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The treehouse set was one of the most impressive builds they'd done—multiple levels, wooden platforms built into artificial trees that stretched up toward the studio ceiling. The art department had spent weeks making it look lived-in and weathered. Mane's character's home, perched high above everything else.
Almost there," one of the crew members called from above.
"Yeah, yeah," Wemmbu muttered, taking his fireworks out. His purple hair kept falling in his face. He'd need to pin it back before the scene started.
Wemmbu used his elytra to the platform, his demon prosthetics making the flight awkward.
The wind machines were already running, creating that constant breeze that would make everything feel more desolate.
"Ready when you are!" the director called from below, watching on the monitors.
Wemmbu took his position at the side of the platform. Took a breath. Got into character—desperation, hope, betrayal all waiting just under the surface.
"And... action!"
"Mane?" His voice carried across the platform, echoing slightly.
The cameras tracked him as he walked across the weathered platform of the leaves of the treehouse. The wind whipped his hair around his face, making him look even more disheveled. His character had been through hell to get here.
He stopped in his tracks.
There, propped against a wooden post, was a single sign.
LOST CAUSE
Wemmbu stared at it. His hands started shaking as he reached for it, stopped, and looked around. His hands reached for his netherite axe.
The silence stretched. Just Wemmbu and the sign and the wind.
And he broke the sign, as Egg’s faint voice could be heard in the distance.
"CUT! That's it! That's the take!" The director's voice crackled over the speakers. "Beautiful work, Wemmbu! Absolutely beautiful!"
The spell broke. The wind machines cut out. Crew members started moving around below.
Wemmbu let out a long breath and stayed still for a moment, coming down from the emotional high of the scene. Acting was weird like that—you had to go to real places emotionally, dredge up real feelings, and then just... turn it off when they called cut.
He stood, brushed off his costume, and carefully made his way back down. The sign got handed off to props. Someone from makeup came over to check if he needed touch-ups for the next scene.
"That was intense, man," the makeup artist said, dabbing at his face. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good." Wemmbu smiled. "Just needed a second to come back."
"Take your time. You've got twenty minutes before the next setup."
Backstage, where all the monitors were set up, Manepear and Flamefrags had been watching the whole thing. They'd finished their scenes earlier and had stuck around to see Wemmbu's take.
They were absolutely losing it.
"Bro—" Mane could barely breathe, hunched over in his chair. "Did you SEE his face when he found the sign?"
Flame was wiping tears from his eyes, trying to keep his laughter quiet so it wouldn't bleed into the audio. "Like it personally attacked him!"
"Just TWO WORDS!" Mane wheezed. "'Lost cause' and I DIPPED! No explanation, no final conversation, just a SIGN and I peaced out!"
"That's so cold, bro!" Flame was practically doubled over. "Your character is ICE COLD!"
"I wasn't even IN the scene!" Mane gestured at the monitor. "I just left a piece of wood with words on it! That's the most emotionally devastating breakup of Unstable and I didn't even show up!"
"Cost effective acting!" Flame cackled.
"Exactly! Why pay me to be there when a sign can do all the emotional damage for me?"
They dissolved into laughter again, trying and failing to keep it quiet. A few crew members glanced over with amused expressions but didn't say anything. Everyone knew how it was—sometimes you needed to laugh between the heavy scenes.
"The way he said your name though," Flame said, getting his breath back. "Bro, he sold it so hard. I actually felt bad for a second."
"Only a second?" Mane grinned.
"Yeah, then I remembered you just left a sign and I lost it again."
They were still laughing when they heard footsteps behind them.
"Having a good time?"
The laughter died instantly. They turned around slowly, in perfect sync, like they were in a horror movie.
Wemmbu stood in the doorway, still in full demon makeup and costume. Arms crossed. Expression completely neutral. The tail swished behind him once, ominously.
"Oh fuck," Flame said.
"Oh FUCK," Mane agreed, his voice going up an octave.
"So," Wemmbu said, voice dangerously calm. "You think abandoning me with a sign is funny?"
"Wemmbu, listen—" Flame started, already half out of his chair.
"It was really good acting though?" Mane offered weakly, backing up. "Like, genuinely great work, bro. Very emotional. I almost cried."
"Almost?"
"I mean—"
"RUN, BRO!” Flame screeched.
They scattered like cockroaches when the lights turned on. Flame went left, practically vaulting over a equipment case. Mane went right, his chair clattering to the floor behind him.
Wemmbu charged after Mane first because he was closer.
