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itmightbeneb · 2 years

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Dreblr secret Santa

So my secret Santa was @simplepotatofarmer (woo!)

I wrote you a rivals and drunz (is that their name? Punz and Dream) post prison healing arc fic.

word count: 3831

TW: meantions of torture, panic attacks, c!Sapnap neg (from c!Dream’s warped perspective)

Also I heard that c!Punz uses He/They pronouns? So thats what I used for him here :)

@dreamsclock did u also wanna be tagged? if not ignore this sorry lol

The air was cold, crisp. It shouldn’t have felt like a new sensation, in fact Dream had been to this very area, with the very same air, many times before, but after almost a year of nothing but hot and sticky air next to boiling lava, well anything could feel brand new. Snow too, he had forgotten how it crunched underfoot, how walking could include softness instead of hot hard obsidian. The wind was new as well, cold and brisk, blowing his hair (now too long for his liking) into his face. There had been bursts of wind in prison, when Sam had lowered the lava, the boiling air in the cell would get sucked away from him, towards Sam and whoever else was waiting on the other side (usually Quackity), before rushing back in to fill the space it had left behind. Or it had felt like rushing, with actual wind to compare to again, Dream realised it was more of a slow trickle.

Out of the four members of the syndicate, only two could easily tolerate him, and another was dead. Phil and Techno clearly cared in their own ways (no matter how hard Techno tried to deny it), but Niki was another thing. Niki just didn’t like him, which was fair enough Dream supposed, he had never made an effort to be kind to her, he had almost forgotten she existed after Wilbur had died. That, and the early L’manburg days must have cemented a certain idea of him for her. He was ok with that. She had helped to break him out - however much she hated him couldn’t stop her from acknowledging the conditions of the prison were terrible, and she kept to her morals as an anarchist that all prisons were bad. She kept to her morals despite hating him, he could respect that.

Rationalising who and who not to trust, that was another thing he had almost forgotten how to do. He had known he couldn’t trust Sam, or Quackity, he had known he could somewhat trust Techno, not completely, never completely. He didn’t know if Sapnap would actually take up his promise from the prison, he hadn’t yet, he’d almost let Dream go free and only fought him when Dream attacked. But then again, so much had changed between the two that Dream wasn’t even sure he knew Sapnap anymore. He doubted Sapnap would care to get to know the new him, not that Dream would let him anyway. He needed Sapnap to hate him, he needed to count on his brother’s arrogance and hatred.

Although it was part of the plan, even though Dream had literally told Techno to do so, when he asked for the netherite armour back, it had hurt. But he had complied, he had run away saying he owed Techno a favour, had run away to Punz. And Prime was he happy to see Punz again, even for how short the visit had to be, he needed to keep his friends safe, he couldn’t let anyone else die. Ranboo’s death was unfortunate, even if when he died he didn’t know Dream’s true intentions, it was the Ranboo with full memories that knew, not the Ranboo who had been locked up, not the Ranboo who had died. It was sad that Dream had to leave him in the afterlife; from what he’d heard from Tommy, it wasn’t exactly fun. But then Dream had had to deal with months of torture, starvation and isolation. Ranboo knew the plan, knew the risks, well sometimes he did, he had agreed to it all. Dream didn’t know how he’d react now he did actually get hurt. It hadn’t been part of the plan, for Sam and Quackity to go off the rails, but he’d work around it anyway, nothing ever went entirely to plan, the real skill was working around those hiccups and continuing on anyway, no matter the cost.

When Dream and Sapnap were kids, they would always make treehouses together. When they got a bit older and could take care of themselves more, they’d often run away for a few days at a time and live in badly built treehouses instead of resorting to caves. Often it was just a couple of beds, a chest, a furnace and a crafting table on a treetop, but sometimes Dream would try and make it look prettier, especially when they were on bigger trees with more room. Sapnap always burnt them down by the end of their trip, when they’d finally had enough of each other to get mad over something stupid and come back home to be around different company for a bit. Dream had always tried to help him through it first though, help him when he was feeling down or too angry for his own good. They were brothers, he was always going to help Sapnap, even if it cost him everything. Sapnap had said later, when they had met again after the nightmare armour fight, that Dream had betrayed him, that Dream had betrayed them all. But he hadn’t betrayed Sapnap, right? They had been brothers, had promised each other they’d help each other through everything no matter what. Dream had always been there for Sapnap, had always tried to help even when he thought Sapnap was being an idiot or was acting out of anger, why had Sapnap not been there to help him? Even if he had been in the wrong, even if everything he had had been too much, Sapnap would have pulled him back, right? Dream had forgotten how many fights he had pulled Sapnap out of when they were younger, when Sapnap had been so hot headed and made all the wrong decisions, surely Sapnap would have returned the favour, would have helped him. Why hadn’t he?

He needed new bases, areas where he could hang out and hide when necessary, and so he decided to make one near Techno’s base. Despite herding Tommy there, he felt somewhat safe around Techno. It was dangerous, to let himself feel safer around someone who he didn’t trust not to betray him, but he did anyway. A treehouse he’d make, for old times sake, to remind him of why he was doing all this. Spruce trees were the most common around the syndicate base, unfortunately four by four ones would stick out too much, they weren’t native to the area, but a good spruce tree would do the trick. He chose a tree in the forest outside the base, hidden enough that nobody would find it easily, close enough that he could run to Techno if he needed help. But why would he do that? Dream could handle things himself mostly, he needed help occasionally, but he could handle a fight. Pretending to be helpless before he got taken to prison had been annoying, he could have so easily escaped and fought some of them. Why would he need to run to Techno?

