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"What's the matter?" Lucienne asked apropos nothing, and looked up from her paperwork to the raven. Matthew stopped his shuffling on the pillow Lucienne had conveniently placed on one of her office shelves.
"Sorry, Loosh. I'm trying to get comfortable, but somehow it's impossible."
Lucienne put down her writing tool, Matthew wasn't quite sure if it was a quill or a ballpoint pen, and furrowed her eyebrows. She seemed to think about that statement for a moment and Matthew was afraid he had offended her in some way.
"It's not because of the pillow! The pillow is great, actually, and I am very thankful for having this pillow since... well... I can't carry my own pillows anymore, and all that. And the boss rarely seems to remember that people, and birds, need a place to sit comfortably. So thank you for the pillow. I just... feel weird, no matter how I sit down. It's worse than when I first got here."
Lucienne listened patiently to his rambling and gave him a sympathizing smile. "You've been here for ten months now. I started to wonder when you would complain about that."
"What? That's normal? That can't be normal."
"It's normal. Every raven before you had it. Here, you are a dream. But in the waking world, you are a bird, and as such you are bound to natural cycles."
"You fuckin kidding me. Why would... you know what, never mind. What cycle? What natural benefit can it possibly have for a bird to be permanently uncomfortable?"
"That's just a side effect. You are due in mating, I'm afraid."
"Yeah uh, no. Absolutely not." Matthew said and turned around to put his skull against the wall and not look at Lucienne anymore. As if that had ever worked. Fucking bird's view.
Lucienne sighed and nodded shortly. "I'll call the Corinthian up for you, as soon as possible. For our all sanity."
"YOU WHAT NOW? Do you want me to get eaten?!"
"It's always the same, their first couple of times." Lucienne muttered and looked back at the bird on her shelf. "I know it's hard to believe but the Corinthian is the best option for you to find relief. I could waste time trying to explain that to you, but I know from experience that you won't believe me until you let it happen. Also, the Corinthian is the only one... inhuman enough to not be opposed to it."
"WHAT THE FLYING FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT LOOSH? I WOULD RATHER BE UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THE REST OF MY EXISTENCE THAN GIVE WHATEVER YOU ARE IMPLYING A GO!" Matthew hopped onto her desk.
She sighed. "I know that it sounds... odd, to say the least. But the whole situation is odd if you still think by human standards."
"Girl I don't know if you had been spending too much time with that tall ass Lion dude of yours blowing your back out or something. But this, right here, this conversation is even for talking bird standard weird as fuck. You telling me that Dream creates his ravens with the biology of normal ravens, and I am just horny. Okay, I can not pretend to understand or like that, but I can comprehend it. What I can't comprehend is how the literal worst nightmare of creation is supposed to help with that."
Lucienne chuckled. "Fine. Have it your way then. But each and every time you complain about the side effects, I want you to remember that I have offered you a discreet relief, and you didn't take it."
Matthew plushed his feathers and took off, absolutely done with the librarian today. He settled in the throne room instead, trying his best to not annoy Dream enough to say something. He was semi-successful in that task.
Dream commented on his shuffling and muttering when they were alone, for no other resident to hear but them. Matthew felt like blushing crimson, even though he knew by now that birds couldn't technically blush. But he was flustered, and his lord saw that.
"Are you uncomfortable, my raven?" he asked when Matthew's feathers ruffled. Seeing his boss smile was rare enough, but to see him smile almost compassionately - that probably never happened before.
"Yeah... a little." Matthew admitted. "Sorry for the... restlessness, boss. Can't help it."
"Have you told Lucienne about your discomfort?"
"Well... yes. But she... she only suggested something that didn't sound logical to me in the least. So I'm kinda not on speaking terms with her right now." Putting it like that, it sounded silly even to himself.
Dream huffed something like a laugh, and visibly stopped himself from reaching out to his companion. "She has suggested you seek help from the Corinthian then, yes?"
"Yes. She has. But I can't see how HE would be any help. Nothing against your creation, boss, but he is a nightmare. And maybe I'm mistaken but wouldn't be the easiest way to... you know... get me a bird-friend?"
