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Caleb Widogast watched his best friend's son try the somatics for Prestidigitation for the fortieth time with no success. The motion had to be gentler for it to work, and Luc just couldn't seem to get it right, it was just too forceful. The young Halfling was rapidly becoming more and more frustrated, and Caleb knew just how he felt.
"I feel stupid!" Luc cried. Tears shined in his eyes.
"Nein, you are the cleverest boy I know." *I am the stupid one,* Caleb thought. *If I were so clever, I could think of a way to teach this.*
Veth was watching from the doorway, and although he knew his friend better than that, part of Caleb was sure that as she watched her son on the brink of tears from Caleb's lesson, all her trust in him would be destroyed. What kind of monster of a teacher made five year olds cry? She'd probably never let him near her child again! He knew he wasn't being rational but that couldn't stop the fear, which then snowballed and started to turn into panic. He was determined to be a good teacher, but here he was about to make a kid cry over a cantrip. He ruined everything he touched. He wasn't really any better than his own teacher.
All of those thoughts went through his head in a flash and then he thought, *I wish Frumpkin was here.* When he felt panicked like this, his fey cat always knew just what to do He would jump up in Caleb's arms and purr, and the soothing, repetitive motion of stroking his soft fur would -
That was it!
Caleb got down on his knees in front of Luc. He made the boy look at him and took his small hand gently. "Young master Brenatto, do you remember Frumpkin?"
Luc's mouth stopped quivering. He sniffled once. "Y-yeah."
"Do you remember how you used to pet him, how gentle you used to be?"
"I remember."
"Good, that's excellent. Now, close your eyes, and imagine that Frumpkin is - just - here." Caleb moved the boy's hands into the right position to start the somatics again, but this time Luc's face held a look of interested focus, not frustration. "Ja, perfect. Now let's try one more time, but imagine that you are petting Frumpkin very gently."
Luc did the movement one more time, and this time, a small shower of colorful sparks tinkled through the air. His eyes flew open. "I did it, I did it!" He jumped up and hung off of Caleb's neck while giving him a hug.
Caleb returned the hug and met Veth's eyes over the boy's back. "Ja, well, the really magical things are like that," he told Luc, "when you get stuck, the secret is to be gentle."
Veth came over and put a hand on Luc's head while she gave Caleb a kiss on the cheek. Her eyes were full of pride - in both of them. "Including with yourself," she said.