5714/Astral Flux: The Supreme and I

Astral Flux: The Supreme and I
Date of Scene:	04 November 2018
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Phoenix, Doctor Strange, Shadow King
Tinyplot:	Astral Flux

---

Phoenix has posed:
Jean has been a bit more upbeat, despite concerns over her meeting with this newfound ally, Jeremy Larkin. Finally some sense of direction, rather than wading in the dark, assuming of course the Sorcerer Supreme would have some idea on what to do with the information. She allowed a night to go by as to not attract too much attention. Using telepathy, she contacted both Doctor Strange and Jeremy Larkin, thanks to cheating with Cerebro, actual distance didn't really factor. <<Doctor Strange, allow me to introduce you to Jeremy Larkin, I hope you can clear your schedule for a quick meeting? I've met him the other day on the Astral Plane, and we have good ideas on who the host might be.>>

Jean expects that is all it would take before Doctor Strange himself would see to the issue of transportation, magic is cool that way.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    Strange took not time in preparing the spells needed to conjur the red-headed x-man and the man known as Jeremy Larkin. <<I can bring you both into the Sanctum Sanctorum in a matter of moments if you both would give me permission to cast the spell upon the two of you.>> Stephen says, or thinks.

    The spell itself isn't an easy one, bringing two different people from one part of the world to this one takes some effort. Thankfully the Ancient One taught Strange how to use magic as the conduit in which to creat the sorcerers circles and sigils required to cast a spell, so he doesn't have to waste hours drawing out patterns and shapes on the floor in salt, chalk, or wax. Magic would be so messy and such a chore if that were the case.

Shadow King has posed:
    The telepathy had a difficult time due to Jeremy Larkin's mental wards, but it got sorted out after a little bit. << I can get close on my own, if I can get an idea of where this is, if that helps!>> answers the young mage in the telepathic link. He took a little bit of time to sort out his reply, but it came through relatively clearly. With a rough hint on where to go, he can put himself in a good vicinity to be easy enough to bring along.

Phoenix has posed:
<<I would trust Doctor Strange to take all precaution, don't let something like that injure your pride,>> Jean advises to Jermey, before giving her expected consent for Strange's summoning spell. Or whatever those are called. She is rather curious to see this place that Rogue spoke so much of. Was Rogue supposed to keep quiet about it? Doesn't matter. More important things are ahead.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    <<It is perfectly harmless Jeremy, by the Horray Hosts of Hoggoth I swear it.>> At least it is harmless for those being transported instantly, for the mage itself, there will be some price to pay, but something as harmless as teleportation, the cost will be payed over Stephen's dinner. Shouldn't be more to it than that. The wizard continues to conjur the sigils across the floor, in a brilliant show of mystical mastery, the sorcerer finishes the spell and waits for the okay to actually cast it. Prefering to grab both subjects in one casting rather than doing two spells.

Shadow King has posed:
<<Well, if the Horray Hosts are invoked, then it must be safe, go ahead,>> Jeremy answers, in a little bit of a playful tone, but it could be slightly defensive. The young mage is not entirely comfortable but is game, it sounds like.

Jeremy himself appears to be about fourteen in age, and has some decent magical wards going on around his person, labeling him pretty clearly as some kind of magi himself. He's relatively short compared to the other two, blonde with brown eyes, average in weight for his apparent age, and nondescript in appearance.

Phoenix has posed:
Unlike the last time Jeremy had seen Jean, this time, when she is brought forth by Strange's spell, she is dressed quite casually. Just a pair of skinny jeans, and a red halter top. "Thank you for the ride, Strange," is the first thing she says when arriving, though her eyes are scouring the room in a very curious fashion. "Is Jeremy here as well...? He's a magic user, not sure how strong, but seemed more than capable to me."

Doctor Strange has posed:
    At the appearance of the two, Strange gives Jean a kindly and faint smile, before he turns his attention to the young man in the room. "Jeremy I presume." Strange says as an odd sort of greeting while he lifts his hands up before himself and squints his eyes at Jeremy. A matrix of circles and diamond shapes appear in the air, a sign of more magics being practiced by Strange but they're more than obviously being aimed at Jeremy.

