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synthneon2025-07-07 09:33 pm
withresponsibility) wrote in synthneon2025-07-07 09:33 pm
Entry tags:
🕸 mcu/nikke || ❝ i'm just a believer things will get better. ❞
[ Ssshk.
Beep, beep, beep.
Peter Parker quietly slides the door closed behind him.
Click.
Beep, beep, beep.
He winces slightly before looking over at the occupants of the room.
Ariel is sitting next to the hospital bed that belongs to the man that saved the universe. At least as far as Peter's concerned it's the universe. Half the universe? Right, not the time to worry over the details. He came by for a reason and that's more important.
His classic awkward smile is given to Ariel when she looks up. A small smile is given to him with a nod, giving him permission that he hadn't really asked for just yet. He glances over at the bed again before sliding his backpack down onto the floor beside the door. Then, as quietly as he can, he moves to stand at the foot of the bed. Hands slide down into the pockets of his jeans.
A silence fills the air as the machines still beep at a steady heart beat. Which, really, is good news. That alone should be enough to ease the fears coursing through the teenager. Except the fact that Tony Stark is laying in the bed, not waking up, with right hand, arm, and side of his face bandaged. Peter let's out a sigh before rocking forward and back on his feet. He looks back at Ariel. ]
Any change?
[ She looks back up at the teenager. Instead of answering with words, she raises a hand and gestures to where he stands. Peter gives her a inquisitive look back before looking down at the digital clipboard. Medical terminology is pretty above him, but he can at least follow that things look good. It seems like they're giving him a lot of pain medication. It makes sense, but, he can't help but worry about it.
Hell, he can't help feeling guilty. That it's his fault.
Peter sighs and looks back up at Ariel. She's never one to really be a chatterbox (unlike him). She still usually says something, or makes her presence known somehow. Now, it's like she is trying to disappear from everyone who might walk into the room. He frowns and glances back at his unconscious mentor in the bed. ]
I'm pretty sure that Mr. Stark wouldn't mind it you talked. It's not like you're loud ... like me. [ He gives her an awkward smile and scratches the back of his head. ] They say that people can still hear even when they're unconscious. He'd probably prefer if you did over all the beeping.
[ Ariel gives him a smile that's not really a smile. Those are the kind of ones that people give when they try to convince everyone else that things are okay and they're not. He's seen it plenty of enough times and even been the one to give it to people. Of course, it never really worked on Tony and Ariel, and now he can see why.
He frowns. ]
No, I'm positive he'd want to hear you talk. [ Peter insists gently. ] If you've been with him for years, then--
[ He stops because Ariel pulls out a tablet. One of the fancy ones from Stark Industries that has the crazy holographic tech. No, on second thought, it's probably because of Tony that she has that and not the company. Her fingers gently move over the screen before she holds it up for him to take. Peter gives her a skeptical look before taking the tech from her and looking down at the typed text. ]
I TOLD him to come home. I promised I never would. I did.
[ Peter reads it over again. The initial response of "obviously you'd say that, you're pretty much married" is held back as he glances at her. Her gaze has fallen back to Tony. Peter once more looks her over. Her hands are centimeters away from touching Tony's non bandaged hand, but she's not touching him. Almost like she's afraid she'd hurt him more if she did. He looks back down at the screen in his hand. ]
Oh, [ he finally breathes out the realization.
He doesn't know much about what Ariel can do. He's seen the bubbles she makes, even tried studying it a few times along side Tony. He's seen her command them and change them into crazy shapes like she's making paintings or sculptures. But, he's heard where she has another power to command people. Not that he's ever seen it--he thinks. He can recall Dr. Strange and Tony arguing about it on the ship when they initially went to fight Thanos. Something about Dr. Strange thinking he could use it and Tony saying it "was off the table."
Peter frowns more as another realization sets in. He remembers seeing her bubbles seeps out of the suit Tony wore in the battle. Everyone but Dr. Strange was confused as to why it was there. Not that the Sorcerer Supreme gave any indication as to what was happening or why. Now, Peter thinks he gets the basics of it. Ariel must have given a command to her bubbles to ensure Tony would come home... and that's bad?
