Chapter Text
Chapter One: Why hello there, new friend.
Ranboo was running out of time.
He only had a few minutes before Sam came to wake him up for the morning, give him his food, and hopefully entertain him for a little while.
Ranboo’s tall body was curled into a ball under the thin sheets, due to limited movement his body felt all warm, causing him to wake up with a small smile.
He stretched out in the too small bed, rubbing his eyes with his palms for a good minute to get all the itchiness and tiredness out of his eyes. His head rested back on the matted down pillow, eye’s scanning over the ceiling, making sure to hover over the most beautiful spots.
His stars. He loved his stars, watched them every night and every morning with all the affection in his heart. The cracks in the obsidian, lit up by the orange lava that kept him locked in the small box he called home, were his beloved stars.
The hybrid hated leaving the comfort of his bed, because he knew he wouldn't have the best view of his stars, but the thought that comforted him was that he knew he would get to lay down at night, and drift into a peaceful sleep with his favorite things watching over him.
So with a breath of hot air, he lugged himself out of bed, standing beside the mattress that rested on the floor; letting his limbs stretch out and his bones crack.
Deciding that he’d wasted a little bit too much time, he bent over, and made his bed, making sure that the blankets were perfectly fitting on the bed and absolutely unwrinkled.
Good, that would please both himself and Sam, and maybe Dream if he was here today. He stood himself straight, reaching a height of nearly six feet,but he wasn't fully sure because he hadn't had the ability to check in a long time. The gray shirt went down to his thighs and the fabric was so loose on his skinny body that it made it oversized and comfortable.
He wanted to make himself as presentable as possible, so he moved quickly, tying his thick shoulder blade long hair into a ponytail. It was thick and fluffy, the left side white; the right side black.
The hair tie was ready to snap, barely hanging on for dear life, but it was sufficient, and that was what mattered.
Making sure to straighten out his clothes once more and rub his face clean, he clamped his hands behind his back and stood in the middle of the cell.
The hybrid’s slightly fluffy tail flickered back and forth behind his legs, excited to see the person who had kept him company for the past two years as of last month.
Nearly a minute later, Ranboo hears the pistons clicking and shifting, and the lava slowly stops falling, and Ranboo catches a small smile gracing his lips.
Warden walks into the cell, stance dominant and stiff, armor clicking as he moves. Sam no longer carries his trident with him, but he keeps a dagger hooked onto his waist in case he ever needs to use it on Ranboo, but Ranboo’s so obedient, he never plans on making Sam use it on him.
Sam holds the usual small plate with an unpeeled clementine, half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a small plastic cup with orange juice in it.
Ranboo shakes his hands behind his back, trying to control his happiness by keeping his hands hidden; yet his tail loves to go against his wishes and sway back and forth quickly.
“Good morning Sam!”
The strange alien hybrid purrs happily, thrilled to see his favorite person again. Sam wears a mask to cover his green face, but he gives a nod and hands Ranboo the plate of food, responding huskily; “Good morning prisoner.”
Ranboo sinks to the ground on his knees, placing the plate in front of himself as he starts to eat, a happy purr leaving his throat. He’s always so lonely at night, he loves his stars, but they never talk back to him so it’s hard to keep his calm when he sees an actual person.
Sam leans against the wall, crossing his arms over his metal chest plate, watching Ranboo eat his breakfast.
The black and white hybrid is filled with happiness, it’s so overwhelming almost every day, but thankfully Sam has always been patient with him whenever he gets these bursts of ‘desperation’ as Sam likes to say.
“How are you today Sir?”
He asks as quickly as he’s finished chewing his first bite of semi stale bread. His bright green and red eyes flickering up to look up at Sam, showing that he’s listening and being respectful, that he cares about what the Warden has to say.
The familiar, almost comforting blank voice speaks through his slightly muffling mask;
“I'm doing good today prisoner, thank you for asking. I have news for you actually. Me and a few workers will be doing work on the cells during the next month or two, so I will be moving you to a different holding place while we do the work. You’ll be good, right?”
The words had hints of undertones laced in the words, but Ranboo knew exactly how to sew up the wound that was slowly being opened with Sam’s words.
“Oh yes sir, of course.”
Both him and Sam knew that he meant every word, every word was relaxed and genuine, it was like he was giving himself up to Sam.
Ranboo didn’t want to cause more trouble, the first year in this prison had been awful for Ranboo; it had taken the hybrid so long to convince Sam that he wasn’t a threat, and now that he had proven that he wouldn’t dare shatter it.
He was nearly finished with his first meal of the day, he had been on his way to peel the orange, but the excitement of getting to see a different part of the prison made him decide to pocket the delicious fruit, take a swig of the orange drink, and stand up.
Sam grabbed Ranboo’s wrists and held them in front of Ranboo’s body, handcuffing the thin wrists together.
They were not as tight as they used to have to be, they were much more loose, no longer digging into his skin to the point where blood would run down his arms and any slight movement would bring him to tears.
His eyes flickered to the white scars that were left in his skin, but only for a moment did he study them because Sam tugged him along, outside of the cell, and through the maze of hallways. To say that Ranboo was amazed with everything he saw was an understatement.
He was in absolute awe, tailing flickering behind him quickly; like an excited puppy bouncing with excitement.
Every single light, every new material that was used on the ceiling or walls gained his full attention, before quickly moving on to the next exciting thing. Sam was practically dragging the boy along,
“Come on, don’t be difficult.”
The words snapped Ranboo’s attention back to Sam, who opened up the lava, and had now fully dragged him to a large cell, in what felt to be far away from his usual cell.
There were multiple pairs of chains on the back wall and some on the floor, some ragged blankets thrown on the floor in a sloppy pile, and a caldron of fresh water.
Ranboo walks in, looking up at the ceiling as Sam uncuffs his hands and instantly chains both his wrists to some of the harsh metal cuffs on the floor. The mismatched eyes scan the ceiling frantically to find stars, sadness weighing down his heart as he finds out that there are no beautiful cracks covering the ceiling.
