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"Master Cynto..." Cady smirks. "Are we allowed to have a partner?"
Yun's frightened gaze quickly darts away. Yobbu idly scratches his armpit.
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Why does Yun look like she's the one who's going to get in trouble? Is Yun going to be punished if Yobbu gets busted for cheating? He's probably going to make her do something really degenerate and humiliating!
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(She's still staring at Yun.)
Cady clears her throat. "I was just wondering, because-"
"They did say your tutors were incompetent." Fili crosses her arms and then uncrosses them and claps her hands as she smiles. "Right!" Fili grabs Cady's wrist and pivots to embrace her from behind with the wide V of her loose robe pressing against Cady's back. "We'll do it together!"
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Did she have to phrase it like that?!
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Cady cranes her neck to look behind her. "I didn't mean me!"
Fili tucks her chin at the base of her neck and whispers in her ear. "There's no shame in asking for help."
"I don't think this is helping!"
"Hmmm..." Fili lets go and crosses her arms again. "Perhaps one of the other students should help." Her eyes settle on Jax. "Jax, would you please help Cady with her sand portrait?"
<span class="mu-i">
How is she so bad at reading teenage social dynamics?!
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Cady holds out both her palms. "I really don't think that's a good idea."
Fili claps and smiles. "On second thought, Yobbu-"
"Jax can help!"
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Deline will understand when I tell her it was just to pass this test!
</span>
Fili guides Jax like a dance instructor. "Hold her here, and here." Cady squeezes her eyes tightly shut.
"Like this?" Jax asks from behind as he cups Cady's hands in his.
<span class="mu-i">
I can feel his muscles under his clothes! And why does he smell so good?!
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Cady's eyes are still closed when Fili murmurs beside them. "That's just right. Now, both of you focus on the sand. Jax, give the sand a little stir. Cady, feel what Jax is doing."
Jax repositions himself, drawing his chest closer against Cady's back.
<span class="mu-i">
That's definitely not helping! Being held in his arms right now is... wait, am I actually feeling his connection to the Force? All of a sudden I feel like I can take over controlling the sand! Yes! This is just like the Duet mechanic in L+L that lets Princess Cady increase her Force abilities by fighting alonside a capture target based on their affection rating! The higher the capture target's affection rating, the more powerful Princess Cady's ability becomes. Isn't this power completely broken? I feel like I can lift everyone in the room along with the sand! It's like I have access to Jax's entire pool of Force points!
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Cady opens her eyes.
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Doesn't that mean his affection rating for me is really high?
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Cady glances up at Jax and he grins down at her and then the sand pit explodes with a loud puff.
"Good job, everyone! No class tomorrow. Cady, please practice and you can try again in two days."
"Cady?" Triss peers through the settling grit as the door slides closed.
