Work Text:
Technoblade and Phil have been living in the tundra for a very long time. Long enough for Techno to know there was going to be a storm nearly a week before it happens. Phil knew, too, and they fell into a comfortable routine. No words were even spoken in between; they both already knew what they needed to get done.
Materials were needed to reinforce the windows and possibly wait out a storm for however long needed. They've been in storms that lasted over a week, and there's no telling how long this one is going to last. The snowstorms in this part of the tundra have been relatively tame so far, but that doesn't mean they'll stay that way. As soon as the blanket of false serenity washes over the tundra is when the blizzards hit and freeze everything in their path.
Time goes on, and they collect wood for fires and move everything inside. The skies get darker, and the snow begins to fall more. Techno and Phil huddle inside, stoke the fires, and comfortable warmth falls over the members of the house. Windows are boarded up and sealed to keep out any wayward snow.
The snow comes.
The wind whistles against the house. The fire flickers as if it feels the chilling winds clawing against the house, looking for a way in to snuff out the gentle heat. The core of the house creaks and moans, but it will not break. They know that. Techno, while not being as skilled as Phil, built the house strong and solid. It would not fall in this blizzard or any in the future.
Phil watches the flames flicker; his wings fluffed up to protect him from the cold his mind tells him he should be feeling. He'd taken the moment to begin preening them, running gentle, deliberate fingers through his feathers. Techno sits beside him, occupying himself with some sort of craft and humming softly. They've shared moments like this plenty of times, trapped inside by the unforgiving snow that seeks to blanket everything in its icy hold. Living in the tundra comes with its own experiences, equally enjoyable and miserable.
Edward has been let out of his boat, allowed to roam around while the snow blows across the tundra. It wouldn't be safe for him outside, so they rest easy knowing that Edward will stay inside the house and be safe. A few dogs make themself comfortable on the floor; the rest tucked away safely in the doghouse until it's warm enough to let them out again. Edward vwoops softly, glancing around the room for something to occupy himself with before coming to stand in front of the fire, watching the flames flicker with an enwrapped curiosity.
Phil chuckles, watching the Enderman stare at the fire. Living with Edward was a unique experience; the Enderman was hard to work around and avoid angering, but he provided something that was missing in the house before. Edward brought a distinct feeling of homeliness to a house that previously felt bare, a pillar of consistency in both Techno and Phil's life. He would always be in the house when they returned home, and he would always see them off. It was nice.
Edward was also strangely intelligent. Phil had never spent much time observing Endermen, even before the SMP, so Edward was full of new things to discover. They were fascinating to watch when they were passive, picking up blocks and seemingly existing by their own whims. Watching Edward made Phil understand some things about Ranboo without even needing to ask.
Ranboo... Ranboo... Oh god, Ranboo.
"Techno?" Phil suddenly asks, his back straightening out up panic. Techno glances up, immediately looking concerned by Phil's tone of voice. "Did you tell Ranoo?"
"...Shit."
Ranboo was heading out to gather some supplies. He wanted to get some walls for his house finally, and Techno and Phil seem like they've been preparing for... something, recently. They hadn't told him anything, but that's not out of the ordinary, so Ranboo doesn't question it.
All he needed was some wood. A quick visit to the spruce forest, and maybe his mine, should provide him with all of the materials he would need. He hums to himself, hoisting his Axe of Ender over his shoulder. It had initially been for killing, but he had never actually used it in... that way. Oh well, Ranboo wasn't one for conflict anyway. He was fine with living where no one could reach him, using tools meant for violence for something as domestic as collecting materials for his house.
He looked up, squinting at the sky. It had gotten dark, not in any way that should be concerning, but... Ranboo hadn't seen many Enderman around today. It feels like they have all left. Did they know something Ranboo didn't?
Ranboo shrugs off his anxiety. It was probably just going to snow soon, which isn't anything out of the ordinary. He could handle snow; he has his enchantments and his armor. Worst case scenario, he would just have to take shelter under a tree until it died down.
Ranboo entered the forest, wandering in a little deeper to preserve the presentation of the woods. Techno had recently complained about his property value, and Ranboo didn't want to contribute to that any more than he already has.
He begins chopping down trees, falling into a calming sort of repetition. Chop down a tree, move on to another until the leaves begin to decay, pick up the saplings, replant the trees, and repeat. Ranboo, pleasantly, found himself with extra saplings which he could keep for himself and hopefully create a small tree farm closer to home. It would help fill the empty space and save him the trouble of traveling out every time he needed wood.
Things were going well. The beginnings of snow almost completely blocked out the sun, but Ranboo only needed a little more. He could brush off the minor amounts of snow that were falling, and once he gets back home, and can stay under his roof while he works. His armor's enchantments hum with protection, warding off the minor burns of snow falling onto Ranboo's exposed skin.
