Archive of Our Own

Etho had always been human, maybe a little off every now and again, with not being able to move when someone stared at him to long but he was well human…that was till Hermitcraft updated to 1.21.4 and Etho woke his vision split much more then before, his skin feeling itchy scratchy like the bark of the trees in the forest where he grew up.

Mirror, mirror…where did he hang the mirror.

His bathroom right, he thought as he scrambled to it.

Entering the bathroom Etho made his way in front of the sink to stare at his refection in the mirror. Staring at himself in the mirror was hard, he always hated looking at his refection.

Catching glance of the changes on his face he didn't think that was going to end up changed any time soon.

Looking in the mirror he was greeted with four glowing eyes. There were three on the scar side of his face there were two additional smaller ones, one over and one under his main eye, the one that existed before, and the non-scar side of his face only had the eye it had before. The colors of his eyes had changed from the pure black and red to well. The eyes on the scar side of his face were almost entirely a deep orange beside a light orange dot in the center that he was assuming was the pupil of the eye. His other eye, the well one that was normal before, the iris had shifted to that deeper orange. The scar that cut jaggedly through the left side of his face had turned from the deep scar red to an almost burnt orange. All of the orange on Etho's face was pulsing and glowing.

…What had he turned into. Was the thought as Etho stumbled over to the light switch…which begged the question had he been noticing the details in his eyes in the dark before he got the light switch on.

With the bathroom light on Etho could see all the change that had happened. And Oh Void would any of the hermits recognize him? Would any of them recognize him? Would Bdubs?

Etho thought as he sank down the back wall.

Would Bdubs recognize him. Bdubs who had become a glare hybrid just after they had up-dated to 1.19. His changes in scale weren't as huge seeming as Etho's or well it felt like that, his own changes felt so big and so unfitting, so ugly…Bdubs changes if Etho had to describe them slotting right into place like a few missing puzzle pieces. Etho's unwilling changes felt like jagged glass stabbing into him trying to become part of him, and he couldn't take the time to pull the shards of jagged glass out of them, he couldn't because they were just there and apart of him, and he was going to have to accept them at some point. He didn't want to.

He really didn't want to have to accept them. He was hoping against all hope that it was a fluke that it'd go away.

⋆.ೃ࿔:･˚.

Bdubs was pissed Etho had blown off their dinner plans a week ago. It was something that happened every so often but well normally there was a reason for Etho having done so, or well an apology the next day with his reason. That hadn't happened this time, and Bdubs was pissed, he was angry, and he couldn't help but hope that he hadn't done something wrong.

But from what most the Hermits could tell for the past week Etho had been holing up in his base radio silent.

Two days ago Pearl had checked in on Etho, seeing if he wanted to go exploring the new update with her. Which got not response so Pearl had given up after about 10 minutes of waiting to silence.

This was why Bdubs was on his way over to Etho's base.

Because apparently if anyone could get through to Etho and be let in it was him, or Pause. But Pause was off-sever and very much off-line. So it was up to him, up to him to try to get through to Etho. Even if he was still mad about dinner, this was still his job.

Knocking on the the door to Etho's base, he got nothing, he'd have to take a moment before trying again.

He knocked furiously this time before going "Etho sweetheart, I need you to let me in, I need you to let me in, it's been a week, we're all worried. Pearl was trying to check in, X is doing his admin worrying, I need you to let me in or-." Bdubs took a moment to sigh "-or I call Doc."

"Bdubs?" Ethos voice rang out slightly distorted and rough from disuse from inside his base.

"Hi Etho, can you let me in sweetheart?"

"…I can't do that."

"Well why not it's easy, you just have to open the door."

"I can't do that,"

"Etho I swear, why can't you." Bdubs said his temper simmering

"I just can't."

Snap.

"Etho I swear to the void, open this damn door now or I call Doc, and then you don't get a choice."

"And what are you going to do, you're going to have to wait for him."

"Then I won't call Doc, and I will break down this fucking door myself Etho, if you don't let me in."

Bdubs took a few breaths before he said quieter "…Etho please let me in, I'm worried about you."

There was silence in response to that and Bdubs was about to follow through on the door breaking threat pulling his axe out to do so before he heard the dead bolt click. "…You can come in just please don't scream."

"Don't scream?"

"Don't scream."

"Okay I won’t scream."

"Promise."

"Of course I promise Etho." Bdubs said as if it was stupid, but if this was important to Etho, mattered to Etho, then it wasn't stupid. "I promise Etho, I won’t scream."

The quite fell again but looking at the door he was standing in front of Bdubs watched as the door swung inwards, opening. He could see it was dark inside Etho's base, but he had made progress, the door was open now.

Walking into Etho's base Bdubs felt his eyes starting to glow their light blue which made it easier to see in the dark.

He closed the door quickly before looking around for the coat-hooks to which he quickly found, after that he carefully took his cloak off and hung it on the hook next to Etho's navy fuzzy bordering on fluffy wind breaker. Leaning down Bdubs untied his moss green work boots, before toeing them off and setting them in their place next to the once fully wheat colored work boots that had been so stained by redstone at this point that belonged to Etho. A practiced routine, one that he did as he felt eyes gaze upon him.

But once Bdubs had finished showing to Etho that he had no way of easily running without leaving something. That he was going to stay even if he was scared, he turned into the dark that was the rest of the house before calling out "Etho sweetheart where are you."

"I'm here."

"I'm right here Dubs." Etho's voice came from directly in front of Bdubs which is where several glowing eyes appeared from as did slowly Etho's form, and Bdubs could see why Etho had asked him not to scream even if he wasn't going to.

