Timeline: 31st October, 2012
Word Count ~ 2.5k
Something was watching False.
A benefit of being well practiced in the ways of combat was that False was particularly acute when it came to noticing things like this. She had a way of knowing when something was coming from behind her, and as difficult as it was to explain, it had yet to let her down.
She waited for a moment, listening for the sound of a sword being unsheathed or the hiss of an approaching creeper in case she'd have to draw a weapon of her own. But when False heard nothing, not even footsteps in the grass, she was confused. Turning around, she was left even more confused when she saw nothing behind her.
She frowned. Something had definitely been there, and it was still out there somewhere, watching her. Suddenly unnerved, False went back to the others, concerned for their safety. She had quickly warmed up to BDubs and TFC within a few weeks, but False hadn't gone soft. She was now determined to protect them just as she protected Xisuma.
"Guys? Something's watching us, from the outskirts of the forest." She warned, keeping an eye on the distant trees in case it decided to show its face. "I can't tell if it's a person or a mob, but I think it could be dangerous."
"What did it look like?" Xisuma asked, putting down the wooden planks he'd been carrying. "Surely it's not another person... you said it yourself, people almost never travel through these parts."
"I didn't see it." False replied. "But I know it's there, and I don't want it coming any closer."
Xisuma frowned, slightly concerned for False. This wasn't the first time she'd become paranoid about a seemingly nonexistent threat, and she never let herself rest if she thought danger might be impending. She was causing herself stress for no apparent reason, and as much as Xisuma appreciated her determination to keep their little group safe, she probably needed reassurance.
"False, you know how much it means to us that you want to look after us, but if you didn't see anything, I don't think you need to worry about it. It might make you feel better to keep guard all the time, but we'll be safe, I promise."
False paid close attention to how Xisuma subconsciously glanced at the scars he'd been left with from when she'd found him back in April. Maybe she would have listened, and maybe she would have even followed his advice, but it was the scars that made her remain stubborn. Something out there wanted Xisuma dead, and whatever it was, she wasn't going to let it harm him ever again.
"I need you to trust me Xisuma, I'm certain that something is out there." She countered. "I'll be fine, I swear, but I'd never forgive myself if I let my guard slip and something hurt you guys. We're better safe than sorry."
Xisuma was seemingly about to speak again, but before he could say another word he was cut off by a sudden coughing spasm. Alarmed, False rushed to his side just seconds before he collapsed into her arms. Carefully she helped him sit down, until his coughing subsided and he was able to breathe again.
If anything, the spasms worried False more than whatever was out there watching them. They'd started a week or two after TFC and BDubs arrived, and had steadily worsened in the months since. She knew Xisuma was trying to hide them, but as they grew more frequent and painful, they became harder to conceal from the others. False had even begun to see blood around his mouth sometimes.
"Are you alright?" False asked. "Do you want water, or-"
"I'm fine." Xisuma interrupted, attempting to stand up again. False didn't try to argue with him, knowing from past experience that there was no use. Surprisingly, Xisuma was even more stubborn than she was. "I think I'm gonna go inside for a while..."
False watched him leave, before standing up and glancing over at TFC and BDubs. TFC was busy laying long planks of wood on the roof of the building they were constructing, while BDubs doodled various ideas for future builds in TFC's notebook. At least they were okay. Yet the thing watching them was still out there, but not for much longer if False had anything to say about it.
Picking up her sword (which she probably shouldn't have left in BDubs's vicinity), False made her way to the edge of the forest. She listened, but only heard the leaves rustling in the wind and eager birds searching for food. And... radio static?
False's grip on her sword tightened. She looked around, unable to distinguish where the strange noise was coming from, yet no matter which way she turned, it slowly grew louder and louder as if it was always coming from right behind her. False could feel her heart racing. Not many things scared her, but the unknown was something she was smart enough to fear.
Within seconds, the static was nearly deafening, and False spun around, hoping she'd catch whatever it was off guard. But she was the only one caught off guard, as instead of the horrific monster she expected, she was met with another human.
