#drdi drabbles

[leafcabbage]

time for another creative writing class drdi short story! we had to write about a characters emotional experience within an hour

“You can’t just leave him here!” Puffy shouted after her brother, but her cries went unheard over the sound of his car door slamming.

His car was gone before she could even think of chasing after him, slamming her fists on the window, doing something. She was left standing on the steps down from her apartment door, barefoot and in her pajamas, because she’d had no time to prepare for this. How would anyone prepare for something like this, though? She couldn’t have planned for her older brother to drop his son off, to say he was her responsibility now, to say that she needed to figure things out because he couldn’t.  

Now her seven-year-old nephew, Tubbo, was sitting on her couch in the living room, in an apartment that was not big enough for three people, for her and two growing boys, because she already had one kid. He wasn’t her own either, he was her sister’s son, but her sister had died, and she had been the only one to step up, which apparently made her the go-to for taking in unwanted kids.  

It felt wrong to refer to either of her kids—because that was what those two were now, not just her nephews—as unwanted. She wanted them, she loved them, even if she didn’t plan for them. They deserved more than she could give though. Puffy was 25, she was in grad school, she wasn’t ready to have a kid. She hadn’t been ready to have a kid at 22 either, when Foolish was put under her care. She wasn’t ready for any of this.

It wasn’t her choice though, she couldn’t just decide not to take care of her kids, she wouldn’t do what her brother had just done. She would figure everything out somehow. She needed to go inside, she needed to figure out how to tell a seven-year-old that his dad wasn’t coming back, and that he had a new home now. Instead, she sat down on the steps, staring out across the street, though not at anything specific. Her kids would be okay for a little longer without her, they got along well, and Tubbo didn’t know enough of what was going on to be upset anyway. It wouldn’t do anyone any good for her to go inside and start crying.

Puffy took a deep breath. It felt like her whole life had just been upended again. She had just gotten everything figured out. She had finally adjusted to having Foolish in her life, finally rearranged her plans to be the best guardian she could be, to give him the attention and time he would need, and now she was back to square one.  

For a moment she was angry, furious even, at the fact that she would never be able to just have her life in the way she planned it. Puffy clenched her fists, trying to will the tears she could feel building away. There was always someone else making the decision for her, someone else was always somehow messing up her life, messing with her plans. Puffy had done everything she could to be different from her family, and all that had gotten her was being considered responsible enough to deal with all their problems. She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, taking another slow breath. She wanted to scream about how it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that she didn’t get to just be a young adult and how it wasn’t fair that she’d never been able to and would never be able to make the stupid mistakes 20-something-year-olds made, because there were now two kids who would be affected by everything she did wrong. She had to grow up, and she didn’t get a choice of how fast.  

Her shoulders slumped as the anger faded and was replaced by exhaustion; it was an overwhelming feeling to hold on to, at least right now. She had to go inside. She had to go inside and put aside her own feelings and explain what had just happened to Tubbo and Foolish. Tomorrow she would have to make a list of everything Tubbo would need and get him enrolled in the local elementary school and do a million other things to get him moved in and comfortable. Tonight though, she would just focus on Tubbo, and eventually, maybe next month, she would figure out her own feelings. There was way too much else to do right now, way too many plans to change and to make. Puffy would be okay, because she always was.

She stood and took a deep breath, then went inside, leaving her feelings at the door.

[leafcabbage]

can i please request elaboration on "ranboo doesn’t run out in the last senate meeting and proceeds to fail the quarter and have nowhere to go" and "ranboo doesn’t run out in the last senate meeting and somehow passes their classes and has to find a place to stay"

but i will actually die /j if i don't elaboration on "ranboo started crying in front of dream at literally any point that he was upset with them" PLEASE i'm SOBBING

