Chapter Text
The map Laelaps had made, drawn and labeled in that same careful and deliberate print the messages sent to Techno had been in, was spread across the kitchen table. Three mugs were scattered around the table though one of them had clearly not been touched. Phil had left awhile ago. A black cloak was draped over the back of one of the chairs, folded carefully.
Techno had been surprised when Laelaps removed it. Less surprised to see that he wore some kind of hood under the mask that covered his head and neck entirely, disappearing beneath the black shirt he had on. No trace of skin was visible and it made Techno wonder if the whole hybrid thing had some truth to it, if maybe it would’ve given him away to those who knew him.
If anyone knows him at all, Techno thought.
That was a possibility. Or there might be another reason to hide so much of himself, if he was worried about judging and misgendering. It wouldn’t be the first time someone he knew did something similar.
I’m pretty sure that’s not something I can assume about a person without gettin’ cancelled.
Laelaps was sitting in a chair – not the one that held his cloak – with his head down, hands folded on the table, looking at the map. Every so often, he would move his head slightly. After a few more moments, he looked over at Techno.
“You got it?” Techno asked.
“Yes,” signed Laelaps. “It can’t go further than the area I marked off.”
Techno made a sound of disbelief and shook his head.
“And you’re sure about that?”
“Give or take a couple blocks, yes. It would be better if I could go there again to double check.”
“Uh uh, no way, man. I know you’ve got the whole stealth thing down but Quackity’s already onto us and he’s seen you now. No, when we go back there, it’s gotta be for the final time,” said Techno.
Laelaps shrugged and leaned back in the chair.
“Okay.”
Techno raised an eyebrow.
“Was that a ‘I agree, Technoblade, I won’t go back there’ okay or a ‘I’m gonna leave here and do something stupid’ okay?”
“You said don’t go back there. Why would I?”
“I dunno, man, I know a lot of people who would do something stupid like that.”
A sound something like a laugh came from Laelaps as he shook his head. Techno grinned.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve got amazin’ taste in friends.” Techno watched Laelaps for a moment. This was the most relaxed Techno had seen him and it was an almost startling change from how he had been earlier. The question Techno had wanted to ask then came back: Why had he been so scared? But it seemed too personal and so he settled on a different question. “Who are you, man?”
Laelaps tensed and his response was slow to come.
“What do you mean?” he signed.
Blinking, Techno shifted in his seat. He had thought it was pretty obvious what he had meant.
“I dunno, where are you from? You’re not from here, so where? What server? How old are you? What’s your dang name?”
The response this time was much quicker.
“I’m from somewhere boring. I don’t know how old I am and I don’t tell people I work with my name.”
It was more information than he had ever offered before but it was still barely any information at all. Techno watched him for a moment. He had sat down and taken off his cloak and now he was giving Techno something even if it didn’t feel like it.
“Alright, the age thing I get ‘cause, I’m gonna be honest, I don’t really remember how old I am, but why no name?” he asked.
Laelaps flexed his fingers, head tilted. Techno couldn’t see his eyes but he could feel them on him.
“If someone asks you who am I, what would you say?”
It took Techno a moment. He was staring blankly at the man, mouth slightly open, wanting to say that was the whole point, Techno wouldn’t be able to tell anyone his name, he didn’t even know what Laelaps’s real name was. All he had was a name he had pulled out of a book.
That was the point.
“Ah. Right,” said Techno leaning back and stifling a yawn. “Right. I wouldn’t be able to tell them a dang thing about you.”
Laelaps didn’t answer, stretching his arms out in front of him. The shirt was tight fitting, the sort of clothing that was made to go under armor, perfect for a fight. Laelaps’s armor had also been put away, shoved into his ender chest. He was thin and wiry and the way he moved spoke of someone who was always expecting a fight. Not ready for one, but expecting it. Techno knew there was a difference.
“Alright, man, you got me. You wouldn’t be the first friend I knew nothing about.”
“Friend?” Laelaps signed, tilting his head so far to the side that Techno couldn’t hold back a laugh. “What’s funny?”
“You. I mean, c’mon, you saved my life twice, I think that makes us friends.”
Laelaps didn’t move. Techno raised an eyebrow.
“Unless you also don’t do friends?”
