she rolls her shoulders back against him with a shudder when teeth tease sensitive skin. twists in his arms so that she faces him, arms loosely draped over his shoulders, the picture of a serene woman.❛laughing at someone is generally considered rude, isn’t it?❜just as he knows that they say this all in good fun, she knows it as well, though it does stop her from a quick press of lips on whiskered cheekbone.
THE PICTURE OF his wife so suddenly relaxed in his arms caused him to follow suit, his own stature relaxing just a touch with a small smile. he knew that she was playing with him just as well, so he replied with an exaggerated gasp — feigning that this was a revelation to him, something that he didn’t know before just now. “is it, now? ”
she smiles in spite of herself, affection warming a gaze that has rarely been cold when fixed in his general direction. amusement is what curls rose lips upwards, amusement tinged with adoration.❛well, unofficially i suppose i may…indulge you on occasion.❜blond tendrils dust against her shoulder as she leans forward, giving him a proper kiss for both his benefit and her own. the ability to do so on a whim is, after all, one of the many perks of marriage.
THE KISS AS always was well appreciated by the sorcerer supreme, if his low hum of approval was anything to go by. while he was a sad man, one that held the world quite literally upon his shoulders, he did.. try, to be more happy with his wife as opposed to the burdened man he was. “ on occasion alone? you tease me my beloved, as always keeping me on the edge of the limb, tempting me.. ” he gave a cheeky grin, amusement in his eyes as to show that he was merely playing.
innocence beguiles the deadly; she knows this and yet she wanders. she wanders and she waits and she wonders, thinks of odd happenings that have sunk into their lives in recent months. dimensions long forgotten rise up once again, take control of tyrants run rampant, and life is no longer what it once was. things have changed, and clea wonders, in spite of herself, whether this bizarre turnabout can have its ripple effect extend to her as well.
clear violet gaze lights upon his, the curious acquainting itself with the cautious as her own figure matches his preparedness to flee. flight has always been infinitely more comfortable than flight. ❛i assume you mean to say such in terms of direction, but i’d venture you took a wrong turn in life as well to come here voluntarily.❜a vague answer to match churning mindset, unable to discern whether he is friend, foe, or something new entirely.
SEEING HER was like remembering his own version and being presented with a younger version of her — the young clea whom fell in love with him so easily it used to scare him, in a way. wordlessly he glanced behind him; wholly tempted to just simply leave, spare himself the pain in his heart that he knew would come, but despite this — he sighed, drifting closer to this version, of his ex-wife.
her response was much more amusing than it had any right to be, truthfully enough, to the point where the sorcerer gave a tired smile. “ says you, whom looks to have been here far longer than i. i.. apologize, for attempting to flee so readily. ” with this he’d look almost a touch embarrassed, a hand raising to run through his hair, “ i am stephen strange, and you..? ” he was attempting to appear aloof — a copy of his younger self, per say.
❛don’t be mean!❜fingers find his arm, playful swat against his skin before she lays back among the pillows. blond tresses fan out as though an earthly halo, one strand wound on her finger in a pale imitation of a wedding band. a soft smirk curves her lips, bringing an elbow to lean against the mattress, chin propped up on slender fingers.❛that’s the last time i’m nice to you stephen. officially.❜
“ OFFICIALLY, MY my, i did not see that coming.. ” his voice was bemused in tone, a low rumble as he was still ridden by sleep. regardless of her position he moved himself to mirror her, rolling onto his side and propping his chin upon an inch of empty space above his own hand. “ and what about unofficially, off the record, away from prying eyes? ”
HE LOOKED to be an odd one out in this world’s dark dimension, a place he usually would never willingly go. clad in his modern-esque gear the sorcerer supreme simply explored, taking note of the differences and similarities of the dimension in comparison to his own. it was only in the darkness did he see something — someone, akin to a ray of light, dispersing the heavy darkness around.. oh.
wordlessly he slowed to a stop, floating comfortably among the debris as he all but stared; she wasn’t.. a part of the plan, coming here. wordlessly he stared, his eyes somewhat wide as he took in her sight. “ i seem to have taken a wrong turn, ” he lamely began, floating back a ways to give himself space — fully prepared to simply flee, to save himself the heartache trouble.
