Chapter Text
The meeting comes when the sun reaches its highest point the next day. Any brevity there was at the previous meeting is long gone now. The table is surrounded by somber hermits. The only two who aren’t there are Keralis, who is out of commission, and XB, who is keeping a watchful eye on him. Xisuma sits at the end of the long table, flanked on either side by Doc and Cub.
Everyone waits for him to start. His head swims with disjointed thoughts and ideas. A list of things to do keep floating to the surface as if begging to get done. He takes a healthy gulp of oxygen before standing up and drawing in all the attention. His voice breaks when he starts to speak.
“Thank you for showing up. I know things have been a little rough lately. Or… a lot rough. Everyone has been doing such a great job taking care of issues and one another.” He pauses here, taking in the sight of all of his friends as if this will be the last time he’s able to see them. Most have shadows under their eyes and lax postures. This corruption has taken it’s toll on everyone.
“I won’t go into the boring details but I’ve figured out a way to prevent the expansion of deterioration in areas that have already begun collapsing.” This causes a stir of excitement through the hermits. Xisuma continues. “Now, it’s not a permanent solution. It doesn’t prevent more areas from falling apart and by stopping the collapse, it creates a space that cannot be entered or exited. It just ensures that any hole created in the world can be roped off, essentially.”
The excitement winds down but there’s a new air of hope that wasn’t there before. Something akin to relief begins to bubble up within Xisuma, himself. Seeing light return to his dear friends assures him that the restless nights and endless stress is actually worth it. A newfound energy brings his level of speech back to his normal canter.
“That being said, we all have a job to do! I need RAD to keep up on stopping deterioration as it pops up. Setting up a barrier isn’t instant and I’m unsure if I can keep my eyes on the monitor 24/7 to locate fresh collapses since I’ll be busy with everything else. This also means that I will need volunteers to go and collect redstone supplies to make sure RAD has everything they need to work.”
Once again, the hermits begin to stir. Hushed whispers are passed around with tentative smiles. Progress.
Xisuma lets them talk among themselves as he presses onward. “I will also need a couple hermits to try and help me find the source of the corruption. If we can figure out where it stems from, we can possibly stop it altogether. If all else fails,” he falters slightly. “If all else fails, we need a place to fall back on. I located a particularly strong set of chunks that seem unaffected by the corruption where we should create a bunker we can protect ourselves.” As X expected, this creates a negative reaction with the group. He forces past it. “It’s just a fail safe if nothing else works.”
Waves of exhaustion crash over Xisuma’s body, urging him to wrap things up. All the late night panic and planning are finally coming to a head and the image of Keralis laying unconscious in bed flashes behind his eyes. A horribly selfish desire to just stay with him rises to the surface.
He shakes his head to clear his mind. The other hermits are still with him. “Cub is taking up the mantle of delegating work for everyone but also making sure that you all can have breaks to do the things you love.” Shock ripples across the table. “There is no point in putting in all this effort if everyone is exhausted and upset. We need to be taking care of ourselves and find joy where we can. We have a plan. We will figure it out. Believe me when I say that not doing work is just as important as doing it.”
Suddenly, there’s a grating noise as Joe stands up from his spot at the table, dragging the chair legs across the floor. “That better mean you too, X!” Joe’s rich accent is more prominent while riled up. He points an accusatory finger at Xisuma. “Just ‘cuz I can’t see your face doesn’t mean I can’t tell your whipped!”
“You’re right as always, Joe,” he responds with a small laugh. “Me too. I promise.”
“Good,” Joe huffs as he pulls his seat back in. There’s a content look of pride across his face. Sitting next to him, Jevin gives him an exasperated sigh with the shake of his head.
The admin begins to finish up the meeting. “Before I set you all free, make sure you check in with Cub to pick out your job. And lastly, Etho, Zed, Ren, and Joel. Doc would like to talk to you all about your last respawns before you go. Does anyone have any questions?”
It’s Beef that speaks up, pulling at the yellow tag on his ear to ease his nerves. “How’s Keralis doing? I know XB is watching him right now but I’m a bit worried.”
X shoves down the haunted feeling welling up inside. “He’s asleep for now. Seems stable if nothing else. His condition isn’t as bad as Etho’s was but it’s certainly not normal either. When he’s a bit better you’ll be the first to know.”
