Work Text:
After so many battles, after stealing victories from legendary armies and sending countless men to Lady Death, after years of sparring with friends and foes alike and competitions of every sort with the other hermits, Grian would have thought that he was well past nerves.
Apparently not.
Leaning over the glass railing of the Hole In The Wall arena, Grian waited for the results of the event to show up on his communicator. His hands were shaking and sweating so much he nearly dropped the device multiple times, heart racing and breath shallow. This was the third game of the event, and he was already feeling the effects of all this exercise. His face was absolutely dripping with sweat and his muscles ached from all of the jumping, dodging, and ducking he did.
He regretted agreeing to wear a purple penguin onesie— who was he to say no to False? She’d insisted on ‘representing their team’ and ‘getting in the festive mood’. One second of her puppy eyes and he was a goner— but there was still a smile painted on his face. He was fairly certain his team had done well, but he knew that this game had been a particularly close one. It could go either way: in their favor, or in another team’s.
He very much hoped that they could clinch a victory in this game, score some early points. Who knows, they could possibly get a very early lead here? Absolutely anything can happen in a game like MCC.
Maybe that’s why they all agreed to play every month.
Grian (along with the entire rest of the arena) held his breath as the results finally came in, and…
BEST PERFORMING TEAM: Purple Penguins
Top 5 Players:
(Penguins) PeteZahHutt - 1236
(Carollers) Krtzyy - 1164
(Mistletoes) fruitberries - 1152
(Candy Canes) WilburSoot - 882
(Elves) TommyInnit - 876
“Yes! Let’s go, Pete!” Grian cheered, and similar cries were made throughout the arena. There was joyous clapping and whooping as teams congratulated each other. The parrot hybrid boosted himself upward in an attempt to locate Pete, quickly spotting the purple Santa hat the man was wearing amidst the crowd. He was similarly along the railing, celebrating with some other competitors. Grian beamed mischievously, launching himself off the railing to get a boost of speed, gliding over to Pete excitedly and bowling him over with a hug.
The taller man wheezed out a laugh, hugging Grian back. “G, please get down; I’m going to drop you, I swear—” The avian shook his head petulantly, but did hop off of him.
“I’m so proud of you! You did absolutely amazing,” he gushed. Pete beamed, finally taking his purple hat off. Grian was shocked he’d kept it on throughout the entire game, which at first astonished him, then made him laugh. That was a very Pete thing to do. A bright, warm sense of pride in his team washed over him, and he felt excited about the events still to come.
A lanky figure burst through the masses of other competitors and wrapped his arms around Pete with no warning, absolutely beaming. Tommy! Grian exclaimed internally. It’s been so long since we’ve been able to talk! I’m glad I get to see him.
Tommy gushed, “Pete! Holy shit, you did fucking amazing!” A wide grin matching the teen’s quickly plastered itself on Grian’s face. He chuckled heartily at Tommy’s outfit; he was dressed in a full Santa outfit. He’s only missing the beard and the hat! Heh, maybe he can borrow Pete’s Santa hat, Grian thought lightheartedly.
Pete grinned ear to ear when he saw the boy and immediately threw his arms around him, patting him on the back as a father would to a son. “You did spectacularly as well! Top 5, my man! So proud.” Tommy’s smile grew impossibly wider as he basked in the compliment.
Grian tousled Tommy’s blond hair playfully. “Tommy! It’s good to see you! How have you been holding up?” The avian fluffed out his wings happily. Tommy had carved out a small section in his heart from the moment the two had met. Sure, it sounds cliche, but the teen’s humor, positivity, and infectious laugh claimed the hearts of everyone around him, Grian was sure of it. How could anyone hate someone as genuine as Tommy? He smiled warmly at his competitor, filled with pride.
Tommy hesitated for a moment before replying to Grian. His eyebrows furrowed briefly, yet Grian thought nothing of it. He replied a bit more solemnly, “I’ve been doing as well as I can, Gr-o-in.” Grian laughed, and Pete joined in very quickly.
