Roleplay

Below is the roleplaying area. To update it, edit it. Do not forget to sign your work. **EXAMPLE:--ROWAN**

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Everything started to flash before his eyes before he crashed into the ground. Dust felt the air escape out of him, and he wheezed as he rolled onto his back. It was several seconds before he slowly sat up. *Ugh, that was great. What was that for anyway?* Something felt very off, the world seemed familiar, but not normal. He looked at his hand, before he gasped. *Block...Hands?* He darted his light brown eyes around him before he realized. The blocks everywhere, the distant villages...He was in Minecraft? *Why am I in Minecraft? What happened? I was playing Minecraft, on my computer!* Panic surged through him, to a point where he didn't know what to do. He noticed that there was a lump not so far away from him. It was...Familiar. *Could it be?* He thought, as he scrambled towards it.--Dust

The first thing Maple heard when she woke up was the sound of a stream. The water flowed smoothly across rocks, causing a loud rush of noise past her. It was beautiful, and Maple could even feel a faint spray of mist on her face. She also heard birds beyond her, calling loudly to one another. She felt her body relax as she leaned backwards, feeling warm grass beneath her. She reached out her hands to scratch, wanting to feel more of the grass, but she touched someone instead. Immediately, Maple jumped up with surprise, blinking as her wide-open eyes adjusted to the sunlight. For a moment, Maple though the sun was square. *But that can't be right-*Maple shook her head, pausing to blink a few times as she attempted to adjust her view. *The sun isn't square.* *Unless...*Maple whipped around, turning to find the Minecraft avatar of her friend Sticks at her side. That’s when she screamed.--Maple

Scoria heard a distant scream that made her blink her burning red eyes. She saw the blurry figure of her brother, Dust, above her, saying words rapidly to her. "Slow down stupid, I have a headache." She sat up slowly, and after a while turned all her attention to Dust. "What were you saying?" She murmured. *He looks odd, why is he just a stack of blocks?* Before Scoria could say her thoughts, her brother cut in, "We're in Minecraft! We're stuck in Minecraft!" The dark haired girl stared at her brother, before she looked around. "You're right! Hey, *we're stuck in Minecraft*!" Instead of having Dust's fearful expression, Scoria jumped to her feet in excitement. "We *need* to explore!" Dust laid a hand on his sister's shoulder. "Are you crazy? We have to get out!" Before any of them could continue to argue, they heard a mixture of sounds coming from a voice and turned to look at a nearby hill. Before they knew it, Dust was flung to the ground.--Scoria and Dust

Sticks woke up because someone had slapped him in the face. “Sticks!” Someone yelled, and he rolled over, wishing he could just go back to sleep. It was a weekend anyway…No one would notice. “Sticks, you idiot!” A familiar voice yelled. “Wake up!” That’s when he was slapped. He sat up with a jolt, his eyes wide and breathing heavy. “Ouch!” He yelled, cradling his cheek in one hand. Goodness, it was his already bruised cheek, too. As his eyes came into focus, he saw a girl in front of him with long auburn hair and an oversized Nike sweatshirt. “Maple?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. “What the-Why do you look like your skin? Did you sneak the V.R. headset on me or something? Because-If so-This isn’t funny!” Maple groaned. “Sticks, we’re in Minecraft! Like, literally!” She exclaimed. Stick’s expression seemed frozen. “What? I mean-WHAT?!” *No, no, no, this had to be a lie, some cruel joke.* Sticks pinched himself-Hard. He felt it, he felt all the pain, which meant. “Oh gosh.” He whispered, feeling himself began to tilt. Next thing he knew, his vision was black-And he was out.--Sticks

Dust once again felt the wind escape from him as he stopped rolling and crashed into the ground. "Ouch!" He yelled, trying to see what had knocked him down. "Oops, ehem sorryyyy." The voice, it sounded familiar. Blonde hair, turquoise eyes..."Sahara!" "Scoria!" *Oh great.* The two girls completely ignored the boy, and instead gave him some dirt in the face as they scrambled towards each other. He sat up, coughing, while the two girls were hugging and blabbling words like some turkeys. "Oh my gosh it's so nice to see you! You know we stuck in Minecraft?" "What? How did we get in here? Are we stuck? No, I have left so much stuff at home!" "Gurl what do you mean? This will be fun!" Dust walked in between the two, cutting off their conversation. "Sorry to bother your girl talk after you just knocked me into the dirt, but do any of you know how we got stuck?" They all looked at one another. "I just remembered I was playing Minecraft before pixels seemed to fly around me," Scoria confessed. "I thought I was just getting tired and was about to head off to bed."There was some silence, before the dark haired boy lifted his eyes to the sky. Already, the sun was in the middle of the sky. "We'll find out what to do, but nights gonna come and we have nothing." They all scanned their eyes around till Sahara started to jump. "A village! Over there!"--Dust, Sahara and Scoria

Maddy fumbled around in her inventory, present on her in a satchel, looking for her stash of emeralds. Upon discovering them, she pulled them out and laid them on the table in front of her. “Is that enough?” She asked, tilted her head slightly. The villager in front of her smiled, sweeping the emeralds into the pocket of his cloak. “Perfect, as usual.” He grinned, placing a stack of bread on then table. Maddy shoved the bread into her satchel- all except for one-Which she kept in her hand to eat on her way back to her treehouse. “Thank you.” She bowed her head slightly as a sign of respect. The villager bowed back. Maddy turning away to head back to her house. She glanced up, noticing the sun dipping below the western horizon. Self-consciously, she shifted her sword to her hand, as well as donning her chainmail armor. She could take a few monsters, but it was better safe than sorry. And then, she saw them. Three small figures on top of the hill, their bodies boxy and varied-Unlike the villagers. Maddy felt her breath catch in her throat as her eyes widened. *More players?*--Maddy

Dust walked in front as they walked down the hill towards the village. The sounds of animals and villagers sounded around them as they started to look around. "Ok girls," Dust started as he turned to the girls. "Girls?" He sighed frustratingly as the two girls were looking at jewels a villager was offering. "Oh my gosh a diamond!" Sahara and Scoria squealed. "This would look soo cute!" The dark haired boy walked over, smiled at the villager, mouthing *Sorry,* before he dragged the wiggling girls away. "Focus! We have to stay the night here." He insisted. "We need to find a empty house." He looked around the crowded area, and gloomily mumbled, "That should be hard."--Dust

Maddy’s eyes widened as they came closer-Finding their way to the center of the village. On an impulse, the brown-haired girl followed them, putting her sword back in its sheath. Spotting a head of brown hair, she sped up. “Hey!” She yelled at them, waving as she approached them cautiously.--Maddy

Dust paused, feeling like he heard someone say "hey" or something. He looked around, but only say the moving figures of the busy villagers. "Did you guys hear that?" He asked the girls, who had stopped beside him. "Mhm," Sahara responded, while Dust wondered to himself. *Who said that? Are we just imagining it?* Soon, he noticed a small hand waving in the crowd. "Wait wait wait." Out of the crowd emerged a very tanned girl...Who had a sword by her side. *Shoot we don't have any weapons.* Before the girl could even reach them, Scoria whispered, "She's gonna kill us, I'll come up from the back, you two on the front." The dark haired girl started to move away, but Dust grasped her arm. "Wait you pshyco, she hasn't done anything yet. You don't have to fight everyone here." His sister eyed him, and muttered, "Don't blame me if we get killed."--Dust and Scoria

As soon as she saw the figures crouch into defensive position, Maddy stopped. A couple feet from them now, she examined their faces with a skeptical expression. Well, they still looked like players, so that was good. She lifted her hands off the hilt of her sword slowly. "I'm not going to hurt you!" She explained. "I've just never seen any other players before, and I...I was curious, that's all."--Maddy

Dust cast a glance at Scoria, before he stepped forward so he was 3 feet away from her. "I'm sorry, my sister likes to...Think the worst in everything." He sighed. "It's nice to see another player, what's your name?" He clicked to see her username, but glitchy words showed so he couldn't see what is said. He squinted, thinking he saw other...Players? He shook his head. *I'll look at that later.*--Dust

Maddy smiled ever so briefly, sticking her hand out. “My name’s Maddy.” She explained. “And you are?” She asked, though she inclined her head to the girls behind the man.--Maddy

"Dust." Dust reached out and shook hands with her. "She's Sahara," He pointed at the girl in the pirate outfit, "And that's," "I'm Scoria." His sister stepped forward, a small smile on her face. The dark haired boy rolled his eyes, before he faced Maddy. "How long have you been here?" He asked, bringing the subject that they were stuck in Minecraft.--Dust

“Oh.” Maddy rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. “Well…I suppose a few months or so. It’s hard to tell time when the days go by so fast.” She chuckled awkwardly, before her gaze moved over the setting sun. Then, she had an idea. “Speaking of days going by,” She began, shifting her gaze back to her new acquaintances.  “There’s no way you’re going to get a room here if you haven’t already. But, I do have my house near here, so if you wanted to, you could stay there…I mean, I have a few extra rooms.”-- Maddy

Dust didn't bother to look at the girls, as he already felt they were glaring into his back. "Sure, that would be great. Thanks!" He smiled.--Dust

"Okay." Maddy gave the boy a closed eyed smile, letting out a breathe in relief. "C'mon, then, it shouldn't be too far away." The girl turned around, beginning the trek out of the village and into the foliage of the jungle nearby. However, she stopped in front of it, turning to her companions. The sun was still up, thank goodness, but that didn't matter in the jungle. "Here." She said, handing the three of them wooden swords. "There might-I mean, there will be mobs in there. Keep a look out for any, but stay close to me." And then, sword in hand, Maddy dove into the jungle.-- Maddy

Scoria flipped the sword in her hand, before she shurgged. "It'll be better if I fight with my hands." She was about to toss it, but Sahara grabbed her hand. "Don't do that, she gave us each a sword to protect us. And also, it could be different since we are actually *in* Minecraft." The dark haired girl was about to protest to her friend, but she met the glare of Dust. She sighed frustratingly, before muttered, "*Fine*."--Scoria and Sahara

Maddy hummed lightly to herself as she made her way through the jungle, her feet landing on the same path she had marked out with a shovel only a month before. She felt peaceful here again, despite the light chatter from behind her, because-as it had been-This place and this terrain around her was her home. The girl put her hands in her pockets, and she walked along, casting a sidelong glance at Dust behind her. She felt rather sorry for him- after all, he had just landed in strange terrain and was now following a complete stranger through one of the most dangerous biomes in Minecraft.-- Maddy

Sahara walked happily beside Scoria, looking at the tall trees of the jungle with the vines dripping down. *It's so cool to see it with your own eyes!* She became so distracted she started to fall behind, and before she knew it she heard a sound. She looked around, but only saw the small figures of the group walking away from her. "Hey! Wai-" Her sentence was cut off as the sound was heard again, and a spider attacked her from behind knocking her over. She gave a bloodcurling scream as it's red eyes glowed and it's snapping jaws came closer. She tried to kick it off her, but it had dug it's legs deep into the ground. *This is it! I'm done!* She covered her face with her arms, although that wouldn't do much. Suddenly, she heard a screech from above and suddenly the spider got lose from her for a few seconds. She jumped up and without thinking just started to kick and stab the spider till became a mixture of guts. "Sahara! Stop, it's dead! Sahara!" Scoria grabbed her, making her finally stop hitting it. The blonde girl's hair was everywhere, her legs had some minor scratches, and she was panting so hard she had to lean against her friend. "Next time let's try not to fall behind." Sahara nodded, smiling lightly, before she murmured, "The spider seemed like it got off the floor for a second. How?" A little squeak from below made the two look down. A medium sized green parrot was looking at the pirate girl, it's head tilted as it squeaked again. It hopped over to the girl, and started to whistle to her. It started to look her up and down as if he were checking to see if she was ok. "Ohhh it was you?" Sahara bent down, and picked the bird up on her finger. "Well thank you, little cutie."--Sahara

Maddy whipped around, her eyes widening. “Oh shoot!” She yelled, running as fast as she could towards to noises. However, she got there too late. The spider was already dead, Scoria standing over it with a bloody sword. Maddy sucked in a breath, balling her hand into fists. She was tempted to yell at them but managed to swallow down her scream. Instead, she hissed a string of curse words in Italian-Shaking her head in exasperation. “Are you ok?” She asked, examining Sahara. She sighed, looking at the cuts covering her arms.--Maddy

Sahara grinned. "Oh I'm fine! This little bird saved me!" Her smile soon faded as she noticed everyone else was very serious, and she looked down. "Uhm sorry." Dust bit his cheek, before he commanded, "C'mon let's go, I'll walk in the back." He gave Maddy an apologetic look, before he motioned the girls forward.--Sahara and Dust

Maddy shrugged. "It's fine, I suppose." She mumbled, but she felt better knowing someone else was in the back. After more-uneventful-walking, Maddy saw the familiar top of her treehouse emerging from the branches. Looking around, she pressed a hand to the trunk of a nearby jungle tree. There was the sound of gears moving inside, and an iron door emerged from the outside. Pulling out a key, Maddy unlocked the door and gestured inside. “You can go first.” She nodded to the group. “Just follow the staircase upwards and you should make it up.”--Maddy

Dust nodded, and shoved the girls first before he followed after. It was a while before they entered the impressive house. "Thanks again for having us."--Dust

"Oh," Maddy blushed. "It's nothing. Just helping out some fellow players, you know? Anyway, feel free to look around." She gestured to two rooms off of the main one. "Those should be your bedrooms. If there's anything in the chest, you can have it." Then, Maddy's eyed widened. "Oh, shoot! You're probably hungry-I can make some tea and soup! Soup sounds good. I-I'll, um, do that!" Maddy turned and hightailed it to the kitchen, feeling stressed with all the company. *Gosh, I didn't think this through.*--Maddy

"Don't worry-" Dust started, but the girl already started for her kicthen. He rolled his lips in, before he turned to the girls. "You two can share a room." He saw Scoria open her mouth, and he rephrased sternly, "*You two share a room*." With that being said, he walked to the smallest room, giving his sister a look. The room gave him peaceful vibes, and he breathed in deeply. There was a chest, and curious, he opened it to find a whole iron set with a diamond sword. "Woaw." *If there's anything in the chest, you can have it.* The dark haired boy shook his head. *I'll ask*.--Dust

"Idiot-Irresponsible-" Maddy mumbled, her hands already reaching for the bucket she kept her water in. Filling it up, she left the mug to heat on the stove, pulling out four mugs and a variety of tea bags. Something brushed up against her legs, and Maddy looked down to see Aria-her tabby cat- with a sullen look on its face. Maddy picked the cat up, hugging it to her chest. "Aww, my baby, did you miss me?" She cooed, and Aria purred. "Don't worry." She then whispered. "We'll get through this together." The hot water whistled on the stove and Maddy dropped the cat, picking up the bucket. Maddy felt herself relax as the hot water poured over the tea- filling the room with a beautiful aroma.--Maddy

Sahara dropped onto the bed, and let out a loud sigh. "Gosh, who knew Minecraft beds were so comfy." Scoria chuckled, before she decided to look through the chest. "Hmmm, not really anything in here-" She stopped talking as she picked up a iron sword. "Actually, this is good." A creak at the window made her look up, and there was the green parrot again. Sahara jumped up and ran to the window. "Oh hey little cutie! You came!" She rumbled through the chest before she found some seeds. "Here, little guy." She smiled as the bird pecked the food in her hand. "Ok now, I need to go, so shoo." She motioned her hands for the bird to go, but he stayed there with his head tiled. "Go, fly away!" Instead if listening, the bird hopped onto Sahara's head, and settled himself as if her hair were a nest. "Uhm I don't think he'll leave." They two girls laughed.--Sahara and Scoria

The mugs now complete, Maddy arranged them in the table she had in the kitchen, as well as placing some biscuits (for you non-british people this means cookies) in the middle. "Perfect." She sighed happily. "A little late for tea-time, but good for company." Maddy turned, about to go check on them, but she shook her head. *On second though, they probably need some time to rest.* She though, and sat down by herself, taking that first delicious sip of tea. Aria placed herself by the windowsill, soaking in the last rays of the sun.--Maddy

"I can't believe you actually fainted!" Maple teased, looking at Sticks with an amused glint in her gaze. Sticks groaned, burying his head in his hands. "Oh, be quiet. It was very surprising news." He mumbled, causing Maple to giggle. The two had managed to get some wooden tools, which included a sword Maddy did not know the slightest bit how to us. Now they were heading towards a jungle biome in hopes they could find shelter in the trees. "It is very excited, though, right?" Maple added later, causing Sticks to jump slightly. "I mean-being able to experience your favorite game like this? It's every gamer's dream!" She laughed. Sticks gave a shaky sigh, rubbing the back of his head. "Yes, but what if we die in here? Do we die in the real world too?" He stressed, feeling fear in his heart. Maple went quieter, taking Sticks hand in her own, giving it a comforting squeeze. "We'll be fine." She grinned. "Together, we can do anything!" She yelled this part, shooting their hands up in a sign of confidence. Sticks gave a breathy laugh, enjoying the feeling of Maple's hand in his own. That made him feel better; it always did.--Sticks

Dust already had enough of the room, and decided to check on the others. He walked out to see Maddy was sitting comfortably with the snacks. She's waiting for us. He hurried to the girls' room to see them with the green parrot again. "Hey, Maddy's waiting for us. C'mon put the bird outside." The girls looked at each other, before they slowly obeyed. "You can play with him later, but we have to be respectful since she let some strangers into her home. Not many people would do that." He pointed out as the two girls walked past him.--Dust

"Well." Maddy began once her guests were seated, and each had a mug of tea in their hand. "I don't think we've had a proper introduction quite yet." She smiled slightly. "I'm Maddy, from the UK originally. Hence, the tea." She joked, gesturing to the mugs. "Where are you all from?" She asked. "Before all this, I mean."--Maddy

Dust cleared his throat as he made eye contact with Scoria. "Well my sister and I are pure Austrian, but we moved to the U.S. after a few years living there." There was some silence before Sahara smiled. "I'm not sure where I was born, since my parents traveled by sea. But I speak Greek, so I'm assuming they were Greek."--Dust and Sahara

“Oh-neat!” Maddy smiled. “Greece is-” Suddenly, there was the sound of something hitting the back window, causing Maddy to whip around. She saw a rock lodged in the area around the broken glass, and she immediately knew what it was. *Why did he have to come now?* She thought, frowning. *Gosh, he is so annoying!* Turning around, she hoped the man outside her window would go away. Mere second later, another rock hit the window. “Excuse me.” She hissed, pushing up from her chair and hurrying to the ladder which led down to the ground-grabbing her sword just in case. Descending quickly, she opened the door at the bottom to find a man a few feet away, a small pile of rocks in his hands. Maddy cleared her throat, crossing her arms in disgust. The man turned, a grin breaking onto his face upon the sight of her. “‘Ello, Mads!” The boy grinned. Maddy deadpanned. “Tommy, what do you want? I should have you know I have guests over and you’re being quite disturbing to them. Also, don’t call me ‘Mads’.” Tommy gave Maddy a lopsided smile. “Whoops, sorry.” He laughed awkwardly. “I was actually wonderin’ if you would let me come inside for a bit? I won’t be too much trouble.” Maddy shook her head, refusing to change her stance…even though it got harder every time he smiled. “No.” She managed. Tommy frowned. “Please?...” He asked again. Maddy gave in. “Fine,” She sighed. “but I swear, if you-” She was interrupted by Tommy giving her a brief hug around the neck. “Thanks mate!” He yelled, before climbing up the ladder, already disappearing into the darkness. Maddy stood there, before slowly feeling her neck. She blushed, a smile spreading onto her face. Then, she shook her head-face going hard. *Tommy is an idiot.* She muttered, slowly climbing up the ladder to catch up to him.-–Maddy

Tommy fidgeted with the patches on his hoodie, a pleased grin on his face. That was score one for him on his expedition of find a new friend. Hyper would be proud. Someone shoved him from behind. “Hey, you going to go anywhere, or was this all some prank?” A familiar British voice asked. Tommy blinked. “Whoops.” He flushed red with embarrassment, starting towards the kitchen. He was surprised to find three new players sitting at the table. He gasped, before a grin settled onto his face. He started towards the blonde girl first, sticking out his hand to her. “Hello!” He exclaimed. “The name’s Tommy. I’m Mads’ friend.”  He gestured to the British girl, who scoffed lightly, already taking her place back at the table.-–Tommy

Sahara couldn't help but grin, and she shook the lad's hand, before she sat back down so he could greet the others. "I'm Sahara, nice to meet you." She could see Maddy's face, and wondered if she should feel bad for the girl or happy that she had a good friend.--Sahara

Tommy sat down, munching on a cookie. "Good stuff-yeah." He nodded. Maddy sighed. "Anyway," she mumbled. "Back to what I was going to say. Do you guys remember anything about the Crash?"--Maddy

Dust shook his head, and sighed. "For me, I was just playing Minecraft of course when pixels started to fly around me. Then a big boom sounded and then here I am." He shrugged, and he leaned forward, the thought that they might never return to their lives pressuring him. "Have you found any way we could escape?" He looked up, and added in a more distant voice. "How about other players...?"--Dust

Tommy choked on his cookie, causing the group to look at him in confusion. Tommy quickly drank some water to clear his throat, before sucking in a breath, now fidgeting with a loose string on his hoodie. "Well, I had a friend once. His name's Hyper-and I found him not too long ago.” Tommy began, frowning as he remembered how distressed his friend had been. “He was wandering around muttering to himself about something, and when I asked him what happened, he said he made some bad decisions, something about a girl or other. Left pretty quickly after that, but he mentioned something about defeating the ender dragon? It makes sense, though, since that’s how you beat Minecraft.” Tommy shrugged, turning to Maddy, who took a breath, appearing to think.--Tommy

Dust frowned. "The ender dragon is to beat Minecraft, but that might not mean it's the escape. We wouldn't want to risk our lives, just to find out that's not how we escape." He sat back, and tapped his finger on his nose before he spoke. "I checked to see the other users on the severs, but they were blurred out. Tommy, did this Hyper mention any other players? Have you met any, Maddy?" He gave a begging look with his dark eyes.--Dust

“Ok, interesting.” Maddy nodded. “I don’t know any other player’s, unfortunately, except for you guys and this idiot.” She elbowed Tommy, who almost spilled his tea as he glared at her. “So, if we don’t have any better ideas, we could always ask the villagers."--Maddy

“Look!” Maple yelled, pointing over the ridge nearby and into a village. Sticks practically collapsed in relief. A village and the sun finally peaking over the horizon painted a picturesque screen over the rolling plains. Sticks had never been happier to see other humans. Approaching the village, Maple noticed that the villagers’ heads followed her wherever she went, the groups whispering among themselves. She caught a snippet of conversation nearby at a weapons shop. “More?” One man asked, his tone deadpan. “Guess so.” His apprentice added. “I shouldn’t be surprised-they aren’t the first. Maybe they’re friends of Maddy gone looking for her.” Maple’s eyes widened and she whipped around to face them. “What do you mean by other players?” She asked. Sticks’ eyes widened at her outburst, and he gently tugged on her arm. “Maple, I don’t think that was meant for us-” He began, but the villager interrupted her. “I’ve seen a couple players run through her lately, I was just wonderin’ if you were with ‘em.” He explained. Maple’s eyes sparked. “We are actually.” She said slowly, watching Sticks out of the corner of her eye as he shook his head violently. She ignored him. “Do you know which way they went?” She asked. The villager gestured towards a jungle. “Maddy lives over there, and your group of players went with ‘er to ‘er house.” He explained. Maple nodded. “Ok then, I best be going.” She said, sliding away. “Wait!” The apprentice villager called, holding out an iron sword to Maple with a blushing expression. “Take this-it's dangerous.” He stammered. Maple grinned. “Thanks!” She exclaimed, taking the sword with an awe-struck expression. The villager smiled at her. Sticks felt jealousy flare inside him and he cleared his throat. “Maple’s right-we better be going.” He said, deadpan. Grabbing Maple’s arm, he pulled her away without any room for more conversation. Now, the duo was heading towards the jungle, a few moments later they were in it, and then Sticks caught sight of an iron door built into a tree. “Look!” He whispered to Maple, gesturing to it. The girl’s eyes widened. “This must be the house.” Maple exclaimed, before walking up and pressing the button next to it. Immediately, a loud clang was heard inside. “Maple, I really don’t think this is a good idea…”  Sticks murmured.--Maple

Sahara puckered her lips to one side of her face as she listened to the others. "We can go and do that tomorrow." She suggested, although it was common sense since it was so dark outside.--Sahara

Immediately, Tommy jumped at the doorbell. Maddy shot him a glare, as if saying, *This was all you and your inventions-right?* Tommy shook his head at her, then yelled, “I GOT IT!” as he leapt out of his chair and ran down to the balcony overlooking the doorway. He saw two figures standing in the dark, their conversation loud enough to reach his ears. They sounded…worried. Tommy leapt down the ladder and opened the door.  “‘Ello!” He exclaimed, a grin settling on his face. “Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?” The figures stood there as frozen as a deer in headlights, allowing Tommy to examine them. One boy, with his face shadowed by a mob of dark hair, as well as a girl with an iron sword in her hand. A few moments later, the boy cleared his throat, causing the girl to move. “Hello, my name’s Maple.” She introduced herself. “And that’s Sticks. We heard from the villagers there were other players here?”--Tommy

Scoria heard voices outside, and glanced at Dust as she snuck her sword closer to her. She stood up, and walked over so she was between Sahara and Dust. She looked a Maddy for a second, pretty sure she didn't know who was outside either.--Scoria

“There is, but how did you know that?” Tommy squinted at them. The girl opened her mouth to say something, but Sticks elbowed her hard in the stomach, saying something himself. “We’re stuck in Minecraft right now, actually, and are hoping to find a way out.” He explained. Tommy nodded. “Stay right here.” He ordered, before scrambling back up the ladder. Breathless, he ran back into the kitchen, facing the other players. “There’s two players down there-” He managed. “They-They said they’re need a way out.”--Tommy

Dust gave Scoria a glare until Tommy hurried up the ladder. After hearing what the boy had to say, he look at Maddy as thoughts ran in his head.--Dust

