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Techno wakes up from his hibernation early. He knows this because he can hear the howling winds outside, snow and ice rattling the windows, an obvious sign of winter. But that’s not what woke him up, he could sleep through any kind of weather during his hibernation unless he was in danger. It’s his instincts and his voices who woke him up, as they are screaming wrong wrong wrong.
He is not alone in his room.
Rolling over to the side, Techno sits himself up, pink hair falling in waves around his face and shoulders. He tenses himself, one hand shifting underneath his pillow where a knife hides, just in case something like this happened. He scans the room before his eyes fall on a dark mass sitting at the end of his bed.
There is a creature in his room. Techno blinks at the figure sitting on top of his blankets, right on the foot of his bed. It is still, and does not move.
Blue eyes stare at him through the darkness of his room, flashing even with the absence of light. Feathered wings shift and delicate antlers tilt as the creature inches its head to the side. Clawed hands grip at the sheets and blankets beneath it, but do not tear at them. They gently run over the fabric, like it’s never felt something so soft before.
The creature wears the face of a child. Techno wonders if it is one.
After a few moments of staring, Techno pulls away his hand from underneath his pillow. He allows himself to relax again, falling back into the pillows surrounding him and blowing hair out of his face with a little puff that escapes his lips.
The creature does not seem like much of a threat. The voices seem to agree after another minute, staying wary, but dismissing the creature as something that could bring them harm. When it sits so still and quietly—not even daring to let its claws tear at his blankets and sheets—it’s hard to see it as something that is threatening.
“Did you break into my house to get away from the cold?” Techno asks, drawing his blankets closer to himself. His room is warm—far better insulated than the rest of the house—and his blankets, pillows, and furs surround him much like a bird-nest would. But even still a chill runs through his body, a reminder that he should be pulling his blankets over his head and sleeping the rest of the winter away. Nether hybrids like himself can’t withstand the cold of winter like others can.
The creature says nothing. It only pulls one of the blankets at the end of Techno’s bed closer to itself. Its clawed hands knead into the soft fabric, much like a cat would.
Techno’s eyes grow heavier as his body settles. The creature is no threat to him, and while it does unnerve him to have an unknown creature in his den while he’s hibernating, he’s not going to kick it out into the cold storm. There is a blizzard out there, throwing it out would mean sentencing it to death. He is not so cruel as to sentence a harmless creature to death.
The creature curls up at the edge of his bed, making itself seem as small as possible. Wings are tucked around its body, and a ringed tail that Techno didn’t notice the creature had before curls close. It carefully rests its head in its arms, mindful of the antlers growing from its skull. The blanket that it had been clawing at lies underneath it, but that’s not enough warmth for the creature, seeing how it shivers every now and then. It’s far too cold for anything to survive with just some feathers, fur, and a blanket, no matter how insulated Techno’s room is.
“Well if you’re gonna stay at least take another blanket,” Techno grumbles, reaching over to grab a soft blanket that had fallen to the floor during his sleep. “And a pillow to be mindful of your antlers.”
He places the blanket and a pillow in front of the creature before falling back into his own pillows, slipping back under his blankets. He sleepily watches as the creature's clawed hands wrap around the pillow and blanket and pull them closer to itself. Techno doesn’t get to observe the creature any longer before his eyes close and he returns to his hibernation.
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When Techno wakes again, he sits up to find the creature watching him sleep. He doesn’t remember it leaving, nor does he remember it returning. But his instincts decided it was time to wake once more, and the face of the creature greets him again.
It still wears the face of a child, but it’s more startling to see its face when sunlight is peaking through the cracks of the curtains. The light illuminates its hair, which is a beautiful golden color. Techno’s eyes linger on it for too long, piglin instincts pleased by the golden addition to the room before he looks away. Freckles adorn the creature's young face, creating a constellation-like pattern that only the gods can understand. Baby fat clings to its cheeks and it is small, smaller than he first realized. Maybe that’s because today the creature does not have wings.
The ringed tail is still there, and it looks like a raccoon’s tail. Similarly patterned ears flick on its head, catching every sound in the room. The antlers still remain, standing out of his golden hair. It’s wearing thin and torn clothes that look too small for it, but it does have one of Techno’s blankets wrapped around its body. The same blanket he faintly remembers giving to it to keep itself warm.
