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Summary: Jono gets swamped with optimism while him, Christopher and Hank go about their own tasks in the Danger Room.
Date: February 14, 2010
Log Title All About the Danger Room
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Danger Room
A product of Shi'ar technology, the room generates apparently solid, realistic imagery by manipulation high-resolution force fields and holograms. The walls and floor appear as a steel room until a program is turned on. Overhanging the room in the center is a control Room managing the room's mechanisms to oversee the exercise while ensuring the subject's safety.
As nearly every evening, Jonothon is here in the danger room. He vents his power to ensure that he's not dangerous to the kids at the school, and then once he's tiring he begins practicing putting himself back together. Been doing that for weeks now, and today is no exception. An old stone village that long ago was reclaimed by the woodland. That's what the danger room looks like. It's a beautiful day, and most the buildings show heavy blast damage. Yeah, he leveled the whole place earlier.
Psy-fire wraps around him, and he's not wearing his face mask. That lays over his collar bone and shoulders. This shows that he actually has a face. Jono was once a very handsome young man, and whole he shows that again. Even with his hair ruffling around as though it had a will of it's own. Eyes closed, he concentrates. It has the air around him feeling heavy. Molecules are being moved around!
Christopher has dinner plans with his husband a little bit later in the evening, but at the moment he's decided to come down to the danger room to get some practice in. His powers have evolved a bit since the demon possession but he's determined to learn them. He comes into the Danger Room and stops at the scene, just watching for a bit. Finally his voice speaks up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you, I'll come back a bit later." He says going to leave.
Brown eyes have turned to flame when he opens them at that voice, and Jonothon looks over. «No, it's alright.» The words are immediate as he looks over. As flames retreat and brown returns, he lifts a hand. Psy-fire dances around the thin man, but it's a lazy thing. Looks almost relaxed. «I'm pretty much done anyway. …Aren't you one of the teachers here?» Asked with a little smile. The lips don't move, but his words are clear. «I think I've seen you around.» No need to rush off, he was nearly done anyway.
Christopher smiles and walks over, offering a hand. "Yes, yes I am. Christopher Parker-Mayfair. I'm the culinary teacher here among helping out with whatever I can." If that is a shoulder or ear for a student, helping defend the school or running after school detention, he'll do it. "I know I've seen you around as well but I'm not sure of your name. I was just about to practice in here for a bit."
Jonothon accepts that hand and shakes it. No super strength here, and certainly no attempt at strong arming. His skin is dry and warm. «I'm Jonothon Starsmore. Call me Jono. I'm one of the X-men, but not a teacher. Mostly help out Hank with what he needs to keep busy.» Letting go of your hand, he pulls up that mask and fits it back into place. Soon his lower face is covered. «Practice away. Would you like me to go reset the room?» He kind of made a mess of this village. Nothing is left standing. «I really was nearly done.»
"You can call me Christopher, I really don't like Chris." And Mr. Parker-Mayfair is fine for the students but then half of them call him Christopher or some just call him Dad. "I never made it to X-Men, never really wanted to. I don't mind helping out but I have my own business to run on top of teaching and a family that I think it'd all be too much. And you don't have to reset the room, I'm just practicing my constructs, it's all new to me."
A voice from overhead. "Excuse me gentlemen, I didn't see the room scheduled for this evening, I was going to pull the primary emitter array for maintenance. BUT…as you're busy, I shan't interrupt." Hank's voice is pretty distinctive, as is the rather large silhouette in the control booth — that particular span of shoulder coupled with owl-crest hairdo is impossible to mistake for anyone (besides Gossamer from Bugs Bunny, but SO not orange) else.
Jonothon nods, «Christopher it is then.» No qualms about that at all. Once he tried to shift people to Jon, to feel older, but gave that up. Realized it didn't matter. «I..» About to reply to Chris about being an X-man, Jono looks up to the viewing window. He lifts a hand to the blue one. «I'm done, and Christopher said he didn't need a scenario, so it's okay to start repairs. ..So long as the place doesn't go wild and attack or anything.» Eyes narrow in a smile, never mind he knows that happens on occasion. As he speaks the psy-fire he's been wrapped in begins to dissipate. A gentle, slow disappearance.
Christopher waves a hand. "No, no, I don't need a scenario. I was just hoping to get about a half hour of practice in." Not much but it's something. "I have a date with my husband later so I have to make sure I have time to get cleaned up but I figured I'd try to get some things done." He says as he concentrates and puts out a hand, and from it comes a beam of light and it forms a cylindrical construct made of a white light, and he starts to move it back and fourth. "I wasn't able to do this before."
