Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He sat there, the cold sea breeze against his face, so high up that he could barely see the wreckage that was once his camp- if you could call it that. Logstedschire was nothing more than a few still smoldering craters and some junk his so-called “friends” left behind in passing. A reminder of just how far he’d fallen. Just things to taunt him, in the end though, it didn’t matter.

Dream was gone. He had finally managed to piss off his only "friend" and was now alone with nothing but the raging sea that was his thoughts. He fucked up once more and nothing mattered to the dull-eyed blond at this point.

The fire had long since died out of his once bright blue eyes, leaving a dull grayish-color in its place, his clothes were in tatters and dirty, not that it matters. No one visited unless for pity reasons or guilt. He’s tired of the pity and guilt, he sees in their eyes, every time someone visited, it made him sick. He doesn’t need it, he doesn't want it, and he will be damned if he lets anyone coddle him over it. He’s just so tired and wants nothing more than to close his eyes and sleep away all the pain, scars, and trauma.

With a sigh, he looked at the sunset across the ocean, if anything, this was a good last view. He smiled sadly as he watched it. He thought about how, before everything, right now he would be dragging his best friend down the prime path to their special bench to listen to one of his disks and watch the sunset. The thought left a bitter-sweet taste in his mouth.

He closed his eyes, letting out a shaky breath but failing to contain the tears that followed as a few rolled down his cheeks. He looked down at the compass around his neck, a bandaged hand coming up to gently cradle the sentimental object. Dream told him that Tubbo had thrown it in the fire, that he destroyed it, and their memories along with it. He knew deep down it wasn’t true, but he had no proof to prove Dream was lying. So, he can only believe he's been told by the green bastard.

His grip tightening on the metal navigator as he tried to calm his breathing, just thinking of them sent him over. His chest felt tight as he let out a small whimper, fighting back a sob. He wasn't weak, but prime was he tired of being strong.

He gripped the compass to his chest as if it was the only thing he had left, unfortunately, it was, and he knew this. He had nothing; no home, friends, family, hell not even a pet. Dream made sure of that.

He reached up with his arm and wiped his tears away the best he could and breathed out, turning his attention back to the sunset once more as he stood up on his pillar. He thought about it all; His life back home with Tubbo, Big Q, Fundy, Ranboo. Hell, even his family with Phil and Techno and… Wilbur. “Huh, wonder if he’ll be happy to see me...” he said softly, just barely above a whisper, to no one but himself. He did miss the musician and Ghostbur just isn't the same.

Notch, his life was a fucking travesty, huh? He watched his own brother die at their father's hands and fought in so many wars. A hodgepodge of wars, bloodshed, death, lies, and deceit.

Regardless of how he acted, he knew Dream wasn’t his friend, he wasn’t that fucking delusional. The green bastard just wanted to control him and watch him, see how far he could push the blond before he snapped. But, Tommy was desperate, and he hates silence, it leads to moments like this where he's stuck in his own head; about to make a questionable choice, though it was never this drastic or anything. No, this choice was more of a recent thing if he's being honest. While he’s being honest with himself, he knows how this will end, he resolved himself to it ages ago.

He wonders if the afterlife is quiet, will it have flowers and grass to lay in like he used to as a little kid or will it be a dark and cold empty void where not even light can escape?. Will it have everything he wants and more, like an imaginary world fit for him, where he can watch endless sunsets and run around with Tubbo, sing with Wilbur, eat Niki’s fresh-baked pastries, or hell, even spar with Techno. Things that once brought him immense happiness and joy now weigh heavy as lead on his heart. Tears threatening to spill over once more as he shakes his head out of his thoughts.

He looks at the sunset, then looks down to the ground below. He steps forward clutching his compass close to his chest as he falls, a small, sad, closed-eyed smile on his face- and he wishes that so many things were different. He prays that they welcome him as much as he welcomes them.

He doesn’t feel a thing as everything comes to a sudden stop. He’s ok with that.

[ Tommyinnit hit the ground too hard ]

Chapter Text

They were watching over him, since the first time he was supposed to meet them. A young blond child lost in the woods, sickly but brash and had a mouth that caused more trouble than the boy needed. He was supposed to die that day, but their acolyte so happened to stumble upon the child and helped him. The winged immortal had been active as an acolyte, making the name of his kind known. An ”Angel of Death” was what he was. He was the only one.

Their acolyte tended to the child's wounds and nursed him back to health. They did indeed have an interesting follower. They watched as he clothed and fed the boy, who Death can come to take, and instead gave the boy a home and a will to live. A harbinger of death was cultivating life in a damned and forsaken individual, needless to say; They were interested.

From the shadows, they watched as the boy, Tommy apparently, grew and changed. How he was raised alongside a cursed child of the Blood God and a gifted boy with a voice as captivating as a siren. Their antics were entertaining to observe, a perfectly imperfect family.

In all their years, of the centuries they had watched pass, they have never seen a family like theirs. Eventually, they lost interest and stopped going to visit the odd family. Their job was to reap and help those who leave the mortal realm crossover, not watch over a mismatched family.

•°•*~~~~~*•°•

Many souls died that day, but the fact of the blond being among them re-sparked their interest in him.

They felt the arrival of 4 souls in their realm at once and quickly went over to see what could have caused such a sudden change. They had helped those who died in pandemics, wars, and other mass casualty situations but it had been quiet for so long and the world was doing fine. Why did this feel so different?

They got their answer as they stepped into the ‘Fields of Remembrance’, the first place souls go once they arrive in their realm, and looked around. They saw them, the 4 souls that they had felt, but they disappeared quickly after.

A quick trip to the mortal world answered their question, the 4 friends had been betrayed and killed. At least, that’s what they heard from their place in the shadows as the newly “respawned” mortals conversed about it. Human greed knows no bounds, it never has or ever will.

•°•*~~~~~*•°•

After that day, they decided to wait in the field, if anything to see if that child would come back to them. A few days later, he did and this time they watched him. The blond couldn’t see them as most souls could, they were fine with that. They watched the teen sit in the field, seeming to be able to interact with it, but only barely. He was angry, at not just the one who killed him but himself.

Death could feel the emotions of the souls they observed, they always could. It's how they understand a persons’ reasoning and thoughts so they could help them adjust to their afterlife. They couldn’t help but feel sorry for the boy, he was blaming himself for his second death, but they also noticed how calm he was. When people who are upset arrive, the new environment scares and confuses them, they lash out.

Tommy was simply sitting there as if taking his time. He was holding one of the many colorful flowers that decorated the field in his hand, observing it. A quick peer into his thoughts and emotions astonished the deity; he was angry because of his death, resentful of those who killed him not once but twice now, regretful of not keeping his pride in check and of not spending enough time with those close to him. But under all of that, all of the emotions they were so used to, was one they only saw on rare occasions, acceptance. This child had already come to the conclusion he would die and accepted that fact before stepping foot into this realm for a second time.

After a few minutes of observing, the blond child faded like before; returning to the mortal realm. Death walked over to where he was once sitting and picked up the long dropped flower, looking it over. A soul so young and accepting of them was not exactly an uncommon thing sadly, but this boy was different. He was brash and lively, they had seen it themselves. The child, their own “Angel of Death” healed and raised and taught, had been right here and was ready to stay.

•°•*~~~~~*•°•

It was a while after that, that Death greeted the boy's brother. He looked at them and gave the deity a small reserved smile. They looked at the man sadly, not that he could see it. They had seen what he had done and how he had fallen to his own insanity-fueled machinations. The child they once observed singing under the tree in the family garden with his guitar in hand was gone, all that was left was a lost, pained, and damaged man with nothing left to lose but himself...and it seemed he had lost that as well.

They pitied the man greatly, their acolyte more so. If anyone were to reap his soul, they would have preferred it be them then their acolyte, the father of the lost soul in front of them. They could feel, regardless of what others say; Death can feel. They hear the screaming of loved ones for those they lost and feel the agony and pain that followed. Even after all these centuries, it never got easier.

As they led the man to his afterlife, he was quiet but they could tell he was relaxed, possibly happy even. A man with nothing to lose had nothing to regret after all. They know he feels bad for his actions but it's nowhere near regret, if anything; he only feels bad he had to hurt those around him, but ultimately thinks he made the right choice, they don't agree.

•°•*~~~~~*•°•

It’s been a few months since they let Wilbur into the afterlife, leaving him to his own devices. A ghost form of him taking his place, a curious being but it does no harm so they leave it. They continue their work but make decent attempts to keep up with Tommy, his brother's death causing some worry over the lost childs mental health.

They observe him have many near-deaths but never one close enough to pull him completely over. They started to find it entertaining to see the boy they were once supposed to reap, almost effortlessly avoiding them in odd and, sometimes, luck-based ways.

However, they do grow upset over those who seem to see him as nothing more than a tool or obstacle. Not so upset to take the person in their sleep, but enough to take note and never forget.

They watch the boy be exiled from a land he fought for by the people he saw as family. As he is forced onto a little beach and tormented by some demi-god with a complex even they feel is a bit much. They watch helplessly as the once bright blue-eyed and golden-haired boy is reduced to a husk of himself.

