What Are All The Lessons In Itwall?

If I tell you this is a horror dance number it still won't prepare you. That last move was so terrifying even the judge was like "Let go! Let go!" If you told me they're actually possessed I'd believe you.

One of the most perfectly choreographed and executed dances I have ever seen and comes closest to Shobana's original performance in Manichitrathazhu. Incredible!

a better proposal

the continuation of my fake marriage c!dnb au written for @alterdnbweek!

The cloak was spread out on the floor of the prison cell with one edge rolled up into the world’s most pathetic attempt at a pillow. Dream was resting his head on the lump of fabric, staring up at the ceiling, his intact leg bent at the knee and swaying back and forth. He had given up on trying to sleep and Techno had given up on trying to get him to sleep. The bags under his eyes said he needed rest but it didn’t come easy in Pandora’s Vault even for Techno who had always been proud of his ability to sleep anywhere. Techno yawned, not bothering to cover his mouth. At the sound, Dream turned his head and looked at him.

“Did I disturb you, Dream?” asked Techno with a grin.

Dream gave a quiet laugh.

“No.” The expression on Dream’s face was one Techno was familiar with and he readied himself for whatever nonsense specifically designed to make him shake his head was about to come out of Dream’s mouth. “I was just thinking…”

The grin on Techno’s face widened fondly.

“I’m sure, I’m sure.”

For a moment the tables were turned and Dream shot Techno a look before rolling his eyes.

“Fuck off, Techno, I-I am,” he said. “I was thinking, how—how did you propose to me?”

Techno blinked.

“Heh?”

The question hadn’t been what Techno was expecting and he stared at Dream who raised his shoulders in an awkward shrug before folding his hands across his stomach. His eyes were back on the ceiling.

“We’re pretending to be married, right? So, I mean, you had to propose, right?”

Glancing up at the ceiling as if he thought he could find whatever inspired Dream to go down this line of questioning, Techno mimicked his shrug.

“How d’you know I was the one to propose? Maybe you were the one,” said Techno.

Dream scoffed and rolled slightly onto his side to stare at Techno.

“It’s your idea that means you were the one to propose.”

The logic was flawless, Techno had to admit. With a groan, he stretched out onto his belly until his face was only a few inches away from Dream’s. Dream watched with what Techno thought was suspicion and a bit of eagerness.

“Alright, you’ve got a point.” Techno propped his chin up on one hand. “Lemme think. It had to be something epic, obviously.”

Dream nodded, face serious.

“Obviously.”

This close, it might have been possible to count the freckles on Dream’s cheeks and nose. He was watching Techno intently, eyes never leaving his face, and Techno felt a blush rising. The thought that they were close enough he could kiss Dream wouldn’t leave. He cleared his throat.

“It was the middle of battle. You were surrounded by enemies—”

One of Dream’s hands darted out and smacked Techno lightly on the arm.

“Hey!”

Techno caught Dream’s wrist. Dream wasn’t that much shorter than him but he had always been lithe and the starvation had taken that into painfully thin territory. Techno could wrap his fingers completely around his wrist.

“Remember, I’m the one proposin’ here, Dream, that means I get to decide.”

“Alright, fiiiine,” said Dream.

It would’ve been easy for him to tug his hand away – the grip was gentle – but he didn’t. Techno’s fingers moved upwards until he was able to lace them together with Dream’s.

“Where was I before I was so rudely interrupted?” Dream rolled his eyes and Techno grinned. “Oh right, so there you were, surrounded by enemies. I had already finished off the guys I was fightin’, obviously.”

Dream rolled his eyes again but he was smiling.

“Obviously,” he said, the sarcasm thick and amused.

Techno squeezed Dream’s hand a little.

“I saw you were in trouble and pearled right in the middle, just in time to parry a fatal blow. Together – see, I’m givin’ you some credit, Dream – we finished off the rest of ‘em just as the sun began settin’. In the orange light of the sunset, you actually looked kinda pretty.”

In the orange light of the lava, Dream did look kind of pretty, Techno thought, even with the feigned look of annoyance. He was still looking at Techno and he had leaned in closer and Techno didn’t think he had realized it.

“Then?” Dream prompted.

Techno shifted where he lay. He hadn’t realized he was staring.

“I took your hand,” he said, squeezing Dream’s hand, “and got down on one knee, askin’ you to marry me. Of course, you were ecstatic and said yes, Techno, I’ll marry you because I can’t believe someone as cool and handsome as you would want to marry a homeless guy.”

The laugh Dream gave was loud and delighted.

“Oh my god! What is wrong with you?” His voice rose and fell, squeaking out as his cheeks turned bright red. “You—That’s the worst proposal ever, Technoblade! Y-you didn’t even give me a ring or flowers or—or kiss me!”