One thing he hadn’t anticipated however, was the tiredness. He guessed his body was finally in a place to fix up and rest, but that meant he was tired so much, some days he was so tired he couldn��t get out of bed. Other times his hands wouldn’t stop shaking, to the point where he guessed even Tommy could fight him and win. He hated it, he needed to be able to work, to fight, to move. He needed to not need help. He was getting better though, as much as he hated to admit it, Phil’s advice to sleep more did help. He didn’t want to sleep, he wanted to train, to gain back the strength he had lost, to become someone who could look after himself. The base near Techno’s became his usual hiding spot, which was bad. He didn’t want to be close to Tommy, now living with the Syndicate as per his plan, or near Techno and show how close they were. But he did need Techno’s help, with him being tired too much, he needed Techno or Punz to help him out with simple tasks. Techno was easier to explain, even if it would set back the plan more in the short term, Punz was trusted more by everyone, he wasn’t the one who broke him out of prison, no Punz was the one who had “betrayed” him and helped put him in the prison to begin with.

“Well, looks like you’ve finally got a home Dream,” Techno joked at him a few weeks into recovery, after Dream had finally stayed in the same place for more than three days in a row.

“I don’t wanna live here,” Dream replied.

“HEH, what, you actually want to be homeless?”

Dream didn’t want to be homeless, he wanted to not have to rely on them. He wanted to be able to live by himself, work by himself. Relying on others made him feel weak, well he was weak but he wanted - needed to get better. Relying on others had led to him thinking Sam wouldn’t let anyone in to torture him, he couldn’t let that happen again. Besides, he had always had multiple homes, small places stacked with chests and other useful items in a small area, he was never the kind of person to settle down in one place. He always had to be on the move, always had to be avoiding everyone else.

“Living alone would be better than living with your stinky ass,” Dream said, trying to turn the conversation away from being serious, and also Techno did smell like a pig.

They were in the training area below the bridge between Techno and Phil’s houses, another new addition he had to get used to, one that Tommy hadn’t been let onto so Dream had an area within their base to be safe, where they could act like the friends they were without having to hide parts of themselves.

Long gone were the days of Techno living in a hut alone in the middle of nowhere, like he had said when he first arrived at the prison, Techno had friends now. Friends who would back him up, even one who had helped him save someone she didn’t like from the Prison, and presumably make an enemy out of Sam in the process.

The walls were a fake sky, the air was stale, but it was cold, and there was more than just obsidian and lava. Dream felt claustrophobic in contained spaces now, he hated that he felt such a stupid fear. He had tried to hide it, the sweating palms and shaking, when he first arrived, but they had noticed. It was a miracle nobody had used it against him yet.

But no, they had suggested ways to help, ways to calm himself down. It was annoying, he didn’t want nor need their help. OK, maybe he did need it, considering the panic attack he had almost had just entering the nether for the first time after escaping, but this was short lived, he shouldn’t get used to kindness, kindness towards him wouldn’t save the server.

Techno had a look in his eyes, something akin to sadness, or regret.

“Don’t fucking pity me Techno,” Dream said.

“Bruhhhhh, my monetization!”

He was having a bad day, a terrible day. He couldn’t get out of bed, he was too weak, too tired, he must have worked too hard the day before. He was trapped again. He had to get out, he couldn’t be trapped again. His room was bigger than the cell but not by much, his bed was smaller. He had to get out.

He tried getting up, only to collapse to the floor, unable to convince his muscles to move him any further. He was so tired, yet too awake. He needed air, he needed to move, he couldn’t move.

He managed to get a message to someone, Techno. He hated that he did, hated that he had called for help he really didn’t need. If only he could just walk he would be fine, he would be able to get out, be able to move. Now Techno would have to see him in this pathetic state.

A hand rested on his back, and Dream used all the energy he could muster to jerk away. He didn’t want pity. Was someone talking to him? He could only just hear something over the blood rushing in his ears. He was drowning, he was going to suffocate.

Blocks were broken and light cascaded into the room, the cold air hit him and forced itself into his lungs, he could breathe again.

Techno came to sit next to him, helping Dream untangle the sheets from his legs.

“Let’s help you back into bed,” Techno said softly.

Dream shook his head, he didn’t think he could manage words. He couldn’t go back into bed, the air was helping but he was still trapped. Although, if he wanted to get out he’d have to be carried so maybe it was better to stay. But he couldn’t, fuck. If he wanted to get out, and he needed to get out, he’d have to rely on Techno’s help again. He thought he was past this, he didn’t need their help as much, at least not this much. He was just using his and Phil’s friendliness until he could get away again, he didn’t want to need their help.

“Needin’ help isn’t a bad thing Dream,” Techno said quietly. He was still sitting on the floor next to Dream, not touching him but there nonetheless.

“There’s not anyone who doesn’t need help at some point,” He continued.

And yeah, while Techno was technically correct, but Dream wasn’t a kid anymore. He could do this by himself. Except he couldn’t.

“Don’t need a lecture,” Dream managed to get out, his voice quieter than usual, softer much to his disliking. He sounded as weak as he felt.

“Yeah but now I’ve got you trapped here I can talk all I want till I need to help with something.” So that was it then, Techno was going to talk at him until he asked for help.

“You’re using my disability against me,” Dream said, he was slowly regaining enough energy to speak more easily, but unfortunately for him he still didn’t have enough energy to move away from a certain ranting anarchist.

