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Summary: Magneto finds Jono practicing on the roof, and for once they don't fight! A strange offer is accepted.
Date: 04-25-2010
Log Title From the Beginning
Rating: PG-13.
Xavier Mansion - Roof
The sloped roof of Xavier's Mansion gives a view of the entire area. For the most part, the roof is inaccessible, except by a select group of Xavier's staff and students. Though, there are certain people that tend to relax and hide up here, to get away from everything.
Jonothon is fairly easy to spot up here, especially considering the hour, and all due to his psy-fire. It dances around his head and shoulders, for all that he pays it no mind. Instead the man is concentrating on something in his hand. The only thing that may be different about him is that he has a face. No black covering. And in frowning, he focuses on the metal sphere hovering over his palm. It flows gently as, as though it were mercury. Instead it's a common alloy found in some building materials. Nothing noteworthy in and of itself. Yet what he does to it is. Jono is separating out the different types of metals in it. Molecule by molecule, ever so careful not to release any excess energy. The Brit himself is wearing his normal attire though.. black. Jeans, jacket and t-shirts.
Magneto is on his way… somewhere. Probably out scouting broken Sentinel parts again. Whatever it is that Jonothon Starsmore is doing with the ball of metal in his hand is much more interesting, however. The magnetics around Jono are twisting in ways he hasn't seen before, and if there is anything that will catch Magneto's attention better…
He floats over the roof and checks the eaves… nope, it isn't Chloe this time. So on to Jonothon, and … yes. That's it. He lands next to the young man and, if he doesn't notice him himself, Magneto will say, "I see you have become ambitious… to become me."
Oh, Jonothon notices alright. A bit too late. Psy-fire riots in surprise and something in the roof beneath him cracks audibly as he blinks up with wide eyes. Then as recognition hits the Brit slaps a hand to his face. «Christ.» If he had a heart it would be pounding. And yet, there's certainly no attack and no anger. In as much as Magneto is known for all kinds of bad things, it's not like Jono is sitting in a private spot. He's got to assume Magnus flew up here.
And after a moment he simply offers that little ball of metal up. «Christ no.» Not trying to be Magneto, and there's actually a smile for it even though he's resigned about dealing with the man. «It makes a good exercise, that's all.» Which is the honest truth. «I'm a telekinetic. Don't have magnetic powers.» Going to have to fix the roof now too. Sigh.
Magneto accepts the ball of metal and hold it up in three fingers, scanning it with his own abilities. "Not bad. The cobalt and nickel fractions are still undifferentiated; having trouble distinguishing them by atomic weight?" He takes his hand away, leaving the ball floating. "Do you need tutoring?"
«Heh.» Does he need tutoring? Do green plants need sunshine and water? The man doesn't answer immediately though, for the offer is tempting. «I'm not sure, sir.» What's giving him trouble he means. Being polite never hurts either. «And I'm not sure if that is an offer and whether or not I should accept it.» Jonothon's smile says he's not too unwilling to fly in the face of Xavier's though. How many times has he done it now? «I suppose I've always been telekinetic, but whatever Sinister did, it changed my perceptions. I can feel the pieces, I can feel their connections, but I don't think I yet have the experience to tell what I'm missing. Never could do any of this before.» No, he was too scared to even allow it. Sinister unleased the genie, and Jono can't put it back in the bottle.
Magneto eyes Jonothon. He hadn't really expected the young man to take the offer seriously, but since the possibility is now in the air… "Sinister," he says. "Several of the students here have had run-ins with that one, and I am now wondering how much assistance you, and they, have received from the X-Men to deal with your… experiences with him. Nathaniel Essex would be a difficult encounter even for one of them; he must be that much more overwhelming for a student. Or a non-student, facing new abilities and a lack of direction in how to use them."
Jonothon did say he wasn't sure if the offer was serious. A tendril of psy-fire reaches out to the metal sphere and coils around it. He's watching it as Magneto speaks of Sinister. «Eh, it wasn't so bad for me.» Said with a shrug. Dark eyes lift to Magneto a moment as he adds, «I'm still struggling with far worse, so Sinister was kind of a road bump.» Wry humor there. Does that answer how much help he's getting? «But the kids who want help are getting it. Problem is convincing some that they need it.» Much like the kid before Magnus. «I can see you hold a grudge against this place, but the help is there. It's provided and encouraged, but if someone isn't getting help it's because they don't want it. Don't blame the school for that.»
