#maybe tango built it there. but was it tango

[canarydarity]

I can’t stop thinking about (mczu) etho and the ranch. He knows theres a tragedy there—likely more than one. He knows the occupants did not make it. He knows there’s a stain on the couch and the carpet too dark to be anything but blood.

But he doesn’t know that it was built by those boys whose lives he’d spared, the ones he found hiding in that closet. He doesn’t know the stain on the couch was SCAR. He doesn’t know it’s where Scar died!! Where grian had to— !!!!!!

He ends up there and he mourns its occupants, because he doesn’t need to know what happened to them to know that they didn’t make it. It’s displayed clearly in the used sheets on an unmade bed, the stack of firewood by the unfinished fireplace, the notebook with the torn out pages abandoned on the coffee table. There’s too much domesticity, not enough paranoia. He knows they weren’t the kind of people who make it in this world. But HE DOESNT KNOW HES THE REASON THEY GOT TO HAVE IT, EVEN IF ONLY FOR A LITTLE WHILE. EVEN IF THEY DIED ANYWAY.

GOD if the mczu is all about choices (if etho didn’t kill grian because it wouldn’t matter. Bdubs would still be dead.), about decisions and consequences, then THIS choice of his is just as important, no? The ones that lead to positives, to relief, to mercy, even if momentary?

When he’s inside the ranch he cannot help but be affected by the ranchers tragedy without even knowing who they were or why—it’s enough to know they didn’t make it and were never going to. And it’s enough to see what they had and be jealous he’d never been able to have it with bdubs—to wonder if that’s why he’s still here and they aren’t. But the fact stands that without THAT CHOICE he’d made—to let them go—they may not have made it long enough to have had it at ALL, HOWEVER SHORT IT DID INDEED LAST.

AND HE DOESNT EVEN KNOW IT!!!

CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?!?

[redwinterroses]

It's not like it's hard to get Tango taking about Decked Out, but buy him a couple of potions in the museum speakeasy and he gets downright confessional.

Grian leans across the stat poker table, his wings rustling eagerly. "Truth or dare, Tango," he says. "Is Decked Out... alive?"

“Aren’t I supposed to pick truth or dare before you ask the question?” Tango tosses back another potion and gives the group a half-smirk.

“We all know you’re going to pick truth because you’re too particled to get up.” Etho’s face is obscured, but they can hear the laugh in his voice and see his fox ears twitch with amusement. “So spill.”

Tango shrugs. "Well," he says, "It's not exactly not NOT alive, if you know what I mean."

Grian glances at Doc on his right and Etho on his left. They shrug at him.

"Yeah, no," he says, looking back at Tango. "I don't think we know what that means."

"Is it like that Grumbot robot that Mumbo and Grian built?" Doc asks, scratching thoughtfully at his chin, his blunt black claws scritching loudly against the stubble of his beard. Grian tries to catch a peek at his stat tokens and gives a sheepish grin when Doc notices and quickly angles them away.

"Hey, now," Doc starts to say, but Tango interrupts.

"Nah, no -- I mean, Grumbot was pretty... Simple. No offense."

"None taken." Grian pulls a token from his stack. "Number of villagers traded with," he offers. "And I'll up the ante to three diamond blocks, gentlemen."

Tango lays down his own token, and taps a finger on it in an aimless rhythm. “The dungeon is… aware,” he says. “Not alive, I guess, but it knows things. It recognizes people.”

“I’ve noticed,” Etho says dryly. “That place hates me.”

They all laugh, but Tango shakes his head. “Does it hate you?” he asks and waggles his eyebrows suggestively. “Or does it want to impress you?”

“Oh, I’m impressed enough.” Etho drops his stat token on the table with a soft click. “So it can stop glitching and trying to kill me now.”

“Aww, you’re just playing hard to get.”

Doc lays his tokens down on the table and stands. “I will sit out this round, I think,” he says. “I have done almost nothing with villagers this season. Will anyone have more to drink?”

“I’m not playing hard to get!” Etho protested, ears lying flat. “If anything, I’m playing easy to get – I just walk right in there!”

“You heard it first here, folks,” Tango says. “Etho’s easy.”

He ducks, but not in time to dodge the rolled-up napkin Etho chucks at his face. It lands in his hair and goes up in a miniature whump of flame.

Grian snickers, waving away smoke.

“So if the dungeon’s not alive, but it’s not quite not alive,” he says. “How does one maybe go about… making friends with it?”

“That,” Doc says, thunking a fresh bottle of Cub’s custom-mixed potion onto the table. “Is cheating, you pesky bird. No flirting with the possibly-not-not-alive dungeon.”

“You’re telling me you’re above flirting for a few extra keys and crowns, Doc?” Tango asks with teasing skepticism.

Doc sniffs, flipping the cork from his bottle with his thumb. “I don’t need flirting,” he says dismissively. “I have skills. Game strategies, man.”

“He’s already planning how to get the dungeon’s attention.” Etho flips his token over, exposing the total. “Aren’t’cha, Doc.”

Doc tips back his drink and shrugged. “Eh… that is for me to know, and you to worry about.” He winks.

“Tango, what’s your total there?” Grian fiddles with his token.

“Well, I know it’s higher than old three-digit Minecraft master over here.” Tango holds up his token and pinches it between his fingers. “Under three hundred, Etho? What’ve you been doing all season?”

“Not hiding out in a hole for thirteen months,” Etho grumbles good-naturedly, pushing his diamonds into the center of the table.

“Yeah, well, that’s what I have been doing and look at that stat.” Tango displays the count. “Seven k, baby – read ‘em and weep.”

Grian makes an exaggerated sad face that immediately morphs into a triumphant grin. “Rookie numbers, fellas,” he crows. “Try over twelve thousand.”

Tango groans and rolls his diamonds toward Grian with a grimace. “Yeah,” he says. “Definitely not telling you how to flimflam my dungeon, you shyster.”

“Tango, I’m hurt.” Grian, entirely unbothered and very un-hurt looking, scoops the pile of diamonds into his pouch. “My stats are all ethically earned.”

“And that’s how your dungeon runs will be too.” Tango stashes his tokens and stands. “Gentlemen, it’s been a pleasure. Mostly.”

“Back to your cave, Tango?” Etho doesn’t stand, but his bushy white tail wags a little in barely-contained excitement. “So, Decked Out will be open again… soon?”

“You bet your foxy good looks,” Tango says. “Or… maybe don’t. Not with those stats.”

This time he does duck the thrown napkin.

