#etho just brought it up himself

[theethoslab]

Etho on Scar’s stream: oh yeah, Joel would really like camels, they got long necks

[ssnowflowers]

Grian's alliance with Cleo and Etho is so interesting to me. Because it's so different from every other alliance he's made.

The first alliance made in the Life Series for Grian is the Blue Sword Boys. And it's simply for a diamond sword. This sets an expectation that Grian needs to be useful for an alliance to be worth it.

His alliance to Scar, his desert friend, is built on him selling his life to Scar. An entire life, one of three deaths he gets before never being able to walk the world again. He gives it all to Scar. Because lives are valuable, useful. Servants are useful.

In Last Life, the Southlands are brought together through resources. You go red, there are no gifted lives bringing you back from the brink like in other alliances. You just go. Grian is forced out of the Southlands first, the home he built no longer his. Because by dying, he has proven he isn't useful.

His alliance with Joel is built on the fact that they are both red. That they need one another to survive. That reds live and die alone. They are loyal, because loyalty is useful. And their alliance ends when they stop being red. And it resumes once they are again.

In Double Life, Grian doesn't want to pair with Scar. He quite literally lets out a guttural scream of no. But it's easier to stick around his soulmate. Build Scar a base, babysit him. It's far more useful.

After a certain point, Grian stops viewing alliances as someone loyal. Someone who has your back. Simply, that it is necessary to have friends.

It's useful to have allies, so he jumps at the first opportunity. In Limited Life, he joins Joel and Jimmy because they invite him. He changes his skin, something he has never done before. He engages with bread bridge, he changes things about himself to look useful.

And then in the final sessions, when he loses Jimmy and Joel, he moves along quickly. He even says that Joel is a 'lost cause' and teams up with Pearl and BigB instead.

His wording is so specific too. Not allies, not teammates...friends. This is how he views friendship. A mutual exchange of usefulness.

It's why he's so desperate to make friends in Secret Life. He begs and pleads with people, when he is forced together with Joel he sticks with him like a clingy child, he builds the egg not because he likes it, but because a pretty base can attract friends.

When he asks if he can join Etho and Cleo. They just say yes. No second thoughts. And Grian is still trying to sell himself, prove why they should want him around. And Cleo just has on screen text (aka, inner thoughts) questioning why Grian is still trying to convince them? They've already said yes!

He's so stuck in the mindset of seeming useful, that he's now doing it even when no one is looking for him to be useful.

This is what sets his alliance with them apart from anyone else. He does not have to stick around, or cling to them. He can disappear for most of the session, and be fine.

Cleo and Etho help him out and he helps them in return. Not because he needs to be useful. But because he wants to. Because he has finally found people who just want him around because it's him.

It's such a large shift in his previous alliances, that I can't help but appreciate every little interaction. Because Cleo and Etho are his friends first. Not just allies.

[randomheadcanons1234]

Even more random hermitcraft headcanons that I won’t elaborate

Bdubs He was once sick of getting told that he was short and wore high heels for the day at the end he had a concussion, a broken ankle and a promise to never where high heels again

Cub has replaced some of his teeth with metal

Docm has dressed up as a princess on multiple occasions for Doccy

Etho used to run up to people scare them and run away again. That stopped when he got shot by a gun, when he tried to pull this with Zedaph

False is the designated driver because she somehow knows every shortcut

Gem has killed gods before

Grian is that type of person who says that they can’t handle horror but fall asleep to true crime stories

Hypno used to sell Ballons, he can make animals out of them

Impulse has venomous claws, he has accidentally poisoned some of his friends because of this, he feels really guilty

Iskall builds really weird things for fun like a robot who has legs for hands, which has pink hair and talks about waffles. The hermits are concerned

Jevin can’t swim, he can float but if he tries to move he sinks

One time when joe was drunk he showed up in a god meeting and started to make yo mama jokes at them, many cried

Keralis has all the gossip even from servers where he isn’t even on

Mumbo has gotten drunk only once and that was the they he found himself in his base surrounded by Armourstands that had their legs cut off. And had the heads of his friends

Pearl eats cods in front of Grian

Ren has a collection of baby photos of his fellow hermits, no one knows how he got them

Scar has made flower crowns for all the hermits

Skizz used to be choir kid

Joel and Lizzie once came to a party where Joel wore a sparkly pink dress and Lizzie a green suit

When stress doesn’t know a word she just makes one up

For some reason tango loves bats

The reason why Beef goes by Beef is because middle school he only brought beef to school. After a while the other students and even the teachers started to call him Beef and that stuck. Now he just goes by Beef

Wels knows galactic

When Xb used to be a kid he ate dirt

Xisuma never takes his helmet off, so the hermits try to take it off themself all their plans fail though and they still don’t know how he looks

Zedaph used to be a part of the creepy pasta fandom

Cleo is the best dancer on hermitcraft

[bougiebutchbinch]

Before I back away from this subject entirely, I just wanna know.

People who staunchly defend the finale from any and all criticism -

Do you really think disabled fans are being 'ridiculous' for feeling hurt that one of the only canonically disabled central characters (Ed's fanon 'knee brace' does not count lol) and the most severely disabled character and the only character whose arc revolved around accepting and loving his disabled body and prosthetic was killed off? And that he said he wanted to die? And that his prosthetic was used as a grave marker rather than buried with him? Do you think we are 'harrassing' the showrunners by wanting to know just how many disabled people were consulted about Izzy's arc, and whether physically disabled people and amputees were in the writing room when these choices were made?

Do you really think queer fans are being 'dramatic' and 'misunderstanding bury your gays' because they're upset that a character who had a 'coming out' arc (complete with a beautiful drag performance) was immediately killed after finding queer joy, in a show that claimed to be a 'kind' queer romantic comedy? Or for pointing out that every polyamorous character wound up in a monogamous relationship?

Do you really think suicide survivors are being 'too emotional' for feeling let down by a character who attempts suicide and survives, then goes through a beautiful healing arc, only to state that he still wants to die? In a comedy?

Do you really think abuse & domestic violence survivors are 'overreacting' by being disgusted that Izzy, who was violently, repeatedly physically mutilated by his captain, a man who is explicitly shown to have power over him, spent his last words reassuring that same man that he brought this abuse on himself by :checks notes: being jealous of Ed's shiny new boyfriend and briefly causing them to break up last season? Or that the crew apparently 'love Ed' now, despite them being shown to be traumatised by his actions in Ep 1-3?

Do you really think writers and authors are 'misunderstanding a three act structure' or 'defending their blorbo' for pointing out that, if this is the Dark Night Of The Soul, it shouldn't be painted with a weird happy veneer that glosses over Ed's abuse of the crew and Stede's sudden 180 to wanting to retire? Or for being fine with Izzy's death as a concept, but wanting it to have more dramatic impact and to feel meaningful?

To be clear: this is not directed at people who enjoyed the finale. You are fine. Enjoy whatever you like! However, please don't act like your favourite show is above criticism - especially from marginalised groups. That's just shitty, and against the entire ethos that OFMD (allegedly lol) promotes.

[playername-player-of-games]

More of @chrisrin‘s gemcyt au :D part 2 to this!

//

Earth is…different.

It’s been raining for three days, (at least that’s what Etho called it, back when they landed). Three days of rain, no light from this system’s sun. Outside is reflecting how he feels inside, gray and storming and he’s-

He’s never going to see his diamond again.

It’s fine. That’s fine. He doesn’t think about it. He can’t think about it, not when it makes him feel like he’s raining.

He’s thinking about it.

She was beautiful, graceful- let him speak and laughed at his jokes. She complimented his fighting, thanked him when he helped her with even the smallest things- things he shouldn’t have been thanked for, in all honesty, like opening doors, or turning off the lights.

Stars, he’s really never going to see her again.

He curls further into himself. He’d reformed with a hooded cloak this time, the desire to hide manifesting physically as soon as he’d Reformed on the ship. He’d had to Reform twice, the first he did himself, without Etho saying he could. He’d been poofed immediately and whisked back into a drawer for what felt like centuries.

After they made it outside, he was allowed to Reform after the ship took off again. Etho said his hair turned black.

He doesn’t know what Etho’s talking about. He can see it, when he looks up at his fringe. It’s a darker green now.

It doesn’t matter. He’s never going to see his diamond again.

“Pearl?” Etho sing songs, footsteps crunching across the dirt of the kindergarten, “Peaaarl, you in here?”

Pearl stuck himself into one of the many gem-shaped holes in the wall, pressed as far back as he could manage, grateful his cloak is dark enough to blend in with the walls, “Go away, Etho.”

“I brought some friends,” Etho says, his face popping into view as he leans over the opening, setting down an oil lamp to light up the space, “you up for some chitchat?”

Pearl tugs his hood down. “Not really.”

“They’re nice, I promise,” Etho assures him, “they’re some of Impulse’s friends! Impulse was nice, right?”

“I guess.”

Impulse was nice, Etho’s right. Their little tour of Earth’s Gem Base had been brief but informative, with a few landmarks. Impulse’s forge. A warp pad. A crash site. Then Pearl got overwhelmed and ran, warping at random and landing in a kindergarten. Nobody came after him.

