Wait I still had some fireworks duo propaganda lying around might as well throw it into the mix! Both of these are dsmp canon-adjecent

"I dream about it sometimes."

The air is still, endless. The kind of quiet you can only get up north when it isn't snowing and the sky becomes a singular big patch of white looming over everything. One of the few reasons Techno moved there, despite the icy temperatures not suiting his nature. He's always cold - even with the cape and the animal hides and the scarf Phil knitted for him. But he'll take cold over 'too loud' any day.

He makes a sound, low and non-committal. Tubbo doesn't look at him.

"In your letters, the way you wrote it was like you remembered-"

"I do," Techno says. He's not blessed with Phil's patchy memory. He doesn't escape the things he rather not think about, they just get distant.

"Well, I don't." Tubbo laughs. "Weird, right? Think that's how trauma works sometimes, honestly. I mean, man, look at Ranboo. But I do dream about it. It's scary."

And Techno doesn't know what to say about that so he doesn't say anything.

"I thought that after a while It'd stop but, yeah…" Tubbo trails off and clasps his hands around the wooden balustrade more firmly.

"I don't think it will," Techno says. "Ever."

"Hm, you're right. Probably not."

The letters are so much easier compared to this. Techno could write and rewrite every line, could crumple up discarded pieces of paper that would never see the light of day. He could think thrice over each word.

But they won't be able to get past this until some things were said out loud. That's why they are here, now.

Tubbo inhales through his nose, snivels. And he's not quite crying but it's close, too close.

But they won't be able to get past this until some things were said out loud. That's why they are here, now.

Tubbo inhales through his nose, snivels. And he's not quite crying but it's close, too close.

(Techno thinks about a field of poppies and Tubbo picking flowers, showing him where they grew outside the ravine of Pogtopia. It feels like eons ago.)

"Fuck." Tubbo rubs at his eyes with his sleeve, wipes away the tears stuck in his lashes. "It's stupid cause I want to let it go but it's hard," he admits. "Do you… I don't know, do you think you'd do things differently, in hindsight?"

Techno swallows. Eyes burning into his skin, watching him from all sides. Cornered, no way out, glancing at the roof but not seeing the slightest movement. Nobody coming to help them. And he had gear and weapons but what are those in the face of too much, too many all of them out to kill him. If he doesn't pull the trigger somebody else will.

He shakes his head. "Nah," he decides. "I wouldn't. I mean... I hate that it happened but I wouldn't do anything different."

(Because there is illusion in choice and sometimes you know you'll regret an action for the rest of your life before you even make it. Then you make it anyway.)

"Good," Tubbo says, lighter. Decisive. "Somehow I think that makes it better."

They don't talk about it anymore after that.

"How many were you wanting?" Techno asked.

Tubbo squatted on the floor of the pen. Immediately, two dogs jumped up in an effort to lick his face and succeeded only in using their weight to push him to the ground. Techno grabbed one of them by the scruff of the neck to pull it off, while Tubbo pushed the other away a little. It barked, then nuzzled his cheek.

"I was thinking two or three? We have more than enough space around Snowchester." Tubbo rubbed some dog spit off with his sleeve.

"Three's a good number," Techno agreed.

Tubbo stood back up. "Yeah! And I figure it's enough for like, personal protection?"

"Personal protection," Techno echoed. "I can see that. Not sure you need the dogs for protection when you got nukes but-"

"You have a polar bear," Tubbo said, perfectly deadpan.

"Steve isn't for protection. He's an emotional support animal."

As if noticing the conversation was about him, Steve growled lowly. He had followed them outside, probably expecting Techno to take him on his daily walk. Instead, they had headed straight for the dog house. When Tubbo had come by and asked Techno if he would consider letting go of a few hounds in exchange for emeralds, Techno had answered that any dogs without collars were good to be traded since they didn't have names yet, so they were picking out which ones could go.

Tubbo followed Techno out of the pen again, three dogs now trailing behind. "And how does that work?"

"Try it." Techno nodded at Steve. The bear sat down on his butt and tilted his head, curious.

"Are you joking?" Tubbo didn't move.

"Do I look like a guy that makes jokes?"

Tubbo was gracious enough not to answer that, but he did sigh before carefully reaching forward. For a moment Steve only waited, big black eyes with not a thought behind them. When Tubbo's hand came within reach, he put his snout on top of it. Tubbo hesitated, giving Steve a few small pats along short fur.

As if that was the cue he'd been waiting for, Steve plopped forward. Tubbo shrieked, suddenly finding both his arms filled with a good thousand pounds of polar bear. It didn't crush him though, as if the animal knew how to position itself so as to provide a comforting pressure without constricting his airway.

And then Steve started purring.

"Yeah, okay," Tubbo said, stroking more enthusiastically. Steve's fur was so thick his hands almost completely disappeared into it. "I see what you mean."

"Calms you down, right?" Techno grinned, pleased with himself.

Tubbo hummed a reply. Inadvertently, his face had gotten squished into the bear's warm body. It was like having his own personal heater. A very soft, very loud heater.

"Actually, if you like that, I have a different proposition…" This time Techno led him to the part of the dog house that served as a shelter against rain and snow, wooden planks set up to protect from the elements and blankets covering the ground for the hounds to lounge on. Their food and water bowls were there, as was a female dog who had given birth a handful of weeks ago.

The pups were old enough to not nurse anymore, but reluctant to stray far from their mother's side, content to play wrestle and frolic inside the shelter.

Techno picked one of them up, a yipping bundle of energy that he promptly dropped in Tubbo's hands.

"I trained Steve myself. I could teach you how it's done."

"Oh…" Tubbo didn't know why he was hesitating. The pup nipped at his fingers, tail wagging faster. "I don't-"

"You can still take the other ones for uh, personal protection," Techno said awkwardly. "But I think you might need this one too. Won't hurt to try, at least."

With a soft bark, the puppy nestled deeper into his arms. Tubbo couldn't help but smile down at it.

"Yeah… wouldn't hurt to try."