that epic gamer moment when you wait until you've finished writing an entire +100k word fic before posting the first chapter on A03 (AKA i finally got over my grudge against bots ruining the fun for everyone)

uploading these chapters, and all my other MCYT works, will be slow going. so if you've read it already, you're more than welcome to leave comments (and i'd absolutely love that) but PLS DON'T SPOIL IT for any new A03 readers. not even in a cheeky little 'i know something you don't know' kinda way. k thx ✌️

from eden, part X

A/N: Hey y’all, thanks so much for ur patience. Didn’t mean for this to take so long, I’ve been dealing w some health issues, but I’m doing way better now and on break from school so here we are. I hope u enjoy, please reblog/comment if u do! - Aqua

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from eden, part X - no ‘who cares,’ no vacant stares, no time for me 

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Somewhere in Hels, a player stares at his soulmate in shock.

Tango could’ve sworn Jimmy was asleep. He checked, he checked multiple times to make sure Jimmy was well and truly unconscious before slipping out of bed. And he’d been so careful about it, moving so slowly and quietly to ensure Jimmy wasn’t woken up. All he’d needed was for Jimmy to keep sleeping for not even five minutes- just long enough for Tango to sneak downstairs, grab the supplies he’d secretly prepared earlier, go through the portal, and break it from the other side.

Yet here they are.

The abrupt silence after their mutual outburst is blanching. There’s almost a static feeling to it, like electricity gathering in the air before a lightning strike. All of Tango’s previous thoughts have flown clean out of his brain. He can only stare at Jimmy, forehead stinging, mouth slightly parted as he struggles to make sense of what he’s seeing.

Jimmy looks similarly disoriented. He sits in a heap in front of the portal, bathed in the green-yellow-red light, his wings splayed out around him. His nose is scrunched up- still wincing from the pain of Tango’s forehead smacking into his chin, most likely. The recently-obtained scar across the newly-formed bump on the bridge of his nose stands out in sharp contrast against his other, more familiar, features. He said it didn’t bother him, but Tango feels a stab of guilt every time he looks at it. Even now, it’s a reminder of the pain Tango’s brought him. Of how Tango’s failed him.

Jimmy recovers first.

“What am I- what are you doin’ here?!” he cries, rising to his feet. 

from eden, part IX (act II)

A/N: This chapter had to get split into two parts bc Tumblr sucks, here's a link to the first half if u missed it. Hope y'all enjoy, please reblog/comment if you do!

Also please don’t think too hard abt the technical portal/redstone junk. I’m throwin a lotta random terms and conditions out there in the hopes of creating a feasible explanation for how portal travel works, and how Hels differs from other worlds in that regard. It’s possible there are contradictions or other things that I didn’t fully think through, but these details aren’t really important. Just try to suspend ur disbelief. - Aqua

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from eden, part IX (act II) - no tired sighs, no rolling eyes, no irony

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“Right then. Uh, thank you all for coming on short notice.”

Grian’s tentative welcome is met with a chorus of rather subdued greetings from the Double Lifers. Everyone is gathered in a loose semicircle around spawn, standing in their respective soulbound pairs and groups. Jimmy would’ve preferred to have this conversation sitting down, inside somewhere, but Tango had insisted on spawn.

Only now does Jimmy realize that the open nature of the forest clearing at spawn is less enclosed than a room filled with fourteen people would feel, and he understands.

Tango hadn’t been very talkative on the way over. But every time he said something, it was with that same forced ‘Everything’s fine!’ kind of attitude. It’s really starting to frustrate Jimmy, making him want to grab Tango by the shoulders and shout, ‘No, actually, everything’s not fine, and that’s okay!’

But he doesn’t think that’d be well received at the moment.

from eden, part IX (act I)

A/N: This took a ridiculously long time to write and got way longer than I’d originally intended so uhhh happy belated holidays? There’s a lot in this one that I’m excited to show y’all so I really hope u enjoy it, pls reblog/comment if u do, it means a lot.