It pains them, they had watched this damned and forgotten child who had outrun them for years, be turned into a plaything for a demi-god who thinks he holds more power than actually he does. And where is their acolyte during all this, as the child he saved suffers and falls from grace? Why he’s helping his cursed child in the arctic, only a little ways from his youngest who he only pays one visit to, and then immediately abandons. Death may be the end-all of those that pass through the mortal realm, but even they have the heart to care for a child who fought so hard only to be used or tormented for trying to do the best he could.

•°•*~~~~~*•°•

They should have expected this, in all honesty, they had, but not like this. They thought it would be longer, years even. The boy was strong, intelligent, friendly, kind, and yes abrasive and hard-headed but they think it added to his charm. As they sped through the field, their thoughts running a thousand miles a minute, they contemplated what to do. It wasn’t his time, ‘the one thing Dream was right about’ they thought with a sneer, a great dislike for the demi growing after witnessing his “re-education” methods.

They stopped a few feet from the child and time seemed to freeze, they gazed at the blond boy before them. It seemed much more real now that he was right in front of them. His eyes were dull and lifeless, once golden hair now dirty and dark, scars and bruises littering his body in various degrees of severity and healing; everything about him screamed desperation and neglect.

But, he was standing completely relaxed and smiling. A soft accepting smile of not knowing what's to come but wanting to go anyways, similar to his brothers. The air around him was full of acceptance, he had not only welcomed Death but was happy to see them.

“Evenin’ Big Man, what kept you?” he asked with that same soft smile and a confident voice they hadn’t heard in weeks.

Something broke in the deity, maybe it was the greeting this child had given them, or maybe the fact he had so open-heartedly accepted them, but they did something they hadn’t done in many centuries. Not since the boys’ adoptive father greeted them in a similar manner, they reached up and pulled down the hood of their cloak that normally hides their face from the souls that passed through.

As it fell, raven black hair fell and landed in a fishtail braid down one of their shoulders, their skin was porcelain white, some would say pale. They smiled back softly to the stunned and wide-eyed blond as they spoke for the first time since that meeting all those years ago, voice just as soft and motherly as it was back then.

“Good Evening Tommy, I wasn’t expecting you so soon”

Chapter Text

When Tommy first woke, he was a bit disoriented sure, but after a minute he remembered it. He remembered the field, briefly when he lost his first life and more detailed when he respawned from his second. But, why did it seem like such a sure memory now? Well, he’s dead so he'll have plenty of time to contemplate his screwed memories and shit later.

Right now, he couldn’t help but wait. like a part of him was saying to stay in this place. He assumes it's so the deity that roams this realm can find him easier, for when they come to take him to his final resting place. He felt safe, safer than he has since he first stepped into the SMP. He doesn't mind waiting if he gets to feel this safety.

It doesn’t take long but eventually, he sees the cloaked figure approaching him, only to stop a few feet away; as if they were observing him or something. He looked them over as well, pretty textbook appearance for Death he thinks; the black hooded cloak that reaches the ground, said hood hiding their face, a tall scythe on their back that looked pretty fucking cool. ‘Maybe they will let me hold it before they send me off, that would be pog as fuck’ he thought.

Deciding this staring contest has gone on for too long, he decided to break the silence with the smile he didn't seem to be able to lose since they showed up, not that he wanted to lose it anyways.

“Evenin’ Big Man, what kept you?” he said, voice relaxed and confident.

He only regretted it a bit as he startled the figure, ‘were they not expecting a greeting? What kind of assholes pass through this place that a simple greeting is shock worthy.’ His thoughts caught in some sort of metaphorical net as he watched the figure unmask themselves meeting him with a soft, warm, welcoming smile.

“Good Evening Tommy, I wasn’t expecting you so soon” they greeted, the smile never faltering. Their voice was attentive and warm. He wasn’t expecting it, not one bit. After weeks of hearing nothing but Dream's chiding and yelling, this was a very welcome change. They had soft emerald eyes with flakes of crimson in them, seeming to hold more kindness than he ever expected to find in a being that reaps souls.

A soft and youthful face was also something he didn't expect, they looked to be in their 20’s or something but they were definitely much older. He didn't know what to say, but his brain spoke before he could think to stop it.

“Huh, you look younger than I thought you would be”...Well fuck, he just insulted Death to their face. He quickly covered his mouth with both of his hands after said realization and started to internally panic. ‘ Why did I say that?! They haven’t even done anything and the first thing I do is insult them! What if they give me a bad afterlife for that, like the endless void idea from earlier or something worse like being stuck having to watch Henry die over and ove-. huh?’ His thoughts were cut off by..laughing?

He turned his attention back to the figure to find them covering their mouth, in an attempt to stifle their laugh Were they laughing at him or maybe at what he said? Either way, he had to admit it sounded better than Dreams’ obnoxious tea kettle laugh. It was warm and made him smile a little more. It’s been a while since he’s made someone other than Dream laugh. After they calmed down, they met his eyes smiling “Honestly, that was not what I was anticipating but I can't say I didn't expect it. I haven’t laughed like that in centuries.”

They didn’t seem upset, so he was in the clear he guessed. They looked him over once more, a bit of worry showing in their eyes as they saw his sad state, and he couldn’t help but feel self-conscious. Tommy shifted a bit, crossing his arms over his chest, effectively hugging himself. They seemed to notice this and smiled softly, not with pity he noted, but with what he could tell was kindness “Follow me, we can talk as we walk“ they said softly and turned walking away.

He shook himself out of his own head and ran a bit to catch up with...wait, did they have a name? “ Hey uh...what do I call you? Can I call you something like "Big Man" or something? I don’t wanna assume your pronouns or something” he asked, a bit hesitant, as he softened his voice to the end. They chuckled lightly and nodded “ I am Death, Tommy. I have many names to choose from but, I think I prefer yours. Not as...intimidating or world ending, ya know? Also, any pronoun works” they answer, happy to see the blond’s eyes light up a bit hearing they like the nickname.

“Alright, Big Man, where are we going?” he asks, excited they like his nickname, folding his arms behind his head casually as he walks beside them, tall green grass brushing against his legs, softer than the grass back in Logstedshire, he liked it. They seem to think a bit then they look at him a bit worried “ Honestly, I don’t know. See, you technically aren’t supposed here, Tommy.” He raised an eyebrow to that, where was he supposed to be then? Is there a separate place for people who take their own life or maybe for minors or something?

They seemed to notice his confusion and continued, looking forward “ Everyone has a time, or rough estimate, of when they will pass over. You, mister, were supposed to live another 60 years or so. But here you are at sixteen and you...gods you should have never even thought of doing that, to begin with.” Their voice carried a bit of parent-like chiding that seemed to fade to anger in that last sentence, but Tommy has a feeling the anger wasn't directed at him. They take a breath, calming down, and look at the blonde “ I’m sorry, I just get emotional sometimes, I never like watching people suffer and I understand your reasons, but it still hurts to see you here. To know that you suffered till the very end, even if it wasn't completely physical, makes me resent the mortals who stood by and let it happen.” They said softly, holding back an emotion they are all too familiar with.

Tommy nodded a bit and looked away ashamed, arms dropping to his sides. Just how much of a fuck-up was he that he upset Death. ‘ I really a screw-up, aren’t I? Maybe, I should have just kept my mouth shut and listened to Dream. I can’t do anything right. Hell, Death doesn't even want me here. I really am nothing more than an absolutely useless chi-’ He winced as a hand hit the back of his head. He stumbled forward a bit and rubbed the back of his head, it wasn’t a hard hit by any means and was more startling than anything.

” What the fuck?! Why did you fucking hit me?” He yelled, turning to face the aggressor. Death looked at him with their arms crossed, stopping in place, and a small smile “Don’t go blaming yourself over my emotions, you are no more responsible for them as I am over yours.” they sighed as they walked up to the disgruntled teen and gently cupped his face in their hands, they were quite cold to the touch but he still leaned into it closing his eyes. It was comforting and gentle,'safe' his mind supplied.

They spoke softly, calming his thoughts, “Tommy, whatever he said. It's not true and it never was. You are not dumb or useless or even annoying. You're brilliant, funny, kind, and hundreds of other things. But you need to accept that. Yes, you have made mistakes and yes, you did screw a few things up badly but nothing is ever beyond repair."

"Everyone makes mistakes, no one is perfect and not everyone will see it that way. There are going to be people like Dream who will use you at your lowest and pray upon the things you hold dear, but those kinds of people, Tommy, don’t deserve to be in the mortal world. You, however, a person that brings light and joy to those around you, you belong there for as long as possible.” They said, rubbing one of their thumbs gently against his cheek in a comforting motion. If no one was gonna tell this child he was worth something, then damnit they will.

He opened his eyes, tears pooling at the edges as he looked up at them. Their eyes held nothing but warmth, comfort, and sincerity. Something he hadn’t seen since Phil took him in or before Wilbur began to spiral in Pogtopia. It was enough to push him over, Tommy moved without thinking and hugged the deity tightly, their height making him feel like a kid again as he cried into their chest. He felt their hand gently card through his hair as their other wrapped around his shoulders. Broken sobs and hiccupped breaths were muffled by their robes as he clutched the cloth tightly, as if they would disappear if he let go.