YOU SURE CAN BUT OF COURSE UNDER THE READ MORE

so the first two have similarities but

ranboo passes the quarter

because ranboo passes the quarter, they have a place to come back to, a job they know they can come back to, and have the financial aid. because of this, while they are losing money living in a motel for a few weeks, they know they're going to make more money during the next quarter and actually buy food and stuff, so while it's not exactly a break they get some recovery. the issue is their health is still shit, so you're getting more frequent seizures and other issues still getting worse. there are more ignored phone calls, tommy and tubbo are getting more and more worried and just hope they see ranboo at all the next quarter. (dont think they're not trying to find ranboo, we're assuming that they've been as good at evading everyone as always)

that said, they make it through to the next quarter, but they're alone again, they don't have any help, and they dont really last long in going to work and classes and stuff. after their like second missed day of work tommy and tubbo are like "fuck this they arent hiding out from us anymore" and go to bad on the basis of concern for ranboo's health, he listens, someone has some masterkey i would assume and bad gets it, they get into ranboo's room, and like. one look at them and its really obvious that they're not doing well at all, and they wouldn't even fight the help at that point. it would definitely be something they struggle with a LOT because there is still a level of them choosing to let tommy and tubbo help in the normal storyline and they wouldn't really get to make that choice here. they would have to drop the quarter, but puffy would volunteer to take them in so they would have support from an adult, a place to live, and while it would take longer to even start to recover, they'd get through to the other side and have the same support system as they do now + a very worried bad who would come check in with them a lot. ultimately things end up okay

ranboo does not pass the quarter

they'd have to drop out, they can't afford to stay without huge student loans and they cant take that on. so they have to move out of the dorms and have nowhere to go. they lost their job, they have no family to go back to, and they've fully convinced themself that there's no one to go to for help. so they move their stuff to a storage locker (costs money) have to hire movers to help because they can barely make it up stairs (costs money) have to get a motel room (costs money) and they have no promise of employment. they're stressed as hell, they've lost literally everything, struggle to justify buying anything, even food, and their health is declining from there. it reaches a point where like, even if they were going to go get food its they dont know if they can physically go anywhere. their health is so genuinely awful, their seizures are happening more frequently, they cant move without getting dizzy, etc, etc

tommy and tubbo are still calling, just like thanksgiving, ranboo doesn't know if they can survive this, so they pick up the phone. and immediately start crying when they hear tommy and tubbo's voices. its a whole mess of ranboo sobbing and tommy and tubbo trying to figure out where they are and ranboo apologizing and puffy being called but eventually they get the motel name and room number. ranboo can barely handle getting up to open the door and puffy's like "yep time to take a child to the hospital" and like, as much as that terrifies ranboo, what are they gonna do? die? they try to be like "i cant afford it" and puffy's like "merry christmas i can"

that's not a one day hospital stay. that is quite a few days. but this time they aren't alone, they have the whole puffenbarger family with them, and when they get out there is no question of where they're going. puffy is happy to take them in and let them recover, and it takes a while but eventually they get to a better place with all of it. eventually they'd get back to some college, whether its returning to SPU or community college, who knows, but they get a family just like in the canon timeline.

ranboo cries in front of dream

im putting this at the one where dream yells at them before thanksgiving break.

ranboo's already doing shitty obviously, but things are just a little worse that day for whatever reason, and dream starts saying his shit and ranboo just starts sobbing. and dream has a little sister, he has a 16 year old sister, and it just fucking hits him like a bus- ranboo is 17, they're not that much older than his sister, and he is why they're crying. like even if the full extent of his actions hasnt hit him, in this moment he has made a kid cry because he couldn't deal with his emotions over his homelife. and he apologizes. right then and there, he feels so so shitty about it, he's immediately apologizing and trying to make ranboo feel better and he's even like, offering them a hug because that's what he would do for his sister and that's what sapnap does for him and it always helps.

and honestly at that point ranboo is so exhausted and so upset and so stressed i think they'd accept it. and you'd get this like, really unexpected moment of dream trying to comfort ranboo after everything he's done to make things so rough for them. because even though it doesnt make what hes done okay, dream is unaware of how much his actions hurt ranboo. and eventually they'd calm down and be really embarrassed about what just happened and give dream some lie so they could get out of there but dream is also like "hey dont worry about any of the work stuff you seem really stressed just take a break."

and then he goes home. and he tells sapnap what happened because theyre best friends and he's not worried about like, if he's saying something he shouldnt about ranboo because its sapnap so its fine. and then sapnap tells karl and quackity because theyre dating so its fine. and then quackity tells techno because theyre close friends. and then techno talks to wilbur, tommy, and tubbo. and it's incredibly clear that there is more going on and its very unlikely that ranboo needs space if they were literally crying in dreams arms a few days ago.

tommy intercepts ranboo after phils class, he's an incredibly stubborn person and just follows ranboo until they'll talk to him, and he, once again being the stubborn bitch he is, finally gets them to say enough that he's like "fuck off we love you and we arent giving up accept it or im going to keep following you around forever" and yknow, that's kind of what ranboo needed to hear. they end that scenario doing better than they are in the current fic.

