Stephen pressed his lips into a thin line, while staring at the cup on the table. It was the sort of focus that caused him to squint, almost as though he was looking through it and not at it. With all the things that he had seen thus far, with all the dimensions he had passed through while looking for threats, it left a lasting impression. Enough that he was forced to compartmentalize it all in his mind. It was how he was able to keep functioning despite every odd or terrible thing that was happening. There was Jessica Jones, still missing. Accords hovering over their heads. Sharks in tornadoes.
It was comforting that some things didn't change, even if the world was changing around them. He was right that she had dove into researching for answers. Leave it to Christine to ask about how he was faring, specifically.
A blink of his eyes and he looked over at her, mustering up a tight smile. It was the best he could offer.
"I'd show you the spell," and it was here that he hesitated, "but I'm trying not to risk further damage. This timeline is still settling. Or trying to. There's an online network built by Stark for people who, for whatever reason, have felt what you felt. Or they've been taken from wherever they were, and brought here against their will. So? No. It's not like I'm trying to handle everything on my own. Necessarily."
He stared long and hard at her, because he didn't want her dragged into this. His bedside manner wouldn't ever hold a candle to Christine's, and that's why he kept on with his blunt approach. He could talk to her. Even if The Strange Policy was still in effect.
"I can't fill in the blanks of what you think you know, unless you tell me. Or start asking specific questions. Did you read into astral projection or out of body experiences?"
Better to start with the basics. The sad thing about his life was that astral projection had become a basic tool that he could do on a whim.