11776/Pieces of Mind: Removing the Masks

Pieces of Mind: Removing the Masks
Date of Scene:	28 June 2022
Location:	Greenwich Village: Great Jones Day Spa
Synopsis:	Emma and Tabby seek out the mage that warned them about the Astral Villain, and lots of information is exchanged.
Cast of Characters:	Charles Xavier, Emma Frost, Tabitha Smith

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Charles Xavier has posed:
In the Astral plane, the Sanctuary is deeply subjected to some sort of corrupting influence. The whole area nearby, all those still stuck within ... all of it has a glossy, visceral tone of possession. In the Astral, that makes it a black, lightless mass, with sharpened blades that can (and have) reacted in an immediate, dangerous response to anyone that comes near. For the moment, the thing is unapproachable... something else needs to be figured out.

Charles Xavier has offered no clues. He does not seem 'gone', but neither does he respond. It is like he is held somehow between, or still 'busy'. The status is just ... unknown.

Still, there are leads. Emma Frost witnessed the sanctuary come under attack just the previous night, and better - had a quick (although very late) warning about what was about to happen. The warning felt as if it had a mage's touch: some scrying was being done, it wasn't a psychic wandering around inthe astral. For that, it left a trace, a physical place attached to it. Today, Emma and Tabby can go to that physical place.

If they expected torture or some shack or perhaps a mystical tower, though, this isn't it. It's a gorgeous Day Spa, although it's after hours now, and it seems closed. The sense of location is somewhere inside. One of the employees is out at the exterior area, locking up.

Emma Frost has posed:
The place doesn't seem to be utterly collapsing in on itself and as far as Emma's been told Charles has not gone cataonic nor has he been hospitalized. And after a two martini breakfast.. And lunch.. Emma's decided to simply be a litlte omre proactive in things. Presuming that if something changes they'll not trust her enough to follow up on it, Emma's made a point of leaving the contact information for the Mage at the Mansion for someone else.

Which now means she's heading towards there with some backup at least in the form of someone that if they are going to get into a melee with some sort of psychic monster, at least is resistant to it. Tabitha Smith is always difficult to get a read on and highly explosive. Which makes her perfect for an escort for this sort of scenario as Emma heads towards the spa.

"Come, and no commentary abuo it being bigger on the inside, Ms. Smith."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
To many of the slightly older mutants at the Xavier institutes, the Professor had been a major parental like figure. Even a legal guardian in some cases.

Tabby had been around for at least part of the creation of the sanctuary, having hoped the Astral side at the time by the professor and aided by Blindold.

She had missed on hoping to help protect things on the last attack hence happily agreeing to come with Emma to help find out what's going on.

While the Doctor Who gag is left alone. Tabby is at least suitably impressed by the Spa and it's decor even if they are arriving at closing hours.

having not exactly dressed for a break in, she does at least keep a lot of stuff in her red leather jacket. Black jeans and red sneakers covering the rest of her.

"So we got here after hours? Maybe we wanna sneak in? If things are all psychic mojo. You messing with an employee's head might be as loud as kicking in a window." she suggests while rummaging into the inside pockets to possibly grab some lock picks.

Charles Xavier has posed:
The employee that is locking up looks tired, but not upset or beaten down. She likes her job. Her name tag identifies her as Terri. Terri finishes locking up but pauses, looking at her messages as she pulls her bag up futher on her shoulder. It mashes on her collar a bit, but she doesn't notice as she starts to move away.

Terri does look at Tabby and Emma as they approach, though she didn't overhear Tabby's comments (ha, ha) and lets them know: "We're open tomorrow at eight am." Though she can also she the classy, expensive attire Emma is wearing -- they'll see her notice it. Terri's aware of where good tips come from. "Sorry that we're closed for the day, but all of the attendants have gone home! Happy to get you a special deal tomorrow though, if you ask for me, Terri." Terri doesn't seem to be expecting to linger, just stuck around to give them that information.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would glance over at Tabitha, "Oh, hardly Ms. Smith." She would glance over at the attendant on duty and go over to take out several bills, "I believe that we're in need of something immediate. Are you sure you can't get us in at short notice?" The bills are passed over. Five of them. Five bills that had a '1' and then two 'zeroes' after it.

"We're rather desperate after all. Can you please make an exception for us just this once? I'll also make sure that everyone else gets the proper appreciation for accomodating us."

Plus large cash tips meant no having to deal with annoying things like taxes, pay stubs..

Tabitha Smith has posed:
When it comes to the need to get into places that someone shouldn't, Tabitha is suprisingly capable of being quiet. So when Emma busts out the Benjamins Tabby goes from hushed whispers to straight out shutting up mostly.

She does at least try to help sell things with an emphatic nod of her head and her eyes looking seriously behind her cat eye glasses.

But hopefully the very generous tip and the idea that it'll get spread around is appealing enough to work on it's own merit.

Charles Xavier has posed:
"Really, the attendants have left, but if you're here for the ...." there's a pause. "The deep relaxation therapy," she asks, looking at them both with a lingering look... "I can show you where that is." Terri seems to believe they are valid people to be asking about what they're asking.

There's a pause as she seems to look more carefully at the money, as if she may be wary of fake things for some reason. Terri looks at the women, though, and goes back to the door, to unlock it and let them in. She takes a detour by the front computer desk to hit some button (it's turning off cameras), and then crosses to another hallway, another lock, and opens it. "If you're a new recruit, it's down on the far left, last door." Terri is looking at them with interest, but not staring, deliberately. It's rude to stare, and Terri is good about not doing that. She moves out of the way, to let them go ahead.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would nod over at the two, "Of course, thank you for your time." Another two crisp hundred dollar bills are pressed over. "Is there anything you might further recommend we should know about going in?" She would smile over at Terri with a 'spread the wealth' bit.

