#and shout out to phil for making me genuinely think for a second that he somehow managed to get both dc and nord to sponsor them in one vide

[anne20055]

an incomplete list of things that are less psychologically, sexually, and physically traumatizing than the golden dan experience:

dan and phil play my horse prince

dan and phil play dream daddy

the dan and phil mounting men video

almost everything i’ve ever read on ao3, regardless of fandom

dan and phil play powerwash simulator

every time i’ve played truth or dare when i was 16 (so much worse than what any of you are thinking)

the entirety of we’re all doomed

everything related to my mother and one true goddess, sister daniel

every single heartthrob video

the list goes on

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Fics Including Kath and Nigel (2) Masterlist

part one

2018 (ao3) - outphan

Summary: Dan has a chat with Kath, about his relationship and future with Phil.

a matched set (ao3) - cityofphanchester

Summary: “Mum,” he says, and his voice sounds like a balloon about to burst from happiness. “Mum, would you do me a favor.”

(a mother's view of the christmas adventure)

And, Like Putting On Glasses, I Saw the World in Perfect Clarity (ao3) - cactuslester

Summary: Dan thinks this trip to the Isle of Man will be like all the other trips to visit the Lesters. Little does he know, Phil has a 3 carat surprise for him.

Becoming a Lester (ao3) - scifi

Summary: it’s december 2009 and after dinner, phil tells kath about the nature of his relationship with dan

Better Than Planned (ao3) - TwistedRocketPower

Summary: Dan and Kathryn take a walk and have a talk.

Brave (ao3) - TortiTabby

Summary: A vacation on the Isle ends up being the worst and best place to be at the start of the end of the world.

catching up (ao3) - neopold

Summary: Phil's very tired and Dan talks to Kath on the phone.

Christmas at the Lester's (ao3) - troyiesivanie

Summary: Kath finally convinces Phil he should bring Dan up for Christmas, and it ends up being the best Christmas of his life.

december 10th: welcome, love (ao3) - angelmichelangelo

Summary: coming out isn't easy, but it's a little less shit when you're surrounded with family

december 18th: mama's boy (ao3) - angelmichelangelo

Summary: when phil said kath had put up that shout poster in his bedroom when he came home for christmas :3

no matter how old phil gets, he's still babied by his mum

even while the dust moves (ao3) - cityofphanchester

Summary: Nothing bad is supposed to happen when he’s with the Lesters. (Or, the day after Phil's birthday brings darkness, and Kath makes tea. Set 2019.)

family - phillestatos

Summary: When Dan met Phil, she never thought an eighteen-year-old boy could change his son’s life in that way and how he could become family to her. Or, a reflexion of Dan and Phil’s relationship through the years in Phil’s mum point of view. Too floof.

falling away (generations) (ao3) - CapriciousCrab

Summary: Nigel watches Phil's video and has a moment of realization

familiar perspectives (ao3) - cityofphanchester

Summary: Kath twinkles in Dan’s direction, and he knows she’s been watching his hands move across the puzzle. “Is he, now? Shame you’re stuck with him, then.”

(scenes from the isle, oct ‘21.)

Happy Birthday My Love (ao3) - phansuniteinluv

Summary: It's Phil's 33rd birthday!!! Laughter, fun, and a birthday proposal that Dan has been planning for ages!

he's his mother's son after all (ao3) - watergator

Summary: dan visits phil's family on mother's day whilst feeling depressed

house full of noise and laughter (ao3) - dizzy

Summary: Dan finds himself home alone at Kath on a late December morning.

House Hunters (ao3) - citizen101erased

Summary: Kath and Nigel go down to London to help Phil and Dan find a house to buy.

just me, her, and the moon (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: He's been thinking a long time about coming out, about how he just needs to be alone with his mum and then he can just finally say it. But now, he could really do it. He could really tell his mum he's gay.

Lester Family Hospitality (ao3) - yikesola

Summary: The morning’s misty rain has turned into a genuine Manchester autumn downpour. As Kath walks past a novelty shop, she spots a young man facing the brick wall of the building. His arm is bent against the wall, and he’s leaning his forehead against his arm, and the poor thing is shaking with what Kath fears might be sobs.

An au fic about hot meals and serendipity.

Long Live (all the walls we crashed through) (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: “Phil, dear?” Dan asks that night, when he’s climbing into bed next to his boyfriend. Phil makes a small noise to show he’s awake, and Dan prepares himself.

“Do you think you’ll ever propose?”

Silence.

The three seconds before Phil answers feel like an eternity to Dan, his whole world shifting, threatening to fall apart.

“When the time is right, I guess,” Phil murmurs, the tiredness clear in the way his voice sounds gravelly and deep.

When the time is right?

God, Dan thinks, it’s good that he loves Phil so much.

Or: a very special Christmas, featuring The Lesters and several boxes.

Love Isn’t Like That - adorkablephil

Summary: The Lester family is obviously too good to be true.

make this feel like home (ao3) - happy_endings15

Summary: It's senior year. There's two boys. And only one scholarship that will get them out of this tiny Pennsylvania town. But when the universe forces them together, Dan finds a mystery in Phil that just might force him to confront the most deeply buried parts of himself, whether he's ready or not.

Featuring high school theater shenanigans, college app stress, plenty of mutual pining, and DOG CONTENT!!!

midnight cereal (ao3) - watergator

Summary: kath wakes in the night to find dan in her kitchen

Missing you (ao3) - roman

Summary: Phil watched as the Skype call went through and Dan's beautiful, pixelated face showed up on his laptop. His smile was wide and he looked really happy, Phil missed seeing this side of Dan; he just missed Dan in general.

-

Phil is in Florida, Dan is not. Phil misses him

More Converts Than Reason (ao3) - iihappydaysii

Summary: Dan and Phil go to visit the Lesters for Mother's Day and each have a talk with one of Phil's parents.

safe place (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: when dan has an argument with his dad, the only place he wants to be is in the north, in phil's arms

The Christmas Fic || 2017 (ao3) - Yiffandquiff (paradisobound)

Summary: How Christmas 2017 should have went

The Isle (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: For Phil's 32nd birthday they go up to the Isle of Man once again. It's slowly becoming their favorite place on earth.

The one where Dan should have packed more tissues (ao3) - counting2fifteen, itsmyusualphannie (itsmyusualweeb)

Summary: Dan wants to ask Phil to marry him, but he wants Kath and Nigel's permission first.

turn my head with talk of summertime (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: there's a lot of sides to Phil that Dan hasn't seen yet, and maybe summer Phil is the one he's really looking forward to

Weight on my Shoulders (ao3) - ByTheFire

Summary: When Phil starts getting some unexpected gifts from his dad he starts to worry if he knows something he is not ready to share. Thankfully Dan is there to make it all a bit less scary. All Phil can hope is his dad doesn't want to change who he truly is.

What We Are to Each Other (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: So maybe they both suck at communication. Maybe Dan needs to talk to Phil about what they are to each other. And maybe Phil needs to sit his parents down and tell them that big, slightly scary thing about himself. But maybe it'll all work itself out, one way or another.

wrecking ball (ao3) - bloodyscarab

Summary: you gotta wanna break the hearts

of all those pretty porcelain dolls

[dyketubbo]

im rewatching doomsday (comps of all povs of course) and. yeah i just.. feel bad for the lmanburgians. i dont know how i could just. say these people deserved it, when they all sound, panicked and desperate and so so fucking sad. long long ramble under the cut as i recount the events and pick out a bunch of little things

even the day before then is painful. ranboos panic room. ranboo and tubbos talk (tubbo admitting that hes wrong, saying he believes that history is repeating itself and trusting ranboo because he believes in his loyalty), fundy showing the ring toss. tubbos surprise at being told to kill dream before stating that quackity would be in control if he didnt (god, did he plan to fail?). tommy being so so excited. everyone playing ring toss and cheering on jack. tommy still believing in tubbo. tubbo panicking. ranboo and tommy and techno talking, ranboo giving them info. dream placing walls and quackity instructing tubbo on where to kill dream. dream lying about the community house. the entire community house debacle. just, everything.

and then doomsday itself. having to frantically get there because it started early, tubbo only having diamond armor to protect him, fundy standing still after he sabotaged them. tubbo and ranboos genuine despair about the apiary.

tubbo eventually going nonverbal and actively putting himself in danger, not even moving away from techno at first and getting in the way of the firework launcher. tubbo trying to save tommy from the fireworks, ponks broken "dont come over here!" after she was trying to save his cat, tommys face falling and desperate attempts at convincing techno, ranboo going "its all gone", niki spiralling and silently burning down the tree, quackitys pure anger. all the death messages.

jack going "what is there left to protect", tommy brokenly trying to accept that its gone as tubbo and quackity blankly do accept it. jack going "i lost everything again". tommy desperately trying to understand dream, on the verge of tears as he asks why dream didnt just hurt him. his low health and food as hes unable to do anything anymore, his quiet gasp as he spots ghostbur, tubbos tiny shake of his head when dream says dream and tommys story wont be over.

tubbo and quackity breaking the repeaters. ghostburs "i didnt even know we were fighting". ghostbur finding out phil let friend die, hes pained "phil? but i- i gave, i gave phil to look after. and dream found me friend, and technoblade said we were friends", tommys pained talk about technoblade. "we were never his friend. to him, all of this was just an act of politics, an act of clout and a-a social ladder, and you won't remember. tubbo you will, and to you big q, this was a friendship. but to technoblade, this was a ladder. and techno climbed to the tippity talk. do you wanna know the only way you can go? on the ladder? -- and once you reach the top of the ladder tubbo, you can only go down."

quackity asking to sing the anthem again, him strumming as ghostbur sings (and tubbo and tommy joining in). ghostbur forgetting the second verse because it blew up. quackity remembering it, them stumbling through it. tommys "tubbo? im so so sorry", tubbos quiet "its okay." the four all singing together. tubbo looking at the lava with an ender pearl in his hand, tommy correcting quackity and going "our l'manburg". ghostburs speech about friend, about people not taking him seriously just because he has memory loss.

meanwhile.. phil and techno were laughing. cracking jokes. phil mocks them as he spawns withers on the apiary, going "ohhh noo not the bees!". techno shouts at tommy and shoots at him and tubbo. he kills jack and doesnt even notice that it was one of his lives lost. jacks death itself proves that it doesnt take any particular intent, doesnt have to mean anything to the killer. techno and phil were willing to kill people. it would be foolish of them to act as if there were no risks in the terms of canon lives, especially with phil. phil doesnt take ghostbur seriously, treats his despair as an opportunity to drill in a lesson. the most either of them lost was some of the dogs and used up potions, fireworks, and wither skulls

and then theres dream. dream whose been harming the l'manburgians since the beginning, who had taken tubbo hostage, offered eret a chance to betray them all, who had been the man in tommys walls and offering money to tubbo and jack to try and get them to destroy things, who tried to get tommy to kill tubbos villagers. dream, who took tommys discs over and over, who killed tommy twice in one day, who stopped caring about his friends that loved him and were so so loyal. dream, who helped schlatt and pushed wilbur deeper into his spiral, who even then tried to manipulate tommy.

dream, who helped destroy l'manburg the first and second time, who took advantage of tubbo so he could have a premeditated kidnapping of tommy. dream, who abused tommy, physically, psychologically, emotionally. dream, who degraded tubbo and had taken ranboos memory book (which btw, since ranboos memory loss counts as a mental disability with the memory book as his aid, thats dream taking the thing that aids ranboo in dealing with his disability).

dream, who had been the reason l'manburg was created. dream, who got to destroy l'manburg three times. dream won. and techno and phil dont regret it, dont care.

maybe l'manburg was never meant to be. and sure, it started with stealing and an attempt to monopolize on potions but. that wasnt even l'manburg then, was it? it was just wilbur and tommy having fun. l'manburg came after. after the police hurt them. l'manburg started as a silly little revolution, led by a naïve man who thought he could win wars by saying no. it was a place for a family, a place for them to escape from dream. it was a place to try and escape the harm of those outside the walls. it was meant to be safe, even if those against them made it hard to be. it was made from love. it was meant to be happy. it was a symphony, however unfinished.

so. i don't know. i just feel, bad. they never really won, did they? tragedy after tragedy, death after death, destruction after destruction, betrayal after betrayal, hurt after hurt. and now what's left of them, really? out of the founders, erets doing the best and even shes doing awful, forever trying to make up for what he did. tubbos paranoia led him to developing nukes in a desperate attempt to stay safe, because he was taught to stay quiet and keep his emotions to himself, because his death was "justified", because nukes and walls and weapons are the only way he can feel safe anymore.

tommy went through months of abuse, lost all of his lives and suffered upon coming back, suicidal but unable to bring himself to do it because limbo is worse, feeling lost and like he has no family anymore other than wilbur, who he knows is hurting him but cant bring himself to leave, who loved lmanburg so so dearly and only wanted a home, still doesnt have one (tommy from everywhere, tommy from nowhere at all). niki who loved lmanburg and wilbur so much that it hollowed her out and made her bitter and shes so used to being spoken over that all she can think to do is raise her voice and get pissed, who cant see wilbur as a good person anymore because shes hurt and hasnt truly recovered and she doesnt know how to cope without being angry.

jack manifold feels forgotten, hes lost all his lives and crawled out of hell and no one truly noticed, he doesnt even believe that niki really cares, hes desperate and has made his purpose to be spiteful and angry because he cant deal with the emptiness that comes when he realizes theres no point. fundys desperate to have friends, family, a partner, anyone thatll love him, anyone thatll keep him safe, slowly killing himself with cigarettes and disowned because of giving too little too late, because he was too little too late.

and wilburs lost himself. spiraling, paranoid. a young, naïve man who wanted to fight swords with words, who wanted to impress his father, who wanted a nation of his own to feel safe, who was so effected by erets betrayal that he cant trust anyone but himself, whose possessive nature eats him from the inside out, desperate for control and unable to let go of the only person he knows loves him unconditionally

all because outside forces kept pushing, kept destroying, kept ruining them and hurting them and traumatizing them and taking away their homes and pets and loved ones. and i just. cant feel happy for the ones that hurt them, i cant feel victorius, triumphant, any of that. i just feel bad that the l'manburgians never got to be a family. i know they arent the best people but shit, i love them anyways, love them because theyre flawed and because theyre *people*, people who tried so so hard and got pushed so so much and. fuck, i cant be happy that the people who loved nature and play fought and laughed by campfires and read poetry and re-enacted theatre and loved each other and wanted to *live* (even if they were willing to die, if it meant giving everyone else a chance).. lost. they lost.

canonical years of work down the drain in one day. records of history gone, now only remembered in full by a traumatized teenager who was taught not to talk about his negative emotions, and even he misremembers some parts. they didnt even lose fairly. they had no chance. they couldnt have prepared for withers, for tnt rain, for the hounds. they were poor, weaker than their opponents, sabotaged by one of their own. thats.. tragic.

doomsday was a tragedy. i cant agree that it was deserved. i cant agree that they had it coming, that they deserved to lose homes and pets and limbs and lives and land because they werent the greatest people around.

a small country of less than 10 people (at both creation and destruction) now a giant crater in the ground, remnants of a parisitic egg taking over the land. and it wasnt even lost fairly. three people were stronger than an entire nation, even with all of its allies. two anarchists working with an abusive tyrant. so, no. doomsday wasnt deserved. people dont deserve tragedy. there were better ways, i truly cant be happy that the way chosen was violence. i cant.

l'manburg's citizens deserved better. they really did. the ends dont justify the means. and god, am i fucking tired of "justice". if justice means choosing violence over love and respect and caring about those less strong than you, i dont wanna hear about it. fuck that man, id rather love and be loved than constantly give a shit about making up for hurting others by getting hurt, thats stupid and cruel and i cant see it as okay on a moral level. not when the people that got hurt deserved to be loved and cared about and protected and *talked to* instead of constantly shot down.

of course for the narrative i can enjoy violence and characters getting hurt and i do like how "real" it all is, the despair and dissonance in tone and how terrifyingly messy it all is. out of story perspective- honestly rather cool even if it makes me feel bad. in story perspective- holy fucking shit no that wasnt deserved and god i hope everyone hurt will be able to heal and learn to love and be loved again because thats such a terrifying thing to go through. from a detached pov i can appreciate the insight into everyone involved and i like the plotlines that came from it, but from a compassionate pov i just wish the l'manburgians were allowed to be happy and treated as equals so they didnt have to go through all of this

[anarchy-and-piglins]

Okay I finished the stream vods and had some time to process so here’s my (admittedly disjointed) thoughts:

Obviously I really loved like... 99% of today’s lore - I’ll get to that 1% at the end of the post lol - and this was everything I’d want from a Techno lore stream and more. We got angst, we got character development, we got jokes, we got scuffed shit, we got identity fraud in a chick-fill-a. What more can you need?

Techno doing cinematic lore (and with that I mean the countdown screen cause he couldn’t do his usual intro and having a short little flashback cutscene too), I’m really on board with that. Today’s lore showed that the dsmp is NOT dead and there’s still lots of places the story could go, certainly after this. And for the parts of it I’m invested in - the Syndicate ones that is - I’m genuinely excited to see where they go!

(Speaking of, we technically got 4/4 Syndicate content. Love to see it. RIP Apollo though...)

Where do I start with Ranboo man. I’m always weak for Peerpressureduo and this stream was drenched in it. Techno’s concern when seeing Ranboo be brought into the prison, his insistence on not leaving Ranboo behind both when things were going wrong inside AND when Sam took him as a hostage, him mentioning that in-character the axe Ranboo gave him is now more valuable to him than the axe of peace? I cry, I bawl, I weep. And then there’s the absolute gut-wrenching moment of Ranboo’s death. Techno’s “I care” is just hhhhh. Because we KNEW Techno cared but he doesn’t really express that verbally as much so hearing him literally say he cares for Ranboo, only for Ranboo to be killed a second later? Man, I’m gonna be thinking about that a long time. And he was so ready to throw down with them all then - the anger was real.

