#i was up front when grian got down into the first row

[alexturner2005]

got to the fontaines show way later than planned on wednesday bc my train was stalled and then my uber got stuck in crazy traffic, which put me in prime mosh pit territory next to a group of obnoxious drunk teenage boys 🙃 i guess on the bright side, eventually i got shoved so hard i quite literally fell into the first few rows 😭

[dmwrites]

It had been long enough now that the pattern was familiar. It started as a gnawing emptiness, looking for something that wasn’t there yet. It was apparent on every face, the need for a task, the greed and satisfaction that came with reward.

The rules were simple- Grian had explained them when they had all shown up in this new world. Get a task. Keep it a secret. Do the task. Succeed. Don’t die, even though you will. The feeling of incompleteness while waiting for a task hasn’t been in the explanation- or, at least, Martyn hoped it wasn’t just him who felt this way.

Martyn kept to himself a lot this season, and it was in a cave that he received his next secret task. Martyn often wondered how the book that held his task got to be in his pocket. The tasks were delivered timely every week, with no apparent source. Martyn suspected that whatever, whoever was giving them these tasks did not appreciate people dwelling on the source, as Martyn always got a headache when thinking about it.

Martyn felt a heaviness in his pocket- a new secret task delivered. He stepped back, finally striking down the zombie that had climbed quite a distance to get to him. Martyn went into a small alcove in the cave, well-lit already from his exploration. Just to be safe, he boarded up the gaping opening in front of him, so no mobs could possibly do a lick of damage to him. He’d already suffered so many hearts lost with his recklessness.

Martyn opened the small book, which glowed a slight purple, held it up to the torch light to read his task.

Find RenTheDog

Martyn’s breath stilled in his chest. It was two words, two very simple words, and he read them over and over again like they were a hymn, a passage he failed to really comprehend.

“He’s not-”

Martyn hit a button on his communicator, scanned through the names listed, every participant in this game. Ren was not among them. Martyn knew that. Martyn knew that. This was the second game in a row the dog had been absent from, which tore Martyn’s heart in ways only Ren could, but it was fine. Or, it had been, until now, until this task stared him in the face.

Martyn let out a choked laugh.

“It’s… this surely would be a hard task, first of all.” The hollowness in his voice kind of dulled the joke into nothingness. “He’s not here. Ren is not… here.” He tried to emphasize his point, put his finger to his name, but it ended up being more of a caress of the name on the page.

No one answered his open-air monologue, which he’d expected. So, with nothing to go off of, besides those two taunting words, Martyn dug his way to the surface.

He soon stood before the secret keeper, before that damned mark that he knew, by god he knew none of it was just mere coincidence.

“So I’m guessing you just want me to have to pick a harder task, is that it? Hoping I’ll fail big time and you can get me out of your hair faster?” Martyn snarled at the stone before him. “Well, baby, I’m a cockroach, so good luck with that.”

He pressed the button before him, with the sign under that read “reroll for a harder task”. There were whispers, some kind of poem that Martyn, in his anger, didn’t bother reading, and then a book appeared in mid-air, a deep red this time. Martyn caught it before it fell, ripped the cover open.

Find the Red King.

“Fuck you!” Martyn yelled, outrage and mourning and yearning pouring out of him all at once. “I can’t… why? Why on earth are you doing this to me? I can’t do this… I can’t-”

He could see people coming, whether to complete their task or to see what the yell had been about, and he ran. He didn’t know the land, having spent so much time underground, so it was a blind dash towards the tree line. His heart was thudding, his mind a mess.

There was, however much he tried to tamp it down, a blossom of hope. He slowed down eventually, when he hit a world boarder, thinking hard. Twice now, the secret keeper had told him to find Ren. They must know who Martyn was, who had held the axe. No one better to find him.

Martyn looked for RenTheDog. He built a tower of cobblestone to the sky, scanning the land far below. He ventured into the deepest caves, calling out Ren’s name and hearing it echo back to him with more and more desperation.

But the day was only so long, and, eventually, Grian’s message in chat confirmed what Martyn had already known.

<Time is up. Anyone who hasn’t completed their task yet has failed. Meet at the secret keeper.>

“So, did anyone fail their tasks this week?” Grian asked to the gathered group.

Martyn strode forward in the silence that followed, hit the button that said “fail”. He bit back a pained moan as a row of hearts was taken from him. He could hear sympathetic groans and gasps behind him, others trying to share in his pain. But they didn’t know, not really.

“What was the task?” Grian asked curiously.

“I’d rather not say.” Martyn said. He turned and walked past his friends, out towards the setting sun. It hurt. It all hurt.

[stupidsketchpad]

hey guys. im here to rant about how 2econd 2ight 2eer (second sight seer) by will wood is secret life bigb's song because god its eerie how similar the song lyrics are to his character. AHEM (also spoilers for secret life)

My grip on my secrets slipping while I'm speaking in tongues

ok. this is a really good start lol. basically bigb's task don't mean much when he does weird shit anyway for fun and, quote from grian, "writes his own tasks"

Screaming at the top of my lungs in the confession booth

he's saying stuff that litterally makes no sense. even after his task is done he wont tell anyone (confession booth is kinda like people asking about your task after it's done. your confessing your task to someone)

Take it with a pillar of salt, H.A.L.T., it's not my fault

i got nothing man

The devil made me do it, but I also kinda wanted to

THIS LINE AHSHDHSHAH. THE SECRET KEEPER GIVES HIM THE TASKS CAUSE HE HAS TO BUT HE WANTS TO DO THEM ANYWAY ANDDDD MAKE THEM AS CONFUSING AS POSSIBLE. SECRET KEEPER COUNTS AS THE DEVIL HERE

I'm cut from a different kind of meat

More than you can chew, hard to swallow me

"what the hell are you doing??" is a common question he gets asked. hard to swallow. y'know

Forget bored stiff, I got rigor mortis, call it morbid curiosity

How I cannot commit to reality, when my third eye's open and I like what I see

he's doing shit for the sake of doing shit.

Baby, I may be crazy but I didn't lose it, no I set it free

AAAAA THIS LINE TOOO!!! ok so he didn't just randomly start lying in secret life. it was weird before that too! i cant speak for double but LIMITED LIFE he was also confusing people about being the boogeyman. basically that one meme with the "guy weird about everything but its drowned out by how weird about everything the other people are"

I can't ignore what's under dance floorboards, the rhythm of my heart a dead-as-disco beat

But I still move my feet

To slip out of this groove, I'm free

dont got much here but i think this is just him having fun, yknow

Now to row, row, row my boat over the falls

And maybe wake up from but a dream, yeah

"but a dream" is the games. there are three rows in the line. lose your lives to get the game over with.

I'm just a psycho, babe

Come and go out my mind

I didn't lose it babe

There wasn't much to find

once again, this wasnt the first time he was being weird!!!

I'm just a psycho, babe

Come and go out my mind

I'm only passing through

say weird shit, refuse to elaborate, leave.

Oh, oh, o-o-oh

If you knew what I knew, if you saw what I see

You'd look through illusions, hallucinations, and lucid dream

And I know that meaning can be such a pretty thing to keep

But I got facts and I'm not afraid to use 'em, take the good with the bad, take off the back you make a new front

evo, anyone? anyway this man knows about watchers and doesnt care. he knows! he just doesn't give that any meaning.

Some days I'm glad that I am a madman and I'd rather be that than

An amicable animal, mild-mannered cannibal

red lives and how bigb doesn't have the same bloodlust as they do. this guy doesn't kill much, he's like the most passive on the server. /srs

But I'm more level-headed and clever than ever and I'm getting better one forever at a time

how many people guessed any of bigb's tasks? that's right, zero! (if i remember correctly.) he's getting better at the games (btw the games being referred to as "forevers" is just ahshahdghs)

And if sick is defined by what's different, well then pull the plug out and let me die

not much here

Vice-versa, vice versus virtue

Well who I am I choose through all the things I do

AAAAAAAA HE CHOOSES HOW HE IS PERCEIVED BY THE OTHERS BY SAYING HIS STUFF YA GET WHAT IM SAYING

And if it rhymes, it's true, but I hate poetry

contradicting himself. easy peasy analysis here folks.

Now with my moral compass pointing south, I'm going down

With no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no respect for reality

could say this is going red! but also. "going down?" LIKE A HOLE? HE MADE A HOLE?????

I'm just a psycho, babe

Come and go out my mind

I didn't lose it babe

There wasn't much to find

I'm just a psycho, babe

Come and go out my mind

I'm only passing through

I'm just a psycho, babe

Come and go out my mind

I didn't lose it babe

There wasn't much to find

I'm just a psycho, babe

Come and go out my mind

same stuff

A tourist passing through

Well that was fun, goodbye

he died. but hey, he had fun!

anyways thats all thank you for listening to me ramble about songs and minecraft i WILL do this again. sorry if this is incoherent i wrote it at 10:00 pm.

psst... moot... @bigb-enthusiast... would you like this?

[fogwitchoftheevermore]

ok i did this last season and did! poorly! but that’s ok let’s see if i can predict the placings for everybody this season, since it looks like next session might be the last. in the event we get session 9, i’ll be changing the list to reflect that. (bolded are the correct ones, i’ll be reblogging this when all is said and done with the ones i got right bolded, if any)

17. Lizzie

16. Jimmy

15. Mumbo

14. Tango

i’m sorry king i just think something is going to happen again and you’re already not doing great on the heart front

13. Skizz

if i’m right this will not only be the best skizz has ever done but also the first time he’s outlived any of his allies. so can i please be right.

12. Scar

i KNOW scar is still yellow but he’s only got like a row of hearts left AND half the server wants to kill him AND he has no friends. frankly it’ll be a miracle if he makes it to 12th. i’m honestly banking on skizz getting killed in a fight with him.

11. Martyn

i hope martyn gets another kill in before he goes (though if he does that might give him a better shot than i think he has) but it’s really his complete lack of allies that’s going to screw him, i think. like, yes, half the server is red like him now, but how many of them are going to be his friend after he’s spent like four sessions harassing and trying to kill them? not many!

10. Joel

bdubs and joel are truly interchangeable on this list, i REALLY can’t decide which of them will go first. they’re both red, they’re both bloodthirsty, they’ve both got the same allies, and they’ve both got a TON of hearts left. ultimately i think joel will go first because he’s always going to be more reckless in his attempts for revenge but it’s really a toss up.

9. Bdubs

i hope bdubs kills etho before he dies i think it would be great. that’s not related but i think the joel blurb explains my thoughts.

8. Grian

grian wants to win So Bad and it is NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. he WILL die doing something stupid and i WILL get to mark off a square on my bingo card.

7. Bigb

i’ll be so honest i WANT bigb to be higher, and i think he and gem COULD swap spots. the real problem is how hesitant bigb usually is to kill people. he’s definitely gotten less hesitant as the seasons have gone on, but he is definitely not on gem’s level yet, and that’s what you need to play this game. i really hope i’m wrong about this placement though.

6. Gem

when gem went yellow so early i really thought she was screwing herself but session 7 proved to me that while she might not win this season, by god she’s going to take everyone down with her. and i think that’s beautiful.

5. Scott

this is the one i really really hope i’m wrong about. please i can’t keep seeing scott smajor in the top five. joel please destroy him.

4. Pearl

pearl doesn’t want to win again, we know this, but she is simply VERY GOOD AT THIS GAME! ultimately i think once the rest of the mounders (particularly bdubs) are gone she’s gonna go off the rails even more than she already has and i think that’s beautiful.

and just like last time, i’m doing a cop out answer for top three, which i think will be Impulse, Cleo, and Etho. i think Cleo or Etho is more likely of the three to win, particularly if this is our top three (just like liml, Impulse is stuck with two other people who everyone knows, including himself, will kill Impulse long before they kill each other) but i, as always, have a terrible blind hope for Impulse. please god.

[t4t4tclethian]

Joel wakes up in his bed, safe and sound. What? Wasn't he- oh, right. He died again. Damn. That sucks. He'd been so sure that he'd get xB that time. Oh, also, ouch. Every muscle in his body aches , even when he's laying down and not doing anything, and he knows in his bones that getting up is going to suck majorly. Note to self: don't die by falling ever again, it's awful .

About ten minutes of laying-down-in-the-same-spot-with-nothing-to-do, Joel is finally bored enough to try and move. He gets up ( ow. ) and goes through his regular post-revival routine of stretching out the cramps and checking himself over to make sure that Scar's weird bootleg soul magic hasn't rearranged anything important again. No parts missing? Every limb where it's supposed to be (and attached the right way- that life had been a nightmare and a half)? Are all of his joints and muscles functioning correctly? Miraculously, he's able to conclude a "yes" to all of those questions.

Okay, and now that that's all settled, it's time to get back to the RAGE BURNING THROUGH EVERY MOLECULE OF JOEL'S BODY. HE DIED AND IT WAS STUPID AND HE'S STUPID AND HE'S SO UPSET ABOUT THIS. (Well, more accurately, Joel's feeling an exquisite blend of frustration, annoyance, indignation, and embarrassment, all presenting as anger but with very little true rage to be found. But Joel's never been one for those finer details, so-) OH MY GOD HE'S SO BLUMMIN' MAD.

Why is that? What reasons could Joel possibly have to be so mad? Well, let's see:

He fell off a flipping rooftop. And it killed him. God, what an embarassing way to die.

Joel fell because he probably DOES have a crush on xB.

There's also almost no way xB likes him back.

It also pisses him off that this is even remotely a concern in his mind.

Now Joel's the hitman who got a crush on his mark! It's humiliating! How's he supposed to show his face around anyone ever again?

Grian was right the whole time, and if he ever finds out he will never stop rubbing it in Joel's face ever. He can't live like that.

(Honestly, Grian being right is probably the worst part of this whole AWFUL situation. All Joel can do is try and keep this fact from him as long as possible.)

Joel takes a deep breath, and stands in front of the door from his room into the Magic Mountain common room. He'd died on a mission, meaning the rest of the team has definitely reviewed the footage by now, and probably prepared their best roasting material. He's in for a world of teasing, but as long as he keeps his head and doesn't let it slip he has a chance of making it out of here. No point stalling, he thinks, as he opens the door and steps out into the breakroom. Might as well get it over with.

The common area is silent as Joel walks out of his room. Not because the room is empty, of course- Joel's never so lucky that something like that could happen to him- it's just that none of his "friends" can decide how to bully him first. Surprisingly, Mumbo is the first one to break the silence this time.

"Hey, Joel, have you seen Jellie around lately?"

Well, that's obviously bait for a joke, but honestly he's got no clue where Mumbo's going with this. Might as well bite.

"No, why do you ask?"

"Well, um, uh, it's just," Mumbo fumbles for a reply- he likely hadn't expected to make it this far- but he continues valiantly onwards. "Cats always land on their feet, right? So I think maybe you should ask her for some lessons."

And with a howl of laughter from Grian and an indignant splutter from Joel, the Roasting of the Beans is officially under way. Oh joy.

"It looks like our buddy Beans here fell for xB in more ways than one!"

"What does that make? Like, twelve deaths in a row now?"

"More like fourteen!"

"Y'know, if you really do want lessons, I'm sure Jellie would be happy to-"

"He waved at you! He probably knew you were there before he even stepped out of the building, dude!"

"I've never seen anyone miss a shot harder in all my life."

"Yeah, I've seen better shooting from Scar!"

"Well, now, hold on, I'm a plenty good shot! I could HotGuy you right now, just watch-"

"No, NO- PUT THAT AWAY, SCAR! I am not letting you get blood all over these carpets again!"

And so, as it usually does when all seven Mountaineers are in the same room, the post-death roasting devolves into chaos. Even so, Grian still has one last zinger for Joel before he joins Skizz and Mumbo in trying to wrestle Scar's shotgun out of his hands.

"So, what are you going to try next, Tomato Boy? "

Tomato Boy? That was a new one. Where'd Grian come up with that one? Joel's confusion must be visible on his face, because Gem takes pity and disengages from the active combat zone to pull him aside to watch the footage. He’s not quite sure why- didn’t he live through the whole thing? How could watching it be better than actually having done it?

After watching the drone footage for himself, Joel can officially conclude that oh God it’s so much worse. The whole hit had been so sloppy that if he hadn’t known better, Joel would’ve thought one of those Neighborhood amateurs had done it! Of course his shot hadn’t hit xB- he’d been so distracted that his shots had gone completely wild, closer to hitting a nearby pigeon instead of the man he’d been actually aiming for. And the rooftop vantage point he’d been so proud of was so obvious! No wonder xB had spotted it so easily- Joel’s pretty sure a blind badger could’ve seen him up there! Then, like the cherry- or, really, the tomato - on top of a perfect shame smoothie: Joel had actually blushed , BRIGHT RED, LIKE A TOMATO, at xB’s smile before plummeting off of the roof. And then going splat. Like a tomato.

