2013.03.18 - A Test of Will

It was high time for Julian Keller to prove himself. Anyone within his general vicinity was able to hear just how confident Julian was. Emma knew the boy had talent, and could even sense the potential he didn't even realize just within the confines of his mind.

Julian himself was inside of a large white room, very sterile but useful for these purposes. Emma was in a glass room above him, seated at the controls with her legs crossed. She was in a pair of white leather pants, with a matching corset. Julian could hear Emma's voice inside of her mind, "Now darling, we are going to do a simple test today. In front of you is a twenty pound dumbbell, I want you to move it three feet to your right." Julian Keller looks up at the box, at his new 'teacher', and admires her... assets. "Twenty pounds? Really?" He asks. Simplicity itself. His eyes blaze green, and the dumbbell follows suit. "You sure you only want it moved the three feet? Don't want it to dance the carumba or anything?" He calls up. His finger twitches and the dumbbell rolls over, ending about where she wants it. "You do realize I can turn this thing into a bullet right?" He calls up, on hand extended and holding the weight in place. Emma Frost lets out a soft laugh as she takes a sip of her coffee. She jots down a quick note on her tablet. He hears her voice once again, "Did I ask for you to turn it into a bullet? We aren't robbing a bank, follow my directions. Now there is no need to shout, I can 'hear' your thoughts. Now put down the weight, gently." Julian Keller sighs, and set it down, the glow fading from his eyes and the weight. Looking up he frowns slightly. <> He 'asks', silently voicing his complaints. He knows he can do so much more than this. A wicked smile spreads across Emma's lips. Oh the boy, such potential but he was so predictable. So brash. This was a test after all. <>

Also in front of Julian, is a table with a few assorted objects, chosen ahead of time by Emma. One of the objects a shiny red apple on top of a plate. <>

Just as he would begin this "boring" task, his mind was suddenly bombarded with highly detailed and accurate images of Emma in what could be described as the world's skimpiest bikini. To Julian's credit.. he manages for a few moments. His eyes ignite from within once more and the apple starts to shed it's skin. One peel. Two. Thr.... Then his mind fills with images of Emma, and his perverted brain responds with images lacking clothing of any kind... a sort of mental photoshop to Emma's images. Lewd.. crude.. and completely distracting. Julian's hand twitches, trying to maintain his focus, and suddenly.. the apple explodes fom the inside. Applesauce all over the table and floor. He drops his hand, and looks up at you. "So not fair!" He calls up at you. Laughing could be heard from the inside of the control room as Emma rose from her chair and left. After a few short moments a sliding door opened and closed behind her, as she entered the main testing room. She placed a hand on her hip and said, "Don't worry Julian, that happens to a lot of boys your age."

She moved over to where some of the applesauce sprayed onto the wall, and touched it with her fingers, "You will not always be using your powers in relaxed situations. Sometimes they will be downright unpleasant. You need to be /so/ in control of your powers, that I could be pole dancing right in front of you and you would be able to take apart one of those cars, piece by piece. Do you understand?" Julian Keller is angry. She played him. His eyes flare up despite him not using his powers, a low.. simmering glow that turn his irises incandescent. "I can fight.. I can take anyone. Anytime.. I'd take them apart. " He retorts. Angry Julian is having a hard time taking the fact that she manipulated him so very easily. The dumbbells gets the worst of it. He's not even looking at it, but the weight glows and under the assault from his mind it contorts and twists out of shape, slowly but inexorably crushing it into a shapeless mass of steel. "I'll try harder.." He mutters. Emma Frost is no longer laughing and smiling. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and said firmly, "Do not destroy my equipment unless I ask you to. Now calm down or I will shut you down."

The boy was obviously upset, his mind was radiating with anger alone. She stepped forward and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. She spoke with a softer voice, "You are amazing, Julian. Or else I wouldn't be personally training you. Just follow my directions, there is a method to my madness. I will make you the /best/ of your generation." Julian Keller feels her hand on his shoulder. He assault on the dumbbell ceases, only the number twenty visible on the top, the only identifier left. In through the nose, out through the mouth... rinse and repeat. In and out. In and out. As he breathes, he visualizes the toxins of anger.. visible red fumes leaving him. He was.. 'involved' with his mothers yoga instructor last year. she taught him a lot. A sudden image of her pops into his mind, and he smiles. Good times. " I am the best of my generation. I just need to widen the gap." He says, turning to look at her. "What next?" He asks. A trace of anger in his voice but now it's tempered by.... determination possibly? The refusal to allow himself to be beat by her tricks. Was worried for a moment that Julian wouldn't contain his composure. Yet another test within many tests today. But thankfully the boy would see reason. The boy did show progress, it would just take time to hone his skills. Emma gestured towards the dumbbell, "Are you? Well then you will not have any trouble re-forming that."

