Magic Is Hard

[unrecovered]

[The best way to improve in a skill was training. Wash knew that. What he hadn't realized was that training went a lot more smoothly with someone who knew what they were doing in charge.]

[This probably explained why his attempts to practice magic in the park had been frustrating and fruitless for the past half hour. He had no experience in magic and no idea what to do - what he had was determination to master a weapon he'd need in order to fight, and a supply of patience that was beginning to run low.]

[His magic was different than most people's, he reasoned. He didn't have to start his own, like Casey, or use what was on hand, like Greg - no, his element was all around him all the time, and all he had to do was make it do what he wanted. Somehow.]

[Anyone who had been watching him for a bit may have seen sweeping and increasingly ridiculous arm motions - movements that might actually look cool if the wind was playing its part, but just came off as badly choreographed interpretive dance without it. Anyone who had been watching for quite a while may have witnessed him yelling at the sky about how one sweater-vested asshole could have at least provided a tutorial.]

Comments

[raisethemoon]

That would have been too helpful.

[Watch Luna.

Watch Luna leading a thin stream of water away from the general direction of the river.

She's carrying some rocks in it.]

[unrecovered]

Right now? No such thing.

[He's not even surprised Luna snuck up on him - she either announces her presence or comes from right the hell out of nowhere, and he's kind of gotten used to it. He sighs and turns around, and-]

[Why does Luna have rocks]

[He does not trust those rocks]

What are you doing with those?

[raisethemoon]

I am practicing suspending objects in water bubbles. [They're really not very large rocks, and she looks at them sourly.] Beginning with small ones.

I take it you are practicing as well?

[unrecovered]

Got it. [Okay. He is far less worried about those rocks now.]

If by "practicing" you mean "failing miserably," then yeah, I'm practicing. [Boy, he sure does sound disgusted with himself. Someone's not too happy about their total lack of progress.]

[raisethemoon]

Would it be helpful if I threw the rocks at you?

[Oh so we're going here after all]

[unrecovered]

[God dammit Luna]

How would that be helpful?

[raisethemoon]

[She chuckles.] You would have to learn very quickly!

[But no - she'll just set them down.] Though I suspect you may simply be trying too hard. What are you attempting, exactly?

[unrecovered]

[For a second there, he's definitely prepared to dodge flying rocks. Good thing that doesn't seem to be happening.]

I'm trying to get my magic to work. It's not- [He gestures vaguely, helplessly] Nothing's working.

[raisethemoon]

Try to stay calm. Becoming stressed won't help.

Have you been trying to make it do any specific thing?

[unrecovered]

No kidding. [Look at all that sarcasm. Where were you three hours ago?]

...work? [It's the return of the vaguely helpless hand gestures! He's really not having an easy time of this.]

[raisethemoon]

Perhaps narrowing your focus would be better. Try to move the leaves on a specific tree, for instance?

[You shouldn't just go randomly firing off magic anyway.]