Power Without a Price

[curiousdiscoverer]

The first time Ezra finds Milliways he spends most of the experience overwhelmed by psychic sensory overload. Postcognition doesn’t really mix well with inter-dimensional nexus.

However when he walks out and tells about the experience, the true nature of the place is eventually revealed, furthermore he discovers that the Traders are very interested in using the unique location to seed magic to other worlds and they pay very generously for it. So Ezra’s family all hear about the story and stay in the look out for another door, just in case.

Years pass, and Ezra’s family gets a little smaller, and starting wishing for a door to show up.

Because resurrection is possible, but expensive and bringing three people back is impossibly costly without extreme circumstances.

So Ezra feels extremely lucky the day he finally finds a door again, with family in his apartment where they wait behind after Ezra grabs a few things while Temps holds the door.

He is now in better control of his powers and Milliways massive history doesn’t overload him anymore.

Ezra looks around the bar, sits on a table with a nice view and observes.

Is anyone here that could want and deserve magic?

Comments

[can_i_go]

"I still think family is the people you love, does it really matter whose genes you actually have and whose name is on all the papers? Besides, normal is totally overrated."

[superego_medico]

The siblings look somehow unfazed by the story, considering their own, it should be understandable.

"Trust me," Ezra says "you are talking with the people most sympathetic with your opinion, even if don't ignore blood relations completely. Not to mention that you can guess what we think of our biological father."

Ezra closes the book that was still open in his lap.

"I think we should start now, if you guys don't have any objections."

Assuming no objections or any other problems they will head to the master suite, the room has a large bed and it is spacious enough to have sitting for everyone available. Temperance and Ezra sit on two large comfy chairs next to the bed and start the infusion process.

The infusion process is largely invisible to non-magical people. Franklyn shows a magic-seeing monocle to the sisters, it reveals a bright white halo around the mages, with a cone of light irradiating from Temps and Ezra to the general direction of Lucy.

The siblings talk for the first few hours but remain silent afterward, they start sweating despite the comfortable room temperature.

For anyone watching the process is rather boring and uneventful and anyone besides Lucy, Temps and Ezra can leave freely, Franklyn will fetch water and drinks for his siblings or the sisters if necessary.

How do the sisters spend the infusion time?

[can_i_go]

Lucy doesn't get a chance to get bored before she and Ann fall asleep, Lucy sitting up and Ann curled up with her head on her sister's lap.

[can_i_help]

Sabrina, on the other hand, realizes that she can get way ahead on her reading due to the time dilation.

Her reading consists of about half and half of schoolwork and a high fantasy book written by a person not yet born in the year 2010.

[mage_see_mage_do]

It is a little after the 11 hours and 30 minutes mark when the Grayson siblings stir from their sits.

Temperance stands with difficult, takes two steps and gently pokes Lucy's closest bit of exposed skin, she mumbles something and then says more clearly "Luck power" and that is all she manages before half-collapsing in the bed and sleeping next to the girls

Ezra is already sleeping.

[of_all_trades]

"Stubborn," Frankly says fondly to the sleeping Temperance.

He picks her up easily, the sisters might not have noticed before, but he is quite tall.

"She should rest for a few hours," Franklyn says to the sisters "after that we can inquire on the specifics, but Luck power sounds sweet enough already. I will just move my half-sibs and back to test it."

Franklyn does just that, Ezra doesn't even seem to notice he was carried.

"So," Franklyn says "how do you guys want to test..." he points theatrically at Lucy "your luck?"

[can_i_go]

"You're all shiny and pretty, that's so cute!" Lucy squeals.

[can_i_help]

"Focus, Lucy. Let's go back downstairs before we do anything else, there's not way this isn't getting loud."

[can_i_go]

"Ooh, tests! You know where you need luck? When you're throwing popcorn and catching it with your mouth."

[can_i_stay]

"That's... Actually a surprisingly sensible test, coming from you. Let's go get some popcorn. Franklyn, I'll assume you're coming with us?"

[of_all_trades]

"If you pay attention you still can see normal color," Franklyn explains to Lucy "it isn't actually sight. With time you will be able to see different colors, shades and patterns and learn what they mean."

Franklyn looks very perky, and he was never gloomy to begin with.

"Well," Franklyn says to Ann "it would be irresponsible of me to pass the popcorn testing opportunity. Purely for science, of course. We should take it to the backyard, thought, maybe a impromptu picnic?"

Assuming no objections or complications the group descends and gets a picnic supplies from the bar that come in a large basket, the popcorn is already inside.

Outside they go and look, is that a nice picnic spot by the lake? Sure it is! Franklyn sets the blanket and basket on the floor and offers the popcorn to Lucy.

[can_i_go]

Lucy hogs the whole tub of popcorn and starts throwing it in the air and catching it with her mouth. Unsurprisingly she does it effortlessly and doesn't miss even one. After about ten she pauses for a moment and then throws one towards the lake. It lands a good way from her, more than you'd expect but it still doesn't hit the lake.

"Aww, that didn't work. I wonder why."

She throws a few more popcorns into her mouth with a beautiful arch.

[of_all_trades]

"There is only so much you can do with luck," Franklyn says "or your power is experiencing some fluctuation, we should know better when Temps wake up. Meanwhile, you should try testing throwing it at other people's months, here, I dutifully offer myself!"

He opens his mouth wide and he is standing at least a dozen feet away. Hit or miss?

[can_i_go]

She throws the popcorn, but it ends up in his feet.

"I wonder if my power is broken? I don't want it to be broken."

[of_all_trades]

"Maybe it has a range limit," Franklyn says "or it doesn't feel like sharing popcorn."

Franklyn takes the monocle out of his pocket and looks through for a long moment, he takes a few steps to the side and then a step ahead.

"I think it is a range limit," he says "we should invert the test, someone throws the popcorn at you and you try to catch it with your mouth."

Any sister volunteer?

[can_i_stay]

Ann does! She takes the tub, but before any testing she shoves a few fistfuls into her mouth.

[can_i_go]

"Hey, that was my popcorn!"

[can_i_stay]

Ann mumbles something in return, but because her mouth is full of popcorn nobody understands.

[can_i_help]

"You are disgusting. Give me that!"

Sabrina throws popcorn in a much more reasonable pace of one into her own mouth, one towards Lucy, starting with where Franklin was first standing.

When she's about six feet from Lucy the accuracy suddenly shoots up.

[of_all_trades]

Franklyn is a little too busy laughing and almost misses when the popcorn hits.

"There!" he exclaims, still wearing the monocle "I think your range is close to six feet, but..." he gives a devious smile "lets get more data!"

Franklyn puts the monocle in his pocket and then gets three tubs out of the basket and distributes to everyone, he had just offered one to Ann when he takes a handful of her own tub and then throws it around in wide arc.

[can_i_stay]

"Oh that was low!"

[can_i_go]

"Like you didn't want to."

Lucy throws some at Ann.

[can_i_help]

Sabrina smiles at Franklyn. "You do realize you've started a war, right?"

[of_all_trades]

"I am a True Sorcerer! I won't start wars that I can't end!" Franklyn says dramatically.

Is this a reference from a book from the future? It totally was. Sabrina will hardly notice as Franklyn starts shooting popcorn at everyone, eating a few every time he needs to dodge.

[can_i_stay]

"No, dearest sister of mine, can't you see, our true enemy is right there!" Ann yells while she's running away from Lucy.