APRICITY // technoblade x reader DISCONTINUED

9 - Family and Folly

Technoblade ushers you and Tommy inside, and Ranboo seems to appear behind the two of you, jogging up to the front door as you all step inside. It's odd, but you push it to the back of your mind, paying attention to Techno instead as he introduces you to Tubbo and catches up with Tommy.

"...is Phil here?" is all you catch of Techno's sentence as you finish greeting Tubbo, making note of his geat ears and small horns, and slide back into your spot at Techno's side. He's the only even vaguely familiar thing in this foreign house, and you'd really rather not get lost.

Tommy nods in response to Techno's question. "Yeah, he's upstairs. I can let him know you're home, I think he's in the library."

You perk up at the mention of a library, watching Techno's response attentively. He glances at you, a silent question, and you nod excitedly.

"Alright, we'll head up to the library and tell Phil that we got here safely. Ranboo, can you set up a room for Y/n? You can put her in the guest room on my wing of the house."

Ranboo nods. "Sure. I'll pop in on Phil on my way and let him know you're coming." He disappears in a faint shimmer of violet particles, tail swishing as he blinks away.

You blink, surprised. "Didn't know he could teleport."

Techno waves a hand in the direction that Ranboo disappeared in. "Yeah, he didn't know until pretty recently either. I think he's still pretty excited about it."

That's... pretty endearing, and not at all surprising, honestly.

"Well. Introduce me to Phil now?"

"Yes, yes. Tommy, are you coming?" Techno asks, turning to Tommy and Tubbo.

"Nah, Tubbo and I have something we want to practice," says Tommy. "Tell Phil he's old for me, alright?"

Techno rolls his eyes. "As if I wouldn't already. Alright, Y/n, let's go."

You follow in Techno's footsteps as he leads you through the main foyer and up a wide flight of stairs that flow into a long hallway. The red carpet is soft beneath your boots as you make your way down the hall, quickening your steps to keep up with Techno's longer strides. At the end of the hallway is a wooden door, cracked open slightly. Warm light spills through the crack as Techno pushes it open, revealing a grand library with soaring, arched ceilings and towering shelves. Ladders of varying lengths attach to rollers on the curved, sweeping walls of books, granting access to higher shelves. In the center of the room, there are three tables, lit by a hanging chandelier of lanterns. The shelves tuck into corners and nooks, creating the feeling of the center of a maze. The labyrinthine sprawl is far greater than you'd expected from a personal library, even one in as big of a mansion as this.

Your jaw drops as you spin, aimlessly wandering to the center of the room, then drifting between the shelves. There are grimoires here, stacked side-by-side with normal, leather-bound books, and the creamy, custard-like scent of parchment feels like a breath of home.

When you glance back at Techno, intending to compliment the library, the sentence catches in your throat. He's watching you, a small smile on his face, expression soft behind his mask. Your awed smile widens, and you can't seem to break his gaze.

You're so entranced by the library- by him if you're completely honest- that you almost forget why you're here.

"Techno!" Calls a lightly accented voice from the other direction, and you spin around and the sound. Unconsciously, you shift closer to him, wary of a new person.

From around the corner of one of the shelves emerges a blond man, smaller than Techno and Tommy but with clear, lithe musculature. His smile is bright and his arms are open as he strides towards the two of you. A pair of huge, dark, feathered wings sprouts from between his shoulder blades, fluttering out as he approaches.