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“Techno, Techno!”
Techno turned around, smiling slightly as he saw Tommy running over to him. He hadn’t even heard his little brother arriving. Still, he picked him up easily, chuckling as the golden-haired child giggled.
“Do you ever think about dying, Techie?”
And there was the Tommy he knew. Techno chuckled, setting Tommy back down and ruffling his hair.
“Yeah. Why’s it on your mind, Delight?”
Tommy pouted, crossing his arms.
“Don’t call me that. You hate when Niki calls you Des- Destruc-“
“Destruction.” Techno helped him out with a small smile, enjoying Tommy’s petulance, and the way he lit up. “And, yeah, I do. Sorry.”
It wasn’t always his name. Tommy was the personification of childish delight, yes, but children threw tantrums too. Delirium and Delight blended into one sometimes, but Tommy tended to be more cheerful than the Del that had come before him.
Techno was glad for it. The old Delight had always stuck close to Dream, before he’d left too. But now they had Ranboo, and Tommy, and to be honest, Techno preferred both of them.
“Anyway…” Tommy bounced on the spot, grinning. “Death! Would Niki-“
“What’s this about me? Hey, Tech.”
Niki flashed him a grin as she wandered over, ruffled black skirt swishing with her every step. Techno smiled back, genuinely happy to see his two favourite siblings at once. It wasn’t often they were all together.
“Heya. Tommy here was just askin’ me if I fancied going to your realm, if you catch my drift.”
Niki’s eyes widened in exaggerated shock, and she leaned down to stare seriously at Tommy.
“Tommy, you can’t ask us that. I don’t want to have to take you anywhere before you have to.”
“Did you take Drista?”
Tommy’s eyes were so wide, so innocent, that Techno almost missed the way Niki twitched, when she heard her name. He stiffened too, but it was harder to notice, and he was silently glad Ranboo wasn’t here yet. None of them liked talking about old family.
“I’ll… tell you when you’re older, how’s that?” Niki tapped Tommy’s nose playfully, and Techno breathed a low sigh of relief. “Why don’t you go wait for Ranboo, in the gallery?”
“Ok!”
Tommy scurried off, and Niki straightened, expression blank. Techno nudged her, and she flinched, then smiled awkwardly.
“Sorry. He- caught me off guard with that.”
“Me too. You good?”
“Yeah.” Niki took a deep breath, and nodded. “I just… always forget there was someone before him, and before Ranboo. You know?”
Techno nodded. He tried to forget. But he never quite could. He’d been fond of Dream, more fond than Phil or Niki or Quackity had ever been. And he’d never quite gotten that chance to get to know Drista before it was too late. Sometimes he wondered if it was his fault.
“…yeah. I know.”
It didn’t have to be said that he’d never ask her the same. There were some things even family didn’t talk about. Like how Tommy filled a little girl’s boots, or how Ranboo had chosen a name only so they didn’t have to remember who’d come before him.
“Am I a bad host, or are you two miserable for some other reason?” Phil came over smiling, hood down around his neck and sleeves brushing against Techno’s shoulder blades as he patted his back in welcome. “What’s up? Has Ranboo cancelled on us again?”
“Not last I heard.” Niki looked over to Techno, clearly wanting him to accept the change of subject. “Tech?”
Techno just glanced at Phil, who chuckled.
“Yes, fine, he’s coming. Just playing with you two. Anything I’d be more interested to hear first hand, rather than in this old thing?”
Phil gestured with his book, grinning. Techno could feel him and Niki relaxing, the longer they spent with their eldest brother. Phil always had that calming air about him. Unflappable and light-hearted, seeing the world exactly as it was intended to play out and taking it in stride. It was pretty admirable, to be honest.
“Hmm… no, nothing thrilling from me.” Niki grinned, hands in her pockets. “Is my outfit to your approval, oh Destiny?”
Phil narrowed his eyes performatively, and Techno scoffed under his breath.
“Reckon if you just lost the fishnets, and the makeup, and the tattoos, you’d almost look professional.”
