#and we got skizz in this one too >:)

[hauntingseashells]

Ranchers Pokémon AU — Character Roles

Jimmy is the owner of the nursery in the Wild Area! He's also the only human working there. He mainly takes care of wild pokémon due to his location, though he won't turn down trainers either.

Tango is the fire gym leader, though he does engineering work whenever the gym's not busy (the gym's almost always busy). If people didn't take him serious for his contributions to Motostoke, they take him serious for his strength in battle.

Bdubs is the grass gym leader who seems to prioritise his sleeping hours over his gym job. Because of that, the gym has the most scattered open hours out of all the gyms in the challenge.

Scott is the water gym leader, and a constant hot topic. After all, everyone knows he's too strong to be the second gym leader in the challenge. Why would he give up a higher position that easily?

Joel is the fighting gym leader who shares his gym with Etho, running it during the day. Despite the fact his strategies are pretty predictable people still struggle to beat him — beating raw strength is easier said than done.

Etho is the ghost gym leader who shares his gym with Joel, running it during the night. He's a pretty mysterious guy to the public, barely seen outside of his gym.

BigB is the fairy gym leader, despite the fact he's one of the last leaders people have to face, he's pretty unknown. Most people who do know about him however know his fights are more than just fights — they're shows full of effects, BigB knows how to make his pokémon and their moves shine.

Grian is the flying gym leader sharing a gym with Scar, handling the non-fighting part of being a gym leader for the most part. Sometimes he'll sub in for Scar, sometimes he'll fight alongside Scar.

Scar is the ground gym leader sharing a gym with Grian, handling the battling most of the time. He loves dragging Grian out of his office to fight challengers together, though sometimes Grian has to drag him off the battlefield so he doesn't overwork himself — his disability is something he tends to forget about in the heat of battle.

Cleo is the dark gym leader, previously studying pokémon but realised battling was more their thing early on. They manage to make Spikemuth feel more welcoming to residents and visitors alike, and they're a greatly respected gym leader and person in general.

Ren is the dragon gym leader, because who fits better in the castle of Hammerlocke than a king? Despite being the last leader in the challenge, most challengers don't fear fighting against him — his battles are so full of theatrics you'll be too amazed by everything to be scared.

Martyn is a dragon gym trainer, despite his strength. Word has it he's capable of taking over the gym or becoming the next champion, but he seems happy working under his king.

Pearl is the current champion of Galar, yet many doubt how much she actually deserves that position. Many, including Pearl herself, underestimate just how strong Pearl is, both as a trainer and a person.

Impulse is an engineer working to maintain Motostoke's mechanisms, and a close friend of Tango's. Known to overwork himself to make sure everything is perfect, his work is good but he lacks the ability to take care of himself.

Skizz is a pokémon professor helping new trainers get started alongside researching pokémon and the region of Galar, and another close friend of Tango's. A man of many abilities, he helps out with the gym challenge, resolving any possible problem or conflict that may arise for challengers. While less of a mechanical guy, he helps Impulse carry stuff around so the latter can do his job — though Skizz will also remind him to stop working and take a break.

[hopepetal]

oh i love combining two worlds

[recklessghostart]

About the 'Skizz Situation' and why the fan community is not being a good representation of what it wants to claim.

Before I get started, I need y'all to read this with an open mind and an open heart. This is not an attack on you, or at all. It is me pointing out what I see and hoping to bring stuff to your attention. For those who don't know, the 'light' (and ultimately not entirely correct) synopsis going around is that Skizz got a donator asked Skizz to say 'trans rights' and he didn't because it was 'too political'. The reality? Skizz was chilling and vising with his chat having some good times and stuff, didn't vet the dono before starting to read it outloud, and that dono more or less said that they were a 'long time' viewer of Skizz and (the wording almost felt aggressive/accusing) didn't feel he did enough for the community and wanted him to say Trans rights. Skizz in the moment and trying to keep things light said he was just wanting to vibe with his chat and didn't want his channel to address things too 'political' (he clarified later he meant Polarizing) and he has nothing against nobody. He then followed up in the comments that clarification (which, lets be real, it is polarizing) that he didn't want his community to foster hatred in his comment section and its not the forum to have those debates (which is FINE. He is allowed to have boundaries. Those boundaries were set not just for himself but to protect his LGBTQ+ watchers) and of course he supports the LGBTQ+ community and Trans rights. Something else I wish to point out: This donator claimed to be a long time viewer of Skizz. Frankly I don't believe them or anyone who who is listening to any of this. He has been MORE than open about his support of the community in the past, and often. His last stream before all this was even him talking with Gem and Lizzy, two Bi women, about Bi stuff. That dono was made to stir the pot. To either make him say something to cause hatred in his comment space, or make him slip up and get the community to dislike him. So- how is the community a poor representation of what we claim? Well a lot of the claims the LGBTQ+ community makes is wanting people to grow. To want Allies. To support other discriminated groups. So- They see this Man- this DISABLED man (Skizz has MS) who has OPENLY SUPPORTED them in the past, make a slip up of words, and refuse to understand where is is coming from, why he may want to keep things 'good vibes' and just more normalized (because the very much Gay coded jokes and stuff he and Imp and Gem and the others make NORMALIZES the community which is AMAZING), Who himself is straight and comes from a very red state so may not 100% understand how to word what he means correctly, and basically tries to burn him at the stake. To take away his income. People want to Boycott him over this. To basically destroy his life. (Because he quit his Job to be a full time content creator, and he is still a very small one at that.) Tell me, how does that make anyone ever want to support this community? How does that show kindness and understanding? To make people want to grow? How does any of this treatment make you the better person? Because, long story short, it doesn't.

Now some of you are bringing up his mods, how two may be trump supporters. True or not (I haven't seen evidence of this? But I won't dismiss it), you also need to think of a few things in terms of that. They have been his mods for 5+ years. Mods often are close and friends of the streamers, especially small streamers which he is/was. People, can be friends with people of different political parties. You may not want to, but when I tell you that cutting people off because of a political opinion is new, its NEW. And a lot from the older gen wouldn't even dream of it. Furthermore they are (as far as I know) volunteers. He does not pay them (again, small streamer). He needs mods to run his channels and without them he can not do his job safely, especially for his community. And many people will not do this job for Free (at least not well). He can't just replace them overnight. Give him time to have those hard conversations if he chooses to have them. It's not like they have even brought those beliefs into their work or his streams. Long story short, Be good. Not just to each other but to Skizz himself. Have the understanding you would want people to have for you if you slip up with good intentions. Crucifying someone who supports y'all does nothing good for this community.

[orangeocelotmartyn]

Ren: Skizz is a very...like, honest, and...present character. You know? When he's in the room, you just go-go and hang with him, you know what I mean? He's like one of those guys. You just wanna be his friend, he's just-he's so cool. He's like such a cool guy. And uh, him and I get along very well, we both like the same kind of music, and. I think we had similar upbringings, and what not. Coming through the nu metal and progressive metal scenes. We're kinda cut from the same cloth, so we got on pretty well. And uh. I was so excited to meet him, too. He was such a-he-he's such a legend. Such a--an amazing man. He's so great.

[marzghost]

Ok so I know my two cents in the situation concerning skizz may not matter since I'm not trans but I still wanted to get this out there because if I'm being honest I hate how everything is going down right now. I am genderfluid so I can't say that him not saying trans rights didn't hurt a bit at the time but I got over it fairly quickly maybe because I feel like he's right in that he's shown that he supports the LGBTQ+ community time and time again by his actions or maybe because he'd worked so hard to create a place where people could be kind to each other and forget the harsh realities of our world and society. As much as we want our existence not to be "political" or "polarizing" the truth of the matter is that it is when it sure as fuck shouldn't be. I'm a hispanic afab genderfluid pansexual living in the USA south and the truth of the matter is that most 40+ year olds that support us don't even go as far to show their support like Skizz does. The fact that some of the fandom is calling to boycott him is just absolutely insane to me because why are you going to go out of your way to hurt someone who is a disabled ally, and yes he is disabled since he suffers from MS, and has expressed his fear over and over again about not making enough money for his family if he went full time content creator? He recently became a full-time content creator and just hit 200k subs on his main channel. You have a right to be mad, we all do, but to try and use tactics that are meant to be used on big time companies and such on someone like Skizzleman is absurd. By that logic Scar and other bigger more popular hermits should be boycotted because they love Disney and talk about Harry Potter. You can't pick and choose who you turn a blind eye too just because they're more popular or less known. If I'm not wrong Skizz lives in a red state so yeah he's a cis white male giving him more wiggle room than most but you guys have to realize he does have a family he has to protect and provide for. Skizz does not care what people think of him. He says this on multiple occasions but he sure as hell cares about his family and like it or not people have been killed for saying they support us.