The tall boy sat down on the floor, wrists held out in front of him. He pulled his knees into his chest. He could see that Sam wanted to leave, that he was edging towards the door. Ranboo didn't want Sam to leave yet, so he called out.
“Sam, will Dream be coming today?”
Dream had been far more aggressive during the first year, despite most of the time it was Sam stealing information from him, Dream was the one who came up with all the ideas, and would supervise the sessions, pointing out all of Ranboo’s weak spots.
Yet overtime Dream had quickly become one of Ranboo’s favorite people! Dream would be a kind more friendly, matching Ranboo’s affection more than Sam usually would.
Dream would allow Ranboo hugs here and there, and sometimes even tell him stories about life outside of home, stories of all the adventures that Dream would go on with his friends!
Lately Dream had stopped coming by as much, and it had made the strange boy more lonely. He wasnt mad about it though, Dream had a life that did not revolve around him, and that was okay; he just hoped that the blonde would come back and visit soon.
“Dream has been busy lately, so I don’t know when he’ll be coming by.”
Oh, that was.. Definitely an answer. It wasn't what Ranboo had hoped for, but it wasn't an awful response.
At least there was a chance of Dream coming back eventually! Before Ranboo had time to ask more questions, try and get Sam to stay, the powerful Warden cut him off by heading out of the cell, closing down the lava and calling out,
“I’ll be back later. Stay good!”
Ranboo opened his mouth to respond, but the faint sound of Sam’s boots clicking away shut him up and he sighed, placing his chin on his knees. He just repeated the same things in his head;
‘He’ll be back soon. I’ve been good. Someone will visit me eventually. They’re all just busy. It’s fine, you're fine. Be more patient.’
That’s exactly how Ranboo made his way through the rest of the afternoon, repeating calming things in his head as he shifted around, trying to find something to do all alone.
His thoughts went rogue, running with thoughts, trying to remind himself of all the sweet things in his past that had happened with Sam and Dream; yet every time he tried to think of something happy his mind decided to wander.
He was zoned out, head leaned back against the wall, arms wrapped around his knees. He was thinking about his favorite story that Dream had told him, and playing it out in his head.
Dream and his two best friends had fought and won a war, all by themselves, and apparently Dream had been so heroic, slaying all the monsters that caused him trouble, and reigning supreme over everyone. Dream said that the world was a better place now that he was king, ruling over all the people who didn't know how to take care of themselves.
That had been in December of last year, and then a few months into this year Dream said that some of the delinquents were causing trouble, so he had to take care of them; but Dream was always calm, he knew he could handle it.
Ranboo admired his confidence.
Dream and his two friends; whose names were Sapnap and George, yet Dream loved to call them Snap and Gogy, cared about others, and wanted to make this planet a better place. They took care of all the dangers, and never let anything break them.
The mismatched boy was going to continue his train of thought, planning to animate the lovely worded story, but he could hear the pistons clicking, and that instantly gathered his attention instantly.
He hoped it was one of his friends; either Sam or Dream would work!
Quickly he stood up, letting his chained arms hang by his sides, a little hopeful grin spread across his face.
The first thing that confused him was that there were two pairs of shoes, two figures standing in front of the lava.
Maybe it was both his friends! That thought was quickly wiped away when he realized the two people were struggling, grunting, fighting, attacking. They were attacking each other.
Ranboo shrunk back against the wall, ignoring the slight pain that the cold metal around his wrists caused him. Dream was there, but there were many noticeable things wrong about him at that moment.
He was yelling down at this other person; whom Ranboo paid no attention to at this moment because he was locked on watching Dream in frozen fear and confusion.
Dream’s mask was on the side of his head, showing off his scarred face, that of which had fresh scars healing along his cheeks and jawline.
His hands were tight on the squirming person, yelling at him to stay still as the blonde dragged him by the hair into the cell, clipping the chains onto the new visitor's wrists.
Once the prisoner; who must be under aged he was so short, was secured by the dehumanizing metal, he bared his teeth shouting loud words at Dream; cruel, anger filled words that caused Ranboo to flinch and move farther away from him.
The chain clanked around on the ground loudly as the new prisoner struggled, trying to go back to attacking Dream, fighting to re-earn his freedom.
‘That won’t work, he’ll just end up hurting himself, getting a crueler treatment while he’s here.’
Ranboo’s thoughts echoed quietly in his head, almost like his voices were trying to warn Tubbo despite the fact that they knew they wouldn't be heard.
Dream snuck around the shorter boy, wrapping his arms around his chest, and pulled out a needle; stabbing it into the boy’s neck, and holding him still until the new prisoner went limp. Dream let his arms go, watching the brunette slump down to the ground, back resting against Dream’s legs, breathing slowly, calming down as he fell deeper into unconsciousness.
The scarred blonde stepped away from Tubbo, letting his body slump to the ground fully. Dream hid the needle back into his pocket, and straightened out his clothing.
Ranboo watched him with intense eyes, a small part of him scared; feeling the need to hide from a possible threat.
Dream just stepped over to him, ignoring the flinches, and opened his arms. Ranboo’s tail stayed tucked between his legs, he was nervous about being a victim to Dream’s anger, but the possibility of physical affection lured him away from the wall and tightly into Dream’s arms.
The much taller boy had to crouch and slump his body so that he wasn't taller than the prison guard. He loved the affection, a deep sounding purr being made in his throat as he mumbled into Dream’s shoulder.
“I missed you.”
It was true, he had really missed the company of his friend, so much so that he was nearly on the brink of tears. He hated being alone so much, he was so grateful that Dream was here now.
Dream chuckled softly, rubbing Ranboo’s back to comfort him a bit more. Ranboo’s nose filled with the scent of sweat, smoke, and grass.
It was such an unfamiliar and strange smell, that Ranboo couldn't help but press his face more into Dream’s shoulder so he could smell it easier.
“I’m sure you have! I’m sorry I was gone, thing’s outside got a bit chaotic.”
The mixed boy nodded, before lifting his eyes up to look at the limp boy on the floor a few feet away from him.
He made sure to speak with caution and respect, but he wasn't too stressed about it because Dream was never too strict about following the rules about respect.