The thought that had been stuck in Techno’s mind was white hot. He leaned in a little.

“It was the middle of a battle, Dream, I didn’t have time to stop to pick flowers, alright?”

Dream tilted his head up. His breath was warm on Techno’s face.

“Lame. I could—I could definitely do better.”

Techno’s laugh was soft and amused.

“Yeah? Alright, man, you tell me how you’d do it,” he said.

It was quiet for a moment and Techno was certain he could hear Dream’s heart racing just as quickly as his own was.

“I would’ve, like, done the whole candlelight dinner thing. I mean, I can’t really cook but whatever. I would’ve gotten you flowers,” said Dream, triumphantly, as if he had won the game they were playing.

Rubbing his thumb against Dream’s knuckle, Techno nodded slowly as he considered Dream’s words. He was considering a lot of things, like the curve of Dream’s mouth and the butterflies in his stomach. He was trying to ignore the way Dream was looking at him because he had a feeling it mirrored his own expression.

“Oh, I see, I see. You would’ve gone full rose petals on the floor, huh?” Dream didn’t answer because Techno had leaned in close enough that his snout was just barely touching the corner of his mouth. They both held perfectly still until Techno raised an eyebrow and said, “I guess you would’ve kissed me, too.”

When Dream answered, his lips brushed against Techno’s skin. He said, with no sarcasm, “Obviously.”

A shiver went down Techno’s spine and it pained him to move away.

“Y’know what, Dream? I’ll give it to ya, yours was better.”

@nekioe

Hhhhh long haired dream my beloved

Comment or put in my asks how you interpret dreams design and I’ll draw it! (Eventually)

сDoomsdaytrio and Jewelry

cPhilza likes jewelry, but mostly finds it very impractical. Something that can be caught in a fight and throw him off balance. (cPhilza used to wear a lot of jewelry, showed it off in every way. Until someone pulled his ear so hard that the lobe had to be sewn back in place in a panic and сPhil was given healing potions. Then it was a friendly match, and the end of someone else's sword caught an earring on a chain. Much later, he was almost killed when an arrow missed the chain and pinned him in place for an extra couple of seconds. cPhilza miraculously survived when the next poisoned arrow hit him in the right side.)

Now he wears a stud with a diamond-shaped emerald in his left ear, he has gotten used to wearing jewelry again. It no longer bothers him.

cTechno loves jewelry, he is ready to hang himself in it and dress everyone in it. Earrings in the ears, with different stones: one with an emerald on a gold chain, ruby ​​studs, another with small emeralds laid out in a clover leaf, and just gold. Sometimes, on days when he and cPhil are relaxing, he puts on bracers and greaves made of gold, decorated with swirls with a boar's face in the middle, with ravens on the sides and a border with sweet antarctida berries. He pulls out a diamond necklace, rings with rubies and gold.

cDream doesn't wear jewelry. It's not practical, it shows his weaknesses, it points to his attachments.

But he can't give up the diamond-shaped medallion with the emerald. He keeps it under layers of clothes, where no one can see, where it's safest.

In hard times, cDream clings to the medallion, cradles it in his hands and tries to calm himself down after another attack.

I don't wanna crowd your asks even more I am so sorry, but consider: c!Dream never able to properly do physical activities again after prison and what c!Quackity and c!Sam did to him, because no amount of respawns can heal that much nerve damage. His legs don't work the same anymore, he can't jump and run the way he used to. The tools in his hands are hard to hold and even harder to use because his hands are shaky and unreliable. Dream has never been good at staying still... -trainstation anon

don’t apologise for crowding my asks - i promise you’re not !! i had to give this one a happy ending,, as someone who suffers from immense knee pain sometimes i Felt This One, so here, have some post-prison dream hurt/comfort!

warnings: trauma, chronic pain, nerve damage, injuries, self destructive behaviour, unhealthy coping mechanisms, self harm (in that c!dream keeps pushing himself despite being hurt)

Everything hurts now. 

He doesn’t like thinking about his time in prison - hates thinking about what the consequences have been for him even more - but when he’s constantly surrounded by reminders, it’s hard to do anything but. His whole body is a flashback to Quackity and Sam and the prison and the hell he’d been through: it’s frustrating, more than anything, frustrating and exhausting.

Dream has always been restless, flitting from place to place without being able to stand still, drawn to running and climbing by instinct. His body feels like a cage now: he can run, sure, but not far, and he’s wrecked for hours after even the shortest of sprints, his legs uncooperative and painful. He can’t run, can’t fight properly (even if he could force himself to pick up a weapon without panicking at the sight of it, his hands were too trembly to do much damage), he can’t do shit, and it’s miserable.