    "Would you mind telling me the spells you just brought into my house as well as explaining how you were 'found' in the Astral realm?" Stephen asks, with emphasis on his questions by canting his head to the side as if he wasn't quite ready to trust the blonde man quite yet.

Shadow King has posed:
    Jeremy has a few basic defensive wards on his person: deflection, really. If a bolt flies at his face out of nowhere it's probably going elsewhere. The probes do impact some of that deflection, but others find that his major magic running is a fortress of psychic protection. Since Jean found the mage snooping on the Astral Plane, that would make a lot of logical sense: he's very well concealed with his magical mind wards. There's more under it, though. He reacts to the show of magic: "---If you're going to break into my head I'm fine to just leave instead and /not/ help," Jeremy says unhappily, watching the matrix of circles and diamonds with dismay.

    "I have defenses on," he reports, slanting a look towards Jean as if to seek backup here. "I found /her/--" he points at Jean a little, "When she started to follow my Astral scrying sentry. I have some subtle spells set up to watch there, that the 'Astral King' hasn't spotted yet."

Phoenix has posed:
When Jean sees the rather immediate action Strange takes with Jeremy, which she assumes has to do with him detecting some spells at work and preparing to ward against them, Jean feels a bit foolish. She was so eager to find an ally against the Shadow King, it never occured to her to scrutinize Jeremy the way Strange is now doing. It feels like a mistake she shouldn't be doing at this point in time.

"If it helps," Jean chimes in, "I'm the omega class telepath and I didn't break into anyone's heads. We're all here to deal with a common foe? One that is a danger to this entire world, I'll remind you?" Jean doesn't sound sure of herself, but she does project very positive intentions. "He was snooping there in the form of a bird, I was looking for any signs of potential ally...more interestingly, Strange, we hypothezied that the host may well be one of those space fungi, which Jeremy says are barely afflicted by anything at all. In retrospect, they may have all been tools."

Doctor Strange has posed:
    Stephen dispells his spells with a flourish of his hand, which end at his side. His gaze lingers on Jeremy for a breif moment before the wizard's grey eyes slowly transfer to rest upon Jean as she speaks. Stephen nods along with her words. "Forgive me Jeremy." Stephen says after Jean falls silent, but he does explain himself. "We are under an incredible threat, I can not be too careful you see." The wizard tries to explain before he looks back to the x-man and then the young mage. "The fungi is an interesting hypothesis, maybe even one we can act on, but if we're wrong, their link to the astral plane could be used against us. A sort of surveilance system into our own dimension. Something The Shadow King might not have created or even control, but something he could monitor quite easily." Stephen considers, his hand lifting to brush at the hairs of his goatee.

Shadow King has posed:
    Jeremy doesn't fully relax, he's watchful, but when the spells seem to disappear, he shrugs a little bit at the apology. Letting it go, it seems. A tiny little victorious smile peeked, though: he was respected and trusted...!

    "It's fine. You have a crushing amount of magic in here. I get it," Jeremy says, lifting both hands, palms up. No magic, no harm offered. "Well, Ms. Grey says this guy needs a host. Jean and I thought he has to have a host that can use the um... you called it an infinity shard...? That can use that. We-- I mean, humans-- can't even touch it, right? So it has to be something that can. Not just any human host. With the fungus in the Astral, well. It was an idea. If the fungus could be possessed. It has a mind, so maybe."

Phoenix has posed:
"The question remains...if we target the fungi, do you have a means to scry for the one most likely to bear an artifact like the infinity shard?" Jean is rather hopeful, in telepathic terms, she knows how to attune to varying level of mental prowess. She can only assume that infinity shard has to give some type of magical beacon to the same affect. But it is just that, assumption, she is honestly clueless about magic. So clueless, she still doesn't know how her uncle got quarters out of her ear when she was 4.