Usually, Techno would have been upset that it kept the blanket, something that was his from his den. But instead he feels pleased. The creature would have gotten cold without it.
Compared to the last time he awoke to find the creature in his room, it looks hungry opposed to tired. It’s too thin for a human, hybrid, or animal. It shakes with hunger and Techno is almost certain that he can hear its stomach growl.
He yawns and leans back into his pillows. The creature tracks him with its brilliant blue eyes, never blinking. Techno tries not to think about how unnerving that is.
“Are you hungry?” Techno asks. The creature does not answer. “I don’t have a lot of food, but there’s some dried fruit and meat in the kitchen cabinets you can help yourself to.”
The creature flicks its ears back to the bedroom door, before flicking them back to Techno. It tilts its head and shifts a little from its position at the edge of Techno’s bed.
“There’s also some golden apples in an enchanted box that keeps them fresh,” Techno adds. “There should be some other fruit and baked goods in there if you want. Just leave some for me.”
Clawed hands clench and unclench from the blankets it is sat atop.
“Go find yourself something to eat, and bring back a golden apple for me.”
The creature launches itself from Techno’s bed, landing silently on all fours before it springs up on its two feet to run out of Techno’s open bedroom door. Down the hall he can hear the clicking of the kitchen cabinets opening and closing as the creature hunts for something to eat. Techno finds that he does not care. The voices murmur their amusement.
When it returns, there is a golden apple in its mouth. Juice dribbles down the creature's chin and it wipes it away with the back of its hand. In the opposite hand it holds another golden apple. It gently places the apple on the pillow beside Techno’s head before backing away, resuming its position at the end of Techno’s bed.
Techno picks up the fruit. It is unmarked and clean, looking as fresh as the day he stowed it away in the enchanted box for the chance he awoke hungry enough to force himself out of bed. That’s good, that means the enchantments are working perfectly.
The creature watches him from its position at the end of Techno’s bed. Its blanket is wrapped around itself and it carefully takes bites from the golden apple it cradles in its hands. It licks at the juice in the corner of its mouth, but its eyes never look away from Techno.
“I’m glad you’re eating,” Techno says. “You’re too thin. Golden apples are good, they preserve nutrients far better than any other food. You won’t feel hungry for a while and won’t need to eat either, but considering how small you are you’re going to need more than a single golden apple to overcome malnutrition.”
The creature does not blink. Techno wonders if there’s even a thought behind those blue eyes.
He takes a bite out of the apple in his hands. It’s sweet, and the magic of the fruit leaves a tingling sensation on his tongue. He is quick to finish the treat and wipes his hands on the towel he left at his bedside for this occasion. He would have offered it to the creature if it had not already finished its fruit and wiped its hands on its dirtied tunic. He’ll have to get it some better clothes.
But that’s something he’ll have to do another time. His instincts are insisting that he returns to his slumber. Now that the creature knows where to find food, the voices are quieter as well, pleased that the creature has been fed. Between the warmth of Techno’s room and the food in his kitchen, it will be able to keep itself alive for the rest of winter without much supervision.
With one last look at the creature, Techno tucks himself back into his blankets and sleeps.
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Something is sniffling. Something is crying.
The voices in his head whimper and whisper in concern. His instincts urge him to open his eyes. Something is wrong .
Techno wakes up.
He finds himself staring into the eyes of the creature, the one who usually observes silently at the end of his bed, not daring to get any more than a couple of feet close. Now it is standing right at the side of his bed, hiccupping as it chokes on tears. The beautiful blue of its eyes are stained with grey as tears build up. Some spill down its cheeks, following the stain of tear tracks. There is a cut on its cheek and a bruise on its face. It looks so young as it cries, and looks so small as it stands at the edge of Techno’s bed, barely reaching his eye level even when he lays on his side.
“You’re hurt,” Techno says, shifting underneath his blankets. He extends his hand out to caress the creature's cheek. For the first time, the creature allows him to get close and touch it. It leans into the touch, letting out a whimper when Techno’s thumb brushes over the bruise on his face.
