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Mar 16, 2022

Dsmp lore thoughts “The Wilbur Van” 1/26

Ok, it’s been a while now, School is busy and I’ve had a bit of burn out, but I’m finally got time to write my thoughts on the dsmp lore “The Wilbur Van” aka “Hitting on 16″ by Wilbur soot.

Another post of me trying to go over just the important thoughts I have, and not narrating everything they do.

edit: know that I’ve been writing this since it first came out, so everything here is said with me having not now seen the newest Wilbur lore from 3/15/22

If you weren’t aware, this is a written/literature style lore. Written by cc!Wilbur soot with approval from all the other respective content creators involved. It is posted on Ao3, and Wilbur also streamed reading it on his twitch channel.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/36682660

Some people may have said “Why couldn’t they do these streams?” “Why don’t they don’t they just do them now?” “Just make then flashbacks.” Well the answers to those questions is that they were intend to be streams, but the creators were having issues all being free to do the lore together. So time passed and with still no progress and them all being respectively busy, they signed off for it to be written. Yes they could try to pick it up now, or do flashbacks, but that still leaves the issue of them all having time to stream together, and simply they decided this alterative would be fun.

It is something really cool about having the lore in this medium, offering us more descriptive scenes and things that we wouldn't normally be able to have in minecraft. And as Wilbur said, this medium of doing lore, is just as valid as any stream lore, and he commends our amazing writers in this fandom.

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So before the stuff really starts, we are given this

“The following story is an adaptation of the scripts of 4 streams intended for production on the Dream SMP. Due to all 4 scripts being written before Ranboo’s death it is best to take this story as being in it’s own timeline that is respective of the character of Wilbur Soot. The actors have signed off that the actions taken by the characters in this story are accurate and representative. It is up to audience interpretation which timeline is canon to the greater storyline. For all future lore based around Wilbur, this is canon.”

- So first off yes, all this was supposed to take place before the prison break. But they never found time. Also if you didn’t know, the prison break has basically all been planned out since January 2021, and they were just awaiting when to do it. The reason that they ended up doing in November 28th was because cc!Technoblade was about to go into surgery, so they wanted get it done before he possible lost an arm. Because of this it was a sudden plan and some people were not informed of the prison break date, and others could not show. Examples are Eret and Puffy were busy. Wilbur was not aware it was happening.

- Wilbur call this ‘it’s own timeline’ which is confusing. This leads us to ask what it was that made this possibly ‘another timeline’?. Presumable it was c!Ranboo’s death. Now I will go into that more later once we approach that part of the story, but as for myself I am viewing these as the same timelines until something really counter acts that. But if this was planned for a while, there should be no reason for anything to interfere with it being cannon.

- Viewing these as separate timelines puts the audience against each other a bit battling for what is and isn’t cannon, and makes it harder to keep track off. We can only wait and see for how this will be addressed in the future. If there is going to be something that really splits these ‘timelines’ apart.

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Ok now into the actual thoughts on the content.

- For my own perspective, I am viewing this to all take place sometime before “The visit” which is the Quackity event where Techo escaped prison, which then led into Charlie’s death. Due to Quackity’s current characterization in this work, it is best to view it as taking place before Charlie died and Quackity started talking his lessons to heart.

- Once again I must say how cool it is the get the perspective of a stream in this medium. Through writing Wilbur is able to offer us elements such as c!wilbur smoking, there being scorpions, the elegant shift and switch between scenes and intermediate dialogue. This sort of dialogue and intermediate scenes could be found in something like cc!Quackity’s movie streams, but this written medium was the best way for us to get this sorta thing from cc!wilbur.

- The characterization in this work is very well done. Of course all the creators signed off and said this is accurate, but there were a few odd times where I felt c!Tubbo and c!Ranboo were displayed unexpectedly. Well come back to those. Tommy was not all too involved, but for where he was he felt accurate. And I liked how he felt the courage to actually speak his thoughts and feeling to Wil. His doubts.

- The story opens and tells us of Tommy and Wilbur together. They are building a road to the Ranvan, trying to attract customers. This building of the road also tells us what all that stone Wilbur told Tommy to collect was for.

- Now the main point of what Wilbur’s is doing, is he is trying to be competitive, and get Quackity’s attention. He wants to one-up Quackity, and likes that Quackity still treats him human. While others view him as dead, or a terrorist, Quackity views him like a living rival, and Wilbur likes that. He wants more of that, and so continues to bother Quackity. Quackity on his end, also enjoys the competition, and the opportunity to prove he is better than Wilbur, that he is a good president.

