At the risk of this kid mauling me next full moon, he's a werewolf so he could smell it on Andy. Don't tell him I told you, he's angry with me as it is for acting on this.
[ he takes another long sip from his coffee and makes one of those mm thinking sounds. ]
Well, you’re a father, and your son is dead, and some kind of lich. Per next of kin rules I can’t say I’m too concerned about what his boyfriend thinks.
[ not that he sounds especially sympathetic in general. he sets the mug down--it reads i can’t fix stupid but i can sedate it. ]
[ he barely suppresses the urge to roll his eyes. ]
I am aware you didn’t mean Dr. Valenti.
[ as if the correction is more important than, you know, focusing on the matter at hand. stephen sits back. ]
I need to know what he knows. A moment, please.
[ a circle of sparks, similar to what brought andy in earlier, rises squarely in the middle of the ornate area rug in the center of the office space. and then, suddenly, there’s another mad lad, and another chair opposite stephen’s desk; stephen, who hasn’t moved an inch, stares at kieron impassively. ]
Hi. Kieron, was it? Dr. Stephen Strange. Have a seat.
( he was in the middle of finishing off his puzzle at his dining room table, so when ky's suddenly somewhere else, he's got a stupidly tiny puzzle piece between his fingers, and. doesn't have a shirt on. because shirts are stupid to wear inside the house, do you know how hot he gets wearing those things.
clearly that's not important though because instead he's. furrowing his brows. looking from andy sr to this new guy who he's never seen before just chilling at his desk like ky suddenly being somewhere else is a completely normal thing to happen. he looks down to his puzzle piece, back over to strange, and back to his puzzle piece before he's just. shoving the puzzle piece down into his pocket and taking a step closer but not sitting in the chair yet. )
[ stephen strange is, well, as he appears: middle-aged man, straight-backed and severe, white streaks like runways in his tidily coiffed hair and blue robes. ]
[ andy gives ky a little wave, and finally takes a sip of tea. definitely not to hide a smile, there's nothing here to smile about, even if magic is cool and snark is funny. ]
There’s no need to stand on ceremony. You know why he’s here.
[ a folded shirt appears on the desktop, beside a new cup of hot green tea that matches andy’s. it’s one of those things where they look like they’ve always been there, rather than having materialized. ]
( a look to the shirt, before ky just. opts to ignore it entirely and sit down on the chair. no shirt necessary. he's comfortable enough without one, it's just generally more acceptable to wear one.
[ look andy's feeling a little like a high school kid who landed in the principal's office. but he knows he's not the one in trouble. he's not gonna stop being scared or anxious any time soon, but that doesn't mean he can't have some joy in this. ]
[ stephen fixes andy with a briefly maligned look, because offering the shirt to a shirtless man was a charitable act but giving a shirt to a fully clothed man is a waste. still, he inclines his head and even manually slides it over before returning his attention fully to kieron. ]
Not to sound like a cop, but I don’t know if now’s a good time to play dumb. This man [ a no-nonsense jerk of his head towards andy ] is here because he’s worried about his kid. As he should be; the kid’s dead. Which may be the least of his problems, seeing as he isn’t the only one using his body for real estate.
[ he leans back. his voice goes a touch lower, not entirely unsympathetic but still with that businesslike brusqueness. ]
Your friend’s in trouble. I believe I can help him. If I can’t, I might know people who can. And either way, I need to know what you know.
Not to be a dick and downplay adoptive families or anything which I definitely wouldn't ever do and not only because I'm adopted, too, but because that's stupid. But this guy met Andy--what, a few months ago? When he got here. And Andy has family back home too.
( there's no malice behind it, but ky definitely didn't think he needed to tell andy what was going on because he decided to be other andy's father figure or whatever. it was more because--if he left, nobody'd know what was actually going on with andy and he didn't want that to happen. ) And I really don't appreciate something I told someone in confidence being spread without them letting me know it was going to be shared. And I don't even know you.
[ it's not a snap, andy's not gonna snap at ky because ky has some right to be angry about this. but he's not gonna let him be dismissive about this. ]
He's family. And I'm here because I want him safe, I told you I'd keep you updated, so here you are, updated. Stephen can help, you can help him help, or you can go back to pretending that ignoring it will fix it.
