So, Dr. Sorcerer Supreme, what sort of trouble are we in now?
WHAT: Stephen gives Christine the Vallo crash course WHERE: The Sanctum WHEN: The day of Christine's arrival WARNINGS: None STATUS:Complete!
The whole trip into the past had been rough - coming back was rough, bonding with the time stone was rough (Stephen still expected that to catch up with him, somehow), sleeping it off took awhile. But things were back to normal, whatever constituted normal around here anyway - he had the time stone, wearing it around his neck in the Eye of Agamotto. It was a relic, an heirloom - and at one point he’d kept it in its place in Kamar-Taj, after defeating Dormammu, because he felt as if he wasn’t ready to wield such power yet. But now after he’d held it in his hands and lived to tell the tale - he was as ready as he’d ever be.
And Christine was here - he’d missed her, he had to admit. He missed her a lot - she’d saved his life, refusing to balk when introduced to magic in a way that meant she couldn’t possibly take a second to absorb it; no, she was tossed in headfirst, hitting the ground running, but she was brilliant and talented, those skills just letting her put her all into what she was doing. He loved her because of how intelligent she was. How competent. And, honestly, she didn’t need him - not to be an amazing doctor who saved lives, didn’t need him as a romantic interest or anything like that. She was no vengeful ex, not his enemy - she was a friend, first and foremost, and actually fixing their friendship was one of the best things Stephen could have done. He’d settled into something resembling quiet confidence and wisdom, and the past version of himself at Metro General (when they were co-workers and lovers) had never commanded these things. So maybe having her here would be extra beneficial because they could learn new things about each other too - even if she already knew him better than most.
He picked up some take-out from a place with fantastic Chinese food, and introducing Christine to Vallo’s oddness over that and a beer or two seemed ideal. The restaurant itself maintained questionable ambiance - the decor definitely left something to be desired. Wooden dragons, ample amounts of red everywhere including Chinese lanterns, dark red walls, and of course the bar shaped like a Buddhist temple (and those bartenders slinging drinks into Tiki glasses). It was cringe-worthy and kitsch, but damn if the eggrolls weren’t top notch. He didn’t stay for the ambiance anyway - just portaled back to the Sanctum with bags of food, noodles and those eggrolls and plenty of sesame chicken.
Everything was set up in the room where he had the television - it was comfier than the parlor. The room with the television was plush and cozy, with a couple large sofas, velvety armchairs, and a flatscreen mounted on the wall, plus a big enough coffee table to place all the food. A cabinet to the left held extra blankets and pillows, and there was a mini bar too. Not that it was used very much. He just - waited for now. She’d be by soon.
Christine would have loved to nap again but that was just out of character. She had to keep moving and get a grip on whatever this new reality was so she could adapt. She did take a moment to close her eyes and take a few breaths. That practice could be a real lifesaver sometimes. And plenty of yoga and wine, not exactly in that order.
She didn’t want to keep Stephen waiting. There was no tone to text but he was probably chomping at the bit waiting to explain anything and everything to her--and she was ready for the full speech. At the very least, she had him, and it looked as though he had support and the Sanctum for home. He had become more adaptable after joining his cult newfound sorcerer sanctums for guarding all things reality and making sure the world isn’t unsafe from more...otherworldly things she didn’t like tripping over thinking on.
She grabbed what little she had--a change of comfy jeans, a button down blouse, and a comfy cardigan. She did arrive in scrubs and while it was like another set of skin to her she took all the personal time for optional clothing she could. After a few moments getting her bearings, she followed the address Stephen had given her and stood in awe of the Sanctum. Not that she was surprised to see it, but, even this odd thing spoke to her as something she did know about.
A small growl came from her stomach and Christine remembered half of the important reason why she was here--a meal. “Please let it just be normal food,” she breathed as she knocked on the door to the Sanctum with her knuckles.
He could sense her presence - and overall, the Sanctum could as well. The cabinets even rattled, a home’s imitation of a giddy sort of laughter - it matched Stephen’s mood because he was pretty thrilled to see Christine. The Cloak of Levitation stayed behind on a rack where it was elegantly draped but he could see its interest was piqued - it was just Stephen, in his boring slacks and light sweater, that answered the door.
And at first he couldn’t think of anything to say - words were just lost. “Hi,” was all he managed before he hugged her (a rare show of affection from the likes of Stephen; he didn’t often go right to the hug, that usually took buildup, but this was a special case). But, yes, right - she was solid and real and it wasn’t just some weird Vallo trick. In all actuality, it really had poofed his very best friend into existence in this timeline.
“Come on in - I got your favorites,” he said - or what had once been her favorites. They’d ordered Chinese food plenty of times during long shifts. “So you got an apartment and all the other things? The startup funds?” he asked as he led the way to the sitting room (and the Cloak even waved as they passed by).
