#GeminiTay fanfic

[yusakiiiii]

I made a fanfic on AO3. The Prologue and Chapter 1 are out. I have Chapter 2 and 3 ready but gonna release the chapters weekly whilst I work on the next few. It’s nice to have some backlogged for breathing room.

If you would like to read it, here is a link to the Prologue:

[muuum-am-i-adohhhpted]

here comes the sun (Empires SMP)

Written for the GeminiTay focused zine. If you're interested in the other writing and art created for it, you can find it here: @hermitszine!

Summary: A young Gem has lived in the Goblands ever since she was left outside their gates as a baby. She doesn't quite fit in with the goblins, but it is her home. Then, she sees the sun.

AO3 Link

Word Count: 3940

~~~

Gem remembered the first time she saw the sun.

It was right after a particularly bad rainstorm, the earth above them shifting and groaning all through the night. Even though she knew the roof of the cave over the Goblands was particularly safe, she still feared her family’s house being crushed by rocks and debris.

The next morning, she, fWhip, and the other children were told to stay indoors while the older goblins completed a safety inspection to make sure the nearby caves wouldn’t fracture and break while someone was walking beneath them.

But Gem could smell something that enthralled her. Fresh and clear, so unlike the moist dampness of the Goblands that fWhip insisted was warmth.

“Gem,” fWhip hissed, following her hastily as she stepped outside, although he didn’t go farther than the doorway. His eyes shifted back and forth through the empty streets before floating upwards to the roof of the cave. “You know it’s dangerous out here. Remember what happened to kNock last storm?”

“kNock didn’t know the caves well and got himself trapped in a dead end,” Gem said, fluttering her eyes closed, breathing in the crispness off in the distance. “You can stay here if you want.” She started towards one of the caves where the scent was strongest. 

She heard fWhip’s feet pitter-patter as he rushed to follow her. “You might need me.”

“I can navigate these caves perfectly fine, as good as any goblin,” Gem said, bristling, some sharpness in her voice. Even on regular days, when the caves were stable, her parents insisted fWhip accompany her when she went out.

Gem knew she wasn’t a goblin. She didn’t have the tough skin of them, didn’t have the enhanced hearing as they did, couldn’t eat through rocks as goblins could. She was a creature from the above world with bright orange and black wings, left at the mouth of a cave as a baby, and taken in by a goblin family. Still, she had grown up in these caves, like the other young goblins, and knew which ones were older and more prone to falling to pieces.

fWhip didn’t reply, but Gem could still hear him following her. Even if she were half-asleep and barely paying attention, she would be able to recognize her brother’s footsteps a mile away. They were quick, like he was always in a rush, and light, favouring his right foot.

They walked in silence, their echoing footsteps the only thing keeping them company.

Gem remembered being frightened of the caves when she was young. Shadowy areas were commonplace, despite the glow lichen creeping up the walls, and her overactive imagination went wild. Not only that, but the walls felt constricting and tight like, at any moment, they would move closer and closer together until they squeezed her flat. The older she got, and the more she grew, the smaller and smaller the caves seemed.

They arrived at a junction, where multiple caves converged. The ceiling was lofty, as caves solely dedicated to mining were higher up and connected by goblin-made bridges with rails along them. Lone minecarts chugged on their way to one of the many warehouses, rattling with ores and stone.

fWhip’s footsteps came to a halt, and Gem glanced behind her to see his ears twitching. “Two goblins are coming towards us,” fWhip said, pointing at the cave mouth to their left. He glanced around at the other openings, looking for a place to hide.

Gem couldn’t hear anything, only the dripping of water running down stalactites. Nonetheless, she unfurled her wings from her back and squatted down. fWhip, still getting over his fear of heights, took a moment before gently climbing on her back.

Then, as silently as she could, she shot herself upwards onto one of the many bridges above them. The usually dead air whipped around her face, rustling her hair and, for a split second, the squeeze of the cave fell away. Her wings stretched out as far as they could go after being crinkled up since the last time she had used them a couple days away while giving aChoo a little ride around the Goblands.

fWhip kept an ear out for any minecarts that might run them over while Gem waited with bated breath.

Then, two goblins entered the junction, walking leisurely across the floor and into the cave she and fWhip had just exited, likely going back to town to give the caves they had walked through the all clear.

Once fWhip nodded at her, Gem brought them both back down to the floor.

fWhip let out a puff of nervous air as soon as his feet touched the ground.

And then they were off again, into the cave next to the one the two goblins had been in.

They took a few more bends, the freshness growing stronger, and Gem’s inner compass urged her closer. As they took another right turn, fWhip’s hand immediately went to shield his eyes. “Ow,” he groaned, squinting and turning his head away. “Why is it so bright in here?”

Gem didn’t notice a difference, but knew goblins’ eyes were much more sensitive than her own. Here, the floor was at a slight incline and, up ahead, she saw a massive pile of loose rocks. The ceiling had caved in. She glanced back at fWhip, still squinting. “Stay here. I want to check this out.”

As Gem got near the pile, she was momentarily stunned by the view above her. Where the roof of the cave had collapsed, there was now a large hole. Tall birch trees reached upwards, and she heard a bird whistling nearby.

And the sky.

The bright, blue sky seemed endless. And there, amidst its beauty, sat a bright, yellow orb.

The sun.

Gem had never seen the sun before, only ever heard of it. She didn’t want to look away. It was like the ultimate chunk of gold, polished to perfection and placed in the goblin vault, only a million times better. As if in a trance, Gem climbed the large pile of rocks, fWhip’s voice sounding miles away.

She’d been above ground before with the other goblins, but only ever on cloudy nights where the moon was hidden. And she never liked it either; the darkness put her on edge. She flinched at every sound, not liking that she couldn’t see very far. After a couple of trips to the above world, she stopped asking to tag along.

Being here during the day, on a cloudless afternoon, was utterly magical. Her body thrummed, her wings fluttered, her eyes felt like they were seeing colour for the first time. 

Wet grass tickled her ankles as she walked farther away from the hole in the ground. It was chilly up here, and she was reminded that it was springtime and that the above world felt physical changes during the seasons. Down in the caves, in the Goblands, she only knew them apart from the yearly celebrations. 

Still looking skywards, Gem gently flapped her wings, then faster and faster until they were beating rhythmically like a heart. She surged upwards, blood rushing in her ears. She forced herself to stop once she was high above the tallest oak trees. She could see an empire a little ways down the mountain with colourful roofs.

The above world looked breathtaking from this perspective, the sun’s rays warming her body from the spring chill. She could’ve stayed up there forever, drinking in the way the lakes ripped like silk, how the trees’ spindly branches bristled in the light wind, the golden acres upon acres of wheat.

Something caught her eye, a brown mass of fur moving near the edge of the forest. She slowly drew nearer, descending closer to the ground, and the mass only got larger and larger until she saw his ears flick, and Gem was feet away from a brown bear still sleepy from hibernation.

His eyes were black as coal, and his fur looked so soft. Gem wanted to reach out and pet him, despite knowing the dangers. Goblins were taught from a young age to not just go about in any random caves as, during the winter months, it might be home to a bear or a family of them.

Gem kept her distance though, and watched as the bear pawed at some sweet berries on the ground. They crunched under his large jaw and then, when he lifted his head, he gazed straight into Gem’s eyes.

Some kind of energy coursed between them. An understanding, maybe. Inexplicable. Like kismet. Like her life had been leading up to this point ever since she was left at the Goblands’ gates. The world seemed larger, now. Infinite. So much more than the caves she grew up in.

Her feet carefully touched the ground, her dress fluttering in the breeze. She slowly lifted a hand, and the bear’s nose inched towards her open palm.

The soil beneath her vibrated and fell inwards, and Gem was swallowed by earth. A goblin caught her, shielding her from the falling debris. fWhip stood a little away, fidgeting with his hands.

Frantically, Gem glanced upwards, making sure the bear was safe.

All she saw was the sun nestled in the sky.

