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Techno was just so passionate about languages. Truly, the English language did not contain such words to convey the amount of love he had for his major. Good ol' English major, if you feel so inclined.
So. Now that the layer of sarcasm was thick enough, he could finally hate on his life once more.
Why on earth had he picked Latin as his extra class. Well, he knew why. Because he hadn't.
Wilbur, a history major, did it for him. You see, his father was a Latin professor, and Wilbur was an attention-starved brat. Also, he wanted Techno to get to know his father for some reason. Probably for the 'twin truthing' to become even more real in his fantasy world. Techno scoffed. As if.
And then Techno got added to a group chat with every other student who picked this class. He didn't even get a say in it.
Now Wilbur threatened him with, quote unquote, 'acts of unimaginable violence' if Techno was to drop the class. Great. Perfect, even.
It's not like Techno had beef with Professor MCrafter. Hell, he was the most understanding person Techno ever had the pleasure to meet. The one who cared about students' mental and physical health more than completed assignments. That was already enough to see the man like a god walking on earth.
Yet the disappointment on his face when you said you just forgot about the task...
Listen. It took a while to stop yourself from wanting to meet people's expectations and be a people-pleaser. He's working on that, okay?
God, why the hell didn't he just drop this class, Wilbur’s whining be damned.
Techno scrolled through his phone late at night. All he could find were five to ten-year-old YouTube videos with only two repeating verses of the hymn he needed to learn by heart — the beginning and some parts from the middle. And he needed all ten in the same place. With clear pronunciation, preferably.
Oh yeah. Had he mentioned he needed to learn a hymn in Latin by heart?
Professor MCrafter picked very peculiar assignments.
No way in hell would Techno ask for help from Wilbur. He probably knew this stuff from childhood, with Phil having sung the hymn like some sort of messed-up lullaby.
Techno dropped his phone on the bed, his face in his hands, letting out a drawn-out groan of pure suffering at the hand of his great foe. The Latin language.
He spared one more look at the opened tab. Gaudeamus igitur, it read. At least Techno knew how to pronounce those two words. What a progress.
With one more groan just to let the universe know everything went according to its plans (read: Techno was in a state of constant torment), the man plugged in his phone before rolling over on his side.
Whatever. He'd deal with it tomorrow.
___
Techno did not, in fact, deal with it tomorrow. Nor on the day after tomorrow. Not even a week later. Or two.
Listen. They had been given two months to learn all of this. It was fine. He had time.
Until he didn't. Techno looked at his wall calendar, where he only scratched the past few days to see his winter break slowly incoming. And there were a lot of exams before that. Yayy.
That is to say, he had only one week left. One week and a day, to be more precise.
Techno could blame his ADHD on that. Actually, scratch that; Techno blamed his ADHD on that. It wasn't his fault his brain performed well only and only under amounts of unbearable pressure that came with deadlines, okay?
Sighing under his breath, he glanced at the time. 2.59 a.m. Now was as good a time as any, aye?
With a prolonged exhale, he pulled out several screenshots with the pronunciation of the entirety of the hymn. Not the best thing, as Techno could still mess up while reading those, but it would have to do.
Little by little, he mouthed the whole hymn, getting used to the words. He didn't trust himself to say them aloud just yet. He would have to check the stresses in some words, that was for sure. Repeating the whole thing for the last time, he looked up.
3.47 a.m. Wonderful. He couldn't wait for his breakfast, consisting of a glass of water and his meds because apparently mixing energy drinks and ADHD meds made his ADHD worse. Truly, a scam.
Techno blinked.
4.21 a.m.
Fuck his life.
___
One week until his assignment is due.
God fucking damn it. Wilbur really had to be that extra. He had sung the hymn before all of the students, his voice flowing smoothly like a river, accompanied by an acoustic guitar. Hell, everyone had clapped. Except Techno.
He just stared daggers at Wilbur the entire time. The man hadn't seemed too bothered by it.
Wilbur sat back in his seat, which was to Techno's left.
"Say, I did good, yeah?" Wilbur murmured, taking a swig of water and letting out a pleased sigh after two more swigs. Techno rolled his eyes, doodling on his notebook.
"If I said yes, would you stop pestering me?" Techno drawled, scratching at his stubble. He had to trim it. Actually trim it, not just think of it and forget about it for three more days.
"Maybe," Wilbur quipped, his mouth corners twitching in a grin. Techno smirked.
"You should've seen MCrafter's face the entire time you sang," he replied sweetly, ruffling his pale pink hair. He also needed to touch up his roots. The brown just looked awful in the midst of the pastel pink.
Wilbur's expression dropped.
"What do you mean?" Techno smiled and shook his head, saying nothing. Wilbur sputtered. "No, Techno, man, what the fuck do you mean by that?"
"Ask your dad later, you pretentious prick," Techno huffed, lightheartedly, of course. Wilbur jabbed his elbow under Techno's ribs and, yeowch, "die."
"No, you go die-"
"Guys from the back," MCrafter's voice rang out, making them both cringe. "Could you please be quiet? I can't speak over you."
Great. They disappointed Wil's father. But it wasn't a problem for Techno to deal with.
...
"You go die-"
_
Alright, Techno could do this. Maybe if he told this lie long enough, it would eventually become true.
Maybe. Just mayhaps.
It was 11.50 p.m. on Monday. The day had just started. The whole building was out of power. He had to light up some cheap-scented candles just not to trip and die. That would be embarrassing.
Techno downed the lukewarm energy drink, tossing the empty can in a trashcan. A can in a trashcan. A can in a can.
Focus.
'Never,' Techno's own thoughts replied to him.
So he felt a bit more certain in his abilities this time. Well. If the "I am 98% sure that if I try to say all of this aloud, I won't accidentally summon some random entity in my dorm room" could pass as certainty.
Techno sighed, getting ready.
Gaudeamus igitur, juvenes dum sumus...
Oh, wait, it actually sounded neat. If a bit unsteady from a waver in his voice.
Ubi sunt, qui ante nos, in mundo fuere?
Vadite ad superos,
Transite ad inferos,
Ubi jam fuere.
A breeze went over his room from the window, making the candlelight flicker.
His windows weren't opened. But he didn't know that.
As he was proceeding, his voice began to get louder, more certain, even if he knew he was fucking up the pronunciation of each word by this point.
Vita nostra brevis est,
Brevi finietur,
Venit mors velociter,
Rapit nos atrociter,
Nemini parcetur.
The room was getting colder by each minute, yet the fact escaped Techno's mind. All he could focus on was how to get the whole hymn damn right. The candles' fire became larger, brighter.
Techno continued.
This verse was about the academy. The next one was about women and not men. Good. Techno respected women. It gave him power.
Something about the state. Whatever.
