Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tango squinted his eyes as he stepped outside his Citadel, preparing a flight to the shopping district in what seemed like ages. Working in what’s practically an inconvenient basement for the past few months makes you lose track of time, it seems. 

 He stretched his body, his arms enjoying the freedom of being able to move more than a few centimetres above his head. The tight corridors and tunnels of the inner workings of Decked out really hadn’t been doing him any favours. 

He really should get out more, shouldn’t he?

As he spread the wings of his elytra, about to take off, his foot suddenly clanked against something metal on the ground. 

 He stumbled forward. His arms flailed around him, with his tail swishing with him as he tried to regain his balance. He caught himself at the last moment, thankfully, can’t be stumbling like this when he needs to get back to work. 

 He stood back up, dusting himself off when his eyes began curiously drifting down to the perpetrator that had tripped him. 

Now, it wasn’t unusual for stuff to show up randomly on your doorstep when living on Hermitcraft. People held events and pranked each other all the time. Though, when that happened there was usually an invitation, or at least a sign. This however, was… strange. 

A compass laid on the ground, with no indication as to who left it or why. Suspicions quickly flooded his head as he tried to uncover the mysterious compass; Was this a prank? Surely he was going to trigger some sort of contraption if he fell for it. But as he looked closer, he saw no observer underneath it, meaning it wasn’t hooked up to anything. Huh. Curious and curiouser. 

As he reached down to pick it up off the ground, he found a post-it note attached to it, reading, “Follow me, 8pm”. 

…

Totally not suspicious at all.

Despite his gut telling him not to go, his curiosity got the better of him. He’d been so caught up in Decked out 2 lately that he thought a break from the endless work could be a breath of fresh air. 

Or maybe that was just the fresh air he’d felt when he stepped outside his home in what felt like years.

At the designated time, he picked up the compass again. Holding it up for just a moment he knew exactly which troublemaker’s base it pointed to. He sighed. 

 So it was Grian’s idea to bring the server together for a fun little treasure hunt. Should’ve guessed, that guy’s always up to something, just waiting to reel some innocent bystander into it too. 

The flight was short over to Grian’s base. He could see the other hermits flying alongside him, all headed towards the same destination. It almost felt like some sort of secret undercover meeting, with the sketchiness of it all.

As he glided down into the deep cavern underneath the base, he was greeted by a dozen or so hermits all gathered in front of… 

Oh Void, was that a big portal. 

In front of them stood a menacing crack in the wall, revealing a portal emitting a deep purple glow. The cave’s walls were lit up only by the portal’s tinted light, drawing all attention to itself. 

 He’d heard of The Rift, of course, Grian hadn’t stopped talking about it since it had appeared in his basement. It had snuck into conversations with other hermits a few times, but no one really paid much mind to it. But now that he was properly standing in front of it… his gut was probably right about it after all. 

Of course Tango had seen massive portals before, he’d been to plenty of realms in his lifetime. 

 Hell, his home realm was only accessible through nether portals. 

This one shouldn’t be any different. 

But, having travelled portals so often also made it easier to figure out that this one was indeed different. 

 It wasn’t like anything he’d ever seen. Normally portals were man-made and carefully constructed, but this one seemed to have cracked itself into existence out of thin air. Instead of the inviting purple of his nether portals, The Rift’s brooding color somehow seemed threatening. 

 When he’d snuck around the others to investigate the portal closer, the space around him turned ice cold. It reminded him of the icicles of his Citadel but without all the comfort of his base. Maybe it could be chalked up to the fact it was located deep down in a cavern, but it couldn't have been. 

 The chill stabbed into his skin, like the icicles he knew all too well had turned into blades and cut through his clawed hand when he’d experimentally stuck it through The Rift.

“-and there’s weird stuff going on with the portal, but I feel like we should still investigate, right?” 

Tango’s hand quickly retracted out of the portal as he was snapped out of his thoughts when he’d realized Grian had been talking. 

 He felt like a kid that had just been caught doing something they weren’t supposed to. 

Jeez, he hoped no one noticed he’d been zoning out.

