MCYT RANDOMNESS 2

Hermit animals pt 2

Wels had a problem.

He loved his new eagle wings. But what he didn't like was the inability to put on his knight's chestplate. The other Hermits were meeting, but he couldn't go outside without his armour and feel comfortable.

So he paced his starter house, wings behind him, already annoyed at the feathers everywhere... What did Grian or Pearl do with wings? They wore armour too, didn't they? Could he borrow something temporarily from one of them? But would that even fit him?

iJevin: where is everyone?

Wels glanced down, reading the message, and then the replies from everyone on Magic Mountain. He didn't reply. Until he noticed one of the replies.

Smallishbeans: hiding from the world

It was comical, in a way, but it was exactly what he was facing. He wasn't alone.

You whispered to Smallishbeans: hey, are you having hybrid trouble?

You whispered to Smallishbeans: me too

Smallishbeans whispered to you: what hybrid are you?

You whispered to Smallishbeans: eagle, but wings and armour don't work

Smallishbeans whispered to you: ant. I hate it.

Smallishbeans whispered to you: I have feelers now. And black eyes. And I'm smaller

You whispered to Smallishbeans: sounds rough. Are you going to the meeting?

Smallishbeans whispered to you: absolutely not. You?

You whispered to Smallishbeans: if you're not, I won't either. I don't want to go outside without my armour

You whispered to Smallishbeans: personal reasons

Smallishbeans whispered to you: alright

You whispered to Smallishbeans: or should I go and report back?

Smallishbeans whispered to you: do what you're comfortable with. But I would appreciate knowing what's going on

You whispered to Smallishbeans: then I'll go

Unbeknownst to Wels, the very similar armour problems Xisuma had now meant he was standing at the side of the meeting in an old Metallica T-shirt with new holes for his bee wings in the back. The Hermits were already deep in discussion about whether they should start discussions, or wait for the last few hermits.

'Love the style, shashwammy!' 

Xisuma hid his surprise as raccoon Keralis appeared next to him.

'Oh, thanks! How are you doing with the... changes?' He looked over the builder's fluffy ears, long grey tail and the mask-like marks across his face.

'I love it! This sweet face could never be ruined. What about you?'

'I'm coping... who are we waiting for?' Xisuma tried to do a headcount, but kept getting distracted by all the different appearances, especially as octopus Etho appeared with weird octopus eyes and mildly colour-changing skin, and then most of Magic Mountain. Eventually, everyone except Doc and Joel were there. Scar managed to distract everyone enough with his peacock feathers and outfit while Wels slipped in, silent and uncomfortable, keeping to the edge of the group. Xisuma approached.

'Are you alright?' He asked. 'Guess you have to...'

'Yup... Indeed I do...' Wels's arms rose, covering his unarmoured chest as much as he could. 'Joel's not coming, but he wanted to know what happened so... now I'm here.'

'Go back to your base,' Xisuma invited. 'I'll tell Joel what we decided. Doc's also staying in his base, so you're not the only one.'

'Really? Thanks, X. You're the best.'

'I'll come and tell you what we decide. And tell the hermits your thoughts.'

'I just need to make myself armour that doesn't cover my wings... Once that's sorted, I'll be alright.'

'That's good.'

'Thanks X, I'll see you around.'

'See you.'

The meeting came and went in a mess of showing off new appearances, random animal noises from hermits and eventually a decision. The hermits, happy, headed off their own ways, towards their own bases. Except for one.

'Joel?' Etho landed in on the streets of his soulmate's base. 'Are you here somewhere?' No reply. He started walking around, peering through windows to see if any looked to be hiding Joel. 'Hello?'

'Oh bloody hell...' came a very familiar voice from a nearby building, 'What do you want?'

'To talk. Say we're looking for a way to get rid of the hybridy stuff for people who didn't want it. And... X said you were unhappy at the changes so I came to see if you were ok?' 

'Of course I'm bloody unhappy at the changes! I have feelers... and my eyes are weird...'

'My eyes are weirder too,' Etho tried to comfort him with, sitting outside the building it was clear Joel was hiding inside. 'They're octopus eyes. With the funny pupils... And my skin changes colour... xB said I have to spend more time in water. Iskall and Gem do too... Joe's now half playtpus... Tango was singing 'he's a semi-aquatic egg-laying hermit of action... Joe Hills!' which was funny...' Etho chuckled, mostly to himself, trying to find more ways to comfort his soulmate. 'Xisuma and Wels are stuck without armour until we find a way to get rid of the changes... or until they make their own armour... Doc also didn't came to the meeting.'

Joel didn't reply. Etho stared down at his hands, slowly shifting between shades of green and pink.

'Cub said something about octopuses being able to slip through really small spaces... I need to try that out. If it works... maybe you have cool ant abilities too?'

'Ants aren't cool, Etho! They're ants! You squish them and then they don't die. They're bloody annoying! I'm not annoying! I'm supposed to be smart and tall and sexy and handsome and strong...'

'Apparently ants can carry 50 times their body weight. And they're really smart creatures... they have really complicated social structures and build huge nests.' 

Joel paused.

'Really?'

'Yeah. I like ants.'

'No one likes ants.'

'I like you... you're an ant. Well... part ant. You're an ant hybrid who's mostly a big, strong...'

A click behind. Etho turned to see some of Joel through the crack of the door. His eyes were completely black, little black feelers sticking from his head. He was clearly a little shorter, but not by a lot. 

'So... I guess I can try lift you,' Joel stared at the ground.

'Now? You really want to- aH!' Etho made a playful scream as Joel easily picked him up and let out a very excited yell.

'IT'S LORE! I'm the strongest hermit EVER!'

'You might also have wings.'

'Ants have WINGS?'

'I think male ants have wings.' Etho, still being carried by Joel, explained. 'Do you wanna see?'

'Of course I wanna bloody see! Hold on!' Joel pukked off his jacket and a pair of iridescent wings tore through his shirt. 'OH MY GOODNESS- Etho, you're amazing. I love you so much. I almost love you as much as I love myself, or Lizzie, or my babe Jimmy.'

'I didn't want you feeling sad.' Etho said simply as Joel lowered him back to the ground. 

'I'm gonna show everyone my wings. Are you coming?'

Etho nodded, beaming beneath his mask as Joel, confidence completely regained flew away.

Boat boys! Boat boys!