Chapter Text
Tommy was…a priest..?
He's not quite sure himself, technically you can't be a priest without a God, but the official title in the tower for healers were priests and priestesses.
But he's not sure if that's because priests were expected to already have a God they follow. Most healing magic is gained from the blessings of deities as it treads over the domain of death and life, domains more fickle than fire, water and everything in between. But Tommy? Tommy's abilities were something he was born with.
He doesn't miss the strange gazes he gets when he passes other team's healers, he doesn't take it to heart, a godless priest is an odd thought.
To be fair, he wasn't completely godless.
He has dabbled contact with some gods, who hasn't? Hell, he has an altar for two.
But then again, he's never reached out to build relationships with the intent of becoming their priest.
At first, he wanted to follow Foolish, a god that gifted his priests and priestesses a longer lifespan and a faster healing factor. His team even urged him to as it would serve as an advantage as they went further into the tower, and he will! but… he's- he just doesn't want to rush things. That's it.
Everyone says he just needs more time… So he believes them.
Just some more time. Give it some more time..
…
He's kind of tired of waiting.
Tommy sits in his room, laying on his bed flatly on his back, it's small and cozy, and definitely more than he could ask for considering they were quite literally in a tower of death.
He was silently staring at the roof, idly letting his thoughts and the hours pass as he laid there.
It would be a benefit for the team, right? Dream had told him to take his time, told him that he didn't have to do anything he didn't want to, but technically, Tommy would be doing something he wanted.
He wanted to help. The 10th level of the tower was opening up soon, it would be Tommy's first time going through an actual level with them, and while he knew that his party was already full of strong and respected people, he wanted- no, needed to do more.
He owes the three more than he could ever tell them.
They had taken him in, shown him every tip in the book and mentored him in their specialties.
Sapnap was an infamous assassin, both in the world outside and inside. Tommy remembers hearing whispers of a ruthless assassin that roams the streets of the Essempei, the epitome of stealth and speed.
(Sapnap teaches him how to blend into the background, how to use the shadows as a cloak and how to use it to his advantage.)
George was the oldest, an elf kin that acted as their tactician. Despite Dream technically being their leader, George was usually the one they all listened to. He was a devotee of Exdee, and he was the one who helped Tommy make his altar for the Angel and the Siren.
(George teaches him how to use his youth and his status as a Priest; a role usually seen as pure and holy, to his advantage.)
Dream was one of the most respected players in the tower, he had the record of being the first person to reach floors 5, 7 and 9. As far as Tommy knew, no one other than Dream held multiple awards for that achievement.
(And Dream…
Dream's taught him almost every single thing he knows about this tower and- well, everything else. His mentor, his mind whispers.
His brother, his heart yells.)
The tower would only get more difficult from here, he'd only gotten lucky when he started out, somehow being able to go through the first nine levels despite being a healer. Which is why he immediately accepted Dream's offer to join their team nearly two years ago.
They were the only three that Tommy had ever really interacted with in the tower. He'd come across them once in the start and twice in the eighth level, they had helped him with gear at the start, and he had helped Dream with an injury on the eighth.
Something yells at him to do something, anything. He needed a push in the right direction. This would be their first official exploration with them and he needed to stop hesitating on a choice that could benefit his team immensely.
Some kind of self discovery was what he needed, ones written in books, words either written as something tragic or something entirely beautiful.
Tommy doesn't mind a tragedy if it means he could be something.
The candle light flickers from the corner of his room. He immediately recognizes it as the candle from his altar that was devoted to the Angel of Death, and something stern but unthreatning beckons him to come closer.
It's a feeling he's associated with the Angel, if he could describe it, he'd describe it as a gentle presence that doesn't need to make itself overbearing to be respected and even feared.
The Angel was the first god he'd made contact with in the tower, he was just starting out and so while it was definitely supposed to be easy, it was still hard for someone with only one offensive move to make use of.
He remembers how nervous he was, meek and shaky hands hesitantly offering the god's statue the few coins he had. He'd doubted that the God would even answer, from what he heard before he entered, most gods in the tower were strict and only chose to answer those who interested them.
He doubted that a God would take interest in a boy who didn't even enter the tower for a noble reason or something. He was just some kid who had no choice but to go forward and into the tower that most likely would guarantee his death. Hell, he didn't even know who the Angel was back then!
