"Aww, darn it," Tango laughs, "We're out of potions."
The three have been helping Zedaph out with Zedaph's pig-filled spaceship. They've been refining the ship's design and helping pigs float.
"I'll go get some," Zedaph bleats.
"Ok I'll go with you, Impy watch the pigs."
Impulse looks over from his spot next to the shulker, "What, oh ok."
Tail flicking Tango flaps his wings and takes off into the void.
Zedaph follows moments later leaving Impulse alone. Grinning at his friend's fading figure he sighs, he would have gone with them if he could, flying over the void is pretty scary and never really ends well...
My child, greetings. A feeling of warmth blossoms around Impulse, Have you put any further thought into our meeting?
"I- Not really?"
You're unsure?
"Yeah... I just don't feel ready yet."
Well, time isn't an issue for the void. I can wait. A cluster of stars dance around Impulse now, a celestial hug of sorts.
How have you been finding things? The stars shift away slightly, now perched along the edge.
"It's been weird, but that's not really unusual for us." He turns away, "Not anymore."
The stars swirl, a makeshift nod, taking his words into consideration.
Ah, are you all faring well with this new... Event? You have been though so much.
"I guess so.. Oh! I saw Skiz at MCC, he was just about ready to fight that rock. Was chill about the whole bedrock thing, which is good. I also met this other person from another SMP, Wilbur, I think it was."
Yes, Wilbur Soot. Such a sudden meeting, though I do not regret it. He sang such a beautiful song. An echoing memory, fond and treasured.
Songbirds must fly.
"You met him!? He didn't mention you, that doesn't make sense."
We never truly met. His voice met the depths through experiments. What connection we had has nearly faded... Forgive me, my voice wavers.
"That's fine, you don't need to talk!" The stars emit a burst of faint twinkling laughter, but therein lies no malice, only appreciation, "During MCC some of the audience kept accusing us of cheating...
"If I were to take the step, would you be able to talk better?"
The stars sink, hesitation evident through their stillness.
Impulse knows that's a yes. He can feel it.
I cannot say, An audible sigh, for it's not my place to make that decision for you. Just trust that I will catch you... always.
Impulse takes a deep breath, "I trust you..." He stands up and looks into the endlessly stretching void.
Walking to the edge of the ship Impulse looks down. Closing his eyes he lets himself fall. His breath puffs out as he lands on something soft. Standing up he sees what he landed on, a dark purple and golden roof.
Sorry about the rough landing, I'll guide you down my child.
His vision is blurry, but a gentle hand grasps his and begins to pull him in the proper direction. He just barely hears steps accompany his, faint clicking as it pads down. Impulse is sat down, blankets and pillows brought to his lap. He rubs his eyes as a mug of warm chocolate is placed in his hands. He can see the handiwork of the mug, chorus flowers traced into the glazen surface. Now, he looks at the now clear figure standing before him, intentions of thanking it.
"It's odd seeing you "in-person" child. Odd, but not at all unpleasant."
Even without eyes, the void looks back. A shapeless face, an inked illusion of hair flowing upward. Glowing threads wrapped and twined around its figure, as well as woven in its 'hair'; shifting shades of chorus purple. It is draped in deep purple, poncho lined with soft yellows.
Arms poke through two slits in fabric speckled with evershifting blue, orange, and pink. The thread goes further, curled around fingertips and wrists.
Dark lavender puffs around its legs ending at mid-calf, and there lies more luminous string, twirled around both leg and arch of bare feet. It feels soft, like thick folds of silk; its skin coated in thick fur, only noticeable through careful observation or touch.
It's much smaller than expected, one would think a celestial being would be tens of blocks tall; but Void is about ten tall, rather than seventy or even a hundred.
It's much more to take in than he expected, suppose that's just what happens though.
"Welcome to my garden," Void chitters softly, crouching on the ground near impulse. It shrinks down to about three blocks tall. "It has been such a very long time since I've had any guests."
"Oh, woah it's really pretty here," Impulse murmurs as he looks around.
"I'm glad to hear that the centuries of work I put into this show. It'd be quite unfortunate if it was not evident."
