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If there was one adjective that described Cleo, it was stubborn.
It was a given. Her words were acidic, always simmering under the surface and overflowing like a boiling pot when she got fed up. If her corpse-like appearance didn’t frighten hermits, her passionate and unpredictable temperament did.
What most hermits didn’t understand was that Joe was just as determined. Maybe not as assertive as his undead friend, but he still stood up for himself. As kind as he was, he was defiant, even standing up to Xisuma on occasion. There were also moments when he would go out of his way to help other hermits, even to his own detriment.
…including times when he was sick.
Nobody had seen Joe in a few hours. Last thing Cleo heard was from TFC, who said that Joe had to cancel their scheduled mining trip last minute due to a stomachache.
Joe was built like an inbred, fungus-infected goldfish. He was abnormally floppy, unusually pale and always had something wrong with him. He always complained of cramps like a teenage girl. Cleo always rolled their eyes at him, finding it amusing that the guy who always had gastrointestinal issues was friends with someone who could eat rotten flesh without getting sick.
But this wasn’t like him.
Joe never missed his get-togethers with TFC, the fatherly dwarf who reminded him of his grandpa, complete with a story for every moment and aching joints that slowed him down but never stopped him. Every chance he could, Joe would hang out with him. Sometimes it involved doing little chores around his base, and other times it meant mining with him to keep him company. He was there to make sure TFC was taking care of himself, just like Cleo did with Joe.
It was on that fateful afternoon that Cleo flew over to his base. The Strait of Joebraltar was too quiet, even for her. As sneakily as she could be, she crawled into his main base. She opened the door and turned the corner, noticing Joe curled up on the couch, shaking in pain. He cried, or at least gave out pained whines when words couldn’t describe his pain.
Yeah, this wasn’t normal.
“You good?”
It took Joe a minute to recognize her as he gave a shaky thumbs up. Yup, he was lying. Probably dying as well.
This wasn’t a normal stomachache. Joe was trembling, consumed by a powerful wave of roaring nausea. Sweat rolled down his brow, his skin already hot and clammy. He clutched his stomach, almost as if it would help him. It hurt so much to move that enormous tears were falling down his cheeks, larger than Cleo had ever seen before.
Cleo just sighed. “I’m getting Zed.”
“Wait…” Joe rolled slightly on the couch, sluggish and close to tears. His voice was barely audible. “Don’t do that…”
“Joe, you can’t even move without crying. You need help.”
“I’m fine, Cleo…” Joe huffed, trying to breathe through the pain.
“Look at yourself. You’re not okay.”
“Yes… I am…” Joe coughed, visually in pain, just before…
Yeah, Cleo didn’t have the words to describe what he did next.
At least he made it into the small, empty trash can next to him, just under where he was lying on the couch. He leaned over the can for a solid five minutes, alternating between heavy heaving and gasps for air. His inside bits spewed everywhere. His hair, his clothes, his glasses all covered in traces of foul filth.
If that didn’t answer any questions for Cleo, then she was not sure what would.
~~~~~
Cleo sat around Zed’s base, watching the stupid videos of animals playing around as she sipped from the complimentary coffee. It was times like this when she wished she was human so she could see the true appeal of it. It kept the other hermits awake, but Cleo was just in it for the taste.
Joe had been in surgery for an hour or so now. Zed reassured her that he’d be fine, but Cleo wasn’t completely sure. Zed was a loose cannon, but he was the only available option at the time. While Cub and Doc were busy with wars, Zed just did his own thing, trying to be as neutral as possible.
But Cleo refused to take any chances, especially not with someone like Joe.
The sun was peeking through the window, but just barely. The sky was still dark with the prettiest shade of blue, a few waves of orange and pink burning at the edge of the horizon. Cleo pulled out their sketchbook from their inventory, quickly drafting a design that attempted to capture the early morning in its rarest form.
Nature was the prettiest muse. A statement that every hermit could agree with.
Just as Cleo turned their head, the door to the office opened. In walked Zedaph, holding a clipboard in one hand. His hooves clacked against the floor, nibbling unprofessionally on the pen in his other hand, removing it just before Cleo really noticed.