Then...
Pereat tristitia, Techno not-quite-sang, his voice getting lower, more tense. The last thing he wanted to do was get noise complaints.
Pereant osores, Techno carried on, saying words as quiet as they were going to get. Perish haters indeed. Actually, you know what would be worse than getting noise complaints? Accidentally summoning a-
Pereat diabolus, Techno chanted-
Everything went still. Suddenly, his tongue was too thick in his mouth to produce any kind of sound. The room became freezing, and he didn't even notice.
The silence lasted a moment, two.
WOOSH!
Techno stared, horrified, as the candle flames became unbelievably tall, taller than any candlelight should ever become, as horrible screeching filled his room, filled his mind, a terrible echo in his thoughts, almost enough to make blood seep from his ears at the sound, as it suddenly became unbearably hot-
Techno's eyes were wide open. Before him, on his floor, a creature sat, vaguely humanoid. It made eye contact with him, its eyes two endless void pits, when it unhinged its jaws full of sharp sets -- yes, plural -- of teeth, seemingly to-
There was a sharp knock on Techno's door, drawing both his and the creature's attention.
"Dude, can you fucking stop with the noise? Some people are trying to sleep, you douchebag."
"Yeah! Are you summoning a devil in here or what?? One more loud noise, and we're calling the cops on you."
Both Techno and the creature sat in stunned silence. Techno squirmed, uncomfortable.
"Soo... which word did I mess up?"
_
The creature was screaming. And not screaming screaming, no, it was too advanced for that. And maybe it was partially afraid of more noise complaints.
It screamed in Techno's head.
It could torture him telepathically. Fucking mint.
'YOU MOTHERFUCKER!! I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF MARIO KART SESSION WITH MY FRIEND, AND THEN I GET TELEPORTED TO THIS SHITHOLE BECAUSE YOUR ASS COULDN'T PRONOUNCE A SINGLE WORD CORRECTLY!'
Techno gripped at his hair near his scalp, hissing softly in pain. The reaction spurred the creature on, as it- okay, maybe Techno shouldn't refer to them as it- as they carried on.
'I'm gonna make your life a living hell, you pathetic cur. I'm gonna make you suffer, and no one shall hear your feeble pleadings for help. It's fucking over for you-'
"So," Techno grunted through gritted teeth, his eyes shut tight from the dull pain his head was in, "how about introducing ourselves? I'm Techno and my pronouns are he and him."
The creature fell silent in his mind, blessedly, finally, as their face twisted in an incredulous expression. Techno winced. He hoped he did the right thing by not telling the creature his full name.
What were those beings called again? The ones who could control you by knowing your name? Ferris?
Wait. That was a lawn mower. It was faeries. First try.
Right at this convenient moment, his head exploded with waves of pure agony, which he had never felt before in his life.
'Fuck off and kill yourself,' their voice was a roar, making Techno fall on his bed while he clutched at his head with near desperation, curling in a fetal position, trying to escape from the torment.
"Wow," he gasped, near-delirious from the sudden onslaught of pain, "neopr'n'ns. Love 'em. G-good f'r y'u."
As soon as the pain came, it was gone once more. Techno was going to be sick from the constant switching between the two extremes.
Then the creature spoke, this time not directly in Techno's thoughts.
"I am a he. Or that’s what they all use to refer to me. Whatever. I don't care about this stuff. No one in hell does. Fuck you."
Techno, still scared of pissing off the creature, shot him a thumbs up with one hand.
"And, I'll have you know, my name is Princen Theseus of Darkness, so if I were you, I'd rather watch your mouth, mortal," it- he announced, pride in his voice. Techno groaned in the pillow.
"Wow. That's a mouthful. Gon' just call you Theseus," Techno murmured, his words getting muffled by a pillow. "Anyway... why are you not going back to your place, or somethin'."
Theseus opened his mouth to speak, but Techno beat him to it.
"If yer afraid I'm goin' to tell everyone about your existence, don't worry," he exhaled, letting his eyelids drop. God, he was exhausted. How didn't he notice it before?
He was almost about to fall asleep...
"'t's not like anyone gon' believe me anyway... students get the h'llucinations," it took real effort to pronounce this word right, with Techno's slurred speech, "all the time. Fr'm lack of sleep."
He wanted to sleep so badly. Alas-
"Are you fucking kidding me? I can't go unless I strike a fucking deal with you!" Theseus hissed, but his hiss was so shockingly beast-like that it yanked Techno right from his oblivious state of mind.
"I didn't wanna summon you..."
"Well, you did, you cunt! You had all the things for that, how the fuck did you not expect that to happen?!"
"What?"
"You had the fucking- candles and black salt and shit- and the fucking intention of all things, too! How does one make an intention without knowing it?!" the creature threw his hands in the air, his tone scandalous.
Black salt...? Oh, yeah.
"Salt helps with... mice. It scares 'em off," Techno defended weakly.
"Of all the salts you could've used, you used black?!"
"I didn't. My friend's friend did. Skeppy. Or, well- Bad. Blame him. Actually, you can blame Skeppy too. He wouldn’t mind."
The creature stopped right in his tracks, looking straight at Techno. The man squirmed, unsettled, at the sudden show of attention.
"Bad? As like Bad Halo? As like- short, always has his hood on, strange vibes Bad?" Techno wrinkled his nose but nodded. Theseus gaped at him.
"Are you- he is a demon, Techno, how the fuck didn't you know-"
"Listen, I thought he was a bit eerie, not gonna lie. But I thought it was jus' me bein' a dick."
The creature's wings - had he always had wings this entire time? - curled around him, almost like a self-hug. They were leathery, Techno noted dimly.
Then the creature screeched. He sounded angry. Not surprising, honestly.
"Death, I'm going to kill that motherfucker. Everyone's been concerned because he suddenly just disappeared, but no-o-o!" Theseus said, a manic lilt in his voice, "he was just visiting his fucking boy friend, not even bothering to tell us!"
Uh.
"That's- boyfriend is not the word. Just so you know."
"Ugh, fucking- whatever. Boy friend. Friend who's a boy. We don't bother with that, you know? Most of the entities don't fuck with humans' mannerisms anyway. They just attack anyone who perceives them. Good for them, I say."
... right.
"Moving on. What kind of deal should we strike?" for some reason, Techno's genuine question made Theseus' expression twist in a scowl once again. If looks could kill, the entire Earth would combust from how hard he glared at Techno.
"I don't have a say in that! You don't just expect a demon to make the first step of the deal, that's so fucking rude and ridiculous and-"
"Wow," Techno said under his breath as Theseus carried on with his speech, "struck a nerve here or something."
