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Something is wrong with Tommy, and the kid is doing a terrible job at hiding it.
For the past few days, Tommy has been more anxious than usual. His blue bordering grey eyes are constantly flickering all over the place while also always keeping Dream at least in the corner of his vision. It's irritating honestly. Dream is patient enough with how disheveled and weak Tommy is these days, and Dream manages to stay calm-- for the most part-- with Tommy's whining and fidgeting. But now the teen is always messing with his hands or playing with his torn shirt and always looking around but especially at Dream. It's infuriating.
But Dream knows what it means. It means Tommy is hiding something. Tommy acted the same way when he withheld a couple of his items on one of Dream's previous visits. It had only been a pickaxe and a couple iron ingots, but it was enough to set Dream over the edge. How dare Tommy hide something from Dream when Dream is being so kind to him. So helpful. If it wasn't for Dream, Tommy would be dead already, and Prime knows the kid should be. And Tommy had the audacity to keep items hidden from Dream despite his orders.
Dream doesn't like secrets; he loathes when he is kept in the dark. So Dream is going to find out what Tommy is hiding one way or another. Dream guarantees it.
Dream sighs and walks over to his brewing stand. He's in his home right now and not in that filthy Exile. No matter what Tommy tries to do to the landscape to make it more appealing, it only become more hideous. Dream prefers his own small hidden abode over the miserable grassy expanse of Log-whatever it is Tommy is naming the place.
Carefully, Dream picks up one of the glasses from the stand and gently swirls the liquid inside. The concoction is a blend of magenta and dark purple with flecks of white from the lilly of the valleys Dream used. This potion is something Dream has been working on for a while now, and the first batch of it is finally done brewing. Dream smirks beneath his mask.
He has the perfect test subject in mind.
- - - - -
Dream steps through the portal into Exile. Immediately after the warmth of the Nether is sucked away, a chill breeze sweeps lazily across the valley. It ruffles Dream's cloak but doesn't bother him much thanks to his armor. Dream can, however, see Tommy shivering in the distance even from such a light wind.
Dream makes his way over to Tommy's huddled form which sits on one of the logs that serve as a bench next to a makeshift firepit. As Dream approaches, Tommy hears his footsteps on the brittle grass and turns to face Dream. Through his mask, Dream takes in Tommy's disgusting appearance; it's even worse than when the teenager was living in Pogtopia. Tommy's entire person is coated in ash and dirt, his hair has a couple small leaves in it, his skin is both pale and burnt from the sun and explosions, and his body seems thinner underneath his clothes. Tommy's shirt and shorts are torn in several places and have blotches of dried blood and dirt. Dream also notices for the first time that Tommy is missing a shoelace from his raggy sneakers. How in Prime's name did that happen?
The closer Dream gets to Tommy, the more visibly distressed Tommy gets. His faded eyes flicker all over the place while simultaenously charting Dream's movements, and he begins to fidget with his fingers and bounce his leg. Annoyance quickly rises in Dream. Today is not going to be such a patient day.
Dream stop once he's in front of Tommy and gazes silently down at Tommy who remains seated with his arms wrapped around his chest.
"Hi, Dream," Tommy says quietly after a moment of silence. The boy never did like the quiet. "I didn't know you were coming today."
It was indeed not a day Dream was unofficially schedueled to come. While Dream didn't have an set list of days he came to check on Tommy and rather came as he wished, there was some semblence of a pattern to it. Today was out of the pattern, and Tommy had noticed.
"Did you have plans?" Dream asks both in a joking and serious manner.
Dream's tone seems to make Tommy wary as he gazes up at Dream's intimidating form with barely contained anxiety. His leg bounces more.
"Stop that," Dream snaps. Tommy stops his anxious bouncing, but his fingers continue to twist, interlock, and move.
Dream takes a deep silent breath to regain his thin patience before speaking. "I came because I wanted to talk to you."
Tommy looks at Dream confused. "Talk to me? About what?"
"I'll cut to the chase. I know you're hiding something, and I demand to know what it is," Dream says authoritatively.