The crowd of hermits hummed in agreement, though, some more cautious than others. With an excited squeal, Grian continued. Tango silently wondered why he’d agreed to this mess.

“Okay, so… I’ve got no clue where this leads to, but it could be a fun vacation, right? I’d love a vacation to who knows where.” He tried convincing, and seemingly succeeding at it if the other’s agreements were anything to go by. 

 Some hermits chatted with one another while others stared at the portal with curiosity. It seemed no one else knew much about it, either.

So now it was more than just a treasure hunt.

A vacation? What kind of vacation had “giant portal that’s definitely not normal” as it’s travel way? Tango had no clue, and it didn’t calm his nerves knowing that not even the orchestrator himself knew, either. 

 The whole thing was sketchy from the beginning; first the compass, ominous, then the host not even knowing where they were headed, ominous , and who could forget, the unmissable, OMINOUS , Rift. 

Tango thought back to his work. All the time he was spending here was precious time that could've been spent working on Decked out, but… actually, maybe a vacation could do him well. Perhaps it could distract him from the other things on his mind, something that Decked out hadn’t done all too well after all. 

 Distract him from the… the thing on his mind. After Double life ended he’d thrown himself deeper into work than he’s ever done, desperately trying to keep his mind off of his… that whole shabang! Of course he was upset he had lost, and gone out first nonetheless. But what made it worse was how out of the blue and sudden it was, he didn’t even get to say goodbye to- Gah! Why was he thinking about it when he was supposed to not be thinking about it ?!

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of his thoughts. He directed his attention back to Grian, determined to convince himself this was a good idea. His tail whipped behind him.

“My best guess would be that this leads to another realm that’s not the nether, surely a random nether entrance wouldn’t be this extravagant…” Grian eyed the portal with curiosity.

Now that got Tango thinking. Now that he thought about it, another realm could actually mean literally anything . He wouldn’t have been able to guess where The Rift led to however hard he’d try. It could lead him to the end, to the aether, even hell fire and eternal suffering…or… or it could lead him to the most wondrous dimension he’s ever seen. A place with the most wondrous scenery, the most wondrous empires ruled over by the most wondrous emperors, with the most wondrous blond’s golden yellow wings and shimmering eyes he’s ever seen- 

It’s decided, he’s going. He’s got nothing better to do, right? He’s agreeing to this out of pure boredom.

Tango pretended not to notice how his face felt warmer all of a sudden, his tail wagging excitedly.

♡

As the hermits made the final preparations for their impromptu trip, most had already gathered around the portal once again. 

Fiddling with his sleeve, he felt a little out of place. Everyone was chatting with each other while he stood alone off to the side, feeling his heart begin to race.

Emotions were shared between them all; excitement, curiosity, nervousness, wishful thinking that you’ll somehow meet your long lost soul bound-

Okay, maybe that one was just Tango.

Void, he really needs to get a grip.

Eventually, everyone had arrived. Every last one of them knew what that meant.

 No more stalling or overthinking, it was time to cross the realms into the unknown.

“Alright, everyone ready?” Grian called out to the crowd as he stood by the portal.

Okay. This was it.

“Let’s all go through together.” He continued, earning agreements left and right.

Deep breaths. This is his only chance.

“Three…” He began the countdown.

The only chance he’d potentially ever get to meet his soulmate again.

“Two…” The cave was dead silent as everyone held their breaths.

It wasn’t even guaranteed, not at all. When did he get this desperate to see his canary again? His… um. The canary. They were never an item.

“One…” Grian dragged out the word, building anticipation.

What if Jimmy doesn’t even want to see him after how their season ended? He certainly wouldn’t have. Maybe he was still upset at him for losing their green life so quickly, maybe he just wants to forget it all even happened. What if he just wants to forget about them all together?

…

Or what if he doesn’t even meet Jimmy at all?

His heart rate picked up drastically as he started having second thoughts. Was it second thoughts, or third thoughts at this point? 

 This was a bad idea. His gut was right, he should’ve just kept working on Decked out instead of getting tangled into this mess. He shouldn’t even have picked up that compass in the first place-

“Go!”