"I think they definitely have 'a' mind, though I can't vouch for it, I don't have the experience with those thing that Emma Frost has," Jean gives her two cents, "but it does fit his M.O. to use others...we're just at a loss on how to track a potential host, but this, this should be something we can track, right? I mean, at the least, shouldn't some shadowy government agency have a lot of information about those aliens and their whereabouts?" She then looks between Jeremy and Strange, "or you guys just snap your fingers? Alla Kazam? Something like that?"

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "No one says Alla Kazam. Any more." Strange says with a curious glance to Jean followed by a smirk before he looks to Jeremy, "Since you point it out, it could be the fungus, indeed." Stephen takes a deep breath and then looks around the room at the tomes and scrolls filling the bookcases around the room to the brim and with a shrug of his shoulders. "I do have a way to scry the mind gem, if we can find the actual host and remove the shard, we should be able to depower the Shadow King more than significantly." The wizard says with a soft sigh, looking to Jean and Jeremy, hoping they can understand his desire to not harm anything.

Shadow King has posed:
"Well, whether the fungus is a host or not, it's involved, and has impacted the astral plane. I was working on tracking a big powerful one when you found me. It's just the one, so far as I know. They sort of merge together. Might just be the last one. I'm not lord of all alien fungus, can't tell you for sure," Jeremy answers.

    He blinks at Dr. Strange about the scrying, and follows the gaze to the bookcases, skimming over the titles visually, but not invasively. Just trying to keep up, possibly. "You can find it? How?"

Phoenix has posed:
"Well, stage magicians did that when I was growing up," Jean offers with a sheepish smile, looking from Strange to Jeremy, as she tries to measure just how this will settle. She doesn't need to be a telepath to tell Strange isn't too pleased with Jeremy, and same holds for seeing that Jeremy is behaving like he just might be hiding something. Even if he isn't.

Jean turns to look strangely at Jeremy for a moment, before giggling at his question, count on Jean to try and ease everyone's spirits. "Really, Jeremy? Don't you know a magician never tells?"

Doctor Strange has posed:
    Strange straight up lies in this instance. Something he learned to do over a life time of poor diagnosis and doing what he could to keep a patient as healthy as possible. "It's a simple enough spell. As the stone is something infinite, or close enough to it, a spell that can detect a spectrum of energy should be able to find the massive white hole of psychic energy that is the mind stone." The wizard explains, a total farce and fabrication. Only the stones draw to the stones. It's just a clever enough ruse that he could even fake it with magic if he has to.

    "Do you know exactly where this last mushroom might be Jeremy? Any leg up we can get in this would be a great help." Stephen inquires, as knowing the physical location really would help in finding the stone.

Shadow King has posed:
    Jeremy gives a raspberry to Jean's comment, then listens to Strange's explanation. He returns a bright, trusting smile to the doctor. Perhaps he entirely bought all of the fabrication. It does seem possible, right. "That sounds reasonable," he says, "For someone of your high power." There's a perfect balance of innocence to the statement, before Jeremy immediately goes on, flowing easily into the follow-up question for him.

    "Yes, I do. But it's immune to a bunch of energy types. I can go look at it any time I want, because it can't see my scouting sentries, but that does me zero good," Jeremy says, showing one hand to indicate exactly 'zero' with finger to thumb. "Do you have some big heroes to throw at it, maybe?" Hopeful.

Phoenix has posed:
"Well that was rude," Jean remarks at the raspberry, clearly tongue in cheek, she didn't take any real offense. When she hears what Jeremy has to say, Jean looks surprised, "had it occured to you that we don't want to harm the host at all...?"

Doctor Strange has posed:
    On the back of Jean's question Stephen says before Jeremy has time to respond to the first question, "I am under the impression these sentries of yours are in the Astral Plane, no? If that's so, how are you able to find the location of the fungi in our dimension?" The wizard asks with some pressure to his words, a nerve was touched with throwing big heroes at something in order to end something, perceived malice or not.

Shadow King has posed:
"I said heroes, not assassin squad," pivots the teen quickly. "It's alien fungus that eats people and starved the planet, forgive me." The pivot was possibly even a little /too/ quick. But he then sighs a little, probably embarassed, rubbing the side of his neck with a hand. He shifts his weight. "Okay, you got me, I can look at it astrally anytime. I think I know where it is physically. I was trying to impress you. You're good at finding stuff, I can find things...."