As for the situation with his mods, we have to understand that those types of things take time. He's had those mods for a while with one being on his team for five years if I remember correctly, please correct me if I'm wrong, and can't be replaced overnight not to mention by now they're probably somewhat seen as friends. I don't think they've ever brought up their beliefs inside of streams or videos so maybe I'm crazy but I don't think that should be held against Skizz. He haired them to do a job and they did it pretty well despite their whack ass political beliefs. Yeah obviously he should fire them but damn give it a month or something don't go straight too killing the man before he can learn!

[zhukzucraft]

=====>

Impulse: Martyn?

Impulse: What's up, dude!

Impulse: Are you having a fit of Nether Envy?

Skizz: Dippledop!

Skizz: Did you finally get the goodies for the golden booties?

Impulse: Sure did!

Skizz: Nice! I'm gonna tell Scarface & co you're coming soon.

Impulse: Could you take care of the smelting for us, Mr. Game Master Man?

Tango: Well gee, how can I not when you ask so nicely!

Martyn: Wait, you're going to the Nether? Now?

Impulse: I am! Unless Skizz decides to reclaim his spot, that is.

Skizz: Well uh

Mumbo: I think it's best we don't gamble our waning amount of lives on a resource run.

Skizz: Yeah what Jumbo Jet said!

Impulse: My god you're so whipped, dude.

Skizz: AM NOT!!

Tango: Your order's ready! One pair of booties coming up!

Impulse: Thanks dude! I'll grab the quartz and be right ba-

Martyn: Quartz. Got it. I'll hook you up.

Impulse: wh-

Tango: Okay, bring some glowstone too if you find any~

Impulse: Wait wait wait wait

Impulse: You can't just grab a man's boots like that!

Martyn: Tough, I just did.

Impulse: Come on, man! I was raring to go!

Martyn: And now you'll get to experience the joy of anticipation for even longer! You're welcome.

Impulse: You-

Impulse: Listen-

Impulse: You don't have to risk your life for our redstone components!!

Martyn: No worries, I was going to go to the Nether regardless.

Martyn: You guys can just owe me double.

Impulse: Double?..

Joe: Long story.

Joe: But hey

Joe: Aren't you forgetting something?

Joe: Jimmy still hasn't come down.

=====>

Start Over -- Go Back

================================================

sorry for the long wait!! i was really sick for a week, in brain fog for about another week, and then i felt like i've lost the hang of making this story. i still don't feel confident about this post but i gotta start again somewhere! thanks for sticking around!

[ceratedfish24]

I just saw someone say that Scott has a hard time saying that he loves his teammates. I- have you watched Scott? Scott “‘We don’t need [ender]pearls, we already have the best Pearl’ right to Pearl’s face” Major? Scott “saying ‘I love you’ isn’t going to be a hard task for me cause that’s normal behavior for me” Major? Scott ‘“‘the sweetheart’ as deemed by Skizz, Impulse, and Grian” Major? Scott “‘I love you, say it back’” Major?????????? Scott the most loving person on the server other than maybe Skizz?????????????

“Scott is manipulative. He makes himself look good to protect his teammates.” “Manipulative” implies that Scott is lying. Scott stays true to his word. He’s one of the most earnest people on the server. If he isn’t going to defend someone, he tells them that he’s not going to defend them. If he says he’s going to do something for you, he’s going to get it done, which is why a lot of people value him as an ally. It might blow your mind, but Scott’s openness and honesty is what makes people trust him.

“Scott makes himself look strong.” Scott is strong. He wiped the floor with Impulse. He has escaped being chased so many times. He succeeded at a legendary and remarkably underrated bucket clutch. You think Scar’s bucket clutch was good? It was, but he was expecting to fall and onto flat land. Scott was knocked off of a tower onto a hillside. Nobody talks about that. He’s really good at PvP, and people know that. Additionally, Scott has never made himself look strong. He’s a very passive person. He doesn’t like starting fights. Bdubs is terrified of Scott, and Scott has only ever tried to be friendly to Bdubs. Bdubs just knows Scott’s reputation. Martyn is scared of Scott. Martyn has fought Scott first hand and won, and yet he did not want to make an enemy of Scott after Limited Life. Skizz picks a direct fight with a LOT of people, but he never picks a direct fight with Scott. He knows way too well how that fight’s going to go. Skizz will take on Lizzie and Scar and Tango, but he’ll never target Scott if he can avoid it. Scott knows that he’s strong. His MCC rankings are pretty solid proof. You can’t fault him for having genuine confidence in his PvP skills but not actually wanting to fight if he can avoid it. If he loses, that sucks. If he wins, he’s angered a team.

You’re calling him “manipulative” because his enemies are afraid of him and his allies trust him. That is what happens when an honest person is powerful. Most people who have had any experience with Scott know that Scott is not someone to mess with. After fighting Scott in Limited Life and being on his team in Secret Life, Impulse got WAY bolder on Scott’s team, because he trusts Scott to have his back, and Scott does have Impulse’s back. He’s constantly apologizing for Impulse and was very upset when he was asked to keep a trap secret from Impulse. Scott works so hard to be honest in a game where honesty is not always rewarded, and he does not deserve to be slandered like this, especially when nobody else is being treated like this.

Scott never makes himself out to be anything other than what he is. Lying doesn’t go well for him. He is just a guy trying to keep the fighting away from his teammates, and lying isn’t the best way to prevent that when so many people in this game are so clever or so quick to assume you’re lying anyway. Social games don’t have to be about control. Social games can be about building a reputation of integrity by having integrity.

This excludes Joel because Joel is too close to Scott in real life and will attack him because it’s funny to see your friend get irritated with you.

You know who will never say “I love you” in the life series?? Grian.

You know who was “manipulative” last session? Pearl knew there was a trap, promised not to tell her teammates, knew that Scott knew about the trap, and told him “why are we whispering? why are we crouching? there’s nothing there. you’re being paranoid”. Nobody says ANYTHING about that.

You know who likes to look strong? Bdubs, Jimmy, Ren, Impulse, and Skizz. Those are the ones who make themselves out to be bigger than they are, which is a normal strategy in a competitive situation. Bdubs loves to be LOUD and aggressive. Jimmy loves to puff his chest up and make threats, but he backs off the moment someone hits him back. Ren loves to take the lead (3rd Life, Double Life, and now Wild Life). Impulse loves to get aggressive and petty, and his confidence is often his end. Skizz LOVES to be overly aggressive once he’s allowed to kill, but he’s really bad at backing people into enough of a corner to keep them in a fight. Scott is quiet, because he doesn’t like the attention. Scott likes being distanced from the other Wild Life teams, because he likes being out of the way, but he went with the others anyway.

[theminecraftbee]

Mumbo, still trembling, closes his eyes and ignores everything he can see despite them being closed. He ignores the uncountable sensations against his skin, the mix of burning-cooling-itching that all blends together into something that is simultaneously so painful it’s numb and so indescribable it hurts. He ignores the howling, tending, tearing at his ears, and he most certainly ignores the scent of pure memories that pull him in and out of the moment every time he fails to.