The antlers that Techno had grown accustomed to seeing are gone. Instead the only visible animal features that Techno can see are the dirty white wings on the creature's back and the little feathers poking out from behind its ears.
“Did something hurt you?” Techno asks. The creature stares into his eyes, its own shimmering with tears as it near unnoticeably shakes its head. Techno’s stomach drops. “Did someone hurt you?”
The creature closes its eyes and whimpers again. Techno feels rage bubble up as his instincts scream to protect and the voices chant for blood .
Techno knows what it’s like to be hurt. He knows what it’s like to be called names, to be hunted for simply existing. He knows what it’s like to have nowhere to go and nowhere to call safe. He’s been beaten and bruised and kicked and shunned. He has run and begged the gods for protection when no one came. He’s been called a monster more times than he can count, both for the features he wears and the blood he has split. He doesn’t wish the same for this creature—this child.
Because that’s what they are. A child. A young child with a boyish face and tiny limbs and young eyes. Their animal features make them an outcast, something different from the rest. But they do not make them a monster. They are not a monster. They are simply a child trying to stay alive.
“The village is not kind to you, is it?” Techno says, running his hand through the child's hair. “They did not take too kindly to me either. I am different, and sometimes, people do not like what they do not understand.”
Techno had no intentions of staying in this house throughout his hibernation. The village had grown cold to him over the years as the wells began to dry and the crops began to die. It was no fault of his, it was the earth’s reaction to the humans that have lived and stole from the land for years. Techno recognized that the time for him to move on was coming, but winter came sooner than usual, and he could not ignore the instinct to hibernate.
He’s glad he didn’t leave. If he did, then he would have never met this child. He would have never become their beacon of safety in this harsh environment. He would have never become their hope.
“Have they called you a monster?” Techno asks softly. “Have they tried to hunt you? To throw rocks at you? This bruise looks like it could be from one.”
The child does not answer. They only lean into Techno’s gentle touches, taking a step forward to come closer to the bed.
“Your antlers are gone,” Techno says, scratching at the base of the child’s skull where the antlers used to be. “They were so beautiful.”
A tear slips down the child’s cheek and they hiccup. Techno can no longer stand to stare into the child’s face and watch tears spill out of eyes that are supposed to be blue. He pulls his hand away from the child’s hair—heart breaking when they whimper and reach out for him—to pull back his blankets.
“C’mere runt,” he says, reaching his arm back out to embrace the child. “Dry your tears and sleep. They can’t hurt you here.”
The child quickly climbs up into the bed and crawls underneath Techno’s arm. They snuggle close to his chest, sniffling and hiccupping as they bury their face in the fabric of his sleep-shirt. Techno pulls the blanket back over them before cradling the child closer, running a hand up and down their back as they shake with muffled sobs. He can feel the child’s wings melt away from their back, and just as quickly as they disappear a fluffy tail replaces them. It curls against his leg and fluffy ears tickle his chin. He curls his own tail around the child’s, a reminder that he’s here. That they are safe.
Techno isn’t able to fall asleep until he hears the child’s breaths even out as they fall asleep. As much as his instincts want him to return to his hibernation, the instinct to make sure the child is protected is stronger. He barely allows himself to blink as the child takes their time to fall asleep.
But there is nowhere safer than Techno’s arms. They are safe in his nest of blankets, safe in his den. His home is a good hour walk away from the village, even longer in the snow. No one will come for the child here.
They are safe.
Techno curls his chin into the child’s hair and pulls them closer, his tail twisting tighter around the child’s own. They unconsciously curl their fist into his shirt and snuggle closer. Techno reminds himself that they are safe, and that he wouldn’t allow anything to happen to the child in his arms, before he lets out a deep breath he didn't realize he was holding in. Only then does he allow himself to sleep.
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The next time Techno wakes it’s not from his instincts or his voices. It’s because a loud rattling noise and a screech can be heard down the hall in the kitchen before they are abruptly cut off. It seems that despite the emptiness of his room, he is not alone in his house.
Techno smiles and gets out of bed.
It’s not time for him to wake yet, not fully. But he needs a glass of water, something to eat, a bath, and time to brush his hair. He does this a couple of times during his hibernation, taking maybe an hour or more to do these tasks before returning to his nest in his den.