Dream smiled again. "That would seem logical. However, I was assured by several of my past ravens that seeking a regular bird as a companion is... frustrating. You are stronger and more intelligent than a mortal raven, easily hurting or scaring a bird from the waking world. And have you not still the mind of a man? What would interest you about a bird?"
Matthew shuffled from side to side. He knew Dream had a point but he didn't like it. "Well I am not Jessamy. Or any other of your past ravens."
"Clearly." somehow that always sounded like an insult. "And you are free to make your own choices and experiences. But I advise you to listen to those who came before you."
Matthew muttered something he couldn't even make language out of himself. "Can't you just... make it go away? I'm a dream, right? And you can change dreams. Like with Corinthian."
"I can't, unfortunately, make it go away. You are a dream, but much like Unity or Lucienne, you are not my creation but your own. You are a raven, and when you began to be that, you created yourself to be bound by laws of nature you were familiar with in the waking world."
"You could think I would know better than to put this on myself. But here we are."
Dream huffed again. "Indeed. I must warn you, Matthew. I have made the mistake of trying to keep my raven close during their mating season in the past. It never did any good. So I must insist on... a healthy distance in space until the matter is resolved."
"Wait, what?" Matthew hopped closer by instinct. Dream looked at him pointedly.
"I have no reason to assume you would be the same. Call it overly cautious if you like, but I do not seem to have any effect on your condition that would help in the least."
"Wait, you just gonna leave me standing? Am I understanding this right? You don't talk with me anymore until I go to the Corinthian? I don't want to go! Dude is scary!"
Dream sighed. "I'm afraid there is not much choice here. Until then, you shall be dismissed from my presence."
Matthew made a protesting little cawing sound, but Dream's expression left no room for discussion. So back to the library, it was. Lucienne gave him a knowing look but didn't comment on his return when he tried to get comfortable on his pillow again.
In his mortal life, he had no idea about bird anatomy, so two or three months ago he basically had to redo sex-ed for his new physique. He wasn't particularly proud of that moment, but he was glad that he did it, now he definitely wouldn't be able to concentrate on something as banal as a book.
He ended up laying on his back or sides, which was not really comfortable as a bird, but still better than having anything touch his suddenly oversensitive butt. Cloaca. Well, bird butt. Matthew knew cloaca was the correct term but it sounded even more embarrassing than butt.
Lucienne asked him every day if he was doing alright, not once mentioning Corinthian. He was thankful for that, and truthfully in his answers. He was basically home invading Lucienne's dear library, sulking on his shelf pillow, the least he owed her was honesty.
It got worse. Matthew did his best to not notice it, but it was undeniable. When he wasn't busy trying his very fucking best to stay calm and not keep Lucienne from working, he was grooming himself. He mostly took that outside of the library, but that was about all he did outside. He didn't have to eat, so he didn't do it. With Morpheus avoiding him, he had no place to be, no appointments to attend to, or quests to keep his mind occupied.
Matthew felt like losing his mind. The only thing in his existence he could suddenly think about was the one thing he denied himself. Someone, something, anything, warm and soft pressing against him, granting relief.
He was laying on his back again, pretending to be asleep rather than feeling any real rest, when Morpheus visited Lucienne.
Matthew listened because he couldn't not.
"I wanted to return this book to you. And ask for... Matthew's progress."
Lucienne sighed and nodded over to the shelf. "As expected, my Lord. He is mostly sleeping like this by now, when he isn't outside grooming himself. I'm thankful that he leaves the feathers not in my office, but I wish he would understand that it won't get better on its own."
Dream nodded slowly. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"My Lord. With all due respect, you remember the incidents as well as I do."
"Not quite." Dream talked back with a teasing sound in his voice. "Neither you, my dear Lucienne, nor any raven I had after you were able to tell me what about me makes it so difficult."
Lucienne blushed. She always had been able to, but she never dared to tell her King about it. Every raven of his knew, by instinct, when they got too close to him during their mating season.
"And I'm afraid it will stay a mystery. But this gives me an idea."
"I'm listening."
