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The king sits on his throne, doing nothing in particular, but carries a burdensome task nonetheless. He has a million things running through his mind, a million problems that need to be fixed, but there’s too many different outcomes to his choices and he doesn’t know which one to pick. Not to mention the bedrock under him isn’t the most comfortable and it makes concentrating hard, but this is what it’s come to. After all, this world he found himself in is quite different from the others. However it also does carry some.. similarities.
“Foolish!”
Ah, one of the similarities.
“Bad.” Foolish greets in return. The devil (angel?) walks into the throne room like he owns it, completely shameless despite their history. “What do you want?”
“Oh, nothing. Just bored.” he replies easily, as if they’re friends. As if Foolish hasn’t lost multiple lives because of him. As if they aren’t always on the brink of war. As if in every universe they don’t go out of their way to annoy each other.
“Bored. And how is that my problem?” The king raises his brow. It’s a dangerous word. He realizes what can happen when an immortal is bored, he’s experienced it himself. He can very well be in danger right now. He also realizes, however, that Bad has been holding back recently. It’s the curse of having others rely on your actions. Besides, this is a dance they do in every world- it’s just that the power imbalance has never been this horribly skewed before, so it’s definitely harder to resist the want that comes after boredom.
“Well, you’re looking awfully low in levels, King.” Badboyhalo teases. “And I have some stuff to do, so keep me company. It’s no fun when you’re so weak.”
Foolish considers this. On one hand, it sounds tiresome. On the other hand, how much longer is he just going to sit on his throne for? Besides, he likes to pretend that he absolutely hates Bad's guts, but there’s also always something so tempting about hanging out with him. Perhaps it’s the way they can understand each other. Perhaps it’s because he likes teasing Bad too.
“Mmm, I’ll go, but I don’t care about levels. You’re gonna help me collect some materials instead.” He states, hoping his kingly charm can persuade him.
“Okay.” Bad giggles. “I was planning to mine some deepslate anyways.”
_
“Don’t walk so close to me.” The king grumbles.
“Huh?” Bad looks up at him. Foolish has never been the type to brag about his height, but given the fact that he’s so outclassed in power levels in this world, his pride swells every time the size difference is obvious.
“You’re like, bumping into me.” He pushes his shoulder. “Walk normally, you freak.”
“Oh.”
They managed to gather enough materials for their own respective territories, but the way back was longer than expected. The devil could’ve just flown off a while ago, but here he is, brushing shoulders with his “mortal enemy” instead. They walk in silence, spare for a few jabs at each other.
“Sooo, why didn’t you just ask somebody from your faction to join you if you were so bored?” Foolish questions. Admittedly, he enjoyed the company, but he also always half expects for there to be a trap laid out for him. Surely there’s an ulterior motive.
“Well,” Bad shoves into him again. Just to be annoying. “Pangi’s off.. doing his own thing. Y’know? Being Pangi. And Lukey, well.. um. I’ve been hanging around him too much.” He tries to joke, but it sounds weak. The king has had to observe different tells from people on the realm, and even though Bad seems hard to read, he notices this; His tail flicks downwards, a sign something’s bothering him.
“Taking the leadership role isn’t as easy as it seems, huh?” Foolish says after a moment.
Bad scoffs. “I’m not a tyrant like you. Green faction has no leader.”
“You basically are the leader though.” He points out. “You’re the strongest, and they listen to you. Besides, the keepers think of you as the leader.” You look out for them, he wants to say- but it sounds too close to a compliment.
“Foolish..” He trails off. “What you do, your way of going about things; it’s all so different from mine.”
Foolish tenses up. This seems like a serious moment. “Yeah, your way sucks.” He tries to lighten the mood, and he smiles when Bad laughs.
“Recently, it feels like my faction’s on different pages.” He sighs. “And I’m not just going to be crazy and randomly take charge like you did. Green doesn’t work that way- it’s the reason we’re so strong, y’know? We’re independent.”
“Your faction’s crazy, Bad.” Foolish deadpans. “None of you know how to talk things out properly, you’re all a bunch of slippery snakes. It’s no wonder it’s slowly falling apart.”
Badboyhalo stops walking. “Wha- oh, because yellow faction’s any better? No. You don’t get it.” He shoves an accusatory finger at the king. “The only reason we have problems is because of you guys.”
Foolish stops walking as well now as turns around. “You can’t be serious. The only reason our factions had problems to begin with was because you couldn’t stand the thought of me living peacefully as king!” He argues. They do this, they argue often, it’s familiar. But it started too personal- it’s too close to becoming something serious. Whatever, Foolish thinks, If I die here, it’s nothing new. If a war breaks out, I’ll handle it.
Bad clenches his weapon. “That was in the past! Now, your faction is just as bad. Ros killed Lukey from the get-go, and your little warden is like a dog off his leash.” Foolish winces. He knows his faction isn’t perfect, but they’re working on their issues.
“Yeah, but it’s because you guys just can’t seem to leave us alone!” The king spits back. “You can’t blame yellow faction for finally retaliating.”
Badboyhalo just stares. “You’re really going to defend all the stuff they do? No matter what? Really, Foolish? Can’t you just admit you guys are just as bad?”
“Wha- no! Why would I ever admit that to you?” Foolish sighs. “Of course I’d defend them, I’d give my life for them over and over and over. Something I know you’d never do for any of your members.” As soon as he says it, he knows he’s going to die. He’s going to feel the cool netherite against his skin any second now.