But back then, Tommy had little to no understanding of the coin system and was unaware of the value of the few starter coins he had, so he held his breath and gambled.
And the Angel answered his whims.
Tommy lightly shook his head, shoving the memories away to the back of his mind. He shuffled off the bed and obediently sat in front of the altar, he's not quite sure what the Angel wanted.
The altar was simple but elegant, a white table cloth Tommy had crocheted himself, drawers filled with trinkets and offerings, drawings and poems on paper pasted to the wall, miniature statues of crows and even the Angel himself, in the middle was a portrait of the God and a scented candle.
The Angel particularly liked gifts that Tommy had made himself, whether it be the smallest thing like a paper bird to a miniature statue, the god seemed to love them all the same.
The Siren meanwhile, definitely had favourites and was not afraid to make it known. Tommy resisted the urge to fondly roll his eyes.
"...Is there something you uh- need from me?" Tommy shifted his weight from side to side uncomfortably, he's been unsure on how he should talk to the God after he was told to not speak so leisurely.
He was just a mortal, not a friend.
A wave of displeasure washes over him and he winces, shit. Wrong…move? Should he be talking even more respectfully?
He cleared his throat, "I'm- uh. Sorry..?" Should he give the Angel an offering? They haven't gone through their 'patrols' this week yet, so he didn't have anything to make that would be of value to give right now.
"I don't really have anything I can offer you right now.."
The energy around him turns softer, comforting even. A quiet hum of comfort. And Tommy's not sure what that meant, did the Angel accept his apology, or the fact that he didn't have anything to offer right now? Nevertheless, he relaxes, shoulders easing as his worries were soothed down.
He gives it some thought for a moment, he hasn't gone on an expedition alone in a long time…maybe a bit of a reminiscent trip to the past will push him in the right direction.
Plus, he's sure he could find materials to make something to offer the Angel and the Siren If he tried hard enough, even if it was only a few rooms.
Would Dream even agree? Tommy's sure that he can take care of himself, and he won't even go that far. Just a few rooms and he'll be back in no time.
But then again…it has been a while, maybe he should ask someone to go with him-
The presence around him shifts the slightest bit almost immediately after the thought crosses his mind, and Tommy is hit with a sense of security so warm it almost makes him stumble.
It's an odd feeling, it was as if he'd been taken into the Angel's arms and pressed to his chest. It's reassuring, protective even, like soft strokes to his head and a doting embrace.
If Tommy didn't know any better, it was as if the Angel was trying to portray words that were unable to be said…words like-
I'd never let you get hurt.
Tommy blinks, resisting the urge to shake the thought out of his head, he clears his throat feeling an embarrassed blush rising to his face, that's right, he could do this. "It's been a while since I've gone solo, right big man?"
The energy gently coaxes him, it urges him like a hand tugging him forward and…
Who's Tommy to refuse really.
———
Tommy had put on his gloves and coat, hooking his staff on his back as he shoved his hands in his pockets and awkwardly walked through the hub.
As always it was loud and bustling and Tommy could tell that the conversations were most likely about the 10th floor. If it were any other time, he would have probably taken the chance to eavesdrop, gather some information, but right now? Well, he was a man on a mission.
He gently rubbed the crow pendant hooked onto his silver necklace, taking a deep breath before walking over to where his party usually sat.
Tommy wasn't one to go out of his way to go outside his room, preferring to avoid the eyes that greeted him every time he took a step outside with motives that vary from jealousy to awe.
Look here! The priest with no God, the infamous healer of the Dream Team himself!
Tommy wanted to curl up into a ball and just disappear.
"Tommy." The boy could tell that Dream had been caught off guard with his arrival, not in a bad way he hoped. The older man hadn't been wearing his mask, he supposed that made sense, they weren't in combat right now and the lobby seemed peaceful enough.
Tommy slips into the dynamic immediately, he grins, "Just came here to bless you fuckers with my incredible presence." He sits next to him, scowling but not pulling away from the hand that ruffles his hair.
"Looks like the gremlin has finally risen from his hole," Sapnap hums, a shit eating grin on the tanned man's face, "I'm so proud."
"They grow up so fast." George commented, leaning on his chair. There was a humorless smirk on his face.
Tommy scoffs boisterously and rolls his eyes, "The world just can't handle too much of the great TommyInnit, it will simply collapse from my overwhelming charm."