"And do make sure to let those on teh otehr end know about our arrival so we won't interrupt things." Going to then speak to Tabitha telepathically <<Politeness gets us much further than just coercing or breaking our way in dear.>> The ways being rich made all obstacles in life easier.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabby brightens her smile as Terri lets her and Emma in. Blue eyes behind yellow lenses eyeing what Terri's allowing for access. Happy expression as she listens to the directions are tries to remember which way is which. "You've already made our evening Terri, thanks!" she says appreciatively.

Flashing a smile and a nod to Emma she shifts on her feet again ready to find the Deep Relaxation Therapy suites. <<Just be careful Emma. Sometimes that much politeness is a red flag too. Hopefully she's ready to sell the place cause they underpay her here. The abuse from Karens isn't always worth the tips so keep your fingers crossed Terri's fed up with the job.>> she thinks quiet and fast. Or as quiet as she can manage.

Charles Xavier has posed:
Terri does try to think about if there's anything else she could give them to increase the tip, when Emma prompts for it. She comes up with only, "I assume /you/ know how to start your ...relaxation meeting. I don't have that information," answers Terri, regretfully. "I haven't seen any of your group in... well over a week. I wasn't sure we'd still see you or not. But you're most welcome, of course. The blessings on the meditation crystals have been incredible for business." It's very polite!

Terri doesn't escort further than that second locked door, as if she were specifically told not to interfere past a certain point. (Even a brief glimpse into her head would reveal that: she's not hiding anything, other than that she believes they are magical sorceresses, and they are going to go do something magical in there.)

Terri seems to have no expectation of going with them into the meeting room, and doesn't notice any mental talk between them at all.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would give Tabitha a look <<Please don't patronize me darling.>> The mental glare is there in full power as Emma reserves lecture time for later as she goes to focus on what's coming or going. "Of course, thank you Terri." Emma goes to gesture at Tabitha, "Come, then shall we go in for our session?"

Now Terri is given a quick mindscan if she can go through while Emma attempts to scry anything in a surface thought pattern she could. While also going to then dos o through the walls <<Tabitha, please let me know if you see any signs of electronic security or sensors>> Not the other girl's specialty, but it was reasonable to cover thier bases as they would go towards the second door.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
At the most Tabitha might ping on the Chi radar if she powers up psionicly controlled bio-electricity if you want to get scientific. Luckily she's not needed to make that kind of noise. "You're a dear Terri. What do you normally do here?" she queries cheerfully and quietly. "Will have to make sure it's part of the service next time we're at a better business hour!" she says with a more playful whisper.

When Emma calls to move further in Tabby smiles again and adds a wink to Terri's direction. "Thanks!" she whispers and slips on through the doors. <<The lovely lady was a very nice help. Cameras are off and doors were unlocked all the way in. On the left is where we want to be.>> she points out. But she does note mentally where the cameras are when she spots them. Pointing them out being avoided.

It's back to sneaky time and Boom-Boom is back in her wheel house.

Charles Xavier has posed:
"Management," Terri answers, with a smile. "Allocating the right people to the right clients," Terri adds, when Tabitha asks. Terri then gets out of the way, going back up to the front. It's unclear if she's going to wait for them to leave or just go - and actually Terri herself hasn't decided yet.

There's lots to look at as they go through the beautiful spa's front entry and the zone beyond. Fountains quietly trickle water soothingly, there's a long aquarium in one of the alcoves. Doors lead to different sorts of massage areas and relaxation zones - rows of beds, a steam area, another that's clearly for foot treatments: it's all here.

The door at the end that they were sent to seems to contain an area of insense and candles. Only one candle is lit, a little orange one at the back, fluttering lightly.

Emma Frost has posed:
Well, they're thought of as mages. Emma goes to pull that out over while she would send to Tabitha <<Be polite, and no going 'abracadabra' and making waving motions with your hands. We're here on business>> Emma goes to follow along in through the area towards the incense burning.

"We're here. I do thank you for the quick turnaround. Please do give our appreciation to your staff for their professionalism." That called out now while she would etnerw ith Tabitha. Now time to wait and see when the game would start.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
<<I don't need my hands for my power. And this is far from my first socially engineered break in. Think we could be quieter really.>> Tabby reminds Emma with a wink of her own.

Tabitha does refrain from making that horrible sneaky sneak sneak motion as she moves. She just keeps walking normally, making sure her shoes don't squeak or make more sound than foot falls.

When they get to the room with the lit candle Tabby hmmms. <<Is this one of those things where we need to meditate and channel mystical energies or something? Too bad we don't have Illyana with us. A mystical consult would be handy.>>

Charles Xavier has posed:
There are traces now, for those sensitive, that something Astral happened here. Perhaps a gate, some kind of rip, a connection. It's small, but there. Everything is cleaned up from whatever that was, but there are still echoes: echoes of a ritual here, that struck the Astral. Maybe more than one time?

But then, the candle flame grows more vibrant, into a large tuft of puffy orange flame, though it isn't an aggressive aspect.

...And then, there are eyes that appear, out of the flame, that turn and draw focus on the arrivals in the room. Blinkblink. It's ...cute.

