V5 Incline 42: Test-Taker Larishazza

"Then we go to a lovely meadow outside!" I suggest, smiling and clapping eagerly at the idea of it-

"No, I can do it here." Nin states, firmly. His eyes waver as he points a shaking hand at the ground as a whole. And the limb refuses to stop, it refuses to relent, it refuses to stop and focus.

"Nope! You do it with me!" I tell him, holding that hand tight, stabilising it. I pull at him, encouraging him to come along and follow me to what I can only promise is safe, fun and welcoming. But... He holds his ground, it becomes a drag, one he slips into and the resistance falters. I offer nothing but an open heart and endless smiles, and he still panics.

It comes out of him as a horrible song. Sounds and whines full of pleading as we cross the hall and go down the stairs. And each step makes him louder, his returning grip tighter. As his feet touch the ground floor, he fights. His breathing drowns out all the other noises in the dorm, and my smile wavers as I look back at him-

"NOOOOOOO!" he roars with all he has, and his jaws snap near my face, coming so close to sinking into my skin. I flinch ever so subtly, watching with eyes that simmer down from their wideness. My next action is a lie, an 'unfazed' tilt of the head. My response to his sudden, gnashing panic.

"Hey... Hey, Nin... Hey, Nin, it's alright. I'm sorry." I tell him, sitting him down right here, right now to make it clear we're not going anywhere. I join him on the floor, affectionately rubbing his body, all while keeping a smile on my lips. A ponder slips into my head as I watch him whimper, his eyes focused on the ground, and all I can think about is how I can help. Right up until the moment his head lifts again.

"The-There's no point... The-The... The guards will just keep going... After me even though I haven't done anything wrong," he explains through nervous whimpers as he looks around, who knows how much pain going across the mindy parts of his eyes. And as he does so, my head tilts and tilts, my expression shifting.

"Then... How about this, we make a game of avoiding them?" I suggest, tilting my head back straight.

"A game...?" he repeats, his voice confused, but his shakes dimming.

"Yeah, you get points for every guard avoided, and the more stylish it is, the better, and I will be sure to be near you the whole time to help out if you get stuck!" I go, letting the idea just run out of me for the moment.

"Running fine..." Nin mumbles, seemingly dismissive, but the way his head moves, it's like he's recounting things. What I said, or what someone else said. I turn and look out the door, and start to shake my head.

"So how about this...? We go back upstairs. And, sneak out through a window. And then we can move about on the rooftops until we are forced to get down?" I suggest, steadily building the confidence to let it flow neatly.

"Forced?" he repeats, his body locking up at the word.

"By our lack of roofs to move on, not by guards." I clarify with as soft a tone I can manage as I start to rock back and forth. The game sounds fun. I'm impatient for it, excited for it as this is a game that will surely put some of the good adrenaline into my veins.

"Ok..." he mutters, steadily getting up with my help. We both get to our feet, and I greet him with a toothy grin, my hand locking with his. I keep the smile in view, and we go back up the stairs. Though his body is rigid, mine is not, and I can't stop dancing up and along the stairs. We make our way to a window, and I quickly eye how safe it is to get through.

How quiet and unseen...

"I'll go on first and help you up." I whisper back to him, still smiling. My hands settle onto the top of the window frame, I lean back into the motion, leap to the roof, and I swing right through the window. My momentum makes me fly, and I land right back on my feet at the edge of the roof. Not a wobble to me.

Nin's head pops through the window, slowly, carefully, and I drop. My arm reaches for him and he squeezes on out, and our hands lock. I pull him up near-effortlessly, my internal-magic quite something for such a tight and limber dancer body like mine. And, as he reaches the roof, he scrambles for it, for a place to put his feet. A giggle rips through me as he just won't stop looking about cluelessly.

He was so awkward getting through the window, and I had swung up effortlessly!

"Ov-Over there..." he mumbles, raising a finger as I help him get back to his feet. He towers over me like usual, but, this time, I go up onto the tips of my toes and lean against him so I can get a better idea of where he's pointing. I spot it, the direction, and I smile and nod, happily getting off of his back. My feet carry me ahead, putting some distance between us, and I leap. A trail of water follows after me, sparkling under the halolight.

The magic water splashes again as I land, a puddle that spontaneously comes into existence. I spin to face him, cheeks brimming with a blush and a smiling crown. I wave for him eagerly, getting into a dance rhythm as I hear the sounds of my earlier spellwork drip and ripple. My hips bounce up and about, taking me backwards and forwards while I wait for him. He holds still, checking his path, and he rushes.

