”Generally, I throw them at targets. Outside or inside. We have no targets. Trees will have to do. If you can hit a tree.” Lenna gave him a small wintry smile.

Once they had found a good one, she spent several minutes explaining how to hold the knife, as well as how best to throw it. Teaching is a great way to learn about a subject, one’s self. So as she spoke, she also spoke of blade weight and balance and how throwing knives were often different from knives for anything else.

”If given time and inclination,” She stated at one point. ”I could go on and on about all the various types of blades. Of course, such a thing would be, as they say it these days, “Extra.” Yes.” She nodded to herself. Extra.

When she felt he had listened long enough, if not well enough, she gave him one of her throwing blades and gestured to the nearest tree. She took two massive steps way back. She gave him the go ahead gesture.

It had been a few months since the shifter last threw anything trying to hit a target last time he won Zek a giant stuffed animal. This time though he doubted he’d get a giant stuffed animal for hitting the targets. Maybe a pat on the back or a ‘good job’. Carrick could already feel his motivation waning unless... bragging rights. Something Carrick could find the motivation for.

While he had experience throwing things before he himself was a great actor and went through the motions to humor her. Reenacting the motions and copying her explanation his tail flicked behind him as a cat would it’s prey. ”So like this?” he asked once knowing it was pretty close to how she was instructing him.

To give his temporary teacher credit she had an easier form to remember than what he was taught several years ago. He was taught speed was king. Pointy end out and throw it quick and you’ll hit the target. She focused more on form and it felt a bit more natural than what he was taught. Then again it was for hitting stationary targets.

”Extra? No need fer it. Pointy end goes inta yer target right?” he asked flashing his pointy canines in a smile. He gently took the blade from her. Making sure he didn’t cut himself as he took it then toyed with it in his hands before tossing up, catching the blade and releasing it towards the targeted tree. Far flashier then she had showed him, he had to put some show in anything he did.

The shifter missed by a foot sending it into the ground behind the tree. At least it was visible. His tail flicked behind him and his nostrils flared in mild irritation. ”Eh, used ta aiming at a bullseye.” he was aiming at the tree... and missed. Shrugging ”never said was any good, care ta show me up?”

Okay. It was pretty close to her form. But imitating and actually doing are two separate things. Time would tell if he actually had proper form down. If he had the balance.

>> ”Extra? No need fer it. Pointy end goes inta yer target right?” He said.

She nodded briefly. This was the general principle, yes.

Lenna crossed her arms at his flashy display. She was not amused. Foolish showmanship was an excellent way to end up badly injured, or worse. In addition to Star Wars, she enjoyed another Harrison Ford movie franchise. Had he not simply shot a swordsman who had attempted to show off? Yes. He had.

The knife throw missed, and by a wide margin. She did not say anything catty. Merely acknowledged his comment.

”Practice makes perfect. You will get it eventually. Here. Let me try...” Her hand went up in an open-palmed gesture, and her brow furrowed. ”... Something.”

She had been practicing with her powers. Her control still ebbed and flowed, like the tide. Except less regularly. Sometimes, her focus was good. Other times, she was not so good.

In her mind, Lenna imagined the orange of her world condensing down to the body of the knife, as if it were held within a form-fitting bubble. Then, she jerked her hand and really put some force into it. The knife flipped through the air, to stick in the tree.

Lenna wiped a bead of perspiration from her brow, and looked at him, mouth sagging in a cocky half smile. Then, she dismissed the smile and went to retrieve her knife using simple manpower.

Lenna displayed her usual form and threw the knife using utterly human means. It stuck. It stuck in the exact same location.

”Like that.” She said. Hopefully he had been paying attention to her form, rather than her form. Some boys preferred one over the other. To them, a pretty face and a well-turned calf were far more intriguing than a good, well-practiced kata. Was he of one world, or the other?

Her words almost sounded like she was patronizing him. She probably wasn’t but anytime he failed at something and someone offered him words of encouragement he assumed they were insulting him. Even if it was all in good fun he still didn’t like it. It also didn’t help he hardly knew the woman. She was probably younger than him so he shrugged it off.

”Oooooooo!!!!!” he said giving her a small round of applause as she flung the knife to the tree. She smirked and Carrick matched it, ”Pretty impressive,” he didn’t want to make it obvious he was impressed. He was grateful for his wings but magic tricks would be so much easier if he didn’t have to be near the trick.

His eyes followed her movements for a moment then got distracted by a squirrel that barked at something in a tree nearby. His ears perked and he turned his head to investigate his eyes narrowing on the source of the sound.

She threw and Carrick’s ears perked his eyes focusing on the two squirrels running up and down the tree. ”Sorry, I missed it.” he said honestly then looked back to the tree. ”Aye! Look at that! Ya got it!” he said smirking. ”Even more impressive. Would have done great at the big top!”

His eyes shifted back to Lenna, ”Where’s the flair though?” he said curiosuly while giving her a toothy grin and a flourish of the arms. His tail swayed behind him, ”Maybe a backflip or a front flip?” he asked with a chuckle most things Carrick did wasn’t practical it was for show.