“Who is that boy?”
Dream unwrapped his arms from around Ranboo’s waist, leaving Ranboo’s body feeling a bit lonely, but he was so happy that he had at least gotten to touch his favorite person for a few minutes if anything!
Dream sighed, leaning back against the wall, before sinking down to sit for a few minute’s. Ranboo sank down just a foot or two away from him, knees drawn up in his chest as he watched Dream with genuine curiosity and all his attention.
The messy blonde man looked at the boy’s limp form and a grin spread across his face, and he let out an amused huff.
“That, Ranboo, is the most dangerous person on the SMP.”
All the staff (which only consisted of Dream and Sam, it was a particularly easy job to handle) referred to this world as the SMP, which Ranboo never understood; he had no idea what it meant and to him it was an all over dumb thing to name a planet.
But once Ranboo had been told that Dream had come up with the name, he never again dared to think that it was a dumb name; because if it came from Dream it must have some beautiful and amazing meaning that Ranboo was simply too dumb and uneducated to understand.
The words his friend spoke clicked in his head like a puzzle in a few quick seconds.
“..He’s the one who blew up your house last year?”
A firm nod and a scowl was Ranboo’s response.
Despite himself, a small part of Ranboo’s brain nagged at him to smile, maybe even laugh. This boy was so small and.. Defenseless. He really bested Dream? How could his amazing, heroic Dream lose to a minor?
That reaction would be disrespectful, so he forced his face to go back to serious and blank, scanning the boy that was so dangerous.
His arms were littered with pale white scars, hand covered in double the amount of scars. The brown hair covered his entire head, it was puffy and tangled, and he had bangs that protected his eyes and nose.
The left side of his face was overtaken by nasty looking burn scars, going all the way down to his neck, and under his shirt.
They were nasty scars, looking awfully painful, it made Ranboo feel sick.
His scar’s compared nothing to those of this strangers.
Once he had studied his face, he went back to studying a hidden detail in the guy’s hair. Hidden under the tangles and fluffiness, were two floppy goat ears, covered in a thin layer of light brown fur.
Ranboo knew that there were other hybrids on this planet, but the only one he had seen was Sam. Seeing another person like him was so exciting! His tail swished softly side to side on the ground behind him, having to show a small sign of his happiness.
“If I’m correct, his name is.. Tubbo, right?”
A nod was his response.
Ranboo was proud of himself for remembering that! When Dream would rant and tell his long, emotion powered stories, he usually wouldn't refer to the people that annoyed him with names; they would more often be degrading names.
Most often, the small brunette was called ‘that little shit,’ ‘freak of nature,’ and most commonly, ‘Monster.’
So the often lack of names being actually spoken along with Ranboo’s slight memory loss, remembering such a small detail felt like a big thing to be proud of!
Cutting off Ranboo’s rambling train of thought, Dream’s rather tired and slightly harsh voice said,
“He’s gonna have to stay in here with you, this cell is the only one secure enough to hold him until we’re done remodeling the main cells. He’s dangerous Ranboo, he’ll try and manipulate you with his words, try and get you to help him escape. Just stay away from him, treat him like a dangerous wild animal, needing to be trained, okay? Don’t give in to his antics, no matter what he does or says.”
This was a lot to take in, but Ranboo just nodded along, willing to do whatever Dream told him was best for his safety.
He had to remind himself that he had never been out in the world of the SMP, so he had no knowledge of the threats that existed. His only source of information about this stuff was Sam and Dream.
Even if it went against his own immature thoughts, he knew he was wrong. Sam and Dream were adults, they were powerful, they were strong. They knew what was best for him.
Since this boy was deemed a threat, by the most trustworthy person Ranboo knew, Ranboo would do his best to treat him as such, determined not to help him escape, or encourage his acts of defiance.
“Can you do this for me? With him locked up here I’ll be able to visit you more, he just needs to stay locked up.”
If Ranboo hadn't been sold before (he had), he was now one hundred and ten percent sold and his new goal was making sure that Tubbo stayed locked in here and wouldn't pose a threat to the outside world, or Sam and Dream.
“Yes sir, of course I can. I’ll keep him from escaping, or hurting anyone! But mainly keep him from escaping.”
He corrected himself throughout the sentence, trying really hard to prove to Dream that he had his priorities set straight.
The green and red eyes lifted off the ground, daring to look at Dream, pleased to see a soft affectionate smile as a result of his words.
Dream reached his hand out, ignoring the small flinch that Ranboo made, and stroked his hair; a silent praise for the prisoner's good behavior.
The blonde man heaved himself up to his feet, retracting his hand away from Ranboo’s hair and walking away from the two younger men.
The lava was still open, which surprised Ranboo a little bit, but made his cheeks flush a light pink because maybe that meant the guards were trusting him more!
“I’ve got to go fix shit outside of the prison, don’t let the little bitch manipulate you. I’ll be back some other time, Sam will bring you dinner in a few hours!”
A few quick nods were the response Dream got, but he was long gone and the lava was already coming down at a quicker pace than it stopped, and then once again Ranboo was locked up; but he wasn't alone this time, there was another person with him.
Albeit a person with a dangerous and badly perceived image, but maybe this new person could be a friend! Ranboo would just have to be extra cautious, he would try not to be rude or brash unless necessary.
He remembers how the treatment he got when he first arrived at Pandora’s was; cold, cruel, hateful. That had an effect on him, and he wouldn't want anyone to go through, and so he wouldn't do it to this Tubbo.. without reason!
So, Ranboo sat there on the floor, and waited. And waited.. And waited some more.
It was getting really boring, and Ranboo’s emotions were getting a bit overwhelming; there was fear, excitement, and maybe a bit of anger.
He was angry at this boy because of all the times that he had hurt Dream, Dream didn't deserve to be hurt!
He was upset about all the times in the early years of his capture when Dream would come in and beat him, yelling about his hatred towards the unknown, about hybrids, about Tubbo.
But Ranboo was so excited at the same time, he was so lonely, there was the lack of constant visits from Dream, the loss of his stars. He hadn't met another person for nearly two years, he was so incredibly excited to talk to a new person.
