Characters: c!Techno, c!Dream, c!Ranboo, c!Tommy, c!Phil, c!Wilbur
Word count: 2154 words
Content: phil and wilbur bonding, discussion of morality, the official calm before the storm
—–
Techno paces back and forth, fiddling with his fingers. He can’t resist shooting glances toward the wall. He can hear Phil and Wilbur yelling at each other through the wall, though Phil is clearly more angry than Wilbur is. Techno doesn’t blame Phil. It’s one thing to hear your son is not only alive and heading some evil plot to destroy the world, but to actually see him in person…
im so sorry for the vagueness of this, but please. any kind of ghostbur+sbi angst. please.
Characters: Ghostbur, c!Tommy, c!Techno, c!Phil
Word count: 1497 words
Content: canon divergence, techno’s execution, post exile, Tommy is sick, Techno is injured, gore, blood, whump, angst, hurt/comfort, mention of death, SBI, sleepybois inc,
-------------
He sees the anvil drop.
He sees Techno crumble, falling to his knees before springing back up. Ghostbur can only stare, as if hypnotized by the gory scene before him, because Techno is very much a skeleton, slowly being stitched back together by some unseen force. Logically, he knows it’s the totem of undying working its magic, but emotionally, Ghostbur knows he’s never going to purge this memory from his brain.
He holds Friend closer to himself as he watches Techno jump away and disappear in the following madness. If he had a heart, it’d be pounding rapidly. If he had lungs, he’d be wheezing and gasping in fear. The ability to cry is also nonexistent, leaving the ghost unable to do anything but stare at the empty cage. Ghostbur stares for a long time.
When he looks up at Phil, trying to find some explanation for what happened, he finds that Phil’s house is empty. Phil must’ve snuck out in the chaos, when Tubbo and the rest of the ‘butcher army’ hadn’t been watching.
Now he’s alone. There’s no one else around, no distant voices to help him come back to reality. Reality is watching a long time friend turn into a skeleton and magically stitch himself back together, before running for his life. Reality is his father being put under house arrest simply for protecting Techno.
Reality is Friend bumping into him, startling him out of his swirling thoughts. Ghostbur puts a smile on his face, taking the lead and tugging Friend inside Phil’s house. The sheep will be safe here for the moment, while Ghostbur thinks of someone to turn to. He needs comfort from someone who can actually speak to him.
Tommy comes to mind.
Part of Ghostbur wonders if he should even talk to Tommy, because he hadn’t seem Tommy since before his party. Would Tommy be angry with him for not showing up? Maybe it’s a risk worth taking, because it’s Tommy, and they love each other. A dim memory surfaces; he remembers Phil mentioning the other day that he’d been in contact with Tommy, and Tommy’s now safe from any sort of harm. Ghostbur wonders if that means Tommy’s at the cabin, so he heads in that direction.
It doesn’t take long for Ghostbur to reach the cabin. He hopes the others are already here and in one piece, but Ghostbur can’t get the image of the execution out of his head. If he had the ability to feel sick, he’d probably be vomiting in the snow.
Techno’s clearly home, because Ghostbur can see the trail of blood leading toward the cabin. Carl, his horse, is also just outside, unharmed.
Before Ghostbur can enter, he hears raised voices. He pauses at the door, leaning closer to hear more clearly, but nothing he’s hearing sounds great.
“Techno, hold still, you’re bleeding everywhere! You’ll also wake Tommy.”
“I’m sorry, I had to rip my arm out of an entire bar, right after being executed! I’m not exactly going to remember my manners for the stupid kid beneath us. He can always sleep later!”
“If you don’t shut up and hold still, I will splash you with a weakness pot and smack you over the head so I can heal you properly. Your bones need to set and you need stitches.”
Ghostbur’s heard enough. He barges in, trying to plaster a smile on his face, but it feels off when he sees the wound on Techno’s arm. It’s not just a deep gash, but a giant hole where muscle and skin should be. There are tears in the pig’s eyes, there’s an expression of anger in Phil’s eyes that render him almost inhuman. If Ghostbur were to actually let himself think about it, he’d admit he was terrified of them both right now.
“Ghostbur,” Phil says curtly. “Go downstairs and check on Tommy.”
“Your arm-”
“I’ll explain it to you later Ghostbur,” Techno grumbles. “Do what Phil says and don’t ask questions.”
“I was there! I saw what happened! Phil, I left Friend in your house.”
“Ghostbur, go downstairs and sit with Tommy. He needs someone more than Techno does.” Phil’s voice has an air of finality to it; Ghostbur doesn’t want to argue with him. Shoulders slumping in disappointment, he disappears down the ladder to check on Tommy.
Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen the boy since before his beach party. Would Tommy be mad at him for not showing up? Why is Tommy even here, isn’t he supposed to be on holiday? Everything is far too confusing anymore, but even those thoughts are pushed out of his mind when he sees the teen sitting in a bed.
