Minor Problem | RERWRITE | Dream SMP BabyBoo AU

Chapter 2 - Lost

(Original artwork by Grassvloock)

Decisions were made.

Ranboo felt such a pain as he tried not to cry there in the corner of his panic room, tears welling up in his eyes anyway despite his desperate efforts not to let them. He knew he had done wrong. He knew he had hurt people. He knew he had betrayed everyone.

"Choose people, not sides," he always told himself, but he forgot to account for the fact that "his people" still chose sides. They didn't follow his same morals.

L'manburg was gone. His home, his friends, everything.

"Why? Why would you help them? You only hurt them both. Both sides. Why? They were your friends, and now? Now they're gone. Because of you."

He stuttered in his breath, trying to pull himself together, yet only letting out a pained whine as his tears ran down his cheeks anyway, the violent sting searing his skin. He tried wiping them away but he only burned his hands in doing so before wiping it off onto his sleeves. More tears continued to come, however.

Within these obsidian walls of his panic room was the only place he ever felt safe, isolated from the world and its dangers, kept hidden from all those that were his enemies, masked with the candied smile of friendship. With what he'd done, he knew he was on his own now.

That was until, his communicator suddenly called out to him with the request for a voice call.

He hadn't known who would have wanted to speak to him, yet he answered despite such. Only after doing so did he get the nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach that perhaps he shouldn't have. Still, he went on.

"Phil..?" he breathed to himself, looking at just who it was there on his communicator, confused as to why he of all people had requested the call.

"Hey Ranboo," the man greeted.

"O-oh, uh- h- hey Phil..." Ranboo stuttered, trying to push away his previous tears, not wanting anyone really to have known he had broken once more.

"I wish I asked you this much, much sooner but, from L'manburg, did you make it out all okay?"

There was a moment of hesitation before responding, as Ranboo felt some sort of feeling hit him in a way he could not have described. Despite all that had been done, someone was looking out for him, worried about his well being.

"Y-yeah... I'm alright..."

"Hey uh, do you need a place to say? Or, are you alright on your own? I'm here if you need me, mate."

The words nearly made him return to his tears, though this time, because of the mere fact that someone had cared. He'd felt so many different emotions these past few days, gone through so many losses, so many regrets, he didn't even know how to react to this.

He knew he was at a loss right now. He had nowhere to go, no people to trust, no items to hold himself up with. He had nothing. Given the offer, and given the choice, he accepted Phil's offer with a gratitude that could never truly be expressed with mere words. Even if only for a few days, it was more than he could have ever asked for from anyone, given the state of the server right now...

"Y- yes p-le-ase.. please..." he breathed in what came out as almost a whisper with falling tears, his voice torn from both the sheer happiness and pain he felt. "I- I-" he briefly gasped between his words, "I couldn't thank you enough if you let me..."

"Shhh-" Phil hushed, hearing his broken cries. He didn't realize it was that bad for him. Poor kid. "I'll let Tech know I'm taking you back, okay? That way he won't try to go after you. Meet me at the edge of L'manburg and I'll help show you where we're at. Does that sound alright?"