Chapter Text
In all of the Dark World, no entertainment venue was quite so celebrated as the great hall of Card Castle. The lofty chamber housed the acts of many distinguished performers, ranging from lithe, pique-turning ballerinas to nimble acrobats. Perhaps most of all, the great hall was renowned for two beloved performers: Jevil the fleet-footed imp jester and Seam, a dapper plush feline unmatched in the art of magic. When the two were on stage with each other, the choreography and synchronization were top-tier, and scores of Darkners would look on in wonder as the two leaped and bounded across the stage producing cascades of hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs, as well as vibrant pyrotechnics that burst into a myriad of colors--shades of emerald, periwinkle, crimson, and gold were fan favorites, of course. However, aside from during performances and rehearsals, Jevil and Seam rarely interacted aside from small talk here and there.
While Jevil was frequently praised by a myriad of Darkners from all regions for his highly passionate and lively feats on stage, he found it nearly impossible to maintain friendships with anyone in or outside of the court; everyone came to witness his acts, but no one ever stayed long after, as all of them seemed extremely quick to tire of the jester’s unusually overzealous personality and unconventional speaking patterns. Jevil was confused by this but aside from the intense boredom of having no one to talk to or play games with, he could usually shrug it off: usually. One day, the Lightners came to visit and decided to play with the members of the other suits. Jevil sat utterly dejected at the sidelines, wistfully gazing at the game taking place as he rested his chin on his clenched, gloved fists and flicked his tail restlessly. He perked up though upon realizing that not far from him, his stage partner Seam rested while perusing the pages of a book with their glossy button eyes.
A spark went off in Jevil’s mind as he realized, Of course. Of course ! Who could possibly make a better potential friend than the one with whom he already spent the most time, rehearsing together for hours on end to produce magnificent spectacles for all Darkners to enjoy? The jester mentally kicked himself for not considering it sooner and then inched his way over to the purple mage, who was lost in the leaves of their book. A minute later, Seam noticed their pages were suddenly blanketed in shadow. They looked up to inspect for the source of this, but it didn’t take more than a second to discover it; Seam jumped and their fur stood on end in surprise when they looked up to find Jevil leaning down and peering at them from a distance of not six inches from their face. “Whatcha reading, reading?” the small Jester inquired, tilting his head as he glanced from Seam to the pages and back.
It took a moment for Seam to regain their composure, holding their furry paw to their chest to makes sure they had a pulse; of course, they didn’t since their body was made entirely of cotton, which they soon remembered. They sighed heavily and looked back up at the imp to answer in a patient manner, “Hello there, Jevil! It’s just an old piece called A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist by a Lightner named...I believe it was Edmond Hoyle?”
“History, huh?” Jevil stated matter-of-factly, “If you ask me, when it comes to cards it matters less what you say, say and more how you play, play! Uee-hee-hee!”
The corners of Seam’s mouth twitched upward. “Well, Jevil, would you like to play?” They pulled out a miniature deck of playing cards from the pocket of their coat, “We could do two-player whist... if you find yourself up for the challenge, of course.” Jevil contemplated this prospect for a second. A sly grin worked its way onto the jester’s lips, and he took a seat in front of the purple feline. Staring Seam right in their orange button eyes, which were now shimmering in anticipation, Jevil leaned in and confidently replied:
“You’re on, on!”
Seam dealt 13 cards to Jevil and themself, and then flipped the top card of the remaining deck upwards. The trump suit for the game was hearts, and they began the tricks of the first stage. As they played, small conversations took place between bouts of intense concentration. During the chitchat, Seam and Jevil began to realize they were more similar than they thought.
“So, Jevil. How long have you been playing cards?”
“Hmm...since as long, long as I can remember. But it’s been a hot, hot minute since I had someone to play with!”
“Is that so?” Seam asked, “Well then it sounds like you and I have a little more in common than being stage partners! No one ever plays cards me anymore after the time I bested the King of Diamonds in poker. Oh, he was furious! He thought he was going to have to hand over all of his gold.” Seam chuckled gently at the memory, "Of course, I let him keep it since I was merely playing for the love of the sport. But no one has challenged me to another game of cards since then...”As they continued to battle for tricks, both of them discussed how they were also often left out of the Lightners’ games except for on rare occasions and how even outside the realm of card games, neither really had any friends.
