I want to say thank you for the comments and suggestions from my most recent chapter. I'm quite touched that some of you still want more from this book. 👏👏

 I'll be thinking over  your ideas and how to execute it for a little while longer. So for now, enjoy some season 8 chapters. 👏

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The young hermits are great. Cleo knows that. Despite being the dramatic energized crabs that they are, they're probably one of the nicest kids Cleo has ever interacted with. Trust me, she has seen her fair share of kids throughout her career as a teacher before. 

After being in charge of the daycare for almost 3 months now, Cleo took it as an opportunity to observe how the young hermits interact independently with one another. First example is TFC, who was once just a chill kid who stayed out of their dramatic chaos, now sprints into the chaos. Obviously he hasn't fully accepted the chaos [Thank Notch we still have 2 sane kids-], but at least he feels a bit more comfortable with his new found friends, especially with Mumbo. 

Ahhh, Mumbo. An active and competitive kid who needs to flipping calm down before young Iskall detonates the remaining redstone wires that keeps Mumbo's sanity from draining to oblivion. [Again, thank Notch that he befriended someone like TFC, to keep him sane-] 

Speaking of people close to TFC, there was also his 'brother'? 'House buddy'? 'Assigned kid'? Screw it- his friend, young Xisuma. Honestly was just a nice kid who loved to please his friends. Probably too nice for his own good, that's what worried Cleo for a while now. 

Ever since Grian donated like 1/3 of his closet to the daycare, the kids were quick to swarm  to the box full of clothes and fought for their desired costumes. All bias and friendship passes were thrown out of the window during that day. Heck!-  even young Scar handed out the costumes for the price of 1 dollar [rocks] like the sneaky salesman his adult self pictured him to be! 

Xisuma handed out nearly half of the costumes he wanted to try on to the young hermits, despite being the first to gain them, just so he can make them happy. Now, she's honestly touched at how incredibly kind and considerate he is, but...

"Hey, X?"

Xisuma's little head popped up from the box. "Yes Auntie Cleo?" 

"That was a nice thing you did back there. You know?.. Letting your friends use the costumes first before you." 

The young hermit looked bashful at his zombie aunt, subtly blushing at the sudden compliment. "I- Thank you, Auntie Cleo!" He beamed at me. 

Cleo's smile turned into something more pitiful than genuine. "But if you wanted to try them out, you could always say no to your friends." 

"Why?" Xisuma asked bluntly, staring at her in confusion. "That sounds a bit mean." 

"Wait- no. What I mean is that it's okay to be kind, X, but sometimes it's alright to say no to something you don't want to do. There's nothing mean about declining someone." 

"Oh." Xisuma ponders about it for a second. "Well... Many days ago, Etho asked me if I like the  color blue and I said 'No'. 

"That's not-..." Cleo pauses for a second before kneeling closer to the kid to playfully ruffle his brown locks. "You know what I meant you little crab!" 

Xisuma cheekily giggled at me. This smug little kid was just hiding under that blanket of kindness this whole time! 

"But Auntie Cleo, I'm still okay with letting my friends use them first. It makes me happy." 

Cleo held back the urge to sigh again until he gave the kid a small smile. Despite him being 5 year old, good glory be to the goats- she hoped that Xisuma would take her words to heart. 

" Need help finding your own costume?"

" Ooh! Yes please. " Xisuma quickly dragged the female zombie back to the chest. 

If Cleo's being honest, she thought she would have another chat about selfishness and selflessness with Xisuma maybe a little later, probably at the end of the day. Little did she know that she was about to bring back the topic 10 seconds later. This time, not just Xisuma. 

Cleo and young Xisuma were quite taken back by the two living legs that appeared out of nowhere, wiggling by the edge of the chest. Xisuma curiously looks at the chest and grins playfully. "Hi Bdubs. Is the box nice?" 

A small Bdubs rested inside the chest full of costumes. He looked blankly at the ceiling, with a pink costume by his grasp, hugging it like a stuffed toy. He looks at Xisuma and grunts in response. 

"Well, well, well. Looks like you found a new napping spot." Cleo replies with a smug look on her face. "Attempting to grow bigger once again?" 

Bdubs glares at her strongly before retreating back to his blank face, this time rolling to the other side to avoid our gazes. Cleo's expression slowly softened to something more apologetic. "You know I'm just teasing you, right? There's nothing shameful about wanting to grow." 

Bdubs once again grunts in response. 

"... Is something or someone upsetting you?" 

The young hermit hesitated, then gave a slow nod. 

 "Did I make you upset?" 

Bdubs hastily shook his head.. Put emphasis on the word 'hastily' , because the quick response reassured her a bit. 

"Alright. Is..." she pauses for a bit as she glances at Xisuma, pointing at himself. "Did Xisuma made you upset?"

