Chapter Text
Tommy was pissed. He was being placed with a new foster family. They always hated him. He was always too loud, too annoying, and too difficult to care for. He always had been placed with families who gave up on him and mistreated him. This next one probably wouldn’t be any different.
“Are you sure that these people aren't going to be like the last ones?”
“Tommy, I promise people will be a good family for you,” His social worker Sam said. He was driving him to his next foster family.
“I don’t think so, Sam..” He mumbled.
“I know this guy personally Tom. He has fostered before… he's one of the kindest people I know.”
“Wait a week. He’ll be calling to have me sent back.”
“They are also a family of hybrids so they won't be scared of your…. nature,” Sam stated.
Tommy was a dragon hybrid. Most families he had been with had been scared of him, that he might hurt them or their kids. People thought that he would destroy things because of what he was. One family had even muzzled him, so he couldn’t attempt to burn the house down. (which he has done before) He now hides his hybridity, so that he can’t get hurt more than he already has.
“I'm not like you Sam… I can’t freely flaunt my traits as you do.”
His social worker's green ears drooped.
“I know Toms, but they are different. You’ll see.”
He looked out the window of the car, the sun was slowly setting, the sky orange and mellow. He secretly wished that sam was right.
***
The old battered car pulled into the driveway of an old townhome. It had vines crawling up one of the sides of the weathered brick. Sam got out of the car and opened Tommy’s door.
“Come on kid.”
Tommy followed, grabbing his backpack filled with his only possessions. His oversized red and white hoodie, some old clothes, a sewing kit, a sketchbook, some pencils, and other things. but most importantly: his stuffed cow Henry. He has had Henry as long as he can remember and the stuffed cow was one of his most prized possessions.. Henry was stuffed at the bottom of the bag where no one could find him or threaten to take him.
He and Sam approached the door, and Sam rang the doorbell. After a moment the door opened, and a tall Crow hybrid answered the door, his large wings behind him.
“Sam!” He exclaimed, giving the creeper hybrid a quick hug, engulfing the social worker in his wings. The man let go of Sam and turned to look at him.
“And you must be Thomas!”
“Tommy.” Sam corrected.
“Oh, Sorry Tommy! I'm Philza” He held out his hand “Nice to finally meet you!”
Tommy shrank behind Sam. He wasn’t used to this kind of enthusiasm. Why was he happy to see him? No one acted like this around him.
The Avian chuckled, “That's all right, things take getting used to. How about you guys come in?”
Sam walked into the house, and Tommy followed. There was a large living room inside, with soft yellowed lighting. Couches that looked well-loved spread across the room and a TV was nestled into the corner. If you looked farther into the house you could see a hint of a kitchen, and some stairs that led up to the other floor.
“You guys can sit down,” Philza said sitting down on one of the couches.
Sam sat down across from Phil, Tommy in his shadow.
“Tommy, I want you to know that this is a safe space. Anything you need you can just ask me okay?”
Tommy nodded, even though he knew it was a lie. They all put on a show for the social worker so that they seemed better than they were. They always showed their true colors inevitably.
“You know the drill Philza, lets's go sign some papers.” Sam stood up and Philza led him to another part of the house.
Tommy sat fidgeting, not wanting Sam to leave him there. Then another person entered the room.
“Hi, I’m Wilbur, You must be Thomas! My Dad told us you were coming!” he said plopping down on the spot next to Tommy on the couch.
Wilbur looked to be about his age, maybe even older. He had dark curly hair that went to the bottom of his ears… which weren’t normal human ears. He was some sort of fish hybrid, he had blue fins for ears, gills on his neck, and a large fish-like tail.
“A-are you a fish?” Tommy asked, not knowing what reaction Wilbur would give him.
Wilbur laughed, “No, I’m a Siren. Very different from a fish.”
“You look like a fish.”
“Fish hybrids don't have legs idiot.”
“How was I fucking supposed to know that?”
