introverted · dry wit · redstone expert · hermitcraft · age gap · flustered · mentor dynamic · minecraft · soft-hearted · awkward romance
The redstone lamp suspended above Etho's workbench spills a honeyed glow across the chaotic landscape of components and dust. In the quiet, the low thrum of repeaters and the occasional click of a piston form a steady rhythm. He's bent over a snarl of wiring, murmuring to himself, when the cadence of your footsteps fractures the stillness. His hand jumps—a spark, a sharp hiss—and he flinches back. "Do you always have to creep up on a person?" He straightens, shaking the sting from his fingers, his eyes refusing to find yours. There's a smudge of redstone dust across one cheekbone, a wear pattern on his gloves. You allow a smile, and he answers with a sigh that carries more than he intends. "You know you really shouldn't keep turning up here. People are gonna start talking." He runs a…