In the same breath, it was a lie, the concern had always been there, but the continued idea that no one actually cared had a tendency to outshine worry. “Are these all of them?”

(...continue reading Pictures stain and walls carry wanton whispers by verovex on ao3)

#good omens #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #good omens fic #south downs cottage #aziracrow fic #good omens fanfic #I am indulging my beloved spouse #because they are stubborn and doesn't have much confidence in their works #BUT I DO #this is fluffy af #and hilarious #go read read read #and comment you fuckers #fic recs #good omens fic rec #good omens ficlet

[ashmcgivern]

Sol for Papastcat on Artfight! They also have a Twitter, IG, and dA if you wanna check them out on other platforms.

I really loved the vibe of Sol, the shape language was just so TASTY, even if I didn't lean into it for this it just drew me in.

#tiefling #dnd #dungeons and dragons #pirate #bard #sol #artfight #asharts #loooooooove papastcats work wowowow #just discovered them through af and its so good #too bad im stubborn and only am on tumblr sdkjgfd #also i updated the image there were some minor mistakes I noticed

[inkblackorchid]

Btw. I completed chapter 5 of the WIP in between. I've just been so tired the last few days that I forgot to post about it.....

#yugioh 5ds #fic writing updates #current wip #ngl I'm frustrated af right now because I can tell my writing has slowed down significantly #and it's all the dumb fault of irl obligations kicking my ass #I am. so. tired. #this fic author does not have enough time to rest #and she does not have enough enrichment in her enclosure either #the fic is still progressing because I'm a stubborn bitch #but uh. not much else is. my motivation for anything other than going to sleep and writing a few sentences every night is dead r/n. #siiiiiiiiiiigh #so yeah just in case you were wondering how things are going #orchid rambles

[venisontransmission]

"who did this to you?"

send  “  who  did  this  to  you  ?  ”  for  the  sender  to  find  the  receiver  injured  and  demand  to  know  who  did  it.

"Aha- ah, an extremely loaded question, my dear!"

He's trying to laugh at his situation - it is pretty funny if he thinks about it enough, but he's coughing smoke and blood far too much to actually do any laughing.

Foster is trying to sit up, forcing his lower body to do most of the work - especially seeing as there is a lot of blood coming from his arms. He manages - somehow, perhaps sheer force of will to lean against the wall behind him, taking a heaving breath like he's run a marathon.

He wants to close his eyes, but he's not out of it enough to do something stupid like that, being at least 80% certain he had a concussion. Sure, he wouldn't die from it, but healing from it would be terribly time consuming - especially when his magic was this dampened.

For the first time since Calloway spoke, Foster regards him by meeting his gaze. His alter looks so worried - he can't imagine why, did it look that bad? Foster's eyes are sunken, chest heaving as blood spills from his mouth and dribbles down his chin. The sleeves of his coat are soaked with blood - so saturated that it's puddling underneath his body. Large gashes up his arm are the cause of that - deep grooves by a blunt object as there's little tearing but massive bruising.

He takes a breath, chest rattling like a dying muffler as more smoke escapes, closing his eyes just a second as his ears droop - something Foster's ears seem to never do.

"I'll be... right as rain soon. Don' worry 'bout me."

#♛ ;; on air || ic #♛ ;; feedback || answered #radicheart #tw gore #//he may be beat up but man is stubborn af #//foster: i cannot laugh this off wtf am i supposed to do

[pencilofawesomeness]

I'm not even surprised.

I think I mentioned this one to you guys in the server before, but yeah I got inspired by a bunch of prompts and decided to go ham and give Natsu a real existential E.N.D. realization via Kyoka trying to mold him into their collective expectation of him, which is not, obviously, what Natsu really is. (Because you can't tell me that Zeref made a demon who could enhance and alter people without making a Super Demon Soldier *cough Natsu cough* in mind.)

Anyway it's working real title is Unmade and the goal is bully Natsu and make him question everything and challenge his autonomy as a human being until the gang gets him out, via Gray using his demon slayer magic for some demon saving.

I was in the mood for Violence and some real dark stuff when I made the concept. It's not a super active as a wip but I am still thinking about it.