The little fire on the candle looks at them, curiously. It's some sort of tiny magical flame elemental, by all appearances, or a sentry. The light from it bathes the room pleasantly, and there are lots of comfy places to recline in here.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would nod at Tabitha <<I'm fully aware, Ms. Smith. Which is part of why I have you here with me.>> She would continue on <<But, they seem to have offered a sincere attempt to help, so we'll take it at face value and see what we can gather>>

"Greetings. Are you here to lead us along or to speak to you directly?" Emma would speak over to the small flame elemental, giving it a formal curtsy. Never make presumptions after all. "And do we have your permission to come further?" Cover the bases. Be polite, don't be dismissive..
    And hope that this was not going to be something from a Brothers Grimm tale.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
At least the flame is small and really. Tabby doesn't really want to burn the place down so seeing the elemental just gets a little look of confusion when it opens it's eyes.

Expecting it to be capable of though, Tabitha smiles. "Bet you're hungry? All alone in here, nothing extra to fuel the flames." she joins Emma in offering a bow. But she does also offer a hand out to the flame elemental. A tiny little spark and wisp of a a plasma flame ignited. The energy behind it not much or enough to do any damage, just light up the room.  

<<Thinkthe politeness is something I can provide this time.>> she sends to the other blonde telepathically while offering her own bribe to the living flame attached to the candle.

Charles Xavier has posed:
A little mouth forms in the bottom of the tuft of flame, expressively with flame-lips mushed together as it considers them. It seems to enjoy Tabitha's snack, though it doesn't grow much at all from it. Seems the politeness was taken in, though.

"Greetings, yes. I remember you from yesterday," the elemental observes to Emma, eyes crinkling with a smile. "Well, one of you." The voice sounds to be perhaps a young masculine one in type, suggesting the elemental is a boy.

"This isn't MY house, come in as you like," chuckles the flame. "Though I can't promise this site isn't cursed, after everything, but it's safe enough in the short term."

By tone, the little flame is well aware it brought up some interesting questions with what it just said: it's perhaps a playful entity. Still, it isn't speaking of the events as if they were good. They were quite bad.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would dip her head, "Very well. So are you the one that we'll be speaking to or will you be the one taking us along?" She would query over while letting Tabitha engage more with the entity. It seemed to like her.

Or it would reveal it's true self and move to eat the limb off and it would be a learning experience in 'don't judge a book by it's cover' but with feral magical beasts.

Emma would give a bow, "And who's guest are we in attendance of this eve then?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
When the little snack of plasma is consumed Tabby lets a little extra energy linger without flame like extra sauce on a hotwing before she eventually lowers her hand.

"It would be nice to offer thanks to all our hosts for their hospitatilty tonight!" Tabitha states and offers a sage like nod of her head to the elemental.

At least Tabby herself doesn't seem harmed by the flame entity when it flicks against skin. But being a gracious guest is the order of the day so she happily goes along with the politeness.

It's a valid tactic!

Charles Xavier has posed:
The flame pauses, taking a long moment to weigh Emma's polite aspect. "We can speak in this room, in this way, yes," it agrees. It is not going to take them on any magical gut-wrenching journey through the floor or something like that. No magical unicorns to ride for the moment.

Maybe if they insisted...

"You can call me Kels; and you?" it adds. It seems to settle lower on the candle itself, kind of squatty, wicking up more of the wax, though it doesn't seem to really consume it in a way that lowers the candle. Magic stuff. "Please do make yourselves comfortable here. I believe there are refreshing beverages in a recessed fridge in the cabinet on your left." That is to Tabitha; there's some low paneling that could indeed hide such a thing. "Non magical ones." Amusement shows at that clarification. It seems politeness is pretty effective.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would offer over, "I'm Emma." SHe would shake her head, "And thank you, the offer is appreciated. Thank you for your hospitality. And.. Thank you for your warning. I'm sorry that I didn't understand it in time. Thank you regardless." Politeness exchanged.

"Now, can you.. Elaborate on what it was? I was only able to get a minimal glimpse. You seem to be much more familiar with it. So pardon me for my directness on the matter.."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"I'm Tabitha, and thank you Kels!" the girl beams with a happy smile. "The magical drinks might be better for a party later on." she says playfully and does in deed take a look in the fridge on the left. And what looks like an orange colored drink is grabbed." she states and hmms.

"Sometimes the best way to learn is just to ask the question." Tabby adds and finds somewhere to sit and accept the con tinued hospitalty offered. The drink opened with a nod and then a small sip as it's lifted to her lips to let it replenish some of her own spent energy. Not that it was much but a little extra is always nice and she can always share it back with Kels soon enough.

Charles Xavier has posed:
A little flame-wisp 'hand' seems to waggle. It's all sort of funny looking, this tiny flame creature and these little limbs with big eyes and mouth. It's perhaps hard to take the elemental seriously, yet the women are managing very well!

"Hmmm, yes. I was quite curious about your giant glowing structure?--trap? in the Astral Plane that is collecting all of the broken spirits. An enormous and powerful undertaking, that," Kels begins. "I've been more focused on this entity that is destroying these minds. He drew my attention when he ... chose to control and murder a group of magi. He took them, to use them in this very room, to try to open a breach into the Astral. The ritual marks scar this room under these carpets."

"But one doesn't take from me and simply walk away," says the flame, swelling up with some sort of funny importance or ire. "He killed the mages, but his ritual was ... 'sabotaged'."

