Christine Supreme AU

[drpalmer]

In all the infinite universes, there was sure to be one in which Stephen Strange didn't survive his car accident, and in this, particular version of such an event, Christine had been with him. It had been a different path that led her to magic. The universe needed a new sorcerer, be it Stephen or someone else.

She had trained and devoted herself to the mystical arts just as she had devoted herself to medicine. Healing magic and defensive spells came most naturally for her, it was in her blood to help. In this universe Christine Palmer became an incredible power, she saved countless lives.

Of course, she had never truly stopped mourning Stephen, but she carried on and fought in his memory.

When the walls between universes started to crack it was as if a call was put out for all the Sorcerers in every universe to find ways to help repair the cracks.

Something was coming and she could feel it. She was pacing around the Sanctum, whatever was on the way was going to come here, of that she was certain.

Comments

[drpalmer]

"It's stupid, I know, but when you miss someone, there has to be something to get you through."

Since she started in the mystical arts she's gotten a lot less jumpy, and the tentacles don't scare her like they probably should.

A tentative hand touches one as it reaches for her.

"You consumed magical entities." She had read about it, a way to gain power, though the book had been lax in explaining the cost of such magic.

She can't even fathom how powerful he must be.

[mysticaldoctor]

He wasn't expecting that. "Yes. I tried bargaining first, as it worked before - didn't work this time, so - consumed with the desire for the power necessary for my quest - I consumed by force. Wealth of knowledge that comes with it, but it does tend to make one a bit... er - not exactly stable."

The matter at hand was they ought to close the breaks in the current reality, which required protection.

[drpalmer]

As much as she wants to know everything about it, there really are more pressing matters at hand.

"We ought to try and repair the cracks. Then I can ask you all the questions I've got on my mind. Seem fair?"

It's funny how instinctive it is to be Palmer and Strange again, they always did work really well together.

[mysticaldoctor]

"Fair. I would graft in these bigger cracks here, very carefully, maybe from the ends of timelines, would do the least damage.

These smaller ones, will be a lot like the old days," he said it with some fondness, moving with several limbs to knit a few smaller cracks back together. "You'll need this." His hand cast glowing rune armor in her direction. "Protection spell. You're welcome."

The additional limbs seemed to move independently, though he clearly had some control. He probably wouldn't feel alright doing this around many others.

[drpalmer]

"Thanks." Being in tune to the same magics means she can feel the strength of that protection, it's very strong stuff and she briefly wonders how long it took him to gain this much power.

He had such a grace with casting that she feels like an acolyte watching for a moment in awe before she's able to follow his lead to start patching the cracks from the edges.

They won't be able to fix it completely but it will buy them the time they need to figure out stronger spells.

[mysticaldoctor]

He nods briefly, knitting together smaller cracks with magic with one side of his body, it looked like tentacles and dragon claws, sealing it if possible.

He studied some of the patchwork and cast a few runes in the direction of them.

"Well, some timelines will be shorter. Better than them ending entirely." In a non-linear kind of thinking.

One tentacle waved in the wind, and he grabbed his wrist to control it.

"That's mainly a temporary fix, it also ought to be done on the other side."
He wondered if his crystalline prison was still there. It wasn't large, and could have been eaten by temporal energy.

[drpalmer]

They cast well together, it's nearly funny how quickly they work together again.

"It gives us time to figure out a better option. And if what I felt was right then others of us; weird, or whoever the Sorcerers are in those universes should have felt it too."

If timelines are collapsing as it is, his tiny little space likely wouldn't survive long. But he is in a world without a Stephen Strange, so that's probably workable. Things are already a mess.

"How long did it take you to get so much power?"

[mysticaldoctor]

"Centuries. I-I paused time, to enable me to do so. I don't... belong here exactly." But he wonders if the Watcher won't interfere with this one - just this once.

"There was some temporal energy in my universe, so perhaps that will assist in holding, rather than breaking apart. He also thinks of the bubble which he was supposed to have - and where that might have gone, tumbling into the void of space.

[drpalmer]

"And you used to say I was too young for you when we were surgeons."

At least she expects that was a thing he had said as well. The multiverse is weird like that.

"We will have to go check out all of the forbidden tomes." There's a little smile "as if I haven't looked at them already."

Tell Christine a book is off limits and she won't rest until she can read it.

[mysticaldoctor]

He looks a little surprised and amused. "Knowledge isn't forbidden. Try the Library of Cagliostro. Beyond Study of Time and How to Contact Dormammu and draw power from the Dark Dimension. Also that - extra-dimensional beings can't quite properly exist in... not their own universe, and since I destroyed mine... I expect at some point I just - will cease to exist."

He sounds a bit resigned to this, as though that were the fate he had sentenced himself to - that the Watcher could not, would not, interfere.

[drpalmer]

"I've not ventured to that library yet."

She closes the space between them, her hand resting immediately on his chest.

