Augmented Aspects [Steampunk], [Progression], [Gamelit]

The Third Degree

Flash.

There are times when you can truly witness amazing feats. Now the term amazing varies from person to person and often changes the more times you see truly impressive things happen around you. In a way it almost dulls the senses, causing you to forget how truly impressive somethings are.

Probably an issue caused by being surrounded by truly great people, the idea that some amazing achievements are less than others, or worse that some weren't truly earned. That they were purchased or otherwise influenced by outside factors like nepotism, affluenza, or being liked by the person recording the feat.

Fortunately, the system is the great equalizer when it comes to squashing most of those arguments, particularly when it comes to accomplishments. The system is all knowing, and more importantly, it is fair. While we might not like the criteria that it uses to judge us, it will judge us all by the same set of markers, and that is what makes this world truly great. This is why, I can sit back and relax when it comes to teaching. I don't have to grade. I don't have to check markers or benchmarks. All I really need to do is provide the theories, provide ways that each student can personally improve on their own. Then just sit back and watch as my student's hard work begins to manifest and grow on their own.

For the past few days Penelope, and well all of my students, have been working their tails off to perfect and understand Magical Theories and principles that they swore was too hard when they first began. But now look at all of them. All glowing like little nuclear reactors ready to blow with possibilities on how to change the world. It is as scary of a moment as it is amazing to be part of.

And here I am, at ground level watching as Penelope slowly breaks more and more nuclear safety levels before she begins to glow bright like how I imagine the sun would look. That's when the message I had been expecting for so long finally appears.

Just as was the case with Jhonny, I was granted the final authority to prevent the student from receiving their degree. With this prompt, I could see the threads of karma tying me further to Penelope. This was the system's not too subtle hint that I was now tied to the future successes and failures that Penelope might be responsible for in the future. Her accomplishments will help pull me up due to our karmic connection, while her atrocities will also pull me down. It is a humbling feeling, but one I gladly accept the risk of and future connection to.

Of course, my Penelope was not done with that one as she was one of my gluttons for punishment who when given the option to choose more classes chose to get every magical degree path possible. Though unlike the others, who also chose the paths of Qi Manifestation, she apparently stopped at only choosing to attend all three magical degree programs, a fact that was quickly proven by the follow on system messages that appeared.

Seeing the messages, I instantly accept the karmic ties. I also can't help but pop up and cheer from inside Raygunnr's protected cockpit, while the rest of my students who stayed after to study on their own just look on in amazement.

Realizing that everyone is quiet, I use Raygunnr's voice amplification unit to propel my voice across the courtyard, trying to get everyone to be excited for the accomplishments of their fellow student.

"You like Snapples?"

Silence.

Everyone remains quiet, even though my voice is able to echo back to me in the crisp morning air.

"Well how about them Snapples!"

With that comment, everyone turns from staring at Penelope in slack jawed amazement to me, freely floating in Raygunnr's spacious cockpit. Still seeing that no one is nearly as excited for this as they should be I continue.

"BOOM!

Clapping.

Finally, everyone that had their mouths open wide in confusion a moment ago close their mouths. Which is good, as I was one second away from making the next boom, a magically enhanced boom.

Raygunnr, always able to push a good thing too far cut in with his own commentary, "Oh Snap, that just happened!"

Fortunately, he was speaking only in Mana Language, so anyone not looking directly at him would not be able to see his message. That's when I keep up my praises for Penelope trying to divert away from Raygunnr's antics.

"Let's give it up for Three Degree Penelope! Ms. Trifecta herself!"

Clapping.

I feel sort of bad, knowing that I didn't push this hard for Jhonny during his degree, but it only came to me afterwards that I should have handled the moment better.

Taking a moment, I scan the area.

"Wait, is Jhonny here? Where's our first Graduate at?" I ask, turning around in Raygunnr. I am wasting my time, as I know Jhonny is getting some well deserved rest at the moment, but I want to make sure he gets celebrated here as well. Again, lessons learned. We might not always rise to the moment initially, but in hindsight we should be able to meet that same moment with the level of attention and praise it deserves on the second time.

