2674/Magical and Electromagnetic Lines

Magical and Electromagnetic Lines
Date of Scene:	29 July 2020
Location:	Sanctum Santorum
Synopsis:	Lorna stumbles across Doctor Strange's residence and some magical tomfoolery is afoot.
Cast of Characters:	Stephen Strange, Lorna Dane

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Stephen Strange has posed:
The trial of bringing the Threefold God (now the Fivefold God) into the world had been an arduous one. Many had given their blood, sweat, and tears to make it happen. Afterwards there'd been celebration, pizza, and Doctor Strange had retired back to the Sanctum to rest for weeks. The exhaustion had gripped him quite closely, the price of such extreme magic being extracted from his very flesh.

But the mystic world never sleeps. The Orb of Agamotto had whispered of someone new. Someone who had been touched by the mystic in an unusual way. He'd had not a lot of time to prepare, and he was curious about this woman with the emerald hair who had shown when the mists of divination had parted.

He wears not his usual vestments but a smoking jacket that might be more at home in the sixties or seventies. His wrist is still bandaged, and his features seem drawn and grey as he answers the door.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna had a lot on her plate these days. Training, diplomacy, international business, and trying to figure out how to best restore her people. The fact that she couldn't seem to sleep for more than a few hours without getting mind numbing headaches and nightmares had caused more than a few issues. One of them being that she'd been distracted and unable to truly focus, grouchy, and irritated in the extreme.

So she'd set aside time to track down the niggling feeling at the back of her mind. The one that made her magnetic senses stand on end and drove a wedge of pressure behind her eyes. She'd ignored it as best she could, and had tried to carry on with her day.. but enough was enough.

So the green haired ruler of Genosha found herself aimlessly wandering up and down NYC's streets, not unlike a compass, as she swept over and traced the hints of of electromagnetic power that whispered about the city. But each time she felt closer.. it seemed to escape her grasp. She was now frustrated, tired, and hot. The summer sun was relentless by the time she found herself stepping up to the stranger's doorstep and knocking on it.

Stephen Strange has posed:
It is as though the second Lorna's knuckles touch the door; it is being answered. The handle rattles and the door opens, revealing the casually dressed man who looks like he may have just gone ten rounds with the heavyweight champion of the world. Nevertheless, he smiles knowingly and inclines his head in deference to her.

"Lorna Dane," he says, in that knowing voice that he's mastered over the years he has been Sorcerer Supreme of Earth, "Right on time. I admire your punctuality, in the face of everything that's been plaguing you. Come in, come in."

He seems to have been expecting her. He steps to the side, making room for her to pass him into the Sanctum. The room itself is lavishly appointed, an old-world manor with some modern touches. Strange artefacts sit in glass display cases, upon shelves, or hanging from the walls.

"Tea?" he asks, and at the sound of the word two spindly and somewhat demonic arms emerge from thin air clasping a tea cup and tea pot, pouring one into the other.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna had prepared some kind of a story. Something like 'Hey, I'm with the HOA and my electromagnetic spectrometer is picking up abnormalities.. are your electronics functioning properly? But she did not expect whoever to answer the door to greet her by name or to invite her in without her saying so much as a word. She blinked, startled and her eyebrows furrowed sharply as she stepped inside. The shade of the house, how much //cooler// it was inside, left her somewhat chilled compared to the hot summer humidity outside.

Even as several alarm bells rang in her mind, she continued inward, not too concerned. After all, she was a powerful mutant, right? She should be fine. She stared at the strange items on display behind the glass, her attention shifting around and around as she slowly shuffled about. Right up until two strange arms popped into existence with tea and pot. She jumped, staggering back wide eyed and barely muffling a scream from her throat as she waved her hand in the direction.

"What the hell!?" Green magnetic power burst to life at her hands, as she fell into a defensive stance, her feet lifting off the ground by a few inches as she did so.

Stephen Strange has posed:
"I suppose your sister isn't quite so laissez faire with the magic, is she?" Strange asks, raising his eyebrows as a wry chuckle escapes him. He moves towards the hands, gently taking the tea set from them before they retreat back into whatever space between dimensions they occupy.

