Hermitcraft Randomness - S7 Oneshots

Respite

(WC: 1826
Category: Angst
Ship type: None
Warnings: Swearing and violence

I suffered from TeamAngsty's entries so you guys have to suffer now too

I was inspired by one of Fandomsunite05's oneshots that took place during S6's Civil War, so I guess we're going back in time a bit haha. Looking back, I probably should have put this in Hermitcraft Stuff, but it's too late now. Does this mean I can technically write all the Demise angst I have stored away?

Anyway, Fandom's was based around Tango and Impulse, and I thought I would do a different pair--X and Stress. Since I've heard some things about X not wanting to be shipped, this isn't labeled as a ship chapter, even if it would be platonic, just in case.)

Respite. Noun. A short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant.

The two teams stood on opposite sides of the battlefield, mirroring each other's defiant stances, as if daring the other to back down. The grass around them was marred with scorch marks and craters, all signs of the ongoing war. The white flag in the middle flapped in the wind untouched, but it was only a matter of time until that was gone, too.

None of them thought it would go this far. But neither team was going to back down first. What had started as a harmless chain of pranks had quickly escalated into more hurtful actions that people would take to heart.

Soon, people were forced to choose between two teams. Hermits were snatched up for their skills as fast as possible, being treated somewhat like objects instead of real people. Friendships were broken apart, new enemies were made, and people were starting to gang up.

The ones that didn't want anything to do with it escaped as fast as possible, holing themselves up in their bases and watching everything from a distance. Zedaph abandoned Tango and Impulse quickly, and the Convex decided to spectate the conflict like it was a show they were watching on TV vicariously instead of happening in real life.

Stress had found herself roped up into the war after helping Iskall save Sally the chicken after the opposing team trapped her in an underground dungeon--though, they didn't exactly save her, they had to replace her with another chicken. After Poultry Man (read: Grian) thanked them for their assistance, they immediately formed a team with some other people.

Originally, Stress wanted to stay as far away from the war as possible. It wasn't the kind of thing she wanted to get into. But after helping Grian, she felt entitled and sort of pressured into picking a side. What harm can there be? She asked herself. It's only a chain of pranks.

But soon after, the newly-formed G-Team was making a war base and plotting how to get back at the other team, Team Star. Everyone was taking the war more seriously now, and Grian was barking orders at all of them--set this trap, prime those cannons, spy on the other team. Stress wanted to tell everyone to take it down a notch and calm down, but nobody seemed to care, and she didn't want to anger Grian further.

It was now finally the day they had all been preparing for: The white peace flag was finally coming down, and with it, the war would officially kick off. Stress was already, well, stressed by the events before today; how would everything be once it all started for real?

She stood with the rest of G-Team, feeling awkward and out of place with her bulky iron armor and large sword. They'd swapped out their normal diamond gear for ones more suited for war. The sword Stress was holding was used for stabbing and not slashing, and the armor she wore was heavy but protected well.