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Pixel had dealt with code glitches all his life, mainly due to his dubious player code as a full Shapeshifter. Every time the seasons started to change, for about a week, he’d have no control over his shifting. This usually wasn’t a problem, since he mined or stayed on a personal server.
Of course, once he joined Hermitcraft, that had to change. Literally, if he would be so inclined to make that joke.
Season Eight had been fun so far, really! He’d taken up an underwater base near Boatem, and while not officially a member, still saw the residents frequently. Though...
Fall was shifting to Winter, and he was already losing control of himself. He’d set up a sign near the entrance of his base saying he was going to be spending a while in his strip mines, nothing out of the ordinary there.
But life was a bitch. His communicator buzzed on his arm as he started mining with a message from Gem.
-
[ Pixel has 1 direct message from GeminiTay ]
Gem: Hi Pixel!! Are you busy?
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Shit. Just his luck. Hopefully Gem didn’t have anything important, but he wasn’t one to turn people down...
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Pixel: Not necessarily, what’s up?
Gem: I need some help collecting alliums n stuff for dripleaves, do you mind helping at all?
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Fuck. “Quick, come up with an excuse. She’ll hate you, though!” Echo purred from over his shoulder.
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Pixel: Sorry, planning on restocking my shop, gotta get more redstone and stuff
Gem: Oh okay!! Make sure to drink water and take breaks!!
-
Pixel cracked a small, toothy smile, ignoring the bat wings that just sprouted from his back with glitchy particles.
As he walked through his mine and into a smaller tunnel, Echo floated nearby. “I’m bored! We should go kick someone’s ass or something.”
The Shifter rolled his eyes, setting up a small section for his bed and essentials for the week. Echo shuffled around with his stuff, flicking one of Pixel’s rabbit ears. “So, when are you gonna tell people besides Kay-ralis and Ex-Eye-Zoomies about you being a shifter? And when are you gonna tell them you’re a freak of nature for like... four times a year. More than normal?”
Pixel tightened his grip on his pickaxe. “Shut the fuck up, Snowy. We’re mining and that’s that.”
“Sure, Pickaxe. Whatever you say.”
And so, he got to work, ignoring the shifts in his appearance. A long, dragon-like tail, eyes shifting to something else than his somewhat normal black sclera, more like... hollow. With glowing blue pupils.
He can’t see it, but he knows it. His communicator buzzes.
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Hermitchat - 10:04am
Xisuma: There’s been a spike in some slight visual glitches around the server, just so everyone’s aware.
Zedaph: Yeah some of my sheep look sheared but they aren’t??? It’s really weird :/
Evil Xisuma: My Derpcoins are purple for some reason
Jevin: And here I thought you were just trying to make a new type
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Any humor he could’ve gotten out of the last comment fell like a stone in his stomach as his heart jumped to his throat. His rabbit ears turned to horns as his eyes drooped. “It’s my fault everything’s glitching, isn’t it?” He whimpered, fluffy side-ears drooping as well.
“What, too tired to run away from your problems, so you’re just gonna turn into a pile of goop on the floor?”
Pixel growled, gripping his hair with his clawed hands. “Shuddup, dumbass.”
“Shuddup, dumbass!” Echo mocked, before disappearing.
It’s lonelier, he realized, silence being more upsetting than Echo’s taunting words. Maybe it knew that. He wasn’t sure.
Either way, he ate quickly and went back to mining, keeping his communicator at his bed until his clock said 10pm. He was tired, his bones ached, but he knew he couldn’t really do anything about it.
He had a few different notifications from the other Hermits, some asking how he was, others asking where he was since they needed him for whatever reason. He opted to ignore them.
He didn’t sleep on his bed, he didn’t deserve that comfort.
-
Day Two
When Pixel woke up, he didn’t feel any better. His back hurt and he was cold, the stone floors scratching him and leaving slight indents where stray rocks had dug into his skin. Still, he got back to work, taking his communicator with him.
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Hermitchat - 8:47am
Grian: Has anyone seen Pixel?? I was gonna show him the night sky I made on my base but he hasn’t been responding to me
Gem: He said he was mining yesterday, maybe he’s still doing that?
Grian: He usually still responds quickly though unless he’s asleep
Mumbo: Gri, we both know he sleeps in.
