I DO NOT OWN HERMITCRAFT OR EMPIRES
This is skipped forward a week, the afternoon afterschool on Halloween b/c I got bored of writing filler chapters(okay, maybe not fillers but I can't think of a better word). Buckle in for 4,000 words of fun!
Bdub pov:
I set everything up in the basement and checked the time again. 4:27. I still had another hour before Gem, Sausage, and Fwhip arrive, but I still have more to do! I have to make the punch, get into a costume, and decorate more! I tugged at the sleeves of my hoodie. 'I forgot something, what did I forget...' I stood for a few seconds before remembering. 'The food! Bdubs, you dummy!' I had gotten three different foods, sugar cookies for Gem, brownies for Sausage, and chocolate cupcakes for Fwhip. I want to play truth or dare and sing more karaoke. My parents don't care as long as we don't get too loud or thrash anything, so it's all going to be in the basement. 25 minutes later, the first guests arrived.
I ran to the door to be greeted by Xisuma and EX. I ushered them in quickly. I checked their names off my guest list(I can be professional!).
Here is the list, I added some people I haven't really mentioned yet btw.
(take picture with phone later)
"Hey guys! What are you doing so early?" I questioned. EX rolled his eyes.
"Because somebody wants to be first every time." EX sighed dramatically. I laughed and X ignored his twin.
"Need help with anything? Like, maybe, a costume?" I look at the Void twins and realize that EX is dressed up as a dolphin and Xisuma is a bee.
"I have my own, it's a vampire-magician-knight. When do yo-" I was cut off by the doorbell. I answered the door to find all of the Empires kids, except Gem, Sausage, and Fwhip.
In the next 10 minutes, everyone had showed up and everyone was in their costumes. Here is a list of the costumes:
Grian: A guinea pig(has many others ready, changing every hour) Scar: wizard Mumbo: potato Tango: demon Zed: ninja Xisuma: bee EX: dolphin Cub: pharaoh Keralis: birch Iskall: just him with a shirt(and sweatpants) on that says 'NO MORE DIORITE!' Etho: dressed the way he normally dresses(b/c he dresses up like a ninja) Stress: ice queen False: airplane pilot Cleo: zombie Ren: king Joey: pirate Xornoth: demon(better than Tango) Scott: his season 2 skin Shelby: wizard Katherine: fairy Lizzie: axolotl Jimmy: sheriff Joel: a god Pix: archeologists Pearl: alien Impulse: dwarf Doc: mad scientist with green skin Bdubs: vampire-magician-knight(he seems like that kind of person who can't decide on what to be so he mashes them together)
I checked the time again to see that Impulse, Doc, and EX should go get the siblings in 3 minutes.
"Okay, everybody! You all remember the plan?" Everyone nodded except Ren. I sighed and continued talking, "Xisuma, will you remind Ren the plan?" I instructed. Xisuma nodded and dragged Ren into the corner of the room by the elbow.
"Impulse, EX, and Doc. Go get the siblings." I told them. They nodded and raced out the door to their house.
Gem pov:
"Fwhip! It's almost time to leave, how are you still getting ready?" I asked through the closed door. Fwhip is going as a 'surprise' for Halloween. I'm a woodland elf and collaborating with Impulse and Pearl. Sausage is going as a knight in full armor.
"I'm almost ready! Give me another minute!" Fwhip replied. I rolled my eyes. DING DONG. I went downstairs to the door, where I was met by Impulse, Doc, and EX. What-why- huh?! I let them in through thick confusion.
"Hello Gem! I was told by Bdubs to get you to his place." I raised an eyebrow and replied, "Then why is Doc and EX here?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant. Impulse grinned.
"I'm here to supervise Sausage, and EX is watching Fwhip." Doc answered, matching my tone. I shrugged. 'I'll find out eventually, chill out Gem.' I told myself. Sausage and Fwhip came barreling down the stairs a few moments later. Fwhip was dressed a goblin. He had full body green skin makeup(is that a thing?) and a giant foam stick. His 'bonk stick'. I doubled over laughing at him. He just posed.
After saying goodbye to everybody(mom, dad, Uncle Fwhip, Gandalf, and Bubbles)
"Okay then. Can I touch your skin?" EX asked Fwhip. Fwhip nodded in response. EX grabbed Fwhip by his elbow and yanked him out the door. Doc grabbed Sausage by the finger(what?) and dragged him away. Impulse looked at me nervously. I stepped away from him.