"I really don't mean you any harm," he adds, moving towards the parlor and setting himself down on the sofa before he begins to pour tea, "And I hope you'll forgive me for startling you. Come, the tea is gotu kola. Very good for soothing nerves, or so I'm told. I think you could use some."

He pours a cup and sets it out on a saucer at a space set besides him on the sofa, grey eyes shifting up towards the floating Lorna.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna was slow to lower her hands, skeptical in the extreme as the man seems utterly unconcerned with the demon arms severing tea that were just //floating// there. She blinked repeatedly, and oh so slowly settled back to the ground again. Her hands lowering to her sides, though the magnetic power in her hands didn't completely fade either.

She eyed the strange man with an uneasy look, "Wanda doesn't do magic without very good reason, and even when I ask her nicely, she tells me about the magical //cost// of things." She'd learned the hard way to not ask Wanda for magical aid in Genosha. Too much death there and something, something, just use irrigation like other countries.

But knowing that this guy was a magical tie to her sister, or at least knew Wanda that way.. settled some of her wariness. She slowly approached, still looking ready to throw up a magnetic shield at the smallest hint of something magical acting up as she edged to sit at an appropriate distance.

"How exactly do you know my sister...?"

Stephen Strange has posed:
"We all know one another in some way or another," Strange answers, smiling amiably as he gestures to the teacup laid out, "Wanda and I are both practitioners of the same art form, though we come at it through different means."

Satisfied with the tea and how it is set up, the Doctor folds his hands in his lap and leans back on the sofa. He keeps his eyes on Lorna, though even with the power she is wielding he does not seem to move either offensively or defensively. He simply sits there.

"And she's right about the price. I paid it recently myself which is why I'm in a bit of a sorry state. But the Sanctum - this place - is a bit different. The cost is ... deferred."

He reaches out, patting the sofa next to him.

"But let's not talk about your sister or ancient practices that take eons to master. Let's talk about Lorna Dane, and what brings you here."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna slowly made to sit, still keeping perhaps more distance than was strictly polite but she didn't even have this man's name. And somehow he knew her sister, her name, and wasn't in the least bit concerned about any of it. She squinted at the walls of the room, searching out the building with her magnetic senses and tilting her head back as he spoke of deferred costs and the alike. It went over her head, but she'd use what she had to learn what little she could.. It was a building and that typically lent to metal in the very structure, enough for her to suss out ideas of size and rooms and the alike.. Typically. She wasn't too sure with the magic all over.

Still, as he spoke of her and what had brought her there her eyebrows shot upward. "Magic is Wanda's thing. Not mine. I was just following an annoying electromagnetic pulse that hasn't gone away for a while now and is giving me a migraine when I'm on this side of the planet. I don't see how that's possibly related to your ... abode here.."

Stephen Strange has posed:
The vague shape of the house can be determined by feeling out its electromagnetic after-image, though it is strange. It seems bigger than it looks from outside, and some parts of the structure are there one minute and gone the next. The magic of the place is strong, and it has little regard for powers so deeply rooted in the physical as Lorna's.

"I think I may be responsible for that annoying pulse," Strange apologizes with a sigh, "The dragon ley lines that run beneath Manhattan give off a sort of electromagnetism of their own when they brush up too close to the real world. There was recently an ... incident. I'll spare you the details, but the magic was brought to the surface."

He smiles now: "However, I do have a solution for your problem. If you'll allow me?"

He lifts his hands, holding them before her as though he is going to place them upon her head. He doesn't do it straight away, rather he watches her in expectation of permission.

"I promise, it won't hurt. It's an ... attunement of sorts. To make your mind more tolerant of the mystic flux while it is flowing."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna blinked as her focus returned to the room she was in, she quickly realized at least, that she could zone out in search through the house with her electromagnetic senses and never actually finish. Not as things, rooms, slipped from her grasp and appeared just as quickly.

