it is difficult to know or judge
I mean, it's hard to tell now, Dad.Onward · 2020 — Chapter 8 of 16 · 4'42" · B1
The Growth Spell Backfires, Explained: wear off
Out of gas, Ian tries a growth spell on the fuel can while Barley shouts instructions. The spell goes sideways: the can and the van swell up, and Barley shrinks instead. "Well, if you mess up a spell, there are consequences," Barley says, which is not what Ian wants to hear. The brothers turn on each other.
What happens
Running out of gas, Ian attempts a growth spell on a small fuel can so they can refuel the van. Barley, standing beside him, cannot stop coaching his stance and his elbows, and the distraction ruins the cast. The can and the van grow enormous, but Barley is shrunk to miniature size, and the two brothers immediately start blaming each other.
Listen for
wear offit's hard to tellheart's firepiece of junk
00:00 / 04:42Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
Phrase of the scene
wear off
to gradually disappear or lose effect
巴利被哥哥的成长咒意外缩小，伊恩急着去加油站想办法；巴利却说副作用 wear off，过一阵子自己就会消退。
The numbing shot will wear off in about an hour.
Also in this scene
- it's hard to tell
it is difficult to know or judge
- heart's fire
the real passion and feeling inside a person
- piece of junk
something of very poor quality
Everything marked in this scene
24 notes across 98 lines
Guinevere was actually kind of a piece of junk.But don't worry, we'll, uh, have you fixed up and back home to see...Barley. Barley. Barley. Every time there's trouble, I gotta deal with you.No, no, no. Come on, old girl.But it says we have a full tank.Oh. Only a few drops left.Oh, I like your thinking, young mage.Uh, that's kind of a weird idea.Loosen up. Heart's fire. Here we go.Whoa. It's not that simple.A growth spell is a bit more advanced.While you cast the spell, you can't let anything distract you.Can we sand this thing down?Oh, one more thing, Barley.Don't let the magic spook you.Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Focus. Focus on the can.Barley. Ah. Forget it.Well, if you mess up a spell, there are consequences.Well, if you mess up a spell, there are consequences.Fine with me.I just need a little break. My baby legs can't go that fast.to gradually disappear or lose effect
The side effects are supposed to wear off eventually.The side effects are supposed to wear off eventually.The Growth Spell Backfires, explained
What's really going on
The spell was meant to solve a small problem, and it creates a much bigger one, which is the shape of the whole adventure. Ian has been practising magic all day, desperate to be the one who brings their father back, and Barley cannot stop helping, because helping is how he loves people. The two urges collide the moment the spell is cast. "While you cast the spell, you can't let anything distract you," Barley explains afterwards, reading the rule out loud, and Ian hears an accusation rather than advice: he is the reason it failed. Barley answers with a shrug and a warning that mistakes have prices. The argument matters because the brothers need each other to finish the quest, and neither is completely wrong. One wants to be trusted; the other wants to be needed.
Theme
Family conflictThe failed spell turns into a sibling fight, with each brother blaming the other for ruining the plan.
Coming of ageIan is practising magic to prove he can act on his own, and the mishap shows how much he still leans on Barley.
What you'll learn
- Use mess up for making a mistake
- Use work on for improving or fixing
- Understand wear off for fading effects
- Catch the work hard and hardly work pun
- Notice how "workin hard or hardly workin" changes the exchange.
Well, if you mess up a spell, there are consequences.Barley's blunt summary: magic has rules, and getting a spell wrong means paying for it, not just doing it over.
The side effects are supposed to wear off eventually.A hopeful note about the shrinking: the spell's effects are temporary, so Barley expects to return to normal in time.
Don't let the magic spook you.Barley's advice before the cast: stay calm and don't let the idea of magic scare you into losing focus.
While you cast the spell, you can't let anything distract you.The magic decree for the growth spell: total concentration is required, which is exactly what Barley's coaching destroys.
Questions about this scene
Why does the growth spell shrink Barley instead?
Because Ian loses focus. The magic decree requires him to concentrate, and Barley's constant advice distracts him, so the spell misfires onto the wrong target.
What is a magic decree?
A special rule attached to a spell that keeps it working correctly. For the growth spell, the decree demands that the caster let nothing distract him.
How long will Barley stay small?
The side effects are meant to wear off eventually, so the shrinking is temporary. Until then, Barley has to travel in miniature.
Who is to blame for the failed spell?
Both brothers share it. Ian cannot hold his focus, and Barley will not stop coaching him, so the fight is really about how they rely on each other.
Onward · 16 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 9not what it used to beThe Manticore Explains the Curse
Chapter 1wiggle out ofIan's Sixteenth Birthday Morning
Chapter 2was wondering ifIan's Awkward Party Invite
Chapter 3get byDad Leaves Ian a Wizard Staff
Chapter 4Whatever it takesDad Comes Back as Just Legs
Chapter 5followed my gutThe Manticore Refuses to Help
Chapter 6took the easy routeBarley Picks the Path of Peril
Chapter 7go bonkersLaurel Asks the Manticore for Help
Watching · Chapter 8wear offThe Growth Spell Backfires
Chapter 9not what it used to beThe Manticore Explains the Curse
Chapter 10With all due respectIan Talks His Way Past Bronco
Chapter 11chin upBarley Trains Ian With the Sword
Chapter 12the worst that can happenIan Crosses the Trust Bridge
Chapter 13to the count of threeIan Tries the Arcane Lightning Spell
Chapter 14don't have a clueIan Blames Barley for the Detour
Chapter 15gauntletIan and Barley Take the Wrong Path
Chapter 16looked out for meIan Thanks Barley for EverythingChapter 8 of 16 · about 48 min to go