Joel turns away from the screen in shame and disgust. The others were right to bully him. The whole world should be bullying him. This is horrendous , and Joel’s never related more to his own mangled corpse. Sounds start up behind him, like Gem’s resumed the video to rewatch it one last time.

“Turn it off,” He begs her, wincing at how pathetic he sounds. “ Please. ”

Gem’s eyes twinkle with knowing mischief. “Are you sure?” She asks with a shit-eating grin. “Because riiight after this part, there’s a really sweet moment where xB grabs a sheet from inside and uses it to cover up your body…”

At that, Joel perks up slightly, barely enough to be noticeable. XB had cared enough about him to go out of his way to cover up his body? And then he remembers that 1) if he hadn’t just botched the sloppiest of all contract killings, xB would’ve been too dead to cover Joel’s corpse, 2) this is pathetic-loser-with-an-obvious-crush behavior, and if he has to deal with “crush” he should at least be trying to drop the “pathetic,” “loser,” and “obvious” bits, and 3) Gem’s been watching him like a hawk this whole time. She definitely knows, and if Gem knows, then it’s only a matter of time before the others do, too. And “others” means Grian . Oh he’s so doomed and everything is terrible.

Joel buries his face in his hands in a vain attempt to hide from his shame, and groans, “Just kill me again, please. I can’t live with this.”

Scar (who Joel had honestly forgotten was even in the room) hears his request and happily obliges, whipping out his pistol and shooting Joel point-blank. And then again a couple more times for good measure. As he falls to the floor in agony, Joel welcomes the blissful indifference of death- anything to get out of that conversation.

The moment Joel realizes he has a crush on xB is, objectively, quite a funny one. He’d almost certainly be laughing about it if it had been anyone else. As it is, though, he’s hopping mad, extremely indignant, and deeply embarrassed about the whole thing. Who ever heard of a hitman falling for their mark? (Well, a lot of people have- it’s a whole romance cliche for a reason. But it wasn’t supposed to actually happen!)

(ao3 link)

————————————————

It had all started a few days earlier, when Joel had been hanging out with the other Magical Mountaineers in the breakroom. Gem and Impulse were poring over some papers together, Skizz was on a phone call in the corner, Mumbo was politely watching as Scar fumbled through some magic tricks, and Grian was sitting on the couch with Joel, listening to him rant about his failures at killing xB (he’d drawn the short straw). Everything was normal.

And then, when Joel paused his tirade to take a breath, Grian said those fatal words. “From the way you talk about this guy, Joel, it’s almost like you’ve got a crush on the mark!”

Which was ridiculous, of course! He does blummin’ not, thank you! His relationship with xB was a perfectly platonic contract killing, and Joel is a professional! He knows better than to fall for his target, and he indignantly tells Grian as much.

But, of course, Grian is Grian, and the second he senses he’s touched a nerve he doubles down. And so he did.

“Contract killing? Give me a break, Joel! Your contract on this guy expired ages ago, and you’re not the type to work for free.” Grian’s eyes twinkled with mischief as he continued to needle at Joel. “Admit it, there’s something else going on here, isn’t there?”

Joel spluttered, and took a deep breath as he glanced around the room. Fuck. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to listen in on him and Grian now. He had to say something to throw them off or he would never be able to live this conversation down.

“My contract might be done, but unlike some people I finish the things I start, thank you very much!”

Grian squawked in indignation, and as he did so the others chuckled and turned back to their own conversations, unfounded accusations of romance forgotten. Grian’s tendency to leave things unfinished was well-known, and something that every assassin at Magic Mountain had teased him over many times.

But that thought refused to leave his brain. It had wiggled its way in like a worm. Did he have a crush on xB? Is that why he kept coming back when any sane person would’ve just given it up already? And the answer, of course, is no. All of Joel’s actions here have perfectly reasonable and professional explanations.

————————————————————

Joel waits patiently on the rooftop across from Horse Head Farmer’s Market (which, despite the name, is actually a grocery store/money laundering scheme, not a farmer’s market), rifle at the ready, just as he has been for the past three and a half hours. You can’t rush a good sniping, after all, and xB’s schedule varies enough that Joel’s never quite sure when he’ll head out for lunch. (He’s pretty sure xB has done this specifically to spite Joel- the guy’s obsessed with him.)

Yes! Finally! xB steps out of the store, starts walking down the street, and- turns to look at Joel’s rooftop, makes direct eye contact with him, and gives him a friendly little wave, the infuriatingly sincere kind that makes Joel want to kill him even more. Dammit. He’s been caught. Also, wow, even from here Joel is a little wowed by how blue xB’s eyes are. Or maybe he’s just remembering how they look, because there’s no way Joel can actually see his eyes from here. They are definitely a very nice blue, though, and oh, huh, Joel realizes that Lizzie has blue eyes, too. Maybe he’s got a thing for blue-eyed people, and- OH SHIT RIGHT HE’S KILLING THIS GUY.

Joel fires, because even if he’s been discovered a vantage point is still a vantage point. Of course, xB somehow manages to not be in the bullet’s path, just like he always does, and then he gives Joel a disapproving look, like he’s actually disappointed Joel didn’t do a better job at trying to kill him.

God, he’s so cute, Joel’s brain has the audacity to think, like it’s trying to add insult to insult to injury. To Joel’s horror, he realizes in this moment that he’s had dozens, maybe even hundreds of thoughts like this, that just slipped through the cracks and went unnoticed.

Then, xB smiles at him again before heading on his way, and Joel falls off of the rooftop. He has time to think, Oh, I’m gonna kill Grian, as he plummets towards the ground. And then, everything goes dark, and he dies.

[077gasoot]

Grian had been trying to ignore this feeling. He'd been trying to ignore it for the whole time he was around Scar. How he felt like he was suffocating around the other, trying to keep all the words he wanted to say in his throat. It hurt him, sure, but he didn't want to burden the other with the stupid concept of love. He didn't want to make the other connected to him more than he already is.

Even though losing one life meant his deal with Scar was severed, he still felt like he had to protect him. He felt like he had to follow wherever Scar went. It was as if they were connected by an invisible string. Grian didn't mind it, he loved being around Scar, it was just the feelings he felt that hurt him so much.

And so, when struggling to pick up the note that meant he or Bdubs wouldn't die, he felt distraught when he saw the note slip from the tip of his fingers into Bdubs’ hand. He'd been through so much with Scar and now he was going to die in front of him, unsure on how to feel. He felt Scar’s sword pierce through him and yet he didn't feel hatred. He did feel hurt, but he couldn't bring himself to hate Scar for this. It was inevitable that one of them had to die anyway, but he didn't expect for it to happen this way.

He woke up back at his base, now on his final life just like the others. He grabbed whatever gear he had left in a chest in case he died and made his way to wherever Bdubs and Scar were. It was quite a long hike, but eventually he heard their voices coming from a nearby cliff. He hid behind a tree for a moment before jumping out and attacking the two. He killed Bdubs first but with Scar, Grian pushed him into the lake below the cliff. He only pointed the sword at the other, obviously not wanting to harm Scar.

“You can kill me.” Scar said calmly, smiling as he grabbed the blade gently and pointed it at his neck.

“What- No– I can’t.” Grian shakily got out, unable to say anything else.

“For everything you did to me to keep me alive this long, you may slay me.”

Hearing those words made Grian lower his blade and shake his head, muttering constant no’s. He refused to kill Scar. He put away his sword and stood there, waiting for Scar to say something else, but he was met with silence. All he could hear was the splashing of the water and the chirping of birds in the distance. It was like that for a while until he heard how they demanded he and Scar fight. He didn't want to listen to them, but it was inevitable, right?

Scar had other ideas though, he had set down a boat in the lake and sat in it, inviting Grian into it too. They rowed around that lake for a good while, but Grian didn't understand why.

“Why are you..doing this?” Grian asked, trying his hardest to not hug Scar from behind right now to make sure he wouldn't tip over the edge by accident.

“We gotta have one last good moment together, right?” Scar cheerily said, laughing a bit at the end as well. Grian hated how sweet Scar could be at a time like this. He hated how lovesick it made him feel.

“I hate how you're like this.” Grian quietly muttered, forgetting Scar was right in front of him for a moment.

“What did you say, Grian?” Scar asked, slightly turning his head to see the other's face from the corner of his eye.

“Oh, uh– It was nothing.”

“Man c’mon! I know you said something so just tell me!”

Grian got a little irritated at that. He wasn't mad at Scar, far from that actually, he just didn't want to say the wrong thing by accident. But Scar kept on pestering him.

“I hate how fucking sweet you are, okay?! Are you happy now?” Grian shouted, realizing what he just said and covering his mouth.

Scar was at a loss of words for that. He had never heard Grian swear before, so this was a first. Also why did Grian call him sweet? He swore he did nothing in the past few minutes for Grian to say that.

Scar turned around to fully face Grian. He saw how the other was trying to hide his face in his hands, still in disbelief at what he said to Scar. Scar quietly and slowly put his hand on Grian’s shoulder, signaling that it was okay. That Scar suddenly didn’t hate him.

“I-I’m sorry about that. I wasn’t thinking at all.” Grian mumbled, lowering his hands from his face and setting them on his knees. He refused to look Scar in the eyes though.

“Dude, it’s fine. I’m not mad at you, not one bit. But I can tell something’s bugging you. Why haven’t you told me anything?” Scar asked, also lowering his hand from Grian’s shoulder and gently grabbing Grian’s hand, holding it.

Grian wanted to pull away from Scar, to not face him at all, but it was the way the other was so gentle and calm with him that made Grian more relaxed. He set his other hand on Scar’s as well, and thought of what to tell the other. He didn’t know if it was a good idea to be fully upfront about how he felt or if he should paint it as some platonic thing. He didn’t want to lose his connection with Scar right before the end.

Scar could see how Grian was trying to think of what to say, he saw how unsure the other’s expression was. He didn’t want Grian to force himself to say what’s wrong, but he also didn’t want Grian to be alone in everything. Scar’s been around Grian for long enough to know that they can fully trust one another.

“Can you promise me one thing, Scar?” Grian finally asked, looking Scar right in the eyes.

“Of course.” Scar responded, smiling.

“Will you promise to not hate me for whatever I’m about to say?” Grian’s voice cracked, trying to not let his emotions get the best of him.

“I promise I won’t hate you, no matter what you tell me.” Scar replied, tightening the grasp he had on Grian’s hand.

Grian sighed, composing himself for whatever he was about to say. He still didn’t know if he was an absolute idiot for this or if it was the best option, but it was useless to hide this any longer. He looked at Scar and then looked down at both of their hands.

“Scar, I don’t know what it is but…Whenever I’m around you, whenever I think about you, it feels suffocating. I can’t tell if it’s love or something else but I can’t keep it in my mind any longer. I don’t want to lose you, I really don’t. Who cares about this stupid game anymore, why can’t we just stick together forever? I just want to be with you, even if it hurts me more and more.”

Grian was met with silence which made him feel worse. He knew he should’ve kept his mouth shut, playing it off as some personal issue that didn’t involve Scar at all. He hated himself for this, for how he felt. He was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupi-

“I feel the same.”

Hearing those words made Grian look at Scar again, who still had his usual smile on his face. Grian was stammering, unsure as to what to reply. Scar chuckled at that, letting go of Grian’s hands and cupping the other’s face instead.

“I- Are you sure..?” Grian asked, still stumbling over his words. He could feel how red his face was already.

“If you’re okay with it, then yeah, I’m sure.” Scar replied, slowly leaning in until he was only a few inches away from Grian’s face.

Grian nodded, which made Scar tilt his head slightly and lean in more until their lips touched. It was a gentle kiss, which only lasted for a few seconds before Scar pulled away. But Grian grabbed Scar by the shoulders and kissed him again. It was longer this time, something Grian didn’t expect. He didn’t expect for Scar’s lips to taste so sweet either. It was the way he could get lost in this feeling for hours that made confessing his feelings worth it. They kept on kissing for a few minutes, until Grian finally pulled away from it all.

“I…I love you. So much.” Grian said, finally smiling at Scar. He felt tears well up in his eyes from how happy he was. How happy he was that he finally got to love Scar as much as he wanted.

“I love you too, Grian.” Scar replied, lightly chuckling. He could get used to this constant affection, he didn’t care about dying anymore. All he wanted was to be with Grian.

Grian hugged Scar, muttering constant ‘I love you’s. Scar returned the embrace, not saying anything. All he wanted was to hear Grian’s voice right now, even if his face was buried in Scar’s shoulder right now. They stayed like that for a while, just chatting in the boat and laughing. Neither of them wanted to kill each other. Not now, not ever.

And so they lived like that.

[ganillbanned]

Mortal AU (Jimmy Solidarity)

(aka the au I made up and over thought and I don’t have the time to actually write it so I’m just gonna rant about it whenever I remember something about it or am asked.)

I ranted to my friends about Jimmy head canons (which is super important to my mortal AU) on discord so I realized I could just post it here and since I have little a fallowing on tumbler, I don’t feel scared of judgment.

there will be a lot of spelling errors and Iam not sorry.

===========================The start==========================

evo was kinda like an ant farm for the watchers. what they did was pick a completely random group of people. one of witch was a fish god from empire (cause it was still a thing at that time cause its my head canon and i pick the rules.) but at this point he has left the ocean to find lizzy after the salmon attacked, so he already lost most of his memory and appeared human like lizzy. no one in evo new each other before the start of it and this is where he meet martyn, grian and big b. they all became friends but after grian was reviled to be a watcher (from jimmys pov. grian just got turned into a watcher, but jimmy was left to think he was one the whole time.) jimmy and martyn started to get the listeners help so they and all there friend could go back to there homes. pearl was a listener who was trying to free them as soon as she found them. but right as pearl found out how to free the watchers where desprit to not let the lisoners get what they want so they made grian destroy the world killing everyone perminatly exsept martyn, big b and jimmy. jimmy only survived cause being a god made him resilient to the watchers magic. this also means he got a front row seat to watch everyone die. after that pearl brought everyone back to there worlds. jimmy was lost and slightly tramatized. since he didnt remember where he was going or what he was doing before getting sent to evo (witch took about 3 years) he set up a little home at the edge of a swamp right next to the ocean. over time jimmys home turned into an empire and he slowly turned back into a fish person since he lived so close to the ocean.

E!Jimmy is a cowerd and selfish person because he nows he is weak. he doesn't want people knowing the guardian of the swamp empire is this way so he always denighs it and trys build himself up to seem better then he is so the swamp is protected even just a little bit. most empires that where raised after jimmy saw right trough the lie. those people became ether close friends of his enemy. the cod head that he had gotten for trying his best to protect his land gave him a pride, something he had vary little of. it became the one thing that comforted him and made him and made him feel worthy of everything he had. after the cod head was taken away from him for becoming a little too prideful he was crushed, it was the thing that made feel like he could protect everyone. he got a feeling that he could lose every he loves without the hat. this is why he so badly wanted wanted it back. after he destroyed all the empires trying to get it back he ran away realising that he was the person who cause the calamity drove away and ended so meany of his friends.

So after runnig away from the calamity with his pets and lost his memorys form being away from the ocean for to long he became an adventurer never wanting to settle down anywhere. he never feels like it's safe to settle down anywhere but not because he thinks hes in danger but because he subconsciously thinks he could destroy everything again even if he didn't remember what he did in the past (also he tends to avoid oceans cause he fears they with dry (this is part of why he if cool with living in the bad lands later on.) . since he is in never in one place for long he doesn't at first realise that he has an uncanny life span for a human. the only hint of this was when his pets started to die of old age and he new that they whould die sooner then him since lots of animals have shorter life spans then humans. it took him over thousands of years to realise that he wasn't a normal human and had live at least 1,000 human spans more then he should have. he starts to question what he is and becomes self conscious about it. he finds a cat that at first he is scared of getting attached to cause of how long he has and will live, but he learned that the cat doesn't age as well so jimmy named the cat Norman and kept him around.

one day wile travileing though a badlands he found a Sharif hat. he felt like it was a gift or destiny, it gave him a sense of pride and day-zah-vu. he felt like needed to protect something and redeem himself for... something. so for the first time in centuries he settled down in the bad lands. he learned of a bunch of other empires around lots of witch gave him day-zah-vu just like finding the the hat. one of the empires had a actual GOD ruleing it witch at first kinda impressed. a part of jimmy thought that they could even be friends. then the god named Jole called him something unforgivable. Jole called jimmy a toy. witch at one point in his life would have played it of as a joke but... jimmy didn't know what he was and he has been trying to figure out what he was for so long and for all of that just to simply be "a toy". he wasn't having any of it. everyone kept calling him a toy after that, it angered him beyond beleaf, he felt so disrespected, expesually by jole who jimmy still thinks out of everyone jole should respect him the most even tho he was a actual god. jimmy for some reason thinks they could or even once where friends despite how much jimmy hates him.