He exits through the museum, the laughter of his friends fading behind him as he steps out into the cool afternoon air. For a moment, he stretches, shaking out his elytra and clearing his head a bit of the potion particles.

Is Decked Out alive?

Tango grins, sharp teeth glinting. Of course the dungeon’s alive, who’s he kidding? And she’s hungry, too, he can feel it even from here. His friends should just be grateful he’s only ever built friendly monsters that want to devour them.

“On my way,” he mutters to himself. Or the dungeon. “And Etho’ll be coming over soon too.”

He feels the dungeon’s excitement.

“Oh…you’ve gotta be kidding me.” Tango launches himself in the air and spirals over the shopping district, angling toward Decked Out and laughing so loudly the sound bounces off the buildings below.

His dungeon totally has a crush on Etho.

[goingdownorup]

Thinking about limited life again.

It made sense Etho went with TIES.

Etho went with TIES because he’s comfortable with the three of them. Because even though Bdubs was there when Scar asked if Etho could be their dad, Etho wasn’t comfortable enough with Scar and Cleo to even attempt…whatever they were trying to do with him at first. He had been with Tango and Skizz once before, and Impulse and him worked really close together the previous game, even if it was mainly for Etho and Bdubs benefit. It was based around being comfortable with each other.

All three of them knew Etho’s flaws. All three of them were well aware of Etho’s bias to Bdubs, and honestly, used it to their advantage. All three of them knew how to work around that, how to plot under Etho’s nose and sometimes even in front of him if it meant Etho could keep plausible deniability. They knew his strengths too, his loyalty, his mind. His mob farm was probably the biggest supplier of gunpowder that season, for everyone. The flaws and strengths didn’t matter as much as the fact that Tango, Skizz, and Impulse all wanted him on the team, and that the team never felt like it was fracturing. It wasn’t two and two like BEST was, it was four strong from the beginning. It was comfortable, because all three of them wanted Etho there. Not just Bdubs, not just Scar for a bit, SIT was prepared to do what it took for Etho to commit to their team up.

And maybe, that’s why it hurts so much that they had Etho take the final kill for Skizz.

They had built a comfortable place for Etho and now they were asking him to destroy that. Etho could go back to TIES tower and be greeted by people he KNEW were friends and allies. These guys would never betray Etho, just like he would never betray them. All three of them had the same kind of loyalty that Etho has, self-destructive in the name of character. Etho had just been hunted and hunting his own family down for time, getting knocked down time and time again and had finally come back to his home with his tail between his legs. He was panicked, more panicked than normal with his clock ticking down at the corner of his screen, he was walking into a scene half done and taking it over with a frustrated cry, which isn’t something Etho usually does.

But he did, because he felt comfortable doing so.

And then Skizz throws him the ax, Tango acts like someone shot his dog, and Impulse just stares.

And suddenly, it's not comfortable anymore.

It’s not comfortable that Impulse is one step away from dissociating. It’s not comfortable that Tango has tears trailing down his face, that both of them look almost angry that Etho picked up the ax in the first place. It’s horribly jarring, to come into a meeting expecting comfort for his failures and be greeted with a worse opportunity.

Because Skizz- the nicest guy in this match, the man who looked at Etho and said “i want him to join us”- is telling Etho to kill him. Ordering him to, actually, his final order of the game. No amount of pleading looks will get Tango and Impulse to do what Skizz wants done, Etho’s only defense is quickly shut down when they bring up just how much time Etho still had.

It’s not comfortable to see Skizz’s head roll off the edge of skynet. It’s not comfortable, the next session, when Impulse and Tango look to him for leadership. This game wasn’t meant to be comfortable, and Etho forgot about that. TIES was the most comfortable team up for him, and in the end, it created one of the most heart wrenching ends for all of them.

[oldsoul007]

dancing with the stars

nicholas chavez x pro-dancer!reader

summary: nick goes on dwts

Nicholas, a talented but introverted actor, decides to take a bold step and join the cast of Dancing with the Stars. His professional dance partner, y/b, is not only skilled but also incredibly charismatic and outgoing. From the start, y/n realizes that getting Nicholas out of his comfort zone will be a challenge, but she's up for it.

During our first rehearsals, Nicholas is hesitant and reserved, unsure of how to express himself through dance. With my patience and encouragement, I slowly help him open up. I introduces fun exercises and games to make him feel more at ease, and gradually, Nicholas starts to enjoy the process. We spend long hours practicing, and with each passing day, Nicholas becomes more confident and expressive.

As the season progresses, their bond deepens. Nicholas finds himself looking forward to their time together, not just for the dancing but for the genuine connection he feels with y/n. Her support and belief in him make a significant impact. Towards the end of the season, during a particularly heartfelt dance, Nicholas realizes that his feelings for y/n have grown beyond friendship. He's falling for her, and the realization fills him with a mix of excitement and nervousness. The journey on the show has not only transformed him as a dancer but also brought him closer to someone who means the world to him.

In one of our practices, Nicholas and I decided to take a break from their usual intense routines and just enjoy the dance. The studio was filled with upbeat music, and the atmosphere was light and playful.

Nicholas started by attempting a goofy dance move, making me burst into laughter. "What was that?" I giggled, trying to mimic his awkward steps. "Hey, I'm just warming up!" Nicholas replied, grinning. We both knew that sometimes, letting loose was the best way to connect and improve our chemistry on the dance floor.

We spent the next hour experimenting with different styles, from silly hip-hop moves to exaggerated ballroom steps. At one point, Nicholas tried to dip me but ended up almost falling over, causing both of us to collapse into a fit of laughter. "Okay, maybe we should stick to what we know," I said, still chuckling.

As the practice went on, we found themselves naturally falling into a rhythm, blending our playful energy with genuine skill. By the end, we had created a spontaneous, fun routine that was uniquely ours. "That was awesome," Nicholas said, giving me a high-five. "We should definitely incorporate some of this into our next performance."

I nodded, my eyes sparkling with excitement. "Absolutely. I think we just found our secret ingredient." We left the studio that day feeling closer than ever, our bond strengthened by the joy and laughter we shared.

In the dimly lit rehearsal studio, the music starts, and Nicholas and I begin their routine. The dance is a passionate tango, filled with sharp movements and intense eye contact. From the very first step, there's a palpable energy between us.

My hand rests on Nicholas's shoulder, guiding him through the intricate steps. "Focus on me," I whispers, my voice steady yet filled with an underlying intensity. Nicholas nods, his eyes locked onto mine. With each turn and pivot, our bodies move in perfect sync, the chemistry between us undeniable.

