Chapter Text
It's night by the time Andre finishes laying out the conversation with Kevin, the sun having long since set. Down far below, just visible past the walls, mobs walk in aimless patterns, little glints of bone white or sickly green visible behind the branches.
Andre looks at Assimilation, head tilted just slightly. The expression they see is unreadable. Assimilation's gaze is focused out past the walls, past the world.
xx_E-G-O_xx: assim?
feargeyt6774: sorry
Slowly, Assimilation turns to look at them, cyan light reflected across their pupil.
i should be the one to apologize andre
in truth i knew
or i suspected and wished i did not know
andre he has done his best to hide his distaste but
he is not very good at it andre
Andre lowers their head, kicking one leg a little.
xx_E-G-O_xx: yeah looking back over clips it adds up
xx_E-G-O_xx: we should have done more. stood up for you
SIDIsquish: we should have kicked his ass
SOUPBEGONE31: i guess i figured he was smart enough and good enough with this shit he had to get it
Conzercheez: and also if we had challenged him like. he could literally just unplug us lol
feargeyt6774: :pepefear:
xx_E-G-O_xx: but even so. we should have tried more
Assimilation looks for a moment more - then shifts closer, leaning against Andre's shoulder.
our position is fragile andre
we are not used to people
we do not know how to convince them
i think we did all that could be expected of us andre
SOUPBEGONE31: should still do better.
xx_E-G-O_xx: ig the big question is what do we do now
Assimilation tilts their head on Andre's shoulder so as to look at them a little more.
¿ what do you mean andre ?
xx_E-G-O_xx: like we can stay and try to work on this or like.
xx_E-G-O_xx: idk. collin would probably let us crash there for a while?
Conzercheez: we know pink now too. could ask whos down with hosting a sentient ai lel
SIDIsquish: or we just go and we dont stop until we find somewhere else.
SIDIsquish: use the teleporter back to gridworld pick a door go for it
feargeyt6774: dangerous
SIDIsquish: gets us out tho
Assimilation sits in silence for some time, only the beat of their heart and the soft whirr of Andre's fans punctuating the stillness.
andre we have built a beautiful home here
have we not?
a place we have carved out for ourself andre
that will not change under us
that will not reset
andre even if kevin has not understood
he has not threatened to take this yet
They loosely drape their arm over Andre's shoulders.
andre i believe it may be possible to prove to him that i am what i am
but even if it is not
i know you will keep me safe if the time comes
as i will for you andre
we will flee if we must
but andre
i wish to stay in our home
Andre looks at them for a moment, then returns the embrace, leaning their head on Assimilation's.
SIDIsquish: yea.
SIDIsquish: we made this place ours fuck anyone who tries to take it
SOUPBEGONE31: cant just give up mid run
Conzercheez: what exactly is the hypothetical run here
SOUPBEGONE31: idk happiness% or some bullshit like that stop questioning me
SIDIsquish: no i like happiness%
SOUPBEGONE31: fuck you stop liking that
Assimilation's shoulders tremble a little with a mimicked laugh. They nuzzle against Andre, mussing up the cyan hair a little.
happiness% andre
i like it also
SOUPBEGONE31: then uh ig its fine
Conzercheez: lol lmao
SIDIsquish: lolllll
SOUPBEGONE31: stfu die entombed beneath the earth and forgotten
Conzercheez: normal minecraft death you gotta ramp it up
xx_E-G-O_xx: sorry assim lmao
do not apologize andre
i enjoy this aspect of our talks
To punctuate their point, they brush their face against Andre's cheek. A kiss.
Andre’s fans whirr a little louder as they turn to return the favor.
The night passes.
—
<I_AM_BIG_KEVIN> Hey.
<I_AM_BIG_KEVIN> New job came in.
Andre pauses in their mining, pickaxe resting against their shoulder.
Conzercheez: huh.
SIDIsquish: this fucker
They stare at the message, but type nothing.
After a few seconds, more messages come in.
<I_AM_BIG_KEVIN> Look, I know.
<I_AM_BIG_KEVIN> I've been working on a few things, actually. Would love to show you later.
<I_AM_BIG_KEVIN> But I have a plan here. And, being frank, it'd suck to handle this solo.
SIDIsquish: kill him
Conzercheez: ig its a start lol
xx_E-G-O_xx: saying no isnt exactly gonna make it easier on us either
SOUPBEGONE31: whatever it is we can handle it
<AndreW2002> k
<I_AM_BIG_KEVIN> Great, thanks. I owe you one after this.
<I_AM_BIG_KEVIN> Meet in an hour? I've been bashing my head against this shit for a while, need to take a walk or something.
SOUPBEGONE31: why the fuck didnt he talk to us sooner
Conzercheez: i mean we are fighting lol
SOUPBEGONE31: still. were here to do a job we can get that shit done
A mental hit of the up arrow.
<AndreW2002> k
<I_AM_BIG_KEVIN> See you then.
They stare at the IM screen for a few seconds longer before dismissing it with an unnecessarily hard swipe through the air.
xx_E-G-O_xx: well.
xx_E-G-O_xx: wed better go tell assim
—
When they arrive to the courtyard, Assimilation trailing behind Andre’s loping gait, it's just as Kevin's join message comes up and the creeper avatar appears standing by the fountain. He looks towards Andre, expression flat.
