Chapter Text
Well shit
Is this the best description for this situation? Maybe not.
But even if Etho tried, he didn’t really have the energy to think of anything else. It's not every day someone plans their last words.
Nobody really has those ready to go.
And even if they do, it’s not like they will be heard by anyone.
God, he felt so numb.
The only sense that remained was an aggressive chill down his back. Even the pelting snow that assaulted his face now tunned out into a distant hum.
That's what I get for wanting to go clear my head
I should have just headed to bed…
Should have ignored any lingering thoughts, as those only seemed to lead him to his doom.
In his bed, there were no jagged rocks poking his back. There was no blur of white in front of his face. There was shelter and hope.
Though Etho guessed dying here wouldn’t be so different from back at his base. As both would happen alone.
Where no one would see him close his eyes willingly.
Etho never considered waking up a fun ordeal, and that is WITHOUT the greedy chill of winter trying to swallow up any heat from under the blanket. The sun hasn’t even properly risen yet, so morning had no business interrupting.
This morning seemed to be especially pushy as the cold was accompanied by whistling from a crack in some window.
hmff
Mornings meant empty rooms
a drafty kitchen
And horribly silent corridors
So yeah, you can say Etho was not a morning person. But in his defence what sane person was?!
If only he could just curl up all toasty and not move. A few more minutes wouldn't hurt, right?
Yet that does not last as a ping rudely interrupted his quest for warmth and blissful existence in a sleep-induced jungle.
Who in their right mind would be up and running at this time?
Despite intense staring, Etho didn’t seem to win the staring battle with his com, opting to eventually reach out through the frozen air and find out what crazy person is responsible for forcing him to actually think this early in the morning.
BDubs: MORNIN’ E We still meeting at my base before secret santa?
Of course, Bdubs would be the first person up. What was it? The early bird gets the worm, or something like that. Though Etho did agree to meet him, didn’t he?
Bdubs: This guy, you just woke up didn’t you
Bdubs: Wakey wakey Mr Owl
Hah get a load of this guy. Looking up, Etho caught the fall of the first sun rays as they slipped past the curtains, now running down the length of the room. Concluding there was no way he was falling back asleep, Etho attempted to sit up before answering the assault of messages.
Etho: Don’t judge me Mr in bed by 9, I haven't been late just yet
Etho: I will be there
BDubs: best bundle up its gonna be a cold one
Turning off his com Etho dragged his hand through his hair and past his face. Trying to blink away any remaining fatigue, Etho focused on the cold room before him. How Bdubs got the motivation to be up that early he will never know.
Yet things needed to be done, and he had places to be.
Bdubs is lucky Etho wants to see him.
So Etho got up, even if that resulted in stubbing his toe on the table in the process. Hobbled through the corridors to the kitchen, relying on muscle memory as his brain struggled to catch up.
Etho really found himself grateful for the way he preferred to build on a smaller scale, as the very thought of navigating a base as big as some of the other hermits in the mornings made him shiver.
His base does have a kitchen, quite humble, but it did the job nicely enough, so why is there a need to overcomplicate it? It's not like he had the rep of cooking often enough anyhow. The kitchen was never his speciality, and Bdubs will never let go of the one time he burned soup.
So toast and an egg it is for now. And coffee. Definitely coffee.
So after a burned hand, some spilt coffee, and a semi-edible and a not very sunny, sunny side up Etho was ready to actually start his day, well… sorta. He still needed a shower and to locate where he put his gift… yeah, so this might take a while.