Widojest Winter's Crest 2024

(Dani and Liam talking about how good Caduceus' voice is and hugs must be, being able to feel the rumble in his chest as he speaks)

Ep 77 - Jester buys Caleb 300 gold worth of high quality paper and ink for his two new spells, this is what precedes the iconic 'I'll tell you later' that some of us believe was in Zemnian because it sounds like Liam's American accent

Ep 56 - After Caleb was mind-controlled into fighting the group, he tells them the spell made his afraid of them and Jester responds 'Well, we are pretty scary.' She continues to try to make him smile by asking if he has anymore 'itchy fireballs'

Ep 105 - In the Vokodo fight, Caleb uses Disintegrate and on a high roll the spell it could be reflected and hit someone else, after it's pointed out Liam leans into the wizard hubris and potential angst until Matt reveals he rolled a natural one

Ep 92 - 'Do you love her?' The next month was a crazy time to be alive. With all the theories, both legitimate and in jest, Ashley avoiding answering who she was referring to, Liam being asked and originally skirting around the subject until coming around and dropping 'uselessly in love with her', Taliesin claiming he had 'So many opinions I’m going to save for the table'

Ep 94 - Jester asks everyone about their favorite color and Caleb claims not to have one

Ep 110 - This is just one episode that showcases Jester's obsession with Astrid that rivals the one she had about Avantika

Ep 11 - Everything about their first trip to Chastity's Nook and the first reference to cinnamon bear claws, which are called back to in 139

Ep 109 - Jester tells Beau that 'It would suck to be stuck behind books all day.' and then immediately turns and says 'I mean, not that there's anything wrong with books, Caleb. Books are great.' He makes her laugh when he retorts 'You're on thin ice, Lavorre.'

Ep 114 and 115 - Jester complains about Der Katzenprinz being in Zemnian and asks Caleb to cast Tongues on her so she can understand it, she flusters herself with the innuendo

Ep 49 and 94 - Jester asks 'are you secretly in love with me' and 'does anybody have a crush on me', the second being under Zone of Truth, and each time Caleb does not answer

Ep 91 - This also gets its own mention, after Caleb says he thinks the Traveler is lucky to have her, that she changes people, that he sees it every day, Jester asks 'Really' and I'll never forget how those two syllables sounded

Ep 10, 42, and 85 - Or really any time Liam leans in to talk to Jester, she leans in more often but whenever he does it's conspiratorially or when he's being extra earnest

Ep 42 - Jester is fixating on Astrid while in Darktow and says 'You're mysterious, Caleb, you know that?'

Ep 111 - Caleb is extoling the virtues of his friends that he does not possess, he says Jester has 'flair and creativity' but she rebuts saying she wants a new one because he took hers with his obvious skill designing the tower

Ep 82 - They are in the Happy Fun Ball and they are worried about going through the Dreadnought and arcane users getting sucked into the 'Mage's Bane', Jester interrupts Caduceus' request that he not go off by himself and says 'You have to promise, Caleb, you're not going to do that.'

Anyways, thank you @widojestsecretsanta for being the thing that finally got me to publish a fic about this damned couple

Jester felt her necklace begin to warm, and she recalled Arty’s promise to bring her back home. Home, with cinnamon pastries and the paint shop around the corner and no more wobbly time stuff when she messaged her friends. Home safe.

But then was a blur of movement rushing towards her and– 

“Lumpy!”

Her favorite cat in the whole wide world had pounced right into her arms. He scrambled down to wind around her ankles, purring the whole time.

“Frumpkin, it is so good to see you. So very very good! But I am about to go and the Traveler has a really powerful spell for me that is about to kick in so you’re going to have to scootch a few feet away so you don’t get swept up because I am just about to leave the Fey Realm.

Jester had spent many hours and miles with Frumpkin nearby. There was something slightly different about him here in the Fey Realm. A slight shift in his posture or size or something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on. His head tilt made it clear, as clear as if he had messaged her, that Frumpkin had arrived in the place and time entirely on purpose.

“This will just have to be our little secret for a while, okay. I don’t think Caleb will be angry that you are returning – you know he did agree I could have you for forever – it’s just that he gets scared sometimes. But we won’t let that keep us away, will we?”

&

Caleb heard a chuckle behind his shoulder. “Artagan,” he called out without looking, “what brings you to my humble classroom?”

“She worries about you.”

“Is that your answer?”

“I check in on all my followers from time to time. Gladly, it’s a much more manageable itinerary since our little shindig at the volcano. Even so, I still have my favorites.”

