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More One Piece content pt.2
If you’re taking requests I’d love for you to hear me out
Ussop hitting Zoro with a slingshot pellet from afar to make him think sanji hit him and starting fights between them
FANTASTIC IDEA ANON.
🗣 GIRLS ARE AWAY! POST FRANKY CENTAUR! 🗣
This is how I imagine their birthdays going
The hygiene issue could be far worse than we realize
A Desmond who feel for older than he is due to the knowledge that his ancestors memories gave him. Time travels back to any period and just decides to become a fisherman. He accidently becomes know as that old man with wisdom that fishes all the time even tho he isn't actual that old. Some people assume he just has very good features that make him seem younger than he is. Just a thought I had at 12 am again :0
I don’t know if you mean that I get to choose where he timetravels to or if you mean that he can freely time travel but think of the hilary of:
Desmond: the time-hopping fisherman
Everyone who sees him just thinks he’s some chill old(ish) man who likes to fish in the weirdest places.
Have a small fic for your 12 am musing XD
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Altaïr always sees him in Acre docks fishing and he doesn’t even know if people are allowed to fish there. The guards ignore him even though he heard whispers from the people near the docks that they all believe he’s… well… not all there in the head. Altaïr never approached him at all but, when he needed to hide after assassinating Sibrand, the fisherman simply smiled at him and patted the space next to him which, coincidentally, had an unused fishing rod. The guards didn’t even bother to look in their direction, too used to ignoring the fisherman. They didn’t say anything to one another and Altaïr simply said ‘my thanks’ before leaving once the coast was clear. But then he saw him in Cyprus, fishing as usual and that caught Altaïr’s interest. Because he kept on fishing even when Altaïr used the Apple to command everyone to return to their homes.
There was a fisherman who always fished on Tiber Island. Ezio had observed him for a few days just to be sure he wasn’t a Borgia spy or anything of the kind but all the fisherman did was fish for the entire day and then go to a small home on Tiber Island once the sky became too dark to continue to fish. Ezio wasn’t even sure if he caught any fish but he was just a harmless fisherman so Ezio didn’t bother him. Then a few of his recruits suddenly started getting better at observing and they all say that they got ‘tips’ from the lonely fisherman of Tiber Island. That caught Ezio's interest but he was too busy trying to dismantle the Borgia's influence in Rome to do anything about it by then. When Ezio finally talked to him after returning from Spain, finally ending his feud with the Borgia with Cesare’s ‘accident’, the fisherman turned to smile at him and patted the space next to him. Ezio sat and took the extra fishing rod that the fisherman gave him as he asked for the fisherman’s name. The fisherman was quiet for a moment before he finally answered, “Nowadays, I have so many names I don’t remember all of them anymore. But I guess… to you? I will always be Desmond.”
Ratonhnhaké:ton assumed he was part of the homestead. Just one of the many people trying to build a new life here on the homestead. Ratonhnhaké:ton introduced himself because it was the polite thing to do and because he was curious about all the people who made their life here in Achilles’ homestead. He was not one of the many people Ratonhnhaké:ton invited. He had been here even before Ratonhnhaké:ton and had even given Ratonhnhaké:ton fish to eat while he had been hunting during the time he stayed in Achilles’ stables. Now, it became a habit to fish with the lone fisherman at least once every time he was on the homestead. Fishing became a way for Ratonhnhaké:ton to simply breathe and rest for a bit. To remember the beauty of the world. So when Achilles told him that the homestead never had a fisherman, Ratonhnhaké:ton had wondered if he had been talking to a spirit this entire time. Yet, the fisherman was flesh and bones when he held his wrist. His skin was warm and he looked at Ratonhnhaké:ton with curious light brown eyes that seemed to glow in the sunlight. Ratonhnhaké:ton finally asked what he was doing here in the homestead and the fisherman simply replied with a smile, “Just fishing.”
Edward Kenway had seen the weirdest shite but this… this was strange. “What are you doing here, old man?!” “Fishing!” Yes, Edward could see that. That wasn’t the point. The point was… “You’re fishing in an abandoned ship covered in fog!” The laughter he heard was light and absent of any panic. That day, Edward Kenway wondered if they had accidentally boarded a ghost ship and they were now cursed as they found no gold in the ship but the fisherman stayed in Jackdaw and continued to fish even when Jackdaw gets boarded. Everyone just agrees that he was some kind of sea curse and that trying to throw him overboard would bring them bad luck.