“Say, Seam. Would you be my friend, friend?” Jevil asked after a pause, his voice slightly trembling in mild apprehension of being rejected. This bluntness of the request surprised Seam at first, but soon they replied, “I’d be delighted to be your friend, Jevil. Would you be mine?”
“Uee-hee-hEE!” the jester responded ecstatically, “I’ll be your friend, friend to the end, end!”
It was down to the final trick of the game. Jevil and Seam were tied at 6 points, and each only had one card left. Seam played their final card face-up: the king of spades. Jevil looked at his card, and his heart was skipping as he glanced at Seam’s gentle but expectant face. He placed his card down with a confident thump; it was the two of hearts, meaning he possessed the trump-suited card. Jevil had won the trick--and the game--by a single point. Seam stared at the cards in slight shock for a beat, but then their face lit up.
“Well, Jevil! It appears I have met my match at last. It has been an honor playing with you,” Seam smiled. After gathering the cards and returning them to the spot in their coat, Seam rose and offered to help Jevil stand. As the short jester took Seam’s hand and leapt up, the purple cat spoke once more. “Say, Jevil. Would you like to accompany me on my evening walk? It looks like the Lightners are leaving for the day, and I wouldn’t mind the company of a friend.” Jevil closed his eyes and smiled cheerfully, unable to contain the beaming toothy grin that spread from one cheek to another. “Of course, of course, I’ll join you, Seam!” he said, his vibrant tone brimming with happiness.
* * *
Jevil and Seam strolled through the forest, enjoying the sights and sounds as they walked. The thick crowns of the trees formed a magenta veil overhead, and Jevil breathed in the earthy scent of nature that saturated the air. He looked up at Seam, who was doing the same with a pleasantly calm expression on their face. Jevil started to observe how the fur on the purple cat’s cheeks bunched up as they smiled, and their fuzzy ears twitched at the intermittent sounds of rustling leaves or the call of starwalker birds gliding nearby. Wow , the jester realized, my new friend sure is cute ! However, Jevil’s concentration on Seam promptly broke when he realized his new friend was now looking back at him with a concerned expression. The cat’s brows were furrowed in confusion, and they had stopped walking. Jevil suddenly became conscious of the fact that he had been staring at Seam for the last minute and was no longer walking, but rather floating two feet above the ground.
“Is everything alright, Jevil?” Seam asked warily.
The jester could sense heat creeping up through his neck and face until even the tips of his ears felt as if they were burning. He returned himself to the ground as quickly as possible and attempted to pull the sides of his hat over his ears to hide their flushed appearance before Seam could perceive it. Looking at the ground, Jevil muttered, “I’m sorry, Seam. You must think it’s--that I’m strange, strange...odd, odd.”
Seam contemplated this for a moment, then placed an assuring paw on Jevil’s shoulder and spoke clearly: “Well, Jevil. You are odd, but there’s something about that you don’t realize: that oddity is not a flaw. It is a strength. Your oddness makes you you ,” Seam paused, the tufts above their button eyes furrowing into a more earnest expression as they looked deeply into the jester’s eyes, “And I’ll be damned if I allow my friend to go on thinking that his individuality is something to be ashamed of.”
Jevil stared up at Seam, whose resolute appearance conveyed the magnitude of sincerity the mage expressed in their words. The jester’s lip quivered and his heart felt so full it could burst. Jevil couldn’t contain himself; he leaped to embrace Seam in a tight hug and wept into their soft, furry neck. Seam slightly jolted at the unexpected embrace; however, they promptly returned the affection, wrapping their arms lightly around the jester’s shoulders. It was a little bit of an awkward hug, but nonetheless heartfelt and impactful. Seam then pulled back and smiled.
“Now, let’s get back the castle, shall we?” he said. Jevil agreed, and as they traced their way back to the gates of Card Castle, the little jester thought to himself how lucky he was to have a friend like Seam. If this was how friendship felt, he never wanted it to end.