Okay- okay, brain, think. What he could ask from a demon. Money to pay off his student loans? That would be nice. Maybe to get rid of Wilbur? No, that was wishful thinking. But what if-
Oh. Ooh.
"I would like to strike a deal with you, Princen Theseus of Darkness," the man spoke, emotionless, with his words slow so as not to mess up the title. At that, the temperature in the room lowered again, a dangerous cold creeping up Techno's arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind.
In the corner of his eye, Techno could see shadows closing in on him, but that might just be his exhausted mind making stuff up. But the glowing, icy-blue aura flowing from Theseus' form was certainly real.
"You will assist me in my hymn learning assignment, so I do not mess up any more. In return... you shall ask for whatever you want."
Wait. Wait. Fuck. No. No, it was the wrong thing to say. Fuck.
If you asked Techno's closest friends (which wasn't a lot), they would all agree that his mouth ran faster than his brain. Sure, it had caused a bit of a problem in the past, but now Techno had learned to keep everything to himself.
And the annoying trait still bit him in the ass.
A crude grin appeared on Theseus' face, and in the dim candlelight, his teeth somehow appeared even sharper.
He knew Theseus could feel Techno's fear. It was clear from the way he inhaled, slowly, his lips parted, almost as if he could physically taste the human's dread in the air.
Welp. Good game, good run, Techno's soul would no longer be his because he had a stupid Latin assignment. Damn.
"Whatever I want..." the demon repeated, his pitch-black eyes staring right through Techno. Foolishly, the man refused to cower; consequences be damned, he refused to hide from a grave end of his own making.
"Whatever you want," Techno replied, breathless. He then hung his head low, an unconscious movement, really- making Theseus emit a pleased hum.
"Ah, very well then. Very well. You know how to pique my interest, mortal."
Techno gulped. His mouth was so dry.
The shadows were coming closer.
"In return, I shall ask for you..."
There it was.
"... to play Animal Crossing with me."
...
Did Techno honestly just pass out? Was he dreaming? Was that because of the stress buildup?
"Do we have a deal?" Theseus smirked with his shark-teeth on full display, extending his hand. It was clawed - deadly sharp only judging by the look of them - and it had a dark mist surrounding it. If Techno didn't pass out earlier, he was totally about to do it now.
"Uh," he replied intelligently. The demon hissed, his arms spreading wide in the air.
"Come on, man! I didn't even ask for your soul, like a normal demon would have, do you seriously have problems with that?!"
Techno was about to cry. Or laugh. Or both. "I don't have a Nintendo Switch. I am a college student in America."
Theseus honestly straight-up growled at the mention of the United States. Relatable, but also.
"... But I have Minecraft. If you'd like."
Theseus perked up at that, his previous soured mood gone.
"Minecraft? What's that?"
"Seriously? You know about Mario Kart and Animal Crossing, but you don't know about Minecraft?" yeah, no, Techno had a beef with this demon now. Well deserved.
"You haven't ever heard of Team Fortress 2? Halo? What, do you only have Nintendo games in hell??" Techno tried, and Theseus bristled, his pointy wings raised up high defensively. He knocked out a pot with some small plant, making it fall and shatter to pieces.
Not a huge deal. The thing had been dead for five months anyway.
"Fine! I will help your sorry ass if you show me your mysterious 'Minecraft' game! Do we have a deal or not?" Theseus conceded, shaking his hand in the air for emphasis. He didn't answer Techno's question, but he guessed it meant that Theseus, in fact, did not know of these games.
Techno decided not to pester the creature. He took the hand, surprised at the warmth radiating from it, and spoke.
"Deal."
_
"Okay. So how much time do we have left until you need this assignment done?"
"Uhh. A week, roughly."
"Oh my fucking Death, I should've just killed you."
___
It was Tuesday. The lectures on this day were absolutely foul.
Techno barely stepped into his dorm room as Theseus appeared out of nowhere, a dark fog surrounding his form and making the room dimmer. Techno sighed.
"Right now?" he asked, his voice bordering on a whine. But Techno was not the man to whine and complain. He sucked it up and did the things that needed to be done.
He had two boring lectures with zero stimuli for three hours. He had the right to complain at this moment.
"Yes, right now," Theseus said with a scoff, landing on the bed. In his clawed hands were brownish papers. They looked old and frail, even from where Techno was standing. The human raised an eyebrow.
"What are you holding."
"Oh, that? The hymn, of course!"
...
"I have, uh. Screenshots of it. We could be using those."
"Did you know too much screen time makes your eyesight go shit? And you already wear the glasses," Theseus smirked.
Okay, first of all, rude. Second of all.
"I was born with shitty eyesight. No screens involved."
"Well, then you're going to worsen it further!" okay, fine, let the literal demon worry about Techno's well-being. Whatever. Not the strangest thing that could happen to him. Techno plopped on the bed, let out a long-drawn sigh, and straightened his posture.
"Alright. What do we have here..."
In the end, they finished practicing at 10 p.m. Despite Techno's attempts to say he was fine to continue for at least three more hours, Theseus declined, his sharp teeth fully showing. One, Techno still had two assignments for tomorrow (they wouldn't even take much time to finish). Two...
"Now you show me Minecraft!" Techno blinked at that. Then blinked again.
"But our deal isn't completed yet. Like. At all."
"Nuh-uh," Theseus said. Like he was a kid, trying to get his way. Not the Princen, who was at least twice as old as Techno. At least.
At most, the creature before him was older than humanity itself.
He didn't like thinking about that one. So Techno just didn't.
"Yuh-uh," Techno disagreed, like he was a kid and not a near-burnout student.
"The deal was made as it is: I help you, you show me Minecraft."
"And?"
"I helped you. Now, you must show me the game."
"That's not what I had in mind. I still don't know the hymn."
"Well, your fault!" Theseus laughed, too cheerful. "You should specify those kinds of things in a deal, mate. That's the reason humans always end up outplayed. They leave too many openings."
Outplayed. The last words sent chills down Techno's arms, making his shoulders jump to his ears. Theseus still had that cheery lilt to his voice, yet the voids of his eyes reflected with hunger as he said that.
God, Techno's dumb ass was lucky he still had his soul.
He sighed, got up, and popped a few joints. He then booted up his PC.
"I guess I can't change the deal now, can I?" Theseus let out a cackle at that. Techno glared at him.
"Nope! Now, show me the game!"
...
They ended up playing Minecraft for five hours straight. Theseus' fascination with cows and spiders was near-immediate, as was that of other mobs. The creature was amazed by simple graphics, and yet he didn't complain at all. Techno wasn't even doing anything impressive; he just created a new single-player world to run around in.
Techno was smiling, he realized. With Minecraft's gentle soundtrack playing, he typed in the command to get into creative mode, so he could show more things to Theseus.