First he checks on the child. He does not know how much time has passed between the time he let the child snuggle up in bed with him and since he woke up today. For all he knows days or weeks could have passed. He’s understandably worried for the child, considering the last he saw them they were in tears, so he wants to make sure they are doing well. For his own peace of mind.
He finds the child in the kitchen, where the loud noises that woke him up came from. They are sitting on the floor, pots and pans scattered around them, inspecting each new thing they pull out of the cabinets. They have obviously been taking their time to explore Techno’s home while he sleeps. Especially considering that there are books, utensils, trinkets, and souvenirs on the floor too. None of the items are from Techno’s hoard—which is kept safely away in his den—but his things are scattered around nonetheless.
Upon his entrance to the room the child glances up from where they sit on the floor. Their hair is a stark snow-white with blond at the ends—like white has faded into gold—and pointed, white fox-like ears twitch atop their head. A white fox tail swooshes across the floor and little whiskers grow from the child’s face around their freckles.
They look like an arctic fox. They also wear the same expression that any child would have worn when they realize they’ve been caught doing something they shouldn’t. Not that Techno really cares, although he would rather his house be clean than messy. But it’s still amusing to watch the child freeze in the middle of their exploration.
“I’m not cleaning this up,” Techno says. “I’m going to take a bath and go back to bed.”
The child blinks, and slowly nods in understanding. They get up onto their feet and wander away into the living room, abandoning their mess in the kitchen. The voices laugh when they realize that it’s more likely than not that Techno will be cleaning this mess up. But not today. That’s a chore for future Technoblade after his hibernation is over. He leaves the mess as well.
By the time Techno has bathed, dressed himself, brushed his hair, and eaten something the child has found their way back into his room. They sit atop the bed, inspecting the different blankets and furs that are thrown atop the mattress. Their tail swings happily back and forth and they smile at him when Techno enters the room.
Techno frowns.
The child is still dressed in the same dirtied shirt and leggings they wore upon first meeting Techno. It’s probably their only pair of clothes. And despite their hair being almost pure white, it’s still dirtied and matted, in desperate need of cleaning. The child needs a bath.
Techno is tired. He wants to sleep. But he has a kid to take care of too.
“Let’s get you clean, ‘aye runt?” he says, reaching out for the child. They all but jump into his extended arms and let out a purr when they lean into his chest. Techno rumbles in response and carries them away to the bathroom.
Undressing the child is simple. Getting them into the bath is harder. Actually bathing them is near impossible. Techno manages.
After a few tears, a lot of spilt bathwater, and a search for clothes that could fit the child, they’re finally done. Dressed in a too-big shirt that he’s pretty sure was once his old friend’s and some socks that rise past their knees, Techno spends some time brushing and drying the child’s hair. It’s awfully matted, but Techno doesn’t have any more energy to spare to cut it. Running a brush through what’s salvageable and drying the rest with a towel will have to do.
He allows the child to crawl up on the sink to look at themselves in the mirror. They run their hands over their face and touch the mirror, fascinated with the reflection. Some of their features even shift as they stare at themselves, fox features changing to raccoon before turning back, feathers sprouting from behind their ears before hiding away, and hair changing from mostly white, to golden-blond, and back to white again. The child does it all with a shocked expression on their face, turning to look at Techno with awe. Techno smiles sleepily.
“That’s you runt,” he says, running a hand over the kid’s hair and scratching at their ears. “Clean just like a boy should be before bed.”
The child flicks his ears when Techno calls him a boy. Techno suspected him to be a boy but never said anything aloud. Before, he was always just a child in Techno’s mind, but the more time they spend together the more Techno realizes that this boy has a life and personality of his own. The boy is a living being, not a monster, not a creature, and not just a child, but a boy. A living, breathing, strange little boy.
A boy with no name.
“My name is Techno,” Techno says. “I’m not sure if I ever mentioned that.”
He runs his hand through the boy’s hair one last time, getting a yip out of the boy who leans into his palm. He smiles up at Techno with those brilliant blue eyes of his. Techno can’t help but smile.
“You need a name,” Techno says, picking the child up to carry him to bed. “But that sounds like a task for another day.”