Laelaps straightened.
“I can do friends.”
Still laughing a little, Techno shook his head.
“You hesitated but I’ll take it,” he said.
“I didn’t hesitate.”
“You totally hesitated, man. I saw it.”
“Alright.”
There had been a moment, during the banter, when it had felt very familiar and Techno’s chest had ached, but the person he was missing would never have given in so quickly. And now guilt had replaced the aching sensation. He looked over to the window. It was dark out.
“I did not realize it was so late,” said Techno. It wasn’t a lie. He had gotten caught up in having company and let time slip by. Clearing his throat, he got to his feet. As soon as he did, Laelaps also stood, grabbing his cloak and tossing it around his shoulders. “I didn’t say you had to leave, man. I’m not kickin’ you out.”
Laelaps dropped his arms to his side, head hanging down just slightly.
Another laugh was bubbling up in Techno’s throat. He knew Laelaps well enough by this point to believe the man didn’t mean to be funny, that he was probably deciding exactly what to say, but the visual was hilarious, intended or not.
The longer he stood there, the funnier it got.
Techno couldn’t stop laughing, bent over, clutching his stomach. Every so often, he’d look up and Laelaps would still be standing there, arms still at his side, head still down just enough that he was probably looking at Techno but ended up looking like a scolded child.
“Sorry, just give me a minute.” Techno took a deep breath and wiped an imaginary tear from his eye as he straightened. “Alright, alright.”
“Do you need to sit down?” Laelaps signed.
It sent Techno into another fit of laughter, this one shorter lived but no less genuine. When he quieted, he looped an arm around Laelaps’s shoulder, Techno expecting him to pull away like he had before. But he didn’t and Techno pulled him into a brief side hug before letting go. He walked to the ice chest and pulled out some milk before reaching for a glass.
Techno poured himself a glass and turned, leaning against the counter as he drank half of it in one go.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re actually pretty funny?”
Laelaps shook his head.
“Well, you’re actually pretty funny,” he said.
There was a beat of hesitation and then, “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome, man.”
Finishing his milk, Techno placed the empty glass into the sink.
“You want me to walk you home?” As soon as he had asked the question, Techno realized how odd it probably sounded. He winced a little. “I mean, safety in numbers and all that. Besides, I don’t think I can sleep anytime soon, y’know?”
When he had nothing to say, nothing to do, Techno couldn’t ignore the tension in his muscles and the anxiety that was bouncing around his chest. He had almost died. His friends were on the edge of being in mortal danger. Everything felt like it was falling apart. Techno needed to do something.
Laelaps nodded his head, the movement not sharp and decisive like usual but softer, slower. He understood. It was why he was still in the kitchen, counting out squares on a map and waiting until Techno had finished his laughing fit.
Techno sighed.
At least I’m not alone, he thought.
“Do you want to go make the stasis chambers?” asked Laelaps.
“Heh?” The suggestion caught him by surprise and he stared at Laelaps for a moment. It wasn’t a bad idea. If he wasn’t able to sleep, he might as well do something, and it would save the others from having to worry about it other than dropping an ender pearl down. “Actually, yeah, that’s a great idea, man. Lemme get some stuff.”
The chests were still a mess, taking him longer to find the supplies they would need, and for once Techno found himself a little annoyed. He was anxious, ready to get going and do anything useful, but he opened the same chest twice only to realize it didn’t contain what he was looking for. Glancing over his shoulder to Laelaps, Techno was ready to give an apology that never came. Laelaps was leaning against the wall, staring out the window. No sign of annoyance was visible: no tapping feet or fingers, no quiet sighs. Techno snorted, shaking his head.
“Ah ha.” He reached into the chest and picked up the bucket, dumping a few pieces of lapis lazuli and iron nuggets out of it. “Now I’m ready to go.”
By the time they were done, Techno and Laelaps had setup new stasis chambers – ready for each member’s ender pearl whenever they had the time – and cleared out more of the vault. Techno’s wither skull collection had been depleted since Doomsday and it didn’t take that much to expand one wall back, giving more floor space. With Squid staying at Niki’s city, there was no need to make a bedroom or any sort of facilities. Techno’s cabin was close enough anyway.
