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"Who," the voice cuts abruptly through the previously-comfortable, relaxed atmosphere at the table, heads whipping to look at the throne, knees bending almost without their owners' conscious thought. "Prayed to me."
There's confusion amongst the ranks. Everyone present had prayed to 'Him', daily and nightly, praising 'His' name with every breath that passes their lips-
"For a kiss," the voice finished, and 'He' steepled his fingers, awaiting an answer.
'He' was not one to be kept waiting.
But this was not an answer anyone wanted to give.
After all, after everything Mr. Fool had done for them, who would have dared to ask for more? What's more, to ask so presumptively for something no one had the right to receive: a kiss from Mr. Fool 'Himself'?
"Very well," 'He' pushed away from the table, feet carrying 'His' body with godly grace. It was only now starting to dawn upon the Tarot Club that 'He' was really there. Awakened, finally, in full cognition of 'His' surroundings, and apparently entirely devoted to finding out which of his Blessed had taken momentary leave of their senses.
"If my Blessed won't talk," 'He' approached the nearest Major Arcana, and the Hanged Man stuck his gaze onto the surface of the table. It would not stop 'Him' from doing whatever he liked, but it would still show the respect Alger held for Mr. Fool. "I shall talk for them."
A finger trailed over Alger's cheek, causing an involuntary shiver. Upon the slightest application of pressure 'He' raised his head, forcing Alger to look him in the eye.
"Was it you, my Hanged Man?" 'He' was speaking softly, and yet his voice carried easily in the silence that befell the room. "Were you looking, as they say, to hang out with me? As it is put in a universe you shall never experience, netflix and chill?"
The words meant nothing, and yet shivers never stopped crawling up Alger's spine. He barely breathed, barely managed to hold on to his consciousness as Mr. Fool's face approached his. His soul nearly left the world as soft lips landed upon his, eyes slipping closed under the weight of the grace Mr. Fool had decided to grant upon him.
The moment lasted forever and no time at all.
Mr. Fool straightened, patting Alger's cheek lightly before walking away at a brisk face, aiming, unerringly, towards the next closest Tarot Club member.
"That lightened the prayer," 'He' announced. "But didn't lift it entirely. Which means..."
The thought reached the members at various speeds, but they all arrived there in the end, by the grace of Mr. Fool's.
More than one person had prayed for a kiss. And, most importantly to Alger, everyone now knew that he had been one of them.
Justice, Mr. Fool's next target, blushed as he approached. Her back straight, she found support in the back of her chair, gulping as 'He' cupped her cheeks.
"Was it you, as well, My Blessed?" 'He' whispered almost against her lips, the breath tickling her in a way that promised salvation. "Did you, My Justice, find it unjust that this was not something you had granted yet?"
"Of course not-" Audrey tried to deny, silenced by the lips of her god. Her mind went blank, filled with not as much as the fog that laid over their feet.
'He' pulled away after the perfect length of time, one which Audrey would not have dared to call too short anyplace but the very deepest corner of her mind.
Stepping away, 'He' cherished the weight of His Blesseds' gazes, waiting for the sentencing.
"Another step closer," 'He' sounded amused, eyes soft as he watched Audrey straighten her skirt anxiously, pinching at the edge of the fabric. "I wonder..."
There is no doubt about where 'He' is aiming next. Hermit, in direct contrast, hunches her shoulders. Mr. Fool approached her from behind, 'His' hand landing on her shoulder with a gentle squeeze.
She couldn't help but relax upon 'His' touch.
"This one should have been obvious, huh?" The obvious affection in 'His' voice — the same one it held for all the rest of 'His' Blessed — pulled Cattleya's head up as if on a string, gazing upon the holiness of Mr. Fool. "A Pirate King always seeks the greatest treasure, do they not?"
"Praise the Fool-"
The words trailed off into a mumble as she finished them into Mr. Fool's own mouth, a most direct prayer one might ever hope for.
She can't help but chase after the retreating lips, the thrill of treasure hunting making her blood thump in her ears. There would be nothing in any world that would ever compare to that which she had just been given, no treasure precious enough to ever hold a fraction of her interest.