The demon also liked some of the discs. Generally, he adored all of them, but especially Mellohi and Cat. Techno hadn't had this much fun in vanilla Minecraft in quite a while.
After that, Techno let Theseus play for himself, slowly explaining the mechanics and pretty simple controls for the game. Then he showed Theseus how to make Withers.
Now that was a mistake.
Theseus guffawed manically (in Techno's head, of course. It was nearing 3 a.m, after all), bringing more destruction to the world. Techno couldn't help but smile, just slightly.
(And if Techno went to bed so late that he woke up feeling like a bus ran over him at least ten times, with no homework done?
He couldn't say he really minded that.)
___
Wednesday. Not the worst day, all in all. It was a bit hectic because Techno had to finish his assignments in between the lectures. But he had managed.
Yay.
"You look like a hobo," was the first thing that greeted him when he stepped into his dorm room. Techno bit back the sigh.
"All students look like that. Also, it's not exactly a nice thing to say."
Theseus scoffed, hanging upside down from Techno's bed. His tail flicked lazily.
"Well, fix it! I'm one hundred percent sure your stubble makes you look even more tired than you actually are."
"Theseus, I'm always tired," the man deadpanned. Yet he still collected a fresh set of clothes and a towel. Whether Techno liked it or not, Theseus was right- Techno was a wreck.
Expectedly, a quick shower made him feel like a brand new person. Techno wrapped his hair in a towel, not bothering to dry it right now.
Theseus straight up laughed at the sight of Techno with his hair wrapped in a cocoon of fluffy towel. He was sure his unimpressed expression didn't make him look any better.
"Well? Are we going to practice today or not?"
Laughs forgotten, they once again went over the pronunciation. Then, Theseus had Techno repeat after him without looking at the text.
To Techno's surprise, Theseus was actually a decent teacher. Not counting the parts where the creature was swearing at the top of his lungs when Techno failed to pronounce the same word over and over correctly. He just had a short temper, alright. Techno couldn't relate, but still.
It was 11.56 p.m. Techno somewhat remembered some of the lines and could even repeat them without Theseus cringing. That was a huge success, if you asked him.
"Alright, now we play-"
"Actually-" Techno interrupted, suddenly sheepish. He was about to break the deal, wasn't he? "I don't think I can play today. I have an essay that needs to be ready by tomorrow, and it's a tedious one. I can't improvise it during my lunch breaks, I have to actually put my thoughts into it."
As he was speaking, he noticed how the cozy atmosphere of the room disappeared. Techno felt so, so cold.
Uh oh.
"You don't know what'll happen if you break your side of the deal, now, do you?" Theseus whispered, his voice bordering on hissing. Techno breathed in.
"I don't. But what I was trying to say," Techno continued, ignoring the darkness pooling at his feet, going up his legs, gluing him in place, "is that you can play while I'm writing the essay."
All of the sounds around Techno came back, and the ambience went back to normal. God, he couldn't afford so much stress in a few days. He was sure he was on his way to getting a heart attack soon.
"... I can play? Really?" Theseus asked, his voice awed. Techno shrugged.
"I mean- that's what you've been doing yesterday anyway, right? I'm sure it's better to, you know. Play by yourself and not just watch someone do it."
It seemed Theseus agreed, judging by the excited flaps of his leathery wings. Techno opened the game for the creature, loading up a new world. Techno himself sat near the demon with his old laptop on. He cracked his knuckles, mentally preparing himself for the three most uneventful hours of his life.
But even when Theseus screeched with pure delight in Techno's head, it didn't really distract him. He found himself finishing the essay sooner than he thought he would, wanting to show Theseus one more thing before the man went to bed.
And also to make sure the demon didn't mess up his setup, of course. Theseus simply couldn't be trusted with Techno's precious PC. Nothing more.
"Alright," Techno said, taking a mouse from Theseus. The creature hissed playfully, and Techno scoffed. "So, you know about single-player. But, say, Theseus..."
Techno clicked the "Multiplayer" button.
"Do you wanna know what 'Hypixel' is?"
___
Understandably, the next day, Techno felt like utter shit. Which, neat, those were the consequences of his own actions and him running on three hours of sleep for two days in a row.
It was Thursday. After the middle of the week has passed. The hardest day for anyone who was forced into a 5/2 schedule (read: at least half of the society. He didn't know for sure).
The pounding headache behind his eyes and nausea didn't make his situation any better as a whole. In fact, it made going back home pure hell on Earth.
His already terrible headache was worsened by the bright autumn sunshine. The coldness of the air, on the contrary, made him shiver and want to crawl under the thickest of blankets for 48 hours at least.
When he finally reached his room through the wicked battle of being outside while sleep-deprived and perhaps-sick, he was ready to combust from the excruciating pain he was in. Techno ignored the curious glances Theseus threw his way as the demon's voice tapered off. Whatever Theseus was saying, Techno missed it for sure.
He spent the remains of his already low strength on coming to the bathroom to change his clothes and going straight to bed, hiding underneath the blankets. The action barely fixed anything, as shivers still wracked his body.
The thought of even getting up to simply cook something or at least fetch some water made Techno gag. Needless to say, trying to do any of his college work would be simply impossible.
And the deal.
Oh fuck, the deal.
Theseus was going to be so pissed.
Techno tried to lift his body from the bed, his entire being suddenly turning very heavy. The light from the outside hurt his eyes. He should've closed the blinds. And Theseus-
As fast as Techno tried to get up, he fell back down in the next moment. The air around him became... warmer. Almost like someone put the AC into heating mode.
Suffice to say, Techno's miserable dorm room did not have an AC.
Before he could stop it, his eyes were closed, and it took a damn near-physical effort to open them. The sturdy mattress underneath him seemed to drag Techno down, down, down, swallowing his entire form, not letting him move a muscle.
He was so tired.
Someone brought a plastic straw to his lips. He frowned and instantly regretted doing that, the action making his headache spike. The straw didn't go away.
He decided to be as difficult as possible. He turned away, or, at least, tried to.
The straw was back on his lips. Techno wanted to whine; he nearly did- the miniscule movement made his whole body and his every joint protest. The dull pain was a constant at this point, and Techno did not like it.
The straw was still here.
Giving himself only a second to hesitate, he started drinking, and- oh. Oh. Now that was nice.
That was really, really nice.
The water had a strange aftertaste to it, almost metallic. The outcome of drinking tap water, it seemed. And a bit thick, too… Maybe medicine was mixed in? Anyway, water was water, and with each gulp, Techno was almost certain it washed away all of his pains.
Maybe he was severely dehydrated on top of his sickness and sleep deprivation. What a combo.
