Chapter 56 : Tempus fugit (Jessie’s prowess/Dangling a carrot)

 

In the Mirror Dimension, image of Manhattan, 24th of March, 17:49

 

As the five of us were packing things up after another afternoon of training, Mr. Drumm approached us.

 

“Young Aria, may we talk for a minute?” The Master Vodoo asks as he steps next to me

 

He looks serious.

 

“How can I help you, Mr. Drumm?” I politely ask, frowning just a bit, “Is this about Jessie?”

 

He sighs lightly while closing his eyes, motionning for me to walk with him with one hand.

 

“Yes, it’s about the girl.” He answers as I step next to him.

 

“What did she do?” I ask, brows furrowing as Iris blooms over my back, “Is she slacking?”

 

The bald man slowly exhales, stopping in his tracks.

 

“Nothing of the sort.” He starts as he turns to face us, “Quite the contrary, in fact.”

 

I blink as Iris tilts her head.

 

Our merged-mind is confusion personified.

 

“Jessie’s problem is that she’s too gifted.” Mr. Drumm explains, “She takes to the arcane like a fish to water and is learning at an astonishing pace for an initiate, faster than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

 

Iris and I simultaneously do a double-take.

 

“How is that even possible?” I belatedly ask, “She’s not even twelve!”

 

“Barely a spawn.” Iris adds in her crystalline voice.

 

“Yet, she created her own matrix in less than a month, an original and functional one I might add, because, quote, ‘the examples shown didn’t really speak to me deep down’, unquote.” He drawls, a little bit of frustration showing, “Memorizing all the 128 somatic gestures we use took her a few weeks as opposed to months and…”

 

One of his hands raised to rub one of his temples.

 

“...It took her barely half an hour to properly create a portal today when handed a Sling Ring for the first time.” He admit flatly.

 

Iris and I trade a look.

 

We wince in sync.

 

“Rosie is going to shit herself.” I comment aloud while pondering the implications of a not-even-teenage magic wonder in our household.

 

“Her mother probably already is, since said portal was opened in her kitchen while she was busy fixing herself a cup of coffee.” He drawls.

 

“Fuck.” I curse.

 

It’s my turn to exhale slowly while Iris pats my head better.

 

“Alright, so what do you need me for?” I finally ask.

 

“I’ve already told the Ancient One about it,” He started while joining his hands in the low of his back, “She wants to set up a meeting to discuss Jessie’s future with her parents and she wants you to participate. You’re effectively acting as her guardian in the magical world after all and you’re no stranger about our traditions.”

 

I ponder his statement for a bit.

 

“What are the Ancient One’s goals in all of this?” I muse aloud.

 

“I’d wager they’d be twofold.” Mr. Drumm answers, “To ascertain once more to Jessie that she shall not use her powers willy-nilly in the normal world when her life isn’t in danger and to reassure her parents.”

 

“Has the Ancient One considered that Fate might be at play here?” I ask aloud while puzzling over the situation.

 

“She said nothing of the sort.” He answers quickly.

 

“Which doesn’t mean she didn’t.” I point out.

 

I remain silent for a beat.

 

“It doesn’t matter,” I finally declare after a while, scratching the back of my head in frustration, “I’m going to participate anyway.”

 

I shot my host a thoughtful look.

 

“How talented is she, in your opinion?” I ask.

 

“She’s at Master Mordo’s level when he started training, albeit a little weaker, if I understood the string of curses that flew from the Ancient One’s mouth correctly.” He answers lightly.

 

I nervously chuckle.

 

“And we cannot prevent her from learning or, knowing the munchkin, she’ll grow resentful.” I add with a sigh, “She’s going to be such a pain in the ass when she becomes a teenager.”

 

“I’d rather not think about it.” Mr. Drumm deadpans.

 

Iris bonks me softly on the head, stretching her neck to look me in the eyes.

 

“Don’t diss the precious one.” She chides me with her star-filled voice.

 

“You don’t realize, don’t you?” I deadpan, “Jessie, capable of invoking the flame of the Faltine at will, her body saturated with hormones and surrounded by standard issue teenage idiocy in high school.”

 

Her eyes widens.

 

“The same hormones that…” Iris slowly starts.

 

“Those ones.” I confirm.

 

“May the gods have mercy on our souls.” Iris slowly whispers as she comes back to her usual perch.