"I am so proud of you two! Actually, I am proud of all of you, putting in your hard work to get these degrees." With that I make sure to gesture to the students who have not yet earned their degree, but are clearly focused on making this a reality. I also make sure to point out that I have nothing to do with their actual awarding, as that is all based on the great and equalizing system of determining the level of understanding that each student has reached and mastered.

Stolen story; please report.

Penelope shakily rises from her desk, her body trembling from under the exertion. I don't know if it is due to stress, due to having sat down for too long, or what, but I don't even take a second to doubt myself as I realize I need to instantly evaluate her to make sure she is okay.

Poof.

Just like that, Penelope is Teleported into my cockpit with me. At which time I quickly give a Healing Scan to make sure her vitals are okay, and also provide a Healing Regeneration to her, to make sure her stamina and other vitals are topped off after having undergone such strenuous work for so long. But I don't let my concern show, instead I am all about celebrating her success.

"Oh my goodness Penelope, I am so proud of you!" I state excitedly, as her body takes up way more of the cockpit's space than I am, but we are both still able to fit here easily, though maybe not comfortably as I can see her already trying to hunch her back as she rests against the outer glassy material that serves as Raygunnr's hull.

With her so close, I pounce and enjoy her warmth. With only Zero here to keep me comfortable normally, Penelope's added body heat makes this moment a bit more enjoyable than I would imagine. There is a slight hesitation, before Penelope herself adjust to her suddenly being within Raygunnr's cockpit and just accepts the moment.

We hold that embrace for a good minute, long enough for Penelope's racing heart to slowly calm down and come to within normal levels. Only once she is able to calm down do I give one last scan of her vitals, showing that everything is okay, at which point I let her go. She clings awkwardly for a moment longer, before letting go, and then once again scooting back to take me in. Realizing she needs to see me to be comfortable, I back up myself, floating to the top of Raygunnr's cockpit where we are face to face, with less than a few inches from ourselves. Dad would have called this, within kissing distance, but unfortunately this space wasn't designed to hold two people. As it is, my small frame is the only thing that makes this remotely possible. Still it is good to be able to have someone close after so many days of isolation.

"How does it feel?" I ask. Penelope looks at me with a look of shock at first, but then shaking her head answers.

"It feels pretty good. No, it feels great, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Penelope exclaims excitedly as she shivers for a moment before reaching out and hugging me once more. I don't resist, especially not as it feels warm and comfortable in her arms.

This time when she breaks away, I can see a look of hesitation on her face. Seeing it, I press, curious as to what could cause such a look.

"What is it?"

"I have a request."

"What type of request?"

"As a graduation present, can I ask one favor of you Doctor?" Penelope asks. Hearing the words, I know this is obviously a setup to something. In my mind a myriad of different questions that can be asked are all thought about, processed and filtered. Some even seem a bit embarrassing now that my teenage privacy filters are off. Yet, I force them all down and answer as honestly as possible.

"If it's within reason," I propose, not wanting to fully commit. Penelope pauses for a moment as her eyes sparkle with a hint of mischief, but then she seems to back down as she decides to go with her original question.

"Now that I am a full graduate, would you consider me one of your peers?" Penelope asks, I can tell she is nervous about this, but is clearly set on asking such a question.

"Of course, I have always considered you to be one of my peers," I respond, almost feeling off, as if I might have somehow wronged her in some way for her to even ask such a question.

"Then my question for you is, could you please be a bit more personal with me and call me Penny from now on?" She asks, a note of playfulness in her tone. But suddenly her comment about being peers makes more sense, as I have always used her more formal name Penelope, versus the shorter name Penny. Hearing this, pause my lips moving on their own for a moment, before I feel the need to defend myself and my past actions to her.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was offending you," I begin but am cut off almost immediately.