I’m also interested to see where Ranboo is taking his lore from here! He mentioned in his discord that this is a sort of ‘reset’ for his character since the many storytelling threads were getting too muddled for him, and that he now has a decent plan on where to go and people to do it with. Good for him, good for him... (I really hope Techno + Tubbo are some of those people 👀👀👀)

Because predictably enough that was my favorite part. Fireworkduo stays winning, and this only a day or two after I was complaining how much sense it’d make for them to reconcile. I literally can’t contain my joy at what future Tubbo and Techno interactions might bring. I love them together so much, and I love that they were even poking fun at the whole “enemies to friends” character arc thing. They’re on a mission to save Michael together!!! Also shout out to Tubbo for making the joke of them ‘rekindling their long-gone past friendship’ because it’s so important to me that we remember that for a brief time in Pogtopia, Techno and Tubbo were absolutely friends and they had a great dynamic. Fandom often seems to gloss over that because, well, a lot of things happened after that which complicated their relationship, but just... they already were friends... and maybe now they could be again...

Niki, my queen, beautiful. No notes on that. She can rock lore any time and it’s so underrated, the amount of development she gives her characters, how far she’s come, if you watch her vods there’s all those little things. The way she talks to herself/chat, staring at the Pogtopia poster, just... I love her. And she girlbossed with those Withers of course.

Phil was also great as usual though he took kind of a backseat to all the rest going on. Just always fun to have him there :’)

And now I need a moment to talk about Sam because.... oh, Sam. I know some people are gonna be pissy at him over the whole killing Ranboo thing but like, this stream made me so viscerally sad for Sam more than anything. He’s such a tragic character and he’s built this entire identity around being ‘the warden’. He’s lost friends, he’s lost Ponk, he’s lost his sense of self... ending up easily manipulated by Quackity. He carries guilt over what happened to Tommy and Ghostbur and just, the prison is the only thing Sam has left. Keeping Dream locked up is all he has left. If he can’t do that, what CAN he do? When they got out in the water you could hear the desperation in Sam’s voice when he said “you can go, I don’t care about all of you but Dream needs to stay.” Him and Ranboo weren’t close, but they were friendly. Yet his urgency of keeping Dream in prison made him end up with the kid’s blood on his hands. It hurts me.

Which leads me into Dream which... hm, yeah. I’ll be upfront and say this is where that 1% comes in. I really adored his bits with Techno, I think their dynamic is still so good. Almost nothing made me laugh as hard as Techno just straight up going like ‘favor repaid, cool, now I don’t care where you go that’s a you problem and also I’m gonna need that armor back.’ That sums their relationship up so well. Not friends, not enemies. Just, favor for favor buddies. I also am glad Dream is out of prison in the sense that I feel like it just needed to happen for plots to progress forward again. I mean, the guy’s been in there for a year and the revival book torture fun hours was a nice arc for a while, but I think Dream being out again is a good kickstarter for new arcs - and for other characters to move on from the prison plot too.

HOWEVER... well... the Tommy part. I can’t say I’m thrilled. Like, obviously one of the Big Things from the prison arc was that Dream would not even be able to start moving on from who he was or what he did so long as he was locked up, because the prison just wasn’t a healthy or good environment to do so. Nobody could be expecting Dream to come out of that a better person than he was going in, so I’m fully expecting him to at least in some regards default back to his old ways. But at the same time, the prison should have changed him. Fundamentally, as a person. He’s been in there A YEAR, getting tortured and being locked up from the outside world. So I really hope cc!Dream and the plot aren’t just going to ignore that and go right back to same-old-same-old cartoon menacing villain dream, ESPECIALLY not if it’s just to do exile arc 2: electric boogaloo. I know I’m highly biased against this because I’m sick of gratuitous Tommy angst - and I’m not saying Tommy shouldn’t get to address that a person whose abused him and is tied to a lot of horrible memories is now out and about again, that should absolutely be a part of upcoming Tommy lore. I’m just... really hoping it’s gonna play out different this time.

[kateis-cakeis]

Alivebur Saw Himself As A Villain... For A Reason

btw: suicide tw

SO, hi, hello, you are not ready for all I’m about to say.

The other night I was thinking about why, Alivebur, the character bound to literary devices in the way he was - always referring to Chekhov’s Gun - would see himself as a villain and not like, an anti-hero.

Because blowing up L’Manberg was a bad thing to do, but he saw it as right to avoid more bloodshed: 

“Okay, me and you, we both agree we’re right. We’re in the right here.” - (Wilbur’s video Am I the Villain?: 16:27)

and

“Look, do you know how much blood was shed to get L’Manberg to the point it was at? You know what would happen if we manage to get L’Manberg back again? More blood would be shed, and we would be the illegitimate rulers of a nation.” - (Wilbur’s video Am I the Villain?: 18:52)

So ultimately, in Alivebur’s own unreliable narration of the story, he would surely see himself as the anti-hero, since avoiding another war by blowing up L’Manberg would be a sorta... noble thing to do.

But then I realised, he had to get others to see him as a villain.

Why?

“Tommy, none of us know what we’re doing. We’re fucked, we were fucked the minute we were thrown out.” - (Wilbur’s video Am I the Villain?: 19:39)

Because Alivebur... Alivebur may have wanted to die the second he was exiled.

Just look at how he acted after running. He was speechless, quiet for a long time, he said:

“Tommyinnit, I am a slow burning fuse. I am a long slow burning fuse, but I’m telling you now, over the next couple weeks, I am gonna be a different man than the one JSchlatt crossed. I can feel it.” - (Wilbur’s The Election Results: 52:31, 22nd Sep)

He maintained that he was a bad guy, once he thought Schlatt was doing better for the nation than he had.

“It feels like we’re the bad guys, Tommy. This doesn’t feel correct.” - (Wilbur’s video Am I the Villain?: 15:49)

And the way he says it, suggests that he’s thinking from an outside perspective. 

“Then let’s be the bad guys. Tommy, why not? Why not? Look, our nation’s gone, our nation’s far behind us, Tommy. Let’s blow that motherfucker to smithereens.” - (Wilbur’s video Am I the Villain?: 16:33)

This too ^ it feels like he’s thinking from how others will see this.

And then, this quote got me thinking:

“This isn’t about me, this is about blowing up Manberg, this is about just finishing it. We’ve got this! Look, Tommy, what else do I need to convince you? The festival was a front.” - (Wilbur’s The Festival: 1:15:47, 16th Oct)

It ties all this into a neat bow, because of the ‘This is about just finishing it’. But we know now that finishing it did not just pertain to L’Manberg, it was referring to himself too. 

Finishing it meant himself, and that seems like a priority. Blowing it up. Finishing it.

Alivebur pushed towards being a villain, not only to end L'Manberg, but to end himself....

If everyone hates him for taking away their home, then someone would kill him....

Alivebur knew fine well he wasn't going to survive the 16th of November. It’s clear in the way he acts, constantly telling everyone he’s the traitor, wearing no armour in the battle (which is the opposite to the Independence War where he willingly wears armour for the fight), telling Tommy he was gonna hate him.

But it was blowing up L’Manberg that got him there. As if he couldn’t die until it was gone. And it’s a quote from the festival that really makes this clear: 

“I thought today was gonna be my last time here, honestly. I genuinely, I was considering, blowing up L’Manberg, having a big moment where I’m like looking over the rubble, and I’m like ‘I’ve changed as a person’. But like after this, I am just deeper. I wanna do different, more blowing up things.” (Wilbur’s The Festival: 1:29:34, 16th Oct)

This suggests that if he blew it up during the festival, then he would have died on the 16th of October. 

Because, consider this part of the line: “Having this big moment where I’m looking over the rubble, and I’m like ‘I’ve changed as a person’.”

And what does he do on the 16th of November?

He looks over the rubble, shouting about his unfinished symphony, and throws his sword over to Phil, begging to be killed. If that doesn’t encapsulate having a big moment and knowing he’s changed, I don’t know what does.

He used L’Manberg blowing up, him doing that, to justify his death. Maybe he just... couldn't pick up the sword himself and do it, he needed someone to do it for him.

Perhaps his long burning fuse was metaphorically connected to the TNT that blew up, his suicide.

This also ties in with how Alivebur had connected himself to L’Manberg so fully. It was his ideals, it was what he put himself up to fight for, what he started. Sure, Tommy was there too, but Alivebur lived there from the start, it was his entire life on the SMP, the second he lost that... the second it became as shadow of itself...

That was the second Alivebur decided to be seen as a villain so he could do whatever he wanted and blow it up, killing it so that he could die himself (props to @bryzy-mc for pointing that out to me).

Like he said, he had nothing to lose, and he really didn't, he'd lost everything, even his son! (Since he didn't know he was a spy.)

He knew pressing that button would change everything, would make him that villain he so desperately wanted to be seen as. And the second it happened, was the second he could beg for death, and get it. 

Alivebur is a character who connected his life to literary devices, he knows story telling, he knows the quickest way to get killed off is to do something bad and ask a hero character to kill him... (See Ghostbur calling Phil St George for slaying Alivebur.)

After all, it makes it easier for the other characters and the audience to accept it.

On the 16th of November, we all watched Alivebur carry out his own murder (props to @bryzy-mc again for that), one he had been planning for an entire month. No wonder he looked so happy when he blew up L’Manberg, he knew his idea of ‘peace’ was coming, after all... he says it himself on the 20th of January:

“Ohhhhhhh my god…! I was so free! I was liberated.” - (Tommy’s The Dream SMP Finale: 1:32:30, 20th Jan)

He saw his death as freedom, as being liberated. In the end, he only ever wanted peace, and he turned to dying to achieve that. It wasn’t a good end, nobody ever wants to die, and maybe... if the resurrection goes well, his story can show us that life matters.

Maybe he can find true peace in life, and wouldn't that be hopeful? 

[saturnsstufff]

Awsamdude- Loneliness

Warnings: None that i can think of?

   You didn't know why you were crying. It just seemed that the tears wouldn't stop. No matter how tightly you gripped to that pillow, how tight you held it to you, the comfort just never came to surface.

   It wasn't a scene from a movie. the perfect story of two lovers meeting and embracing each other into their arms, before long even marrying. No rather instead it was you gripping to your pillow and silently sobbing at the empty feeling in your heart.

   Because the truth was, you were lonely.

   It’s hard to walk around and see everyone with someone. Karl with Sapnap, and Quackity, Wilbur having had a son with a Mystical woman, and even Phil loving Death herself. It would get even harder when they would come to you with questions and a need for advice.

   "I just don't know what to do, I want to confront him about it softly and not hurt him you know?"

   "I don't, but maybe..."

   "Sally and I want to see each other again, but I'm not sure how to bring her out of the water you. I just miss her so much, you know?"

   "I don't... but we'll find a way"

"You know I do miss her sometimes. She had such gentle hands, I’d give everything up to just hold them again"

   ". . ."

   All you could do was bury your head into the pillow within your arms and sob. Sob because you know, deep down, that as much as you want to shout it all out. Scream until your throat is raw, your eyes too watery to even make anything remotely out, and grip to your sides until your bruised... you wouldn't. You would sit and sob. Sob in silence, you being your only company, the only one to hear the lonely howls you dare let escape. Then, as always by morning be ok enough to wonder through the day. Smile warmly and greet others with love. Find those you held close, those dear friends of yours. Joyfully tell them how much you adore and love them. Because deep down, you never wanted them to feel that lonely. You wanted to guarantee that they would always feel loved. It may be platonic, but at least it was enough fuel to get through the heavy blizzard. As long as they didn't have to feel completely alone.

   Its narcissistic to only think of yourself, but sometimes you cant help but crave it. Crave to have the spotlight on you, but then something draws you back. Whether it be thoughts of others having it worse, the idea that it will get better, or even that others wouldn't care about your situation enough to even hear your first sentence. Whatever drew you back from uttering words. It held you there, it held tight with a grip much stronger than bare Iron.

   Of course that feeling of loneliness wouldn't come every night, there are nights where the emptiness was that of nothing. Just a simple scratch on a world of glass, but sometimes that scratch would just hit that one spot, and the whole world suddenly cracked and shattered.

   Like tonight.

   With tight arms around the pillow, you just laid your head. You let the tears flow wherever they pleased. Down your red cheeks, your neck, onto your soft pillow. Wherever they landed it didn't matter. They would just go where they pleased anyway, no sense in stopping them. It was fair to say no one truly cried prettily, if they said they did, they were lying. Puffy red eyes that looked like pure glass for how glazed over they were, stuffy noses that sniffled softly, wet faces from where the tears ran down... That's how you looked now.

   That's how you planned to stay if someone hadn't knocked on the door. At first you didn't believe the knock even, it was late, much later than someone should have been up. But by the second knock you were convinced it was real, so with soft hands you pushed yourself up from the mattress.

   Slowly trudging to the front of your house with a blanket tightly wrapped around your body. Without a second thought you opened the door, Sam standing in front of it still in his warden attire.

   "Sam? What are you doing? Its almost 2am..." your voice was soft and laced with more concern than he truly expected.

   "I uhm... I worked late at the Prison tonight... I was going to head home... But I'm so tired... I know a while ago you offered your house to me to stay in if I needed... I didn't need it then... but if I could trouble you tonight..." his voice sounded shameful, like you should be scolding him for waking you up. Only if he knew he didn't wake you.

   "Of course Sam... Please your more than welcome inside..." you stepped aside to let the towering hybrid in. Well he ducked his head to avoid the door frame, his heavy boots thudded as he walked. Partially showing off how drained he was. "I can get the guest room set up in one moment-" you started well closing the door for the night.

   "Please... Don't bother... I'll be ok with the couch..." He trailed off as the lights hit your face, showing every silent sob you had within the past hour.

   "(Y/n)... Have you been... Crying?" He asked softly. As tired as he was, he was now much more concerned with whether or not you were ok.

   Lying to him would be about useless, he was practically trained with how to deal with liars, manipulators and so on. So you just came clean... I mean it wasn't going to hurt anything anyway. Just maybe your pride a bit.

   "A bit... Hard night you know?" You casually said, sitting on the plush couch.

   "I do know... Did... Did you maybe want to talk about it?..." he asked, only he truly sounded genuine. His worry shown across his face, his normal beautiful eyes now casted with sadness and worry.

   "We don't have to Sam- It's late and your tired you should just rest. Don't worry yourself over me-" you started before he easily cut you off.

   "(Y/n)... You're more important than sleep right now... what's wrong?" He said softly.

   The glass world within you shattered at the scratch of his kindness.

   Though the long night, the much longer night then you had planned, you carefully explained to Sam the withering feeling of loneliness you faced at night. The feeling you were too familiar of facing alone. Instead of loosing interest, he just sat in silence, his eyes glued to you as you explained how you truly felt.

   At some point you let him shed off his armor. Him taking a much more comfortable spot on your couch by you. But even that didn't last. With the explanation of your feelings, you couldn't help bit sob more due to how genuinely deep the pain ran. But without the blink of a eye, Sam had pulled you into his arms. His head softly resting on top of yours well his arms firmly, and protectively wrapped around you. Giving into the moment you completely melted into the long wished for embrace. The sob that left your throat hurt him more than he cared to admit. Truth be told he would do anything to keep you from sobbing like that again, even if it meant holding you like this for the end of time.

   Sitting up didn't last long, seeing as Sam had laid down and pulled you onto him. Letting your sobs die into soft shallow sniffs. Your head without much of a thought, easily found comfort with laying itself on his chest. The soft rhythm of his heart slowly calming your rather haywire nerves. His arm firmly kept around you, wanting you to feel like he wasn't going to leave you at the drop of a hat.

   When your breathing evened out again, he gently adjusted the blanket that you held tightly. Moving it so it freely covered you both, opening your arms to grasp or hug onto something else. Which in the end. You just hugged onto him, soaking in the long wanted tender touch.

   "Please don't ever hold that much in again..." Sam said softly. His hand rubbing gentle circles into your back, with the soft movements you were honestly almost asleep. No longer plagued by the thoughts of loneliness. Truthfully, you were happy you told him. Happy you didn't have to carry the baggage around anymore.

   "I wont... Thank you Sam..." you said softly, sleep threating your tone much more now.

   "Of course... anything for you (y/n)..."

[sadboinikko]

Wow I absolutely love your doc of Floris & Clay: Fundy & Dream. I read it was definitely wanting more after I finished! Love how you write and would definitely love to see the rest of the story! :) Also new follower.

Ahh! Thank you so much! I enjoyed writing it myself! And I suppose this is a bit of a segway into another piece of writing!

Fundy has watched the palace guards train roughly with one another, their dull blades striking playfully at areas that could kill. It was enticing to Fundy, the chaotic yet strategic practice of the blade. But Wilbur, his darling father, refused to teach him as a child. "You're too young." Or, "Wouldn't you like piano better?"

"My little champion shouldn't be getting hurt."

Fundy almost laughed. Those words were bullshit. His father just refused to let him protect himself. But, as he's done so many times before, he decides to ignore his overprotective father and get a teacher.

Although finding someone willing to go against the king and teach him hasn't been easy. People see growing talent in him, but flee once they learn of his status. People want to genuinely teach him, but they get caught and they all get punished.

In the end, Fundy hasn't found anyone to teach him anything other than the basics.

And so maybe he gets a bit excited when his new friend show up with a beautiful diamond sword with the handle a clean leather wrapping, the blade itself a shining light blue, with edges so sharp it won't hesitate to cut down anyone in its path. But Dream laughs, his ears flushed when Fundy keeps complementing him, and accepts when Fundy asks if they could teach him.

The masked man was so skilled with a sword. He wieled it like a second arm, strong with each swipe and quick with every par. Dream was practically a second Technoblade, and he chose to spend his time with Fundy.

So maybe Fundy has started developing a small crush during the week of knowing the man. Dream was so perfect, it couldn't have been helped!

Fundy sighed, dropping his chin on his desk and closing his eyes. Maybe he could just nap until time flew past and past. Until his bones sunk into the dirt and his brain melted into sludge.

But his darling family, who had no clue he has been staying up all night for the past week, has decided that they want to spend some time together.

"Ay! Furry bitch!" Tommy yells, slamming his hands down on the desk. "Wake up, dickhead. Phil wants us all down for breakfast today."

Fundy groaned, his Uncle poking him repeatedly in the arms and face. "Wake up!" Fundy nodded, swatting his uncle away. "I will, Tommy. Give me a minute to get dressed."

"Fine," Tommy shrugged, already sprinting to the door. "But if your not down in 10, Wil said he'd get you himself!"

