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Xisuma had been very confused and nervous when Tommy had joined the sever without an invite. When he found the boy passed out and bleeding at spawn it did nothing to help to calm those nerves.
Doc came to the aid of his admin and nursed the boy to health as X tried to figure out where he came from. Tommy woke up after about a week of nothing, no cries, no sound, and no signs of rising. He was quiet through it all, staring up in fear at the people he knew little to nothing about.
With enough time the hermits came to realize that this traumatized boy who flinched at fireworks and raised hands wasn’t only just quiet. Tommy was silent. Tommy was mute. Then so started the lessons, lesson to teach him an alternative to vocal speaking, lessons to teach him sign language. He picked it up quick and soon was teasing the other hermits when they messed up a sign. He loved to talk and talk, and he didn’t have to say a word. Sometimes words were good though.
1. Grian
”just put the stone over there” Grian gestured over to the chest monster he had created near his base. He and Tommy had been working for the last couple hours on gathering stone for the as Tommy had called it “pilliar of power”. He had made one when he first joined out of cobblestone and the others pushed to help him make it “even nicer”. In all actuality they were so happy he was building at all.
Tommy gladly set down the heavy stone in a chest near the house and smiled. His tower was gonna be the best tower, no one would deny it. Everyone on the sever was far too nice, too naive, to even think of hating his tower, it would be the best.
Grian huffed and sat down on the ground in the shade putting up a hand to block the sun. Moments later the younger joined him in the much needed rest.
‘You too old to keep working?’ Tommy signed with tease in his tone.
”yeah yeah, I’m so old now, I’m sure you aren’t tired at all”
‘nope’
Grian hummed turning his head back to rest on the wall behind him.
“Any plans on what the interior is going to be? I mean with the blocks you got now the texture will be very nice but you’ve told us no plans on what your new home will look like inside.”
Tommy thought for a moment delaying his answer, hands hesitating at his chest on what to say. He thought on the poor excuse of a house in Logstedshire, he thought on Tubbo’s cabin, Techno’s cabin, and his hobbit hole. He hadn’t had a real nice home to himself in so long.
’something nice’ he signed ‘with big windows’
Small places were awful terrifying places, he would have big open windows and beautiful furniture. If he was never allowed nice things, is he would make the nicest things.
Grian grinned, “That sound like a plan, let any of us know if you need help gathering more supplies”
”Thank you” Tommy murmured, voice cracking from lack of use. He was happy, he was tired, he was still very scared, but Tommy would not be lying if he told them how much he loved them.
2. Xisuma
Xisuma was one of the first to notice Tommy not even letting out a hum or sound. He considered himself a perceptive person and a child in a lot of pain crying silently was something few could dismiss.
It had been a late night working when X decided to take a walk and perhaps see some stars. He had been so stressed lately trying to find who had gotten Tommy in, he knew the boy was smart but there was no way he did it by himself. The most he had gotten was when he arrived a chunk of code had been attached to him and was expertly encoded.
The only thing he had been able to decode, which seemed to be deliberate, was a message of ‘Take care of him, we’ll come get him once it’s safe again’ which understandably concerned the hermits who knew.
The walk was nice, it was a clear night out and everything seemed to settle in the typically chaotic server. There was a slight breeze and very little mobs, the few who were about being a bit off from the path.
A twig snap was what first caught his attention before moments later sounds of running. Someone was running, mobs don’t move that fast or stealthy, the only reason X heard it in the first place was his training.
Xisuma pulled out a sword and rushed over to the sound he had heard.
“Hello!?” He called out. The noise stopped, breathe held. That was strange, whoever it must be afraid they were in danger. A number of hermits had anxiety or panic attacks or even flashbacks so it wouldn’t be too strange, just concerning, most of the time at least someone messaged him in they were concerned about another.
X stopped where he stood and tried to listen for anything around. Distantly to the left there was a shuffling. Quiet gasps of air. Whoever it was clearly needs some help.
“Hello? It’s Xisuma.” He said talking slow steps in the direction. If the hermit got spooked and couldn’t recognize their admin it could lead to unnecessary injury.