I hope the pressure of the event isn’t getting to him, he worried. I’d hate for him to not enjoy today. He wordlessly made it his mission, then and there, to cheer Tommy up and cheer him on. That’s what role models are supposed to do, right? A cheeky smile crept onto the hybrid’s face as red-gloved hands subtly reached down to the floor beneath the group and scooped up a mound of freshly fallen snow. He waited patiently as Pete inadvertently distracted Tommy with conversation about the event… and then dumped a pile of snow unceremoniously onto the teen’s head.
Tommy yelped, shocked by the sudden cold. “W-what the fuck, G? That’s— Oh, fuck, that’s cold,” Tommy sputtered. Pete wheezed, nearly falling to the ground with laughter before pulling himself together and helping him brush the snow off his head and shoulders. His cheeks were wind bitten and flushed, and he looked almost more anxious than before as he shook himself off, not making eye contact with anyone but the floor.
“...Uh, sorry, you guys, I’ve got to go. I think my team is calling for me. Congrats,” Tommy supplied a (not anywhere near convincing) smile as an afterthought, walking away without hesitation, a palpable look of fear painted over his normally youthful, cheery expression.
Grian blinked, torn between shock, regret, and confusion.
Was it me? Did I do something wrong?
Tommy’s behavior disturbed Grian to no end because he never acted like this. He was the poster child of chaos; normally Tommy would be the one pulling pranks and cheering people up, so how come he had seemed so… anxious? It made no sense to him and seeing how Pete wore the same expression as he did, it didn’t check out with him, either.
Pete did seem to have caught on as well, turning to look at Grian: “What’s wrong with Tommy? Is he alright?” His voice softened with concern as he spoke. “He seemed really… uneasy. I… don’t really know how else to describe it.” He paused and rubbed his temples with a sigh. “...Someone should probably check on him.”
(Maybe it was the near-camouflage of green clothes against a green concrete wall, or maybe they had been too caught up in laughter to realize, but both Grian and Pete missed spotting the green-clad man leaning against the outside wall of the arena who seemed to be staring daggers at Tommy and at Grian’s team as they were talking to him. They also didn’t pick up on the way Tommy’s eyes went wide with pure terror when he noticed the man, assuming that it was just his reaction to the snow.)
Oblivious to this fact, Grian replied soothingly “I’ll go talk to him privately. I’ve helped him out a handful of times. Who knows, it might just be nerves!” He smiled, shrugging. He knew they were both thinking the same thing he was: something was off with Tommy and how he was acting, and they had a suspicion that it wasn’t because of the championship or because of a prank.
And so, he walked off to go find Tommy.
—
Grian scanned the arena, looking for the teen — however, it wasn’t very hard to locate him, considering that Tommy was dressed in a bright red Santa outfit. The two were standing near some deserted bleachers in the area. He was accompanied by a man wearing a fully green outfit. As he crept closer, he took in the man’s appearance. He was around the same height as Tommy but had slightly darker hair and a more muscular build. Tommy cowered below him, tears unmistakably rolling down his face.
Fury inundated the hybrid— who would dare to make a child cry, not on my watch— but he forced down the instinct to instantly claw the brown-haired man’s face off. Curiosity and concern overtook him instead, urging him to get closer and investigate further. Grian inched closer, forcing his wings to fold behind him as he hid just behind the bleachers near the other man and Tommy. Peeking his head out just enough to see the two, he craned his head to pick up their conversation and was immediately taken aback by what he heard.
“Do you want to lose this MCC, Tommy? Because it sure fucking looks like it,” the man seethed, pointing a finger in the crying teen’s face. “5th place? That’s pathetic. At least act like you’re trying. Why are you trying to make your teammates lose? Do you really hate them that much?” His voice dripped with tainted honey, fake sympathy. It made Grian’s stomach churn. “Do I need to ask Noxcrew to switch your team? …Or maybe just remove you from MCC altogether—”
Tommy’s blue eyes widened and he interrupted Dream hastily, spluttering and gesturing wildly, “N-no! I’ll… I’ll do better. I’m sorry, Dream. I’ll do better, please don’t make me leave this… I just want to see my friends…”
‘Dream’ seemed to think this over for a moment, staying silent.