He mustn’t think. He can only bear to think in the brief gaps between the noise. If he lets himself think too long, he will realize that he doesn’t have to have his eyes open to see, because the thing he’s trying to look away from doesn’t exist on that sort of plane of existence. He will realize he can hear the endless fractal shapes of wings and eyes around him. He can taste it. He can feel it. He does not need eyes.

He keeps them shut. Grian had told him, once, that if he ever got confronted with his true form, he must keep his eyes shut. Mumbo is doing that now.

“It’s okay,” he mumbles. “It’s okay."

He gets the scent of someone saying 'Mumbo', a shout, panic, pain, not pain. He screws his eyes shut tighter. An overwhelming sensation that he should flee courses through him for a moment and he nearly runs into one the walls of their cell. Unfortunately, those walls are designed to hold in Grian, so Mumbo just bruises his nose.

"We can't leave. They drugged you and locked us both in, remember?"

The sensation is overpowering for a moment. For a moment, Mumbo loses hold of whatever sanity he's holding on to and every part of his body screams fear. He needs to leave, he needs to leave, he needs to leave, he can't leave, he doesn't know what to do, it's a deep and true sensation of doom and panic and then--

Acceptance. Mumbo finds himself curled on the ground.

Something apologizes.

"You were drugged," Mumbo mumbles. "You can't help it."

Mumbo hears the sound that happens when he's dying, he thinks. Then he hears sadness.

"I won't. You told me what to do. All, all I've got to do is hang on until, until either whatever they gave you gets out of your system, or, or someone rescues us. I mean, the other hermits, they'd certainly be rescuing us, right? I imagine they're already tearing, um, wherever we are? They're already tearing it to pieces. Skizz and Impulse are nearly as frightening as you, and, um, we both know what Doc is like angry, and it's okay, it's okay."

Mumbo does not want to have to be the reasonable one. He keeps his eyes shut and lets the feeling like hundreds of sharp feathers cross his skin as Grian tries harder to simultaneously surround and not surround Mumbo, tries to figure out how not to hurt him.

There is not a way for Grian not to hurt Mumbo. Mumbo has known this since they were first shoved in the same cell and Grian lost control.

He can't say that, though, because the moment Grian panics, he will actually kill him. He won't mean to. That's the truly terrible part. Grian will not mean to. He will not try to. He will try not to, in fact.

It's just. A god and a mortal should not be held in the same cage.

So Mumbo has to be the reasonable one. Just a little longer. Or Grian will never forgive himself.

Mumbo breathes. It makes his lungs feel like they're full of blue and purple and syrup and needles. It makes him feel like crying again. It also makes him feel like curling up and feeling nothing, which is the particularly dangerous bit.

"We'll figure this out. It's okay," he lies in his most soothing tone of voice. Somehow, he doesn't think Grian believes him.

They've just got to both pretend a little longer.

[good-chimes]

Operational Log from the Government Institute for Ghost Supervision (G.I.G.S.):

AGENTS: “ImpulseSV”, “Skizzleman”, “Grian”, “GoodTimesWithScar”

SUPERVISOR: [Redacted]

[Impulse has submitted a request for ‘$2000’ for reason ‘Van’]

SUPERVISOR: Hi boys. Pleasure to be working with you. Can you give a better reason than ‘van’ for why you need two fucking thousand American dollars?

IMPULSE: Oh, sorry sir. We just need to replace some things in the van.

GRIAN: By which he means everything in the van.

SUPERVISOR: You lost ALL YOUR EQUIPMENT?

IMPULSE: You’re new, aren’t you, sir. Have you…met Scar?

SUPERVISOR: I have your personnel files. What does this have to do with Scar?

GRIAN: Oh, you’ll find out.

IMPULSE: Our last supervisor just sort of, uh, approved things. I’ve got receipts.

SKIZZ: We’re at the school, guys! Stop chatting and get in there!

IMPULSE: Gotta go!

[crackle]

GRIAN: Okay, so Scar, Impulse and Skizz are in the building. So far we’ve got the power turned on but no clues. There’s a spooky sort of bonfire in the main hall. Got skulls on it.

SCAR: I lit the bonfire!

GRIAN: Breaking news, Scar has lit the bonfire.

SUPERVISOR: Why did you light the bonfire!? You could draw the attention of a ghost!

GRIAN: Yeah, Skizz, why did you let Scar set something on fire? Pretty irresponsible.

SKIZZ: [noise of incoherent outrage] You try stopping him, buddy.

GRIAN: Can’t, I’m in the van. [further noise of outrage from Skizz]. Impulse is reporting EMF Level 5—didn’t anyone set up cameras? What kind of team doesn’t set up cameras? We’ve got a new supervisor to impress.

SUPERVISOR: Cameras should not be set up during a mission! You should have set them up in the daytime!

IMPULSE: We could use some cameras.

SKIZZ: GRIAN, YOU GET IN HERE, BUDDY.

GRIAN: Okay, okay, fine! I’ll get the cameras.

SUPERVISOR: Why are you risking the whole team in the building at the same—

[Scar has submitted request for ‘$5’ for reason ‘glowsticks’]

SUPERVISOR: Why on god’s green earth do you need glowsticks!?

SKIZZ: Scar, those don’t do anything.

SCAR: They keeps you safe from ghosts!

SKIZZ: What, because they’re too cool for raves?

SCAR: I want glowsticks or I’m resigning.

SUPERVISOR: You can’t resign in the middle of mission!

IMPULSE: Haunt! Everyone quiet!

SUPERVISOR: Wait, a real haunt? That’s highly dangerous! Get out!

[crackle]

IMPULSE: False alarm, that noise was Skizz and Scar frying hot dogs.

[Scar has submitted request for ‘$1’ for reason ‘needs salt’]

SUPERVISOR: Not approved! You’re not supposed to fry hotdogs on an eldritch bonfire!

SKIZZ: We were hungry!

GRIAN: Wait, you guys have hotdogs in there? I’m coming in.

IMPULSE: Oh, wait—wait—yep, there’s the haunt.

[crackle]

GRIAN: Well, Scar’s dead.

SUPERVISOR: Oh god! What!

IMPULSE: I was wondering why they didn’t get attacked. Just a slow ghost, I guess.

SUPERVISOR: An agent is dead and you’re joking!?

GRIAN: Oh, he’ll be fine.

SKIZZ: I got some tarot cards here.

SUPERVISOR: Don’t touch the cursed items! Find your colleague’s body!

[crackle]

SCAR: I hate all of you. You left me to die.

SUPERVISOR: What? Just a goddamn minute. That was a joke? Agent Scar is alive?

IMPULSE: Scar, buddy, cheer up.

SCAR: Grian shut a door in my face!

SUPERVISOR: One agent impeded another’s investigation?

SCAR: Yeah! I was impuded!

GRIAN: What! How is this my fault! A ghost was coming at me and I shut a door!

SCAR: And killed me!

GRIAN: That sounds like a you problem.

SCAR: Sir, I want to file a complaint. About Grian.

SUPERVISOR: Well, put in a placeholder and we’ll—

[Scar has submitted file ‘grain Complaint’]

[Grian has submitted file ‘Grian’s Official Resignation Letter’]

SUPERVISOR: Boys, this sounds like it’s gotten heated, let’s take it offline. Agent Scar, we’ll look into this later. Agent Grian, put your resignation on hold.

IMPULSE: They do this a lot.

SKIZZ: It’s affection. You love each other.

SCAR: I love Grian not murdering me.

GRIAN: I love Scar saving me some hot dogs. Oh wait, he didn’t.

SKIZZ: C’mon, fellas, where’s this ghost?

IMPULSE: We gotta use some of these cursed items.

GRIAN: I vote Scar looks in the haunted mirror. Anyone else want to volunteer? No? See, vote carried.

[Scar has submitted file ‘Im Resigning’]

[Grian has submitted file ‘I’m Resigning HARDER’]

[Scar has submitted file ‘No your not’]

[Last 3 requests have been denied]

SUPERVISOR: How on earth do you work with them?

