Rictor & Kane, Sunday afternoon
Jul. 30th, 2023 12:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsRictor has a mild freakout during his first Danger Room training session.
"Is this your first time in the Danger Room, Julio?" Kane said as he stepped into the room behind the young man. He'd obviously found the grey training leathers without an issue, and Kane brought up a golden interface with a wave to make sure that the biometrics built into the suit were properly synched up with the system.
Rictor tugged at his sleeves while gawking at the huge metal room that he stepped into. "Huh? Oh, yeah. And I only got lost two times. Uh, also, it's Rictor, please. What is this place? It's so big."
"This is the Danger Room, Rictor." Kane said, moving to the man's preferred name. He made a point to update his file. "This is an environment where we can train individually and as a team to work on our powers safely. It is one of the few places you can really let go and see what you can do without worrying about hurting yourself or others."
"Are you certain?" Rictor eyed Kane and the Danger Room with trepidation. A big metal box underground? It sounded like a recipe for disaster. But he couldn't let this other man think he was a coward, so he took a breath and steeled himself. "I don't want to hurt you or bury us in an earthquake, ¿sabes? I can be dangerous if I lose control..."
"I'm not going to pretend it is infallible... but no one has beaten it yet. And the nice part is we get to test you. If you can bring the mansion down, we'll know beforehand." Kane said. His fingers danced over the golden virtual interface. "But I think we start with something more basic to start." He hit a button, and a Southwestern horizon stretched out in front of him, almost like home.
Everything was a new surprise here. Rictor yelped a curse as the scenery changed around them, like he had been magically transported far away from New York. (Though, to be honest, that would be preferable to flying on a plane.) "What am I supposed to do here? Where is here?"
"I figured this landscape might make you feel a little more at home. Right now, just use your powers, however best you know how." Kane said. "Don't worry about where. Just give it a shot."
Rictor bent at the waist to untie his boots so he could place his feet directly on the ground. Which felt like dirt and not metal, at least physically. But he knew it was fake because he didn't feel anything within. Just empty artificial substance that left him disoriented, a poor template on which to demonstrate his power.
Apprehensive of what was going to happen, and gingerly tapped his foot on the fake dirt and reached for the spirits infused in the earth. But no response, just silence. The world stayed still.
"Um, that wasn't . . . I usually do better than this."
"Take your time." Kane said, tapping a few keys. "Just close your eyes and breathe. You're safe in here. The power is there. Find it."
Breathe in, hold, breathe out. The simplest concentration technique Rictor had been taught. This room was weird and unnatural, but the Earth was all around them, so why should that be a deterrent? Inhale, exhale, find even the smallest vibration to tune into, and magnify it. He could do this. He was here for a reason, and he had to prove it. He wouldn't embarrass himself in front of this, nor would he shame Amanda for believing in him in the first place.
After a minute, he stamped his foot again with all the petulance and passion a 19-year-old boy could have, and cracks tore through the trembling ground from where he stood.
Kane pulled up a display as the DR computer visualized the exact impact of the teen's powers in the simulated environment. He counted down from ten as the ripples spread. "OK, that's enough for the moment." Kane finally said, curious whether he could stop it effectively or not.
If they were to define success as "effective," then the answer would be no. Once Rictor found his connection with this environment, fabricated as it was, he could not find his internal off-switch. Eyes squeezed shut, fists clenched, Rictor looked like he was fighting a bowel movement as much as he was fighting to end the tremors.
He dug his feet into the sand and, harkening back to Kane's encouragement, reached for the power. The quake began to weaken.
Kane could see the levels going down and smiled. "It's happening. Keep doing what you're doing right now, Rictor." His hands flashed over the interface, capturing everything possible.
Slowly, too slowly for Rictor's preference, the trembling subsided, leaving Rictor panting and sweating like he had just run a marathon. (Who was he kidding, he could barely do 5k.) "That was . . . difficult. Weird. It is so much easier outside. Is that normal?"
"Sometimes. The Danger Room can do astonishing levels of simulation, but it's not perfectly exact, and some powers involve a connection to the environment." Kane said as he made some notes, highlighting datasets to look at after. "On the plus side, it means it's likely safer for you to experiment here since it buffers the effects to some degree."
