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The flickering portal dies down behind Xisuma as he emerges, one hand raised in a friendly greeting for XB - wherever he would be, on the other side. Under his other arm is tucked a brown shulker box.
XB’s eyes linger on the latter for a moment. When Xisuma has a shulker already out before crossing the portals, something is always afoot.
“Hellooo?” He brushes some dust off his hoodie, and watches Xisuma’s head swivel towards him as he comes into view up the stairs. “Mr. Xisuma! To what do I owe this pleasure?”
Xisuma lets his hand drop, along with the tension of Nether travel. “XB! Good, I figured you’d be here if you weren’t at the mansion-”
“Eh, that’s functionally just an aquarium at this point.”
“Ah, fully moved in here, right.” Xisuma looks around as they head back into the covered temple space, nodding approvingly. “Looking good, you’ve been busy!” He pauses just a moment before adding, “In more ways than one, if what I hear’s all on the up and up.”
“Oh?” XB arches an eyebrow - an art that he has perfected, letting a single syllable and movement speak a thousand different things. This time, the meaning is simple enough - And what exactly have you heard about me this time, X?
“Well, more what I saw - the latest episode of Tall Claims Court came out the other day,” Xisuma explains. He’s distracted by a passing bee for a moment before continuing. “And, you know, Bdubs is great at editing, which means that it was very fun and flashy, and by the end of it I wasn’t exactly sure who won. But I think congratulations are in order for you and Beef, yes?”
Ah. XB nods. “Something like that, yeah.”
“Nice!” Xisuma claps him on the shoulder heartily. “GG! Or, whatever you say after winning a trial. Maybe I should make you a trophy - Trial Won. Since it was over the shop, and all.” He pulls back, actually considering the idea.
“Have to make one for Cleo, too - she got away even cleaner than we did.” XB snorts. “We still had to cover Mumbo’s lawyer fees for him, which he hadn’t even worked out with Scar before the trial.”
“Right,” Xisuma says, in a way that’s so forcedly casual it’s basically a neon sign. His eyes dart to XB, and away. “Think I heard that - something about the payment being a few shulkers of…prismarine?”
XB can hear the hesitation on the last word, and does the math, even as he keeps his own voice even. “Dark prismarine, five shulkers.” His lip twitches upwards. “He forgot to specify how much in each one.”
Xisuma laughs at that. It ends almost too quickly, trailing off onto itself. He can’t seem to decide whether to look at XB or not.
Finally, XB leans against one of the pillars. “So, did you just come here to ask how the trial went, or…?”
“Right!” Fumbling it a moment, Xisuma holds out the shulker box he’s been carrying to XB. “Just wanted to make sure I knew whether this was a gift or consolation, but it sounds like we’re in Gift territory so. Congratulations!”
He pulls the lid open for XB, who peers inside. It’s brimming with wood - all the nine non-Nether types, three stacks apiece. Looks fairly fresh, as far as stacks of wood can look fresh or not.
With a low whistle, XB takes the shulker. “Wow, X, that’s a lot! Logfellas really up and running now, I guess?”
A nod. “Yeah,” Xisuma chuckles, “still having trouble with the mangrove, cuz it’s mangrove, but Ren and I should be saved from shoveling sand for Doc for the rest of the season. And you, at least for a little bit.”
XB collapses the shulker and tucks it away into his ender chest. By the time he turns back around, Xisuma is almost blatantly staring at the glass wall of the guardian farm. It would be frustrating, how indirect he was, if it wasn’t at least a little endearing.
Clearing his throat in the most obviously casual way, Xisuma says, “You know, Bdubs also said something about being…gifted prismarine, alongside the diamonds you paid him for the work he did.”
“Mm-hmmm.” Neither statement nor question.
“And it crossed my mind that maybe, you might have a little extra than you can use, even on a place as big as this.”
“Mmm-hmm?”
They both stay silent for a moment.
“Grian doesn’t have the prismarine shop open yet, does he.” XB’s tone is almost perfectly flat. “You wanted to buy prismarine from me for the wood.”
Xisuma starts, a hand pressed against his chest like XB just shot him with a Punch bow. “What? No! Me? That’d be against the rules! The regulations of the permits!”
The dramatics of it startle a laugh out of XB, leaning forward and wheezing a moment before recovering. “Dangit, Xisuma, you’re many good things, but one thing you’re terrible at is being a liar!”
Laughing back, Xisuma drops the hand, nodding. “That is very true, sir - though you’re only half-right. An exchange of gifts, moreso, in hope.” He gestures towards the ender chest. “That wood’s yours either way; just figured it wouldn’t do to show up empty-handed, is all. Make me look like a beggar.”
“Maybe I want you to beg,” XB teases, grinning at the way the bare bit visible behind Xisuma’s visor flushes. “Kidding. Of course you can have prismarine, whenever you want - just don’t take all of it. I don’t keep track of how much I’ve got, and if I never have to worry about overflow, all the better. Though at this rate, if Grian never gets that shop open, I might have to become a very generous gifter.”
“You think he’d’ve had it done by now, wouldn’t you?” Xisuma shook his head. “He had to trade so many things around to get that permit, and he’s part of the Permit Office!”
XB tuts, then tilts his head, remembering. “Speaking of shops, how’s Wool Street coming along? I got cyan and black to stock up if the store’s ready for it.”
“Oh! You wanna come see?” Xisuma jerks his head towards the nether portal. “You’ll love it. Joe’s done a real number on the decor.”
XB thinks about his plans for the day, and rearranges them. “Sure. Maybe we can check on the prismarine shop in the meantime.”
Xisuma shoots him a look as they walk. XB looks back, and blinks blankly.
They both giggle as the portal flares to take them back towards spawn.