Chapter Text
Fate was a bizarre phenomenon. The Fool observed many times how, with the whim of a spoiled young lady, she pushed into the abyss all those who tried to manipulate her unnecessarily, how with a changeable mood she enthusiastically raised people to a pedestal, bestowing talent, beauty, power and money, and then watched with mockery as this lucky man drowned in his own passions.
As the Lord of Mysteries, He was the one who did not allow the currents of fate to change under someone else's will and only flirtatiously looked into other people's lives and those to whom what was predetermined.
But going back to the present time…
A knock echoed through the ancient hall, which was covered in fog. There were pieces lined up on the chessboard, their order indicating that the game was already over. Having checkedmate, the Fool leaned back in his seat, fingers crossed in front of His face, a familiar gentle smile playing on His lips. There was no hint of whether God was happy about the victory or not.
Sitting on the Hanged Man, Leonard was more eloquent in expressing his emotions. Burying his fingers in his fluffy hair, he pulled it back, feeling his head ache from this game. It was much worse than arguing with the old Angel, Pallez Zoroast, or writing a dozen reports overnight. The Green eyes swept the chessboard once more, analyzing where the mistake had been made, then the captain of the Red Gloves sighed and leaned back in his seat.
"Okay, I get it. These shooters are much better," Leonard grumbled and turned to the head of the table. "Since I've lost, it's your turn to make a request."
Through the gray mist, the Fool squinted his eyes, carefully examining the man in front of him, as if this was the last time He could see in the green eyes not hidden discontent, sparkles of amusement or admiration, which does not appear before a Deity, but something beautiful, like an artist or writer looking at the muse before creating a work. art, inscribed in the annals of history.
Finally, He parted His lips.
"My Star," His smile widened, "forget about everything, starting from the moment of our first meeting."
The Red Glove Captain's eyes widened in surprise, but in the next moment, they lost all emotion, and a thick fog enveloped them, taking the last few months with it.…
***
The ancient palace was shrouded in the glow of scarlet stars, together with the gray mist, they created a special mysterious atmosphere. But for the Fool, both were associated with something pleasant, with something that replaced His home. Whether it was the anchors whose warm light illuminated this place, or the gray mist that intertwined with the Spiritual Worms that made up His body, becoming almost one.
It was all familiar to Him, had been with Him for many decades, and had accompanied all the rapidly changing Eras.
But only the Fool could notice the slight changes. With his hand, he pulled a scarlet star towards him, a man with green eyes was reflected in it, in which some bewilderment was read. After getting out of bed, he wandered around the room and muttered to himself, seemingly asking something of the parasite in his body.
'He seems stupid, but wary. Hehe, an idiot wouldn't have achieved such a position in Her church.'
He let the scarlet glow flood the hall. His gaze gently brushed over the figure that appeared a few seats away from Him, The Spiritual Worms inside the body wanted to show themselves, wrap themselves around the Red Glove in a familiar way, flirtatiously rubbing their cheeks or burrowing into fluffy hair. But now was not the time. After checking once more if He was wearing the business suit He wore during the Tarot Club meetings, the Fool continued to observe the man who had already woken up.
Unlike the first time he found himself here, believing that everything around him was just a dream, Leonard looked around restlessly. His gaze quickly found the figure at the head of the table, there was a special pressure coming from her, saying that in front of him was someone very, very strong, someone who surpassed him by a head. Awkwardly standing up, the Red Glove also bowed in confusion.
How charming. The fool suppressed the feeling that rose in Him and waved His hand, allowing Leonard to sit down.
"There is no need for excessive deference."
"Yes…"
The Red Glove dropped back onto the seat, and he put his hands on the armrests, resisting the urge to put his feet up on the table out of habit. His senses were confused, everything seemed so frightening and unfamiliar, but at the same time ... Slowly opening and closing his eyes, as well as exhaling, Leonard enjoyed how pleasantly the mist lay on his skin, from the subtle scent that emanated from him.
The Fool, who was watching him closely, was mentally touched. Even without the memories, he reacted this way to Sephira's Castle.
