Actions

Work Header

Grian's Guide to Rooming with Etho and Cleo!

Summary:

Living with the witty ZombieCleo and the Ever-Elusive Ethoslab, this is Grian's Guide to How to Survive Rooming with Etho and Cleo!

1. Try not to think to hard about Cleo's undead-ness
2. Don't be surprised when Cleo comes home with a hitlist
3. Get used to Bdubs being around… all of the time.
4. Don't be insulted by their aloofness
5. Always remember that the two actually like each other
6. Try not to be a third wheel

Notes:

Speedran this work before the next session of secret life where this fic will not make any sort of sense (I'm betting on Grian leaving the alliance, but I'm praying on my knees it doesn't happen)

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

     1. Try not to think to hard about Cleo's undead-ness

Point number one was the reason Grian was making this list in the first place.

On the very first night of Grian teaming with Etho and Cleo he was overwhelmed with a feeling of gratefulness. From living in that stupid egg to living with two of his friends, eating freshly made bread and home cooked chicken and laying in a carefully crafted bed surrounded by sane company- Grian couldn't be happier…

Which is probably what kept him from up and leaving as soon as Cleo asked Etho to “stitch her up”.

Grian's head swung around from where he had tucked himself into the bed Etho had made for him, staring as Etho stood, reaching his hands into the waterlogged chests and pulling out a thick thread and needle.

Grian swung his head back to where Cleo was tenderly touching at her side where Grian noticed stitching.

Now of course, Grian was largely aware of Cleo being undead- he'd had to have a discussion with every hybrid of a person as the admin of the life series to be sure of any special considerations and implementations that would be required for player comfort, safety and fairness.

But he hadn't really considered the implications of Cleo's undead body- and neither the upkeep on the stitching holding her dead skin together.

Grian watched, weary and feeling a bit sick, as Etho sat on the bed next to Cleo. He then tenderly touched her side, prodding at the stitching that was coming loose.

As Etho began to thread the needle, Grian forced himself to look away, covering himself and his eyes with his sheets for extra security.

It was a few minutes of silence, and Grian wondered idly if it was just as uncomfortable for Cleo and Etho as it was for him.

Part of him wondered if this was a place he really wanted to be- whether this alliance was worth it, but the bread sat heavy in his stomach, filling him with warmth and comfort he hadn't quite felt since entering the world, and the thoughts dissipated.

Grian flinched as he felt a hand grip his shoulder, and he peeked over the sheets to see Etho standing over him.

‘Sorry!’ the Canadian said quickly, his hands raising to a surrendering position. Etho then looked at him critically, tilting his head. ‘We finished up. I was just wondering if you would like something warm to drink?’ Etho looked away. ‘We obviously don't have cocoa beans, but I can heat some milk for you?’

Grian stared at Etho, his heart growing at the kind gesture from the man. He could assume that Etho hadn't any intention of fixing himself a warmed cup of milk, and so Grian realised quickly that Etho was asking only to make Grian feel more comfortable- so he could make sure Grian was happy.

Grian regretted his brief thoughts of leaving.

‘I'm okay, thank you,’ Grian smiled, and Etho's eyes crinkled in what Grian could only assume was a returned smile.

‘Let me know if I can do anything for you.’

Grian nodded, watching as Etho made his way outside.

‘He's a sweetheart, isn't he?’ Cleo said.

Grian whipped his head around to look at her in surprise. ‘Yeah,’ he responded, and he watched as the intimidating woman's face twisted into a smile.

‘He's had a reputation for as long as any of us can remember that placed him on a pedestal.’ Cleo told him. ‘I remember hearing about Etho when I was younger. He was something to love, something to fear, and he was mysterious through and through.’ The woman snorted. ‘Then you meet the guy and he's an awkward soul wrapped in a genuine want to please others.’

Grian nodded, unsure where this was going.

Cleo sighed, rubbing her arm. ‘We're glad to have you, Grian. Neither of us are the best at pvp or expressing ourselves or even that great at making alliances.’ She sighed, rearranging herself. ‘But, we make do, and we'd love your company.’ 

She then giggled to herself. ‘As long as you're fine with Bdubs hanging around.’

Grian snorted, his brain filled with images of the drama and tragedy of Etho and Bdubs’ relationship.

‘I'm grateful for you guys taking me in,’ Grian said, more honestly than he meant to. ‘Was a bit surprised by how domestic rooming with you guys would be…’ Grian looked away from Cleo, avoiding her eyes. ‘I- I like it, actually.’