Beef nods in satisfaction. No one else seems to have any concerns up front. Xisuma dismisses them to Cub and Doc and exits before the chaos can begin.
He hurries over to his room and shuts the door behind him. There, right in center, lays Keralis on his designated bed. Xisuma quietly crossed the room to sit on his own bed, next to XB. “How’s he doing?”
XB shakes his head. “He hasn’t moved a muscle since you left but seems to be doing fine.” He slumps over and scratches at his beard. “Wonder why this is happening. Not used to seeing K so… catatonic.” There’s an agreeable silence between the two. If there was anyone closer to X than Keralis it was XB. The two would do just about anything for each other and X couldn’t think of a better person to watch over Keralis in his stead.
“But, hey!” XB chirps, perking up. “I know he’ll be thrilled to hear how worried you were when he wakes up!” He shoves his shoulder into X’s with a sly grin.
“And you as well, I’m sure.”
“You’re joking,” XB says in shock. “You don’t think I can’t see what’s going on with you two? Just look at this!” He emphasizes with a wave of his arms to indicate everything around them. “This whole place just screams married couple. You don’t have to be shy with me, X.”
“He’s helping me.”
XB squints his eyes in an attempt to see the expression on Xisuma’s face behind his visor. “This is the strangest arrangement for a completely platonic-just-helps-around-the-base partner. Now if you haven’t reached the married stage yet I guess I can see it but for Voids sake this is wild.” He gives Xisuma another nudge, gentler this time. “If you’re not ready that’s ok. I’ll be here.”
This earns a laugh from Xisuma. “You’re an odd one you know that?”
XB slips back to a light tone. “You’re just saying that to hide your own feelings, I bet. Takes a lot to sway the most powerful hermit.” XB stands, taking one last close look at Keralis’ immobile form before turning back to face Xisuma. He gives a quick wink. “Good luck.”
Just like that, XB leaves the room, not leaving any space for Xisuma to complain. The silence that follows drags at Xisuma’s soul. After so much time spent with Keralis these last couple weeks, the solidarity is a bit jarring. XB is right though. Keralis is more than a “platonic-just-helps-around-the-base partner. A knot forms in his throat when he considers having an actual Void forsaken relationship. Keralis is his best friend.
Anything more is just as terrifying as an endless expanse of corruption.
…
The sun is starting its descent in the sky as Scar finds himself digging through chests in the new shopping district. There’s iron floating around somewhere. It’d be better spent fortifying the bunker than as a pretty decoration. He’s just gotta find it.
“Lose something?”
The voice comes from up above, spooking Scar. With a yelp, he bangs the top of his head against the lid of the chest he was searching through. He turns around, rubbing the freshly tender spot near where his hair is tied up. He blinks away the white hot pain to find the culprit.
False has somehow snuck her way up on some scaffolding without drawing any attention. She’s a lot scarier than she appears. Even now, while she’s sitting with her head in her hands and legs swinging back and forth in the air. The mischievous look on her face doesn’t hide the weariness though.
“Hi Scar,” she singsongs.
“Well to what do I owe the honor of seeing your beautiful self, Falsie?” Scar’s suspicion is instant. He’s a haggler through and through and something about False’s air is setting off an alarm.
She tilts her head to the side and a river of blond hair flows off her shoulder. “Oh I’ve just come to hang out with my good friend. Is that such a crime?”
“For some reason I don’t believe you.”
She clasps the front of her chest with enough theatrics to even rival Scar. “I’m so offended, Scar!”
“Tell me the real reason you’re here,” he doubles down.
“Can’t pull a fast one on you today, huh?” She sighs and her swinging legs still. There’s a glint to her eyes that tells Scar he’s gonna be in for one. “Here’s the thing, my dear friend. I can’t stop thinking about what you said the other day at ground zero. Something about having more important things going on than the collapse of the world? You like someone and I wanna know who.”
Scar’s heart skips a beat. Somehow in the midst of all the crazy happening he has forgotten how False clocked him right away. But Scar is nothing if not stubborn. There’s no way he could so easily give up his most important situation without due payment.
He channels his inner merchant to figure out a worthy price for the information and almost instantly he knows what it would take. “If you want to deal in gossip, I require gossip in turn.” He turns a hand over as if accepting money. “But if the cost is too high for you, I understand.”
