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Chapter Text

Inspiration from weirdshitshow and their Puppy Joel AU

If you do look them up, be 18+ and BE VERY MINDFUL. The AU has a lot of noncon, abuse, amputation of limbs, etc. So if you look it up, PLEASE BE MINDFUL OF THAT. DO NOT LOOK IT UP IF THAT STUFF TRIGGERS YOU.

I was unsure if I should link them simply because of the dark themes they often talk about, however, credit deserves to be given no matter what (at least, imo), but I just, again, want to give a MASSIVE TW.

Trigger Warning: This story will have talks of past rape/noncon, past abuse, past torture, past nonconsensual body modifications, anxiety, depression, self harm, and possibly other things I am missing. If any of these things trigger you, please read a different story.

Xisumavoid:  We have a new member joining Hermitcraft. If you want to meet him, come to the Shopping District, where the Hermit Permits were distributed. We'll only be here an hour so please be quick.

That was... very odd. It wasn't like Xisuma didn't invite new people to Hermitcraft, Joel and Skizz were their newest members! But to have someone just appear when so much has already happened? The Shopping District was booming, so many shops were built, and everyone's bases were growing drastically. Not to mention, Xisuma always asked everyone else for their opinions and input, and makes sure everyone is comfortable with the person joining. Sure, at the end of the day, Xisuma could invite anyone he wanted, but he never abused his power as an admin. Hell, if even one person expressed they didn't want the person to join, Xisuma wouldn't let them in.

But here he was, announcing a new member with no one even knowing or hearing some rumors or anything about a new member.

And for Xisuma to say they would only get an hour before he, presumably, took the person on a tour?

It was very out of character. It peaked everyone's interest, multiple people questioning what was going on, but all flying to the Shopping District. While flying, people talked, asking if they had any idea, if they knew, wondering what was going on, etc. People landed in front of the Hermit Permit stage, where Xisuma was kneeling in front of the new person, a blanket wrapped around their shoulders, an umbrella shielding them from the sun. Xisuma turned to the growing group, everyone curious, whispering and muttering, as the man counted.

"Oh, perfect!" Xisuma said after he finished counting, "Everyone's here! It'll make it easy, I won't have to repeat myself!" He then looked at the new person, gently cupping his cheeks, "Are you sure you're alright? You know you can say no. I won't get mad, you won't get in trouble. You're safe now." The voidborn cooed sweetly.

The new person nodded. 

Xisuma hesitated but stood up, motioning to the man, "Uh, guys, this here is Solidarity. He's going to be joining Hermitcraft. I know this is sudden and very unusal, but..." He trailed off, everyone looking over the person.

The man had dirty blonde hair with dog ears that seemed pinned to his head, one ear having a chunk missing, as if someone ripped a part of it off. He head a dirty blonde tail that stayed between his legs, sitting stiffly in the chair. He wore nothing but a long white shirt that barely fell to his knees, as well as the blanket around his shoulders. His pale skin was decorated in bruises and cuts, bitemarks all over his neck, shoulders, arms, and legs. His nose had dried blood under it, that Xisuma definitely cleaned beforehand, and his right eye was swollen and bruised shut.

"I couldn't just..." Xisuma gently pet Solidarity's head, the dirty blonde not reacting.

"No, you made the right call." Cleo said, everyone either nodding or letting out small "yeahs" in agreement. The redhead stepped forward, kneeling beside the dirty blonde as she smiled, cooing, "Hi Solidarity. My name is Cleo. It's nice to meet you."

He looked at her, his eyes a sky blue color, but they looked dull and dead to the world.

"You poor thing, those marks look pretty painful. Can I help you?"

Solidarity blinked before he nodded slightly.

"He, um, can't speak." Xisuma shifted uncomfortably.

"That's okay." Cleo took out some golden apples, "Here, eat-"

"No, um, does anyone have healing potions on them?" Xisuma called.

Cub raised his hand and took some out of his bag as he stepped forward, "Here, drink-"

"Just pour it on him."

Everyone looked at him, Cub raising an eyebrow, "What? Xisuma, you know it will work better if he drinks it!"

"I-I know, but-" Xisuma looked at Solidarity, who looked at him. He then pet the dirty blonde again, "...Just trust me?"

Cub was hesitant, but did as he said. He knelt down, putting the dirty blonde's leg in his lap, gently pouring a couple drops on the bitemarks. Solidarity stiffened and let out a whine, looking up at Xisuma.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Xisuma cooed, petting behind his ears, "I know it stings, but it's okay!"

Solidarity relaxed into his hand, whimpering and whining as Cub continued to let little drops fall on his wounds. Eventually, all the bitemarks, scratches, and bruises were healed, but there were multiple scars on his body. He had a ton of little scars across his arms as well as circular burn scars all over his arms and legs. 

"This one's going to hurt." Cub hesitated, looking at Xisuma, "...To heal his nose, he needs to drink it."

"I-I know, but... just not now."

Cub sighed and smiled kindly at the dirty blonde, "Can you close your eyes?"

Solidarity blinked before he did so. Cub hesitated once more before pouring a couple drops on his swollen eye. Solidarity cried out, whimpering and whining as he held his eye, Xisuma and Cleo cooing him. Cub cringed and stepped back a bit, not wanting to scare the dirty blonde as the healing potion did its thing. Solidarity whimpered, panting a bit and that's when Cub noticed.

His eyes widened, pupils turning a very light blue, almost white, his vex wings coming out as glowing blue crack-like scars came from his eyes.

"Cub!" Scar pushed forward, kneeling beside him, "Hey, buddy, what's wrong-"

"Xisuma, what happened to his mouth?"

Xisuma widened his eyes, looking at Cub.

Cub narrowed his eyes, "What happened?"

"What's going on?" Scar asked, looking at Cub, then Xisuma, then back to Cub.

"Cub, listen, you need to calm down-"

"'Calm down?!' After what I saw?! Who did that to him?!" His eyes glowed a bright blue, red scarring appearing around his eyes as his skin began to turn a blueish-grey, "I'll kill them, I swear-"

"Cub, calm down, you're going to scare Solidarity!" Cleo reprimanded, the dirty blonde staring at Cub, shaking a bit.

Xisuma covered the dirty blonde's eyes, looking at the Vex, "Listen, I know it's bad, but there's nothing we can do. I've already tried giving him a healing potion, I've even given him an enchanted apple, but because it happened years ago, there's nothing we can do-"

"So you expect me to just accept the fact someone cut his tongue out?!" Cub yelled before covering his mouth with a gasp, his vex traits being hidden as he widened his eyes.

The tension rose as everyone stared at Cub, letting the words sink in.

"What do you mean his tongue was cut out?" False voiced everyone's question and anger.

Xisuma took a deep breath.

"X, I'm sorry, I just-"

"No, it's fine Cub, it's better I tell everyone now rather than everyone finding out later." Xisuma looked down at the dirty blonde, Solidarity looking up at him, "Do you mind if I tell them a little? I won't say everything."

Solidarity simply leaned into hin, eyes fluttering.

Xisuma gently pet Solidarity's head, "Well, obviously, you guys could tell he wasn't with the best people, just from the marks you all could see. The people he was with were really abusive, manipulative, and overall a waste of space." He growled, "They saw Solidarity was a dog hybrid and, instead of treating him like the person he is, they treated him like a dog. Only, worse than a dog."

"So they cut his tongue out?!" Joel yelled.

"Dogs can't speak, there's no need for it. Their reasoning, of course."

"Why abuse him then?! Like, what was their goal?!" Pearl exclaimed.

Xisuma bit his bottom lip, "They... wanted him as a fight dog. But, you guys saw all the marks, Solidarity is not a fighter."

"So, then what?!" Tango questioned, "What was the point?!"

"That's... not something I'm going to share."

Solidarity looked up at Xisuma and stared. The voidborn knelt beside him, petting his head more. The dirty blonde's tail seemed to try to wag, but Solidarity dug his nails into his arm, stopping himself.

"Hey, no, no." Cleo cooed, stopping him, "Don't do that."

Cub offered the healing potion. Xisuma took it and gently prodded Solidarity to open his mouth. The dirty blonde did and everyone could see half his tongue had been cut out, making them all stiffen and furious. Xisuma helped the dirty blonde drink,the rest of the potion, Solidarity shaking his head and cringing at the taste. However, once his nose (and anything else they may have missed) was healed, his tail tried to wag.

He went to grab it to stop it.

Cleo gently caught his wrist and pet his tail. Solidarity widened his eyes, but she smiled, letting his tail go. When it continued wagging, he stiffened a bit, scared, his tail stopping in fear. However, Cleo once again pet his tail, making it wag. Xisuma did the same, petting his tail and watching it wag.

Solidarity blinked, taking turns in leaning into Cleo and then Xisuma, his stiff body relaxing, his tail wagging freely, his ears lowering from their stiff upright position.

"There we go, good boy." Xisuma cooed.

Solidarity let out a noise from the back of his throat, akin to a purr.

"So, what's going to happen to him?" Gem asked, everyone moving a bit closer, but far enough as to not crowd him.

"Well, we're going to keep him here." Xisuma explained, "Obviously, he has a lot of trauma, trust issues, triggers, etc, and all of us are going to do our best to help him get through this. I also want us all to show him we're not a threat. Even if all you do is buy him new clothes, I'd be happy with that. I want him to feel safe with all of us." He pet the dirty blonde, who hummed more, "I prefer we treat him like a person, but I don't know if that's possible."

"What do you mean? You think we're gonna be a jerk to him?"

"No, no, not at all. It's not you guys I'm worried about." He continued petting Solidarity, who seemed oblivious to the conversation, "He's been broken down, both physically and mentally, I think he truly believes he's just a dog. I don't know if trying to treat him like a person would hurt him or do him good..."

"Well, we can treat him as person and, maybe, he'll slowly come back to his senses? Like, maybe if we show him he's not just a dog, he'll believe it." Etho suggested.

Solidarity leaned into Xisuma and smiled slightly as the voidborn hugged him, "I'm not sure, but I hope so. Let's do our best, people."

Everyone agreed as Solidarity's tail continued to wag.

