#MCSM Tomdra

[dreambones]

(No proofreading, we die in this hill.

If I have to suffer from sunburn due my own hubris, so does my ocs. You have no idea how much I’ve missed the disaster husband.)

It was a less than ideal situation.

She had to make a quick run to the Nether, just in and out for a stack of glowstone, and a bit of soul sand and magma blocks if possible.

But one thing led to another and what started with one very stubborn ghast, ended with a group of angry piglins giving chase after her golden gauntlets broke, which wouldn’t have been that bad if the ghast hadn’t previously burnt the rest of her armor.

Al had managed to get enough distance to jump through a different portal, one she and Finn had built long ago to cut the distance to a Badlands biome. It was a very long trek from home, but at this rate Al rather deal with a couple zombies and creepers than go back through hell unequipped.

The moon was high up in the sky, so it was just a matter of minutes before any mobs started tracking her, she was about to dig a hole and call it a day when a blue spot caught her attention.

There against the sea of red stones a bright blue tent, one she had memorized the patches and stitches of after the countless times it had been set outside hers and Finn’s home. It felt like an oasis in the middle of the desert, a slice of calm after the storm. Llamas must have seen her too because as soon as she started walking towards the tent, they stood up in unison, softly grunting and whatever the noise llamas do is called. The wandering trader must have been warned by the small commotion, the fabric door moving slightly to the side as Al spotted the glint of a potion.

“Fancy meeting you here stranger”

She greeted with a smile that did not match her disheveled state, tips of the hair scorched, ash sticking to her clothes, not to mention the bright red tone of her back skin, arms and bit of face.

Al always struggled reading what was truly going on in Tom’s head, but right now the usually playful man looked worried. It was an odd look on him. There was a pause, then a frown, a look of recognition, and back to a frown, except this one looked angrier than before.

“My love, did you go to the Nether with no armor?”

It was not a question, it was an accusation.

Al lifted both arms in mock surrender, trying to smile to hopefully keep the situation from scaling.

“It looks worse than it is, I promise! I got into a bit of a mess but I’m fine, nothing more serious than a small sunburn.”

Tom lips curled slightly down, yeah he was not buying that. Before Al could insist, or react, Tom had lifted a hand and placed it fully on her very tender shoulder. It was true it wasn’t worse than a sunburn, but it was a very bad sunburn at that. The touch even if gentle had sting, making her flinch and barely hold back a wince of pain.

“…”

“Nothing more serious than a small sunburn, hm?”

He was definitely upset, Al could only look to the side to avoid the piercing green eyes.

“…Maybe a second degree sunburn.”

She muttered, she hated making others worry, sure she had been turning more and more irresponsible, taking more risks, getting out of her comfort zone, but she made sure it never got too bad, with mixed results.

Al heard Tom let out a soft sigh, the hand on her shoulder carefully caresing the damage skin before lifting away.

“Come on in, I’m not letting you stay the night out here, as tempting as it is”

The trader muttered the last bit in villager, he didn’t talk it often when not among the other villagers but Al had started linking that he did when upset or startled.

She didn’t try argue, taking a hold of Tom hand before he could walk away, giving it a soft squish. He hesitated, but returned the soft squish before letting go to open the tent and hurry up inside.