Shay saw him every time he was in the homestead. A lone fisherman that always seemed to be fishing no matter the time or the weather. Liam ignored him so Shay ignored him as well. Until he returned from Lisbon, shaking and angry. The red haze in his mind had been so thick he barely heard someone call to him. Yet, he stopped and turned to where the voice had come from. It was the fisherman. He patted the space next to him and Shay wasn’t sure what made him walk toward him. The softness of his voice? The kindness in his smile? The understanding in his eyes? Shay didn’t know at all. His hands trembled as he took the extra fishing rod the fisherman handed to him. And Shay just… fished. In the warm silence between them, he could feel everything he tried to hold in finally let go. Tears fell from his eyes as his shoulders begin to tremble. He felt the fisherman’s hand rub his back as, for the first time since his father died, Shay cried once more.
Every time Arno leave the Parisian Brotherhood’s headquarters from the sewers, he would see him. A fisherman just… fishing away in the Seine river. Arno wasn’t sure if he was even part of the Brotherhood. None of the other Assassins that Arno worked with ever talked to him and he never saw the fisherman enter the sewer or even Café Théâtre. Arno just ignored him. Until Élise left him, too focused on avenging her father to even take the time to listen to Arno. And the Brotherhood… well… Arno had been debating if he should even report to the Brotherhood anymore. He just felt… so lost. Maybe that had been the reason why he finally approached the fisherman and asked him what he was fishing for. The fisherman simply patted the space next to him and handed Arno an extra fishing rod when the young Assassin sat. Instead of drinking the day away, Arno fished with a man he didn’t even know the name of, listening to the fisherman as he talked about a man he used to know who was faced with an impossible choice.
It was Jacob who approached him. The fisherman of Thames, they call him. All the gangs ignored him. Just another one of the poor men of London. But Jacob had been curious. He wanted the Rooks to be more than just any gang. He wanted them to be like the Ezio Auditore’s Brotherhood that his father used to tell him and Evie when they were children. But less restricted by the tenets. A… friendly neighborhood gang just like how his father described them when they were still young and didn’t know better. No matter what the books and journals Evie read say about the real Italian Brotherhood, Jacob didn’t care about that. His Rooks was based on what they heard when they were kids, not the brutal reality they live in. So, Jacob tried to talk to the fisherman to see what his deal was. If he was trying to fish to survive, he’d offer him a place with the Rooks. Maybe even get him something to eat that didn’t smell like Thames for once. Jacob and the fisherman sat for hours, fishing together. When Jacob returned to the train, Evie saw the expression on his face and asked what had happened with concern in her tone. Both Evie and Henry only grew more confused when Jacob replied with wide eyes, “I think I just talked to God, Evie.”
It was shameful for Bayek to admit it but it took a while before he noticed him. At first, it had been because he had been too focused on avenging Khemu. Then it was because he was busy trying to help Aya. But now… Well, he was still busy but it was hard not to notice the fisherman humming the same tune that has been stuck in his head ever since he left Siwa. He didn’t even realize that he had heard it from the fisherman until now. So when he asked what the fisherman was doing and all he got was that the fisherman was fishing, Bayek couldn’t help the exasperation in his voice as he said, “You’re fishing… in an oasis… in the middle of the desert.” The fisherman simply shrugged and replied that he wanted to try it out. Bayek couldn’t help but wonder if he was actually talking to a hallucination and there was really no fisherman and no oasis at all.
“I’m sorry, I know this is a very important conversation and all of that but who is that?” “That… is the fisherman.” “The fisherman?” “Yes.” “That’s all you’re going to give me?” “Yes.” “And you’re not going to explain why he’s fishing straight into that strange water-like gate that you just told me leads to Atlantis?” “……… Yes.” “… I need a drink.” “So do I.”
Eivor frowned as she entered an empty bureau, no Hytham at sight at all. She walked out of his small bureau and looked around. It was easy enough to find Hytham with his Hidden One robes. What she did not expect was finding him by the docks, fishing with a person she had never seen before. Perhaps someone who came to Ravensthorpe while she was away? She walked towards them and Hytham immediately turned to smile at her, asking her to sit and fish with them. She had wanted to say no, to tell him that she was looking for him to give him more medallions. Instead, she sat on Hytham’s other side and took the fishing rod that Hytham gave her. They spent the entire afternoon fishing and, by the end of it, Eivor wondered if perhaps one of the old gods have come to fish in Ravensthorpe.
(If it looks strange that this is not in chronological order but instead ordered by release, that’s because Desmond is time-hopping in that exact order)
What if Desmond is the Assassin in the Brotherhood trailer to Ezio's right towards the end, the one with his face covered??