He shook his head again. 

Cleo rolls her eyes as she witnesses young Xisuma let out a dramatic sigh of relief. 

"Then who's making you upset?"

Bdubs paused for a bit until he responded, "Scar." 

"Scar?" Cleo repeated. 

The young hermit looks up at her, on the verge of tearing up. "Me and Scar had a fight."

..Ohh.

"He wanted me to play as the weird pink axolt fish thing, but I wanted to pretend to be a pirate like him. He was not happy with me so I left." He tugs, which I assume, is the axolotl costume that Scar wanted him to dress up as. "I don't want him angry at me, but I don't want to play as the fish again!.. He's always so bossy but-.. Maybe I was being mean and I should play the fish." 

Bdubs states angrily at the axolotl costume, gripping it tightly. Cleo was about to go comfort the poor kid until Xisuma immediately hopped inside the chest with him and wrapped his arms around Bdubs' trembling shoulders. 

" Hey Bdubs, it's alright." she said softly, patting his small head. "I'm glad that you know when to say no. If you don't want to be the pink fish, then don't." 

"B-But I made Scar angry? I'm a bad friend for being mean to him."

This time, Cleo did not hold back the urge to sigh.  "Listen, Bdubs.." She paused again and looked back at the other young hermit next to Bdubs. "You too Xisuma. Both of you better listen up because this is important. Saying no to someone doesn't mean that you are a bad friend. It makes you an honest friend. You know what makes you uncomfortable and you make sure that your friends know, so that they can understand what to do now." 

" But what if I want to make everyone happy, even if it makes me sad?" Young Xisuma spoke up. 

"... Is that a confession? Did you feel sad when you gave away the costumes to your friends?

" I was happy to let my friends use it first!" He exclaims proudly. "... Well… maybe I was a little sad, but seeing my friends happy makes me happy. "

" And I'm glad that you're kind and considerate for that." Cleo softly ruffles his brown locks. " But sometimes some people take advantage of that kindness. When you're too nice for your own good, they'll keep asking more and more of you until you don't have enough time to take care of yourself. So while I appreciate your kindness, I think you should learn when to say no to someone, even if it means disappointing them a bit."

" Ohh.. " Xisuma silently ponders for a bit. " Okay. I understand now. Saying no is okay now."

" Exactly. "

Cleo carefully drags the two kids in the chest to an even bigger hug than Xisuma’s. " Besides, how can you have fun if you're doing something that doesn't make you happy, huh? "She softly chuckles. 

"So... I'm not a bad friend?" 

"Nope."

"Oh.. But Scar is a bad a friend?" 

Wait, fuc- "That's not what I-.." Cleo paused for the last time, brainstorming the correct words to use with him. She looks back at young Bdubs and lightly squeezes his tiny hand. "... Maybe we can try talking to him about it. I'll be there to help you. How about that?" 

Bdubs frowned a bit before shaking his head again. "I like Scar but I'm still upset with him... Maybeee.. Later? Please?" he softly asked. 

".... Alright. Later." 

Young Bdubs, now free from his role-playing friends for a bit, was now a bit lost on what to do now.. He looked back at the pink costume that he silently despised, but with a calm expression on his face. He looked at the costume again, and then back at the young hermit next to him. 

"X, do you want this costume?" 

"Oooh! Yes! I want to be an axolt fish too!" 

"Axolotl, Xisuma." Cleo corrected. 

"But Bdubs, what are you going to wear?" 

"Don't know," Bdubs shrugs. The young Xisuma pondered for a bit, rubbing his chin for dramatic effect.. 

"Oh! What about a bush?" 

"A bush?" 

" Uncle Keralis says that bushes are beautiful all of the time. He loves bushes so much that he takes care of his own bush in the bathroom." 

Cleo held back the urge to laugh out loud. "Keralis what the fu-" 

"... Auntie Cleo, I want to be a bush!!" Bdubs exclaimed happily, his eyes finally lighting up in excitement. 

"Y-Yeah, yeah," she snorted. "I think I saw a fuzzy green shirt somewhere in the costume chest." 

"C'mere X," Bdubs shoved the poor kid's head back inside the chest. The two kids hurried inside the chest to explore more of the wonderful costumes that were left unused. That left Cleo narrating more of her thoughts. 

'Huh.. guess I never really retired from my teaching profession after all.' 

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Zedaph: (Tango, Impulse) 

Wels: (Cub, False) 

Keralis: (, TFC, Xisuma) 

Cleo: (Joe) 

Beef: (XB, Etho) 

Grian: (Ren, Scar) 

Hypno: (Jevin) 

Stress: (Iskall, Mumbo) 

Doc: (Bdubs) 

Pearl: (Gemini) 

Evil X: (Hels)