13654/Chance Meeting at the Queen's Giant

Chance Meeting at the Queen's Giant
Date of Scene:	27 December 2022
Location:	Alley Pond Park
Synopsis:	Jennifer and Knox are drawn to the same place of power. The ice is broken. Numbers are exchanged.
Cast of Characters:	Knox Kennedy, Jennifer Kale

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Knox Kennedy has posed:
The Queen's Giant is a massive sprawling tree nestled deep within Alley Pond Park. This time of year it looms without leaves, gnarly branches reaching out like wizened fingers. A deep vertical slit adorns the base of the tree, deep in shadow, one might imagine it to be a portal to another world. In truth, being the oldest living thing in the area, it is a nexus point of magic. Something worth a glimpse upon if one is a budding sorcerer.

The evening treats Knox well. The darkness is his element. The cold doesn't seem to touch him, but he's bundled anyway. He's wearing jeans, button down, gray sweater, and a black cloth trenchcoat cinched over top of the ensemble.

His breath is visible as he murmurs to himself, "Well, hello there. Aren't you an impressive one."

Jennifer Kale has posed:
The cold DOES affect Jennifer, who is a native of Florida and should really be inside on a night like this. Except the swamp native still keeps certain traditions with the solstice and nature, which is why she's out in the park on a night like this.

The blonde is bundled in a heavy coat that is reminiscent of a parka, a wool cap pulled down over her long hair and matching mittens encasing her hands. Well one hand, at least. The other palm is pressed against the bark of the tree.

When Knox murmurs, she steps out from the other side of the tree and puts her mitten back on. "Hi there." she offers, in a puff of steam.

Knox Kennedy has posed:
Knox seems a little startled. His reaction seems like one of someone being hunted. He takes an abrupt step backwards and looks like he's about to bolt until he notices the shivering. Jennifer didn't strike a very terrifying figure.

He relaxes and stands down. He lets out a sigh and rests a hand on his chest. "Oof. Startled me."

He assesses her with a purplish gaze then looks to the Queen's Giant. "You also visiting her majesty? It's neat to see something so wild and natural in this concrete jungle."

Jennifer Kale has posed:
Jennifer Kale wiggles her fingers inside the mitten and she nods. "Oldest living thing in New York." she replies. "That's impressive, even for a girl who grew up in the swamps of Florida. I'm Jennifer, by the way, and I'm harmless. Mostly."

She looks up at the tree, then past it to the stars. "This close to the Solstice you can almost feel the life energy flowing through her." Her gaze shifts towards him, looking curiously for his reaction.

Knox Kennedy has posed:
Knox knocks closes his eyes and breathes in the night. He smiles and nods, "I'm not sure if she's a conduit or a ward. With the veil between worlds so thin on a night like this, I wonder if she's a guardian over the city."

He doesn't bother hiding his occult tendencies. Those in the know will contribute to the conversations, others will just think he's a little eccentric. There's worse in NYC.

Gesturing toward the chasm in the tree's trunk, he offers, "I wonder with the right push if that opening might take us somewhere or if something birthed from it. This is my first time visiting this site. I saw mention of her online."

Jennifer Kale has posed:
Jennifer Kale steps a little around the tree and closer to the young man. "Well she's not a Portal Between Worlds, or she'd have a Guardian of her own." Jen replies, matter-of-factly. "I can feel the conjunction of major ley lines here, though. And it's probably no coincidence that they meet right at the opening."

Looking back at the tree again, Jen points with a gloved hand. "The ancients believed that gaps like this in trees or stones actually WERE portals. They weren't always wrong, either, except in this case."

Knox Kennedy has posed:
Knox crosses his arms and frowns to show his disappointment. He shakes his head, "Well, I think that's disappointing, but... I bet with the right nudge, it would make a fine portal."

The frown becomes a mischievous grin as he considers the possibility, "But... NYC doesn't really need more of those. And... I don't think I want the attention."

"Knox", he finally offers his own name. He focuses for a moment, eyes closed, and then opens them. His vision seems to follow the energy flow of one of the ley lines. "Definitely useful to know this is here."

Jennifer Kale has posed:
Jennifer Kale lifts a brow at his musing, her mouth curling into a wry smile as well. "I'm -sure- that New York's Sorceror Supreme wouldn't mind if you tinkered with an ancient tree to turn it into a dimensional portal." Stufing gloved hands into her pockets, Jen adds. "I've met him. He's a bit of an asshole."

"Nice to meet you, Knox. So you just out following ley lines or do you make a habit of wandering around in the cold at night?"

Like SHE does, apparently.

Knox Kennedy has posed:
"I wouldn't be caught dead inside on a night like this one." Knox confesses as he walks up to a small fence that protects the giant. He slings a leg over it and approaches the closer, gazing into the 'abyss' within the trunk. "It's the season for long cold walks."

"Ah yes. -him-. I'd prefer to avoid that kind of attention." Rather boldly, he starts climbing inside the darkness of the tree. He chuckles to himself, "If I forget to pay my rent, I know where I'm sleeping."

He calls out barely visible from within the tree, "And what about yourself? Bad time to be walking out alone unless you've got a few tricks up your sleeve."

Jennifer Kale has posed:
Jennifer Kale steps over the small fence as well, leaning in close as Knox starts climbing into the opening. "Let's just say I may not be as harmless as I let on." she replies. "Strong magical bloodline plus a good education means I'm not afraid of most things that go bump in the night."

