#(dont like that qCellbit's speaking portuguese? you sacrifice your knees)

[kaytrawrites]

QSMP - when a little bird wanders

Summary in which Cellbit is having trouble sleeping. Phil is also not asleep. they talk.

Notes this is noncanon. i also really really really want Richas to observe qCellbit calling qPhil 'dad', bc i think his reaction would be funny.

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The upside of being a semi immortal being: you don’t need much sleep. The downside of being a semi immortal being: you don’t need much sleep. 

Phil sat on the porch outside his new home facing the wide, calm river, carefully preening his dark feathers. Chayanne and Tallulah were deeply asleep after a long day of searching the new lands for interesting things. 

The wind set the copper wind chimes that hung from the porch roof gently ringing, also bringing with it familiar footsteps. Phil glanced up and saw the familiar disheveled brown hair of Cellbit, who paused in his steps when he saw Phil looking.

“Hi mate.” Phil drawled, giving the much younger man a kind smile.

“Oh. Hello Phil. I didn’t expect you to still be awake.” Cellbit took a half step forward.

Phil chucked and stretched his arms up above his head. His wings followed his stretch. They had been freshly clipped when he woke from that long coma, but far more gently than the first time he arrived on the island. His muscles still ached from that flight in purgatory with Tubbo, but it was now much less.

Cellbit took another half step forward, his eyes drawn to the rainbow sheen of the lamp light across Phil’s carefully tended-to feathers. “They are looking better.” He said, his voice soft.

Phil chuckled, and settled his wings. “Yeah. They are feeling a lot better too.”

Cellbit cocked his head. “But. You flew on them just fine during Purgatory…”

“Pushed myself too hard, flying me and Toby to the boat. Hurt the muscles really badly. The meteors burnt my feathers pretty bad too.” Phil leaned back on his hands. “One of the Fed doctors dragged me into an exam after I got back and told me I needed to work the muscles if I wanted any chance of them getting back to full health. I did get a second opinion from Pac, who said the same thing.”

Cellbit stepped up to the porch and perched on the edge. “Watching you fly during Purgatory… was magnificent…”

Phil laughed. “It felt amazing.”

Cellbit let out a small sigh, and leaned back in his seat. “What’s it like?”

“Hmm?” Phil said. “Well, you flew with those temporary elytra during Purgatory.” He shrugged.

Cellbit shook his head at Phil’s words. “I mean flying over the world. Our world. Not that void of stars.”

“Oh.” Phil leaned back, looking up at the stars painted across the sky. “It’s the most freeing experience I have ever had. But also the most lonely. Watching the seasons change from among the clouds… watching civilizations rise and fall. Some by my own hands… It’s an experience I would both recommend, and caution against.”

Cellbit sat up, and turned to stare at Phil. “Wait. Back up. Civilizations? As in multiple?”

Phil chuckled. “Ah. That slipped out. Yeah. I’m… way older than I look.”

“How old…”

“Oh… bout as old as the concept of death.” Phil shrugged. 

“What?!” Cellbit yelped. “How does that work?”

Phil chuckled. “Death is my Beloved Lady, and I her Angel of Death.” 

Cellbit sat in silence, processing. “Is that why you chose the Death Entity?” 

“It felt like Her. Not exactly, but close enough that it felt Right.” Phil shrugged. “But enough about me. What are you doing up so late?”

Cellbit stared at Phil, his eyes narrowing slightly. “I- I couldn’t sleep.” He admitted. “Às vezes, os pesadelos são demais.” (The nightmares are too much sometimes)

Phil nodded. “Well, if you ever need a place to talk through your night time thoughts, I’ve got a wing” he raised one of his wings, with a slight smirk. “you can whisper secrets into.”

Cellbit stared at the slice of void that Phil had extended, and shuffled closer. Phil held the wing out further, half wrapping it around the broader man.

