#twomuchgrian

Wait, THAT'S the guy Etho settled for!?

Team Jade Jaguars is the only team in the Competitive Camera league with a team of 4 cam accounts instead of 5. Everyone's been whispering about their player-born. Seriously, their team's tag started trending when the season began. That was weeks ago, and only rarely has it slipped from the upper spots. Half a dozen articles keep circling the portal hub like lions waiting for a kill. Even Pig knows that, and he gets most of his news secondhand from the rest of the team.

Wait their 5th slotter isn't even a camera?

"Guys, ignore them," TwoMuchGrian said the first time they passed a news page pinned up in town square. "They're just trying to get in our heads." And Two's team captain, so Pig did exactly that. They'd just finished their second practice, all of them with pixels sticking up funny and exhaustion dripping like raindrops from their code. Two praised all of them, even though Pig had a very bad fall and missed catching one of the best crossbow shots Joel's ever had. It didn't matter. Two insisted they all did phenomenal this early in the season. He took the whole team out for hot chocolate and sorbet.

😂😂 Bruh I'm crying WHAT? Who the hell is THAT???

Today is game day. The locker room bustles with chatter and banging iron doors. The room's had a makeover since last year. They've got lanterns instead of torches to light this place up now and their jaguar face logo snarls in triumph from a sea of gray carpet.

Are they tanking on purpose or something?

"Hey, Pig!" Two calls, jogging up behind him, and Pig turns his head. Two's not even changed yet, still sporting the tie-dye T-shirt he's almost always dressed in. His flower-spotted headband keeps slipping over his eyes. He pushes it up with one hand, tossing Pig a jade green jersey with the other. Pig catches it on one finger. Two's grin is crooked, but no less genuine than it ever is. "There ya go! I'm so sorry we cut it so close. I actually feel awful, but hey… we finally got your new shirt in!"

Ngl I can't follow the Jaguars' logic here. They know he's Etho, right? His sign-ups must have been a mile long

Pig flips the jersey around, searching for his name. The familiar number 8 blazes strong and proud on the back. Above it, in smaller print, is his current username: PiglinMyNose. It wouldn't have been a big deal to play the first match with last season's jersey, but… It's nice to shed the final tie to his old identity. LazyBeans26 is a guy of the past. "Pig" is a far more comfortable nickname than "Lazy" ever was.

This I have to see

He hugs the jersey to his chest. "No way! Two, you're the best… See? This man!" He punches him in the shoulder; Two flashes briefly red. "I knew you'd come through for me!"

Like I'm all for a player joining the team if they want, but they pair him with ETHO?

Two hums in approval, fluttering his wings. It's so weird to see Two off spectator mode. When he's not translucent, you really get an appreciation for the deep blue and bright gold feathers he's flaunting. Pig casts a glance or two over his shoulder as Two walks away, calling out to PearlescentMoo on the far side of the locker room. Dang. Two's been putting in hours at the gym even outside their practice time. That's undeniable. Those are good looking shoulder blades. He can probably even lift a llama on a lead with muscle tone like that.

Glad he's on MY team… If we're going up against the Sharks, we need every edge we can get.

lmao I love how #Jade Jaguars has been trending for a month xD

Sniff sits on the center bench, his face pressed in his hands. Pig keeps a mirror on his locker door. He checks it every couple seconds as he sheds his jacket and wriggles from his shirt. It takes another two minutes to unclip all his necklaces and drizzle them in the locket basket. Then he pries off his rings. They drop on the necklace heap with a clatter. Probably shouldn't have worn all the jewelry today, but hey… They're his good luck charms. He always has his necklaces.

Does this mean we're never going to see an Etho/EthoCam team-up? 😢

Sniff moves his hands to the back of his neck, fingers bent as though they're claws.

See the most frustrating thing is that it's not like he's played before. He's still a new account. It's not even skill that got him in good w/ Etho. Etho's only with him b/c he looks like Joel. They're Boat Boy baiting for hype :/

The new jersey smells like cedar wood. Pig's never seen a cedar tree in his life, but somehow… He can tell. He holds it to his nose, breathing in the scent of fresh-cut shavings. In truth? It still feels warm from the printer, even though that must have been weeks ago. It's a sign of a good season, that. When he slips the jersey on, it fits perfectly, like a life vest.

