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_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.

[can_i_go]

Lucy stops.

And turns.

Suddenly there's a three-on-one attack against him.

[of_all_trades]

Franklyn tries to fight back but he is clearly outmatched by the sisters combined forces, he quickly succumbs and collapses on the ground.

of course, "succumbs" actually means that he forgets that he is suppose to throw popcorn back and starts eating the ones that fall on his mouth or shirts.

[can_i_go]

Well, that just means it's one down. Lucy dunks her tub on Sabrina's head.

Of course, she forgot that this means she doesn't have any more ammo.

[can_i_help]

"Noo, Ann, avenge me and my beautiful hair!"

[can_i_go]

Lucy tries to outrun Ann, but with nothing to throw she ends up giving in.

Winner of the Great Milliways Popcorn War: Ann

[of_all_trades]

The Great Milliways Popcorn War shall be forever remembered as one of the corniest war in multidimensional history.

Presently, they still have a basket full of picnic food! Delicious picnic food! Frankly tries a bit of everything, after serving the first piece to his new leader: Ann the Popcorn Queen.

[can_i_stay]

Ann graciously accepts, and the other two sisters take their share too.

For a while there's just munching, until Ann's done with her first plate.

"I wouldn't want to be the person who ends up having to clean all this up. Actually, I feel a bit bad already."

[of_all_trades]

"I was going to clean afterward," Franklyn says looking around "I might try borrowing a vacuum cleaner from the Bar given all the mess."

[mage_see_mage_do]

Temperance wakes up, she is confused by her surroundings and by the time she remembers she is fully awake and can't bring herself to sleep again, despite being tired.

Bored, she stands from the bed and goes searching for her clothes.

Most things had been left in the common area and she is searching for a shirt when her heel touches Franklyn's own luggage.

There is a metallic sound that she finds familiar.

Curious, she carefully takes the thing out of the gym bag (the underwear is clean, she can't find clean underwear icky, half-siblinghood or not). She exams the object in her own hands and realizes it was the luck power who found it for her.

Temperance contemplates the object for several long and quiet moments thinking.

She descends and talks with the Bar, then she goes upstairs again, changes into a fresh shirt and goes down again with the object in her hand.

Few minutes later she is in the backyard, with a plastic cup filled with something beige in one hand, the other hand has a plastic bag with dice, cards and a few toys.

"Hey, everyone!" Temps shouts raising the hand with the plastic bag "wanna see Lucy and me trying a few tricks?"