6231/Those Who Drop Amnesiac Wizards At Schools

Those Who Drop Amnesiac Wizards At Schools
Date of Scene:	20 January 2019
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Jeremy Larkin reveals himself to Jean Grey, showing he was Loki God of Mischief all along. He agrees to take Dr. Strange to the Sanctum where they may offer him more help.
Cast of Characters:	Loki, Phoenix, Iceman

---

Loki has posed:
    The young mage apparent, Jeremy Larkin, dropped off an amnesiac Dr. Strange almost two long weeks ago. The mage had appeared exhausted and in disarray, pieces of his appearance molted off of a slightly glowing interior, giving him an angelic, other-worldly aspect. He gave over Dr. Strange fully to the X-men infirmary, saying that he would return soon to help with the amnesia, but he had still more to do first.

    In the evening on Saturday night, Jeremy has shown up, though: and a little strangely. He's mingled with the other students effortlessly, fitting in without any real apparent effort, to have dinner with some of them. He's making friends. He's 'waited' to be noticed, without hiding, but also without announcing himself. He has just sort of made himself at home. He blends in with the students in both manner and appearance: a talented chameleon, or, well, just another teen.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean happened to be on her way to an altogether different errand, when she happened to spot Jeremy Larkin in a crowd of students. That was certainly new, and she made a gesture to draw his attention, and if that wasn't enough, she would follow with an officious sounding, "Mr. Larkin...can I have a moment of your time?"

The tone usually did the task of clearing students from her path, there were rumors, stories and gossip about Ms. Grey, not all of it flattering, not all of it true, and some of it sufficently frightening to win students respect (or was it fear?).

Whatever the case, Jean made a rather good Headmistress.

Loki has posed:
The gesture draws him, though; the rest isn't necessary. He bids farewell with a smile to one of the other students, and then approaches with a somewhat cat-ate-canary expression. A touch of shyness is there, as if he did know he probably did something wrong, and he's going to be rephrimanded: yet there isn't really any shame at all.

It's behavior consistent with Jean's run-ins with the mage in the Astral Plane: his playful quality remains, a sense of his tendency to dance a step ahead most of the time.

"I didn't call ahead, so I thought I'd leave a message in person," says Jeremy as he draws over, hands warmly tucked into the front pocket of his light yellow hoodie.

Phoenix has posed:
"So...you've fast developed a rapport with the students," Jean comments in the way of small talk on the way to her office, "I appreciate the personal touch." When the two arrive at her door, she looks Jeremy over while unlocking her door, "no amnesiac wizards to drop by this time?" That line alone probably telegraphing what she'd like to talk about.

Loki has posed:
The grin is immediate and bright. Jeremy's a good looking teen when he smiles; otherwise he was more ordinary, really. "I keep my wizard deliveries to once a month," Jeremy assures her. "I don't think you have the subscription, anyway. Sometimes it's easiest to just kind of fling them at the door like an old newspaper, but others you have to set down careful like or they'll forget their own name."

Jeremy shakes his head some, coming along with her where she leads. "I gather you haven't made headway with him? Is he still terrified? I had to do a lot to calm him down. He thought he was in literal hell, and dead, or in some kind of coma state."

Phoenix has posed:
"Well that's reassuring," Jean snorts, waiting for Jeremy to walk inside, before closing the door behing them. "Yeah, that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about..." she moves to sit infront of her desk, so that she and Larkin could sit across from each other on a level conversation.

"We looked at him, and this is no matter for telepaths. There's no telepathic procedure to repair damage to his memories, because it's not that they're damaged or otherwise scrambled. They never were..." Jean allows a moment to let that update sink in, before sharing, "our immediate guess was that the very Mind Stone used by the Shadow King will be needed to fix him, but Psylocke went to see the Avengers about it, and apparently it's not retriveable."

Loki has posed:
"So you're looking for my advice or opinion about what happened?" Jeremy asks, thoughtfully, while he sits down in the chair offered. He almost sat one way due to how much he may have wanted to preen or gloat, but there's a smooth slide into slouching in proper teenage manner low in the chair.

"I was there. I know that you know that," Jeremy says, after a pause, leaning an elbow on the armrest of his chair, and few fingers tucking one side of his hair behind an ear. "It was a little bit of a mess. I did see Dr. Strange distracting the Shadow King. Just before the Mind Stone was removed from the equation."