Death held him, knowing Tommy needed this, and hummed softly as they let him slowly calm down. After what felt like forever, his breathing evened out and he moved a hand to wipe his tears away. His face was flushed from both crying and the embarrassment of the breakdown, his chest ached and his head hurt from said come-apart. He rested his head on their chest, trying to regain any form of composure or pride he had previously, quietly hoping they wouldn't mind or say anything.

An idea came to the deity as the boy worked to catch his breath and relax. They looked down at him, a small smile crossing their face ‘this could work actually, he needs to heal’.

“ Hey, Toms? ”
“ Hmm? ”

“ How would you feel about becoming a reaper? ”

Chapter Text

“How would you feel about becoming a reaper?”

The words hung heavy over Tommy’s head, his mind turning over the offer in his head. It had been a few hours since the question was asked and he didn’t give them an answer. Just what did that mean? Wasn’t a reaper a being that came to collect the souls of the dead? The thing parents tell children about to scare them into not doing stupid things? He didn’t know, but something in him wanted to know.

Wilbur always said his curiosity would get him killed, now that he’s dead it wouldn’t hurt to ask right? Not like he could double die for asking a dumb question, at least he didn’t think so, and Death seemed to be nice enough to maybe answer without insulting him or hurting him. ‘Now or never I guess’

“Hey Big Man,” He asked, turning back to the cloaked figure who was walking just a bit behind him. They had started walking again after his embarrassing little breakdown that he would rather forget. They looked at him, making sure to look at his face, giving him their full attention “Yes Tommy? Did you have a question?”

He stopped and turned fully around to meet them face to face, they stopped a few feet away “ Yea actually, like about that question from earlier. What the fuck is even a Reaper and what do they do?” he bit his tongue after asking, unwarranted fear nagging about his tone being too aggressive or casual. ’You ungrateful brat, this is Death you're talking to! A literal god, who are you to demand answers? You really should have kept your damn mouth shut. A child should know his place by now.’ Tommy shook his head a little, he hated that voice. It sounded too much like Dream and only made him feel anxious, he died to get relief and freedom, not to have a little voice that would make his guilt and self-hate spike tenfold. Dream may not have been able to gaslight him into believing he was his ‘friend’, but it did leave some...questionable damage, not that Tommy wished to acknowledge it.

They stood there quietly, he thought he had pissed them off or angered them, but they simply smiled and sat down in the grass of the field they had been walking through, ”It's a bit of story actually, but I don’t mind telling you. I miss talking to people so I may ramble a bit, hope you don’t mind?” they said looking up at him from their spot in the grass.

The smile they held was patient and inviting, he couldn’t help but let a small smile form as those previous worries dissipated “Sure Big Man, give me the rundown of all this Reaper shit.” he said sitting next to them, the reply making the other chuckle a bit. They didn't seem to care about how he talked and swore, it was...nice to say the least. Not being corrected on swearing or his tone, something Dream did regularly. He shook his head at the thought, he was here, not back in that hell of an exile. The grass was soft as it brushed against his scarred and bruised skin, cool and inviting, like it was telling him to relax. He listened, crossing his legs as he got comfortable and letting his hands rest in his lap. He looked at Death as they kneeled in the grass, their own hands resting on their lap folded over each other.

They watched him to make sure he was comfortable before they continued “ To answer your question, a Reaper is merely a more mortal form of Death. You see, I can’t stay in the mortal realm for long. It doesn't mean I can't go, it's just extremely taxing due to the lack of magic there. I am a vessel, created to carry out the reaping and transportation of souls. I'm created from magic, so its kinda like taking a fish out of water. I won't die or anything but it's miserable if I'm gone for too long and it takes a while to recover once I return. I usually wait for souls to show up here and then lead them to their afterlife” they gestured to the field around them as a gentle breeze brushed over the grass, causing it to mimic the waves of the ocean. “ This is the ‘Field of Remembrance’, a place of safety and security. It gives soul’s a reprieve to acknowledge their end.” They sigh looking out at the field, Tommy following their gaze, seeing nothing but the long grassy plains, crystal blue sky, white fluffy clouds, and warm but not too bright sun.

They continued, voice a bit softer “Nothing is more heartbreaking than to watch a person deny their own death and refuse an afterlife. So I created this place for them to wander and come to terms with it at their own pace. Regardless of how many say I am heartless and cruel, I do have a conscience and I hate to see people suffer” They looked back at him “A Reaper merely does what I can’t. They live in the mortal realm and help pained, lost, or forgotten souls who wander the Earth cross over." They said softly, as if reminiscing a memory only they know " BUT, they do reap.” they clarified, gaining his attention.

Tommy looked at them then their hands, his eyes drawn to the slow self-comforting movements. They didn't notice, looking down as they rubbed circles over one of their knuckles with a thumb while they talked “See, there are a lot of bad and evil people born into the mortal world. Rather their actions are the results of neglect, abuse, or having no heart to begin with, they need to be reaped. Them being alive does more harm than good, one soul for the souls of many is a proper exchange in these cases. Even if they don't deserve it truly, they took a dark path and chose to keep going after their actions came to light.” They sigh “ But, I can’t just go down and smite whoever I deem unfit or something. It would drastically upset the balance of nature and result in chaos.” They looked at him as he looked up, a sad but sure expression on their face “That is the job of a Reaper, to lead the lost and right the wrongs of the world. A job I think you are more than qualified for, Tommy”

“But, why? Surely there are way more fuckin’ qualified people then a dumb sixteen-year-old soldier with more fucking emotional baggage than any sane person should. I mean, you said it yourself, I screwed-up so much while I was alive. This sounds like something for,...fuck, I don’t know, just someone better than me” He argued but Death sighed softly gaining a gentle smile,” Tommy, you're perfect for this, even if you don’t feel like you are. I am not forcing this on you in any way, shape, fashion, or form. Heck, after this if you wanted to go to your afterlife, I would gladly lead you to it. I am giving you a choice.”

They looked him in the eyes, determined but gentle, as they took a serious tone “ You may pass on and live in an afterlife crafted perfectly to what you deserve and want. A sanctuary of peace and safety in your case...or, you can become one of my Reapers. The true “Angels of Death” and go back home. From there, you can start to make amends and right some wrongs. You can protect the ones you love, and make sure they are never forced into anything like what you had to deal with.”

They relaxed a bit and smiled sweetly but sadly “You aren’t supposed to be here Toms, you belong there. Where you can heal and grow and help those around you. You may make mistakes but it’s human to do that. You may be too hard-headed to back down from a fight and too prideful to say when you’re sorry, but you make up for that as soon as you can and you learn from your mistakes. You are the light for many, a beacon of joy and laughter, and if you are snuffed out this early, I worry for the lost souls you’ll leave behind.”

Tommy looked down at his hands, opening and closing them as he thinks. He could live at peace and finally rest. An endless and eternal rest where he could have everything and anything he wanted. A reality where there were no wars or lies but where he could have his friends and family back. Where he could quietly stand under the noon sun and listen to Wilbur under the L'Mantree play his guitar, while Tubbo rant’s about his bees and Quackity sings joke lyrics to get a rise out of their other friends. Everything he took for granted in passing.

He let out a small sad huff, “But I would know it was fake right? That afterlife?” He looked up at them, weary gray-blue meeting now reserved but gentle green, continuing before they have a chance to answer “ Where everything you wanted gets handed to you on a silver fucking platter? That doesn’t sound fun at all. Not one bit.”

Tommy smiled as the deity sat up straighter, a bit stunned by his answer. Stretching his arms out, he continued “ I still think your fuckin delusional, putting me in charge of something like this but hey, it’s you who’ll regret it not me. I’m not seeing a downside to this dumb complicated plan of yours so fuck it, I’ll join your little organization or some shit.” He paused then added “I’m mainly takin’ your offer cause I want to teach that green bitch a lesson, hes’ been a bastard n’ has done nothing but cause bullshit since the revolution. He needs to be knocked down a peg, and I wanna be the one to do it”

Death blinked a few times at him, had he been too forward or demanding? ‘oh well, no backing out now.’ They laughed a little “ Wow, just...ok, I thought you would tell me to like “fuck off” or something. I mean, you have every right too. I am asking you to go back to the equivalent of your own personal hell.” They smiled softly “You have always been full of surprises Tommy, makes life interesting to observe.” They sighed and let their smile drop “ And well, being a Reaper does have its downsides. Like, in exchange for leaving this realm, you can never return naturally. You become an immortal harbinger of death.” they pause and smile a little “It sounds worse than it is, theatrics and all that. But there are other more complicated back-draws and knowing that, do you still want to become a Reaper?”

He mulled it over in his head, weighing the pros and cons of this choice. He was usually a rash thinker, act first and regret it later, kinda guy. But this was actually important enough to think over, and he’s so not used to having to do this. Wilbur made all the big choices before he...well yea, and then it was Tubbo. The only choices he’s made led to war and his own exile, now it was his choice once again. But this time, he was sure of his answer, unlike all the other times.

After all, ‘What fun is there in a peaceful yet fake afterlife’

“Death, I’ll become your Reaper.”

