12057/Welcome Back... to the Velvet Room.

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Welcome Back... to the Velvet Room.
Date of Scene: 18 July 2022
Location: The Velvet Room - Gardens
Synopsis: After Jessica discovers that her ring's indwelt sorcerer spirit is dormant in the Velvet Room, she speaks with Lydia and Jon about the start of a plan to deal with him.
Cast of Characters: Jessica Cruz, Jonathan Sims, Mercy Thompson, Lydia Dietrich




Jessica Cruz has posed:
Jessica Cruz re-entered the Velvet Room after getting a key. She realized that it's tranquil in here. And... soon enough she realized somethingelse. Her ring... is inactive. She's not sure why, but knowing that her unwanted 'roommate' can't bother her is very librating. She is sitting in the flower gardens on the ground, crosslegged, meditating, sighing softly. And... now... with a means to plan without the sorcerer knowing, she is going to think about what to do.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon's been away from the Velvet Room for a while, though not entirely away from the Justice League Dark. On vacation, even if it was a working vacation. He returns with an air of quiet confidence and brightly glowing green eyes--unnaturally green, neon green, noticably weird. Other than that, though, he looks relatively normal in a Lez Zeppelin t-shirt and jeans and Converse, as he comes out into the garden after checking on the sitting room and library.

    He's about to light up a cigarette--he even has it pulled out--when he notices Jessica sitting there meditating. "Oh! Sorry. Ahh... didn't know anyone was out here. I don't think we've met...?" Is this one of the people Chas and Rien had met in his absence? Maybe. His accent marks him as being not a local, at least not to New York.

Jessica Cruz has posed:
Jessica Cruz slowly opens her eyes as she sees someone approaching. "I don't think so. I'm Jessica. I have a... magical dilemma that caused me to need to associate with people, and that gave me access to this place." She smiles softly. "What's your name?" she asks. "This is omly my second visit to the Velvet Room. I love it in here. It's... safe."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "I'm Jonathan Sims, the Archivist." If Jessica watches the news, the name might be familiar--and if not, probably not at all. "I'm one of the leaders of the Justice League Dark. One of the people that found this place. It's... hmm." He looks around. "Safe, I suppose, yes. I tend not to presume anywhere is safe, much, but I've made paranoia into a fine art." He chuckles, and tucks the cigarette away.

    "Magical dilemmas are kind of our forte, though." He waggles the fingers of his right hand, which looks to be made of some kind of glowing emerald energy. Not quite the same green as his eyes, and not the same green as Lantern constructs, but a similar sort of idea. "What's going on?"

Jessica Cruz has posed:
Jessica Cruz nods slowly as she extends her hand. There's a green ring on her finger that has a unicursal hexagram emblem on it. It does look very similar to a Green Lantern ring, except darker green. "This. it has the spirit of an ancient sorcerer in it who came to me due to... my mental state. I've been hiding from the mob for a few years now and... it gives me power but at a terrible cost - the sorcerer wants to come out and take his body back - his soul lives in it." She sighs softly. "Oddly enough, when I'm in here... it's inert. I even tried taunting the guy and nothing happened so - THAT is what I mean by safe. I can work on a way to get him out of here. And no, I can't just take the ring off."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Those with really good ears may hear a door in the distance open and close. Mercy had a bit too much attention and used her blue key as a bolt hole for somewhere to lay low. She's still a bit keyed up though and wants some fresh air. Realizing she'd never been anywhere before, the mechanic followed her nose toward the 'fresh' air and only paused for a heartbeat when she heard voices. One known, one unknown.
     Deciding she can deal with that, Mercy steps out into the garden area to take a deep breath of the 'open' air. Her ears are able to pick up part of the conversation, it isn't like she means to eavesdrop. Just a habit she learned when younger. She looks at the pair as she gets into the area and pauses at the sight of Jon's eyes. "Do I want to know, Jon?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon takes Jessica's hand to shake it, and takes a moment to peer at the ring with those weirdly glowing eyes. "Hunh," he says. "That... is proper weird. It looks almost like the Velvet Room's... I don't know... locked him in there? Because you have a key and he doesn't?" He's musing aloud.

