Chapter Text
the day had been quite eventful for xisuma. admin duties combined with visiting friends and personal projects had kept him occupied all day. he had gotten his starter house all completed, which was a really good early start to the season! he was proud of it. he had planned what else to do with his little area as well, coming up with some good ideas that he’d definitely have to plan out more. however, now it was time to head home before it got too dark and dangerous out here.
he had visited a nearby-ish friend that he hadn’t seen in some time for some iron that would come in handy for his next project. he smiles and thanks his friends before making his way home. he frowns when thunder roared above, realising he should probably hurry back so he isn’t caught up in the rain.
rain fell as xisuma makes his way back to his base, trekking through the woods. he wished he would have waited until the next morning rather than the middle of the day to come out here, but it would be alright. lesson definitely learned, though.
it had begun to rain harder as xisuma grew closer to home. he smiles at the thought of resting by the fire place with a good book and some tea and just being cozy… oh, the good things he had to look forward to. being all wet was uncomfortable, but the rain wasn’t.. too bad. it had been awhile since he’d played in the rain, anyways.
okay, maybe he’s just trying to find the light in the situation like he always does. it’s better than being all down about things and looking at it negatively. he likes being more on the positive side of things. he’s much happier that way and he finds it’s easier to enjoy the little things in life.
xisuma was nearing home and he smiles a bit more. all this journeying and being wet has made him quite hungry.. he’ll have to eat once he’s home, too. he was really looking forward to that tea—
he pauses in his tracks.
the rain continues to fall, taking up most of his senses. the thunder grew closer and louder, it seeming to only rain harder.
he heard it again. past the sound of the rain hitting the leaves of the trees and the forest floor—he heard it. it… sounded like a wounded animal. it could very well be, he was in the middle of the woods, after all. he takes a few steps forwards before furrowing his brows. they were definitely noises of discomfort, though not quite crying. but, where were they coming from?
after more searching, xisuma got his answer. huddled up under a tree in attempt to escape the cold rain was—not an animal, but a boy younger than himself. he had wings that wrapped around him, probably for warmth and dryness against the cold of the rain.
it was a young avian, lost in the rain and possibly hurt. xisuma checks the server, because, well, who is this? how.. now how was this posible? he looks back to the avian with narrowed eyes. he was just.. so young. surely he wasn’t behind this.. right?
remaining wary, xisuma takes a few steps closer. this caught the boy’s attention, big eyes staring back up at him. he shifts to stand, wincing though he tries to hide whatever pain he was in.
the rain only continues to fall harder. the thunder was much closer now, practically overhead. the young avian had slid back down the tree, not taking his gaze off xisuma. he huddles closer back as far as he could get when he stalked closer, before puffing up his wings in attempt to appear bigger than he was. it seemed to work, as the man had stopped. he tries to huddle back further, though he was as far against the tree as he could possibly be. he keeps his wings puffed up, wanting to remain bigger.
the rain muffled the taller man’s voice as he handed over something. it made the young one flinch, and he was hesitant to accept the bread. he did after a few moments, because he was extremely hungry.. he took a bite of the bread after a moment of studying it and looking back up, proceeding to gobble it down afterwards. he shifts after, frowning as he watches the bread man begin to walk away.
“wait!” he’d call out, attempting to stand. he falls back against the tree with a wince before trying again, using his wings to help keep his balance. he clutches his side in pain as he attempts to make his way forwards, though he didn’t get too far. he collapses against the cold, wet ground, calling out again against the loud rain. he curls up there, it not being long before everything fell black.
xisuma smiles gently as he offers the young avian some bread, figuring he might be hungry. he expected the hesitance in him accepting it, though he smiles when he did and began to eat. he debated leaving, but.. what if he wasn’t lost? what if he was? surely he could get back to his base and grab a warm blanket or even an umbrella for the kid before he got down sick? every little bit could help, after all!
he moves to quickly leave, wanting to hurry so he could get back before he was gone. though he pauses in his tracks, hearing the faintest voice call out against the loud rain around them. he quickly makes his way back, frowning when seeing him collapsed against the ground. he frowns and makes his way forwards because, he definitely wasn’t leaving him out here all alone—especially not unconscious. he could help him find his way home in the morning when the storm was clear, but right now getting him out of the rain was his first priority, and his second was seeing what was wrong because oh no he was out cold.