“So, everything went okay?”
“Pretty much.” Zed’s smirk got wider. “He was a wonderful patient. Didn’t move too much at all.”
Cleo really hoped that Zed went through the effort and anesthetized Joe first. They couldn’t stomach the visual of Joe screaming as he stared at his own insides being ripped open. Cleo was already stressed enough. They didn’t need Zed’s kidding to piss them off more.
Zed led Cleo down into the ward where Joe was staying, glaring past the pictures on the wall of his many accomplishments. Some were cute, others bizarre and only slightly unethical, a few downright dangerous and probably banned by the Geneva Conventions.
The ward was quiet but brighter than the rest of the base. Rows of beds were settled there, separated from each other by curtains of different dazzling designs. One was polka-dotted, another striped, a further one zigzagged. The only one that hadn’t been covered up was a blue and white gingham bed with someone lying there.
Upon further inspection, Cleo noticed his mousy brown hair, greasy from hours of pain and restlessness and bobbing slightly as if Joe forced himself to be awake. His mouth was slightly agape as he played around with the remote to the bed, moving it up and down like it was some sort of amusement park ride. His eyes fluttered eagerly as they tried to focus, his glasses left nicely folded by the table within arm’s reach.
Joe was so enamored by the remote and the relaxing way the bed moved that he hardly noticed Cleo there until she touched his other hand. He moved his shaking head upwards, looking straight at her with glazed, half-lidded eyes.
“Cleo…”
Cleo just rolled her eyes in response, stifling a chuckle. “Nice to see that you’re awake, sleepyhead.”
“Yeah…” Joe just murmured, eyes slipping closed as his head slumped downwards. “Okay…”
Cleo expected Joe to be more poetic in this state, just like he was every time he got sick. He always had a flair for the dramatic, whining about his condition nonstop. If Joe was really sick, Cleo would have noticed his abstract mutterings, as interesting as the feverish mirage he found himself in.
But this was just pathetic. A fight with no death, a story with no climax. Just an abrupt end before it even began.
“Woah, hold on there.” Zed positioned himself on the other side of the bed, gently grabbing Joe before he could even think about falling forward and tearing his perfectly neat stitches. He tilted the second-in-command back towards the bed, which was thankfully propped up by his own misadventures. “You’ll have plenty of time to annoy Cleo once you get some rest.”
Joe didn’t respond with anything more than a jumbled utterance before he fell silent, sinking back into a chemical-induced rest.
A part of Cleo’s heart broke at the sight of Joe being doped to the gills, lying so helplessly on that bed, hooked up to some potent drugs. It was times like this that reminded Cleo how fragile Joe really was compared to her. She could take a few hits and keep standing, while Joe could easily crumble with just one.
Cleo turned to Zed once he got Joe settled, readjusting anything he bumped into in his momentary awareness. “He’s going to be out a while, isn’t he?”
“Well, morphine is a pretty strong opioid. There’s a reason it’s named after—”
“I mean from work, dumbass.” Cleo snarled back.
“Oh, I’m afraid so.” Zed backed away slowly, readjusting his glasses. “An open appendectomy is a minor procedure, but it's still surgery. Even with all the potions and medicines in the world, there is no instant cure-all. We can accelerate it, sure, but that’s something he needs to do on his own.”
Cleo looked away hesitantly, mind racing with thoughts. Thoughts about the server, the shelter, the other hermits who hadn’t picked a side in the war. It felt silly to focus on those thoughts instead of taking Joe into account, who was too busy rotting in a hospital bed to care.
“Still, he won’t be this way for long.” Zed gave a comforting bleat. “As long as he takes care of himself, he’ll be as good as new in no time. I’m sure in a few weeks, he’ll be back to his old self again. Thank the void for modern medicine, am I right?”
Zed's words should have comforted Cleo, but they didn't. Not by a long shot.
~~~~~
The Mycelium Resistance meetings were always at strange times. It was always in the dark, under the cover of early morning so that none of the H.E.P. members noticed before shops opened for the day. They had Bdubs on their team, after all.