- Through out this work Wilbur tells us about things like, his beating heart, making him feel alive, and so he wishes to do more of these things. Sorta like how Tommy did not like being reminded he died, Wilbur also doesn’t seem to enjoy it, but is more focused on doing whatever he can to feel alive now. But as we learn at the end of this work, feeling alive isn’t always positive. Pain can make you feel alive, having to watch tragedy go done, can make you feel alive. The alive feeling of fear and terror, to burn, are not preferable and pleasant feelings. That is Wilbur’s lesson in this story. To not be so carless and mindlessly do things just to get attention and ‘feel alive’. You need to think through your actions and consider the consequences, before things go south, someone gets hurt.

- Next I’d like to address Wilbur’s distaste and insulting feeling of Quackity offering him Vice president.

“ “That’s what you brought me here for?” Wilbur replied shakily, trying to contain his rage, “you deem me a vice president?” “I deem you a qualified leader, yes.” Quackity replied calmly. “Do you understand how insulting your charity attempt is?” “I don’t think it’s insulting. Don’t forget I was once a vice president.” Quackity chuckled. “Yeah, well I couldn’t stoop that low.” Wilbur slammed his fist on the table and stood up. “

So Wilbur considers the role of vice president to be demeaning, and insulting. Is this the case for any role lower than the leader? Or is his distaste simply for the role of the Vice? The second in command. Wilbur will accept ruling part of Quackity’s land, even if not all, but he will not accept the role besides Q as his vice.

This really makes me want to look back to the L’manburg and Pogtopia days. Where Wilbur was constantly berating and yelling at Tommy that he’d never be president, and that he was only fit to be vice. Is this how he viewed Tommy then? When he said these words did he mean them to be ruder than they already were. If President is such an honor, and Vice is the lowest of the low, then what does this mean for Tommy? Before they were exiled Tommy was Wilbur’s vice, Wilbur seemed to trust and respect him, leading me to question did he see the seat being that low before? When did he start seeing ‘Vice’ as such an insulting position, and how does his treatment to Tommy correlate to that.

Sticking to the subject of Tommy, lets examine these lines. Tommy is asking Wilbur why they are stealing Quackity’s horse, how Wilbur knows this is a good plan.

“But how do you know this for sure?” Tommy asked “I just do.” Wilbur answered, a little more sharply than usual. “But you’ve said stuff like this before and it wasn’t true. You’ve got a bit of a track record of lying.” Tommy said “I have never lied to you.” Wilbur spoke firmly. The atmosphere of fun and whimsy quickly drained from the room. “I mean…” Tommy began, “That’s not true. I’ve had so many people lie to me including you.” Wilbur shook his head, “I’ve never lied to you.” “What about the pit? What about the stuff you said about Tubbo betraying us in L’Manberg? what about when you said no-one would hurt Tubbo?” Wilbur lifted his mask “If I truly believed it was the truth, does that make me a liar?” Tommy thought for a moment. “Well, not exactly but-” “That’s the difference between me and Schlatt. That’s the difference between me and Phil. That’s the difference between me and Quackity.” The sparks had stopped flying so it was impossible to make out Wilbur’s facial expressions as he spoke. “I have never lied to you. I have been wrong but never lied to you, Tommy. I won’t lie to you. Do you trust me, Tommy? ‘Cos right now I feel like you don’t trust me.” These words Wilbur spoke, these words that had calmed the strongest men and built entire nations had no effect on Tommy anymore. They just made him a little frightened. Tommy had heard Wilbur speak like this many times but it never got easier. He felt he had done something wrong simply by posing his point of view and he felt like the antagonist when all he wanted was an answer. “I trust you Wilbur.” He said quietly.

Now I also really like this writing because it lays out characters thoughts and feelings a little easier and clearer for us. Look guys, cc!Wilbur has called his character a villain, and how he choses to express and present his character is more proof. Wilbur is manipulative and gaslightly to Tommy, there is no denying it. He isn’t as bad as some people present him as, he does care for Tommy, but it’s not entirely healthy. (c!Dream says in one of the Sam prison streams how he brought Wilbur back for the reason of him being an issue for Tommy.) Despite their past, Tommy does care for Wil, as he told Foolish, you need to give the person the chance, and not give up on them. So despite how Wilbur may treat him, Tommy is not going to give up or let go, and he is going to try to trust him, no matter how much he doesn't want to.