He looks up at Ariel and really looks at her. Then, he can see it. It's not just worry or fear that Tony Stark may not wake up. It's guilt--the same guilt he feels. The feeling that tells him it's his fault that his mentor is in the state he's in. If he hadn't have just died--disappeared--it wouldn't have happened. If he had been better, stronger, faster, more alert to stop Thanos it wouldn't have happened. Except, he gets the feeling Ariel blames herself for the medical state that her partner is currently in. ]
I still don't think he'd mind. [ Peter says after a long moment and hands her the screen back. ] I'm sure he doesn't mind whatever it was your bubbles did, because he's still home--
[ Ariel looks up at him immediately. It's not sharply or even in anger. More like she's horrified that someone else was aware of what she did.
Peter puts his hands up. ] No, not, it's okay. Don't freak out, okay? Your bubbles were in the suit and we saw them! That's all. We didn't even know why. I mean, now I do, because I read what you said. Still. I'm one hundred percent positive that Mr. Stark doesn't mind. He loves you, Ariel. It's kind of obvious.
[ Her fingers brisk across the screen and types once more. This time she doesn't hand it to Peter to read. He has to lean to the side on one leg to see what she's written. Her hands shake and then he notices the water specs on the screen. Peter looks up at her face to find it hidden with all the crazy amounts of hair she has, but he can tell she's started to cry. His heart sinks and he looks back to the screen. ]
I promised. He might not remember it. I promised.
[ Another sigh comes from the teenager. Another scratch on the back of his neck. He quickly grabs his backpack and sinks down in the chair next to Ariel. The bag opens and out comes the school laptop. He glances up at her to see she hasn't quite looked at him, but he can tell he's caught her attention. ]
Homework. [ Peter says flatly, but it's not a lie. ] Mind if I do it here?
[ Ariel shakes her head and he can tell she has something of a smile despite her face being hidden.
That's more or less how the next week goes. Peter stops by the hospital and does homework next to Ariel. There had been one day when he crawled in from the window and stayed on the ceiling until the nurse left, given he was still done up in his suit. He was pretty sure she almost laughed at the idea of Spider-Man entering a window holding his backpack. Eh, whatever works. He still has a grant and internship to live up to in his mind.
Harry and MJ ask him what's going on. He's more or less truthful about it. He's been stopping by to check on Ariel and Mr. Stark. After all, authority guardianship wise, they're who he has now. He promises to go out to the movies with them on the weekend and prays nothing is going to catch on fire, or explode, or some crazy maniac decide now to come out and destroy half of New York City. His friends need the time to feel normal and like the world is normal again... when it really, really isn't normal anymore.
Thankfully, he gets his wish.
Which makes him wonder what monkey's paw curled somewhere.
Harry is the one that had to break up the outing. Something going down at Oscorp, which he's been in charge of since everything happened between Spider-Man and Norman Osborn--the Green Goblin. Peter wishes him well and then offers to walk MJ home since well... it'd be awkward hanging out with his best friend's girlfriend alone. There is an awkward tension between the two that Peter tries to brush off as quick as he can.
Then, he's back to the hospital.
Ariel is standing out in the hallway this time with a woman he doesn't know. She has long silver-white hair, ruby eyes. She has Ariel pulled off practically to a corner and talking to her in whispers. Ariel is consistently shaking her head and at one point simply puts her hands to her face and curls up. The other woman pulls her into an embrace and Peter decides now is the best time to stop looking and slides into Tony's room quietly.
Ssshk.
Beep, beep, beep.
Click.
Beep, beep, beep. ]
Hi, Mr. Stark.
[ No response, not that Peter really expected it.
At some point he ends up in the corner of the room with his homework. Not on the floor, on the ceiling. He's sure one day someone is going to make man-spider jokes at him and he's just hoping that it's not that day. Sometimes just hanging upside down is weirdly comfortable to him. It also puts him out of the way of the doctors and nurses. They all know who he is anyways. It's the same hospital he dropped Norman Osborn off at years ago... and more or less the whole ER staff saw who Spider-Man was. Now, most those doctors and nurses are the ones that are attending to Tony.