The meetings were just as somnolent, full of yawns and half-asleep hermits planning their next moves. Every time a hermit accidentally slipped into a microsleep, another one would jolt them awake with a brutal shake, almost enough to send them falling onto the floor in shock.
It was only a matter of time before a coffee pot was installed, always running for the weary hermits. They would bring breakfast, often in bundles of pasties and other things that a sleep-deprived hermit could gather around.
xB sat lazily at one of these meetings, nose twitching with the scent of food. His eyes were half-open, enough to pass for alertness without Jevin jerking him around like a rattle. Sirens could shut off half their brains to protect themselves from predators in the water. The same could be said for boring meetings as well. Just enough to take in information, but also enough to get some rest.
There was a plate with a flaky croissant in front of him, a cup of coffee behind it. He let one of his sharp fingers twirl around the surface of the paper plate, his mind elsewhere. His other arm was keeping his sleepy head upwards, making sure it didn’t hit against the wooden table and reveal his fatigue.
Hunger pulled at him for a moment, causing xB to momentarily snap out of his stupor to bite into the buttery breakfast Impulse brought in. He chased it down with a swig of the lukewarm drink, full of more creamer and sugar than coffee.
Next thing he knew, the meeting ended and the other hermits started to disperse. Doc and Ren went to work on experiments, Etho and Impulse headed towards their shops, and Jevin and Grian stayed around to talk about future plans.
xB stood up, his body as cumbersome as a boulder. He wiped some of the sleep from his eyes, moving out of the secret base as the sun rose above the server. His scales glimmered in the morning light, illuminating every hidden spike and scar running under his skin.
The silence of the morning brought relief, but then fear.
The season hit him like a pile of bricks, juggling his time between strained relationships, his shops, and his role in the resistance. There was hardly enough time to slow down. Always more work to be done and always more uncomfortable situations to avoid.
xB got up in the morning, travelling from his fitting base on the edge of the server to his redstone shop. He ran them until twelve, stopping for a momentary lunch break before returning to his work. Once the day was over and the sun started to set, he headed back home, too fatigued to move around but unable to rest.
He did everything to settle down as the night grew darker and undead mobs lurked around the sandy shores. He ate dinner, often made up of cheap ramen he made himself. He turned on the television to a low volume, often to something soothing like a cooking or renovation show. Sometimes it would work, but most of the time, it didn’t.
His mind was filled with threats. Not from mobs attacking him or his base crumbling around him, but rather from within his own heart as it fluttered against his chest.
Keralis being on the side of H.E.P.
Jevin devoting himself to the Mycelium Resistance, even more than xB.
Hypno. Just Hypno. Always there, but never getting too close.
It was on those nights that his mind would race, his body reacting with the same pace. A heart that beat too much. Breaths that came in violent waves. A stomach that felt like a storm. A feeling that lingered long after all the misery of the entire day had passed.
xB shook off the fear and fright from the previous night and returned to his shop. He sat by the counter, watching the other hermits go by. Hermits came and went as frequently as fish around coral, busy but blurry. He tried to greet them with a smiling face and a cheerful demeanor, but he could only go so far before it fizzled out.
By noon, xB debated closing up shop for good that day.
He was so tired. Not just for the craving of sleep, but for peace and a place where thoughts wouldn’t bother him anymore. Work was exhausting, he couldn’t focus one bit, and the anxiety from the night still chewed him up.
During the break, he left the shop, his body shaking nervously. He walked around spawn, where some of the other hermits were gathering for lunch breaks. He didn’t give them any mind, letting them eat and interact without getting involved.
Eventually, after some walking, xB came around a lonesome bench. It was a wooden one, complete with metal parts to keep it steady. Hermits usually sat there and talked, ate lunch on them, or used them as resting places when their legs got too worn out from working. It benefited some hermits, such as Scar or TFC, who had legs that couldn’t go long distances and had to stop every so often to rest and recharge.
xB couldn’t deny it. The server was accommodating to all hermits. Xisuma worked hard to make Hermitcraft a comfortable and safe place for all and the other hermits helped as much as they could to make that a reality.