Until now.

“Do you wanna come out?” Etho asks.

“Not really.”

Etho laughs, “fair enough,” and disappears.

New footsteps- Pearl catches a flash of green and blue outside.

“I brought an aquamarine and a peridot,” Etho explains, voice louder now that he’s further away from the opening, “Grian and Mumbo. They want to talk to you about stuff.”

“Goodie.”

Etho bids him goodbye, and leaves. Then the aquamarine pushes his way into the hole, with a wide, one-eyed grin. There’s more than enough room for the two of them and all the rain water he’s bringing in here, but Pearl curls further into himself anyway.

“You’re Pink Diamond’s pearl,” remarks the aquamarine.

Pearl bristles, “I was Pink Diamond’s pearl.”

The aquamarine waves him off, “specifics don’t matter. All that matters is whether or not you’d like to overthrow the diamonds.”

Pearl freezes.

“Grian!” The peridot- Mumbo- scolds, “you can’t just say that!”

“Well, why not?” Grian turns around, his wings nearly whacking Pearl in the face, “it’s not like he can say no, if he goes back to Homeworld he’ll be shattered.”

They dissolve into bickering. Pearl doesn’t care. He can’t hear them.

Overthrow the diamonds.

It’s treason. Rebellion. He’s suddenly connecting dots he didn’t realize were there- the crash site. A hidden warp pad. So, so many mismatched gems living together in an uncharted, unregulated base. Not being allowed to Reform on the ship.

Oh stars- what has he gotten himself into?

The aquamarine yelps and disappears with a poof- Mumbo catches him, flustered when Pearl rushes past him, sword in hand, back to the warp pad, back to the warp, to warp, warp warp warp warp warp-

A blinding flash of light- he stumbles off the pad and falls to his knees.

Rebellion. Treason.

If he goes back to Homeworld, he’ll be shattered.

He’s being shattered right now, he thinks- that’s the only way he can think to explain this feeling. He’s being crushed, turned inside out, trying to reform in a place that’s too small. He shouldn’t be here- he’s raining- he should have stayed on Homeworld, should have let himself be-

Someone is humming.

He freezes. He’s good at this- disappearing into the background. He’s nothing. An accessory, a set piece.

He lifts his head.

They’re hovering over a lake (he hadn’t realized he’d warped to a lake), twisting in a way that looks like a dance, something bright and cloud-like in their arms. Something about their posture is familiar- friendly. Pearl pushes himself to his feet- his knees trembling, and forces himself forward.

One foot in front of the other. He makes out features- wings made of water. A bouquet of roses and sunflowers and little red things. Too big to be an aquamarine- a lapis? His gem a little to the left of where Pearl’s is, on his chest, right over where a human heart would be.

His humming has turned to singing. Pearl stops on the bank- he knows this lapis. This was one of the messengers, they used to talk all the time.

What is he doing on Earth?

The lapis bends over, dropping petals into the water, and notices Pearl with barely more than a glance.

“Oh, hello! You’re n-” he does a double take, eyes wide, his smile fond and familiar as if he remembers Pearl too, “you’re Pink Diamond’s pearl!”

This is the same lapis. The one he used to tease and trip in the hallways. They’d salute to each other- then to their diamond- then drop form and laugh. They made jokes- they called each other names and playful insults and make faces at each other when the diamonds weren’t looking. This lapis is- is like home, even after he disappeared for a hundred years without explanation- and he’s here right in front of him. Pearl feels like he’s being shattered all over again.

“Was,” he corrects, “I was Pink Diamond’s pearl.”

Lapis comes to hover in front of him, holding his bouquet. Pearl does not meet his eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“I uhm-” Pearl pulls his hood down over his eyes, “I fused with her.”

“Oh.”

Raindrops drip down his cheeks- he reaches up to wipe them away, turns his head to the sky and wonders how they’re getting on him if his hood is up. The sky is clear. Lapis lands in front of him, wings disappearing, his mouth a worried line.

“Why is it raining on my face?” Pearl whispers.

Lapis smiles, quiet, warm, and gently pulls Pearl’s hood down to rest on his shoulders, “you’re crying.”

Pearl sniffles, “what does that mean?”

“It means your eyes are making rain on your face,” he explains, still gentle. He tucks a little yellow rose over Pearl’s ear.

“How do I make it stop?”

“It’ll stop on its own, eventually.”

Pearl wipes his eyes on his sleeves. He feels exposed without his hood.

“Lapis-“

“Jimmy.”

Pearl makes a face, “what?”

“My name is Jimmy.”

Pearl scoffs, furiously wiping his eyes again, “what is with you Earth gems and your weird names.”

Jimmy laughs, moving to sit next to Pearl and tugging him down with him, “who have you met?”

“Impulse,” Pearl says, “which sounds dumb, and Mumbo, which sounds dumber, and Grian which sounds like grain!”

Jimmy laughs and nods again, “that’s us.”

“Stupid,” Pearl snaps. He needs his eyes to stop raining now.

“Would you like an earth name?” Jimmy asks, and Pearl scoffs at him again.

His first thought is no, he doesn’t want one. But then he remembers treason, and he remembers rebellion, and he remembers that he’ll be shattered if he goes back to Homeworld, and he thinks of making fun of long winded messages from important gems and making faces at each other behind the Diamond’s backs.

Surely naming himself isn’t the worst thing he’s ever done.

“Maybe.”

“Go on then,” Jimmy says, nudging him with his shoulder. “There’s lots of things to choose from.”

And there are a lot of things to choose from.

He likes the J from Jimmy’s name- it’s a good sounds- he just doesn’t know what comes after it. He looks around for inspiration. Jake isnt right. Jloud sounds weird, and so does Jeaf.

He takes a rose from Jimmy’s bouquet and twirls it around in his fingers- he can’t name himself Jasper, even though he’s off color he wouldn’t ever name himself after another gem. He can’t call himself Jimmy either, because then he’d be naming himself Pearl all over again and that’d just lead to problems.

He thinks further back- Impulse was showing him something at camp. Barrels of something called oil- the stuff in the lamp. Stuff for cooking. It’s stuff that helps other stuff work like it’s supposed to. He figures that’s a good a thing as any.

“Joil.”

“Joil?” Jimmy dissolves into laughter.

“Wha- hey, it’s not like it’s better than Jimmy!”

“No, no, it’s worse!”

Pearl growls at him, trying to be upset, but the way Jimmy is doubled over, cracking up, makes it hard to keep a smile off his face.

“Oh-kay, it’s bad,” he admits, trying and failing in the not laughing department, “but do you have a better idea, oh great Jim?”

“Maybe,” Jimmy straightens, smiling wide, “‘Joil’s’ a bit awkward to say, is all. Why not try Joel?”

He’s gotta admit that is easier to say.

“That’s fine,” Joel says. “You can call me that.”

“Well then, it’s nice to meet you, Joel,” Jimmy says, ever smiling, “welcome to Earth.”

[theconstellationprincess]

Ethoslab, and Hermitcraft by extension never truly leaves my brain; here’s a Drabble @froggymarsh

No TWs :)

-

Etho glared at his trembling hands as thunder sounded outside the shop he was currently shopping in, and definetly not hiding in from the storm. Because that would be embarrassing.

His ears flicked out and down as the loud crashing of thunder rang out again. All this because he wanted some great deals? At least he’s in a nice shop, with beverages and books.

He curls up against one of the drink machines and eyes the rain pouring down outside. He doesn’t mind the rain, he likes it, and the mud, but! He hates the sound of thunder.

Etho gripped his hair and tugged it, huffing angrily at his own reaction. It was a stupid thing to hate- thunder, because really, it was harmless, but it’s just so loud!

Suddenly, his ears pricked up as he heard the sound of rockets. Who was flying in this weather? Were they trying to get themselves struck by lightening?

When Joel flew directly into the shop Etho was sitting in with way too much speed and tumbled into a book case, Etho had his answers.

“Joel,” Etho greeted, forcing a grin. Joel was fun, but he was also loud and Etho did not want loud at that moment. “What uh, what’s up?”

“Just came to grab some books,” Joel replied, walking further into the shop. He was dripping water everywhere and it was making soft discordant noises that made Etho twitch. Joel shook his head and fling water across the floor. Drip drip drip. “What are you doing?” Joel asked him, staring down at him with confusion. Etho brought his knees up to his chest and shrugged.

“Waiting out the storm.” Etho answered after a moment, picking at a loose thread on his pants. “You shouldn’t fly in this weather, you know.” He added, looking up at where Joel was perusing the books. Joel laughed and give him a smug look.

“You’re so obsessed with me,” Joel joked, “Making up advice so I stay here with you.” Etho laughed but still felt himself blush, as he always did when Joel did his playful flirting thing. He flustered every time.

“Right,” Etho replied, there was a slight lull, and then thunder sounded and Etho jumped up, pacing the floor. He took a few shaky breaths, and found himself facing Joel, who was staring at him. Etho blinked at him.

“Are you scared of the storm?” Joe asked, and it was just a bit too soft, too concerned. Etho stiffened.