"I'M GOING TO FILL YOUR TRAILER WITH GLITTER!" Wemmbu's voice echoed through the backstage area.
"BRO, NOT THE GLITTER!" Mane yelped, sliding around a corner. "ANYTHING BUT THAT!”
Flame had pulled out his phone and was recording while running, absolutely cackling. "This is the best thing I've ever seen!"
"FLAME, YOU'RE NEXT!" Wemmbu switched targets.
"Oh shit—" Flame nearly ran into a lighting stand, his phone still recording everything. "I WAS JUST AN INNOCENT BYSTANDER!"
"YOU WERE LAUGHING!"
"BECAUSE IT WAS FUNNY!"
They tore through the backstage corridors. Wemmbu's tail knocked over a stack of foam bricks that had been leaning against the wall.
A door opened and Parrot stepped out, script in hand, took one look at the chaos charging directly at him, and immediately flattened himself against the wall.
They thundered past like a stampede.
"What'd you do?" Parrot called after them, already knowing it was something stupid.
"LAUGHED AT HIS SAD SCENE!" Mane yelled back over his shoulder.
"That was a dumb move, bro!" Parrot shook his head, almost smiling. "Really dumb!"
"WE KNOW!"
"I'M GOING TO CONVINCE THE DIRECTOR TO MAKE YOUR PVP SCENES LONGER, FLAME!" Wemmbu shouted.
"YOU WOULDN'T!"
"WATCH ME, BRO!"
They burst through a door into the props department, nearly giving one of the prop masters a heart attack. Mane tried to hide behind a rack of fake swords. Flame ducked behind a workbench.
"Sorry, sorry!" Wemmbu called to the startled prop master, then pointed at Mane. "GET OUT HERE!"
"Never!" Mane's voice came from behind the swords.
Spoke appeared in the doorway, phone out, recording. He'd clearly heard the commotion and come to investigate. "This is definitely going in the blooper reel, bro."
"SPOKE, HELP US!" Mane pleaded.
"Nah, man, you brought this on yourselves!" Spoke was grinning, keeping the camera steady.
Security eventually found them in the parking lot—Mane and Flame wheezing against someone's car, Wemmbu standing a few feet away still in full demon regalia, and Spoke recording the whole thing.
"Guys, I need you to stop running through the building," the security guard said, trying very hard not to smile. "We've had three complaints about the noise."
"Sorry," they all mumbled.
Once security left, Wemmbu pointed at both of them. "You're forgiven. But I'm still doing the glitter thing."
"Wemmbu, come on—" Flame started.
"Should've thought about that before you laughed at my emotional devastation!"
"It was just so GOOD though!" Mane protested. "Like, genuinely great acting! The way that sign—"
"Stop talking about the sign!"
The break room was one of the quieter spaces in the studio—a place where cast and crew could actually relax between scenes. Comfortable couches, a coffee machine that usually worked, a TV that was perpetually playing whatever sports game was on, and enough snacks to keep everyone from getting too hungry during long shoot days.
Pangi had claimed one of the couches, sprawled out with his phone, scrolling through Twitter to see what fans were saying about the last episode. It had aired two days ago and people were still going crazy about the cliffhanger.
The door opened and Zam walked in, still in costume but between scenes. His face immediately brightened when he saw Pangi.
"Oh, hey!" Zam's whole demeanor shifted, more relaxed, happier.
"Hey yourself!" Pangi sat up, making room on the couch, but Zam sat down close enough that their shoulders pressed together anyway. Natural. Comfortable.
"How long's your break?" Zam asked.
"Got about thirty minutes before I need to be in makeup." Pangi shifted slightly so Zam could settle in better. "How was your scene?"
"Good! Tiring though. We did like fifteen takes because Spoke kept breaking character." Zam leaned into Pangi's shoulder a bit.
"That sounds like Spoke."
"Very on brand for him." Zam pulled out her phone. "Have you seen the fan reactions to your scene from last episode?"
"I know, I've been reading them." Pangi showed his phone screen. "Someone made a whole video essay analyzing my facial expressions. It's like twenty minutes long."
"That's dedication."
"It's kind of flattering, honestly. Like, they care that much about the details." Pangi smiled, that soft private smile that was definitely more than friendly. "Makes all the long days worth it."
Across the room, Wemmbu and Egg had been getting water from the cooler. They'd been talking about their next scene but both stopped mid-conversation when they noticed Pangi and Zam.