Iskall: I dropped off some stuff at his place earlier this morning but he had a sign saying he was going to be in his strip mines for a while, so I guess Gem is right
-
As if I didn’t have enough anxiety... Pixel thought bitterly, resisting the urge to throw his communicator to the ground. That wouldn’t solve anything, really. It’d probably just make things worse, and in any case, he’d be fine in a few days.
Still, knowing that didn’t do anything to help his goopy form. In fact, it seemed to be getting worse. He decided against mining only a few minutes in due to it, since that would most likely cause him to lose a finger or something.
He was positive it was his anxiety that wasn’t helping, bee antenna having sprouted from his head overnight.
-
[ Pixel has 2 direct messages from Keralis ]
Keralis: o/
Keralis: everything ok?
Pixel: Yeah I’m fine
Pixel: Working on stuff
[ Pixel deleted 2 messages]
-
Pixel groaned as he hid his face in his hands, hoping Keralis didn’t see anything. He didn’t want him to worry.
He didn’t want people to have to deal with him.
He didn’t want people to care about him.
He didn't realize he had started clawing at his skin until he started bleeding.
He went back to sleep.
-
Day Three
Impulse: @PixelPalettes Pixel? You there dude?
Grian: Yeah no he hasn’t been responding, I’m getting worried
Keralis: i tried to message him but he deleted whatever he sent me
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[ Pixel has 1 direct message from Grian ]
Grian: Pixel please respond
Pixel: Busy
Grian: Dude it’s been 3 days I’m gonna come over there
-
Oh no . Pixel, in all his goopy glory, shambled further down his tunnels into a darker section, shielding himself from any watchful eyes. He couldn’t get rid of the glow his own eyes let off, though, as he could hear a minecart coming down to the mines.
He was glad he still resembled some sort of humanoid, just so nobody had to think he was a complete and utter terrifying monster.
He caught a glimpse of the rainbow-feathered winged man as he passed, wincing at the look of concern on his face.
Pixel’s communicator buzzed.
Grian poked his head into the small cavern, eyes scanning until locking eyes with the Shifter. His eyes widened, mouth agape.
Pixel trembled, all sorts of negative emotions washing over him. He was the one who put that terrified expression on his friend’s face, and he’d never forgive himself for that.
“What in the...” He whispered, watching closely as Pixel tried to approach him. “Stay back!” Grian hissed as he drew his sword, glinting in the slight torchlight from the mines.
Pixel glitched, eyes morphing back to his normal human form. “Wait, no, please...” He wheezed, clawed hands gripping the stone floor. “You weren’t supposed to-” He was cut off by a cough. He forgot to eat, he was weak, the dust wasn’t good for him.
As if Grian’s eyes hadn’t been wide enough, they seemed wider. “Pixel?!”
The Shifter smiled weakly. “Yeah, it’s me.” Some of his goopiness was retracting, resembling back to his normal, non-disguised form. “I’m a Shapeshifter, I didn’t want you to find out like this.”
Grian dropped his sword, kneeling down as Pixel sobbed, brushing his hair out of his face and holding him to the best of his abilities, mummering calming words to him.
“I’m sorry,” He sobbed out, resting his head on his legs.
“No, no no no, don’t apologize!” He said, wrapping his wings around Pixel. “It isn’t your fault. Can I ask why you’re... like this, though?”
So he explained. He explained what happens to Shifters, that he couldn’t control it, and he didn’t want anybody to see him like this.
And Grian listened. It felt... nice, to have someone just listen to him rant, explain his problems to, and know they wouldn’t judge.
Once he was done, Pixel was mostly solid, both of them getting up and dusting themselves off. Then, Pixel noticed his head wound. “Oh, I should probably fix that up.”
Grian winced. “Jeez, that looks bad.”
The younger male huffed out a laugh, already heading up the stairs. “Yeah, I got uh... bandages n’ shit in my base.”
-
Once Pixel was patched up, Grian turned to him. “Do you plan on telling the rest of the server?”
Pixel’s ear twitched. “Well... yeah, probably. We have those weekly meetings and stuff, right? I can mention it then.”
Grian nodded. “Alright, I have to get back to Boatem, but stay safe!”
The Shifter nodded, watching him turn to leave. “I will. And, uh, Grian?”
“Hm?”
“Thanks.”