Fundy scowled at the name, locking the large chamber doors. He briefly let his hands grace over the soft carvings of names.

Stretching uselessly, Fundy took off his silk nightwear, which he got to wear for about 5 minutes, and looked for whatever outfit the servant had given him for today.

Fundy wore a set of tight black trousers, which were tucked under his old red platform boots with a black rim. A holster for his sword, an old gift from Techno despite his inability to wield it, looped into a belt wrap. A clean, white button up shirt tucked into his trousers, a dark red vest worn over. And finally, a small cape laid over his shoulders and a golden crown embedded with rubies laid ontop of his head.

Fundy walked out, glad that with the platform's he's able to be an inch taller than his uncle. It may be petty, but Tommy got so damn annoying about the slight height difference that Fundy doesn't even care.

"Floris!" His father calls out, a wide smile on his face. Tubbo looks over, waving before going back to his talk with an irritated Tommy, who sat to Wilbur's right. Technoblade is next to Phil, opposite Tubbo, taking a large bite out of a potato. And, as usual, the only seat left is diagonal his father.

"Father," Fundy nodded, taking his seat. Wilbur's smile fell, replaced by a solemn, near apologetic look. The talking around them cut out as Wilbur cleared his throat, three times since Tommy just continued louder until Tubbo wacked him.

“I have something important to tell everyone,” His father started, not even looking Fundy in the eyes. “As of yesterday, we have officialy entered into a peace treaty with King Schlatt.”

Loud noise erupted immediately. Cheers from Tommy and Tuboo making most of it. Phil was cheering too though, even Techno sporting a small smile. Wilbur frowned, “Quiet!”

The sharp tone quieted the room immediately. Phil, unnervingly calm, asked what everyone else was thinking. “Will, what’s wrong?”

Fundy looked Wilbur in the eyes, almost a dare. His father looked away, towards the old king. “The terms of this treaty includes Floris’ hand in marriage”. 

In the horrid brief silence of the hall, his father continued, “In the next three months, our kingdoms will be united and Prince Clay will marry Floris.”

Everyone around him gasped. But Fundy just stared, numbly watching his father greive as if he was the one most affected.

“What? Your marrying that prick?” Tommy shouted, everyone’s eyes whirled to Fundy. Tubbo shakily asked next, “Are you really-?” Fundy nodded, and Tommy only seemed to get angrier.

“You don’t seem surprised,” Techno said, monotonely. The previous shock didn’t seem to affect him, although he looked drastically more interested and concerned than he had 20 minutes ago. Fundy shrugged, “I’m not. He told me a week ago.”

“You’ve known for a week!” Tommy shrieked. The room was full of chaos and conusion, and in the midst of it all, Wilbur stood up, “Shut it! All of you shut the hell up!” 

The silence was damning. Eerie, tense looks exchanged. Fundy scowled at the the pitiful looks his family gave him, “May I be excused.”

His fathers lips pressed together, drawn in a emotionless line. “You may.”

And, furiously, Fundy fled the scence.

[amerrierworld]

Steal Me Away

Carol (2015) fanfiction

request: “smutty jealousy Carol fic, where Carol is jealous/possessive over Therese”

Summary: Carol meets Genevieve for the first time, with an unexpected outcome. 

Characters: Carol x Therese, Gen, the McElroys

Word Count: 1,654

Warnings: SMUT. :)

The living room smelled of beer, cigarette smoke and take-out Chinese. Young adults, all around Therese’s age, flitted about the room in laughter and drunken stupors. Never before had Carol ever felt so out-of-place, sitting perched on the armrest the McElroy brothers’ sofa.

Therese, on the other hand, seemed much more in her element. She’d already snapped a few pictures of the party that night -and a few extra of Carol- and was getting on swimmingly with the small group of friends she’d made. 

Carol was in her best slacks and blouse, knowing a dress of her style would stick out like a sore thumb around here. A beer bottle in hand, she tried her best to relax, but it was only when Therese settled on the sofa by her side, staring adoringly up at her when her nerves began to calm.

“I hope you like them,” Therese smiled. Someone had put on a record, with couples swaying to the music. Carol could drown them out just by looking at her young lover, only hearing the sweet music of her voice. 

“Who?”

“My friends, of course!” Therese nudged her, laughing. 

“Darling, I was more worried about them liking me,” Carol chuckled softly, trailing a hidden hand over Therese’s back. 

“They love you, Carol, and why wouldn’t they? You’re magnificent,” Therese muttered, leaning back in her touch.  

Carol’s eyes flashed for a second, wondering who heard them, wondering if anyone in this group had caught on. But no one heard, and the music kept playing. 

Then a brunette came to sit on the other side of Therese, with Phil in tow. Carol noticed her immediately. Bright lipstick and dressed in pink, she stuck out in the group of greys and blues just as much as Carol did. Her hand on Therese’s back froze a moment. 

“Oh, hiya, Therese,” Phil said, settling on the other armrest. “This here is Genevieve, I don’t know if you’ve met yet.”

Therese and Gen exchanged pleasantries, guided by the mutual friendship of Phil. Carol drew her hand away from Therese’s warm body to avoid suspicion and sipped her beer.

“This here is Carol, my roommate,” Therese introduced her, “she works at that furniture store close to Madison Ave.”

Gen smiled at Carol, with no warmth in her gaze, and Carol did the same.

“Say, Therese, Gen was wondering about them pictures you do,” Phil chipped in, nodding to the camera on Therese’s lap. “She’s an actress you know.”

“Oh?” said Therese, innocent as always. 

“You know how it is,” Gen waved her hand nonchalantly, but Therese really didn’t know at all. “I’m constantly in need of updated headshots, but they can cost a fortune!”

“Oh, well, I’m sure I could help you out. Why don’t you come by to the studio-,”

“What about now?”

Carol’s grip stiffened on her bottle. She was looking somewhere else, but the tone and flirtation in Genevieve’s question did not go unnoticed. She knew when women flirted, hell she’d done it like this herself. Her blood suddenly ran cold. 

“Now? Oh, but I haven’t the right set-up,” Therese furrowed her brows. “There’s hardly any room.”

“What about in the back? There’s a spare room by the bedroom, with plenty of lights, Phil told me..”

In that moment, Carol knew she’d have to do something before she ripped the pretty girl’s hair out. Her bottle was almost empty, but using it as a bludgeoning tool really wasn’t her style.. 

A somewhat drunken Dannie walked past with a glass of red wine, and a slight angle of her legs and a tip of her shoe had him tripping. He caught himself with a shout, but not before a generous amount of wine had landed on Carol’s lower half, splattering her blouse and pants. Feigning surprise, Carol quickly dismissed Dannie’s hasty apology.

“It’s alright,” she spoke, genuinely, letting him take her beer bottle so she could stand up and examine the damage. Therese and Gen had stopped talking, watching her, Therese’s face stricken with surprise and worry. “Oh my, what a mess. Therese, could you show me the bathroom quickly? I may be able to save the fabric.”

“O-of course,” Therese stammered, handing her glass absent-mindedly to Gen before leading Carol away from the living room, her camera dangling around her neck. Carol could feel the brunette’s glare in the back of her head, and suppressed a smile. 

Therese locked the door behind them as to having no interruptions. Without another word, Carol began undressing, shimmying the pants down her long legs. 

Therese’s mouth went dry and she stood frozen for a moment, before realizing that the sticky fabric was tricky to get off and immediately helped tug the pants down her legs. 

“They’re no good anymore, are they?” Therese asked as she rubbed the wine stain with her fingertips, her voice filled with remorse. “What a shame.”

“Yes, what a shame,” Carol agreed, her voice deep as she quickly washed her hands. The tone in her voice startled Therese, knowing what the implication of that sultry rumble meant. Carol turned and leaned against the sink, watching her as she slowly unbuttoned her blouse. 

“I don't think I’ll be fit to stay the rest of the party, Therese,” Carol continued, as piece by piece, her skin showed. “I haven’t anything to wear now.”

“Well, m-maybe we can find something in Dannie’s closet? I’m sure Genevieve could help us-”

“Genevieve, hm? Your new best friend?”

“What?”

“A sweet girl, wouldn't you say? Quite... forward.”

“Well, I’ve heard actors have to be forward, otherwise how could they persuade people to hire them?” Therese quipped, her eyes downcast.

“That’s it then? Just being forward, with her sudden photoshoot request? Wanting to take you in the back, from everyone else, from your roommate.”

“Really, Carol, she didn’t mean it like that,” Therese argued, though she herself doubted it too. “She couldn’t have meant it like that.”

“Oh, sure, sure,” Carol said airily, “but there’s one thing she, nor you it seemed, didn’t account for as you were planning your photoshoot getaway.”

“What’s that?” Therese squeaked. 

Carol grabbed Therese’s hand and pulled it between her legs, staring the brunette down with a fire in her eyes. 

“Me, darling,” Carol hissed. 

Therese’s green eyes widened, her jaw hanging open at Carol’s brashness.

“Carol.. not, not here,” she began fearfully. Carol leaned forward and pressed her lips to Therese’s neck, sucking harshly. 

“Yes, here, dearest,” Carol mumbled, pulling her panties aside to let Therese’s hand slip inside. A lustful groan escaped her when delicate fingers rubbed at her clit, and Therese marvelled at how wet she was.

“You’re saying I’ve been neglecting you?” Therese asked softly, teasingly. “Really, Carol, isn’t that a bit immature of you?”

“How about that damned girl ogling you all night? You may not have noticed, darling, but I did. I know when women flirt- god I wanted to do her head in for it.”

To her surprise, Therese giggled at the growl in her voice, tilting her head to capture Carol in a warm kiss. 

“I was just being polite, Carol,” she said. “It’s not often we find other girls like us, right?��

“Still,” Carol grumbled, pulling Therese as closely as she could. “I don’t like it.”

“I wasn’t born yesterday, Carol, don’t you know I would’ve declined? Don’t you know I would’ve sent her on her way? You may have lost me a client just now.”

Carol groaned in frustration, “I know, Therese, but the way she looked at you.. how seemingly confident she was in taking you, I hate it. I had to steal you away.”

Therese watched her carefully, smiling with adoration and love. 

“I had no one to steal me away from you when we met,” Therese whispered, two fingers pushing in deep. “And I’m glad I didn’t.”

Carol’s head tipped back against the mirror, gasping, “me too.”

Her hips were bucking up awkwardly with the angle of how she was sitting, sweat sticking to her skin as she desperately needed release. Therese pushed her legs further apart with one hand, tutting.

“This won’t do,” she said before lowering onto her knees, pulling Carol’s panties off completely. Carol sucked in a breath, bracing herself on the sink as soft lips began nudging against her folds.

Trying desperately to keep quiet, Carol closed her eyes and whimpered as a tongue lapped at her clit and two fingers returned to their rightful place, deep inside her. 

Therese chuckled, deep in her throat, and Carol met her gaze, breathing heavily at the sight of Therese between her legs. She gripped the back of Therese’s head with her hand as her thighs began quivering. 

“I’ll never- never let anyone s-steal you away,” Carol gasped. So close, so close. “Oh, God, never, never, angel. It’s us, o-only us, I won’t let it be any other way.”

Her sentence became high-pitched and airy before a shock overtook her systems, her cunt pulsing around Therese’s fingers and crying out softly. Her thighs were squeezing and trembling around Therese’s head, and her own face was flushed at the erotic sight of Carol, half undressed, bra on display. 

Carol was leaning back, catching her breath, eyes closed, when she heard a click. Therese had angled her camera up at Carol from her point of view, and snapped some delicious photos. 

“You cheeky devil,” Carol breathed harshly, pulling her up to her feet and kissing her with a forceful need. 

“Only us,” Therese whispered against her lips. “Always, Carol.”

Carol’s head was spinning with happy, dozy thoughts as she kissed Therese again, again and again. 

“Let’s go home,” Therese said. “It’ll be more fun to make you come again without anyone around.”

Carol blushed as Therese helped her get dressed again quickly. The wine stains were a bit prominent, much to Carol’s dismay, but the outcome had been worth it. She could always buy more clothes.

[immortalcoelacanth]

Between the Walls, Chapter 2: Salutations and Explanations (Dream SMP fic)

... Although, I should probably tag this as more of a Sleepy Bois Inc thing given the content... Anyways, onto chapter 2!

Word count: 5356

Summary: At it was at this moment that Tommy knew, he fucked up. 

“Let me tell you one thing, you pig bitch-”

There was a tiny child in his walls.

“And I bet your mum ain’t all that-”

A tiny child who was yelling at him, insulting him.

“So, you better listen up! Motherfucker-”

Techno was almost impressed.

He wondered if the kid was aware of how absolutely not intimidating he sounded at the moment. His voice cracked and broke occasionally as he cursed, he was visibly trembling in what Techno assumed to be fear, and he looked like he was moments away from crying with those wide eyes and that terrified look on his face.

The kid reminded him of a cornered animal, terrified and lashing out to try and protect itself. He was doing the same thing, trying to scare the hybrid off with harsh words and false bravado.

Techno quietly thought about how young he must be. It was a good thing Phil was nowhere nearby since nothing would have saved both him and the kid from the ensuing lecture and interrogation period. Questions about where the kid was from, who he was, what he was doing here…

Questions he should probably be asking before the kid broke down crying. He had a feeling it would happen eventually when all that adrenaline wore off and the reality of the situation fully sunk in, so the currently shrinking window of opportunity was the best chance he had for finding out what he needed to know.

“And do you know what the fuck a breath mint is?”

… But first he had to shut this kid up.

“You got anything to say? Huh? Or are you just gonna-HEY!”

The tirade was cut off when, without warning, Techno reached out and pinched the back of his shirt, using that to lift him up in the air and out of the shelter that had been provided by the wall.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!” The kid squawked as he struggled and squirmed in an attempt to escape Techno’s grip. The hybrid rolled his eyes as he continued looking the tiny being over, occasionally turning him so he could inspect the rest of him. The only thing of note he found was the belt the kid wore that had various tools hooked onto it.

Nothing that really posed a threat to him, but it was still good to take note of it.

“Trying to find the off button.”

“The-OFF BUTTON?! EXCUSE YOU, YOU BITCH-”

“Damn, doesn’t seem to be one.” He noted in that same, monotone voice. Of course, this ended up enraging the kid further, his shouts and curses growing louder.

His wild, frantic eyes growing wider.

Well, now was as good as time as any to start asking some questions before he ended up pushing the kid too far. He swore he could hear that tiny heart pounding away in the kid’s chest, and the hybrid realized it was entirely possible for the tiny being to pass out on him, or worse, have a heart attack from the stress.

Double time on that interrogation, then.

Techno changed his grip, wrapping his fingers around the kid and getting bit in the process-

This child was absolutely feral. He’d probably need a rabies shot by the end of the day.

Eventually, and with some careful maneuvering to make sure didn’t drop the struggling figure, Techno was able to place him down on the top of the small shelf located near the entrance of his house. It was right in front of a window, too, and he saw the way the kid’s eyes flickered between him and the possible escape route.

Nope.

Not a chance.

The hand placed between the kid and his freedom earned him a scowl and being flipped off once again, though he was quickly getting used to this brash and foolish behavior. In a way, it reminded Techno how he had acted when he was much younger. How cocky and overconfident he had been before the world brutally showed him where his place was.

Now, his confidence was backed by years worth of training. By the lives he had ended and the blood he had spilt.

It made him smile at the memories, oddly enough. Naturally, the kid immediately took his smiling to be about something far more sinister, and he started shouting once more.

“What the fuck do you got planned, huh? Got some creepy shit planned? You… you gonna need a bone saw or some crap like that for me-”

“Oh please, all I’d need is a decent nutcracker.” Techno scoffed, completely oblivious to the look of horror that passed over the kid’s face before it was quickly replaced by that false bravado.

“Can’t believe you’d threaten me like that-”

“Not what I was talking about!” The hybrid quickly interrupted, visibly shuddering and in turn making the kid let out a loud laugh.

Just how in the hell was something that small so loud anyways? Weren’t there rules about that sort of thing, mass being proportionate to how loud something could be. There was a reason why he had hated hanging out with kids when he was younger.

… Except for Wilbur, he had always been the exception.

Not wanting to take an agonizing trip down memory lane back to when his family had been whole and alive, Techno decided it was time to start asking the questions he wanted answers to, beginning with the most important one of course.

“And why are you in my house, anyways?”

“Your house?” The kid scoffed and crossed his arms. “It’s mine! I called dibs!”

“Heh?” Techno found himself at a genuine loss here as he tried to comprehend the logic behind that statement. “You can’t claim-I built this place.”

“Doesn’t mean you called dibs, bruv, and you did a shit job of buildin’ it, too. It could use more decorations that aren’t you! And music!”

The hybrid let out a frustrated groan while dragging a hand over his face. Why had one of the most annoying, obnoxious, and loud people he had ever met decide that his base was the perfect place to invade. Why had this kid picked him instead of somewhere else, like L’Manberg.

… Actually, that was another good question to ask-

“So, when are you gonna clean up this pigsty?” The kid asked, completely derailing Techno’s train of thought.

“I fear for your brain cells if all you can come up with are pig jokes and saying fuck over and over again.”

“... Fuck you-”

“And my concerns are proven to be valid.”

“My brain works perfectly fine! It’s just yours isn’t big enough to get it!” He snapped back.

“Suuuuure, pipsqueak, whatever you say.” Techno sarcastically drawled. It seemed as though either the aloof expression on his face or the nickname he had granted the boy only enraged him further, as he watched the kid start stomping the ground as he continued shouting.

He was witnessing a literal tantrum.

“I’m not a pipsqueak! You’re the one who's freakishly tall!”

“Like I couldn’t tell with you calling me big man every five seconds, and I’ll just keep calling you that since you seem to like it so much.”

“Then just call me Tommy! It’s not that hard!” The now named Tommy exclaimed, and it was only when a smile appeared on Techno’s face that he realized he might have messed up.

“Uh… I mean-”

“So, that’s your name.” Techno interrupted, grin growing as he leaned forward and rested his chin on a closed fist. He was enjoying messing with this kid. It was almost as fun as terrorizing Quackity. “Got any other important info you wanna share? Credit card number?”

“No! No, no way!” Tommy let out a nervous giggle and took a step back. “C’mon, man, let’s see some manners! I told you my name, so you should tell me yours-”

“Technoblade.”