But why did He arrange for her and Leonard to have a second first meeting? He was curious, having no delusion that everything that was happening was a dream, whether the Red Glove would be able to attract His attention. Was it all just a trick of fate to arrange everything this way, or was the great ruler above the gray mist destined to be imbued with this sweet Beyounder…
'For the purity of the experiment, it would be nice to erase your memory, but it can be dangerous.'
If He had sensed a craving for the Beyounder for the first time for no reason, He would have decided that this was a trap. Given his good looks, he would even wonder if the Mother Wish Tree had planted its followers in the Church of Evernight Goddess.
"Some people from different places wanted to hold meetings here, exchanging materials and information. They asked me to be their observer," playing the role of an uninterested supreme being, the Fool rested his head on his hand. "My name is Fool."
The Fool, Leonard repeated in his mind. He was not unfamiliar with this name, some of his investigations were related to a secret cult that appeared 2-3 years ago, so little was known about it that the Red Gloves could not find a single real follower. But now Leonard was sitting in front of Him, no, even more than that, this figure hidden by the fog came to him in his dreams, being in the middle of the starry sky, which symbolized the Evernight Goddess.
Was this a revelation from the Goddess, or had he been lured here for a long time? Leonard was extremely focused.
Seeing that His sweet Star was still unconvinced, remaining as tense as during the first meeting, when he did not know what kind of people surrounded him and where he was, the Fool was pleased. That's right, it was only by being on guard that one could survive in the cruel world of the Beyounder.
"Mr. Fool," Leonard began cautiously, leaning forward. "What do you want… From me?"
It would have been much easier if the Red Glove had prayed to him on his own, then the Fool would have forced him to join him by force and influence. But as an official Beyounder, he was too aware of the dangers of pronouncing the Honorific Name of an unknown Deity. Ah, Evernight hadn't even given Him any symbol so He could present it as a special invitation to the Tarot Club.…
Well, it wasn't for nothing that He had the little blessed.
"I think you know a man named Klein Moretti. He recommended you," after a moment's thought, He added, "As a very capable and talented Beyounder."
The Fool knew how weak his sweet Star was to praise. Indeed, he pursed his lips in embarrassment and stared at the bronze table, grumbling to himself,
"Klein... you won't get a kind word from me personally, but here… "
A smile froze on the God's face. Actually, it was His personal praise, even if Klein thought so too. As it turns out, it's unpleasant when your merits are attributed to others.
Leonard, realizing that he was speaking out loud out of old habit, cleared his throat and turned to the Jester. Knowing that his old colleague was a member of this secret assembly, he now wanted to know more.
"Is he... Klein Moretti... is he here for the same reason as me?"
'Why are you asking about my blessed one? Don't you care about anything else, my Star?'
"No. Your introduction is accompanied by a recommendation from an old friend of mine. He was chosen by the will of fate."
An old friend of God's who recommended the Red Glove and those strange dreams... Leonard decided not to think about it, considering his guess rather blasphemous. There was no reason for the Goddess to send someone like him, who was not in the upper echelons of the church, to a secret meeting with a newly appeared God…
'Or maybe it can.'
Leonard licked his dry lips.
"Klein Moretti, is he... also a regular participant in this meeting?"
"Yes."
The Fool was thinking about pulling his blessed one out of the real world and sitting him down at this bronze table so that His sweet Star would stop asking about him. No, why does he immediately lose his intelligence when it comes to Klein Moretti? God thought that Leonard looked like a very devoted dog, his colleague had long since left him, and he continued to ask the higher being about him.
Although, after losing his memories, it had only been a couple of days for the Red Glove after Klein's departure.…
"Then can I join this meeting?" A familiar voice brought the Fool out of his thoughts. Looking up at him, He saw a charming face that almost begged him to join His blessed one's little gathering, even though Leonard already had an invitation.
What a stupid puppy.
"Of course" He leaned back in his seat, trying not to look displeased. "But when you get back, don't forget to mention this to Pallez Zoroast. You shouldn't hide it from Him."
Leonard's eyes widened slightly. Thanks to the form of address that the Fool chose, he confirmed some of his old guesses. There was a struggle on his face for a few seconds before he hesitated and asked,
"Why shouldn't I tell Pallez Zoroast about this?"
