xp_logs | Moira, Doc Strange - Saturday afternoon after Heiress Discordia

Doctor Strange comes to confer with Moira after the cleansing ceremony and for once Stephen the human being is evident. And he's a very frightened man. He also keeps making vague references to Moira's health, which will make sense now given certain events... Set before this conversation with Angelo

Moira was as boneless as she could get on the couch in her office. Her stomach rumbled again, still upset with her over something she had eaten the other day. On top of that, her head and eyes ached but that was from the good round of tears she had just finished having. The stress of the last few weeks had all slammed into her like a freight train, especially Amanda's situation. Now, she was simply tired and was content to stare up at her ceiling and wish the world would simply go away.

There came an almost hesitant tap at the door, and at her mumbled "Come in," Doctor Strange's head poked around the door. He looked, if possible, as tired as Moira felt. "Oh, my apologies, I'll come back later when you're not indisposed," she said, looking concerned.

"Stephen!" Pushing herself up on her elbow, she waved him in and sat up slowly, rubbing at the back of her neck. "Nay, please come in. 'Tis been ages. I'd ask 'ow ye've been but... well, wit' Amanda an' everythin', I can guess th' answer. Probably feel like 'ow I look."

"Entirely possible," he said wryly, coming in reluctantly and looking around for somewhere to sit that wasn't covered in books and papers. "I just saw her," he said, eventually realising the couch was it and perching uncomfortably on the edge, trying not to crowd Moira. "We did the cleansing ritual. She... it..." Something seemed to break in him, and he looked down at his hands. "I don't know if I got it all," he confessed.

Reaching over, Moira laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Stephen, look at me. Ye did yer best an' she's better now for it. If it dinnae get it all, then I'm assumin' ye can go through th' ritual in a week or so. Dinnae beat yerself up over this."

"I don't know if I have the power to do it again!" he burst out, refusing to look at her, instead concentrating on the floor between his feet. "That... creature, that thing pretending to be human... She's stronger than I am." He sounded ashamed to admit it.

"Unlike tha' creature, ye 'ave people ye can rely on. I'm sure'n tha' Romany would be 'ere in an instant ta 'elp. An' Amanda is stronger than people think she is." Moira's face saddened suddenly. "Because she always 'as ta be." She glanced back at Stephen, though. "From wha' I've come ta understand o' magic, th' black magic users are sometimes stronger but wit' horrid consequences ta it."

"I can't keep her safe." The admission came hard. "I thought I could, but I've failed her, again and again." For the first time since she'd met the magician, Strange sounded defeated. "As for Selene..." He spat the word out. "Well, I suppose you could consider being forced to live on the life essences of other people a horrid consequence. She's not human, not as we understand the word, Moira. She's something older and darker than that, and I don't think even Romany and I together could fight her off if she decided to claim Amanda now."

"'Tis a good thin' none o' us would let 'er go without a fight," she said, fierceness and protectiveness coloring her words. "I know 'tis 'ard but I think if everyone 'ere watches out for 'er...we can protect 'er. Nay forever but we can teach 'er wha' she needs ta know an' watch 'er grow up."

"You don't understand..." Strange finally looked up at her, looking years older. "Amanda's been tainted by Selene's power. Yes, I managed to remove most of it, but there's some still there. If we had access to a source of clean mystic energy, perhaps we could get the rest..." His shoulders slumped. "She did what she had to do, but I fear the price might have been too much."

"So, where's a clean mystic energy source? Stupid question, I know, but I 'ave ta cover all th' bases 'ere."

"Nowhere near here - New Mexico, perhaps Canada. I'll have to do some research, find out exactly what is out there before I take her anywhere. The last thing I want to do is compound the situation with anything she shouldn't handle." He rubbed his temples, willing himself back together. "She shouldn't travel just yet either - beyond the physical injuries, she's in a very delicate frame of mind. She needs security, familiar surroundings."

"Then as soon as she's ready, take 'er. If she still needs familiar surroundin's, I'll go wit' ye lot. If it would ease yer mind, an' 'er's, than it best be done. An' right now, ye look like ye could do wit' a spot o' tea." Standing up, Moira was hit by a sudden dizzy spell and sat right back down on the couch. "In a second, though..."