Tommy is far too thin and sickly looking. His skin is too pale, almost colorless, with dirty, greasy hair falling into sunken eyes. Each breath he takes is a painful wheeze, his fingers tremble too much to grip the bowl of food he’s trying to eat.
Tommy’s gaze flicks up briefly when he sees Ghostbur, glancing back down a second later. “Hello.” Even the boy’s voice is rough.
First he watches Techno die, now he has to see his brother sick and malnourished? What kind of holiday had he been on?
“Tommy?” He moves closer, just as afraid of the teen as he was of Techno. Ghostbur already wants to forget today’s events and go back to being ignorant. He’s happier when he doesn’t have to think about anything.
“Surprise, we’re all alive.” Tommy’s tone is unbelievably dark, as if he doesn’t believe it himself. “One minute I’m contemplating everything that went wrong, and the next, Philza’s carrying me here like I suddenly matter. I go to sleep, and wake up to Techno missing half an arm. Dunno what happened there, neither of them will tell me.”
“I watched Techno die,” Ghostbur blurts. He probably shouldn’t have phrased it like that, but the words are out. “He had a totem though, so he survived. It’s a good thing, I think.”
“Ah.” Tommy sets the bowl of food aside, lying back down. Rather than looking colorless now, he’s turning a shade of green. “That’s information I didn’t need while trying to eat.”
“I’m sorry Tommy.”
“Are you okay?” Tommy asks. “Forget about me, I’m in great shape. You, on the other hand, look pretty shaken up.”
“Ah, yeah.” Ghostbur looks away. “Tommy, I forget a lot and I’m not the best, but what happened to Techno isn’t fading. I’m not sure how to process it.”
“You need a hug or something?” Tommy stretches one arm out toward Ghostbur. “Because you look like you could use one.”
“Are you sure you’re not using that as an excuse to get a hug for yourself?” Ghostbur can’t resist the tease. Nor can he resist the offer, letting himself move closer until he’s in Tommy’s arms.
“Fuck you, I don’t need a hug from anyone.” Tommy’s voice is muffled. “I’m independent and can do anything I want to on my own.”
“You keep telling yourself that,” Phil’s voice interrupts. “Even on your deathbed, you’re going to give us all a headache.”
Ghostbur’s eyes nearly bug out. “Deathbed?” His gaze whips back toward Tommy to make sure Tommy isn’t actually dying. “Does he need a tot-”
“Ghostbur, relax. Tommy isn’t dying, and I assume you’re here to talk about Techno. He’s not dying either. Everyone here will be fine.” Phil rolls his eyes. “All three of you are the most dramatic shits I have the misfortune of knowing.”
“Fuck you Phil,” Tommy groans. “I can still fight you.”
“If you can get up without fainting, I’d love to take you on,” Phil laughs.
“Ghostbur.” Phil sombers up to give the ghost his full attention. “I’m sorry you had to see that earlier. I know it’s not easy, and judging by your reaction, your brain isn’t letting you forget it so easily. Techno’s strong, Tommy’s strong. We’re all going to make it out of this in one piece, alright?”
Ghostbur looks down. “Three of you will. I’m afraid it’s a little late for me, dad.”
No one has a come back to that. Whatever fragile bonds still connect this broken family are still fraying. Ghostbur may be there, they may be able to see and hear and touch him, laugh with him even. At the end of the day though, it’s a harsh reminder that he is not Wilbur, that the Wilbur they’d all loved is still dead, and not even his ghost can replace him.
“Hey Ghostbur?” Tommy tugs on his sleeve. “Will you stay with me for awhile?”
“Yeah.” Ghostbur lies back down, wrapping his arms around the teen. Everything about the boy is too bony, nothing about his appearance is okay. He wonders if Tommy actually is dying.
Nothing more needs to be said though. Broken family or no, at least all four of them are together.
Characters: c!Dream, c!Tommy, c!Ranboo, c!Wilbur
Word count: 2136 words
Content: the end, seeing the dragon, discussion of good vs. evil, ranboo starts to remember a little more
———–
The next several days blur together. Ranboo and Tommy aren’t able to find any time alone anymore, because their days from wake up are filled with mining for resources and farming even more. They also include trips to the nether multiple times a day. Each night the two teens can barely finish their dinners before collapsing into a sound sleep in their bunks.
Characters: c!Dream, c!Ranboo
Word count: 1872 words
Content: mild manipulation, dark!fic, vomiting, pending apocalypse, manipulation, puppet!ranboo, puppetmaster!dream, mild bonding, mild mind control, mention of abuse
——
“Ranboo, come with me.”
Dream’s voice is curt, almost with an annoyed undertone to it. Ranboo doesn’t hesitate, not wanting to cause trouble. With a glance over in Tommy’s direction, Ranboo gets to his feet and follows Dream out the front door. He glances back toward their cabin, trying to familiarize himself with the surroundings.
They’re in what looks like a taiga, and the cabin they’re in blends in with the trees and even the cobblestone surrounding the area. It’s not a bad cabin inside, nor outside. There’s a sense of comfort here, but Ranboo is on edge all the same.