Standing back, Techno surveyed the work they had done. It was no Syndicate meeting room, not even close, and Techno found himself missing it already but this would do. It wasn’t great, he wouldn’t have called it good, but it was enough. For now, that’s what mattered.
“This is why Phil does all the decoratin’,” Techno said, brushing his hands off.
It was enough but the room was all stone and wood, browns and greys, with none of the little touches that Phil had added. Only the fact it had once served as his vault with the wither skulls and mushroom lights kept it from being a total loss. Laelaps had been absolutely no help on the decorating front, either, seeming more than happy to go for the bare minimum.
As if on cue, Laelaps turned to Techno.
“I think it looks fine,” he signed.
Techno snorted.
“Yeah, exactly.”
Shaking his head, Laelaps gave a small huff, quiet enough to pass as merely the by-product of being a living and breathing person, but Techno knew half-hearted annoyance when he heard it. Techno grinned and gave Laelaps a light slap on the back then turned to sit in one of the new chairs that was less a chair and more a bench made of wood planks placed directly on the ground.
“I’m teasin’ you, man.”
“I know.”
Techno watched him for a moment. Both that familiarity and that guilt from earlier had come back. He was fighting a loosing battle with the sad smile that was creeping its way onto his face and the words crawling out of his throat.
“You remind me of someone.”
Laelaps tensed for a second and then dragged the toe of his boot across the ground before responding.
“Who?”
It was the most rational, expected question he could have asked and still it hit Techno like a ton of bricks. Dream had been a lot of things to a lot of people. Punz had practically idolized him, dedicating everything to Dream and his plan, whatever it had been. Puffy seemed to mourn the idea of him, less about who he was and more about the pieces she had picked and chose. To most everyone else, he was the bad guy, an evil not just to be defeated but punished. Techno rubbed a hand over his face.
“A friend. I dunno if you would’ve liked him, he was kind of an idiot, but he was weird like you.”
The nod Laelaps gave was slow and thoughtful and after a moment, he raised his hands and the movement was stiff and deliberate.
“Do you miss him?”
Techno wanted to play it cool. To say, nah, he didn’t really miss Dream, that he definitely didn’t miss all that came with being his friend. How he had to pretend not to be his friend and let Dream leave with blood still on his clothing from what had been done to him and how he had to watch Dream be murdered and Dream had the gall to ask him not to save him.
He was angry at Dream and he missed him.
“Yeah,” said Techno, letting out a shaky breath. “Yeah, I do. It’s a good thing he’s not around ‘cause he’d never let me live that down.”
Laelaps moved his hands as if he wanted to say something and then stopped, twisting them together and looking away.
“I’m sorry,” he signed when he finally looked back towards Techno.
“Pfft, no reason for you to be sorry, man. It’s not like you were the one that—” Techno’s throat was suddenly tight. He patted his hand against his knee. “Anyway, it’s way past my bedtime. I’m gonna go home and get some sleep. You sure you don’t wanna stay overnight? We could have a slumber party.”
The words were said in a sing-song way that made it seem as if Techno wasn’t serious but he was. He wouldn’t say no to company but he knew what the answer would be before he even asked the question.
Laelaps shook his head.
“I have to water my plants.”
“Heh? Next you’re gonna tell me you have a goldfish to feed,” Techno laughed.
“No. But maybe one day I’ll get a cat.”
Techno got to his feet, grabbing Laelaps by the shoulders. He tensed beneath Techno’s touch, pulling back slightly but not enough to actually move away. Techno shook him a little then let go, still laughing.
“Y’know, I really would’ve pegged you for a dog person but I guess you’re just full of surprises, huh.”
Pressing the button, Techno stood back as the vault wall slid open. The night air was cool, the breeze tugging on the loose strands of Techno’s hair and the lightweight fabric of Laelaps’s cloak. It felt good, it felt normal, and Techno really wished it was normal instead of them preparing for an unknown that could end them all. He would’ve liked more nights like this, without that hanging over them.
He would’ve liked to hang out with Laelaps and not have it be for any other reason than that they wanted to.
“Well.” Techno took a deep breath. “Just be careful, alright, man?”
“I will,” signed Laelaps, hesitating for a moment before waving goodbye and heading off into the night.