Getting out his lunchbox, xB unpacked his tuna sandwich with his salt and vinegar chips. He was just about to dig into his sandwich when he saw a white blur walking around one of the colorful shops around the district.
xB put down his sandwich, keeping an eye on the blurry figure. It stopped for a moment, sitting down to bite at its tail. xB took it all in, from his pointed ears to his radiant blue eyes, watching the stray dog from a distance.
Since day one, the hermits had noticed wild dogs roaming around the server. They were rather harmless, usually sticking with their pack and only attacking if they felt threatened. However, as the shopping district grew, the dogs became more of a problem. They roamed the streets aimlessly, knocking over trash cans and howling late at night, leaving them unable to sleep.
Now that xB thought about it, where was Joe?
Joe was always there to lend a helping hand by catching all the stray dogs around the server, relocating them to a place where they could live free and joyful lives and no longer bother the shopping district. He didn’t elect himself as dogcatcher for nothing.
As xB pondered, he noticed the sounds of something sniffing close to his food. He looked down to see the white dog reaching for his open bag of chips. Before xB could chase him away, the dog grabbed the bag and ran off. xB watched the dog run for a few feet until a blur of green swooped in, catching him in a net.
xB couldn’t help but feel bad for the poor puppy. He must have been starving, trying to live his life without chains or nets holding him in place. Still, one little puppy couldn’t outrun a server full of active hermits trying to live their lives.
“Come here, you stubborn thing.”
The dog whimpered in the net as Cleo pulled him out by the neck to stare at him. The puppy bit and pawed at her, but none of his teeth or claws touched her skin. Not like she could feel it anyways. The bag still hung in the net as Cleo moved the puppy back into it, throwing the bag out onto the ground. The puppy whined at his snack being taken away from him, exactly how xB felt seeing his lunch being littered on the floor.
“Dogs annoying you again?” xB asked, trying not to focus on how the puppy squirmed in the net, limbs hanging out of the secured holes.
“Yeah, I’ve been chasing this little bugger around for ages.” Cleo growled furiously, with the dog growling back like it was a game, tail still wagging. “It’s so hard doing it yourself.”
“Yourself?” xB asked curiously. “Aren’t you helping Joe?”
Cleo took a breath, almost like the gasp of a dying man. “He’ll be out of commission for a few days. Had one of his organs stop working right. Weird human stuff, I know.”
xB gave a soft warble. “Oh, that sucks. Tell him that I hope he feels better.”
Cleo let the net swing over their shoulder as she turned away without a word, the ropy part dangling like a hammock. She started walking back to the sanctuary when a thought popped into her head, causing her to stop. A wide, grinchy smile spread across her face, but xB couldn’t quite see it from where her face was turned.
“Say, how would you like to earn a few diamonds, xB?”
xB’s fins perked up in fascination, his attention hooked onto Cleo’s alluring words.
For how far he was into the season, xB was down on his luck. The rebellion was costly and he worked as hard as he could in his shops, but he always had debts to pay. Diamonds fell out of his claws, friends always asked for favors he couldn’t instantly return, and he was starting to get desperate.
Cleo’s doll-like eyes finally reached xB’s gaze, reeling him into the perfect opportunity. Temporary, but he would do the server a big favor.
~~~~~
xB had only been working in Joe’s dog sanctuary for a few days, and already, he never wanted to stop.
Joerassic Bark was a lovely place, with large walls, plenty of space for the dogs to run around in, and plenty of toys to play with. If xB were a dog, he would have loved this place. No sadness, no threat of mobs, no responsibilities or wars. Just playing, eating and sleeping, just like nature intended.
xB’s new job was simple. Feed the dogs, give them water, clean up after them, make sure they didn’t kill each other or get out. Already, that seemed like a simple task.
All the dogs were chill. Sure, they were wild and many of them who had been caught were sick or injured when they came in, but they didn’t have a mean bone in their bodies. The only sign of aggression they had was growling at another dog if they tried to take their toy away from them, but it was mostly playful without a lick of malice.
But there was one dog that xB felt drawn towards.