“You’ve got the rest of the event to get it the fuck together and at least get to Dodgebolt or there’s going to be consequences when we get back to Logstedshire. Got it?”
His tone remained calm and quiet, yet conveyed a clear threat nonetheless.
Tommy stuttered out, “Y-yes, sir. I’m sorry.” He looked like a stray dog that had been kicked, and Grian hated it. Pure fury made his blood boil beneath his skin, and he had to hold himself back from launching at ‘Dream’ right then and there.
Just wait until you can talk to Tommy about it. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes in an attempt to soothe his anger. If I got into a fight during a championship, Mumbo would never let me hear the end of it. Grian chuckled and took another deep inhale, letting his wings relax and unruffle, tuning back into the conversation.
It seemed, however, he’d missed the ending of it; ‘Dream’ was spinning on his heels and stalking away, leaving a distraught-looking Tommy in his wake who turned to watch him walk away, arms wrapped around himself. Grian steeled himself and approached the blond quietly, trying not to spook him.
Tommy did seem to have noticed someone walking back up to him, as he cleared his throat and attempted to discreetly wipe away the tears in his eyes.
“I’m sorry to make you wait, Tubbo! Dream was just chatting with…” He trailed off as he spun around, a faux smile on his lips, and caught sight of Grian (very clearly not who he had thought was coming behind him). Both of their smiles faltered as they gazed at each other worriedly, albeit for very different reasons.
Grian’s wings twitched as his fury resurfaced once again.
“Tommy, who was that?” Painted on Grian’s face was an insincere, tight-lipped smile that, if Tommy had known him any better, would have known meant danger to anyone who crossed him or those he cared for.
It told the tale of gunpowder, of rot, of withers, of destruction.
It was, quite frankly, terrifying when that rage just below the surface was directed towards you.
Tommy stuttered out, “No one. …D-don’t worry about it. It’s just Dream; he acts like this sometimes. He doesn’t mean any harm to me! He promised me that.” He made a placating gesture, fear apparent on his face. Grian caught a split second of doubt and regret in the teen’s eyes, and a sinking feeling grew in his gut. He took in Tommy’s appearance wordlessly, searching for more clues.
Something Grian hadn’t noticed even when talking to the boy with Pete is just how haggard, how beaten-down he looked. Dark circles had etched themselves under Tommy’s cerulean eyes. He looks like he hasn’t slept in weeks. His hands clenched of their own accord. Tommy’s blond hair was a rat’s nest, which was to say it was greasy and knotted to the point that it was nearly matted to the scalp. Grian wondered just how much of this neglect was the fault of this ‘Dream’ figure.
He didn’t want to think about the poorly-hidden black eye Tommy was sporting. One couldn’t feasibly notice it from a distance, but up close? He could see it in all of its black and blue glory.
He wanted to feed whoever did this to him to Ren and watch as they met their demise.
Tommy squirmed under the scrutiny, shifting his weight nervously, “W-why are you staring at me, you bitch? I’m fine! I promise you I’m okay.” Even so, he looked away towards the ground, betraying what he was actually feeling.
Grian’s gaze immediately softened, and he pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. He looked back up at Tommy and countered, “You seem to be convincing yourself more than you’re convincing me.”
Tommy frowned, his face looking more and more terrified by the second, and hesitated before near-whispering, “Just… drop it. Please. I really don’t want to talk about it. Please.” His voice shook with intensity and panic.
Grian nearly scooped him up in his arms and called Xisuma to take both of them back to Hermitcraft right then and there, but settled for a deep exhale.
