Chapter Text
To tread the lines between immortality and Godhood is a terrible thing, and yet it is something Tommy knows all too well, as a minor God his powers are limited and rarely worshiped, he exists by the will of stronger entities and doesn’t have the backing of faithful followers.
By concept, Tommy is an over-glorified immortal.
It isn’t all bad though. Actually, there are a lot of perks, his creator Goddess, Clara of the night sky, doesn’t really need him to do anything, so he gets to entertain himself most of the time. He wanders the sky with his creator and siblings and watches the world change, taking ahold of some mortals and giving them what he can if he likes them.
The only problem with few duties and all the time in the world is that Tommy is bored. He’s seen so much but since there’s nothing he needs to do there’s not a whole lot to do at all. He can talk to other Gods, but most are busy or don’t want anything to do with a minor God like himself. He could pick another mortal to cherish but losing the last one broke his heart. Watching his mortals die kills him inside, all the more so with what his Godly attribute is- so that’s out of the question for now.
Sometimes Clara or his older siblings will have menial tasks for him, and Tommy is happy to carry them out, but they don’t last long enough for him to find a purpose in them and he is just itching to do anything at all-
He talks about it to Clara, of course. “I’m bored! Henry and Clementine are always doing cool stuff! Even Shroud has ‘responsibilities’ now!”
Clara only looks at him sadly, her voice echoes across the stars, “I know Tommy, But you are not your siblings dear, you can not spin the moon like Henry or throw the shooting stars like Clementine, and Shroud was born to paint the sky at sunset. But they can not live like you do either, my son, your worth lies elsewhere.”
And Tommy knows that, but it’s eating away at him regardless. And if he doesn’t get out and do something right now he’s going to snap, he’s sure of it.
So he leaves.
He’s only planning to go for a little stroll, what could go wrong?
Everything! Apparently.
Tommy is walking in a vast and lush forest when he comes across a grand temple. It’s made of white marble and it’s gigantic, Tommy’s never seen it before. He frowns, he’s walked this path so many times, how has he not seen it before? His curiosity is far too powerful as he moves faster than he can think and steps off the grass into the shining hallways. Immediately, a sense of peace envelops him, it’s like nothing he’s ever felt before.
Tommy explores the place thoroughly, certain he’s mapping the routes but he always seems to end up somewhere unexpected, it’s as though the building is shifting as he explores it and Tommy is absolutely thrilled at the discovery. He’s amazed. He’s counted four courtyards so far, three overgrown with wonderful flowers, all colors crowding and fighting to be the most brilliant, to most appealing to look at. The fourth is a garden, humble and organized growing vegetables like carrots and potatoes, how neat is that!
The hallways themselves are grand, littered with paintings and statues that Tommy couldn’t recognize for the life of him, whoever this building belongs to is powerful, he can tell that much. But they also haven’t decided to smite him for running around the place so he figures he’s a welcome guest. Such goes courtesy among the Gods.
After hours of discovery Tommy hits an impasse. All the hallways thus far have shifted and lengthened to accommodate him, twisting and turning and pulling him further in. Now he’s reached the center. One final hallway and a dead end, one final painting covering nearly the entire wall. It’s of a beautiful woman. She wears blacks and purples and has long dark hair falling off of her shoulders and a lace veil hiding her face. Tommy knows immediately she is a Goddess. Probably a Goddess of the highest ring.
This is the palace master, and Tommy - impudent as he is according to his friends - knows better than to not show his thanks to the being who allowed him to discover the marvel that is the palace.
He takes one step away from the painting before taking a respectful bow. “Thank you for allowing me here.”
A gust of freezing wind blows from the closed hallway, Tommy has to shield his eyes, but once he uncovered them again the painting is gone and he stands on white marble, looking out at the same lush forest he came from. He can’t help but pout at essentially being kicked out, but he’s not about to argue with the Goddess who owns the place, the Goddess stronger than Clara, so he steps off the marble. When he turns to look, the building is gone.