Yet his anxious thoughts overpowered him once again.
‘What if he hurts me? What if he escapes and I can’t stop it? What if he instantly hates me? If I’m not able to be perfect and keep Tubbo under control I’ll be the one getting in trouble, and that’s no good.’
A little pained groan makes its way into the obsidian room, and instantly the mixed boy’s head turns to look over at Tubbo.
Finally, he’s waking up! That’s both a dreaded thought, and a welcomed one.
Ranboo curls up tighter in his ball, staying still as he watches the brunette in front of him with an almost childlike look of curiosity.
The process of Tubbo getting up is slow, he lets out a few hisses and groans as he moves his bruising body, more pained noises escaping the cage his lips have created when he starts to move his neck around.
He sits up slowly, tangled strands of hair going back to guarding his eyes, protecting the top half of his face once more.
He shifts to his knees, and then onto wobbly legs, only then noticing the chains around his wrists, letting out a more awake and way more annoyed groan and a little mutter hiss through his teeth.
His head turns side to side, examining the big, yet very bland and boring cell, scanning over it many times.
Ranboo’s breath catches in his throat, staying deathly still and not daring to make a sound. His fingers dig into his calves, which really hurts considering how unclipped his nails are; but hey, it's a good grounding technique.
After looking right, Tubbo looks left again, and finally sees Ranboo.
They both go rigid still, and then Tubbo stumbles back, mouth opening as he shouts at Ranboo in an accent that Ranboo thinks is kind of funny, but also a bit pretty sounding.
“What the hell man! Who the fuck are you?!”
The shrieking makes Ranboo’s fight or flight kick up, because he very smartly picks the third, less desired option: freeze.
He wants to open his mouth to try and speak, explain that he’s a prisoner too, but he doesn't mean any harm and he wasn't attempting to be weird or scare his new possible friend, but his jaw locks and he finds himself unable to speak, or move.
The supposed goat hybrid wasn't done with his harsh words yet, because he continued to yell at Ranboo, demanding that he speak and explain who he is.
‘It’s coming from a place of fear, you just have to prove you aren't a threat. Come on Ranboo, speak up!’
An animal-like chitter left the black and white lips, making Tubbo freeze. His shoulders heaved with deep, aggressive breaths, based on the tenseness of his face he was also probably glaring down at his cellmate.
The sound made Ranboo surprised too, it was an old thing he had learned back on his planet with his kind, a sign of friendliness, to show younglings that there was no danger nearby. Those instincts had been beaten and trained out of Ranboo a while ago, at least that’s what he had thought.
While the sound had gotten Tubbo to pause his panicking, it was only for a second, because he tugged his wrists against the chains again, trying to take another step back but failing.
His voice was a tad bit more steady, not as loud, but it was aggressive and panicked and harsh in a way that Ranboo couldnt exactly decipher.
An exhaled breath, and then,
“I’ll ask again, what’s your name?”
‘That wasn't the original question.’
Ranboo’s brain nitpicked, but he obviously wouldn't say that out loud.
He took a deep breath through his nose, feeling his lungs expand. He was asked a question, and was expected to respond.
Eyes looking down at the rough ground he was sitting on, he spoke in a quiet toned voice, using the voice that he had learned would sometimes work on de-escalating situations, especially when someone was upset.
“I’m Ranboo.”
A small response, but it should satisfy the fierce brunette for the moment.
The prisoner wanted to look up at the other, but the reminder that Tubbo’s hair covered his eyes reassured him that he could keep his eyes down and not have the pressure of eye contact, because there were no visible eyes to look at!
There was silence for a few moments, and then the sound of a sharp breath being inhaled.
“Why are you here?”
That was a funny question, because sometimes it even confused Ranboo, but he thought about all the reasons that Sam had said he was in prison for, and decided to use Sam’s words to explain his situation.
“Well, I um, I’m a danger to this society because I’m from another planet and you guys don’t know anything about my type of hybrids, so for the safety of everyone it’s safer if I stay locked up in here.”
His heart raced, but at least he got the words out, now there was an explanation to.. Well, himself.
The chains clinked a bit more, and his curiosity won the better of him, and he looked up. Tubbo was still standing as far from him as the chains allowed, back now pressed against the ragged wall.
“I know what you are, you're an enderman hybrid.”
“Pardon?”
The words slipped from his mouth before he could consider it, he was just so curious. He had never heard of an ‘enderman hybrid’, how did this guy know what it was, know who he was?
“You're an enderman hybrid, at least I’m pretty sure. Black and white skin, a tail, droopy ears, the chattering sound you made. It all leads up to an enderman.”
The wheels in Ranboo’s head turned, this was like, life changing. Maybe not that extreme, but it was definitely news to him. He had never had a title, just a strange alien, a monster that couldn't be explained.
He was too stunned to come up with a reaction, he wanted to know more, but he didn't know if he could handle that right now, so he just fell silent.
Being a supposed enderman hybrid could come later.
A few more minutes of silence found its way to the boys, it felt a bit awkward, but they were both too caught up in their own heads to notice.
Ranboo’s body stayed sitting in a ball on the floor, but he shuffled back so his back was resting against the wall. Tubbo matched him after a while longer, but he kept distance between the two of them, spreading his legs out and leaning his back onto the sharp obsidian.
“I’m Tubbo.”
‘I know.’
Danced around Ranboo’s head, but he found that might be impolite to say; one of the many things he had learned from watching and studying Dream and Sam, mostly Sam. He was taught how to be ‘normal’ by copying their mannerisms. So instead, he opted for a soft response;
“Nice to meet you Tubbo. I’ve heard a bit about you from Dream actually. It’s..interesting to finally meet you.”
The words he spoke weren't meant to come off as rude, but he knows that’s how they sounded.
He had simply been trying to convey that it was interesting to meet him because he had heard so much about him, and sure that implied that most of it wasnt good, but it sounded better in his head.
He pressed his chin into his knees a bit harder, keeping his eyes firm on the ground in front of him so that he wouldn't have to risk side-eyeing Tubbo.
