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Jevil has been the Court Jester for almost a full year by now. You would think he'd have made at least one friend. Or even a friendly acquaintance, at least.
Apparently, being loud and joyous was a rather repelling trait.
Outside of performances, everyone he ever tried to talk to shied away from him. Even his supposed partner, the old Court Magician. Once a performance is over, he would be treated to the silent treatment. Every time he tried to make small talk with the plush cat, he'd be treated with a look of pure disgust and shoved aside.
It got in the way of their performances, Jevil felt. Especially with how dangerous some of their tricks could be. The mage would laugh rather cruelly if he ever messed up a trick. He didn't know why, but the mage's laughter was always the loudest in a sea of laughter from the audience.
He never even got his name...
Well, today will be different! One way or another, Jevil was going to befriend his partner!
As he made his way through the castle, he cheerily waved to the Rudinn Rangers and Head Hathys. They all backed away from him and whispered to each other. They acted like he couldn't hear them. Like he couldn't hear that they were calling him weird and freaky just because they spoke quieter than usual.
At this point, he learned to tune out the whispers. He had to. He'd go mad if he didn't.
He peaked into the Throne Room. Ah. Just as he'd hoped. There was the Court Magician in front of the four kings.
"We can't just replace the Jester! He has done nothing to warrant such a thing!" The King of Diamonds hissed out. "I know you've been working for us for so many decades, but I hardly think seniority should allow this kind of treatment!"
"You don't understand, your majesty. He's rude, obnoxious, loud, and has no concept of personal space. He laughs way too loud at his own antics, talks my ear off, and constantly gets in the way of whatever I'm working on in an attempt to 'help'. His very presence demands that everyone stop what they are doing and look at him, causing major distractions. He is nothing but a burden to me and everyone he works with. I can no longer tolerate working with him," the plush explained tiredly as though he had been repeating himself the whole time. "He's pulling at my stitches, and if I have to hear him attempt to talk about the weather one more time, I will rip him apart piece by smiling piece!"
Jevil could hear the anger building in the mage's voice with every sentence. And he felt himself shrink at each word.
"Look, we aren't firing the clown and we are not giving you a replacement. And that's final!" The King of Spades decreed, his belly mouth making some sort of gurgle of assertion. The other three kings all nodded in agreement.
The mage let out a defeated sigh. "Can you at least make him stop bothering me outside of work?"
"We can talk to him, but we can't guarantee any sort of results," the Diamond King offered. "Jevil is a true wild card."
The plush gave a bow and turned to leave. Jevil fled before he could be seen.
He ended up teleporting to a secret place. A place only he found. A path where the stars don't shine. He watched the paper dancers rehearse. It's not like they'd give him the time of day, anyway. No one did.
The mage's words were bouncing all around his head.
A burden? He was called many things by many Darkners. None of them were really pleasant things. But a burden? No one has ever considered him a burden? He'd been called a freak show, an annoyance, a weirdo, a clown, and many variants.
A burden...
The mage thought of him as a burden...
Fine then.
If the poor kitty cat was so burdened by him, then he'll leave him alone. Forever. He'll just stay here forever! No one ever walked where the stars don't shine. The mage would never have to see his face ever again!
Jevil took off his hat and set it aside. He rubbed one of his horns.
He had always been a laughing stock. There were no other Darkners even remotely similar to him. He could never recall meeting anyone else with horns and a tail and such large ears. Everyone always made fun of him for it.
He figured being a jester would make it easier to be laughed at. Then, everyone would laugh at his jokes and tricks instead of his actual self. It was a hollow victory. Because he was still being laughed at.
Nowadays, he just didn't know what to do with himself. Of course he had to grab everyone attention. He'd be mocked and then ignored if he didn't make his presence known. It was always an underlying fear of his, being ignored.
Because even the Lightners had ignored him when they wished to play.
He had hoped that since the magician was his red counterpart, he'd understand. He...He hoped that the mage would look for him.
Tears welled up in his eyes at the thought of actually staying here alone forever. What if no one looked for him? What if no one missed him? What if he really was just a...
...a burden...
He buried his face in his arms and sobbed.
Please find me...Please miss me...I'll be good, I promise! I'll do whatever you want, but please want me...
It had been a very quiet and peaceful week for Seam. That annoying fool had finally got the message and left him alone. He was able to finalize a few spells he was working on for months now. He got to enjoy his tea and finish a book he was trying to read. It was practically paradise.
He was what you would call "well loved". The Lightners used to love playing with him. As much as he loved playing with them, he couldn't deny the damage they had caused. They always tried their best to fix him up, but the damage was done.
It left him wanting to keep others away. As far as he was concerned, if you loved something, you were going to break it. And he just didn't want to patch himself up any longer. It was annoying and took up time he could be using to perfect his craft. Even if it did get lonely...
Perhaps that's something he sort of envied of the Jester. He had such a bright personality. So happy and joyful to see everyone. From what Seam had seen, everyone is always delighted to see Jevil. He sort of wished that he would have given similar reactions from others. But they see his scars and look at him with a pitying smile. He hated it when they gave him that weak smile of "Oh you poor soul".
But still. The quiet was preferable to the annoying noise that was the Jester's voice.
Alas, all good things must come to an end. The kings had ordered requested him to find the little pest. He hadn't been seen by anyone the whole week, and the kings were getting rather worried about their Jester being gone for so long.
But Jevil wasn't anywhere in the castle, nowhere in the Scarlet Forest, and unseen in the Field of Hopes and Dreams. It was like he was never there at all.
He asked all around. No Jigsawry, Rudinn, Hathy, or C. Round had seen the jester.
