sam is such a tragic character and not enough people give him the recognition that he needs. he is such an amazingly complex character and all of his actions are so perfectly self-sabotaging that every action he takes makes you feel like youre defending your boyfriends that all of your friends hate. he cannot exist in a vacuum and hes so filled with insecurity and self-hatred that he forces himself to fall into the nonchalant warden who ruthlessly does whatever it takes to bring a vague sense of justice to his prisoners.
the prison is a prison to everyone who enters is, especially to sam who is the man who built it. its the physical representation of his failed relationships meeting he need to be needed. he cant exist in a world where he isnt known, so he forces others to be aware of him by taking any work given and exercising his power over the people in his care.
hes such a bad person, but hes also so desperate and longs so hard for the things that hes lost, i just want him to heal. but now that hes under my care i am most definitely going to ruin him even more just for my own sick pleasure.
okay i know that it feels more trivial now that it has been broken, but sometimes i’m shunned by the sheer impressiveness of pandora’s vault. dream and sam went INSANE making it. if techno didn’t have plot armor the odds would have been so much lower to break out of it. the entire internet put all their minds together and had no idea how to break out of it. it’s genuinely genius and it flabbergasts me. anyways, appreciation for the tricks and honestly beauty of pandora’s vault <3
finally. this is part one. there will be part two of literally the next day eventually. i have to say that this was all planned before Dream killed tommy so im going based on that. ok? ok.
@pawesome28-x have fun with this
word count:1675
The day had finally come. Dream smiled as he stepped out of Pandora’s Vault, his eyes looking at the sky, the moon shone overhead. He was free. He got out of prison alive, the only real issue is the damage to his mask. A large crack crept to partway down the center of if, luckily it can be repaired. A grin crept across his face as he took a step further, but was immediately pulled back by the shackles around his wrists. Sam was keeping his gaze on Dream while he talked to Tubbo “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Tubbo looked over to the chained man, those small dots of eyes in the mask that covered his face almost staring into him, Tubbo shook off whatever fear had overtaken him and nodded “yeah. I'm sure”
Sam sighed, there had been days of planning and discussion before this night. The warden still wasn't sure if this was a good idea at all, Dream could have been controlling what information tubbo had been gaining about Dreamons, maybe it was a mistake for letting him talk to the prisoner at all “He is to be watched over at all times, i will be coming by randomly to make sure nothing is happening, if i find that he is alone, much less with Ranboo, in a space he could easily escape, he will be coming back to the prison, and he won't be coming back out”
Tubbo nodded, hesitantly taking the chain attached to Dream’s restraints and the key to unlock them for if that time comes “Trust me, I know, i have plans and preparations to keep him from getting away”
“And i have seen them, i am just reminding you” Sam said, then paused, his expression softening for a moment “I’ve been talking to Sam Nook, Tommy is doing better emotionally after everything, but i think it would be for the best he doesn't know about this… situation”
“I know, and i have plans for that as well” Tubbo said
“Can we get on with this?” Dream asked “I just really want to see Ranboo, I’ve missed him so much”
“Stay alert, no matter what,” Sam said, Tubbo just nodded in response. At that, Tubbo walked away, to the direction of Snowchester, bringing the green man along with him.
The silence on the journey was strained, and it would have most likely stayed as so, if Dream had not piped up with “I realize this might be too much to ask, but is there any way that i could get something to mend my mask when we get to your base?”
Tubbo thought a bit, would he have anything? Should he even help him? He nodded as he asked a question he never realized he always had, “why do you always wear that mask?”
Dream wasn't sure whether to give an honest answer as they walked along the bridge to Snowchester. If he answered truthfully, he could be able to help Tan… no.. he's Ranboo now. Little Tantabus is gone. Now it's Ranboo. He isn't sure if he should tell the truth about the mask, Tubbo could use it against him, proving that he isn't safe to be out of the cell. No… tubbo asked for him. He wouldn't have him sent back, not until Ranboo is in a better state of mind.
Luckily for Dream, he wouldn't have to answer yet, as both he and Tubbo noticed a figure almost… waiting for him. Dream shivered at a cold breeze of the tundra woods, but this figure just stood there, staring at them with his piercing gaze. Tubbo swore to himself as he went over to the enderwalking Ranboo, pulling Dream alone. Dream hadn't noticed, but the axe at Tubbo’s side was firmly clasped, as if to keep someone from too easily having access to it. Dream looked from the axe over to his brother. He had definitely changed since he had last gotten a chance to talk to him. The main one being… burn scars… they covered part of his cheek and his neck, most likely there is much more that's covered by his clothes, much thinner than anyone should be wearing in this weather. Dream scowled at seeing the burns but kept his mouth shut. He simply observed as Tubbo took a small blanket from his bag, almost as if this… happened to be routine. Looking at the footprints in the snow, this area was often visited by most likely Ranboo in this state. Dream would have wondered why this spot specifically, but he could tell… it has a perfect view of the prison.