Sure, Rictor thought drolly, he just had to make a fool of himself by struggling with the simplest of tasks. "That sounds like a handicap and I don't like it," he lamented. "What are you typing on the computer, anyway?" Notes about how lame and hopeless he was, probably.
"The computer both measures your existing output and your potential output. It's literally correcting for you doing this in an artificial environment versus a real world one. Like I said, not exact, but it gives us a good idea what you're capable of outside of here." Kane said, finally shutting down the interface. "I've given you access to the report, several specific training environments, and our general suite of pre-designed training programs. You're welcome to come down here when you want. If you want something specific or tailored, drop a note to me, Scott, or Kitty and we'll arrange something."
"I can just come in any time I want? Not by myself." Rictor was definitely going to end up collapsing this place on himself without supervision. "I don't even know where to start. Am I just making earthquakes? How do people test themselves?"
"Slow down..." Kane said with a chuckle. "To start, it's a good place to work on what you know. And we'll sit down with you, map out some ideas for training, see if there's anyone with a similar powers approach that can maybe do a bit of mentoring... powers training is a collaboration with you and what we have that we think can help."
The idea of so many people putting in their time just to help him made Rictor feel vaguely uncomfortable. He did not want to be fussed over, and he felt bad about people having to take time off from their other duties just for him. Nevertheless, the intellectual side of him reminded him this was literally what they were all there for, and his responsibility was to work hard and prove to them he had made their time worthwhile. He refused to disappoint.
"Thank you," he said once his heart caught up to his brain. "I appreciate all the help."
"No worries, eh? It's tough trying to navigate your powers, figure out exactly what you can do, especially when you're worried about accidentially losing control or something. That's why this place is here." Kane shutdown the simulation, the vista disappearing into the blank empty metal room he'd first stepped into and opened the door. "First DR run is a success. Which means I owe you a drink." He paused. "A non-alcoholic drink. At least this time."
"You know, in Mexico, I've been allowed to drink alcohol since I turned 18 last year."
"And in Toronto, I could happily buy you a beer. But I'm already pushing it at Harry's with the wolf so let's stick with a Coke for now, eh?"
"Is this your first time in the Danger Room, Julio?" Kane said as he stepped into the room behind the young man. He'd obviously found the grey training leathers without an issue, and Kane brought up a golden interface with a wave to make sure that the biometrics built into the suit were properly synched up with the system.
Rictor tugged at his sleeves while gawking at the huge metal room that he stepped into. "Huh? Oh, yeah. And I only got lost two times. Uh, also, it's Rictor, please. What is this place? It's so big."
"This is the Danger Room, Rictor." Kane said, moving to the man's preferred name. He made a point to update his file. "This is an environment where we can train individually and as a team to work on our powers safely. It is one of the few places you can really let go and see what you can do without worrying about hurting yourself or others."
"Are you certain?" Rictor eyed Kane and the Danger Room with trepidation. A big metal box underground? It sounded like a recipe for disaster. But he couldn't let this other man think he was a coward, so he took a breath and steeled himself. "I don't want to hurt you or bury us in an earthquake, ¿sabes? I can be dangerous if I lose control..."
"I'm not going to pretend it is infallible... but no one has beaten it yet. And the nice part is we get to test you. If you can bring the mansion down, we'll know beforehand." Kane said. His fingers danced over the golden virtual interface. "But I think we start with something more basic to start." He hit a button, and a Southwestern horizon stretched out in front of him, almost like home.
Everything was a new surprise here. Rictor yelped a curse as the scenery changed around them, like he had been magically transported far away from New York. (Though, to be honest, that would be preferable to flying on a plane.) "What am I supposed to do here? Where is here?"
"I figured this landscape might make you feel a little more at home. Right now, just use your powers, however best you know how." Kane said. "Don't worry about where. Just give it a shot."
Rictor bent at the waist to untie his boots so he could place his feet directly on the ground. Which felt like dirt and not metal, at least physically. But he knew it was fake because he didn't feel anything within. Just empty artificial substance that left him disoriented, a poor template on which to demonstrate his power.