Dream lightly chuckled, all too familiar with the antics, "What exactly does 'The Great TommyInnit' require of us today?"
Right. That.
"Well, actually.." Tommy hesitated, clearing his throat, "I uh.."
Fuck.
There's no way he's backing out now, he's already gotten this far after all.
The three only patiently wait for him to spill, looking at him with their own rendition of curiosity. It does absolutely nothing to soothe Tommy's nerves.
Tommy taps on his stool, taking a deep breath as the words clawed at his throat.
Don't be nervous.
"I was just…wondering if I could go on patrol today."
Dream blinked, "That's it?" He hummed, staring at the clock on the wall before nodding, "Well, I am free right now, how far do you want to go?"
Tommy shook his head, "No, not like that I-" He took a deep breath, "I was wondering if I could do one… alone."
Like a trigger somehow, the comfortable energy around the table had shifted into something restricting and tense. Tommy winced as they remained in silence, watching as the three older men's expressions changed.
Sapnap had blinked, seemingly caught off guard and beside him George opened his mouth to speak before being abruptly cut off by a stern voice.
"Nope." Dream cut off, "No way." He shook his head.
"But-!"
"Tommy." The man glared, "It's too dangerous."
Tommy scowled, "I can take care of myself!"
"We know that." Sapnap intervened, looking slightly hesitant, "We're not underestimating you or anything- it's just that this isn't the lower floors anymore, you're a healer."
George stared at Tommy for a moment, before sighing, "How long are you planning to be gone for?"
"George!"
He glared at Dream with a stare that basically challenged him to try and argue with his decision, "Tommy's a capable player, Dream." He glances at Tommy who was both glad and a but surprised that George was backing him up here, he huffs, "We have no right to just baby him."
Tommy nodded enthusiastically, thank fuck, at least one of them was reasonable, "it's just a few rooms! I'll be back before twelve. You won't even notice I'm gone!"
Dream was unchanging in his decision, staring at the both of them like they've gone insane, "Absolutely not. It's too dangerous."
"If I may remind you, Tommy went through the first eight levels alone, Dream. I'm pretty sure he can take care of himself." George lazy glared from under his glasses, clearly not wanting to debate this any further.
"It doesn't matter! The ninth is dangerous, George. What if Tommy gets hurt?" Dream fussed, "We aren't doing this, there's no way you're going out there alone." He shook his head, giving Tommy a stare that left no room for debate.
"To be fair, if he gets hurt, then he can just heal himself." Sapnap butted in, not at all backing away from the scowl Dream gave him.
George nodded, turning to Tommy with a slightly softer but assertive gaze, "If at all you get severely hurt, you come back, got it?"
Tommy grinned, "Of course! I could never imagine disobeying you, king." He lightly jokes.
George huffed, leaning in to swat the younger's head down with no real force, "I change my mind, you're grounded."
"I'm still not going to agree with this." Dream glared.
Sapnap shrugged, "Well, it's too late now."
They sat in a tense silence that made Tommy's skin crawl, and Tommy was close to taking the chance into taking the silence as a yes, because he really didn't feel like waiting till Dream made an argument that would change Sapnap's mind and would then make George sigh and give up.
George had definitely already made up his mind, but he didn't always have the will to follow through with things that didn't matter in the long run, Sapnap was hesitant but trusted Tommy's capabilities but he also had faith in his team's opinions while Dream… Dream was a worry wart who rarely ever backed down.
Dream lightly grunted, turning back to Tommy with a frown. A stubborn frown that Tommy knew like the back of his hand.
'Well two can play that game!'
Tommy glared back with just as much vigor he could muster. His mentor taught him everything, and Tommy knew just how to exploit it.
Dream looked at his resolute stare, visibly softening before sighing, "Fine, you go out there-" Tommy blinked, "-But you better come back before twelve or I'm going after you."
Tommy's eyes widened in surprise, taking a moment to process the words before he beamed, he took the chance to slip back into the groove and teased, "You're so fucking clingy, Dream."
"I'm serious, Tommy." Dream put his hands on the younger's shoulders, "You know I can always just come with you."
Tommy blinked, shoulders easing as his grin turned softer and fonder, "Appreciate it and all but- I wanna do this alone. Big man shit, y'know?"
