1964-09-02 - The Speedster's Back in Town
Summary: A grocery run turns into a happy reunion and tentative plans are made.
Related: None
Theme Song: None
strange tommy 


It's mid-afternoon on the day that Tommy turns back up in New York. Did she tell anyone she was coming back? Probably at least made a good faith effort into letting Billy know, if nothing else. In a vague sort of "I might be heading back sometime in the next few weeks." It's a surprise, right? The when, and possibly the where, of getting back.

She has her suitcase in hand, a large floppy straw hat on her head, and the slightly sunburned appearance of someone that might have actually been too long out in the sunlight for longer than usual. The pace is less stroll, but not quite a quick walk and seems to have only marginal direction and purpose.


On the other hand, the man in the dress pants and white button-down shirt, sleeves rolled and neck buttons undone for the sake of keeping cooler in the weather, has his arms full of paper bags. How quaint — the Sorcerer Supreme on a grocery run. The Sanctum must be out of Witch-reviving sundries again, such as citrus fruits, loaves of bread, and don't ever forget the honey. A light sheen of sweat darkens his silvered temples and he sighs to himself as he side-steps a pair of lost tourists.

"Could stop to one side of the sidewalk instead of standing there like a damn road block…" Strange grumbles as he gives them one last remonstrative glance. When his gaze returns to forward directionality, he catches sight of the wide-brimmed hat. That's different.

Wait a second. His steps slow even as the distance between them decreases. Is that…? "Excuse me." It's an attention-grabbing statement, mildly authoritative and intending to draw a face towards himself.


Tourist are sheep that are easily distracted by shiny objects and very tall buildings. The bane of all existance, so on…and so on. Thankfully, Tommy doesn't have any sort of tourist gathering to block her pathway.

Then again, she doesn't spot the Sorcerer Supreme on his domestic trip until his voice reaches her ears, and her attention turns towards the source of the voice. The hand not holding her suitcase lifts up, resting on top of her head as she squints in that direction before starting to move towards him, her own steps picking up speed where his seem to decrease.


Well — gods be damned and seven hells and Hoggoth's hoary hosts.

A faint laugh and minute shake of his head occurs even as Strange stops completely, giving the young woman in the straw hat a slowly-growing smile. "Looks like you found your feet despite being swept off after all," says the man, quoting Tolkien in a haphazard way. "I admit, I wondered when you were coming back." A pause and his formal demeanor melts the slightest, proof that fatherhood is becoming more comfortable to wear about his shoulders atop the mantle of his powers and a rather crimson Cloak. "It's good to see you, Tommy."

Groceries impede any attempt at a hug, though he'd probably be fairly stiff with the expression of fondness still. Billy manages to surprise him now and then with such a gesture still, as does Vic.


Does she recognize the haphazard quote? It doesn't appear that she does judging by the expression on her face. She just stares of a second with a momentary puzzled look before she shakes her head, "I wasn't entirely sure when I was going to be able to make it back myself." The admission comes with a bit of a shrug and a half-smile, looking sort of apologetically amused by her past inability to know when she'd be home.

"You need help carrying anything?" Tommy offers after a moment, gesturing towards the bags that he is carrying with one hand, then she lifts her suitcase, "I have at least one whole arm that could be used to help."


Strange glances down at the brown bags and shakes his head. "Thank you, but it's not difficult. If I can't carry groceries without dropping them, I should be reconsidering some aspects of my life." Coy amusement dances through his glance before he becomes immutably more reserved again, his basic setting in life. "You're welcome to accompany me back to the Sanctum, unless you're expected elsewhere?"


"Not expected anywhere that I'm aware of." Tommy replies with a grin, shaking her head, "I haven't exactly announced my return yet, if you get my meaning." She drops her hand from the top of her hat, only so that she may make a flourishing wave forward, indicating that he should lead the way to the Sanctum. "How have things been the last few months?"


"I do understand," Strange replies, taking up his long strides at a more marked pace this time for ease of conversation. "The last few months…" He considers the far end of the block as he thinks, brows knitted. Pigeons take off from a nearby powerline and a taxi passes by brisky, avoiding the bicyclist who grants the driver a rather rude hand gesture before continuing on, intent on delivering before time is up.

