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]

"Oh yeah, I forgot that."

She rolls again and gets two fives.

[mage_see_mage_do]

Temps rolls six and one.

"I wonder if my next roll will add to seven again," Temps says.

[can_i_help]

Sabrina gets a six and a three.

"This time you lost, Lucy won again. But it's still not statistical significance."

[can_i_go]

"More rounds will fix that."

Lucy gets six and five again.

[mage_see_mage_do]

"Oh, my power has this sort of proprioception component," Temps explains "I know what I am copying is doing and actually using the power gives better insight. Normally these rolls wouldn't give much information, but..."

She rolls two and five.

"Adds to seven again," Temps says "I used to think seven was my lucky number and it is more amusing to roll only results that add to seven than not. It is luckier, even if it doesn't let me win."

[can_i_help]

Sabrina rolls five and three.

"Yeah, I think we have a pattern. Do you want to switch the rules to check what else happens?"

[mage_see_mage_do]

"Sure," Temps says "I thought on this test and wanted to do it soon. I am going to think of better stuff the next few days. I actually probably going to bore myself with more statistical testing but feel free to not watch me spending a few hours rolling hundred of dice. Do you have any other tests in mind?"

[can_i_help]

"I think it would be interesting to see what happens when it's two or more people without the power playing with the two of you watching. That might make the power do something, but I can't intuitively see what."

[mage_see_mage_do]

"I would like to see that," Temps says "I do think it depends on emotional attachments, goals and what not... I don't think Franklyn will let Ann clean everything by herself so we should call her to do that test? I want to later do something that is more competitive with Lucy, but I want to get a better rest first."

[can_i_help]

"Or we can help them clean first, so Franklyn doesn't need to clean by himself. Chop chop, Lucy, play time is over."

[can_i_go]

Lucy gets up without any fuss and helps. Eight hands are faster than four, and soon everything's as clean as it's going to get.

[can_i_help]

"Do you still want just me against Ann, or should Franklyn join the fun?"

[mage_see_mage_do]

"It is like you don't want to take advantage of my super-helpful half-brother," Temps says but she does get up and helps cleaning.

to the second question she answers "We can try all variations, it is better actually."

[can_i_stay]

"In that case I want to start, I haven't played yet."

Ann and Sabrina start rolling dice as Lucy looks from the sidelines. This time it's quick games with no commentary from the participants.

After twenty games the score is ten to ten and neither one of the sisters has won three games in a row, and after forty games the score is nineteen to twenty-one for Sabrina, and still no three wins in a row.

"I think the luck doesn't want either of us to win or lose too much," Ann concludes.

[mage_see_mage_do]

It is Sabrina and Franklyn turn.

Both Lucy and Temps overlook the rolling dice, Sabrina starts winning four games in a roll before things starting to even out, it still ends with twenty five to fifteen for Sabrina.

Next it is Ann versus Franklyn.

Ann explicitly declares that she doesn't want to win, this seems to lead to a even twenty to twenty tie.

Temps yawns "Sorry, I should have slept longer, but still it is interesting information. I will take a nap now and we can make more tests later."

[can_i_help]

"I should probably sleep too. Let's continue this in few hours, you two," she waves at her sisters, "are free to do whatever you like, but don't get into too much trouble and please try to be alert when I get up."

[can_i_stay]

"Sure thing. Hey, Lucy, let's build a card tower. I bet we can use three decks before it falls down."

[can_i_go]

While everyone else sleeps Ann and Lucy build a card tower, sample strange foods from the bar and nap in a pile. As promised they're even mostly alert when Sabrina wakes up.

[mage_see_mage_do]

The next day (or as far as the concept applies in Milliways), Temperance wakes up fully restored. Ezra is well rested too, but since he doesn't want to do anything more strenuous than trying to find other magical candidates and reading, because he will need to pull a double shift at infusing soon enough.

But "soon enough" it is a couple of days away. Milliways is interesting but being a cooped up is boring, Temperance comes up with the idea of a hiking/expedition to the cave mountains and the woods. The Bar said the place is safe and you can't even get lost because you always find yourself back to the lake.

Franklyn is totally up with the idea so they present it to the sisters.

"We can get some hiking gear," Temperance says "maybe sleeping backs and we could make a bonfire and toast marshmallows. What do you guys think?"

[can_i_stay]

The sisters are all for the idea.

"I should probably get a book of all the most common plants and animals out there, in case someone finds herself interested in them. Have you three hiked before? We used to, but haven't lately."

[can_i_help]

"I think the last time was before we turned seventeen, so that would be five years ago."

[mage_see_mage_do]

"Ezra isn't going" Temperance says "We all have, but Franklyn has the most experience. He has this not-exactly-girlfriend-yet that is really into it and even teaches basic survival skills for kids. The book sounds like an nice idea!"

Franklyn will offer to get things from Bar, but he accepts help if offered. Temperance will go tell Ezra and get the relevant personal belongs.

[can_i_go]

Lucy's going with Franklyn so she can get the exact shoes she wants. She also has opinions on the food they're going to take with them, mainly that there should be lots of it and did Frank know that the Bar has fruits that don't grow on earth?

[of_all_trades]

Frank did not know that and is glad by the idea! He offers to split seeds 50/50 so they can try plant them back home.

The preparations proceed, they get the book Ann suggested and a series of "directions" from Bar, which are more very vague advice to find interesting things. There are no buildings outside now, but they might find remains, or at least look at some pretty scenery and enjoy a bonfire with tasty s'mores.

They arrange everything quickly and should have food for more than day, is there anything they could have forgotten? Any new ideas?

[can_i_go]

Well, they can always come back, can't they?

"Let's go, let's go! The earlier we leave the further we can walk."

Lucy is close to vibrating in excitement.