Tango hadn’t even registered the sound of Grian’s voice before he stumbled forward as he was suddenly thrown into the portal. His vision went hazy as the corners of his eyes began to fill with stardust. His body froze up as his limbs were beginning to numb under the shocking chill of The Rift. All he could see was the deep purple swirling around him before he closed his eyes.

The weight slowly lifted off his body, as he lost sense of everything around him.

The next thing he knew, he was falling out of the sky. Before he could even begin to process what was happening, the fall was over. With a soft thump, he landed on the damp grass, his face smushed in the dirt. 

Groaning, he slowly gathered the strength to pull himself off the ground. As he sat up, his vision cleared and the rest of his senses came flooding back to him. 

Surrounding him was a thick mangrove swamp, with trees so tall they almost covered the sky.

The grass stood tall around him, hiding the muddy pitfalls nestled between the strands.

The forest smelt of damp leaves and bark, with his clothes beginning to smell like it too.

He had… absolutely no idea where he’d ended up.

Standing up straight, Tango began to slowly walk mindlessly through the woods. His boots kept getting caught in the mud as he walked. 

The sun was glaring down on his back, every move he made felt sluggish and slow. Letting out a defeated sigh, he let his arms fall limp as he stared up at the cloudless sky. He squinted his eyes.

This was gonna be a long day, wasn’t it?

♡

Tango's shoes kicked up red sand as he stepped across the desert. The trip hadn’t been going terribly so far, he supposed. He had run into a few of the hermits from back home, and also met plenty of new faces. He was showered in gifts and welcomes, and everywhere he glanced he was greeted by a friendly face. Wherever he’d ended up, it was certainly filled with pleasant people.

 The towns and villages he’d seen were amazing, each with their own flare and personality, topped off with just amazing building skill. Though, he couldn’t say he had the highest of standards.  

 Jeez, Hermitcraft really had competition brewing if these guys were out here, huh?

His mind was on other things now, though, as after he left the group he’d found of familiar and unfamiliar faces alike, he had bid his farewell and ventured off elsewhere. Where he was headed or why he was going there, he had no clue.

 Someone somewhere had mentioned a rural town in the mesa a few hundred blocks away, and considering all that he’d seen in just one day, witches, gods, and goblins alike, he can’t say it sounded too notable.

 Though, there was something endearing about a cozy little western town, wasn’t there? A warm feeling filled his chest when he thought about it. 

Across the orange blend of the mesa, way off in the distance, stood the town, it seemed. Tango's face lit up as he wandered towards it.

The smell of old carved wood and dusty buildings hit him as he took a step into the rustic town. All around him stood wooden buildings, each lovingly built and detailed by hand. 

 Tumbleweeds and dried up trees scarcely dotted the sand, with lanterns lighting up the dirt path throughout the town. A giant mountain framed the area, acting as a backdrop with the tall mesa rocks surrounding it, some creating beautiful arches.

 In the corner of the town, stood a rustic tavern, large enough to fit at least a hundred people.

There was a wooden gazebo hiding behind the dry bushes, with carefully carved patterns adorning it. A church stood near the cliffside of the mesa, with some other buildings he couldn’t quite place.

 Right in the centre of the mountain was a tunnel, stretching through the rock to the other side. An unfinished train track was situated inside it.

 The large sign above the cave entrance read ‘TUMBLE TOWN’.

While it objectively wasn’t the most impressive thing he’d seen today, Tango was in awe. Honestly, with his building skills, anything more than a dirt hut was nothing to scoff at.

 He continued wandering the street, admiring the little details of the buildings and greenery as he went. 

Eventually he stopped at a chest, debating on taking a peek inside. His stomach was practically begging him for something to eat.

 He wasn’t too keen on stealing anything, I mean, he could get in a lot of trouble. Though, it wasn’t like he was drowning in options… He could up and starve, but that honestly didn’t sound too appealing…

 It wouldn’t hurt the emperor living here if one piece of food went missing, would it? He wasn’t planning on stealing anything, on Hermitcraft we call it “borrowing”!

 It was worth whatever wrath the emperor of the town decided to give him, he decides, opening the chest.

