Welcome to Gaia! ::

An excellent question. The first thing we need to discuss is why you two don't have as much confidence as you should. Remain here a moment while I get something.

Riley stood, walking into the small bathroom, and returned momentarily with a hand mirror. I am going to try this one at a time. I hope that is all right. I've never done it with two ghouls before, after all. She chuckled lightly. I'm good, but I'm not that good.

She held the mirror up to Xiu, with the reflection turned towards her. Now, tell me, what do you see? Be honest, and tell me everything you can think of. Don't just say 'me'. What, exactly, catches your eye?

Mitsu wasn't sure what the mirror was for either but watching as Riley held it up to Xiu asking her to tell her what she saw....the tension was rising. Her ears drooped much like Xiu's unsure what she would say. It was obvious what she would see, her mask, her method of hiding. The mirror was only an excuse to begin listing the things that she lacked and that list was quite long.

Silently Mitsu waited, her gaze traveling to Xiu as the girl spoke. Xiu was usually so cheery but it seemed she had some of the same problems plaguing her as Mitsu had. Mitsu certainly didn't feel strong, she was very nervous, and she feared saying something off or stuttering her way through a sentence more than she already did. It wasn't even her turn yet and she already didn't like this game.

The Baku's gaze broke away from the mirror as it was turned away from her. She almost emitted a sigh of relief, though she turned her attention instead to Mitsu, who had to do the same exercise as she had just done. What would the lycan ghoul say, Xiu wondered? She wanted to reach out and give Mitsu's hand a reassuring squeeze, but she decided perhaps it would be best to wait until Riley was done...whatever this test was.

Until then, she waited to see how things would progress.

Riley's eyes narrowed just slightly at this answer, but that was the only response she would give Mitsu. For now. They would get their responses, but only after her first exercise had been complete.

And so, she flipped the mirror, twirling it in her fingers, until the mirror was no longer visible. She held the twirling mirror in front of Xiu again, and it slowly stopped, flipping between blurred images until finally it rested on Mitsu's still reflection. Not Xiu's. It no longer reflected what was in front of it.

I wonder, Xiu. What do you see, now?

Mitsu fidgeted a bit when Riley turned the mirror back toward Xiu. It seemed they were going to go through round two. Great, so she would have to think of more things to say. Worried now Mitsu stared at her hands in her lap only perking curiously when she heard Xiu's reply.

Wearing her mask? Curious Mitsu leaned over to look at the mirror and saw that Xiu wasn't looking at a reflection of herself but a reflection of the lycan. Huff Puff what had happened? Mitsu remained quiet though a bit of a blush touching her cheeks at Xiu's kind words. The baku obviously thought highly of her to say such kind things.

Maybe, just maybe, Xiu was starting to understand the point of this exercise. Now that she thought about it, her judgment about Mitsu had differed quite greatly from the lycan's own judgment about herself. Was this one of the ways that would help them learn to become more confident in themselves? It was definitely an interesting method!

The Baku thought to herself again about how glad she was that she and her friend had been paired up with Riley.

Her expression became a little nervous as she eyed the mirror now. Since it was facing Mitsu now...was it Xiu's face that was reflecting back to her?

Anything she can put her mind to, hmm? Riley sounded distantly interested in the admittance, and pulled the mirror away to contemplate it. How interesting that you think that. I wonder, if Xiu thinks you are very smart, then that means your perception of her should be correct. Should it not?

Her eyes turned sharply to rest on Xiu. And the same goes for you, of course. Mitsu feels you are very smart, and you have stated that Mitsu is brave. By the transitive property, you yourself now commit to the fact that you are brave.

She put the mirror down, resting it on her leg.

I assume you trust in my opinion, as well? If so, I will tell you this. Both of you can be brave, and fearless, when you need to be. In the human world, we have no second chances. We must use every single drop of Fear and determination at our disposal to complete our task. It is our very survival at risk, here. This is not just some game. This is our very life. And I trust both of you with my life.

She leaned forward slowly, and the table creaked underneath her. It was a subtle, and smooth movement, but it carried with it a heavy weight. Riley was being very, very intimidating.

Now you will prove that my trust is unfounded. Scare me.

Normally Mitsu wouldn't have believed the kind words that were being said. They were surely overestimating her weren't they? But, then Riley's words sank in. She had indeed said that Xiu was smart and she truly believed that. Those words were not lies but truth, so by not believing the things that Xiu had said....what did that say about what Mitsu thought about her friend?

The more Mitsu thought about it the more her nervousness began to subside. Xiu and Riley both believed in her. She didn't want to let them down. Though, now Xiu and her were charged with their task, a test. Scare Riley. Scare, the one person Mitsu truly felt had no fear. True she had spazzed out in sex-ed class but Mitsu was certain the Mindflayer was only playing around.

Still, though, Mitsu would do her best and as Xiu leaned in toward her she nodded before leaning back toward the baku to whisper some more. Once it seemed they had a plan under way the lycan stood from her seat. Her natural form was much smaller than anyone else in her family but Xiu told her it would be okay. Together they could do this. And so Mitsu dropped to her hands and knees the sound of cracking bones echoing through the air as the change over took her. It was like a heat tickled across her skin as fur covered flesh and her form continued to grow....and grow...and grow.

When the transformation was complete in Mitsu's place stood a white wolf, her mask sliding off her nose to the floor since it could no longer stay in place. Her shoulders were about where the top of Mitsu's head had been and the room seemed suddenly smaller than it had before. Carefully turning toward the Baku Mitsu lowered to let her climb on before sitting back on her haunches and drawing her front feet into the air. Immediately she began to wiggle them in front of herself. What was she doing? OwO