"But that is what I was trying to say: you are not on my doorstep. We are on his," says the flame. "In this place I leverage his own destroyed ritual to watch him. And yes, I have seen a lot."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would nod thoughtfully, "So it's a.. Him. And is he something of magic? That's.." Not a good thing. "Murdering out of spite or.. No, a ritual would be power." Or for amusemetn and disposal after it.
    Emma would glance about the room, "Do I have your permission to take a picture of here and some psionic scans? It may.. Help our research on our own end." She would dip her head. "And well done. And does this.. Entity have a name?"
    Emma goes to pull up her own memory to share with the two. What she shares is the image taken from the shuddering, threatened soul. One that was just cast over.. In shadow and nothingness that had torn from the soul all sense of self and identity. Emma does not put in the emotoin behind it. Just the glimpse.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"It's a bit out of my league Kels, but I kinda remember a bit of it. The thing my Guardian..." the pause is more that it is kind of hard to explain. Xavier was Tabby's teacher and legal guardian and as close to a parent without being the man that actually beat her.

"He said it was a sanctuary for a lot of the spirits that were yanked from where ther origininbally were. Somewhere safe for them till we could get them back home whever they needed to be. Heads, the afterlife, wherever." Tabby tries to explain and lets Emma at least see her memories of what happened.

The drink is sipped, one of those sparkling mineral waters that probably costs as much as a Long Island Iced Tea in most bars. Pure mark up.

"If we are on a doorstep to this person's realm. We might need to come back through here to step in if he's going to make things even worse soon. But knowing a back door's location would be much better I think. You've been great and it would not be polite to risk someone's home when they've been as generous as yourself."

Charles Xavier has posed:
"Eh, this is more of a spot where he tried to make a gate. Now it's a crack. Look around all you'd like," Kels explains to Tabby.

Back to Emma's question: "I don't think he's magical, for one really simple reason. ...He hasn't picked up on any of MY magic use," explains Kels. "I think he's a clever psion. Powerful of course, but not a mage. One that recognizes how useful magic is, particularly around the Astral, and used some magi to try to get his gates. THIS one mostly failed, leaving a crack, but I think another did open." That would explain the big ball of soul horrors Tabby saw.

There's some funny magical arrogance in Kels' tone, but perhaps easy to ignore seeing as they are talking to what looks like a magical candle.

"I don't have a for-certain name of the entity itself, but I do have the name of the body he is possessing," Kels says, in that playfully elusive tone again. As if they'd hoped for a cookie and Kels is aware that he has a huge tiered CAKE instead.

"A body whose powers are to haul souls in and out of their meat-houses with some awful psychic whips. I've been looking for an opportunity to do something to break that up, but I don't need him catching on to me early. When you directly attempted to stop him, you proved you're not one of his chess pieces."

Emma Frost has posed:
That gives Emma a shiver as she listens tow hat Kels is saying. "Psychic possession? Control over the host form and their powers?" And that powerset? And it knows enough about magic to understand it, control it.. Or at least to manipulate mages that were performing it. Emma's going to take out a small, very high price camera that she's taking three dimensional scans of the room wtih that's sweeping every sector of it, making a holographic map to be taken back for later analysis, samples of the room and the air and the particles.. Paying attention to the ritual marks while hse would psioncially sweep..
    "And what is the name of the body that it is currently possessing, then?" SHe would inquire. "And is the host.. Mutant or other?" She had some theories. Some very, very bad theories now. "Thank you.. Very much for everything, Kels."
    Emma looked almost pale for a few moments.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"So it looks like you're just the neighbor over the back fence and he's cracked it so it is the back way in." Tabby states and hmmms though she mostly lets Emma do the mental scanning and peeking since that's a bit out of the younger mutant's skill set.

Tabby does offer a scooch more of her plasma energy, a slightly bigger ball the size of her fist though she does offer the flame to the elemental with an open palm. Sharing some of what she gained from the drink with the same generosity she'd split a bowl of potato chips.

"I know someone that can do the posession and control of people and powers. But it can't be her right?" Tabitha sounds worried. She's thinking of Xi'an but Boom-Boom also hoping she's absolutely wrong. There are others it could be that could even take control of Karma and beable to psychically smack around the Professor so when Emma looks nervous Tabitha is positively pale.

Charles Xavier has posed:
"Earl J. Paulson," Kels gives, without making them push for it. "Mutant. MMhmm." There's a pause as if the flame were checking invisible notes. It may make it resonate for a moment that they are speaking to someone that is talking THROUGH the elemental, like an intercom. Since the flame itself clearly has no notes to check.

"Six foot, brown hair, blue eyes, maybe about one-hundred seventy pounds.... well. When I first encountered. He's a lot heavier now, I'd say." Kels is indifferent about that.

The flame bursts into a larger burn when Tabitha feeds it, and grins some at her. It isn't malicious, more just playful again. She's getting points with it, maybe? Or amusement at least. Whatever it is, its positive.

The flame watches Emma examine and take pictures without much reaction. "Under the carpet, pull it up," he does say, to help her find the ritual marks themselves, burned into the wood. Lots of careful designs under it. "Normally such a ritual would be great for... I don't know, getting in touch with distant people. Travel. Harmless. But if it interacted with the whips somehow, could create a giant mess. Mutant powers are annoyingly specific a lot of the time." A pause. "No offense."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would go to look down, "Thank you Kels." Emma goes to very, very carefully move to pull up the carpet and go to take scans of it with her sensor. While going to continue to try and probe along psionically and hmming. Adding that name to research later. They might have some records from Cerebro..

"How recently ago was your encounter? When you disrupted the ritual?" Basic information at a time. Basic information.