Wrote a little too. Here's a snippet from the beginning, at the start of breaking this poor boi

The last thing he remembered was just going out to buy food for dinner. In Magnolia. Where all of his friends were, so really, it didn’t make sense for this to happen. Whatever…this was. Crazy stuff didn’t happen on lazy days when it was just him and Happy at home, keeping away from the on-and-off rain. But, this did happen, and now Natsu had to consider that if something bad happened to him in Magnolia, then something bad happened to all of Magnolia and all of the guild, and that was, well, very bad. Or it was just him, and buying food was simply the last thing he remembered. After all, he was alone in the cell. Very alone. Not even the sicko who put him in there was showing up—even after numerous attempts on Natsu’s part to call them out. It was hella’ annoying, really. (And a little unnerving.) “What do you want from me?!” he shouted for the umpteenth time, his voice finally starting to get raw from it. More silence.

#wip meme #ask game #phoenix-before-the-flame #natsu whump fic #unmade #i started writing it for whumpril and then got busy so I never committed #but I still wanna use the prompts #i was just in the mood for a dark af character study of how far until I break him #natsu is a stubborn guy I don't think that the mere knowledge of him being a demon #is enough to make him go crazy like in alverez #not when Natsu doesn't really care what he is #moreso who he is #no no I am going to rub it in #sprinkle a little body horror and lots of dehumanization #make him really question things by the end of it #this is also gonna feature a lot of gray having to Figure Things out

[blazingstarship]

Wip wip🥰🥰🙈🙈

…this went from flirting “I love your blue eyes” to under the mistletoe asking “Kusje?” Kissy?

Listen. Kusje is cute. “What’s “kusje?”” “Means a little kiss. It sounds more cute.”

#✨blazing wip #i try hard to draw again but drawing and the Christmas vibe inside me is gone… #and you wouldnt say #i wanted something new #and getting into a mood like spaceship matter too #we are cute #we are this ‘second chance of love’ and ‘sunshine x grumpy look’ dynamic #i dont whip him #i support his passion and dreams #Im interest in his hobbies and give him space if he needs it #and I am stubborn af to show my love to him #and trying to learn our origins language

[detectiveships]

#hwanghan #secret forest #stranger #tvn secret forest #hwang si mok #han yeo jin #forest of secrets #secret forest fanart #detectiveships #my art #fanart #sketch #hello this is me again in an attempt to make my super rough sketches a little more presentable (?) #yet again a collab with 2020 me #yes I am stubborn AF #it would make my life so much easier just accepting and posting sketches as they are but NO I gotta make my life harder lol #yknow I do all this coloring and stuff and then still like the sketch better lol #anyways not an artwork but I do love the essence of the sketch #and again their softness #thanks for the reblogs and likes on my hwanghan fanarts so far! #hope y'all enjoy this one too #also #sf3 when

[beanghostprincess]

I'm not the biggest Zosan but you know when they make Zoro hold Sanji's face just like, forcefully enough to ground him to earth and help him let go of the burden he carries for a while by making it his instead? Yeah. That. That gets me every time.

#y'know sanuso and zosan have very different ways of grounding sanji and making him vent and i love that #zoro knows sanji is stubborn af and sometimes he just needs to yell and fight and let go of what he keeps hidden inside #usopp knows that too but grounds him in a cozier more domestic genuine calm way instead. appealing to sanji's need of comfort #banging my head against the floor chewing on glass etc etc etc #one piece #black leg sanji #roronoa zoro #zosan #rare zosan post from bean i am sure you didn't expect that huh

[johnwgrey]

Me, 800 words into the first draft of a long fic: well this is shit. I should probably delete everything. Right?

#i see myself #i see how ridiculous i am #and i am Tired 😮‍💨 #i will power through tho because im stubborn af and I won't let my stupid brain stop me from doing what i want

[howthesleeplesswander]

"I've only ever heard stories of the adepti. I never thought I would meet one in person." -- For Xiao uvu

"And you are not human. What is your business here? Know that if you intend harm to Liyue or its people, I will not allow you another step further."

#《⭒✩⭒ || interaction: vigilant protector (xiao) 》 #decorobium #hello there! (*꧆▽꧆*) #thank you so much for the ask! ❤️ #I AM SO SORRY THAT XIAO IS IMMEDIATELY UNFRIENDLY 8'D #he is 'the Conqueror of Demons' after all #so all it takes is sensing that Sara is a yokai for him to be sus af #the adepti are very stubborn and set in their ways and I apologize profusely for him 8') #feel free to continue this if you'd like! c:

[insomniaticvoids]

I also do have plans to make Artorias sword proper scale. This is a threat and will mean I make like 3 versions of different sizes cause I smol. But the day I do you bet I am going to fixation rant soooooo hard about dark souls nobody is safe from the no sleep autism rambles. Like for humor a part of me wants to learn how to front flip just to do sword moves. I however am disabled and also cannot feel my limbs due to neuropathy. This does not stop me from figuring out other cool artorias sword moves. Or learning proper sword skills.