Maybe throwing Dream to Ren wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
Taking off his glasses and putting them in his onesie pocket with an exhale, Grian tried, “Tommy, if Dream is causing you this much pain, maybe leaving that server is something you should think about. He’s hurting you both physically and mentally, by the looks of it. He’s draining your lively, wonderful energy, and your energy is your entire trademark, to be fair…” Grian paused for a moment in his passionate rambling with a sigh. He shifted on his feet before continuing, “I’m just saying something might have to change. You’re… You’re not yourself, Tommy. I can always talk to Xisuma, my server’s admin, and see if we can give you a nice place to stay for a while--”
Tommy backed away from the shorter man with eyes wide, extending his arms to put distance between the two. “Nonono-- T-that’s not necessary. There’s nothing wrong in my server, Grian,” he said. “Just… some misunderstandings. Besides, the people in my server need me.”
Grian was silent for a moment, contemplating what he could say to the boy to make him realize that something was wrong, but there was nothing. In the end, he couldn’t force Tommy to do anything against his will. Grian sighed, forcing himself out of his mind and focusing on the problem at hand.
“If… If you’re sure, Toms.” Grian offered a reassuring smile. “Please, if you need absolutely anything, don’t hesitate to contact me. Alright? I’ve... dealt with…. people like Dream before, I can do it again.” The avian’s tone darkened a bit with his last words, hoping the underlying message got across. Tommy looked away from Grian before nodding in agreement, not meeting the avian’s eyes as he spun on his heels and began walking back to his team with his arms wrapped around his chest in an attempt to comfort himself.
Void, he reminds me so much of myself before Hermitcraft… I was so hesitant about accepting X’s offer to hide me in Hermitcraft after the whole… Watcher experience, Grian pondered as Tommy walked away, leaning on the railing of the arena and letting his gaze follow the boy as he pushed through the crowd to (presumably) a friend or a teammate. …He might not be a good builder or redstoner, but the other Hermits would love him. They would get along, to say the least… Before he could get too lost in thought, he stretched out his wings, beginning to walk back to where he left Pete.
As he, like Tommy, pushed through the throngs of celebrating competitors, Grian let himself delve into his inner thoughts again. He wasn’t one to jump to conclusions on people or hold grudges, but something was bothering him about this ‘Dream’ character. Something didn’t feel right about him, almost like an infection in the elbow joint of the man’s code. Before he knew it, he was nearly back to his teammates. It seemed False and Kara had both made their way back to the group. Hopefully, they didn’t see that entire altercation—
A hand grabbed his jumper, yanking him upwards and slamming him against the outer brick wall of the arena. All the air in his lungs was pushed out of him by the force of the act. Grian gasped in pain, face-to-face with Dream. Even with the trademark white smiley mask that Dream wore, he could tell he was smiling underneath it at Grian’s reaction.
This is bad. This is really bad, he thought through the ache of his back and shoulders.
Dream let out a low, sinister laugh. “Looks like a little birdie stuck his nose where it doesn’t belong, huh?” Grian’s eyes grew wide, distress flooding his brain. “Stay out of my business, Grian. You have no reason to be prying into the affairs of my server.”
The avian spat out a response, feeling anger flow through him, “I’ve made it my business now, seeing as a child I care about, who is in your care, is mentally and physically unwell. I couldn’t care less what you think about it. I’m looking after him and—”
Then Dream swung a fist at his face, and the only thought that Grian could have before the impact was I’m glad I took off my glasses before this, those would have been a pain to repair-
His vision whited out as he took a blow to the jaw. The pain was so intense and sudden, he nearly gasped out a curse as he became aware of his situation again.
Dream stepped impossibly closer, getting in Grian’s face and lowering his voice. “Do you really want to play this game? Well, why don’t I just tell the Noxcrew admins that someone’s team cheated this entire game?” He tilted his head with fake innocence as he continued, “What, you think I didn’t notice you and your teammates phasing through those walls like they were nothing? The press would just eat that up, wouldn’t they? Frontpage of the newspaper in all worlds tomorrow morning: ‘newest Hermitcraft member, Grian, banned from MCC for hacking during the event’. And if I have total control over an entire server, you can bet your life that I can ruin your life in more ways than one.”
