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Jester lay face up on her bed at the Lavish Château, head hanging off the end of her mattress. She sighed as she looked around the inverted room. Nugget was curled up in the corner, sleeping in order to recoup the energy he had lost while playing with Jester and Luc earlier. Sprinkle was curled up in a nest that she, Caduceus, and Caleb had created: faux twigs, sticks, and mud providing a comfy place for the beleaguered weasel to rest.
Jester pouted as she righted herself, wondering what she could do to cure herself of her boredom. She quietly made her way out of her room, quickly deciding that it would be better to see if one of her friends had something fun to do.
She looked around for any sign of Veth or Beau, before recalling that Veth had gone out with her family, and Beau only mentioned something about “going with Yasha to her favored terrain”, whatever that meant.
She finally opened one of the doors, carefully looking in.
“Jester?” a surprised Zemnian voice answered. She turned her eyes to focus on Caleb, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room, his spellbook sitting in front of him, a mass of paper, inkwells, and various components scattered around him within arm’s reach. His coat hung from the rack by the door, his hair tied up and pulled back into a ponytail. Frumpkin was curled around his neck, seemingly asleep.
“Caleb!” Jester exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
He blinked at her for a moment, silently gesturing to the papers strewn about him. Jester rolled her eyes and stepped into the room, not bothering to close the door behind her.
“I mean what are you doing here by yourself? Where’s Fjord and Caduceus?”
Frumpkin stretched himself and leapt down from Caleb’s shoulders, making his way towards Jester, purring loudly as he began to rub against her ankles.
Caleb smiled down at his cat before turning to focus on her. “Caduceus mentioned wanting to go back to the lighthouse, and Fjord offered to go with him, naturally.”
Jester nodded absentmindedly, reaching down to pick up Frumpkin. She began to scritch behind his ears, feeling the vibrations against her chest as he continued to purr.
Caleb cocked his head at her. “Is something the matter, Jester?”
Jester sighed dramatically. “I’m just bored, Caleb. Veth and her family are out, Beau and Yasha went somewhere, you’re busy…”
Caleb stared at her for a few seconds, before he began to gather up the materials around him. Jester was shaken from her stupor, watching confusedly.
Caleb smiled at her as he got to his feet, tucking his spellbook back into the holster and moving to place his materials on a desk by the window.
“I can’t promise that it will be super interesting,” he began stepping forward to put on his coat, “but I was planning to go out to get a few things a little later. We could go now though, if you’d like?”
Jester beamed at him, stretching out her arms to hand him Frumpkin, who leapt the remaining distance to Caleb’s shoulders. “That sounds great! I’ll meet you downstairs.”
She dashed from the room, leaving Caleb to smile after her and scratch under Frumpkin’s chin.
While Caleb had explained that he planned to find a place that sold high-quality paper and ink, they were not quick in their getting there. Jester was eager to show Caleb the highlights of Nicodranas.
“I haven’t really gotten to show you around before,” she reasoned, “so we should go to some cool places.”
Unwilling to say no to her, Jester took Caleb to her favorite bakery, where she got him to admit that Nicodranas bear claws were quite spectacular.
They found a restaurant where they could sit outside, talking and laughing as the sun dipped further into the sky.
Upon paying for their meal, they became acutely aware of how late it was, rushing to the shop they had been directed to. They arrived in time to catch the owner, a female half-elf, cleaning up, together managing to successfully convince her to allow them to purchase a few things.
Jester wandered the shop as Caleb explained what he needed to the shopkeep. Her eyes passed over dozens of titles, before noticing a book that seemed to sparkle curiously as she looked at it. Reaching to pull the book from the shelf, Jester turned the book to look at the cover.
The book was bound in fine brown leather, with the edges of the pages almost appearing to be gilded. In the center of the cover was an imprint, also gold, of a girl with hair that tumbled past her shoulders and horns that curled at the sides of her head, face to face with what appeared to be a human man, hair reaching just past his neck. At the top was stamped a title, the color of the text seeming to change as she turned the book in her hands: Enchanted Encounters.
Jester turned to the first page, finding herself pulled to the story the moment she started to read. She had made her way through several pages before she heard a cough behind her. She jumped slightly, slamming the book shut and whirling around, hand outstretched and sparking with divine energy.
The owner of the bookstore stared at her hand, then focused onto her face, seemingly unimpressed. “We are not a library. If you wish to read that book, you must first purchase it.”
Jester blushed at being called out, quickly moving to hand the book to her. “I’d like to buy this one, please.”
