Solivagency - Empires SMP

XXXV

A/N: Happy 10k reads on Wattpad and 15k reads on Ao3!

“Now, if I had one thing to predict about this, it’s that it’s gonna go absolutely shit.” Tommy proclaimed, as serious as a prophet foretelling the very tragic, gruesome and untimely death of a millionaire.

This was not a very helpful statement.

Niki wheeled around and smacked him (lightly, for he was still a child) on the arm and he screeched very loudly. “What? I’m probably right!”

He was probably right considering the blizzard outside, but no one had the heart to tell him that. Besides, it seemed like a jinx to admit it, and Xornoth had to say that they really didn't like jinxes at all.

But what did they know? They were just the plant person, and upon learning of this, Joey had given them a bag crammed with different plants and flowers that they had almost refused to take. But he insisted and told them he hadn't touched a plant in fifteen years, and they had no idea whether or not he was being sarcastic. Knowing him, it could have been either.

They still felt bad about taking it though. They gave him another questioning, apprehensive look of 'are you sure?' to which Joey made that playful, teasing smile that filled their stomach with lovesick butterflies.

"I don't need it." He pressed closer to them, voice soft as velvet in their ear. Xornoth's cheeks flushed a bright, vivid red as they nodded.

"Gays, people and Jack Manifold-"

"-I'm literally a person!-"

"-we are gathered here today-"

"Tommy, this isn't a funeral-"

"-to launch the saving Scott Smajor initiative." Tommy finished his declaration, ignoring the interruptions.

Grian snorted. “You could have said that in literally any other way.”

“But I didn’t!” He bellowed. “And that makes it entertaining!”

If Tommy was concerned about being entertaining in the face of death, then Xornoth was definitely certain that it would be going to ‘absolute shit’, as he had unceremoniously dubbed it. It was going to shit anyway if the anxious feeling curled in their gut was telling them anything, but that was beside the point. The point was that they didn’t understand children.

“So, are you going to tell us the plan, or are we improvising?" They almost had a heart attack as Jack popped out of seemingly nowhere, again. Considering his head was partially on fire (which would explain his baldness) they had no idea how they kept not seeing him. They felt Joey's wing curl around them soothingly.

Uh." The teenager hesitated.

"Don't tell me we're improvising." Grian stifled some sort of scandalised laugh. "Improvising having a fight with god does not work."

Slowly, very slowly, he raised his palms. "...Maybe I didn't think this through?"

"Tommy!"

Xornoth tilted their head to the side, and questioningly flapped their ears. "Why did you put a minor in charge of fighting god if you knew what you were doing in the first place?"

He paused, raising his finger. Then he made a face of slightly embarrassed realisation, and lowered it, wings slumping.

"They've got you there, Grian." Joey nodded solemnly. He was so warm that they couldn't help leaning into his touch, despite the fact they would probably be moving in a few minutes.

"Well, maybe the plan could be that we fly to Rivendell, go to Scott's house, and see if he's there?" Niki suggested. Thank Aeor she existed, otherwise the other three would be lost and probably dead. "It is nighttime, and even corrupted people have to sleep, right?"