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There are many ways to say goodnight to someone. And during a death game, when souls are bound together and everything is on the line, something as simple as a goodnight can mean the world. Though sometimes, it's how it's said that makes all the difference.
With Comfort
Jimmy and BigB's night started with some cleanup. Once their Treehouse base had been built, they'd had a bit of a fiasco involving a basket of chicken eggs and several water buckets, but once they'd finished laughing, it had to be tidied up before they went to bed. Jimmy sopped up the water and egg residue with a towel while BigB changed their sheets, and though it still smelled a bit damp in their Treehouse afterwards, it was clean enough.
"You have to promise me that we won't do this inside of the base again," BigB insisted, though his tone was light and unbothered. "It was fun, but jeez, tidying it up took forever."
"We can make sure to keep the mess outside next time," Jimmy agreed, a bit sheepish. "And perhaps I got a bit carried away messing around."
BigB chuckled. "Well, I was laughing and you dropped the first bucket of water-"
"Though I don't know how you managed to drop that entire basket of chicken eggs..."
"Because I slipped on the water that you dropped-"
"You definitely didn't need to spill that second bucket of water, though."
"I was trying to clean up the eggs!"
"And I'll admit that the third bucket of water was for hyperbole, mostly..."
"You absolutely knew what you were doing." BigB shook his head, though he still had a huge grin on his face.
"I mean, it was already a mess. I just made it a bigger mess," Jimmy admitted, smiling mischievously.
"You're ridiculous," BigB sighed, ruffling his soulmate's hair. "But we need to get ready for bed now. This'll be our first proper night in this base, you know."
"It's so nice to have a roof over our heads this early," Jimmy nodded. "You built an excellent Treehouse."
"WE build an excellent Treehouse," BigB corrected, reaching into their dresser drawers and pulling out a pajama shirt. "Don't sell yourself short, you built just as much as I did."
Jimmy didn't look convinced. "But you came up with the shape and the block pallet and the height and-"
BigB stepped over until he was face-to-face with Jimmy and took his soulmate's face in his hands, gently. "Don't undervalue your work. You're a great builder. We're a team, and you helped me so much."
Jimmy's face was instantly flushed pink, and though he opened his mouth several times, he didn't seem to be able to figure out what to say in response.
"Now, let's get ready for bed." BigB stepped backwards again, returning to the dresser and tossing Jimmy his pajamas. "We're going to want to be well rested for tomorrow. Lots of people to visit, antics to get up to. Right?"
"Right," Jimmy agreed, grinning. He was still blushing, unable to hide his joy. "You know, you're an incredible soulmate, BigB."
"So are you," BigB replied.
"And I promise," Jimmy insisted as he pulled on his pajama shirt, "that I'll do everything I can to protect you. I swear that I'll always have your back."
BigB nodded. "I promise to do the same. I'll protect you until my last breath."
And with that, they settled in for the night, both feeling completely at peace lying at each other's side. No worries of trust, of loyalty, of confidence - and they both knew how it felt to be lacking those. No, their goodnight was completely wholehearted and full of appreciation for one another.
With Anger
Of course, things were less supportive at the Cottage, where Martyn and Scar were preparing for nighttime. The roof was still half-complete, chests and items were scattered around the floor in disorganized haphazardness, and an argument was in full swing, raised voices echoing against the walls of their base.
"No pandas inside, Scar!" Martyn insisted, crossing his arms. He was sitting on the bed, his pajamas rumpled. "I'm not going to budge on this. They'll be just fine outside."
Scar was holding a baby panda gently in his arms, rocking it back and forth, even though that meant his pjs were covered in black-and-white fur. The rest of the pandas were still outside, but not if Scar had his way. "The Jellie pandas need to be kept safe, Martyn," Scar replied emphatically. "We don't even have a proper enclosure for them yet!"
"And that doesn't mean our base should become the enclosure!" Martyn shook his head. "They're smelly and loud and most importantly massive, and this cottage is too small for all of them. I want to get some sleep tonight, and that'll be impossible with the pandas in here. Just let them roam free for the night."