[Grian has submitted file ‘Turbo Resignation Letter’]

IMPULSE: Oh, me and Skizz have got a knack for it, sir. You just have to let them work it out. Or shut one of them up for the ghost to get.

[Last 1 request has been denied]

SUPERVISOR: Boys, this is sounding like a really dangerous situation and I think you should get out of there. I’m calling a retreat.

SKIZZ: Gimme the mirror, I’ll try saying the ghost’s name.

SUPERVISOR: Did you hear me? Is this thing on? Saying the name is EXPLICITLY the one thing that is unsafe to do on missions!

GRIAN: Huh. Maybe we should have read the manual.

SKIZZ: Just let me do it, sir, we get results.  

SUPERVISOR: Are you four always like this?

IMPULSE: Oh, no. Usually these missions go much worse.

SUPERVISOR: No! No, nobody is looking in any cursed mirrors! I have eighty successful mission supervisions under my belt—

SCAR: Sounds uncomfortable.

SUPERVISOR: Our department has a clean record of no agent deaths—

GRIAN: Oh damn, I knew I should have submitted our reports.

SUPERVISOR: And I—What reports?

IMPULSE: Don’t tell him about the reports!

SUPERVISOR: Is this data right? You haven’t sent in a report in… five YEARS?

GRIAN: One thing and another, you know.

SUPERVISOR: No! Enough! You are the WORST team I have ever worked with and every practice you have is UNSAFE and I bet one of you is looking in the cursed mirror RIGHT NOW—

[crackle]

[crackle]

GRIAN: Scar’s dead again.

SUPERVISOR: [calming breath] Okay, you lot clearly have your jokes, like last time, but I need you to know that’s not funny.

GRIAN: I can get a picture of how he ragdolled. His head’s on backwards. It’s hilarious.

[Grian has submitted photo file lol.jpg]

SUPERVISOR: … That … that is a man who has been killed by a malevolent spirit! That spirit is deadly!

SKIZZ: Funny, the ones they send us on are always deadly.

IMPULSE: Get him back to the van.

SUPERVISOR: LEAVE IMMEDIATELY! I AM CALLING AN AMBULANCE!

IMPULSE: You don’t need to do that—

GRIAN: Hey! Dots! I just saw dots!

SKIZZ: Yes! Mark off dots!

IMPULSE: Sweet, we’ve got it! It’s a White Lady! Let’s go, guys!

SUPERVISOR: Is anyone listening? Is anyone listening to me?

[crackle]

SUPERVISOR: Come in. Come in.

SUPERVISOR: I know you’re driving back. Answer your goddamn radio.

SCAR: Well, hello there.

SUPERVISOR: This is very serious. I have to report Agent Scar’s death—Agent Scar? Is that you?

SCAR: The one, the only!

SUPERVISOR: You were dead!

SCAR: Oh, yeah, but then they brought me into the van and we left.

SUPERVISOR: How—what—

SCAR: I dunno, ask Impulse! I’m usually dead by this point.

SUPERVISOR: Agent Impulse! How!

IMPULSE: Me and Skizz have been doing this a long time, sir. Guess we’ve just got a knack.

SUPERVISOR: A knack for—a knack for—I’m going to get a drink.

SCAR: Toast our great success. Hey, hey, Grian, that’s my hot dog. I died for that hot dog!

GRIAN: You weren’t looking! Finder’s keepers!

IMPULSE: Careful of the wheel, guys, careful of the wheel—

SUPERVISOR: I’m never working with your team again!

SKIZZ: Yeah? I get ya, buddy. See you next week.

[autumnwhistles]

Instrumental for song 2 is finished, as are the lyrics (which will be below the cut)!

This introduces us to Martyn's character, as well as to the burdgeoning alliances currently forming (aside from Pearl and Scott, who will be focused on later; and from the Southlands, which have yet to form in the musical timeline).

(ft some anachromisms and contradictions to canon, since I know many of these alliances are formed later and don't interact with Martyn at this point, but I want to introduce them as soon as I can – there won't be time later)

Do note that the claps will be recorded in person, and that a sparser accompaniment generally means more vocal parts (which can't be heard here, since this is just the instrumental track).

(still may be changed on the recording day – lines I'm not sure about will have an asterisk – but currently:)

[music starts]

Martyn (spoken): Four lives? You know what, I’ll take it!

MARTYN Right, here we go again — new world, another start. New chance to see who’ll reach the end, and who will fall apart Well, won’t be me – this time I’ll be the very last to fall No care for cost, I’ll lie, double cross to take it all*

Walls, corners, edges, I’ve been this way before. You’ll be cornered in the corners, and on edge in many more; And walls you’ll build and walls you’ll raise(/raze) and walls will fall in war, Kinship destroyed, so keep it a void you’re fighting for.

So corner to corner, I’ll keep wandering on, Border to border, through woods, through caves, through spawn, Sure, laugh with some, don’t keep it glum, so long as lines are drawn Forego the rest, and don’t invest, just keep on wandering (WATCHER CHORUS: wandering, wandering) on.

[short instrumental]

LIZZIE Welcome, oh welcome to my tree fort, yet unnamed

MARTYN Be careful with that name you pick — don’t want it to get flamed!

LIZZIE (spoken: …Ah) They won’t demean* A fellow green... ...Your lives?

MARTYN That’s mine to know Is that a tower over there? See you, I’ve got to go!

[short instrumental]

TEAM BEST BEST will be the best, and we’ll show em what we got With our matching shields, and our towering snow fort

MARTYN Hold on a sec, where’s your respect?

BDUBS/SKIZZ Respect?

MARTYN Yeah, that’s my bit! Same shields? Snow? A world ago? With Ren and- fine, have it

SCAR/BEST/LIZZIE/MARTYN No matter if you're in your sixes or twos/Let's find some ore to- I'll sell you an offer you/-mine cannot refuse/It'll be the fairy fort!

Crystals for fleeing,/I'm fine just to chat Crystals for flame,/Not falling for that! Survival's the

ALL Name of the game!

SCAR/BEST/LIZZIE/MARTYN Corner to corner, I'll just keep on wandering, wandering on/Yes, join the fairy fort, I'd love to have you here!/BEST will be the best, with our diamonds and our gold*

We can build a secret passageway so we'll always be near!/Put us to the test, and you'll see that we won't fold/A crystal or spell, oh, Joel, you'd help me sell?/Through woods, through caves-

-But still for my sake I probably should find a team: it would do me some-/We'll aid each other when we need, together we will succeed, oh-/Put us to the test and you'll see that we'll do-/Goody!* Magical Mountain we'll be!

ALL (including Cleo, BigB and Joel, who are now onstage with their respective alliances) Good – It's this I've understood!*

UPPER WATCHERS/LOWER WATCHERS Oh, wander, wander on/Wonder, wonder On/When they'll all start to turn tails

Wonder, wonder/Wander, wander When trust will yield to betrayals/On

WATCHERS/MARTYN Till the rest are gone.../Right, here I go again – I'll fight with my axe drawn* Oh, wander, little pawn/But, unlike then... I'll lead, not play a pawn

[instrumental; END]

(note: for the chorus where everyone's overlapping, I haven't heard it with words yet (since I can only sing one part at once) – I will pan it, but if some parts get too crowded/chaotic, I may remove one or two parts. On a stage, everyone would be singing in different groups in different areas, in different ranges, so it would be clearer – but that's not something available to ,e)

----

(end of post, just overlapping lyrics in black, to help with potential eyestrain:

SCAR/BEST/LIZZIE/MARTYN No matter if you're in your sixes or twos/Let's find some ore to- I'll sell you an offer you/-mine cannot refuse/It'll be the fairy fort!

Crystals for fleeing,/I'm fine just to chat Crystals for flame,/Not falling for that! Survival's the

ALL Name of the game!