"Maybe... you could leave a shirt or another piece of physical clothing with Matthew. Something, you wore. Something carrying enough of... you, to spur Matthew's desperation a little."
Dream's eyebrow went astonishingly high. "Clothing?"
"Yes. It may help make him give up his pride, and seek relief."
Matthew was very tempted to jump up and yell at both of them. His boss and his lady boss were talking about his sex life like it was a general office problem. Like it was a broken printer they needed to come up with an excuse to get fixed for. But the last days and weeks - could have been years but technically it was less than two weeks - had taught Matthew unholy amounts of self-control.
"His pride maybe. But what about his fear of the Corinthian?"
"I doubt that Matthew is actually afraid of him, Sire. Yes, Corinthian is a successful nightmare, but he is... part of your creation. If Matthew was able to give in, he'd learn about the Corinthian's compassion."
Dream smirked, and Lucienne looked just about as surprised about that as Matthew felt.
"I've never asked, but I'm curious. What is it, that he does, that keeps all my ravens impressed?"
Lucienne chuckled nervously. "It's hard to explain. It's not a single action or feature, it's the way all those features you wanted him to have, are playing together. I'm not sure it would be appropriate for me to go into detail."
Dream huffed and straightened his back. "I'll bring over a shirt of mine later today. Hopefully, it hurries Matthew a little. I find myself missing his company, strangely."
"I'll see him to it. Thank you, my Lord."
Dream left, and Lucienne sighed.
"Why his shirt?" Matthew asked and Lucienne didn't even startle. She looked up at him, still laying on his back, and smiled patiently.
"It's his smell. I'm sure you've noticed it on him before your mating season started. He smells like the best thing existing, and it only gets stronger during that time of the year. Lord Morpheus always has a raven, who is above all else dedicated to him. He will always be their lover of choice. He seems to willingly ignore that, to not hurt your feelings, or he really is that oblivious. Hard to tell, when it comes to him."
"Wait, the boss stays away from me because I'd jump him otherwise? And he doesn't even understand that?" Matthew hopped on his feet. Lucienne nodded, a blush on her cheeks.
"That's one of the things that make it rather uncomfortable to seek a mortal bird for a companion. They don't smell like he does. Corinthian on the other hand..."
"Wait. Hold on there Loosh. You telling me you tried to jump the boss? And because you couldn't have him you did it with a nightmare? His favorite nightmare, to be specific."
"I had... enough dignity back then to never let Lord Morpheus know. At least that is what I told myself even centuries later. I can't actually remeber. And I told you, I can't make you believe me with words until you try it yourself."
"You are advising me to have sex with a humanoid nightmare who smells like my boss, who obviously railed just about every raven serving the dreaming before me." Matthew said dead-panned. "I think I pass."
Lucienne rolled her eyes. "It's not sex. Not in any way mortals would understand it."
"And that's supposed to assure me? That guy's dick is probably as long as my whole body, Lucienne."
"He won't perform anything penetrative with you." Lucienne told him. She paused. "Well unless you ask him to."
"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!" Matthew let himself drop on his back again. "Nope. Nopedy nope nope. I would rather stay uncomfortably horny until I pass out than imagine that."
Lucienne sighed. "You know that... the other dreams will try to trick you into doing it with him anyways when you deny it for much longer?"
"They will do what now? What kinda place is this, that everyone wants the bird to get raped by a literal murderer?"
"The dreaming needs a raven. With you unable to perform your tasks, Morpheus gets incredibly more grumpy. It's self-preservation to have you on the job, from their perspective."
"I hate all of you." Matthew stated, absolutely done with everything.
The same day Mervyn brought over a small package for Lucienne he didn't know the purpose of, and didn't find out because Lucienne dismissed him before she opened it. She gingerly unfolded the black t-shirt and stretched to drape it onto Matthew's pillow. He watched her from the side.
"I still hate you." He repeated and nestled his head in the fabric. One breath of the scent and he knew what Lucienne had meant. There are smells in the world that make you hungry in an instant. This one made him horny. Well. Hornier. He rubbed his cheek on the shirt, aware that Lucienne was watching him.
