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(Also on AO3)",
"writing": " Cobalt idly stirred his breakfast around with his fork, wearing a blank and tired stare on his face as he looked down at his scrambled eggs and sausage. He couldn’t stop thinking about the night before; try as he might, he couldn’t get the picture of his mum’s behind out of his head, nor the sounds of her moans as he’d pleasured her. The more he thought about it with a clearer head, the more sickened he was by his own perverted mind. He looked at his mother Chilli, who was sitting across the table from him and eating her breakfast with what appeared to be a satisfied smile on her face. \n He could never look at her the same way again.\n If his own incestuous thoughts weren’t troublesome enough, there was still the possibility of dreamwalking to worry about. If it was all in his own head, it wouldn’t be so much of a big deal; however, if Chilli had experienced the same dream he did, and enjoyed it as much as he did, then that was a whole other can of worms. \n It just didn’t make any sense, though; he’d known his mum all his life, and she’d never shown any signs of untowards attraction towards him beyond that of a mother innocently loving her son as she should. But over the last few days, it seemed as though something had changed, and it all started after she’d caught him red-handed - or rather, red-cocked. It seemed obvious that that event had caused some awkwardness between them, so perhaps it was merely his subconscious trying to address those feelings though an imaginary outlet of sexual relief via imagery of his mother. That was what he’d hoped was the case, at least. \n But if he was to resolve this, he’d have to have an honest and mature discussion with his mother about what had occurred. \n “Oh shoot, finish up quick, Cobalt. We’re runnin’ behind,” Bandit said, suddenly hopping up from his chair.\nLooks like that discussion would have to wait for another time. \n “Are you alright? You barely touched breakfast,” Chilli commented. “Are you feeling sick, sweetheart?”\n [i]‘Oh, I’m sick, alright…’[/i] Cobalt thought bitterly, grabbing his backpack. “N-nah, Mum. I just wasn’t too hungry this morning, sorry. If you save it for me in the fridge though I’ll be sure to have it after school, promise.”\n “Okay, then. If you’re sure…” Chilli said, getting up from her chair and holding her arms out expectantly. Cobalt, however, was already on his way out of the kitchen towards the front door.\n “Cobalt, give yer Mum a hug good-bye.” Bandit said sternly.\n “Oh, r-right… sorry.” Cobalt crossed back through the kitchen, giving Chilli a hug. “Love you, Mum.”\n “I love you too, son,” Chilli whispered sweetly, returning his hug before whispering in his ear,\n “...And I’ll have some Anzac biscuits ready for you when you get home. Your favorite.”\n Cobalt’s eyes widened a bit, his heart beating just a little faster in response as she hugged him a little tighter than before.\n “Alright, off you get, have a good day at school.” Chilli’s voice shifted in tone as she broke the embrace with a sigh, giving her son a knowing smile. With that, Bandit and Cobalt left, leaving her in the kitchen alone.\n Chilli’s eyelid twitched a little as she felt her womanhood pounding in urgency, and she made her way to the bedroom to take care of the matter.\n\n The car ride was a quiet one as Bandit drove Cobalt to school, with Cobalt rubbing his eyes in anguish as the memory of his dream lingered in the back of his mind. Bandit, meanwhile, had a lot on his mind as well. He now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that his son was able to dreamshare as well, just like Bluey. And knowing how [i]that[/i] turned out for him, Bandit couldn’t help but feel a little concerned for Cobalt’s potential predicament.\n That wasn’t to say that Bandit had any kind of issues with Cobalt being intimate with any of his family members in their dreams - far from it. It was simply that Bandit wanted to guide his son in any way he could, or at the very least to ensure that his son wasn’t feeling lost and confused in regards to sex.\n “So.” Bandit exhaled, finally breaking the ice. “You know you and I have had… ‘the talk’ before.”\n “Yeah,” Cobalt replied apathetically, already dreading where [i]this[/i] lecture was going.\n “And I told you the other day that you can tell me [i]anything,”[/i] Bandit continued.\n “Uh-huh.”\n “I just want to, uh… clarify. You can talk to me about whatever’s on your mind, y’know. I’ll never judge you, son. I just want to help you, if I can.”\n “Thanks, Dad.” Cobalt said quietly.\n “Sooo…” Bandit awkwardly tried to push the conversation forward all on his own, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. “Got anything you wanna talk about?”\n “Not really,” Cobalt replied with a sigh. \n “Okay then,” Bandit conceded, but he wasn’t the least bit satisfied. If his son was experiencing dreamsharing like he did, Bandit felt it was his responsibility to keep Cobalt from going down a similar path that he did. Then, the blue heeler came up with an idea. Maybe he just needed to bring it up the subject casually to get something, anything from his son.\n “Oh! I just remembered, I had this [i]crazy[/i] dream last night. There was this town full of chickens, and the chicken mayor needed me for some kinda grand-opening ceremony for a new diner that was just finished being built, except they only served corn!” Bandit chuckled to himself, but when he looked to Cobalt he saw that he hadn’t even cracked a smile. “Eh, well… it was funnier in my dream. Do you remember anything you dreamt last-”\n “I DUNNO!” Cobalt snapped at him annoyedly, grumbling to himself as he kept his sights as far away from his dad as possible. “Sorry, Dad, I’m… I’m just tired. I had a nightmare, and I don’t wanna talk about it. I’m not messed up, and I don’t need you to be my therapist. Okay?”\nBandit’s ears drooped sullenly, finally deciding to drop it. \n “Okay, Cobalt. But I never said… I never [i]thought[/i] you were messed-up. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like you were.”\n Cobalt sighed with guilt, now feeling bad for the way he’d reacted just then.\n “You didn’t, Dad. I’m just… a teenager, y’know? And I’ve got a lot going on right now. But I’ll figure it all out. Eventually.”\n Bandit glanced over to his son with a sense of pride, resting a hand on his shoulder again for a moment. \n\n “I know you will, son.”