“... What?”

“Or Techno for short.” The hybrid continued, not caring about the stunned and confused look on the kid’s face. He was used to people looking at him weird, especially when they heard his name. “No pig-pun name here.”

“... You were so close to having a cool name.” Tommy bluntly said. “You’ve got half a cool name. Now Blade, that’s intimidating! Big man Blade-”

“Never call me that.”

“Alright TechnoBitch-”

“Your insults are getting worse by the second, I fear you’re undergoing cellular brain death.”

“Are you making up fancy words to sound all smart now? Cellular?” Tommy scowled. “What’s next? You gonna start talking about other made up stuff, like leprechauns, or dolphins?”

“... Dolphins are real-”

“That’s just what the dolphin believers want you to think! The… the dolphevers!”

Techno threw his head and started laughing, the noise surprisingly loud. It made Tommy jump as he winced at the volume. Discomfort ran through him, and he started to slowly realize how dangerous the situation he was in might be.

He had always been warned to stay away from humans, and while this guy didn’t look all that human, he was sure the same warning applied. He could be trapped, hurt, tormented…

Why, why had he decided to stick around instead of just running off, or trying to barter for his freedom? He had always lived his life on the edge, flirting with danger instead of women. The thrills and excitement of interacting with a human could have driven him to do this.

Or perhaps it was that quiet voice within him that begged him to interact with Techno, to reach out and be social and finally interact with someone after all the days he spent alone.

A voice that kept insisting that things would be alright, that he would be okay.

A voice that could result in his demise if he listened to it.

He would never see Tubbo again...

His mind made up, Tommy slowly backed away from the hybrid, one hand raised while the other behind his back towards the belt that Techno had noticed earlier. “Well, this has been fun and all but I’ve got to head out and you’ve got some cleaning to do, roomie.”  

Techno’s eyes narrowed as his bout of laughter finished, aware that he had something planned that would probably cause some problems, but before he could act on his suspicions, Tommy made his move.

And chucked a fist full of sand in the pigman’s face.

Immediately, Techno let out a shout and recoiled, lifting his hands up to his eyes in an attempt to scrub the gritty substance out of them. Tommy took his chance and pulled out his grappling hook, attached it to the side of the shelf, and quickly slid down the rope. In his haste, as well as the movements caused by the hybrid’s thrashing, the grappling hook came loose, and he dropped the rest of the way to the floor.

Tommy landed, cringing as agony raced up his legs, and did his best to ignore it as he shot off towards the space under the shelf, knowing he would be hidden from sight and have a better chance at escaping.

He had to escape since he doubted his captor would be that nice to him again.

Meanwhile, Techno was currently battling every urge he felt to lash out and kill the kid. His mind and soul screamed for blood, for death and revenge for the humiliation and pain he had been put through. It took all of his willpower to stop himself from grabbing his trident and slamming it into the floor in an attempt to find, and kill, Tommy.

The main source of his restraint came from a voice that sounded a bit too much like Phil’s calmly whispering that there were other ways to do things, that he did not have to resort to violence.

This was then converted to make him pay, but not with death. Death is a release, not a punishment.  

His eyes burned.

He let out a pained hiss and blindly reached towards the nearby brewing station, managing to get the bottle of water he had placed in it for potion brewing. He uncorked the top, looked up to the ceiling, cracked his eyes open, and quickly flushed them out to get rid of the sand.

All in all, only a couple seconds had passed since the sand had been thrown and Tommy had escaped. He could not have gotten far, but the more time the hybrid wasted sitting here, the further the kid would get.

Techno tossed the bottle to the side and quickly crouched down, still aching eyes scanning the wall as he tried to figure out where Tommy had gone. He spotted a flash of blond ducking behind part of the wooden shelf, and he quickly moved the wooden panel that covered the bottom part of the shelf. It was like a box of sorts and that could be used as storage space, but he had never put anything there and just left it closed.

So, naturally he had not at all been expecting to lift the panel up and find a tiny hole in the wooden floor, the perfect size for Tommy to fit through. His mind ground to a halt as he processed what he was seeing.

THERE WAS A HOLE UNDER THE SHELF?!

WHEN HAD THIS HAPPENED?!

Okay, okay, now was not the time to get caught up on. The kid was under the floorboards, possibly heading towards the basement. He rushed over to the ladder, slid down it, and jumped onto the stone flooring. He looked up at the ceiling, not seeing any obvious sign as to where the kid must have gone and decided that using another one of his senses might pay off.

Techno shut his eyes, ears twitching, and listened carefully. Listened for that one, signature noise that would tell him where Tommy was.

The sound of someone running over wood.

There!

On instinct, he swung the axe towards the sound, the blade chopping into the ceiling and exposing the hidden passage that had been carved into, and the boy who had been sprinting through it.

Now, this was where things took a bit of an interesting turn.

You see, despite the fact that Tommy had spent his life in a borrower settlement, he was quite experienced in building structures and had frequently challenged Tubbo to speed bridging contests. The adults always hated whenever he did that, claiming that the flimsy structures would alert humans to their hidden home, but Tommy had always ignored them and kept building.

… Until they resorted to hitting him. Then he stopped, but the skills he had developed over the years stayed with him, so the second he started falling he also started building. He had managed to place a couple blocks down as he fell and grabbed onto the little outcropping he had made. He was vaguely aware of Techno moving below him but was far more focused on trying to pull himself back up into the remains of his tunnel.

Can’t fall, gotta stay up! Have to run!

Unfortunately, his hand slipped off the planks, splinters sinking into his skin as he started to fall. Falling, and-

Landing on the top of Techno’s head. Surrounded by the crown the hybrid always wore and with no escape in sight, he decided to cling to the strangely soft, pink hair below him. It smelled… weirdly nice. There was a hint of a herbal scent he could not place, but it didn’t smell super flowery or anything like that.

“You’re pretty fruity, aren’t you big man?” Tommy impulsively asked, and he felt Techno freeze below him as the hybrid realized what the sudden, impossibly light weight belonged to. Seeing an opportunity to get another jab in, he immediately went for it with little regard to how precarious the situation was. “Lookin’ all… all flamboyant with your fancy dye!”

“I doubt you know what that word means, and it’s not dye.” Techno dryly retorted, tilting his head upwards so he could try and glare at the kid.

Seeing that nothing bad had happened, the hybrid had not tried to crush him, nor had he been grabbed and flung towards the nearest wall, Tommy decided to take a risk and started speaking once more.

“.... Hehe, guess things are fine then, big man-” He nervously laughed before he was cut off by Techno picking him up once again. The kid immediately started thrashing, squirming, and cursing as he tried to break free.

The hybrid rolled his eyes at the unnecessary dramatics and made his way over to the collections of chests on the other side of the room. A quick search resulted in him easily finding the item he was looking for.

A bottle.

He caught a glimpse of Tommy glancing between him and the bottle, his face shifting between pure rage and fear, but before he could object to what Techno was planning on doing, the cork in the bottle was removed and Tommy found himself being trapped inside.

“LEMME OUT YOU PRICK!” He shouted as he slammed his fists into the glass wall, wincing as his hands started aching.

Techno just chuckled and put the cork back in, preventing the kid from escaping and making it much harder to hear his shouting. A blessing in disguise, really. “Think of this as karma for the sand from earlier.”

Seeing no way to get out, Tommy flipped the hybrid off and slowly slid down the side of the bottle until he was resting on the ground. His arms crossed, knees were tucked to his chest, and he looked down so his face was hidden from sight. At least his silent moping made it easier for Techno to think.

What to do next…

He had the kid who had been borrowing through his house like some oversized termite, and he knew the kid’s name. There was still so much information he was missing that he wanted to know. What the kid was, if there were any more of him nearby-

An infestation was the last thing he needed.

… Perhaps the librarian back in the village would know something about this tiny kid. He knew that the somewhat eccentric villager had a large collection of books about all sorts of topics, so there was a chance he might have some kind of information he could dig up.

It was worth a shot.

He mentally debated on whether it would be worth it to bring Tommy with him, and ultimately decided he would in case he needed to show him off to the librarian, or one of the other villagers who might know about him. Without bothering to warn the kid, he quickly scooped the bottle up and fastened it to his belt.

He faintly heard the sounds of someone shouting and cursing, and decided to ignore it as he left the house. Techno hummed to himself as he made his way over to the nearby village, not bothering to waste any ender pearls since he still lacked a consistent source of them. No villagers were able to trade them, so his only option was relentlessly hunting down Endermen until a pearl was dropped.

Annoying, but necessary for now.

Speaking of annoying, he spared a glance down at the bottle on his hip that contained the furious Tommy, taking note of how the kid was smacking the glass walls and trying to find a way out. The red hue that had taken over his face also made it clear that he was still screaming.

He let out an exasperated sigh and picked the bottle up off his belt, lifting it up so it would be easier to talk to the kid. Now that he was up close, the hybrid could easily see the look of frustration on the kid’s face, as well as how red his eyes were.

It looked like Tommy had been crying.

“Calm down. I’m not gonna kill you.” Techno grumbled. “And stop screaming before you lose your voice.”

“You’re a bitch!” Tommy spat, not at all paying attention to what he was saying. “Fuckin’ dragging me out to who knows where, planning on doing who knows what-”

“I’m not going to sell you.” The hybrid interrupted, lifting a brow as he watched pure shock cross Tommy’s face. “... You really thought I was gonna sell you-”

“Well yeah!” Tommy sputtered as he flailed his arms. “The fuck else would you be doing?!”

“Interrogating people.”

“The fuck-”

Those were the only words Tommy was able to get out as the bottle was clipped back onto Techno’s belt. He shifted his arms a bit so his cape hid more of his body, and in turn the bottle, from sight. When that was finished, he strode into the village.

Children ran to and fro, some pausing to wave at him or whisper among themselves. He ignored them, as he always did, and continued on towards his destination. He also steered clear of any of the villagers he normally traded with, not wanting to get caught up in some unwanted conversation. He kept walking, picking up the pace whenever he heard someone get a bit too close to him until he reached the library.

It was far from your traditional library, much more of a home with a massive collection of books available for people to read. Techno didn’t bother to knock on the door, opting to instead open it and walk inside. A somewhat large, sparsely decorated room with simple shelves greeted him.

A moment later, the sound of rustling in one of the small side rooms filled the air and the familiar face of the local librarian popped out of it. He resembled your typical villager, though the spark of curiosity made his eyes glint and shine. He was obviously curious as to why Techno had shown up, but before he could ask the hybrid spoke.

“So, what do you know about tiny people?”

“I’m afraid you’ll need to be a bit more specific than that.” The librarian cheerfully replied, not at all phased by the seemingly random question. “Are there any particular features you can describe? Do you have an example?”

Immediately, Techno’s hand moved to his side, ready to grab the bottle and use Tommy as his example. However, just as he was about to snag the bottle-

He froze.

Dread coiled in his heart, an uncomfortable sensation that he had not felt for many years. He grit his teeth as he struggled to sort out exactly what he was feeling, what his instincts were trying to tell him.

Tommy’s wide eyes, tears still lingering in the corners-

Was… was this guilt?

There was no way he was feeling guilt! It couldn’t be. He had felt no guilt when threatening the kid earlier, didn’t really care all that much about him. So, why did the thought of showing him to someone feel…

Wrong.

He was unable to come up with an answer, feeling frustrated with himself. It was a stupid emotion, a weakness, but at the same time his instincts, those same feelings, had gotten him out of dangerous situations in the past. He’d be an idiot if he didn’t keep listening.

So, he dropped his hand and opted to explain instead. “Short, couple inches tall. Uses tools like grappling hooks to get around. Lives-”

“In houses?” The librarian finished, that sparkle in his eyes growing brighter. Looking a bit thrown off, Techno nodded.

“Yeah. How’d you know?”

“You have perfectly described a borrower!”

“... A borrower?”

“Yes! Humanoid beings who are only a few inches tall! Generally, they tend to live in already inhabited homes, or with other borrowers in hidden settlements! They’re signs of good fortune.” The librarian explained as he scanned the shelves, looking for a specific book. “It is said that there is a powerful connection between borrowers and humans, their companionship offers a kind of peace and feeling of completion that we cannot hope to feel on our own-”

“I’m assuming that doesn’t apply to hybrids as well.” Techno interrupted, brow raised in a combination of curiosity and disbelief.

Borrowers… so that’s what Tommy was. And the kid had chosen to live with him? Why? And what had he been doing in a frozen wasteland before that? Was there one of those settlements nearby, or was there some other factor that had driven the borrower into staying with him.

So many questions, and so few answers.

To his surprise, the librarian quickly shook his head. “Your assumption is incorrect, Blood God. On the contrary, borrowers and hybrids have been known to share settlements in the past, working together and helping one another out-aha!”

A book was pulled out of the shelves, cover worn and title nearly illegible. After the book was given a quick once over, it was presented to Techno. He immediately took it, held it up in the dim lighting, and read the title aloud.

“A Historical Investigation into Borrower Society…?”

“Indeed! That should be a good starting point for your research on borrowers, and I can search for other texts if you wish to read them.”

“... That would be helpful, thanks.” Techno nodded while adding the book to his bag. He then pulled a couple emeralds out of it and looked at the librarian. “How much do I owe you?”

“Nothing at all! It warms my heart to see someone else taking an interest in borrowers,” The librarian exclaimed while clapping his hands. “And for my library to be blessed with the presence of one.”

Ah, Tommy.

He must have either spotted the bottle the borrower was in, or one of the other villagers must have and then passed the information along to him. Either way, the hybrid felt…

Annoyed.

His eyes narrowed and he unconsciously shifted so the side of his body the Tommy was on was further away from the librarian. He also flared his cape out, so the borrower was completely hidden from sight.

He was unaware of how Tommy had pressed himself against the side of the bottle upon realizing he had been seen. Unaware of how the borrower had tried to take shelter in his presence despite the rough start to their meeting.

Unaware of the wide, confused eyes that stared up at him, trying to comprehend that his captor was protecting him.

The librarian, seeing the change in Techno’s mood, quickly backed up and lifted up his hands. “Fret not, Blood God, I would do no harm to your charge.”

… Charge?

Before he could question what the librarian meant, the robbed man quickly ducked into some side room and started rummaging around in it.

“The next time you visit, I shall have something to give you! I promise!”

Had… had he just been given the signal to leave? Techno stood around awkwardly for a couple more moments as he waited to see whether the librarian would make another appearance. When he did not, the hybrid decided it was time to go.

Social interactions had always been a critical weakness of his. For how intimidating and threatening he could be, that mask would dissolve in an instant if he started floundering while talking to someone.

Wilbur had always teased him about it…

The walk back to his house was, thankfully, silent and allowed him the perfect opportunity to think about what he had learned in the village. Tommy was a borrower, a tiny being that lived in houses and stole for a living. He had no real magic or other noteworthy skills, aside from the advantages brought to him by size. He could be sneaky.

However, he still had to think about what to do with the borrower. Let him stay, or kick him out.

Soon enough, the hybrid found himself making his way up the stairs to the front of his house, letting out a relieved sigh once the door shut behind him. His shoulders loosened, the tension he had been carrying since he first entered the village fading in an instant.

He hated talking to people, so much.

Techno glanced at the nearby table and then looked down at the bottle on his hip. He promptly lifted it up, met Tommy’s eyes, and spoke.

“If I let you out and you don’t behave, I’m gonna fill the bottle with water and stick you back in it. Got it?”

Tommy shuddered and quickly nodded.

Stupid, he was so stupid for getting himself into this situation, and now he had no idea what Techno was going to do with him! Of course, he could always try to escape again, but he doubted he would get far, and if he got caught…

Nope. He was just going to sit, wait, and try to be as quiet as possible.

Upon seeing that Tommy was listening and actually keeping his mouth shut, Techno uncorked the bottle and tilted it towards the table so the borrower could easily slide out. Once he was settled on the table, the hybrid walked over to the other side of the room and started thinking.

Thinking about what his options were and what he should do.

Was it worth it to keep Tommy around? To have to deal with an annoying presence constantly in the place he had created as his retirement home. Would the aggravation be worth it? What would he get out of it, anyways?

They’re signs of good fortune.

Borrowers and hybrids have been known to share settlements in the past, working together and helping one another.

…That librarian had a point.

It would be useful to him to keep Tommy around, or kill him, even if the kid didn’t give him any good luck. He definitely couldn’t let the borrower leave, lest someone from L’Manberg snag him and get him to spill everything he knew about Techno, and if he kept the borrower around there was always the potential to use him in the future.

To have a tiny spy on his side could be quite the valuable tactical advantage, especially for when L’Manberg came after him.

He doubted Quackity would stay down for long.

So, with a plan properly in mind, he directed his attention back towards the borrower who was, thankfully, still sitting on the table. It looked like the kid had been zoning out until he heard the sounds of Techno’s approaching footsteps. He got back to his feet and glared at the man staring down at him.

Was… was he trying to be intimidating?

Techno let out an amused snort, ignoring the resulting remark about him really being a pig, and started explaining his deal.

“Alright, tiny-”

“TOMMY!”

“ Tiny.” Techno insisted, and to his surprise Tommy actually shut up.

It was probably due to the fact that he wasn’t really in any kind of position to argue or make demands. His life was on the line and he knew. All he could was hope the human would show him some mercy and not chuck him out into the freezing cold.

Whatever it was, it worked in Techno’s favour.

“So, here’s the plan. I’ll let you stay here, give you food and shelter, but you have to give me something in exchange.”

The deal was simple, with the benefits to Tommy being obvious. Something that he hoped would distract the kid and prevent him from questioning what Techno got out of their agreement.

Or what he would get, that is.

“What the fuck do you mean, big man?! Give you something in exchange?! I don’t have anything to exchange!”

“Well, since you said you don’t have anything to exchange,” The hybrid began, taking another step forward so he was closer to the table, already witnessing the real purpose behind his plan coming to fruition.

Tommy paled and took a step back as Techno loomed above him, shadow engulfing his tiny frame as that scheming smile crossed his face. Okay, it was clearly an awful decision to agree to his idea. Abort, abort-

“You’ll just have to work for it, then.”