SCAR/BEST/LIZZIE/MARTYN Corner to corner, I'll just keep on wandering, wandering on/Yes, join the fairy fort, I'd love to have you here!/BEST will be the best, with our diamonds and our gold*

We can build a secret passageway so we'll always be near!/Put us to the test, and you'll see that we won't fold/A crystal or spell, oh, Joel, you'd help me sell?/Through woods, through caves-

-But still for my sake I probably should find a team: it would do me some-/We'll aid each other when we need, together we will succeed, oh-/Put us to the test and you'll see that we'll do-/Goody! Magical Mountain we'll be!

[ivys-garden]

Life Series Recap: The Penultimate Round.

I have to apologise. I was wrong about what I thought the wild card would be. It was not just skizz and Mumbo coming back to revenge kill everyone… it was fucking MY HERO ACADEMIA WHAT THE FUCK GRIAN!?

Martyn immediately understood the assignment and you should watch his perspective. No, I will not explain why.

Anyway, here was everyone's superpowers:

Grian - got the power to copy other powers, makes sense since he'd know what all of them are.

Scar - got the power to ride anything and to punch Jimmy ten blocks away. This was my first clear sign that the powers were pre chosen despite grian pretending not to know who got what.

Lizzie - could make everyone blind, good for escapes and traps! Perfect for lizzie

Jimmy - at will Invisibility. Was this just so he could hide from people who wanted to kill him? Most definitely.

Pearl - flight! Hermes Pearl cannon let's go!

Scott - can transform into any mob. Definitely just done to see his reaction to becoming a chicken.

Impulse - teleportation. Very good for traps in a smart person's hands. 

Bigb - summons 4 Creakings. The confirmation that these were pre chosen. No way Mr Creaking gets a creaking power by chance.

Cleo - goons! The zombie can summon the dead! Perfect that skizz and Mumbo died first then, those suited idiots have big goon energy 

Etho - rocket jump. They gave a mace power to someone who can't use it. Oh Deer.

Bdubs - Slow time. Also he can make it day at will. That second one is the important one to him.

Tango - super speedy! Perfect for a coward!

Gem - astral projection. Gets to spy on people, Gem Loves That! Unfortunately she also has to talk to mumbo and skizz…

Joel - triple jump. Speed bridgers dream. 

Ren - polymorph into other players. Perfect for a Trickster… but ren is being nice the season so he just ends up collecting his friends like Pokèmon 

Martyn - Super Sonic hearing. He made martyn a listener. If martyns new lore isn't him breaking free of Watcher influence after all this symbolism I will actually riot.

Anyway, breakdown time:

The Final Gals (Cleo, Scott, Pearl, Impulse, Etho, Skizz, Mumbo)

Oh goodness where to start

Pearl continues to suck at traps. What is happening this season?! Did that trap on Gem work? Nope! And when she has a good way of insta killing Tango using crystals, does anyone listen? Nope! But hey, at least she gets to fly like she wanted back in secret life… I mean she had to have that part shown to her by grian and she wasted her mace but …. Uhhhhhhhhh

Speaking of wasting important items we get the most disappointing anti climax of the entire life series as Impulse loses the totem falling to his death in a manner that he had numerous ways to avoid. At least he managed to find a guaranteed way of killing people with that obsidian box trick. He got Gem, Tango and Joel with it. He would have gotten ren to as his tendency to knick people's faces landed him in a case of mistaken identity. Good thing he called them all of since he and Ren are allies and apparently kissed necks. Martyn was kinda passed about that. Wonder why

Bigb is also friends with Renwood and the first one trusted with their super powers. They do form a plan to trap greens with the full combo of all three, but unfortunately that falls through. But bigb does get another trap opportunity to drop someone into the big hole at cake tower, but Ren is too slick and Lizzie is too red so that falls through too. But hey, he definitely got Scar on that dripstone pitfall! Oh wait no that was grian oops sorry bigb no kills for you. 

No wait! Bigb got Scars dropped mace! That was good! Woooooooooooo go bigb!

Anyway

No traps for scott either I guess, well not if you count him killing gem, but that was a team effort. But Scott doesn't trap people, he creeps on them! And now he can do exactly that, but as a chicken!

Cleo gets goons. And sure, those goons were very lippy (know your place Corpse has now been added to my lexicon) but they were great! They rendered grian speechless with their lame insults, who wouldn't be speechless if your dead friends came back to call your tower small? Mumbo also went absolute beast mode on everyone. He killed grian effortlessly and got the credits on killing Joel, Tango and Ren. I guess Mumbo is actually a top tierer when he doesn't have to worry about dying

Skizz may not have gotten any kills, but he did the world a service. He blew up Joel's hideous awful, no good car. Well done skizz.

The Fam (Gem, Joel, Etho)

When not crying over his hideous car, Joel was killing people for blowing up his hideous car. I Kid I kid he did stuff not motivated by his car this session like…. Insult people? Nah that's just a Joel thing. Kill Scott? No, that's also just a Joel thing, or maybe a revenge thing. Be confused? Nah that's definitely a Joel thing…

He has a way of killing people that involves wardens, that's cool! Unfortunately his biggest enemy is Pearl sooooooooo

Speaking of being enemies with Pearl, Gem! …. Wait what do you mean Gem didn't reiterate how much she hates Pearl this season? What do you mean they barely interacted? WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE WASN'T MORE JEWEL BOX DRAMA!?

No no there was drama! Gem definitely still hates everyone else, even if she doesn't even acknowledge Pearl's repeated attempts to kill her. She definitely hates the other members of the final girls, each and every one of them tries to murder her. Even Etho! Heck, they succeed. 

Sure the initial plot by Martyn involving a game show, 5 Creakings and two bigbs was over complicated and ridiculous, but the much simpler solution of keep Impulse in a box and swap Gem in to be hit by swords was very effective, both in killing Gem and acquiring her bloody bloody vengeance. 

As for what she did with her power, yes it made her Infinity harder to kill, but it also massively increased her paranoia and mistrust. The irony should not be lost on Gem complaining about everyone's disloyalty while just DECIDING to hate on the most loyal team.

Her power also let her talk to the dead, introducing us the schrodinger's goons, as Gem paradoxically complained about having to talk to Mumbo and Skizz constantly while also complaining whenever they were summoned by Cleo.

Speaking of Mumbo, Skizz and Cleo, let's talk about Grian. Despite claiming to be part of the family, he certainly doesn't act like it. If anything he spends most of his time hanging with Scar, showing him the world on a magic carpet ride after stealing Pearl's power…. Only for him to then be turned into a drop ride without a seat belt. All in good fun tho. Too much fun, if you ask grian! He made fun Powers for his friends to have fun with and now they won't kill each other! Despicable! (Something Something put that in your Watcher headcanon)

To fix this he enlists Gem and Joel to kill skizz and Mumbo so he can speak to them and get them to kill tango. Gem fails to mention that she already got Cleo to let them kill tango, considering its Gem this was probably for revenge reasons. But revenge would ultimately be Cleos, who unsurprisingly didn't take kindly to having her goons stolen and had grian murked. Only to then be murked in turn by grian. 

Oh also no idea when to mention this but Gem confirms she doesn't care what happens to anyone on her team apart from Joel, and even then she's found with him being stabbed since it means they could murder together.

And she wonders why no one trusts her.

The Tuff Guys (Bdubs,Tango, Etho)

What Was the comic relief up to this week? Not a lot. Bdubs gets excited that he can sleep before he… gets it in his head that sleeping with reds around is actually dangerous. 

And when he's not mining for trap materials he won't use or fishing for Skizzies, Etho is failing repeatedly to hammer nails and trying to kill his…. Sister? Daughter?... family.

Huh, that was over pretty….. quick 

Oh no.

Yep Tango was easily the star of the show this session. His power made it super easy for him to engage with everyone's favourite shenanigans, Fucking with people! He was zippin’ around taunting everyone about how invincible he was

And well you can't say he was wrong. Lizzie's attempts to blind him all failed, he was able to tank Impulse dropping him off Mumbo Tower and he was able to outpace Grian when his powers were stolen by him due to Grian’s lack of expertise…. Skill issue.