Characters: c!Puffy, c!Tommy
Word count: 802 words
Content: whump, extreme sadness, hurt!Tommyinnit, hurt/comfort, papa puffy, sadness, healing arc,
————————-
She catches him inside her office. He’s in the middle of dropping a book in her hopper, but he’s frozen in the act. Tommy’s staring with wide, fearful eyes at her. Puffy remains a few feet away, trying to keep her distance. She has the sensation that if she were to move closer, Tommy would run.
Still, the tension in the air is uncomfortable. Puffy wants to close the distance or make a move, but the thought of scaring Tommy off and losing him for another long while is keeping her rooted in place.
“Puffy,” Tommy finally whispers. He slowly straightens up, letting the book drop to the floor. He makes a small noise before scrambling to pick it back up. “Puffy, what are-”
“Are you okay?”
There’s another long pause. Tommy carefully sets the book into the hopper and steps back. There’s an expression on his face that Puffy can’t decipher, but she can tell it’s definitely not happiness.
“I don’t know.”
Tommy’s voice is a whisper still. Not just a simple whisper, but one filled with so much emotion. If he were to start crying, she wouldn’t be surprised. “I don’t know anymore.”
“Tommy…”
“Who am I?”
Puffy doesn’t know how to answer that. It’s clear Tommy hasn’t lost his memories or sense of self. She knows what he’s actually asking, but it’s not something that’s easy for her to answer.
“You’re Tommy. You’re our Tommy.”
“I don’t…” Tommy seems to laugh in disbelief as he curls in on himself. “I don’t want to be your Tommy anymore. I don’t want to be anyone’s Tommy.” His voice cracks as he rocks back, squeezing his eyes shut. “I don’t know anything anymore, Puffy.”
“Hey hey hey…” She takes a couple steps forward. “Tommy, it’s okay. I’m right here. You’re not alone.”
“Don’t.” Tommy swallows. “Don’t treat me like this. I’m…” He trails off again, shaking his head rapidly. He’s backing away from her, looking as if he wants to strike at her. She hopes that’s not the case.
“It’s okay.” She keeps her voice soothing. “Tommy, it’s okay, you’re okay.”
“No I’m not!” Tommy lets out a strangled noise that she’s starting to recognize as a sob. “I’m not okay Puffy! I haven’t been okay in a long time.” His face is scrunching up in agony, and Puffy feels her heart breaking.
He’s so young still, he shouldn’t have to be living through this kind of torment. With another small step forward, she reaches her hand out for him. “Tommy, listen to me. I’m here. I’m here for you, just for you. I need you to let me in though, okay?”
His voice is a shrill wheeze. Puffy can see how violently he’s trembling now, so she doesn’t give him time to react. Closing the distance, she gathers him up in a hug. She needs this from someone, and who better than Tommy?
Tommy breaks into sobs. He doesn’t try to fight her off, instead standing there limply and sobbing into her shoulder. He has to be against everything physical, considering what he’d just been through, but Puffy doesn’t want to let him go a second time.
She whispers to him, trying to offer soothing words of comfort. She tries to think of anything to say that will help, but settles on humming Brahms Lullaby in hopes that it’ll help.
It takes an uncomfortably long time. There’s the sense that Tommy hasn’t let himself break down in months or years, but he’s definitely crumbled now. Puffy is just glad she’s there this time.
“Tommy, I’m here, I won’t let you go,” she finally whispers after what feels like forever. She’d hum forever if that’s what it took, but Tommy’s already starting to shift in her arms. Loosening her grip, she ignores the tear stains on her jacket. “Tommy, I promise, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I hurt Puffy,” he whimpers. He now seems so much younger than he was minutes ago. So much younger and more vulnerable. “I’m so tired, I’m tired.”
“I know Toms.” She coos as she pulls him close again, now gently rubbing his back. “I know it hurts. I have you right now, okay?”
Tommy doesn’t respond. He’s still crying, still sounding so broken. That’s okay with Puffy, she doesn’t need a response from him. She doesn’t need him to stop crying, either. If he can get it all out, then it’ll be easier for him to heal.
The fact he’s returning her embrace says everything.
Puffy knows that if anyone dares look at him the wrong way from now on, she’s going to unleash a new level of hell. He may not be her Tommy, but he’ll be under her protection, from now until she dies, and she doesn’t plan on dying anytime soon.
Characters: c!Puffy, c!Tommy, Michael
Word count: 945 words
Content: Fluff, humor, Tommy as an uncle, adventures in babysitting, canon divergent, canon-au, no angst, Tommy meets Michael
———
Tommy stares at the tiny figure running around in the nursery, still trying to get past the entire explanation of Tubbo having a child. It’s not the fact that Tubbo and Ranboo are married. It’s not even the fact that they adopted a child.