The boy makes a noise of agreement as he snuggles into Techno’s arms. Techno places him gently into bed before lying beside him, pulling all the blankets and covers over them. He’s exhausted, this is probably the longest he’s stayed awake during his hibernation so far.
Still, he doesn’t allow himself to sleep until the boy is asleep first.
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The boy’s name is Tommy.
Techno considered picking something more remarkable or something more interesting to name the boy. He likes his Greek myths and there are an abundance of stories that he could choose a name from. The strange non-verbal boy with shapeshifting abilities had a lot of names that could be contenders.
But in the end the boy picks out his own name. It’s from a book that he shook Techno awake to show him. Techno suspects that the boy originally just wanted to ask about or show him the pictures in the book, but instead they end up reading it together. He had never seen the boy appear so fascinated than when he read the story aloud, but then again, they haven’t spent that much time together considering that Techno is mid-hibernation.
As they read, Techno had offhandedly mentioned how Tommy was a nice name. The boy had looked at him with sparkles in his blue eyes, and Techno knew that this was the boy’s name.
It was fitting for Tommy to name himself. It’s what Techno had done as well, many years ago.
Techno learns to sleep through Tommy’s loud noises. He doesn’t mind having the boy running around his house, but his body just wants to finish hibernating so he’ll be ready for spring. He knows that Tommy isn’t loud on purpose, he’s just a curious kid, so sometimes that means that books are going to be dropped on the floor and pots and pans are going to be used as drums. After waking for the first couple times this happened, Techno slept through the rest. His instincts and voices would alert him if the boy was in any real trouble. The voices adore him as much as Techno does.
He’s such a sweet kid too. Every time he wakes, no matter how brief it is, Tommy is nearby. Sometimes he perches on the end of his bed like he did the first time they met. Sometimes he’s snuggled up against him, breathing softly as he sleeps. When he’s not in the room there are pieces of him left behind, like the golden apples that sit on his bedside table and the socks and spare shirts that are scattered across the floor.
Still, there are the times where Techno wakes up to find Tommy with glassy eyes and shaky breaths. There are nights where he whimpers in his sleep, curling up so small, afraid of the visions he sees in his mind. Sometimes when he comes home—because Techno knows he leaves the house from time to time—there are bruises on his skin and tears spilling down his cheeks.
Every time this happens Techno invites him into his arms, promising to keep the boy safe. His boy safe.
But most of the time, Techno sleeps. Spring is just around the corner, but he’s not quite ready to wake.
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The sun is shining through open curtains. They sway gently in a chill breeze that comes through the cracked window, but the air is still warm. Birdsong can faintly be heard from outside, and it smells like snowmelt and grass.
Blankets have been kicked to the end of his bed, furs and pillows spilling onto the floor, obviously tossed to the ground during his sleep. He must have overheated at some point, or at least decided that the number of blankets on his bed were no longer necessary in the last days of his hibernation. There are spare clothes beside the bed, puddled neatly in a pile. His shelves of golden items—his hoard—shine as the sun hits them, not a single object out of place.
It’s very peaceful, listening to the birdsong and feeling the air flow through the windows. He could stay in bed all day without protest. But, for once, Techno wants nothing more than to get out of bed.
Spring has sprung, and Techno is wide awake.
The first thing he does is search for Tommy, both out of his own curiosity and the voices’ insistence. It doesn’t take Techno long to figure out that Tommy isn’t here, as he is nowhere to be seen. Other than the abandoned clothes on the floor there is no sign of the boy in Techno’s room. He’s not in the house either, but there are remnants of him everywhere. There is abandoned food on the counter, that one mess he made probably a month or two ago, and scattered items around the house. Even with these signs, it’s clear to see that the boy is gone.
Techno tries not to think too hard about this, considering how the boy does leave the house whenever he pleases. Nothing Techno said could have stopped him, and since the boy had no need to hibernate, he would never have dared to trap the boy here either. The voices whisper concerns but there is nothing that can be done. Techno doesn’t know where Tommy ventures, but he trusts the boy enough to keep himself out of trouble.