False hops down from the scaffolding and approaches Scar. If he didn’t know any better, he would assume that she came down to accept his price without asking exactly what. But he’s smarter than that and so is she. When False is nearly toe to toe with Scar, she leans in to peer into his eyes.
“Name your terms.” False does strike an imposing figure but Scar refuses to back down. Somehow it never occurred to him that she’s the same height.
“Ok, Falsie. You won’t like it though,” he warns with a grin.
“Try me.” She’s locked in.
“First. Tell me where Cub hid the entrance to his farm factory.”
“Easy,” she responds with lightning speed.
“Second,” he continues. “You gotta tell me if Skizz actually stole the soul speed books from Tango’s.”
“You got it.” Her confidence grows. She’s close.
“And third,” Scar adds, knowing he’s already won. “Who’s your special person?”
“What?!” This sends False physically reeling. Her back slams against the very scaffold tower she started at. “You can’t do that!”
Scar throws his hands up in a blasé shrug and gives an accentuated, heavy sigh. “I knew the cost was too high for you. Pity.” That final word is the nail in the coffin. It sings out the cry of victory and locks False into a prison of her own making. Scar saunters off as if False isn’t even there any more.
“Wait!” she calls after him, picking up the broken pieces of her confidence. “There’s something else I can tell you instead!”
The idea grips at Scar. Blackmail for more hermits? It’s enough to stop him in his tracks. “Well what is it?” he asks, casting a small glance over his shoulder in interest.
“I was told by Cleo that not only are Etho and Bdubs a thing now, but so are Gem and Pearl!” The words fall out like glass shattering on concrete.
There’s a moment where time stands still as Scar considers this tidbit of gossip. There’s a pleading look coming from False as if she just bared her whole soul to him. It’s clear how safe his information would be in her hands now. Scar doesn’t hide the cocky smile that spreads across his face.
“Willing to throw all the other hermits under the bus but not yourself?”
False gasps, covering her mouth with her hands, realizing her mistake. Scar was playing her like a fiddle from the very beginning. He turns around but doesn’t look at her. His arms are crossed and his foot taps the ground. With each tap False can feel herself being buried.
“Interesting for sure but alas, it just isn’t enough.” His green gaze falls back on False where she slumps over in pure defeat. “Thanks for telling me though. I can’t wait to see what they think of their secret getting out. I’m sure they’ll love to know how I know.”
The threat lands exactly where it needs to. False fell for it. Hook, line, and sinker. “Fine, I’ll tell you. Just don’t say anything to them about me.”
“A new deal has been struck,” he assures her. “Your secret for my silence. That’s it.”
Scar watches in real time as False seems to shrink where she stands. A red hue races up from her neck to her cheeks. Shy is not the word he would use to describe the typically self-assured FalseSymmetry but there it is, right in front of him. He’s never been so caught off guard.
“It’s… mhm,” False says softer than a mouse. It’s too muffled to understand.
“I didn’t hear you.”
Blue eyes pierce daggers at the cocky hermit. In that moment False vows to herself that she will have her revenge for this utter humiliation. She puts a wall of steel around her soul and pulls out the courage from deep within.
“It’s Ren,” she finally admits, clear as day.
Warmth rushes through Scar’s veins. The colors in the shopping district seem to glow and bit brighter even as the sun continues its descent. There’s something special about being trusted with a friends inner thoughts. It’s so abnormal for the hermits to give each other personal details but maybe they’ve been too quiet for too long.
“That dog!” Scar whoops when he notices False is waiting for a response. “So who came out to who? Lemme guess: Ren serenaded you with a homebrewed love song in the night? Ooh! Or maybe you sent him secret letters admitting your feelings to him?”
The tension is finally broken and False lets out an honest to Void laugh and Scar wonders if its the first time since the start of the corruption for just a second. She gives him a playful nudge on the shoulder.
“You’ve got to earn all the dirty details!”
“I guess that’s fair!” Scar pauses as he takes in False. The withered features of fear and sadness have almost completely disappeared from her visage. It’s almost as if the mere idea of a person you like cures the looming threat of destruction. Xisuma was right when he said they need to find joy where they can. While it can’t fix the pressure of everything, it makes it bearable.
Right now, False is glowing. Ren really must have made a good impact on her. Scar locks this moment away in his memory bank. “He seems to make you happy. I’m glad.”
False’s expression shifts at the sudden sincerity. “Oh. Yeah. We’re still figuring things out but… yeah he does.” Her bright blue eyes narrow at Scar. “You know, I’m still curious about your special someone.”