~~~

Once she had a taste of the above world, the caves of the Goblands felt even more dismal and small. It was home and would therefore always have a place in her heart, but she wanted more. She needed it. Needed to feel the expansiveness of the sky, the way the sun kissed her skin. 

“I’m not one of you,” Gem told her parents as soon as fWhip, and the other goblins who had dug the ground out from beneath her, took her back to their house. “I can’t stay down here forever.”

Her parents looked tired, like they expected that this day would eventually come. Dreaded it, even. But they had to have known she would need to leave at some point, right? She wasn’t a goblin; she couldn’t stay in the caves forever. She couldn’t thrive down here like fWhip did.

After a long pause, her mom nodded. “Let me contact a friend who lives above.” She went to the kitchen where the ink and paper were.

“You’ll visit?” her dad asked after a sigh, taking off his glasses to polish them with the end of his shirt. “We’re still your parents, after all.”

“Of course!” Gem exclaimed, surprised at how defeated he sounded. She had never known her dad to be anything but boisterous and confident, even in the direst of situations. He was a beacon in the Goblands, a constant; you knew to go to him when you needed brightening up. She couldn’t have asked for a better dad. “I wouldn’t even think to not come back. You’re my family.”

Her dad nodded as he slipped his glasses back onto his nose. He made a ‘get out of here’ motion with his hands. “Alright then, that’s enough soppiness from your old dad. Your mom has a friend from Lore Village. She’ll get in contact with her and see if you can stay over there. It’s not that far away, really, only a bit down the mountain.”

“Is that the place with the colourful roofs?” Gem asked. She wouldn’t mind living over there; it had seemed cozy and cheerful, the houses looking like they were hugging.

“Must have been Animalia, you saw.” Gem’s dad gave a shiver. “I was near there one night gathering food, and the whole place gave me the creeps.”

When Gem climbed up the stairs, fWhip was sitting on her bed and immediately began speaking quickly, not looking her in the eye. “That bear scared me. I didn’t know what to do, so I ran back into the cave and bumped into other goblins who helped me create the hole.”

Gem understood where fWhip was coming from. A bear was not usually a creature you tried to go near; how should he know that this one was different from the others?

But before she could say anything, fWhip continued. “Why do you have to leave?” he asked with a short sniff.

Gem sighed, sitting down next to him. “fWhip, I’m not a goblin. I’m not meant to be underground. But that doesn’t make us any less siblings. We’re brother and sister, and I’ll visit plenty. I just need to…” a wry smile took over her face, and she unfurled her wings so that they brushed up against the ceiling, “spread my wings.”

~~~

Lore Village wasn’t nearly the most exciting part of Stratos. Stratos itself was. The quartz reflected the sun's rays in such a way that made the floating city glow. It was ethereal. There were so many chunks of polished and raw gold embedded in the architecture that she wished fWhip was with her to see it all.

When she’d arrived, Jazza gave her a quick tour before having to go to work at the library, leaving Gem free to explore the village on her own.

She spared no time in flying up to Stratos and peering into all the buildings and shrines for godly beings she didn’t know. The floors were slippery, and the buildings were created to let the air flow through. It was a glorious feeling, running and jumping from island to island.

She was mostly left alone, too, allowed to roam on her own. No one seemed to question her or her wings that she hadn’t folded up since she left the Goblands that morning. Or maybe the people of Stratos were quietly wondering who she was, too nice to say anything.

That evening, while Jazza was making supper, she gestured to a thin book she had brought home from work. It sat on the dining table amidst a bowl of grapes. “You might find that interesting. It’s about people like you. With wings.”

Gem blinked, unsure if she heard correctly. She had never heard of others like her, although she supposed it made sense. “Like me?” she repeated, leaning forward to grab the book, laying it on her lap.

“Don’t know how accurate it is,” Jazza continued, as she continued chopping fruit for their salad. “It’s from an outside perspective; some guy did some field research on them and didn’t seem to get super close to the community. At least, that’s what I gathered from what I read when I skimmed it.”

Gem flipped to the very short introduction, which seemed to summarize most of the book.

Dawnlings have many similarities with humans, including their vast diversity. Their only physical difference appears to be their large, orange, black-lined wings. They have a penchant for the sun and daylight, while conversely disliking the night. Is it an inherent characteristic, or a learned one? This must be researched more. For more information on Dawnling characteristics, see Chapter 1.

Dawnlings are migratory people, unable to fly long distances in the cold of winter due to the fragility of their wings. It is interesting to note when Dawnlings migrate. During the winter, they travel southwest in the evening to warmer temperatures, when the sun sets. Then, in the spring, they make their way back home to the coast in the morning, just as the sun rises. This way, Dawnlings keep the sun in their vision each time they travel. For more on Dawnlings’ migratory practices, see Chapter 2.

Dawnlings do not seem to have a ruler, instead making decisions as a collective. They have some sort of religion, seemingly only understandable amongst themselves. This must also be studied more. To learn more about Dawnling society, see Chapter 3.

Gem wrinkled her nose. “What’s the point of writing a book on people you know next to nothing about? Why not wait until you learn more, or gain the trust of an inside perspective?”

Jazza shrugged. “Maybe the author was on a deadline? Or was just planning to make a quick couple of diamonds? Anything’s possible.”

~~~

The next night, Gem awoke for seemingly no particular reason. Maybe it was because she was still unused to the bed, still getting comfortable in Jazza’s guest room. It was a nice space, although larger than her room in the Goblands.

Suddenly, there was a scratching sound at her window to the right. She had decided to keep the curtains open, allowing for the glow of the village lamp posts to break up the darkness in her bedroom. Now she wished she hadn’t.

Gem sat up straight in her bed, gripping the sheets. Maybe it was the wind jostling stuff around outside? She still wasn’t used to these noises. Back in the Goblands, the only sounds she would hear as she tried to sleep were the dripping of water, the soft voices of her parents, and occasionally the snort of a boar. 

The scratching sound came again.

Gem slid off the bed and crept to the window, keeping herself low to the ground. Maybe it was nothing; maybe she was just being paranoid. Still, she had to be sure. Once she knew there was nothing there, she’d go back to bed. Taking in a quick breath, she peered up over the windowsill.

Coal-black eyes greeted her, the bear’s nose pressed up to the glass. 

Gem stifled a laugh, her previous fear now evaporated, and she pushed the window up. “What are you doing here?” she whispered, a smile on her face. How had he found her?

Of course, the bear didn’t respond.

Maybe she’d been right when they first met: something else was at play here. It couldn’t be a coincidence that this bear had found her, on the complete other side of the mountain that the Goblands was under. It was destiny; their paths were bound to cross.

The bear turned around, his fur ruffling in the night breeze. His tiny tail flicked a little. Then, he glanced back at Gem, tilting his head to the side. As if he were saying, well, are you coming or not?

“Where are we going?” Gem asked, although she was already in motion. She pulled on her dress and grabbed a coat. Then, glancing around, she bit her lip. “One second,” Gem said, rushing out of her room as quietly as she could.

Her shoes were by the front door, and she quickly slipped them on before digging around the drawers for some paper and a quill to write a note to Jazza.

Jazza,

Don’t worry about me. I’ll be back soon.

Gem

Then, she slipped out the front door and snuck around to the side where her bedroom was. The bear was pawing at the ground and looked so out of place amongst Lore Village’s wooden paths and sandstone buildings. He turned to face Gem when she got near and, suddenly, the night didn’t feel so scary.

When they stared at one another, Gem felt it again. A sense of rightness. The bear’s eyes seemed wise and all-seeing. She trusted him, and he trusted her.

“Okay, let’s go,” Gem said.

The bear bent down and then turned to look at her, tipping his head towards his back.

“Are you sure?” she asked him and, when the bear made no movement, Gem carefully crawled onto his back and sat atop him like he was a horse. His fur was thick, and he radiated warmth.