The way they were sitting. The casual intimacy. The way Zam was practically tucked into Pangi's side.
Egg raised an eyebrow at Wemmbu. Wemmbu grinned back.
Oh, they were DEFINITELY saying something about this.
They abandoned their waters and walked over, trying to look casual. Wemmbu dropped into the chair across from them. Egg sat on the armrest, the picture of innocence.
Zam looked up immediately, suspicious. Her eyes narrowed. "...what?"
"What?" Wemmbu echoed, all innocence.
"Why do you both look like that?"
"Like what?" Egg asked.
"Like you're about to start something."
"We're not starting anything!" Wemmbu protested. "We're just... observing."
"Observing what exactly?" Zam's face was already starting to flush pink.
"Oh, you know." Wemmbu gestured vaguely at how they were sitting. "Just how cozy you two are. Very... close."
"We're just sitting," Zam said, but he didn't move away from Pangi.
"Very close together though," Egg added helpfully. "Very... couple-y, one might say."
"We're not—" Zam started.
"It's fine, babe," Pangi said automatically, then his eyes went wide as he realized what he'd just said. "I mean—shit."
Silence. Beautiful, perfect silence.
Then: "BABE?!" Wemmbu and Egg said in perfect unison, absolutely delighted.
"Oh my god." Zam buried his face in his hands. "This is actually happening. This is genuinely the worst day of my life."
"Are you two DATING?!" Wemmbu leaned forward, grin huge.
Pangi looked at Zam, who was still hiding behind his hands, then back at Wemmbu. Sighed. "I mean... yeah? We are?"
"HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON?!" Egg demanded.
"Since Lifesteal season 4," Pangi admitted.
"THAT'S THREE YEARS!" Wemmbu's jaw dropped. "You've been hiding this for THREE YEARS?!"
"We weren't hiding it—" Zam mumbled from behind his hands.
"You absolutely were!" Wemmbu gestured dramatically. "Three years! How did I not know about this?!"
"We just didn't want to make it a big thing," Zam said, finally lowering his hands. Her face was bright red. "We wanted to keep it private."
"Well it's not private anymore," Egg said cheerfully.
Wemmbu was practically vibrating with excitement. "Okay, I need details. All the details. Who asked who out? When? Where? How?"
"Do we have to—" Zam started.
"Yes," Wemmbu and Egg said together.
Pangi laughed, pulling Zam closer with an arm around his shoulders. "Okay, okay. I asked him out after one of our shoots during early Season 4.”
"You were so nervous," Zam added, smiling now despite his embarrassment. "You knocked over like three things while asking."
"It was not three things!"
"It was three. You hit my water bottle, knocked your script on the floor, and bumped someone's coffee mug off the table."
"Okay, the coffee was already close to the edge—"
"It was in the middle of the table, Pangi."
"It was closer to the edge than you think—"
"You literally had to buy them a new coffee to apologize!"
Wemmbu and Egg were watching this back-and-forth like it was the best show they'd ever seen.
"This is adorable," Egg said. "Like, genuinely adorable."
"It's really not," Zam muttered, but he was smiling.
"Oh, it absolutely is," Wemmbu said. “Prince Zam has been in a secret relationship for two years and I had no idea. This is the best day of MY life."
"I thought you said it was the worst day of yours?" Pangi asked Zam.
"It is. Wemmbu's enjoying my suffering."
"As is my right as your best friend."
The door opened and Parrot walked in, going straight for the coffee machine. He took one look at the scene—Wemmbu and Egg practically glowing with excitement, Zam red-faced and embarrassed, Pangi trying not to laugh—and immediately understood.
"Oh, they finally told you guys?" Parrot said casually, pouring coffee.
Zam's head snapped up. "YOU KNEW?!"
“Dude, everyone knows," Parrot said, adding sugar to his coffee with measured calm. "You two aren't subtle, bro."
"EVERYONE?!" Zam looked genuinely distressed now.
"How long has everyone known?" Pangi asked, curious rather than upset.
"Like... a year? Maybe more?" Parrot came over and sat in another chair. "Spoke won a betting pool on when you'd actually tell people officially."
"There was a BETTING POOL?!" Zam's voice went up an octave.
"Obviously. We had to do something to make it interesting."
"What was the buy-in?" Egg asked.
"Twenty bucks. Spoke won like two hundred dollars."
"I can't believe this," Zam said faintly.
"You two hold hands between takes," Parrot said, ticking items off on his fingers. "You're always together during breaks. You know each other's coffee orders perfectly. Last month Pangi brought him soup when Zam was sick, and it was from that specific place across town that Zam mentioned liking once like six months ago."