"There's all kinds of hostile mobs wandering around at night," Scar said tensely, "and they'll wander away and get themselves in danger, and it's just one night, come on-"
"Scar," Martyn sighed, running a hand through his hair, "I'm tired, and I don't want to have this conversation anymore. Can we please just find a compromise? Maybe we build them a temporary pen, or-"
"You're tired because you spent the first session wandering around the nether," Scar reminded him. "That wouldn't have happened if you'd just stayed in the overworld and put effort into finding your soulmate."
"Listen, I told you I'm sorry-"
"You could make it up to me by letting the pandas sleep inside," Scar suggested, smiling brightly. Like a perfect salesman, he'd introduced a problem only to provide an immediate solution... that just so happened to benefit him.
Martyn rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but smile back. That was the thing about having a soulmate that he'd discovered - no matter how mad Scar was with him, or how frustrated he got at his soulmate's antics, he couldn't help but share in joy with Scar. It was so easy to let it take over, infectiously happy.
"Here," Scar said, stepping forward and setting the baby panda in Martyn's arms. "We can compromise, like you said. Let the baby sleep inside tonight, and we'll figure out the rest of it tomorrow. Okay?"
The baby panda's fur was soft, and Martyn found himself feeling almost tenderly towards the pandas - which he desperately wanted to fight, because the animals brought nothing but problems. "Fine. But it's not sleeping on the bed."
"Why not?" Scar replied, looking heartbroken. "It's just a baby, Martyn, it's nothing to worry about."
"I feel like that's not an unreasonable thing to request," Martyn shrugged. His smile was gone, that brief moment of softness already feeling like a lifetime ago. "I just-"
"We share this house, and I refuse to let this sweet baby Jellie panda sleep on the cold, hard floor. How could you be so heartless?"
"You're welcome to sleep on the floor with it," Martyn retorted, his voice icy.
"Maybe I will," Scar shot back, "if you're going to be so disagreeable."
He leaned forwards and took the panda back from Martyn’s arms. Martyn let him, wrapping the covers around himself.
The argument hung in the air, bitter and unresolved, but Martyn didn’t want to speak, lest the fight continue. 'Never go to bed angry,' he’d once been told, but right now it seemed like that was inevitable.
Scar grabbed an extra blanket from a chest and curled up on the floor with the baby panda in his arms, turning away from his soulmate. Martyn rolled himself over and faced the opposite wall, still frustrated. But he couldn't sit and fume for long - it had been a long day of travelling and building, and he was tired. Sleep quickly overtook him.
With Eagerness
"So."
"So."
Grian and Tango were sat across the table from one another. Their Bunker wasn't decorated much yet, just a fireplace, a bed in the corner, and a birch table in the center of the room, but the two soulmates had something much more important than decorating on their minds.
"We're yellow," Grian reminded Tango, as if he could forget. An unfortunate run-in with a creeper had already stolen Tango's first life, taking Grian with him.
"Sure are," Tango nodded. "But we're not out of these games just yet."
"And honestly," Grian suggested, adjusted the blanket wrapped around his shoulders, "I'd prefer to have some other yellows with us."
Tango tipped backwards in his chair, balancing on the back legs. "Though everyone's going to be on edge, and it's not like we can be outwardly hostile yet."
"We don't have to be red to get up to some mischief," Grian said, waggling his finger at his soulmate. "All it'll take is leading some people into danger. Or leading danger to them."
The fireplace illuminated Tango's eyes, making him look ever more thrilled than he already was. "I've got a few ideas. We've just got to bring the whole server together for when it happens."
"Maybe we hold a contest? Or a festival? Something to encourage a big gathering?" Grian suggested, leaning forwards in his chair.
"You know they won't trust us. You and me, already on yellow? It's a miracle that Scott and Impulse wanted to ally with us," Tango shrugged. "We're troublemakers. Loose cannons. Dangerous."
"Oh, you make us sound so intimidating," Grian laughed.
"You won once," Tango pointed out, settling his chair back down on four legs. "And you can be pretty scary when you put your mind to it."
Grian raised his eyebrows.
"I'm not kidding!" Tango continued, chuckling awkwardly. "When we first woke up at spawn after my death, I thought you were about to yell at me. You looked so furious."
"Oh, I was for a second. But not at you... never at you," Grian insisted, leaning forward and setting his hand on Tango's. "You're my soulmate, my partner. I was just mad at the situation, that's all. And we'll be fine, we'll get past it."