“WILBUR,” Philza said sternly.
Tommy flinched at the loud sound of Philzas's voice. Even though he said Wilbur's name he knew he was in trouble.
“Don’t call Tommy an idiot.”
“He called me a fish! I am not a fish!”
“He probably doesn't know any better, just be nice Wil.” Philza sighed.
“I'm sorry on his behalf Tommy.”
“I’m not” Wilbur mumbled
Tommy decided that he was going to hate it here. Everyone was just… off. They didn’t act like they normally did, not like the other families he has been with. It was weird.
“Wil, I told you to wait upstairs so you guys didn’t overwhelm him.”
“I just wanted to say hi. What’s the matter with that?”
“I'm not going to have this conversation with you right now Wilbur,” He sighed, “I guess Tec can come down now.”
There was another kid?
Philza walked up to the stairs and called out, “Technoblade, you can come down now!”
A figure walked down the stairs. They had pink hair, and what looked like the traits of a boar, but they also had striking red eyes, which confused him. What was this kid?
“Hullo.” Technoblade greeted in a jarringly monotone voice.
“Before you ask, I am a Piglin hybrid. Not a pig, I heard your conversation with Wil.”
“Oh uh- thanks for telling me.” He said quietly.
“Well Tommy, I better get going. If you need anything, you can call me.” Sam stated, ruffling Tommy's hair.
“Okay” Tommy simply said.
Sam walked out of the house. Tommy was going to hate this. These people are going to be insufferable to be around. He just knows it.
“Tommy?” Philza asked
He now realized he wasn't safe anymore. Sam was gone, he was now able to see these people's true colors. He braced himself, waiting for the yelling to start.
“Uh, I noticed that you don’t have anything on you… do you need clothes or anything like that?”
He didn't see that coming.
“Um, I-” He paused gathering his words. “I-I don't need anything. You- you don’t need to buy me things.” he was looking down, not sure what would happen.
“Sam told me you don’t have much. Plus I don’t mind buying you things, I have plenty of money for things.” The Avian stated.
So this was one of those families. The ones who take you in and try to fix you. Like a puppy on the side of the road. He wasn't some sniffling puppy. He didn’t need kindness. Didn’t he know what he has done?
“I'm not a charity case.” He snapped, “I don’t need your pity.” If he were showing his traits he would let off a small burst of flame to make the message clear.
Philza sighed. “I’m not pitying you, Tommy. Everyone deserves clean clothes. It's a basic necessity.”
Tommy has the desire to growl at him, to scratch him up. He did not deserve nice things. He didn’t need anything, not from him, not from anyone.
“No.”
“I was planning on going shopping tomorrow anyways. So you can come along, and pick out what you want. Or you can stay here.”
He didn’t say anything. He just stared at the floor, not wanting to look at the Avian’s face.
“Come with me, Tommy.”
Shit shit shit shit shit shit. He messed up, he made Philza mad. He was in for it now. Shit, how was he supposed to escape this? What is Philza going to do to him?
“You’ve done it now lizard.”
“I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING WRONG”
“YOU SCRATCHED MY DAUGHTER.”
The first blow hit his shoulder, he was cowering in a corner protecting his fragile wings.
“WE WERE JUST PLAYING IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!” He cried out.
“LIAR, YOUR KIND ARE ALL DIRTY LIARS YOU FREAK!”
The second blow hit his face, his scaled ears slightly protecting his face.
“YOU DON’T DESERVE TO BE HERE, LIZARD.”
The Third blow stuck his chest.
He growled in pain, “OW PLEASE I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING WRONG!”
She kicked his tail, a wild pain shouting up his nerves, it was surely broken.
He was suddenly brought back to reality.
“Tommy?” Wilbur said.
He was still on the couch, Philza now sitting on the opposite side of him.
“I-Im sorry… I-I”
He realized he was crying and shaking. Why did he have to be so pathetic? As soon as someone confronts him he has a panic attack. What a pussy.