"None taken. And they can be quite specific. I'm not aware of any sort of entity purely naturally psionic in nature that can wholly possess someone. Not without near immediate physical degredation and insanity. The ones that could possess a being and have full use of thier powers.." Emma taps at her chinw hile taking more scans. "But that aren't magical.." Trusting what Kels had said to them.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabby moves to help with the carpet, holding it out of the way when Emma lifts it so the White Queen can go back to taking pictures. Easier to photograph when you have both hands free, and Tabby works at not photobombing by mistake when moving out of the view of the lense.

"Heavier? Ugh." Tabby shudders a little.

As far as mutant powers being specific. Tabby can only nod her head. "Way too often. But then they can also get pretty vague too. That's when it gets real iffy. This all the guy can do?" she posits and shrugs her shoulders.

Tabby doesn't just make bombs after all.

When Emma is done with the floor, Tabitha puts the carpet back down neatly enough it night as well not have been moved unless your eye for detail is that fine.

Charles Xavier has posed:
"What day? Mmmmhhhh," Kels says, as if that question was irritating, to need to roll back into his memory for that one. "It was just after the start of the month. A Sunday. You're lucky my memory is immaculate," says Kels. That light arrogance again: but they've done extremely well with 'handling' that aspect of Kels.

"So, I've been very sharing: what can you tell me about the healing structure in the Astral? It looks like there's two. Was it just... a stall tactic, until you can stop said villain?" wonders Kels. "It's a massive amount of power, to make that healing space. Did something happen to that healer team yesterday?"

It's Kels turn to ask some things. A share of information is hoped for, perhaps. He did answer most of their questions first before asking his own. He watches Tabby move the carpet and doesn't help. Because... small flame elemental.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would nod, "Thank you Kels, very appreciated." Emma goes to consider for a moment. "We're trying to.. Aid as many of those whom are.. Displaced as we can.. Trying to stabilize them and hoefully find a way to get them back to their bodies if possible or help them move on. It being.. Attacked was not something that was expected. Foolish. It's difficult to keep up but we have to try."

Giving information here that is just confirming what Kels already knows. "Thank you for the warning. How.. Did you know what the.. Kamikaze was and how it had gone active? You saved many lives."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"Well my part of it was kinda like just stop this big rolling ball of spirits. I had help but I was just mostly contributring energy for cleansing. But I guess stalling is the best word for it? Holding pattern for spirits that didn't ask to be dragged into any of this mess." Tabby offers as best she can.

"Dunno about the healing of it but I'm guessing all things I know considered. Not that great I guess." she says with some more worry in her tone for the Professor as much as anyone else involved.

Charles Xavier has posed:
"I was following him," Kels answers. "Your villain. He was hidden in that bunch of injured souls, clustered to one that he'd just cut into pieces. He's inside your safe place now, as far as I know - or got in. I can't see him now. He eludes me, which is... frustrating."

And it may make a lot of sense why Kels is chatty: the two women are his way to keep up on what is happening now!

"I'm sorry to give you that dire news, Tabitha," the flame says, more directly to Tabitha. He can see her worry, and chose to offer that piece of comfort. "But ultimately, looks like the goal to /me/ was something to do with your healing palace... or whatever's actually in it."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would shake her head, "It's appreciated. When we work together we can.. Come at it from different angles. So we know it's a psionic entity of an unknown origin that can't perform magic, but can fully possess beings. It can manipulate and consume souls and also weaponize them." She's tapping at her chin. "But it has an understanding of magic sufficiently to at least attempt to perform rituatls." WIth the side effect being an attempted tear to manifest in the astral plane.
    "If the ritual was interrupted before it was fully finished.. Then this thing is likely capable of becoming much more powerufl."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"It's like a short list of possible perps. Giving me as bad a headache as when the whole mess started. Least I'm not hearing other people's thoughts again. But I've got a way to deal with that if it happens again and need to shut it down in a hurry" Tabby states.

The Gaudy Painted Magneto Helmet. Or The Bucket as she calls it.

"So we gotta make sure that the ritual doesn't ever finish. Send all the souls and stuff home. Spackle over any rips in the walls between planes. No pressure!" Tabby states and takes another sip of her drink. More energy is offered to the elemental. Even if it's not the guy, it still deserves a treat for it's efforts after all. One elemental to another after all.

Charles Xavier has posed:
The little flame has 'sat' back a little, reclined in a curl of smoke and Tabby's energy offerings. "I didn't see him or sense him do magic himself. This was more of 'force others' and manipulate them into it. And not in a nice way, by offering jewels or riches, but more of the 'I will kill everyone you love' route." Kels' flame arms have swirled some spirals of beautiful spark and flame now, lovely little designs of fluttering orange and yellows and golds.

"I just... haven't otherwise gotten involved. I broke one ritual, yes, but I don't need to stick my hands in this and end up /blamed/ when he manipulates the rest of you," Kels complains.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would hmm softly. "I understand that. We'll make sure this all ends up over on us." Emma would speak so conspiratorily. She could respect this after all. Kels was helping them. Emma's blue eyes would be deep in thought. "This is going to be random, but when you.. Engaged him.. Were there any sort of quirks you noticed? In his physical form or mental ones. Accent, physical affectations, manner of speech.. Was he domineering, monologuing, chatty.."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"We'll make sure there's no blowback on you from our side Kels." Tabby and her flame feeding cheerfulness reassures with Emma. The younger of the women nodding her head. "Taking what we know. It's been a huge help." she acknowledges appreciatively.

"Was he snacking on foods? You did say the guy he was posessing was heavier looking than you remembered." she asks with a pondering tone.

