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A whole life spent in the study of control of self and mind. It was how Blackagar had spent his entire existence really, since birth he had been dutifully trained to separate himself apart from the mind and body. It was exactly what he was doing at that moment, his body was secured away within the temple deep in the Himilaya's. But his mind, his mind was free to wander, to detach from the body and focus upon neither here nor there. It wasn't merely necessary for self, but for the survival in many ways of the world that Blackagar's mind was a fortress. He was not atelepath (yet) but his mind was a strong one, noticeable to others.
*
Somewhere.. across the world it was daytime. Somewhere, there was a girl seated in Lotus position, aiming to keep herself calm where tempers reached a near boiling point. She learned this from the others, sitting still. Becoming. Breathing. Focusing…
…soaring…
…to here?
Maybe it was just a figment of Blackagar's imagination. The redheaded girl dressed in American clothing. She looks around the place, her nose slowly wrinkling as she turns to spy the .. young man within the room, a few steps taken forward as her hand reaches out to wave in front of his face. "Did I go to far again? Hellooooo?" Jean's a disruptive ass.
*
The man doesn't speak, instead his eyes within the vision open slowly and look at the red headed woman in front of him. Definitely American; posture, clothing, demeanor. Everything screams American. A small smile touches his lips, polite and genuine and he speaks. The mouth doesn't open but instead the words come out. «I believe you have entered my space. I cannot travel, can you travel?»
*
"I think I did travel." Jean says aloud. She couldn't tell if this was the Astral Plane that she had heard about and once traveled, or if she was sucked into his mind due to the strength of his own personality compared to his. It was all subjective, but yet, this place was oddly calming and rather beautiful.
"I was trying to calm myself down.." Her voice was a little airy, and with a turn, she finally views the expanse of the hall itself in which he resides, her brows lifted high. "..Where is this place?"
*
«I presume this place is in my mind.» Blackagar responds with that mental voice that echoes through the hall in conversational tones. «It reflects a place I visited a few years ago, a place of solitude and peace that was destroyed. I come here when I need to find focus, much like it seems you do. To come into my mind takes a strong mind as well. If you are here due to Maximus, I will have to destroy you, I am sorry.» The tone actually reflects the world, true sorrow at the concept of having to conduct such an act.
*
If the place was inside of his mind, then why is he still echoing?
Jean looks all around herself, her face a clear grimace. She understood. Though what she didn't know, was this person Maximus. "Huh." She turns to face him then, those few steps taken to stand directly in front of him, and with a bend, she flops upon the ground with an added bounce. It didn't hurt. It felt like clouds. That alone makes her smile.
"I don't know who Maximus is, to be honest." Her hands hold out in front of her, hoping to take his within hers. "Check and see. And besides, since we're inside of your mind, don't you think you should excercise the use of your lips? Hearing you like this, all around me.. it's unsettling."
*
«I do not speak. I never speak. In this world or the real. It is why I am here, to discipline myself to never make a sound, to utter a noise.» He manages to smile, his blue eyes almost glowing in this realm as he shares the thoughts/voice to the girl. «It is good you do not know who Maximus is. Dangerous and evil. What is your name?»
*
"That's sad. I'm sure you'd feel a lot better if you actually could." Jean doesn't really know about him much, or anyone all together. But this manner of speaking, her outloud and him silent.. rings a bell to the Phoenix residing within. So she was oddly comfortable, even if it was unsettling. A connundrum.
"Like a connundrum." She says loud by accident. "I'm Jean Grey." She says, holding her hand out for a shake. If he takes it or not is left to be seen, but she was as real as could be, given current circumstances. "Why do you not speak? Did you take a vow of silence, like a monk? -Are- you a monk?" Her mind was moving a mile a minute, there were so many questions upon the tongue that begins to fill his mind. Each of them hard to pick out, but all of them she wanted to ask. And there was chaos upon the horizon. A hot, fiery one. One that burns should he try to pick it out.
*
It is power, energy, dangerous and something that Blackagar is familiar with. Not this oen directly, but that level of power is not enough to completely disturb him. Instead his blue eyes turn to look at Jean, to focus there upon the woman. «I do not speak, because it keeps others safe. It is very dangerous for all life if I speak.» The small smile is back upon his lips, he looks at Jean and nods politely when she settles in across from him. «But no, I am not a Monk. I am just… someone trying to figure things out.»
*
"Strange. Are you a mutant, then?" She asks quietly, her elbows pressed to her knees then, fingers curled into a fist in which her cheeks were soon bunched upon. "There is a place where I live, tons of us there. You'd be welcome there, and you'd be left alone in peace. Plus.. there is this library.." As she thinks of it, the image to the left of them changes. The library that she describes was vast. One of the more quieter places within the mansion, will rows upon rows of books that anyone could shake a stick at. "..it's my favorite spot. I'd live in there if I could. For some reason, in there? I don't hear anyones thoughts. I don't feel what they feel. I can eat without throwing up. I can sleep.. though I'll wake up with a back ache." Her nose wrinkles then, "So. What are you figuring out?" A pause. "What is your name?"
*
There is a grin from Blackagar, humor in his eyes. Were he to make noise then there would be laughter from him, but he doesn't make such noises. Instead he holds out his hand. «Humans.» He explains then raises his hand up about six inches. «Mutants.» He smiles then at Jean and raises his hand another foot higher. «What I am. We are not known to your kind, it is not my place to reveal us. But you may call me Blackagar.»