As the music crescendos, the dance becomes more heated. Nicholas surprises me with his newfound confidence, pulling me closer with each step. Our faces are inches apart, and the air between us feels electric. The tension builds, and for a moment, it feels like the world outside the studio fades away.

Suddenly, we stop, breathless and staring into each other's eyes. The room is silent except for our heavy breathing.

Nicholas can feel his heart pounding in his chest, and he knows that this moment is about more than just the dance. It's about the connection they've built, the emotions they've shared, and the undeniable spark that's grown between them.

The lights dimmed in the studio as the announcer introduced Nicholas and me for our performance. The audience fell silent, anticipation hanging in the air. The music began, a slow and haunting melody, setting the stage for our contemporary dance routine.

Nicholas and me stepped onto the floor, our movements fluid and synchronized. From the first lift, it was clear that this dance was something special. Nicholas, usually reserved, moved with a newfound grace and intensity, his eyes never leaving me. I reciprocated, my expressions conveying a depth of emotion that captivated everyone watching.

As the dance progressed, our connection became more evident. Each step, each turn, was executed with precision but also with a raw, unspoken emotion. The choreography told a story of love and longing, and the chemistry between Nicholas and I brought it to life. The audience could feel the intensity, the passion, and the vulnerability in every movement.

Towards the end of the routine, Nicholas lifted me effortlessly, holding me high above his head as the music swelled. The moment was breathtaking, a perfect culmination of their journey together on the show. As the final note played, we ended in a close embrace, our foreheads touching, both breathless and emotional.

The studio erupted in applause, the judges on their feet. Nicholas and we stood there, still holding each other, knowing that this dance was more than just a performance. It was a testament to our hard work, our growing bond, and the feelings that had blossomed between us.

During the wrap up of the show for the week, Nicholas turned to me, his eyes serious. "Y/n, I need to tell you something," he began, his voice soft but steady. "I think... no, I know that I've started to fall for you. It's more than just the dance for me."

I looked at him, my expression a mix of surprise and uncertainty. I took a deep breath before responding, "Nicholas, I think what you're feeling might be because of the intensity of our dances. The emotions, the connection – they can sometimes blur the lines between reality and performance."

Nicholas shook his head, taking my hands in his. "No, y/n, it's not just the dance. It's the way you laugh, the way you care about everyone around you, the way you make me feel like I can be myself. It's everything about you."

My heart raced, but I tried to stay grounded. "Nicholas, we've spent so much time together, it's natural to feel close. But we need to be sure that what we're feeling is real and not just a product of our routines."

He nodded, understanding my caution. "I get that, and I don't want to rush anything. But I needed you to know how I feel. Maybe we can take it slow, see where this goes outside of the studio?"

I smiled softly, appreciating his honesty. "Okay, let's take it one step at a time. We'll figure this out together."

[theminecraftbee]

"You know, I kind of get it now," Gem says to Impulse.

"What?" Impulse says. He's nervously playing with a frozen shard in his hands. Come on, Impulse, head into the dungeon, don't be shy, you can do it. Keep hyping yourself up, you didn't die horribly last time. Ugh, he wishes he were a little less into the game, or maybe more uncomplicatedly addicted, like Gem; it would make everything easier if he thought he could either just leave or play.

"I get it now!" Gem says. "Oh, stop debating if you'll go in like that, either do it or don't."

"I'm trying, Gem!"

"Yeah, but if you aren't gonna do it, I want a go."

"You used all your shards."

"In principle!" Gem says. "It's the principle! You wouldn't get it. You don't hang out here nearly as much as I do. You don't understand, understand the vibes." She sticks out her tongue at him for good measure.

"Well, inform me of the vibes, and maybe I'll work up the nerve," Impulse says.

"It's like--I get it now," she says. "When you were complaining earlier this season about Tango not going outside, I was like, aw man, you redstoners and your caves. I'm a sunshine girl. I like trees. And bloodshed."

"Don't see how those things are related but continue," Impulse says.

"I thought you were complaining because Tango is equally lame as you are about stuff like 'going outside' and 'talking to people who don't drag him into it'," Gem clarifies.

"I go outside!" Impulse says. "I go outside all the time! I ran a rebellion! I pranked you and Pearl! I yelled at Grian! I helped cover the perimeter! I have a whole island and a giant shop! I got a job with Scar! I even went through the Rift! I don't know what you want from me, here. It's not like I'm Tango. I did things that weren't my base from time to time."

"The lady doth protest too much," Gem says.

Impulse sighs. Gem laughs and hops into the air and squeezes herself into a gap between the walls near the entrance to the dungeon. Impulse has seen her in there a lot recently; it's almost like she's a gargoyle, or an inlaid relief for the dungeon. Weird thing to think about his friends, but--

"Besides," Gem continues. "Besides. I just said I get it now."

And something about that makes the hairs on Impulse's arm stand on-end.

"You get why we have to work so hard on circuit design?" Impulse asks hopefully.

"No, I don't get the redstone stuff, that's all still stupid nerd stuff," Gem says cheerfully.

"Jock," Impulse says.

Gem smirks meanly. "Script kiddie."

"Ow, that hurts. And it's not even true. Where did you even learn that one, you just admitted you hate that stuff!"

"Lady never tells her secrets," Gem says.

"Well, if you don't understand the redstone, what do you understand?" Impulse asks.

"Just--you really could stay in here forever, couldn't you? It'd be fun while you did it! I even built a tree and everything. Not much I have to leave for anymore, is there?"

Impulse swallows. Ah.

"Except when you run out of shards," he says, after a painful long several seconds in which there's a rock in his throat and he can't breathe and he has to try very hard to find an excuse to refute that.

"Yeah, except for that. Why did Tango have to go and limit how many times we can go in, huh? If I didn't get bored halfway through the week I think I could just move in!"

And Impulse--

Impulse thinks of Tango.

"Yeah," he says. He plays with the frozen shard in his hands. It feels very cold. "I wonder why."

"So? Are you gonna run or not? I want to mock you when you die," Gem says.

"...I might as well spend them all sooner rather than later," Impulse says, and he puts the shard in the barrel. His heart skips a beat as the door opens. Gem cheers. He shakes his whole body to shake off the conversation as he goes inside. It never does, after all, to try to run the dungeon while distracted.

[w0yxe]

Imagine the past soulmates of the Bad Boys seeing how much their partner has changed this season.

Scar couldn’t care less.

Or atleast that’s what he tries to tell himself. Grian never even loved him in Double Life so why should Scar care how he’s doing? BigB should probably be more confused then him even if Scar knows this entire persona is very out of character for Grian. The alliance probably won’t even last, knowing him he’ll probably betray his allies.

