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From:

magician_king

"So. When we start thinking about magic, we need to think about the world in general, first. Our reality exists around us with a kind of baseline. There are normal things, substances that behave consistently, and there are normal properties- rules that govern those behaviours."

He says, as they trot down the stairs.

"These are things like- the way clouds are made. Or how water boils, and then becomes steam. How a bird is able to fly. You remember that- the lift of air under a goose's wing."

From:

credere

Credence hears this, and slows, and eventually just....stops, halfway down a staircase. One of his hands is gripping his other elbow, very tightly.

From:

magician_king

"Woah."

Says Quentin, spinning on the landing down below, him, looking up at him.

"What did I say? Are you okay?"

From:

credere

He picks at his jacket.

"I don't...know any of those things," he murmurs. "About clouds, or steam, or...birds."

It feels like something beautiful has just been snatched out of his reach and placed behind the impenetrable barrier of his own ignorance.

From:

magician_king

"I know."

He promises;

"That's why I'm telling you. I'm not telling you what you don't know, Credence- I'm telling you how you're going learn."

He leans at the bannister, and looks up at him.

"You're taking your first step down a very long road, I'm not going to lie to you about that. But the point for today isn't the particulars about clouds or steam. It's just understanding one key distinction that we're going to get to. Come on-"

Reaching his hand up to him, inviting him down the stairs, and onwards, literally and metaphorically.

"-I'll explain everything."

From:

credere

Credence sways on his feet for a moment, then lets his hands fall to his sides and continues descending the stairs.

"I'm sorry," he whispers.

Sorry he's so stupid, sorry he doesn't trust Quentin to do this right, just - sorry.

From:

magician_king

"You don't have to be."

He says, and knowing him now, when he makes his way the rest of the way down, steps in close for one quick hug.

"I'm starting to notice- whenever we start any kind of teaching like this, you get- more like you're remembering something. Is that maybe a fair thing to say?"

From:

credere

It might be, but he's not following Quentin's observation, and the way his brow furrows says it before he does.

"I don't understand."

From:

magician_king

"You sometimes react like I'm going to be mad at you for not already knowing something. Or, like not having been exposed to an idea means you're stupid."

He says, with a frown.

"You know it doesn't, right?"

From:

credere

He fidgets.

"Ma always said..."

And of course he isn't really cognisant of how abusive and brutal it is, to be accused of stupidity for lacking an education that his accuser didn't give him.

From:

magician_king

"She was wrong."

He says, not good enough at leading an explanation to get him to this realization on his own, just blurting out with it.

"I don't know anything about the bible. Couldn't name the apostles. Does that make me stupid?"

From:

credere

"No," Credence says, wide-eyed, "of course not," but he's struggling with attribution bias such that he doesn't really see his point.

From:

magician_king

"Exactly."

Says Quentin, anyways.

"But even more so, in your case, because that's a book I should have read by now and haven't- and the things I'm talking about, some haven't been discovered by a single other human being, in your age; they're scientific principles from your future, yet to be discovered."

From:

credere

"Oh."

He goes quiet as they bridge the final short distance to the equipment cupboard. One of the things that he's learned about Quentin is that he likes explaining things, and that there's no harm in just....letting him.

From:

magician_king

"Exactly."

He says, again, warmly.

"So. Want to stop more for today, or learn about some natural laws, or learn about where magic fits in?"

From:

credere

Credence finds a hammer and feels pained. Decisions. He wishes he wasn't chronically uncomfortable with making choices for himself, especially choices that demand other people's time and attention.

"What should come first?"

From:

magician_king

"Let's start by explaining one of the natural laws in detail, so you can get a clear idea of the way magic is working. Steam is actually a really convenient place to start, because when we talk about steam we cover a lot of foundational principles."

Says Quentin, easily, as long as the answer is 'let's continue.' Back towards his room they go.

"So, when we talk about the stuff that makes up the world, we normally talk about it as being called 'matter.' Like the matter at hand- but your hands are made of matter, the hammer is made of matter, the air is made of matter- and matter is commonly categorized into having three states. Solid, liquid, and gas."

From:

credere

"Like - wood, water and - " He struggles. "Gasoline?"

From:

magician_king

"Wood and water, exactly. Gas. that's a similar word, but different ending. Gasoline is a liquid, gaseous matter is a cloud. Air. Steam."

He simplifies, but with a pleased with his progress so far.

"Even though it feels like there's nothing in the air around us, and we talk about a room as being empty, there's actually gasses floating all around us. It's why when you suck the air out of a paper bag it crumples up tight; it was empty, but not actually empty."

From:

credere

Credence thinks about this.

"So...when you breathe in, and your chest feels full, that's...the gas?"

From:

magician_king

"You've got it."

He says- and he knows how to praise without laying it on too thick. But he's genuinely pleased.

"Now the thing about solids, liquids, and gases is that many of them are the same kind of matter, but in different states. We'll take water, for example. Water is a liquid, and steam is a gas, so the solid version would be?"

From:

credere

Credence realises, with some pleasure, that that's easy. Yet he still sounds unsure when he says:

"Ice?"

From:

magician_king

"Exactly. And what does that tell you- if ice turning to water turning to steam is a pattern, what does that mean about solids turning to liquids turning to gas?"

He says, leading him on, jogging up the last few steps to their floor.