on temporizing || Dream SMP Timeloop Fic

Chapter 25

121. the adventures of dreaxter, pt. 7 (credit to Black_as_White) 

TW: Implied/Referenced Torture

Tommy plucked halfheartedly at the weeds, glaring at them like they'd personally offended him. "Build a hotel, they said. It'll be fun, they said." He yanked a dandelion out with unnecessary force. "But noooo, I have to pull the same fucking weeds a hundred fucking times!"

"Tommy," an echoey voice said behind him. Tommy groaned, throwing his weeds down and turning around.

"Hey Dream, whhhAT THE FUCK!"

The ghost offered him a wan smile. The vibrant bruises on his cheek scrunched disturbingly. "Yeah. I got a wardrobe upgrade."

"What the fuck," Tommy repeated, voice reaching a squeak. "Go back, undo, whatever the fuck just-- no!"

"I don't know how."

Tommy pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Then he looked Dream over, forcing himself not to flinch back at the sight of the orange jumpsuit. "Okay," he breathed. "Okay. What happened?"

Dream flickered like a shaky TV signal. When he stabilized, several ugly gashes had opened up along his arm. "I talked to Sam."

"Right, that'll do it." Tommy's eyes drifted to the green blood staining his sleeve. "Are you okay?"

"It doesn't hurt."

Tommy bit the inside of his cheek. "Not what I was asking."

". . . Yes. No. I don't know." Dream twisted his fingers together. Tommy cringed as they cracked loudly. "Listen, I-- I need to change back. George and Sapnap are waiting for me-- Sam wouldn't talk to them, so they sent me into the prison to find him, but if I don't get back soon-- I can't let them see me like this and I didn't know what to do, so I just--"

"Went looking for me."

"Yes."

"Right, okay. Right. Um--" Tommy wracked his brain. "Maybe it's connected to your emotions or some shit? You gotta calm down, man."

The ghost scowled at him. The mask pushed to the side of his head cracked, a smear of dark green creeping up the edge. "I would if I knew how!"

Tommy was half-tempted to say 'breathing exercises', but one look at Dream's glowing eyes was enough to tell him that they wouldn't work this time. Instead he said, "I wanna redecorate the prison."

Dream blinked. ". . .What?"

"I wanna redecorate the prison," Tommy repeated. "Next time we loop in after the final confrontation, we're taking creative liberties. With or without Sam's permission."

"I. . ." Dream frowned. "What would you do with it?"

"Make everything pink. Baker-Miller pink. Scientifically proven to reduce aggression, and Sam could use some help with that." Tommy eyed Dream's hoodie, which was conspicuously glitter-free. "And add glitter. A ton of that shit, just-- everywhere. Pile it up in the corners so people step in it and get glitter all over themselves."

Dream's form stabilized, flickering edges solidifying once more. "Wouldn't that just make him more frustrated?"

"But it would be funny. His face, Dream, remember that one time we replaced the lava with glue--"

"The time with the feathers, or the time with the catnip?"

"I was thinking about the feathers, but the catnip one was fuckin' hilarious." Tommy snickered, relaxing slightly as Dream's fingers straightened out. "Highest-security prison on the server, and it couldn't hold up against cats."