Techno watched until he had disappeared behind one of the hills and then he turned towards home. It went by quickly; one moment he was walking across the tundra, snow and ice crunching under his hooves, and the next he was walking up the porch steps, mind still turning things over and over. Would this finally be over? Would all his friends make it out unscathed? Would Laelaps get his cat?
Shutting the door, Techno smiled. The pillows that usually sat in the chairs were squished and the blankets that were folded on the backs were wrinkled and shifted. There were still mugs on the table. Little reminders that he had friends and they were still here. They could sit by the fire or in his kitchen at the table.
Whatever it took, he would make sure that they could do all that again.
He hung his cloak up on the hook by the door and climb the ladder to his bedroom. Exhaustion had finally set in and Techno didn’t even bother taking a shower or anything else. He could do that in the morning. Right now he wanted to sleep, while his mind was still too fuzzy and tired to form a proper thought. Stripping, Techno tossed his clothes on the floor and collapsed into bed, a mix of hope and happiness and grief swirling in his chest.
No nightmares came that night.
In the morning, Techno could feel the regret creeping up on him. His muscles were sore, there was dirt on his pillow, and he was still tired. No matter which way he twisted in bed or how many blankets and pillows he piled on top, sunlight still filtered in. He groaned and got dressed and slid down the ladder.
The mugs were still on the table and Techno gave a soft snort as he began picking them up. He was hungry.
“Mm, oatmeal,” Techno muttered to himself as his stomach began to growl.
He pulled out a pot to boil some water and then dug out the bag of dried oats. Eyeballing the amount, he dumped some in.
“Where’s the sugar?”
Techno stared around the kitchen for a moment before going to the pantry and grabbing the sugar and some dried sweet berries. It was beginning to smell good in the small kitchen and it took all of Techno’s self control not to start snacking and to wait until the oatmeal was done.
Scooping the cooked oatmeal into a bowl, Techno sat down. It hit the spot and he was almost able to eat the entire bowl before someone knocked on the door. He groaned, picking up his bowl and taking it with him to answer the door.
“’Sup,” he said around a mouthful of oatmeal.
“Hi, mate,” said Phil, eyebrows jumping upwards, smile crooked. He shook his head a little and stepped inside. “Am I interrupting?”
Techno took another bite of oatmeal.
“Nope. What’s up?”
Phil laughed and pat Techno on the shoulder.
“Don’t worry, I stay long. I just wanted to tell you the news.”
Techno’s sighed, shoulders sagging as he swallowed the oatmeal.
“Oh no.”
“It’s not bad,” Phil said, raising a hand. “Or I don’t think. Punz is back. Heard the news last night but didn’t get a chance to tell you then…”
There was an unspoken question in Phil’s voice and Techno knew what it was: you weren’t home last night, where were you?
“Yeah, sorry about that, man.” Wandering back into the kitchen, Techno put his bowl into the sink right along with the mugs from last night. “I was at the Vault with Laelaps. We fixed the place up, made some stasis chambers. Now all we gotta do is drop some pearls.”
Phil sat on the edge of table, feet still on the ground.
“Damn, nice. That’ll save us some work.”
“Yup, yup. So what’s this about Punz bein’ back?”
Shrugging, Phil tilted his hat back to look up at Techno.
“Just that they’re back. I heard something went down near their tower but that’s just a rumor that Ranboo heard from someone else,” he said. “But I figured you’d want to know since you’re… Since you know them.”
“Yeah.” That was one way to put it. They had buried a friend together. Techno didn’t know what that made them but it made them something. “Yeah. Thanks for the heads up, Phil.”
“You planning on meeting up with them, figure out if they’re still on the same side?”
Techno nodded his head slowly.
“No dang way they’d ever team up with Sam and Quackity so I’m not worried about that but it’d probably be a good idea to touch base,” he said.
Confusion settled on Phil’s face.
“Didn’t he work with Sam before?”
“Ah. Accordin’ to him and Dream, that whole thing was just an act to convince everyone that they weren’t workin’ together anymore.”
Phil squinted his eyes. The gears were turning in his head. Slowly he rocked back on his heels as realization hit.
“That why you told Dream to give the armor back and get out of here after breaking him out?” he asked.