In one swift movement, the bear rose and started up a quick pace, navigating through Lore Village’s winding sheets until they were out, headed in an easterly direction. The mountain that the Goblands was under slowly and steadily grew smaller and smaller.

Gem constantly glanced back until it was nothing more but a speck.

“We’ll be back soon, right?” Gem asked the bear, worrying her bottom lip. While she trusted him fully, and knew she’d be safe as long as they were together, she didn’t want to be gone too long, or Jazza might get distressed and then contact Gem’s parents. How could she ever explain all this to them?

They travelled for a long while, and Gem dozed off, waking up every so often. Each time she awoke, the night was a little brighter.

It was nearly daybreak when Gem re-awoke and noticed they were surrounded by tall mountains. The bear was following a little, rocky path, walking slower than they had in the empty field a couple hours earlier. The mountains were snow-capped, and there was something in the air.

Was that salt? Were they near an ocean?

Gem sat a little straighter. She’d never seen an ocean before. The bear seemed to pick up on her interest, for he sped up just slightly. And then, around the last bend, sat a tall gatehouse that had a glass window in the shape of a sun.

The barricade was lifted, which Gem wasn’t sure was strange or not. Weren’t gatehouses supposed to keep outsiders away? It was early in the morning—the sun wasn’t up yet. Maybe the building was from a different time, a remnant of a violent past.

There was a sudden ringing that had Gem pressing her hands against her ears. Still, she heard someone’s voice bellow from the gatehouse. “Apollo has returned! He has brought the princess! The prophecy has been fulfilled!”

The bear’s stride didn’t falter, and they passed through the gate, the bell still ringing. 

And there, sprawled on the coastline was a quaint little town with red, orange, and yellow roofs. Then, beyond was the soft roll of waves in the dark blue ocean. A little sliver of golden yellow was beginning to peek out on the horizon.

Doors started banging open and, suddenly, winged people glided out of their houses. People with orange and black wings. People like her. A flutter of bodies surrounded her.

The words “prophecy” and “Apollo” were repeatedly thrown about. What was that about a princess?

Childrens’ hands reached out to pet the now stationary bear, who Gem assumed was named Apollo. She liked the name Apollo; it suited him.

“A prophecy?” Gem repeated, climbing off Apollo who was likely exhausted from carrying her all the way here.

A girl about twelve looked up at her, mouth slightly agape. Her wings were flapping excitedly behind her. “Welcome to Dawn. Your arrival is a part of a prophecy.” She grinned proudly before saying, “I can recite it for you.”

For three bleak years, Apollo will disappear,

On the third day of the third spring, he’ll bring the princess here.

She who has spent her life underground,

Apollo will retrieve her; she will be found.

They will travel together, haste they will make,

And arrive in Dawn at first day break.

Gem blinked, the words settling around her.

The girl floated a couple inches off the ground, her eyes sparkling, and the people around her gave her a wide breadth of space for her beating wings. “We haven’t had a ruler in ages. Prophecies don’t come around all that often, and that’s how rulers are always selected.”

A princess. Gem didn’t know what to think. The title in reference to her felt like a dress that didn’t quite fit. It wasn’t uncomfortable in a tight or constricting way, just far too big and daunting. But, really, all that meant was that she just had to grow into it. 

Her thoughts flitted to her family. She couldn’t wait to tell fWhip and her parents about all this. Maybe she could convince the Goblands to create a tunnel to Dawn. It could be her first degree, the Goblin Empire her first ally.

Gem smiled and, on the horizon, the sun rose.

[blocksruinedme]

So I wrote 5k in for the 48h mcyt exchange. This number of words would have been more reasonable if didn’t also run a ttrpg session, play one, host a watch party, and deal with a fandom thing that sapped my energy for the rest of Friday. Really I mostly wrote it sat night and sun morning, with 3 hours sleep in there. Yeah, I know. Massive thanks to @that-tall-queer-bassist for suggesting most of the shop details and @toasted-cricket

What did it take me to finally publish a fic with no Jimmy or Joel? An exchange assignment! Which, magically, somehow, let me publish the first gem/oli/pearl fic. I tried to give my recipient several things they asked for, which turned into “Gem tries to let her hc/emp friends date and scatters everything, eventually she finds them at a cool laundromat/pinball arcade/coffee shop/open mic stage based on a place i liked in San Francisco”. Which is oddly specific, but I didn’t even think about Joe + pinball when I picked it. I said “I can’t write a coffeeshop AU, wait, I can write a Brainwash AU!”

Fandom: Empires and some Hermitcraft

Ships: JoeHills/Oli, Gem/Oli/Pearl

Words: 5071

Style: Gem thinking about her life with flashes of people living in the coffeeshop, no dialogue. “Introspective Character Study” aka all i ever do APPARENTLY

Characters: Gem, Oli, Pearl, Joe and one fWhip bit

And below the cut, some pics of dearly departed brainwash, at folsom and langton in san fransciso <3

[edit: omg i spent so much putting the pics into 2x2 and 3x3 sections and they're all just there, sigh.]

[geekinclara]

So, superhero AU, based on the hermpires crossover, main character Gem (my beloved).

[geekordaus]

Ok, so, the main issue to solve of the story will be the Watchers going to the Empires side of the rift to try and "convert it".

Now, I decided to make Gem their main helper, combining her sun religion with the watchers religion. Also this would bring some juicy plot with a past Soup Rebellion against King Ren.

But what do you think people? Would other emperor be more suited to be the "villain" of the story?

[etonzolo]

GEMTHO

running out of time

[ao3 link] ~Kisses because they’re running out of time~

Etho shrinked away from the camp like the wounded dog he was. He could barely move through the stabbing pain that radiated and snaked throughout his arm, but he couldn’t- he didn’t want them to see him die this way.

 (...It was selfish of him, who was he to deny his family their final goodbyes?)

He was shocked to find the lake he normally hid out at wasn’t empty. Though she was here more nights then he was apparently, so it really shouldn’t have surprised him that she was there even now.

“H- Hey Gem.” He tried to act casual. As if it wasn’t the ghost, or well err- zombie, of his friend he was talking to.

“Etho!” Gem spun around with excitement. Her gaze sharpened and she gasped as she spotted his growing decay. …It was a cold reminder of what he was about to lose.

“Oh! You’ve been blessed too!” She praised before joking, “It’s about time, y’know.”

He chuckled awkwardly as he went to stand by his former friend, “I don’t know if I'd call it a blessing…”

Gem frowned, “You will. Besides, you could help us now, Etho.”

“I… I don’t know if I can,” He wheezed a half-laugh through the pain, “They’re- They’re my family, Gem.”

“I know, Etho. I know, but we could finally recruit everyone!” Gem reassured through her rapidly decaying flesh, “Just think of how fun it’ll be to all be together again!”

Her smile unsettled Etho. It was- he wanted to say it was nothing like the person he had known, but that would be a lie. It was the most Gem-like smile he’d seen from her since this all started.

He couldn’t help but mirror that smile, as any panic he should be feeling slowly dripped away against his will, “Maybe… But not- not for them.”

“If you say so…” Gem rolled her eyes good naturedly, as if she knew something he didn’t. She probably did.

He laughed, “Whatever you say Ge-”

Etho couldn’t see. His eyesight flickered in and out as the curse started to overtake him. He felt tired.

….This was the beginning of the end, eh?

“Etho?!” Gem’s voice waved in panic as he felt his knees give out. It was the most human she’d sounded in years. Or maybe Etho was no longer human enough to tell the difference.

…He didn’t mind that thought as much as he figured he should.

That calmness was briefly overtaken by his body’s last attempt at fighting off the inevitable. He grasped onto his rapidly fading clarity and fear, letting it all spill out of him without any thought, “I- I’m dying… I’m dying, Gem. I don’t want to die! I don’t want to leave them! I can’t- can’t leave Bdubs and Cleo and-”

“Shhhh…. Sleep, Etho.” Gem stopped him as she reached out to kiss the top of his head, “Sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning, Promise.”

