15032/Visitors at the Sanctorum

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Visitors at the Sanctorum
Date of Scene: 04 May 2023
Location: Sanctum Santorum - Base Floor
Synopsis: Strange gets a house call from Sinister and Lucifer. They talk about a recent incident in Hell's Kitchen, and how they can help one another.
Cast of Characters: Doctor Strange, Sinister, Lucifer




Doctor Strange has posed:
It's a lovely Spring day, and Doctor Strange is taking an off-day. He is currently in the living room, the one he usually entertains guests in, dressed in his usual coat and reading a book in a cushy chair. Of course, peace and quiet isn't always an option.

Especially when two guests are sure to arrive, sooner or later, to talk to him about their mutual interests. Whether they call ahead or just show up and knock, Strange can sense who's there with a simple flow of magic through the Sanctum Sanctorum once they arrive. He does not get up to open the door.

Instead, the door opens itself, closes itself, and every door but the ones to the living room close, showing the correct passage.

Lazy magic, but effective magic!
Sinister has posed:
"Well, that was overt," Sinister's voice can indeed be heard in the vaunted corridors of the sanctum -- the clipped heels also. "The more I experience of magic, the more it confounds me. I'm sure that made sense though... sympathetic magic, doors open to the way, I suppose?" He's talking to his Partner in Crime, no doubt. And because someone -is- the sort to bring gifts on a first footing (don't ask, there was a Watcher, he was a cheeky bastard) there's a bottle of good wine in hand. The kind that was a vintage a hundred years ago and has only got better since then. "I'm rather glad I found my wine vault. I forgot which house it was in."

That comment heralds the arrival. Leather frock coat, black and white in jeans and shirt, a red diamond on a chain about his neck and looking altogether human, Essex pauses at the door of the lounge, glancing aside. "Are you supposed to wait?"
Lucifer has posed:
"It's likely even more confusing that some people use magic one way and others can't use it that way. They have to use it an entirely different way. Then there are those who can use it both ways, all ways, sideways and front ways.." Lucifer chimes back, glancing over to Sinister with a cheeky grin. "I'm glad you found the wine vault too, cause I am running out of bottles of things I want to get rid of." Another grin then before he looks to the opening of the lounge.

"Well. The doors opened for us, so he knows we're here. And now that we're standing likely in front of the room he's in, he can hear us. Even in whispered tones. I wouldn't put it past him to listen in to things like that." Lucifer looks nothing like he did when Dr. Strange and he first met. His hair is now blonde, eyes now green, he wears a cream three piece suit with a baby blue shirt and handkerchief tucked in the left breast pocket. Without another word, and just a side glance to Sinister, he steps into the lounge and glances to the awaiting Stephen Strange. "Stephen. A pleasure to see you again."
Doctor Strange has posed:
"I was timing how long it'd take you to come in, honestly. I've had one guest wait five minutes." Strange says with a smirk, as the two finally enter.

"Did Greenwich treat you well? What am I saying, of course it did. Best damn neighborhood in New York. Whole reason I live here."

Doctor Strange finally puts his book down, gesturing to the two to sit. "I've been working on the sample. No concrete results yet, but in due time. I've had other work, too, of course, so I haven't gotten as much a look as I'd like. What brings you two to the Sanctum Sanctorum?"
Sinister has posed:
A look, JUST a look under the brows and lengthily at Lucifer. "You know, sometimes you're so helpful," he glances at the bottle, spins the thing in his grip like a professional with sleight of hand and presents it label first toward Strange once they enter. Chateau la fit, turn of the century. "I like Greenwich better when it has the street markets. And prefer its namesake if I'm truthful, I have memories there. Foundational ones," he inclines his head, glancing at the seating arrangements to work out where to park himself, and chooses something overstuffed and comfortable looking. There's grace in his posture and in the way he sits, it's simply innate.

"Well, there was that, but you've answered that. I don't suppose you've heard anything unusual on the streets or the winds or out of an otherwise empty closet have you?" He asks, glancing to Lucifer and back. "I really don't know how it works with ethereal communique. We might have an iddy biddy problem on our hands that we might just want to keep relatively hushed."
Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer grins. "I do try to be." Saying that to Sinister's first comment before he remains silent while bottles are presented and questions are asked. A single brow lofts in the way that Sinister has posed the question, however and so he glances to Strange and attempts a translation.

"In truth, we're wondering if there could be any research done of this...problem...that we're facing. But like Sinister mentioned, we want to keep it as hush-hush as possible. This information falls upon the ears of the wrong people - and that includes some heroic groups - it could get worse before it gets better. We're hoping to find a solution to the problem so we can eradicate it before it gets too out of control."
Doctor Strange has posed:
Strange avoids waxing poetically about Greenwich Village when they say they have an issue. Instead, wine glasses materialize, three total, and set themselves on the table. Simple teleportation magic, but it looks flashy. "Nothing involving *you two*." He admits, and then, his curiosity is piqued.