Chapter Text

Xisuma carried Solidarity to his base, the dog hybrid happy in his arms. He smiled slightly as the other nuzzled into his neck, making small grunts. He hugged him a bit tighter, getting to his base and placing the other down on the bed.

Solidarity sat on his bed, sitting on his knees, hands resting on top of his lap, looking at the other, expectantly. Expecting an order-

No, don't think like that, you didn't know, there was nothing you can do. Xisuma thought, moving to his closet. He smiled at the dirty blonde, "Let's get you washed up and new clothes, yeah?"

The dirty blonde tilted his head, staring at him.

Xisuma looked over his clothes, "Hmmm... I don't know if I have any-"

THUMP!

He gasped and turned around, seeing Solidarity had moved to the ground, falling on his knees.

"S-Solidarity!" Xisuma exclaimed, kneeling beside him, "A-Are you okay?!"

Solidarity tilted his head, letting out a grunt, his hands resting on his lap once more.

"Your knees, that sounded like it hurt! Are you okay?"

He blinked in response.

Xisuma could almost see the bruises forming on his knees. However, there was nothing he could do until the bruises actually formed. For now, he just picked Solidarity up, taking him to the bathroom. He helped the other undress before he put the dirty blonde in the bathtub, the dog hybrid immediately stiffening.

"I-I know baths are a trigger for you, but you really need one." Xisuma gently pet his head.

Solidarity looked at him, trembling, tail going between his legs.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Xisuma turned the water on, the other yelping and squeezing his eyes shut, "Shhhh, shhh, I know, it's okay! It's okay..." He cooed.

The water began to fill the tub, warm water. Solidarity eased up a bit at the feeling, opening one eye. He watched as Xisuma put bubbles in the bath. He blinked, trying to process what was going on. Xisuma could feel him staring and he smiled kindly before realizing the dirty blonde couldn't see it under his helmet. He hesitated before he removed his helmet and smiled at Solidarity, who widened his eyes. His tail wagged as he stared at the other, reaching his hand out before putting it down.

Xisuma smiled, "You can touch my face. I don't mind."

The dirty blonde lifted his hand and touched the voidborn's face. He traced the 'X' scar between his eyes, as well as the purple scales that decorated his skin. Xisuma chuckled before turning to the facet. He turned the water off and faced Solidarity again, the dirty blonde staring down at the water. He chuckled, putting his hand in the water and splashing it a bit. Solidarity's tail wagged faster as he did the same. He did it softly and looked at Xisuma, as if asking permission. The voidborn smiled and nodded.

Solidarity blinked and did it again, a bit harder. The voidborn laughed and flicked a bit of water at him in response. The dog hybrid smiled, trying to laugh but it sounded a bit gurgle-y, not that Xisuma minded. He splashed hard, water getting all over them and the floor.

"Ah-!" Xisuma exclaimed, covering his face and chuckling as he looked at the dirty blonde, who had stiffened. To ease his fear, Xisuma laughed, "Made a big one, huh?"

Solidarity hesitated and made another big splash, Xisuma laughing again. The dirty blonde's tail wagged happily as he laughed, splashing more. The voidborn, despite thinking it was adorable, stopped him, the dirty blonde still smiling. Now that he was calm, Xisuma gently poured water on the other's head, Solidarity no longer scared. He made sure to cover Solidarity's eyes, so he didn't get scared. They told me what they did to you, thinking it was funny, that it was okay. Disgusting wastes of air. Xisuma thought as he poured soap into the dirty blonde's hair, gently scrubbing it in and scratching his ears, Solidarity letting out a small whistle-like sound. Xisuma poured water on his head once mor, Solidarity letting out yips and gurgley laughs.

Once Xisuma finished, he paused and leaned into Solidarity, the dog hybrid confused.

"I promise you... I'll protect you. Everyone here will protect you..." He said, "You'll never have to be afraid again."

The dirty blonde didn't make a noise for a moment. At first, Xisuma thought the other didn't hear him, but then he turned to look at Xisuma. He grabbed the voidborn's hand and put it to his cheek, the dirty blonde nuzzling it as he smiled.

Xisuma widened his eyes before he smiled too, "That's what you did when I said I'd get you out, that I'd save you. Is that your way of saying you trust me? You believe me?"

Solidarity nodded against his hand, smiling more.

The voidborn stroked his cheek, happy, "Good... I mean it."

Solidarity nodded, smiling, his eyes content, as if to say I know.

***

Xisuma blow-dried Solidarity's hair, the dirty blonde letting out happy pants, tail wagging with a towel wrapped around his waist. The dirty blonde swung his legs happily as Xisuma continued to dry him off.

"Oh, shoot, I don't have clothes for you..." Xisuma groaned, looking around. He found his communicator and opened it, "I'm going to ask a couple friends to come over, they'll bring some clothes for you!"

Solidarity swung his legs as they waited, Xisuma talking to him as the dirty blonde let out happy noises, grunts, and whistle-like noises. The voidborn, while happy the other was already starting to feel comfortable, felt awful. Anytime Solidarity let out a pant, a gurgley laugh, a small sorta-not really whistle, it just reminded him.

Solidarity had no tongue.

He could understand everything that was said to him when he was... trapped. He could understand everything that was happening to him. But he couldn't say no, literally. He couldn't scream, he couldn't beg for it to stop, he could only make noises and cry. Even now, he's safe, away from them, but he still couldn't say anything. He couldn't tell Xisuma something as simple as 'hi', he could barely whistle, he could barely laugh because half his tongue was missing.

Xisuma's shoulders shook.

Solidarity's ears lowered as he whined reaching out.

"S-Sorry-" The man apologized, tears forming in his eyes he tried to blink and wipe them away, "I-I'm sorry. I-I don't mean to cry, b-but you... I just feel so bad! You're missing your tongue, something we all take for granted because we've never had to worry about something like this! And yet you lived through it, you didn't deserve it, I feel awful-"

The dog hybrid hugged him. He nuzzled into Xisuma's chest, the voidborn hugging him back, petting his head. Solidarity's tail wagged as he nuzzled the other, letting out small purr-like noises. He squeezed Xisuma tightly, eyes closed and letting out a happy sigh.

"...Right, I'm sorry. I'm trying not to be negative." The voidborn cupped the dirty blonde's face, smiling, "You're going to love it here. I promise. I'll make sure of it."

Solidarity smiled, letting out a yip.

I'll figure out a way to get your tongue back. Or something to help you talk. Xisuma thought, I promise.

Chapter Text

"We're here!"

Xisuma smiled, wearing his helmet as he held Solidarity, the dog hybrid's waist wrapped in a towel, "Welcome guys. Sorry it's a bit of a mess!" He then faced the dirty blonde, smiling, "Solidarity, this is Cleo, Pearl, Gem, False, and Stress. All of them are here to help with getting you clothes. I figured they would make you feel more comfortable."

Solidarity nodded. The women could see most of Solidarity's body, seeing as the towel only covered his lower half. The dirty blonde's back had a bunch of whip scars, as well as bite scars, and a couple smaller, thinner scars. Xisuma put Solidarity on the couch, saying he would step outside so the girls could do their thing.

The dirty blonde stiffened.

"Ah, n-not like that!" Xisuma knelt down in front of him, "Right now, they're just going to get your measurements so they can make you some clothes!"

"Actually, speaking of clothes-" Stress put down her bag, "-you look about Etho's size, so I asked if he had any extra clothes that maybe he could let you have! He had a couple shirts and jeans, but no boxers."

"I gave him some of my old pairs, it's fine."

Gem also put a bag down, "I also got some clothes from Scar. They might be just a little bit small, seeing as Solidarity looked a little taller, but it should be okay!"

The two women laid out the clothes. Three navy blue shirts and two black jeans were donated by Etho, while Scar gave a pair of boxers (with a note that said they were brand new), two white shirts, a light cream colored hoodie, two pairs of shorts, and khaki pants.

Xisuna chuckled, "Geez, Scar."

"Well, when he actually needs something in his abysmal storage system, he pulls through." Pearl teased, the group laughing.

Solidarity stared, confused. He picked up a white shirt, feeling the fabric between his fingers. He blinked looked at the women before looking at Xisuma. The man nodded and the dirty blonde smiled. He rushed to put it on. In his haste, he accidentally stuffed his head in one of the holes for his arm. The others laughed as Cleo and Xisuma helped him get his head in the right hole.

He then grabbed one of the black jeans, the women turning around as Xisuma helped Solidarity get them on. He then cut holes in the jeans and boxers so Solidarity's tail could comfortably stick out. When he was finally dressed, he was asked to stand up, the dirty blonde doing so. Pearl took his measurements, the dog hybrid tilting his head occasionally as the brunette did her thing.

"Good job." Xisuma praised, Solidarity's tail wagging.

False asked, "He can understand us, right? Then, can he read or write?"

"Unfortunately not..." Xisuma sighed, "I thought about giving him a pen and paper and communicating that way too."

"Maybe we can teach him." Cleo offered, "I mean, it is a good skill to have in general, and if that's one way to help us communicate with him, it's a good thing."

Solidarity stared at the group as they continued talking, Pearl continuing her measurements. At one point, she had to measure where his tail was so she could accurately leave holes in his clothes for his tail. She grabbed it at the base and Solidarity stiffened, looking at Xisuma.

"It's okay buddy, I promise. Remember, I promised no one would hurt you. She's gonna make your new clothes and needs to know exactly where your tail is." Xisuma reassured.

Solidarity hesitantly nodded, letting the woman finish. Once she had the right placement written down, Pearl let go, gently patting his head.

"Alright, I got what I needed!" Pearl exclaimed, "So, who's all helping me?"

"I will." Stress smiled.

"Me too!" Gem raised her hand.

Cleo smiled awkwardly, "I'll try to help, not sure how well it'll go."

"Same for me." False admitted, "But I'd be happy to still lend a hand."

Xisuma smiled, petting Solidarity as the other laid against him, "Thanks, ladies."

"Of course!" Gem knelt down beside Solidarity, smiling, "When you're comfortable, we should definitely teach you how to build! I'm sure you'll be a great builder!"

