#pixlriffs tag

Despite how much Xisuma covers up, it's hard not to notice his physique. The lack of facial expressions make it worse! It's so much harder to stop from wandering across his muscles, the tanned skin...

Then Pix talks to him more and he's an absolute dork. He loves hearing Pix talk about redstone, is so excited about his copper aging machine that he takes notes. He even listens to Pix talk about the process of excavating the capital and what he's learnt from it!

Pix has haunted these lands for a long time. His civilization died, and he with it. Ever since, he's found himself unable to leave. He doesn't know how to move on, so he remains here. The world decays around him, the once magnificent city being reduced to nothing but rubble and worn foundations. He walks roads that are now buried beneath the ground, walks through doorways that no longer exist.

Until people move in.

He doesn't know how long it's been since he last saw living humans. The fashion has changed a lot, but they treat his land with respect. He watches as they build new structures, whilst documenting what they find of his city. They display it, creating museums and records. Pix watches on, a silent protector.

Until somebody sees him.

He seems like a leader of sorts, face always hidden behind a visor. Pix doesn't know how he sees him, but he does. The person stares straight at him the first time, but shakes his head. The next time he approaches Pix, but Pix panics and flees before he can reach him.

The third time, the person finally holds a hand up, calling out to him. He introduces himself as Xisuma, and explains he can see him (something about the visor but Pix doesn't understand it.) He can't hear him, though, or see lots of detail. But he'd like to work with Pix, maybe ask a few questions?

Pix feels seen. For the first time in so, so very long. Xisuma asks if he's from here, and then he asks about the area and his life here. Pix gently pushes the rocks around, answering each question carefully.

Pix sighed as he watched Cleo and False arguing. Again. He was sick of it by now. Zloy had been on vacation for a couple weeks, so he was left to write all the scripts and do everything. Which meant mediating a fight between two very angry women over a stack of iron blocks. Fun. Pix stretched before lying on his back, staring up at the ice ceiling. He wanted Zloy back. He wanted to cuddle up with him while they watched Star Wars, or something. Maybe Back to the Future. Now THAT was a good piece of literature. Although, he’d much rather watch the Princess Bride or Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Watching classic movies was something Pix and Zloy did a lot. They always said it was to get more inspiration for the recap, but they both knew they just liked the cuddling and eating ice cream part. (I have pixloyed you)

Even though their job is simply to observe and not interfere, he often gets pulled in as a witness simply so hermits don't kill each other as they fight. He has no idea how Zloy has the patience for it. Pix's mind just keeps wandering to redstone designs, cuddling or build ideas.

Several of the hermits are excited that they've gained a reputation! They didn't even know, that's so cool! Pix and Zloy think they finally know all of them, only for Lyarrah to announce she met another. She was hanging upside down off an aerial. The next day they discover one in a bush. One invites them for a cup of tea.

There seems to be no rhyme or reason to how the group formed or where they stay. The hermits seem to have different wing patterns and styles, some have antennae, some don't. The only thing that seems concrete is that they call themselves 'hermits'.

He's spent most of his life hiding in a human form, pretending to be a monster hunter so people would be less suspicious of his glowing eyes. It comes from his trinkets, they're magical - he claims. It pains him to see how the remains of his kind are treated, as sharing a part of your body with someone else in his culture is the highest honor someone can have.

Pixlriffs is a monster hunter. They work together. Pix has the help of an actual dragon on his hunts, and in return he vouches for Zloy whenever people get too suspicious.

One night they were ambushed by a group of dragon hunters they argued with last night in a tavern. Both of them got captured. They were put in a cage together, poisoned and weak, the hunters waiting for one of them to shift back to their original form.

Pixlriffs was mostly fine, only a minor headache, but Zloy, Zloy knew he didn't have much longer. The poison was too strong, and once the hunters realize it isn't working on Pix he'll be dead as well, sooner or later.

Trying to escape would be his best chance. So Zloy shifted back, his form breaking the cage. Pix jumped on his back and they flew away.

Zloy crashed not much farther. With his last breath he begged Pix to take his horns, his teeth, his eyes. He couldn't bear the thought of the hunters having them, so Pix listened. He took as much as he could carry, his skin and clothes stained in gold blood which could never be fully washed away.

Pix has never felt more wrong in his life.

Several years later, rumors spread about a dragon-worshipping cult of necromancers searching for monster hunters to avenge the fallen dragons, and they may or may not have a certain undead dragon on their side.

There's nothing that can be taken from Zloy now. Ghostly mirages replace what once was valuable on his body, black smoke rising from the illusions. His body, though decayed, takes on a new meaning of majesty.

At least, that's what Pix says, and Zloy calls him a sap. Zloy just thinks he's super cool, and the fast healing is a massive benefit. He also wouldn't describe their group as a cult, but he guesses necromancers don't have the best reputation.

Zloy and his crew attacked a merchant ship. They gained a solid amount of gold and goods. The families of the merchants might pay to get them back, if not they'll just sell them with the rest of the captives.

But one of them caught his eye. An archeologist, he calls himself, whatever that may be. He's smart, handsome and witty, Zloy might just keep him.

Where the rest of the merchants are loud and panicking (fun at first, annoying after a while), the archeologist seems frustratingly relaxed. Every time somebody gets close enough to him, he's asking questions about the ship. Where were the sails made, who carved those designs in the mast? Zloy is the only one who can answer most of the questions, so the archeologist starts specifically targeting him with the questions.

Zloy acts bemused, but part of him is secretly proud.

They find out the archeologist - Pix - has no family to speak of. He isn't even a merchant, he paid for passage with them to reach a new port. At a reduced rate, as he promised to examine treasure and rare goods to offer selling points based on their history.

Which means he has an encyclopedic knowledge of all the treasures they've 'acquired' from the merchants.

When Zloy informs him that he'll be staying with them as their prisoner, his response is, "Oh. Okay." And then he asks if he can examine the painting in the captain's quarters, he thinks he recognises the artist and wants to make sure his skills are still sharp.

For some damn reason, Zloy lets him. And all he does is look at the painting. And then talk about the construction of the bookcase. And the type of tree the desk is made of. He even knows the designer of the chair!

Pix becomes a useful member of their crew - easily amused by examining the treasure they found and making notes. He's always a little sad they sell it instead of donating it to a museum, but that's just the nature of their business.

Zloy tries to pretend all the archaeologist's questions are annoying. The way he follows Zloy around constantly. But the damn guy has a way of working under Zloy's skin with his whispered jokes, enthusiasm and far too good looks.

It comes as no surprise to the rest of the crew when they end up in the same bunk.

His boyfriend Pixlriffs on the other hand is a disastrous mess. Like books mounting on each other towering above him.

Dust everywhere and just a mess that Cleaning Lady Pearl would see might begun to break down and cry. And mentally scarred her.

Let alone Pixlriffs forgetting to take care for himself because of tremendous amount of work he poured on archeology and archivist. He love his boyfriend dearly. But stars above Xisuma might strangled him one more time for it.

Pix does try, which is probably the only reason Xisuma hasn't strangled him. There's a few areas he does keep clean - their bedroom, the bathroom or the kitchen as examples. Places they both share. But Pix's office looks like a whirlwind has flown through, and if Xisuma even tries to touch some of the books Pix knows! There's a system, somehow, in all of this chaos. Xisuma has some rules as well, only allowing a certain number of books in certain places before Pix has to take others back.