5759/Astral Flux: Library Meeting

Astral Flux: Library Meeting
Date of Scene:	11 November 2018
Location:	New York City
Synopsis:	Jean learns a little more from a young mage about the Shadow King.
Cast of Characters:	Shadow King, Phoenix
Tinyplot:	Astral Flux

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Shadow King has posed:
    Jeremy's text and messages have led to a meeting: the New York public library, as a common ground for them to talk. Jeremy has been difficult to reach telepathically: sometimes simply just not showing up as existing at all. Yet despite not existing, he does text and show up at libraries when asked. He procured one of the private study rooms, and is in it now, seated at the far end of a study table, flipping through recent newspapers of events, it appears. The room and the contents are visible from outside through some long windows, but they are fairly soundproof.

    Jeremy looks the same as before: no belongings with him of note, dressed in a clean but nondescript way. His hoodie is green today instead of brown, and his longish brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail. His demeanor is calm.

Phoenix has posed:
    This time Jean shows up in black leggings and a matching leather jacket, looks like she has several selections in her wardrobe. Shocker. Regardless, the NY Library made for a nice change of pace as far as settings go, it was almost a normal place. She makes her way to the assigned private study room, and greets, "hi Jeremy, so, did your efforts pay off? You went off grid for me for a little bit there...I was worried."

Shadow King has posed:
    "Worried about me?" Jeremy asks, as if that really was a very strange thing to him to hear. Unusual. "Well, as you can see, I yet survive," he says, with a little cheeky smile, closing the newspaper and putting it aside. "I poked around. I found a lot of things, including some other people also searching around. I mean, he has to know by now that he's being hunted for. The more scouts you have, the more somebody's going to be found."

Phoenix has posed:
"A very good thing you have," Jean states, offering a genuine seeming smile. "I have no doubt he knows, which is why it can't be a simple thing. Shadow King is a very clever...man, spirit? Whatever he is. His power was tremendous when I stood before him. He tried to tempt me, offered to teach me if I kneel before him. I couldn't do that." Did Jean ever mention actually facing him in the Astral Plane? Well, she did now. "Did you find anything useful?"

Shadow King has posed:
"You /talked/ to him in person? I mean. Astrally?" Jeremy's eyebrows lift in interest. "No offense, but have you gotten like ...." he gestures at her head, "Scanned for influence? Or bugs? Or anything?" he asks. He also points to the three other chairs, "Sit if you want to. I did ward a little bit in here. Nobody will look in unless we really draw attention," Jeremey says.

    "And yes, I found some of the fungus stuff. I have a few ways of seeing distant things. Sending in a mouse, to take a peek. My mouse was eaten by fungus. Kind of traumatizing to witness, and not intentional."

Phoenix has posed:
"Precisely, on the Astral Plane," Jean supports Jeremy's assumption, "that's how I found out it was him. It was a guesstimation, a good one apparently." She does move to sit down, and leaning her elbows on the table she shakes her head, "nobody looked at me...but there's no influence, if there was I would have likely kneeled before him, which I didn't, so he wasn't directing my actions..." in fact something else was, but that's a whole other matter. The mention of the mouse being eaten has Jean wincing in pain, "not good, and must not be a fun experience. Sorry about the mouse...so, was there any evidence we had the right idea with the fungus or not at all? More importantly, where geographically is it?"

Shadow King has posed:
    Jeremy gives her a sort of penetrating look, which isn't overly all that penetrating coming from the fourteen year old. It has no magic backing or anything on it, he's just seeming to peer at her, as if just a stare could help him decide if she were on the side of the Shadows. "I guuuuess. I'll be careful all the same, in case you're good at lying," Jeremy says, but his smile does come back a little. He's possibly a little headstrong, or something else.

    "So I brought you... this." Jeremy turns over the newspaper under the one he was looking at, and passes it over. It details the fight in Mexico that the Avengers and JLA and some other groups fought in July. "Same spot. Like. Scene of the crime. But there's a lot of people there that just don't see it. The level of illusion or something must just be astronomical."

Phoenix has posed:
"I was never told I'm good at lying, if it's any help, also I'm a school's Headmistress," Jean offers as if those were all one needed to hear to trust a person. She looks at the article noted on the newspaper, "I see...did it feel magical or telepathic in nature?" Jean wonders, "I might pierce a telepathic one, I'd need yourself or Doctor Strange for a magical one...did you uncover anything else in that region?"

Shadow King has posed:
    "I didn't see a magical ring just hanging out on a pedastal if that's what you mean," the mage chuckles at her. "But yeah, I did. I saw a STARK drone," Jeremy says. "Not very subtle." He sighs some. "There was some magic but it's all just a pressure cooker of psychic power. I don't think anyone would keep their own mind very long getting really close. But that's still, I think, what needs to be done, somehow: get close. Find a way. Unless you're feeling really strong about taking him on in the Astral, I think something like that would be assured failure, unless it's like, meant to be a distraction."

Phoenix has posed:
"I doubt it would be on a pedastal, I'd imagine he needs the host to have direct contact with it," Jean muses how she understands it. But maybe she's wrong, who knows, Lord of The Rings was just a book after all, not a guideline. "From my understanding, while he has that shard, ring, whatever, he will obliterate anyone in a psychic battle." Jean sighs, she isn't sure if numbers might help in an Astral confrontation, but she's afraid of what might happen, the damage he will do using her own body which he showed her he can do. Seems like the only option is going after that shard. "I'll see if I can talk to the Avengers, X-Men, whoever else...it sounds like we need a team to strike that location at the same time?"

Shadow King has posed:
    "I don't know," Jeremy says, suddenly overwhelmed by the name dropping. "You know a lot of heroes, huh?" He asks, more in a curious tone than anything else. "But if a bunch of heroes show up and he takes over their minds, isn't that really a lot worse than where we are now?" he asks.

Phoenix has posed:
"I have some connections," Jean admits, though not necessarily to knowing a lot of heroes. She also has to concede Jeremy's point, "damned if we do, damned if we don't? Or are you suggesting a much smaller team?"

Shadow King has posed:
    Jeremy sets his elbows on the table, head propped on his hands. He looks at her ruefully. "I appreciate your... faith in me or my abilities or my ideas, but. I'm nobody," Jeremy says gently. "All of this is well over my pay grade. I don't know what to suggest we do. I think the world is melting. The stone needs to be taken away. The Astral looks impervious. The physical gem seems guarded by a huge alien fungus with mind-powers. I mean, maybe the guys in Russia have it right: make those mechanical robots and send them in, huh?"

Phoenix has posed:
Jean shakes her head, "never a solution, machines are not the way to do it..." no offense Stark, but Jean had faced Sentinels, she's not about to have them come back by other means. "I'll try and consult with Doctor Strange about this, he might have an idea..."

Shadow King has posed:
    "Okay. Really, I think if we're gonna do anything, it's to act fast against it physically. If I can help, let me know," Jeremy suggests. "I'm going to do a bit more reserach here. Good luck with Strange." He smiles to her.