And yet it was already beyond her reach, 'He' was already beyond her reach, moving on to another member of the Tarot Club with a satisfied hum.
The Magician was unable to meet anyone's eye, lest of all Mr. Fool's in 'His' approach. She stubbornly kept his gaze low, even as 'He' grabbed the back of her chair, pulling it away and standing between Fors' knees.
"My Magician," Mr. Fool prompted, chided, and Fors obeyed. "Have you sought a taste of another kind of magic, My Blessed?"
She's not given a chance to respond; What she's given is much higher in value. Fors wasn't in a habit of doubting Mr. Fool's words, but these ones were, perhaps, truer than all other. It was a magical experience, of the sort that Fors had never experienced before, just like half of the Tarot Club.
And, just like the other half, soon she would join them in the existence full of awareness that such a boon would never again be granted to them.
"Another piece of the puzzle," Mr. Fool seemed in high spirits. 'He' moved towards another target, lips — the same ones that blessed 'His' Blessed's lips in an unusual manner this meeting — stretching into a wide grin as he met her gaze.
Judgement hesitantly smiled back, and that was how she had been granted her kiss. The smile soon left her lips, consumed by passion, and not much later 'His' lips had slid off as well. If judgement was Xio's domain, she felt confident to judge it the best kiss to ever happen.
Perhaps, at most, tied with four others. Potentially to be tied with three more. But nothing else could ever compare.
"No judgement," Mr. Fool allowed them a second to wonder, to think she had not been as committed as them, before continuing. "But, of course, My Judgement had also prayed for this."
It was the Moon that next grabs 'His' attention. 'He' circles around the table to reach Emlyn, 'His' hip leaning against the table next to his chair.
"Do you know," 'He' bent down, peering into Emlyn's eyes. "That, in another world, to comment upon the beauty of the moon was synonymous with a confession of love?"
Breath caught in Emlyn's throat and the next inhale was of air 'He' graced to share with him. It was a blessing to rival anything else in Emlyn's entire life, short of, perhaps, meeting Mr. Fool in the first place. None of the achievements his pharmaceutical company reached, nor any of those it could possibly reach in the future would ever measure up to this one single moment.
"The prayer is almost fulfilled," 'He' announced cheerfully, a bounce in 'His' step as he approached the second to last member of Tarot Club. "Will you help me bring it this little bit closer, My Sun, My Sunshine?"
It was one thing to be granted a new name; It was another thing entirely to be granted a nickname, a petname, to have something denoting affection used in reference to oneself by Mr. Fool 'Himself'. And had that failed to make Derrick lightheaded — which it hadn't, that moment had gained a veneer of surreality in his memories — the following kiss surely would have done the trick.
As it was, it had served to nearly send him into unconsciousness. He clung to his senses by the desperate need to properly experience and appreciate every single second of this unique situation.
He chased after 'His' lips, unable to stop himself. The chuckle he had earned in response was more than worth the flush of embarrassment climbing up his neck.
"And, finally, for the last," 'He' said, turning towards the Star, who waited patiently his turn. If nearly vibrating out of the seat could be called being patient. "You're just dying to be the Star of the show, aren't you?"
Leonard hadn't even tried to respond. His lips puckered in expectation, and 'He' didn't keep him waiting.
There were no words he could find to describe this, his mind blissfully empty as he soaked in every yota of the experience. The words would come later, would fuel many a poem, but for now, there was just him and 'Him', for as long as Mr. Fool deemed fit to grant him.
The moment ended just when it was supposed to, and not a second later.
"There," Mr. Fool straightened once more, returning to his original seat after having completed a full circuit of the table. "That's the prayer fulfilled. And it only took every single one of My Blessed to do so. I should be glad you're all so unified in your affection, shouldn't I?"
For a moment, no one dared to respond, still processing what happened in the last few moments. Just a handful of minutes that lasted eternity; For once, the Tarot Club was more than able to grasp the slippery hold Mr. Fool had on time during his slumber.
And, when they had finally thought of something to say, 'He' was asleep once more, leaving them more devout than ever before.