#It belongs to Xisuma

[jestroer]

EVIL XISUMA IN THIS WEEK'S RECAP, CLAPPING AND CHEERING EVERYBODY

[aurabird]

A Search For Belonging

Chapter 10: Shenanigans

In which Xornoth finds himself roped into more pranks and activities

Ao3 Link | Masterpost

---------------  

The next few days were mostly uneventful for Xornoth aside from the occasional antics going on in Boatem that he bore witness to.

There was now a dirt structure Scar had built spiraling into the sky and ending right above the Boatem Hole and a strange-but-nevertheless-mind-blowing flying machine in the sky between Mumbo’s base and Midnight Alley. Both new additions being the result of messing with Grian while the avian was in a meditative state.

On top of that, Xornoth had watched Grian remove several black banners placed by the Big Eye’s crew advertising their iron shop, an establishment apparently sponsored by Mumbo himself.

There really was never a dull moment in Boatem.

Today, however, would hopefully be more eventful for Xornoth personally as he made his way over to the Swaggon by Scar’s request. Apparently, his fellow Hermit had something for him, a hat to be specific.

“So I didn’t exactly know what you’d like but given what you have told us and the plans for your base I managed to make something that I really hope you enjoy.” Scar explained as they entered the hat shop.

“If it’s anything like the hats I’ve seen on the others I’m sure it’s amazing, Scar.”

It was true, the hats that every other member of Boatem now wore had been beautifully made and Xornoth was excited to see what Scar had made for him.

“Well, if there’s anything about it that you don’t like I’m perfectly fine with changing it. Are you ready to see?”

“I am.”

At the confirmation Scar grabbed something off a hook behind him and turned around with a dramatic flourish, presenting the hat in question.

Xornoth had expected it to be a crown of some sort as a throwback to the fact Empiria was a land of monarchs. Instead, it was modeled after a sheep wearing a silver circlet on its head, a dopey look in its beady eyes that made it absolutely adorable.

A smile crossed his face at the sight, “Scar…I love it.” 

“Oh thank goodness!” Scar sighed in relief as Xornoth took the hat from him to get a closer look, “I was so nervous that I would trigger a bad memory or something with the crown on its head and all! I hope it fits, it's a bit hard to design something for a person with antlers, you know?”

“Only one way to find out.” Xornoth said before turning to a mirror on the wall and putting the hat on, finding it fit perfectly between the growths on his head and making his smile grow even wider at just how perfect it seemed to match him.

After leaving the Hat Shop and making his way back to the central area of Boatem Xornoth noticed the giant sign that read ‘Octagon’ that was now a part of the long-legged monstrosity that was selling things on Boatem’s coast.

The voices of Grian and Impulse then reached his ears, the former sounding very annoyed compared to usual.

As the two Hermits in question came into view Xornoth was able to see why. The Octagon sign wasn’t the only advertisement in Boatem, every other establishment with the exception of Horse-Head Farms had left something in the village square.

“...advertise and bring people here. Oh look, it's Xornoth!”

“Hey you guys. What are you two up to?”

“First off, I love your hat.” Grian began with a smile, “And secondly, I’ve got a really good idea for marketing! We just have to decide who we’re going to do it to”

“Is this…aggressive marketing?” Impulse asked.

“It is very in-your-face marketing.”

“Oh I love it.”

“Oooh, so we just have to pick someone then right?” Xornoth questioned.

Grian nodded, “Well we’ve got Octagon, Rons, the Evil Emporium, and Cleo who all think its fine to advertise here so we can definitely advertise there.”

After several minutes of back-and-forth chatter and Impulse darting off to gather several shulkers of logs Xornoth and Grian found themselves over at the Octagon atop a platform the latter Grian had constructed above the shop.

“I don’t exactly know if this is going to work the way I think it’s going to work.” Grian admitted as he began to build.

“Yeah, how exactly do you have this in your head?” Xornoth questioned.

“Redstone.” Grian finished as he placed two observers and a dispenser down; the latter component beginning to activate as it got a signal. “There. Stage one is complete.”

Impulse arrived with the shulkers of requested logs and Grian was quick to explain how his plan would work as he began to craft several boats, shrinking them to a smaller size and then tossing them into a hopper that had been placed above the firing dispenser.

Xornoth laughed with Impulse as he watched the component spit the boats back out at full size, instantly dropping them down into the shop below and causing several stacks to begin forming.

“Now we just take this to the extreme!” Grian cackled with devious glee at the flawless execution of his plan.

The trio went on to ‘boat bomb’ Big Eyes Bay, this time letting the boats all occupy the same spot as opposed to letting them spread out. Once finished, they settled down on the nearby mountainside and waited for one of the residents to investigate the prank. It wasn’t long before Tango showed up and proceeded to cause all the boats to explode in every direction.

Roaring laughter resounded from the three members of Boatem at the display, “That was SO MUCH faster than I expected it to be!” Grian exclaimed.

After they had managed to compose themselves they flew down to greet Tango, the half-blazeborn now thoroughly flustered. “Buy at Boatem!” Grian laughed before proceeding to hop around on the many boats in the water, Xornoth and Impulse following suit.

“I will remember this!” Tango threatened with a grin, caught up in laughing himself as he joined in on the boat-hopping antics, everyone getting stuck between the wooden vessels occasionally.

After a farewell to Tango the trio took off, returning to their original plans for the day. Xornoth landed in the center of New Rivendell with a massive smile on his face and was more than energized to build the storage building he had planned so that he could finally move all his resources from his house and various other random locations strewn about the mountain, into one dedicated place.

-

Xornoth had spent most of the following morning preparing for the long, arduous process of moving and sorting his items into the now-finished storage building and decided to take a break to check the Boatem group chat to see if he’d missed any messages while he had been working. Scrolling up to the last message he read, two Mumbo had sent earlier caught his eye. 

<MumboJumbo> errr guys

<MumboJumbo> the boatem hole has bedrock in it

Xornoth looked at the image sent in the chat and was confused. He knew bedrock didn’t simply regenerate, be it through magic or otherwise and it prompted him to go check it out for himself after putting all his gear and supplies into his enderchest.