Chapter Text

So...Becoming a Reaper was NOT what Tommy expected. He thought he would get a cool scythe, new clothes, and maybe a quick review of what to do. Then he would be free to go beat that green bastard into the dirt and maybe watch over L’Manburg from a distance to make sure they were doing well. This, however, was not on the list of things he thought he'd be doing.

“What do you mean ‘Just jump’?! It’s not that fucking simple! I got trauma and shit” He yelled from his spot on the ledge. He was currently 100 or so blocks off the ground, on a cliff his new mentor had decided, in their own words, would be ‘positively perfect for today's training’. Now, here was Death, recently dubbed ‘Quinn’ to make things easier, telling him to jump off and to just ‘trust his instincts '. The last time he trusted anything completely he got exiled by his ex-best friend.

“Come on Tommy, you’ll be fine. I promise. If you can’t fly then you're going to struggle as a reaper once you get back.” They called up to him in a gentle but stern tone. Quinn had been trying to get him to jump off for the past hour, needless to say, they were barely making progress. Tommy shifted on his knees as he looked down at them from his spot leaning over on the ledge, newly acquired wings shifting uneasily on his back. He did not like this one bit, it reminded him too much of his own death. Standing on the pillar he built to the world limit and then feeling the world fly by as he fell, it was terrifying yet cathartic at the same time.

Hard to think that was a month or two ago, well in their time it was. Quinn had explained that the ‘God of Time’ has no control in this realm so time passes much faster here, basically, a day back home was a month here. Sleeping and eating were also strange here as well, he didn’t need to do either -since he was..you know, dead- but he still enjoyed it. Like laying in a random tree he found in the field and eating an apple, just like when he still lived with Phil, or just sleeping in the grass. They told him that he could build a home and even offered to help, but he preferred the open. It was comforting to not have to live in a house or tent, he could just pass out in a field or tree and not have a care in the world.

A muffled voice brought him back to his current reality, learning to fly. “ -ommy, TOMMY” He winced a bit at the slight heat behind that last call “ Huh? Sorry, lost in thought. Anyways, I am not doing this! I rather like living, thank you!” he said so matter-of-factly that they could almost feel the attitude from the ground below. They sigh and pinch their brow in slight annoyance but it’s more from tiredness than anything, “Toms,“ Quinn calls gently as they spread their own blueish black wings, white speckled around them like stars on a crystal clear night sky.

They fly up, a graceful and practiced take-off that caused the grass where they once were to sway; it reminds him of how water ripples when you drop a rock into it. They hover next to the ledge and look at him “ you know you need to learn to do this. You won’t be able to once you get back so it’s easier to do the basics here-” “So I only have to practice once I’m back, I fucking know. You have told me again and again. I don't need to hear it again.” Tommy interrupted, cutting off the deity without hesitation.

The two definitely got along and Quinn never chastised him on his attitude or his tendency to swear unless it was truly needed. In their time together, the two had learned many things about each other that gave them mutual understanding, but that doesn’t mean they never got upset with each other. That's when the silent communication came in, neither wanting to say anything to set off the other. Quinn was surprisingly patient but also had a limit of how much bullshit they would put up with, so when they crossed their arms and raised an eyebrow at his interruption, Tommy knew he may have overstepped a bit.

He moves back from the ledge, comforted by gaining more land under him than he had before. They land on the ledge and allow their wings to fold up neatly behind them, they look at the blond in front of them. He was looking away a bit, nervous about upsetting them. Quinn sighed softly then smiled a little “ I understand it's annoying and repetitive but this is very important for you to learn. I want you to succeed and feel pride in your new role. But just...refusing isn’t going to help you in the long run.” they smirk a little as they place a hand on their hip looking at the winged teen, a hint of mischief in their eyes “ Plus, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say the great Tommyinnit, the ‘Big Man’ himself, is scared of a little cliff”

Tommy’s dark gray and maroon red wings fluffed in annoyance as he glared at them, crossing his arms defensively “ I am not fuckin scared! I just have basic survival instincts, bitch!” he said, his voice slightly wavering as he tried to defend himself. They raised an eyebrow losing the smirk and gestured to the ledge “ Prove it, if you're not being a child, then take a running start and jump. I learned the same way once I was made, it looks worse than it actually is”

He looked at the end of the cliff then gulped, wings slowly moving to wrap around him instinctively ‘ no way in hell am I doing that, I might not be able to die here but I can still feel fuckin pain. I know I’ll just fuck this up and then-’ A gentle but firm hand rested on his shoulder, breaking him out of his spiral before it could start and making him jump. Quinn knelt down in front of him, moving their hand to cup his cheek gently. They looked him in the eyes and he visibly relaxed seeing the softness in theirs, the touch also helping ground him “If you don’t trust yourself, then at least trust me. I would never make you do something that hurt you in any way. I know you can do this, my little raven.”

He searched their eyes for any form of deception and like always, he found none. The nickname was nothing new, he actually quite liked it. It was special, given to him after his wings came in. They resemble a raven’s wings, built for long-distance flights and speed, except the colors were off. Hearing it gave him a warm feeling of safety and comfort. Tommy closes his eyes and takes a deep breath to calm his nerves. When he opens them, Quinn smiles softly and gets up, moving their hand from his cheek to their side. He wanted to lean into it again, a part of him craved the gentle touch and attention they gave him, but he refrained from it. They stood to the side as he looks at the ledge he’s been avoiding.

He focuses on what they told him “relax, breath, and trust yourself.” Tommy takes another deep breath and focuses on relaxing as he breathes out, feeling the tension slowly melt away from his shoulders and wings. The feathered appendages folded and hung loosely from their place on his back. He still thinks it’s odd how they appeared a week after agreeing to be a reaper, but he had since gotten used to the comforting weight they gave. They acted like a security blanket at this point.

Tommy made his way nervously to the edge of the cliff and looked down, he let out a small involuntary chirp. “y-you know Quinn….I think I’ll be just- Ahhh!” his attempt to back out was cut off by the deity pushing him off the cliff, a small smirk on their face ”Whoops, hand slipped”. He swore to the gods he would kill them. They were the worst guardian ever! He was pretty fucking sure pushing him off cliffs was not in the list of ‘Things responsible adults should do to traumatized teenagers’

He felt the cold wind against his face as he fell. Like he was being sent back to his exile, to the pain, yelling, crying, and back to when he couldn’t take anymore...‘I don’t wanna die again, ender dammit. Just work you stupid fuckin’ wings! Work!’ and as if commanded by his spiraling thoughts, more like instincts if we are being honest here, his wings opened and he felt the world around him slow. He opened his eyes, half expecting to be on the ground. He never felt the impact but he didn’t last time either so he had nothing to base it on.

Tommy looked down and saw he was still above the ground, gently gliding across the field. He looked back at his wings to see them actively open and keeping him aloft, an excited and eager smile crawling across his face. A confident flap of his wings forced him to fly up, high above the field as he twisted around to see where he once was, the cliff now a good distance away. He hovered in place as his wings beat steadily to keep him decently leveled. Quinn was standing on the edge of the cliff with their arms crossed and a smug but proud smile on their face that very clearly read ‘See? I told you so’ .

“You are a fucking bastard, Quinn! I could have died you immortal bitch!” Tommy yelled at them, no heat behind it. He was smiling like an idiot, he was actually flying! He had watched Phil take off into the sky so many times and even begged him to take him flying when he was still small enough to be carried. He loved being in the sky, it was quiet for the most part and you get to see so many things that most people never get to. He honestly never thought he’d get a chance like this ever again, and he may still be pissed they pushed him off like that, but right now he was happier and more excited than he had been in months. He never wanted this feeling to end.

They laughed and jumped off the cliff, flying over and taking a place in the sky next to their young reaper “You say that, but I know you're loving this. You're a natural! ” Tommy scoffed, smile still present as he crossed his arms and wobbled a bit as his wings corrected for the sudden movement “Fuck off, you still pushed me off that damn cliff. Could'a given me a heart attack” he said glaring at them a bit, they smiled and gently made their way down to the field “Well if you weren’t being such a scaredy-cat I wouldn’t have had to push you. Besides, you can’t die here. You're so dramatic sometimes” they retorted as they land gently in the soft grass, turning to face the winged teen.

“Oi! I am not ‘dramatic’ dickhead.” He shot back as he followed, landing next to them and stumbling a bit as they reached an arm out to help steady him “ I just...don’t like risking it. Too much time on one life, ya know? I mean, yea sure I was fuckin’ reckless sometimes but..” “But you knew you’d make it out ‘ok’ since you had your friends and family, right?” Quinn finished for him. He stood there for a few seconds and sighed as his wings folded behind him, he crossed his arms “Yea, cause it was always me and Tubbo or me and Wil. It was us against the world! and I know that…” he sighs, grip tightening on his upper arms as he tries to organize his thoughts “I know right from wrong and I know when I’m being stupid but I felt safe around them. Like I could take on anything as long as I had them backing me. But now I have no one, not even my family...” he said softly, like saying the words made the truth more real.

Quinn gently wrapped a wing around him and started walking, the blond following next to them looking down as tears settled at the edges of his eyes. They sighed then gently said “Well, you are safe here. This realm will always welcome you with open arms and comfort, I will do the same for as long as I live. So for now, just focus on the basics of your training. Then, once you get back you can show them how much more ‘Pog’ you’ve gotten” they smiled a little as the blond chuckled, they hated seeing him upset.