He panicked as his vision went black again, “Gem I-”

“Sleep, Etho.” She scolded.

…His eyes closed themself for him at her request.

[bropleasejustletmesignuogoddamn]

soo uhmmm does anyone know of a post that describes the hermit’s personalities or how they’re typically described in fanfics??? i plan on making a long-ish au with most (if not all) of the hermits. but i don’t have the time or attention span to watch kore than like 2 hermits

[norinenglish]

I just watched Grian's episode 7 and

I need someone to write a fic about Scar with his train stopping in this weird town where there seemed to only be two people: the strange girl with a sword who's away on her boat catching nightmare-inducing fish and the one fisherman who's focused on fishing mending. Every time Scar enters a shop or the town hall or anything, it's the fisherman behind the counter. Scar is slowly turning insane. Doesn't help that he now sees floating fishes and snails larger than him. It would be a good comedy/descent in madness fic imo.

[hopepetal]

Read on AO3

Reblogs do more than likes!

--

They had been running for some time now, chasing after Gem and Scott ever since proclaiming themselves allies. Chasing, without end, prey that was an expert at evading. It was frustrating, and not to mention exhausting.

Pearl took a moment to gasp for air, her footsteps stumbling to a halt. It took Scar a moment to notice, but when he did he stopped as well, turning to look back at her. “You good, Pearl?” he asked, tilting his head slightly in question. 

“Yeah,” she got out, “doin’ lovely, mate. Don’t worry about me, just need a second.” She bent over, resting her hands on her knees as she gasped. Her lungs and legs burned from the strain, and despite his calm demeanor she knew Scar was feeling the same.

It took Pearl a moment to realize that her hair was cascading down around her, falling into her face despite the fact that she had tied her hair back earlier. With a groan, she realized her ponytail had come loose, the ribbon she had used still tangled in her hair. “Hold on,” she got out, straightening back up, “I have to tie my hair back up. Can’t be fighting with my hair down.”

“Wait!” Scar set down his shield and bow before stepping forward. “I have a better idea.” Before Pearl could protest, he gently took the tangled ribbon from her hair. 

Pearl frowned. “What are you planning, Scar?”

“Sit down, Pearl.” Scar lowered himself to the ground and sat with his legs folded beneath him. “I’ll braid your hair.”

Pearl raised an eyebrow, laughing. She still clutched her bow in her hand, looking around nervously– they were almost a full death game in, and she still was on edge. As if she was planning on winning. “You know we don’t have that kind of time, Scar. Gem and Scott are still out there, and who knows what they’re planning?”

Scar shook his head, patting the ground in front of him. “Sit down. We need this rest, you know. Can’t fight too well if we’re exhausted.”

Pearl sighed, reluctantly setting down her bow as she sat. She kept her shield in her hand, laying it across her lap and fidgeting with the handle. “Alright.” She felt Scar pull her hair back, gently beginning to comb his fingers through her tangled locks. “Y’know, the final fight would go a lot easier if you killed me.”

Scar shook his head, still continuing to carefully brush through Pearl’s hair. “You know why I won’t do that, Pearl. I don’t like all those ‘heroic sacrifices’.”

Pearl laughed, continuing to fidget with her shield. Something about her laughter sounded a little bitter, nostalgic for something that had never happened. “Yeah, I can’t imagine why.”

Scar began dividing her hair up into sections, humming softly as he began to braid. “You have nice hair,” he commented, “very shiny. And soft.”

“You think so?” Pearl asked, free hand drifting up to play with one of her free locks. “Honestly, it just gets in the way during these games. I’m thinking of cutting it.”

Scar gasped, though the smile remained on his face. “Oh, I can only imagine… this game hasn’t even given us hairbrushes, the nerve!” After a moment of silence, he continued. “If you cut your hair, I won’t have any to braid, you know. How’s a man supposed to keep his hands busy like that?”

Pearl laughed, finally seeming to relax slightly as she set her shield to the side. “Grow out your own hair, you goof.” There was a sadness in her voice that Scar couldn’t physically understand– he’d never had long hair, so why did she sound like she was grieving something that never happened? And something so small at that.

For Pearl, the reason why was simple. How could she not grieve the parts of her friends that they’d forgotten they’d ever had? A smile that was missing its mischievousness, a laugh that was missing its depth. A look that had no recognition, no shared secrets. Memories like missing puzzle pieces, lost somewhere unknown. That was what she saw every time blood stained the ground, every time family was pitted against one another like soldiers at war.  

Scar continued to braid Pearl’s hair, humming a cheery tune that Pearl knew he couldn’t recall learning. Deft hands paused, lightly holding the strands of hair, before Scar pulled away to grab something. Pearl heard him pick up his sword then hesitate, considering something. 

“Aren’t you afraid of me stabbing you in the back?” he asked, to which Pearl laughed. “What? It’s a serious question!”

Pearl turned slightly to look at Scar, giving him a smile. “If you were going to stab me, Scar, it would’ve been when I asked you to. Besides,” she added, turning back around, “even if you did stab me now, I wouldn’t be upset. You’d get ten extra hearts.”

“Eh,” Scar dismissed, far too nonchalant for a discussion of death, “I don’t need ten extra hearts.”

Pearl raised an eyebrow, though she knew he wouldn’t be able to see that. “You might not think the same when we’re fighting against Gem and Scott, mate.”

Scar cut something with his sword before setting it back to the side, his hands taking Pearl’s hair in them again. “That’s a problem for future Scar. Present Scar doesn’t kill his only friend in the entire server.”

Pearl felt a pang of guilt shoot through her. She knew that feeling well– loneliness, grief. Loneliness was an old friend that had once been her only companion. She recognized that in Scar, in his voice and his eyes. She had seen it once before, in the second game. Not that he would remember it.

He might, soon. The voice that whispered to her was none other than her own, her deepest thoughts given words. He could win this. He could become like us. 

I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, she shot back, unknowingly tensing up. It was a little silly, getting into an argument with herself, but Pearl had always been a rather silly person. Unconventional, even. At one point, she’d been called insane. Perhaps it was fitting.

And yet you want him to win. The voice made a good point– she made a good point. If she didn’t want Scar to win, she could easily just kill him now. She should kill him now if she so desperately wanted to spare him the fate of the victors. He’d put up a fight, and he was good with a sword. Pearl knew that much, knew that there would be a moment of surprise before his eyes narrowed and heart hardened and the battle began. She also knew that he wouldn’t win against her on the chance she did try her hardest, that she fought with all her might.

Scar knew this too, and perhaps that was why he teamed up with her in the first place. Maybe he had found kinship in their shared loneliness. Maybe he’d wanted protection. Maybe he needed a friend. It was unlikely, but maybe he’d felt drawn to her by a bond he couldn’t quite understand, one made by witnessing the violent and sudden end of a server he couldn’t remember. There were a thousand possible reasons as to why he’d chosen her, and perhaps she’d truly never left the tower after all, because the fact he had chosen her at all still slightly baffled her. 

Well. No matter. He chose her, and in the end they’d all die anyway. 

“You have gentle hands,” she commented. “Joel tried braiding my hair before. Nearly tugged my whole head off my neck, that man. It’s a wonder Lizzie’s put up with him this long.” No matter what memories they lost, it always seemed like Joel and Lizzie’s marriage remained an unchangeable fact. Maybe it had something to do with “‘til Death do us part’”, though Pearl wasn’t really sure. 

Maybe she’d try marrying someone when they got back to Hermitcraft, just to see if it carried over to the next death game. And wasn’t that a strange thought, the next death game? There would be another, Pearl knew, if Grian had anything to say about it. He was a little strange like that, but she’d come to expect those kinds of things from her brother. 

“Why thank you!” Scar was beaming, she could tell by his voice. “This just comes so naturally to me. Maybe I should’ve been a hairdresser instead of a trader.” 