[strawberrylemonz]

A Lovely Encounter

Part 5

Part 6 [CURRENT]

Part 7

(DT: @applepie1000 @petrichormeraki @jump-in-the-cadillac )

------------

“I’ll be okay, they’re already waiting for me in the Hub.”

“What if I just walk you to-”

“Grian, I’ll be okay!”

Tommy huffed for the fifth time in a row as Grian tried to follow him around. Chat was fawning over Grian’s protectiveness over Tommy, something that annoyed the younger boy big time. Kristin, happily settle in her new house, laughed as Tommy griped at his brother. Finally feeling tired from all the laughing, put a hand on Grian’s arm as she messed with Tommy’s hair.

“Let Tommy be on his way. You don’t want him to deal with angry ladies, trust me.”

Grateful, Tommy ducked under Grian’s hand and thanked Kristin. Before Grian could utter another word, he ran towards the Hub portal. Opening his inventory, he made sure that he had everything he needed. Letting out a sigh of relief, he climbed into the portal without a single thought. Stepping out into the portal station, Tommy couldn’t help but smile as the chattering of other people filled the air. Humming a familiar tune, the made his way to the center. He felt a light, cold hand grab his shoulder, squeezing it slightly. Peering over, he saw one of the individual spirits, swaggerrsouls_, peering down to him while floating above everyone else. Giving a blank smile, the spirit pointed behind Tommy.

“The girls are approaching from behind” 

Nodding a thanks to the spirit, he turned around, smiling. He let out a laugh as Drista groaned, playfully stomping her foot. Lani just laughed as she pushed Drista and waved at Tommy. Drista pulled the girl back and ran up to Tommy, giving him a nudge.

“How dare you catch us before we could jumpscare you.”

“You can’t scare me, I’m fucking badass. Now, let’s go see Tubbo.”

Lani happily interjected as soon as those words left Tommy’s mouth. 

“Oh! About my brother, he kinda, maybe, doesn’t know you’re coming.”

“What?!”

Panic settled into Tommy’s stomach. Tubbo didn’t know he was coming? What was going to happen? Would Tubbo turn him away? Yell at him? Did he not want to see him?

“Don’t worry! You’re a surprise! He’s been doing well, but he’s been missing you very much! Drista and I figured that you would surprise him with a visit?”

Huffing, Tommy crossed his arms with annoyance. Sighing, he nodded his head at the girls, who shared a high five.

“Just let me know this shit beforehand. Nearly panicked while working myself up to greeting him upon entering. Now I’ve gotta quickly work myself up to surprising him.”

As the girls apologized, waving off the boy, the pulled him over to a portal. Rolling his eyes, he peered up at the sign of the portal.

Stampy’s Lovely World

Lovely? Tommy couldn’t help but smile at that. Out of everyone he knew, Tubbo was one of the few that deserved to thrive in a peaceful place. Nearly toppling over as he was pulled forward by the eager girls, Tommy entered the portal to the new world.

--------

It truly was lovely. After exchanging a nervously polite greeting to the admin, Stampy, who was getting ready to board his hot air balloon, he set off with the girls as they walked through the magnificent world. He was honestly blown away with the creativity, love, care and dedication put in it all. Going through the amazing, colorful builds, the girls slowed down as they approached a cozy section, one that was easy on the eyes after all the color they walked through. Three cottages with different designs sat peacefully by each other. Bees were buzzing around in peace, pollinating the random flowers strewn around the ground. A small pond full of fish sat in between the center of the three cottages, each fish swimming in peace. Lani nodded before turning to the other two.

“Okay, here’s the plan, so listen up. I’ll go and get Tubbo and blindfold him, telling him that Drista and I got him a gift. Meanwhile, Drista, you hide Tommy in the present box we got-”

“Wait, I’m gonna be in a fucking box-”

“-and wait until I bring him over. Then, most likely confused by the size of the box, my brother will open it cautiously. Then, BAM!!! TOMMY’S HERE!!!”

“Sounds good to me!”

“Use a knife to get him to move faster.”

Lani laughed before bidding adieu, heading towards one of the houses. Once she was out of sight, Drista pulled a nervous Tommy over towards the back of the houses.

“Alright, get in the box, nerd.”

--------

The box was tiring to stand in for Tommy. Why couldn’t the girls pick a wider box? At least, then, he could lay down while he waited. Doing his best not to make a single noise or move that could give him away, Tommy tried to entertain himself as he stood there, ignoring the way his knees began to buckle. Just as he was about to groan, a familiar voice caused him to freeze.

“Where are you taking me? If you push me into the pond, Lani, I will pull you in with me.”

“I’m not pushing you in the pond! Stop being so paranoid!”

Tommy sucked in a nervous breath as he heard the footsteps stop. After a few seconds, the speaking began.

“A box?”

“Open it! Your present is inside!”

“It’s the best gift you’ll ever receive, guaranteed. Lani and I really popped off this time.”

“Really? Even better than the-”

“Absolutely, even better than the bees.”

Tommy prepared himself as he heard the wrapping paper being torn away. He heard nervous laughing as the box was being opened. A beam of sunlight caused him to shield his face from being blinded. Once he adjusted, he put down his hand, coming face to face with Tubbo, who looked as if he was seeing a ghost. Giving a nervous chuckle, Tommy opened his arms with hesitation.

“Hey, Tub- OOF”

Tommy didn’t even get to finish as he fell back, falling to the ground. Propping himself up with one arm, he peered down at the sobbing mess in his arms. His sobbing mess of a best friend. His Tubbo. Feeling the tears well up in his own eyes, Tommy engulfed Tubbo in a firm, desperate hug. Together, the two boys embraced each other in relieved tears as Drista and Lani shared a fist bump, smiling brightly at the scene before them.

“We’re awesome”

“Oh, absolutely, no questioning it”

--------

“So the same portal we both fell in took us to different servers? That’s strange”

“Totally. Need some help with that honey?”

The girls had left to play mini games much earlier, leaving the two boys to catch up in peace. They filled each other in with that they had been up to prior to that day. Tubbo was quite shocked to see that Tommy was much calmer than he remembered, more mellow. He was even more shocked to find out about his family. 

“What? You have another brother? And a mother?”

“I know, right? Nearly had a breakdown about Grian. Finding Kristin was hilarious, though.”

The two boys exchanged stories and adventures with each other, not wanted to leave anything out from their time spent apart. They didn’t even notice when the girls came back, announcing that it was time for Tommy to head back.

“I swear, he’s overreacting! I mean, I know why he’s adding a curfew, but I’m an adult now!”

The girls teased Tommy about his brother, who, according to him, was reading too much into Tommy spending too much time outside of the server. As annoyed as he was at it, Tommy understood his reasonings. Kristin hasn’t been told the whole story, but he just knew that she’d be the same way once she found out about what he’s gone through. Holding onto Tubbo’s hand, the four of them headed towards the portal to Hub. Once they arrived, Tommy let out a shaky breath as he squeezed his best friend’s hand.

“I’ll be back, okay? Not only do I need to bless you lot with my presence, I’ve gotta take proper measurements to make you guys your outfits for the gala. VIP and shit, that’s what you guys are! Custom made, just for you. Be safe, I’ll see you guys soon.”

Drista was the first to throw herself in for a hug. But, as predicted, she was also the first to pull away after Tommy hugged back for more than two seconds. Giving him a soft punch, she reminded him to pick a good color for her. Lani was next to embrace him, thanking him for taking the time to come to the server. Letting him know that she trusted his choices regarding her outfit, she let go with a smile. Tubbo didn’t even get the chance to move in for a hug, mainly due to Tommy wordlessly pulling him into one. The two stayed like that for a while, holding each other, scared to let go. As he pulled away, however, Tommy pulled something out of his inventory. Smiling at Tubbo, he gently placed it into his hand. 

“I’ll see you soon, Tubbo. Be safe.”

The three watched, waved, as Tommy disappeared through the portal. Peering down, Tubbo examined the gift. It was a replica of the green bandana from the Dream SMP. The only difference, however, was the little bees sewn on the end of it. Holding it close, Tubbo smiled as he walked back home, his sister and sister figure following behind, laughing amongst themselves.

Everything would be okay.

--------

Too much in a good mood to be bothered, Tommy paid no mind to the people who pushed past him in the Hub. Humming to himself, he almost missed the sound of soft whimpering. Stopping in his tracks, he listened closely, hearing it again. Frowning, he followed the noise to the source.

It was a small child, a little girl. She was a bit scuffled and was crying in front of a dark colored portal. Frowning, he looked up to see the name of the portal that she appeared to have come out of.  

2b2t

He had heard tales of the server from Phil, who spoke of the terrors that the anarchist server held. Blood running cold, he carefully bent down in front of the girl, carefully watching his tone. 

“Are you alright?”

She seemed frightened and hurt, reeling back from him and into the solid blocks of the portal. Doing his best not to scare her off, he offered a kind smile and a flower, to which she accepted after a moments hesitation. Seeing this as a promising sign, he tried again.

“Are you alright?”

The girl, who appeared to be no older than two, shook her head. Ignoring her own small injuries, she held up a torn stuffed bear. The sound of her small, soft, raspy voice caught him off guard.

“Broken...”

Humming, he looked around the crowd, searching for anyone who may have been looking for a child. Frowning, he bent back down to the child, who was looking at him with newfound hope. 

“Where’s your parent’s? Maybe they can fix up your bear for you. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

The young girl looked down at her scraped hands. Shaking her head, she Tommy’s pointed gaze to the 2b2t portal beside her. Her small voice spoke up, breaking the young adult’s heart.

“Broken”

[fan-da-nerd]

“we don’t tolerate that here” a Hermitcraft fanfic

yso i saw an anon post from @give-grian-rights that gave me inspiration to write a Hermitcraft one-shot based on the Sam’s funeral... story? anyway, i hope you enjoy

TW: panic attacks, trauma, death, beating abusers to death, vomiting  mention

no one planned for it to happen, no one really even knew. but that changed one day when mumbo was just wandering around the forest and found himself at the foot of Grian’s mansion. the prismirine build towered above him, casting a shadow over him in the late day sun. The mustacheio’d man decided to have a peek inside the mansion just to see if Grian was there and if he’d done anything new.  

he strolled inside, past the map corridor into the main room. he huffed quietly as he looked around at the sprawling sorting system. you really need to get on that he thought to himself. he continued to look around, not seeing Grian anywhere. 

just then he heard crying. quiet and whimpering from behind the rows of HMMMMM. Mumbo made his way around them, looking around for the source of the noise. he found it in a bundle of red jumper and shimmering wings. wings wrapped tight around him as he laid curled on the floor. mumbo moved swiftly over to him, slowing when he got close. 

“Grian?” he spoke gently as he took a step closer. the man on the floor curled up tighter with a yelp, shaking with unsteady breath. “its ok Grian, its me, mumbo.” he whimpered again then gagged and cough roughly. this continued, gagging and wheezing so much then he uncurled  and braced himself up. mumbo hurried over to his friend and rested his hand on his back. Grian flinched in surprise but continued to cough. 

“hey, hey, Grian look at me. its ok, what do you need? mumbo asked in a panic. Grian wheezed again, but finally looked up at mumbo. eyes bloodshot and face pale from fear and pain. the dark haired man moved quickly when Grian started gagging again. grabbing the nearest composter and moving it in front of his friend, helping him get up and lean against it. 

“what happened, did you eat a pufferfish? do you need a health potion, milk?” he continued berating him with questions as he started to get up to grabbed whichever liquid he could find first. As he started to stand he felt a hand rest on his knee. he looked down and met Grian’s eyes, where the shorter man just slowly shook his head. tears ran down his face and his breathing still jerked and wheezed. Mumbo slowly kneeled down again as Grian turned and coughed again, starting to claw at his throat. 

“Grian, don’t. what’s happening?” he muttered in distress. Grian didn’t speak for a moment the muttered.

“pan- panic” 

mumbo thought for a moment panic, panic, panic- “panic attack?” he asked quickly. Grian nodded, holding his throat and coughing like he was trying to cough something up. 

“water” he muttered, and mumbo began rummaging though his bag for a water bucket. he pulled it out and handed it to Gri, who chugged it in less than 30 seconds. he coughed but finally leaned back, his chest rose up and down sporadically.

“hey, hey. breath Grian. in for 5-”

they continued like this together, in, hold, out.in a couple minute Grian had stopped crying,  and his breathing had steadied to a normal steady pace. mumbo moved in front of him slowly. “ok, Grian. what happened? you don’t have to tell me, but if you are willing to. I want to help.” Grian stared off into nothing, his eyes started to well up with tears again as he seemed to see things no one else could. Mumbo could hear him trying to force his breath to stay calm. Grian took a deep breath, then everything began to spill out.

“I saw a white rabbit and it sent me spiraling and i couldn't stop thinking and he hurt me it hurt so bad he cut my wings, forces plastic down my throat he tried to MURDER me Mumbo he put a knife in my side and i still feel like there's plastics lodged in my throat and I want to scream and cry whenever i think about it and Sam so many and done so much terrible things and he didn’t get his karma-” this vent ended is mumbo grabbing him and pulling him close, trying to stop the spiraling before it gets back to how it was when he found him. Grian's shoulders when slack and he leaned into the hug, and they sat there together in silence. 

mumbo sat there, trying to think of something to say to this. he knew that Grian didn’t like talking too much about his early past. sure they’d learned some things, other worlds like Evo and projects he did in his own world but they never knew much. and definitely not this. he thought for what felt like an hour before finally asking. “are you ok now?” He could feel Grian hesitate, but nod. “ok. whatever happened in your past, its not the present. you’re with us now.” 

Grian took a breath and pulled away from his mustached friend. His eyes softened and he smiled. “thanks mumbo.” he nodded and stood up, offering a hand to his shorter friend. Grian took his hand and pulled himself to his feet, stumbling but standing. 

“hey Grian?”

“yeah?” 

“is it ok if i tell X about this? so that more people can know about your triggers and avoid-” he made a vague gesture “this? its ok if not” Grian thought for a moment then nodded.

“probably easier than me trying to talk though it” he chuckled quietly at the end. Mumbo smiled, half happy half concerned before glancing at the door. 

“ok, then I think I’m going to leave now. if your ok-” Grian cut him off with a nod. Mumbo waved goodbye, then took off with only 20 rockets. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mumbo flew around, weaving between the towers of the jungle looking for the Admin.  he eventually spotted him in his main tower and landed on the balcony. Xisuma was setting his ravenger helmet, no doubt having just changed after a decked out run. he spotted mumbo and spun around, grabbing his Bee helmet on the way around. “Mr. Jumbo, what do i own the pleasurer?” 

“hey X...” Mumbo started, very suddenly realizing he did not know how to open this conversation. “I wanted to let you know about something that happened with Grian.” X’s face fell a little as he tilted his head to the side 

“is he ok? 

mumbo sighed and shrugged “not really. i found him having a panic attack in his mansion. he said he’s ok now but i thought you should know.” 

“oh,’ Xisuma’s voice softened as he sat down against the wall, locking his helmet on as he went. “mind telling me what happened?” Mumbo sat down across from him and began to explain everything he could remember. Clipped wings, attempted murder, stabbing, harassments, unfulfilled karma. it was a little hard to see Xisuma’s expression behind the black visor, but Mumbo could make out concern with tinges of anger. an expression he was not used to seeing on the bee man. when mumbo finished X was deep in thought. he nodded slowly before looking down at his communicator. the device they use to message, research, change worlds, ect. 

“did he say who this was?” Mumbo pauses for a minute as he tried to remember. 

“it was... Sam? the spiral was also caused by a white rabbit. that's all i really know.” X nodded and looked back up at Mumbo.