    A glance over at Mercy's voice and he smirks. "I don't know, /do/ you want the sordid details of what I got up to on summer holiday? Though I should probably both thank you for helping Cael last week, and apologize for... well..." A cough. "I was in hospital. Because of this." He gestures at his eyes. "They were... uhhh... gone. They grew back. Obviously. It was touch-and-go for a bit there, though."

Jessica Cruz has posed:
Jessica Cruz glances over. "Oh - another new person..." she states, nodding at Jon. "Is that what it is? That's good. Yeah - so... I can start to plan. I didn't think I'd have any hopes." She glances over. "Hi there. I'm Jessica. Just showing my cursed ring here - I think I'm in the Justice League Dark - I kinda forgot if I am or not for I kinda shut myself away from the world for a while. Just... finally came out of my shell. All I need... is a way to deal with my fear and... I can try to get ou tmy mess. Oh, I'm Jessica." She nods to Mercy.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy waves off Jon's apology, "I'm just glad the portal worked for Cael. Besides she helped chip in for the meat and gas. Was a long night though." Mercy will casually join the group, glancing at Jon's eyes and Jessica herself at regular intervals.
    Mercy looks like she maybe was jogging or something, and is dressed in simple jeans and a tee shirt. Standard Mercy clothes to be honest. She starts to walk toward Jessica, "I'm Mercy. Nice to meet you. Umm... cursed ring?" She will start to get a bit of a closer look at it. Wondering about the feel of the 'magic' in the ring and what all is going on. She gives as reassuring an expression as she can to Jessica. "It's okay. Take a breath and calm down. I won't bite you or anything." She can tell the girl is on edge after introducing herself twice.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon frowns toward the ring. "She says there's the spirit of an ancient sorceror inside. It looks..." A pause. "Dark. Not quite--I've seen darker, but not by much. So something we can handle, I think, but spirits and the like aren't my area of expertise. Warding, /looking/ at the the thing, sure." He smiles at Jessica, then. "And helping people deal with fear. I was a psychiatrist, before I got started on the superhero gig."

    He settles himself on the ground a little ways away, crossing his legs and looking just a bit gangly and awkward. "Long night? Cael said you ran a lot. And she enjoyed the running. I was... not surprised, by that." A fond smirk.

Jessica Cruz has posed:
Jessica Cruz nods slowly. "He's... a sadistic monster." After that, she decides to settle back as the two 'experts' dicuss things as she backs away just a touch. Returning to her lovely seat by the flowers, she sighs soflty. "But here... maybe I have a chance to get rid of him..."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy glances to Jon as he talks, but she finds his eyes a bit unsettling. "Spirit or ghost? Bit of a difference at times." She does have to agree with him. Right now the ring is not making her want to whine with a tail between her legs and run away. "Well yeah. I stayed up most of the time she slept to make sure all was well, Jon. I just short napped now and then. Remember I'm not like her." Meaning she's not moon called or get that lovely werewolf regeneration. "She did pretty well once she stopped fighting it and let herself enjoy it. Takes a bit to see her situation as more then a curse." Mercy is being vague on purpose obviously.
    Mercy doesn't sit, it is rare she enjoys being taller then the rest of those around her. "Don't worry Jessica. I'm new myself but everything I seen says these are the kinds of people you want in your corner when dealing with monsters. I'd offer to help but not really sure how to do so. I mean short of asking about an old priest and a young priest."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon frowns. "I'm... not sure, actually. Is there a difference between a spirit and a ghost? I--ahh--use the terms rather interchangeably. Should I... not?" He says this in all seriousness, looking to Mercy since she seems to have some kind of idea on the subject.

    He peers over at Jessica, and adds, "You say he targeted you because of your mental state--are you ill? Or is it just the strain of hiding from the mob?" A pause, and then he adds, "I won't say we can help with that, too, because mundane things can be surprisingly difficult to deal with, but I /will/ say there are ways to handle such issues."

    Cael's transformation, well... that isn't /entirely/ public business. So, having nodded to Mercy, he lets that drop. For now.

