Watching and Listening - An Empires SMP AU

The animals know all

           Gem found Scott in his llamas gardens playing tug of war with Owen, but instead of a rope they were pulling on his fedora. Gem got the feeling that this wasn't a game that Scott consented to of his own free will. "Let me help with that," She said, and with a flick of her wrist the hat glowed green and flew out of the llama's mouth and onto Scott's head.

          "Thanks, Gem," Scott said. Owen spat at her and she dodged. "Hey, you're getting better at this!" Scott cheered. Gem smiled. "It's a thing you pick up when I keep visiting you and your llamas all the time." She said. Scott grinned. "So, donI rightfully assume that you're here because you want me to play princess again?"

           Gem nodded. "They've been asking where elf Gem is but I'm currently in a very important trade deal with Katherine that will take up the whole day so I need you to handle that while I remind everyone that hermit Gem is in this world. Do you have anything important you have to attend to?" Scott shook his head. "Nope, happy to help you." He said with a tip of his hat.

           Gem grinned and then flew off to spawn, landing on a hill with Hermitopia just around the bend to transform into her elf persona. Then she went to meet her fellow hermits. But something was wrong. Gem felt that she was too tall, and there was something about her clothes that felt different than what she usually wore.

           Suspicion growing, Gem glanced down at herself and panicked. She wasn't in her elf persona. She wasn't even Princess Gem either. She was using a persona that hadn't been used for many years, and if anyone saw her like that then her secret was doomed. She quickly shapeshifted back to elf Gem, but it was too lar. She saw him standing there, just within view, and he had seen her transformation.

---

           Jimena and False just sat down on the bed together, speaking nothing for a great deal of time. "Well," Jimena said at last, breaking the silence, "We destroyed the tower. And the hermits aren't coming back to Cogsmeade anymore. We're safe, False." "They had better keep their promise." False said quietly, knuckles white.

           "They will," Jimena said with conviction. "Grian doesn't break his promises and neither do the rest of them." "It's the other False I'm worried about." False said suddenly. "I could've killed her. Should've. But I took the deal instead. Now she's still out there and she's dangerous. She's evil, Jimena."

           "I know," Jimena said. "But I think the deal was the right decision. Killing everyone doesn't exactly solve all your problems." There was an odd humorous quality to her voice, like she was making a joke about something. "At any rate, it's almost lunch time. Don't cook eggs or caramelized potatoes." "At this rate the list of stuff I can't cook will include all the food in the universe," False grumbled.

           Jimena left to visit Jimmy after lunch and so False was left alone in her house with Ginny and her other personality. "Maybe you should get a name." False mused to her. "That would make things a whole lot less confusing for me."

           But I'm you. I am False. I don't need a new name.

           "Well, that makes sense, I guess. What do you think we should do today?"

           After chores we go for a walk. I feel bored.

           "Already? We just almost killed the other False."

           I know, but I still want her dead and I want to do something.

           False shrugged and went to do her chores. As she did so, she noticed how empty Cogsmeade seemed to be. Her empire had always been a small and lonely world, but there seemed to be even less people around than usual. None, actually. "Where's everyone gone?" False wondered. They're scared of you so they left.