OPEN

[suckstobestrange]

who: Stephen Strange and you!
what: Home repairs
when: June 13
where: The Sanctum Sanctorum! Or… what’s left of it anyways!
warnings: Stephen being an idiot.


The Library
[He was… glad to see the Sanctum, to be sure. Even if it was damaged. But he still held his breath almost instinctively as he went inside, to take stock of the damage that wasn’t visible on the outside. He knew the Empirikul gotten in, but it was a question of what they’d managed to do. Which was a hell of a lot from the looks of things. Debris had been cleared out sure, but even still the evidence of destruction was everywhere. Streaks of black from the energy of their weapons, cracked drywall and doors missing altogether where they had to brute force their way past enchanted locks. Dark wide swaths of char and ash in the living room where they’d literally burned the forest to nothing.

Anyone that came in and went beyond the barren front room would find him still there, frowning out the window, one arm braced against the wall. Behind him, Wong paced with small huffs and grumbles, as if the pup was uncertain what to do with his person in such a mood.]

Repairs
[Stephen Strange was not a carpenter. And he never counted building as one of his hobbies. But the state of the Sanctum had him pissed off enough that he didn’t want to just leave it like that. Even if all he could do was just work on sealing the place up again before he took proper stock of the damage, it was something.

Anyone coming by would find the sorcerer up on the roof, nailing down a tarp over the hole that once had been a window. Or trying to anyways. If anyone followed him up the ladder they’d hear the way he was cursing under his breath the entire time he was fighting against too-shaky hands to actually hit the damn nails.

Fuck but this was a pain in the ass.]

Wildcard
[Let me know if there’s another prompt you’d like and I’ll make it happen!]

Comments

[ repairs ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Well. This was new. There's something in the walls, the whiff of nostalgia. Magic recognizes magic, but it has gone awry somewhere. Loki brushes the dust against the walls curiously, letting it settle on his fingertips before glancing at the man labouring away. Badly. ]

Have you ever done this before?

[suckstobestrange]

[Magic indeed, but there was an unsettling absence as well. Like a deep reservoir emptied, with only the barest traces of what was once there remaining. Sure, the location would help, the building sat like it did back home, over a crossing, and as such magic would slowly seep back in. But it would certainly take time before things were as they should be.

To say nothing of the scorches along walls that looked like they were from blasts of some sort that seemed to resist magical energy entirely.

The question just earned a frown, and for the moment the hammer was set aside so Stephen could work trembling fingers, flexing them carefully to stave off some of the stiffness and pain he knew were not far away.]

It's not my normal dayjob.

[dothelokimotion]

That's a no then.

[ Loki isn't going to offer help, not for something menial like this. He prefers to watch and judge. Leaning back, he takes in the strange site. ]

What happened here? This is no mere feat of power.

[suckstobestrange]

[Not like he'd have accepted the help anyways, stubborn bastard that he was. Especially from someone he doesn't know, that's just common sense as far as he's concerned.]

Group back home has a really effective way to kill magic. Took offense to my house.

[An understatement to be sure, but he's pretty sure that's glaringly obvious.]

And y'know, magic-users in general.

[dothelokimotion]

[ His shoulders stiffen at the idea of "killing magic". It can't be helped. While Loki has other skills at his disposal, magic was . . . unique to him. The last gift of a mother that was never his. ]

What group?

[suckstobestrange]

[Don't think he doesn't see that shift at the news. But he won't comment on it, doesn't need to he thinks, not with that question to illustrate the other's opinion of what he was saying well enough.]

The Empirikul, other-dimensional science cult. Think 'space inquisition' and you've about got it. Found at least fourteen other dimensions they'd completely obliterated the magic of and it's never pretty. Destroy the Sorcerer Supreme, burn the magic users at the stake, kill everything that has any drop of magic in it's makeup. Sear it right out of the world.

[dothelokimotion]

For what reason?

[ Loki assumes it's an inane one. ]

[suckstobestrange]

Because the leader came from a place ruled by a magic cult and they were the sucky sort. So clearly the answer was to be the exact same sort of insane but swap magic for technology.

[People In Groups Suck: Third Edition, in other words]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Well. He asked. Loki needs more information though. Just in case. ]

Even so, where did they get that technology to accomplish this? Surely, it did not fall out of the sky into their laps.

[suckstobestrange]

Unfortunately I haven't had time to sit the Inquisitor down for tea to ask just where he got his tech. Too busy avoiding being murdered and all.

Also fun warning if they do show up here: Non-magic sort can't see them.

[dothelokimotion]

[ His voice is dry. ]

How inexplicably convenient.

[suckstobestrange]

It sure makes phoning up the Avengers for a hand unhelpful.

[As if he'd had the time to stop and try and explain it all to them anyways. When things went to Hell they just went straight on down, no stopping to fuck around involved.]

[dothelokimotion]

I doubt their help in magical matters has ever been . . . useful.

[ But that's just his natural inclination when it came to the Avengers. ]

[suckstobestrange]

Yeah given I'm usually their help when it crops up, you see the problem.

[Loki he can practically taste the salt in that comment there, you okay?]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki is here for it. ]

Well, there is a reason they are called the Avengers. They're best for the aftermath, not much for the solution.

[suckstobestrange]

[Stephen just huffs an annoyed sort of sound, grimacing.]

You can see why it's definitely an issue then. Given y'know, magic dying doesn't spell good things for everything else in the long run.

[dothelokimotion]

Magic is woven into the fabric of nature, time and space.

[ It means nothing good. Even Loki can grasp that. ]

It is easy for me to see.

[suckstobestrange]

Exactly.

[Pretty much anyone with common sense can see it.]

Problem is the warning signs are pretty... standard for magical threats insofar as before they've reached you. Magical communities and creatures where they shouldn't be, getting agitated and fleeing. Like wildlife before a natural disaster.

[dothelokimotion]

[ He purses his lips. ]

I have seen none of that here. And yet, this building has arrived like a gaping wound.

[suckstobestrange]

[Just the confirmation that so far things seemed to be as business as usual as this place tended towards seemed to ease him somewhat.]

Apparently that happens here sometimes. Places and things follow people in. It's already starting to recover a bit... long enough in this spot and it'll be back to it's old self.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Places following . . . that is enough to unnerve Loki. There are some things Loki does look forward to seeing again. He will have to keep his eyes to the ground for any sign of the Bifrost. ]

So this is not bait for the Empirikul to follow?

[suckstobestrange]

If it were bait, it would show up like it was before they finished burning it out. In it's current state, even a child's spell would eclipse what magic there is to say nothing of the magic otherwise here.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Even so, Loki will keep away from this place. He's not going to draw the attention of some magic-hating group. He has enough enemies to deal with. ]

How long will it take for this place to regain its glory?

[suckstobestrange]

Depends how long it takes to soak up the energy around it. Could be weeks, could be months. Or longer, if it decides it doesn't like this place's brand of magical energy.

[If they show up, Loki will be a target just by virtue of being himself, sorry to say.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Fabulous. He sighs. Valuable information, at least. ]

The way this portal functions is erratic. Far too erratic.