But no matter how much he tries to tell himself that he doesn’t care, he can’t get rid of the feeling that this is the only time Grian has changed his skin in the entire series.

The two full seasons Scar had been with Grian, the latter never switched out of his red sweater but now that Jimmy and Joel have rolled around suddenly he’s in a leather jacket with sunglasses? Occasionally even a suit? He can only feel a little hurt because at the end of the day Grian probably doesn’t care about him anymore…it’s not like hes made an effort to talk.

————————————————————————

Tango doesn’t know how to feel.

This wasn’t his rancher, this wasn’t the ball of sunshine that he knew last season. This guy was…confident? He was bolder and Tango didn’t know if he liked that or not. His Jimmy, his rancher, was sweet and caring, even if he was airheaded at times it was all with their best interest in mind.

Maybe it was just his exterior now but it looked far less friendly than the one Tango knew, jean jacket now replaced with leather and sunglasses permanently covering his shining blue eyes. The oceans eyes that put out Tangos flames of rage in the lowest point of their lives when Scar had burnt down their ranch.

This Jimmy also only seemed to take risks and not care about his own safety, dying twice to pure stupidity and recklessness. It would hurt Tango, like a phantom pain, every time he had to see a death message from “SolidarityGaming” in chat. Especially if it was easily preventable. Especially if it wouldn’t had happened had Tango been with him instead.

————————————————————————

Etho didn’t see a change.

Joel had always been more reckless than the average player. He would mlg off cliffs for crying out loud! His hostile personality also stayed the same although it did come out more being able to fully embrace it with this facade and all. While that personality may have been directed at him (or his cows) sometimes it was nothing Etho couldn’t handle.

Especially with that shoulder cut leather jacket, studs lining the edges of the sleeves and sunglasses that make it look as though he were staring you down whenever you talk to him.

There was a strange feeling in him though, when he heard that he wanted to built on the sea with Jimmy. That feeling only grew when he’d overhear the trio laughing about whatever jokes they’d decide to make.

Joel was also smiling. It’s not like he hadn’t with Etho but the smile Etho knew seemed to hide the truth of “please don’t leave me, I can do these things for you” “I’m worthy of your affection” whereas this one was of pure enjoyment with his team. He just wished he treated Joel better so that instead of only having memories from one season, he would be the one making Joel laugh and smile in this one.

[stitchthesewords]

I'm gonna upload this to ao3 later but I wanted to post this now before its too late! @eydilily happy birthday I wrote some Tangtho based on the art you posted. Warning for smoking and Redstone being treated like an addictive substance.

Redstone buzzed. It was important to know that. Redstone buzzed and when you were surrounded by it for hours on end, it seemed like your head never stopped buzzing. Like somehow the buzzing could form words that would cure all your woes with your latest project. Like they whispered exactly what you needed to do to get the right torch to turn on. Tango was constantly surrounded by redstone.

Sure, it was healthy necessarily, but the server was encompassed by people who didn’t know when to quit working on their projects. Tango wasn’t even the worst of it – Decked Out 2 notwithstanding. But, to be fair, Tango’s new big project was all redstone.

Minecart rails didn’t buzz in the same way! They didn’t buzz at all – which is what Tango told himself when he was down in the bowels of his binary system. Decked Out 2 was loud; this was quiet. This was peaceful, even. Sure, he was still troubleshooting and running into problems every five minutes but it wasn’t like he was down there for days on end. Staring at an observer line as it blinked but didn’t go off correctly for the thousandth time.

Color him shocked when he noticed the fire on his head died down to embers and his back ached in a familiar way. Okay. Okay maybe he needed to move, get some fresh air. See his neighbors. Maybe he had mail!

No mail was to be found but that was fine. It gave him an excuse to stretch his legs beyond the confines of his factory. A quick look at his communicator told him Etho was online and who better to go see – easily within walking distance, a redstone buddy he could complain to. It was the perfect solution. His tail flicked side to side as he thought about just what to say to his good friend. Fire reignited on his head and he even found himself almost buzzing. Just like redstone.

Etho was just…nice to talk to. Different from Impulse or Zed when he wanted to troubleshoot, different from Skizz to hang out with. Something quiet, contemplative. Calm in a way Tango could never hope to be. He liked that about Etho.

His tail sparked as it flicked around when he saw his neighbor outside, working on his landscaping. Perfect! Tango was worried he might be buried in Frogger or something and he’d have to be the one doing the redstone retrievafication. Retrievifying. Whatever. He waved his own clawed hand at himself.

Etho was absorbed in his landscaping, but there was a way to his movements where it was clear he knew someone was watching. Every move of his hands was deliberate, and when he stood up from the dirt, he half turned to smile at Tango.

“That was you! How’s it going buddy?”

Tango grinned. The two of them met somewhere in the middle of Etho’s front yard and exchanged a hug, where Etho visibly scrunched his face under his mask. “You smell like redstone.”

“You act like that’s a bad scent! Ead de Perfume de Tango or however it’s said. If I don’t smell like redstone, that’s when we have a problem.” His sharp teeth glinted in his grin as Etho rolled his eyes and waved Tango inside.

“So, I’m where you decided to take your break?” Etho held the door open for Tango, dodging his sparking tail as he walked past. Tango’s fire didn’t really hurt; it was warm, it produced heat, but it was more like extra voluminous hair. Made of fire. Still, the instinct to didge fire still hadn’t really left the hermits senses.

Etho had his own reasons to be nervous around fire.

“Who better to hang out with than my good buddy good neighbor Etho, huh?” Tango propped himself up on a block, crouched over so he was eye level with Etho and leaning his chin on his hands for balance. “Your house is coming together now that you finished Frogger. Could you imagine if I built a little home after Decked Out?”

Tango laughed a little and Etho’s eyes held a fondness. “You lived in Decked Out – and besides, Frogger is not nearly the same size of a game.” He smacked Tango on the shoulder and laughed as he knocked tango off his feet and spilling onto the floor in a heap of Blazeborn glory. He still offered Tango a hand, pulling him up with enough force he pulled Tango right to his chest. Tango’s hair ignited into an inferno. Etho made a sputtering noise, mouth full of his firehair.

“Sorry.” Tango skittered back, looking anywhere but Etho’s face. He could hear the little, too knowing chuckle pass Etho’s lips and that made him pout, cross his arms. Stomp his foot even a little.