Hell, go to tango's perspective right now and Watch the first attempt made by THE ENTIRE SERVER INCLUDING HIS TEAM MATES to kill him.

 Impulse teleports him into webs, which he gets out of as grian slows time. He then almost runs into Lizzie but is able to dodge before being Blinded. A few minutes later he accidentally runs into a Web and is caught by Martyn. Tango throws an ender pearl to escape before martyn can blow him up, almost killing scar in the process. Bdubs slows time. Grian notices tango behind cleo and tells her to move, she starts too but stops as tango runs in front of her and she tries to Trident him, causing grian to hit them knocking both their shots off. Martyn and Etho accidentally tag team to force tango into skizzes path, martyn getting him to four hearts. He then bloody matrix dodges skizzes sword swing (seriously how did that not land). Martyn tries to use a Creeper but a wind charge knocks it upwards, giving tango just enough time for time to return to normal and for him to run out of the Blast zone. Actually, insane play.l

Unfortunately for tango, you can't run your way out of obsidian. Or being stabbed. Or being exploded by creepers.

The Bamboozelers (Jimmy, Lizzie, Scar)

Let's play the game of who was the confident bammer today!

Not Lizzie, that's for sure. Is this the most failed traps in one episode this season? Maybe. Yeah, trying to trap places with suspicious barrels or where people who have spectator Mode live are not the best ideas. Neither is trying to trap Scott in general.

Speaking of Scott, Jimmy is obsessed with him. What else is new? Turns out however that even while Invisible Jimmy is no match for Scott's uncanny ability to see everything. Bad news for Jimmy and his trap game but good news for us as we get to see what it's like for an invisible man to be chased by an angry scottish chicken. Tango also calls Jimmy handsome so not a full loss for him I guess. 

Oh and in case you're wondering, no Jimmy did not have any luck killing anyone else. He and lizzie were very good at forming catchphrases tho

And I guess Jimmy did knock martyn into Bdubs’ tower to be killed by Scar…

Oh yeah, Scar had confidence this session! 4 kils!

While he wasn't riding all his friends. Unsurprisingly his words are not mine. He was smashing them. Yep nope that's worse.

He hammered bdubs’ face in and banged Martyn and Scott off the mountain. He seemed particularly eager to kill Martyn, maybe since he took part in killing Gem and Pearl said she would fly him around if he zeroed in on Scott. Surely this had no lasting consequences for Martyns continual survival….

OK I've done this trick three times. No ones falling for it. You've watched at least one prospective, Martyns dead. Sucks to suck Littlewood 

God why does everything keep sounding like its about a peni-

Ren Wood (Ren)

Oh Ren, what a day eh? Every trap he tries fails. He accidentally obliterates bdubs, he has no friends AND his wife died. He may have kept his legacy alive for a few minutes by taking his DNA, gaslightibg the entire server into thinking he survived, but in the end, Martyn Littlewood is dead.

Yes, Martyn. An end game member since the beginning, out third…

Skill issue.

And like Martyn was doing well! sure he almost fell in a hole, but he Ninja reflexes his way out of it! And yeah he failed miserably to gaslight Scott but… Well it's Scott. He gets a pass… damn did he kinda suck this session? /j

…oh also all his traps kinda sucked. He failed repeatedly with those crystals, and surprisingly no one Jimmy was of no help in that endeavour. He also bumbled his own attempt to kill someone in the Creaking forest with Bigb by getting distracted when Impulse ALSO came to him looking for people to murder instead of just doing one murder at a time. He may not be a mean gill anymore, but he still has the memory of a goldfish

So here's to Martyn, he got one decent kill this session and died to Scar and Jimmy. This man won two seasons ago. 

(Jk he was actually decent this season I'm just in shock that the new gamers can die early)

As for Ren, he is joining the however-many-Gs. That means that not only has everyone on the team been allied with everyone else at least once, but also that officially 9 people would have been on this team. That's half the bloody server. Greedy.

But more importantly…. Canaries. I've often said that the canary curse isn't Jimmy dying first, but is actually Jimmy death acting as an omen for the end (yknow like a canary) The only time this isn't true sorta was secret life, but Jimmy did die right before the Literal Apocalypse so I say it counts. But he's making it the the finale this season. For the first time. And so right here, right now, I shall declare the canary curse 100% officially broken.

I mean I can't since I have no power but like shut up

Ps for the final session I will do the breakdown by player in elimination order. So expect a long one next Monday.

[orangeocelotmartyn]

Bdubs' first attempts with the mace

Transcript under the cut

Skizz: Bdubs, now Grian--(clears throat) I'm curious. Let him do this and then I'm-- Grian: I'm in deep pain. Skizz:--I have an idea for something. (to Bdubs) I won't move buddy, 'member, it's a bucket clutch. Don't go for my head, go for a bucket clutch at my feet. Bdubs: Alr--(clears throat) and this is a right click, or a left click? Skizz: It's a left click- Grian, at the same time: Left click. Skizz: Like, attack. Grian: Bonk! Bdubs: Okay, alright. Skizz: Here we go--(wheezing laughter) Grian: Say a good catchphrase! Bdubs: Are ya ready? Skizz (mimicking Bdubs): I hope you're ready. Tango: (cut off laughter) Bdubs: Stop! It's hamma' time! (misses hitting Skizz) Tango: Awww--(everyone laughing) Bdubs: Dang it! Tango: --minus the hammer. Gem: Not the miss, Bdubs... Bdubs, defensively: He--I'm a little rusty! Gem: Ohhh... Bdubs: Stop! It's hamma' time. Tango, at the same time: (through laughter) it's hammer time... (Bdubs misses again, Skizz begins laughing) Gem, groaning: Bdubs... Tango: It's gonna have to be hammer hour at this rate. Skizz, laughing: It's hammer calendar! Grian: Is it hammer time yet? Tango: It's hammer phase of the moon. Bdubs: It's hammer time! (he misses, Skizz begins laughing harder) Bdubs, frustrated: Ooooohhhhh!! Bdubs: Alright, last one! Skizz: No, you got-- Gem: I wanna see him try a bucket clutch now. Bdubs: This is it--I bucket clutch better than you! I'll bucket ca--clutch competition you right now, okay. (everyone laughing quietly) Skizz: You're left clicking, right? Bdubs, at the time time: Stop. It's hamma--please be quiet during the--my moment. Grian: Can you do a different catchphrase this time? You got-- Tango: It might help, yeah, yeah yeah yeah. Bdubs: Uh--Looks like the hammer just found a nail! (he tries again, and dies, his items exploding everywhere) (everyone begins hysterically laughing) Bdubs: Dang it! (the laughter continues) Bdubs: What an embarrassment. (through laughter) What an absolute embarrassment. (more snickering, Tango sounds like he's crying from laughter) Bdubs: Some chainmail pants-- Skizz: That was one of the greatest things I've ever seen-- Tango, through tears and laughter: I can't stop laugh--(he cuts himself off with laughter) Bdubs: Aghhhhh. I'll--I will not be using a mace, as we have demonstrated here, today. (Tango is still laughing hysterically in the background) Skizz: That was so good--that was too good!

[notscarsafe]

OKAY SO what with the TWO new Hermits implied by the updated banner I will say that, though the Skizz truthers have me convinced, I now have room to do my own crazy red string monologue and throw my hat in for my choice

1) Mythical J. Sausage (the J is silent) is a multitalented S-tier builder that absolutely deserves to be shoulder to shoulder with the Hermits. The man does buildings, interiors, terraforming, custom trees, and he does them SO WELL.

2) The production values!!! Beautiful replay mod sequences with shifting camera perspectives, shaders, music that sets the tone for each segment that's different from series to series. He already has more than a million followers on YouTube and for good reason!!

3) He has been SO consistent lately. He started a hardcore world about three months ago (about the time you might expect the Hermits to finalize their s10 choices maybe...???) and already has 15 episodes and hasn't gotten involved in any other big content. (He did just start playing a little of the BCG server but from what I understand that's super casual /copium copium copium).

