welcome to my

[manofmyword]

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.

Comments

[edgeofyourseat]

"Do that, then," he advises.

[lifes_sake]

"Sure, but that doesn't tell me what it's like for you, and you're the one I asked," Cam says.

[edgeofyourseat]

"It's not that different from how I loved her before," he says, "there's just more of it."

[lifes_sake]

"Mm. 'Nother spell?"

Presuming acquiescence: 'nother spell.

[edgeofyourseat]

'Nother spell! Mmm.

[lifes_sake]

And so on and so forth.

Cam's aura's getting bits of distinctiveness now, and it's accumulating faster. He's - almost reminiscent of Elspeth. Not the same flavor, but the same general region of auraspace (come to think of it, her power gives off something almost auralike). Elspeth says I have such an honest face.

Cam says, This power I'm advertising is backed by my word. My word is good.

And, If you try to talk to me, I will try to understand you. We can talk about whatever it is.

His enchanter's aura wants him to be a diplomat, or maybe a psychologist.

[pythbox]

Jellybean is the first to remark on it, on the next break.

"You're like a super mega wizard or something," he says fondly.

[lifes_sake]

"A super mega wizard," deadpans Cam. "That's informative."

[pythbox]

"You're extra wizardy!" he insists.

[lifes_sake]

"What does that mean, is my enchanter's aura pretending it's a wizard's aura somehow?"

[pythbox]

"Kiiiiind of?" he says. "It's all... talky. Like you're trying to be me. Except not, because my aura wouldn't be that nice."

[lifes_sake]

"Can you explain or should I call in one of my alts and get her to do it?"

[pythbox]

"Make one of you do it."

[lifes_sake]

"Am I up to full strength yet or will I be putting whichever one out of her way making an extra trip just to be impatient about it?" muses Cam.

[pythbox]

"Do some more enchanting first," Jellybean advises cheerfully. "Just in case."

[lifes_sake]

Cam grins. "You offering?"

[pythbox]

"Yep!" says Jellybean.

[lifes_sake]

Cam draws him into a kiss and teleports them both to Saturn. "We keep making out on celestial bodies, at some point I'm gonna wanna tour at least one solar entire system just for completeness," he remarks. "Here goes nothing -"

"Nothing" is of course a spell.

[pythbox]

"I like your definition of nothing," giggles Jellybean.

[lifes_sake]

"I bet."

He carries on till Jellybean wants to stop.

"Do I look the right amount of enchantery yet?" he inquires at this time.

[pythbox]

"I dunno what the right amount is, but you look pretty enchantery," says Jellybean, snuggling him. "Go find one of you and ask."

[lifes_sake]

Snuggles, kiss on the forehead, paging the most available Bell through Jane -

[bellfounding]

Here's one.

"Yeah, you're all set, that's interesting special features," says Pattern. "Almost Elspethy. Like - I mean, the aesthetic is wrong but the basic idea's kind of the same. Aura of honesty. And a little -" She squints at him. "Flare for a sec - yeah, and sort of, approachability? Understanding? You're all 'you can talk to me, I will make a sincere effort to get what you have to say, and what I tell you will be true'."

[lifes_sake]

"I haven't met Elspeth yet, but cool," says Cam. "So that's what super-wizardy means."

[pythbox]

"Yep!" says Jellybean. "It's adorable. You're adorable."