When Tommy was eight, Wilbur roped him into a drug van and began a nation by the name of L'manburg.

When Tommy was nine, he had to duel Dream for the right to have their nation be independent.

When Tommy was thirteen, Wilbur decided to have an election.

It was very busy and chaotic, and quite frankly, Ranboo couldn't follow everything. All he knew was that by the end, Schlatt was in charge due to him and Quackity pooling their votes together (which Ranboo was pretty sure was illegal, but whatever), and put Tubbo as his right-hand man.

Ranboo saw some parallels between him and Wilbur but didn't voice them.

Tubbo's horns had started growing in at this point, barely being visible from his mop of hair. He looked especially nervous beside Schlatt, and Ranboo didn't exactly know why.

Of course, he knew of Schlatt. He knew that Schlatt was the one who caused Tubbo's execution and the reason why Tubbo has his giant scar on his face and chest.

Currently, Tubbo was alone in the White House (aside from Ranboo), struggling to do the paperwork that Schlatt demanded he does, despite his dyslexia.

Ranboo sighed as he walked up beside Tubbo. The weird thing was that nobody seemed to be able to see him unless he interacted with them. It was like he was there, but...not.

"Help Tubbo!"
"Aw, poor bee boy :("

Ranboo rolled his eyes fondly at the particles swarming him. He looked down at Tubbo, who looked to be on the urge of a panic attack.

"Hey," Ranboo said gently, putting his hand on Tubbo's shoulder. In response, the younger boy jumped in his seat as he looked up at Ranboo. "You okay?"

Tubbo looked down at the documents beneath him. "I...I can't read very well."

Ranboo frowned. "Do you want some help?"

Tubbo nodded, his eyes watery. "Please?"

Ranboo laughed as he kneeled beside him (deja vu), reading the document to him.

~<•>~

Ranboo found his way to Pogtopia, back when it wasn't just an abandoned ravine full of buttons. He remembered Techno showing him the way there when Techno discovered Ranboo's silk touch hands.

When he got there, Wilbur, Techno, and Tommy were having a meeting. Wilbur and Techno were having a meeting while Tommy was being Tommy.

"I don't know, Wilbur, can we really trust that Tubbo kid?" Techno asked.

"I forgot you never really met Tubbo before..." Wilbur muttered. "And to be honest, I don't even really know. Even if he didn't want to, he still joined the enemy side."

Tommy frowned. "I know Tubbo. Wilbur, you know Tubbo. We both know that Tubbo wouldn't join him willingly."

Wilbur hummed but didn't seem to listen. "Tommy, can you please go fetch some blankets and water? If Techno is going to stay with us for a while, I'd want to make him comfortable."

Tommy nodded as he stood up and left the ravine.

Techno looked over at Wilbur. "Are you sure we can trust the kid?"

"Who, Tubbo?"

Techno shook his head. "The blond kid."

"Oh, Tommy?" Wilbur confirmed. "Tommy's chill. He follows me around like a puppy dog."

"Yeah, I've noticed." Techno looked back towards the exit. "He reminds me of you when you were that young."

Wilbur rolled his eyes with a fond smile. "Yeah, but I didn't fight in a war when I was nine."

Techno frowned as he looked at Wilbur. "What?"

Wilbur shrugged. "How do you think we got L'manburg?"

Techno looked shocked. "And just let him fight a war with you?"

Wilbur shrugged. "I couldn't fight it myself."

"Oh my god, Wilbur!" Techno stood up, fear evident in his eyes. "He's a child!"

"And you weren't when you—"

"That's enough." Techno interrupted. "First of all, I was in my twenties, and secondly, that was a lifetime ago. I am not him anymore."

Wilbur sighed. "...are you going to tell dad?"

"Tell him what?" Techno asked. "That you lost?"

Wilbur nodded.

Techno sighed. "What you tell him is none of my business. I may be his friend, but you're his son. If you don't want me to tell him, then I won't."

Wilbur smiled. "Thank you, Techno."

Techno shrugged. "I'm just bein' human."

Tommy then came stumbling in, his arm full of blankets and a bucket of water that was close to tumbling over. Quickly, Ranboo grabbed the bucket.

Tommy smiled gratefully at the enderman hybrid. "Thank you."

Ranboo shrugged. "It's no biggie."

Techno glared at him. "Who are you?"

"Oh, that's Ranboo," Tommy explained. "I met him in the woods a few years ago."

Techno hummed but didn't take his gaze off the teen.

~<•>~

Tubbo sat beside Techno's fireplace. Ghostboo wasn't too keen on letting Tubbo stay with him for some reason, so Techno let him warm up inside his cottage.

Techno stood nearby, studying Tubbo's scar. The scar that he had caused.

Techno frowned. "I meant it, y'know."

Tubbo turned to look at him. "Hm?"

"My apology." Techno clarified. "I really do mean it. I never should've let Schlatt push me into executin' you."

Tubbo nodded. "I know. And I forgive you."

Techno chuckled. "You forgive way too easily, kid."

Tubbo shrugged. "It's worked out for me so far. Wilbur claimed to be a pacifist, but we all knew that I was a true pacifist. I mean, you saw me when we interrogated Sam. I could've just said the word and you and Eret would've killed him right then and there."

"Yeah, but death is too merciful," Techno said. "Which is why you chose to lock him in the prison."

Tubbo shrugged. "People change."

Techno hummed. He looked outside the window facing Ranboo's house and frowned.

"I'm sorry, too," Tubbo said. "Everyone kept saying that you were a bloodthirsty monster and, with the only real impression I had of you was during my execution and afterward, I couldn't help but agree with them. But, clearly, you're not all that people make you out to be."

Techno shrugged. "All rumors have a hint of truth to them."

"Yeah, but you love and care about others, even if you don't show it," Tubbo argued. "I saw how much you cared about Ranboo with the simple fact that you grieved for him, and were willing to avenge him. I saw how much you cared for Tommy just by how much it hurt you when he chose to go back to L'manburg with me. Hell, I can see that care for me even slightly, just by the fact that I'm in your house warming up by the fire."

Techno laughed. "You can read people way too good, kid."

Tubbo laughed. "I've heard that quite a bit."

Techno hummed. "Y'know, I have Grecian nicknames for Tommy and Ranboo, that being Theseus and Lethe respectively."

Tubbo rolled his eyes. "I don't want one."

"No? Because it fits you quite well."

Tubbo furrowed his brows. "What?"

Techno smiled. "Eleos. Goddess of mercy and compassion."

Tubbo rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. I'm not that."

"I'm quite good at readin' people, Eleos." Techno teased.

Tubbo rolled his eyes but had a smile on his lips.

~<•>~

1191 words

Shorter than the last two, but meh. I wanted some Techno/Tubbo bonding time, and I don't have any plans for Pogtopia until Tubbo's execution and L'manburgs explosion.

Yeah, this book ends after the events of November 16th, since Ranboo joins the server not long after that.

Also, if you've noticed that the chapter titles are lyrics to Derivakats song "Tell Your Story", then you'll probably notice that I skipped a couple.

My reasoning for that is bc some lyrics fit better than others

And why did I pick Derivakats 2 Karl Jacobs related songs for the book and chapter titles of my Ranboo-centric fic that doesn't even mention Karl?

...

It's my book and I can do whatever the fuck I want, thank you very much