Jen slips off a mitten and makes a gesture, raising magical sight. The major ley lines glow brightly to her, now, but her focus is on the dark opening in the trunk.

"Sleeping? Oh, I'm sure the NYPD wouldn't mind that at all. Unless you've also got a few tricks up your sleeve."

Knox Kennedy has posed:
Knox catches the magical gesture and offers a almost impish smirk, "Few tricks? You might say something like that, but I'm not one to show off too much to a stranger."

"Besides, I might be one of those things that go 'bump' in the night. I wouldn't want to tip my hand." He adds mysteriously then slides deeper into the darkness of the tree. He runs his hands along the inside of the trunk, lightly batting away an abandoned spider web.

"I will say that NYPD would be out of their league." He adds and then grows silent. He breathes softly and just absorbs the combination of darkness and the converging ley lines. "I'll need to come back here for other occasions."

Jennifer Kale has posed:
He noticed, which is more than enough for Jen to draw a grin of her own. "Oh, they are usually out of their league unless the problem can be fixed with bullets or a taser." she agrees. "So that means we're both probably fine. Even if you're not all that scary and this isn't a Portal that needs me to guard it."

"I'm not like Strange, who feels some compelling need to keep a dossier on every sorceror he meets. Always seemed like too much work to me. But It's still good to meet someone else who knows a few tricks."

Knox Kennedy has posed:
Knox hums from within the darkness and then emerges, "Well, if you aren't going to interrogate me. Maybe we could compare notes. I do not know very many practitioners. At least ones that I'd consider friendly."

He makes a spirally gesture with his finger and seems to unravel a tendril of darkness from the shadow within the tree. It pools upon his palm and then writhes. Without incantation or other preparation, he is likely tapping into something innate to him.

The darkness pools into a dancing silhouette, difficult to see in the poor light.

"I was born into this... What drew you?" He asks probingly.

Jennifer Kale has posed:
It's a bit of a dance, really, not unlike 20 questions. And Jen has played it before. "Interesting." she offers, watching him play with the darkness like it was some sort of taffy.

"I was also born into it, really. I come from a long line of Ancient Atlantean sorcerors. My parents were members of the Cult of Zhered-Na, and I started my magic education pretty much as soon as I could read."

Hands clasp behind her back, then, and she shifts her weight to one foot. "You're not using a spell for that. You're manipulating it directly. That's innate to you somehow."

Knox Kennedy has posed:
Knox's expression becomes distinctly less friendly and much more wary at the mention of a 'cult'. He snuffs out the dancing silhouette. He takes a moment to scan his memories of study. His childhood has been full of studying various mythos, Atlantis was included. He offers a sigh of relief, "White magic. Valka."

He tilts his head, "Yes. It is. It's tied to my own lineage. I cannot claim a long line... At least not in the way you can, but I do have some experience with... cults."

There's vitriol in the way he says the word 'cult'. It's distinctly moody. "I hope yours was better then mine."

Jennifer Kale has posed:
Jennifer Kale's head tilts a little at his reaction and she makes a mental note. "It was really a lot like being raised in a basic, pagan household, I suppose. Or Catholic but without the Church and the Pope. I dunno..." she shrugs. "I've never had anything else to compare."

"Well there are pros and cons to coming from an established lineage. I've studied magic with an ancient demon, one of my best friends is a swamp walker, and I'll have to tell you about my final exam sometime over coffee."

"But all in all, I can't say it was terrible. Except I'm now Guardian of a Portal, and interdimensional beings have the WORST timing when it comes to college exams."

Knox Kennedy has posed:
Knox listens, watches, and considers. Slowly, he crawls his way out of the tree. He brushes debris off his trenchcoat and shakes his head to clear his thoughts.

"Well, that sounds... normal and weird in a very compelling combination. I'm envious. My experience was very... different." He rubs his arms as if the cold is finally starting to get to him.

"Sounds like you've got some excellent stories to share. I'm not attending the college but... I did help banish a demon summoned by a few students dabbling in things far beyond their comprehension. I think I may have had the help of a death goddess... and a very bizarre woman who considered herself a nurse."

He tries to conjure his grin back, "Strange things happen in the Big Apple."

Jennifer Kale has posed:
Jennifer Kale shakes her head slowly at that, mouth twitching into a bit of a smile. "They do indeed." Her gaze shifts to the tree again, and she adds. "And this is a pretty good place for more strange things to happen, which is another reason why I like to check in from time to time."

"If you helped to banish a demon, even with some help, and we're having the conversation about it, then you're better prepared for trouble than you think. Even if the talking ducks decide to visit New York."

Stepping a little closer, she offers "How about we exchange phone numbers, you know, just in case something weird happens and one of us needs backup."

Knox Kennedy has posed:
Knox reaches into his trenchcoat and draws out a smart phone. He grins a little, "Usually when a woman asks me for my number. I'm expecting dinner or coffee as the next step."

He taps a button to display his number. He's evidently even savvy enough to do the 'tap' thing if necessary to share his info. "However, I will not say no to backup. I'm... lacking that at the moment."

Blinking, he raises a dark eyebrow inquisitively, "Talking Ducks? You might have to explain that one to me."

Once they've exchanged numbers, he turns around and walks back into the tree. "Nice meeting you, Jennifer. Hopefully we can meet again before one of us encounters a 'problem'."

With that, he disappears apparently melding into the darkness of the tree. Portal or not, it was a way of egress for the man.