9366/About One Jeremy Larkin

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About One Jeremy Larkin
Date of Scene: 29 September 2019
Location: Jean's Office - Xavier's School
Synopsis: Jeremy Larkin was brought back to light due to some incident, which forced Jean's hand, and put her in position to share a long kept secret with Scott.
Cast of Characters: Phoenix, Cyclops




Phoenix has posed:
One thing that Jean was worried would happen one day, is the name Jeremy Larkin being brought up again. Sure enough, it happened, and not only that...but it happened in a very troubling fashion. The secret of Jeremy Larkin was meant to be kept just as such, a secret, but it seems he has breached his agreement with Jean. What shock, that one known as the God of Tricks or Lies if one likes, happens to have broken his word.

But it also leaves Jean in the awkward position of having to admit to what she's done, taking a course of action that had placed students in potential danger. Few would understand the real threat of the time, and how important 'Jeremy Larkin' was to prevent a catastrophe.

But finally, Jean reached a point where she decided to share this secret of her own volition, with Scott Summers, ahead of all others. If only to assure him of her reason, and see his reaction, before she might share this more widely.

To that end, Jean called Scott to her office, where they'd hopefully be afforded due privacy.

Cyclops has posed:
That Scott was in the middle of something is a given. In particular, lately, with the Sentinel threat looming ever-present over mutants and the new still full of attacks, it has consumed the X-men leader's time. That has caused a little bit of friction, with the frustratingly poor timing of Loki, bringing his trouble into the mansion during such a rough period.

While Scott was busy, he drops things for Jean. He doesn't deliberately think of it in those terms, but Jean's request immediately gets priority. It just does.

Scott finishes speaking to several of the staff members about the problems 'Jeremy Larkin' left behind in medical in the form of decaying blue ooze, and heads directly for the administration hallway, and Jean's office. Finding the door ajar, he still knocks on it softly: polite and respectful as always, leaning in, quiet.

Phoenix has posed:
"Oh do come in, Scott, I'm obviously waiting just for you," Jean makes light of Scott's manners, even if she does appreciate him for having them to begin with. Many, particularly of the younger residents of the Mansion, seem to lack those. "I wanted to talk about the Asgardian God in the room, of course," Jean gets straight to the point.

"Also, I wanted to share something with you..." Jean pauses a moment, waiting for Scott to have a seat, before taking a deep breath. Slightly tensing, before she finally reveals, "I had known Jeremy Larkin's true identity for quite some time...since we've been accosted by the Shadow King, actually..."

Cyclops has posed:
"I'm not in trouble, then?" Scott deadpans dryly in amusement as he turns to shut the door behind him, proceeding to the chair in front of her desk, and seating himself there. He is not entirely relaxed, but that's a Scott feature: he's rarely truly relaxed, and she's brought up a topic that keeps him sitting up quite straight, even if he folds his hands in his lap with an intent to not show too much tension.

Scott simply nodded to her topic, giving her the floor to speak on it. Until it takes a bend he didn't expect. He stares at her. If he blinked in surprise, his glasses cover it. "I... see," Scott says, a little haltingly. "I expect there was an important reason to keep that quiet." He didn't leap to anger, he leaped to logic. And trust.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean laughs as Scott uses the words many student who were summoned to her office have utterd, grinning at him widely, "that's two for two, at this right you might steal Bobby's thunder as the team's jokster, so be careful!"

Jean turned to observe Scott very keenly while telling him her story, unlike most, she had the added advantage of truly knowing what's on a person's mind, or at the very least their feelings. She usually wasn't one to use her unfair advantage without due cause, but in this instance, she keenly tracked Scott's reaction, checking for that spike of anger.

When Scott elected to listen, process and let her talk, she heaved a sigh of relief. "I wasn't entirely open with the X-Men at the time, same as the Professor, same as Psylocke...because, we were facing an end," Jean reveals a little more about the incident with the Shadow King.

"Have you had a chance to run across the term 'Infinity Shard' or 'Infinity Stone' by now, Scott?" Jean asks cautiously, as if trying to decide how to word her story.

Cyclops has posed:
The spike of emotion was surprise, and frustration, but 'anger' isn't accurate. He's not angry with her. He can accept it's situational, but that harm has come from it all the same bothers him. If she touches his mind at all, she'll find more blame ended up aimed towards Xavier: Scott is more stung he wasn't in the 'in circle' from the Professor, who may very well have told Betsy and Jean to keep it between them. Still, he has to trust, and he does trust the Professor.