Wilbur says he has never lied to Tommy. If we are to believe this then lets think about all the crazy rambling he had in Pogtopia, how he constantly belittled Tommy, him saying Tommy would never be president. So ok that wasn’t an assumption or idea on his part, he believed to a truth that Tommy was not cut out to be president.

We also see evidence of Wilbur’s persuasion with Ranboo. (I like how he calls him Ranbus, endearing, but what if it’s another trap?) Ranboo does not want to steal Quackity’s horse, but Wilbur continues to tell him it’s for the greater good until Ranboo caves.

Ranboo had his reservations and debated declining Wilbur’s offer but Wilbur persisted by playing on the concept of the greater good. For how else would they topple the obelisk of tyranny if they didn’t start at the foundations? After all, it was a tame heist all things considered and Ranboo would do well for his job prospects to accept. In this hollow fact Ranboo found himself an accomplice once more.

So Wilbur and Ranboo carry out the heist and kidnapping. Tubbo does encounter them though and ask what they are doing.

“Big Q told me to take care of that horse.” Tubbo replied, “I’ve been feeding him every day.” “Well, he’s in safe hands.” Ranboo lied. “We’re gonna hold him ransom but you know Wilbur would never hurt it. He’s too soft.” “No he’s not.” Tubbo blurted, a tremble in his voice. “Bring the horse back. Now.” “No, Tubbo.” Ranboo said, trying to be firm. Tubbo, unperturbed by Ranboo’s stature over him, dropped his cleaning rag. “You’re gonna end up hurting him. Even if you don’t intend to, you will. Wilbur always hurts innocent things and it’s not fair. The horse did nothing wrong.” Ranboo didn’t respond. He just stood there, slightly hunched staring down at the boy. “Ranboo, make him bring the horse back.” Tubbo begged quietly, his voice sounding trembly, diminished and tired. “No, Tubbo.” “I’m gonna have to tell Big Q” “Don’t tell Big Q. Tubbo, It’s for the greater good.” Tubbo felt his rage build up inside him, “Nothing Wilbur does is for the greater good! He takes and he takes and everything is his own little mission of revenge. Can’t you see? He’s made you think you and him are alike but you’re not. Ranboo, you’re better than this I-” Ranboo felt the fuse inside him finally reach it’s payload. “Tubbo!” he snapped “For God’s sake, just give him a chance! I know that I haven’t always made the best decisions with who I trust but this time I swear to you that things may not always be as bad as you think! I mean, People change, people get better and if you never give them a chance to prove it you’ll be stuck hating everyone that has ever wronged you and you won’t have anyone left...” A silence fell over the two. Tubbo’s eyes began to wet and he quickly turned around and walked away. Down the hill Wilbur cheered and lit up another cigarette “Atta boy, Ranbus!” he gloated. Ranboo felt sick.

Now what surprised me about this was really just Ranboo saying no to Tubbo. He snapped at Tubbo, that was unexpected. He felt guilty afterwards, but the act of saying no really surprised me, and made me question if this felt believable to what we know about c!Ranboo. Overall it works, it makes me think that maybe after their last conversation about the cookie-outpost, Ranboo is still upset and holding some resentment. (Happy to know that wasn’t the last Beeduo conversation before Ranboo’s death) His outburst is also towards himself, his fear that once again he is choosing to trust the wrong person. He wants to give Wilbur the chance but is afraid for how it will backfire.

The next thing I want to bring up is sorta/mostly my interpretation: The tension in beeduo and having not yet made up about the cookie outpost. It is of my opinion and my interpretation that after Ranboo left Tubbo at the end of the one stream to ‘get rid of the bad bread’ Beeduo did not bring back up the argument or how Tubbo said Quackity was giving him the chance he needed to finally be happy. I believe Ranboo would keep his thoughts and feelings to himself so as to not upset and make things worse with Tubbo. I don’t think he would or has talked to tubbo about it by this point. They just returned to their conversations and hanging out like nothing happened. Then there’s Ranboo taking Wilbur’s side when one of the reasons Tubbo is here in Las Nevadas was to try to over watch and spite wilbur. How now that Ranboo has taken and trusted wilbur, tubbo wants to prove it to Ranboo too.

