In the Beginning... [DreamSMP/SMPEarth book adaptation]

growing pains

Philza's POV

The boys made progress everyday. Wilbur has begun to open up and has shown a particularly bubbly side and Techno has started to talk a bit more past his usual quiet one word answers. I don't even want to know what they had gone through before I had brought them quite literally under my wing, but I am glad I am helping them slowly recover. They now had entire closets of clothes I had helped them pick out, which appeared to be a fairly new concept to them, and they shared a bedroom in which Wilbur had insisted on helping me paint a mustard yellow.

    I have been able to pick out the individual quirks each of the twins had. Wilbur appeared to have taken all the social energy in the womb, greeting me excitedly in the mornings when I woke them up and just being generally outgoing. He had quite a large smile, sharp white incisors on full display whenever he experienced even the smallest serotonin inducing event. He seems to be a very curious soul by nature, I had to sit him down and calmly explain the concept of privacy when he once rummaged through a chest under my bed that was full of some of my old arrow tips and quivers and left the sharp bits scattered across the ground.

    Technoblade, on the other hand, appear as a more gentle and old soul. Though he shared the same level of curiosity, he would rather observe it from a distance or meticulously inspect it instead of Wilbur's rash tactic of 'Pick up. Very cool. Bored. Oo new thing!'. Techno would often try and ask me to read to him in the least amount of words as possible, often simply pointing at a book or offering one up to my hands. He liked books and appeared as if he was trying really hard to learn how to read. Unlike Wilbur, who was talkative beyond measures once he got comfortable around me, Techno rarely spoke. I haven't quite figured out why yet. I don't know if it's because he just doesn't feel the need to or because of something bigger, but I am willing to be patient. Whenever he speaks even a sentence to me I give him my undivided attention, doing my best to show him that expressing himself through words is a good thing to me.

    He once came up to me and asked (more so whispered) if he could have a cookie from a bakery we were passing in the market once and I nearly melted. I bent down to Techno's level and told him in a very serious voice about how every great adventurer needs cookies and of course I would get him some. Needless to say the two brothers were very happy about this.

    I had some troubles, however, explaining the two new additions to my family to my old buddies.

    Pat had approached me at the market on the same day as the cookie day wanting to ask me if I was planning on exploring deserts anytime soon for enchanted apple groves and nearly dropped a crate of glass bottles when Techno and Wilbur peeked out from behind my cloak and wings.

    "Ph-Phil you have two shadows." He had said nervously.

    "Oh yea..." I looked down fondly at the kiddos, "I rescued them from the dumpster."

    And we left it at that with my only further elaboration stating that they were now under my care.

    Speaking of exploration, I realized my new lifestyle as an adoptive father to the two hybrid twins was going to make my job a bit harder. I explore, it's what I do. It is how I make a living. By flying up over the untamed lands, fighting monsters, and collecting rare and valuable items I could sell to earn my keep. I couldn't exactly head off for an unspecified amount of time with two 6 year olds now under my care now could I? I didn't know many people who would have time themselves to babysit either. I managed to snag my old friend Jerome a few times to watch the boy for a couple of short trips, but he was often busy doing work in the larger parts of the city. I watched as my fly time dropped from leaving for adventure every few days to maybe heading out for no more than four or five days once a month. I just hoped I wouldn't see any repercussions from this anytime soon. Once the boys grew up a bit I would probably be able to trust them to hold down the fort at home on their own or maybe I even ditch flying and just take them on an old fashion on-foot-expedition so I could return to my old schedule of business.