the occasionally manipulated, never duplicated - Matt Jamison - Milliways

[mm_merky]

After things go pear-shaped with Tiwa ...

They go arguably even more pear-shaped. (Warning for sexual content of dubious consent in both links. Also: demons.)If you thought you'd seen Matt at the most miserable and exhausted he could get, you haven't seen him tonight. He's in the middle of the bar at a (relatively) brightly lit table, methodically

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[balancingminds]

The notice is one of the odder things that Charles has seen in Milliways and he's reading it and wondering what the man means by demon.

[tantric_slacker]

By now, Matt has inhaled approximately four cups of coffee and assembled a small bouquet's worth of anti-hex bags. He glances up occasionally, anxious, half-expecting to see either people he has harmed, or the demon itself.

Puzzled people standing by his sign are also of interest.

[balancingminds]

Once he's finished reading it, Charles turns and meets Matt's gaze, he can almost feel Matt's anxiety,

"Did you write this?"

[tantric_slacker]

Matt blinks.

"Yes," he says, sizing the guy up as best he can.

"I can try to answer questions, if you have any."

[balancingminds]

Charles is a man of presence and he walks over with a frown,

"Thank you, I'd appreciate that. I'm Charles Xavier and I was wondering what do you mean by demon?"

[tantric_slacker]

"Hi Charles," Matt says, "uh, go ahead and sit down, you can just push some of those plants over this way."

He'd say I'm Matt except: signs.

"Ummm. Good question." Sigh. "By demon, I basically mean a hostile spiritual entity that preys on sentient beings. Its natural state of existence is not physical, but it's recently managed to do that."

[balancingminds]

Charles is careful as he moves the plants and packets,

"A type of spiritual parasite?"

[tantric_slacker]

"From what I've seen," Matt agrees, "that's a good description. Yeah. It's a parasite."

He frowns. "The real question is now whether it'll transition to a full-on spiritual carnivore. That I don't know yet."

[balancingminds]

"How would it do that? Is it something that is created by a mind or welcomed into a mind?"

He's read some rather esoteric books in his studies as they provide ideas for how to deal with his telepathy, this is the first time he's met someone who seems to see them as more of a reality.

[tantric_slacker]

Matt frowns.

"It is a being," he says.

"In my experience, it needs to be invited at least initially. Some kind of foothold. I don't know all the limitations yet."

[balancingminds]

"I'm sorry. I'm a scientist and trying to understand something that's outside of my own experience. Would the foothold leave a mark behind?"

Charles isn't sure he's quite understanding and is debating explaining that he's a telepath as that feels like it might be useful.

[tantric_slacker]

"In my case, it has," Matt allows with a frown.

He taps his cheek below the scar.

"I have a scar it gave me."

[balancingminds]

He leans forward to get a better look,

"That looks painful. How long have you known of this demon? I ask because you look quite worn out and rather anxious."

[tantric_slacker]

Matt blinks.

Then he smiles, though it looks a little sickly.

"It's been a rough couple of weeks," he admits.

"But, by my timeline, I've known this demon ... six years. Almost exactly."

[balancingminds]

"It looks as if you're lucky to be alive. May I ask what you're working on with all these plants?"

This conversation is so far outside of Charles' realm of experience that he wants to understand as much as he can and if he can help Matt who looks in need of it.

[tantric_slacker]

Matt sighs. "It hasn't killed any of its victims so far."

He's on much firmer ground with herbs.

"Um, okay, well the basic idea is mobile, customizable demonic wards. I think it was the English who used to say you could put breadcrumbs in your pockets to ward off fairies? These are herbs I'd normally put in a protective circle, but instead I need them to move with me."