Techno and Wilbur started drifting from you after the fiasco during the festival.

Wilbur incredibly so, and you're not entirely sure why. Something about a button being missing? Someone betrayed him before? You couldn't say, you don't know him well enough.

He centered his conversations with Techno and Tommy, one of which started avoiding you as well. You can guess which one.

For the most part, it was you, Tubbo, Tommy, and occasionally Niki hanging around.

Niki seemed nice. You liked her. Seemed tired and worried a lot, but you weren't any better. She didn't live inside the base like the rest of you, but she visited to help around.

So after a few days of radio static and wary conversations of what Wilbur was planning to do, you were sitting at your nook. Tubbo was sitting across from you, humming some random tune and fiddling with a sheild. Tommy was somewhere in the ravine messing around. "Decorating" he calls it. Decorating before Wilbur gets back to stop him. Little gremlin.

All in all, everyone was doing their own odds and ends things.

So imagine your surprise when Tommy shouts from the other end of the ravine, racing down the stone and practically slamming his hands onto the table.

"BOYS-"

"Holy-" You barely started to speak when his yelling continued.

"GUESS WHAT BOIS-"

"What?" Tubbo asked, not at all phased with how loud Tommy was being.

"MA WINGS JUST GOT ANOTHER TWO INCHES LONGER-"

Without warning Tommy turned around, shrugging up his shirt to show the little downy covered wings.

True to his word they looked bigger. Kinda. Definitely still small. And definitely funny to think about the fact that Tommy probably measured them daily to notice a two inch difference.

"Thats neat." You said, taking a sip of your tea to hide the your smile. He would throw a tantrum if he knew you found it amusing.

Tubbo didn't bother hiding his grin though, "Yeah man- that's pretty 'neat'."

Tommy scoffed, crossing his arms, "I think I can proudly say I'm going to outgrow you."

"Chicken." Tubbo chirped.

"Baby man-" Tommy all but shouted.

"Chicken wing."

"TINY BABY MAN."

Taking another slurp of your tea you grinned into your cup. These kids. So help you, they're gonna be the death of you. They're arguing was incredibly loud- (cough- Tommy- cough) but amusing all the same.

Tubbo held up a hand when Tommy started chanting baby man, "Wait wait wait- hold up- why are we fighting each other when we're clearly gonna outgrow (Y/N)?"

Tommy pursed his lips, slowly turning to look at you, innocently drinking your tea and trying your best to not look suspicious.

"You know- I would agree with you Tubbo, my pal- but (Y/N)'s a bloody hybrid too." He held a hand on his chin, "Unless your already fully grown and you're just an average smuck?"

You huffed a laugh. Yeah, no. Tommy saw you die already. He knows somethings off about you. You aren't gonna bring that up though, and settle for, "I'm bigger then all of you. That's all your getting out of me."

"AAARRhgh- come on man- I want the gossip-" Tommy held his stiff hands up in the air.

"Am I missing something?" Tubbo chirped, looking between the two of you.

"Yes, Tubs, yes you are." Tommy jabbed a finger in your direction, "That bitch won't tell me what hybrid she is."

Not a hybrid. He knows this. And you know he's trying to goad you into correcting him for saying false information.

You shrugged, "Oh well- too bad so sad- you'll never know." Que another sip of tea.

"AaRrgh- come onnnn-" Tommy glared in your direction, "You know what I am, and we both kinda know what Tubs is, it's common courtesy for you to share with the class."

Tubbo jumped in and said to Tommy, "Well we know she's the shifting kind- if 'bigger then all of us' is anything."

"OHH- You're right Tubbo- see I knew having you around would benefit me!" You choked on your tea with a laugh when Tubbo crossed his arms at Tommy's comment.

With a finger pointed at you, Tommy proudly declared, "You're a shifter- Like the Blade!"

"Who's like me?"

Everyone's heads snapped up to look at the staircase.

Techno stood perched at the top, a bag stuffed to its absolute fullest with materials. The sword hanging at his hips was bloody.

A sudden stillness enveloped the air. After days of avoiding base, and days of radio static, he finally touched down at home base, and the tension was.. thick.