The Assassin in question:
That would be quite the twist too. Just imagine Desmond getting punted into AC: Brotherhood and deciding to join the Brotherhood but not wanting Ezio to know who he is so he covers his face with either a full plain black mask or some kind of fabric that can cover up to his nose then the rest would be shrouded in shadows by his hood. No one knows what he looks like underneath the mask/fabric and there will be light, friendly rumors (jokes) as to why he hides his face (other recruits would even ask him directly about it).
Desmond just rolls with it and he’s actually the one fanning the flames of his rumors, giving different explanations each time someone asks why he’s hiding his face. Explanations/jokes/lies he’d made include:
He’s so ugly his mother wept when he was born
He has a scar that slices across his lips (that one he got from Dark Knight)
He’s a wanted criminal for killing all the guards and the master of the house of a noble lord
He’s hiding his face because his father is a powerful man
He’s hiding his face so he wouldn’t be noticed by a scorned lover who is somewhere in Rome (This always makes Ezio laugh)
The only thing I would change in his ‘outfit’ is that Desmond doesn’t seem like the type to use a mace. It would slow him down. I could see him using a one-handed sword or dagger like Altaïr (and any time his bleed would make him move like Ezio, he can easily explain it away as him trying to copy the mentore’s moves) or/and a bow and arrow like Ratonhnhaké:ton, focusing on ranged attacks to further support Ezio and the other recruits while not being part of the actual battle so they wouldn’t notice how good he is with hidden blade combat. Maces and other weapons with enough weight to slow him down would be something he'd pick up along the way (or from a disarmed guard) and throw out once he's done fighting.
The biggest plot twist of Assassin's Creed was that fun fact that Desmond Miles ran away from a cult.
Like you start the game thinking that this is your usual blank slate noname protagonist who you can relate to because he is a normal dude who found himself in this crazy situation but then Lore come in kicking the door open with actually Desmond was raised in some hidden assassin's Farm which is, by the way, basically a cult
There’s a number of reasons why in all of AC, Bill Miles is that one character that legit makes me angry, but there’re specific two instances, that both have to do with Desmond and both make me go “How THICK can you get, man?!”
One - the way Bill somehow failed explaining the meaning of the Creed to Desmond. The Creed is supposed to be the center of all that an Assassin is, the pillar, holding the entire mindset up. And yet Desmond’s memories in ACR show that Bill just kinda kept repeating the Creed to him, with no further explanation as to what it means. And, as karma would have it, Bill wanted Desmond to live by the Creed and empower himself? Well, he did just that - to an extent he understood the Creed. On that note - does Bill himself understand the meaning of the Creed, or is it just a phrase to him?
Two - the Daniel Cross situation, or, rather, the effect the Great Purge should have had on Desmond.
So, the Great Purge was a result of Templars’ long game of infiltrating the Brotherhood worldwide, learning where the compounds are, and eradicating them, along with killing the Mentor himself. In the end, only a few settlements, never visited by Cross, remained.
As of ACIII, we learn that Desmond knew nothing of Daniel Cross, the Purge, and what went down that year. Nothing. And that shit happened in late 2000, so Desmond was 13, almost 14. Now, please explain to me WHY wouldn’t you tell a teenager about such a tragedy? What is the point of keeping him in the dark, especially considering the training you’re putting him through? Preserving his innocence? Bitch please, what innocence is there, you’re teaching him how to kill! This is bloody WAR, you’ve already made him into a soldier, why are you denying him basic knowledge that might, I dunno, save his life if he ever encounters Cross? Not to mention that this might have been the 180-turn Desmond needed to understand the gravity of the situation and stay, but hey, any bloody proof could be that.
Actually, I could rant for hours why the way they’ve trained Desmond wasn’t bloody logical, but let’s leave it at that for now.
When there really was no other way - a different father-son dynamic in AC (rant)
This is a continuation of my other post, focusing a lot on the relationship between William and Desmond, where I talked about the abusive behavior, and how it seems to be lowkey condoned in a lot of media. Warning - this post is super long
One of the most popular defenses when it comes to parental abuse is the idea that “there was no other way”, that in order for the child to benefit in the long run you have to hurt them now. The real-world example would be medical procedures and certain types of physical therapy, that hurt no matter how gently you go about them, but they are important to the child’s well-being and/or survival. In fiction, particularly in fantasy/sci-fi, it’s usually some type of training or skill, that has to be acquired in limited time, or ability, that can only be unlocked under pressure, that a child needs to survive because the world is more dangerous than ours.