He finished drinking, the sharp sound of sucking on air through the straw making him wince. The drink settled uneasily in his stomach, nausea letting itself be known once again. Yet his headache got a bit better, at least.
Techno couldn't fall asleep, not yet. Despite the exhaustion, it was still early in the evening, and his body was not ready to part with this day. But he dozed off pretty soon, switching between uncomfortable, hyper-realistic dreams and detached reality. The part he hated about sickness the most.
The room was silent for a long time, or maybe it was just a couple minutes. Techno didn't know. What he did know, however, was that at one moment, when he heard Theseus repeating the hymn under his breath, his usually loud and boisterous voice becoming soft.
Ah, here came Techno's worries about breaking the deal. Theseus got it. It's fine.
Techno existed in the state between wakefulness and dreaming, and Theseus never stopped with his singing. Key word 'singing', because at some point the demon stopped reciting the text with a flat voice.
After some time, when the light from the outside disappeared and Techno got another drink from an annoying straw, he heard the familiar whirr of his PC booting up.
With that, Techno let himself relax at last, exhaling. He had nothing to worry about except getting better because he still had to go to lectures tomorrow.
And so he slept, unaware of the thoughtful look Theseus threw his way.
___
The next day, Techno never felt better. It was as if his sickness disappeared into thin air overnight- and so Techno dutifully went to his classes, just to save his perfect attendance. It was Friday.
He asked a few friends of his to help with the assignments he couldn't physically even think about yesterday. Kicked Wilbur in the shins when the brat tried to suffocate Techno in what he called a 'hug'. Suffered the aftermath of his poor decisions. Side-eyed Bad, totally not suspicious, as he, Skeppy, and Hannah shared the muffins that Bad made.
All in all, a pretty good day.
When he came back to his dorm room, he swore that something was wrong.
The tension in his room was too palpable, and that was saying something. Because Techno was so goddamn blind to social cues and all that stuff, he missed most of it. The fact that he even felt something was off was astonishing.
Theseus refused to face him. He wasn't loudly complaining about his friend being 'total twats' for not letting him watch Moana for the hundredth time or telling Techno how 'poggers his mum was' when she made the treasonists suffer under the hot blades of her mighty swords.
No, instead, the demon looked... ashamed? No, not the word-
Scared.
Oh, something was very wrong.
So either Techno could just... ignore all of that and stick to his sweet, sweet routine, or ask Theseus what had happened.
And Techno knew which one he preferred the most. No hard feelings, Theseus, but-
"I have something to tell you."
Oh for God's-
"... yeah?" Techno answered, a little apprehensive. He let his dull-red bag fall to the floor as he reached into his mini fridge for some cool water. Seeing the coke can inside, he didn't think much before taking it out, too, before setting it on the bed near where Theseus sat. The demon opened the can, still not looking at Techno. He took a sip.
Techno didn't spare him a glance, sitting backwards in his chair. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
"Do you... remember what happened yesterday?" Theseus started, looking anywhere else but in Techno's direction. Techno furrowed his brows, confused.
"Mhm, yah. I felt like shit, came back to my room, and then you gave me some damn strong medication. Then you sang the hymn without me and played on my computer. Listen, if that's the problem with our deal-"
"No, it's fucking not!" the creature hissed, but his expression betrayed the stress he was in. "I did the only thing I was not supposed to, and now my entire life is ruined!"
Techno winced at the volume, yet said nothing. A pause. "What... did you do, then?"
Theseus sniffled. Oh no.
"I didn't give you water, I didn't give you medicine. I gave you-"
The demon stopped for a second, his shoulders shaking in silent sobs. Alright, what was the worst thing Theseus could've given him. Something illegal? Literal drugs? Maybe-
"I gave you my blood!"
What.
"What," Techno echoed. Theseus shot him a dirty look, but the tears in his eyes ruined his desired effect.
"I said what I fucking said. I gave you my blood."
"... uh. Why, though?" for the person who, supposedly, drank literal blood, Techno… wasn't too bothered? Yet, at least?
"Because you were so obviously sick, and I didn't know what to do, and I didn't know what medicine to give or who to call, and I panicked-"
"Woah, calm down, dude, just breathe with me-"
"Bash your fucking head against the wall-"
"No, you're breathing wrong-"
"How the fuck do I breathe wrong?-"
"You just do, imagine being such a loser to suck at breathing-"
"Wow, Techno, that was so uncalled for, they will cancel you for that, y'know-"
"Alright, but in all seriousness," Techno interrupted. He was glad to see Theseus was no longer panicking; however Techno felt his own panic creeping on him. "Why did you give me your blood? What did it do? Should I fear for my life or-"
"No, no, you're okay," the demon replied. And, yeah. It made sense. Theseus literally just said Techno drinking his blood ruined the demon's life.
"I just... My blood can heal people. Like- if they have a broken bone, or a fever, or they're missing a chunk of their flesh- it can heal whatever."
Theseus fell silent. Techno shuddered.
"... And what's the catch?" the human asked in a low voice.
"..."
"Theseus. What did it do."
"... it bound me to you."
Techno took a swing from his water bottle. Stared at the wall for a while.
"And... what does it mean for you?"
"It's- it's hard to make a demon be bound to someone, a-alright? Like- it couldn't be done against their will, because the magic just knows if the demon doesn't want to be bound."
"Does it mean what I think it means, or..." Techno said. Theseus didn't reply.
Oh man. This was a clusterfuck.
He just wanted to come back to his dorm. Maybe snack on something. Stay up late with Thes, playing all of the games Techno owned. Maybe introduce him to new ones. Not... this.
Did he just call the demon by a nickname in his own head.
"Bound demons just cannot exist without the person they share a bond with. I have to be in your presence at least once a week, or else I'll be in straight-up physical pain. It's not so poggers, man."
Techno gulped. Things weren't working in his favor.
"Is there, like- a way to break the bond?" Theseus full on flinched with these words. Uh oh.
"Yes."
"But?"
"I mean..." Theseus drawled, not meeting Techno's eyes. "If you're ready to live with very shitty luck for the rest of your life, with me dying and my mum seeking revenge, then yeah."
"... I would rather not. Do that," Techno said. And then, quieter, "not just because of your mother. It would be a shitty way for you to go."
Thes smiled at that, just slightly.
But one question hung heavy on Techno's mind.
"If you got bonded to me, it means you were... not opposed to that idea," the human tried to word his question as carefully as possible. Theseus hummed. "But even with that knowledge, you gave me your blood. Why?"
Theseus finally met Techno's eyes. Well, that would be the wrong thing to say, really- because he didn't have irises or pupils. But the creature stopped staring down at the floor.
Techno tried his best not to squirm. He knew his monotone voice and impassive facial expressions could come off as passive-aggressive, yet that is literally how he looked 24/7. So he tried his near-best to not look intimidating, just for Theseus' sake.