Find other things to do, people urge him - those that speak to him without pity, anyway - find other activities. You’ll ruin yourself if you’re not careful.

Dream has never been one for stepping back when he’s frustrated. He’s hot headed, he’s stubborn, and he’s not about to give up the few things he enjoys, because what is he if he can’t do manhunts? What tenuous position does that leave him in, if he can’t defend or attack?

So he struggles through his days, forcing himself to run and walk and climb and train as usual, grits his teeth and forces down tears at the agony he ends up in. His leg gets worse. His hands get worse. Everything gets worse, and when someone finds him collapsed at the edge of what had once been L’Manburg, sobbing with pain, they carry him home, tell him to be more careful - find something new to do, they advise, pity mingling with their voice - and leave him to self-destruct again.

You’re not strong enough is what Dream hears, and it’s what pushes him to keep going. Until one day it’s Techno that finds him staggering back from training, half-delirious with agony and unable to keep up his façade of pain-free indifference, and Dream wakes up in his own home, with Techno talking quietly to Chat under his breath. It’s a familiar quiet enough scene that Dream feels like he can breathe for the first time in weeks, despite the pain shooting through what feels like every nerve in his body.

“You need to be kinder to yourself,” Techno tells him with a shrug that morning, and Dream stares at him like he’s grown eight heads, “compromise with your body. How do you think Philza got back the strength to move around after his wings were blown to bits?”

Dream swallows. “I don’t want to give up anything from before. I’m- I know I can keep doing it.”

“I’m not telling you to.” Techno offers him a hand to sit up; bewildered, Dream takes it. “I’m telling you to compromise, idiot, or you’re going to run yourself into the ground.” And then he glances away. “I can help you. Consider it repaying that favour.”

And despite himself, Dream smiles faintly, and accepts, because Techno is the only one who hasn’t pitied him.

Compromise is perhaps tougher. There are days Dream can’t forgive his body for struggling, days where he’s riddled flat on his back in pain from his leg and arm and thoughts and can’t do anything but survive. There are days where it’s the opposite: his body seems better and he pushes himself too far. Those are both getting few and far between - instead, Dream is slowly beginning to find somewhat of a happy medium.

It’s not perfect. His body aches and no matter how much he and Techno work, he knows he’ll never be able to regain full strength or power like he had before. But he goes to therapy and when Puffy asks him how his week has been, he doesn’t have to lie - he smiles faintly behind his cracked mask and says he managed to build a treehouse for himself without getting hurt, and it feels like recovery.

“Not bad,” Techno tells him approvingly, caught off guard after two years of adapted fighting, “not bad at all.”

Dream grins. His right arm is too weak still to deliver a precise blow with a sword, but, he’s discovered with training, not so weak that he can’t use it as a feint to distract his opponent. “Not bad?” He laughs. “I beat you. If this was a real fight, you’d be toast.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Techno grumbles, but both of them are grinning, and it’s then Dream realises he laughed for the first time since he got out of prison, properly laughed, like how he used to. It’s a startling discovery, and it almost floors him.

Not quite, though. Instead, he offers a hand to Techno to help him sit up; begrudgingly, Techno takes it. And together, with Dream chattering excitedly to his friend, they begin to head home.

(He limps, but Techno is there to help if needed.)

important talk?

"the world was on fire, no one could save me but you"

(also lil drawing of dream's scars)

quick little fanart for the "Face Me and Scream" fic by franticdesert on ao3

Not the western au but Phil and Techno being possessive over Dream…

Like them not letting him leave the artic because ‘it’s safer here’

And at some point just pandoras all over again, but he’s not getting tortured just coddled, but the inability to leave stays present.

It’s not horrible.

dream likes to sleep in, and neither techno or philza blame him. he's improving, but his body is still in rough shape-- he needs rest. phil brings him coffee in bed, made just the way he likes it. kisses his forehead as he passes him the mug. they talk about the day, and phil mentions that a snowstorm is coming soon. might hit as early as midday.

dream makes it to the living room just in time to catch techno before he leaves for the day. techno is going to do some hunting and bring in firewood, just in case they're snowed in. dream knows better than to ask to join him, so instead he sets us a prank for techno when he returns. a classic-- clear saran wrap on his doorframe. he sets it up and then spends some time with the animals, sometimes noticing phil watching him through the window.

techno gets GOT by the prank, and he tackles dream in vengeance. scoops dream up into his arms and tosses him on the couch. they laugh and wrestle, and techno is very gentle with him. dream catches a glimpse of the rabbits techno caught and he sees that they aren't in their winter furs. techno left the arctic to hunt. he wonders what's happening out there. he decides not to ask.