[ he's not gonna mention that he barely knows stephen too. or that junior already talked to him, or that stephen apparently knew about the demon already, because it's not relevant. ]
[ hoo boy, sentiment. not stephen’s strong suit so he’s gonna interject here. ]
Your friend came to me first, Kieron. About his sleep issues. I looked, and saw something that shouldn’t have been there. I thought eventually he would come to harm. This man, whatever value you assign to his relationship with your friend, came here and confirmed my suspicions. Something was wrong then. It’s getting worse now.
[ stephen picks his coffee back up. ]
I can give you my resume. I don’t think it’s relevant. Andy’s a nice kid. And before I became a sorcerer I was a medical doctor. If it’s in my power to prevent harm, I don’t neglect my duty. So you can either tell me what you know so I can do my job better, or I can send you home in deference to the fact that your secrets are more important to you than your friend’s life.
( which is why he's so hesitant to share it. ky's shared his own with near-strangers before without minding it much. it felt good, even, to get it off of his chest. but this isn't his secret to share, it belongs to someone else who very hesitantly opened up to him, and only because he'd already figured out the most alarming part. )
If Andy leaves, I'll tell you everything I know. As long as you swear the only thing you intend to do is help Andy--not this one, the other one--and you're not going to like, do anything without telling me first. He already freaked out enough last time I talked to him about it, and I don't want him freaking out more.
[ that first set of terms has nothing to do with stephen, but to sate his own curiosity within andy senior’s earshot-- ]
This gentleman mentioned that Andy himself learning or knowing about it would make it worse. Makes informed consent for care a hell of a thing. Is that the only reason you’d want to know in advance, or are you somehow otherwise wrapped up directly in these ... [ delicately ] stipulations?
[ andy's known stephen strange for ten minutes tops and he already loves the guy. he doesn't have anything to add to the conversation, stephen, thankfully, shares his opinion that something needs to be done, and andy can't do anything else, his own ability is only injury-related, and only for the living. he can't fix junior.
he wishes, very idly, that he had popcorn, and then almost falls off his chair when he actually gets it. he doesn't want to interrupt or get anyone's attention, so he does his best to set the bowl on the desk, only grabbing a few once he's sure neither he nor the popcorn bowl will topple over. ]
What happened to Andy happened way before I was involved.
( ignoring other andy and his. popcorn. thanks. )
I want to know in case I need to argue against whatever you're going to do. Because it's not fair to Andy if everyone around him is gossiping about what's going on with him, and he's got enough going on with him already.
I can tell you all I want to do is help the kid, because he came and asked for my help. If that means sustaining the terms of his un-life but excising something that seems prepared to co-opt what’s left of it, fine. If that means something better, great. One thing at a time.
[ he folds his fingers on the desktop. they’re uncovered, scarred and slightly shaky, but calm. ]
I don’t know what entitles you to stay more closely apprised of the kid’s situation than [ a nod towards andy senior ] this guy. The kid can’t make the choice of who knows about his situation himself, but I don’t see how that enables you to make it for him. Andy called this man his parent, which in the absence of paperwork is good enough for me, and supersedes it being not good enough for you. So if it were up to me, he’d stay. Next of kin logic. Again, medical doctor.
[ it’s very pointed, and brings into strict relief how stephen understands matters of triage and hierarchy. ]
But if Mr. Young consents, then yes. I will send him home. I don’t know if I personally think it’s the right thing to do. I think it puts too much on you, frankly, to adjudicate matters of the kid’s health when I don’t know whether you’re qualified past loving him. So ... let me put it this way.
[ he reaches for his coffee again, and meets kieron’s eyes. his gaze is impassive, a sheet of ice, a thing that offers neither warmth nor judgment. ]
Wouldn’t it be better not to carry this by yourself?
