Chapter Text
Techno’s never had a place to call home. Not in this lifetime, at least. He remembers having a place that he would return to at the end of everyday, warm and inviting and filled with a light that seemed to make his chest swell.
Now, that space in his chest felt like an empty cavern, rotting, dark as the tips of his fingertips, which were black in a way that looked as if he had dipped them in a pot of ink, dripping down his fingers. It was the reason he wore gloves, and it was the reason that he was never going to be considered normal, and he was never going to have a place to call home again.
He thought after losing his soul that he would be more powerful. That was true, at least, but what he didn’t take into account was the fact that he was still killable, his blood the same deep ruby red as the pupils of his eyes, another thing he had to hide. Another thing that showed that he was a monster; a demon, to be precise.
He wasn’t this unstoppable force that many foolishly believed demons were. He could still feel emotions, that very fact evident by the way that grief seemed to follow him throughout the years, making up for the shadow he had lost along with his humanity. He could still be killed as well, which was the reason he was on the move again, his red cloak wrapped tightly around his shoulders to protect him from the icy winds that beat against him, grateful for the fact that his high body temperature protected him at least somewhat from the harsh climate of the city he was moving towards.
When he heard wind of the group of demon hunters that have been tracking him for several years now close behind, he decided to pack up his life from where he had been living in a rural boring down and head towards the next destination he had in mind; an icy place called The Antarctic Empire, supposedly a welcoming place. He didn’t care much for the run of the mill brochure type of appeal that was made to him when he asked about the place, it was more the simplistic lifestyle that seemed to take place there. That, and what demon didn’t love awful climate?
It didn’t take him long to pack everything he wanted to bring with him when he finally decided it was time to move. He had less than a rucksack full of personal belongings, even after the almost century that he had been alive.
He had no regrets leaving the town he had been living in for about five years. He works in the shadows, both literally and figuratively. He was sure that no one in that town would even notice he was gone, besides perhaps the Dream Team; the demon hunters seeking after him.
The way to the Antarctic Empire wasn’t an easy trek, rough terrain making the distance between the two places seem uncrossable to the normal human. It made Techno’s life all the easier though. Walking alone through wisps of cold wind and the occasional dusting of snow, he didn’t have to hide the fangs that were constantly hidden behind his lips. He didn’t have to pour spare energy into his glamor, rounding his pointed ears and disguising his dark red eyes. Hell, he didn’t even have a need for the gloves he constantly wore, something to hide the dark tips of his fingers. He wore the gloves anyways, though.
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He walked much throughout the night, his vision quickly adjusting as the sun set over the horizon, the temperature only dropping, the wind whistling in his ears as he trudged on, summoning some heat to his hands to keep him warm, his cloak now letting off heat thanks to his powers, exhaustion never making itself known to him. He can’t remember the last time he slept, but it wasn’t really a necessity for him.
It was well into the early morning when he reached the welcoming sign, showing that he made it to the Antarctic Empire. The cold wind had let up some time ago, and now he was able to appreciate his surroundings without his vision partially blocked by his hair or the hood of his cloak.
Tall dark trees surrounded the outskirts of the empire, the tips brushed with white from the snow, a welcoming look that fit perfect with the upcoming winter.
His breaths came out as puffs of air visible in the cool weather, morning dew covering the grass, creating a glistening effect as he walked, careful not to slip on the wet Earth.
Despite being the early hours of the morning, the Empire seemed to already be waking up, people leaving their homes to start a day of work, shop vendors setting up for the day, children running around the sidewalks, echos of laughter and conversations filling the air as he walked further into town, the once grassy ground turning to a cobble path as he walked.
The buildings were made mostly from stone, chimneys at the top letting out smoke, showing just how many people were awake at this hour. Despite the size that he knew the Empire to be, this part of the city seemed to be a close knit welcoming place, neighbors welcoming one another as they left their house. On one hand, it made Techno nervous. Close knit communities made it harder for him to blend in, a new addition made easier to stand out. On the other hand, he hasn’t been in a welcoming place in a while, he wouldn’t mind making the most of his stay before he had to high tail and leave again.