"Yeah, I know that I look miserable. Okay whatever call Corinthian over or something, I really don't care anymore."
Lucienne smiled and wrote a note, she personally delivered.
The next day, Corinthian came it the office, took one look around, and smiled when he spotted Matthew. "Ah, hello there. I heard you are having a hard time. Mind getting some fresh air? I'm sure Lucienne would welcome some lone time with her work."
Matthew wanted to protest that he did his best to not disturb Lucienne, but he knew it was pointless. He hopped from the shelf onto Corinthian's offered arm wordlessly.
The blonde greeted Lucienne and took his leave, carrying Matthew out of the palace with ease.
"Now, aren't you a handsome raven, out in the sun. All clean and shiny feathers." Corinthian praised and sat down with Matthew on a field. Or rather a garden. They were protected from view, something impossible in the open fields of the dreaming, and the lush grass was warmed by the sun. Matthew really didn't want to listen to anything Corinthian had to say, too occupied in regret to having agreed to whatever came next. But he took pride in the statement of the man.
He hopped onto the grass, nervous about what the nightmare would do with him.
"Hey, want to eat something?"
That surely was not what Matthew had expected.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm not a Callboy. I'm not here to make you cum and leave. Also, you wouldn't enjoy it anyways, as tense as you are right now." Corinthian said as if he was talking about the weather.
"I... I don't know what... what will happen, honestly."
"Yeah, I figured. Lucienne is not the type of person to give clear answers. Okay. Here is what is going to happen. I'm going to leave you all the time you need to relax around me, and believe me I KNOW that this sounds like it would take forever, and then you gonna tell me you want it. Depending on how you want it, you can hop onto my arm or leg or whatever you are comfortable with, and I'm gonna... massage you a little."
Until now, Matthew had wished for a more open conversation partner about sex. Now, watching the Corinthian eat pulled pork and lick his fingertips clean of the oils, while basically telling him that he will help him masturbate... Matthew wished for the times back when he thought all of Dream's creations were prude.
He gulped. "Ahhh... okay? And... and what about you? You said you are not a Callboy, but... what is expected of me in return?"
"Nothing you don't want to offer. I won't bore you with stories of the past, but the arrangement varied strongly. I take what I can get. A favor for a favor, or just a joker allowance. One time the thing I got in return for that sort of care was like a free get-out-of-jail card, just that jail meant Dream's raven trying to be louder than me, whenever I said a single word in the throne room. Once a year I could ask her to shut the fuck up, and she'd do it."
Matthew nodded slowly. "I'm... I'm not sure what I can offer."
"No pressure, you'll come up with something. Until then, it's like I said. A favor for a favor. Pork?" Corinthian offered Matthew a piece of flesh, and the raven gingerly took it.
"Also, I get the day off. Dream's order. Which is kinda nice. I swear, if I was a human, my legs would be sore all the time from all the running."
Matthew cackled. That shouldn't be funny. But it kinda was. He knew that Corinthian was re-created since his mass rampage, so he technically wasn't speaking to a man who murdered people. He was only speaking to a man who remembered murdering people. And man wasn't the right term either. For some reason, Matthew suddenly wondered if he had been right and Corinthian's dick was longer than him. Which would be a lot. Like more than a foot long. Or, for non-American brains; more than 31 centimeters, so basically a standard ruler.
"Where is your mind at, Matthew?" Corinthian asked, feeding the raven another piece of his lunch.
"Do you want the honest or the more appropriate version?" Matthew asked without thinking. The nightmare laughed.
"The inappropriate version."
"I was thinking about how long your dick is, Corinthian."
More laughter and even Matthew chuckled. It was a bit funny.
"Any guesses or do you just want a number? In case of the latter I have to disappoint you, I never measured."
Matthew cackled. "I don't know man. You radiate a certain big dick energy, you know? Also, Morpheus went all like be-gay-do-crime on your looks, I can imagine he is very proud of his work."
"He is." Corinthian said with that absolutely unnerving smile. "He added... an inch or something when he re-created me. Not much, but it clearly was important enough for him to pay attention to it, and not just... reassemble it the way it was."