[ andy agrees with every word coming out of stephen's mouth. if he has to leave because that's what will get ky to spill, he'll leave, but he doesn't want to.
and he doesn't think this should be up to ky, who's not much older than junior and has his own shit to handle. after leaving ky's place he made the decision to do what he thought best, regardless of how ky felt about it.
which is why he's here to begin with. he talked to his co-parent and made the call to contact stephen about it. ]
I told you, it's not my secret to tell. The person who it does belong to isn't here. And his reasons for keeping it--quiet were all legit. I don't want Andy to get hurt from this. I don't want what's inside him to cause problems. I don't want him to die, again. And everything was less messy before I shared. Nobody bothered me in the middle of my jigsaw puzzles, Andy had a few episodes but that's not any--worse than it was before. He's been happy for the most part, which's way better than dead or messed up.
( and andy sr clearly doesn't care to keep quiet about stuff, so ky. really doesn't want to share in front of him. doesn't want him calling an exorcist or whatever to try and get it out when it's what's keeping andy running. good intentions can still lead to bad results. )
He’s already hurt, Kieron. I don’t know what it has to do with you sharing or not sharing and it’s getting close to not mattering. What loyalty do you owe to this person, whose secrets you guard over the health of your friend?
[ he’s genuinely curious. stephen is good at tying himself into knots too, so it’s not as though he isn’t sympathetic. ]
He's getting better, like he's supposed to. But getting better probably means his body is doing some freaky stuff in the process--thus the vomit and whatever.
( which is why he doesn't think it's necessary to go through all this mess, but here they are anyway. )
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Anything else? Such as how he might know all this?
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Well, you’re a father, and your son is dead, and some kind of lich. Per next of kin rules I can’t say I’m too concerned about what his boyfriend thinks.
[ not that he sounds especially sympathetic in general. he sets the mug down--it reads i can’t fix stupid but i can sedate it. ]
What’s Ky short for? Not Kyle?
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[ he has a mental list of shit to cover, and honestly stephen's bedside manner is irrelevant. ]
Kieron. I think that's his name.
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I am aware you didn’t mean Dr. Valenti.
[ as if the correction is more important than, you know, focusing on the matter at hand. stephen sits back. ]
I need to know what he knows. A moment, please.
[ a circle of sparks, similar to what brought andy in earlier, rises squarely in the middle of the ornate area rug in the center of the office space. and then, suddenly, there’s another mad lad, and another chair opposite stephen’s desk; stephen, who hasn’t moved an inch, stares at kieron impassively. ]
Hi. Kieron, was it? Dr. Stephen Strange. Have a seat.
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clearly that's not important though because instead he's. furrowing his brows. looking from andy sr to this new guy who he's never seen before just chilling at his desk like ky suddenly being somewhere else is a completely normal thing to happen. he looks down to his puzzle piece, back over to strange, and back to his puzzle piece before he's just. shoving the puzzle piece down into his pocket and taking a step closer but not sitting in the chair yet. )
Did you just magic me here?
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No, I called you an Uber. Do you want a shirt?
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[ a folded shirt appears on the desktop, beside a new cup of hot green tea that matches andy’s. it’s one of those things where they look like they’ve always been there, rather than having materialized. ]
So you know why you’re here. Please, sit.
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just not that one. )
What am I here for, exactly?
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[ look andy's feeling a little like a high school kid who landed in the principal's office. but he knows he's not the one in trouble. he's not gonna stop being scared or anxious any time soon, but that doesn't mean he can't have some joy in this. ]
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Not to sound like a cop, but I don’t know if now’s a good time to play dumb. This man [ a no-nonsense jerk of his head towards andy ] is here because he’s worried about his kid. As he should be; the kid’s dead. Which may be the least of his problems, seeing as he isn’t the only one using his body for real estate.
[ he leans back. his voice goes a touch lower, not entirely unsympathetic but still with that businesslike brusqueness. ]
Your friend’s in trouble. I believe I can help him. If I can’t, I might know people who can. And either way, I need to know what you know.
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( there's no malice behind it, but ky definitely didn't think he needed to tell andy what was going on because he decided to be other andy's father figure or whatever. it was more because--if he left, nobody'd know what was actually going on with andy and he didn't want that to happen. ) And I really don't appreciate something I told someone in confidence being spread without them letting me know it was going to be shared. And I don't even know you.