<<We should probably apologize for dragging him into this whole mess however accidentally it was.>> Tabby adds mentally to the White Queen.

Charles Xavier has posed:
"I didn't directly engage. I sabotaged a ritual while he was elsewhere," Kels says, a little defensively. Perhaps he dislikes that it doesn't make him look as good: that he didn't fight the man personally.

"And most of what he did was telepathic. He'd mostly 'talk' to the mages without actually speaking, most of the time, when I looked at what I can scry from them. But it... look, it's easier to show you," Kels huffs, with a big breath of choking smoke: a fire elemental's SIGH.

"Talk amongst yourselves a minute," Kels says, and suddenly the little flame's animation just... drops down to nothing. It's a tiny little flame.

It's like being put on hold.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would nod over at Tabitha and give a nod at her <<Excellent question. And I fear that we might be running thin on our host's patience. So we'll see>> As Emma goes to speak to Tabitha mentally, she would ponder while waiting for Kels to get back to them.

<<What are your thoughts so far? How open do you feel that our host is beingw ith us? Do you trust them? What are your thoguuts on the story that they've told?>>

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabby watches the flame flicker down to what you might expect from a candle. But she clearly expects the line to be on mute more than hold. The younger woman exhales through her nose and sips her drink slowly. <<The guy's magic so playing good cop is the wise move. That elemental if he decides to sic him on us means we run. I don't think it can hurt me but I definitely can't hurt it and this place is neutral ground. No wrecking it.>> she points out tactically with fizzy water at her mouth.

<<He seems to like the energy. Or the elemental does. Whether it's a weakness I'm giving up I dunno. But I got a a feel he's all WTF and curious to what this is all about. If you got an idea on who might be our bad guy I say let him know.>>

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost is thoughtful over and gives a nod <<Good. We'll keep it this way. HE's been helpful so far so I'm hoping we can continue it. So.>> SHe would consider. <<Tell him when we start up again what the attack was like and how you went through it. That might give him some more specific information to go off of and trade>> So now time to try and get to the mroe precise details.

Emma thoughtfully considers. <<Then we trust him and be more open on it. If he trusts us and also that we have the force to handle the situation, he'll be more open.>>

Tabitha Smith has posed:
The girl in red and black keeps herself comfy on the seat she's claimed. "For some reason the lime favored sparkling mineral waters taste like beer to me. This orange mango one isn't so bad" she states and grins as she inspects the drink.

Of course the real conversation is over the mind link. <<From the start when I had my telepathy switched on? I can do that.>> she sends over the shared link and makes a hmm sound as she drinks slowly. <<Hell of a way to discover a latent power. Just hope it stays latent. That much power was scary enough when it wasn't mine.>> she adds and smirks at her own expense.

Charles Xavier has posed:
The little flame flutters twice, and then bolsters back into a full flare. It ends up larger than it was: it is apparent that more energy is being put into it from wherever the mage actually is located.

It still speaks the same, though; eyes reopen and the mouth forms the verbal words. "I have prepared a brief visual aid, when you are ready," Kels says, with showy pomp, as if he were pleased with himself. "It is non-invasive. Well, not on /you/."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would nod, "Of course. Please wehn ready. Can you display it to Tabitha as well? If not I can carry it for her. And thank you very much again. We might have some things for you as well. We might have some ideas for how the thing is attacking us psionically that you might find of use to.. Help you avoid it."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"No biggy if it's a single brain broadcast. Emma can boost that to me." tabby says acceptingly of that possibility but being magic it's likely that's not a problem.

"But I've no doubt that what what the preparation is for." she states. "Not a worry about energy either" she states doing her best to stroke the ego of the mage on the other end of the elemental partty line.

Charles Xavier has posed:
The flame gives Tabitha a little half-grin. "Add some heat, will you?" it asks her kindly. Perhaps Tabby's assistance does matter. He pauses to look at Emma's offer, but nods. "It's going to the room, not just you," he says. He nods his flame-like head when she says she has ideas for him. "Chatting mentally, are you?" he teases them, but there's no offense. He doesn't seem to care - or expected them to be doing so, and doesn't take it personally.

With that, a sudden flux of flame boils outwards, shattered candlelight, forming a visual display hanging in the air. Shapes move here and there around the room: shimmery orange splashes of outlines of people. Four people -- women, moving around a ritual circle. They'll pass through any tables in the way as if they weren't there at all.

It's some kind of sketch of magic, a memory, a visual from the past in this space. < He has Crystal. We have to fix this, or he'll kill her. > one mage says to another.

< He doesn't. It's in your head. It's all fake. ALL of it, > says a different, fifth person from the doorway; from the camera's 'view'. The voice meshes with Kels'.

< Wait, sir. Please just help us complete this; something's wrong with the ritual. Our families need us! > argues the first woman.

< Get out of here. He's coming. Move! > Kels says, frustrated, and the visual disappears, disappears in a twist of magic.

The vision fast forwards, switches viewpoints, to be from the female mage that spoke before. She suddenly is being held by the throat to the wall, everything a mask of black haze, blotted memories, as her mind gets assaulted. < You are a failure. Watch, now, how deeply you have failed > says something deep and horrible in her head. Images bombard of a little girl being tortured - presumably Crystal, reflected from the hollow eyes of this mask of awful menace in the mage's face: a mask that /feels/ like it is licking at the mage's tears.