(i mean alternatively you have an au where its quackity who seeks ranboo out and is like "hey you're spending break with me and techno actually no ifs ands or buts")

[leafcabbage]

set in the Future. edited some from what i turned in

He was always aware of the warmth first, through the foggy, distant feeling. The warmth that came from sharing a bed with his two best friends, a bed that was finally big enough for the three of them, too many nights having been spent squished into a twin XL. There was talking, too. Soft conversation happening over his head. Whether or not the two were aware he was awake was questionable, he wasn’t entirely aware of being awake yet. It wasn’t a short process, making his way into being fully conscious, it never was, but it didn’t really matter, not when things were always so comfortable. Not when things were always so safe.

A hand ran through his hair, and he sighed, getting a soft laugh in response, which meant that there was someone else now aware that he was awake. That could only mean one thing. He was going to get made fun of for how out of it he was. He rolled over with only a slight struggle against the heavy blankets, pressing his face into the pillow so he could ignore the oncoming teasing. There was a chance that he would actually be able to fall asleep again like this, with the background noise of the quiet conversation punctuated by soft laughs and the smell of the recently washed sheets. It was a mild scent, one he had never been able to place, but one he’d been allowed to pick because strong smells made his head hurt. It was just another part of what made him feel so safe, so at home.

Arms wrapped around his waist, and he was pulled close to Tommy, groaning in protest as he was pulled from what he had decided was his favorite pillow.

“Stop complaining,” the words were said almost directly in his ear, making him startle slightly.

There was a mumbled apology and a slight tightening of the arms around his waist, but unfortunately the damage was done and there would be no going back to sleep now. That wasn’t too terrible he supposed, it was nice to be held--squished, actually, when Tubbo decided that Tommy didn’t get to have Ranboo all to himself and joined the two. 

“Morning,” Tubbo said happily, squeezing him gently. 

Ranboo was not ready for it to be morning, not yet, so he would not be gracing that with a response. Still, he didn’t mind being awake for this. He actually quite liked being awake for these kinds of moments. There would be plenty more like them, and he quite liked that too.

[leafcabbage]

what about ranboos stays after knocking on the apartment door and tells tommy and tubbo what happened and ranboo was too tired to run away when tubbo said he loves them

you got it!

ranboo stays

ranboo doesn't have the moment of "why am i here" before tubbo opens the door. there's obviously something wrong so tubbo pulls them inside, he makes them sit down and he and tommy try to figure out what's wrong, and because ranboo chose to go there and isn't fully isolating themself yet, they tell tommy and tubbo what just happened. although this happens in a very close vicinity to the other one i'll write, ranboo going there on their own accord makes it different. they choose to tell the truth, even though they regret it the next day, they cant lie their way out of it. tommy and tubbo know and they know that ranboo is only 17 at this point and this is where they bring in puffy. ranboo can't really argue because since there is now an adult who knows, in their mind they could get in trouble for being under 18 with no guardian (you think this anxious kid knows how anything works? no, they're sitting there like "oh god im gonna go to jail because i didnt tell the government im an orphan")

puffy figures things out. i dont know how this shit works but like, by the time anything happened on the government/social services side of things ranboo would be 18, so she's probably just like, it's okay i can be the adult in your life, you're tubbo and tommy's friend, you don't have to do this alone, we'll figure this out.