4) That hardcore world is conveniently about to reach a good "pause" point. He started his world on a cherry blossom biome island that he's filled with a medieval village and starter farms, he's said it's almost full and what's left is the castle. I'm guessing the new season will start the first week of February, so if Sausage puts out a video this week building out that Castle and finishing that island it will be MIGHTY CONVENIENT TIMING.

5) This man can GRIND. His Hardcore world hasn't even been going half a year and he's built... So much??? Magnificent! And when he was on the Hermitcraft server he did the Razorcrest for scar AND the player head baby yoda/stormtrooper merch AND the noteblock themesong AND still built in the xmas village and other "diamond of peace" and so many other shenanigans. Did the man even sleep? He can grind with the best of them.

6) He can do redstone, too! Maybe not unique designs, I honestly don't know, but he builds farms for build materials no problem.

7) The DRAMA this man loves his improv and his backstory and trauma lore! For every series he does! Can you imagine if he gets to interact with Ren for an extended period of time, what that would do to them, to us?? Give Martyn a run for his money!!

8) Which brings me to my next point, which is that Sausage is already One of The Gang, because he's been in series with so many of the Hermits already! Empires and the crossover, obviously, but also Pirates with Cleo and Origins with Scar, and he's even done MCC! Joel is the only other player with the same depth of different series but there are other people truthing him already.

9) The EPIC BROMANCE with Pearl. My god the devotion of this man to his sunflower goddess bestie. I would try to do ot justice but y'all have seen floweroflaurelins work, you already know.

10) He's already a PG streamer but with HILARIOUSLY PG-13 tendencies. Imagine him and Cleo cracking each other up at an HHH stream, *grips your shoulders* IMAGINE IT.

11) Sausage comes with his own mascot in the form of interdimensional dog extraordinaire Bubbles, but he's also just an animal lover on general. Mans drinks his "I love Jellie" juice and had her in his world even before the sad news of her loss.

12) Diversity win! No one should be hired just for their gender, race, sexuality etc etc unless it's truly necessary to the job, but we were all happy when more women got added to the server in s8 and I know a lot of people would be happy to see some ethnic diversity added, too.

... That bulletin board had a lot more pins in it than I thought it did but anyway MYTHICALSAUSAGE TRUTHERS/ALL OTHER TRUTHERS RISE UP SPEAK YOUR TRUTH! we'll only get to wildly speculate for a few weeks so we might as well make it everyone else's problem ENJOY IT TO THE FULLEST!!

[zhukzucraft]

=> Pearl: See what got the man so pumped

You gather round to reveal that Skizz has found...

...an even deeper hole?

Skizz: What are you standing around for, Pearlypop?

Pearl: Excuse me?

Skizz: You too, Gemstone, Scarface! Come on down!

Scar: Whatcha got there, Skizz?

Skizz: Oh you should be asking what I'm about to have here!

Mumbo: Ah!! I'm ok! I'm alive!

Mumbo: ...and, er, what's going on here?

Gem: Skizz is planning to do something weird so we should go and make sure he doesn't die.

Skizz: I can hear you guys!

Pearl: Yeaaaaah.

Scar: To the rescue!

Tango: Ohhhh no thank you

Tango: I'm gonna leave this one to you all

Tango: Don't wanna try my luck so early, you know?

Tango: Plus, I've already got all the redstone I need.

Scar: What's the redstone for?

Tango: Oh just a little something~

Scar: Well what's the something-

Gem: Are you guys coming or not??

=> Pearl & Co: Make sure Skizz doesn't die

Start Over -- Go Back

More discord news: i've finally figured out how to operate a server! Somewhat! x'D Here's a new link that hopefully shouldn't expire: LINK

(btw a certain timed event is coming up tomorrow, so keep an eye out~)

[sayojin]

attempted to design grian today (+ absolutely necessary grimpulse bit to show off grian's powers and my impulse design for the umpteenth time)

yapping about design choices under cut, as always ↓↓↓

his design only makes sense with the unnecessary minecraft worldbuilding that i made up but ill try to make it sound cool without pulling out my 30k words note files.

hes basically a shape shifter originating from the void.

in my delusions, minecraft has four dimensions, we got the overworld, the nether, the void and the aether(yall remember that shit?) so all the hybrids i make up for hermits/lifers originate from one of the four(for the most part). so think xisuma from the void, tango from the nether, skizz from the aether, jimmy from the overworld etc etc.

hybrids from the void have poor vision/are blind cause sight isnt the most useful sense in the endless pitch black. So like xisuma uses his helmet to get extra input from his surroundings and grian (who allegedly has holes for eyes) has thems appendages with tactile receptors that help him visualize his surroundings. transforming into things/beings helps with that too.

also gave him wing-like markings for his watcher affiliations, which btw makes him somewhat aether-ish.

he gets nerfed in his own life games by being locked to one specific form (chosen by watchers) so like in 3rd life he appears avian, in double life hes watcher adjacent, in wild life he kinda gets more freedom on superpower day.

his hair is prolly choppy and asymmetrical cause brother cant fkn see but cuts it himself anyways. it covers his "eyes". he also wears glasses sometimes too

thats about it :3 (well, theres more but we'll be here for days if i keep going)

[arc852]

Comfort From the Storm

Summary: Jimmy has learned to love the annual thunder storm the college gets. Tango, on the other hand, is terrified of storms. Jimmy decides to do something about that.

Warnings: slight fear

Word Count: 2086

AO3 Link

We get to see some more of Jimmy and Tango bonding! There might be another one of these smaller fics showing the two getting to know each other more but otherwise the next big fic will be Jimmy finally meeting Imp and Skizz! But until then, I hope you enjoy!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Jimmy had honestly been waiting for the annual summer storm to begin. He wasn’t sure if it was the same everywhere (it wasn’t, according to Grian and Joel) but around here, and without fail, there was always a storm that started the summer off.

 Jimmy was currently hanging out with Tango, as they now tended to do on Mondays. They had quickly learned that while Grian and Joel both had classes on Mondays, Tango didn’t. And even better, Impulse also had classes on Mondays, so it was a good time for Jimmy to go over to Tango’s dorm in order for the two to hang out.

 Jimmy rested his head against the window, body curled up on the windowsill as he stared out into the storm. The sight was familiar, as he tended to find a place to watch the storm every year. The clouds were dark, making the already dimming evening become night far too early. The only source of natural light coming from the occasional lightning dancing through the clouds. That was Jimmy’s favorite part.

 The rain was another favorite of Jimmy’s and he watched as it pelted against the window, coming down fast and hard. And finally, the thunder, loud and consuming as it bellowed for everyone to hear. When he had first come to the college, the thunder had scared him. It was too loud, too scary. Jimmy hadn’t known what was happening and had been expecting the worst.

 He hadn’t been able to sit still and let whatever bad thing happen though, which is what led him to finding a window in an unoccupied room to peer outside. And from there, he hadn’t been scared anymore. Seeing the storm had not only amazed him but calmed him. The steady noises, even if loud, had turned soothing once he could see the origin of them.

 Jimmy let out a deep breath, a relaxed one as he simply stared up into the sky. Though he tore his gaze away as he heard the door to the room open. He looked over to see Tango coming back in, a bag of food in hand. Apparently the driver had trouble finding Tango’s dorm, so Tango had to go to the dorm lobby to go and meet him. During the five minutes Tango had been gone, the storm had grown from a simple downpour to the thunder and lightning storm it was now.

 “M-Man, the storm’s really picked up.” Tango said, more to himself as he toed off his shoes. He looked up and his eyes widened when he saw Jimmy sat on the windowsill. “Jimmy! What are you doing up there?!” Tango asked, putting the bag of food down on his desk as he quickly made his way over to the window and Jimmy. His hands reached out but paused before they could get too close. Despite the talk they had, Tango still had some trouble physically interacting with Jimmy at times.

