!!BEING REWRITTEN!!My brain, body, and bones are true

Forgiveness and pranks

TW// Talk of d3ath, mentions of g!ns and all that usual stuff-
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I smiled upon seeing Joel's message. I'm so grateful he wants to work things out.

I'm sick and tired of the voice trying to get me to kill again. I'm done with being afraid to talk to my fellow server members. I just want to be friends with them all.

<SolidarityGaming>Meet you at Stratos?
<Smallishbeans>Sure. See ya then Jimmy

And something about him just calling me Jimmy. No toy joke thrown in, nothing to do with Tim, nothing about anything else but my actual name, makes me oddly happy.

I flew into the air, heading in the direction of Stratos to meet up with Joel, ignoring the quiet buzz playing in the back of my mind.

"Jimmy!" I landed and smiled when I heard the other call my name

"Hey Joel!"

I couldn't help but notice the distance between us. I winced internally at the realisation he's still afraid of me. I shook my head and put that aside. He's able to speak and see me. That's enough for now.

"Uhm- I guess I should start by apologizing again. I still feel sick thinking about what I did. I didn't bring my gun with me in case you're wondering," I paused to show him my empty gun holster, "I'll be honest I don't really know what happened. I'm just so, so sorry Joel. I'm honestly both shocked and grateful that you're willing to talk to me right now."

I'd been watching his facial expressions as I spoke, he was definitely still on edge, but he relaxed when he saw I didn't have my gun, and he looked almost guilty when I was saying sorry. But he also looked like he was hiding something, especially when I said I didn't know what happened.

"Jimmy. I'll be honest, it was a shock to me when you did what you did. But I'm willing to accept your apology."

I brightened and took a small step forward. I didn't miss the way one of his feet stumbled backwards for a second before returning to it's original position, but I pretended I didn't and didn't let my smile waver.

"You know Scott came and talked to me. He told me how much I messed you up. I felt worse after that. I was shocked at how much I'd done to you through a death. I know that obviously killing people and dying and all that can always be a bit shocking anyway but I didn't think it would hurt you as much as it did. Especially because you're y'know, an 11 foot God. I was so swept up in how it affected me I didn't think to reach out to you and see how you were."

He stayed silent throughout my speech, not moving or making a noise, only inhaling afyer I mentioned Scott spoke to me. He paused before exhaling for the first time in what felt like forever, and speaking.

"Y'know I think it mainly affected me as badly as it did because it was you. I'd been teasing you for so long and because you're just a human. It shook me up seeing the sudden outburst. I didn't think you'd actually do it."

"I guessed. Although thanks for admitting I'm human."

"Well I don't know what would happen to me if I didn't. Can't take that risk y'know?" He chuckled and I smiled.

This tine he was the one who took a step forward.

"Glad you're comfortable enough to make those jokes."

"Should I not be?"

"No no you can be. Just thought I'd mention it."

Another step.

"I want us to be friends."

"Me too Jim. But jesus christ you really had me scared after you lashed out like that."

"Yeah. Can we just agree to not mention that again thanks."

"Sure. I have nothing against not bringing that up again."

"So, all is forgiven?"

"Sure. You're forgiven"

And by the time we finished speaking we were next to each other, arms out as we shook hands. Joel had shrunk slightly so we could actually shake hands but we don't need to talk about that.

"So... what now?"

"Honestly I have no idea. I was fully prepared for you to not accept my apology."

"Wanna prank Scott?"

I hesitated. "Maybe not. After all I probably wouldn't have spoken to you for a good while if it wasn't for him."

"Fair, but I still wanna prank someone."

"Maybe Fwhip?"

"Yeah but he's my neighbour and he's not done much to me other than put a warden in my base, and I've already gotten him back for that."

"Well just as a no harm, no foul type thing? Just a little, harmless prank from your neighbour y'know."

He grinned. "Well when you put it like that-"

And that's how we found ourselves in Fwhip's storage room in Gobland, eyeing the pile of gold.

"Okay I definitely feel like we should do something with this."

"For sure. But he has the magical lore barrier meaning we can't exactly get through.

"Hey. Well I'm the LAW L-A-W people. No lore barrier can stop me."

He chuckled. "Sure Jim. You may be the law, but I still think the lore affects you mate."

"Oh be quiet. I was having a moment."

"What if we just placed blocks as far in as we can from outside the barrier and built up a wall? Probably oak planks because that's the block in the back wall."

"I like your thinking." I grabbed some spare oak planks from my inventory and turned to the barrier. "You got any?"

"Actually now that I check I don't-"

"This man really suggested that we do a prank and then doesn't have the blocks to actually do the prank? Honestly embarrassing. Just grab some from Fwhip, we're literally already in his storage room."

"Fair point."

He turned and I heard chests opening as he looked for the oak planks and I started placing them as far as the block reach would let me.

Eventually I used all my oak planks I had spare ten which Joel placed with Fwhip's own oak, meaning I did most of the work but Joel simply phrased it as 'he didn't want to take an amount that Fwhip would notice'. So pathetic excuse.

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"This was nice." I said as we sat on the edge of Upper Stratos.

"Agreed. Honestly I don't know why I was so scared of this."

"Can't blame you. I'd probably be scared if someone I'd teased for ages suddenly just shot me."

"I thought we'd agreed not to bring that up?"

"Oh yeah- Sorry."

"You're fine."

Then silence. But it wasn't uncomfortable or unwelcome. It was a nice, peaceful, silence, where only the wind could be heard, and it was a quiet breeze.

"I should probably head back to Tumble Town now."

"Yeah. See you later?"

"See you later."

And then I flew back to Tumble Town, content with how the day played out.

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