... He doesn't feel he should be thanked for this. The stupid girl's going to get herself killed, and that's only if she's lucky. If she's unlucky, well. She's going to get a lot of others killed with her.

Instead of replying verbally, he just nods.

Someone else seems inclined to help.

"Be warned that the path you plan to walk is a dangerous one, and not just for yourself. The primary danger you will face will be from within; should you fail against yourself, you will be a danger to those around you. The Spectator Pathway offers better mental fortitude than most, but you will nonetheless be inviting something Other to reside as part of you. Do not step onto it without a firm hold of yourself and your reasons for the choices you make."

She nods. "Thank you for the warning, Ms. Fool. I know about Empyreans losing control and about what causes this. I will be careful."

The Fool nods. "So long as you walk your path with eyes open."

Oh. They're helping to avoid the gigantic flaming disaster that is probably going to unfold. Sure, he can go with that. (Part of him is relieved. Probably it's not going to work, but it's - nice. Good, to be doing this. Good that their host has a sense of responsibility in there.)

"Do you know about cogitation? I recommend practicing it soon after you consume the potion, when you feel settled enough in yourself to focus on something else."

"I know about it, yes," she says, nodding. "Thank you for that tip."

"And once you are an Empyrean - dig into, discover, and understand the meaning and powers of the potion, and what it symbolizes. Understanding that part of yourself is key to keeping control. 'Spectator' is a hint towards this meaning."

Their host turns to look at him.

"Mr. Hanged Man, I must say, I'm a little disappointed."

OH GOD OH FUCK HE'S UPSET HER THIS IS HOW HE DIES.

"Your advice at the start was well-founded, but then - no, you did not mean to be giving her bad advice, did you? Very well, I will help you both, then."

She sits up from her habitual lounge.

"It is not primarily about 'discovery.' That is important, yes, but because it is necessary for the actual necessity, which is acting. The name of a potion is a hint towards the role to play, to better digest it within yourself. It is not only symbolic, but also imagery; and imagery you should strive to evoke."

wait. what?

That's not death. That's... wait, is that why he's had so much trouble with his latest potion? He hasn't been acting the part??

That makes everything make so much more sense. He'd had a much easier time attuning to - no digesting his Sequence 9 potion, which was Voyager. At 8, the title is Conquistador, and. ... he hasn't really been acting the part, has he.

And to think, he was planning to go ahead and drink the Sequence 7, and without fully digesting the potion, that would probably lead to -

He stands from his chair abruptly, and bows before The Fool.

"Thank you," he says, with a fervor he hasn't felt before. "Your wisdom is as valuable as my life." Her wisdom has quite likely just saved his life. "You have enlightened me greatly, and - I am grateful."

Audrey nods, slowly, eyes wide. This seems very important, going by Mr. Hanged Man's reaction, and might be the key to not losing control. "You are as generous as You are wise, Madam Fool. Thank you." Spectator... she should act as a spectator... The spectator is not an actor. She should stand back and watch? The Spectator Sequence is about seeing and understanding others... and it is not about affecting things. Standing back, and letting the play unfold. She thinks... She hopes it will become clearer once she is an Empyrean.

"You're welcome," says their surprisingly helpful unknown goddess. "And while I appreciate the flattery, I've thought of something more tangible that I want. Enough that I will continue coordinating these meetings for it, should you promise to seek them out for me."

This is an objectively terrifying sentence, having a goddess say she wants something from some mortals, but - well. She's earned some of his trust. Maybe even some of his loyalty.

"Your will be done, Ms. Fool," he says, a bit more strongly than he perhaps meant to. Yeah. Some of his loyalty. Sure.

"Your will be done, Madam Fool," Audrey repeats.

"Aw, that delighted by my charming company?" She teases. "Very well. You both know of Emperor Russell Gustav, and the encrypted journal he left behind? I wish to collect its scattered pages. If you agree to search for and memorize these pages for me, and then relay them to me, I will agree to continue drawing you to these meetings."

His lost notes are a journal? How does She - well, okay, stupid question. She's a goddess. It's a journal. He needs to be careful about not giving this away outside of these meetings, though. And it's not even an objectionable or impossible task! Of any kind! Amazing! Can he officially convert to the Church of The Fool, he's pretty sure it's going to go way better for him than his current religion.

He's not going to think too hard about that particular line of thought, because it is very dangerous. However, this offered mission is not, and the value of these meetings has been made quite apparent to him.

"That's a bargain I'll gladly accept," he says, a little too honestly.

She nods slowly, but then says, "We can't understand the symbols or the words... How should we pass the information to You, Madam Fool? Should we mail it somewhere?"

"No, nothing so inelegant and insecure. The part of you that is here is your mind, and with your willing participation, we can leverage this to let you access your own memory." Here's another sheet of summoned paper, this time blank, along with a fountain pen. Two sets, one for each of her guests.

"You should, by focusing on what you wish to remember, be able to write it directly onto the paper in front of you. Focus less on how your hand moves, and more on what you seek to bring forth."

Sequence 9: Voyager

- 300 milliliters of strong liquor
- 200 milliliters of seawater
- 3 murloc scales
- 12 drops of seaweed extract
- 9 drops of one's own blood
- 1 murloc's bladder
- 1 man eating conch

"Yes. I am only guiding you, you are the one putting the memory to form."

"That's fascinating. Then we can memorise the symbols or the way the cryptic text looks like, and present it directly as we wish?"

"Yes. Or you are free, as ever, to decline, and we can respectfully part ways."

She sounds like she expects the exact opposite.

She claps in delight, then remembers herself and clears her throat. "I accept!"