You could almost visibly see everyone's mood regress. A little less cheerful- a little more reserved. A little more scared, and a little less comfortable. The same atmosphere Wilbur brought into a room.

"(Y/N) is." Tommy piped up- any glint of uncomfortableness being washed away. You watched his facade cover it up, a slow start of gears chugging up to cover his real face. He was still angry about what happened to Tubbo.

Techno shot a quick look to you, to which he flinched when your eyes were looking right at him.

"Mm- okay." Voice monotone, he shuffled down the rest of the steps, and started sorting things through the chests.

Tommy finally took a seat, on your left, and technically Tubbo's right.

Tommy squinted at you, "So all we know right now is that you're a shifter- and you're from the nether. I think we've narrowed it down quite well if I do say so." Out of no where, Tommy slammed a paper on the table.

"Tub, quill?" Tommy nudged his buddy in the ribs.

"Uuh- maybe." He dug around in his pockets for a moment, "Nope. Why would I even carry a quill around?"

"Because you were a secretary? Jeez I don't know man-" Tommy deadpanned at him before crumbling up the paper and throwing it at Tubbo's head (to which he protested), "Alright- we'll have to keep the notes in our big ol' noggin's-"

"What are you children even doing?" Techno questioned,  stuffing an unholy amount of coal into the chest he was at.

You nearly forgot he was in the same room with how quiet he was.

The blood on his sword dripped onto the floor, very audible in the silence.

"Nothing for you to know mister Blade- this is a me and Tubbo mystery only."

Techno leveled Tommy with a blank look, before shutting the chest and going, "And now just to spite you I'm gonna listen in on this convo."

Techno dropped his bag on the floor next to the chest and gracefully strut over, pulling a seat out and flopping down on the last available seat.

Right next to you- left of Tubbo, across from Tommy- and surrounded by people he had unresolved tension with. How brave.

He pushed his hair behind his back, the pink hair was still shaggy and unbrushed, and still in a braid like how you last saw it.

With a huff, Tommy gave him a glare. You could see him getting worked up. What would normally be a lighthearted joke between the group was clearly taken more seriously.

Unprompted, Tommy looked to you and jabbed his thumb Techno's way, "You're definitely not a piglin- if you were you'd be just as meat-headed and stubborn as Techno."

Techno threw his hands in the air with a counter, "Alright- says the kid who rifles through everyones stuff the minute they take their eyes off him."

"Your still salty about that? It was for a good cause man." Tommy groaned.

"Stealing Schlatt's razor doesn't justify wrecking the organization of my potion chests."

"Guys-" Tubbo tried piping in, but was completely ignored.

With a squeal of your chairs legs against the stone floor, you stood up.

This- this was the kinda stuff you wanted to avoid. Dumb arguments, that lead into even bigger fights.

You didn't dare leave the ravine in fear of Dream popping up out of nowhere, but you couldn't take the toxicity.

You needed fresh air, but leaving didn't feel any fresher.

Almost calmly you took in the sight of your palms pressed against the wood of the table.

Why did you even take Wilbur's offer.

Were you leaning on the table?

When did it get so quiet?

"(Y/N)?" You didn't know who said that, but it echoed throughout the static in your mind.

With a start, you realized everyone's eyes were on you.

Even Techno's. And he seemed the most hesitant out of all of them to do so.

"Sorry. I just-" you backed away from the table, taking in a deep breath like even just a few steps away the air was fresher, "I need space."

Walking away, you contemplated leaving again.

Running away to just rest before coming back. But again- why do that with so many threats around.

Instead, you settled for just heading off into one of the mines connected to the ravine.

Maybe mining would help you stop worrying.

Just as you were leaving you heard Tommy yell something at Techno before storming off himself, up the steps. If Tubbo's confused noises were anything, he probably dragged the horned boy along as well.

Out of sight, out of mind. You forcefully repeated to yourself. Fists clenched, eyes squinted.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Out of sight.

Out of mind.

Just like Wilbur.

Just like Dream.

And certainly just like your brother.