Etho was much paler then he was the last time Bdubs had seen him if that was even possible. His long white hair was unkempt, messy and Bdubs was fighting the urge to help with it The outfit Etho was wearing was a variation of his normal base outfit that Bdubs hadn't seen before a ribbed sleeveless black turtleneck that was cropped short above the ribs as well as a low waisted pair of olive green sweatpants that cut off at mid calf height, his socks weren't much of note but they were low cut and one was pure black and the other was white with a frog pattern. He didn't have his mask on, which made Bdubs suddenly glad that he was the one sent not someone who Etho didn't trust to see him without his mask. But the fact Etho didn't have his mask on meant that Bdubs could see the fact Etho's teeth had become suddenly much more pointed and sharp. The glowing eyes Bdubs had seen were a very obvious change, one that Bdubs would have to get used to looking at, but one he wouldn't describe as a bad change.

Another change Bdubs could see very clearly due to how much skin Etho was showing were the marks patterning his skin almost uniformly, which were very much unlike Bdubs' own marks with were irregularly patterned.

The marks on Etho looked like they were bark in Etho's skin. Looking up in the place where Etho's heart would be, Bdubs saw the glow that was like that of the many many eyes on his body but it was beating slowly as if it was pushing something thicker then blood through Etho's veins. If it was Etho's heart and Etho was the hybrid that Bdubs was assuming he was would it beat outside his chest, would it beat if someone else were to hold it. That was not where his thoughts should be going, looking back at Etho's head and his face he noticed the branches growing in a ring around his head with small leaves on the branches. Etho had clearly changed but the changes seemed to fit, fit well, the changes looked like they were meant to be.

"Not scary."

"If I'm not scary, why are you red." Etho said quietly and Bdubs realized his anxiety from before must have still been showing on his marks.

"Give it a moment I should return to default soon."

"Is that going to be green or pink."

"I don't know yet but I should return to default soon… anyway would you mind if, could I try something really quickly."

"What do you want to try?"

"Nothing really, it's not big I just have something I want to try really quickly."

"So that doesn't really answer my question."

"I know."

"…You're not going to actually tell me are you, even if I agree."

"Nope, you should know that thought."

"I should at this point…you know what sure, fine why not, probably not like what you could do could cause more pain then I've felt in the past week with." Etho said cutting himself off before gesturing to himself.

Bdubs got up on his tiptoes attempting to reach out to one of the branches before he realized that in his observations he hadn't realized that Etho might have been taller then before.

"Did you get even taller!?"

"I don't know did I." Etho asked smiling at him with a mirthful smirk.

"Well it sure feels like you got taller."

"Well then it seems that I might have gotten taller, now are you going to continue with what you were trying to do."

"…yeah yeah give me a minute." Bdubs said letting the tips of his fingers glow green with the nature magic in his blood.

He then proceeded to carefully touch the pads of his fingers to one of the bark patches in Etho's skin, greeted with the rough bark texture he slowly transferred, or well imbued some of his magic into the bark as if to guide it to do something.

The magic seemingly responded well it only taking a moment before small buds appeared on not just the patch of bark that Bdubs had touched but all the bark marks that that Bdubs could see and the branches that were growing from his head. And only a moment after the buds appeared they started to bloom, bloom into small white flowers with four petals and an orangy-yellow center, if Bdubs had to guess maybe a white houstonia, but it worked, oh void did it work.

"So what were you doing with your nature magic there Dubs?"

"…Seeing if I could grow flowers on the bark marks and branches…"

"Did it work then?"

"Yes, it seems to have…did it feel weird."

"Only a little bit, just felt you were well just drawing out an extent of what I seem to be now, but well a part I don't think will be shown on it's own..."

"…That's huh? weird, maybe I mean well two different types of hybrids working together like that, it's interesting."

"I mean well it's us, it could just be us…"

"That is true, it could just be us." Bdubs said pulling Etho's hand to his pressing his palm to Etho's.

It was always funny the fact Etho's hand was well daintier then Bdubs' considering the fact Etho was taller then him, but he felt the coolness of Etho's daintier hand against his less dainty warmer hand their mutual callouses from being a builder and a redstoner respectively brushing against each other. Bdubs couldn't feel many of the scars that littered Etho's hands on his palm, but he knew they were there, like Etho's freckles most likely still were, like his moles were. He could feel the worn leather band of Etho's watch with the burned in nature designs.

"I'm still mad at you."

"…I missed our dinner didn't I."

"You did and I'm still made at you."

"Well then, I guess I got to make that up.'

"You do yes, it's about lunch time by the way."

"Well then tell X that I'm okay and you can stay."

"Yeah I was planning on that…."

"…Does the glare hybrid want cuddles?"

"The glare hybrid is owed cuddles at this point." Bdubs said glaring at Etho crossing his arms in front of him.

"Well then up we go." Etho said leaning down and scooping Bdubs up in his arms, before carrying his glare to his room where he sat down on his bed careful to not disturb Ginger who was loafed at the end of the bed. He got himself cozy where he was as did Bdubs who seemed perfectly content to stay sitting essentially on Etho's lap only really adjusting to lean his head against Etho's heart tapping every so often with the other mans pulse. Etho eventually moved to wrap his arms around Bdubs.

"Were are the rest of your children?"

"My children?"

"Coffee & Toffee, Ginger is at the end of the bed, where are the other two?"

"They're cats Dubs, they do what they want, but if you are asking do you suddenly like cats."

"I don't like cats, your children, are the only cats I like."