It was the little white puppy Cleo dragged in when he started his job. He spent most of the day being next to xB, following him everywhere he went. Getting food for the other dogs, filling up their water bowls, playing with his fellow puppy peers. He always followed him devotedly, almost like a bishop.
xB didn’t know why he felt drawn to that name, but it fit.
His days got busier, but working at Joerassic Bark was fairly stress-relieving. Even as the Turf War ramped up and his relationships seemed to shift, caring for those dogs seemed to give him comfort. After all, it was just him there most of the time.
Occasionally Cleo would come in, maybe bringing Zed or TFC with them, but they were all neutral. Even last time they had a war, Zed and TFC didn’t get involved, too occupied with science or mining to care about current affairs. The only reason why Cleo got involved was because Joe did. Where one went, the other followed.
And xB wished he had that.
The closest person xB could think of who would fit that description was Jevin. They met years before joining Hermitcraft, brought together by their semi-aquatic natures and isolation in a world that valued safety in numbers. Even after joining the server, the two were still close, but events around the server tore them apart.
He wanted to go back. Back before the wars, back before the server. When it was just them, hanging out in that hidden grotto with mossy walls and low lighting. Back when they shared conversations over fish and rested next to each other in their peaceful corner of the world.
Sigh.
Why did Hypno have to come in and ruin everything when he tumbled into their domain, half-drowned and racked with guilt? Why did he decide to save Keralis in the same position, especially in front of someone who would offer him safety and belonging in an unknown server? Why did he ever think it was a smart idea to leave his old life behind?
These were the questions that wrapped around his brain as he made his way back to his base at night, past the growling mobs and the howling of wind.
It was a night like any other. It was dark, with only the stars and small landmarks lighting his path. It was a long trip, one that took an elytra and plenty of rockets to get from Joerassic Bark to his post-apocalyptic base, inspired by all those poorly done movies he watched with Keralis the season before.
It was at that moment when he landed in the sand, pausing to take a breath as he approached his door, that he heard a howl. Not like the wind, but like a puppy.
xB turned his head. Sure enough, there was Bishop, white fur covered in sand, dirt and leaves. He was panting excitedly, dropping the bone he found from his mouth. He bowed as if he wanted to play, giving out a joyful bark.
Yup, totally hallucinating.
It could have been many things. A lack of sleep. A fever that he didn’t notice. Something that he ate. Anything that wasn’t Bishop escaping on his own terms and causing trouble.
xB just turned away, cracking open the door with a tired sigh. Bishop walked inside, brushing against xB’s leg as he made his way to the couch. He leapt up on it, carrying his bone with him. He barked, almost inviting xB to come lie with him.
If the other dogs got out, that would be tomorrow’s problem. xB was too tired to care.
He didn’t want Joe to take care of them. He was still recovering, resting peacefully at Zed’s base with Zed, Cleo, and the occasional other hermit coming to visit him. He was lucid, no longer tethered to powerful painkillers but not strong enough to continue his physical work.
As long as Joe didn’t find out, Bishop could stay as long as he wanted to.
xB ignored Bishop’s calls, trekking back up to his bed upstairs where he could actually get some good sleep. Bishop followed behind, tail wagging happily. He slumped into bed, barely pulling the sheets over him before he passed out. Bishop jumped next to him, lying down and curling up beside him with his small body.
If only for the night, the server was at peace.
~~~~~
Two things woke xB up: the alarm and Bishop.
His communicator was buzzing, as wild as a hive of hornets. xB jumped to his feet as soon as he noticed what time it was. 8 o’clock, time to start the day.
Bishop just looked at him, tilting his head ever so slightly as if he were still half-asleep. He watched xB move, taking off the clothes he fell asleep in and putting on new ones. After a few minutes, he got up, moving towards the door to welcome another day.
xB checked his communicator. There were no reports saying dogs had gotten out and were roaming the server all willy-nilly, but there was a simple text from Cleo
ZombieCleo: hey xb
ZombieCleo: do you want to see joe today at zed’s base?
ZombieCleo: he wants to thank you for helping with all the dog stuff
xB couldn’t say no.
xBCrafted: sure! i’ll be right there!