”Call ‘em back?” he said pointing at the knives, ”Best two out of three.” his pointed ears perked up and he followed the sound to the squirrel’s again who now were agrivating a Robin. His eyes followed.

She smiled and vocalized what she had previously been thinking. ”People that do dramatic flourishes get shot. Ask Indiana Jones.”

Yes, he had entirely missed her second throw. But she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, clearly he had many things on his mind. As she had no idea what a big top was, Lenna let that one slide by her unremarked.

Rather than call the knife back, she strode forward to grab it again. She was unwilling to put her life on such an untested area of her power. Mentally pulling a blade towards ones self is a fantastic way to die.

Lenna turned and held the knife out for Carrick. She said his name after a moment, to get his attention.

Squirrels, really?

”If doing tricks helps you concentrate feel free to try and do something cool with the knife before you throw it. You have been warned though. I’ve known people who died because they grew overconfident. Maybe you can toss it at a squirrel.”

She was not serious? Or was she?

”Flight might also give you a unique perspective.”

”Have some respect, the man is a doctor!” he said tilting his head to the side in a playful sneer. If the shifter was a hat guy (it would be a Dr. Jones hat) he’d take it off and mock a bow. He didn’t have a hat on and wasn’t really a hat guy so he didn’t. ”But ya look great while doing it.” he added. He’d only been shot at a few times. The one time he got hit he wasn’t doing any sort of a flourish. He was making sure the Princess didn’t get hit.

He heard her move then glanced at her briefly before looking back to the skittering animals. His stomach growled and he reminded himself he wasn’t in the other forms so it was a welcome distraction when she called his name. ”Yes, love?” he looked down and smirked taking the knife making sure to keep the pointy end down till he had a target in sight.

”It might.” nothing really helped his concentration unless... ”Sure we could set up a wager or something.” Carrick said flashing his pointed teeth in a sly grin, ”Found that usually helps. But we can give it a shot without one and see what sticks.” he hoped the knife stuck to the tree. He didn’t really feel like killing the Squirrels, not unless he had a reason currently he didn’t.

Carrick also didn’t know what to say about her warning. She’s known people who died because they were too confident. Did she mean someone at the mansion? Carrick was about to ask some questions but then decided that it wasn’t really any of his business. His business was to look good while doing stuff.

Flipping the blade upward he opened his wings and caught it by the pointy end making sure not to stab or cut himself. It would have proved her point and Carrick didn’t like helping anyone be right. Not normally anyways. ”Usually does!” he agreed and flapped his wings a few times till he was high enough to dive towards the tree they were throwing the knives at.

Closing the distance he pitched the blade then followed it up with a barrel roll. The knife hit the target but didn’t sink. He knew he let go of the blade before he had enough power behind it. He was focus on the roll. Circling back around he waited for Lenna to throw the blade again.

Lenna ignored his Jones quip and his playful flirtations, mind on the act of teaching.

Her eyebrow rose at the mention of a wager.

She moved her hand, palm up, in a gesture meant to tell him to explain. Her mind could only construct a few scenarios a teenage boy might create in his head as things to win from a bet. Most would get him hurt. Some, worse.

He knife flipped. Flapped. Flew. Threw. The knife got the target but fell to the side, unable to find purchase in the tree. Lenna bent to retrieve it. She did not throw, however. His eyes were pulled elsewhere.

Across the grounds, a tiny squirrel was running. Towards them. Quickly. “Lenna Lenna!” It squeaked.

Quick as a wink, Lenna lofted the knife up into the air in front of carrick with her mind.

“Squirrel!” She shouted.

The squirrel stopped like what?

The distraction spoke the girls name and he looked to her, ”Have I lost it or is that little tree climber talking?” ‘Food!’ he shook his head ignoring his shifted form as it called the little talking creature food. Carrick preferred not to eat anything that could talk. Especially other mutants, even if him and his other forms differed on opinion over the matter.

Reaching out to grab the knife that floated in front of him he stopped short and then placed a hand over it and under it like he was preforming a levitating trick. ”And I think I figured out what the wager is.” he said distracting himself from the talking squirrel.

”Been looking fer a ‘lovely’ assistant.” he smirked air quoting the ‘lovely’. Sure Lenna was attractive but the shifter was already smitten by someone else and despite his over confident nature and his ability to flirt, Carrick was a one woman kind of angel.

Carrick did not try to fling the blade at the squirrel, or anything. He did not try to eat it, either.

The joke where he pretended to levitate the knife she was levitating was kind of funny, but she was distracted. She retrieved her blade with her mind and stashed it, then walked over to the squirrel… pointedly ignoring Carrick. Sorry Carrick.

She held up one finger to him as she bent and spoke with the animal. A brief whispered interrogation with the squirrel revealed the situation.

”I have to go. A teacher is stalking the halls, searching for me.” She said. ”It was… and I hope I do these “air quotes” you seem to enjoy correctly… “fun.” Maybe some other time we can do such a thing again.”

Lenna turned and followed the squirrel.