Even if bedrock had once again sealed up the hole into the void, Xornoth wasn’t going to take any chances. He wasn’t procrastinating, that would be nonsense.

Upon his arrival to the scene Xornoth dared to look down into the Boatem Hole and, just like Mumbo had said, the area that normally led to the void was once again covered in bedrock.

Curious, he decided to descend into the depths to investigate the strange phenomenon, setting his feet down on the layer of bedrock…

…and falling through immediately after.

Xornoth let out a panicked yelp as he tried to stabilize, but to no avail as his wings did not react fast enough. The inky blackness of the void filled his lungs, suffocating him; waves of pain flaring through his entire body as he was pulled further down into the abyss.

Xornoth fell out of the world

He jolted awake in his bed with a gasp, panting heavily as he took in fresh air. His communicator pinged multiple times in quick succession as he recovered from the traumatic respawn, no doubt Hermits worried about him. He quickly shot a message in the chat saying he was fine and that he didn’t lose anything except a bit of pride.

Once the post-mortem effects had worn off Xornoth got out of bed and figured that he already decided that he would not actually move everything into his storage building today so, he may as well just fly around and see what the other Hermits were up to.

Again, definitely not procrastinating at all, he just needed to interact more with his fellow Hermits outside of Boatem.

His flight took him to various locations to try and find Hermits to interact with and Xornoth found himself roped up in a game he’d never heard of before known as Leaf Spleef with Cub, Joe, and Cleo, getting to know them better in the process. It was nice, to be able to just goof around and have fun without any real responsibility or a kingdom to eventually run.

The sun had begun to set by the time he had begun to make his way back to Boatem, flying over Big-Eyes bay and seeing it still covered in boats.

As Xornoth passed over the Evil Emporium, the one shop he never really visited often since most of his supplies were easy to harvest himself, he took notice of the individual pacing in front of the stairs, red armor contrasted against a deepslate and blackstone building with a glass orb atop it.

Curious to talk to the one Hermit he knew so little about, Xornoth descended, landing a bit away from Exiel before approaching.

“Um…hi?” He began in greeting, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything. I was just passing through on my way back to Boatem and saw you pacing; thought I might as well take the chance to speak with you since you’re like, the only Hermit I have had no interactions with at all.”

Exiel turned to him, red eyes meeting Xornoth’s own and causing the elf to freeze up. He could almost picture veins of crimson marring the voidkind’s skin under the armor, pulsating with dark power that drove the corrupted individual to madness and…

“Oh, you're the elf they recently adopted.”

The blunt remark snapped Xornoth from his spiraling thoughts and back to reality, “Uh….yeah. That’s me, I’m Xornoth.”

“Well, Xornoth. Welcome to my humble abode I suppose. And no, I’m just frustrated at my stupid brother installing a machine at Octagon that completely ruins the entire point of the Hermits buying derpcoin from the Emporium!”

Xornoth let out a chuckle, “Brothers, am I right?”

The comment made Exiel give him a quizzical look, “You have a brother too?”

“I do. We aren’t as close anymore though, not like we were before destiny and fate tore us apart for the sake of prophecy.”

“‘Suma and I weren’t as close as we are now, you know. I resented my brother and what he had so I found myself aligned with a malicious individual who convinced me that the solution to my problem was to embrace it and destroy everything that Xisuma knew. I tried for many years but deep down I had started to grow fond of the band of misfits and runaways he surrounded himself with and began to realize that what I was doing was wrong. After everything I’d done though, I felt I had no chance at forgiveness so I banished myself to wallow in my own pity. When I came crawling back to Xisuma I was desperate for purpose, I never expected forgiveness from him, let alone the invitation to join the Hermits…but here I am, I suppose. If there was hope for me to redeem myself, then there’s probably hope for you and your brother as well.”

Xornoth gave a bittersweet smile, “It’s a nice thought, but Scott probably thinks I’m dead and after everything I did to him and those he called his friends, redemption and forgiveness are no longer an option for me.” he paused a moment before continuing, “But it’s fine, I have all the Hermits now. After decades of being a pawn of destiny, I am finally free to do whatever I want, to be my own person with my own choices.”

A sly grin crossed Exiel’s face at Xornoth’s words, “Well, how about you use that freedom to make your own choices and buy something with that Derpcoin my brother gave you a while back?”

A laugh escaped Xornoth at the comment, “I blew it all buying wood at Octagon for the boat bomb prank we did there and at Big-Eyes Bay.”

“You realize that you buying the wood from them is a win in their eyes, right?”

“Yes, but it was hilarious all the same. Grian is debating hitting up this place next you know? Perhaps, if you give me some derpcoin I can convince him to spare you guys?~”

“You’ve been hanging around with Scar too much. You’re picking up on his marketing habits.”

Xornoth smiled, “I’m only joking, we will probably hit Big-Eyes bay for the bedrock fiasco next.” he tossed two of the diamonds he’d won from Leaf Spleef earlier to Exiel, “How much derpcoin will that get me?”

A few derpcoin richer, Xornoth bid farewell to Exiel and continued to make his way back to Boatem, landing on the balcony of his house and going inside to freshen up as the moon began to cast its glow on the land below. 

Before he settled down for the night he checked to see what he’d missed in the main and Boatem chats.

<Grian> Who’s up for getting back at Big-Eyes Bay tomorrow?

<ImpulseSV> I’m in!

<MumboJumbo> Same

<GoodTimeWithScar> Can’t, was invited to test the horse course with Bdubs and Etho.

<Grian> No worries. Xornoth, are you up for more pranking?

Xornoth, feeling bad he’d missed most of the conversation typed out his response

<Xornoth> Sorry for the late reply, I was busy most of today. Definitely in; dying to the void this morning was the worst.

With his message sent, Xornoth silenced his communicator and called it for the night, looking forward to the pranking of Big Eyes bay…

…and still denying that it was an excuse to get out of moving everything into his storage building.

[theinactivefaniguess]

random shit-thought of the day:

The way back home for the Hermits from the Empires SMP server is that they build such a severe lag machine (Hermittopia - all these farms in one 'small' spot) that it essentially lags them back to Hermitcraft.