Solidarity merely smiled back, tail wagging.

Chapter Text

"I want him to meet everyone, but I want to do it in small groups, just so he's not overwhelmed all at once. Gem, do you mind if we head to Magic Mountain first?"

That was how Xisuma started the tour. He had picked up Solidarity bridal style, the women all flying off. Solidarity stared in awe and wonder, watching as they all went in different directions. 

"We're gonna follow them." Xisuma told the dirty blonde, holding the other so their chests were pressed against one another, "Hold onto me?"

Solidarity wrapped his arms around Xisuma's neck, legs around his hips. The voidborn, in turn, hugged his waist before using a couple of rockets to launch himself up. Solidarity cried out, scared as they began to fly, burying himself into Xisuma's neck. Xisuma didn't mind, hugging him tightly and focusing on flying.

He made it to Magic Mountain and set the dirty blonde down, the two standing on Grian's dock. Gem ran over and smiled at the two, Solidarity looking out at the sea.

"Hey!" The three turned, seeing Grian running over, smiling, "Gem said you were coming over! And, if you are, allow me to give you the tour!"

Xisuma nodded, gently taking Solidarity's hand, "Solidarity, this is Grian. He's very nice, but also very chaotic. He is the main reason people end up in silly competitions and/or the reason there is some sort of war going on."

"Hey, I'm not that bad!"

"Oh? And what about the snails?"

"The snails are their own thing!" Gem stepped in, "The snails do what they want!"

"Exactly! She gets it!"

Xisuma rolled his eyes, looking at Solidarity, who was staring out at the ocean. The dirty blonde stared in awe at the water, watching as fish jumped from the water, watching as the water reflected light beautifully, watching as it moved slightly. Xisuma gently tugged a bit on Solidarity's hand. The dirty blonde looked up at him before back at the water.

"...Do you like water?" Xisuma asked.

Solidarity shook his head, pointing to the water.

"What is it?" Grian asked, stepping forward.

The dirty blonde let out a hum, trying to think before he hopped a bit. The three looked at him, confused. The dog hybrid pointed to the water and hopped again.

"...Oh, the fish!" Grian guessed, Solidarity nodding, "Here, watch this!"

Extending his wings, the shorter hovered over the water, grabbing one of the fish that jumped up. He flew back and showed it off to the dog hybrid. Solidarity's eyes were wide as the fish flapped around in Grian's hand.

"It's salmon! Pretty common here and it-"

Solidarity opened his mouth and tried to bite it.

"WOAH, WOAH, WOAH!" Grian moved back, still hovering over the water.

Xisuma widened his eyes before he realized what was going on, "Are you hungry?"

Solidarity shook his head.

"Got it. Here, Gem's going to show you Grian's base." Xisuma gently urged the dirty blonde to follow the redhead, the two quickly leaving. Grian landed in front of Xisuma, raising an eyebrow, "He was... forcibly given salmon. Raw salmon. It was a 'treat.'"

"So, he associates salmon with treats?"

Xisuma shrugged, "Not... really, I don't think? I think it's more that when he was given salmon, it meant the best of the worst."

Grian nodded, looking down, "It meant the abuse wasn't super terrible but was still bad."

"Yeah..." 

The dirty blonde looked at the salmon still in his hand, "...I'm gonna cook this thing and meet up with you guys."

Xisuma smiled and nodded, "See you later." He then walked to catch up with Gem and Solidarity, the redhead pulling to show him Scar's train.

"Scar is acting like a train conductor with a ton of different animals on the train!" Gem explained as she helped him pull him onto the train.

Xisuma climbed up after them, Solidarity in awe. Gem explained the different carts, the dirty blonde eyes wide in awe in amazement. Eventually, Scar came over and smiled, properly introducing himself to Solidarity.

"So, my clothes fit then?"

"Yes. He's very grateful to be out of his old clothes. Thank you." Xisuma said.

"No need to thank me! It's just what hermits do for each other!" Scar reassured.

Grian flew over, smiling as he landed in front of the others, "Dun, dun, duuuuuuun!" He said dramatically, offering a cooked salmon, "For you, Solidarity!"

The dirty blonde blinked, taking it. He examined it, seeming confused by the burn marks.

"It's good, a lot better than before." Xisuma reassured.

Solidarity hesitated before taking a bite. He chewed a bit and widened his eyes, taking another bite, then another, and another.

"Slow down." Xisuma gently held his wrist, "If you eat too fast, it'll upset your stomach."

Solidarity whined, letting out a yip. He waited, however, swallowing what he had in his mouth before taking another bite as they continued walking around Magic Mountain. The dirty blonde saw Mumbo's weird crane thing, the dirty blonde wanting to go inside but Xisuma telling him no. When he kept whining, Xisuma explained that you had to die to get inside, which made the dirty blonde shake his head, changing his mind.

Going around the mountain, they met up with Joel, who was happy to take them on a tour of his ever growing city.

"Up the stairs, pass the shrine, pass the mailbox with all my lover letters from Etho!" Joel joked, making the others laugh as they walked.

Solidarity was in awe, everything so pretty, so many colors. The brunette kept talking and everyone was in awe, but Solidarity looked past the buildings. Without thinking, he wandered away, to the trees. He stared, in awe, petting, stroking the bark as he looked up at the pink leaves, blinking.

"Solidarity?!"

The dirty blonde jumped and turned, Xisuma running over. On instinct, he stiffened and looked down, clenching his fists.

Instead of feeling a slap, he felt the other gently pet his head, making him hesitantly look up. Xisuma sighed, "You're not in trouble. But you scared me. Try not to wander off, okay? I don't want you to get hurt."

The dirty blonde stared at the voidborn, his visor allowing Solidarity to see his eyes. He nodded and let Xisuma hold his hand. The dirty blonde intertwined their fingers as they walked back to the others.

"He's okay. Just wandered off."

Joel hummed, "...Did he get excited about the Cherry Blossoms? I mean, has he ever seen them before, do you know?"

Xisuma blinked and looked down at Solidarity. The dirty blonde shook his head.

The brunette smiled, "Well, then, we'll have to put a ton of Cherry Blossoms around X's base so you can see them all the time!"

Solidarity's tail wagged as he let out a squeak like nose, bouncing on his heels and nodding his head excitedly. And Xisuma wasn't going to be the monster to deny such a cute display!

He smiled, petting Solidarity's head more.

Chapter Text

Joel showed off his city and Solidarity made sure not to wander again. He did get excited at the axolotls, however, pointing at them, confused. Joel grabbed a bucket and caught one, letting Solidarity have a better look. The dirty blonde squealed again, staring at it, so amazed and excited.

Once Joel put the axolotl back, they continued on, this time to Impulse. The man was happy to take off his hard hat and properly introduce himself to the dirty blonde.

Solidarity's tail stopped wagging, going between his legs as he stared at the imp.

Impulse smiled kindly, "Welcome to my cyberpunk city!"

Xisuma looked at the dirty blonde, who was staring at Impulse with wide eyes. The voidborn gently took his hand, "Hey, you okay?"

Solidarity looked up and nodded. He seemed to think before he lifted his hand over his head, standing on his tiptoes.

Xisuma was confused before he guessed, "Tall?"

The dirty blonde nodded.

Grian jumped on Impulse's back, the imp laughing, "Impulse is super tall, isn't he?!" The avian moved to perch on Impulse's shoulder, the brunette rolling his eyes but letting him do so, "He's like a giant teddy bear!"

Solidarity nodded a bit, staring at where Grian was in awe. Impulse seemed to notice this and stepped forward. He gently put his arm under Solidarity's thighs and picked him up, the dirty blonde gasping as Impulse gently put him on his other shoulder, the dog hybrid letting out a little squeak.

"Ah, careful-!" Xisuma stepped forward.

"I got him, I got him!" Impulse reassured, offering his hand for Solidarity to hold, the dirty blonde smiling a bit, "Barely weighs a thing! A bit heavier than Grian, but that's not too hard to do."

"Hey!" Grian huffed.

"I'm just saying, you're able to balance your weight cause of your avian status, plus you're naturally lightweight. Pearl's the same way." Impulse reassured, "Now, this is a collaborative project Bdubs and I are working on! It's going to be a huge cyberpunk city with a lot of detail and a lot of hard work!"

Impulse continued to show off the city, Bdubs flying over and joining them in the tour. Grian got off of Impulse, but Solidarity happily stayed on the brunette's shoulder. Xisuma hovered by Impulse just to be safe, but Solidarity didn't seem to mind. He giggled, laugh a bit raspy, just looking around the entire city.

"Hey, B, want to continue to show the others around?" Impulse asked, "Maybe you can do a loop. Show your place then come back towards Tango?"

"Sure!" Bdubs exclaimed as Impulse put Solidarity down.

The dirty blonde looked at Xisuma.

Impulse also looked at the voidborn, "Can I talk to you?"

Xisuma nodded and looked at Solidarity, gently petting his head, "I'll meet up with you in a bit, okay?"

Solidarity blinked, confused.

"You're going to go with the others and they're going to show you a bit more while I talk to Impulse. I'll be meet up with you in a bit."

The dirty blonde widened his eyes. He tugged on the other's sleeve, shaking his head.

Xisuma looked at Impulse, then back at Solidarity, trying to think of what to say.

Scar gently picked Solidarity up, "You'll be fine, Solidarity! Suma will meet up with us quickly! He'll probably spend two seconds with Impulse before coming back to you!"

Solidarity blinked before he chuckled, nodding. He looked at Xisuma and held out a pinky finger. Xisuma smiled and intertwined their pinkies, Solidarity smiling brightly. Once Solidarity removed his pinkie, Bdubs led the way, Scar carrying Solidarity as Gem, Joel, Grian, Mumbo, and Skizz all talking as they flew off.

Impulse looked at the voidborn, his smile falling, "What happened to him exactly?"

Xisuma crossed his arms over his chest, "...What do you mean?"

"I'm an imp demon, I can sense fear and his fear would rise and fall over and over. When I first picked him up, he got scared when I held his legs. Or when Scar picked him up? He got scared, but you got him calm again. So what happened to him?"