Internally, xB was screaming.
He had heard Zed say that Joe might be able to go back to his base soon, even if he couldn’t help around the server as much as he wanted to. In such a turbulent, uncertain time, it was a speck of good news.
xB turned back over to Bishop, scratching by the door, wanting to get out of the base. Bishop’s features sunk in sorrow as xB approached with a stern face, annoyed but understanding. He opened the door, the puppy walking out to do what he needed to do.
A thought came into xB’s head. Maybe Joe would love a surprise. A token that showed all the dogs were being cared for.
Quickly, xB moved over to his bag, full of dog-related objects. He pulled out a collar with a faint nautical pattern, sea blue and speckled with white anchors. It was large enough to fit Bishop, along with a long black leash to keep him from running off.
Getting Bishop into the collar was easier than expected. He offered him a few treats, which he happily chomped on as xB slipped the collar over his head. He barely noticed it as he wagged his tail.
The challenging part was moving Bishop. The puppy sniffed around, constantly trying to get out of his new collar as xB tugged at him. The puppy was small and xB could hold him, but Bishop always squirmed out of his grasp and xB didn’t want to risk him getting hurt.
By some miracle, they managed to get to Zed’s base. Cleo was waiting, thumping her foot impatiently as she sat in a chair. Her wandering, judging eyes noticed Bishop carefully as they went wide.
“You can’t have that in here.”
“Sure, I can.” xB reassured them, picking up the puppy with ease. “He’ll be good, I promise.”
Cleo scowled, still unsure, before sighing tiredly. “Go ahead. Just… keep an eye on him, alright? Because if you rip any of his stitches, I’ll tear you apart.”
xB nodded back nervously, face going a few tones paler.
The two of them walked inside, with the little puppy nibbling at xB's claws but otherwise remaining still. They walked through the long hallway, all the way into the peaceful room Joe was staying at. xB stepped into the room after Cleo, as quiet as could be.
The blue gingham curtains were pulled back, a lamp burning with a soft, yellow hue glowing through them. Joe was sleeping in the bed, content with a tender smile on his face. Hypno was sitting in a chair beside him, snoring away, one of Joe’s books left open on a page preserved by a bookmark. Zed was bleating in his sleep, his head resting on the other side of Joe’s bed.
xB stood there silently, taking it all in. Everything was calm. There was no evidence of conflict or neglect. Just quiet, peaceful coexistence.
A part of him wanted to laugh, but he stopped himself, basking in the tranquility a little more. That is, until Bishop wiggled out of his arms, landing on the floor without a bruise or scratch. His little paws pounded on the floor until he reached Hypno, laying his head on his lap, right next to the book.
xB pulled at Bishop’s leash with a whisper. “Bishop, over here.”
Bishop didn’t move, other than a small, defiant bark. Hypno jolted awake with a startled scream, alerted to the dog’s presence. It took a few seconds for him to notice the dog, moving his hand over voluntarily to pet it.
It was around the same time that Joe stirred at the sound of footsteps, blinking open his eyes with wonder. He sat up, craning his neck over to see the white puppy wagging his tail and whimpering happily.
“So, I’m taking this as a sign that Joerassic Bark is doing well.”
“Looks like it.” Hypno responded, his eyes moving impulsively up to xB before latching on.
Neither one of them reacted for a solid minute. xB would have loved to blame it on Hypno’s powers, but he wasn’t using them. His eyes were soft and orange-brown, normal compared to his intense hypnotic stare. xB had known him long enough to tell the difference.
It felt more like Hypno was spellbound by him, refusing to move an inch. His hands still moved, closing the book on his lap and setting it down before continuing to pet Bishop, but he didn’t look away.
One of xB’s ear fins flipped at the sound of Cleo and Zed, now awake, talking to each other. He turned his head, breaking his gaze away from Hypno. He continued to grip Bishop's leash, but his focus shifted elsewhere.
The two of them didn’t say anything of importance. Zed rambled in fancy, scientific words. Cleo retaliated with words boiling with sarcasm. It was a familiar sound that xB found comfort in.
