2014.02.11 - A Secure Mind

Emma had arranged for another session with Leo, this time to 'teach' him some new things completely new. She had determined it was finally time.

At the moment she was in her home office, finishing up an international webcam conference. She was dressed in a white button up blouse, silver glasses frames, and a short silver skirt, but no shoes (the skirt and feet thankfully not seen on screen).

When Leo approaches the door he hears Emma in his mind, |"The door is open come in. I'll be with you in a flash, darling."|

Leo doesn't knock as a result and just comes on in. He keeps quiet as Emma finishes up her conference, hanging up his coat silently. The door locks behind him instinctively, because...well, that is what he was taught.

Just a few minutes later Emma is off of the conference call and tosses off her glasses then stretches out her arms. As she does so she calls out to Leo, "Finally done!"

She moved to rejoin Leo in the the open portion of her penthouse apartment. Emma smiled when she spotted the boy and moved to kiss him on both cheeks in greetings, "Hello, Leo. You'll have to forgive my appearance today, I've been in and out of both offices all day and wanted to get comfortable. I probably look a fright."

Ignore the thought that Leo wished that kiss was somewhere else! He may be with the girl he fell in love with for the first time, but Emma will always be special to Leo. He smiles, "Emma, you look beautiful and you know it." And Leo actually moves to give her a warm hug, holding her for a little bit. He's not as settled and chilled as he normally is, but he's not really bad or anything. "Glad you called me over, I've missed your company lately. How have you been?

Emma warmly hugged him back and cooed into the embrace, "I do. But I like compliments."

She had already anticipated Leo stopping by, and had tea ready in her living room area. Once they broke from the embrace she led him over towards there, swinging her hips just so because she's still a little mean, "I've missed you as well. And you know me, busy busy busy. Caught you on the news recently, ah the 'Infinite'. How is that, and the rest of your exciting life going?"

"Can we bury Matrix somewhere? Other than that, it's fine." Mixed feelings of jealousy, distrust, and...confusion. "By the way, I have someone researching some files for me, and bringing them to me. I'll let you know if I find anything out about your girls." He hasn't forgotten, and Leo did want to let Emma know he was working on it.

She let out a soft laugh as she made herself comfortable on the couch, and took the perfectly brewed cup of green tea to her lips, "I don't think Namor's a fan of Matrix."

And when Namor doesn't like a pretty woman, you know there's a problem.

However her brow quirked and she gently touched her hand to his arm her voice softer and more concerned then usual, "As long as it's someone you /completely/ trust. I don't know where exactly they come from, and the answer we find can be...troublesome."

"Matrix is completely socially inept, and only knows how to solve problems with violence." Leo moves to take a seat beside Emma on the couch, sitting perhaps a bit closer than he properly should. Leo doesn't think much about it however. "She's not a bad...individual, but I don't like her either." She's taking his Father's attention from him...she...ugh! Noooo! Alright, Leo tries to squish that thought. He's annoyed and frustrated right now. Leo knows where Matrix comes from, and it freaks him out and makes him ask more questions and even more wary. He lets out a pent up breath. "I don't know."

Emma smirked and ran her arm across his shoulders, even without his anxiety projecting a bit she can always tell when Leo is upset, "There there now. I remember when /you/ were a bit socially inept. Something about my ass, at one point or another."

She rested her chin on his shoulder, "Perhaps she needs a bit of time to grow and change with experience as well. Perhaps she'll make your father relax a bit. Which is a good thing, I invited the two of you to my home for dinner and he kept calling it a date."

She rolled her eyes, that ship has sailed quite a while ago. But then smiled again, "But don't fret on that too much, I'm teaching you something special today."

"I was also purposely being a jerk because I was upset with you," Leo confesses. "And maybe a bit of a cocky ass." Leo nods when Emma puts her chin on his shoulder, "She said she has experienced a lot of perspectives, but doesn't seem to comprehend them. It has me...concerned." But he then snorts, "Hopefully not his mouth. Father isn't used to people not letting his demeanor and urge to push people away be ignored like she ignores it, so he automatically thinks she's someone special." And Leo winces at his own words.

