Lights → Doctor Strange

{when do we start?}

"What are you doing in my living room?" Riley yelled, "And what was the gold portal thing?" Strange walked forward and gave her an awkward yet reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"I think I might have the answer to your problem," he stated calmly.

His voice was deep and soothing, and Riley wanted desperately to believe him. She wanted to ask why he didn't help her before, but she opted for a safer question. "Why do you have my tea mug?"

For once Strange looked almost embarrassed. "Locator spell," he muttered as he sat the mug down on her coffee table. "Look, do you want my help or not?"

Riley shifted for a moment, untying and then retying the drawstring on her sweatpants. "Okay," she finally answered. "You still do surgery? I thought..."

He held up his hands, which noticeably trembled in the low light. "No," he said softly, "not surgery, but I have another way."

She watched as he pointed his hands towards the middle of the room, his right hand still while his left hand made a circular motion in the air. Once again, the golden portal sprang to life in her living room. He walked calmly forward, stepping up into the hazy picture of his living room.

He turned around, and stretched out a scarred hand to her, "Are you coming or not?"

Riley paused for a moment. She was insane. She was dreaming. She didn't care, she took his hand and stepped through the golden sparks. When she opened her eyes, she was back in his plush living room.

"Magic, huh?" she whispered. Her eyes were as large as a doe when she saw his cape float off of him and speed down the hallway. "I always figured there was something along those lines in this city. There's no way it's this crazy without some help from somebody."

Strange watched her in a sort of muted wonderment. "It took me a trip through the dimensions to believe."

Riley shrugged, "I've seem some weird stuff in my life. Plus, uh, traveling through a portal helps you believe too." She brushed her hands off, looking down at herself. A warm blush spread across her face when she realized she was still in her pajama's. "You don't have something for me to wear, do you?"

Strange bit back a smile, "I might have something."

<>

"You've got to be kidding me," Riley whispered as she stood in front of a mirror. Her pajama's looked better than this... silk robe?

Either way it was a very pretty blue. It was a tad big for her, and she shifted in it when she realized it was probably Strange's. Oh well, she wasn't even sure why she followed him in the first place. Wearing his clothes was just the next step down the trail to Wonderland. She put her hair in a quick braid and sighed. Looks like that's as good as it'll get, she thought.

She walked out of the bathroom she had changed in. Strange caught sight of her and stood, "Perhaps a tour would be a good idea."

Riley thought it would be a good idea as well, she already knew she'd be getting lost in this place. Strange led her out of the living room and into the entryway. It was towering and grand, with a marble and mahogany staircase. High above, a glittering chandelier hung.

"Nice place," she said with a touch of sarcasm.

He ignored her, "Best that you watch out, and don't bother memorizing which rooms are where. They like to change."

Riley stopped walking, "The rooms like to change?"

Strange gave her a toothy smile, "Problem?"

She crossed her arms, "Of course not."

"The first floor is the dining rooms, living rooms, and libraries. That part doesn't change. Second floor is the bedrooms, which I'm sure we can find an empty one for you. Third floor is meditation and my collection of magical artifacts," Strange informed her.

They walked up the staircase and began making their way down the hallway. Riley pointed to the three windows at the end of the hall. "What are those?" she asked.

Strange walked her down to them, "These windows are portals to whatever is out there." He pointed out the middle window, where a lion stalked a gazelle through the savanna, "So best not leave them unlocked, alright?"

Riley nodded as she reached for the dial and changed the scene. Outside, it changed from the savanna to the rain forest, and finally to a large, misty forest. She opened the window, listening to the birds and the frogs. Somewhere outside she could hear a river bubbling.

She gently closed the window, locking it back and stepping away from it. "That's seriously awesome."

Strange nodded, "And you haven't even seen the library yet."

<>

Riley curled up under the covers of her new bed. Her head hurt, just when she thought she was going to make it a full day without an episode. Strange had showed her to her new room after her migraine had started.

He was still being cryptic about his "treatment".

And she still thought she might be insane for following a man she hardly knew through a magic portal. Like it matters, she thought bitterly, at least with this you have a chance, even if it is crazy.

Her head swam with all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours: she had met the man who had refused to treat her, stormed away from him, had him appear in her living room in a portal, and now he was promising a magic cure to her brain tumor.

Magic.

Magic was real? Not rabbit out of the hat magic either, actual magic. Harry Potter level magic.

Maybe her brain tumor had finally gone too far. Maybe she was hallucinating. Whatever it was, it was pretty cool. Riley focused on tuning out the pain from her migraine. If she did it just right, it would be bearable.

She got up, padding around her room and looking through everything. An old, beautifully carved dresser stood against the wall, and she poked through it. No jeans, unfortunately. Just more silk robe things. She contemplated changing, but decided against it. Those didn't look any comfier, plus, this one smelled nice.

Riley opened the door to the side and walked into the bathroom. She splashed cold water on her face and looked in the mirror. The dark circles under her eyes were more prominent than usual, but then again, what did she expect? It had been a busy day.

She left her room, walking down the hallway. The three windows at the end of the hallway seemed inviting. She made her way down to them and opened the one that led to the forest.

Riley sat on the window sill, dangling her feet down into the good twenty feet of air between herself and the forest floor. She heard footsteps behind her. Strange sat down next to her, dangling his feet outside as well. She scooted over to give him more room.

"Feeling better?" he asked softly.

She nodded, never taking her eyes off the forest. A cool breeze blew against their faces. "How are you going to help me?" she asked.

"I'm going to teach you the mystic arts," he replied.

Riley sighed, "Yesterday, I would've laughed if you said that. Now, I just want you to teach me."

Strange smiled as he watched a blue bird fly across the grey sky, "I know the feeling."

"When do we start?"

A/N

Oh yeah. Filler chapter whoops. I actually wiki'd the sanctum so i could know where the rooms were. I don't think i've ever felt nerdier than right then. Whatever, hopefully they get training in the next chapter!

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