"...Look, I don't want to say everything, especially not right now. He's still getting used to everything and I need to-"

"Xisuma, you are not alone in this." The brunette reminded, gently holding his shoulder, "I know your instincts are all over the place with him. When I first sensed his fear, mine went through the roof. Which is why I want to help you. If you don't want to tell me all the little details, that's fine. I just want to know the basic of his triggers, maybe the reason, if you want to, that way I can help calm him down. God forbid he gets triggered and you're not nearby and then we're stuck." Impulse smiled, "You want him to get used to all of us, right? Us knowing a bit more of his triggers and how to deal with it will help get Solidarity to trust us."

Xisuma nodded, "...God, I hate that you're right."

"Most people do."

The two chuckled before Xisuma explained.

Chapter Text

"Ta-daaaaaaa~!" Bdubs exclaimed as they all landed, "This is my spoooooooky house that may or may not be haunted!"

"Don't scare him!" Gem reprimanded.

"I'm just teasing!"

Scar put Solidarity down, the dirty blonde looking around. His tail went between his legs, shoulders slumping as he looked down, twiddling his thumbs.

"What's wrong, Solidarity?" Mumbo asked.

"Probably misses X." Joel guessed, "Don't worry, Xisuma will be here in no time! You don't need to be scared!"

Solidarity hesitated but nodded. He walked with the group, the group trying to keep him upbeat and positive, trying to make him smile. He did smile and giggle, but seemed a bit stiff, not fully relaxing. Once Bdubs finished showing the house and surrounding area, Scar picked the dirty blonde up again, flying up. The dirty blonde whined, holding onto the brunette like his life depended on it. As they were flying, Impulse and Xisuma met up with them. Immediately, Solidarity smiled brightly, opening his arms and reaching out to Xisuma.

"C-Careful, careful!" Xisuma teased, taking the dirty blonde from Scar's hand, "See? I came back, just like I promised!"

Solidarity smiled and nodded, hugging the other tightly as his tail wagged.

"He missed you the whole time." Mumbo joked.

Xisuma nodded, "Well, he only trusts me right now, but I'm sure he'll open it up soon."

Solidarity giggled. The voidborn smiled and pet his head before the group went to Tango's base.

The group continued to grow with every new base they went to. Solidarity seemed to get a bit more shy with every new person, but Xisuma was quick to calm him down. The voidborn would hold his hand, pet his head, or the dirty blonde would lean into him, and Solidarity was okay once again. Xisuma reassured the dog hybrid that he would be okay and told everyone to make sure not to crowd him too much, explaining that new people and crowds is what made him nervous.

However, that didn't seem to last long.

The moment they got to the shopping district and Cleo showed off her Cat Cafe, Solidarity seemed to open up completely. The cats adored him and he adored them, the dirty blonde picking one up and showing them off to the nearest person. He smiled brightly, giggling, hugging the cats, who all purred and meowed, nuzzling into him.

Cleo stood by Xisuma as the others stayed with Solidarity, all having fun with the cats, "He loves animals, huh?"

"...They never hurt him."

The redheaded woman nodded, understanding, "...How does he trust you so much, if you don't mind me asking?"

"...Remember when I went to a different server because I was invited?"

"Yeah?" She blinked before widening her eyes, "D-Don't tell me-"

"The server invited me at first to see if someone from their server could join." Xisuma explained, "I'm guessing they wanted the recognition, that one of their server members was able to get onto Hermitcraft. As they were showing me around, that's when I saw him."

The two looked at Solidarity, who was apparently having a taste test of all the different drinks and food the rest of Hermitcraft offered to him, smiling brightly.

"They had him in a cage, his hair was to the middle of his back, no clothes and... well, you saw. I asked what that was about and they explained he's a 'shared pet', how the entire server and server guests use him as they see fit. I was suppose to stay for a week and they offered Solidarity to me, as if he was just a toy to be passed around. I 'accepted' him and said I'd like a day to think."

"But you already knew the answer."

Xisuma nodded, "I cleaned him up as best as I could, cut his hair because he didn't like it super long, clothed him, fed him, got him at least presentable. Once that was done, I promised and reassured him that I would protect him. Once night had fallen, I took him with me. I blocked that server, they're never going to be able to contact me or anyone on this server again. And Solidarity is here, safe. I guess they got their wish." He looked at Cleo, "One of their members got onto Hermitcraft."

Cleo looked at Solidarity, who yelped at the hot coffee, shaking his head, "...Was it just physical abuse and... torture?"

"...No."

"What-"

Solidarity was given a new drink, to which he looked at Xisuma. He ran over, offering it to the voidborn.

Xisuma chuckled, "You'll like it. It's caramel."

Solidarity hesitated before drinking it. His eyes widened and he smiled, nodding before going back to the others.

Xisuma frowned under his mask, "...I almost puked when I saw what they did to him. How could they do that to another human?"

Cleo clenched her fists, "They're animals. That's how."

"No, they're worse." Xisuma corrected.

Solidarity giggled as he continued petting the cats, leaning into Impulse, who was next to him. His tail wagged happily and he let Tango pet behind his ears, overall as happy as can be.

The voidborn felt his nails trying to extend, Anyone who could look at his smile and still choose to hurt him... they're scum.

Chapter Text

It had been about a month since Solidarity moved onto Hermitcraft, and he seemed to be happier than ever. He seemed to get along with everyone and grew comfortable with everyone easily. It only took about a week and a half before Solidarity decided there was no need to always be by Xisuma's side. He would tap Xisuma's shoulder, who would give him an elytra and let him fly to who he wanted to visit.

Speaking of elytras, Xisuma taught him how to use it, as well as the other hermits. They were happy to help him learn how to guide the wings the right way, how to land correctly, how to extend his wings properly, everything the dirty blonde needed to know.

That was the easy part.

The hard part was teaching Solidarity how to read and write.

Everyone pitched in with that when they could. Right now, Solidarity sat with Cleo and Joel in the redhead's cat cafe, the brunette man watching as Cleo helped him.

"Can you write an uppercase J?" Cleo asked softly.

Solidarity, on a piece of paper, made sure to stay in the lines like he was taught. He made a straight line down before curving it upwards, then a horizontal line on top of it.

"Good job!" Joel exclaimed, "Can you do a lowercase o?"

Solidarity made a circle.

"Awesome! Now, a lowercase e?"

This one was a little tricky. However, Solidarity made a horizontal line in the middle of the two lines used for spacing, then curved it up and over the horizontal line, bringing it down be for curving it up once again.

"That was fantastic! Now an l!"

Solidarity made a vertical line.

"There you go! Good job!" Cleo praised as her and Joel clapped, "You spelled out 'Joel!'"

Solidarity smiled, holding up his paper at Joel, pointing to him.

The brunette chuckled, reaching over and petting his head, "Let's try to make Cleo's name, yeah?"

Solidarity nodded, putting his paper down. To make sure he recognized how letters sound, they explained how they were going to sound out Cleo's name and to write down what letter he thought it was.

They sounded it out and Solidarity wrote "Kleo."

"Almost! That K needs to be a C!" The redhead explained, Solidarity erasing the letter, "But C's and K's are easy to get confused. They sound super similar."

"Oh, I know! Why don't we try spelling your name, Solidarity?"

The dirty blonde, after correcting his mistake, gasped, nodding. They sounded it out again, but this time sounded out the letters. With them sounding out the letters instead of the word, Solidarity managed to write "Solidarity" with ease.

"That's your name!" Cleo smiled.

Solidarity looked confused.

"What is it?" Joel asked.

Solidarity seemed to think about what he was going to do to communicate his thoughts. He made an arrow at the y in his name and then made an e under it. He also pointed to the o in his name, making an a under the arrow.

"...Oh, are you asking why it's an o and an y instead of an a and e?" Cleo guessed, the dirty blonde nodding, "Well, some words are like that." She pointed to the o and the l, "That right there? It turns to o sound into sounding like an a, almost. And the y at the end? Sometimes, it just sounds like an e."

Solidarity frowned a bit, shoulders slumping.

"Hey, English is hard." Joel reassured the dirty blonde, "We're not expecting you to be perfect. When you mess up, it's okay, not a big deal, we'll just help you."

"Like when you misspelled my name. We didn't yell or get mad." Cleo reminded, petting his head, "Because there's no need to." Solidarity smiled and nodded, Cleo continuing, "You're doing great, and we're going to continue to make sure you thrive! So don't be upset when you mess up, especially when English is such a hard language."

"Did you know people say English is the hardest language?" Joel said, Solidarity widening his eyes, shaking his head, "Crazy, right?!"

"There you are."

The three turned and saw Xisuma walking over. Solidarity's tail wagged immediately, showing off his paper.

"Oh, you're learning how to spell names? That's awesome!" Xisuma sat in the booth across from Joel, Solidarity, and Cleo, "Can you try to spell my name?"

Solidarity nodded, thinking about it.

"Do you need to hear how it sounds?" 

A nod.

"Xisuma. X-i-s-u-m-a." The man sounded out.

Solidarity hummed, swaying his hips.

"It's kinda hard." Joel said, "Do you want us to just spell it out?"

The dirty blonde shook his head, looking determined. He made an X first before pausing, thinking. He hummed, looking at Xisuma and pointed to his ears. Xisuma sounded his name out again, Solidarity closing his eyes as he listened. He hesitated before putting an i down, then quickly jotted down 'suma'.

The dirty blonde held it up to the man, who widened his eyes. 

He seemed to smile under his mask, nodding, "Good job! You spelled it right!"

Solidarity smiled brightly, giggling as he looked down at his paper.

Cleo pet his head, "You should be proud of yourself, you're doing amazing!"

Joel wrapped his arms around Solidarity, hugging him, "You should try to write everyone's names on a paper so we can hang it up in our bases!"

Solidarity's eyes widened and he nodded excitedly, looking at Xisuma.

Xisuma chuckled, standing up. He held out his hand and Cleo moved to let the dirty blonde out of the booth, "Come on, I'll get you some colored paper!"

Solidarity took the other's hand, the two walking out of the cafe.

"...Cleo, I was kidding."

