In Creavit, in the year nine hundred eighty, one of the many monthly tea gatherings took place, where all the Goddesses from different nations came together to discuss the state of their respective territories. This activity served to strengthen their bond of sisterhood while they enjoyed pleasant moments. The atmosphere was wonderful; they drank delicious tea made from the finest herbs, which made you feel relaxed with just a sip. This infusion had the most natural scents you could imagine, like having a forest inside the cup; let’s not forget the desserts, each one made of the finest quality, the best ingredients available in the world were used, created in the most professional and refined manner. Every dessert was so sweet, fluffy, and beautiful that it made the Goddesses feel more privileged than ever.

This took place in the magnificent and enormous palace in the clouds, belonging to Trèfline, the goddess of cloves. It was one of the most dazzling constructions in all Creavit. Impossibly large and imposing, it was truly a grand sight. The clover theme was everywhere, along with small but expensive emerald details throughout the building. The place was easily recognizable by its large marble towers, the enormous dome in the center topped by a giant clover made from the purest emerald, arches and columns perfectly planned all around, and massive doors allowing the goddesses to pass comfortably. Everything looked harmonious, beautiful, and pristine.

The meetings were held on the top floor of the giant palace, a spacious and ideal place for all the matriarchs to enjoy a pleasant moment. At the center of this vast room was a vast, refined table adorned with various decorations, surrounded by five beautiful, large, and intricately designed chairs worthy of a queen. On the table were utensils for preparing meals and infusions, as mentioned earlier. As expected from the demanding Trèfline, many items had already been prepared by her servants so that her sisters could have something to enjoy immediately.

This particular meeting was of immense importance compared to the ones held over nearly a millennium. The reason is that something unprecedented in the nine hundred eighty years of these Goddesses’ existence was about to happen: the rise of a new Goddess after the death of a previous one. specificality decided to hold this meeting earlier than usual this month, as the emergence of a goddess was a date known specifically by their knowledge.

That day of the meeting, Trèfline woke up early from her deep “beauty-restoring sleep,” as she liked to call it. The Goddess noticed that the palace was busier than usual; in the distance, she could hear some of the servants saying, “We need a chocolate cake, quickly”, “Grab those decorations and set them on the table right away”, “Remember, the hall has to smell amazing; we can’t disappoint the goddesses”. The various things being prepared by the devoted followers of the ever-demanding Trèfline could be smelled throughout the palace with little effort.

As Trèfline took in this bustling scene, she became more and more excited about the occasion. She was going to have a royal meeting with her three sisters as usual, which was already thrilling, but this time, they would have a new little sister after waiting two hundred and fifty years.

After a few hours, she finally finished getting ready, looking as sophisticated as ever. Once she was ready, she headed to the meeting hall, where everything was already organized, clean, plated, and ready to enjoy. The effort put into everything by Trèfline’s followers could be felt just by looking at it all. The matriarch noticed a few of the attendants responsible for the beautiful event and immediately said to them: —Ha! This place doesn’t look bad at all, great job, everyone. Now, shoo, shoo, my sisters will be here any moment — trying to sound as friendly as possible. After that, Trèfline sat down on her royal chair labeled “For the Goddess of Cloves and Emeralds” as she waited for one of her sisters to arrive, occasionally tasting the food.

As soon as the clock struck twelve, one of the Goddesses made her entrance, the calculating Goddess of Diamonds, Almaz, punctual as always.

—Good day, Trèfline. I see you have a more luxurious feast than usual — the Diamond Goddess politely remarked as she sat down in her chair labeled “For the Goddess of Diamonds and More Diamonds.”

—As always, you’re terrifyingly punctual! Ha! Good day, Almaz, it’s good to see you again, especially for such an important occasion.

—Indeed. Please, stop nibbling on small pieces of food; let’s wait for the others, sister.

Trèfline sighed impatiently but decided to follow her sister’s advice.

It was getting a bit late. Half an hour had passed, and neither of the other two sisters had arrived. Just as they were about to comment on Cordelia’s usual tardiness and express surprise that Shula was also running late, light footsteps could be heard outside the door. It was Cordelia, the Goddess of Hearts, arriving late as usual.

—…Hello, sisters. Was I the last to arrive again? — Cordelia asked innocently as she sat down in her chair labeled “For the Goddess of Hearts and Rose Quartz.”

—Hmp! Finally, you’ve decided to show up, Cordelia. Almaz and I have been waiting for you for at least thirty minutes. — Trèfline reproached her.

—It’s true, Cordelia. We know you like to sleep a lot, but you can’t be late everywhere, especially not to an important event like this. You need to try to be on time, like I am.

—...Sorry, sorry, sisters. The bright side is that at least I didn’t arrive last. Strangely, Shula is still missing...

—Yes, we noticed that. It worries us a bit, since she always arrives early to these meetings, and she was also supposed to bring the inactive gem from our deceased sister, Beatriz. I hope nothing bad has happened to her. — Almaz indicated, concerned.

—...Ah, Beatriz, I haven’t heard that name in a long time. I miss her so much... We should talk about her today before our new sister returns. It would be nice to remember her on this special occasion...

—Aw, Beatriz, yes! I remember Cordelia got along best with her, ha! She was practically the glue that held us together. She was the one who suggested our monthly tea gatherings.

The atmosphere quickly turned nostalgic as they remembered their fifth sister who had lost her life years ago.

—It’s true. Wherever she is, it’s good to know that she will never really disappear as long as we remember her.

They all sighed in unison, lamenting the events that had led to their sister’s passing. After that sigh faded, they heard other footsteps, these sounded more secure and firm. It was Shula, the Goddess of Spades. They all felt excited seeing their last sister finally arrive, especially with the inactive gem of the deceased Beatriz, which was made of the precious mineral iolite and had a perfect star shape.

Shula sat in her chair labeled “For the Goddess of Spades and Obsidian,” but not before carefully placing Beatriz’s gem in her corresponding chair, “For the Joker Goddess and Iolite.”

—I’m here, sisters. I’m sorry for the delaaaaay! I couldn’t find Beatriz’s gem.

—...Don’t worry, Shula. You’re not one to be late like me, heh heh...

—I’ll explain right away what happened, sisters, but can we start eating from the buffet, Trèfline? I’m staaaaaaarving!

—Hmp! It seems you have your priorities straight, Shula. Always so impertinent. But yes, we can eat; enjoy! — said the dinner host, in a playful yet annoyed tone.

All the Goddesses devoured the feast in their own way. Trèfline ate like a wild animal, consuming everything in sight while trying not to stain her elegant dress. Cordelia ate slowly, savoring every tiny molecule of what she ingested. Almaz didn’t eat much, only what seemed particularly appealing or appetizing. Shula headed straight for the desserts, leaving “enough” for the others.

After they had barely any food left, the sisters decided to take a break from eating. They thanked Trèfline collectively and asked Shula to share what she had paused earlier.

—Well, sisters, as I was saying, something very strange happened. I couldn’t find Beatriz’s gem. I was there when the accident occurred that led to her death, so I had securely stored her gem in a cabinet. But today, when I went to look for the iolite in the cabinet, it wasn’t there. After searching my entire cave, I realized it was in the pocket of my pants, as if it were ready to leave with me. I think all of this is because the gem is ready to activate and start a new cycle — Shula said in a serious tone, looking at what used to be Beatriz’s chair.

—Oh, Beatriz. Even after her passing, she remains just as playful. — Almaz added with a sad tone.

—Ha! Beatriz was truly a very interesting deity. She was playful but also so rebellious and stubborn; it was always fun to have her around.

—Yes, I miss our Joker sister just like you do. I still can’t believe what happened to her. She passed away at seven hundred and thirty years; it’s never a good idea to question the one above us. — Shula mentioned, touching her heart.

—…How could she think of that? We are powerful; I can’t imagine how the being above us is. We have rules to follow, and if we don’t…

—I know we’re all grieving because our sister Beatriz is no longer with us. I still remember that we were created at the same time nine hundred eighty years ago, but remember, be fair and sweet to our new sister. Just because she’s not the same age as us doesn’t mean she’s not our sister. We already knew that if one of us died, we would have to wait two hundred fifty years for the position of the deceased to be filled by a completely new Goddess, meaning a new sister whom we must love and care for like our previous little sister, but without replacing anyone; she is her own new and unique deity — Almaz advised the group.

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All the sisters nodded, while a tear fell down Cordelia’s cheek due to the overwhelming emotions she was experiencing. Suddenly, she was interrupted by a very strange noise coming from the gem.

The star-shaped gem levitated from the chair, taking a considerable distance. All the Goddesses were completely perplexed by what they were witnessing. The star-shaped mineral radiated a blinding red light, causing all the sisters to close their eyes to avoid discomfort. When they opened their eyes to the radiant light that could blind any mortal, the floating gem that had once been a star made of iolite was now a tear made of the precious stone, rhodolite.

The beautiful tear-shaped stone gently fell onto the chair that had belonged to Beatriz. Immediately, the blinding red light reappeared, forcing the sisters to close their eyes once more. When they collectively opened their eyes, there sat their new Joker sister. The previous chair, which had borne the title “For the Joker Goddess and Iolite,” had now changed its name to “For the Joker Goddess and Rhodolite.”

—Hello… I’m Laverna… it’s a pleasure to meet you — said the new Joker Goddess, with a timid and worried tone.

A muffled sigh was heard from all the sisters, completely amazed by what their eyes had partially witnessed for the first time. No one knew what to say. All eyes were on Laverna, not negatively, but in amazement, especially due to the great differences between her and Beatriz.