No one paid him any attention as he walked, heading more towards the center of the Empire. He’s heard that near where the palace is- in which resides a king and his two sons, a family well cherished by the people of the Antarctic Empire- is the most hustling part, the entire sector alive with energy, something he craved to experience after probably around twenty years of lingering in small boring towns, taking up random farm jobs to give himself a sense of normalcy, despite having enough fortune built up over his years that he doesn’t ever need to work again.
Even if he did, he has other ways of getting money that don’t involve working, but he’s vowed not to use those methods.
He decided a while ago to stave off his more… intense powers. He can’t have a repeat of last time, the terror of the idea flooding through his veins and making it hard to think.
When the bustling of the city grew louder, he realized he had made his way closer to the center, this part much more alive than the other parts that even he had been taken by surprise by. Here, it seemed that everyone was awake and ready for the day, bundled in fur coats and heavy layers, their noses pink and breaths forming in front of them as they chatted with one another.
It was surprising, in a way. He had heard that the energy of the Empire was what drew people in, the welcoming spirit to the town, and the smiles that seemed to be constantly adorning the people’s faces. It was weird to see, it was weird to be greeted by someone passing by in the street with a nod and a smile, as opposed to a scowl and a pace that quickened in order to get past him, even if there were no visible signs that he was a demon showing at the time.
He stopped in his path when he noticed a sign for a bookstore just ahead of him, and decided to go in. The old town he had lived in didn’t have a bookstore, and it was another thing that had bugged him during his years there. He had a good five years or so when he had worked at a bookstore, and it was quite fun.
A little jingle greeted him when he entered the bookstore, the smell of old books wafting through the air, while a kind voice welcomed him into the shop, him offering a smile in return as he glanced around. The shop was well lit, bigger than it had seemed from the outside, with shelves upon shelves filled to the brim with books lining the walls and creating aisles in the center, with the book genre listed above each shelf on a wooden sign.
It wasn’t completely empty inside; there was an old couple sitting down in one of the dark brown chairs near the corner reading a book, and there was the sound of voices from within one of the aisles, though he couldn’t see the source of the noise just yet.
He wandered around for a little, simply looking at the selections that the shop held. When you’re alive for hundreds of years, and are a huge book nerd, it’s hard to find books that you haven’t read yet. He tends to read the newer releases now, but even then it was difficult to find a new series that would excite his interest. Heading over to the mythology section, he browsed some of the different stories: almost all of which he had read before, if not multiple times, but they were still something that held his interest.
He had the spine of a book held in his hand when someone came crashing into him, pushing him back into the shelf while the person who ran into him fell to the floor with an oof. On the floor sat what seemed to be a teenager, a head of curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes shining with annoyance as he picked himself off the floor, looking up with a scowl before shutting his mouth with a click when his eyes found Techno’s. Even without his demonic appearance, he knew he looked intimidating. Even with the pink hair, he had built muscles and had scars criss crossing his face from throughout his years, one in particular stretching from his jawbone to his upper cheek, a harsh gash that had been done with a demon knife, so the damage was worse than what any other weapon could have inflicted on him.
“You alright, kid?” he asked, forcing a smile to his face to try and seem more friendly. Contrary to popular belief, he didn’t love looking scary. It was only when he wanted to- only when it was the people who treated him poorly and sought him out to hurt him that he would be okay with inciting fear.
It was that comment, though, that seemed to snap the teen out of his stupor, a scowl growing on his face as he crossed his hands over his chest defensively, his eyes narrowing in a glare. “I’m not a kid you prick” he said, Techno opening his mouth to respond when another person came running into the aisle.
“I’m sorry sir he doesn’t know his manners. Tommy here was just going to apologize” an older kid with dark brown hair and seemingly golden eyes said, grabbing the teen’s wrist and beginning to drag him away.
Techno snorted with laughter, looking at the way that Tommy was definitely not going to apologize, if the complaining he was doing was any indication. “It’s all good” he said easily, forcing his magic out more to ensure that his ears were rounded and eyes were a normal color, even if by now he had perfected his glamor, it was something that always was in the back of his mind, an almost constant worry of being found out too soon.