"You know Toffee likes you."

"She's a clingy cat."

"And she likes you."

"She has no reason too."

"…Dubs you found her, and named her, she's your stray she just lives here."

"No she's not I refuse."

"Sure we can play that game, you should just know, she is your cat."

"….I know she's my cat but Scar will bully me, and no one knows you have cats."

"Correction, basically no one knows I have cats and those who do like the rest of the HNO, Ren Pause, Cleo and X can keep secrets."

"Yeah yeah, but like basically no one knows, everyone would know if I kept the little fur ball in my base."

"Be nice to her."

"I am."

"Mmmm sure you are."

"I am!"

"Sure you are." Etho said leaning down the cradle Bdubs' face with his hands before setting his chin on his head.

"…can I help with your hair?"

"So you noticed."

"Of course I did, I know they existed last time I saw you so…"

"Yeah…"

"You can help, you can add them back, but after dinner."

"Okay."

⋆.ೃ࿔:･˚.

Bdubs ended up hanging around for a few days sending out messages to X as well as Keralis and the NHO+Ren chat that Etho was okay. He had also encouraged Etho to reach out to Pause and update him fully even if they both knew that he was offline. He'd see it along with the other updates at some point. Hopefully…

But Bdubs had encouraged him to start leaving his base and visiting and possibly messing with other hermits which is why he was sneaking around Cleo's base. Well trying to sneak around Cleo's base.

He has a feeling that she was going to end up finding him.

"Etho I hear your foot steps I know you are here." Cleo yelled out in the direction he was coming from.

"Dang it, how do you do that that easily."

"Because some how for being a ninja, you are very loud, now where are you hiding?"

"Give me a moment." Etho said before walking into Cleo's view.

The zombie hybrid took in Etho's changes in their normal analytical way, before groaning when they got to his face. Must have seen the braids behind his ears with their small natural decorations.

It wasn't that they commented on, she knew it wasn't worth it at this point to comment on the braids done deliberately by Bdubs. Instead they said "It seems you're changed your outfit."

They were not wrong about that his old typical outfit wasn't going to suit the fact that the eyes on his upper body needed to see and the bark needed to breath. So his normally sleeved ribbed turtleneck had been switched to a cropped sleeveless version with cuts for eyes on his torso that had been embroidered around so it didn't fray. His green cargo vest had been fine well fine enough that he didn't want to fully give it up as a part of his outfit. His high waisted v olive green cargo pants that were fitted at the ankles had been switched for a much lower waisted version what were fitted at his lower calves. He wasn't wearing either of his normal pairs of shoes, because he had been advised by Bdubs that at least for a little bit he go bare foot, which meant he had wrapped his feet to protect them, mostly in the way he would for when he was fighting, which Bdubs was going to fight him about at some point, he just knew it. His mask was one of the ones that was more like a tube of fabric, normal at least.

But Cleo had started a conversation with him and was one of the many hermits that he was close with that value eye contact when talking with people, so he sucked it up and looked them in the eyes before saying "Well yeah I mean…" he trailed off as the eye contact burned and he felt himself not being able to gesture as he liked to while he talked.

"Yeah I can see, new hybrid?"

"That seems to be the case."

"Mmmm, yeah I can tell, so why have you appeared here."

"…Bdubs, he told me to reach back out."

"And why me."

"Also a hostile mob hybrid, and one from the Overworld." Etho said his skin feeling as through it was on fire as he kept eye contact with Cleo.

Cleo hummed before seemingly noticing that Etho was very uncomfortable with the fact he was making eye contact "Have I broken you, has eye contact just broken you, has this conversation just broken you, because sincerely you look like you are malfunctioning."

"I don't know."

"Okay well what's wrong?"

"Eye contact burns, making an extensive amount is making my skin feel as thought it is on fire, and as soon as I made eye contact I realized I can't gesture as I talk, which I am counting as a problem with eye contact, because I was able to talk with Bdubs while gesturing."

"But he's shorter then you so you wouldn't have made eye contact….okay, ummm new rule you don't have to make eye contact with me because I think it's going to kill you."

"Oh thank fuck." Etho said averting his eyes from Cleo.

"So have you figured out what you are?"

"Creaking."

"Yeah considering the eye contact thing, I'd think yeah Creaking hybrid seems likely."

"Thanks for confirming the suspicions that Bdubs and I had."

"Of course, I know when in close contact, you two do seem to lose brain-cells if the past proves anything, so I'm glad to confirm suspicions."

"Cleo."

"Look you came to me and if you expected not to get bulled you were wrong, and well should have known better I guess."

"I should have."

"You know what you should have also known."

"….Oh no."

"Oh yes, come on to X, so he can conform our theories, by checking your code."

"Cleo…."

"Again you came to me and you should have known better what I was going to do, I did the exact same thing to Bdubs."

"Oh void damn it you did."

"I did so come on lets go, because you can either walk there or I can drag you to X's."

"….fine I will walk."

"Good, because I will do it."

"I know you will do it."

"Good."

⋆.ೃ࿔:･˚.

Etho forgot how worried of an admin Xisuma was when it came to his players, but if he was being honest, he was pretty sure most hermits did till they were the one who X was fussing over.

He always felt bad when he was the player that Xiusma was fussing over, mostly because his admin would fuss over him a lot. Particularly after he disappeared for an extended amount of time without telling X that he was taking a break. Gods and Time the lecture that he got after disappearing from Season 8, just before the Moon crashed and not arriving until about three months into the season about six months after the Moon crashed, would scare a newer or younger less used to X hermit absolutely senseless.