Tango didn't respond, though he gave a small smile and nodded.
"And as much as I'd like to stay up all night talking about our plans..." Grian said, "...we should probably get ready for bed. We'll need to be well rested for tomorrow."
"You're right," Tango agreed, standing up.
They were a bit awkward as they did their nighttime routines, bumping elbows when Tango washed his face while Grian brushed his teeth, but every time it happened, it led to a brief moment of laughter between them. Gradually they got less clumsy as the night went on - it was their first night coexisting as soulmates, after all, and that took some getting used to. When they crawled into bed, it became quickly apparent that Grian hogged the covers, but Tango didn't mind - he ran hot, anyways.
And they should have gone to bed after that, but even when he was tucked under the covers in the middle of the night, Grian's mind was still racing. Hoping that Tango wasn't too tired, he whispered his first though aloud after a few minutes. "There's a pillager tower near the corner of the map, you know. I spotted it when I was travelling today. That'd make a good trap."
"You think so?" Tango asked, and Grian could hear the smile in his voice, which meant he wasn't bothered.
"And we should build some fences around the base. Just in case another creeper decides to sneak up on us."
"Definitely," Tango agreed. "You don't seem tired."
Grian shrugged. "I can't help it. I have so many ideas. My mind won't quiet down."
"I don't blame you. We just spent the whole night talking, and I just want to keep going," Tango said.
"We think alike," Grian nodded.
"And I'm so excited about the fact that we're soulmates."
Grian shifted his hand over and took Tango's, squeezing it. "Me, too."
"Sleep well, partner."
"Goodnight, soulmate."
With Unrest
Scott had built the framework of their home, but there wasn't much besides that set up yet, and most of their resources were still in chests. So Scott and Impulse had set up bedrolls around a campfire, relying on the light of the fire to scare away any of the creatures of the night. It should have been cozy.
Impulse was poking the fire with a stick, sitting atop his bedroll, while next to him, Scott was furiously scribbling in his book. He'd put together the journal quickly, made with scraps of paper, leather, and string, using a feather from a chicken and some squid ink to write notes in messy handwriting.
He couldn't even read it, but Impulse didn't have to guess what his soulmate was writing. Scott had been very clear that he was already planning for revenge, furious at their first death at the (mostly accidental) hands of Joel.
But Impulse was tired. It had been a long day. He'd chopped down trees and mined stone and hunted animals for food and, even after all that, he'd lost his life, pushed off the side of a cliff to his untimely demise. Death took a toll on you in these games, after all - their bodies weren't exactly built for dying and reviving over and over again.
He knew that Scott felt the same, that his soulmate echoed the burning pain in his back and the ache in his head. He knew that a lot of the anger that Scott felt was his own reflected back, furious to have lost a life in such a stupid, careless way. Impulse would have loved to march up that mountain and give Joel a piece of his mind, maybe even retaliate. But that wasn't how it worked in these games.
"I was thinking we host a party," Scott said, finally looking up from his book. He brushed his hair of out his eyes, accidentally leaving a streak of ink on his forehead.
"A party?" Impulse asked, raising his eyebrow. He took his eyes off of the stick in his hands. "That wasn't what I was expecting you to say."
"We get everyone in the server together and have a good time," Scott explained further. "That way, we can connect with people, make alliances. And of course, Joel and Cleo aren't invited."
Impulse felt his shoulders relax a little. This sounded much less stressful than what he'd assumed Scott was planning. He wasn't exactly in the mood to start a full-out war during these games, and this seemed like a harmless enough way to get back at the duo that had taken his life.
"I'd like a party," Impulse agreed, leaning in and wiping the ink off Scott's forehead.
Scott looked surprised by the sudden, tender movement, but he didn't flinch away. "Then we can start planning. We need to get food, and we need to finish at least the main entryway of the Chalet, not to mention-"
"Hold on, Scott," Impulse interrupted. "It's late, and it's been a long day. How about we get some rest instead?"
Scott looked like he was considering it for a second. And he was, honestly. It'd be so easy to lean his head on Impulse's shoulder, rest and relax, bask in the warmth of the firelight until they both dozed off. How he'd like to push all of his plans aside and spend some time with his soulmate, just the two of them.