His thoughts are mushy over the next two days, Clementine asks him to help with some of the wishes made on her last star, and he does what he can, but they both know he’s distracted.
“Are you still thinking about the palace?” She doesn’t sound irritated by him being slower than usual, just amused.
He’d told his family about it when he’d returned and none had known what to make of it. Henry had gone down but hadn’t found any trace of it, so the only proof it had ever been was in Tommy's own mind.
“And what if I am?” He challenges. Clementine could beat his ass, he’d never been as strong as his celestial siblings, but he made up for his lack of strength with a raging personality and a stubbornness to match Skeppy’s own, and with the guy being the God of Gems that was hard to do both literally and figuratively.
She just rolls her eyes and gives him another task to help her complete her work.
So, he’s been stuck inside, he’s been helping, he thinks he deserves a small break. So, obviously, he slinks back on down to the forest in search of the palace. He doesn’t have to wander long, it’s almost as if it was expecting him. Tommy grins and wanderers back in.
He walks through the corridors and is led back to the garden. He walks over to the plants, they’ve been growing it would seem.
“Uh…?” Tommy jumps at the confused sound from behind him, he comes face to face with an equally confused-looking God. Very obviously a God if the red eyes and pointed ears and tusks are anything to go by. He would’ve noted the pink hair a couple of centuries ago but now humans have started dyeing their hair so he can’t be sure on that end.
The poor guy looks flabbergasted, he’s wearing a nice little farmer's outfit with a carrot apron and a sunhat and he’s holding a watering can. Tommy is suddenly aware that he’s intruding.
“Oh- uh- Hey big man! I’m just… exploring?” Tommy stands up and walks over to him, extending a hand. “I’m Tommy, and I’m a guest here.”
The guy looks down at the hand for a second, then two, Tommy is about to put it away when the dude shakes it hesitantly. He looks Tommy straight in the eyes for a moment, seemingly searching for something, and when he finds it he looks away.
“I’m… Techno. I live here?” His voice is deep and monotone, yet somehow he manages to portray extreme confusion in his words.
Tommy frowns, he hadn’t known anyone other than the Goddess resided here, not this guy, and Techno? What kind of name was that? A shit one, and he was gonna make sure this guy knew it.
“What kind of name is Techno? Who in their right mind names a child that? I’m sorry you’ve had to live your life this way.”
Techno looks him over. “You don’t know who I am?”
Tommy shakes his head. Should he? He’d only really known the Gods affiliated with Clara his whole life.
Techno’s eyebrows furrow. “And you’re a guest here.”
Tommy beams. “The Palace Master let me in, the Goddess.”
Techno immediately softens, confused but no longer tense, whoever the Goddess is, this God clearly trusts her, maybe she’s his Creator? Whatever their relationship is, Techno immediately becomes more amicable when he knows she’s involved. He regards Tommy with curiosity and offers him to help him water the plants, Tommy is happy to.
Together they look after the little vegetable field and talk for a while. Well, it’s more like Tommy talks and Techno lets him. Tommy tells Techno about the sky, his family, and his walks and mortals and he notes all the funny little quirks the plants have and he names two of the carrots and demands that Techno does not pull them from the ground in his absence.
“It sounds like you plan on coming back then.” Techno states more than questions.
Tommy nods eagerly in response. “Of course big man! This place is so cool!” He’s grinning from ear to ear and in his careful action checking the plants over he misses the way Techno stares at Tommy like he’s the sun.
“...Good. You’ll have to come back for Sharon and Carol.” There’s a mocking emphasis on the carrot’s names and Tommy mock gasps and smiles.
“Of course.”
A gust of wind cuts through the garden. Techno looks mournfully into the building. “Goodbye, Tommy.”
By the time the wind passes Tommy faces the trees again. This time he pats the building lightly as a show of thanks, a promise to return, and another gust of him nudges him away from the marble floor and Tommy is once again surrounded by nothing but plants.