Apprehensive of what was going to happen, and gingerly tapped his foot on the fake dirt and reached for the spirits infused in the earth. But no response, just silence. The world stayed still.
"Um, that wasn't . . . I usually do better than this."
"Take your time." Kane said, tapping a few keys. "Just close your eyes and breathe. You're safe in here. The power is there. Find it."
Breathe in, hold, breathe out. The simplest concentration technique Rictor had been taught. This room was weird and unnatural, but the Earth was all around them, so why should that be a deterrent? Inhale, exhale, find even the smallest vibration to tune into, and magnify it. He could do this. He was here for a reason, and he had to prove it. He wouldn't embarrass himself in front of this, nor would he shame Amanda for believing in him in the first place.
After a minute, he stamped his foot again with all the petulance and passion a 19-year-old boy could have, and cracks tore through the trembling ground from where he stood.
Kane pulled up a display as the DR computer visualized the exact impact of the teen's powers in the simulated environment. He counted down from ten as the ripples spread. "OK, that's enough for the moment." Kane finally said, curious whether he could stop it effectively or not.
If they were to define success as "effective," then the answer would be no. Once Rictor found his connection with this environment, fabricated as it was, he could not find his internal off-switch. Eyes squeezed shut, fists clenched, Rictor looked like he was fighting a bowel movement as much as he was fighting to end the tremors.
He dug his feet into the sand and, harkening back to Kane's encouragement, reached for the power. The quake began to weaken.
Kane could see the levels going down and smiled. "It's happening. Keep doing what you're doing right now, Rictor." His hands flashed over the interface, capturing everything possible.
Slowly, too slowly for Rictor's preference, the trembling subsided, leaving Rictor panting and sweating like he had just run a marathon. (Who was he kidding, he could barely do 5k.) "That was . . . difficult. Weird. It is so much easier outside. Is that normal?"
"Sometimes. The Danger Room can do astonishing levels of simulation, but it's not perfectly exact, and some powers involve a connection to the environment." Kane said as he made some notes, highlighting datasets to look at after. "On the plus side, it means it's likely safer for you to experiment here since it buffers the effects to some degree."
Sure, Rictor thought drolly, he just had to make a fool of himself by struggling with the simplest of tasks. "That sounds like a handicap and I don't like it," he lamented. "What are you typing on the computer, anyway?" Notes about how lame and hopeless he was, probably.
"The computer both measures your existing output and your potential output. It's literally correcting for you doing this in an artificial environment versus a real world one. Like I said, not exact, but it gives us a good idea what you're capable of outside of here." Kane said, finally shutting down the interface. "I've given you access to the report, several specific training environments, and our general suite of pre-designed training programs. You're welcome to come down here when you want. If you want something specific or tailored, drop a note to me, Scott, or Kitty and we'll arrange something."
"I can just come in any time I want? Not by myself." Rictor was definitely going to end up collapsing this place on himself without supervision. "I don't even know where to start. Am I just making earthquakes? How do people test themselves?"
"Slow down..." Kane said with a chuckle. "To start, it's a good place to work on what you know. And we'll sit down with you, map out some ideas for training, see if there's anyone with a similar powers approach that can maybe do a bit of mentoring... powers training is a collaboration with you and what we have that we think can help."
The idea of so many people putting in their time just to help him made Rictor feel vaguely uncomfortable. He did not want to be fussed over, and he felt bad about people having to take time off from their other duties just for him. Nevertheless, the intellectual side of him reminded him this was literally what they were all there for, and his responsibility was to work hard and prove to them he had made their time worthwhile. He refused to disappoint.
"Thank you," he said once his heart caught up to his brain. "I appreciate all the help."
"No worries, eh? It's tough trying to navigate your powers, figure out exactly what you can do, especially when you're worried about accidentially losing control or something. That's why this place is here." Kane shutdown the simulation, the vista disappearing into the blank empty metal room he'd first stepped into and opened the door. "First DR run is a success. Which means I owe you a drink." He paused. "A non-alcoholic drink. At least this time."
"You know, in Mexico, I've been allowed to drink alcohol since I turned 18 last year."
"And in Toronto, I could happily buy you a beer. But I'm already pushing it at Harry's with the wolf so let's stick with a Coke for now, eh?"