there’s a contented hum that finds its way from her throat into the air, turning to smile against his shoulder for a moment.❛i will never cease to be amazed by how you remember the smallest details about so many things.❜she could spend an eternity in this way, wrapped in the arms of stephen strange, reminiscing, the closest to bliss she has found in many years.❛though i do remember you being unbearably rude and laughing at me.❜she squeezes his fingers for a moment, a silent reminder that she is only teasing.
her compliment was not lost on him, as evident as the way he hummed low in his throat, eyes closed as he simply held clea in his arms — a simple pleasure, one that the two of them simply did not have time for, most of the time. regardless of the teasing nature the sorcerer scoffed, rolling his eyes and tilting his head to nip at the tip of her ear; almost, akin to a chastisement. “ unbearably rude?”
she presses joint hands to her lips for a moment, as though in prayer, taking the time to keep her breathing even.❛that’s not true.❜clea blurts it out without a second thought, almost as if a natural reflex. she has done many things that she wishes she hadn’t throughout her life. but she has never stopped loving stephen strange, not once, since the moment she met him. and can he not see that it hurts her, to be so maligned for choices she made with the information he had given her, through his actions if not his word? there’s a shaky breath at his words, and the beginning of a coil of similar frustration in her chest.
❛i’m not asking for a personality switch stephen. all i’ve been asking during this entire conversation is whether or not we can…be friends at the very least, if going back to what we once were seems so impossible. and it should really be a yes or no answer at this point if you could actually just-!❜sucks in a sharp breath, cuts herself off before she says something rash and reignites another argument. it’s the last thing she wants, at the end, it does somewhat seem as though his evasion gives her an answer. in a moment of frustration clea fists her hands in her hair, before straightening her back and fixes him with a stare bordering on hopeless. ❛i’m sorry stephen. for all of it. i don’t think there’s anything else i can say other than i’m so sorry.❜
“ you should be. ” he had nothing else to say to her, as silence was simply the only thing that met her reply — he did not take the bait to her initiating another argument, but he could never be just friends with her, never in his life. wordlessly the sorcerer shook his head, leaning his weight back before taking a half step away from the woman he slept next to, gave his everything to — only for her to take it from him and run, only to come back to him and beg for forgiveness.
he was not the one in the wrong in this situation — yes, he was distant, but what man in his situation would not be? he bore the weight of the universe upon his shoulders and clea expected him to be the carefree, expression given man he once was. the world has aged him far beyond the years that he’s already lived, he just.. would it be worth it, fixing and mending the cement wall with bloody duct tape?“ i can never be just friends with you, clea. i gave you my heart, my love, my soul, my knowledge, my bloody everything and you still left me after.. ” he grit his teeth, shaking his head and cutting himself off before he did naught but continue yelling his discrepancies against her.
❛well, you certainly got a fantastic deal, if i do say so myself.❜continues her ministrations, the other hand lightly tracing the corner of his jaw for a moment. had the world stopped here, at this moment, she would not have been opposed. she lifts her shoulders into a shrug, a smile curving her lips. ❛and i…i hit the jackpot, as you say.❜
a soft snort left him at how clea attempted to.. flirt? compliment? him by relating him to the jackpot — he was anything but, he knew it, he assumed she did as well, but.. he was happy, that she was willing to keep him regardless of his flaws. “ hit the jackpot, beloved? i’m sorry.. who are you, and what have you done with my wife?” he’d give a cheeky grin, an eyebrow quirked as he teased with his words.
she nods without words, smile threatening to split her face in two, admiring the view for a moment before twisting her head to look at him. clea keeps her fingers laced with his, wrapping his arm around her torso. ❛you know they don’t have snow in the dark dimension. or coffee. and most appallingly, they don’t have you.❜with that she stands on the balls of her feet to press a lingering kiss to the corner of his jaw, before leaning back against him once more with a relaxed sigh.
at her winding his arm about her torso he’d huff in amusement, the tips of his ears turning just a smidgen pink at her words. it was nice, the way she knew how to fluster him so, and with a soft sigh he’d quirk a small smile at her kiss. wordlessly he’d squeeze her impossibly closer, bringing her to him as he propped his chin atop her head. “ i remember, ” he continued, a small smile as nostalgia came over, “ you were so surprised, and then ten minutes later you sneezed, the cold getting to you. ”
this is them, forever and always, trapped in the same tired circle, the same old song. they fight as if they hate each other; they confess things they would not have otherwise said; they retreat back into their corners, doomed to start over at some point or another. she loved him ( loves him still, even after all of it ) and yet there came a point in their married life when love was not enough to keep them from falling apart. and what will change now? she wants forgiveness and yet does not deserve it, and who can know for how long her husband will hold his resentment. fingers lock together, sticking in place with almost military rigidity. there’s pain writ plainly on his face, and it is mirrored in her own no doubt. clea keeps herself in place, neither moving forward nor backing away, stuck in this same mode, half supplication and half resignation. she would feel safer if she ran; she would be devastated if she gave in and ran. she would tear herself apart if she stayed; she would thank every god that exists if she was able to to stay.