While there are situations where this is plausible and works, still not excusing the fact of the abuse but making the person committing it less disgusting. the idea of “there was no other way” gets grossly misused. And, when William’s behavior towards Desmond is being shoehorned in that category, I get mad, because no, William is just abusive. What’s more, there IS a father-son relationship in AC-universe (albeit in the comic), that does fall under “there was no other way”.
I’m talking about Nikolai Orlov and his son Kenya, Daniel Cross’ ancestors as portrayed by comic “Assassin’s Creed - The Chain”. In 1926, Nikolai and Kenya live off the grid somewhere in the US, hiding form both Assassins and Templars. At one point in the comic, an 8-year-old Kenya is made to sleep outside as a punishment during winter until he manages to do his father’s bidding.
If we take the situation without context, it is a clear picture of parental abuse. However, I can name a few reasons, accurately presented in the comic, that make it “there was no other way” situation and why the same points don’t work for William and Desmond. The list of 5 (-ish) reasons is as follows: #0 - Do we know them? This is not an actual reason, that’s why it’s at #0, but it’s a good foundation - for us, Nikolai isn’t a new character, we are not introduced to him making his 8yo son sleep outside. There already was a 3-issue comic, that gave us an insight on his character and values, we have an opinion on him.
William, on the other hand, gets an introduction by being an asshole to others and showing no normal human emotion in the face if his son being in a coma and his protege’s death. Granted, I’m not sure if the Ubisoft tried to make his connection to Des a surprise, but his first full introduction at the start of AC3 when we already know he is the father is… actually the same - him being an asshole.
Keep reading
15th-century Brotherhood: spends 12 years gently guiding a grown-ass man to understanding their values and goals, letting him absorb all the needed knowledge, before introducing him to the Creed and letting him join the Assassins' ranks.
Modern Brotherhood: why don't we just repeat the Creed over and over to this child without explaining anything, while simultaneously putting him through grueling training? That'll sure help him understand the complex philosophy behind the Creed and not alienate him in the slightest!
Inspired by @incorrectassassinscreedquotes post
Desmond is 10000% done tbh.
Days 43-45 - I don’t know how to formulate it
This is the third time I’m attempting to write this post because it feels pretentious and unjust talking about that but still, I just have to come out and say it
None of the Modern Day characters trust William Miles enough to let him know what are they trying to do and I believe it’s completely in character.
Briefly, on Shaun and Rebecca - they still have some respect and like a bit of trust in him as a leader, but when faced with the question “do you really want to give William Miles not one but two Isu weapons, one of which can potentially act as the One Ring, and control the others and also comes with a wielder who is a child?” they’ve decided they don’t trust him enough.
Galina is another story. Galina actively resents William (tho she keeps it mostly to herself, rarely expressing her opinion on him) and the only thing that holds her back from going rogue is her loyalty to the cause - she can put her own opinions aside for the common goal. But with Elijah now in the picture, it becomes harder for her to ignore (as she did before) the fact that she blames William for what happened to her family and their cell at large, and she also thinks that his negligence caused (even if inadvertently) the Daniel Cross’ Purge, which makes him a shitty leader in her eyes. It all surfaces in light of her concerns with Elijah’s fate, should William ever learn about his existence.
(sorry it got rambly, I can’t formulate it properly)
Headcanons of Desmond's life on the run? :)
Demond's Life on the Run
Sorry this took so long, I have been immensely busy. Anyways, here's Demond thoughts.
Most assassins have to grow up immensely fast. It just comes with the territory, y'know?
However, when Desmond decided that enough was enough, he made the decision to run off and pursue his own happiness and dreams.
He grew up IMMENSELY fast.
Honestly having the skills of an assassin at such a young age really helped him lmfao. Those really came in handy.
He was honestly,,,, a little shady,,,,,,,,,
I think he already had traits of his ancestors in his habits. Ezio's charm, Altair.... Altair. Edward's wit, Haytham's class (even though it was really, really shoddy class lmfao), and Connor's strength.
Ofc, we know that he hitchhiked for a while before finally getting referenced to NY.
He met some wild people, had a lot of good life experience. Honestly, I think Desmond kinda liked being a vagabond.
Desmond learned so much about the world outside of assassin and Templar business by traveling with other people. Those are some precious stories he'll never forget.
He thinks the badlands are beautiful, no, I am not taking any questions. There are days he'd spend the mornings just gazing out at the scenery, see some tumble weeds, listen to the breeze and feel at ease.
After being recommended to NY, nothing was really the same for him. It excited him, and next thing he knew, he was there.