                                         xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Techno's character arc for this fic is literally him going from exploiting one orphan to two XD

[perse-persecution]

more dream smp skin symbolism

I can go on and on about this, and so I will! I’ve already talked about how Tommy, Sam, Dream, and Quackity have skins that highlight who they are, especially in the prison. But it’s not just them that have this, it’s almost everyone in the SMP!

Some characters have stayed fully human throughout the SMP, never gaining wings or scars or anything that was permanent, like Tommy or Tubbo, or even Niki, really. There are others too! (Tubbo really was just hurt emotionally, he stayed human even though he made bad choices, and never really went too far[I’m counting Ghostbur as a human even though he was see-through because it’s Ghostbur. His skin is a ghost.]) And some characters have inhuman traits like wings (this is only Phil but y’know) or horns, or they just don’t have any human attributes on them except for their faces.

And some just have glasses that hide their faces, or roses that change color. Or a mask!

Niki- You might call me out, saying that ‘Niki wanted to murder Tommy with Jack and has no inhuman traits, so your idea is flawed!’ but Niki got over it. Niki is baking again, Jack burned his house down. Niki may not be Tommy, but she’s never gained horns or covered her face.

Jack- Jack has his headset and that comes with glasses, and that hides his eyes. That’s what makes him inhuman to me, and we never see his eyes. He’s always hidden from everyone, even slightly, and he’s not human. His response to Tommy’s death is great and very human, celebrating and then realizing it really wasn’t what he wanted-but then again, he still clawed his way back from hell through pure spite and anger. That is not human.

Eret- Eret has glasses as well, hiding their face, and that plays well into the ‘never meant to be’ bit, but might not work in the long run, but it still does! Eret is still lost in the past, really, trying to make up for it. He’s built a museum and wrote books upon books and apologized so many times, but the glasses are her way of keeping the betrayal with them, always reminding them of the fact. They aren’t human, they’re still trying to make up for battles long gone through keeping the past from being long-gone, and such they are the past.

Hannah- Hannah definitely isn’t human, the roses on her arms changing colors and being attached to her being the main reasons why, though there is still some symbolism even with that. With the Egg, Hannah tried to fix the egg with roses, taking stacks and stacks with her. She tried to give them to it, and was trapped in a hole. The symbolism here is that Hannah uses nature to fix her problems, and fixes the nature that’s wrong (fixing the server!!) and adds to it in ways that pleases her (all the red roses). She tries to fix everything with them, and when they all turn against her she goes with them into the Egg’s control.

Badboyhalo- The devil skin is a bit literal, considering the events of the Egg, but it still works before that too! Bad’s always been the ‘devil’ to Tommy and maybe Quackity I guess, shouting at them when they curse and never playing into some bits. But when the Egg takes control, the red accents on his skin turn white, and that shows that he feels like he’s doing the right thing, that it’s all to help Skeppy, but the devil skin shows that’s it’s not, and he’s the real devil here.

Skeppy- Speaking of Skeppy, he’s always been just a diamond with a derpy face, and that sums up everything that Skeppy did before the Egg perfectly. He’s bright and pretty sharp, in some ways, but but still hilarious and comedic to a fault. Diamond with a derpy face. But then the egg came along, and one, changed his skin from blue to red, and two, got rid of the highlights that made the diamond itself pop. There’s much, much more red on him that any of the server members, Ant, Ponk, and Punz just getting red eyes, and Bad having none at all, the red on him turning white. It makes sense for Skeppy, the one with the most red, to be the most under the Egg’s control, and for Bad, who has no red, to be angry at Skeppy, later, for spending so much time with it. But the highlight removal made Skeppy look just like the Egg. Made him pretty much just fade into it, become one with it. The derpy face is still there, though, symbolizing Bad’s hope for the blue Skeppy to come back, though the rest of Skeppy seems to symbolize the opposite.

Technoblade- Techno has always been an anarchist in royals garb, and throughout everything on the server it shows that he has one goal (anarchy) and he will do everything to get it, even be used as a tool and ‘just as the blade’ (the Red Banquet) (also being in royals garb). He’s inhuman because though he has had character development, from mocking Quackity at his execution setup even though it was, like, his execution setup, to complimenting Sam on the prison, even though he knew it was a trap. Even though he claims to be closed off, he’s become such great friends with Ranboo and cares too much about Carl and his wolves than he says he does. He calls Dream a sentimentalist, but even though he knew he would be getting out of the prison, he still gave hope to Dream by means of the toilet. That shows another part of his inhuman-ness. He’s a pig. Pigs are friendly, sensitive, and intelligent, according to Google, and this fits Techno well. He tries to give hope to Dream, was friends with Tommy, is friends with Phil, Ranboo, and Niki, and that goes into the next bit. Sensitive. Technoblade is very sensitive to being used just as the blade, and it goes vice versa as well. He was genuinely touched when the Syndicate through him a birthday party and Ranboo gave him the new axe to replace his last one. He’s also very intelligent, using a Totem to get out of death and collecting mass amounts of withers ‘just for decoration...for now’.

Ranboo- Ranboo is pretty easy, like c’mon. Enderwalk and Ranboo, the white side and the black side. Easy. BUT WAIT. THERE’S MORE. The white side is more commonly as the friendly side (even though enderwalk is just Ranboo with different motivations) and yet the white side has a red eye, a color that literally gets people riled up. It shows that even when Ranboo is not in Enderwalk, he’s not happy-go-lucky. There’s something dangerous with him, and Wilbur picked up on this! He didn’t want to talk to Ranboo, comparing him to ‘the weird neighbor kid’ who ‘had something in his basement’ and was ‘going to put a spatula right through my skull!’. There’s something off about Ranboo even when he’s not Enderwalking, and that’s shown by his red eye and what people like to refer to as tear scars on that side of his face (even though the enderman side would be the one burned by it) But speaking of Enderwalk, the black side has a green eye, Tubbo’s color, and the color that is used as friendship a lot. It shows that, for Ranboo, Enderwalk isn’t some evil being, he isn’t plotting to kill people, he might be meeting with Dream, but so was Techno! And he’s not inherently evil. And Wilbur adores Dream! And Ranboo stated that he wasn’t inherently evil. Enderwalk is just Ranboo with different motivations. He was Enderwalking through the whole Disc War finale, holding his fourth book, but made no move to help Dream-but he made no move to help Tommy and Tubbo. (Enderchest was also in Dream’s possession vault, so Ranboo obviously wasn’t fully trustworthy to Dream) He stared up at Dream as he rose to go to prison, but that was it. And Enderwalk Ranboo was also at the Banquet! He was holding an axe at some point (maybe when the lava came down, I can’t remember) but he never interfered. He was just up on the balcony. Ranboo wouldn’t interfere either, he’d be to scared too, he’s a people pleaser. Techno, Quackity, and Purpled aren’t. Enderwalk isn’t Ranboo in what he does, as Ranboo doesn’t really remember it, but they are the same in their reasonings and how and when they would do something.

Phil- Phil had wings in the first moments when he joined the server, and then protected Wilbur with them and so they were damaged. Phil had a very warped idea of what had gone on before he came through Wilburs lies, and I feel his inhuman-ness spans from that, and the fact the he kept that warped idea and went too far with it. He thought that Wilbur didn’t want L’manburg to exist, because he thought that Wilbur won the election, and so even after he was dead, and after the whole Butcher Army, Phil’s instinct (as well as Techno’s) was to just blow it up, get rid of it, because that was what his son wanted and it would send a message to the people. He said himself, to Jack, that he started blowing up countries when he was forced to kill his own son, but he could have stepped away there, because Wilbur really wasn’t the constant in the situation. Wilbur hadn’t chosen to blow up the country because he didn’t like it anymore, he was going to blow it up because Schlatt ruined it for him, and that Phil didn’t understand. That’s why he’s inhuman, since he chose to kill Wilbur, he wasn’t forced. Phil’s gone against peer pressure and orders before when he saw that they were wrong, and that was also by a relative, Fundy. He loopholed his way out of house arrest, he could have jumped away from Wilbur, or just put him in stone so he wouldn’t die. He’s inhuman because he made choices that were because of events that didn’t exist, because he was living in an alternate world, really.

Wilbur- Wilbur doesn’t have inhuman features. A clear face, no scars, and a beanie. His jacket and morals have rotted in the dark, but he’s still pretty human, though his opinions on Dream and L’manburg change every second. The white streak in his hair is supposed to represent stress, I think, and well, it’s Wilbur. He made a fancy revolutionary outfit and never washed it once, because he was too devoted to L’manburg to let go of it, or anything connected to it, for a single second. Then came Pogtopia, where he ditched everything in favor of clothes that blended in with the cave walls. He insulted the revolutionary outfit, and kept the trench coat until he died. Then, Revivebur had the bandage across his arm because he ran to the train too fast, showing how desperate Wilbur was to get out from death. He’s changed so much, and his changes are real, unlike Dream’s, as Dream has kept the same skin, but Wilbur hasn’t. He’s changed physically, and has gotten more and more torn outfits every time.

Ponk- He has a face mask that hides everything but his eyes, and I feel that shows his way of making sure you never know if he’s joking about something or not. He joked about how much time Sam spent with him, even though Sam hated the egg, and still tried to keep a keycard even after Sam was going to chop of his arm (and did so) for them. He has a chaotic nature to everyone, trying to prank Foolish right now and wearing red contacts only so the Eggpire would leave him alone. He made a Road Trip joke as his toast at the Banquet, and it was totally in character! His mouth being hidden makes it so that he can be joking and you’ll never see it coming.

Schlatt- The-the guy has horns. He’s a goat. Loud, (the EMPEROR of the GREAT NATION) cross eyed, (Schlatt is drunk for his introduction and his death, he is totally cross eyed). I’ve also seen people put him down as a ram, and that reckless ‘they want me to get them president, I’ll be my OWN president!’ and then tearing down the walls, executing Wilbur and Tommy, things that were so surprising and came out of nowhere they just about-they jus-they just rammed into us head on! He’s inhuman because he wants to be powerful (the BIg Man Gym) and wants to use the people around him to show his power, and is so reliant on them that he has no power at all.

Fundy- He’s a fox, and ha been compared as a ‘backbiter’ and ‘foxheart’ many times, and while those are viable ways to go, other parts on his skin, earlier, show some other things. In L’manburg, Fundy was the only person who had a different outfit from the others (at that time) and didn’t get any position in L’manburg at the end of the war, just being called Wilbur’s ‘little champion’. He had a crayon suit, and wasn’t respected by Wilbur at all, and when Schlatt came along and finally seemed to recognize him as someone who was valuable, Fundy shed the revolutionary garb quick, burning and building and leaving Niki quick as well. He might not be constantly switching his skin, like Wilbur, but after L’maburg he never was on aside for long enough to get a uniform other than L’manburg, his regular skin, and the aprons for the Butcher Army. He’s a fox that switches boat, and that makes him inhuman because everyone else is firmly on a side, against sides as a whole, or the thing everyone hates and is on his own side (Which is Dream).

Karl- Karl is very human, as he has a funky sweater and a normal human skin. But that skin changes when he gets back from time travelling, and when he is in the Tales. He’s like a chameleon, his skin fitting the environment in the Tales and the Inbetween, but the important bit is that when he gets back to the present he’s a very bright, multicolored blob. In the Inbetween he has an all white skin, in the Other Side it’s all black, and in the Masquerade specifically he kept to blues and purples, I think, as those were the colors his mask was. Him being a chameleon in the Tales also fits well with how he just fits right into the story, like an added fisherman, or a cameraman, or just another guest-the only ones he doesn’t fit in with are the ones that are closely tied with the real present. The Haunted mansion had Connor and Glatt in it, and Karl really just interrupted their fun. In The City That Went Mad, Karl was the narrator, and The City That Went Mad has been mentioned SO many times, Quackity being a descended from Helga and Ponk being descended from Jack the potato farmer. In the present, Karl stayed with Schlatt through the Pogtopia era after being the judge of the debate, and I have no idea why other than because he didn’t know what to do.

Purpled- Purpled is pretty much implied to be an alien, but for all skin measures he looks perfectly human, ignoring that everything he wears, and his eye color, is purple. I like Purpled, and the fact that he switched sides the same way Punz did, and used almost the same words Punz did, but he’s still so much different and more human? In a way? Than Punz, in how he reacts to being called a hero by Foolish, or joining Pogtopia the second he was going to be killed, since Manburg didn’t line up to his ideals anyways. Purpled isn’t the hero, he’s really just a background character for most of the lore, coming up a couple of times, but he’s not really too important, and he and Quackity know this, Quackity used it against him to try and get him to join Las Nevadas! He tries his best to be a hero and always falls short, not being able to save Foolish, having to join Las Nevadas, and that’s what makes him inhuman, because he’s trying. He tries his best to be the good guy, unlike Tommy, really, right now. Tommy knew breaking into the prison to kill Dream wasn’t the right thing to do, he said it himself! Tommy said he didn’t want to be a hero in response to Techno, but he’s still the protagonist. Purpled is trying, and we’re starting now to see that in full, and see how inhuman he really is because it’s not paying off.

Punz- Punz is like Purpled, until he’s not. He was hired to Manburg to fight for Schlatt and he did! He did fight for Schlatt, and had no qualms with it. He betrayed Dream to help Tommy and Tubbo, and then joined the Egg. He’s not the most human character, despite looking it, and he’s quite inhuman in the fact that he’s never been the hero. He was bribed by Tommy to help give him pearls and blaze rods in the first disc skirmish, and now was bribed to save them from Dream one last time! Punz wouldn’t do that if Tommy hadn’t given him money, he would have stayed neutral, and I feel that shows his inhuman-ness.

I’ll be doing Puffy, Connor, Calahan (maybe), Alyssa (maybe), Antfrost, and others as well as some more analyses soon!

[sibsteria]

miss stark [bucky barnes]

[this is extremely cringe]

There's a stigma around the name 'Stark', some positive, some negative. I try to keep out of the spotlight but it's becoming impossible as my powers were exposed during the battle of New York back in 2012, it's like people are learning new things about me everyday, and news articles aren't too reserved with their opinions and comments. My brother says to make light of it and embrace my differences, and in his words- 'stick it to those nosy, cunty little pricks' but it's incredibly hard. Wanda, Vision and Steve are my best friends and are the only ones I have a true connection with, Tony aside. Most of my time is spent in my room with Wanda or in the gym, training, I don't like most social situations. I get along with the team, don't get me wrong, but if I had a choice of preferred company it would be Vision, Wanda or Steve. My loyalty is what makes me a good Avenger, except from my powers, Tony knows I would give my life to save anyone on the team and he hates it. I know Tony would give his life for me and it worries me when we are on missions. I'm terrified of losing the only family I have left. My best friends outside of the team are Pepper, Happy and Phil, they are the closest thing I have to family apart from Tony. I've known Phil the longest, then Happy, then Pepper, they take care of me well.

James Buchanan Barnes is joining the team today, as expected, Steve is the one who will be showing him around. I have a strong feeling to camp inside my room but I know Steve wants me to meet Bucky, I can never say no to his puppy-dog-eyes. I think I've showered three times this morning from nervousness.

*

''-this is Y/n, one of my best friends, oh you'll love her Buck.'' Steve approaches me with his companion. ''Introduce yourself Y/n/n!''

''Hi.'' I gave meekly, waving. Steve nudges Bucky and he snaps out of a strong gaze, dunno what that was about.

Bucky coughs ''Um, hello.'' he blushes.

Steve seems impressed with his actions and ushers Bucky to the next room. When they are gone I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

I think back to Bucky and his attributes. He was blessed with attractiveness, I'd seen photos but oh my, and from what Steve had said, he seems to have a lovely personality when you get to know him and he accepts your friendship. After the Wakandans fixed his memory, he and Steve were more connected than ever, and he seemed in a rush to introduce us both. Must want his two best friends to know each other.

*

''Hey.'' I hear from my left. I look over to see C3PO himself- Bucky.

''Hey, you doing alright on your first day?'' I ask, feeling like I'm prying, but I have a genuine concern and interest in his health. I set down the book I was reading.

''Yeah, pretty boring to be honest, Steve talks a LOT.''

''Oh, we know, that's why half of us are asleep with our head on the desks at briefings.'' He laughs.

''You're the first person to ask if I'm okay, you know.'' He smiles at me.

''Well I do care, no matter if Tony says I'm a heartless bitch.'' I jokes, Tony called me that once because I stole Thor's last poptart packet.

''I thought I would feel awkward around everyone and not make friends at all, but I feel genuinely comfortable around you?''

''I feel comfortable around you, surprisingly.''

''What are you reading?'' He asks, glancing at the book I had set on the table.

''Harry Potter and The Prisoner Of Azkaban.'' I smile at my favourite book.

''Not read that one, any good?''

''THE BEST!'' I shout. ''I'll lend you my Harry Potter series, you NEED to read them.'' I usher out excitedly.

''I will, come by my room and drop them off later, my room is labelled 'BARNES' on floor 88.'' He tells me.

''Wow, my rooms on 88 too, labelled 'MISS STARK'.'' I say in shock.

''Wait-Stark?'' He questions.

''Oh, Tony's my brother, you didn't know?''

''Now I do.'' He laughs.

''Jesus, with all the talking Steve does I'm surprised he hasn't mentioned it.'' Bucky lets out another laugh.

''I mean he might of but it's hard to listen when you feel like you're submitting to a comatose state.'' I burst out laughing at his comment and my eyes scrunch up in my joy.

''You're making him sound like the poppy field in the Wizard Of Oz-'' I cut myself off with another laugh.

''I watched that will Steve the other day.'' He laughs.

''Nice.'' I calm my laughter ''I laugh too much.'' I state.

''I like your laugh, never ever stop laughing.'' He says.

*

Wanda and I are busy cooking in the kitchen, I can hear Thor's roaring laughter from the living room.

''I'll be right back, I need to grab something from the store.'' Wanda explains.

''Okay. Safe journey.'' I laugh at her.

''Always is душо.'' She leaves the kitchen.

''Heard your laugh, it got me enchanted.'' I hear from next to me.

Surprise, surprise, it's one of the cybermen- it's Bucky.

''Enchanted to commit suicide?'' I joke.

''Nope.'' He hops up onto the counter.

''Careful R2D2, don't break the counter.'' I say masterfully chopping veggies, managing to flip the knife multiple times.

