[EXAM] Professor Malcolm (Merope)

[Dragain]

It wasn't everyday that a bush minipet he had given out during class would trot back into his office smelling like rotten fish, with pieces of glowing blue skin stuck to the bush that functioned so much like a turtle's shell. Those indicated that the bush minipet must belong to a certain student named Merope - Malcolm could remember the boil's name simply because he had preformed pretty badly in the last class.

After cleaning up the minipet, he then had a note sent to Merope, to be pinned on his dorm room door. It was a simple note; he didn't like to be too long-winded with his instructions.

Marushii

Merope:

Come to Classroom 13 for your exam tomorrow after lunch; there is no need to bring anything. Please be punctual.

- Professor Malcolm

 

[Dragain]

As Merope entered the classroom, he would see the professor standing at the side with an unreadable expression on his face. He gestured to the sandy path with a bottomless pit to the left and water to the right. However, it soon became clear that he was not gesturing at the path, but at the bush minipet that was resting, motionless, in the middle of said path.

His bush minipet.

"To pass your exam, successfully intimidate that three times by overwhelming it with your innate FEAR..." He held up three fingers, as if to bring his point across much stronger, "However, you have to do it three times in a roll... You have three chances, after which if you are still unsuccessful, you immediately fail this exam." Sure, they still get promoted from being a Snot to a Knob regardless, but the satisfaction level must be really low, he figured.

Exam Mechanics:
-> Use 1d100 in all your rolls!
-> The first roll is a sure intimidate, but your student must get increasingly intimidating for it to work!
-> Thus, basically, each roll must be higher than the next.
-> For example...
xox I rolled a 35 for the first die. <- 1st is immediate pass!
xox I rolled a 36 for the second die <- 2nd pass!
xox I rolled a 50 for the third die <- 3rd pass! Exam pass!

xox I rolled a 35 for the first die. <- 1st is immediate pass!
xox I rolled a 36 for the second die <- 2nd pass!
xox I rolled a 20 for the third die <- 3rd fail! Exam fail!

-> You have three tries, and for each try, you have to start from the bottom. So even if you failed at the 3rd die, the next die you roll will be your new "first" die and you'll have to beat that in your subsequent rolls!
-> You may start now~  

[Marushii]

A certain notable feeling of dread had fallen over Merope as soon as she saw the note tacked onto her door. Exams? Already? She didn’t need to bring anyth- oh. Oh sunken ships no. Merope’s earfins closed tightly and pressed against her skin as she stared at the name. Professor Malcolm was a teacher she quite liked when she was still a he.

Granted the professor made a bonfire the first time they met in that class, and the class after that they had to learn how to cook, and then... Merope bit her lip as she recalled exactly what had happened last class. How could she forget? She completely bombed the last class, and the tutor session after that. Her minipet ran away, even!

Ugh, she still had her paper to turn in on that too. Merope double-checked the note. It didn’t look like she had to bring it in today, thankfully. But... She sighed. Nothing left to do but find out what Professor Malcolm was up to.

The next day, the soft click click click of Merope’s talons against the school floor announced her presence long before she arrived exactly twenty-two seconds late, huffing from the mad dash she performed in order to get there.

Professor Malcolm was speaking. It sounded... familiar. Merope spotted the bush minipet, and it all came rushing back. Oh no. Oh no. She was going to fail. She was going to screw up so badly she’d get kicked out of Amityville, she --

Merope shook her head, flexing her claws. She could do this, she could do this, she could do this!

The undead ghoul did her best to push Professor Malcolm from her mind, trying to focus on the minipet in front of her. She recognized it, all right: it was the bushpet that ran away from her, that struggled with all its might. It was here now, and seemed perfectly content to watch he- was it smirking?! It was!

Merope lashed her tail, growling. That was it. The lost fathom leviathan reached out with her Fear, focusing trying to grasp it.

It felt a lot like slapping water, come to think of it. The water was impossible to control and gather, to pull it like saltwater taffy and form it into the desired shape. That wasn’t doing anything; she tried again.

This time, the pool of water was pushed. Directed. Churned into a current, gathering. Now to focus it...  

[Marushii]

Merope called on the torrent of Fear she created within herself, using it to boost her glowing eyes and markings. “You,” she began, “Will listen to me.” Each step was punctuated by a step, her tail lashing and striking the sandy path on the last word.

Now... could she keep it up?  

[Marushii]

(( Try #2! ))

Nope.