Maddy sighed. "Let them in." She mumbled, pressing her fingers to her temples. "There should be enough water left in the kettle for two more sets of tea." Tommy grinned. "On it, Mads!" He exclaimed, running back down the ladder. Maddy caught Dust's gaze and shrugged, an exasperated glint in her gaze.--Maddy

Dust closed his eyes, trying to relax himself before he looked at Maddy again. "By the way, I found uhm a whole set of iron armor and a diamond sword in my chest. You sure you don't want it?" He forced a small smile.--Dust

Maddy smiled back, relieved at least someone in this group had proper manners. “Yes, you may.” She nodded to him. “But only because you asked.” She teased. “No, I think I need a nap-so I’ll hopefully be out soon. Help yourself to whatever.” And then she was gone.--Maddy

Slowly, Sticks climbed up the ladder after Maple*. Ridiculous-ridiculous-why would I ever let her drag me into this?* He thought to himself. *She’s too trusting sometimes.* Sticks paused when he saw daylight above and sucked in a breath*. Maybe these people have answers? Maybe they can get us out.* Finally, Sticks hauled himself out of the shaft, and into the stares of the people in the room. He said nothing, reaching out instinctively for Maple’s hand. She didn’t take it, too distracted by the players. “Hello!” She exclaimed. “I’m Maple. Who are ya’ll?”--Sticks

Dust smiled at Maddy, thankful for giving him permission, before he turned to see a girl and a boy behind Tommy. He looked at Scoria, who had already sat down beside him giving him a look that said You're fault if we get killed. Dust sighed, before he said, "I'm Dust. This is my sister, Scoria, and her friend, Sahara."--Dust

“Hello!” Maple smiled, before gesturing to her friend. “This is Sticks.” She said. “He doesn’t really like to talk.” Sticks flushed at this, looking away. “Anyway,” Maple continued. “Do you have any food? I’m starving!”–-Maple

Maddy sighed, finding her room. Opening the door, she stumbled over to her bed, collapsing onto it. She sighed, rubbing her eyes. So many people inside her house-was it a hotel now? She groaned, flopping over. Gosh, she didn’t like this. Dust seemed nice and sensible, but the others were too much. She sighed, closing her eyes.--Maddy

Sahara frowned. "I'm Maddy does, but I don't think we should take any without her permission." Scoria spoke up. "I haven't eaten my biscuit, and I had one that's pretty nice and plump. You guys can share." She gave a forced kind smile as she reached her hand out.--Sahara and Scoria

“Ok, that sounds good!” Maple grinned at Sahara, taking the biscuit and breaking it in half. She handed one half to Sticks, who eyed it cautiously. He did not eat it, but Maple dove in. “This place is so neat, by the way-I can’t believe its up in a tree! Where’s the kitchen? How many bedrooms are there? Also-I got a free sword from the village yesterday, and it was awesome!” She rambled, her mouth full. “Also, I’m sure the Maddy girl won’t mind-she’ll never notice if we take something, right?”-- Maple

Tommy left the girl to her rambles, finding his way to Dust’s side. He noticed the absence of Maddy a few moments later, curiosity and worry worming into him. “Hey, do you know where Mads went?” He asked Dust, raising an eyebrow.--Tommy

Scoria spoke up once again. "Sahara and I can sleep on the couch." She gave her blonde hair bestie a glare that said *Don't say anything*. "Wether Maddy notices or not, it's best that we don't steal, especially since she let us in her house. Remember, we're complete strangers." She frowned.--Scoria

Dust turned to face the Tommy. "I'm pretty sure she went to her room, she seems stressed." He pointed out.--Dust

“Oh.” Tommy said. “Do we do something about that?” He asked after some period of silence.--Tommy

Dust gave a type of grin where he thought he knew the truth but doesn't think it's a good idea to say that. "Uh probably because she has a lot of other players that have been sucked into Minecraft in her house." He pointed out, hoping to comfort Tommy.--Dust

Tommy shrugged. "I guess you're right." He mumbled, shoving his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. "Anyway, you're Dust, right?" Tommy felt slightly obligated to talk to this man, considering this was the only male his age he had seen in a while. "I like that name. Has a nice name-and it rolls off the tongue."--Tommy

"Oh fine..." Maple muttered, sticking her tongue out.--Maple

Scoria rolled her coral red eyes, before she started walking to her room. "I'm getting all our stuff out Sahara." She muttered.--Scoria

Dust chuckled softly. "Yep, that's my name." He smiled, sincerely this time. "Tommy sounds better, kinda got a nice...Happy feeling in it."--Dust

Tommy felt a huge grin burst onto his face. “Thank you!” He exclaimed. “I’m glad we both like each other’s names. Ya’know, my mom always said not to put your real name on the internet, but I feel like my name kinda fit on it. But then again, she got mad after I touched a dead rat in the yard in 7th grade, so we can disregard her opinion. The rat didn’t have rabies! I got tested for that. Anyway, I’m glad I kept it-my name, I mean. Also, do you want to be friends? You don’t talk very much and I feel like that’s good so I can talk more for you. I had this other friend who talked a lot and it was very hard not to talk over him.”--Tommy

(TOMMY MY BOY HE ACTS JUST LIKE ME-) -- rosey

Maple frowned after Scoria, arms crossed. “I don’t like her.” She remarked to Sticks, swallowing the last of her biscuit. “She’s very…unfriendly.” The girl shuddered dramatically. Sticks nodded, though he felt as though he understood the girl. Maple was off-putting, to say the least. “Are you ok, Sticks?” Maple asked, turning to face him. “You’ve been very quiet.” Sticks sighed. “I, um…I just don’t feel well.” He lied. “I think I need some rest.”--Maple

(Lol thats a good thing)-Rowan

Dust's smile turned into a grin. "You have some stories!" He pointed out. "Of course we can be friends. I like it better when people talk for me. Kinda rare to find them, at least for me." He laughed. "But then again I don't really talk."--Dust

Scoria returned just in time to hear Sticks' remark as her arms were filled with the stuff Sahara and her found in the chest plus their own things. "You can go in, we haven't touched the bed." She looked at Maple, then at Sahara. *Something happened?* She shrugged to herself, and set the things beside the couch.--Scoria

“Awesome, mate!” Tommy exclaimed, pumping his fist in excitement. “Alrighty, then.” He rubbed his hands together. “Question time. Is Sahara your girlfriend?”--Tommy

Sticks watched Scoria move the furniture for a while, then coughed as Maple shoved him forward with a large amount of force. “Go help her, man.” Maple whispered in his ear. “She obviously needs it.” Sticks bit his lip, but sighed, cautiously approaching her. “Do you want some help with that?” He managed.--Sticks

Dust had to keep himself from falling off the couch as he was laughing like he never had done in his life. "My girlfriend?" He said as quietly as he could. "No no no, she's my sister's best friend." He wiped tears from his light brown eyes. "Why? Doooo you like herrr?" He teased.--Dust

Scoria was about to retort, but she felt some "sympathy" for the boy. *Imagine, he's stuck with her.* "Uhm if you could get some of the extra blankets in the closet that'll be great, thanks." She rolled her lips into an awkward smile.--Scoria

Tommy’s face went red immediately. “Ew, no!” He exclaimed. “For one thing, girls as a romantic interest are kinda gross, and for another, she keeps looking at *you* like she’d jump off a cliff if it meant you just touched her!”--Tommy

“Ah, ok.” Sticks backed away and headed toward the closet, but not before giving Maple a glare. Maple just smiled, which made Sticks stomach do flips. He looked away quickly, covering his face with a new pile of blankets. Rounding the corner of the entrance room, Sticks found the “living room” of the estate; Sticks was surprised at the sheer size of this place. How long had the builder been in here if it meant she had made all of this? He placed the blankets down on the couch with a slight sigh.--Sticks

Now it was Dust's turn for his face to grow hot. "Huh? Me?!" Dust glanced at Sahara, just in time to see her look away. "Uh no no no." He covered his face with his hands as it grew redder.--Dust

Scoria didn't look up as she just finished one couch. "Thanks." She said simply.--Scoria

Tommy laughed at his reaction. “Okay, I’ll admit it, she is kinda cute. You should take this opportunity, man!” Whatever Dust would have said back, however, was interrupted by the appearance of Maddy in front of them. She seemed oddly determined, making eye contact with Tommy with no restraint. She clapped her hands together. “I need everyone in the kitchen, now.”--Tommy

Sahara hopped to her feet and gave a confused glance at Scoria before she followed her host to the kitchen.--Sahara

“Well.” Maddy said once everyone was seated. It was time for her to take charge. “I can only hope this is everyone, because there’s already a lot of us. But, I must say that there’s an important thing you all must do. You,” She said, glaring at everyone around her, “must figure out what to do either to escape Minecraft or whatever, or to make a life for yourself in Minecraft. Either way, I expect all of you out and somewhere by tomorrow night!”-- Maddy

Dust nodded, feeling slight pride at how Maddy bounced back with a commanding attitude. "My group will, I promise. But thank you for letting us stay for this one night."--Dust

“Thank you.” Maddy gave a relieved smile. Then, Maple spoke up. “I’m sure Sticks n’ I can figure something out.” She managed, before glancing at her companion. Sticks nodded to Maple in approval. “I’m sure it can’t be too hard to make a house.”--Maddy

Tommy shrugged, a lopsided grin on his face. “Welp, guess I’m back to my regular life then. I can still visit though, right Mads?” Maddy sighed but nodded anyway.--Tommy

Dust started to think of the village. *Maybe there some old houses there...*He snapped out of his thoughts has he started to feel drowsiness. *I didn't know you really get tired in Minecraft. Imma have to get used to this.*--Dust

“Well.” Maddy said, her face softening at Dust’s weary expression, “I think that’s enough for today then. We can talk more in the morning.”--Maddy

Maple nodded, taking Sticks’ hand as the two made their way back to the room. Both of them lay down on the bed with a sigh. “So, this is it, then?” Sticks managed. “We’re stuck in Minecraft for the rest of our lives?” Maple closed her eyes. “I guess so.” She sighed. “I kinda thought it would be fun for this to happen…but it’s rather boring.” “It’s scary.” Sticks shuddered. “What happens if you die in here? I can’t stop thinking about that.” Maple made no reply, causing Sticks to turn his head. Her eyes were closed, breathing evenly. She was out. Sticks felt a light smile creep onto his face as he pulled the blankets over the two of them as he slowly found himself in a troubled sleep.--Sticks

Dust nodded his appreciation to Maddy before he slowly made his way to his room. A creak behind him made him turn around to see Scoria looking up at him. He wrapped his arms around her and laid his chin on her head. "Good night sis." The dark haired girl returned the hug, and murmured, "Do you think we'll ever go back to see mum? She'll be worried." The question choked Dust, and it took a while before he responded. "I'm sure we will, it just might take a while." Scoria shook her head and took a step back with a small smile. "I want to adventure tomorrow, so that when we go back and dad returns he can be proud of us!" *Dad can be proud of us.* "I'm sure he is." Dust said as he forced smiled, before he walked into his room. *Dad..*.--Dust and Scoria

“Well.” Tommy cleared his throat. It was unnatural for him to be so quiet. Maddy turned to the boy with a deadpan expression, saying nothing. “I guess I’ll go back to my house now.” He forced a grin. Maddy stifled a laugh. “You mean your hole in the ground?” She teased. Tommy blushed. “It’s a hobbit hole, thank you very much.” Tommy said, advancing towards the door. He waited again, as if expecting Maddy to say something. Then, he grabbed the ladder rung, his face slightly disappointed. “I’ll be back in the morning.” He smiled, before he was gone.

Maddy paused, unsure what was up with him, before shrugging and heading up to her hammock. The treehouse was quiet and calm, a breeze blowing through the open windows-the sounds of the jungle muted and peaceful outside. Maddy smiled, pausing to examine the rooms of her companions to make sure they were ok. Once satisfied, she lay down in her hammock and stared up at the sky.

It was peaceful now; exactly how she liked it.--Maddy

(Idk if you wanted something to happen in the night but if so we can roll back. Imma make it morning already)-Rowan

Sahara heard birds outside, and she groaned as she covered her hears. "Be quieeet." She rolled to the side, and next thing she new she collapsed on the ground. "Ouch!" She sat up, her hair all over her face. "Good morning." Scoria was already sitting up, her face in a teasing grin. "Looks like you slept wonderfully Sahara." "Oh shut up." They laughed softly.--Sahara and Scoria

(it’s cool!) -- rosey

True to his word, Tommy woke up early that morning, packing his backpack with some essential items- TNT, flint and steel, redstone, and so on- before beginning his walk out of his house in the plains and into the jungle. As he walked, he put his hands in his pockets, appreciating the morning sun, Before entering the darkness of the jungle. Two minutes in, he though he heard something behind him. Turning, he saw nothing but the green foliage. He kept walking. Then, he heard the sound again. A light hiss, growing louder as time went on. Five seconds later, he realized what it was. Five seconds later, the explosion knocked him off his feet.--Tommy

Dust had just appeared from his room, his hair still messy and his loose t-shirt unorganized. Before he even said anything, he heard a boom. "What was that?" He asked, his light brown eyes worried. "I think we should go outside." He started for the door.--Dust

Tommy dreamt he had died. He was floating through space, his body nothing more than a transparent sheet of cloth-no longer tethered to reality. It was quiet, so quiet you could have heard a pin drop a mile away. As Tommy opened his eyes, he saw something in front of him. A portal made of strange blue blocks, white lighting the fabric inside. Tommy leapt to his feet, feeling excitement surge through him as he ran to it. This could be the way out, right? He ran forward, his feet feeling light finally, his heart excited and happy. Then, everything froze, and Tommy felt everything tilt. He screamed, not wanting this place to disappear. But in a second, his vision was gone again.

He blinked his eyes open, greeted no longer by the warm sights of his dream, but instead the feeling of rain beginning to blanket his body. Tommy stood up, feeling dizzy as he leaned against a tree. He rubbed his forehead, before pulling back his hands. He winced, seeing the burn marks crawling up his arm.-- Tommy

Dust ran outside, just to see Tommy leaning against a tree all wet and covered with burn marks. "Tommy!" He yelled, and ran into the ran to help the boy inside. "What happened?" He asked concernedly as Sahara handed him a blanket.--Dust

So, he wasn’t dead, then. Tommy groaned again, his vision slowly becoming more stable as he made out the face of Dust in front of him, a worried expression on his face. “I don’t know?” He tried to say, but it slurred the more it tried to come out. He sighed, giving up already. He gave Dust a smile, anyway, trying to comfort his friend. When his gaze landed on Sahara, he tried to grin at her, focusing on the ocean blue of her eyes. Those managed to ground him, and he felt his speech returning. “I-I think…think a creeper exploded.” He explained, smiling sheepishly. Maddy was going to be so mad.--Tommy

"What?!" Dust exclaimed, but decided it was best to not push on the past subject. "You need to change, here's some new clothes. We'll look for some food for you." He offered the bundle to his friend, before a thought came to his head. "Do you need some medicine? Maybe you want to take a bath?" No matter how much he tried, Dust couldn't stop thinking of how he could make things better. *Some way to start the day*.--Dust

Tommy rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. “I’ll be fine, I think.” He smiled, already feeling better. “I’ll just get some bandages from my hands once we get back to Mads’ house.” It was odd, the way energy was suddenly flooding back to him. This shouldn’t be happening-especially for someone who just got caught in an explosion that could have killed them. Tommy stood up shakily but managed to walk on his own. Walking to examine the area of impact, he found his backpack and inventory contents on the ground. His flint and steel were gone, though-lost to the flames. Tommy picked up his stuff with a sigh, before turning back to the others. “We...We should go.” He managed, before giving Dust a *Can I talk to you?* expression.--Tommy

Dust wasn't sure, but he felt like Tommy was giving him a look. He didn't know what it meant, but he wanted to find out. "Hey guys go back to the house and tell Maddy please to get some bandages ready. We'll be right behind you." He assured, before he turned back to Tommy. "I feel like you want to tell me something, am I wrong?" He whispered to his friend.--Dust

Tommy waited until Sahara left before turning to Dust with a breathless expression. There was a period of silence as Tommy took a shaky breath. “Dust…” He began. “I think I died.”--Tommy

Dust blinked his light brown eyes multiple times. "You died? Wouldn't you spawn where your bed was?" He said slowly, trying to process things slowly. *He died in Minecraft...? How does that feel?* He shuddered.--Dust

(me forgetting how Minecraft works)) – rosey

Tommy scrunched up his face in confusion. “Maybe it doesn’t work like that once you’re really ‘in’ the game?” He guessed.–-Tommy

Sticks got up earlier than usual that day, stumbling into the kitchen area with a bad case of bedhead. Running a hand through his messy hair, he yawned as he found a spot at the table. He noticed that Dust and Sahara were gone, and so was Tommy. *Had they left without the others?* Sticks frowned. They wouldn’t do that, he was sure. There was a thump as Maddy came in, pulling her cardigan over her shoulders. “Where are the others?” She asked Sticks, who shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure.” He said. “If you want me to look, I can-“ “No, it’s fine.” Maddy interrupted him before he could say anything else as she began rummaging through the chest and throwing a scant few pieces of bread on the table.--Sticks

(Lol)-Rowan

Dust shrugged. "Maybe..." His voice drifted, as he shuddered again. "C'mon let's head back." He forced a smile--Dust

Sahara burst into the door, seeing Sticks and Maple. She smiled at them before she went to Maddy's room. "Hey Maddy! Uhm good morning, but we need bandages! Tommy got hurt." She frowned.--Sahara

At first, Maddy felt her stomach drop at the news. Tommy? Hurt? She couldn’t help but feel scared. However, she shook herself, forcing the fear to drop away from her. Tommy didn’t matter that much to her. As long as he was alive, she was fine. “Right, then.” She managed, Maddy grabbing some bandages and other medical supplies from the cabinet and following Sahara.-–Maddy

Scoria looked up as Sahara talked rapidly to Maddy. The next second Dust and Tommy hurled themselves into the room. She stood up and walked over to her brother and the boy. "I already cleaned the couch, sit down."--Scoria

Maddy glared at the boys but was secretly relieved that Tommy seemed ok. Marching over to them, she sat down in front of Tommy, before extending her palm. “Show me you hand.” She ordered. Tommy obeyed, though hesitant at this human contact. Maddy reached out slowly, tracing her finger across the burn marks. Tommy flinched but held firm. It appeared to hurt him. Maddy sighed. She turned to Scoria behind her, holding out a hand. “Hand me that ointment, please. It’s in the red potion bottle.” She explained. While Scoria did that, Maddy turned back to the others. “Alright, what happened?” She asked, her sharp gaze going back and forth between Dust and Tommy.--Maddy

Dust watched as his sister passed him and received the red bottle. It wasn't until Scoria gave it to Maddy that he shook his head and payed attention. "Uhm, I'm still not sure, but Tommy thinks he died...By a creeper?" He looked at his friend and then his wounds.--Dust

“You died?-” Maddy began, but Tommy interrupted her. “Hold on a second. This isn’t want you think it is.” He said, putting his hand out to stop her. Maddy blinked a few times, but-being one who had experienced a death in Minecraft herself-she wasn’t too surprised. “There was a creeper, yes, but I appear to be fine!” “Tommy, put your hand back down.” Maddy ordered. “But yes, you should be fine soon.” She explained, gently rubbing the ointment into Tommy’s skin. “Believe me, I would know.” She chuckled lightly. Tommy smiled back, and Maddy felt him relax at her touch. Once it was all in, Maddy gingerly bandaged both his hands.--Maddy

Scoria scrunched her nose as she stood beside Dust for a while, before she felt like she should start doing something productive. "Maddy, do you want someone to go hunt for breakfast? Or do you have food hear?" She asked, wanting to get to the village and explore.--Scoria

"Yep, that's fine." Maddy said, before standing up and dusting her hands off. Tommy examined the bandaging with a curious expression, before turning to Scoria. "I'll come with you." He volunteered with a grin.--Tommy

Scoria nodded her head, but when she turned around she rolled her coral red eyes. Ugh, people. She grabbed her sword, and walked to the door. "You sure you can go with your hand?" She asked as she stepped outside.--Scoria

“I’ll be fine, mate.” Tommy brushed it off, grabbing his backpack and slinging it over his shoulders. “If Maddy says I’m good, then I’m good.” He joked.-- Tommy

Scoria shrugged. "Whatever you say." She said sarcastically. She diverted her mind to the morning, and noticed how much nicer it looked from her own eyes. *Wait, I'm going to actually kill an animal, like actually me.* Slight excitement burned in her, and she clenched her sword tighter.--Scoria

Tommy pulled out his sword, putting it his sheath for easy access. “So, you’re Scoria, correct?” He began with a grin, extending a bandaged hand. “I don’t think we’ve had a proper introduction. I’m Tommy.”--Tommy

Scoria looked at Tommy's hand, then his face, then his hand. "Yea I'm Scoria, nice to meet you." She muttered, and softly shook hands with him. "You seem to make friends quickly, like you did with my brother?" She asked, supposing she should do some talking.--Scoria

Tommy gave an awkward grin. “Yeah, I suppose so!” He joked, trying to push past Scoria’s negative attitude. “Oh, I did want to ask-who’s your friend? The blonde girl?”--Tommy

Scoria nodded her head slowly. "Yea Sahara and my brother...Pretty much." She replied, before she turned to look Tommy in the eyes. "Why?"--Scoria

Tommy gave a smirk and a shrug. “I dunno…just curious I suppose.” He said, innocently, though he was really asking for Dust. “Anyways, look there.” He hissed, pointing to a clearing in the woods that held a small group of pigs in it. Then, he slowly turned his gaze back to Scoria, seeing the hungry fire in her eyes. “Think you can take ‘em?” He asked.--Tommy

For once, Scoria sneered. "Of course." She scowled softly, before she quickly ran over to some of the bushes that sheltered her from the pigs. She gave a glance at Tommy before she leaped over the leaves and rolled to the ground. Her sword sliced through the pigs, and the next thing she new all the animals laid dead.--Scoria

“Hey, nice one, mate!” Tommy exclaimed, genuinely surprised by the player’s skill. He approached her, then held out his hand for a high five.--Tommy

Scoria couldn't help but laugh as she high fived Tommy. "Thanks bud, now it's your turn." She said as she shook off the blood from her sword. *He's not as bad as the others.*..She thought to herself with a smile..--Scoria

Tommy pulled out his sword, his diligent eyes spanning the shadows. Then, he saw a pig wandering harmlessly amongst the undergrowth a few feet in front of him. The boy couldn't help but grin, crouching low so as not to be seen. He circled it, getting as close as possible before-his sword was a blur as it sliced the animal's heart, nothing but a cut-off squeal the sound that occurred. As the animal fell to the ground, blood pooling around it, Tommy couldn't help but smile. It was a small victory, in his opinion, but one worth celebrating. He picked up the pork dropped by the corpse and put it in his backpack for safe-keeping.--Tommy

"Very sneaky, nice," Scoria complimented. After a while they were carrying enough food that would last everyone a week, so Scoria started to lead the way back to Maddy's house. "How's your hand?" She asked as the tree came into view.--Scoria

Tommy peaked under the bandages. His hand was red-the veins snaking their way up his arm seeming more pronounced- but the pain he felt was dull now, soothed by the ointment from Maddy. Maddy…Tommy started to daydream just thinking about her. However, the sound of Scoria calling his name jerked him back to reality. “Oh-um, I’ll be fine!” He stammered. “Scars just make a good story, ya’know?”--Tommy

*Scars make a good story.* Scoria stared at Tommy's hand, before she just nodded. "Sure." She sighed, before she burst into the room. "We got food." She announced, as she threw her pork into the furnace.--Scoria

Maple came marching in, the smell of the meat attracting the attention of her empty stomach. “Mmm, it smells amazing-“ She began, before meeting the gaze of Scoria behind Tommy. Immediately, she soured. “Oh, it’s you.” She deadpanned, crossing her arms.--Maple

Scoria scowled at Maple and took a step closer till she was around 5 feet away. "Yea, that a problem?" She said tensely, her coral red eyes blazing. "I brought that stack of pork for everyone, but you don't need to have it if we got a problem." She threatened, her good mood gone as her quick temper rose.--Scoria

(Dramaaaaa)-Rowan

(drammaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa yes) -- rosey

“Problem?” Maple scoffed, taking a step forward so she was almost nose-to-nose with Scoria. “Oh, the only problem I have is you and that attitude-” “Maple.” A strong voice commanded, causing Maple to whip around, her piercing gaze meeting the cold one of Sticks. “Leave her alone.” Sticks ordered, though Maple couldn’t tell whether the boy was referring to her or Scoria. Either way, Maple scoffed, pausing only to give Scoria a final glare before walking away. “I’ll take the pork.” She said, glancing over her shoulder.--Maple

Sticks was furious, but the disappointed look in his eyes made his feeling seem more mundane. He grabbed Maple’s hand and dragged her away, pulling the red-haired girl into a small corridor, hopefully away from prying eyes. “What was that for?!” Sticks exclaimed, throwing his hands up. “You don’t go insulting strangers like that-” Maple scoffed, twirling her hair with one finger. “She was asking for it.” She snapped. “Can you believe the way she acts? Like a two-year-old!” “Maple!” Sticks yelled again. “We just got here. You can *not* let your temper get the best of you.” Maple was quiet at this but made no move. Sticks sighed, running a hand through his rumpled black hair. “You should apologize.” He mumbled, turning away. “For your own sake, and for mine.” Then, he was gone, leaving Maple alone with her thoughts. As Sticks found his way back to the kitchen, he shoved his hands in the pocket of his hoodie, feeling tired and drained.--Sticks

Scoria wished to dig her nails into Maple's skin, but she refrained and instead stormed outside. She ran until she came to a tree and drew her sword, letting all her fury on it. She slashed at the tree, and pieces of bark flew everywhere. "Scoria?" The dark brown haired girl whipped around with burning coral eyes to meet Dust. "Scoria, Scoria, please calm down." Dust said as he reached slowly forward for the sword, and for a moment struggled to remove it from Scoria. Then his sister let it go, and she just panted while she glared at him. "Scoria, was that really necessary?" Dust asked gently, as he leaned down. Scoria snarled, "I hunt to help some group of strangers, and she wants to have some type of attitude to me when I do nothing. I could have let her starve!" "Is that the right thing though?" The words made Scoria shoved her face in her brother's and she spat, "I don't know. But you know what I do know? You know what I do know Dust?! You always try to help the *other person*, and not *your own sister*!" She then yanked her sword back and she stormed back towards the house, leaving Dust stare sadly after.--Scoria and Dust

Tommy watched with narrowed eyes as Scoria crossed the room, confusion racking his brain. She seemed…upset. Then, his gaze found that of Sticks, who gave the blonde boy an exasperated shake of his head. Tommy gave him a supportive grin. He considered talking to someone about this, as everyone in the room but Maddy and Sahara seemed to be involved. Maybe talking to one of them would be a better idea…--Tommy

Dust stood there for a while as Scoria disappeared from his sight. Suddenly he felt weak, and really tired that he decided to slump to the ground. He laid his head against a rock, and closed his light brown eyes. Promise me one thing, take care of your sister. No matter what, okay Dedric? I love you, remember that. He sighed. I'm trying dad, it would be easier if you were here...Next thing Dust knew he heard a rustle which made him sit up straight. A peice of black cloth flashed before him, and then from some dark bushes a red eye stared him down. "Hey, come out." Dust commanded, although he didn't know if this was an animal or a person. As he came closer to the bush, a deep voice spoke. "Don't move." Dust froze, and for a second wondered if he should run. He barely moved an inch, before the next thing he knew it the light started to fade and as a sweet scent suffocated him to a deep sleep.--Dust and ???