An amused huff, with a drop of bitterness mixed in with it came from the smaller boy, and Ranboo spared a small glance towards him to see a little grin spread across his face for a few seconds before he spoke.
“Ah, yeah, that good old ugly green bitch, I’m sure he has plenty of good things to say about me.”
That confused the (supposed) enderman hybrid, because no, the masked man never had anything to say about Tubbo, it was always the exact opposite.
Yet the brunette was acting as if he and Dream were good friends that had only the best of things to say about each other!
Tubbo looked over at him with dark green and brown freckled eyes, and to Ranboo that seemed like a response was expected.
It probably wouldn’t end well if Ranboo was honest, but even if it didn’t end well, it was better than ignoring the more dangerous prisoner or lying.
He let out a little squeak, mid matched eyes gluing back to the ground as he gave a shake of his head.
Normally his hair would hang in front of his eyes but because it was tied back it didn’t, making him an easier target to eye contact.
“It was sarcasm. I was being sarcastic.”
The fluffy haired boy explained, growing more awkward as Ranboo just stayed quiet.
“You know.. like, a joke?”
Still, no response, because Ranboo had no idea what he was speaking about. So he just gave another little shake of his head and stayed still.
A little sigh as Tubbo spoke again like he was explaining something to a little kid with patience but confused.
“Well basically it’s like saying something in a mocking tone but it has a different meaning, it’s like a joke but teasing in a less funny way. Like if I were to say ‘Oh I totally didn’t know that!’ But I did actually know.”
That made a bit of sense, but the different colored eyebrows stayed furrowed as Ranboo took in the information.
“Why though? Why be sarcastic if you could just be serious? Isn’t that.. rude?”
“Well, kind of, but if it’s with friends or something and you all know you're just being playful then it’s not really rude.”
Tubbo’s accent made his words sound funny in a way that made Ranboo feel happy, he knows he’s supposed to be focusing on what Tubbo is saying, but his words make Ranboo want to smile.
Of course he holds himself back from it, not wanting to seem as if he were making fun of his cellmate.
He reminds himself to respond to Tubbo’s teaching words, to show that he’s interested in the topic, because he really is! It’s nice to be given more knowledge by a new person!
“Oh, okay. That makes sense. So, you were being.. Sarcastic about you and Dream being friends?”
Ranboo could see Tubbo draw his knee’s closer to his chest, and for a split second, he worried that he had made a mistake; that he had caused Tubbo to feel sad or uncomfortable or unsafe.
Forcing himself to look up, he found Tubbo’s face still blank, corners of his lips perking up just slightly. It was.. Rather easy to look at Tubbo, as Ranboo found, because his eyes were covered by a bush of hair, and so that meant that there was no actual eye contact, helping Ranboo feel a tad more comfortable.
“Nah, I hate that green bastard. He can die in a ditch for all I care. He’s an ass.”
Tubbo said that with a completely straight and uncaring face, making Ranboo frown. It makes sense that their hatred for each other would go both ways, it’s just.. Uncomfortable hearing someone talk bad about a person that Ranboo cares about.
“I um, what did you, uh, do?”
A split second of a curious look and Ranboo instantly bubbled out more words to awkwardly and quickly explain what he was trying to convey.
“Like, this time? Because um, I’ve been told you’ve committed many crimes, so uh, what happened this time?”
Ranboo’s pointy ears which are covered in a light coat of fur pin down against the sides of his face, and his eyes go back down to the ground.
He really can’t just not be rude for a few minutes, huh?
Was that sarcasm? He’s pretty sure he just made a sarcastic comment! However he’s not fully sure, but whatever, at least he has a little bit of a happy feeling to cling to in his heart when he gets yelled at for blaming someone for something that might not have been their fault.
(It was definitely Tubbo’s fault, but it was still rude to assume such)
“Well, Dream had been living in his friend's house since I burned his old house down, so in retaliation I went to his friend's house, stole a bunch of shit, and then burned it down when I was done. No evidence left behind.”
Tubbo’s light voice said solemnly, which was a bit of an odd combo, but eh, doesn't matter.
Ranboo takes a minute, and then relaxes after he realizes that he wasn't in trouble for anything.
Relaxing back, he lets his knees loosen in his chest, sliding out to take up only an inch more of space, and prying his face back up to look over at Tubbo.
“Wouldn't burning down the house leave more evidence?”
“That’s the point.”
“Ah.”
Silence follows their words and the room is left dim from lack of life in the room, despite there being two full grown people sitting on the floor.
Ranboo holds back his curiosity, the words choking and dying in his throat, and Tubbo just.. it's there.
‘Why would this boy pick a fight with Dream all those years back?’
‘Why is he so defiant against someone clearly better than him?’
‘Is he going to hurt me?’
‘Stop being nosy, just relax and be quiet, talking and prodding will cause more problems for everyone.’
After a long range of silence, the familiar sound of mechanics moving made Ranboo’s ears perk up with excitement.
He stood up, rushing to the place where the chains met the ground so that he was strained as less as possible, tail swishing in the air behind him as a grin filled his face.
Just a few seconds later, the familiar sea green armor came into view, soon after Sam’s masked face too.
Tubbo stayed on the floor, far away from Sam and the lava, knowing it would be useless to try and escape right now. Sam held a brown paper bag that crinkled in his hand as he held it out to Ranboo, who happily accepted it and sank to the floor and began to rummage through his dinner.
An apple, small bag of drying carrots, and a half sandwich that contains a thin piece of meat and some lettuce.
Purrs vibrate Ranboo’s throat as he thinks about eating this rare meal; usually it’s a repeat of what he had for breakfast.
But he pauses, because Sam instantly begins to walk back out, and Tubbo hasn't been given a bag.
“Warden?”
Ranboo blurts, looking up at the green man, tilting his head with curiosity. He does his absolute best to maintain eye contact with him for two reasons.
Number one being he knows Sam might ignore him if he doesn't meet his eyes, it’s always been something that was implied with Ranboo’s stay here. No eye contact meant being ignored. The second reason he kept eye contact was because maybe he could convince the higher figure of power to feed Tubbo as a reward for Ranboo’s good behavior.