“Hell yeah, I’ll show them I am the poggest reaper to ever exist!” He called, newly invigorated pep in his step as he wiped his eyes. They reach over and ruffle the now soft and fluffy golden hair “Damn right, you’ll be the poggest one” they say smiling as the winged teen swats their hand away and runs his own hand through his hair, quietly cursing about fixing it. Quinn folds their wing back and looks forward “Well, if you're energetic enough to curse at me about messing up your hair, then surely you can do a few more dismounts before we retire for the day. I think we can fit in...hmm, twenty or so “ They say continuing to walk back to the cliff while Tommy freezes in place, a small mischievous smile crawls across their face as they hear him yell

“I THOUGHT IT WAS A ONE TIME THING! WHAT THE FUCK!”

•°•*~~~~~*•°•

Quinn sat in the grass, a small table in front of them as they drank a cup of tea; even Death needs a break now and then. They took a sip of green tea as they watched Tommy training with his death scythe, a Chakram of all things. Every reaper/vassal got personalized weapons to use. The first weapon you are gifted from the void, their equivalent of a higher power, is your main reaper scythe. Once you master the basics of it, you are gifted your secondary weapon. The best example is the previous vassal of death who had a broad sword as their main and a longbow as their second.

The design of his death scythe was interesting; The blade itself was medium gray, with slightly raised marks on it mimicking a music record. The handles were dark gray with light gray lining the inside. Since the weapon could be separated and dual-wielded, each blade had its own separate grip, one has a bright green grip while the other has a white and purple grip.

Right now, Tommy was practicing using it as a solid weapon. Like a true Chakram, it was also a throwing blade. He was..” Augh, this fucking sucks!”..struggling a little. They sigh and look at the disgruntled teen, who was currently gripping the blade in his hand so tightly they thought he’d bend the metal under the grips. His wings were fluffed up with aggravation and frustration, not unlike how an angry kitten fluffs up when they hiss at you. His wings were a bit more expressive than Philza’s, they noticed but didn’t mention it.

As far as they were concerned, Philza was merely an old contract, nothing like the young reaper in front of them. Maybe at one point, they were friends, but his actions recently have soured that centuries-old friendship. Call them petty, but they refuse to see reason as to why their acolyte basically abandoned a child he once claimed to love and worked so hard to keep alive. So sue them if they have a favorite reaper, he didn’t deserve the kid at this point in their opinion.

They get up after hearing yet another cry of frustration, quickly followed by a string of expletives. They walk over to him, holding a hand out for the blade “Mind if I try?” He looks at them then scoffs as he gives them the weapon, not wanting to handle it after all the pain it put him through.“Fine, but I don’t see how-” thwack “-you..could...What the fuck! “ he stares, looking at the weapon sunken deep into the training dummy Quinn had set up about 10 or so yards away.

Tommy looks back at them in disbelief “How the fuck did you do that?! AND on your first fuckin’ try!” he asks exasperatedly, gesturing with both arms to the wooden dummy, clearly very done with the situation. They smiled proudly and pulled a small throwing knife out of their robe sleeve, showing it to the annoyed teen. It had a dark blue edge on the silver blade with a little star-shaped charm hanging off the end of the handle “My first reaper tool was a throwing knife, I learned how to perfect my technique with time. A Chakram may be different in many ways but throwing it to hit your target is all about timing, technique, balance, and aim. Just like with these” They place the blade back in their robe.

The blond rolls his eyes and crosses his arms “Easy for you to fucking say, I’m used to using swords and shit, not some disk-shaped blade thing.” They smile gently and hold their hand out, the weapon responding to their quiet command and pulling itself out of the wooden dummy and flying back into their hand. They catch it with ease and look at the weapon then hand it back to him, the winged blond taking it back and glaring at the offending weapon as if it had insulted him. They chuckle a little as they watch him “How about you show me how you're throwing and I’ll see if I can see where you're going wrong. That way you can get better and show off your epic throwing skills. They won’t see it coming.“

Tommy looked at them with pastel blue eyes, less gray they noticed, then nodded and got into position. Quinn knew how to motivate the kid. He wants to be strong and show those who used him and doubted him just exactly what they overlooked. To everyone, he was just a dumb, irrational, loud, and mindlessly loyal kid who didn’t know what was good for him. But those who know him, who actually know Tommyinnit know he can be adaptive, smart, tactful, and clever. He just never showed it since it was never expected of him. Wilbur was the silver-tongued and charismatic musician, Techno was a warrior beyond compare, Tubbo was the smart and redstone-savvy spy, and Tommy? Well, he was the reckless soldier that was loyal to a fault.

Quinn knew his actions in the SMP were because he was being underestimated and he acted the way he was treated, like a child. He wore his heart on his sleeve and only wanted to make his brothers and father proud, but was punished time and time again. Oh, how ironic this was. A once beautiful wild rose admired for his bright personality and brash but lovable nature; snipped and clipped by those he loved and cared about, leaving nothing more than a bramble of thorns. The SMP will regret hurting their little raven. They smiled to themselves as they corrected his form and technique for the next few hours, the two slowly got through the basics of using Tommy’s weapon.

He breaths, following their tips and advice as he gets into position for one last attempt. He pulls his arm across his body, holding the blade firmly but still loose enough to make it easier to let go. He looks at where he wants the blade to go and in one fluid motion, he throws the blade, letting go at the apex of his movement. Tommy watches the blade with wide eyes as it hits its mark, digging into the chest of the dummy without mercy. “Holy shit...I did it.” he mutters in disbelief, Quinn smiles proudly “ yea, you did. Excellent job ” He runs up to the dummy, smiling as he leaves the deity behind; they can’t help but smirk “They won't underestimate him ever again,” they say under their breath.

After pulling the Chakram out of its wooden victim, Tommy looks at the weapon with more pride and confidence in his eyes, before he walks back. “What are you gonna name it? Every weapon needs a name after all” they ask, curious since even their own weapons had names; ‘Shooting Star’ for their throwing knife and ‘Andromeda’ for their scythe. He stops in front of them and gives the blade a contemplative look as he runs a finger along the edge, careful not to cut himself. He looks at his reflection in the gray metal then smirks and looks back at them.

“Penance”

•°•*~~~~~*•°•

However, unbeknownst to the two immortals, back in the mortal realm a young president sits at his desk mourning the loss of his best friend while his loyal minute-man tries to comfort him. A duck plans an execution and a fox builds a shrine in honor of another lost family member. All while a young god watches over it all from the prime path above the town, hoping he made the right choice as he holds his journal close to his chest.

Chapter Text

“ I don’t see why you have to do this,” Tommy said, sitting with his legs crossed in the grass while propping his head up with his hands, wings spread open and relaxed behind him “ I can do it myself, what's the point is teaching me how if your just gonna fuckin’ do it anyways?” The deity behind him was gently smoothing out his feathers and removing any that were bent or broken, “ Because even if they are only temporary here they need proper care. Wings are delicate and maintaining them is important, things like stress and lack of care can damage them and sometimes cause irreparable damage. I rather not risk any damage or ill-treatment carrying over once they grow in.” Quinn said as they finished this left-wing, a small sense of pride of how strong and beautiful his wings had gotten filled their chest.

“ Plus, I won’t be able to do this once my little raven leaves so let me enjoy this while I can “ They smile warmly as his wings shift a bit under their hands, their endearing tone embarrassing the winged teen. This was the last time they would be able to take care of their reaper? friend? child? Honestly, at this point Quinn couldn’t tell you how they viewed the blond, not easily that is. They mentored him, joked with him, worked through breakdowns and panic attacks, teased and playfully chided him, and gave him basically anything he wanted.

Some of those things were a necessity for him to be a reaper, but some other things were completely unwarranted.

They didn’t have to hold him when he woke up in a panicked state, screaming for his older brother or apologizing continuously over nothing. They didn’t have to tell him story after story about their more amusing experiences on earth after he cried his heart out about all he lost, trying to cheer him up. They also didn’t have to whisper gentle reassurances as he fell asleep in their arms, their large wings hiding the scared boy from the world and granting him the peace of mind he lacked for so long. Logically, from a rather cold point of view, none of that was necessary.

But when they saw him in tears, trying to force incoherent apologies and flinching to every small touch, they couldn’t help but feel their heartache. They just wanted to hold him and keep the pain and hatred of the world away from him. They are reminded of that young child from eleven years ago they were supposed to reap, at the time he was just another soul. The child was in tears from the aches and pains of sickness, he couldn’t move or speak. He just wanted the pain to stop, begged for relief. They could have easily taken him that day, not even batting an eye.

They are very thankful they didn’t.

Quinn sighs as they come out of their thoughts, focusing on their work. Tommy was quietly playing with his Chakram, separating and re-merging it, lost in thought himself. He was conflicted about leaving, he knew he had to go and he was actually kinda excited. But he would miss moments like this, even if he won’t admit it outright, he felt happy and comfortable. The field they sat in felt like a second home at this point, it wasn’t suffocating but it wasn’t domestic either; it just...was, if that made sense. To him it was perfect.