“You wish, old man.”
Niki twirled on the spot, showing off just how much she didn’t care. Techno always admired it, even if Phil hissed good-naturedly, his wings ruffling in mild frustration.
“At least Techno tries.”
“Hey, don’t bring me into this.” Techno held his hands up, not wanting anyone to examined his thrown-on shirt and loose trousers too closely. “I just wear what I can find.”
Phil trilled, clearly disappointed by both of their lack of decorum. In fairness, he really did go by the book. Techno could hardly say that a long robe, of green velvet so dark as to almost be black, with gold embroidery across the neckline didn’t scream Destiny. Neither did the wings, borrowed from crows, vast and shadowy behind his light blond hair.
“Oh, Tech, Wil’s here!” Niki tugged at his sleeve, almost as excited as Tommy had been. “Wil! Q! Over here!”
“I’ll go find Tommy. Don’t want that brat to break anything.” Phil grinned as he slipped away, vanishing into one of the tunnels leading off the dining hall he’d summoned them all too.
That left Techno facing Wilbur, who he didn’t mind so much, and Quackity, who he very much did.
Niki immediately hugged Quackity, who was more than obliging, leaving Wilbur and Techno standing face to face.
“Despair, today?” Techno’s deadpan was practised, knowing better than anyone it was best to make himself unassuming around his most dramatic brother. “Or have you two swapped again?”
“Oh, Techno, I’m sure you can figure it out.” Wilbur smiled, catlike, eyes flashing gold in the candlelight. “We’re so different, surely you can tell?”
“No. You’re both as annoying as the other.”
Quackity skipped over to him, standing not three inches from Techno and glaring up at him with all the passion and frustration of a younger brother.
“Destruction, really?” He huffed dramatically, and Techno raised his eyebrows. “We’ve hardly been here five minutes, and you’re already picking fights.”
“I aint picking anythin’-“
In a flash, Wilbur had grabbed Quackity’s hand, and they’d both run away, giggling like lunatics. Maybe they all were, around here. It sure felt like it.
Niki appeared back by his side, giving him a small, encouraging smile.
“I’ll deal with them, if you want to go talk to Ranboo. I think they’ve just arrived.”
“Thanks.”
Honestly, Techno could not be more grateful. He and Wilbur could get on, sometimes, but he’d always had something against Quackity. Maybe something about the shorter twin’s arrogance, the way he forced himself to the spotlight while Techno and Wilbur shared a liking for the backseat.
Besides, Niki was right. Ranboo had slipped into the hall quietly, unescorted and unaccompanied, and Techno tried to wander over casually.
“Heya.”
“Hi. Uh- where is… everyone?”
Techno looked around, and frowned. Phil was gone, presumably ferreting Tommy out from whatever corner he’d found, and Wilbur and Quackity were nowhere to be seen.
Then a flash of black light exploded out of one of the corridors, and Niki stormed out, trailed by a cackling Quackity and a faintly apologetic looking Wilbur.
“Niki?” Wilbur’s voice cracked exactly on cue, and Techno rolled his eyes internally. “We didn’t mean to-“
“I meant to!” Quackity shrieked like the banshee menace he was, leaning on Phil’s chair as he laughed.
Niki turned to glare at both of them, magenta fire curling across her temples as she crossed her arms.
“Sit down. Both of you.”
Wilbur immediately sat on the table, while Quackity just shook his head, out of breath from laughing too hard. Niki glared, looking considerably less than pleased.
“I’m telling Phil about both of you if you don’t be sensible.”
She really was his favourite sister, by a long shot. Techno found himself smiling, Ranboo staring in amazement next to him. Ranboo was his favourite sister too, sometimes.
“What’s she doing?” Ranboo stage-whispered, sounding vaguely terrified as Niki glared at the twins.
“Teachin’ them a lesson, hopefully.” Techno smirked, glancing down at his least-little sibling. “How’ve things been with you?”
“Yeah, uh- alright. Pretty good.”