"And are you going to tell Solidarity that?"

"...No."

Later that week, Solidarity (with Xisuma's help) flew around to all the different Hermits, handing out a colored piece of paper with their names on it. Xisuma helped color coded them so it was the Hermit's favorite color, and Solidarity not only wrote their names, but made little doodles on the paper. All of the Hermits made sure to praise him for his hard work and a job well done, a couple hugging him and immediately putting the paper up on the nearest building. Solidarity was so happy, anytime he came to visit a Hermit and still seeing his paper hung up in their base.

No one dared to take it down, it was a sign of progress and happiness for Solidarity.

And a sign of hope for the Hermits.

Chapter Text

Teaching Solidarity how to read was difficult in the sense they couldn't listen to him read out loud. They started by reading to him, Solidarity seeming the really like that. He would more often than not fall asleep when Ren specifically would read him a story. Everyone teased the wolf hybrid it was because of his story telling voice and how great it was, but Ren could tell it was something else.

"I know I'm a wolf hybrid, but wolves and dogs aren't too different." Ren explained to Doc one day as he hugged the sleeping dirty blonde to his chest, "Sleeping around someone is very... hard for wolves. Our ears tend to pick up every little noise and you feel on edge when you're going to sleep. You just... you keep an ear out, whether intentionally or not, because instinct says that being asleep is vulnerable and, as a wolf, you need to be prepared to either fight or run." He gently pet Solidarity's head, the dirty blonde's tail wagging a bit, "When a wolf hybrid falls asleep around other people, especially another wolf, it shows trust, acceptance that you're safe in a pack. Xisuma told us briefly the abuse he went through, so this is probably the first time he's felt safe around a wolf hybrid."

Doc nodded, patting Solidarity's back, earning another small tail wag, "I see. Then I'm glad he feels safe enough for that."

"Me too."

Over time, they switched to sounding out words. Solidarity did his best to sound them out as well, but it didn't work out as well as they hoped. With no tongue, Solidarity really could make too many noises that didn't sound breathy or gurgley. So, instead, they told him to read in his head and, to make sure he was reading correctly, they would quiz him about the story he read. That way, they knew he was comprehending and understanding what he was reading. 

They started with small books, then gradually got more and more complex books, until he was reading chapter books and able to comprehend them. Of course, now that he was able to read, it made Solidarity's writing skills improve. It was easier for him to sound out and spell words, which was a plus. He was able to communicate with them more properly, writing on a whiteboard when he wanted to "talk". 

Solidarity was growing more confident and clearly more happy. He would fly around by himself, writing a note for Xisuma to let him know he was going to someone else. He would hang out with whoever he was feeling like, smiling brightly and having fun just sticking to them. Most of the time, the Hermits would be building, but Solidarity didn't mind. He would sit close to where they were building and draw, write, read, or whatever, just wanting to be around someone. He had become close with all of the Hermits but he had become especially close with Xisuma (obviously), Grian, Joel, Scar, Mumbo, Tango, Skizz, Impulse, Zed, Ren, and Cleo.

He had a lot of fun with Grian and Joel. Whenever they were hanging out, they would make up a game or they would take Solidarity to help pull some pranks or something. It made Solidarity smile, his tail wagging, laughing breathy laughs. Scar and Impulse were nice to relax with, they would carry him around like it was nothing, and let him fall asleep on their backs or cuddling into their necks, never getting mad and making him feel so safe.

Tango, Zed, and Skizz were nice to listen to, even if Solidarity didn't understand half of what they said. Tango and Zed would talk to him about redstone and thingifications and connectifying or something else that Solidarity didn't know about, but it was nice to listen to the impressive stuff and watch as they did it. Skizz, on the other hand, could just talk for hours and it made Solidarity happy to just listen with no need to talk back.

Mumbo was a bit different in the sense of Solidarity didn't really hang out with him. He would visit Mumbo and Mumbo would be happy to house him, give him,something to drink or eat, give him a blanket, make sure he's comfortable, and then say "I'll be right back", only to disappear for hours, loosing track of time. But Solidarity didn't mind. When he needed some alone time but didn't want to be fully alone, he would go to Mumbo, because he knew Mumbo would eventually come back to check on him. He always apologized, but Solidarity really didn't mind. 

Cleo had always been super nurturing and gentle with him, to the point he had jokingly called her mom. She had rolled her eyes and playfully flicked his nose, telling him "I'll ground you if you call me that again." Solidarity giggled at that, knowing she was joking. He felt so safe with her. She was so strong and determined, yet so sweet, patient, and gentle. Not to mention, her cat cafe helped a lot with him coming out of his shell.

Lastly, Ren. While Solidarity was at first scared of him, seeing as a lot of his trauma came from other dog and wolf hybrids, he could see how genuine Ren was. The other had tried to shrink himself, he had tried to appear smaller, less intimidating. He had gone so far as to bare his neck to Solidarity, a way of showing submission, at least for canine hybrids. It helped ease the dirty blonde's fears, knowing someone who was clearly stronger and faster than him was submitting to him? Instinctually, it was nice. And then, Ren would help him feel comfortable by offering a makeshift den. Granted, it was kinda bad and Ren admitted it's been awhile since he made one, but Solidarity loved it regardless. He would bring Ren into the den (after sprucing it up a bit) and the two would cuddle together for hours. Solidarity was happy, knowing that he finally found a wolf hybrid who would protect him instead of hurt him.

And of course, Xisuma.

Solidarity was the happiest with Xisuma. He genuinely loved the man, often hanging off of him, following him around, helping him build if he could, he lived in Xisuma's base! Xisuma had tweaked his own base to accommodate Solidarity, giving him his own room, bathroom, etc, but the two were more often sleeping in the same bed. Solidarity looked at Xisuma as his savior, because he was. If it wasn't for Xisuma, he would probably either be still dealing with the abuse or dead. The voidborn told him not to look at him as some sort of god, that he just did what was right, and Solidarity knew that. But he couldn't help it. He felt so connected to Xisuma.

He felt connected to all the Hermits.

He felt so loved and happy and safe.

He never wanted to leave.

Chapter Text

"This is for you." Xisuma offered a simple black collar with a tag on it, "It's a human collar, not a dog one. I know you said you don't like anything loose around your neck because of... yeah, but I wanted you to specifically have this." The man pointed to the tag. On the front, it had a simple S on it, but when Xisuma flipped it over, there was something on it, "That is a tracker. It's just in case we go to a different server or something, so I can be sure of where your are. Or, if you get hurt and need help, I can find you. It was originally going to be a charm for a necklace, but you don't like anything loose on your neck, so then I thought about making it a bracelet but was worried it would remind you of chains. I didn't make it an earring because I... I know you said you don't mind you're ears being touched or petted, but I just... can't. Not with what happened to that ear of yours. So... I thought a collar would be nice."

Solidarity stared.

"Do you like it?" Xisuma asked, a bit nervous, "Be honest."

Solidarity smiled, writing on his whiteboard before showing it. I love it! I just haven't gotten a gift before! A nice gift, that is.

Xisuma smiled, "Good. I'm glad. Well, can I put it on you?"

Solidarity nodded. The voidborn did so and, after adjusting it so it wasn't too loose or tight, let the other go. The dog hybrid giggling, spinning around happily, his tail wagging.

"This collar doesn't mean you're an animal." Xisuma cupped Solidarity's cheek, gently stroking it, "You are still a human, okay? You're not just a pet, you are my friend, all of the Hermits friend. We love you, Solidarity, all of us do. And we're all so proud of you."

Solidarity smiled and leaned into Xisuma's hand. He gently kissed it, the voidborn blushing. He then pulled back to write on his whiteboard again.

I love you all too! You all have been so nice and patient with me! And I've never been so happy!

Xisuma nodded and went to say something, but Solidarity erased the message, writing again.

I don't think I've ever thanked you properly. So, thank you! For everything!

Xisuma chuckled, "You don't need to thank me, Solidarity. Any-" He paused, "Any good person would do this for you."

Solidarity smiled, hugging the other tightly. The voidborn smiled, hugging back just as tightly.

***

"I'm holding Solidarity!"

"You've been holding him for the past hour and a half!

"And I will continue to hold him!"

"Taaaaaaangoooooooo!" 

The blaze hybrid hugged Solidarity tighter, both their tails wagging. Tango smiled as he nuzzled into Solidarity's neck, "Hehe~! He's so cuddly and cute, I love him so much~!"

Solidarity giggled, grabbing his whiteboard and marker and writing, Tango is so warm! I wanna cuddle all day, everyday! He then put his marker away and let go of his whiteboard before hugging Tango more.

"See, Impulse? He wants to be with me!"

The imp huffed, his own tail whipping back and forth, annoyed, "But I want to hold him!"

Tango pulled back, looking at Solidarity, "Soli, would you like for Impy to hold you, or me?"

Solidarity blinked, staring at the blaze.

"What's wrong?" Impulse asked.

Solidarity grabbed his whiteboard and marker again, writing on it, You called me Soli

"Huh? Oh, I did?" Tango blinked, "I'm sorry, do you not like it? I won't call you that anymore if you don't like it!"

No, no, I do! I just don't think I've ever had a nickname. At least, not a nice nickname

"Well, we can give you tons of nice nicknames!" Tango promised, "Like... hmmm... I mean, there's 'Soli' and 'Dary,' but that's all I can really think of?"

"How about some petnames?" Impulse asked.

Solidarity tilted his head, making a question mark on his board.

"Just cute, affectionate nicknames. Like, we all call Grian 'Pesky Bird' in good fun and we say it in a nice way."

"Most of the time." Tango joked, Solidarity giggling.

"Would you be okay with some of those?" The brunette asked.

Solidarity nodded.

"How about sweetheart?" 

A nod.

"What about cutie?"

Another nod.

"Handsome?"

Nod.

Impulse smiled, "How about Pup?"

Solidarity stiffened and shook his head.

"Okay, okay! Definitely a no!" Tango exclaimed, rubbing his back, "Can I ask... Puppy?"

