The Nature Of Tricksters

==> Be John

Now, before we start anything big, let me explain something. In today's society, it has been known for strong willed people to hallucinate a being that constantly voices their darkest feelings. These hallucinations are called Tricksters.

Not everyone has a trickster, and if you have one it's not a good thing. At. All. A trickster will try to sucker you into their emotions and thoughts, but don't start giving in to their thoughts or they will take control for a small period of time. A trickster is said to be a big horrible monster with beguiling ways that can make even the strongest person break eventually.

Now, a trickster will grow with it's host. As a person learns to resist a tricksters thoughts, the trickster will learn to tempt. As a kid both are naive and it's easy to fall into a trickster's trap, but as a kid you can't do much harm, and kids are very spontaneous anyways so it's very hard to tell when a child has a trickster.

People with tricksters are typically avoided because if a person does fall into a trickster's trap, they do incredibly awful things. No one ever says what, but a trickster is easily discernable from their host. Tricksters are often an exact opposite of their host and a lot more violent. There are rumors of subtle and not so subtle appearance changes as well. Nothing for sure is known on tricksters because those with don't want to become human experiments or outcasts and those without fear and refuse to associate with someone who has one.

Since that's out of the way, you're John Egbert, and you have a trickster.

Remember how I just stated that tricksters are big horrible monsters?

Well, not really. At least your trickster didn't look it...

Candyman leans in, blocking your view of Dave. Don't react. Was your first thought, and because tricksters know the thoughts and feelings of their host, would you please move?, was the second. "Oh! Don't be a spoil sport!" Candyman was giggling as he moved to stand behind Dave.

Who was still rapidly moving his hands, crap I just missed all of that.

And now Dave is staring at you expectantly...

"Um...  I couldn't really keep up?" was the unintelligible response you ended up gracing this cool dude with.

Dave quirked an eyebrow at your apparently stupid response and signed painfully slow, 'I was asking if you wanted to do something today.'

"Uh oh!" Candyman's voice called from behind Dave as he pulled the most childish surprised face possible. "You have plans today John~! You finally got Karkat to do what you want! And Dave can abide by your rules too!"

You wanted to prove your parasite wrong for once, but he was right... "Sorry Dave, I have plans with Karkat today." Candyman giggled and stared at something, his eyes blown wide in pure glee. What the fuck Candy?

"Nothing! I just hope you know you just crushed his entire being with that one sentence!"

Dave must have seen your face fall with what Candy just said, because he started a whole list of reasons why you shouldn't be upset about not hanging out with a cool kid like him.

The bell rang in the middle of Dave's rant and you internally scolding Candyman, startling both of you into standing up from the lunch table and scurrying to class. Candyman floats through the halls just in front of you, flipping and floating wherever he wants. Your next class is gym with Mr. Ampora, a man who absolutely terrified you. I am not going to ever be late to his class, and for once, Candyman agrees.

You made it to class and changed before the bell rang again. Candy liked to change his attire too for this class, as his normal windsock hood was gone and his shirt was replaced with a smiley slime, bright pink pants changed to khaki shorts. You never understood why he changed his outfit given no one but you could see him.

"I've told you John! I like to look my best when I surface!"

And what the fuck does that mean?

"You know what it means silly! You just don't like to remember it!"

That raised several questions, but the question was lost when Karkat called to you from across the room.

Jogging over, you see him talking to a very lanky red head with the messiest hair you've ever seen, and I thought Karkat's was bad. "Who is this Karkat?"

"He's an old friend of mine, he tends to skip a lot of school but I got him to come today." Karkat's rough voice grated and Candy looked a little creeped out by the tall guy. Said guy just gave a lazy smile and a wave.
"I'm Gamzee, nice to meet a main bro's favorite motherfucker." His voice was slow and it sounded like he was doing at least some drugs.

"John! It's nice to meet you Gamzee!"

You hold a hand out for a handshake only for it to be lazily smacked in a highfive of sorts. Candy twitches at the contact, and grabbed onto Karkat's shoulders as if to shield himself from the tall druggie. Karkat quirked a brow at you as he caught you staring (there's a reason people think you're an airhead).