Like… idk. I'm not saying I know for sure or anything, but it feels like there's some kind of nepotism thing going on behind the scenes.

Their first game of the season doesn't promise to be easy. Team Cerise Sharks isn't known for their mercy. BadTimeWithScar is team captain, and Two's been reviewing old footage since the match-up was announced. BadTime always brings out Two's competitive overdrive. Two sees scarlet every time. Pig spent all of last night on Two's bed, preening his wings and chatting about this and that while Two stared (glaze-eyed) at match after match on his comm screen. He needs new chew blocks; he's gnawed through most of them and his rope tug.

I should get him a care package. He'd like to be fawned over this week, I reckon.

Oh, their relationship gets skewed badly in a one-sided way when the tournament is live. It's like Two always says: Captain Two is not your friend. But he always makes up for it. Two's an overly affectionate pest between seasons, pushy and playful, and Pig falls head over heels for him every time. One evening with Two gripping his wrists like handcuffs and teasing raspberries at his cheek is worth a million tournament nights, at least.

BadTime's not even the only one to worry about. The Sharks are rocking a strong roster this season, featuring AriesEva, WellsGlazes, HumanCleo and ImpulseCam. Last year, iCam went home with the title of Top Scoring Player overall… a fact that TangoCam has never shut up about. Pig glances three lockers down. Tea is seething, staring at the half dozen carefully compiled images of his long-time rival taped inside his locker door. He does the whole "anime glasses" thing, pressing his glasses up every time they slip down.

Etho

Self-Taught Programmer

Full-Time Hero

💚  💛  ❤️

Etho doesn’t make a habit of frequenting Jimmy’s parties. Tango’s? Sure; he loves the guy. Tango knows how to play him like a note block, hitting all his greedy keys and collector’s instincts. Tango deals cards of his own making. He customizes every party like a snare. And he themes his snacks; that man does not cut corners. Which isn’t a slight at Jimmy; no, no, no! It’s just…

… My line of work never lends itself to drinking. Especially on nights like tonight. Oh boy. He’s got a whole lot of work to do. As he and PiglinMyNose approach the card shop, Etho pulls the communicator from his pocket and glances at the screen. Right, okay. Three things to note here:

One full Overworld day/night cycle has passed since Joel’s vessel started disintegrating.

He gets twelve before the Between dimension kicks him to his original soul spawner. If it’s still standing. It needs to be standing; Etho’s hearts can’t take another strand of pressure.

Three hours is not a lot of time to do the aforementioned ‘a whole lot of work.’

Well, this is why they think I pull off miracles. He’s never failed before… in a way that anyone would hold against him. But as they climb the outdoor stairs towards the roof of the card shop, Etho… presses his tongue against the inside of his cheek. So, Pig bailed. If I don’t find a new model, I’m dead in the water. Then Joel’s going back to spawn town.

Yeah. Because he totally wants to be the one to tell Lizzie her husband isn’t coming home.

Etho’s comm is still glowing blue. His screen displays a pulsing infinity sign, indicating his player’s still online (definitely fiddling around on the single-player). All the block updates are logged to the world file and since he’s playing solo, Etho technically doesn’t need to be there… though his neck twitches instinctively in that direction, and in his newbie days he definitely couldn’t have broken the pathfinding pull. That’s one of the benefits of dedicating your whole life to a couple single-player series, actually. Once you’ve been around long enough, you’ve got a system. You get a feel for when it’s okay to step away without everything crashing down.

But time ticks regardless. Once he passes into sunset hour, the screen in his hand will glow orange. And when it hits green… Well.

That’s phantom hour. And no one ever makes it to the end of phantom hour.

Correction: One person has. But that’s because Martyn pushes himself farther than his body can handle for the sake of his newest partner in crime. He’s stupid soft on them. Not Etho’s business; just a rumor he heard floating between Pearl and BigB a couple months ago.

Anyways. Yeah, he’s got time to be here. When the big boss logs out, the infinity sign will click over to a timer and start ticking down. Etho’s an oldie; he’s built up his stamina and he can last in Between longer than most. Maybe… six hours without a break? That sounds right these days. He’s pulled multi-play sessions before, and though they leave him exhausted, he’ll do it again. He’ll do it a thousand times for no one but himself. It’s relaxing, honestly. No one can need you when you’re the only one in the friend group left awake.

“Pig, can I see your comm?”