“Is that what I am?”

“As I recall it,” Artagan said before slipping into a cheap Zemnian accent. “We are all low key acolytes of the Traveler.” His voice slid back to the usual grandeur. “Don’t tell me your keen mind has suddenly lapsed?”

“If you were paying attention, you would know the context. I would be her disciple while she is being yours.”

“Oh, you can assume I’ve heard far more than you’d like me to, Caleb Widogast. You... amuse me.”

Caleb finally looked up from his stack of student parchment. The Traveler was twirling a few quills in a serpentine motion and flicking his wrist to aim them at the desk in the corner as if it was a dartboard. 

“Sprinkle saw all your unexpressed expressions, little wizard. I certainly know the context.”

“Is that why you are here?”

“Excellent question. Firstly, I am here because I want to be. I am only ever where I am because I want to be.” Artagan flashed a wink and reappeared close at Caleb’s side. “I want to be here because there’s this thread hanging. I simply can’t resist tugging.”

Caleb smirked. “Tug away, Traveler.”

“You have your students, your schnitzel, your small small apartment with the east facing window. But woven into this retirement of yours is this insistence to send away certain companions.”

“I have learned to hold loosely.” He looked down at his weathered hands. “I do not need to grasp and claw any longer. This is my hard fought truth after so many years of desperately grasping for the ones who departed.”

“Ah, but have you learned who wants to be held?”

&

There was just enough of a snowdrift collected on his windowsill for that tender glow of winter to reflect with the candlelight. It was a small apartment, yes, but he had already filled two bookshelves and that was home enough for now.

Caleb knelt by the books now, weighing a few in his hands. Would she like the Port Zoon romance? Had she read it before? Would she want to see the notes for his lectures, the new cantrip he employs?

He stacks both books in the ‘bring’ pile. Because after all, isn’t the point of his trip to set everything before Jester and let her decide what she wants to keep? He is resolved to tell her.

He is also resolved to bring pastries, so he really should go across the street to place an order at the bakery to pick up tomorrow. At this precise time in the evening, Greta should still be rolling out the twists to set overnight.

When he opens the front door, his breath freezes.

“Can I stay here?” 

Jester is at his doorstep with snowflakes settled in her dear blue hair. She looks warm with that purple flush in her cheeks. She has more freckles than the last time Caleb saw her, he is sure.

“Well, I guess my real question is can we stay here?” She gestures behind him, to the cat already curled up on his window seat.

“Jester, ah, it is good to see…It is very good to see you, but what is Frumpkin? How…?” His voice falters in awe.

She beams up at him. Oh. She beams and she walks right into his home and she is here.

“Well Caleb, you remember I wanted to visit the Fey Realm with Arty, and I finally got to see it and there was lots of really weird shit but also beautiful sunsets but not quite sun setting because it’s so different there.” Jester had her full ensemble on with mittens and hat and scarf and fur lined cloak and she chattered through commentary while taking off each item and setting them down on his shelf, his table, his desk.

“I remember, Jester.”

“So I was just about to return back and I had this whole signal set up with the Traveler so none of the timing would get fucked up. And then, out of nowhere, Frumpkin appeared with me! He really missed you, he told me.”

She ended up sitting criss-crossed on the floor right next to his pile of books. Her hands dance through the air as she talks, fidgeting.

“Because even though you don’t need him anymore, he still wants to be where you are. He understands you let him go because you are stronger and kinder and ready to be okay with change.” Jester holds his gaze. “But he knows he gets to choose too and he would like to choose to stay, with you. He would like a nice quiet life with lots of animals.”

For all of the times that Caleb looked away, held his tongue, flinched from getting nearer. This time Jester is keeping her blue eyes steady with his. Her voice is warm and sure. She sits with her head high and a new ribbon wrapped on her left horn and with all of the courage in the world.

“Of course, Liebling, but not so quiet we don’t see adventures.” His hand shakes, just a little, as he raises his it to her cheek, so it is good Jester brings her hand up to match his. It’s a sharp thrill of heat.

“I am so glad you understand what Frumpkin is telling you, Caleb.” There’s the twinkle, the mischief in her eyes. “Because on the way over, he was a little worried you might be stupid about this. And then he would have to go on and on and on about how much cooler everything will be once you team up together. Instead, we can skip right to our happy ending.”

She winds her hands through his mess of reddish-brown hair and finally, they kiss.

&

Artagan checks in on all his followers from time to time.