MCYT One-Shots

to steal away each dream you keep | angst

Time and Setting - Multiple seasons of Hermitcraft, with a focus on 6, 7 and 8

Focus Character(s) - Mumbo Jumbo, other hermits (specifically Xisuma, Grian and Pearl) get mentioned often

Ship(s) - n/a

Content Warnings - Eating disorders, implied child abuse

Background - Mumbo was a Watcher, prior to his arrival in Hermitcraft. His coping mechanisms are less than healthy, when a certain new arrival in season 6 reminds him of his past.

A/N: hehe projecting onto silly redstone man go brrr

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Mumbo wouldn't exactly describe himself as fragile.

It was no secret to the other Hermits that he'd had a rough start, arriving in Hermitcraft. He'd been barely 17, and couldn't speak for himself without stuttering through his words, or shaking like a leaf. And while the other Hermits were kind to Mumbo, Xisuma had clearly given them no details to Mumbo's arrival. They were given no warning, though in retrospect, Mumbo supposed he was glad about that. The only questions they other Hermits had ever had for him concerned his crow wings, a gift from the Watchers.

Being rescued from the Watchers had been a blessing. There was no other way to put it, for Mumbo. The Watchers were horrible, horrible people, and Mumbo had done nothing but suffer while he was with them. Mumbo owed so much to Xisuma, no matter how much the admin insisted that it was fine, and that Mumbo didn't owe him anything.

Perhaps it was simply a part of the former Watcher ideals ingrained into him, the Watchers always did like their debts.

But on Hermitcraft, things were okay. Mumbo was okay.

He could build his silly redstone machines, and he could cause lag without too much scolding, and he was safe there. He could make friends on the Hermitcraft server, and while he still tended to keep to himself for the most part, those friends were good! Keralis and Iskall and the season 5 Convex, even the NHO were all absolutely wonderful people who Mumbo got along quite well with. He had fun with them, he could forget all about why he was even a Hermit to begin with.

And then season 6 came along, and Mumbo had been left devastated.

An accidental addition, according to Xisuma. And an addition to the server that Mumbo was quite familiar with, albeit from a long time ago.

Grian.

And Mumbo wanted to be happy about Grian's arrival, he really did. But the parrot wings that Grian bore were a stark tell that Grian had become a Watcher, at some point, and if Grian was here then surely the Watchers had found them? It was rare that someone managed to escape their ranks, Mumbo had been one of the lucky few (and he wouldn't have even been able to do it if not for Xisuma). If the Watchers were back, if they had somehow followed Grian, (or worse, Grian still be part of their ranks), then Mumbo was in danger, and he didn't think that he could handle that again and oh god, it had been so long since Mumbo had last had a panic attack.

(This time, he didn't have Xisuma's comfort to help him through it.)

He couldn't breathe, disoriented to the point where he didn't notice Grian had arrived in his base until he'd felt the new Hermit's hand on his back. Grian's voice was muffled, and when Mumbo finally looked up at his friend, Grian was clearly concerned.

"Are you okay?" Grian had asked quietly.

Mumbo just bit his tongue and nodded, wiping his eyes. "I'm okay," he said. "Just overwhelmed."