Jessica Cruz has posed:
Jessica Cruz just murmurs, "I was out hunting with my friends when I saw the mob burying a body in the woods. I escaped. My friends didn't. I've been hiding ever since - even moved to Metropolis on the down-low to try to throw them off. I rarely leave my house - and... this ring isn't helping - any time i think about goin to confront htem, Cyprus conjures constructs of the mobsters to keep me in line. It's... like having an abusive father that won't go away." She shivers. "I tried going to a counselor once - I got scared worse, and if I'd try now the ring would probably kill them." She shivers softly. "I... don't think I'm mentally ill... but... hard to tell these days."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    "I'm half Native American Jon. Of course it matters and is different. Ghosts are spirits of the deceased. Someone who was once living like most people, and are dead. They haven't moved on and are lingering to this world. Most can't see them, fewer can even do anything about them. Usually they just fade away." Mercy goes on to say, "a spirit is something that never was really alive. It has a mind or a will. They get more nebulous but lots of cultures will honor the spirit of something. Be it a tree, a deer after a kill, or even the rock that is the foundation of a home that is the hearth. Least that's how I have always seen and understood it."
    She shuts up with her little 'lesson of the spooky' to listen to Jessica's story. "Yeah that's definitely something that needs dealing with. For both that body that was dumped and your own sake and health. I'm all for staying off the organized crime's awareness. But people don't do that kind of thing so diligently without a reason. Even if that reason is being a sick sick presence that just likes pain and suffering." She glances to Jon and says, "think we could work up something to break this ring from whatever hold it has on Jessica here? I mean can it even come off?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "Ohhh," Jon says, nodding along like he understands what Mercy's saying. Which he does! "Okay, that--actually make a great deal of sense. I've been trying to learn more about Native cultures since I, ahh--live here, and all. But, okay, back during the siege we sort of... we did a big magical ritual that drew on wellsprings of the power of Gaea--Mother Earth, whatever you want to call her--and each of those was tied to a symbolic location or item. Sort of... awakening the spirits of Manhattan to defend her, I suppose." He looks thoughtful. "I lend a lot more credence to animism than I used to. At first glance it looks nothing like what my ancestors believed but it's not really all that dissimilar."

    As he says all of this he reaches out to pluck a blade of grass and twirls it around in his fingers. "That sounds awful, Jessica. I'm sorry that you had to go through that. All of it. As for breaking the hold? Oh, I think we could--it'll take some work, but..." He chews on his lip for a moment. "I can tell you now, at some point I think we'll almost /have/ to confront him directly, even if just to gather information. What I can sense from him is muted, just now. But... that's something we can prepare for."

Jessica Cruz has posed:
Jessica Cruz nods slowly. "Right - and no, I can't take it off - it's rooted in me somehow. Not really sure how." She sighs sfotly. "What would you call a man whose essene was absorbed into a ring while alive? I think the word 'phylactery' comes to mind - I've been doing some research." She sighs softly. "I know I'll have to confront him. But... for now... I can work on my psychological health and come up with a plan to get rid of this guy. Some guy with a long nose arranged for me to get a key to this Velvet Room - Igor was it?"

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy glances over at Jon and manages to deadpan, "I know nothing about animal spirits." Before she can't keep the straight face and the corners of her mouth twitch up some. The rest she didn't know about before about calling up spirits. "If either or both of you want me there I'm happy to try and help. Not sure if I'll be any good for it. But sometimes an extra pair of eyes can help." Mercy does have an idea how the ring may be taken off, but it's just proof she's been hanging around some people too much. The mechanic shrugs and says, "I mean is soul is out of his body and Ghosts are kind of like an echo of a soul. He may be a ghost or something else. That's part of the problem with the supernatural. There's no easy rules to put things into neat boxes and labels." She looks at the time and says, "I got to work tomorrow morning. These later nights are getting rough." Glancing at Jessica she adds, "Tell me your favorite cookie type and I can try to bake you some." To Jon she adds, "Tell Cael hell for me, and thank you for the money. We should catch up soon. Also buy some sunglasses if you go out." She turns for the hallway toward the Velvet Room. "Take care everyone."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon chuckles at Mercy's joke, and adds, "Already got that covered! The sunglasses, I mean. Obviously they're not on my eyes." That wasn't /quite/ a lame attempt at humor, but it comes close. "I'll tell Cael you said hello."

