Stephen Strange is the sorcerer supreme. (mysticmaster) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2016-02-21 18:41:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, audrey, stephen strange (doctor strange) |
Who: Audrey and Stephen Strange.
What: Audrey brings her wand by the shop.
When: Mid-January.
Where: Sanctum Sanctorum.
Rating/Warnings: Low/None
Status: Complete.
It was always hard to make time to do things in Orange County. It had a way of interrupting plans, no matter how carefully you thought them out, and so Stephen had almost entirely forgotten about the conversation regarding one woman’s own magic and her wand. Naturally, upon the topic being brought back to his memory, he was as curious about it as he was at the start. He made sure to be at his shop for the duration of the day, so the woman could stop by at any point she had time. Heck, even if she stopped by after the doors had been closed and locked, he’d still let her in. The pursuit of magical artifacts was not limited to opening hours.
Christmas made everyone a bit mad. Audrey decided that even though it was the most wonderful time of the year it was also a bit maddening. She hated that some things seemed to get back-burnered while other things took precedence--and Gremlins, snow storms, and wishes coming true made for even more distractions. She finally had a couple hours free, so she headed to the shop to discuss magic and magic wands with the gentleman she met on Valarnet.
She stepped in through the front door of the Sanctum Sanctorum, and looked around.
The shop was mildly busy. It always was. The space was large and the various shelves and cases were filled with everything from hobby magic to the more occult and strange. It was a place that had everything for someone, if they wanted to find it badly enough. Stephen was near a case when she entered, locking it closed. He knew who she was in an instant - it was not so much any sort of recognition from the network, but, rather, her aura. The magic vibrated off her like a fingerprint, unique to her in its way. It was what made him glance to the door in the first place.
“It’s Audrey, yes?” he said, moving around a shelf to greet her. “Stephen. It’s so nice to finally meet you in person.”
Audrey was feeling a little overwhelmed--she hadn’t been in a magic shop like this one since her Dreams, and she hadn’t Dreamed about one in a long time--but the smile on the man’s face who came to greet her helped to calm her nerves. A matching smile broke out across her own lips, and she reached forward to shake his hand. “Stephen,” she repeated. “I’m Audrey. Audrey Baxter in this world.” Then she released his hand and motioned around the shop. “This is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.” It felt like it was straight out of Diagon Alley.
“I’m so glad to hear it. It would be awful to know that I was losing at the game of being unique.” The compliment obviously pleased him. A smile turned up the corners of his lips and he motioned at her to follow him to table near the back of the shop. It was in fact a glass case, filled with things for scrying and stone casting and other finely crafted items. Stephen stood on one side.
“Thank you, by the way, for coming to meet me. As you can see, artifacts of this nature are a particular hobby of mine. Which is convenient when living in a place like this, because it gives me the chance to look at magic wands.”
“I think it’s impossible to lose at that game,” Audrey, ever the optimist, gave him a knowing smile. “Unless we’re cloning people now.” She teased. “You’re very welcome. I was just as interested in this place as you are in my wand.” She stepped forward to take a good look into the glass case. “My husband would surely love it here. I’ll have to send him your way, if you don’t mind it.” She turned her attention back to him and drew out her wand. “Speaking of…” She was excited to show him the wand that chose her.
“Is he another magic user?” Stephen loved meeting all the magic sorts in Orange County. The Guild was an excellent source of curiosities and amusement. But they could discuss it later. He held out his hands to gently take the wand, treating it like a precious artifact of glass. He could feel its spark of magic as he examined it. “How remarkable.”
“He is,” Audrey nodded, passing the wand over so that he could take a good look at it. Maybe she was a little too trusting with it, but she figured this guy probably had enough magical items in his shop that her wand wouldn’t be something he’d want to take by force or trickery. She hoped that this guy wasn’t the type to take things by force or trickery in general.
“The wand chooses the wizard, they say in my Dream world. So this wand chose me. Back when I was eleven.” Audrey said, pride evident on her features.
“Fascinating.” He had a look that suggested he wasn’t paying any attention at all to Audrey, but he was. Each word she said fell carefully on Stephen’s ears as he spread a cloth out on the counter top, then gently placed the wand on top of it. “And understandable. Magic is an extension of our very core and soul - to have an intimate connection with the tools one chooses is of vital importance.”
“I was pretty close with my cauldrons and magical ovens back at home,” Audrey explained. “But not quite as fond of them as I was of my wand. It was an extension of myself.” As it probably was for all other witches and wizards in her Dream world. “Do you have a magic wand?” She asked, watching him take extra care of hers.
“Hmm?” Stephen glanced up, finally looking at her properly for the first time. “Me? Oh, no. I’ve got countless tools at my disposal, but no wands. My magic is sourced through ancient beings. My being is a vessel for their power, and my job is to control that and harrnass it. But I’ll never say never. A wand may be in my future.”
“Interesting. Would you say your magic changes over time?” Audrey asked, turning to lean against the counter in a casual way. Being around so much magic and so many magical items made her a bit excited, but she was trying not to let it show.
“The more I learn, my abilities form around that. In the universe I dream about, every dimension has what’s called a Sorcerer Supreme. It’s their sole task to keep mystic energies - evil and good - in balance, and to protect their worlds against demonic threat.” Stephen shrugged, moderately humble. “My master may have handed the mantle to me, but, in a way, I will always be an apprentice. And of course the more I dream, the more I find my magic here changes to suit that.”
Audrey nodded. She’d gone through something she thought might have been similar--when she first started Dreaming about Hogwarts, she only could perform a few, small spells. But the more she Dreamed, the more she learned. And now she was fairly proficient. “That sounds like it makes sense.” She said, and reached forward to pick up her wand. Then she flicked it, causing some blue bubbles to float up out of the tip.
“It seems to be the natural order of things here. After all, one can’t perform a trick until they’ve learnt it,” he said, smiling. As the bubbles started to float through the air, Stephen’s smile got a bit wider. He held up his hand, palm facing the bubbles, and they turned to ice even as they stayed suspended in the air. “Parlour tricks, of course.”
“I like the fun things.” Audrey said, motioning to the frozen bubbles. “I mean, the little, playful things that I can do for my son to make him smile. You know?” She asked, then pocketed her wand again. Audrey wasn’t in the big league. She wasn’t like Merlin or some of those other, big-time sorcerers that made huge differences in the world. She was a small-town girl.
“Ah, yes.” Of course. Stephen got that vibe from her - the motherly kind, a sweet disposition. Playful wasn’t exactly on the Sorcerer Supreme job description. The magic he did happened on a grand scale regardless of the situation. “Every sort of magic, I think, is just as important as the next. Be proud of the playful things. You never do know when that will be of most importance.”
There was certainly great power here, that was for sure. Audrey could feel it when she headed through those doors. But people responded to great power and great responsibility differently--Merlin had a ridiculous amount of power, but he carried it in a different way.
“I like that.” Audrey said, smiling warmly. “You never know.”
“In this place? Truer words have never been spoken.” Stephen smiled, looking amused. “Thank you for sharing this with me. Do try to bring your husband around sometime, I’d love to meet him, too. And if you ever find you’re in need of something, my door is always open. Any time.” He handed her a business card, with a number to call outside of business hours. He was more than glad to cater to the magical community of Orange County beyond a normal work day.