𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 — the librarian
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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐔𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐃𝐔𝐎 that consisted of a former surgeon with shaking hands, and a physicist with an insurmountable amount of power at her fingertips often found themselves sat beneath the very same tree that had shrouded them from the bright sunlight upon Stephen's first morning at the Kamar-Taj.
A week had passed by rather swiftly and the two found themselves to be within one another's company more often than not; that is of course due to the Ancient One deeming Emilia Stephens temporary teacher and tour guide whilst he got well acquainted with the Kamar-Taj.
Neither disliked the arrangement. Emilia, though she found Stephens arrogance to be rather irritating at times, knew perfectly well how to deal with him. From staring him down with a gaze that could have shaken The Hulk, to threatening the man with phrases such as 'Well, if you'd like the Ancient One to teach you, go on ahead', each was as effective as the other at getting the man to shut his mouth and actually listen.
He could be insufferable, but once their petty squabbling ceased, they made for an unlikely, yet prospering pair.
Stephen found himself rather enjoying his short time at the Kamar-Taj. It was peaceful, far quieter than the bustling city he had grown so accustomed to back home. He missed it, of course he did; he missed his life, his career and the applause that came with it. At the Kamar-Taj he was just a student again.
Emilia had helped him immensely, though neither chose to outwardly say such a thing; she stayed up late to help him nail a subject, she would test the man on the very basics of the mystical arts, and she was something of a... Friend, he supposed.
It was nice to have somebody like him, an outsider whose true place wasn't within the Kamar-Taj.
Nonetheless, both Stephen and Emilia were itching for the more practical lessons; Emilia had dutifully mastered her way with the sling-ring, which was to be the first step within Stephen's journey to becoming a fully-fledged sorcerer. Stephen, however, was simply biting his tongue and gritting his teeth in anticipation; Emilia had spoken of the practical lessons, never quite giving away enough, yet always a sliver of information that he wished to pull on to further fill his mind.
He was impatient. He was used to being the one in charge, the one others came to for teaching and advice; here he was nothing more than an underperforming student.
When the time came that the basic books of sorcery had been read from front to back, Emilia had helped the newest mystic arts student to gather them up and return them to Wong; the Kamar-Taj's highly protective librarian, and keeper of all ancient books.
Now Wong was... a character, to say the very least. The man was unflinching when it came to performing his duties within their home; he took each of his designated jobs as seriously as he possibly could; and considering what had happened to the previous librarian, his caution and utmost attention towards his job as a bookkeeper was most certainly needed.
Despite the stoic look that often graced his rounded face and nonchalant features, Wong was a kind and incredibly loyal man; he took it upon himself to teach Emilia as much as he could upon her arrival, finding a rather large soft spot within himself for the broken woman who longed for a place in the world.
He had truly never met a kinder woman, a better person who strived to do nothing but give out utter kindness... And he had never met a person who had been so beaten and battered by the world to which she contributed such kindness towards.
Wong, despite the fact he tried to hide it, was far more open and far less stern than he let on; such a personality was primarily reserved for the days when salted water trailed over Emilia's cheekbones. He hid away his love for pop culture, he hid away his incessant need to utter cheesy jokes and let out the most boisterous of laughs, all in favour of protecting the ancient words that graced the leather-bound books within his library.
"Emilia..." Wong greeted, a slight upturn of his lips clearly visible, an upturn that immediately fell upon finally noticing the tall newcomer trailing behind her. His eyes lost the small glitter of light that often sparked upon seeing his favourite student, and his voice fell flat, yet still remained as courteous as expected, "Mr Strange."
"Uh... Stephen, please..." Stephen murmured quietly as his eyes scanned the darkened library with eyes alight. He turned to Emilia for a mere moment before looking to Wong, "Wong, right? Emilia told me about you."
Wong raised a brow, "Good things?"
"Obviously, how could I possibly have anything bad to say about my favourite librarian?" Emilia smiled, her teeth on display as she dropped the books both she and Stephen had managed to complete at least twice throughout the mere week the former surgeon had been living with them.
"I'm the only librarian."
"Precisely." The woman hummed, mischief lacing the word as a lopsided smile fell upon her rose coloured lips; something Stephen could quite help but lightly chuckle at, gaining a rather unwanted look from Wong himself.
As ever a man to complete business in the face of strangers, students and masters, Wong scanned the array of books that lined the oak table to which they had been tossed upon, "The Book of the Invisible Sun, Astronomia Nova, Codex Imperium, Key of Solomon. You finished all of these?"
Stephen nodded as he rocked back onto his heels, shaking hands clasped together behind his back, "Emilia's a relatively good teacher."
"Relatively? Stephen, you'd have been lost without me." Emilia scoffed, though it was quite obvious to all three of the library's occupants that her words were nothing more than a lighthearted jest, one that managed to bring a fleeting smile to the newest sorcerer's face.
"Well," Wong spoke, gaining the attention of the two who stood before him, "If you've finished these... You should come with me."
