Your talk with Wilbur left you feeling like shit- ironically- but you pushed through the feeling of dread in order to continue your day.

You drank your coffee, and you set off for the mines, doing a few rounds, coming back in between to drop off any new materials.

While you were down there you pulled up your communicator, sending a quick message to Phil, asking when he'd be good to call you-

He didn't see it- and he didn't respond, but you figured enough time would do the trick.

He forgot to bring his communicator with him all the time, so the several hours of radio static was expected.

It'd be a few days, or maybe few weeks before he'd respond, but you don't mind waiting.

Phil had a special place in your heart- he's good friend.

You just hoped Wilbur could wait that long. Not that he knows you're calling in a complete stranger to try and wrangle him in, but you figured it's better to ask forgiveness then permission.

Another few hours of mining, and you decided you've probably done enough for the day- nearly shivering with how cold it got near bedrock.

You moseyed back up your tunnels, twisting and turning until you reached the top of your staircase.

A staircase that situated itself directly on the far side of Pogtopia.

You moseyed in, moderately curious if anyone was back yet, but still gentle in your foot steps.

You wouldn't mind waiting longer for company.

Trotting up to the chest, you throw in the diamonds you found, and then turn to cook your metals-

The lapis was carefully kept in your bag, wrapped in a cloth to keep it from dying everything inside blue.

Who would want an entire bag full of items dyed blue? Certainly not you.

But you did want to use the blue to decorate later- maybe your bed post? Something cheesy like initials of all the people you consider friends?

Cheesy things are fun to do. So you thought it'd be a nice bonding moment.

Closing your bag, to crouch to stare into the furnace, giving the iron a harsh look before looking to the second furnace on the other side and giving your gold a harsh glare.

Mmmm-

Watching things clearly makes them go faster.

So why not watch them?

What to do what to do-

Waiting was boring if you weren't sleeping, so you wander up the steps next, looking at L'dog when you reach the top before opening your ender chest.

So much ancient debris. You didn't have the heart to smelt it.

All a keepsake- most things you keep are keepsakes.

Mmmm-

You still had a lot of space in it all things considered.

Debris aside, you had one of Phil's feathers, an enchanted compass from your brother, a flower from Tubbo, and one of Tommy failed attempts at smithing. Smithing specifically a helmet- that got left in the furnace for too long and melted into some sort of visor looking thing. A good visor. Kinda. If it wasn't goopy looking.

He gave it to you though, and you kept it because it was a gift.

Closing the ender chest, you circled to the regular chest, opening that instead to look for something for L'dog.

Poor pup was up here by himself most of the time, so you pulled out a slab of meat and tossed it to him.

He seemed hesitant- looking at you with mistrust before gingerly chomping onto the first half.

He got over his suspicions pretty quick, eating the steak before giving a small tail wag and returning to looking at the dirt entrance and forgetting you existed.

So be it if he only payed attention for the food. Anything to look at his fluffy little dog face.

Sighing, you finally take a seat on the chest and stare at L'dog.

Fluffy boy- sitting so patiently for Wilbur to return.

He didn't understand nearly enough to grasp how far off his master had gone.

After a few more moments of sitting, the dirt being broken made you look up- Tommy walking through the door and the pleasant surprise of Nihachu coming in after him.

They seemed to be having a nice conversation- Niki pressing her hands over her face in laughter as Tommy yelled about something.

"Why hello there fellow pogtopians-" you greet- watching Niki wave back and Tommy salute.

"Hello (Y/N)! How are you?" Niki softly asks.

"I guess good- been strip mining all day." Shifting at your seat on the chest you watch them close the entrance back off, "How bout you guys? Have fun today?"

"Ohoho- do we have something to tell you-" Tommy grinned evilly and you laughed before standing up off the chest-

"Do tell- I need to check on my iron- you guys coming down?"

"Yeah, we just need to unload a few things first." Niki says, shifting her bag around before opening the chest you used to be sitting on.

"Alright- I'll head down first-"

You leave to let them throw their junk around, walking down the steps and approaching your furnace. You checked it first to see how close it was to finishing.

Still a good bit to go.

It took them a few moments before they arrived as well- Tommy loudly laughing about something as they approached you.

It was amicable-

At first-

Tommy chatting about what they got up to today- how they got Quackity to practice sword fighting with them and all the highjinks that ensued. Niki was happy to also retell the tale, jumping in whenever Tommy over jumped something.

