He will stop when she does.

"I am not a student at Hawthorne, but was visiting to talk to people in it about what it's like, and potentially applying for admission."

"Oh! Uh. Then it's not a problem that you're out of uniform. Hawthorne … pushes hard but it makes you strong."

The witch visibly eyes his muscles. "But maybe you don't need that, pretty boy. I could walk you to the admissions office?"

He has not heard anyone describe him as pretty before! Dee talks a lot about things being pretty, but he hasn't heard him say that to him.

"Being strong is good," he says. "I don't know if I need it. And yes! That would be very helpful. There is no map or information booth here, and so I was wandering."

He will follow her.

She's going to put a hand on his shoulder while they walk and talk about how it's tragic that there are so few boys at Hawthorne, how does he feel about that?

He basically never gets touched at all, so the experience is Very Strange, but he doesn't flinch from it or remove her hand. He neither likes nor dislikes it.

"Why are there so few boys at Hawthorne?"

"Well, it's mostly women who get witchcraft, and when a boy does get it half the time he ends up being a girl for some reason. They say boys are weaker and develop more slowly in their power, but we have a lot of powerful witches already and we don't have a lot of cute boys. It's very tragic. Awakeners should have to tell the boys that before they become women, but the treaty doesn't require they give a balanced overview of those options, just a balanced overview of the factions."

"Oh." Well that makes sense. Aside from Dee, there was only one other man that he has seen back at Mars.

"I didn't know that. Why is it sad that there are few boys? In what way does it matter?"

Ah. Maybe the reason the people at Alphazon were upset about his performance so much is because he progressed too slowly for their standards?

"Oh, I can show you what it is that women like about cute boys if you'd like. Maybe in my room?"

Why does it need to be in her room. Why can't it be here?

"Is it on the way to the admissions office?"

"Well, it could be~"

What does that meaaaaaaaaan.

"I didn't know that Hawthorne changes its street layouts. I suppose it makes sense that it wouldn't have maps if that was the case. Do you use magic to move buildings? Is it Earthmoving? I know Earthmoving and Metallurgy."

"No, silly, I mean it could be on our way to the admissions office. It's not far away from there. Why's a pretty boy like you in such a hurry, anyway? It's night!"

"I have to meet someone in Lunabella about a day from now, and I want to visit Hawthorne and Arcadia before then so I can find out what they're like. These were the three places Madam Einodia told me might be good for me.

Oh. I didn't know that. I thought that this place was just dark." He is used to it being bright all the time from lights!

The witch looks startled. "Aww, you're Einodia's? I thought she wasn't into that."

He's not sure what she means by both of those sentences.

"I have not committed myself to anyone on Lunabella, because if I did, I would be constrained in looking at Arcadia and Hawthorne. Madam Einodia did help me before though, yes."

"But she didn't want to keep you? Her loss, I suppose. Lotta matrons send their pets here, for what it's worth."

He does not know what a 'pet' is and assumes that that's an alternate form for 'client'.

"I think not. She said that she was only giving me advice, not protection. And yes, I see. So in the case I do get a matron, I might still attend Hawthorne. What about Arcadia? What made you pick Hawthorne over Arcadia?"

He should probably hurry the conversation along.

"I can transport us to Hawthorne if you know the way. Do you have magic for transportation? I've been using Windkeeping this time."

"I have a broom we could ride, but if you want to carry me and fly I'm happy to give directions."

"I can do that. I haven't used Windkeeping on other people to propel them alongside me before, so I'll use Metallurgy instead. I'm better at it."

He will open his mouth and out comes black and sparkling red particles, that will coalesce into two two-meter long squares of thin steel.

CoNRAD will step on one and expect the other witch to follow suit.

…he's conjuring metal from nothing. Powerful. But not rejecting her, so: "Aww, can't we share? I could hold onto you if there's turbulence."

"Oh, right, you might fall. Here," he will say, before causing two waist-high U-shaped handrails to coalesce on opposite sides of the square the other witch is standing on. The metal is similar in color to the sand, being black with shiny red flakes or grains embedded within.

Great. A cute boy shows up to exercise with her and he's frigid.

"If we're not flying together I'd rather just lead you on my broomstick."

"Okay," he says plainly. He's not sure what's upsetting about having two platforms but okay.

He will cause both platforms to disintegrate into particles and eat them back up again.

"I will follow you."

And she'll lead on her broomstick! It's … not as fast as his top speed.

And there's a large building, with signage in many languages including English reading "Hawthorne Academy Admissions".