Chapter 2: I Think My Bed Has Teeth (In which more than one relationship is split.)
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with Marvel Comics/Studios, specifically Doctor Strange. I do not and will not profit from this fan work. It is simply done because I love the movie and needed to get this idea I had onto paper. Thank you.
Streaming through the window, rays of moonlight interrupted the darkness. Not enough, however, for them to be seen.
Two silhouettes, intertwined in a mix of ruffled clothing and bedsheets, held each other close.
One reached up to caress the other's face. Her fingers flit underneath the headscarf and touched the few locks of hair that escaped it. The recipient smiled, elated at the attention. She leaned forward, pushing the woman beneath her to the bed.
Jan's heart beat ever faster as Julia craned her neck up to kiss her. She moved with much more experience, Jan thought. She wondered how many others Julia had been with before now. Had they all been like her? Younger, inexperienced... needy?
This wasn't Jan's first kiss—not even with Julia—but each one felt better than the first. Each one made her happy.
Her happiness, of course, did not last forever.
Julia pulled away, breaking the moment by saying, "I'm going with Kaecilius."
Jan copied her motion, sitting up from in between her legs.
"You're what?" Even in her shock, she kept her voice quiet. Curfew had passed an hour ago.
"Tomorrow, after lunch: I'm going with Kaecilius—we're all going, Jan."
Jan leaned back on her haunches and touched her lips for the kiss that had once been. Just a few seconds ago; now so much further in the past.
"All?" she croaked. All. Who could that mean? All didn't mean everyone in Kamar-Taj, but perhaps all of their class? Recalling a few training scuffles, Jan found that she could think of a few.
"Marcus, Deirdre, Sabine..." Julia listed more names, and with each one Jan's heart sank. Marcus created fear in battle—sometimes literally, with the power he wielded. His tendency to hold loyalty to the point of personal destruction could be used against him. Sabine came from a bitter family: one who had disregarded her for her sisters at every turn. Her inclusion didn't surprise Jan.
"...And Duncan," Julia finished. Jan blinked. Duncan? But he's so weak... Was that why he'd turned away? Jan remembered how frustrated he'd been becoming. He barely kept up with the rest of the class.
And Julia? The one who had kissed her first? Jan looked out the window. A nighttime breeze rustled leaves across the ground. Why would she go with him?
"So many..." she murmured.
"Yes, it's wonderful!"
"Is it wonderful?" Jan winced as the hopeful look departed Julia's face. "I mean... he has such radical ideas."
"Radical ideas?" Julia scoffed, pulling her legs away from Jan. "'Radical ideas.' You sound just like her."
"You mean Tao—the Ancient One?" Jan corrected herself. "What's wrong with sounding like her?" She loved her.
"I know..." Julia shook her head. "I know this must be difficult to hear. -And you have every reason to be on her side... But maybe not everything she taught you is the truth?"
Jan leaned away from Julia. Her knees were starting to tingle from staying still for so long.
"Not the truth? She has no reason to lie!"
"But what if she does, Jan?" Julia implored. "I know she raised you-"
"-She's not the only one," Jan cut in. "Wong, Mordo: they're who I know—and you're going to betray them?"
"That's what I'm talking about, Jan!" whispered Julia. She leaned closer, but Jan stayed back. "This place, and the sanctums: they're all you know! Doesn't that seem a little odd to you?"
It wasn't, was it? "No, it doesn't!" Jan searched for an answer. "I know many places! I've been to three continents! That's more than the average person can boast." And she didn't like to boast.
"Which cities, Jan?" Julia said cooly. "Which cities in the three continents. Surprise me with an answer I'm not thinking of and I'll be impressed."
Jan looked away.
Julia took the opportunity. "Don't you realize? This is what she's been doing all along: hiding things from us—especially you."
"What proof do you have of this?" Jan asked. She'd sat in on one of Kaecilius' lectures on inter-dimensional communication. The strength with which he'd spoken was admirable, but also a little frightening. "-And not what you heard from Kaecilius." She'd heard more than enough of what 'he said' for one evening.