Then, the wind starts to pick up uncomfortably, and the sun is completely blocked out. Before he knows it, the wind feels as though it is slashing at Ranboo's face, and the trees can't provide him with nearly enough coverage. The hum of his armor rings in Raboo's sensitive ears, making him flinch uncomfortably.
Ranboo knows he can't leave the forest, though. Even if the trees don't give him a lot of cover, it's better than the pure openness beyond the forest. Ranboo clings to what little he has to protect him, praying that the snow will die down soon. He knows it won't, he knows how the snow lingers for days and days, but he can't bring himself to face that.
Tears fill Ranboo's eyes as the snow gets under his armor, wetting his clothes and burning his unprotected skin. He hates that he starts to cry because it only adds to the burns on his face, but he can't help it. Everything hurts so much, and he's starting to lose feeling in his fingers, and Ranboo knows that's bad, but he can't bring himself to do anything about it.
He can't even make any protective walls, or a ceiling, or anything that would ease the pain. Everything happened so fast, and now he's so weak he can barely keep himself upright and out of the snow piling around him.
For a brief moment, before everything goes numb, Ranboo wonders what it's like to die.
Barely even seconds later, Phil bursts out the door. The wind claws at his face painfully, the snow feeling like tiny shards of glass. Phil's wigs maneuver to block out the wind and the snow, instantly becoming covered in an ever-thickening layer of white. Phil doesn't waste a second, vaulting over the fence and dropping down into the snow below, not even checking if Techno was behind him before running the direction of Ranboo's house.
God, he and Techno didn't even think to tell Ranboo about the storm; they just started working. The kid didn't even have walls yet! Why didn't they think to tell him!?
Phil skids to a halt when Ranboo's house comes into view. It's empty. Oh god, it's empty, which means he's outside somewhere, caught in the snow and probably in so much pain.
Someone arrives behind Phil, warmth radiating from them and landing against Phil's spine.
"It's empty," Phil says quickly. "Techno, he's out there ."
Techno huffs out a small, horrified breath.
"He's probably in the forest," Techno reasons. "Spread out, keep your communicator on and tucked close. We'll find him."
Phil nods, a man on a mission, and runs off to the north side of the forest. Techno tucks his earpiece in as he runs, testing the audio to make sure he would hear Phil if he ended up needing help. Techno brushed past trees, trying desperately to look while still being fast. The quicker they found Ranboo, the better.
Techno shivers, something deep in his core beginning to feel like it's freezing over. He'd have to shift out of this form to preserve any kind of resistance to the cold. While being good for brute strength, leaning into his piglin side makes Techno incredibly vulnerable to freezing temperatures. Techno breathes into his hands, trembling slightly as his body shifts uncomfortably, long braided hair pushed over his shoulder and batted around by the wind.
"Ranboo!?" He calls, cupping his hands around his mouth. Calling out wouldn't do much help, not out here, but Techno didn't want to be right on top of the kid and miss him either.
Hearing nothing in response, sensitive ears straining against the deafening sound of the wind, Techno presses on. He's gotten no word from Phil yet, and every passing moment makes him more anxious. Situations like this take a toll on Techno's body, specifically built to withstand harsh environments and no water weakness. He can't imagine what it's doing to Ranboo.
Soon, he stumbles into a clearing of recently chopped down trees. He calls out again, eyes quickly scanning the area. While he doesn't hear anything, Techno spots a dark lump against one of the trees, and his stomach drops.
He stumbles over, dropping to his knees in front of Ranboo.
"Hey, kid? Wake up, come on." Techno cups his hands around Ranboo's cheeks, giving one of them a few light taps. Ranboo's skin is frozen to the touch, a sicking sizzling noise filling the air, becoming more and more prominent in the seconds Techno has spent here.
"Phil, I got him," Techno quickly says, shucking off his cape and wrapping it around Ranboo. "I need help. Sending you my chords."
Techno prays Phil hears him because the response he gets is garbled, and he can't make any sense of it. The cold cuts deep into Techno's skin without his cape, but he'll just have to manage because Ranboo is unconscious and freezing, and burnt by the snow.
Techno is trying to hoist Ranboo into his arms when Phil arrives; wings stretched out to block the snow.
"He's unconscious!" Techno shouts over the wind. "I haven't looked too much, but he's pretty burnt, too!"
Phil swears, helping Techno hoist up Ranboo. They make their way to the house as quickly as they can, Phil's wings stretched out to wrap around the small group and protect. Next to him, Techno shivers violently, in a different form than he started in, and breathing heavily. Phil reminds him to breathe through his nose.