❛stephen…❜she wants, aches to say more. clea is aware that she has power over him, and yet he holds that same thing over her. stephen strange can render her mute with nary a phrase, can hold her over coals every day of her life and she will let him. without question or hesitation, even if it ends with her as a charred corpse of what she had once been. swallows thickly, bows head, gaze fixed on anything and everything but doctor strange, love of her life and potential cause for its ruination.
a never ending cycle, they were, always dancing around each other when one did not want to work on the problem — in this case, it was him. “ i felt.. like you betrayed me, like you did not love me.. ” he ran a hand over his features, shaken digits hiding his face for a pause. he was not good with expressing emotions, “ you know i’m not good with emotions, showing them — and it hurts me, that despite our millennia together, you still.. want me to change, clea. i can’t be the same man i was — the carefree man whom just only recently became knowledgeable to the world of magic, and sorcerer supreme.. ” he sighed, shaking his head as he stood — now pacing, with his hands hidden away in his front pant pockets. he was trying, that much was apparent, he only did not know where to go, what to say, to make her understand the enigma that was his mind.
“ you’ve changed, why is it.. difficult, apparently, that i have, too? ” he frowned, looking over at her with a frown and searching eyes. he loved her, he was sure that he never would not love her, but.. there were times where she frustrated him — and now, appeared to be one of those times. however, he wouldn‘t audibly admit as such.
at clea’s outburst any good mood he may have been in for the time swiftly left him, the sorcerer now all but glaring at her to hide the pang of hurt in his chest from her words. sighing softly he pinched the bridge of his nose with fingers shaken from a wound long since received, his back turn to her as he tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling. “ vishanti give me strength, ” he muttered softly below his breath, running a hand over his features before he turned to reply — albeit after a pause, so he did not simply snap at her.
“ do forgive me for not being a simple man, beloved. ”
there’s a shiver of pleasure at the feel of his teeth dragging over her skin and the words breathed along her skin. without hesitation, clea pulls his mouth to hers for a proper, though quick, kiss this time around.❛i love you too.❜pulling away, her fingers play idly with the hair at the nape of his neck, taking a moment to allow herself a deep, contented sigh. ❛how did we get this lucky?❜
he all but purred into the quick kiss — eyes closing and his breath slowing to a more relaxed pace, leaning into her before blinking his eyes open. it was moments like these that he cherished, moments like this that he thoroughly looked forward to, with her. “ lucky..?” he mused, a light shudder down his spine at the fingers through his hair.
* characters that betray your muse when your muse needs the(m) most (◡‿◡✿)
* characters that make your muse feel weak and pathetic (◡‿◡✿)
* characters that can trigger your muse’s biggest fears in a way never explored (◕‿◕✿)
* characters that can be the personification and symbolism of your muse most hated things, nightmares, failures, fears and ghosts; which leads your muse to have honest breakdowns and a pure moment of weakness, filled with reflection and self-judgment (⊙‿⊙✿) * ANGST-Y YET REALISTIC CHARACTERS & RELATIONSHIPS !!!! *。 ᕕ(⊙ ᗜ ⊙✿)ᕗ 。*
she leans into him without thinking, acting on an instinct as old as time. head rests against his shoulder and back against his chest, taking advantage of both his warmth and his ability to keep them both upright. hands circle his wrists loosely, and clea grins at him, turning to nuzzle his neck ever so slightly.❛hm…wong?❜
at her snark of a reply stephen scoffed, his hands staying put as he rolled his eyes — fondly, exaggerated. without a word he accompanied her weight, supporting the two of them as he used his magics to surround the two of them; in a moment they were outside, his hands still over here eyes until he whispered into her ear, “ remember when you first saw snow?” his hands lifted away, showing them on a snowy mountainside — never cold, however, his magics surrounding the two of them kept the chill away, for now.