There was a gentle tug on the shackles as Tubbo was starting to head over to Snowchester, hand on Ranboo to help lead the enderwalking hybrid to bed. Dream understood and walked along with Tubbo, not like he had much of a choice. Dream piped up and said, after a few moments of walking through the snow, seeing hints of a scuffle in the snow, where a circle had been drawn in the snow, and the remnants of footsteps, new and old, he said “So… he’s still doing this?”
“What do you mean still? As far as i know this is quite new” Tubbo said, somewhat concerned about what he’s going to find out
“Before L’Manberg’s final destruction, Ranboo had been helping me with some things” Dream saw Tubbo stiffen, a glimmer of potential distrust in the eyes of the goat was leading the sleepwalking hybrid “Not like that. He would be like this, yet more… awake. He’d help me gather materials. At one point I had even given him one of Tommy’s discs, for safekeeping” Tubbo flinched when he heard this “When he was in this other state is when I got his memory book, he gave it to me. This doesn't mean you should blame him, far from it. I’m just sure you wanted to know. Also that this state is very different from the other state i knew”
This got Tubbo’s attention, he glanced over to the masked man. They were already at the small settlement that is snowchester. As he unlocked the door, he asked “How so?
Dream looked around at his.. I guess… home for the time being “He was a lot less… aimless. He’d actually talk to me. It's as if…” Dream trailed off
“The lack of a goal or plan made him more distracted” Tubbo finished, getting Ranboo to a second bed that had been set up on the main floor for when this happens and lay him down to rest
“I wouldn't say so. I can guess he goes to that spot a lot, is this true?” Tubbo nodded hesitantly
“That spot is relatively close to the prison, maybe he missed me. Maybe his subconscious was… planning something” Dream suggested
Tubbo didn’t know what to say, so he just mumbled as he went and locked the front door, which had been set so it could lock from the inside with a key. One of the many precautions he had made before this night “I… I’m going to bed. Don't bother escaping, there’s traps everywhere. Some designed to take your last life” he said, not looking at Dream. Tubbo went upstairs, leaving the shackled man in silence. But not even a minute later, Tubbo came back with a small bottle of epoxy “Almost forgot!” He went to give Dream the bottle but then realized that Dream wouldn't be able to do much with the bindings. Tubbo hesitated before saying “I’m going to take your restraints off for a bit… don't try to do anything. If you kill or even hurt Ranboo or i then you will be brought back to the prison”
“I didn’t plan to. I swear, I'm here to help Ranboo. I don't want to hurt anyone” Dream said. Tubbo nodded and, using the key, he unlocked the shackles and gently pulled them off. Dream was surprised how… well Tubbo was treating him. Dream rubbed his sore wrists. Why was tubbo being so nice? He had threatened his last life. He had taken two of Tommy’s lives. Why was Tubbo being so… kind…?
“I’m doing this for Ranboo” Tubbo said, as if he could tell what Dream was thinking “I wouldt even consider doing this if it wasn't for ranboo” He handed Dream the small bottle of epoxy “I’m going to head to bed. I’m sure you’ll find somewhere”
Dream simply nodded, watching the small goat head to his bed. When tubbo sat on the bed, Dream said “I didn’t actually tell you why i wear the mask”
“You don’t have to tell me” Tubbo yawned “At least not right now” Tubbo hummed sleepily before saying “I know what you can tell me about though”
“What would that be?” Dream asked, sitting at a table to prepare to fix his mask
“About Ranboo.. When he was little” Tubbo said as he lay in bed, he wasn't at the best angle to be able to see Dream, so he could be comfortable to take off his mask, which Dream did. The mask needed to be repaired before…. Bad things happened
Dream thought a bit as he prepared to repair the mask and said “Well, I did not know him as ‘Ranboo’, I knew him as Tantibus. I guess our parents had a pattern” he chucked a bit at the memory “Dream and Nightmare” he heard Tubbo laugh a bit at that “Anyways, We weren't always with our parents for… many reasons… so it was just Tantibus and I most of the time. I remember I'd often find him playing outside our shelter, sitting in some flowers. He would always have fun. Sometimes we’d have adventures in the trees, play hide and seek…” Dream was smiling at the memories. He only stopped talking when he heard Tubbo’s gentle snores. He looked back at the mask in his hands and set to work repairing it. Maybe staying here won't be so bad