—Did I do something wrong?...

—No! Ha! You’re very pretty, just like me — it’s just that, I’m Trèfline… uh… Almaz, help me!

—Uh, yes. Welcome to Creavit, new sister Laverna. My name is Almaz.

—Yes! Hi Laverna, a pleasure. I’m Shula. I find it odd that you have a tear in your face and pupils, our previous Joker had a star instead, haha.

—…Shula, that’s not very kind; this isn’t the time for comparisons. My name is Cordelia…

—Ah! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. My apologies, Laverna — Shula realized, immediately apologizing.

Laverna laughed timidly at the situation; her new sisters seemed very chaotic in a good way. —I hope I can be to your liking; I would like to know how things work here and for you to explain about the “previous one.” I really don’t know much…

—Well, as Shula mentioned, she should be the one to explain to you about “the previous one”. — suggested Almaz in a serious tone, a bit annoyed by what had come out of her sister's mouth.

Shula felt bad and cornered by the situation she had caused herself, lamenting her impertinence. Still, she nervously recounted. —Um, well, it turns out we had another sister who held the role of Joker; her name was Beatriz. Unfortunately, she passed away many years ago. As you can see, we each have our corresponding symbols in our pupils; in the case of the Joker Goddess, they have pupils with the corresponding symbol and a small “mark of creation” with the previous symbol. Beatriz had a star in both pupils and the star on her cheek, which was her mark of creation. I didn’t mean to compare you, I’m truly very sorry, Laverna; it just caught my attention that you were different and didn’t have the same one, perhaps you were just created this way.

—Oh… I’m sorry for the loss of your previous sister; I hope it wasn’t my fault… and I suppose I do have a tear as an appealing thing and to differentiate me, that’s most likely.

The new Joker Goddess said this while feeling a strange and prolonged high-pitched ringing in her ear after hearing the name “Beatriz” from Shula’s lips.

—Don’t feel bad, Laverna; you’ll never reach what Beatriz was in her time. We have no expectations of you. — continued Almaz in a kind tone, intending to comfort the current Joker Goddess.

—I agree! Don’t worry, Laverna; we’ll love you just like the previous Goddess, and we’ll be there for you whenever you need. Ha! You are our new little sister and deserve to be your own Goddess.

Laverna immersed herself in her thoughts for a minute, unable to believe what she had just heard. It didn’t make sense. Could it be that the ringing had made her mishear Almaz’s words? Although she had clearly seen how Almaz's mouth moved when pronouncing the words, why had Trèfline said that? It had nothing to do with what Almaz had contributed, and the hurtful words had no relation to it.

—…What lovely words of support, sisters; everything you said is true and comes from the bottom of our hearts. Since Shula explained the previous one, I will explain which nation you will be in charge of…

—Ha! This is going to be long, little sister Laverna. You can eat from the buffet in the meantime; there are still some things to taste.

—...Well, first of all, the previous Joker Goddess was in charge of Herkmeiak. It is a beautiful underground nation filled with muted colors and very revolutionary. The air, despite being underground, feels clean and fresh. The people are so kind and united because it’s a small nation. I loved visiting there when the previous Joker invited me. You might be wondering how you can get there; there are two entrances in two different nations, Kermzán and Aismand. Either way, they lead to the same destination, so it doesn’t matter which one you take. In each of the nations, there is a special area where you can find the door to the extensive catacombs, both wide and high, so you won’t have any problems getting through, being as tall as we are. Once you finish the tour through the elegant catacombs, you arrive at the underground city called Tél, which is quite advanced technologically and has different buildings. The most notable thing is that there is a sanctuary dedicated to the Joker Goddess, which, as you can guess, has been closed for the past two hundred fifty years since the accident, but it will be able to operate again when you return…

—You weren’t lying when you said it was a lot. Fascinating! I’ll be delighted to take on this role as Joker; I’ll remember everything you told me, thank you.

—...I’m glad you like it. I know the nation will suit you. Anyway, after the meeting, I would love to talk alone, new sister…

Trèfline joined the conversation to explain what she knew. —It’s my turn! It’s my turn! Now I’m going to explain how the nymphs work, especially regarding yours. The nymphs of the previous Goddess became human after the contract was abruptly terminated with her passing; therefore, they have been dead for many years. One of your advantages as a Joker Goddess is that you can have two nymphs; we only have one. Hmp, unfair! Anyway, there’s an important detail: even though you can have two nymphs, only one can know about it, and you can only refer to her as “nymph.” However, both will have powers related to what you teach each one, and they will be long-lived as long as you are alive, which we hope will be a long time! Ha!

Laverna felt somewhat intimidated by the information, but she was afraid of sounding foolish, nonetheless she managed to stammer out her question. —C-contract? How does that work?