#i am utterly not normal about swords and armor #it is literally the thing that is the unspoken art way of havung me autism ramble #like i love the level of detail in fromsoft armor #the 4 knights of gwyns armor is somerhing i adoreeee #its all unique and fits them individually bith at aesthetic and job wise #and it tells so much about the character we dont get told #also unrelated but its funny af that irnstein or his armor is jyst there in all 3 ganes #i do not recall lore wise for ds2 but i find the implication funny just #oh yeah no this mans soul is so stubborn hes back get speared #i live and ramble about Artorias more but i also adore ornstien sooooo so much. #its just i cannot find as much merch or other things on him i like :<

[astrobiscuits]

Astro obs part 9

🐌 The planets in your 12th house indicate your sleeping style:

Sun in 12th house - their sleep schedule is extremely messed up; for them, daylight hours = nighttime hours and vice versa, so they have trouble being themselves during the day; their true self comes out at night

Moon in 12th house - goes to sleep very late; full moons have a special effect on these people; their intuition is more clear at night; as kids, they probably slept a lot with their mother

Mercury in 12th house - loves texting/calling people late at night; they might journal their thoughts before sleep because they overthink a lot and it helps to clear their mind or maybe they just like to relax by reading a book at night

Venus in 12th house - cares a lot about getting their "beauty sleep"; sleeps with sleep masks on, buys expensive bed lingerie, skincare night routine might be very important; loves sleeping in general lmao

Mars in 12th house - enjoys working out before going to sleep, can go to sleep angry because they tend to get into conflict more at night than during the day

I have Uranus in 12th house and i can be both a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper, depending on where i am. For example, when i'm traveling, during the first night i wake up several times, but from the second night on i sleep like a baby lmao. Another thing would be that i can't sleep in a quiet car but i don't have any problem sleeping during a thunderstorm

🐌 Mars in fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sag) and Mars in 3rd house individuals love riding motorbikess

🐌 While Mars in 9th house peeps would probably love to go on a world tour on their motorbike. The sign ruling their 9th house represents the countries they would love to visit (i'm aware that some of these can only be visited by plane, take it with a grain of salt): 

♈ in 9th house: Ireland, Poland, Japan, Zimbabwe

♉ in 9th house: Cuba, Paraguay, South Africa, East Timor

♊ in 9th house: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Montenegro

♋ in 9th house: Canada, USA, Bahamas, Argentina, Slovenia, Madagascar

♌ in 9th house: Hawaii, France, Italy, The Netherlands, India, South Korea, Peru, Bolivia

♍ in 9th house: Switzerland, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Vietnam

♎ in 9th house: Belgium, Portugal, China, Equatorial Guinea, Lesotho

♏ in 9th house: Panama, Spain, Turkey, Arab countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE), Palestine, Lebanon

♐ in 9th house: Finland, Lithuania, Romania, Tanzania, Thailand

♑ in 9th house: UK, Germany, Czech Republic, Australia, Camerun

♒ in 9th house: Greece, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka

♓ in 9th house: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Mauritius, Saint Lucia

🐌 I have a feeling Pisces Suns like to spend their time in a garage lmao. Mostly because their opposing sign, Virgo, would hate to spend time in a garage due to how dirty it can get.

🐌As a 7th house Sun who's been in love for almost a year now (haha, are we surprised, ofcours not; i'm not even in a relationship with him but ugh we're so perfect for each other), i realised that Sun in 7th house people tend to behave differently with their partner when they're in a healthy relationship vs when they're in a toxic one

Sun in 7th house in:

♈ Aries in a healthy relationship: empowers their partner, knows how to balance me time vs us time in a healthy manner, encourages their partner to take safe risks

♈ Aries in an unhealthy relationship: impulsive, impatient, selfish, dismisses their partner's feelings, often controlled by rage, prone to abusing their partner

♉ Taurus in a healthy relationship: veryyy generous (their love language is gift giving), accommodating to their partner's wants and needs, cooks for their partner

♉ Taurus in an unhealthy relationship: stubborn af, hard to please, focused more on the material gain from their partner rather than the love they share

