Shrugs and flumps into an appearing couch, gets out her harptaur, and tunes it.... then starts playing.

She then uses her magic to try and pull Cheet and Sooth here. XD

Oooo… music! That certainly got more of Bozon's attention, and the barbaric clown re-oriented himself so he was on the floor again.

He listened with interest to Aflae's playing.

It's elven music, of fair quality... she had decades to practice, but isn't a musician. She is a mathematician though and she puts some base 12 math into her music though and that works out well.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:15, Thu 27 Feb 2020.

Cheed and Sooth appear, both, however, are glowing as bright as the sun, though they are not hard to look at.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:36, Sat 29 Feb 2020.

She covers her eyes instinctively though. "Dammit you two, can you turn down the light show... holy shit.."

Startled by the light, Bozon winced and looked aside, shielding his face with one hand. What now...?

Cheed and Sooth feel powerful yet kind. When they hear the complaints about their brightness, Sooth says, "Though we will veil ourselves for your comfort if it is needed, I challenge you to stare directly at us and test me in my promise that you will feel no pain from our luminosity."

Scord's eyes go wide, "What can you tell us about Heaven!? And how soon can I get there?"

Cheed looks at Scord, "You will see soon enough."

Sooth looks at Bozon, "I am sorry for the pain you are about to suffer. But your suffering will be greater in the end if you do not allow yourself the full force of that pain as it happens. You are not promised all of your desires to be fulfilled, only that the right kind of hope will make a difference."

Sooth looks at Scord, "You can join any of those present in their other physical space, except the 2 you'd most want to join. Remember the upsidedown way. Also, stop being a fool!"

Sooth looks at Azraile, "You always have a choice. A future lifelong partner doesn't say her vows the moment she meets her lover. Why do you feel cornered? What is it you seek?"

Sooth looks at Aflae, "You aren't nearly as selfish as you think. You are far more selfish. But even a psychopath can choose to make their life have meaning beyond its end."

Sooth scolds Theophili, "Where is your love, woman?"

Cheed says, "Yo, oracle, do me!"

Sooth says, "Later, babe."

Bozon has no idea who these brightly-glowing people were, but he paid heed to Sooth's words. He did not deserve to have all of his desires, not after what he'd done. But for the time being, his main hope was to see Tine and Jen safely through their adventures and back to their parents unharmed.

And, what was the 'Heaven' that Scord spoke of? Different faiths had different views on paradise and the rewards of their gods for proper and honorable lives. He had no idea what, if any, religion the writer held dear, or even if it was comprehensible to such a lesser being as his silly self.

She blinks "HEY!" she's not sure how to feel about that or even what it means but finds it some what insulting the way it is worded. "I didn't get a chance to say goodbye properly I had to go so quickly.... your dead? Is that bad that your here and your dead?" Was kinda hoping she could just grab them from the past!

Rises out of the water and shrugs answering "Hell if I know...." is kinda running away having to always help people though and the pain of hir past.

Aghast, Theophili says to Sooth, "I... I think I had forgotten..." She closes her eyes and begins meditating.

Sooth looks at Bozon, "In your bag, you have a set of books. If you read this one: " she shows him an image of the book in which he'd read this thread: link to a message in another game
"and the book after that, you'll know more about Cheed and me. Basically, I'm a soothsayer, and Cheed is a master of rapid body-modification." To demonstrate, Cheed extends his arms like Mr. Fantastic and does a wave with his arms, making them look like elongated rubber.

Cheed jovially laughs and then answers Aflae, "It's not bad. You didn't intentionally summon a dead person, you unintentionally requested the presence of 2 post-death people, and you didn't ask us to come to an Oner directly, but to this semi-place. We didn't mind saying hi to y'all. We're still in the personal presence of the All-Child, and we're happier than you could imagine. It's only bad to force a spirit to come to you by summoning them - mainly because it's rude and harmful to the spirits who aren't in the good place."

Sooth adds, "Aflae, did you ever wonder how VelAnna knew to give you that element address to program your Portal with in order to end up on our island? You should ask her next time you see her."

Scord says to Azraile, "That was an interesting response. It almost seems Freudian. I've been watching what's playing out with you back in the real world, and I have a question if you don't mind my asking. Freedom seems to be extremely important to you. Are you free if you do what you want to do in the moment regardless of how it will affect you, or if you do what you would want to do if you knew exactly how it would affect you?" After Az's response he will also ask, "What era did you grow up in on Earth? I grew up in the 1980's and 90's."

"You know you could just tell me these things." she shakes her head. "Anyway I didn't just want to say bye I was hoping you could give me some names to some mages that might still be alive you know that could teach me some Formagus and Unimagus.... maybe the others too even if I know I'll be terrable at Imagus due to my natural Verimagus.  I also need an in to talk to some high ups in the magus community, preferably good people with level heads."

"That.... why even ask that, we don't... there is hardly anyone that can do that." shi huffs. "yah... about that time."

"Bozon?" The clown thought for a few seconds, then reached into his carpetbag and pulled out... the book Sooth had shown him the image of. He looked at it, not opening it yet, and facepalmed with his other hand. A book, and here he was among other people. Well... he was backstage, not fully in-character here so maybe. No. Just no. He'd stick with staying in character even here, and only try to read things surreptitiously or in private.

He made a pretense of trying to taste the corner of the book, and finding it inedible he returned it to his bag for later. Instead, he busied himself watching Cheed (as best he could despite the light), trying and failing to imitate his more rubbery motions. He clearly remembered some of the ways in which jesters had been inflated, but none of them could do such conscious personal changes as this.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:55, Sat 07 Mar 2020.