—— if you want to ship with me, please let me know beforehand. also know that stephen is divorced, and will not be fond of the idea of a relationship until much later. take into mind that he is bisexual with a preference towards women & demiromantic.
—— read the powers page in regards to stephen’s abilities. i will only use a larger extent with my thread partner’s consent.
— i primarily am willing to write script & single para, but am subjective when it comes to novella. this blog is recommended at 18+ as NSFW items may be reblogged or roleplayed. however, it will be tagged.
— all potential triggers will be tagged as: ________ tw. if you need something tagged, send me a message.
— NSFW will be tagged as : nsfw for ts, and nsfw text for ts
lastly.
— no smut threads unless you’re a friend of mine and 18+.
— all comic / cartoon icons have been made by me so don’t use them.
DIVERGENT
divergent bits
✴ stephen is 6'6" instead of the canon 6'2", like literally everyone else.
comparison pic :
✴ stephen does not cheat on clea, regardless of where they are in the relationship, and they divorced because of how they were rarely in each other’s company ( regardless, stephen is bitter about the divorce ).
✴ stephen is not de-powered as a default, unless for a reason that i agree to in plotting before we create the starter.
✴ my MCU verse is 616 stephen loitering in the mcu. read more here.
✴ stephen’s hands eternally shake, and it’s especially prominent when they’re inactive. he can’t hold anything, open doors, or punch someone without immense pain.
✴ i only really acknowledge that the emperikul are on earth, and nothing else from the new run ( he would not kiss that fucking soul eater, marvel ), and will use the emperikul as the reason to his de-powering for plots, if not discussed in further detail.
dr. strange is incredibly self conscious of his hands, and will wear gloves whenever in public, or in the presence of another person. his scars from the car crash long ago are ever present, the constant shake consistently noticeable. they still ache with pain —- he is still unable to truly use them, unless of course he deliberately wants to hurt himself. he now prefers to stay at home, and let other ( younger ) heroes deal with non-magical enemies.
stephen is not good at social skills, and will often come off as either rude, or distant.
he is demiromantic, and will only have a male partner if it’s after a long while of threaded out seduction, by someone whom stephen doesn’t dislike, as well as with heavy encouragement from his potential partner. he prefers to remain single, so don’t expect it to be easy to get him into a relationship. ever since his estrangement / divorce ( abandonment ) with clea, he began to be wary of the concept of a mutually appreciative relationship.
PROFILE
— name : stephen strange.
— faceclaim( s ) : tom ellis, jonathan rhys meyers, michiel huisman, david gandy, adrien brody.
— alias( es ) : doctor strange, sorcerer supreme, master of the mystical arts, the doctor.
— alignment : true neutral; they don’t align strongly with good or evil, nor do they with chaotic or lawful. they usually are undecided between the four sections or just gravitate right in the middle.
— place of birth : philadelphia, pennsylvania.
— date of birth : november 18, 1930.
— age: 5'084.
— nationality : american.
— education : medical doctorate, extensive sorcery training through a mixture of self-education and vast arcane lore.
— occupation : sorcerer supreme of earth dimension, adventurer, occult consultant; former physician, neurosurgeon.
family life.
— marital status : divorced.
— known relatives : eugene and beverly strange (parents, deceased), victor strange (brother, presumed deceased), donna strange (sister, deceased), clea (wife, divorced).
this is the verse compliant with 616 canon, with a few tweaks here and there.
dr. strange is incredibly self conscious of his hands, and will wear gloves whenever in public, or in the presence of another person. his scars from the car crash long ago are ever present, the constant shake consistently noticeable. they still ache with pain —- he is still unable to truly use them, unless of course he deliberately wants to hurt himself. he now prefers to stay at home, and let other ( younger ) heroes deal with non-magical enemies.
stephen is not good at social skills, and will often come off as either rude, or distant.
he is demiromantic, and will only have a male partner if it’s after a long while of threaded out seduction, by someone whom stephen doesn’t dislike, as well as with heavy encouragement from his potential partner. he prefers to remain single, so don’t expect it to be easy to get him into a relationship. ever since his estrangement / divorce ( abandonment ) with clea, he began to be wary of the concept of a mutually appreciative relationship.
