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Phil wasn’t sure how he felt about Techno’s “new job”. He would return to their cozy house on the edge of town covered in a number of small scrapes, marks, and scratches. Techno insisted he was fine, that anything was better than the boxing circuit, but still.
“It’s not like you need the money! Kristen and I both make more than enough to support the three of us.” Phil pointed at Techno with his fork. “What in the world is so dangerous there that you keep coming back looking like you lost a fight with a fuckin’ lawnmower?”
Techno raised his hands in mock surrender and grinned. “C’mon, Phil. It’s fiiiiine.” Most of his fingers were wrapped in plasters and he had even more bandages poking out from under the collar of his shirt. His dyed pink hair was frazzled and mussed but...his eyes were bright. His shoulders were relaxed. It was like he was filled with the same bone-deep contentment as he’d had during the early days of his boxing career.
Kristin peered up from her phone between the two of them and took a few bites of dinner. She was smiling, though, used to their playful fights. “You know what I think?”
“That your glass needs a refill?”
She beamed at Techno. “Thank you for offering!”
He let out a lengthy “Bruuuuh” in complaint but still took her glass to mix her another cocktail. She rounded on Phil instead, eyes shining with mischief. “I think you should go with him to his job and see what he’s been up to!”
Phil tilted his head in consideration. “That...would solve the issue about finding out what keeps hurting him...”
“Nope.” Techno’s head poked out of the kitchen while he mixed the drink together with their shaker. “Definitely not. You are way too chaotic to come. And besides.If you come, then it’s only a matter of time before Tommy and Wilbur show up. No way.”
“Aw come on! Mate, please?” Phil slumped in his seat and pouted. Techno’s eye twitched. “I’m just worried about you.”
“No, and that’s final. There is no way I am lettin’ you talk me into showing you where I work.”
Technoblade heaved a long, despondent sigh. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into showing you where I work.”
“To be fair,” piped Niki from the back seat, “Ranboo was the one who guilted you into taking all of us. As a ‘Fun Book Club Bonding Outing’.”
Ranboo smiled at Techno from the passenger seat, being the tallest and therefore only able to sit in the front. “You didn’t have to agree. I only asked because Phil told me to.”
Techno grumbled and kept his eyes on the road. Phil leaned back in his own seat, his hat tipped down over his eyes. “Had to bring out the big guns. And you can’t say no to Ranboo.”
Techno glanced in the rear-view mirror. “I will kick you out of this car and leave you on the side of the road, Philza Minecraft. Do not test me.”
Phil perked up and grinned, a wild light in his eyes. “Bet.”
Techno narrowed his gaze, then sighed. “Unfortunately, it wouldn’t matter since we’re here.” He turned into the parking lot of a large, unassuming gray building. The sign out front said “L’Manberg Animal Rehabilitation Facility & Adoption Center”. Niki gasped in delight. Phil could have slapped himself.
No wonder Techno was always so delighted to head into work. It was with animals.
Techno pulled into a spot marked “Employees Only” and let out a weary sigh. “Okay. Ground rules. A lot of our animals bite so unless I say ‘yeah, you can pet them’, assume any can and will bite you. Especially Princess Teacup, no matter how sweet she looks. No sneakin’ any of them snacks. And most importantly...if you plan on takin’ any of the adoptable animals home, you’ll have to sign all the forms. Phil, you are forbidden from adoptin’ any.”
Phil gasped in mock-offense. “And why is that?”
“Because I live with you and you’re a terrible pet owner. Besides, I got my eye on one already. He’s just recoverin’ from bein’ hit by a car and is still a little too fragile to move.”
Phil stepped out of the car and stretched. He grinned at his friend. “And when were you planning on telling me this? You weren’t just going to surprise us by bringing him home and telling us he lives there now, right?”
Techno cleared his throat and all but threw himself out of the car. “So! Welcome to the sanctuary! Let’s start the tour!” He strode off, Phil hot on his heels. Ranboo and Niki hurried after them, both smiling at each other.
The main office had a cozy, rustic aesthetic. There were potted plants on every surface along with pictures of animals in nature. A petite young woman manned the desk and she perked up when Techno entered. “Hi, Techno! You’re not on shift until later today, what’s up? Karl ask you to cover for him again?”
Techno smiled at her and stepped further inside, his hands tucked into his pockets. “Hey, Tina. Naah, I’m just showing the nerds from my book club around. They asked to see where I worked. Is Puffy in yet?”
Tina tapped her bottom lip with one finger in thought. “Yeah, she should be. She was passing out food with Sneeg a little while ago. He should be back in his office by now and she’s probably doing her rounds. Oh! And Dream is here. He’s got the dogs in the back for their daily run.”