\n\n After Cobalt was finally dropped off by his dad at the school, his eyes met a welcome sight that calmed all his worries the second he stepped through the main doors. He felt his heart flutter in his chest as he watched Sapphire at her locker from afar. However, he quickly felt his heart sink like a rock into the ocean when he noticed the senior star cricket player, Justin Basenji, leaning against the locker and chatting her up with a certain look in his eye. \n [i]‘Probably asking her to the dance…’[/i] he thought bitterly, already imagining himself at the upcoming dance completely alone like the loser he was. Why couldn’t he have just asked her himself yesterday? It seemed so easy to imagine in his head, but when it came down to actually [i]doing[/i] it, his whole body felt like it was going to all but shut down completely.\n Cobalt gulped and reluctantly made his way through the hall, closing the distance between himself and Sapphire. Just as he passed his sister to his own locker, Justin turned around and bumped into Cobalt accidentally. \n “Oh, my bad, bro,” the much taller dog said as he dusted Cobalt’s fur off before heading to class. That was something that only made Cobalt even more jealous - not only was Justin a jock, he was genuinely [i]pleasant.[/i] \n [i]‘Out of all the guys that could be flirting with Sapphire, why did it have to be [/i][i][b]him?’[/b][/i] Cobalt thought as he watched Justin disappear into the crowd, turning his attention to Sapphire.\n “Good morning, Cobe,” Sapphire said with a smile as she pulled her books from the locker, closing the door and resting her back against it.\n “Morning, Sapphire,” replied Cobalt dejectedly. “So… Justin. Let me guess, he… asked you to the dance?”\n “Mhm,” Sapphire hummed with an affirmative nod, paying close attention to the changing expression in Cobalt’s face as she did. And just as she’d hoped, it was an expression of heartbreak. \n She had him right where she wanted him.\n “...But I turned him down.”\n And again, just as she’d hoped, Cobalt’s face lit up a little once again. \n “W-what? Why?” Cobalt asked, keeping his expectations in check. “Did… someone else already ask you?”\n Oh, how Sapphire enjoyed watching her half-brother squirm the way he did. Cruel as it might be to toy with his emotions, she couldn’t help but find it unbearably cute.\n “No, not yet. The truth is, I’m actually holding out for someone else.”\nSapphire’s tail wagged a little, hoping that Cobalt would get the hint. But instead, he replied with a simple, “Oh.”\n “Someone in [i]particular…”[/i] she continued. Yet still, Cobalt didn’t seem to react much to it, still standing in awkward silence before her. Though she could hardly blame his obliviousness, as it wasn’t exactly common for students to ask their relatives to a dance. Even so, regardless of their blood-relation, Sapphire always saw Cobalt as a friend first and a brother second. But is she wanted to make her intentions known, perhaps she had to be as blatantly obvious as possible.\n “Oh, if [i]only[/i] a certain [i]someone[/i] could find the [i]courage[/i] to ask me to go to the [i]dance[/i] with him,” she looked away and declared dramatically, practically spelling it out for him now. \n Cobalt was a bit slow to catch on, but he wasn’t stupid; he could tell by now that Sapph was hinting that she wanted him to ask her to the dance. But as he felt the presence of so many other students around them, so many judging eyes, his mouth wouldn’t allow him to ask those words where others could hear.\n “Follow me,” Cobalt said, turning away and walking through the crowd around the corner. Sapphire wasn’t sure where he was going with this, but followed-suit and pursued him to a door next to the restrooms. She watched him open it and take a quick peek inside before discreetly sneaking through it. Tilting her head in curiosity, she looked around for any watchful eyes before sneaking behind the door as well. \n When Sapphire was inside, she finally noticed that this was a custodial closet - the walls were lined from top to bottom with cleaning supplies, wash rags, mops, and plastic gloves.\n “Sorry, I know this probably isn’t the ideal place, but I just needed a moment alone with you.” Cobalt’s hands fidgeted together as he mustered up his courage. There was still part of him that was in total denial of Sapphire’s hints, but he pushed on in spite of it. He was tired of being stuck in this constant limbo of feelings with his sister. It was time to take a step forward.\n “Sapph… will you… go to the dance with me?”\n Cobalt’s eyes involuntarily clenched shut as though he were anticipating something painful. However, he suddenly felt a pleasant warmth fill his entire body as he felt Sapphire’s body press against his, her arms wrapping around his back as she whispered in his ear,\n “Of course I will, Cobalt. I thought you’d never ask.”\n Cobalt opened his eyes again, and his face began to burn up with an intense heat as he looked into Sapphire’s eyes. They were together… alone… and in a close-knit space, and their noses were practically touching. The light above them flickered slightly as they stared at each other, with the soft sounds of their gentle breathing the only noise they could hear. Sapphire licked her lips as the both of them leaned in ever closer, and with their pheromones at an all-time high, Cobalt nearly gave in to his urges as his body struggled [i]not[/i] to pin her to the wall and make out with her right then and there. To bend her over, mount her, and-\n The door suddenly swung open, nearly giving both of them a heart-attack.\n “What’re you kids doin’ in here?” the custodian, a grey male labradoodle, asked tiredly.\n “W-we, uh, I, we just-” they stammered at the same time.\n “Nevermind, I don’t care. Just get outta here, you lot. [i]Some[/i] of us gotta work for a living.”\n “Sorry,” Cobalt and Sapphire apologized respectfully, quickly getting out of the closet while trying to act casually; the last thing either of them needed was rumours spreading around about them spending ‘seven minutes in heaven’. They gave each other a bashful look before heading to homeroom together, and the custodian grumpily shook his head with a sigh as they left before grabbing a bottle of cleaning spray and a roll of paper towels off the shelf. \n “They don’t pay me enough for this.” \n\n The school day seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, and before he knew it, Cobalt was already getting into the passenger seat of his dad’s car with a giddy smile on his face. \n “Well, [i]someone’s[/i] in a good mood!” Bandit complemented as the door shut, grateful to see his son was much more cheerful than he was that morning.\n “Yeah!” Cobalt replied. “Did I ever mention yesterday that they announced the school dance? This year it’s called the ‘Golden Sands Social’.”\n “Oh, that’s comin’ around already again, eh?” Bandit commented, wondering where the year had gone. “So, you know who you’re gonna ask to go with?”\n “I already did, actually,” Cobalt said with a smile, “I’m going with Sapph!”\n “...Ah.” Bandit suddenly went surprisingly dour. “And you’re [i]sure[/i] that’s who you wanna go with?”