Next some more with characterization:

- I saw several people discussing if they thought this lore was in character with c!Tubbo or not. Many people saying this felt more like early tubbo than our current Tubbo, he feels more childish. I feel the main reason for this being the playful voice cc!Wilbur put on when reading the story, and how lots of Tubbo’s scenes are either sweet with Ranboo or like the tnt scene where he needed saving.

That scene in of it’s self needs discussing. Because me and many others agree that c!Tubbo to be very smart, he knows redstone, he’s made nukes, he knows tnt, so he should have known and understood the trap based on how it is described. The tnt is not hidden, it is out in the open so Quackity would see it. I have seen seveal theories or ideas for why Tubbo acted the way he did in the tnt trap. First, some people think he really did just not bother to look around and just rushed in to retrive the horse without thinking, then getting stuck. Some people say he went in wanting to do what Ranboo ended up doing, but then got scared/overwhelmed, stuck in a flashback (which could also explain his behavior in either of the other senecios). Some people bring out the fact that we know c!Tubbo may have some not great thoughts about dying and wanting to be free of the troubles, so went down there not caring if he lived or died, just wanting to stop Wilbur. While other people say he went down there to die and then changed his mind.

This also has Tubbo crying early in the story, when the Tubbo we know is very much denial don’t show your feelings, keep it inside to yourself, emotions can be weakness. My main thought was that maybe Tubbo just didn’t expect this sort of thing from Ranboo (stealing the horse, working with Wilbur over him, saying no) one of the few he can trust.

- I haven’t had a whole lot to say about Quackity in this post, shocker right? But the last thing I’ll add about him is that yes c!Quackity is friends with and respects c!Tubbo, but he hired and made tubbuger to spite and egg-on wilbur. This was all about the rivalry to them, and thankfully they were snapped out of it.

- Now onto some Ranboo characterization, insights, and points. c!Ranboo is very self-sacrificing. He put’s other before himself. This may be because he feels guilt for the things he’s done though. In both instances where he’s died, he did so for his family. In this one he was taking responsibility for his actions, but also saving Tubbo. Ranboo chose to trust Wilbur and do this, asked Tubbo to trust him, so he’ll take responsibility. While taking responsibility he will get it in Wilbur and Quackity’s skulls how frivolous their spat is. Giving his life to prove a point. This is return of “wilbur felt alive” line, where Wilbur ‘felt alive’ but it’s not a good alive, it’s scared and sad, watching a friend die, and knowing it’s your fault.

Searing flames and a violent burst of air was all that was left. For a change, the world really did end.

Wilbur felt alive.

Onto that though, there was obviously a better way to defuse the bomb, but Ranboo chose to do it this way, to let the tnt go off. How about the chorus fruit teleport, is that cannon yet? I’m sure they could have found a rock, or actually defused it, so why? Was he thinking he might not die?

Is this his second death. “For once the world did end” feels like a thing you’d say in a death. This where we encounter out issue. cc!Ranboo told us November 28th 2021 that his character has had 1 life all the way since January 2021, that presumably the prison death was planned that long, the only change being the added variable of Michael being the reason of death and being taken. so what are we to believe? Even if this was considered the possible way for his character to die, why not editing this writing a little to just not have him die? Why not just injure him, was it to add the extra guilt for Wilbur’s character, being responsible for Ranboo’s death? was it that important to the story? Or could wilbur be making his cannon about the non cannon deaths, and that they characters do in fact die without taking a cannon death, like cc!phil had told us it was, and so Ranboo yes died but it wasn’t cannon? This is what is creating our issue with ‘timelines’ so why not just make it so it’s not an issue and change the writing? It must be for Wilbur’s character.

Until further explained I am going to assume this is Ranboo’s second cannon death and that he doesn’t remember the first.

I really liked the detail of how Ranboo made eye contact with Tubbo when Tubbo was exiting the tnt room. Very sweet.

Without hesitation Tubbo scrambled towards the ladder connecting the cavern to the viewing platform and climbed it. He turned back to look at Ranboo who smiled at him with the kind eyes he remembered. Tubbo smiled back.

And those are my main things I wanted to talk about from this novel instalment of lore :D Hope you enjoyed and once again sorry it took so long.

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Question for you guys, do you want me to cover Geroge’s long crazy Dream destroying the sever lore from January? Or should I just focuse on the current stuff happening and maybe come back to that?

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