Phil waved with a cheery smile. “Hellooo~ Name’s Philza. Everyone calls me Phil. This is Ranboo and Niki.”
Ranboo waved, a little timid and stiff while Niki also gave a quiet, if friendly greeting.
“C’mon in! Techno talks about you guys all the time. I’m Tina and I work reception. If you have any questions or want to adopt any of our residents, come talk to me! Or Karl. He’s playing with the cats right about now.”
Techno led them past the desk and into the back rooms before they could embarrass him in front of his coworker. He did that plenty on his own, thank you.
Niki smiled up at Techno and walked a little faster to keep up with his long strides. “Awww, Techno,” she cooed, “You talk about us?”
“Ehhhh, barely. Sometimes. When there’s not more interestin’ stuff to discuss.” He refused to meet her eyes under any circumstances. She just grinned back at Ranboo and Phil who both stifled laughter.
The animal pens for the cats and dogs were neat and tidy. A few of the older dogs lounged about on the floor of their pen room in dog beds while Dream, a volunteer and friend of Techno’s, took them on runs through the nearby park. Karl, a tall young man with very curly hair and a guileless smile, chatted with other visitors in the cat room.
Dr. Sneeg Snag was the vet and he was, to Techno’s joy, a bit too busy on a phone call to come tease Techno with the rest of his friends. Small mercies. Techno pointed to a large, white dog who lounged on a large dog bed in the kennel room. “That’s Steve. He's the one I mentioned earlier. He's recoverin' just fine but Sneeg wants t'make sure he's in top shape.”
Phil raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. A dog would be nice. It’d probably be more housetrained than Wilbur or Tommy, at any rate. "He's massive. How old is he?"
Techno hummed. "Not sure but we're guessin' around nine months."
Phil did a double take at the massive pile of fur that panted happily in a cozy bed. "Nine months?! He's still growing?!"
Techno nodded. "Ah-yup. We think he's part mastiff. But he's a big old softie, aren't you, bud?" Steve, as if in agreement, rolled over to expose more of his fluffy belly. Ranboo joined Techno on the ground to pet the large dog. Niki snickered to Phil.
"Massive and scary looking with a soft, gentle underbelly. Sound like anyone else we know?"
"Niki, you better not be slanderin' me next to my new attack dog. Steve! Kill!" Techno pointed at her and Steve yawned before curling closer for more pets. "Bruuuuh."
Next came the outside pens which were for rehabilitating or caring for wildlife.
“We can go to the aviary in a second, just gotta say hello to Princess Teacup.”
“Who...Who is Princess Teacup?” Ranboo glanced over at Techno, away from a pen right near the back door. He startled at a small, chirping meow from the enclosure and glanced back, expecting to see a house cat.
Instead, he was looking straight into the eyes of a full grown mountain lion. Ranboo froze as the cat crept closer to the fence around the cage...and started rubbing its face against it, purring like an engine. Techno sighed fondly and walked over. He knelt down and placed a hand up right near where the large cat was rubbing itself.
“This is her. She was raised by humans as a pet and isn’t fit to be released in the wild...but she couldn’t stay with them anymore after she clawed the guy’s face off. Isn’t that right, Princess?”
Princess Teacup squeaked and purrled, then whipped around to bat at Techno’s hand with her claws fully extended. Techno cackled, having whipped his hand away in just enough time to avoid injury. “Not even close, baby!”
Teacup simply blinked and started purring again. Ranboo wanted to pet her. He wanted to pet the big cat more than anything he’d ever wanted in his life, even if she bit him. It’d be worth it. He tried to step forward but Techno put a heavy arm around his shoulders.
“Better not, kid. Come on, let’s go show the old man some birds. Maybe he’ll be able to commune with ‘em.”
“Oh fuck off, mate.”
Ranboo let himself be pulled along but turned around to wave at the cat. She squeaked and lept back up into a little perch area higher in her enclosure.
Phil joked and prodded at Techno as they continued the tour. He was starting to get why Techno seemed so content, even with all the new injuries. This job was everything his friend needed. It was purpose. It was work that mattered, even if it was only to some animals. If he were being honest, it was probably because of those very animals that the work was so enticing.
Technoblade seemed....light. In a way that he hadn’t in a long, long time.
Philza figured he could forgive some bruises and scratches if it meant he could see his friend this happy all the time.
Hell, maybe he’d look into volunteering.
This quickly backfired when, shortly after Phil’s first day of volunteer work (which was building better enclosures for some of the animals), the door to the shelter slammed open. Tina shrieked and spilled half her mug of coffee on herself.
“‘ALLO?!”