Scar shrugs his wide shoulders. “We aren’t anything really,” he admits. “Just a hope and a dream at this point.”
“They don’t know?”
This earns a light laugh from Scar. “I… I don’t think so? I told them I like them but I dunno if it got through, y’know. A lot’s been going on.”
It’s at this point both of their comms let out the chime indicating there’s a message. There’s a bit of fear of the “what ifs” before they can read it.
“Oops,” Scar says, almost blindsided by what he reads. “I’m in trouble.”
False reads the message and looks back to Scar. And Void be damned if False has ever noticed him melt before. It’s in the way his muscles relax and how small crinkles appear on the corner of his eyes. “And I’m an idiot,” she groans. “Absolutely daft. Of course it’s him.”
___
<Grian> SCAR IF YOU DON’T COME BACK IN 5 MINUTES I’LL SIC CLEO ON YOU
Hypno hefts his pickaxe on his shoulder and watches Grian pace along one side of the perimeter he’d set up. The man is starting to drive him insane. First he insisted to be put on the same work schedule as Scar, much to Doc’s frustration. After Doc gave in, he practically glued himself to Scar as they started the trek to the safe coordinates where X wants the bunker. Scar was only able to convince Grian to let him go back and grab some extra materials after taking Grian’s spare totem of undying.
Scar has only been gone for about 30 minutes. He’s probably on his way back by now. But that doesn’t seem to be enough for Grian. He’s long since stopped working on leveling the area for the foundation, leaving all the work to Hypno.
He’s starting to regret picking the bunker build. Maybe gathering up some redstone supplies would have been better. Now he’s stuck out in the middle of a scorching desert in the middle of nowhere with a moody builder and a walking hurricane. He leans against a wall of shulker boxes and rips off his cap to wring the sweat off.
The desert is endless and unbearably hot. Somehow the sun seems closer here than anywhere else. The only thing that breaks apart the infinite expanse of sand are the sparse cacti reaching into the sky. There isn’t a lick of life anywhere. Maybe it’s the heat that’s making him irritable. Or the grains of sand filling up the empty spaces in his shoes.
Ping
He looks at the newest message and groans.
<GoodTimesWithScar> I got distracted! Don’t send Cleo! I’m heading back now
Hypno assesses Grian to see if his behavior has changed but the pacing path only continues to deepen. He considers how rude it would be to throw something at him.
“Hey, G Man!” he calls out, taking the pacifist route. “Your knight will return even if you’re not waiting for him. Let’s get back to it!”
“My what?” he shoots back with what has to be shock.
This is all Hypno needs to finally decide to try and swap shifts. “Your knight,” he repeats. When Grian doesn’t respond right away he adds, “Y’know. Scar.”
“Well I got that,” Grian hisses through gritted teeth. “But my knight?”
“Obviously. That man would lay his life down for you without you even asking. You’ve gotta be able to see the way he looks at you.” Of all the things Hypno could’ve done today, explaining lovey-dovey emotions to another hermit was not even close to being on the list.
“The sun’s getting to you, Hypno. Scar treats me just like everyone else.” It’s at this point Grian starts to get a bit rosy cheeked but Hypno can’t tell if it’s from the heat or from something else. He does, however, consider rejecting his pacifism.
“Next time you see him, I want you to really pay attention to see if that’s true. I’m not gonna hold your hand.” He can’t help as a small laugh escapes. “I’m sure Scar would though.”
“Oh c’mon! Stop messing around and get back to work!”
Hypno laughs. “You took the words right outta my mouth.”
Just like that, Grian is brought back to the task at hand. Work on the bunker actually starts to take off with the both of them grinding out blocks. Sandstone is flattened and a rectangular frame is erected. Time passes without them realizing and eventually Scar returns with, admittedly, not much to show for his time gone. Hypno can’t help but to stare at the two densest hermits bickering at each other. He’s going to ask Doc for reassignment as soon as they’re done for the day.
By the time they’re supposed to pack up, a fully enclosed structure stands on the roped off perimeter. It lacks beauty but beauty was never the goal. The interior is properly sectioned off for three floors and a slew of rooms on each. It looks jarring against the expanse of desert surrounding it like a storm cloud on a sunny day.
Hypno is just glad he gets to pack up for the day.