xisuma carries the avian back to his base, exhaling once he was finally home. granted, they were both drenched, but at least now it was dry and warm. he makes his way around his home, grabbing a towel to dry his hair and face before frowning and doing the same to the young one now resting on the sofa. he steps closer to inspect what could have made him pass out, and he frowns as he’d found the culprit. his side was bleeding with the wound that could only come from pulling out an arrow. xisuma is quick to retrieve the first aid kit and get him cleaned up and stop that bleeding.
once the bleeding stops he proceeds to clean up the mess. he exhales, softly dabbing the boy’s face dry before wrapping a warm blanket around him. he just really hoped he woke up..
xisuma sat on the sofa for a couple hours before he had began to hear small noises. he looks down to notice the boy had began to wake. he offers a gentle smile, scooting back just a bit to give him space as he expected him to freak out.
the boy shivers and looks around, blinking sleepily. he hugs the blanket further around himself when realising it was there, nuzzling into the warmth. though the comfortableness didn’t last long as he noticed xisuma sitting beside him. he was quick to try and stand, wincing and biting his lip to mask his pain, staying on the sofa. he looks around the base, frowning as he was no longer in the rain and forest, but rather a cozy home. where is he? and who is that and why are they so intent on helping him??
“who are you?” he asks, backing away from xisuma and pulling the blanket around to his front so he could once again puff up his wings. xisuma just offers a gentle smile, lifting his hands up to assure he meant no harm.
“my name is xisuma. i own this place.” he spoke. the boy just hugs the blanket closer, bringing his knees close as well. he didn’t try to appear more relaxed, though he almost felt more calm knowing he was with the owner. but what if he was a bad owner? what if this server was scary? he just narrows his eyes, continuing to shiver into the blanket though he attempts to hide it.
“why am i here? where.. where is here?” he questions. xisuma just leans back into the sofa, appearing calm. usually if he’d appear calm the other would calm down as well, seeing as he was clearly still tense. he didn’t blame him, though. he was lost and probably scared, and now in the home of some stranger. he had every right to be afraid—not to mention he was younger.
“hermitcraft? this here is my home, though.” he looks around the room. “i’m not sure how you got here. it’s quite odd that i found you.. and that i don’t know who you are.” he looks over. “can you tell me your name?”
“.. it’s grian,” the boy spoke after a moment, eyes still narrowed in distrust. xisuma just nods.
“well it’s nice to meet you, grian. how’s your side doing?”
his side? how did he know about his side? “it.. hurts.” he frowns and exhales. “it’s not bleeding anymore,” he sniffles and shivers. he flinched when xisuma had stood, curling into the sofa as he watches him intently.
xisuma moves around the room for a moment before he’d knelt in front of the fireplace. he got a fire started, rubbing his hands together and humming. he stands afterwards. “it’s warm over here, i see you’re still cold from the rain.” he offers. grian just stares at him.
“i don’t trust you.” he spoke, voice wobbly, though he stands anyways. he kept his distance as he sits in front of the fireplace. a small smile appears on his face at the warmth, scooting closer.
“don’t get too close. it’ll hurt if you do,” xisuma spoke, his smile never fading. grian wondered why he seemed so happy. he doesn’t respond, just looks back to the warm fire and stays huddled close. he allows his wings to relax before shaking the water out. most of it went to the floor below them, though some drops made it into the fire making it hiss, though it barely killed the flames. grian smiles at the sound.
“can you tell me where you live? i’ll take you home once the storm breaks and in the morning when it’s safer.” xisuma spoke. he didn’t let his smile fade, already knowing he didn’t have a home here. he didn’t know how he’d found it here, but he’s here now. grian fell silent, frowning. he shakes his head, pulling his wings closer and not speaking. xisuma watches him. “do you.. not know where you live?”
“i don’t.. live anywhere.” grian mutters after a moment, almost ashamed or afraid to admit it. xisuma just watches him. it really was a mystery… maybe he knew how he got here?
“really now?” he asks. grian just nods. “do you know how you got into the forest?”
