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

[panspermia]

[You wouldn't think a fanny pack and sandals would be a great outfit for training, but so little about Greg is suited for it that it just brings the whole absurd picture together.

Ever since the incident, Greg's been having a lot of trouble getting his magic to work at all. At first it seemed to be fatigue, but now that his body is rested he's still struggling to get anything to happen. He's not sure how glad he is that Wash is out here, as well; he doesn't work well with someone watching, and it provides him with little solace that he's not the only one struggling. Still, at least he might not feel quite so silly as he would alone.]

You might want to take a breather. It's important to get air flow for your... air flow.

[jonesiseverywhere]

[Casey really didn't come here to make fun of Wash. Honest. He didn't even know he was here, doing a stupid little dance and ranting at the clouds. He just happened to be in the park, looking for something to do. Why was this place so dull when there wasn't a monster attack? At least New York always had patrolling gangs or at least some arguing cabbies to watch.

Anyway, this was almost as good, and even though Casey tried not to laugh, it's pretty obvious that he's holding it in with massive difficulty. Maybe he doesn't know how to do wind magic, but it can't possibly be as hard as Wash is making it look.]

Uh, don't think it's working dude...

[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.]

[letteropener]

Would you like some help?

[Poor Celestia can see what he's doing wrong, is certain she can help, but... that lingering specter of a friendship he remembers and she does not still lies between them. More on his side than on hers, but that side might be enough to reject her presence.]

[The princess rarely hesitates, but she hesitates now, not quite willing to come closer.]

[goddamngrenades]

[ York isn't really one to say anything when it comes to controlling magic, but he can really get the need to drill these skills. It's habit, it's kind of ground into all of them- but. Honestly he probably has it easier than Wash. Control's the problem, not the magic itself. He knows when he does his thing.

Wash? Not so much. ]

You think if we got some smoke bombs or something going you could try to waft it around?

[fearmylaserface]

[Well, Epsilon was staying back, watching Washington work for a while. But he's not judging the movement too much. He worked with the Reds and Blues. This isn't... That ridiculous. But still ridiculous. And finally, he had to say something.

Hopefully, Wash had some warning that he'd arrived. But if he didn't, Epsilon could cope.]

So... That magic stuff really is not going well, is it, Wash?