Tommy freezes at Dream's words. His shoulders tense, and he sits up just a tiny bit straighter. Dream smirks beneath his mask. He's got him.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about, Dream," Tommy weakly defends.
Dream leans down so he's eye level with Tommy, although the blond is only meeting the painted black dot eyes on Dream's mask rather than his actual piercing green eyes. "Don't lie to me, Tommy," Dream says darkly.
Tommy's eyes widen a little, and he instinctively leans slightly away from Dream. "I-I'm not."
Dream stands back up and laughs as if Tommy told an actually good joke compared to his usually idiotic ones. Suddenly, Dream grabs Tommy by his dirty hair and yanks the boy to his feet. Tommy yelps and can't help but stumble up from his place on the log. Dream shoves Tommy to the ground by his hair, causing the teen to trip over the log and collapse to the ground.
Dream crouches beside Tommy and grabs his hair harshly again. He moves Tommy's head so he's looking at Dream. "I don't like it when people lie, Tommy," Dream says. "You know that. So, tell me: what are you hiding?"
"I-I'm not hiding anything!" Tommy continues to defend, his voice rising in panic and pain.
Dream hums and grabs a hidden bottle that hangs from his utility belt. "Then you won't mind if I use this now, would you?" Dream gently shakes the bottle in his hand, bringing Tommy's attention to the purple and white specked liquid in Dream's hand. His eyes seem both mesmerized and wary of the unkown potion--well, unknown to Tommy, Dream knows exactly what his creation is and what it will do.
"Uh, what is that?" Tommy questions meekly.
Dream can't help but smile widely underneath his mask. "This, my dear Tommy, is a new potion I've been working on. You see, humans are such secretive creatures. They aren't honest when it's necessary and easy," Dream tugs on Tommy's hair to drive home his point. "So, I concocted this beauty to... persuade people to tell me the truth."
Tommy's eyes widen in understanding. "You made a truth serum?"
"For a lack of better words, yes," Dream uncorks the bottle with his thumb. "And you, you Tommy, are the perfect test subject."
Dream yanks Tommy's head back by his hair and tilts the contents of the bottle into Tommy's mouth before the teen has a chance to react. Tommy gurgles on the liquid and tries to spit it out, but Dream sets down the now empty bottle and pinches Tommy's nose shut, forcing him to swallow the purple potion. Once Tommy has reluctantly swallowed the potion, Dream lets go of both his nose and hair. He rests on his haunches, watching as Tommy gags and gasps.
"Oh stop being so dramatic," Dream scoffs.
Tommy sends him a weak glare before sitting himself up on the ground. He brushes at the dirty on his arms even though the rest of him is filthy.
"Now, let's start with something easy," Dream ponders for a moment, wondering what to ask Tommy to test whether or not the potion is working as desired. "What's your name?"
"Tommy," Tommy answers immediately. Dream grins.
"When did we first meet?"
"The moment I entered Essempe."
"What happened to Henry?"
"Sapnap killed him."
"What's more important to you: the discs or Tubbo?"
"Tubbo," Tommy answers instantaneously like he has for every other question. Dream smirks.
"And who exiled you?"
Tommy pauses as if willing his mouth to not open up and answer the dreaded question. "Tubbo," he murmers as he loses the battle against the potion.
Dream smiles wickedly beneath his mask. "Now, what are you hiding?"
Again, Tommy struggles against answering, but his eyes drift somewhere behind Dream. Dream turns to look at where Tommy's eyes wandered and sees a disrupted patch of dirt and grass. Dream turns back to Tommy. "What's over there? What are you hiding?" Dream asks coldly.
"Supplies," Tommy answers before slapping his hands over his face.
Dream nods and stands up. He silently walks over to the disrupted patch of dirt and grass, wondering how he didn't see this sooner. Dream points to it, looking at Tommy. "Dig," Dream orders.
Tommy hesitantly stands and walks over. Dream shoves him to the ground, relishing in the pain that washes over Tommy's face as the blond lands harshly on his bare and already scraped knees. "Dig!" Dream barks. He'll have to make an obedience potion next.