"I can walk in my own, I'm fine Impulse." Impulse nodded in relief and we walked to Bdubs house in awkward silence. It appears that dwarfs aren't very chatty.
We quickly caught up to Doc, EX, Fwhip, and Sausage. Fwhip was probably thinking of ways to escape while EX rambled in about debates and brothers. Doc and Sausage just sat there in stone cold silence.
We then got to Bdubs house, and Doc knocked in the door three times. Then, we entered and headed straight down to the dark basement. Then it clicked for me. But before I could think anything, the lights were turned on and too many people to count sprang up from nowhere and yelled, "SURPRISE!". I grinned, and Sausage stumbles back. Fwhip just dances in place.
"LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!" Yelled... Ren? I think. I raced over to Bdubs and gave him a bear hug. Bdubs hugged me back as 'Uptown Funk It Up' started playing.
Bdubs laughed and grabbed my hand. He pulled me over to three girls. A redhead, brunette, and blonde. The redhead was dressed as a zombie, the brunette was a queen(of ice? or maybe the color blue), and the blonde was an airplane pilot. I smiled brightly at them.
"Gem, I would like you to meet Cleo, Stress, and False." Bdubs pointed I nodded. 'Okay, so the redhead is Cleo, the brunette was Stress, and the blonde is False.' I noted. Then, Scar called Bdubs over and he left.
"Hi! How are you?" I asked. Stress ignored my slight awkwardness and plowed ahead.
"Lovely love! Are you dressing up with Pearl and Impulse?" Stress asked brightly. Cleo raised an eyebrow when I wasn't awkward about Stress calling me 'love'. We chatted for a while before Cleo asked, "Wanna play truth or dare?"
"As long as everyone else is involved, of course!" I exclaimed. I grabbed a sugar cookie and ran to Fwhip, Sausage, Scar, Grian, and Xisuma who were seeing how many marshmallows you can fit in your mouth while Xisuma tried to stop them.
"Aff han! Haa oo ear?" Sausage questioned me. I smiled.
"Hi Sausage, I'm here to invite you to a truth or dare. Can you be done with... whatever you're doing soon?" I asked. Fwhip nodded and Sausage continued stuffing marshmallows in his mouth.
"Who should we ask next?" I asked Cleo, False, and Stress who were wide-eyed. I was confused.
"What? What's wrong?" I asked a little nervously. Stress and Cleo recovered, and False blinked.
"Love, how did you understand what Sausage said with his mouth full of marshmallows?" Stress questioned. I could feel my confusion and nervousness leave my body.
"Fwhip and Sausage speak with their mouth full a lot." I replied. Cleo, Stress, and False nodded in acceptance.
"Eye ap eepel sehinh ee an' ausahge nahes cho mush?" Fwhip questioned. I took a second to translate.
"He said 'Why are people saying me and Sausage names so much?'." I translated. Cleo laughed softly. We asked everybody else to join, and they agreed. 5 minutes later, we were all sitting in a circle.
"So! I'll start this out. Doc, truth or dare?" Doc raised an eyebrow.
"Dare. Bring it on elf-girl." Doc dared me. I inwardly smiled.
"Okay then. I dare you to close your eyes until your next turn." I said with a smirk. Doc just closed his eyes.
"Okay then. Pix, truth or dare?" Doc asked. Pix smiled evilly.
"Dare." Doc smiled evilly with his eyes closed in the general direction of Pix's voice.
"I dare you to... I don't know. Tell us your worst bad habit." Doc shrugged, "I can't think straight with closed eyes." We all laughed at him.
"Chewing on my nails?" Pix said uncertainly. Doc shrugged in acceptance.
"Cleo, truth or dare?" Cleo shrugged (wow, a lot of shrugging).
"Truth." Pix paused for a second.
"Who is your crush?" Cleo turned pink.(Fun fact: at this point I had Descendents 3 in the background)
"Scott..." She mumbled. I covered my mouth with my hands. 'Oh no... Scott's gay... oh, poor Cleo,' I thought.
"Uhh.. Cleo, I'm so sorry. I'm gay." Scott's face was so apologetic and sad, I was sadder than I was already.
"I'm sorry Cleo, can we just be friends?" Scott continues. I look hopefully at Cleo. Cleo nods and smiles.
"Cleo, your turn." I stumble over my words. Cleo nods and smiles.
"Right. Bdubs, truth or dare?" Bdubs beat his chest and yelled, "Dare! Bring it on!"
"Alright then," Cleo had a dangerous look in her eyes that made Bdubs recoil in... fear?