“You want to try your luck with me? You will lose, Grian.”
Grian had no words. He’d faded into an amalgamation of terror, unholy fury, and the desire to abandon any sensibility left in him and swing right back at the taller man. This was the admin of Tommy’s server. This was who he was in the care of. There was no longer any doubt in his mind that this was, in fact, the person who had reduced Tommy to a terrified, meek version of himself.
“You’re a fucking monster,” Grian breathed out, horrified.
For a moment, Dream did nothing. Then, he simply scoffed, and released Grian unceremoniously, sending him tumbling to the floor.
“At least I know it. Goodbye, Grian. Hopefully, you’ve learned a lesson.” And just as quickly as he’d come, Dream had disappeared into the crowd with a mock salute, leaving Grian just as shaken up and lost as he had been at the beginning of the encounter.
---
In the end, putting the altercation with Dream in the very back of his mind had worked out for Grian and for his team rather well; the Purple Penguins had made it to Dodgebolt, despite all expectations. The game was extremely close. Both teams had two points and needed just one more victory to take home the championship.
It all came down to the final shot; the deciding snowball.
He'd gotten hit earlier in the round so it was up to Pete to win it all. Gazing down into the snow-filled arena, he realized that it didn’t look good for them; it was a 1 vs. 3, Pete against Punz, Krinios, and Illumina. If anyone can pull this clutch off, it would be Pete.
The entire arena held their breath as Krinios loaded his slingshot, aimed… and then fired.
...And they all watched as Pete vanished with an explosion of purple. The snowball had hit home, and they had lost.
Teal Turkeys win MCC!
Strangely enough, Grian didn’t feel even the slightest twinge of disappointment at the loss as all the contestants teleported back outside of the stadium, watching the winners walk across the stage. He’d had an immense amount of fun with his team. The fact that they had made it to Dodgebolt? That alone made his heart light with pride. He’d had an amazing time, even including nearly getting into a fight with a server admin. (He was sure he could have won that fight, even without Watcher abilities, but he was secretly glad he didn’t have to test that theory.) His teammates naturally gravitated towards him, and the avian was greeted by cheers and warm hugs from Pete, False, and Kara.
“Aww, that was a great fight! I’m so proud of you all.” False cheered the team up, ruffling Grian’s sandy blond hair affectionately.
Pete nodded, a smile on his face. “You all did wonderfully. I’m sorry I couldn’t pull off the clutch.”
Kara made a faux-offended face and nudged the taller man playfully, “Don’t blame yourself for that! Even Dream couldn’t have pulled off a 1v3 against those three, I bet.” Grian’s face fell with the mention of the green-clad man.
He couldn’t stop hearing what Dream had said to Tommy. He couldn’t stop hearing what he’d even said to Grian himself after he’d gotten in the man’s way— monster, monster, I’m a monster and I should know that — and couldn’t help but want to vomit each time those words replayed in his mind. He quickly shook his head, his wings, his whole body, trying to rid himself of these thoughts. My team is celebrating! I need to stop letting those events replay in my head. If I let him have power over me, he’s won. Grian clenched his jaw resolutely, took a deep breath, and plastered a smile on his face. "Falsie!” Grian called out for the blonde woman, who turned from a conversation with Pete to look at him, tilting her head to listen.
“If the others ask where I’m headed, tell them I’m going to get a burger!” False shot an approving smile back. Grian waved a goodbye to her, then turned and began walking to the Burgers But Fast stand where an admin was standing, a burger that was calling his name in hand--
Then suddenly a blur of blond rushed to Grian's side, grabbing onto his red sweater and cowering behind him.
