chickinscratch

[chickinscratch]

Hey everybody! remember this fic? I've finally decided to crosspost it to ao3 for your convenience. enjoy~

“Hey, Jimmy,”

“Mhm?”

“Not to overuse a metaphor, but, do you think the canary ever missed the sky?”

Tango could feel Jimmy’s gaze on him. “What do you mean?”

“You know. The canary in the coal mine. Did y… did it miss the sky? Does it remember it?”

Tango imagined Jimmy shifting his wings, head quirked staring at the sky. “Depends, I guess, like if it was born down there or not. Or hatched, or whatever.”

“Do birds have like an instinct or something for the sky?”

Jimmy made a sound as if shrugging, and then seemed to remember he couldn’t be seen. “I dunno. I don’t think it particularly matters, if it’s being taken care of, y’know?”

“Did they take care of the canaries in mines back then?”

“Yeah, they obviously had to feed ‘em and stuff. But when the birds passed out from the lack of air or the gas or whatever the miners would like, resuscitate them.”

Tango smirked at the empty air. “Birdie CPR?”

He could feel Jimmy smiling back. “Something like that, I guess. But they did care about the birds.”

“’Cause the birds were the warning.” Tango nodded. “If they were gone, the miners wouldn’t know they were gonna die.”

“I mean, I imagine the miners probably enjoyed the company. I hope they did, anyways. It sounds nice.”

Tango pursed his lip. “Yeah, it’s a lot nicer having a little birdie with ya when you’re down in some dark stinky deadly death cave.”

Jimmy’s gaze was back on him now.

“…Of death.”

“You asked if the canary ever misses the sky.” Jimmy’s voice was soft. “Maybe it likes the coal mine, sometimes? The sky can be cold and open and lonely. Sure the mine is dark, but the canary has company. A warm home and a hand that feeds it.”

“Making the best of a bad situation.”

He could feel Jimmy’s frown. ”And I mean, if there’s a mine there’s probably like, gemstones and stuff. You don’t find that on the surface.”

“Unless it’s emeralds.”

Jimmy huffed at him, and Tango watched the players scurrying around in front of them.

“I think they’re digging our graves over there.”

“Looks pretty lame.”

Tango pictured Jimmy sneering at the little cobblestone tombstone the other players stood before, face all scrunched up. He laughed at the image. “Yeah, I don’t think they’re even making me one.”

They watched in silence as others scurried around them and the ship in the distance. There was some saying, or song lyrics or something, about ships and anchors.

“…Did the canary ever love the coal mine?”

Jimmy hummed. “Well, I certainly tried.”

[chickinscratch]

(Short lil thing inspired by @theminecraftbee​‘s post [here])

Ever since Grumbot Prime had started producing ominous messages about the fate of his alternate reality father, Grian had become a little jumpy at the sound of the robot’s printers whirring. As such, he felt perfectly justified in the alarmed squawk he gave as the machine kicked into gear.

“Grumbot?” Grian turned away from the support beams he had been welding to glance at the computer. Thankfully, Grumbot Prime didn’t seem angry. He simply stared out neutrally towards the rift, LEDs blinking softly. Grian took a hesitant step forward.

The printing came to an end, and per usual the paper spat onto the cave floor and Grumbot’s mustache wiggled, which made Grian feel just a little bit better.

“Grumbot?” Grian repeated. Grumbot Prime simply beeped impatiently in response. Grian hurried forward to take the note.

A MESSAGE FOR YOU.

Grian read the note aloud under his breath. “A message from who?”

The printer whirred again.

OTHER GRUMBOT. YOUR GRUMBOT.

Grian’s hands shook as he gripped the paper. “Other Grumbot? You mean you can speak to him? Have you been able to do that all this time? Is he doing okay-?”

TOO MANY QUESTIONS. MESSAGE AS FOLLOWS:

HELLO DAD, (TELL OTHER DAD I SAY HI)

THERE IS A STRANGE LITTLE ROBOT ON THE HERMITHEUS. SHE CALLS HERSELF ROSIE BOT. SHE ASKED ME TO TELL YOU TO Please Overthrow King RenDog. We Asked Him To Prepare Our GIGAPOD™ Six Months Ago And He Still Hasn’t. We Are Kind Of In A Hurry. The Anomaly Is Almost Here. The Fate Of HC-9 Depends On This. Also He Left Me On Read And I Am Still Kind Of Mad About It. Over And Out.

ROSIE BOT IS STRANGE. DO NOT TELL HER I SAID THAT.

MESSAGE CONCLUDES.

“...What?” Grian blinked at the paper, as if doing so might reveal more text to explain literally anything about that. “Wh- wait. Don’t tell me you’re trying to get me to start a resistance now.”

Grumbot Prime beeped irritably.