Solidarity blinked. He hesitated for a second before writing on his board, I don't know about puppy. I dont like dog or mutt or pup though. It reminds me of you know what

The imp reached over, petting the dirty blonde's head, "Thank you for telling us that, Solidarity. That was very brave and it helps us understand you better."

Brave? How?

"Because you set a clear boundary! Not everyone can do that and, especially after the abuse you most definitely suffered, that can be very hard for some people to learn and put into practice!" Tango hugged Solidarity more, "I say this on behalf of all Hermitcraft, we're so proud of you, Soli!"

Solidarity blinked before smiling, leaning into the hug, tail wagging. He was so happy and felt genuinely loved.

Chapter Text

"Alright, so the plan is that we don't actually do any work! You see, everyone is going to come into the office and expect me to do something, but I don't want to! So, instead, when I say 'I have to put you on hold', you put the CD in the music box, got it?" Grian explained.

Solidarity blinked, writing on his board, Okay, but why? 

"Because it will be super funny! Just, trust me, okay?"

Solidarity shrugged but nodded. Grian talked about random things he had been working on and doing, Solidarity nodding and listening intently, occasionally writing down what he wanted to say.

"Have you been adjusting well?" Grian asked, Solidarity nodded, "That's good! Who do you like spending time with the most? Other than Suma?"

Solidarity hummed before writing down Tango. He's warm and comforting.

"Honestly, should have guessed that. Okay, then who's third?"

Joel.

"What the heck?! What about me?!"

Solidarity giggled, writing down, You're fifth!

"WHO'S FOURTH?!"

Cleo.

"Okay, that makes sense, I don't mind being behind Cleo. BUT JOEL?! Come oooooooon!"

"GRIAN!"

The two turned as Scar used his silk touch pickaxe to break the glass.

"Hey!" Grian called, "Scar, that door is out of order!"

"It's okay, I got it!" Scar reassured, walking over to the desk, "Hey there, big doggie!" He reached forward, petting behind Solidarity's ear, earning happy tail wags, "How are you?"

I'm good. Solidarity showed his board before erasing it. He seemed to want to write something, but hesitated before deciding not to.

"Something wrong?" The brunette asked.

The dog hybrid hesitated again before raking a deep breath and writing down his thoughts. I dont think i like being called 'doggie.' I know you were just being nice, but I dont think i like it.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Scar immediately apologized, "I promise not to do it again."

I'm sorry-

Scar didn't read the rest, "There's nothing for you to be sorry about, cutie." He pet behind his ears again, Solidarity smiling, "Boundaries are for you, not for other people. If you don't like me calling you that, then I won't and I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable."

"Well, now that that's settled-" Grian spoke up, "-what do you need, Scar?"

"Oh, right, i need a permit!"

"What permit?"

"A permit that doesn't exist yet!"

"Huh? What permit doesn't exist?"

"Mob! I want a permit for all the mobs!"

"Hmmm...." Grian looked at Solidarity with a smirk before looking back at Scar. He cleared his throat, regaining composure, "Well, to do that, you need to fill out a form and I, unfortunately, do not have that form. So, I'm going to have to put you on hold."

Solidarity's ears picked up and he took the CD Grian gave him before inserting it into the music box. The shorter dirty blonde then turned around, grabbing a book from the shelves behind him, took out a feather and some ink, and began writing.

Slowly.

Scar groaned as he looked at Solidarity, who shrugged.

"How long is this going to take?" Scar ask, looking between the two.

Solidarity shrugged again, as Grian hummed, "I gotta make the form."

Scar groaned again, leaning into the desk. Solidarity went from sitting down on it to laying down, putting his whiteboard down and beginning to draw on it as he bobbed his head to the hold music. Grian took his sweet time, letting out long hums and pausing for obnoxiously long times.

"Grian, I need- What is going on?"

Scar and Solidarity turned, the brunette groaning, "I'm on hold, you gotta wait Joel..."

The man blinked before walking over to Solidarity, "Whatcha making, puppy?"

Solidarity pointed to his picture, which was a bunch of small doodles. One was a small doodle of himself and Xisuma without his helmet, there were flowers, he was currently working on some butterflies, just small things.

"Alright!" Grian said, standing up. He took out the CD, handing it to Solidarity again, before addressing Scar, "You want to make a new permit, so you're going to have t o complete this form."

"Can I just do it here?"

"Sure, you can try, but allow me to help the gentleman behind you." 

Scar traded places with Joel, Solidarity looking over the brunette's shoulder to read what the form wanted.

"'Does the permit fit the criteria of the bluebenn test?' What's that?" Scar asked.

Solidarity shrugged.

Grian ignored that, looking at Joel, "How can I help you, sir?"

"Yeah, I'd like a replica of my glowberry permit, please."

"...You want a replica of one of your permits?"

"Yep."

"Why?!"

"They just look pretty, okay?! I want to display it in my base, so I'd like a replica!"

"Uggggh." Grian looked at the dog hybrid, before back at Joel, "Unfortunately, there's no form for that, so I'm going to have to put you on hold."

Solidarity put the disc in before beginning to doodle again as Scar and Joel groaned. Grian sat back down, repeating his actions from before.

"Okay, Scar, I get it now." Joel groaned.

"Yeah..." Scar whined before smiling up at the dog hybrid, "But at least it's somewhat bearable."

The dirty blonde tilted his head, confused.

Joel playfully cupped his cheeks, smiling, "You make everything 1000% better!"

Solidarity blinked before he smiled.

The two brunettes continued waiting, both annoyed.

"You know, you take this role way too seriously." Joel told Grian.

The dirty blonde hummed, "Sir, we don't appreciate that type of attitude in the permit office."

"See?"

Solidarity showed his board to Grian with all his doodles.

"Oh, that looks amazing, Solidarity!" Grian pet behind his ears before hugging him, smiling brightly.

The dog hybrid smiled back, tail wagging happily.

Grian stood there for a good minute, just hugging the other, knowing Joel wouldn't say anything. Plus, it meant he could waste his time a little more. Joel glared at Grian, not impressed but keeping his mouth shut.

The man pulled away and sighed, "Okay, fine-" Solidarity took the disc out, "-I finished the form and so now it's up to you to complete it." Grian handed the form to Joel.

"Thank you." The brunette said, reading through it, "'What replica do you want?' Glow Ink Sacs. 'Please state why on earth you'd like a fake duplicate.' They look pretty. 'Do you realize it's not a real permit?' Yes. 'Do you acknowledge how inconvenient it is for the PERMIT OFFICE?!'" Joel looked up, glaring at Grian, "Inconvenient for the Permit Office?!"

"Hey, I don't make the forms."

"Yes you do!"

"Okay, I actually have a question!" Scar raised his hand, pointing to his form, "What's the bluebenn test?"

"I'm going to have to put you on hold."

Solidarity popped the CD back in, both brunettes groaning. Grian went behind the bookshelves for a second, coming back with a sign as he wrote on it. He then displayed it before offering his hand to Solidarity, the dog hybrid getting up and following him.

The sign read Gone Fishing.

Both Joel and Scar groaned again, deciding to finish the forms outside the office.

Chapter Text

"Hey there, sweetheart." Stress smiled as Solidarity laid in the grass of her base, looking up at the clouds. She laid beside him, "How are you?"

He gave a thumbs up, smiling at her.

"That's good." Stress hummed, "Just looking at the clouds, today?"

Solidarity nodded, staring at the white masses. The woman watched with him, the two in a comfortable silence.

"May I hold your hand?" Stress asked.

Solidarity responded by taking her hand in his.

"Thank you." She chuckled, squeezing it as they continued to watch the clouds, "It's a beautiful day for a picnic."

Solidarity faced her, tilting his head in confusion.

"Don't know what a picnic is?" The dirty blonde shook his head,  "A picnic is when you go outside and bring some food to eat, then sit out in the sun all day. Maybe we can have one some day." She offered, Solidarity nodding with a smile, "Oh, maybe we can make it like a potluck! Ah, you probably don't know what that is, huh? A potluck is where everyone invited brings their own food for everyone to share! Perhaps, we could do that? It would be so fun, it's rare all the Hermits make time for all of us to come together. We're all so busy with our builds and bases."

Solidarity nodded, letting out a hum as he looked up at the clouds once more, the two sitting comfortably in silence, holding hands. The dog hybrid then scooted closer to Stress, the two still holding hands. Solidarity's tail wagged as he smiled, letting out a happy hum. Stress smiled a bit.

After a moment of silence, she asked, "...Solidarity, may I ask you something?" The brunette looked at him.

The dirty blonde faced her, nodding, still smiling a bit.

"...Remember, you don't have to answer if you don't want to." Stress reminded, "I just... I noticed something and was curious. You always jump or stiffen when one of the male Hermits touches your leg, waist, or under your arms, even if they're just hugging you. The only ones you don't seem to have a problem with are Tango and Impulse. Well, and Xisuma too, but you've been attached to his hip since minute one. N-Not that that's a bad thing, of course!" She bit her bottom lip, "But then when one of us female Hermits hug you or touch your legs, you seem fine. I-I guess my question is... are we hurting you when we do that? Are we... putting you in an uncomfortable position?"

Solidarity blinked before he shook his head. He took out his marker and began writing on his white board. Stress waited patiently, watching as the dirty blonde wrote something, erased, rewrote, erased, trying to make the perfect message.

Once he finally did, he showed her.

I was hurt a lot by men. A lot of my triggers and fears were put in me by men. Even though i know none of you will hurt me, my brain is still scared and i just get triggered back then, no matter how much i tell myself im okay. It's different when you and the other girls hold me because you're women. I guess I just assume most men are going to hurt me and naturally feel more comfortable around women.

He erased and held up a finger to Stress, writing more before showing her again.

Even though you are doing the same things as the guys, like hugging me under my arms, it's not the same to my brain. It's why Xisuma had you girls bring me stuff when I first got here instead of all the guys doing it themselves. Because being surrounded by men would make me shut down. Being surrounded by women wasn't too bad.

"I see..." Stress sighed, "So, it's more past trauma that makes you scared of them doing that?"

He nodded.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you relive that. I was just curious, but I shouldn't have overstepped."

Solidarity shook his head and erased his message once again, writing the new message before showing her. 