"All of us." Julia said. She reached for Jan's hand but stopped when she pulled away. "The ones you've known for years: we believe him. He told us the truth."
Jan had known far too many of the names Julia said; each one of them for long enough to be considered true friends. But she had known Wong and Mordo and Tao since before she could remember—which was far longer.
"I asked for proof—facts: not belief, Julia." Her name tasted sour in Jan's mouth now; so unlike her lips had just minutes ago.
The bed creaked as Jan got up. She put on her shoes in silence, readjusting her headscarf in the small mirror.
Her back was turned when Julia said, "Tomorrow, after lunch, in the main courtyard. There's a place for you among us, Jan. I asked Kaecilius, and he approves—greatly."
He approves, does he? Even the wording of it sounded false.
"And I... I hope to see you there, with me."
This had happened so fast. Their night together had just spun on its head—by one sentence.
She's going with Kaecilius.
Jan looked back at Julia, her face illuminated by moonlight. "Goodnight," she croaked. A 'see you tomorrow,' wouldn't have been inaccurate, but Jan feared she would've gotten the wrong message.
Jan stepped out the door before she could be caught in Julia's customary, patronizing frown.
The lessons next morning passed by with frightening quickness. Ancient Runes had never seemed so pointless, and Mystical Theory so dreadful. Each demonstration or transcription flew by Jan too fast for her to even copy it down. Worse still, Julia sat behind her the whole time, eyes cutting holes in the back of her scalp.
She had slept one, maybe two hours through the remainder of the night. After the third rude awakening by some thought or another, she had stared at her clock until it read 6:29, then slammed her hand atop the alarm's off button.
She knew Master Kaito noticed her inattentive status during Mystical Theory, and internally thanked him when he did not call on her.
When they were dismissed for lunch every young acolyte but Jan jumped up, grabbing their totes and notebooks. Some showed friends the motions Master Kaito had demonstrated, with a few even producing some green sparks. These were more advanced spells—ones they couldn't properly learn until drilled over and over in the hot sun.
Lunchtime arrived (much to Jan's dismay), and to make it worse, Julia pulled her from the soup station to sit with her friends. Today Jan would've preferred to sit with Wong and Mordo and the other Masters, even if she'd outgrown her stay at their table.
Her fellow students laughed and joked with eachother during the lunch hour. More than one wonton was thrown, much to the cooks' displeasure.
Jan smiled along with Julia and Marcus. She joined in on their prevalent discussion on whether or not Theory had a use in their learning, and systematically found herself in the grey area. (Useful to a point, but she wished they spent more time practicing than watching.)
When two of the guys began to chug the dregs of their soup, Jan's attention was drawn to the Masters' table. Partly because she wanted to be away from where she was, but mostly because he was sitting there.
Talking thoughtfully with Master Wei; occasionally making a point that would sour his face. Eyes that slithered back and forth, never truly allowing anyone know what was on his mind. Orange robes that contrasted with his grey hair and hard, lined face.
Kaecilius.
She remembered the first time she'd seen him. He was broken then; completely different to who he was now. That had been a hot day.
A hand, entirely unexpected after their exchange last night, pinched Jan's waist. She jumped, dropping her chopsticks with a shriek. At her outburst, many of the acolytes laughed. Julia was one of them, her shoulders shaking as she pulled Jan closer. Wrinkles creased Jan's brown forehead as she grimaced, accepting their antics.
As the minutes passed by, more and more benches scraped back, the go-getters setting out to begin the afternoon. A few from Julia's table went outside, their faces now set in grim masks—so different from the happy young adults they had just been.
There was an air of anticipation as the residents of Kamar-Taj left the dining hall: some to their rooms; some to classes; some to the Library. Many, however, went outside to the main courtyard where a lesson was about to begin. Jan stayed with that crowd, depositing her bowl on a bussing tray near the exit.
Julia brushed up against her as the crowd grew more condensed. She clasped Jan's hand, offering her a brief smile. Jan did her best to return it, though her heart was filled with lead.
Those who were actually here for a lesson lined up in neat, single-file rows. With the added presence of the Julia's friends, the courtyard quickly became crowded.
Julia moved ahead. Jan stayed at the fringes, leaning against one of the pillars.
Mordo had obviously noticed the newcomers. Though his emotions were kept in check through years of training, Jan knew when he was ticked off. Right now, for example, when Kaecilius walked up to him at the head of the class.
Their confrontation was short, terse, and fit to burst with mystic energy. If Mordo hadn't stepped back, sarcastically gracious, Jan thought a duel would have erupted.
Mordo's lips moved, saying something for only Kaecilius to hear. Whatever it had been, he wasn't fazed. Presenting to a crowd half-filled with those loyal to him, he was in his element.
"Friends, fellow Masters!" Kaecilius addressed them all. Jan frowned. Friends? She didn't associate that word with him. Yes, he was cordial to all he fraternized with, but friends?
"I come to you today as an equal, honest and benevolent. I come to tell you of my findings as a scholar and Master." He lowered his voice. "I am here today to offer you the future: a place with me."
Mixed reactions covered the faces of everyone present. Wary glances at friends, small nods at his intense proclamations, wistful gazes that made Jan nervous. He was commanding the crowd, and he did it expertly.
"In this place we are but mice, trained to fight and die in an unforgiving world. My brothers and sisters, I offer to you the chance to become more, to break out of these molds," he swept a hand over the crowd, "to know what it is to truly live beyond."
A couple of whispers travelled through the audience, none of them loud enough for Jan to catch.
"You have been deceived these many years, but it was by no fault of your own. You only believed who you knew to be right—who you thought to tell the truth!"
Many students looked around in worry. One, a man from Mexico, made eye contact with Jan. She frowned, looking past him to Kaecilius.
"Some of you have already learned of these falsities... and by whom they are swiftly delivered!"
He pointed right at Jan. "Her."
Jan's brow furrowed, then relaxed slightly when she saw who was standing next to her.
The Ancient One's face betrayed none of her emotions, though Jan could've sworn she saw her upper lip twitch.
"You will lie to us for no longer!" He addressed her without title. Too informal, even for one of the Ancient One's former pupils and long-standing compatriots. "Me and my equals seek the truth—and we will find it: what you have so desperately tried to hide."
Equals? Jan looked for Julia and found her blond hair in the centre of the crowd. Marked by their signature red uniforms (one Jan also wore) the young acolytes covered enough of the courtyard to make her feel uncomfortable. How many of them were on his side? How many did he consider his "equals?"
"You will no longer lie to us," Kaecilius repeated. His tone was slow and measured, enough that it didn't sound fanatical—even if what he was suggesting followed that exact path. "Me and my equals will keep the truth, unlike you!"
Jan looked to the Ancient One, as did many others. Her eyes squinted, looking at Kaecilius as if to say "who?"
Kaecilius raised his hands, and there was a stirring within the audience. His "equals," which included many of Jan's classmates, pushed forward. Friends and Masters alike grumbled and exclaimed in shock as they watched their peers and students stand next to the dissenter.
"Attempt to stop us and we will not hold back!"
Those who hadn't moved looked to the Ancient One for an answer. Would they fight? Or would they simply let them walk away—nearly a third of the trainees and one powerful Master.
The Ancient One finally spoke, and, surprisingly enough, her tone lacked contempt.
"Go, if you choose to. But know this: once you leave with Master Kaecilius, you will no longer be welcome in Kamar-Taj."
Jan saw that in her eyes, Kaecilius was a long lost cause. Her words were for his zealots alone. None of them paid any heed.
Two portals appeared on either side of the crowd, live and sparking. In two lines, the zealots ran through them, not looking back. Jan watched Julia's blond hair flit through, then looked down, remembering their last good moments together the previous night.
Kaecilius was the last to go, but not before he gave those who stayed one final, withering look. The portals closed when he left, leaving a few sparks and a crowd of stunned people. They muttered amongst themselves, asking if they'd known—if they'd known this was going to happen, and what was to happen next.
Jan had known. But she hadn't told anyone. If she'd spoken up, could she have stopped this?
After some time of hushed conversation the crowd (still of a considerable size) turned to their leader.
The Ancient One opened her eyes, letting her hands relax at her sides—though she was anything but relaxed. "Masters, I must speak with you."
Jan tried to get her attention before the crowd pushed them apart, but the Ancient One had already turned around. She reached out, but was thrown back to the pillar as a dozen people surged inside.
Some returned to their rooms to think over what had happened. Many meditated on it—without gaining a new understanding. A few stayed outside on the courtyard opposite to where the display had taken place, but found that their attention was elsewhere. Everyone was thinking about what had happened—what Kaecilius had said.
Wong found Jan in the garden. Basket balanced between an arm and a hip, she tossed birdseed to the warblers that frequented the plaza. She stood between them and the plants, both barrier and care-giver.
Though she was facing the apple tree, the stillness in her back told him she knew he was there.
Wong stopped at the base of the steps, causing a couple of the birds to fly away. She had been a small child, and that height hadn't grown as her age increased. Now she just stood to his shoulder. Her red acolytes' uniform, handed down from past trainees, fit her body to every seam. The blue headscarf stood out against it, a trademark that identified her amongst all the rest. Her brown skin, a pigment different from him or Mordo, had lent her an early belief that they were never truly related. It had never mattered to her.
"They're not going to come back," he said.
Has the time already passed for that? It had been a few hours, and she was already feeling the absence. Without the rowdiness of Julia's group, Kamar-Taj seemed empty.
But Kaecilius had said too much. He'd disrespected the Ancient One. There was no coming back from that.
"To be honest, I am surprised you didn't go with them."
Jan clenched the basket handle. "I... You really think I'd leave you for her?"
"I said them."
Grimacing, Jan looked up at the sky. "I suppose I can't ever have any sort of personal life, then?"
"You were not very discrete," Wong said.
Jan turned around, anger flaring up across her face. "Oh, was it because I was happy? Is that so strange?"
Wong frowned.
"You don't approve." Jan shook her head, believing she knew full well. "And I don't even need to ask what Mordo thinks."
"Who you choose to be with is your decision alone: don't dwell on what others think," said Wong. "But, to contradict that: maybe, next time, someone not so... susceptible?"
Julia was strong. Jan recalled the times when she'd knocked the other trainees to the ground—even the taller, bulkier men. Only Jan had competed with her equally in the sparring circle.
Wong continued, "And though I am not aware of what the Ancient One knows, you can be sure that Mordo won't hear it from me."
Jan let out a breath through her nostrils. "Thank you, Wong."
"If you feel like eating something, there's a bowl set aside for you in the kitchen."
Jan nodded, appreciative. Wong went back inside. Jan looked just in time to see him turn out of sight. She resumed feeding the birds, thinking back to when she had not done it alone.
A/N: Greetings to the reader!
I guess this is just a story I'm doing for the Doctor Strange. (Obviously, since it's in the Doctor Strange archive.) It involves an OC, and no romantic relationships (at least with main characters), so if you're here for that, sorry? (Not really, though, I like my idea as is :) It'll take place primarily from the point of view of my OC, showing the story from new eyes, etc, etc... From what I can tell right now, it'll probably be around ten chapters long (Maybe with an epilogue, who knows?), taking place during the events of the movie, but involving very few scenes from the actual film. (At least, at the beginning.)
Thank you to blackcat711 for following, CupcakeLoopy for reviewing and favouriting, TheFrenchRevolution for favouriting and following, and kanna-yamamoto for favouriting!