The half-elven woman took the book from her, raising an eyebrow in surprise before stepping back to the counter near the entrance, Jester trailing behind her sheepishly.
Caleb smiled at Jester as she approached, laughter twinkling behind his eyes. Jester stuck her tongue out at him, earning a chuckle in response.
“Alright”, the owner interrupted, drawing both of their attention, “that will be 100 gold.”
Caleb and Jester’s eyes widened, both spluttering at her. Caleb managed to recover first.
“I'm sorry, 100 GOLD!?” Caleb asked incredulously. “Might I ask why it is so expensive?”
The owner shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know the exact reason, but apparently this is a very rare book.”
“But 100 gold?” Jester practically begged.
The half-elf turned to look at her with barely contained disdain, a strained smile on her face. “If you can’t afford it, that is fine. I’ll keep it here for someone that can.”
Jester seemed hurt at that, turning to dig through her coin pouch. “No, I mean -,” she was interrupted by Caleb speaking up next to her.
“We’ll take it,” he said confidently. Jester turned up to look at him, eyes again wide in surprise.
“Caleb,” she began softly. He looked down at her, a small smile on his face. “I don’t have much, but I can cover half the price,” he told her.
Jester smiled, nodding at him excitedly. She quickly fished out the gold required, both pushing forward the requisite coin. The owner looked at them in shock, handing the book over without a word. Jester grabbed the book from her, quickly exiting the shop, hearing Caleb give thanks behind her.
As they returned to the Château, Jester clutched the book to her chest. Caleb quickly caught up to her, matching her pace as they walked through the dark streets.
“Thank you, Caleb. I’m sorry you had to spend so much on something that wasn’t paper.”
Caleb shook his head, a soft smile playing at his lips. “You seemed like you were enjoying it. I called out to you a couple of times when you were reading, but you didn’t answer.”
Jester blushed. “Well, it was really good!” she contended.
Caleb raised an eyebrow at her. “Oh, what is it about?”
Jester thought for a moment. “I don’t know. I didn’t get to read that far.”
She smiled up at Caleb as they neared their destination. “I’ll tell you a bit about it when I’m done, but why don’t I let you read it and then we can talk about it.”
Caleb seemed stunned by her suggestion, as though he hadn’t considered it. As they approached the entrance he nodded in agreement, smiling at her as he pulled open the door.
“That sounds nice.”
Jester couldn’t recall the last time she had found herself so focused on a book. It was an adventure story it seemed, told from the perspective of a tiefling named Jessa, who was a cleric of a being known simply as the Wanderer. It told of the quests she went on with her group of friends, a party that called themselves the Stalwart Six, though they actually had around seven members.
But as she read on, she found herself entranced by what seemed to be a romance that had formed between Jessa and the party’s mage, a human named Calen. She recalled wincing slightly at the arguments they had, finding herself comforted when they made up.
She read of how Jessa was astounded by the things Calen could do, and at the same time, how he seemed to be amazed by her abilities. She sighed as she read of how the two eventually came to trust one another, sharing thoughts with the other that they were reticent to share with the group.
She finished the book in about two days, barely stopping to do anything else besides sleep or eat. As the book came to a close, she was disappointed to find that it ended with neither Calen or Jessa confessing their love to the other. In fact, it seemed to stop rather abruptly, the final chapter describing the group taking time to rest and recuperate, before she found herself looking at blank pages.
Unsatisfied, but tired and noticing that it was late in the evening, Jester placed the tome aside and slowly drifted to sleep, her dreams rife with the possibilities that might have been if Jessa and Calen had gotten a proper ending.
When she awoke the next day, Jester took the book with her to Caleb’s room. She knocked on the door and waited a moment. The door opened to reveal the Zemnian, still clad in his sleepwear, shirt slightly undone. He finished rubbing the sleep from his eyes before he looked up to meet her gaze.
Jester could feel a slight flush to her cheeks. She had seen Caleb without a shirt before, but never really paid attention to how he looked. He was not muscular by any means, but he was surprisingly fit from what little bit she could see, evidence of definition to his chest that was likely due to a healthy diet and hard living.
Caleb seemed to blush as well, closing and buttoning his shirt before addressing her. “Good morning Jester. Is everything alright?”
Jester blinked at him for a moment, holding out the book as her face turned an even darker shade.
“I,” she swallowed. “I finished this last night. It’s pretty good.”
Caleb took the book in one hand, turning it over to look at the cover. He looked back at her with a warm smile.
“Thank you, Jester. Did you enjoy it? What was it about?”