Phoenix has posed:
"I wouldn't expect you to know, but if you do, it would be a most welcomed piece of information..." Jean isn't used to being puzzled about matters of the mind, but whatever took its toll on Strange, it was nothing like anything she's ever seen before. She nods at the one thing of which they are both aware. Larkin was there when the final battle took place with the Shadow King. It was also the first time he came to truly appreciate how unique Jean was among telepaths. She probably wasn't supposed to stumble on the fact he was there.

"Did the Mind Stone have anything to do with what happened to Dr. Strange? I can't think of anything else that would affect a mind without a trace the way he is affected..."

Loki has posed:
"When I saw him he was still himself. But, I'm willing to venture a guess at what's wrong with him," Jeremy gives. "You've said it's not telepathic; logically it's purely magical, then. Which means Dr. Strange cast something, not Shadow King. Shadow King is entirely non-magical, from what I saw. He just used the Mind stone like a crude, giant battery of psychic force for his telepathy."

For a moment, Jeremy's tone is slightly sarcastic, scornful of the Shadow King, even. "But it's still psychic force. So, Mind Stone did it? Doubt it. The Mind Stone doesn't let you do powerful mind magic unless you're already magically talented. So. I think Dr. Strange did something to the both of them: a sacrificial spell seems likely, to try to imprison the King. That type is potent: and it did something nasty to both of them. Can he be restored? Eh. Probably. Sounds more like a case of untangling what he cast, if it's not telepathy. I'd hoped it was, and you'd fix him up."

Phoenix has posed:
"So you're saying empowering telepathic ability is the least of that stone's abilities?" Jean muses, a part of her very much fascinated by it, even if she never openly showed any signs of actually seeking to hold the stone for herself at any point in the whole Shadow King affair.

"So then Strange did it unto himself?" Jean looks somewhat surprised, as she looks over Larkin, pondering, "maybe the Shadow King was about to use him for a new host, and removing his magical knowledge was Strange's way to neuter the Shadow King..." Jean arrives at the only logical conclusion she can think of. "But even so...wouldn't he have had a contingency? Some kind of message? Or he just wagers his good friend Mr. Larkin would know what to do?"

Loki has posed:
Jeremy mostly sits there and cocks his head, and listens. He's smiling though: either she's wildly off base and he's amused, or he's pleased she's come along on his description. Pleased with himself for telling the story well, even.

"Did you find some of the Shadow King in him?" Jeremy asks. He then releases a sudden little laugh as she suggests he was a good friend. "If he left a note, it isn't in the Sanctum. I looked. He doesn't work well with others, and refuses to mentor. It's frustrating," Jeremy says, with a smooth appeal to her teacher side. "Just sort of throws you at books, no guidance at all." He shakes his head, as if saddened. "If he's left a magical key to turn him back to himself, it wasn't with /me/ or anyone I've talked to. And I would like him back; his replacement is /so much/ worse."

Phoenix has posed:
Jean doesn't seem to take offense at Jeremy's grin, apparently her confidence level is such that she doesn't interrupt everything as a slight against her. But she does nod at his question, "I eliminated a Shadow King essence from within him, and a few other slivers from about that area of the Astral Plane..." and even as she answers, Jean looks a bit alarmed, "so...whatever trap Strange set for the Shadow King, pretty much, discombobulated him?" The very suggestion is scary, as it would mean a powerful telepath such as the Shadow King was unable to contend with magic even within the confines of the Astral Plane. Rock takes Scissors. "Oh I am familar with that method, I rather frown upon it. Sure, there are merits to developing geniuses, but that is a very slim percent. When you elevate all, you do the world a much better favor."

She laughs when Jeremy complains about Strange's replacement, "I have to agree with you, he used to be a bit insufferable, but then a lot of us are not at out best when we know very little." As Jeremy suggested the Sanctum isn't where a note might have been left, Jean looks as if she is on to something. "We should go speak to Wong, he might know something, and if not him, maybe whoever is the acting Sorcerer Supreme?"

Loki has posed:
"I am able to share the last thing I saw Dr. Strange say before everything turned inside out. If you like." Jeremy's being elusive as always: there's some new bit of information he didn't mention before popping up.

With a spread of hands and a quiet spell, the young mage does a show of focusing and weaving in the air with his hands, and a beautiful bubble, about the size of a beach ball, appears in the air. In it, is Dr. Strange, his cape whipping magestically, yelling into the void that is the Shadow King. The voice fills the room, as if it were really happening. "Your focus will be upon me!" The wizard proclaims, his hands snapping into his casting gestures and he suffers the onslaught of astral repercussions, "Take me and you would have had what you needed to conquer a million worlds." The Shadow King's shape lunges on Dr. Strange, as sudden portals flood in and confusion fills the bubble as fighting erupts of others.

