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When Phil first took his human child to the human dentist, he was surprised to discover that Tommy had what the dentist referred to as a deformity. The human described it as "both sets of his lateral incisors, have grown in as two extra sets of canines." But had Phil been human he would've assumed the same. However he isn't human, and the longer he looked at the "deformity" the more the two sets began to look like very tiny tusks and fangs. The human suggested removing the teeth and getting implants. Phil refused that idea immediately, if he said yes, and he was right about the two sets, it could severely affect Tommy’s eating habits. He paid for the human’s services and left. Next time he was gonna take Tommy to the inhuman dentist.
The first time Phil found out how sharp the boy’s teeth had been when Techno had startled Tommy. The piglin hybrid had looked surprised as did the cause of the bite. The younger apologized to Techno, both had been shocked. Techno went with the idea of Tommy accidentally opening some of his older injuries from his practice. After blood was cleaned up and Tommy’s nerves settled, Phil talked with him, told him that it was okay. Although they had never figured out what sort of inhuman Tommy was, with his bright blonde hair, his electric blue eyes, and his sharp teeth.
Dream had always been curious about the teen. Tommy had fascinated him. The teen was obnoxious and loyal to a fault. Tommy, who looked so human, was not, and not even his siblings knew what he was. Dream learned Tommy could heal faster than most. The one time he had watched the kid accidentally slam into the ground after a failed stunt, and knock out a tooth. Blood running out his mouth from the spot the tooth was missing, but yet Tommy had acted completely fine. By the next month, the tooth had been replaced by a new one. Or the other time when a failed potion, or as L’Manburg called “drugs”, had exploded on him, causing at least third-degree burns. Tommy already had scars within a week and a half. Things got even more interesting when the Final Control Room incident happened. In a last-ditch effort to fight back, Tommy had bitten him, and he bit him hard. By the time the team left the room Dreams arm was dripping blood, the clothing around the wound was torn. The wound was deeper than he expected for a bite, and over time it had scarred. A reminder of the boy’s dangerous mouth.
Dream watched as during Pogtopia the boy had developed a habit of chewing on things, like a teething puppy when he was nervous. Dream watched as everything went downhill for the teen. He watched as the boy grew antsy. Everyone knew an antsy Tommy meant trouble and did trouble come. Dream watched with glee as the boy was exiled. He took Tommy far from everyone. He would definitely take the boy who stood against him and break him. He took to watching the boy and his ghost of a brother, figuring out their schedules, as he got what he needed.
When the day came to act out his plan, he lurched into action. The ghost had gone to get more of his blue, and Tommy had left to go to a cave to mine. Dream stalked him, and once they were far enough underground he launched into action. Jumping out of the shadows and grabbing the stupid bandanna around the kid's neck, Dream forced him against a wall. Tommy bared his teeth at him and kicked at him. The teen got him decently good, but Dream retaliated by punching the teen, getting Tommy right under his ribcage, and knocking the wind out of him. Dream tossed the winded child onto the stone floor. He pinned Tommy’s arms under his legs, as he sat on top of the teen. Dream pulled the netherite sword out of his inventory. Tommy struggled harder, hissing curses at the man. Dream shoved the handle of the sword into the side of the teen's mouth, making Tommy unable to close his mouth. He could see confusion flash on Tommy's face and grinned under his mask. With a gloved hand holding the sword the other got out the file. When Tommy realized what Dream was going to do, he tried pleading with the man, but with his jaw pinned open, all that came out were slight whining sounds. He fought harder, desperately trying to get away; but it was in vain, as nothing he did could loosen the man’s grip. When Dream began the process, it was uncomfortable and painful. Tommy’s eyes began to water. It was a slow process, at one point Tommy managed to get one of his hands up and dig his nails into Dream’s arm, trying to pull the hand with the file away from his mouth. Once Dream was done he checked his work, he noticed he filed one of the bottom teeth too short. He left the kid on the ground after taking his sword, pleased to see the small spots of wet stone where Tommy’s tears had hit.
Tommy was still in shock with what just happened, he raised a hand to his mouth. The four teeth were sensitive to the touch he risked on them, they were uncomfortable, and when he closed his mouth it hurt and felt all wrong. He can't let the wind touch them, it hurt so bad. When returning to the camp, Ghostbur told him he had cooked. Tommy couldn't bring himself to eat, despite the fact he was hungry. It was two days before he could actually eat without them being too sensitive. He just quietly tore bits of bread off a loaf. It felt wrong to eat, and it still hurt, but he needed to eat something. He eventually discovered he could drink soup when it was lukewarm without pain or the feeling of something wrong.