Characters: Awesamdude, Captain Puffy, Wilbur Soot
Word Count: 843
Content: Poltergeist, explosives, grief, rage, death mention, major character death
————————–
The footsteps are the only thing heard on the prime path. There are no voices, not even hushed whispers from the people watching. The ghostly figure isn’t even walking, he’s stomping, carrying copius amounts of tnt with him. His face is set, almost chiseled from stone with how stoic he appears. No one is daring to get any closer, knowing that he’s going to react with raw rage they’re not used to.
Anyone on the path slides out of the way to let him pass. The thought of stopping him does cross their minds, but they already know what Wilbur is capable of. He was capable of destruction in life, and now in death, he has a fresh reason to be angry and hurt.
Puffy tries to get in his way, but the glare he offers her is inhuman. Her resolve wilts, and she too, slides out of the way. It doesn’t stop her from following him all the way to the prison, where he starts placing tnt everywhere.
Sam’s the only one who speaks up.
“This won’t bring Tommy back.” Sam’s voice is soft, gentle, filled with pain of his own. He’s standing at the entrance to the prison, holding a sword out. Everyone knows that Sam alone isn’t going to stop Wilbur from whatever he wants to do. Especially considering he’s laying out tnt, building up along the wall of the entrance and making his way out into the water. Wilbur clearly intends to cover the entire build with explosives.
“Sam, I’m not holding you responsible, but I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure this piece of shit build dies with him.” Wilbur’s voice is a contrast to Sam’s: coarse, rough, filled with barely-contained rage and anguish. Puffy wants to weep when she hears it. If the living are mourning, what must the dead be thinking? Wilbur had been close to Tommy in life, he has to be feeling some unfiltered emotions now.
“It won’t bring Tommy back,” Sam repeats. “This is also obsidian. Tnt isn’t going to work.”
“Then I’ll mine,” Wilbur counters with a snarl. “I will steal everyone’s pick axe and mine and pick this place apart until there’s nothing left.”
“What about Dream? We can’t let him loose.”
Wilbur stops what he’s doing, carefully setting the explosives down. He moves back toward Sam and stares up at him. Wilbur isn’t posturing, he isn’t trying to make himself look bigger. Sam is shrinking back all the same, wilting under the force of the glare coming from the ghost. He even lowers his sword, clinging to it with a loosened grip.
“You only need the book,” Wilbur reminds him. He’s raising his voice so Puffy can hear him as well. “You only need the fucking book, you don’t need Dream. You can kill him. What I don’t understand is why you’re so willing to protect the one person who’s caused the most damage.”
“We’re not protecting him,” Puffy speaks up. “We’re keeping him locked away to prevent that. Wil, you have to understand-”
“-I understand my brother died in this box.” Wilbur waves an arm toward the man build. “I understand my brother pleaded for a week to be let out. I understand my brother was pleading for his life up until the very end. Keep your protocols and rules, keep your morals and sense of right from wrong, but I don’t have that. I have rage, I have pain, and I have a dead brother who should be out here! He should be in his hotel!”
“Wilbur, I’m so, so sorry,” Sam whispers. “I should have done more for him. I should…”
“Your should haves and what-ifs don’t matter anymore, do they?” Wilbur snarls. His tone is twisted and ugly, more animal than human. His eyes are piercing, almost completely black with how angry he is. Sam and Puffy don’t blame him. “I’m going to accept what is, and do what I can to destroy this. It’s not a prison, Sam. It’s a tomb, and Tommy doesn’t deserve to be buried in it.”
He pulls back and moves back toward his stack of explosives. He swims through the water and places more blocks against the walls of the build, even taking the time to light a few as he places more.
Sam can see chips in the obsidian. He’s never seen cracks or chips in the material before, but he can see them now; the cracking and splintering seems to be a manifestation of Wilbur’s grief.
Off in the distance, he can see the rest of the SMP watching. Some look horrified, others look neutral. Sam turns away from them, watching as Wilbur works.
He could help. He could try to stop Wilbur, but how does one stop a ghost? At this point, is Wilbur even a ghost anymore, or has he become a poltergeist? It probably doesn’t even matter anymore, because he’s succeeding in his goal.
Sam can’t bring himself to move forward. He joins the rest of the crowd, and just watches.
Characters: Captain Puffy, Tommyinnit
Word count: 1510 words
Content: death, ghost!Tommy, mentions of abuse, closure, peace
—
As she wanders the ruins of L’Manburg, Puffy stops at every landmark. Even now, there’s wood smoldering, as if unwilling to put out the flames of destruction Dream had caused. She knows now it was Dream, she can understand more what he’d done behind the scenes when no one else was paying attention.
She’s not sure why she’s here or what she’s looking for. There’s nothing here but a few broken chests with cracked and splintered remains of what Tommy used to own. Puffy could try to salvage anything that’s left, but that would also go against the whole purpose of turning this place into a monument.