"Full of revelations," decides the Sorcerer in regards to full summary. "There have been fluctuations within reality and various attempts at invasion, but between myself, Wanda and Billy, along with our various friends and acquaintances, they've been rebuffed. Your brother was recently looking into an odd influx of spiders from another dimension. I let him take the lead on the incident; he seemed particularly interested in how their exoskeletons are made of a glass-like composition. Oh, and speaking of brothers." The glance down at Tommy is accompanied by another half-smile. "You have another, Vic. In some manner that Wanda and I truly can't fathom, we…well, our powers created a Mote of Cognizance. A sentient collection of soul-energy. It found a body and…there you have it."


"I leave for a few months, and you two create some new mote thing." Whatever that is. Tommy might be thinking of moat, not mote, for all the comprehension on her face. What she does comprehend, however, is that there is a new sibling. Even if just some soul-energy in a body that didn't belong to it.

"So there have been spiders and invasions, and fluctuations in reality." Tommy grins at him at that, matching whatever pace he sets without much difficulty, "I'm not sure that these words have ever come out of my mouth…but it feels good to be home. Weirdness and all."


For a passing moment, the stoic Doctor contemplates reminding the flaxen-haired young woman about the old adage of 'when a Sorcerer and a Witch love one another dearly'…but it dies to amusement in his mind in the end.

"Weirdness and all," Strange repeats in quiet agreement, that gentle curve of his lips hanging about to keep him from full formality. "When the family name is 'Strange', the concept of 'normalcy' goes out the window. I presume you're still staying at your apartment?"


"I let some secretary stay there while I was away, so that the rent kept getting paid….I've got to make sure she's out, but yeah." Tommy replies after a moment, "Since I didn't give her any warning, I might be sleeping on the couch in my own apartment for a little while. I feel kind of bad about asking her to just…abruptly leave." As for the name? Well. She just smiles a little more widely at that, shaking her head. "Like a cosmic joke, isn't it?"


"You can imagine how unamusing the puns get after…thirty-some years." The Sorcerer rolls his eyes at the concept. "Also confirming that, indeed, it is my last name, in general interactions. I wouldn't be surprised at all if it was some cosmic joke, yes. The gods play their games." There's a gravity to his observation and air. Like a cloud, it passes, and he glances to Tommy again.

"Very intelligent of you to rent the place out. She'll likely understand." That smile appears again, with enough strength to showcase the dimples that Billy managed to inherit. "I'll will for a calm return to normalcy for you here, how about that?" Though, knowing the family's general luck…it probably won't happen.


"So many puns." Tommy agrees with an all too serious nod, trying her very best to match tone with expression, only to fail and instead grin at him, "You probably have heard some really good ones over the years, though. You should write them all down in a book sometime, just because."

The offer of willing calm though causes her to snort faintly in amusement, "I don't mind if it's not calm or normal….after all, normal gets boring after like…five minutes. Without a little strangeness in life, it'd be very boring. I do not, however, look forward to tears when she has to find some new apartment."


Pausing at the corner, Strange takes a moment to shift the bags in his arms to a new balance of comfort. It'll be a minute or two before the light turns and he seems to be keeping a mildly-elevated eye on the traffic driving by at its brisk speed.

"When I remember my favorite pun, I'll tell you of it," he says with a curl of a smirk. The crowd gathers around them, all waiting patiently. "I hope there's no tears on her part. It was to be expected, your return, and she should be thankful for the time she spent there. Billy will be glad to see you." A fond side-glance to the blonde again. "I think he's been looking forwards to your return."


"I've been looking forward to seeing him again." Tommy admits, glancing towards the traffic as it rolls by with only mild interest before she shrugs, "It probably should be expected, though. Doesn't mean she wont be upset about it…that lack of warning thing. But I did say only a few months, I think." She's quiet for a few more moments before suggesting slowly, "Perhaps we can all get together sometime? With this new mote brother, and you and….all of us."


Strange flicks dark brows high.