\n “Y-yeah, Dad.” Cobalt scowled in confusion. “Is that okay? I thought you were… supportive.”\n “I am, Cobalt, I am,” Bandit pressed down lightly on the gas, and they left the school parking lot. “It’s just… well, how many other kids know you and Sapphire are half-siblings?”\n “I dunno, I don’t exactly go blabbing about it to everyone I meet,” Cobalt answered, “You know Sapph’s pretty much my only friend in school, anyway.”\n “Fair point, but now that you bring it up, I do still wish you’d make some guy friends,” Bandit reminded his son, “Especially if things start to get more serious with Sapph and then it… doesn’t work out.”\n “I just don’t see the point in making new friends that I’ll never see again after senior year anyway,” said Cobalt, “and what do you mean, ‘if it doesn’t work out’ with Sapph?”\n “Well, just that… how do I put it…” Bandit thought for a moment before he continued. “When you wanna get involved with someone you’re related to, it can get… complicated. Normal relationships can be hard enough sometimes as it is, then try throwing the fact that you’re [i]family[/i] into the mix…” \n He trailed off a bit, his mind returning to the unsavory memories of his daughter, Bluey, before he came back to reality.\n “I just don’t want you to end up regretting anything, okay?” Bandit concluded. “Just… be safe.”\n [i]“Dad,[/i] it’s not like we’re ever gonna have… s-sex, or anything like that, haha.” Cobalt blushed, secretly very much desiring to one day make his dreams a reality. “We’re just goin’ to the school dance together. That’s all.”\n “Uh-huh, sure,” Bandit said unconvinced as he carefully reached into his wallet and pulled out a thin black square, handing it to his son. “Well I was a teenager once too, believe it or not. So take this. Just in case.”\n “W-wha…” Cobalt could hardly believe his eyes as he held an actual condom in his hand for the first time in his life. \n “Now I’m not [i]telling[/i] you to go out of your way to put it to use, but if [i]something[/i] should happen, whether it’s on the night of the dance or even this weekend, then at least you’re prepared,” Bandit couldn’t help but feel a little awkward imagining his own son and daughter going at it, but he knew there was nothing he could do to prevent it. Discouraging their potential relationship would likely only make things worse, so he knew all he could do instead was be as supportive and understanding as possible. “And if you do end up using it… just let me know. I can lend you another one, no questions asked.”\n “...Thanks, Dad.” Cobalt began to tear up a little as he didn’t know how he got so lucky to have such a supportive father. “Thanks a lot. Really.”\n “Now if you somehow need [i]three[/i] condoms, well then you’re on your own, kid.” Bandit chuckled jokingly to lighten the mood. “You can go buy ‘em yer [i]own[/i] damn self, ya freeloader!”\n The two shared a laugh together as they headed closer to home, their bond as father and son having grown all the more stronger. \n\n Later that night, as Cobalt got under the covers of his bed, his tail wagged beneath him as he excitedly looked forward to the dance. His thoughts began to drift into all the potential romantic scenarios he might find himself in with Sapphire when the night finally arrived, closing his eyes and trying to force himself to have a much better dream than the night before. \n When he opened his eyes again, he squinted as several multicolored spotlights shone on him from above. As he sat up in his bed, he was shocked for a moment to find his bed in the middle of the high school gymnasium. He thought he was surrounded by other students at first, but the closer he looked, he soon realized that they were nothing more than blurry cardboard cutouts. Needless to say, he quickly became aware that this was a dream. \n Cobalt then got out of his bed, looking down at himself and realizing that he was already well-dressed in a formal blue and black suit jacket with a black vest and white bowtie. When he turned around, his bed had seemingly vanished into thin air.\n “May I have this dance?”\n Cobalt’s ears perked at the sound of an unmistakable voice, looking around frantically for the source before he felt a gentle tap of a finger on his shoulder. He turned around, and was greeted with a jaw-dropping sight.\n Before him stood Sapphire, beautiful as always, wearing an orange and black sleeveless dress with shimmering white dots that was clearly designed after the wings of a monarch butterfly. \n “S-Sapph, you look… so beautiful.” \n “Heh, I’m glad you think so,” Sapphire chuckled as she took his hand. “You look pretty handsome yourself, Cobe. Now come on, I know the [i]real[/i] dance still isn’t for a while yet, but I’d like a quick preview.”\n She led him to a spot closer to the center of the dancefloor. Cobalt felt a little awkward at first, as though all eyes were on them, until he reminded himself that no one else was actually here. \n Or at least, that was what he thought; what he didn’t see was someone - or rather, some[i]thing[/i] - staying completely still in wait and secretly watching them from the other side of the gymnasium in total silence, merely observing the dream playing out. \n The mirrorball began to move on its own as slow dance music began to play, though it was quite muffled and nearly impossible to understand.\n\n [i]‘I jus- -eel li-e… y-ur --if-ing ou-,[/i]\n [i]-ould I -ee- --is -ide -rom -urning,[/i]\n [i]I will ---eam an- I will --out,’[/i]\n\n As Cobalt held Sapphire’s waist and tried to step in time with her, he began to feel like he had two left feet. He wasn’t sure if it was because this was a dream, he truly couldn’t slow-dance, or he was merely nervous, but nevertheless he made a mental note of working on his coordination before the day the [i]real[/i] dance came.\n Suddenly, Sapphire giggled softly.\n “What?” Cobalt asked.\n “Oh, it’s… nothing.” Sapphire replied, smiling. “I just kinda hope the [i]real[/i] you looks this cute when he tries to dance.”\n [i]‘The real me…’[/i] Cobalt thought as he looked away, noticing how she referred to him as though he was just a figment of her imagination once again. There had to be some kind of way for him to know for sure what was really going on. \n “Hey, Sapph?” he asked, looking into her eyes once more. “Tomorrow morning at school, I want you to do something.”\n “Huh?” Sapphire asked, tilting her head curiously. \n “When you see me - the [i]real[/i] me - I want you to tell him the phrase, um…”\n Cobalt thought for a few moments for an odd and random phrase that she’d have no reason to say otherwise. \n “Say, ‘Antique alarm clocks are getting very popular lately’. Remember that. ‘Antique alarm clocks are getting very popular lately’,” Cobalt repeated for emphasis.