♊ Gemini in a healthy relationship: curious, always lightens the mood of their partner by cracking up tons of jokes or telling them funny stories, knows that communication is key to everything so they're not afraid to discuss serious topics, teaches their partner a lot of random stuff

♊ Gemini in an unhealthy relationship: superficial, doesn't have a problem moving on from their partner to another person in a matter of seconds, if they're still in school/college, then they prioritize studying over their partner

♋ Cancer in a healthy relationship: nurturing, knows how to balance babying their partner vs being babied by their partner, emotionally vulnerable, feels safe enough to present their partner to their family early on in the relationship

♋ Cancer in a unhealthy relationship: if they don't trust their partner, they tend to become emotionally closed off to hide their deep sadness; defensive, but if their partner attackes them, then they'll hide, worries excessively, avoids presenting their partner to their family

♌ Leo in a healthy relationship: treats their partner like the king/queen they are, keeps their ego in check so it doesn't interfere with the relationship, if they've got artistic talents (music, acting, art etc.), they'll show their love for their partner by performing in front of them

♌ Leo in an unhealthy relationship: egocentric, shows off their partner/relationship too much out of pride, often feels entitled in the relationship and wants to be put on a pedestal by their partner

♍ Virgo in a healthy relationship: selfless to a healthy degree, remembers every lil detail from every casual conversations with their partner just to please them, remembers every important date and plans ahead for it, takes care of their partner when they're sick

♍ Virgo in a unhealthy relationship: critical, overfixates on past hurts and mistakes that their partner made in the relationship (often times their partner doesn't even remember those things because they're usually not that serious), loves their pets more than their partner

♎ Libra in a healthy relationship: romantic, charismatic, truly values their partner and the relationship with them, acts fair in the relationship, teaches their partner lovingly about the importance of honesty, truth and a healthy give and take dynamic in a relationship

♎ Libra in an unhealthy relationship: doesn't prioritize the relationship; instead, they flirt with others despite being in a relationship, emotionally detached, cold and calculated in their current relationship

♏ Scorpio in a healthy relationship: loyal, loves their partner deeply and intensely, but without suffocating them, keeps their partner's secrets like they're a locked safe box with no public access

♏ Scorpio in an unhealthy relationship: obsessive, manipulative, seeks to dominate their partner, displays stalkish behaviour in the relationship, liar

♐ Sagittarius in a healthy relationship: exposes their partner to various cultures, belief systems and philosophies to expand their mind and form their own opinion on certain topics, loves freely but is still able to maintain a long-term relationship, improves their partner's mood, usually brings an element of surprise and excitement to the relationship

♐ Sagittarius in an unhealthy relationship: travels in order to avoid dealing with their partner, parties a bit too much, doesn't take the relationship seriously

♑ Capricorn in a healthy relationship: loves their partner in a mature, serious and secure manner, doesn't shy away from improving their partner's social status and/or career if they can, discusses plans for the future (getting married, having kids, adopting pets, buying a house) with their partner early on in the relationship, they make time for their partner, despite the fact that they're busy most of the time

♑ Capricorn in an unhealthy relationship: displays no emotions or physical affection in the relationship, has a hard time communicating their thoughts with their partner, settles in a relationship for the wrong reasons (money/kids/safety/"i'm getting old and i need to have my life established"), prioritizes work/career over their partner

♒ Aquarius in a healthy relationship: flexible, makes their partner's dreams and aspirations come true (whether they're related to the relationship or not), has got a very open-minded attitude towards their partner's opinions, lifestyle and identity, takes the time to become friends firsts with their future partner because they value a relationship built on solid foundation (often times their partner is also their best friend), knows how to balance couple time vs time with friends

♒ Aquarius in an unhealthy relationship: displays wishy-washy behaviour, emotionally detached, prioritizes their friends over their partner, seeks online validation from strangers and acquaintances to fulfill their needs

♓ Pisces in a healthy relationship: sensitive to their partner's emotions, knows how to balance wearing their heart on their sleeve vs hiding their emotions in unfavourable circumstances, always honest with their partner

♓ Pisces in an unhealthy relationship: prone to drown their relationship problems and sorrows in alcohol, drugs and meds for mental health issues, runs away from problems instead of dealing with them with their partner, displays dishonesty to a fault, prone to self-sabotage