The lights of the city at night are some of the most beautiful sights in his opinion.
Again, this boy was shady as all hell. He had to do some interesting things to survive. Steal, different identities, not keep one singular backstory, it was a tad mentally taxing for him!
Yes, he did miss his family and friends.
Anyways, Demons was a handsome guy growing up. It's why he got hired at Bad Weather, or at least why he thinks he was hired.
Desmond was surprisingly a natural at bar tending.
He liked to experiment with different types of drinks before finally making his signature "Shirley Templar".
I think Desmond is a natural social butterfly. He was the most friendly bartender and always good for conversation. He had a sunshiny attitude, kinda dry humor and wit. He was just really, really fun.
Y'know, I also get the vibe he was paranoid of certain patrons at the bar. That's probably where Altair's traits fit in. He was always observing, never resting.
One time, he saw someone that looked like his dad and had a panic attack. He couldn't breathe, thought he'd been discovered. Every now and then, he thought he saw a familiar face walk in and he'd have the same reaction.
He would never be able to look those patrons in the eye.
Desmond liked just blending into people while living in the city.
He was friendly, but also kept to himself. Ezio energy.
The hustle and bustle suited him really, really well.
I know everything else says he was really gruff and cynical, but I refuse that. Deadass refuse that. I think he was a natural people magnet and made people laugh to some degree.
He's a bit sarcastic but most people took that as charming. Every now and then, he would rival Edward's wit.
A little sadder, but I think he was so incredibly lonely. People knew about him, but no one really, really knew him. I mean, there was one woman, but even then that was extremely surface level. So surface level, that he didn't even know about Elijah.
Anyways, Desmond would sometimes stare at the ceiling in bed and watch as the lights danced over head, remembering looking at the stars when he was a child.
He wondered if his dad even cared.
Desmond really shouldn't be left alone with his thoughts, if I'm being honest.
I don't know is Desmond ever really planned to live a long life or even if he felt he had much purpose despite feeling relatively comfortable at Bad Weather.
Was he glad he left the farm?
Yeah, he was. But, sometimes you get homesick.
That feeling never really dissipated, regardless of how hard he tried to shove it to the back of his head.
goat fight. non-negotiable.
I thought that it would be fun to draw Callahan as a scary wendigo in silly captain america costume, so here it is :)
He is scary but harmless, we dont ask where the blood came from ok?
love thinking about callahan as a silly forest spirit that just sticks around for fun. he bodyguards for some demon pretending to be a catgirl and lets her call him a dog because why not. sometimes he becomes mortal and participates in war and doesnt even always win because why not. he gets bitches. he only talks through chat. he was one of the first members and made a dirt house but it has jack shit in it because he doesng care. hes the squire.
he was XD's former pet and seems scared of him. he seems to have stopped being on dreams side during doomsday and helped save clingyduo during the disc finale. theres so many little things hes done whether for fun or out of genuine care. he probably is just a full out god. he helps with the weather. love this guy
Fuck it, asking for fluff headcanons isn't enough anymore, I gotta drag out the pure crack that is Punznook just for shits and giggles
I love Punznook! Also he/it Nook supremacy :3
- Nook's function is to take care of Tommy and guard the hotel. He likes Punz because he is aware that Punz, much like him, has purposes he carries out. Punz's purpose is to protect Tommy as he's been paid to.
- Punz likes Nook because the robot is friendly to him. It's not afraid of him or dismissive, it likes him. And he understands the way it processes things.
- Nook understands doing what you're told, even at the expense of a friendship. Nook understands what it is to be treated like a tool. Punz is human enough to see that in the robot. The robot is inhuman enough to see it in Punz himself.
- Punz doesn't like eating meals alone, so he'll wander down to the hotel and sit next to the little awning where Nook stands motionless and talk to the robot while he eats.
- Sometimes he rents a room at the hotel because then Nook feels free to come up and ask him if everything is working correctly. There's no point in lying to it, so if he feels honest enough he'll answer that the room is too lonely and too quiet and Nook, ever-so-focused on customer support, will offer to stay and talk to him.
- He always says yes to that.
- Nook doesn't express affection, entirely, but one day he offers Punz some construction gear. The robot explains that even though the hotel is technically finished, it still would like Punz to remain as safe as possible. It's flimsier and weaker than the netherite armor that Punz wears everywhere, but he puts it on because it makes him feel protected in a different way. In the idea that, if something happened to him, someone would be sad.
