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Grian could feel his entire being buzzing as he walked through the tunnel to Tumble Town. The others had gone through first, letting him make the dramatic entrance that he craved. It would be hilarious seeing Timmy’s reaction, knowing that yelling would probably ensue, but a soft part of him couldn’t help but be excited. He was going to be surrounded b y all of his friends, ones who he didn’t get to see very often, and who always made him feel loved and safe.
He stumbled forward, perhaps already feeling a familiar fuzz in the back of his brain which he’d been trying to push away since he found out where the rift had taken them all. He stood at the mouth of the tunnel and there he was. Jimmy.
Grian blew his horns and could see Jimmy turn to look to where Joel, Tango, and Scar were watching it all unfold. There was a lot of yelling, and he couldn’t hold back giggles at the dramatics of it all. “You’re not even safe in your own SMP!” he yelled, matching the energy and holding back the urge to dive straight towards who he had grown to see as a brother figure over the years, both fuzzy and not.
In the end he didn’t need to fight off the want to dive into the others arms, because Jimmy ran up to him and picked him up giving a hug that drowned him in a wave of comfort he hadn’t realized he missed. The downside of such a good cuddle, even if it only lasted ten seconds - which was both too long and not long enough - was that it almost immediately succeeded in shutting down what little barrier he had to hold back slipping. How long had it been since he’d gotten a cuddle from his older, off server friends?
After the initial tidal wave wore off enough for him to think he remembered where he was, more importantly who was watching. Scar and Tango were both still there!
The shorter squirmed to get put down, whinging out “Nooo~ not in front of my friends Timmy,” just loud enough for Jimmy to hear.
Jimmy chuckled but relented, setting the avian down and choosing instead to ruffle his hair. “Fine, fine, but I expect lots of cuddles and catching up later okay. Missed my little-”
Grian shoved Jimmy and spun around to face the other way, arms crossing in a pout. His cheeks were burning. How embarrassing was that! And to think Jimmy almost called him- that, where anyone could have heard. He wasn’t being very loud, no louder than Grian was before, but it was the thought that mattered. He could hear Tango make a joke, one Scar and Joel both laughed at, though he didn’t catch what had been said.
He definitely does not stomp over to where the others are either, blush still firmly in place no matter how hard he tries to push it down. “Let’s keep on going then shall we? I want to see what all Tim’s made around here.”
And on they went, going over rules, which Grian thought was quite silly. None of the rules made much sense! They were all just for Jimmy, and didn’t really do a good job at setting standards that would stop any trouble from happening.
It was all a bit boring if you asked him, so he didn’t bother to pay too much attention to it. It wasn’t like he was known for following rules, and he had quite the record of doing anything and everything to get on Jimmy’s nerves. It was part of their dynamic, picking on each other and Jimmy always being too soft to stop him from causing minor mayhem. Of course they had to go on a tour next.
Jimmy showed them around everywhere, and though the wall was quite funny to look at, something else had caught Grian’s attention. It was way off to the side, almost hidden in a corner of his base, but there nonetheless. A toy claw machine.
He knew all about how Jimmy was being teased for being a toy, and how Joel had been pranking him ever since the start of their new world with Toy Story references and the like, but he hadn’t known just how in depth it had gotten, and when he saw the soft plushies he had always wanted so bad when watching the movies together, he couldn’t help but to forget anything but the plushies.
Someone tapped him on the elbow- Scar, he found out when he forced his gaze away just long enough to look over. He gestures with his cane, indicating how they were planning to walk away now, but Grian didn’t move. The other gave him a perplexed look. Tango, who wasn’t far from Scar, gave him an odd look as well, looking between the two emperors and the two Hermits. “Uh, everything okay there G? I think we’re moving on to-”
“Saw my toy machine over there did you? Can give it a try if you want, it should work as long as Jimmy didn’t mess with it too much.” Joel spoke, cutting Tango off with a placating smile, one that said ‘I’ll explain later… maybe.’ “I’ve got lots of others in the Toy Barn, we can go there later on if you want as well.”
Grian just nodded, haze coming back over his mind and words becoming a bit hard to vocalize without risking slurring together. (“ It’s a telltale sign you’re small Gri, let’s us all know you’re just a little bird. Come on now, Lizzie is making tea, how about me, you, and Joel all get settled in the blanket fort-” ) Instead of answering, he found that his feet were moving all on their own, clumsily walking forward to take him to the set of toys that had caught his attention.
Once there, where he can see all the buttons and lights shining from the machine, and even more exciting all the plushies waiting to be freed from the little glass display they called home, he felt himself grow hyper once more- rocking back and forth on his heels and wings flapping lightly to counterbalance. Without question Jimmy sighed, reaching into a coin purse he had fastened to the side of his belt and gave Grian one to play with.
Tango and Scar ask for a go as well, and Jimmy can’t exactly say no when he’s letting Grian do it now can he, but the feathered Hermit once again finds it easy to tune out the others conversation, dropping the coin in and wiggling in excitement as theme music plays faintly from speakers on the side of the machine.
His first attempt doesn’t go very well. It’s hard to judge the distance from the front, and the plushies are so top-heavy that it makes the toy lean awkwardly in the claw's grasp. That doesn’t stop him though. Before he even has a chance to whine about how it isn’t fair Jimmy is already handing him another coin, Joel, Scar, and Tango moving to the side of the machine to help give him instructions on how far to move. It takes a few tries, but it was more than worth it when the toy finally drops down the chute for Grian to grab. He can’t hold back the few chirps that slip past before he can catch them.