“Look, it was his plan, man. He figured we’d all be safer if they were lookin’ anywhere but here for him. I didn’t want to go along with it but—I dunno, Phil. He was so bad in the prison that I kinda felt like I should just agree with him.”
“Huh.” Phil crossed his arms, smile sad. “I always kind of wondered about that. It didn’t seem like something you’d do but I thought you had just…”
Phil paused, trying to find the right words.
“Decided to hate him like everyone else?” offered Techno. The smile on his face was also sad but held an edge to it. He had known that was what people would think and that had been the reason he had pushed against the idea, until Dream’s shoulders had dropped and he had said, quietly, ‘please, Techno’. Techno had given in, right there and then. “Welp, then I guess his plan really did work.”
“I’m sorry, mate.” His voice was soft and he reached out to put a hand on Techno’s arm, squeezing arm. “I had no idea. I knew you missed him but I didn’t realize how that all went down.”
Stepping forward, Techno rested his chin on the top of Phil’s head, hugging him.
“Nah, it’s fine, Phil. I was just thinkin’ about him last night, that’s all,” he said, only stepping back when he had given Phil another tight hug. “I keep collectin’ weirdos with masks for some dang reason.”
Phil laughed.
“You are making it into a habit. That Laelaps isn’t so bad, though. I had my doubts about him at first but I think he’s proved himself enough.”
More than enough, Techno thought, smoothing a hand over his hair. He hadn’t taken his braid out last night and it had come partially undone.
“That’s true, that’s true. I ought to message Punz, see what’s up with them comin’ back all of a sudden. Not gonna lie, that part does bother me a little bit.”
Techno was confident in the fact Punz wouldn’t side with Sam or Quackity, no matter what, but the fact they had come back after spending so much time away was either a huge coincidence or a sign that Punz had heard something. He’d really like to know exactly which it was.
“Well, you find out, mate, and then let us know what’s up. I’m going to see about getting the others to set up their pearls sometime today,” said Phil, already heading towards the door.
“Alright, sounds good, man.” Techno leaned against the doorframe as Phil stepped out onto the porch. “Oh, uh, and Phil? Look, I know the Vault isn’t exactly up to your standards, alright, but we tried, okay. We tried.”
Phil stood there for a moment and then sighed.
“I’m sure you did, mate.”
Wincing, Techno watched him walk down the stairs and start across the yard.
“It’s all Laelaps’s fault,” he called.
In response, Phil raised a hand without turning around and Techno turned back into the cabin. He shut the door and pulled out his communicator. The server list did, in fact, show Punz. Techno hadn’t doubted that but it did cause a sort of worry to settle in the back of his mind, hoping that whatever reason Punz had returned had to do with the current problems and not a new one. He began typing out a message.
[To: Punz] hey man, been awhile. how about we catch up? you know the place.
He waited.
He washed the bowl and the mugs in the sink and he redid his braid and there was still no response. Part of Techno wasn’t that surprised. Private messages were theoretically secure but if whitelisting could be hacked then there was no telling what else could be hacked. Techno went back to the door and pulled his cloak off the hook and stepped outside.
The clearing was almost exactly as Techno had remembered it.
Grass had grown taller in places, dandelions had spread, and some of the tree branches were hanging down lower now, the passage of time marked in nature. It had been a long time since Techno had been here but he remembered that night well enough to know what patch of ground not to step on.
It didn’t matter. Dream would never know but Techno walked the long way around anyway. The cobblestone slab was still there, hidden in the grass, the only hint that people had been here, the only reminder that someone had died and had been mourned.
Techno’s knees protested as he knelt. He wiped the dirt and leaves away. He wanted to cut back the grass but he didn’t. It was better to keep the blank slab that served as a gravestone hidden.
“Hey, man,” said Techno and part of him was still disappointed when Dream didn’t answer.
He crouched there for awhile, letting his mind wander, wondering. So much had happened, it had been so long and Techno couldn’t help but think about how Dream would react to it all.
Behind him came the sound of someone stepping into the clearing, armor clinking. Techno got to his feet, whirling around with one had on the hilt of his sword, only relaxing when he saw Punz.
“You scared the heck out of me, man.”
“Sorry,” Punz said as they looked around before heading to the grave, standing next to Techno. They were quiet for a moment. “I had to make sure you came alone.”