“i.. just got there.” grian shrugs. xisuma thought quietly. he was younger, after all. what could spark his memory? maybe he just didn’t know how to word something? “i… fell through a… big spirally thingy. and i lived in the woods for awhile. and then the skeleton hit me.. they usually don’t see me in the trees but.. i guess i wasn’t careful,” he spoke as he plays with his fingers, frowning.
xisuma listens to his words. he fell through a spirally thingy? could he have come from the nether? he really didn’t spark xisuma as something from the nether, though. he wasn’t hostile and he looked rather human… well, aside from being an avian. even then he didn’t look like some nether avian, either—his wings were too colourful, something of the overworld. “do you remember anything before the spirally thingy?” he questions after a moment. grian shook his head.
“no.. just…” he shifts, glancing from his hands to the fire as if attempting to find the right words. “they were like me. with wings,” he flutters his wings as if xisuma wouldn’t know. he hugs them close again after. “but…” he shrugs again. xisuma only nods.
“hey, that’s okay.” he offers his comforting smile and sits beside him in front of the fire, though he kept his distance. “maybe you’ll like it here! everybody’s quite nice,” he nods. grian just remains silent. he didn’t know about anything here. everything seemed.. foreign. not what he’s used to. not who he’s used to… who was he used to? what was he used to? he didn’t know and it almost terrified him. he wanted to cry but he wouldn’t cry in front of this man.
a soft yawn makes its way out of grian and he hugs his knees closer. xisuma takes notice, chuckling softly. “sleepy?” he questions. grian shakes his head despite the yawn. “really now?” xisuma smiles and hums before shifting to stand. he makes his way around the room, collecting a pillow and a blanket. “the fire is warm. it’s really warm to sleep next to, as well. just be careful not to get too close.” he sits the pillow down beside grian before offering the blanket. he accepts it.
“not tired,” he retorts despite another yawn. xisuma just smiles.
“well alright. but, i’ll leave the fire going just for you.” he spoke before making his way around his base, returning with a bowl with a few snacks. “here’s this if you get hungry,” he offers with a smile before making his way out of the room.
grian hugs himself after before glancing at the bowl of snacks. well.. how should he trust it? he narrows his eyes in debate. the man—xisuma, he’d called himself?—could have let him bleed out and just die. he didn’t have to come back. but he didn’t. he could have just let him starve, he could have poisoned the bread earlier. he could have thrown him into the fire.
but he didn’t.
he sniffles as he felt tears fill his eyes and fall. he quickly wipes them away and grabs the snacks, eating every last vegetable and fruit from the bowl. he exhales after, shifting to lie down, yawning, tired after a long day and now after having his tummy full.
pulling the blanket up over himself and resting his head onto the pillow, grian lies by the fire. he’d always hated feeling alone. it scared him and made him think of death. he was afraid of death. he didn’t want to die again. more tears made their way down his face as he exhales and yawns. the fire was warm and quite cozy; it made him tired. he didn’t cry long as he was asleep in no time.
xisuma exhales once back in his bedroom. where was this boy from? it didn’t make any sense.. a spirally thingy? xisuma just assumed he’d meant a portal of sorts. an end portal and nether portals are the only ones he’d known of. the nether didn’t seem right due to that kind of environment not really being suited for an avian. and end portals weren’t spirally at all. not only that, but after searching the code xisuma had found nothing on this grian character. it made no sense to him.
hopefully he could figure something out. hopefully he’d find something that made sense. he was just a child, after all. whatever had happened, he was sure it wasn’t his fault. he wasn’t exactly sure who’s fault it was, or what had even happened. he was confused more than anything.
well, he’d just hoped grian let him care for him, especially until his side was healed. he didn’t like anybody being in pain, especially not on his server; he wouldn’t allow it. he’d made sure grian was warm and not hungry before actually preparing for bed. everything would be okay. maybe even somebody else could figure out what happened, doc knew about some technical stuff like that. cub did, too. he’s sure somebody has an answer.
xisuma was quick to fall asleep, a long and quite stressful day making him sleepy. he told himself everything would be okay, because he was sure of it. he would be sure grian felt comfortable and safe. he would make sure nothing bad happened to him, his server was a safe place and he made sure of it.
everything would be okay. xisuma always made sure of that.