There, hiding in the nook at the root of a tree was Tommy. He was wearing a red sweater that had began to fray and his eyes were focused in the distance, not really seeing what was in front of him. His breathe was coming in quick bursts, quiet gasps for air.
“Tommy, it’s okay, you’re on Hermitcraft right now”
Tommy shook his head, hands clenched around clumps of hair. He brought his hands down and began to frantically sign repeatedly
‘No, sorry, no, sorry, bad’
He was frantically signing, he was begging. At a point it no longer was words but just pleas you couldn’t understand. X stood watching a few meters back hesitating on what to do. Touch would probably make it worse but he didn’t seem to know where he was or anything. A nightmare turned flashback most likely, given the time.
Xisuma sat down own the damp grass and began to hum a song. Hallelujah, a song the admin had heard Tommy hum to himself a dozen times. To hear Tommy hum was something Hermits bragged about, one of the few times he would use his voice. It might not help but normal strategies didn’t see useful. So Xisuma sat a hummed the slow melody.
The tension in Tommy’s shoulders began to bleed away. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the tree, hands now still in his lap. Tommy began to hum along.
Like a weight he didn’t know was there X sighed in relief. Then, much to his suprise, Tomm began to sing a soft melody,
“I heard there was a special place
When men could go emancipate
The brutality and tyranny of their rulers”
His voice was deeper than expected and scratchy from disuse but the broken song sounded like angels, sounded like hope. He sung quietly and hushed like you would at a sleepover or at camps in your tent. He sung like it was for him and him alone. Xisuma almost felt bad for listening, he may not know it, but he could hear the love behind each word.
Xisuma knew, he could tell, this was a war song, but this was his lullaby and he promised, just as he had when he found the boy, that Tommy would be safe here.
3.Doc
Doc was quieter that some hermits *cough* Grian *cough* but he still loved his choas. Which is kind of why Tommy had taken such an affinity for the man. A quieter man who was so smart and could let him sit there, or be willing to help teach him.
Several times a week you could find Tommy trailing like a baby duck after the man, no conversation, just there. It wasn’t like they Couldn’t communicate, the two of them just found peace in one another.
On one particular occasion Doc had been working on some machine, something about breaking bedrock with a wooden pickaxe. It was going poorly so the pair were taking a break out front a shop eating ice cream. Doc was speaking his thoughts out loud trying to problem solve the issue and Tommy was nodding along and signing some ideas.
“Thank you” Tommy said with a hush. Wasn’t that a suprise, Doc looked up in shock but easily brushed it off thinking about the bragging rights he’ll get for hearing Tommy speak.
“What for?” He asked
“For everything” Tommy gestured to the world around him, “and for ice cream”
“Of course Toms, We love you”
Tommy shrugged and went back to his treat.
“I mean it Toms, I love you so much, you are bright, and loyal, and kind. I know people have told you otherwise, but you are worth so much”
Tommy smiled, a soft genuine smile. He signed ‘thank you’ and looked up at the sun, leaning on Docs shoulder.
God this kid was going to be the death of them all. Not a single hermit would not kill for him. They didn’t deserve him, he deserved the world. Instead, they would give him someplace safe, and hopefully a family.
4.Scar
Scar wasn’t that close to Tommy, they hadn’t interacted much but from when they had he seemed like decent kid. He was clearly traumatized but that wasn’t anything new to the server, Scar himself had gone through a lot.
He had been having a bad pain day, he needed help to even get into his wheelchair. It sucked, that aching in your bones hurt so deep. He couldn’t complain too much though, he was up and trying to get out of the house so it wasn’t the worst.
He was rolling around the different bases, seeing the sights and waving at hermits passing by. Pearl had stopped and said hello, and asked for some help landscaping later. Against his better judgment he had agreed. It would be fine, he might have to take tomorrow off, but it would be fine, he’d be fine.
Scar realized he had zoned out and blinked back into reality before jumping slightly. Tommy was a few steps in front of him just watching him.
“Geez kid, warn a guy”
‘Sorry’
“No it’s okay I just got startled”
Tommy shrugged but made no indication he had any plans of moving off the path. Scar scratched at his neck nervously.
“So uh, you need something?”
