We Could Be Sleeping in the Flowers (A Hermitcraft Story)

Chapter Seven: A Pondside Picnic

As it turned out, there was a substantial difference between deciding to take a bold, brave, decisive action and actually going out and doing it. Grian wound up dithering around his base most of the morning, trying to figure out what his approach should be. What could he say? What couldn't he say? What would make him sound the least like a crazy person while still reassuring Scar while also not revealing himself as apparently the funniest thing that had happened on Hermitcraft since Tango figured out ravagers? His thought progress was frequently interrupted by new eruptions of flowers, mostly cornflowers with the occasional spore blossom for the really big feelings. Perhaps not surprisingly, he didn't make a lot of progress.

He was half-buried in a chestful of coal blocks that were not giving him any good ideas when he heard the distant rumble of the cookie factory starting up. Scar was obviously home, obviously out and about... what if he left? Grian hadn't wasted half the day working up his courage to spend the other half chasing Scar around. Grabbing the first of Cub's potions, Grian chugged it in a few big gulps and threw the bottle aside. It tasted like dirt and mushrooms and a little like the way a freshly-mended elytra smelled. It was awful. He gagged, but at least no flowers came up. Success! Grabbing a fistful of rockets, Grian shot for the "Elven Forest" before he lost what was left of his nerve.

He found Scar in danger, as usual, perched precariously halfway up the side of his cookie factory and trying to add a couple more windowboxes to the fake windows he'd installed. He was wearing an orange hard hat that knocked his fake ears askew but seemed unlikely to do much in the event of a fall. Grian might have backed off for fear of startling the faux elf off his shaky dirt scaffolding, but the noise of his rockets was too loud even over the grind of the factory. Scar spun to face him, gave an alarming wobble, then caught himself before actually falling. "Grian, hello!" he called out, his whole face lighting up. Grian knew instantly that Pearl had been right; Scar had noticed and been bothered by his absence.

The thought brought a tickle to his throat, but Grian swallowed it down and trusted the potion to do its work. "Hi Scar!" he called back, coming in for a smooth landing at the base of the tree. Scar didn't bother with such niceties, jumping from his tower feet-first and landing with barely a wince for the crack of damage. Up close and in the sun, Scar's elf costume was even more striking, all smooth lines that accentuated his broad shoulders and long legs and subtle patterns of green that made his eyes look like emeralds. Grian forgot everything he'd been about to say.

Scar didn't seem to mind, giving Grian a brilliant smile as he tucked away his hat and adjusted his ears. "The factory's nearly done!" he announced proudly. "Just in time, too, I'm going to stock up on cookies before I rework it for Jellie-shaped ice cream sandwiches!" He brushed the dirt off his jade leggings and then turned the full force of his attention on Grian. "What brings you over here on such a bee-youtiful day?"

There had been a script for this at one point, Grian was sure of it. I came over to eat with you. Too basic, and also he'd forgotten to put any food in his inventory. I wanted to see your new tree. He'd seen the tree already, half a dozen times. I wanted you not to feel bad because I've been avoiding you and it's not your fault. Absolutely not. I wanted to invite you to lunch. Like a date? Would Scar go out to lunch with him if he asked? The thought was too enormous to cope with at the moment, and Scar was just standing there watching him dither...

"I'm here to eat your tree with lunch," he announced confidently.

Scar blinked. Grian blinked. "You... want to eat my tree?" Scar asked carefully.

"Nope, I definitely did not say that at all." Grian nodded firmly, wishing that the universe would just this once do him a favor and spleef him straight into the void. "I am here to eat lunch with you, at your tree, if that is something you want to do." He paused for a second. "You'll have to provide the lunch."