And Jean.

"Loki reads minds, doesn't he," Scott guesses, though. "He has to have some impressive shields, if Betsy met with him in person, and didn't see a problem."

Scott nods his head once slowly. "Yes. Something called a Tesseract was brought up, by Hank. What we've been given by the Avengers called it an infinity gem. Can you detail more what that is?"

Phoenix has posed:
"Yes...that is among Loki's many gifts," Jean confirms Scott's immediate guess about Loki. "He has that in spades," Jean confirms the next estimation, proving Scott's astute observation and deduction, even in fields he is less dominant in, such as telepathy. It's enough experience leading the X-Men that may have helped with knowing that is unknown.

"From my limited understanding, these Infinity Shards or Stones or Gems or whatever you call them...they are artifacts older than the beings who call themselves gods, the Asgardians among them...they were used to shape the very universe, and hold power over all manners of existence." Jean stops there, letting the full realization of such artifacts even existing to settle for Scott. She didn't take it easily herself the first time, though she was aided by actually feeling and witnessing the power of such an artifact. She doesn't even know how truly fortunate she was to have that other side of her, of which she came to slowly be aware of during the time.

"The Shadow King had in his possession such an Infinity Shard, and he twisted the Astral Plane with it, and though that...reality itself. We were facing an existential threat, and all who could do something tried...that is how I came to meet both 'Jeremy Larkin' and Doctor Strange," Jean pauses again, before admitting, "I was fooled at first...but as we worked together to fend off the Shadow King, I came to learn of his true identity...that Jeremy Larkin was a facade for Loki, the Asgardian God of Mischief."

Jean stops there, looking a bit disappointed with herself, as she lowers her emerald gaze from Scott, and adds, "he made me promise not to share his identity, and to allow him occasional visits as Jeremy Larkin to the school, in return for his aid. But the deal was struck under condition that he must never bring harm to the students, or the school. I guess we'll need to have word with him to understand what made him break that deal...but, in all honesty, I wasn't sure I could even hold back a god, Scott...I felt like I had to take his deal. If not to stop the Shadow King himself, then at least to prevent him from growing angry with the school and taking some godly vengeance on us all..." she's so fearful that Scott might judge her harshly, that Jean is actually starting to tearup as she relates this moment to him.

Cyclops has posed:
Scott releases a still-frustrated, but pent up breath when Jean confirms his guesses. He didn't think he was wrong about Loki's shields, and what must have happened to let the god slip in, but he doesn't have to like being right.

As Jean moves into her explanation, Scott changes gears as well: he doesn't ask questions or interrupt at first, he settles in the visitor chair, absorbing everything she has to relay to him. There is a lot to unpack.

The description of the nature of the gems causes a reaction of disbelief, at first: from the sheer odds, what is the probability of such a stone, in the universe, landing in their lap? The math there hurts his head, and Scott is a man that enjoys math.

The description of the Shadow King problem gets a slower nod; he's had Shadow king stories from the Professor a number of times. "I know the Shadow King is a literal nightmare; accepting help against the Shadow King, even if it's difficult, must have been necessary. 'Enemy of my enemy' as it may have been," scott says, finally speaking aloud, as he senses her wish for him to answer verbally.

By the end, Scott has moved one hand up against his jaw, and then into the side of his hair, a press of fingertips into the side of his temple, above the glasses, as his eyebrows knit together hard. Scott is a churn of reactions, though his reserved control and willpower keep most of it off the surface. Not that that will cloak anything from Jean if she wants to know the truth of his feelings about it.

"You... did this to protect the students. I understand, Jean," Scott says, quietly. And he does. "...I would have liked to have helped earlier." His own tone drops, a sadness there, of having been pushed out.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean nods at Scott's most reasonable and expected remark, that he would have liked to have been involved, to offer his help, to have agency in the entire affair. It takes her a moment to gather herself and formulate her response, finally daring to look up and meet his gaze, even as she wipes the welling tears from her glassy eyes.

"It was an entirely different field of combat from what you're used to Scott," Jean starts, "the Professor kept only Psylocke and myself in the loop, for that very reason, for once the Astral Plane was affecting the Physical...and those without a telepathic gift, would wind up as puppets for the Shadow King, as was the case with some..."

