Chapter Text
"What would a timekeeper give for a second chance?"
"Sweetface, you know I don't like riddles," Keralis sighed, moving his bishop three spaces diagonally, "I can never figure out yours."
The creature grinned, and the white rook moved forward on the chessboard, "You'd think a fan of chess would enjoy a match of wits."
"Riddles aren't wits," Keralis huffed as he took a pawn with his rook.
"Anycase, the answer was a resume."
Keralis rolled his eyes, moving his bishop to take the creature's knight.
"What? Didn't like that one?" The creature snickered.
"It was cheesy, sweetface."
"Most riddles are."
Keralis raised an eyebrow, "I have a riddle, then."
"Is it a pun?"
"Not really."
The creature took Keralis's bishop and then motioned for him to continue.
"There's a flock of birds, entirely mismatched. One's a canary, one's an owl, and the third is a peacock with a flaming tail. What do you call them?"
The creature laughed, and Keralis moved a pawn, "You'd call them a harbinger."
"And I'd call you a loser," Keralis grinned, "Checkmate."
The creature looked down at the board, "So it would seem. It's 2-2 then?"
"I don't like ties," Keralis snickered, "We'll just say that I won."
"Home wins the board? Biased much?"
"Oh, hush."
Doc flipped through the Applied Energistics 2 manual, a crease in his brow as he tried to find a specific page. Dinnerbone was asleep on his couch, and Ren was working on terraforming the underside of the Octagon.
"What are you working on?" A voice asked, and Doc turned to find Iskall climbing out of a portal.
"Trying to figure out how to get the ME Drive to link up," Doc grumbled.
Iskall leaned over Doc's shoulder, squinting at the manual, "To a terminal?"
"No, to the storage cells," Doc moved the book so that Iskall could see better, "I've been working on a private world trying to get them to link up, but they haven't been working properly."
"Is the Drive powered?"
"Yep. I checked."
"Hmm," Iskall scratched his beard, "Is it all connected to the network? Or do you have multiple devices on the...what's it called? ME Controller?"
Doc nodded, "I checked them both. Nothing's wrong with them."
"Then it's probably an issue with the mod. Try resetting it, or making a different world."
Dinnerbone shifted on the couch, stretching a bit and then getting up. Normally it would be odd to see an upside-down man, but Hermitcraft was nothing if not odd.
"Good morning," Doc greeted.
Dinnerbone mumbled a hello as he stretched.
A buzz on Doc's communicator caught his attention.
Xisumavoid: HLEP
Xisumavoid sent out an SOS. Immediate aid requested: 128.98 X 58 Y -392 Z.
GeminiTay: Everything okay??
Xisumavoid: GRIAN DOC KERALIS SCAR HELP
Evil Xisuma: THAT'S NOT X
Evil Xisuma: WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT GO TO THOSE COORDS
iJevin: Can vouch. X is with Wels and I in X's base.
Xisumavoid: pleas ehelp help
Ethoslab made a group with GeminiTay, Grian, and others...
Ethoslab: I'm going to go check ghost mode
Evil Xisuma: NO NO NO
Evil Xisuma: DON'T GO THERE WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T GO THERE
Hypnotizd: Ex breathe, what's going on?
Evil Xisuma: HUNTERS
TinFoilChef: Already? I thought they'd take longer
Dinnerbone: ughhhhh god i hate prails
TinFoilChef: Dinner, can you come help me?
Dinnerbone: omw
Dinnerbone pulled up a console, disappearing into the air. Doc and Iskall shared a look, and Doc pulled up his communicator chat on his main computer.
iJevin: X speaking: Don't murder anyone you two. I don't want to clean that up.
GoodTimesWithScar: Did they get around the enchants again???
iJevin: Seems like it. Ilkabara might have disrupted them on accident when he was summoned.
Grian: What?? Is happening???
Evil Xisuma: Hunters
Evil Xisuma: I don't like them, neither does X or anyone G o d I hate this
Hypnotizd: Where are you rn, Ex?
iJevin: Ex, head to Horse Head Farms.
Evil Xisuma: Aight okay going
iJevin: TFC, Dinnerbone, update?
Dinnerbone: i havent had this much fun since doc and i did redbull shots
TinFoilChef: Working out negotiations. Theyre unhappy but we can still work with it
Keralis: If you need any help, I'm more than happy! :)
Grian: Hunters? Like hybrid hunters or something? Aren't they illegal
iJevin: Prails cull large servers, usually anarchy servers
GoodTimesWithScar: We had stuff against them, but they got disrupted. :/
Dinnerbone: prails are illegal same with hybrid hunters
Dinnerbone: theyre quakin
Dinnerbone: they dont like TFC and i because they know we can kick their ass
Docm77: Benefits of being friends with a dev
Dinnerbone: yup
Iskall85: I can get the Vault Gods if we need?
Dinnerbone: oh hell yeah tell em a couple of prails got on hermitcraft
Iskall raised an eyebrow from beside Doc, but nonetheless pulled out his communicator and walked into the other room.
Docm77: Is Ex alright?
iJevin: Ex and I have some...very negative experiences related to prails. Ex especially.
Doc's brow furrowed.
What'd X mean by that?
Hypno and xB waited at the portal until a very shaken-looking Evil Xisuma stepped out of the nether portal.
Hypno grabbed a brass pocketwatch out of his coat pocket, guiding Ex to sit on the ground beside the portal. Hypno handed the watch to Ex in a gesture xB recognized.
Hypno's ability relied on having an object related to his target on his person, such as a hair or a scale. There was, however, a way to get around it by giving the other person an object that he was also holding on to. Ex started to relax, tension bleeding from his frame as Hypno used his ability and some breathing exercises to calm him down.
xB stood nearby, shocked at the change in demeanor. Ex was brash, loud, and self-assured. Now though...
Ex looked terrified.