Phoenix has posed:
Jean turns to look at Jeremy, seems the good doctor just stumbled, or very intentionally asks about a flaw in Jeremy's statements. Wasn't he a doctor rather than a lawyer before he went into magic? Either way, Jean is rather curious how Jeremy might respond to a trivial question, which masks a very real accusation. "Look, we are all here for a common goal, right?" She looks at Strange, and than absolutely *stares* at Jeremy. Something about that stare feels very out of place, Jean hasn't had this level of assertive ruthlessness at all throughout her interactions with Jeremy, the way she has in this one piercing glower, and then she continues her sentence, "none of us is looking to gain that infinity shard for ourselves, are we?" Even her voice in that last bit sounded a bit different. More aloof, much colder.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "I am the sorcerer supreme. I have no desire for the infinity stone. I simply am doing my job of keeping this world safe from any and all threats from outside forces. Exactly what this Shadow King is." Stephen says answering Jean before he answers Jeremy. "I can find things simply enough, but I fear your mystical training is incomplete, if you'll allow me to teach you a few principles and rules of magic, I feel you could become a truely great wizard. Maybe a hero even if you'd like, but that's up to you." Stephen says, dangling a carrot.

Shadow King has posed:
Jeremy looks more hurt than anything, stung, by Jean's shift in demeanor. "Hey. I want the Astral Plane back, okay," Jeremy says, quietly upset, but containing it. "I think the stone needs to leave this world," continues the teen, with a sweeping gesture towards the sky or outer space or just 'away' in general. His dark eyes move back to Jean, to her eyes, his own seriousness coming into his face. He can Serious Face too. "I don't like the fungus monster, okay, but it's not up to me, is it?" he asks, dropping his eyes away. There's some personal displeasure with the fungus that flashed there. Something happened with it.

He doesn't bother to try to meet Dr. Strange's gaze. "I didn't know you took students," Jeremy asks. And then seems to reconsider. "If I try to cast a spell in here will I explode?" he asks wryly, as if making a decision.

Phoenix has posed:
As Jeremy returns Jean's glower, he may just catch a brief moment where her eyes are completely white, one moment her pupils are not there, the next they are back. She seems much less intense to, as if all it took was for Jeremy to assure her he is not after the infinity shard. She also seems surprised by the glare she is getting from Jeremy, taking a sudden step back, blinking as she looks his way. "Well, we're all for removing this threat, correct? I think we're on to something. Why don't we not argue, and see about finding that host and than figure out removing the shard from its grasp?"

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "It depends on the spell." Stephen says almost casually, like he might be joking, but he might be totally serious. It's so hard to read Stephen's face sometimes. With a smile he face Jean once more. "You are correct Doctor Grey, and the sooner the better."

Shadow King has posed:
"Seems like the cart before the horse here, to try to figure out who's going to take it off the planet before we even know where it is or we have it," Jeremy replies. And then releases a breath. "Yeah. Okay. So let's focus. Good. I'm going to /look/ where I think it is, and we can go from there. Or I can show you, and you can have the pleasure of looking. Whatever makes you the most comfortable with me that I'm not going to try to grab at this object that kills people that touch it." The young mage settles his hands at his pockets, and watches them, still with the edge of the upset that Jean's glare caused.

Phoenix has posed:
"The infinity shard kills those that touch it?" Jean asks, seemingly surprised, as Jeremy brings about that tidbit ever so casually. "How do you know that?" Clearly, she's not the authority figure on infinity things, after all, she learned about it from Doctor Strange.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    Doctor Strange looks from Jean at her question and then slowly turns his attention to Jeremy, no words escape the sorcerer's mouth and he remains silent.
    Stoic.
    Obvervant.
    His hands move behind his back, as if he was waiting for the young wizard to come forward and reveal some truth, but he's sneakily trying to prepare a semi-complex spell. Just in case.