Dream's frown sat unchanged on his lips, but he reached for his pockets and took out one of his daggers, tucking it in tightly on Tommy's utility belt, slightly lingering for a moment before he nodded, "Alright." He stared at Tommy in the eye, "Come back safe, okay?"
Tommy paused, hand lightly grazing the daggers handle. He recognized this…he smiled, "Of course." He huffed, "This tower is no match for me, after all!"
"If you get hurt, you're grounded, Tommy." Sapnap cut in from behind Dream, "So don't get hurt, you little shit." Stay safe.
Tommy only rolled his eyes, but the soft smile on his face was unmissable, "I won't."
Tommy quietly walked through the halls, putting the map into his pocket as he grasped his mentor's dagger with his right hand.
The halls were deathly silent, nothing but the sound of Tommy's footsteps echoing through the halls as he absentmindedly stared at the cobwebs that formed in the corners, the small life forms that crawl through the nook and crannies of the bricks that mount on the walls.
Facing it now, Tommy's realized that he truly hasn't done this in a while.
And while yes, he doesn't mind the silence, he doesn't mind being alone with the monsters he strikes down, he doesn't mind being able to keep all the rewards as he clears through another room.
It's the silent walks that remind him that perhaps he prefers the company.
He gets struck out of his reminiscent haze as he bumps into a seeming dead end, a patterned brick wall with a line that goes through the middle, Tommy blinks as he recognizes it as an entrance to a room.
His hands routinely reach for his map, opening up the scroll, a frown pulling on his lips as he opens it.
From what the map says, he should be met with a straight hallway right about now, there should be two rooms right up ahead, two rooms blocked by this…entrance that came out of nowhere.
There's not…supposed to be a room here. He's never heard of something like this before, as far as he was told maps were supposed to be omniscient when it came to the layout of the tower and its rooms.
A part of him scurries away from this anomaly, tells him that he should immediately go back and call it a day.
But…there's also a part of him that wonders if this is the 'push-to-the-right-direction' that he needed.
His grasp on the dagger tightens and Tommy lightly rubs the crow pendant on his necklace and he tucks it into his shirt, close to his heart and he places his hand flatly onto the wall.
The halls shake as the room opens, the doors splitting apart as dust rained from the ceilings, he enters the room with cautious steps, staff raised defensively in front of him, already charged with a spell for whatever would happen from this point onwards.
There is a lectern sitting in the middle of the room, and Tommy is tempted to go straight for it before he hears a sound of distress in the corner of the room. He blinks and his head turns his attention to the noise.
There's a cage, covered in the darkness and Tommy can't quite make out what was trapped inside the metal bars.
Hesitantly, Tommy walks forward, ignoring the way his heart pounds in his chest. There were no mobs for him to strike down here, according to how the tower worked, there should be something that prevents him from opening the cage. There was none right now, and once again, a sense of the fear of unfamiliarity hits him.
As he walks closer, the shadow persists, it could either be a violent mob or it could be a mount, but any of the noises it makes seems to indicate otherwise.
He takes a deep breath and he tries to break the lock with the blade of the dagger, grasping it tightly.
According to the guide book they were given on the first floor, the guide that Tommy met on the 5th floor, George's teachings and Tommy's own past experiences, once he hit the lock, there should be a system message that appears in front of him.
It would say 'Are you sure you'd like to open the cage?' and Tommy would be given the choice of a yes or no.
But the lock stays still and unchanged, and there is no panel that materializes in front of Tommy.
He blinks. He tries again.
Nothing.
And again, and again, and again-
Nothing.
…
Tommy sits and stares at the cage with a blank expression as the noises of distress that came from inside the cage continued, there's a blank frown on his face.
Was the tower on drugs?
He frowned, what was going on today? He sighed, placing a hand on the cage as he tried to get up with a grunt, he stumbled as a panel popped up in front of him, landing right back on his butt.
What.
Tommy's eyes widened, shock rendering him frozen as he stammered.
Would you like to open this cage?
Yes No
He tries to find a reasonable explanation, was it lag? Could the tower even lag? How would him putting a hand on the cage trigger the dialogue?
He hasn't even been holding the lock. He was just using the top of the cage as a clutch to get up!
