Snowstorm: A Hermitcraft AU

Original Ch. 1: Arrival

6/1/23
Here is the original opening chapter that I wrote back in September 2021. I have since decided to scrap the idea of writing the whole hermit ensemble and just focus on a single duo.

Two days until the snowstorm...

Grian gazed around the hotel's room 217 with a grin on his face. His gaze shifted from the two queen beds to the bright orange wall that their wood headboards sat against. His focus then moved right, towards the large window that sat directly in front of him with grey drapes covering it; the grey-and-brown landscape beyond it somewhat visible between the coarse, canvas-like, folds. It looked like a portal to another world. The next thing that caught his attention was the orange table lamp, which sat on a dark wooden desk. The desk stood on the smooth wood floor that was made up of different colored boards, like a vast brown mosaic.

Grian peeled off his shoes before sliding off his bright red hiking backpack. He shuffled over to the closest bed before falling face-down on it like a plank. After letting his cold face heat up against the warm linens for a moment, he heard the hotel room's door open behind him.

"You good bro?" a Swedish accent asked from the doorway.

"Yup, just warming up Iskall." Grian replied before spinning and wriggling like a caterpillar to face his friend. "Where's Mumbo?"

"Last time I saw him, he was struggling to get his suitcases out of the van." Iskall reported with a sly grin on their face.

Grian rolled his eyes. It seemed that Mumbo brought a backpack filled with textbooks and practice materials everywhere he went. "You didn't even ask if he wanted help?" Grian queried.

"Ask if who wanted help?" came an out-of-breath British voice from the hallway. Iskall stepped out of the doorway and into the bathroom to allow Mumbo to move past them. He dropped his keys and the hotel room keys on the desk and continued until he stood in front of Grian.

"You, you spoon! You are so obsessed with your classes." Grian said as he stood on his toes in an attempt to get to Mumbo's height. "We are on winter break! Take a week to relax and properly hang out with us," he continued passionately, before playfully punching Mumbo on the shoulder.

"I..." Mumbo started. "Fine, I'll hang out with you all during this whole trip." He turned towards the bed Grian had been laying on and put his suitcase on top of it; he sat his backpack on the floor at the foot of the bed. "I claim this bed."

Iskall quickly sat on the bed between Mumbo's and the window. "I claim this one!" they stated loudly. "I guess you will be on the floor, Grian. The sleeping bag and pad are in the van."

Grian rolled his eyes yet again before scooping two keys from next to the lamp; one of the room keys and the key to the van. He walked out of the room and towards the elevator along the hallway lined with green wallpaper, grey carpet. It was lit both by wall-mounted lighting and by windows at each end; the windows gave a clear view of the grey and white clouds blocking the afternoon sun and also of the tree-lined slopes of the Great Smoky Mountains.

As he approached the elevator, he heard it ding. A woman in a pink winter coat and blue scrubs walked out of the elevator carrying a navy blue duffle bag over her right shoulder; looking down at the crack where the elevator meets the floor that her rolling suitcase was struggling to cross.

"Do you need help ma'am?"

"I'm good," the woman responded, as she turned to him, "but thanks for the off-" her chocolate brown eyes lit up in realization. "Are you Grian?"

"Yes, I am; and you are?"

"I'm Stress." She stated, releasing the suitcase handle to shake Grian's hand.

"Are you one of Xisuma's friends?" Grian queried.

"Yep! Xisuma and our other friend, False, should arrive in about an hour."

"Sounds good," Grian eyed her attire interestedly "Where'd you get those pants?"

Stress cackled with delight. "Oh, these are hospital scrubs. I'm an OBGYN at Blount Memorial Hospital." After a few seconds of watching Grian's puzzled expression, she added "That means I take care of pregnant mothers then deliver their babies."

"Oh okay," Grian nodded eagerly before continuing, "who's False?"

"False is one of my friends-she's an EMT-and Xisuma suggested that I invite her to the Hermits since she also graduated from UT K." She paused for a moment. "Speaking of Xisuma, he should be explaining the plan for tomorrow in his room-room 209-tonight."

"Okay, I'll see you there!" Grian told her as he walked into the waiting elevator.

-----

Grian, Iskall, and Mumbo flinched from their respective positions on a sleeping bag on the floor, beds, and a swivel chair as the room's lone telefone rang loudly. Iskall started to reach for it, but was intercepted by Mumbo.

"Hello?" He asked. A voice responded from the other end. "Is that you Professor Void?" After a few seconds of monologue from the other end, he continued "Yes sir; you said who is here for introductions?" Yep another pause. "Do you want us to come over?"

Grian shared a grin with Iskall and sniggered. Mumbo turned towards the noise and continued talking "Alright, we'll be over soon." He turned back towards the nightstand and put the phone back on the cradle, and looked at the others with a vibrant grin on their face. "Professor Void said that some others have arrived and we should go to room 209 for introductions."

Grian, who had stood up and sat on Mumbo's bed, started walking towards the door. "Well, what are we waiting for?!" He opened the door and started jogging down the hall.

A/N: Hello! After sitting on the idea of continuing the Twisted Turn AU for several weeks, I decided to do a Hermits in Tennessee AU of my own. This chapter was originally posted in September 2021, but I have made several minor changes to facilitate my plot changes.