Techno chuckled, before continuing, “I know you want to be independent, we all do, and independence is good in a way, but the thing is, Dream, the thing is no person has ever lived entirely independently. Even after childhood, bro, you didn’t make your own clothes, and if you did you didn’t make the fabric. You don’t cook all the food you’ve ever eaten, or looked after all the crops or animals. You didn’t learn everythin’ by yourself. You see, Dream, you’re a person, and people weren't made to live on their own. We live in communities for a reason, and we should rely on each other to help everyone out. It makes less work in the long run as well. Dream, everyone deserves help, you included. Well, everyone but orphans of course, but that’s another thing,” Techno was rambling, he wasn’t entirely sure where he was going with this talk,

“Your old friends, they should have been there for you, to help you out of the hole you dug yourself, to stop you before you went too far. They didn’t help you, or maybe couldn’t, but don’t think you have to be by yourself just because others failed you. Now this doesn’t mean you can avoid responsibility, you still did all those things, but they should have been there to try and stop you at least. You’re my friend,” Dream refused to admit there were tears in his eyes, “and I'm not going to let you destroy yourself again.”

“Just… take me outside.”

He was waiting at the top of Punz’s tower, not because he needed the guy to do anything, just because he was lonely. He had admitted to Punz that the isolation had gotten to him, and well, maybe it was still getting to him. Not that he’d admit that, Phil and Techno were nice, when they could sneak away, but Punz was his friend, the person who knew about the plan from the start, who had agreed from the start. Dream was hidden, just in case they came back with company, which was unlikely, but still possible. The people of the server never did respect boundaries, and it had been the day Dream had escaped that Punz had managed to get rid of Hannah and a few others from claiming to live at the top of the tower. It had been perfect timing, but annoying to find out nonetheless. Punz did come, it took a while but he did come back to his tower. Dream slipped out from behind the chests, his body sore from staying in the same position for too long. His mask was pushed to the side, allowing Punz to see his expression, a weak smile and too tired eyes. He still wasn’t sleeping well, but it was better, he was getting better, he had to keep telling himself that.

“Hey man, you good?” Punz asked, seeming worried for Dream. And Dream felt that, for once, he wasn’t disgusted by the worry.

“Yeah, just,” he didn’t know what to say, he didn’t want to actually worry Punz, “might have to slow down the plan a bit,” he decided, a partial truth to make it look like he was taking care of himself, “it’s taking a bit to recover properly.”

“Yeah sure man, just let me know when you’re ready, ok?” Punz said as they stepped closer to Dream, who was trying to not so visibly lean against the chests, “take it easy, and let me know if you need help.”

Punz must have seen the face Dream made at that because he laughed, “I know I know, but seriously man, you’ve got me, I’ll take payment if it makes you feel better about it.”

Dream nodded, he’ll definitely do that, he repays his debts. Feeling a little stronger, his muscles thanking him from changing position finally, he moved to leave.

“I’ll, uh, I’ll let you know when I’m ready to begin the next phase of the plan,” He said, looking back at Punz, who was looking through a chest.

“Yeah man, and wait,” Punz closed the chest and turned towards Dream, “Take this, if I remember correctly they’re your favourite.” Punz dropped a flower on the ground. A poppy. Dream moved forwards to pick it up (he had to throw out some seeds, why did he even have those in his inventory anyway?). A poppy, his favourite flower. He’d once joked with Sapnap and George that he would change the floor of the community house to grass with poppies, had Punz been there? How did he know? Why were there tears in his eyes?

“I, uh, picked it up the day you went to prison,” Punz said, and Dream refused to look up, refused to let Punz see the tears, he just kept staring at the flower in his hands. He wanted to ask how Punz knew, but didn’t trust his voice not to give him away. He knew Punz could tell something was up, but he was too tired to hide his emotions, too tired of hiding, of pretending to be something he's not, of pretending to break parts of himself to keep Quackity happy, of healing and trying not to heal.

This time when a hand touched his shoulder he didn’t pull away, no, he had been depriving himself of contact for too long. Maybe he did need a hug.

Dream pulled closer to Punz, to his best friend, and wrapped his arms around him. Punz hugged him back - not saying anything much to Dream’s relief - and Dream pressed his head into Punz’s shoulder and finally let the tears flow. He cried for the first time in months, probably more than a year. He had held it in through the months playing the annoyingly yet unbroken prisoner, and before that as well, pretending to be the idiot who thought using everyone’s attachments to control them was a good idea. He had kept it in throughout all of that, since Sapnap had abandoned him, he had no one else, he had thought. Now over a year’s worth of tears were finally coming, and he was sobbing into Punz's shoulder, they were hugging tight. Prime, Dream had missed this. He hadn’t had human contact in a long time, well there was Techno in the prison, but they had tried to stay apart to avoid overheating. There had been Quackity’s fists.

But he wasn’t there anymore, no he was in Punz’s tower, he was safe. He could let it all out, he could finally show his hurt, allow himself to feel hurt. Eventually he stopped, ran out of tears, but stayed in Punz’s arms a little longer. Punz hadn’t said anything, just held him tight and allowed Dream space to let the barriers and walls he kept up to crumble, allowing him to finally be free to show how he actually felt, to let go of everything and let everything come crashing out in one big wave of emotion. And so there Dream stayed, in Punz’s arms, feeling safer than he had in over a year.

Punz had gotten him a poppy. His poppy. Dream didn’t know whether to keep it locked up in his enderchest for safekeeping or to put it in a flower pot to see it in the open, to see it in sunlight and watch it’s petals ruffle in a breeze. To watch it get stolen. No! No, it wouldn’t get stolen. He would get it back, he won’t allow it to be used against him, he won’t let it be Spirit’s leather.