\n “Oookay, I guess I’ll try to remember. But why, exactly?” she asked in confusion.\n “I-I don’t have a reason. This is all just a silly dream anyway, heheh… completely random nonsense,” he chuckled nervously, “But don’t forget, ‘Antique alarm clocks are getting very popular lately’. He would be interested to hear that.”\n “Whatever you say,” Sapphire shrugged, leaning into Cobalt’s neck and breathing in deeply. “Mmm, you smell just like him… the best.”\n Cobalt felt his heart melting in his chest as she said those words, and they continued dancing together until the song ended. \n\n [i]‘I- I s-ar- -a--ing, the --arks ar- -oing -o --y,[/i]\n [i]So I-- jus- -eep… -eep --iet…’[/i]\n\n The hidden presence that had been watching them the entire time finally began to slowly move, its limbs crunching and cracking like decayed wood as it slowly stood up with stuttered motions. Even while hunched over slightly, it stood nearly eight feet tall, now towering over the lifeless cardboard cutouts it once hid behind. There were no eyes on its head, only dozens of black holes of various sizes that gave it a trypophobia-inducing appearance resembling that of a lotus pod. Thorny barbs covered its exoskeletal body, which was held together by grey twisting vines that mimicked a muscular system. It opened its mouth, which was lined with long and thin jagged teeth, and exhaled a deep yet airy monstrous growl that sounded like it was gurgling fluid from the bottom of its throat. \n When Cobalt’s eyes caught sight of the terrifying creature, his legs froze stiff where he stood. A dread unlike any he’d ever known washed over him as the horrific being approached, letting out a guttural roar.\n [i]“AH-!”[/i] Sapphire gasped as she turned around before she suddenly disappeared in a cloud of orange mist, leaving Cobalt alone with the monster.\n But before Cobalt barely even had time to process anything that was happening, the empty space next to him began to crack like glass, and a blue heeler suddenly broke through just as the terror’s menacing jaws were mere inches from Cobalt’s face.\n “Cobalt, WAKE UP!” \n With the hard slap of a firm hand against his cheek, Cobalt woke up in his bed screaming at the top of his lungs. He stared wide-eyed at the dark walls of his bedroom, not wanting to blink even once for fear of falling back asleep again. He looked at his clock. 4:49 AM. The sky outside was still very dark, though the sun would begin to rise soon in an hour or so. Although it was a school day, he could manage to stay awake until then. Anything was better than facing that nightmarish creature again.\n Suddenly, Cobalt felt a jolt in his chest as the door handle to his room jiggled.\n “Cobalt, honey, are you alright?” Chilli’s voice called out through the door. \n “I-I’m fine, Mum. Just had a bad dream,” Cobalt replied, relieved that he’d remembered to lock his bedroom door this time.\n “Okay, well… just let me know if my big boy needs anything,” he heard her meekly say from the other side. “I could… cuddle with you ‘til you fall back asleep if you want…”\n “T-thanks Mum, but I’m fine, really. You can go back to sleep now,” he quickly answered, \n “Alright, then.”\n There was a pause.\n “I love you, Cobalt.”\n Cobalt sighed, getting up out of bed and crossing his room. He couldn’t continue to let his dream about his mum change anything he had with her in the waking world. He opened the door, giving Chilli a tight hug. \n “...I love you too, Mum.”\n They held their hug for several minutes before Cobalt tried to pull away. Chilli, however, continued to hold onto him tightly without any sign of letting go.\n “O-okay, Mum, you can let go now.”\n “Oh, r-right,” she said with a soft chuckle, finally loosening her grip. But before she let go of him completely, she hesitated for a moment before leaning back in and whispering in his ear,\n\n “...Do you wanna have sex?”\n\n Cobalt’s jaw dropped, coming to the horrifying realization that this basically confirmed everything he’d been suspecting - he really [i]could[/i] dreamwalk, and that [i]was[/i] his actual mom he’d fucked in his dream the night before.\n He only stammered unintelligibly in response, unsure of how to answer. [i]Did[/i] he want to have sex with his own mom? He’d already experienced it in his dream, and he had to admit that a part of him did actually enjoy it. He enjoyed it a [i]lot.[/i] But dreams were different from reality, and this was taking things a step too far. He’d always hoped to lose his virginity - his [i]real[/i] virginity - to Sapphire, after all. \n Chilli then gave her son’s cheek a slow lick, sending a pleasant chill up his spine. \n [i]‘I can’t give in…’[/i] he thought, [i]‘I… I can’t.’[/i]\n “N-no, Mum,” said Cobalt firmly, backing away. “...I don’t.”\n “Umh, o-oh, what am I saying?” Chilli played it off jokingly, rubbing her eye. “Sorry for the awkward topic, sweetheart, that was [i]so[/i] inappropriate of me. Your Mum’s not quite feeling herself tonight. I admit I had a few glasses of wine before bed, and it’s early in the morning, after all…”\n “I get it, Mum. You’re tired.” Cobalt gently patted his mother’s wrist, wanting to forget this whole exchange ever happened. “I won’t ever bring it up if you promise you don’t. Water under the bridge. Now you should go back to bed. [i]Please.”[/i]\n “Y-yeah… I should… go… back to bed…” Chilli gave out a quiet yawn as she returned down the hallway to her and Bandit’s room, closing the door behind her. \n Cobalt closed the door and locked it, returning to his bed and staring up at the ceiling until the sun peeked from behind the horizon. \n [i]‘What the fuck…’[/i] he thought, feeling wide-awake now. [i]‘What in the ever-loving fuck…’[/i]\n As he recalled his dream - the monstrosity that almost attacked him, and the blue heeler who had woken him up, he realized something he hadn’t had the time to put together before.\n That was not Biscuit who had saved him.\n Cobalt leaned over and picked up his phone, opening his messages and sending a text to one of his contacts. It was a long shot, but maybe she’d be able to provide some answers for him.\n\n [i]‘Hey Bluey, are you free today?’[/i]",
"writing_bbcode_parsed": " Cobalt idly stirred his breakfast around with his fork, wearing a blank and tired stare on his face as he looked down at his scrambled eggs and sausage. He couldn’t stop thinking about the night before; try as he might, he couldn’t get the picture of his mum’s behind out of his head, nor the sounds of her moans as he’d pleasured her. The more he thought about it with a clearer head, the more sickened he was by his own perverted mind. He looked at his mother Chilli, who was sitting across the table from him and eating her breakfast with what appeared to be a satisfied smile on her face.