“Psh, what? Me? Of course not,” Etho claimed, looking around anxiously. His hands were tightly fisted in the fabric of his pants, to stop them from trembling. Joel narrowed his eyes at him, and took a step forward. Their faces were close together and Joel was staring at him like he was an outlier in a data set.

Another crash of thunder and Etho found himself hiding his face in Joel’s side, ears pinned down to his head. He quickly moved away, feeling his face grow warm with embarrassment. “I- uh.” Etho swallowed. Joel gave him a smug look.

“Called it!” Joel said with a laugh. “Do you want to cuddle Etho? You could have just asked.” Etho looked at Joel and shrugged, chewing on his lip. He was feeling- small? Maybe a bit. Words were hard suddenly.

Another round of thunder and Etho had taken Joel up on his offer, jumping at him and sending them both to the floor so that he could hide in Joel’s chest. “‘m no’ scared,” Etho mumbled, flinching as the thunder continued to roar. “Is jus’ loud.” Joel gave a hum of understanding, and Etho couldn’t help the small giggle that escaped him because he could feel that, lying on Joel’s chest.

Joel pet Ethos head and nodded. “That’s fair, it is pretty loud isn’t it?” He asked softly. Etho nodded and closed his eyes. Lying like this, he could hear Joel’s heartbeat, and it was a much preferable sound to that of the thunder. Joel stayed quiet too, letting Etho get comfortable as they lay in a pile on the floor of the book and drink shop.

It was nice, and Etho could appreciate the quiet all the more due to the relief it provided from the loud.

[blacktofade]

Gemtho Fortnight Day 6

Prompt: Gemtho prompt: RPF, Etho actually gives Gem his address (or a PO box maybe) so she can send him a Christmas gift, they start sending goofy penpal letters and trinkets back and forth, but it soon becomes extremely horny letters and perhaps physical nudes.

cw: rpf

“I went to the post office yesterday,” Etho says instead of hello when Gem answers the Discord call.

His voice is rough and strangely echoed, like he’s halfway to taking a sip of the first coffee of his day.

It’s early for him. Gem doesn’t usually see any sign of him until later in the afternoon, and her stomach jolts with anticipation.

“Get anything good?” she asks, feigning innocence, and Etho grunts.

“You’re the only one with my address.”

It’s not Etho’s address, it’s a PO box in Edmonton he’s kept open for months now.

It had started as a joke with Gem threatening to find him to send him a mic stand, but she’d only brought it up once, and yet a week later, Etho had dropped the address into her DMs. Nothing else, just the address, and Gem had taken it and ran.

She’d sent the mic stand, not that she expected him to use it, but she’d also included a Funko Pop of Kakashi, just because she wasn’t about to miss the opportunity.

Eventually, he’d DMed her a photo of the same desk setup that she’d seen before, but the tissue box was gone, replaced with the stand, and near his monitor was the ridiculous Funko figure.

It had made her feel strangely powerful.

She’d started sending him things regularly, not expecting him to continue paying for the space month after month, but nothing had ever been returned to her. It all made it to him.

She’d sent him Easter candy she’d found in the back of a pharmacy, almost a year out of date. She’d sent him an old Sega game with no label from a flea market. She’d sent him a little piece of her soul in the form of a postcard from Boston, wish you were here scribbled on the back.

Later in the year when she’d got home from Twitch Con, she’d sent him a signed photo of Bdubs. She’d got it from John as a joke after too many drinks in the California sun, when they’d both laughed to the point of tears at the thought of Etho opening it.

And a week later Etho had sent her a photo of it framed and sitting on the shelf behind his desk.

It was around that time she’d realized he was doing it for her — the whole PO box setup, his strangely candid responses. He was letting her sneak her way into his life.

Which leads to now and the reason why her palms are sweating.

“Have you opened it yet?” she asks and she hears a creak, like he’s leaning back in his chair.

“I opened it last night.”

Gem swallows, tugging anxiously at the hem of her sweater. “Am I wildly off-base?”

“Depends what reaction you were expecting from me.”

Gem takes a breath. “What reaction did I get?”

“I'm only human,” Etho tells her and Gem shuts her eyes and thinks she understands.

The envelope she'd mailed him had contained Polaroids. The kind of Polaroids she's never sent anyone else, the kind she's never wanted to take before.

She can imagine him at his desk, tipping out the contents and sitting in stunned silence. She can imagine him holding one of the photos — maybe the one of her topless, one hand resting on her ribs, face turned away from the camera but hair unmistakable — touching himself and knowing they'd be having this conversation later.

“That's the reaction I was hoping for,” Gem admits quietly.

“I'm going to keep the PO box open a little while longer,” Etho tells her, and it feels like an aside until he adds, “if you would like to send more.”

He says it like he's doing her a favor, but Gem feels breathless.

“Yeah,” she says, too quick to be anything but eager. “I can do that.”

“I'm also going to need your address.”

Gem's mouth is suddenly dry.

She can do that, too.

[tearsonmarz]

Unpacked Feelings

(A SmallEtho Hermitcraft Season 10 Blurb. It does contain fluff, and I once again wrote this when I couldn't sleep. Not my best work, but I was bored and wrote this over the course of a couple of nights in various sections. Sorry if it's bad or doesn't make sense at times. I somewhat edited it, but let's be honest I probably overlooked something as always)

“Here we go again” Etho muttered to himself, as he saw Joel appear in the distance. He laughed to himself and shook his head. Grabbing the rest of his things to move into his storage system, he could see Joel getting closer. Lifting his head to lock eyes with him as he approached. “How’s it going Joel?”

“Same as usual. I take it you got my gift?” He motions to where the chest used to be.

“Yeah, I hung them up earlier. they look great, thanks for letting me have some of them.” Etho moved to place the chest full of his things inside the house as Joel followed.

“Well, since you’re so obsessed with me, I thought I might as well.”

“Woah, woah now hold on a minute—”

Before he could even finish his sentence Joel cut in. “I know you’re obsessed with me Etho, you don’t have to hide it.”

“Is that so?”

“It is, I swear it’s like you can’t get enough of me.”

“Uhuh.” He raised an eyebrow at Joel and folded his arms.

Instead of paying any mind to him; Joel began to roam around Etho’s place. He made small notes to himself about the house, enjoying the pleasant atmosphere. “It’s a nice place you got here.” He commented as he wandered.

“Thanks, but why are you trying to change the subject? Seems to me you aren’t as confident about your accusation as you try to appear.”

“What more is there to say about it?”

“Well for starters, there’s the fact that you’re the obsessed one, not me.”

“Wow, didn’t realize you were one to deflect that much. Looks like you really are obsessed with me.” Joel just smirks, trying to get under Etho’s skin. He liked seeing him flustered and he wasn’t about to back down. “No point in acting like you aren’t.” He was so lost in his own world, he hadn’t realized Etho was standing right behind him. That was until he felt a hand sneak onto his waist, which caused him to jumped a little.

“And what if I told you, you’re right?”

“Oh, so now you stop denying it.” He scoffed refusing to acknowledge what Etho was doing. “Took you long enough.” He tried getting out of his grip, but he wouldn’t budge.

“So, what now?”

“What do you mean?”

“I admitted it. So, tell me, do you not like it?” Etho spun Joel around, holding him close. Leaning his head down, he whispered. “Or should I keep going?”

Joel could feel the red on his ears and the burning in his chest. Etho brought his hand up to his mask and pulled it down. He watched as Etho’s eyes began to shut and his face grew closer. “Etho.” He muttered in attempt to protest, but there was no point. He let himself get swept up into the moment, as he closed his eyes and felt the warmth of Etho’s lips on his. But as soon as it came, it left.

His eyes fluttered open, seeing Etho’s mask on his face once again, just barely covering the blush on his cheeks. Etho cleared his throat, looking away from Joel and taking his hands off of him.

“I should go and finish organizing my things. Um, I’ll see you later.” He quickened towards the chest and disappeared before Joel could utter a word.

He brought his hand up to his lips; pondering for a minute if the heat he felt was real or not. He hoped it was.

[secretsandwriting]

HELLO!!!, can I request a etho fanfic

So this is not hermitcraft but the life series, so I would like the secret life one. like etho got a task but it involves reader, they have to like they both have to kill 2 or 3 warden together, but unfortunately the reader died, but the reader will respawn tho. if you dont want to make it secret life you can do it in hermitcraft, but it will change a few, BUT ITS FINE, That it! I dont know if you get it or not😭😭 but I hope you do get it🥲🥲, THANK YOU💜 LOVE YOUR WORKSS🫶🏻🫶🏻

I got this in April, i'm sorry it took so long!! I hope you see this anon!

Anyways, this has a hint of the hermits being borderline god mentioned bc I love that so much. So many emotions too...

Death Games and Wardens

Etho wasn’t sure how to go on about this, He had to keep his task a secret but it involved you. He stared at the book in his hands.

Kill two wardens with Y/n. Neither of you can die.

The thought of you dying sent a pang of fear through him. Logically he knew that if you died, you would respawn and if you lost your last live you would go back to your home server. Which was hermitcraft, the exact Server he would return to. 

