5152/Astral Flux: A Mutual Wake Up Call

Astral Flux: A Mutual Wake Up Call
Date of Scene:	11 August 2018
Location:	Xavier's School, Westchester, New York
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Hellion, Emma Frost
Tinyplot:	Astral Flux

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Hellion has posed:
     The gardens are one of the more serene places at Xavier's. Summer was in its waning phase now and the evenings were more and more inviting. So, not to dissapoint, Julian Keller had taken it upon himself to try and sharpen his mind. He floated up maybe about two feet from the ground. A pair of stones were found in each hand, twirling lightly above each palm. The telekinetic was trying to hone his fine telekinesis, a much harder task than lifting something super heavy, was to manipulate a smaller item with acute precision.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma had been keeping tabs on her protege. There were any number of things she could teach him.. and just as many more she couldn't. And at Xavier's the boy was getting those things she couldn't give him on her own, including things like socializing and making friends. Most especially, though, was training in his telekinesis. So while she'd left him to his own devices for such things, Emma also checked in from time to time..

Only it had beena longer time than usual since the woman had dropped in on her student. And while she was normally not a very touchy feely person with most, what Julian might notice right off as she approached him was that she was agitated in a way she wasn't normally. Seemingly on edge, with periodica checks over her shoulder. And if that didn't tweak that perhaps something wasn't quite right with her, she pauses to take a last draw on a cigarette, dropping it to the ground and stubbing it out with a daintily pointed toe, and lights up another almost immediately and takes a few draws on that one before stubbing it out as well and making her way close enough to give greeting.

"Julian." Emma nods, the gesture curt, and leaving her looking out of place once it's given. "You look.. well."

Hellion has posed:
     The young telekinetic opens his eyes, glowing with a faint green aura. The stones stop moving and Julian stands. "Ms. Frost...are you ok?" He couldnt recall the last time he'd seen her smoke, but he didnt judge.

  After being a student of Emma's for more than three years, he had enough time around her to know that something was going on.

Emma Frost has posed:
"Of course I'm okay," Emma snaps, eyes widening ever so slightly - not so much that most would notice, but Julian wasn't most. Her fingers fidget at her side. And by the telltale yellow stains along her index and middle fingers, she's been smoking quite a bit lately - and no, he hasn't seen her smoke since.. well, since almost the beginning of their relationship together. It had been something she'd done as an affectation for a short while - only now it seemed she'd been at it in earnest, and then some, as though trying to make up for lost time.

Almost without thinking, she lights up another, and takes a drag, blowing out the smoky exhale with something of relief. "You're getting good," she tells Julian. "You couldn't lift a pencil when you started. Now you're moving yourself. Excellent."

Hellion has posed:
     Julian's eyes returned to their normal cobalt blue hue. "So...you're smoking again?" His tone is cautious, he doesn't want to sound rude, well, to Emma at least.

  The telekinetic did however get a smile on his face when she mentioned when he was younger. "Yeah. It's easier now to get small objects moving." He was always more of a 'the heavier the better' type of telekinetic.

Emma Frost has posed:
"Again. Still. What does it matter?" Emma's tones irritated, even if it doesn't seem exactly directed at the boy. "Smaller objects are getting easier, hrm?"

That has her nodding. She'd been following his progress, but it still paid to hear it from the boy. Gauge his perceptions of his success. Assess his confidence.

"Show me. And what of multiple objects? When do you lose control. What number?"

Hellion has posed:
     Julian's brow furrows a bit at her response. "I guess it doesn't." He responds, though he would file that for a little later.

  She wanted a demonstration, and Julian didn't want to dissapoint. The stones start to lift and twirl again. "Multiples aren't too hard. But around six or so, and things get dicey."

  The young Hellion keeps a watch to Emma. "Okay, I can't keep this up. What's the matter, Ms Frost?" If there was one person he knew aside from his own family, it was Emma. "Something has given you a wiggins, I can handle it."

Emma Frost has posed:
There's a small, almost grunt from the woman. The sound both approving and disapproving at once. "You've got it in you to double that, boy. But it's progress. Nice distance between the stones. How independantly can you move them?"