OTHER GRUMBOT. NOT ME. I AM JUST THE MESSENGER.

“Why does everyone expect me to start a resistance?” Grian whined. “Can’t a guy not rebel against authority for once? You be a hippie one time-”

DIRECT COMPLAINTS TO HERMITHEUS.

“Fine then,” Grian grumbled. “I will.”

[chickinscratch]

I wanted to put something in for the name game so: “if the stars don’t align, then for you I will build a spaceship and do it myself”

post-BSMP, c!Aimsey searches for c!Guqqie (and possibly tries to build a rocket to do so).

[chickinscratch]

EVERYONE LOOK AT THE ANIMATIC IT’S SO COOL

i loved ur canary in a coal mine post, can i quote it in a future animatic please

Absolutely! And please tag me if you post the animatic, i'd love to see it!

[chickinscratch]

i loved ur canary in a coal mine post, can i quote it in a future animatic please

Absolutely! And please tag me if you post the animatic, i'd love to see it!

[chickinscratch]

Ooooh here's a fun one for you

"if you gaze too long into the abyss (it will probably ask for belly rubs)"

S8 - Pearl shows off her new cat to the Boatem crew! A totally not suspicious cat seemingly made out of void that she found next to the Boatem Hole. Don’t worry about it.

[chickinscratch]

Also if it wasn’t apparent y’all are absolutely welcome to yoink any of the prompt ideas from the fic title ask game lol

[chickinscratch]

This title game is making me want to write (which is odd considering the number of WIPs i have) how about "Pretty sure that's illegal in 32 states. I'm in."

Convex! Convex! Convex!

AU Cub and Scar on a roadtrip, up to miscellaneous escalating shenanigans. Some of which are definitely illegal. The methods they get out of these situations are also increasingly escalating and ridiculous.

[chickinscratch]

If you’re still doing the ask game: Good Morning, How Are You? (I’m Doctor Worm)

Zedaph and Worm Man! From the POV of the other Hermits, who are all very confused and under the assumption that Zedaph and Worm Man are the same person until they realize that they’re not.

Zedaph and Worm Man aren’t helping though in looking nearly identical and dressing up as each other throughout all of this.

[chickinscratch]

Oh this title game is fun! how about "Distorted Mirrors Often show the Truth (But even Reflections have lives)"

Evil X and Xisuma both have identity crises!!! Separately, individually. Then they try to talk to each other and have a mutual identity crisis.

[chickinscratch]

"only you can protect you"

Helsmits fic! Series of short scenarios of Hermits getting themselves into trouble and their Helsmits appearing to (mostly begrudgingly) help them out.

[chickinscratch]

Title game if your still doin it; Teach me to Fly and Ill Teach you to Fall (or how to ask for help when you grow wings)

Character study of Grian and Jimmy between Life series, possibly during 100 Hours. Lots of reminiscing and probably a blatant overuse of bird-related metaphors.

[chickinscratch]

Title ask game-

whatever doesn't kill me (better run)

[The song is great btw]

Apocalypse au Docm77. At some point early on into the apocalypse he got injured pretty significantly, but since then he's made himself prosthetics and He Is Out For Vengeance.

[chickinscratch]

"I've Never Feared the Drums of War", for the fic ask game?

An ever-escalating series of hijinks in a retelling of the Cod War.

[chickinscratch]

Made up titles? I can do that. Here's a few.

You Held Me Close, then Pushed Me Off A Cliff

///

It Was An Accident, I Think

///

Soooo, Murder? What Do You Mean No?

Double Life, Cleo POV. Trying to extend an olive branch only to be literally unceremoniously shoved off a cliff. She can at least say she made an effort. She can at least say she tried. Later, while running with wolves snapping at her feet, she considers Team Vultures and leaps at her own accord.

Oneshot - In the quiet moments of Third Life, Scar thinks about his alliance and exactly how much of an accident his first death really was.

Life series setting with antagonist Watcher!Grian - Grian is a rogue Watcher. He was only ever meant to watch, not make death games, and all his friends are getting a little tired of being forced to kill each other over and over. So they plot an escape.

[chickinscratch]

"Death and All His Friends"

Jimmy Solidarity is cursed. He knows this. Everyone knows this. He is destined to herald chaos and death to every server he joins.

But he is loved.

(Jimmy character study!)

[chickinscratch]

Prompt ask time!

"Trapped Chest"

Context: "A trapped chest functions as a normal chest for item storage, but it produces redstone power when opened. It can be visually distinguished from normal chests by a red coloration around the latch."

The Hermits decide to go on an adventure to meet their respective Helsmits after Wels introduces them to Hels. Just out of curiosity.

When they enter Hels, they find Mumbo's eyes start glowing red.

He explains that he is his own Helsmit. Chaos ensues.