Jeremy lets the bubble fade. "I was otherwise distracted. But you can see where I came up with my theory. Trap, in the most glaring way possible. I'm kind of surprised the Shadow King fell for it even a bit, but here we are."

"Acting Supreme is in the Sanctum, yes. Very suspicious sort," Jeremy comments. "Wong might want to come visit. I didn't tell anyone where this is, you have a secret place going on, and I /keep/ secrets."

Phoenix has posed:
Crossing her arms, Jean leans back in her seat and kinda stares at Jeremy, "was it really necessary to keep that from me until now? Is there something else you're witholding? Like...exactly what happened and exactly how to fix Strange?" At this point, Jean wouldn't be surprised.

When Jeremy proceeds to invoke the bubble that may well be a projector and screen, Jean observes what is shown, and nods along with Jeremy's conclusion. "Absolutely a trap...I wonder if the Shadow King was facing a threat to his very existence to fall for it." She then smirks as she offers an alternative reason, "or he was so power hungry and greedy, the very thought of having Strange for his puppet made him think the reward outweighs all risks."

For a moment Jean looks more than serious, as she looks Jeremy in the eye and smile, "as I said before, you've no idea how much I respect you for that. My chief concern is with the school, the students, and allowing them to grow and learn safely, without being compromised by the full hatred out there...it's important, growing with hate, anger and fear creates some truly horrid monsters."

Loki has posed:
"Maybe I know a lot of answers, when you ask the right questions," Jeremy says elusively, but rather honestly and openly. There's a bit of a fun tone there, that he has fun, in his way, even if it's slightly frustrating to others when he does it. "I think I've answered the things you've asked. For the most part. Could the mind stone fix Dr. Strange? In some manner, yes, of course. It's not here, though."

"After the chats I had with Shadow King? I think he felt he could overpower anything, do anything, at that point. While he had the stone, I don't think he was wrong. But losing it, while Dr. Strange distracted him with that trap? He was toast." Jeremy looks around the office a little. "Mind if I have some water, or other hospitality?" he asks, politely, but he doesn't distract from the topic, he sticks to it. "But we do need Dr. Strange back. The power vacuum caused the Black Sleep. Another thing I do know all about, if you ask the right questions."

Phoenix has posed:
"That's a neat trick," Jean says with a somewhat annoyed smirk, "you're the sort who truly enjoys games, don't you?" She nods, "we figured as much by reaching to the Avengers, they were last known to hold it. So ultimately, we're back to needing a magic user, preferable someone from the Sanctum."

"He was a bit cocky wasn't he? He was quite dismissive of me when we spoke, and I did not care to alter his perception."

At the request for hospitality of some sort, Jean grins, "oh, please forgive my manners, I sometimes get distracted when speaking of matters that might hold the world's potential doom within them." Reaching to tap at her temple, she looks for the nearest staff member which also happens to be an X-Men, which just so happens to be Bobby Drake, <<Bobby, can you please stop by my office with a pitcher of water and some glasses, we have a guest, the magic user Jeremy Larkin who helped us against the Shadow King.>>

Iceman has posed:
<<Oh. Sure, Jean.>> Even mentally, Bobby doesn't sound like he's in the best of moods. But the request has been made, and within a few minutes, there's a rap at the door before it opens. "Concierge service." he announces with a small smirk, carrying a tray that had a thin sheen of frost on it as both the water and glasses are chilled to near freezing temperatures.

He sets down the tray and glances over to the magic user. "Hey." he offers to Jeremy, before glancing over to Jean. <<There's going to be a story about a mess in New York earlier. Sorry about that.>>

Loki has posed:
The young mage laughs, in a relaxed way. "Cocky does not begin to describe it. I'm used to the type, though. Hubris is wonderful," Jeremy says with a somewhat sarcastic grin. Jeremy appears to be no more than about thirteen physically. He has shoulder length blonde hair, loose, and is wearing a warm yellow hoodie, jeans, and blue and black striped sneakers with untied laces. He's fairly average looking and ordinary otherwise.

The mage orients a little on Jean's gesture to her head and her use of telepathy, with a small half-smile and a penetrating little stare. He picked up on what she was doing, though if he caught the content of it or just the use of telepathy alone? Might be hard to tell for sure.

"Hi. Thanks," Jeremy says. Jean might notice his adjustment in demeanor when Bobby enters: he corrected to behave properly thirteen again. And aims a little teasing grin at Jean, as he does it. "I do enjoy them. Is that so bad?"