Surprisingly, the blow never comes. “You’re right.” Bad mumbles. “I wouldn’t die for them, but I would kill for them.”
“That’s.. not the same thing, Bad.” But deep down, Foolish understands. It’s not the same thing, but it is similar- although it’s harder to prove it’d be out of care. They really do just have a different way of going about things.
There’s another wave of silence before Badboyhalo begins walking again. Foolish follows shortly behind.
“You know, you’re not actually a terrible king.” Bad practically whispers.
Foolish bursts out laughing. “Yeah?” It’s such a ridiculous thing to hear come from his mouth.
Badboyhalo laughs along. “Probably because you’re really a tyrant. But, um, even if others on green- or any faction actually- don’t understand you. I do.” They walk alongside. “Even if I don’t agree with you.” He adds on.
The king smiles at him. The angel smiles back. “Y’know what? Thanks. I think I understand you too.” He feels the need to add on, “Most of the time.”
They bump shoulders along the way back.
_
The next day, Foolish plans on just seeing what needs to be done around the castle. He decides he wants to chill for the day, especially considering all he went through the week prior. However, as soon as he makes his way to his room to put some stuff away, the king jumps in surprise.
“What are you doing in here?” He practically shouts, because there, in the middle of his bed chambers, is Badboyhalo rummaging through his things.
“Oh, Foolish, hi. It’s nothing.” He keeps looking around.
“Uh, no.” He pushes Bad away, hard. “Get out of here.”
The fellow immortal sighs, like he wasn’t just caught snooping around inside his room. “I was waiting for you so I could ask you a question. But you took too long so I wanted to look around.”
Foolish should hit him again. Harder, if he can. Instead, he pinches the bridge of his nose. “Okay, I’ll bite. What did you want to say that was so important?” He asks, slowly ushering Bad to the door.
Bad automatically grins and stops himself from getting pushed out. “Foolish. Who are the people in the realm you’d give up a life for?”
It’s such an obvious ploy to rip important information out of him. “Why would I tell you?”
“Because I’m asking. Just give me a list.”
“What’ll you give me if I tell you?” The king tries to approach this in a way that’ll hopefully only be beneficial to him. I mean, pretty much anybody could guess all those who he’d be willing to give a life for.
Exasperated, Bad flicks Foolish on the leg with his tail. “I’m not going to give up one of my lives for an answer to a question, that’s crazy!”
“I never said that.” Foolish swats his tail away. Although that was where he hoped the conversation would go. “Anyways, why do you wanna know so bad? You’re not on the list, if that helps.”
“Oh.” The devil visibly shrinks. Shouldn’t that be obvious?
“Come on, do I make it onto your list?” Foolish reasons.
Without hesitation, Badboyhalo replies, “Yes.”
The king blinks, then flushes. “Wha- it’s not the same thing though. Like at all. Your list is people you’d kill for, Bad. And you’d kill anyone.” He recollects his thoughts after the initial shock. He blames the red face on this bizarre conversation and the fact that it’s happening in his bedroom of all places. “Tell me when you’d die for me, maybe then we’ll get somewhere.” The word “somewhere” in this context seems too.. multi-dimensional. But, as soon as it’s said, it actually seems pretty fitting.
“That’s ridiculous,” Bad claims. “Why would I die for you? That defeats the whole purpose of what we are.”
What we are, Foolish repeats in his head. What we are, What we are, What we are- the conversation is starting to make him feel dizzy. He can’t be the only one who hears this, right? He fights the urge to ask the cliche “what are we” question, although he’s dying to know Bad’s thoughts on the subject. This state of ambiguity is as fun as it is torturous.
Instead, he says something just as bad. And even more stupid. “You wouldn’t die for me?”
It’s time for the devil to blush this time, and it’s really a sight to behold. Foolish’s own words shocked himself, but the look on Bad's face is even more surprising. The words were meant to come off as a joke, a sarcastic sad plea. Instead, it sounded all too genuine, and now they’re left with.. this.
“Of course not.” Badboyhalo mumbles. “You’re crazy, what? What kind of question is that?”
They just stare at each other.
“Can I ask a different question from before, though? You never answered the first one.” He follows up after a beat of silence gone for too long.
Foolish sighs. “Maybe. What is it?”
“Do I make it onto your list?” He asks quietly, avoiding eye contact.
The king looks at him as if he’s grown a third horn. “I already told you; no.”
“No, not the “die for” list.” He looks up at Foolish. “Would I make onto your.. your “kill for” list?” And it sounds so much like a beg, feels so much like a need to be understood, to be accepted. It’s Badboyhalo asking if they can find a middle ground, if there’s a way they could possibly agree on just one thing, even in this twisted weird way. Because there’s no way they’d die for each other, but if Bad is willing to kill for him, is Foolish willing to do the same?
Foolish bites his lip. Realistically, he’d want to avoid killing people at all costs. As the king, his decisions hold too much importance. But, he also knows…
“I think I’d be lying if I said.. there wasn’t a one hundred percent possibility. There’s probably a world where I would, given certain circumstances.” He settles on saying. It’s not a lie, but it’s also far from the truth. He definitely doesn’t see himself killing for Bad on this world any time soon. Regardless, his response makes Bad crack a huge smile, and Foolish realizes it was a good answer.
“Aha! There you have it folks,” Badboyhalo says into the empty air. “The king is willing to kill someone! I knew it! Yellow faction is corrupt!” He cheers.
Foolish hides his grin. “I hate you.”
“I hate you too.” Badboyhalo beams back.
Just another similarity.