"Would it be very selfish of me to keep you here? Between the two of us, we can figure something out."

She's not ready to lose Stephen again.

[mysticaldoctor]

The man sighed and closed his eyes. "Yes, and it would be very selfish of me to make it possible for me to stay here." He felt her, she wasn't quite the same, and losing her Stephen had hurt her -but not broken her mind entirely.

That's why she wanted him to stay.
"I'm sure we could figure something that not all of the universe would break around us." And if it did, would it matter?

She was so close. "Christine, I've missed you."

[drpalmer]

She knows he's not the same, but there is enough similarity to still have that same draw to him. They've both suffered.

"Maybe if we fix the multiverse, the universe will see fit to give us a little comfort."

She wants to hug him, she aches for a hug.

"I've missed you too. I know I'm not her, and you're not him, but you don't feel so unfamiliar."

[mysticaldoctor]

He hugs her and the creatures join in. It's mostly still Stephen, but it's a lot of creatures of power thrown in too.

"Maybe." It felt like a very long time ago he asked if they were allowed to be happy, because that was all he wanted. He didn't want to hope, the only hope he had for too long was that he could fix it and have her back - and then possibly do penance by being isolated.

It's been a long time since anyone ... wanted to be this close.
"Christine." He knows he's repeating her name like an idiot, but it seems to be almost all he felt like saying.

[drpalmer]

When he hugs her she releases a sigh she didn't know she was holding in. She feels the creatures as well, she isn't scared of them.

"Stephen." She rests her face under his chin, hugging him tight. They've held off destruction for at least a moment so she's going to enjoy this little bit of contact.

"I haven't had more than a polite hug in so long."

[mysticaldoctor]

"It's been sometime... I have forgotten." Now it's his turn to cry, but at least she is holding him. One of the creatures sobs aloud, but he doesn't try to hold it back.

After all it's a part of him that was driven so far to ... get her back.
"I'm ... sorry," he murmured, knowing the apology wasn't meant for her, exactly. But ... Christine is Christine. She'll probably understand.

[drpalmer]

She strokes her hands down his back, it's instinctive to comfort him, she even mutters sweet things about how she's here.

"I know. I'm sorry too." That he wasn't able to save her, and what it ended up costing. She had traveled down the roads of dark thoughts that he had, she had even done the research, but she couldn't go through with it.

[mysticaldoctor]

He lets her, holding her close, half-smiling at her sweet nothings that he was finally here with her. This is certainly a different afterlife than he imagined, and he still wondered if this was real or only in his dreams.

"Don't... with your Stephen. You - wouldn't be the person you are without him, it's what drove you to study the mystical arts, along with the fact that would help people as you are already driven to."

[drpalmer]

If she wasn't still in the sanctum, she might have thought she had died herself. Just being held again felt like it might be heaven.

"I did the research, but I couldn't. He wouldn't have wanted to risk a whole universe for him." And she can't imagine she would have wanted him to risk everything for her.

She presses a tiny kiss to his hollowed cheek, those sharp cheekbones are even more angular.

[mysticaldoctor]

"I tried, telling myself that - sounds odd when you have a split soul thanks to the Ancient One. That she wouldn't want this, that I didn't really love her, but - I wouldn't listen. And no, he wouldn't."


He looked a bit odd in the different light. He leaned into the kiss. It felt nice that she never said he looked horrible or atrocious - not that he thought she would - he just expected some horror and there wasn't any. Maybe he was doing well keeping it under control.

[drpalmer]

"If she was like me, she loved you, all of your arrogant brilliance."

She knows the other entities are there, she can feel the magic of them and they appear in the corner of her eye at times. But she completely understands exactly what he's done to try to save his love.

"The pointy collar is very dramatic." Whatever that cloak is, it's not one that is in the sanctum.

[mysticaldoctor]

"She might not still. Considering." He looks a little flattered by the compliments. "I don't think she'd approve of stealing capes from bugs." He's not sure if that should be funny or just dark humor that isn't funny to anyone.

[drpalmer]

"Christines have a tendency to be rather forgiving."

Though she is probably the best one for him to have stumbled upon, she knows that loss and understands his quest for power.

"I've not encountered any cape wearing bug entities, probably good, never been a big fan of bugs."

[mysticaldoctor]

"I see that. I'm not a fan of bugs either, probably the only thing good about this particular one was the magic cape."

He seems amused by the fact that she doesn't like bugs. She might not like some of the magic creatures, then. That are part of him. One of his fears had been - that Christine might not accept what he'd done. Maybe it still was.

[drpalmer]

"It does look like a pretty good cape." She nods with a little smile.

A hand finally reaches his face, running her fingertips along the sharp angles, learning the details of this Stephen, memorizing him just in case he disappears before they can find a way to fix it.

If she hadn't suffered a similar loss she would be far more wary and frightened of magic he had consumed, but she knows the pain of loss and the desire to fix it.