and they do! ranboo is adopted into the family far earlier, how are they gonna say no to the thanksgiving invite? how are they gonna say no to celebrating their birthday with the puffenbargers? they're still struggling, their health still isn't great, but they have people to help far earlier. tommy and tubbo easily figure out that they're being overworked and help them out there. they dont stop any of the tutoring so finals are easier. the bathroom breakdown never happens because they're never pushed that far in the first place. things are just... better :]

ranboo doesn't run

it obviously starts the same. tubbo waits outside the student union, he says his piece, ranboo asks tubbo not to lie to them, tubbo is confused, ranboo tries to run, but their lack of taking care of themself actually catches up with them and their legs end up just giving out (well i guess their right leg gives out but a person often needs two legs to be standing). they definitely hurt themself in some way, falling onto concrete will do that to a person, and tubbo doesn't even think before going to them and kneeling beside them trying to figure out if they're okay and what happened and if he needs to get someone to help. and at this point, while ranboo is certainly not at their worst healthwise, they're still exhausted and aren't eating much and literally just got the news that lorraine died and tubbo is being so caring when they're already struggling with him saying he loves them and they're so lost and confused and they just kinda break down. it's not as severe as the senate breakdown later on, but it's certainly enough for tubbo to be like "yeah im not leaving you we're gonna figure it out."

he convinces them to come back to the apartment with him, he says it's just for a few hours, just to make sure they're not too hurt, they can just leave after that, they don't have to stick around. and ranboo goes because they can't really argue at this point, their thoughts are such a mess and they've kind of defaulted to following tubbo because it's easier. so they go back to the apartment, and tommy is there, and he's both very happy to see them and incredibly concerned.

tommy and tubbo manage to get ranboo to eat something, they manage to get them to stay the night (in tubbo's bed alone, like chapter 9), and the next morning they try to get them to talk about what happened. and ranboo lies. they lie and say they're just stressed, that they've been feeling sick, that they'd just gotten nervous the other night when they went to tommy and tubbos then ran away, that really everything's fine they're just not adjusting well. and tommy calls bullshit. there isnt an argument per se, because this is ranboo we're talking about, but they absolutely do not respond well to that approach and they're already struggling with having gone there at all and their conversation with tubbo (if you can call it that) from the night before is still on their mind, and its too much and they just shut down. its not the comforting experience in chapter 20, its overwhelming and too much to handle, and tommy and tubbo both feel bad and let ranboo leave.

it sets things back between the three of them. ranboo is certain that the conflict is what did it and they've accomplished what they were trying to do in making tommy and tubbo stop wanting to be around them. tommy and tubbo feel bad about the whole thing and want to give ranboo space. there's fewer phone calls, less trying to check in, tutoring stops. ranboo is far more alone and much sadder, and have a much harder time believing that tommy and tubbo care about them from the breakdown on. it takes time to rebuild things. they get there eventually.

[leafcabbage]

had to take some out for class because the limit is 750 words BUT you get the full thing! wrote about dream thanks to @nitpick7

YEAH dreams sister(s) have actual names!!!! take a wild guess at what they are, theyre short for something in the same realm as dream’s name (unless ive already said)

“They’re sending me to that place for troubled girls, the one in Virginia,” Kari’s tone was casual, like she hadn’t just told him that one of her worst fears had come true. “September. Can’t deal with me anymore.”  

He was glad they were already at a red light; he was pretty sure he’d have rear-ended someone if he’d actually been driving; he suddenly felt frozen, but he made himself turn to look at her. His sister was looking out the window, he couldn’t see her expression. It was one of those moments where every word he’d ever known seemed to get jumbled in his head, one of those what the fuck am I supposed to say moments.  

“They told you that?” he managed to say, trying to sound calm, trying not to sound furious at the idea that their parents would just send her away like that, hoping his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel didn’t give him away and knowing it did.

She shrugged, carefully calm in an entirely different way. “Heard ‘em talking. I kinda knew it was coming,” she looked over at him, meeting his eyes. “We both did.”

“I-” he started, wanting to say that he hadn’t, that they would still figure out some way around it.  

He couldn’t.

The light turning green went unnoticed, and she tilted her head toward it with a meaningful look. He rushed to hit the gas before someone could honk at him. Someone did honk at him. No one in Florida knew what patience was.  

The drive was silent for a few minutes, Kari looking out the window again. To anyone else, she might seem unbothered, like she had accepted the situation. He knew her better. She was clearly upset, he could see it in how tense she was, in the slight downturn of the corners of her mouth, in how blank her stare was.  

“I’ll talk to dad,” he said, breaking the silence. He tried to keep the desperation out of his voice, but just like he could tell what she was feeling, she could read him like... like some kind of children’s book. Maybe the kind that taught colors. “Maybe you can start volunteering or something instead-”

“Dream,” Kari interrupted, abandoning the scenery to look at him again. “That’s not gonna work.”