"I'm nothing if not the pinnacle of infosecurity. I can keep the Avengers out of whatever you share, but in turn, I probably will poke into it. Though, that's probably what you want, so. Tell me."

"What ails you?"
Sinister has posed:
Oh, how very hippocratic!

"Well, I'll put it bluntly, now that we've buttered our crumpet a little," Sinister glances to the devil and back to Strange. "A while ago, I got a very worrying signal on some of my covert sensor equipment and tracked it to the stormdrains near Central park. What I found, was a recently arrived Brood Queen. A young one, but still. And she'd infected at least six people, before I got to her and took her down. We might have an attempted colony on our hands. And that... alerts the wrong kind of attention sometimes, doens't it?"

He's fairly certain he doesn't need to spell that one out, considering intergalactic, interdimensional hyper-intelligent hyper-advanced alien races that don't like the brood getting a foothold can sometimes be a little 'sledgehammer of a solution' when it comes down the wire. "I don't think this one originated as a human. But the question then is, interdimensional brood histories and if you know of any close parallel timelines that got smacked."
Lucifer has posed:
"You were being cryptic. I simply translated..." Lucifer offers to Sinister in a very no nonsense tone before giving a shit-eating grin. Then Sinister puts everything on the table, including the part where they may need Strange to let them know about the whole dimensional bit. So, for the moment, he remains quiet and simply sits with legs crossed. Oh except for, "Since I can make it to where it won't bother you, would you mind terribly if I smoked?"
Doctor Strange has posed:
"Ahuh. A Brood Queen. A non-human Brood Queen." Strange is playing funny, but he's desperately serious in his mind. Thoughts race to the questions. "Parallel timelines, no. Histories...histories..."

Doors open. Across the hall, a book flies through the building, straight into Strange's hand. "No, this isn't it..." It flies back out, and then another flies into his hand. "Here."

"Go ahead and smoke." Strange waves his hand. He trusts the devil won't second-hand him or his upholstery. "You can borrow this. And that's only because this is serious business. I expect it back, and if I don't get it back, I'll come collecting. It should have some information, but there's a lot we don't know."

"Now, tell me. Who all knows about this Brood Queen so far, besides you two? I assume it was subtle, but, then again, if Captain America already knows I'll need to play around that."
Sinister has posed:
The book zipping is watched like a tennis match, but this is not unfamiliar territory at least, given Essex' nature and skill set. He holds out his palm and the book floats toward him, not actually landing on his outstretched hand, but rather, then going to hover and slowly spin in a red hued haze, beside Lucifer. He's about to smoke, we don't smoke around the books! Or speak Latin, but that's a different kettle of fish. "So far, a friend with a knack for psychic dream travel and a young woman that happened to be in the same place when we were tracking one that I missed. I /was/ following their particular radiation signature, but the half-life was abysmally low. I lost it in Hell's Kitchen and found it again when it ahh... came out of hiding. She witnessed that and a rather stupdendous take-down by the archangel over here." He nods toward the devil.

"I highly doubt that young woman will say anything, she didn't rightly know what she was dealing with." He sniffs. "But I plan on recruitiing. You're simply the repository of intra reality knowledge, amongst a great deal of other things."

He looks at Lucifer again. "How am I doing on the whole turning over a good leaf thing? I'm attempting to be cooperative at least, seems to be going alright so far." He looks back at Strange. "Bit of a work in progress, but this is /my/ planet too."
Lucifer has posed:
Books going whizzing by is just another Sunday for Lucifer who tends to do a lot of sitting and reading in the living room on the one 'day off' he's allowed by his father's commands. Really, though, it's an any excuse'll do type thing and he's mostly just re-reading books he's already read a hundred times over. Cigarette is produced, lit, and then any smoke from the cancer stick or exhaled from him seems to ... disappear into nowhere and nothing. Strange's room, himself, and the upholstry will all remain second-hand smoke free.

Oh. He was asked something. "Ah, you're doing fine as far as I can tell. Cooperating, giving information and allowing things to be given to you. Explaining and answering questions while also collecting things that can help further inquiries down the line. Yes. You're becoming a real boy, Pinnochio, I hope you're happy." He grins then.
Doctor Strange has posed:
"I think I know the dream-traveler. No clue about the woman. Did they get infected?" Strange asks, only a tad worried.

"A repository? I'll have you know, I'm more than just a library." He huffs, and then turns to nod about the planet. "Indeed. I think all three of us have a reason to care about the Earth surviving." A thought crosses his mind.