He wonders who pulled that string. ]
"I was wondering if you'd show up today."
[ Peter tilts his head down and practically jumps out of his skin. The voice isn't unfamiliar but just... surprising he's there at all. ]
Holy shit. Oh my god! Dr. Strange, don't... [ Peter puts a hand to his forehead and immediately quiets his voice down. No extra stress needs to be in the room. ] Wait, how long have you been here?
"Long enough to see you perch yourself upside down." [ Strange raises his eyebrows and gives a smug smirk. ] "How can you focus with all the blood rushing to your head like that?"
Well, you know... uh, I was... spider bitten? [ Peter offers an odd grin before it fades away. He looks back at the sliding door that's fully covered, noticing that someone hasn't rejoined them. ] You wouldn't happen to know...?
"Ariel is currently visiting with an old friend. Her name is Cinderella. And yes, we all know the fairytale naming conventions. Don't bother pointing it out." [ The Sorcerer Supreme waves his hand before picking up the digital clipboard and looking over the information. ] "Well, thankfully, they've kept Stark in great condition. Good. I'd hate to see standards drop so far after I left."
Hold on--after you left? Wait, you're really a doctor?
[ Strange rolls his eyes before turning to look at Peter. That's when the teen realizes that Strange is dressed in normal clothes. That's somehow weirder than seeing the guy in a cape. Jeans, a nice shirt and semi-casual jacket. It makes Peter's head do a spin to actually see the Sorcerer Supreme as a normal human being. ]
"Yes. M.D., Ph.D. Neurosurgeon. Who do you think was there overseeing surgery when Stark went in?" [ Strange says it almost as if he's offended to trust some other neurosurgeon with an Avenger. ] "My old colleague and I made a technique that ... nevermind. It's not important. What are you doing here?"
[ Peter pauses almost as if he's offended that Strange would ask such a dumb question. A hand lowers then gestures outside to where the two women are at. ] You know! Just... visiting, and trying to keep Ariel company. I've been coming here for a week. Where have you been?
"Keeping the cosmos together so you can keep Ariel company for the last week." [ Strange smirks, amused at how annoyed the teenager gets. ] "Cinderella wanted to check on Ariel, and I wanted to make sure Stark was actually recovering. Which, by the way, he is.. just slowly. Not that it would be too surprising after having the entire energy of cosmos flood through your highly advanced technological suit. And, the bubbles your girlfriend makes."
Wife. Right? [ Peter tries to correct the former surgeon. ] I mean... they're, you know. Married. Right?
"Probably something to ask your benefactor once he wakes up. Wouldn't you know? I was under the impression he pretty much had you legally adopted."
[ Peter puffs his cheeks out and shrugs, crossing his arms across his chest. He never really thought about it or to ask. The two just seemed... married already. It reminds him of how his aunt and uncle were when he was growing up. Just with a lot more technology and snarkiness... and money. ]
"Well, anyways. I'd imagine Stark will wake up in the next few days if things keep going at the pace they're at. Which will be a relief to all of us, and you can stop hanging out in the corner of a hospital room like a spider." [ Strange makes his way to the sliding door. Then, he stops. He half turns back to Peter with something of an approving smile. ] "She'd want me to say it, so, I'll pass it along. Thanks for keeping Ariel company. She probably needs it more than the two of us would realize."
[ Peter looks out the hallway at the slightly opened door. He can partially see the two women. ] How do they know each other?
"Old friends. I'm not in the habit of repeating myself, Parker." [ Strange opens the door further and sighs. ] "Teammates. They were their own sort of Avengers."
[ Then, he slides the door shut.
Peter leans back against the walls again. A sigh leaves him as he looks at the floor. Well, his attention is gone entirely from homework. Not that it was really on it to start with. It was going in about seven different directions that had nothing to do with homework. MJ and Harry, Ariel and Tony. The fact Strange would even come by a hospital and was an actual real doctor. He turns his head to look at the television that's muted and has been the entire week he's visited. ]
Beep, beep, beep.
Peter Parker quietly slides the door closed behind him.
Click.
Beep, beep, beep.
