Way to ruin the very sweet moment, Gemini.
He smirked a little at that, shaking his head. "Sorry doll, I'm not well versed on how to be sweet," he joked, but in a way, it was true. He could be a charmer, a gentleman ripped out of the pages of a fairy tale, but he did not know what 'sweet' was, or how to be it. She was sweet, he knew that— innocent to her core, eager to express herself no matter who she was around, and determined. It was a rare mix of traits, and Gemini was certain that he hadn't ever trained someone like her before.
It was mindboggling, even— like how she could tell him that he gave nice hugs, eyes laughing, as if he was just your average guy that she was talking to. "Do I?" he asked, and was prepared to give a witty retort, but for once, Gemini Stone didn't know how to be witty about such a thing. Nice hugs— him, really? He couldn't peg her for a liar, but it was a supposed truth that he'd never heard before in his life. "Ah... thank you," was his final answer, his incredibly lame and dumbstruck final answer.
The heir was not really used to anyone being so casual with him— he was an elite, used to playing mind games and responding to people with carefully constructed criticisms —but her? How was she able to be so natural? It was a bizarre phenomenon that he could not deconstruct.
She also liked his rings, which was not a surprise, to him. They had taken ages to make, considering he was not a blacksmith of any sort. You are truly talented, Gemini, she completed, and Gemini looked at her again, trying to study where such sincerity was coming from. He was used to being complemented, but not with the sincerity that rang in her tone. Finally, he smiled, shaking his head. "You flatter me, doll, truly," was his response, not knowing how to say 'thank you' again. What was with her uncanny ability to catch him off guard?
As she stood up to try the technique again, he watched the water raise about a foot, only to fall again. As to be expected— it was not really an easy trick. He stood next to her, placing one hand on his hip, holding one over the water, and his mana ring began to glow again.
"Remember, the water moves in one fluid motion. Don't force the extraction— work with the water of the pond's flow." A stream of water began to flow upwards as he talked, his own miniature waterfall. "It might take some time, but be patient with the water. Work with it, not against it."