Maddy noticed the absence of Dust instantly. She had observed the comings and goings of all, which meant she saw Scoria and Dust go out…but not her brother. She sighed, grabbing her iron sword from the chest near the door, rather annoyed he was spending so much time out there. “Hey, Sahara.” She called the blonde girl, who seemed the most responsible in this situation. “I’m going to grab Dust. Make sure everyone behaves, please.” Then she closed the hatch to the ladder and slid down. She quickly found where Scoria had been before, the chopped wood littering the ground providing all the evidence she needed. Dust, however, wasn’t there. “Hello?” She called, her voice echoing around the jungle foliage.--Maddy

Sahara widened her turquoise eyes, but with already the chaos she decided not to protest. She forced a smile, and cheered, "You can count on me!" Once the owner left the house, she thought to herself, *Why would she leave me in charge?!* The blonde girl saw Tommy look innocently at everyone, while Sticks was mad at Maple, and then Scoria and Maple were giving a vibe that felt like they wanted to kill everyone. *I don't got this...*She sighed.--Sahara

Dust didn't know how long he was blacked out, but by the time he awoke the sun was half way to noon. His stomach felt terrible, and his face felt swollen and moist. He wiped his mouth as he couldn't stop drooling, and from time to time he coughed. He blinked his brown eyes several times at the spot where he saw the red eye. *Dust!* He was snapped out of his thoughts as someone was calling his name. "I'm.......I'm here!" He groaned as loud as he could while attempting to stand up. "W-Who's there?" He stuttered.--Dust

Maddy jumped at the sound, whipping around. “Dust?” She called again, though more hesitant this time. “It’s Maddy!”–-Maddy

Tommy slowly approached Sahara, before finding a spot beside her. "Should we be worried about Maple and Scoria?" He asked slowly, before chuckling to himself.--Tommy

"Maddy! Maddy, I'm here Maddy." He groaned louder, as he finally stood up and leaned against a tree. He tried to call the girl again, but he coughed so many times he fell back onto his knees. *What even happened?* Flashbacks flew back into his head as the fight with Scoria, and then their battle with Maple were remembered. *Scoria...! Where is she? Is she okay?* "Maddy..." He whimpered this time, as his eyes started to fill with water. "Scoria...? Anyone?"--Dust

Sahara gave a nervous laugh. "Uhm probably, unless they make it up somehow..." Her voice drifted, as she stared at the two girls. She shook her head and stood up. "C'mon guys! It's almost noon and we haven't eaten!" She tried to say cheerfully as she got the food out of the furnace.--Sahara

“Darn it!” Maddy swore, hearing the far away sound of Dust calling back to her. Shoving her sword in her sheath, she quickly found her way through the leaves, now too distracted to care for her fear. One more cut through a vine, and- Maddy found the form of Dust of the ground, her fear exploding like a balloon. “You bloke!” She yelled. “I was terrified-” Then, the girl noticed his eyes; red and wet as though he had just been crying. She backed off a little, blinking a few times. “Whoops.” She whispered, crouching beside him. “Sorry-I didn’t realize-anyway, are you ok?” She managed.--Maddy

Maple scoffed. “I’d like to have some of Tommy’s meat, please.” She demanded, giving Scoria a side-long glare.--Maple

Sahara saw Scoria grit her teeth, and she said sternly, "There's no difference in the meat. You'll eat what you'll get." She took out all of Tommy's meat, and kept eye contact as she gave Tommy's meat to him and Sticks. She then took out only part of Scoria's meat for Maddy and Dust. *Wherever they are.* She handed some of the meat to Scoria, before she walked over to Maple. With her hand outstretched, Sahara asked kindly, "Now, are you going to take the food?" She added, "We already have Tommy hurt, and who knows what happened to Dust and Maddy. You going to hunt and then something happening wouldn't help." She smiled, hoping this would calm the girl.--Sahara

Dust wiped his face, and cleared his throat. *C'mon, be a man. Get up.* "Y-Yea, I'm fine. Let's just get back to the house. Please" He mumbled, although deep down he just wanted to stay on the floor and hide his face in his knees while crying.--Dust

“Hey…” Maddy said quietly, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Breathe for me.” As a demonstration, Maddy took a slow breath in through her nose, gesturing for Dust to do the same. Then, she let it out through her mouth, allowing her angry and racing heartbeat to take a well-needed pause.--Maddy

Although all that Dust really wanted was to go back the house, but he knew he couldn't make it without Maddy's help. So he relaxed himself and closed his eyes. *In and out...In and out...*He breathed and slowly he felt himself drift again into peace before he blinked his brown eyes open again. "Thanks." He mumbled, looking to the ground.--Dust

Maddy grinned, giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze before stepping back. “No problem.” She smiled, before taking a moment to glance around the clearing. In the light of the setting sun, the shattered glass that lay on the floor shone brightly, causing Maddy’s eyes to widen. *What happened here?* She wondered, stepping away from Dust and crouching to pick up a piece. It reeked of potions. She picked one up and placed it in the pocket of her cardigan. “Alright, then.” She said. “You need help getting back?” Curiosity egged her on to keep exploring, but her motherly instinct kept her close to Dust’s side.--Maddy

Dust mumbled, "Probably." He wobbled to his legs, and took a deep breath. *C'mon c'mon c'mon.* They began to slowly walk back to the house as the sun edged closer to noon.--Dust

“Here.” Maddy reached out, positioning her arm under Dust’s to support him. “Better?” She asked.--Maddy

Dust nodded, and gave a smile of thanks.--Dust

Sahara watched as everyone ate, Scoria glaring at Maple on the other side. *Oh my gosh can they not calm down?* She finished her meat just as the entrance door opened. There Dust stumbled into the room, with Maddy close behind him. "Dust! What happened?" She walked toward him, her turquoise eyes full of concern. "You look terrible..." She murmured.--Sahara

Maddy helped Dust find a spot sitting somewhere, before stepping backwards and addressing Sahara. “I think he needs a moment, Sahara.” She said, her eyes slightly narrowed in a “that was an order” kind of way.--Maddy

Tommy attempted to balance a stick on his finger, Sticks watching with curiosity. “Well, everyone.” Tommy began. “Did you all come up with any plans last night? Oh-you know, I had the weirdest dream…” Tommy began rambling about the odd experience he had where he turned into a cat version of Godzilla and destroyed an entire mountain. Sticks just sighed, shaking his head in amusement. Maple was thrilled, her grudge forgotten for the time being.--Tommy

Scoria narrowed her coral red eyes at her brother, her expression unreadable. She stopped leaning on the wall and got the leftover meat that was still warm. She handed some of it to Maddy, and then to her brother. "Here." She mumbled, her eyes locking into Dust's. Dust opened his mouth to say something, but Scoria was already walking back to her place. "Once when Dust feels better, I'll head to the village." She looked at Sahara and Dust, directing the statement to them.--Scoria

Maddy watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow before she realized something. She knew what they’d have to do. The plan took only a few seconds to register in her mind before she was ready to share. “Hey, Dust? Tommy?” She called. “Can I borrow you guys for a moment?” At the sound of Maddy’s voice, Tommy quickly found his way the girl’s side. “Yeah, mate! What’s up?”--Maddy

Dust already was by Maddy's side, but Scoria wouldn't move. She kept looking at him. "Scoria." He commanded quietly. She glared at him, before she announced loudly, "I'm going to pack." She then walked away, leaving the three alone.--Dust

Maddy cleared her throat. “I think that we need to go to the jungle temple.” She explained. “If we need more information about getting out, then going there might be helpful. There’s a huge library, for one thing. For another, I heard the villagers discussing some player they had seen there…”  She trailed off at this.--Maddy

Dust nodded, and soon he started to zone out. *Other players? What happened to them? Where are they? This world in infinite.*..He cleared his throat. "Good idea, but first my group has to get supplies. Especially since we're going to move out." He thought, and later realized they don't even have a house. "I think I'm ready to go, I just need to pack." He looked at Maddy and Tommy.--Dust

'“Wait, wait, wait.” Tommy interjected. “Books? We don’t need books right now; we should go search for other players!” Maddy scoffed, crossing her arms. “Other players? We should focus on saving ourselves right now, right?” She turned to Dust. Tommy shook his head, his eyes flashing. “No, we should look for players so that they know what to do!” He argued, also turning to Dust with a pleading expression.--Tommy

Dust gave a hesitant smile, and swiped his hair back as he tried to find an answer that would please them both. "Uhm w-we could go the temple, there probably players there." He looked at Tommy and Maddy. "And maybe they can help us find the books that could lead us all out?" He swallowed.--Dust

Tommy looked about to argue, but Maddy gave him a hard slap to the arm, causing the boy to reel backward. “That sounds like a great idea, Dust.” Maddy said, as she and Tommy exchanged glares. The blonde made to more attempt to argue, though, rubbing his bruising arm.–-Tommy

Dust let out a silent breath of relief, before he wobbled to his feet. "I think my group should go to the village soon, so we can find some place to settle." He mentioned, noticing he hadn't even gotten properly dressed.--Dust

Maddy nodded, silently watching him go. “Well.” She began, turning to Tommy. “That was interesting.” “Interesting!” Tommy exclaimed. “You slapped me in the bloody arm!”--Maddy

Scoria had just finished packing for her brother when she turned as she heard the creak from the door. Dust was leaning for support, giving her his usual small but bright gummy smile. "You know it's hard to stay mad at you," She muttered, before she declared, "C'mon get dressed, I already packed everything." She gave her shoulder for support as Dust made it to the bed, with his light brown eyes filled teasing joy. *She's not as mean as she seems, not deep down...*Dust thought. "Thanks lil sis, love you!" Dust exclaimed, with a joking baby face. She whipped around from the closet, and threw his cap and jacket to his face. "Love you too you rat." She softly chuckled as she rubbed his messy hair. "C'mon slow poke, let's go to the village already."--Scoria and Dust

Maple sighed. “Fineeeeee.” She agreed. “But only because you asked.” Sticks let out a sign of relief from beside her. “Thank you.” Sticks said, bowing his head. Maple hauled herself up from the floor, stretching. “I still think she’s mean though.” She added. Sticks shot her a glare, and Maple shrugged, a guilty smile on her face. “Just saying!”--Maple

“I know.” Maddy said, a ghost of a smile on her face as she put her hands in her pockets. “But we need to work together, right?” She gave him a friendly nudge. Tommy blushed. “Y-yeah. Right.” He managed. A silence settled over the two, before Maddy spoke up. “Are you going with them?” She asked. “Where to?” Tommy said, glancing at her. “To the village, I mean.” Maddy explained. Tommy frowned. “Oh, I guess not. I probably shouldn’t leave my house unattended for too long, a creeper might find its way inside.” He laughed. Maddy let out a light chuckle, causing Tommy to grin.--Tommy

In a few minutes, Dust slowly walked into the living room, his face refreshed and his hair tucked under his cap. Scoria and Sahara looked up at him, their bags and pockets full. "Ready?" "Ready!" Dust then turned to Maddy, his face growing a little dim with questions running in his head. "Are you coming?" He asked.--Dust

Maddy shrugged. “I was planning on staying…” She paused. “Unless you want me to go?”--Maddy

"Noooo, no." Dust smiled lightly. "I just wanted to know. We're not far, and will probably settle in the village." He reassured, before he added, "Thank you. For everything Maddy." Dust's smile then turned into a grin.--Dust

"No problem." Maddy titled her head, giving Dust a smile. "Feel free to stop by whenever for a pot of tea."--Maddy

Tommy placed his hand in his pockets, regarding the two players. "You want to come live with me?" He asked, suspicious in his words. Sticks nodded, while Maple clasped her hands together. “Yes, please, please, please!” She exclaimed. “I promise we’ll be good and help you around the house and stuff!” Tommy put a finger to his chin in thought. “Thoughts on TNT?” He asked. “Amazing.” Maple responded with no hesitation. “What about redstone?” Tommy asked again, watching as Sticks gave a nod. A grin spread across the blonde’s face. “Alright.” He smirked, rubbing his hands together. “You’re in.”--Tommy

Dust gave a small laugh, and said in between, "We will!" He then turned to Tommy, his light brown eyes showing brotherly affection to the player. "I'll see you around?" He asked.--Dust

“You bet, mate!” Tommy grinned, his eyes taking on a teasing glint. “Don’t get into any trouble without me.” He then turned to Scoria and Sahara, nodded to them. “G’bye to you two as well.” He waved.--Tommy

After the group said their goodbyes, they finally made their way out of the jungle and into the sun. Scoria's blood felt like it was burning as excitement grew every step she took. Soon they came to the bustling village, and she gave a grin to Dust and Sahara. "Let's split up!" She pleaded, looking at Dust with big eyes.--Scoria

Tommy felt a twinge of sadness as he watched his friend go, but he was quickly distracted by Maple pulling on his arm. “C’mon, let’s go!” She exclaimed. “You’ll see your friend later!” Tommy laughed to himself. “Alright.” He said, waving to Maddy as he was shoved out the door and into the forest below. Sticks trailed behind the blonde as Maple trotted eagerly at his side, the three heading out of the forest and across the plains, reaching Tommy’s hobbit hole just before noon.--Tommy

Dust was reluctant to agree, but thought of the suggestion and shrugged. "Fine, but please stay safe." He quickly added, "Also, don't buy anything, we don't even have money." He looked at Scoria and Sahara with serious brown eyes, before he turned away.--Dust

The house seemed quieter now. The lack of noise gave it a feeling close to that that it was dead, abandoned and lost to time. Maddy didn’t let this bother her, however. She had a bigger mystery to solve. She grabbed her sword, placing it in her sheath. She also grabbed some essentials for combat, such as a golden apple, some potions, and a bow and arrow. Then, she slid down the ladder and began running towards the place where she had found Dust crying onto hours before. Glass littered the ground, a sickly scent causing Maddy to feel woozy. She coughed a few times, pulling out a bandana she had stolen from Tommy and pulling it tightly over her mouth. Crouching beside the glass, she picked one up and examined it. It was a sleeping potion, a rarity among users. Only those with the healer class could make it. Maddy scowled. *Dust must have been attacked by someone.* She thought to herself, glancing around. *Whoever it was, they couldn’t have gone far.*--Maddy

Scoria dashed around the crowd, bumping around the villagers as they swarmed around her. There were rows of tall houses everywhere, and their farms were planted among the village. She turned her head, to see a ring of people shouting. Curious, she snuck herself between them to see a majestic white colt throwing villagers of his back. Everyone was reaching in to touch the huge horse, but then they were punished by a bite or kick. "I dropped the price to just an emerald! Wait, a stack of iron!" The seller desperately screamed, but slowly everyone walked away, displeased. Scoria laughed, thinking, *He won't have any luck selling that horse for free!* Suddenly, she found herself eye locked with the horse, who was standing frozen. Something was different how he looked at her than everyone else. She felt like something would happen, but the next thing she knew it Sahara ran up to her and grabbed her wrist. "Scoria! Dust wants us!" Scoria was dragged away as the colt reared from a whip.--Scoria

Maddy saw nothing else, however. “Rats!” She yelled, throwing her hat on the ground in disgust. “I can’t believe I lost them.” She huffed a sigh, grabbed her dirty hat and practically slamming it on her head. “It must have just been a witch.” She tried to reassure herself. “It must have.”--Maddy

(Why am I feeling like some drama gon happen between Maddy and Machete?)-Rowan

Dust paced back and forth until Sahara appeared with Scoria. He felt relived to see they were safe, and waited until they reached him. "I talked to some villagers, and they showed me a house we could use. It's been empty for a while, a blondeish girl used to live there." They slowly made their way through the crowd till they came to a small but cozy birch house. He opened the door to a kitchen, bathroom, a closet and two bedrooms. On the outside, there was a stable and small garden. "Now we don't have to build a house." He forced a smile of hope.--Dust

(I’m trying rowan…lol its lonely rping by myself)-rosey

Tommy stared out the window, his head propped up in one hand. He missed Dust already, even if it had only been a few hours since his friend’s departure. He’d sent Maple and Sticks to go mining for redstone. He was pretty sure they wouldn’t die, but he could never be sure.--Tommy

(Gurl if you have any drama plot ideas just lmk, so it'll be better)-Rowan

Quickly Scoria settled herself with Sahara in their room. It seemed like someone was in a rush, and the villagers did very little cleaning. Sahara was laying on her bed while Scoria had just finished unpacking. Suddenly a small scream made Scoria whip around, and Sahara looked at her with a startled face. "Sahara...What was that?" The jacket of Sahara wiggled and out came the green parrot they met yesterday. "Sahara!" "Scoria! I had to, he saved my life and he wouldn't leave me alone!" The parrot chirped as if it were pleading, and Scoria chuckled after a long pause. "As long as he don't bother me, he's good." Sahara gave a small smile as she mentioned, "His name is Scuttle." "Sahara!" They laughed.--Scoria and Sahara

“I don’t like mining.” Maple said, wiping sweat from her forehead. Sticks sighed, placing the piles of  redstone in his pocket. “I think that it’s pretty OK.” He said. “I mean, it’s for a good cause.”--Maple

After the group rested for a while, Dust led the two girls out of the house again. "To be able to buy stuff, we need to have things to trade." He led them to the plains near the mountains where they first spawned. The place was full of animals and wood, not including the treasure hidden in the mountain. "Scoria, you can get meat. Sahara, please get some wood of all kinds. I'll start getting stone and stuff." And just like that the group departed and worked till the end of the afternoon.--Dust

“Alright mates. Here’s the plan.” Tommy said, placing a sign on the ground. He used a piece of charcoal to draw on it. “Every year, there’s something called ‘the gathering’.” He explained. “It’s this large meeting where all the wandering traders go and sell their wares.” “You’re not a wandering trader.” Maple pointed out, a deadpan expression on her face. Sticks looked confused, cocking his head to one side. “So, what?” Tommy asked. “We’ll sneak in… or something. Anyway, my plan is to construct a redstone machine so complicated, even Notch himself will cower in fear!” He cackled evilly. “We’re going to construct…” He did a quick sketch on the board, stepping backwards to reveal a scribbled drawing Maple couldn’t quite distinguish. “a flying machine.”--Tommy

It had just become dusk when the group made their way down the mountain towards their house. Dust wiped the sweat from his hair, as they were finally sheltered from danger inside. Scoria had multiple drops of animal blood on her clothing, while Sahara had wood sprinkled in her hair. After the group washed up and ate, they sat down to relax. "Tomorrow we can look around in the village." Dust suggested, before he realized that he hadn't thought of the journey he talked about with Maddy and Tommy about escaping.--Dust

“A FLYING MACHINE?!” Maple exclaimed. Tommy grinned, nodding with pride. “I already have the thing planned out.” Tommy said. “Once we build it, we’ll be able to get to wherever we want faster than the speed of light!” Stick shook his head. “Faster than the speed of light? That’s impossible.” He retorted. Tommy sighed. “You have no imagination, my friend.” He said dramatically, shaking his head. Maple giggled. “Well then!” Tommy said, clapping his hands together. “What do you think?”--Tommy

As night overflew the world, Dust laid down on his bed, thinking. *How will we get out this world? What will it take? This world is inifnite. What if there's no way to get out? What will mum think?* The thoughts that rolled over his head made hi get a headache, and he decided to stop. He sighed, thinking of what Tommy and Maddy were doing. *I miss them*. He thought sadly, before he shook his head. *You'll see them soon, coward, go to bed..*--Dust

Maddy climbed up the ladder into her house just before nightfall, closing the trapdoor with a sigh. She’d just had a rather wasted day, chasing what was probably nothing, and she was not happy with herself. She stomped over to her plants, watering them more aggressively than usual. Then, she practically slammed the kettle onto the furnace, collapsing into her chair. She missed her friends. She missed Dust the most, but she couldn’t help but feel a pang for Tommy as well. There was a meow as Aria curled up into her lap, looking up at her with big leafy green eyes. Maddy smiled, giving her beloved cat a scratch behind the ears. The soothing motion of her pet’s purrs caused her to feel calmer, relaxing her tense body. “Alright then, mio amore.” Maddy smiled softly. “How about we listen to some music?” Gently picking her cat up, Maddy grabbed her music disc, Strad, out of the chest, placing it on her disc player. The beautiful sounds that followed were Maddy’s anthem to the whole night, as she drank her tea, petted Aria, and started to plan her next move.--Maddy

It was early morning, and Scoria had just set out to get some baked goods. Dust had told her to buy only what was needed. *Easy peasy lemon squeezy.* She chuckled to herself, as she started to like the life in the block game. "Hello ma'am," Greeted the villager, with a wide smile on his face. "Hello sir, I was wondering if I could have 3 cookies, one cake, and 6 loaves of bread." While she was trading, the ground started to shake, making her slowly turn around. *Aaaah!*--Scoria

The morning sun woke Maddy from her slumber. She blinked a few times, picking her head up. Goodness, her neck was sore. She groaned, rubbing the back of her neck as she picked up her mug and placed it in her cauldron. “Alright Aria.” Maddy said as she grabbed her backpack from the door. “Time to hope Dust doesn’t reject me.” Aria purred. “Not like that…” Maddy muttered, sticking her tongue out in disgust. Aria only meowed as she climbed into her owner’s arms.

Maddy found herself called out by more villagers than she had intended as she made her way through the village streets. She’d politely wave back at them, saying a quick hello back before continuing along her way. Finding the baking shop, she quickly ducked into the structure. “Hey, Baker!” Maddy said, waving at her old friend. The NPC smiled, waving at the girl. “Hello, Maddy! How ya’ been?” He asked. “Good, good.” Maddy smiled. “I have a question, actually. I have a friend who’s supposed to have a house in here; he’s about this high,” she explained, putting her hand a little above her own height. “and he had brown clothing.” Baker thought for a moment, before nodding slowly. “I think I know who you’re talking about.” He said, before pointing out the window. “there’s a house at the end of this street. It’s pretty big, and it has a cactus near the front door. Last time I saw him, he went in there.” Maddy grinned. “Thank you!” She exclaimed, rushing out the door.

