Minor Problem | RERWRITE | Dream SMP BabyBoo AU

Chapter 4 - Night Terrors

(Original artwork by Grassvloock)

(TW: Nothing really, just angst. Terrified bby. Also, Techno lays down with BabyBoo. This is in a comforting/supportive manner for the lil tiny, not any weird ship crap between them-)

The later hours of night had come to seize their moment, the starry skies just outside shining brightest when the world was at its darkest point each midnight, silent, for the offer that those that were its inhabitants were able to rest.

Not everyone rests in the night however.

Techno still worked, searching desperately through each page of this cursed book for some way to fix the mistake he had made, somehow turning what was once a teen, into a tiny toddler. Flipping through each present page of the ruined book he'd tried so hard to decipher, his efforts were left to no avail. Nothing he could find even seemed remotely related to what he had done, nor seemed to be a help in fixing it.

Forcefully shutting the back cover to the book, he let out a frustrated sigh as he leaned his head back in his seat and tossed the book down on the ground beside him with a plop.

"You have got to be kidding me, book..."

He knew there wasn't much else to really be done right now if he couldn't find his answers in this book specifically. There had to be some other place to look, some other explanation or cure. Perhaps the potion would wear off and he'd just have to wait out the process. No harm in babysitting a few more days, right? It couldn't possibly last that long...

Techno didn't really have any options besides the waiting right now, still not sure that letting Phil find out would be a very good idea.

Speaking of...

Techno quickly pulled out his communicator, checking to see if he'd missed any messages from the old man. It had been quite literally the entire day all the way into late night, and he still hadn't made his way home as he said he would earlier that morning.

To no surprise, he had indeed missed some messages.

"Ph1LzA: Hey Tech, I'm gonna be a while actually. I'll be home either tonight or tomorrow morning. Decided to go gathering. I found a nice looking cave on my way back"

That would explain it. Man loves caves.

Putting the communicator back away, Techno stood up from his seat at long last, taking a moment to stretch a bit after having sat there for so long reading. He didn't bother picking up the book again, choosing to leave it there on the floor with how fed up he was with the thing. The voices hadn't even been taunting him, they were so bored with the thing, and in fact, they seemed to have settled to sleep.

It was then that he realized he should probably get some rest as well. In a few hours, that little Enderling was going to be supercharged with energy, having let him sleep so long. The downsides of finally getting your kid to sleep: They'll be up even earlier in the morning.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Techno decided still, he might do some tidying up around the house first. Quite a few random objects were left lying around from the little one's play, so he didn't see the harm in doing so.

He'd only grabbed a handful of items off the floor when-

All of a sudden, he heard the nightmarish screech of terror ring out from where he quickly determined to be from upstairs. He dropped everything in a panic, fearing the scream could only have come from Ranboo. He ripped his sword from its stand, rushing up the steps as fear struck through his heart for the little Enderling he'd left to sleep in his bed, a thousand thoughts flooding his mind and even more when he stirred the voices from their slumber.

He burst into the room, his blade ready to obliterate the one that may have hurt the young one- yet, as he looked around the dark space, he saw nothing but the frightened toddler in the bed, squeezing the wolf plush in his grasp as if holding on for dear life.

Techno lowered his sword. There was confusion, yet also relief that the little one was safe.

Ranboo seemed to be struggling to catch his breath, his tears falling in the way of his words too fast for him to handle. His face was clear to hold the expression of utter terror, accomanied by the grueling pain of the streaks teary, burning in such an unimaginable pain and he could not stop his cries. The little thing hugged onto himself and the plush with such a desperateness, his innocent child-like cries breaking the heart of even the Blood God himself as he heard nothing but their fear and confusion, a plea for someone to help him escape from whatever it was that haunted his mind.

He dropped his blade to the ground, the sound of the metal banging against the hardwood floor as he went to comfort the poor crying child, sitting himself on the bed and immediately pulling them into a gentle hold against himself.

The tiny thing only hiccuped and continued in his tears as he buried his face into the chest of the Piglin, gripping the fabric of their shirt as if afraid they should ever let go. He curled his tail close, shivering with every shaking breath.

"Shhh, hey, it's okay-" Techno whispered, lifting them closer and setting the little bundle down in his lap as he gently rubbed his hand over the Enderling's back, a soothing motion to tell the frightened thing that he was right here. He wasn't going to let go.

Ranboo still seemed to have something stirring his fear. He'd not yet settled.

Then, Techno took a gentle breath, beginning to hum something to the little one in remembrance of something Phil once did for Wilbur and Tommy in the same situation. Such a thing felt like such a long time ago, but it always worked for them.

It only took a moment of doing so for Ranboo's tiny cries to fade to whines, then silence into sniffles.

"There you go, you're alright..."

The toddler finally lifted their head, Techno noticing the little one's eyes to be a purplish color for just a moment before squinting and shaking his head, the familiar red and green returning once more.

"What happened, Ranboo? You scared me half to death-" he asked them, though the only response he'd gotten were the incomprehensible tellings of Enderic tongue. He'd not know enough to decipher the panicked child's words as he tried so hard to explain.

"Woah, woah, hang on there-" he tried easing the little one to a stop. "I don't know what you're trying to say..."

The Enderling only looked up at him with a sadness in his eyes, wishing he could tell him, but even he understood it would be difficult to say aloud for the Piglin to hear. Instead, he chose silence.

He simply put his head back down into their chest, holding close to the one that cradled him.

Techno wasn't sure what had just happened, but he knew that the toddler likely shouldn't be left alone this time, not like this. He was planning to come to bed anyway, so he didn't feel all too bothered by his current situation.

After a few more minutes of simply holding the little one, Techno eventually shifted into a lying down position on the bed, pulling a pillow down for his head and one to place between him and the Boo. He wasn't going to try to move too much with the little one in his grasps, so he stayed where he was. Covering them once more with the blanket, he lied there in the silence with his tiny, keeping them close.

It wasn't long before the little one drifted off, hugging onto the fluffy pillow as Techno wrapped his arm around their other side, keeping him safely in place and gently held.

He wasn't going to leave their side this time. They'd be safe now.

He'll make sure of it.