Pearl laughed, remembering the intricate braids Scar would put his hair in during Last Life and their home server, Hermitcraft. Although he couldn’t remember them, he remembered how to do them. That was a small relief, at the very least. It was nice to know that her friends kept some parts of themselves, instead of being the blank slates she had originally thought when she first regained her memories. 

“Maybe,” she responded, starting to pick at the grass in front of her, plucking a small flower from the ground. “I’d go to you all the time if you were my hairdresser.” Her voice took on a teasing lilt as she continued. “Just as long as you promise not to do anything too crazy with my hair, alright?”

Scar giggled, his laughter another part of himself that he had kept even after the loss of his memories. “I can’t promise anything, sunflower! Who knows what might happen if you stop paying attention? I might turn you blonde if you aren’t careful.”

Pearl snorted, twirling a strand of grass around her finger idly. “And where do you suppose you’ll get the dye for that, mate? Or the means to make my hair lighter so it’s easier to dye? We’re not exactly exploding with resources here.”

“Hmm, true…” Scar hummed thoughtfully. “We’ve found ourselves in a bit of a pickle, Pearl!”

Pearl shook her head, rolling her eyes. “No, Scar, we aren’t. I didn’t want to go blonde in the first place, so there’s no need to get the materials we’d need for it. Just keep braiding my hair, you goof!”

“Aww, alright!” Scar laughed softly as he went back to braiding Pearl’s hair. “Almost done.” His voice took on an uncharacteristically serious tone. “How are you feeling? Injuries, exhaustion? General… mental state?” He gave a small chuckle on the last one. “I mean, other than the obvious. This game has been… a trip.”

Pearl groaned, stretching out her arms in front of her. “Tell me about it. I lost all of my Mounders.” Her shoulders slumped. “I really wanted them to win, Scar. I really did.”

“I know,” Scar murmured, “and I’m sorry you didn’t get to see that through. You did your best, Pearl.” He paused. “And what about you? I would’ve thought that after all your allies… got out… that you would want to take up the sword and win for them. But you haven’t really… been doing that. You even offered to let me kill you.”

Pearl held back a shudder, wanting to wrap her arms around herself to fight off the sudden cold that had settled over her. “I don’t want to win,” she mumbled, “Even if I did, I don’t think they’d be too happy if I tried.”

Scar made a confused noise. “What was that? I couldn’t quite catch it.”

Pearl shook her head. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” She took a breath. “I just don’t want to win. Don’t see the point in all this, really. Never have. What’s a victory when everyone else around you is dead?”

Scar hummed thoughtfully, thinking about it. “I suppose you’re right. But in the end, isn’t it better for it to be them than me?”

Pearl chuckled sadly. “Not when you have to live with the consequences.”

Scar paused for a moment, as if struck by a sudden revelation. “...I think I understand. Thanks for, uh, answering my questions.” He continued braiding for another moment. “Alright, I think we’re all done!”

Pearl stood with Scar, reaching back to gently touch her braid. There was a shallow pool of water nearby, and she walked over to check her reflection. “Really, Scar?” Woven into her braid was a sunflower, which must’ve been what Scar cut with his sword earlier. 

Scar laughed, joining her by the water. “Doesn’t it look pretty? I thought it was fitting. And!” he continued, over Pearl’s soft laughter, “it adds some brightness to the whole ensemble!” He gestured at Pearl’s outfit, the same she had worn in her past games.

Maybe she would change up her red look next game. If there was a next game. “It does, it does,” she agreed, stifling her laughter. “Thank you, Scar. I look very pretty now, and my hair is out of the way.”

Scar looked over at her, eyes wide. “You mean you won’t cut it? You promise?”

Pearl smiled, reaching out and putting a hand on Scar’s shoulder. “I promise I won’t cut my hair, Scar. Not after you put so much effort into braiding it. I wouldn’t do that to ya, mate. That’s just cruel.” 

Scar grinned. “I knew I could trust you!” With that, he turned away from the water and walked back to where he had left his sword and shield. 

Pearl spent another moment there, gazing out at the water. Did he really mean that? Did Scar truly trust her? If so, had it just been this small moment that made him let down his guard? No, surely not. Scar was intelligent and cunning, and rarely did he let his walls down for anyone. Something must’ve happened for him to feel this way towards her. Something she had done, or said, maybe.

And that was just if he was being truthful with his words– she knew Scar wasn’t one to ignore the benefits of weaving lies and charm into his speech. He was a masterful manipulator, she knew many underestimated him for the cheery, unassuming front he put up. But that was just another reason as to why he was dangerous.

“Pearl?” Scar’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she looked back at her ally. “You comin’?”

“Yeah.” Pearl jogged over, feeling much more energized than before. Picking up her bow and her shield, she did one last check to make sure everything she had was in order. Once she was certain, she turned to Scar with a smile. “Lets win this one, Scar.”

Scar grinned in return, red eyes shining. “Why, I think that’s a wonderful idea!” 

Lightning struck the ground as Gem took Scott’s sacrifice, and once again Pearl stopped Scar. “My offer still stands, you know. Kill me and take the hearts, you’ll stand a better chance against Gem if you do.”

Scar pretended to think about it. “I think I’ll stand a better chance against Gem if I have you on my team. So, no thank you! But thanks for the offer. Come on, we can’t let Gem get away!” 

The chase continued, feeling much more light-hearted than the ones at the end of Double Life had been. To be fair, she had gone a little insane in the last few days, but still. Maybe it was Scar’s jovial attitude about killing. Maybe it was the fact that she still had an ally this late into the game. Maybe it was something Pearl would never be able to put her finger on, no matter how hard she tried to think of a reason.

The two inevitably caught up with Gem, who had grown exhausted from the chase. Despite being enemies now, Pearl still felt guilty as she raised her sword to attack, Gem’s wide eyes and shouts of an unfair fight making her hesitate and pull back. It was two against one after all, and Pearl had no intentions of winning. Ganging up on Gem like that felt wrong, but maybe that was just her old bond to the other holding her back. Scar had no such qualms, swooping in when she pulled back to quickly cut Gem down. 

Pearl could hardly believe it had happened until lightning struck the ground, and silence rang between the two as Scar stood over Gem’s body. They’d discovered that bodies remained after the last death when Jimmy had died, but it was still a little disturbing to just see Gem laying there. Like she was asleep. 

It didn’t feel right. 

Pearl had to bite back a snort. Four death games in, and she was still disturbed by the sight of dead bodies. Honestly, it was a little pathetic. She’d killed, and been killed, and yet… somehow, it never got any easier. Somehow, it just got harder. The blood staining her hands had become so much that it was hard to hold onto her weapon, and her scars ached whenever she killed. 

Pearl brushed her braid back over her shoulder and lowered her bow, offering Scar a weak smile. “You did it, Scar. Good job.”

Scar laughed softly, not turning around to face her just yet. “It’s just us two left, then. The last ones alive.” “Mhm. What’s your plan now, Scar?” Pearl kept her voice casual, trying to hide the trembling in her hands. How are you going to do it?

How are you going to kill me?

Scar answered her question by turning and raising his bow. Pearl hardly had any time to blink before he shot her, the force of the arrow sending her stumbling back with a shout. Instinct took over then, and she ran as Scar continued to shoot at her. All thoughts of sacrifice fled her mind as she dodged the flying arrows that missed her just barely, reminding her just how good of a shot Scar was. 

“Going for it immediately, huh?” she shouted back as she ran, pulling her sword. Not that she intended to use it, not to kill. But she would put up a fight. If Scar wouldn’t let her sacrifice herself for him, then she would do the next best thing. She would fight him, and he would earn his victory. Not like the hollow sacrifice Scott made for her, where victory was force-fed to Pearl by his hands. No, she wouldn’t do that to Scar. She respected him too much to throw the fight. 

That didn’t mean she would try to win, not in the slightest. But she would do her best to not make it easy for him. His victory would be painful no matter what she did, but at the very least she could make sure it wasn’t a hollow one.

