APRICITY // technoblade x reader DISCONTINUED

36

The cape draped over your shoulders-- not yours, but Techno's-- swishes as you step out of the door and into the mid-morning sunset, waiting for everyone else to file out of the door.

"So what's the plan?" you ask after waving goodbye to Kristin, Tommy, and Tubbo as the front door swings shut with a final thud.

Philza leads the way as the five of you-- Wilbur, Phil, Ranboo, Niki, and yourself-- make your way to the stables at the side of the manor. "Well, since we don't know what Mikah wants with Techno, we have to figure out where he is. I've got an idea, but I'm not quite sure."

The stable is warmly lit and comfortable, with a small herd of horses whinnying greetings to all of you as you make your way inside. You immediately walk over to one of the horses, reaching out a friendly hand for him to sniff before you gently comb your fingers through his dark mane. The horse huffs softly and nudges your shoulder, sniffing Techno's cloak.

"That's Carl," Wilbur murmurs to you, heaving a saddle onto the horse's back and buckling the straps with practiced ease. "He's Techno's horse."

"Oh," you reply quietly, not sure how to respond. Carl settles his large head on your shoulder and lets out a warm huff of air, looking at you with far too intelligent eyes. "Oh."

You heave yourself up onto the horse's back, using the stirrup as a step before you scramble your way up into the saddle. Carl nickers at you, flicking his tail side to side, and you gently pat the side of his neck.

Once everyone is saddled up, you nudge your heels into Carl's side, gently urging him forward to follow everyone else. Other than the quiet clip of hooves and the shifting of leather saddles, silence reigns as Phil's horse leads the way out of the city outskirts.

You thread your fingers into Carl's dark mane for comfort before you clear your throat to speak. "So, Phil. You said that you might have an idea of where Mikah is."

Phil glances over his shoulder at the rest of you, a grim expression on his face. "I found Techno's notebook on his desk. He was keeping notes about what you two were researching-- about what's been happening at the libraries. From what I've gathered, Mikah's the one targeting the libraries, but I don't know how he's doing it or why he needs Techno for it. There's been a pattern-- all of the libraries that Mikah has hit have been in a ring going around the country, with the L'Manburg in the center."

Your stomach drops-- there's a total of thirteen libraries in the whole country of Esempi. "How many has he hit so far? Why is he going for the libraries?"

"I don't know," Phil replies, frustration evident in his voice. "I haven't figured that out quite yet. Techno might know, so that's the first step. We need to get him back."

Wilbur clears his throat at that, catching your attention. "So, speaking of, where are we headed?"

"The next library in the series-- Pogtopia."

The day fades into the steady hoofbeats of your mounts and the leather of the reins in your hands. Conversation is stilted and sparse, always focused on the end goal of what you want to achieve: Technoblade. The air feels full of an oppressive weight; stress whirls around you, clogging the air and sticking to your skin like humidity.

Planning clouds your mind, so much so that you don't even notice that you've stopped until Carl halts for you. You pat his neck gratefully, a silent show of thanks, and look forward.

Phil cuts a striking figure, staring out at the distant silhouette of the Pogtopia Library from where he sits mounted atop his horse. The brim of his hat shades his face, but you can see a glint of frigid anger in his ice-blue eyes. "We're here."

The choking feeling of anxiety about Techno's wellbeing doesn't fade, not yet (and it likely won't until you can feel his steady heartbeat under the palm of your hand), but it does recede minutely. You feel like you can breathe again.

Wilbur's horse paces forward, and you can see the way his fingers fiddle restlessly at the reins. You're not the only one anxious to get Techno back.

"What's the plan?" Wilbur asks, eyes focused on the dark shape of the library in the distance.

"We go in," Phil says, monotone. "We split up into sets. Wilbur, Niki, and Ranboo, you go together. Y/n, you'll be with me."

You sit up a bit straighter, squinting at the library in the distance. It's familiar yet not, and something clicks in your brain. "...I think I have an idea."

──────「₪」──────

You leave Carl and the other horses near a tree just inside the edge of the forest, not too close to the library's looming walls. Reins are looped over low-hanging tree branches but not tied; the horses are smart enough not to run off, and you want a quick escape if need be.

Wilbur, Niki, and Ranboo all wave a solemn goodbye to you and Phil. You've decided to split up now so that you and Phil can loop around the building to try to slip in a back entrance. The weight of your library key around your neck feels comforting. Niki has hers as well-- that's how you plan to get into the library.

You watch as the other three disappear into the trees, heading for another side entrance into the Pogtopia Library. Their quiet footsteps over leaves and twigs fade until it's just you and Philza.

"Ready?" you ask, glancing over your shoulder to meet his eyes.

Phil glances up, snapping back to reality, and gives you a grim smile. "Ready as ever, kiddo. Let's go get our boy." He ruffles your hair, and the two of you step toward Pogtopia and (you hope) Technoblade.  

HEY GUYS! sorry for disappearing for like two months lmao.... anyways have a chapter as i struggle through my senior year. cheers!

join my discord here:  https://discord.gg/87w4AQSu2A  !!

next on the list after i finish techno are tommy and ranboo :) should those be oc or x reader?