She found the house a few minutes later, pausing a few feet from it. Should she really do this? I mean, he must have left for a reason. Hesitation filled her for a moment, before Aria gave her a nudge to the legs, meowing forcefully. “Fine.” Maddy agreed, taking a deep breath. She knocked on the door.--Maddy

Scoria's coral red eyes glowed with fear as the large colt she saw yesterday charged through the village straight towards her. She dropped all her fresh baked food, as she saw a small villager walking in the street. She ran and with her whole body covered it just before the horse came a foot away. A spray of dust showered over her, but she didn't feel herself clash with the horse. She looked up slowly, wondering if she died. No, the horse was looking down at her with his black eyes filled with curiosity, and it looked even more majestic with it's saddle and harness on. She gave a hesitant chuckle, letting go of the villager. Right behind the horse, the seller was shaking his fist at the horse. "He's free! Keep him!" He then stomped away, leaving the horse with Scoria. Scoria gently patted the horse, laughing, "Let's see what Dust thinks of you, you rebel." *Rebel.* "Excuse me ma'am." The girl turned around to see the baker, but with a fresh batch of food. "You dropped the food I sold you, so here's some new ones. No extra charge." Scoria glanced at the horse before she grinned. "Thanks."--Scoria

Dust rubbed his light brown eyes as he heard a knock on the door. The first thought that came to his mind was Scoria. He tucked all his hair under his cap and threw on his jacket before he opened the door. To his surprise, Maddy stood there, with her cat. "Oh Maddy! It's great to see you!" He cheered, his expression changing to one of joy "I thought when I would see you again!"--Dust

Maddy stood there a moment, before blinking a few times. “Whoops, um, hello, Dust!” She smiled awkwardly. Aria meowed happily, rubbing herself against Dust’s legs. The user cleared her throat. “Well, um, Dust? Can we talk inside maybe?”--Maddy

Dust gave a small smile at the cat, before he moved out of the way. "Of course, come in." He motioned, wondering if this was something serious or if Maddy had come just to visit.--Dust

“Dust, do you remember when I told about the whole plan thing I came up with?” Maddy asked.--Maddy

Dust nodded slowly, and raised an eyebrow in curiosity.--Dust

Maddy pulls out a map, showing it to her friend. “This,” she pointed to a red X, “is the location of a Jungle Temple. I found it in my old journal last night.” Maddy placed the map in Dust’s hands, before crossing her arms. “I think we should scout that place out for any information.” She decided. “With or without you, though, I’m going.”--Maddy

"Information to get us out?" Dust looked at the map, and noticed that the Jungle Temple was far from the village, as well as the way to reach it was difficult. "Have you talked to Tommy about this?" He looked at Maddy, wondering if she intended to bring him along.--Dust

“I have not talked to Tommy.” Maddy sighed. “He’s...impulsive, and I feel like stealth might be our greatest ally in the temple.”--Maddy

Dust blinked his brown eyes for a moment, before he asked slowly, "So you're saying we should leave him out of this?" As he lifted an eyebrow.--Dust

Maddy frowned, her gaze shifting to the window. She wanted him to come, but she couldn’t risk something happening to him because of his foolishness. She sighed. “I suppose I don’t know.”--Maddy

Dust leaned against the wall, raising his eyes while he thought. "Well we can't just disappear, then he'll try to follow us." He looked at Maddy, a glint in his brown eyes showing he understood her concern for her friend. "It's your decision, I'll do whatever. We just need to make sure he understands." He smiled.--Dust

“We can talk to him.” Maddy sighed. “Though I doubt that will deter him from our expedition.”--Maddy

Dust thought for another moment, before he snapped his fingers. "We can tell Tommy to stay here in case players arrive to thia area! It wouldn't really be a lie." He didn't want his friend to feel like he was betraying him, and this job should cheer him up.--Dust

“Good idea.” Maddy nodded, standing up. Aria instinctively jumped onto her shoulder, eager to go for another ride. “His house isn’t too far from the village, only a day’s walk or so.” She explained. “You want to come?”--Maddy

Dust opened his mouth to accept, but then noticed the house was quiet besides Sahara eating. *Scoria.* "My sister hasn't come back..." He rubbed his head. "If you want you can go ahead and-" Before he finished his sentence, Scoria kicked the door open, in her hand some two strings. "Dust look what I found!" Dust winced his brown eyes as he noticed something big and white. "Is that-" "I got a horse for free!" *Oh no Scoria*!--Dust and Scoria

*A horse?* Maddy turned to Dust with a confused, but amused expression. “Did you actually ask Scoria to bring you a horse from the villagers?” She sked, holding in a laugh.--Maddy

Dust managed to say through clenched teeth, "Absolutely not." Scoria looked up at her brother with big coral red eyes. "Pleeaaasseeee Dust, I promise he won't cause trouble. I got him for free, with all equipment! And I mean just look at Rebel, so serious." *Of course you already named him.* "Do you even know how to ride a horse?" Scoria whipped her hair, with a challenging smirk on her face. "How hard can it be?" Dust just stared at his sister, and he felt everyone's gaze burn into his back. "Right uhm, just get him ready we're gonna leave soon." He sighed as he dragged on his face with his hands.--Dust and Scoria

Maddy snorted a laugh. “You should have more faith in your sister, you bloke.” Maddy teased, giving him a friendly nudge. “I’m sure she could make it on a horse. Right, Scoria?”--Maddy

Dust looked at Scoria, and he couldn't help but be happy to see her face so bright. "I guess..." He murmured, hanging his head for a few seconds before he announced, "Pack everything we need, we're going to Tommy's to explain a trip. After we settle that, we'll come back to the house one more time before we go on an adventure."--Dust

“Rodger that.” Maddy nodded*. So, this is really happening, then.* She thought to herself, as her gaze shifted to the skinny horse in Scoria’s clutch. It was pretty, but the most it could do right now was boost Scoria’s morale. She sighed to herself. People could get attached to the most useless of things. But then again, she couldn’t go anywhere without her teabags.--Maddy

Sahara stood up and rushed to her room, going to pack the few things she needed. She quickly packed some seeds for her parrot, all her weapons, and also tied her bandana on her almost white hair. She looked behind her through the door, seeing Dust cleaning the house even before he packed for himself. She admired how hard working he was, and how he always tried to make everyone happy. *And he's so fine!* She thought, before she noticed her face was turning a dark red just thinking of him. Scuttle, who was sitting on her shoulder, gave a laugh and she quickly shut the door.--Sahara

Tommy stayed up late that night constructing the basis of his flying machine. Maple tried her best to help, but redstone was not her strong suit. Sticks, however, proved to be a great assest to the construction. He learned quickly, even pointing out a few flaws in Tommy’s build. By the end of the night, though grimy and covered in sweat, the two gazed with pride at the large diagram on the wall. “We did it!” Tommy exclaimed, causing the half-asleep Maple to shoot up, blinking her glazed eyes. “Huh, what?” She mumbled, before her head started to slip again and she fell right back asleep. Sticks wiped some sweat from his forehead with one arm. “Nice job.” He said, congratulating his companion with a weary smile. Tommy grinned back.--Sticks

(the sticks/maple/tommy trio brings me great joy) --rosey

(Lol)-Rowan

It was not before long before Scoria was waiting outside for the others. She already packed the few things she had, and most of it was food. She gently stroked Rebel, when she realized Dust was right of something. She didn't know how to ride a horse. *Maybe it's different in Minecraft.* She grinned to herself, before she noticed Dust was bolting the door and that they were getting ready to leave.--Scoria

Maddy hefted her backpack over her shoulder, dropping Aria to the ground. “Sorry, prediletto, you’re going to have to walk.” She murmured, a smile on her face. Aria, but took up a spot next to Scoria’s horse. Staring up at the great beast, Aria pawed at him, before seeming to gesture to his back, meowing once.--Aria

Scoria gave a small smirk at the cat, before she cast a glance at Maddy. "Okay if she rides?" She asked, not knowing if even herself would be able to stay on the horse.--Scoria

Maddy shook her head, though she gave her cat a glare. Aria only purred and hopped onto the horse, settling onto its back with a meow.--Maddy

Scoria gently picked up Aria and set her on the ground. "When it's really safe, you can ride. Right know we don't know." She smiled, before she mounted the horse. She noticed Dust looked at her with worrisome eyes, and she rolled her coral eyes at him. "I'll be fine. Ready?!"--Scoria

Maddy turned away, pulling out her map and tracing her finger along the line to Tommy’s abode. “Due west, then a right just before the desert biome," She murmured to herself, before closing the map. “Okay." She nodded, signifying she was ready. "Shall I lead the way?”--Maddy

Dust nodded, and started out at a slow pace. He expected Scoria to take off with her new horse, but when he turned around she sat on it, her coral red eyes having a glint of fear. "C'mon, start slow." He encouraged, but instead walked to her with a silent sigh. He grabbed one of the reins. "Order him to walk." She did so, and Dust walked right beside her as they caught up, holding onto the reins just in case. "When you're ready, we can move to a trot." Scoria gave him a confused look, and he understood right away. How could she trust someone that didn't know how to ride either?--Dust

Maddy examined the map closely as the four users departed from the village, munching on a piece of bread with one hand. It was important to know where they were going, but it was another way to act busy. She felt slightly awkward with this trio that knew each other so well. She was only an outcast.--Maddy

It was not long before Dust had helped Scoria get the hang of riding the horse. Now, he watched his sister ride back and forth on her horse, a wide grin on her face. He sighed with releif, before he matched his step with Maddy as he caught up with her. "Thanks for all your help, even now and taking us along. And well, dealing with his chaos." He mumbled, although his light brown eyes were bright with gratuitousness.--Dust

Maddy let out a breath. “No problem.” She mumbled, awkwardly. Her gaze shifted to the change in biomes ahead. The Quad-Cross. Four biomes situated all next to each other, so close you could stand in all three at once. A plains to the north, tundra to the south, jungle to the east, and ice spikes to the west. Maddy marveled in the oddness of it all for only a moment, before turning to the others. “We’ve been going for a while now,” she began, examining Scoria with a slightly prideful expression before shaking her head and continuing. “You mates want to take a break for a minute?”--Maddy

Dust looked at Scoria and Sahara, and noticed the tiredness they were hiding. "Sure, good idea Maddy." He smiled, before he found a nice shaded place with cool rocks to relax on. He got a piece of bread from Scoria's bag, and settled himself comfortably in the rocks while he ate.--Dust

Maddy sat on the rock next to Dust with a sigh, thinking about how best to approach the temple. She remembered a comment on it when she had heard two villagers around when she first arrived in Minecraft. “Have you heard?” one said, ducking in close as his tone lowered. “I heard someone found a jungle temple nearby. Not only that, but they saw someone go in there. It looked like a player.”--Maddy

Sahara gave a sigh of relief as she heaved her bag off of her shoulder and sat down a distance away from Dust and Maddy. Deep down, she felt a twinge of jealousy between the two. *Who knows what's going on between them?* She was brought out of her thoughts by the presence of Scoria. Her best friend was fussing over the horse, and the two seemed like they have lived with each other their whole life. *Everyone falling in love, expect me. Ugh*.--Sahara

Maddy watched Sahara with a vaguely confused expression, watching her narrowed eyes and mad attitude. She thought for a moment before sucking in a breath and walking over to the girl. “Mind if I sit?” She asked, gesturing to beside her.--Maddy

Shahara was slightly startled, but shrugged. "Sure, why not." She said softly, casting a glance at Dust who had looked at them.--Sahara

Maddy followed her gaze. “What? Does he have something on his nose?” She asked, confused.--Maddy

Sahara shook her head. "No no no." She stammered, and realized Maddy was talking about how much she was looking at him. "It's nothing, I swear." She forced a smile.--Sahara

“Mhm.” Maddy nodded, slightly mystified at the look in her eyes. “Well, your bird is cute.” She said, trying to change the topic of conversation. “Though, I wouldn’t let them anywhere near Aria.”--Maddy

Sahara blushed a little, and suddenly her mood lifted. "Thanks! I always wanted a cat, but I guess Scuttle decided to choose me before I could choose myself." She giggled.--Sahara

Maddy smiled, closing her eyes as she took in the light breeze with satisfaction. “Cats truly are amazing-albeit crazy at times.”--Maddy

Sahara chuckled, but nevertheless she petted Scuttle on her lap. She felt relaxed, but really she hadn't been thinking about what real trouble they were in. *I'll leave that to Dust I guess.* She glanced at him, before nodding her head to herself.--Sahara

After a much-needed morning nap, Tommy stumbled out of his bedroom and found Maple standing in front of his doorway, a steaming steak in her hands. “Look! I made lunch/breakfast!” She exclaimed, shoving the plate into the boy’s hands. Tommy’s eyes lit up. “Wow, thank you!” He grinned. “Did you sleep okay last night?” He asked her as he led the way to the kitchen. Maple shrugged. “Sorta. I had these weird dreams about flying machines, though. Can’t imagine why.”--Tommy

After a long break, Dust stumbled to his feet. "I'm ready to go when you guys are." He announced. He narrowed his brown eyes at Maddy and Sahara, who from time to time were glancing at him. *Something's up with them. Well...It's none of my business I guess.* He noticed Scoria hadn't eaten, she only was fussing over Rebel. "Hey." He cheered, with a piece of cake in his hand. "You haven't eaten. You should have some for the journey." He smiled warmly at his sister.--Dust

Maddy sighed. As much as she wanted to stay, she knew Dust was right. “I guess we should be off then.” She nodded. She no longer needed a map for this area of the terrain. She had traveled it many times before. Strangely enough, Maddy found herself excited to reunite with her friend. Even if it had only been a few days, she missed Tommy.--Maddy

Scoria smacked her brother lightly in the face with a chuckle. "You always do that face." She mimicked him, before she gave her brother a hug. "I still love you though." She quickly finished off her piece of cake, before she mounted Rebel. "Dust, wanna ride with me?" She gave a devilish smirk while holding out her hand, not really giving the player an option.--Scoria

Maddy gave Dust a wink as she picked Aria up and held her in her arms. The poor thing was already exhausted by all the walking, and she was already half-asleep as she crawled into her owner’s arms. Maddy smiled softly at her pet, before turning into the plains biome.--Maddy

Dust smiled while he shook his head at Maddy, before he slowly mounted the horse. "Just please go slow." He begged, as he clutched to his sister like he was about to lose his life. Scoria nudged him, with a teasing glint in her eyes. "No promises." And just like that, Dust held on for dear life as Scoria ordered Rebel into a full gallop.--Dust

Maddy let out a whoop, pumping her fist in the air. Aria hissed, disappointed she couldn’t be on there. Maddy simply picked up her cat and hugged her as she gestured for Sahara to follow after her friend.--Maddy

Sahara ran to catch up to Maddy, and for a second wondered if Scoria was planning to turn around at some point. "Let's hope Scoria doesn't disappear with him. They'll get lost." She chuckled as she rubbed her head.--Sahara

Maddy only chuckled. “Hey, you blokes, we’re turning left!”--Maddy

As Scoria turned around and rode back to Maddy, she could hear Dust holding his breath with fear. When she came to a stop, she turned her head and gave her big brother a smile. "I think Dust just got a little carried away, he was having to much fun!" She teased.--Scoria

More walking ensued- though to some it was galloping on horses. Hours later, Maddy looked up, spotting the familiar round door of her friend’s home in the hill. “That’s it.” She said, smiling excitedly.--Maddy

As Scoria slowed down her horse, Dust wobbled to the ground, glad to finally feel something solid below his feet. "Tommy!" He yelled, running towards the door with excitement to see his friend.--Dust

A yell from outside caused the still half-asleep Tommy to jump. Maple came running, a huge smile on her face. “TOMMY GUESS WHAT THERE’S PEOPLE OUTSIDE AND I KNOW THEM AND THERE’S A HORSE-” She exclaimed, her words tumbling over each other. “Jeez, Maple, chill.” Tommy mumbled as he found his way to the door. Sticks was already there, peering outside with a slightly mystified expression. *What was going on?* Tommy opened the door and his eyes almost popped out of his skull. “Dust?” He asked, confusion and excitement warring in his mind.--Tommy

Dust gave a wide grin as he hugged his friend. "Tommy! How are you?" He drew back, and looked at amazement at his house. "Nice place!"--Dust

"Thank you!" Tommy hugged his friend back tightly, before turning to Maddy with a huge grin. “Hey, Mads!” He exclaimed. The dark-haired user only nodded in reply. “Mind if we come in?” She asked. Tommy blinked a few times, before nodding fervently. “Whoops, erm, right! Wouldn’t want you to get stuck outside.” He held the door open, gesturing for his friends to come inside. Maddy made her way in without a second glance to him.--Tommy

Scoria mounted off Rebel, a wide smile on her face. "Such a strong boy!" She patted him, before she turned to see the place around her. *Wow he knows how to build.* She saw a glance of Maple, and gritted her teeth immediately. *Great, thought we got rid of her.* She nodded to Tommy as she hurried to Dust's side, casting a glance at him before she entered the house.--Scoria

Maple could only huff as Scoria passed, trying her best to not ignore Sticks’ statement.--Maple

Tommy sighed, something in his cringing at the sight of Maddy walking away. *Why won’t you like me?* He thought to himself, furrowing his eyebrows. Dust’s statement brought him back to earth. *Right, hospitality.* He sucked in a breath, hurrying to the dirtied kitchen of his home. The insides were still smoky from the failed engine he and Sticks had tried to craft. Grease stained the floor in some spots, stinking up the place. Tommy pulled out a piece of bread. “I have food!” He declared with a lopsided grin.--Tommy

Scoria clenched her fists, and kept her gaze at Maple's until her head wouldn't turn any farther. *I h-a-t-e her*. She thought to herself, as she settled herself as far away from her as possible.--Scoria

*Of course it's a mess, he didn't know we were coming.* Dust could see his friend was embarrassed by the mess, and thought quickly how he could make it better. "Wow! You must make a lot of inventions!" He cheered, as he fixed his cap in amazement. "Thanks for the bread, we're so hungry anything helps."--Dust

“Oh, yeah! I do!” Tommy nodded; happy his friend wasn’t put off by the mess. Someone tugged on his arm, and the blonde looked down the see Maddy giving him an impatient glare. “Can we talk?” She asked, then added. “Alone?” Tommy nodded, as Maddy dragged him out of the room, gesturing for Dust to follow. Eventually, the trio found their way outside, and Maddy began the conversation. “We’re going somewhere.” She said, deadpan. “Going somewhere?” Tommy’s eyes lit up. “Can I come?”--Tommy

Dust suddenly felt all his earlier gladness start to disappear with sympathy. "Well...We're thinking that you could stay here, or maybe near the village? Just in case if some news of players is discussed or you see one of them?" He felt Maddy and Tommy's gaze bear into him, and he felt like cowering in a corner and protesting. But instead he stood there with his lips rolled inward.--Dust

At first, Tommy appeared receptive. But then, what Dust was really saying got this him. “Wait, why can’t I go?!” He exclaimed. “Are you hiding something from me?”--Tommy

Dust shook his head. "No Tommy no!" He protested, as his brown eyes filled with distress for his friend. "We just need someone on the team to stay here..." He looked at Tommy, then Maddy.--Dust

Maddy nodded, placing a hand on her friend’s shoulder. This caused Tommy to blush, looking away. “Dust is right. It’s important to have someone at our home base, per say.” She nodded, ever the voice of reason. Tommy nodded slowly. “Could you think about it, at least? I promise I’ll help out.” Maddy couldn’t help but agree with a sigh. “Fine.” Maddy sighed. “Great.” Tommy nodded fervently, before backing away. “I’ll be righttttt back.” He grinned awkwardly, before running out of the room.--Maddy

“Sahara!” Tommy hissed loudly, spotting the pirate sitting at the table with the others, his thoughts tumbling around his head. *He had a plan…*and hopefully it would be able to kill two birds with one stone. But the blonde needed the girl’s help. “Can I talk to you?”--Tommy

As soon as Tommy left the room, Dust let out a huge sigh. "I hope he doesn't think of it the wrong way...Especially too harshly." He murmured, as he aired out his shirt. *That was the hardest thing I've done all month.* "You handled it well Maddy." He complimented, sincerely impressed by her authority.--Dust

When Sahara heard her name, she whipped her head to meet Tommy's glare. *Huh?* She caught sight of Scoria glancing at the two. *I'll be fine, stop worrying so much.* She signaled to her bestie with a forced smile as she hurried to the boy. "Yeeeessss Tommy?" Sahara said cheerfully, curiosity glowing in her turquoise eyes.--Sahara

“C’mon.” Tommy grabbed Sahara’s hand and pulled her into a room nearby, closing the door behind them. Then, he turned to her with a determined expression. “You like Dust, right?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “And I sorta like Maddy. So, what if you and I pretend to fake date so we can make the other jealous and then Maddy will like me so much I’ll get to go with them to…wherever they’re going.” He gave a breathless grin.--Tommy

*Dust?!* Sahara drifted in a day dream about the boy, before she shook her head when Tommy finished speaking. "Not only that, but then maybe Dust will want me simping around him again!" She sighed dreamily, before she cleared her throat. "That's a great idea! But do you think they won't think it's suspicious since we only met for one day really?" She tilted her head as she stared at the boy. *Fake dating a cute boy, never done that before.*--Sahara

(Ladies and gents, this is where all the juicy drama happens. Also Rosey do you plan to have Tommy actually go, or is he gonna stay? Cuz if he stays then Im wondering if I should lEaVe SaHaRa So ThEy CoUlD aCtUaLlY dEvElOp A cRuSh. Allllssssssooooo I just got another thing that like could cause some draammmaaaaa for example:

Tommy: We're dating!

Everyone:...

Scoria: Oh really, then why don't you kiss?

Sahara and Tomomy: .\_.

Just an idea but yea)-Rowan

(OMG YES PLEASE CAN WE HAVE THEM KISS)-rosey

Tommy grinned. "Awesome! I'm sure it'll be fine…when I was in middle school, all the couples hooked up after a day or two of meeting and everyone thought it was normal.” He nodded, very sure of himself. He let his gaze pass over Sahara, who appeared almost in a dream-like state, and smiled warmly, half to himself. And then, he sucked in a breath. “Okay, right. Dramatic, we’re all in love, and it’s totally real!” He nodded again, trying to reassure himself.--Tommy

Sahara giggled, before she rubbed her head. "Wait so I gotta hug you and stuff?" She felt some weird wiggily feeling in her stomach as she felt herself turn red with a shy smile.--Sahara

(YAS WE CANNNNNN BUT I WAS THINKING SAHARA COULD KISS HIM ON THE CHEEK AND THEN SCORIA IS LIKE "I mean on the lips, every couple does that." ALSO IS TOMMY GONNA COME ON THE ADVENTURE?)-Rowan

Tommy rubbed the back of his neck, finding himself blushing as well. “I suppose so…but if you don’t want to that’s cool!” He managed a grin.–-Tommy

“Well, that went well.” Maddy sighed, clicking her tongue.--Maddy

(YAYYYYYYY AM HAP / yes, maddy’s going to cave, but she’s going to make Tommy leave a camera at his home incase anyone shows up) -- rosey

Sahara giggled softly. "Then they won't think it's real silly." She added in a distant, airy voice, "Don't worry, it's all an act. Don't take it seriously." She had her two fingers walk up Tommy's arm to his shoulder before she walked back to the living room with a shy grin.--Sahara

(Just getting the flirting started LOLOLOLOL)-Rowan

Tommy felt a strong blush form on his face, giving him a goofy smile. He then practically ran down the hallway, yelling “Sticks! Maple!” The duo jumped in surprise, staring at him from where they were at the table with the others. “What?” Maple exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “I got a girlfriend!” Tommy grinned. “So Maddy finally caved?...” Sticks started, but Tommy shook his head. “No, it’s Sahara!” -- Tommy

(dang sahara's a PRO) --rosey

(LOLOLOLOL JUST WAIT TILL THEY ACTUALLY LIKE EACH OTHER)-Rowan

For a second everything went silent, and Scoria looked at Dust with the same though. *THEY'RE DATING?* Sahara skipped over to Tommy, and laid her head on his shoulder while she wrapped her arms around his. "Yep! He's mine now, my boyfriend!" She giggled. Dust started off slowly, "Uhm, congrats! I hope you two-" "NO!" Scoria cut off her brother, standing up from the couch with burning coral red eyes. "You're lying! You have only known him for a day! HOW CAN YOU LIKE HIM ALREADY? THIS IS AN ACT!" She spat. Sahara blinked her eyes innocently, and said calmly and quietly, "Maybe it's true love Scoria. Some people haven't found their partner." Scoria kicked the table, enough that it shifted out of place, but never flipped over. "OH REALLY? Why don't you kiss him then?!" Sahara, with no hesitation, pecked Tommy on the cheek. "Mwah!" Scoria chuckled darkly as she crossed her arms. "No no no Sahara. If he's your boyfriend, why don't you kiss him. *Kiss him on the lips.*"--Scoria

It was all Tommy could do not to gag. Kiss on the lips? Gross, but he knew he couldn’t let down the act. He turned to Sahara with a pleading look in his gaze, but his charming smile masked his discomfort. “May I?” He asked, reaching out his hand with a grin.--Tommy

Sahara put her hand in his, and forced a smile. "Of course, babyyy." But deep down, she felt like running out the house and screeching her throat dry. With everyone's eyes on them, she leaned forward before she pucked her soft lips. *Just do it! Just do it!*--Sahara

Tommy sucked in a breath, seeing the girl’s hesitation. *Be bold, Tommy!* He yelled in his head, as he leaned down, cupped her cheek with one hand, and kissed her. The kiss lasted longer than he meant to-as he got lost in the feeling of it all. The warmth of Sahara’s lips, the steady beating of his own heart…suddenly, he blinked his eyes, and pulled away, breathing fast. A ghost of a smile remained on his face as he turned back, meeting Maddy’s gaze. He saw nothing in them but a dim light, something close to disappointment maybe. He only grinned at her, whispering to Sahara, “Nice one, Mate," silently adding, *It almost felt real*.--Tommy

Sahara felt Tommy's big soft hands cup her face, and she felt her whole face burn. Then it happened. Her lips clashed with his, and surprisingly she didn't draw away as soon as she thought she would. And the funny thing was, neither did Tommy. There was something that sparked inside of her, like she truly wanted it all to feel real and it wasn't an act. *You like Dust remember?* Sahara thought with a pang of guilt. She held her breath, before she drew away the same time as Tommy. It took her some self control to keep from gaping and screaming, and instead she leaned on Tommy. *Wooooow, what was that..*.She dreamed, while she rolled her lips in to a small smile and she looked down on the floor for a while. When Sahara finally gained back her breath, she felt the fuzzy feeling disappear as more rage glowed in Scoria's eyes. "Do you believe us now?" "No." Was the answer, and then Sahara watched her bestie leave the room.--Sahara

(ROSEY YOU DID NOT- 'as he got lost in the feeling of it all' DANNNGGG TOMMMYYY IMMA SCREAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA JUST WAIT TILL YOU GET TOGETHER)-Rowan

(:D) –rosey

Tommy grinned at Sahara, giving the blonde a wink. Then, he turned to Dust. “So, what do you think?? Are you proud?” He asked, excitement bubbling in him.--Tommy

Sahara felt herself blush more than ever seeing Tommy wink one of his blue green eyes. Seeing that Dust was coming towards them, she quickly excused herself, before she went to the bathroom. She slowly closed the door, before she looked in the mirror and silently screeched.--Sahara

Dust couldn't help but smile as he saw Tommy's face light up with pride and shyness. "Of course I'm proud, I'm sure you'll be great together!" He chuckled, putting his arm around his brother-like figure. "How do you feeeeel?" He teased.--Dust

“Well…is it normal to feel hot on the outside, but also like there’s something in your stomach?” Tommy managed. Maddy frowned. “I don’t think so…are you running a fever?” She stepped forward and pressed a hand to Tommy’s forehead. Tommy swooned. “Actually, I think it just got worse.” He gave a lopsided smile.--Tommy

Dust managed a laugh, but to be honest he didn't know what Tommy meant. *Does he mean when Maddy's touching him? What about Sahara?* He shook his head, before he asked Maddy, "Does he have a fever?"--Dust

“No, the bloke’s fine.” Maddy sighed. Tommy let out a breath. “That’s good.” He smiled. Maddy started to turn away. “I’m going to heat up the kettle. I need some tea.” She chuckled, turning ever so slightly. “By the way, you can come.” “What?” Tommy blinked. “You can come with us to the temple.” Maddy sighed, before she disappeared into the kitchen.–-Maddy

Scoria felt angry, she felt rage. She stormed out of Tommy's house, and kicked the dust on the ground. *Sahara doesn't like Tommy! She's acting!* She snorted to herself, before she pondered. *Why is she making this up?* She looked back at the house with her red coral eyes narrowed. *I'll find out*, She promised as she mounted Rebel.--Scoria

“Awesome!” Tommy exclaimed, turning to Dust with eyes shining. “It worked! She’s going to let me come!”--Tommy

Dust lifted an eyebrow with suspicion. "What worked?" He asked slowly, narrowing his brown eyes.--Dust

Tommy paled. “Um…” He stammered, hoping for an answer to appear. Even if Dust was his best friend right now, he couldn’t know! “I actually do have a fever, I think!” he managed, breathing a sigh of relief. “But Maddy didn’t catch on because I put an ice block on my forehead.” He nodded affirmatively.--Tommy