Respawning was bad on a good day, but on a Server with rules that didn't follow Players normal code and instead added some, made respawning even worse. He didn’t want you to go through that. 

“Etho!” His focus was torn away by you. He couldn’t help but relax around you, even when playing against you in death games. Somehow, you brought comfort to him no matter the circumstances. The book burned in his hand as he remembered what your task was. He saw your book in your hands and a nervous grin on your face. “You got a good one?”

“Let's go somewhere private.” You nodded and followed him to the border. Etho glanced at the two sentences in his book and signed. The fear of you getting hurt was back and growing stronger. You broke the silence, apparently he waited too long to start.

“Does your task involve both of us?” He nodded, the sick feeling in his stomach growing. “Good my task does too… Now.. Is yours something we have to do?” Another nod and more stomach pains. “Ok, this is my task.” You handed him your book and he opened it.

Etho’s secret involves you. Do it with him and guess what it is to finish.

Etho may read this book.

He somehow hated this more. You didn’t even know what you were getting into. That meant more room for mistakes and mistakes would lead to a very fast death. You were oblivious to his dilemma and just waited for him to figure it out, assuming he was just trying to figure out how to go about this. The expression on his face was very abnormal but these were death games, they put everyone on edge and filled them with stress.

“Are you ready?” Etho’s head jerked up to look at you. “We only have so much time after all.” He sighed and nodded. He really wanted to come up with a fake task but he knew you wouldn’t like that.

“We need to gear up.”

Fully geared,you followed Etho do into a cave, when the shrieker went off, you hesitated. This wasn’t looking good. This had to be a hard task and probably involved wardens. Something you avoided no matter what. The sound of the Shrieker going off a second time had adrenaline pumping through your veins and terror settling in your bones.

“Etho,” You whispered. “Is the task to summon a warden?” 

“No, but that's your closest guess so far.” You were starting to understand Etho’s hesitation and strange looks. The shrieker went off a third time, darkness filling your vision and the sound of a warden spawning filled your ears.

“It’s over here,” Etho whispered. You weren’t sure what to do until you saw Etho launch himself at it and attack it with his sword. Pulling out your bow, you shot it with arrows both to lower its health and to help Etho out of any sticky situations by drawing its attention away.

To focused on the fight, you didn’t notice the second warden spawn or it approaching from behind until it was too late

Y/n was slain by Warden

Etho’s attention on the warden shattered when he saw the death message and another warden standing in the middle of all your items. His hesitation cost him some hearts but he managed to get away and took the surface without them following. Rushing to spawn he looked around, desperately trying to find you and make sure you were ok. He found you not too far away, sitting on the ground looking a bit dazed.

“Y/n!” Etho grabbed you and held you close. “I’m sorry! I should have noticed! I shouldn’t have let it happen!” You sat in his arms, letting him ramble at you while you readjusted  after a hard respawn. When you finally got yourself together, you listened to Etho’s rambles, pulled yourself out of his grip, and slapped him hard. Etho immediately stopped and jerked back to look at you.

“Pull yourself together!” Etho immediately took a deep breath and squeezed your hand. Once he was calm, you continued. “Etho, I'd respawn no matter what. You know that. If I didn't respawn here, I’d be back on hermitcraft. If I wasn’t there we have enough people that are almost gods on the server I'd be found and brought back.”

Etho shuffled forward and dropped his head on your shoulder, he wrapped his arms around your waist and his shoulders shook with sobs. You ran your fingers through his hair while your other one rested on his back, you slowly rocked side to side. From your spot you could see a few of the red names started to surround you.

Your communicators buzzed with the 5 minute warning but you knew you wouldn’t make it until then. Not with the intent in Gem’s face as she came closer. She paused and pulled out her communicator and typed for a second before flipping it so you could see the message to Xisuma letting him know to expect you. Something only done when one of the players was having a rough time. She smiled when you mouthed a thank you and slipped it back into her pocket before lifting her sword.

Etho was slain by Geminitay

Y/n was slain by Geminitay

Waking up on hermitcraft was disorientating. It always was when you respawn from another server due to death. Your communicator buzzed with a message from Xisuma.

Xisuma: Did you respawn ok? Gem messaged ahead, she didn’t specify who

Y/n: Yeah

Y/n: Etho was having some trouble at the end. Did he respond?

Xisuma: No, I was just about to go check on him.

Y/n: I’ll do it. I’ll let you know if anything went wrong with his respawn.

Xisuma: Ok

You got up from your temporary bed at your mega base and made sure your elytra was equipped before shooting off to Etho’s base. You searched the entire place, the only sign of Etho was the messy bed and his communicator on the floor. So you took a gamble, instead of flying you ran down the path leading to your starter base. Looking for a mop of white hair along the way. With no sign of him along the way, you looked through your house. Stopping in the doorway of your room to see Etho sitting on the floor next to your bed.

“Etho.” He didn’t seem to hear you. “Etho!” You tried again, nothing. Carefully, you moved towards him, making sure to go slow. When you were close enough, you gently rested a hand on his shoulder. He jerked out of your grip and looked up at you.

“Y/n!” He launched himself at you, pulling you close and holding you tight, relief crawled up his spine as he clung to you. “I thought you were gone.”

“I just respawned at my mega base. I told you I would respawn… Come on, let's lay down for a bit.” You managed to get Etho into your bed and when he relaxed you sent a message to Xisuma.

Y/n: Etho’s ok, just the death part of the death games messing with his head.

Xisuma: Ok, take care of him. Let us know if you need anything.

With that out of the way, you put your communicator away and decided to get some rest. Maybe when you woke up, the two of you could figure out what you were. But for now, you were tired.

Etho x Y/n shippers

Geminitay: I kinda felt bad, Etho was clinging to Y/n when I killed them. I mean CLINGING

Xisuma: Y/n went to help Etho right after his respawn when he wouldn’t respond and then let me know he was ok.

Xisuma: What happened?

Grian: So I might have purposely messed with their secrets so they had to work together. I forgot it might have been a bit traumatic.

ImpulseSV: What were their secrets?

Grian: Ethos was to kill two wardens with Y/n and not die and Y/n’s was to help and guess what it was.

Xisuma: Etho is literally laying on top of Y/n in their sleep

Geminitay: THEY'RE SLEEPING TOGETHER

Grian: THEY’RE CUDDLING???

Xisuma: [Image]

Tangotek: You think they’ll actually talk this through after this or not?

You two did not in fact talk about it afterwards. Both of you just acted like it didn't happen and the group chat with every hermit except the two of you were outraged

[vivianquill]

They were a pack, not a hoard.

You know, there's something almost poetic about the boogeyman infection from session 7.

To me it wasn't a hoard of zombies, it wasn't a mindless hivemind of drones, it wasn't even a posse- a mob of borderline reds.

It was a pack. A pack of rabid wolves, vicious and bloodthirsty and hungry.

The way each early addition to the pack was ready to turn around and bite their new alpha in Bdubs, Scar, Pearl, Etho; the way they ran like Pearl and Scar; they went looking for comfort with Impulse and Scar and Skizz; And again, in Scar's case especially-- they tried to go back to the survivors. But that didn't work, not once the survivors caught on to what was happening.

There's something in the way that each of them wanted to hurt the one who killed them, only to be called off by Gem and kept in line as they hunted for more.

The only thing keeping the pack together was Gem's seer force of will, at least until they grew so large and forgot about everything else except the need to kill, to hunt, to cannibalize their own.

There's something poetic about the cursed ignoring Martyn, the only one to start red, the only one to start the session as a 'dog.' There's something poetic in the survivors tolerating him at their fringes, like tossing food to a dog you find on the street, but not letting them too close, because they're still a stray dog-- something you can never fully trust.

From his perspective, he was so out of the loop and had no idea about any of the curse until the survivors told him.

It was interesting to see how the alliances broke down. And not just the alliances, but the people themselves:

How Gem ignored Scott-- until she went red. Gem used Scott, and then turned on him the moment it made sense. She was the ringleader, the alpha of the pack, patient zero.

How Impulse not only embraced the curse-- He begged to be infected. He volunteered. He was one of the more dogged (hah) of the crew, in it from the beginning and already half-mad with bloodlust already from his previous tasks. Taking hearts from Skizz, the fake-boogey task, the games of chicken, being unable to kill ANYTHING for an entire session, etc. He still ignored Scott, though. even letting him get away when they were alone. And he was the most threatening, always coming in from a direction no one expected.

How Bdubs didn't want to kill Pearl or Joel-- He didn't have to, Pearl died to Gem and Joel to Etho and Scar and Gem. He was so hesitant to kill Impulse, asking him again and again if he really wanted this. Bdubs was also the first to find Etho, the first to welcome him to the pack.

But Etho still remained loyal to Cleo and Grian, not attacking them, not killing them, not ratting them out, nothing. He even jumped in front of an arrow meant for Cleo. He brought up a warden with Pearl, but that's just chaos, and you can hear a warden from miles away. And with all his experience in Decked Out-- well. Wardens aren't that scary. Not for him, not for a lot of the more Hardcore Decked Out players-- Gem, Grian, Tango, Pearl, Impulse, and even Bdubs and Cleo and Scar, to an extent.

