#acolorbloom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It’s kind of obvious to the rest of the hermits at this point.

All the late nights spent together, chatting and looking at the stars, the way Tango reacts when anyone hurts Etho, when one is down the other just goes and holds the hurt one gently… Tango just wishes he could say the words, but he doesn’t know how.

He just wants to say “I love you”, but everytime he tries, the words get stuck in his throat.

He just wonders if Etho feels the same thing.

It hurts that none of their mutual friends seem able to tell, either. Tango doesn't think they'd lie to him - at this point his pining is getting pathetic. Etho has already held his thoughts and emotions close to his chest. Tango's worked with him on projects often enough! He's great at providing feedback, analytical in the way he takes things apart to make them better.

Tango just wishes he was more obvious, maybe. He doesn't want to shoot his shot and ruin their entire friendship group. So, he does the logical thing. He takes Etho's lack of reaction as a no. There'd be signs by now. Tango knows it.

He cuts back on the time he spends bothering Etho, and that should be the end of it. If Etho didn't search his out after, confused why Tango suddenly ditched him. He thought their dates were going well, and Etho's sorry if he's been moving too slowly, he was taking Tango's lead and he's never been somebody who's quick to show affection-

Tango gets him to start from the start. You know, the point Etho apparently already thought they were dating. Etho blinks, because what else were they doing? Tango was so nervous to ask him the first time, so he just thought...

Even though it gets matted because of the snow and that’s why, afterwards, they take a hot bath and curl up together next to a fire with mugs of hot chocolate.

If they're out too long, it can freeze in their undercoats, scratching up their skin. Thankfully, Ren adores caring for Doc, and Doc insists that means caring for himself too. If they're in a rush, they'll still make time to sit and brush through each other's fur, dislodging anything that might cause pain. But baths are the best part.

They stretch on and on for miles under the earth, corridors upon corridors of frozen memories, lost in time.

Tango knows them like his own ten fingers. He has been stuck there for years. Ever since that research expedition gone wrong.

Pearl,Zedaph,Doc,Etho,Ren. All gone. He was the only one that survived.

He knows how to find food, how to avoid the dangers. He looks at the photograph he keeps in his pocket. A tear drop falls from his eye as he looks at himself in the picture. So happy,exited to do something in the name of good science. He misses the warm laughter of his friends. He misses the sun.

A noise snaps him out of it. His ears perk up, realising that the noise came from nearby. Then he looks down at his feet. There’s a footprint. It’s not a ravager’s or his own. It’s a bird’s. His breath gets caught in his throat.

“Hello?” A voice calls

Tango looks around, and finds that in one of the spaces under him there’s an avian. He’s blond, and his wings are a warm yellow, contrasting the cold blue ice.

“Hello!” Tango calls back, flinching at how rusty he sounds. He hadn’t spoken to anyone in so long. “Give me a moment!”

He jumps down, making the avian yelp. “It’s okay! I won’t hurt you” he said.

“You live here?” The avian asked

“Kinda” Tango chuckled sadly “I was from a research expedition. And it kind of went south”

“Oh.” The avian nodded “I just fell into the entrance by accident while looking for a lost cow and then it closed and now I’m stuck”

“I’m Tango, by the way”

“I’m Jimmy”

“Nice to meet you. Now let’s try to get us out of this hell”

—-

And so, they became friends. Tango taught Jimmy how to survive, everything he learned himself. Jimmy was thankfully a fast learner, and revealed that he was from a place called “Empiria”, and that he was the local so called sheriff, and that he had a sister, Lizzie.

Tango liked having company. After so many years, it felt so good.

He told Jimmy his story. He cried.Jimmy didn’t judge him. He just held Tango closer.

Then there was the feather. Jimmy said it was a tradition, but didn’t explain further. He just plucked out one of his feathers and tied it to a rope and gave it to Tango. Tango accepted the gift.

——

And they found an exit. It was a nether portal.

“I think you can find your way from here” Tango said “you go through the portal and fly as fast as you can”

“Aren’t you coming?” Jimmy’s voice trembled slightly

Tango paused. He looked into Jimmy’s chocolate brown eyes

“I don’t think the tunnels will let me go. I mean, look at me, I’m not myself anymore.” He pointed at his hair, blue with frost, and his now pale bluish purple eyes.

“I don’t care. I want you to be free as well.” There were now tears in Jimmy’s eyes.

Tango put a hand on Jimmy’s cheek, pulled him close.

It was a sad, sweet kiss.

“Go.” Tango whispered, now crying as well “Please.”

Jimmy hugged him one last time.

Then he went trough.

Tango just watched for a few seconds. Then, shrugging off his coat, jumped in as well.

The spirits watched them in silence, disappearing with relief, finally capable of moving on.

In that split second of emptiness in the space Jimmy once filled, Tango realised: 'what does he have to lose?' His friends are gone. He's hardly living down in the tunnels.

With Jimmy, he felt emotions he thought he'd never feel again. He was actually living, not just focused on his survival. Sure, it had been harder fending for the two of them instead of him alone, but it was worth the effort.

Why shouldn't be take this risk? He never used to be afraid of them before. (That's how he got into this mess after all.)

He doesn't feel the comforting blanket of spirits over his shoulders, protecting him from the tunnels as he leaves. He doesn't need to. He'll always carry them with him.

He should've known Jimmy wouldn't take his advice too. He's still standing before the portal, staring at it like he's mourning. He startles when Tango steps out. Then gasps. Then flings his arms around him in a hug.

Both lost them and blamed themselves for it

Luckily they found solace and comfort in each other and managed to talk about everything

Eventually they fell in love

None of them realised how much it would tear at them to lose their soulmates. Cleo and Pearl never really got along with those. The betrayal Ren suffered eased the loss. But Tango and Etho...

Theirs were just gone. There was nothing left of them - no momentos, no way to contact them, no... No nothing. Just an empty space where someone used to fit.

Cub has never thought of himself as a big deal. He's trained to be a knight since he was young. Coming from a poor family, there weren't many other options for him to support them, even if his heart had always been in science and studies.

Cub thinks of himself as an ordinary, normal person.

So he wishes his boyfriend would stop singing songs about him in the local taverns. It's not like any of what Joe says is a lie. Some embellishments, but it's all technically true. But now the entire village recognises him and wishes his relationship well! He does get free drinks sometime, which he appreciates.

Luckily his boyfriend Etho made him a pair of round red glasses from molten redstone dust, and Tango could not be more grateful

(Plus the glasses also glow when near redstone torches, which makes them useful while building contraptions but also to prank others when they are working on their own projects!)

Etho made his own cybernetic eye, so Tango could trust him with a pair of glasses (as if Tango wouldn't trust him with his life.)

Tango's favourite trick, though, is to wear them in the middle of the night and scare whoever happens to see him. It's great! And it even has Etho wondering what he unleashed on the world.