“You are adorable when you pout,” Etho said. He didn’t let it hang in the air for long, walking past Tango towards his back door. “So are you here to troubleshoot the factory or just hang out?”

There was one long glance cast over his shoulder that had Tango scurrying after him in the wake of it, hair dying down back to its normal warm blaze but slowly. Ever since Decked Out 2, but probably before if Tango thought about it too hard, Etho’s voice made him blush. Maybe it was the first Decked Out that did him in. Maybe he’d always been done in.

“Hang out, I suppose. You’ve got a nice little garden, everyone is telling me I need to touch grass. Seems like a win win.” Tango followed Etho without really watching where Etho led them, but soon enough he was greeted to the sounds of the outdoors and the sights of Etho’s landscaping.

It was peaceful in a way a steampunk factory was not and Tango almost felt bad for dotting Etho’s neighborhood with it. Almost. He stretched, feeling his shoulders creak and then pop. Etho leaned on his fence, almost like taking a seat on it but not quite, gaze up towards the roof.

“I need to be able to see the clouds from here, I think. Roof is too solid.,” He said, turning to look at Tango. “Wouldn’t it be nice. Smell the dirt, see the clouds. Get some sun. I feel like everyone is always complaining we both need to do that.”

Tango hung on to Etho’s every word, nodding his head and leaning on his head. “At least you get a nice, unobstructed view of this lake you built,” he said. Etho agreed.

There was a silence, nature playing out its own theater for the two of them to enjoy in each other’s company. Tango spent plenty of time with the hermits this season – at least he felt like he did. People were constantly coming by the factory, he was playing Frogger occasionally. He raided bastions with Skizz and Impulse. He teased Scar. But for the first time he realized he’d missed the company that Decked Out 2 had. Getting a kiss on the forehead for good luck. Sitting in the lobby holding someone’s hand. Everyone sleeping piled together so they could get right back to it in the morning.

Tango’s ears flicked, slightly, and he opened his mouth to say something. What that something might be he wasn’t sure. Every season it was like the hermits had to work their way back up to admitting they missed each other, to sharing kisses and beds again. It felt like they’d only just gotten there in season 9 and now Tango was some kid to scared to admit he had a crush again. He closed his mouth. He opened it again, trying to work around it, when Etho cleared his throat.

He didn’t actually say anything, but the noise threw Tango off as he dug around in his pockets. Tango’s attention was transfixed when he produced two redstone torches and fidgeted with them for a moment. “Do you want one?”

Tango reached over and plucked one from his hand. They were...it was hard to explain. Redstone buzzed, yes, but it could also vaporize. Being surrounded by powered redstone meant you were breathing in time bits of vaporized redstone. Sure it wasn’t good for you, but it was another danger of being a redstoner.

What didn’t help is they often sought it out on their own.

Tango placed the torch in his mouth. It needed to be close to your face if there was only one, something that was just there to dull the itch to get back a redstone project. Etho held his own in his mouth, hand cupped around his face to hide it from view. Like he was embarrassed by it.

Tango felt that need for closeness again and stood up, going to be beside Etho. There was a gentle, bubbling water sound from the lake just before. The rustle of wind. Etho’s...beautiful and scarred face. Without a word, Tango found himself reaching out to cup Etho’s face in his own hand instead.

There was maybe more of a mischievous grin as he pressed the two redstone torches together. Redstone flew off in little sparks, a small cloud of faint red they really only saw because they knew what to look for. Etho chuckled.

There was a moment longer before Tango stood back a bit and, holding the torch in his teeth managed a ‘thank you’ that was...probably coherent. It made Etho chuckle again, a delightful sound that warmed Tango’s whole chest. He took the torch into his hand and Tango’s knuckles to his lips and pressed a kiss there.

Redstone buzzed. So did the feeling of companionship.

[blueishspace]

Looped sun 7

Loop #255

Pearl: What do you mean you spent the last 2 loops redstoning mate?

Mumbo: Grian was better at redstone then me! I couldn't possibly let that stand!

Pearl: Uh huh.

Mumbo: But finally balance is restored.

Pearl: But wasn't it a bit boring? To just do that?

Mumbo: Well I didn't just do that. I built some stuff, got better at it.

Pearl: But?

Mumbo: I guess I was a bit of a spoon. Overdone it... But I don't mind it, I like experimenting with creating machines using redstone! It's fun for me.

Pearl: Hmm... What if you tried to learn other types of redstone?

Mumbo: Other types?

Pearl: You know you have very distinct type of redstone.

Mumbo: Do I?

Pearl: Yeah, maybe you could try to learn other ways of doing redstone. Even of you keep your own style maybe it could be a fun experiment.

Loop #256

Mumbo: Ehm... Zed? Are you home?

Zed: Hello there Mumbo! Came to see my cave of contraptions? It's a bit empty right now but -

Mumbo: Actually I wanted to ask if I could join in?

Zed: Wait, really?

Mumbo: Yeah? It sounded like a fun...way to do some redstone.

Zed: Hmmm I never tought about this happening...hmm, alright!

The dual Mumbo-Zed cave of contraptions ended up being the most interesting base of the season.

Loop #258

Pearl: How do you plan to learn redstone from Tango?

Mumbo: Well... I'll join in decked out!

Pearl: You can't just ...ask him to join in.

Mumbo: No no! I have a plan! I took last loop to learn to play the boardgame version...!

Pearl: ..why?

Mumbo: I'll show you!

Mumbo: Hey Tango, what are you doing here?

Tango: Oh just planning for a new minigame idea.

Mumbo: Oh...same!

Tango: Oh? Do you want to share.

Mumbo: Ehm... do you know the boardgame decked out?

Tango: ... Yeah, I didn't think you would Mumbo!

Mumbo: Was thinking of creating a version of it using redstone.

Tango: No way, that was what I was thinking!

Mumbo: N-no way! We should totally do it together!

Tango: That sounds like a great idea.

Tango: Me and Mumbo are proud to finally show you, Decked Out!

Pearl: ... Mumbo?

Mumbo: Y-yeah?

Pearl: You are...scary good at manipulation.

Mumbo: I am?

Pearl: What do you call that?

Mumbo: Well I...uh

Pearl: Well?

Mumbo: Oh pants.

Loop #259

Grian: Why have you given Mumbo this idea?

Pearl: Because it sound smart at the time mate.

Grian: This is the worst possible timeline.

Pearl: Because Doc and Mumbo have turned Hermitcraft into a redstone nightmare?

Grian: No, because it's a little humid ... Of course It's because of Doc and Mumbo!

