A/N- Slight Warning: While this chapter is just a fun light-hearted chapter, I do wanna warn you it will be slightly less-detailed and a bit more rushed (this applies to the next few chapters as well…)! This is just so I can progress the story a bit more into an area where I will be able to put WAY more passion and want into finishing this! But yeah, this chapter and the next will be EXTREMELY short.)
There is an ending and the whole plot line planned! I just have to get the set-up done and we will be on our way to… well you’ll see…
[Techno’s POV]
“This is your final test…”
“Your reaction to what we are about to show you may decide if you live or if you die!”
“Are you ready, soldier?”
Techno and his decided brother, Wilbur, were looming over a smaller boy by the name of Tommy. The younger child was sitting behind a dining table, which Techno could barely see the surface of without stepping onto a chair. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Wilbur shifted beside him, his brother’s hands clasped behind his back onto some mysterious object they were about to show Tommy. Of course, Techno knew that Wilbur was holding a plate full of cookies, to see if Tommy was truly deserving of living among them.
“If you react badly, we will feed you to the rats!” WIlbur was threatening, and Techno could see him roll onto his toes to seem taller. He suppressed a smile at this, knowing that they wouldn’t really feed Tommy to the weird rats, but they would simply hit him with pillows each night if he didn’t pass the final test.
Wilbur had been the one to convince Techno that Tommy wasn’t all that bad, since Techno had been planning to kick him out the moment he arrived there. Wilbur had found this out quickly and had told Techno that they could actually use Tommy for something. When Techno wasn’t convinced, WIlbur went on to say that Tommy was like them, lost in the woods and found by Philza, and Philza had wanted to keep him anyways. So Techno caved in and agreed to spare Tommy from the harsh cold that was the outside snow.
That didn’t spare Tommy from their tests, even if they were going to let him sleep underneath this roof. Tommy had already passed the pillow fort test and even sliding down the railing of the stairs test, but now came the cookie test. If he didn’t like the cookies that Wilbur was getting ready to present, then he would have failed. Afterall, only evil people didn’t like cookies, at least according to Wilbur.
Techno gave a slight shake of his head as he suddenly realized that Wilbur was finished threatening Tommy and was raising the plate of cookies from behind his back. Techno watched carefully as the chocolate chip cookies were brought into view of Tommy, before his eyes darted back over to the younger child to see how he would react. The pink ears in his pink hair twitched slightly, as if straining to hear any excited gasps or disgusted noises. Tommy didn’t speak like Techno and Wilbur did, as he only said a few words at a time… and when he did say those words, it was loud. This is why Techno began to rely on any small noises or changed in expressions to figure out what Tommy was thinking.
Techno could hear a sigh of relief from WIlbur the moment Tommy lurched forward and snatched a cookie the moment the plate was put down. It seemed that was a sign of Tommy passing. Techno would have argued saying that him taking a cookie was no indication of his favor, but Wilbur was already leaning across the table and taking the other cookies to eat and likely wouldn’t listen. Of course it didn’t really matter anyways, as long as Tommy was willing to eat the cookies.
Techno relaxed his shoulders and stood up onto his toes in order to reach over and grab some cookies as well. They were growing stale and Techno could detect this due to how tough it was getting. They would have to ask Philza to make more once he got home from whatever mysterious job he was at.
Deciding to leave Tommy and WIlbur to finish off the cookies, Techno backed away and quietly slipped out of the dining area and towards the main hallway. He didn’t know what he was doing, as it was starting to get pretty boring around the house and there wasn’t exactly anything to do. They had explored every inch of this house by now… besides for Philza’s room.
A mischievous feeling began to light itself inside of Techno, like a fire, growing larger quickly. He turned towards the stairs that lead directly up to Philza’s room, his feet already bringing him towards the first step. What could be in his room? Maybe secret cookie stashes of his own? Maybe a sword? Fireworks? Money?
He placed a hand on the railing, lifting his leg up onto the first step, feeling it creek beneath him. The stair railing was cool in his hand, and he felt his grip on it tighten. His heart quickened and he tensed, getting ready to take the next step up.
Before he could, however, the front door swung open and natural light flooded in, along with a strong gust of cold wind. Techno launched himself back from the stairs, his ears perking up as much as they could in alarm. Standing in the doorway, silhouetted, was a tall man. His jacket was blowing against him with the wind, almost looking like wings on his back. Techno stiffened slightly, unable to tell who it was from the way the light bounced off the snow, the man’s face in a shadow. He began to clench his fists, knowing that Philza would have stepped in by now… Right?
“Techno? You okay there?” came the reassuring voice of the one and only Philza, who finally stepped into the house and shut the door behind him. He didn’t take off his large coat or shoes, however, and instead he stood right in the doorway.