Stephen wasted no time in picking up his feet to follow behind the bookkeeper, leaving Emilia behind whilst she took a few of the discarded, fully digested books that they had left on the table-top into her arms to return to their designated spot. She was more than certain that Wong — despite outwardly displaying his usual stern facade — was more than impressed with Stephens' newly garnered knowledge and was more than happy to quench such a thirst further.
And, if Emilia knew Stephen even half as well as she assumed she already did — the man with an ego that could rival even Tony Stark himself — would most definitely direct his curious gaze towards the books bound in chains; the books reserved for Masters, and the books primarily kept for the Sorcerer Supreme.
With light steps that often allowed Emilia to sneak around the Kamar-Taj unnoticed, she appeared behind the former surgeon and the bookkeeper amidst their conversation.
The book of Cagliostro was held within Stephens shaking grasp as he frowned upon the torn pages; the pages Kaecilius had stolen for himself after murdering the former librarian and allowing his blood to tarnish the safe space that offered wisdom and comfort to those in need.
"That," Emilia began, rather delighting in the startled look that graced Stephen's face that was still obscured by his shaggy, unruly beard, "Is the book of Cagliostro; the study of time. The pages you're so aptly frowning at were stolen by a former Master, Kaecilius."
"They were stolen just after Kaecilius strung up the former librarian and relieved him of his head. I'm now the guardian of these books, so, if a volume from this collection should be stolen again, I'd know it, and you'd be dead before you ever left the compound." Wong firmly stated, leaving the room to fall into an uneasy silence, one to which Stephen was almost positive he could hear crickets.
Emilia resisted the urge to snort at the disgruntled, and slightly terrified look upon Stephen's sharp features. His mouth was agape, with eyes squinted as he stared at Wong, trying to figure out whether he should truly fear the man. His conclusion? Yes, he very much feared Wong.
"What if it's just overdue? You know? Any... Late fees I should know about?" Stephen uttered out, his lips twitching to a smile as he tried his absolute hardest to relieve some of the awful tension the librarian had managed to conjure from thin air. Though, of course, his efforts were utterly futile and Wong looked just as nonchalant as ever... Though the former surgeon could pride himself in knowing he had brought an amused grin to Emilia's face.
"Maybe, perhaps, uhm..." Stephen stumbled for a moment before sighing, "Uh, you know, people used to think that I was funny."
"Did they work for you?" Wong fired back, causing Emilia to spin towards the bookshelves in an attempt to spare Strange further embarrassment... Though her efforts were noted, they were in vain, for her shaking shoulders gave her away completely.
Another beat passed as Stephen sighed to himself, gathering the books that Wong has so graciously retrieved for him into his arms, "Alright. Well, it's been lovely talking to you, thank you for the books and for the horrifying story and for the threat upon my life."
"Thank you, Wong." Emilia lightly chimed, her lips twitching as though she were still fighting a smile.
The man simply nodded, though the moment Stephen turned his back, Wong's own lips tugged upwards, leaving Emilia to inhale a humoured breath before following after the former surgeon with an armful of books.
"So, what do you think of him?" Emilia questioned the man with genuine curiosity. Wong and his way of speaking was for those with an acquired taste, unless of course, you were either Emilia, Mordo, or the Ancient One.
"Of — Of Wong? Yes, lovely, just the way you described him; absolutely full of joy and positivity."
"Well now, I didn't quite say those words."
"Close enough."
"Stephen," Emilia spoke with a light groan as her eyes rolled on their own accord; it seemed as though as the days built into weeks, her rather short temper was easily riled by Stephens own attitude. "You're very annoying, have you ever been told that?"
"Yes, actually." His steps paused as he threw a pointed look over his shoulder, "By you, multiple times."
"Hm... And yet you continue to be just as annoying as the very day you arrived, that is a talent."
"You're hilarious."
"I know."
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The time that followed was filled with Stephen tucked away in a corner of the Kamar-Taj reading his new, more advanced books with Emilia by his side. The only change in their previous routine was that the young woman seemed to have taken to meditating more often than she used to, claiming it was nerves for her upcoming, one-on-one session with the Ancient One.
This particular statement had confused the former surgeon, he had blinked and looked up from his book whilst confusion etched its way onto his face; he had been made aware that very few had one-to-one sessions with the Sorcerer Supreme herself, for having group sessions was the common practice.
He had voiced these words, only to be brushed off by the woman who simply hummed and sat in silence with closed eyes as the light breeze brushed through her masses of hair.
For Emilia, however, her reasoning for further meditation, yoga and whatever else she could find to calm herself, was perfectly valid.
Sessions with the Ancient One were growing ever more frequent as Emilia's confidence 'rose'; such words had been uttered from the Sorcerer Supreme, not Emilia herself, for the young woman with an unknown source of power budding upon her fingertips felt as though she was as confident as a meek little mouse.