Dust bit one side of his cheek, some feeling starting to grow in his gut. "You shouldn't go if you feel sick Tommy." He said firmly while making eye contact with his best friend. "You should at least rest."--Dust

Tommy sighed but didn’t want to argue with his friend. “Alright.” He said, turning. “If Sahara asks, tell here I’m in my bedroom!” Then, he disappeared into the hallway, opening the door of his room. Suddenly, he noticed his bed had enough room for two people. He couldn’t help but smile at that. There was hope yet! Closing the door quietly behind him, he collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling above him. It was dirt, of course. It provided fun textures for him to think about.–-Tommy

Maddy grabbed her two mugs of tea and went hunting for Sahara. Answers were not had, but made. She had learned that if you wanted someone to talk, they had to trust you first. She caught the girl staring into the bathroom mirror with a distressed look. Maddy sighed. “Hey, Sahara.” She said, leaning against the doorframe. “I made tea and wanted to know if you would like some.” Silence persisted, and Maddy offered the mug to her. “I made it iced. I heard Americans liked it better that way?”--Maddy

Dust felt some relief get rid of the feeling in his gut, but something still was wiggiling there. Like he knew something was doing on. But I don't...? He sighed, before he looked around the room. *Where's Scoria?* He thought rapidly, before he asked Sticks and Maple aloud. "Have you seen my sister?"--Dust

Sahara jumped as she heard Maddy by the doorframe, before she did a cackle. "Oh Maddy!" She breathed. "Of course! I love ice tea, but I never knew it was for Americans!" She giggled, before she followed the girl to the kitchen.--Sahara

Maddy shrugged, reaching the counter. She heaved herself onto it, before grabbing the iced tea and handing it to the girl. “My friends and I were in social studies, and we heard that Americans drank iced tea, all had guns, and only ate MacDonalds.” She took a long sip of her tea.--Maddy

Sticks looked up, spotting Dust with a distressed look on her face. “No?...I haven’t seen her lately.” He managed, frowning. “I can help look if you want- OW!” Maple had punched him in the arm. “We have better things to do.” The red-haired girl huffed. Sticks gave her a glare. “Maple, stop.” He shoved himself up from the table, finally exasperated by the girl. “I’ll look with you.” He decided, ignoring Maple’s pleading gaze.-- Sticks

Sahara giggled as she sat down. "That sounds right, although I can't be sure. I'm not American..." She took a sip of the tea, and rolled her lips in at the flavorful taste. "You really know how to make tea." She complimented.--Sahara

"Thanks." Dust breathed, as he rubbed the side of his temples. He thought rapidly, *Geez, why does Scoria have to always make enemies where she goes? Why can't she just be nice? Why doesn't Maple just let it go? Scoria faoihfhahfoaihgpahelp.* He thought too fast that he felt dizzy, and took some breaths while there was a moment of silence. "C'mon let's go, she's not int the house." He mumbled, as he tucked all his hair under his cap and zipped up his jacket.--Dust

“You’re *not* American?” Maddy managed, flushing bright red with embarrassment. “Whoops…I suppose by the way you spoke English so fluently you were one…” She gave a closed-eye smile.--Maddy

Sticks pretended to zip up his own hoodie and ran a hand through his rumbled hair in an attempt to seem as professional as Dust.--Sticks

Sahara smiled. "It's okay! I came to America when I was 5 or so, and I've lived there ever since! You're not the first." She comforted. "Where are you from? Britain I'm assuming?" She changed the subject as she took another sip of tea.--Sahara

Dust sighed as he opened the door, and instinctively looked to where Scoria had left her horse. *Great.* "She's taken her horse." He sighed, clenching his knuckles. "There's no way we'll find her now."--Dust

(AWWWWWWWWW STIICCCKKKSS! PROTECT HIM AT ALL COSTSSSSSSSSSSS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA)-Rowan

(STICKS IS AMAZING AND IS SUCH A GOOD BOI

also could Dust become sorta like a mentor figure for him? i need plots for him and my other child)--rosey

Maddy nodded. It was easier to explain she was ‘from England’, then going through her complicated heritage. “Back to my original question, though.” Maddy began, turning to face Sahara. “You looked wrecked in the bathroom. Are you alright?”-- Maddy

Someone cleared their throat from behind Sticks, causing him to turn. It was Maple. “Maple, I swear-” Sticks began, but Maple cut him off. “I believe I can be of assistance!” She stood straighter, nodding to herself. “It may be in prototype stage," she began, giving Dust a smirk. "but our flying machine may be of use.”-–Maple

Sahara rubbed her hair with a shy grin. "Yes, I'm completely okay! I just was a little fluttered..." She looked down as her face turned red as she recalled the event.--Sahara

Dust lifted his brow. "Flying...machine?" He glanced between Sticks and Maple, before he shrugged. "We just need to find her. This world is infinite." He was very surprised at how calm he was, because deep down he felt like pulling his hair out. Yet he just breathed it out.--Dust

(INDEED WE MUST PROTECT THE CHIOLD AT ALL TIMES

And yas ofccccc how could I turn down some plotssss)-Rowan

“Great.” Maple grinned, determination light a fire in her eyes. “Let’s go, then!” She exclaimed, grabbing Dust and Stick’s arms and dragging them down the hall and into Tommy’s workshop. The uncomplete Flying Machine was still there, it’s front facing the small opening in the wall. “Maple, this is not a good idea.” Sticks said, but, ironically, his hands were already moving to start it. “What if Tommy finds out?” “He’ll find out, and be SO impressed when we figure it out!” Maple grinned. Sticks sighed, flipping one switch and heaving himself onto the small 3 by 2 platform for passengers. Maple eagerly climbed aboard. “Are you coming?” She yelled to Dust. “We’ll find her for sure with this!”--Maple

Maddy smiled softly. “You’re cute couple, I will say.” She said. “Tommy is a wonderful man.” -- Maddy

Dust looked with uncertainty at the machine. "Do you even know how to fly it?" He asked slowly, as he heaved himself on. "We could die." He mentioned, as he felt his heart rate racing.--Dust

Sahara blushed even more, and was able to say, "Thank youuu. He really is...something." She stopped, as she felt the fluttery feeling again.--Sahara

“Don’t worry, I got this!” Maple said, pushing a lever forward.  With a jerk, the machine went flying backwards. It slammed into the wall with a bang. “Wrong button.” She laughed, awkwardly. Sticks looked winded. “This is a terrible ideaaaa!” Maple shoved the level backwards this time, and the flying machine went soaring forwards, zipping across the grand plains-and almost into a tree. Sticks sqeezed his eyes shut. “UP, UP, UP!” He yelled. Maple pressed a button and suddenly the air was whooshing past him. When he opened his eyes again, he saw nothing but clouds. It worked.--Sticks

“Something hardly begins to describe him.” Maddy laughed, before she heard a bang. A piston emerged from the wall next to her. “What the heck?” Maddy yelled, as the piston disappeared again. Maddy ran outside, her eyes widening as a strange redstone contraption whizzed past her.--Maddy

Dust clenched the seat with all his might as they flew wilidly about and then into the sky. He opened one of his brown eyes just in time to see them pass the clouds. "OKAY MAPLE IF IM GOING TO FIND MY SISTER I NEED TO SEE HER NOT THE Cl-" He stopped as he gaged, but forced himself to man-up and hold tight. "Please lower us S L O W L Y." He begged.--Dust

Sahara quickly followed Maddy, and she followed her gaze up to the sky. "What in the world is that?" She squinted her turquoise eyes, until she exclaimed, "IS THAT DUST? WHAT ARE THEY DOING?"--Sahara

Maple winked at Dust. “Don’t worry, I gotchu!” She exclaimed, before letting the flying machine fall from the sky. “MAPLE!” Sticks yelled, only causing Maple to giggle before she slammed down a button and the flying machine drew to a halt. Sticks clutched his head, feeling dizzy. “Maple, maybe I should drive.” He managed, scotting over to where she was. Maple gave up the seat with a grin. “THAT WAS AMAZING!” She yelled.--Maple

Tommy heard Sahara’s yell and ran outside. “What, what is it?” He asked, before the machine went whizzing past. “MY FLYING MACHINE!” He exclaimed, a grin spreading on his face. “It’s working!” He grabbed Sahara’s shoulders and shook her violently. “Are you seeing this? It WORKED!” He whooped, his eyes shining. Maddy only gave an exasperated sigh, but a smile couldn’t stop itself from growing on her face. It was nice to see him happy.--Tommy

Dust's eyes started to water, and he didn't know if it was because of the amount of air in his eyes or because he felt like crying. Luckily, when Sticks took over, it went more smoothly and he didn't feel sick. "Thanks Sticks..." He murmured to the boy, before he forced himself to look down. "Scoria!" He started to yell.--Dust

Sahara started to laugh, and gave her "boyfriend" a hug. "I'm so proud of you!" She looked Tommy in the eyes, her turquoise eyes shining with pride. Yet again, the weird feeling in her stomach came back, and she felt like she would faint. *Quick, make an excuse before you die!* "I'll be back, I'm going to check on Scuttle." She smiled, before she hurried away.--Sahara

Tommy said a quick goodbye to Sahara before he turned and breathed a happy sigh as he stared at the sky. Maddy smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I hate to admit this…but I’m actually impressed.” She smiled. Tommy let out a laugh. “No way, Maddy? Impressed? Now I’ve seen it all.” He teased. Maddy covered her mouth in an attempt to stifle her giggle. “Oh, shush, you.” She stuck out her tongue at him. Tommy grinned innocently. “Does this victory entitle me to a biscuit or two?” He asked, his eyes sparking with merriment. Maddy sighed, but the smile stayed. “I suppose so, Tommy, but only because it’s you.”--Tommy

“Where?” Maple asked, poking her head over the side of the flying machine.--Maple

At first Dust didn't respond, because he honestly wished he knew. But a few minutes later he noticed a large white figure. "It's Scoria's horse! Get closer!" As the zoomed in closer, Dust caught sight of Scoria by the border to the forest. She was picking up something, and it seemed as if she were talking to someone. "SCORIA!" He screeched, as relief washed over him.--Dust

Since Scoria had left Tommy's house, she had just taken out her anger by riding Rebel as fast as they could go. She just rode back and forth until she felt like she wanted to hit something. She found nearby thin trees by the border of the forest and cut down as many as she could with her sword. As timer passed, she felt as if someone were watching her. When Scoria had just finished chopping down a tree, she heard a rustle behind her. In one of the bushes nearby, there was glowing red non-blinking eye. Insistently, she charged toward it with her sword out, but a deep voice commanded harshly, "Stop!" She hesitated, before she replied just as harsh, "Or what?" "Simply, I'll kill you." Scoria sneered, and pouted mockingly. "You say you'll kill me, but you won't show yourself. How petty." The voice let out a cackle for multiple seconds, before it replied, "Don't worry, you'll see me at your last breath." *My last breath?* There was a moment of silence, before the voice said, "Say hi to your brother for me. Dust should watch out next time." Scoria was dumbfounded, and now felt a weird feeling in her gut. "How do you know my brother?! Did you do something to him?!" She yelled, but the one response she got was something wrapped in cloth throw at her. "Hey come-" The red eye had disappeared.--Scoria

Maple spotted the figure this time, her eyes wide. “Where do I land?” Sticks asked, looking at Maple. “Just go straight down.” She nodded, feeling a strange sense of urgency. Sticks managed to set the machine down gentler than Maple this time, waiting a moment before turning off the switch. Maple scrambled off the platform, waving her arms at Scoria. “Hey! Scoria!” She yelled.--Maple

Scoria whipped her head, and narrowed her coral red eyes. "Dust? Maple? Sticks?" She called back as the machine slowly started to descend to the ground. She remembered the wrapped object in cloth, and quickly picked it up and shoved it in her pocket. Okay, but why is it *sharp?* She wondered slowly, before she shook her head. Scoria grabbed the reins of Rebel and approached the group. "What are you doing here?" She asked, recalling the event that had made her leave.--Scoria

“Um, you ran away.” Sticks said as he approached the girl, putting his hands in his pockets. He looked to Dust with pleading eyes, as he did NOT want to be involved with some family feud.--Sticks

Scoria looked Sticks dead in the eyes with burning coral red eyes, but before she could say anything, Dust quickly hurried to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Are you okay?" He check her arms, legs and face to see if she were hurt, worry growing in his brown eyes. Scoria grabbed her brothers wrists and rolled her coral eyes. "I'm fine, I just went for a little outing." She shrugged, but Dust shook his head. "I just flew around in probably the most unsafe thing in my life! You could have at least told me where you were going! I'm your brother!" Dust yelled, before he took of his cap and ran his fingers through his air. "You know what, it's fine it's fine it's fine." He breathed. *Don't go insane, just don't.* Dust turned back to his sister. "Whatever, you're safe. That's all that matters." *Right?* "We're going back, all of us. But I'm walking." Dust said while he starting walking with his head down.--Scoria and Dust

“You’re walking?” Maple complained, groaning, before turning to Sahara. “Will you come with me on the flying machine?”--Maple

Sahara hesitated, before she chuckled. "Uhm sure, how bad can it be? It must be like riding a ship in the air." She tried to convince herself, as she climbed onto the machine.--Sahara

Sticks rubbed the back of his head, awkwardly. “Maple, I think I’m going to go back with Dust.” He explained. Maple nodded. “Okay! We’ll see who gets there first.” She winked at the boy, and he blushed furiously. Then, Maple turned to Sahara with a grin and pressed the button to turn it on. With a whoosh, the flying machine was gone. Sticks turned to follow Dust.--Sticks

Sahara grabbed on tight to her seat, and then next thing she knew the machine zoomed into the sky. She slowly opened her turquoise eyes, to see that the clouds and all the terrain was below her. "Woaw!" She exclaimed with wonder. "This is amazing!" She laughed.--Sahara

Dust gave a smile to Sticks. He must hate flying too. He turned to Scoria with stern brown eyes as he commanded, "You can ride Rebel, but you can't go far. Stay close to us." He could see the burning fire in his sister's eyes to disobey, but she just started off in a trot. Dust sighed, before he tried to say cheerfully, "C'mon Sticks, let's head back."--Dust

Sticks nodded, following Dust quietly.--Sticks

Maple grinned at her. “Finally, someone who appreciates this besides Tommy! Though, I suppose it makes sense since you’re dating an’ all."--Maple

Dust was lost in thought as they headed back to Tommy's house. He had so many things in his mind, he didn't know how fast he was walking till he almost crashed into a tree. "Woaw," He breathed, deciding it was best for him to slow down. "Oh Sticks there you are." He said to the boy, as he joined him again. With a quick thought in mind he narrowed his brown eyes to see if Scoria had already arrived at the house. She wasn't. "Oh where is she now?" He grumbled through gritted teeth. He looked around frantically before he noticed Rebel's figure behind them. "How is she behind us?" He waited, although his patience was starting to run out. "Is Rebel just standing there? Scoria are you playing a game?" He yelled angrily as he stormed towards them. The closer he got, the more he could see. And that's when he noticed that Rebel was alone, and something was hunched on the ground beside him. "Where's..." He paused, before he broke into a run. "Scoria! Scoria!"--Dust

Sahara rubbed the back of her head, before she confessed, "Tommy's inventions don't mean anything if I like it or not. I just like the wind in my hair." She rolled her turquoise eyes, before she asked, "Are you and Sticks dating?"--Sahara

Maple flushed redder than a tomato. “What? No-no, we’re not!” She stammered, blinking a few times. “We’re just- um- very good friends!” She swiftly tried to change the subject. “Anyway, isn’t the weather amazing?” She managed, an awkward grin on her face.--Maple

Sahara giggled, before she nodded in agreement. "It really is, a nice breeze and not too hot." She winked at Maple, knowing they both didn't want to go back to either of the subjects.--Sahara

Maple breathed a happy sigh. “I don’t know about you but being up so high makes me very happy.” She murmured, lying down on her back on the flying machine. “It makes me feel like…like I’m above all earthly things.”--Maple

Sahara chuckled, and took in a deep breath of fresh air. "I love it too..." She dreamed, as she imaged her above the clouds or sailing over the sea.--Sahara

Dust slowed down as he arrived to Rebel and Scoria. "Sticks can you take the horse?!" He yelled, but he didn't even know if the boy was with him or not. He could see Scoria laying down on her side, her face and eyes swollen and wet. "Scoria, Scoria!" He patted her face, trying to regain her back to conscious. *What could have happened???* She had no wounds, and didn't look at all like something had attacked her. A familiar scent drifted into his nose, and he rummaged through his sister's pockets before he found a piece of cloth wrapped around something. The scent now was so strong he felt like choking. He unwrapped the cloth to see a piece of glass with a familiar purpleish liquid dripping on it. *I know where this came from, I just need to remem-*He widened his brown eyes as he recalled the event, and wrapped the piece of glass back into a cloth with some leaves around it. He quickly ripped a piece of his T-shirt sleeve fand tied it around his nose and mouth. As he picked up Scoria, he though to himself, *That red eye thing did it*.--Dust

“Yes, um, what is that-” He asked, before the stench hit his nose. He gagged, swooning slightly. “Now that is GROSS.” He shook his head a few times. The horse beside him seemed unaffected. Either way, Sticks grabbed the reins tightly.--Sticks

(DRAMMAAAA) --rosey

(Gurl you know I just had to)-Rowan

Dust coughed once again, before he warned Sticks, "You should cover you mouth and nose with something unless you want to be like Scoria." He gently took the reins from the boy and made Scoria lay on her stomach on the horse's back. "C'mon we have to get back quickly, who knows what happens when you don't have treatment." He shook his head, as he remembered the only reason he was alive was because of Maddy.--Dust

Sticks nodded, grabbing the cloth around his head and tying it around his mouth. He felt like a true ninja now and wanted to jump around doing ninja things, but he forced down his immatureness for Dust’s sake. “Do you want me to guide the horse?...” He managed.--Sticks

(OH MY GOSH STIIIICCCKKKKKKSSSS PROTECT HIM AT ALL COSTS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THE BOOOYYYYYYYYY ROSEY IMMA-)-Rowan

Dust hesitated, but then he thought that while he guided the horse he would make sure Scoria wouldn't fall. "That would be great help, thanks Sticks." He smiled, before he cautiously took his place beside the horse.--Dust

Maple quickly spotted the Hobbit Hole below. “Alright, Sahara, I’m going to let us down, ok?” She said, turning to the girl with a mischievous glint in her gaze.--Maple

Sahara could see the rebellious shine in Maple's eyes, and gave a wide grin. "What do you have planned for this landing missy?" She winked.--Sahara

Maple was about to reply, but she heard someone calling her name below, spotting the form of Tommy waving enthusiastically at them. Maple grinned. “Freefall!” She yelled to Sahara, before pulling the level back and letting the flying machine drop. Wind whipped past Maple, causing her auburn hair to whip around like a collection of tentacles on an angry octopus. Mere inches from the ground, Maple kicked the lever forward again, and the machine came to an abrupt stop. “Tommy, Tommy!” Maple yelled as she scrambled off of it and towards her friend. “Did you see? It worked!” She exclaimed. Tommy beamed, holding out his hand for a high five. “Nice one, mate!” He grinned, obviously trying to keep down his happiness. Maple slapped the hand with vigor.--Maple

Sahara was still sitting in the machine, brushing back her hair as she had her turquoise eyes looking up at the sky. She glanced at Tommy, the fake dating feel still in her gut. *I can't believe I actually have to not act awkward.* She sighed, before she climbed off and let the two enjoy their victory. She saw the figures of Dust and Sticks, as well as the horse, but she wondered where was Scoria. *Maybe I can't see her.* As they neared, she ran to them before she gasped. "What happened to Scoria?!" She wailed, as she saw the sick, limp figure of her best friend.--Sahara

Tommy jumped at the scream, instinctively running towards Sahara. “What, what is it?” He exclaimed, his eyes widening upon the sigh of so many people around the horse. “Oh, is it just the horse? Well, I could always make a replacement…” he trailed off once he saw Scoria hunched on the ground. Bile filled his mouth and he ducked away; his face green. “Oh, wow, um.” He managed. “Wow.” He looked to Sahara, hoping for reassurance in her beautiful green eyes.-- Tommy

Sahara couldn't look at her friend anymore, and turned around to meet Tommy. Her eyes were slowly filling with tears, and she hid her face on Tommy's shoulder. She sobbed for a few seconds, before she forced herself to take a deep breath. *She'll be okay! She's just hurt, you have to be strong for her.*..She thought worriedly, forgetting the past argument they had and instead wished her friend would wake up.--Sahara

As they arrived to Tommy's house, Dust completely blocked out the outside worries. He didn't notice Sahara was crying, any of the other comments made of his sister, or how close he was to choking on his mask. His goal was just to find Maddy and pray she knew what to do. He gently slid his sister into his arms, giving Sticks a quick smile of thanks before he bust into the house. "Maddy!" He yelled with a pleading tone. He hurried into a random room, and laid his sister on the couch. "Maddy, Maddy, please come here I need your help!" He begged as he glanced from his sister to the door.--Dust

Tommy awkwardly hugged Sahara. He hadn’t known Scoria well-he had only caught snipped of Maple and Sticks’ conversations about her, but he didn’t want her to die or anything. “Hey, I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Tommy murmured, putting his hand under Sahara’s chin and guiding her face upward. He stared at her for a moment, before gingerly, carefully, almost as if she might break, he kissed her lightly on the forehead. She smelled like roses and the warm ocean breeze, like something warm and comforting. He loves it. Tommy stayed in the kiss for a moment before pulled away, giving her a soft grin. “Feel any better?” he asked, silently adding, *I’d do it again if you want.*--Tommy

At the sound of Dust’s yell, Maddy came running. She didn’t even stop to ask any questions, instead letting her gaze survey the body of Sahara now lying bloodied on Tommy’s couch. She worried for his furniture sometimes. Hurriedly, she pulled out her bag and handed some potion ingredients to Dust. “Go make a healing potion, please.” She ordered. “And hurry you bloke!”--Maddy

(Not me thinking "oh should he do it again?")-Rowan

Sahara felt locked into Tommy's gaze, and at that moment she even forgot she was pretending to date him. He felt like a real boyfriend. How he held her, how he kissed her, how he talked to her- She was dying inside not to just cup his handsome face, drown him with kisses and tell him all the things in her head. "Thanks Tommy," She murmured as she hugged him back while burying her face in his warm shirt. "I feel great when I'm with you..."--Sahara

Dust immediately started to run to the brewing potion, before he remembered a key thought. "Make yourself a mask! I think Scoria got the same thing I had but worse!" H warned, before fumbling with the ingredients to make a gallon of healing potions. He slipped through all the corners of the house until he arrived to Maddy and Scoria. "Here!" He panted, as he looked desperately at his sister.--Dust

Tommy only smiled back, his heart keeping him from saying the same to the pirate girl. He felt regret at this, but he and Sahara were fake. It was all pretend, and he intended to keep it that way. "Yup!" He grinned at her awkwardly.--Tommy

Sticks stared at Tommy and Sahara for a moment, before running back inside, a goofy grin on his face.--Sticks

Maddy nodded, wrapping a piece of cloth around her face. Grabbing the healing potion from Dust, she flipped it over and let the contents spill onto Scoria. The cuts on her healed up almost instantly, Maddy watching in awe as the potion worked it’s magic and sewed the cuts up on their own. Slowly, Maddy peered at the girl. “Scoria?” she asked. “Slap me if you can hear me.”--Maddy

Sahara slowly drew back as reality hit her like a rock. She sighed silently, before she mumbled, "I think I'm going to check on Scuttle." She then slowly made her way through the house, casting a glance into the room where Scoria was in, before she found her way to her parrot.--Sahara

Dust widened his brown eyes as he heard Maddy's statement, and watched tensely for any movement. Before Dust could shove Maddy out the way, Scoria widened her coral red eyes and reached forward to slap Maddy's arm. "Maddy!" The girl smiled brightly.--Dust

Maddy slapped her back, her eyes flaming. “Scoria, you bloody scared me!” She exclaimed, before reaching out and giving the girl a tight squeeze of a hug.–- Maddy

Tommy found his way back inside with a sigh, finding Maple and Sticks sitting together in the kitchen, both with a cup of steaming hot chocolate in their hands. They watched as Tommy sat in the stool between them, groaning as he buried in his hands. “Mates, why is love so confusing?” He complained. Maple giggled. “Tell me about it.” She teased. Sticks pushed a mug in his direction. “Would you like some?” He asked. Tommy smiled warmly. “I would love some.” So, the trio sat there, quietly, but friendship and happiness exuded from them like a warm fire.--Tommy

Scoria laughed, returning the hug with excitement and gratefulness. She drew back as she coughed, and then wiped her damp face. "Ew what happened?" She asked, noticing how weak, pale and sweaty she looked. That's when she noticed her brother's tense eyes, as the rest of his face was covered by a cloth. "Scoria, what happened when you were out?" As Scoria was about to open her mouth and say a big fat lie, Dust commanded, "Who gave you this peice of glass and cloth?"--Scoria

Maddy glared at Scoria, hands on her hips. “Dust is right, I expect the truth.” She ordered.--Maddy

Scoria felt guilt swallow her whole, but she tried to stay cool as she shrugged. "I just met some deep voiced red eye." As she recalled the event, her voice dropped as she added, "Well...He also said that I'll see him at my.....L-Last breath." She swallowed as she saw her brother's face completly turned pale. "He also said that uhm I should say hi to my brother for me. Dust should watch out next time."--Scoria

Maddy glanced at Dust, her eyes narrowed and dim.--Maddy

Dust's face went completly pale and his brown eyes went dark. He processed everything, and it felt like glass was trying to sink into his skin. "Scoria," He started, but his mouth went completly dry. He felt like he wanted to break the walls with rage and at the same time cry, but instead he just sighed as he ruffled his hair. He said sternly, "From now on, you can never *ever* go outside alone. I don't care for what it is, you have to go with someone." He glared at his sister, but deep down he wanted to hug her as he saw her regretful face. He pulled out the peice of glass in a cloth, and gave it to Maddy. "I assume you want to figure out what this liquid is. If not just throw it away." He sighed, as he walked out of the room to where he hoped to find somewhere private.--Dust

