Joel
Jimmy split from our little group a few days ago deciding to try and find his soulmate. He said something about feeling like a third wheel when he was around Etho and me. I tried to convince him that Scar would talk with him but he refused, saying that he wouldn't fall in any holes. It didn't stop my mind from wandering, wondering if he was okay. Etho grabbed my hand, pulling me back to reality as we continued to walk. We were trying to find a decent place to call our home, or at least a place to set up camp while we were here. None of us really knew what was going on.
We ran into Impulse and Beckham yesterday, they had set up in a meadow. Both had hammers. Bdubs was nailing planks of wood together and laying stone foundations for a house while Impulse manufactured the planks, nails, and cobble. We stayed to help for a bit, Etho talking with Impulse and Scar, myself helping Bdubs lift up with wall frame and attach it to make a corner. He was surprised when I told him Etho and I were Soulbound, but seemed generally happy. He then lifted his left hand and showed me something I had not even considered. He wore a ring, simple gold, but a ring nonetheless. We spoke for a while about the engagement and how soon Impulse and Bdubs had found each other. It was a good time but they all have to end at some point. We left the next morning following Impulse's directions to a gorge with running water and tall grass, both things we were in need of.
"Hey, Scar!" A small man walked out from the underbrush, his straw colored hair all too familiar. I instinctively shuffled back a few steps, trying to get away from the man. Etho held my hand tightly, sensing my distress.
"Grian!" Scar laughed and ran up to the shorter man giving him a high five. "Look! I made a friend, I think she's my soulbound." He gestured to Minnie, sitting on his shoulder. She crossed her arms and her wings began to buzz as she flew a bit away. "Minnie come back! Im sorry! What did I do?"
"Hi, um, i'm Grian," the smaller man exclaimed giving both myself and Etho a small smile. I stayed quiet, Etho doing the same. I hesitantly stepped in front of Etho, my hand on the handle of my axe.
"What do you want?" Grian's eyes turned sad a moment. I would have expected annoyance, anger, maybe even surprise, but not sadness.
"I know nobody trusts me, and I can understand why. But for a moment imagine you're stuck in your body, not just standing in one place, but like you're being pulled like a puppet, walking into the center of a group of strangers and speaking words even you don't understand." He took a breath, flexing his fingers. "I don't know why I said the things I did. I don't know why I was the puppet, but please, if Scar can forgive me can't anyone else? I've been alone for weeks!" I see Grian's eyes begin to well with tears and he turns away a moment, taking a shaky breath. Before either Etho or I can answer Scar comes running back into the clearing, Minnie trailing behind him.
"Sorry guys! I didn't introduce you!" Scar placed a hand on Grian's shoulder. Grian rolled his eyes but was obviously smiling. "This is Grain! He passed out a few weeks ago..." His eyes looked upwards, thinking for a moment. "Actually I think you guys were there too! Anyways, I got to slap his face to wake him up, it was great!"
Etho chuckled behind me, stepping forward a bit and wrapping an arm protectively around my shoulder. It was odd, I should be the one protecting him.
"So, Grian, this is Etho. he wears a mask all the time and doesn't talk much but he's great, I keep falling down and scraping my knees, he's the one with the bandages so, I stick around." I cross my arms, I can't tell whether or not that was a complement. "And there it is, Joel's resting grumpy face."
"I do NOT have a resting grumpy face" Grian's eyebrows raise in amusement.
"You do. Anyways, he's nice I guess. He and Etho are a Soul-pair? Soulbinded? Whatever you call the Soulbound people. We picked him up a few weeks ago."
"I've been trying to find people, everywhere I go there's nothing." Grian said, smiling a bit. "But I found you guys. And the goats!" He pulls his knapsack from his back rummaging for a minute.
"Uh what are you doing?" I ask stepping forward to see if I can see inside.
"Looking..." He says, dragging out the g until he straightens, a handful of odd horn-like things. "For these!"
"What are they?" As I open my mouth to ask, Etho beats me too it, surprising the rest of us.
"Oh uh, they're goat horns." Did he cut them off? Do goats shed their horns? How did he get the horns?
"How did you get em?" Scar asks his face inches from the pile held in Grian's arms, inspecting the odd things.
"Oh it's really funny actually! I was up on one of the mountains and saw a bunch of goats, as I went to investigate, one of them charged me. I, of course, stepped out of the way but he ran headfirst into the cliff behind me. His horn got stuck but instead of being stuck himself, he just... popped it off? I'm not sure. So I went to investigate and every single one did it." Grian laughed, obviously reliving a funny memory. He put the horns on the ground before pulling a more polished looking one from his belt. "Look what they can do!"
Before any of us could process what he had just explained to us, Grian raised the horn to his mouth and blew into it, hard, his face turning slightly red. he played a little rhythm, the sound loud enough I could swear it could be heard from miles away, it almost hurt my ears.