She doesn't wait for his answer, taking a long pull on her cigarette, and looks to say something more when his question hits her.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, I'm sure," she tries to evade the matter at hand, looking surprisingly frightened as she does so.

Hellion has posed:
     Julian brings the stones down to the floor. Then looking back to Emma. "Ms. Frost. I have known you long enough to know when you're...not you." He posits, and still looking concerned for his mentor. "Tell me, or not. I just care."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma licks her lips, her hands going to her pockets, digging around. She manages to pull out another cigarette, and a package of matches - terribly old school if you think about it. She lights the cigarette, fingers shaking until the end of the long, thin stick has been lit, and inhales sharply before shaking the match out and considering the boy. Young man, really.

"Have you ever come across something you could get away from?" There's a sense about the question that this isn't in the physical - or rather that it is entirely too physical, and contained within herself, the ultimate in being unable to escape. It certainly might explain the cigarettes. And the faint smell of alcohol on her breath mingling with the acrid odor of the smoke.

"Nevermind. It's.. a nothing. You're getting good. Time was you couldn't keep on in the air, let alone three. Or with that precision."

Hellion has posed:
     Cobalt eyes look over Emma as she lights that ciggy. "What do you mean?" He was used to smelling a faint amount of alcohol on her, but he didn't think much of it. "I know, and I wouldnt have gotten this far without you, miss." He wanted to show respect to her, but never called her ma'am. "So, what can I do to help you?"

Emma Frost has posed:
"Help?" Emma snaps, the single word entirely too forceful. "Help? Do you have any idea?"

She catches herself, sighting the cigarette in one hand, and imagining the harried mess she must seem. Certainly realizing how churlish and sharp she's been with the boy.

She decides not to stub out the cigarette, letting it remain dangling from her fingertips, if only to serve as a focal point for the flurry of her nerves.

"It's not a thing best shared, Julian," Emma sighs, shaking her head. "I - I've seen it myself, and it's truly horrific."

For the moment she seems to have relented her stance of denial, but for Emma Frost to declare a thing horrific - it must be terrible, indeed.

Hellion has posed:
     After looking a tinge hurt, the protege starts to regain his smile. That is what Julian wanted to hear. At least that there was nothing he could do to help, instead of denial. "If and when though...let me know." He offers, looking to his mentor.

  Julian holds his thumb up to Emma. Indeed, if she said it was horrific, it must be bery bad.

Emma Frost has posed:
"Yes, well. And I shouldn't have said that much."

Another long, slow pull on her cigarette, the gesture seeming to calm her some in the moment.

"Hardly something you need involve yourself in. You get to be young once. Bad enough the grownups have to deal with the tedium and minutae of calamity. You should be off chasing girls and drinking on the sly."

Hellion has posed:
     Julian cannot help but laugh at the statement. "Well, I do plenty of that. Which by the way, if anyone asks about the fountain going berserk on some of the other students, it definitely wasn't me."

Emma Frost has posed:
Julian's answer gives Emma pause. Actual relaxed pause - a moment where the woman doesn't actively look like she expects someone to jump out of the shadows and grab her for nefarious purposes. "Oh, Julian. Do tell me this isn't something I'm going to have to smooth over?"

A low, rich laugh issues forth from the woman.

Hellion has posed:
     Julian crosses his arms, looking to Emma with that rogueish smile. "Not if I did my job well enough." He says, keeping that big smile. "Never get caught, you know?"

Emma Frost has posed:
That rich laugh lingers before fading away. "Just make certain you do do your job well enough, young man. I've troubles enough of my own to not need to borrow yours."

Her nerves seem significan't settled, though she does continue to smoke, and casat furtive glances about, as if not quite certain she can trust this lull in her paranoia.

"Anything else I should be made aware of while I've got your attention?"

Hellion has posed:
     "Not at all. Though if something comes up, I will let you know!" He comments, giving a thumbs up again. "So, anything else I should know?"

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma shakes her head, and flicks her half-smoked cigarette to the ground, stubbing it out, even as she reaches for another in a too quick, too smooth move. "No. No. Nothing is wrong. I have things to do. Keep up the good work."

Emma drifting off, muttering to herself. Something something about '...watching...' and '.. of course he is..' and '.. always watching.. so many eyes..'