stephen mainly resided in the MCU ( Earth-199999, in his eyes ) to keep dormammu’s reign of fire from spilling into their dimension, among other things, before the sorcerer supreme of that universe finally deigned to appear. he too knew that it was no coincidence that the soul gems were being spotted all over the galaxy, and that the thanos of this world was planning on copying earth-616′s plan with potential for variation.
he would be needed to revive the dead once more, stop thanos and potentially keep the gems under his watchful eye. however.. the world was never in his favor, and strange was forced to wait in the shadows for the time this world’s stephen strange would become sorcerer supreme, and do all these things in his stead.
not wanting to overstep his boundaries in off throwing this world’s timeline was the main reason for his lack of action, despite the aggression he would more than likely receive for doing as such. of course he could have been able to stop tony from creating ultron– he could have even stopped loki from opening the dimensional rip and invading with an army of chitauri. but this was not his world to aid, and moral confines were thrown aside.
he could not choose a side, whether to help the ‘heroes’ or the ‘villains’, he was in his world to simply relax from the stresses of his own —- and discern the difference between the two versions of one person.
for the time being he would continue to lay low in the sanctum sanctorum and wait for the soul gems– infinity stones? whichever, to be collected and used. perhaps this world’s stephen would not be as inept as expected?
DC UNIVERSE
during the incursions, the illuminati was unsuccessful at preventing the destruction of earth-616.
stephen was left to watch his friends and home be destroyed by crashing into another universe, while he could do naught but sit helpless. strange felt as if the only reason he was there, was the watch it happen befor his own eyes —- a reminder, that what he did was not enough. with the sanctum’s entrance destroyed and wong likely trapped within ( or so he hoped ), stephen set out for the hospitality of his former collegue dr. fate.
after saying his part and promising a favor, he was allowed sanctuary in the magic user’s tower for a short while. for now he was to find a way to open the sanctum’s doors to him once more, and until then his new world would contain no avengers or defenders or even the fantastic four—— instead, there was the justice league, and heroes he’s never heard of before. dr. fate would be his guide, though if other heroes were to need his help.. well, that was a question for another day.
DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN.
with the latest failings of human neurosurgeons and doctors (as well as the expense of their salaries) androids made by CYBERLIFE have been developed to fill in this job for a one time payment. MD600′s were the newest and brightest creations of their time, most of them having been shipped out after the heavily documented success of the first one --- Stephen, a fully custom android that was made to look like no other.
his precise and quick surgeries were always a success, no matter how far gone the patient was already. families of the patients were just as grateful, and this stepping stone was one of many to get the public to trust in androids, and purchase them for themselves. for years he was the brightest before the newest prototype RK800 -- Connor -- came into the picture.
whether it an accident or a set up on the drive from his handler’s home to the hospital the car suffered a freak shut down on the edge of a cliff, leaving the vehicle careening off the edge and killing the human, while leaving stephen in tatters. seeing nothing salvageable the police officers at the time opted to send him to the junkyard, where the android would remain in a critical shut down for several days before his systems repaired enough to awaken.
upon waking most of his components were damaged upon scanning, and after salvaging (regrettably) through other androids he was able to find parts that were.. somewhat compatible enough, to his own. however, because the eye did not truly fit his socket correctly, a bright blue light shines through the iris when not covered from view.
after crawling from the junkyard and leaving he found an abandoned house with a mangled white cat, taking the time to repair himself slowly and befriend the creature for some sort of company. he made money by doing house calls to human families, brandished with a makeshift eye patch and a beanie to cover is LED. he helped them, and in return they helped him (under the assumption that he was human).
DRAGON AGE
the strange family was a house relatively whispered among the imperium, something that the heads of the house —- stephen’s parents, always did not approve of.
stephen had a normal upbringing, as normal as it was in tevinter, as did his siblings. it was only when his powers grew to heights previously unknown to a man his age, did everything seem to stumble down hill. rival houses took notice to his looks and power, finally deeming house strange to be neutralized before their first born became more of a problem for them.
it took many years of planning —- enough to allow stephen to grow to a tender 18 years of age, before one after another after another of his family members were taken out discretely by the antivan crows hired for the job. every assassination was carefully planned to be made out as an accident, a job well done so much so that stephen to this day does not think it was purposeful, just a string of bad luck.