Sam’s expression is hard and unchanging, raising an eyebrow expectantly as he waits for his prisoner to say something.
The heterochromic eyes can't help but flicker over at Tubbo, who just has a blank face and seems to be looking at the scene unfolding in front of him.
“Will you be feeding Tubbo?”
His voice loses most of its confidence by the time he reaches the second word of his sentence, heart thumping against his rib cage.
“No, you remember the rules; bad behavior equals punishments. The other prisoner will NOT be getting dinner tonight.”
That’s a disappointing answer that leaves Ranboo a tad bit surprised, but it’s Sam, so it stops being so confusing after a moment.
The lava floods back down to the floor as Sam steps out, and a small whisper from Ranboo echo’s after him.
“Goodnight Warden.”
No response.
Ranboo goes back to rustling through his bag, and without really thinking about it, he starts to split his food. The sandwich is pulled in half, he splits the eight carrots so they each get four, and he can't really split the apple, which he nervously starts to explain to Tubbo.
“There’s your half of the food, I would give you some apple, but it’s difficult to split it without a weapon, of course, I can try if you want some of it! It might get messy though-”
His eyes looking up at Tubbo’s blank face makes him fall silent, and he decides to just swallow his words and just pushes Tubbo’s portion over to him in the paper bag.
Setting down his apple on the floor, and keeping the carrots on the little baggy they came in, he lifts his messily torn half sandwich to his mouth and is about to take a bite.
“No.”
Two simple letters have never caught Ranboo’s attention so quickly, he pulls the sandwich away from his mouth and closes it, looking over at Tubbo’s mess of hair.
“Sorry.”
It’s not clear why he’s saying it, he just does. Maybe Tubbo expects more from him, probably wants the whole sum of food, he was fighting earlier anyways, so he probably needs it more after the draining events he must have gone through.
Ready to slide the rest of his food over to Tubbo, Tubbo’s voice cuts him off.
“No, it’s your food, you keep it.”
The paper bag gets tossed over to Ranboo, earning a flinch away from the paper. His confused eyes look up to examine Tubbo’s face as he tries to reason with Tubbo to eat.
“But you need some, you need food, it’s important.”
Going back and forth for a few minutes is how Ranboo finally snaps, tossing the bag over so it lands a few inches in front of the arguing brunette. His voice lowers, it’s a bit quieter and he looks down at the floor too, just wanting to convince his cell mate to eat so they both stay fed.
“Please. Just eat it, I don’t need it. It’s fine, my portion is more than I need, so it’s okay. Please eat it.”
He expects the bag to be thrown back at him, but instead, he hears it crinkle, and the noise of a carrot being snapped and chewed.
A smile plays on his lips, and he’s glad that the stubborn boy is finally eating his share.
The two stop their bickering for a while as they consume the small amounts of food, and they finish around the same time.
All that’s left remains the red apple, one of the only things that brings color to the boring area.
Ranboo keeps it on the floor in front of him, looking down at it. He wants to offer it to Tubbo first, knowing just how hungry Tubbo might still be.
“Do you want the apple?”
He manages to keep his eyes down on the floor in front of Tubbo, examining the silver shackles that remain tight on his wrists. They’re tighter than the ones on Ranboo, and that’s saying a lot because the one’s on the mixed boy's arms are close to bruising.
“No, you keep it. I’m fine.”
Ranboo want’s to argue, but he’s been told to keep it so he’ll do so. He takes a bite, letting it crunch in his mouth. It’s a bit harder than some of the other apples he’s had before, more sour than sweet, but still yummy.
Once the two of them are done, the gathered trash gets tossed into a corner and they both plan on forgetting about it until tomorrow morning.
Tubbo lay’s down on his back, trying to get comfortable with resting his head on his arms.
That proves to be difficult with the chains getting in the way. The brunette huffs, but doesnt seem too surprised by the outcome of that attempt, rolling into a sitting position; all while Ranboo watches with curiosity.
After a bit longer, the silence gets almost painful, it’s uncomfortable for Ranboo to be silent when someone else is in the room, he’s always bouncing with excitement to talk to them.
So far this guy hasn't shown much hostility or hints of being dangerous, and that just makes Ranboo’s thoughts beg him to speak up even more.
Pushing away the rattle he’s tempted to make, he clears his throat, speaking in a semi confident voice that loses its confidence very quickly.
“Are you a minor?”
The reaction is instant, Tubbo’s head snaps over to Ranboo’s direction, a frown mixed with a confused smile covers the bottom of his face, and it breaks into a grin, laughing just a tiny bit before his expression goes away quickly and he speaks in a more even tone. However the smallest hint of inquisitive curiosity remains laced in his words.
“You know it boss man. Legally I’m eighteen, nearly nineteen actually. What about you?”
He cranes his head slightly to the left, shading his scars a darker shade than they really are. Ranboo isn’t quite fully sure what age he is, it’s a bit confusing. Before he came to the SMP, he had never spoken their language (called English) so that meant things were counted differently where he came from.
He had many siblings, so ‘birthdays’ were not ever a big thing. When he got here, Dream had been interrogating him about his age and other basic things as his name and such.
After lots of attempts to understand the boy (all failed), Dream figured out that he couldn't speak english.
So he had Ranboo tally out on a paper how many years he had been alive, and Ranboo had shakily, confusedly, scribbled out 16 tallies.
Dream kept him updated from time to time about the amount of time that passed while Ranboo was here, and he knew it had been two years, which here, made him a full adult.
“Eighteen, that’s what Dream said.’’
Tubbo nods, falling silent.
He doesn't seem all that pleased with the answer Ranboo has provided, but it’s extremely difficult to tell because of how emotionless he can be. No change in his facial expression, no eyes to give away his feelings, no visibly expressed body language to detect.
Thankfully he seems to have picked up on the fact that Ranboo is near desperate for conversation, because he speaks in his cheery yet dead faced tone.
“What’s your favorite color?”
It takes Ranboo a good full thirteen seconds to answer this question, he has to sort through all his options in his head and carefully pick one, his absolute favorite.
All while Tubbo examines him, not that Ranboo notices.
“Purple. I like purple.”
A long while ago, Ranboo had been sick, and Sam and Dream had agreed in hushed whispers to take him outside to this thing called the courtyard. While out there, Ranboo had been astonished by the pretty little things on the ground called flowers; with delicate little flowers, yet they had such a big role in nature; they provided pollen for bees which was turned into honey, which Ranboo had heard was really good!
Out of all the flowers, while he was examining them, he found the most stunning one out of all of them. It was nearly what his kind called ‘tranquil’, but it was a bit lighter.
Sam had informed him that it was a color called purple, and from that moment on he had adored that such a beautiful color had a name like purple.
Tranquil was beautiful, but as Sam had explained, ‘purple’ explained it better.
He hadn't seen the flower in a long time, but he hoped it was still there, flowing in the wind as breathtaking as the day he first saw it.
“What is yours?”
Since Tubbo had been kind enough to ask him a question, he would pick up carrying the conversation.
Tubbo hummed in thought, before chirping pretty quickly.
“Yellow, like bees.”
Never in his life had Ranboo heard of a bee, nor had he seen one. What in primes was a bee???
He associated the word yellow with the sun, or with mild bruises.
“What’s a bee?”
It was an innocent question, a genuine one, that was responded with a genuinely shocked and puzzled expression, before Tubbo pulled himself together and closed his jaw, muttering something to himself under his breath that the (possible) enderman hybrid couldn't catch.
“Cute little insects that fly around with little wings. They’re yellow, they make honey.”
That’s what makes honey?! Ranboo had assumed that the flowers just did it themselves, but this creature called bee’s actually did all the work?!
“That’s so cool..”
Ranboo’s little voice echoed, like an awe struck little kid. These bee’s must be really strong and talented to make lot’s of honey every day, contributing so largely to the community by helping both nature and those who eat honey.
Amazing.
Not only that, but the bee’s sounded adorable and probably friendly too!
At this moment, all the overthinking Ranboo had done just a few hours ago seemed silly, it floated away from his mind. This guy didn't seem dangerous!
The thought made sure to stay lingering in the back of Ranboo’s head, trying to continue warning Ranboo not to get too happy, excited, or friendly. But it was pretty quickly washed out of his head by the blooming of joy in his heart, feeling rather comfortable right now.
That was one of his weak points, he had learned that his first year in the prison. He was far too desperate for someone to please, for anyone to care about him.
He enjoys pleasing people and doing little things to make them happy, even if it wasn't necessary.
‘Be careful, careful, careful careful careful~’
His voices whisper softly, and he acknowledges them, but let them fade silent pretty quickly.
It would probably be fine if Ranboo was friendly with Tubbo for now, it’s not like Dream would know, and it’s not like Ranboo was causing any problems or hurting anyone!
In fact, if Ranboo was friendly with the dangerous prisoner, it might even help keep the boy calm and prevent any outbreaks from happening.
So thinking about it, Ranboo was doing exactly what Dream had wanted him to do!
“So you got to the SMP, but then you were immediately put inside Pandora’s?”
Tubbo asked, trying to gain more information about Ranboo.
It was a helpful thing, to help distract Ranboo from his swirling thoughts, even though neither of them probably realized how much it was helping Ranboo.
Ranboo gave three firm, strong nods to the question, accompanied by a hum of confirmation.
He kept his eyes down on the floor most of the time, but since it was a bit easier to look at Tubbo than other people, Ranboo would let his heterochromic eyes scan over Tubbo’s face every few seconds.
“Dream’s told you stories about the outside, right?”
Again, another nod was his answer, and then finally Ranboo’s voice chimed in.
“Yeah! He’s told me about the wars and the people, and sometimes about the things that happened to the different nations.”
Ranboo was fond just thinking about all the things he had learned about this world from Dream, in his head, it was magical.
“But he‘s never told you about nature itself? The creatures, the relationships, the moments of peace?”
A shake of a head.
Tubbo paused for a second, before nodding and glancing at the lava that kept them locked in.
“That’s nice, I’m sure he’ll tell you more stories someday.”
Tubbo’s words are exactly what Ranboo hoped for every single day, and he still clung to it tightly. His hope was that one day Dream would sit down and tell him even more about the wonders of this world, more in depth than just cursing out people Ranboo barely knew of.
The conversation continued on with more light hearted questions.
Tubbo would ask simple questions, and Ranboo would respond with his whole heart, and Tubbo would respond to Ranboo’s responses.
It was a fun little game of sorts to pass the time.
Ranboo enjoyed having to think about things, especially things that he cared about.
Having someone to listen behind a hidden face was very comforting, it made it feel like there was a lot less stress about having a right or wrong answer.
The two of them were mid conversation, talking about whether or not rats were good company.
Ranboo argued that they were, they would cuddle with you, they would play with you and chase around your finger.
They were all around adorable!
Tubbo disagreed however, and was making his opinion known through the smallest sliver of a smile.
“They’re awful company! They bite, they scratch, they smell. If I had to sum up rats in two words, I would say ‘greedy gremlins!’ I mean, sure sometimes they can be cute but they have-“
The brunette's words were cut off by the pistons creaking and retracting, allowing the lava to stop flowing.
Both teenagers snapped their heads up, curiously watching the lava fall, and then watching Sam walk in.
The warden headed straight in Ranboo’s direction, so Ranboo drew himself to his feet and let the chains guide him to the more center area of the room to greet his friend.
Sam reached for the chains, unclipping them from Ranboo’s thin wrists, and gently tugging Ranboo towards the exit of the cell.
“C’mon, bath time.”
Ranboo’s tail picked up even more, swaggering from side to side as he walked alongside Sam.
Bath time happened once a week, and it was one of his favorite times!
A big tub in a bathroom near Sam’s office was filled up with warm water and bubbles, and Ranboo got to play in it for an hour or two while also cleaning himself of the grime that had built up over the week.
The lava began to fall down to block off the cell as Ranboo got further away.
Ranboo glanced back over his shoulder, looking at Tubbo’s face, and gave him a little wave and soft smile before the lava blocked off his full vision and he turned his attention back to walking with Sam.
They reached the bathroom after around five minutes of quiet walking.
It was a nice, spacious, clean bathroom made out of this pretty white stone instead of normal obsidian.
The bath was already drawn halfway with bubbles topping it, the steam floating over the bubbles and into the air, beginning to fog up the glass.
Sam released Ranboo’s wrist, and stepped back, speaking in his usual firm and cold voice.
“You know the routine, you’ve got an hour and a half. You should be dressed when I come back, alright?”
“Yes sir!”
Ranboo responded cheerily, and Sam closed the door, locking it from the outside.
Ranboo finally had privacy, and stripped off all his clothes, and climbed into the warm bath.
As soon as the warm water touched his skin, a loud purr.
He curled up his knees in his chest, body loosening and relaxing, getting enveloped in tons of different shaped bubbles.
Bath time was the only time during the week where he really, really, was able to relax.
He got to work scrubbing his body with soap, going over his body multiple times with the soap, making sure to scrub to make himself feel better.
He washed his hair with shampoo twice and conditioner once, the entire time he was in the warm water he was putting loudly.
Once he was done cleaning himself he started to play with bubbles, having some fun until the water started to lose some of its key temperature.
He stood up, grabbing his tail with his hands to keep his flickering tail from splashing water everywhere.
Wiping himself off with the towel that was left for him and draining the bath, he stepped out onto the mat left on the floor, and crouched down in front of the cupboards underneath the sink.
Sure enough, he found the usual pair of clean clothes.
He slipped into them, admiring the fresh prison outfit on his freshly washed body.
He had a few minutes left, at least he assumed because Sam hadn’t come banging on the door yet.
So Ranboo started to take care of his fluffy hair, it was down to nearly below his shoulder blades, the last time he had gotten it cut was around last year.
He scrunched up the damp strands of hair, making them slightly more waving, which would make the thickness of his hair look better when it dried.
Once satisfied with the way he looked, he wiped up the little bits of water he had gotten on the floor, hung up the towel, and headed for the door.
“Sam, I’m done!”
Ranboo called out softly through the door.
The sound of a key twisting through the knob came, and then the door was pushed open.
Ranboo was still purring just slightly under his breath, starting to lead himself to the cell, but quickly getting lost since it wasn’t his usual cell.
Sam chuckled a bit at Ranboo’s confusion, and led him the correct way to the cell.
The lava was slow to stop falling, but once it did, Ranboo was quickly gestured inside and his wrists were clamped to the chains.
Sam was turning around to leave when Ranboo bumped his head on Sam’s shoulder, huffing out an affectionate,
“Thank you Sam, goodnight.”
“Goodnight prisoner.”
Once the lava was back to flowing at its normal pace, Ranboo slumped down onto the floor.
Resting his back on the wall, more content purrs fill the illuminated room, turning his head to look at Tubbo.
Tubbo was already looking at him.
Ranboo recoiled, the purring stopping dead in his throat from sudden panic and fear. Someone staring at him with a half covered and dead look terrified him.
His body tensed and he drew into a harsh pulled back position, like an angry cat being surprised by a dog.
Tubbo’s empty face turned into a quick sympathetic smile, turning his head away to make Ranboo feel better.
“Sorry, sorry. Didn’t mean to do that, just zoned out a bit. My hair makes me look more dangerous, terrifying than I would normally look.”
‘Breathe in, breathe out. It was an accident, you're just paranoid. He’s not hurting you and it was just a mistake. You’re okay.’
Ranboo gave a nod, and his tense cat like position faded back into a normal position.
He dared to study Tubbo’s face, and decided thatTubbo really did look a bit guilty.
Head tilted down, cheeks just barely tinted with the lightest shade of pink.
The purring resumed, a sign to both of them that it was fine, no annoyance or danger.
Finally the two teenagers relaxed, leaning against the wall, both of them grabbing a blanket from the small pile that was left for them.
Tubbo laid down on his bed, putting the blanket underneath his head instead of putting it over his body. That was actually a good idea! The cell was already warm from the lava, so there was no need for a blanket.
Ranboo copied Tubbo, lying a pretty good distance away from him, the purring dying down into quiet hums every few seconds.
Ranboo dared to speak a question that had lingered in his mind for a while.
“Why do you sound the way you do?”
‘That was rude, incredibly rude! Apologize! He’s been kind, why would you cause a problem?!’
Tubbo pauses for a second, before speaking light heartedly.
“I’m British.”
Yeah, no Ranboo had no idea what that meant. Since Tubbo seemed to decently understand his animal-like sounds, and Ranboo was growing more tired and less like talking, he chittered with a small hiss through his teeth.
That earned a little bit of a giggle from Tubbo, it was just a second or two of soft laughter, but it still made Ranboo a bit happy inside.
“I assume you're confused?”
Tubbo tilts his face over on the blanket to look at Ranboo from across the room, a little happy twitch of his lip when Ranboo nodded.
“Basically, there’s different people around the world, around the SMP. And so you know how you sound? Some people sound different from you, because they come from different places. It’s called an accent, the different way voices sound. For example, Dream and Sam don’t have an accent, and since they taught you to speak English, you don’t have an accent either. It’s just something people are kinda born with.”
Ranboo nodded slowly, turning to his side, trying to make himself more comfortable on the ground.
“That make sense?”
It did make sense to Ranboo, at least it mostly did.
He didn’t fully understand it all, but at the same time now that Tubbo had clarified that it helped him understand.
He’s tired, a lot more tired than usual. Too lazy to answer, he just gave a short whistle and light clicking in his throat as response.
Silence befell them, Ranboo’s eyes growing heavier and eventually closing, dancing the edge of unconsciousness.
Before he fell asleep, he mumbled into the room.
“Good night Tubbo.”
Right as he was falling asleep, barely able to stay awake long enough to hear his cell mates response, he heard a quiet;
“Good night Ranboo.”