"Of course. If we're not hosting a gathering at the Sanctum, I expect your brother Vic to leap upon the opportunity to further press for dinner. I recently met his significant other," the good Doctor explains as they cross the white lines on tarmac, part of the school of pedestrians and safe from the traffic in the meantime. "Kellan. He asked if dinner was possible and I deal in impossible…which makes the affair basically planned. Unless something extradimensional encroaches upon reality and my mantle is needed, I don't see why not."

Everyone makes it to the other side of the street before the taxis begin their hectic driving once again and he pauses off to one side of the wide pathway. "When you see Billy, discuss it with him and then have him call me or stop by the Sanctum."


"Boy do you." Tommy comments with a grin at the dealing in impossible part, but she nods to the rest, accepting that dinner will be a thing unless extradimensional chaos ensues. "I'll mention it to Billy, and that he should call or stop by. What's this new brother like? Other than being a mote, and apparently already with a significant other. What's this Kellan like?"


"Hmm." A pensive sound and it's clear Strange is deciding precisely what details to share. "Vic shares a good number of qualities with the Mote of his existence. Spritely, I think, is fair. Good-tempered, more so than both Wanda and myself," he admits, not ashamed to do so for the blase delivery. "He'll be enthused to meet you. Kellan, I know only in passing, but, as my father would have said: he's good people." Extra Mid-Western twang for the saying and then the good Doctor is back to the more precise and neutral accent. "I'll let you make your own final decisions on them, considering you'll meet them soon enough."


"Spritely?" Tommy frowns at that, wrapping her mind around the idea, and possibly other random concept that are paired with that word in her head. Whatever those might be, they seem to eventually amuse her judging by the smile. "Sounds pleasant, at least. Good people, spritely, and all that."

At which point, she takes a mental left and runs about half a mile, conversationally speaking, "What'd you buy at the store?"


Even as he begins walking again, Strange glances down at the bags, with their contents in question.

"Groceries for Wanda. She appreciates having easy access to energy at times. Bread, fruit, vegetables — more honey," and he laughs, as if there's some ridiculous humor to be found there and he's clearly affectionate of it. "She'll polish it all off shortly, I'm sure. I have the damnedest time keeping the larder full."


"Sounds familiar." Tommy pushes herself up on her tip-toes, trying to peer inside one of the bags as they keep walking, potentially looking for something that might be interesting, or just curious in general. "What's so funny about the honey, though? I hear that it is useful for a lot of things…like going in tea."


"It should sound familiar, given your relation," replies Strange with a faint grin. "Honey cuts the bite of some of the darker teas, yes, and goes over well with guests to the Sanctum. Wanda can eat it straight, somehow, and I'm always impressed when half of a jar disappears in one sitting. It makes my teeth hurt to consider eating it as such." A faint smack of his lips and he can be seen to unconsciously suck on said teeth in passing. "Too much sweetness in one sitting for me. However, it's pure biological energy, if you consider it."


"It is?" Tommy glances up at that, clearly not having thought about it in those kinds of terms, "Maybe I should go to the store on the way back to the apartment and try this theory out. Although…." And there she pauses, thinking for a moment, "Why are you giving guests honey?"


"It would restore your own energy stores quickly. You should." A nod in agreement. "Guests stir the honey into their tea," Strange explains, " — along with cream if need be. I haven't entertained anyone lately who eats it straight or has asked for a jar. No one but Wanda." Another faint smile and they round the corner to the street where upon the Sanctum Sanctorum sits, lofty and impressive mansion amidst the unusual charm of Greenwich Village proper.

"Will you be seeing Billy soon then? I hate to attempt to make plans considering the unpredictability of Fate in terms of my free time, but it's the thought that counts, I suppose." He seems resigned to it.


"I plan on going to drop off my stuff at home, inform the secretary I'm home and that she needs to find a new place…then go find Billy. My success rate of finding him is the question." Tommy replies, lifting the suitcase in her hand, "In fact, speaking of uh…unpredictability of Fate and things, I should hurry along and get that accomplished before something decides to eat the world and you have to save us all."


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