“I get it, I get it. So, what’s up? You dropped off the face of the server.”
Punz looked at Techno and then back to the grave. It was an answer.
“It just wasn’t the same without him. All our plans… What was the point?”
Techno shrugged. That he couldn’t give an answer to and there was no answer to be found here, either. The only person who could have explained was gone.
“I dunno, man.” Techno almost said that he missed Dream, too, that he understood, but he didn’t. The grief was awkward. It reminded Techno too much of his own. “Why come back now, then?”
“I’ve been back before,” they said. “I just don’t stay. This time someone rigged my fucking tower to explode. Do you know anything about that?”
“Heh? No way.” Techno blinked. “Actually, Phil did say he heard something had gone down around there but didn’t know what. It was all second hand.”
Nodding, Punz shoved their hands into the pockets of their hoodie.
“Yeah, I figured you’d wouldn’t know. No offense. I’m betting money on it being Sam or Quackity, though. They know I was still working with Dream.”
Techno wasn’t surprised. If Sam and Quackity were going after him and the Syndicate, it would make sense for them to also go after the only other person with ties to Dream. And if Punz wasn’t reliably on the server, there would be plenty of time to rig their tower to blow.
“None taken, man. I can have—” The suggestion to have Laelaps look into what happened with the tower was on the tip of Techno’s tongue but he stopped short. He had no idea if Laelaps would be alright with other people knowing about him. “I can have someone look into it, if you want?”
“From the sound of it, you’ve got your hands full.”
Grimacing a little, Techno realized there was no way to deny that.
“You are not wrong, man. You are not wrong. I’m guessin’ you know all about that, then?” he asked.
“A little bit. From what I heard, Quackity is still up to his old shit. A casino? Can’t say that I’m surprised,” said Punz. They were struggling to look anywhere besides the cobblestone slab, pushing around a small chunk of rock with the toe of his boot. “I doubt that’s all he’s up to. What else?”
“Oh, y’know. Just clonin’ an army of slime people. As you do.”
Punz froze, foot mid-kick, and stared at Techno. It seemed like forever until they let out a bitter sounding laugh and sent the piece of rock flying into the trees.
“Of fucking course.” They dug the heel of their boot into the ground. Grass tore beneath the rubber sole. “He couldn’t get anyone to side with him without threats and blackmail. I wonder if Purpled finally told him to go fuck himself.”
A memory from when Techno had first come to the server surfaced: him in the nether when he had run into a strange young man. Techno had decided to take no chances and disappeared before Purpled could get close. That was the first and last encounter between them that Techno could remember though he was certain there had to be more. Techno hummed.
“I’m not caught up on the Purpled lore, man. What’s his deal with Quackity?”
“Quackity blew up Purpled’s UFO and then threatened him into working for him.”
“He had a UFO?” Techno saw the slightly exasperated look on Punz’s face and waved a hand. “Y’know what, never mind, not important. It sounds like we can narrow down what happened at your tower to Quackity.”
Punz made a noise of disgust but he didn’t look surprised.
“Yeah, probably,” they said, shifting on their feet. “I’ll see if I can get in touch with Purpled and find out where he currently stands then let you know.”
Sighing, Techno put his hand on Punz’s shoulder lightly.
“Thanks, I really appreciate the help,” he said.
The expression on Punz’s face was grim and serious.
“No problem.” They gave a slight nod and stepped away. Techno’s hand dropped awkwardly. “Look, I’ll do this but after? I’m out. Dream’s gone, the plan is pointless. The server is— It doesn’t matter. I’ll get in touch when I’ve tracked Purpled down.”
It didn’t come as a surprise. The surprising part was that Punz was willing to stick around long enough to give even a little help. Techno had been expecting it the whole time and he thought he’d feel more bitterness when Punz finally said it but he didn’t. He couldn’t blame Punz. If things were just a little different, their positions might have been reversed. That knowledge set uneasy on Techno’s chest. He rubbed his hands together; it wasn’t cold but there was still a chill in his bones.
“Good luck, man.”
Punz nodded again and Techno turned to leave, knowing that Punz would want to linger, just for a little bit, lifting his hand in farewell before stepping out of the clearing and heading home.
“It’s a little cramped but it’ll do. I suppose.”