It wasn’t worth arguing with her. She was right. They had the same father; Dream knew him as well as she did. Better, probably. He was five years older, that was five more years of experience with the man.  

“I’m not a good kid,” Kari’s voice was uncharacteristically quiet. She wasn’t known for being subdued. She’d always been the bright spot in every room. Sometimes bright like a forest fire rather than a star, but never subdued. “Not like you and Mira.”  

Dream wasn’t sure how he felt about being compared to his older sister, not when the one doing the comparing was Kari. Mira wasn’t known for being very loving. Dream liked to think that people knew that he cared about them. He liked to think that Kari knew he cared about her, he wanted her to know that someone in their stupid family did.

“I think you’re a good kid,” Dream knew that wasn’t enough, but he hoped it was something. He hoped she knew he meant it.

“Of course you do,” she smiled for the first time since he’d picked her up from across town. She always walked too far out to want to walk back, and he always picked her up. “You’d think that if I killed someone.”

“If you killed someone it’d probably be because they deserved it,” he smiled back.  

“See!” Kari gestured to him, then shook her head, overdramatic exasperation overflowing in every movement. “Not exactly unbiased. You’d be kicked out of this argument in nerd club, can’t argue both sides.”

“Debate team,” he corrected. They both knew that she knew what it was called.  

“Nerd club,” she nodded. “At least I won’t have to go to your nerd competitions anymore.”

They both laughed, Dream shaking his head. There was a pause after their laughter faded, the reality of the situation coming back to them both, the momentary reprieve from reality having faded too. September was way too close, and Virginia was way too far.  

“I’ll visit,” he promised. “As much as I can.”

“You’ll be in college,” she replied.  

“I’ll visit,” he repeated.  

She smiled slightly, a little sadly. “Thanks.”  

He pulled a U-turn at the next light, maybe a little too sharply based on how Kari grabbed the door to keep from being jerked to the side in her seat.  

“What the fuck?” she demanded incredulously.

“We’re getting ice cream,” He replied, shooting her another smile. “When dad asks why we’re late, it’s my fault.”

“Thanks,” she said, and it seemed like it was for more than just the ice cream.  

[leafcabbage]

oh yeah deleted scene lmao but its unedited and shit

(the day after the tonic clonic in chapter 4 of the winterlude) The first day had of course been the worst in terms of how they felt physically. Besides the day of, but that was a given. Their brain always felt so slow following a tonic-clonic, it was just that usually no one was around to witness it.

Waking up was really weird. 

They felt halfway between awake and asleep, somewhere fuzzy and warm and not quite real yet. Even with their eyes open things felt distant and blurry, but not really in a bad way. Odd, yes, but not bad. There was some soft light coming from somewhere, and it was warm, which wasn’t unusual, waking up was always warm. 

Someone was holding them. That was nice, that was probably why it was so warm, and it was comfortable, so they didn’t really want to move, so they wouldn’t. Maybe they also couldn’t. That was okay. They could just stay here. 

“Good morning,” That was… Tubbo. He was being quiet. That was nice of him. 

They didn’t quite feel like stringing together words was something worth doing, so they weren’t going to. 

“I don’t think you’re gonna get anything from them yet,” Tommy. Tommy was who was talking now. And he was holding them, they could tell because their head was on his chest so they could feel when he talked. “Not quite here, are you?”

He ran a hand through their hair and they sighed and closed their eyes, pressing closer to him, because Tommy meant comfort and that was enough for them. 

Tubbo laughed softly, and Ranboo could tell that he was moving and then he’d laid down behind them, arms around their waist, and now it was even better because Tommy AND Tubbo were right there.

They must have drifted off again. The second time they woke up they were both more aware and less comfortable. That was actually an understatement, they must have been out of it enough not to notice the pain before, not that they could really remember what had happened in the short spell of semi-consciousness, just that it had happened. 

It felt worse than yesterday, which didn’t seem right, but it felt like they had new muscles that had only appeared to hurt. Their face also hurt. And everything. It all hurt. That was no excuse not to get up though.

Ranboo opened his eyes, wincing slightly at the light. His head hurt. He was still being held by Tommy, and Tubbo was sitting up next to him, a hand resting on his shoulder, and it must not have been <i>too</i> long if they were both there. 