On one particular day, Emilia found herself without Stephens company and was instead seated with crossed legs opposite the Ancient One in the middle of the training yard. It was clear of any noise or disruption, for all students knew of Emilia's training sessions and strict rules surrounding them.
Nobody was to use the yard during a training session. Nobody was to be loud enough that noise could be heard out on the yard. That was it. Two rules that each student and master respected completely... Except for Stephen, that is.
"Emilia, you can do this." The calming voice of the Ancient One soothed whilst Emilia gritted her teeth as she stared down at the bundle of vintage, golden-lined teacups. "You could manage one with ease, I have faith that three will prove to be just as easy. You are talented with your abilities —"
Emilia couldn't help but bark out a humourless laugh as she rose her gaze to her teacher, "Talented? I've been here for so long and yet what do I have to show for myself? A bunch of broken furniture and mangled mugs. I can't do this."
"Certainly not with that attitude." The Ancient One smiled, never bothering to entertain Emilia's sulking, "Your past, the things that happened were out of your control. You have more control now than you have ever had before. That in itself is an improvement. It matters not how long it's taken, it simply matters that you've improved."
Emilia wanted to argue, to spit the venom on her tongue like a viper; but that venom was not for the woman before her. It was for herself.
It was futile to argue further, the Sorcerer Supreme always knew what to say and what to do to inspire, motivate, or simply shut somebody up. Thus, Emilia inhaled a deep breath and sat straighter; eyes boring downwards at the trio of china cups.
She stretched out a single hand to hover in front of her chest and within a mere second, the cups on the mahogany tray began to rattle against one another. It took every ounce of concentration within Emilia, but within a minute, each of the three teacups were dancing in the air, shrouded in a thin veil of distorted blue. Sure they were a little shaky, but there they were. She had gone from one to three, all while keeping her eyes open and allowing fresh air into her lungs.
"Well done." Came the simple, yet heartwarming praise of the Ancient One. "I knew you'd be able to do it; you are stronger and far more capable than you give yourself credit for, Emilia."
"What was that?" Came another voice, Stephen's voice. Had it been any louder than the mere crackling whisper that tumbled from his mouth, the teacups would have been nothing but shattered pieces on the ground.
They had wavered in the air, and without hesitation, Emilia had thrown up her other hand to steady the items wiggling in the cool air of the day; a light sigh left her lips as they steadied, though that sigh rather quickly morphed into a huff as she directed a scowl towards Stephen who at least had the decency to look apologetic for interrupting.
"That, Mr Strange, is Emilia's power." The Sorcerer Supreme spoke the moment Emilia had parted her lips to avoid whichever insult was likely to be uttered. "Gravity manipulation, that's the conclusion we've come to."
"Gravity manipulation?" Stephen choked out, his widened eyes darting back and forth between Emilia and the Ancient One, "You are joking?"
"Did she say something funny?" Emilia muttered, her fingers wiggling once, twice, and three times, jostling the golden cups in the air.
"Gravity manipulation? Do you know what that entails?"
"Yes, Stephen, I do."
"You could create — "
"— I can move teacups." Emilia stopped him, knowing for certain that the man was likely to plough into some sort of tangent, a tangent that would likely leave a bad taste in her mouth. She knew what gravity manipulation entailed, she had spent nights and days recovering from panic attacks after spending mere minutes thinking of the kind of destruction that could come from her very own fingertips, the kind of destruction that already had.
Stephen faltered. His mouth clamped shut at the light shake of the head the Ancient One supplied him with, and the downcast, shameful look that had once again appeared on Emilia's face was enough for him to stay silent.
He wanted to ask questions, he needed to know more, but that look that marred Emilia's skin wasn't just a look of fear, it was a look of guilt. It didn't take a genius to figure out that something bad had happened as a result of her untamed powers, he just happened to be one.
Emilia allowed silent seconds to pass by without interruption. The teacups bounced lightly in the air as she moved her fingers and carefully twirled her wrist, watching with utmost interest as the sunlight bounced from the golden designs.
She swallowed, "I know what my abilities entail, Stephen, that's why I'm here." She turned her head, light catching the sheen of sweat on her cheekbones and forehead, "To learn control, and to unlearn... Fear."
It was a task, to unlearn something so deeply rooted in one's self; Emilia knew fear better than she knew herself. Each night nightmares filled with smoke, flames and cries echoed inside of her head, waking her up only to find nothing but a room shrouded in darkness. Her body would be covered in sweat, droplets tumbling across her frame as tears seeped into the skin of her cheeks.
Her heart would hammer inside of her chest and her body would ache as though she had trained for the very first time; perhaps it would be strange of her to wish that the nightmares stayed even after she learned control, as a reminder. The scenes inside of her head were a reminder of the irreversible damage she had done, of the lives that she had so quickly taken in such a horrific manner.
Or perhaps she simply wanted the nightmares to stay so that she could see her parents one last time, no matter if their pained cries tore at her ravaged heart.
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31-07-2021
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