"I do not resent the Institute; it is better than nothing. I do have criticisms regarding the way it is run and the sorts of things that it teaches, and the ways in which these things are taught. Yes, getting students to ask for help is a problem, but it is a solveable one - and the solutions available are multitude, if one wishes to put some effort into it." Magneto pauses to study Jono. "You, for instance, imply that you are not getting assistance, but this—" he nudges the metal ball magnetically, which probably feels interesting to the telekinetic force surrounding it, "is evidence that you are approaching the problem with creativity and drive. But what of the others… who are younger than you?"
«That's how you appear.» Jonothon points out. Doesn't even begin to try and tell Magneto how to change that though. What's said after that has the man silent for a time. If allowed he takes back that metal sphere via fiery tendril, and rolls it between his hands. «The school isn't to blame for that, I'm to blame.» That he's not getting assistance. A little shrug for it too. «I made a long string of utterly brilliant fuck-ups that I'm paying for now.» Said with as much humor as he can manage. Someone went and grew up along the way. «Trying to catch up.»
«Everything the kids would need are there. Group training, private tutoring.. just about anything we can do to encourage them to learn, but it's just like getting help from Sinister. Can't make them do anything they don't want. Means that many of the kids will have limited control at best.» That does make him a little sad, but what can one do?
"Didn't I say that there are multiple solutions? If the student doesn't want help, but you know he needs it, then you design something to either give it to him regardless, or to make him want it." Magneto crosses his arms. "Take me, for instance. The offer to tutor you is real, Mr. Starsmore. All you need to do is say 'yes'."
Jonothon motions a sigh and curbs his tongue. «You asked.» He reminds wearily. So doesn't really want to argue. Although, the offer has him eyeing the man in a speculative manner. «That depends on what it would cost me, sir.» Nothing good comes for free, or so he believes. «I feel no ill will for you, not even with us fighting while I was controlled, but that doesn't change that I'm an X-man.» Head tilts and he runs a hand over hair. «Christ. I'm not even sure I'm saying this right. I'd love a teacher. I desperately need one and my only other possibility is playing with Phoenix right now. I just mean to say that there's always going to be that point between us. Are you okay with that?» Hand still to head he looks up at Magneto.
Magneto tilts his head. "The one thing that I demand of my students is that they perform to the best of their abilities. My time is valuable; I refuse to let it be wasted. There is that point between us. Are you all right with that?" He already knows that there are political differences between himself and the X-Men. He doesn't have to like that, but he has had literally years to get used to the idea, so.
«I am.» Alright with not only the point between political differences and in having to work for it. Jonothon has been practicing three times a day, both with teams, and on his own. Very willing to work with a capable teacher. Has no illusions of training under Magnus being easy though, if only for that ego. It brings Jono to rise to his feet, helped more with TK than his own hands. «I need to learn. Not only that, but I want to.» Won't make promises beyond that.
"That's the best beginning any student can make. I wonder if you can keep it up?" Magneto let Jono take the metal ball; now he tweaks it back. "First, I'll need to know what you can sense when you work on it. Weights… yes? Behold." The ball shatters, fractionating into separate metals, each of which becomes a ball of its own. A bit more adjustment and all of the balls are the same size. "Now… which is heaviest?" Nothing like starting from the beginning.
The man isn't much for gestures. A strange thing in this era of gesturing heroes, and yet Jonothon tends to hold still as things happen. Totally not sure he can keep up with Magneto either, and a surprised look shifts to a frown as the ball is separated. «I could show you if you wanted.» His tone suggest he's not too eager though. Probably the only telepath on earth who won't go into people's heads even when it's needed.
The offer doesn't mean he's not looking though. «Not sure I can explain it yet. I can only explain it as see the building blocks, but I'm not sure if I'm seeing molecules or smaller.» A bit of a helpless look there. No textbook for Jono! Does at least get the heavy one right as he points to one. «I can see you split the metals. Including the one I had trouble with.» Touches one of the two he couldn't quite work.