It runs its hand along the border of the gazebo, pale chorus stems stiffened and gathered in a semblance of a fence. Softly carved purpur columns rest between.
Around those columns, and along the inside of the roof are chorus trees, curling branches brace the top. Flower buds and blooms softly chiming as the tree slightly twists and turns, gentle light peeking through the bark. The roots caress the rug-covered floor and dig into the cratered endstone. Glowing threads line the edges of the ceiling, tiny end rods seem to sprout from the edges of the string.
"I would like to thank you," Void sighs, "It has been so long since I've had someone to talk to after She faded, Nether went soon after."
"Wait Nether, like the fiery lava place?" Impulse asks from where he's sinking into a poof.
"It was once so much more, beautiful fungal trees, animals... he was very fond of her pigs, he took the idea from her."
"Oh uh, well the nether was overhauled recently, and what you're saying sounds right. What it looks like now I mean."
"Can you show me?" Void asks softly, reaching a hand out.
"Yeah sure, here I have photos," Impulse grins pulling his communicator out.
"Photos?" Void murmurs, pulling its hand back.
"Do you not know?"
"I have been withdrawn from your world for so long... I could only hear what was happening."
Impulse smiles up at the hovering form, "It's like a painting but not, see."
"Oh my, that is clever..." Void laughs, "that certainly looks like his land, if only..."
A soft feeling of warmth and longing builds into his chest, "You miss him?"
"He is my brother, I miss him every moment of every day. Tell me child about the meteor you have spoken of."
"Oh, uh we don't know all that much about him, he fell from space and apparently has been up there for ages. He keeps saying things like getting revenge on the Vex and bringing back the world to how he remembers it."
Void visibly tenses, "What, perchance, is his name?"
"Avar."
The air falls deathly still as the temperature plummets. "I know that name... it's why She is gone. My Child, I promise you I will do everything in my power to help keep you and your family safe."
Nodding Impulse shivers wrapping himself further in the blankets, "Thank you."
"May I do something?" Void asks cautiously, "I know a way to block him completely from your mind... I can slowly spread it to your family."
Impulse nods, "Um, ok..."
"I should warn you he has been tampering with emotions, you might find the bedrock a bit more invasive than before."
Sitting slightly stunned Impulse nods, "Ok."
Void gently takes Impulse's hands, "That should help my Child."
Gasping sharply He fumbles to put his cup down, "This feels wrong..."
"Heavier than normal?" Void asks softly, settling down on an adjacent poof.
"Yeah, it's weird, like I know I can move but it's harder than I thought."
"Sleep my Child," Void croons, "Give yourself time to adjust and learn, your friends will be back in a few moments."
Impulse sinks into the poof and shivers slightly as the air turns colder.
"Impy, really?" Tango laughs, "You fall asleep in the end, where'd you get this blanket anyways."
Impulse yawns, "Void gave it to me I guess..."
"Wait you weren't joking?" Zedaph bleats, "The void's a person!"
_____
Grinning softly Cleo walks up behind Xisuma, he's working in the gardens by his sandcastle. Tommy is off touring the different mini-game areas with Biffa and Iskall.
"Hey, X," She waves, "What's up?"
"Hi Cleo," He grins, "Just working on the gardens."
"The armor stands, are they bothering you?" She asks as she watches some of the child-like stands jump into the pond.
"They tend to avoid me," Xisuma shrugs.
Cleo grins slightly, "Cool, I'll see you around, let me know if they start bugging you."
Shrugging Xisuma waves and gets back to work. After a few minutes, a soft thump comes from behind.
"Hello?"
Something skitters across his tail, spinning around Xisuma finds him face to face with a small armor stand, "Oh my stars, where did you come from?"
It bounces softly and hops away.
Stepping forward, Xisuma follows behind the small beast.
His claws click on the asphalt. Clutching his communicator to his chest he shuffles forwards. Following behind Xisuma growls, his fur fluffs up as the small thing jumps onto his tail.
Spinning around trying to get his tail Xisuma huffs at the armor stand.