*

Dinner is awkward. Bucky is staring at me, Tony is staring at Bucky and I'm looking at Steve urging him to help me, which obviously does not convey itself across.

''Okay, dinners over, to bed all.'' I usher everyone out of the kitchen and start collecting plates, a few minutes into washing up I feel a presence behind me. I turn around to see Bucky leaning on the island, staring at me intently.

''Okay, what's with the staring Tin man?'' This made him stifle a chuckle.

''From what I've gathered, you're not like your brother.'' He approaches me.

''Yeah no shit, Iron Giant.'' I feel a laugh in my throat but stop it rising, he smirks.

''You're sweet, kind, not including now-'' I cut him off.

''Oi-''

''Not to mention you are hotter than my arm on a sunny day.'' I hitch my breath.

''Guessing that's pretty hot hm?'' I give out in a breath.

''Burns the skin...'' He puts his hands on my waist. I could feel my heart beat increasing by the second. He leans down until I can feel his breath on my neck until I hear footsteps echoing and I push him away.

''Get to bed scoundrel, we've got business tomorrow.'' I hear Tony tell me.

''I'm 28!'' I shout after him.

''I'm 48! I'm superior!'' He sasses.

''Yeah well Steve is 100! He doesn't tell me to go to bed!'' I sass back.

''Want me to make HIM tell you!''

''I'm good!''

*

I drop Bucky's books I promised him infront of his door and knock. He opens it a few moments later.

''Thanks, see you tomorrow.'' He says with joy.

''See ya.''

I head to my own room

'MISS STARK'

[pparkerpoetry]

Face Reality (Part 18)

Title: The Stories All End (but this time, it ends well)

Summary: Ranboo's story comes to a close, because after seeing his family, he's realized that not only is he safe, but he his happy.

Chapter One

Masterlist

Ranboo laughed as he chased Tommy across the countryside. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, and they were out of the house, on their way to visit Eret’s castle and all of the people that lived near there.

He overtook Tommy because his legs were so long, which caused Tommy to squawk indignantly. “Oh, that’s it, bitch boy,” Tommy trilled, leaping into the air and flapping his wings to gain speed.

“That’s not fair!” Ranboo called ahead, still sprinting, though his side was starting to hurt.

It didn’t take long for Tommy to get tired too, so they both slowed down to walk the rest of the way. Before long, the colorful building came into view and two figures walked towards them.

“Tommy, Ranboo!” Fundy shouted. “You came!”

“Of course we did, big man!” Tommy yelled back, and Ranboo smiled. It was nice here. It felt safe.

Eret was behind Fundy, and he showed them the castle. They didn’t need a tour, since it had been built forever, but they oohed and ahhed at the restoration. There were flags everywhere, the stone was smooth, and it looked so welcoming.

Fundy was hovering around them constantly, making all sorts of little snuffles and barks.

Eventually, Ranboo asked about it.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Eret said. “It’s just that visiting you guys yesterday triggered his thin day, so he’s been pretty playful. We played fetch this morning.”

Fundy scowled, but his face lifted. “Puffy and Niki are here, I can hear them coming.”

It was true, the footsteps of the two ladies echoing through the halls a little later. They were smiling too, and Ranboo hadn’t felt this at ease since before Phil and Techno had visited.

Greetings were exchanged, and so began the day of relaxing. It was like a vacation, and Ranboo could tell that it was doing wonders for Tommy.

The morning flew by too fast, and during lunch, Fundy couldn’t sit still. He was anxious and twitchy and everyone tried their best to just let it be, since he couldn’t help it, but Tommy just wanted to eat his sandwich in peace.

“Fundy,” he asked, “do you want to go outside?” No one could tell if he was joking, least of all the fox.

“Don’t make fun of me,” Fundy grumbled. “You’re a jerk.”

Tommy made a face. “I’m not making fun of you. Do you want to go outside? I bet I could toss the ball pretty fucking far with my strong arms.”

No one missed the way that Fundy’s eyes lit up. “You’re sure you’re not messing with me?”

“No,” Tommy smiled, “I just want to spend time with my nephew.”

“I’m still older than you,” Fundy teased, but his eyes were still filled with tears from the genuine love from Tommy.

As it turns out, the strong arms weren’t so strong, but Tommy fixed that by flying up before throwing the ball, which resulted in Fundy running some pretty long distances. Neither seemed to mind, because they stayed outside for a good few hours, leaving the others inside to talk.

“So, what made you guys visit today?” Eret asked, adjusting their crown.

Ranboo winced. “Well, Tommy had a bit of an issue with Phil and got pretty upset, so I figured this would be a good break.”

“What happened?” Niki asked, concerned.

His mind went back to the look of pure fear that had been on Tommy’s face. “From what I can gather, Phil asked to preen his wings as a sort of bonding experience, but instead of feeling nice, the preening hurt? Neither one of them are taking it well. Technoblade told me this morning before we left that Philza had been crying.”

Puffy snorted lightly. “Sounds like he’s realizing how messed up his actions were.”

Niki nodded, but looked doubtful. “Has Technoblade made up for everything yet? Because if it were me, I wouldn’t forgive him. Not in a million years.”

Ranboo paused. “I mean, he did a lot of research for me and figured out why I had more than two thin days. Sam told you about that, right?”

“But has he apologised,” Niki stressed. “I want the best for you, Boo. Has he actually apologized and made things better?”

“I think…” he trailed off, thinking about everything that had happened. All the late night running into each other for snacks, the tense smiles in the library… “I think he’s trying, but he’s figuring out everything on the way, because he’s never had to actually apologise for something before.”

Eret hummed, “Well, if he’s genuinely trying, I guess we can’t ask for much more. What about Phil, though? I can’t excuse his actions just because he cried. We’ve all cried over things we’ve done before, he’s not special.”

“I think he will try,” Ranboo spoke honestly. “He’s lived for so long he’s become desensitised to emotion, but I think that now he’s coming back down to earth, he’ll try to make up for everything.”

Niki sighed. “I guess I can give him another chance if he’s going to actually try to be better, now. We’re not perfect either, but he needs to put in some effort to make up for everything, like we have.”

“He will,” Ranboo promised. “I’ll make sure he will.”

“We trust you,” Puffy smiled, before looking over to where the other two were playing. “Oh, it looks like they’re done. I’ll bet they’re tired- I’ll go make some lemonade.”

Puffy left as Tommy and Fundy came running up, and their joy was contagious.

“You’re done?” Eret asked.

Tommy nodded. “We lost the ball somewhere in the forest, and we couldn’t find it. But we’re also tired. What can we do now?”

“Watch a movie?” Ranboo and Niki suggested at the same time, causing everyone else to laugh.

They ended up watching a movie while sipping Puffy’s lemonade, but Fundy hadn’t even finished his before he was fidgeting again.

He snuffled. “Can I make a burrow? Like a fort, or something?”

Eret smiled softly. “Sure, bud. Let me go grab some blankets, I’ll be right back.”

They came back with a giant pile of cloth, so they paused the movie and let Fundy go wild. It didn’t take long, since he seemed to know exactly what he wanted, so before long everyone was in a fort with Fundy curled up in the middle. It was really just a floor of blankets, with walls built up, but he seemed content.

Ranboo was towards the back, with Tommy sprawled across his lap and wings covering whoever he could. Niki leaned on Ranboo’s shoulder and Puffy was pressed into her side with her feet over Eret’s legs. Fundy somehow was in the middle of it all, making happy noises and radiating warmth.

It didn’t take long for the entire group to fall asleep.

The next morning, Ranboo was the first one up. He hadn’t gotten any nightmares, which was always a plus.

“Ranboo?” Tommy’s voice was groggy.

“Yup. How you doing?”

“I am so poggers.” Tommy yawned before stretching, his wing nudging Fundy and waking up the fox.

Fundy groaned. “I hate waking up after a thin day. I’m all curled up and shit. It’s the worst, my muscles hurt.”

Ranboo laughed, and by a few minutes later, everyone was up. Niki and Puffy had somewhere to be, so he and Tommy left, too. They promised Eret and Fundy that they’d be back, though.

The walk back to their home was uneventful, which was good, because when they got home, it was chaos.

“Why didn’t you sleep?” Purpled was demanding. “I was up all night and you have the audacity to just go ‘sorry?’ You didn’t sleep yesterday and Tubbo didn’t the night before and I am fucking tired.”

Sam tried to console the boy. “I’m sorry, Purpled. I forget that you can’t fall asleep if one of us is awake. I’ll sleep tonight, okay? I promise.”

“I still have to get through all of today!” Purpled snarled, eyes glowing a little brighter and suddenly pale skin highlighting the bags underneath his eyes that seemed more prominent, now. “I’ve got a fucking headache and my wings are all sensitive and none of you seem to care, because you just stay up all night as if it doesn’t affect anyone else. News flash, pal, the world doesn’t revolve around you!” He stormed off, wings folded tightly around his body.

Sam just stood there.

“Well, hello,” Tommy said, breaking the silence. “Wonderful welcome.”

“He’s been pissy all day,” Tubbo shrugged. “I mean, he hasn’t slept in at least three days, so I’d be, too.”

Ranboo frowned, then remembered Fundy. “Is he having a thin day? It seems to be running in the family right now, so I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Sam considered it for a second. “That- that is actually a very good hypothesis, Ranboo. I’m going to go call Punz. Behave, boys.”

Once Sam had left the room, Tubbo mumbled, “Anyone in the mood for arson?”

“Nah,” Ranboo shrugged. “I’m gonna go talk with Purpled, but you guys can do whatever.”

Tommy went over to the couch and flopped on top of Tubbo. “Okay. Bye, Ranboo.”

Purpled was in the bedroom, all the lights shut off, curled up in the corner.

“What are you?” Ranboo mused, “A vampire?”

Purpled just scowled. “I might as well be. Leave, or I’ll suck your blood.”

Ranboo shrugged and went over to the bed. “Nah, I don’t think I will. You’re going through your first thin day, you shouldn’t be alone.”

“My first thin day? Why’s that such a big deal?”

“Because it’s your hybrid side growing stronger,” Ranboo said, “It’s probably one of the worst thin days to have, to be honest, since you aren’t used to it and still need to adjust to how it feels.”

Purpled thought about how his day had gone. He’d been up all night, and the previous night, and the one before that, so he couldn’t remember when today had started, but he figured it was probably before the time he’d gone to the bathroom and noticed how pale he was, and how awful his under-eye bags looked.

Yeah, sometime around there, because he’d noticed his wings feeling sensitive a little after that- which was why he’d abandoned blankets, since the fabric had felt all wrong. That had been the wrong choice, since he’d started shaking from the cold.

The day had only gone downhill, too, since he’d stepped one foot outside and immediately gotten a headache from the sunlight.

“Yeah,” Purpled conceded. “This might be a thin day, but it still sucks.”

“No doubt,” Ranboo agreed, moving to sit near Purpled instead of on the bed. “Is the floor comfortable?”

“No, but the walls feel nice on my wings. I dunno why.��

They sat in silence, because they didn’t need to talk. The silence spoke louder than any words that either could have said out loud.

A while later, the door creaked open.

Punz peeked through. “Purpled? You alright? I heard you were having a thin day. They stink.”

“I’m okay.” Purpled said, his voice quieter than he would’ve liked. “I feel bad for snapping at Sam, though.”

“Aw, that’s not your fault, kid.” Punz frowned, moving into the room. “He doesn’t hold it against you.”

“I still feel bad, though. If it didn’t hurt to be in anything but darkness, I’d apologize.”

Ranboo slipped out of the room to let Punz help his brother adapt to the new concept of having thin days, and was surprised to see Phil and Tommy talking.

“I’m sorry,” Phil was saying, and he seemed to be genuine. “I haven’t been the most human recently, and I’m sorry that you had to go through everything just so that I could realize that everything I did was fucked up,” He laughed wetly, tears welling in his eyes. “I wish I could go back and do all of it differently, because in a way I lost all of my sons. I don’t hold it against you, choosing Sam I mean, because in the end, I was a fucking awful father. I’m glad you found someone who could care for you properly, I really am.”

Tommy smiled weakly. “I wish I could say it’s okay. I really want to, Phil, but the things you put me through, Ranboo through, everyone else through… I can’t just put it in the past, but as long as you’re willing to change, I’ll let you have some time, okay?”

“Thank you,” Phil said earnestly. “Tell me to go at any point, and I will. I cross any boundaries, tell me. If Techno does anything you don’t like, tell me. I can’t change what I did and I don’t expect you to forget it, but you even giving me a chance to change is more than I deserve. Thank you, Tommy. You will always mean something to me, even if you don’t consider yourself my son, and from now on, I’ll try harder to stay human, okay?”

“Okay.” Tommy said, voice thick with tears. “As long as you know you fucked up and want to make up for it, I can stand you around, old man.”

Phil laughed, but his laughter died out when Ranboo entered the room. “Oh! Just who I needed to talk to! I, uh, I apologised to Tommy, but I need to talk with you, too.”

Tommy stayed, even as Ranboo sat down and motioned for Phil to continue.

“As I was saying, during the past few years, I slid down a slope that led to me not really being connected with the more human side of things, and recently I’ve realized it. I’ve managed to acknowledge that everything I did was more than fucked, and I’ve hurt an insane amount of people, not to mention I’ve ruined relationships I may never get back. I deserve all of it, of course, but I need to apologize and get it off of my chest, even if you tell me to go to hell and hate me until the day you die.”

Ranboo nodded, but stayed quiet. He didn’t trust his voice.

Phil went on, “I hurt you and nearly made you- well, through my actions, I almost made you kill yourself, is the reality of it, and I know that just saying sorry will never be enough, because a few measly words is in no way enough to make up for the pain and trauma I put you through, not to mention everything with- with L’manburg. But, I think that apologizing is a good place to start, and I can work from there. So, Ranboo Underscore,” Phil took a breath and willed the tears to not fall, “I’m sorry for everything that I’ve done and everything I’ve put you through. I should have understood much sooner what I did, and the fact that I didn’t will haunt me forever. I completely get if you want me to leave and never return, and won’t hold it against you in the slightest, but if you feel that you can let me make up for what I’ve done while still maintaining good mental health, I would like the chance to.”

Ranboo hesitated, and Phil spoke again.

“Please don’t feel pressured to. You can absolutely tell me to fuck off, I deserve worse. Do whatever you feel is best for you, and I will comply.”

Ranboo felt comforted by that, but… “I can change my mind at any point?”

“Of course,” Phil agreed.

“Then yeah,” Ranboo started. “I can let you try to make up for what you did. This is a good start, but you have a long way to go.”

“Don’t I know it,” Phil nodded. “Thank you, Ranboo, I really mean it.”

“I know you do,” Ranboo said, and he really did. Something told him that Phil really was genuine, and he was inclined to believe it. And, a feeling settled through him, content to stay until the end of time- and it was happiness. He was happy, truly happy, and he wanted it to stay like that.

Phil left Sam’s house, and from a distance, Death watched. She was proud of Phil for apologising and meaning it, and she didn’t doubt that he’d actually try to change. There’d be bigger consequences if he didn’t, she decided, but she knew it’d never come to that.

The whole server had faced reality and came out victorious, so they’d all be family until the day that she came for the last of them.

_______

there will be more one-shots in this universe. this isnt the true ending :)

[ihni]

A cock named Phil, #3: Freaky Friday (body switch)

“Hello.”

Lucas looked at whoever was driving the car that had slowed down next to where he and Dustin were walking with their bikes, next to the road, and promptly stepped back. Dustin, when he saw who it was, actually hissed.

“No! Begone, demon!”

“What?” Billy said, frowning a little. “What did I do?”

“What do you mean, what did you do?” Dustin said. “You were smiling!”

“Yes, because I was trying to be friendly. Was gonna ask you if you guys needed a ride.” Billy was still driving beside them, albeit slowly, and threw a glance up in the rearview mirror to make sure he wasn’t stopping traffic. “I’m going to Steve’s, and figured you guy were as well. So. Do you need a ride?” And then he smiled again. A real, genuine, friendly smile.

Lucas and Dustin both took a step back this time.

“Uh”, Lucas said.

Dustin elbowed him in the side. “Thanks, but we’ll walk. It’s a lovely day. Thanks. Bye.”

“Whatever”, Billy mumbled, still smiling. “See you guys later.” And then he drove off, leaving the two boys by the side of the road.

They looked at each other.

“That was weird, right?”

“So weird.”

“I mean, he was actually, you know, pleasant.”

“Soooo weird.”

“You don’t think it’s … you know … Upside Down-related?”

They stared at each other for a second too long, before wordlessly getting back on their bikes and peddling towards Steve’s house as fast as they could.

When they got there, the Camaro was parked out front, but Billy was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Steve. Dustin and Lucas ran to the front door and slammed the it open in their haste, not bothering with knocking or waiting for a ‘come in’. “Steve!”

Steve came out of the kitchen, scowling at them. “What? Why are you barging in here like this? We have a doorbell. I could have been naked or something, what the fuck, guys?”

“We just …” Dustin said, a little bewildered at Steve’s aggressive tone. “We wanted to see if you were okay.”

“And you had to knock down my door to do that?” Steve said, still annoyed.

“Now now, sweetheart”, came Billy’s voice, as he walked out into the hallway and put one hand on Steve’s shoulder (he was using his other arm to hold Phil, the cock). “Be nice. They’re just worried about you, is all, right guys?” And with that, he turned an uncharacteristically earnest face to the boys, while Steve crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

“Uh”, Lucas said, intelligently, while Dustin gaped. “Right.”

“Still could have knocked”, Steve muttered before going into the kitchen. Billy threw a smile their way before following.

“Okay”, Dustin hissed at Lucas. “I think I know what’s going on here.”

“Good”, Lucas said. “Because I am confused. Billy’s nice and Steve’s not, something is definitely wrong here.”

“Only one explanation”, Dustin said, nodding.

“Yeah.”

“They’ve switched bodies.”

“Uh-huh.” Lucas started nodding too, before freezing. “Wait, what?”

“You said it yourself!” Dustin whisper-shouted. “Billy’s nice and Steve is not. Obviously, Steve is now Billy, and Billy is now Steve!”

“Or”, Steve interrupted, coming out of the kitchen and giving them a pointed stare, “maybe Billy got a good night’s sleep while I hardly got any sleep last night, because Phil-fucking-Cockins here ran around in the house and I didn’t catch him until 3am. And then I locked him in the basement. And then he crowed for the rest of the night, keeping me up.”

