Chapter Text
EX sat in the Evil Emporium. He felt alone.
It wasn't unusual, the only person that talked to him on a regular basis was Xisuma, and he lacked basic autonomy because of him. But he never made X talk to him despite his loneliness, it would only make the pit inside him feel deeper and darker, knowing that it was fake.
Underneath the emporium, Ex- that wasn't even his name- had made himself a bedroom. It was black with jagged dark red streaks going through it, there was a desk, it only had a few Premium Derpcoins™ on it and papers that had poorly drawn pictures on them.
He walked down to his bedroom, through a dark oak door that wasn't even hidden. He flopped onto his bed and sighed. "Why do I do this? I could go out in the world, and be a better person. But I don't, why?" He asked himself, out loud even though there was no one there to listen.. or so he thought.
"Well I don't know what you're talking about but I know that I definitely made a wrong turn somewhere!"
Ex jumped out of his skin when he heard the voice. He sat up and looked at the man who was in his doorway, Grian, he believed his name was.
He gained composure quickly, "What are you doing here?" He asked, trying to sound annoyed but probably failing.
Grian shrugged and responded, "I was doing something and then needed to use the restroom and afterwards I got lost and found a door. And a door that I don't know where it leads to is basically like a button left unpressed, even more when it leads to a staircase with a spooky hallway. So I went down it and found you."
Ex was still very confused, "And why are you still here? Don't you know who I am?"
Grian shook his head, "Nope!"
"I am Evil Xisuma, you can go now." He hated introducing himself like that, but no one would listen, so it was better to use the one thing that people would call you.
"No, I don't think I will Evil Xe-shu-mah,"
Ex blinked behind his helmet, "Why not? I am Evil, it is literally in the name."
Grian shook his head, "I don't think you're evil, just chaotic at most."
Ex blinked again, "You just met me, how do you know that I'm not evil?"
Grian jumped on the bed, "I don't usually get gut feelings, but when I do, they're usually right!"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"I have the feeling that you aren't evil!"
"Then why would people call me Evil Xisuma?"
"Sometimes people get nicknamed something that they don't like."
"How do you know that it's not my name?"
Grian smiled at him, "I have my ways," then he frowned and asked, "But why do people call you that?"
Then started the story of how he kept trying to destroy Hermitcraft. Through when he was "made" to when X finally banned him from the server. When it was done, he looked at Grian again. "You can go now," he said.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because this a server where things are destroyed all of the time."
"Between friends, I blew things up for no reason."
"I blow things up all the time. I just put like, twenty end crystals over my friends base yesterday."
"And I don't have friends."
"Am I not your friend?"
Ex froze. "Do you want to be my friend?"
"I want to be friends with everyone, and you are no exception. Unless you don't want to be my friend."
"It's not that I don't want to, but I'm not even human. I'm basically a monster made from void matter."
Grian just looked at him, "I'll name all the hermits that I know aren't human off of the top of my head. Cleo is a zombie, Doc is a creeper, Ren is a werewolf, Jevin is a slime, Tango is a flame, X is whatever he is, and I am literally the same as you."
Ex has a surprised face. "Nope, I don't believe it, you're not made from void matter, I refuse."
Grian smirked, and spoke in the language that only their kind knew, "ʖ⚍ℸ ̣ ╎ ᔑᒲ, ᔑリ↸ ╎ ᓵᔑリ !¡∷𝙹⍊ᒷ ╎ℸ ̣." (But I am, and I can prove it.)
"But Grian isn't a name that they use!"
"I changed it, you of all people should know that we have a bad rep."
"Then what's your real name?"
"What's yours?"
"I asked first."
"Fine. My name is Xelqua! Now you!"
Ex smirked, "I only tell my name to people that I trust!"
Grian gasped, "But I told you mine!"
"And I trust you."
"Then what is it?!"
"Xanthius. Tell anyone and I'll tell them yours."
"Lengthy! I like it! And I wouldn't dream of it."
"We friends?"
Grian hugged him, "I'd hope so!"
Xanthius hugged back, "Then I think we are. How do you stand overworld air? This thing has so many filters!" He motioned to his helmet.
"You get used to it."
"I'm not doing that."
"I'll steal your helmet!"
"No!" He cried, jokingly, and Grian knew it.
Grian somehow found the latch that kept it on his face, and quickly grabbed it and took off running for the (Joe)hills.
Xanthius blinked for a moment to get used to the air and the brightness that was concealed from him, giving Grian enough time to hide the helmet somewhere in the emporium.
Xanthius sighed and ran a hand through this hair and took out the band that kept the ponytail holding his shoulder length hair back. He sighed with a smile. He got one thing that he wanted out of this. A friend. And the fact that they were so similar was just a bonus.