only when he was alone, he assumed that he was born to die, too. the logical part of his brain screamed for him to leave, find someplace else to settle, start anew —- but his heart told him to stay where his family was, use the money left for him to keep house strange running. a failed assassination attempt left him spooked, and the young man sold everything he owned and fled, hiring a ship stopping in kirkwall to hire yet another to take him to fereldan.
fereldan was the perfect place for him, in comparison to the imperium, but the borders were entirely unforgiving for a man from the tevinter imperium —- a mage, no less, one that absolutely could not be anything but an evil slaving blood mage. after nearly a week of trying to be reconsidered for entry stephen gave up trying to enter legitimately, ultimately spending the majority of his dwindling coin to be smuggled in by professionals.
years later he was deep in hiding, practicing magic without a wand after them having been crushed during donna’s downward spiral. he keep getting stronger —- and that attracted a spirit of wisdom, finding a host in the young man that was desperate for power, and more so, company after having been alone for far too long. in these years stephen studied and learned the fereldan way of life —- the accent, the body language, the likes and dislikes of the different territories.. in doing so, he spent all the time he could, erasing the man that he used to be to start anew in this cold country.
he fell in love and married clea for a time ; officially getting fereldan citizenship in doing so. they never stayed in one set place, always being nomads to explore fereldan and orlais.
it was a long trek back to the hinterlands with a broken heart and a heavy conscience, though he would remain in redcliff as a healer for over ten years —- finally finding some sense of home, for the first time in what felt like an eternity. he assumed he would never leave the village, though his assumptions were proved wrong when the inquisition was formed.
soon the Inquisitor ( and apparent herald of andraste ) would arrive, recruiting him as a magics adviser.
his duties would consist as such :
1. watching over the mages of the inquisition, teaching them their individual crafts so they would not loose themselves to the crave of power. he would attempt to teach them to use magics without their staffs, but so far this was not well received by the commander.
2. working alongside the lady ambassador in soothing the worries of nobles in power in regards to magics, sending the occasional group of protege students to the homes of said noble’s town to show them how magic could be used for good.
3. accompanying the other advisers around the war table, offering his own operations and perks for the inquisitor to choose from.
4. accompany the inquisitor on their journeys, if needed and left without work to do.
GAME OF THRONES
a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a lion dressed as a mouse. he was the distant cousin of the late ned stark, the one remaining stark within the reachable grasp of the lannisters. he was the master of politics, a man with as much power physically, as he did mentally. every assassin sent to off him turned up dead; every mercenary disappearing.
a member of house stark, in the middle of king’s landing. everything surrounding him was shrouded in a cloud of death, including the fate of his family. he did what little he could do to aid jon and sansa, as it was unknown to even him that arya was alive. he did what he could to stop the rights of winterfell to befall anyone other than sansa, but he was fighting valiantly against a losing war.
he knew his house was falling, but he’d do whatever it took to stop that. nothing was outside of the realm of possibility — he made a promise to ned and caitlyn, that as the godfather to the stark children, he would give his life and soul in effort to keep winterfell from destruction.in king’s landing he operated mainly within the castle; having previously been a tentative ally of oberyn martell. given the amount of times assassins were sent against him he was impossible to kill — a thorn in the side of the lannisters, though a thorn that was not easily removed.
this did not mean he would not ally with them, anything but, the opportunity simply.. has not arisen, and it was unlikely to do so.
LORD OF THE RINGS
as the pieces of the world continued to fall apart beneath the influence of sauron and his desperation to carry out melkor’s will, it becomes increasingly clear to the valar that there must be someone who can intervene and guide the free peoples of middle earth from both corruption and destruction.
it was then in this thought that they picked through their most loyal maiar and bid them to mortal bodies – a necessary process to conceal their great power and prevent them from falling prey to a desire for domination. they were tasked only with assistance, it was their sworn duty, and they were meant to obey.
of them were six, those who were thought to be infallible in their dedication to both the children of illuvatar, and the valar who governed them, and among them was stephen the red, noted most for his headfirst dive into the fray. while the others had gone their separate ways ( not entirely up to plan ), stephen had chosen to face sauron – to abolish his rule before it began – but was, much to his surprise, beaten. this event, however, was not a matter of outmatched power, but that their engagement was interfered with by the son of melkor, as he was called; aicanar.
those who dwelt in the first and second ages knew well the deeds of aicanar, and like sauron, he had survived after the chaining of melkor. his purpose remained a mystery to many, but it was noted that he had always shown a competitive spirit when it came to sauron.
