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OPEN

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!]

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[Ivar wheeled up to the front entrance, taking the place in with a few glances. It looked like this place had been the sight of a major fight. Was it even safe to be in here? He wasn't entirely sure that this place wasn't going to come crashing down around his ears. Wong turns to at this new person with a plaintive, soulful look.]

Hey there, puppy.

[He leans down so that he can pet him, causing the dog's tail to wag back and forth furiously. Reaching inside his vest, he takes out his Pokeball, letting his fire horse out so that he can play with a friend. Skinfaxi leans down, nostrils snuffling as they take in Wong.

Ivar wheels over to Strange. For once, his appearance and his surroundings match.]

So what happened here? A great battle?

[Wong, for one is glad to see another person. Clearly something was bothering his human, and all of his best puppy tactics had so far failed in distracting him, so another person would help, right?

The Lillipup barked in response to the greeting, butting his head into the hand petting him while his tail all but windmilled around him. And when Skinfaxi was brought out, the puppy darted right over to greet him, running circles around the fire horse's front hooves before coming back around to sniff and be snuffled in turn.

Stephen glanced back at Ivar and the pair of Pokemon, letting out a quiet huff at the question.]

Battle or disaster, take your pick.

[Skinfaxi has decided that Wong is a new friend. After months of living with Ivar, he's learned to not be quite so nervous, and not to light everything on fire when he does get so. He whinnies in delight, running a few feet on long legs that are still coltish, and then looking back to see if the Lillipup is following.]

Sounds like the story of your life.

[Come on and laugh, Stephen, that was funny.]

Where did this place come from?

[He could have sworn there was no decrepit building there a few days ago.]

[Wong is clearly a lot smaller. And his legs are not nearly so long as the pony has. But he's certainly excited, scampering after Skinfaxi as fast as his short little legs would carry him.]

Yeah? [He's not much in a mood to laugh, but that does get a wry smirk and a chuckle either way.] Well you're not wrong there.

Apparently it just showed up. Never knew the Sanctum to up and travel, but then it's always been a weird place.

[A slight understatement never hurt anyone right?]

[Skinfaxi waits for Wong to catch up, then takes off again, playing a game of tag with the pup. At least the two of them seem to be having a wonderful time.

Ivar takes in the idea of magic traveling buildings with a matter-of-fact air. Considering he's dealing with a wizard, Ivar would have been more surprised if it wasn't doing something like that.]

Maybe it missed you. So this is like...your home?

[Wong? Is more than happy to play tag while Stephen's talking, barking and gamely giving chase even if Skinfaxi could easily outstrip him.]

You never know, it could be. But yes, this is my home. I've lived here... oh for fourty or fifty years now? [Not counting the weird time shenanigans at least. He had no clue if he included those.]

[Doom was in the neighborhood and, for reasons only he would know, decided to go and investigate. Maybe it was familiarity, perhaps he sensed something. Who knows? It didn't really matter because here he was, ignoring the ladder to teleport onto the roof, sitting by the edge and seeing that the person hammering away was none other than Stephen Strange had him pause momentarily before acting as if everything was normal.]

Would you like some help with that, Stephen? It appears you're having some difficulty.

[Skinfaxi finally lets Wong catch up him, happily headbutting his long legs while his tail wags as he pants. The Ponyta leans his neck down and nuzzles the top of the Lillipup's head. Friends are good for both animals and people. Keeps them all from going crazy.]

I'll skip the obvious question of how old you really are. [Those of the mystical persuasion tended to live a very long time. The Seer of Kattegat claimed to be hundreds of years old, though Ivar had never been sure if he really was or if it was just part of the mystique.] Are you going to clean up at all or leaving it looking like a homeless camp?

[Oh don't mind him Victor, he's busy grumbling insults about the person who'd put the hole in his roof to begin with. (That he'd done it himself was a minor technicality really.)

But he did pause what he was doing to peer over at Doom with a faint frown, just giving a shake of his head.]

I've got it. [Maybe a little more brusque than necessary, but he was still unpacking his issues over the Empirikul, so it wasn't something that was surprising to him at least. Count it as some stubborn stupid sort of penance if one will; he'd certainly rewritten enough spells and learned enough local ones to have other options for doing this, yet here he was, hammer in hand.

But he did hesitate in continuing on for a moment at least.]

Thanks though. [They had to all live in this place, and it was a lot smaller than home. Better to at least try and avoid being a colossal asshole some of the time. That was the intent at least, it just depended how long he could keep it up.

That it was Doom he was thanking was still... well, it was weird. All of this was weird.

Weirder than usual, anyways.]

[Yeah? Wong would like to have someone tell that to his dumb person, he's far too stubborn for his own good.]

Let's leave it at 'old enough' for now we can worry about the math another time.

[He grimaced a bit at the question, glancing around the room at the damage. He hadn't gotten the chance before he'd arrived to see just what the Empirikul had done to the place, and this? It was worse than he'd thought.]