When he expectantly peeked into it however, he was swiftly met with disappointment. Random blocks and items littered the box, with not a single edible thing in sight. It was filled with junk, and not even the good kind that you’d find at Pearl’s.

He let out a sigh, yep, guess he was going to starve after all.

Right as he was about to close the lid, he let his hand hover over it when he noticed something peculiar inside. 

Amongst all the clutter and chaos of the chest, laid a lonesome goat horn.

Tango felt himself freeze up as everything he’d been trying to suppress this entire day came flooding back to him.

He threw open the chest frantically, reaching for the horn as if he was scared it was going to disappear. He gently cradled it in his hands, the weight felt familiar even though he’d never held it before.

The memories of Double Life flooded his thoughts as he stared fondly at the horn. 

 Holding it like it was the most precious thing he’s ever seen, it felt like he was right back with Jimmy in their ranch, fighting off their friends and counting on each other throughout it all.

 The memories of their green pasture and the farm they’d tended to together, the house they had built. All their chickens and cattle, it felt like he needed to get up in the morning to feed them again. The sounds of the forest and the river below he swore he could hear if he put the horn up to his ear. 

 The memories of feeling the soul bond for the first time, feeling his heart connected to someone else’s, it’s a feeling he swore he would never forget. He remembered the look on Jimmy’s face when he’d shown him the ranch, and the wonderful sound of his laugh that he’d always strived to hear. His tight hugs comforting him, calming him down after their home turned to ashes. His hands caressing his face while his glimmering eyes spoke more words than he’d ever said, it felt like he could still feel Jimmy’s wide wings wrap around him when they slept at night.

Tango slowly came back to his senses as his expression turned somber, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. He hadn’t realized his hands had been shaking this entire time, the horn still gently held in his palms. A silent tear rolled down his cheek.

He’d tried to suppress thinking about him for the entire day after he was finally distracted with something other than his thoughts. Guess that didn’t pan out too well after all, did it?

His arms lowered as he took a deep breath, wiping at his face with his hand. They were staying here for a day, more or less. Then they were heading back home. What was he thinking, he wasn’t going to meet Jimmy, he likely isn’t even in this realm. He needs to get over himself.

He quietly pocketed the goat horn in his coat, patting it down gently to make sure it wouldn’t fall out. 

With a sigh, he decided to continue wandering the town.

♡

His boots clanked against the steel rail of the train tracks as he walked. The tunnel was long, he could just barely see the light at the end if he squinted. 

 The roof of the tunnel had lanterns strung around the wooden pillars holding it up, giving much needed light to the passage. Small pieces of dirt occasionally fell in his eyes from the cavern's ceiling. 

Far in the distance of the other side of the tunnel, he swore he could hear voices approaching.  

 Someone else must’ve found Tumble Town as well, he thought. Maybe it’s one of the hermits. 

As the voices grew closer, he could make out their figures. Five figures, to be exact. The group was varied in height and silhouette, much like the hermits he knew back home.

He lit up when he recognized some of their faces, waving happily at them as he approached.

“Hi, Tango!” Grian beamed at him. He was waving back at him like a highschool girl catching her crush’s attention at the mall. Next to him stood Scar, carefully avoiding his flailing arms. He was a fair bit taller than Grian, though was still cautious around him. He gave Tango a polite wave as he chuckled.

 The tallest of the group stood behind them, towering over the two easily. He flashed an iconic grin at him, one only Joel could pull off. Shuffling between his legs was someone significantly shorter, a goblin. His ginger tipped tail swished with him as he ran around Joel’s legs. That was FWhip, he’d met him earlier in a different town.

 The fifth person was shorter than Joel, but still significantly tall. He adorned a western sheriffs hat, with a badge sitting comfortably on the front of it. That was probably the sheriff. His dirty blond hair fell in his eyes as he laughed with the others, seemingly completely oblivious to Tango's presence.

Tango’s eyes looked him over, from his hat to his bandana to his wings, all the way down to his spurred boots. 

 His… wings? He’d only met a handful of avians in his life, few enough that he could count them on one hand. His wings were a shimmering golden yellow, complementing his hair. Their delicate feathers shone in the light. And…

Why did he look so familiar?

