Lavender Snow

Sketchbook

Tommy didn't sleep well. His dreams were full of distant roars and emptiness, and whenever he woke up the obsidian walls seemed to bend and stretch into infinite tunnels. Eventually he gave up on sleep altogether, and drew smoky figures and winged creatures with what little light he had.

He knew it was morning when the lights came on, blinking to life suddenly. Tommy swore and covered his eyes, trying to adjust to the brightness. When he lowered his hands, Dream was standing by the door, looking over at him.

"FUCK!" Tommy pressed his back against the wall. "Where did you even come from, Jesus!"

Dream laughed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I was just checking to make sure you were awake."

"Well, I'm definitely awake now." Tommy took a deep breath, trying to slow his racing heart. "Why am I here? Why haven't you killed me yet? Or. . . killed me again?"

"I don't want to kill you, Tommy," Dream said, surprised. "I promised 1696 you wouldn't be discarded, and I always keep my promises."

Tommy gripped his sketchbook tightly. "Wait, wait, wait. You talked with Ranboo? When? Where is he? Is he here?"

"Oh, no, that was a long time ago. We talked for a little bit, it made a deal with me, and then I sent it down to Earth." Dream walked over and sat at the desk.

"Wha. . . What deal did you make?" Tommy scooted as far away from Dream as he could get.

Dream shrugged. "I just wanted to know what had happened to you when you disappeared. 1696 was really hesitant to tell me, but it agreed to the deal when I said I only wanted you to be safe."

Well that's a straight-up lie, Tommy thought. "Pyro fucking murdered me, I don't think that constitutes as being 'safe'."

Dream tilted his head. "It was the only way to get you away from those people, Tommy. If there was any other option, we would have taken it, but I wanted you back as soon as possible."

"And why the fuck is that?!" Tommy yelled. "You're talking in circles!"

"Perhaps I am." Dream scratched the back of his neck, and Tommy was thrown off by how. . . human he looked. All these years, he had seen Dream as some monstrous creature of the shadows, but now he was just an Elytrian with a mask.

Tommy's stomach growled, and he flushed. Dream laughed. "Oh, sorry! I forgot to bring you breakfast. I'd better go anyway, I have some important meetings that need attending."

"Yeah, get out of here! I don't want to see you again!" Tommy yelled, then flinched back when Dream stood up.

"I hope you don't mean that," Dream said softly. "I really do only want what's best for you, Tommy."

Lies, Tommy thought, frowning. Dream nodded to him, then left, shutting the door behind him.

Tommy stared at the door for a moment, then slowly got up and slid off his bed onto the floor. He lowered his sketchbook from his chest, and set it on the cold stone floor, grabbing a pencil from the desk.

Day one, he wrote.

✿❀✿❀✿❀✿

Tommy sighed and turned the page. "Stupid."

He grabbed the chorus fruit from the table, shaking more seeds from it. They had dried out a little overnight, but he was so hungry he just ate them anyway.

Tommy laid on his stomach on the floor, doodling absently. A goose chasing Phil up a tree. A trash can shooting into the sky. A guitar leaning against a wall covered in posters.