Merope yelped in surprise, jumping back as the minipet lunged at her. It missed, but it was enough to break her concentration. It didn’t help that the minipet was shaking, the leaves hissing and rattling like a warning. It appeared that something was displeased with her tone.

“I don’t think so,” Merope hissed in return, trying to pull on her Fear again.  

[Marushii]

Some of the eerie glow returned to her scales as she stared down the minipet, but it wasn’t enough. Merope lashed her tail again, striking the sandy path hard enough to send up a spray of sand.

For its part, the minipet continued to rattle its leaves threateningly as it stared up at Merope, also refusing to give in. The small creature was determined to win this battle.  

[Marushii]

The air around Merope seemed to shimmer, rippling as Merope took a step towards the minipet. She was glowing brightly, the ends of her hair lifting as if she were underwater. “I will not back down,” Merope hissed, taking another step forward.

In response, the minipet quickly scrambled backwards. It was still shaking, but Merope noted with a detached sense of satisfaction that it wasn’t in rage. It was shaking with fear. But for how long?  

[Marushii]

The pair continued to stare, neither student or minipet backing down. Merope took another step forward, the minipet taking a step back to maintain the distance between them. Neither moved after that, the two silent as they continued to stare at each other.  

[Marushii]

((Try #3!))

The minipet was the first one to break the stare. It shook itself, growling. It proceeded to lunge at Merope, swiping at her leg and forcing her to take a couple steps backwards in response. “You --!” Merope hissed, concentration wavering. The intense glow dimmed, her pre-floating hair falling straight onto her back without the crackle of Fear energy to hold it up. She was so close!  

[Marushii]

Breathe in. Breathe out. It didn’t matter that she didn’t need to breathe anymore, that she was beyond the point of needing it. The subconscious motion was soothing, allowing her to focus on the minipet before her. It was just a bush. Surely she could intimidate it?

She had to. The amount of Fear she had used before was tiring. No longer did Merope’s tail lash at the ground, nor did she verbally threaten the creature. Merope simply did not have the Fear to spare on such actions.  

[Marushii]

“I will not bend down,” Merope said softly, “Nor will I give in. Do you hear me, pet?” Threatening was out, yes. But not taunting. Not self-assurance. She could do this. She could do this. Merope took a step forward, looking down on the minipet in disdain. She was a lost fathoms leviathan. She was the pride of her clan; the youngest. She could do this!  

[Marushii]

She could... She could... Her thoughts were tumbling, lucid as she tried to remain standing. She was the minipet’s master, she was the one in control, she --

The glow on her scales and in her eyes dimmed suddenly like a lightswitch being flicked off, followed swiftly by the student tumbling and landing rather hard on the ground. She laid there, trying to make sense of her befuddled state. Where was she? Did she use too much Fear? Where was the minipet?

Upon seeing her fall, the minipet had scampered away. It edged closer when Merope didn’t move. Not one to waste an opportunity, the minipet turned around and gleefully kicked sand over the student’s Fear-drained form.

(( Merope has failed!))  

[Dragain]

The moment Merope flopped over, Malcolm had pushed himself off the desk he had pretty much parked himself at. One glare at the bush minipet probably gave it the impression that it was about to get eaten by something really big, with really sharp claws, thus sending it scampering away as the professor reached down to pull Merope up on his - uh, her - feet.

"Congrats Knob," He proceeded to move the student over to the chair behind the teacher's desk, sitting her down, "You might not have passed this officially, but I could see the effort you put in it... I suppose, in a way, that's what really counts." There was that mild disappointment in his voice, however, although he was trying really hard not to display it, not after his student tried this hard to pass. He then placed a chirping box on the table.

"Take this with you when you've catch your breath," He instructed before leaving the ghoul alone with the chirping box and bush minipet, scurrying around somewhere in the classroom.

[MEROPE HAD BEEN PROMOTED TO YEAR 2!]  

[Marushii]

Merope blinked as she was being helped up, then moved to sit down. Sitting down helped: she didn’t feel as dizzy as she did before. However... She couldn’t help it. Professor Malcolm’s words made her ear fins visibly flinch before folding, pressing down and disappearing into her hair.

She should have been able to do it. She was so close! How could she have failed? Merope waited until Malcolm appeared to be busy before rising, taking a step towards the door. She hesitated, biting her half-lip uncertainly before grabbing the chirping box and walking quickly out of the door. Merope kept her eyes to the ground, cheeks burning with shame and disappointment as she absconded back to her dormroom.

The bush minipet, for its worth, made as if to follow... only to peel away and vanish once again into the wilderness, off to its own devices.