Well... human was a very strong word. At first glance that was all they appeared to be, just a brunette human lost in the woods, but the longer False stared at them, the more apparent it became that they were anything but.
Behind neon cat-eye glasses, their eyes seemed to change colour with each passing second, constantly shifting between every imaginable hue of the rainbow. Their hair and beard, although mostly brown, was a neon green at the roots, implying that the unnatural shade was their hair's true colour. Furthermore, their smile was just a little too wide to be normal, with too many teeth that were too pointy to be human. And, like the cherry on top of an already bizzare person, they were dressed in a black and white striped suit with a bright green shirt that matched their hair and glasses
"Howdy!"
False gasped, impulsively throwing a punch at their face, but was left even more terrified and confused when the stranger simply wasn't in front of her anymore. She turned around again, and there they were, standing behind her once again. Seemingly unaware that they'd just scared the living daylights out of her, they held a hand out, smiling once again. "Joe Hills, nice to meet you!"
As casual and friendly as this person seemed to be, False wasn't particularly interested in making smalltalk with someone who'd apparently just teleported behind her. She didn't directly point her sword at them, but kept it close enough that they'd hopefully know not to mess with her again. "Who are you?"
False was tempted to ask what this person was, but hesitated in fear of offending them. Sure, they seemed friendly enough, but she didn't want to anger something that could potentially kill her without breaking a sweat. Once again, the stranger flashed that same, unnerving smile. "Like I said, I'm Joe Hills! As for what I am... Even if I told you, I don't think you'd believe me."
False frowned. She hadn't actually asked them what they were, not out loud anyway. Typically, she would have dismissed the idea of them being a mind reader without a second thought, but this person was already so strange that telepathic abilities wouldn't be entirely inconceivable. Still quite unnerving, however, and she wanted nothing to do with it.
"I don't care what you are." False avowed, keeping a hand on her sword's hilt. "You had better have a good excuse for being here, and if it's good enough, I might let you go."
"Ooh, poetic!" Joe exclaimed, walking around her in a circle as if to scrutinise every inch of her. "Although I personally would have substituted your second "good" for a synonym, just to avoid monotony and make the statement hit just a little bit harder."
"I- what are you talking about?" False demanded, bewildered by this unique yet terrifying stranger. She was constantly turning in circles, determined not to turn her back on Joe and risk getting attacked from behind, but the whole debacle was giving her a headache.
"If I were to be frank, I'm not entirely sure myself!" Joe replied, smiling widely once more as they rocked back and forth on their heels. "But I'm not Frank, I'm Joe Hills, and that means I don't question what I say. It might be easier for you if you stopped questioning it too."
What was this person even saying? Despite their advice not to question their strange antics, False kept searching for the sense or reason in their words. Unsurprisingly, she found none, and was only left more confused and frustrated. Joe, on the other hand, had already moved on and decided to change the subject entirely.
"Anyway, to get to my point, that was quite a bad cough your friend had." They pointed out. "I was going to go and offer help, but it seems that you found me first. Funny, isn't it? Nobody's ever found me before... maybe I wouldn't be here if they did."
False decided that it was best to take Joe's advice and not question whatever it was they were saying. Besides, she had a much bigger problem on her hands, that being that Joe now knew that Xisuma was vulnerable and likely unable to defend himself. She didn't trust them whatsoever, especially with the perplexing yet treacherous magic they appeared to possess, yet she was more or less defenseless against them and there was nothing she could do about it.
Joe's face suddenly softened, their wide grin fading as if they'd once again heard False's thoughts. She was scared, and they seemed to sense that, their demeanour becoming less intense and intimidating to reflect the change in their mood. "I only wanted to offer my assistance, no strings attached, whether or not you accept it is your choice alone. I can see why you'd be hesitant to trust me, but I figured it was worth asking anyway."
This all seemed far too genuine and wholehearted to be a trick, but False was still scared of this stranger and their capabilities. However, Xisuma was sick and she didn't know what might happen to him if his illness was ignored for any longer. Maybe she had gone soft after all, letting herself trust a stranger in the hopes that they could help her friend.