“thanks for letting me know.” something about his voice sat oddly with the dark haired man but he let it go. to be honest Mumbo was angry himself. that someone would hurt Grian like that and not his due. he stood up and nodded at X, who nodded back. something told him that X understood what Mumbo was feeling. He turned around and jumped off the tower, taking off into the blue. “Sam.. rabbit.” X muttered to himself as he began to type into his device. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the next morning came with an odd message from X.

‘if anyone would like to join me in punishing, meet at the SD between the diamond trees in 5’ -Xisumavoid

‘sounds fun. I’m in’ -TangoTek

‘what?” -impulseSV

5 minutes later roughly half the server was there. some out of curiosity, some trusting that if X wants to punish someone its probably reasonable.  Etho, impulse, Ren, Mumbo, False, tango, Iskall, Wels, and of course Xisuma were all gathered together in front of the whirling portal.

“mind explaining why we’re gathered here?” Wels asked as he looked around at how many people had arrived. X took and breath and walked in front of the group. 

“ladies and gentleman, today we’re here because a member of our community has terrible trauma and an abuser who got away without punishment. an abuser who killed, maimed, manipulated, and injured multiple people in a non responing world” silence fell over the group in surprise. “I believe they deserve to get punished. you in?” no words were spoken but Wels stood up tall and pulled his sword. others followed suit and did the same. Etho pulled his bow and tango loaded a crossbow with a rocket. X nodded, and began to type into his device. 

as they stood around, none of the notice and short man in a jumper flying into the district. he started towards the barge but turned when he saw a gathering of half the server who looked like they were ready for homicide. he didn’t want to interrupt so he kept to the side and just watched. of all the things he thought could be happening, Sam Gladiator falling from the sky was not on that list. every muscle in his body tensed, wanting to book it or throw hands but instead it just froze stock still. 

The Bunny boy plummeted from the sky and landed with a hard thud. he stood, with everything spinning but saw himself surrounded by people he did not know. at first. then, hiding beside a large blue sea creature he saw an old friend of his. glancing around, the multiple armed adults was... surprising, but not too concerning. Everyone was dying or killing back home. he stood to his feet and took a step towards the older kid. as he did this, mumbo followed his gaze and spotted the small bundle of red and gray, panicking instantly. without thinking he lurched forward and shot his blade out, blocking Sam from getting to Grian. 

he looked up at Grian and only saw fear, he had taken a step back in perfect sync with Sam stepping forward. Instantly, mumbo only saw red hot rage. X’s voice broke the daze as he spoke of the crowd. “you are the one who hurt him, aren’t you?” his tone implied that he wasn’t really asking. 

Sam turned to him and laughed. “Its not that bad-” 

“You. abused. him.” X snapped back, exasperated and pissed. “and we don’t tolerate that here. Go.” that was all that was needed. 

The fight broke out instantly, a kid with a knife clashing with explosions and swords. People of both sides had blades stabbed into them and the bunny boy held surprisingly well in the fight. that does not mean he did well. he died multiple times and every time he responed again and got back into the fight. it was nearly impossible to head over the clash of metal and fireworks a yard from your face. The incoming storm did not help, the distant roar of thunder and shocks of light made the whole thing even more disorienting. 

Grian watched this go on, seeing the people he loved and the land he called home. for the first time in a while, he looked at the white rabbit ear and still felt safe. they were willing to research, summon, and fight a guy they don't even know except as a murderer. just because he had hurt Grian. his muscles relaxed as he blinked the shock out of his eyes. he watched the fight rage on, the dark clouds coming in, and got an idea. he slinked into guardian goodies and found the ender chest. he rummaged through it and found what he was looking for. standing up and pulled out the glistening trident, lightning crackling between the prongs. he climbed up guardian goodies, stood up on the top, and he smiled. He felt absolutely honored and loved by the hermits, but it was time for him to face his past. this was his fight, and he knew that the hermits were by his side in the battle. 

he pulled up his device and typed two simple words.

‘get back.’- grian

everyone looked around, and when they finally saw him his eye were sharp on Sam. Trident lifted above his head, crackling with power and magic. his knuckles turned white as he thought about all that had happened, everything that he’d done. everyone pulled away from Sam, leaving him exposed as Grian finally shot forward and let it all go.

lightning cracked down on sam, and this time he didn’t respon

no proofreading, we die like men

[votederpycausemufins]

We’re back with Summoning family! I’m referencing Rustic House Club in this fic, so you might want to go read it, especially the bonus chapter as  it has a bit that leads into this chapter, though it’s not necessary to read.

also ay yo @petrichormeraki ! new chapter!

The moment Jrum had seen Sam, he rushed to the redstoner and attached himself to one of his legs. Grum quickly followed to help pry his younger brother off the man, but Jrum made it as difficult as possible. “I am sorry for my brother. I assume you are Sam?”

“Yeah, that’s me. Can I ask what that was about?”

“Your mask. It resembles that of a creeper in such a way that it makes you resemble someone we are familiar with. Jrum likely saw the mask and presumed you to be him. He is already rather homesick.”

“Hey, don’t worry. I’m happy to help you two. Puffy said you needed help with some redstone?” Sam asked, earning a nod from Grum.

“Correct. We are robots that are powered by redstone. Our circuitry is complex enough that we do not have a way to easily self recharge, thus a charger for us will need to be constructed. Jrum? The blueprints if you please?”

Jrum handed a sheet of paper to Sam. It had various orthographic views of the device as well as interior images and instructions on how to build it. “That’s the tweaked version since our dads could make it smaller.”

Sam looked over the blueprints. “Hmm, yeah, this is gonna be pretty big, but it’s manageable. Do I need to make one for each of you?”

“No, we should be able to share.” Grum replied. “Though two would indeed be a better option, we would not want to force you to do more work, and once we have one charger, the two of us will be able to make a second ourselves without any looming deadline.”

“Alright then, let’s start making this thing.”

Sam took them to an open area which he also explained was where they could build a place to live around the charger. Grum thought that was a good idea as he mapped out the area for Sam and Jrum to start working. Grum also helped out as much as he could, but he had given much of his battery charge to Jrum, and soon it showed.

“You doing okay there?” Sam asked Grum, who’s movements were stuttered and slow. Grum didn’t respond, just continuing to work. “Hey kid? Uh, Jrum I think? Something’s up with your brother.”

Jrum stopped what he was doing and came over, looking at his brother. “Oh… h-he’s in low power mode. I… Grum do you want some of my charge?” Grum didn’t respond. He didn’t want to use any power for it. “Here, let me just connect us up.” Jrum started to pull out a cable, but Grum stopped him. “Don’t. Finish the charger. Instead. I’ll be. Fine.”

Jrum still looked worried, but slowly put the cable away. Sam went back to working, and Jrum almost did as well, but then Grum collapsed, now completely out of power. “No!” Jrum was immediately back at Grum’s side and started shaking him. “Please wake up! P-Please! I don’t want to be alone! W-wake up!”

Sam wanted to comfort the robot, but what just happened showed just how important this project was. So instead he just started working as fast as he could without messing up. Jrum reluctantly joined him after a few minutes, working slowly.

They had almost completed it when Jrum’s movements also became stiff and laggy. Sam paused what he was doing again to be next to Jrum, not wanting to leave him feeling alone. “What. If I. Don’t wake. Up again?” Jrum asked.

Sam gave a comforting hug to the robot. “You will. I promise.”

Jrum slowly hugged the man back. Sam held on until he felt Jrum’s grip loosen, and when he pulled away, Jrum was also completely off, save for the symbol of an empty battery before it disappeared, leaving everything dark.

“Now are you all sure this is a wise decision?” Xisuma asked, admin panel open and ready to send the group of six to Helscraft. 

“Yes! This is probably the last place we have to look!” Tommy shouted at Xisuma, surprising him. “And if we have to fight for them back! So be it!”

Mumbo put a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “Calm down. This isn’t exactly the first time we’ve lost someone in there. I’m sure if the bots did end up in Helscraft, they’re probably in safe hands.”

Tommy looked over at Grian who gave a sad smile and nodded. “We’ll just need to be a little careful. Last time we were there I got mistaken for someone else, and since that person was the empress of the world, it could happen this time too.”

“Okay, someone good will have the kids, people are going to try and kill Grian, we protect him. Great! Got it! Let’s go!”

Xisuma rolled his eyes but smiled at his newest hermit before sending the group off to the hels dimension.

The group found themselves standing on a small island made of mycelium as well as being on fire. The water surrounding the burning island was a blood red color, though it otherwise looked like water. Mumbo walked over to a chest and pulled out some boats before putting them down. “Alright, we’re heading to that main island in the distance over there.” He pointed. “We’re going to need to find a portal that’s made of something that looks like glowstone, but isn’t. From there we follow a path lined with blue clouds. No questions, just get in the boats.”

The only time Tommy had heard Mumbo that serious was when he was scolding the bots, so he immediately listened and got in a boat, Tubbo getting in behind him. He followed behind the boats Mumbo and Techno were rowing, going towards the main island of the world. Looking at it was a bit jarring. He could tell this was like the hermits’ cowmercial district, but it also looked like it was a part of the SMP with how destroyed and griefed it looked.

Grian led them to a portal that looked like it was made from a golden material with blue magic in the middle. When Tommy went through, he was surprised to see something that looked so much like the standard overworld. Though it resembled a plains biome, something Tommy absolutely hated, it also didn’t with its mint green grass and blue dirt. Trees with light green, blue and navy leaves speckled the land, and unfamiliar mobs roamed the land. There was also one other difference. The place was absolutely freezing. 

“Wh-wh-where a-are w-we?” Tommy chattered out before he was handed a blanket made out of wool. Mumbo had one of his own and was handing out one to each member of the party, save for grian who was using his wings instead. One blanket had been brought for the avian though, and Techno took that one too, as being a piglin already made the overworld chilly, so this was on a different level.

“This is the aether. It’s what they have instead of the nether in Helscraft.” Grian answered. “And while The nether is supposed to be closer to the core of the world, making it much hotter, this place is far up in the air, making it extremely cold. The spawn here has something to make the air here breathable, but outside of this place, you need extra gear to breath for very long as there’s not much oxygen. Fortunately the path we’re going on has something set up, which is why those blue clouds are there. But also do not touch them because it will not end well for you.”

After Grian’s warning, everyone was very careful as they walked the marked path. Beings made of clouds attempted to attack as they walked, but the group had bows that made quick work of the mobs. Finally, as they drew close to the end of the path, a large rustic style mansion stood completely undamaged like the main island had been.

“Alright, now hopefully the bots are there.” Grian said, half under his breath before running towards the mansion. Tommy was the first to run off after him, the others all following behind. Just before they reached the front door, it opened, and Grian walked out.

“Oh! Grian! You came for a visit! How nice!” The second grian spoke before setting down a picnic basket and hugging his double.

“Nice to see you too NPG, but… please tell me you at least thought I would visit.”

The other Grian, NPG, tilted his head. “No, I’m sorry but I didn’t. Was I supposed to know? Did I forget a planned gathering?”

“No… I just… Grum and Jrum… they got k-killed… and their respawn… th-they didn’t show b-back up… w-we thought they m-might be here and…”

“Oh no! That sounds horrible!” NPG covered his mouth in shock. If there’s anything I can do to help, I will. I just need to visit Sense first.” NPG picked up his basket again. “If you want you could come with?”

Mumbo put his hands on Grian’s shoulders. “I don’t think that would be a good idea after their last meeting.”

“What the fuck did this Sense guy do?” Tommy asked, making NPG look over.

“Oh hello! I don’t believe I caught your name.”

“I’m Tommy. These are Tubbo, Philza and Technoblade. Now what about this Sense guy?”

“It is nice to meet you all. Perfect sense is the Hels counterpart to Mumbo here. From what I can tell, the first meeting between him and Grian did not go well at all.”

“How so?” Phil asked, dad instincts cropping up.

“He got extremely handsy with Grian.” Mumbo answered. “To put it lightly, clothes almost came off and Grian was left with a bruise on his neck. After that he tried to kill the both of us along with NPG.”

“Oh I remember seeing that bruise.” Tommy replied. “Now I get why Grian got so upset about my comment about your guy’s love life.”

“I wouldn’t mind meeting the guy.” Phil spoke up. For all we know, he could have some answers about your kids. If he was willing to mess with you before, he could be doing it again.”

“Alright then! Follow me!” NPG started to lead them off before doubling back and grabbing masks for everyone to wear. Once they were on, then NPG started leading the group through the unprotected land. A number of creatures attacked, but the group was relatively safe. 

Eventually they reached a large chasm, the sky below going down for miles, any ground below obscured by clouds. If there even was any ground below. “Okay now this is probably going to be scary for most of you, but what we’re going to do is jump onto this small purple cloud. Once you do, try not to move, there are blue aerclouds below, but it’s not the most fun thing in the world trying to get back to the start. Here, I’ll go first.”

NPG jumped onto the purple cloud and was immediately launched into the sky, rocketing forward until he hit another purple cloud that caused the same effect. He kept at this for a bit before finally landing on another island on top of some while clouds. The robot then turned around to face the others and waved them over.

There was a bit of screaming from some of the group as they were thrown over the chasm by the clouds, glad to be back on solid ground by the end. Once Grian had gotten over - flying instead of using the clouds much to everyone’s dismay - NPG started walking again until they finally reached a clearing. There wasn’t a single mob in sight, but there was a small house made of some unfamiliar wood, similar to what NPG’s mansion had been made with.

“Sense! I’m here to visit again! And I brought some friends!” NPG called out and then there was the rattling of chains coming from inside the building. The group immediately drew weapons, ready to face whatever game out of the building, but they lowered them as someone stepped out.

The man for the most part looked like Mumbo, but there were a number of things that made him different. His hair was much longer and looked matted, with something similar going on with his mustache. He had a blue tie that had stains which Tommy recognized as being from blood. The stains themselves were all near the top of the tie, where a large scar was present on the man’s neck, just above the fabric. His wrists were cuffed, about a foot of chain connecting them and his hands were stained bright red from redstone dust. His feet were in a similar situation, the ankles cuffed and connected, but a much longer chain was also linked to one of the cuffs, leading back into the house. Finally, the man was rather skinny. Mumbo himself was lanky which added to his height, but this man was so thin that some of his bones could be seen and his clothes hung on him loosely.

“Okay! So I got you some beef, though I made sure to soak it in broth all night so it’s nice and soft. I’ve also got some swet gummies that have some essential vitamins as well as some milk and blueberries. And then, once you’ve had all of that, I brought youuuuu” NPG dragged the word out as he slowly pulled something out of the basket. “A candy cane!”

Sense grabbed at the food and NPG was soon helping the helsmit eat. Grian and Mumbo were absolutely horrified at the scene, and even the group from the SMP were taken aback at the state this man was in. He was so weak, he could barely chew without help, which was very different compared to the evil genius Grian and Mumbo had the displeasure of meeting before.

When Sense was done eating, NPG went back to the basket. “So I know last time you said your dust was wearing out, so I brought you a new piece to play with!” The helsmit’s eyes lit up when NPG handed him a bit of redstone dust. He messed with it a bit before putting it away in his pocket, and then pulling out a death ray and pointing it at Mumbo, who was currently standing closest to him other than NPG.

Tommy took a step closer, drawing his sword and immediately the weapon was pointed at him. However, Sense was still weak and his hand was wobbly. Before he could hold it steady, NPG smacked the ray gun out of his hand and put it in his own inventory. “Bad Sense! Next time you won’t get any candy!”

“Did True do this to him?” Mumbo asked, now even more worried about meeting her to make sure the boys weren’t there.

NPG looked back and tilted his head. “What? Oh no. The new emperor did!”

“I thought you said True was the empress again.” Grian spoke. “You said that Sense got dethroned a few days later. Wouldn’t that be True?”

“Nope! Someone different. In fact I’m his second in command! Or running mate. Either works! He didn’t need one since it wasn’t an election or anything, but he insisted. Oh! We should go talk to him and see if he knows anything! He doesn’t really use any communicator so I have to visit him if anything comes up. But if Jrum and Grum are with him, I’m sure they’re just fine since I talk about them so much to him!”

Before anyone in the group could say anything else, NPG led them away and over to a large campfire. Techno raced to it once he could see it and held his hands out to warm himself. “Oh, you don’t have to do this. This will just take us back to the main island. There’s only really supposed to be one, so it takes you back to where you entered the dimension in, but Xannes made more!”

“Who’s that?”

“Oh, that’s Evil X’s name. I get to call him that because I’m his friend!m Anyway, let’s go!”