At no point does his demeanor seem arrogant or cocky, rather he seems to be explaining what he at least views as simple reality and facts. «I am here, attempting to figure out what to do with myself. Where to go in life. I suspect you may be doing the same?»
*
"Ah.. ah.. I see it.." Jean points out, lifting her finger to even do so. It twirls in a circle. "I'm going to guess. That's a laugh. Because I feel like laughing." But as he demonstrates, she slowly comes to an understanding. Her head nods with each level put, but as he does not speak of to what he was, she was left to guess. "Alien?" Hey. Good enough. Right?
"Has to be, with a name like Blackagar." That hand soon rubs along her chin, her gaze lowering. There was a sense that she may never see him again after this, so she was free to speak as she will. "Yes. I am, actually." The -how- to explain it, it was going to be difficult. "Humans." She states, creating the same level. "Mutants." Same level again. "Me.." Her fingers close together, then explode.. and when she does, little bits of a firelight sprinkle from her fingers to form a phoenix raptor that flies away.
"Every day that I am her and she is me, I feel that I don't belong here anymore." She frowns. "Is that how you feel? That you don't belong with us?"
*
Blackagar listens, studies and thinks before he nods slowly towards Jean in understanding her allegory. He crosses his legs some and starts to think/speak. «Among my people, when you ascend you are given a task based on who you are. It is a bit complicated to explain; but among my people I was to be a leader.» His brow furrows, a frown growing. «But how can I lead if I don't believe in myself? So I left. I ran with the intent of trying to escape at first. Now I believe that no matter what I do, I cannot escape this destiny and that perhaps my journey was meant to prepare me rather than to protect me.»
Head canting to the side, he looks at Jean, «Do your people think such? That there are some things we cannot escape, that we are born, destined, to be or do?»
*
"I see.." Jean murmurs quiet. Watching. The heat behind her nearly intensifies, there was interest there to be sure. It wasn't until that being manifests itself, sitting right next to Jean. It looks like it /could/ be her, but much older. And she was swath in a pure, white light. It wasn't blinding, it was easy on the eyes. But it appears that She too, was enraptured by the explanation, and questions. It was a whole new world.
"In a sense.." Jean says, thoughtfully. As she looks up towards the vast ceiling, and then towards the effigy of her.. she shrugs her shoulders.
The being moves, drawing her hands from her own cheeks to rest upon her lap. Oddly enough, Jean moves the same two seconds after. "Yes and no." The being states. "The humans and mutant both cry out and deny their fates. They are certain, that the path that they take is their own, and that they could shake the stars with their will alone. They believe that nothing is set in stone. And freedom is in their grasp and of their choosing."
Jean clears her throat, then smiles, her head lowering to look within her lap. Slowly, so does the effigy.
"But some of us realize that there's more to life than saying no to destiny. Some of us actually fall into the path that was paved for us. And yet, all of us have that resistance. Once we're on that path, we try to steer it and do things our own way instead of as we're told."
"They are stubborn children."
"We're dumbasses." Jean grins.
*
Blackagar looks back and forth between the two beings which are seperate and the same all at once. He cants his head to the side, looking at each when they speak before finally settling his eyes on Jean rather than the apparation.
«This is your entity? Spirit companion as some on earth would say?» He nods towards the flamed energy being before returning attention back to Jean. «The time is coming when I'll have to decide I suspect. When I was young, I was ill prepared. Now that I am prepared, I am no longer young.» The humor in the thought cannot be hidden as his blue eyes sparkle. «I will have to follow destiny, but to navigate that in my own way.»
*
As Blackagar looks back between herself and the Phoenix, Jean looks at the Phoenix and then to Blackagar. In which she looks to Blackagar and Jean. It was a rather odd sight to see. "Yes. This is her. Us. I suppose."
"At your service, King.." The being jokes. Though with a nudge that was met with two elbows joining together at the same time, they both feel the brunt and lean away from each other as well. The humor was met again with Jean's laugh, her hand smacking at the side of her face as she leans forward to give Blackagar a right nudge of his shoulder. "You're laughing again." Duh. "Exactly." She finally states, looking towards the Phoenix as she looks to her.
"I suppose I should take a page out of your own book and what I've just told you. But.. this is swell.." Jean states, turning back towards him with a smile. "..you're leading by example, old man."
*
A lift of his shoulders which would correspond with a grunt comes and Blackagar shakes his head, «I still do not believe that I am a leader simply because I was told I would be one. That is something I believe must be earned, worked for.» The humor of the moment dissipating from him as he looks again between the two beings that have come to his planar space and he tilts his head.
«There are so many things that I will lose control over. But I do not think I ever really had control over them.»
*
"Many of the good leaders don't think they deserve that title. Or so I've read." Jean states, leaning backwards.
"Besides." The Phoenix chimes in.. "Control is an illusion. What is, simply is."
It was an anti-climatic ending. The sound of a dinner bell was rung in the distance, which causes both of the women to look over their shoulder. "We have to go. We're a bit hungry." Jean states.
While she rises, the effigy slowly fades away, the wash of heat disappearing with her. And with a silent shrug, she offers a slightly sad smile. "I don't know if we'll see each other again. But it was truly an honor to meet you, Mr. Black."
And just like the bird herself.. Jean fades away as well, leaving Blackagar alone to with his thoughts.
*