welcome to my

[manofmyword]

The deck of Jokers keeps on enchanting. It takes a few days. The ones with various sweethearts get various visits.

Slowly, everybody's aura builds up.

They're not just less powerful than the Bells'; they're different. Joker auras don't tell you they're attached to magic and power; it's not 'look at me, I'm important' or 'look at me, I'm magical' but 'look at me', the end.

Except that that is not the end at all.

Their auras track emotions, like the Bells', but far more responsively. They can be whimsical one second and terrifying the next; they can laugh while their auras cry and cry while their auras laugh. It's all in how you play it.

The initial differences are subtle. Beast's aura can make him seem more human, or more beastly, whichever form he's in. The others of variable species don't seem to do anything similar, at least not to nearly the same degree. Ghosty's is the most interesting, because she can show her aura without manifesting physically; suddenly she has a presence even when she technically doesn't.

Micaiah's aura is the first one to manifest an obviously unique feature, although 'unique' isn't quite accurate, because after a few more hours of spellcasting they all have one:

A soundtrack.

Pretty soon, they're all cuddled up in one of the guest rooms and the music is going strong. With the whole pile of them together, somebody's aura will start playing a song and the rest will either pick it up or add embellishments. It's tremendous fun.

Comments

[gunpowdergelatine]

Queenie is indeed right in the middle of the pile, looking like the snuggliest creature you ever did see, comfortably intertwined with every other Joker who will fit.

[autokinetic]

"How does she look like a - a viscacha without actually being fluffy and rabbity?" asks Aegis quizzically. "Dang. Auras are weird."

[gunpowdergelatine]

"Auras are awesome," beams Queenie. "I love my aura."

[autokinetic]

"I like mine too." She tugs Sue's hand. "Let's go outside where there's room and dance!"

[pythbox]

"Okay," he says happily (his aura glows with it), and he lets her lead him out.

[autokinetic]

Aegis's aura turns out to be willing to wrap around dance partners where applicable.

Wheeeeee!

[pythbox]

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

"I love you," he says, and he doesn't link her to send the feeling, but it's almost like he did.

[autokinetic]

"Love you too," she says lightly, spinning, her hair in a zero-g cloud around her.

[pythbox]

Sue twirls closer and kisses her.

[beheld_beauty]

And here's Rose, looking for her husband.

[deslandes]

Her husband is curled up in the pile, human-shaped but purring like a kitten while Queenie pets his hair.

[beheld_beauty]

"Should I come back later?" inquires Rose gently, smiling.

[deslandes]

"No, you should come pet me," he declares.

[beheld_beauty]

Rose floats into the air to hover, horizontal, over the pile, and drop an arm down to pet him as requested. "Your auras are much more uniform than the Bells' are," she comments. "Although not quite so."

[deslandes]

Beast purrrrrrrs some more. That's definitely new.

[beheld_beauty]

Rose laughs.

[jovahs_heiress]

Here's Angela for her husband!

[yovahs_kisses]

Micaiah drags himself out of the pile and cuddles up to her immediately.

His aura radiates innocence. He looks sweet and vaguely harmless.

[jovahs_heiress]

Awww! Angela is pleased with this. Hugs hugs hugs.

[yovahs_kisses]

Snuggly lovey hugs! He, too, gets the fine-tuned emotional resonance. In addition to the music.

[jovahs_heiress]

"It turns out I get music, too. Accompaniment when I sing unless I deliberately want to be a capella," says Angela.

[yovahs_kisses]

"We should go sing together," Micaiah asserts. His aura of innocence sparkles wickedly.

[jovahs_heiress]

"All right. Home, or somewhere here?"

[yovahs_kisses]

"Somewhere here," he says, "I don't think we're done enchanting yet."

[jovahs_heiress]

"If we sing here we'll disrupt this - whatever song this is," says Angela, "I imagine, so -" She teleports them to a spot in the garden, under arching trellises that drip cone-shaped flower clusters.