Characters: Philza and Technoblade
Content: major character death, grieving process
Word count: 616 words
——————–
Techno wanted to spend the day working on the syndicate. He had been ready to go recruit more people who might’ve been worthy. He’d been so ready to reach out to Ranboo and ask him to join but…
The whisper from Sam brings about many emotions he’d tried to suppress. Emotions Techno doesn’t want to feel. Memories he doesn’t want dragged back to the surface.
Tommy’s dead.
He sets his communicator down on the table as he stares at Phil, fingers trembling with shock and disgust. Honestly, he wants to feel nonchalant about the whole thing. He and Tommy had their arc, they had their time to bond. They’ve both made their peace and moved on. But this news?
This isn’t real.
“Techno, I’m…” Phil starts to say. Techno can see the tears welling up in Phil’s eyes. The regret, the pain, it’s too much.
“Phil, don’t,” Techno mutters. “Don’t you start.” If Phil starts, then he’ll start, and Techno is trying his best to shove everything back down deep, to go back to the stoic and casual persona. He wants to keep pretending that things don’t hurt him.
“Techno, please talk to me. You have to say something. You have to feel something!” Phil’s pleas are driving him crazy. Techno wants to throw Phil out and tell him to come back when he gets himself under control. Techno has a busy life, he can’t afford this. He can’t afford to care about some random teenager that…
That he had once been willing to give everything for…
“Techno, damn it, stop this! You can’t do this! Talk to me. Talk to someone!”
“Yes I can do this, Phil, watch me.” Techno keeps his voice steady, picking his comm back up and re-reading the message. His fingers are still trembling.
Sam whispers to you: Dream killed Tommy, I thought you’d want to know. Sorry about this, let me know if I can do anything for you.
His vision briefly blurs, so Techno blinks back the tears. No, he’s not going to grieve. “Phil, we have work to do. Where’s Ranboo? I wanted to recruit him today.”
“Techno, it was Tommy.”
“I know!” Techno snaps. He whirls around, nearly breaking his communicator in his fist. “I know it was fucking Tommy! You don’t think I realize that?”
“I feel like I lost another son.” There are tears on Phil’s cheeks now. The man really is upset. “I should have…we should have done more-”
“We did everything he could!” Techno continues to rant. “We gave him our home, our protection, our friendship and he… he just… he’s the one who threw it all away, Phil. He’s the one who walked away like he didn’t need us anymore. This is all his fault. He shouldn’t have visited Dream, he shouldn’t have… this…”
He can’t find the words anymore. The more he speaks, the more the words lodge in his throat, making it hard to breathe. His vision blurs again, and this time he doesn’t fight it. “I should have dragged his ass back here against his will, maybe he’d still be alive!”
Phil moves forward, wrapping his arms around Techno. Techno stiffens, trying to push Phil off him, but it’s comfort he doesn’t remember feeling in a long time. It’s comfort that, he recognizes, Phil probably needs just as much.
Wrapping his own arms around Phil, Techno holds him tight as they sink to the floor. They sit in silence for a long, long time, unable to process, unable to comprehend.
Techno knows that later he’ll probably be furious and ready to lay waste to the greater SMP, but right now, he can feel everything, and he’ll live with that.
While everyone is grieving, remember it’s Dream’s fault. Dream. He’s the one who made the choice to beat tommy to death, he’s the one who landed the killing blow.
This isn’t Sam’s fault, he clearly feels enough guilt, and he was literally doing his job. He couldn’t have known that Dream and Tommy would end up arguing.
This isn’t Ranboo’s fault. Remember that Ranboo’s actions for Dream are entirely outside of his control, and again it all circles back to Dream.
This isn’t Jack’s fault, or Quackity’s fault. This isn’t even Tommy’s fault. Tommy was trying to stand up for himself and shut Dream down when he tried to manipulate Tommy.
This is Dream’s fault. If you’re going to blame someone, blame the actual abuser, and not the people on the sidelines.
I’m going to reiterate that this is not Sam’s fault.
Did he mess up as Warden, going against his own clause? Yes. Should he have removed Tommy when the week was up? Yes.
However.
However.
Sam had zero part in what happened. Dream had previously said multiple times that he would not kill Tommy, that Tommy was, in his words, ‘too much fun’. Sam had zero reason to believe that a brutal fight would break out between Tommy and Dream, Sam had no reason to think it would end in death.
He was one of the few adults that actually cared outwardly about Tommy, he was one of the few adults that was actively trying to protect him from danger. The situation was bad enough that he hired two more prison guards in order to spread out the task of finding out what caused the security breach. I like to think he was trying to hurry the process so they could get Tommy out of there.
No one could have predicted that Dream would snap. No one could have predicted that Dream would use his power over Tommy again in a very horrific fashion. Sam had no reason to believe that Dream would abuse Tommy like that, especially when Dream had previously said he wouldn’t.
Sam fucked up, but Tommy’s death was absolutely not his fault. It was all entirely Dream’s. Sam had zero involvement in what happened. Be mad at him for messing up with the prison, but it’s ridiculous to blame him for Tommy’s death, when he was probably trying to get there to break up the fight and save Tommy. It was in his voice when he broke the news to Tubbo. He is no doubt carrying a lot of weight on his shoulders and blaming himself for what happened. There’s a lot of “what ifs” and “should haves” going around, but at the end of the day-
One person killed Tommy.