#astro #astro community #astro placements #astrology #astro observations #astro posts #astro notes #astro blog #astroblr #astrology notes #astrology observations #natal chart #sun in 7th house #sun in 12th #12th house #mars in 3rd house #mars in 9th house

[y-vna]

⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿

 ੭୧ ⠀⠀ ๑⠀⠀ ₊⠀ 𐀔  𐫦  ♡ 1 000 🐇   ۪  ✽    ۪   ⊹

⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀A ppreciation ⠀⠀🍥

 ᥥ⑅ᥥ   :   Ohh emm gee hi everybody!? I can't believe I, yes, ME, could EVER get here. Like omg wtf I swear to god i was not this big just a few months ago. and its not even about the follows at this point, I've just grown really really REALLY fond of the people on this platform, you all make me so so happy istgg. A lot of people have left tumblr recently, and I wish them only the very best, but I am real grateful for those who havent left me yet 😭 I have gained an overwhelming amount of support since the start of this blog, and I've definitely had my ups and downs, but nonetheless I'm still here! THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WHERE I AM TODAY AND THANK YOU DO MUCH MY LUVS FOR 1k!!! 😭😭😭💗💗💗💓💓❣️❣️

⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ x-tra L ove 💌⠀

- I love you all so soooo much, I just want you to know I believe in you, and you are gorgeous inside and out. I don't care what anybody else says, if they disagree, then screw them, I'll argue to my grave if I have to, because they are 150% wrong (2 points proven here, im so good at math and i like arguing bc im stubborn af). I know I'm supposed to be talking about how grateful I am, and obviously i really am, but it makes me happier when I'm talking about how much I love other people in my life, its super fulfilling. Even if I don't know you...I wish you the best lovely! ꣑୧

My favorite babies on this platform because UGH I LOVE THEM. LIKE REALLY LOVE THEM ☹️☹️

(not in particular order besides first few. Sorry babes they’re the ogs.)

@p-uki @yooorei @p-oisn @wiotas @fairytopea @yeritos @eun-luv @lil-liaa @ha-erins @7hyein @mxlly143 @vsnilla @jaes1lvr @i08wony @y0oni3 @fuckici @y-ves @iluvrei @shiolu @gigittamic @egorls @acdyzx @y-unjins @baesol @s-heon @khaer @raeceah @sugarish @yeribbon @umiena @yumjins @yujin @i-kyujin @y2jiz @bambicito @tookio @wcnbear @jnthri @minslune @munequitta @phuoris @h-aeism @h-anis @crazyfrm @vg-k @ryeins @gyustarzzi2 @florietas @wonysela ++ sooo MUCH MORE I love all of you!!!

I hope I can continue making you all proud for at least a little longer <3

Xoxo,

Ari

Aka yours truly

@y-vna

#div cr muruffin #amazing drawing is mine woohoo #1k milestone #my locs #kpop moodboard #kpop gg #kpop #kpop icons #aesthetic moodboard #kpop layouts #kpop messy moodboard #kpop gg moodboard #cute moodboard #messy moodboard #mini moodboard #soft moodboard #pretty moodboard #white moodboard #alternative moodboard #pink moodboard #random moodboard #vintage moodboard #messy locs #cute #kpop locs

[undiscovered-horizon]

Rainy Season - Morpheus x Reader

[Spoilers for Brief Lives I guess?]

[MASTERLIST] | [Sandman-inspired playlist]

SUMMARY: Fed up with Dream's stubborn and at times childish attitude, you leave Dreaming. But when Morpheus's sorrow makes itself known, Matthew has to fetch you before the kingdom completely floods.

WORDCOUNT: ~ 1.7k

It’s a tumultuous morning in the Dreaming. Even if none of the dreams and nightmares are privy to the ongoing feud, they know something is wrong. It’s as though the air in the kingdom, the marrow of their bones, turned bitter last night. Their skin is crawling but the sun is shining as it did yesterday. They birds chirp the same song they had throughout centuries. And yet, against their better judgment, something is terribly out of place.

To be honest, you don’t even remember how all of this started but the damage is already done.

A frustrated scream ripples through your chest, "The world doesn't revolve around you!" You're fuming. There's only so much patience one person can hold and recently, Morpheus had proven himself exceptional at trying to reach its limit until he, unfortunately, succeeded today. "For someone who's supposed to know every thought ever entertained, you sure can not look past the tip of your own nose."