"Do you mind if I cross-ref with the dream traveler? If he's not the one you mean, I'll know quickly, but if he is, he'll be a boon."
Sinister has posed:
"Well," now Sinister is a little vexxed, not the least bit because he's not made of wood! There's a scoff and a mildly indignant look given to Lucifer, complete with a twitch of the nose as he sniffs and haughtily (and exaggeratedly) looks back to Strange. "Indeed, it's rather like saying I'm a biologist, isn't it?" He crosses his own leg, at the knee, as the book continues to spin in the air.

"What is the etiquette on sharing information with the Sorceror Supreme, about a friend of yours?" he ponders outloud. "Has a thing for ravens. Does a thing with drumsticks and the spoken word."
Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer just keeps grinning while he smokes on his cigarette and looks between the two doctors. "Is this how the conversations are always going to go? Answering questions with questions and not really getting anywhere from the starting point? Just...dancing around the matter. Or maybe I'm just a little more open with the idea of laying cards on the table with people I'm sure I can trust."

He smirks. "It's information he's likely going to gain one way or the other. Being upfront can build trust, but...aside from what I just said, there's a curve to the learning. You don't want to show your whole hand too quickly if you're still building a repertoire..." He offers this. "A name would be okay to share. Then it will confirm Stephen's suspicions, affirm trust, and may open the door for him to share information back with you. A book is good. Peeking into the multiverse might be more fun."
Doctor Strange has posed:
"Lemme guess. Name starts with an N." Strange DEFINITELY knows who it is now, but he's playing the twenty questions. "Not a mineral or thing, obviously."

"I appreciate you two trusting me enough to share this information with me, either way. I'll see what I can find on other dimensions, but I doubt I'll find much." A pause. "Peeking into the multiverse is only fun if you're doing it *responsibly*, you know?"
Sinister has posed:
"Yes, well. Again: New to me, on the whole sharing is caring thing, Luci..." Sinister observes, though there's a crooked grin. "I'm only cryptic on thursdays. Guess what day it is..." and back to Strange. He nods sagely. "Ostensibly not a mineral or a thing, although occasionally stares and sits there like a lemon. That might be my fault at times, however..." And then there's sobriety, sombre for a moment.

"I mostly know the nature of dimensions from measured data, occasional samples. I am woefully lacking in anything but the theoretical of multi string quantum entanglement."
Lucifer has posed:
Lucifer eyes Stephen for a moment. "Shall I tell you how many actual dimensions of hell there are? I have fun all the time! ...When I actually go to do my job for a little bit..." Course, the Devil is looking much more Angel today and that may be by choice. Somehow he's kept his cream suit meticlously clean, even when ashing a cigarette without an aparatus to ash into! (Don't worry, Strange, Lucifer has that covered as well.) In fact, he's done with the smoke and it all disappears in a soft flash-poof of hellfire. So there -may- be a linger of sulfur. That'll go away soon.

"Yay! We've learned sharing! Perhaps tomorrow we can work on borrowing and returning...." Oh Lucifer is having WAY to much fun busting Sin's chops over this whole becoming a new person bit. "Anyway. I can responsibly travel dimensions, you just make popping in and out of them a lot easier..."
Doctor Strange has posed:
"Most people shouldn't know anything about other dimensions. Peeking in makes other things peek out. And that's where I have to get involved." Strange sighs, with a nod to Lucifer. "Too many, I imagine. It's like an onion."

"Well, then. Is there anything further you two need or have to share? I'm a busy man, so..." He gestures to the copy of Dracula: The Sequel by Bram Stoker that he's reading.
Sinister has posed:
Sinister closes his eyes briefly, tips his head back and gazes up at the ceiling, as if for temperance, or patience, or even for guidance. He slants a look to Lucifer afterwards. "You're in a -mood- today, you are..." and that's all there is for that. For now. But that did sound a lot like being dismissed and he looks back to Strange with a tip of his head. "Very often, the void looks back at you, yes. And we have been dealing wtih that issue of things looking this way, when someone else had been looking the other. So far, we've closed four dimensional piercing devices, as you well know. The air sprites were harmless, but the gigantic water kraken thing was not pleasant in the slightest..."

He shaes his head, gazes briefly at the book with one spocked eyebrow and indicates it. "That's probably cheating, although I read a wonderful work of fiction about a prototype kindle that would download past, future and neverwhere events. It had causality watchers."

He rises, inclines his head then. "Do enjoy the wine. And please, do not be a stranger, Strange."
Lucifer has posed:
"You wouldn't have me any other way and you know it." Lucifer quips right back. Listening to the two for a moment before Strange is sort of urging them out the door. To get back to his book. Very well then.

"Dracula's a fine fellow. Perhaps I could introduce you to him someday." A smirk as he rises and inclines his head as well. "Pleasure to be in your company, Strange. Feel free to pop by Lux anytime you're feeling like a martini." Then he shifts, likely walking at least out of the lounge area with Sinister before simply poofing them home.