"On no, you weren't offending me…" This is where I too cut her off, holding up my hand in a halting gesture, as I need to say this, particularly as I don't' want her to think I was purposefully distancing myself from her.

"You must realize that I didn't call you Penelope because I thought it would distance us, but rather I always felt it much more of regal name. Especially when compared to Penny, which in my mind I equate to the smallest piece of currency. A piece that could easily be discarded and no one would bat an eye. One of the few monetary items that could be found openly in public, and people would debate with themselves whether they should pick it up. As in they would debate with themselves if stopping to pick it up would be worth their time," I state, pausing as I let that comment stick before I end my thought.

"That isn't you, and that isn't who you are to me. You are not Penny that I could lose or find on a whim that wouldn't change my day in any significant way even after being found and lost again. Instead, you are my Penelope; regal, capable, and above all, always worth finding and holding onto."

Silence.

Suddenly the confined space of the cockpit feels suffocatingly tight, as I realize I might have said too much? Maybe too little? Maybe she still wants to be called Penny even after my thoughts? I don't know. Finally, once it draws on for too much, I finally break the silence by continuing.

"If you want, I can call you Penny," realizing it is her graduation wish, and that if she truly wants it, that is a relatively small ask, all things considered.

Blur.

Penelope's arms shoot out, reaching out and wrapping themselves around me. Then I can see the moment tears begin to form behind her closed eyes. Tears that she tries desperately to hold back.

"No, never. I take it back. I take it all back." Penelope gets out her voice breaking with emotion. Then just before I can ask what happened, she continues, "never call me anything but Penelope. Please, that is my wish. I was wrong to ask for anything else."

With that, we hug, and I feel the temperature within the cockpit slowly rise. I am fairly certain that there is likely a layer of steam forming on the inside glass of the cockpit, but that doesn't matter. Right now, all that matters is that Penelope met her goals, and the first person she celebrated with is me!

Also, the fact that I don't need to call her anything other than Penelope is a huge boon. I don't know if I could call her the other name, without applying some form of mental connection to the discarded copper coins.

There is an awkward pause as Penelope again scoots back just far enough to look me in the eyes. I am so focused on trying to understand what this look in her eyes means, and distracted by the steamy heat that is now encapsulating the two of us in this seemingly ever-shrinking cockpit that I fail to notice or prevent the quest completion notification that I completely forgot existed.

Just as I expected, Legacy Experience comes from my gaining a portion of experience that my students would gain from using their degrees in the real world. Though apparently my bonuses for my first two graduates are doubled, or at least I assume they are doubled due to the notice of having my rewards being increased due to completing the quest early. That said, of all my students, these two are the ones I have the most hopes for doing the greatest amount of good. So gaining fifty percent from their successes is a win for me. But the messages were not completed with that, as they continued.

Yeah, not exactly the best recommendation there, but it was still nice to see.

Seeing the Evolutionary Perk, I paused as I realized for me specifically it was kind of meh. But for what it allowed me to bestow to my future students? Now this might be exactly what we needed to win these competitions going forward.

"You okay?" Penelope asked, pulling me out of my reverie for completing a quest that I had almost entirely forgotten about.

"Yeah, actually, can you do me a favor?" I ask.

"Yeah."

"Can you look at your bonuses and tell me if you notice any changes?"

Penelope looks momentarily confused for a moment, but apparently she is used to me enough that she doesn't think about not doing what I asked and instead just pulls up her recent notifications.

That's when I see the moment she notices something different.

Gasp.

"Anything good?" I ask.

Penelope just nods her head slowly, before stating what I kind of already knew, "yeah, my bonuses for energy are increased by 200%, and all my bonuses are further increased to…" she trails off as she tries to calculate, but I can already answer.

"They are doubled?" I ask.

Penelope nods.

This is good, as it was retroactively applied to Penelope. Now I just need to make sure the same holds true for Jhonny.