[deepfrost-citadel]

"You know," Xisuma said, peering cautiously over Cub's shoulder at the museum's latest addition, "When you said you wanted to show me a new exhibit, I wasn't expecting…" He trailed off.

Evil Xisuma glowered at him from inside their enclosure.

"…This."

To say Evil X looked a little miffed about the situation would be an understatement. At least Cub had done a nice job decorating, Xisuma thought, between the blackstone and crimson wood, Evil X looked right at home - if they weren't sitting grumpily in their 2-by-1 lava pool, surrounded by the mangled remains of whatever Cub had put in there for enrichment.

"Surprise!" Cub grinned, doing jazz hands at the enclosure, "I know what you might be thinking-"

Xisuma doubted that somehow.

"- 'Cub, Evil Xisuma hasn't done anything this season! They aren't a historic artefact! They shouldn't be in a museum!' But!" Cub wagged a finger triumphantly, "They are important to the history of Hermitcraft as a whole. So really, if you think about it, they definitely belong in a museum."

"… Okay?"

"Glad we're on the same page."

Xisuma wasn't sure if anyone was ever on the same page as Cub. Except maybe Scar.

"Now! As you can see, I've been decorating their enclosure, trying to add some interactive elements for guests and such." Cub pointed towards a line of redstone lamps at the top of Evil Xisuma's enclosure, "These show you how much electricity they're generating when they do their lightning hands thing. I'll be honest with you, it's broken a few times already so it's still a work in progress-"

"… Is that what all the lightning rods are for?" Xisuma frowned, eyeing the entirely lightning rod-ed ceiling.

"It is indeed!" Cub said, ignoring the twinge of concern in Xisuma's voice, "Well, a little. Mostly it's a safety thing, it wouldn't be good to have guests being electrocuted, now would it?"

"I suppose not… And it definitely works?"

"Oh yeah, it's been very thoroughly tested. Hey, Evil Xisuma," Cub walked up to the glass and tapped on it a few times, much to Xisuma's silent horror, "Wanna show X how the lightning rods work?"

In response, Evil Xisuma stuck their middle finger up at him and yelled something muffled to almost inaudibility that sounded a little like: "When I get out of here, I'm going to rip your head off and use it as a coffee mug, you stupid e-boy twink."

The pair on the other side of the glass blinked.

"… That's a no then." Cub turned back to Xisuma, "They do this a lot."

"They certainly do," Xisuma nodded faintly.

"You can probably tell the glass is uh... Mostly noise-cancelling, had to install that because Helsknight is in the next enclosure over and he's still hibernating. You know how Wels gets when you wake him up early, don't wanna find out how that guy is."

"… Of course," Xisuma sighed, pinching the nose bridge of his helmet, "Do I want to know how you got hold of those two?"

Cub laughed in the slightly unhinged way that gave Xisuma visions of Cub spending several weeks toying with the evil hermits as he hunted them for sport, "Nah man, it's not an interesting story."

Somehow, Xisuma doubted that.

"Anyway," Cub said, changing the topic before Xisuma could ask if he knew there was still someone's blood on his left sleeve, "What I really called you for is that I need an Evil Xisuma expert, and you're the man to ask about all things Evil Xisuma."

"Except for Evil Xisuma."

"Except for Evil Xisuma, yes." Cub nodded sagely, "So. Obviously I wanna make sure everything is nice for our new residents, give them plenty of enrichment and all that, but it hasn't been working out so far."

"I can see that."

"Soo… Any suggestions? What kind of thing does Evil X like? Food? Blocks? I dunno, fake derpcoin or something?"

Xisuma hummed, tilting his head in thought as he gazed at Evil Xisuma, who had clambered out of the lava pool to press their hands against the glass and give Xisuma the saddest, most pathetic puppy dog eyes their LED screen could muster (which, admittedly, were very sad and pathetic) in a silent plea to not leave them here with that madman, they'll be good for realsies this time they promise-

"Well," Xisuma said, turning to Cub, "They like to knit, so maybe they'd like some wool… Oh! And if you can find any old Wormman merch, they'll love that too."

Evil Xisuma's head hit the glass with a despairing thunk.

[tunastime]

for the comfort prompts, draping a blanket over a sleeping body ^-^ maybe with 2 of our sweetest boys.... xisuma and doc ^-^ OR also maybe with ranchers ^-^

draping a blanket over their sleeping body (923 words) (x)

Xisuma scrubs his eyes. 

There comes a point in every shift that his body starts to give out. A point where, no matter the length of the shift, or how much he'd eaten, or slept, or drank tea, Xisuma felt his body slip away from him and the dull ache of sleep start to root and take hold behind his eyes. It's at this point where respite usually comes, in the form of Cleo or Doc walking through the door. And eventually it will be Cleo, he knows, because Doc's shift neatly aligned with his tonight. So much so he was able to actually get dinner at the same time as him, and Doc was able to kick him under the table over a cup of coffee. The jerk. 

Regardless, he could expect Cleo to wander in when she wished. Joints starting to protest weakly under the stretches he contorts his spine into, Xisuma gathers his belongings, and starts the trek down the levels toward his room.

It's a quiet walk—one he's learned to catalogue his thoughts to, to enjoy as much as the daily chatter of a morning shift beginning, or an afternoon shift ending. This early morning closure means that he'll have the good part of the day to sleep before he's on for another 48 hours. It also means that, for just a few of those hours, he might get to sleep next to his partner, after a few too many nights of just-barely's and near-misses. Xisuma sighs. For a moment, he lingers in the hall, peeking out at the rest of the station through a long, double-paned window, spanning the length of the propelled walkway. As he steps on, leans against the barrier, he watches stars flick idly past him alongside the sprawl of Prometheus. At its heart, where he was headed down to now, were the quarters. And his, along with a select few, got their own atrium view.  

