Chapter Text
Oli had barely finished loading into the world when his screen filled with the familiar flurry of login messages. His heart thumped with that buzzing, unpredictable excitement he always got when stepping into a new server. Hermitcraft wasn’t just any server, though — this was the big leagues, the home of legends, redstone gods, and chaotic gremlins who built megabases for fun.
“WELCOME!!!” Shelby spammed in chat.
Oli laughed and typed back, “Shelby you’re acting like I haven’t talked to you in four hours.”
“Still excited!!!!!”
She was waiting for him at spawn in full frog skin glory, practically vibrating when he popped into existence beside her.
Before Oli could say anything, two more players streaked into view.
Lizzie and Joel.
“OH MY GOD,” Lizzie shouted, sprinting directly up to Etho, who’d only just logged in behind her. “I SWEAR he looks more like Kakashi every season. Joel—Joel look at him. Look at the hair. Look at the MASK.”
Joel, with the exhaustion of a man who has heard this every day for years, placed a hand on her shoulder. “Yes dear. Kakashi. We know. Please stop making the man self-conscious.”
Etho just sighed quietly behind his mask, amusement tucked into the corners of his eyes.
Oli tried not to stare too long but… yeah. Okay. Lizzie wasn’t wrong.
Shelby grabbed Oli’s arm. “He volunteered! For the tour! Isn’t that cool??”
Oh. Oh no.
His stomach did a weird flip.
Etho stepped closer, hands in pockets, voice calm and friendly.
“Hey, you must be Oli. Heard you’re here for the creator exchange. Wanna see the place?"
Oli smiled — casual, chill, normal. Or that was the plan.
Instead, he blurted:
“Hi. Yes. You look like Kakashi.”
Lizzie CHEERED.
Joel groaned.
Shelby facepalmed.
Etho laughed — quiet, genuine. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”
Oli felt his cheeks heat. Great start.
They began walking, Etho leading the way, Oli floating somewhere between starstruck and trying not to be weird about it.
“So,” Etho said, glancing over his shoulder, “this your first Hermitcraft-style world tour?”
“Pretty much. Last time I got shown around a server, the guide dropped me in a hole and made me figure out how to get out.”
“Remind me not to do that.”
“Aw, but it builds character.”
“You’re charmingly chaotic,” Etho said, and his tone was so casual that Oli nearly tripped over a stair.
He covered it with a cough. “Right. Yeah. Thanks.”
Was that flirting?
It felt like flirting.
But Etho talked like that with everyone, right? Right??
Before Oli could spiral, a voice shouted from somewhere above them—
“OLIIIII!!!!!”
A blur of colorful particles rained down as Cambam literally dropped from the sky, landing in a messy heap directly in front of him.
“Cambam!” Oli burst into laughter, helping him up. “How do you always appear like you’ve been fired out of a cannon?”
“I sensed you joining the world,” Cam said, brushing dirt off his sleeves. “Wanted to say hi. Also I may or may not have gotten lost.”
“You spawned at the world border, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
Etho snorted softly behind them.
Cambam finally noticed him and gasped. “OH HI ETHO! I WATCH YOUR FARM VIDEOS.”
Etho gave an awkward little wave. “Hey.”
Oli elbowed Cam lightly. “We’re doing the tour, wanna tag—”
But Cambam had already started sprinting in the opposite direction.
“I must find where I put my horse!” he yelled, voice fading as he vanished behind a hill.
Oli sighed fondly. “Yep. That’s… that’s Cambam.”
Etho looked amused. “He’s got energy.”
“Chaos energy,” Oli corrected. “Like a raccoon with a wifi password.”
Etho laughed again — softer this time, just between them.
And wow.
Oli could feel that laugh in his chest.