Quinn was also a big plus, they granted him a reprieve from all the bullshit he’s dealt with in the past. He trusted them almost completely, which in and of itself was a feat on their part. They don’t make him do anything they know he can’t do and they push him to learn and get better. They don’t baby him, treat him like he’s some stupid kid, or hold his angst fulled outbursts against him. They don’t yell at him or punish him in cruel and unusual ways. The fact that ‘that’ was a benefit made him sigh, the weapon in his hand disappearing into a hidden inventory made specifically for the tool.

He hated how the literal ‘God of Death’ was more humane, understanding, and caring than even his own father. Sure, Phil was a good guy and all, but he just left one day with Techno and never looked back. If anything, Wilbur was more his father than Phil ever was, and for that fact alone he wanted to prove he wasn’t weak.

He wanted to show his so-called ’ Family’ that he can survive without them...no, that he could thrive. That he is better than his family, he wants to rise from the ashes of doubt and look down on the ones that left him to burn from his place in the sky.

Ok…maybe he picked up a few analogies from Quinn, they sounded pog ok? Not his fault they tended to speak like an angsty sixteen hundreds poet, who lost their fortune to a back-stabbing cousin they used to see as a sibling, but now can only watch them destroy the dynasty that was once their family legacy.

Tommy looked back as he heard the shifting of robes behind him, wings folding back so he could see past them. Quinn stretched as they stood, their own wings flapping a bit from the stiffness. They reach out and offer to help the blond up, a gentle smile on their face. He took it easily and stood up in front of them, dusting non-existent dirt off his clean tan shorts. His appearance since being here had improved, the better he felt the more like his old self he looked, minus the scars and untreated wounds. Those remained as they were when he first got there. A silent reminder of what he experienced and lived through.

The two immortals made idle conversation as they walked to an old tree in the field, a giant wisteria that made Eret’s castle dwarf greatly in comparison. The purple flower clusters weighing the branches down only added to its majesty as the wind gently swayed them, a few petals catching the breeze and settling under the branches, creating a soft purple carpet of petals.

Tommy looked at the tree with slight hesitancy and awe, no matter how many times they came here he was always amazed by it. There was nothing even remotely close to it back in the SMP. It was something that, as far as he knew, was special to this realm.

They had been there a few times when Tommy was having full breakdowns or panic attacks and not even Quinn could calm him down, it was made of magic from both the Void and the Aether. Just sitting under the tree for a few minutes would calm him down and bring him peace when nothing else could. He could feel the tranquility of the Aether and the welcoming presence of the Void surrounded his very being.

They walked under the branches, moving them gently to the side to not harm the tree or its blossoms, and looked up at it. Small orb light lights floated, mostly stagnate, around the tree giving it an ethereal ambiance that even Tommy couldn’t deny was pretty. It reminded him of the floating lanterns in New L’Manburg, an homage to the ones Wilbur used to make with Phil when he was young.

Quinn looked at him and smiled sadly “ It’s time my little raven “ he looked away from the tree and back at them. He sighed, slight sadness in his voice “ I guess it is, thanks for..everything? I guess?” he wasn’t the best at goodbyes, he hated them. Too many people said ‘goodbye’ and never came back. He felt a hand on his head and involuntarily melted into the affectionate touch “No need to thank me, Tommy, I enjoy your company” they ruffed his hair, gaining an indignant squawk from the blond “Hey! I just fixed it you bitch!” they laugh a little as he pushed their hand away and fixed his hair “ Fucking, messing with my hair and shit…”

“It's not that bad, drama queen” they mutter under their breath, but the ‘Oi!’ that followed told them he heard them anyway. A comfortable silence blanketing them as they stood there, just wanting to linger in the other's presence for a little longer. Quinn sighed, breaking the quiet but never looking away from the tree “ Do you remember the plan?” Tommy nodded “ Yep, how can forget fuckin’ poggers plan Big Quinn and I came up with.” he stated smugly as if the plan was all his idea. They smiled, side-eyeing the young reaper “ Don’t know, just making sure. What about the rules?” another nod, they raised an eyebrow as the blond sighs “ No revealing my wings or weapon, No talking about the afterlife unless absolutely necessary, No talking about being a reaper or what it entails, No talking about you, and finally, No interfering with someone else's fate.” he repeated back to them with a bored tone.

They nod and turn to face the teen and reach a hand out, palm face-up “ Give me your hand “ Tommy raised an eyebrow as he put his hand in their palm, wouldn’t be the first odd request they made. They reached up with their other hand and kissed two fingers before putting the same two on the back of his hand, they traced a design with practiced ease then covered the hand completely with their hands. He looked at his hand as it slowly grew warmer where their fingers had traced “What...the fuck?” “shh, I’ll explain in a second” they hushed as they closed their eyes and focused on surrounding the hand in magic.

He watched his hand intently as it steadily grew in warmth, like when you put your hand on the sidewalk after it's been a hot day. It never became painful, it was a comforting warmth but he shifted a bit as he felt like something was drawing across his skin. After a minute, Quinn looked down as they removed their hand, on the top of Tommy’s right hand was what looked like a scar, way too detailed to be an accident. He looked down and took it in, unbelieving of what he was seeing.

It was an outline of two wings surrounding a Chakram, the separation of the blades defined by the two different grips and the distinct line through the blade. It was a near-perfect design of his weapon. It lacked the color, but he could easily make out the gradient of the wings and the stripes on the grip he knew resembled ‘Mellohi’ based on the shades of pinks and tans that replaced it. Pulling his hand back, he gently brushed his fingers across the new marker; he could feel the raised outline that made the wings and weapon more defined “What the absolute fuck...that's so pog..”

He was so caught up in analyzing his new brand that he didn’t see that Quinn had set up the portal to go back, they cleared their throat to catch his attention. Tommy looks up at them then the portal, they smile softly “ That mark, to put it simply, means you're a reaper. A personalized scar or brand that forever marks as one of my acolytes. It’s sealed with the kiss of death and is the last thing done before..” they sigh softly and look at the portal “ before you go back.” their voice wavered a bit and they took a breath, steadying the pain in their chest. The winged teen walked to their side and stared at the portal. The one that led him home, back to his exile. He swallowed hard and took a few steps towards the portal, stopping just a step away.

He looked at the portal then suddenly whipped around and ran at the deity, hugging them tightly as he buried his face in the warm familiar cloth, the comforting scent of wisteria and lilies filling his senses. He definitely didn’t cry, neither one of them would tell a soul if he did anyways. Quinn gently ran their finger through his hair as they hummed softly, a song they picked up from a caretaker named ‘Isabella’ in passing.

After a few more minutes, the blond backed up and wiped his tears away as they kissed the top of his head and gently cupped his face before looking at him “I’ll miss you too, but no matter where you go or what you do. You will always be my little raven and you will always be welcome here. Be safe and remember” They smile at him, small tears pricking their eyes “ I’m always there if you need me”

Tommy scoffed and wiped away newly formed tears as he pulled away from the deity, a smile on his face “ Fuck off with all that sappy shit, I better things to do. Like pick up women and kick a certain green bastard's ass. “ They chuckle and smile warmly at him “But of course dear, who do I think I am to stop such a great man from his worthy causes, “ They say, a hint of amusement in their voice that sets Tommy at ease. He nodded and walked back to the portal, he looked back at them one last time. They smile and nod, silently telling him ‘It’s ok, I’ll be fine. Just go’

Tommy stepped into the portal, trying to ignore his heart-aching at the fact he’s having to leave the comfort of a friend and guardian just to return to a hell of a server. He will miss the deity but he knows they will always watch over him. He knows it won't be their last meeting. ‘Afterall-’ he thought, a small smile on his face as he went through the portal ‘-what kinda kid doesn’t visit their mother.’

•°•*~~~~~*•°•

As the portal closes, Quinn sighs sadly and wipes away the tears they had been trying to hold back. It was bittersweet to see the young child they watched grow and change leave them. They stand there for a bit, regaining their composure. It was calming to listen to the gentle breeze and sway of the tree branches.

“Are you sure about this m’lady, I mean...he is just a kid. Hasn’t he been traumatized enough for one lifetime?” a voice called out. Quinn turned to face them, a young god leaned against the tree casually as he looked at them. The two were well acquainted and could possibly be considered friends to those on the outside. Their real relationship however was deeper than that, a sibling-like bond forged over the constant trial and error of their duties as gods. Quinn was only a few thousand years old and still considered a young god themselves, the one in front of them even younger; a mere 300 years and only recently given his full godship.

He wore a mismatched and/or patched up hoodie with a green spiral on the front and had a set of goggles resting on his fluffy brown hair. A golden pocket watch chain hung out of his hoodie pocket, the base of the chain presumably attached to the watch they had gifted him, he outright refused to use the hourglass the previous god used to control time. In his hand, he held his signature leather-bound journal, the spiral on the front a reminder of who it belonged to. A silver band with an amber and sapphire gemstones embedded in it rested on his ring finger; a bond to two very mortal hybrids who had no idea what he truly was.