Squid was staring at the wall of the vault that was still lined with wither skulls, his hands in his pockets, suit jacket pushed up around his wrists. It looked more wrinkled than usual and Techno wondered if he had been getting enough sleep. Had any of them been getting enough sleep these days? Techno scratched his stubble. He needed sleep and a shower and shave.
“Look, we’re makin’ due with what we’ve got at this point, alright?” he said, tone light to match the teasing in Squid’s words.
“It’s fine, mate,” said Phil. He was sitting on one of the new benches, leaning forward, wings pulled tight. His hat was in his hand, dangling between his knees. “I did spruce it up a bit, no offense to you and Laelaps here.”
If Laelaps was offended, he gave no sign. His body was the sort of rigid that Techno knew well: the tension of someone trying not to pace. Techno grinned.
“Nah, I’m glad you did. I’m no decorator. We just wanted to get those stasis chambers set up ‘cause with the way things are goin’, it’d be a problem.”
“It’s good.” Niki returned his grin, glancing towards Laelaps. “I think it’s good. Do we know if they’ve found the meeting room yet or…?”
Ranboo perked up at the question.
“Yeah, what did happen with that?”
Everyone turned to look at Laelaps. He tilted his head a little and Techno wondered if he was looking at the ground like the mask suggested or at them. He raised his hands to sign but looked at Techno first, the action obvious and deliberate. Techno nodded.
“Go ahead, man.”
“No, they haven’t but I’ve seen both Sam and a few guards patrolling occasionally,” he said in the same rough voice as always. “I think they’ve given up on finding the exact spot now that everything is in the open.”
“Ah. Right. The whole, uh, them trying to kill Techno on his front porch thing. Right, right,” said Ranboo with a strained laugh. “That’s… great.”
“Eh, it could have been worse,” Techno said.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Laelaps sign ‘it almost was’ and didn’t know whether to laugh or grimace.
“Anyway. That probably is a good point. We’ve got no idea when they’re comin’ back – and they are comin’ back – so that leads us to our most pressin’ issue: Carl.”
“Who is Carl?” asked Squid, looking from Techno to Phil for some sort of answer.
Niki leaned over.
“It’s his horse.”
“Of course it is.”
Phil snickered a little. When Techno squinted his eyes in his direction, he busied himself with putting his hat back on and adjusting it.
“I know, I know.” Techno waved a hand. “But listen, last time Quackity almost got me killed, he kidnapped Carl, alright? And technically, I did die, I just got lucky and—Y’know what, doesn’t matter. The point is, I need a good place to stash my horse.”
“Here would get real stinky, real fast,” Squid pointed out, face wrinkling at the thought.
“Yeah, here won’t work. They find this place, they’ve got all the leverage they need in one go,” said Phil, stretching his legs out. “Plus horse shit.”
“Well, maybe Laelaps…?” Ranboo gestured towards him. “I mean, no one even knows where he lives. That’d be pretty safe, wouldn’t it?”
After everything Laelaps had done for him so far, Techno wasn’t sure he wanted to add more to that list. The part that was tempting, however, was the possibility of finding out where he lived, wondering if that would give Techno anymore insight into who he was and what he was about. Techno shrugged and looked at Laelaps.
“I’ll do it,” he signed, slowly, “but I’m not even there enough to water my plants.”
Techno rocked back on his heels.
“Ah, right, right. That is a good point.” When saw the slightly exasperated look on Phil’s face, he added, “He’s kinda busy goin’ on secret spy missions to take care of a horse.”
“Oh, that is true,” Niki said, brows furrowed and mouth pursed. “What about Puffy? She’s been helping a little and you’ve been helping her with the Egg, right? Most people wouldn’t bother her even if they did know you’re on friendly terms.”
Ranboo hummed lightly, tail curling and uncurling.
“That’s not a bad idea, I mean, if you think you can trust her with Carl,” they said.
Tapping a finger to his chin, Techno considered the idea. So far Puffy had been trustworthy and while they didn’t see eye to eye complete on certain things, he had found it comforting to talk to someone who at least remembered Dream positively, even if it was cherry-picked. Besides, he couldn’t hold that against her and it had no bearing on her horse-sitting abilities.
“I do, I do. Niki, you think you could ask her if she’d be up to it?”