Piggy Boy moves like he wants everyone to know he’s a newbie, loud and clear. His mismatched shoes smack on every step. Jimmy always hosts his parties in the rooftop garden of Beef’s card shop and Pig skirts back and forth, peering over the stairs. They’re nice stairs; Scott put a lot of thought into picking a stone design that isn’t slippery. Pig leans so far that he drips blue slime droplets on the road below. He stares for a few seconds, then seems to register the question. His comm’s on his wrist. He extends his arm towards Etho without looking over. Etho glances at the screen. The timer’s steadily pulsing, orange glow undeniable.

I guess that makes sense. He’s Joel’s camera account… and Joel’s player would’ve been kicked when his vessel broke apart. That’s probably what this whole thing translates to in the outside land. A weird bug. Another glitch in the system. Overheated device, maybe. Nothing a little turning things on and off again won’t fix. Thoughts and prayers. Give it time.

Etho blinks, quietly, and tries not to envy Watcher Joel.

“Oh! Oh, what in the world? Dude, I’ve never actually seen the clock tower before! Any other day, I’d just go straight home. Sniff’s so fussy when I’m late; he’s just one of those silly gooses.”

“Pig, come on,” Etho calls softly. “Let’s keep it moving. You’re gonna drip all over the stairs. Let’s keep moving, okay?”

Pig bobs his head and sprints up the rest of the stairs to the garden. Oh boy. Etho keeps right on his heels. There’s chatter, but it’s pretty mild at this time of afternoon. Even with the break they took after the server glitch, Grian still let them out early and Jimmy’s got a couple hours to go before game night starts. As Etho crests the final step, he spots the canary-winged man hanging up a little ‘Welcome’ banner, chatting with BigB and Tango. Tango’s really into it, making wild arm gestures. His flicking tail could knock the feathers off a chicken. BigB sits on the railing with his moth wings twitching, glancing back like he’s watching for someone to pass through the streets below. And Impulse stands on Tango’s other side, rubbing his eyes with intent to kill. Geez. Somebody squirt hot sauce in them or something?

None of them pay any attention to the two newcomers at the top of the stairs. Bdubs and Martyn, however, snap around like they’ve been shot. They abandon the azalea they were looking at so fast, it’s like they were waiting for an excuse. Ah. They can smell Pig’s invisible sync cord ticking down through sunset hour. It’s what phantom hybrids do.

“Heeeey, gorgeous,” Bdubs crows, ducking forward. He keeps his hands clasped behind his back, his mossy cloak swishing like a cape behind him. Now that they’re off the Dog’s Life server, Bdubs isn’t using his battered, bruised skin anymore. His smile could sink a sandstorm. There’s light and dancing in his sugar-brown eyes, and Etho wraps a warning arm around Pig’s shoulders. Bdubs ticks his tongue and veers away at a slant. “You’re off spectator for the evening, huh? I see how it is! Well, you’re in luck. It’s party time tonight and you’re in the best part of town!”

Pig, oblivious, smiles back at him. “There he is! Well, hello there! And yeah, I’m doing fantastic, actually; we love to see it.”

Jimmy’s distant voice trails off. He turns. Etho catches one split-second of shock before Martyn’s head blocks his view. Martyn straightens, poised as though presenting himself before a king, with a glass of sparkling cyan balanced in his hand. “Aww, it’s baby’s first corporeal night, then? Come get a drink, Pig! It is ‘Pig,’ right? We’ve got 1s.”

“What’s 1s?” Pig asks, absently brushing Etho’s arm from his shoulder. Etho presses his lips together, but doesn’t replace it. He steps to the side, a little closer to Bdubs.

“You know! Numbers!” Martyn thrusts his glass in the air. The binary code sloshes around inside. “It’s the blue one. Tastes a bit like sushi and a li’l like chocolate. Give it a sip, if you’re up for it. You might like it. Though it’s a little flat this time of eve, if I’m honest… It’ll perk up once the night gets rolling.”

Pig reaches for Martyn’s glass, which sends Martyn backpedaling and spluttering, telling him to keep his mitts off and go fetch his own. Etho winces.

“Pig, you might wanna stick to 0s…”

“I want a glass of 1s,” he says, pushing forward, and Martyn, beaming, swings an arm around Pig’s neck.

“Well, you heard the guy! He maxes out experience points tonight. Let’s get him his 1s!”