“Are you actually awake this time?” Tommy asked, tilting his head to try to see Ranboo’s face better. 

He nodded miserably, because even that hurt. 

“Feeling shitty?” He sounded worried. He really shouldn’t be, Ranboo felt like shit all the time and was fine.

“Mhm,” Ranboo struggled to try to sit up, nearly there before starting to fall back again.

But Tubbo was right there, catching him and pushing him the rest of the way up, not letting go once Ranboo was there. 

“You can stay in bed,” He offered, running his hand up and down their back slowly.

They shook their head. “‘m fine.”

“You clearly aren’t,” Tommy sat up beside them, frowning slightly. 

“I’m fine,” They repeated, hunching in on themself. It didn’t make the pain go away but it did change where the most of it was coming from. “I should get up.”

“Only if you’re getting up to go sit on the couch,” Tommy said, taking their hand, rubbing his thumb over theirs. “I know we don’t do much anyway, but you’re gonna be on ultimate doing-nothing lockdown unless you give me actually convincing proof that you’re doing better.”

“I should get up,” Ranboo said again, because they should. Having a seizure was no excuse to be lazy.

“Why should you get up?” Tubbo asked, looking at them worriedly. 

“Having… having a seizure is no excuse to be lazy,” They could practically hear Lorraine’s voice saying the same thing, when she stood at the foot of the guest bed, when she told them they had no reason not to go to school. Then that crying wouldn’t get them anywhere in life. 

There was a long stretch of silence. Ranboo could see in their periphery that Tommy and Tubbo were looking at each other, having some silent conversation. They did that a lot. Ranboo didn’t mind. 

“Who told you that?” Tommy finally asked, voice carefully calm.

Ranboo hummed vaguely in response. They didn’t really want to talk about it. Tommy and Tubbo would just get upset or disagree or something and Ranboo was tired. 

There was another pause.

They looked up from staring down at the quilt, glancing between Tommy and Tubbo. They both looked worried and kind of sad.

“It’s okay,”  They assured. They were struggling to enunciate more than usual, though it was normal enough considering everything. “I always went to school the day after, so I’m okay.” 

“That’s… not a good thing,” Tubbo sounded more worried rather than less, which was not the intended outcome. “You know that’s not a good thing, right?”

“I was okay,” Ranboo tried to reassure. 

“What does okay mean?” Tommy asked. He sounded upset, bordering on anger, and Ranboo looked down again, tensing. They just kept saying the wrong things, they didn’t want Tommy to be upset with them. 

“I dunno,” Ranboo mumbled, wishing they hadn’t said anything in the first place. “I always got through the day. I guess, uh, I guess I threw up and stuff but that was always in the bathrooms so it’s okay.” 

They didn’t say what it was actually like. They didn’t want to lie, but they weren’t if Tommy wasn’t specifically asking for more than a general answer. 

“Yeah, I don’t think that’s what “okay” means,” Tommy actually sounded mad now, and Ranboo pulled their hand from his, wrapping their arms around themself instead. 

“He’s not upset with you,” Tubbo said softly, sliding a little closer, now fully pressed against their side. 

Tommy leaned forward slightly so he could see their face, and his shoulders slumped, expression turning apologetic. “I’m sorry Ranboo, I’m mad because you were treated like shit not at you. Never at you.”

Ranboo nodded. It made sense, but it was still what they had said that made Tommy mad. Tommy put an arm around them hesitantly and they leaned against him. He gently tugged them into an actual hug, and they slumped against him, already tired of holding themself upright. Tommy slowly guided them to be laying in his lap instead.

“I know it shouldn’t have happened,” Their focus went to the quilt again. It was a nice quilt. “But it was normal. I like normal.”