The next time Tommy returns, the marble leads him right back to the garden, and Techno is waiting for him with an extra apron and sunhat. Tommy points out how incredibly ridiculous they look and Techno points out he’d rather not get his usual clothes dirty. Tommy refuses to put them on at the cost of his dignity, he’ll take a dirty shirt over a funky little apron with pretty flowers on the side any day… but then again…
Techno’s lips are curved upwards in triumph as Tommy sports the matching outfit, though the younger God points out multiple times how he can wear anything, since anything suits him, unlike Techno. The older of the two just nods patronizingly and calls Tommy a nerd when he gets excited at being able to pull out the carrots.
“If I’m a nerd, what are you? You literally have a garden and grow and eat potatoes all year round, is it because you’re old? You need to mash the potatoes for your weak teeth?”
Techno laughs. “Nah, but I could make some puree for your baby teeth, infants can’t have solid food right?”
Tommy bristles further about to answer when he’s cut off. He can’t help the disappointment that curls around his insides as he feels the breeze again. It’s softer this time, but no less final. Tommy catches something in the corner of his eye but it disappears as he’s escorted back to the woods again. He frowns, he could’ve sworn he’d seen another person there.
Tommy doesn’t go back for two weeks.
Shroud had needed help with something urgent and Tommy was the only one available at the moment, so he spent two weeks decorating the sky with his little brother, the thoughts of Techno and the palace vanishing from his mind entirely as he spent time with the Godling, Shroud was only barely reaching his second century alive and he had already become a strong and welcome presence among Gods and mortals alike, Tommy couldn’t be more proud.
Tommy had fully meant to take a short walk when he’d headed out that morning. He was done helping Shroud, but pestering his family was something he missed dearly and he intended to do so. Which is why he found himself hesitating when he ran across the palace. Tommy hadn’t been searching for it this time, It had been looking for him. A terrible feeling passed over him and he decided he didn’t want to explore it that day, he wanted to go back and harass Henry or Clementine or whine to Clara about how a certain group of mortals who followed her refused to make cows one of their sacred animals despite Tommy’s request, or literally anything else, but when he turned to leave radiant white hallways extended before him.
Tommy inhaled a shaky breath, he may be a guest, but he was no longer a guest by choice.
He wasn’t sure what had changed, he hadn’t done anything different but he didn’t want to be here today so why-
A glacial wind shook him to his very core and he reappeared somewhere entirely new. A large library panned out before him, the white hallways at his back suddenly seemed very uninviting and Tommy just knew somehow that he wouldn’t find an exit no matter how long he searched. So he decided to read until the palace released him.
He wandered only a few meters before he heard footsteps coming his way. Spinning to face the culprit Tommy found himself staring at a lanky brunette bitch. Tall with curly brown hair and eyes, he wore horribly tasteless but costly-looking clothes and beamed at Tommy.
Nothing about his appearance gave him away, but when he opened his mouth Tommy knew.
“Oh hello there! You were in the garden with Techno. Welcome back.” His words lulled Tommy the same way Clara’s did. This man was a God as well, a powerful one.
Already on edge, Tommy nodded wearily at him.
“You’re Tommy, right? I’m Wilbur, Techno’s twin brother if you’d believe it!”
Tommy wouldn’t believe it, but he also wasn’t in a position to question Godly bloodlines, so he chose wisely to not insult the God before him for his family, but rather he directly attacked his appearance instead.
“Is it because you and Techno are brothers that you both have shit fashion senses?” He puts as much venom into the words as he can, desperate for a reaction.
Wilbur laughs in shock. His laugh is nothing like Techno’s, in fact, he is nothing like Techno, and yet Tommy comes to appreciate that. His loud and obnoxious methods are a good distraction for Tommy, and the older God seems to appreciate Tommy’s presence as well.
He leads him through the library, showing off sections Tommy hadn’t known existed. The books are incredible and Wilbur even drags Tommy along to a secret corner where all of Techno’s favorites are and urges Tommy to steal one.
“Techno will forgive it if it's you!” He insists.