“Eu menti quando disse que não senti nada quando vi o Cucurucho. Eu senti algo. Senti que não me importava. Que não me importava com o fato de ele existir. Como se ele não fosse nada para mim.” The words spilled out of Cellbit. Going faster and faster. (I lied when I said I didn't feel anything when I saw Cucurucho. I did feel something. I felt like I didn't care. That I didn't care that he existed. Like he was nothing to me.)

Phil nodded. “That’s it mate… Let it all out.”

“E agora que estou de volta, a ilha parece tão diferente. Todos se sentem tão diferentes. Richas se sente diferente. Roier se sente tão diferente.” Cellbit sighed, “Parece que ainda estou naquela maldita ilha…” Cellbit growled. “Do lado de fora, olhando para dentro.” (And now that I'm back, the island feels so different. Everyone feels so different. Richas feels different. Roier feels so different. It feels like I'm still on that damn island… On the outside looking in.)

Cellbit fell silent, then turned to look out toward the river; and the little village Em, Bagi, Mouse and Tina had built. “Só quero me sentir em casa de novo...” He mumbled. (I just want to feel at home again…)

Phil wrapped his wing a bit tighter around Cellbit. “Home is wherever you make it. It’s the people who you look for. The ones you forge a bond with. It’s ok if it takes time to make it.”

Cellbit leaned back to stare at Phil. “Sometimes I can’t tell if you are this ancient all knowing being, or just a silly old man.”

Phil burst into laughter, soon followed by Cellbit’s growing grin then his own laughter. “Oh. Oh man, Cellbit.” Phil panted as the pair’s laughter abated.

Cellbit jabbed an elbow into Phil’s side. “Dad’s giggly.” He teased.

“Mate…” Phil chuckled. “It’s been a bit since I heard you call me that.”

Cellbit chuckled and leaned into Phil’s wing. “While Baghs and I were stuck on that island, I tried not to refer to you as ‘Dad’ when I talked, or even thought about you. I kept on thinking about how disappointed you would be that we stayed behind-”

“Bruh.” Phil chuckled. “I thought you knew me better than that.” He teased. “I was never disappointed in you or Baghs. You both made the best choice you could with the information you had. That’s no reason to be disappointed in you.”

Cellbit smiled. “Thanks dad…” He leaned into Phil’s shoulder, letting his eyes drift half closed.

Rapid steps approached, and a familiar bright yellow shirt caught the lantern light. Cellbit sat up, ready to yell at Richas to go back to bed.

Richas slid to a halt, turned and plonked down one of his deep blue signs, rapidly writing a message. “YOU CALLED TIO PHIL ‘DAD’!?”

Another sign. “WHAT”

Another sign. “WHAT”

Yet another sign. “WHAT”

Phil burst into laughter. Richas whirled around and swung a fist at Phil’s knee. “Ow ow! Mate!” Phil managed to get out between giggles. Cellbit had folded over, trying to hide his bright red face with his hands.

“EXPLAIN. IMEDIETLY.” Richas wrote.

Phil extended the wing that was surrounding Cellbit a bit more so Richas could cuddle in as well. As soon as Richas was settled into Cellbit’s far side, Phil began to speak. “Well, it started in Purgatory. When Charlie Slimecicle suggested we start a gas mask cult.”

Richas plonked down a sign. “WAT??? KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK”

Phil nodded. “Yep. There were some jokes thrown around that I was ‘Dad’ in a cult leader type way. It wasn’t until we had moved from Red Spawn to our second base location that Baghera, Jaiden,” Phil tilted his head toward Cellbit. “and Cellbit referred to me as ‘Dad’ in a less cult leader type way. It was Baghera who started that part, because she was having a Bolas day and was finally coming out of it. If I remember correctly, she said ‘Dad, I killed a silverfish. Are you proud of me?’ And Cellbit basically shoved her aside and said, ‘Dad, are you proud of me too?!’ We went a little insane on that island.” Phil shrugged.

Richas placed a sign. “KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK”

Another sign. “does this mean i should call you ‘avô’ now? KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK”

“If you want to, mate.” Phil drawled, chuckling.