"I...should not have said that. That's my anger speaking, not my true feelings about my Father." He regrets it and feels guilty about it. He loves his Father greatly, and he would kill Matrix if she hurt him. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, apparently Matrix asked Father out on a 'date'," and perhaps one of the main reasons Leo is having difficulty. His Father doesn't often 'date'.

"Are you teaching me Japanese today?" Leo looks curious and is happy for the distraction.

Emma remembered the day vividly, actually. It was one of her first big mistakes as a teacher, but she thankfully learned much from it as well, "I know. And you're still a bit of an ass, but mine."

She laughed and had another sip of tea before putting hers down, and poured a cup in one of her fine china for Leo, and slid it in front of him on the table, "No parent is completely perfect, it is fine to understand their faults."

And that was about as much talk of Lex Luthor she needed for the day, and was glad to change the focus of the conversation, "I was intending to, yes. Perhaps my email was a bit cryptic...I've told you now in /various/ ways I trust you Leo. So if you would permit it, I'd like to start training you in mental resistance."

Leo actually laughs at Emma calling him an ass. "I can't deny that." But he's smiling finally. Leo also settles down enough to pick up the cup to sip at the hot tea finally as well. He nods about understanding a parent's flaws. But he then seems to mentally perk up, "Seriously? I'd...love that actually," Leo states with honesty. "Like mega-like, like that." Alright, excuse the teenage moment, he has those.

A genuine, wide smile spread across her face. Something a little rare, but happened when Emma was put in the right mood or caught in a genuine surprise, "You're still so cute, but yes."

She crossed her legs and examined her perfectly manicured nails, "I know you would. You'd have to concentrate in order to pull it off, but it'll give you protection. You wouldn't /believe/ how many telepaths there are out there. And not all of them are as fun as me."

"Look who is talking." Leo thinks Emma pulls these totally random 'too damn cuuuuute!!!' moments too! A nod at that, "Understood, and then there are neutrals, like your girls who have no respect for privacy and can't trust to keep their mouths shut even if they don't mean harm." He likes to think the best of them, for Emma, but sometimes...he isn't so sure. He's just glad Fern is such a good sport and sweetheart, he knows some girls could have been devastated by what was said at the party.

"Look who is talking." Leo thinks Emma pulls these totally random 'too damn cuuuuute!!!' moments too! A nod at that, "Understood, and not everyone has the control you do with your powers either Emma," thinking of Emma's girls. He hopes they weren't malicious at least, and he's glad Fern is such a good sport...some girls would have been devastated with what happened at the birthday party.

Before the session would actually begin, she would take care of this minor issue first. They /were/ her girls after all. She crossed her arms just underneath her endowed chest, "Leo, my girls are unusual in many ways. In the one of the many, telepathy was their first language. They are trying to help it, but it's a process. Trust me, they are better than they used to be. On top of that I've heard they've become fast friends with Fern. So be nice."

A small smirk spreads across her lips as she brushed her shoulder up against his, "Besides, they are my /other/ favorite students."

"Fern is....a beautiful person inside, it doesn't surprise me. She could likely make fast friends with the devil and endear him to her," Leo states, but he is smiling a bit. Fern to him is...something 'other', his conscience, his heart, and if anything happened to her likely the one to awaken his deepest darkness. Still, the warning of obsession from Namor echos in Leo's ears, he hasn't forgotten and carefully monitors himself. He never wants to remove Fern's ability to make a 'choice' or stop her happiness. Something...both Emma and Namor have taught him to think of others about; after all, girls hate it when a guy can't accept 'No' for an answer.

"Just be careful Emma. I do worry for you. They have an unknown past, and one that could hurt you even without their malicious intent." But is the only warning Leo gives for now, dropping it.

Leo doesn't even think to deny their right to befriend and socialize with Fern, it never crosses his mind. It is Fern's choice, so it just doesn't. "How do we begin?"