I don't mind. I'm still not comfortable revealing all the specifics, but i dont mind being vague. Xisuma has really helped me want to talk it out more, that way I can get it off my chest.

"That's a good idea." The brunette smiled, "Talking about what you're comfortable with helps ease the mind, especially when you tell people you trust."

Solidarity nodded.

"And, to be honest, I did not help with any of your clothes."

The dirty blonde let out breathy laughs.

"I'm serious! Pearl and Gem are good at that stuff, despite what they may say. I just gave them some material and that was it. I think Grian was the one who helped them the most."

Solidarity widened his eyes.

"Yes, Grian! He made his own clothes, did you know? All the stuff he wears is handmade but himself."

The dirty blonde sat up, eyes wide.

"Guessing you didn't know." She chuckled, "Grian insists on making all his clothes, mainly because of his wings. No matter if someone bought clothes specifically for avians or if they made it themselves, Grian won't accept them. He doesn't wear anything he himself did not make."

That's so cool!

"If you ever want a custom hat, ask Scar. Scar is really good at making hats."

Hats?

"Mhmm! In the past, he made Grian, Pearl, Mumbo, and Impulse a hat! And then he also made cute cat ear headbands and other hats! He's amazing at it!"

Tell me more! Please?

"Of course." Stress smiled, happy to tell Solidarity about her friends' skills, especially with how excited the dirty blonde was.

Chapter Text

Rendog carried Solidarity on his shoulders, the dirty blonde giggling as he held an armadillo in his hand, the animal letting out little squeaks.

"Alright, here we are!" Ren opened a gate before placing Solidarity on the ground, "Go ahead and put the little guy down."

The dirty blonde did so, giggling as it immediately curled up in a ball and rolled away to the other armadillos. He then looked up at the wolf hybrid, writing on his whiteboard. What are you going to do with the armadillos?

"I'm making up a game! It's going to be called Scootball!"

Scootball?

"Mhmm! It's kinda like soccer!"

Soccer?

"Oh, you... have you never heard of soccer?"

Solidarity shook his head.

"In soccer, there's two teams. They run around the court and try to kick the ball into the goal to get points! Whoever has the most points wins! Of course, there's a lot more skill and strategy, but that's the basics."

So then what's Scootball?

"Well, we're going to use the armadillos as the soccer balls." Ren explained, "We're also not going to hit or kick the armadillo but instead use wind charges to move the ball! When the armadillo is rolled up in a ball, the outside is kinda like its armor, so it doesn't take a lot of damage, if any!"

So if its rolled up it won't get hurt?

"Not at all. Maybe a tiny bit, but I'll splash it with some healing potions!

Solidarity nodded in understanding.

"Would you like to see the stadium I'm making?"

The dog hybrid nodded, giggling. Ren picked him up, putting him on his shoulders once more.

***

"Whatcha got there?" Xisuma teased, sitting beside Solidarity on the bleachers.

The dirty blonde offered him the golden statue.

"No, no! Xisuma, don't you trick him!" Ren called from the ice ring he made for the game.

"Huh?! Trick him?!"

"That's the trophy for the winning team of Scootball!" The wolf exclaimed, "You can't just take it from Solidarity!"

Xisuma chuckled, looking at Solidarity, who was confused, "You give it to whoever wins. Not yet though."

Solidarity nodded, writing on his whiteboard. I want to give it to you though

"Well, then, I guess I have to win, huh?" The voidborn gently pet behind his ears.

Solidarity smiled brightly, leaning into his hand.

Standing on the field with Ren, Cleo asked, "So, who are we waiting on?"

Ren looked around, seeing Cleo, Xisuma, Gem, Etho, and Bdubs, "Jev, Joe, Joel, and Scar."

"I'm here, I'm here!" Joe Hills exclaimed as he landed beside them, "Sorry! Was finishing up a build!"

"So, Jev, Joel, and Scar."

"You invited Joel and Scar, the people who are always late." Gem teased.

"To be fair, I did invite them and told them the time was half an hour earlier than it really was."

"Next time, an hour." Etho chuckled, "At least for Joel."

"Always talking about me, Etho, you're so obsessed!" The brunette exclaimed as he landed beside the fox hybrid, who groaned as everyone else laughed. Joel chuckled before looking at the bleachers, "Hey, look at that!"

The group turned, seeing Solidarity laying his head on Xisuma's lap, his tail wagging.

"Awww, so cute!" Gem exclaimed, then calling out and waving towards them, "Hey! Solidarity! How are you doing?! Are you excited?!"

Solidarity turned and nodded, smiling brightly as he nuzzled more into Xisuma.

The voidborn smiled as well. Scar soon arrived, Jev also landing not long after. Once everyone was here, Xisuma gave one last hug to Solidarity before going over to the others. The dirty blonde watched as the teams were picked; the blue team consisting of Jevin, Joel, and Xisuma and the red team consisting of Joe, Gem, and Cleo. Scar, Etho, and Bdubs sat by Solidarity to watch the first game. Ren explained how Scootball was meant to be played, the rules, and explained how Solidarity would give the trophy to the winning team.

The game started and while it took awhile for people to get used to the game, they eventually made it work. Everyone gave it their all and their best, but the blue team was the one to score the first point. They did another round and Joel, having picked up on the game a bit quicker than the others, managed to easily score the next point for the blue team.

The red team (jokingly) booed and whine as the blue team cheered, Solidarity clapping for them.

"How was that, Solidarity?! Aren't I the best?!" Joel called, joking.

The dirty blonde smiled, writing on his board and holding it up, Good job Joel! Best player!

"HA! SEE!" The brunette laughed.

"Don't encourage him." Etho teased, petting the dirty blonde behind his ear, "His ego is already too big."

Solidarity giggled.

Because the red team lost, they switched out so the blue team was up against Scar, Etho, and Bdubs with Joe, Gem, and Cleo sitting with Solidarity. The first two points were easy points for the blue, so they did a redo seeing as the game was over in a matter of seconds. With new vigor, the red team was a lot more aggressive. They almost got a point, but Joel managed to save it last second. Lots of wind charges were thrown around, creating lots of air to the point Solidarity was covering his ears as they were blowing too much. Blue team managed to get a point halfway through the game and it was tug-a-war game of red trying to tie the game and blue trying to score a second point or just let the time run out before red could score.

Ren blew a whistle, "Five minutes up! The game is over when the ball is scored or knocked out!"

Upon hearing that, Jevin took the initiative and pushed the ball out of bounds, leaving the blue team as the winners with one point.

Solidarity clapped excitedly, holding up the trophy. Ren helped the dirty blonde over to the ice field, holding him up as he nearly face planted. Ren helped Solidarity over to the blue team, the red teams jokingly booing as the dirty blonde hugged Xisuma tightly.

"Told ya I'd win." Xisuma picked the other up so he didn't slip on the ice.

"I did the most work!" Joel whined.

"Yeah? Well I made it so the red team didn't get a point the last game!" Jevin teased.

Solidarity hugged Xisuma before offering the trophy to Joel and Jevin. The slime hybrid took it so Solidarity could write on his board.

Congrats for winning! You all did great!

Joel and Jevin smiled as Xisuma gently pet Solidarity behind the ears, the dirty blonde relaxing into him. As everyone settled down from the game, Solidarity leaned into the voidborn, seemingly in his own world, letting out small happy hums as his tail wagged excitedly.

As everyone talked amongst each other, Solidarity lifted his head, pressing a kiss to Xisuma's cheek.

And the world paused.

Chapter Text

Solidarity lifted his head, pressing a kiss to Xisuma's cheek.

And the world paused.

Everyone went silent, staring with wide eyes at Xisuma and Solidarity. Even Xisuma had become still as he looked at the dog hybrid, who looked back at him, confused. He tilted his head, blinking, staring at Xisuma.

"Solidarity..." Xisuma murmured before looking back at the others, "Sorry, guys, I gotta go, I need to talk with Solidarity."

The dirty blonde was confused as Xisuma used some rockets to launch himself up. Solidarity gasped, hugging Xisuma as the other flew back to his base. The dirty blonde whimpered, confused. Xisuma landed outside his base, walking inside and placing the dirty blonde on the couch.

Solidarity quickly wrote on his board, What's wrong, what's going on?

Xisuma looked down at the dirty blonde, hesitating and biting his bottom lip, sighing as he began to pace, "Solidarity, I-! You kissed my cheek!"

The dirty blonde blinked, confused.

"I-I-!" The voidborn hesitated, trying to find the right words, "I-I just don't understand! W-Why did you do that?"

Solidarity blinked again, even more confused. Wasn't it obvious? He erased his message and wrote a new one.

Cause I love you Xisuma. I love you and all the other Hermits.

Xisuma widened his eyes, taking off his helmet, rubbing his eyes, staring at the board, as if he just couldn't believe it.

"You... what?"

Solidarity underlined his writing, showing it again, emphasizing his point.

"But... n-no, no you don't!"

The dog hybrid's ears lowered, eyes widening, mouth opening in shock.

"You... You can't love me. You're- You have to be confused! It's fine, I can figure-"

Solidarity erased his message and quickly scribbled down I'm not! I love you all!

"Solidarity, I don't want you to just think you love us because we're the only ones who have ever been nice to you! That's not healthy!"

Its not that i know i love you guys Solidarity wrote, tears coming to his eyes as he wrote as fast as he could. you all have been so kind and caring and patient and nice that at first it was just friendship but then you all do so much for me make me feel so special that i know its something more

Xisuma hesitated, staring at the dirty blonde, his lip quivering as the tears began to fall.

i love your compassion i love your care i love it when you pet my ears i love it when you whisper promises when you think im asleep i love when you hold me when im having a night terror or panic attack i love that youve been able to tell the others all my triggers and fears in a way that it helps them know how to help me but not tell them too much that they know what my past is because you know im not ready to share it i love how much all of you have cared about me and showed me how much i mean to all of you i love being treated like a person i love

The voidborn grabbed Solidarity's hand, stopping his frantic writing. The dirty blonde looked up, tears blurring his vision. Xisuma hated seeing him like that, he never wanted to see Solidarity look so hurt.  I was the one who hurt him... Xisuma thought, wiping his eyes.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Solidarity..." Xisuma apologized, "I... I know you can think for yourself. Sometimes I forget that you're growing and healing and can make your own decision and choices. I unconsciously think that you have trouble making decisions or have trouble understanding your feelings when that's just... not true. I think I... I think I infantilized you, unconsciously, because I was so worried about making sure you felt safe, comfortable, happy. And I'm sorry for that."