“Yes, Karl, I am sure of what I am doing. He may be a child but he's far more mature than most of the adults down there “ They said, a bit of venom in their voice, not directed at the other god but the mortals of this world “ Even if he never got the choice to be mature or not “

Karl sighs as writes in his journal, something he started doing due to his sudden notice of memory loss; he needed to remember this meeting. Who knew time jumping could cause you to forget things, Karl hadn’t. “I am just saying, are you sure this is the right play? I mean, for honks sake the kid took his own life and no one batted an eye until they went to see his wrecked camp. Even then, no justice has been served.”

He slams the book shut with one hand and looks Death right in the eyes, quiet anger and seriousness in his eyes “ We all know Dream is out of control. Yet, no one acts and I get he is the ‘Demi-god of Entropy’, but toying with mortals like this is...it hurts. And you chose to send a young, inexperienced, traumatized teenage reaper to go kill him!” He yells, his usual relaxed and patient temper reaching a breaking point.

Quinn sighs and walks over putting a hand on his shoulder, maintaining eye contact “ Karl, I understand you are upset. I know you have watched your friends and family suffer time and time again, only to be forced to have a front-row seat of it all. Your predecessor was a bit of a bastard and had…’ interesting’ ways of teaching his successor the cruel reality of time and timeline tampering. But, I do know this was the right call. Tommy will be fine and there won’t be a ‘Bad End’ as you call it.”

Karl sighed, knowing the older deity was right, and let his shoulders fall as he looked away from them to the tree, eyes finally landing on the journal in his hands “I know you're worried-” Quinn starts “-but have more faith. Not in me, you, or any other god but in them, you know all the bad that can possibly come and if you keep being pessimistic you will miss your chance to prevent it.” They tap the cover of the journal as he stares at it. “Never forget, this little piece of the world may be Dream’s, but the timelines are your domain. They are yours and ‘only’ yours, Karl.” They let their hand fall and turn around, leaving to go direct any new souls they find in the realm.

“...How can you be so sure?” a soft voice called after them, they looked back at the brown-haired god and gave him a small smile “ I’m not. In fact, I am probably more worried than you are. But worrying about something neither of us can change directly is not going to help anyone. So I will tell you what I told my little raven. ‘Focus on the now and what you can do in it, even if it seems small, subtle things can cause just as much change as a direct action if given time. You don’t have to be seen to be heard’ ” they leave the young god with that as they pull their hood back over their face, disappearing behind the low hung wisteria branches.

Karl stood there and thought about their words, closing his eyes. A firm nod signified that he knew what to do, even if it didn’t matter in the long run. Even if it would compromise him as being the ‘God of Time’, he had to try. He pulled out his pocket watch, setting it to the time and date he left the SMP. The brunette breathed out, calming himself as he pushed the small golden button on the side of the metal timekeeper, disappearing into a purple and teal portal without a trace.

•°•*~~~~~*•°•

Tommy woke up slowly, still a bit disoriented from the ‘resurrection’ if you could call it that. He winces, feeling like he just got beat to hell and back, and groans as he sits up to take in his surroundings. He was back, back in Logstedshire that is. He forgot how truly wreaked the camp was, craters and debris scattered along the path he carved through the campsite he used to call home. The next thing he noticed was the lack of weight on his back, he looked behind him to see his wings were gone.

The blond had almost forgotten that he would have to grow them in once he was in the mortal realm, a slight sense of dread and relief made its way into his chest. He had gotten so used to them that he didn’t like not feeling them on his back, but he also dreaded them coming in. Quinn had warned him that it would be extremely painful, but one of the perks of being a reaper was speedy regeneration. They said it would only take a day or two to recover after they came in, which was apparently much faster than the 2 weeks it would have taken if he was a normal avian. He was silently thankful for that at least.

Deciding he’s spent enough time on the ground, the teenage immortal got up from his spot on the ground, stumbling a bit and using the pillar next to him for stability. He froze and slowly looked up at the pillar, gazing at the structure then he looked down at where he woke up; he winced. A decent-sized bloodstain, turned dark from the time he had been gone, was almost exactly where his head had been. He quickly looked himself over, taking note of how thin and weak he was. Back in the afterlife, he looked so much healthier, and seeing himself now only made him want to gag, if he had anything in his stomach he might have.

Tommy swallowed hard, wincing at how dry his throat was and looked out at the ocean, his last sight before he fell. He was back, he’d have to deal with Dream again and all his manipulative bullshit once more. His fists clenched, nails digging into his palms slightly as he thought of everything the green bastard did to not just him, but everyone. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he did so, and slowly breathed out as he let his hands relax. Now was not the time to focus on that, he had a job to do and a plan to take the admin down. He just had to be patient.

The blond looked back at the remains of his camp and sighed “ Alright, the first step; Fix Logstedshithole. Can’t be too hard right?” he said to himself as he walked away from his early grave and to the main part of the wreckage. Tommy sorted through some of the remnants of his old home and sighed, finding barely anything of use survived Dream’s babyrage.

‘This is gonna be a long week, innit?’

Chapter Text

Karl made his way down the prime path, it's been almost a week since his meeting with Death; since Tommy came back. If his calculations were right, and he's ninety percent sure they are, Dream should be back in about two days. He knew the admin made semi-routine border checks around the land thanks to Sapnap. The thought of his fiancé made him involuntarily brush his engagement ring with his thumb, the two stones feeling rough but comforting as he got lost in his thoughts.

L’Manburg thought Tommy was dead, he knew that much by the carefully made shrine near the town that Fundy made. Tubbo was also running himself into the ground with work, he’d seen Ranboo either carrying or dragging the tired president back to his home to get some much-needed rest. His worries of Quackity only increased since the young ex-VP’s death, Karl knew they were close before everything went down. The duck hybrid came home angry and in tears after the exile was proclaimed. He can only imagine the inner turmoil his fiancé is going through now.

He felt bad but not as much as he knew he should. They needed to feel the pain, maybe not this extreme but they needed to feel loss. Karl may be a simple bystander, but it's his position in all this that gives him the most unbiased look at the catastrophic mess this whole story is. That’s what this is, a sad and true story about child soldiers given responsibilities they are nowhere near ready for and a country that was doomed to fail from the start. Once, all Karl could do was sit back and watch the story unfold. Watch as the nation falls and crumbles through a child's hands as he tries to piece it back together the best he can and his best friend suffers for simply existing at the hands of a power-crazed god.

Karl stood in front of Tommy’s house, a simple dirt mound the teen called home. He found it kinda funny but fitting, the blond was more for practicality than looks, especially here where a nice build had just as much of a chance of getting burned down as an ugly one. A small push of the door and it opened with ease, as if it was welcoming him in. He steps in and closes the door gently behind him, not wanting to draw outside attention. The torches that lit up the inside were surprisingly still lit, either those were some pretty long-lasting torches or someone was trying to maintain the home in its owner's absence. Both ideas weren’t too far off options, but if it's the latter then he needed to be quick.

Making his way to the chests he looked through them, trying to find anything that could bring some sense of trust between him and the exiled teen. His plan, though not full proof, was to try and gain Tommy’s trust and try to communicate with him either by letter or planned visits. Karl knew the plan Death had made with Tommy, it was simple but dangerous. It was the equivalent of playing with a matchbox in a room full of gunpowder, one stray spark and it’ll go up faster than L’Manburg on the sixteenth. He winced a little at the comparison, ‘too soon’.

After about thirty or so minutes of looking, Karl was about to give up and maybe go talk to Tubbo, say something about paying his respects. That was until his eyes landed on a journal on the bedside table. He walked over and picked up the book, dusting it off with his other hand and reading the cover.

“Tommyinnit’s Big Man Journal, huh?” he read out loud, opening it and reading the preface ‘No Bitches allowed, if you aren’t me then fuck off!’ The warning made him chuckle a bit, but he did feel guilty. This was probably Tommy’s personal journal, he can imagine how upset he would be if someone read his journal without his permission. But, right now the pros outweigh the cons.

Karl flipped through the pages gently but quickly, skimming through important entities and trying his best to skip over personal ones, he may be invading the teens' privacy but even he knew some boundaries should never be crossed. Honestly, he was surprised how organized it was; each entry was about a week apart according to the dates marked before each page. His handwriting was clean and easy to read, not to mention detailed. The journal was like a personal recount of L’Manburgs history from Tommy’s point of view and how he felt as everything was going on. The brunette could imagine Eret wanting a copy of the first few months of entries from the museum.

As the young god flipped through the pages, he found a loose page in the back of the book. He took it out carefully and looked at it, it was a list. Specifically, a list of Tommy’s disks. The teen had methodically tracked down his disks as they were passed around and made sure to note who had which one. Currently, Dream had Cat and Tubbo had Mellohi. Under that was a small list of all the disks you could possibly obtain, it looked like he was trying to complete the set.

Karl smiled, it just so happened he had a few disks and was more than willing to give up one if he could make his plan work. He closed the book, making sure the list was inside and looked at it then placed it back on the nightstand. As he walked out of the house, he made sure to cover his tracks the best he could, he wanted no one to find out he was there. Too many questions and not enough believable lies or excuses.

He quickly made his way back to his house, making his way past L’Manburg as he went. Some sort of anvil holding device near a cage that was being set up caught his eye, he’d have time to ask about it later. His current priority was to get in contact with Tommy, no one was going to get in his way.