Phoenix has posed:
Jean turns to look quite directly at Bobby when he thinks to her something about a mess in New York, the added apology making it seem like there just might be more administrative stuff for her to deal with. <<Gee, thanks Bobby, just what I needed...was it at least life saving and worth it?>>

She does turn to JEremy and laughs, "yes, hubris makes it easier to deal with usually more powerful foes." She then gestures at the man who just brougt the refreshment, "this is Bobby Drake, our resident joker, so hope he doesn't decide to pull a fast one on us." While spoken with jovial levity, there's a clear subtext advising Bobby not to pick this moment in time to prank anyone.

"Not at all Jeremy, and Bobby is safe to feel at home with, he's one of our 'special' staff members." Jean may not have elaborated on just what it is the X-Men do, but in their dealing with the Shadow King, Jeremy had come to learn there's something more to this school, even if not precisely what. "Bobby," she adds to the benefit of her teammate, "he may look 13, but Jeremy is older than the two of us combined I'd wager, he's been of great help in defeating the Shadow King...and those I have no means to be certain, I'd also bet he had something to do with that Black Sleep being resolved." Yeah, Jean wouldn't buy in a million years that weird story suggesting 'Jewel' of all people had anything to do with it.

Iceman has posed:
<<Just a rogue Rogue from a rogue dimension? That hurt my head to think.>> Bobby asks with a hint of mirth. Though there's an underlying.. something.. that he's not addressing. And if there was any signs that Bobby was going to pull a prank, it doesn't show at the moment. "So, not a mutant, but we're getting them young these days?" he asks with a lift of a brow.

"Black Sheep, dream eaters sleeping, kidnappings, sounds just like a normal week around here, Jean." There could almost be a roll of the eyes that are offered with the comment as he sets the service down near Jean so that she can serve. "I might take a couple of days off to clear my head, if you don't mind?"

Loki has posed:
"Is there a different age you'd like me to be?" Jeremy asks Jean in return, in the teasing way he has often adopted, particularly when others are around. He's In Character. He looks at the frosted plate with a curious quality, but takes the glass of water when it's offered. He gestures with it a little as he talks. "Special Bobby? All right. And yes, I did resolve the Black Sleep. All the information to prove it, but I fail to see a reason to regale you on it right now." Some irritation comes into his light eyes, as if focusing more on that topic: and something in it annoys him.

"A few days off is an idea," Jeremy appends to Bobby's statement about it. "You /know/, I shouldn't need to be the one fixing everything all the time," Jeremy comments, with a huff of breath, his tone switching into one that sounds like venting. It aligns with the tone a teenager would use if he felt it was unfair that he always be the one to do all the dishes all the time. "I've worked to defeat the Shadow King, resolved the Black Sleep - which would still be going on without me, by the way, a full planet of prisoners in perpetual nightmares; the human mages didn't know where to even go to fight the entity, pretty /sad/---, I deserve a vacation out of doing all of the heavy lifting all the time. I'm tired. I'm a perpetual piñata for information, and yet everybody's always upset at me somehow." Such injustice.

"Where would you take your vacation, Bobby?" asks the mage smoothly, turning at him with a steady look.

Phoenix has posed:
Judging from the look Jean gives Bobby, he must have had a weird thought to share, but she doesn't elaborate on it. If anything, it likely something that has nothing to do with Jeremy, which is why she files it for a later discussion. "If you feel it necessary, Bobby, you're welcome to it...by the way, you may join us now, if you care to discuss how we might help Doctor Strange."

Jean pauses, and then turns her full attention to Bobby, "you did keep up to date on reports, correct? You're aware that the appointed Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange, is in an amnesiac state, in our medical lab?" She hopes Bobby has been keeping up, he's one of those people she wouldn't be surprised to find were skimming through report, skipping the 'boring' parts, which just so happen to be the most important.

She does chuckle to how lightly Bobby takes the weight of Jeremy's assistance and what pretty much amounts to saving the world, "as you have likely noticed yourself, Jeremy, we are not quite a regular school, though we do our best to be just that."

"On the topic of Black Sleep, was there someone behind the magic that caused it? Hopefully someone who wouldn't be able to do a similar disaster any time soon?" Jean knows from her involvement that it was magic based, but from that point on, left Magik in charge from the X-Men's perspective. "As an aside, thanks for bringing that to an end. It was scary. More so than the Shadow King."

"You can be whatever age you are most comfortable being, Jeremy, I'd imagine I'd wear the guise of a kid given a choice...life was simpler back then..." now that's a bold faced lie coming out of Jean, if there ever was on, but she counts on most people having no way to know that. She assumes as much of Jeremy. Certainly of Bobby.

Iceman has posed:
"Me? I'm nothing exciting. Probably just go visit my parents for a few days and relax." Bobby says with a laugh. "Vege and play some Call of Duty or catch up on my games I've missed out on." There's a smirk at that, before Jean is starting to ask him questions.

"...well why would I do all that when I have you and Scott to take all the pressure of you know, knowing things off my hands." he says with obvious jest, amusement showing in his features. "And now with young Jeremy here, perhaps we can work on that whole peace between mutants and humans and global warming while we're at it." Someone's feeling a bit sour and sassy tonight.

"You know me, Jean, I know about as much about magic as I do about rebuilding jet engines or quantum mechanics." He finally pours himself a glass of water to drink if noone else wants any, opting to keep himself hydrated. "Just point me at whatever the trouble is and I'll do my best to help."

Loki has posed:
The 'thank you' seems to actually throw Jeremy for a moment, he gives Jean a surprised stare that had zero acting related to it. Sometimes even the best actors break character for an instant, and there was a window just then. The mage actually was successfully flattered, it didn't bounce off. "You're welcome," is what comes out of Jeremy, sitting back in his chair a little, chin lifted. It reads, due to the teenage appearance, as a well-mannered youth, very well taught in how to sit and behave.

"To answer your question about the Black Sleep," Jeremy says to Jean, "It was a demon of nightmares. An opportunist, I think. Nobody was keeping watch, or knew they had to. We reminded him where he stands."

"Family visit? Ugh. You wouldn't rather go lay on a beach?" A face is made. "Are you suggesting I'm going to go solve global warming now?" Jeremy asks Bobby, with a sleek half-smile.

Phoenix has posed:
"Sounds like a sensible, risk free plan, Bobby," Jean muses, guessing almost instantenously that Bobby is up to way worse than that. He does, however, as he is wont to do, steals a laugh out of her with the line about Scott and herself. "Well, someone has to be the adult around here," she notes to Bobby, before quipping at Jeremy, "no offense."

While Jean may not know too much about Jeremy's true nature, she does note she broke through his usual front, when she gets a genuine seeming reply to her thanks, which doesn't appear to be part of a game. It's that special something in Jean, which regardless of her powers, made Xavier leave her in charge while he had to go away. She has a way of reaching people, and not because she tries to manipulate them (like say a certain Emma Frost), but rather, she honestly tries to understand people. Free of judgement at that.

"So, Strange was removed inadvertantly by the Shadow King fiasco, and that opened the door to a nightmare demon? At least nothing is ever boring around here..." Jean shakes her head in disbelief at how things seem to fall into place, bringing one disaster on the heels of another. "Jeremy, don't mind Bobby, he likes to joke a lot...at least he didn't ask you to help find Nemo."

Iceman has posed:
"Sensible and risk free, I could almost sell insurance on the side." Bobby says with a small snort of laughter as he considers for a moment, drawing out a breath. "I mean if you //want// to solve it right now, I don't have anything better to do at the moment." he says with a small chuckle, before sombering up.

"All this talk of magic users, nightmare demons and all that sounds like it's well above my paygrade, Jeanie. I should let you and Jeremy get back to it." He reaches up and rubs at his shoulder, the one that was destroyed a few days ago and rubs at it with a small wince of displeasure, before he straightens up. "Unless you wanted me to serve you some of those little finger sandwiches too? I mean, they'd be peanut butter and jelly. Or just cheese."

Loki has posed:
Jeremy weighs Jean with a skeptical manner. He masks the hand gestures behind the water glass, but he does invoke one of his quick little mental spells. It's one of the more subtle ones, until he uses it, but he uses it right away, towards Jean. <<I think we've come to the part, after all these months, where I should let this character rest. But I do not think Bobby would react well. Perhaps another time.>> Jeremy's mental tone is smooth, no amusement in it: there's usually not much emotion in whatever telepathy Jean had previously tried to get him to respond to.

He shows no indication at all of his mood physically, but drinks most of the water from his glass. "That would sum up, except that I do think the Shadow King did mean to destroy Dr. Strange, or maybe torture him. Maybe after possessing him for a while, but yes. He had a victim in his Astral mind-castle stuck in the walls. Or he /was/ the walls."

Jeremy smirks at Bobby's laughter related to global warming. "I thought you needed a vacation?"

Phoenix has posed:
"See? And you thought all the Professor was always thinking about is grading our papers when were the students, didn't you, Bobby Drake?" Jean muses with a laugh at Bobby's antics, "thanks for bringing the water, and I'll ask Betsy if I want finger sandwiches, I have a feeling she'll do much better in that department."

She then turns to look at Jeremy, as Bobby did suggests she gets back to the matter on hand, and she seems rather fascinated, as she replies to him telepathically, <<so I guess we've finally come to the find of real trust, and not just trust born out of a mutaul desire to not perish to a Shadow King or Nightmare Demon or otherwise? That's comforting.>>

Iceman has posed:
"Probably a good idea. I'll talk to you later, Jean." Bobby offers, before starting towards the door, then pausing. "And Jeremy? Don't know who you are and all - but thanks for keeping Jean safe in all this stuff. And everyone else. She's one of the closest friends I have." He lets out a breath and slips out the door with that, to let the two continue on with their work.

Loki has posed:
"I'm just happy to not have to summon my own finger sandwiches," comments Jeremy blithely, finishing the rest of his water, and leaning forwards out of the chair to put it back on the tray.

He doesn't reply to Jean's mental words or respond at all physically. He nods some to Bobby, staring at the door for a few long beats after the mutant leaves, as if deciding what he thought of all that. "Hm," is what Jeremy says, tilting his head, and reclining in his chair again. "Everyone here is so tightly knit. Interesting to me, is all."

Phoenix has posed:
"We are a school, first and foremost, going through education, growing, learning and becoming who we are together is quite the bonding experience." Jean puts it as simply as she can, "a lot of us are each other's family, essentially." She pauses a moment, and then offers, "not sure how familiar you are with the issues those of us dabbed as mutants have to deal with, but a lot of us are cast away by our biological families if not outright abused by them. Many come to give up on life, and feel they are alone with no one else in the world, here at Xavier's we fix that. We heal. We build up vulnerable young souls into formidable, confidant ones." It's weird for Jean to more or less give a public relations pitch of the school, but she felt part of Jeremy's interest is not understand what he had been witnessing on those brief visits. "Now, I don't really know who you are, but if you experienced similar suffering, and that is why you choose to present yourself as a young teen, well, I'd afford you the same as I do others."

Loki has posed:
The mage adjusts one leg over the other in the chair; one ankle resting against knee, as he settles himself, and the body language changes. He's dropping character, shedding that particular thirteen year old mage behavior. He moves his fingers in a little comfortable motion, as if cracking a few knuckles one-handedly.

"I originally did not meet you here at your school, if you do recall," answers Jeremy. The voice is the same, as he hasn't shapeshifted out of it, but the style of speech is different, he's using his own, now, unaffected. "But on the astral plane. That you teach students? That was more a happy coincidence," says the mage with a splay of fingers. "Afford me what? Benefit of the doubt, in this case?"

Phoenix has posed:
"I remember very well, the fact you were able to traverse the Astral Plane when it cast out all others, was a testament to your power," Jean offers readily, not in the way of stroking Jeremy's ego, so much as to make him aware she doesn't take him lightly. Similarly, perhaps to remind there's more to her than meets the eye. Though both are likely beyond assuming any less of one another.

"As I said, I know nothing of you, but you show surprise at the thought of a tight group looking for one another, over everyone to themselves. That could point to a great many thing, assuming it is even true. I was merely offering my help, if ever required, to deal with mental scars you may carry unknowingly." Jean phrases it about as neutral as she can, not meaning to reach for any power games or suggest superiority. It's a problem, her bleeding heart sometimes gets in the way of things.

Loki has posed:
Jeremy watches her and listens, and takes some time to decide if he's insulted or not, as she seems to attempt to analyze him. His expression darkens some through his eyes, though a smooth smile remains. He decides, at least for now, to not take offense at it. The ego strokes did assist there, improve his tolerance. "I teach virtually /all the time/. Life lessons. Whether or not someone understands the value of it, well." He does believe that, too: his influence is important.

"Let's just cut to the end now, before we offer things that are more ridiculous, although I appreciate the sentiment," suggests 'Jeremy' teasingly, though, smiling more now. "Trying to unwrap me would take you far longer than your life span, I think. Not to suggest that isn't a worthy goal. You wouldn't be the first to attempt it."

Finally, the mage shapeshifts out of Jeremy, and adjusts his clothing as well. It's theatrical, there's some illusion involved as edges of shapeshifting gain glitters and impressive glowing effects. Dressed in modern dark green and black suit, dark hair sleeked back, his face and are manner godly, regal. The tall adult frame of a very well known Asgardian unfurls from the shape-shift. Loki's is a face famous to New York particularly: also the world, in a way, from the massive assault on the city, though he isn't wearing his iconic helmet. Six years isn't anywhere near long enough for a city to forget what he did: an event that caused the Avengers to form.

"I am, obviously, Loki, Prince of Asgard, god of... multiple things. Before you explode, I've no more interest in leveling your school or city than I had a minute ago," Loki says, as if tired, anticipating a reaction.

Phoenix has posed:
"That's very good, Jeremy," Jean says with a smile, "I teach whenever I can. To be fair, not everyone like being taught."

"With you being mysterious and all, I can only do guesswork, just wanted you to know I'm a friend, didn't mean to offend or anything," Jean notes as he mentions her attempts to 'unwrap' him. Though she took note of the arrogance in suggesting she couldn't even if she did try. A bold statement from one who has tasted her power to different degrees.

Then the illusion drops, and Jean is left stunned to find herself with none other than Loki, God of Mischief in her office. The very same from attack on New York fame. From we need to form the Avengers fame. It's not easy to find out she's been collaborating with one of the villains who left quite a mark on the city.

"I appreciate your lack of desire to level our school..." Jean clearly acknowledges the obvious shift in power balance, now that she knows Jeremy is a freakin' god.

"Well, seeing how we did collaborate, and so far the world still exists, I'll go on a whim and guess whatever happened when you took on New York is no longer an issue?" It's all guess work, but Jean is fairly clever, she is confidant in her estimation, "so, if you don't mind, why are you sparing the school? Or not attacking the very city, as it were?"

Loki has posed:
Loki is watching with a very tight awareness to his eyes. He never does anything unless he has several escape routes, if she turns into some bizarre powerhouse of something fiery he only caught the edge of before. It made him curious, which is part of why his manners are as good as they are: she's interesting.

"Yes, that was over something /else/, I don't see a need to go into it now," Loki replies. There isn't an apology in the words but there is a sense of him being self-aware about it. "Terms have changed now. Asgard is destroyed, my---the King, gone," Loki says, his voice turning to a darker place. A dangerous place, though it isn't specifically aimed at Jean. Danger only through his defensiveness about the situation. But the emotion doesn't linger visibly for very long: Loki's a cool customer, and one of his emotional masks settles into place.

"Which left us with Thor and myself, so I would say I have other priorities than to deal with ruling over unappreciative humans," the god says, in a disgruntled way. "Though all of you seem to be going out of your way to try to kill yourselves lately. Or at least to attract bad attention from elsewhere in the universe. Several Infinity stones together is /not/ wise."

Phoenix has posed:
"I guess it's well within your right not to dwell on the past, particularly as you've shown we can work together without any of my students dying, and with my school remaining intact. Which I very much appreciate."

Jean looks concerned when Loki explains a bit of what happened to Asgard, bits of which she caught on the news as Alpha Flight, the Avengers and the UN all got involved before settling on New Asgard as a solution.

She does laugh at the mention of unappreciative humans, "well, maybe humans just prefer the freedom to make mistakes, rather than be ruled over by perfection?" Clever woman that redhead, isn't she? Going against his view while providing compliment. Smooth.

"If you'll forgive our ignorance, I've only came to learn of the existence of infinity stones during the whole Shadow King fiasco," which would at least ascertain to Loki that Jean herself is indeed more than meets the eye, because in that fiery raptor guise she certainly seemed to know quite a bit about them. "I'm sorry about the trouble it caused...what other stones are here on Earth? I was only aware of the one used by the Shadow King?"

Loki has posed:
"It's safer, to be direct, when you don't know the information," Loki supplies, shrugging a little. "But I see no real harm in saying that Dr. Strange appears to be the warden of one of them. I am absolutely certain that the Shadow King knew this: the stones sense each other. I've had the Mind stone multiple times in my possession, so I'd rather be an expert about them," Loki 'brags'. It's a brag, but he thinks it's absolutely the case. No need to lie about that! "Did he grab for it? Of course. Greed is his weakness. Easy." Loki's pleased. And he had a good time playing with the Shadow King, it appears.

"I organized the removal to get the Mind Stone off planet, which did not exactly thrill me to need to do. But it isn't like I needed it." Because he's a god. Or other reasons that he's being elusive about. Loki, elusive? Of course. "There were several here, and that is like asking to be invaded. Now there's one. You're welcome." Loki picks up his empty water glass, magically refilling it with the gesture to something that looks more like wine, and has some.

"So you are probably wondering if I can just fix Dr. Strange, now, being as I'm a god known for mental power," Loki says, tone amused, edging into the obnoxious know-it-all tone he can often lend to when he isn't keeping himself in check or in a character. "I have reasons I'm doing what I'm doing: magic can be a funny thing. Dr. Strange isn't ready yet." Loki shrugs, and with a gesture, resumes the Jeremy appearance in a warm wash of subtle magic. "I'll keep an eye on it, though. Sorceror Supreme is a position beneath /me/, but making sure it's not a disaster is in my interest."