However, technically, that lecture had been made worse by the fact that Xisuma had sent out comm messages to every hermit, every month, while he was setting up the new server. Then more to everyone who had not joined when the server booted back up, just trying to make sure all his players were alive, and had made it off of Season 8 safely. Messages that Etho didn't end up seeing because of the fact he used original modal comms. The ones he didn't end up seeing until Grian had told him that X was sending out messages after he accepted the join invitation to one of Grian's servers.

He was unfortunately only told about the messages after Grian had already shaken him for being an idiot. Also mostly because Grian had sent out the invite as a maybe it's just X he's having problems getting join invitations from. Which was the case and led to Etho begrudgingly getting a more modern comm.

Anyway back on his point it was apparently just in an Admins nature to worry about other players even if they technically were not their players full time; if any of the other Admins Etho knew were anything to go by.

But honestly to be fair to X, if Etho was going to be honest, any admin would worry about there players gaining hybrid traits. But considering the amount of times it happened on Hermitcraft throughout the seasons, Xisuma maybe overly worried right now.

"Are you okay." Xisuma asked for the fifth time as he was pacing in front of the couch that Etho was sitting on.

"I'm fine." Etho reassured him for the fifth time.

"Are you sure."

"Yeah, pretty sure?"

"That sounded like you are questioning your answer there, so are you fine."

"Xisuma he seems to be fine, besides we just need you to check his code, and you can't do that if you are a nervous wreck, do I need to call your emotional support husband." Cleo said from where they were leaning against the door frame, comm out as if she was ready to call Keralis.

Etho snickered at the mention of a joking running bit that had existed since before Etho's time on Hermitcraft, that had come from how X had introduced Keralis to the new hermits that had joined in Season 2.

And Xisuma groaned at Cleo's words "No you don't need to call K."

"Okay well then can you take a second to breathe, and not be a ball of anxiety or a nervous fucking wreck."

"Actually I think I'd like Keralis here, can we call him."

"…Etho he's going to fuss over you." Xisuma said turning to the most likely creaking hybrid on the couch

"I know he'd fuss over me."

"X, Etho wants Keralis to bring food."

"…I am an idiot."

"You're not an idiot X, just Keralis makes the best comfort food." Cleo said looking up from their comm

"He does yeah." Xisuma agreed "Okay I'll check your code, then we call Keralis to bring over comfort food."

Etho was familiar enough with the process that came with admins checking code. he had brought Bdubs to X with Cleo when he'd become a glare, and X had done one on every player after they joined Season 9, just incase there was glitchy fragments left from the Season 8 code. Which meant it was no surprise when the three semi transparent floating screens appeared in front of Xisuma.

How admins did quick work on the code when away from the code room or had to do something that couldn't be brought in. Like code checking, safety hazard to bring non admins into the code room.

Was also how Grian would check and implement things for the life games, seen a lot during the most recent game, it was also how Scott would do unrelated stuff for MCC if Noxite and the team needed his eyes on it during an event. Players could stand behind the admins while they were doing what was needed on the screens but would be able to see it all because it was encrypted to the point it just looked blank, it was the same for other admins unless the code has been shared with them.

He'd asked about it once.

Almost as soon as the screens appeared Xisuma started searching for the line of code that would prove the player's hybrid status.

It only took him a few minutes, maybe four or five minutes but Etho knew Xisuma had found it because he let out a distinctive clicking noise, something void walkers did when they were happy, excited or well pleased.

While this was not the situation that you'd expect an admin to be pleased, Xisuma definitely was with how fast he found the line.

"I take it you found the line then X."

"I did!" Xisuma said turning the screen around to Etho.

The encryption made everything on the screen look like gibberish,ever shifting gibberish, because while players were allowed to see their own code when Admins shared it, it still needed to be decrypted.

"X, I can't read this—"

"I forgot to decrypt it didn't I?"

"Yeah…"

"Give me a minute." Xisuma said before going to one of the screens and quickly typing something in before saying "Okay you should be able to read it now."

X was right, he was able to read the screen when he looked back at it and he saw the two lines of code that had been highlighted.

It read 'Player Hybrid Status: Hybrid' with 'Hybrid Type: Creaking' under it. And that confirmed it.

There was no doubting that it was just a glitch, that he wasn't a hybrid because his code itself said it that he was a hybrid. A Creaking Hybrid.

Etho knew he must have started to hyperventilate at that thought consternating he heard faint ringing in his ears as Cleo walked him through something, he couldn't tell what exactly with the ringing muffling their words like cotton.

Cleo must have figured that out because they very quickly started finger spelling slowly 'E-t-h-o b-r-e-a-t-h-e'

It was some of the only sign that Etho could understand finger spelling that is. They had taught it to him and Grian during Secret Life.

'E-t-h-o b-r-e-a-t-h-e p-l-e-a-s-e'

He inhaled slowly in for 4, held for 4, exhaled for 4, repeated that over and over.

"There you go, there you are."

"I-"

"It's okay you don't have to, just breathe okay, can you do that Etho."

Etho was pretty sure he nodded his head at that.

"Okay good."

"Now I'm not sure why you are…but if it's because you think people are only going to see you as just a hybrid that's not true, you're Etho, Etho Slab, a redstoner, a mad man, someone who builds his bases from the inside out, one of my best friends, being a hybrid is just going to be a part of you now, not all of you okay?"

"Okay…do you really believe that?"

"Of course I do, as I said you're one of my best friends."

"I- can I have a hug."

"Course you can." Cleo said pulling him into a hug.

