As per usual Joe standard, Joe started out by making a community center in spawn. Throw down a few chests and shake trees for apples, and it might as well be home. Not many people stayed in spawn, Joe noticed. Well, after all, Joe considered, this was a server where death was, after a few times, permanent.
“Joe!” There was a whisper from the bush next to him.
“Hello? Talking bush?”
“No, it’s Grian! Listen, Joe, I know you’re all about community and stuff, but I’m gonna warn you now- people aren’t nice here like they are back on hermitcraft. They will kill you if you have something to take. I’m telling you this one time only, okay? Get out of here and get ready to fight.” There was a rustle, and the bush that may have been housing Grian stopped talking.
Joe considered Grian’s words as he built a spawn hut. Grian was a bit of a trickster, but that had sounded so serious, almost fearful. So people were ruthless here. Joe wasn’t really surprised. Death kind of forces that a bit more. And that did scare him, it really did.
But to leave this place? Joe stood back and admired the open-air tent he’d constructed. Perhaps this place could become a bit of a haven for people. There would always be food, always farms for those more skittish. Some tools too perhaps. Even if there was to be death and ultimate destruction here, sometimes a small act of kindness could be the ultimate gift.
And so, Joe Hills stayed out at spawn.
The first few days, there were no deaths. People came by every once in a while. Etho took some apples and stayed for a chat. Impulse stole some carrots from the farm one night, although he did replant them. Scott watched him from a tree for three hours, then dropped him iron armor without a word.
Death happened every once in a while over the first week. Small things in chat- falling from a high place, getting blown up. There was always this bell tolling noise to accompany the death messages- so you always knew what happened, Joe supposed. But people must have had their spawn set elsewhere, because no one appeared under the tent.
It wasn’t until a huge explosion ripped through the land that someone appeared at spawn. Joe had jumped to his feet when he’d heard the noises, so loud and sudden. He could see the smoke off in the distance, and had been looking at it rising past the trees when there was a gasp from behind him. Joe turned around to find a disheveled blonde dude standing there, looking shocked.
“Well hey there, weary stranger! Looks like you got into quite a pickle! Welcome back to the land of the living! I’m Joe Hills, hanging out here as I always do in spawn. Would you like some food, or perhaps some tools? It’s almost nighttime, by the looks of it, so it might be safer to stay here until the sun comes out, considering you don’t have any armor.” Joe ducked under the tent and waved the man over.
The man just kind of stood there for a minute, like a computer processing a lot of data all at once. Joe didn’t rush him, just sat down at one of the chairs by the campfire and began roasting a hot dog.
Eventually, the man shuffled over and sat down in a chair, accepting the hot dog Joe gave him.
“Oh, I suppose I should say: my name is Jimmy. Jimmy Solidarity. Thanks for all this.” He gave Joe a quick smile.
“No problem at all.” Joe answered. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Solidarity. I know you’re probably going through a lot of stuff right now, but if you want to talk about it, I will listen. I heard that awful explosion, and I’m thinking that it got you.”
Jimmy tried and failed to smile at that. “Yeah… it was a big trap… lots of tnt. The group I’ve been staying with weren’t there at the camp when it happened, so I think I was the only one who died. All of the camp is bound to be gone though. I hope they’re not mad at me. I’ve only got one life left now!”
“Who’s in your group?” Joe asked.
“Me, Grian, Impulse, Skizz, and Pearl. We must have been targeted because we’re so powerful. I mean, the smarts those people have… it’s incredible. I have like one brain cell in comparison to them!”
“Oh, I’m sure that’s not true. Everyone has things about them that really add to the team! Don’t you worry, I’m sure they’ll understand.” Joe told him.
When the sun began to rise, Joe gathered up some supplies for Jimmy to take with him.
“Good luck Mr. Solidarity!” Joe waved him off.
Jimmy looked back at spawn and called back to him. “You too Joe!”
Less than fifteen minutes later, a terrible, horrible bell tolled, and Joe, with a sinking feeling, checked and saw “SolidarityGaming was slain by ImpulseSV using iKill”. Joe sighed, and, unbeknownst to him, all hell broke loose.
The end came a lot quicker then anyone imagined. It was weird, the bloodthirst that people suddenly possessed. Bell toll after bell toll peppered the air. Joe could hear them, hear yelling and shouting and screams. So, he prepared for death in the only way he could- he sat down in his chair by the campfire, and waited.
He waited as the bell tolls began to slow, until there weren’t any more left. “So there are two left then”, he thought to himself. “Me and whoever is going to come kill me.”
And he continued to wait. He had no idea who his killer could be, so it was all a bit suspenseful.
And he kept waiting.
There was a noise after three days. A terrible, familiar noise. The toll of a bell. Joe instinctively checked the in-game chat.
“Ethoslab starved to death”
Suddenly, a pixelated message appeared in front of him spelling out “you won!” in chroma green text. It looked kind of like a funky email card from the early 2000s. Some digital confetti snaked out from behind the letters, but it was kind of a limp celebration, all things considered. There was no winning here, but somehow, he had.
Joe stood there for a moment, actually drinking in the dead silence. And then he sat back down, raised a glass to the ghosts he was sure were watching him, and drank. It wasn’t a celebration.
I fell into a bit an art rut until just recently (seriously I drew nothing for months) and university managed to compleeeeetely take over my life. For everyone who’s still following me- you’re amazing, thank you :(
I’m also so sorry that I’ve been awful at responding to messages; I ended up not logging in for a while either and I feel terrible replying so late so just PLEASE KICK ME AS HARD AS YOU CAN
FOR PGO ART IF ANYONE’S EVEN STILL INTERESTED.. no promises that a store will be up any time soon as uni is STILL DESTROYING ME but just shoot me a pm/inbox if you’re still interested please ;a; I promise I’ll at least come back to check omfg
I’ve finally dedicated some time to drawing recently by forcing myself to table again so I’ll be uploading some new works soon :’)
also I haven’t done anything with my Tumblr page for like 4 years now so LET ME JUST GO DO THAT
Illustration based on @harmonization ‘sstunning and wonderful fic !! If you haven’t read it, I encourage you to do it! Harmony has one of my fav writing style ever and she deserves all the support and love of the world <3
Hello! Liam’s birthday will be here before you know it, and the wonderful @change4charityliam account has been set up to receive donations on behalf of Liam’s birthday. All proceeds go to Trekstock.
Liam has a long track record for raising money and being involved with Trestock, so now let’s have us fans give back some more on his behalf! If you’re unfamiliar with this organization, click here to learn about where your money is going (and to watch a short film with Liam and the Trekstock team!)
![#HappyChenDay [ig] | [twt]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/3e3749c4003a72e166d6c9da69846a6d/tumblr_pffe40kFDR1uhbfs2o1_1280.jpg "#HappyChenDay [ig] | [twt]")