"I was always an only child, you know?" Thes suddenly began, his wings drooped on the bed when his posture slumped. Techno hummed.
"I know. It shows," Techno deadpanned. The demon stared at him murderously.
"Ignoring your shit manners," Theseus continued, although his shoulders relaxed at Techno's remark, "I have friends. And they- they're like brothers to me, really- we were inseparable from the day we met and even almost tore each others' throats out," Thes said wistfully. Techno gaped at him in alarm as the creature went on.
"But they never... I love them, I really do, they're the best friends- brothers I could've wished for. But we are peers, yeah? And-"
Theseus paused. Techno waited for him to continue. He didn't.
"And...?" Techno prodded. The next words were so quiet, so- not like Theseus- Techno had to strain his hearing.
"I've... never had an elder brother. But for some reason, you just- feel like one. And I thought you were dying, so I just-" Theseus waved his hand.
And Techno stopped in his tracks. Because...
Techno knew what Thes was saying.
Techno grew up with siblings, both older and younger than him. He knew it wasn't sunshine and rainbows; if you truly knew what it meant to have a sibling, it wouldn't be news that you occasionally want them gone. They could be worse than annoying. The conflicts with his siblings always stung more than with his parents, and that wasn't surprising.
But also...
Techno's older siblings had always given him advice if he needed one. They defended him, and he always knew he could ask them for help. And Techno didn't really get it at first, but when his younger siblings were born...
... he suddenly understood what it meant. The urge to protect them. To watch them grow. To spend time together, even if it was limited by the number of school assignments and exams he had to take.
To soothe their fears. To listen to them rant, to just-
Exist together, in the same place.
It was... hard to admit it. But he felt the same urge now, with Theseus. Despite him being ages, centuries older than Techno, he found a perfect place right underneath Techno's heart. Just like a younger sibling would.
Because he-
"Dare I say it," Theseus said, his timid voice turning lighthearted at the edges, but Techno could hear nervousness hidden underneath the façade, "that we're like brothers, Techno."
Techno felt warm. It felt- sounded right.
"My little brother is a demon I summoned a week ago by accident and who is probably ten times older than me," Techno uttered, humor in his voice. The corners of his mouth quivered with a smile. "Can't believe it."
Something just clicked when Techno referred to Theseus as his brother. It felt good - a gooey warmness spread in his chest at the thought of knowing Thes felt the same way.
There was a grin on Theseus' face, but it was fond, softened by the demon's visible excitement.
"My real name is Tommy. You're family now. You deserve to know."
Something heavy settled over Techno's shoulders as he heard the name, yet at the same time, Techno never felt lighter.
"Well, Tommy. Not to ruin the moment or anything, but our deal awaits."
Th- Tommy's expression soured in an instant.
"You're a dick, did you know that?"
"Alright, disowning you as my brother-"
"Wait- NO-"
___
Saturday. From the moment Techno woke up, Tommy kept bugging him. For a valid reason, really. Techno should be able to recite the hymn without any flaws (preferably) on Monday. So that means...
"Okay," Tommy hyped him up for the thousandth time, "repeat after me. Pereat tristitia..."
"Pereat tristitia..." Techno echoed. He winced when Tommy groaned. Then, when the demon uttered something under his breath-
Listen. Techno thought they ignored his horrible pronunciation, and Theseus decided to carry on. So, naturally, he repeated the- whatever it was that Theseus said.
Tommy jerked his head in the human's direction so fast that it made Techno a little bit concerned. However, the alarm in Tommy's voice was even worse.
"You weren't supposed to repeat that!" the creature screeched, his wings raised high and his tail swishing wildly behind him. Techno froze. Everything seemed... fine. What did he say?
"What did I say??"
"It was my mum's true name! No mortal had referred to her ever throughout all of history! They weren't even supposed to know who she is!"
Techno gulped audibly. Still, nothing around him changed. And somehow, that was even worse.
"And... who is she?"
"She is the Queen of-"
Darkness. Pure, unfiltered blackness surrounded Techno from all sides. He was in his room, and when he blinked, nothing existed anymore. The space around was cold, yet it was warm, and the dark mist surrounded Techno's limbs. The clouds of pure nothingness were freezing, lapping at his skin and leaving a numb sensation behind.
His head spun. It was harder to think straight, to keep up with the train of his thoughts, for some reason. Did something happen? Did he pass out? Did he d-
"Techno, big man, please," a familiar voice called, but it was so, so far away... "Don't look at her, okay? You hear me? And no matter what she tells you, don't look her in the eyes."
Don't look her in the eyes. He could do that. He hates eye contact, anyway. That shit's overrated.
But... who is-
Ah.
Techno felt like he had just been hit by a truck. Two trucks, even. The sudden pressure on his ribcage made him want to cough his lungs out, but he was unable to do so. It was as if all of the air was sucked from his body, like he was placed in those vacuum storage bags, and the walls of the package were slowly digging into his skin-
Strange, is it not? I always wondered if beings of the Overworld could survive in my domain. You are not meant to be here.
Words were slipping through the cracks in his mind, yet at the same time, he understood the meaning with shocking clarity. Everything and nothing was too much and not enough, and in this contradicting state between fullness and hollowness, his body might just burst.
Oh, but why do you not look at me, my dear? That is the least you can do when you call my Name.
Quite honestly, he didn't even remember his name at this point. He didn't know if his eyes were closed or not, if he was alive or dead. But one thing - or, should he say, a voice - was ringing clear in his ears.
Don't, don't, don't look her in the eyes. You'll be a goner. You'll never find your way back.
Don't look her in the eyes.
So maybe he shouldn't, you know. Look her in the eyes. The command was pretty straight-forward.
Something appeared in the corner of his vision, left or right, up or down - he didn't know. But that at least let him know his eyes were still open. Against his own will, he looked up, up, up, not fully conscious of the movement, and then-
His head burst up in agony. He screamed; he knew he did, but with nothingness around him his voice could not be heard. Even if he could feel the strain in his throat that came from shouting, even if it felt like his vocal cords would be destroyed beyond repair when he resurfaced.
Dazed with waves of unending pain, he didn't notice how he looked away, how the gesture lessened his suffering in that exact same moment. Yet the boisterous laughter above made the pain spike tenfold; the voice sounded like screeching metal on metal placed right near his eardrums, and Techno could not stop screaming-
Ahhh, you are a smart thing, are you not? My child, such a fierce protector... Could not hurt you even if I tried, for His claim lays true upon your soul. And yet you are none the wiser, I see. I shall leave you in peace, then.
The darkness disappeared as fast as it came. And he wasn't too sure if his eyes were tricking him, if the pain was so intense that it made him see things...