Her green eyed gaze swung to the strange man as he spoke of attunement and helping her with her issues... as well as handwave whatever that was going on to cause it in the first place. Dragons? Ley lines? Beyond her understanding of most things. Sure, she knew that vaguely, most magical things were //real// on some level. But here? In New York City? That was difficult to process. As he reached toward her she leaned back.

"Hold up, you haven't even introduced yourself, and you know my name, my sister... and all this other stuff. I want at the very least, to know who you are before I let you lay hands or whatever it is you're planning to do."

Stephen Strange has posed:
"Sorry, I got ahead of myself," he apologizes again, smiling wanly, "A lot of time flows differently for me. I know your name because, in some ways, we've already met. Also, I read the newspaper and I wouldn't be able to consider myself much of an informed citizen if I didn't recognize Genosha's crown princess."

He nevertheless leans back, lowering his hands and folding them in his lap once more. He does his utmost to look unintimidating, but when magic is at hand that is a big ask.

"My name is Stephen Strange. Doctor Stephen Strange, if you prefer titles - though it's been some years since I practiced. You may have heard the name, though I'd forgive you if you hadn't. I am the Sorcerer Supreme of this planet ... and, well, the dimension, too, though I generally keep my beat close to home."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna blinked, tilting her head slightly to the side as she warily watched the guy introduce himself. Wizards. Magic stuff. Yep. Her eyebrows lifted upwards, "Technically Queen regent until my father turns up alive." She corrected, it was automatic, something she'd come to respond to before she realized it.

A grimace twisted her lips, "But Lorna is fine." She grumbled, reaching up to absently rub at her temple as she felt the ache building up there again. It was like a migraine that wouldn't go away.

"Maybe Wanda has mentioned you before, but I'm sorry, I don't typically get involved in magical affairs. It's not my thing. I respect that it's powerful and out there and do my best to not cross any of it. It would stupid of me to pretend it didn't exist or anything like that." She pursed her lips together briefly. Magic was something she tried to give space to. It was so far beyond her understanding .

"But uhm... Strange.. er.. Doctor, whichever. If you can get this migraine to lessen up, so I can go back to not sleeping due to PTSD, that'd be great. I guess. Since you said you can fix it.."

Stephen Strange has posed:
"I understand. Our art isn't one that lends itself to outside attention. In fact, most people can't even see it unless they know what they're looking for. There was a massive aethereal entity looming over Brooklyn a few weeks ago, but I don't imagine anyone even saw it. It's funny that way."

"Stephen is fine," he offers, "Or Doctor. Or Strange. Whichever you prefer, I'm not picky. But yes, I think I can fix that for you. But just to warn you ... a telepathic link like this can cause some blending here and there. My perception of time can make it disorientating, but I assure you it's only temporary."

That said, he lifts his hands. One is placed against Lorna's cheek and the other against her forehead. He reaches out, mystically inuring her to the persistent, painful buzz of magic in the air. At the same time their minds briefly cross, sharing memories both past and yet to be. Only a flash, though some stand out more than others. A moment later, he lowers his hands and raises his eyebrows.

"Well."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna's eyebrows shot upward, "No I can't say I saw anything going on." As she tried to puzzle out exactly where she'd been over the past few weeks and tried to mentally run over if she'd accidentally picked up anything. But it was a blank. Perhaps that came with her running via portal to Genosha and back on the daily.. or it was just more magical nonsense that had happened.

She pursed her lips together though as he tried to explain some of what was going on. She did //not// like people in her head. It had taken the Professor //weeks// to convince her of telepathic therapy. That he'd only look at what she showed him. Jean had earned that same respect over years of friendship.

And now some stranger was talking about a telepathic connection that was going to throw her off. She made a face, her nose wrinkling at his explanation. But there was only so much migraine grade pain killers were doing for her senses too. "Fine.." She muttered, as he settled a hand on her cheek and on her forehead.

It was over before she'd registered anything had happened... and that was when the memories finally processed in her mind. She turned scarlet red in a rapid fashion, sputtering as she practically shoved herself away. "What the hell?!?" She yelped for the second time.