"Help me, please, fucking... don't let him near me," the kid begged, eyes red and bleary.
“H-huh?” What’s going on? Are they hurt? Was there an altercation going on? Grian looked around for signs of danger confusedly. Seeing none, his eyes fell back to the child, still latched onto him.
"Wha-- Tommy?”
The signature red and white shirt matched, the height matched, but the situation didn’t. The event was nearly over! Besides, Grian thought the two had dealt with the earlier issue already. The avian shook his head, trying to focus; there was a kid in danger that needed help. His personal curiosity could wait. “Don’t let who get you?"
"Dream! Don't let him take me. Please, I need you to,” Tommy pleaded, knuckles turning white from the grip he had on Grian’s red sweater. He was completely and utterly disheveled, shirt wrinkled like someone had dragged him around by it, eyes red, puffy, and filled with terror, and—
Was that a bruise?
“That’s pathetic. At least act like you’re trying…”
“...consequences when we get back to Logstedshire.”
“...total control over an entire server…”
Then everything Dream had said clicked. He was bewildered, he was confused, but he knew he needed to protect Tommy.
"I-I mean, okay?" Grian stuttered out, hands motioning wildly.
He didn’t even have time to grab ahold of the teen before the masked man himself, Dream, was rounding a corner and sprinting at the two of them.
"Ah, there he is! Just who I was looking for." Dream slowly turned to Grian, tone dropping in pitch and eyes narrowing. “Tommy, I thought I’d told you not to talk to this… gentleman.”
Grian offered a faux-polite smile to the man as he approached. "Dream! Would you like to explain to me why Tommy here is pleading with me to keep him away from you, to not let you take him with you?" He tilted his head innocuously. Grian’s tone maintained the same cheeriness as usual, albeit with a dark undertone. He wordlessly took a step back, bracing himself to keep Dream back from Tommy.
Arms extending, Dream replied confidently, "I'm sorry, but you’re simply mistaken about the situation. Tommy just loves to… act up, doesn't he?" He stepped forward confidently, energy laced with a threat and eyes set on the blond teen cowering, terrified, behind him.
Grian wasted no time, pulling out a dagger from his hip and shielding Tommy with his arm. "Take one more step towards him, Dream, and your head comes off."
There was a pause as Grian glared at Dream with a blade pointed right at his neck.
Dream tilted his head to look at the blade, then looked back up at the avian. "There’s no need for all of... that, Grian. I just want to take Tommy back to the SMP safe and sound. He’s completely fine, and I don’t appreciate you accusing me of things I have not done." Despite saying this so certainly, he did still take a reluctant half-step backward.
The hybrid took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Dream, he is shaking and crying behind me. His tears have wiped away the makeup you presumably used to hide all of those... bruises... on his face. You may fool those on your server, but you will never be able to fool someone like me. I see through you.” Grian paused, his eyebrows furrowed and his mind made up. “I'm not letting you take him without a fight."
And with this, Dream’s facade dropped without warning.
The masked man lunged for the teen, being quickly blocked by Grian’s lithe form. The avian used all his weight and strength to push Dream back, holding the dagger in his hand, ready to use it if the admin persisted. And persist he did, roughly shoving Grian out of his path, nearly knocking him to the floor with the force of it. Thankfully, for what the avian lacked in brute strength, he made up for in both agility and speed. He used his momentum to steady himself and shift his weight so that he could use that momentum to shoulder-check the man. In the blink of an eye, Grian had one arm restraining one of Dream’s and the dagger pressed on the man’s neck.
“Dream, I have killed you multiple times before; I will not hesitate to do it again. Step away from me and Tommy and go back to your world before I need to drag a Noxcrew admin in."
Despite the mask Dream wore making it impossible for Grian to read what the man was really feeling, there was an air of surprise that pleased the hybrid. Dream held his hands up in faux surrender. His head slowly turned to face Tommy’s. Grian’s grip tightened on the dagger he held anxiously, however he didn’t give into the tempting urge to drive it right into the man’s neck.