He winces slightly before looking over at the occupants of the room.
Ariel is sitting next to the hospital bed that belongs to the man that saved the universe. At least as far as Peter's concerned it's the universe. Half the universe? Right, not the time to worry over the details. He came by for a reason and that's more important.
His classic awkward smile is given to Ariel when she looks up. A small smile is given to him with a nod, giving him permission that he hadn't really asked for just yet. He glances over at the bed again before sliding his backpack down onto the floor beside the door. Then, as quietly as he can, he moves to stand at the foot of the bed. Hands slide down into the pockets of his jeans.
A silence fills the air as the machines still beep at a steady heart beat. Which, really, is good news. That alone should be enough to ease the fears coursing through the teenager. Except the fact that Tony Stark is laying in the bed, not waking up, with right hand, arm, and side of his face bandaged. Peter let's out a sigh before rocking forward and back on his feet. He looks back at Ariel. ]
Any change?
[ She looks back up at the teenager. Instead of answering with words, she raises a hand and gestures to where he stands. Peter gives her a inquisitive look back before looking down at the digital clipboard. Medical terminology is pretty above him, but he can at least follow that things look good. It seems like they're giving him a lot of pain medication. It makes sense, but, he can't help but worry about it.
Hell, he can't help feeling guilty. That it's his fault.
Peter sighs and looks back up at Ariel. She's never one to really be a chatterbox (unlike him). She still usually says something, or makes her presence known somehow. Now, it's like she is trying to disappear from everyone who might walk into the room. He frowns and glances back at his unconscious mentor in the bed. ]
I'm pretty sure that Mr. Stark wouldn't mind it you talked. It's not like you're loud ... like me. [ He gives her an awkward smile and scratches the back of his head. ] They say that people can still hear even when they're unconscious. He'd probably prefer if you did over all the beeping.
[ Ariel gives him a smile that's not really a smile. Those are the kind of ones that people give when they try to convince everyone else that things are okay and they're not. He's seen it plenty of enough times and even been the one to give it to people. Of course, it never really worked on Tony and Ariel, and now he can see why.
He frowns. ]
No, I'm positive he'd want to hear you talk. [ Peter insists gently. ] If you've been with him for years, then--
[ He stops because Ariel pulls out a tablet. One of the fancy ones from Stark Industries that has the crazy holographic tech. No, on second thought, it's probably because of Tony that she has that and not the company. Her fingers gently move over the screen before she holds it up for him to take. Peter gives her a skeptical look before taking the tech from her and looking down at the typed text. ]
I TOLD him to come home. I promised I never would. I did.
[ Peter reads it over again. The initial response of "obviously you'd say that, you're pretty much married" is held back as he glances at her. Her gaze has fallen back to Tony. Peter once more looks her over. Her hands are centimeters away from touching Tony's non bandaged hand, but she's not touching him. Almost like she's afraid she'd hurt him more if she did. He looks back down at the screen in his hand. ]
Oh, [ he finally breathes out the realization.
He doesn't know much about what Ariel can do. He's seen the bubbles she makes, even tried studying it a few times along side Tony. He's seen her command them and change them into crazy shapes like she's making paintings or sculptures. But, he's heard where she has another power to command people. Not that he's ever seen it--he thinks. He can recall Dr. Strange and Tony arguing about it on the ship when they initially went to fight Thanos. Something about Dr. Strange thinking he could use it and Tony saying it "was off the table."
Peter frowns more as another realization sets in. He remembers seeing her bubbles seeps out of the suit Tony wore in the battle. Everyone but Dr. Strange was confused as to why it was there. Not that the Sorcerer Supreme gave any indication as to what was happening or why. Now, Peter thinks he gets the basics of it. Ariel must have given a command to her bubbles to ensure Tony would come home... and that's bad?
