leetle | INBOX | noctium

[Jester nods, grateful, letting her arm wrap around Matt's as their boots scuffle through the snow.]

A little bit. When I'm low on Manna or whatever. I'm still getting used to that...I feel sapped way more quickly here than I did at home.

Ah ... you're not the first magic user I've heard say that.

[ Matt, in contrast, feels like his powers have bloomed in a few months in ways that took him years back home. Part of it is the opportunity to practice, and part of it may be that he just generates a lot of Manna in general?

Linhardt had posited there was something else in the mix. That his own propensity for generating magical energy through sex formed some kind of virtuous cycle. Matt's not sure, and with Linhardt gone, he doubts he'll figure out the thermodynamics of it anytime soon. ]

I guess no matter how good your relationship is with your god, the ones here gotta take their share.

It's not as big a deal with smaller spells. I could do Thaumaturgy or Mending pretty easily, but Polymorph is a fourth-level, so it's a little bit more energy, you know?

[Jester chuckles at Matt's next comment.] That's really funny once you know that I'm his High Priestess and we are, like, best friends since I was a kid.

[ Bigger versus smaller spells makes sense to Matt as a concept. He sorts them like that himself. But the idea of knowing a spell so specifically you can say it's "fourth level" is fascinatingly out of his ken.

There's no time to mull that over, though, because-- ]

For real?

[ Matt beams, startled. ]

I mean, I say relationship because I don't know a better word. But you really know him?

For real! [Jester laughs, giving Matt's arm a little squeeze.]

We sort of grew up together. Actually, um, for a really long time he was my only real friend, except for Mama.

[That's sort of vulnerable, but Jester's said it out loud before, enough times that it barely touches her voice anymore.]

He's the one who's watched over me during all my adventures with the Mighty Nein. He actually, um, this is really funny but he possessed my pet weasel? And I didn't know for, like, a year. He was just hanging out in my hood, making sure I was okay!

Oh ...

[ Matt says it on a sighing, sympathetic tone. In a weird way, he can relate. Magic can't exactly be your friend, as various lovers have reminded him over the years, but it was the most constant presence in his life through a lonely time. It's the realest thing he knows.

--Then the word "weasel" jostles him out of his revelry, and Matt laughs in surprise. ]

He possessed the weasel. I've heard of gods taking various animal forms, but not so much sliding into one that's already around.

[Jester laughs, too, shaking her head. Oh, Arty...always full of surprises, that guy.]

Yeah, he wanted to just, you know, keep watch! So he hung out inside Sprinkle sometimes. Which explains how he was still alive after all the shit I dragged him through, poor thing. I hope he's somewhere relaxing right now...

That's really nice ...

Well, uh, the god part's nice. I guess the Sprinkle situation is more of an unknown.

[ Matt cants a smile Jester's way as they walk. ]

I believe in a lot of gods from my home world. All of them, I think. And there's some I ask for help, and I believe that they hear me and they answer, but ... I've never really known one like that.

It sounds really special.

Oh, no, I'm pretty sure Sprinkle is, like, deeply traumatized.

[Which is totally her bad. She's not...a great pet owner, she's realizing. Not that it stops her from wanting to hoard animals; even here in Noctium she's had to restrain herself from bringing home pets.]

It is pretty special. And, yeah, it's also really unusual. In, um, the interest of full disclosure, though, The Traveler isn't tech-nick-ally a real god? Just a really powerful Fey being.

[ Oof, well, sad for Sprinkle. Matt figures the best they can do is move forward, and focuses on the very interesting theological point Jester's just raised. ]

Well, admittedly, I don't know what makes someone a god to begin with. We don't have enough regular, verifiable contact with spirits where I come from to have much of a taxonomy.

I mean, belief is a big part of it. I've definitely communed with spirits who've claimed to be various deities from my world's history, and there's really no way for me to be sure apart from just believing them.

Wow, your world sounds kind of boring. No offense, it's just that life's no fun without some spooky spirits!

[It's also probably safer in some ways, but Jester's not the kind of person accustomed to a life of safety anymore.]

How did you commune with them? With a spell?

Well, I mean, I have regular contact with spirits. I just don't always know how to classify them.

[ Though some are undeniably spooky. ]

There are spells that I've used to communicate with spirits, yeah. And also meditation techniques? I'm not as good at reaching them that way, but there's an element of meditative practice in a lot of my spells, so.

Ohhhh. Maybe you need to, like, start a classification guide? Like make a journal and write down what they're all saying to you and stuff. [Jester seems momentarily contemplative.]

Y'know, I've never actually meditated? My brain is too full of, like, a million ideas all the time.

[She gestures at the street corner ahead of them.] Ooh, this is my street I think! ...Yes! Ha, I was sort of worried I was getting us lost for a minute there!

[ Matt chuckles. ]

It's definitely not intuitive. I get lost a lot, just on tangents. But that's an interesting idea about classification. I don't know who but me would wanna read it back home, but ... it'd be nice for me to have, just to remember them all.

[ He brightens at Jester's gesture, squeezing her hand. ]

You kept your cool for somebody who thought we were lost.

That's what I do with my sketchbook. Write everything down, and draw so I can look back and remember it all!

[She laughs sheepishly, tilting her head sheepishly up at Matt.]

I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of you unless I absolutely had to.

[A few scant minutes later and they're approaching the front door of the home Jester occupies along with Essek Thelyss and the rest of the Mighty Nein here in Noctium. She skips up the steps without letting go of Matt's hand, and stops at the top to turn and look at him.]

Thank you for eating all the pastries with me. I had a really good time with you today.

[ Matt finds the admission so surprising--and frankly, so relatable--that he can't help a bright laugh. The peal of it echoes down the darkened block.

Jester bounds right up to the door of her house, and Matt takes the steps two at a time to (more or less) keep pace with her. He comes to a stop a step down from her, lips curling into a smile. ]

I had a great time too, [ he says. He feels breathless from the sudden change of pace--and, perhaps, from a touch of end-of-date jitters. ] Thanks for showing me some of your magic, and like ... talking about your god with me. I really like hearing it.

[ If you asked him later, Matt probably wouldn't be able to explain. The closest he'd get would be something about Jester's smile. The glint of moonlight off her fangs, the jeweled loveliness of her skin. The snow around them soft as powdered sugar.

None of that really explains why Matt picks now to stoop slightly and kiss Jester lightly on the lips. But he stands by the decision. ]

[Jester still doesn't let go of Matt's hand, butterflies alighting in her stomach as she looks up at him—just slightly up, now that she's got the steps as a height boost.]

Any time, [she replies softly.] Next time I could even Polymorph you, too. We could be any animal you want.

[Oh, oh gods, he's leaning in, and she could swear her heart is going to beat right out of her chest. His lips are warm, so warm, and soft, and even though it's a brief kiss, it fills her whole body with that same warmth as the moment ends. The smile she gives him could light up the entire block as she reluctantly lets go of his hand.]

...G'night, Matt.

[ Matt thinks every kiss is perfect in its way. Every kiss makes its own little world, a place of texture and warmth and unpredictable intersections. This one feels like heat rising, like Jester's already turned him into an animal capable of flight--some fluttering bird or insect--and he's being carried off into the atmosphere.

And when he pulls back, her smile just--bowls him over. ]

Yeah, [ he agrees, with a goofy grin to answer her. He nods, stepping backwards down the stairs. ] Good night, Jester.

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