"Ah, if you're both sure…" Hank's fingers dance an appreggio on the controls, and he quite deliberately shuts the currently running scene down in an expanding sphere starting as a pinpoint between Chris and Jono. Yes, he is having a little fun, but when you've got brains like his you NEED to have a little fun — or you'll get in trouble. "…I'll just shut the system down, and open the maintenance seals on the emitter. Watch your step." Panels in the floor start to slide, and then a rather large cylinder, constructed of more cylinders, rises up from underneath. The fuzzy genius then opens up the control booth, dropping effortlessly to the ground, a bag of tools over his shoulder. A cheery smile. "Nice work, Mister Mayfair-Parker, cheers, Jono."
«I'll get out of your way then.» Jonothon says to Christopher even as he steps back and away. The light has him curious though. Finding out about other people's powers is neat. Always has him jealous, but neat just the same. «That's pretty much what I was finishing with when you arrived.» To Chris about practicing. See, Hank, he's been good and has been practicing every day. Christopher saw it, Hank didn't, but Jono had a full face. As a matter of fact the Brit is lacking those crack like scars that normally cover his face. The mask is there, but the cracks aren't. «Cheers, mate.» Back at Hank. Then to Chris, «Solid light?»
"Please, call me Christopher, there's no need for formalities here." Christopher says as sometimes the 'Mr' makes him feel old and since he's in his late 20's, he doesn't like feeling old. "Don't worry, you're not in my way. I just want to see how long I can keep this up and what I can do. It's like a solid light, yes. It's always been kind of solid but I didn't find out about the constructs until the whole Demon thing but I guess at least something good came out o the bad."
"Very good, Christopher…and you should call me Hank, or Henry if you're upset with me." Hank makes his way to the emitter. "By all means, gentlemen, don't let me interfere, this shouldn't take much time at all." A wink towards Jono, and yes, he's noticed the lack of cracks. "Unless of course everything goes berserk and the room tries to kill us." He looks to Christopher. "As does happen from time to time, but that's a big part of the fun." His expression might even be taken for serious if one didn't look at his eyes, they're such a give away. "Solid light constructs? Sounds like some of the systems in here. A combination of applied tele- and photo-kinesis. Fascinating stuff."
«Fascinating to you maybe.» Jonothon teases Hank. «I don't bloody well understand half of what you say.» He's lying of course. His education has been very good. «And please don't tempt fate.» Resignation about the room attacking you all. That shit really does happen, and Jono's already tired. «How long you been able to hold it so far, mate?» Asked of Christopher. «..Do the systems here really run on a form of telekinesis?» Did he hear that right? Oh wait, he's not suppose to know those words. Oops.
Christopher lets go of the construct he's created with an exhale of breath. "Maybe five minutes right now? I have to concentrate and just figure out what to mold. I imagine I'll get it down so it feels like instinct." He says looking up at the control booth where Hank is. "And if something happens where I'm late tonight because of the Danger Room attacking us, I imagine my husband will not be too happy with me." He says with a chuckle.
"Well — in a manner of speaking, the wavelengths used in the tractor and pressor beams and force fields are actually remarkably similar to similar applications of telekinetic abilities. In a similar vein, the field variance of the light emissions is quite close to the same sort of thing in several types of light manipulation, I had the opportunity to study with Captain Marvel, er…the black woman…back when we were both on the Avengers, and when I was active instead of a reservist on the team." Which means she was kind enough to let him poke and prod a bit. A benevolent smile then to Christopher. "All it takes is practice and a good understanding of how your abilities work. You'll get there, and if need be rather than contribute to potential marital friction I'll hold the room off so you can make good your escape."
Okay, that makes sense. Kind of. Jonothon isn't even close to as smart as Hank, but he can grasp the basics. Just shakes his head at it all, for it's still amazing. Even if he seems blaze‘ around the kids. And Christopher’s five minutes sounds familiar. His own hold over his face is growing, but it's still not all that long. Nor does it hold when he gets shocked. It's why he covers up. «Hank.. if that happens, we all go down together.» But the Brit is joking. No one gets left behind! «Your husband work for the school too?» Asked of Chris. No issue with the same gender stuff here.