But Tommy knows better, so he just points out that if Wilbur isn’t gonna do it himself he’s probably a coward and Tommy doesn’t have to prove himself to cowards, Wilbur gives up with a disappointed sigh, upset at not getting Tommy into further trouble.
Hours have passed and in Wilbur’s company it’s easy for Tommy to forget his troubles, Wilbur tells his stories with a silver tongue and he’s in the middle of one that Tommy is set free. He notices something dark flash across Wilbur’s features as Tommy is sent away, but it’s gone long before he can begin to decipher it.
By the time Tommy is outside the moon shines bright above him, Tommy’s family is hard at work and he’s missed his chance to annoy them.
He says nothing as he leaves the palace, something about the day's encounter sitting wrong with him.
He climbs the clouds and the stars right into the center of the sky and looks down on the world. Tommy wants to see Techno again but the thought of being trapped in the white-walled maze again makes him shiver violently. How can he handle something like this?
He decides he can think about it further in the morning.
Against his better sense, Tommy is back in the woods. Henry had shooed Tommy out of the sky after too much pestering, and with nowhere else to go he found himself back in that same place. He grumbled under his breath as he shoved branches out of his way and wandered through the thicker parts of the woods.
He decided that he wouldn’t look for the palace, to see if it would come for him instead.
It did.
He didn’t have to turn around to know the forest behind him had been replaced with marble walls and clean floors.
It may be stupid of him, but he was pretty annoyed at Henry at the moment, and spending time with Techno or Wilbur sounded just fine. He stormed off in search of either of the brothers, twisting around familiar and unfamiliar hallways and passing courtyards and rooms he’d never known were present but he found no sign of the other Gods.
Somehow he wound back at the center of the building. The woman’s painting looked down upon him again, as still as it was before but Tommy had the horrible feeling that it was somehow watching him-
“Hello mate. You’re Tommy, right?”
Tommy’s decided he’s getting really sick of these Gods appearing behind his back all the time. He spins to face him, a cold sense of frustration brewing in his core when he comes face to face with him.
Tommy isn’t scared. He doesn’t get scared that would be ridiculous actually. It’s just that this guy screams primordial and Tommy knows better than to fuck with primordial. Clara taught him better than that.
So he holds his tongue, instead of immediately questioning him like he had the other two.
The silence spans a few seconds before Tommy realizes he’s forgotten to reply, too caught up in observing the elder God. He nods sharply.
The guy seems nice enough when he chuckles, but the ashy black wings attached to his back instill a primal alarm in Tommy. He doesn’t know who this guy is, but he doesn’t want to cross him. He’d thought the Goddess was the palace master but maybe he’d been mistaken?
The God hardly seems to notice Tommy’s plight, much more entertained by sizing up the younger God.
“You’re just a baby aren’t you? Can’t be much older than 700, shouldn’t you be at home?” There’s something warm in his voice, it reminds Tommy of Wilbur. But the reminder of the obnoxious know-it-all is also a reminder that Tommy is a guest and it doesn’t do well to harm a guest.
“I’m not a fucking baby! I’m older and stronger than you could imagine grandpa.” He forces his voice not to waver, which is surprisingly easy with the reminder that if this guy lives with Techno and Wilbur, Tommy has a reputation to uphold.
The God laughs again, his feathers shake with the movement. He pretends to wipe away a tear and grins at Tommy conspiratorially. “Well then, Tommy, my name is Phil. It’s nice to meet you.”
Tommy nods in answer. What the fuck is with the Gods living here and their shitty names? Techno, Wilbur, and Phil? He’s going to have to ask Clara about what’s wrong with them, since something obviously is.
Phil simply turns and walks away, nodding at Tommy to follow, and Tommy with nothing better to do does. Phil leads them to a garden. Nothing like the courtyards or Techno’s tiny farm, this one is huge. It goes on for as far as Tommy can see, and right at the center of it a giant oak tree extends up into the sky, not quite into Clara’s domain, but it touches the clouds. It throws shade over the garden, leaving the ground with pretty shadow leaf patterns and small elegant rays of sunshine pushing through and onto the grass around it.