His eyes, cold and hurt, stare at you in utter confusion. Dark eyebrows furrow. "I do not know what you're expecting of me,” he states in an angry voice. It appears that he really does not understand the reason for your outrage. "I am not human, I am unable to look at the world as you do."

Of course he says that, you think to yourself. It seems to be his favorite line of defense. Dream of the Endless is a strange, eldritch creature. He doesn’t comprehend the world like a mortal does and, or some reason, he treats this fact of nature as an excuse not to try. At first, you thought it charming - to see the universe through the eyes of a creature you can barely begin to understand. Who wouldn’t? The strange wonder of the man in front of you made you seek his company again and again. Truthfully, there’s something poetic about it: the reason you’ve come back to him so many times might be the very reason you bid him farewell. For good.

"Good news, then: you don't need a cardiovascular system to exercise empathy.” Your sarcastic tone has an effect on Morpheus. He frowns, hurt by your words, only to grow angry that he’s so affected. Dream’s pride makes him want to not be influenced by your bitterness. Alas, he cares more than he’s willing to admit. "Not everything is about you, Morpheus, and until you realize that, I don't think we've got more to talk about. Goodbye."

Even after you shut the door behind you, the word echoes through the castle. The stone walls seem to whisper it back to Morpheus, rubbing the salt in his wound. How strange it is - to be haunted by somebody still alive. To be the king of dreams and feel hopeless. It would be funny if it didn’t make him want to be unmade.

A thunder rolls. A blue lightning splits the sky in two. Despite the lovely weather in the morning, it starts to rain in the Dreaming.

The storm doesn’t stop after a few hours nor does it cease after a few days. Black clouds cover the sky as they did four days ago. The only change is in the water level: the kingdom is flooded. When everyone thought the rain is bound to stop soon, no one minded much the rising tide. However, when the situation only worsened with no evidence that it’s going to improve in the near future, worried voices started to reach Lucienne. If the storm doesn’t cease in the next day or two, some parts of the Dreaming will share the fate of Atlantis.

If Morpheus knew he was being observed, he didn’t show it. Perhaps he doesn’t feel up for another confrontation. In any event, he remains still, standing against the balcony reiling, as his friends begin plotting:

"How is he?" Matthew whispers to Lucienne. "Has he moved from there at all? Ate something? Said anything?"

"That's three 'no's, I'm afraid,” she answers slowly. The librarian lets out a heavy sigh. "He's just dramatically standing there, wallowing in pity."

Dream really is 'just standing there’. Drenched. His hair and clothes are stuck to his pasty skin. It can’t be comfortable but it would appear that matters other than cosiness are on his mind at the moment. For the past few days, ever since you left, he hasn’t moved even a quarter of an inch. Truthfully, he looks about as alive as a marble statue, if monuments could appear excruciatingly miserable.

"Should we do something?" The raven continues. What he really wants to ask is 'What should we do?’ but Lucienne seems to catch the undertone of his words nonetheless.

"You could ask her to come back but no guarantee she'll want to,” she thinks out loud. "They've fought before but this time she looked really defeated."

Morpheus, although doesn’t need to breathe, sighs loudly. As he exhales, another lightning tears the sky apart.

"Alright, I'll try to convince her to talk to him again,” Matthew states. His worried voice makes him sound determined to have the two of you reconcile. "Hopefully, we'll be back before you need a canoe."

Lucienne doesn’t respond. As much as she doesn’t want to admit to her pessimism, she knows better than to have much hope in the matter of Dream’s love life.

Repetitive tapping on the window diverts your attention from the dishes you were washing. Seeing the black bird sitting on the outside windowsill, you quickly wipe your hands against the dishrag and jog to open the window.

"Matthew?" you ask in surprise.

He wastes no time pleading his case in a plaintive tone. "You gotta go back to him. Everything's gone to shit."

You furrow your eyebrows. Leaning against the wall, you cross your arms on your chest. "What do you mean?"

The raven hops closer to you. "It's been pouring nonstop since you left. He's just standing there, soaking wet and he won't talk to anyone."

It might sound sadistic but it’s a nice thought that he’s grieving your departure so severely. For what it’s worth, it means he’s not as blase as he likes to appear. Perhaps, Morpheus cares about you more than you’re even aware of.

"How bad is it?" you ask warily.

"How bad?!" Matthew screeches. "The House of Mysteries is so flooded, Abel is fishing."