Tommy shrugged again ‘You are in pain, I can help’
“What? No it’s okay, I’m used to a little pain, it comes from the scars you know how it is”
Tommy gave him a withering look
“I’m not wrong! It comes from the scars and I’ve not found a good solution yet so sorry!” He defended. It was true, for today at least that the pain was in the scars lining his skin, even if that wasn’t always the case. Tommy surely knew that it was the truth, what could he do besides offer sympathy.
Tommy pulled a bottle out of his inventory and handed it over. It was a small red bottle labeled “scar cream” made from magma cream and regen. Oh so that’s what he can do.
‘It helps ease the pain for me’ Tommy paused ‘where did you get your scars?’
From anyone else it might seem insensitive but from the kid equally if not more scared than him it just seemed like making connection.
“That a big question, they come from many things, fights, surgeries, accidents, experiments gone wrong, all sorts of things. It’s part of who I am now.”
Tommy nodded, probably expecting an answer like that.
“What about you Tommy boy, any fun stories?”
It seemed odd but Tommy got a shit eating grin and pulled up his shirt to reveal several types of scaring along his torso, he pointed at a little cross cross ‘x’ scar on his hip
“Where’s you get that one?” Scar asked knowing it would be something silly by the look of mirth in Tommy’s eyes
“God gave me it”
Well that’s certainly a story. To be fair he shouldn’t be surprised at this point, they practically have gods on the server what’s one more.
‘I tried to fight him, I obviously won’ Tommy signed, and you know what Scar sagely nodded
“Obviously”
5.Mumbo
Word on the street was Tommy had started to use his voice again. Not frequently but even xB had heard his voice by now when trading material, so Mumbo was starting to get jealous. He was a perfectly upstanding mustache wielding man. He and Tommy got along just fine and would hang out together with Grian or the others every once in a while. So why hadn’t he spoke to him? Was Tommy scared of him, did he do something wrong?
Instead of being a spoon, Mumbo decided to use the braincell the hermits collectively had and talk it out. Off to Tommy’s castle he went. It was a lovely first build, not the prettiest thing but the improvements that had been made were astronomical. Might be a better builder than Mumbo at this point.
He knocked on the door. “Hello? Anyone home?”
There was some shuffling and the door open with a creek. Tommy stood with bits of dirt on his face and waved hello.
“Hey Tommy! Can I come in?”
Tommy scrunched his eyebrows but opened the door wider gesturing into the home. He pointed out a hole in the floor to avoid falling in and brought them over to a sitting area.
‘Need something’ he signed
Mumbo was suddenly shy, he hadn’t thought this through. What does he even say, why haven’t you talked to me? They talk plenty it’s just not verbal. Was he being ableist wanting to make Tommy speak? Maybe he was just being irrational.
Tommy gave him a light smack on the head ‘Stop thinking so hard, what do you want’
“I was just wondering if, um, if you, uh”
‘Spit it out’ he signed
“Why you never talk to me.” Mumbo rushed to correct himself, “not that we aren’t talking, we Are talking, and a don’t want to pressure you but I just heard you started using your voice again and I was feeling left out and I don’t know I was just,” his words trailed off
‘Jealous?’
“Yeah”
Tommy hummed, that sounded about right for the mustache man, he cared far too much
‘I guess I just feel safe around you’
Now it was Mumbos turn to be confused. He didn’t talk because he felt safe? That didn’t make sense
‘Mumbo, I don’t Need to talk around you. Yeah I’m feeling more comfortable to use my voice but with you I don’t feel obligated, you act like it’s just us talking, you have always treated me like a person. To be honest I feel better talking to you like this’
Oh. That made sense in a way. If you could only speak when he felt safe, it would be possible to be safe enough he didn’t Have to. Tommy didn’t hate him.
‘But if you so wish,’ Tommy signed “You’re a spoon Mumbo Jumbo”
And the two of them laughed, because of Course his first words to Mumbo was calling him a spoon.
+1
Tommy just told the Moon to “Fuck off” and that worked for some reason and the moon left but the next day everyone woke up on a new server. They aren’t questioning that, nope not touching whatever that means with a hundred yard pole.