“Philza!” came the call of Wilbur, who was dashing out from the dining room and launching himself into a hug at Philza. Techno hadn’t gotten any chance to respond, so instead he hung back. A strange feeling of darkness extinguished the fire of mischief he had felt when getting ready to sneak into Philza’s room. His mouth felt dry and he gulped silently.
“Where’s Tommy?” Philza asked, lightly setting WIlbur down from the jump-hug that Wilbur had launched at Philza. As if on cue, the small child came slowly walking out to greet Philza.
“Dadza!” He squeaked, and Techno watched as Philza bent down to ruffle Tommy’s blond hair. A slight stab of jealousy hit Techno, but he didn’t mention anything. He could wait, afterall it seemed as if Philza had something to say anyways.
Once Philza was finished greeting both WIlbur and Tommy, he stood back up. Techno watched him, and they made slight eye contact before Philza glanced away. Techno tensed up slightly again, and looked down to the carpet. Philza’s voice came again, this time more clear and almost excited.
“Apparently a big snow-storm is coming,” Philza explained, causing Techno to look back up in a slight alarm, “Which means that we need to make sure we are ready in case our power goes out.”
“Can we come?” Techno suddenly spoke up, stepping forward. He had been stuck in his house and around these woods for such a long time now, he forgot what outside the trees looked like. Philza almost seemed startled from his question and he didn’t answer for a few minutes, as if thinking.
“...Sure, why not? But you guys have to make sure to not wander off, got it?”
* * *
The outside word was still as dull as the last time Techno had left it, with gray streets and breaking buildings. Yet, something about being out of the house excited him, knowing that finally he would be able to see another face besides Tommy, Wilbur, and Philza.
He still felt lightly cautious, however, especially since Philza technically didn't legally adopt them all. Techno trusted that nobody would recognize or realize that Philza wasn’t supposed to have three random kids. Yet, he still couldn’t help himself glace around as they walked from the car towards the front doors. He scanned each and every face, silently challenging anyone who accidentally stared back at Techno and made eye contact with him.
However all of those worries vanished as Techno stepped into the generic store beside Wilbur and Tommy, with Philza keeping behind them. They were all bundled up from the cold winds, with Techno wearing a bright red puffy jacket and Wilbur wearing a yellow puffy jacket. Tommy was wearing the same jacket he had worn when Philza decided to rescue him from their doorstep, but strangely Tommy had also brought his bee backpack with him, and Techno could only guess that it was for stealing.
Philza began to lead the three through the store, but he didn’t go to any emergency canned foods or anything. Instead, he led them all to the back area of the store, without any food on the shelves. Techno let out a slight gasp the moment he realized where they were going- it was none other than the glorious toy aisle.
“Go ahead,” Philza told them, as if being able to read Techno’s thoughts of wanting to go stare at all of the items on the shelves, “Pick out a few things.”
The three kids all dashed off as fast as they could the moment those words had left Philza’s mouth. They didn’t even hear as Philza called after them to not get anything over twenty.
Techno was in awe at everything he saw, and he began to examine the foam swords and some weird animal toys. He reached down towards one of the swords, picking up a weird blue foam sword. It looked blocky, as if from some other realm. All the same, he felt drawn to it.
“Hey, Techno!” Wilbur was calling from the end of the aisle. Techno turned just in time to see Wilbur dashing towards him with a crown in one hand and some weird tiny guitar in the other. Techno opened his mouth to reply, but before he could Wilbur had jumped up and placed the crown onto Techno’s head.
“It fits you!” Wilbur lightly laughed.
Techno lifted a hand up and picked the crown from his head. He brought it down and examined it. The crown was made of plastic, but like the sword he felt oddly drawn to it. He liked it.
“What do you have that for?” Techno asked, lifting his eyes from the crown he had decided to get along with the sword. He now looked at the guitar in Wilbur’s hand
“I am going to play it,” Wilbur explained, lifting it up slightly, “and then I will hit people with it!”
“No hitting people!” came the call of Philza, who was now walking down their aisle as well. Behind him followed Tommy, who was holding a nerf gun tightly. It seemed they had all made their choices of things to get.
As Philza led them away to go do normal shopping for things, Techno couldn’t help but to look at his sword and crown some more. He felt attached to them already, unwilling to give them up. He didn’t know where this sudden attachment came from, but one thing was certain:
Whatever the reasoning behind his strong desire to wield a sword and wear a crown, he would make sure nobody took these two things away from him.
A/N: Again! So sorry for this chapter actually being low key shitty, but I knew that if I didn’t get it done now then I never would. I am definitely not proud of this chapter, but unfortunately I think the next chapter will also be a bit choppy and confusing as this one… But the ones after that will likely improve as I will finally be able to get a good ground and have everything set up for the… dramatic storytelling. So just stick with me and I will try and make the next chapter better!