Tommy shook his head, not willing to question it any further, he shrugged it off as a bit of a glitch. He raised his hand and pressed on the yes button, the panel quickly dissolving as the cage started to make a noise indicating it breaking.
He backed away warily, prepared for any sort of creature to come out and attack him as the metal dissolved and the seems unwrapped, it quickly revealed-
A spider..?
Not a mob spider, not even a mount, just…a spider.
Its shrieks ceased, and the small spider just stared up at him.
"Uh, hey buddy." Tommy leaned down, sitting in a criss cross position as he settled his hands on his lap, he wasn't sure of what was going on.
To his assumption this animal was friendly? Or at least not hostile. To be honest, it just looked like a normal spider to his eyes, it was small and seemed defenseless after all. But Dream has dug the instinct of being cautious of the unknown into his mind, so Tommy naturally follows.
Something shines from the corner of the cage, and Tommy blinks as he sees something glinting from the shadows, slightly squinting his eyes and looking closer he identifies the item as some sort of toy.
Its common knowledge that items…couldn't be gained from cages in the tower, they could only be dropped from mobs, crates and chests, just like how cages could only let out mobs.
If he was confused later, now he just has no idea what was going on. He'd definitely be bringing this up with George later.
He absentmindedly reaches for the toy, gently grabbing it with his fingers and grasping it in his palm, he frowns as he looks at it with closer inspection.
It's…familiar. Somehow. Like something he's seen a very long time ago.
It was a pig plush, so small it could fit into the palm of his hand, there was dust on it but it felt as if it had been fondly taken care of for a very long time.
His finger slightly brushed over the crappy crown made of golden paper that was glued tight to the head of the pig plush, his fingers lingered over the miniature crown for a moment..
"-ive you this!"
Tommy blinks as a voice akin and younger to his own echoes in his mind, he shakes his head, taking a sharp breath as he shoves both the toy and his thoughts into his pocket, this place is weird. Too weird, and he had no time to worry about silly visions.
A sting of pain slightly tingles on his arm and he yelps as he looks down, the spider bit him!
He huffs as he stares at the insect that crawled onto his wrist while he was occupied with a flash of a memory.
He resists the urge to flick the little thing away, and opts to heal the wound instead.
"Don't do that, you bitch." He glares, sighing as he presses his finger to the small red bite, feeling a warm glow overtake him for a moment and blocking out the way he could feel a bit of his energy deplete as the bite and some wounds he had attained earlier disappeared.
Tommy takes a deep breath as the glow disappears and he lightly flails his wrist to shake away the numbness building up into his fingers and palm, he doesn't flick the spider away and it doesn't move from where it sits on his palm.
Whatever, you can't bring mobs out of the rooms anyways.
Tommy grunts as he gets up, turning his head to look away from the cage and back at the lectern hit by sunshine from the cracks of the roof. It used to strike him as odd, but Sapnap had told him it was a simulated kind of sunlight when he brought it up one day.
He shook his head, and walked over to the lectern, fiddling with the dagger in his hand as his shadow casted onto the floors, his hand cautiously reaching out to lightly graze his hand over the page.
The right page was blank, but on the former there was a simple phrase written in delicate and cursive handwriting.
My name is _____
Tommy blinked, was it asking him to write his name down? He assumed so. He'd never come across this puzzle before but that was honestly to be expected.
Unlike the mobs and items which had a confirmed amount, no one really knew how many puzzles existed in the tower yet, a new one being discovered every week or so.
He reached into his bag's pocket, taking out a pen lined in gold with such softness it would strike even the average acquaintance of his as odd. It was one of the few things he had that he had before the tower, it was a pen, sure, but that didn't mean he couldn't treasure it all the same.
He slightly bent down and wrote his name down as gently as he could.
Tommy.
He hesitated, before shrugging.
TommyInnit.
He hummed, clipping the lid back on and carefully placing it back into his bag. He stared back at the words with a considerate amount of attention.
My name is TommyInnit.
Huh.
Seeing his handwriting next to such neat cursive made him doubt himself a bit.
Okay…perhaps he didn't have the best handwriting in the world, but hey! His words must be loud, even if it was ink on a page.
The letters of his name were the polar opposite of the cursive and neat lines that made the words before it. Readable but similar to chicken scratch.
As he straightened his back, the room shook again, dust talking to the floor, the wall behind the lectern started to divide and open, Tommy slightly stepping back as the light flooded in.
