but how DOES art? [Late-ish Week 1]

[helborn]

Okay so uh. Obviously art is magic here, but there's an issue. I've passed my thing off as ice sculptures, but will that even work here? I've been too nervous to try it where someone else might be able to see.

... There's also the fact that I use magic to make the sculptures, not the sculptures to make the magic. I don't know how to actually sculpt ice... I may have f -

[Right, the baby is very aware of what's on the network.].

I may have put myself in a bad situation.

Comments

[grimjeaper]

Well, is it worth trying to use your ice magic to just, um. Make a big block of ice, and learn how to sculpt away from that? There's a heap of books in the library for sculpting, I think it might be an entire section, actually, I'd have to double check-- [Focus Barold] --uh.

Is the ice itself magic, or just how you produce it?

[helborn]

Oh. Well. That's... good?

[Someone who sounds as awkward as him, this is a good sign for him.]

The ice itself isn't magic unless I make it a weapon or armor as far as I can tell? Sculptures are just sculptures. I can freeze a lot of ice at once, I think it's something like... eight hundred cubic feet at this point...

[grimjeaper]

Wow. That's some level twenty shit right there.

Okay, so from what I've researched so far, the actual making of the object is what sort of infuses it with magic - just straight-up starting with something the shape you want it to be isn't gonna cut it, for permanent art, so you've gotta physically get in there and- and go nuts. So, you're gonna have to learn really fast how to sculpt really well, or there's gonna be some questions. We're supposed to be representing three of the best schools in the world.

So, y'know. No pressure.

[helborn]

... Yeah. No pressure. Think I could get away with weird shapes and call it 'modern' art or 'avant-garde'? Art people like that sort of stuff, right?

[grimjeaper]

You're in a school tournament full of art people, kid. They're gonna know what those styles actually mean.

[Barry doesn't, though.]

Is there anything else you think you can do? Performance art' s not necessarily easier, but the results are more obvious. Maybe you could sing or dance. Do you play an instrument?

[helborn]

... Yeah I know, I just said ice sculptures and now I don't know if I can back out.

I... uh. I can't dance. At all. I don't play an instrument, either. Singing... I've... never really sung in front of people.

[grimjeaper]

Two left feet, huh. I-I get that, don't worry. And, uh - well, I hadn't played a piano in front of everyone 'til I did it once a few decades ago [fifty or sixty now] so-- so I get how it's hard, taking that big first step. If you think you can get over your stage fright, might be worth thinking about?

Otherwise you'd, uh. Better get practising on that ice, huh?

[helborn]

[Decades what - never mind it's not his business.]

Yeah I'll... see what I can do. Shouldn't be too hard to get my hands on some. I can always fake doodling a magic seal or something to slap into some water to hide the fact that I'm actually freezing it, maybe?

[grimjeaper]

[Even if he's got that spare hundred years on him, he's still fifty-three, Casper. He has decades to spare.]

You could, y'know. Try making real magical seals. Just- just want them to make your water freeze, you know? Basic transmutation.

[helborn]

... I mean I could, but it's way easier to just put a bit of my power into them? The last time I tried making some kind of magical ritual I summoned some kind of hairless demon bear by mistake.

[grimjeaper]

...okay, maybe less magic than that.

Holy shit.

[helborn]

To be fair I was on the back of a moving truck and we were being chased. I have no idea how protection turned into summoning but to be fair it was the first time I tried a ritual.

[grimjeaper]

Yeah, I guess ritual spells can be a bit tricky sometimes, but... wow. That's literally two different schools you switched between, I'm almost impressed.

[helborn]

I kind of was too, once we actually kicked the bear out the back of the truck. I have no idea what happened after that but I'm pretty sure it slowed down the people chasing us.

I know how ritual magic is supposed to work in theory but I've never gotten lessons in it or anything. My dad's a mage but I didn't know until like a year ago. Magic's not really something that's known in my world.

... Also I doubt he'd teach me anyway, since he's an ass.