He could never look at her the same way again.
If his own incestuous thoughts weren’t troublesome enough, there was still the possibility of dreamwalking to worry about. If it was all in his own head, it wouldn’t be so much of a big deal; however, if Chilli had experienced the same dream he did, and enjoyed it as much as he did, then that was a whole other can of worms.
It just didn’t make any sense, though; he’d known his mum all his life, and she’d never shown any signs of untowards attraction towards him beyond that of a mother innocently loving her son as she should. But over the last few days, it seemed as though something had changed, and it all started after she’d caught him red-handed - or rather, red-cocked. It seemed obvious that that event had caused some awkwardness between them, so perhaps it was merely his subconscious trying to address those feelings though an imaginary outlet of sexual relief via imagery of his mother. That was what he’d hoped was the case, at least.
But if he was to resolve this, he’d have to have an honest and mature discussion with his mother about what had occurred.
“Oh shoot, finish up quick, Cobalt. We’re runnin’ behind,” Bandit said, suddenly hopping up from his chair.
Looks like that discussion would have to wait for another time.
“Are you alright? You barely touched breakfast,” Chilli commented. “Are you feeling sick, sweetheart?”
‘Oh, I’m sick, alright…’ Cobalt thought bitterly, grabbing his backpack. “N-nah, Mum. I just wasn’t too hungry this morning, sorry. If you save it for me in the fridge though I’ll be sure to have it after school, promise.”
“Okay, then. If you’re sure…” Chilli said, getting up from her chair and holding her arms out expectantly. Cobalt, however, was already on his way out of the kitchen towards the front door.
“Cobalt, give yer Mum a hug good-bye.” Bandit said sternly.
“Oh, r-right… sorry.” Cobalt crossed back through the kitchen, giving Chilli a hug. “Love you, Mum.”
“I love you too, son,” Chilli whispered sweetly, returning his hug before whispering in his ear,
“...And I’ll have some Anzac biscuits ready for you when you get home. Your favorite.”
Cobalt’s eyes widened a bit, his heart beating just a little faster in response as she hugged him a little tighter than before.
“Alright, off you get, have a good day at school.” Chilli’s voice shifted in tone as she broke the embrace with a sigh, giving her son a knowing smile. With that, Bandit and Cobalt left, leaving her in the kitchen alone.
Chilli’s eyelid twitched a little as she felt her womanhood pounding in urgency, and she made her way to the bedroom to take care of the matter.
The car ride was a quiet one as Bandit drove Cobalt to school, with Cobalt rubbing his eyes in anguish as the memory of his dream lingered in the back of his mind. Bandit, meanwhile, had a lot on his mind as well. He now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that his son was able to dreamshare as well, just like Bluey. And knowing how that turned out for him, Bandit couldn’t help but feel a little concerned for Cobalt’s potential predicament.
That wasn’t to say that Bandit had any kind of issues with Cobalt being intimate with any of his family members in their dreams - far from it. It was simply that Bandit wanted to guide his son in any way he could, or at the very least to ensure that his son wasn’t feeling lost and confused in regards to sex.
“So.” Bandit exhaled, finally breaking the ice. “You know you and I have had… ‘the talk’ before.”
“Yeah,” Cobalt replied apathetically, already dreading where this lecture was going.
“And I told you the other day that you can tell me anything,” Bandit continued.
“Uh-huh.”
“I just want to, uh… clarify. You can talk to me about whatever’s on your mind, y’know. I’ll never judge you, son. I just want to help you, if I can.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Cobalt said quietly.
“Sooo…” Bandit awkwardly tried to push the conversation forward all on his own, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. “Got anything you wanna talk about?”
“Not really,” Cobalt replied with a sigh.
“Okay then,” Bandit conceded, but he wasn’t the least bit satisfied. If his son was experiencing dreamsharing like he did, Bandit felt it was his responsibility to keep Cobalt from going down a similar path that he did. Then, the blue heeler came up with an idea. Maybe he just needed to bring it up the subject casually to get something, anything from his son.
“Oh! I just remembered, I had this crazy dream last night. There was this town full of chickens, and the chicken mayor needed me for some kinda grand-opening ceremony for a new diner that was just finished being built, except they only served corn!” Bandit chuckled to himself, but when he looked to Cobalt he saw that he hadn’t even cracked a smile. “Eh, well… it was funnier in my dream. Do you remember anything you dreamt last-”
“I DUNNO!” Cobalt snapped at him annoyedly, grumbling to himself as he kept his sights as far away from his dad as possible. “Sorry, Dad, I’m… I’m just tired. I had a nightmare, and I don’t wanna talk about it. I’m not messed up, and I don’t need you to be my therapist. Okay?”
Bandit’s ears drooped sullenly, finally deciding to drop it.
“Okay, Cobalt. But I never said… I never thought you were messed-up. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like you were.”
