Ringing (Herobrine X Deaf!Reader)

Part 6

(Sorry for the several --idk how long-- month hiatus, but I had to go on a daring and treacherous quest to retrieve my hOrMonEs so I could have EmOtIoNs again...which is actually pretty important for a writer, believe it or not. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠༼⁠ ⁠•́⁠ ͜⁠ʖ⁠ ⁠•̀⁠ ⁠༽⁠_⁠/⁠¯)

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After the long day full of nothing special came to an end, Rian leaned on the floor again and pointed his finger at the wads of blankets and medical wrap Herobrine had left in there with you still. You walked over to the pile, pointing at item after item until finally your friend gave you a thumbs up when you at last pinched some of the medical wrap. You brought it all over to him, wondering what he had planned. When you leaned down to peer into his cell better, you saw he was just rolling it all up and shoving it into his pockets. Hmm. You wondered if he was planning to escape...

A shadow blocked out most of the evening light, followed by the door being shut. The space was nearly pitch black, only light coming from the man's eyes, until he lit another torch and set it over the stairs as before. Herobrine slumped, appearing a little drowsy after such a long day. He glanced into your cell, scowled at you when he remembered the events of last night, and moseyed his gaze to another part of the room. Herobrine then vanished among the stairs again, returning with two half full buckets of water. He carries the two down the hall out of sight.

A little bit later, he came back and opened Katie's cell. She immediately bolted for the stairs but her wrist was caught by the man and he barked an order at her. She followed him back down the hall of cells where you could not see. She returned a few minutes later in the same condition as before. So, whatever was going on wasn't all too bad, right? Once Kathy was shoved back into her cell and locked away, Hero turned around to you and unlocked yours. You didn't run like Kathie had. Instead, you meekly followed. Hero didn't even have to pull you along.

You were walked past the other cells, at last getting a good look at some of your other old friends. None of them looked at you with the worried kind of expression that warned something might happen, so you walked a little more at ease than before. Stopping at the second to final cell along the left side was a makeshift bathroom.

Oh?

Finally, everyone could, well, go to the bathroom! There were large blankets acting as curtains and everything, as well as a hole overhead which reached to the sky. Looking up, you could see crystal blue and grass peeking out overhead. Made you really miss being able to see these things on a daily basis; nature and all that.

Since you did kind of have to go to the bathroom, you did so very quickly and washed your hands in another bucket designated for specifically that with a bar of soap and all.

When you left the bathroom, Hero was nowhere to be seen. This was certainly curious if not alarming.

You calmly walked back to your cell, only stopping to wave at some old friends along the way. When you arrived at your cell, you found it to be closed. Inside was...HEROBRINE!? The man had claimed it for himself, setting up a little lamp, beanbag chair, and a better decorated mattress. Certainly this wasn't all for you, so he had to be stealing it for whatever reason. When Hero turned to see just how confused you were, he cracked a smile and visibly chuckled. The man gestured to the space around him with a smirk. Then, he used sign language for the first time.

"Mine." He sighed. Your lower lip fell. Where were you supposed to sleep, then? Hero shoved a thin roll of blankets through the bars for you to sleep with. You glanced up the stairs at the iron door. No doubt it was locked.

Well, at least you were no longer in a cell...

At night, when even Hero's lantern had gone out, you laid down rolled up in the old blanket, simply unable to go to sleep. Your back pressed against the bars of Kathie's cell, who had been gently playing with your hair until she too went to sleep.

Your eyes were heavy, yet you could not go to sleep. You wondered why...

Suddenly, you spotted movement in Rian's cell. You couldn't make out what he was doing at first, your mind so foggy for staying up so late. The young man had thickened the medical tape you had given him earlier into a rope. One end had already been tied into a loose loop when he climbed up the bars to fasten the other end as high up as possible.

Oh crap!

You jumped up immediately and shouted at Rian. He only hurried up. You shoved him off of the cage wall and ran to Hero's cell door, grabbing a loose rock and banging it against the bar. A small glowing light shown through the thin blanket he had set up for privacy. Suddenly the warden of sorts was outside the cell, grasping your wrist with an enraged look on his face.

"Rian's gunna kill himself!!" You exclaimed with teary eyes. Hero immediately dropped your wrist, summoned a sword into his hand and teleported into Rian's cell. You were afraid to watch. The old tattoo covered friend of yours lost all hope when Hero cut him down. His plan hadn't worked anyway.

Rian fell onto his hands and knees, clutching at his throat. He sobbed between deep breaths of air, occasionally shouting up at Hero even. Everyone just woken up was a little shaken as well. Rian really thought killing himself would save everyone else, didn't he..?

Herobrine's expression wasn't visible to you. Only his bright eyes pierced the darkness. They remained fixed on Rian as he appeared to vent all his frustrations. You sat there quietly watching. As did Kathie and everyone else. Tears gushed down the seemingly impenetrable Rian. You didn't know what he was saying, but it has to mean a lot...

After a while, Rian just sat on his knees and shook. His mouth no longer moved. He didn't seem to be crying either.

Herobrine had a great moment of pause. He rarely even blinked. There was no telling how he would react. Would be kill him?? Beat him? Tie him up for good? Cut off his hands!?!

He did none of those.

Herobrine lowered himself until he was on one knee. He placed his hand on Rian's shoulder and said something that couldn't have been any longer than a few words. Rian's left hand crossed his chest and landed on Hero's, squeezing it firmly.

...What did he say?

Either way, it looked impactful.

Did...Herobrine actually care..?