When he looks over to Tango and Scar neither are looking at him though, which he takes to mean it went unnoticed. Sure they look to be confused again, but he can’t think of what for. Their own turns don’t take nearly as long, but Gri is more than happy to sit and watch with his new friend. He isn’t as helpful as the others were for him, but sits on a rock and cheers from the side each time the claw drops, legs kicking and clapping loudly when two more toys are freed from the glass box.
Joel ruffles his hair and reaches out a hand to tug him along, but Gri has too much energy to walk slow and hold hands. He pops up and skips ahead, nearly falling every handful of blocks as his wings try to follow the different motions, often a second behind sending him swinging this way or that. He only stops when Jimmy manages to catch up to him, taking both his hands so they were facing each other and starting to run in circles until the others caught up.
It was rather hard to stay on his feet after that, Grian thought, but Jimmy didn’t let go of his hand like he’d been expecting. He couldn’t find it in him to mind, more than content for the contact, and how it made it much easier to take steady steps.
He can hear hushed voices behind him, it sounds like they’re talking about something secret or important, and the curious part of Grian’s brain longs to know. He turns to look over his shoulder with a pout, he hated being left out, but was quickly distracted as something covered his eyes. He reached up, one of his hands still locked in Jimmy’s, to tilt the brim of a cowboy hat back up.
Jimmy’s hat to be exact.
“Awe, lookie there. A little deputy aren’t you. Might need some help catching some bad guys if you think you’re up for the job?”
Grian blinked once, then twice before a big smile took over his face, one with a mischievous glint to it. “How’d you know ‘m not a bad guy?”
Jimmy seems to buffer at that, mouth gaping and eye brows scrunching up as he thought. “I- well. I thought you might want to help me-”
Before he can finish that thought Grian is off, dropping Jimmy’s hand and running through the sparse open space that filled Tumble Town. “I’m the bad guy! Gotta catch me Tim Tim- never gonna catch me!”
The sheriff buffered for a second, everyone did to be entirely honest. Neither of the other two hermits had ever seen Grian act like this- well, they’d seen him be mischievous before, but not so… childish? It was only a moment later, one that let Grian get far enough way to lead into a chase, that Jimmy was off running after him. “Hey! That’s against the law, gimme my hat back you silly little-”
Scar turned to look towards Joel, who huffed out a half laugh half sigh. He didn’t wait to start in with the few questions that had been rolling around in his brain ever since they first arrived in Tumble Town. “Does Grian always act like this with you guys? You knew each other before we arrived, right?”
Joel gives a calculating glance back before answering in a way that only added fuel to Scar’s speculation. “Not always, but I’m not surprised. Been a long time since we had a chance to get together with how busy everyones been. We all go way back though, been through a lot together, especially him and Jimmy.” He said, watching Jimmy catch up to their winged friend. Scar wondered why Grian didn’t just fly away, but he looked like he was barely keeping himself from toppling over entirely.
Joel’s response answered the question, but not Scar’s suspicions. The God was good with his words, not giving too much away but giving everything needed to be deemed an acceptable answer. He’d need to press a bit further, and if there was one thing Scar was good at it was swindling people to tell and give him exactly what he wanted.
“I’m glad he’s got such good long term friends then. I know we all were able to catch glimpses in the lives servers, but those aren’t quite, oh well how do you put it, suitable for such friendly and carefree attitudes. It makes one-”
There was a giggle-filled shriek off in the distance, and Scar’s head turned to see where Jimmy had finally caught up with the smaller builder. Jimmy had grabbed Grian around the waist, turning him to the side before scooping him up into his arms, the action seeming practiced, without a single hesitation or adjustment for his wings or the way he tried to squirm out of the cowboys hold. His laugh grew when Jimmy immediately started spinning, holding the bird close, though Grian had started to cling to him as well at the change in movement.
“You know the question you want to ask. I love a good game as much as the next God but I’m only going to answer what you want if it’s direct. I only ask you to do it if you’re going to take the answer well.”
Tango looks between the two of them, recognition flashing in his eyes as well before Scar smiles. “Is Grian a regressor?”
Joel watches the two men with a soft expression. “Well yeah, surely it’s not that surprising. Just don’t mention it, but everything's there.”
Jimmy stops spinning and tries to set Grian down, laughing when the other almost immediately falls straight down. He helps the Hermit back up, though he still wobbles on his feet, and doesn’t hesitate to take him right back into his arms, this time scooping under his arms and letting Grian wrap his legs around his waist.
Joel nods his head to the side. “It’s probably good for us to get out of here for now, let those two do their thing. Gri will meet back up with us all later.” He waves to Jimmy to show that they’re leaving, Grian none the wiser from where he was squirming to be put back down, dizziness apparently having mostly worn off as he looked much steadier on his feet (though that didn’t mean much as he still stumbled with every other step.)
As they climb out of the canyon, the trio can’t help but look back when Jimmy yelled to “Ah-ah no you don’t! Leave that TNT alone Nugget or I swear-” followed by screaming laughter that drowned out whatever playful threats the other had come up with, as the silly little bird in question was snatched away from the TNT wagon and thrown into the air.
Watching the two play, the Hermits have a feeling this is going to be an interesting adventure.
Jimmy and Grian play like that until both of them are worn out, finding solstice from the hot sun inside with chilled juice, one in a sippy cup and the other a pint glass. He can’t exactly say no when the hatchling begs him to watch a movie now can he? And what other option would he choose than Toy Story? Jimmy isn’t surprised, though he acts offended at the comparisons, but doesn’t have it in him to fight back when there's a little one cuddling into his side with his newest stuffie and fighting back yawns. It had been a pretty big day after all.
Instead, he presses a kiss to the top of his friend's head and pulls him closer. A movie and nap didn’t sound too bad after all.