"I'll get it - you need to rest," Strange said immediately. "This has been as hard for you as it has been for me - I should have realised that..." Giving her hand an awkward pat, he got up and headed over to the kettle set up in the corner of Moira's office. "I hope you forgive my selfishness..." he almost-babbled, collecting together tea-making components as if by, well, magic. Moira was certain she saw a small flash of light and a tea canister she didn't recognise appearing under his hand.

"'Tis nay bein' selfish, Stephen," she replied, leaning back against the couch. "Yer worried 'bout 'er, frustrated because ye've done all ye can an' there feels like there's so much left ta do...'tis normal. An' I'm glad ta see ye get wha' ails ye off yer chest, ye need ta do tha' a wee bit more often."

"You forgot 'exhausted and slightly frostbitten from standing in the lake for a good hour'," he added with a flash of his usual dry humour. The kettle boiled, finally, and he poured the hot water over the tea bags in the mugs he'd found. "Magic is demanding, Moira. Not unlike medicine in that sense, I suppose. They both require us to cultivate a certain calmness of mind, even when everything around us seems to be falling apart." Doing something, even something as simple as making tea seemed to help him regain his equilibrium. "I can't afford to get what ails me off my chest, as you put it. Not without risking much." The tea finished, he carried the mugs back over to the couch. "Darjeerling," he said as he handed one to Moira. "I, ah, 'brought' it from home."

Moira beamed at him and accepted it. "Lovely, thank ye. I understand there are certain thin's tha' I will never understand 'bout wha' ye do. But I do know tha' ye do 'ave friends who are willin' ta lend an ear when 'tis needed." The look she gave him was a classic MacTaggart stare, usually only given out to Nathan when he was being particularly pig-headed.

"I do?" It popped out before he could stop it, possibly under the influence of The Stare. It tended to have that effect on people. "I mean, I hadn't thought... I assumed..." He floundered helplessly for a minute, before giving her a genuine smile of gratitude. "Thank you, Moira."

She nearly laughed at that but didn't, for his sake. "Yer more than welcome. Ye were a sanity 'arbor for me when I need it, I'm tryin' ta let ye know I'm more than willin' ta return th' favor."

"It may surprise you but I'm not... very good with people. Too much time spent with musty old books as a boy, instead of out getting first-hand experience." His smile turned rueful. "But I am glad I have been able to help, in some small way. I was starting to wonder if I'd perhaps pushed things too hard here over the business with Illyana, and whether Mr Lee would be given instructions to escort me from the premises should I dare show my face."

Moira smiled at that. "Yer good enough wit' me. An' sometimes certain thin's need ta be pushed. I'm sure ye did th' right thin' at th' right time. May nay feel like it but ye probably did. Someone 'as ta start th' ball rollin' sometime."

"Ah, but you are far from a difficult person to deal with, Moira, and that makes all the difference," Strange said, going so far as to pat her hand awkwardly again. "Now, I should go. I still have an appointment with Angelo, and then I plan to collapse and sleep for the next twelve hours. My PhD students will just have to forgive me." He gave Moira a penetrating look. "And you need to rest more. It's important that you look after yourself, particularly now."

Well, some progress was being made if he felt comfortable enough for that. Though she did give him a look for that last comment. "Th' ulcer's fine," she protested, confused but shook it off. "But I will. Wit' everythin' goin' on, 'tis stressful around 'ere. Take care o' yerself, Stephen, an' 'opefully I'll see you sometime when 'tis _nay_ an emergency 'appenin'."

"Lunch again, perhaps? I have missed those," he said, standing and waving her back down when she tried to do the same. "After the holidays, maybe, although we shouldn't leave it too long, or it will get too difficult." His expression was half-amused, half-embarrassed. "Thank you, Moira. I'll be in touch about what is to be done about Amanda. You will keep an eye on her? Look for any odd behaviour?"

"O' course, I'll keep as close an eye on 'er as th' lass'll allow--an' then some more. An' aye, lunch would be fantastic. I'll get in touch wit' ye once all th' chaos around 'ere settles down some, aye? Until then, get some rest, Stephen, an' I promise I'll do th' same." Moira smiled at him before finishing off her tea.

"That would be, as they say, a deal."