The rest of the walk is similarly quiet, Xisuma's feet working on autopilot as his mind wanders from task to task, correspondence, to shipping requests, to diplomatic communique. He frowns, chewing the inside of his cheek as he waits a beat for the elevator. There had been a recent communique from the Coalition. It wasn't uncommon, but it hadn't happened in, what, two or three years now? Certainly enough time to have forgotten the last time he saw any of the crew on an official basis and certainly long enough to forget just what that little check-up meant. He holds back a particularly violent shiver. It's nothing this time—has to be. Prometheus hadn't done anything new or interesting in months, let alone enough to warrant an investigation. If the Interspace Investigation Coalition needed something from Xisuma, Admiral Void, it was going to take a very special visit and a lot of convincing. Not words on a screen.

By the time the thought passes through his mind, Xisuma is already at his front door. He shakes away the feeling crawling up the base of his spine and taps his keycard, door sliding open at his behest. 

"Doc?" he calls, as he enters. "I'm home."

The front entry is still warmly lit as he toes off his shoes and organizes his coat and bag at the front door. The living room is dark, aside from the faint glow of blue light, as are the desks they share and the kitchenette. Xisuma hums, frown deepening. He makes his way into the living room as he starts unclasping his overcoat, hands fiddling with the zipper behind him.

There, sprawled haphazardly on their small sofa, is Doc. One of his legs bends under the other, his ankle propped on the arm of the couch, socked foot hanging just over the edge. His pajamas are ruffled from moving, rucked up over one side of his ribs where his arm stretches to cover his eyes from the dim, ambient light. Xisuma stifles a snort that then catches the back of his throat. He looks comfortable. To an extent. Enough to fall asleep, at least, and enough to stay that way, even as Xisuma had called out to him and noisily shuffled in. 

X crosses his arms. He has but two options: one which requires him to deal with a sleep-disoriented, disgruntled Doc M now. The other: listening to him complain about tight muscles as he slipped into bed later that morning, seeking out the shape of Xisuma he missed. On one hand, X would get his partner's warmth and weight and grumbled words sooner. On the other... he looks so dang peaceful he'd almost feel bad disturbing him. Xisuma smiles to himself—the image alone of Doc crawling into bed next to him and letting X curl tiredly around him seems wildly comforting. A little selfish, but, really, who could blame him? 

Quietly, Xisuma shuffles over. He lifts the blanket from the back of the couch, ruffling it lightly in his hands as he sets it over Doc's sleeping form the best he can. Shrouded by the multicolored fabric, Doc seems to shrink, just a bit. Clearly cozy and comfortable, his face remains soft, sleep smoothing out the lines of stress on his face. X tucks the blanket carefully around his partner, careful not to jostle him awake as he leans down to press a kiss to his forehead. Upon drawing back, Doc doesn't seem to stir, and Xisuma hums his thanks to no one. He steps back, satisfied with his work, and shuffles off to bed.

[mof17]

On my Watcher Grian shit again (sorry for the bad quality image)

was listening to these really dark ambient dark academia playlists (by Wave on YouTube if you’re wondering, highly recommend)

but I picture this is as maybe Scar seeing Grian’s FULL watcher form for the first(?) time? This happens during no specific time I guess, maybe season 9 ? Grian felt the need to just be in his true form for awhile, so he bout, something nice within his base (because that thing had ZERO interior I tell you)

scar happened to wander inside to ask Grian for something but ends up being met with this godly being, but before he sees Grian, he sees this mask on the floor (belongs to Grian) and picks it up, and that’s when he sees Grian’s Watcher form right in front of of him.

But Scar doesn’t end up remembering it because Grian panics and uses some of his powers to put Scar asleep and he eventually goes back to being in his normal form and destroys all evidence of the situation even happening. Scar asks about it later being like “I had this insane dream last night.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah! You were—at least I think it was you, but you were this cool god-creature thing!”

“Oh, well that’s a nice dream, Scar.”

and he continues to deflect any of it being real.

But a funny little aftermath thing, Xisuma is able to see when Grian uses his powers, both being admins (former and current) and all. Xisuma ends up lecturing Grian on putting Scar temporarily asleep and gaslighting him.

[zebarius]

Hermit Horses

(Click on images for full picture!!!)

You can see my ability to draw horses slowly improving with each horse I draw lol. It's kinda funny. I might redraw Spot because they look odd in comparison to the other horses.

All of the horse drawings are based on the horses' in-game appearance!

----

Horses and Owners:

Wels found and took Spot from a hole, thinking the horse was abandoned (turns out Spot belonged to Iskall?), then, I think, Wels ended up giving ownership of Spot to Beef so he could annoy Iskall.

Grian owns Pluto (the horse determined to run away - Pluto may not be a dog, but they're a husky in spirit)

Name Tag ™ was a gift from Keralis to Xisuma (who then accidentally left the horse to wander the Shopping District for a couple of hours until Xisuma panic-logged back in to go find Name Tag ™ with the help of Cleo)

Iskall has the Swede II - (The Swede II is not the original and Iskall won't forget it)

cOW belongs to Scar and is very good at parkour.

Skipper belongs to Gem and is the foal of Etho and Bdub's horses.

Donkey (the mule) belongs to Pearl and beat Impulse's horse in a race.

Tyler Thee Stallion belongs to Impulse and lost in a race against a mule. He may be a slow horse but he's a nice horse.

Impulse bought Tyler Swift from Keralis after losing a race against Pearl's mule.

----

Of course, these are not ALL the hermits' horses, but if there's a specific horse I missed that you want to see, drop a comment with

1.) the name of the hermit

(2.) the name of the horse

(3.) if you can, the episode where I can find a picture/backstory of the horse. You can also leave any notable information about the lovely steed you wish to see.

[ohno-moreincorrectquotes]

*Xisuma teaching Skizz to drive and taking Impulse along for the ride*

Xisuma: That's a pothole. To the left!

Skizz: Take it back now y'all *Drives into pothole*

Impulse, sticking their face into the front over the center console: Cha Cha real smooth.

Skizz: I don't think that's how the song goes.

Xisuma, crying and gripping the handle: Please just take me home.

Skizz: Country Roads.

Impulse: To the place.

Skizz and Impulse in unison: I Belong!

Xisuma, crying harder: What the fuck?