Jester found herself unable to answer for a moment, something about his kind smile and eager questions causing her to lose concentration.
Her mind pulled back to focus as she heard Caleb call out to her gently. “Jester? Are you sure you’re alright?”
Jester could practically feel the heat in her cheeks. “I’m fine,” she managed to squeak out. “The-book-was-really-good. It-was-about-adventure-and-romance-and-other-stuff-but-it-seems-likes-its-not-finished-yet-alright-BYE!”
Caleb appeared caught off guard with the speed at which Jester answered him, staring after her as she tore off back in the direction of her room.
Jester barely showed her face for the rest of the day. She couldn’t fathom what had made her so anxious about talking to Caleb, and was worried about speaking to him again.
I wonder if he thinks I was being weird, she thought to herself.
As the sun disappeared over the horizon, Jester found herself at the massive bay window in her room, absentmindedly petting Sprinkle as she gazed below at the city.
She barely heard the knock on her door, not bothering to look up as she answered, “Come in.”
She didn’t hear the door open or the footsteps approach her, but nearly jumped as she heard someone clear their throat off to her side.
Jester whipped her head around, eyes widening as she found Caleb standing there, a slight blush splashed across his cheeks and a soft smile on his face. The book that she’d given him just this morning was held at his side.
“Would it be alright if I sat down?” Caleb asked.
Jester blinked up at him, as if she couldn’t understand what he had just said. When she didn’t answer, Caleb’s smile faded to a frown. “Unless this is a bad time. I was just thinking we could discuss the book, since I finished it a little while ago.”
Realizing what Caleb was talking about, Jester willed herself to be calm. She gestured towards the other side of the bench she was sitting on, Caleb wordlessly taking a seat beside her.
Jester took a second to look at him. His coat must have been left in his room, as he was currently only wearing his shirt and book holsters, as well as the same simple pair of pants and boots he always wore.
Caleb smiled at her as he started talking quietly. “So. You were definitely right. It is a very good story, though it is a shame that it seems to end so suddenly, and with so much space remaining.”
She watched as Caleb looked down and began quickly thumbing through the pages. “I wonder if the writer perished before they could complete their work? It would certainly explain the price if this were a one-of-a-kind book.”
Caleb’s eyes turned back to her, smiling eagerly. “Ah, but that’s not important. What did you enjoy most about it? Who was your favorite character?”
Jester had not looked away from Caleb since he had started speaking. Determined to hold a conversation with him this time, she returned his smile.
“Why don’t we say it at the same time? We’ll both name our favorite characters on the count of three.”
Caleb chuckled at her decision, but turned his body to face her. “Alright then. Eins. Zwei. Drei!”
“Jessa!” “Calen!”
Each looked at the other, eagerness and slight confusion mirrored on the other’s face.
Jester spoke up first. “How could you not like Calen? He’s so cool! He’s kind, patient, and he’s so mysterious. But he always makes sure to listen to Jessa, and no matter how ridiculous her plans are he always lets her speak until she’s finished, and he even vouches for her!”
Caleb shakes his head, smiling at her. “Well, I should think he would listen to Jessa. She’s the best. She’s so vibrant and full of energy, but she’s always putting on a brave face, like she doesn’t want anyone to see the cracks below the surface.”
Caleb seems to scowl then. “If you ask me, Jessa is too good for him.”
Jester almost appears hurt by the statement. “How could you say that? Didn’t you see what Jessa was thinking when Calen cast that spell for her? That night when she was doubting herself and wondering if her god was listening to her; and he came and spoke to her so beautifully. And then he cast that spell! I mean the way she described it –”
“Hold on,” Caleb interrupted. “She described? What are you talking about Jester?”
Jester looked into his eyes as if to ask him what HE was talking about, but was surprised to see genuine confusion there. “You read the book, right? Jessa talked about the spell being so amazing and pretty and how it was so nice that Calen did that for her.”
Caleb’s brow furrowed deeper as she spoke, opening up the book to flip to a page. Caleb’s finger traced the words, reading quietly and quickly to himself.
He looked back at her, still baffled. “It mentions that Calen casts the spell, but it’s from his perspective. There’s no mention of how Jessa feels.”
“What!?” Jester practically yells. “That’s like the best part!”
Caleb wordlessly hands her the book, still open to the same page. Jester reads through, though slower than Caleb. As she panics for some reason she can’t quite place, she’s equal parts relieved and perplexed to find the scene still written as she recalls.
“It’s right here!” she points at the page. Caleb leans closer to her, shoulder pressed against hers.