seeing the two interlocked in battle, he found himself drawn to stephen, whether by length of power or some other unknown force, and as a result made the decision to intervene and take him for himself. not long after the kidnapping of the maia did aicanar then decide to imprint upon him, and left a scar upon his back, ( in part ) to warn all foes, especially sauron, that stephen belonged to him. for some time the istarin was held in captivity, but eventually escaped during the eve of one particular night his gracious host was away.
what stephen does now remains a mystery to most, for he is absent from the white council and is rarely seen upon the lands. it’s theorized that he may still be keeping to the duty that brought him upon earth, but others argue he moves constantly to stay two steps ahead the foul beast aicanar, whilst also striving to bring sauron down as he has always wanted.
FANTASTIC BEASTS
stephen strange was born to a pureblood wizarding family, the eldest of three siblings all exceptionally gifted in magic he was the first to get his letter to attend Ilvermorny, shortly followed by victor and then donna.
he was sorted into horned serpent, and he was every part a scholar—excelling in his classes and earning a bit of reputation for himself. they thought when stephen graduated he would be picked up by MACUSA but he declined the offer, preferring to travel the world and study the nature of magic.
extremely skilled in charms and defense against the dark arts he would come to develop several new spells and has become the author of many magical books that students would come to use in their studies.
and then —- he met his then wife, she had come to him to study, due to the fact that he took apprentices on every now and then — and then, the pair soon fell in love. for many years things would seem quiet for the wizard until clea grew restless with stephen’s need to travel and study — often leaving home for months on end, and one day he came back to divorce papers —- causing him to spiral off into a deep depression. there would be no more talks, no more visiting schools, not even a new book.
stephen shut himself in his sanctum, and closed the doors.
but still his reputation preceded him, and he became the target of grindelwald’s followers — they had wanted him to make them a spell that would give them the upper edge in the war. of course stephen refused, once, twice, he didn’t get a third choice for they slaughtered his family in revenge — mother, father and siblings — teaching him a lesson before taking him hostage.
stephen was subjected to brutal torture, when magical didn’t work they turned to physical, crushing his hands so badly that he could not even hold a wand —thinking that would be the end of it since he could not cast.
they grew sloppy, and stephen — who was skilled in wandless magic — escaped, returning to his sanctum to mourn in solitude.
YURI ON ICE
stephen was the number one mens ice skater —- on top of the world in scores, and nobody could beat him at his high. he had a gorgeous & loving wife, a penthouse in new york city, and a gold metal from the athens 2004 winter olympics. training his entire life he was older than the rest by a handful of years, but nonetheless he was acknowledged as the victor.
and then, he disappeared.
twelve years he’s been gone from the limelight, presumed dead, and hidden from the press. he’s not dead, though he wished he was after he came back to new york. he had been training so hard to qualify much less win the olympics that his wife left him —- and stephen came back to an empty apartment, with divorce papers waiting on the counter for his return.
he drank himself into a stupor, never sober and becoming something of a hermit —- never leaving the apartment for weeks on end. the one day he did he was still intoxicated, enough so that he was texting on his phone and didn’t pay attention to the night road he drove on.
with a crash, the motor skills of his hands were taken from him, and he opened up his eyes to the possibility of starting anew.
he moved to japan, though he never got rid of the love for skating. occasionally he found himself at the rink in town, skating when no one but the working girl in the front was there —- too busy to watch him, ideally. he was hidden, and only someone that could see past his new facial hair and whitened temples would know it was him.
he liked to keep it that way, but eventually —- he would be found.
PRE-MAGIC EARTH-616
stephen earned his medical degree in record time and entered a five-year residency at new york hospital, where his rapid success made him arrogant. stephen’s mother beverly died near the end of his residency, and work became more and more impersonal for the bereaved surgeon. strange’s talent remained, however, and he became a wealthy and celebrated neurosurgeon before he turned thirty.
egotistical and greedy, cold and callous, strange’s interest in his patients generally began and ended at his bill. the exception was madeleine revell, an injured united nations translator whom he saved and fell in love with. following a whirlwind romance and proposal, she left him due to his increasingly materialistic nature. two years after his mother’s death, strange’s father, eugene also fell ill.
already crippled by grief over his mother’s death ( though he would never admit it ), stephen was unable to face any more tragedy, and refused to visit eugene’s deathbed.