"Other people have the weirdest daddy issues and you just top them all off." Matthew stated and Corinthian laughed again.
"Can't disagree. But then again, you want him to rail you too, so you can't really blame me."
"I actually don't blame you. At least for that. There is enough stuff I could blame you for, you actually did yourself."
Corinthian smiled and offered him another piece of meat. Matthew realized that he truly was relaxing around Corinthian. He wondered how his chances of survival stood, should he call the blonde Cori. He didn't have the nerves to test this now, with his whole body thrumming on hormones, but he filed it away for later.
He bonked his head against Corinthian's thigh and hopped closer to the offered hand. "Getting cuddly, handsome?"
Matthew was a little too embarrassed to answer that, but yes. He was getting cuddly. Cori tapped on his leg, and Matthew jumped to sit on it.
"Such a polite young man." Corinthian praised, and let Matthew rub his face and neck on his hand. Corinthian did smell distantly like Dream. But different enough to not evoke a desperate sort of self-pity. Smelling at Corinthian made Matthew feel... cared for. It was silly. But that didn't matter at the moment, because he was busy rubbing his head in the cool fabric of Corinthian's suit pants. He only distantly realized that he had raised his tail, and found himself not caring. His back was finally not in a position that had it screaming at him.
Corinthian chuckled softly, gently laying one hand down on Matthew's back, his palm drawing circles on the bird's shoulders. "Good boy. You are doing so well, Matthew. Do you want me?"
Matthew cawed, and the sound appeared desperate and whiny to himself. "Y-yes."
Corinthian's other hand appeared, a wet thumb - Matthew would have wondered when the man had sleeked his fingers, but he was busy being a horny bird - circling Matthew's cloaca. Butt still sounded nicer. Matthew weakly flapped his wings, the soft weight of the hand on his back grounding him, seizing his flight response. He was extremely sensitive by now, and Corinthian was Corinthian. What he lacked in social sensitivity he compensated with the skill of his fingers. Matthew shuddered, pressing his chest down while trying to get his tail as far up as he could.
Corinthian hummed smiling. "I envy the raven who is going to have babies with you. But your chicks will be beautiful and strong and intelligent and proud as you, no doubt."
Matthew had an energy burst, that reminded him of a jolt back when he was human, having a tall guy like Cori balls deep inside him, pushing all the right buttons at once. When his whole body jerked, but he wasn't yet in the right space to cum, the searing hot want would just became more.
"Hmmm, you like that? Who would have thought, that such a noisy little brat like you would go all tame at my hands, huh? Now that we are alone you a good boy for me?"
Matthew nodded against Corinthian's leg, not sure if he saw it but barely able to care. The thumb was replaced by two fingertips fitting just too well against Matthew's cloaca, making him gasp raspy. Something in him loosened and when he felt nonverbal before, he now suddenly turned talkative. Almost verbose. But then again, he didn't really form any coherent sentences.
"Co... Cori... nghh yes... please take me, take me, take me, take me Cori please"
Matthew couldn't see Corinthian's face in order to know if running would be a good idea. But if the fingers stroking him into oblivion and the thumb caressing his right wing were any indicators, Corinthian either didn't hear him or didn't mind. Not that Matthew would have had enough willpower to leave, even if the nightmare would actively threaten him at that moment.
"I gotta... I'm close... Cori please... harder... take me... harder... please"
If Matthew was in his sound mind he would have noticed that the growing pressure on his sex meant that Corinthian had definitely heard him. But as it was, Matthew writhed and gasped and a searing white heat exploded in his nerves, and he came.
When he found back into something resembling consciousness, he was laying on Corinthian's other leg, blunt nails soothingly scratching his head and sorting his ruffled feathers.
He made a soft cawing noise, and Corinthian chuckled. "Back among the living? You really got into that, huh?"
"Yeah... I'm sorry."
"Oh, not at all. Glad you could loosen up like that. You know, I think it's funny. With Morpheus you are all cheeky and mouthy and stuff like that. I imagined you'd be even worse when we were alone. But a nice word and a handful of food, and you melt into a submissive puddle."