Christopher can't help but smile at Hank's words, even chuckle a bit. "Hank, thanks for the advice. I've known my powers for a long time, it's just, something new popped up. I have a really good understanding of them." He's not being rude with how he says it but just more informative. After all he's been learning how to use them since he was fourteen and for a while he did have a solid understanding. New tricks just threw that off a bit. "Yes, my husband does. Jeri, the psychologist.
That's okay, Jono has a much better grasp of pop culture than Hank does. Well, in theory anyway. Each to their area of expertise! "True, true…all for one and none late for dinner, or something along those lines." Hank quips as he soon has the guts of the emitter out and fiddles around with them. "Ah ha, I knew the focusing lens in a in the refractory inducers were off a mite, fortunately I can get them back in tune." Oh, there's a same gender issue? Goodness, Hank didn't even notice.
"Sorry, Christopher…didn't mean to wax pedantic and condescending all at once, I honestly was attempting in my ham-fisted way to offer encouragement. Of COURSE you know your powers."
Wandering over to peek at what Hank's doing, Jonothon certainly doesn't get in the way. He does hold the flashlight if Hank needs though. «Sorry, mate.» An apology to Christopher. «I think I've been too much in the habit of poking kids about their own abilities.» There's that strange half smile for it. «I haven't met Jeri.» The husband in question. «But then I avoid psychologists like I would zombie hordes.» Which is one of the things he actually hasn't faced yet. Unless you could Dracula. No, that doesn't count.
Christopher laughs and shakes his head. "No need for apologies, no one was offended over anything. I know you were trying to be positive and I really don't think Jeri minds, honestly. I hone in on his territory with the kids too sometimes just I don't have a licence and I'm not as good with the psychological evaluation thing. And Jeri's not a bad guy, but I don't know what he's like in the office. I've never had to be the one on the couch."
"Thank you." When Jono takes over the flashlight. "Well thanks to my vast experience, extraordinarily keen mind, and my overweening hubris…I sometimes end up waxing a bit pompous." A wry grin. "Just ask any number of students, I'm sure they'd support me in this assessment." A faint frown then as he finds something else he doesn't like, several lengths of fiber optic cables removed, and even to the untrained eye there's some minor — almost trivial — discoloration. Of course, as Hank seems fairly perturbed by the discovery perhaps it isn't all that trivial a find at that. "I suspect most psychologists have issues with their subjects at times. I'm hardly more than a dabbler in the field, but I seem to recall some case studies that support that view. Fortunately they're knowledgable about the causes and tend to be pretty well adjusted to the fact." A smile. "Not a bad guy? One might think you'd have a more ringing endorsement for your spouse, for shame, sir. Shame I say."
You're welcome, Hank. Jono just doesn't say it, and merely holds the light. Sure Hank has four hands, but hey, a fifth comes in useful on occasion. «Having been on the couch, I don't want to again.» Jonothon admits with the shake of his head. After that he eyes Hank, «Yeah, just a smidge.» So modest. He even lifts a hand and motions small with two fingers. «I don't automatically think anyone is bad for being a psychologist, it's just that I'm bloody tired of constantly being told about the silver lining. But maybe I didn't go to any good ones.» He shrugs.
"Sorry, he's an excellent man and one I'm completely happy to spend the rest of my life with." Christopher says chuckling at Hank as he puts both hands out to form another light construct, this time trying to see how big he can get it. It starts as a small cube and just keeps growing and growing slowly, pausing at 10'x10'x10'. "Don't worry Jono, no one here will pressure you to see any psychologist. Just cause I'm married to one doesn't mean I'm going to pressure you to see him, and I'll deny you my rose coloured glasses view of the world."
"Ah, buck up, Jono…it could be worse." Hank says this with a toothy and rather impudent grin, thus fulfilling that whole 'silver lining' thing that Jono mentioned with such great fondness. Eyes of blue focus as he does some final adjustments, and then takes a small touchpad device out of his bag of tools and supplies, a thin line run from it to the array. "There we god, much better. Just need to so some calibration to have this old girl running at peak efficiency again." A sigh. "Until the NEXT mishap of course." Hank's baby blues note the thousand cubic feet of semi-solid light. "Can you craft more complex shapes yet, Christopher? If you'd like I can correspond with my friend Sue and ask if she has any suggestions." Richards, the Invisible Woman. After all, her invisibility is tied to mentally shaped force fields, right? She might have some insights that could be of use. A grin. "Be thankful they're not ruby glasses." Like Scott wears.