His poppy would be safe. He felt safe in Punz’s arms and his poppy would stay with him.

The next time Techno visited Dream’s hideout by the arctic base, there was a poppy in a flower pot by the side of the bed. There was also Punz, sitting on the bed next to Dream. When Dream noticed him enter the base, he stood up, a grin clear on his face, mask moved aside. He went up to Techno and hugged him by surprise. Techno chuckled a little, surprised that Dream would so openly show affection, but hugged back anyway. He shot a confused look at Punz, who just grinned and gave him a thumbs up.

“Thank you,” Dream said into Techno’s chest.

“Yeah, uh, no problem, man,” Techno said back, both confused and happy with this new development, “so, Dream, what's the next step of this plan of yours?”

Dream stepped out of the hug,

“I’m going to patch things up with Sapnap, if I can.”

#dreblr gifts 2021 #dreblr #rivalsblr #NebWrites #dreblr secret santa 2021 #c.dwt.fic

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carpedzem · 2 years

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hey, sparrow! :D I heard you weren't able to take part in secret santa gift exchange, AND you are helping with other 12 gifts?? dude, you're gonna make me cry slash neg slash worrying, haha. anyway, I wanted to give you something, from all dreblr and dreblr related people! so, here it is, blobs to show you love and support! thank you for organizing this event and thank you for supporting so many of us and being such an amazing person. you are one of the people who created this place and made others feel welcome, and you will forever be one of the coolest people around :') I'm so happy we are friends :> HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

everyone say thank you sparrow @dreamsclock

#for real tho everyone tag sparrow he CANT MISS IT #OR I WILL CRY #apologies for everyone whose blob isnt fully seen or are missing. a lot of people sent their blobsona back #WHICH IS GREAT #but was also very challenging!#thank you all! lover you!#dreblr #dreblr gifts 2021 #dreblr secret santa 2021 #carpeart

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nothing-is-relevent-but-it-is · 2 years

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Here's my Dreblr Secret Santa for @petre-talks-minecraft ! Thank you, @dreamsclock for organizing the event. The prompt was "c!Technoblade > c!Dream, but do whatever you want/prefer." So! I did something with those two, and, because I'm me, I hope you don't mind a healthy dose of c!Wilbur as well. Happy holidays, and enjoy!

There are many things Techno's witnessed that have disturbed him. To name them all would take countless hours he'd rather spend doing things he enjoys. But right now, he doesn't think he's ever seen a relationship this... odd.

It's not that Dream and Wilbur are awful to each other. Well, they are, but somehow it's in the sweetest way he's ever seen. It's how they speak in a language of looks and body language that only they understand. How Wilbur acts as though Dream's attention is something to be coveted. How Dream almost encourages the casual worship, hanging onto every word. How it's sometimes hard to remember who is enamored with who. Techno hasn't mentioned anything yet, but he sees the way Philza watches the two as though they'll somehow answer every question he has. He sees how Niki does her best to hide or leave the room when one of them walks into it. He sees Ranboo struggle with himself as though he wants to talk to both of them about something, before giving up, going back to his disconcerting cheerful disposition. And maybe it wasn't the best idea to ignore the way they were shaping themselves around each other until pulling them apart would do more harm than good, but none of them had wanted to go near those two with a thirty foot pole when they'd first started coming around. Wilbur had showed up one morning, which shouldn't have been surprising, given that he supposedly lives here, not that they ever see him, and Dream had been at his side. "It's only temporary," Wilbur'd negotiated. "We'll leave often enough, we just want a place to rely on once in a while." Techno had seen Phil cave almost immediately and knew there was no denying them a place to rest. Dream hadn't spoken much at first, seeming to be weary around even Techno. It hadn't bothered him much until he felt his friend flinch as he placed a hand on his shoulder. He'd backed off a bit after that, but he's been keeping an eye on him ever since. He may not want Dream staying here and bringing an unwanted target on the Syndicate's back, but he's still concerned for the man. So he starts intentionally placing himself nearer to Dream, and, slowly but surely, they start having the same back and forth from those three months in prison. Dream's walls are still there, more well defended than they had been, but he seems to enjoy Techno's company, returning his playful jabs more often. He still tenses at closeness, keeping himself at arm's length whenever he can, and Techno respects that. After all, he won't be staying for too long, it's too risky. Better they both remind themselves of that before Dream has to leave. That doesn't stop him from being a bit protective though. Wilbur gets away with however much physical contact he wants, Techno observes one day. He's getting ready to go hunting for food when Wilbur stumbles down the stairs. "You're looking worse for wear," he comments absently as the man grumbles and heads over to where Dream sits on the couch. "Bad sleep?" He gets a flash of a smile. "Wonderful sleep, actually. I'd still be sleeping if someone weren't an insomniatic prick." He drapes himself over Dream's shoulders, curling around him like a cat. "That's not even a real word," Dream complains, but he does nothing to remove the man from his person. It gives Techno pause, and he raises an eyebrow. "I can't be bothered to think of real words when you kicked me awake at eight in the morning and left." "You were being a deadweight. I had to get up." "Still." Techno shifts, interest piqued. "You two share a bed or something?" He asks in spite of the nagging voices in his brain, itching to just go and hunt already. "Or something," Wilbur says, a bit of humor in his tone, and Dream glares at him. "Yes," he snaps. "It's cold." Techno decides to leave then, but he doesn't forget the interaction as he takes note of just how comfortable those two are around one another. They still gripe at each other, and their biting remarks are missed by none, but Techno starts to hear the undercurrents of softness in some