One person had taken advantage of Tommy’s fear and anger and used it against him. It took one person.
Chapter two (Part one on AO3)
word count: 3566 words
Characters: Tommyinnit, Wilbur Soot, Niki Nihachu, JSchlatt
Content: mention of depression
—————————————————————————–
It feels like an ordinary, stupid day. Tommy’s phone alarm goes off, and he wants to hit snooze so he can go back to sleep. When he reaches out to hit the button, he sees what time it is.
Fic referenced
Word count: 1217 words
Characters: Technoblade, Awesamdude, Wilbur Soot, Tommy (mentioned), Dream (mentioned)
Content warnings: hearing voices, blood lust, aggression, unhinged!Wilbur, mildly unhinged!Techno. Sam is not the bad guy, Techno and Wilbur are not thinking straight.
———————————————————————————-
The blood is roaring in his ears. The voices, even louder. Techno can’t hear anything, he can barely see anything. His jaw is set and teeth are bared as he stares at Sam, who is pinned between Techno and the wall of the prison. Techno is sure if he pushed harder, he could send Sam crumbling straight through the wall. It’s a tempting thought.
Previous
Word count: 1164 words
Tags: friendship, heart-to-heart, trauma response, mentions of abuse, mention of manipulation, manipulation of minors, tentative trust
———————————————————————-
Pacing nervously in front of Tommy’s house is nerve wracking enough, where Ranboo feels like the eyes of the entire SMP are on him. It’s even more unnerving when Tommy is standing out front, staring at him through narrowed eyes.
The last time Ranboo had made an attempt at talking, he’d gotten scared and fled. This time, Ranboo actually wants to talk, but he feels like a complete idiot about it. He doesn’t like the way Tommy is staring at him, again, through narrowed eyes and a knowing expression on his face.
At least Tommy is smart enough to not say anything first.
Ranboo feels like he could make a game out of this. He could see how long it takes for one of them to break, he could turn this into a staring contest, he could do any number of things to drag this out, but he knows Tommy’s patience is short, and temper, even shorter. While Ranboo could drag this out, he doesn’t want to get on Tommy’s bad side. He knows the grudges Tommy is known to hold, and he’d rather avoid that if possible.
I dunno if your taking prompts/ideas, but I keep seeing things in Techno's streams and keep connecting them to Tommy (like little reminders of Tommy) so maybe Techno reacting to these sort of things? (Cobblestone towers, the hole to tommy's basement [if it's still there idk], little things like that)
Part one || Part two
word counter: 1537 words
triggers: suicide mention, abuse mention, violence, hearing voices, anxiety, panic attack
Techno hates being here. For some reason, his own home feels wrong, like something is amiss. Nothing feels safe right now; he barely feels safe in his own skin.
He rubs his arms as he wanders about, trying to fight back a panic attack. He’s Techno, he doesn’t panic. He doesn’t lose his cool, he doesn’t... he doesn’t need to feel like this. Yet, everything feels wrong, nothing feels comforting.
Maybe it’s the remnants of that stupid cobblestone tower that still exists by his house. Phil had missed a few chunks in his haste to mine it away, but there’s enough of a reminder that sends Techno into flashbacks. He remembers joking around with Tommy while he built it, Techno remembers playing around with the scaffolding to scare Tommy.
At the time, it had been fun. The tower only became harmful after Tommy left.
Techno heads inside the house, wanting to erase that particular memory. He can’t afford to think about Tommy right now. He still wants to recover from the earlier visit, not wanting to focus on how much Dream had terrified him.
The humming from the villagers down below startles him. Techno’s hearing is far too keen, and he’s letting out a panicked yell in response. When he settles, he hears nothing but the blood rushing in his ears, accompanied by the faint, distant sound of the voices. They’re still screaming Tommy, and he doesn’t know why. For a second, he wonders if Tommy is hiding in his house again, so he heads down the ladder to check.
The first basement is skipped over. Techno goes even deeper, landing in what should have been Tommy’s hole. It’s no longer the raccoon basement. Techno stands there for a second, caught in yet another memory. He vividly recalls Tommy sassing him, throwing potions and giggling. At the time, Techno would have given anything to throw Tommy out into the snow, but now, he misses having Tommy around.
He hates missing Tommy. Techno hates remembering all the silly little moments that had won him over in spite of himself. He hates remembering how he tried his hardest to help, even if his intentions hadn’t been the best. He remembers hiding Tommy in a box, with Tommy eating gapples the whole time, peeking out to glance closer at Dream.
A new wave of panic washes over Techno. Dream. He’d fucked up bad enough to the point he’d isolated the teenager who was clearly crying for help, turning him away in favor of the entity who’d abused him. All because of one stupid debt Techno felt he owed.
Oh gods, he really did fuck up.