It what? Jonothon lifts a foot and gives Hank a shove with his boot. «Wanker.» You jerk. Not that he's a chance to getting Hank to do more than sway. To Chrisopher he shakes his head, «I'm not even gay and I'm jealous.» There's a smile for it though. «What I wouldn't give for an eligible woman around here.» He rolls his eyes at himself, and falls quiet so that Hank can talk. Yeah, that means he's quiet for a while.
"I haven't tried, lets see what I can try." Christopher says dropping the construct as it gets to be almost twenty feet cubed. "I haven't tried anything like a car or something, but let's see." He says putting out a hand and makes a five foot tall pair of scissors, nothing overly complex but something he's fair familiar with. He can even get them to move and cut, and the handle is a different colour than the blades. "Don't worry about it Jono, you'll eventually find someone." Whoops, there's the rose coloured glasses.
"Oomph." Hank says helpfully as he's booted. Hey! He just wanted Jono to feel he was doing well. Yes, the author HAS seen the Princess Bride too many times. "I could program a really complex AI for the Danger Room…of course…then it would try to kill me." Which is probably why Hank McCoy hasn't done too much in the field of AI. Well, one reason. As Chris turns his power to more complex stuff, Hank grins. "Excellent…eight thousand cubic feet of cube, and now a student sized pair of scissors. When you say 'time for some cut backs' you don't mess around, do you?"
«Oy.» For Hank's attempts at humor. Doesn't know when to stop, does Hank. Jonothon eyes Christopher too. «Talk about being bloody tired of the silver lining.. the two of you.» Throws up his hands in defeat, which ruins the light. It's soo back where it should be. He's been good though. Still no cracks on cheeks. «Don't need to make an engine to start. Why not try a car?» Doesn't need to actually move, does it?
Christopher laughs and the scissors go away. "Never sir." He says joking around with Hank about the cut-backs. It's just that he runs a salon so scissors were the first thing to come to mind. "Sorry Jono, I don't mean to ooze my optimism over to you, it just kind of comes out sometimes." He really doesn't mean to either. "Okay, I'll try a car, just this is gonna be the last I believe, I'm getting a bit tired. Any preference for colour?" He says as he reaches out and concentrates and what looks like a car starts to form. It's rough in appearance and the windows are all blocked off so it doesn't look like anyone could actually ride it in, but it's there, in a dark grey colour. It's the shape of the colour but with out much detail.
Hank will say it before or possibly in synch with Jono. "Black of course." A beatific smile when it is a dark grey. "Well done, sir. For first attempts I'd say you're doing very well indeed." Hank nods then. "I'll write to Sue and see if she has any insights she can offer, but definitely you should rest if you're starting to feel the effects." A grin to Jono. "And what's wrong with optimism? It has never failed to serve me well." And truth be told — Hank's unflagging good spirits in the face of nigh any adversity have probably saved his sanity, and that of those around him, many times. Finally satisfied with the results of his work, Hank unplugs that touchpad device from the emitter array, and then puts everything back in place. Bag of tricks shouldered, he smiles warmly to the pair of you. "Well, I've done enough damage here. I'll go restart the photon generators, you should be able to have the place humming again in ten to fifteen minutes. Do let me know if anything goes awry." And unless stopped, o
off Hank goes.
Ooze away, he'll emo the stuff right off himself! Jonothon is good at depression, even if he's shown far less lately than he has in the past. And speaking of that he boots Hank once more, for good measure. Jerk. «It doesn't work for everyone.» Optimism. «People need to stop demanding I support it.» So there. Still, there's laughter in his eyes, even as he offers the flashlight back to Hank. «Cheers.» Good night, Hank. The car is given his attention after that and he nods, even as cracks creep in over his cheeks. Talk about depression. «Well done.» Approving of said car. «Let's get out of here before he gets this place started. Who knows what it will do.» Not serious, but he still thinks everyone should leave.
The car goes away and Christopher takes a few deep breaths. "YEah, I think I'm done for the day. And that would be fabulous if you could get advice for me. I'd really appreciate it." He says waving goodbye to Hank before looking to Jono. "Yes, I think getting out of here is a good idea. I need to go shower and get ready for tonight anyway." He says smiling. "It was nice to finally meet you Jono."
Once the Danger Room is left behind, the Brit lifts a hand to Christopher. «Say hello to your husband for me, and you have a good night.» Jonothon is like Hank in that regard. No issue about the gender stuff. Then again he was raised British. «Cheers.» Going to go off and get some sleep too. Worn out.