Seeing that His Star had found a new topic of conversation and was questioning God, as in the good old days, the Fool cheered up and, grinning, bowed his head and answered, impatiently waiting for someone else's reaction,
"He's my servant, there's no point in hiding."
His second acquaintance was already connected with the Fool! Leonard was extremely startled, but he tried to keep his face calm, fidgeting on the spot. When he returns, he will definitely ask the old man about everything. And he will ask if his appearance in the secret assembly is some kind of plan of the Goddess.
Having already decided to complete his experiment, God waved his hand and the cards appeared in front of Leonard. They all represented a star, a name that had long ago been chosen by Evernight and drawn out at their first meeting.
"Each participant chose a Tarot card representing his code name. You can choose one."
They use Tarot cards as their aliases... looking at the patterns on the cards in front of him, Leonard hesitated for a moment. Feeling that the higher being was open to his stupid questions, he asked again:
"What is Klein Moretti's card?"
The Fool refrained from shaking his head. How many times has He been reminded of His blessed one today? Even Klein didn't pray to Him that often, preferring not to distract God.
"The World", the Fool said casually.
Satisfied with the answer, Leonard didn't think much. before you draw your card. He didn't care how he was addressed. But when Red Glove saw the Goddess pouring water from a jug against the background of the star—studded night sky, he couldn't help but frown. This card did not suit his taste… But he had already chosen a code name for himself in front of God, it would be rude to ask him to change it.
"The meeting takes place every Monday at three o'clock in the afternoon, Backlund time."
After these words spread through the ancient palace, silence fell. The fool was in no hurry to let go of his Star, watching his worried face. But after a couple of moments, a little perplexed, Leonard stared back at God.
They looked at each other without saying anything.
'This kind of...'
What Leonard saw in front of him was like his dream. Towering around the old columns, between which a gray mist slowly flowed, it gently enveloped the man at the head of the table, whose features were hidden. The stars spread out overhead, now glowing scarlet, which inspired some awe, but the warmth emanating from them could not frighten, only wish to be closer.… Lines of poetry raced through the Red Glove's mind one after another, but none of them were suitable to describe the scene before his eyes.
Is it the atmosphere of the ancient palace? Or in God at the head of the table…
He was so mesmerized that he didn't even think about how disrespectful his actions were. The Fool, watching the green of his eyes, was delighted, would they really call Him handsome, attractive, divine again right now, would they tell him about His dreams of having children and a house in Daisy Bay..?
But after blinking, Leonard suddenly came to his senses and worshiped the God in front of him.
'I wouldn't mind a couple of meaningless lines that Xiao Tao brazenly stole from the pre-Epoch...'
Restraining himself from sighing in disappointment, the Fool allowed the figure in front of Him to drown in the scarlet glow and scatter bright fragments in different directions. After changing his appearance to a more familiar one, He felt a gray mist touch his bare skin, and wondered if it was necessary to show up in front of Leonard in such a way as to receive at least one compliment or make him blush. A few Spirit Worms that emerged from the body sluggishly crawled through the ancient hall and wrapped themselves around one of the stone seats, on the back of which a star was carved.
They seemed sad, too, that they hadn't had a chance to touch Leonard and play with his hair.
Raising his hand, the Fool thought about calling his Angel, Will Oseptin, and taking the ice cream from the baby. He clearly needed it more, and the food from the historical void seemed insufficient to relieve Him of His sadness.
But then a prayer rang through the ancient hall.
'Honorable Mr. Fool, I already have several drafts of poetry about you. I'll donate them to you soon, so there's no need to take Mr. Will's ice cream away from him.'
After listening to the prayer to the end, God, who was sitting in his place, smiled.
"So be it, the poetry of my sweet Star is worth ice cream from the Serpent of Fate, hehe hehe…"
Meanwhile, Leonard was standing in the middle of the room, rubbing his head in disbelief. The memories of the past months were so natural when he thought about them, as if no one had stolen them. But at the same time, what was happening just a couple of minutes ago in Sephira's Castle was stupefying, the Fool really loved fun.…
Remembering how disappointed he was, the Red Glove didn't know what to do, so she just made an offering. If the Fool is a God, will he be happy with him?
Pallez Zoroast, who was caught up in the strange relationship between the two, mentally exhaled. It's finally over.