But that was foolish thinking. It would be so easy to give in to his tiredness, but he was doing all of his for Impulse. Joel and Cleo had purposefully allowed him to get hurt, stealing away his first life and disrespected him. Scott couldn't let that stand. He needed to make sure that he set a precedent, making it clear to anyone on the server that he wouldn't allow anyone to put his soulmate in danger ever again. Even if that meant staying up late stressing over a plan that would be even more mentally taxing.
"You sleep," Scott insisted, shifting away from Impulse and leaning back over his book. "I'm going to stay up a bit longer. I'm not very tired, anyways."
Impulse knew that wasn't true. "That's fine. Wake me up if you need anything."
He looked back to the stick he'd been using to poke the fire. He'd stopped paying attention for only a short while, but in that time, the stick had caught fire and was crumbling into ashy pieces. Impulse tossed it into the fire, allowing it to be fully consumed by the flames, and crawled into his bedroll.
It was hard to rest when he heard the sound of Scott's quill scratching on paper until the early hours of the morning, writing out plan after plan. But eventually, Impulse fell asleep, though he tossed and turned throughout the night.
With Things Left Unsaid
Ren was already asleep. He definitely hadn't meant to head to bed so early in the evening, but they'd had a delicious dinner, a cup of hot chocolate, and a warm fireplace, and next thing he'd known he was unconscious on their couch, snoring softly with his sunglasses still on.
Bdubs observed him with a fond look on his face, swirling the remaining dredges of hot chocolate in his cup. He'd considered waking Ren back up to talk some more, but he just looked so peaceful sleeping, and Bdubs couldn't bring himself to disrupt that. He'd only been Ren's partner for a little bit, but he was already deeply attached to his new soulmate.
"I hope you're having sweet dreams," Bdubs said softly, his voice barely a whisper as to not wake Ren. "It's been a long day, and we worked hard. You deserve some rest."
Ren's chest rose and fell, breathing deeply.
Bdubs stood and picked up Ren's mug off the coffee table. Their base was little more than a stone box right now because they'd decorated the inside first, making it nice and cozy. "I'm usually quick to bed, you know... but I'm not feeling tired just yet. Honestly, it's nice to just watch you right now. Comforting."
Ren's eyelids twitched slightly beneath his sunglasses, but they didn't open. Clearly, he was dreaming.
"And maybe that's weird. But it's like I've taken the first watch on a camping trip," Bdubs continued quietly, setting the mugs ever-so-gently into their sink. "And you look so peaceful when you sleep. When you're awake, you're always making grand plans or getting into trouble, but right now, you look completely at ease."
He picked up a spare woolen blanket and slowly set it over Ren. Bdubs was gentle enough that his soulmate didn't even stir.
"I'm glad we're soulmates, though," Bdubs mused, "because I don't think I could handle it if I wasn't able to be at your side. And I know you and I will get along. We're well suited. You're a leader, and I'm a listener."
Ren snuggled a bit deeper into their throw pillow, clearly unbothered by the whispering.
Bdubs leaned down and took the sunglasses off his soulmate's face, setting them onto the nearby coffee table. "Of course, I'm not sure if you'd agree. Maybe you're a bit disappointed that we're soulmates. I'm sure you wanted to be with someone brave, like Cleo, or ambitious, like Grian. I'm not necessarily either of those."
Without the sunglasses, Ren looked so soft, so unstressed.
"And maybe you wanted someone you're more connected with, like Martyn. I'm not sure," Bdubs said, letting out a forlorn sigh. "But it can't be helped. We can't control our fates."
There was no response from Ren. Of course.
"Maybe I'll prove you wrong, though. Maybe I'll end up being your hero." Bdubs was hovering over Ren, his voice barely even a murmur. "Maybe I can be someone that you care about."
Ren twitched, and then he shot up, suddenly bursting into action. He looked terrified for a moment, clutching his throat, but when he caught sight of Bdubs, he relaxed slightly, hands dropping down to clutch the blanket lying on top of him.
"Bad dream?" Bdubs asked, looking deeply concerned. He knelt down next to the couch, putting a comforting hand on his soulmate's shoulder.