Loop #263

This time Grian had started off towards the end of Evo, just in time to go to the end, the plan was simple: Defeat the dragon at record speeds qnd depending on what variant of the watchers it was either join them or tell them off and possibly go sun titan mode on them if they pushed. The plan had lasted 5 seconds until he recognized a familiar mustache on the dragon's snout thing.

Grian: Mumbo!?!?

Mumbo: Hi G... I think It's because of the end crystals back in Last Life.

Grian: Holy... you...

Mumbo: ... Do you think you could stay here? It's a bit lonely here...

Grian: Yeah, of course Mumbo.

Loop #267

Scott opened his eyes to a big room, by the drapery he could tell he was a noble of some kind, looking by how fancy the decor was it was likely some form of royalty. He was also wearing some gloves which was weird considering how warm it was inside. Then he heard two knocks and a voice.

Pearl: Scott? Scott?

Scott: Gem? What's wrong?

Pearl: Do you wanna build a snowman?

And Scott realized exactly were he was.

Scott: I can't believe it.

Pearl: Shut up.

Scott: Gem is Kristoff?

Pearl: I said shut up mate.

Scott: Ah! Never.

Loop #269

Grian: What's with that face? ... What did you loop as last time.

Pearl: Selene.

Grian: The Moon titaness?

Pearl: Yep, you aren't the only that can go titan mode anymore.

Grian: ... If ... If this is linked to our winner titles. And Scar's is the Earth does that mean he is eventually going to end up... looping as Gaia?

Pearl: Oh ... Oh I see what you mean. Yeah that is... Horrific.

Loop #271

Mumbo was an enderman hybrid with amnesia, Scar was a goat hybrid president and Grian was absolutely done with looping into the dsmp. He knows It's because they are both minecraft servers but still...

Loop #272

Mumbo: I don't know mate, are you sure? I never watched tried third life... I'm kinda used to Last Life.

Grian: Ah don't worry you'll do fine!

Mumbo: I... alright, I'll try it.

Grian and Scar had managed to steal the banner when Ren came after them with his army. Mumbo knew they could take care of themselves but he couldn't just...do nothing. It took him seeing the shocked faces of the red army to realize had accidentally shifted to his ender dragon form. At least Scar and Grian looked excited.

Loop #275

Grian woke up in a room he had never seen before... wait. No.

Grian: Scott? Is this another-

Scott: Welcome to the second ever loop proofed escape room!

Grian: ... No.

Scott: Pearl helped built this one.

Gria : No!

Scar: I can't believe it took so long to finish that first room! ... I'm going to be last.

Scott: ... That wasn't the first room.

Scar: What?

Scott: You finished the entire escape room Scar.

Scar: ...

Scott: How does this stuff keep happening?

Loop #277

Grian: I've made a severe and continuous lapse in my judgement.

Mumbo: What did you do?

Grian: In this loops Grumbot and NPG aren't sentient so I tried to merge the npc Grian AI with the Grumbot AI.

Mumbo sounds incredibly pained.

Mumbo: Why?

Grian: I don't know.

Prev Next First

[siblingshuffle]

Day 18! “Portable!”

Lore:

So, it turns out I lied about Tango’s lore not being any different :P

I realized that him being a support for Blues still would change him a little, because BLUES is changed a little. So here’s why Tango is the Art of the Day: if Tango was built with Blues in mind and Blues isn’t a fighting robot in this au, then Tango must’ve been built to support him some other way, and with Blues’s biggest personal issue being his core is still dysfunctional, I had the idea that maybe Tango has 2 cores - one he runs on, and one that is used exclusively to power a portable charger.

Blues found this out after not charging well one night and Tango kinda leaping into his arms that morning. Blues, being a cat person, of course gave Tango a bunch of love and attention, when he suddenly noticed his power - which was at like a high 50% at most - was now at 70%.

Now I want you to imagine Blues entering the lab and holding a still-purring Tango up and being like “Dad, what the heck did you put in my cat” & Dr. Light just going “…I guess that means you didn't sleep well?”

[gtwscratch]

Homesick

Summary: Tango misses Jimmy, and Skizz hypes him up (set in Secret Life)

CW: None!

Word count: 1,042

(Sorry not sorry about the Flower Husbands slander-)

========================

“Your rancher?”

Tango stops his small tangent as Skizz interrupts him with the question, sitting on a chest. He feels his cheeks heat up a little bit in embarrassment.

“Oh, yeah, um,” Tango scratches the back of his neck nervously. “Remember when you missed a round of the death games?“

“Yeah, I think Impulse said that you guys were, like, soulbound to another person on the server? Your health bar was connected or something?”

Tango nods. “Yeah, that sums it up. Well, I was.. um.. bound to Jimmy. We built a ranch and called ourselves ‘The Ranchers.’ We.. didn’t make it too far. Canary Curse and all that. That’s what he called it at least.”

He looks to the ground, glancing up every so often as he waits for laughter, or teasing, or just some kind of reaction from Skizz.

“Was he good to you?” Skizz asks the question with complete sincerity, and of course that’s the first thing he asks. It’s just a very ‘Skizz’ response.

While it’s not out of character for Skizz to be nonjudgemental, it’s still a relief to Tango, and he lets out a small breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

Skizz waits a few moments before prompting him again. “Well, was he?”

Tango nearly scoffs, a soft smile on his face. “He wasn’t just good to me.”

Memories from the ranch flash through his head. He remembers the reassurance that Jimmy gave him when he had gotten them both blown up in the first session. He remembers Jimmy bringing home some of their first cows and the excitement they shared. He remembers Jimmy calming him down when the ranch first burned down. He remembers finding RR, and—despite Jimmy’s hesitancy—bringing him onto the ranch and raising him as their own. He remembers Jimmy’s laughter, his smile, how his feathers looked golden when the light hit them just right. He remembers waking up to a wing or an arm wrapped around him, holding him close. He remembers never wanting to leave the ranch—never wanting to leave Jimmy.

His smile falters, also remembers not getting to give him a proper goodbye.

“He was.. everything.”

If Tango wasn’t so caught up in his head at the moment, he would’ve realized how cheesy he sounded and gotten thoroughly embarrassed. It’s not that he thinks Skizz is going to give him trouble (maybe he’d give Tango just a little bit of crap about it, but they’re bros, so it’s fine). Tango’s just not used to being so open about how much he misses life on the ranch. He glances away from Skizz, clearing his throat.

“But that’s all in the past now,” he quickly adds on.

“But you don’t want it to be,” Skizz points out just as quickly, and Tango can feel his cheeks burn a little.