Maddy glanced over Scoria for a moment before sighing. “You know, your brother is trying his best to protect you.” She explained. “As an older sibling, especially with your parents gone, he feels very strongly about making sure you’re okay-even if it means limiting you. Do you get it?” Maddy titled her head.--Maddy

“You should go talk to her.” Maple propped her chin up on one hand as she stared at Tommy. Tommy flushed red, awkwardly. He didn’t even need to ask as to who she was talking about. “I…” he trailed off. Sticks nudged him. “Relax, just go say ‘hi’ or something.” He grinned. Tommy pushed away from his chair and sighed. “Fine…” He managed, walking away only to duck behind a wall away from them. They would never notice he didn’t actually talk to her. He sighed as he pushed himself against the wall, his posture slouching. Why was fake dating so confusing?--Tommy

Scoria gritted her teeth as she crossed her arms like a little kid. "I know that, it's just that he's soooo overprotective. I can't go outside anymore alone!" She rolled her coral red eyes while she continued, "He forgot in the real world how our parents told us to act." She sighed as she imagined her father doing all the cool stuff like they did in movies. "He should relax himself, it won't be good for him." She snorted.--Scoria

Maddy huffed, sitting down on the couch next to Scoria. She made no sound, however, just a deep sigh as she laid her head on the couch. Teenagers were difficult sometimes…but what was this about Scoria’s father?--Maddy

Dust hurried out of the room where Scoria was in, his brown eyes tearing up. He had never had so much stress in one day, and the thing is Scoria didn't get it. *Maybe she does, she just wont admit it.* He slouched as he made his way outside, the bright sun striking his face. He sat down by the corner of the house, looking out at wilderness. Slowly, he closed his eyes and slumped into sleep.--Dust

“I should go find Tommy.” Maddy pulled herself up with a sigh, before going to find the blonde-haired man. She had an idea for a useful item for them...one concerning making sure Scoria stayed inside.--Maddy

Scoria snorted, before she got up and looked around for Sahara. "Scora!" Yelped the blonde, her turqoise eyes wide with hesitation. "Are you okay?" Scoria shrugged as she answered, "Of course, Maddy helped." There was some silence, before Sahara mumbled, "Are you still mad of what happened before...? Y-You know with Tommy and I..."--Sahara and Scoria

“Tommy?” Maddy called, before spotting a familiar head of blonde hair hiding beside a few barrels. Maddy blinked with confusion as Tommy peeked his head over, his multi-colored eyes wide. “OH-hi, Maddy!” Tommy stammered. “I was just- er- cleaning the boxes!” He managed. Maddy crossed her arms. “You never clean. Is something up Tommy?”--Tommy

Scoria blinked her coral red eyes as she recalled the event clearly in her mind. She rolled her lips inward, before she shrugged. "I guess I have a hard time accepting things." She muttered, before she shook the growing anger away. "Watcha doing here?" She asked as she stroked Scuttle's back.--Scoria

“No.” Tommy managed. Maddy stared at him, unsure why he was staring at her. “Maddy, I-” Tommy stepped forward, heaving a breath. Maddy blinked a few times. “Tommy, what the-” and then, Tommy reached out, grabbing both her hands, and kissing her. Maddy sucked in a breath, but the kiss was warm and loving- but she couldn’t. Maddy held it for one second, two seconds, three seconds, and then she pulled back. Tommy still held both her hands.--Maddy

(ROSEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY YOU DID NOT YOU LIL AFUHOSHGAHOIGH. Am I supposed to have Sahara tell Dust or a lil later? Cuz remember when Sahara does that thats when Scoria leaves)-Rowan

Sahara sighed. "I'm just here with Scuttle, I haven't been with him for a while." She smiled, not sure if she were to tell her closest friend why she really was locked away. "How are you feeling after the attack? What even happened?"--Sahara

Maddy whipped around, feeling anger spark in her soul. Tommy made no attempt to go after her as Maddy stormed outside. Maple ran after her, confused. “Hey, where are you-” “I’m going back to my house.” Maddy snapped, throwing on her jacket and beanie. “Don’t be surprised if I don’t come back.” Maple cringed. “Now hold on, why are you so upset?” She started, but Maddy slammed the front door; already gone.--Maddy

(whenever you want!) -- rosey

(But when will Tommy says the truth to Maddy)-Rowan

Scoria bit her lip before she spilled the whole truth. When she finished, she noticed the Sahara's face completly changed. Scoria suddenly heard a loud slam that shook the whole house, and she gave an alarmed look to her friend.--Scoria

Dust felt the whole house shake as well as hearing a loud bang, waking him up. "AH!" He yelped, before he heard fading footsteps heading towards the forest. Is that Scoria? He hurried to his feet, wobbiling a little, before he saw the distant figure of Maddy. "Maddy?!"--Dust

Maddy ignored the voice, at least, until she realized it was Dust. Then she turned around. “What is it?” She snapped, still feeling the angry flare inside her.-- Maddy

Dust was takenaback by Maddy's angry tone. "Uhm are you okay?" He asked, his light brown eyes wide.--Dust

Maddy stared at Dust for a moment, cogs turning in her head. Did she tell him what happened, or would that risk something? The British girl took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I’m fine. I just- just all those people, you know?” She managed a convincing smile.--Maddy

Dust saw something in the way Maddy's eyes were, but decided not to push. *It's probably nothing*. "Oh yea," He smiled while scratching his head. "Well...I'll see you inside I guess." He blinked his light brown eyes before he started for the door.--Dust

The girl made no reply, simply sighing and heading once again towards her treehouse.–-Maddy

Tommy stared at the place Maddy had stormed off too. A part of him felt excited, butterflies exploding in his stomach, but he also felt absolutely terrified. “It’s fine, it’s fine, this is the whole reason we got together in the first place!” He muttered to himself, running a hand through his rumbled hair as he thought of Sahara’s possible reaction.--Tommy

Dust sighed as he opened the door to Tommy's house. He saw Sticks and Maple in the living room, and could hear the quiet voices of Sahara and Scoria drowned by Scuttle. *But where's Tommy?* He shrugged to himself, trying to shake all the worries off. He went to the bathroom, taking his cap and jacket off. He splashed cold water on his face, trying to calm himself down. *There is so much gaps to fill, just where to start?*--Dust

Tommy trudged back to Maple and Sticks in silence, sitting down in between them and burying his head in his hands. “Did it work?” Maple asked, having no idea what had actually unfolded. “Fine.” Tommy murmured, his gaze trailing to the room where Sahara and Scoria were. “Just fine.”--Tommy

Dust sighed as he dried his face with a towel and returned to the living room. "Oh Tommy there you are!" He exclaimed, before he quickly noticed the erie mood that semed the fill the whole room. "Something's happened already?" he mumbled to himself.--Dust

Maple giggled, quietly. “Dust, I’m confused as you are.” She murmured, before turning her gaze to Tommy. The blonde made no reply, only burying his head deeper into his hoodie with a “mph”.--Maple

Dust wrinkled his nose as he felt stress pile onto him. "Does anyone know where Maddy went? I saw her outside, but she didn't tell me where she was going." He blinked, hoping someone had an answer.--Dust

Tommy glanced up. “Maddy has a tendency to run away easily.” Tommy gave laugh. “She usually calms down after a few days and we’re back to normal.”-- Tommy

Dust widened his light brown eyes. "Few days?! But we need her, we were supposed to go on that trip." He paused, realizing he hadn't asked if Tommy truely thought it was okay if they left him behind. "I just wonder what made her go..." He changed the subject as he arose.--Dust

Tommy swallow. "Let's not talk about that- it feels like an invasion of her privacy." He managed, before being interupted. "Shoot! We're suppose to be leaving somewhere!" Maple exclaimed, eyes widening. "We don't have any armor, or tools, or food, or even weapons!"--Tommy

Dust gritted his teeth as he kept himself from screaming. "We were supposed to go with Maddy!" He protested.--Dust

"Phsaw- we don't need her." Maple snorted with laughter as she gave a sarcastic comment. "We can get ready," Sticks began, "and then drop by her house once we have... everything Maple just listed." He managed, giving Dust an encouraging smile, before mouthing, *I get it dude, but it's hard to control things with these two.*--Sticks

Dust quickly caught on to the message, and realizied Sticks was right. He let out a silent sigh. There's something about Sticks that makes him better than the others. Thought Dust couldn't find out why, he gave the boy a warm smile. *You're right, thank you Sticks. I appreciate it.* He mouthed, before saying outloud, "Very well, I'm going to pack. So should everyone else."--Dust

(awwwwwwwwwwwww dust is so sweet)--rosey

"Good idea." Maple grinned, giving Dust finger guns. She then turned and elbowed Tommy. "Why don't *you* go and get Sahara and Scoria?" She asked, smirking. Tommy sighed. "You know what? Fine." Tommy gently lifted her hand off his shoulder before waving briefly to Dust as he walked down the hall, spotting the door to their residence shut closed. He sucked in a breath, before rapping on the door.--Tommy

(gurl I had to match him up to sticks lol)-Rowan

There was a brief moment of silence, before Scoria asked, "Can I help you Tommy?" She glanced uneasily at Sahara, before she turned her gaze back to the player.--Scoria

"Dust need you all to pack up for when we head out." Tommy explained. "Clothes, food, the likes."--Tommy

Sahara quickly rose to her feet and joined her friend by her side. "Tommy," She hesitated, before she continued, "What was all that comotion that happened? You know with the door banging?" She blinked her turqoise eyes.--Sahara

Tommy blinked once, twice, and then he sighed. "Can I talk to you?" He asked.--Tommy

Sahara glanced uneasily at Scoria, but the dark haired girl already gave her a 'ugh just go' look. Sahara blinked her turqoise eyes at her gratefully. before she followed Tommy somewhere private.--Sahara

Tommy ducked into a nearby room, before shutting the door. "I did it." He whispered, even though no one would hear him. "I kissed Maddy."--Tommy

Sahara's face showed no emotion, as she slowly distanced herself into her thoughts. *He kissed her...That was the plan. It shouldn't hurt me*. She took in a silent breath, before she replied, "So that's why Maddy left? Did she say anything?" *Like you were cheating on me?*--Sahara

"That's the thing." Tommy ran a hand through his hair, nervously. "She didn't say a *word.* I don't know what to do now-"--Tommy

Sahara felt as if a knife had just slit her heart. *He's not my boyfriend! This was all to get Dust! You shouldn't be hurt*! She rolled her lips in as slowly her moist turqoise eyes grew dull. "Well, I guess we have to see what happens...I don't know what to do either." She murmured.--Sahara

"This is good, though!" Tommy gave her a smile. "This means you'll be with Dust soon enough-and that's pretty exciting!"--Tommy

Sahara bit her cheek, as she just nodded slowly. It was a while before she mumbled, "Well I guess this means we don't have to pretend like we're dating right?" She stared at Tommy, as she scanned his face that deep down she loved.--Sahara

"Not yet." Tommy shook his head. "No one knows what happened yet." He began to pace the room. "Which means, we technially don't have to stop quite yet." He gave her a boy-ish grin.--Tommy

Sahara forced a small smile, before she replied, "Okay then." She stared at Tommy for another moment, before she turned her head to exit from the room. Tears had started to form in her eyes, and the last thing she wanted was Tommy to know why.--Sahara

Tommy squinted, spotting the tears on her eyes. "Hey, wait a second." He began, reaching out to grab her hand and turn her towards him. "You okay? I mean, you don't look okay-" He trailed off, wondering what he had said.--Tommy

Sahara shook her head, as words not willing to come out of her mouth. She avoided Tommy's gaze as she spoke. "It's nothing, I just thought of something.....That's a-all." She drew away her hand from his, and turned once more to exit herself.--Sahara

Tommy shrugged. Girls were weird sometimes.--Tommy

Sahara opened the door slowly to the room she was with Scoria in before, and met her friend's eyes. Before Scoria could open her mouth, she choked, "I don't want to talk about it right now."--Sahara

"Guys!" Maple yelled, her scream reverberating around the house. "Ya'll better be packed up, cause we have places to *be*!" She stood in front of the door, arms crossed. *Gosh, why was everyone so slow? There was a temple to explore!*--Maple

Dust whipped his head around, his light brown eyes wide. "We can't leave without Maddy!" He protested, his voice desperate.--Dust

Maple gave him a clap on the back-a hard one despite her small size. "We'll be fine without her!" She grinned. "Besides, this time there's no one to tell us what *not* to do."--Maple

Dust gritted his teeth as he continued to protest, "Yeah, but it was *her* whole idea to go to the temple. *And if we're honest,* we need a boss, and *she's the only smart one among us*." He finished as his brown eyes blazed.--Dust

Maple put a hand to her chest, pretending to look offending. "You're telling me I'm not smart?" She asked, theatrically, before she gave him a sarcastic smile. "Don't worry, mate, I got this." She turned, watching as Tommy and Sticks filed into the room, both with a backpack over their shoulder. "Awesome! Where's the two girls at?"--Maple

Dust gripped his hairs as he felt his face grow hot. "We're not leaving without her, we can't just split up!" He insisted.--Dust

((Rosey is this where you want em to split up oorrrrrrr when was that gon happen)-Rowan

(maddy shows up while they're heading there dw) --rosey

Tommy let out a breathy laugh. "Something tells me Maddy will show up just when we need her."--Tommy

Dust let out a sigh as he stormed to his room. "If Maddy doesn't show up by tomorrow evening I'm going to find her!" He declared before he hurried away to pack.--Dust

"YOU DO YOU!" Maple yelled after him, before turning to Tommy. "Jeez, is he always like this?"--Maple

Dust closed the door behind him, before he let out a loud sigh. "I'm going to go insane," He muttered under his breath, before he added in thought, *What's the point if we keep splitting up*? He gritted his teeth before he quickly packed his things.--Dust

(time skip maybe?) --rosey

(im assuming to the temple?)-Rowan

*Three Days Later...*

Scoria sighed as she yet again wiped the sweat from her face. It had been three days since the group left Tommy's house, and it had been a struggle. *Especially since Dust acts like he's leaving his best friend Maddy behind.* Scoria rolled her eyes as she continued to ride Rebel. "Scoria! Get yourself back here!" The girl chuckled to herself as she heard the annoyed yell from her brother, yet obiednently she steered her way back to the group. "I'm here, I'm here." She sneered, before she added, "Has anyone seen any sign of the temple?"--Scoria

Tommy shook his head, still glancing around. The jungle was a rather strange terrain, and he wasn’t a fan of strange terrain. Odd, and disturbing. Creepers could leap out at any moment, protected by the shade around them. Suddenly, he heard a noise to the left and he whipped around, sword already drawn. The rustling continued and he narrowed his eyes, gripping tighter, before he spotted two warm brown eyes blink at him from the shadows. “Maddy?” He asked.--Tommy

Dust whipped his head to Tommy's voice. "Did someone say Maddy?" He asked excitedly.--Dust

Maddy took a step forward, spotting Tommy and giving him a smile. "Hello, Tommy. So we meet again." She nodded to him, before turning to Dust with an even bigger grin. "Hey, Dust! I hope you’ve been keeping everyone under control.”--Maddy

(HI SORRY I GOT THE RONA) --rosey

(GURL ITS OKAY IM GLAD YOU'RE BETTER)-Rowan

Dust's face britened up as he gave a wide smile. "You're back!" He exclaimed, before he asked, "I thought you were staying at the village?"--Dust

Maddy's smile faded ever so slightly. "Well." She gave a dry laugh. "I couldn't leave you idiots to go on this mission alone, right?" She teased.--Maddy

*Why did you leave in the first place? You didn't have to leave at all*, Was the thought that drifted in Dust's mind. Yet, he said nothing and gave a small chuckle. "We're glad you're back."--Dust

"Thank you." Maddy gave a soft smile, adjusting her backpack's position on her shoulders. "Now, are we off to the temple again?"--Maddy

Tommy grinned before back tracking to where Sahara was. "See? I told you it would be fine." He said, winking at her. "My charm never fails to impress!"--Tommy

Scoria gave a wide grin, and exclaimed, "Yes ma'am! Let's go!" She mounted Rebel, her hands cluching the reins. "Lead the way Maddy."--Scoria

A familiar ball of grief rose in Sahara's throat, and she forced herself to hold back tears. She gave a side eye to Tommy, as she sighed, "Whatever you say," before she left his side to join Scoria.--Sahara

"Hey-Sahara, wait..." Tommy began, before trailing off. *She's upset again.* He realized with a frown. *Everytime I talk about Maddy she gets all 'ooh, don't talk to me. i'm feel angsty.'* The boy sighed, about to let it go, before he remebered real boyfriends didn't let their fake girlfriends get upset. So, he went after her.*--*Tommy

"Do you have a map?" Maddy asked, tilting her head up at Scoria.--Maddy

Scoria shook her head. "Dust has one, he doesn't trust me with it." She rolled her coral red eyes. "I don't think he's found anything though..." She shrugged.--Scoria

Maddy managed a laugh, before making her way over to Dust. "I figured." She put a finger to her chin in thought. "We need to veer left, towards that jungle over there. The temple is deep inside."--Maddy

"Sahara!" Tommy said as he skidded to a stop next to her. "What's wrong?" he asked, putting his hands on her shoulders. "And don't lie to me, you seem really upset. Was it something I said? I'm so sorry if so..."-- Tommy

Dust smiled softly, and moved his arm in a hushered motion. "Lead the way." He encouraged. "You're the leader after all."--Dust

Sahara felt her head grow hot, with a mixture of grief and as Tommy was staring her down with his hands on her shoulders. "Tommy," She began, before she thought, *He's not your boyfriend, he should be nothing to you. Dust is who you love, right?* She cleared her throat before she lied, "It's not your fault. It's nothing you need to worry about." She forced a smile.--Sahara

"Too late?" Tommy managed, unsure how to press the issue. In the end, he let out a sigh, putting his hands back at his side. "I'm here for you." He said, smiling. "Okay? I hope you feel better soon." He reached out and gave her hand a quick squeeze before turning to get back with the group.--Tommy

"Got it." Maddy nodded. "In that case, we better get moving. The last thing we want is to get caught in that jungle at nightfall."--Maddy

(AAAA TOMMY PRECIOUS BEAN) -- rosey

(PROTECT HIM AT ALL COOOSSTTS)-Rowan

Sahara forced a smile, but as Tommy walked away her face sagged down into a frown. "Get a hold of yourself," She muttered to herself, as her gaze rested on Dust for a moment.--Sahara

(time skip to them in front of the jungle temple maybe?)--rosey

Tommy made his way to Sticks and Maple's sides. "Hey, guys!" he said, forcing a smile. Sticks eyes lit up excitedly. "Tommy! Hi!" He exclaimed, at the same time Maple cut in with a "Tommy, what is up with Sahara? She's acting like such a grump." The auburn-haired girl crossed her arms, eyes narrowed. "This doesn't have anything to do with you, right?" Tommy blushed, awkwardly rubbing his neck. "Nope, nope, she's not mad at me." *I think.*--Tommy

(Shore)-Rowan

*About The Next Evening...*

Scoria sighed as she noticed the sun set, and her sweat began to become cold with the chilly wind. The whole group's feet ached with pain, and from time to time Scoria had to unmount and let someone else rest on Rebel. *C'mon, we have to be close.* She squinted her eyes, before she thought she noticed a small flicker between the branches. "Guys," She whispered, "Look."--Scoria

Maddy took a step forward, pushing away the leaves concealing the light source. Behind it, she found the huge temple of the jungle. Torches lined the outside of the structure, illuminating walls of mossy cobblestone. As she got closer to the steps leading into it, she noticed footprints in the dust, signs of life not yet washed away from the impending rain. Was someone here?--Maddy

Dust followed behind Maddy, and his eyes widened in ashtonishment. The temple was several feet high, and great ivys hugged the building. He looked at Maddy, before he realized she was looking at the ground. He followed her gaze, and bit his lip. *Someone's been here. And, these aren't old prints*.--Dust

((When do you think we should introduce the temple ppl? Who was it again?))-Rowan

((it's lyptus i believe and just whevever you think :D) --rosey

"It's huge!" Maple exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement as she made her way up the steps. Tommy made his way after her, glancing around at the ancient structure. It was so impressive...He wondered who could have made it. In the distance, thunder rolled causing him to look up. Though the forst mostly blocked his veiw of the sky, he saw grey clouds gathering in the sky.--Tommy

Dust cleared his throat, before he announced, "Everyone let's find shelter. And please let's all stay together, don't leave anyone astray." He nodded at Maddy to lead the way.--Dust

((I actually remember it was also Pea, but I think it's a good idea to have them both be split up for a little. But I'll introduce Lyptus in just a sec.))-Rowan

"Good idea." Maddy turned away from the huge structure. "I think it would be best if we went inside the fortress." She said, her tone tentative and prepared for a rebuke. "The jungle floor is dangerous at night...and the trees are infested with spiders." She explained. "Gross, spiders. I agree with Maddy-let's get inside ASAP, mates." Tommy said, shivering dramatically before bursting into a laugh. Maddy forced a polite smile.--Maddy

Scoria gribbed the rein of Rebel as they prepared to hike the stairs of the temple. *He should be able to fit, the ceilings so high.* As they finally came to the entrance, she noticed the dim lit moist rooms. She gazed with wonder, but the attention of hooves got her attention. "Rebel-" She called, before she noticed that the white creature was beside her, his ears pricked. Her eyes widened with fear as she thought, *Is there someone else in here?*--Scoria

Dust gazed with wonder at the impressive build of the temple. "It looks even better from the inside!" He commented. He looked up at the ceileings, to see an opening that led up to the cloudly sky. A flash came over the hole, and for a moment Dust wondered if he had blinked. He stared long and hard at the hole, and only a few pebbles trickled onto the floor he was on. Curiousity taking him over, he grabbed a robe and lassoed it up into the hole several times before it hooked onto something. With delight, he slowly started to climb up.--Dust

As the rest of the group filed it, Maddy grabbed some cobblestone to seal up the entrance for now before going about survival preperations. Campfires were erected, as well as small tents with blankets inside. The jungle would get cold at night...the extra warmth would do them good.--Maddy

"Yo, Dust!" Tommy yelled as he stood below his friend. "Where are you going?"--Tommy

Dust gave a side glance at his friend, before he responded, "I wanna see what's up here." He slowly crept up to the top, before a thought came to his head. *I don't know what's up there.* But the sound of small clatering made him keep going. "Hey Tommy can you come up with me plea-" His words were cut off as someone grabbed his jacket and dragged him through the hole. "Tommy! Tommy!" He yelled, before he was thrown in the corner and met eyes, a pair of burning orange looking deep into his soul.--Dust

"Dust?" Tommy called up, hearing some faint yelling from the hole. He squinted up into the dusty air above him, before scowling at the lack of response. Adjusting his googles on his head, he grabbed the rope and started to climb up. The rope burned his skin and he flinched, wondering how his friend could have made it up so high. With one last shove, he made it up to the top, gasping for breath. "Whew- that was a wild climb." He managed, glancing around.-- Tommy

Lyptus crouched over Dust, with her feet firmly on his shouders, with her bow and arrows ready to fire at the blonde boy. "Stay where you are. Don't make a sound." She growled, her orange eyes burning like lava.--Lyptus

((And she back))-Rowan

(SHE IS THE ICON, SHE IS THE LEGEND, AND SHE IS THE MOMENT) --rosey

Tommy squinted into the dusty opening. "I'm coming in!" He yelled, his hand reaching to his belt to firmly grasp the handle of his sword. He made his way through it, before emerging onto the other side.--Tommy

((GURL NOT THE WENDY MOMENT))-Rowan

With a sigh, Lyptus quickly waited till she met eye to eye with the blonde boy. "I got your friend." She growled, "I suggest if you want to keep him alive you climb over here without calling your other friends." She glared at the boy with googles, her hands holding firmly on the pulled arrow.--Lyptus

Aqua blue met glowing orange as the two stared at each other, confusion in one gaze and a fierce determination in the other. "Whoah, whoah, whoah," he put his hands up, feeling a bead of sweat on his brow. "let's talk about this, okay?" He scanned the room, spotting Dust shoved against the wall and he gulped nervously.--Tommy

"Oh we can talk," She pushed her foot harder on Dust's shoulders, "But first climb out of the hole and stand here." She pointed to a place in the ground about 5 feet away from her. "C'mon now, you're friend's life is on the line."--Lyptus

Tommy took a breat and climbed out, before scooting to the place the strange women had pointed too. "I'm not here to hurt you, and neither is he." He said, taking a breath and placing a smile on his face. He laid a hand on his sword handle and slowly pulled it out, eying the women's wary gaze, he placed it on the ground and kicked it so it was on the ground a few feet away. "See?"--Tommy

Lyptus’s fiery gaze calmed as sympathy came into her heart. “I’m not here to kill either of you,” She paused, before continuing, “Unless you’re trying to kill me. But we’ll see what happens, if I can trust you or not.” She lowered her bow and arrows as she murmured, “The last players left here weren’t what you called friends.” She bit her lip, before she asked, “What are you doing here? What happened to y’all?”--Lyptus

Tommy glanced at Dust, as if waiting for him to answer, before changing his mind and deciding to dive in himself. "Well," He began, letting himself relax a little as he fidgeted with his gloves, "I don't know what we're looking for. We don't know...yet. We're trying to find a way out of here so we can go back to the physical world again.”--Tommy

Lyptus lifted her brow, as she asked slowly, “And how long have you all been here?”--Lyptus

Tommy scratched the back of his nech awkwardly. "I..." he paused, realizing he had no answer. The days all seemed to blur by. "I don't know."--Tommy

Lyptus's eyes softened even more as she felt the pain the blondie did. "That's okay." She smiled, while deep down she was thinking, *How long have I been here? Months? Years? Decades? Centuries?* She shook the thought away, before saying aloud, "So, I know you have some friends down there." She pointed to the hole as you could hear the sounds of pattering feet. "This is what I want you to do. Both of you walk to the hole, jump down, and gather your friends."--Lyptus

"And why would I do that?" Tommy said, squinting at the girl. "I don't even know your name yet."--Tommy

"Nor do I know yours, or your friend, or your other friends." She replied, her orange eyes narrowed. "This is what hapens. I meet all your friends, and you'll get to know me." She pulled out one of her arrows along with her bow, and angled it toward Dust's chest. "Or your friend can go the hard way."--Lyptus