His breathing picked up as his tail began to sway.

Blinking, Tango frantically looked over the sheriff again. He must just be imagining things, there are plenty of handsome blonds in the world.  

 Though, how many of them looked uncannily like his rancher?

Jimmy did mention he had siblings, though, did he mention a twin?

Tango didn’t remember him ever mentioning a twin.

His eyes began widening as the realization weighed in on him. 

As he looked up at his face again, he locked eyes with the sheriff. His disbelieved expression mirrored Tango’s own.

 He couldn’t tear his view off the sheriff's brown eyes. He had his brown eyes. The same eyes he swore he’d never forget -

That’s when it dawned on him.

That’s him.

That’s his soulmate.

That’s his-

“TANGO!”

Chapter Text

Jimmy briefly lifted his sheriff’s hat to wipe at the sweat beginning to drip down his forehead. His body felt heavy as the sun pierced through his eyes and, gosh, was this going to be a long day.

He sighed, putting the hat back in its place as he continued shovelling up hay for his horses.

It was a slow day, nothing notable had happened at all. He’d gotten out of bed late, rushed through his chores before the farm animals got upset, and now he was finishing up work at the rusty old stable. 

 The sun really didn’t help with the fatigue, and neither did the heavy weight of his wings on his back. He wouldn’t have even complained about his wings if they weren’t littered with sand and dust that had been caught between the feathers.

Jimmy had done nothing for the entire morning and still felt exhausted.

Maybe he should just give in and climb back into bed, hopefully getting a few extra hours of sleep.

No! He shook his head. What was he thinking? He has responsibilities, after all. The sheriff never slacks!

Gosh, if Joel heard him complain about this Jimmy would never hear the end of it.

New-found will in hand, he got back to work. His hands gripped the shovel as he dug into the large hay bale outside the run down stable, the horses neighs occupying the silence.

 It was a mindless task, one of many that had to be done at Tumble Town. Though stable chores weren't exactly written as a sheriff's responsibilities, Jimmy still liked to help out the humble little town he upheld.

 It was a nice thought, to be needed, he liked to think. Even though the town could probably run without him, he couldn’t help but feel appreciated once in a while when the townsfolk ran to him with their problems.

It did get lonely at times, though. He didn’t have many friends in town, besides Norman of course, but his deputy cat wasn’t much for conversation, he’d found.

Finishing up his work at the stable, he headed out the wooden gate that framed the stalls. Walking across the dirt road back to his house, he made his way back indoors. 

 While he’d been living in the mesa for a hot (pun intended) while, he can't say he ever really got used to the heat. It got hot and humid during the early morning and midday, leaving his clothes sticking to his skin and hair matted down. No matter how hard he fanned his face, he couldn't fight it. The nights were better, though only because they were freezing cold instead of feeling like scorching lava.

 The rustic wooden door creaked open as he stepped inside. Hanging up his sheriff’s hat on the coat hanger and stepping out his shoes, he sat down on the living room couch.

He leaned back on the sofa, his head hanging over the edge. He sighed, closing his eyes.

Jimmy felt the couch shift at his side. As he looked back up, he saw that Norman had made himself comfortable next to him. He grinned down at the cat, letting him curl up by his leg. He lightly petted him along his head and down his back, earning a satisfied meow.

Quietly, Norman sat up and settled down on Jimmy’s lap, curling his tail as he began to softly purr. 

“Have you had a long day, Norman?” Jimmy asked the cat with a smile. Norman simply looked up at him and gave an affirming trill. Jimmy shifted his wings as he hummed a silent response, his smile still evident on his face.

After a while, he closed his eyes and relaxed. Maybe he could cool down from his responsibilities for just a little longer. Norman certainly didn't seem to mind.

Or maybe he did mind, considering he was now making noise of the necklace he’d found around Jimmy’s neck, lightly tapping it with his paw. It was a gold pendant that he’d been given by Tango, way back in Double Life. 

 He’d swore he would wear it at every possible hour to his rancher, and he had kept his promise.

His fingers lightly brushed against the gold necklace. It was a gift Tango had not only given him, but had handcrafted himself out of materials from his home world.