Sooth winks at Aflae, "Where's the fun in that? Also, how can you change if you are never challenged? You've gone for long periods of time not being particularly challenged, and in those times, you've barely changed at all. When you are challenged, you grow. Therefore, the list of names you seek is in my ceiling room. Sit for an afternoon and the truth will be revealed."

Cheed smiles widely and adds to Aflae, "You're about to experience an entirely new kind of strategizing, and a vastly different era of power. I'd envy you if it weren't so much better where I am is."

Scord responds to Azraile, "What if I told you that in this world, at least, (though I believe all worlds) it is possible. Please, figure out which way you'd prefer to live: doing whatever seemed best to you, or doing what would actually be best even if it seemed unbearable at the time? Ultimately, it is your choice which way to live."

---

Spoiler for for Bozon: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Bozon suddenly found himself in 2 places at once within the Sideways. He remained with the whole group, but he also found himself alone with Theophili. She appeared to be made of blue glass. "Bozon, this is the Sideways. You can ... I just saw a future where finishing that sentence ended very badly... but I will tell you this. You can read here in private, alone, and unobserved by anyone. We are in a privacy bubble which here, is as simple as a visualization. Fair reading, friend." and she disappeared, leaving Bozon completely alone in the second place, and still with the group in the first place.

---

Bozon paused watching Cheed briefly to raise an arched, questioning eyebrow at Theophili.

---

GM's edit & consolidation:

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Theophili speaks into Bozon's mind, "Spoilers"

---

PM to GM

PM to Bozon

PM to GM
This message was last edited by the player at 01:19, Mon 09 Mar 2020.

The clown suddenly got a VERY surprised look of consternation from what was happening in his "on-stage" existence.

Vòrin Scord? Could you please convey to Aflae that Balur is in immediate danger of annihilation by King Joe the Enormous and his allies Emperor Pontorna and a dragon queen whose name I have not heard yet? It appears that this war is ending with unnatural speed and intensity.

Scord looked surprised at Bozon, then slapped himself in the face as he got everyone's attention, "Excuse me, Aflae, Azraile, Bozon, please watch me for a moment. Once you see this, you'll be able to do it." Scord holds out his hand, and seems to think at his hand, and a screen appears with a video icon for each of the other people there. He selects the one with Bozon's face on it, and a video plays out of the events that have transpired with Bozon from the time that he and the others were swept away from the safety of the Comowe ship, to the present moment. "We can all watch the events transpiring in eachothers' lives back in the real world. I've been keeping tabs and watching everyone's lives unfold - I hope you don't mind."
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:26, Tue 10 Mar 2020.

"Auricle!!!! SHIT SHIT SHIT.... I have no idea where you are and there is nothing I can do to help you agenst a djin that powerful.....  gah.... will magem even function with out the Balur hive-mind?  I could maybe teleport there but I don't think I could be any help at all....  ug..... you need to make him luagh though..... do some.... wait... calm down.... calm down..." she talks a LONG slow breath Sooth taking her hands and starts to meditate closing her eyes and opening up that third one. "Come on you old hag (she says teasingly) between the two of us we can zen up something so weird, something so off the wall, something so shocking and supersizing,  that will make a eons old bored out of his mind mad man laugh his fat uggly ass off."

Burning 3 Verimagus down to [4/7] and hopefully co-casting with sooth...

Looks to Scoorn  "What where you saying about djins not being evil in this univurse?"

Bozon watched, but doesn't mime anything or try to summon up a screen for himself. Most of his mental focus is on the other two instances of himself, particularly the one on-stage amidst the danger.

Sooth says, "Aflae, conserve your power. You'll be needing it very soon. Bozon, court jesters are comedians, and humour is the tool of prophets. Prophets speak truth to power. Reflect them their evil back to them in your actions. They see themselves as invulnerable, but there is just a (very real) chance that their evil will fall on their own heads. Karma will not treat them well in this life."

Scord replies, a little defensively, showing one of his flaws, "Well not ALL Djin are evil! Theophili, will you tell us where one if the good Djin are? We need the help, how are we supposed to fight an evil Sangwen Djin enslaved to an evil necromancer Leprecaun with a staff of unknown power?"

Scord's voice ((me, not Scord. Also, pronounced like "scored" as in "I scored a goal")) comes out of the ether, Az is the only one who doesn't hear it, "The current plan is to resolve this conflict without the use of a good Djin, but since 2 evil Djin have already shown up, it will be time to introduce a good one after this conflict resolves. Hmm... I wonder if Pontorna would keep any good Djin safely hidden away in a treasury. Perhaps hidden in a plain looking object that seemed out-of-place among valuable objects..."

(Is Pontorna a name I should know?)

((Yes. Pontorna is the name of the Leprechaun in the tie-dyed suit with the powerful staff who keeps showing up. His name was revealed by the Djin when he called on the "portal waif". The implication is that somehow he is the Portal waif, and knows about that nickname.))

"Well fuck.... how do you deal with an evil necromantic leprechaun anyway?"  She sighs shaking her head. "Wait the djin is being controlled? hum.... I seam to remember a story of a beggar prince becoming a thieving king some where.... you know... maybe you could put on a play of sorts shove show him how evil comes back on evil like she said in some theatrical way maybe that will at least make him laugh at the sure gaul of it all at least..... if we are lucky maybe it could get through to him."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:42, Fri 13 Mar 2020.