[Auto Exam] Taima (FIN)

[Inle-roo]

Taima wasn't even sure how she had gotten to the topiary maze. It must have happened in the instant between sleeping and waking, which was a lot less strange than it sounded when one had been at Amityville as long as Taima had. She didn't so much as flinch when a voice made itself known at her side--but she did listen, quite intently, as the professor promised her the certificate that would graduate her to the next year of classes. She watched him run off into the maze and eyed it, considering her options. She could have just flown over it--but where was the fun in that?  

[Inle-roo]

Oh, nope, walking had been a mistake. The neatly-trimmed hedges still caught and pulled at her wings as she passed by them. Taima cursed and wasted a good few minutes getting herself untangled and brushing the leaf litter out of her feathers. How annoying. Not to be deterred, she tucked her wings tight to her back and pressed on.

Steps: 3/30  

[Inle-roo]

Taima flailed as the world suddenly turned upside down, though she seemed to stay in place, standing on thin air where the ground should be. She wasn't falling down--falling up? falling anywhere, thankfully--and it seemed like whatever was keeping her up(down?)right was stable enough to hold her weight. After a few minutes of experimentation, she was able to determine that, yes, she could probably finish the entire maze just like that.

Of course, that was when the maze decided to change itself completely. The world did another abrupt 180, but at least Taima seemed to be on the ground--the actual ground--again. She wrote the incident off as just one of those things and moved on. More accurately, she tried to move on, but found it was more difficult than walking on air. Her legs seemed to be heavier than normal, and it was making it hard to move. She frowned down at the solid, unobstructed path in front of her. It was slow going, but she was confident that this, too, would pass.

Steps: 13/30  

[Inle-roo]

Just as Taima had hoped, she soon stumbled through whatever was preventing her from moving freely. She sighed in relief as walking became easier again and kept going.

And kept going.

And kept going in what seemed to be the same circle over and over again, though she couldn't be sure--it was harder to tell from the ground than the air, of course--but she seemed to be getting nowhere fast and nothing but dizzy for her efforts.

Taima grew more frustrated--and more nauseous--with every circuit she made, until finally she came across a part of the maze she hadn't seen before. The walls around her suddenly grew so much higher, and the foliage was bigger, and suddenly there were boulders everywhere, and--oh. It suddenly dawned on her that it wasn't the maze that had grown larger, but she who had shrunk.

Steps: 20/30  

[Inle-roo]

The sudden change in size was jarring, but the quick reversion back as Taima continued through the maze was even more so. The temperature quickly dropped as a strong wind started howling through the maze, almost blowing Taima backwards. Her laugh was lost to it; it would take more than a little bit of wind to stop her.

Steps: 27/30  

[Inle-roo]

The wind abated as Taima approached the exit--at least, she thought it was the exit. Something seemed to be blocking it. It looked like some kind of shadow with eyes, and it was all that stood between her and becoming a Hob. "I don't suppose you'll move if I ask nicely, will you?"

Steps: yes/30  

[Inle-roo]

As Taima approached the shadow, it seemed to coalesce into an actual--familiar--shape. It looked like her, down to her wry smirk, though wisps of shadows escaped from its feathers where fog usually did from Taima's. "Guess that answers that question," she muttered.

HP: 40/40
Damage: 0
Fears: 1/1, 1/1
Mob HP: 50/50  

[Inle-roo]

((hnnnngh come on everything this is not the time to crap out))  

[Inle-roo]

Taima tried to push her shadow-self out of the way, just like she'd done every other time she had ever been confronted with it. Unfortunately, this time it pushed her back.

HP: 38/40
Damage: 1
Fears: 1/1, 1/1
Mob HP: 49/50  

[Inle-roo]

Ugh, really? This was ridiculous. Fighting was really not Taima's thing, even if it was the only thing between her and her year 3 certificate.

HP: 38/40
Damage: 0
Fears: 1/1, 1/1
Mob HP: 49/50  

[Inle-roo]

But she supposed she would do it if she had to. Taima launched herself at her doppleganger, her fingers curved into talons, and slashed at it.

HP: 36/40
Damage: 3
Fears: 1/1, 1/1
Mob HP: 46/50  

[Inle-roo]

If Taima had had room to change into her natural form--one more inclined to combat--this would already be over. Mostly because she would just hop over the exit.

HP: 36/40
Damage: 0
Fears: 1/1, 1/1
Mob HP: 46/50  

[Inle-roo]

Whatever. If this was what needed to be done, Taima would do it, because she wouldn't let a little thing like combat stop her, no matter which form she had to do it in.

HP: 34/40
Damage: 7
Fears: 1/1, 1/1
Mob HP: 39/50  

[Inle-roo]

Maybe if she--nope, that hurt her more than it hurt the shadow.

HP: 32/40
Damage: 1
Fears: 1/1, 1/1
Mob HP: 38/50  

[Inle-roo]

But what if she--ah, yes, that definitely seemed to work better.

HP: 30/40
Damage: 5
Fears: 1/1, 1/1
Mob HP: 33/50