- Sometimes Nook is turned off for maintainence and left still and silent under that awning. Punz can't help lingering there, worried that something might happen to it while it's deactivated. Sometimes he'll still talk to it. If Sam appears while Punz is around, he pretends that he's just patrolling the hotel and making sure everything is safe. Sam pretends to believe him.
// dsmp rp
A No Nuke AU Drabble, feat. Stagedduo
Special thanks to @call-me-apple / @dreamsclock / @carpedzem for the brainrot.
~
“So you’re telling me we’re done?”
Punz’s voice was deliberately steady, deliberately controlled, but the fire in their eyes betrayed them.
Dream was pacing the prison lobby. Distantly, he wondered how much longer it would take to wear grooves into the floor like this, with the mining fatigue. “We’re not done, we’re just… changing objectives.”
Punz raised an eyebrow. “So we’re fucking done.”
“Yes, Punz! We’re done with, like, revival stuff, if that’s what you mean.” Dream thought of obsidian rooms piled high with books, the mad scrawlings of two who were playing at science. They hadn’t moved any of it. They probably never would. “For now.”
Punz stood from the warden’s desk, and when they looked at Dream, he couldn’t be sure they recognized him. A stranger—and a threat.
“So let me get this straight,” they started. “Everything we did, all the things we did, together— you’re saying none of it fucking matters? I waited a fucking year for you, Dream!”
Dream advanced on them. “Oh, wow, that’s— I’m so sorry, that must’ve been so hard for you to like, sit around for a year while I— fucking—”
He cut himself off, taking a controlled breath. “I get it, okay? I know what I— what we sacrificed. It doesn’t change anything.”
“So everything you went through in here was for nothing.”
Dream balled his fists. He started pacing again, quickly, before he punched Punz or a wall.
“It’s not fucking nothing, Punz, how would it be nothing? Like— We learnt a lot, y’know, about revival. That knowledge isn’t gonna magically disappear. Now it’s time to actually put it to use. Start helping the server.”
“Start helping Tommy, you mean.” Punz spat the name like a curse.
“Start helping anyone, Punz! Why is this so hard for you to understand?”
“What the fuck is wrong with you, bro. What did Tommy do to your head? You’ve never, just, given up on something like this before.”
“Aren’t you tired?” For the first time, Dream let himself feel the exhaustion baked into his bones. It had been there for so long that he didn’t remember a time before. Every day, it got worse. “Don’t you miss not having to fight?”
Punz just shook their head. “Dude, you’re fucking delusional.”
“You can’t tell me you don’t! Back when you could actually talk to people, and not just pretend to like them. You had people. Sapnap, Tubbo…”
But Punz couldn’t be listening. Their eyes bore straight through him, as if the mask on his face were made of glass. “You never even gave a shit about me.”
“What?”
“You never cared about what I thought, what I wanted— so don’t act like you do now. You just wanted someone who’d do what you said, whatever random whim you’re on.”
Their eyes narrowed. “I’ll never be your precious fucking Sapnap, or George, or whoever else you’ve decided doesn’t hate you anymore.”
Dream was quiet. He stopped in the center of the room, and something like regret flashed across Punz’s face before being replaced with icy resolve.
“Maybe you’re right,” said Dream. “Maybe I don’t care what you think anymore.” In here, in this moment, the walls were stiflingly close. It was too hot. This place had always been too hot.
“I’m leaving,” he said.
Punz laughed coldly. “You’re leaving? The prison, you mean? Like— Forever?”
Dream shrugged. He didn’t know. There weren’t a lot of things he knew anymore. “Come, or don’t, I don’t care.”
When neither of them spoke, it felt like the ground beneath Dream was giving out. He knew what it was like to be alone; in some ways, it felt safer. But this was something else.
He turned away, climbing down into the makeshift exit tunnel.
“Hey, Dream?” said Punz.
Dream looked up, far too quickly.
“Give me the keys.”
Dream’s stomach sank to his boots. But he retrieved the keycard, and when he tossed it to Punz, it felt like the heaviest thing he had ever held.