Also this chapter has been split into two parts bc Tumblr is a hoe with a paragraph limit, link to the second half at the end. And as always, this is part of a series, so the previous chapters can be found on my au directory here. - Aqua

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from eden, part IX (act I) - no tired sighs, no rolling eyes, no irony

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Somewhere in Double Life, a player kneels in a bloody wheat field.

Jimmy’s senses are flooded with iron. He’s regenerated enough health that his nose isn’t actively bleeding anymore, but he’s sure it’s still all over his face. As he finally pulls away from Tango, he realizes he’s smeared plenty of it on Tango’s shoulder. The blood on Tango’s chin and claws hasn’t fully dried yet, either. And through his slightly parted mouth, Jimmy can see it’s stained his teeth.

(Did you see what he did back there?)

(He was like an animal.)

(How long do you think he’s been keeping that in?)

Jimmy pushes the thoughts away. Focus on the here and now.

To be fair, though, the ‘here and now’ is a horrible place. The ranch is burning behind them. His eyes are burning from the tears and the smoke in the air. His throat feels tight and scratchy. He’s physically and emotionally exhausted, the weight of it dragging him down, sinking into the trampled soil beneath him. The singed edges of his wings are still stinging, but it’s an easily forgotten pain among everything else.

from eden, part VIII

A/N: Welp, I got this done a lot sooner than I expected despite my summer clinicals. Surprise. Ik this part has been highly anticipated so hopefully I’ve done it justice. Hope y’all enjoy, pls reblog/comment if u do! It really does help <3 - Aqua

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from eden, part VIII - i slithered here from eden, just to sit outside your door

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Somewhere in Double Life, a player sits in a rocking chair.

Jimmy’s head is bent down in concentration as he carefully passes his needle in and out of the fabric. Embroidery has always soothed him, so it’s been his favorite way to spend the time in quiet moments. Several framed squares of his designs already adorn the ranch’s walls- as well as a few shirts in Tango’s closet.

Afternoon sunlight streams in through the window beside Jimmy, illuminating the dust that floats lazily in the still air. He can hear the occasional ka-thunk of pistons as Tango troubleshoots the sugar cane farm in the basement. Beyond that, the animals outside are always audible- though far less so than they used to be, back when the cow pen was adjacent to the ranch house. The background noise is something familiar, now. Something comforting.

It’s been a lovely couple months on the Double Life world since they all agreed to end the death game. Everyone’s bases are really starting to come along, as is the centrally-located shopping district. Infrastructure is gradually getting built up- paths, bridges, landscaping, and even a few communal farms. With the world border down, the Double Lifers are taking the opportunity to spread out a bit.

Jimmy thinks there’ll be an expedition to the nearest stronghold in the coming week to finally procure some elytra and shulker boxes. He’ll leave that particular adventure to the more PVP-inclined players, though. He knows Tango isn’t a fan of dragon fights and truthfully, he doesn’t trust his own capabilities in that regard, either. The last thing he wants to do is cause Tango an unexpected death at an inconvenient time.

There have been a handful of accidents between the two of them, mostly during caving sessions. Those are generally inconsequential and easily laughed off. Jimmy wants to keep it that way.

from eden, part VI

A/N: Hey y’all, long time no write! Ty for the patience and continued support; time was not on my side for this one. Also, I had to split this mini-arc up AGAIN, so part 7 will pick right back up after this one (I promise we’ll get back to the Ranchers after that). Btw, I’m not a redstone expert so pls just roll with my hand-wavey explanations. This is just fiction, after all. Hope y’all enjoy, please reblog if you do! It’d mean a lot <3 - Aqua

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from eden, part VI - a rope in hand for your other man to hang from a tree

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Somewhere in Hels, a player levels his sword at another player’s throat.

“I’m Bravo,” he says, “who are you?”

It’s an unwelcome interruption. There’s a reason Bravo deliberately set up base as far east as he could manage. Over the last five agonizing years he’s spent trapped in this hellish world, he’s grown less and less fond of the players that inhabit it, hoping to avoid interactions with them as much as possible. And yet somehow, this is the second player to drop by unexpectedly in the last week.