The house feels like an oasis as soon as the light comes into view. They stumble up the stars, borderline tumbling into the main room. Edward lets out a startled vwoop, snapping around to see Techno and Phil cradling Ranboo. He trills anxiously, taking a step forward before Techno and Phil are rushing him off to begin work.
They remove all of Ranboo's armor, revealing the soaked clothes underneath. Even his boots, which came up to his knees to prevent snow from falling in, had become damp on the inside.
"We need to get rid of all of this water," Phil says quickly.
"We could step into the Nether quickly and let it evaporate, but that runs the risk of-"
"-temperature shock," Phil joins, nodding. "Let's start with removing everything that got too damp."
They quickly get to work, removing Ranboo's jacket and shirt, cringing at how water burns line the entirety of his torso. His legs aren't much better. Edward looms over them anxiously, sending concerned vwoops to Ranboo, who remains unresponsive. Phil begins pressing soft towels to his skin, trying his best not to irritate that already painful-looking burns. Healing potions are lightly dabbled on his skin, but most of it would have to wait until Ranboo's body exited its shock response.
Ranboo is wrapped up in one of the many spare cloaks around the house, set by the fire and resting comfortably in Edwards's boat. Even inside the warm house, Techno shivers still, and Phil's concern only grows as he finishes drying Ranboo's hair.
"You alright, mate?" He asks, standing and letting Edward take his place of fussing over Ranboo.
"'M fine," Techno says quickly, gathering blankets and cloaks and wrapping himself up with them. "Just-just went outside in the, in the wrong form. I'll get over it."
Phil clicks his tongue. "Should we dump you in the Nether until you warm up?"
Techno shrugs, still shivering, and Phil sighs. "Go sit by Ranboo. I'll make something warm to drink to get you back on your feet."
Techno shuffles over to the fire, tucking himself against the boat Ranboo was seated in. He already looks drowsy, being quickly exposed to both the tundra's freezing temperatures and the warmth of the fire.
Phil hums, warming up some tea and making his way down to the basement, considerably colder but not freezing, to trade for some herbs and fruit for the tea. He works quickly and quietly, climbing back up the latter as soon as possible and making a cup of tea for both him and Techno. Usually, neither of them would be the kind of person for tea, but supplies were still limited, and it seemed fitting.
They stayed that way, huddled around the fire until Ranboo started to show signs of wakefulness. He shifts and groans, Edward quietly fussing over him with tiny vwoops and soft trills. Ranboo looks confused, glancing around the room. Techno is sleeping next to him, head resting on the boat he was in, apparently, and Edward was leaning over him anxiously. Tiredly, he trills back at Edward, who calm down significantly, and catches Phil's attention.
"Hey, mate," he says softly, to not startle Ranboo. Said kid glanced over, rubbing at his face and hissing in pain.
"Don't try and rub at anything," Phil says quickly, shuffling over as his wings flutter with anxious energy. "We found you in the snow with some pretty bad burns. Your skin is pretty raw right now."
Ranboo blinks, still looking a little delirious, vwooping at Phil quietly. Phil kneels, dipping his fingers in a tiny bit of a healing solution. As gently as he can, he presses them to Ranboo's cheeks and under his eyes, trying to soothe the burns left from long dried tears.
"Does that feel better?" He asks, trying not to coo when Ranboo leans into his touch. He makes himself comfortable on the floor, one of the dogs plopping their head into his lap and making quiet conversation. Edward has let himself hang back a little, busying himself with other activities. Ranboo is still quite drowsy but conscious enough to respond to questions and get a bearing of where he is ad what happened.
"I dunno, I... I just wanted to collect some wood for my house. I didn't think it was going to take very long... it all just happened so fast--"
"It's alright," Phil soothes. "Me and Techno should've warned you."
"What about me?" Techno asked, yawning and rubbing at his eye.
"I was just talking with Ranboo," Phil supplies. "How're you feeling?"
"Lukewarm."
Phil hums, stretching out his good wing to rest over Techno's shoulder, covering Ranboo in the process. Techno gives a warm chuckle, patting the appendage, which Phil mirrors, causing Ranboo to give a tired smile.
A sudden wave of drowsiness hits Ranboo, making him yawn, cheeks splitting and revealing all of his teeth.
"Go to sleep," Techno says before Ranboo can even start to feel anxious about baring his mouth. "We'll pick this up when you wake up, okay?"
Ranboo nods and falls back asleep.
"You're going soft," Phil jokes.
"Shut up."
Ranboo wakes up hours later, the wind still howling against the walls of the house. He shivers just from the sound of it, jolting him out of his sleep. He groans, the soreness setting in, unable to move his arm without it stinging unbearably.