of their conversations. So yeah, it's an unhealthy dynamic, but there are times in which he can't help but watch. One of those times is now, as he looks over the pages of the worn book he's reading as Wilbur runs his fingers through Dream's hair absently. Dream is hunched over next to him, practicing his handwriting using slowly healing fingers. It's a quiet and calm moment, nothing but the scratching of ink on paper and the fire crackling. The two of them had been out gathering supplies all day. Or rather, Wilbur had collected supplies, and Dream carried and passed him tools. Techno thinks that they're probably only so quiet because of exhaustion. They're leaving in three days. It makes something almost sad twist in Techno's chest, and he tears his eyes away. There's a shout and he looks up to see Dream throw his pad of paper across the room violently. The sudden outburst disrupts the gentle atmosphere, and he feels a pang of sympathy for the way his friend stares at the discarded materials with something like empty surprise. He's used to outbursts like this. In the prison they were common. Dream would throw whatever he was holding into the lava without warning. And if he wasn't holding anything... well. Techno did his best to keep him occupied. Wilbur, to his credit, handles it remarkably well, simply standing up and making his way to where the stuff had fallen. He stoops to scoop up the crinkled paper and places it on the coffee table, taking his time to smooth out the creases. He grasps the hand Dream holds his pen in, and the man flinches, defiantly tugging his hand away. Wilbur waits, something like patience in his expectant gaze. Techno watches despite himself. He's known Wilbur since he was a small child. He hasn't seen him exercise this amount of restraint since before coming to this server. He wonders when he began to expect otherwise. Probably when he'd seen how manic he'd become upon Techno's arrival. That's when he'd decided to be more cautious around the man he'd once considered family. After a silent staring match, Dream eventually bows his head and holds his hand out. A slightly unhinged smile lights up Wilbur's face, but he stays silent anyhow. Techno watches as his friend lets Wilbur maneuver his fingers clumsily around the pen, until it's grasped somewhat comfortably. "Like this," he whispers, and Dream does not respond, but, as usual, he makes no move to shove the other away as his hand is guided across the paper. Techno finally pulls his eyes away as the scratching resumes. There's something disturbing about the way those two fit together. Something that runs deep. Part of him feels as though he needs to say something, check in on Dream's mental state, but... His eyes catch on the shift as Dream leans into Wilbur's hand. Moments like these make him wonder if he has a right to interfere. He doesn't want either of them on the defensive. He waits, thoughts rolling around in his head as he scans his book without reading, until an audible yawn sounds from the couch. He glances up again, to see Wilbur rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Dream nudges Wilbur harshly, and the man shakes his head. They have another silent staring match until Wilbur concedes, stretching as he goes, pausing to press a light kiss to the crown of the other's head. "Don't stay up too late, sunshine," he says. 'Join me soon,' his tone implies. "Don't bother waiting," Dream returns, not looking up, but Wilbur smiles anyhow and turns to go. Techno observes his friend continue to write as footsteps fade, eyes following the ink as he strives for perfection. As much as he pretends to be unaffected, his ears are slightly pink in the fire light and there is less tension in his shoulders. The warrior calculates how to best start this conversation. After a moment, he decides being blunt has gotten him this far. "You two always been so close?" Dream looks up at him, startled, as though he'd forgotten he was there. "What?" Techno raises an eyebrow, opting for a teasing angle. "Do you just

have a thing for accents, or?" His friend flushes a bit at the accusation. "I don't- shut up." Techno takes pride in the way Dream is sometimes startled into talking like a normal person around him. The man sighs, turning back to his paper, moving slower now. "It's not a big deal." "Seems like a big deal to him." "Then he's an idiot." He closes his book. "You say that like you're trying to convince yourself it's true." Dream doesn't answer, just writes. "Anyways, where are you two going after this?" "Not sure. Anywhere. Everywhere. We're just gonna travel through the servers. Maybe cause a bit of chaos." "I feel like that should concern me a bit." "Maybe." Techno smiles at the bit of humor he detects. "Do you know when you'll be comin' back?" It seems to catch Dream off guard, but he gets a small smile. "Not too soon, but probably before the winter ends. Wilbur really wants to explore and I... I want to, too." "That's... good." "Yeah. I think it is." "You know his crush on you isn't good for you, right?" Techno blurts. The scratching of the pen stops. "He wants you to give up everything for him." Finally, his friend looks back up at him. There's a question behind his eyes that makes something like guilt turn over in his gut. "That's stupid. I don't have anything to give." The word 'anymore' hangs in the air, louder than either of them want to admit. There's a good metaphor in there, somewhere, Techno thinks. Something about giving everything until there's nothing left, and only then receiving something in return. He doesn't say that out loud. Instead, he says, "So. Are you gonna let him down easy? Not saying it wouldn't be funny to watch him continue to try and woo you, but you can't lead him on forever." He says it as though he believes that's what Dream's doing. He knows it's not, but even for a second, it would be nice to see his friend break into a smug smile and say something unbelievably cocky, like the old days when they'd fight tooth and nail to one up each other. But he gets no such smile. Just a blank look and tense shoulders. He feels his own lighthearted expression drop. "Dream. You are gonna reject him eventually, right?" "I don't- why does it matter? He's one of the only few people on my side, and the only one who I can-" he cuts himself off abruptly, and there are too many ways he could finish that sentence for Techno to discern what he was going to say. It's quiet as Dream takes a few breaths, before sitting up straighter. "Wilbur's not a problem. I'm staying with him." Techno can't help himself. "Why?" His friend looks towards the hallway Wilbur left through. There's something in his face, something Techno doesn't recognize at first. It's not until Dream stands up to leave that he puts a name to the expression. Ah. It appears that he might not have said something soon enough. He doesn't see either of them until the middle of the next night. He's sitting in the shadowy area of the front porch, carefully combing through the tangles of the fur on his cape. It's been ages since he's worked through the little knots, and he finds the methodical process relaxing. When Wilbur wanders out, shutting the creaking door behind him, Techno's not sure he even knows he's here. The man sighs heavily, leaning against the railing, breath fogging out under the light of the glowstone. Techno waits but Wilbur shows no signs of being aware he's not alone. He shrugs, going back to the consistent un-weaving and brushing with his fingers. "Remember when I used to help you with that?" The sudden question catches him off guard. "Heh?" Wilbur flaps his hand, not looking back. "Your cape. I used to insist on helping you get all those tangles out of it. It was a texture thing." Techno blinks. Of course he remembers what Wilbur's talking about. He just didn't know Wilbur did. "Yeah. You used to to steal it, just to do that." "You never found it when I did, though." Wilbur turns around, an easy smile on his face. "And it always looked better thanks to me."