"Eat a brownie without your hands whatsoever." Cleo dared. Bdubs got a mischievous look his eyes. Bdubs sprang up and grabbed a brownie.
"Okay! Brownie! Prepare to die!" Bdubs put the brownie on the floor and immediately smashed his face into it. His pirate bandana fell off in the process, but he plowed ahead. 20 seconds later, he was done!
"No way! How?!" I exclaimed. Bdubs got up and breakdanced.
"Okay! Now my turn! Gem! Truth or dare?" He exclaimed. I smirked at him.
"Dare." Bdubs smirked at me back and leaned over to me. He whispered in my ear this, "Gem, on your next turn dare Doc to brush and braid your hair. If he cannot succeed in 3 minutes, he forfeits his next turn to you. Do that 2 more times, not on me, and on the fourth time do whatever you want. Oh, and they have to do it with a plastic comb." I nodded.
"Okay then. Doc, truth or dare?" Doc opened his eyes for the first time and blinked a lot.
"Wow, everything's so bright. Dare." I unbraided my hair and shook it out. It fell to the floor, but if I was standing up it would've fell to just below my knees. False let out a low whistle, and Bdubs jaw fell.
"Amethyst! How long has it been since you got your hair cut. I paused, thinking.
"A long time. Maybe... hmmm. Hold on."(Not a pause for the author to think about ages, nope. Not at allll...) I counted on my fingers. I sure eyebrows were raised, but I didn't notice.
"Oh! I remember now! I'm 15 today, and the last time was in 4th grade so about 5 years." I nodded.(That's correct right? I did the math for a while but I'm not good at age-grade-years math)
"Anyways, Doc, I dare you to brush and braid my hair with a plastic comb. And if you don't finish braiding my hair, you forfeit your next turn to me." Doc sighed.
"Just when I thought my torture is over. Let's do this Rapunzel." Doc sighed again.
Doc pov:
'I hardly even have any hair?! Why Gem' I thought furiously.
I was handed a blue plastic comb, and Bdubs started a timer.
"Ahhh, I don't know how to brush hair. Uh oh." I mumbled under my breath. I started savagely brushing her hair. When I was done, the hair was a big mess. I had 30 seconds left. I twisted her hair together.
"Time!" Bdubs yelled. I looked down at my prosthetic arm. It had what seemed like hundreds of ginger hairs caught in the cracks. I growled in frustration. I began yanking the hairs out.
"Uhhh, are you okay?" Gem asks. I snorted.
"I should be asking you that question. Do you see these hairs? Go ahead." I waved my hand at her. She continued with her turn.
"Okay then. Xisuma, I challenge you to the same thing as Doc. If you say dare, of course." Xisuma accepted.
Xisuma pov:
'Maybe this will be easier since I brush EX's hair sometimes and his hair is kinda long and a little shaggy,' I thought uncertainly.
"Can I have a comb?" I asked. Fwhip handed me one wordlessly. Gem turned around, and somehow, she had untangled her hair from the horror Doc did.
"Start in 3, 2, 1. Go!" As soon as Bdubs said 'Go!' I ran the brush through Gem's hair.
"Well, you're better than Doc at this!" Gem settled back, slightly leaning on me. I didn't feel the least bit flustered being Aromantic.
"Thanks?" I asked. I was done with 23 seconds to spare. I panicked when I had zero idea how to braid hair. I had a very faint memory of giving EX a Padawan braid when we were 9, but that's it.
"Three parts, left, right, left..." I muttered to myself. I was halfway through the braid(a very messy one) when Bdubs called time.
"Wow, that's actually really good Xisuma. Where did you learn?" I nervously laughed. 'Why was that so nerve wracking?'
"I don't know, I was working off a memory when I was 9." Gem nodded. EX reached under his helmet where his braid still is.
"That has been the best attempt so far." She undid it in 2 seconds flat. She shook her hair out for the next person, presumably.
Gem pov:
I tugged on a lock of hair, considering my choices for the last person. My eyes land in False, and smile my most sinister smile.
"False, truth or dare?" False said dare.
"False, I challenge you to the same thing." False got up and sat behind me. She had grabbed the comb in the way there.
I look at the comb. It's a little warped, and 4 of the teeth have snapped off. I laughed in my head. 'This should be fun.'
"And start False!" I felt False smoothly run the comb through my hair. Then, it abruptly stopped. I felt a weight in my hair and laughed out loud.
