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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.
manofmyword
autokinetic
Aegis is the first one to swing by to investigate. And she laughs and laughs.
Sue teleports out of the pile to hug her, giggling.
"Isn't it great?"
"Isn't it great?"
autokinetic
"You have theme music, it's fantastic," she snickers, hugging him.
Snuggle-hug!
It is the snuggliest snuggle-hug. His aura sparkles with joy and affection.
It is the snuggliest snuggle-hug. His aura sparkles with joy and affection.
autokinetic
Aegis snuggle-hugs right back. "Yours're chattier than ours. None of the Bells've seen more than the four basic emotional effects Rose reported, even though they show up differently."
"Yeah, we're all up'n'down," he agrees, kissing her cheek. "You should check out Queenie, she got an aura of cuddle."
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."
autokinetic
"I like mine too." She tugs Sue's hand. "Let's go outside where there's room and dance!"
"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!
Wheeeeee!
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
"I love you," he says, and he doesn't link her to send the feeling, but it's almost like he did.
"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.
Sue twirls closer and kisses her.
deslandes
Her husband is curled up in the pile, human-shaped but purring like a kitten while Queenie pets his hair.
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."
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.
His aura radiates innocence. He looks sweet and vaguely harmless.