By the time everything felt right, Dream was back again doing the same thing. Repeating the same process, slowly Tommy started to fight it less and less. If he obeyed, Dream would make sure not to file them too much. Tommy had begun to start to lose weight rapidly, and there was only one thing keeping the kid alive. It was a straw of sorts Dream had given him, it made it easier to eat, well drink after the filing. After all, the last thing Dream needed was for his pawn to die.
But then when Dream found his hidden storage, it got so much worse. Dream blew up Logstead and Tommy’s shitty tent. Tommy was decently close to the explosion and got burned, as he had in every other explosion in his life. The burns protested as Dream pinned him down, Tommy caught back in memories, panicked, and tried to fight. Dream filed the teeth to nearly nothing before he left. Tommy got to his knees, just sobbed, nearly every part of him hurt. Once he was sure Dream was gone, a river of anger coursed through him. He ran, ran as far as he could.
By the time Techno had found his brother in the hollowed-out area beneath his basement, the kid’s burns that were seen from the singed clothing were healed. The only thing that had led to the half-starved kid’s discovery was the faint smell of gunpowder leaking from under his floorboards. He had been concerned about it, but even more now that he realized the smell was coming from his brother. Tommy was cornered, his eyes wide like an animal’s, scared. Eventually, he got his younger brother out of the hole and cleaned up, giving Tommy some of his old clothes. Which hung more on his frame than they should. He tried to get Tommy to eat, but the kid refused to eat anything solid. Techno couldn't argue over the fact Tommy would only eat soup, but it was worrying. At least he was eating, but the nervous tension never faded from his body.
Over time Tommy began to relax in his older brother’s care, never going back to his old rowdy self. Techno often found him brushing out Carl. The dark brown stallion not minding as Tommy did so, almost enjoying Tommy’s presence. The day Techno had to re-shoe and take care of Carl’s hooves. Tommy had recoiled at the file that was pulled out and quickly left. The brush he had tumbled to the floor as he made his escape. Techno and Carl watched the kid go. Now if horses could glare, Carl would definitely be glaring at him. Techno wouldn’t understand why until way later.
The day Phil came by almost felt relieving, if it wasn't for the fact, as soon as Phil had knocked Tommy had bolted. Eventually, the two discovered the boy quietly talking to the horse in hushed whispers. They decided to let him be for the moment. Techno explained everything he knew to Phil, from finding Tommy to Tommy’s new habits. Phil grew more and more concerned for his youngest.
“Have you checked his mouth?” Phil asked, “If he has something wrong in his mouth, it could explain the eating habits.” Techno shook his head, with a sigh he fidgeted with his shirt.
“I would if I could, but he won’t let me.” Phil’s worry grew at that, “Every time I ask he freaks out, he goes into a panic attack.” That settled it, he was going to have to definitely check over his youngest son. After their talk, Phil went to check on Tommy, who had fallen asleep tucked up against Carl. Phil quietly crept forward, crouching down, he reached out a hand to gently hold Tommy’s face. The boy almost seemed to bury his face into Phil’s hand but didn’t awake. Phil took his chance to gently check Tommy’s teeth. He was horrified to discover the state of the small fangs and tusks. The nerves were exposed as the teeth healed themselves, but they had been targeted by whatever had done this. Phil quickly left, before he could wake up the sleeping child. He felt sick, how long had Tommy been dealing with that? When Phil came back, Techno noticed how pale his father had gotten. When Phil explained the discovery it piqued Techno's interest.
"But why would those teeth be targeted like that?"
"Tommy has tiny tusks and tiny fangs. He's had them since his adult teeth grew in. Those are what sliced up your arm all those years ago." That took Techno by surprise, he had always assumed Tommy had human teeth, and that those human teeth had gotten caught on a scab or something that night. "But they don't look like they had been pulled out, they wouldn't reform like that.." Techno thought back to Tommy's reaction to the file.
"Could-could a file do that?" He asked his father, Phil thought about it for a second.
"It could especially if filed down too low, and that's what I was seeing. Why?"
"A little bit less than a week ago, he was with Carl when I went to take care of Carl's hooves. He saw the file and bolted, I didn't see him till the next day." Techno rested his head against his arms, "Why do that? Why file his teeth down?" Phil shook his head, he was as unsure as his oldest son. They remained in an awkward silence as they thought.