heyfreemagic | Magic School! [Open]

[As far as Wash is concerned, Greg needs a different teacher - one that will actually respect him as a person. To that end, he brings Celestia over to meet him...and he's asleep. Talk about your great first impressions.]

[Um.]

[He raises his voice a little bit, acting about as casual as he can.]

How's it going, Greg?

Oh, you didn't mention he was a musician.

[Celestia is assuming he doesn't have that guitar just for the sake of appearances, and perhaps also speaking just to nudge the man that much more awake from the noise.]

Nghuhwha?

[ Greg blinks out of his doze, blinking at Wash and... oh. He's heard about the, uh, horse people around, but this is his first time meeting one in person. ]

Uhh. Hey Wash. [ He wipes at his mouth, just in case of drool, and straightens up a little. ] Who's your pal?

[Not the most graceful awakening Wash has ever seen; thankfully, Celestia's too classy to say anything about it and he's not about to start. Welcome back to the land of the living, Greg.]

Greg: Princess Celestia. Celestia: Greg Universe. He's kind of a rock star.

[There's a beautiful amount of leeway in kind of- as far as Wash is concerned, Greg can use it as he pleases.]

It's a pleasure to meet you! What kind of rock do you play?

[Possibly complications to Wash's plan: Celestia actually likes rock music.]

Pleasure's mine, uh, your majesty. [ He'd get up to shake her hand, but. It looks like that'd prove difficult, anyway. He's enthused all the same. ] Ahh, I've dabbled around in glam and hard rock, guess in the end it mostly falls under arena.

But you didn't come over here to talk about that, huh.

[Well, Luna surprises him all the time. He really should have expected the same of Celestia. He makes a mental note to encourage Greg to invite her over later to listen to music. If they speak the same language, they might as well bond over it, right?]

You know, the first time I saw Greg use his magic, he was playing music.

[If he can manage to slide into this topic without spooking Greg, he's going to do just that.]

I would like to talk about that, but it can wait. [Rock is such a rare treat for the Princess in her Canterlot castle, though. Little wonder a rock musician here has caught her interest.]

Magic is all about focus, so it doesn't surprise me that a similar activity that requires focus would cause it to manifest.

It's a magic all its own. [ Saying things like that got him scoffed at back home, but he holds to it all the same. He certainly likes it better. ]

It doesn't always work like that, though. Kinda random, when it clicks.

[Boy is that an opportunity if he's ever seen one.]

We both need to work more on consistency.

[He shrugs, because this is all casual conversation, right? And if Celestia offers to help them with that, it's her prerogative. Sure, he's setting Greg up, but if he can be casual about it, so much the better.]

Yes, I understand that problem. First you must understand how to bring out the magic, then you must make that process unconscious. Much like learning to walk or fly, it takes effort and practice.

So then, if I can help you understand the process, I will be glad to. We must first see what you can accomplish.

[ In any other situation, he may have been more resistant to their encouragement, but this is pretty much the reason why he's here. So, instead he limits himself to a nervous smile. ]

All right, if you say so. Like I said, though, not sure how to show what I can accomplish, exactly.

[And Wash is taking full advantage of that.]

And you've already seen what I can do.

[It's a cop-out delivered with a hint of a smile. HAVE FUN, GREG]

Magic is an inherent process. Like a reflex, maybe. Our goal, then, is to make it conscious. You have a great advantage in this case, because you have already done something like that once before -- it is much like learning to play an instrument.

[Celestia takes a seat across from Greg, very much the picture of the perfect regal alicorn as her mane and tail drift behind her.]

To play an instrument, you must first learn exactly how to position your fingers on the strings and just how to strike them with your hoof, and then work so that you no longer have to think about what you are doing when you do that. Magic is much the same way.

...Huh. Guess it makes sense, if you put it like that.

[ He keeps shooting uncertain looks at Wash, but he's not getting anything helpful back. Instead, Greg sits up some more. It feels as though he ought to be taking notes, or something. ]

So, uh. I gotta find magic's... strings? Or... [ The metaphor helped him get it a little, but he can't quite continue it on his own. ]

[Yeah, Greg isn't going to get anything more than a nod from Wash right now - as far as he's concerned, his role in this is pretty much over. Greg needs help with his magic; Celestia can teach him; Wash was just the middleman to get both of them working together. He'll stick around as moral support for Greg, but right now he's perfectly happy to just watch and listen.]

Speaking more generally, you have to find the very basics of how to use magic to start with. [Celestia curls a hoof beneath her chin thoughtfully.] What I think we should do is try the beginning, fundamental lesson of magic. If it does not work, there is no harm done.

I am a fan of no harm done. What do I do?

The first step is to clear your mind. Set all distractions aside, and find whatever helps you to focus. You are trying to consciously do what you are not used to consciously doing, so any other factor in your mind will interfere.

Welp, he's pretty sure this is a bust already. Greg sends Wash one more pleading look, before closing his eyes and trying to imagine what Garnet's brain might be like. "All right... okay. Clear mind." If anything, he looks more distracted for the effort.

[Yeah, Celestia can see this is going to be trouble.] Hm. All right, if you are not good at clearing your mind, then let us tap into your affinity for music. The point, after all, is to have your mind in a state of focus. So, why not think of a song you like, and let it flow through your mind?

[ Lesson one, he already feels like a dunce.

Still, Greg can't let himself get discouraged on the first go. Nothing gets done like that. ] All right. Let's see... [ If anything will work, it's gotta be music. He starts strumming, hitting a steady rhythm he likes.]

Now, let that music fade into the back of your mind. Then, once you have settled into the rhythm, I want you to focus on bringing forth your magic. Just the smallest thing, but concentrate on it, with nothing but the music and your effort in your thoughts.

[ Celestia can say he needs to focus on bringing it out, but it's still a mystery to Greg. The fact of not knowing becomes a mental block all its own.

That's the point of this though. He needs to let the part of his brain focused on being negative get occupied by playing, and think about flowers with the rest.

It's an ovely long pause where nothing happens, but soon green shoots start poking out of the dirt. ]

[Oh! That's a remarkable magic! Celestia watches the plants grow with a bright smile.] Wonderful!

Magic School! [Open]

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