APRICITY // technoblade x reader DISCONTINUED

32 - Introductions and Impressions

Technoblade watches you and Niki overflow with excitement for a few minutes until you can breathe evenly once more, but the excitement is still glowing in your eyes. He takes your hand, tugging you along, and splitting up from the rest of your group. You let him guide you across the vast room, weaving in between impeccably dressed people and hybrids alike. You spot a woman with beautiful, red-brown wings sprouting from the plunging back of her dress. A man with pointed ears and golden-brown skin laughs, revealing sharp fangs and glowing yellow eyes. You pass another Piglin hybrid, catching the familiar floppy pink ears and tusks.

The colorful crowd swirls around you and you latch on to Techno's hand like a lifeline. You slip out of the crowd and he flourishes, presenting the sprawling dessert table-- most importantly, the chocolate fountain. You laugh, watching him take a strawberry from a platter on the table. He dips it in the flowing chocolate of the chocolate fountain, delicately layering it with a sweet shell, and presents it to you. The chocolate dissolves on your tongue, warm cocoa flavor blending with the sweet, juicy strawberry.

You meet his eyes, flushing as bright red as the strawberry that you'd just eaten, and glance away. He clears his throat, tossing the skewer he'd used to dip the berry in a tucked-away trash can, and extends his hand once more to you. "Anyways, let's go greet our host?"

You take his hand. "Sounds wonderful. Where's Puffy at?"

He casts his eyes around, looking for Puffy's signature clout of curly white hair before he spots it. "I see her, let's go."

You two weave your way through the crowd once more, ducking past layers of skirts and carefully stepping around perfectly-shined shoes before you finally scoot up to Puffy's side.

"Hey, Techno, Y/n!" A glass of champagne is balanced in her hand as she approaches you, familiar grin highlighted with bold red lipstick. She wraps an arm around you, then Techno, and pulls back to examine you. "Y/n, you look positively stunning. Not to mention that you match with Techno."

You blush once more, hyper-aware of your still-interlaced fingers. "Um, yeah." Techno squeezes your hand comfortingly.

Puffy smooths out her intricately embroidered coat, a beautiful sea blue that's almost purple in the golden-orange light of the ballroom. Half of her hair is swept into a tight bun by a silver ornament, revealing curled horns and floppy ears, the same soft white as her hair. A few delicate chains jingle as she turns, tiny charms hanging from the thin strands. "Welcome to the gala. I'll let Techno introduce you to the other members of the Magisterium since I've got some social obligations to take care of." She gestures at all of the people around her with her champagne glass, then downs the glass in one go. "Anyway, they're over by one of the western windows. I'm glad I got to see you two."

"Thanks, Puffy. This looks amazing, you and the rest of the folks have really outdone yourselves with tonight." He waves and you two make to move toward the cluster of Magisters that you can see by the window, but Puffy grabs your sleeve before you can get too far.

She tugs you down and whispers in your ear, playful and secretive, "Techno asked what color your dress was... He wanted to make sure that you two looked like a proper couple. His words, not mine." Then she releases you with a wink, leaving you to wonder how Techno had managed to find a coat in the exact same shade as your dress, and more importantly, he wanted to be a couple with you? Or at least look like one?

Techno glances over towards you catching you smiling, and quirks an eyebrow. "What?"

"Oh, nothing, just thinking."

"Copper for your thoughts?"

You pretend to consider for a moment. "Hmm, okay. You."

"What? You- oh." He sounds embarrassed, but you catch a glimpse of the small smile that he turns away to hide. "Nothin' bad, I hope."

'I don't think that I could think badly of you," You say bluntly, complete honesty in your voice that seems to surprise him into silence. You slip your fingers down his arm from his elbow to his hand, lacing it together with your own. "I care about you a lot, I hope you know that."

Your other hand lingers on your collarbone, the cool gold of the necklace soothing beneath your fingers. Techno is silent as you weave through the crowd, only speaking once you're out of the main crush of people.

"You mean very much to me, Y/n. I'm glad that this- this... feeling goes both ways... whatever it may be."

You smile, locking eyes with him, and tilt your head. "I'm glad I have you with me. Now, introduce me to the rest of the Magisterium."

"Anything you ask, my lady," he quips back at you. The two of you continue away from the main crowd, following the thin beams of sunlight, dying rays of the twilight-gold guiding you to the group of silhouettes in front of the western windows.

The Magisterium.

Your heels click deafeningly on the marble floor as you pace toward the quietly chattering group, Techno at your side, but a familiar face catches your eye.

"Phil!" you call with a relieved wave, beelining for the familiar wheat-golden hair and iridescent black wings. Phil glances towards you, pausing his conversation with Kristin and a familiar petite, dark-skinned woman.

"Oh, hey, Techno, Y/n. You've already met Genevieve, she was-"

"Your cleric!" interrupts the young woman, eyes bright as she looks over at you. "I forgot to tell you that I'm on the council. Lovely to see you again, though!" You give her a friendly wave.

Philza smiles warmly at you. "Techno, why don't you introduce her to everyone else?"

You nod. "That's the plan. Who should we talk to next?"

Techno glances around the group of unfamiliar figures, eyes finally landing on a pair standing off to the side. "Let's talk to Sam first. He's not as... intimidating... as some of the others.

...That's mildly terrifying but alright. You follow behind Techno as he steps over to the two new people, greeting them with a quiet "Hello," and a wave.

The closest figure to you, a limber man dressed in layers of green and gold, turns to face you. He sticks a hand out, smiling warmly, and steps smoothly up to you. "Hello, I'm Sam Warden, I'm a wizard of the Magisterium."

"Lovely to meet you." You shake his hand, and his grip is gentle but firm. "I'm Y/n, I'm here with Techno."

"Well, Y/n, it's wonderful to meet you as well."

"Sam works for the Magisterium as the head of public relations. He does a lot of construction, and he's an amazing architect. He designed this hall, actually," Techno explains, gesturing to the vaulted ceilings and beautifully framed windows.

"You flatter me too much," Sam grins, then gestures to the figure beside him. "If anything, you should be flattering Mikah. Y/n, this is Mikah Endomius. He's our resident warlock, and oversees most of our magic training and education."

A tall, lanky figure extends a hand to you, movements quick and graceful. You take it, his palm cold in yours, and shake.

"Wonderful to meet you," demurs the looming enderman, skin so night-dark that it seems to dim the light around him, and glowing purple eyes that seem to sear color into the back of your eyelids when you blink.

"You as well," you reply, shaking his hand. Something about those eyes is unnerving, but you brush it off. It would be rude to make assumptions based on a first impression... Right?

Still, something gnaws at you. Those eyes aren't right.... They're familiar.