Cobalt sighed with guilt, now feeling bad for the way he’d reacted just then.
“You didn’t, Dad. I’m just… a teenager, y’know? And I’ve got a lot going on right now. But I’ll figure it all out. Eventually.”
Bandit glanced over to his son with a sense of pride, resting a hand on his shoulder again for a moment.
“I know you will, son.”
After Cobalt was finally dropped off by his dad at the school, his eyes met a welcome sight that calmed all his worries the second he stepped through the main doors. He felt his heart flutter in his chest as he watched Sapphire at her locker from afar. However, he quickly felt his heart sink like a rock into the ocean when he noticed the senior star cricket player, Justin Basenji, leaning against the locker and chatting her up with a certain look in his eye.
‘Probably asking her to the dance…’ he thought bitterly, already imagining himself at the upcoming dance completely alone like the loser he was. Why couldn’t he have just asked her himself yesterday? It seemed so easy to imagine in his head, but when it came down to actually doing it, his whole body felt like it was going to all but shut down completely.
Cobalt gulped and reluctantly made his way through the hall, closing the distance between himself and Sapphire. Just as he passed his sister to his own locker, Justin turned around and bumped into Cobalt accidentally.
“Oh, my bad, bro,” the much taller dog said as he dusted Cobalt’s fur off before heading to class. That was something that only made Cobalt even more jealous - not only was Justin a jock, he was genuinely pleasant.
‘Out of all the guys that could be flirting with Sapphire, why did it have to be him?’ Cobalt thought as he watched Justin disappear into the crowd, turning his attention to Sapphire.
“Good morning, Cobe,” Sapphire said with a smile as she pulled her books from the locker, closing the door and resting her back against it.
“Morning, Sapphire,” replied Cobalt dejectedly. “So… Justin. Let me guess, he… asked you to the dance?”
“Mhm,” Sapphire hummed with an affirmative nod, paying close attention to the changing expression in Cobalt’s face as she did. And just as she’d hoped, it was an expression of heartbreak.
She had him right where she wanted him.
“...But I turned him down.”
And again, just as she’d hoped, Cobalt’s face lit up a little once again.
“W-what? Why?” Cobalt asked, keeping his expectations in check. “Did… someone else already ask you?”
Oh, how Sapphire enjoyed watching her half-brother squirm the way he did. Cruel as it might be to toy with his emotions, she couldn’t help but find it unbearably cute.
“No, not yet. The truth is, I’m actually holding out for someone else.”
Sapphire’s tail wagged a little, hoping that Cobalt would get the hint. But instead, he replied with a simple, “Oh.”
“Someone in particular…” she continued. Yet still, Cobalt didn’t seem to react much to it, still standing in awkward silence before her. Though she could hardly blame his obliviousness, as it wasn’t exactly common for students to ask their relatives to a dance. Even so, regardless of their blood-relation, Sapphire always saw Cobalt as a friend first and a brother second. But is she wanted to make her intentions known, perhaps she had to be as blatantly obvious as possible.
“Oh, if only a certain someone could find the courage to ask me to go to the dance with him,” she looked away and declared dramatically, practically spelling it out for him now.
Cobalt was a bit slow to catch on, but he wasn’t stupid; he could tell by now that Sapph was hinting that she wanted him to ask her to the dance. But as he felt the presence of so many other students around them, so many judging eyes, his mouth wouldn’t allow him to ask those words where others could hear.
“Follow me,” Cobalt said, turning away and walking through the crowd around the corner. Sapphire wasn’t sure where he was going with this, but followed-suit and pursued him to a door next to the restrooms. She watched him open it and take a quick peek inside before discreetly sneaking through it. Tilting her head in curiosity, she looked around for any watchful eyes before sneaking behind the door as well.
When Sapphire was inside, she finally noticed that this was a custodial closet - the walls were lined from top to bottom with cleaning supplies, wash rags, mops, and plastic gloves.
“Sorry, I know this probably isn’t the ideal place, but I just needed a moment alone with you.” Cobalt’s hands fidgeted together as he mustered up his courage. There was still part of him that was in total denial of Sapphire’s hints, but he pushed on in spite of it. He was tired of being stuck in this constant limbo of feelings with his sister. It was time to take a step forward.
“Sapph… will you… go to the dance with me?”
Cobalt’s eyes involuntarily clenched shut as though he were anticipating something painful. However, he suddenly felt a pleasant warmth fill his entire body as he felt Sapphire’s body press against his, her arms wrapping around his back as she whispered in his ear,
“Of course I will, Cobalt. I thought you’d never ask.”
Cobalt opened his eyes again, and his face began to burn up with an intense heat as he looked into Sapphire’s eyes. They were together… alone… and in a close-knit space, and their noses were practically touching. The light above them flickered slightly as they stared at each other, with the soft sounds of their gentle breathing the only noise they could hear. Sapphire licked her lips as the both of them leaned in ever closer, and with their pheromones at an all-time high, Cobalt nearly gave in to his urges as his body struggled not to pin her to the wall and make out with her right then and there. To bend her over, mount her, and-
The door suddenly swung open, nearly giving both of them a heart-attack.
“What’re you kids doin’ in here?” the custodian, a grey male labradoodle, asked tiredly.
“W-we, uh, I, we just-” they stammered at the same time.
“Nevermind, I don’t care. Just get outta here, you lot. Some of us gotta work for a living.”
“Sorry,” Cobalt and Sapphire apologized respectfully, quickly getting out of the closet while trying to act casually; the last thing either of them needed was rumours spreading around about them spending ‘seven minutes in heaven’. They gave each other a bashful look before heading to homeroom together, and the custodian grumpily shook his head with a sigh as they left before grabbing a bottle of cleaning spray and a roll of paper towels off the shelf.
“They don’t pay me enough for this.”
The school day seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, and before he knew it, Cobalt was already getting into the passenger seat of his dad’s car with a giddy smile on his face.
“Well, someone’s in a good mood!” Bandit complemented as the door shut, grateful to see his son was much more cheerful than he was that morning.