Tommy sighed, realizing he wasn’t in much of a position to negotiate. “Alright, alright, you got it.” He said, turning away and grabbing a water bucket out of his inventory. He paused over the entrance of the hole, before taking a breath and jumping down. Just before he reaching the ground, he threw the water down, and it cushioned his fall like a small pillow. “Maddy!” He whisper yelled as he ran over to his friend and tugged on her sleeve. “Could I talk to you for a second?” He asked. Maddy narrowed her eyes, nervousness flickering in her gaze. “I promise I won’t do anything weird.” Tommy managed, realizing what she was nervous about. “Fine.” Maddy relented. “There’s this girl up in the rafters, and she’s holding Dust hostage.” Tommy explained. “She says she needs everyone to gather together down here or…um…she’ll kill Dust.” Maddy rubbed her temples. “Why is it that trouble follows you everywhere, Toms?” She complained, before grabbing his arm, the touch causing butterflies to explode in Tommy’s stomach. “C’mon.” She said, dragging him to the rest of the group. “Let’s hope you’re telling the truth.”--Tommy

While Dust was waiting for Tommy to call them down, he tried his best to get a better look at the girl. She didn't look much older than him, if not the same age. She had long dark oak hair that reached down to waist, and it covered her pretty face and glowing orange eyes, one of them which had a not so old scar. She was around the same height as Scoria, and her tight athletic clothes were worn and torn. Dust had been staring at her for so long, that she quickly glared at him when she caught his gaze. Dust's face turned beet red, and he mumbled, "S-Sorry." And dared not to look at her again.--Dust

“Guys!” Maddy yelled at her other companions, before gesturing for them to follow her to stand beside the rope. Maple eagerly bounded over curiously, Sticks trailing behind with narrowed eyes. “Okay, great, now, stay here.” Tommy ordered, before scrambling up the rope and popping his head up at the top. “Hey! I got them, okay? Can you let go of Dust now?”-–Tommy

“What crazy stuff is Tommy up to now?” Maple asked, almost teasingly. “Nothing good, I would expect.” Maddy sighed, peering up into the hole. “It’s never good.”--Maddy

Dust took his chance and glanced at Tommy and then the girl. She stared at him for a moment, before she released her foot. "Go ahead." She tilted her head, ushering him forward. He quickly scrambled to his feet and reached the floor where his friends were. He could see they all gave him a questioning glance, but he quickly hissed, "Just follow to what she says." He added in a lower voice to Maddy, "I think she could help us." He stood beside Scoria as after a few moment, the girl jumped from the top building and met eye to eye with everyone.--Dust

Maddy couldn’t help but gasp at the sight of the girl leaping from the rafters, landing almost like a marvel superhero. Then, she realized the gravity of the situation and her mouth settled into a hard line. “Who are you and what do you want?” She asked, narrowed her eyes.--Maddy

"That's a great question," Lyptus answered, while taking another glance at the gang. "But I think you guys should answer it first. It would make things a lot easier." She narrowed her orange eyes back.--Lyptus

Maddy paused, scanning the girl. She noticed with a twinge of pity how worn she looked, her clothing torn and ragged, and she had several cuts on her body that had yet to become healed. Her gaze held something hard and determined, but beneath seemed to hold a girl that had been so much pain she didn't feel human empathy anymore. Maddy felt a lump form in her throat, but she swallowed it down, determined to stay strong. Regardless of her past, this girl was still a stranger...and a dangerous one at that. "My name's Maddy." She said, sticking her hand out with a smile. "We came here in hope of finding a solution to getting out of this game."--Maddy

Lyptus reached her hand to shake Maddy's, a small smile creeping on her face. "Nice to meet you Maddy." She then looked to the others. "And the rest of you are...?"--Lyptus

Dust was hesitent before he stepped forward. "I'm Dust, and this is my little sister, Scoria." He pulled his sister forward, who looked at the girl with a defying look.--Dust

Sahara squeezed her way to the front, so she could just stick her head through to see the girl. "Hi! I'm Sahara!" She grinned.--Sahara

"I'm Maple!" Maple yelled, shoving Sahara out of the way and grinning as she introduced herself. "I'm the best PVPer MineCraft has ever seen. Oh, and this is my friend Sticks." She gestured to her emo friend who was hiding behind Tommy. The boy waved politely.--Maple

Lyptus barely heard the others as she stared at Sahara. "You look just like her." Lyptus murmured, but then was until she noticed all the players were waitinf for her to introduce herself. She ran her hand through her hair before she spoke. "It's nice to meet you all. I'm Lyptus." She paused, before continuing, "I've been in this game for a very long time, not sure how long but it seems as its been forever." She glanced at Tommy and Maddy. "It seems as if you guys are trying to escape the game. Well," She paused, before continuing, "I'm sorry but no one knows how to get out. I've met multiple players here, and all of us have failed." She finished, before thinking back to those who she once knew.--Lyptus

"Other players?" Tommy exclaimed, his eyes widening. "Like who?"--Tommy

Lyptus bit her cheek, and turned her eyes to the ground while she found the right words. "When I was sucked into the game, there were about 11 other players." She paused, before looking at the group. "So far that I know of, six of those have died. And the others...I don't know where they are."--Lyptus

"Dead?!" Maple yelled. "6 players DIED?? No way am I-" She started but Tommy slammed a hand over her mouth, a nervous smile on his face. "Please, ignore my passionate friend." He laughed it off easily while Maple resisted the urge to bite off his hand. "We're willing to find a way out, no matter the concequences."--Tommy

"Remember Maple, 6 players died just because *they were killed by other players*. Otherwise you respawn." Lyptus mentioned, her gaze flickering at the thought of the battle.--Lyptus

"Ohhhhh kay? Why were you fighting with each other?" Maple asked, squinting suspiciously at Lyptus.--Maple

Lyptus nodded, wondering if deep down the other players thought she would kill them too.--Lyptus

"Giving the silent treatment, huh?" Maple began, scowling. "Well how about you-" "It's getting late." Maddy interupted Maple's rant by taking a step between the two. "We should get some rest, and we can continue talking in the morning. She turned to Lyptus. "Do you need a place to sleep? I have some room in my tent if you would like." She smiled, hopefully in a comforting enough way the girl would agree.--Maddy

Lyptus bit her cheek, as she started to murmur, “I do have my own place” But then paused, before saying aloud, “You may take your tent to where I have mine set up, so we can be near each other if you like.” She leaned to Mandy and whispered, “Thank you for the offer, but it seems as if some of your crew are suspicious of me.”--Lyptus

"Heheh, right." Maddy grinned politely, her gaze turning to Maple with narrowed eyes. Maple scoffed and rolled her eyes, grabbing Sticks by the hand and heading back to the camp. "Anyway, Lyptus, correct? That's a very pretty name." She smiled at her. "How long have you been here?"--Maddy

Lyptus smiled at the compliment, glad to see one player was at least open and kind. “I’ve been in this game for so long.” She sighed while in thought, before continuing, “I would say I’ve been in here for 2 years.” Her eyes darkened at the thought, before she quickly hid her grief. “What about you guys?”--Lyptus

"Tommy and I have been here for a while." Maddy said, gathering up her tent supplies and gesturing for Lyptus to lead the way. "But I think everyone else has only recently arrived."--Maddy

Lyptus's curiosity grew as she narrowed her orange eyes at Maddy and Tommy. "Can you assume how long exactly?" She inquired.--Lyptus

"A few years? I'd say two." Maddy nodded. "Why do you ask?"--Maddy

Lyptus bit her cheek as she thought processed the information. "Do you remmeber if you heard any info of a group? Or just...something unusual?"--Lyptus

"Um..." Maddy trailed off, before something clicked in her head. "I had a friend named Gold when I was in Uni, and he played Minecraft a ton with me. I didn't ever see him in person, but I saw signs of him here and there in this world. Recently, I came across this letter in the woods that was signed by him."-- Maddy

Lyptus felt as if her heart would burst as she heard the name, Gold. "O-oh," She stammered, before a quick idea came into her head. "We can all talk later, but it's getting dark and we need to set up came. Maddy, can you help me with my things?" Without waiting for an answer, she led the girl away through the maze of the temple before they were well away from anyone overhearing. Turning to the girl, Lyptus's face, with her orange eyes bright and her face growing hot, begged, "What have you heard from Gold?"--Lyptus

(MMMM THINGS JUST GOT JUICY) --rosey

Maddy's eyes grew wide, surprised by Lyptus' sudden drop of her cold demeanor. "Umm- well I haven't technically *read* the letter yet..." she managed. "I felt like it would be a abrasion of privacy." She glanced away for a moment, before turning back Lyptus. Her gaze was pleading and desperate, and Maddy couldn't say no. She sighed and pulled a worn piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to the girl. "Read it yourself. It's meant for you anyway."--Maddy

Lyptus could feel her her hands shake as she reached for the folded paper. The letter seems old and ragged, the edges of the envelope covered in dirt. As Lytpus started to unfold it, she noticed somerthing sticking out from the inside. She pulls out a daisy flower, so old it's lost all of its petals. Looking down at the letter, it's written in various inks, almost as if someone started and stopped several times over. Taking a deep breath in, she starts to read silently,

*Dear Lyptus,*

*It’s been a while since the Battle for the End. I want you to know I’ve never stopped thinking about you, and I mean that in a good way! There’s so many things I want to say to you, and not enough time in the universe to tell you. I miss you. I miss hugging you, I miss holding you, I miss those scarred hands I loved to hold because it made me feel like I wasn’t alone, I miss the way you talk when your excited, I miss those beautiful eyes of yours- I miss you so so much. I’m sure you’ve moved on. A year can change a person in more ways than everyone can imagine. And that’s okay, but I wanted to tell you one last thing.*

*I love you.*

*Goodbye seems so final, so for now I’ll say so long.*

*-Gold*

As Lyptus finished reading it, she felt her orange eyes, filled with love, start to water and her lips rolled in as she smiled. She felt butterflies in her stomach, and as she read the letter again it grew. "Oh Gold, if only you were here so I could tell you-" She murmurd, before she stopped as she felt like she would choke. As she wiped the tears that streamed down her face, she asked Maddy, "Where did you see this letter last? Was there any sign of where he is now?"--Lyptus

(IKR LIKE DANG LET THE SHOW CONTINUE, THIS LETTER IS PERFECT)-Rowan

Maddy took a step backwards, feeling guilty as she rubbed her arm. "I- I don't know." Maddy admitted, her face betraying her pity. The letter looks old, he could be anywhere by now."--Maddy

Lyptus nodded, while she looked at the ground. "It's okay, I understand." She took in a deep breath, before she met gazes with Maddy. "Thank you so much, you have no idea what you've done." She smiled a little, before she rolled her lips in as tears broke through.--Lyptus

"You're welcome." Maddy said, relaxing a little. "Now, back to my main question-how did you get here?"--Maddy

Lyptus took in a deep breath as she wiped her tears. "Uhm," She cleared her throat, "I was sucked into the game just like all of you. I started in a mountaintop, then to a village, and then I've been all over." She sighed as she continued, "After the battle, I've been hoping I would find some of my old friends, and I came here just to rest a little while looking for some clues." She opened her pouch and pulled out a black glove. "This belonged to my friend, I found it here."--Lyptus

((FYI Rosey I don't know if I said this but I was wondering if you want Peacock to be found with Gold or should I just introduce Peacock solo?))-Rowan

(PLEASE I'M ALWAYS DOWN FOR MORE FLUFF)--rosey

Maddy glanced at the glove, before a loud yell interrupted her thoughts. "Heyo-Mads and new girl!" Tommy yelled, waving at them as he skidded to a stop beside them. "I was wondering if you had come up with anything. Also," He grinned. "there's steak and some tea on the fire if you guys want it." He turned to Lyptus as he said this, and Maddy smiled softly at his attempt to be friendly.--Tommy

Lyptus crunched the glove in her hands as her face returned to her stern resting face. "We have found out enough. We'll come join the others now, thanks Tommy." She glanced at Maddy, before she started to where the others were.--Lyptus

((LOL SO WE GON HAVE THEM TOGETHER? IF SO CAN I START RPING PEACOCK WITH GOLD?))-Rowan

(LETS DO IT)--rosey

Maddy followed behind Lyptus, her eyebrows furrowed and thoughts clouded with emotion. Tommy walked at her side, looking at her with eyes sparkling with conern. "So...have you figured anything out about getting out of here?" Tommy asked. "Nothing." Maddy replied curtly, not wanting to spill any personal information. As she neared the fire, she broke off from Tommy, pulling a teabag out of her pocket and grabbing a hot water filled mug. She placed the tea bag in, before taking a long sip.--Maddy

((OKIIIIII))-Rowan

As Lyptus made her way back to the group, her mind spun with the news she recieved in such a quick amount of time. It wasn't until she was standing right in front of everyone that she realized that they all stared at her, the air tense. She glared back, before she silently moved to her pouch where she withdrew a peice of bread, and slowly tore it apart and ate it. *It smells like him...*--Lyptus

Peacock sighed angrily as she stormed back to where she buried her inventory. "Yet another day with no clues," She muttered angrily, as she worked her hands into the dirt. Her thoughts ran around her head as she thought of the possibilites to reunite with her friends. *Especially Lyptus..*.A shadow cast her from her thoughts as she whipped her wide emerald eyes around. "Argh you scared me!" She breathed, as she gave a small smile to her friend, Gold.--Peacock

"Whoops, sorry." Gold laughed, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "I was just wondering if you had found anything today?" He asked, his eyes sparkling with hope.--Gold

Peacock sighed as she finally recovered her bury inventory, before she turned to face Gold. "Nothing," She mentioned sadly, seeing the hope in her friend's eyes as he wished for some good news. "What about you?"--Peacock

"Nothing." Gold sighed, tucking his hands in the pocket of his hoodie. It was silent for a while as they stared at the ground, before Gold broke the silence. "We should find somewhere to make camp for the night. It's been a long day."--Gold

(maybe they should find some footprints?) -- rosey

Peacock signed. "I guess," She murmured, as she gathered her things. "I think there's a jungle near some plains, we should head there." Peacock glanced at her friend, before they started their trek. As the plains came into sight, she heard a loud screech from above. Pip came flying down, his eyes wide with excitement. "What'd you find Pip?" She asked, in which the bird responded in short, raspy words, "Marks, marks!" *Marks?* Peacock thought for a moment, before she noticed that that her bird was looking straight down. No matter how much she touched his head, he kept his head firm. She took a glance what she was looking at, before she gasped. "Gold! Look! Footprints!"--Lyptus

((shore, but do you want them all to meet as Lyptus and they make their way out of the temple? Cuz I was thinking some monster would attack the group and that's when they meet but you got any ideas?))-rowan

Gold's eyes widened as he whipped around, before his gaze settled upon the muddy ground of the jungle before them. Multiple tracks of footprints could be seen going in deep into it, before curving to a sharp left. "C'mon!" He yelled, grabbing Peacock's arm and running into the forest, adrenaline fueling his every move. *Please be in there, Lyptus. I can't handle another failed track-down. --*Gold

((omg yes can they have a monster fight and then pea and gold just like jump in and save everyone)) -- rosey

Peacock was surprised by the sudden jerk from her arm and felt like a leaf in the air being dragged by Gold's years of strength. None the less she followed Gold as they trecked deeper and deeper into the jungle. At some point, Peacock noticed that the footprints they were following weren't alone, since there were multiple. "Gold!" She commanded, as she made a huge effort of halting them both. "Listen, I know how urgent you are," She remarked sympathetically before she added with a stern voice, "But look, there are multiple sets of footprints. *That means there's a group of people*. We don't know what risk we're taking." She paused for a moment, before she sighed. "But it's your choice."--Peacock

((Oki dokie do you want them to wait till morning or just now?))-Rowan

Gold let out a heavy sigh. "You're right..." He murmured, before standing up a little taller and rubbing the back of his neck. "We should wait." He replied, nodding. "For now, we should set up camp. These trees look wide enough to make a hollow for us to sleep in. I have supplies for a door." He pulled out his axe off his belt and glanced around, before deciding on a particularly wide looking tree. The cold jungle air chilled him to the bone, and he wished desperately for a campfire, but he knew the flames would be too risky in such a wooded area. After a bit of preparation on both his and Peacock's part, their little hollow was carved out and the two of them huddled inside, squished together for body warmth. Despite the peacefulness of the night, he found himself unable to sleep, the thought of Lyptus' face flashing through his mind over and over again like a song on repeat. *If it was a song, it would be a sad one.* The blonde thought wryly to himself.*--*Gold

((Awwwww you gon make me cry))-Rowan

Peacock sat in silence as slowly the night passed. She glanced at Gold, before she decided to break the silence. "What are you thinking of?" She nudged him, and meeting gazes with his troubled face.--Peacock

"Uhhhh...how...how cold it is!" He stammered, his cheeks going red in embarrassment. The last thing he needed was Peacock worrying about him, but, then again, she might be more worried about a lie. "and also about the tracks from earlier," he admitted, a half truth.--Gold

Peacock lifted her brow, before she laid her head back on the inside of the stump. "I have a feeling that you mean Lyptus," She commented quietly, before she added in a louder voice, "There's nothing wrong about admitting how worried you are." She gazed up at the starry sky before she laid down facing away from Gold. "We'll find her, and then your fantasies will come true. All of them." She smiled softly to herself, before she muttered, "Get some rest. Good night Gold."--Peacock

Gold managed a smile at his friend. "Yeah, thanks, Pea." He said, before leaning his head back against the tree and closing his eyes, counting the minutes til morning until slowly...slowly...his consciousness began to fade away and he fell into a deep sleep.--Gold

(time skip?) --rosey

*The next afternoon...*

Peacock narrowed her eyes as she looked high between the jungle trees at the sun. She scoffed with annoyance at the footprints, which had just led them to a jungle temple. "Gold, these footprints could be *anyone's*. I don't even know what Lyptus's footprints look like." She bit her cheek, as Gold's dreamy look flashed back into her mind. This means so much to him. She sighed, before she whispered, "How about we spy on them? See if we recongize them?"--Peacock

((How about like some of the group want to explore outside during this coming night but then they get attacked and then they all meet?))-Rowan

(sounds good) -- rosey

Gold nodded, half to himself. "Sounds good. Lead the way."--Gold

Sticks woke up shivering, the jungle night cool against his skin. He tried to burrow deeper into his blanket, but found that it wasn't there anymore, instead flipped over Maple's sleeping form. He groaned and pulled on his shoes as he shuffled around the tent, before unzipping it and heading outside. A campfire had already been set up by Tommy it seemed, as he crouched by the blaze and blew lightly into a small opening at the bottom. "Hey." Sticks said as he came over to it, savoring the warmth that hit his face. Tommy turned to him and grinned. "Well, well, well, look who's finally awake." Tommy teased, amusement sparkling in his gaze. It's almost noon now. You all must have really partied hard last night."--Sticks

Peacock nodded, before she looked around the temple. There was a cliff that was had a point that stood over the whole temple, giving sight of all corners of the building. She beckoned Gold to follow her as they moved silently through the leaves. As they were just starting to crawl the hill, Peacock hissed, "Look!" There before her were two teenage boys, one having darker hair and the other shimmery gold, that stood around the fire. But echos from the inside of the temple told her that there were a full group of people, not just the two. Peacock whispered to Gold, "So far they seem harmless, right?"--Peacock

"Right." Gold said, though he still found himself resting his hand on the handle of his sword.

Sticks groaned as he stared up at the sky, where, indeed, the sun was high ahead. "I guess so..." He murmured, before settling down on the ground to warm himself by the flickering flames. Tommy smiled at him, before he seemed almost the feel the acute sense of someone watching him. He turned around and scanned the tree line, but his search was interrupted by a call of greeting from Maddy as she made her way up the hill. "Hey, Tommy!" She waved at him and grinned. "Nice fire you got there." The blonde grinned in pride. "Can you tell I used to be a boy scout?" He asked, winking at her. Maddy let out a sigh, but her smile never left her. Tommy wondered if she was still even mad at him anymore. Speaking of which, where was Sahara? "Uh, give me a second." He said, dimmissing himself. "I should probbaly go find Sahara." "Oh, you should bring her this." Sticks said, suddenly before holding out a rose to the boy. "Wow, thanks, man." Tommy said, blushing slightly at the gesture before he ran down the hill and back into the temple.--Tommy

Peacock held her breath, as for a moment the golden haired boy was staring directly at her. Yet it seemed none of them noticed, and she breathed silently with releif. "C'mon let's move." She kept creeping up onto the cliff, one eye always on the group around the fire.--Peacock

Gold followed behind Lyptus, looking for anyone he recognized among the flames. His face fell as he realized there was no one. "What do we do?" He whispered to his companion. "We could try and pull one away for questioning."-- Gold

Tommy ducked into the opening before the temple and headed to Sahara's tent and crouching down next to it. "Hey, Sahara. Psst, it's me: Tommy." He whispered, before attempting to know on the door and realizing that you couldn't knock on cloth. He gave a soft laugh at his antics.--Tommy

Peacock turned her turquoise gaze to Gold's own. "We can try, but they might report us and have us killed." Her eyes softnened as memories of all the friends that had betrayed her blinded her thoughts for a moment. "How about we just watch over them for a while, see if the others come out?" She smiled softly.--Peacock

Sahara peeked through the crack between the opening to see Tommy. *Oh no*...She took a deep breath before she held up one of the cloth flaps. "Hey Tommy, what's up?" She forced a bright smile.--Sahara

"Got it." Gold said, shooting the brown-haired girl a thumbs up. His heartbeat with eager anticipation, eyes straining for a glare of those warm lava-colored eyes once more.--Gold

"Hi." Tommy grinned at her, staring at her for a moment, before he blinked to steady himself. "Well, good morning, love." The blonde stuck out the rose to her. "I thought you might like this."--Tommy

Sahara felt heat rush to her face, and her turqoise eyes stared at Tommy for a few moments before she spoke. "O-Oh Tommy, th-thanks." She took the rose into her hands, her hands growing numb, before she turned her gaze to meet Tommy's. "I'm sorry, but I'm confused Tommy." She confessed, before she added with a frown, "What happened with you and Maddy? I-I thought we were done pretending..."--Sahara

((Rosey what romance are you reading? You're literally making me blush just reading the rps T.T))-Rowan

"Oh." Tommy said simply, biting his lip. "Well... er..." He absentmindedly started twirling a piece of his soft blonde hair as he avoided Sahara's gaze. For one of the first times, he found himself at a loss for words. Maddy was beginning to feel more and more like a lost cause to him. Wait, that wasn't the right word...he felt more and more uncomfortable pursuing her. Part of that feeling came from the lack of romantic love Maddy gave back to him, and the other part came from...Tommy moved his gaze to meet Sahara's soft turquoise gaze and he felt half a smile creep onto his lips. *You.*--Tommy

(it's that wattpad brain man) -- rosey

Sahara blinked at Tommy as she waited for a response. But the only response she got was an intense gaze along with a handsome smile. "U-Uh Tommy?" She asked, her face growing hot and red as he continued to look at her. "T-Tommy, are you there?"--Sahara

((OH MAH GOSH YOU HAVE WATTPAD I wanna get it but idk how descriptive it is .\_.))-Rowan

Sahara's voice called him back to reality and he blinked rapidly to rejust his focus, his face growing red with embarrassment. "Right, whoops." He gave a breathy laugh. "I'm here. Well, you still haven't gotten Dust to like you, right?" He said as he pushed himself up from the ground and offered the blonde a hand. "I'm not backing down until you get your man, Sahara." He laughed and grinned at her. "So, you good for a few more weeks?"--Tommy

(LOL most fics have content warnings and that helps-but mainly i need some stories to read about my fictional crushes 😳👍) -- rosey

Sahara smiled a little as she grasped Tommy's hand to stand up. "If you say so boyfriend." She teased, before adding, "We should probably get ready to eat dinner, since it's getting late."--Sahara

((Ah I seeeeee ;) ))-Rowan

"No kidding-I'm starved, mate!" Tommy laughed as he gently pulled her up the hill and up to the rest of the group. "But whatever Maddy's cooking, it smells incredible."--Tommy

Sahara smiled, and for a moment all the pain in her heart faded.--Sahara

It had been a few hours since their arrival, and Peacock was growing impatient. Luckily, there were more and more members appearing. Besides the two boys she had seen earlier, there was another that was taller and darker. There were four other girls, a darker one, one that seemed to be related to the darker boy, a pirate girl and one with auburn hair. She nudged Gold as she whispered, "This seems to be all of them, as now they're eating dinner."--Peacock

Dust looked up at the sky as the sun faded and the sun. While everyone else gathered for dinner, he noticed that Lyptus hadn't taken a step outside since he met her. Not even for food. She ate what she could find, and Maddy's food was the only thing keeping her from her death. Dust wished to ask, but there was something about the girl he didn't want to discover. So, he just kept his distance with his eyes watchful...--Dust

((Do you want the monsters to attack them when they're eating or when some of them sneak out/get attacked while taking watch?))-Rowan

Maddy stirred the pot with the hand of a master. Unsure what to make, she decided that her favorite soup would be best. It was growing colder ever night as autumn began to fade to the grey of winter, and she knew that warm soup did wonders to one's courage. She threw in some ground up ginger root and let it simmer for a while as she took a step back. "Maddy, Maddy!" A voice yelled and the girl smiled, turning to find Maple and Sticks heading up the hill, the former waving a collection of wheat stalks in her hand. "I got the bread!" Maple said as she reached the brown-haired girl and pressed the food into her hands. "Is dinner almost ready?"--Maddy

(let's do while they're eating and lyptus could hear the sound and run out to help? ALSO SAHARA AWWWW) -- rosey

Scoria patted Rebel as she fed him a big and bright red apple. "There's not much grass here is there now, big boy?" She chuckled to herself, before she led her horse closer to the group.--Scoria