[hermitcraftheadcanons]

You've heard of 'incomprehensible entity in the Void', now get ready for 'incomprehensible entity unreasonably high up above build height.' It's powerful and kind, but so unknowable that its presence overwhelms the mind, leaves the few- the one, even- who manage to visit it with nothing but a couple of gifts and the vague memory of its eyes- huge, beautiful and terrifying, but definitely belonging to a friend. And the rest? You'll just have to fill in the blanks.

"...you mean the sun?" "Are you sure that wasn't just a dream?" "Why would Keralis be up there in the first place?" No one understands. No one has seen it to be able to understand. If it was any less clear he might doubt it himself, but X knows what he saw. Whether Keralis is an ambassador of this thing, or if maybe it just took his form to calm Xisuma down, he can't be sure, but whatever was up there definitely had those eyes. Now, if he could just convince the Keralis that's down here to come see it...

~ Mod Shade

[hmshermitcraft]

Xisuma isn’t necessarily poor, but he’s not anywhere near wealthy compared to other admins. His most precious belongings are his hermits, most of the others having rare artifacts and treasures they hoard for themselves.

However, he’s fairly sure that his boyfriend has to have more than others, right? Fwhip’s actual *royalty*, born into it unlike the others and it’s visible in his posture, even if his personality is the exact opposite of poise.

His background is something that it's obvious fWhip has tried to get away from. But, there's a lot he doesn't realise still that... Ordinary people just don't do.

As much as fWhip whines, Xisuma thinks it's cute. He's familiar with how much your environment shapes you as you grow up so it's always fun when they find something new he can teach fWhip.

[occultvettr]

I wanted to try a different design for Xisuma. The white strands in his stupid lil braid might belong to a certain clone

[endclover]

Loyalty - Chapter 1

Doublelife!Xisuma x Reader

1,525 words, 8,115 characters

《Loading world》

You spawn into a fresh world, free from sin of mankind.

In the world that you awoke in, it was almost unbelievable that it was soon to be filled with blood and cruelty.

This death game was worse than used to be. Death is even more inevitable now that every player is paired up with someone.

Soulmates shared a life.

Pain and agony, life and happiness. You had to endure whichever of those they go through.

The hardest part of it all was that you have no say in whoever becomes your soulmate.

Your 3 life, all depends on fate.

~

The first thing you did when you spawn in was to get tools and adventure to find the perfect place to settle and to potentially find your partner.

You arrive at the mountains to find easy to get ores and resources on the surface, there you find a group of people; Grian, Scott, and BigB.

"Oh [reader]'s here" Scott announces.

"Hey everyone! Watcha'll up to?" You wave.

You smile at Scott who gives you a few melons to regenerate your lost hearts, which admittedly was not the doing of your soulmate but rather your own clumsiness.

Behind an amused BigB was Grian, taunting a goat, which made you chuckle a bit.

"Hey Grian! Having fun?" You greet him.

"No, I keep on getting bad horns, I have like 3 of 'em already" he answered, eyes still focused on the goat that's about to charge at him.

Soon enough, the goat ran to attack but banged his head against the wall instead.

"Finally! Let's see if this is want good" the bird said. He picked up the horn and blew it, a loud call resonated across the land.

"Honestly Grian we should spend our time on something more meaningful" sighed Scott.

"This is meaningful!" He argued.

While the two exchanged a few more words, you start crafting up some tools.

"So, found your someone yet?" Scott started.

"Not quite, I am kinda glad with whoever i have though they havent been talking as much damage."

"Safe to say it's not Jim then." you both giggle

"right! Wanna see if we're paired up?" You ask him

With sparkles in your eyes you give him a light hit, and to no surprise you dont receive damage.

"Ah what a bummer." You mumble.

His wish was granted.

A few blocks away from you, a bird was waching. While having your moment with Scott, he was pleading whoever so hard for you to not be with Scott, but rather him.

This was it, he was about to find his soulmate, his other half.

"By any chance [reader], have you been taking alot of damage?" He asked.

"I'd say I've took plenty."

It was hard to hide the smile on his face, and your words only proved his prediction.

"Let's try!" Grian beamed.

He had his hopes up, surely it was him you're meant to be with!

You give Grian a light tap and

...

Nothing.

"Ah." His disappointment reached his voice.

"Well, that's tragic"

You sighed and instead of adding to the upsetting scenario, you opted to comfort him seeing as his wings drooped down.

"Hm, you should cheer up! Not having me as your soulmate probably means you'll get to live a little longer."

"This was heartbreaking."

You chuckle at his joke.

~❁

After a while of adventuring and checking out the surroundings you settle by the jungle near the plains. You set up camp but didnt make it too permanent as theres a huge chance you'd have to move... choosing a very flammable area wasnt the brightest idea.

You make a small hut (better not be a dirt one) and put all your belongings in the chest but keeping all your valuables with you.

It was a cozy little house, a bed, furnace, crafting table and a chest monster was enough for you to call it a home.

~❁

It's been a moment since you last saw sunlight.

Well below the ground you were, in a cramped cave that was crawling with monsters.

But it was well worth it, you thought, as you mine your first vein of diamonds.

You were getting ready to head back up to the surface as you were getting tired of the darkness and constant jumpscares from the countless amounts of mobs you encountered.

You've had a few too many close calls with creepers, hah I wonder how your soulmate is dealing with the constant loss of hearts.

with your goodies ready to be crafted, you start heading back up. However, as annoying as it may be it was dusk when you reached the grassy plains.

It wouldve been the better and more wise decision to let the night go before going back to your house but you were getting impatient and very tired so you decided to make a run for it.

With your nearly broken sword and crappy armour you swiftly dash across the trees in hopes of not encountering any deadly hitches along the way.

But my oh my the world must hate you alot, to your right behind foliage was a skeleton who started shooting at you while behind you was an ever growing hoard of zombies. And of course will be forget that enderman who you swear you never even looked at yet it still after your precious life.

You had no choice but to keep running, despite the weariness of your body you still managed to carry all the resources from your mining trip.

Thankfully your soulmate was better at keeping your heart up, so despite taking constant damage, you keep on regenerating hearts.

As you were praying your partner wouldnt absolutely despise you for losing so much hearts you hear something, or rather someone but it was a bit inaudible.