"That's—that's just being a good friend!" Zam protested weakly.
"You also called him 'babe' in front of like six people two weeks ago," Parrot added.
"I did NOT—"
"You absolutely did," Egg confirmed. "I was there. Someone asked if you wanted water and you said 'ask babe' while pointing at Pangi."
"I don't remember that!"
"You were tired," Pangi said diplomatically. "It was a long day."
"That doesn't make it better!"
Wemmbu leaned back in his chair, absolutely delighted. "Okay but Pangi, real talk—how bad are your pickup lines?"
Pangi's eyes widened. "They're not bad!"
"Oh they're TERRIBLE," Zam said immediately, some of his embarrassment fading as he got the chance to roast his boyfriend. "You want to know what he said to me? Actually said, with his whole chest?"
"Please tell us," Egg said eagerly.
"I’d be lost for words too if I got rizzed up by the pang. "
The room erupted. Wemmbu actually choked on air. Egg dissolved into laughter. Even Parrot cracked a smile.
"HE DID NOT," Wemmbu gasped.
"He absolutely did," Zam confirmed. "And then he winked. He WINKED."
"It was smooth!" Pangi protested, but he was laughing too.
"It was the WORST line I've ever heard!" Zam said. "I laughed for like five minutes straight!"
"But you still went out with me," Pangi pointed out.
"I—that's—" Zam's face went red again. "That's not the point!"
"That's exactly the point!"
"I went out with you DESPITE the line, not because of it!"
"Still counts!"
Wemmbu was wiping tears from his eyes.
"Oh my god, this is the best. Do you have more terrible pickup lines?"
"They're not terrible—" Pangi started.
"He tried 'Are you a crafting table because I want to make something with you,'" Zam said flatly.
"PANGI," Egg wheezed.
"That was ONE TIME and it was a JOKE—"
"You said it while getting me flowers!"
"The flowers were romantic!"
"The line RUINED THE FLOWERS!"
"You kept the flowers though!"
"Because they were nice flowers!"
Parrot was trying very hard not to laugh and failing. "How did this relationship even work?"
"I ask myself that every day," Zam said, but he was smiling, leaning into Pangi's side.
The door opened again and Spoke walked in, took one look at everyone, and immediately grinned. "Oh shit, they finally told people about the relationship?"
"HOW DOES EVERYONE KNOW?!" Zam wailed.
"Because you two are about as subtle as a brick to the face," Spoke said, heading for the snack table. "Congrats on winning me two hundred bucks though."
"You BET on us?!"
"Obviously. I nailed it."
Pangi pulled Zam closer, pressing a kiss to his temple. "You know what? I don't even care anymore. Everyone knows. That's fine. Less stress about hiding it."
"We weren't hiding it—"
"Babe, we were absolutely hiding it."
"Okay, maybe a little bit."
Wemmbu's phone buzzed. He checked it and grinned. "Oh, Mane just texted asking if it's true. Someone already told him."
"How does news travel this fast?!" Zam asked.
"Group chat," Egg said, pulling out his phone. "Yeah, it's blowing up right now."
"We have a group chat without us?" Pangi asked.
"We have TWO group chats without you," Parrot said. "One for people who actually show up on time, and one for betting pools."
"I show up on time!" Pangi protested.
"You were late twice this week," Egg pointed out.
"Both times were Zam's fault!"
"HEY!"
"You distracted me!"
"I just said good morning!"
"It was a very distracting good morning!"
Wemmbu was grinning so hard his face hurt. This was the best afternoon he'd had in weeks. "Okay, new rule. Now that it's official-official, we get to tease you about this relationship constantly."
Please don't," Zam said.
"Oh, we absolutely will," Egg said cheerfully. "Every single day."
"It's our duty as your friends," Wemmbu added solemnly.
"I'm getting new friends," Zam announced.
"No you're not," Pangi said, pulling him closer. "You love these idiots."
"Debatable right now."
But he was smiling.
The underground civilization set was genuinely one of the most impressive things Wemmbu had ever seen in his life. He'd been on plenty of sets before—Lifesteal had some great builds, and other projects he'd worked on had similar production value—but this was something else entirely.
They'd built an entire ancient city underground.
Real stone, carved pillars stretching up toward the studio ceiling, actual purple moss growing on surfaces where the set dressers had cultivated it, mysterious glowing plants that the props team had rigged with tiny LED lights to create this eerie bioluminescent effect. It looked like something out of a big-budget fantasy movie.
The main chamber where they were filming stretched out like a cathedral—huge open space, crumbling architecture suggesting a civilization that had been thriving years ago, strange symbols carved into every surface.
In the middle of all this grandeur was their temporary camp—a much smaller, more intimate setup that showed how out of place their characters were in this ancient space. Sleeping bags scattered around a fake fire (rigged to flicker with LED lights and a little fan to make it look realistic), supplies strewn about, a few makeshift attempts at making the space comfortable.
Wemmbu, Egg, Loppez, and Rejoice stood in the middle of it all, waiting for the lighting crew to finish adjusting one of the overhead rigs.
"This is insane," Loppez said, walking over to examine one of the carved trees up close. She ran her hand over the symbols. "These actually feel carved. Did they really carve all of these?"
"I think so," Rejoice said from where he was sitting on one of the sleeping bags, looking tired but content. "I overheard someone from set design saying they brought in actual carvers to make it look authentic."
"The budget for this season must be crazy, Horace is so goated," Egg added, looking around at the scope of it all. "Like, actually insane."
"The Patreon money's going to good use," Wemmbu said, pulling out his phone. "Okay, we need to document this. This set is too cool not to get a picture."
"Are we allowed to post stuff from set?" Egg asked, moving closer.
"I mean..." Wemmbu glanced around. The social media manager was nowhere in sight—probably in the production office dealing with whatever crisis had come up today. There was always a crisis. "It's not like I'm posting anything super spoilery. Just us hanging out at camp."
"The fans don't know about the civilization yet, we just ended the video with Jaden’s cliffhanger," Loppez pointed out, but she was smiling. "That's definitely spoilery. Like, majorly spoilery. The fans don’t know Rejoice is a character yet.”
"Yeah, but it's vague spoilery," Wemmbu said, already positioning himself. "Fun spoilery. We're not revealing plot points, just showing that we're underground somewhere. Could be anything."
"That's the definition of a spoiler," Egg said, but he was moving into frame anyway.
"It's a VAGUE spoiler," Wemmbu insisted. "There's a difference. Come on, get in here. We're doing this."
Rejoice stood up from his sleeping bag, stretching. "If we're documenting it, we should make it a good shot. The fans deserve quality content."
"Now you're talking." Wemmbu waved them all closer. "Everyone around the fire."
They gathered around the fake campfire.
Behind them, the underground civilization stretched out in all its glory—ancient pillars, mysterious symbols, the eerie blue-purple glow of the bioluminescent plants creating atmosphere.
Wemmbu held up his phone, trying to get the angle right and snapped several pictures.
pulled the phone back to review them, scrolling through the shots. "Oh these are perfect. Look—you can see the whole set behind us."
They crowded around to look. The photos had captured everything—the camp in the foreground looking small and human against the massive ancient architecture, all four of them in full costume and makeup, the lighting giving everything this otherworldly quality that was going to make fans lose their minds.
"That one's the best," Egg said, pointing at the third shot. "We all actually look good in that one and you can see the pillars really well."
"Plus the bioluminescent plants are really visible," Loppez added. "The fans are going to go crazy trying to figure out what those are."
"I'm posting it." Wemmbu was already opening Twitter, typing with one thumb.
His thumb hovered over the post button for just a second—last chance to reconsider—then he hit it.
"The social media manager is going to be so mad at you," Egg said, watching over his shoulder as the post immediately started getting likes.
"Probably," Wemmbu agreed cheerfully. "But look, we're at a hundred likes already and I posted it literally five seconds ago."
"Two hundred now," Loppez observed.
"The fans are FAST," Rejoice said.
A PA stuck their head around one of the pillars. "Guys, we're ready for you! Need everyone in positions!"
They headed back to their marks, settling into the scene blocking they'd rehearsed earlier. Wemmbu tucked his phone into his pocket, not thinking much more about it. Just a fun behind-the-scenes photo. Nothing major.
He had no idea what he'd just unleashed.
Two hours later, they finally wrapped for the day. The underground scenes were intense—lots of dialogue, complicated choreography navigating the ancient structures, emotional beats that required them to go to some deep places. Wemmbu was exhausted in that satisfying way you get after a good day's work.
He collapsed on the couch in his trailer, still in costume but with the horns and tail finally off. Freedom. His head felt so much lighter without the prosthetics.
Out of habit, he pulled out his phone to check messages.