... but he saw a flicker of a smile in the void, dangerously close to the eyes he'd been told to avoid.
Techno woke up on his bed, an equally concerned and excited face of Theseus right above him.
"Oh my fucking Death!!" the demon screeched, a huge grin on his face. Techno felt like one foot in a grave. "You've met my mum! And you survived!!! Hell, not even underworlders can survive an encounter with her!"
As Theseus ranted on, Techno blankly stared at the ceiling above, ready to shed a tear or two. Two hundred.
He should've told Wilbur to go fuck himself with his Latin classes.
___
After yesterday, Sunday went by pretty fast, in Techno's humble opinion. He wasn't even kidding when he said he woke up to Tommy already chanting the cursed hymn, making Techno follow along.
He didn't want to admit that... it helped. Dare he say that, but he felt almost 100% confident in his ability to recite the whole thing. Albeit very slowly. And maybe stuttering. But still!
Tommy made it his challenge, then. The demon played Lo-fi on Techno's phone while Techno worked on his essay. Tommy kept trying to sing the hymn, twisting the lines so they sounded like the lyrics of whatever came up on that never-ending live translation. Thes' voice sounded pretty damn impressive, Techno had to give him that. Because when Tommy wasn't an annoyance in its pure form, his voice was surprisingly melodic. Not quite like Wilbur's, with bumps and voice cracks here and there.
It was better than Techno's 'singing' voice, at least.
And so the day went by, with Tommy reminding Techno to take breaks and to consume food. Normal food, mind you, because on his third day here, Thes ate all of Techno's instant foods. Now he was forced to eat the creature's cooking.
He'd be damned if he admitted that Tommy was a good cook as well. God, what that kid couldn't do?
Well. Not get attached to people who mildly radiated an older sibling energy. Techno scoffed to himself, not unkindly. He just imagined what would happen if Tommy, an attention-starved brat, and Wilbur, another attention-starved brat were to meet up. With Wilbur weird insistence on his family dynamics too.
That would be a disaster.
Techno froze.
That might just happen. Tommy and Wilbur might just meet each other.
Oh god.
Techno was so screwed.
___
Today was the day. The near end of the deadline.
He was so not ready. But he had to do this.
The worst part might be the fact that his Latin classes are at the end of the day, so for the time being Techno was stuck with nagging anxiety in his mind.
There was no turning back, however, when Techno stood before the classroom door. Unless he had a heart attack. Like, right now.
He didn't. So with a defeated sigh, he entered the lecture hall. Most students were there already, yet no professor was in sight. Though he spotted the professor's son pretty soon.
"Technoo, my man!" Wilbur exclaimed once Techno sat next to him. Techno leveled the man with an unimpressed look.
"What."
"Well, hello to you too, I guess," Wil laughed, closing his ratty notebook. Wilbur showed it to Techno once. The insides were lined with unfinished song lyrics and random scribbles that Techno never deciphered. "Please tell me you've learned the hymn. Today is the last day, you do know that, right?"
"Nah, I forgot so I could never attend these classes again."
"Technoblade," Wilbur said warningly.
"Bruh, not the full-naming strat."
Wil was about to say something- complain, probably, or whine, or both- when the professor arrived. Wilbur shot him a last murderous look, and Techno huffed.
"So!" the man clapped his hands, a smile on his face. "Good evening, everyone. I'm going to jump right in and say that there are two students who are yet to recite the hymn. I think you know who you are, and that today is the last day. Hope you're ready!"
The other student was a lucky one. They just didn't visit today's class.
That left Techno. A familiar spike of anxiety made him inhale, a bit shakier than normal. Wilbur, like the attentive bastard he is, noticed Techno's struggles.
"Hey," Wil whispered, his voice calm, "it's going to be ok. You've got this, man."
Techno nodded absent-mindedly. "Right."
He took off his glasses. The last thing he wanted to do was make eye contact with someone while he spoke in front of other students. That might just make him throw up. With blurry vision, Techno came up to the professor's table. He could vaguely see MCrafter giving him an encouraging nod.
Okay, now there was definitely no going back.
And so, in a low voice, Techno started.
"Gaudeamus igitur, juvenes dum sumus..."
He sort of... zoned out, just letting his memory do all the work. Surprisingly, he didn't stutter at all, words freely leaving his mouth. With his gaze riveted on some unfamiliar students, he couldn't help but frown. Have new people signed up for this class? He didn't remember them being here before.
Techno only saw splashes of colors; everything beyond his arm's reach was blurry as hell. One of them had long dark hair, and the other...
He blinked, confused. He was still speaking, yet he couldn't hear himself. There was something off about the other guy, but...
"Dissitas in regiones- sparsos, congregavit," Techno exhaled and- he did it, didn't he? Those were the last lines. He succeeded.
So why was MCrafter looking at Techno so... strangely? The man wasn't even saying anything. He just stared at Techno.
Techno stared back.
"Uh..."
MCrafter snapped out of... whatever he was in, giving Techno another nod and a smile. There was still tension lining the man's shoulders, but Techno chose to ignore it. "That was really good, Techno! I see you decided to pick up a bit of an older way of pronouncing words, yeah?"
Techno blinked. "I... what do you mean?"
The professor faltered, the same strange glint returning to his eyes. "... Archaic Latin sounds different from the Classical one. It's-" the man hesitated, "no idea where you picked the Archaic pronunciation, but hearing it made me feel like I'm back in the ancient Roman Empire!"
The man chuckled at his own joke. Someone at the back of the room huffed, too. Techno shifted his feet.
"So... am I good to go, then? I passed," Techno said, yet his last words sounded more like a question. MCrafter startled, nodding excessively. He kind of looked like a bird doing that.
"Of course, of course! You can go back to your seat."
After what seemed like forever, Techno slumped into his chair, finally relaxing for the first time since last week. Reluctantly, he put his glasses back on. He squinted at Wilbur.
"Your father's weird," Wilbur scoffed at that.
"Tell me something I don't know," the man shrugged, and that was that.
...
After the class ended and most students fled as soon as MCrafter said 'alright-', Techno stayed behind. Wilbur was waiting for him, tapping his foot impatiently. Techno made sure to pack his things even slower.
"Okay," Techno said at last, and Wilbur groaned. "Let's-"
"Big T, you've made it!"
Techno froze. He felt like his soul straight up left his body. Because he knew this voice.
Because the owner of said voice was not supposed to be here in the first place.
"Th- Tommy!" Techno hissed, gaping at the demon who looked...
Surprisingly, the creature looked no different from an ordinary man. There were no horns, tail or wings in sight; his fingers didn't end with sharpened claws, and, most importantly-
The blue eyes met his own, confusion swimming in Tommy's gaze.