Oh wow. Back on track then.
He cleared his throat, only glancing at the lectern once or twice more before walking off, the spider finding its way crawling into his chest pocket.
Tommy continued to walk through the halls, humming softly to himself as he fiddled with the dagger in his hands, he'd eventually halt, as the hall came to a stop.
According to the map, to his left should be another room, and to his right should be…well, a surprise.
And as an explorer, it would be odd for Tommy to leave something unknown, wouldn't it?
He pressed his palm flatly on the stone wall adorned with cracks and vines, the halls shaking once again as the line that cut through the middle had slowly split and made way.
As the walls pried open, Tommy was met with a statue peering over his own figure. A statue made of stone, and one he had seen far too many times before.
The Blood God's statue.
Tommy stiffens and he stands there for a moment, unmoving.
Tommy remembers the countless moments he's spent idly standing at the statue's door, never entering despite the constant tug that urges him to come forward.
"The blood god doesn't respond to offerings."
Tommy had been on the second floor when he first came across the god's statue. He had been a moment away from stepping in before another player he had temporarily set up a truce with had grabbed his shoulder and stopped him in his tracks.
Tommy had blinked back then, "Why not?"
The older man had shrugged, "Not so sure myself." He gestured to Tommy to follow him to the next room, "You'd just be wasting your coins, kid."
"...not a kid."
And for a moment, Tommy considers just turning back.
But for some reason the same feeling that has accompanied him whenever he stood close to the doorway, the feeling that tries to coax him into coming in, the feeling that always fails- gets just a bit stronger.
And Tommy finds himself giving into its whims as he takes that one step that welcomes him into a room, so new and yet so familiar at the same time.
He's observed this room from afar so much times, so much so that he knows every vine, every speck of dust, every false light that seeps from the cracks on the roof, and every cobweb like the back of his mind and yet as he enters, there's a familiarity there that Tommy had no idea where to trace back to.
Every step Tommy takes, the more he feels that faint buzz turn into something that encompasses his entire being with an unmistakable warmth.
It's… overwhelmingly familiar.
Something so warm, so loving, and so incomprehensible.
Something that has been waiting for him for a very long time.
Tommy's steps stop, and he's face to face with the familiarity that he has no idea what to do with.
He stares at it for a moment, hands idly raised as his palms hover, wanting to graze the stone sword that the statue holds and digs into the pedestal that it sits on. He lets his hand sit in the air for a moment, before he shakes his head and retracts.
Why had he even come here..?
He's not sure if he even had nearly enough coins to offer the statue right now, he'd just blindly followed the tug that he had used to ignore.
But he's gone all the way, so no matter the outcome, he might as well.
Tommy takes a deep breath, taking out the few coins he had collected.
No matter the outcome. Even rejection.
Coins on his right hand, he shoved the empty pouch into his pocket. As he pulled out his hand, the toy from earlier had stumbled out, making a small noise that echoed through the room which was in utter silence.
He blinked, bending down and gently grabbing it, wiping off the dust and giving it another look once more. There was a crappy paper crown, glued onto its head, and Tommy huffed at the sight that seemed to be crafted by very inexperienced hands.
He was about to put it back into his pocket, but he stares up at the statue and pauses.
He remembers asking why the blood god had a boar mask on, because as far as his knowledge went, the god had no ties to animals, other than well…farming of course.
Even weirder, the god was supposedly against any form of hierarchy, including monarchies, so Tommy had always found it odd on why a crown would be the God's choice of headdress.
Tommy shook the thoughts away, no one would likely know anytime soon, considering the fact that the god seemed content with not establishing ties with the players at all, he doubted that he'd respond to anyone reaching out for a more extensive relationship.
He kneeled down and placed the coins into the bowl, hesitating for a moment before he placed the plush securely onto the small pile.
There was a small, fond smile on his face at the sight, lingering for a moment longer than needed before he cleared his throat and straightened his back.
Tommy waited for the panel that would ask for confirmation to pop up in front of him for a few minutes before his brows furrowed and his lips contorted in confusion.
That's…odd. The tower seemed to have a streak in confusing him today.
He bent down once again, wondering if perhaps he'd gotten rejected so hard that somehow his offerings had been denied before he could even offer it.