"Holy shit."
"What?" Egg looked over from where he was unlacing his boots in the corner.
"The post has like... 300,000 likes."
"Wait, WHAT?"
Egg scrambled over, nearly tripping over his unlaced boot. Wemmbu tilted the phone so he could see.
300,000 likes and climbing. Thousands of retweets. The replies were going absolutely insane—hundreds of new ones appearing even as they watched.
"Oh my god," Egg breathed.
They started scrolling through the chaos:
@h4vn.s.ys: UNDERGROUND SCENE??? WHAT IS THIS??? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN???
@wiltedflowers: okay but why do they look so happy while their characters are definitely suffering lmao love this cast
@lexvzyill: THE SET DESIGN HOLY SHIT THIS LOOKS LIKE A MOVIE
@hotsiingleinyourarea: okay so thread on why this confirms the ancient civilization theory we've been working on (1/47)
@vervittia: REJOICE IS IN UUSMP?
"There's already a theory thread," Wemmbu said, slightly awed. "Forty-seven tweets. How long have we been off set? Two hours?"
"These fans work FAST," Egg said, scrolling on his own phone now. "Oh god, look at the quote tweets."
They were even more chaotic than the replies. People were analyzing every pixel of the image, zooming in on details, trying to figure out what the symbols on the pillars meant, speculating about what this meant for the plot.
"How is there already fanart?" Rejoice's voice came from the doorway. He walked in with Loppez right behind him. "That's actually really impressive. We finished filming like three hours ago."
"Three hours and 20 minutes ago," Loppez corrected, pulling out her own phone. "And there's MULTIPLE pieces of fanart already. Look at this one—they drew the entire civilization based on what little they could see in the background."
They all gathered around phones, scrolling through the absolute chaos that one photo had created. The dedication was genuinely incredible—detailed analyses, frame-by-frame breakdowns of what little of the set was visible, people trying to decipher the meaning of symbols that the set designers had literally just made up to look cool.
"Someone's trying to translate the trunks’ symbols bro," Egg said, showing his screen. "They think it's an ancient language."
"It's not," Loppez said. "I asked the set designer yesterday. They just made patterns that looked vaguely language-like."
"Should we tell them that?"
"Absolutely not. Let them theorize."
Wemmbu's phone started ringing, interrupting their scroll through the chaos. He checked the caller ID and grimaced. "It's the social media manager."
"Oh no," Egg said.
"Don't answer it," Loppez suggested.
"I have to answer. If I don't, she'll just come find me in person, and that's worse." Wemmbu took a breath and answered, putting it on speaker. "Hello?"
"WEMMBU!" The voice that came through was stressed but not quite angry yet. "What did I tell you about posting set photos without clearing them with me first?"
"Uh... not to do it?"
"NOT TO DO IT! And what did you DO?"
"...posted a set photo?"
There was a long, suffering sigh on the other end. "Okay. Okay. Well, it's too late now, the damage is done. And actually..." Her tone shifted slightly. "The studio actually loves it."
Wemmbu blinked. "Wait, what? Really?"
"The engagement numbers are INSANE. Like, genuinely insane. You're trending on Twitter. Multiple fan accounts are posting about it. The main Unstable SMP account has gained like five thousand followers in the past two hours just from people finding us through your post." Another sigh. "So congratulations, I guess? You accidentally did really good marketing."
"So... I'm not in trouble?"
"Oh, you're absolutely still in trouble for not clearing it with me first. But it worked out really well, so you're in LESS trouble than you could be. The studio wants to do more behind-the-scenes content now because of how well this performed."
That's great!" Wemmbu said, genuinely pleased.
"Yes. CONTROLLED behind-the-scenes content. That we PLAN. Together. With APPROVAL." Each word was emphasized. "Do NOT just randomly post things from set without telling me first. My heart can't take it."
"Got it. I'm sorry?"
"You're not sorry at all."
"You're right, I'm not."
A pause, then a reluctant laugh. "Just... keep an eye on the theories, okay? If anyone gets too close to actual major plot points, let me know and we'll figure out some gentle misdirection. We don't want to spoil the season finale twists."
"Can do. Anything else?"
”… No. Have a good break, Wemmbu. Don’t do anything stupid again.”
“I won’t. Probably.”
“Sure you will.” And she hung up.
Wemmbu looked at the others, grin huge. "So I'm not in trouble."
"You got INCREDIBLY lucky," Loppez said, snickering.
