[Given that he'd made his living with his shamisen since he was a young(er) child and that his superpowers revolved around his playing, there was no danger of him ever so much as falling out of practice.]

Oh, I understand. You ask the universe to do something in a way it understands, and it does it.

[No really, it was very similar to what Kubo did, except that the only thing that listened to his requests was paper. Stephen's magic was broader, but it wasn't hard for Kubo to accept.]

Does everything listen to you? Or do some things not want to grant your requests?