Philza is not an old man. Not nearly as old as he looks.
And perhaps there is a story to that. (And perhaps that story begins with a curly haired boy looking to him for guidance). (And perhaps that story ends tragically with Philza losing the boy who was nearly a son to him.) However, that is a story for another day.
But maybe there’s a story after that. And maybe that story begins with a pink haired boy and his brother looking to him for guidance. (And maybe that story ends happily).
That is a story for today.
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Philza is not an old man. But he is a man, and a weak one at that.
It’s storming tonight and storm’s always make him melancholic. They offer memories once joyful, twisting them, so they serve as a reminder of his failures.
It’s a knock on his door that tears Phil from his brooding.
When he opens the door to see two young boys before him, soaked to the bone with the elder’s hands sparking, he knows what they’re there for. And he feels some of his will crumble away before they can even speak.
“Please,” The child in front of him croaks, the smaller one peaking from behind his knees “Please I need help. I can’t control it and they said you could help. I just, anything, anything at all I just need to be able to control it”
It’s a familiar plee. But Philza has traveled down this path before, and he knows how this story ends.
“I can’t,” He whispers, quiet yet audible through the storm “I won’t” The boys before him look crestfallen. The sparks from the older boy’s hands grow more frantic, and he clenches them harder in response. Phil understands, to come so far only to be denied must be soul crushing.
And perhaps it’s the storm that makes him do this, maybe it’s the feeling of nostalgia, but Phil steps aside urging the children inside.
“Stay for the night, it’s far too dangerous to begin your journey back tonight.
And as Philza sits them down by the fire, feeds them, clothes them and learns their names (Technoblade, but you can call him Techno, the one with uncontrollable magic and Tommy, actually it’s Tommy Careful Danger Kraken Innit yes that’s his real name Techno, the one with a mouth worse than most sailors Phil soon learns), he feels his determination to send them away in the morn crumble further and further.
Still, for this night and every night after, Phil wonders if he’s doing the right thing bringing them in.
(Many months later Phil will realize that it was one of the best things he ever did)
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Orignal AU by Wolfy | AO3 | Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
uh hello @wolfythewitch, i bring you a lightning in a bottle au offering?