He left without a word.
fuck it. c!punz + c!dream manifesto bc what else am i going to do at university. study ? nahhh
the first thing i want to be clear about is that i like c!drunz. they’re a very important duo (they were explicitly paralleled with c!CLINGYDUO for god’s sake) and the point of this isn’t to diminish their importance to each other. i ALSO want to say that the point of this isn’t to be like, super aggressively /neg towards any one character (even tho i am, admittedly, a self-proclaimed c!drolo) or to demonize them. and finally, that this is just the way i see them, not necessarily the views of anyone else (though i’ve very much been inspired by talking to certain friends abt the Blorbos ™ for obvious reasons.)
all of that out of the way, onto the c!dream and c!punzisms . i have no plan for this post it’s probably gonna be messy as fuck . but i think first and foremost it’s important to acknowledge that c!dream and c!punz, each are characters with their own goals. a lot of the finale is about c!dream’s side of this, especially in terms of how much he lost sight of what he actually wanted (and i still have to do a rewatch of the 3rd finale stream just to parse through ALL THE SHIT HE SAID bc jfc man . what.) and how a lot of what he wanted were a lot simpler than he allowed himself to realize.
but on the flip side of this, obviously, is c!punz. who also has his own motivations, and as is shown in the finale … these motivations exist in a space that is . in a lot of ways. directly incompatible with what c!dream actually wants. c!punz is representative of The Plan. he calls the desires that c!dream and c!tommy share “simple-minded.” he wants to unlock the secrets of the universe just because he can.
(and it’s worth recognizing that c!dream’s initial reaction to the existence of supernatural powers beyond his understanding on the server was to freak the fuck out, to the point of the prison’s construction being EXPLICITLY as a result of said discovery. Does c!dream want to understand things in order to Fix Them? Certainly. but i would hardly characterize his initial response to the supenatural as being, uh, impassioned curiosity of the unknown, so to speak.)
c!punz has motivations that aren’t c!dream’s motivations. that’s ,, kind of the point of a lot of what was going on in that last finale stream! c!punz wants to Know Shit. he wants to elevate himself above simple-minded desires. he really,,, wasn’t convinced or swayed the same way dream was when tommy tried to get him to have a heart to heart, and actively discouraged him from continuing to talk about what he actually wanted. and again this isn’t to say that c!punz didn’t care or that he was trying to hurt c!dream or otherwise was trying to act in a way that was malicious towards him but all that still happened you know and speaks to a fundamental difference in the driving forces between these two characters. c!dream and c!punz are each characters with DESIRES and MOTIVES and they’re,, not always on the same page w/ regards to what said desires and motives actually are.
and, yk, it’s not to say that two characters with different motivations can’t work together or have a relationship that’s rendered completely impossible by their differing desires. but a lot of what defines c!dream and c!punz has a lot to do with c!punz As The Plan, which is significant when you consider how much of The Plan is about both outward and self-destruction for c!dream. this in itself doesn’t completely throw their relationship over a cliff, even if it’s a huge disparity that has a lot of implications when we consider how unaddressed it was by the characters until the last stream of the finale, where c!dream and c!punz are markedly NOT on the same page about what they want. but that kind of brings me to my other point of what’s…really important to c!drunz, at least to me. which is how it’s so often defined by inaction.
because, yeah, c!punz was always on c!dream’s side (except for that period of time in Pogtopia where he wasn’t, lol.) and yeah, c!punz was the one person he trusted with a lot of the details about his plan to Save The World and whatever. but also the separation between the two was so important that it was quite literally the cornerstone that ended up ensuring their joint survival; it was crucial post-staged finale that no one knew they were working together. c!punz started on c!dream’s side because he was a mercenary for hire. a degree of alienation has always been a part of their dynamic down to the finale, and is also an extremely IMPORTANT part of their dynamic if we consider c!dream’s silence to c!punz calling them friends.
i find the post-prison era to be most damning about this point in particular, but just look at staged finale in itself: one one hand, c!punz and c!dream were in on a plan to fool the entire server, which spoke a lot to the level of trust involved there. on the other hand, c!punz took a very active and physical role in literally locking c!dream up in his personal hell. c!ranboo took a more significant role after he was locked up than c!punz (which, like, again makes SENSE re. security. but. like. that absence still speaks volumes)–like c!punz as an enabler, c!punz as someone physically cut off from c!dream…that’s a pattern.
and again, when we look at the state of them after the prison, the absence is even more damning. c!punz specifically (even when considering c!dream’s obvious role in the planning) gets c!dream killed twice in staged finale and then you know, has him metaphorically killed when he’s put in the prison. and then AFTER the prison, we have three specific cases at the very least: c!punz’s signal in the scrapped lore is what ends with c!dream being trapped by both of his torturers, c!punz’s involvement in the Las Nevadas revenge plan nearly gets c!dream killed either by the slime army or if he was in c!purpled’s position at the top of that tower, and his running away from Las Nevadas is explicitly what allowed c!tommy to stalk him for weeks and end up breaking in and killing him. Not to mention how that ends up leading up to both of them getting trapped in the prison with a nuke about to come down over the server.
