#hkjsdfhksjdhkj god i love them so much

[sockablock]

gotta love a critrole halloween

[sockablock]

“Alright, alright, what’s this surprise that’s got you so excited?”

“Sit down, sit down first!” Jester waved her hands. “Get comfy, and then I’ll show you! Come on!”

Beau kicked some stray lint off of the carpet and joined Jester, cross-legged, on the ground.

She also couldn’t help but give a soft, little smile as she watched Jester rifle through the very-pink haversack.

“So...do I need to brace myself?” she asked. “’Cause morning sparring also got pretty intense with Fjord, but it’s not like I’m tired or anything, I—oh, gods no—”

“Aw, come on, Beau! It’ll be fun!” Jester shoved the tarot deck right under her nose. “Please? I promise it’ll be fun, just give me a chance!”

She pleaded with such an earnest, hopeful tone, that Beau could only sigh.

She leaned back, rubbed her eyes.

“One round, Jester. Just one.”

“Yes!” She squealed, and shifted around. “Oh, you won’t regret this—”

“I’d better not—”

Beau watched her clumsily shuffle the deck. Better than most would’ve done, she’d admit, and the amateurish theatrics of her set-up was...well, charming.

She felt herself relax. This was Jester, of course it’ll be fun. Beside, bullshit fortune-telling never actually meant anything, right?

Right.

She cocked an eyebrow. “Does this mean you found a guidebook, then?” On the other side of the carpet, Jester set the cards down. “Or did some evil hag tell you how these worked?”

“Neither, actually!” Jester beamed. “I just stared at each card really hard, until I understood what it meant. You know, to me.”

She nodded along, though mostly in self-defense. “Oh, so this is...sort of your own brand of tarot.”

“Exactly,” she agreed, then gave Beau a wink. “And you’re going to be my first test subject! Ready?”

“I don’t think they’re called test subjects, Jes—”

She waved a hand. “What-ever it is. Now come on, let’s go!”

Beau crossed her arms, and Jester flipped the first card.

They both leaned over it. They both squinted.

“Judgement,” Beau read. “Is...is that good?”

“Oh, it’s great!” Jester declared. “It means that you’re going to be led to victory. You know, it’s been judged by the gods and stuff that it’s true.”

Beau considered the card for a moment. It depicted an angel, leaning out from the heavens, blowing a horn to the naked masses.

She looked back at Jester. “You’re...sure about this?”

“Oh, absolutely!” Jester beamed. “This is a super-good reading, so far. You’re a really lucky person, you know.”

“Yeah, uh...sure. Hey, the card is facing me, is that...does that mean it’s upside-down? Isn’t that something?”

Jester waved a hand. “I don’t think so. And besides, it’s your fortune, so that would mean it’s right, right?”

Beau couldn’t really argue with this logic. “That...I guess...”

Then her eyebrow twitched; inwardly, she frowned—what did it matter? Why would she care?

“Absolutely,” she said decisively, and leaned back. “Of course you’re right, Jes. C’mon, now, flip the next card. So I can get this crazy stuff over with.”

Jester rolled her eyes, playfully smiling, “There’s still one more after this, Beau—oh! Oh, wow, it’s the Empress!”

“The...Empress?”

The next card, this time facing Jester, depicted a woman in regal, imperial clothing, a regal crown perched on her head, holding a scepter as she sat upon a throne. Sunflowers bloomed all around her feet, framed by some other pink flower that Beau didn’t know.

The woman’s face, though small, was intricately hand-painted. It was odd; she was smiling, but also, sort of longing—

“This one means you’re super-powerful,” Jester said. “But we already knew that, right?”

Beau blinked. “Wait, what? It...means what?”

“Powerful!” Jester repeated. “And also desirable. Like all kinds of people around the world flock towards you. Probably ‘cause you’re so cool,” she added.

Beau did not immediately rise to agree. “That...uh, how do you figure that?” she asked.

Jester tapped the card. “Obviously,” she said, “obviously it’s because of how cool this lady looks. She’s got a crown, and nature-powers, and everything. Actually, oh, maybe it’s based off the Wildmother, I should ask Cad—”

“Nature powers?”

“The flowers, silly!” Jester motioned to look closer. “See, she’s grown these all with her magic, and now she’s the queen of all the forests. And obviously, a person so cool and powerful like that would be wanted by everyone else, right?”

Beau stared into the woman’s smile. Distantly, she could remember...a different interpretation, but...

She quickly shook her head. Maybe it was the mood, maybe all their talk recently about mystical shit and destiny. Whatever Jester said, why would she argue?

Besides, this was Jester. She’d never want to argue with Jester.

Instead, she tried for a half-joking grin. “Sort of like your mom,” she said, “right? A super-awesome lady that everyone loves.”

Jester giggled. “Exactly like that. Now! The next card—”

She flipped it over. Beau made herself sit still for just too long before slowly deigning to gaze upon its surface.

The Eye. A stylized symbol glowing on the forehead of a young, white-robed woman, sitting cross-legged in the middle of a small crowd.

“Oh,” said Jester, and she sounded...almost deflated.

Beau tore her gaze away from the card. “What?” she asked. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Jester glumly prodded the card. “This one’s boring. We already knew this one, so I didn’t get to make up a new meaning.”

Beau raised a brow. “Well come on now, that’s not all true. It’s not boring, it’s my favorite card in the deck. It’s the one that I got a tattoo of, remember?”

Jester glanced up. “That...that is true. And it’s pretty cool-looking.”

“That’s why I like it,” Beau grinned back at her. And, though a part of her withered as it happened, she gave Jester a thumbs-up for emphasis.

Another part of her was so relieved to see Jes smile that it didn’t even care about how cheesy she was being.

The third part just adored that grin. The other two parts quickly tried to stamp it down.

“Why don’t you remind me what it means?” Beau said gently. “To, ah...to you, not anyone else?’

Jester rubbed her chin, examined the card.

“Hmm....” she said, “....hmm. Well, I think maybe it means you have knowledge. But secret knowledge, that only you have, like you’re keeping it from everyone else.”

“—oh. Is, that, uh, so—”  

“But, I dunno,” Jester looked up, gave a shrug. “I liked Molly’s interpretation more. That you’ve found what you’re looking for, you just don’t know it.”

Beau stared at Jester. Sitting as they were on the carpet, by the bed, together in a small pool of afternoon sun, the silver charms shone like dew in Jester’s hair.

I know it, she tried not to think to herself. I’ve found it, but I know it. Gods, I know it all too well.

“Jester, I—”

“—or maybe, it’s something about stories. Sure, the lady has that glowing eyeball, but it also sort of looks like she’s telling a story. Maybe it’s a sign that exciting things are coming? Or...hmm, but what if it’s about the audience? Maybe you’re going to meet a really good bard!”

She glanced up. “Oh, sorry. Did you say something?”

Beau sat back. She crossed her arms.

“Nah,” she gave Jester a small smile. “No, but, uh, it’s been nice. To hear you tell my fortune. You know, for some reason, it’s way more bearable when it’s you.”

Jester beamed. Her freckles did a little skip along her dimples.

“Awww, thanks, Beau. I’m glad you had fun! And thanks for letting me experiment with you!”

She scooped the cards up, stuck them back into the deck, jumped to her feet and gave Beau a nod.

“I’m going to go try these on Nott now! Want to come? Or are you already sick of tarot?”

Beau watched her bounce with excitement.

She chuckled.

“Alright, alright. If it’s you doing it, Jes, I can manage another round.”

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