“Yeah!” Cobalt replied. “Did I ever mention yesterday that they announced the school dance? This year it’s called the ‘Golden Sands Social’.”
“Oh, that’s comin’ around already again, eh?” Bandit commented, wondering where the year had gone. “So, you know who you’re gonna ask to go with?”
“I already did, actually,” Cobalt said with a smile, “I’m going with Sapph!”
“...Ah.” Bandit suddenly went surprisingly dour. “And you’re sure that’s who you wanna go with?”
“Y-yeah, Dad.” Cobalt scowled in confusion. “Is that okay? I thought you were… supportive.”
“I am, Cobalt, I am,” Bandit pressed down lightly on the gas, and they left the school parking lot. “It’s just… well, how many other kids know you and Sapphire are half-siblings?”
“I dunno, I don’t exactly go blabbing about it to everyone I meet,” Cobalt answered, “You know Sapph’s pretty much my only friend in school, anyway.”
“Fair point, but now that you bring it up, I do still wish you’d make some guy friends,” Bandit reminded his son, “Especially if things start to get more serious with Sapph and then it… doesn’t work out.”
“I just don’t see the point in making new friends that I’ll never see again after senior year anyway,” said Cobalt, “and what do you mean, ‘if it doesn’t work out’ with Sapph?”
“Well, just that… how do I put it…” Bandit thought for a moment before he continued. “When you wanna get involved with someone you’re related to, it can get… complicated. Normal relationships can be hard enough sometimes as it is, then try throwing the fact that you’re family into the mix…”
He trailed off a bit, his mind returning to the unsavory memories of his daughter, Bluey, before he came back to reality.
“I just don’t want you to end up regretting anything, okay?” Bandit concluded. “Just… be safe.”
“Dad, it’s not like we’re ever gonna have… s-sex, or anything like that, haha.” Cobalt blushed, secretly very much desiring to one day make his dreams a reality. “We’re just goin’ to the school dance together. That’s all.”
“Uh-huh, sure,” Bandit said unconvinced as he carefully reached into his wallet and pulled out a thin black square, handing it to his son. “Well I was a teenager once too, believe it or not. So take this. Just in case.”
“W-wha…” Cobalt could hardly believe his eyes as he held an actual condom in his hand for the first time in his life.
“Now I’m not telling you to go out of your way to put it to use, but if something should happen, whether it’s on the night of the dance or even this weekend, then at least you’re prepared,” Bandit couldn’t help but feel a little awkward imagining his own son and daughter going at it, but he knew there was nothing he could do to prevent it. Discouraging their potential relationship would likely only make things worse, so he knew all he could do instead was be as supportive and understanding as possible. “And if you do end up using it… just let me know. I can lend you another one, no questions asked.”
“...Thanks, Dad.” Cobalt began to tear up a little as he didn’t know how he got so lucky to have such a supportive father. “Thanks a lot. Really.”
“Now if you somehow need three condoms, well then you’re on your own, kid.” Bandit chuckled jokingly to lighten the mood. “You can go buy ‘em yer own damn self, ya freeloader!”
The two shared a laugh together as they headed closer to home, their bond as father and son having grown all the more stronger.
Later that night, as Cobalt got under the covers of his bed, his tail wagged beneath him as he excitedly looked forward to the dance. His thoughts began to drift into all the potential romantic scenarios he might find himself in with Sapphire when the night finally arrived, closing his eyes and trying to force himself to have a much better dream than the night before.
When he opened his eyes again, he squinted as several multicolored spotlights shone on him from above. As he sat up in his bed, he was shocked for a moment to find his bed in the middle of the high school gymnasium. He thought he was surrounded by other students at first, but the closer he looked, he soon realized that they were nothing more than blurry cardboard cutouts. Needless to say, he quickly became aware that this was a dream.
Cobalt then got out of his bed, looking down at himself and realizing that he was already well-dressed in a formal blue and black suit jacket with a black vest and white bowtie. When he turned around, his bed had seemingly vanished into thin air.
“May I have this dance?”
Cobalt’s ears perked at the sound of an unmistakable voice, looking around frantically for the source before he felt a gentle tap of a finger on his shoulder. He turned around, and was greeted with a jaw-dropping sight.
Before him stood Sapphire, beautiful as always, wearing an orange and black sleeveless dress with shimmering white dots that was clearly designed after the wings of a monarch butterfly.
“S-Sapph, you look… so beautiful.”
“Heh, I’m glad you think so,” Sapphire chuckled as she took his hand. “You look pretty handsome yourself, Cobe. Now come on, I know the real dance still isn’t for a while yet, but I’d like a quick preview.”
She led him to a spot closer to the center of the dancefloor. Cobalt felt a little awkward at first, as though all eyes were on them, until he reminded himself that no one else was actually here.
Or at least, that was what he thought; what he didn’t see was someone - or rather, something - staying completely still in wait and secretly watching them from the other side of the gymnasium in total silence, merely observing the dream playing out.
The mirrorball began to move on its own as slow dance music began to play, though it was quite muffled and nearly impossible to understand.
‘I jus- -eel li-e… y-ur --if-ing ou-,
-ould I -ee- --is -ide -rom -urning,
I will ---eam an- I will --out,’
As Cobalt held Sapphire’s waist and tried to step in time with her, he began to feel like he had two left feet. He wasn’t sure if it was because this was a dream, he truly couldn’t slow-dance, or he was merely nervous, but nevertheless he made a mental note of working on his coordination before the day the real dance came.
Suddenly, Sapphire giggled softly.
“What?” Cobalt asked.
“Oh, it’s… nothing.” Sapphire replied, smiling. “I just kinda hope the real you looks this cute when he tries to dance.”
‘The real me…’ Cobalt thought as he looked away, noticing how she referred to him as though he was just a figment of her imagination once again. There had to be some kind of way for him to know for sure what was really going on.
“Hey, Sapph?” he asked, looking into her eyes once more. “Tomorrow morning at school, I want you to do something.”