"Oh god." Matthew realized and Corinthian laughed.
"Not quite. But I'd accept that pet name as well."
Matthew laughed baffled, having no idea how else he was supposed to react. "Yeah... Heh. Sorry. Slipped out earlier."
"Hey, no problem at all. I am not opposed to it. Hell, the only reason I don't introduce myself with a flashy nickname is that I have zero creativity when it comes to names."
Matthew chuckled. "Oh, you wouldn't flay me, had I introduced you as Cori?"
"I don't think so. But the follow-up question would be, to whom you would have introduced me." Corinthian softly scratched Matthew's back just above his tail and Matthew felt his grasp on his dignity slip, going pliant at those hands.
"I don't know. My parents?"
Corinthian laughed. "Cute. I don't think I'm the perfect son-in-law kinda guy."
"Hmmm, you would have fit right in then, because the people calling themselves my mom and dad would have been the worst kind of parents-in-law."
"How that?" The blonde asked surprisingly genuine.
"They were homophobic, for starters. I never told them that I was bi. But if I had done it, I would definitely have preferred to just... sort of confront them with a handsome man. Unfortunately, I was not only a coward but also miserable, and never got the chance. Would have been funny though. And you seem like the kinda guy who can deal with that sort of drama."
"Mischievous. I like it. I'd suggest introducing you to my daddy, but I'm afraid you've already crossed paths." He joked and Matthew chuckled and rubbed his cheek on Corinthian's thigh again.
"But imagine how the boss would react, though."
"That I help you get off? That much he knows already."
"I mean if you were my boyfriend!" Matthew laughed, nipping at him. "Hey, do you think Morpheus would ground you? Or me? Or both of us?"
Corinthian laughed utterly surprised. Which said something. It was not all day that someone managed to surprise him with their mischievous ideas.
"And you think you could stand that?"
Matthew paused and looked at him. "What? Getting grounded? Buddy, I'm new here but I wasn't born yesterday. It's not like I'd enjoy it, but it wouldn't even be the first time this month that the boss grounds me."
Corinthian blinked, a soft click sound the only indicator. "Let me hear it again."
"What?" Matthew chuckled nervously, the feeling dawning on him that he crossed a line without realizing it.
"The nickname you said earlier."
Matthew blinked. He shook his body once and hopped higher up on Corinthian's thigh. "Cori."
Corinthian blinked again.
"What's the matter? You making me nervous, dude." Matthew said, ducking his head.
"Don't be. It's alright. I just had a thought. A really mad idea actually. Doesn't matter, it's probably nothing. How's your stamina doing?"
Matthew was about to ask if Corinthian was insane (to which he knew the answer) but he realized that even though he just got his bird brains fucked out, the pressure in his lower body was already rebuilding. He winced.
"Yeah thought so." Corinthian snickered. "It's alright, I know what I signed up for."
"Well, that makes one of us." Matthew muttered, plushing his feathers.
"You probably going to be able to go a few times more. Yadda yadda bird physique."
The raven chuckled at the adequacy of that statement and looked back up at the nightmare.
"You gonna be talking to me again? I kinda... I kinda liked that."
Corinthian smiled. "Sure. Kinky bird."
Matthew nicked his wrist laughing. "Says the mouthy nightmare to the raven he's jerking off."
Corinthian was right, in the end, and Matthew got all heated up three times more, five times in total. He felt like a bloody teenager. But in a sense, his form was that of a young raven, his age equivalent to the human late teens. Nineteen or something.
When he was sure that he was finally cooling down for good, Matthew made a seat out of Corinthian's shoulder and let himself be carried back into the palace, to the library. The blonde scratched his chin with one finger on the way, and Matthew felt himself going pliant again. A pleasant thrum of after-bliss filled him, and he enjoyed the contact.
He was half-way asleep when they arrived at Lucienne's office. He was lifted and placed on his pillow. He heard Corinthian and Lucienne talking, but couldn't follow. The tension he had talked down all the time was finally gone, and left him exhausted and content. He fell asleep, for the first time in two weeks, maybe longer.