[leafcabbage]

Can we have an elaboration on the "Ranboo confides in Purpled" one :0

-🌹

you sure can :]

im setting it in the after throwing up scene. purpled says "rough night?" and ranboo says "yeah" and then just kinda starts crying. like not sobbing or anything but its not something they can hide. and its embarrassing! like holy shit, it's purpled, they're crying in front of purpled of all people! but like, as tommy says later on, purpled cares about ranboo in his own purpled-y way, and he's like ok, shit, uh, deal with the puke bucket and then we should talk or something i think. and ranboo is very uncertain but purpled is like "dude im not leaving you to just cry like somethings up we are talking i think thats what im supposed to do"

so ranboo goes back to purpled's dorm with him, and it's hella awkward but also kind of comforting because here's this guy that ranboo barely talks to who cares enough to ask them what's going on. and of course ranboo blames it on pity, and they try to tell purpled that he doesnt have to, and purpleds like "yeah dude i fucking know do you think i'd do this out of obligation? fuck no." and yknow.... cant argue with that. so he gets the basics out of ranboo. like with bad, its easier because its not someone ranboo knows well. and purpled is kind of pushy, and kind of nosey, and ends up knowing enough to know that its definitely not in his or ranboo's depth to handle this. and who is the adult in purpled's life?

punz.

so when ranboo leaves, he calls punz, he explains it all, and punz stops ranboo after the next board meeting. he says he knows whats up, that he's there to help, that he's already told dream to fuck off with how much work he's making ranboo do. he offers to help ranboo figure things out, and they're kind of evasive and uncertain, but having punz and purpled on their side is so weird, and so unexpected, and it kind of breaks them out of the being stuck in the idea that everything is pity, because purpled and punz just dont seem to do pity.

ultimately purpled or punz talk to tommy and tubbo because they know that the three are friends, and ultimately those two talk to ranboo, and ultimately things work out because its just such an absurd way for things to go and ranboo is too confused to fight back against it too much. now purpled and punz are their... friends? its a very weird ending but it works out for the best

[leafcabbage]

Devastate us! You said old age and I have bets on this one with an irl of mine sooooo (no but really please talk to us abt your au even the pain)

anon thank you i was trying to figure out where to write this and you have given it to me.

death tw of course

clears my throat.

ranboo dies first. it was kind of inevitable for them to be the first of the trio to die, but they do live a very long and happy life. they don’t die in a hospital, they don’t die alone, they dont die afraid, and they dont die in pain- none of their biggest fears come true

tommy and tubbo have a few years together after that. of course it's hard that ranboo is gone, but it wasn't unexpected, it wasn't a tragedy, it was sad but they had decades together, ranboo made it through so much against all odds, and they were still fairly present mentally throughout their later years which was once again against what was expected. so they have solace in that.

and they have each other, it's tommy and tubbo again. they also aren't alone, they've still got some friends alive and kicking, it isn't being depressed until they die or anything, they've got their mess of a found family (i mean, they are wilbur's kid's favorite uncles), they've got each other, they've got the things that make them happy, they have the 500th season of 90 day fiancé, they're happy together

tommy and tubbo die within hours of eachother. you hear about that sometimes, about couples dying within hours or days of each other. and that was how it was for them. they did everything together their entire lives, so of course they had to do this together.

(and for tommy- he wasn't the last one left. he wasn't alone, he wasn't abandoned. his own biggest fear didn't come true.)

for those alive around them, the people they loved and who loved them, that was almost expected. it was hard to imagine the three without each other. and once ranboo was gone, you would never seem tommy without tubbo or tubbo without tommy. so why would that change?

they're nothing if not predictable

[leafcabbage]

hello tumblr user leafcabbage could i possibly get an elaboration on either the ‘ranboo tells phil’ or the ‘ranboo stays after knocking on the apartment door’ scenarios? thank you much my brain has been fried by these au ideas specifically /pos

:D

(ranboo stays answered here)

ranboo tells phil

putting this when phil stops them before thanksgiving

ranboo says the whole "even techno and wilbur wont know?" thing and proceeds to actually tell phil what's happening. everything. from feeling overwhelmed to the seizures to lorraine's death to having nowhere to go for thanksgiving to just feeling so sick and tired and lost. phil doesnt interrupt, he waits for ranboo to finish, and he comforts them. he promises it's going to work out, he promises that they'll figure it out together, that they won't be alone, that they'll actually have adults on their side.