    To Jessica he says, "Ah, yes, we met Igor once. He seems to be a local, well, spirit, attached to the room. As for your mental health--I've stopped practicing psychiatry, but I'm certain that between us, the Justice League Dark can help you--many of us are used to dealing with horrible things, and experienced in helping others. Did, ahh... did you meet Chas yet? Chas Chandler, one of the other leaders. He's got a knack for helping people with their fear." A beat. "And he's an angel, now, so he can probably help tell that sorceror to go shove it."

Jessica Cruz has posed:
Jessica Cruz just nods slowly. "It was nice meeting you!" she calls to Mercy, trying to muster up some enthusiams. "And I'd rather have pancakes!" She sighs softly as she glances at Jon. "You guys are being so nice to me... I think I met Chas a couple of times before I sealed myself away in my 'fortress of solitude'." She smiles faintly. "But - I never could seriously try to address this albatross - until coming here made said albatross deaf."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "The Justice League Dark was founded to fight supernatural threats," Jon says softly. "Most of us have faced our own version of a nasty sorceror inhabiting a ring. The stories vary, and there's a few people here who are just here to help--but that's just it. We're here to help." A brief smirk. "I've given serious thought to putting out ads or something, but with things as they currently are I worry that might overwhelm us a bit." He shrugs.

    "I'm glad you're able to deal with this now, though. Took me quite literally /decades/ to deal with my own albatross. And I'm still working through it."

Jessica Cruz has posed:
Jessica Cruz nods slowly. "I... hope I can help too, one day. But for now - I have to find a way to cleanse my ring. Maybe... good things will come if I manage that." she sighs softly as she bows her head. "This Cyprus is so powerful - he wa able to override a Green Lantern ring - pretty sure that's what this is. It won't be easy - but now I can plan withou being afraid that he'll hurt me." she looks u pat you, a tear streaking down her cheek. "Thank you - you... might just be saving my life. I... wasn't sure how much more I can take."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "The Justice League Dark defeated the literal creator of the universe," Jon says with a smile. "I don't mean that to boast--it was not easy, and it was not a thing any one of us could have done alone. But /together/, we can do great things. It /would/ take a great deal of power to override a Green Lantern ring, but... well. We have some powerful and knowledgable people around here. I think we'll manage."

    He's sitting near Jessica, though he's giving her space, wearing a Led Zeppelin t-shirt and jeans and sneakers, fiddling with a blade of grass. His eyes are a more vibrant match to that grass, nearly neon green, glowing in a way that's unmistakable. He doesn't smell any different, except maybe less fearful than usual.

Jessica Cruz has posed:
Jessica Cruz just sighs softly as she gazes at you. "Ummmm... you did WHAT?" she asks softly. She shakes her head. Jessica is a Latina woman wearing rumpled gray clothing, and she DOES smell of long-lasting fear. "Well... I mean - I can do stuff kinda like a Green Lantern - but it just feels... foul - for it's HIS power that I'm using. I think he tolerates me for now." She sighs softly, rocking back and forth

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia comes through the door into the Sitting Room of the Velvet Room with laptop and journals in tow. Sometimes it's good to get up and sit somewhere else for a change of perspective. When she gets there, however, her supernatural hearing picks up Jon and Jessica out in the garden.

    "Are we talking about cleansing Jessica's ring?" she asks as she steps in, laptop and journals in tow, resting her her ectoplasmic field of stars. "I remember you talking about that when we first met."

    She stops short when she sees Jon's eyes. "Uh, Jon. Your eyes. Neon green is /not/ a good look for you." She furrows her brows, "Should I be concerned?" Concerned not really for Jon's welfare... she can't quite bring herself to care. But whatever is affecting him might get to her too.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "That whole business with angels invading Manhattan...? They were trying to reset the universe. We stopped them." A simple statement, if profound. And maybe a testament to the kind of lives they lead that Jon just says this and moves on. "Can you do any of that here? Or... not, since he's bound away by the Room?"