((Oki dokie gurl! GURL TYYYY BUT YOUR RPS ARE AMAZING AND IM SO EXCITED FOR GOLD AND LYPTUUUSSSSS))-Rowan

The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, painting a warm grey light as shadows on the ground. The jungle around them was deep and dark, and eerily quiet except for the slight rustling of branches high above. Tommy glanced up, putting a hand up to shield his eyes from the sun, but his blue-green eyes found nothing but shadows. He frowned and prepared to turn back to the others before that same rustling happened again and he whipped around, placing a hand on his sword belt almost instantly. Once again, he was met with nothing but those creeping shadows on the ground and the dim green light of leaves. Everything was silent for a moment, no sound but the slow breathing of his own self reaching his ears. Then, he saw a pair of red eyes peeking around the edge of a tree; then another, and more and more blinking into existence as Tommy’s eyes widened at the sheer multitude as dark figures began to emerge from the shadows, rotting flesh torn from limbs as they began to rush forward, sharp claws extended right towards him. “Zombies!” Tommy screamed.-–Tommy

Peacock heard a screech from below, and was met to see an army of zombies charging towards the group. "Gold! Get up!" She screamed, before she grabbed her sword and jumped off the cliff. Locking her arms around the next of a zombie, she dug her sword into it's head, drops of blood splattering all over her. She grunted as she tumbled to the ground, her eyes locked on her next target. With a loud roar she began the massacre.--Peacock

Dust gasped as suddenly a swarm of zombies outnumbered them. He quickly reached for his bow as blood was being spilled. He caught a glimpse during the battle two new figures whom seemed to be slaying along with them. *We can ask later, but for now we need to make sure everyone is alive. Speaking of which, where is Lyptus?*--Dust

Maddy whipped around with wide eyes as she saw the horde of zombies making their way out of the jungle. She cursed under her breath, before grabbing her sword from beside the stirring spoon. “Maple, Sticks-go get help.” She ordered, turning her steel green gaze to them. “But I want to help!” Maple began, before Sticks grabbed her hand and started to run down the hill to the jungle temple, leaving Maddy and Sahara alone on the hill. The former grasped her sword tightly, before dashing down to fight by Tommy’s side, swinging at a zombie that narrowly missed his head. “Wow.” Tommy said as he ducked the blow, managing a breathless grin. “Did my princess in shining armor come to save me?” “Shut up.” Maddy muttered, rolling her eyes as a zombie disappeared into dust beneath her feet.--Maddy

Gold ran after Peacock, axe swinging. Despite only having one arm to function with, he had learned to serve his own in combat and, with a few cutting he found himself in the fray of battle. *Where did all these zombies come from?* He thought to himself as he kick-dropped a zombie in the leg, causing it to fall. *Surely, they couldn’t have all suddenly spawned like this.* He stabbed another of the foul creatures, and he found his mind beginning to wander to the masked face of Glitch. Could she have been behind it? It took him a moment to remember she was dead. It would take a long time to get rid of those painful memories.--Gold

Sticks reached the bottom and raced into the temple. “Lyptus!” He yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth, the sound echoing around the mossy cobblestone walls surrounding him. “Lyptus!” Maple screamed, joining his cries.--Sticks

Lyptus dashed to the entrance of the temple, her lava orange eyes wide with alarm. "What?! What is it?!" Before either of the duo could answer her, she widened her eyes as blood and the limbs of zombies rolled down the hill. "Oh no," She whispered, before she yelled, "C'mon!" She quickly swept her bow and sword into her hands as she raced up the hill, her heart drumming inside her chest.--Lyptus

((Now that you mention the thingy with Gold and Glitch, can I have Machete responsible for the random spawn plz???))-Rowan

Gold spotted a trio running out of the cobblestone structure to the west of them and let out a sigh of relief at the addition of help. The horde was beginning to lessen, fiery arrows from above, sharp swords, and his own enchanted axe chipping away at the numbers. It wasn't long before only a few remained, but two players, a one blonde and one black-haired, had grabbed one and appeared to be questioning it. Gold made his way over, putting his axe cautiously back in his belt. -- Gold

"Alright, you!" Tommy yelled. "What happened here? Why are there so many of you?" he waved his sword in the face of his dumb-founded zombie beneath, who made nothing but a garbled groan in reply. "Giving the silent treatment, huh? Well, I'll-" he started but Maddy laid a hand on his shoulder as she turned, brown eyes meeting the clear blue gaze of a stranger behind her. He had fluffy yellow hair, slick with sweat, and rather pointed lacked one of his forearms. The two stared at each other for a moment, before the boy cleared his throat. "Hello." He said, managing a smile. Maddy nodded to him with a soft grin. "Hello." She replied. "I don't think I've seen you around here before. I trust that you come in peace?" "You better, or else!" Tommy yelled, waving a dynamite stick around with one arm.--Maddy

Lyptus felt her chest tightening as she balanced herself on a branch while shooting zombies down. They gradually all dropped to the floor, and soon there was nothing left but just dead bodies pilled in blood. She sighed with relief, and now that the adrenaline died out, she realized how many bruises she had received. *Whatever they'll go away in time...*She thought as she slowly made her way down the tree and into the shelter of the bushes. *Now to find the others.* She thought as she wondered how many had been injured or dead. --Lyptus

Peacock followed Gold as they went to encounter the group, her weapons still in her hands in case if the group wanted to rebel. She came to see the golden-haired boy and the darker girl asking questions to a zombie. She glanced at Gold before she cleared her throat. --Peacock

Maddy scanned the boy in front of her, ignoring Tommy's threats. "Wait, don't I know you from somewhere?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "Were you in Britain before the Crash?" The blonde nodded, before grinning at her as realization dawned on both of them. "Gold!" Maddy exclaimed, before running over and hugging him tightly. "Oh my gosh, Maddy, wow." Gold gave a breathy laugh as he squeezed back. "I didn't realize you got stuck in here too." He said, voice growing soft and pitying. Maddy felt something close to tears gather in her eyes and she took a breath to steady herself. "Yeah, yeah, it's a long story..." She began, before the sound of someone clearing their throat caused her to step back and glance over his shoulder at a girl with a camouflaged jacket and a sharp turquoise gaze. Maddy nodded at her. "Gold, is this your friend?" Maddy asked, just in case. Gold nodded. "Right, yes. This is Peacock."-- Gold

Peacock gave a smiled as she nodded her head in greeting. "Nice to meet you Maddy." She cast her gaze over the group, before she commented, "You have some group." She gave them a nod in greeting as well.--Peacock

"Yeah, and this isn't even the half of it." Maddy laughed. "Speaking of which, we should probably go find the others. Tommy," she turned to her companion, "take the zombie with you." Tommy nodded and gave the zombie a quick hit with the hilt of his sword, knocking it out for good. With a groan, he threw it over his shoulder, muttering to himself about the stench. He quickly followed the others up the hill and towards the jungle temple again.--Tommy

Peacock cast a glance at Gold before she told Maddy, "We're coming with you."--Peacock

"Well then, please, follow me." Maddy smiled as she gestured for them to follow her towards the jungle temple. Inside, Maple and Sticks were waiting in eager anticipation by the door. "Oh my gosh, that was crazy!" Maple exclaimed, pumping her fist. "But also, totally awesome!" "Are you guys okay?" Sticks asked, squinting at the group, before his eyes landed on Peacock and Gold and he inched closer to Maple. Tommy laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's fine, Sticks, they're with us now." He assured the boy, who nodded.--Tommy

(lol my roleplay didn't register ig- time to write it all out again!) -- rosey

((Oof lol))-Rowan

Peacock nodded her head in greeting. "I'm Peacock." A movement made her gaze cast over a boy who crouched over a girl in the corner. The boy glanced at her and gave a quick small smile. "I'm Dust, and this is my sister Scoria." Peacock smiled back, but it quickly faded when she caught sight of a dark red liquid dripping from the girl's nose. "Dust, I can go get some-" "It's okay Peacock, I already have someone getting it. But thanks." They smiled at each other, before Peacock took her place beside Gold once more.--Peacock and Dust

((I'll introduce Lyptus next rp))-Rowan

"Hey, where's Sahara?" Tommy asked, glancing around. --Tommy

Dust was about to respond, but the pattering of feet made him pause. "Dust, sit Scoria up right! Hurry Sahara!" Dust turned his gaze to one of the temple's tunnels to see Sahara running with cobwebs in her hands. She collapsed to her knees as she immediantly started to dab away the blood and try stop the bleeding. Behind her, Lyptus came running with two potions in one of her hands, a sword in another. "Get water, now!" Lyptus commanded as she handed Sahara the potions. The next thing Lyptus knew, she stumbled to the floor, sweat dripping from her hair, as she turned her feirce burning lava eyes to meet the others.--Dust and Lyptus

Tommy crouched next to Sahara and the bloodied Scoria on the ground. "Whoah, that looks nasty." He commented, worry squirming in his stomach. "Is she okay? Can I help?"--Tommy

Gold felt his breath catch in his throat as the brown-haired girl turned around, her bright lava-colored eyes meeting his clear blue ones. For a moment, time seemed to slow, and then he was running towards her with a yell of "Lyptus!" tears already streaming down his face as he wrapped her up in his warm embrace, squeezing tightly. Part of him believed that if he let go, she might dissapear again. "Lyptus, oh my gosh, I-" he began to speak, but a lump in his throat cut himself off and he stopped as a single tear dripped down his cheek.--Gold

(start the waterworks 😭😭) --rosey

Sahara wrinkled her nose as blood started to ooze on her hands. "Unless you know how to crack a broken nose back into place." She commented, as she took a glance at Tommy and then Lyptus, before she turned her gaze back to Scoria.--Sahara

Lyptus couldn't beleive her eyes, and for a moment she beleived she was dreaming. But no, Gold was here, and in her arms. "G-Gold!" She cried, as she felt her eyes fill with water. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight, worrying that someone would come and take him away once again. She let herself sink into his strong embrace, as her whole body swelled with rejoice. *Oh he's really here, I can finally stop dreaming! He's here!* Lyptus cupped Gold's face into her hands, her lava orange eyes scanning his face. His fluffy golden hair...his kind ocean blue eyes...his soft peachy tan skin..and his handsome white smile...he had finally returned into her grasp. As tears streamed down her cheeks, Lyptus, with the letter in her mind, took a shaky breath before she sobbed "Don't you ever think I'll move on, *ever*. I'll always be waiting for you, no matter how long it takes. I-I love you so so much, more than words can describe. More than you'll ever know." She rolled her lips in again as more tears streamed down her face, and she put her temple against his. "I've missed you so much Gold."--Lyptus

((Oh here we go T.T THE MOMENT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR

Anyways take it away lol))-Rowan

Gold laughed softly as he stared at her for a beat longer, reaching up a hand to cup her cheek. He leaned in, slowly at first, before his lips met her. He kissed her gently, as if she were a delicate piece of glass that could break at any moment. He felt nothing but the feeling of her lips against his, a feeling like butterflies slowly beginning to drift out of his stomach and into his throat. Whether it lasted an hour, a few seconds, or until time finally began to drift towards it end, Gold didn't know, he was just happy to be feeling Lyptus' calloused hands against his cheek again. He broke for only a moment to murmur in her ear, "I love you too," He said, glancing at her with a warm smile on his face. "...forever, and always."--Gold

Tommy squinted at the two before watching Maple cleared her throat loudly. "Hey, you two, there are minors here!" She snapped, putting her hands on her hips. Truthfully, the minor thing was mostly just a excuse to get Sticks to calm down, as his face was growing redder than a tomato. This exclamation caused the blonde to step back, but his hand stayed adjoined to Lyptus, knuckles white with the force of his grip. "Thank you." Maple nodded curtly, befofre Maddy took a breath. "Well, I think you two have some kind of story behind this." She said, giving a faint gesture with her hand to their hands. "How do you know each other?"--Maple

Tommy watched the kiss with a kind of awkward curiosity, blinking a few times to readjust himself when they broke apart. His gaze drifted to Sahara's lips, but at the sound of her voice he swallowed back his urge and faced his attention her. "What was that?" He asked with a lopsided smile.--Tommy

(please- "should they kiss" is that even a question ;P also omg taylor swift references in those last words from gold YES) -- rosey

Peacock rolled her emerald colored eyes as she spoke over Maple's voice, "Questions can come later, if they even want to answer it. First help those that are injured, and then clean yourselves up. Then we can call sit and inroduce ourselves." She glared at everyone, before she gave a quick wink to Gold and Lyptus.--Peacock

Sahara stared at Tommy for a few moments before she repeated, "Can you get Peacock please?"--Sahara

((GURL- IM GLAD WE THINKING THE SAME THING; YAS THE TAYLOR SWIFT THING WAS PERFECT ALSO DANG WHAT IS TOMMY THINKING HERE MAAM?))-Rowan

"Right, right, right." Tommy said as he pushed himself up from the ground, shaking his head to get rid of those intrusive thoughts of kissing Sahara. "Hey, Peacock?" He waved at the girl. "Sahara said she needs you for something."--Tommy

(😏😏) -- rosey

(Lololol))-Rowan

Peacock hurried as she joined Tommy and Sahara by Scoria's body. "Tommy, please get everyone to the middle room and get them freshed up, food and water. And start a fire to keep them warm." She ordered, before Peacock turned to Scoria. "I need to crack your nose back into place Scoria, and it's gonna hurt. But I know you got this, the pain won't last for long." Peacock smiled encouragingly with her emerald eyes flashing.--Peacock

Tommy nodded, leaving Peacock to help fix Scoria's nose. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, before making his way over to Sticks and Maple. "Hey guys." He gave them a grin. "Think you can help me set up a fire for everyone?" The pair agreed eagerly, and it wasn't long before a roaring campfire had been erected in the middle of the temple, most of the players gathering around it and reveling in its warmth. Maddy had made black tea for everyone, and Tommy gratefully accepted the mug. The black-haired girl took a seat beside him, leaving the two in heavy silence.--Tommy

As Peacock placed her hands on Scoria's nose, Scoria inhaled deeply. She glanced at Dust, his brown eyes large with worry. She stared at him for a moment longer as thoughts ran through her head, before she turned her gaze to Peacock. "Okay I'm ready." Suddenly, a shock of pain went through Scoria's face as a loud snap cracked her nose back into place. Scoria winced as her nose felt like two sword were clashing together. "Good job Scoria, it's done." Scoria opened one of her eyes as she gently touched her nose, before she gave a small smile to Peacock. "Thanks." Peacock grinned back, before she suggested, "Just be careful with your nose, but it'll heal on it's own." As the brown haired girl left, Dust asked, "Do you want me to carry you?" Scoria rolled her eyes at him as she replied, "It's my nose stupid, not by legs." Dust just gave Scoria an annoyed look, but Scoria gave a teasing smile as she rubbed her brother's ruffled hair.--Scoria

Lyptus sighed as she threw the last zombie corpse into the ditch. *The last thing the group needs is a pack of wolves or something coming into their area.* It wasn't long till she started to shiver, her torn clothes no longer carrying the warmth they did. She lifted her head up to the pinkish orange sky as the sun was setting, and she smiled to herself. After much longing, she finally had what she wanted: To be with the person she loved. She glanced to the temple where it all happened, where it all became true, where butterflies had come one again to her stomach. *I can finally stop dreaming, the dream has come true*.--Lyptus

Tommy watched as Dust and Scoria made their way towards the fire with a curious gaze. He glanced over at Maddy once, before an idea began to brew in his mind. He pushed himself up from the log and waved Dust over, "Hey man!" He grinned. "Could I talk to you for a second?"--Tommy

Dust nodded, as he quickly made sure Scoria was settled before he joined Tommy. "What's up bro?" He asked, lifting his brow.--Dust

"So," Tommy began, before realizing he had absolutely no idea how to go about this. "What do you think about me being Sahara's girlfriend? I know you two were close and I didn't want to mess that up."--Tommy

"Uhhhh," Dust started, his face growing shocked and confusion. "I mean I'm happy for you guys, Sahara was just somebody I knew cause of Scoria. That's it." He shrugged.--Dust

"Look," Tommy began, wrapping one arm around the shoulder of his much taller friend, dragging him down to his level. "You can trust me." He gave the brown-haired boy a grin. "I won't tell Sahara anything, pinkie swear."--Tommy

Dust looked at Tommy with a confused face as he stated, "But, there's nothing to tell. I don't like her. She's yours. Besides," Dust paused, before he continued, "I'm not trying to date someone right now." He confessed while shrugging his shoulders.--Dust

Tommy paused for a moment, pursing his lips. He found it hard to believe that Dust would reject someone like Sahara, but this discovery only made him ready to try harder. He took his hand off his friend's shoulder. "Alright, then." He said, grinning. "Just checking."--Tommy

Dust lifted his brow at Tommy. "Why?" He asked, suspicious.--Dust

"No reason." Tommy replied, grinning innocently, though inside he felt his stomach churn. "Anyway, I think I owe you some. Down for some coffee?"-- Tommy

Dust rolled his lips in as he narowed his brown eyes at Tommy, before he shook his head with a smile. "Sure Tommy, anything you want." He grinned.--Dust

Lyptus felt some releif as she came into the shelter of the temple, the cold air whisteling outside. She glanced around the room, seeing the majority of the group was sitting around the fire in the center of the temple. "Ahem." Lyptus whipped her head around to see the gleaming emerald eyes and white smile of Peacock coming towards her. "It's been a while hasn't it." They both laughed as the two friends gave each other a quick hug. Lyptus asked, "How are you? Tell me everything." Peacock shrugged, a sly grin creeping on her face. "Eh after the battle I encountered Gold and that love-sick man didn't want to do anything else except find you. And well, I guess I can say mission complete. But I'm good, healthy." Lyptus blushed, and she quietly murmured, "I'm glad to hear you're okay." They both chuckled softly, before Lyptus leaned in closer to Peacock as she whispered, "Do you know if the others are alive? You know, Hyper and Guardian?" Peacock stared at Lyptus's eyes as she shook her head slowly, and replied quietly, "I'm planning on finding out. But later." She put a hand on her friend's shoulder as she remarked, "Let's relax for a little, you need it. And especially some new clothes." Peacock chuckled as Lyptus rolled her eyes, and the two headed to join the others.--Lyptus and Peacock

"Hey, Lyptus," Maddy called over to her witha wave. "Could I talk to you for a second?"--Maddy

Lyptus nodded quickly, and sharing a quick glance with Peacock she followed Maddy, who pulled her aside. "What's up?"--Lyptus

"So, about getting out of here..." Maddy began, shoving her hand in the pockets of her skirt. "Did you ever figure out how to? The reason we wanted to come here was to see if there was some way to get back to the physical world."--Maddy

Lyptus was silent for a moment, as her lava eyes zoned out. She blinked a few times, before she stated, "Well, if I'm honest you I'm not *completly* sure. I've done everything you would think would work: Wither, Ender Dragon, etc." Lyptus leaned against the wall behind her, as she crossed her arms and bit her cheek. "But I think I know someone who would." She murmured slowly.--Lyptus

Maddy blinked a couple of times. "Who?" she couldn't help but narrow her eyes. "It isn't come kind of ancient deity or what not, right?"--Maddy

Lyptus shook her head with a small smile on her face. "No no no, but he's old. He's probably been the first to be sucked in." Lyptus glanced at Peacock, before she continued, "He lives in the main village near the forest and mountains." *At least I hope so.* "I could go and find out." She offered.--Lyptus

"Not alone," Maddy shook her head. Even if Lyptus was a capable warrior, trecking the several miles to the village would be too difficult. "You should take a few people with you."--Maddy

Lyptus shrugged. "Whatever you wish, you choose who comes with me." Lyptus turned her head to the group as she added, "I would like to leave as soon as possible and get it done."--Lyptus

Tommy, who had been listening to the conversation out of the corner of his ear, broke into a grin. "I'll come!" he yelled at the same time the blonde-haired Gold let out a more passive "Need me to help?" Tommy turned to the boy with a raised eyebrow and narrowed eyes. "Hey, were you listening in-" he began, before the voice of Maddy cut him off. "Great, looks like Tommy and Gold can help you out." The brown-haired girl nodded. "Anyone else?"--Tommy

Lyptus scanned the room for a response fromo the others, but it was silent. Peacock bit her cheek for a moment before she replied, "I go where I'm needed. If I'm to go, I can. But if not I'll stay until you return." "I can go." Lyptus turned her fiery orange gaze to the unsure expression of Dust. "That is if I should go," He added quietly. Lyptus glanced at Maddy, before she shrugged. "It's your decision, Maddy."--Lyptus

Maddy had never liked to be in charge. It simply wasn't in her nature to boss people around. She sucked in a breath but did her best to choose who she thought was best. Besides, Lyptus would be the leader once they got going. "Lyptus, Tommy, Gold, and Sahara, I think it's best for you guys to go. I'm going to stay here and hold down the fort," she said, nodding curtly. She heard an audible groan from Maple behind and shook her head, though amusement shone through her gaze. "Now, I think you should get going before the sun gets too high," Maddy suggested as Sticks came up to stand by her side. He stared at Tommy with a nervous expression before he managed a "good luck," to the rest of the party.--Maddy

(if you want anyone else to go, lmk!! i had sahara come since we need that tommyxsahara fluff amirite) -- rosey

Lyptus nodded, and said to the newly formed squad, "Let's leave in 10 minutes." After quickly packing and saying their goodbyes, Lyptus stood at the entrance of the temple, her lava orange bright eyes gaving over those they would leave. "We'll be back." She promised, although deep down all she could do was hope. "Peacock will know where to find us." *If something goes wrong*. After a few moments of silence, Lyptus asked her group, "Are we ready?"--Lyptus

((Gurl don't worry about it, I actually had no clue who I wanted to go along but double the romance with tommyxshara and goldxlyptus is just my cup of tea lol))-Rowan

Tommy glanced over at Sahara out of the corner of his eyes, watching her expression with mild curiosity. He wasn't exactly excited to have her on the team. Without Maddy or Dust around, what exactly were they? He ran a hand through his head, rocking back and forth on his heels. "I'm ready," he nodded. *Ready as I'll ever be.--*Tommy

Lyptus gave a quick nod to Tommy, before she turned to Sahara and Gold. "You both ready?" Sahara drew in a shaky breath. She was nervous for the journey, she liked to travel in big groups. Or, really she didn't want to travel with just two strangers and Tommy. Yet, the blondie nodded.--Lyptus and Sahara

Gold didn't like the idea of being in charge of a bunch of teenagers- especially after what happened with Galaxy. He flinched at the name, wishing he hadn't thought of that. Memories of her were too painful to reveal yet. He shook his head and ran a hand through his fluffy golden hair before turning to Lyptus. At least he had her. "Ready," he managed, giving Lyptus a nod and a warm smile. He hoped he always had her.--Gold

"Well, c'mon, mate!" Tommy exclaimed, grabbing Sahara's hand and gesturing for Gold and Lyptus to follow him as he began to sprint out the door, dragging Sahara with him. He knew what village Lyptus had been referring to previously. He had visited it on a few occasions while looking for food and supplies. However, he had no idea what individual exactly she spoke of.--Tommy

Sahara widened her eyes as she felt herself yanked by Tommy's strength. "Bye!" She quickly yelled to the group she was leaving behind, before she let herself be dragged alongside Tommy.--Sahara

Lyptus gave a quick encouraging smile to Gold, before she whipped her head as the two others dashed away. Giving the group a last quick glance, she turned and broke into a run. "Tommy! Sahara! Wait!" What a start to their adventure.--Lyptus

(its me hi i'm the problem its me sorry for not updating in forever LOLOL)--rosey

Tommy liked the way Sahara's hand felt in his. It felt like two pieces of a puzzle finally meeting each other and connecting- satisfying and brilliant, but also warm. He liked it a lot for a fake romance. He didn't let go as he and Sahara ran, instead tightening his grip in case Sahara tried to pull away. She never did. After running for an hour, he heard a yell from behind from Gold. "Tommy- Sahara- we need to break for camp!" Gold yelled, barely sounding out of breath. Tommy skidded to a stop, turning to face the blonde haired man. "The sun's setting," Gold explained, raining an arm to the glorious sunset behind him. "We need to set up camp before the zombies come out. Trust me, the jungle is bad at night, but the plains..." He paused, sucking in a breath and flinching, a thousand memories flashing through his mind. "The plains are worse." Tommy, not liking the sullen expression the man was making, flashed him a grin. "Yeah, sorry, mate. I'll get a fire going 'round here." He glanced over at Sahara, waiting for her to let go. He himself didn't want to.--Tommy

((Gurl it's okay, don't worry bout it :D))-Rowan

Sahara panted breathlessly as Tommy slowed down so Lyptus and Gold could catch up. Despite her muscles aching, her hands felt warm and at home in Tommy's. She turned her face away from Tommy's incredible sight: The beautiful sunset made Tommy glow, and his smile looked as sweet as honey. His face glimmered with sweat, and his hair had droplets at it's tips. He looked so handsome, her hand was going numb just touching him. Sahara coudn't bear it. "I think we could take shelter near these trees and bushes." She quickly suggested, as she rushed away to grab supplies. Or really, to keep herself from falling for Tommy more than she already had.--Sahara

Tommy paused, before slowly holding up his hand to look over it. His palm was sweaty, the warmth that Sahara had provided nearly overwhelming for his body. He gritted his teeth and shook it, trying to shake away thoughts of romance along with it. Gold examined the boy by his side, his sparkling blue eyes seeming to peer into his very soul. After a moment, Tommy adjusted his backpack on his shoulder and turned to Gold and Lyptus. "Well, I think Sahara's right. It would be best to take shelter in a place not so easily accessible by monsters. I..." He hesitated, before jabbing a thumb in the direction of the woods behind them. "I'll go cut up some firewood." He nodded briskly before dashing into the woods, pulling his axe out of his backpack. He needed a task to focus on, something to take his mind off everything his heart was trying to cry out.--Tommy

Gold waited for the dynamite expert to disappear before exchanging a glance with Lyptus. "They're dating, right? Sahara and Tommy?" he asked, hesitance in his tone.--Gold

As soon as Sahara was out of sight, she let out a silent scream while her hands ran through her hair. "What are you doing Sahara?" She hissed to herself quietly, as she paced around back and forth, her face growing hot. "Get yourself together! You can't love both of them!" *But do you really love them both? Really? BOTH of them???* "UGH!" She shrieked, before she threw her hands over her mouth. "You're so smart Sahara," she sighed at last, as she turned her attention on building their shelter.--Sahara

Lyptus shrugged. "Maybe, I'm not sure..." She thought for a moment, before she glanced at Gold. "They probably do, they just want to deny it." After a while, Lyptus's lava orange eyes trailed to the ground as she slowly started walking away. "Falling in love can be scary, it gives you a feeling you can't explain," She murmured with a small smile, as she whipped out her ax.--Lyptus