Metal Manipulation - Kinsley Dresden

The copper crown sat before Kinsley. Such a tiny thing could be her greatest challenge yet. She had set her mind to it; Kinsley was going to bend the metal of this coin.

Extensive research had been done on the phsyical makeup of the coin. Hours of notes had been taken and even more hours had been taken to pour her mana into the coin.

When she used earth magic to manipulate the shape and form of earth, she poured in a combination of pure will and emotion. Combined with these things, moving and shaping the dirt was like moving sand with her finger.

The copper coin was a tougher, sturdier version of the earth that her house stood upon. She would have to be hardheaded and willful to bend it. Her mission? Curl it into a ball. Difficulty? Hard as steel.

Intense focus was poured into the coin. Visions of it bending and curling into itself flashed in her mind and an emotion of pure, relentless determination poured into her without holding back. Her silver gaze bored into the coin and her mind willed and willed for it to move.

With each wave of willpower she sent towards the coin, a wave of reflection was sent back. Each try was a strike to her head, and within several seconds, a headache had taken her captive. Her determination was withering but she could not give up! Right?

A final, powerful wave of pure wanting for the coin to bend was forced forward, charged by her mana and her emotions. Just as strong, the coin pushed back. Every action has an opposite and equal reaction, and to this one, Kinsley blacked out.

She tumbled back from the stool and hit the ground with a thud, collapsing into an exhausted stasis.
(Kinsley Dresden)

With regained resolve and also some sleep and a sandwich, Kinsley awoke. She was determined to bend this coin, whether it liked it or not. As she moved towards the table, she could feel the piece of copper practically quivering in fear. Yes, that's how serious she was. Her gray eyes could shoot lazers.

After several minutes of intimately staring down the coin, Kinsley got to work. Her mana had already times before been poured and poured into the coin; there was no need for retaking that step. Her next step was to begin forcing her will upon it.

Determination, firey and true, burnt through her as the waves of will began to wash over the coin. With each wave, it sent a reaction, hammering down on her head. However, Kinsley must be steel. She must be strong, for the sake of Justice and her arm!

As each wave grew progressively stronger, the coin began to shift. It began to bend at the edges, creating a harsh, strident sound as the metal was forced to move. The headache grew stronger and the coin grew rounder, but after several minutes of hard work, it was finally a copper ball.

Exhausted, Kinsley took the fruit of her labor and shoved it in her pocket. She had to show Ferro!
(Kinsley Dresden)

Two things were on the table before Kinsley: a key, and a sheet of copper about a centimeter thick. Her goal for today? Copy a key. Yes, Kinsley was training for her job in the new tool shop in town. Totally.

This was no normal key copying job, though. She was going to do it without hands. She was going to do it with METAL MAGIC!

The sheet of metal had already been infused with her mana. She placed it on top of the key and examined it thoroughly. She had to fit the shape to that of the key's for it to work in the same door.

Determination poured through every inch of her body and her willpower began to force at the sheet of metal. The metal fought back with each incriment of force, hammering upon her head in the form of a migraine. Her hand shook as she worked away at it...

She wouldn't give in. Making an attempt to force her way through the reflecting walls of the key, she let out a powerful push of will... and it pushed back. The migraine had a sharp spike, pinching at her temples painfully. Her stomach churned...

...and out came today's lunch.

With a cry of frustration, Kinsley took the half-bent piece of metal and tossed it across the room. Why wouldn't it work?!
(Kinsley Dresden)

The rusty, bent dagger that sat before Kinsley was a challenge. Her goal? Straighten the blade. It was dull and dusty from days spent in the weapons shed, and it was twisted and misshaped from lazy afternoons spent taking out frustration by stabbing trees.

She placed her calloused fingertips on the edge of the blade, and within several laborious minutes, her mana had seeped in the cracks. The weapon was now infused with it, leaving for easier, quicker manipulation.

That didn't mean it wasn't going to be hard work.

The pulses of Kinsley's steel will began, each like a hammer working away at the dagger. The dagger hammered back, resulting in a headache. With each pulse, nearly a centimeter was achieved, and within several minutes, the first twist of the dagger had been evened out.

The second bend was harder and larger. Each wave of will was reflected, breaking down the barriers of her mind. With each reflection her magical ability was slowly crippled, and after ten seconds, she crumpled. Her hand moved to grip at her forehead with gritted teeth.

Frustration burned through her. A minute of anger-filled rest was taken before Kinsley was back at her work bench again to work.

"I'm not lettin' you off easy, dagger. You're mine, and I'm gonna <i>set you straight!</i>"

She began again with the waves of wanting, the waves of will for the dagger to bend. Her mana pushed and pushed with each wave, forcing the dagger to slowly but surely move and twist to her desire. Each wave of recoil was enough to cause Kinsley to grit her teeth in pain, but she wouldn't give up.

She wouldn't stop as long as she was awake!

The last and final twist in the dagger was large and close to the hilt. It bent outwards at a 90 degree angle and threatened to seperate the weapon from it's hilt if applied enough pressure.

After experience of bending coins, copying keys and twisting daggers, this last hump in her way was a piece of cake! She forced her mana forward to twist and bend at the dagger's metal particles. Tears had stained her cheek by the time the entire dagger was straightened out, but it was done.

She had done it. Her head was pounding and her hand was shaking but she had done it. Slowly, shakily, she rose and moved towards the kitchen to reward herself with a bowl of candy.
(Kinsley Dresden)

"I haven't been able to feel it at all since it was like that. Yours flaked off and healed, but mine just got worse. It just like, shriveled up and... died." She took in a deep breath, closing her eyes. That was over with!

"I have a plan for a prosthetic arm, anyway. I've been practicing metal magic really hard." She rustled around in the pockets of her coat she had dragged with her, revealing a tiny ball of copper. It was the same metal a crown was made out of. "See? I did this. I've been working really hard, and soon, I think I can do something with my metal magic to get an arm... it'll be really cool."

"Watch this."

She held the mana infused copper ball up in front of her gaze. Her expression twisted in intense determination, and with a push of will, she began to hammer away at it with her mind, and with each hammer, a grinding, strident sound filled the air. The particles within the copper began to twist and bend to her desire, and within several quick seconds, it had flattened out into the shape of a coin once more.

"See? I'm getting way better!"
(Kinsley Dresden)