Phoenix has posed:
"I'll keep that in mind," Jean takes note of Loki's tip, not one to ignore solid advice when its offered. "So maybe that's why Strange did what he did to himself, to ward off the Shadow King from attaining two. Paid quite a price though..." while Jean looks curious, no doubt wondering what it must feel like to hold something like the Mind Stone, she asks no further questions about it.

"So long as it's safe and nobody else will be coming to claim the Astral Plane..." nope, Jean doesn't need to know where it is, and she trusts a god would place it somewhere safe. "Sounds like you did a good job, so, assuming that others will not be able to aid, you think you'd be able to do something about restoring the damage done?" Jean asks, hesitant, as she tends to agree with Loki's own assessment. Strange likely wouldn't appreciate Loki having anything to do with bringing him back. "God or not, I would imagine the Black Sleep wasn't beneficial to you in any way, and as you said, if the Sorcerer Supreme was about, it likely wouldn't have happened, correct?" She might be a bit testing, but she's only using arguments already made by Loki himself.

Loki has posed:
There's a little bit of looking side-eye into Jean's choice of questions and phrasing. His smile returns, though it doesn't mesh with Jeremy very well. It's still a Loki trickster smile, which means it's just a little bit bladed. "I /can/." Will he? Harder to determine. It looks like he's enjoying the question line, which could imply a new game: and if he's having a good time, he'll continue the game.

Loki shrugs, "I could break people out of the sleep; I did do some of that. Even a /favor/ to the Avengers. I've been beyond generous. But no, the demon /dared/ touch Asgardians, and his feeble replacement wasn't dealing with it until nearly the globe was in it. Pretty sad state if 'villains' like me need to be involved, isn't it," Loki jokes. It got personal, and the god was not chill with it anymore. Perhaps Loki holds grudges? No doubt.

Phoenix has posed:
"That's good to know, if I find myself at my wits end, I may try and reach you for the kindness..." Jean puts it about as mildly as she can, while at the same time assuring it's clear Loki is expected to do as he is wont, rather than expected to play along.

"Dare I say people are wrong about you and you just might not be a villain, as much as they claim?" Jean muses with a smile, clearly she's willing to look beyond past trasgressions, particularly with how Loki mentioned whatever brought the attack about was no longer in play.

"I do have one request, having Dr. Strange in the school is a danger. It draws too much attention from too many sources that my students need not know about. As I understand you were the one that brought him here, can you at least, in a similar fashion, take him back to his home, at the Sanctum. I'm sure the acting Sorcerer Supreme and Wong will be of much better help to him."

Loki has posed:
"I'm neither a villain nor a hero. Or both. Just keep that in mind and we'll be fine." Loki drinks the wine he'd conjured, which is awkward when paired with his current 13 year old boy form. Yet it also isn't, because none of the behavior is the youngster's by any reach of imagination. "You wanted him out of the Astral, were having some /trouble/ and I did that for you," Loki says coolly, as if she were rejecting the fine gift he'd given her.

"And... I am not a magical delivery service," Loki snorts. His mood soured very rapidly, but suddenly he masks it, switching effortlessly to Jeremy. "I lack a broom and a talking cat," teases the teenager. Even the playfulness of the statement flutters into the young man's eyes. Loki's a master. He's probably still insulted but there's no hint of it now.

"I'll call in a favor later. Consider him good as gone. Hope you said your goodbyes to him already," says the mage. He flares his eyes once, gestures, and vanishes. No fanfare of pretending to cast elaborate difficult teleportation or portals or any of the fake things he did before in a game of acting weak: this is just raw power.

And Loki's gone.

So is Dr. Strange, to the alarm of those in the medical area.

Phoenix has posed:
"Oh, I think you know me well enough to know I'm not making that mistake," Jean muses as she looks pleased at Loki's warning, given in the form of a casual remark. "A God is naturally beyond such labels as villain or hero. Those are for us mortals." She does look a bit taken back when Loki is showing to be offended by the request, "if you can't manage it, I can always use FedEx," Jean offers an alternative, jokingly.

"Thank you for your help," Jean says only it's doubtful that she managed it in time for Loki to even hear her as one moment he's there, the next, gone.

Loki has posed:
"You're welcome," teases the amused voice of Loki from sort of to the left and to the side of where he'd been. Loki rarely just leaves. Then, though, he goes.