Dawn was quickly approaching you realized, you grasp your sword and slashed in all and any directions, you really should've crafted up a better sword while you were down there.

You found yourself in quite a predicament, you were in the jungle and every direction you head there seem to be more and more mobs your way.

You regret thinking you can take on zombies, creepers, and a few skeletons with an iron sword.

You clutched your sword that was about to shatter any moment as you walked backwards 'til you could barely move anymore.

Hearts werent regenerating anymore and you were starting to lose hope when you heard a voice.

"Need a hand?" He said.

"Very much." You hastily replied.

"Attack on 3. 1...2-"

"This is a bad idea."

"..3"

Everything right after felt like a blur. It was purely an adrenaline rush, only when a creeper behind you hissed you regained your senses.

You observe as Xisuma swung his sword at the last 2 zombies as they disintegrated into thin air.

He and you both didnt fail to notice the way you simultaneously took damage when the creeper behind you exploded, leaving you on 3 hearts.

After the initial panic you two had over the low hearts, you both started to calm down and feel fatigue after the adrenaline wore off.

He handed you some food and chuckled.

"So it's you huh"

"Yep, its me who you'll be stuck with" you giggled.

"I'll be more than glad to be stuck with you." He teased.

~❁

"So, [reader] where shall we build our home?" Xisuma asked.

You and Xisuma were walking across the map to return to both of your camps to retrive anything of value, and while doing so you conversed with him quite a bit

Seems like you'll get along just fine.

He was your type of guy, kind but still had that bit of sass on him... You'll have to admit he's also kinda cute.

Through your chitchats you explained the reasons you kept on taking damage, including that one time you tried getting a horn of your own but ended up getting hit by the goat and when Pearl tried showing you her new moves with an axe. She's very unhinged.

You had a good laugh about it and he also shared some stories.

Even gossiping about how bdubs and impulse act like a married couple on a honeymoon.

"I'm not sure, maybe somewhere on the north, havent seen any bases there."you replied while struggling to climb the hills.

Xisuma reached his hand out to you and you gladly took it "By the world border, in the corner of the map might be a good idea."

Soon enough, you reach the place you're planning to settle in. It was a quiet area but some people's bases can still be seen from a distance.

Xisuma built a tent out of wool and planks to settle in for the night while you gathered up a few seeds to make a farm.

"I wouldn't say this is a good build but I did just fine." He commented on his own build.

"Looks better than what I can put together on most days."

A/n: well folks this is where this chapter ends. this was a pretty drawn out process, finals is approaching so I dont know when chapter 2 is going to be posted.

After finishing up the temporary tents, X decided it was best if you both interacted with others, to find allies.

~

On the bright side, I'm about to have lots of free time with school nearing end.

[mysteriouswolf]

Grian fic for his birthday :3

TW: Panic attack

Grian sat in the corner of his room, head between his knees, eyes squeezed shut. He felt their eyes on him, judging, watching, as he fell apart at their sudden gaze. They’d reached into his soul and pulled, being brought to where Grian had been humming quietly to himself, walking through his old house. It took a lot of magic for the Watchers to do that, and there was only so much harm they could really do to Grian now that he was back with Mumbo, where he belonged. He was safe in Hermitcraft, the code surrounding the server seemingly too tough to break through. The two of them had taken the day to go back to where they’d grown up, to take a trip down memory lane for Grian’s birthday. 

They’d found their way to the small cottage where they’d bunked together while at school, and after Grian insisting that he would be fine about 20 times over, Mumbo had gone  out to get cake. 

He thought he would be fine, anyways.

Xisuma had adorned him with all the protection spells he knew, Scar had given him one of his “magic” crystals to keep bad spirits away, and Grian had felt good. He wanted to prove that he could do this- that if the Watchers came, he could fight them off.

But soon after Mumbo had left, they had found him, and took him before he could do so much as blink.

Sweat dripped down his face as he shook, quiet tears beginning to slip down his cheeks. His head pounded as he felt them begin to tear through his memories, peeking in on each precious moment he had spent in the past months whilst free of their gaze. They tore through them carelessly, scattering pieces of memory about the room, and Grian screamed as he felt parts of himself slipping away.

It hurt. Gods, it hurt so much. Because he knew he could stop this if he tried hard enough, if he just had the strength. But seeing them again for the first time in months, feeling them take parts of him away- it was all too much. He couldn’t stop shaking, his muffled cries beginning to grow louder, and-

The door banged open downstairs. 

“Grian!” A familiar voice called out, “Are you alright? Where are you?” 

Mumbo.

The Watchers that had been surrounding him scattered, feeling Mumbo’s presence, and left the room a mess; of wispy bits of drained memory on the floor which were now a grayish-white, and the now withered plant on his old nightstand had been knocked over, shattered ceramic and dirt scattered everywhere on the hardwood floor.

When Grian didn’t respond, Mumbo started up the stairs, then opened the door quietly, his honey-colored eyes scanning the room before landing on Grian. His face drained of color as  he made sense of the situation, and he made his way over to the man, gingerly stepping over the memories that littered the floor, then sat down next to him and wrapped him into a hug.

“It’s alright now,” he whispered, rubbing Grian’s back softly as he began to sob, “It’s okay. They’re gone. They’re all gone, I promise. I won’t let them get you again.”

Grian took deep, shuddering breaths, in, and out. In. Out. Finally his heart rate began to slow, and Grian buried himself deeper into Mumbo’s shoulder as he waited for the pain to go away.

Mumbo sat there, humming quietly whilst running his hand through Grian’s hair, and kissed the top of his head gently.

“You alright?” Mumbo asked, his voice heavy with concern.

“Getting there.” Grian responded, then sat up, rubbing his eyes, before scanning the room. His gaze fell on one memory in particular, and though he could see the images clearly play in his head, he could feel nothing as he watched it. 

In the memory, a clean-shaven Mumbo was sitting next to Grian smiling and aghast while Grian cackled, head thrown back in a fit of laughter. The machine next to them finished up its short tune as Mumbo felt at his face where his mustache had been just moments ago. That had made Grian laugh harder, and Mumbo began yelling playfully at his friend about what he had done.