Tommy cowers and starts shoveling the dirt and grass away with his bare hands. Dirt clots underneath his fingernails and stains his pale calloused skin. Eventually, the top of a cruedly made wooden chest appears beneath the dirt. Tommy looks up at Dream with an anxious look in his faded blue eyes.
"What are you waiting for?! Open it!" Dream yells.
Tommy flinches but follows Dream's demands. He opens the top of the chest, revealing a small stash of supplies; the very things Tommy has been trying to hide from Dream. In all honesty, the collection isn't that good. Just a few iron and coal, a couple diamonds, a beaten up iron pick, and two red apples. Nothing that would benefit Tommy in the long run if Dream knew he had them. But Dream hadn't known and that was what was so dangerous. What if Tommy kept hiding things from Dream? What if Tommy tried again to withhold the materials he managed to scrounge in this lonesome wasteland? Anger rises up in Dream's chest. What if Tommy thought Dream didn't have power over him?
"Empty your pockets," Dream orders with faux tranquility. "Into the chest. Now."
Tommy looks at Dream with reluctance. "But you already took my things the other day," Tommy dares to say.
Dream whips his head towards Tommy, glaring at the teen even through the mask. Dream leans down and grabs Tommy by the collar of his thin unwashed shirt. "You will listen to me, you brat!" Dream snarls in Tommy's face. "All of your belongings into the chest, now!" Dream throws Tommy to the ground by his collar.
Tommy scrambles upright and begins putting the few things he managed to collect in the day or two since Dream has last been to Exile in the chest. It's pathetic how protective Tommy is over a few sticks, coal, seeds, and a roughly made pickaxe. Once everything is in the chest, Dream grabs his fleet and steel from his pocket. He drops them on the ground in front of Tommy before moving behind the hunched teen. "Light it."
Tommy looks at Dream with wide confused and panicked eyes. "What?"
"Light. The. Chest. Must I baby you?"
Tommy turns back and grabs the flint and steel with trembling hands. He shakily lights the chest on fire, the sparks easily catching on the wood and engulfing the box and its contents in flames. Tommy tries to move away from the fire, but Dream grab him by the neck and holds Tommy uncomfortably close to the flames.
"You were cold, weren't you?" Dream asks, his voice dripping with sadistic pleasure.
"Yes," Tommy can't help but say with the truth potion still in his system. "Please stop, Dream!" Tommy cries.
"No, I don't think I will," Dream continues to hold Tommy close to the orange and yellow flames. While the fire doesn't touch Tommy, the heat is extremely close to him, and Dream can see his skin redenning. Dream is grateful for the layers and armor he always wears to protect him from the flaming heat.
As the minutes pass, Tommy continues to cry and beg Dream to stop. The blonde never did handle pain well, such a weakling. Dream does not stop, and he wonders if Tommy thought he would once the kid shed his tears. But sobs do not strike an pity or mercy in Dream, and he instead watches in dark satisfaction as Tommy's tears are quickly lapped off he cheeks by the flames and their heat.
Eventually, Dream releases Tommy's neck and watches as the boy immediately scrambles away from both Dream and the fire.
"Next time," Dream says sternly, "don't hide things from me. Otherwise, things will be much," Dream steps closer, "much," another step, "worse." Dream pokes Tommy's sensitive and warm skin. Tommy grimaces. "Oh suck it up, Tommy, it's barely even a minor burn." Tommy frowns weakly and curls into himself, positioning his slightly singed curls and redened face and arms behind his scraped up legs.
Dream turns and starts walking away back to the portal. "Unit next time," Dream raises his hand in farewell to Tommy, not sparing the cowering and trembling teen a second glance as he disappears through the swirling purple of the portal.
On the other side, Dream grins widely and excitedly. It had worked, Dream's potion had worked. Dream chuckles darkly as he makes his way through the Nether back in the direction of the other portal that will take him closer to his house.
Oh the possibilities that are now available to Dream. He can't wait to exploit them all.