Caleb said nothing for a few moments, before pulling away and slowly reaching for the book. Jester releases it, the silence between them deafening. She watches Caleb study the book for a moment, physically inspecting the pages and binding.
He turns to her suddenly. “Jester, what is the title of this book?”
Confused by his question, Jester answers, “Enchanted Encounters.”
Caleb turns the book to look at the cover, and she can just barely see the title from here, exactly as she described.
“To me, it is called ‘Burning Passions’.”
Before Jester can ask him what he’s talking about, Caleb sits on the floor, yanking his spellbook from its holster. He places the “romance novel” on the ground next to his spellbook and begins chanting quietly, tracing glowing symbols in the air that quickly vanish before being replaced by others.
Jester follows Caleb down to the ground, kneeling across from him with only his spellbook and the mysterious tome between them.
As she waits, her eyes focus on Caleb’s face. She watches his eyes, the pupils rapidly moving to read the complex arcane equations in his book. Her gaze drifts down to his lips, which are moving equally fast to speak the words required for his spell.
The minutes pass in relative silence, before Caleb’s eyes flash white for a solid minute. As he comes out of it, he glances down at the book, then up to Jester, his face a deep shade of crimson.
“What is it?” Jester asks, her curiosity genuinely piqued.
“It’s,” Caleb started, falteringly, “it’s called the Tome of Idyllic Romance.”
Jester noticed that Caleb does not look at her as he continues to speak.
“It, uh, apparently, creates a different story for each person that reads it. The story it creates,” Jester watched Caleb reach up to tug at his collar, “is a personalized romance based upon the person’s preferences and experiences.”
The silence that followed Caleb’s explanation seemed to stretch on for longer than the minute it actually lasted. As Jester sat there, thoughts tumbling into place in her head, she smiled widely.
“Sooo,” she began, looking pointedly at Caleb, who remained in the same cross-legged stance. “Does that mean…”
Caleb said nothing, but began to gather up his spellbook and place it back into his holster. Before he could stand however, Jester placed a hand on his.
She swears she feels Caleb flinch at the touch, and he looks up at her through a curtain of hair, what bit of his eyes that she could see appearing pained and afraid.
“Caleb…” She’s speaking softly now, barely louder than a whisper. “The story you read. The one I read. They were really similar.”
She moved closer to him, slowly on her knees. She took both his hands in hers, clasping them gently, but firmly, in hers.
Caleb merely nodded in response, and she watched him swallow something in his throat.
“Do…do you like me, Caleb?”
He was silent for a moment, and Jester could hear her heart pounding in her ears.
He finally turned his head up to look at her directly, and she could see his eyes were full of unshed tears. She could barely hear him as she watched his lips move.
“I’m sorry.”
Jester could feel her heart sink, but Caleb continued.
“You deserve better than I am, better than I could be,” he whispers, voice trembling with emotion.
Quiet for a moment, Jester moves forward again, sitting herself in Caleb’s lap, releasing his hands to wrap her arms around his neck. She leans forward so that the space between them vanishes, holding him tight to her.
She feels his breath hitch and tears drip slowly against her shoulder.
She doesn’t know how long they sit like that, but she holds him until she feels the tears stop, smiling as his arms rise to embrace her in return.
“You didn’t answer my question Cayyyleb,” she half-teases, practically breathing into his ear.
She feels him shiver against her, then pull back so that their faces are even with each other.
She can practically see a thousand thoughts running through his eyes, but she’s still a little surprised when he moves forward to catch his lips with hers.
Her shock quickly melts away as she moves to reciprocate, pushing even deeper into him. She would never be able to recall how long the moment lasted, each of them searching for something in that kiss that they desperately craved. She’s aware for half a second that she’s never done this before, and wonders if Caleb doesn’t enjoy it, before she feels him press into her almost hungrily, and the thought is driven from her mind. The need for air eventually drives them apart, both of them watching the other with half-lidded eyes and gasping for breath. Caleb is the first to speak.
“Does that answer your question, Blueberry?” he asks, a mischievous grin curling one side of his face.
Jester smiles back at him, slowly leaning forward to press her forehead to his. She looks up, making a point of pretending to think over his question.
“I guess. But I still want to hear you say it.”
He chuckles quietly at that, and she feels her heart swell in a way she’s never felt before.
He looks her in the eye again, playful grin now giving way to a warm smile.
“I love you Jester.”
She beams back at him, moving forward to place a quick kiss on his lips. She pulls away in time to see him follow her, desperate for more.
She giggles, causing him to blush and smile at her once again.
“I love you too, Caleb.”