He looks up at Ariel and really looks at her. Then, he can see it. It's not just worry or fear that Tony Stark may not wake up. It's guilt--the same guilt he feels. The feeling that tells him it's his fault that his mentor is in the state he's in. If he hadn't have just died--disappeared--it wouldn't have happened. If he had been better, stronger, faster, more alert to stop Thanos it wouldn't have happened. Except, he gets the feeling Ariel blames herself for the medical state that her partner is currently in. ]
I still don't think he'd mind. [ Peter says after a long moment and hands her the screen back. ] I'm sure he doesn't mind whatever it was your bubbles did, because he's still home--
[ Ariel looks up at him immediately. It's not sharply or even in anger. More like she's horrified that someone else was aware of what she did.
Peter puts his hands up. ] No, not, it's okay. Don't freak out, okay? Your bubbles were in the suit and we saw them! That's all. We didn't even know why. I mean, now I do, because I read what you said. Still. I'm one hundred percent positive that Mr. Stark doesn't mind. He loves you, Ariel. It's kind of obvious.
[ Her fingers brisk across the screen and types once more. This time she doesn't hand it to Peter to read. He has to lean to the side on one leg to see what she's written. Her hands shake and then he notices the water specs on the screen. Peter looks up at her face to find it hidden with all the crazy amounts of hair she has, but he can tell she's started to cry. His heart sinks and he looks back to the screen. ]
I promised. He might not remember it. I promised.
[ Another sigh comes from the teenager. Another scratch on the back of his neck. He quickly grabs his backpack and sinks down in the chair next to Ariel. The bag opens and out comes the school laptop. He glances up at her to see she hasn't quite looked at him, but he can tell he's caught her attention. ]
Homework. [ Peter says flatly, but it's not a lie. ] Mind if I do it here?
[ Ariel shakes her head and he can tell she has something of a smile despite her face being hidden.
That's more or less how the next week goes. Peter stops by the hospital and does homework next to Ariel. There had been one day when he crawled in from the window and stayed on the ceiling until the nurse left, given he was still done up in his suit. He was pretty sure she almost laughed at the idea of Spider-Man entering a window holding his backpack. Eh, whatever works. He still has a grant and internship to live up to in his mind.
Harry and MJ ask him what's going on. He's more or less truthful about it. He's been stopping by to check on Ariel and Mr. Stark. After all, authority guardianship wise, they're who he has now. He promises to go out to the movies with them on the weekend and prays nothing is going to catch on fire, or explode, or some crazy maniac decide now to come out and destroy half of New York City. His friends need the time to feel normal and like the world is normal again... when it really, really isn't normal anymore.
Thankfully, he gets his wish.
Which makes him wonder what monkey's paw curled somewhere.
Harry is the one that had to break up the outing. Something going down at Oscorp, which he's been in charge of since everything happened between Spider-Man and Norman Osborn--the Green Goblin. Peter wishes him well and then offers to walk MJ home since well... it'd be awkward hanging out with his best friend's girlfriend alone. There is an awkward tension between the two that Peter tries to brush off as quick as he can.
Then, he's back to the hospital.
Ariel is standing out in the hallway this time with a woman he doesn't know. She has long silver-white hair, ruby eyes. She has Ariel pulled off practically to a corner and talking to her in whispers. Ariel is consistently shaking her head and at one point simply puts her hands to her face and curls up. The other woman pulls her into an embrace and Peter decides now is the best time to stop looking and slides into Tony's room quietly.
Ssshk.
Beep, beep, beep.
Click.
Beep, beep, beep. ]
Hi, Mr. Stark.
[ No response, not that Peter really expected it.
At some point he ends up in the corner of the room with his homework. Not on the floor, on the ceiling. He's sure one day someone is going to make man-spider jokes at him and he's just hoping that it's not that day. Sometimes just hanging upside down is weirdly comfortable to him. It also puts him out of the way of the doctors and nurses. They all know who he is anyways. It's the same hospital he dropped Norman Osborn off at years ago... and more or less the whole ER staff saw who Spider-Man was. Now, most those doctors and nurses are the ones that are attending to Tony.
He wonders who pulled that string. ]
"I was wondering if you'd show up today."
[ Peter tilts his head down and practically jumps out of his skin. The voice isn't unfamiliar but just... surprising he's there at all. ]
Holy shit. Oh my god! Dr. Strange, don't... [ Peter puts a hand to his forehead and immediately quiets his voice down. No extra stress needs to be in the room. ] Wait, how long have you been here?