“You may have won this battle, Tommy, but I will win the war.” Dream locked eyes with Tommy and then with Grian before continuing, “Don’t let your guard down.” Grian merely rolled his eyes and removed the dagger from his skin, motioning for him to leave. The green-clad man turned on his heels, stalking away. A tense lull in conversation washed over the two that remained near the burger stand.
Without warning, Grian shook out his entire body, stretching out his wings. “Well then. Glad to be rid of him.” He slid his dagger– Oh my Gods, I almost had to use my dagger— back into the holder on his hip where it originated. “That guy had some horrid energy, eh?” Grian joked.
Tommy was having none of it; his eyes were still wet with tears, and his entire body was shaking. Grian blinked helplessly. He was good at PVP and, apparently, physically protecting children, but he wasn’t particularly proficient in the emotional department.
However, he knew someone who was.
False.
His tone sobered dramatically as he waved in False’s direction, praying that she would turn around and notice him flagging her down. Thankfully, she seemed to be paying attention and quickly walked over.
Her joyous smile faded as she took in the sight that was Grian with a concerned look on his face and a child who she’d not met before crying behind him.
“What’s going on here?”
Grian bit his lip, trying to figure out how to explain the happenings of the event without causing False to freak out. “Well, long story short, I got into a fight with an admin who was abusing Tommy here,” he motioned to the teen behind him, who waved softly, “...and now he may or may not need a place to stay.”
False blinked once. Twice.
“Never a dull moment in the world of the Hermits.” She sighed, then continued, “...I’ll call X. I can’t guarantee he’ll whitelist Tommy, but he’ll at least be able to help.” She whipped out her communicator before pausing and shaking her head with an affectionate look on her face. “Who am I kidding, X will see the word ‘kid’ and go into dad mode immediately.”
Holding her communicator to her ear, False started, “X? We’re, uh, ready to come back now. But we… We have a bit of a complication. Grian saved a kid.”
---
“Grian, what do you mean you got attacked by an admin?” Xisuma sighed (he would be pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration if he could breathe air well enough to take his helmet off).
The four of them-- Xisuma himself, Grian, False, and Tommy-- had gathered in Grian’s tower on the fourth floor, the greenhouse. Tommy cowered behind False and Grian.
The avian wondered if the Tommy was scared of X. He, for one, knew that X could never and would never hurt even a fly, but he could definitely see how someone who didn’t know him as well as he and the other Hermits did could be intimidated by his presence. Xisuma wore a full suit of armor 24/7. Even despite the fact that he’d customized his armor to resemble a turtle, it was still slightly menacing. No one knew why he refused to take it off, but Grian wasn’t one to pry into others’ reasoning for things. He knew just as well as anyone that some things that people do are a result of trauma… yet he still couldn’t help but wonder the reasoning behind the armor.
X must have noticed Grian staring off into space because his expression softened into one of concern. He probed the hybrid gently, “You with us, G?”
Grian’s eyes widened as he came back to reality, shifting his weight and stretching his wings slightly. “Yeah, yeah.” Clearing his throat and refocusing his vision, he continued on.
“You asked about the whole… altercation with the admin.” He bit the inside of his cheeks nervously. “I overheard Dream saying some absolutely vile things to Tommy, asked Tommy about it after Dream had walked away, and after I’d seemingly taken care of that issue, Dream attacked me as I was walking back to the team. I won’t go into detail there, but…” He caught a glance of the others around him and was met with looks of concern all around. He reassured them with a vague motion of his hands, “I’m okay, I’m okay! I’m just going to be a little bruised for a while.”
His attempts at soothing them didn’t work.
False spoke up, “I’m taking you to Stress after this.” Grian tried to protest and assert that he was fine, but False was adamant. “No, you need to be checked out. You as well, Tommy.” She made eye contact with the teen, who promptly looked away without a word. Her tone softened slightly and her face creased with compassion. “I’m sorry we couldn’t have met under better circumstances.” She offered a smile, but Tommy just stared at the floor, visibly nervous.