What a very sweet welcome. It was definitely one that Christine needed, and she did take the moment he was giving out free hugs to hug him in return, a sigh of relief leaving her lips. Someone and something she knew. Real and tangible, it helped to ease some of the stress that came with being transported to another dimension. “Hello,” She chuckled and patted his back, giving him a good squeeze just to double check.
And, straight to busniess. Christine paused to smile, watch Stephen as he talked and began to go through the motions. Just like it was any other day on any other planet or universe.
The Sanctum had a good energy and she was happy to follow him inside. It gave her a lot of Indiana Jones vibes but she kept focused on what was important--the food and the teaching lesson to get through this. “Yes, I’m currently registered under Stella Virgin--just in case.” Oho, what a prankster she was. Just the little things that kept her going in an odd situation. Seeing the cloak made her bite her lip as she gave a small wave back before easing into what looked like a comfortable sofa in the sitting room. “They’re very nice and accommodating given the situation.”
“Stella Virgin?” Stephen repeated with wry amusement - well, sure, that definitely did the job. Clever name too (though they both knew she wasn’t a virgin - god, he couldn’t remember a time when he’d been a virgin. Probably when kids had a computer called ‘Commodore 64’ and you could easily brain someone with the keyboard). “Nice. Though yes, the DOA is pretty accommodating - I think it’s a relatively recent setup, something that was put into place once the waypoints started going nuts and bringing in all sorts of new people across the multiverse.”
It hadn’t always been that way, however. A little jaunt to the past showed as much - and even now, he knew not every local was thrilled to see them here. Which was to be expected. Not every Outlander was thrilled to be here either.
He sat on the sofa, beginning to remove lids from containers - they could just eat out of these, with the plastic utensils, like heathens. “I’ll grab you a drink?” he added, casually opening a portal just large enough for him to stick his hand through and retrieve whatever it was Christine wanted.
Christine liked to use sarcasm to get her through mildly difficult situations. It helped with the transitioning. Even if it was silly at times. You had to keep going with a smile on your face somehow!
“Nothing too strong please, but enough for the occasion.” She requested, her lips pulling into a smirk as he used his portal to fetch the drink. Wrapping herself snugly in her colorful cardigan she folded her legs and allowed herself to begin their smorgasbord of less than beneficiary food items. “Thank you, I really appreciate you doing all this. I hope it didn’t distract from your regular, orderly schedule.”
Fried noodles, oh yes. A satisfying crunch and dry flavor that worked so well with the steamed veggies. Another sigh of relief. Something known, natural, nothing too much for at least a moment. She fondly remembered staying up late and discussing talks, ceremonies, and even concepting theories at times. There was no love lost in those times and she was thankful that even here, she could share that with Stephen again. “So, Dr. Sorcerer Supreme, what sort of trouble are we in now?”
Not too strong, but strong enough for ‘oh shit, I’m in an alternate reality.’ Stephen definitely went with beer in that case - this was Belgian, bottles of it in the demon fridge, tart and fruity but also malty and spicy. There was also a pink elephant on the bottle that was probably some kind of warning about how truly strong it was but as long as Christine didn’t mind getting a little rosy-cheeked and tipsy then it’d be just fine.
He cracked open two bottles and offered her one. “Not too much trouble at the moment,” he replied and - well, yes, that was a silver lining. “There was a very recent time traveling adventure though. Caused by the time stone which - I got it back in my possession and we’re in the correct year, it was just kind of hairy for a little while.” Ten days of no pockets in pants, no hair conditioner, and no way to flip the lights on and off - difficult, to say the least.
Plus, past Vallo didn’t have MSG-laden food like this and that was a disappointment; the chicken was delicious too, and he gladly dug into it, determined to appreciate all the flavors so soon after consuming so much ancient gruel. “Overall, it’s not too bad of a world. Vastly unstable what with the fluctuations in magic and whatnot, but - you just kind of learn to go with the flow.”
Christine used her free hand to accept the pink elephant labeled concoction, swallowing her bite politely before taking a very lady-like sip to wash it down. Then one for the taste--yes, this would do just fine. Rosy-cheeked and warm blood would be a welcome comfort in the new light of ‘oh so you’re in a new reality and it is what it is’.
A few delicate but well-portioned bites of chicken and rice were taken as Stephen went over his recent ‘adventure’ like it was just another day in the operating room--for him, it was. It was good that Stephen was aware enough of both the extraordinary things that seemed all too familiar to the growing population of what was supernatural and heroes on their planet.
Everyone else were still just humans. Amongst those battles in New York, Sokovia, Wakanda, and a poor Airport. The Avengers were dealing with egotistical celestials that wanted God status on the world--meanwhile, everyone else just had to contend with day to day because they weren’t in the loop and they certainly had no control other than the updates they were given long after battles were fought and truths were halved. Much of it ‘it is what it is but please go about your lives and also there's a pill or a program for that now’.
