(November 19, 2020)

Delineation
n. the action of describing or portraying something precisely.

Summary: Xisuma found an old box while cleaning out shukler boxes with Keralis
Word Count: 694
Category: Hurt/comfort, slight angst
Warnings: I don't really watch any Hermit except X anymore so my characterization of Keralis may be slightly off but I'll try my best >.>, and sudden ending because I'm tired lmao-

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"What's that, Shiswammy?" Keralis said when Xisuma pulled a cardboard box out of an old and forgotten shulker.

Xisuma clicked his tongue, brushing the dust off the lid. "I dunno, Keralis. It's... familiar, I guess. Last time I saw it must have been in Season Five or somethin' like that. I don't quite remember." With delicate fingers, he lifted the lid away, surprised to find himself steeling his nerves for whatever he found.

At first glance, it looked to be only junk. The crinkled up papers and broken record disks seemed to be trash. Who in their right mind would keep pieces of a rather common item? Who would keep ripped pieces of parchment?

But then a memory hit him like a flaming minecart.

It was an old picture, its edges frayed and yellowing.

At the actual picture itself, though, Xisuma drew in a sharp breath.

Two young boys, one dressed in dark green and the other in red, both sat at the edge of an end island, their legs dangling into the cold grasp of the void. The camera was held by the boy in the red, but the picture was taken moments before it was almost dropped, giving him a panicked expression. On the other hand, the boy in the green had an amused--almost taunting--expression.

"That you?" Keralis asked, peering over X's shoulder while balancing on his tip toes. "And Evil Shishwammy?" The Admin nodded slowly and hesitantly.

"Yes. This was... this was taken when we were sixteen." Xisuma's voice had lowered considerably in volume, almost as if he were reflecting back on life choices (which, to be fair, was probably what he was doing).

Behind him, Keralis frowned. Not often does Xisuma get reminiscent in front of others.

"Ah," he murmured in a mellow tone. "Can I see?" The Admin wordlessly handed the picture to his friend, moving to shuffle through the other contents in the box. He pulled another picture from the box, very similar except for the fact that young-Xisuma held the camera.

"Almost lost that picture, K, Evil X almost dropped the camera into the void," Xisuma said, looking to the sky. He held this photograph out to his friend again.

Keralis hummed again, taking the other picture and comparing the two. "You two were cute."

"Eh. That's debatable."

The other builder gasped quietly in mock offence. "Shishwammy? Degrading himself? Mmm, no can do. Don't do that."

"Right. My bad," the Admin half-heartedly chuckled. Keralis smiled faintly before holding both pictures to him. Xisuma reached for the photograph, casting one last glance at it again before placing it back in the box he grabbed it from. He sighed and cast a dejected look to the side.

"I like pictures, Keralis. You know why?" He didn't wait for a response, nor was he expecting anything but a hum. "They're proof that once, even if it was just for a single heartbeat, everything was perfect. But I often find myself thinking about that one moment where everything was alright, everything was okay. ... Well, it's such a precise wish it'll probably never happen..." A far away look appeared in Xisuma's eyes, one that made Keralis reach over to clap a grounding hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I don't think it too late to fix that, yes? You can unban Evil Shiswammy. You're a good Admin." A somber smile tugged at X's lips, disappearing as quickly as it came.

"No good Admin unrightfully bans their brother, now do they?"

Keralis pursed his lips with a tilt of his head. "Hm, probably not, but amend can be made if both side want to." The sincerity in his voice almost made Xisuma believe he could get his brother back, get them back to the little perfect moment in their childhood that both surely sorely missed.

"Perhaps, K. Perhaps." Xisuma slid the box where he wouldn't accidentally find it again, silently making a vow to himself to finally, finally talk to Evil X about the banishment. But until then, he would not touch the solidified versions of their memories. It was too painful, too fresh in his mind. It would only serve to cut open healed wounds, not to bring him back into the old days.

...

And the next time the box saw light, it was grabbed by a pair of brothers.

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is it weird that I have an entire post-it note dedicated to how Xisuma acts when he's tried

Thank you for reading, and have an amazing day!