“Huh?” Sapphire asked, tilting her head curiously.
“When you see me - the real me - I want you to tell him the phrase, um…”
Cobalt thought for a few moments for an odd and random phrase that she’d have no reason to say otherwise.
“Say, ‘Antique alarm clocks are getting very popular lately’. Remember that. ‘Antique alarm clocks are getting very popular lately’,” Cobalt repeated for emphasis.
“Oookay, I guess I’ll try to remember. But why, exactly?” she asked in confusion.
“I-I don’t have a reason. This is all just a silly dream anyway, heheh… completely random nonsense,” he chuckled nervously, “But don’t forget, ‘Antique alarm clocks are getting very popular lately’. He would be interested to hear that.”
“Whatever you say,” Sapphire shrugged, leaning into Cobalt’s neck and breathing in deeply. “Mmm, you smell just like him… the best.”
Cobalt felt his heart melting in his chest as she said those words, and they continued dancing together until the song ended.
‘I- I s-ar- -a--ing, the --arks ar- -oing -o --y,
So I-- jus- -eep… -eep --iet…’
The hidden presence that had been watching them the entire time finally began to slowly move, its limbs crunching and cracking like decayed wood as it slowly stood up with stuttered motions. Even while hunched over slightly, it stood nearly eight feet tall, now towering over the lifeless cardboard cutouts it once hid behind. There were no eyes on its head, only dozens of black holes of various sizes that gave it a trypophobia-inducing appearance resembling that of a lotus pod. Thorny barbs covered its exoskeletal body, which was held together by grey twisting vines that mimicked a muscular system. It opened its mouth, which was lined with long and thin jagged teeth, and exhaled a deep yet airy monstrous growl that sounded like it was gurgling fluid from the bottom of its throat.
When Cobalt’s eyes caught sight of the terrifying creature, his legs froze stiff where he stood. A dread unlike any he’d ever known washed over him as the horrific being approached, letting out a guttural roar.
“AH-!” Sapphire gasped as she turned around before she suddenly disappeared in a cloud of orange mist, leaving Cobalt alone with the monster.
But before Cobalt barely even had time to process anything that was happening, the empty space next to him began to crack like glass, and a blue heeler suddenly broke through just as the terror’s menacing jaws were mere inches from Cobalt’s face.
“Cobalt, WAKE UP!”
With the hard slap of a firm hand against his cheek, Cobalt woke up in his bed screaming at the top of his lungs. He stared wide-eyed at the dark walls of his bedroom, not wanting to blink even once for fear of falling back asleep again. He looked at his clock. 4:49 AM. The sky outside was still very dark, though the sun would begin to rise soon in an hour or so. Although it was a school day, he could manage to stay awake until then. Anything was better than facing that nightmarish creature again.
Suddenly, Cobalt felt a jolt in his chest as the door handle to his room jiggled.
“Cobalt, honey, are you alright?” Chilli’s voice called out through the door.
“I-I’m fine, Mum. Just had a bad dream,” Cobalt replied, relieved that he’d remembered to lock his bedroom door this time.
“Okay, well… just let me know if my big boy needs anything,” he heard her meekly say from the other side. “I could… cuddle with you ‘til you fall back asleep if you want…”
“T-thanks Mum, but I’m fine, really. You can go back to sleep now,” he quickly answered,
“Alright, then.”
There was a pause.
“I love you, Cobalt.”
Cobalt sighed, getting up out of bed and crossing his room. He couldn’t continue to let his dream about his mum change anything he had with her in the waking world. He opened the door, giving Chilli a tight hug.
“...I love you too, Mum.”
They held their hug for several minutes before Cobalt tried to pull away. Chilli, however, continued to hold onto him tightly without any sign of letting go.
“O-okay, Mum, you can let go now.”
“Oh, r-right,” she said with a soft chuckle, finally loosening her grip. But before she let go of him completely, she hesitated for a moment before leaning back in and whispering in his ear,
“...Do you wanna have sex?”
Cobalt’s jaw dropped, coming to the horrifying realization that this basically confirmed everything he’d been suspecting - he really could dreamwalk, and that was his actual mom he’d fucked in his dream the night before.
He only stammered unintelligibly in response, unsure of how to answer. Did he want to have sex with his own mom? He’d already experienced it in his dream, and he had to admit that a part of him did actually enjoy it. He enjoyed it a lot. But dreams were different from reality, and this was taking things a step too far. He’d always hoped to lose his virginity - his real virginity - to Sapphire, after all.
Chilli then gave her son’s cheek a slow lick, sending a pleasant chill up his spine.
‘I can’t give in…’ he thought, ‘I… I can’t.’
“N-no, Mum,” said Cobalt firmly, backing away. “...I don’t.”
“Umh, o-oh, what am I saying?” Chilli played it off jokingly, rubbing her eye. “Sorry for the awkward topic, sweetheart, that was so inappropriate of me. Your Mum’s not quite feeling herself tonight. I admit I had a few glasses of wine before bed, and it’s early in the morning, after all…”
“I get it, Mum. You’re tired.” Cobalt gently patted his mother’s wrist, wanting to forget this whole exchange ever happened. “I won’t ever bring it up if you promise you don’t. Water under the bridge. Now you should go back to bed. Please.”
“Y-yeah… I should… go… back to bed…” Chilli gave out a quiet yawn as she returned down the hallway to her and Bandit’s room, closing the door behind her.
Cobalt closed the door and locked it, returning to his bed and staring up at the ceiling until the sun peeked from behind the horizon.
‘What the fuck…’ he thought, feeling wide-awake now. ‘What in the ever-loving fuck…’
As he recalled his dream - the monstrosity that almost attacked him, and the blue heeler who had woken him up, he realized something he hadn’t had the time to put together before.
That was not Biscuit who had saved him.
Cobalt leaned over and picked up his phone, opening his messages and sending a text to one of his contacts. It was a long shot, but maybe she’d be able to provide some answers for him.
‘Hey Bluey, are you free today?’",
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