There are things her magic can't do after all.

[mage_see_mage_do]

Temperance wouldn't expect her magic to be capable of transporting people between worlds. But she stood here in this new world as a living proof. She still had no explanation to what that creature was, but she couldn’t argue it was the reason she was here. Temperance tried to figured out a divination to look into the past of other worlds, to understand the creature better, but failed. She tried one to look at her own past, but had only marginal success.

Next she tries to create a spell to travel between worlds while also doing a few side projects. Very small stuff when compared to the great healing ritual, mostly to build a spell library of her own.

Temperance’s side projects are completed and replaced. She starts doing magical favors for the Institute and eventually gets a small room to work as her office (mostly because Sophie didn’t like people knocking on their door). Temperance wrote down everything she knew about the next three decades and a half. She starts a new herb garden for herself. The second wave of side projects is completed.

The interworld travel spell project made no advances of any kind.

It was time to consider other alternatives, maybe there are things her magic can't do after all. Edie suggested science next.

One day Dr. Hank McCoy might hear a knock at the door.

Comments

[maggie_of_the_owls]

He opens the door. "Yes?"

[mage_see_mage_do]

"Hi! Dr. McCoy!" Temperance says brightly "do you have a moment?"

[maggie_of_the_owls]

"Of course," he says, pushing his glasses further up his face. "What do you need?"

[mage_see_mage_do]

"I have been trying to invent a way home," Temperance says looking down "but I don't think my magic can do it."

[maggie_of_the_owls]

"I see. And you're hoping for a technological solution?"

[mage_see_mage_do]

"It was worth asking. What do you say about it?"

[maggie_of_the_owls]

"Well, it's not really a problem I had considered in any detail before you arrived. I've taken some readings from the area where you arrived, and I think I may be progressing towards isolating relevant variables."

[mage_see_mage_do]

"Did you discover anything interesting? ...It is too soon for me to try bribing you with magical gifts?"

[maggie_of_the_owls]

"I might have, I might not. The readings aren't clear enough yet to tell. And, ah, I should think you've done more than enough to have earned...nearly anything I might be able to do for you, so far as I can tell."

[mage_see_mage_do]

Temperance shrugs.

"I don't see the problem with giving more incentives. If you think reading me could help, feel free to do so."

[maggie_of_the_owls]

"Well, I've got to compare the spectrum readings with the..." he continues into a completely opaque chunk of technobabble."

[whatamithinking]

'Hey, Temperance?' Edie pings her. 'I talked to some people about serving anesthetic duty while you went out healing people, and I've got a shortlist of people who said yes and demonstrated sufficient proficiency. Do you want to come up and meet them?'

[mage_see_mage_do]

Temperance nods politely at the opaque chunk of technobabble, maybe she can learn something useful and she hardly ever talks to a scientists. Still, Edie's interruption is a blessing.

'Hi! I wouldn't mind meeting them at all' Temperance pings back.

Temperance bides a polite goodbye to Dr. McCoy, and goes back to her office. Faramund is usually there taking requests, but today he decided to fly around a little.

[whatamithinking]

Edie is there with Sophie, a close friend of Edie's named Jean that she had introduced to Temperance a while ago, a few people Temperance wouldn't recognize on site, and--

[superego_medico]

--a boy named Ezra that is about their age.

He steps closer and offers his hand. Temperance is well known in the school, but this is the first time that Ezra sees her up close.

"Hi... I am Anthony Ezra Graymalkin, but call me Ezra."

Ezra looks a bit confused despite the polite smile. When Temperance shakes his hands he adds.

"You look a lot like my little sister," he comments "I mean, not my twin, but my younger one, she is named Temperance too."

Ezra has become a lot more open to use telepathy in the past months, he mentally sends a imagine of his younger half-sister Temperance. Just to illustrate the weird coincidence.

mage-see-mage-do

[mage_see_mage_do]

Temperance's expression quickly changes from a polite smile, to confusion, then to a mix of realization and horror.

She steps back, hits the table and then turns around to avoid looking at anyone in the room.

Re: mage-see-mage-do

[superego_medico]

"WhatdidIdo?WhatdidIdo?WhatdidIdo!?"

Re: mage-see-mage-do

[whatamithinking]

"Hush," Edie tells Ezra firmly, pushing past him to position herself between Temperance and the rest of the room. Running over what exactly she knows about the situation in her mind, she winces, and lightly sends to Temperance '(how not okay/need to leave?/didn't know/regret/can get you out fast)'

[superego_medico]

Ezra quiets down and gets out of the way.

[mage_see_mage_do]

Temperance is not looking at anyone and breathing heavy.

'I...' shockanxietysadness 'give me a minute, but send the other people away?' sadnessresolution 'Ezra should stay, just... a minute.'

[whatamithinking]

'Alright, everyone but Ezra out,' Edie sends, 'some kind of trauma, we'll sort it out later.' She vaguely wished that situations like this didn't crop up often enough that everyone immediately understood and left the room, but even if a depressing fraction of the students hadn't been removed from toxic home environments, the incident a few weeks ago when they had looked up that actor Temperance had mentioned to Emily while they were out shopping would probably have gotten it through their skulls.

[mage_see_mage_do]

After everyone leaves, Temperance turns back to face Edie and Ezra, but her eyes quickly dart to the floor.

"I... look in my mind."

Temperance opens her mental space for both Edie and Ezra. Pictures, emotions and information flowing freely, forming a disconnected story.

Temperance has a half-sister, a witch, called Antoniella which is also has a twin called Harrietta. Temperance also has three other half-siblings, Franklyn, Maeghan, Ada. The twins are immediately recognizable, even when you have to consider Antoniella and Ezra's different genders.

Temperance only met most of them only once. On the same day that both Temperance's parents - Stevannia and Patience - are executed for witch-clan treason. They are both witches.

Witches are female, her thoughts explain or partially-female, this means spiritually. Witches don't need to be cisgender. Stevannia was genderqueer, a male body, preference for female pronouns, but also preferred to be called "father". Stevannia used her uniqueness to sleep with many women, witches and human, use them for pleasure or to collect secrets. One of her many witch lovers figured things out and killed Stevannia's human wife. This called the attention of multiple clans who decided to kill Stevannia for treason, but Patience was murdered just to appease the other clans.

The memory of their deaths, their throats cut and blood... causes Temperance to sob and cover her mouth, her mind is pure emotion now.

[superego_medico]

Ezra recognizes Harrietta, Stevannia and Patience, seeing the later two die makes him go pale.

"I..." Ezra says weakly "I am sorry."

'help her!' He sends Edie 'I am not sure if I should try console her now... god, she is Temperance, it is so obvious now...' Ezra takes a step forward but stops when Temperance flinches.

[whatamithinking]

Edie takes the last few steps towards Temperance and hugs her.
'(fierce/protective/RAGE/who exactly is responsible?/you want to go BACK there?/grandma, grandma, I never got to meet you/NOT OKAY)'

[mage_see_mage_do]

'Not always like this/No executions sense. There are still friends there. Revenge would make it worse/Clan wars/Thousands dead/Clan queens to be blamed. Delmarva's Queen has since died of natural causes/Queen Hemera is friendly/Hemera was her tutor/Apologies offered, honor restored, if too late.