Phil is alerted by Ranboo's pained whimpers, Techno shooting up as well.
"Hey, Ranboo," Phil coos softly, coming up behind him. "How are you feeling?"
"...hurts," Ranboo groans, trying to raise his arm but hissing in pain.
Phil softens, like he always does for these people, and pulls out the small bottle of healing he's been working on mixing into a paste. "How're your cheeks, then?"
Ranboo takes a second to think, flexing his jaw farther than he normally does. "My cheeks don't hurt as much."
Phil nods, scooping some of the healing paste into his hand. "I'm just gonna rub this on your arms and see if that helps."
Phil works quietly, cringing whenever his motions irritate Ranboo's skin. Edward looms over him, and Phil briefly wonders if Endermen have similar familial concepts to piglins.
After a long, tense moment, Phil is done, and Ranboo flexes his hands to test out how they feel.
"Feels... kinds tingly, but... not bad," Ranboo says. "Thanks, Phil."
"No problem, mate." Phil smiles and stands, moving to sort through Techno's potion chest. He pulls out the regular health potions they had stashed away, handing one to Ranboo and setting the rest down next to Techno.
"We'll have you drink a few more later when you're better rested," Techno says, momentarily taking his eyes off the bracelet he was braiding. "It won't take care of everything, but it'll certainly help."
Ranboo nods, downing his health potion. His body tingles, the skin slowly healing itself. Everything still stings, but not as bad as before. A pair of long, lanky legs press up against Ranboo's back, making him look up. It was Edward, leaning over him, vwooping softly. Ranboo vwoops back, a soft I'm fine, don't worry. Edward vwoops back, patting Ranboo's head before moving on and busying himself with other things.
It takes a few more hours for Ranboo to move out of the boat. Once he leaves, Edward steps back in, shuffling happily. Ranboo moves to the couch, pressed between Phil and Techno while they busy themselves with their own little activities.
"So... how often does it snow like this?" Ranboo asks, glancing nervously at the people around him.
"This is the first time, actually," Techno supplies, holding out the bracelet and inspecting it. "But this isn't me and Phil's first blizzard if that's when you're wondering."
"Oh." Ranboo nods and turns his attention back to the material of the couch. Phil begins to shuffle beside him, and Ranboo starts to worry he's taking up too much space before Phil glances at him kindly.
"Do you wanna help me with my wings?" He asks. Ranboo blinks in surprise.
"If-if you're fine with it," Ranboo says, anxiously hold out a clawed hand. "What, uh, what do I do?"
"Just run your fingers through, mate," Phil says, showing Ranboo how he does it. "Gently. The aim is to fix feathers out of place and get rid of old ones. Don't worry if some come out; it's supposed to happen."
Phil chuckles when Ranboo starts, oh so careful and anxious. Ranboo was on the side of Phil's injured wing, some parts still burnt and misshapen even after all this time. Phil probably won't fly ever again, and it makes something deep in Ranboo ache. A deep understanding of never being able to connect to the hybrid parts of yourself, somehow so close yet so far away. He didn't realize how upset he was getting until Edward vwooped, snapping him out of his spiral. Edward pushes his face into Ranboo's cheek, rumbling comfortingly, which Ranboo mirrors without even realizing it.
When he's satisfied, Edward pulls away, stepping back into his boat. Both Techno and Phil and starting at Ranboo's, and he feels his cheeks flush with embarrassment.
"I'm sorry," Phil starts, "Was that too much? Did I-"
"No, no," Ranboo quickly says, shaking his hands wildly. "Comfort noises. They were uh, just comfort noises."
"Oh, don't worry about that," Phil chuckles warmly. "We make them too. That was actually really close to piglin comfort sounds, which means Techno is going to be a huge softie for the next few hours."
"I am not," Techno states, but he already looks drowsy and shifts to lean more of his weight on Ranboo.
Edward vwoops, which sounds a bit like a distorted laugh.
It's... comforting being surrounded by people who are like him. Ranboo's body still aches from all the burns, and he's a little upset he didn't know about the storm, but he can't really make himself get worked up over it. They saved him from outside, somehow, and now everyone was trying to patch him back together. It was the most openly vulnerable Ranboo had felt in a long time.
When Phil finishes preening, with a little help from Ranboo, he wraps his damaged wing around him and Techno. It still makes Ranboo's heart hurt; who knows what kind of pain Phil is going through because he knows what he's lost, but... Ranboo lets himself take comfort in the warmth.
At some point, a dog plops her head in Ranboo's lap, and he coos at her while trying to get his fingers to cooperate enough to give her some good pets. Ranboo doesn't know how long the storm will last, but he finds himself dreading the time he'll be trapped inside less and less.