The group used the magic of the campfire to pull them back into the overworld. NPG Was almost immediately off running towards the castle, leaving the rest of the group to catch up. They went through a number of halls in the castle before finally getting to a set of large decorated double doors. “Okay, so he’s in here. I’m pretty sure he’ll let you guys come in and say hi and ask your questions, but I don’t want to be rude and assume, so I’m gonna go in there and ask.”

Everyone was perfectly fine with that, getting a moment or two to catch their breaths since none of them were robots like NPG. The door was still cracked open, so everyone was able to hear as he spoke to the emperor, so they listened in as they waited and rested.

“Hi! I just finished visiting Sense!” There was a pause, none of them hearing the emperor. “He managed to make a death ray. I think he kept lying when he said his redstone was wearing out. But he wasn’t able to use it on any of us.” There was another pause, this one much shorter. “Oh! Some friends came to visit! Grian and Mumbo had a question for you and also brought their friends along named Tommy, Tubbo, Philza and Technoblade! They were wondering if they could come in and talk with you.”

Everyone couldn’t help but hold their breath at the pause before a small cheer erupted from NPG and he was almost immediately back at the door. “Okay, he said you can come in and ask him things!”

The robot pushed the door open all the way before running back into the room. Grian watched as his creation sat down in a smaller chair next to a large throne centered against the far wall. Tommy gave a quick laugh at the cheery robot before his gaze moved over to the one sitting in the throne and it suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe. Beside him, Tubbo was having a similar reaction and both Phil and Techno drew their weapons.

Sitting on the throne was a man. His elbow rested on one arm of the throne as his hand pressed against his cheek, holding his head up. His legs were crossed as well, giving him the look of someone who was bored or just didn’t care. A bandana was tied around his face like a bandit, covering his mouth and nose. A single brown eye was visible, starting down towards the group, meanwhile the other eye and the rest of that side of his face was covered with a mask of white porcelain, a simple smiling face carved into it.

“Dream…” Tommy spoke aloud, his voice trembling.

[starstress]

Everfar

Iskall's been waiting to get revenge for his first attempt at getting the tag, and this lil trap was simply perfect! That he succeeds and the tag is now his is no surprise, but what is one is Grian’s reaction to the trap itself. The aftermath of it is not nearly as sweet as he’d expected it to be, but Grian needs a friend and that’s exactly what he’ll be.

-

Inspired by the scenes when Grian loses the tag to Iskall, but a more dramatic and angsty re-telling with a lot of soft friendship feels as well.

He’d been waiting. And waiting. And waiting some more.

Honestly, what could possibly take Grian so long to come by his own base?

He grumbled and got up from his minecart, glancing around the row of hoppers and furnaces. The words on signs labeling the input and output flow of items had started blurring together about an hour ago, and not because of a lack of sleep. Unlike some hermits, he could respect a somewhat good resting schedule.

He knew to take care of himself, thank you very much! Unless he got into a mood and just kept working until he was dizzy, of course, and he’d have to listen to the other hermits’ mother-henning rants like they didn’t do the same, and one of them would supervise him and make sure he took care of himself, and ugh.

He sighed and resigned himself to more waiting.

Iskall grinned as he watched through the window as the other Hermit rushed back to his base. The open shock on Grian’s face was priceless and he felt vindicated for his first attempt at getting the Tag. Which he had on a finger, spinning it with a self-satisfied grin like the fox that got the chicken. Heh, Poultry Man, he internally snickered and his grin got impossibly bigger.

As Grian finally reached the broken window, he could finally hear him. The poor guy was breathing heavily and muttering something that was too quiet for Iskall to make out. The blond climbed through, not even noticing the other man at the edge of the blown wood floor. He glanced around astonished, first at the window, then at the floor and the walls and stepped through the gap in the glass, almost stumbling in, and finally Iskall could hear him.

“My windows! My stuff!” His voice was so high pitched and Iskall burst into laughter, and wheezing.

At long last, Grian took notice of him.

“No, you didn’t!!” Grian whisper-shouted, tone slowly falling back into its usual pitch.

Although disbelief was still present in his voice, laughter began cracking through, and he looked like he was fighting back a smile.

“Hello!” Iskall said, grin ever-present and Tag still spinning.

“Hello!” He got back, but the blonde’s attention quickly switched to the items still scattered on the floor.

Grian began jumping around, grabbing them as fast as he could and shoving them in his inventory, all the while mumbling ‘No no no’. His voice started to bounce from normal to high-pitched and back every few words. All that was followed by a half-manic sounding giggle and Iskall could barely keep himself from completely crumbling to the floor.

“Revenge at last!” the Swede teased, not wasting any time flexing and waving the Tag in Grian’s face.

The look on his friend’s face almost had him on the floor again with smugness and laughter.

“Ohhhh, he’s got it!!” Grian said to himself and the brunet swiftly perked up at that, starting to play around with the accursed Tag. “Using Mumbo’s messaging system-“ he cut himself off, shock still present. “Oh my goodness…” he breathed, staring wide-eyed at Iskall.

“I’ll help you, G, don’t worry!” Iskall replied instead, smirking.

He was definitely going to help him repair everything, he wasn’t a griefer nor a cruel person after all.

“You’ll help me?” Grian asked back, half grin present in his voice. “I don’t think I want your help!” he said, smile wide.

He slowly sorted through his inventory, ignoring the man standing on the intact part of his floor.

“I don’t think I want your- I don’t think I want my-“ he repeated, and finally turned back to Iskall, “I don’t think I need your help!” he shot back at him, still somewhat in shock and slightly amused.

He continued mumbling for quite a bit, but Iskall was a bit further from him, playing around with the Tag and jumping around the base. Grian would occasionally look up at him from his monologue, probably promising revenge, and Iskall would struggle not to crack up again. He was only able to discern random words and sounds as the other vented out his disgruntlement, but went back when he realized his pumpkin pies were the ones floating in a pile on the floor.

“Waaait a minute! Those are my pumpkin pies!” he laughed.

Grian looked up at him from the mess of items on the floor and sticked out his tongue.

“Bounty of war!” His friend said and returned to surveying the extent of the damage the explosion had caused. “Look at this! The observer track going all the way up to the ceiling…” He trailed off, half in awe and half in displeasure.

Then, he glanced at the end of it all, at the bell that had been resounding in Iskall’s brain for hours on end. The whine in his voice when he spoke up again was a both surprising and hilarious and Iskall grinned at him.

“I feel so betrayed! I feel so betrayed!” Grian murmured, still sorting through his inventory, throwing stuff around. “I thought- I thought that Mumbo- I thought that Mumbo sent me a message!” He said, voice still slightly high and full of disbelief.

It was hilarious to Iskall, who somehow managed to not utter one sound that entire time, holding back giggles like a child with their hands full of cookies.

Until Grian looked up at him, eyes wide and glossy, the whiny tone making space for a small little hitch and a slight breathlessness that made him straighten up almost immediately.

“Did-“ Grian tried, “Did M-Mum, Mumbo even-?” He took a breath, trying to calm down, “Did Mumbo even send that message?” He finally asked.

Iskall tried not to frown, tried to pass the seed of alarm growing in his chest off, and answered honestly.

“No,” He began, somewhat hesitant, watching Grian’s face fall, smile, and amusement dissipating, “ Ehm, that was me.”

When Grian crumbled to the stone underfloor, he realized his gut hadn’t been lying.

Something was wrong. Something that run deeper than just a trap message and a bit of property damage.

He rushed to him, kneeling down, feeling at a complete loss. The sudden change in mood had him off balance and he tried to understand how to piece together the puzzle pieces he’d not known he’d been gathering.

When Grian burst into tears and half-intelligible sentences, he pulled him close.

He lifted him up, slowly and steadily, barely feeling the other’s weight, and carried him to the still intact parts of the wooden floor. He settled the both of them against the wall and hugged him tightly, letting him sob into his vest and hoodie.

“The worst thing ever is that Mumbo’s not messaging me!” his friend wailed, “He’s- he’s not even saying hello or replying to mine or at least-“ he sobbed, curling himself as small as he could be and Iskall’s heart clenched painfully.

He knew Mumbo was scarcely using the messaging tunnel, the man himself had told him. But he hadn’t thought it would mean so much to Grian, and, most likely, Mumbo hadn’t either. If he’d known, the moustached man would have been bending backwards to send messages to their friend until the tunnel was full and bursting with them.

He hummed, a deep and soft sound, rubbing Grian’s back and letting him lean on him for as long as he needed.

He knew Grian needed to let it out, to empty the hurt from his heart and drain the tears in his eyes.

It could have been a minute or it could have been an hour, but at some point, his sobs slowed, his hiccups stopped. Though he didn’t lift his head from Iskall’s shoulder and his breathing was still heavy and his face was still red and hot, he seemed calmer.

As he hugged Grian closer still, he felt him shift, and a soft and sudden tingling in the air he’d long since learned to associate with magic made him loosen his hold on the smaller man. In the corner of his eye, he saw a magnificent pair of wings flash into existence, attached to Grian’s back.

The builder tried flapping them instinctively, but, slightly trapped as they were between the two of them and the wall, they only managed a short and jerky beat. They settled quickly after that, one curling around Grian’s free side and the other wrapping around Iskall as he briefly lifted his back from its slumped position against the wall.

Despite them being in one of their smaller forms, they still almost fully enclosed around the two of them. Iskall smiled fondly at Grian, though he knew the other wouldn’t see it. The builder had been them with the Hermits for years now, and still showed some reticence of having his wings out in the open.

This, however, this instinctual wish for comfort that came from inside Grian, not only let loose in front of Iskall, but around Iskall too, warmed him up like a sweet cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven. He hugged the other tighter, sighing into his soft hair and felt, in response, a brief tightening of the feathers around him.

“It’s just such a little thing, we see each other every few days and talk and work and whatnot, so I shouldn’t have any reason to think he’s ignoring me or something…” Grian sniffled, “But I can’t help it. It makes me so upset, I hate it, Iskall.” He said, voice hushed and high, and he curled up against the older man’s chest more, somehow finding more space to burrow into, as if Iskall hadn’t all but crushed him in the hug.

“Oh G…” the Swede sighed. “It’s the little things that do us in, I guess.” He said and thought back to a certain breakdown episode from way back in the days of Sahara. He slowly rubbed up and down Grian’s back, careful around his wings, trying to offer some comfort beyond just words. “I don’t think he’s ignoring the messages intentionally, though. He’s probably being a spoon again, honestly.”

And he was, but Iskall figured the two needed to talk about this together rather than through a messenger.

He felt the other nod slowly against his shoulder and sighed. When Grian tensed at the sound of it, he squeezed him tightly but carefully, and relief coursed through his veins when the other relaxed against him completely.

“Maybe we should go and get a bit of revenge by giving him a dose of his own medicine.” Iskall fumed, but both of them knew it was mostly for show. Mostly.

Iskall would probably not actually dish out any punishment to Mumbo, since it wasn’t exactly his, or anyone’s, fault, but a few pranks and traps here and there wouldn’t see too out of place, he mused.

Grian laughed wetly, wiping away any stray tears still clinging to his eyelashes. He probably guessed the line of thought that Iskall’s mind had followed.

“Maybe.” He grinned up at his friend.

Iskall shifted, trying to find a more comfortable spot in the hard wood floor, thankful for the soft feathers at his back and then grinned, distracted. He glanced down at the man leaning against him and poked his side, careful not to tickle him.

“I could totally sic EX or Joe on him though,” he teased, mirth overflowing from his words. “Maybe even X or False.”

After all, it was known server-wide just how protective Joe, False and quite a few other hermits could get, as well as the fact that EX was oddly protective of the creator of one of his best friends.

He felt Grian jump and wheezed, totally expecting the reaction.

“You wouldn’t!” the blonde hissed, mortified. His eyes were wide and red-rimmed, and Iskall had to stop himself from cooing at his adorable friend.

“I would and you know that they would!” he laughed, “They’d absolutely super mega would! EX especially!”

“Oh goodness, please don’t!” Grian whined and blushed up to the tips of his ears, hiding his head in the brunet’s vest while Iskall continued to laugh. “Noooo!” he giggled, now trying to rise up from the floor and escape Iskall’s hug.

The redstoner wouldn’t let go, however, determined to tease his friend back into a brighter mood. He held on and they both ended up tumbling on the floor, Grian wheezing as the other landed right on top of him, squishing him.

They burst out laughing, wheezing for a few good minutes down there.

After calming down, Iskall shifted and Grian let him lift his arms up and around his neck as he looked at him curiously. The redstoner suddenly heaved them both up, the flier hanging from around his shoulders only by his arms and Iskall’s hands around his waist to support him like a sack of potatoes. It made Grian burst into laughter again, barely remembering to keep his grip on the other's hoodie.

Iskall grunted and grumbled about his weight, but held on to him nonetheless.

“Couldn’t be too comfortable for those wings of yours to be squished by all of these mega, nay- OMEGA muscles, ey?” Iskall grinned down at his friend.

In response, Grian grinned back brightly, unabashedly fluttering his wings and remained hanging, feet even lifted away from the floor.

Iskall sighed, both exasperated and fond.

“Okay, you little nuisance, let’s sit down to eat and then tuck you into bed, you’ve had enough excitement for one day.” He said, and turned to half-walk, half-waddle to the center of Grian’s hobbit base.

He knew his friend hadn’t exactly had much comfort in mind when he made the base, but he figured the nice cozy little space that Professor Beak had would make for a much better sitting and relaxing place.

“I’m not a little kid, Iskall!” Grian pouted up at him.

“Says the pouting man hanging to me like a little baby.” Came the good-natured snarky response from the redstoner.

Grian resisted sticking out his tongue, and instead sighed and snuggled closer, tucking his head onto Iskall’s shoulder.

The older man said nothing, stopping only to instinctively shift the smaller man into a better position, higher too, so that his legs could just stand freely instead of being held up. He carefully tuck his wings closed as well, smoothing any stay feathers that had been disturbed, and felt the soft feathers brush against the arm he used as the other's support.

“Do they bother you?” Grian mumbled, face half-hidden and sleepy.

“No, no.” Iskall said, smiling down reassuringly. “I really like them, G. Maybe you should let them out more often, stretch them out properly instead of using the Elytras.” Iskall continued, before quietly adding, “The others are totally fine with them. Bet they’d love to see you with them more often too.”

Grian hummed, a small and thoughtful sound, before flapping his wings briefly and shoving his face into Iskall’s vest.

“Stay with me?” he asked, voice small, but mostly sleepy. “Please?”

Iskall blinked down at him, and smiled softly, though the other couldn’t see it.

“Of course, G. Rest well.” He whispered, knowing that Grian had already slipped into slumber and instead turned towards the stairs leading to the blonde’s bedroom.

A nap sounded fantastic and he wouldn’t say no to his friend anyway, especially when he needed some well-deserved comfort.

End.

- 

Hi all! I decided to try my hand at posting a fic on tumblr as well. I’m really new at this, so if anyone has any advice I’d be grateful for it!

This is part 2 of my 20-part (20 for now, might add to the number later) series  which will feature mostly Grian and Mumbo, as well as mostly implied Grumbo named Putting the Ever in Forever. Right now there’s only 2 parts up, with the others still very much in the planning zone. There’s a lot more details on the ao3 version, but I welcome any and all questions about it both here and there! 

I’ll be adding a link to the ao3 version in a reblog in a tiny bit, or you could use the link in my bio! 

Thank you for reading and checking this out!

[melon-wing]

Red and Green

Betaread by my amazing betareader @aaronampora-ao3

This Story is based on the unbelievably amazing image done by @gridoc Doc stood in front of the giant door to Grian’s base, waiting for the lord of the house to arrive. He tugged a little on the front of his clothes, trying to loosen them. He rarely wore anything constricting. Sure he had worn a suit a few times and this was far more comfortable, but still a long way from his loose labcoat that wasn’t even covering his chest. 

He knew that Grian had told him not to bother and that he could go to the festival casually dressed, but he also knew seeing him in this light cotton kimono - yukata, Ren had called it when handing it to Doc - would make Grian really happy. And Grian being happy was far more important than him being comfortable.

The doors opened and Doc looked up with a smile, his whole face lighting up when he saw Grian. While Doc was more dressed than usual the yukata was far more revealing on Grian than his red sweater. Doc tried very pointedly not to look at the white skin of Grian’s chest peeking out below the green fabric.

“Doc! You wore one!”, Grian said in delight, jumping up a little in joy and hugging Doc enthusiastically. Doc could feel his heart racing and he put his arms softly around Grian in return.

