Moved so it doesn't interfere with the flow of that story. This happens at least six months after http://drunkardswalkforums.yuku.com/topic/8517]The Gauntlet, and only if Mal lets magic loose in the world.
Kohran looked up from the infirmary's computer. "I'm sorry, dad, but you're a mage."
"You're sure?"
"As sure as I can be with this equipment," she replied while shutting down the laptop that held the grimoires and magical theories left behind by The Girls. "On the bright side, the tests indicate you have even less magical ability than I do."
"So I can't actually cast spells, then." Noah sounded relieved.
"No, you can, but only ritually, and it'll take you at least an hour to get an effect off. That said, you may be able to get some pretty powerful effects off, in your area of ability."
He scowled. "Well, I guess being an aspected ritual mage is better than being a combat mage, but it's still worse than not being a mage at all. What's my aspect?"
"According to the scans, it's knowledge of some sort. I think this is why you're so good at creating AIs - you 'know' what needs to be present to create us the way you want."
"Agatha didn't turn out the way I'd hoped."
Kohran nodded. "You flubbed a roll. It happens."
"Aspected magery, flubbing a roll ... when did our lives become a roleplaying game, Kohran?"
"They haven't, dad. That's just a framework that we both understand for the concepts we're going to have to live with."
Noah thought for a moment. "I can work with that. What about Yayoi and Sora?"
"Don't work too hard - you might get locked into that framework instead of one that's better for you. I haven't been able to test Sora yet. Yayoi has a minor magical ability that appears to have been grafted on to her. It's only enough to energize the glasses that Skuld gave her."
"And you?"
Kohran gestured to the laptop, which began to levitate. "Minor effects, and they tire me quickly." The laptop settled back onto the desk as Kohran sat down. "The big surprise is what happened to the rest of your magical ability."
"The rest of... Explain. Now."
"Eep!"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"That's okay; you're upset. Everybody has a particular signature to their magical ability - call it your soul's reflection, the colour of your Linker Core (whatever that is), the harmonics of your chi, or anything else. The theories that Lisa left behind say that no two people have exactly the same magical signature. But you and Safety do."
"Clumsy, nearsighted, naive Safety is a mage?"
"Anyone can be a mage, dad. Safety is a combat mage, both in power and technique. Haven't you ever wondered where she keeps her bow and arrows?"
"Oh, dear, Ghu... I poured most of my magic into the first girl I built after the magic awoke, didn't I?"
"That's how it looks to me, yep. Dad, sit down, please."
"What's wrong?"
"Leda's a combat mage, too. She's got a lot of Sailor Jupiter's abilities."
"She does have a biomod that's a lot like Makoto's powers. Is that what you picked up?"
"She has that too. Do you remember who trained her to control her biomod?"
"Yes, it was... Oh, dear. Have you told her?"
"Yesterday, after I examined her and Helen."
"Helen! Is she...?"
"The daughter of two mages? Yes, of course Helen's a mage. Or, at least that's what the tests indicate."
Noah buried his head in his hands. "I was hoping she'd have a normal life..."
Korhan put a hand on her father's shoulder. "She will. It's just that normal for her will include magic."
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
Kohran looked up from the infirmary's computer. "I'm sorry, dad, but you're a mage."
"You're sure?"
"As sure as I can be with this equipment," she replied while shutting down the laptop that held the grimoires and magical theories left behind by The Girls. "On the bright side, the tests indicate you have even less magical ability than I do."
"So I can't actually cast spells, then." Noah sounded relieved.
"No, you can, but only ritually, and it'll take you at least an hour to get an effect off. That said, you may be able to get some pretty powerful effects off, in your area of ability."
He scowled. "Well, I guess being an aspected ritual mage is better than being a combat mage, but it's still worse than not being a mage at all. What's my aspect?"
"According to the scans, it's knowledge of some sort. I think this is why you're so good at creating AIs - you 'know' what needs to be present to create us the way you want."
"Agatha didn't turn out the way I'd hoped."
Kohran nodded. "You flubbed a roll. It happens."
"Aspected magery, flubbing a roll ... when did our lives become a roleplaying game, Kohran?"
"They haven't, dad. That's just a framework that we both understand for the concepts we're going to have to live with."
Noah thought for a moment. "I can work with that. What about Yayoi and Sora?"
"Don't work too hard - you might get locked into that framework instead of one that's better for you. I haven't been able to test Sora yet. Yayoi has a minor magical ability that appears to have been grafted on to her. It's only enough to energize the glasses that Skuld gave her."
"And you?"
Kohran gestured to the laptop, which began to levitate. "Minor effects, and they tire me quickly." The laptop settled back onto the desk as Kohran sat down. "The big surprise is what happened to the rest of your magical ability."
"The rest of... Explain. Now."
"Eep!"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"That's okay; you're upset. Everybody has a particular signature to their magical ability - call it your soul's reflection, the colour of your Linker Core (whatever that is), the harmonics of your chi, or anything else. The theories that Lisa left behind say that no two people have exactly the same magical signature. But you and Safety do."
"Clumsy, nearsighted, naive Safety is a mage?"
"Anyone can be a mage, dad. Safety is a combat mage, both in power and technique. Haven't you ever wondered where she keeps her bow and arrows?"
"Oh, dear, Ghu... I poured most of my magic into the first girl I built after the magic awoke, didn't I?"
"That's how it looks to me, yep. Dad, sit down, please."
"What's wrong?"
"Leda's a combat mage, too. She's got a lot of Sailor Jupiter's abilities."
"She does have a biomod that's a lot like Makoto's powers. Is that what you picked up?"
"She has that too. Do you remember who trained her to control her biomod?"
"Yes, it was... Oh, dear. Have you told her?"
"Yesterday, after I examined her and Helen."
"Helen! Is she...?"
"The daughter of two mages? Yes, of course Helen's a mage. Or, at least that's what the tests indicate."
Noah buried his head in his hands. "I was hoping she'd have a normal life..."
Korhan put a hand on her father's shoulder. "She will. It's just that normal for her will include magic."
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012