"It got stuck, didn't it?" I asked through my laughter.
"Yes, I'm sorry. Can I forfeit?" False asked meekly. I nod.
"Of course, of course! But I still get your next turn." I laughed it off. I reached back and untangled said the comb, but in the process, it snapped in half.
"How?" Asked Ren in confusion. I shrugged. My hair is insanely thick. I've broken many hair ties. I stopped cutting it, and I don't plan on cutting it anytime soon.
"Well, Scott truth or dare?" I asked. Scott considered.
"Dare. I'm interested in way you've got." Scott said with that unnerving blank face.
"Scott, I dare you to sit in Jimmy's lap for the rest of the game no matter what anyone else dares you." Poorly disguised horror flashed across his face. He got up and sat in Jimmy's lap.
They were both blushing madly, so I took a picture and made both of their profile pictures.
"Doc, truth or dare?" Scott asks.
"I hate picking truth, why is everyone picking on me?" He asks the ceiling. He sighs dramatically, "Dare," he grumbles some... things under his breath.
"Dare, you say? I dare you to go buy 10 bottle pops and 2 different flavor Gatorade and come back here." Doc raises an eyebrow, but leaves.
___________ 5 minutes later____________
Doc pov:
I hold the bag from the gas station as I run inside Bdubs house. I see the circle of people and I sit back down.
"Now what do I do?" I asked miserably.
"Now, you open one of the Bottle Pops and pour a little of each Gatorade on the powder. Then, take it, and eat all of it." I follow the instructions, and when I eat it sends a shudder through my entire body.(I tried that last night and was on a sugar high. It is insanely sour in a weird way. Try if you want.)
"Whoa, woah, oh, oh, oh! Wow! That is sour! Haaaaaaaaa..." That last part is me breathing out the way you would when you eat something spicy. I blink several times.
"Wow, youvegottottrythat! Thatsabsolutleyamazing! Iwasn'texpectingthat!" I was speaking rapidly and couldn't stop giggling(common side effects). Ren reaches over and does it to the other 9 and passes them around. I just giggled.
Third person pov:
As Ren passed the 8 others to Grian, Iskall, Pearl, Jimmy, Bdubs, Scar, Fwhip, and Sausage and kept one for himself.
"We'll get more later for you." Ren told everyone else. Gem shakes her head.
"No way, I've had that before. That one time all I need." Gem says, edging away from Doc who is still talking really fast and now only sorta giggling.
Ren shrugged. He counts down, and on one they all eat it. The Hermits recoil in surprise and blink a lot. Iskall didn't finish his, so Sausage takes it and finishes it for him.
"Whooooooooo! Yeah! I haven't had that in forever!" Sausage yells. Gem looks as if she's deciding whether to laugh or be concerned. She chooses the latter.
"Grian, are you okay?" Gem asks. Grian is laying on the floor on his back, considering existence.
"Mmmmm..." Grian stared off into the abyss. Gem looked around to see Fwhip, Sausage, and Scar were smushing Xisuma with marshmallows for 'Revenge for trying to stop our game!'.
Xisuma ran in circles trying to avoid the rainfall of marshmallows. Ren, Bdubs, and Doc were breakdancing to Suéltate(From Sing 2). EX was hiding under a table, and Iskall was right next to him.
Keralis was laughing with everyone else at the scene that was happening. Well, Etho and Scott stood in a corner and talked casually as if nothing was happening.
Jimmy pov:
Eventually(about 2 hours later, around 7:30), everyone was half-settled again. Everyone forgot whose turn it was, so they gave it to Grian who is now in a Sherlock-Grian costume. My eye was still twitching.
"Scott, truth or dare?" Grian asked. Scott stared holes into Grian's soul.
"Dare." Scott says unblinkingly. Grian tries to match his expression, but dissolves into a fit of giggles(because sugar high).
"I dare you to wear all pink to school for a week." Scott is frozen in place, and yes, Jimmy is still sitting in his lap. So, Scott is blushing, flustered(because me), and now frozen in place(because dares).
"Truth or dare is where dignity goes to die." Scott remarks with a sigh.
"No, it's where you go to die." I retort. Scott twists around to glare at me. Everyone at least snickers.
"Whatever. Iskall, truth or dare?" Iskall look apprehensive about saying anything.
"Truth." Scott stares at him before coming to a conclusion.
"How much do you really hate diorite?" Iskall plugs his ears when he heard 'dio'.
"I'm willing to blow it up." Iskall says with a straight face.