“Ren told me that this was appropriate attire for our date”, he replied flatly, but Grian giggled as if he had just cracked a joke.

“Oh you big sap. Don’t blame this on Ren. I bet you wanted to match.” Grian leaned back a bit, his arms still around Doc, as he took in Doc’s appearance. “Red really suits you. You should wear it more often.”

Doc chuckled. “Well, dear, green also looks very good on you. There really should be more green things. All. Over. You.” Doc pulled Grian back and Grian made a cute squeal that was swallowed by Doc’s lips. Grian let out a tiny whimper, but pressed himself against Doc, hands flying up to his head, pulling him down further. When they broke apart both of them were flushed and a little out of breath.

The way Grian smiled up at him, his whole face glowing made Doc’s heart beat faster and he leaned in again for a small peck. He would have gladly continued just making out, but they didn’t dress up to stand around. But Grian did look rather nice in those clothes and the way he was looking at Doc, cheeks a soft red...

“X will have the portal ready for us in about ten minutes. We should really head over now or we won’t make it on time”, Doc murmured, still not letting go of Grian, who nodded but didn’t step back as well, just gazing longingly into Doc’s eyes. Doc wanted to resist the temptation. He really tried. But instead of moving away, his body leaned in again and his lips moved down to meet Grian’s once more.

When they arrived at Xisuma’s place in the nether the admin was looking at them impatiently. The portal next to him was already glowing a bright yellow, showing that it was leading out of this world.

“You guys do know I have better things to do than wait around a dumb portal for half an hour? I got my own date to get to”, Xisuma greeted them in an annoyed tone and Doc almost felt bad. He mostly felt bad because it would be really hard to convince X to open a portal the next time they wanted to go on a fancy outside date.

“Sorry, X. You know how things are”, Grian said with a small smile, “I got so lost in building I forgot to get ready for our date and made Doc wait. I bet your boyfriend does the same sometimes. We builders are all so forgetful.”

Xisuma sighed again, but the annoyed look eased off a little and he smiled more fondly, probably thinking of the person waiting for him at home.

“Well go on through then. I’ll reopen it when you message me. Have fun you two and don’t get lost.”

Doc nodded and pulled Grian forwards, walking up onto the obsidian frame with him. They faced each other, holding hands. Grian’s face looked even more pretty lit up by the golden glow reflecting off his skin and eyes. It made Doc wonder again how he could have gotten this lucky.

Grian giggled, the cute smile Doc loved so much back on his face.

“You know, I’m the one who’s lucky.”

“How…?”

“You always look at me all adorable before you say those cheesy things. I know how you work by now, Doc. You are almost as predictable as your redstone machines.”

Doc bent down to kiss Grian again, but before he got the opportunity they were both teleported away. Well, there would be more opportunities for kisses. Especially after what Doc had planned for today. The thought of his plans alone made his heart race. He tried to calm his nerves, taking a deep breath as he reappeared somewhere else.

“Hurry along please! Step out the portal!”, someone in an orange vest kept repeating and he and Grian walked along, following a small stream of people that had probably come from the portal just before them. He had always wondered how these interdimensional admin portals worked, but so far X hadn’t felt like sharing.

It took them only a minute of walking until they entered the festival grounds. There were rows upon rows of stands, selling different wares, food and drinks. People were walking by. It was dark outside, but above them were a multitude of lanterns, strung up and illuminating everything in a soft glow. It was perfect for a romantic getaway. Doc turned to look at Grian whose eyes were wide and sparkling as he took everything in. It made Doc smile softly. Grian was always so full of emotion, always an open book and Doc knew every little change in his moods and their meaning. There was nobody he could read better. And even when he himself wasn’t as open with his emotions, Grian never seemed to have a problem to read him as well.

“I’m glad you like it here”, Doc said, smiling and finally Grian turned back around, looking at him in childish excitement.

“It’s amazing! I’m glad we came. This world is so beautiful!“

Doc nodded in agreement. “So… Where do you wanna go first?“

Grian looked around again, his nose scrunched up in that cute way of his, showing that he was thinking about all of his options. Finally his whole face lit up even more and Doc swore he saw his hair puff up a little as he was shaking in excitement.

Doc followed his line of sight and a fond smile appeared on his face as they landed on the game booth Grian was now pulling him to. By the end of the night they probably would have played every game around here. And if Grian liked something enough, they sure as hell would have an upgraded version of that game in their world soon as well.

Grian went up to the booth and tossed a diamond to the vendor who handed him a crossbow and a few arrows He pushed a button and behind him small targets shaped like Mobs began to move around. Doc leaned onto the counter. He looked at the targets for a few seconds, before turning to look at Grian again. And the sight made his heart beat faster. Grian’s forehead was furrowed in concentration, one eye closed and the tip of his pink tongue sticking out a little. Doc almost wanted to laugh, but held back, not wanting to distract his boyfriend.

Grian fired a few times, and each time a frustrated groan left his lips. Doc didn’t even need to look to know that he hadn’t been even close to those targets. Grian had never been much of a fighter. If there was a game about flying now, that would be a completely different story. No one could compete against Grian in that area.

The last arrow sailed through the air and Doc’s eyebrows flew up in surprise as he heard a metallic clink. He turned to look and on of the small zombies was really flipped over.

“Did you see that, Doc?! I hit one! And it moved really fast! Now you can’t tease me anymore about not being able to shoot! I’m an amazing shooter!” Grian put down his crossbow, shaking in excitement. A fond smile appeared on Doc’s face and he gently petted Grian’s head.

“I’m so proud of you, dear.”

The vendor put a small piece of candy on the booth and Grian’s face fell a little, looking at the tiny price. His gaze wandered up and Doc noticed the way he was looking at the huge stuffed animals. With a sigh he pulled out a diamond of his own and put it onto the booth.

“I’m gonna win that one for you. It’s just as cute as you”, he said pointing at some especially cute looking teddy bear grinning at the way Grian blushed.

“I can win my own prizes, Doc. You should pick something that you would want to have.”

“Oh, but I already have the biggest prize I could ever wish to win”, Doc replied, his tone light as he bent over a little, to press a small kiss to the corner of Grian’s mouth, watching in amusement as he got even more flustered. Even now after going steady for three years, Grian would react this adorable to compliments and Doc just loved it.

He picked up the arrows, putting the crossbow up to his mechanical eye and took a breath in, focus completely on the moving targets. Highest points went to the little vex flying around at the fastest speed. He shot and the arrow flew, hitting the first vex right in the centre. Grian cheered loudly next to him, and Doc allowed himself a short glance over, smirking a little. “Impressed, dear?”

Grian giggled and nodded. “As always, darling.”

Doc could feel his heart skip a beat and the nervousness from before was back, as he felt like his clothes suddenly weighed a ton more with the knowledge what he was carrying around. The vendor cleared his throat and Doc quickly turned back, stringing the next arrow into his crossbow.

One shot after another was fired, hitting the tiny mobs and making them fall over. Doc tucked in the last arrow, focussing on the only vex left that seemed to be flying even faster now. He took a deep breath, the muscles in his finger on the trigger tensing and…

“Watching you like that really turns me on. I’d just love to rip your clothes off right here, right now.”

Doc flinched, his eyes widened, the arrow flew through the air, flying high over the targets and embedding itself into the booth’s wall. Doc turned, looking flabbergasted at Grian who had now dissolved into a giggle fit, holding his stomach, tears in his eyes, leaning heavily on the booth. Every time he seemed to be able to stop the laughter, he took one look at Doc’s shocked face and it started all over again.

Doc gave an annoyed huff and turned to the vendor who seemed to be slightly amused by their display as well.

“Don’t ya worry, mate. Points are still enough for the cute bear. Though I would keep it to myself. Ya guy is too much of a gremlin to deserve it.”

Doc chuckled as he was handed a teddy bear.

“I wouldn’t have him any other way”, he just casually replied, before hitting Grian right in the face with the teddy bear. “Oi, stop laughing your ass off or I’ll buy another arrow to shoot that stupid grin off your face. Let’s not start another war.”

Grian spluttered, arms snaking around the huge teddy bear and lowering it away from his face. The shit eating grin was still there, but he was no longer laughing at least. “Well now wouldn’t that be fun? I bet everyone on the server already missed our wars… Your opening line this time just won’t be as catchy: It all started when Grian’s sexyness made me lose at a shooting game. Doesn’t have the same ring to it as the bush.”

Doc rolled his eyes, starting to move again. He pulled Grian along, linking their arms together as they continued on walking between the booths. Doc kept looking around. He had been here before, searching for the perfect spot, but now with so many people hurrying around and illuminated only by lamp light it seemed so different from daytime.

Grian still looked around excitedly and then his eyes landed on something and he hurried off through the crowd. Doc sighed. Next time they went out on a date night into some crowded place he would take a leash with him. He really should have started doing that after Grian got lost on their anniversary last year and he had spent the whole night searching the woods.

At least Doc had the advantage of being huge and towering over most of the other people by a good bit. It was easy to keep track of his hyper boyfriend. He was still lucky that Grian didn’t go to far and soon stopped at one of the booths selling stuff, already talking hurriedly with the vendor. When Doc reached them Grian had already put a diamond onto the counter. And before Doc could react a red fan was pressed into his hand and Grian smiled brightly at him.

“It matches your eye colour. Just as I thought. Such a nice and vibrant red. As beautiful as a rose.“

Doc smiled at that. Grian really was special. He had never once been turned off by Doc’s mechanical parts. While past lovers had looked at those parts with pity, comparing the colour of his eye to blood, Grian loved them just as much as his non-mechanical body parts. He had never made Doc feel insecure about his flaws… And if he knew Doc had just thought of them as flaws he’d probably give him a piece of his mind.

“You’re spacing out again, darling“, Grian said with a fond smile, still waiting for Doc to take hold of the fan. Doc chuckled, finally letting his fingers curl around the wooden stick, holding the fan in front of his face and staring at Grian.

“You know red isn’t my colour, it’s yours. Always running around in those stupid red sweaters.”

Grian smirked. “Well maybe that’s the other reason I like you with that colour so much. It shows everyone that you belong to me. Wouldn’t want anyone daring to steal my boyfriend away.“

“I don’t really think you have to worry about that. Most people look at me and become scared.”

Grian huffed in annoyance, looking around and like always there were some who threw irritated glances at Doc’s appearance. Grian made sure to glare extra hard at them. “Well they don’t know you’re a major softie. You’re even more adorable than this teddy.“

Doc chuckled and pulled Grian up to him, holding the fan to the side and pressing a soft kiss on his lips. They separated only a few millimetres apart and Doc couldn’t help but smile gently. The world around them seemed to disappear while he was looking at Grian.

“Grian, listen… There’s something I need to talk about…“

Grian looked up at him with huge questioning eyes. Doc’s mouth felt too dry all of the sudden, his tongue too heavy to move. And then he became aware again of all the people moving around, throwing glances at them, bumping into them to get to some booth.

“You want something to drink?”

This sudden shift from a serious tone to that question made Grian look at him in confusion, but he didn’t ask and soon smiled again.

“Yeah sure. Let’s go over there and-”

“No, no. I’ll get the drinks. You could maybe get some snack or something. I… I’ll be right back, okay. Let’s meet at the pond behind those booths, alright? Have a little picnic so to say.”

Grian’s face lit up and he nodded hurriedly, bouncing in excitement. “Will do. See you there. Whoever gets there last is a wingless phantom.”

Doc chuckled as Grian darted off into the crowd, making his way over to one of the stands. He let his hand wander into the pocket of his yukata, fingers curling around the little box inside. Would they finish another date without him being courageous enough? He had been trying for months now. Ren would have his head if he came back again with bad news… But it wasn’t as easy as Ren made it sound. He needed the perfect moment. During their last date there had been a sudden thunderstorm and Ren had called it a romantic drizzle.

Doc paid for the drinks and slowly made his way to the pond. Usually he was just as competitive as Grian when it came to their little fights and races, but not today. Today he’d let Grian win if that meant he’d be in an even better mood than he already was.

Doc didn’t get that far. He was just about to walk between two booths to the other side, when he heard raised voices, and one of them sounded too familiar.

“Come on. We just wanna have some fun. You look like you’d always be up for some fun.“

“I said I’m not interested. I have a boyfriend.“

“Dump his sorry ass. Or are you just saying that because you’re shy. You wouldn’t find anyone better than us.“

Doc turned the corner, walking between the booths again and there he was. A few steps away stood Grian, surrounded by three tall guys, his back against one of the pillars between booths. He was only holding a teddy bear and no food, which probably meant they had already stopped him a few minutes ago. Doc felt anger bubble up inside him as another one of the guys spoke up.

“We’ve got quite a few diamonds to spend, you see. Wouldn’t you like to be treated? We’d cover you in jewellery instead of stupid stuffed animals. It would suit you. Wearing nothing but chains and gold…” There was a hand on Grian’s cheek now and Doc saw red. He knew very well that Grian was able to defend himself, but Grian always was too friendly to people coming on to him and Doc would have none of that.

He put the drinks down at one of the tables and marched forward, stopping right next to Grian, pulling him away from the guys so he was no longer trapped. One of them turned to look at Doc enraged.

“Who do you think you are asshole?”, he snarled and then stopped as his eyes landed on Doc.

Doc had put a hand over Grian’s shoulder possessively and was glaring over his fan at those guys. He noticed out of the corner of his eye, that Grian was smiling fondly now, but the tight grip he had on the teddy bear proved that he was still at least a little shaken. And if those assholes ruined the mood for the evening now…

“This is my boyfriend“, Grian started, grinning at Doc who continued.

“So you lowlifes better back off, or I might be forced to remove you another way”, Doc growled, his mechanical eye glowing brighter as he felt the fury inside him rise.

The guys also seemed to notice, practically staring at his mechanical parts. They didn’t look as confident as before anymore, but rather scared.

“Sorry, Mr. Robot, sir. Didn’t know he was yours. Please don’t shoot any laser beams at us.“

Doc felt irritated at that, his glare only becoming more pissed off, which finally made the guys turn around and hurry off, still apologizing to the ‘scary robot’. And he swore he heard one of them say something about his ‘terrifying murder eye’.

Doc’s grip on Grian tightened and only when Grian winced a little he realised that it must have been painfully hard. He backed off at once, but Grian would have none of that, pulling him back and into a hug.

“Let’s go somewhere more quiet now.“

Doc nodded and with Grian holding onto his arm he went back to get the drinks before they made their way through the booths and off the festival grounds. There was a small pond, illuminated by the soft orange glow of floating lanterns. They sat down at a stone bench right next to it, the teddy bear right between them, silently looking at the water and enjoying their drinks. Doc rubbed at the metal parts of his face, still slightly irritated at the comments he had gotten. He shouldn’t let it get to him as much as he did.

“You know those guys were idiots?“

Doc chuckled. “Tell me something I don’t know already. They really should know not to put their slimy hands all over-“

“That’s not what I’m talking about“, Grian softly took Doc’s hand and pulled it away from his face, “They said a lot of dumb things about your beautiful face.“

“It’s alright Grian. I know my face is scary. Weren’t you scared as well when you first saw me?”

Grian giggled quietly. “Oh I was scared, but not because of your eye or arm or anything like that. The trident flying right by my face was way scarier. I might also have been so nervous because you are too hot, not because I was scared.” Grian was now softly tracing a metal line on the side of his face, resting his hand on Doc’s cheek. “I fell in love with you not despite the way you look, but with you as a whole. I love every part of you, be it your human parts, your creeper parts or-” Grian bent forward, putting a light kiss right above Doc’s glowing red eye “-your mechanical parts. I wouldn’t want you any other way.“

And Doc felt like there would be no better moment than now. He cleared his throat nervously, his hand wandering into his pocket and pulling out the box. Grian didn’t seem to notice, still looking at nothing but Doc’s face.

“I love you too, Grian. I love you at your best and at your worst mood. I will still love you if you start another war. I love you with all your flaws… And there are a lot of those”, he added the last part in a joking tone and Grian softly hit him in the shoulder. And then Grian’s eyes wandered down and he noticed the small box. A hand immediately flew up to cover his mouth, eyes wide in disbelief, looking from the box back at Doc’s face.

“Doc, you… are you…?”

“Yeah. I’m trying to”, Doc replied softly, opening the box to reveal a small silver ring. Nothing overly fancy, simple and still beautiful, just like Grian. “I want to love you for the rest of our lives and beyond. So-“

“Yes!“, Grian interrupted him, eyes shining with excitement and a few unshed tears.