Cleo laughed not unkindly. ‘Yeah. I was surprised at first as well. When I joined Etho I didn't know what to expect. I don't know why but I guess I didn't expect home-cooked dinners and cheerful goodnights and good mornings.

Grian smiled.

‘So onto the important stuff,’ Cleo said as Etho came inside again, a bucket of milk in his hands. ‘Do you have any enemies we should know about.’

 

     2. Don't be surprised when Cleo comes home with a hitlist

When Grian woke up, the sun was streaming into the dugout room and Etho and Cleo were both already up.

He rolled over, remembering the night before fondly, and from his place in bed he could see Etho working by the gravel shack.

He had made the right decision.

It took a lot to pull himself out of bed, but after quickly getting changed, getting the necessary items he needed from his already designated chest, he felt excited to start the day.

As Grian descended the stairs Etho noticed him, giving him a large friendly wave.

‘Hey, what are you guys up to?’ Grian asked curiously, glancing to where Etho was laying out wheat for the cows to eat. He looked up for a moment, glancing around to see if he could spot Cleo in the area.

‘Just getting ready for the day before we get our tasks,’ the book strapped to Grian’s belt and Etho’s lower calf began to flash, showing that they were getting their tasks. ‘Oh… speaking of….’

Etho and Grian quickly separated, and he quickly pushed his back to the wall as he looked to see his secret of the day.

Maintain eye contact with the same person for a whole minute.

Easy mode.

Grian smiled, strapping the book back to his belt and walking over to Etho who was hunched over the fence.

‘You alright?’

Etho just grunted, letting out a low whine in anguish.

So not alright.

Grian was about to comfort the man, placing a hand on his back when-

‘I SWEAR TO GOD I’M GOING TO KILL ALL OF THEM!’

Grian turned to stare at Cleo who was fuming as she stormed her way over to the two of them.

‘Who?’ Grian asked.

‘Skizz! And Tango!’ she added.

Etho snorted from his hunched position over the fence, and Grian just watched as a cow came and pressed its wet nose to Etho’s neck. Grian felt he should be worried by Etho’s lack of reaction.

But first- Cleo.

‘What did they do?’ Grian inquired.

‘THEY’RE JUST-’ Cleo took a moment to pause and breathe. ‘They’re just so clingy and annoying. She turned to Etho then. ‘They are still going on and on about how ‘I betrayed them’ in the first episode.’ And they keep saying you-’ Cleo seemed to catch herself before she said something. ‘Well… maybe you shouldn’t go over there.’

Grian raised an eyebrow at Cleo, but Etho didn’t seem to care, just staring at the cows as they walked around their pen idly.

‘And also!’ Cleo started again, sitting herself on the fence. ‘Scar was being super annoying and Martyn and Jimmy both mocked me- well tried. They were both pretty pathetic- but then also-’

‘Geez…’ Grian interrupted. ‘You came back with a hitlist!’ he joked.

Cleo snorted, and then burst into laughter. ‘Yeah, I guess so.’ She then smacked Etho on the back, pushing his stomach into the fence and causing him to let out a wheezy cough. ‘You’ll get used to it.’ She then glanced down at Etho. ‘Your task is that bad?’

Etho just grunted.

‘That’s karma!’ a voice screamed, and Grian turned to see Bdubs trotting over on his horse.

 

     3. Get used to Bdubs being around… all of the time.

‘That’s karma!’ Bdubs repeated as he hopped off of his horse, walking over to Etho with his hands on his hips. ‘You make fun of me last- last session now it’s your turn… to suffer!’

‘I’m re-rolling,’ Etho mumbled into his vest.

‘HAH!’ Bdubs shouted, patting Etho on the back roughly, again causing the poor man to let out another couple coughs. ‘Have fun killing that dragoooonnnnnn~’

Etho just grumbled.

‘You have to tell me what the task was after you hit re-roll,’ Cleo laughed.

‘Not before, though!’ Grian said quickly.

Etho sighed, standing up and turning to face them finally. ‘What are you here for now, Bdubs?’ he asked, raising an eyebrow. ‘I thought you finished that Earth of yours?’ Etho huffed something like a giggle. ‘You need more wool? You need another excuse?’

‘I did finish the world and it looks great!’ Bdubs said, loudly and smugly.

‘Mmm, right,’ Etho said, nodding. ‘So… why are you here again?’

Bdubs spluttered, and Grian took a step back as Bdubs started flapping his hands about wildly. ‘What?! I can’t come and visit? You mean- you’re meanies!’