Tommy is thoroughly charmed.
He can see animals wandering the garden, cows and dogs and horses and smaller critters like mice and shrews scamper around. The sky is no less active with birds of all shapes and colors flying and resting on the neatly trimmed trees. Around the giant oak he spots a large murder of crows, they stare at him expectantly, and Phil smiles and nudges him forwards.
Any thought of distress leaves him as he steps onto the grass, it’s warm and he feels grounded the second his bare feet hit it.
He wanders the bushes and neat flower patches - nothing like the wild and overgrown courtyards yet somehow still as delightful- a small river he hadn’t noticed before runs underfoot as Tommy walks over a small but sturdy wooden bridge.
He knows that Phil is following him but that doesn’t matter nearly as much as the whole new world that’s been presented to him here.
They end up lounging about in the shade of the oak tree. Tommy would’ve thought the primordial would have an endless work schedule but he seems very relaxed as he half-sits against the tree bark, arms planted behind his head. Tommy sits a few feet away, gently patting a large black and white cow.
He and Phil haven’t talked much, simply enjoying each other's company in the haven gifted to them, and Tommy is fine with that.
By the time the late afternoon rolls around Tommy is sitting beside Phil, they talk quietly for fear of breaking the simple peace set over the day, sharing stories and memories and laughing quietly.
Phil explains that Techno and Wilbur are his boys, sons by Godhood and that the palace master is in fact the Goddess, the lady of the painting, and his dearly beloved wife. He explains that they can not see each other very often because she resides in another realm, but this building is a meeting point for them.
Tommy listens intently as Phil tells him about eons before he was conceived, about how humanity started and how he predicts it will end. Tommy scoffs and points out that humanity may be stupid sometimes, but he doesn’t think they’ll end anywhere as soon as Phil thinks they will.
An intrigued look passes over the older God’s face at that.
“Tell me Tommy, you currently belong to Clara, don’t you? What is it you reign over?” He keeps his tone the same, but a hurried wave of worry floods him at the word ‘currently’, what is he talking about? Why-
The worry vanishes. Tommy’s gaze drifts back onto the garden, and how could he ever be worried when a place like this exists? It’d be stupid.
“I didn’t really get anything… like the rest of my family. Not that that matters. My worth lies elsewhere than the sky anyways.” He huffs the last part proudly, they’re Clara’s words after all, and Clara doesn’t lie.
Phil smiles at that. There’s something unnerving about it but Tommy’s can’t muster the energy to feel unnerved right now.
“Your worth lies elsewhere than the sky? But you still live there… is that why you keep reappearing on my doorstep?” Phil’s tone is teasing but panic makes Tommy’s heart clench and he needs to leave- no he doesn’t. Why would he leave this place?
He shrugs. “Maybe I just like annoying you guys. Not as much as I like annoying my family though,-” He grins. “-you shoulda seen Henry when he kicked me out this morning!”
“You were kicked out?”
“Well, I mean I guess so but this always happens so-”
“You shouldn’t be kicked out of your domain for something like that Tommy. That’s no good.” Phil’s tone is indecipherable.
Tommy frowns. “I mean- I guess so. But it’s-”
“No.” Phil cuts him off, Tommy can’t bring himself to be mad about that. “Family is important, Tommy. There’s no excuse for sending them away. I would never send my boys away for any reason.”
Tommy feels like his own skin is weighing him down, he yawns. Phil is right obviously, he would never send his family away. But he knows they’ll let him back in, they always do.
“And what if they don’t?” Phil speaks like he’s read Tommy's mind. Tommy is too tired to be scared now.
What if they don’t? He doesn’t know. He wouldn’t have anywhere to go if he couldn’t reach the sky, but they’ll let him come back. They have to.
And arm and a wing curls around Tommy, he’s pulled in so that he’s mostly leaning on Phil now. His eyes are closing and he can’t help himself from melting into the touch as he falls asleep.