Xisuma chases the armor stand around for a while longer. Shaking his head he straightens up and walks back into the sandcastle.
"Note to self, ask Cleo about freezing the armor stands while people are working." Xisuma sighs and he shakes his head.
______
Fluttering his Wings scar lands on some chests, he's having to restock the Chest Monster shop again, it sells out pretty often.
One of Cleo's armor hermits has wandered into the shop... Jevin, based off of its mask.
"Hey," Scar chitters to the armor stand, "What's up?"
Turning its head to the side the Armor Jev waves, followed by a thumbs up.
"You guys can't talk can you."
The armor stand replies with finger guns.
"Oh, Uh welcome to my shop, feel free to hang around."
The armor stand seems to like this and continues to walk around the store. Scar flies after it, just watching to see what it'll do. It seems to be looking for something, as an armor stands Wels clanked up the stairs, the stand holding a wriggling bag full of small armor stand monsters.
_______
As night falls the Hermits head inside, even if sleeping at night isn't something some hermits do it's much safer to remain indoors. Since monsters roam the land, it's pretty dangerous.
Cleo frowns as she walks around the zoo. This whole thing is confusing... she's used to being dead, and now, well she's a living puppet.
A groan from behind startles her from her thoughts. A zombie lurches forwards, its arms outstretched and grasping.
"Oh for goodness sake, leave me alone," Cleo shouts.
The zombie freezes and slowly backs away, shuffling off to find a different target.
"Oh, well, that's handy," Pulling her communicator out she sends Joe and Xisuma a message. Telling them what had just happened.
A few minutes later both come running over, "What happened?"
Rolling her eyes at the admin Cleo shrugs, "A zombie was walking over here I told it to go away and it did."
"Do you think it could work on me?" Joe asks, "I'm technically undead..."
"I think you've made a mistake," Xisuma grins as Cleo's face splits into a smile.
"Joe, could you go and grab a head from the storage room?"
Joe stands up from his spot at the table and sharply shakes his head, "Yeah, she can at least sorta control me."
"Can we go test this out?" Xisuma asks, "I would like to see how far you can take this."
As they walk out into a nearby plains biome mobs take notice and start to walk over. Cleo marches up to the mobs, "Leave."
The mobs turn around and start walking away, a few linger but wander off after a moment, "Well, I'm going back to a safe area," Joe murmurs as Creepers pad up. He poofs into a wolf and runs back to Cleo's base.
"Uh, was that good?" Cleo asks, "Need any more information?"
"I think that's good," Xisuma nods, "Let me know if that gets more powerful."
"Will do," Cleo grins, they start walking back to her base as Creepers start to swarm around the field. They tend to come out to hunt and forage around a bit later than zombies and skeletons. Doc explained it as making sure the pack would be able to work well, and if a member is hurt or sick another Creeper will sit and watch guard.
_____
"Ok, talk to me," Joe murmurs, "I've known you long enough to tell something is bugging you..."
Cleo frowns, "It's just that, well, I've been a zombie for a very long time, and this, a zombie like a puppet... I-I don't miss being human but this is just weird."
"What do you mean by weird?"
"Like it feels human. The senses are as good as a human's. You have stronger senses since, well Vampire. But zombies have really dull senses, it's not overwhelming, but it's weird."
Joe nods and looks up at Cleo, "What about the controlling armor stands?"
"Ok, that is really cool, like it brings life into everything. My builds feel alive."
"Oh, did the giant peacocks come alive?"
"They didn't," Cleo giggles, "that would be a disaster."
"Giant birds," Joe giggles, as he turns into a bat.
"Still doing that I see," Cleo grins.
Popping back to a fairly human form Joe rolls his eyes, "Hey I'm getting better at not randomly shapeshifting."
"Sure you are," Cleo shrugs.
Joe sticks his tongue out, "As for controlling undead mobs, how are you doing?"
"I mean, I think it's going fine," Cleo jokes, "It's useful that's for sure, no more mobs, I have them fight Creepers."
"Ohh that's smart."
"It is isn't it." Cleo grins sharply.