"Or," he gestured to Grian, "pay Grian to blow it up for me. I'd love to watch it explode." He got then a faraway look on his face.
"Anyways, Cleo, truth or dare?" Cleo smirks, "Dare. Bring it on."
"I dare you to not talk until your next turn. Only exception is your next turn." Cleo nodded.
"Got it. Etho, truth or dare?" Etho shrugged, "truth, I've seen the dares." Cleo considered her choices for a moment.
"How did you get your scar?" Etho ran his hand over his scar that reached just above his eyebrow and ended when it got to the corner of his mouth.
"I was playing with a kitchen knife when I was four, Ren, truth or dare?" Etho said quickly.
"Dare." Etho paused, "I dare you to act like a king for the rest of the game." Ren seemed to accept his fate.
"Keralis! Truth or dare? Thou might not but pick one."(I have an old timey translator for Ren) Keralis, holding back laughs, chose dare.
"I dare thou to say, 'Birch is great' to Gem." Keralis looked mock-horrified. 'I wish I could mock looks,' I thought to myself. I wrapped my arms around Scott semi-consciously, but when I tried to pull away Scott pulled my arms back. 'His hair smells nice' I thought to myself.
"Birshesgrat." Keralis mashed the words together, making us all laugh. Gem, who was recording him, "What was that?" He repeated himself. Gem raised an eyebrow.
"Fine, fine. Birch is great. Gem is great." He paused for a moment, "How did I say that?" He thought out loud. Gem waved it off with a giggle.
"Keralis, it is now thy turn to bid." Ren announced. 'How does he keep speaking like that?' I wondered.
"Pearl, truth or dare?" Keralis asked.
"Dare." Keralis smiled, "I dare you to act crazy for 30 seconds." He set a timer, and that was that.
"Sco-ott," Pearl sing-sang with crazy eyes. 'Creepy,' I thought to myself.
"Why did you leave me? Why?" She wasn't screaming, which was somehow scarier, "You left me, for Cleo." I was very confused, 'what the heck?' Scott leaned back further into my chest, making me blush(well, more than before).
"Pearl, I wasn't the only one who made that decision!" He almost yelled. Keralis's timer went off, but no one cared. All eyes were on Scott and Pearl.
"What did she do? Promise you something in return?" Scott seemed uncomfortable, but it was hard to tell from his hair.
"Shepromisedtosetmeupwithjimmy..." He mumbled for only Pearl to hear. But I heard him. I HEARD HIM! A parade went off in my head. Pearl looked enraged and sad at the same time.
"I'd be happy to Scott. All you had to do is ask." I said out loud without thinking. All eyes were on me now.
"Really?" Scott asked. I nodded and encased him in a hug.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Context?" Gem and Sausage asked at the same time. I'd say that I blushed more, but I've been blushing since Scott sat in my lap. I think that I've reached my limit on blushing.
"Either Tim's been asked out, or he's been asked to play Uno. Which he if terrible at."(I have watched more than a few of Jimmy's game videos in an hour.) Grian teased.
"Hey! I am the best in the world at Uno!" I said mock offended. Joel burst out laughing.
"I am! Besides, weren't you trimming your hedges or something?" I asked. Everyone else waited for context.
"Whenever we play a game, Grian is doing something else. Like PRE-PEELING HIS FRUIT! Or organizing his ties! Or folding his socks! He was once cutting his grass with scissors. SCISSORS!" I exclaimed. Everyone was quiet for a moment before laughing. Hard. Even Pearl, who might be holding a grudge for a while.
"Now he's going to tell us he doesn't peel his grapes!" Exclaimed Lizzie.
"You have already used that one Lizzie! You can't use it again!" I exclaimed. Lizzie laughed even harder, "But I just did!"
"Is this- I mean, Is this actually something thou doth Grian?" Ren asked through unkinglike tears of laughter.
Scott turned around and hugged me. While he was doing that, he whispered this in my ear, "Meet me at the mall on Wednesday. If you want to, of course." I smiled, "I'll meet you there."
Third person pov:
They continued for another hour before eventually going home. It was a very fun night, and everyone was very happy. Especially Bdubs, who organized(with a lot of help from Xisuma) all of it.
I am so sorry that took so long! I meant for that to be out sooner, but I didn't get around to it. There will be a Flower Husbands date chapter and a second one to this. This was mostly written on my computer, and anything wrong with the line spacing I'll fix later(On my phone. My computer is weird.) Happy reading guys, gals, and non-binary pals!
-Shadow