blockpeople studies

Hi people, I'm Lani (she/her, adult) and this is my sideblog about Minecraft Youtube. You can find my other stuff @lan1fer.

Hermitcraft is my comfort show and here is where I put my thoughts on blockpeople behaviour. I also follow the Life Series.

I like to do character studies for fun and fanfiction purposes. I enjoy a good ship for the sake of it, mostly ethubs and smallidarity, and I endorse rpf. I am also often wrong.

If you are a mcyt creator or affiliated with one, please leave. This blog is not for you and I have no desire to share it with you.

Here is the tag list for the blog, filter and search to your heart's content! -> I think you should check out #my writing or #blockpeople studies

Feel free to drop me an ask, I'd love to talk to some people!

Everything around here is very much a work in progress.

Tango: So um, Etho, have you considered terraforming your base at all?

Etho: I have considered it…

Tango: Uh-huh…?

Etho: It’s not something that’s very high on the priority list right now…

Tango: Ah-ha. Just ‘cause, you know, I tried out your parkours the other day and—

Etho: It was pretty good, right?

Tango: It was, except when I fell, and my bits went splat.

Etho: That does tend to happen when you keep your inventory on a parkours.

Tango: Yeah, and I mean, usually, you then go and pick up the bits—

Etho: Uh-huh.

Tango: —except when you fell from super high altitude, and your stuff splattered literally everywhere. And when there’s trees, and holes, and cowherds, and cliffs, it’s not that easy to find everything.

Gem: What did you lose, Tango?

Tango: My elytra went missing, and a couple of building blocks.

Etho: Uuuh...

Tango: I did have a backup, but I’m just saying—

Gem: See, I could totally see that happen to other hermits too, and they don’t have a full shulker of elytra in their ender chest.

Etho: Hangh. I mean, when you get ready to parkours, you sorta know what you’re in for, and there is a sign and a chest at the beginning…

xB, in chat: scar lost some stacks of moss the other day too

Etho: In my game?

Gem: Hermits can’t read, Etho!

xB: on the parkours

Tango: Gotta make those minigames hermitproof!

Etho, high-pitched and complaining: You know how much time that’s gonna take to terraform the whole base?

Tango: I mean, are you asking me if I know anything about terraforming?

Gem: Yeah, I think Tango’s the wrong person to complain to about that.

---

It turns out that flirt-fighting with your best friend is even more fun and addicting in person than it is without a face involved, and they've indulged heavily during the whole event. The only times Etho or Bdubs are caught looking at the other without smiling stupidly is when they are in-character, pissy or teasing or professional, putting on a show for everyone and themselves.

Once they're done working, Bdubs is worn out and overstimulated. Etho's holding up better, thanks to the adrenaline, and goes easy on the drink. Bdubs doesn't. He wants to stay out, this time, so neurotoxin it is.

Over the course of the evening, he never stops sticking to Etho, but he deviates from their script more and more. First he's more touchy and less avoidant of personal topics, then he's needy and demanding attention, then he starts riling Etho up with their antics again—except that now, he's playing dirty. He's treating Etho like the spouse that's holding out on him. The innuendo crosses into sexual, repeatedly and with increasing boldness, and Etho is having a very hard time.

He can handle drunk behaviour, he can gloss over the questions that hit too close to home, play along, laugh things off, but this is still Bdubs, and he's hitting Etho's weak spot with pinpoint accuracy and an ignorance that can only be described as cruel.

The mood at the party is exuberant and loud, and Bdubs is certainly not the only one that's had a glass too many. The hermits find the guy hilarious, even more so when he's taking this joke to unprecedented levels.

"Why don't you give him a kiss, Etho, don't you see how he's pleading?"

"I think he deserves some love, don't you agree?"

"Awww, I feel so bad for Bdubs."

Bdubs' hand has come to rest on Etho's neck, tugging on a strand of hair in the nape.

"Ethooo," he drawls, and Etho can smell the red the table's been sharing nauseatingly close to his face.