The next arrow hit her as she ran through the field of sunflowers they had been sitting in just earlier, when Scar had offered to braid her hair. It felt like a lifetime ago as she crashed into the ground, yelping in pain as she tried to scramble back up. “Really, Scar?” She couldn’t help but laugh as she ran, the pain shocking as adrenaline flowed through her veins. 

“This game!” Scar called, continuing the chase as he spoke. “There were more of them, weren’t there? And you won.”

Pearl stumbled, surprise catching her off guard mid-stride. She cursed and turned back, swinging her sword down and catching Scar in the side. He stumbled back, granting her more time to flee– but not enough. As she ran, Scar drew back the bowstring, aiming carefully. A running target was harder to hit, but Pearl was moving in a relatively straight path. All he had to do was aim a little ahead, steady, then release. 

It was over the moment the arrow flew, striking Pearl in the chest and pushing her over the edge of a cliff, sending her plummeting into the caves below. Lightning struck, and then all was silent. 

Scar stood, clutching his bow in a white-knuckle grip. “Pearl?” He took a step forward. The wind blew around him, rustling through his hair and shawl. Sunflowers bowed against the breeze, gesturing in the direction where she’d fallen. “Pearl?! Pearl, sunflower, where are you?” 

The breeze led him a few steps further in a stumbling haze, until he stood at the edge of the caves that he’d sent his friend? Enemy? falling into. He didn’t know what he expected– maybe to see Pearl gazing back up at him, a smile on her face and weapon drawn, hurt but alive– but as he looked down into the caves, he found only the body of his first and final ally.

A presence danced around him, heavier than the wind but acting just like it. She’s dead, Scar. You won. Five words whispered in his ear, as thin as the passing breeze. Five words that would’ve meant the world to Scar, once upon a time. Five words that now meant nothing to him as he gazed down at the body of his only friend.

Crouching, Scar swung his legs over the edge of the cave, slowly and carefully lowering himself down. He had to find footholds so that he wouldn’t fall and possibly lose his life as well– the fight with Pearl had left him with fewer hearts than he would’ve liked. “Hold on, Pearl,” he mumbled as he made his way down to where Pearl lay. “I’m coming to get you, I’m… I’m coming, don’t worry, I’ll be right there.”

He dropped the last few feet, wincing as pain shot up his legs and sapped at his strength. Luckily, the drop wasn’t far enough to cause any actual injury, but it was closer than he would’ve liked. He stumbled to catch himself, pulling himself to a halt in front of Pearl’s body. 

It was hard to look at her like this. Pearl was someone who was so full of life, always. She was strong and fierce, fighting for what she wanted every day, every moment. She never gave up, not once in all the time that Scar knew her. It hadn’t been long, and it was hard to really get to know someone during a death game like this, but Scar had always been pretty good at reading people. 

He knelt by Pearl’s body, brushing her hair out of her face and gently closing her eyes. He didn’t delude himself with pretending she was asleep– what was the point of avoiding death now, when he had caused so much of it? His hands were stained red with blood that he would never be able to wash off. 

Scar lingered a moment longer before shrugging off his shawl and gently wrapping it around Pearl. He was careful with her body, handling her as gently as he could as he settled her back against the stone. There wasn’t as much blood as Scar thought there should’ve been, but he wiped the blood that was there off Pearl’s face as best he could. 

Then, his hands went to the braid. It had held up well, keeping the sunflower he had woven in secured in her hair. He hesitated for a moment before untying the ribbon that held it in place and beginning to undo the braid. 

He began to hum while he worked. Slowly, reverently. A song that came from a place he couldn’t quite remember, a home he once thought he’d never forget. In another world, he would know he was humming the last rites for a loved one, to send them off into the stars. In this world, all he knew of it was the deep, longing ache in his chest and the tears that it caused to spring to his eyes.

Carefully, Scar took the sunflower from Pearl’s hair, placing it down in his lap. He gently combed his fingers through her hair one last time, before tucking it into the shawl. Picking the sunflower back up, he leaned forward and gently kissed her on the forehead. “Good night, sweet sunflower. And goodbye.”

He stood and once more began humming softly, climbing out of the ravine with the sunflower still in his hand. Scar took extra care to not crush the delicate flower as he pulled himself up onto solid ground. The sun was just beginning to set as he made his way toward the Secret Keeper, the intimidating statue that reigned over the entire server. The towering tyrant seemed to gaze down at Scar with eyes he knew he couldn’t see, taunting him with a victory that tasted at best bittersweet. 

It grew dark as Scar approached the buttons, but he held tight to the reminder of the sun’s light in his hand. It gave him the strength to push forward even as his legs threatened to give out from under him. He could not hide the trembling, however, that came from the rush of adrenaline and fear. 

He raised his eyes to meet the invisible ones looking down on him, a challenge held in his gaze, “You wanted me to be the villain?!” he called out, the weight of being watched settling on his shoulders. “Fine! Here I am!” He reached out and pressed the button to succeed. 

Welcome home.

And Scar… remembered. What sounded like thousands of voices overlapping filled his mind, causing him to stumble back with a yelp. He dropped the sunflower, clutching at his head as he was forced to his knees in front of the Secret Keeper.

Sacrifices offered and refused. Atonement rejected, forgiveness given. Arms outstretched, to offer a helping hand. Tears falling into blood-stained water as the two left locked eyes. “For all you have done to keep me alive this long, you may slay me and take the enchanter.”

Bloodied sand, prickling cactus spines, heat waves and cool nights. Two impossible friends, against the world. Traitorous actions, painful fists, a killing blow. “Scar, whatever happens, I think we can count this as a double victory.” 

A loneliness that echoed in the silence around him, howling as the wind at night. Bonds broken off entirely, leaving him with only the stars for company. “Everything that happened last season is null and void. Doesn’t count, okay?”

A bitterness that came from once tasting too much sweetness, like slightly burnt cookies. A loneliness that ached worse than when he had been truly alone, for this ache was born of lies and deceit. “I made them, they’re for your secret soulmate.” 

A moment of joy, in the midst. A time of family, friendship, and security. Before the secrets, before the lies and the pain, before the fire and the red wars. “We’re the cockers!” 

Allies for the first time in what felt like forever. People who truly had his back, no matter what. A place where he could let his guard down and smile, laugh, and live. If only for a moment, he knew what it was like to be loved. He was protected, and he was protective. “You don't go against the family.”

You are seated in a field, surrounded by grass blades, ebbing and flowing through the gusts of your imagination. Each of those blades represent a past life. Memories. Desires. Dreams. And past loves… By plucking one you shall reveal–

“Home,” Scar gasped out, eyes snapping open. “I need to go home.”

You are home.

The presence became louder, more unbearable. Each voice clamored for attention, every new memory begging to be heard. The weight of the universe pushed him into the ground, making him gasp for air in a strained panic. 

It was too much. All the memories, all the emotions– it was too much. Scar yelled in pain as it just grew louder and louder, the pressure growing as the weight pushing him down increased. Just like a volcano, it felt as though he was going to erupt at any minute.

And then a cold wind brushed up against Scar’s skin, weaving and dancing around him. “Enough.” 

The voices instantly quieted, the pressure vanishing as Scar collapsed to the ground gasping for air. He tried blinking away the tears and black spots that cluttered his vision, making it difficult to see properly. 

What he could see, though, took his breath away.

Pearl stood in front of him as a shimmering silver spirit, facing the Secret Keeper with her wings flared out to their full span. She glowed as if she were made from moonlight and stardust, and Scar couldn’t help but stare at her in awe. 

“He belongs with us. You will leave him alone.” Her voice was thin and brittle– as if it might snap were someone able to reach out and grab it. There was an echo to it as well, ringing in Scar’s mind as she spoke.

The feeling of being watched vanished completely, and Pearl turned back to Scar. She smiled a silvery smile, and held out her hand to him. “C’mon, mate. Let's go home.”