By the time X had walked back into the room. When had he left? That wasn't important right now. But by the time that Xisuma had walked back into the main room the tear tracks down Etho's face had gone tacky.

"Just wanted to let you know that I've called K, he'll be here with bigos, pierogi and a thermos of kompot in at least half an hour, and that he might take over my kitchen to make some placki ziemniaczane."

"…I hope you let him void could I go for some potato pancakes right now." Cleo said which made Etho laugh softly.

Keralis showed up about exactly when Etho though he was going to walking in with a picnic basket in one of his hand and a blanket rolled under his arm.

"Shashwammy told me there was a sweetface in need of comfort, didn't expect it'd be you, but I can see why." The man said stopping at Xisuma's counter top to put the basket down before walking over to Etho and crouching down to look Etho in the eyes.

And it didn't burn, his skin didn't feel as though there was something moving under his skin or like it hurt to do so but he couldn't look away.

Why was making eye contact with Keralis different?

"Just a bit of Papa K magic sweetface." Keralis said as if reading the thought directly from Ethos mind.

"Anyway, I'm sure Cleo has told you but being a hybrid now is not going to be all that defines you just a part of you."

"Okay?"

"Yeah I got it K."

"Good, now I have this blanket for you, it's weighted, I'll prepare a plate for you and pour a cup of warmed up kompot, do you want me to add some maple syrup to it or cinnamon to it. I'm pretty sure you liked it before… and well I know Gem and Beef like it with maple syrup so I though I'd ask."

"Ummm sure why not to the maple syrup at least…maybe with clove if you can find that?"

"Of course I can sweetface."

"Papa K will take care of you, all of the hermits will as you adjust, because us hermits, we are a family, I hope you know this."

"Yeah I know K, Hermitcraft is family, no matter the server that we are on."

"Good I'm glad, now let me make you a plate." Keralis said getting up from the floor.

Once Keralis had walked back into the room with a plate for Etho who was sitting under the weighted blanket that Keralis had left next to Etho, Cleo spoke up.

"So K what are the chances that you'll make placki ziemniaczane."

Keralis smiled warmly at the zombie.

⋆.ೃ࿔:･˚.

Etho left Xisuma's late enough that the sun was very much down and the mobs were set to start spawning in if they hadn't already, they wouldn't bother him, not anymore at least. But the cold breeze tickled at his exposed skin, which reminded him that it was technically winter or the goosebumps did.

Walking back to his base from Xisumas meant that he had to walk through Pearls Solarpunk Base to which she was out working on despite how late it was.

He ended up hello to her as he pasted which led to her talking a moment for them to chat a little bit and Etho was finally able to apologize for worrying her to which she said the Pearl equivalent of 'It's okay and I'm glad your okay'

Eventually Etho did make it back to his base stumbling around in the dark till he made it to the kitchen where he finally turned on the light.

Look historically him trying to make tea in the dark never went well. Well that was before he was a creaking, anyway it was his base and he could do what he wanted.

He put his kettle on the camping stove that he had been using for the past little bit while he was waiting to have Doc fix his stove. He unfortunately wasn't allowed to try to fix it anymore, Cleo had banned him from doing that.

As he was preparing the cup itself he ended up elbowing the massive wrench that he wasn't sure exactly why he owned and exactly why he kept it in the kitchen but it was there and landed on his floor with a loud clattering and clanging thud. To make the situation worse the kettle then felt that was the time to whistle.

He sighed groaning before leaning down to pick the wrench up off the ground, setting it back on the counter before turning to take the whistling kettle off the stove.

As he pulled it off the stove, he poured the kettle over the loose leaf chamomile, lavender and lemon tea. Looking up from where he was pouring the tea he noticed a Bdubs bleary eyed with his marks glowing mostly green, dressed in sleep clothes and wrapped in the quilt from Etho's bed as if it was his moss not just a quilt.

"Hey Dubs-" Etho said almost sheepishly before moving on to ask "-why are you here?" which he corrected with "Wait no you don't need to answer that."

"Well I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd come here, and then someone decided to make so much noise that I feel the need to ask why you are making so much noise."

"…Accident."

"Mmmm, now you owe me more cuddles."

"Who said I owe you cuddles."

"Me."

"Bdubs it's 9 pm."

"Uh huh and cuddles Etho."

"Can I please have my tea first."

"Hmmmm…"

"Please Bdubs."

"Fine you can have your leaf juice but I get to lay on you."

"You say that like you didn't make me tea the first time I had it."

"I sincerely doubt that with how you were raised you didn't drink tea before you met me."

"Well I didn't."

"Uh huh… sure."

"Believe it or don't, but you were my first introduction to tea."

"Well I definitely didn't introduce you to drinking it like a heathen."

"It's easier."

"So is buying a steeper ball if you're going to make loose leaf."

"Bdubs you know I am."

"I do yeah…a heathen, a stubborn heathen."

"I hate you."

"No you don't, come on." Bdubs said grabbing Etho's hand as to drag Etho to the couch.

"Let me grab my tea Bdubs."

"But cuddles."

"My tea…" Etho protested as he reached out to grab the mug on the counter.

When Etho had the mug securely in his grasp Bdubs continued on his quest to drag Etho to the couch having him sit down before curling up on him.

Etho set his chin on the top of Bdubs' head to which Bdubs raised his hand up to about where Ethos heart was glowing underneath his turtleneck which was all he was wearing over it since he had took his vest off at the door.

"…You know I'm pretty sure at this point I could actually give someone my heart and be fine." Etho said as Bdubs was leaning his ear to Ethos heart.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah…or well at least I can only assume that'd be the case."