He overshoots me, leaping with a blatant lack of control over his own power. My mouth shoots open, wide with surprise, and then a smile. I rush after him, easily keeping up, and I leap to intercept, stopping him and dragging him back down with me. A slide of magically made water erupts before us, and I giggle away at the comical view of his dark body against my lighter skin. We spin to a stop, and I leave him to find his footing as I go a greater distance. Nothing but joyous laughter in me as I spin about and through the mess of wet lines appearing behind me.

"Hmm... I can't give you many points for that as I had to come and get you." I tell him through the giggles, watching him as his eyes go to his feet, his hands staying together.

"I can't do it..." he goes, his mouth things clicking.

"Jump? You just did, silly." I go, pursing my lips at his words.

"No...! No! Jump without jumping too high..." he clarifies, his lack of control putting an 'o' on my lips. He performs some light hops, the movement barely there, but he's moving a good bit, regardless. My head bobs up and down, and I watch him put even more effort into it and he crashes back down. He stops, his point proven.

"Alright, give me your hand for a moment." I go, offering my hand and wiggling it at him.

"Claw..." he mutters in an effort to correct me, but I ignore him, and I hold his *hand* and I hold it tight. Reassuringly so.

"Now, firmly grip my hand with *yours,* come on, I won't bite." I say to him, hoping I can etch out a finer understanding of how good the control of his internal-magic is. Anyone can point out it's crude, undeveloped, unlearned and in desperate need of polish. But only patience will reveal the more important details. And, lucky for him, I will be here to help him out, as I've now found out about how good he is with it. Roughly speaking.

I let go of his hands, and walk a little as a pondering finger seals my lips as my feet brim with magic. I slide about, back and forth... Going from one end of the roof to the other with effortless skating. Not to brag, just to think and pace the way I'm comfortable doing.

"Quit thinking of a way to say it softly and just say I am bad at it..." he bitterly barks, and I return to him, holding his hand again.

"What place were we going to go to?" I ask him, now having an idea of where I could take him if it so pleases and helps him. We can go to one of the magical training facilities near our dorm and have him practise what he can! Oddity House's grounds are full of specialist facilities.

"The library so I can-" Nope!

"Nope! We are going right over there instead!" I verbally get out, suddenly spinning around him and turning him in the process. My arm shoots out, pointing at the very tippy tip of my finger. Right at the building on my mind. A blocky thing compared to the rest of the Academy's usual buildings, but it's by no means ugly, either. Especially with how it pulses with magic right down to the foundations!

One can see all the pretty patterns carved into the stone slabs and metal plates even from here!

"I have never been there before, and there are no rooftops near it!" Nin points out, his voice one long string of worry. Worry I can only respond to by gently tapping his cheeks... And my hands snake back to his, and I make us leap the way we had just jumped. My friend staying at my side through each bound and stride.

"Don't worry, I will help you out!" I tell him, and we keep repeating the process of humping, all the way until we're skidding along the final rooftop. The last one before the building in question. Proudly, I step out into the open, right on the edge of the roof, and I turn to face him. It's not like we're technically not allowed up here, the Academy is full of students who've managed to learn how to fly!

But still, he hides behind the various extensions of the building's rooftop. Chimney pipes, machines I've no name for and even the odd bird nest. My hand waves him over, and I take his hand at the first chance. We've only a short distance left to cross.

He takes one look and- "No! NO! I'll... I'll break the roof if I jump that far!"

"Then only jump as far as you want!" I cheerfully tell as a ball of water forms at the edge of the roof, and I step ahead. A bubble so delicate it only takes my straightened out toes to puncture it. The pop of the water sends me flying, soaring...! And I fall back to the mountain earth, the grass splashing like a downpour has been by recently. A muddy mess that shocks nearby students who haven't a clue as to why I just landed there.

I turn away from them and rise, waving away at Nin as he stays up and over there on the rooftop. Yet, with this crowd I've spooked into view... It doesn't seem like he will. Then, I see it, I watch him work up the courage to move, and he hops down the building's side. Going right into a bush, of which he waits by.

I skip on over to him, humming a tune while he likely tries to remain out of sight. But, for both of our sakes and the sakes of what I've planned, he needs to come out. I need to bring him into the view of others, so, a flash of cruelty is needed, and I straight up pull him out and drag him along.

"Hey! Focus on me! Listen to me!" I firmly state, my voice turning gentle as I bring back my tune from earlier. And, while I'm not able to manipulate my voice like some of the singers of this land, especially my favourite one, Jhurghdak- Oooo, that reminds me, he's selling tickets because he's coming back to Thrurstradtur soonish!

But, no, unlike them... Unlike him... I can't alter my voice, water-magic is not as compatible with the sounds of the throat as wind-magic is. Though, Nin doesn't seem to care about any of that. He's just focusing on my voice. I can compensate for my own failing by singing louder or by moving closer to his ears... But he focuses on me and my voice, regardless.

And all I can do is help him more by keeping his eyes focused on mine, on my smile!