A snort escapes him. "I'm sure the thousands who faced me in battle were grateful for the effort put into their opponent's appearance." "You know someone had to be." It goes quiet, and Techno looks back to his cape. There's a creaking of the floorboards and then the cape is tugged from his grasp. He watches Wilbur plop down and get to work. "I know you think I've lost my shit since I've got back," Wilbur comments idly. "So I'm sorry about that. But I hope you trust me not to let anything happen to him." Techno blinks. "Heh?" Wilbur looks up at him, offering a wry grin. "Dream's done so much for me. Least I can do is make sure he's alright." Techno... wasn't expecting that. Wilbur turns his focus back to the cape. Where did this come from? What's going on in Wilbur's head that made him think he had to say this? Why did Wilbur want to reassure him of Dream's safety? Not that he'd been that worried about Dream's safety. Not his physical safety, anyways. He's pretty sure Dream will be the one defending them when it comes to that. Maybe he really means emotionally. Once one goes over it, it's not too much of a stretch to claim Wilbur's attitude around Dream could be meant to build him up, to improve his self image, make him see he's worth more than he thinks. "Do you guys have solid weaponry, at least?" He finds himself asking. Wilbur hums, shrugging. "Not sure. I've got my guns and crossbow. I know he's got a few solid axes, picks, and the like." Techno nods, already thinking of the half finished sword he'd been making. Maybe there's other use he can put it to, now that Ranboo... won't be needing it. He carries on the conversation with Wil, watching him as he pulls through knots with spindly fingers. Seeing the man work on his cape, he can't help but think of him as his younger self, when his ears were a bit too large and mouth a bit too wide. When his voice hadn't quite yet matured, and he cracked with every other song. It makes him smile, hearing him speak now. This is a very different man than the boy who used to make him read bedtime stories, but apparently that fondness is still there. Wilbur might not be so bad for Dream after all. Two days later, it's early in the morning when Wilbur and Dream really do have to leave.. It's the first time he gets another chance to speak to Dream alone. After a good five minutes, he manages to get the other away from the group while Phil awkwardly fusses over Wilbur and the rest of the Syndicate watches as the man rolls his eyes but lets it happen. Once they're out of earshot, Dream tilts his head at him in confusion. "What is it?" Wordlessly, Techno pulls out a few enchanted books, gapples, and a sword. Dream does nothing but stare for a minute until Techno extends his arms a bit and he grasps the items cautiously. "They're for the two of you. Well, the sword is just for you. I was making it for..." His eyes drift to where Ranboo hovers in the doorway of the cottage, before shaking his head. "Anyways, I figured you'd get more use out of it." "Why?" Techno blinks at his bluntness. "Well I can take it back if-" "No, no, no, I do. I want it. Just, why are you giving it to me?" "Can't a guy give his best friend somethin' to keep him from getting killed with and not have any ulterior motives?" "Well, I mean, yeah, I guess so." Dream mutters dubiously, obviously still waiting for the other shoe to drop. So Techno lets it. "Listen," he starts. "I may not understand what the two of you've got goin' on, or why you're content with it. But you're a smart man, Dream. Wilbur's not... an awful choice, I guess. I'm totally on your side if anything happens, but. I do want the two of ya to make it back in one piece, so take care of yourself out there. Got it?" After a moment, the corner of Dream's mouth turns up into a stunned smile, and he puts the items in his inventory. "Got it, I- Thanks. You didn't have to." "Well, if you wanna get technical- oof." He's cut off by arms thrown around his chest. He freezes. Dream lets go almost