“Aw”, Billy cooed with a shit-eating grin. “My cock keeping you up at night?”

“Don’t!” Steve said, pointing at Billy with a shaking finger and seemingly trying hard to restrain himself. “Don’t fuck with me today, Hargrove. I’m not in the mood.”

Billy grabbed the finger gently and pressed the lightest of kisses to the tip of it while looking up at Steve through his lashes. “How about I let you do the fucking? Would that make you feel better?”

Steve, Lucas and Dustin all let out loud protests at the same time, while Billy cackled. Steve threw his arms up, blushing, and fled into the kitchen, and Lucas and Dustin had their fingers in their ears, making gagging noises.

“Lalalala I can’t hear you!”

“Oh god, oh god, oh god, I need brain bleach!”

“Man, you guys are pussies”, Billy said when he’d stopped laughing. “Here, hold Phil while I go smoothen out some ruffled feathers.”

He thrust the bird into Lucas’ arms, and didn’t wait for him to get a good hold before rushing after Steve. Phil flapped his wings and crowed and tried to pick at Lucas’ eyes before Dustin jumped in to help, so eventually they both stood in the hallway, holding a struggling bird between them.

“I take it back”, Lucas said, panting. “Billy’s his usual asshole self. The smile was obviously a fluke.”

Dustin nodded. “Obviously.”

(first) (previous) (AO3) (next)

[felidaefighter]

Our Metaphorical Get-Along Sweater

In which Wilbur thinks of Ranboo as an arch-nemesis while Ranboo is just There Vibing and also, Phil has adopted Ranboo, making for two very different siblings and a very interesting relationship

[Fluff, comedy, fix-it fic, some light angst that is immediately softened, work in progress; every chapter will swap POV]

Chapter 3: How Not To Babysit

    Wilbur and Phil were outside on the porch, enjoying the fresh air, when Ranboo had stopped by to say hello as he was heading to the portal. “Tommy and Tubbo and I are going to try to fix up Tommy’s old skyway rail today,” he was explaining to Phil. “Ohhh I can’t imagine that ending without at least a few broken bones.” Ranboo nodded. “That’s why I’m bringing a bunch of gapples.” Wilbur raised an eyebrow at the mention-- it had been ages since he’d seen the thing, it was probably way more rundown than even he remembered it. “That sounds like it’ll be funny to watch,” He said. “I’d like to see how many times Tommy can fall off before he realizes he actually has to do work to fix it up and quits.” 

    Ranboo looked towards Wilbur. “I mean, I’m pretty sure it’s alright for you to join us if you want,” he offered, much to Wilbur’s surprise. Internally, he thought that was extremely suspicious. A large part of him believed it was likely Ranboo was just trying to butter him up, get on his good side because that’s what he did, wasn’t it? Got on everyone’s good side, a neutral, conniving-- “Really? I--” Wilbur interrupted his own thoughts and looked between Phil and Ranboo and back again in quick form, thinking. “Sure! I don’t have much of anything else planned for the day, it might be interesting to see how the three of you get on.”

    “Oh, okay, great!” Said Ranboo, sounding as surprised as Wilbur was at the man’s answer. “You two have fun now,” Phil said with a sly, knowing smile, and Wilbur rolled his eyes. He knew that Phil was thinking Wilbur would actually wind up enjoying himself, but Wilbur knew that whatever fun he might’ve had catching up with Tommy and Tubbo would be ruined by Ranboo’s presence. There was no way the spineless hybrid would be able to hold his own against the banter that he and the two best friends could get into. Honestly, he didn’t know how Tommy or Tubbo could stand him; he was just that sure that Ranboo would infringe upon their chaotic natures just by being his boring, neutral self.

    Ranboo tried to make conversation on the way there, of course, but Wilbur answered as curtly as he could without being outright rude. In all honesty, he was still fuming from the other day when Ranboo had told him he wasn’t a bad person. First of all, it wasn’t true. He was a bad person. Everyone knew it. (He tried not to focus on the fact that he was sounding more and more like he was trying to convince himself, as if it wasn’t true.) Second of all-- didn’t that just prove that Ranboo was spineless and would say whatever he needed to get on a person’s good side? Wilbur didn’t trust Ranboo. Wilbur didn’t want to trust Ranboo. And fine, maybe he was being stubborn-- so what, Rational Thoughts In His Head That Took On The Voice Of Phil-- nothing wrong with being stubborn when it meant being the only person around who could actually resist Ranboo’s weird, enderman Bewitching Powers. 

    Speaking of. “Ayyyy Ranboo!” A familiar voice called as they approached the hillside house that was almost always where people met up with Tommy-- who, upon seeing Wilbur too, narrowed his eyes. “Wilbur. You aren’t going to get in our way are you? We don’t need you bossing us around,” Tommy said pointedly, while Ranboo greeted Tubbo. Tubbo. Wilbur hadn’t really seen Tubbo since-- Oh. That was-- ohhhhh. Wilbur swallowed a bit guiltily. He. He definitely had some apologizing to do there, huh? “Oi, pay attention to me when I’m talking to you, dickhead!” Tommy snapped Wilbur out of his thoughts, who, still distracted, muttered “Sorry, I just-- got caught up thinking.” There was a look of confusion on Tommy’s face at the soft, genuine tone, so Wilbur remembered his manners. “Prick,” He added, which righted things as Tommy instantly scowled.

    “Tubbo!” Wilbur called with a grin, who froze in a mirror of Wilbur just a few seconds ago. “It’s been a while man-- how’ve you been?” Tubbo looked rather taken aback. “I’ve been-- I’ve been alright, I guess. Just around, y’know. Building things here and there.” It was, for all its honesty, a guarded answer. Not that Wilbur blamed Tubbo. Of course he couldn’t. “Yeah, I uh, I wanted to say I’m sorry, man,” Wilbur blurted out before he could think better of it. Everyone stood around awkwardly and uncomfortably. “It’s uh, it’s alright, I forgive you,” Tubbo replied, too bewildered to really put thought into it. He was probably just saying that because he felt like he had to, then. “You don’t have to forgive me,” Wilbur promised, but Tubbo just shrugged. “I do forgive you. Doesn’t mean I trust you.” Well. There it was. Of course.

    “AN-Y-WAYS!” Tommy shouted, breaking the strange moment (though not without shooting Wilbur a dirty look). “Did everybody bring tools and whatnot? Pickaxes, etcetera? Although I suppose we’ll need rails--” Tommy was cut off by Ranboo. Of course Ranboo would be the one to cut Tommy of all people off. And nobody would think anything of it because why would they? It was Ranboo. Wilbur was sulking a bit, admittedly. He’d missed hanging out with the two boys and there was a deep ache in his chest. No trust. No easy conversations. No room on the bench for more than three people. “For in case you fall off,” Ranboo was explaining to Tommy while shoving a handful of gapples at him. “Oh my GOD I don’t want your pity gapples man,” Tommy growled while taking them anyway.

    “Thankyouthough-- anyway-- So I was thinking right, like the skyway is cool and all but all of these buildings are old y’know? Nothing around the prime path is new anymore, nobody comes here except me! So I was thinking-- Tubbo you have a pickaxe on you yeah?” Tubbo nodded, then slid his rather hefty backpack off one shoulder to open the top of. “I also have TNT,” He explained, holding up a stick, which earned a nervous and confused chuckle from Ranboo, a startled “whoah!” from Wilbur, and an “Oh my god why do you have TNT-- I mean that works too though I guess!” from Tommy. Tubbo looked extremely offended that anybody would question the sensibility of having TNT on hand. “Well, y’know, like, in case we need to do any demolition work, it’s a lot faster than having to mine things all by hand.” 

    Wilbur saw the TNT and tried desperately, for everyone else’s sake if not his own, to shove his associations with it deep, deep down in his brain where it wouldn’t hurt anyone. “Ah, Tubbo, that’s…” Wilbur started nervously, avoiding eye contact, but he didn’t miss the way Ranboo’s face lit up with recognition and understanding. “Maybe don’t get the TNT out too much around Wilbur,” Ranboo said in a hushed tone to Tubbo, who mumbled “Oh god! Oh, yeah, good point, yeah,” and put it away. It just had to be Ranboo that picked it up and said something, huh. That was nothing if not salt in a gaping wound. Wilbur was certain Tommy would’ve said something if the hybrid had waited just a few seconds more. 

    Right. No. He was supposed to be polite, he wanted to be on good terms with Tommy and Tubbo; he was grateful that Ranboo had stepped in. Disgusted with himself for reasons that made him miserable to think about sifting through, Wilbur swallowed pride that tasted like bile and nodded silently at Ranboo after catching his eye. Ranboo nodded back. Well, he didn’t much like it, but Wilbur supposed he could put aside his feelings at least for a day. Poorly-concealed hostility towards the hybrid was clearly not earning him any points in Tommy’s good book, and presumably not Tubbo’s as well; though it was genuinely hard to gauge Tubbo’s reaction considering how the years the man had spent as a spy had given him practice in having a good poker face.

    “I’m gonna give this whole place a shout,” Tommy muttered, typing something into his communicator that Wilbur knew would ping his own in just a second, “If anybody wants to stop me they’re gonna have to do it fast.” Looking at Tommy then-- in his favorite red-and-white shirt, on the prime path, by his stupid dirt hut, side by side with Tubbo and ready to cause mischief-- something unfurled from his un-undead heart that Wilbur wasn’t quite certain had been there anymore. That was his Tommy, alright. Wilbur tried out of habit to hide the fond smile that was threatening to creep across his face, but even then he couldn’t hide the way his resting scowl softened. “Tommy, Tubbo-- I missed this. I missed hanging out with you guys,” Wilbur confessed, and hey, it’s not like he was ignoring Ranboo if he’d never done any hanging out with him previously that he could miss. “I know, Tommy-- I know we hung out the other day, but that was-- that was different. This is nice.”

    “Yeah I missed this too!” Tubbo said genuinely, while Tommy tried to avoid emotions and rolled his eyes. “Honestly, it’s been ages since we’ve all hung out like this. How long has it been?” Tubbo wondered out loud. Tommy looked like he was thinking, and opened his mouth to speak. “Actually that reminds me--” He said, and Wilbur almost thought he was gonna say something nice to him for once. Almost. “Ranboo, I heard a word the other day, let me type it to you, can you tell me what it means?” Ranboo looked entirely puzzled, and not just because of the fact that he was suddenly being included in the conversation again. “Huh? Sure, okay.” He squinted at the no-doubt misspelled word Tommy had just messaged him. “What a syndicate is? Oh, I think it’s, like, a book club,” Ranboo said. Tommy spoke in a quick, pleasantly-lilted voice before going back to his usual gravelly shouting. “Thank you Ranboo that’s very helpful because Wilbur actually told me it was a government and I’m ah, far more inclined to believe you at the moment.” He turned aside. “Tubbo!” He barked out. 

    Wilbur stared directly at Ranboo (trying so hard not to make eye contact, he was respectful of boundaries), thinly veiled outrage on his face. And Ranboo, Ranboo smirked at him knowingly. Oh. So he knew knew. Wait. He knew?!? Technoblade had approved him for The Syndicate? Not to mention-- not to mention Wilbur’s feathers were all ruffled because despite him thinking of Tommy as an annoying brat most of the time, he couldn’t help but feel a little dejected at the fact that Tommy would rather listen to Ranboo’s explanation than his own. Had the charm of having an older brother really worn off that much for Tommy? Was he really stuck with Ranboo as his only younger brother? Sure, he’d always joked about getting rid of the little gremlin but-- Why like this?

    Wilbur was so busy bemoaning his own self-made prediacement that he didn’t notice the trio snickering and sneaking off until it was almost too late. He zoned back in and narrowed his eyes at the three of them, who all blinked innocently at him. “What were you three talking about just now?” Wilbur asked, curiosity in his voice intermingling with suspicion. “Oh, nothing,” Ranboo said through a grin. “Don’t worry about it Big Man,” Tubbo agreed. Tommy just looked at Wilbur smugly. Wilbur narrowed his eyes again with a huff. “Don’t you three give me that-- what are you all up to?” Tommy looked upwards, thinking and tapping his chin before looking back at Wilbur. “Frankly, uhhh-- none of your business!” He said in a hoity-toity tone. Wilbur released a long-suffering sigh. “Children, all of you,” He muttered. “Children!” At least he didn’t have to worry about memory fooling him in regards to their ages; the one thing about Ranboo Wilbur was grateful for was the explanation about the passage of time.

    For now at least though, Wilbur was content to just observe. He had been interested in figuring out how Ranboo fit into the group, to be fair; now was his opportunity. He watched as Tommy and Tubbo bickered and Ranboo offered compromises; he watched as Tommy and Ranboo quarrelled and Tubbo attempted to mediate. He watched as Tubbo and Ranboo bickered and Tommy egged them on. Somehow, instead of meaning they didn’t work together, this meant that they were in perfect sync about everything, and moved nearly flawlessly together as a unit without needing too much direction or getting in one another’s way. They were clearly not beyond getting sidetracked though, as right now they were meandering about with the hours ticking away, putting all their energy into “clearing up” abandoned and unused buildings and rubble with whatever tools they had on them at the moment.

    “Anyways, what is it exactly we’re doing here Tommy?” Wilbur asked, growing restless. “All you’ve been doing is running around placing TNT on abandoned buildings and tearing them down. I thought we were meant to be working on the skyway.” He’d genuinely been hoping to see the old thing, ugly as it was. To say nothing about all the TNT. “Oh of course you’re still thinking about the skyway,” Tommy mocked, eyes rolling, voice gravelly. “What d’you MEAN ‘of course you’re still thinking about the skyway’ you were the one who said that’s what we were working on!” Wilbur refuted, aghast. “Yes but I changed my mind!” Tommy huffed, and then for good measure, added “Duh!” 

    The two of them began aggressively and gleefully bickering, mocking, and name-calling; Wilbur calling Tommy an annoying child and Tommy in turn calling Wilbur a dirty old man-- until Tommy gave up with an exasperated growl and Wilbur gave up with a disgusted scoff, and wordlessly Tommy handed Wilbur a pickaxe to help terraform the area; and Wilbur, of course, silently started mining. The four of them got a decent amount of work done together, chatting idly and pleasantly, until all of the sudden a golden figure came sprinting down the stairs, out of breath. “Aw geez I came here as fast as I could I hope I’m not late-- you better not be taking down any of my builds!” The man said as he reached the group, taking a moment to catch his breath. “Oh hey Foolish what’s up!” Ranboo greeted.

    For a solid second, Wilbur was almost impressed, thinking Ranboo was just being utterly and blatantly rude to this strange man. But Tubbo then greeted him in kind and Wilbur realized that no, that was just his actual name. “Hey guys,” The man apparently called Foolish greeted. “Tommy-- Tommy, please tell me you didn’t take down any of my buildings,” He said, distraught. Tommy looked at him and shrugged. “We’ve just been taking down abandoned buildings along the Prime Path here, so unless one of them was yours--”

    Foolish cut Tommy off. “Ohthankgod. No, nope, none of those were mine. I am glad you took down that Christmas building actually it was kinda out of season,” he said, perpetual grin on his face, gesturing wildly as he spoke. Tommy looked at Foolish for a second, calculating, before a familiar-looking lightbulb went off in his head. “You’re going to help us take these buildings down,” Tommy asserted. “What?” Foolish asked, blinking.

    “You’re going to help us take these buildings down,” Tommy said again in the same tone, with his eyebrows raised in a “watch this” expression. Foolish stared at him for a moment and then shrugged. “Sure! I’m usually a builder, I don’t get to take down stuff a lot. I wouldn’t mind helping.” Tommy nodded curtly, sharing a glance with Tubbo and Ranboo, who were looking at him with fond exasperation. “Gets ‘em every time,” Tommy said to himself smugly, and Foolish looked at him. “Huh? What was that?” Foolish said, his grin giving away the fact that he did in fact hear what Tommy had said and was just going along with it all for fun. “I said get mining Totem Boy,” Tommy said, and Foolish giggled before unearthing his pickaxe to start to help. He glanced at Wilbur curiously for a moment before striking up a conversation.

    “You know, I don’t think we’ve ever officially met,” He said, pausing his pickaxe swing to extend a hand, “I’m Foolish Gamers! And I take it you’re Wilbur.” Wilbur nodded, and shook Foolish’s hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you!” Foolish continued, which definitely wasn’t a sentence that invoked any sort of dread in him, nope. “I’m afraid I can’t say the same about you,” Wilbur said apologetically. Although he was a bit of an odd one in whatever species he was, that didn’t necessarily mean anything. “I do a lot of big fancy buildings and stuff. Contract work, y’know. I actually built this huge mansion for Ranboo and-- Oh wait!” Foolish stared down Wilbur for a second, which was admittedly very unnerving with the way the man’s eyes were pure emeralds.

    “You’re Philza’s kid right?” Foolish asked, and Wilbur narrowed his eyes, now entirely unsure of where this conversation was going. “And Ranboo is too right?” Ranboo, hearing his name, hopped into the conversation and nodded. “Oooh wait, so that means you guys are both siblings then? Really? Oh wow,” Foolish said, curious. They both hummed in acknowledgement, though Wilbur’s admittedly was more of a grumble. “I’m the adopted one, by the way,” Ranboo said, which wasn’t funny. “I never could’ve guessed,” Foolish said, which actually also wasn’t funny. “Very funny. Humor. Good job,” Wilbur deadpanned at them both, who were both grinning far too proudly for their stupid jokes. “Thank you, thank you,” Ranboo said, despite certainly being aware that it wasn’t a compliment. 

    “No but like to be fair you don’t have wings and Ranboo’s only half enderman so like it could go either way, technically,” Foolish was saying, and Wilbur started muttering under his breath about stupid enderman and weird totem men comparing him to his dumb adoptive sibling as if he wasn’t clearly the one more like Phil, and Ranboo stage-whispered to Foolish “I think that might be a bit of a sore spot for him,” to which Foolish replied also in a stage-whisper “Ooh you’re right you’re right, I can kinda see that now, I’ll keep that in mind.” 