Grian shuddered as the memory came to an end, and Mumbo squeezed his hand, reminding him to take a deep breath before he began to break down again. That memory- and who knows how many others- were gone. Forever. They wouldn’t be returning, and while he could still see them, they were devoid of emotion, instead making Grian feel numb. 

“They’re gone.” Grian whispered, mostly to himself as the realization sunk it, then said it again, louder. “They’re gone. My- my memories, Mumbo. The feeling. I can’t- They took them.”

“I know,” Mumbo started softly, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t here. I should’ve never-” 

“No. Stop that. I told you to go, and this is not your fault. I just-” Grian took a deep breath, then looked at Mumbo.

“Need a reset?” Mumbo asked, and Grian nodded. Standing up, Mumbo offered out his hand, and Grian took it, stretching out his wings as he stood. They made their way downstairs, where a cake sat at the table with frosting the colors of his wings, and a swoopy cursive text reading “Happy Birthday, Grian” on the top.

Considering just shoving his hand into the cake and grabbing a piece, Grian sat down, and Mumbo grabbed them each a plate. Hastily looking to make sure Mumbo wasn’t watching, Grian snagged a lick of frosting with his finger, grinning.

“Hey!” Mumbo exclaimed playfully, catching him as he turned around, “I paid five diamonds for that cake, you know!”

“Wowwwww,” Grian said mockingly, “Five whole diamonds. Guess “the richest hermit” isn’t really the richest after all, is he?”

They both laughed, and Grian could feel some of the weight slip off his shoulders. Nothing was ever easy anymore. But with Mumbo…things could seem okay for a while.

Grian fell asleep later that night curled up next to Mumbo as he preened his wings, feeling….home.

[aquinnix]

EX had spent their whole life trying to be good enough. 

Always pushed aside. Always the ‘other’ twin. Always needed to be fixed and taught and punished. Always alone. 

But they were never good enough. 

They could never live up to perfect Xisuma.

Because Xisuma could do no wrong. Because Xisuma always deserved forgiveness. Because Xisuma had a heart made of gold where EX had a hole in their chest. 

If EX took one step off the tightrope that was their life, there would be nothing but cold left to keep them company. 

So now, as EX sat, hands stained by green paint, staring at their chance to be free, they didn’t hesitate. And as muffled screams reached their ears, EX pretended not to hear it. 

If EX could make-believe, only for a moment, then EX could finally belong.  

@mcytmusicalbingo

[songbirdsanctuary]

Hidden Scars

You can read this on Ao3!

Warnings: Self-Harm, Suicidal Thoughts

Word count: 1,381

Grian flew over to the spawn area, his wings cutting through the crisp morning air as the sun cast long shadows across the landscape. Xisuma had called a meeting, and everyone was expected to be there. As Grian landed, he saw the other Hermits gathering, their faces curious but concerned, Xisuma normally gave a weeks heads up about meetings. Xisuma stood in the center, holding a small, leather-bound book.

"Thank you all for coming," Xisuma began, his voice steady but laced with urgency. "I've found something troubling, and I need your help."

He held up the book for everyone to see. It was worn, its cover scuffed, and it looked like it had been read many times. "This is a diary, I think." Xisuma explained. "There's no name on it, and I don't know who wrote it, but based on what I've read, I believe the author might be suicidal."

A hush fell over the group. The Hermits exchanged worried glances, but Grian kept his eyes fixed on the ground. His heart pounded in his chest, and his hands trembled at his sides. That was his book. He had written those desperate words in moments of crushing despair. The thought of anyone reading his innermost thoughts, his darkest fears, made him feel exposed and vulnerable. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he struggled to hold them back.

Ren, standing nearby, noticed Grian's distress. "Grian, are you okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

Grian didn't respond. He stared blankly at the ground, his vision blurring as tears filled his eyes. Ren's concern deepened, and he took a step closer. "Grian, talk to me," he urged softly, but there was still no response.

Determined to reach his friend, Ren gently touched Grian's wrist. Grian flinched violently, a sharp gasp escaping his lips. The sudden movement drew everyone's attention, and Xisuma's eyes narrowed in concern.

"Grian, is something wrong?" Xisuma asked, his voice calm but insistent.

Grian's reaction had caught the attention of the other Hermits as well. They looked on, worry etched on their faces. Ren's eyes widened in alarm as he noticed a faint stain of red on Grian's wrist. He gently turned Grian's arm over, revealing the fresh cuts that lined his wrist.

"Grian, what have you done?" Ren whispered, his voice breaking.

Grian pulled his arm back, cradling it protectively against his chest. He couldn't hold back the tears any longer. They flowed freely down his cheeks as he shook his head, unable to find the words to explain the depth of his pain.

Grian panicked. His breath came in shallow gasps, and without a word, he spread his wings and took off, flying as fast as he could away from the group. He couldn't face them. Not now. Not ever.

Xisuma watched him go, a frown creasing his brow. "I think we know who this belongs to now, but does anyone have anything with Grian's handwriting?" he asked the group.

Gem stepped forward, holding a small note. "He gave me this last week," she said softly, handing it to Xisuma.

Xisuma compared the handwriting in the note to the writing in the diary. Xisuma's face paled as he looked up at the other Hermits. "This book was written by Grian."

A collective gasp echoed through the group. The Hermits looked at each other, worry etched into their faces. The realization that their friend had been struggling so profoundly weighed heavily on their hearts.

Ren didn't hesitate. He turned and ran in the direction Grian had flown, with Docm following close behind. They navigated the familiar terrain, their minds racing with worry and determination.

As the two disappeared into the distance, Mumbo, who had been standing off to the side, took a deep breath and stepped forward, his face filled with guilt and sadness. "Xisuma," he began, his voice trembling slightly, "I... I knew that Grian was struggling with suicidal thoughts."

Xisuma's eyes widened in surprise. "You knew?"

Mumbo nodded, his gaze dropping to the ground. "He confided in me a few times when he was feeling really low. I tried to comfort him, to help him through those really bad thoughts. But I didn't realize how deep his pain went. I thought... I thought he was getting better."