Solidarity let out a choked sob.

"I'm sorry, Solidarity. I know you understand what you are feeling, and for me to say that what you're feeling is wrong is not okay. I'm so sorry, Solidarity."

The dirty blonde leaned into Xisuma, whimpering.  

The voidborn rubbed his back, wiping his eyes, then hesitated. He bit his bottom lip before leaning down and kissing Solidarity's forehead.

Solidarity looked up, eyes widening a bit.

Xisuma hugged him tightly, "I... I love you, Solidarity. I never want to hurt you and I'm sorry."

New tears formed in the dirty blonde's eyes. He smiled, however, hugging Xisuma tightly and letting out happy hums, trying to convey his feelings. 

"I love you." Xisuma whispered again, seeing Solidarity's tail wag.

Now how to explain to the other Hermits...

Chapter Text

Xisuma wasn't sure how to break the news, but he knew he had to. He waited until the next day to call all the Hermits to spawn. Just like when he first brought Solidarity and explained the situation, he once again explained. He told them Solidarity's feelings, he told them he was genuine, he told them he knew what he was thinking and that this wasn't just Solidarity falling in love with his saviors.

"I-I'm not sure how everyone else feels, but I figured I would let you all know that, if Solidarity consents, it's okay to kiss him. O-Only if you want to as well, obviously, I-I'm not saying-"

"Shishwamm, you worry too much!" Keralis wrapped his arm around Xisuma, waving him off, "I think everyone was worried Solidarity was just falling in love because we saved him, not cause he actually loves us. But if he says he does, then I'm pretty sure all of us agree we're happy to have him as part of the Hermits!"

"Guess that means Skizz and I aren't the only newbies anymore." Joel teased, nudging the raven.

Skizz laughed, "I'm happy Jiggles is comfortable enough to express how he feels! And I'd be happy on the receiving end!"

"No way, I call getting a kiss first!" Grian raised his hand, "Dibs, dibs, dibs!"

"I mean, Xisuma got a kiss first so you're outta luck." Gem teased.

"Okay, let me rephrase. I call getting a kiss first after Xisuma because Xisuma doesn't count cause everyone know Xisuma was gonna get the first kiss!"

"I'll fight you for a kiss!" Tango teased, tackling Grian to the ground.

The Hermits broke into playful banter and teasing, Xisuma smiling as he and Keralis stood back.

"Happy?" Keralis held Xisuma's hands.

The voidborn nodded, "Very. I've been so worried he would get scared or he wouldn't fit in..."

"Honestly, I think he's what we needed. Sometimes, whether unconsciously or not, all the Hermits accidentally pull away from one another." Keralis shrugged, "Mainly cause we are focused on building. But, I think Solidarity is just the guy we needed to bring us together. To remind us to stay together."

Xisuma nodded. He looked at his communicator, sending a quick message to Solidarity.

You whisper to Solidarity: You can come over. Be warned, they're fighting for your first kiss.

Solidarity was over in a few minutes, the Hermits stopping. He landed beside Xisuma and immediately ran to Cleo, holding up his arms.

She happily picked him up, "Hello there!"

Solidarity smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Haha!" Cleo called as some of the Hermits groaned while others playfully clapped, "You made the best choice, Solidarity!"

The dog hybrid giggled, tail wagging as he hugged her tightly.

***

"Ah, careful there!"

Solidarity jumped, spinning around to look at the other, covering his face instinctively.

"Oh, sorry, Solidarity!" The fox hybrid held up his hands, "I just didn't want you to get hurt!"

Solidarity blinked, lowering his hands. He calmed down before he smiled a bit, writing on his board, It's okay, Etho. I just got slightly scared when you grabbed both my shoulders.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Etho apologized again, his own ears lowering, "Do you not want me holding your shoulders in the future?"

I think it was just grabbing from behind and grabbing both shoulders. Solidarity explained, underlining "both" to emphasize his point a bit, When I was on the bad server? They held me down by my shoulders.

The fox hybrid narrowed his eyes at the words, baring his teeth under his mask. He quickly calmed himself, nodding at Solidarity, "Okay, so future reference, is it okay if I grab or hold one shoulder?"

The dirty blonde nodded.

"And, what I'll also do, is when I'm behind you, I'll tap your shoulder before grabbing. That way, you know it's me. Does that sound okay?"

Solidarity nodded again, smiling brightly as his tail wagged.

Etho chuckled, gently petting his ear, "Good." He then motioned to what Solidarity was previously doing, "So, what was it that peaked your interest?"

Solidarity pointed out at the area Etho was building, writing, What're you making?

"Oh, well, I have the permit for froglights-" Etho explained, "-so, instead of just making a normal shop, I decided I would make a game with it! It's like the game 'Frogger!' Have you heard of it?"

Solidarity blinked, humming. He seemed to think before writing, The game where a frog gets to the other side?

"Yeah, exactly! I'm surprised you know it and Grian doesn't!" Etho chuckled before gasping, "O-Oh, god, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said-"

It's okay, don't worry. Solidarity quickly wrote before adding, I'm not sure if/what Xisuma told everyone, but I wasn't born into the abuse. I had a half decent childhood.

Etho nodded.

Solidarity erased and wrote, I don't want to

Etho stopped reading, "Don't worry, I'm not going to ask. If you want to tell me, great. If you don't, not a big deal." The man smiled, "Well, I am almost done with the actual building part. Maybe when I finish the actual game, you could spectate and watch a couple play!"

Maybe I could play!

"W-Well, if you want to, but I-I want to warn you that you'd probably die and respawn. A lot."

Solidarity widened his eyes and thought, I do want to see someone play. I think it'd be cool to play. But I might need time before I build up the courage.

"You don't have to play."

I know, but I want to try it!

Etho smiled, kissing his forehead (mask still up), "Maybe I'll make a Solidarity special where it's easier for you and everyone can be jealous at your skill."

The dirty blonde giggled, tail wagging.

Chapter Text

"Impyyyyyyyy~!" The ram hybrid whined, "Come ooooooon~! Pleasssssssse~?"

"No can do, Zedaph, I already am carrying something on my shoulders!" The imp teased.

"You act like you can handle Soli and I!" Zed puffed out his cheeks, "You and I know dang well you could easily hold Soli and I!"

"Yes, but Soli is sleeping and I don't wanna move him."

Zedaph glanced up. Solidarity had his arms resting on Impulse's head, leaning into him as he sat on his shoulders. His eyes were closed as he softly snored, peaceful and content.

"...I will admit, he does look cute." Zed put his hands on his hips, "Then I want you to pick me up and carry me!"

"Geez, am I just a cat tree for people now?" Impulse teased, but happily picked up Zed, who smiled brightly.

The ram giggled, "You're own fault for being tall!"

"Soli's tall too."

"Yeah, but you're tall and teddy bear shaped! It's different!"

Impulse laughed, carrying the two, "I still have to build some stuff, you know. And don't you have projects to get done?"

"Naaaaaah, it's fiiiiiiiine."

Impulse just laughed again.

"What were you planning to do anyways?"

"Well, I was thinking, with the fact I have the grass permit or whatever, I could make a game out of it." The brunette shrugged, "Etho is making his Frogger game, so I kinda got inspiration from that!"

"Ooooh, what would you make?"

"I'm thinking of making a game called 'Touching Grass.'"

Zed busted out laughing. He started laughing so hard, Solidarity let out a yip and woke up.

"A-Ah, s-sorry Soli!" The sheep hybrid apologized, giggling still, "I-I didn't mean to wake you up!"

Solidarity waved the other off, smiling as he rubbed his eyes. He leaned more into Impulse, his tail wagging happily.

"Aw, such a cutie!" Impulse cooed, earning more tail wags as Solidarity blushed slightly, "Like that? Like being called cute?"

"Well, he is adorable-"

The dirty blonde covered their mouths, blushing as he giggled. In response, Zed licked Solidarity's hand, the dog hybrid yelping and cringing, wiping it on his shirt.

"Ew, Zed!" Impulse also cringed.

"Whaaaaaat? It's fiiiiiiine!"

The brunette shook his head, looking up at Solidarity (as best as he could), "Feel free to push him off me, I'll let go."

"WHAT?! NO, DON'T YOU DARE!"

Solidarity giggled and playfully pushed Zed, the sheep whining and yelling, Impulse having to stop to make sure he didn't fall over while holding them.

"OH! Are we perching on Impulse?!"

"Oh god-"

Grian landed on Solidarity's back, hugging the dog hybrid, "Haha! Now there's the three of us!"

"G-Guys, come on-"

"Hold on, I'm texting the others on Magic Mountain!"

"No, don't, I can't hold all of you!"

"Course you can!" Zed encouraged.

"No, I can't-"

"I WANNA JOIN THE PERCH!" Scar called as he landed, running over to jump on Impulse's back.

"Guys, seriously, I'm gonna-"

Gem and Joel arrived at the same time and both jumped at Impulse, the imp yelping as he fell back. He quickly sat up to make sure Scar and Solidarity (the two who were on his back) were okay, however the brunette was laughing hysterically. Solidarity was also giggling, tail wagging, especially as Grian and Zed began to playfully yell at Gem and Joel for "ruining the perch". Impulse sighed in relief, gently ruffling Solidarity's hair.

The brunette smiled, "You okay? Not hurt, right?"

Solidarity shook his head, writing on his whiteboard, Can we do it again?

"Awwww, did I miss the Dipple Dop Perch Time?" Skizz whined as he landed.

Impulse chuckled, picking the dog hybrid up and putting him on his shoulder, "Nope, we're just getting started. But can we try to be more coordinated?"

"Yes!" Everyone called.

They weren't.