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Ranara and her little daughter Azabel move to Urtho's Tower when the latter can say six words ("up", "mama", "milk", "no", "now", and "please") and hasn't started to walk yet. Ranara sets up to teach little children to read, ones who don't have evident Gifts yet - Ranara herself has Mindspeech, is all, with about a classroom's worth of range. Azabel sits in on classes, worn on her mother's back or later plopped in a corner with toys or, when she's only four, plopped in a corner with a book, younger than the other kids in the class. When Azabel has in fact sat through her mother's curriculum she is turned somewhat loose, to walk very carefully up and down and around the Tower, exploring.
smol bell in urtho's tower
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anticipating_night
"Do you want to try having Skan claw your shield - like not over you, I was doing over a flower -"
small-and-alone
That still feels incredibly scary, but also, clearly, the scariness is the opposite of helpful. "I - er - can he do it with you first."
anticipating_night
"Okay." She finds a pickable-looking flower, picks it, places it, shields it.
without-fear
He will pounce in slow motion first to demonstrate! (This is actually a very hard skill, he knows this because he's now senior enough among the gryphon students that he teaches flying to the little ones, so he feels like he is still kind of showing off.) Then normal speed but still delicately, then a regular pounce, and he looks at Azabel questioningly in case she can tell whether this is too scary.
small-and-alone
Ma'ar is twitching a bit with each of Skan's jumps, but his expression is fairly level and he's not panic-shielding himself.
without-fear
Skan does it a few more times, not at top speed and trying to look as un-ferocious as possible, which isn't something he's ever tried to do on purpose before.
small-and-alone
Eventually Ma'ar squares his shoulders and takes a half-step forward. "I - could go now."
small-and-alone
Ma'ar shields his own flower. He does the thin efficient eggshell-cloth-leaf-hands kind, but then adds another layer, and then another just in case. "Okay ready." He doesn't feel ready, or especially look it, but he's holding his ground.
small-and-alone
"Stronger. Tested it last night." He turns to Skan, almost but not quite makes eye contact. "Ready," he repeats.
small-and-alone
Ma'ar holds the shield firm; it doesn't budge. If anything he seems calmer, now, very focused.
(It's simpler, in a way, when he's actually fighting off a threat instead of looking for one, it makes everything feel clear and sharp, and this isn't a real fight but it still has some of the same feeling.)
small-and-alone
This actually makes Ma'ar jump more than the pouncing did, but then he settles himself and smiles, tentatively. "- You could go again?" he says to Skan.
small-and-alone
It's exhilarating and also leaves him kind of shaking after the fourth or fifth go. He manages to hold up a hand. "That's - enough..."
without-fear
Aww Skan was just starting to have fun. He backs off politely, though. "That wass good!"
anticipating_night
"I'll take another turn, I want to try the layers thing." What grows in layers - onions! Thin strong onionskin shield.