But as his hands go to take the plush, the room shakes. He yelps as he tumbles, his hands scurry to reach for a clutch as the room was close to shaking him off his feet.
This wasn't normal.
Dust and small bits of debris were falling from the roof and with wide eyes Tommy stared at the walls seemingly breaking down.
That was definitely not normal.
Having no time to wallow in the unknown, Tommy stumbled up to his feet and broke into a sprint, running for the exit.
The walls cracked and broke, and Tommy narrowly avoided debris that was falling from the roof, crashing onto the floors.
The air was a grey haze, and every breath Tommy made him cough and choke, every breath was the equivalent of him inhaling a handful of dust.
His heart pounded in his chest as he kept running, clutching his bag and doing his best to make sure nothing of his fell from his grasp because he's certain that whatever he lost would never be found again.
He stumbled out, barely avoiding a particularly big piece of concrete that crashed to the ground and made a Tommy wince as the loud noise echoed through the walls as it crashed and fell on impact, an impact he barely missed.
The door started to shut behind him, the halls shaking but in a more calmer way, one that didn't mean that the building was going to collapse.
Tommy gasped for air, falling to his knees as the momentarily adrenaline ran out and left him lightly terrified and shocked.
What?
His mind raced as he tried to find out where he went wrong, that definitely shouldn't have happened, he's never heard of anything akin to this disaster of a situation at all.
Was his offering that bad? He found the toy cute.
Tommy huffed and puffed, backing up into a wall as he tried to gain his bearings.
After a moment, some of the disbelief gave way and Tommy was just left completely dumb founded.
"What the fuck?"
He whispered out, staring at the door that had long closed, if Tommy wasn't in his right mind, he would have thought none of that had happened at all.
Was the tower fucking with him? Or did the blood god just hate him like that?
"Well fuck you too, you- you dick…" He glared at the walls as if the walls had any part in his suffering.
A more reasonable part of him told him that perhaps he should not be cursing out a god.
But that reasonable part of him had been shut off by Tommy's own anger and frustration.
He sat there for a moment, waiting for the numbness to leave his legs and the emotions to uncloud his mind;
The halls were just as silent, unbothered by the situation that had just occurred, and Tommy gets hit with the realization that no one would have heard his screams if he had become trapped under there.
At the thought, a wave of paranoia made Tommy lightheaded, dizzy as he curled up into himself, backing up into a wall.
Tommy just kept getting hit by surprises left and right, and while he likes pushing his luck wouldn't like to gamble his life.
He had gotten enough materials to make something for the Angel (and perhaps the Siren), so at least that's one goal crossed out.
But while this trip was refreshing and oddly nostalgic, he'd not found the 'push-to-the right-direction' here. He hadn't found what he had been looking for.
He frowned, trying to shake away the feeling of disappointment that rises and curls in his gut.
Maybe if Tommy had entered the tower for a brave and glorious cause, he would have stuck it up and forced fate to hand him a better set of cards;
But Tommy didn't enter this deathtrap for that. And he's reminded that all he's ever wanted was to survive, and as he stares at the shut entrance, he's reminded by his fragile humanity.
…
There's no point in wallowing.
Tommy should go back now, it was almost twelve anyways, and he was sure the three would be thrilled in their own way when he told them about his potentially life threatening occurrence.
(Dream would worry, Sapnap would find it funny and George would find it interesting. Tommy couldn't help the small and fond smile at the thought.)
In his absent minded haze, Tommy had not heard the steps larger and louder than his own, the clicking of gold and the presence of at first glance, a man.
Just as Tommy was about to sit up, a shadow much larger than his own had suddenly towered over him, making him shriek in suprise.
Faced with dangers front and back, Tommy just about had enough of these heart attack inducing surprises, "What the fuck?!"
The man huffed, the smallest and most humorless grin on his face, "Vulgar as ever, Theseus."
The man's deep and brooding voice had echoed through the walls, momentarily sending Tommy into another stupor as his head whipped around to gaze at the sudden intruder.
His eyes widened as he was face to face with that odd familiarity once again.
A crown shining in the light, golden and pristine, it was mounted on a head of long pink hair, tied into a braid with a few strands loose, to any one else, it was a sight that commanded respect.
A forest, near the river, is a hymn about a stranger with odd colored hair and the sun that shined so brightly.
The blood god, in all his glory.
What…
What the fuck?