 What made it all the more special to him was how it was carved out of gold, one of the most valuable materials to most netherborn.

It made his heart soar, thinking about Tango delicately crafting and tinkering him something so significant and beautiful.

He remembered how Tango used to comment on his wings, patting down his feathers and noting that when the light hit them just right, they’d shine like gold.

 He’d told him how sought after and sentimental gold was to blazeborns, and to have him, himself, remind him of it…

The glimmer in Tango's eyes the day he told him about it sparked something in him.

Norman’s soft chirp brought him out of his thoughts. He sighed.

It was a melancholy thing to think about, his… situationship with Tango. How quickly they bonded and grew to trust each other just to have it stripped away just as fast.

He remembers the day vividly, as if it was yesterday. The day he died and had woken up in his own bed.

 He’d sat up hurriedly, panic evident on his face as he regained his thoughts. His eyes darted around the room, searching for his soulmate alongside him, only to realize that the room wasn't the ranch, it was his own. The dread sank in, and he realized it was over. 

 Truly, truly, over. He realized how he’d doomed them both.

Curse him and his stupid wings…

The next few weeks were spent venting about his soulmate to anyone around who’d cared enough to listen, or happened to catch him at the worst possible time.

Lizzie was there right as he arrived back home, comforting him and trying her best to make sense of his panicked sputtering. She had come to visit as soon as she saw his communicator come online again, only to be greeted by an array of unintelligible word vomit. 

 She’d held him tight that night, silencing his cries.

Joel had attempted to relate to him, comparing Jimmy’s rancher to his boat boy, and offering solace in the loss of a friend, though Jimmy explained it wasn’t the same. For once, Joel let go of his ego and sat in a comfortable silence with him, promising that he’d always be there if he was needed.

Pearl came home last and tried to cheer him up by congratulating him on making it as far as he did, even though he didn’t win. Jimmy thought it soured the sentiment considering Pearl had won herself, but he couldn’t manage to tell her as he broke into a sobbing mess once again.

 Pearl realized that it wasn’t just the loss that had upset Jimmy this time, but rather something more.

He missed Tango.

Terribly.

He shouldn’t even be thinking about him anymore, honestly. He doesn’t know why he’s feeling such immense guilt. Everyone else in Double Life parted ways and left the game as easily as any other time, some even left with a new friend.

Tango was more than a friend to him, and it made him upset.

Jimmy was jealous of everyone who didn’t catch feelings for someone in a completely different realm. Someone who probably moved on weeks ago.

Someone who he’ll probably never see again.

…

Then came a sudden loud roar.

Jimmy jolted as his feathers puffed up, knocking Norman off his lap with the cat letting out a surprised shriek. 

Regaining his thoughts, he sputtered, “W-what was that? That- that did not sound healthy. Norman-“ He looked around for the cat, but it had already run off to hide behind the sofa. 

 His eyes darted around the room as he quickly got up, heading straight towards the front door. Lifting his sheriff's hat off the coat hanger and back onto his head, he flew the door open, anxiety getting the better of him.

It had almost sounded like a lightning strike, though definitely less natural. He curiously looked up at the clear blue sky to see nothing but some lonesome clouds.

 Had something crashed down the mines? Or maybe someone had pranked him with a noisemaker again or-

Oh.

Oh no.

“ Hello Tim. ~”

Gosh fucking damnit.

Jimmy's head snapped toward the tunnel cliffside as his eyes met with Grians. His brother's face had a signature mischievous grin plastered proudly, with the backlighting of the cave framing his colourful wings. He looked a lot taller from this angle, not that it mattered.

Slouching to the side with a smug eyebrow, he continued, “Miss me?”

Jaw hanging slack, Jimmy sputtered, trying to figure out if he wanted to hug him or punch the bastard right in the nose. What he mentally decided on isn’t important.

“H-how are you- what in the world- What are you doing here!?” his wings flailed wildly around him as he tried to make sense.

Grian, ever the menace, simply giggled. “You’re not even safe in your own realm!”

Jimmy's eye twitched as he let out an exaggerated groan, letting his wings fall defeatedly to his sides. Of course Grian had found a way to terrorize him even in the comfort of his home, it was practically his full-time job. 