‘You here to fluff up your pillow you use to stay over all the time?’ Etho joked. ‘Or are you here to steal more feathers and kill more chickens?’

‘What!’ Bdubs yelled, eyes wide. ‘No- what- I’d never!’

‘Uh huh,’ was all Etho said, eying Bdubs, before walking past him, presumably on his way toward the secret keeper.

‘Why are you here Bdubs?’ Grian asked, trying to get an answer to the question that had been asked, like, three times already.

‘You’ll get used to it,’ Cleo laughed. ‘Bdubs is always here,’ she then turned to look at Bdubs, swinging her legs idly. ‘You know you can join us, if you’d like,’ she said, and while her tone was light, there was a look in her eyes that Grian couldn’t decipher.

The same look crossed Bdubs eyes, and for a moment it looked as if he would shout ‘YES! PLEASE TAKE ME!’.

‘You wish!’ he said instead, turning away and following Etho.

It took a long time for Bdubs to get out of earshot, his voice carrying as he began shouting to Etho.

 

     4. Don't be insulted by their aloofness

Cleo and Grian split not long after that, with Cleo announcing that she was going to gather some resources from underground, whilst Grian decided he would try and get his task done as soon as possible.

The first thing he needed to do was think of someone who would maintain eye contact- either as a bit or just because they were just someone who maintained eye contact easily.

So he went through the list of players on his communicator.

Bdubs - Would probably maintain eye contact for both the bit and out of pur social confidence

Big B - Might maintain eye contact for the bit

Etho - Good option- typically looks people in the eye when having one on one conversations

Gem - Probably not. She is always on the move and she is a yellow.

Scar - Probably not. Too animated in his movement to keep still

Grian - Hello.

Impulse - Another probable option.

Martyn - Nope. Red name.

Lizzie - Maybe. But she is a yellow name, so probably not.

Mumbo - Definitely not. The man has never looked anyone in the eye ever.

Pearl - A great option. All Grian had to do was sneak over to her and she would reciprocate immediately.

Skizz - Maybe.

Scott - Probably.

Joel - Probably not. He’s always looking around, moving around and would definitely not hold eye contact for the bit. Especially as a yellow.

Jimmy - God No. Red Name AND terrible at maintaining eye contact.

Tango - Maybe, though he seems to be on the move a lot as well.

Cleo - Maybe not.

Okay. So his results say his best bets were Big B, Etho, maybe Impulse and Scott, and Pearl. He was closest to Pearl’s base, so he supposed that he would make an attempt. Seeing Pearl hanging around inside her base, Grian opened the door, sneaking down and walking toward her slowly, making eye contact.

As he expected of the ‘yes and’-plagued woman, she immediately crouched down to his level. ‘What’s up!’ she whispered. ‘Whatcha up tooooo?’

Easiest minute task of his life.

As Grian made his way to the secret keeper, Pearl yelling at him as he ran away, he ran into Etho, who was chatting with Tango, Mumbo, Impulse and Scott.

‘Did you re-roll, Etho?’ Grian asked curiously, nonchalantly walking to the button and pressing it.

The 10 hearts were very welcomed.

‘Oh, you completed your task!’ Impulse called out with a smile, reaching over and giving Grian a high-five at the same time Etho sighed out, ‘yeah, I had to.’

‘What was your task before?’ Grian asked curiously.

‘It required changing my skin,’ Etho groaned. ‘I don’t even know how!’

Grian laughed. ‘Oh yeah. That’s the worst task for you.’

‘Not even the worst part,’ Etho huffed. ‘I was supposed to spend the session convincing one other person to change part of their skin as well.’

‘That was an easy task?’ Grian said in surprise. He glanced up at the secret keeper as if seeking an answer, but shuddered as he saw the symbol of the statue’s face.

‘Mmhm,’ Etho said. He then turned his back to Grian, making his way back in the direction of his- their base.

Grian quickly followed behind, now having completed his task and having nothing better to do.

There were an awkward few moments of silence as Grian tried to think of something to say, and he felt uncomfortably small as he had to take a step and a half with each of Etho’s steps to keep up.

‘Are you struggling with your new task?’ Grian asked curiously, trying to fill the silence.

Etho hummed. ‘I’ll figure it out.’

Grian nodded. ‘Right.’

It didn’t realistically take them that long to reach their base again, but it certainly felt like a long time.

When they arrived Cleo was breeding the chickens and Bdubs was hanging around again, sitting on the first flight of stairs and chatting loudly to Cleo.

