𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵

---〘⇯〙---

the smp was bright. the majority of it was warmer than snowchester, the kind of warmth that settled under their skin. their bones still ached, the kind of cold deep ache that weighs them down like cement.

there were more flowers here, vivid colors staining their eyes in shades of rainbow. they lagged behind tubbo and ranboo every so often to gawk at the buildings and spires.

there were vines here. they had never seen many vines before but these seemed wrong. the made slight noises as they passed, almost as if were moving. whenever they got close enough to one, it hummed and their ears rang. they made their way past, following at tubbo's heels as ranboo led the way.

the pair wanted to introduce them to sam. they only gave them a little info on sam; he runs a prison, and he was loaded.

sam was out in front of the prison, netherite armor under the sun. they felt very small in comparison to this armor-clad giant. "hello," he said, squinting his eyes in a friendly smile. the smile itself was hidden by the gas mask he wore.

they didn't respond for a moment. "hi," they responded cautiously. they hadn't quite stepped out from behind ranboo.

there was a second of quiet. "i had heard there was someone new," sam said brightly, offering a hand to shake. they stepped out and shook his hand.

it was an iron prosthestic, carved and inlaid with bright semi-precious stones. his grip was a little too tight to be comfortable. "i'm sam. but you probably knew that. and you are?"

they stilled. tubbo and ranboo glanced at one another; the pair hadn't remembered to ask.

they offered sam a smile he couldn't see. "call me pax."

〘⇯〙

pax didn't like sam. he was friendly enough, sweet with just enough remorse whenever he looked tubbo or ranboo in the eyes to seem like a decent person; but they couldn't trust him.

sam explained what had happened with a brisk smile, the events that led up to dream's imprisonment. he gave them a side glance. "do you want to meet dream?"

tubbo and ranboo froze, staring at sam. ranboo put a hand on pax's shoulder, tugging them away as tubbo spoke. "i'm not sure that's a good idea."

sam shrugged. "why not? they should meet the smp founder. it would put everything into perspective, make them understand."

"after what happened last time," tubbo bursted out. "i don't think we can trust that you can keep them safe."

"dream has no reason to hurt them."

"and no reason not to!"

"what happened last time?" pax interrupted quietly. sam's expression changed, guilt flashing across his face.

"tommy was murdered. by dream."