the thing is, phil is in fact still ranboo's professor. he can't just be like "alright you can come live with me!" and ranboo doesn't have that kind of relationship with phil. they trust him, he's been nice to them, he's helping them, but that would be... kinda weird. phil sits down with them though, and talks everything through. they're nearly 18, less than a week away, he wont worry about them being a minor. he helps them write an email to sam about being overwhelmed and how they were asked to work over break, telling them to just not work over break even if sam doesn't get back to them. phil's son is wilbur, he knows all about the ins and outs of student government. that takes up a good amount of time, so he asks ranboo to come back the next day and talk about their situation more, and they say yes (lying)

but phil is phil, and he happens to mention to techno that ranboo is really going through a rough patch and how phil wishes he could help more, and techno is like. just say you want me to reach out to them, for you phil i will do it. (he does it because he cares about ranboo and was already worried. he just is in denial). so he goes to ranboo's dorm, just him, and is very persistent until ranboo opens the door. immediately decides that ranboo is far too weak and sickly to be left alone and is like "you're staying with me and quackity for break. quackity wants it not me." and essentially guilts ranboo into going with him.

so ranboo spends break with techno and quackity (very weird experience). they do go to the soot-kraft thanksgiving, and everyone is just so nice to them, mostly without knowing how "pathetic" they are, and it really fucks with their "its just pity" internal narrative. after that they have the most awkward conversation with techno ever about how some people (definitely not techno) care about them and would like to try again with them (not techno though). this somehow turns into them agreeing to talking to tommy and tubbo again (much to techno's relief. he cant do this. too many emotions)

they talk to tommy and tubbo. the three actually have a real conversation about everything going on (not ranboo spilling their life story (yet)) and about ranboo's misconceptions about pity. it's laid out in a way that's easier for them to manage, it's not all said in a huge emotional moment. and it's not soon enough that their health isn't shit, it's basically everything that happens after the bathroom breakdown but pushed a week earlier and not a breakdown.

they do still have the seizure, but that's the first one they have help with afterward, rather than the one over christmas. things are a little better a little sooner. it all works out :]

[leafcabbage]

i finally make a tumblr account and get here to find the benchtrio death order. crying. sobbing even.

weclome to the leafcabbage tumblr experience! happy to have you here, it's absolutely incomprehensible here but sometimes devastating :]

[leafcabbage]

here is my pinned post apparently people do this hello

YES THERE ARE FOUR LETTERS THAT ARE SHARED BETWEEN “STUPID” AND “STUDENT”!!! I KNOW!!! OKAY???? I KNOW! I KNOW! I KNOW! IT’S FUNNY!!!!

im writing the fic series “dead relatives & daddy issues” which is nearly entirely what i post about here! 

if you’re 18 or older, i have a discord server for the fic :]

tags: #cabbage thoughts - me saying whatever shit im thinking #fic blogging - same as cabbage thoughts but its about the fic #fic updates - fic updates #cabbage posts - posts with more thought in them #drdi drabbles - little bits of writing ive done for the fic #drdi fanart - art people have made

other things: i take requests for little fic drabbles and au ideas!! it’s fun :D i take doodle requests i prefer not to be referred to the with prefix “mx.” 

askbox rules: keep in mind that i am in fact a stranger on the internet im far less likely to answer asks about things that arent fic related, it depends and its up to me i might just not answer an ask because it doesnt vibe with me please dont ask if/when im going to answer your ask, either i will and its gonna take energy or i wont feel free to ask any character questions you want, theres a chance i wont answer if its spoilery but theres a good chance i will

that said, i do enjoy asks! i like to interact with y’all :]

ok i think thats it ttyl xoxoxo

[leafcabbage]

happy valentines day we are gonna do what we did for halloween because im not actually doing shit but love an excuse to talk. drop me any kind of heart emoji and ill hit you with a sweet/fluffy fact/moment from drdi

you can also request a drabble/scenario, i can't promise to do those, but ill try, so feel free!!

(you can request specific people/or not sweet/fluffy if you want :] )

[leafcabbage]

5, 8, 9?

5: answered!

8: What do you find appealing or unappealing about askbox fic prompts?

i havent really done any besides the what ifs thing and i LOVED that. i really like being able to explore other situations!! its a lot of fun and gives me more insight to characters. i would so be open to getting drabble/scenario requests its so much fun :D

9: Do you write linearly or skip around?

i write the story im working on linearly, but i write future future scenes when i cant get the writing juice flowing. been writing some fluffy future scenes lately since normal fic is drdi!schlatt's funeral lmaoooo