    Jon looks to Lydia with those glowing eyes and smirks. "Depends," he says. "Are you concerned about me wresting control of one Old One to fight the others?" He sighs. "I got a dream, like Rien and Robbie did. And then there was a nasty spider thing in the abandoned chip shop and I... well..." He gestures at his eyes. "I used the power of the Watcher to defeat the Spider. I have it on a leash, though. Sort of."

Jessica Cruz has posed:
Jessica Cruz just blinks as she stares blankly at Jon. "I don't know what you're talking about - maybe I should just stay in my house - it's safer. The world's going insane these days." She glances over to Lydia. "Hi again. Yeah. I... I'm just... trying to figure ou what to do with myself."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "You have 'it' on a leash," Lydia says in a tone that's both disapproving and disbelieving at the same time. "You have an /Elder God/... on a leash. How sure are you of that?"

    Her attention turns to Jessica and lets out a little pshaw. "Nonsense. The world is always going insane. You'll never get rid of that sorcerer in your ring if you do." She, then, sits down on the grass next to Jon, and sets her laptop and journal down next to her. "Now, tell me. Do you know his name?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "About 95%," Jon says with aplomb. "If I go off the rails, well, my best mate's an angel. It's literally his Purpose to keep these things at bay. But... well... the spider was going to use my power to kill Cael. I couldn't let her do that, so I made a deal with the Watcher, instead." He gestures at his eyes. "This is a... side effect. But it's not permanent--only until we get rid of these things."

    A nod. "Lydia's right, though. I know it's hard--/trust/ me, I know how terrifying the world can be." A short laugh. "But staying locked away in a room, well, that won't stop this sorceror. Letting fear control you is a short road to misery."

Jessica Cruz has posed:
Jessica Cruz just looks back and forth between Lydia and Jon, not quite sure what to make of everything they're talking about - half of it sounds like an episode of Game of Thrones. "His name is Akakios Cyprus." She flinches and ducks her head, as if she was expecting to be struck just by saying it. In a quiet whisper, she stated, "He forbade me to say his name... but... he can't hear me here." She lowers her head, starting to cry a bit. "I know... I'm a miserable wretch... I... I'm useless..."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "How much do you want to bet that the Watcher and this woman who led you to the chip shop are on the same team?" Lydia asks darkly. "If anything I would say that this is exactly the outcome that they were hoping for."

    "Akakios Cyprus," Lydia repeats, rummaging through her journals until she finds the one that she's using to jot down thoughts and notes. She scribbles down the name and a few other things before closing the journal with a snap. "Knowing his name is good. You can do a lot with his name, and expelling him from the ring is going to be a lot easier now that we know it."

    She falls silent as Jessica berates herself. Normally she would move to comfort her, but instead she just looks annoyed.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon shakes his head firmly. "You're taking steps to try to get rid of him. That's not useless, nor miserable. That's brave, and precisely what you need to be doing. Hiding it all from him while you're out in the real world--that's surviving." Despite the weird green glow of his eyes, his gaze is very direct, if compassionate. "Don't let cruel people take your power away. That's the /first/ thing they do. The mob, they're after you because they're afraid of you, of the power you have in what you know. This sorceror wouldn't bother tormenting you, trying to keep you from even /saying his name/, if you didn't have the power to defeat him. Remember that."

    They look over to Lydia. "As for the Watcher... the outcome the Mother of Puppets--who she now serves--wanted was me working for her, giving into her, not using the power of another Old One to destroy her servants. If it turns out I made a mistake, I'll pay the price for it, but the strings the Mother used to have tied to me are cut now. And what Annabelle wants...?" He shakes his head. "I don't know, but I intend to find out. I remember her now, though. My best friend, growing up, until she became the Mother's servant in my place. The question is whether she's trying to help me, or trying to manipulate me since she knows me so well."

