A Lot More Hermitcraft Stuff

Serious Jokes (one-shot)

Joke teaches Joe how shadows works (and gives a lot of lowkey exposition)

   ~*~

Joe snapped awake, black void surrounding him again. "You just don't get it yet, do you?" Joke's voice asked. The shadow crept out from the darkness and sat down, staring at Joe.

"Get what?" Joe replied, raising one eyebrow curiously.

"You still don't know what we are."

"You're our shadows," Joe recited slowly, confused as to what the shadow was trying to get at. "You're the embodiment of our negative emotions. You work to bring us down."

Joke sighed and rolled his eyes, his cheshire-grin disappearing for once and being replaced by a scowl. "We're not just your negative emotions. We're your worst fears, you're nightmares, the things you hope will never happen."

Joe stared back in confusion. "What does that even mean?" he questioned. "Our worst fears? But you don't look like monsters or the loss of a friend-"

"That's not it!" Red electricity crackled and sparked around Joke, and Joe backed away from the shadows, dark eyes wide with fear. Joke sighed and coldly stepped towards Joe, sparks still flying around him. "Our names, our personalities, are because of what your fears are."

"You know your friend Wels?" Joe nodded, unsure of exactly where this was leading. "His shadow, Warp is nearly mute. He only speaks to Wels."

"He's mute? But Wels isn't mute... if anything he's the opposite of mute-"

"Exactly!" Joke hissed, his flaring gaze burning a hole straight through Joe. "Wels is afraid of saying the wrong thing, afraid of bursting out and scaring away all his friends. So his shadow does what Wels is afraid of; Warp never speaks and if anyone dares to speak with him, he attack them. He pushes them away."

Joe nodded slowly, tilting his head slightly. "So Wels is afraid of bursting out and loosing his friends... so that's what his shadow does. Doesn't speak and pushes people away."

"Yes, finally!" Joke exclaimed, sighing with relief. "But not all shadows are just fears. They can just be based off of dislikes their player has. Like Xyresic, Xisuma's shadow!"

"That's quite a strange name for Xisuma's shadow," Joe muttered, holding his arms and resting his head in them. "What does being razor-sharp have anything to do with Xisuma? Even when he's mad, he's not curt, just to the point."

Joke groaned and shook his head. "His name is an exaggeration okay?" Joke explained exasperatedly. "Shadows typically pick up what their player hides from other. Xyresic for example pretty much hates everyone. This is because Xisuma has a lot of pent up anger towards most of the hermits."

"Well except you." Joke vaguely gestured towards Joe. "But Xyresic still hates me for whatever reason. Maybe because I'm a pest?" he asked, feigning confusion with a cheeky grin.

"You really are," Joe dryly added, smiling wryly. "Anything else I should know about the shadows? You've really captured my attention here."

"Well there are a few shadows who are... different," Joke said, lying on his stomach to mimic Joe. "For example Cub's shadow, Corrupt. His personality is really just a more malicious and dramatic version of Cub's. Theatrical you could say."

"And Python's shadow, Parody. You met him before, the really tall one? Dramatic thing really, but least he's more to the point than Corrupt," Joke vented, rolling onto his back and looking up at Joe. "Parody's the tallest of all the shadows and the strongest. That's all because Python's so negative with himself!"

Joe's eyes widened and the shadow giggled hysterically. "Python's... negative? To himself?" Joe stammered, his voice hardly more than a whisper. "But he's always so... happy and jumpy!"

"Everyone has their secrets," Joke replied, sticking out his tongue. "Take me for example! I'm from your fear of being taken as a joke! A joke of a man who uses big fancy words!" Joe flinched and Joke cackled his signature laugh. "Why do you think my name's Joke? No shadows around here take me seriously because I'm such a riddler!"

A sudden tiredness washed over Joe and he struggled to keep his eyes open. Joke noticed and quieted his laugh down to a small giggle. "Hope I see ya again Joe!" were his last words before darkness enclosed around Joe's vision.

   ~*~

okay this was going to be this whole angsty thing between Joe and Joke but it dissolved into this nice chat thing and like goddamn it-

(also SHITIDIDN'TWRITEDOCANDREN'SSHADOWSGODFUCKINGDAMNIT)