“I haven’t even asked yet”, Doc said with an amused smile.

“Oh… Sorry. Go on”, Grian whispered, giggling softly. And that giggle just made Doc’s heart beat even faster, filling him with happiness.

“Do you want to marry me?”

“Yes!”, Grian repeated with even more excitement than before, grabbing Doc by the front of his yukata and pulling him forward, smashing their lips together.

When they parted again, both a little out of breath, Doc took hold of Grian’s hand, pulling the ring out of the box and sliding it gently over his finger. And he had never felt as happy as he did now, Grian looking at him with nothing but love, a lone tear running down his face and Doc could feel his human eye also become a little wet with emotion.

“And it all started when Grian touched my bush…”, he whispered and looked at Grian like he was the only source of light in his life, before bending forward and kissing him softly.

[yhs-okami]

Deathcup by mom jeans ?

A/N: This one was hard bc I couldn't understand the lyrics that well (bc I'm hoh), but I got a sad kinda vibe from it, so that's what you're gonna get bro kdjdndjsnsnd

The light pitter-patter of rain on the roof of the school soothes Grian's frazzled nerves a little. It had been nearly two decades since he had step foot into this place and he had almost hoped it would stay that way, but, of course, Meri had gotten into another fight with Dom and J's kid and Ellen was at work so he was the one that needed to come pick her up.

Okami and Rowan give him small, tired smiles as they pass Grian's daughter off with only a week's suspension this time. Absentmindedly, Grian notices how his former teachers looked so much worse for wear, grey hairs overbearing and wrinkles gathering where they weren't before. They make small talk for a couple minutes, Grian asking about Silly and Necra's well-being and Okami asking in return about his and Ellen's relationship and Sam's therapy.

Slowly, Rowan hobbles over from the empty student desk he had been sat in top of and claps Grian on the shoulder firmly, nearly causing the young man to fall over from the force. It seemed, even in his old age, Rowan was still tens times as strong as Grian would ever be.

"You know, kid, you never did say goodbye..." Rowan says gruffly, his booming voice now but a distant memory.

Grian draws his brows together.

"No, I said goodbye when I graduated. I would have never forgot because you two were the closest I had to actual parents." He says in confusion.

Okami sighs softly and shakes her head adjusting her glasses softly.

"No, dear, he doesn't mean us..." She murmurs, her voice just as soft and sweet as the day she started teaching their class.

Grian pauses to think before it hits him like a bag of bricks and he looks down sadly, tugging at a loose string on the sleeve of his sweater.

"Is... Is he still down there?" He asks softly, feeling a little embarrassed and ashamed.

Okami nods and Grian sighs.

"I'll only be down there a few minutes..." He mumbles, despite everyone knowing he's lying.

If he finally goes to say goodbye, everyone knows he'll finally break down and probably be there for a couple hours.

With a confused huff, Meri follows after her father, down the first flight of stairs and into the lunch room. Off to the back of the room, there was an iron gate closed over a doorway in the wall that she had never noticed before, but Grian goes right up to it and pushes it open with no problem. He walks over, the rain misting over his skin and clothes and the humidity frying his hair, but he pays no mind to it as he spots the small row of gravestones.

Teacher Gareth, a man he never met, but had heard great things about.

Salex Brown, a girl he had heard so many things about, hearing she was so kind and so pretty and so amazing.

And...

And Taurtis.

Grian tears up as he sighs, moving to sit cross legged on the grass in front of the stone as he runs his hands over the text engraved into it.

Taurtis Tanaka.

1999-2015

A brave and loving soul.

Grian bites his lip to try to stifle a small sob that threatens to escape. Taurtis died that night on Halloween while trying drive the bus and, for so so many years, Grian never wanted to accept that. He didn't want to say goodbye because he knew, when he inevitably had to, he would never be the same again.

Slowly, Grian looks over at his daughter, who looks wide-eyed, surprised to see her strong and happy father so emotionally vulnerable.

"Meri... I think I'll be a while. Go on home if you want to, I trust you." He says, his voice cracking as he tries to pull himself together.

The teal haired teenager nods and turns on her heel, already reaching for her phone, likely to call Ellen or Uncle Sammy to have them make sure Grian is okay. Grian doesn't notice though as he looks back at his friend's gravestone.

"Hey, dude... Long time no see..."

Send a song for some vibe writing?

[writing-the-end]

LoL Chapter 3- Gildara

Master Post

A Wizard Hermits tale (AU belongs to @theguardiansofredland )

In the Northern fields of Lairyon, Gildara waits for the Order of Hermits. The land around them is different...dying. Is this what the Magistrate sent them to discover? What kind of creature, what kind of plague causes this? The only way for them to find out is by going deeper- literally.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

“It’s like a sea of grass. Look at how it rolls like waves.” Scar whistles, watching wheat dancing in the wind. 

Doc nudges Grian. “I see where you stole your hair now.” 

Grian takes off after Doc, shrugging off the hybrid’s attempt to puppeteer him and tackling into the ground. Iskall steps over the two, deep in conversation with Ren. The two share a fistbump, before Iskall casts his magic circle. A molded rod of radioactive material, which he’s dubbed iskallium, appears before them. Iskall grabs his creation and gives it a flourish. Ren attempts to mimic Iskall’s magic, his own magic circle starting red before turning a muted green. 

Just behind Iskall and Ren practicing, Cub, Scar, and Joe are deep in a conversation about the land around them. Wide fields of wheat, surrounded by row after row of carrots, potatoes, and more. This is the breadbasket of Lairyon. At the edge of the fields that surround the road, tall pines loom at the base of rocky mountain climbs. They’re south of Foresta, yet to cross Turtle River, but still within the fertile soil that the city is known for. 

A shadow passes over the traveling guild, before red wings flap to the ground. Tango turns around, red eyes anguished as he grips his flaming hair. TFC notices the body language of their scout, and steps forward. The entire road goes quiet, the guild the only travelers on this route. “What did you see?” 

“Its… I don’t know how to explain it. It’s big.” Tango’s wings fold away and disappear. 

“The monster?” Zed asks, creeping closer to his friend. 

“The destruction?” Impulse adds, following. Both trying to comfort Tango. He looks like he’s on the verge of tears.

Tango shakes his head, his fiery hair half a step slower than his initial movement. “It looks like a black scar, like a dark bruise against the land. But nothing is destroyed. It- I can’t describe it, man. You just gotta keep walking. We’ll see.” 

And so they do. Tango seems shocked by what he saw, and the hermits try to ease his fears. With time, the emotions are eased and everyone relaxes when Tango can smile again. They’re more than just a guild. They’re a family. Most of them only have each other, and as chaotic as their guild can be, they’ll do anything to make sure each person is happy and safe. They care about each other, comfort each other. 

Ren stays near Tango, telling jokes and stories to keep up everyone’s morale. His brown ears prick up as he hears a change in the wind around him. He feels something brush against the skin of his feet, and looks down. “Whoa, my dudes.” 

Everyone stops, turning to look at Ren. He’s gazing beyond his sandaled feet, to the ground. A swirl of grey, clawing along the dirt like a vine reaching for a tree to choke from life, reaches out towards the gilded fields and verdant forests. Ren scrapes the sole of his shoe against the dirt, trying to scrape away the ash. But no matter how deep he digs, it remains monochrome. And it’s growing before their very eyes. 

Another skein of grey reaches past Joe’s feet, and he hops away from the strange phenomenon. He shivers, pulling his cape closer to his body. Despite being a warm summer day in north Lairyon, he feels like an icy breeze has just dug right into his bones. Into his core, striking at his heart and soul. He looks around, but Stress is nowhere near him. 

“There’s more.” Scar whispers, pointing down the road. The creeping darkness reaches out towards them. Out from Gildara. “This has to be that ‘discrepancy’ that the magistrate spoke of.” 

TFC bites his lip, but nods for the team to move forward. “Keep a tight watch, gang. Report anything out of the ordinary.” 

They continue forward, walking into the monotone ground. Around them, the fields wither to ashen plains. BDubs steps off the road, picking up a stalk and looking closer at it. The color looks like it was burned, but he can still see each individual grain on the wheat. It looks like it wilted, poisoned or left without the ability to grow. The entire field looks the same way. Every field. Dead farms on colorless land. 

The small town of Gildara rises in the distance. Tucked against the safety of a pine forest, with the open plains as it’s front yard. A short bridge rises over a dried creekbed into the village. 

“It looks like they had a drought.” False whispers, pressing forward with the braver souls. Mumbo and Jevin slip into the middle, spooked by the village. 

“It’s not a drought.” Grian responds, fingers playing with the ash colored needles of a tree. “These trees still look like they got a recent rain. That creek should be flowing.” 

“And things just beyond this grey stuff are well fed.” Zedaph adds. 

“Guys?” Iskall calls out, hurrying back to the group as they continue through the monochrome town. “Wh-where is everyone?” 

TFC stops, looking around. The town is small, but the houses look warm and welcoming. With large windows and open porches, but not a soul is to be seen. There’s no voices, no wails or whimpers. Not even a birdsong. No bodies, no bonfires. Doors remain closed, but shops are propped open, inviting customers to peruse wares. It’s like the entire town just simply...vanished. Everyone, every moving creature is gone. 

“Cleo?” TFC looks over his shoulder, but she’s already on it. Turquoise blue magic wisping and waving across the open air, Cleo’s arms and fingers moving in a choreographed series until the spell is cast. But the circle goes nowhere, hanging in the dead air with nothing to attach to.

“There’s no bodies anywhere. No ghosts either. There’s nothing.” Cleo reports, letting the magic fizzle away. Beneath her, the ash colored ground sparks and swirls. 

“It doesn’t look like a monster or bandits came through.” Xisuma notes. “There’s no sign of a fight, no claw marks or blood even.” 

“So where is everyone?” Keralis rubs his arms, looking around. He coughs, his throat feeling tight and lungs feeling heavy, his body exhausted. Like a storm is moving in, the wall of high pressure sending them into lethargy. Well, most of them. Grian gets excited, but even now he looks pressed. 

“Let’s check town center. If there’s anywhere we’ll find clues, it’ll be there.” TFC points down the road. The guild stays silent, as silent as the world around them. Devoid of color, until one of them looks up the mountainside. Beyond the clawing darkness, they can still see the dark green of alpine forests. The further into town they walk, the more the pressuring feeling rises. Like they’re being crushed, like air trapped deep within a mountain. Far underground, and just as dead and unmoving. Even the wind has stopped blowing. 

“What is that?” Etho questions, pointing towards the well at the center of the town square. The grey turns as black as ink, crawling free from the stone well and dispersing out into the grey blemish across the land. Etho tries to slip into the shadow of the darkness, but there’s nothing. It’s not a shadow- this is something else. 

Cub peers down the well, into the dark hole. “It’s coming from the water supply. Are we sure this isn’t some plague or poison?” 

“It’s not like anything I’ve ever seen.” Doc points out. Beside him, Scar activates his magic and creates a series of steps. Down the well’s stony walls, the hermits descend into darkness. Into the maws of the beast. 

“Anybody got a light?” False questions, the only visible thing before her being Cub and Scar’s eyes as they glow a faint blue. 

“I got it.” Impulse pushes Tango forward, his hair illuminating the cave system they are within. Following the underground stream that terraforms the rock. 

Tango sighs. “I think I can do better than just my hair, man.” He draws his scrawling magic circle, summoning up flame that dances just above his hand. 

“And this is why having the explosives mage and a fire mage living in the same house is a bad idea.” False groans, but let’s Tango take point. He directs the flame, funneling the light as best he can forward. 

“Or we could just make Grian get his archangel aura.” BDubs adds. 

“We’ll be blinded then.” Mumbo adds, feeling his friend shift beside him nervously. He’s still healing from the last time he used his ultimate power. 

The cave around them opens up into a cavern, and Tango’s torchlight stops. Tango pulls his hand down, blowing on the flame. Trying to get the fire to burn brighter. But no matter how fierce the fire burns, it can’t make it through the darkness around them. 

Because the crystal before them takes it all. Absorbs all his light, leaving none to bounce along the walls of the cave. It hurts to breathe, the air thick as water and as heavy as rocks. The crystal hovers in the air, just above the spring of water. As soon as the creek wells, it evaporates. Turns to darkened ash, neutralized by the crystal above it. Tango steps back, behind TFC. “Alright man, this is your thing. What kind of creepy crystal makes water and color disappear?” 

“And what did it do to the town above us?” Cleo finishes, watching as TFC steps closer. He raises a gloved hand, pressing it against the cool, smooth crystal edge. He immediately retreats his touch, waving his hand like it burned him. 

“Whatever it is, it isn’t good. We should break it, and hopefully it’ll break whatever curse it’s causing on the town.” He steps back, feeling dizzy and fatigued. His head feels fuzzy. Impulse steps up first, a bright yellow circle quickly drawn and tossed onto the crystal. Seconds later, the magic explodes and the air shocks outward. 

The crystal is unharmed. Impulse tries again, this time with Ren mimicking him on the other side. The gem is as smooth as before. Xisuma steps up, snapping his fingers. But the destructive void magic is useless. Even when Ren’s imagination magic tries it’s hand in joint with Joe’s poetry, the crystal remains. 

Things get more aggressive. BDubs wraps a vine around the crystal, but upon touching the gem the plants wither and turn to blackened ash. Scar tries to pierce the jewel with stone, but it falls apart like silt, raining over the guild. Finally, False gives in and charges the gem. With a two handed sword raised, she leaps and swings the blade into the ebony stone. And immediately, the metal rusts and decays. 

“How do we break this?” Stress questions, picking at the rusted remains of False’s sword. 

“I don’t know, but Magistrate Dolios needs to know about this.” TFC steps up, despite the sickening feeling he gets near the crystal. He feels weak, tired. Using a diamond and his magic, he’s able to break off a tiny piece. Hardly even bigger than his pinky fingernail, but the best he can do. For a second, he swears he can feel the crystal vibrate beside him. “Let’s get out of here. I don’t like this.” 

The whole guild is in agreement, turning back the way they came. But the way is blocked. Grian’s face lights up as he sees the faces of farmers and villagers. “Look, this must be where the townfolk have been hiding!” 

“Grian wait-” Iskall reaches out, grabbing Grian by his cloak and pulling him back. “They...something doesn’t look right.” 

Tango raises his flame, trying to see the strangers. Trying to get a better look through the black and grey air. But they’re the same color, and the edges of their bodies, their fingers and limbs flaking away like embers and ash. “I… I think the crystal has grey-ificated them as well.” 

The woman’s eyes snap open, revealing haunting white eyes. The iris is gone, only glowing luminosity remaining. Her hands raise up, and a magic circle appears. It doesn’t look right- her motions are sloppy and the inscriptions are poorly drawn. Magic snaps and seethes across the air, uncontrolled and uncontained. 

The ground beneath the hermits feet turns soft, rock and dirt turning into quicksand and engulfing the legs of the hermits. A farmer behind the wizard raises his hand, pointing blankly to the crystal. And behind the struggling guild, the swearing and grunting to escape the mud scape, the crystal awakens. A black mist swirls around the crystal. 

Then strikes towards the captured hermits.

[whatisaoneshot]

Drift Away

Notes: I was inspired by a friend who got this idea to begin with and the song Drift Away from the Steven Universe Movie.

Thank you for reading!

When Grian said they were going somewhere, Villager Grian was excited. Thus far they had only played and worked in the house. Grian making it taller, talking to him idly about this and that. About Sahara and Iskall and Mumbo and all the other hermits. It was fun, listening to his chatter.

But then the build off was ending soon and there wasn’t much left to do at the house. So Grian said they were going somewhere, Villager Grian was ecstatic. A little trip out of the house, with Grian! 

He followed the dirt paths Grian had made all the way to a small little quartz hut with a beacon in the center and a bunch of levers, buttons, and item frames. He didn’t really understand what Grain meant when he said they were going back to the future. Hadn’t really understood what the machine did in the first place anyway, but Grian was there and he seemed so sure of himself so he felt confident that it would be fine.

For a few moments, as the machine warmed up, it whirled and sizzled. The walls shook and the ground felt like it was moving. Then, from the center of his vision, a bright white light appeared until it consumed his vision.

Then, it was all over. The building was stable and the light was gone. From the little windows in the iron door he could tell that they were no longer behind the house but in some sort of field.

Grian seemed a little concerned but perked up when he realized that they were just a little ways away from hermit vill.