I've got to take stock of what they even did to the place first. Back home was in the middle of the disaster that did this to the Sanctum, I hadn't had a chance to even see what they'd done to it.

I'm living on a floor of old men. [He has to tease them about their ages, it's a contractual obligation being a sixteen year old. Skinfaxi wanders over to where they're talking, looking at them expectantly. Treats, anyone?]

I can't imagine what that would feel like. If I went back and Kattegat was destroyed-- [He stops before he can finish that thought. He already has enough worries on his mind without thinking up Ragnarok-like scenarios. Much as he hated Lagertha, he knew the only way she'd let Kattegat be taken over or burned to the ground was if she and every warrior under her command was dead.]

[Surprisingly, he's not at all bothered by how Strange is responding to him. After all, Doom has not only dealt with him often during the eight years Battleworld existed, but he has also been dealing with Tony more recently, so he can deal with this.]

You don't have to do this alone. Even I have been known to rely on the assistance of others from time to time, as you're well aware.

[Not that Doom looks like he's ready to help with the carpentry, what with the nice suit he's wearing and all, but it's the principle of the matter.]

[ A taxi, his new and preferred method of transport now that his magic has been so heavily diluted by the chalice-bound portal, rolls up outside the Sanctum and a little boy of twelve or thirteen hops out with a grateful wave to the driver ('Thank you for helping me get home, good sir!'). Free ride over, Loki begins nosing his way inside the building to get a better look around. He ends up in the yard out back and there, peering up at the roof, is where he spots the Handyman Supreme. ]

Stephen!

[ 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?

[He lets out a low huff of amusement at the comment, giving Ivar a wry grin for his troubles. And sorry Skinfaxi, he's tapped out. Have a muzzle petting instead?]

A whole lot of uncomfortable feelings go along with it. [Guilty. Upset. Tired.] But for the moment there's a whole lot of anger that's winning out.

[Mostly at himself but that's not something he's going to say.]

[Life advice from Doom, was that really how his life was going?]

Trust me I'm well aware people are willing to help. [Just like home. Everyone willing to help, everyone trusting that he knew what the hell he was doing.

And everything went to shit anyways, everyone that trusted him was fucked. Not the same as getting assistance here on something as mundane as home repairs, but he was still... wary to let anyone give him a hand anymore.]

They always are. [Did someone sound a little bitter? Don't mind that.]

[Loki would certainly hear the barking from inside the building before Wong came scampering out, collar jingling to run excited circles around him. Did the pup notice Loki looked different? Sure.

Did he care? Not really, Loki being shorter meant easier access to pats which was a win in the pup's book.

It only took a moment for Stephen to spot Loki and the Lillipup, brows furrowing slightly at the sight of him. It was obviously Loki, that was no question even if he looked... smaller.]

I was wondering when I'd see you come around. [Let's be real, Loki coming to investigate ~~snoop~~ was no surprise.]

[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.

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.

[ Indeed it would! Unless an overly perky, far too helpful person happened to come by that is. Which is exactly what Marinette does - while heading home after class, she had decided to take a different route to take. Which brought her by the ... ...sanctum. Or what was left of it.

At first she thought it was an abandoned building, but when she heard swearing - muffled swearing no less - she decided to investigate. ]

Hello? [ Hrm... should she go up the ladder? It might be intrusive, but maybe someone was in trouble? Up the ladder she goes! ]

Sorry to intrude - are you all right up here?

[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.

[Ew no. No overly perky far too helpful sorts allowed. They always insisted on sticking around and doing horrible things like helping him.

By the time Marinette came along, he'd managed to get about a third of the tarp nailed down before he was forced to stop, hammer set down so he could flex his hands, trying to work some of the pain out of badly scarred fingers while he took a breather. Which meant he wasn't expecting the interruption, bristling a bit as he heard the question,mouth set into a deeper frown as he looked her way.

What was he nowadays a magnet for helpers? No thank you.]

I'm fine. [Lies but like fuck he was going to admit that.]

[ She is not dissuaded by his crankypants attitude! In fact, she's going to -gasp- climb up the rest of the way (which is good because she might /fall/ if she stayed on the ladder like that). ]

Are you sure? It looks like you've got a lot to do, and I don't see anyone else here helping you out. If you like, I can give you a hand - your hands could probably use a rest.

[ GOSH Strange, you're so strange not wanting help. ]

[ 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?

[Uuuuuuuuugh no, she's not supposed to come up, frown+'I'm fine' means they go away don't you know anything you rotten kid?]

I don't need help. [Yes he does.] And my hands are fine.

[Whoops Marinette accidentally poked the pride button, this is Strange grabbing the hammer to get back to it like he was going to prove a point.

Pretend he's cussing because he's annoyed when he swings on the next nail and not because all this hammering is not doing his hands any favors.]

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OPEN

The Library

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Repairs

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repairs

[ repairs ]

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Repairs!

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