So yes.

Your first meeting with Techno was uncharacteristically pleasant.

Even if you somehow ended up fighting him, and then proceeded to laugh at dry humor with him, and then took the time to ogle just how attractive he was as a person.

Because- let's be real.

He was incredibly hot.

You wouldn't try anything with him, but more or less he was a tired and relatable piece of eye candy.

But regardless of how attractive and built he was, compared to how you met a lot of the other citizens of both the SMP, and L'manburg (or 'Manberg' at the moment)- you considered him a good person.

Jschlatt threatened you when you met, Quackity insulted you and tried to flirt with you at the same time.

You don't even want to get started on Dream.

Seems nice at first, but his tone of voice and the way he'll just stare at you is so incredibly off... he acts like he's faking his friendliness.

Admittedly you didn't really have friends- and lived as neutrally as you could, which was incredibly hard with both sides of the countries war wanting more head count.

Jschlatt already threatened you to join Manberg- to which you rejected, cause he was so aggressive with you.

Based on what Techno told you yesterday, Wilbur was going to ask you to join him soon.

Safe to say, you were expecting the knock on the door when it happened.

Log cabin in the middle of a birch woods, a good few miles from the mainland, but a knock regardless.

You merely stood, and strut over to the door.

Walking over was the easy part. Actually opening was so much harder then it needed to be.

Your mind raced with another situation like Jschlatt. Specifically the situation where the president comes knocking, gives you some harsh threats that consist of burying your body in your own front yard if you ever talk to Wilbur, and leaving after offering you a safe spot in Manberg.

That was a great time. Emphasis on 'great.'

But you'll never find out if you keep reminiscing, so without any further ado, you yank your door open and give your best, 'no shit on my watch' face to... you guessed it, Wilbur.

He gave you a smile and a wave, as well as a, "Can I come in?"

Of course you let him in. You weren't a person who could turn away people.

You merely stepped to the side, and nodded your head towards the inside of your cozy house.

"Thanks." He said, walking in and giving an inquisitive look around at how you decorated the place.

Closing the door behind him, you motioned to follow, walking straight into your kitchen where a kettle of warm water was still brewing. He politely stood, still eyeing the coziness of your house.

"Please, take a seat Wilbur." You turned your back, reaching into your cabinet and grabbing two handle less cups. You set them on the counter preemptively, before turning and leaning on the side of it.

Wilbur had taken a seat closest to the exit, politely resting his hands in his lap instead of the table, and even from here you could see how disheveled he looked. It was almost as if he was living in a cave. Dirt and coal soot covered most of him.

"So- I'm pretty sure I know why you're here, but would you like to elaborate?"

After you said that, he sighed, and gave you a solemn face, "What do you know about L'manberg?"

You squinted, "I know a lot about it for someone who wasn't a part of it." You squeezed your hands together, "I know what you went through to get it... I know why it fell..."

"Then surely you must know why I have to get it back?" Wilbur cut in swinging a hand around in the air as he spoke, "Schlatt is a tyrant- he can't be left in charge of those people."

That's the thing. You wanted to say. Both sides were filled with horrible secrets and backstabbing. Both sides of this war are tinged in darkness. You couldn't say that though, not to someone so convinced he was right.

Wilbur coughed into his fist, looking out the far off window at the small garden, "People out there are suffering, and there is a way to fix it."

All you could think about while he talked was how messed up they're situation was.

"I need your help to fix it."

He was staring you in the face again, eyes hazed with something... wrong. Something dark, that you couldn't place your finger on.

"I don't...." You started, rubbing the back of your head, "I don't know if I can join..."

He gave you a slightly disappointed face, but his resolve seemed undeterred, "Please, hear me out-"

The whistle of the kettle of water behind you made you flinch. Quickly turning, you took it off the heat and continued to listen to Wilbur.

"I know Schlatt threatened you- he wants more people to join him, by force or not."

Filling the two cups you set out halfway with hot water, you placed the kettle back down and shuffled around to grab the cocoa beans. Your hands were shaking.

"(Y/N). I won't force you to join me, but if you ever need to fall back on someone, Pogtopia will be there."

From the brief mention of the threats, and the thought that it brought with it, of Tommy and Tubbo, (which both are children mind you) it nearly made you say no to his proposal.

You couldn't help but shake. It felt that whoever you choose something bad would happen regardless. You tried your best to focus on mixing the coco in, as well as the sugar, and then the milk. You didn't look Wilbur in the eyes until you placed his cup of hot chocolate down in front of him.

The small glint of worry in his eyes made it clear that he could see how uneasy you were.

"I still don't know." You muttered, sitting down and clutching the scalding cup in your hands as though that would help your mind settle, "And I don't know if having someone who halfheartedly believes in your cause is in your best interest Wilbur."

He blew on his cup, still giving you that determined expression, "It isn't. I know. But I know you don't have anyone to look out for you. I don't want more people to fall into Schlatt's web."

You took a sip of the hot chocolate, even though it was burning hot, it settled you, "Grab the neutral party before someone else does..."

"When you put it like that it sounds a lot harsher." Wilbur squinted at you.

Letting out a small chuckle, you took another sip, "Merely simplifying things."

A stray thought led you to think about a few days ago. When you met Technoblade. He acted incredibly neutral. That thought comforted you.

"In theory, if I join- IF." you started to say, giving him a look when he got excited, "I wouldn't be asked to partake in any battle would I? Is there like a job that is strictly doing things that don't involve fighting?"

A hopeful look rose to Wilbur's face, "YES. um- Yes... That can definitely be arranged- like a supplier of sorts right?? Like what Techno does, only without all the fighting involved-"

"Yes..." You spoke, "Someone who just gets you guys equipment, and supplies..."

"Will you join??" Wilbur said, all but jumping out of his seat, excitement fueling his actions before he sat himself back down, "If you do that instead of fighting that is.."

Another stray thought rose. Of how those two kids must be taking everything, one living on the run and the other under Schlatt's clutches. Possibly without proper rest, and food, and shelter-

You heart clenched at the thought- curse the nurturing in you-

Then the thought of Techno came back, of the conversation you had, and how pleasant it was to laugh with someone again...

You made your choice.

"I'll join."

..

A grin cracked onto Wilbur's face, eyes hazing over again.

...

"You won't regret it."

You sure hoped you wouldn't.

After that heavy conversation was out of the way, you sat at your kitchen table and finished off your hot chocolate. It took Wilbur longer to do so, he would take sips, and then curse about how it burned his tongue.

You could only laugh at him.

Especially when he asked how you finished yours so fast, and you could only shake your head and said you liked your hot chocolate, well, h o t.

And once he finally left your cozy little cabin, two pieces of paper in your hand with the coordinates of their base and a rendezvous point, the promise to be in touch, and the words of, 'you can move in with us if you want' you went back to brewing more hot chocolate.

Living this far out was usually peaceful, filled with smooth days of doing menial tasks and sipping on any hot drink you could get your hands on, but while you slept that night, you felt extremely uneasy.

It felt like someone was going to sneak in and kill you. The words of Jschlatt still haunted you, and it had you looking over your shoulder the next few days.

It also had you drinking more hot drinks then you usually did in an attempt to calm yourself.

Warmth reminded you of a family, of which you hadn't seen in a very, very long time. Your brother was who you last saw, and his last sentence to you consisted of cursing you out.

You still cared for him.

You always would, and you understood why he said the things he did, but it still hurt even after such a long time.

Despite not feeling safe in your cozy little cabin... you sucked it up. You could live like this. If you really tried.