That evening, like clockwork, people started showing up at Flame's apartment. It had become the unofficial cast hangout spot after long shoot days—Flame's place was bigger than most of theirs, he didn't mind the chaos, and he was usually willing to order pizza for everyone. (Plus, most of them liked Ashen, Flame’s dog, way too much to not come. Especially Egg and Loppez.)
The living room was crowded within an hour.
Wemmbu and Egg had claimed the main couch, sprawled out and still tired from the underground scenes. Loppez sat in one of the armchairs, boots off and feet tucked under her. Rejoice was in the other chair, looking half-asleep but content. Flame was in the kitchen with Mane, prepping food.
Spoke had claimed his usual spot on the floor, back against the couch, phone in hand. Parrot sat at the dining table with his laptop open, working on homework because he was constitutionally incapable of just relaxing. Zam lazily sprawled over Pangi, who was munching on a piece of bread. Ashen was asleep under the coffee table, tail over his snout. Jaden was curled up in the corner of the other couch, scrolling through his phone with a small smile, usual face mask on his lap.
Someone—probably Spoke—had pulled up Twitter on the TV, and they were watching the chaos around Wemmbu's post continue to unfold in real-time.
"Someone figured out which episodes I've been in based on my costume's wear patterns," Loppez remarked, scrolling through her own phone. "Like, they tracked the progression of damage to my jacket across different behind-the-scenes photos and constructed a timeline."
"That's actually really observant," Rejoice hummed.
"These fans are dedicated bro," Egg agreed.
"Oh, this one's good," Zam said, reading from his phone. "Someone says the background symbols on the tree trunks look like ancient warnings and they're trying to translate them."
"They're random patterns," Loppez said. "The set designers just made them look cool."
"Should we tell people that?" Pangi asked.
"Absolutely not," multiple people said at once.
"Let them have fun with it," Rejoice added gently. "They're enjoying the mystery. Why ruin it?"
Mane walked in from the kitchen, saw everyone absorbed in their phones, and pulled out his own, holding a half-eaten apple in his other hand. Mane wasn’t in Unstable at the point in time, but he still had his own long shoot that day with another SMP, and decided to come by.
“Dude, people are going crazy over that picture. They keep saying I’m coming back to UU soon because Jaden has a connection with Flame and Flame has one with me.” Mane snicked.
Everyone crowded around to read the tweets from Mane’s phone, even Parrot looking up from his homework.
“They really are that desperate for Mane return bro.” Flame called from the kitchen, confirming Mane’s words.
“They also think someone’s going to die. Jaden or Rejoice are most theories, bro.” Mane added, pocketing his phone.
"Oh shit, really?" Jaden's voice came from the corner, suddenly more animated. He got up and came over to look at Mane. "Yo, they actually got pretty close with some of this stuff, dude.”
“The fans are really invested in your rivalry storyline," Loppez said, showing her phone around. "Like, there's SO much analysis. Fan art, video essays, theory threads—people are eating it up.”
"It's fun to film though," Wemmbu said. "Even if Jaden keeps accidentally actually hitting me during fight scenes."
"That was twice, bro!" Jaden protested quietly, but he was grinning now. "And I apologized both times! Bought you coffee and everything!"
"I'm just saying, you've got really good aim even when you're not trying to hit me."
"That's not—I don't think that's a compliment, bro."
"It kind of is!"
"Whatever, man," Jaden said, grinning cheerfully.
Flame brought over a massive plate of sandwiches, setting it on the coffee table. "Alright, food's ready. Everyone take what you want before Spoke eats everything."
"I resent that," Spoke said, already reaching for two sandwiches.
"You're literally proving my point right now, bro."
"These are both for me though. One for now, one for later."
"Sure they are."
Everyone grabbed food, the conversation fragmenting into smaller groups for a bit. Parrot finally closed his laptop—homework finished—and came over to grab a sandwich. Wifies walked in from Flame's kitchen with a bag of chips.
"Are we still talking about Wemmbu's photo?" Wifies asked, settling into a spot on the floor next to Spoke.
"It's been six hours and it's STILL trending," Zam said. "Of course we're still talking about it."
"The studio must be thrilled."
"They are!" Wemmbu said through a mouthful of sandwich. "Bro, The social media manager said we're doing official behind-the-scenes content now because the numbers were so good."
"Controlled behind-the-scenes content," Parrot emphasized. "That gets approved first, bro."
"Where's the fun in that?"
"The fun is in not giving people heart attacks."
"Boring!"