But he did learn something from a Mr. Elegance.
"Well, I once heard him mention a secret place down a path where the stars don't shine."
It wasn't much, but it was something.
The only thing he could think of when it came to stars shining was where the paper ballerinas danced. Perhaps he missed something?
As it turns out, he did miss something. A hidden pathway where the twinkling stars couldn't shine on.
Walk where the stars don't shine, huh?
He followed the path straight to the man he was looking for. The man who was oddly quiet.
"There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you."
He saw the jester perk up. Suddenly, little arms wrapped around his neck. He was being hugged!
“YOU WERE?! YOU WERE?! OH JOYOUS DAY, I KNEW YOU WOULD, WOULD! I JUST KNEW YOU WOULD FIND ME, MY FRIEND!”
With a growl, Seam pried the little pest off of him. He dropped him and smoothed his robe.
“First of all, we are not friends! Second of all, it’s not me that was looking to find you. It was the kings. Had I had it my way, I would still be in my quarters getting ready for a nap! Who do you think you are, just leaving your job like that?!”
He watched the little imp’s ears droop down. All the excitement and joy left his body. He turned away from the plush and sat back down, burying his face in his arms.
“OH, AWAY! AWAY, YOU BEAST! LEAVE ME HERE TO WASTE AWAY, AND FAR FROM YOU I SHALL STAY!”
“If the kings find out I found you and didn’t bother coming back with you, they’ll have my head. Now come on. Stop pouting.”
“SMILE, SMILE, OH WON’T YOU STAY AWHILE? WITH YOUR MIND SO FOGGY WITH HATRED AND YOUR WORDS FULL OF BILE?” The Jester looked at him. “IT’S NOT LIKE YOU WANT TO BRING BACK SOMEONE WHO IS SUCH A BURDEN, BURDEN! AND I AM NOT LEAVING HERE EVER AGAIN, AGAIN!”
Seam groaned. Not leaving? Just his luck. Guess the hard way it was, then.
He wrapped his paws around the little man’s waist and attempted to lift him up. But Jevil was stubborn and clung to the ground like his life depended on it.
“Come on! Don’t be like this!”
“NO! NO! I SHAN’T, I SHAN’T! I SHAN’T GO BACK TO WHERE I’M A BURDEN, BURDEN! DON’T MAKE ME GO BACK! DON’T MAKE ME HEAR THEIR WHISPERS, WHISPERS! DON’T MAKE ME ENDURE THEIR LOOKS! I CAN’T TAKE THEIR LAUGHS ANY LONGER, LONGER!”
Seam gave him a funny look. “That’s your job! You’re the Royal Fool! It’s your job to be loved and laughed at!”
“UNTRUE, UNTRUE! THEY DON’T LOVE ME! THEY LOATHE ME, DESPISE ME! JUST LIKE THE COURT MAGE, MAGE!”
The plush stopped pulling at the jester. The little imp scrambled back to his spot, shaking with his despair.
“What...? What do you mean? Everyone loves you! They’re all I ever hear anyone talk about! They talk about how they can’t wait for your next show! I can’t have a conversation without someone asking about you! You’re the one they love! Not me!”
“UNLOVED, UNLOVED! I AM UNLOVED! I HEAR THEIR WHISPERS ABOUT ME! NOTHING BUT COMPLAINTS AND WARNINGS ABOUT ME! NO ONE CARES ABOUT POOR LITTLE JEVIL!” Tears flowed freely down his round face. “NOT EVEN MY PARTNER! NO FRIENDS, NO PALS! NOT ANY OF THE GUYS AND GALS!”
Seam let out a sigh. “Is that why you decided to run off and not do your job? Because you think no one likes you?”
“NO, NO, NOT THEM. YOU.”
The cat’s ears perked up a bit. “Me? Why me?”
“YOU THINK OF ME AS A BURDEN, AND AWAY YOU WISHED TO BE FROM ME! SO I SAW TO IT, AND YOUR WISH CAME TO BE!” Jevil tried to smile through his tears. “IS...IS THIS NOT WHAT YOU WANTED, WANTED? FOR ME TO GO AWAY, MAGE?”
“Stop that.”
“...STOP WHAT, MAGE?”
“Stop calling me Mage. I have a name, you know.”
The jester’s head hung low in shame. “...NO...I DON’T KNOW...YOU NEVER GAVE ME YOUR NAME, NAME...BUT NO POINT IF YOU DON’T WISH TO BE MY FRIEND...IT MAKES IT EASIER, EASIER IN THE END...”
Seam watched the imp curl around himself, his tail coming up to his face. It was rather...cat-like.
He couldn’t help but smile at that thought. But now he had another thought.
He bent down and lifted the jester’s hat off his head. The imp made a noise of protest, but didn’t do anything to get his hat back. Seam placed a paw between the rather short horns and petted his hair.
The effect was pretty immediate. Jevil started to purr and rub his head against the paw. Despite all the tears, he was smiling.
They both were.
He removed his paw, chortling at the sudden whine of protest.
“My name is Seam. Spelt with an E A.”
“SEAM...”
He watched the little imps eyes widen. And suddenly, he was being hugged again.
“SEAM! SEAM! MY NEW FRIEND SEAM HAS GIVEN ME HIS NAME, HIS NAME! A JOY IS BURSTING OUT OF MY HEART! I AM SO HAPPY, HAPPY!”
Letting out a sigh of defeat, Seam carried the imp back to the castle. Maybe they weren’t so different, after all. Maybe all he needed to do was be his black counterpart’s companion, and things would be different. Who knows? Maybe they could even be true friends.
After all, what’s a few more stitches among his patches?