Thomas almost smiled at her response, catching himself only just. She was, whatever her race, quick witted and an impressively good sport. Her aura fit whatever it was she decided, it seemed, matching her smile with an dazzling array of pinks and blues. Obviously shallow, of course, and her effort forced Thomas to crush into her aura, deeper in an effort to keep up with her real feelings.
It was surprisingly to find her actually entertained. Rose and salmon danced a rounded her, the fading laughter of someone echoing around her, airy and light. Was she playing with him? Did she think this a game?
"What a shame that you never played well with your sisters. Obviously, then, you were closer to your brothers, brother? Which one, I wonder, taught you? He asked, not entirely sure of himself. This wasn't like Keene, or Alses, where he'd played to get a reaction. Izuyanai was expressive enough, but where did he plan to go with this? Like it or not, he was a teacher and this was a lesson. He could push and push and push, but he'd better have a reason for it. "And how? I only ask because if he, or they, taught you anything I need to correct, better now than down the line, you understand?" Thomas smiled, please with his response. It made sense, that a teacher would want to better their student. Not that Thomas cared, really, but he needed to be convincing enough to fool Izuyanai into thinking he was doing his job. She was paying him, when it came down to it.
He nodded to her question, "Yes, all aura do. Actually, short of mind-reading, there is very little an aura won't tell you," Thomas answered, his magic sparing against Izuyanai's prepared defenses, shaving and stabbing along her dancing aura. She wasn't prepared, or educated enough to balance him out, to escape his advances as easily as Alses did. "Obviously, you would view aura differently than me," his tone warned his offense; how could she even think to compare the two? "The way you see has everything to do with perspective, Kelvic," he guessed, his tone only confident out of habit. The word sounded almost vulgar as it slipped from his tongue, and Thomas only hoped he was right. What a fool he would look if he was wrong.
"For example, some aurists see magic as a shimmering light, a delicate veil of incandescent beauty. These people, are of course, complete idiots," Thomas complained, his voice thick with condescension, "While magic can create beautiful things, useful things, it will never, in this classroom, be condensed to something so shallow. It is not an aesthetic," He continued, watching her aura for any reaction, his mind sharpening his next comment, "It is deadly and vile and addictive. It will ruin you, given a chance. It will dominate your mind, should you prove incapable. And the Shinya, because they are also stupid, will kill you, whether or not you prove a talent," he added, sighing as he uncovered his hand. Thomas wouldn't complement her for knowing, he wouldn't acknowledge it even, but he was impressed. It was a shame that only Sahova knew to protect talent against all, even in the face of the overgiven.
Her magic was raw. A rough something that could perhaps be made sharp and effective. She'd practiced more control than he expected, her spell flying through the space, expertly deflecting from his own, far more intoxicating aura for the rock. Izuyanai would become something better than herself should Thomas get his way.
"Tell me how you knew," he demanded, his magic piercing her aura with a renewed interest. He would see how she thought, her aura stuttering and breathing and pulsing, and he would know her. "If you say you guessed, I will personally have you lobotimized. If you can't so much as put together a coherent sentence, you will be completely useless as a mage," Thomas warned, his voice completely serious. Magic wasn't for everyone.