The voices are screaming louder. Some yelling Tommy’s name, some yelling at his stupidity, and some yelling incoherent nonsense that he can’t decipher. Amid the cacophony, there is something hushed, whispered, barely carrying through above the din.
Intruder.
The blood drains out of his face. The word is not repeated. All Techno hears now is the sound of screaming, blood rushing through his ears and drowning out the sound of the villagers. He crawls back up the ladder, trying to slow his rapidly beating heart. It’s too soon for another fight, it’s too soon for him to get into another scuffle. If it’s Dream-
No, it shouldn’t be. He would have heard over the comms by now if Dream had escaped. It’s not Dream, it’s someone else who isn’t supposed to be here.
On the first floor, Techno grabs the axe Ranboo made for him. It just makes him think about how Tommy still has the axe of peace, and for a brief second, the thought fills him with comfort. Tommy has his axe, Tommy’s keeping it safe. Techno doesn’t even want it back at this point, it’s enough to know that it’s in good hands.
The thought is gone once again when Techno moves outside, seeing a dark figure in the distance move closer. It’s someone who’d come through the portal, but Techno recognizes the silhouette almost immediately.
The panic gives way to anger when he lunges for Quackity, rushing through the snow and closing the distance between them. He knows Quackity is doing the same thing, running headfirst for him, with a sword in his hands. Quackity looks just as pissed as Techno feels.
“If it’s death you want, then you should have told me at my own execution,” Techno snarls. He swings his axe hard, but Quackity parries him with a strength that Techno doesn’t remember him having. He’s almost impressed. But he swings again, hoping to actually chop off a limb this time.
Quackity dodges out of the way, letting out a furious snarl. “I’m surprised you haven’t dropped dead yet,” he snaps. “I wanna know why you visited Dream.”
“What?” Techno pauses momentarily. He’s surprised people had seen him near the prison. Had word gotten out already?
“You’re such a piece of shit Techno, it’s bad enough that you helped Dream blow up L’Manburg, now you’re still in contact with him? What are you planning? What are you up to? I swear to god, if it involves any of my friends-”
Quackity interrupts himself to swings at Techno again, aiming for his midsection. Techno’s eyes widen as he blocks the blow, pushing back against the sword with renewed panic. He knows exactly who Quackity means by ‘friends’.
“I went to ask him why, idiot!”
“Why, what? Don’t play innocent here,” Quackity snaps. “You’re just as guilty as he is.”
“Why he tried to kill Tommy and Tubbo! Jesus Quackity, do you really think everyone who doesn’t automatically side with you is a card-carrying villain?” There’s no actual point in fighting, not if they’re just going to keep going around in circles. He pulls back and wipes snow off his axe with his pants. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
“It is my business. Tommy used your stupid axe to hold me at knife point because I told him I hated you. So naturally I had to come see why he’s so suicidally attached to you. I still don’t get it.”
“That’s because everyone else is too stupid to figure out what Tommy was fighting for.” Techno turns to leave. He knows he sounds hypocritical, but right now he’s not in the mood for anyone’s bullshit, especially Quackity’s.
“You’re a hypocrite then. Because you knew Tommy was fighting for L’Manburg, and you turned against him anyway. If I remember correctly, you helped blow it up.”
“If you want accuracy, Dream blew it up. I stood by and watched, just like literally everyone else did. I remember Tommy and Tubbo trying to talk me down, and I heard Tommy was the only one who did anything when you all confronted Dream. So we’re all hypocrites here, letting a teenager do all the work for us. Congratulations Quackity, you’re a villain too.”
“That’s not true,” Quackity protests. “I’ve always put my friends first. I always tried to do what’s right.”
“Did you? I can’t remember details, exactly. But when Tommy was at his lowest, he ran to someone for help. Who was it he turned to...? I really don’t think it was L’Manburg.”
Techno glances at the still-standing mailbox. He has no room to talk here. It’s not like he treated Tommy the best during their brief time together, but he likes to think he tried.
“Oh, so now you’re some glorified savior because Tommy ran to the nearest location for help? Remember how Tommy was exiled from L’Manburg? It’s not like he could run home.” Quackity sheathes his sword and glares. “Don’t pretend you know what’s best for anyone, because you’re still a tyrant.”
“Think of me as whatever you want,” Techno mutters. “Dream’s the one in prison, not me. You don’t have any power anymore, so any delusions of grandeur you might have about arresting and executing me are just that: delusions. Now if you don’t mind, get the fuck off my property before I decide to add your teeth to my collection, officially.”
“What is Tommy to you? Why is the kid so attached to you, and why are you so attached to him? What’s going on between you two?”
Techno pauses. He doesn’t know what is going on between he and Tommy. He doesn’t know if he considers Tommy his brother; they certainly don’t act like it. Some sort of bizarre family? Definitely not his best friend, that would be Phil.
It’s something strange, something deeper. Whatever it is, Techno doesn’t want to let it go.
“He’s my Theseus,” he finally mutters. “He’s always been my Theseus, and I’m going to protect him.”