Magneto nods as Jono identifies the correct ball. It swaps to center position for a moment, then swaps away again, giving way to the two balls, cobalt and nickel. "Atomic weights are 58.93 and 58.69, respectively," he notes. "Close enough that weight alone will lack clarity for you. But this," he taps the cobalt ball, "once magnetized, stays magnetized." He does something to it. "There are other differences… which one has more gamma radiation, young Mr. Starsmore? Can you tell?"
The auburn head tilts as the cobalt has something done to it. Clearly he felt it. Can't tell what, but it did change, and he assumes from what was said. Jonothon looks baffled over radiation however. Psy-fire also reacts with his emotions, telling clearly how he feels, and when he notices things. «…I don't even know where to begin on radiation, sir.» A shake of the head. «More from lack of experience than anything. I do perceive shifts in energy sometimes. Is that similar?» No idea, just tossing things out there!
"The gamma radiation won't shift over a time scale that will matter, so you can't use that." Magneto gestures. "Ride my mind, and see what I see. Keep your own open, and see if there is something that you sense that is equivalent to what I do. Begin."
Jonothon wrinkles his nose, and yet mind links. He's nothing like Charles, for even in this he's untrained. It's obvious. And yet he's also careful to only see through Magneto's eyes, and not take more than the man wishes to offer. (Regardless of the type Magneto's more than able to block Jono from that.) «Ohhg.» It's a sound of pain from sheer stimuli over load. Ow. Not that Jono stops, but it takes him time to sort through everything and figure out how not to make it hurt. «No, pretty sure we're seeing two different things here. Your visual concepts are hard to wrap around.» Sorry, not a genius here!
Magneto steps the flow down a magnitude, so that instead of a shrieking roar it is merely a raging one. Energy in all spectra, all around—it's a bit like being inside a kaleidoscope in a perfume factory surrounded by jet engines. Except worse. "Yes, I imagine they are. Perception is a personal thing." He gestures to the balls floating in the air before the two of you. "But now… look at these. I make them the same weight…" the balls shift, some smaller, some bigger. "The same density…" More shifting. "Polarize them in the same direction…" Yet more shifting. He allows about twenty or thirty seconds between each shift. "And radiation… not just gamma." No visible shifting, but the flow through his mind… kaleidoscope on halogen spotlights.
The frown the man wears continues on through most of this. Trying to adapt to that roar and also see similarities is hard. Jonothon is nothing if not stubborn and after a time, as those spheres shift around, the man registers surprise again. «Oh!» Mainly because he found it in his own senses while looking through Magneto's. One of the spheres all but disperses for it too. Molecules spread out until they aren't visible. His telekinesis can be felt all around, heavy on the air, as he scrambles to rein it all in. Oops. «..Sorry.» Wasn't kidding about desperately needing help. «It hurt.» And he reacted. Not that it's meant as an excuse. And he's now got a huge migraine. Pain radiates through the link and he shuts it down to spare the other man that.
Magneto grunts at the pain spike. He should have foreseen that; will remember that in the future. "That's enough for today. You've achieved a step forward." He lets his mind close as the link drops, enough that Jono can still speak to him, no more. "Sensory investigation of this sort should not hurt, Mr. Starsmore. That it does means that there is an imbalance between you and the input. It hurts to stare into the sun… it also hurts to squint at a pinprick. Practice will let you become familiar with the amount of focus you require, and the amount of filtering.
"I suggest that you play with these for a while." The floating metal balls bounce mid-air. "They're relatively simple, but simplicity is a means to achieve purity."
There's doubt that flickers across his features, but it's suddenly so hard to think. «I think I saw more than I meant to.» Offered slowly as he accepts the little metal balls. Jonothon looks to the school grounds as he frowns. «Everything changed. Like there was another world layered over this one.» And that's when he reacted. Just got a glimpse of the astral plane. He's been there, but never quite seen it this way. Tucking things into pockets, the Brit looks back. «Thanks.» Means it too. «I look forward to next time.» Even if it means another headache. «Good night, sir.» Due to headache he actually takes the easy way down. Ie: Through the window to Ororo's attic. Moving more carefully than he might have otherwise.
Magneto wraps his cape around himself as he watches Jonothon Starsmore leave. He, too, has a headache, though not one nearly so nasty as what the Brit does. Sentinel parts will wait; he's for town and rest, instead.
And a good long think: what shall he do about this new connection with Chamber?