X, on the other hand, looked wildly confused. “So how did that lead to you rescuing Tommy?”
Grian continued, “I went to go get a burger after Dodgebolt, and Tommy ran up to me and hid behind me, begging me to keep him safe from Dream. I had no clue what was going on, but how could I have said no?” He shrugged, motioning vaguely with his hands once again. “Dream came out of nowhere and when I tried to confront him about all of… that, he kept trying to downplay it and to get closer to Tommy, so I… I may or may not have threatened him with my dagger.” He trailed off meekly, his wings pulling themselves back behind him slightly. He shifted on his feet nervously. I’m in for it now, he thought with an internal laugh.
False took a deep breath of pure disbelief before replying bluntly, “You did what?”
Worth it, Grian thought, smiling inside his mind. Even if it might have not been the brightest idea, the air of complete shock after he’d pulled the knife on Dream completely justified his rashness in his eyes.
Xisuma took all of this in for a moment, putting an armored hand on his chin before finally speaking again. “Okay. It would be unwise and, for lack of a better word, utterly foolish to send Tommy back to his home server at this moment.” He paused, weighing his options briefly.
“My final verdict is this,” he turned to face Grian, locking eyes with him. “Seeing as you did rescue him, Tommy will be under your care until we can figure out a permanent solution. I’m sure the other Hermits will be more than happy to take roles in his care as they will, but you will be his guardian.”
Grian nodded in agreement before chiming in lightheartedly, breaking the serious tone X had set. “I’m sure Scar will get immediately attached, as he does. He’ll see someone who matches his chaotic energy and instantly latch on.” False chuckled quietly, motioning for Grian to ignore her laughter. The avian did the exact opposite, nudging her back playfully with a toothy grin plastered on his face that said ‘I’m right and you know it’.
It seemed that X wasn’t paying attention to the duo’s antics, and was instead focused on how silent and anxious Tommy had been throughout the entire conversation. In all honesty, he’d been strangely solemn from the moment he’d entered the server for the very first time. X felt a twinge of sorrow for the boy. He couldn’t imagine what the boy had gone through to warrant Grian threatening a server owner to get him out of his situation.
Hermitcraft had formed as a safe haven of sorts, a place to escape from and heal from the horrors that the different members had witnessed. The knowledge that that legacy lived on and that Hermitcraft could potentially welcome a new member once again and help another person heal filled him with warmth.
Dragging himself out of his thoughts, Xisuma softly probed Tommy. “I’m sorry that all of this is happening so suddenly. I’m glad that you’re here, Tommy. It’s a little intimidating at first, especially with meeting a bunch of new people, but I assure you everyone here are some of the nicest people you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. I wouldn’t have put you in the care of Grian if I didn’t think he was capable. All of us will be more than accommodating to whatever you need. All you have to do is ask, alright?” X offered a kind smile to the blond, who offered a weak grin in return.
Turning his attention back to Grian once again, X cleared his throat to get his attention. The avian’s head turned swiftly with surprise, and Xisuma smiled fondly under his helmet. Bird-brain. He’s always distracted, even in important meetings, he thought before finally speaking. “Grian, if you’re ready, you’re free to take Tommy back home. I’ll make the other Hermits aware of Tommy shortly. I’m sure they’re all biting at the bit wondering who this ‘TommyInnit’ character is and why he’s logged into the Hermitcraft server.” That got a hearty laugh out of both Grian and False and (much to X’s surprise) a small chuckle from Tommy himself. X’s heart swelled with hope, excitement, and pride all at once. The other Hermits are going to adore him, he internally affirmed.
Grian nodded excitedly, bouncing up and down on his toes. “Come on, Toms, let’s get you home!” Grian wrapped an arm around Tommy, offering an excited smile.
“You’re gonna love Sahara.”