So Techno cleans himself up, taking a bath, dressing in fresh clothes, and braiding his hair. Then he begins to clean the house, picking up clothes that need to be washed, putting food away and tossing out what can’t be saved, and picking up the items that Tommy left on the floor. These are simple tasks that get Techno’s body used to moving again after the months he spent in bed, preserving energy throughout the winter. He always forgets how nice it is to feel awake and energized after hibernation, feeling more alive than ever before. It’s a good feeling.
Still, at the back of his mind, he can’t help but think about Tommy. There is still snow on the lawn and in the tops of the trees. Most of the food is gone, he hopes that the boy didn’t go hungry. And there are only so many clothes lying around the house that just barely function for the boy. Techno hopes he’s alright, wherever he is. He tries to occupy himself with chores so he doesn’t think about it for too long.
Tommy doesn’t return until late that afternoon. The sun is high in the sky, making what snow remains glitter in the light. The chill breeze that comes through every now and then shakes the trees and their newly sprouting leaves. The grass rustles and there are already some hardy wildflowers that are sprouting out of the cold ground. In the yard, laundry sways in the breeze from where it hangs on the clothesline to dry. Birds sing from atop the trees and a few crows fly in and out of the forest, giving him a curious eye before flying away. It’s calm.
Techno is sitting on his porch, watching the laundry flutter in the wind and enjoying his time resting in the sun, when a fawn comes prancing out of the forest on stumbling legs. Its fur is a beautiful golden color that’s spotted with white freckles. Little baby antlers poke out of its head and for a second Techno swears it can see a flash of blue eyes. It stumbles for a moment when it lays eyes on Techno, before breaking into a run.
Four legs become two, and animal features melt away into human ones. Antlers grow and deer-like ears sprout the sides of golden hair. A smile spreads across a familiar face as Tommy comes running into Techno’s arms, quickly climbing up into Techno’s lap. He buries his face into Techno’s chest, letting out a series of happy noises as his arms wrap around Techno’s torso. Techno wraps his arms around Tommy in return, holding the boy close.
“Hi there runt,” he says softly, pressing his forehead against the boy’s, being mindful of his antlers. “I’m awake.”
Tommy pulls back and sits in Techno’s lap, still smiling. He runs his hands over Techno’s face, like he can’t believe that he’s sitting outside with him enjoying the fresh air. Techno supposes that would make sense, considering how he’s hardly been out of his room for months. Tommy’s probably been staying with him since the beginning of his hibernation, this change in routine must be a happy surprise for him.
That’s why it surprises Techno when Tommy begins to cry. Even though his eyes don’t swirl with grey like they did when he was hurt or afraid, tears begin to spill down his cheeks. He hiccups and chokes on a sob and doesn’t stop clinging to Techno. Shocked, Techno doesn’t know what to do other than run his hands up and down the boy’s back to soothe him.
“Hey, hey, I’m okay, I’m right here Tommy,” Techno tries to reassure the boy. “I’m not going anywhere, I’m here, don’t cry.”
He chuffs and Tommy chokes on another sob. He watches as Tommy’s deer features melt away, replaced by something new. His ears grow out to a finer point, tiny tusk-like teeth poke out from his lips, and a tail whips out from behind him. It takes a moment for Techno to recognize the features, but when the tips of Tommy’s hair take a pinkish tint and he chuffs at Techno, he knows.
Tommy has adopted his piglin features.
“Look at you,” Techno says, eyes glistening. “You’re amazing, you look like me.”
Tommy hiccups but manages to purr when Techno holds his face in his hands. He bonks his forehead against the boy again, letting out a happy chuff. He can’t help this proud feeling that bubbles in this chest, and he can’t stop smiling as he looks at Tommy.
“You’re amazing,” Techno says. “Please don’t cry.”
Tommy pulls Techno’s hands away from his face, sniffling, and begins to trace patterns into them. He looks nervous, and wipes away his tears before he leans into Techno’s chest, still holding his hands. He manages to smile as he looks up into Techno’s eyes.
Then he opens his mouth, and takes a deep breath.
“Happy,” he says, so softly that Techno almost doesn’t catch it. His voice takes Techno’s breath away. “Good. Happy.”
Techno buries his head in the boy’s golden hair, pulling him close to his chest to hold him tight. If he lets out a tear or two of his own, well then, no one needs to know.
“I’m so proud of you Tommy. I’m happy for you too.”