"Mmmm well lets not test that hypothesis tonight."

"I wasn't planning on doing so, having to repawn this late is going to guarantee me not sleeping at all."

"Well we can't have that now can we."

"I think you would be upset if I just ended up laying with you and only watched you sleep."

"I'd call you a creep."

"You're so mean to me."

"Mmmm am I, really?"

"Yes so so mean to me."

"But you love me Etho…"

"That's debatable." Etho said taking a long sip of his tea over Bdubs' head.

"If you spill any tea on me I'm stealing your heart."

"Hard to steal something you already well own Bonsai."

"No I mean your literal heart."

"Oh? I mean you can try."

"Etho your heart if visible through your skin, I think I can steal it very easily."

"Mmmm." Etho hummed as he took another sip from his tea.

They fell into silence after that their normal comfortable silence, they didn't need words to talk, they never really did, it was normally just a courtesy for the others around him. By the time that Etho had finished his tea Bdubs had dozed off curled in Etho's quilt against Etho, as per normal…

Etho sighed before scooping up his glare into his arms as he had so many times before making sure the quilt was still wrapped around Bdubs, carrying him to his room. Setting Bdubs carefully on the bed he was about to turn away to clean up when Bdubs grabbed his wrist.

"Stay…"

"Bdubs…"

"Stay Etho, please…"

"Fine…"

"Well don't sound like it's a chore." Bdubs half mumbled.

"Well I didn't mean to have it sound like that." Etho sighed before sitting on the bed next to where Bdubs was lying down.

"And yet thats what it sounded like to me."

"Sorry?"

"Shhhh lay down it's sleep and cuddle time…" Bdubs said before leaning up and pressing a kiss to Etho's jaw against his stubble.

"…you need to shave."

"Really that's what you're thinking."

"Yes it is."

"I mean I could always grow it out, it's not like anyone will see it."

"Don't you dare."

"…I mean I could."

"Don't you dare."

"Fine fine, now sleep?"

"I was going to sleep, you started talking which distracted me."

"Like you don't love me."

"Hmmmm do I?"

"You deal with me, you wouldn't deal with me if you didn't love me."

"Etho…"

"I'm serious, I don't think you would deal with me if you didn't love me."

"…If that's what you feel you're wrong, I'm not going to tell you how, but you are wrong."

"Mmmm sure I am."

"Well then, I'm going to sleep, it's been past my bedtime for hours." Bdubs said before nuzzling into the pillows and closing his eyes.

Etho sighed before turning and making himself comfortable, it wasn't long after that Bdubs rolled and starting using Etho as his pillow, which is when Etho let the heaviness of his eyes finally weigh them down letting them close and falling into a deep nearly dreamless sleep.

⋆.ೃ࿔:･˚.

Bdubs woke up early. There were hermits who'd joke that Bdubs woke with the sun and went to bed with it, they weren't entirely wrong with that statement. He was always in bed by 9 if not earlier with some exceptions, and he normally woke up around 7 to 7:30.

Which meant when he woke up around 5:45 because the window in Etho's room blinds and curtains were left open.

…He loves his person, he loves his person, he loves his person.

He sighed as loud as he thought he could without waking Etho up fully opening his bleary eyes he sat up before looking around the room that was illuminated by the early morning light spilling in. One of the first things he saw was the fact that the cats had made it into the room, Ginger was curled up on Etho's head, Coffee wanting nothing to do with either of them was at the end of the bed, and Toffee was laying belly up in Bdubs' lap.

"Hi baby." Bdubs said dangling his fingers in front of her to which she surged up and went to bite them, expecting this Bdubs moved his fingers back. Yeah Etho was right, she was his cat, not like he'd admit that but, she was.

Bdubs let himself wake up for a litte bit before making any attempt to remove Etho's hold from around his stomach which had pulled Bdubs back down slightly into the pillows, not long after he had sat up.

It was a slight struggle to get free but eventually he did get free from the hold that was far to much of a vice grip than it should have been considering that Etho was dead asleep. He did expect that to be the case, Etho was always a clinger when he was asleep, despite how distant he was sometimes when he was awake.

Getting out of the bed Bdubs felt himself shiver which made his first action be to carefully track his way to the carved chest of drawers in the corner of the room where he pulled out one of the many sweater that Etho has made. Obviously not with Bdubs in mind because that would be silly and would enact the sweater curse, because no matter how long Etho had been alive in the scale of the universe the man would always be so painfully superstitious.

The sweater that Bdubs pulled out was a light moss green with carved spruce buttons, it fit him pretty well, the way he liked only slightly oversized, strange consitering it was 'Etho's sweater'.

They both knew that would be a lie if they were honest with each other.

He stole a pair of socks before walking to the doorway where he looked back at the bed, it'd be nice to lay down with him more, get more sleep, but he wasn't going to be able to, so he opened the door and walked out, Toffee following him out the bell on her collar making light sounds.

Etho's base wasn't messy per say, but it was not how Bdubs would keep a base, which meant that he was going to tidy, it wasn't like he was going to get yelled at for it, honestly Etho would most likely not even notice that he had done it.

He started with the living room where he picked up the cup from last night to bring to the kitchen, folded some of the many blankets that Etho had, fluffing some of the sparse pillows the couches had as well. He stacked more of the fire wood by the woodstove which he lit.

He moved onto the kitchen next where he continued his tiding up, eventually landing on the stove.

It was too early for the idea he was having, but then again, Doc would be up, it's not like that man slept.