Niki’s cheeks went pink.
“Oh, yeah. I can do that. It’s no problem.”
Phil and Squid exchanged a look and Niki’s cheeks went even pinker. It looked like she was wishing she could melt into the floor at the moment but smiled at Techno. He clapped his hands together. The sound rang oddly in the new meeting room.
“Alright, everyone make sure your stasis chamber is set correctly and then we can get the heck out of here.”
Techno wasn’t expecting to hear from Punz for another day, at least. The part of him that had seen how checked out Punz was didn’t really expect to hear from him at all and it was another thing that Techno couldn’t really blame them for. It would be helpful to know where another skilled fighter stood in this mess but Techno wasn’t counting on it.
So it wasn’t the knock on the door that surprised him – even before all this, people came and went too often for Techno’s liking – but the fact that Punz was standing on his porch that truly surprised him.
“Heh? What the—” He stood aside with the door open. “D’you want to come in, man? I didn’t think you’d show up without a warnin'.”
Punz didn’t move. They stayed on the porch and glanced around, breath coming out in a white puff.
“It’s fine. I won’t be here long,” they said and Techno knew they didn’t just mean his porch or the arctic. “I talked to Purpled. He’s technically still on the Las Nevadas payroll but said Quackity hasn’t been calling on him. That he’s been busy.”
Pulling the door closed a little to keep the warm air from escaping, Techno leaned on the doorframe.
“Probably with his new army of slime clones.”
Punz shrugged.
“Maybe. He didn’t know and doesn’t plan on finding out. I didn’t tell him it was you asking, either, just in case, but I think Purpled is just waiting for when push comes to shove, if you know what I mean.”
Techno knew what they meant. Loyalty wasn’t something you could buy nor could you bully it out of people. If Purpled was holding a grudge, he would be useful without Techno even having to do anything. The pieces could fall where they may and, if they were lucky, it wouldn’t be in Quackity’s favor. That was preferable to Techno; badgering Purpled to help after what Quackity did to him didn’t sit right.
“Hm, I believe I do know,” he said. “That’s good to hear, thanks, man. I said before I appreciate it and I stand by that.”
Punz took a half step back as if they were ready to leave and stopped.
“It’s nothing.” There was something. It was clear in the set of their jaw. After a moment Punz sighed. “Actually, I have something I need to give you.”
Tensing, Techno made a mental note of his sword next to the door. Nothing Punz had done made him think a betrayal was at hand but their expression was so tense and heavy and somber, that Techno thought something terrible was coming. They reached into the black leather bag slung across their chest, contrasting harshly with the white hoodie, and pulled out a round, flattish object that was wrapped in undyed fabric.
“Here. You should probably have this now,” said Punz.
Techno didn’t have to be told what it was.
“Ah.”
Carefully, he took it from Punz. It was lighter than Techno remembered (or imagined) and under the fabric he could feel a chip or two in the material. He held it for a moment, staring, before looking up at Punz.
“I’ll keep it safe,” he said.
A smile crossed Punz’s face and he nodded.
“Yeah, I know.” Now he did turn away and start down the porch stairs calling back as he went. “Maybe I’ll see you around, Techno. Good luck.”
Techno didn’t have to watch them leave but he did anyway until his cheeks and fingers felt cold. The object in his hand didn’t weigh much but Techno felt a heaviness as he walked into the kitchen. He kicked out one of the chairs and sank down. The chair creaked, the sound mingling with Techno’s sigh.
I know, I know, I’m being sentimental, he thought and thought about the chest buried on the mountain.
“Dang it,” said Techno out loud.
He pulled back the piece of fabric. Dream’s mask was how he remembered it. The material was cool under his touch, something that felt closer to bone than wood or metal, and the white had become slightly dingy over time, the black paint that formed the thin smile flaking in places. Techno picked it up and turned it over. There were two, mesh-covered holes where the eyes were and Techno wondered how Dream had been able to see through it.
Stubbornness, probably, if I know him.
Techno set the mask down on the table. The smiley face seemed to be staring right at him. Techno could almost hear Dream’s voice and the way it rose when he was insisting that he totally had a house. Picking up the piece of fabric, Techno covered the mask back up and put his face in his hands and cried for the first time since the execution.