"I think so," Ren nodded. He was breathing heavily, almost gasping for air. "It was- I thought I was- well, it's fine. Just a dream, reminded me of something. It's not real."
"Hopefully you'll sleep better on the actual bed," Bdubs reassured him, brushing a strand of hair out of his soulmate's eyes. "And if you have any nightmares, I'll be here. You didn't miss much, just me rambling aloud to no one, I guess."
"What were you saying?" Ren asked, his breathing getting slower as he calmed.
Bdubs paused for a moment, but then he shook his head. "Oh, nothing. It's not important."
He stood and offered a hand to Ren, who took it. They settled into bed, bid each other goodnight, and quickly slipped into an easy slumber, with more than a few things left unsaid between them.
With Understanding
It had been a tense night. They'd been soulmates for barely a day, and Joel had somehow already caused mass havoc. Cleo knew she could be less than pleased. She knew she should be.
Their Tower on the mountains was a bit chillier than expected, so she and Joel were both wrapped up in blankets, her on the couch and him in the kitchen, preparing a late-night slice of toast for himself. They were both fairly independent, so they'd spent most of the evening doing their own thing, whether that be preparing food or polishing armor or peering out the window.
Ah, that last bit. Joel was paranoid, and Cleo knew it. He'd told her immediately that he hadn't meant to actually push Impulse off that cliff, but it had still happened nonetheless. He couldn't undo it, and every attempt to message Impulse and his soulmate had been ignored. So now he was scared, now he was unable to sit still. He was worried he'd lose everything.
"Hey, Cleo? Could I ask you something?"
She'd been expecting this conversation.
Joel sat down next to her on the couch, a white woolen blanket draped over his shoulders and a slice of toast on a napkin in his hands. He was trying so hard to look unbothered, to seem calm, but Cleo knew better. He'd been stress-eating for most of the evening.
"Go ahead," Cleo shrugged. She really wished she'd built this Tower with a fireplace. Maybe she'd modify it tomorrow, but she was too tired tonight.
Joel took a bite of his toast, which was smothered in berry jam. "You know-"
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Cleo chided, cutting him off. "I can barely understand you."
Joel chewed rapidly and swallowed. "Sorry. I know that today's been... eventful for us."
"That's an understatement," Cleo muttered, picking at her nails.
"And that's my fault," Joel continued, watching her expression carefully. "I've already apologized to you, and we've talked it over, and... yeah. We've done all that."
"We have." Cleo waited for her soulmate to finally spit it out.
"And, well..." Joel took another bite of toast, seemingly worried to continue his sentence.
"I know you're nervous, Joel. I've seen you pacing and keeping watch all night. I know you're worried that Scott and Impulse are going to come try and exact revenge, but we're fine. We'll defend each other," Cleo reassured him. "But I don't think that's what you want to talk to me about. There's something more, right?"
Joel nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess I am nervous... but, ah, it's more than just that. I'm worried you're mad at me."
That caused Cleo to pause for a moment.
"You have every right to be. I messed up and I've dragged you into it. I thought you might tell me off, or yell, or even leave me," Joel continued, "and I've just been waiting for the other shoe to drop. You seemed shocked, and tense, but that can't be everything. I know you. So please, don't drag it out any longer. If you're going to do it, just do it."
Cleo took this all in, studying her soulmate's face carefully. He wasn't just scared of the potential revenge from the rest of the server - he was also scared of losing her, too. How had she not been able to tell?
"I'm mad," Cleo admitted aloud. "You're not wrong about that."
Joel looked away, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I knew it."
"But I'm not going to throw a fit, or take it out on you. And I'm certainly not going anywhere," Cleo continued. "You made a bad choice, and it's going to make things difficult. But I've made mistakes, too. In those times, all I wanted was some understanding, and it would be wrong of me to not give you the same respect."
"You-" Joel looked shocked, and he was stuttering, which was something she hadn't really seen from him before. "I mean, you're not-"
"You're my soulmate, Joel." Cleo put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm going to stick by your side, through the good and the bad. I'm going to protect you at all costs, and I know you'll do the same."
"I will," Joel nodded rapidly, his expression growing intense and determined again.
