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]

Her head leans into the touch, out of instinct. She nods.

"I'm alright, that was just draining."

She steps into the shadows with him, repeating his actions and touching his face in return.

"Are you okay?" She accepts him in a way his Christine would have never been capable of.

[mysticaldoctor]

He rumbled slightly, a growl of -- slight confusion, despite the nodding of his head. "You're not... afraid of me."

Slowly he drew what he had back into himself, even though he appeared... not quite normal.

"That's different." He wanted to stay with her, then - more than - before. "Do you need..." He wasn't sure what he could give her of his power that wasn't ... monstrous in some way, and he felt awkward even making the offer.

The void presence struggled within his prison.

"Some... healing energy, I expect."
He drew it and presented it, rather than - throwing it at her, forcing her to accept it.

[drpalmer]

"No." And she's not, "I have the utmost confidence that you won't hurt me."

After everything he did to try to bring back his Christine, she knows he's likely to be protective of her anyway.

"I'll be okay." But he's drawing his own energy and offering to her, she takes it with a little smile, "Thank you. Should we try to save reality then?"

[mysticaldoctor]

He nodded. "What do you think, seal off this world and the others from his?"

He still had his other self confined after all. "Then you can decide what to do with him. He may be beyond reason."

[drpalmer]

"Yeah. That should work. Can we protect you in the process?" She doesn't want him to just cease to exist.

She casts her own protection spell on him, Christine's runes shimmer with the lightness of her magic.

"Protection spell, you're welcome." There's a sly little smile on her lips. "As long as he can't do any harm, we can leave him be for a while."

[mysticaldoctor]

"That should hold. It's a small bubble universe. He'll hate it but maybe being alone with only his own monstrous thoughts will be good for him."

He smiled a little at the glowing magic around him. It had been sometime that he felt like he'd been kissed by sunshine.

[drpalmer]

"Feels a bit wrong, but the safety of literally everyone else seems a bit more important."

At least for now. Right now they needed to make some stability and to reinforce the cracks.

"Tell me what you need, you've had a bit more time with magic than I have."

[mysticaldoctor]

"Yes, it's - about saving lives, I think you'd say... that's why you - got into this, isn't it?"
He magicked some buildings, though they might resemble a previous world that no longer exists.

"How about that? I'll hold it, until you can reinforce it and then we'll fill in the cracks, send those back that don't... belong."

[drpalmer]

"It is."

She does as asked, letting her magic reinforce what he's done, they seem to work together, their magic intune almost immediately.

"That's looking a but better."

[mysticaldoctor]

"I agree." Strange realized that a lot of what he possessed was destructive energy, but it might be channeled into something stable that would hold under pressure. It would take a lot of power to crack it again. It also took some sorting as to who belonged where, before it was reinforced.

Odd that they hadn't been bothered by any of their other selves, or any other Sorcerers Supreme.

[drpalmer]

She wonders if the wall is being reinforced from the other side, it would make sense. Especially without anyone else popping through the cracks.

"Are you using the entities?" She sees a whisp of a claw being added into the spell.

[mysticaldoctor]

His eyes glowed, odd - different, inter-dimensional colors. "Yes. I think it will stay better that way." Plus, he had thought - quite hard in that glass prison if he ever chanced to ... be rid of what he'd taken, that he'd do it in a certain way - even if he remained - a monster in appearance.

He doesn't need to tell this Christine that, does he?

[drpalmer]

"It probably will." With all the energy of those creatures, and Christine adding stability it's likely the patching will be very stable.

She can imagine it will feel a bit better for him with fewer entities fighting for space within him.

[mysticaldoctor]

There are fewer - definitely - he felt lighter and less exhausted as he'd grown accustomed to.
"I think for now that will suffice. Also if there are any stragglers they can hopefully be portaled back but - I did scry for those not quite belonging in their distinct worlds."

[drpalmer]

She nods, the cracks are well sealed and not moving.

"Now how do I protect you?" Because with the universe safe, her biggest concern is keeping him intact and alive.

[mysticaldoctor]

"I don't know if my universe exists anymore, it was already quite small."
He also doesn't know how he managed to stay alive, if he deserved to be... not allowed to die after his actions. If the creatures still made him immortal, or if - something else did.

He also knows that's bad humor, but - it can't be helped. "If I die, or vanish into the vacuum of space, or - whatever else it is. I - I can accept it, and I think even if you want to protect me, maybe you should too."

[drpalmer]

She closes the space between them to caress his face, she is not prepared to lose him again.

"I don't want to. I've lost you once, I really don't want to do it again." She's practically blanketing him with her magic without even noticing, trying to wrap him up in some sort of shield made of her love and loss.

[mysticaldoctor]

He felt it again, it was like being in the dark and cold and finally feeling the warmth of the sunshine.

Allegory of the Cave? It's been a long time that he doesn't remember.
"Christine." He murmured her name, let her blanket him in that shield. The loss parts he understood too well. He thought that her Stephen must have known she loved him.

[drpalmer]

They are bonded by their respective losses, that innate understanding of how lonely those times had been.

"I want to be very selfish and keep you, whatever the cost." She desperately hopes the cost is reasonable. Maybe the universe would see fit to cut them a break after saving it.

[mysticaldoctor]

He nodded and folded her into his arms. "I will stay as long as - the universe will allow me to. It might help that - I defer to your position as Sorcerer Supreme. I'd also ... let you keep me."

His Christine definitely deserved better.

[drpalmer]

They could be happy together, she thinks. These two broken Sorcerers, trying to mend together.

"You look a bit less worn out, I imagine losing some entities would make you feel a bit lighter."

Her fingers brush some of his hair back into place.

"It's so odd, to feel like I know you so intimately despite having only just met."

[mysticaldoctor]

He leaned into the touch, it had been some time since he was touched - even when he fought in the multiverse he wasn't - touched. It was a battle and he was congratulated on his work, not - this soft intimacy that he had missed for centuries.

"Yes," he did not want to remind her that he loved Christine very much.

[drpalmer]

She knows he loves his Christine, she doesn't aim to be a replacement.

He isn't her Stephen, though she thinks he would have appreciated the ego boost of her only wanting a Stephen Strange.

"I've missed this, just being able to touch someone. Wong never likes it when I hug him."

[mysticaldoctor]

He chuckled at that the image of Christine hugging Wong.
"Does he tell you something about not being physically affectionate?"

He suddenly missed his - version of Wong too, as odd as that was.

[drpalmer]

"Yeah." She chuckles, "I've gotten less huggy and he's gotten more tolerant."

She stands taller to kiss his cheek.

"Should we have a celebratory drink?"