“What did Dream tell you?”
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that Tommy’s safe, alright? Will you please leave?”
Quackity doesn’t respond. Techno can hear him trudging off through the snow, hopefully going back through the portal. Maybe he’s taking the long way home, but it doesn’t matter. The blood lust is no longer driving him to madness, the voices are finally quelled for now. He’s left feeling tired and exhausted, ready to rest, finally.
This time when he enters his house, the memories don’t hurt as much. Theseus once lived here, and that’s okay.
You do amazing with all your fics, I love your writing style! But sitting your awesomeness aside, I have another prompt (if you want! You're welcome to ignore this if you don't want to write! :D) How about Tommy defending Techno??
Part one (sort of.)
Starring: Tommyinnit and Quackity
Warnings: drug mention, cartel mention, threats of violence
829 words
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“Did you see Techno earlier?” Quackity’s leaning against the fence that blocks off the hotel construction site. Technically, the hotel is open, but the actual grand opening hasn’t happened, and Tommy doesn’t want to tear down the barrier until that moment. Sam has also been busy, doing Sam things.
“No,” Tommy says idly, as he drops a netherite scrap into a nearby chest. He doesn’t owe Sam anything more, but Tommy just wants to make sure Sam knows how appreciative Tommy is. “Techno was here earlier?”
“Yeah,” Quackity says. He pulls out a piece of kelp and rolls it up, before flapping it in Tommy’s direction. “He went to the prison. Clearly, he’s up to something. He even came out looking all petrified. I bet Dream told him something big. Nothing else seems to shake Techno up. Hell, when I went to execute him, he even took all four of us down.”
“What?” Tommy whips his head sharply to glare at Quackity. He hadn’t really thought about Techno being executed, it had only been mentioned in passing and never brought up again. Tommy’s realizing more and more how disconnected from everyone he really is if he’s hearing about this from Quackity’s point of view. It also somehow feels more malicious than it needs to be. Surely Quackily knows what the relationship between Tommy and Techno is, right?
“Oh, yeah. We know Dream and Techno are friends and shit,” Quackity continues. He rolls the kelp up again and lights up the end with a flint and steel. A putrid smell rises in the air, causing Tommy to recoil. Before his exile, he would have laughed this off, but right now, he feels like he’s being subtly mocked. The smell of burning kelp is making him queasy, too.
“Quackity, I don’t really want to talk about this,” Tommy says. He hopes his discomfort is enough to get Quackity to tone it down, but Quackity isn’t even looking at him.
“Anyway, Techo hasn’t really been the same after his execution. He’s in league with Dream still, and whatever they’re plotting, it’s gonna be big if even Techno’s shaken up. But we all know he’s just Dream’s puppet.”
Tommy doesn’t think about what he’s doing. He doesn’t think about the axe that appears in his fist, he doesn’t think about the way it swings and stops right against Quackity’s neck. He doesn’t think about the shocked expression on Quackity’s face, or the way the kelp is dropped to the ground, smoking against the wood path.
He stomps it out.
“Quackity, I’m going to say this once and only once,” Tommy says, with a tone far too cold and deep for his normal self. “I still care about Techno. I still love him, I still see him as a brother. It doesn’t matter what he’s done or what he will do, I’m always going to love him.”
“Tommy!”
“Don’t talk about him like he’s a heartless monster. When you all left me alone in exile, Techno took me in and gave me his home, his things. It didn’t work for long, but he still did more for me than everyone else combined. You can sit here and act all high and mighty, but I’m a fucking child, I still need people, and I still need him.”
“Tommy, that’s not-” Quackity tries to protest. He has the sense to back away. “Tommy, c’mon man, I’m your friend too! You and I are friends. Remember the cartel? Remember when you called me your brother?” He forces a smile on his face. “We do care about you. Don’t push us away.”
Tommy lowers the Axe of Peace. His hands are trembling as he tries to swallow down the sheer rage. It’s pointless to pick a fight against someone he does care about. He does love Quackity, but right now...
“Don’t mock Techno. If he did visit Dream in prison, it certainly wasn’t to plot anything, otherwise Dream would be out by now.” He turns to put the axe away. “Don’t act like you know Techno, because I promise none of you know him like I do.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize he meant so much to you.” Quackity opens the gate and moves closer to Tommy. “I didn’t realize, I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry, Tommy. I’m really sorry.”
Tommy takes in a shaky breath. Quackity’s not the bad guy here. Quackity’s one of his closest friends, and Tommy needs to remind himself of that. “Sorry I threatened you,” he mutters. “I just...”
“It’s okay, Tommy.” Quackity takes his hands and pulls him away from the hotel. “Come on, why don’t we take you somewhere to relax? You need a break, man. Let’s get your mind off everything.”
“Okay.” Tommy leans against Quackity for support. “Can I see Techno later?”
“I think he already went back home,” Quackity murmurs. “Take a break first, and then I’ll even see about going with you.”