He fished his comm out of his cloak, checking the time before messaging Doc, probably more times then needed. He'd get back to him most likely by calling, which left Bdubs to make a warm drink, he didn't need to be particularly awake, he'd however just have to boil the milk if he wanted hot chocolate.

He had sat down with the hot chocolate, comm on the table when it started to ring, he set the mug down before picking the comm up and accepting the call.

"What do you want Moss Boy, it's clearly something considering you sent me about 10 messages that are just my name."

"It's to early for you to be doing that Goat Man."

"It's 7:20."

"And I've not been up for even an hour—"

"—sucks for you."

"Well I'm not the insane man who lives on like 2 hours of sleep, and wakes up at 4, anyway what I need is not really for me…"

"…And what do you want."

"How quickly do you think you could fix Etho's stove."

"Cleo banned him didn't he.'

"Well yes this is not the point, how quickly do you think?"

"Why?"

"Because I've got an idea, I can do the running and job of waking the one whose going to sleep in for this."

"That is not an answer."

"nHo and Ren breakfast…look I know it's sudden but he said something about how I wouldn't deal with him if I didn't love which well…"

"…er ist manchmal ein dummer, kluger kerl, ich schwöre."

"I have no clue what you've said."

"It doesn't matter I'll help, I've got Beef, he's most likely already awake and I've got a long trip anyway."

"Beef is literally the opposite direction from where you are coming."

"Semantics." Doc said before hanging up the call.

Buds sighed he hates Doc sometimes, of course, of course he'd leave him with that job, waking Ren. He hates that job.

Like as much as he loves his own sleep, Ren really loves sleep, the man is so high energy that he just go, go, goes all day everyday till he crashes late at night and sleeps till mid-morning, and Ren isn't a coffee or any form of caffeine person because he can't be which means if he's woken up early he's just a level of grumpy and grumbly that doesn't fade till late into the day and even then he was never as high energy as he was if he slept well. So if you have to wake up Ren early, you have to have a damn good reason for doing so.

He wasn't sure this was going to be as good of a reason as it could be.

He just had to wait till the last possible minute or well till someone else was there even for the possibility of having Etho wake up to an empty house. Which he didn't want to happen.

He didn't want that ever, or well for Etho to wake up feeling like no one cared to be there for him.

This meant when Beef walked though the front door yawning holding a wicker baskets full of food in one hand Comm clearly in the front pocket of his overalls and a smile on his face Bdubs felt like he could cry.

As much as Doc was a mad man at least he thought to call Beef instead of going to get him himself.

"Morning."

"Hi Beef."

"You've got the task of waking Ren don't you."

"Yep…"

"Well I'd wish you luck but."

"Yeah yeah, I'm going to need so much more then luck."

"Yeah, so…."

"Yeah I should probably get on with that shouldn't I."

"I mean unless you want to be Doc's extra pair of hands…"

"Yeah I'm going to go get Ren, worst comes to worst he can sleep more on Ethos couch."

"…"

"Yeah I know not the best solution but…"

"…"

"Yeah I know I'm just making excuses now, I kinda just have to do it."

"Good luck Bdubs."

⋆.ೃ࿔:･˚.

 Etho woke up to the smell of bread as well as cooked meats, and the sound of quite chatter and light laughter.

He got out of bed slowly standing up and stretching letting his joints pop before he changed his clothes, his cargo pants for a pair of sweatpants, the turtleneck he had fell asleep in for a clean oversized t-shirt from the drawer. It was a tan shirt, over it he put on a navy zip-up hoodie and a pair of black fuzzy socks with cartoon frogs on them. He put his hair up, giving minimal effort to it which meant he didn't care how messy the bun was. He grabbed his reading glasses of the nightstand, something he really get better at wearing.

Once he felt he was ready enough and had given his girls who were in his room enough pets he left his room carrying Ginger in his arms.

Entering the main part of his base he saw Ren dozing on the couch Toffee trying to attack his tail, Beef and Bdubs at the table both with plates of food, and Doc in his kitchen which most likely meant that his stove had been fixed.

He bristled as he remembered his new features, he knew he had messaged the rest of the nHo and Ren about him being okay, but he hadn't told them about well him not being what he was.

It's not like they were going to be against it. He was just worried, these were the people he could be most honest with who knew him, not what he mostly presented. Him.

And That Was Terrifying.

"Morning Etho, what do you want for breakfast?" Doc said looking past Etho.

"Uhhh what did you make?"

"Brötchen and Brot, müsli, potatoes, french toast, scrambled eggs, and strip bacon."

"Wow you really went all out."

"I'm making breakfast for five people, all of which have a wild taste in breakfast, what do you want Etho."

"Müsli, french toast, scrambled eggs, and strip bacon."

"That's what I assumed, do you want coffee or tea?"

"Coffee."

"I'll bring a plate to the table."

Etho nodded before walking over to sit at the table next to Bdubs, across from Beef. Bdubs leaned into Etho and Beef nodded at him before snickering

"Whats so funny?"

"Oh noting, just nice shirt Etho."

This caused Etho to look down at his shirt and see it was his 'Damn I Love Frogs' shirt which had 'DILF' over the 'Damn I Love Frogs' part, as well as frogs of different types over it. It was a half gag gift from Cleo, and he was going to kill them.

"It's a really great shirt isn't it." Bdubs said turning to look at the shirt.

Actually he thinks he's just going to die.

"It is a beautiful shirt." Doc said setting a plate in front of Etho.

Yep definitely death.

"I'm going to kill them, I think I'm actually going to kill her."