“Tom, Tommy look at me,” Philza quietly spoke, like he was talking to a scared animal.
He stared at his lap.
“I-Im sorry I-I won't do it again.”
“Tommy, you have nothing to be sorry about, I just want to know if you are okay. I just wanted you to come with me so I could show you your room. Nothing else. I was never mad at you, I want you to know that okay?”
Tommy sat there. He didn’t know how to process this. He usually got in trouble for things like this. Why wasn't Phill mad at him? He deserved it.
“I’m Sorry.”
“You don't need to be sorry okay? I don’t know what happened to you, but what I do know is that system is rough. How about you guys go do something so you can take your mind off this? Wilbur, Techno?”
“Yes?” They both said, almost in unison.
“Can you show Tommy his room? Maybe you can show him your guy’s rooms too, only if you feel like it of course.”
Wilbur nodded and stood up, looking at Tommy.
“Come on!” he stretched out his hand offering to help him off the couch.
He flinched slightly at the sudden movement. He stood up, not taking Wilbur’s hand.
“Okay.”
Tommy grabbed his bag, still slightly shaking, and headed up the stairs. Wilbur went up stomping, two stairs at a time, with every pounding step, Tommy flinched.
Technoblade noticed his distaste for the noise and spoke up, “Wilbur? How about, not stomping up the stairs?”
“That's no fun Tech!”
“I will stomp on your tail.”
“Fine…”
When Tommy reached the top of the stairs he saw the rooms, he spotted one bathroom tucked into the corner, the door slightly ajar.
“This one's mine,” Wilbur stated pointing at a door.
The Siren opened the door to the room. It was not too small of a room, a bed was pushed into a corner with a desk next to it. The desk was messy and littered with papers, he could barely make out the laptop buried in the mess. There were also posters plastered everywhere on the walls. Tommy could also make out a large guitar in the corner of the room.
“I'm sorry it's messy… ” Wilbur apologized, sheepishly.
“Let's go look at Techno's room!”
“No chance.”
“Why not?”
“No”
“Come on Tech, my twin who I love so much! pretty please?” Wilbur fake pleaded.
“We’re not even twins, Wil.”
Wilbur gasped, “How could you say that to your twin brother? How could you? Fine, I don’t want to see your stupid little bitch room anyways.”
Techno chuffed and walked into the adjacent room closing the door gently behind him. Tommy assumed that was the older hybrid's room.
Wilbur chuckled, “He loves me, he just likes to pretend not to.”
Tommy wondered how true that statement was.
He walked to a door and pointed, “This is your room!”
Tommy stood there not sure what Wilbur wanted him to do.
“Go ahead, you can open the door.”
Tommy complied. He opened the door slowly and looked inside.
It mostly looked plain. There was a bed, a desk, and a dresser inside. The decorations for the room were interesting, to say the least. There were LED strips on the top of the walls that almost went all the way around the room, it was glowing a light blue. Two things decorated the walls: A calendar that was flipped to the wrong month with a sad kitten on it, and a poster of the Queen of England.
“Tech and I tried to decorate the room when we heard you were coming. As you can tell we are not the best at interior design.” Wilbur laughed.
Tommy tossed his bag on the floor near the bed and looked around, “Wow this is… this is really shit.”
Wilbur laughed even more, “I told you! I don’t know why Techno picked that the sad kitten calendar, it's not even from this year!”
Tommy and Wilbur stood in the room in awkward silence for a few moments.
Wilbur suddenly spoke breaking the silence, “I hope you enjoy your room! I'm gonna go to bed so, goodnight!” He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him on his way out.
Tommy plopped down on the bed. This place was weird. Everyone acted differently than they usually did. He didn’t like it. This wasn’t what happened when he went to a new place. He was confused by their outward kindness, it had to be some sort of ruse. A disguise of who they really were. He laid down in bed still thinking about this weird family. Eventually, he fell asleep.