Niki was back to yelling at both of them, Quackity having ended up sitting on the floor, and Techno turned his full attention to Ranboo.
“Sure? We don’t see you much.”
“Uh...” Ranboo got distracted as Wilbur and Quackity seemed to switch places, glitching back and forth before settling back where they’d both started. “It’s… pretty good. Still getting used to the Dreaming, and all. Uh- you?”
“Not bad.” Techno gave Ranboo a slightly worried look. “Who’ve you been talking to?”
“Tommy, mostly.” Ranboo looked away, lavender rising in their cheeks. “Not- really anyone else.”
“You can call me, y’know. I’m usually free.”
“…thanks.”
“No problem, kid.” Techno ruffled Ranboo’s black and white hair with roughly the same affection he did Tommy’s. “Family’s here to help.”
Wilbur and Quackity swapped places as they both watched, and Niki actually shrieked in frustration. Techno chuckled, glancing at his little sibling.
“Want to come watch me and your big sister take them down a peg?”
Ranboo nodded eagerly, skipping after Techno as he strode over to the twins and his older sister.
“-and look, Techno’s going to call you out on your bullshit, because you two can never just take anything seriously-“
Now he was closer, Techno could see smoke coming from Niki’s hair, and ash dusted across her pale skin. He crossed his arms, looking down at Wilbur- now on the floor- and Quackity- perched on the table, swinging his legs.
“Hello, idiots.”
“Hey…”
“Hey!”
Techno smirked, and turned to Niki.
“D’ya think Phil’ll let us talk to them?”
The fear on the twin’s faces was actually quite funny, if Techno had felt a little more in the mood to laugh at them. As it was, Niki just glared at both of them, lips pursed.
“I’d like to-“
“Hello, kids- ok, what’s going on here?”
Phil crossed the hall in a frustrated fluff of feathers, Tommy trailing after him in a cloud of golden light and giggles. As soon as he saw Wilbur, Tommy skipped over to him, falling happily into the taller twin’s lap.
Phil, for his part, stood right next to Niki, eyes narrowed.
“Who do I have to hit?”
The slight gesture with his wings assured them all he wasn’t joking, and suddenly they were all talking at once, Techno trying to explain levelly as Niki spoke between scowls, and Wilbur and Quackity spoke in perfect, defensive unison.
Techno noticed Ranboo vanishing from by his elbow, and went quiet, smiling as his younger sibling slipped around his and Niki’s backs, leaning down slightly to whisper in Phil’s ear.
“…alright. Thanks, mate.”
Ranboo nodded silently, hurrying back to Techno’s side with a nervous glance at the rest of the family, who’d gone very quiet.
“Well.” Phil adjusted his book, eyes cold as ice. “I think it’s time we began, don’t you?”
“Yes Philza.” Quackity smiled like the perfect child, and Wilbur nodded like he’d said the exact same thing.
“I think we should.” Niki shot another glare at the twins, voice clipped and harsh.
Ranboo just nodded silently, and Tommy followed suit as soon as they and Wilbur had responded.
That left Techno, who shrugged, and nodded.
“Yeah. But I want a minute alone with those two when we’re done.”
He didn’t need to point at the twins, already making scandalised gasps and Wilbur covering Tommy’s ears.
“Oh, you’ll get it, mate.” Phil smiled, gesturing Quackity away from his chair. “Later. For now, I think we could all do with a bit of a catch up.”
On their way to their seats, Techno fell into step beside Niki, still glowering, and nudged her shoulder lightly.
“Hey. Ignore them.”
“Ugh. Yes. But it’s so hard.”
“Oh, trust me, I know.” Techno’s eyes found the backs of Wilbur and Quackity’s heads, still giggling conspiratorially together. “But you’d miss them, if they weren’t here.”
“Suppose I would.”
“An’ I’d miss you. Just sayin’.”
“Ok, let’s not get emotional here.” Niki giggled, shoving him lightly towards his chair. “Go sit, little brother.”