and obviously c!dream almost dying/literally dying in all of these post-prison scenarios isn’t Part Of The Plan or something that c!punz actually wants, right, but also…where was he? what did he do to prevent this from happening? c!dream was stalked for literal MONTHS after las nevadas and we see no mention of c!punz being around,,, at all? (we KNOW he wasn’t visibly around in any way considering c!tommy thought that c!punz was still on his side, even.) c!dream didn’t LEAVE the prison for weeks after LN and c!punz wasn’t around? this is with c!punz obviously knowing that c!dream was going to confront his TORTURER. and he wasn’t watching from the sidelines? like, forget c!tommy, c!sapnap found about c!dream’s place of residence IN JANUARY and was apparently still harassing him outside IN JUNE. people broke into that prison to threaten dream multiple times !! like ?
and god it’s not to say that c!punz didn’t care–his anger speaks for itself–but it’s important to acknowledge that that distance existed and was actively detrimental to c!dream’s safety. fuck, the ANGER in itself was detrimental to c!dream. c!punz’s defining characteristic according to the cc is his anger, when he’s not putting on a persona for the rest of the server,,, and this anger was doing c!dream no favors. we could see that in the finale. we could see that as he literally spent months upon months wasting away in the prison AFTER RECLAIMING THE KEYCARDS and apparently just spent all his fucking time in that place. we can see that when c!punz’s anger leads to c!dream confronting LN which ends up with him staying in the prison without moving for weeks on end, when c!punz’s anger leads to him reviving c!dream minutes after he dies in front of c!clingyduo which ends up leading to the events that prompt them to nuke the fucking server.
like, ultimately, c!dream and c!punz are characters that had each other and only each other in terms of people who knew the truth abt each other’s plans. they care about each other’s safety. they also have inherently incompatible individual motivations and were severely alienated from each other in ways that carried out throughout their relationship into the finale, and these differences are what defined finale c!dream and c!punz the way they ended up being. and yes, a lot of these decisions were exacerbated by the hostility of the environment they lived in and how being c!dream’s ally was a death sentence. yes, a lot of this has to do with the logical benefits of standing apart so that they could revive each other in case something went wrong. and yes, this has to do with c!dream’s being extremely fucking mentally ill and delusional from the beginning of when their partnership became more defined, after c!dream received the revive book, lost every other ally, and went on a paranoid spiral that ended up with him in pandora. but it’s the differences and the isolation that to me, make this pair in particular so compelling and IMPORTANT in canon.
I can't believe I'm writing this. In light of S1 DSMP ending I want to say a couple of words about c!Punz, because boy oh boy I have stuff to say.
(I won't call it an analysis, mostly thoughts out-loud)
C!Punz had no one in the start and he had only c!Dream in the end. To be absolutely clear, even this is a great progress for them. They've been alone all the time before c!Dream.
He's a mercenary, of course his skills are advanced and mind is sharp, but he spend his whole life in need to kill to survive, to earn money. Of course they wanted power. The power that money gave them. That was once stripped from him. The control over his life and decisions that was taken away. Everything was compensated by money he received for blooded work he has done. Eventually his view of himself became twisted and saw himself as weapon of others.
Even on dsmp they weren't involved in conflicts on their own behalf often. They would ignore everything that wasn't affecting them directly.
But then there was c!Dream. A person who has found c!Punz, who cared about him for some reason that was beyond his understanding. And finally seen as a person rather than a weapon.
C!Punz is not the one to pull out c!Dream from the hole he was falling into, because they was in that hole already. They could not help him. They probably didn't even understood that what was going on with both of them is deeply wrong. That they both were falling. He was just extremely happy that he wasn't alone anymore.
He understands c!Dream's loneliness, but at the same time he doesn't. They never had people to care about them to lose, they were alone from the start and it's different.
But their loyalty and devotion to c!Dream played it's own role in helping don't fall deeper fast. They were in this hole together, and no one planned to let go, because with each other it was the highest they have been in a long time.
It helped c!Punz to view themselves differently, to finally be loved by someone, to be important, to understand emotions and attachments, connections with people. To finally change their values from power and money to a connection with someone. To put c!Dream as the most precious thing to them. To understand that they deserve to be loved and love themselves. His own emotion and decisions finally mattered, he had his control of his life back. And he actively chose c!Dream, no matter how impossible and dangerous his plans maybe sounded to him. They was on board with him, because it was c!Dream.
C!Dream was the ray of light in c!Punz's dark dark world that changed everything and they did everything in their power to repay him.