“I’m Wilbur, and this is Tommy. I don’t think I’ve seen you here before, are you new?” Wilbur said, offering a hand out to Techno, which he shook with ease.
“Yeah, just got here today. I’m Techno by the way” he said, fighting off the awkwardness that he normally had. Sure, he’s been alive longer than any human out there, but he still hated social interaction. In some ways, parts of him were still that 23 year old that had stopped ageing, even if the maturity that came with time made it hard to recognize.
“That’s a weird name” Tommy chimed in, earning a glare from Wilbur (his brother?).
“At least mine is unique. I’m pretty sure I’ve met hundreds of Tommys” Techno teased, almost taken aback by the ease he was able to combat the remark with. To be honest, he hasn’t had a conversation that has lasted this long in a while, something that was pretty embarrassing, but made sense when you took into account the fact that he’s been hunted down for the better half of ten years. It’s made him grow wary, that and the fact that he was always a bit of a reclusive guy.
Wilbur let out a loud laugh, doubling over to clutch his stomach while Tommy’s mouth fluttered open and closed like a fish, a genuine smile stretching at Techno’s own face, especially as Tommy’s face grew red, and the blonde teen obviously was fighting to keep a smile off his own face.
Tommy shook his head in exasperated anger “You haven’t even been here that long and you’re already going around insulting people. I am offended Techno” Tommy said, putting on a deeper voice and puffing out his chest, something that made Wilbur only laugh harder.
“If I remember correctly, you made fun of my name first” he pointed out.
“If I remember correctly, you are a wrong’un” Tommy said, causing Techno’s eyebrow to raise in confusion. He wasn’t exactly sure what a “wrong’un” was, but based on the sparse interaction he’s had with Tommy, he can insure it was an insult.
“Alright Tommy. Stop pestering people, this is why you aren’t allowed out often” Wilbur said with a smirk, dragging Tommy back a couple of steps by his wrist.
Tommy scoffed, a mischievous look crossing over his face as he turned to face his brother. “And that’s why we sneak out” he said with a knowing look, Wilbur rolling his eyes, but not denying the claim.
His words, however, caused Techno to pause for a moment. “Are you not allowed to leave your house?” he asked, shocked by the concern in his tone for these two boys he hasn’t known for very long. Maybe it was the fact that so far he hasn’t been worried about explaining things that he truly had no way of explaining, or talking about boring topics to try and seem like he knew what he was doing, or that he belonged here. Maybe it was the fact that Wilbur didn’t seem too much younger than himself- in physical years at least.
Wilbur was quick to shake his head, understanding flashing across his face. “No, not like that. We just are busy a lot and aren’t usually allowed to leave until we finish lessons or something” he said, his voice genuine, Techno not being able to pick up any hints of a lie, something that gave him some relief.
“Yeah” Tommy chimed in. “It’s always do your homework Tommy, don’t use the prop swords as a real weapon, meh meh meh” he continued with a mocking tone, causing Techno to snort.
“To be fair, prop swords aren’t made to be used as actual weapons so they have a higher chance of breaking or dulling the blade far easier,” he said, laughing at the look on Tommy’s face.
“Of course you would know that” Tommy grumbled.
“Wait, Techno” Wilbur started randomly, gaining both his and Tommy’s attention. “If you just moved here that means that you don’t have a place to stay yet, right?” he continued, the confused look on Tommy’s face morphing into a mischievous knowing one that Techno didn’t like one bit.
“That would be correct” he answered, his brows furrowed in confusion.
Wilbur smiled “We know of an extra place that you can stay, if you want. You can probably even find a job if you plan on staying for long” he said, his words suspiciously vague.
“And where would that be?” he questioned.
Wilbur paused for a second before answering “The palace, I heard they’re always welcome to taking in guests, especially guests that are nice to the princes” he said with a knowing smile, while Techno tensed, staring wide eyed as his gaze flicked between Wilbur and Tommy.
“Heh?! You two are princes?” he asked, his voice shrill in disbelief as Wilbur and Tommy broke out into matching sets of giggles, telling him this is something they have just sprung on people before.