Stephen Strange has posed:
"That's a good question," Strange answers, moving to the opposite end of the couch and rubbing the back of one scarred hand against his forehead, "I ... am a bit surprised myself. The death. The destruction. Lorna, I'm so sorry. I had some idea of what happened there but seeing it through your eyes? I - "

He trails off, taking a deep breath and exhaling it out through his nose. Slowly he moves across the sofa to regard her more closely, tilting his head with a physician's curiosity and concern.

"Are you alright? Please, have some tea."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna had practically pushed herself up against the farthest edge of the couch. Her features still hot as she pushed herself up to stand, her green eyes wide as she stared at Strange. Her hand rose and fell a few times, her mouth agape as she struggled to try to get her brain to function properly around what she'd seen.

A furious blush crossed her cheeks again at it, and she shook her head. "Nope, no.. nope. I am.. I am going. Thanks but no.. Nope." She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut as she pressed a hand against face and dragged it over her eyes and downward.

"Nope. I am... I am so done with magical shit. I am.. I am leaving." She managed to get out.

Stephen Strange has posed:
"Whatever you saw," Strange answers, rising from the sofa with teacup and saucer in hand, "It wasn't my design. Sometimes there's a bleed. Memories are shared. My unique perception of time causes them to come from other places - sometimes things that have not happened yet or may not happen at all."

He doesn't appear frantic. He doesn't rush to stop her. The door is there, and should she open it she'll find herself back out on Bleecker Street and without that migraine that had been keeping her up.

"Lorna, please," he says in his most soothing tone, holding out the teacup for her, "I'm a friend. I only want to help you."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna's hands were moving with each word she spoke, and she slowly backed up, trying to not bump into anything or knock over a display. She was surprisingly capable in that regard, her magnetic senses pinged off anything as the previous pressure had vanished from her mind's eye. Still, she was clearly agitated and the color high on her otherwise pale cheeks and crept into her hairline. "Nope. I saw-- No... just-" Her eyes swept over him and she blushed again. "You and-- nn-no. I haven't even.. nope..." She kept stumbling over her words and gesturing between them over and over again.

"Thanks for..uhm.. yeah.. I .. no.." She was a spluttering mess and clearly struggling still with whatever it was she'd seen. She wasn't bolting entirely, but she was keeping a good chunk of space between them too as she maneuvered back.

Stephen Strange has posed:
"I assure you I'm of no danger to you," the Doctor offers, maintaining that soothing tone, "Your sister knows me. They both do, in fact. I'm sorry that whatever you saw troubled you, but whatever violence there was is not going to come to pass. I promise."

He continues to take slow, careful steps towards her. Careful not to spook nor alarm her anymore than she already seems to be. The teacup and saucer are held in one hand, while the other reaches out to try and rest reassuringly on her arm should she allow him to get close enough. No unsettling memories are awoken this time, thankfully.

"Whatever happened, I think you need to take some time to relax."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna's visible confusion only seemed to get worse as he spoke. Her eyebrows knitting together and her lips pursing together into a thin line. The flush in her skin remained and she spooked as badly as a stray cat that had heard a strange noise. She shied away, putting space between them wildly until her figure was pressed up against a glass display case. A hair's breadth away from knocking it over, but once more, her innate magnetic senses warned of diamagnetic items, aka HERE BE GLASS. And she stalled out.

Her mouth opened and shut several times as she tried to get out something that wasn't going to be a curse or something likewise rude. "No, I'm.. I am leaving." She managed to get out, her voice more a croak than anything, and shakily turned to do just that. She was still red faced, and couldn't meet his gaze.

She couldn't even manage a 'thank you.'

Stephen Strange has posed:
In the end, the Doctor simply lowers his hands. He holds out the teacup and saucer, those strange arms appearing once again to take them and whisk them away to wherever it is they're kept. For a moment he considers giving chase, taking a half-step towards Lorna as she makes for the door. His brow furrowed in high confusion. But in the end, he doesn?t - simply standing there and watching her go.

As she steps through the door he turns about with a sigh, bringing up his hands to rub the heels of each palm into his eyes. He shakes his head, leaning against the wall and tilting his head back to look up at the ceiling.

"Odd."