"Ooh! Can I have one?" Scar immediately states, reaching down before Grian has even agreed. He picks up one of the extras and immediately blows into it. This is going to be a long day.
We walked for a couple of hours before approaching the edge of a cliff. I looked over the edge smiling as I saw what was at the bottom. I stared at Etho knowing I was going to be in bug trouble for doing this but it is much too fun. Scar and Grian were walking next to Etho and talking with each other, Etho smiling and listening in.
"Hey Etho!" I yell, waving my arms. His eyes turn to mine. We have been around each other for almost two weeks now, however I still haven't seen the rest of his face, he practically sleeps with it and when it is time to eat, he disappears. As much as I care for and respect his boundaries, it does not stop me from imagining what he may look like. His white hair loose, his headband removed and his mask sitting to the side. "Look at this!"
I walk along the very edge of the cliff, my feet stepping one in front of the other. I smirk as I pretend to lose my balance and I tip myself over the edge. Etho yells my name and I watch him run to the cliff jumping off without looking where he was jumping. My voice dies in my throat as I didn't expect him to jump after me, I was going to make a comment about doing a cannonball but I only watch as Etho dives off solid ground to try and save my life. If below had been solid ground we would both be dead. Instead, as I feel Etho grab my arm, we plunge into a deep river, the current slow and lazy as I open my eyes. The breath leaves my lungs as I realise that Etho has lost conciousness. Having been unprepared for a water landing and acting on instinct, his body was desperately trying to breath, his shoulders hitching and jerking.
My arms wrap around his torso, my legs kicking hard towards the rocky shore. I look up for a moment to see Grian and Scar laughing and preparing to jump as well, holding their shoes in their hands and standing at the edge. They couldn't see what was happening.
Finally I reach the shore, pulling Etho up and resting my head on his heart, beating but rapid. His mask. It is soaking. There is no way that he can breath through it. I hear two splashes and shouts of laughter as Scar and Grian join myself and Etho at the bottom splashing each other playfully.
"Joel?" Grian suddenly notices my panicked expression and Etho lying unconscious. He swims quickly over to us, leaving Scar to fend for himself as he comes to help, running ashore and crouching next to me. "Joel, it's okay he's still alive but you need to take his mask off."
"No." I say, my voice catching in my throat as I feel my own heart speed up, my throat tightening. "He has-He hasn't shown me yet"
"Joel, he is going to die and you will too! He will understand." I nodded shortly, coughing as water came out of my own mouth, coating my throat in too much moisture. "I'll keep Scar occupied, you save your boyfriend's life" I nod again, losing the ability to speak. I spit out more water as I dragged Etho partially behind a rock. I had to act fast, his heart is beginning to slow down. I rip off his mask, my body acting on auto pilot as I begin to press on his chest, hard and in equal increments. As I lean down again to listen to his breath, my hand flies to my own throat. I can't breath. Water flies from my mouth as my body tries desperately to expel the water in my lungs. I summon all of the strength in my lungs and take a shaking breath. I lean down and lock my lips with Etho's, blowing my air into his lungs. I sit up, coughing slightly but I can breath easier. I press on Etho's chest. 1... 2... 3... I hold Etho's nose this time as I blow into his lungs again. 4... 5... 6... Again. 7... 8... He coughs and sputters water flying out of his mouth. He takes rapid breaths and I slowly rest my forehead on his chest. My lungs and arms ache, performing CPR while drowning yourself is not the easiest thing. Both mine and Etho's breaths are shaking and I'm surprised to feel his hand rest on top of mine on his chest.
"Did we die?" He rasps, coughing. I sigh in relief and lift my head up to look at his squinting eyes. They are glassy and now that the threat of death has passed, I can look at his face. A large scar stretches across his nose, mouth, and chin, running down to his adams apple. I smile.
"No, but you'd better not make me do CPR while drowning again." Etho lets out a wheezing laugh and props himself up on his elbows.
"And you'd better not jump off of cliffs without warning me again." I chuckle and wrap my arms around his torso, my head resting on his chest as he sits up fully, reciprocating my hug.
"Guess that wasn't the best prank i've done?"
"Na it was pretty good," Etho laughs again and pushes me just far enough to rest his forehead on mine. "Not really how I wanted to show you my face though." My eyes widen.
"Oh Etho i'm sorry, here," I reach behind myself and grab the dripping black mask, placing it in his hands and covering my eyes with my hand. I hear Etho take a breath before his hand pulls my arm down from my eyes. His eyes stare into mine with an intensity I haven't seen from him before.
"Do you wanna know how I got it?" I reach my hand up and gently run my finger along the scar, stopping at his nose.
"I think it looks tough. Intimidating if you will." Etho smiles poking me in the ribs and causing me to giggle.
"I will" He says starting to tickle my stomach. I try to push him away to no avail he is relentless.
