Stuck | HermitCraft/ X Life AU

Chapter 3: Unwelcome

Unwelcome.

He felt so god damn unwelcome.

It was obvious they didn't want him here. Especially not Joel. Joel was especially hostile, and every time Grian was around him, Grian could swear he saw Joel shoot him a dirty look. Scott seemed fine with him there, if not bit frustrated about this Oli guy having admin and being gone. Scott seemed somewhat happy to have him there, though.

Maybe Grian was just trying to see something good in his awful situation, maybe he wasn't.

Grian wasn't sure.

As for the others... well, what he'd seen of them, they didn't seem to bothered. Not outwardly. Of course, Grian had to think that they probably were. These Jack and Lauren people were sentenced to server hopping (which made Grian wonder if they knew how to access the hub portal), which couldn't be the best, especially since server hopping was extremely random to where you were sent.

For all Grian knew, Lauren and Jack could end up trapped in the same world as his high school was.

And by extension, Sam.

Grian shuddered upon remembering Sam.

Either way, he was currently in Lizzie's base. The moon was high in the air and Grian was failing to fall asleep, tossing and turning constantly. He was aware that Lauren and Jack were supposed to start heading off to server hop tomorrow, and quite frankly, Grian wasn't sure he could stand staying here, in X Life. Sure, they were trying to provide him a place to live, and stay while he was away from home.

Their hospitality felt bitter though.

Only made Grian feel more and more unwelcome.

---

After a sleepless night, Grian had finally made his mind up.

Maybe it was a bad, sleep deprived decision. Grian didn't know.

Didn't mean he was going to change his mind.

Getting up, Grian stretched out, picking up a few of the cooked steaks off to one side. He scooped up the diamond gear he was 'borrowing' from Lizzie, pulling the armour on and equipping the weapons. Sword clutched in his hand, he finished off his steak, picked up more, and left the building.

He was aware that Lauren, Jack, and a few others would be meeting with Scott before they headed off to server hop, and Grian intended on interrupting that meeting. Well, not so much interrupting.

More so, asking to join the server hoppers.

Grian knew he was unwelcome here. He knew that they didn't want him here, and that they'd rather get rid of him as soon as possible.

So he was going to help them get rid of them, and take himself off their hands for the most part.

Walking up to the stone Joel had showed him helped teleport, he selected the option for spawn, and after a moment of brief motion sickness, Grian popped into Spawn.

And, just his luck, he immediately crashed into someone.

Someone familiar.

"Jimmy?!"

---

A lot of emotions were whirling around, and Grian wasn't entirely sure what to think. Jimmy was here?!

Since when?!

Grian was more than startled, his mouth hanging open slightly as he stared at Jimmy, a smile across his old friend's face. Jimmy and Grian had been friends back in Evo, before Grian had been kidnapped by the watchers.

He'd managed to escape, obviously, with Taurtis' help, but then he'd lost Taurtis. Taurtis had gone missing, and Grian had roamed around the hub server for too long, searching for his friend. Then Xisuma had found him, and offered Grian a place in Hermitcraft.

And look where that had placed him.

Lost and alone, in a place that made him feel unwelcome.

Maybe things would be better now though, since Jimmy was here.

"So, Grian, what'd you come for?" Scott finally spoke up, and Grian snapped to attention. Lauren and Jack hadn't left yet, Jack looking like he wasn't ready.

"Oh, I came to ask if I could maybe go on the server hopping with Lauren and Jack? I just figured that maybe I could try help and identify Hermitcraft. Not that I don't like you all!" He said, panicking slightly at the end when Scott gave him an offended look.

"I just thought I might be of help, since while you may recognise the hermits themselves, from MCC, you haven't seen the world we're in. Plus, when we do find Hermitcraft, I can help track down Lizzie via my contacts, assuming she is in Hermitcraft." Grian rambled.

Scott laughed. "That's a very nice suggestion of you, Grian, and while I'm sure that would be of help, I'm afraid I can't let you." Scott said. Grian must've looked visibly disappointed, because Scott sighed, walking over and offering Grian a comforting pat on the back.

"Normally I'd let you, but we're on X Life. You're still on one heart. I'm not sure if it carries over to others servers, via server hopping. I know that if you go via the hub server, it reverts you to however many hearts you need for whatever server you're joining, but only the admin can open and close the server hub, and I don't want to take the chances with you." Scott explained.

"We have a plugin that ejects players to our temporary waiting server when they lose all their hearts. You aren't on the player list though, so I'm not sure if it'd send you to our waiting server. I don't want to take that chance, Grian."

That...

That made a surprising amount of sense, actually.

"Speaking of which, Jack! You need to fetch your armour to go off with Lauren! It's already midday." Scott turned to face Jack, the anthropomorphic mooshroom jumping and turning away from his conversation with Callum.

Grian couldn't help but laugh, and stripping himself of the diamond armour he'd been wearing, along with the tools, he chucked them to Jack. "I'll need payment back for those!" Grian joked.

Jack grinned back at Grian, pulling on the armour and equipping the tools, while Scott rolled his eyes, shooting a thankful glance in Grian's direction.

Grian accidentally ignored Scott, instead meeting Jimmy's eyes, who warmly winked at Grian, and he grinned again.

Maybe things wouldn't be so bad.

Maybe Grian wouldn't feel so unwelcome anymore, now he knew that Jimmy was here.