“Well.. yeah, of course I don’t. It was fun.”

He was fun.

“And you’re still down bad for him,” Skizz smirks. Aaand there the teasing is. It causes Tango to blush a little more.

“Yeah, obviously,” Tango rolls his eyes.

“Then I guess there’s only one thing to do,” Skizz decides, standing up. “We’ve gotta get you your rancher back.”

“Wait, what??” Tango’s tail flicks to the side as he looks to Skizz with wide eyes. “What in the void do you mean?”

“What do you mean ‘what do I mean?’ We’re going to convince Jimmy to join us, and then you guys can get back together.” Skizz says it so nonchalantly, like it’s common sense.

This time, Tango does scoff. “Yeah, like it’s gonna be that easy.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Skizz crosses his arms and tilts his head to the side slightly, mildly confused.

“Because it’s just not,” Tango says, a snippy edge to his tone.

Skizz seems unbothered by Tango’s quickly-rising temper. “That’s not an answer. You literally just said you’d want to team with him, but now you don’t want to? What’s up, Tango? You can talk to me, man.”

The flames in Tango’s hair and on the end of his tail flare a bit, but only for a quick moment. “What if he doesn’t-..!” He takes a second, balling his fists against his sides. Tango takes a few breaths before continuing, his voice a lot quieter than it had been before. “What if.. he doesn’t want me back anymore?”

Skizz’s expression softens lightly, and he takes a few steps forward, putting a hand on Tango’s shoulder. “That’s ridiculous. Why wouldn’t he?”

Tango sighs. “I know he and Scott were a thing the first time we did all this.. And he’s always going after Jimmy in these games. Well, except for the third game.. I think.” He pauses. “He seems really determined to get Jimmy back.”

“And? Jimmy’s never said yes to him,” Skizz says, sounding very sure of the statement.

“Well, yeah, but-“

Skizz is quick to interrupt Tango. “Ah! No buts, mister! You’re going to be quiet and listen to what I have to say before you try to argue with me, okay?”

Tango gives him a small nod, and Skizz continues. “If Jimmy’s not saying yes to Scott’s advances, it means he’s saying no. Just because Scott wants to get back together with him doesn’t mean Jimmy wants the same. Relationships—romantic or not—work two ways, and from what I’m hearing, this is a one-sided relationship.

“So, you still have a chance, my friend.” Skizz gives Tango a reassuring smile. “And, between me and you, you and Jimmy sound like you make a way cuter couple than Jimmy and Scott were.”

Tango chuckles at that, and Skizz gives him a genuine smile. “Really, Tango—you should shoot your shot with him. You sound like you were really happy with him.”

Tango smiles back. “Yeah, I was..” His smile turns into a smirk. “And you’re right—Jimmy and I are a much better couple than he and Scott ever were.”

“Of course I’m right!” He gives Tango’s shoulder a light squeeze. “Now! Shall we go find Jimmy and ask him to join us?”

Tango has no idea why Skizz asked him that because the man is already walking towards the island’s shore. He just shakes his head and sighs softly, smiling. “Alright, alright. Let’s go get him.”

=====================================

I hope you all enjoyed! There are more one shots on the way!! :DDD

[canarydarity]

Do you ever think about how mczu tango tried to build them somewhere safe but instead he built them a home and how those aren’t synonyms anymore in this world and so it wasn’t enough. Haha :)) I’ve only been awake for half an hour

[aquinnix]

Team Ranchers Week - Fire and Ice

Fire. 

That’s the word anyone who knew him would use to describe Tango. It encompassed his physicality, flame tips for hair that danced and crackled against his scalp, skin that was always just a few degrees below boiling, crimson eyes that flickered and glowed. It described the clothes he wore, always a mix of bright red and ash grey. But most of all, it described who he was, how he acted, how he felt. Tango was passionate, quick to latch on and consume. Quick to react, to light up and lose control. Quick to burn. 

Tango was fire. In every sense of the word, in every aspect of himself. 

Jimmy was afraid of fire. 

It had taken one too many homes from him. It had destroyed everything he had built and come to love. Fire was dangerous. Fire hurt people, people Jimmy cared about. Fire left burns and scars on his skin that still hurt if he looked at them too long. It was better to stay away, not to take that chance, snuff it out before it had a chance to grow and cause so much pain. Kill it before it could kill. 

In a way, Jimmy was ice. 

It encompassed his physicality, sharp blueish brown eyes, pale skin that was often cold to the touch. It described the clothes he wore, shades of light blue and white. But most of all, it described who he was, how he acted, how he felt. Jimmy held his cards close to his chest, hesitant to let anyone in, to give himself another thing to lose. Hesitant to assume anyone truly cared about him. Hesitant to truly trust. 

Yet here they stood, looking at each other with those mismatched eyes, without choice. But the way Tango apologized, there wasn’t that undertone of sarcasm, he wasn’t stifling a giggle. As much as Jimmy hesitated to believe it, Tango was genuine. Tango cared. Fire cared. 

Maybe fire didn’t have to burn, only melt. 

[cj-the-random-artist]

I finished it!! As promised, the Jimmy Gets Cursed comic. Except it took more of a turn for "thinking about life and how things can go in a completely different direction than you think they will and you can miss the life you had but still love the one you have" or something. Maybe at some point I'll go back and make a comic going more into detail about this particular curse that Jimmy picked up, because it's probably lingering post the unicorn-cleansing ritual. Oh, and Tango and Jimmy have a unicorn on the ranch, his name is Revenge and he's the sweetest ever.

Also!! The travelling merchants- Scott and Owen Orangejuice!! Scott and Jimmy, as is probably evident, knew each other at one point- and since I don't want to make this caption eternally long I'll save that for another post or maybe an ask for smth idk. But anyways!! You lovelies get Ranchers and Flower Husbands, apparently.

As for the comic- I know this isn't exactly what I said it would be, it's a bit shorter, the pacing isn't perfect, and there's a few big gaps between bits of story but I put too much work into it to not post it so y'all get to have it. Also, despite the fact that the backgrounds are still kind of lacking, I think they're better than they were before. I made some custom brushes for background elements and I built the ranch in minecraft to use as a reference, so some of this is better lol.

Anyways!! Enjoy whatever this is lol :D

[cattimeswithjellie]

I was thinking about The Tunnel Bore Incident. Because by the time they blew it up, Doc already had more diamonds than he'd need for the rest of the season twice over. And I had this idea about what Doc might have actually said to Grian and Scar. I feel like he would probably have taken them into a Discord call, and told them quite plainly: "I built a gigantic, intricate redstone contraption, and you two managed to cause a chain reaction that blew the entire thing to pieces. Luckily for you both, it was no longer strictly necessary. In any case: You owe me." And then he would Pause Dramatically. "So as payment, you and I shall spend the next little while making Content out of this catastrophe."