immediately, eyes shooting to the ground, seeming embarrassed at his own actions. Techno sees Wilbur eyeing them curiously from a distance. When he catches his gaze, he gets a nod he thinks is meant to be a good thing, before turning his attention back to Dream, who's studiously staring at the snow bunched up around his feet. Fondness squeezes his chest, and he breaks the silence mercifully. "Now just don't go breaking it once you're out there. Anything happens to that sword and you're not getting a new one." Dream nods. "Got it. I owe you one, Techno. Again." "Eh, you owe me more than that, but who's countin'?" The man shakes his head with a scoff, turning away. But Techno can definitely still make out a smile on his face as they make their way back to the group. More awkward goodbyes are exchanged, with stilted almost hugs and weird handshakes, until Wilbur insists that they really should get going before the sun starts to rise too much. He offers his hand to Dream with an exaggerated flourish that makes everyone roll their eyes. "You ready to go, sunshine?" Dream takes his hand with a sigh. "You dramatic shit. I'm ready." "You love it when I'm dramatic, Dreamy, don't deny it." "I didn't say anything about that." "So you do love it, then?" "That's not what I said, moron." Their bickering continues as they get further and further away, and Techno feels that twist of anxious sadness again as he watches their footsteps fall in time. "Hey!" He doesn't realize he's called out until they both stop, turning back. He fumbles for a second before finding his voice again. "Be careful." "Don't worry about us, Tech," Wilbur calls, a jovial grin on his face. "We will." "We'll try, anyways," Dream adds, but he can see the sincere expression before the two turn away. He watches, listening as the rest of the Syndicate slowly turns back in to escape the cold. Eventually, after the two disappear into the distance, he's the only one left standing there. The wind nips at his skin, whistling sharply in his ears. The twist drops to his stomach, and he smiles ruefully. Huh. He's going to miss them.

#lobi writes stuff #dreblr secret santa 2021 #dreblr #MADduo #rivals duo #c!techno #c!dream #c!wilbur #mutually assured destruction #dreblr secret santa #dreblr gifts 2021 #dadnoblade #he's a dad friend and nobody ever talks about it but he is so there #dreambur is implied but it can be read as platonic if you're not comfy with that

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artingazure · 2 years

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For @keorami for the dreblr secret santa hope you like it!

#dreblr secret santa 2021 #dreblr gifts 2021 #dreamwastaken fanart #dream #punz fanart #punz #angst #healing #secret santa

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kiuda · 2 years

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Hi @dreamhot :D

I was your dreblr secret santa! Here is a small gift for you - three conversations/situations between c!Awesamdude and c!Dream over the years and the meaning of a promise between them :D

Hope you like it <3

Happy holidays! :D

warnings: prison arc themes (torture aftermath, self harm reference (c!Dream thinks about touching lava))

I promise I’m not afraid of you.

They met a long time ago. It was back on Bad’s server, where they talked to each other for the first time - a young, up and coming adventurer with too much enthusiasm and a want to see the world and an experienced redstoner with a long list of ideas he didn’t even dream of fulfilling.

They weren’t friends. Not at first at least. They just had the same friends and spent a lot of time together. Or around each other.

They were acquaintances. Co-workers. And they were fine with that.

But one day that changed.

They were taking part in a server-wide tag competition. It was a game of extreme tag, a hunt of sorts, but with teams. Dream wasn’t Sam’s first choice. Neither was Sam Dream’s. But with Sapnap (Pandas back then) sick and Ponk busy, the choice was limited.

So here they were - Dream and Sam. Sam and Dream. Two very different, yet similar people. Both wanting to win, but wanting to hide a part of them above all else.

If only life was so easy.

It started surprisingly well. They managed to outrun most of the other teams, thanks to Dream knowing the woods pretty well after running around in them for hours at a time. Things were looking even better after Sam managed to build a simple redstone contraption that caused two teams to fall down a hole with no way out.

That’s before it all went wrong.

They were running through the thick woods, trying to lose a much better-geared team, not caring about which way they were travelling. So naturally, they found themselves at the edge of a ravine. It was a deep one, with a river of sorts running along the bottom.

Sam looked at the ravine. Looked at Dream. “No.”

“No?” Dream asked in an amused voice.

“We are not jumping down there.”

“Well, do you have any other ideas?”

Sam turned back to the ravine and looked down. The water looked deep. Maybe they would survive the fall, but he still wasn’t going to touch water if he didn’t have to.

Looking at the walls, he noticed a small ledge, almost impossible to notice from the angle they were standing. “Dream I have-!” Too late.

His teammate decided he was done waiting apparently, because the next thing Sam knew was the feeling of wind in his hair and the water coming closer at an alarming speed. Before he could even think about yelling or using his emergency pearl, he hit the river.

He panicked, opening his eyes and trying to figure out which way was the surface. He couldn’t see anything. It was dark. So dark and wet. He needed to get out.

Before his panicked mind could decide on what to do next, he felt someone’s arms hug him and a figure began swimming upwards with him in tow. The familiar green of the person’s hoodie made Sam relax. Dream. It was just Dream.

They broke the surface of the water and swam to the shore together.

“See? That wasn’t so bad-!” Dream exclaimed with a small laugh before turning to look at Sam, at which point his face turned to shock instead. Sam frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Was he bleeding? Sure, he felt something hit his head on the way down, but his mask should have protected his face. He put his hand up, trying to feel it for any damage… And felt his skin. His mask. Where has his mask gone?! He tried looking around, but couldn’t see it anywhere. “Where is it?! Where-!”

“Hey!” Dream. Oh no. Dream was still here. Dream saw his face. Dream saw… his face. Dream knew his secret. He knew that- “So you’re a creeper hybrid, yeah?”

Sam nodded his head hesitantly. Was this the moment his not-yet-but-maybe-soon friend would turn on him? It wouldn’t be the first time.

“That’s so cool!” What. That was… unexpected. Why wasn’t Dream afraid?

“Why aren’t you afraid of me?”

Dream let out a noise of surprise. “Why would I be afraid?! Hybrids are so cool! Pandas is a hybrid, you know! And so is Bad! And they are both good!” Right. But they were his friends. He knew them. Why would he trust a hybrid he barely knew? Especially a creeper hybrid. He could blow up at any moment and hurt him.

“Is that why you are so good at redstone?!” Dream asked happily, unaware of the panic his companion was experiencing. “Oh! Can you blow up?! Can you show me?!”