"So it was Cleo who got you that shirt." Bdubs spoke up.

"….Who else gives me stupid shirts."

"Etho, so many people give you stupid shirts, Cleo gives you the most but you get so many stupid shirts." Bdubs retorted

"It's mostly you 4, Cleo, and then also Grian, he really likes to give me stupid shirts for some reason."

"Yeah exactly."

"You see our point don't you." Beef nearly interjected.

"When did this become all of your point, why are you so focused on my shirt."

"Would you like us to talk about the obvious thing in the room, or wait for Ren to be awake?"

Etho considered Docs words for a minute before he started eating his breakfast. The Müsli was good but then again it was something simple enough that Etho was pretty sure that he would be able to make it himself without messing it up horrifically which at this point kind of a low bar, but Doc had added fresh raspberries and blackberries to the bowl of Müsli for him.

Void does he love the people who he can be open with sometimes. Other times they were honestly the most annoying people in the world.

They were the most annoying people in the world because of how well they were able to get under his skin.

"Well now he's ignoring us." Bdubs staged whispered.

"He does that normally I think." Beef whispered back.

"I do." Etho responded before he took a bite from his eggs as he had to do so before that became a cold non-food.

But at Etho's words Bdubs gasped in seeming moc offense.

"I don't know why you are surprised Bdubs you are pretty annoying." Doc said attempting to goad the glare hybird.

It worked.

"Annoying, I'm annoying, you're annoying, with your stupid contraptions that are only done on diamond ore."

"Oh that rich coming from you, do you want me to talk about your block pallets, Puffball."

"I LIKE WHAT I LIKE."

It was at this point were Etho picked his plate and bowl of the table. He had seen enough of those twos petty arguments and disagreements to know that there was fully a possibility and chance of the table ending up being flipped, and he was not losing his breakfast to that possibility.

"Uh huh, sure whatever you want to tell yourself Bdubs, just saying."

"You take that back! Take your insinuation back!"

"If I don't what are you going to do?"

"I'll do something!"

"What are you going to do, cling to my legs, try to make sure I trip, steal my knee caps."

"Oh are we making digs about my height, not creative, try something else you oversized oaf."

"Oh well at least I'm not pint-sized, because I think the only way you'd look intimidating is while standing on a stool, so I guess let me know if you need help reaching any dreams or well the top shelf."

"Oh I will, but at least I don't need a warning when I go into rooms that have low ceilings."

Beef sighed letting his head bonk on the table startling Doc like Etho's cats would if he wasn't expecting them.

"Can the two of you stop before you end up waking Ren." Beef said calmly half muffled by the table.

"…They can keep arguing, it's fine I'm awake already." Ren grumbled from most likely still on the couch.

Beef groaned "Well then okay, so now you both owe Ren an apology." he said picking his head up from the table before glaring at Doc then Bdubs.

"I- sorry Ren, didn't mean to wake you up." Doc apologized first.

"Yeah sorry Ren, didn't mean to wake you up." Bdubs said after.

"…And?" Beef asked.

The room was quite and Etho was half sure that Beef was going to kill both of them, based on the amount of sighs that he was letting out, it nearly made him laugh which definitely would have absolutely added to Beefs current hit list.

"Now apologize to each other, void, I swear it's like I'm dealing with children…"

"…"

"…"

"Seriously, can you two just apologize so we can move on and Etho can put his food back on the table without worrying that it's going to end up on the floor."

"…"

"…"

"Oh for the voids sake, Doc go."

"I'm sorry Bdubs."

"For? Doc what are you sorry for?"

"I'm sorry for goading and then insulting you Bdubs."

"Good, Bdubs your turn."

"I'm sorry Doc for insulting you as a response to being goaded and then insulted me."

"Good thank you, dear void that was like pulling teeth. I need more coffee. Ren I don't know if you've fallen back asleep, but if you are awake do you want food?"

"What do we have?"

"Whatever you want for breakfast, I'll make it for you."

"…Breakfast sandwich."

"Yeah sure why not, just sit at the table okay."

Ren grumbled before wandering into the dining room a blanket draped over his shoulders grumbly, grumpy and sleepy looking before letting his face fall onto table with a thump.

"Good morning Ren." Etho said amusement lacing his words.

Ren grumbled into the table something that could be something close to 'Good morning Etho' or could be him swearing about being woken up about a stupid argument.

"So I assume you're that good then."

Ren raised his head to hold his chin "Are we just ignoring the fact that Etho is a tree person."

"Ren!" Bdubs shouting with offense for Etho

"I mean mostly, we've not acknowledged it and it's Etho, he could have just always just been a tree person." Beef said from the kitchen.

"That is very true, Etho could have always been a tree person." Doc added in.

Ren turned to Etho staring him dead in the eyes serious before going "Please tell me that you haven't always been a tree person."

"Ren I haven't always been a tree person, also can you please stop making direct eye contact, that is not fun."

"Oh so sorry dude."

"It's all good, you didn't know."

At this Etho couldn't help but laugh at the almost pure ridiculousness that was his current situation. The people he was closest to didn't care about the fact that he was well the best description, a tree person.

"Hey you want to see something interesting?" Bdubs asked not waiting for an answer before he drew out the magic in the branches that grew out of his head and grew flowers out of them.

"Well that's fun, not very useful, but fun." Doc said

"I like it I think it's cool."

"Well it's definitely something." Beef said setting a plate with a sandwich on in front of Ren.

"Now anyone want to play a board game that is not monopoly or card game that is not Uno that is basically anarchy while Ren eats?"