Cleo going out on her own terms, instead of letting herself be killed. Her checking in on Scott, on letting Bigb hide with them, even when Bigb ratted them out (getting himself killed). She was running and hiding for so much of the last half of the session. Her sharing her dogs, making sure everyone else got some, fighting back when cornered and hitting like a TRUCK. Letting Joel leave after he respawned on the shrine for his last time.

Grian hiding on top of the tower-- Watching. No one thought to look up. Being the first to figure out the curse, being helpless to stop it, causing Etho's death-- and then denying it.

Pearl going 5am feral, not targeting Cleo until Cleo killed her dogs, pulling out a warden with Etho-- and then another on her own. Hiding her first dogs, making sure they stayed safe. Not helping to kill Joel, but happily scooping up the zombie flesh and the xp left behind.

Joel not wanting to hide, thinking that he'd be fine-- until he wasnt. Wanting to go out with a bang and flooding the server with zombies-- but once he was got he didn't hesitate to throw his lot in with the pack.

Scar. There's a lot to say about Scar. Forced to push everyone away from multiple tasks, going feral on his own without an alliance to hold him steady, holding his own with his bow and killing not one, not two but THREE people. Trying to go back to the survivors, burning Gem's book, running away and turning to shoot the pack that was trying to collect him. Getting sent into the nether first, almost getting that hit on Cleo that would have turned her bloodthirsty and rabid just like the rest of them-- Everyone disregarded him. He has the biggest target on his back, the pack only tolerated him because he was one of them. Almost like Martyn with the survivors.

Scott, oh poor Scott. The first to die that day and one of the only two to complete his task. He was used, kept sheltered by Impulse and Gem, abandoned in the grove. He was hiding alone in the dark while Cleo drowned and Bigb was burnt to death. He had no idea.

Speaking of Bigb. While it wasn't his yell that allowed them to be found-- it was one of the main factors. He's so confusing to everyone, going mad down in his backrooms alone and not quite counting himself a part of the heart foundation. Screaming "BANISHED" at everyone who even looks at him wrong. The sheer irony of Tango's death: The end glitch, his wolf, the fire-- everything.

And the rest of the heart foundation, Skizz attacking Joel and Scar, even when they were running away-- it cost him his life. Immediately turning around and attacking, screaming to Tango and Bigb in a familiar refrain-- ("There's a way we can still be friends-- You could join me." turned into) "COME TO THIS SIDE-- I want you back, buddy."

Tango, back from his amnesiacold --amnesiafood-poisoning as it were-- confused and getting teased and trying to fulfill everyone's wishes 'wrong'. Being killed by Bigb's wolf, getting confused as being 'one of them'. Getting thrown into the deep end at having to pull a warden out of his lake and point it elsewhere-- A victim of tragedy and circumstance. Not to mention the heart getting burnt down. Maybe the canary's bad luck is rubbing off-- just not onto the person we thought it was. After all-- He and Jimmy have always been together in being doomed by the narrative.

[fountainpenguin]

#Riddle watches Traffic

Doing my best liveblog of Jimmy at the moment. He's my first POV for Session 6 Secret Life and I pulled up his name without looking at anyone else's video titles. Some thoughts:

Something has happened that is very similar to something I have drafted in a future Dog's Life chapter I wrote before Secret Life even began. I am rubbing my forehead... if this ends the way I suspect it will end then I will just have to stare at a wall I suppose... sweet goodness.

Jimmy and Martyn really did not expand their single bed situation this entire time, huh? I kept waiting for them to but what am I supposed to do with this.

Joel: I want a cool nickname. Call me "The Florist."

Jimmy, who just agreed to attack his own flower husband and tell them that the florist sends their regards: ...

Holy cow he's 14 minutes into a 44 minute video and he has like 4 different tasks he's trying to do simultaneously because people keep rushing up and telling him they need a deadly favor. It's good to be Red.

Lizzie (about Scar avoiding her trap): He came around the other way! He just smacked me in the butt.

Jimmy, about his dog-shaped house: Red tongue, representing the Red Dogs. Tongues are that color, so you know what I'm saying.

Etho: ??? You like to lick things?

/Puts my head in my hands

Jimmy, inviting Etho into his and Martyn's house: You can sleep in our one bed. There's two of us. We share. You might have to squeeze in as well.

Thanks, Jimmy.

sldfj Etho asking if one of them sleeps at the end of the bed like a dog. I recently wrote a scene of Impulse doing exactly that on Etho's bed.

It's way too funny to me that when people were roleplaying soulmates on Double Life, they [at least Bdubs and Impulse, Joel and Etho] made an active effort to include two beds in their bases, side by side, even though that serves no functional purpose. Even in Limited Life, the Bad Boys made 3 beds for some reason and put them next to each other. Now when they're not roleplaying, all that is out the window. You share a bed and you'll like it.

Love Etho throwing 17 pieces of steak on the ground and asking "Do dogs like steak?" and Jimmy just grabbing all of it while looking at the ground. That's also the same thing he and Tango did when Joel threw them potatoes or whatever back in Double Life and they claimed to be eating off the floor.

skldjfsldj Jimmy and Scott

Jimmy, screeching and tearing across the grass with his enchanted iron sword: The florist sends his regards!!! He sends them!

Scott, riding away on a horse, tripping over himself in laughter: Can you return them?? Does it come with a receipt?

Martyn: I'm on my 5th red task

Jimmy, still on his 1st: ...

Red Mumbo in Last Life: /desperate for friends, constantly trying to explode people and leave without elaborating

Red Mumbo in Secret Life when Martyn and Jimmy approach: Just because I'm Red doesn't mean I'm joining your stupid gang

Jimmy: Stupid gang? Have you seen your mustache, mate?

Mumbo, running forward: Hey hey hey!

Martyn: ???? Ooh, yeah, that was kind of harsh.

Love how Scott brought up the flower husbands comment, actually. Same brain, even though it was Joel's suggestion.

slkdjfs Scott invited Jimmy to his own preemptive funeral and his expression is sending me.

They buried rotten flesh in the coffin... that's amazing.

sdlkjf They invited Grian to attend the funeral and he shows up, looks at Jimmy, and says "I checked the tab list, like... Did I miss something?"

Jimmy, with unreasonable venom in his voice: You're not supposed to attend funerals if you're still alive.

They buried him alive in dirt above his own coffin... This is my first POV for Session 6 and all I can say right now is... whoever is the reason that Jimmy's episode is titled "The curse has been broken" has the opportunity to do the funniest thing right now.

Jimmy had such a difficult task... replacing water with blue glass and convincing someone to jump on it, from a specific location? Which has a ton of water? Geez, that's rough. He is struggling.

I am astounded at the amount of confidence Jimmy had to run up the stairs to the Gem and the Scotts base and charge in, mere minutes after Gem showed him the "doorbell," and while he's in the midst of telling Pearl that he hopes they haven't rigged TNT up to it. Jeepers, dude.

slkdjflsdjf everyone is freaking out over an explosion. No death message came up in chat, but after a minute, Joel starts frantically typing and screaming "Lizzie? LIZZIE?????" and I have a feeling...

Of course Jimmy wouldn't know what the death sound sounds like and assumes someone's trying to explode stuff near him.

Watching this chat with no context is amazing because it's Jimmy cheering that he's not out first for the 5th season in a row, it's Grian wailing LIZZIE IM SORRY and Joel shrieking HEY THATS MY WIFE. Amazing.

slkdjfsd Jimmy that was so close... Jimmy, if you had died because you hit your own glass trap at the bottom of the lake while doing a celebration dive for not being out first, that would have been the funniest thing.

Jimmy, snatching up his red task and reading in monotone: Punch another player into lava. It cannot be lava you've placed. Fantastic. Great.

[It can be lava he's placed]

Jimmy, to Martyn as he dumps his lava: Have you got another or not?

Martyn: No? I'm not made of lava- what? Come on. You're sounding hella ungrateful right now.

slkdjf Jimmy on Martyn betrayal!! Martyn is furious, Jimmy's literally roleplaying that he's a pathetic puppy with a broken leg, Martyn's ready to swing like "Hey, you won't be the first out, this is fine-"

Betrayal drama at the Big Dogs on the hill...

Geez, the swivel from that to the immediate, simultaneous warden and wither is nuts.

HE'S DOWN! HE'S DEAD, THE CANARY IS DEAD! Still out the first episode of perma-deaths, even if not the first out.

Jimmy Session 6 POV complete!

[puer-aurea]

session 7 spoilers!

sorry if my formatting is inconsistent, sometimes i post off my laptop, others my phone

Etho felt like he didn't belong in the crowd of infected. They were intent on killing, even people they considered allies. Like Skizz going for Tango and Bigb.

It felt like a war was going on in his heart. The offense was his raging desire for blood and murder like the familiar feelings from Last and Limited when he was inflicted with the boogey curse. The defense was his love for his allies. They were his friends and roommates. He couldn't hurt them.

Etho couldn't bring himself to make any input while the other infected made plans. He had zoned out until he heard Cleo's name brought up.