Conzercheez: he looks stiffer than usual
Conzercheez: doesnt even have his hands in his pockets lel
“Hey, you two.” The voice is the same as ever, if perhaps less cheerful. “Sorry to drag you into this short notice. But I promise this is an easy one. Just… tedious.”
Andre nods, once.
Kevin looks at them for a few seconds, then clears his throat (hands still unmoving) and continues. “Client reported mobs all moving in the same direction, gradual at first, eventually overwriting basically any other behavior. I can confirm - I've been testing it out. They form these little packs, moving in a loose column…”
Conzercheez: hm
Conzercheez: yea weird but not dangerous
SOUPBEGONE31: run ahead of em see whats there
“The problem? It's…” A little pause to consider. “Delicate. Get too far ahead of the pack, they all scatter, reset, head back to their village or despawn or whatever. Get too far behind the pack, same damn thing. Let too many of the passive mobs die, guess what. Creative mode, commands, mods…” An exaggerated sigh. “So you just have to… walk with them. For God knows how long. I spent an hour at it before I just weighed down the W key. Tabbed back in and, predictably, found myself dead in a ravine with the whole thing reset.”
Conzercheez: lol lmao
SIDIsquish: ok kinda funny
Written close enough to their eye to be almost invisible to anyone else, another comments.
kind of funny andre
“So! Here's my thinking. They have downtime breaks - during the night, the passive mobs hunker down and stop for a bit. With three of us, we can take shifts, rest, chat… Whatever.” Kevin grins just a little. Lopsided.
Andre hesitates.
SIDIsquish: oh no oh no
xx_E-G-O_xx: okay this is a bit of escalation from wanting to hang out some to stuck alongside him for unknown amount of hours
SOUPBEGONE31: its what we got. make the run work
Conzercheez: are YOU going to be ok w not outracing a bunch of villagers lol
SOUPBEGONE31: gonna teach the villagers speedstrats.
SIDIsquish: ughhh this will suck
it could be worse andre
and andre we will be together through it all
A hand rests on their shoulder, squeezes. They lean into it.
SIDIsquish: love you love you love you
SOUPBEGONE31: were a team and shit
<AndreW2002> yea
“Great, awesome. I'll get the world loaded and open it to LAN and you can join in.”
Kevin nods, once - no wave - and is gone.
Andre looks at the space where he was.
Conzercheez: we are going to hate this so bad.
SIDIsquish: can i just punch him once
xx_E-G-O_xx: only if he says some shit
Assimilation embraces them lightly from behind.
we are in this together andre
SOUPBEGONE31: hell yea
SIDIsquish: assi actually u get first punch
A pause.
The long, shadowed arms tremble, once.
perhaps
i will leave that to you andre .
Andre reaches up to hold onto a hand, and keeps the grip there until Assimilation dissipates back within them again.
It isn't long before the message comes.
—
They spawn in in a wheat field, swaying yellow stalks beating against their legs. Looking around, they're not far from a village - albeit one that's clearly been extensively modified, many of the houses larger and more ornate. A slightly larger house sits on the hill above.
SOUPBEGONE31: oh shit good seed
SOUPBEGONE31: wasted for “builds” or whatever
Conzercheez: they are nice builds tho.
SOUPBEGONE31: inefficient
Kevin is waiting by the edge of the village. He looks up when they spawn in, making his way over. “Hey,” he says with a slight smile. “Nice, right? Guy cares about his villagers, I guess. Probably why he noticed them acting up so fast.”
As if to punctuate his point, one of the villagers wanders to the edge of the last house. They pause there for a second, then wander closer, out into the field.
“They're like this for the first five-ten minutes,” Kevin explains, watching a second villager move closer. “All kind of arguably coincidental, the kind of stuff that could be pathfinding.”
He gestures out past the wheat field.
“They're gonna move thataway. South-southeast, more or less.”
Andre nods, considering.
SOUPBEGONE31: right basic shit then tools food whatev
SOUPBEGONE31: ez run
<AndreW2002> tools food stff
“Good call, good call. Food we're surrounded by - we can clear out the farm real quick. As for tools and the like…”
He tosses Andre something shiny and blue.
A stack of diamonds.
“What the client has edited back into his chests before we send the file back won't hurt him, right?” Kevin grins.
SOUPBEGONE31: oh hell yes
SOUPBEGONE31: someone gets it
Conzercheez: where “it” is robbery
SOUPBEGONE31: didnt you call collins shit supplies before
Conzercheez: one desperate situation
Conzercheez: two its collin
SIDIsquish: good argument yea
SOUPBEGONE31: HOW IS THAT AN ARGUMENT
They rush off towards the nearest tree, Kevin doing the same - and for a little bit, it's the patterns of Minecraft. Assimilation focuses on harvesting the wheat into neat bundles as Andre crafts up diamond armor, a sword, a pickaxe.
As they're sliding on the boots over their shoes, a shape passes by. They look to see a villager, wandering off into the plains.
Another trails after. Another.
“Looks like it's time to get started,” Kevin says, approaching. “C'mon, let's get on the road.”
Andre nods, and with Assimilation's shadowy arms slung over their shoulders again, they start to walk.