The vision drops away.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost goes to wretch over for a moment as she pales, then she contains her bile over and moves to take a breath. It takes her a few moments then as she rubs at her temples, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. And.." She steels herself. "I have a few ideas as to what exactly we might be dealing with." She would take a breath over while grabbing one of those drinks to quickly chug down.

"It's.. A parasite. A disembodied entity." Now she's going off a sense of theories, of watching the group and the mental playback, again and again in her head. Committing it to memory, playing it back a few moments, and then forward. And Emma memorizes the voice. That telepathic voice. That rage. That tantrum.

To it she adds the raging, seething Shadow. She gives a voice to the darkness now. Casting an image now as she goes to form it. She cocks her head to the side and focuses. From the memory of the soul that had been rended.. She adds color. Inky . Splotches.

She rolls it in her head. What had been said? Heavier. Weightier. She gives it more heft. More depth. How was it going?
    Monstrous. Bulbous. It grows in the mindscape tendrils. And Emma goes then to add a face to it. Pulled something from the collective consciousness or merely a subconscious thought and an imitation. From all those things, that menal collective of memories, fears, bile..
    Emma casts it onto a lbot. A rorsarch test, cast in psionic ink. A hand goes down now to some of the burnt ritual components on the ground, taking them up like paste. Going to trace the feelings in the air. Memories..
    A splash here, a color there. Where they had been. Where the irtuatl had gone wrong. Tendrils become more humanoid. Sinister.
    Emma goes to continue to sketch, taking in memories and essence as she works through making something monstrous and yet humanoid from the sum existence. But it's..
    Missing something. Something definitive. Something concrete.
    "It.. Tabitha.. What have I left out?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
When asked Tabitha happily contributes some of her own power as long as it's needed. But aside from the spark of her plasma energy and bio-electricity to ignite, Tabby just lets the mage and the elemental feed and work.

The amount of heat shifting when needed to offer some extra color here and there so it's not just the singular monochrome of yellows and red flames.

The show has Tabitha looking white as a shee at what happens to those the entity claimed as victims, especially poor Crystal.

Tabitha when she's asked to see if there's anything left out focuses on what she knows and adds to it. A wide, hungry, ravenous mouth and teeth to devour. Emptyness behind that maw, you couldn't really call it a mouth. The predatory air as she helps further shape it on her own instincts.

She's not an artist but the creature being shown does take more of a humanoid shape. Large and very round man shaped but even as it looks more human it still has that ravenous expression, that look like it's sizing up someone anyone as a meal or a plaything to toy with till it breaks.

Charles Xavier has posed:
There IS something else, that Emma has in memory.

Emma did look right at it. And all of this memory, this psychic fitting of all those puzzle pieces: there's a piece within her own memory, when she brushed past it just yesterday.

It was there, next to the soul that was so hurt and destroyed: right next to that distraction. And it had a concealed smile. That tiny piece there, MEANT to be forgotten, unless the memory was able to bring up a knife of guilt to stab with.

'Look,' that little remembrance seems to say, 'you were so close. Pity.'

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost goes to pick up SOMETHING from her consciousness as she retches once more. She goes to yank up her expensive purse to her face to bring it over then as she heaves for a few moments. "Taibhta, please burn this. I'm sorry to get this over the area." She looks over at the image.. And slowly.. Ever so slowly..

Adds a final accoutrment atop the maw of the wretched, terrifying thing. That sneer. That look of pure mocking. Her failure. That final thing is taken as an accoutrment and slowly tilted up and into the air and placed on..

Dark. Diablerie.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
The younger of the blonde women complies and increases the heat for a moment and the image creates practically evaporates in a whiff of flame amidst the plasma. Benefits of some of the security having been disabled. The sprinklers don't go off either with would probably be a problem from the elemental tied to the candle. The energy allowed to be fed to the elemental providing Kels' voice once more.

For Emma though, Tabitha reaches into her jacket pockets and pulls two things. One, some tissues to wipe up if needed. And two. Some breath mints because even a dry heave can leave a mouth tasting and feeling nasty.

And Tabby has had many a time when she's needed to be minty fresh instead of all hurl and barf.

"Emma, we all got demons to face. But ya also got some angels to face them with ya." she reassures.

Charles Xavier has posed:
Kels is distracted by the retch, but pretends to kind of ignore it. Politeness shown, but it's distracting to him for sure. Tabby tending to it is appreciated, then Kels can ignore it!

Otherwise, Kels is ... skeptical. "If that's what he is, he can look otherwise in the Astral. If it's the true form... we're seeing just pieces of it, and there's lots of intended misdirection. Crystal wasn't killed. It's a show, there's manipulation here in everything he's doing. But he showed what I shared to someone that was killed. And that's ... maybe most telling," Kels says. He's not taking in everything as immediate truth.

"And you said... parasite. Hm. If the parasite needs a body for some reason, then we can get at it through the body," suggests Kels. The flame has leaned oddly to one side, like someone who was on camera and was thinking hard, not realizing they were leaning out of the frame. "But this 'thing' is too powerful to come from just nowhere. Too much experience. It's almost /required/ to be old."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would nod up and over at it. Looking even as she would let Tabitha move to disintegrate the priceless accessory she had just taken in with her. Looking over at it. "Yes. That's the final piece. We're looking at something ancient. Not magical. But fluent with it. That helps narrow it down very, very much. A parasite that can go through hosts, of extreme power and ability.. That plays with individuals for it's own amusement." The taunt at her.. Hidden away in memory. Emma looks up at it.

"It's called the Shadow King." Emma looks at it for just a few more moments. "And it might as well be a demon."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Boomie nods her head. Even she's a little forlorn at having to destroy that thing. Even Boom-Boom has an appreciation for fashion. Despite her often loudly colored appearance to the contrary.

