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Kithabel is sitting on the flat top of the tallest tower of her palace, forcing the rain to decline to fall on her, taking a break insofar as she ever takes a break. She has no constructive ends to pursue right now, so she's playing with the lightning in the clouds overhead. She doesn't want to try taking a direct lightning strike yet - she could probably take it, but only probably - but she can tell it to arc here and there in patterns, she can ball it up and watch it roll through the air, she can make it turn colors. She's making sure none of it hits the town, and if it starts a fire in the woods she'll take care of it, but at the moment it's a toy.
connecticut_yankee
"If you say so. Just don't—" Hank glances down at the floor, which is six inches farther away than usual. "Well. That's something."
off_to_be_the_wizard
"Yep," says someone who looks nothing like Skeeve. "Convinced yet?" He puts Hank back down, and appears to turn back into himself.
connecticut_yankee
"Doesn't really matter; you're more than good enough to convince everyone else. I'll believe you for sure when you power a generator."
connecticut_yankee
"I'm the only one here who knows how to build one, but I'm working on fixing that. It produces a type of energy that's useful for things like this." He touches something on the wall, and the room is lit. "Anyone who can power a generator can make it real obvious whether or not they're creating more energy than they're putting in."
off_to_be_the_wizard
Skeeve blinks because of the light, but not because of surprise.
"He's probably right. Enough technology can do almost anything magic can; I'm not even sure if the D-Hopper is magic or not. Some dimensions don't use magic at all, and aren't really held back by it."
"He's probably right. Enough technology can do almost anything magic can; I'm not even sure if the D-Hopper is magic or not. Some dimensions don't use magic at all, and aren't really held back by it."
ertia
"I don't even slightly understand how that would make light come from the ceiling, but I suppose I'll have to take your word for it."
connecticut_yankee
"It's the same thing that makes lightning light, only less of it and steadier. Can also work for sending messages across the country in no time at all, and transporting people. Though it's usually easier to do that a different way."
ertia
"I can - could - do those things. Can't now. Can I borrow a candle to stare angrily at? This reportedly being an introductory exercise for Skeeve's variety of magic."
connecticut_yankee
"Of course. I'll be back in a moment." He leaves, and can soon be heard rummaging through a drawer in an adjacent room.
ertia
Kithabel looks at Skeeve. "Is there more to your sort of magic than just particularly momentum-unresponsive demands made of the universe?"
off_to_be_the_wizard
"That's most of it. That and practice. Motivation also helps; you're more likely to succeed if there's something hanging in the balance rather than just trying to do the thing. The main reason there aren't more magicians is because doing things for the first time involves thinking about nothing else for hours on end, but with luck it might be easier for you.
There's no ritual you need to do first or anything, if that's what you mean."
There's no ritual you need to do first or anything, if that's what you mean."
ertia
"This could take ages," Kithabel mutters, "it might be very boring."
She glares at the candle. How fucking dare it not light. She's a sorceress, she put in the work, she never slacked off, it will do what she wants and she wants it to light. Now.
She glares at the candle. How fucking dare it not light. She's a sorceress, she put in the work, she never slacked off, it will do what she wants and she wants it to light. Now.
off_to_be_the_wizard
It doesn't.
It's a candle, and if she thinks it's going to bend to her will just because she's an incomprehensible being of incredible power then she's wrong. It will stand against her on behalf of all inanimate objects everywhere.
It's a candle, and if she thinks it's going to bend to her will just because she's an incomprehensible being of incredible power then she's wrong. It will stand against her on behalf of all inanimate objects everywhere.
ertia
Hiss.
She stares it down. She knows better than it what it ought to be doing right now. It ought to be catching fire. It had better. She's not going to back off until she has made it catch.
She stares it down. She knows better than it what it ought to be doing right now. It ought to be catching fire. It had better. She's not going to back off until she has made it catch.
off_to_be_the_wizard
After not backing off for long enough, the candle gives in and lights. A brief spiral of smoke appears, and then the flame goes out right away.
"Long enough" was, apparently, longer than it seemed like. The sun is starting to rise, for one thing. Hank and Skeeve are in a corner of the room poking at the misbehaving device. Skeeve announces "you did it!" and rushes candleward.
"Long enough" was, apparently, longer than it seemed like. The sun is starting to rise, for one thing. Hank and Skeeve are in a corner of the room poking at the misbehaving device. Skeeve announces "you did it!" and rushes candleward.
off_to_be_the_wizard
"That was not pathetic; it took you less than an hour! And on your first try, too.
But yes, it gets less pathetic later. In a couple months you'll be able to make it stay lit.
...I'm kidding."
But yes, it gets less pathetic later. In a couple months you'll be able to make it stay lit.
...I'm kidding."
connecticut_yankee
"I don't have the slightest idea how this thing works. Skeeve's no help at all in that department, but thinks it could go where it's told to."