He walked into his house and closed the door behind him, Karl went to his chests and looked through them. His eyes landed on a few disks he had towards the back of one of the chests and he smiled excitedly, this was going perfectly. Pulling out a disk called ‘Stal’, he inspects it carefully for any scratches or cracks. Once he’s satisfied with this condition, the brunette takes a piece of material from when he was working on his jacket a while back and gently wraps the disk in it to keep it safe. He places it on the table near his window and grabs a piece of paper, ink, and a quill. He couldn’t give the gift directly to him, he needed to keep his identity a complete secret if he wanted this to work, maybe once mutual trust is built he will reveal himself. But for now, he had to be a mysterious aid, a friend from the shadows.

He’s kept himself hidden from Dream this long, he can’t risk the admin finding out he wasn’t the only god in Esempii. Not that it was hard, Dream may be smart, cunning, and manipulative but he was very prideful and had a hell of an ego. Karl had seen how time and time again his boastfulness and pride clouded his judgment and clarity, he overlooked seemingly insignificant things. He was about to learn how much of a mistake that truly was.

•°•*~~~~~*•°•

A knock at the door broke the god out of his trance and he looked at the door, who would be knocking at a time like this. Sapnap was away doing blaze hybrid stuff and Quackity usually stayed in the Whitehouse since he was the vice. Putting the quill down, Karl made his way to the door and opened it cautiously. He blinked once, twice, then finally spoke “Q? What are you doing here?”

The duck hybrid was honestly the last one he expected to see right now, and that says a lot. They hybrid leaned on the doorway of Karl’s home and smiled at his fiancé “What? Can’t a man just visit his amor?” Karl smiled a little at that, he had missed his partner but deep down he knew this wasn’t just a loving visit “ Well, no. It’s just you have been busy so I didn’t expect you. That’s all, did you need something?” he asked, tilting his head a little, he kinda reminded the ravenette of a puppy when he did that.

“I mean…” Quackity sighed “ Do you by any chance have some ghast tears or blaze powder? I need some for a…” he froze, trying to think of an excuse “ ..a project.” Karl looked at him then forced a small smile, the hybrid none the wiser “ Sure Q, I got some. Give me a sec “ he turned around, leaving the door open. The duck stepped into the doorway and looked around a little, eyes landing on the wrapped gift and letter next to it. He couldn’t read it but it looked semi-formal. ‘Who would Karl need to write like that? Wait...who was Karl writing to begin with.’

Before he had time to walk over, Karl walked back with a bag of ingredients he needed “ Here ya go Big Q, ten ghast tears and ten blaze powder. If you're making potions it should be good for quite a few regen pots.” he handed the bag to his fiancé gently, trying not to damage its contents. Quackity took them and put the bag in his inventory “ Thanks Karlos, I owe you.”

Karl nodded and smiled softly “ Of course, be safe “ Quackity nodded and turned to leave when he felt someone grab his arm, he turned a bit to see his slightly worried fiancé looking at him. The brunette moved closer to the hybrid, loosening his grip “ Quackity, you know...if you need to talk, I am always here for you.” he said gently, some of his worry and concern lacing his words. The ravenette’s heart broke a little at hearing it, he reached over and pulled the taller man into a hug before kissing his cheek and pulling away from him with a kind smile.

“ I know, I’m ok. I promise. ” He lied, he was nowhere near ok. But, his lovers didn’t need to know. They didn't need to see his self-made spiral. His burdens were his to carry, the other two had enough on their plate to deal with. After seeing Karl smile, slightly eased at the comment, he left hoping to all the gods above he wouldn’t have to lie to his loves ever again.

•°•*~~~~~*•°•

Karl closes the door after seeing Quackity make it a good distance away and he leans back on the door and tries to calm himself down. He was so close to breaking down when he saw the man smile at him. He was lying, Karl knew it but didn’t say anything. The brunette swallowed his tears with a shaky breath and looked down at the ring on his hand, the meaning behind it causing his heart to ache. He gently rubbed his thumb over the stones in it, holding his hand close to his heart as he tried to stay strong.

Quackity had been spiraling and he knew why, he wasn’t naive or oblivious. Forgetful yes, but not dumb. He had been to the future and past, he had seen so much that he knew what was going to happen. But he was helpless to stop this, this was going to happen rather he tried to stop it or not. If he tried, he would just be damaging an already strained relationship. Not even bringing Sapnap into this would help, it would just add to the stress of it all and cause more bad than good. The best course of action was to let this happen and help his partner recover after.

He breathed out slowly and looked over at the table, the ink on the letter mostly dry by now. Karl walked over and read what he wrote, then put the letter and wrapped disk in his inventory. The brunette sighed, opting to deliver the gift in the morning, before L’Manburg woke up and when almost no one was awake. He didn’t want anyone possibly following him to Tommy’s base, not wanting to be the cause of the plan failing before it starts.

Karl made his way to his bedroom and sat on his bed, looking out as the moon started to slowly rise. He pulled out his journal and wrote down his plans for tomorrow in case he forgot, this was too important to mess up. As he wrote, he felt his mind wander back to his fiancés, he loved them both equally and deeply. He would easily carry the moon and sun if it meant the two could sleep peacefully or bask in the sun all day, he’s sure they feel the same. The young god fell hard for the two hybrids after telling himself he would never care about a mortal like that, he was immortal after all.

But, they just broke down his walls in a way he never felt or saw before. He fell so hard, even their ascendants and reincarnations made his heart skip a beat when he met them. No matter where or when he goes, at least one of them will be around and that makes the idea of immortality easier to handle.

So, when the three decided to date, Karl was more than thrilled. They had to find out how they felt about the idea first, testing the waters was kinda tricky, but they each found their boundaries eventually. In the end, they made it work, and all plan to get married at some point. Something Karl would have never even thought of had it not been for his two love-struck idiots.

The young god sighed as he closed his journal, placing it on his bedside table. He laid down on the bed, looking at the ceiling. The brunette closed his eyes, letting himself relax in the soft bed. He had a lot to do in the morning, so what if his marriage seemed to be fraying before it’s even started. Once this is done, they can go back to planning an amazing wedding and go on more dates, just like before. He sighed, slight knowing tears pricking the corners of his eyes as he drifted off, one final thought left him as he succumbed to the welcome embrace of sleep,

‘ If being an all-powerful being is so great...then why do I feel so helpless?...’

Chapter Text

Good afternoon my royal Kings, Queens, and well respected Non-Binary Warlords,

I am here to announce I will be taking a small hiatus from my Reaperinnit AU, it will last about a week so don't worry, you can expect a new chapter next week.

I am taking a break because I wanna review the new chapters I am working on. I never expected so many people to actually enjoy an AU I randomly made up at like 2am one day. It means a lot this fic has gotten a following, so in turn I wanna make sure the story is enjoyable. The next few chapters are going to be kind of complicated due to character interactions and I don't want them to seem forced and awkward. The story means a lot to me and to you guys too so I want it to do it justice.

The other reason is because I want to work a bit on my Dream AU, its one of the stories you guys got to choose between last chapter and it got the most 'votes'. It's a simple concept that I don't see a lot or when I do it usually has a cute or fluffy ending, not this one. It's gonna have plenty of angst and also a fair bit of fluff, and it will have a happy/hopeful ending. If it gets enough love, I can make a sequel to it like I plan to do with this story once its done. It will include OC's, so if you don't care for original characters interacting with the canon characters of the SMP then it might not be the story for you.

The first chapter of it will be posted either tonight or tomorrow. I hope those of you who were interested in the concept are happy with the results your royal storyteller produces.

I will see you guys next week if not sooner for those who wanna read the other fic!
Love you guys <3

-Kira { Royal Storyteller }

Chapter Text

~* Good Evening, my dearest Monarchs and Warlords *~

So, updates. Where they be? They be still being worked on. I've hit a rut with this story as in I know where I wanna go but it's getting from point A to B that's the hard part at the moment. I love seeing such positive feedback on the story and it makes me very very happy to see it.

So to make up for this extended and unexpected hiatus I will be posting a handful of chapters to make up for the lack there of. Once they are done, you can look forward to that.

In other news, since being in this little rut I created a one-shot book. In it I write one-shots (obviously) plus my concepts and ideas for other fics. If people enjoy the idea of concept I write another chapter is there is enough demand for it to be seen again. If I get enough people wanting to see a concept become a full story I might actually write it.

If you wanna check it out it's called 'Kira's Tide Pool ( One-Shots)' and it's where I put all of that.

ANOTHER THING! Pride month is coming up and I'm very excited to say I am writing a fic or two for the month. One'll be about 4-5 chapters maybe 6 if I extend the pacing. The other will be a simple one-shot.

The will be centered around Transinnit ( Trans Tommyinnit ) so if you don't care for that kinda stuff this is your early warning. I don't like making people uncomfortable or upset so please have mercy on my soul if I do so with the story. The stories will be mostly fluff and reuniting family stuff.

Nothing I ever write will be IRL I hope you all understand that. All my stories are about the characters not the content creators. Just clarifying just incase.

Anyways, thanks for reading those of you that did and I am sorry this isn't the update you would have wanted for this story. I will never abandon it, that I can definitively say, I just sometimes get into a rut.

Please drink water and stay safe.
- Kira { Royal Storyteller who loves her readers }