Emma opened her mouth like she had more she wanted to add. But it was time to begin. Instead she gave him bicep a soft squeeze before taking his tea and placing it onto the table. "It is, in concept, simple."

She moved to face towards him, tucking her feet underneath herself, "The first part. Like with 'magic', it's misdirection. You disguise your thoughts, with others. It tends to work best if you think about something that makes sense, a subject that would be realistic in your mind."

She rested her left arm against the back of her couch, as she looked to the side in thought, "For instance, one common but effective tactic is to think something truly /vile/. It's crude, but can get the job done quickly. Simple misdirection."

"I've done that one before," it was how he was making sure Lilith wasn't reading his mind, "So I was correct in that perspective," Leo states curiously. Yes, he has been theorizing how to block telepathy. "It would be more difficult to operate on a goal, while thinking of something contary to it."

Emma tapped at the side of her temple, "Of course. But you can also work with the situation on hand. Say you are combat at one, think that you'll be going right but instead left."

There is a sly smirk as she moves to grab her cup and drinks, "And there is more beyond that, I can help you hide secrets. The important ones, rather. If you would allow me to enter your mind once more."

She leaned forward and whispered just next to his ear, "I promise to be good. No peeking."

Leo seems a little unsure, but he is definitely curious. "What do you mean about that? Can you described in more detail in how that works without viewing the secrets?" He is beyond curious. There is a lot of trust he has for Emma, but there are still some secrets he doesn't even want to know, some that tries to even hide from himself.

Emma smiled, his uneasiness was warranted, sure. But she still found it amusing. She ran her fingers through her blonde locks, "It's simply compartmentalizing. So say someone who isn't as delightful as me goes searching through your head, may not know some of the deep, dark, and very personal things about yourself. The big things, at least the things that are big to you."

She held the glass in her lap, and ran a nail along the rim of the glass, "A labyrinth, is one way to put it. But the imagery is all what you would associate with. It's different for everyone."

"So it's like you build a labyrinth in my mind, and I compartmentalize them?" Leo is working to grasp this, he is a serious young man in this manner. Actually, in more manners than he wants to be, he is serious. His attention is fully focused on Emma as he tries to mentally imagine this.

Emma nods, "You imagine, I help strengthen. It is all based on what you consider 'safe' and 'secure'. While simple words, it is imagined differently by everyone."

While she was a bit teasing before, she had meant it. Emma finished the rest of her cup and placed it aside, for the time being. She reached out and touched at his thigh, her voice softening, "I won't see your secrets, I know you have many. I just want to help you build it, reinforce it. Are you ready to begin?"

"Not exactly. So I don't visualize my secrets as that would defeat the purpose, but I visit a labyrinth or maze, and later I 'store' my secrets within that labyrinth or maze?" Leo is a logical individual and this is very abstract, so it is difficult for him to grasp.

True, but Emma was patient, if anything. There was a smile as she checked to her nails, continuing, "It's not quite like making a building and filling it with furniture later. It's more of a one step process; I have helped others do the same thing. And I didn't view /their/ secrets either."

She brought her eyes back to Leo's, "The concept is simple, you visualize something that you would consider safe. Hell it could be just a giant safe, that only you know the code. Does that make any more sense? If you are not interested that is acceptable."

"Contrary to my discomfort, I am interested Emma," Leo states. "This is just out of my normal expertise and experience. It is quite new to me," he explains. "So I am grasping understanding, before I dive in head first. But it is making more sense to me."

Emma grinned and reached out to squeeze at Leo's bicep playfully, "And when I introduce you to something new, it's always delightful isn't it? But it's good to be cautious, at least around someone with questionable morals like me. Now lie back and close your eyes."

Leo then laughs, "Relax after you just told me that?" His bicep doesn't seem to really give under the playful squeeze at all. "If I close my eyes, are you going to kiss me awake like sleeping beauty?" His tone is teasing. But he does settle back against the couch after setting his own drink aside and close his eyes. "Do your worse Emma," and the way he says your name it is almost as if to say 'MY Emma'.

