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By the end of the games that day, Zedaph couldn’t help but feel satisfied by what had transpired.
Is That Sheep Looking at Me? was intended to be a simple concept at first, though with how Zedaph’s mind worked, he knew it wouldn’t take long to spiral out of his own control. Even at that very moment, looking way back when the whole concept had first popped into his mind, he hadn’t imagined it coming this far. The game being as hyped by the other Hermits as it is, was nothing less than astounding.
This time had been a pleasure, with returning contestants and Pearl to play. A wonderful group of people who made entertaining feel less like an obligation and more like a game amongst friends. Pearl had committed a bit more than Mumbo, and Keralis more than her. The sheep head had been a pleasant surprise (though, he did not want to question where it came from) to see her wearing. It was an adorable hat that Zedaph was tempted to imitate in style, though maybe in pink and yellow to match his suit. Keralis had fully committed, wearing a bright pink sheep onesie, although it did produce a strange smell and was a few sizes too small for the man, so the legs were cut off mid-calf.
The actual show had been his favorite to do by far. Listening to the three contestants struggle to name the hybrids he had put together, having them get hyped for a sheep race that was rather anticlimactic, and watching them run around like headless chickens for a solid five minutes trying to find a rainbow sheep.
Lying under the stars with that day's contestants, Zedaph couldn’t help but feel satisfied by the tiredness in his bones. They had set up a picnic to celebrate Keralis’s win. Keralis, bless his heart, was still wearing the rancid sheep onesie, though he had tied the top half around his waist to compensate for the warm night. Pearl had gone back to her base momentarily to change into something more comfortable. Zed and Mumbo had discarded their suit jackets in favor of sharing a soft blanket from some of Zed’s sheep with the other two.
“I must say, Zed, that this is truly a masterpiece of a game.” Mumbo said, admiring the shiny golden trophy that sat on the edge of the blanket. The gold gleamed in the moonlight, casting a shiny glow across their spread of food.
“You’re just saying that because you almost won,” Pearl rolled her eyes fondly, pouring herself a cup of tea from the thermos she brought. Zedaph laughed heartily, rolling over onto his stomach and looking between Pearl and Mumbo.
“Hush now, let him praise my brilliance!” Zedaph beamed, lifting a hand to wag a finger at Pearl, “We wouldn’t want to stifle creativity, now would we?”
“More like trying to go for another round, eh?” Pearl elbowed Mumbo, who jumped away, laughing.
“I will win one of these!” Mumbo said, a determined look on his face, “One day!” Both Keralis and Zedaph laughed at the antics.
Zedaph leaned back on his hands, dramatically throwing his arm around Keralis’s shoulders. “Keep trying, lad. Maybe the next one will be a redstone special! I’ll even invite Etho.”
Mumbo let out a defeated sigh, falling backwards on the blanket to look at the sky. “Sure, make a redstone episode and invite the master of redstone. That will go great for me.”
“Aw, chin up mate,” Pearl laughed, “Zed’s crazy and your crazy aren’t too far off. You may understand whatever he has in store better than Etho would!”
“I prefer the term ‘creative genius’,” Zedaph responded with a sniff, and then joined in on the infectious laughter. “I could make a ‘Mumbo Jumbo Special’ game just for you!”
He could see it now: a round of capture the Mumbo with a Mumbo on each end of the court (with Grian wearing a mustache being inserted as a Mumbo stand-in for one team). He could probably convince Impulse and Skizz to join in for that one. Heck, Zedaph might be inclined to leave the commentary to someone else and join in himself.
Mumbo gulped at the mischievous glint in Zedaph’s eyes. “Oh no you don’t, I know that look, mate.”
“What ever do you mean, my friend?” Zedaph grinned, stowing that idea away for later. He would circle back on that a different day, after the finals most likely.
“I could even add it into my base!” Zedaph continued, laughing. “A red stone room, but in order to get materials from it, I need to present a certified Mumbo Jumbo ticket. Of course, I would need to make a way to get the tickets, but all in due time.”
“Zedaph, my friend, you have such a beautiful mind.” Keralis said, grinning as he pulled slightly away from Zedaph to pet a passing sheep.
“You already won, Keralis, no need to sweet talk me.” Zedaph said.
Keralis simply smiled, leaning back as the sheep walked away and shooting a wink at Zedaph, “Ah, no harm in trying to sway the finale, no?”
Zedaph chuckled, patting Keralis on the shoulder. “Nice try, but you’ll have to try a bit harder to butter me up.”
Laughter filled the air once more, the distant bah’s from the sheep still roaming around the area. The air was warm, but not stifling. Deep down, beyond the chaos of his games, Zedaph was glad he could bring joy to his fellow Hermits. He had been unsure at first; being amongst geniuses and masters of their crafts who went about as if everyday were the day to build a city. Seeing even the brightest of minds be happy because of his craft was the best thing he could ever ask for. He couldn’t wait to start planning the finale.
Perhaps he should have them all dress as sheep to make it more interesting. The winner gets to have the pleasure of burning Keralis’s original suit. Zedaph grinned at the idea, laying back on the picnic blanket to stare at the stars, already outlining the plans in his head.