on temporizing || Dream SMP Timeloop Fic

Chapter 4

16. adoption arc, pt. 1 (inspired by Trytokillmeorsomething123)

"What. . ." Tommy looked around. "Dream, what-- where are we? When are we?"

Dream turned to him, and Tommy did a double take. He looked young.

"We're. . ." Dream said, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Tommy, Tommy-- we're before the Disc wars."

"The Disc--" Tommy stopped short. "Holy shit." He turned behind him to see Spawn. "Did I-- did I just join the server?"

"We're so early," Dream breathed.

They stood there in silence for a moment, simply taking in their surroundings. The SMP, back when it was still being built up, before the wars and betrayals and violence. They had a chance, here, a chance to have the life that could have been.

Dream sighed. "Well," he said quietly. "What do you want to do?"

"What are you gonna do?" Tommy challenged. "Because if you're gonna be an asshole this time around, I'll kill you."

Dream snorted. "I think I'll take the pacifist route, actually."

"Pacifist-- this isn't fucking Undertale!"

"Look me in the eye and tell me that I can't call loop zero neutral."

Tommy glared.

Dream grinned. "Thought so. Well then, I'll ask again. What do you want to do?"

". . . Will you invite Wilbur to the server?"

Dream looked thoughtful. "Yeah," he decided at last. "But not Schlatt. Schlatt's staying out."

Tommy scowled. "Right, fuck him. If you invite him, I'll stab him. And then I'll stab you."

"So I won't invite him," Dream said cheerily, clapping his hands together. "Well then. I'm off."

"Wait, wait, you never told me what you were gonna do!" Tommy protested.

Dream paused, then adjusted his mask and looked him dead in the eye. "I'm going to adopt all the minors," he said calmly. "All. The minors."

And then he was gone, disappearing before Tommy could even formulate a reply.

"Wait," Tommy spluttered to empty air. "Wait, am I a minor--"

17. lava, pt. 1

Tommy awoke sprawled on the ground. He remained perfectly still, taking in the hard dirt beneath his back and the scent of smoke and gunpowder. He was either back at the Sixteenth. . . or exile.

"Tommy?"

Exile, then. He cracked his eyes open, squinting at the bright sky. His vision was partially obscured by Dream, who was leaning over him, mask pushed to one side and face etched with concern.

"Hey," he croaked, pushing himself into a sitting position. There was a faint ringing in his ears. He shook his head, trying to clear it, and caught sight of the crater by his feet in the process.

Dream grimaced, offering him a hand. Tommy accepted it and let himself be pulled up, then dusted himself off before he turned to run an eye over Logstedshire.

It was still intact. Looks like the crater had been one of Dream's customary 'time-to-traumatize-Tommy' moments, not him blowing Logstedshire sky-high in a fit of rage.

"So," Dream said, shuffling awkwardly. He looked uncomfortable. Which was very understandable, because That Feeling When You Get Thrown Back In Time Into A Situation Where You Were A Massive Jerk and all that.