Jean takes a moment to settles herself, as it seems recalling these memories brings with it all kind of emotions she's been burying away. "When I was a student, when I first met the Professor...the Astral Plane was a frightening place of wonders, and endless possibilities. I didn't understand it, and it took a long time for the Professor to allow me to venture in on my own..." she gives a background that would be quite familiar to Scott in nearly all aspects of the Professor's teachings. There was much hand holding before he truly trusted one was ready to stand on their own two feet. "But in time I grew, my abilities developed, and until that encounter with the Shadow King, I entered the Astral Plane as if it was my kingdom...but I tell you, Scott, nothing from the Professor's stories prepared me for the very terrifying first meeting with the Shadow King...." it is at this point she starts to choke a bit, and grows quiet. The conversation soon shift into a telepathic one, when her voice fails her.

<<He could do as he pleased, and he showed it to me, he just about had me kneeling before him and pleading for my life...when, something happened,>> there even the telepathic conversation stops. Jean reaches for a glass of water and stalls with a drink, taking another moment to gather herself, before proceeding as if the last few words are entirely forgotten.

"Jeremy Larkin, or Loki, helped us turn the tide...he had the ability to push us to victory, just as he had the ability to take advantage and bring us to ruin. I had to trust him, I had no choice...I hope you can understand, that you can forgive me, but there was no scenario I could fathom, where I don't accept his offer. I apologize for being too weak." She sniffles a bit more, and shakes her head, "what's important is to find out about this Tesseract, about what got Loki so hurt that he would break his promise," as if Loki ever needed reason to break promises given.

"When next I see him, I promise you, Scott, I will revoke Jeremy Larkin's 'right' to come and go to the school as he pleases."

Cyclops has posed:
Scott has shifted position, one hand on the arm of the chair, the other folded still across his lap. It isn't defensive, but more so that only ONE hand is gripping the arm of the chair. It isn't aggressive, necessarily, but perhaps telling that he IS allowing himself even to show that much to her. He's upset, but being upset doesn't help right now.

And that he'd like to comfort her somehow, but crossing around the desk to do it: it's just not appropriate. Another feeling of helplessness, similar to feeling shut out, or impotent due to being out of the loop. But trying to shove his presence in isn't a way to help.

The mental touch isn't a surprise: Scott's used to the shift, or something out of nowhere, particularly with the professor, and as always, he doesn't react to it in a visible way. Those private asides are of high value to Scott, and he picks up on the reason for its use.

Anger perks up at the statement that Jean's too weak. He won't, and doesn't accept that. He automatically emotionally rises in defense of that, but leaves it out of what he says verbally. "At this point, you are more familiar with how to handle him than most anyone else here," Scott begins: a compliment to start. "But I fear for Miss Lance. Whatever route we take, should be to keep her safest. Even if it requires ...diplomacy," Scott says. He really doesn't like it, though. He liked the revoke idea, but still does devil's advocate. As a team they have to see all angles, and he can also sense... that in this way he can rejoin her side, be validating her instinct so far.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean eventually calms herself enough where she manages to wear a calm mask, as if nothing was ever wrong to begin with. It really is a testament to the work she's done with the Professor, and with Scott, over the years. She even manages a smile at Scott, "yes...I think dealing with this together moving forward is for the best, I won't keep things away from you if I can help it," she leaves a stipulation on the promise, granting that sometimes situations present themselves that defy their expectation of reality.

"Let's try and meet with Miss Lance together, and see where we take it from there..." at that she gets up and walks around the desk towards Scott, and for all the awkwardness the two displayed between themselves, she reaches to embrace him tightly. "Thank you for the vote of confidence," she did, apparently pick up on his desire to argue that she was weak.

Cyclops has posed:
"I hope you won't," Scott agrees, with a smile that's real and yet also forced. It can be both: in that it was pushed forward at first, but evolved into a more genuine expression. His hand on the chair's armrest was getting more white-knuckled, but he noticed and pulled his hand in. Watching her duck behind the mask was a little hard to see: he admires seeing her passion and faith.

"It doesn't have to always be the whole team, but I need you to extend me that trust, Jean," Scott adds. He nods at her suggestion, rising from the chair as she comes around the desk.

His body language at first is firm: as if he felt the best way to support her was to be a rock to lean on, and he doesn't move his arms around her at first.

That dissolves as she thanks him, and he draws his hands up to gently place them on her back, and allows himself to hold her. "Of course, Jean," Scott answers, a promise in the tone, a more quiet voice than he's prone to. If it's more quiet, maybe the feeling in it will be harder to detect.