Their was a brief moment of silence as they looked at each other, and their connection felt so strong that it almost made their freezing Tower warm and cozy.
"And never feel afraid to tell me how you feel," Cleo added. "I'll be honest with you, and you'll be honest with me. Deal?"
"Deal," Joel agreed.
"We should head to bed," Cleo said, standing up and stretching. "Need to be well rested for tomorrow. I have some plans, some potential alliances we could form. We'll be ready, and we'll do this together."
Joel stood up as well, leaving his toast half-eaten on the coffee table. "We'll win this together. I know we can."
And when they tucked into bed, they both slept with ease, no tossing or turning, no fear, at least for the night.
With Fear
It should have been an easy night. Etho and Pearl both certainly wished it was a easy night.
Pearl had started building their base, a pyramid-shaped structure that she'd built from sandstone and mangrove planks, but it wasn't anywhere near done. So they'd taken refuge in a nearby cave, sitting around a dying campfire. Etho had hung up some blankets to make a tent-like covering over their sleeping bags, and they'd been having a rather pleasant, tired chat.
"I was thinking we could add some deepslate accents around the pyramid," Pearl described. "And maybe we plant some vines along the walls, to give it a sort of overgrown effect. And on the inside, we'll set up some pillars, and make a big central dining table."
"That sounds like a good idea," Etho nodded. It was hard to tell, but it seemed like he was smiling under that mask. "I can gather some extra materials for you."
"And you should feel free to suggest any changes to the build," Pearl insisted to her soulmate. "This is our communal space, and you should have just as much input."
"Your ideas all seem perfect. I have no complaints," Etho replied, leaning back on his elbows and staring up at the cave ceiling. "Besides, it's fun to listen to you get excited about your building plans. It's endearing."
Pearl laughed, a bit flustered. "Well, I'm glad you don't mind. I'm excited for us to be teammates, Etho. We-"
She cut off abruptly, tipping forwards, and Etho's head snapped over to his soulmate in alarm. Her breath had grown ragged, and though she'd caught herself on her elbows right before she could fall face-first, she still didn't look great - her arms were shaking, body was stiff and twitching as she took in heaving breaths, and her eyes had gone pure white, blinking rapidly. Etho scrambled forward and lifted Pearl up, taking the pressure off of her arms, and for a second, she did nothing but gasp for air and blink, blink, blink-
And then she was fine. Pearl coughed, squeezed her eyes shut, and rubbed her forehead.
"What was that?" Etho asked, continuing to hold his soulmate upright. "Are you okay? What happened?"
Pearl took a deep breath, leaning against Etho's shoulder. "I- I saw- it was bad. Etho, you can't- please, you can't tell a soul about this."
"I won't," Etho nodded, still looking confused. "I would never."
"I saw-" Pearl's eyes opened, and they were normal again, warm and brown. "I saw something. I think it was the future. We were all- it was bad, Etho. We were all fighting, and people were dying, and I was so scared. There was a crater, and someone was shot by an arrow, and there was a body falling off a cliffside, the body of..."
She trailed off, shaking her head.
"Of who? Who did you see?" Etho asked.
"No, I shouldn't- we shouldn't meddle. I can't tell you. The more we try to change the future, the worse it will be."
"Okay," Etho agreed reluctantly. "Whatever you say. I trust you."
"And don't mention this to anyone." Pearl leaned forward, looking deathly serious. "In fact, let's pretend like this never happened. If we're lucky, it won't ever happen again."
Etho knew, somehow, that it wasn't going to be that easy.
"Things are going to get worse, Etho," Pearl muttered, her eyes darting around the cave. "It's inevitable. All we can do is try to protect each other."
"I'll protect you, Pearl." Etho shifted away from Pearl, breathing a sigh of relief when she stayed upright without his support. "Right now, you should get some sleep. We both should."
"I'm afraid."
"I know."
Etho climbed into his sleeping bag and listened as Pearl did the same. The only sounds in their cave were the faint crackling of the dying fire and the tense inhales and exhales as they both tried to breath, to stay calm, to relax.
"I am, too," he admitted aloud, not wanting to look over at Pearl once he said it.
She didn't respond to this, and she didn't have to.
"Goodnight, soulmate."
"Goodnight."