She gently tapped her hands together twice, with a small smirk at the side of her lips,"Chop chop." Julian Keller looks at the pass of steel that used to be a dumbbell. "I uh..." He starts, moving to it and picking it up physically. "I have no idea how to do that." He admits. The mass of steel is barely recognizable as exercise equipment. It looks like some great heat melted it into it's current form. "Sorry." He mutters. "I don't think I can." Emma Frost looks down at the chunk of metal, it looks nothing like it once did save for the number twenty. She shook her head, completely sure he could do this. "Yes, you can. In your mind I am going to show you every detail that this dumbbell once was. You'll recall I have an excellent memory."

She gently placed her hand on his shoulder once more, "/I/ believe in you. Now give it a try for auntie Emma."

In his mind he sees the dumbbell completely, every angle texture, and shape. GAME: Restart by Dumbledore, please wait. GAME: Restart finished. Julian Keller can see what it once was.. but he also see's what it is now. And no clear link between the two, it's that badly deformed. He was... very angry. Taking a seat, his cross his legs, and sets the weight in his lap, staring at it. What it is.. and what it was... is and was. Where was the link.. how to... wait! The twenty. It's the same. His gaze goes... well.. he glazes over slightly, staring at the piece of steel but not even seeing it.

His eyes blaze with that fierce green hue and the aura extends to his hands and the metal in his lap. Sounds of metal creaking can be heard, his power gripping and forcing the steel back into place, undoing what he did in a fit of rage. The aura extends to him, and he starts to rise up off the floor, levitating himself, and the metal, lost in the process. Emma Frost remains silent as she watches him work. This is exactly what she wanted to see from him. His control and focus. At another point she would try more high-stress. But today was a good humbling exercise in multiple ways. Even in his mind, she can sense just how focused he was, his thoughts were only on the weight. She walks towards a wall and leans up against it, patient to watch him finish his work. Julians face contorts, unseeing eyes gazing at and through the metal. It's almost as if he were forcing the steel out by hand. Veins in his forehead pop out, in his neck as well. Sweat breaks out on his forehead. But his hands don't move, and aside from the slight bobbing in midair, neither does the rest of him. His breathing is... well. you could set a metronome by it, relaxed and easy, even breathes in and out through his nose, despite the great effort.

Under his power, the steel unfolds like a flower blooming, one head pulls itself from the mass, and reshapes itself, each angle being literally carved out of the rounded slab. He's having to rebuild it.. there is no reforming it. It's not just raw material he has to shape. After about twenty agonizingly slow minutes, the dumbell is complete. Only now.. the '20' that was on one end.. is on the bar in the middle. The angles don't quite match up, it'll sit funny on the ground. But the basic form is there. His efforts complete, his eyes refocus, and he promptly falls out of the air, the dumbbell landing on his leg. He didn't know he was levitating. "Ow! Fuck..." Emma Frost walks towards him and lifts the dumbbell from his leg. She inspects the object. Sure, it isn't the same as it was before but it was clearly better than the mass of metal it was twenty minutes ago. "You did excellent."

She reaches out and helps him back to his feet, "Today I wanted to test your precision, and doing so under emotional distress is an achievement. I am proud, Julian." Julian Keller takes her hand and lurches to his feet, wiping the sweat from his brow with his other hand. He feels gross all of a sudden. Hadn't had to exert that hard since.. well.. ever. And over a stupid 20 pound dumbbell. "Thanks.. It's.. It's not pretty but I tried. Hard to match what a machine made." He explains, seeing the imperfections clear as day.

Emma Frost placed it aside on the table. No it wasn't perfect, and neither was young Julian here. But in time she would help shape him into quite the Hellion. All in due time. But for today a bit of progress was made. And Julian learned that he still had some room to grow. She began to lead him towards the exit, "You are lucky though. I could have sent you some truly horrifying images. Consider yourself privledged darling."