HOW IT IS THAT YOU CAN ONLY DIE 80 TIMES: THE BACKSTORY

finish the incantation, and mumble to yourself (only the most proper way to cast a spell while in public). "T"he Immortality Curse Will Let Me Live Exactly-", when suddenly pay far too much attention to a speed sign in a sidewalk (reading 80 KP/H), causing to finish with "- 80 Times." Lightning crackles, oceans tumult, earths shatter! turn down the field recording mixtape are listening to on headphones, because the loud noises might bother other people on the bus. The amount of paint needed to splash around to perform your spell has already warded off most of the other passengers already, though. Regardless of these inconsequential facts, the real consequence is that your finale breakthrough from the dreaded Nummer Wizardly Curse has failed utterly - 80 Times? Really? *meant* to pronounce "In-Fin-It-Y Times", but now have really done it. This is worse than the spaghetti bowl incident that started all this in the first place!

realize your narration is confusing and all over the place so rewind time to go back to where it all started. are standing in a bowl of spaghetti- either were shrunk, or the bowl was enlarged (and pasta along with it), but either way, are ruining somebody's appetite! Regretting having signed up for the "Nummer Apprenticeship Contest (With Free Brunch AND Dinner)" grumble a light curse to yourself, "Warlock Puddings and Toad's Eye!", mistakenly still thinking that magic is done by using meaningless phrases- a lesson soon will learn far too harshly. Like, immediately soon. The spaghetti starts whipping around, like somebody is slurping up too many strands at once while bobbing their head up and down, except it's not going into anybody's mouth - it's going into empty space, and being at the same time replaced in equal amounts with Warlock Pudding! Oh, dear. Just as manage to wriggle to the top of the flow, all the plain spaghetti is gone- and a Toad's Eye (thankfully plastic) falls down and hits on the head.

The next thing know while waking up is that you have incurred the fearsome wrath of Nummer, supreme wizard! know this because right in front of you is a piece of paper that says:

Dear ,
have incurred my fearsome wrath!
Love,
Nummer, supreme wizard

Confused memories of spaghetti and pudding and apprenticeship contests swirl through the haze of your mind, as well as your soggy clothing. run a spell check on yourself to sort things out. If only could figure out just what it is did wrong... Another love letter falls out of behind your left ear, reading:

Dear ,
What have done wrong is turn my beloved dinner recipe retroactively into nothing but fiery Warlock Pudding and mass-manufactured Toad's Eye! Curse !
Love,
Nummer, supreme wizard

Oh, yeah. The details of the contest come to the forefront of your mind, swash around to the left half (where the arts takes place on a daily basis), flip 180 degrees vertically to land in the middle of your right cortex, and suddenly scream at from your left nostril (wizards love to show-off how they can mess with cranial functions for otherwise mundane things such as remembering simple rules).

Fast forward to 15 minutes ago, "ago" being the start of this backstory. are preparing the final, 80th, spell to cast in honor of Nummer. 79 spells (each known as the 80th) have cast previously, but now are at the true 80th- the first, and only, time it counts. Digging through countless library comic book sections has lead to discover a powerful incantation that can break the curse of immortality brought upon by Nummer: give it a numerical limit that Nummer cannot withstand! grumble to yourself about how little enjoyed learning just what the curse entailed, as pour buckets of paint into your shirt (the one good thing you learned out of the past 8 months is how much paint helps spell casting). As the goop oozes out of the bottom of your pencil skirt and onto the seat, the passengers next to shuffle over while the bus driver gives the eagle eye through their rear-view-mirror.

begin: "I Want To Modify The Terms Of Agreement On My Immortal Curse- oof!", (the bus hit a speed-bump), "To Make It Such That The Number Of Times That I May Die And Return Shall Become Only Some Definite Number, Rather Than The Current Status Of Indefinite Coming-Back-To-Life Allowances." It's a good thing that also learned, other than the importance of paint (which presently has absorbed your socks, turning them pink), how integral it is to spell casting that pronounce everything with capital letters and make clear no uncertain terms as to what the effects of your statement should be. Continuing: "It Should Become That The Immortality Curse Will Let Me Live Exactly-", and this is where the speeding sign became the eye of your mind, "- 80 Times." As already described, and to make this re-narration have a common thread that can be followed with due diligence: Nature sfx blare until the paint blocks your ear entrance. turn down the music so as to not bother other bus riders any more than you already have.

However tolerably bothered the surrounding strangers were already (the public being a bit used to spellcasters such as making a mucky mess out of everything), nobody was prepared for your reaction to realizing that had said "80" and not, as calculated, "Infinity". At the least did not say 81, which would have merely annoyed Nummer to a far degree, as unfortunately learned early on (and don't ask about 82...). Just to be clear, your reaction to your mistake was to yell out in surprise because Nummer suddenly made herself appear in the middle of the bus, and then on top of the bus, and then next to on the bus (teleportation is hard to get just *right* the first time!). She hands a letter of resignation:

Dear ,
Ha! Ha! Ha! have completed my final power gathering, by referring to the numeral 80 while shouting out your eightieth 80th spell! It has become that can only die 80 times now, and that shall be the case for-ever. To make things more interesting, I will make your grasp of the world looser and looser every time that succumb to death, until have finally died the named 80 times. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ohh, oof, argh! Curse your ability to ruin my spaghetti once again, !
Love,
Nummer, supreme wizard

The noises at the end of the letter seem to have been a live transcription of Nummer slipping on your paint spills and dropping her plate of pasta into the middle of it, and then slipping on *that*. To save face, she tries to embarrass even more by using your name in print without it being an honorific. Thankfully, made sure to use a pseudonym when signing up for the Apprenticeship Contest, and she believed your name was , and not what it actually is, which is Him. Phew! Oh yeah, are still horribly cursed to be able to only die 80 more times, as opposed to the previous indefinite limit of instant reincarnations. Darn!

"Screeeech!" says the bus as it lurches to a halt, causing your remaining paint buckets to fly around and splash Nummer in dazzling colours. Her favourite robe is now a rainbow, but she seems to be rocking it as she twirls around and hovers out of the bus. Everybody claps for her, and some kid scoops up a ball of painted spaghetti and throws it at your face! Geez, looks like have made a bad impression here. step out of the bus, but not before getting both feet stuck in paint buckets. Guh! Awkward! are feeling so ashamed that just start running in any which direction. "Sploosh!" says your mixtape as trip into the Field Corridor. Great, now have to trundle through the most dangerous route home possible!

At least have the new found power of being able to die up to 80 times...... crank up some gabber bass drone reflex to pump yourself up for the challenge.