"Long enough to see you perch yourself upside down." [ Strange raises his eyebrows and gives a smug smirk. ] "How can you focus with all the blood rushing to your head like that?"
Well, you know... uh, I was... spider bitten? [ Peter offers an odd grin before it fades away. He looks back at the sliding door that's fully covered, noticing that someone hasn't rejoined them. ] You wouldn't happen to know...?
"Ariel is currently visiting with an old friend. Her name is Cinderella. And yes, we all know the fairytale naming conventions. Don't bother pointing it out." [ The Sorcerer Supreme waves his hand before picking up the digital clipboard and looking over the information. ] "Well, thankfully, they've kept Stark in great condition. Good. I'd hate to see standards drop so far after I left."
Hold on--after you left? Wait, you're really a doctor?
[ Strange rolls his eyes before turning to look at Peter. That's when the teen realizes that Strange is dressed in normal clothes. That's somehow weirder than seeing the guy in a cape. Jeans, a nice shirt and semi-casual jacket. It makes Peter's head do a spin to actually see the Sorcerer Supreme as a normal human being. ]
"Yes. M.D., Ph.D. Neurosurgeon. Who do you think was there overseeing surgery when Stark went in?" [ Strange says it almost as if he's offended to trust some other neurosurgeon with an Avenger. ] "My old colleague and I made a technique that ... nevermind. It's not important. What are you doing here?"
[ Peter pauses almost as if he's offended that Strange would ask such a dumb question. A hand lowers then gestures outside to where the two women are at. ] You know! Just... visiting, and trying to keep Ariel company. I've been coming here for a week. Where have you been?
"Keeping the cosmos together so you can keep Ariel company for the last week." [ Strange smirks, amused at how annoyed the teenager gets. ] "Cinderella wanted to check on Ariel, and I wanted to make sure Stark was actually recovering. Which, by the way, he is.. just slowly. Not that it would be too surprising after having the entire energy of cosmos flood through your highly advanced technological suit. And, the bubbles your girlfriend makes."
Wife. Right? [ Peter tries to correct the former surgeon. ] I mean... they're, you know. Married. Right?
"Probably something to ask your benefactor once he wakes up. Wouldn't you know? I was under the impression he pretty much had you legally adopted."
[ Peter puffs his cheeks out and shrugs, crossing his arms across his chest. He never really thought about it or to ask. The two just seemed... married already. It reminds him of how his aunt and uncle were when he was growing up. Just with a lot more technology and snarkiness... and money. ]
"Well, anyways. I'd imagine Stark will wake up in the next few days if things keep going at the pace they're at. Which will be a relief to all of us, and you can stop hanging out in the corner of a hospital room like a spider." [ Strange makes his way to the sliding door. Then, he stops. He half turns back to Peter with something of an approving smile. ] "She'd want me to say it, so, I'll pass it along. Thanks for keeping Ariel company. She probably needs it more than the two of us would realize."
[ Peter looks out the hallway at the slightly opened door. He can partially see the two women. ] How do they know each other?
"Old friends. I'm not in the habit of repeating myself, Parker." [ Strange opens the door further and sighs. ] "Teammates. They were their own sort of Avengers."
[ Then, he slides the door shut.
Peter leans back against the walls again. A sigh leaves him as he looks at the floor. Well, his attention is gone entirely from homework. Not that it was really on it to start with. It was going in about seven different directions that had nothing to do with homework. MJ and Harry, Ariel and Tony. The fact Strange would even come by a hospital and was an actual real doctor. He turns his head to look at the television that's muted and has been the entire week he's visited. ]
no subject
[ Or perhaps she should go the other direction entirely and appear even more distracting and eye-catching. That does seem to involve a bit of work, however.
The moment that he stands and gestures for her to follow him, she does as requested until they're both in the circular room. ]
A loop of deaths, with no way out of the loop, unless you bargained your way out of it? I would ask what it is that you did, but I suppose you will say that is between you and whoever you bargained with. But I do wonder what the cost was, although do not mistake that for me asking, if you do not wish to tell.