“It’s kind of far,” Grian had said when he returned from his flight to see where they were. “So I’ll come back for you, okay? Just stay right here.”

Villager Grian had agreed with a nod, watching Grain leave through the tiny holes in the iron door. He’d be back, it wouldn’t take too long. 

Day and night cycles passed by slowly. The days were long and boring with nothing to do in the, what Grian claimed was a time machine. He was afraid to mess with the levers and buttons incase he activated the machine.

Other than that, there wasn’t much to do other than to stand at the door and wait. Night was much scarier. Although he knew he was safe behind that iron door, monsters still loomed just outside, moaning and groaning, banging on the door until the sun came up and their either burned to death or fled for some cover.

Regardless, Villager Grian remained, waiting. Grian would come for him, he said he would.

After, who knows how many days, there was finally something other than a monster waiting for him at the door but instead of Grian there was a different person. They had a kind face but they weren’t Grian. 

“What are you doing in there?” they said, raising an eyebrow before looking around. “Aren’t you Grian’s villager?”

Why yes, yes he was. And he was waiting for Grain to come back so shoo. 

“Man, what is this thing?” they said, stepping back from the door to look around the time machine. “Looks dangerous.”

It was just a time machine. Sure it was scary when it was activated but when it was idle like this it didn’t make for...it was a kind of uncomfortable home. A secure home, but uncomfortable nevertheless.

“Hold on, let me get Doc,” the person said and then they were gone. 

That didn’t sound good. Why didn’t they just get Grian? 

Doc was a much scarier looking person. He seemed to be half zombie half cyborg. His glowing red eye scrutinized Villager Grian and the time machine.

“Hmmmm, You know, dude.” Doc turned to the other person whose name was apparently Scar. “There’s a lot of unexplained things appearing in the world lately.”

“You know, you’re right,” Scar said, rubbing his chin and eyeing the time machine again. “We should probably do something about it.”

“Some of these things could be dangerous, man!” Doc said, shaking his head and tapping the iron door. “We’ve got to keep them contained.”

Scar thought for a moment before snapping. “I have just the idea, come on.” 

And with that, they flew off into the sky. Villager Grian hoped that would be the last he would have to see of those two.

But, two days later, they were back with their picks and minecarts. They dismantled the time machine piece by piece after trapping Villager Grain in one of those damnable minecarts. They laid a track and rolled him all the way to a hanger. 

“There,” Scar said as he placed the last piece of the time machine down. “How’s our little buddy doing?”

“Just fine,” Doc said, placing the last piece of glass over Villager Grian’s head. 

He was not fine, thank you very much. He was still in that damn minecart in a one by one box of glass. This was less room that in the damn time machine! 

“We’ll need to build a better containment center or this thing,” Scar said, after inspecting the glass box. 

“Oh wait, dude,” Doc said, suddenly before groaning. “Grian’s curious, he’s going to come sneaking around here looking for all of this.”

Scar scowled and tapped his finger against his chin. “You’re right, we’ve got to hide it better, just until we can build a better containment facility.”

“What about this guy?” Doc said, pointing his trident at Villager Grian. 

Oh, they could give him back to Grian. Wouldn’t that be nice?

“We’ve got to hide him too,” Scar said with a little laugh. “He’s the only being other than Grian that’s traveled through time!”

Doc nodded along and Villager Grian felt his stomach drop out. “Yeah, yeah. We’ve got to do tests on him.”

Tests?! What kind of tests? Were they going to open him up and see how he worked? Tests?!

Doc and Scar left, probably to discuss how they were going to torture him. Villager Grian sighed, and looked around. There was literally nothing for him to do now. At least he could walk around in the time machine.

He just hoped that Grian found him before they decided to move him.

Time became meaningless, the longer he was in that glass tube. There was no view of the sky and no indication of the passage of time. But, eventually, Doc and Scar returned before Grian could find him.

They took apart the time machine once more, Scar taking it away somewhere. Which left Villager Grian with Doc who, honestly, scared him quiet a bit.

“Alright, little fella,” Doc said as he placed down rails in front of him. “We’re going to go on a little ride.”

He was brought deeper into the facility, down winding corridors and down some flights of stairs. He was sucked down into a bubble elevator and almost drowned at the bottom. 

But, finally, Doc locked him away in yet another glass tube on a podium. All around him where switched and levers, redstone contraptions and cameras. And there he was left.

Sometimes Doc would return, flip a lever here or there, mutter this and that about the time-space continuum, and then leave again.

Villager Grian grew weary of it all, the hope that Grian would come for him still kept him from despawning. And Grain would come, wouldn’t he? He promised he would. 

He had no idea how much time had passed before Scar suddenly appeared. He was wearing a new outfit, one that replaced ihs kind face with a rather angry one. He was still polite, however, more so than Doc.

“Alright, buddy,” he said as he broke the glass tube. “Are you ready for your new home?”

New home? What could that possibly mean? Another small tube? Another damnable tiny space?

Instead, at the end of another long minecart ride (and then a brief and terrifying stint in a boat), they were in the bowels of the facility. Scar rowed him all the way over to a giant glass wall.

The blast doors were up and when they turned the corner, Villager Grian was in a bit of awe. There was a house, but not just any house. It had a modern style and was twice the size of the house back in Hermit vill. 

“Well, take a look around,” Scar said as he freed Villager Grian from the boat. “This is where you’ll be staying.”

Villager Grian slowly approached the house, expecting a trap of some kind or another. Yet, when Doc didn’t appear out of nowhere and neither did some redstone monstrosity, he carefully explored the house.

 There was a kitchen and a bedroom, even a bathroom! Out back there was a pool and a garden with lawn chairs and an umbrella. 

“Well, home sweet home,” Scar said with a laugh before turning toward the blast doors. “Make yourself comfortable.”

As the doors closed and Villager Grian chose to ignore all of the camera’s watching him, he did just that. 

He lounged by the pool, made himself a meal, and snuggled up in bed. But yet, he waited. This house was a nice relief after all of those contaminants and testing, but it was nothing compared to what Grian promised to build him one day. It was nothing compared to being outside in the sun again.

And, alas, it became boring. There was no one to talk to, no one to play with. Just him and a fishing rod and a pond. 

Scar and Doc visited once, just so Scar could show off the house. A bit spitfully, Villager Grian pushed Scar into the pool. It wasn’t deep nor did it matter too much, but it made him feel better. 

He was beginning to lose hope. There was no way Grain was going to find him now. Doc and Scar didn’t come back and he was left all alone in this big house. With a fishing rod and a pool.

The explosion was sudden, like the others had been. Doc had been doing something with explosives earlier. But this one sounded closer and accompanied by the patter of blocks hitting the ground. 

Villager Grian rushed to the window of his containment and tried to see down the hall but couldn’t see much of anything. Until, suddenly, there was Grain! 

He had two others with him and they were running right for him! Villager Grain couldn’t hear around the dull blue glass but the three were talking to each other rapidly.

Grian was looking at the time machine which was just across the way. One of the others with him, one with a ponytail and shades, turned and saw him. He pointed and Grian finally turned around.

Villager Grian perked up. He was free! Grain was finally here to save him!

Grian rushed over, a massive smile on his face. He raised his pickaxe then stopped, staring past Villager Grian at the house. 

Slowly, the small dropped and the axe went away. Villager Grian, confused, leaned closer against the glass. 

Grian stared at him, eyes darting between Villager Grian’s before he said something to the other two. 

And turned away.

Villager Grian pounded on the glass as they went into the time machine without so much as another glance back. He watched, chest filling with pain, as the time machine disappeared before his very eyes.

Alone.

With a pond.

And a fishing rod.

But, no. It can’t be. Grian must have to get the machine to safety first. He would be back. He promised he would. 

He would be back.

He just had to wait here.

[rendiggitydog]

Blast From the Past

The start of a mini-series!

-Chapter 1/7-

The blast from town center sent a shockwave across the whole world, sending the hermits into a frenzy. Almost instantly, the group chat was flooded with messages, and hermits flew from all corners to the scene.

A large crater had appeared in the shopping district, in front of the statues of Tango and Cub. The smoke was still clearing as everyone peered over the edges of the hole.

Xisuma, feeling confident his armor could protect him from possible foreign substances, slid down the sides of the pit, hopping over rocks as he made his way to the center. The smoke began clearing, and a figure could be seen lying in the rubble.

"Hello?" X called cautiously. "Are you alive?"

"I'm real knackered..." The figure sat up slowly, revealing himself to the onlooking group. He sported a big black moustache, with messy back hair that brushed the tops of his ears. His shirt evidently used to be blue, but wasn't anymore, and his jeans weren't much better. His shoes looked nearly worn through on the soles. With wide eyes, he observed the large group watching, and then turned to X. "Where did- how- who are you?"

"My name is Xisuma, what's yours? Where do you hail from?"

"Name's MJ. I think I got too buzzed, this is a wild fever dream..." He glanced at the group peering over the side of the hole, and examined X's armor with skepticism. "You'd think I was a swigger, the things I'm imagining..."

"You aren't imagining anything. This is Hermitcraft! We all live together and have fun. Shall we climb out of this hole, then?"

The pair made their way out of the crater, where Joe met them with a glint in his eye, but a worried expression. "Howdy MJ. It sounds like you're from the 1950's, am I right?"

"Yeah, '51. Ya make it sound like it isn't '51?" MJ wrung his hands.

"No, it's 2019. How bizarre..." X mused.

MJ ran jittery fingers through his hair. "Man, this blows. I don't- and there's- colors everywhere, and- and you're all just like me-"

"I mean, I don't exactly look like you," Doc chuckled.

"Nah, you don't get it. Where I'm from, I'm it. Sometimes ya run into a pig- a creeper if you're unlucky, but that's it. The whole world is grass and trees, as far as the Farlands. It's quiet, being the only one... aware." MJ went quiet, rubbing his arm.

"So you live in a Classic world... How interesting..." X began pacing unconsciously.

"Are you sure it's Classic? He knows creepers, weren't they added in Indev?" Joe quizzed.

"Nope, Classic. Depends on the version, but he probably knows pigs, sheep, zombies, skeletons, spiders and creepers."

MJ nodded at the only words he understood in their conversation. He was still fairly certain he was dreaming.

"Also, he's using 1950's American slang in a British accent- that error was removed in early Indev."

X nodded quickly. "You're right, I forgot about that."

"Can we all get to bed? We don't want phantoms killing MJ, who knows where he would respawn." Scar pulled out a couple beds, which hermits promptly hopped into.

"Phantoms? Why we gotta sleep? Are The Phantoms a gang?" MJ asked quickly as the rest of the hermits led him to the Stax-4-Stax Tavern.

"The longer you go without sleep, the more phantoms spawn, and they're deadly." Grian explained. "When was the last time you slept?"

"....never?" MJ watched the dark sky anxiously.

"Oh yeah... Let's get inside, quick!" Grian shoved him inside. The phantoms screeched, making Grian chuckle and MJ shudder.

—

The next morning, MJ was full of chaos and concern. Now fully rested for the first time in his life, he began to realize his situation. He anxiously danced around the small room of sleeping hermits for a few minutes, before he mustered enough courage to creep out the front door.

There was so much color in this strange world- even the grass looked different from what he knew. His head spun on a swivel as he took in everything he possibly could.

He started low, running his fingers through the long grass and smelling the colorful flowers scattered across the ground in front of the building. A chicken wandered across his path, so he decided to follow it wherever it went.

The chicken, followed by an intent MJ, meandered to the shore by the ocean, which MJ noted, was filled with seaweed and assorted swimming creatures.

As they wandered further inland, MJ drifted away from his chicken guide, stunned by the variety of blocks in the buildings towering around him. He poked his head into a red striped building, but ducked out just as quickly when he couldn't name the shiny blue rocks or cylinders in the wooden boxes.

As he stepped out, however, something shot over his head with a loud explosion, sending him to the floor in a panic. The creepers were in the air, too?

"Heya! Enjoying my store?" A man fell out of the sky holding one of the striped cylinders. His hair was golden and shimmered in the light, along with his bright red eyes. His ears and teeth were pointy, and his combat boots completed the intimidating look. "What are you doing on the ground?"

MJ glanced around carefully, motioning the man to crouch down next to him. "There are creepers flying around here!"

The man gave him a blank stare, then laughed, standing up again. "Oh man, that's priceless! You mean me? Using a rocket to fly?" He pulled out a so-called rocket, and it exploded in his face, sending MJ into another fit of shakes. "It's okay, they're harmless!"

"You can fly?" MJ asked cautiously, afraid the answer might include more explosions.

"Let me show you!" The man crouched down, preparing another rocket, but stopped when he saw MJ's petrified expression. "Well, maybe we should start smaller. How about the Cherry Store?"

The man, who MJ learned was named Tango, lead him patiently to another store, this one made of wood. Wood was more familiar to MJ, although this wood looked entirely different to what he was used to.

"Look, this stuff is called redstone," Tango explained, displaying a nicely packaged bag of redstone, ready to be purchased. "You can make lots of hardware with it, which you can use to make machines!"

MJ opened the bag, running his finger through the red dust. Some of it sparked, glowing slightly. "What can you make with the parts?"

"Well, you can start small with an automatic fish farm, or you can build an iron titan, or you can make something like Sahara! Let me show you, it's super cool!"

Excited again, Tango led the way to Sahara, a large building in the side of the hill. After showing MJ the interface, they staircased up to the second level to get a look at the modules.

"Iskall made all of these himself- crazy, right? Grian tried to help, but he's definitely the builder of the Architechs," Tango laughed.

MJ walked down an aisle, marveling at the large machines. They were made of small parts MJ couldn't name, but he knew they were made of redstone. It was all incredible, but MJ didn't understand a bit of it- he considered himself more of a builder anyway.

"Oi! Trespassers!" Grian, as MJ remembered from yesterday, soared through a broken window. He smoothed his wild sandy-blond hair, a wide grin across his face.

"Don't mind us! I'm just showing MJ around!" Tango waved.

"Oh! You should come see my base, MJ! It's super cool!" Grian bounced excitedly. He had a lot of energy, MJ gave him that. Not usually his cup of tea in friendships, but beggars can't be choosers.

"I'll leave you two to it then! Xisuma wanted me to work on some code with him today anyway. See ya!" Tango flew away with another explosion, causing MJ to jump.

"Hm, I suppose you're not much of a flyer, huh?" Grian observed. MJ simply shook his head. "Guess we'll boat over!"

MJ carefully stepped into the boat Grian made, with Grian clambering in after him. They rowed out into the bay, MJ watching as the shore faded into a shimmer at the horizon. "Here we are!"

MJ turned around and was stunned by the white building towering over them. Grian hopped out of the boat onto a glass bridge, motioning MJ to follow. He carefully did so, being sure his shoes were dry enough that he wouldn't slip.

"This is my base! Sorry it's kind of a mess, I have a chest monster problem," Grian giggled and soared down into the center of the tower. He rifled through a couple of the chests (as MJ had just learned they were called) and flew back to MJ with arms full of mysterious items. "Here's a starter kit!"

Grian tossed the items on the floor and sorted through them, giving MJ a run-down. "So that's full iron tools and armor, a stack of golden carrots, a stack of torches, and an elytra with rockets to get you started! Does that look alright to you?"

MJ nodded, entranced by the items- especially the strange golden carrots.

"...You don't talk much, do you?" Grian stared into his eyes. Despite his brown eyes being almost black, they sparkled with love and innocence.

MJ cleared his throat. "Ah, I guess I'm still feeling a lil buzzed from... however I got here." He shrugged, carefully picking up the gifted items.

Grian opened and closed his mouth several times, and then settled with a confused smile. It looked strange on his usually-energetic face. "Feel free to set up your base anywhere that's open. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to text anyone." He handed a small black box to MJ, which he held with reverence. "It's a phone- just press the name of who ever you wanna talk to."

"Thanks," MJ hesitated. "By chance are you a greaser? You don't have any beef, do ya?"

Grian cocked an eyebrow. "Maybe? You won't need any beef though, the golden carrots are way better for your health."

"...are you booted, dog?"

Grian blinked. "I think you have different slang in Classic, because I don't know what that means..."

"My bad. Just, nevermind. I'll leave ya to it. Thanks for the setup!" MJ, embarrassed, hopped in his boat and paddled off, avoiding eye contact with Grian. The guy was weird to say the least- MJ wondered if that was why he lived in the ocean alone. Hopefully he hadn't killed his reputation by talking to Grian, and he could find a more helpful person tomorrow...