This player is a tall, thin man- a bit taller than Bravo. He seems human, at least. That’s a definite upgrade from the demonic creature that came knocking on Bravo’s door a few days back. His attire is quite fitting for Hels; the long, neatly-pressed lab coat he wears is pitch black, and his gloves are red as redstone, red as blood. He’s wearing a pair of orange shades- almost reminiscent of lab goggles- from behind which two piercing red eyes peer out. His skin is pale and his dark hair is short. Overall, one of the more bland Hels denizens that Bravo’s had the misfortune of meeting.

In fact, the most interesting thing about him is the way he’s looking at Bravo. It’s like he’s seeing a ghost- which is very strange indeed, considering Bravo has never seen this man before in his life.

Bravo presses the flat of his blade against the man’s neck. “Who are you?” he repeats firmly. “And what do you want?”

Finally, the man seems to break out of his trance. A smile splits across his face, and suddenly, his entire demeanor is horribly unnerving. It’s an unnatural smile; too wide and showing all his teeth. Bravo hasn’t seen anyone smile like that before, not once during all these years in Hels, and he immediately gets a bad feeling about it.

“Well, well, well,” the man says smoothly. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Bravo. My name is Dr. Atlas Syn, head of Hels Tek Laboratories.”

from eden, part V

A/N: WELP I did it again. This oneshot has to get split into two because Atlas’s ego wouldn’t leave enough room for another POV (he needed over 13k to himself, greedy bastard). So, the next one will pick up right after this and will hopefully be out in a timely manner (no promises ofc). Here’s a link to read the previous parts of the au and all the other info!

Note that there are some Helsmits in this, but there are also lots of random OCs/NPCs in the background. They’re not important, they’re just there to help fill up the Hels roster. And ofc, Atlas himself isn’t supposed to be the Hels of anyone we know, he’s purely an OC. Hope y’all enjoy, please reblog if you do! This was a labor of love so it’d really mean a lot <3 - Aqua

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from eden, part V - to the strand, a picnic plan for you and me

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Somewhere in Hels, a player just woke up to very bad news.

“Drowned?” Dr. Atlas Syn, head scientist of Hels Tek Laboratories, demands furiously as he leaps out of bed. “How could he have possibly drowned?!”

(An addendum: he’s not leaping out of his actual bed. Rather, he sleeps on a 2x2 pad of moss, the softest substitute for wool available. His real bed is hidden deep beneath his feet, within an obsidian safe room that’s fully stocked with armor, weapons, food, and whatever other resources he might need in the event of his untimely demise.

Owning a bed is a prestigious thing. Not all players are well-off or well-connected enough to obtain a bed from the scarce wool merchants in Hels, all of whom guard their rare sheep fiercely. Instead, most players utilize respawn anchors to set their spawns, as the materials required to craft one are far easier to come by than wool.

The only players who are aware of the bed’s existence are Atlas himself and the man who gave it to him, and that’s how Atlas likes to keep it. If certain enemies or rivals of his were to discover his bed, them breaking it is the least of his concerns.

It’s a privilege to own a bed, allowing him to bypass the thousands of blocks of treacherous terrain he’d have to travel if he died, but it’s also a great risk. Setting one’s spawn via bed or anchor doesn’t allow for the same protection as afforded by the default world spawn and its anti-griefing perimeter. Knowing the location of a player’s spawn allows for the deployment of traps- the longest death loop Atlas has ever seen lasted a solid month, and only ended because someone got fed up enough with the constant death messages to free the poor chump.

Anyways, this is all besides the point. Atlas leaps out of ‘bed.’)

from eden, part IV

A/N: Welp, I originally split this one from part 3 cuz I didn’t want it to be too long, but it ended up being 10k, anyways. I’m boo boo the fool. I really wanted to give y’all a sense of the domestic Team Rancher life on the Double Life server, and I kept adding more scenes, so here we are. Oh well, enjoy the extra length as a happy holiday treat! Merry gay crisis!!

Note that this is part of a series (for my and @lunarcrown’s Hels to Pay AU) and should be read in chronological order, all the fics can be found here. Hope y’all enjoy, please reblog if you do! <3 - Aqua

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from eden, part IV - babe, there’s something lonesome about you, something so wholesome about you, get closer to me

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Somewhere in Double Life, a player approaches a house.

