How the world works

20

Tommy woke up to Dream pulling him from the boat, almost gently. As if he didn't want to wake him. Suspicious but very aware of the potential for a free ride to wherever they were going, Tommy fakes still being asleep. Then dream threw him in the water and he was officially up.

"Come on, we've got to keep moving." Dream says, looking at the rising sun. Tommy sits up in the shallow water and looks around. It looks like a bamboo forest. Why are they here? And where even IS here?

"Dream, where are we going?" He asks. His throat burns as he speaks, and the near death experience he had last night comes to mind. He had almost forgotten it in all the calamity. Almost.

"I'm going home." Dream says softly, looking into the distance. Tommy realizes he's witnessing a reminiscing Dream.

"I thought you were fucking homeless." Tommy bluntly states. Dream turns and slaps him across the face.

Tommy falls and ends up stuck between two bamboo shoots, awkwardly trying to wiggle out of them. Dream huffs and pulls him free with one yank. As they walk silently through the bamboo, a raven flies down. It's absolutely huge. Tommy stops as Dream catches the bird on his arm.  It makes a weird Erk Erk caw and Dream nods to it, understanding it. It is his chat, afterall.

"Go tell him for me, we're going home." Dream asks it. It nods and flies away. The two humans continue to walk in silence. Tommy studies the back of Dreams head. The mask looks...different. As if it were newer. Weird. But most noticeable of all, the mask has a clasp. Was that there before?

He could just reach up and snap it. He could. He'd probably die as a result,  he'd see Dreams face. Maybe he'd even be the first to do so, as far as he knows, that has never happened before. He would probably die soon anyways, but why not out here rather than in a dungeon or a cell? He looks to the sun coming over a distant mountain. He really has no idea where he is. Maybe when he dies, he can see Wilbur again. Or Mexican Dream. Of course, that implies he'd see Shlatt too. But that's still better than being alone forever.

Tommy steals himself and reaches up for the iron clasp embedded in the leather strap. He pushes it and jumps away. Dream stops. The mask falls. Tommy's heart races as he begins to freak out. WHAT WAS HE THINKING? W H Y ? WHY HAD HE DONE THAT??? WHY IS HE SO IMPULSIVE???

"Tommy," Dream says calmly, still facing forward. Ice runs through the teens' veins.

"Why did you do that?" Dream continues. Tommy begins to back up.

"Oh shit." He says under his breath, backing into some bamboo.

"That was stupid. " Dream continues. Then he bends down to pick up the mask laying on a fern at his feet. Tommy still can't see his face. How in the living heck did he justify that in his mind??? And Why??? W h y ?

Dream turns around, mask in his hand. Tommy inhales as he sees Dream's face. He looks... normal? If Tommy had just seen him in passing, he would have assumed he was a nice guy. He kinda looks like he is a famous baseball player that donates his money to cancer patients and children's hospitals and who reads to children at libraries every other weekend. Like, he genuinely looks so nice. What the heck. Not fair.

He has been expecting a maniac face with scars all over and something. He expected a villain. But even his eyes don't look angry right now. He looks tired. And sad. Tommy almost wants to give him a hug or something. Wait. What? Nope. No no nope. That's just the gaslighting speaking. He got therapy for this shit,and it cost him a diamond. Dream is NOT getting in his head.

"Dream..?" Tommy asks as if not believing what he's seeing. Because he doesn't. He can't.

"Tommy, I don't have time for this right now. You're not going to run. You're alone and lost. Lets go." Dream says almost monotonous.

Tommy knows this is true and follows Dream as he walks. As soon as the terrain changes though, he'll run for it. If he gets away, he can survive. He just needs wood, which requires trees but there's none nearby. So he bides his time. Eventually, they come to a path of grass in the midst of the podzol. Dream begins to walk left and Tommy follows, grateful that it's now easy to navigate. After a while, when the sun is high in the sky, a large building comes into view. A mansion.

It's not particularly nice looking but it's certainly better than Tommy's hole in the hill. It's made of spruce and dark oak with at least 3 stories and plenty of windows. They go inside once they reach it, and Tommy gulps at the sight. The inside is dusty and empty. There's tons of cobwebs and the furniture is dusty too. As they pass a little table in the main hall, Tommy sees a picture frame on it. It's of Dream and George smiling together. Well sorta. Dreams mask is smiling. But at least George looks happy. More pictures of the two of them cover the walls. And some with Sapnap. A few with Sam, Callahan, Alyssa and Bad too. Even one with Ponk. Of the first 8.

"You and George used to live here." Tommy states, realizing where he must be. Dream begins slowly clapping, nearly scaring the shit out of Tommy.

"Get the young man a prize, ladies and gents." He sarcastically announces. His voice echoes through the empty house.

"What happened?" Tommy asks. Dream pulls his mask off to make eye contact. Now he looks mad. Very. Very. Mad.

"You." Dream says.

"A long time ago, I met God. He's not as great as you would think. He's manipulative and cruel. But he promised me my own world. My own land. The Dream smp. But if I lost control, he'd come. He'd take over. If you don't like me, you'll hate him.

So I started out. Just George and I. We had so much fun. Infinite lives, infinite space. We started bringing friends on the first Day. Sapnap, and Callahan. It was great. And it grew.

Sam and then Alyssa.  Ponk and Bad. We were so happy. But it was boring. Nothing exciting was happening. So I made a mistake. 2 months later, you came. Of course I knew what had to happen. You were banned. But then XD came. God, came. He said he'd take it all back if I couldn't control you. Banning doesn't count. So I let you invite Tubbo so he could help keep you under control. The rules were so simple. But you still broke them. I tried to take the disc's, and, well. Now we're here.

The server grew and grew. My control lessened. Hell, Shlatt joined without even being invited! Nothing was under control. Then Wilbur started with his potions. And I officially wasn't in charge. That when limited lives became a thing, even. XD was punishing us. He was punishing me. And it was a warning. That's when George moved out. But we were still friends. He built a house on his own, and you fucking burnt it to the ground. Everything that has gone wrong happened because of you, Tommy." Dream accuses, his judgmental pointer finger on Tommy's chest. Tommy looks down a bit in shame, and finds that Dreams sweatshirt has a hole in it. As if it were cut. He idly wonders what could have caused that. Was he in a fight?

"I don't think that was me, Dream. I think it was you." He says, looking up. Dream clenched his jaw and turns back away from them, replacing his mask. He walks up a grand staircase and he leads Tommy to a room. It is rather comfortably furnished. It was in comparison to his cell, at least. There's a bed and a chest full of food. Bookshelves line an entire wall, and a tiny window overlooks the bamboo forest outside.

"So what's the plan, Big D?" Tommy asks.

"Don't call me that." Dream says as he pulls the door from its frame and replaces it with a lockable one.

"Fine. What happens next?" Tommy asks. Dream stops and looks up.

"I dont.. I dont know." He says softly. He genuinely seems frightened. Dream closes the new door and locks it. Tommy lays down on the red bed and looks up at the ceiling. Maybe this isn't too bad. He could stay here a while. But this is a once in a lifetime chance. Dream is losing it. Maybe, just maybe, Tommy could escape after all.