The Sorcerer Supreme is quite a title. [ And she hasn't the slightest idea what it means, but Strange begins to explain, at least in part. ]
I have thought carefully about it, and nothing about what you have said has caused me to change my mind. I hardly expect safety or a nice place to do anything.
[ Would it be nice? Yes. Does she expect it? Not in the least. ]
And I am? Hardly. I think that you and I will have to learn these lessons together. I imagine she fares as well as you do. [ Which is a nice way of saying she suspects he has more going on under the surface than he wants to talk about.
If I could simply flip a switch to one side and remove all difficulty from you and my sister and perhaps everyone in the world as well, I would have already done it. But as I can't, I suppose that all we can do is sit in each other's company and sort through it all together, however long it takes us.
[ And she is certain it will take them all a very long time. ]
I am certain that in time, she will see that if she had not issued that command, life as she knows it would have been changed, perhaps irrevocably.
no subject
[ It's obvious even to a blind man that Siren is fiercely protective of her husband. Strange would go so far to say territorial in a way. Then again, Stark had been a womanizer at one point. That's probably a byproduct of the relationship. ]
He had to swear never to come to Earth again. Otherwise I would have kept him in the loop. His dimension has no concept of time like ours does. Reliving the same thing was more maddening for him in the end. [ A smirk touches his face. ] It's not often you get an interdimensional being begging you for something.
[ A frown touches his face at her words. A life changed irrevocably. Cinderella isn't wrong. That timeline... they won at a cost that is mind staggering. Tony Stark shouldn't be as central of a person as he is in the comsic scale, and yet he somehow turned out that way. The domino effect that saved half the life in the universe also led down a path of war. NIKKEs being common place--all powered by the very thing that keeps Stark alive. Arguably the best invention Stark ever made to keep peace... turned into an engine of war for survival against the things that came after Thanos.
A life irrevocably changed.
Strange moves to stand at Cinderella's side. A tremor filled hand raises and gently rests on the side of her face. It feels like normal human skin. It doesn't feel synthetic or made artificially. He'd know, he's a doctor. ]
I'm not the greatest at any of this, even on a good day... but even I know when to see how I've damaged something. [ Admitting it at one time was entirely different. ] I may have left the way to undo what Thanos did to Stark, and I left Siren to save Stark. I left the duties of the Sorcerer Supreme to Wong and you.
But, come on, Cindy. We both know the last five years was anything but easy. Especially for you. I'm sorry for not explaining things in a way that made sense. You deserve better after everything you've gone through--including someone better than me. If you really have decided to stay here? Then, apologizing is the least I can do.
And, thank you, for holding it down my absence. [ A small smile. ] Abe would be proud of you and Siren. Just as my as I'm thankful for it.
[ Then, he hesitantly places a kiss to her forehead. ]
no subject
[ She does wonder if such a thing is too meanspirited, but she decides to bring it up to her sister and see how she feels about it. ]
I suppose that I would have found it difficult to believe him, but then again, the threat of being trapped in a loop forever seems as though it could be quite persuasive. [ She offers him a slightly sly smile but there is a hint of wariness in it as well. ] I am thinking that I should be careful to not end up on your less than charitable side. I do not wish to imagine what form of punishment I might experience if that were to happen.
[ Cinderella is hardly an authority on such matters as alternate timelines and individuals who are of great importance to said timelines, but for reasons she barely understands, her sister's husband is one who seems to stand at the middle of it all. She reasons, therefore, that it is her duty to see to it that he remains as protected as possible. There are several individuals she feels she must protect, and he is one of those individuals.
She blinks as she notices Stephen standing and moving to stand next to her, and she blinks again when she feels his hand rest on the side of her face. In a way, she feels as though she is not so accustomed to touch; perhaps it is that she is not accustomed to a a specific kind of touch.
Then, he speaks, and she levels him with a look. ]
That implies that I was not already... [ The sentence trails off as though she is unsure how to end it, except she is not unsure. She still has a lingering doubt concerning herself, although she is reluctant to say it out loud. ] You only did what you had to do, and that meant you had to leave, and to leave certain duties to others. One could say you had to make an impossible choice.