—Ah! How scatterbrained I am! I sound like Cordelia! Ha! The contract is quite simple; you can explain to the citizen you’re interested in what you want to agree upon with her. You give her a flower of your choice, and the contract is sealed. However, some people here just handed over the flower, and the contract was made without much consent, right, Almaz? — Trèfline responded to the question kindly and took the opportunity to point out something the Diamond Goddess had done in her past.

—Hmp, that’s true. I won’t go into details, but that’s how it was. — Almaz replied, displeased at having been criticized by her sister.

—Okay… thank you. I’ll see what I do and how I choose my nymphs; thank you for being so kind in explaining all this to me.

—Oh, there’s also one very important thing I need you to listen to attentively. — Almaz added suddenly, with a very serious tone.

At that moment, Laverna decided to stop listening for a moment, completely ignoring what Almaz was saying, almost as a mental protest while she submerged herself in her feelings, still recalling what the Diamond Goddess had told her. The current Joker clenched her fist with anger under the grand table; her mind was a dense cloud of feelings, but only one was clear: “I don’t like you at all, Beatriz.” Minutes passed, and Laverna decided to reflect on the state of protest she found herself in.

—Did you hear me, dear Laverna? — was the only thing Laverna heard coming from the mouth of the Diamond Goddess.

—Of course, sister — Laverna replied automatically, releasing the fist she had made with her hand.

Some moments of casual chatter passed as the goddesses shared past experiences and entertaining anecdotes. Laverna began to feel more comfortable listening to their stories, especially since Beatriz had not been mentioned, which helped soften her initial discomfort.

—Perfect! Perfect! Ha! Applause, everyone. I declare the tea meeting completely finished. Laverna, it’s a pleasure that you are our new sister; remember to attend future meetings. We’ve already told you the dates. — said the Clover Goddess as everyone applauded and looked at Laverna with esteem.

They all rose from their respective chairs, leaving the food and leftovers as orderly as possible so that Trèfline’s attendants would have an easier time tidying up.

It was time to leave the hall, so each one decided to say goodbye to their new family member. Shula gave Laverna a friendly handshake before leaving the hall. Trèfline gave her new sister a tight and warm hug; after that, they saw the green Goddess going to her royal room to rest. Almaz waved goodbye from afar with a big smile, as if something had happened to her and she needed to leave quickly. Lastly, Cordelia was waiting for them to be alone to talk.

—...Laverna, I wanted to talk to you…

—Tell me, what happened? — the Joker Goddess hesitated about privacy.

—...Let me explain, I would wholeheartedly like to help you as you begin your reign as Goddess in Herkmeiak. What do you think if I take some of the inhabitants from your city, Tél, to my nation, Breiak? That way, you have less weight in the first years of your life here, and it’s not such a burden — only if you want... — she smiled kindly.

—That sounds fine for now; later, you can gradually return some citizens to me. Just make sure each one truly wants to travel to Breiak. Thank you so much for your help; I appreciate it, Cordelia.

—...I’m glad to help! I don’t even know how Beatriz managed with the number of citizens she had in such a tiny city, hee hee! I have no problem helping you; it makes me happy... — Cordelia smiled.

Once again, that unbearable high-pitched noise occurred in Laverna’s ear; it was so annoying that she made a small noise of discomfort. Cordelia showed a concerned expression upon seeing this.

—What’s wrong?! Do you want something in return? If you really don’t want anything, just say so; don’t pretend to be nice. Beatriz would never do that. — Cordelia said in a calm and welcoming tone.

Laverna couldn’t believe it again. What is this? A joke? Why does someone have to act this way every time that long ringing sound occurs? From what she knew of Cordelia, it didn’t seem like something she would say, but once again, she saw her lips uttering those hurtful words, being compared once more, so she wouldn’t stand idly by again.

—Yes, I want to! I would never lie about my kindness, but perhaps I would like a young girl from Breiak who is devoted to you to live in my city, and she will be my nymph. This way, I can be sure she will be as devoted to me as she is to you, but I don’t want her to feel like she really left you. — Laverna demanded, seeking compensation.

—...Oh, of course! I have a little village called Carota; there lives a very devoted and sweet girl who would be my nymph if I didn’t have my lovely Ayanna with me. Her name is Sacra, and she is a beautiful and cheerful person. It may take her a little while to stop being devoted to me and be devoted to another goddess, but I will ask her as a personal favor; I trust her…

—Then it’s a deal, Cordelia. Goodbye.

—...Wait, wait, little sister. Don’t you want help finding out where your nation is?...

— I'll figure it out. Goodbye, Cordelia — said the Joker Goddess, slowly turning her gaze away from her sister.

—...Goodbye, take care... — Cordelia decided to blow a loving kiss as a form of farewell, seeing that her sister was still watching her.