Scar took her hand, gasping at the sudden coldness that flooded his body– Death. He stood up, trying not to look down at his body that lay where he had fallen just moments earlier. As he stepped forward to join his friend, he couldn’t help but glance back and notice the sunflower lying beside his body, just inches away from his open hand. Nothing he could do about it now. 

Scar turned back to face Pearl, noticing the three other spirits that had gathered. He remembered them all now. The winners of the previous games. His allies, his enemies, his friends. His eyes caught Grian’s, and he couldn’t help but smile. 

“Well hello there,” he greeted his old ally with a grin, letting go of Pearl’s hand to bow dramatically. “Guess we finally cashed in on that double victory, huh?”

Grian laughed, rolling his eyes. His expression warmed as he took a step forward, reaching out to take Scar’s hand in his. “Little late, but I’ll accept it. How are you, Scar?”

“Well, he’s very dead, so I can’t imagine he’s doing great,” Scott interjected, ignoring the glare the two avians gave him. “What? I’m not wrong.” 

Scar shook his head. “That you are! I’m actually doing much better now that I remember everyone’s going to come back. Makes me feel a lot less guilty about killing all those people!” 

Pearl sighed, though she couldn’t hide the smile on her face. “Y’know, I felt the same way after I won Double Life. And now the games are so much easier for me! It’s nice to get all the murderous urges out now that I know everyone’s going to be fine eventually.”

“This is why everyone calls you two insane,” Martyn muttered, crossing his arms. “Now can we go back home now? I don’t like hanging out in these servers longer than I have to.”

Grian let go of Scar’s hand to pull up some sort of screen, typing commands into it. “Sure, just give me one second.” He continued typing on the screen, swiping through various options and closing others. “Good game, by the way,” he added, without looking up, “I don’t think anyone expected you to win.”

Scar gave a half shrug. “To be honest, G, I didn’t either! Totally thought Gem was going to get this one.”

Grian nodded. “But that’s just how these games go, mhm? Expect the unexpected. Pearl’s win should’ve taught us that much.” He spent another moment typing before closing the screen. “…Alright, we should be heading back to our respective servers soon enough.” He reached out to take Scar’s hand again, taking Pearl’s hand in his other. 

“Can’t believe we almost have all of the Boatem crew here,” Scar blurted out, “do you think Impulse will join us next time?”

Pearl laughed. “I hope so! I don’t think Mumbo will be winning any time soon, though. So we might just have to settle for four out of five.”

Scar nodded sagely. “You speak very wise words, Pearl. I fear Mumbo may be too… how do people say it? I fear he may be too much of a wet cat.”

Martyn groaned. “Oh, don’t remind me.”

Laughter rose from the group as the code began its work, and they all began to fade away. Grian held tightly to Scar and Pearl’s hands, locking eyes with the both of them. “I’ll see you both soon, okay?”

Pearl giggled, squeezing Grian’s hand in return. “See you soon, Griba!”

“Goodbye!” Scar called to Martyn and Scott, their responding farewells faint as the server faded away around him. 

And then there was darkness. 

And then Scar woke up.

[legally-allowed-to-slime]

The last few people had logged off the server, leaving it in its burnt, damaged state.

She knew where Gem would be.

Cleo scaled up the ladder and clambered up to the rickety roof of Joel’s tower — where you could look out on the entire server.

Sure enough, Gem was perched on the railing, sitting on the edge with nothing to support her but the wind, staring in the direction of the Secret Keeper.

Cleo looked around at the short cobble walls. Grian had told her that he’d hid away here. Not a bad strategy, overall. You could shut yourself here and forget everywhere else existed.

“Hey, Cleo.”

“Am I that loud?” Cleo joked weakly.

“Who else?”

Cleo watched as the last remains of the green flesh flaked off Gem’s skin, leaving her regular human tones. “No more zombies now, then? Good job, anyway. Killing people left and right.”

“Not you, though.”

“Not me. Only way I’m going out is my way. I’d rather die on my own stupidity than someone else’s callousness.” Cleo allowed a hint of pride to enter her voice. “You were great zombies, though.”

“We weren’t zombies.” Gem turned and hopped down from the railing.

Cleo noticed that unlike the other zombies, or even Scott or Grian, Gem didn’t have a single scratch or injury, save one neat bandage that no doubt was due to Scar’s reckless arrows.

Which meant the blood splattering her face wasn’t her own. “What do you mean?”

“That’s not how zombies work. No offence, Cleo, but most zombies aren’t sentient.”

Cleo blinked. “No worries, I know they aren’t. I kill plenty of them at night.”

“So you should know how they work. They’re mindless. They lurch along, they kill without thinking, they probably bump into trees.”

Gem tilted her head. “They don’t set TNT traps, or betray their teammates, or ask for permission to kill their wife’s perceived murderer.”

Cleo’s mouth was dry. “So you’re saying…”

“I’m saying the apocalypse wasn’t zombies, Cleo. It was human.”

Horribly, incredibly human.

Cleo remembered when they were up on the tower, staring at the others down below, condemning them as monsters.

Somehow, it was better to think of them as a mindless horde and not people she’d been laughing and arguing with a session ago.

Gem was watching her. “You know I’m right. Look at Pearl. Was running from us, convinced we were infected or something but once she realised she had permission to kill, she went in. Even unleashed a warden, or two. That’s how quickly we switch.”

Ironically, Cleo realised, the roles had been swapped this session. The humans were chasing the zombie, but it hadn’t been any different.

“That’s not true,” Cleo said, “It’s not all bad. Did you know, Grian snuck down from this tower to check on his magma pet, and I was there too. And so was Etho. He didn’t kill us.”

Irritation flashed across Gem’s face. “He didn’t kill you? If he had, or, like, told us your location or something, we could’ve all just gone after Scott, and, and, the task would’ve succeeded…”

She trailed off, and looked at Cleo. “Is that the point you’re trying to make here?”

Cleo shrugged.

“Alright, I get it,” Gem grumbled, “No need to rub your holier-than-thou alliance and great morals in my face.”

“Well, no one asked you to put your task over your bandmates.”

Gem didn’t say anything to that.

“It’s not as if I’m exactly a paragon of morality either.” Cleo continued.

“I guess not.” Gem gave a short laugh. “Neither am I. You know, all the murder and stuff? I don’t feel bad! In fact, I feel great. I feel proud of myself for it.”

“…I feel you should be a little less bloodthirsty.”

Gem smiled at Cleo, an innocent, cheerful smile that would have been such if not for the circumstances. “Oh, no.”

Cleo was suddenly feeling very unsafe on the highest platform on the server. She wished Etho was here, or even Grian.

She knew Gem couldn’t take any lives, not now, not when the session was already over. But still…

Cleo raised her sword to stop the axe swing that came, but it was a feint, and her sword hit nothing.

Gem dramatically swung her axe back into her inventory.

“You really thought I would attack you?” Gem said.

“I don’t see why you wouldn’t,” Cleo retorted curtly.

“That’s true,” Gem conceded. “But the curse is just so- it’s so freeing, Cleo? Can’t you see? You could do anything.”

“Uh- no thanks. Session’s over, anyway,” Cleo pointed out.

“That’s true. But I’m still kinda cursed, you know.”

In response, Cleo warily raised her sword. But all that Gem did was deliver a mock salute before logging off with a chirpy “See you next week!”

Cleo stood silently. There had been one zombie on the platform just now. Her.

And thinking about it, she wasn’t sure if there hadn’t been two.

[yusakiiiii]

The Fable of Skizz’s Raid

—

It’s on AO3 if you’d prefer to read it there.

—

There was once a Minecrafter known to one of his friends as Skizz Le Man, but many simply knew him as Skizz.

One day Skizz was happily working on a building project when a Pillager patrol snuck up on him. But being a Minecraft veteran, he was able to quickly deal with the patrol.

After defeating the final Pillager, the captain of them, he suddenly got a Bad feeling, like an Omen of ill tidings to come. In hopes that the feelings would fade with time, Skizz logged off for the night.

