#⭑ ✦ ﹡𝖲𝗅𝗎𝗆𝖻𝖾𝗋𝗇𝖺𝗇𝖺 𝖬𝗈𝗇𝗄𝖾𝗒 ( crack )

[cagedharmony]

" IS it truly breaking and entering if the door was unlocked? "

[cagedharmony]

HE was well aware his attempts at humour lacked even the slightest semblance of energy one would need for a joke, but he was trying. normally he wasn't one to joke too often prior for current events, but he wanted to put forth an effort to try. a new journey was a chance for many new experiences and thus trying things outside of his comfort zone were to be the norm. being told outright in this impromptu comedy routine how hard his jokes failed would be a lasting memory to be deeply ingrained and never forgotten.

" another one? hm . . . " sunday trailed off as he tried his best to think of any kind of joke that could be one for even the slightest chuckle. perhaps digging deep into his childhood memories was the best bet for coming up with something even a sliver of comedic. at least when he was a child and didn't have the same responsibilities he had now he could freely joke with robin as they played in mr. gopher wood's yard.

" ah ! " gasping when he'd come up with a joke sunday cleared his throat as he proceeded to tell it, his cheeks turning rosy as he shared a joke that earned a laugh from robin and a scolding from mr. gopher wood but robin's laughter was the most important thing. " why did the little bird go to jail? he was using fowl language! "

it would seem that he is doing worse and worse for each new line he says ... she isn't sure how to salvage this anymore. ❛  a tragedy that is only written for you,  ❜ she deadpans, already thinking about giving up. comedy is not his calling. shaking her head, she scolds, ❛  this can't even qualify as dark humor. no wonder the reception you got was so tepid. you wrote yourself into a corner. they say that the pen is mightier than the sword, but you prove otherwise. and for the record, you ought to note down that you're not meant to tell library jokes if that's all originality you have for it.  ❜ 

she pauses. maybe it'd be a novel idea if they actually switch the genre from comedy to tragedy. his weakness is coming up with good jokes, so they just have to simply roll with the bad jokes. they'll invent a whole new genre: tragic comedy. ❛  give me another joke.  ❜

[cagedharmony]

THE judgmental stare was exactly the same look march 7th had given while dan heng had awkwardly coughed and the stellaron twins were more dumbfounded than anything. the only person who had attempted a pity laugh was mr. yang. he thought he'd been learning but clearly he needed more to learn.

" ah-- " the sudden improvisation caught him off guard as he stammered to come up with a means to respond. how did people improvise with such ease? he could never find the answer. " y-yes. it seems you have--uhm--read me like an open book. maybe it's time i write a new way rather than . . . read? " aeons he felt so awkward. even this way he knew he was delivering a stale performance. not even robin would offer a pity laugh to shelter his feelings. " rather than a comedy this is more akin to a tragedy. "

                     ❛  ...  ❜ a long, quiet stare of judgment.

he desperately needs some help. lailah probably would've been the only person who'd ever laugh at that, which isn't very promising. ❛  those people probably wanted to book it the moment they heard that. take a page out of my book and be more original with it. how you deliver it matters.  ❜ pun completely intentional to show how it's done, by the way——and now, it begins: ❛  so you can't go to the library because they're booked, and the library can't be accessed because they're booked. i suppose you've reached bookends. it's time for you to start a new chapter elsewhere.  ❜

[cagedharmony]

" I feel asl though telling you might result in more mockery. " he pauses with a sigh. " i had been trying to . . . as mr. yang and the express had suggested . . . ' loosen up ' by telling a joke but it seems my joke went over their heads and the explanation just resulted in silent stares. i could tell the joke did not hit. " he gives his head a shake. " anyways. my joke went like this . . . " he cleared his throat. " unfortunately i couldn't go to the library today. they were fully booked. " he now squirmed with the desire to explain but he held his tongue.

❛  just from asking that, you have proven yourself to be the farthest thing from 'cool' as much as possible. jokes are not made to be explained. jokes are made to be understood. if the audience can't understand it to begin with, then you're not telling the joke right. that's not the joke's fault; it's yours. which joke did you even tell?  ❜