"Joel is Etho--- OH MY GOD I'M SO SORRY." Grian comes running around the corner with Scar. Grian promptly slides to a stop but Scar hasn't seen myself and Etho yet, so he runs directly into Grian's back, causing both to tumble to the ground. The reaction I would say was appropriate as we are in a very compromising position. My back is almost touching the ground and Etho is smiling, bent over with his hands holding my waist.
"Crap, I scraped my hand." Scar exclaimed sitting up and trying to wipe off his bloodied hand on his pants. Grian tries to sit up but rams his head into the edge of the boulder situated above him. I turn around, my face flaming while Etho quickly wrings out his mask and adjusts it onto his face. A groan sounds and I watch as Scar rubs his head in pain. He is still sitting directly on top of Grian who looks like a squished spider, his arms and legs splayed awkwardly and his face pressed into the dirt, covered in mud. I stand, pulling Etho with me and walk towards the pile.
"Scar, you're sitting on top of Grian." I say chuckling and holding out my hand.
"Dang soulmate rammed their head into something," Scar said rubbing the back of his head and wincing. Grian immediately twists his head to look at Scar who takes my hand and stands up.
"What did you say Scar?" He looks at Grian, obviously oblivious to what I can read in Grian's face.
"Oh, my soulmate just ran into something really hard and it hurt the back of my head. Oh I scraped my hand too." Grian sits up as Scar turns to check on Minnie, whom has flown away in the excitement. "MINNIE IM SORRY. COME BACK."
"Oh god." I look down at Grian before crouching next to him, Etho running after Scar.
"Only one way to find out for sure, look at your right hand." Grian looks up at me before turning over his hand, revealing a bloody scrape the exact shape and size of Scar's.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO" He yells, his hands on his temples. "I'm gonna die!" I rest my hand on his shoulder patting it before standing and reaching down my hand.
"At least you can try to prevent it from happening now?" Grian nods sullenly, grabbing my hand. I pull him to his feet and help him clean off his hand, wrapping it in a clean bandage. Etho returns with Scar and Minnie, having found them. A couple old looking boats sit on the shore and we pair up, two in each, pushing them off the rocky shore and into the slow moving water. We were off, Grian knowing that his life was in the hands of a man-child, and me knowing the face of my Soulbound.
___________________________________________
"What do you mean they almost died!" Mumbo yells, his hands slamming onto the smooth wooden surface of his desk.
"Etho almost drowned, Beans managed to save him." Shadowlady, now wearing a pink suit the same shade as her hair, exclaimed, double checking her clipboard.
"That was too close, we can't have anyone dying until Solidarity and Tek are dead. I stated that very clearly. The public enjoyed the last season's deaths because Solidarity died first, it has to STAY THAT WAY."
"I understand sir, and Doc has fired the engineer who was working the console this morning." Mumbo slowly sits himself down in his chair, the breath leaving his lungs in a hearty sigh.
"Thank you Shadowlady, Lizzie. I couldn't do this without you." She smiles and tucks a strand of loose hair behind her ear before walking out of his office and closing the door. Mumbo spins around and stares out the huge wall of windows behind his desk. The city sprawls out before him, the people only ants in comparison to him. Ants that work all day and watch television at night. Especially during this Season. The season that he and Fwhip of Empires work jointly on. They used to be rivals, working to out poll each other in their respective series. When Void (His friend Xisuma) was hired by the Watchers association, he assigned Mumbo as CEO. This was four years previous.
A year after his rise to power, Mumbo was communicating with Grian, the head of the broadcasting department and an old friend, when he mentioned an idea for a joint show. A show that was more real than all the others. Putting all of the fan favorites from the recent seasons of Hermitcraft and Empires back into action. Mumbo reached out to Fwhip and Third Life was born. The first season of the Life Series, an annual event featuring the same contestants every time.
During production, Grian became suspicious, realizing that the CEO had stolen his original idea. When he began to threaten the show, Mumbo had him removed, saying that he had willingly entered the competition's group of contestants and what was originally 13, became 14 contestants. The fan's loved him, even with the memory wipe Mumbo was always sure to show off Grian as the 'leader' and the fans loved it. Popularity skyrocketed and they were renewed for another season. The city began to show it on all channels, editors working away to switch between their many different eye-cameras, though only a few select contestants had them.
Business boomed and in the off season, the contestants were wiped of their memories of the past season and sent to their homes across Esempe City, to their homes and families. They were none the wiser until the Season rolled around again. The only exception to this was Lizzie Small, his personal assistant and wife of the head of Empires Broadcasting Department, Joel Small. She was the only worker in both offices who was brainwashed at beginning and end, just as contestants were. She was never allowed to remember anything of her husband as he played his part in the Season.
Mumbo smiles as he watches the city, the first episode of the fifth week broadcasting across the city as people ate dinner and sat in their living rooms their TV's flashing with the intro.
"Welcome to Double Life!"