Xisuma placed a reassuring hand on Mumbo's shoulder. "It's not your fault, Mumbo. You did what you could. The important thing now is to support Grian and help him heal."

Ren and Docm finally found Grian huddled in front of the rift, his body shaking with silent sobs. Ren approached him cautiously, his heart breaking at the sight of his friend in such pain. "Grian," he said gently, kneeling beside him. "It's okay. We're here for you."

Docm stood a few paces back, giving them space but ready to offer support. He wasn’t good at physical contact, but his concern was evident. "You're not alone, Grian," he added, his deep voice filled with sincerity.

Grian didn't respond. He stared blankly at the ground, tears streaming down his face. "I... I'm sorry," he choked out. "I didn't know how to tell anyone. I didn't want to burden you all."

Ren placed a reassuring hand on Grian's shoulder. "You're not a burden, Grian. We care about you. We want to help."

Grian's resolve began to crumble, and he allowed himself to lean on Ren, feeling a small measure of comfort in his friend's presence. "I just... I don't know how to keep going sometimes," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Docm stepped closer, his expression softening. "We can get through this together," he said. "One step at a time."

Grian tried to ignore their comforting words, his mind clouded with fear and shame. Docm, sensing Grian's resistance, took a decisive step forward and carefully picked Grian up. Grian flinched at the sudden contact but didn't resist. Docm noticed that Grian was much lighter than he should be. As he held him, Docm realized just how skinny Grian was. Shocked, he wondered how he hadn't noticed sooner, but then remembered Grian's oversized red jumper that had hidden his frail frame.

Holding Grian securely, Docm spoke softly, "You don't have to be scared, Grian. We're here to help you."

Grian's voice was shaky as he confessed, "I'm scared they'll read my diary and see how much I've struggled."

Docm shook his head gently. "Xisuma won't let anyone read it without your permission. He'll keep it safe, I promise."

Grian felt a small measure of comfort from Docm's words, though the fear still lingered. Docm carried Grian over to his nest-like bed, settling him down gently. He lay beside Grian, holding him close, providing a physical barrier against the world that seemed so overwhelming.

Ren joined them, lying next to Grian, his presence a silent promise of support and friendship. The three of them lay there, wrapped in a protective cocoon of camaraderie.

Grian eventually drifted into an uneasy sleep, still in Docm's arms. It felt odd to be cuddled by Docm, someone he had often been wary of. Ren remained close, providing warmth and reassurance.

When Grian woke up, he was still nestled in Docm's embrace. The oddity of the situation struck him, as he had never expected to find comfort in Docm's arms. Ren was still cuddled next to them, his steady breathing a soothing rhythm. Grian looked around and saw Xisuma and Mumbo standing a few feet away, their faces etched with concern. They must have come while he was asleep.

Grian glanced down at his wrists and saw they were bandaged. The sight brought back a flood of emotions, and he started to tremble, tears welling up in his eyes. Docm held him closer, his voice a soft whisper meant only for Grian, and maybe Ren.

"Go back to sleep," Docm murmured. "You're tired. We'll be here when you wake up."

Grian felt the warmth and security of their embrace. The weight of his fears and anxieties didn't seem as heavy with his friends around him. He closed his eyes, letting the gentle murmur of their voices and the warmth of their presence lull him back to sleep. For the first time in a long while, he felt a glimmer of hope and a sense of belonging.

[tunastime]

tuna my betuna how about 12 or 79?

hi laurie belaure!! i chose 79 for this one, but i wanna come back to 12 also! so this song was on xisuma's SEN playlist so it got a few plays! and I wrote something about him. obviously. um. ahaha! anyway if I come back to this for SEN it'll be a lot more detailed--this is just really condensed!

(457 words)

The world in the week after the Moonrise returns is in constant motion.

Someone pins a medal to Xisuma’s collar. Someone hands him a stripe to add to his uniform, cold and metal. They shake his hand. He hears them congratulate him—something about how there couldn’t have been a better option. They’re sorry about what happened to him. To Tango. To Doc. There are more metals—for Doc and for Cleo. Cleo smiles at him, part sympathy and part concern when she passes him at the post-ceremony celebration. It feels genuine, much more than it could have been. Cleo could be angry at him. So could Doc. But Doc’s unchanging face softens around his eyes and mouth when he shakes Xisuma’s hand, when he squeezes it just once before he lets go. 

Everything is good now. Everything is fine.

There’s a box on Xisuma’s personal desk of Tango’s belongings. Inside that box are several important things. One is a plant—it’s a spider plant, already overflowing its pot. One is a small glass case with a medallion inside of it, with a badge pinned to the back. A small star shaped pin for his uniform. The last is his uniform—different than his jumpsuit with his name digitally displayed. Formal, with the new Lieutenant Commander color emblazoned up the side.

Xisuma has not opened this box. Because everything is still just fine.

Xisuma returns to his room as shift change begins. Doc had relieved him, the edges of his smile coming back as he’d passed Xisuma in the hall. He was carrying a rather large looking box on his hip. Work for his office, he’d said. Right. Xisuma was glad that he was back to work. It meant things were normal, for him.

His quarters are dark when he returns, shuffling tiredly into the room. He works his way out of his overcoat, shrugging it off his shoulders as he enters, leaving only the HASA emblazoned black shirt still tight to him. There’s a faint glow as the light beside the bed hums to life, scattering orange-yellow light across the room. For a moment, the light brings a warmth to the room that Xisuma lingers in, stepping his way over to the bedside. There, he sinks to the ground, stretching his legs out in front of him.

He rests his head back, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes, looking for the stars behind them. He hurts. There’s a space in his chest that won’t fill or heal no matter how much he tries to stuff it with something. The box sits on his table. He doesn’t sit at the table. He sleeps. He works. He wanders the halls like he’s some fucking ghost of his own space station. Tango is gone. Doc is different. Cleo’s changed. Slip left. So did Biffa. He doesn’t even recognize his own face in the mirror.

Xisuma sighs, hard, through his nose, and picks himself off the floor.

Everything’s good now. Everything's just. Fine.

(spotify wrapped ask meme)