[ She does not wish to admit that his leaving (more accurately, his death) shook her. A NIKKE does not let things shake her, or so she is inclined to believe. ] The last five years were not easy, but they were not meant to be easy. [ She squares her shoulders as if to say she tried to do her best to carry on, as was expected of her. ]
Was I entitled to an explanation? [ She tilts her head to one side, pondering the notion. ] You are the Sorcerer Supreme. I would think the Sorcerer gives explanations only if he wishes to. [ But then her lips turn up slightly at the corners. ] Still, if you wish to apologize, the least I can do is listen.
[ She intends to say more, but then he thanks her, and she finds herself taken aback, almost stunned into silence, and that rarely happens. Her eyes lower for a fraction of a second before meeting his again, and then... And then he kisses her forehead and she instinctively feels herself leaning in as if asking for more. ]
no subject
[ He's really not good at this. ]
Well. So far? No Dormammu invasions. The loop has scared him this long at least.
And, please. We both know that you could destroy me with a flick of your finger. Those Glass Slippers aren't for show. I don't need to be a technological genius like Stark or his kid to know that.
Entitled? No. Deserved? Yes. I should of found a way other than some mystical jumbo jumbo crap to explain what was going on. Next time? Better information. Not that I plan on there being a "next time" for something like that. We avoided the bad ending.
[ Not that it means they have avoided the next enemy that caused the end he had seen. That might be unavoidable. The way they fought and who they fought as... that is something different. ]
Not that seeing your sister as a grandmother through adoption was horrid. Just the circumstances.
[ He brushes his thumb along her cheek bone and gives a smart ass smile. ]
Abe really did make you and your sisters to be beautiful. [ And not just physically. Though, Cinderella has always been a stand out. ] You should trust in that a bit more.
[ Still, he awkwardly wraps an arm around her shoulders to hold her close. ]
no subject
[ Her gaze shifts toward the gentle gesture of his thumb along her cheek, but she does not lean in immediately. Instead, she keeps her posture upright, a quiet elegance in her restraint.
She allows herself a faint softening of her expression when he references the Glass Slippers, acknowledging his admiration without words. ] Glass Slippers was created with purpose. Their design is not merely ornamental, but functional, and I wield them responsibly, as best as I am able. Prudence, after all, is a virtue as necessary as skill.
[ Cinderella then inclines her head slightly toward him again, considering his words regarding Abe. ] Abe always possessed a remarkable discernment, and I am convinced she did her best with each of us.
It is one thing to be acknowledged as competent or beautiful, and quite another to merit that recognition through diligence, thought, and deliberate action. [ She still remains unsure if she has earned that recognition or not. If not, well, then that is something to endeavor to achieve.
Finally, she allows a measured glance at his arm draped around her shoulders. Though she does not withdraw, she does not lean into him either, even though there is a part of her that wishes to. ] Your observation is noted, although I require neither flattery nor reassurance. I am not defined by praise, nor should my conduct be altered to appease another’s expectations. [ Although she certainly wishes to live up to his expectations, if he has them. ] Let us proceed with clarity of purpose and intention, and allow our actions to speak with the authority that words alone cannot convey.
[ She straightens fully, her posture resolute, eyes meeting his. ] That, I believe, is the only measure worth concern. The rest is, as you have already noted, secondary to what really matters: the integrity of our choices and the weight of our deeds.
no subject
[ As did he. A different sort of reputation, but still, a reputation nonetheless.
It's not a surprise Glass Slippers was made with a purpose. All of them were. A purpose he knows of thanks to his little trips through times, but one he won't be mentioning. Best to keep that card to himself. ]
You're supposed to flatter your partner. Aren't you? [ Strange gives a raise of his eyebrows. Then, a squeeze of her shoulders before lowering his arm. ] Here I thought you'd be someone who would adore praise now and again.
[ He slips his hands into his pant pockets. ]
Oh, sure. Definitely. Just trust in your mentor figure goes further than you'd think. [ In either direction. Mordo comes to mind.
The magical lights dim in the chamber. A few steps towards the exit and he stops, turning to look at Cinderella. ]
What's this I heard about you being an active defender of the world again?