"Fine." False decided. "If you think you can help him, I'll let you try. But only on the condition that you keep to yourself and don't try to do anything... uh..."
"Weird?" Joe finished, appearing beside her like magic. From the corner of her eye, False could see parts of their body twitch a little, almost as if they were glitching in and out of existence. Maybe they were. "I'll try my best!"
"Xisuma?" False called, as she walked over to his house. To call it a house was quite generous, as it more closely resembled a sad-looking shack, but the group had still come quite far since their days of scrappy tents and False wanted to acknowledge it. "I found... someone?"
"Another one?" Was all Xisuma could say, bewildered as he opened the door. His violet eyes went wide when he saw Joe standing there, and something about Xisuma left Joe equally surprised. "Oh... hello."
"This is Joe." False explained. "I found them in the forest, and I think they were what was watching us. Anyway, they think they might know what's making you sick, and if you want to trust them then they might be able to help."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I know exactly what the issue is." Joe remarked, before holding out a hand. "But allow me to introduce myself. Joe Hills, and I assume you're Xisuma? Do you spell that with a ⨅ or an ̇/? "
" ̇/." Xisuma confirmed. "||𝙹⚍ ᓭ!¡ᒷᔑꖌ ⊣ᔑꖎᔑᓵℸ ̣ ╎ᓵ...?"
("You speak Galactic...?")
"To a degree." Joe shrugged. "...You're not from the Overworld, are you?"
Xisuma hesitated for a moment, wondering how Joe had guessed so easily, before shaking his head. Who was he kidding? It was blatantly obvious that he was from the End, most Overworld natives weren't as tall as an Enderman with bright purple eyes. "No, I'm not."
"That's okay, neither am I! But that also seems to be the source of that cough of yours. The air in the Overworld is very different to the Nether or End, and being exposed to it for extended periods of time is hurting you. A filtered breathing mask should fix the issue, nothing too complicated."
"You mean like... a helmet?"
"Exactly! A simple solution to a simple problem." Joe confirmed. "Anyway, if that's all I can help you with, I'll be on my way! It was nice meeting you both-"
"Wait, Joe?" False interrupted. "You... you wouldn't want to stay, would you? You just helped us immensely, we kind of owe you."
"Owe me? Of course you don't!" Joe laughed. "I'm always happy to help, don't think that you need to repay me for it. That said, wandering around a forest for months on end does get pretty boring, and you guys seem far nicer than the squirrel that attacked me yesterday... so I'll gladly accept the invitation!"
Xisuma was a little taken aback by the sudden offer. It was unlike False to invite someone to stay with them, not that he was complaining, but it was quite unexpected given that she'd been ready to drive a sword through the hearts of the last strangers that came through these parts. Maybe she was beginning to relax a little, and he was glad to see it.
"Alright then Joe, welcome to... well, we don't have a name for it yet, but welcome anyway. We're trying to build a home for anyone who doesn't have one of their own, and we always have room for one more, even if it's starting to get a little crowded around here."
Joe smiled warmly. "I appreciate the welcome. You know, this might be a thought for another day... but it could be worth creating a world of your own if you're looking to build an entire community here. You'd make a pretty good Admin, Xisuma Void."
Joe wandered off without another word, presumably to investigate the rest of the tiny village, and False followed suit to show them around. Xisuma wasn't sure what an Admin was, what Joe meant by 'a world of their own' and how on earth they knew his full name when he'd never used it before... but Joe Hills didn't seem like the kind of person whose antics should be questioned.
He'd ask them about all of those things later. For now, Xisuma was simply happy that they had a new addition to their slowly growing community. These people could never replace what he'd lost all those months ago, but they still gave him the comfort of a family that he'd missed so dearly.
They would keep living their lives, working through hard times together and making the most of the good ones, all alone in the picturesque valley they called their home. Just like an isolated group of Hermits. Xisuma laughed to himself at the idea of it, before chasing the other two into the bright autumn sunlight.