Then Tommy offhandedly mentioned how Technoblade used to practice with him and the room got a little grimmer.

Tough topic.

Tommy wasn't fond of Techno and you don't think Niki was the fondest of Technoblade either at the moment.

"Technoblade is a strange dude." Tommy finally says.

Niki nods.

And you awkwardly look at the two, because yeah he's strange you guess, but you counted him as a friend.

"When he was at the festival he was a completely different person..." Niki mutters, "Just like how Will seems to be... drifting."

Everyone nodded to that, and the silence that came over the three of you was unpleasant.

"I think I'm gonna head out-" Niki says, sending a gentle smile to both you and Tommy before gathering her bag into her arms and saying goodbye to the both of you.

It was an abrupt goodbye- but you heard she got partially exploded by Techno during the festival (as did a lot of people)- and considering Wilbur? You could guess why she dipped.

At least she didn't die.

Turning to Tommy you nudged him in the ribs making him glance up to you, "Hey- I talked to Wilbur today."

Tommy's face dropped a little farther at the news, "Yeaah...?" You could see him struggling to emit a confident persona.

"Yeah. I told him to be more considerate of you." Scratching your cheek you glance off to the side, "I hope that's okay."

Tommy just nods at you, "Yeah, yeah- you're good bud-" he takes in a shaky breath, "I guess you've seen just how far he's drifted...?"

"Yeah."

You both go silent for a moment, and you shuffle atop the furnace when Tommy plops down onto the chest next to you, "A lotta shite happening, am I right?"

You chuckle, "Yeah."

"I think Techno is going down a hole just as deep as Wilbur." Tommy mutters after a moment.

What?

Was he?

You didn't think so.

"How so?" You ask after a moment.

"He just!-" Tommy throws his arms out, "He's been talking about blowing up L'manberg just as much as Wilbur has- and L'manberg's my home..."

Ah.

True.

Techno did occasionally chat about that. Not to you, because he knew your stance on it and didn't bother starting arguments, but you've overheard him talk with Wilbur every once and awhile.

"He's definitely an anarchist- but Techno isn't at all as far as Wilbur." You say.

"That's hot shit- when he was at the festival- he tried killing everyone in the crowd." Tommy gave a hard glance to you before wringing his fingers, "And he left me behind when he ran-"

The voices-

The fear-

You remember Techno's tone of voice when he described them to you and placed a hand on Tommy's shoulder and tried your best to be considerate of the boy, "I know."

He doesn't react to your touch, only angrily ranting, "He left me- and what if he leaves you in a horrible situation too-"

You silently nodded, glancing away from Tommy, and his harsh tone of voice in favor of staring at the cold, stale stone ceiling.

Same old stale stone ceiling.

"Its always a possibility. But it's a risk I'm willing to take." You say.

"It's a risk you shouldn't take. Aren't you mad he killed Tubbo??" Tommy rages.

"Yes."

"Then why do you keep talking to him? And acting like everything's just swell and dandy?"

"Because I'm willing to give second chances." You grit.

Tommy let out a harsh huff of air, angry at your forgiveness, glaring at the stone just as you are as if that would convince you otherwise.

"Clearly you haven't witnessed just how violent he gets-" Tommy shivered, "How brutal he can be when he wants to." Tommy finally turns to look you dead on, baby blues swirling with emotion, "He's only shown you his best sides."

You weren't quite sure what to say to a face like that, so you waited, staring at Tommy to collect your thoughts, thinking back on all the good moments you've spent with Techno.

Tough, and strong, brutal- yet closed off.

So soft when taken off guard-

You really haven't experienced any of the cons. So focused on avoiding conflict that any chance to see the extreme side of not only Techno, but everyone else, never truly came about.

If anything you've ever heard about Techno is true-

You don't know why you would still want to be friends, but he had baggage that you were willing to overlook. The good had already outweighed the bad in your head.

You glance back to Tommy and start with, "I'm the one who decides whether or not he's worth the time." before sighing, "And I haven't personally seen what's lying beneath his brutal mentality yet, so I'm not going to shut him out because you asked me to."

Tommy shot you a begging glance, and you did your best to ignore it.

"Until I deem him untrustworthy on my own judgments- he's surviving on my second chance."

A finality hung in your tone, watching as Tommy stood off the chest, dejected that you didn't take his advice, and taking a few uneasy steps away.

"I think I'm heading to bed early." He says, not bothering to look at you and just gesturing his hand towards the bedroom.

Oh God.

You feel horrible now.