 

“Sounds about right.” I answer back.

 

I cannot help but notice that Mr. Drumm’s smile is a little strained after our exchange.

 

I arch an eyebrow at him.

 

“You tried to fob her training back to the Ancient One, didn’t you?” I realize, growing amused.

 

“I did.” He monotones.

 

“I take it that she didn’t accept.” I comment, a smile curling up the corner of my lips.

 

“She’ll plan her lessons from now on but I’ll remain Jessie’s teacher until she’s of age to properly study at Kamar’Taj.” He confirms dejectedly.

 

I cannot stop a chuckle from escaping my lips.

 

“My condolences, Mr. Drumm.” I apologize while struggling to keep my face straight.

 

“I should have never opened my door to that shapeshifter.” He bemoans.

 

Considering it’ll probably save his life in the long run, I’m sure he’ll get over it.

 

“How are your two guests by the way?” I ask curiously, “We never see them around.”

 

“Raven comes and goes while Irene usually stays in the veranda reading a distressingly growing number of my books.” He answers as he starts walking back toward the group, “I believe Jessie and her have already met while she was still learning the theory behind a sorcerer’s matrix in the library.”

 

“Aren’t your books all about magic?” I ask, a little puzzled.

 

“Irene seems to really enjoy the fact that she can read with her eyes once more now,” He answers with a shrug, “The subject doesn't really matter. She actually finds the perspective of a whole magical world that she has never seen in her vision fascinating. She’s also enjoying a relaxing vacation, as she puts it, since no one knows she’s here and she cannot use her power reliably anyway.”

 

“Could she learn to use magic too?” I curiously ask.

 

“In theory.” He answers after a beat, “But she is stuck in a wheelchair, old and weak. Walking again would be possible but I doubt she’d be able to go beyond that. It also runs the risk of breaking the Ancient One’s spell that ties her time with her long-lived lover.”

 

“I cannot help but notice that you’re awfully well informed about her wellbeing.” I point out archly.

 

“Can you really blame me?” He asks while rolling his eyes, “Next to her abrasive blue skinned paramour, she’s by far the better conversationalist when we happen to share a meal.”

 

Iris and I share a snicker.

 

“What if there was a way to give her back her health?” I ask after a beat.

 

“Well, she’s a focused person with a gift for tongues…” He starts.

 

I guffaw.

 

He looks at me weirdly for a beat before scowling.

 

“Seriously?” He exclaims.

 

“I mean, you’re the one who said that a known les…” I start to answer before he cuts me off.

 

“I know what I said.” He drawls, “I just didn’t realize you’ll choose to interpret it as a sexual inuendo when I did.”

 

“I’ve lost my touch, then.” I grumble under my breath as Iris chuckles.

 

Let’s blame being reborn in comicdom for it.

 

Iris softly pecks my cheek to make me feel better.

 

“Anyway, you were saying?” I ask again.

 

I chose to ignore his judging look.

 

Knowing the Vishantis’ sense of humor, I’m not even vexed by the fact that he cannot appreciate mine.

 

“That I do not see why she could not become a proper sorceress, hypothetically.” He answers after a while.

 

I ‘hmm’ under my breath.

 

Food for thought.

 

***

The Thompson’s house living room, the Thomson’s house, Forest Hills, Queens, 25th of March, 14:00

 

“Please, take a seat Ancien One, Mr. Drumm.” I gesture demurely toward the free seats around the living room’s low table.

 

“Thank you, little Outsider.” She answers with a little smile.

 

I feel my eyebrow twitch as she nicknames me in what is supposed to be my house.

 

Clad in her white vishanti garb, the Sorceress Supreme is making quite the impression on Rosie and Harrison.

 

Flash has apparently elected to stay after paying her his respects and is now leaning on the door’s threshold to signify his silent support to his sister.

 

As Mr. Drumm wordlessly takes the other seat, I seat myself between Harrison and Rosie on the couch, pulling Jessie into my lap with a flourish of TK.

 

She giggles softly while trying to throw me an offended look.

 

My eyes crinkle in amusement.

 

As another flourish of TK serves everyone presently around the table a glass of water, Rosie hesitantly starts the conversation.

 

“So, you wanted to talk with us about Jessie?” She asks.

 

Jessie tenses in my lap.