Shadow King has posed:
Jeremy looks back to Jean's surprised expression; he's fairly calm. "What? Well ...If it's the same relic thing that the 'King' has, then yes. It's nasty powerful. It has to be, with what it's done to the Astral Plane. Pretty sure I've seen it come into play to rip some spirits into little shreds there. YOU told me it's an infinity shard," he says. "So yeah, /you/ can find out if it's safe to handle," Jeremy invites, shaking his head. "Maybe it's just corrupting. Made this guy even worse. Isn't this your area?" Jeremy asks, finally, to Dr. Strange. "I mean, I could use training still, like you said."

Phoenix has posed:
"I learned that it's an infinity shard from Doctor Strange," Jean readily shares with Jeremy, "I never really dealt with any such artifacts in my life. But for what it's worth, I think nobody should have it." Jean is still astounded by what the Shadow King turned the Astral Plane into, and she really doesn't want to see anyone else get to explore their own creative inspirations. "I can use telekinesis to try and get this shard, which I assume is beset on a ring, from whoever wields it. I just need to get there..." she then pauses, "the Shadow King actually explicitly mentioned a ring to me, I wouldn't be surprised if it is beset on a ring at the moment." She then looks from Jeremy to Strange, "does the fact it's on a ring helps you with the magic at all?"

Doctor Strange has posed:
    Strange lies again but this time towards Jean, "I believe it being on the ring is more than important. I believe it is the crux upon which this whole thing can be solved." Stephen says, turning towards Jeremy, and continuing the lie and setting out a trap for the young man to step into. "A ring, a circle is the perfect shape in magic, you know that at least, yes. It is used in every type of magic in some form or fashion. It protects the caster and assaults the subject. It is the perfect symbol to create a power funnel. In this instance. It is our focul point." Strange says his hands dispelling the spell behind his back and flairing wide openly. "Now if the host is truly wearing the infinity stone as gem in a ring, we should be able to find it from here with ease. Right Jeremy?"

Shadow King has posed:
    There's a slight movement of eyes as Jeremy sifts through the explanation Strange has gone over. He opens his mouth a little, but moves verbally a different way. "Sure," agrees the teen, willing to go along with Strange, though there is a little stare as he seeks for some kind of signal from Strange. Are they putting one over on Jean, or something? "Maybe easy for you. Most people, uh, lack the tools. ---But. Well, wait. If we know he's wearing a ring he might not be a fungus. How would a fungus 'wear' such a thing?" Jeremy asks, as if willing to drop the issue of the fungus-host entirely. "Am I entirely wrong? So me finding the fungus would not help matters at all...."

Jeremy makes a frustrated sound, turning away, walking near the library of books. He doesn't touch anything, it truly looks just like he's pacing. "I thought I'd figured it out."

Phoenix has posed:
Jean looks surprised that her tidbit was actually of value, even though she much doubted it, but Strange just has a way of having such enthusiasm, that she doesn't stop to question it for a moment. "Great, glad I was able to glean that much information then." She turns to look at Jeremy when he suggests it may not be the fungus, "it doesn't have to have it on a finger, does it? I'm sure there are ways it's malleable enough to achieve the wielding of a ring."

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "It could be anything. Anything a ring could fit on could use it. Jeremy, since you came to us with a lead, I'm going to have you go and follow that lead, but I will need you to report to me as soon as you find anything --ANYTHING-- useful." The sorcerer says with a look to Jean and softly spoken he nods to the fellow doctor. "Be careful out there. I have worry that you will be presented and tempted by unfathomable power." The Sorcerer says, choosing his words carefully.

Shadow King has posed:
    "Sure. I'll look. I'll be fine," says the teenager, with entirely appropriate teenage assumption of being impervious to harm. He'll live forever, like every other young man, right? "Like a shadow in more shadows," he assures them. "Please just send me the email or a phone call instead of inside my head, though. I thought you were the so called Astral-King at first."

Phoenix has posed:
"So...he just might be Sauron, right?" Jean asks out of the blue, getting a sense that Strange is having fun at her expense. But she doesn't appear bummed by it, instead she just nods at Jeremy, "good. So let's get on that...get one step closer to restoring the Astral Plane to what it should be. The Astral Plane, and not the Shadow King's playground."