"That story always made me uncomfortable, date rape much?"

She took a second to admire him before closing her own eyes to concentrate. Emma dove into Leo's own mind, and they were in a bright white room. The White Queen was now wearing her traditional Hellfire outfit. Leo is appearing how he views himself.

Leo snorts in laughter, "I don't think they had sex while she was sleeping, what version did you read?" Apparently the version written by Anne Rice. Still, Leo does start to tray and think about protective measures as he is suddenly pulled into a white room. He raises an eyebrow at Emma. He appears like he does in his Infinite uniform, though without the leather jacket this time.

Emma held out her hands as if to show herself on displace, "There, we have our armor on and now we can began. Now I want you to focus on the concept of safe, fortified, protection. It's more abstract, yes, but here you will be able to 'see' it."

"Very well." Leo then closes his eyes. He reaches a hand out and he starts picturing a vault with 'saftey deposit boxes', and that vault is made of unique alloys and materials like the ones he saw under the sea with Namor. He starts building high security, a building to house it. Everything is built with careful thought and concentration. Safe, safe, safe...never to be unlocked, ever...never...burn the code...there are secrets and then there are SECRETS, and some he doesn't even want to recall easily.

What Leo doesn't see if that with every 'wall' Emma fortifies it within his own mind. While a mind like Xavier could dive into Leo's, he'd have to greatly concentrate to get to some of Leo's hidden away secrets like this. Emma's voice doesn't particularly come from her mouth, but reverberates from all directions but still isn't too loud so that it's distracting, "There you are, keep going. And if anyone should ever threaten you like this, focus on your..bank? Hm. That will work, you are rich after all."

"It is what came to mind, perhaps because of my recent mission with The Infinite. I would have liked to have improved the security of that facility." And he visualizes how he would do it, the counteracting of super strength, of super powers, and so on. The lack of wi-fi which is a higher risk and so much more. He is a detailed oriented young man, and when Emma reinforces it, he can feel it strengthening.

"There you are. And all of those thoughts, memories, everything you want of your own...and perhaps even from yourself find a drawer or safe to keep them in." It is almost as if within each wall and surface of his 'bank' is a layer of diamond. Once extra line of defense to keep his privacy.

She looked to him and smiled, "And there, I think that about does it."

Leo slowly opens his eyes, a little mentally exhausted, but...he smiles as he looks at the hard work's results. "Thank you Emma." Some of the underlying stress seems to be gone from him.

Emma placed her hand on her hip, as she enjoyed the view of his new little safe house, "See? Not so terribly hard is it? And in the long run, should help."

She looked about at the rest of his mental 'city' with a wicked smirk, "Now where to find all of your fun thoughts are, I wonder which building has the 'What I really think of Ms. Frost' thoughts."

She winked at him jokingly, "I'm sure it's posh."

And Leo laughs at that. "It's a totally mess. You bring so many emotions, thoughts, and concepts to the forethought, it doesn't make sense Emma. However, that is also why you are so interesting to me, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. The overall conensus is that you are beautiful."

And at that Emma and Leo are both in her living room, and looking out of the window you can tell it's several hours later, but not /too/ late in the night. She then leans over and moves to kiss Leo on the forehead, "And I know, I just enjoy seeing you squirm. You might feel a bit mentally exhausted, but after a good night's sleep you should be fine."

"No kidding. Is it going to be this exhausting to learn Japanese?" Leo moves to lean a touch into that kiss. He is much more comfortable with Emma and not climbing the walls like he is with Matrix...well, with Matrix, it's to get away.

And at that angle of Emma kissing his forehead, hello cleavage! Which wasn't totally intentional, but ya know. The kittens can't help themselves.

She pulled away and sat next to him, and placed a hand lightly on his knee, "Quite a bit easier, actually. I'll hold that off until our next session. It'll take less time and it won't leave you feeling exhausted, but it does take some time to get used to the new language. But I am glad I was able to help you with this, I hope it proves useful one day."