‘...AND THEN GEM CAME UP TO ME AND SHE WAS LIKE- SHE WAS LIKE “BDUBS! BDUBS! YOU WANNA FIGHT THE ENDERDRAGON? I’M MAKING AN ARMY!” AND I WAS LIKE-’

‘wow,’ Cleo responded, voice distant and lacking the attention Bdubs was certainly demanding.

‘YEAH!’ he continued anyway. ‘AND SO THEN- Oh! Hey Etho!’

‘What’s he yelling about?’ Etho asked Cleo with a laugh. He then turned back to Bdubs, the skin around his eyes crinkling again to show his smiling. ‘Hey Bdubs!’

‘Oi! Youuuuuu-’ Bdubs started, his eyes narrowed, before he let out a blinding smile.

As Etho walked past where Bdubs was sitting pretty on the steps, grian joined him, watching as Etho began tending to the crops.

Bdubs sighed, his story ruined as he watched Etho and Cleo as well. He then turned to look at Grian, and for how Bdubs’ persona was all laughs and shouting, Grian was surprised by the serious look in his eyes.

‘Don’t be put off,’ he said quietly. ‘They may both act like they don’t care sometimes, but you’ll learn to see how much they adore having you here.’

Grian couldn’t help the huff of a laugh he lets out at Bdubs’ words. ‘Right,’ he said disbelievingly. Sure, he had seen the softer sides of the two of them the night before, but they certainly didn’t “adore” him.

‘I’m serious!’ Bdubs smiled. ‘They love having you as a part of their crew, even if they’re not the best at showing it.’

Grian looked away.

‘Sure.’

 

 

     5. Always remember that the two actually like each other

Bdubs and Grian continued to chat for a minute, and were laughing over Bdubs’ failed task when a loud noise disrupted them.

Etho was running from Cleo, yelling as she stormed after him.

‘Get back here Etho!’ she yelled. 

‘No no no no no!’ Etho laughed, crouching behind Bdubs as if to hide from Cleo.

‘Bdubs isn’t going to protect you!’ she yelled, although the smile on her face was telling.

‘Oh no!’ Bdubs cried, his hands slapping his cheeks dramatically. ‘I don’t know whose side to pick!’

Grian giggled, watching the scene play out. He knew that maybe he should be concerned as his alliance was seemingly ripping apart before his very eyes, but the way Etho’s shoulders shook with silent laughter, Cleo’s eyes were lit up with mirth and the over-dramaticness of Bdubs- not that that was unusual- told him otherwise.

 

     6. Try not to be a third wheel

Bdubs left not too long after, seemingly realising that he had overstayed his welcome- well he had a long time ago but thatwasbesidethepoint-, and once more it was just him, Etho and Cleo again.

Grian began searching his chests, putting away his tougher armour that would make it impossible to sleep. Meanwhile, Cleo and Etho were chatting near the doorway quietly, seemingly haven gotten over their earlier dispute.

Grian glanced towards them, the sun’s rays seeping through the doorway and casting a glow onto the two silhouettes in the doorway. Each of the two leaned opposite each other, against either side of the doorway, with Cleo leaning with her arms crossed under her chest, whereas Etho leant against the wall, hands in his pockets and seemingly at ease.

For a single moment, Grian was struck by the intimacy of the two. He had heard Cleo distantly yelling about how the relationship she shared with Etho was purely platonic, and that there was no running family storyline this season, but seeing them together in the doorway, Grian couldn’t help the image of two partners, a husband and wife possibly.

He supposed maybe that was just the effect of the sunset creating a romantic scene.

As he watched, he noticed Etho glance at him, and suddenly he became strangely aware of his own existence in the scene. He was out of place- a cast member who had wandered onto the set. This was a moment specially between Cleo and Etho, and Grian couldn’t help but feel as if he were an intruder of sorts- even a third-wheel.

Cleo turned her head fully to him, and Grian almost felt shamefully for having been found out on witnessing the discussions between the two- despite the probable lack of substance in their talks.

Cleo beckoned to him, and so he walked over, like a kid who had been caught stealing from the cookie jar.

To his surprise, Cleo wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in and almost forcing his head to her armpit and chest due to their height difference.

‘Welcome to the family!’ she joked, and Grian glanced to Etho, only to find the skin around his eyes crinkled to showcase a grin.

‘Thank you,’ Grian didn’t say.

He could overlook the small things.

Notes:

I tried my best to make the dialogue hopefully not too OOC.

Series this work belongs to: