"This is unbelievable!" Sofia shouted, drifting a floating through the air. Gently landing onto the bustling pavement.
The Astral Plane, in short is an alternate dimension able to be reached by projecting ones consciousnesses out of their body. The Astral Plane bordered many other dimensions and other planes of itself, such as the Dreamscape and the Mindscape. It was also home to other nonphysical beings, creatures from other dimension, lost souls, even those who are said to have died and not quite passed on as yet.
In anycase , she figured attempting to retrace her steps following the attack, and using a tracking spell may help her find Vesper. However after floating about perfectly lost and mildly nauseous (likely from overexertion). Sofia had decided to sit on a park bench and play with daises until her strength returned to find Vesper.
She liked watching people. Not in a stalker type manner, just watching them. There were a lot of families in Central Park, families of all kinds, in all shapes and sizes. Fathers and mothers with children, elderly women with slightly less wrinkly women likely their own daughters, grandfathers and daughters, sons and mothers. In large groups of over twenty to a family of two cuddling into each other watching the clouds with their picnic baskets.
She watched young girls with scarves over their heads, giggle with ice-creams in their hands, a family of four play an intense game of soccer with a large dog bounding up and down. She watched a group of children boat-racing and another playing with kites. She watched an woman and their daughter help a man with a long metal leg, sit down in the grass, smiling and laughing while the daughter had jumped onto his lap playful taking out of a game to play with. She watched the people of the park for a long time, wondering what earth that was like? What was normal? She supposed she used to be normal…then again she'd always had her powers and other…quirks.
But what was it like for them? The people, the strangers that Doctor Strange, Wanda, Wong and Zelma protected. What was it like? Life, family, day after day, night after night, singing the same old songs, having the same old arguments. Was it worth it? Following a pattern they seemed destined to continue?
She always thought no. She expected everybody to chase the extraordinary. Chase the danger, break the pattern. But when she saw their faces…the happiness. The peace…maybe that was the price.
To have peace, there must be content with monotony. Maybe happiness and normalcy came in hand in hand?
"Having fun?"
You know the feeling when you did something AMAZING. Just amazing, like win in a trolley racing contest. Or beat your friend at a game and they have to do something awful like lick a battery. Or you draw on the walls and it's amazing and beautiful; the best drawing in the universe. When you feel amazing like your flying and them someone comes in and slams you so hard back to the ground, your teeth fall out.
The instant dread that fills every inch of your soul, when you're caught doing something slightly not right, but felt great at that moment. That feeling?
She felt that, when she turned around to see Doctor Strange in this astral form, looking at her like she burned down his library. She hadn't seen any look of his face that wasn't his normal face before, but she decided she didn't like furious. And he looked furious.
Underlined, ALL CAPS, in bold, italics, kind of angry. Like: ANGERY
"Hi." she said, digging in her pocket, offering him the small daisy. "This is for you?" she tried. He let out a breath. She tried smiling, giving the daisy a little wave. "Isn't it pretty?" she said, awkwardly putting it into his folded arms. "I think it matches the cloak…hmm?"
He let out another breath. She considered running back to the Sanctum and trying to convince him, he had a fever dream.
Before she could weight this option, he grabbed her the back of her pyjamas, holding onto the fabric lightly in his hand, floating her and himself back to the Sanctum. "I can just do this myself!" Sofia shouted, wiggling around irritably, over the noise of the parks and the traffic.
Still nothing. She didn't have much experience, but this seemed too quiet for an adult, who looked angry. Passing through traffic, the sidewalk, people; that made her squirm, they went though the Sanctum by the front doors.
Passing Zelma and Wong, the former stopping dead saying: "Stephe-Sofia?"
He didn't even stop to say anything to her either. Floating up the though the ceiling, until they reached her room, floating through the door.
The room was darker than normal, the curtain's draw. Her body still sleeping and cross-legged in the middle of the room floating just above the floor, eyes closed, was Doctor Strange.
He let the fabric go, giving her a light push, sending her straight back into her body before she could even get a word in. She woke with a start, the weird icky feeling of being thrown back in, making her shake her head, like getting water out of her ears.
She hated that feeling.
Doctor Strange, the jerk, was already fine, looking exactly the same as before only now in his physical form. He still said nothing, deciding to wait until she was totally conscious and receptive before berating her.
"Ow, that hurt you know," Sofia grumbled rubbing her ear, it didn't really hurt as much, but she felt she could at the very least garner some guilt or sympathy.
"What the hell were you thinking?"
"Straight to the point then."
"This isn't funny." Doctor Strange snapped. "This isn't joke. This was stupid, reckless and irresponsible. What the hell were you thinking?"
"What's going on?" Zelma asked, poking her head through the door. Strange flicking his wrist, the door slamming shut in her face.
Sofia glared at him, glancing at the floor. She didn't say anything. She tried to swallow the anger, and allowing it the burn inside rather than out. She didn't know how to talk to him. How could she explain, 'what the hell she was thinking' to a total stranger?
"The astral plane isn't safe. Do you have any idea how vulnerable you were?" Stephen continued, his voice going steadily louder. "The astral planes creatures and monsters could have attacked and killed you. Dormammu's Zealot's could have sensed you, they could have killed you and none of us would have been the wiser. What would have happened if you lost your connection to your body? You're not even properly warded! What would have happened if your magical injuries attracted something else?"
"But that didn't happen!" Sofia said, matching his tone. "That doesn't matter!" he shouted back. "It doesn't matter if it didn't, it matters if it could have! How could you have been-!" Stephen said, taking a deep breath, pinching brow, his hands shaking violently.
Usually his shaking hands were almost invisible, but she today she could see it as clearly as the sun. He squeeze her hands tightly, curling them into a fist; as if trying to regain some control of them. She shut her eyes, trying to move the hot, bubbling down. If she made him too angry he might not help her find Vesper.
"You can't just run away whenever you want to, Sofia. You can't." Stephen said, enunciating the last words. "Not now, and especially not when you're hurt. Not when I don't know where you are."
"Why does that matter so much?" Sofia snapped back. "I'm stuck here, in this room. While Vesper is out there, god knows what's happening to her—"
"We will find Vesper—"
"—And I'm meant to trust you?" Sofia cried. "I don't know you. I don't know any of you! She's all I have. I have nothing, but her…" Sofia said, squeezing her hands tightly, curling them into a fist. "And maybe it was stupid and reckless, but don't tell me it was irresponsible. And don't tell me, I did something wrong."
"It's my fault, she's gone. My responsibility. If I can't even help her…what's the point?!" Sofia said, trying to shove the burn in the back of her eyes away. Stephen paused for a minute; Sofia wondering if he was going to still yell at her.
He took another breath, sighing, sitting down on the bed, the mattress sinking slightly at it's new weight. Sofia stiffening slightly; this was different. Unnaturally so. Freakily so. All the 'so's'.
"It's not your fault." Stephen said softly, looking down at the floor. Sofia awkwardly sitting back down on the bed.
"Dormammu's Zealot's want you is because of who your parent's are. Because of what you might grow up to be. You can't change who you are, and I'd never want you too." he said, slowly reaching out, setting a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you going to tell me you're going to watch out for me now or something?" Sofia said crossing her arms, pulling her shoulders closer to herself, letting his hand slip off. "I don't want or need you too. I've been taking care of myself for a while. It's nothing new."
"I have no doubt." Stephen said slowly. "You don't have to anymore."
Sofia gave him a side look, straightening up. "Why are you so obsessed with me? Seriously." she added, when he started it chuckle lightly. "Why does it bother you so much?"
"I'm your father, Sofia. I worry about you." Stephen said lightly.
Sofia freezing. "That's not funny."
"It wasn't a joke." Stephen said, meeting her eyes. "You're my daughter. I wanted to tell you sooner, but I thought you needed some time, to adjust to everything else." he said, taking her silence with a pinch of concern, continuing.
"Your mother wanted to protect you," Stephen said slowly. "From everybody and everything, even me. I didn't know about you until quite recently."
Sofia blinked, turning her head away from him. He wondered if he went too far. If he said too much, too fast or too soon. "Sofia?" he said, poking her shoulder.
"Hmm?"
He made a 'And?' gesture with his face. Sofia nodded. "Yeah…Cool."
"That's it?"
"That's what?" Sofia asked, sitting cross legged on the bed, staring the butterfly picture.
"Cool." Stephen repeated, making a face at the word. He just told her the one thing that he'd been agonising over and that was really her reaction. The same as if he asked her if she wanted some ice-cream or a soda. Cool.
"Would you prefer tubular?" Sofia said, putting on stereotypical 90's surfer's accent.
"I would prefer a better answer." he replied.
"What do you want me to say?" Sofia asked, turning to him. "Thanks? Lets go ice-skating? Or 'Thanks, let's go have popcorn and watch a movie like we've know each other forever? This isn't like you told me you're my second, cousin half-removed or something."
Stephen nodded. "I know."
Sofia bit her lower lip. "I'm not calling you Dad or anything." she blurted out. Stephen nodded. "Alright." he said, ignoring the slight twang of pain that brought.
"Okay." Sofia said, playing with her fingers. "You said mother, may I ask-"
"You're mother, Clea, is my wife. She is also the Sorcerer Supreme of the Dark Dimension, Sorcerer Supreme of Earth for a time, and the niece of Dormammu." Stephen added. Sofia pausing in her finger twiddling. "She's the niece of the giant fiery monster that want's me dead?"
"Yes." he answered. Sofia bit her lower lip again. "Does she want me dead too?" she said quietly.
"No." Stephen said. "She wants you safe, but she want's you safe and not with me, from what I gathered. She's not too pleased that you're at the Sanctum for now."
Sofia nodded. "Why doesn't she want you with me?" she asked. It was a question of curiosity more than suspicion, but something that reminded him of small child asking why Mom and Dad didn't live together anymore.
Stephen sighed, despite his anger towards Clea, he didn't want Sofia's first image of her mother to be distorted by his fury. He couldn't be that cruel. Not to them.
"It's complicated," he said, choosing each word carefully. "But I believe she's under the impression, I'll make things worse, by getting in the middle of this, and going to the dark dimension myself to deal with this problem."
"Will you?" Sofia asked, glancing it him. "Make things worse?" she added. Stephen turned away from her, making face. An unreadable expression to her, but one that could make the hairs on the back of anyone's neck stand up straight. "Undoubtedly so."
She slept fairly well that night, though maybe she should thank Wong for that. Wong and his drug tea. She had an actual problem. Or maybe insomnia was just a by-product of everything that had happened.
In anycase, it was irritating as Doctor Strange's lack of tact and a decent haircut. Sofia thought firmly, straightening the books on the side table, setting the slightly out of place things back into place.
She paused in her straightening of the bed covers. "Oh, no." Sofia grumbled under her breath. How many times had she kicked, smacked, stole and cursed (both at and mentally) at Doctor Strange since she met him?
She picked up her backpack, pulling out her teddy bear, straightening his bowtie and fixing it's fur around his eyes. She set it down on her bed, smoothing her hand over the covers again.
Realistically, she may have reacted the same way. If she did know who he was…maybe she would have run instead of collapsed in that alley.
She set her backpack on the side of the empty cupboard. It was nice to wear her own clothes. She'd been wearing pyjamas' that had come out of nowhere. She felt stronger today, she could feel her magic, feel her tether towards it at least.
She'd long since given up on her parents; she didn't need them. She didn't want them. And…they didn't deserve her anyway. But at least, she knew a name. And at least she knew why she was the way she was. At least she wasn't totally clueless in the darkness like she been the past fourteen years. That was something.
Zelma's familiar knock sounded outside, Sofia opening her curtain, fixing the way it turned, calling over her shoulder: "Come in."
"Hey, morning…" Zelma said, giving the room a once over, looking at her. "Feeling better?" she asked, walking into the room. Sofia shrugged, tucking her hands into her pockets. "I guess."
"You are?" Strange said, poking his head in from the doorway. Sofia blinked, hovering in the corner. She didn't think she'd have to talk or see him this quickly. Most of the time she never saw him at all, and she was fine with it. She nodded, reaching over straightening the window handle.
Zelma and Strange shared looks. Sofia moved Smiles the plant until it was at a 45 degree angle, while getting a sufficient amount of sunlight and the smiley face was straight and even, and most importantly visible while looking aesthetically appealing.
Strange made a 'hmm' sound. "Are you sure you're up to walking around?"
Sofia nodded again, still fixing the plant. "Okay." Zelma said loudly. Sofia slightly moving the table, straightening everything on it, before continuing to fix the plant.
"If you're feeling better, maybe we can all have breakfast downstairs?" Zelma suggested, glancing at Strange, him nodding. Sofia stepping back, finally seeming satisfied at its placement.
"Great!" Zelma said, clapping her hands. "Let's go!"
Sofia was quiet. Not just as of now, where she sat across from him, eating her cereal; while he drank coffee, the liquid burning his mouth, while he flipped thought the morning paper.
He wasn't sure if she was just awkward or naturally quiet. He figured after they talked yesterday, she wouldn't be overly talkative. But when he checked in on her; in the mornings and afternoons in the past week when she ate with Zelma, she seemed fairly talkative. Then again, it may just be because she was too polite.
Zelma bit her toast, crunching loudly. The sound reverberating around the silent dining room. He'd made some changes to it, changes to the entire house, shifted it to a brighter window, a less Gothic table for a more familiar one. Movement of the second fridge into the basement. The sanctum was still adjusting to it, but he'd rather the house and himself be more uncomfortable than Sofia at present.
Sofia took another spoonful of her cereal, glancing around the room, before returning her gaze to her bowl, taking another spoonful. Zelma crunched her toast.
He didn't feel it right to start a conversation. He expected, more. More anger, more questions, more something. Sofia's 'cool' still felt largely wrong. Though it seemed they were to sit in this unbearable silence if no one said anything.
"Great weather." Zelma said, glancing out the new window. "Yes." he said, bending the paper slightly. "Very."
Sofia nodded, picking up her mug of tea, cupping it with both hands, taking a sip. Zelma crunched her toast. He picked up his coffee, taking a long sip. Sofia took another bite of cereal, moving her head lower to the table slightly.
He adjusted his paper, reading the words but struggling to absorb them. They simply decided to fade into ink, this eyes seeming various lines of black with the occasional coloured picture or advertisement.
Sofia bobbed her head, going closer to the table, before moving slightly up, then going to the right, then left, then down, up, a little left, squinting slight, back right-"What are you doing?" Stephen asked, bending the paper.
Sofia's head straightening, returning to normal. "Oh, I was just checking my answer. On the crossword." she added, gesturing to the paper with the back of her spoon. Stephen turning it around, laying it flat on the table.
Zelma crunching her toast loudly, leaning over, looking at it. Sofia pointed to the middle row, the longest word on in it. "It's revilement. A rude expression or language intended to offend or hurt. Matches with the clue and the only one that matches with all the other words. You should be familiar with it." she added cheekily.
"How do you know your right?" he asked, looking down, mentally starting to fill in the various words. "Because I checked it." Sofia said, pausing for a second, seeming to misinterpret his silence. "You check it then." she said irritably, taking another soon of cereal, eating it as crossly as she could.
Stephen took out a pen from his pocket, slowly filling in each word. He didn't need to, but he figured she'd been more inclined to accept she was right with proof. "You're right." he said sliding the paper to her.
Sofia glanced at it, picking up her mug. "I know."
Zelma snorted into coffee, attempting to cover it with a cough. He bit down a smirk. Maybe pride was genetic?
Stephen folded the paper, picking up his coffee mug. "When we're done, if you're still feeling better, I thought a tour of the Sanctum would be a good idea." he said. Sofia setting down her mug, her eyes widening slightly.
"The Sanctum can be just as dangerous as the dangers it keeps out." Stephen added, sipping his coffee. "It's safer for you to at least have some idea of it, just in case."
Sofia nodded. "Okay." she said, picking her up mug again. Stephen inclined his head, picking up his mug again.
Zelma glanced between the two, watching them both sip their respective drinks. "So, I'm guessing, I'm not invited?"
"Sanctum Sanctorum, originally built in 1963." Strange started, walking into the entrance, gesturing around the room. "Usually consists of about three to four floors not including the basements but it changes occasionally."
"Shifts?" Sofia asked, looking around the room. It was as large and spacious as the rest of the house, a large staircase that led up to the landing of the second floor. "The entire house is magical," Strange said, resting his hand on the banister. "Consider it like the cloak, a living breathing form of magic."
"Like the academy, but stronger?" Sofia mused, remembering the pulsing of magical auras. The Sanctum's were less…messy in terms of different auras. While the academy's were quick, sharp and all over the place. The sanctum's were far more refined and collected, but still powerful enough to send shivers down one's spine.
"Exactly. The Sanctum exists in its own dimension, with many rooms and doors to other worlds, which it why you should always be cautious." Strange said, pointing right. "We used to have a shop there, but it's just an extension of the living room and entrance to the forge of the Sanctum Machina for now." he said, walking up the steps.
"Forge?" Sofia mumbled, peeking into the living room. "Hey, is your living room meant to be full of trees?"
"Yeah, just ignore the snakes, they're more annoying than dangerous."
"Snakes?!" Sofia said, flying up the stairs, jogging to keep up with his long strides.
"Second floor, library to your left, sometimes to the right. But only once in a while. Entrances to the bedrooms, bathrooms and the smaller kitchen/dining room to your right, but-" Strange said, stopping dead, in the centre of the long corridor.
Sofia nearly smacking right into him, the cloak helpfully steadying her, before returning to it's cloakness? Nevermind. "Let me guess, sometimes to the left?" Sofia said, wondering how on Earth she'd find anything.
He nodded, gesturing to the door they were in front of. "This is your room." Strange said, a bit overly cheerful tone. Sofia nodded, looking at the hardwood door. "Nice." she tried, wondering how he knew that, considering all the doors looked exactly the same.
"The guest rooms are further down." Strange said, still looking at the door. "Wong and Zelma often frequent them, but usually it remains empty."
"They don't live here?" Sofia asked. Zelma and Wong seemed to be constantly around, the only people she used to see. "No," Strange said, tucking his hands into his pockets. "Zelma has an apartment down in lower Manhattan. And Wong often sleeps at his own home or at Kamar Taj."
"My room is here," he said gesturing to the next door, a bit further down. "Here, should be," Strange said, walking to the door at the end of the corridor. Sofia running after him.
"Ah, hmm." Strange said, looking around. Sofia poking her head past his arm to look. It was darker, the smell of damp wharfing out, a breeze of harsh cold wind, blowing past, making her shiver. "This is the basement." Strange said still holding onto the doorknob. "Strictly off limits. Strictly." he added, giving her a look, closing the door.
"What's in there?" Sofia said curiously.
Strange giving her another extremely discouraging look. "If you tell me, I won't feel the need to go down there." she said, folding her arms, sighing loudly. "Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back."
"Focus on the killed part." Strange said shortly. "Dangerous creatures, spells and other things that would love to separate your head," he said, lightly poking her head. "From your body, reside there." he said, fixating her with 'very stern look'.
Sofia resisting an eye-roll. He seemed a bit overly dramatic.
"Sofia," Strange said, in a clear-attempted (probably practiced) very stern voice. "If a door ever takes you down there, close it or try another one. Don't go inside the basement. You'll find satisfaction cannot perform resurrections. Got it?"
Sofia sighed, but nodded. Strange took that as a good enough answer, waving his hand over the door, before pushing open the handle again. "Ah, here we are." he said, walking inside a brightly lit room.
It was messy, beyond comprehension, but what Sofia would call, 'an organised mess.' Small desks and chairs holding various books and bookshelves. A book-rest lay open, a green/blue coloured book, lying closed resting on it. The book radiated a strong aura, stronger than anything she ever felt in her life.
And in the middle of the room, in all its glory was a large circular window, with lines matching the book, curling and curving around it. "Wow." Sofia said, walking toward the window, peering out of it. It looked out onto the Bleecker Street traffic, but she could have sworn for just a second she saw a world of crystals for a second.
"Nice, isn't it." Strange said, following her gaze, before walking around the room, picking up some papers, and books, throwing them onto a desk, adding to the already heavy pile. "This is where I work."
"On what?" Sofia said, stepping back from the window, still taking in the room; there were so many things to look at. "Duties of the Sorcerer Supreme, protecting Earth and all it's inhabitants. It's not as easy as it looks." Strange said, picking up papers of the floor, glancing up, dropping them all back down. "Don't touc-"
"Touch anything. I know. I did grow up with a witch. Sort of." Sofia mumbled, bending down, picking up a few of the papers, handing it to Doctor Strange. He took it, setting it on his desk.
Sofia looked around the room, resisting the urge to touch any of the glowing crystal balls or shining skulls, or anything that resembled a Batarang. Tucking her hands behind her back, biting her lip slightly to stop herself from smiling, when she encountered DO NOT TOUCH and DO NOT OPEN printed in large letters, (albeit slightly…squiggly written signs, that felt so painfully normal and human around the insanity around her) held together with tape.
There were doors were on the walls, and one cupboard, which just slightly protruded out of the wall, that was currently wiggling from side to side. Edging closer to it, she bent down, peering through the keyhole.
"I'd be careful, they don't like being shut in there." came a voice from next her. Sofia stepping back in surprise. A blue ghost dog, floating out, hovering above her. He was basset-hound as far as she knew, with toilet paper somehow stuck to his bottom paw.
"You have a ghost puppy?" Sofia said brightly. Something familiar. She'd been able to talk and see ghosts for years. Her playdates were often with the graveyard children ghosts. Vesper used to always say it was unnerving that she spent her all her time with dead than that the living. She wondered if Eden the ghost cat was okay, after she'd been shooed out.
She felt a bit bad about that.
"So this is the good doctor's daughter," the ghost puppy mused. "Ghost dog, darling." he added, making Sofia grin.
"Bats," Strange said lightly, turning to her. "Sofia, this is Bats, the basset-hound, he's my-"
"Ghost dog, my mistake." Sofia said, Bats ears flopping up from side to side. "Aw, don't worry about that, princess." Bats said, turning to Strange. "She looks just like you, Doc." he said excitedly, glancing between the two of them.
Sofia smiled awkwardly, glancing down at the cupboard, catching blue material jammed between the door and the outside. "Um, I think I know why the cupboard's upset."
"Oh," Strange said, opening the cupboard, the material sliding out. A large thick blue coat, with golden circles around it, slightly similar to the cloak Strange was wearing, smacking him hard. "Hey! That-"
Whatever he was going to say, Bats and Sofia wouldn't hear, as one of the cloaks, covered his mouth, attempted to drag him in the cupboard. The rest of the cloaks making a fuss making the cupboard shake. "Should we—?" Sofia started. Bat's letting out a bark of laughter, shaking his head. "Nah, he's got it."
"Why are they doing that?" Sofia asked Bats. The ghost dog chuckling slightly, as they watched Strange attempt to wrestle the various cloaks back into the cupboard. "They like to move around a bit," Bats explained. "But he was trying to clean up last week. He shoved them all in the cupboard without properly putting them in hangers. Sets them all off."
"Cleaning?" Sofia said, the room looked like a bomb of papers and trinket smashed into it. The fact that is was 'dirty' last week made her wonder what 'clean' was. "Trying." Bats said pointedly.
"Bats!" Strange called from the cupboard, the blue cloak flying out, racing around the room, before knocking over a chair, smashing into a golden coat hanger in the corner, before landing hard onto the floor.
Sofia walked to it, bending down, gently picking it up. "Careful! It's throwing a tantrum!" Strange shouted, Bats now helping him set the other cloaks back.
The cloak smacked the back of the floor, but went still for a second. Feeling like she was picking up a bomb, she lifted it up, mumbling a 'sorry' glancing to the golden cloak hanger. There was no way she was reaching that without toppling it over.
Gently draping the cloak on the desk chair, picking up the chair the cloak dropped, she set it next to the cloak hanger, walking to the cloak. "May I pick you up?" she asked, unaware of proper living cloak etiquette.
The cloak seemed to nod, Sofia lifting it up, standing on the chair hanging it on the cloak hanger. The cloak relaxed, Sofia spotting the bottom of the blue cloak turned a bit funny. The part that was stuck between the door. "Sorry," she said, rubbing it lightly.
"That's all of them." Strange said, shooting a glare at the cloak cupboard and then a Bats. "Thank you for your assistance, Bats." he said darkly, straighten out his clothes. Bat's wriggled his ears. "Anytime, doc."
Strange hummed. "Can you check on Wong about lunch?"
Bats snorted, his droop ears waving from side to side, floating though the floor. "You got it, Doc." he said, floating past Sofia, Sofia taking her chance, snagging the toilet paper away from his paw. "See ya doll." he called, diving though the floor
"Nice dog." Sofia said, watching him disappear through the floor. "Yes, he's a very good. Sofia," Stephen said, pulling her attention from the cloak to him.
"Hmm?"
"I need to know, to help Vesper," Stephen added, watching Sofia fidgeting with her hands, her gaze drifting to the floor. "What happened the night you were attacked. I need you tell me everything, so I can know how to help you."
Sofia's gaze lifted slightly, looking quite conflicted for a second, before taking a breath, nodding. "Okay." she said. Stephen flicking his wrist, two pillows floating towards them, resting across from each other on the floor. He sat down, crossing his legs, Sofia doing the same.
"When you're ready."
LATER:
"Why are we here?" Sofia asked, unconsciously edging closer to Zelma, the woman in question smiling widely at the building. "What you don't like it?" Zelma said playfully, hitting her shoulder. "No." Sofia grumbled, poking Zelma with her left hand. "Why are here?"
"You wanted to go out of the house. This counts." Zelma said, patting her shoulder, smiling at the large red bricked academy.
"Not to mention, the Strange Academy is the safest place for you, besides the sanctum." Strange said, folding his arms gazing at the golden words: Strange Academy in whirly writing on the gate.
"You need to get a bell or something!" she snapped, glaring up at him (she wished he was slightly shorter, it won't be so demeaning to look up when talking to him) "You just appear. It's unnerving." she said, following his gaze, sighing. "I take it back, you do have an ego problem."
"You have a better name for it?"
Sofia bit her lip, standing stiffly at the gate. "Why can't I just stay at the sanctum?"
"Alone?" Strange said, looking at her like she suggested arson. "Unless you're planning on leaving your ghost with me?" Sofia replied.
"The Academy is the safest place for you, until I get back." Strange said firmly. "Just try not to destroy anymore of it." he added.
Zelma giving him a look from over Sofia's shoulder, the younger giving him an equally chilly glare, that didn't really have the effect she clearly wanted, as Sofia still hadn't quite grown out of her soft, childlike face as yet. He smiled slightly, maybe they weren't too late.
"I make no promises." Sofia said dryly, still looking at the building, fidgeting with her hands. Strange smirked, making a move to walk way, before clasping a hand on her shoulder; Sofia instantly stiffening, glancing at him, before looking at the floor, rubbing her hands together.
Strange took a breath, looking at Zelma. "Keep her out of trouble." he said, letting go of Sofia's shoulder, giving it a small pat. "Keep her safe." he added.
"Always." Zelma said warmly. Strange nodding, walking down the street. Sofia turning, calling: "Bye." she said, giving him a wave. He paused for a second, before waving back, turning around, vanishing out of site. He'd teleported away.
"Ready?" Zelma said, taking her hand. "Nope," Sofia said, walking through the gate. The golden gates of Strange Academy closing behind them.
Thoughts?
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