and the stars will be their guides (hermitcraft space au)

screwed (eighteen)

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~ you got your head up in the clouds, babe ~

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TWs: overthinking, mentions of death

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Etho shifted from side to side. He picked a fingernail, painted in a fresh coat of black. He sighed, jiggling his leg impatiently.

Where in the universe was Bdubs?

He'd told Etho yesterday to meet him here, outside of Xisuma's office, fifteen minutes ago. Etho had been waiting now for at least twenty minutes (he'd arrived early, just in case (and because he had nothing better to do)), and there was still no sign of his friend arriving. Had he forgotten? Had Etho gotten the day wrong; the time wrong? Was he being pranked?

Etho checked the ceiling. No bucket, or net, or anything else that could be used for a prank. Just plain old metal plates, painted white to look homelier or friendlier or something like that.

Bored, Etho cast his eyes to the beautiful mahogany door of Xisuma's office. It had been replaced recently with a door that Scar himself had carved, made to look more elaborate and intricate than the old one. It definitely did look better, and Etho could probably spend hours tracing the engraved lines and patterns with his eyes.

"Sorry I was late!" Bdubs huffed, running up to Etho. "I got uh- hung up. With someone."

"I see," Etho hummed, spotting a red mark that Bdubs had tried to hide with the collar of his mossy cloak. "You might want to adjust your neckline a little bit."

Bdubs blushed and pulled his cloak up to cover the mark. "That better?"

Etho nodded. "Yeah."

"Alright." Bdubs cleared his throat, understandably eager to leave that conversation behind him. "C'mon," he said, opening up Xisuma's door. Etho thought it was a bit rude to not at least knock first, but maybe X had been planning on them coming into his office.

This theory was proven correct by Xisuma himself, who looked up from his desk, where he was playing with a pen, when the duo walked in. "There you are," he stopped to look at his communicator, "about twenty minutes late."

"Sorry, that's my fault." Bdubs smiled sheepishly, adjusting his cloak again. "I lost track of time."

"Mhm," X mumbled, seeming to have spotted one of the marks.

There was an uncomfortable silence, in which X scrutinized Bdubs, Bdubs stared at the ground, and Etho just stood there awkwardly, wishing he hadn't been put in this situation.

"Alright," Xisuma finally said. "Let's get down to business now, shall we?"

Bdubs nodded eagerly. "Yeah, let's do that!"

X motioned towards the seat in front of his desk. "Sit down, friend." When Bdubs moved to do so, the captain sighed. "Not you, Etho."

Etho sat and waited, suddenly feeling very nervous. The feeling intensified with every second Xisuma didn't say anything.

"You're not a human, are you?" Xisuma finally asked. All of the air in Etho's lungs instantly disappeared. 

"Uh-" Etho couldn't think. He was screwed.

"Hey, nothing's going to change if you aren't. Just the three of us will know, and you won't be thrown off the ship or whatever," Bdubs soothed. 

Etho stared at Xisuma's desk. "I- I'm not. I'm an alien. Sorry. I should've just . . . I don't know-"