 Jimmy looked up at Tango with his head titled in confusion over Tango’s tone. He seemed almost panicked for some reason. “Oh, I climbed up here as soon as I heard the thunder.” Jimmy said with a smile, looking back out the window as the rain continued its heavy downpour. “I love watching thunder storms, they're so calming.”

 “C-Calming?” Tango repeated, incredulousness thick in his tone. “I don’t know if I would say-” Tango was suddenly cut off by a loud bout of thunder. He let out a terrified squeak and that was all the warning Jimmy got before he was cupped between Tango’s hands and pulled close to his chest. As soon as Tango had a hold of Jimmy, he had backed far away from the window, practically huddling against the opposite wall.

 Jimmy blinked, though he was used to being grabbed out of nowhere, he was caught off guard by Tango being the one to do so. Still, even with it being mostly unintentional, Tango hadn’t fully trapped him in a fist. Instead, he was cupped between Tango’s hands, free to move even if it was still limited.

 He looked up and saw only the bottom of Tango’s face but even so, he could feel the shaking in the hands that held him. It was easy to see that Tango was scared. “Tango? Hey, it’s okay. It’s just thunder.” Jimmy said, trying to calm the human down.

 Tango looked down at Jimmy, his eyes wide with fear that was quickly covered up by the realization of what he had just done. “Oh! Jimmy, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

 “It’s okay, Tango. You know I don’t mind.” Jimmy reassured him. It was slow progress in getting Tango comfortable in holding him and such but even slow progress was progress. 

 Tango bit his lip. “R-Right.” Tango said. A moment later there was a flash from the lightning striking through the clouds outside. Tango tensed again, eyes wide and staring out the window and Jimmy noticed Tango’s hands moving ever so slightly closer to his chest. Jimmy hummed. It was strange seeing a human so scared.

 “Are you scared of thunder storms?” Jimmy asked, despite having reasoned out the answer.

 “Well, I…” Tango trailed off, seemingly embarrassed. A moment later, thunder rolled through the skies again and Tango full body flinched. He froze as he realized he had just given himself away. “...Maybe.”

 Jimmy smiled softly at Tango, trying to show him there was no reason to be embarrassed about it. “It’s okay. I used to be too.” Jimmy said, causing Tango to look back down at him. “But then I found a way to watch the storm and I felt a lot better about it.”

 Tango bit the inside of his cheek, cheeks still flushed red. “I just…I’m 23 years old! I shouldn’t be scared of a dumb thunder storm.” Tango walked a bit closer to the window again, looking out at the heavy downpour and dark clouds with a wince. “I know it can’t hurt me and yet…” Tango watched the outside with wide eyes before having to tear them away.

 Jimmy hummed and looked between Tango and the storm outside. There had to be something he could do to help Tango feel better…

 Briefly, Jimmy remembers a long forgotten memory. Of himself as a kid and of his parents. He remembers thunder-like noises shaking their house and being terrified of them. And he remembers his mom and dad holding him close, comforting him as they passed the time by telling stories.

 Jimmy closed his eyes for a moment, feeling overwhelmed by the sudden memory before it passed as quickly as it had come. Jimmy opened his eyes back up, an idea forming in his brain thanks to the surfaced memory.

 “Hey, Tango?” Jimmy spoke up, pulling Tango out of his anxiety for a moment as he looked down at him again.

 “Yeah?” Tango answered.

 “How about we move to the bed for a bit?” Jimmy said, glancing over at Tango’s bed as he said it. Tango frowned slightly, confusion apparent in his eyes.

 “What about the food?” Tango asked and Jimmy smiled a bit. 

 “We can always warm it up later. I think this might be more important.” Jimmy said, confusing Tango even more. Even so, Tango started to slowly walk over to the bed and Jimmy knew he was being extra careful because Tango was holding him. As they made it to the bed, before Tango could get into it, another bout of thunder roared outside, causing Tango to jump again. Jimmy rubbed circles on the skin under him, trying to offer some comfort.

 “I’m okay.” Tango said and then slowly got into bed. He sat up in the bed, over the covers since he hadn’t wanted to risk trying to get under them while holding Jimmy. But Jimmy wasn’t satisfied with the position.

 “Here, put me down on the nightstand real quick.” Jimmy said and it was like Tango didn’t need to be told twice as he reached his hands over and let Jimmy off onto solid ground. Tango’s hands quickly went away and Jimmy pointed at him. “Now get under the covers and lay down.” Jimmy all but demanded. Another roar of thunder had Tango wincing but otherwise he did as Jimmy said.

 Tango was now under the covers, laying down with only his head slightly raised from his pillow. Jimmy smiled to himself and then went over to the lamp and clicked the small button at the bottom of it, turning off the light. The overhead light was still on but it was dim, the reason they needed the lamp in the first place, and it created the perfect kind of atmosphere that Jimmy was aiming for.

 With everything set up, Jimmy jumped off the nightstand and onto the bed. Tango let out a little noise of surprise and stress as Jimmy did that and Jimmy sent him a smile to reassure him that he was fine. Tango put his hands back down, as they had jumped up a bit when Jimmy had jumped across the small gap between the nightstand and the bed, and watched as Jimmy only moved closer to him.

 “Uh, what are you planning here?” Tango asked, confusion thick in his tone. Jimmy knew if he actually said his plan then Tango might stress about it too much for Jimmy to actually enact it. So he kept quiet about it and just kept walking closer.

 “You’ll see! Just don’t move.” Jimmy said.

 “Don’t move? Wha-?” Tango started to ask but cut himself off as the words got caught in his throat as Jimmy started to climb up on him. Tango’s mouth went dry and he stilled, barely breathing as Jimmy gripped onto the fabric of his shirt to hoist himself up onto Tango’s chest. As he finally got to the top, Jimmy could feel the heart beat under him going at a rapid pace. He looked over at Tango, whose chin was pressed hard into his chest in order to be at an angle to see him. His eyes were wide. “J-Jimmy, what are you doing?” Tango asked.

 Jimmy feared, for a moment, that he was causing Tango more anxiety than the storm now, but he decided to push on. Hoping that the small amount of stress now would make up for the comfort he was about to give Tango. “It’s okay. Uh, don’t freak out please?” Jimmy said with a slight unsure chuckle.

 Tango wetted his lips. “Um…I’m trying.” Tango said and Jimmy nodded. That was all he could really ask for.

 “Okay, bring one of your hands over here.” Jimmy said and he saw Tango swallow as he lifted a hand from underneath the covers and brought it slowly over to Jimmy. He paused, hesitating before he could actually touch him, so Jimmy took the initiative and grabbed hold of one of Tango’s fingers, bringing his whole hand closer.

 Jimmy then laid down right on Tango’s chest, pulling the human’s hand with him. Tango seemed to get what Jimmy wanted him to do and gently settled his hand over Jimmy’s body, only leaving his head free. Jimmy grinned and snuggled his head into Tango’s chest. “There we go! Just focus on me, not on the storm, okay? It’ll pass eventually.” Jimmy said, keeping his voice steady.

 Tango blinked, fully realizing what position Jimmy had maneuvered them both into. They were cuddling, and Tango’s hand pressed down just a bit more at the realization, feeling the small weight on his chest and the small form against his hand. The feeling was grounding and Tango let out a small breath, the storm all but forgotten.

 Another flash of light, another roar of thunder, but Tango ignored it in favor of putting all his attention onto Jimmy.

 “So this was your plan.” Tango said, chuckling a bit. Jimmy smiled at the sound. “Can’t say I’m upset by this.”

 “Well, I would hope not.” Jimmy said, lifting his head up to look at Tango. “I just…I remember my parents doing this for me, holding me close to comfort me. I know…I know I can’t really hold you like that but I figured…this would be enough?”

 Tango smiled gently down at Jimmy and held him just a tad tighter against him, settling down fully into the bed with a sigh. “It’s more than enough.” Tango said with a soft smile. “And you were right, like this…the storm isn’t so bad.”

 Jimmy grinned. “I’m glad.”