She was thankful for the insight from Stephen and that he had a foot in the door with his own mind and reference. She felt better about his part and was very proud of him more than words could say. “Stop me if this is a stupid question, but are things just moving la-te-da back at home? Do people know we’re missing? Because we were still in communication before I arrived and you said you’ve been here awhile.”
Mmmm. She just opened a can of worms, but for her own sake she needed to just know or these thoughts would drive her crazy.
“No one knows we’re missing. It’s kind of like - multiple branches splitting off from a river, and we exist in both,” Stephen explained - or tried to, while he twisted his fork around in a box of noodles. The multiverse and the many timelines within happened to be kind of his thing, and he’d been studying up as much as he could - but when it came to Vallo’s existence and the mechanics of this world, there was still much to be discovered. If all the mysteries were revealed, which - he highly doubted it.
Regardless, he could go with what he knew. Draw conclusions and make educated guesses about other aspects. “Things are moving along back home and sometimes people here even have dreams of what goes on. They get new information downloaded, so to speak. Very odd but I promise - there’s a ‘you’ still at Metro General. In New York.”
He paused, hoping that he didn’t sound too clinical about everything - there was a lot going on and he truly was glad to have a familiar friend with him now. “I’m - I know the Sanctum is pretty bizarre, but...there are plenty of spare rooms if you want to stay here?” he offered. “Morningside is nice too and I understand if you’d rather have your own space, but. I thought I would put that out there.” It wouldn’t be weird - at least not for him, not having her here. Christine might not be into sharing a home with a levitating sentient cloak or a demon in the fridge, however.
Another her while she was here.
Well fancy that! Christine’s eyes widened with fake enthusiasm before she took another healthy drink before putting it down and getting into the fried noodles that were nicely crisp. “Wow. Almost like a vacation.” But definitely not.
At least no one would be worrying over anyone not being where they might have been in another place, in another time, doing other things.
She sat back and breathed a sigh of somewhat relief, taking in the information and chewing slowly on the noodles like popcorn. Only when he asked if she wanted to stay at the Sanctum did she sit up with a questioning brow lift, “Really? I mean, yes, bizarre is a graceful way to put it, but in comparison to everything else..” In her own world Christine would be just fine. She was a big girl and had long since been taking care of herself just fine even in the unpredictable--but this was another world/time/etc/whatever. As she thought it over she nibbled at the corner of her thumb.
“As long as I’m not getting in the way of anything.” Stephen looked relieved that she was there, but he was built for a world like this. She wasn’t, and that was ok, that’s why she was ever so thankful to have someone like him in her life. “I promise when I get more laissez-faire I won’t crowd you.”
For some, Vallo definitely was a vacation. They were either dead back in their world (and that had happened to enough people to account for a club, even?) or suffering in some other kind of way. Stephen was aware that, for him, the multiverse was cracking like a frozen pond against the warmth of summer - he didn’t entirely know what was to be done about it, but it was going to be up to him to fix it. He tried not to think about it too much here. Because he couldn’t actually fix anything while hunkered down in Vallo - no matter how many timelines he looked forward into, using the infinity stone.
“You’re never in the way,” he promised. “And anytime you want your own place, that’d be fine too. Besides - “ He fished for a fortune cookie, breaking it open. “You being here just means we’ll have to make smiley-faced bag takeout nights a semi-regular thing. For both of us to decompress.” Especially if Christine was going to work in a high-paced hospital or the clinic, which tended to experience activity explosions during times of stupidity.
She smiled warmly before reaching around for her own fortune cookie. “Oh? Does that mean I can finally convince you to take yoga? You’re basically already there with the meditation, mantras, and magic.” A small twiddle of her fingers as she teased him gently. Convincing Stephen to do anything he hadn’t thought of himself had been more than a task.
He was much more receptive now (even if only Christine and those close could tell). It was a hobby she did to stay healthy and even do her own little mediation at times. It kept her focus and gave her those ever important moments of self peace and clarity.
She was more of a hardcore, extreme/hot yoga kind of gal-- but the more relaxing classes were still important too. One way or another Christine was glad not to be alone and have something/someone here that was familiar to her. Jokes aside, she reached over to gently squeeze his hand before letting it go. “Thanks, Stephen. I’d probably need to check myself into the hospital by now if you weren’t conveniently part of a cult that specialized in these things.”
Ok, jokes not aside. She couldn’t help it.
“For you, I’ll go to yoga class,” Stephen chuckled a little, returning the hand squeeze - it was gentle, light, as much as he could manage without pain rearing its old familiar head. But regardless, there was still a lot of fondness there - overflowing, really. He’d even attempt the sweating bullets bendy stuff if that’s what Christine wanted - anything to help her make her way in this weird and wacky life that they’d all somehow tumbled into.
And considering he’d seen so many other options? Other heartbreak, other trials and tribulations? Well. He was liable to take Vallo and all of its quirks in stride.