Jessica Cruz has posed:
Jessica Cruz just blinks. "That's why they wanted to silence me? So I won't talk?" she asks, sighing softly. "It's not about me at all - it's about them. Same thing with the sorcerer - he knew that his name could have power on him, so forbade me from saying it... now I feel stupid.." she murmurs, tears still streaking down her face, but not crying as hard. "I..." She then murmurs, "You know, when you talk to the others, I can't tell if you're making stuff up, talking about some Dungeons and Dragons campaign, or if the world is even more insane than I could imagine."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia just gives Jessica a shrug. "I would say it's more insane, really. You're neck deep in it when you got that ring." She gives the woman what she hopes is a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. If anybody can cleanse that ring of yours it'd be us."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon chuckles. "I quite literally cannot lie, so if I was making things up, I'd tell you so. I know it all sounds strange, but my daughter was raised with magic but very little technology--she finds cell phones and the internet strange. All of this seems... normal for her. A matter of perspective."

    He looks to Lydia. "Mercy--have you met?--she seems to think if this Cyprus is a proper ghost she might be able to help deal with him. That's in your area of expertise, too--and exorcisms more broadly, right? What are you thinking might be done?"

Jessica Cruz has posed:
Jessica Cruz just sighs softly. "I... I guess you'd hvae to meet him - but we don't want... him..." She flinches and refuses to say the name again. "... to know that we're going to exorcise him until we're ready. I'm going... to have to pretend nothing's wrong for I can't just live here full-time... he'd get suspicious if it was too long and would be angry if he found ou uthat there was a long timeskip or something..."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia looks thoughtful at Jon's question. "He's the spirit of a powerful sorcerer," she says slowly, as if working out the problem as she speaks. "A regular exorcism might not be enough, since it seems that he's a being of considerable power. We'd either have to supercharge it or consider a different angle."

    She turns to Jessica. "Is he just... not there when you're here? Or does being in the Velvet Room put him to sleep? We may be able to take advantage of that. "

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "It looks to me like the Room is... I don't know, locking him out? Sealing him away? It's hard to explain," Jon says, starting to pull apart the blade of grass he's holding. "It mutes my ability to sense anything about him, either. If I had to guess, I'd say the Velvet Room is keeping him out because he doesn't have a key and the attendants know he's a right jerk."

    Then they nod to Jessica. "Of course. Whenever you'd ready, you know?"

Jessica Cruz has posed:
Jessica Cruz smiles faintly. "Yeah... but I suppose we could do something outside this Room - some kind of operation where I join the Justice League Dark - pretend everything's normal, while you guys study him. Most of the time he's content to let me use my ring - if I'm scaring people, he's content. I've managed not to kill anyone so far, but it was close - I have to be a source of terror or else I become the one terrified. It's... just the way it has to be. That's thte only way to see him in action - he sometimes whispers to me - apparates as an almost-invisible construct body - or sometimes just whispers in my head. But... I... I think I can handle the masquerade for a while."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia nods to Jon thoughtfully. "We might be able to use that. I'd have to do a bit of digging into what makes the Velvet Room tick. I'd be surprised if the attendants wouldn't answer my questions."

    "If he runs on fear..." Lydia says thoughtfully, trailing off in thought. "It might be possible to lure him out with a stronger source of fear. Maybe find, I don't know, a box or something and hook it up to the realm of Nightmares and shunt him over to it." She scowls, "But that just might give him too much power."

    "Alternatively, we can drain the ring of fear. Take away his source of power. Leave him weak so that an exorcism would work." She stands and takes up her journals and laptop. "I've got a few more ideas, but I should flesh them out a little bit. I'll also want to see the ring in action. Regardless, I have a book to work on. I'll see you two later." With that she takes her leave.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "'Feed your patron lest they feed on you,'" Jon murmurs, sounding like he's quoting something. Then he shakes himself. "Yes. I... I think we can definitely help. And that's probably a good idea--see what we can see from him in a normal operation." He smiles. "Good thinking."

    They cast a worried frown to Lydia, but nod. "Good luck on the book! I should probably be heading home, myself. Cael should be back soon--she was going off on some expedition with the Avengers." A fond smile. "Thinking of making dinner. So... I ought to get on that." They start to climb to their feet.