"We just have to find Cleo and Scott."

He wasn't entirely sure who said it, but he immediately noticed they had forgot Grian. He wouldn't be the one to point that out, though. And it seems everyone else had forgotten too. If Grian could stay under their radar, out of sight, he could focus all his worry on Cleo.

Etho could still feel the inner battle of rage and love, but he knew which one he would succumb to. When the day is over and the next sun rises, the boogey curse will be gone but the care he holds for his allies- his friends- won't be.

Even if Cleo doesn't believe him when he says he'll protect her (he will, he will, he will). Even if Grian still runs from him. They'll be together again the next day. Even if all the other infected turn on him for his disloyalty, he knows he'd rather lose his own life than be the reason either of them do. He'd rather fall all the way to the void of the afterlife than stand to the side while the other infected kill them.

Mr. Etho "I'm not a protector, Cleo. I'm a runner" Slab protecting his allies, bugs and babes. i love the roomies

[frozenjokes]

Two Touchy Mermaids Fail To Communicate With The Most Obnoxious People You’ve Ever Met In Your Life

pronouns get a little weird. clarification in ao3 notes

Something was different today. Something was going to happen.

Grian and Scar were restless, but Mumbo was pretty sure it was an excited sort of restlessness, the type where you couldn’t sit still, where you couldn’t stop smiling.

They were trying to explain something to him as well; a thing called Etho, which seemed important, but neither of them were doing a very good job of actually telling him what an Etho was besides the fact that it was good, indicated by constant thumbs up motions. But beyond Mumbo’s own frustration, that was exciting too! They were preparing for something, someone even, maybe another human? In truth, the idea of a new human made Mumbo quite nervous, but if Grian and Scar trusted them, surely Mumbo could too. He didn’t think they’d do anything to jeopardize the safety of his cove, but humans weren’t the most intelligent of creatures.

There was something about mermaids as well. Scar kept trying to tell him something about mermaids. Yes, Scar, I am a mermaid. That is what you call me. Yes I know mermaids are good. Yes I know an Etho is good, what are you trying to say here.

Scar had also brought an extra bag that Mumbo hadn’t seen before, though unfortunately he was very protective over it, not leaving its side and making some sort of hissing sound when Mumbo got too close. Given how Grian laughed at the noise, Mumbo got the impression that it was not a normal human vocalization, just an attempt at mimicry. Scar looked happy with himself though, and that was cute. After being given a new human device (Fidget Cube, it was called), Mumbo left him alone. This tool was fascinating; it seemed to serve no purpose at all! Was it a puzzle? Oh, he adored these! It looked a little like some mermaid puzzles, but so much smaller. Mumbo would figure it out.

This preoccupied him for quite a while (making no progress- how difficult did human puzzle cubes get? Was there a human secret he was missing? At least it felt good to play with), but he jolted up when Scar yelled, waving at the water. Mumbo’s fins flicked, confused, but raised when he saw a massive ripple over the top of the water, then a dark shadow just beneath the surface. Far too big to be a fish.

“Etho! I- Mumbo-“ Scar didn’t have to say any more before Mumbo dove forward to investigate, fins raised and teeth gently bared, wariness which only heightened when he saw exactly who was on the other side of the lake.

‘I’m friendly. I’m friendly.’ Ghost whistled, fins tight against their body and head low in a submissive posture, as if Mumbo didn’t already know better. ‘I’m-‘

Mumbo launched after the other mermaid, Ghost frozen in a moment of terror before turning tail in a flurry of bubbles. But Mumbo was bigger, faster, and Ghost had to maneuver downward in a sharp turn to escape Mumbo’s teeth in their tail. Not here. Not now. No one would be permitted to enter his cove, not when his humans were present. Especially shapeshifting not-mermaids. Unfortunately, Ghost had pivoted down and away from the outlet back to the river, so Mumbo would need to corral them more effectively on the second try.

But Ghost wasn’t trying to escape to the deeper part of the lake like Mumbo had anticipated; the area with more cover, more room to swim. They were going to the shore.

The course correction was awkward, but once Mumbo straightened himself out he was flying after Ghost. The mer was sprinting like their life depended on it, but Mumbo was quicker, catching up from below just as the sand started to brush his stomach and rearing upward in a flash of teeth, tearing at Ghost's tail. Mumbo wanted to flip them around, drag them by the tail back where they came from, but unsurprisingly, Ghost did not make this easy, thrashing and snapping and being extraordinarily difficult.

Muffled yelling from the surface turned sharper every time Mumbo was spun above the water, Ghost writhing in desperate circles to force Mumbo to let go, but Mumbo didn’t process the movement in the water before something attached itself to his back, making him rear back above the surface in startled surprise.

“SCAR!” was the first thing Mumbo heard, the shrillest shriek he’d ever heard out of Grian’s mouth, but he didn’t have time to think when Ghost was shooting away toward the beach and something was crushing the fins on his back and wrapping around his neck-

Mumbo slammed himself into the sand, rolling through as he fought a sharp panic, but Ghost was escaping, they were going to-

All rational thought went out the window when The Something found the lip of his gills, pulling with uncoordinated movement and sending fiery shots of pain down his neck and chest. Mumbo slammed himself against the sand twice more, but the thing just wouldn’t untangle. The delayed realization that he could use his arms hit fiercely, but before he could rip off whatever it was that had latched itself onto his back, splashing outside of his own caught his periferie, the clumsiness of a human racing through the water unmistakable.

“Mumbo! Stop- stop! Fucking fuck FUCKING Scar FUCK. Mumbo!” Before Mumbo could even recognize Grian in front of him, something blunt slammed against the side of his head, then his shoulder- ow- Mumbo hissed, confusion rattling his brain more than hostility, then something else yelled, really loud directly into his ear, but the thing did drop off his back- had Grian done that?

Oh. The thing was Scar. AAA! That was Scar!

Mumbo jumped away with a start, fins tense and quivering. Scar was sitting dazed in the water, shirt torn and tattered from being crushed against Mumbo’s sharp fins- skin- most of him was sharp, actually. He was bleeding everywhere, but closer inspection revealed the injuries were mostly scrapes, the worst of it on his arms from pushing against Mumbo’s rough skin as well as Scar’s neck and upper chest area which had probably been poked and punctured by Mumbo’s hair. Goodness gracious. What was he thinking!?

‘Scars! Never in my many years have I ever met anyone as eager to die as you! What is wrong with your head? I could have killed you!’

“What is your fucking problem!?” Grian started speaking to Scar at nearly the same time, who at this point was not looking very amused, ignoring the both of them in their continued tirades as he stood up, brushing sand off his torn shirt and limping to the shore.

“That was stupid, Scar,” Mumbo whipped up when he heard Ghost’s voice, their human voice, but Scar didn’t look concerned at all, meandering right up to the bush where the other mermaid was cowering in the shade. Ghost’s tail was tucked away where Mumbo couldn’t see, but the small trail of blood across the beach indicated he’d still done some damage. “I told you. Territorial. Not sure how I’m going to get out of here now, so.”

“I’m sorry then.” Scar huffed, hunching his shoulders as he plopped into the sand. Mumbo hissed, somewhat uncertain now, but stopped with a few startled clicks when Grian grabbed at his hand to get his attention, letting go as quickly as contact was made.

“No. That’s Etho. Good.” Grian gave him a firm thumbs up, to which Mumbo returned with a thumbs down, to which Grian returned to a thumbs up, to which-

‘I’m sorry for our first meeting. I did not realize we shared idiot friends. I did not think we would meet again. Which, for the record, was not my idea. I was stuck somewhere poor. Needed a secluded place with access to land. If it’s any consolation, I thought this was a terrible idea. Humans don’t think. They only want.’ Ghost made a motion with their hand that Mumbo didn’t understand, but Scar seemed to take offense, slapping at the gesture. Ghost didn’t mind, fins unchanging.

Mumbo’s fins flicked, unsure, but above all, deeply confused. How could Grian and Scar know another mermaid- neither of them had brought it up before. Well. In fairness, Ghost wasn’t really.. ‘You are not a mermaid.’

Ghost shrugged, a human gesture, ‘Part time.’

‘This makes no sense.’

‘It’s best if you just accept that you won’t understand. I also do not understand. The bad human you met before has the power to do as he wishes with me. Usually I am human, but I have been stuck as a mer in recent days, unable to contact the bad human. Though I did grow up in this form before being trapped on the surface. I know the language, obviously. Unfortunately, I happen to be good friends with-“ Ghost stopped for a moment, ‘What do you call them?’ Ghost flicked their fins in Scar’s direction.

‘Scars.’

Ghost made an odd sound, that weird wheezing noise, mimicking a human laugh, ‘I forgot. It means the same thing in the human language, isn’t that funny?’

Mumbo blinked, fins flaring for a short moment of surprise, ‘What? That’s a cruel name for a child, you must be mistaken.’

‘He named himself.’

‘Why?’

‘Genuinely, I do not know.’ Ghost narrowed their eyes, and Mumbo saw a teasing flick of his tail even obscured by the brush, ‘If it’s so cruel, why did you choose it?’

