"why don't you skim?"
"Wh..why don't I what?"
It was a perfect day, something that was not too uncommon in the near hidden summer palace in Genosha. Nestled amongst the cuts and hidden capes of the islands beaches the palace had been built as a perfect summer escape for members of the royal family and those they deemed worthy of sharing the best that the tiny island nation that ruled the world had to offer.
Currently, on what was perhaps the best protected beach in all the world laid out two boys, teens identical in everything except their coloration. The elder, by nearly thirty seconds, of the two white haired and slate grey eyed watched his darker haired and warm green eyed brother with care as he explained himself.
"You know, fly a few inches up skimming just above the ground. We spent nearly a whole day on it in classes this week talking about. I had not really thought about it, not being the one that can fly and all but...almost everyone else does it besides you. Ok, not the servants, or any of the guards other than Gramp's personal ones, but every visitor and dignitary and every single person at the court does it, even Aunt Lorna and Gramps. Why don't you?"
"Gramps? Seriously brother? Can you not see how Grandfather would react to you calling him that, or worse Uncle Pietro?"
"This from the guy that called him Uncle Piepie till he was ten? Come on, stop trying to change the subject. Why?"
William sighed, realizing that once his brother got something into his head that he had not gotten distracted by within ten seconds there was nothing, not even his magic, that could be done to dislodge it. With a second sigh that even he would admit was a bit too melodramatic for the moment marked his place in the book he had been trying to read before looking his brother over.
"Because after my powers really started to kick up and I was placed in the Crimson Guard training program to .. shore up my weaknesses Aunt Lorna took me aside and told me to do it for my classes and training any time I was not specifically ordered to stay on the ground or not use my powers."
"She did that? But...Since when did the guy whose face gives it a way when I tell even the slightest of lies decide to ignore a a command like that from our aunt?"
"Because I figured out why people do it, and started asking questions that got me into the psyops classes a whole lot earlier than anyone else in our age group."
"Ahh...wait, what does that have to do with anything?"
"Ok, you just learned it in class. Why do people skim? What is the point of it?"
"Its to show off, the conspicuous use of powers that cost next to no concentration or energy for most that can fly without wings puts people in mind of you being a stronger mutation than you might be. Then there is the psychological advantage of being just a few inches taller than people on the ground, and the look of grace and poise that comes from not bouncing along walking but just gliding through a room. Which makes it all the more confusing why you don't do it. I mean, you're a bit short already and everyone knows your an ungainly klutz even if they are too polite to even think it loud around you...or more around your personal guard since Julian is a psyactive mutant, even if he is only a teek."
William could only grin at his brother as he not only laid out why people skim, but helped him make his point on why he had made the choice not too. "Pretty spot on there. Everyone that skims comes in two flavors. First those so powerful and used to using powers that they all but forget how not to use them, like Grandfather or Captain Marvel. Or there are most of them, trying to make themselves look bigger and more powerful than they are, like cats puffing up their fur to try and scare off bigger predators. Everyone at court knows this, hell brother most of them went through the basics of the Diplomatic Corps training you're going through."
William stopped to watch his brother, waiting to see that moment when where he is going would start to dawn on his quick but sometimes dense brother's face.
"..which they know I am giving you all the secrets of, because the one thing that anyone gets right about us is that we share nearly everything. Like the whole reason we got sent to the corps is that the best ways to learn are to do, and then to teach so they want you to learn all the martial and military stuff to stop you being such a wimp by teaching it to me cause they know I want to know it all."
"And they want you to learn patience and how not to be such a blunt ass by putting you in the position to teach me all the Diplomatic corps stuff that they know I like a lot more than military strategy. But that's beside the point."
Thomas and William both took a moment to make faces at one another, something that always surprised the people that tended to think of him as the sweet agreeable doormat of a young man he was with everyone except his brother.
"The thing is, they know I can fly and that even now I have power enough to outdo most mutants on Earth. Especially thanks to you and that video of the thing with Trevor Chase. No, don't start, still not forgiven you or decided if I am going to rat you out on that one to Mom or not. Anyway. Everyone at court knows I have the power, if I skim I look like a small cat trying to make its self look bigger just like them. They will know, or at least think I am playing the same mind games they are."
"Instead...you're playing a different one?"
"Exactly Brother of mine. I act like I all the power that I have at my finger tips is...well there at my fingertips to use as I like and they think I have less power and am making a show of what I do have. I act like just me, geeky clumsy and a little neurotic..."
Thomas could only snort at 'little neurotic' leading to glares and another round of faces between them.
"And they think I am putting on a show and lulling them into a false sense of security."
"But your not putting on a show. That really is just how you really are."
"Exactly, not even a master spy can put on a show like that for as many years as I have acted just like me. Even the most paranoid and cynical court member won't believe a 16 year old can keep it up."
"So since you are doing that...they are going to be lulled into a sense of security? But then that should set off alarms for even the most laid back court member, especially when you do use your powers...Wait, I am getting confused here. This is just going to run around and around in circles."
"Exactly. The whole thing will exhaust and confuse the most paranoid people in court, and the honest and laid back ones will actually get nervous and paranoid. It pretty much keeps everyone off balance because I am being really conspicuous in my powers by being as inconspicuous about them as I can be."
"That...that is insane. There is no way that could work. I mean...that...that is some serious mad genius stuff. Ok, I know I said I did not want to learn all the psyops screw with people's minds stuff before but...got any ideas I could use?"
"I knew you would ask eventually. First step, you're going to need to learn how to stand completely still without anyone ever finding out your practicing that..."