    Wilbur rolled his eyes at those two, Foolish starting to mine again and Ranboo disappearing to go be closer to Tubbo again. Somehow everyone he managed to find himself hanging around with fit the description of “annoying brat who thinks they’re clever and funny”, huh. Except Tubbo, of course, Tubbo was an angel compared to the rest of them even if he was just as prone to chaos-- which Tubbo proved at that exact moment he thought it, shouting “Look out below!” which was accompanied by a high-pitched, startled Tommy-scream. Wilbur just barely managed to dodge the TNT that had been dropped from the now-dilapidated roof before it exploded. He looked up to where it had dropped from, seeing Ranboo, Tubbo, and Tommy at the top, the former two grinning somewhat manically.  “Oops,” Ranboo and Tubbo both called down apologetically, while Tommy went off on a tirade just for the fun of it. These kids-- Wilbur looked up at the sun to gauge the time. Exactly how much longer was this going to go on for?

---

    “I will say, Ranboo,” Wilbur said with a small smirk as they were striding along home, “I do appreciate the level of chaos you seem to conjure when you’re around Tubbo. You described yourself as so neutral to me I guess I didn’t factor in that morality and politics have nothing to do with teenage shenanigans.” Ranboo looked to Wilbur, surprise written on his face, but he offered a small smile to the older man. “Mhm! Oh, yeah, absolutely. I usually try to be the responsible one since Tommy and Tubbo have no self-control--” The hybrid mumbled “Seriously they have no self-control” before continuing-- “But when someone else like Phil or you is around to do that instead?” Ranboo grinned mischievously. “Oh man,” he concluded.   

    “Well, don’t expect me to babysit all the time,” Wilbur said with a small scoff, “I do have my own things to be doing.” Ranboo shot Wilbur an offended look. “Babysit? I don’t--” Ranboo sighed and shook his head. “You don’t have to worry about that, Wilbur. We can get up to plenty on our own. Probably more, actually,” He added with a slightly mischievous tone. Wilbur sighed. “It’s not gonna be my fault if you three get yourselves killed,” he told Ranboo, fully meaning it. “Ehhhhh we’re not gonna get killed,” Ranboo said with a dismissive handwave. “I got Tubbo and Tommy full maxed-out enchantment netherite, and we all have totems. Plus we’re not that reckless. I think.” Wilbur groaned. These kids were going to be the second death of him. Even if they weren’t technically his responsibility. Luckily, he didn’t have to think about that too much as they trekked the rest of the way through the thick snow in silence.

    “So, did you two have fun on your day out today?” Phil asked as the two of them walked in the door. “It was horrible,” Wilbur deadpanned, “Terrible. They are all chaotic gremlin children.” Phil grinned at Wilbur. “Nahhh. Not Ranboo, surely. He’s responsible, right Ranboo?” Ranboo smiled innocently at Phil. “Mhm!” He said. “Even Ranboo,” Wilbur continued on in his deadpan as if Ranboo hadn’t spoken. “You wouldn’t believe some of the awful things he said to me today. It was genuinely horrific, actually.” Phil shot Wilbur a completely bemused expression. “That’s not true!” Ranboo protested. “Philllll Wilbur is slandering meeeee!” He said with pseudo-pout. Wilbur scoffed. “As if! It’s not ‘slander’ if it’s true! The lot of you just wouldn’t shut up about--” Phil cut him off with a barked-out cackle. “I’m glad you two had fun,” he said with a knowing smile. Wilbur grumbled and Ranboo thanked Phil, before heading back to his own house. 

    As much as Wilbur hated to admit it, he did have fun, though. It was… strangely nice, getting to see Tommy and Tubbo just happy and acting like kids-- or rather, teenage brats, again. And he found he didn’t dislike having Ranboo in the mix, either. The hybrid blended perfectly, no pun intended, with the two best friends, and they all had a level of respect and established banter that Wilbur was almost (but not quite) envious of. He did actually hate being the voice of reason, but it was a little bit worth it just to see Ranboo of all people, the neutral nervous wreck, let loose and cause chaos. He did himself like a little chaos, after all, so it was nice to know it wasn’t out of the question for his newfound sibling. Startled at his own thoughts, he quickly checked himself with a modicum of disgust. Wow. If he wasn’t careful, he might actually wind up feeling attached. Good thing he’d never let that happen. He glanced at Phil, who was smiling smugly at him as if he knew something Wilbur didn’t. Right. One more time for reassurance, then. He’d never let that happen.

[kazo0-boy]

Wow me actually getting a The Varying Abstracts of Black and White update out not a month after the last? Wack

Chapter 3 is from Technoblade’s POV because why not, and includes special guest Steve the polar bear!

TW: memory loss, rapidly declining mental health, minor character death (only mentioned), past cat death (mentioned very briefly), ect. There is also kinda a moral dilemma with Techno and whether he should tell Ranboo something or not

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

AO3 link. if you like please check it out there and drop a kudos or comment! It helps me a lot and motivates me to continue writing

It’s hours after a long, drudging meeting where barely anything got done and time seemed to stretch on forever that Ranboo finds him.

If he had to take a guess, Techno would pin the time he’s alerted to a knock on his door to be somewhere between four or five in the evening.

It’s small- hesitant. He almost doesn’t hear it at first, or mistakes it for the bouncing chatter in his skull. It’s the involuntary flick of his ears that alerts him to the noise moreso than the sound itself.

It takes him approximately eighteen seconds to reach the hardy wooden door from his starting place in the house, during which there was one slightly more confident knock to confirm his suspicions of an evening visitor.

When the door creaks open, he isn’t expecting Ranboo to be the person contrasting the white flecks of snow flurrying from the sky. Snowflakes stick heavily to his skin, contrasting heavily with the left side of his face. Techno raises a brow.

“Doesn’t that hurt?” He asks the enderman. It’s a genuine question laced with a thin coat of hastily painted sarcasm.

“It’s frozen. Not as bad as rain.” Ranboo answers, and Techno takes note of his unusually tense stature.

“What do you need?”

“Why do you just assume i’m here because I need something?”

“Because you’d never visit like this unless you needed something.” He shuffles out of the entryway, gesturing an unspoken welcome of ‘come in.’ The enderman hybrid ducks under the doorframe and follows suit, helping himself to a seat at a dark table much too small for his height. “Now. What’d you come to me for?”

“Well, uh,..” Techno watches as Ranboo leans back in the chair and fiddles with his tie. “This might sound kind of strange, but..” He pulls something out of his inventory and tosses it onto the table. A stack of uncooked beef. “I don’t know how to use a furnace.”

“You’re here because you.. Don’t know how to use a furnace?”

“Yes.”

“..You forgot how to use a furnace.”

“Yes. I know it sounds impossible and ‘oh Ranboo how could you forget how to use one of the most simple things that you use everyday?’ And I wish I knew! But I don’t. And it’s really embarrassing to have to ask for help with this but-”

“Ranboo.”

“What?” His gaze snaps up from the table and messy rambling, a hand tangled in his hair in stress.

“Come on. Somebody needs to teach you. And if Phil isn’t around to do it then I can take his place.”

--------------------------------------------------------

A thirty minute explanation later going over all the ins and outs of using a furnace and Techno and Ranboo are waiting for the steak in silence interrupted only by the occasional huffs and grunts of a sleeping polar bear.

It’s now how Techno would usually spend his evenings, but he can’t say it’s entirely unpleasant.

One thing he can’t help but notice, however, is how Ranboo’s gaze is fixated on the floor situated near the fireplace, and how he clearly appears to be lost in thought.

“What’re you thinking about over there?” He asks, cracking the soft barrier of silence.

Ranboo shrugs and turns to face Techno. “Can I ask something?”

He raises a brow. “Ask away.”

“So..”

With sorrow and concern pooling in his mismatched, deep-set eyes, Ranboo asks him,

“Where’s Edward?”

And Techno knows something is deeply, intrinsically wrong. And the worry bubbling and festering in clusters of fleeting, muted voices does what it’s always done best. 

It grows, it bursts. It shatters the breaking hope of a quiet evening and screeches- howls sentiments of fear for the enderman hybrid’s wellbeing. It echoes off every crevice of his mind and drowns his thoughts in oceans of endless cries of “help, wrong, forget!” And through it all Techno scurries to grasp onto the winding corner of each individual plea and pieces them together for anything close to a coherent thought.

As much as he tries to block it out- pretending nothing is wrong and that everything is fine, Ranboo isn’t okay. Techno knows this now. Ranboo doesn’t.

“He’s not here,” He says aloud, somehow keeping his voice steady. “Edward isn’t here.”

“Oh..” The younger responds, focusing his gaze downwards to roll a loose string dangling on his pants between his fingers. “He never told me he was going to leave. He said he was happy here.”

Techno narrowly avoids bashing his head into an overhead cabinet. The worry grows impossibly louder.

He shrugs. “Dunno. He was here one day and then he wasn’t.”

He can’t tell him.

The blackened crackle of dying embers that shadow the room signal to Techno that the furnace is done cooking.

“Steak’s done.”

Techno turns his back to Ranboo to pull the still warm steak out of the furnace, tossing it down onto the table the enderman is sat at. “There. Now if you need help with anything else you can just ask me or Phil. No judgement from us.”

Ranboo answers with a vast, white silence.

Techno isn’t sure what he’s expecting when he turns to face him, but what greets him isn’t it.

Ranboo’s eyes are glossed over- glassy with an emotion Techno can’t quite place and ink threatening to spill over and stain his skin blacker than night.

“I’m gonna miss him..” He mutters.

“We still have Steve.” Techno gestures over to the sleeping bear in the corner of the cabin.

Techno offers out a hand, pulling Ranboo to the surface. He smiles, genuinely and without a hint of doubt in his bright eyes. “Yeah, Steve’s pretty cool.”

He wipes his hand off onto a white cloth. “Don’t think Steve’s leaving us anytime soon.”

“He better not.” Ranboo leans in his chair to pat the sleeping bear’s head. Steve grunts at the contact and readjusts where his head lays on his paws.

The worry subsides, now instead chanting “Steve!” In unison. For once, he has to agree with them.

“Well, I should probably get going.” Ranboo says, turning his gaze to the steadily setting sun. “Thank you for the uh, help, by the way.”

“Like I said. Come to me or Phil if you ever need help with anything.” He repeats. “Oh- also.” He whirls around to face Ranboo, who is reaching to open the front door. “Meeting on Friday. Don’t forget.”

“Easier said than done.” Ranboo mocks, and Techno silently agrees.

A gush of thin, cold air drifts into the cabin through the now open door. “Again, thank you for having me.”

“You can stop saying thank you.”

“Yeah, okay.” He rolls his eyes. “By the way, if you see Jjjjjjjjeffery anywhere, can you tell me?”

And with that question Techno knows the worries clawed their way up in volume- he knows they’re fighting and clashing desperately to the front of his conscience, but he can’t hear them. Buried deep down in a black pit of soundlessness, none of their messy ramblings can reach his ears.

He doesn’t need to hear them. Not after that “Was that the cat with eight J’s in its name?”

“Yeah. I’ve been looking for him all day. Can’t find him anywhere.” The sad, glazed over and inky shadow returns to his face, casting it in shadow of the truth.

“Wonder where he is.” And Techno decides that he wouldn’t be the one to unveil the shadowy ink from the canvas.

“Yeah. I’m gonna go look for him before It gets dark. Have a good night, Techno. And thanks again.”

And before Techno can shout after him to stop thanking him, The door creaks shut, leaving Techno with just him, Steve, and the worries that plague his mind.

“You should’ve told him,” they echo, and Techno knows they’re right.

But what good would it do to remind Ranboo of the deaths he’d forgotten? To make him wonder how he’d swam so far in the depths of his mind that the memory of death had begun to escape him? Would he have to tell him over and over again and watch as he drowned further and further in grief?

Techno sighs, and turns away from the door. The scribbles that shroud his mind make their disagreement clear.

“It’s not worth it, chat.” He mutters into the black.

And he’s not sure if he’s trying to reassure chat, or himself when he mutters the same words again twenty minutes later.

He watches out the window as the sun borders on an inky black night, and as Ranboo calls out for a lost cat that’ll never come home.

“Did you do the right thing?” Chat asks, and Techno tells them in response that there might not have been a right thing to do at all.

He watches until the white sky is scribbled over in blotchy night, and Ranboo shuffles home through the thick layers of snow, defeated and distraught.

[ziploc849]

Family Drama

For context, this is based on this post I made a few days ago! I might make this into a series if people end up enjoying it, so let me know!!!

Also, this is based on one of my paracosms!! I made a whole post about what that is and how that works here if you're curious! Because this is in my paracosm there are characters in this from the Dream SMP, please be aware that these are CHARACTERS and are not portrayals of the actual Creators or even really their DreamSMP characters, this is essentially fanfic with my own OC's involved.

Contains: Captive Whump, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Underage Whump (Whumpee is 17), PLEASE let me know if there's anything else I need to add, I'm not very good at gauging this sort of thing.

~.~.~

Arianna's fine. She is absolutely, completely, entirely fine.

Sure, she's curled up in the corner of an all too familiar cell, praying that she's wrong, that she's misremembering, that there's some other villain who lives here. That it's not him, because it can't be him.

But she's fine!

Totally, completely fine.

At least she's not alone. Phil is sitting on the opposite side of the cell up against the wall, signature green and white hat over his eyes, probably half asleep. Wilbur and Techno are sitting next to each other against the back wall of the cell. They had been talking quietly, trying to figure out some kind of plan to escape, but after a few hours, they had decided to wait it out. Tommy's the closest to the front of the cell, sitting against the iron bars next to the door and staring at the ceiling.

It's hard to know how long it's been, they don't exactly have any clocks to keep the time, and there aren't any windows in the place. At first, the boys had been pacing and scheming, planning a way to get out as soon as the cell door opened, but after what felt like hours and no other people coming down the stairs at the other end of the basement, they all stopped scheming and pacing, and sat down, opting to play it by ear for the time being.

Ari, however, had not spent a single second anywhere except the corner. The others had tried to console her, assuming she was scared for the obvious reasons. After all, she had only joined the team a few months ago, as far as they were aware, this was her first time experiencing anything to this magnitude.

At some point, Tommy had pointed out the strange stain in the center of the cell. Ari had stayed quiet, hoping it was a total coincidence that she could remember the very same stain from months ago.

It had to be a coincidence, it had to be because otherwise, that meant-

A door opens and shuts, and footsteps start making their way down the stairs. Immediately, the others are on their feet, crowding towards the front of the cell, all on edge and ready for a fight.

Ari tries to hide in the stone walls, wishing the grey brick and cement would swallow her whole. Instead, she curls around her knees in tighter and buries her face into her arms.

Footsteps click against the cement, from the bottom of the stairs over to the cell, slow and calculated.

"Who the hell are you, bitch? What do you want with us?" Of course, Tommy is the first to talk, yelling at whoever is on the outside of the cell.

You know who it is. It was stupid to try and escape.

Shut up.

"He brings up a good point." That's Techno, his monotone voice more threatening than usual. "Who are you?"

There isn't a response for a moment, or maybe it's an hour.

"I'm sorry I kept you all waiting-"

Ari's heart drops to her stomach.

It's actually him. Oh shit oh fuck.

"-Life can get so busy, you know. It really was my intention to be here a few hours ago."

Arianna can't breathe. It's too much. She thought she escaped, she had escaped, for three months she was safe and happy and-

"Especially when you have such a precious person to me with you, it really is a crime I didn't come sooner."

No no no no no stop I can't, please be lying please just be another horrible dream I can't do this again no.

She doesn't need to see him to know his eyes are on her. She barely suppresses whimper and tries to press herself further into the walls.

"Really, Ari, running off like that? You had mom so worried!" He laughs, and shivers run down her spine.

"I mean, I had to convince her not to put up Missing posters! Especially when you didn't show up to my birthday, and honestly that just hurt."

She gasps as her head is pulled up by some invisible force. The word telekinesis rings in the back of her mind, but panic overtakes it just as quickly.

Her team is staring at her, wide-eyed and confused, but that doesn't matter because Dream is there with a hand raised and a dangerous glint in his eyes, and she can't move and she can't be here, she can't.

"I'm sure she'll be happy to know her youngest is safe in her older brother's hands, though." He smiles, and Ari can barely suppress a sob. That smile had been in her nightmares for three goddamn months.

Suddenly, the weight keeping her head up leaves, and Ari barely has time to feel relieved because suddenly her team is thrown up against the walls, and the door is opened, and Dream is there and the others are screaming and it's too much.

Dream places a hand on her cheek, far too gentle, and wipes away the tears-when had I started crying?- streaking down her face.

"You had us so, so very worried Arianna." He almost sounds genuine, but she knows, she knows it's just a front. His smile is too forced, the glint in his eyes too recognizable, the hand on her cheek too tense. "I'm just glad I found you again before you could hurt yourself."

"P-please, Dream, don't- don't do this, please." She doesn't care about how pitiful she must sound. She doesn't care that begging won't work, because it never does. She only cares about stopping this because she can't be here again.

Dream hisses through his teeth, grimacing slightly. "Now now, don't worry, I'm going to take good care of you and your friends here." He gestures to her team behind him, who have all gone silent, staring at the pair. If Ari was in a state to be able to tell, she'd say they were concerned, and probably a bit confused.

"But you know the rules."

Ari sobs, feet scuttling against the floor to try and get away from her brother, pleas and apologies falling from her mouth because she does, she does know the rules and she's hated them for years and she knows that it's going to hurt and she can't stop crying.

Dream shushes her, moving his hand up to her hair, carding through it, and Ari hates how every instinct in her body wants to melt into the touch.

"I know you don't like it, but you're young, Ari." False sympathy drips from his words, "You're too young to go out on your own, you need to stay here, where it's safe. The rules are in place to keep you safe." She barely manages to bite back her response of it's not safe here it's hell before the hand in her hair tightens into a fist, and suddenly she's being dragged out of the cell, kicking and screaming and begging, and she can hear her team yelling profanities, but they're still being held to the walls of the cell, and then the metal bar door closes like a death sentence.

Over the shouts, Arianna can still hear Dream's voice. She can always hear his fucking voice.

"Now, we've never had much of an audience before, I know, but personally-" He throws her roughly onto the cement floor, in the center of the room-

"I think it'll make it all the more fun."