Mumbo puffed up, embarrassed, ‘They put me on the spot. Wanted mermaid names. Just went with the first short word I saw.’ Mumbo gestured with a soft motion to Scar, ‘They still can’t say it, but I think it would be more confusing to change. Now though, I don’t think Scars minds.’

“You two friends yet?” Scar cut in, grabbing Ghost’s attention away, but they only made that shrugging motion again.

“I don’t think he wants to kill me anymore.”

“That’s great news!”

‘Okay, wait a minute-‘ Mumbo struggled to cut in, unused to having so much competition while speaking, ‘I don’t understand any of this-‘

‘You won’t.’ Ghost cut him off, curt.

‘How do you change?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘How do you not know? Will the bad human come back?’

‘Forces beyond my control. They might, but if I’m given advance warning I will leave and you won’t have to worry about them. Assuming I will stay, which I won’t.’

“What are you saying?” Grian finally spoke up, blatant in his interruption as all humans seemed to be, but Ghost waved him off.

“I’m telling him I’m going to leave as soon as I’m healed. Shouldn’t be long now, Joel will take care of it.”

“What? Why! You’re already here!” Grian jumped up, and Mumbo sidled away from the high energy.

“Etho! Solitaire, Etho! Etho. Remember solitaire?” Scar joined in, taking Ghost’s hand in a way that made Mumbo cringe.

Etho flicked their fins. “He doesn’t want me here.”

“Mumbo totally wants you here! It was just a misunderstanding- isn’t it?” Grian turned to Mumbo, and it took a couple moments before Mumbo even realized he was being addressed. “Right?”

Mumbo flicked his fins with a short huff, and Ghost made a similar motion, whistling, ‘Do you want me here?’

‘No.’

“He said no.”

“To what? What did you ask him?” Grian waded back to the shore, his interest acutely on Ghost now.

“You two are insufferable and this was a horrible idea. My regrets are many.”

“No! Nononono!” Scar seemed quite distressed, touching and tapping Etho’s shoulders and face and arms and how did they stand that? “Mumbo! Etho.” Scar proceeded to point at Ghost with great urgency, giving Mumbo many thumbs up so it was clear exactly what he was trying to convey. Once Grian made it to the sand he made similar motions, equally enthusiastic in his strained excitement. Scar continued, “Etho! This is Etho! Etho is good. Good! Good guy, very good. Etho! Good!”

‘Etho’s’ fins were pinned all the way back, eyes closed in irritation. Mumbo huffed, keeping his own thumb firmly down and struggling not to be charmed by both humans’ great reaction of slapstick distress.

‘Pests.’ Ghost said.

‘Pests.’ Mumbo had to agree. Couldn’t the two of them see how much they were bugging Ghost? Or- Etho as they were called, weren’t they. That was their human name. Human. A part human with human friends. How did that work?

Scar continued babbling to Etho while Grian seemed to be trying to communicate with Mumbo, but honestly, Mumbo didn’t care that much, his wariness of Etho turning over to curiosity. Not curious enough to feel bad about biting them, but curious regardless. Anyone would be.

‘You speak human?’

Etho stared at Mumbo for a long time, entirely ignoring both Grian and Scar making fools of themselves between them. After a very long pause, Etho finally answered, ‘Yes.’

‘You can translate?’

Mumbo didn’t think Etho could look any more irritated, but he was proven incredibly wrong when Etho’s pressed-flat fins began to quiver. ‘Technically.’

“What is he saying?” Grian.

‘What are they saying?’

“You’re both asking for translations, all three of you are pests, and you have about three games of solitaire to convince me to stay.” Etho started to translate what they’d said for Mumbo, but the clearing exploded into noise before they could finish. Scar and Grian were tripping over themselves to convince Etho of- something, and one moment of shared eye contact was all it took for Mumbo to understand this was going too far. Well. Mumbo knew a place where Etho could get some space.

With a flick of his tail, Mumbo gestured to the water. Both humans missed it, but Etho got the message, bracing themself before pushing forward, pointedly slapping both Grian and Scar with their tail and shooting into the water.

While this caused quite a bit of commotion on the shore, he and Etho didn’t hear very much of it, swimming deeper where the sound of unhappy humans would not reach. Mumbo slowed his pace once they were far enough away though, partially due to Etho’s injury (which didn’t look nearly as bad as Mumbo had thought; holding on with his teeth for so long would have caused a lot more damage wouldn’t it? Now it only looked like a scratch; Etho must have really tough scales!), but also quite aware of Etho’s intent as they swam in the direction of the outlet to the river. He still had questions. Time he intended to buy.

‘You weren’t born human? You come from the ocean?’

Etho’s fins jerked in acknowledgment of the words or maybe surprise, but either way they still took their time answering. Not unusual for mermaids, but a little stressful when time was so limited.

‘I come from the ocean. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the deep, but I do not miss it.’

‘You don’t?’

‘I’ve found my place.’

‘Do you have friends? Family? Do they know where you’ve gone? I could take a message if you’re trapped.’

‘Not necessary. I left the deep of my own will long before this happened to me.’

Mumbo paused in his swimming, concern disrupting his pace, ‘And you don’t miss it? At all?’

Etho swam a little faster, irritation rippling through their fins. ‘It doesn’t matter how I feel. Nothing will change.’

Well that seemed like answer enough, didn’t it. Even setting out to leave the deep of your own will, there was still the option of returning. Of visiting, even if you don’t intend on staying. Plenty of mers venture to different seas; open skies, warmer waters; there’s plenty of reason to travel, and beyond that, plenty of reason to leave. The deep was not a perfect place. It was dark and cold and often unexciting. Not counting the time his tail was sprained, Mumbo had never eaten better than when he was near the surface- had never felt better; it was like this is where he was meant to be. Where mermaids were meant to be.

But the deep had heart. It had love and song and strangers who would fight for you tooth and nail without even knowing your name. Mumbo didn’t know many mers’ names actually, but he still knew dozens by shape, song, and skill. He was known similarly; the eccentric mer who liked to visit the surface, greeted upon his return with amused and/or exasperated chirps and clicks. And that was lovely. To have mers know you, recognize you, and swim beside you in a silently nosey gesture, wondering what you brought home this time.

‘I would miss it.’

Etho bared their teeth and Mumbo slowed his pace, letting Etho widen the gap between them. ‘Congratulations.’

‘I only say it because I have things from home. I brought them for the humans to show. You’re welcome to them. To look or to keep.’

Etho stopped short.

Their tail waved idly, keeping control over their place in space, but other than that they were still, thought rippling ever so slowly through their fins. Mumbo wondered what they were thinking. What they might be hoping to see. Etho was silent for a long while and Mumbo maintained the respectful distance between them while they processed.

‘What do you have?’

Mumbo left them without another word, motioning for Etho to stay. As much as Mumbo sympathized with the.. whatever was going on with them.. he still didn’t want Etho anywhere near his hideaway.

But Mumbo did get homesick. He couldn’t imagine not being able to go home at all.

As quickly as he could Mumbo returned with his bag, the bulky thing strapped a tad awkwardly over his shoulder. It had been a pain in the ass to lug up to the surface, but Mumbo had imagined how excited his humans would be when he showed them his trinkets, and that had made the weight feel a little lighter. This was even better.

Settling on an outcrop close to the surface but far from the shore, Mumbo undid the straps. Neither of them needed to speak. Away from humans, it was easier to remember the twitches and flicks that meant ‘it’s okay,’ ‘go ahead,’ ‘yes,’ ‘no.’ There was nothing to distract them, nothing loud and hyperactive to take the attention away from each other, disrupting an integral part of their language. A brush of fins asking ‘Can I?’ just as if they were in the dark. Of course Etho could, and Mumbo let himself drift back, still holding the bag down but giving Etho a little space.

Etho did not want Mumbo to know how they felt. They kept their fins stick stiff, not relaxed, never relaxed, but Mumbo could still see it in the quiver of Etho’s fingers, the suppressed twitching of their pale fins. Mumbo saw it in the care Etho lent to the mer tools for building and for tinkering, the children’s toys, the notoriously uncomfortable clay paint Mumbo was pretty sure all mers hated but still wore to nice events regardless. Etho stopped short at the puzzle box Mumbo produced specifically for them to see, delighted to see a wave of emotion break through Etho’s stubborn facade as they took the toy in their hands, immediately beginning to fidget with it.

‘I used to love these,’ they said, the first words between the two of them in ages. Mumbo didn’t need to speak to communicate his agreement, basking in the relief of this, of silence, of not having to speak like humans do. Briefly, Mumbo mourned the loss of his own puzzle cube, the human puzzle, but excitement overtook him once more when he realized how entertained he’d be trying to find it again. For now though, he was content to watch Etho fiddle with the mer puzzle, the child-esc joy delightfully palpable. Etho solved it quickly, separating the two pieces to reveal the caged pearl inside, the indicator you had won. They clicked the toy back together, placing it back in Mumbo’s bag before continuing to explore it with great enthusiasm, fins twitching and waving and flicking in the wake of their broken facade.