Sam flinched. “No!” If it was up to him, he would never blow up again. Not if it meant he could hurt someone again. Dream looked at him puzzled.

“Is something wrong?” He approached Sam carefully, trying not to spook him more. “Are you afraid of me?”

“What?” Why would Sam be the one afraid?! He was the hybrid! The dangerous one! “No! You should be the one afraid!”

“Why?” Why was this… kid asking why he should be afraid?! Was he dumb?

“Because I’m dangerous!”

“Well I’m not.” Sam didn’t look convinced. He scoffed and murmured a quiet ‘Yeah, right.’. Dream took Sam’s gloved hand in his bare one.

“I promise. I promise I’m not afraid of you.” Sam looked in his eyes. They were bright green, sparkling with flecks of gold.

He searched them for any indication of a lie.

He found none.

Maybe Dream and him could be friends after all.

I promise I don’t hate you

“Dream?” It was a warm autumn night. The rest of the server members were probably asleep by now. Sam was still awake, having stayed up late, trying to figure out a redstone contraption that just wouldn’t work. He was on his way back to his base when he noticed a lone figure sitting on the roof of the community house.

He sat by the younger man quietly, not wanting to make him leave. Dream had the tendency to keep his thoughts and emotions close, not wanting to appear weak. Even in front of one of his closest friends.

“Have you ever wondered what happens after we die?” Dream’s whisper was almost too quiet to hear. Sam looked at him closely. He looked tired. The new scars from the war were still fresh on his face, crossing his nose and each other. The bags under his eyes were darker than ever before.

“I don’t know actually. Never thought about it. What about you?”

Dream wasn’t looking at him. His gaze was fixed high up on the stars. “I don’t know either.”

Silence fell between the two of them again. The night was beautiful. The stars were bright and the sea cucumbers' faint light made the lake glow slightly.

It was peaceful. Maybe for the first time since L’Manburg declared its independence.

“Sam?” Dream still wouldn’t look over at him. His mask was off, but the bare face betrayed no emotions.

“Yeah?”

“Do you hate me?” Sam’s head turned sharply toward the other. What was he talking about?

“What?” Dream finally turned his face to look at him. His eyes were sad. Actually, his whole face was sad.

“Do you hate me? I started a war. I made you all fight. Well, not you. But the others.” Sam couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Dream. Where is this coming from? You protected us. They were the ones to start it.” He gave his friend a side hug and frowned when he felt Dream sit a bit closer. Sure, he used to really like hugs, but ever since he started the server and invited new people, his affectionate side was seen rarer. It must have been bothering him for a while.

“I just wanted everyone to get along…” Because that was the problem, wasn’t it? Dream felt like he was doing the right thing. That he was in the right. And yet he was called a tyrant for it. His server, their home. The home he made for them. He wanted to keep the peace.

“I don’t hate you.” Sam answered finally. Dream didn’t reply, just buried his head further into Sam’s jacket. “I don’t.”

“Promise?” The question was quiet, short. For many it could mean almost nothing - just a simple question with a simple answer. But for Sam and Dream it meant something more. A promise couldn’t be broken. Not between them. Not back then at least.

“I promise I don’t hate you.”

I promise I will protect you

Over the years they promised each other a lot of things. They weren’t liars. They never broke any of them. Well. At least until the Vault.

Dream’s plan was working as intended. He was ‘defeated’ by Tommy and Tubbo and was locked up in the prison he commissioned, with Sam as the Warden. Everything was going well. Sure, the conditions may have been rough, but he knew that before. He was the one to make them.

So he sucked it up. His spirit stayed strong, even when Sapnap told him he would kill him if he ever got out. Even when Sam refused to give him a new clock. Even when Ranboo stopped coming to visit.

Even when he killed Tommy.

Even when Quackity came.

Quackity wasn’t part of the plan. He wasn’t ever a variable Dream considered. Because why would he? Why would he even entertain the thought that one of the members of his server would torture someone?

And yet there he was.

Lying on the cold, yet hot obsidian, trying to stay strong. Bruises and cuts over his face and body. Staring into the slowly falling lava. It was warm. So warm. He missed that warmth. The warmth of a hug, the warmth of the sun shining on his face. Maybe if he just-

The lava was gone before he could touch it. Dream was denied the warmth once again.

He looked up and tried to identify the figure standing on the opposite side of the lava pool. The figure was tall, probably taller than the prisoner. Clad in shiny gold and forest green. Sam. The Warden. His… friend. Brother, once. Now? Protector? Enemy? Both.

The one he trusted to keep him safe. The one, who promised him that so many years ago. Way before this server existed. Before he even had a thought to find a safe place for his family.

“Sam?” The Warden was in front of him now, looking at him with disgust. A bag of potatoes hit the floor with a small thud.

“Eat.” There was nothing left from the fondness that once coloured his voice while they talked. Gone was the cheerfulness and trust. What was left was disdain.

Dream tried reaching for the potatoes slowly. He couldn’t risk making the Warden mad. Not when he could tell Quackity the truth at any moment. He just had to hold on until Techno came back. Because he would come back. That was the plan.

Sam only scoffed at the prisoner, before turning to go back towards the bridge. A quiet whisper stopped him in his tracks.

“You promised to protect me.” He turned his head slightly, not enough to face the broken body of the man he once loved.

His one visible eye narrowed when he spat out: “And you promised I will be safe.”

Neither of them have ever felt so alone before.

#dreblr secret santa 2021 #dreblr gifts 2021 #dsmp #kiuda.writing

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