"What? Are you not excited to meet me?" the demon whined, affronted. Techno's jaw dropped. "I tried so hard to get here in time-"
"No, you don't understand, you can't be h-"
"Techno?" Techno halted. MCrafter sounded... strange. Again. "How do you- do you know him?"
The human faced his professor. Fuck, what was he supposed to say? 'I accidentally summoned this creature while I tried to recite the forsaken hymn you told us to learn'?
Tommy beat him to it.
"Ah, you see, Techno and I are brothers!"
Before Techno could see MCrafter's reaction or react himself, for that matter, Wilbur yelped.
"What?!"
Oh god. Oh God.
"How come you had a sibling in this town and I've never had a chance to meet him?!" Wilbur said, his voice pitched with offense. Techno squirmed.
'Because we didn't even know each other a week ago, duh,' Techno wanted to respond. But that sounded too confusing, and Wilbur would surely let him know by asking a million questions in an attempt to interrogate Techno. Instead, what he needed to say-
"Brothers?" MCrafter asked, incredulous. Why was this man acting so weird today? Why was he surprised that Techno had siblings? "Kristin, you didn't tell me there was another one?"
"Wait, who's Kristin?" Wilbur piped in, yet he went ignored.
Kristin...?
Techno suddenly remembered the second unfamiliar face from today's class. And when Techno made eye contact with her-
Don't look her in the eyes.
Techno stopped in his tracks. Like a deer caught in the headlights.
But no pain came. He shuddered.
"Ah, don't worry about it, Techno! You can look at me, for now," the woman before him said, and... there wasn't anything out of ordinary with her appearance. No extra limbs, no deadly aura. Hell, even her eyes were just dark brown!
Techno was about to faint.
"What," he sighed softly, "the fuck is going on."
"Wilbur, Tommy? Do you mind going outside for a second? We need to talk with Techno in private," MCrafter said, his voice calm. Wilbur pouted, glancing worriedly at Techno.
"But Phil-"
"Just wait for me, Wil," Phil urged. "It won't take long."
Grudgingly, Wilbur left the lecture hall, with a suspiciously silent Tommy dragging behind him. Then, when the duo was near the exit, Techno could hear a faint:
"What kind of name is Wilbur anyway?"
"What??"
And the door was closed. Techno's limbs were so tense they actually started to hurt, even though he was just standing.
"Ah, I guess we should take a seat, then."
Techno sat down without any complaint, staring at the table before him. He heard Phil sigh.
"So, I guess there's no need for formalities now. My name is Phil," his professor spoke. Techno grunted. "Now, I would really like to-"
"Nope," Techno said, leaning in his chair and staring at the ceiling. "First, I would really like to know why you were acting so strange the entire day and how you know-" Techno waved his hand at the woman, sitting next to Phil, "-her."
"I have a name, you know," she said, her tone lighthearted. "It won't kill you if you use it. You may call me Kristin."
Oh. She was mocking him, it seemed. But at least it wasn't her real name. Techno wouldn't want to relive the previous experience.
"Well... Me and Kristin met three- or was it three and a half?"
"Three, dear."
"Ah, thank you. My memory's getting a little rusty here," Phil said sheepishly. "So me and Kristin met three millennia ago..."
...
"You didn't mean to say, you know. Years, or something. Did you?" Techno asked, voice flat. Phil chuckled.
"... I'm not lying, if that's what you wanna hear."
"For fuck's-" Techno's face fell in his hands. He couldn't help but groan. Phil resumed his story.
"And I thought I was a mortal back then-"
Great, his Latin professor was immortal. Techno figured as such, from Phil saying the goddamn 'three millennia ago' like it was a mere yesterday. But hearing him actually address his immortality was different.
"Okay, no, I changed my mind. I don't want to hear your lore. All you need to know from me is that I accidentally set up the perfect place for summoning Tommy by mispronouncing the word from that damned hymn, we struck a deal and now we have a bond. End of the story. Goodbye-"
"Oh no, Techno, I think you want to stay for a bit, actually," Kristin insisted, and Techno's mouth clicked shut. "Don't you wanna know that Tommy claimed you?"
"He did what?" Phil exclaimed, a clear shock written on his face. Techno, on the other hand, just felt tired as fuck. It wasn't a healthy reaction. Or was it? He liked the absence of panic squeezing at his lungs, yet without it Techno was... hollow.
"How else do you think you survived my domain?" Kristin said, a grin on her face. Phil just stared at Techno, flabbergasted. "I wouldn't let you leave just like that, but my son's claim saved you."
"Cool."
Kristin's cheerful expression dropped. Now she just looked... concerned.
Wow.
"Techno... you're okay?" Phil said, tentative. The human shrugged.
"Just peachy."
The duo didn't look like they were convinced. They exchanged doubtful looks.
"I didn't even believe in paranormal stuff a week ago. I didn't meet a literal death until two days ago. Now I learn that I've been surrounded by non-humans since the start of this semester. And now I'm bound to a demon. How do you expect me to react?"
No answer. Techno huffed.
"That's what I thought," Techno said, getting up. Phil copied him, shoulders hunched.
"Wait, Techno- is there something I can do for you? Anything?"
Anything. For a demon, it would be a field day. Techno was no demon, but it was a field day for him, too.
"I'm dropping these classes. Make sure Wilbur doesn't kill me for that."
With that, he left the classroom. Further down the corridor, Tommy and Wilbur stood, deep in their conversation.
"And so I told them- oh, hey Techno! How was-" Thes started, but faltered upon seeing Techno's expression. "What's wrong, mate? Did something happen?"
To anyone else, Tommy would just sound worried. In reality, the demon was ready to rip and tear at the source of Techno's unhappiness.
This overprotective child...
"It's fine, don't worry about it," Tommy looked at him suspiciously, waiting for Techno to elaborate. When he didn't, Tommy's face dropped.
They stood here in silence until Wilbur spoke.
"Alright, we're going to that one pizza place we've meant to go to for ages," Wilbur started, going down the stairs, "and then we're getting absolutely wasted-"
"Oi! I can't drink, my mum would kill me!"
"I'm not drinkin'. Tomorrow is Tuesday, Wilbur. I'm not going to classes with a hangover."
"Just skip a day, you'll be fine!"
Techno hummed, thinking about it. Wilbur looked at him, hope in his eyes.
"... nah."
"Oh, fuck- fine! We're just getting the pizza, then!" Wil grumbled, defeated. He gently bumped Techno's shoulder. Techno smiled, nodding.
"Alright. You're payin'."
"No!"
"Yes!"
Techno stayed silent, enjoying Tommy and Wilbur's bickering. Everything in Techno's life was completely insane, and yet nothing changed at all.
He could get used to this.