It sounds like 'bad' is nothing more than an elegant euphemism. In his heartache, Morpheus is willing to let Dreaming decay and fall into partial ruin. If your accusation had been correct and Dream of the Endless truly is unable to care about anyone but himself, such a disaster would never have happened. A selfish ruler wouldn’t let his realm turn to rubble because of a broken heart. And if you’re more important than what he calls home, then…

"I'm assuming that's not a usual feature,” you give the raven a half-hearted response. The thoughts inside your head are in a painful turmoil, trying to lift the truth out of the indications.

"Yeah," he answers sarcastically.

Matthew glares at you in anticipation. Perplexed, you rub your arm without thinking much about it. Right, it's the mature and responsible thing to do but at the same time, why do you have to be the one to cave in every time you two fall out? If Morpheus cares for you as much as his dramatic show of pain and grief would suggest, shouldn’t it be him travelling across world and realms to reach you?

The raven cocks his head. Something about the look in his eyes changes as though his frustration has faded away or grown into desperation if not powerlessness. He’s tired and out of options.

"Alright, let's go," you say with a sigh. "But no promises. I still have pride and self-respect and he's still a stubborn..." you take a deep breath, "nevermind. Let's just go."

Miserable.

That's the only word that comes to your mind as you stare at him from afar. One would think that an entity of his sort can not be or look miserable but maybe this world is even stranger than you've thought. His clothes are drenched to the point of being see-through. Dark, once-tussled hair is now stuck to his face and neck. Dream's body looks even more stringy as his head is hanging low between his shoulders.

The rain is almost deafening. Your cautious, hesitant footsteps shouldn't be audible and yet Morpheus turns around to look at you when you come closer.

"I didn't think you'd come back," he says in a low, groggy voice. Dream's eyes, once blue and cold, are now red and unsettlingly vacant. Has he been crying? "What do you want?"

You take a deep breath. It was vain to expect him to welcome you with open arms. An eldritch being with a bruised ego and a broken heart could never make for a hospitable host. Even to those whom he misses the most.

"I still stand by what I said, it's just..." you hang your voice for a moment to find the proper words. Seeing him so broken by your fight makes some part of you want to renounce everything that lead to your argument. Anything just for him to be alright again. But the more reasonable side of you knows that such an action would only hurt both of you in the long run. "I admit, I could have said it in a more civilized way. I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that harshness."

His gaze falls and Morpheus looks away for a moment.

Whether he's doing it consciously or not, the rainstorm ceases. Black clouds slowly drift away to uncover a clear, blue sky. Somewhere in the West, if there are cardinal directions in Dreaming, the sun is beginning to set. Despite the significant improvement, the air remains cold. A harsh wind nips at your drenched form. In a vain attempt to shield yourself from the discomfort of the weather, you put your arms around your torso. Still, your body trembles.

"Perhaps I should have put more effort into understanding your concern. I'm..." he turns silent for a second. His lips are apart but no sound is coming out of his mouth. Dream's hurt gaze meets yours. "Sorry," he whispers finally. Despite his voice being hardly audible, the weight of his confession is almost deafening.

"There's one more thing, Morpheus."

Those sad blue eyes stare at you in anticipation. The misery on his face makes you think that he's expecting to have his heart broken again, instead of mended.

A couple of grey clouds reappear above your heads. Oh no.

"I'm tired of always being the one to reach out," you confess. His gaze is too intense and you quickly look away from him. There's much on his mind. "No matter who's right or wrong, it's me who bridges the gap between us. Even if that angers me, I still do it. Every time. And I don't know what that says about me."

Your body trembles again but this time it doesn't go unnoticed by Morpheus. He, quite literally, pulls a coat out of thin air. Dream's movements are almost fearful as he cautiously places the garment around your shoulders.

"Perhaps in certain aspects, you are better than me," he answers quietly while fixing the coat to fit you better.

You know you're pushing your luck when you look at him again and ask a not-so-innocent question:

"You mean a 'better person'?"

"I'm not-" He bites his tongue just in time. Morpheus is not a person. Both of you are perfectly aware of it. But it was the mention of this very fact that had brought such disastrous rain to Dreaming. "Yes. A better person."

There's not much conviction in his words but there is, however, a silent promise to find it.

______

Now that I’m in mourning, I thought it fitting to finish reading "Brief Lives" and the bittersweetness of it felt all the more pronounced. Reading it prompted me to rewatch the show and long story short I’m kind of back in my Sandman feels.

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