 He decided not to even try to question him on how he ended up here. Maybe someone's redstone gizmo malfunctioned and decided to finally get rid of Grian from their own server and tried to send him to the trash heap, you never know with hermits.

Grian skipped down the railroad gleefully straight towards him and caught him in a crushing hug, wrapping his wings around them both. Guess the universe decided for him instead. His head ended up right under Jimmy’s chin, pushing himself as annoyingly close as possible.

“Ooh, Tim! We’re all gonna have so much fun together!” he said, mockingly.

Wait, all?

As if on cue, something, or rather some one knocked into him.

“ Scar!? ”

He whipped around to see Scar scrambling to stay upright, comically dusting himself off. Grian was grinning even wider at Jimmy's conflicted shifts in expression.

 Scar looked up from his brown jacket, seemingly only now noticing that it was Jimmy he had bumped into.

“Well, hello there Jimmy! I happened to stumble into this little town here when I met Grian, it’s really nice!” he cheerfully greeted. He looked none the wiser to Jimmy’s annoyance.

“Yes, Scar, I live here. H- how are you doing this-“ he resisted the urge to drag a hand down his face.

Now there were two bastards standing outside his house and they probably weren’t gonna leave until sundown, how could this possibly get worse!?

“Welcome to Toytown! ”

This is officially the worst day of his life.

♡

A “rift between worlds” as Grian had described it was apparently what had brought the hermits to Empires, not that it explained much. Not only was he going to get teased by the usual offenders, he now had a whole new group of pranksters that weren’t going away for the foreseeable future to deal with too.

 He was being overdramatic, though. He did like them a whole lot. 

Joel had brought FWhip along with him, making for a funny looking duo, with their height difference and all.

Grian had chatted his ears off while he tried earnestly to show off his favourite parts of Tumble Town, though they had yet to visit the other side behind the cliff. Everytime he presented something new, the hermits would either get immediately distracted by something else or Joel and FWhip would poke fun at him.

 The only thing that Scar was particularly interested in was what Joel called “Andy’s room”, damned that man.

The five of them made their way across the dirt road to the railroad stretched across the cave, connecting the two parts of the town.

 The rustic smell of the track under his spurred boots felt familiar and homely, though he couldn’t help but think about finally finishing the rails… That seems to be a problem for future Jimmy.

 The dim lighting of the cave soothed his eyes from the harsh day sun, it was a welcome change.

The group came to a halt when Grian shouted something he didn’t quite pick up.

 He was talking to Joel when he noticed the man wasn’t paying attention to their conversation anymore, his eyes instead trained ahead, further down the cave.

Jimmy followed his gaze as it landed on another person standing frozen in front of them. Someone else must’ve also found Tumble Town, he thought.

The figure stood out like a sore thumb against the oranges of the cave walls, with his long black coat, paleish skin and… wait wasn’t that Shelby’s hat?

 He wasn’t particularly tall, though he wasn’t quite short either. A comfortable in between. Though, with the height averages being as skewed as they are here that doesn't say much.

 Swishing behind his tall black boots was a long blue tipped tail, similar though distinct from FWhip’s.

Really distinct. 

Really, really oddly distinct.

It was the wrong colour though, right?

Jimmy felt his heartbeat pick up at the thought.

His eyes trailed up the front of his coat, up past his face to his icy blue hair. 

 The strands stood in every direction, yet still meticulously combed down and backwards, framing his face. A few stray strands fell over his eyes and nose, the aforementioned eyes being blown wide, frantically searching him up and down.

His eyes stood out to Jimmy, almost beckoning him to stare into them. They were a piercing bright blue, with the sclera being slightly darker. They reminded him of an endless abyss, dangerous and never ending, yet breathtaking and beautiful in their own right. No matter the shade, those eyes would surely imprint on you.

And he swore to all that is mighty that he’d seen them before.

His eyes widened, a chill running down his spine.

It finally settled in.

That’s… That’s his-

The other’s pupils shot up, meeting Jimmy’s head on. 

That’s his rancher.

That's his-

“JIMMY!”