Bdubs has him pinned. Etho staunchly fixates on the flimsy dried flowers that stand between their glasses, hands scrunched in the low-hanging table cloth. Then, suddenly, he hears "I'm starting to think you don't like me". It's just a bit too quiet, too vulnerable for the situation to ignore, and he turns to search the face he's been mapping out greedily over the last days.

"I d—" He doesn't get any further, nor does he get a look. Bdubs slips right into the opening he's created.

The man's wet lips take hold of Etho's like it's easy. A walk in the park. To Etho, it's more like a sled ride down a rugged hill. Scratchy stubble presses into his face; the taste is foreign, of dinner, grapes and flesh. They've had the same. The kiss stretches time, yet it's over in a breath.

When they part, Etho gasps incredulously, the crowd is howling, and Bdubs whispers "gotcha!" before he leans back in laughter.

Etho stands. "I think it's time to leave."

"I agree," Bdubs declares merrily, "perfect opportunity to end this night with you wonderful people on a high note. Take me home, Etho!"

A beat passes. Their exchange happens wordlessly. Then, Etho extends his hand, palm side up.

In 2014, i was busy shipping German Minecraft people, so idk what was going on over here, but the babygirl treatment from Bdubs is insane. Insane! And Etho is feeding into it!

Like, Etho's maknae energy in the older videos i've watched so far often manifests as him being a little shit, or just a little guy, but with Bdubs in this scenario it's making him twirl his hair and answer all his questions like a good kid. Insanity.

Also. With Genny, Bdubs makes every effort not to show weakness. He never lets himself fall into a position where he's following. It's a rivalry. One shootout later and he has a new partner and a completely different dynamic. He cuffs Etho to avoid an escalation and it fucking works. Etho is instantly docile after that and Bdubs takes charge, but constantly checks in. He never just decides things, he's building Etho up. Once they've teamed, he's in friendship-building mode. Or courtship mode, with the amount of 'look at all the nice things I have to offer' he does. Guns. Game knowledge. Chopper rides. Somebody play A Whole New World please.

E: "I like how you sacrificed Genny there just so that we could be together." B: "That's what I wanted" E: "Yeah." B: "The whole time. I told 'im—I was like, dude, go over here, go over here."

He goes there around once a month, and he's found a guy he's comfortable talking to and trusts to do a good job. Bdubs is happy to let a pro handle his appearance. He's vain like that, or insecure, whichever way his confidence swings at any given moment.

His stylist is a great guy, a meticulous craftsman and a natural conversationalist. Charismatic, but never overbearing. They talk, about work, about artistic vision and about life. Bdubs finds that it's easier to tell somebody about his home life that doesn't know his family and won't give advice where none is requested. Likewise, he finds space to talk about his work life without feeling like he's infringing on private time with his friends or family. It's a relief to have somebody that simply listens to recollections from both worlds that Bdubs inhabits without judgement or consequences. His stylist has no horse in the race of Bdubs' life. He's a friend, professionally, and that is just what Bdubs needs.

Over the months, hair guy hears about Bdubs' life as told by Bdubs. He never checks out the channel, he doesn't really get the microcosm of online gaming videos, but he learns about the hermits, nevertheless. How Bdubs admires Scar for his vision, hard work and resilience. How Grian always pushes to keep things moving and interesting. How he feels the pressure from everybody consistently stepping up their game and how he gets frustrated with himself sometimes.

Then there's this guy, Etho, the alleged genius. Bdubs mentions him at least once every visit. When he talks about him, there's pride in his words, and a familiar fondness. When the stylist asks about him however, Bdubs often can't answer the simplest questions, despite their years of shared time. Evidently, he's smitten. Etho is the mystery that caught his attention once that he then spent his lifetime trying to solve. It turned him into the type of expert that can tell you precisely how much he doesn't know. It's difficult to say if he likes Etho so much because he teaches him new things about the game, or if he enjoys the game more because it teaches him new things about Etho. It's sweet, in a way, but also sort of heart-wrenching.