The revelation of the entity getting a serious nod of Tabitha's head. "One of those deals where like. You think it's really old, but then it's even older cause it goes back that far it's had an easier time covering it's tracks cause record keeping just really was like stupid awful among the general populations." she states solemnly.

She actually offers a squeeze of Emma's shoulder. Probably about as close as a hug as might be possible to help the older woman get her unflappable back. But there's as much warmth offered to the younger woman's occasional teacher over the mental link it might as well be a hug.

Charles Xavier has posed:
"Shadow King," Kels repeats. It isn't confusion, exactly. Not impossible, but odd.

"I suppose that's a possibility." There isn't disbelief, but he's taking the moment to compare what they know to what Kels does, clearly, seem to know something about. "That's a monster that possesses humans, torture... mmmm. I have some relevant things in my 'stupid old' library."

"Also... Figures I'd get the book homework, wouldn't I," Kels observes, but it isn't exactly a complaint. He's thinking about the puzzle, and clearly chewing on what it could mean.

"If this /is/ Shadow King, I'm surprised your group has held out. Something is working," Kels comments.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would nod and frown, "It matches what we know so far. The profile.. Old and ancient. IT doesn't have to do things to survive, it does them as it finds amusement in them. It also from age knows how to use powers effectively together. Which is why the poor boy was it's target. And now that it's expanded it's horizons.." Emma makes a point to call it an It.

"Much of what I know is ancedotal and I wouldn't rely on it. But I know some places we might get some more specific references.." She would nod at Fels and then wince.

"FOr now. We have to ensure that the structure for containing the souls remains stable until we can work out another way of keeping them safe. The damage.." OF her failure.. Leaves it weak.

The squeeze from Tabitha's shoulder is appreciated. Emma's eyes narrow. "Tabitha, it's a predator. You're the one on the streets. How does it stalk and terrorize?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
"Only stupid among the general populace back when mere mortal kings thought folks reading and writring was a threat to power. And knowledge is still power right?" Tabby reminds Kels with a smile aimed at the elemenmtal.

"And you have plenty of both no doubt!" she adds to further keep that ego stroked.

"He can change tactics. From a human perspective. That means he could just as easily groom someone. Lead them on, feed them what they want to hear till what they want is what he wants them to. Then slips right on in to take control." Tabby explains, sounding way more experienced with the subject at hand.

"He could just as easily brute force, take a mind he knows is stronger. The unprepared would have as much hope to fight him off as a child would a grown up attacker" That she definitely knows a little about.

"For a psionic entity, he and those like him are why we get trained to defend ourselves. Telepathic or not. And for what he's doing and done to the professor. It's like Mike Tyson getting in the ring with say... Floyd Mayweather" she adds. "Big old, experienced versus younger and while strong and skilled. Not that strong in comparison. Weight classes."

Charles Xavier has posed:
"You could say that," Kels says, appreciating Tabby's ego petting, but not overly arrogantly!

"I'm going to look at my resources. Possibly come up with a 'gun' to bring to the psychic knife fight. But no promises, as this could still be a demon that limped out of some dark dimension, and is taking on the face of Shadow King to throw you off."

Kels seems to be a bit more disconnected, but the reason seems apparent: he has something to look into now, so he's not giving them all of his attention anymore. If he's looking up anything while they chat, he's concealing that - but not his distraction level.

"I don't want to speak in this place again; too likely he'll come reopen this site sometime." So they need another option.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would nod, "It could very well be. For now, we hve theories. Strong ones.." She would nod at Tabitha's commentary. "It's a game to this thing. It doesn't do this because it needs to feed or survive to continue to exist. It's old enough, it's found other ways to do this. It does this for fun and pettiness. It's a game. Which means it keeps it up so lon gas it's entertained. And as you so eloquently said, it can play in so many ways.. But that also means so long as it thinks this is all just a game it will operate within the parameters of what it considers fun."
    Trust the corporate executive on that one. "Good. We'll need to setup some other way. What's a good way to stay in touch with you that you feel safe on? We need to make sure this doesn't go after you as well."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha nods her head. "It's that pettiness that makes Shadow King. Hell, it could have been female for all we know. More than a predator. It's a Monster. Like capital M." she states and nods her head.

The elemental gets a little more of the blonde's plasma and the energy behind it. It got the poor job of being stuck between this whole mess as a go between it seems. And Tabby still thinks it deserves some reward for all it's part in the chat.

"If you want I can give you my number. Sometimes it's the mundane that gets over looked in these things." she suggests as a contact option. It might be a burner number but it'll serve the purpose after all.

On top of that Tabby checks out Emma to make sure she's doing alright. Tabby's had some experience with dealing with her own trauma's enough to be there if the White Queen needs it. Even if it's someone to get front being all stoic and Emma once more.

Charles Xavier has posed:
The phone idea causes a soft laugh. She amused the mage! "Next time."

Kels has an easy solution. In his view, anyway. "I think I will disband this site. You can take the candle with you when you go," he determines. He scans the room from his fiery little elemental eyes.

"I may not respond immediately. ...If not ... just wait longer; I'll see messages left," teases the mage. "/Do/ share what you find, mmm?" And at that, there's a churn of flecks of flame from the candle, and it entirely goes out. Magical designs flow up the wax, lightly glittering, and then stay in place, softly present, but not quite glowing. A magical link, potentially it can be active, but now dormant. Kels has other things to look into.