Impulse and Bdubs’ house is, for a world that’s only two days old, very impressive. Mid-century modern, Tango thinks it’s called. Smooth white walls with clean lines and geometric angles, contrasting against dark oak. A perfect compromise of their two preferred build styles- Impulse’s industrial modernism with Bdubs’ cozy charm. He comes to a stop at the front door, rapping his fist against it.

“Impulse?” he calls. “Hello, hello?”

“Tango, that you, buddy?” Impulse’s voice comes from within.

“Indeed it is,” Tango replies, drumming his fingers against his leg. 

After a second, the door swings open. “Hey!” Impulse greets him, with a smile that shows off his pointed canines. “Come on in. Bdubs is outside working on the pool.”

Tango gives a sage nod. “Ah yes, of course.” He follows Impulse inside, craning his head around to take in the room. “Oh wow, this place is coming along nicely! Lookit- you’ve even got paintings!”

Impulse rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah, yeah, it’s getting there,” he says amiably.

It’s mostly unfurnished, but the foundations are far nicer than what Tango cobbled together at the ranch. A stairwell leads to the second floor while the other half of the room is sunken down a step, carrying through that mid-century modern style from the exterior. His gaze falls on the pair of beds against the far wall, pushed right up against each other.

“So,” he says, if only to stall because he knows what Impulse really wants to talk about, “I hear you and Bdubs are married now?”

Immediately, a happy smile spread across Impulse’s face. “Yup, sealed the deal yesterday.”

Tango makes an incredulous noise. “Can’t believe I wasn’t invited, you jerk!” he scoffs, playfully elbowing Impulse in the side. “Does a near decade of friendship mean nothing anymore?”

(Even as he says it, he has to force down a wave of guilt- he’s kept a far greater secret from Impulse for that long.)

from eden, part III

A/N: I’m back with the next installment of my and @lunarcrown’s Hels to Pay AU! (more info and previous fics here) I really don’t know how these keep getting so long. I actually had to split this one up into two parts and it’s still almost 8k. This starts out following Double Life canon, but then diverges after session 1. Btw, I don’t use accurate Minecraft day/night cycles; I envision each session taking place over a normal 24 hour day, just so it’s easier to grasp the passage of time. Hope y’all enjoy, please reblog if you do! It means a lot <3 - Aqua

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from eden, part III - babe, there’s something magic about you, something so tragic about you, don’t you agree?

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Somewhere in Double Life, a player respawns in a tree.

He’s disoriented, an explosion still ringing in his ears as he blinks against the sudden sunlight. Leaves tickle his face- he jerks back instinctively, then his stomach lurches as he almost loses his balance, yelping in surprise. His mind is racing, rational thought struggling to surface against residual panic and adrenaline. Only a second ago, he’d been deep inside a cave fighting off a horde of mobs, and the next-

Clinging to a tree branch with one hand, he uses the other to pull up his communicator.

Tango was blown up by Creeper.

SolidarityGaming died.

The memory comes rushing back; fending off mobs, backing up beneath an overpass, the sudden appearance of a creeper in front of him as the air filled with the sound of hissing-

“No!” Tango wails, the drawn-out cry devolving into hysterical laughter as realization sinks in.

He’s just gotten himself- and his soulmate, because oh right, soulmates are a thing here- killed by a creeper. The first deaths of the newly generated world, in which the goal is to be the last pair standing. And it was a creeper, a stupid creeper of all things! Oh, what a horrible start.

Tango feels the flames of rage licking at him- the blaze rods around his head burning with fire- and forces himself to take a deep, calming breath before he sets the whole forest ablaze. He exhales slowly, closing his eyes for a moment.

“Well-”

“What happened, Tango?”

Tango’s ears prick at the sudden voice. Startled, he whips his head around- and nearly falls out of the tree in the process. He recognizes the voice, though he isn’t as familiar with its owner as he is with some of the other players in this world.

SolidarityGaming. Also known as Jimmy. Also known, now, as Tango’s soulmate.

And the guy Tango just got killed.