All movement stopped the moment Etho’s hand found something Mumbo couldn’t yet see, fins flattening as they pulled the small music box from the bag. The instrument was delicate of course, not just thrown haphazardly inside but stored in an intricate box, the engravings of which any mermaid would recognize. They were items of great importance; spiritual, educational tools, or otherwise, and mermaids often kept copies of their favorite songs for when they were alone, when they needed a song that no one was around to sing for them.

Mumbo had brought two, intending on giving them as gifts. For Scar he chose Healing, which he figured was appropriate. For Grian; the box Etho held now, Mumbo brought Love.

With utmost care, Etho gingerly removed the instrument from the box, winding it back with uncertain fingers. The focus they paid to the music box was intense, like they and the instrument were the only things on the planet, like Mumbo wasn’t even there. Finally, Etho let the music play, closing their eyes as they listened. It lasted a while; Etho had winded it quite far, maybe to make sure it looped in its entirety.

But the waters were quiet and calm, and Mumbo didn’t mind at all. He waited until the notes tapered off to speak, gently disturbing the trance laid out over the water as Etho moved to wind the box again.

‘Do you want to sing?’

Etho, whose fins had relaxed at this point, lowered them once more, tail swishing in an uncertain ‘No’ gesture. ‘It’s been too long. I’m no good.’

‘Neither am I. Nearly failed all my classes.’

Etho looked skeptical, an expression that said ‘Really.’ without words.

‘No, not exactly. But my memory is abysmal and I can never bring myself to practice. Really bites me in the tail when I have to do.. anything at all. I keep accidentally putting those humans to sleep!’

Etho found that amusing, but their fins soon fell, discomfort twitching across their back. They glanced at the music box in their hands, fingers dancing around the crank. Mumbo cocked his chin, ‘Go on,’ and Etho dipped their head, doing just that.

This time when the music played, Mumbo sang along.

After five more rounds of winding, Etho finally joined him, timid at first, but by the sixth go, they too were singing in earnest. Mumbo felt their stress flaking away like leaves on the wind, and he too felt a little bit lighter.

[hmshermitcraft]

When X brought a small avian onto the server most were certainly surprised.

Purple wings and torn robes were what caught the other hermit’s eyes

Inicial contact between him and the others was certainly… odd.

Particularly with Doc and Etho, who both had Void origins.

And the avian couldn’t speak English for a long time as well, responding to everything in Galactic and claiming not to remember anything about his past

This certainly worried the others, who just really wanted to help out but just couldn’t find a way due to the language barrier

Ironically Etho was the one who jumped into action, and eventually Grian was able to talk, but the tenseness remained.

Xisuma was very careful with introductions. He knew the hermits would be curious about the newcomer, but Xisuma had brought him here for safety. Not to be interrogated by lots of people he doesn't understand.

Joe has some rudimentary knowledge of Galatic, but it doesn't stretch much further than asking Grian's name (Grian), how old he is (doesn't know), where he comes from (doesn't know) and would he like something to eat (yes please.)

Without the communication barrier (which Etho spent some time working on, and Grian worked hard himself), Grian has decided to become an official hermit. He has the skills to be, even though he can't remember how he acquired them. He's eased up around the others, but still keeps a bit of a distance.

Though you can, occasionally, find him cuddling with Etho, Joe or Xisuma.

[reblog-house]

A Little Catching Up

Written for Hermit-a-day-May, day 12: Friends of Hermits. Or: Lizzie! ALSO written for @flashfictionfridayofficial prompt 252, "Spill The Tea"

Wc: 1000

Ao3: Here!

It’d been a while since Lizzie last saw her husband in person, since he joined Hermitcraft. Good. That meant she was able to focus on other stuff that was on her mind. And it’s not like they never spoke, anyway.

At first, they called every day, but now it was every week or so, and every time she did, he had another story to tell. Apparently, there was something about… clones of himself? A murder mystery? A murder mystery about the clones of himself? Honestly, she stopped trying to disentangle that thing. She was happy not understanding and just hearing her husband ramble.

And then, Joel got the idea of traveling together in his brain — ‘To get some inspiration for my base, Lizzie’ — and she was more than willing to indulge him.

It was nice, getting to catch up properly, to spend some time together, before they each had to go to their respective servers. It was a much needed trip, and they got to see some very wonderful builds. She may not be pulling inspiration from it for her own creations, but she’d be lying if she said seeing all the views didn’t revitalize her a little.

It’d been less than a week since they parted ways and Lizzie was boiling a pot of tea when her phone rang. It was Joel.

“Hey babe,” she greeted, bringing the phone to her ear.

“Hey Lizzie, what are you doing right now?” He spoke very fast. “Because I want to tell you something weird and don’t want you to break something.”

“Eh, nothing special,” she said, and with her phone now supported by her shoulder, she picked up the kettle before it could whistle. “Hit me with it.”

“Remember how I told you Etho was obsessed with me?”

“Uh, duh.” She began pouring the liquid into her cup.

“Well, apparently there’s someone worse.”

“That’s possible?” She asked sarcastically. “Wow.”

“Lizzie. I came back to like seven love letters addressed to me, Lizzie. Seven anonymous love letters!”

Lizzie choked and her grip on the kettle got unsteady. It spilled a bit around the cup. “Oh, crap.” It could’ve fallen on her.

“I know, what the hell! And the worst part is, he was convinced we had something going on, because someone left a sign on his base pretending to be me!”

She openly laughed now, and set the kettle with a clank before the boiling water could drop on her. He continued his pleas.

“I’m married, Lizzie! To you! And when I told him I didn’t want anything to do with him that way, he sent me a poem. A poem, Lizzie!”

Lizzie was delighted. She picked the mug with both hands and walked to the living room with it as he spoke.

“Did he, now?” She sat back onto her favorite armchair and set the mug on the side table.

“And now!” He was quickly growing agitated. Not in a negative way. Joels needed some agitation for enrichment. An agitated Joel was a sign of a healthy husband. “The context is too complicated to explain, but now I’m stuck having to make an armor stand –”

“Oh, armor stands! Your shrine for me was adorable. And little you! Oh I could just squish his cheeks.”

“...Thank you Lizzie. Right. Now I have to make an armor stand of myself professing my love to him or whatever so he leaves me alone.”

“Ha! Oh Joel, only you.”

“Only me? Lizzie, have some compassion. I’m dying over here!”

“I don’t know…” She brought the mug to her face and checked the color. Still a couple more minutes before she could drink it. “That seems like a Joel problem to me.”

He groaned, and she could just imagine him covering his face with his hands in frustration. She loved seeing him suffer.

“Right, the worst wife. She doesn’t listen to my suffering. I’m doomed. I’m in pain and she doesn’t empathize.”

She laughed again. “Well, if I’m so horrible of a wife, I think it’s time to go, now! My tea will be ready any minute now.” And with the most cheerful of tones. “Bye Joel! Good luck with the number one fan!”

There was a little moment of silence, and when Joel spoke again, it was like he was a different person. All the acceleration left his voice and who remained was the man she’d know for most of her life, who she would take strolls along the beach with, who proposed to her, who she spent a wonderful time with on their most recent trip. 

“Bye babe. It was nice talking to you. It’s… it’s been a strange few days. I think the trip made me realize how much I missed you.”

She melted a little and didn’t try to hide it in her voice. “Oh, Joel. I can imagine. I miss you too. It’s been three months now, since you joined. Can you believe that?”

“And yet it sometimes feels like the first week. Like I’m still very new to it all. It’s so strange. How has time passed that fast but also so slow?”

“Something only the ruler of Stratos would know.”

“What- that… doesn’t make any sense. Why would I from-”

“I love you Joel.”

“Love you too, Lizzie. Right, I have some projects to be working on. Not the stupid statue. I’ll postpone that as much as possible. Maybe one day I can sneak you in so you could see how my base is coming along. See how the trip has helped me”

“I would like that. Just be careful of Xisuma noticing me!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll bring you in when he’s offline. Okay, bye now.”

“Bye!”

And like that, she ended the call.

It truly was nice to see him having fun on his new server and making new friends. If unwanted love letters counted as a new friend. She chuckled to herself. The situations that man got himself into, sometimes…

But she loved him all the same.

[pow-creations-headcanons]

Hc Martyn always confuses himself on which world he is on [ since he's a DATASTREAM DEFENDOR THREE THOUSAND trademark ], so essentially he's just making alot of inside jokes and references to the wrong friendgroup lol. It doesn't help that half of his friends are on the same world as he, is i.e rats and pirates [ and life series too i guess ]

———

"Oh Cleo, how's your uhh husband by the way?" Martyn brought up the question while at the docks, might as well ask since he hasn't seen Cleo in a while.

"Husband? Last time I checked I don't think I ever got engaged" Cleo raised an eyebrow

"Whoa???? I thought Etho was with you did you guys divorce or-"

"what?"

———

- 📓

"Jimmy, why aren't you with the other bad boys?" to the safety rat, before a tiny look of panic crosses over his face, remembering they aren't here.

I THINK THIS IS REALLY COOL I LIKE THIS A LOT I LOVE THIS SO MUCH RRRGH TEARS THIS APART!!!!