 

I bend forward a fraction to whisper a little ‘you’re not in trouble’ in her ear.

 

“That is correct.” The Ancient One answers with a little nod, taking her offered glass of water, “Let me begin by telling you that she is not in any kind of trouble.”

 

Rosie slowly nods as I feel Jessie unwind in my embrace.

 

“See?” I softly whisper to her.

 

Her head bobs back and forth on my bosom as she nods.

 

“On the contrary, Master Drumm here told me she was performing in an exemplary manner.” The Sorceress Supreme clarifies, “A little too well to his taste actually.”

 

“What does that mean?” Harrison asks, brows furrowed as he clasps his hands in his lap.

 

“The reason I had to share that concern with the Ancient One is because your daughter is extremely gifted in the arcane arts, Mr. Harrison.” Mr. Drumm explains, “Sometimes, an initiate shows a level of proficiency that is above average, and that is the case with young Jessie.”

 

Harrison nods to himself.

 

“Alright, can you explain why it might be a concern?” He asks, his brows regaining their usual position.

 

“Because she’s young, Harrison.” I softly answer, “The kind of powers she’s going to have access to are potentially limitless.”

 

And more often than not extremely lethal.

 

“Exactly.” The sorceress confirms, “And we’d rather not stomp on the embers of her success since she shows that much promise. So I wanted to take the time to ascertain once again to her parents that young Jessie needs to leave her magic behind when she leaves home to get to school.”

 

Traduction, no magical bs in the normies’ world.

 

“Unless threatened, of course.” Mr. Drumm adds, slightly nodding in Rosie’s direction.

 

He has Jessie’s Mother pegged well enough if he understands that her daughter’s safety is the most important thing in her eyes.

 

“We’re assembled here today to remind my favorite munchkin that a great power implies great responsibilities, and an even greater restraint.” I punctuate both of their statements while squeezing Jessie.

 

“That’s fair.” Harrison simply adds, side-eyeing his daughter as one of his hands muss her hair.

 

Jessie throwing him an offended look at that amuses me to no end.

 

“As my husband said, it is perfectly understandable.” Rosie agrees as she squeezes the thigh of her youngest.

 

“I may have had an idea that would guarantee that Jessie tries her hardest to keep her school life as magic free as possible.” I add helpfully.

 

Five pairs of eyes look at me, Jessie’s own a little betrayed.

 

“What about granting her the permission to study at Kamar’Taj during the summer as long as she behaves?”

 

Jessie’s eyes widens, since she already had a taste of the mystical city’s wonders yesterday.

 

Granted, it was at night. But it is still new and unknown to her and so extremely desirable.

 

Her head swivels back to look toward the two sorcerers in the room, probably throwing at them her best puppy-eyes.

 

While Mr. Drumm looks a bit uncomfortable because of it, if the Ancient One is phased by Jessie’s act she hides it splendidly.

 

“A carrot, then.” The sorceress muses.

 

“Exactly.” I answer with a nod.

 

She looks thoughtful for a minute, wordlessly staring at the younger girl.

 

Jessie starts to squirm in my lap as the silence stretches.

 

I smirk as Iris is [Cooing] full force on our merged-mind, my blood-sister always in love with the younger girl’s antics.

 

“That would be acceptable.” The Ancient One admits after a while.

 

I feel Jessie vibrate with excitement in my lap.

 

Mr. Drumm’s relief at the perspective of not having to handle the hyperactive bundle of magical joy during the summer is plain for everyone to see.

 

Rosie throws a complicated look toward her daughter.

 

“Maybe her parents could visit for a few days from time to time?” I add in a fakely thoughtful pose, having already come to the conclusion the previous evening that Rosie may feel a little dejected at the idea of not seeing her daughter for the whole summer.

 

“We will have to establish a schedule but it should be doable.” Mr. Drumm agrees after trading a look with the Sorceress Supreme.

 

Rosie and Harrison trade a look of their own.

 

Harrison jerks his head toward Jessie.

 

Rosie sighs.

 

“Alright.” Rosie finally says after a beat.

 

“Yessssss!” Jessie happily cries, throwing her arms upward and batting her legs while still on my lap.

 

My laughter doubles when Iris oozes out my torso to rub her cheek against Jessie’s.

 

Time to prepare Jessie’s summer magical adventures with her two sorcerer tutors.

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