Spoke was already typing on his phone, that mischievous grin spreading across his face. "I'm gonna post something vague to make them spiral more."
"Spoke—" Parrot started, using his warning voice.
"Too late, already posted!" Spoke held up his phone triumphantly.
@Spokeishere: interesting theories going around today 👀
"You're actually begging for chaos," Parrot said, but he was trying not to smile.
"Thank you! I try."
The TV showed the replies flooding in immediately, people absolutely losing their minds trying to figure out what Spoke meant.
@animefreak4v4: SPOKE WHAT DO YOU MEAN. WHICH THEORIES. SPOKE PLEASE.
@.p.r.i.s.m.: WHAT??? SPOKE IM BEGGING DONT SCARE US LIKE THIS PLEASE SPOKE I NEED THIS
@astaria84: okay so if Spoke is acknowledging theories that means some of them are at least partially correct which means we need to analyze which ones he might be referring to—
"Oh they're SPIRALING," Flame said, watching the chaos unfold on the screen.
"This is the best entertainment ever," Wemmbu said, watching replies multiply in real-time.
"Better than TV, bro," Mane agreed.
"Way better," Egg added.
Jaden was reading something on his phone, before speaking up with clear mischief in his tone. "I could post something too, bro. I haven't posted anything from set yet. Could really fuck with people."
"Don't encourage him," Parrot said, but he was definitely smiling now.
"What? I'm just saying I could add to the chaos." Jaden's voice stayed amused. "Post like, a really cryptic shot of the castle with all the wardens or something. Maybe just my hand with it in the background. Let them theorize about that."
"Oh that would be evil," Wemmbu said appreciatively.
"That's the point, bro."
"You're all terrible," Parrot said, shaking his head. "Every single one of you."
"Thank you," Jaden said, grinning from his corner.
Wemmbu pulled out his phone. "Should I post something vague too? Like, really pour gasoline on this fire?"
"NO," everyone except Jaden and Spoke said in unison.
"You've done enough damage for one day, bro," Parrot said firmly.
"But it would be so funny—"
"No."
"Okay, fine. Next time though."
"There's not gonna be a next time without approval."
"We'll see about that."
Egg heard him and snickered. "Dude, You're gonna give Parrot gray hairs before he's thirty."
"Spoke already did that, bro," Wemmbu said.
"HEY!" Spoke protested. "I'm delightful!"
"You're a menace," Parrot corrected.
Pangi shifted on his position on the floor, pulling Zam closer. They'd gotten so much more comfortable being obviously couple-y now that everyone knew. Zam was practically tucked into Pangi's side, looking content and relaxed in a way she hadn't earlier when they were trying to hide it.
"You two are disgustingly cute," Flame called from the kitchen, where he was cleaning up.
"Thank you!" Pangi said cheerfully.
"That wasn't a compliment," Zam said, but he was smiling.
"I'm taking it as one anyway!"
Eventually, Parrot checked his watch and did his responsible-person thing. "Alright, it's getting late. We've got a five AM call time tomorrow."
The collective groan was immediate and heartfelt.
"Five AM should be illegal," Flame said.
Wifies let out a sound of agreement.
"I agree, bro, but that's what's on the schedule."
"You're the worst," Spoke said, but there was no heat in it.
"Someone has to keep you all on track."
"We'd be fine without you," Egg said.
"You'd all show up two hours late and in the wrong costumes," Parrot countered.
"...okay yeah, probably."
They started gathering their things slowly, nobody really in a hurry despite the early call time. This had become ritual—the reluctance to leave, the lingering conversations, the sense that this group had become something more than just coworkers.
"Same time tomorrow?" Spoke asked, shoving his phone in his pocket.
"If we survive the five AM call," Zam said.
"We'll survive," Rejoice said, standing and stretching. "We always do. And then we get to do this all over again."
"That's the spirit," Loppez said, pulling her boots back on.
Jaden stood up quietly, grabbing his jacket from where he'd left it on the couch. "This was fun, bro. We should definitely do this more often."
"You're always welcome, man," Flame said, coming back from the kitchen.
Outside, the parking lot was cool and quiet, everyone saying their goodbyes and heading to their cars. The studio lot was mostly empty at this hour, just a few lights still on in the production offices where people were probably working late.
"See you at five!" Spoke called, way too cheerfully for someone who'd be getting up in less than six hours.
"Don't remind me," multiple people groaned back.
Wemmbu climbed into his car, tossed his jacket in the passenger seat, and sat there for a moment before starting the engine.