APRICITY // technoblade x reader DISCONTINUED

15 - Chancellors and Conversation

That's right– you're here for a reason. You take a deep breath to settle your nerves and subtly step next to Techno for comfort. His hand ghosts against the small of your back, and you lean into the gentle pressure of his hand that you're growing used to now. Puffy's eyes flick between the two of you– she misses nothing, it seems.

"I'm sure you've heard by now, but there was an attack on the Camarvan Library. Just less than a fortnight ago, a Class Eight grimoire in the vault was corrupted into a Malefict, and I found it before it could get out." You run a hand through your hair. You can feel Techno's eyes on you, the slope of his shoulders angled toward you visible in your periphery. "I found- I found the Director of the library in the vault, dead by her own sword's blade."

Your hand strays to the hilt of the very sword, your fingers tracing the leather-wrapped hilt.

"I managed to stop the Malefict, but I passed out. I was, um, I was imprisoned on suspicion of involvement in the Director's death. The case was elevated to the Magisterium, and Techno picked me up." You glance up at him, finding his brilliant ruby eyes searching your face. Your breath hitches a tiny bit in your throat. "And.... I ended up here. But something is off. The Director... her sword was what killed her, not the Malefict. And there were no wardens guarding the library– not even a guard."

Wilbur produces a thin stack of papers, smoothing them out on the table in front of you. "So far, we've determined that some sort of bardic charm magic was used, in tandem with a sorcerer's spell."

Puffy stares down at the messy sketch of the vault's circle, brow furrowing.

"Rune stacking is always a dangerous game to play. one wrong line and the effects will be far more catastrophic than a mistake on one circle."

"Exactly, which is why Techno suggested asking you and Dream."

Dream leans against the table, arms folded. "There's definitely some illusion or mind control in there, but I won't know what specifically it can do until we can separate the bardic influences in the circle from the sorcerer ones.

"Well, there's no better time to start on that now," announces Puffy, hands on her hips. She commands an air of authority, despite being the smallest person in the room. It's quite interesting to watch her rattle off assignments to everyone and they all scurry off to obey her wishes, yourself included.

She's directed you towards books on the origins of runic magic and the logistics of combining them, a section on the second floor. Your mind races as fast as your feet up the stairs– so many people are so willing to help you, and it warms your heart more than you can even truly begin to express. Your smile doesn't fade even as you scour through bookshelves, ending up with a towering stack of books weighing you down. You don't know much about sorcery, so you really just end up pulling any book that even sounds related off of the shelves. A few are low-level grimoires, and their gentle simmer of magic makes your throat close up when you think of home. You miss Niki so desperately; the comfort of having your best friend would make your new and unfamiliar surroundings much easier to bear, but instead, you've got days of travel between you and a gap beside you where she should be.

You resolve to send her a letter tonight and shake your head to clear your thoughts. Now is time for research. You set your tower of books on one of the tables, settling in next to Techno for a long day of scouring pages. He's already got his nose buried in a book, and he glances up with a small smile as you sink into the chair beside him. You return his smile as you pull the top book from your stack and get to work.

Hours pass of the whole group scouring various grimoires and tomes for answers, the silence broken only by the turn of pages, brief conversations, and Sapnap and Alex producing a delicious charcuterie-style lunch for the eight of you.

The lunch break is a much-needed respite from reading, as words have started to blur together in your vision. As you all stuff yourselves with food, you learn through the easy-flowing conversation that Puffy is Dream and Karl's mother, and a powerful warlock to boot- she doesn't need a demon to do magic, only an arcane focus, she explains as she pats the rapier sheathed at her side. Karl is a warlock engaged to his demon Sapnap and Alex, a human bard with a demon ancestor somewhere in his heritage. Sapnap is from the Nether, a Blaze hybrid demon with fire magic that he demonstrates with a casual twirl of flame around his fingertips. George is also a Nether demon, though he's a Fae of the warped forest life of the realm. Karl is older than Dream, though only by a year.

By the time you dive back into your work, you feel much more at home with these people. The comfortable, familial air is tangible, and your smile is still wide when the conversation fades.

Hours more pass by in a haze of black ink against the creamy paper and your eyes are beginning to sting from staring at the pages for so long. You press the heels of your palms to your eyes and blink rapidly, trying to clear your vision. Beside you, Techno is lounging in his chair with the end of a fountain pen between his teeth as he looks over a diagram.

Wilbur and Dream are locked in an intense but quiet conversation over a spread of papers and books and occasionally glance to Puffy for input. Karl is face-down on a table, with Sapnap patting his back sympathetically as Alex pores over a drawing.

You drag a hand down your face. There's not even sunlight pouring in through the skylight anymore, just the hazy colors of dusk. You stretch, a tiny noise escaping your throat, and Techno glances over at you.

"It's getting dark, we should probably head back soon," you say.

"Yeah, It's been a long day. Let's check to see what everyone's gotten so far."

The two of you make your way to the table where Puffy, Dream, and Wilbur stand. Karl, Alex, and Sapnap join you, and together you compile all of the research you'd done today, adding it to the research you'd done the day before with Phil and Kristin. It's... a lot, to say the least. Your mind is still racing with new knowledge and information as you wave goodbye to the residents of the Haveneaux Estate.

The sky is completely dark by now, and the stars glisten like sparkling crumbs spread across the dark blanket of the night sky. Wilbur whistles as you walk, a lilting melody with a bittersweet feel. You tip your head back to stare up at the stars and glance over to see Techno doing the same. Pale moonlight gilds his snout and sharp jawline, and galaxies reflect in his eyes.

Wilbur's whistling cuts off with a sharp, ragged cry of pain, and you whip around to see an arrow embedded in his upper arm. Wilbur crumples to the ground as Techno catches him, clutching at his shoulder with a pained groan.

You draw your sword with a sharp hiss, moonlight flashing off of the metal, as you spin and search for the archer who'd shot the arrow. Your eyes skim the horizon until you spot the culprit– a skeleton, shimmering bow in hand. Standing at the front of a troupe of mobs.

Your blood runs cold, and you tighten your grip on your rapier.