Something like that.

This would definitely be on-brand for Doc, who derived a great deal of evil joy at the beginning of the season explaining on Twitter exactly how dead Joe Hills was going to be for stealing the live shulker he left at spawn, only to wind up giving Joe another shulker so that he would still have a pet shulker at his base (and then never building a shulker farm of his own and leaving the reclaimed shulker at spawn for another year.)

The thing is, some people got very scared and worked up over both these incidents because for one, maybe they have trauma from other SMPs in the past they don't understand that all the Hermits are adults, professionals, and most importantly colleagues who all have a vested interest in the world they are creating together. Much like in the Life Series, nothing goes in front of the audience that the creators are not okay with. We know that the Hermits don't always agree on things, but we also know that they keep their disagreements private and settle them behind the scenes.

In both these cases there was an injury to Doc, from Joe when he played a prank that was far more difficult to fix than he intended it to be (Joe has a surprising natural aptitude for the horrendous task of moving live shulkers around), and Scar and Grian obviously for blowing up a massive piece of machinery. Joe has a lot of anxiety about prank wars because he's had problems with them in the past, so the dispute was settled quickly with the return of the purloined mob and, despite Doc's Twitter bluster, with minimal impact. Scar and Grian, on the other hand, love prank wars and escalation, so rather than grabbing a Litematica schematic and fixing the machine (or begging Impulse, Tango or Xisuma to do it for them) they compensated Doc for the loss with three or four episodes of highly entertaining content and an excuse to put his highly-trained supervillain mind to work.

Honestly, Doc is one of my favorite content creators on the server because he has this dichotomy to him, where on the one hand he _loves_ building death robots and war machines and turning the power of the Hivemind towards ever-escalating retaliations, while on the other hand he loves making artwork and pretending his slimes are tomatoes. He clearly has a lot of affection and respect for his fellow creators, and it's very funny to watch him feigning rage and annoyance when he'd rather be charmed by Scarland and all the balloons and cat ears he got from it. Most Hermits need the occasional all-out Server War for enrichment purposes, but nobody (except possibly Grian) gets as much enjoyment from them as Doc. He's so great.

[theminecraftbee]

With a new season coming. I'm very curious what Tango is going to do in season 10. Like 99% of season 9 was devoted to DO2. Like surely he's going to do other stuff in S10 and not make another humongous game.

(That's for S11 lmao)

luckily, we have other seasons to look at to tell us: probably some zany redstone contraptions (zany in a tango way, not in a zedaph way; toon towers has some great examples), he's talked about being interested in building an autocrafter factory (ALTHOUGH HE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE), general tomfoolery. and hey, maybe he also builds a rather smaller game; it wouldn't be the FIRST time he goes off of one big redstone game to make another hi season seven did you know he built functioning among us in the exact same season he built decked out the original that was a thing that happened. there's PLENTY of fantastic tango content to come! if you never watched him before decked out 2 lemme tell you he does LOTS of things that are not decked out also.

at the same time yes i imagine tango is ALSO feeling "oh wow it's done. wait. what the hell do i do with my life now,"

[days-until-burnout]

*cough cough* the TCG cards *ahem cough* whatever the heck is going on with their TCG cards *sneeze*

this ask was from august 8. not my earliest req but damn. damn. _____

📧🎨 Day 87 -

Characters - Etho + Joel Words - 557 Time - 20 mins Content - Hermitcraft

As soon as Joel heard leaves and twigs snapping under someone's boots, he dashed up from where he sat, brush still in hand with paint flying in every direction. He had a stupid big grin on his face, and he could feel the dry paint on his face chipping off as his smile widened.

"Eefo!"

"Oh-hoho, no, no, don't you dare get any closer," Etho laughed, staggering back playfully as his eyes jumped from brush to Joel's face. He smiled under the mask when Joel beamed at him. "Whatcha painting?"

"Banners," Joel chirped, whipping around to pick up a red-border banner, holding it up proudly for Etho see. The paint was not completely dry, still dripping slightly on the ends of the strokes—and it was obvious too that they were not English letters. He turned it to himself, tilting his head as he spoke softly. "It's messy still but I'm trying. I'll probably wipe these later. Just trying to get a hang of it for now."

Etho nodded, lightly tugging at the collar of his shirt. "It's not bad. A little shaky and uneven, but not bad."

Joel tilted his head in the other direction, and Etho could not help thinking of him like a dog. He chuckled when he noticed the splatters of paint on his face and fair, neon colors against the warm skin and stark darks of brown hairs and vibrant streak of green. Leisurely, cherry petals rained around them, prompting him to look around at the new area.

In a matter of a couple days, Joel had built up a whole new section with trees and a pond, rocks and boulders and greenery. He shifted his weight onto his right leg, remembering why he was there in the first place.

There was mail for Joel, a handful letters and a couple of books from an anonymous sender. Etho asked about it, but Pearl and Tango only shrugged, neither knowing who it had been. Asking other hermits would have been too troublesome and a tad obvious, so he refrained. Maybe Joel would tell him.

Well, he was certain Joel would tell him if he asked—boasting about it probably, claiming he was jealous or something.

When he made up his mind, he looked back at Joel. In a second, a fleeting touch on his heart like a petal brushing against his cheek, he was frozen.

Joel left the banner against his arm, clumsily painting strokes that curved against his arm. The banner bent and curved with pressure, with gravity too, but Joel stubbornly continued. He stuck his tongue out slightly as he smiled, paint on his face and his clothes, and he looked absolutely thrilled and happy and like nothing could ever bring him down.

Etho thought about it.

The decision was easy, much too easy really. With no hesitation or another second to think about it, Etho put himself in painted-by-Joel range—close, enough to see the pink dusted on his face from the heat, the lines of dry paint, the bright fire in his eyes.

It did not take long either, for both of their chores to be ditched. And it took less time than anticipated before Etho was a colorful mess like Joel, both of them laughing as they rolled on the grass.

Oh well, paint could be washed off.

_____

fun fact: i freaked out about these two images when i first saw them. and my first thought was that they're interacting. but while writing this, i realized a couple things. mostly locations AND JUST NOW, WHILE WRITING THIS, I JUST NOTICED THE GLOWING SQUID LMAO. anyways i wont bore yall with my thoughts longer