When Skizz returned to the server the next day, the feeling was gone, but a horn was sounding, and not a horn that imitated an inappropriate sound bite of one of his friends, a horn calling people to arms. And Skizz found himself suddenly surrounded by more pillagers, far more than was in the patrol, he had summoned a Raid. In a panic Skizz flew away to the top of his pyramid where he surveyed the situation.

As he overlooked the Pillagers ransacking his base, two of his friends and neighbours came and joined him on his pyramid. There he recounted to them his troubles and the fact he had left in such a hurry he didn’t even have weapons to fight off the Raiders.

In response to this, one of his friends, Grian, said, “If you just ignore the problem, it will go away.”

Skizz responds to Grian, repeating what he had said earlier in his retelling, “I tried to ignore the problem when I left yesterday but… that went poorly.”

Grian doubled down, “You’ve really got to ignore it for longer. With long terms issues you’ve really gotta commit. Just don’t come back for, I don’t know, a couple months.”

Skizz was very indignant at this suggestion and barked back at his friend, “Oh come on! That’s too mean.” Before whimpering, “What are we gonna do?”

Skizz’s other friend Gem then spoke up, “Well you’ve gotta kill them Skizz.”

Grian quickly interjects, “I told you what to do! Leave it! Ignore it! It’s only your problem if you claim it as your problem.”

Gem remarks looking at the Raiders and their proximity to other peoples builds, “Are they gonna kill Impulse’s villagers?”

Skizz, worried for his friend’s villagers responds, “Well we gotta go down there!”

And as he starts to fly from his pyramid, Grian grabs him by the arm and says, “You’re not understanding what I’m saying. I can’t help but think you aren’t hearing my words.”

Skizz complains with this particular bit of advice, “So I just can’t go over there? Can’t go in my home?”

Grian shakes his head vigorously, “It’s not that you can’t go over there. It’s that you don’t. In fact, why don’t we just turn this way?”

As he says this he grabs Gem and Skizz in each hand and turns them to look away from Skizz’s home and towards the homes of Tango and Pearl, their good friends across the way.

Gem and Skizz breathe a comforted sigh seeing their friend’s beautiful buildings, and then Grian breaks the silence with a, “Gone! See! The problem’s gone! I see no problem here!”

As Skizz wallows a little at this less than perfect suggestion, Gem tries to comfort him saying, “If we don’t want to go with Grian’s suggestion, instead, we can kill almost all of them except one and bury the last one in a hole.”

You see, it was a little known quirk of Illager culture that if an entire first wave of a Raid had been wiped out, others would come as an act of revenge. But if one survived, the Raiders would see this as an act of mercy and not send any more Raiders to attack. And this is the course of action Gem suggested.

Skizz, much happier with this suggestion commented, “Ooh, that’s good. That *is* good!”

And once more as Skizz headed to the edge of his pyramid to fly off, Grian planted his palm in front of Skizz’s chest to stop him saying, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a second.”

Gem interjects before Grian can say any more, “He likes my idea better.”

Grian carries on, ignoring Gem, “Well what looks like is happening, is you’re falling into the trap, of doing something. See, I’ve fallen into that one before. Here’s the thing, you don’t need to do it.”

Gem counters, “But we could also just be proactive and handle the problem. Trust me, you can take them out. You can handle this.”

And trust her he did. Skizz and Gem flew off to fight the Raiders, and helping eachother they were able to, with some injuries, defeat all but one Pillager. But as they were trying to trap this remaining Raider in a hole, Grian, angry they had not heeded his advice, shot down the final raider. He then jeered at Skizz and Gem, “This is what happens when you sort out your problems!”

And not long after, another horn sounded, this time bringing a raiding force filled with the wish for revenge, a raiding force far more deadly than the last. But Gem is well known for her battle prowess, and was able to corner and capture one of the raiders early on, leaving the rest to be defeated by her and Skizz without need to hold back. But just as they defeated the final free Pillager, they turned back to the one they had trapped to see Grian pointing his bow at the helpless Illager. And he released the arrow, along with another wave of angry Pillagers.

Twice more this happened, the brave Minecrafters barely battling their way through the bullish Ravagers and the daggers of Vexes. Until there was only one Raider left. It was then that Grian called out, “Well this is a good spot to just leave the problem now. We can trap this last guy if you want.”

But seeing Grian’s vengeful spirit in him not listening to him earlier, Skizz ignored these words and landed the final kill on the pillager. No horns blared, no Pillagers came. They were finally free from the Raiders. At the end of the Raid there was simply, peace.

—

The above short story is an unreliable narration of part of GeminiTay’s Hermitcraft Season 10 Episode 13. It is loosely following the story of Pandora’s Box (Which was originally Pandora’s Jar until a mistranslation by the way.), but all Fables are meant to have teachings in them, so just as many scholars have debated the meaning behind Pandora’s Jar for centuries, I shall leave you to ponder the Fable of Skizz’s Raid.

[gr1an]

google drive's grammar checker strikes again

i mean. yea, sure. gem can be god. fuck it at this point.

[khoirkid]

A collection of studies for @amethystfairy1's soul destroying fic, For seven years running, you've been a soldier. I won't say too much about the sketches because YOU HAVE TO READ THE FIC. No, really. It's SO good!

I'm hoping to do a sketch per each chapter :) Here's to celebrating a wonderful fic!

[definitelynotshouting]

Through the Looking Glass, Darkly

Summary:

“... Alright!” Impulse’s voice echoes over itself in a multi-layered choir, bouncing off half-ragged walls and burrowing in amongst the sculk. “Well, she could definitely use a bit of an updo, but… yeah! Here it is!” At the center of Forgery's former lair, ravenous fingers have already punched their way into stone, scrawling up the vaulted walls in strange, fungal swoops—letters without language, glyphs without meaning. Hemmed in by something akin to thick, yellow limestone, the malignant mixture in the cistern below them undulates in time with every echo—and when Gem peers into it, locks her gaze with that yearning abyss, her skin begins to crawl. Impulse had called it the Catalyst. Gem calls it for what it really is: Hungry.

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[ MERCH ] [ MISC ]

Hey gang!! Today's posting day for my solo piece for @hotguycomiczine, so here it is!! I hope you guys enjoy it, ive worked super hard not just on the fic but also on the formatting and picture that ive made to go along with it!!! 💀💀💀💀 yeah i uh. i edited and then drew over that to make it look like sculk. yeah i did that all on my phone last night. you can imagine how bad my neck hurts right now

as always, reblogs are deeply appreciated, and comments on ao3 or in the tags will earn you my undying gratitude and also this free sculk sample over here shhhh dont question it just take it<3 i hope you guys like the new formatting style im trying out, and of course the fic itself!! enjoy!!! :DD

[geekordaus]

“Because GeminiTay of the Crystal Cliffs and the Grimlands, before knowledge comes to light, it needa to be in the dark first. And as the God of Darkness, I can say to you, my knowledge far surpasses that of Aeor, since I have access to all the knowledge hidden in the shadows, lurking to go into the light.”

-Exor

[ahllohehn]

↓ LIST OF SUBMISSIONS / HERMITS AND THE OLYMPIANS FANFICTIONS ↓

What is this contest? A fanfiction contest held for and in the universe of Hermits and the Olympians / Emperors of Olympus in celebration of reaching 970+ followers. Winner is chosen through amount of kudos/votes/likes and can choose from either prizes; a comic based on their submitted work or requested rendered art.

>> about au >> au tag >> discord

Please feel free to support any of the following :]

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I’ll always be there (sparkling and shining) by Munchkin1156

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The Saint of Apollo by Nerdking14

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It had always been just a game by Linny

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Oracle of Delphi by ethotek

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like roots, burrowing by unreliable-bean

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Do help me decide a winner for the contest by showing kudos/support to one you absolutely love the most! OFFICIAL WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT DATE November 9th, 2024 (No specific time)