“So, I heard you’ve been stepping in for Joe while he was out.”
Hypno’s words hissed in his ears, echoing like a cave. He couldn't help but turn his head toward his conventional, unsure gaze.
“Yeah?” xB scoffed, trying to make himself sound more aloof. “Why do you care? Don’t you have your own pet?”
From the unkempt coat over Hypno’s shoulders, xB could notice strands of white fur, much like the ones already coating his clothes. They were much larger and more numerous, making his clothes change a different color.
xB had seen Max around, always clinging to Hypno’s side. He wasn’t sure where the cat came from. He hadn’t seen it around before Hypno came along. It must have been something he befriended when he was out on his own, stewing in uncertainty and guilt.
“‘Pet’ is a bit of a strong word, don’t you think?” Hypno struck back with words as gray and dull as a pebble underneath a stream. “I prefer the term ‘companion.’”
xB looked down at Bishop, both pairs of blue eyes staring back. Bishop gave a friendly yawn before opening his mouth in a pant. xB knelt down to pick him up, his white claws still tapping on the linoleum floor eagerly.
There were a lot of things xB could argue with Hypno about. How dogs were better than cats, how mycelium was better than podzol, how the server wasn’t the same without him in it…
But at the end of the day, he couldn’t argue with Hypno about how much Bishop loved him.
~~~~~
The sun rose above the server one final time in the season, coloring the sky in bright pinks and oranges.
xB has taken his last steps outside of his base, hands full of memorabilia. His back was full of tangible souvenirs from seasons past, following him like a shadow. Not ominous, but always there.
The sea was stunning in the morning light, waves glistening in the distance. The calls of seabirds echoed in his ears, flooding his mind with peaceful thoughts as he saw a few of them fly away. The waves lapped on the shoreline, rushing in and out like steady breaths. xB seemed to breathe with them, feeling the salty air on his tongue.
He had been dreading this day for months. The day he would have to say goodbye to the base he called home.
xB left everything in its place. The bed was tucked in with warm sheets and cushions. The floors had been swept and mopped. All of his valuables and perishables had been taken out. Everything was prim and proper, as if awaiting another occupant.
He made many memories there. Happy ones, sad ones. Funny ones, serious ones. Ones that he would carry with him forever in the back of his mind. Ones that would reemerge every so often like gophers in a garden until they hid back into the dark recesses of his brain.
The Turf War and the Mycelium Resistance. The mini-games with friends. All the builds and shops that towered over him. Catching up with old friends. Welcoming the returning hermits back into his life.
Bishop’s bark seemed to distract him, if only for a second.
There, underneath his paw, was a hermit crab, scuttling on the sand with its small legs and shiny shell. Bishop was bowing, sniffing at it curiously. The crab pinched back, causing the dog to yelp in pain as it let one of the tame waves take it out to sea.
Bishop had grown from a small, rambunctious puppy to a large dog in just a matter of months. He grew into his oversized paws and big head but still stumbled clumsily as he walked. He never lost his energy or his sense of defiance, no matter how big he got. xB couldn’t count the number of times he made messes in his base, chewed up his belongings, or just caused general mischief around the server.
But Bishop was still his baby, his beloved pride and joy.
xB trudged towards the area where Xisuma told them all to meet in the morning. If xB knew his servermates correctly, Xisuma would have already been there. The other admins would have been there as well, probably False and Wels if he were to guess. If he left now, maybe he would beat Grian there. He was always the last one to arrive.
Bishop noticed xB walking away. He stood up and trotted over to his side, his tail still wagging. He gave a firm bark, almost to ask where he was going.
On cue, xB reached into his pocket, pulling out a small dog treat. Joe had plenty of them he made himself, probably with Ren’s input. Bishop gobbled it right up, giving a confirming bark to show it was good.
xB smiled back as he petted the dog’s soft head, the sunlight brightening his already white coat. A coat covered in sand but warm with love. The two of them walked into the unknown, with nothing but their belongings and each other to hold onto.
Whatever the next season brought, xB always had Bishop, and Bishop always had xB.