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[ it's not a snap, andy's not gonna snap at ky because ky has some right to be angry about this. but he's not gonna let him be dismissive about this. ]
He's family. And I'm here because I want him safe, I told you I'd keep you updated, so here you are, updated. Stephen can help, you can help him help, or you can go back to pretending that ignoring it will fix it.
[ he's not gonna mention that he barely knows stephen too. or that junior already talked to him, or that stephen apparently knew about the demon already, because it's not relevant. ]
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Your friend came to me first, Kieron. About his sleep issues. I looked, and saw something that shouldn’t have been there. I thought eventually he would come to harm. This man, whatever value you assign to his relationship with your friend, came here and confirmed my suspicions. Something was wrong then. It’s getting worse now.
[ stephen picks his coffee back up. ]
I can give you my resume. I don’t think it’s relevant. Andy’s a nice kid. And before I became a sorcerer I was a medical doctor. If it’s in my power to prevent harm, I don’t neglect my duty. So you can either tell me what you know so I can do my job better, or I can send you home in deference to the fact that your secrets are more important to you than your friend’s life.
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( which is why he's so hesitant to share it. ky's shared his own with near-strangers before without minding it much. it felt good, even, to get it off of his chest. but this isn't his secret to share, it belongs to someone else who very hesitantly opened up to him, and only because he'd already figured out the most alarming part. )
If Andy leaves, I'll tell you everything I know. As long as you swear the only thing you intend to do is help Andy--not this one, the other one--and you're not going to like, do anything without telling me first. He already freaked out enough last time I talked to him about it, and I don't want him freaking out more.
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This gentleman mentioned that Andy himself learning or knowing about it would make it worse. Makes informed consent for care a hell of a thing. Is that the only reason you’d want to know in advance, or are you somehow otherwise wrapped up directly in these ... [ delicately ] stipulations?
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he wishes, very idly, that he had popcorn, and then almost falls off his chair when he actually gets it. he doesn't want to interrupt or get anyone's attention, so he does his best to set the bowl on the desk, only grabbing a few once he's sure neither he nor the popcorn bowl will topple over. ]
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( ignoring other andy and his. popcorn. thanks. )
I want to know in case I need to argue against whatever you're going to do. Because it's not fair to Andy if everyone around him is gossiping about what's going on with him, and he's got enough going on with him already.
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[ he folds his fingers on the desktop. they’re uncovered, scarred and slightly shaky, but calm. ]
I don’t know what entitles you to stay more closely apprised of the kid’s situation than [ a nod towards andy senior ] this guy. The kid can’t make the choice of who knows about his situation himself, but I don’t see how that enables you to make it for him. Andy called this man his parent, which in the absence of paperwork is good enough for me, and supersedes it being not good enough for you. So if it were up to me, he’d stay. Next of kin logic. Again, medical doctor.
[ it’s very pointed, and brings into strict relief how stephen understands matters of triage and hierarchy. ]
But if Mr. Young consents, then yes. I will send him home. I don’t know if I personally think it’s the right thing to do. I think it puts too much on you, frankly, to adjudicate matters of the kid’s health when I don’t know whether you’re qualified past loving him. So ... let me put it this way.
[ he reaches for his coffee again, and meets kieron’s eyes. his gaze is impassive, a sheet of ice, a thing that offers neither warmth nor judgment. ]
Wouldn’t it be better not to carry this by yourself?
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and he doesn't think this should be up to ky, who's not much older than junior and has his own shit to handle. after leaving ky's place he made the decision to do what he thought best, regardless of how ky felt about it.
which is why he's here to begin with. he talked to his co-parent and made the call to contact stephen about it. ]
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( and andy sr clearly doesn't care to keep quiet about stuff, so ky. really doesn't want to share in front of him. doesn't want him calling an exorcist or whatever to try and get it out when it's what's keeping andy running. good intentions can still lead to bad results. )
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[ he’s genuinely curious. stephen is good at tying himself into knots too, so it’s not as though he isn’t sympathetic. ]
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( which is why he doesn't think it's necessary to go through all this mess, but here they are anyway. )
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