#deaddetermined

Meme /// Accepting

By no means does Stephen actively seek a more intimate partnership, but he's also not the sort to be completely content flying solo, either. He loves the idea of coming home to someone who will share love and care and comfort, and being able to give that back, in return. He's grown sentimental in his old age, he thinks. But he also knows that there are too many hang ups to being in a relationship. Between his occupation and his own hang-ups, he can't bring himself to justify dragging another person into his chaotic life, especially if he believes that they're either not prepared, or would be put in danger. He's gained many enemies over the years, and there isn't one adversary who would hesitate to use his partner against him. Some days, he doesn't even feel comfortable claiming Wong and Christine as friends, because he fears he would put them in danger.

But if something ever happened, and thing just so happened to develop with the right individual, and he could be reassured of his own ability to keep them safe (whether or not they can protect themself), he might be a little less put off by the idea of romance.

Meme /// Accepting

Stephen is fairly good at kissing. Just because he isn't the best at responding to people's needs in common social situations doesn't mean that he isn't good at reading people. He picks up on body language well, so he can tell what someone likes fairly easily, and responds to it. He knows when to ease up and when to press on, and as a caregiver and more privately a people-pleaser, he's happy to give what is needed.

The only thing that really stops him is that he hasn't been the biggest fan of kissing in more intimate settings. He, personally, feels that it is an implication of deeper feelings, and since he doesn't give his heart over easily, it's not a big preference of his. He imagines that hasn't changed since his humbling. In fact, it's probably been solidified, since he hasn't even bothered with the occasional tryst since taking up his position in the Sanctum.

Meme /// Accepting

Despite what people may think, Stephen always keeps people's best interest in mind, and that is always a priority.

Don't misunderstand; he is very high on his own priority list. If it's going to be beneficial to him, his career or his notoriety, specifically, he's more likely to do something. He is not without selfish intent, and it is a massive flaw of his. He knows that he falls short a lot because of his ego, and many of his choices seem like that is the deciding factor - particularly when it came to deciding who he would treat, and when he would perform surgery. He knows that it often looks like he's doing something flashy to show off, and sometimes, yes, he will take the extra opportunity to be a bit more showy.

However, Stephen's biggest concern is people. More precisely, he looks to keep people alive and healthy. He is, by nature, a caretaker. And sometimes that can mean making an extremely difficult decision. Always, choosing not to pursue an operation involved looking at the likelihood of success. If there is no benefit to that person's overall quality of life, Stephen will not waste the time of any involved party. There is always a chance, even if slim in his case, of absolutely botching a procedure, and worse, he could risk the loss of his patient. He has seen it happen plenty before - seen others made miserable, and been touched by loss because of this - where an almost impossible procedure was done with hope and the best intentions, and wound up in tragedy. He does not seek to cause that sort of pain for others. If they can live, he will choose to let them live for as long as they can, even in misery. Even choosing to turn away patients that wont bring him glory for their challenge is done because he feels that his time could be spent fixing problems only he can fix. He knows that he was exceptionally gifted, and uniquely qualified in his field. He was renowned for his prowess. He was sought after because everyone who needed help knew the name Stephen Strange. He turned away those arguable run of the mill cases because he knew he was needed where only he could be of use.

Since practicing the mystic arts, his thoughts haven't changed. Because of the scale of his work, he is almost constantly faced with the famed trolley problem - the good of the many versus the good of the few. He doesn't always like it, and almost always feels guilty, but he knows that the grand scheme of things is what he is meant to defend. If he can help the little guy along the way, then that's phenomenal. But it doesn't always work like that.

If he were to stop and really think about it, it shouldn’t have surprised him to find someone staring at him. It wasn’t as if he weren’t a spectacle in and of himself-- and that was without any of the extenuating factors like his height or dastardly good looks. After all, who wouldn’t stop to stare at the man who stalked down the street like a menace, barking derisive demands at the menagerie of followers he’d procured?

To one, he commanded he dump the cup of frigid iced coffee over his own head for having the audacity to not bring him hot coffee like he wanted. To another, he ordered her to crawl on the dirty sidewalk like a dog for bringing the wrong garment back from the cleaners. To yet still one more, he shouted for them to extinguish a lit cigarette on the palm of their hands for daring to blow its smoke in his face as he walked by.

On the surface, it was no different than any rich asshole charging down the street, abusing his attendants and assistants. The difference, however, what truly set him apart from those spineless, spoiled brats was that his menagerie actually listened. Much as those gathered around him might have something to say to the contrary, each of them found themselves submitting to his command. They looked like fools-- covered in coffee, staining their knees, yelping in pain as they burned their hand-- and yet obey they did.

Really, it would have been more surprising if some passersby didn’t stare.

And yet, when their eyes met as Kilgrave strode down that particular street, a sneer curled his lip. He was in a mood already to begin with, but now? With some hapless woman staring openly and without darting her gaze away when theirs met? Now, he was angry. He approached the woman without pomp or circumstance, waving his ‘followers’ off as he did and he leaned down to meet her gaze straight on.

Meme Random Asks /// Always Accepting

The world swam around him, smudges of colors and muffled sounds that made the wild pounding in his head to amplify. Breathing was an absolute labor, his body so weary that even his lungs didn’t want to work properly. He had used too much power. Thoroughly distracted himself, and in the middle of a fight. It had been a careless mistake, and it made Stephen a victim of his own cockiness. How embarrassing...

He had just enough energy to create a portal and stumble through it, darkness creeping in to the edges of his vision, blood hot on his abdomen as it seeped from open wounds. He was acutely aware of the awful, sticky trails left on his clammy skin, clinging to his clothes. He was faintly aware of a presence, unfamiliar, as he dropped to the ground, a choked cry of pain knocked from his lungs from the force of his drop. He felt the presence draw closer. Words spoken that he couldn’t quite discern, but carrying a tone of stress and building desperation. 

Shit, he must look rough...

Meme /// Accepting

Stephen has... a great many habits that he would say are tied for the worst. He’s stubborn, arrogant, and has a heightened sense of self-important. God forbid he’s wrong, and he has an absolutely nasty tendency to throw a pity party if he messes up. He blames himself excessively if anything goes wrong, and he doesn’t handle failure well at all. His massive ego tends to make him take all responsibility onto himself, which makes any sort of downfall even worse. 

             "Everyone loves a clown.” 

IT lifts long arms, opening them as if inviting someone close, yet the soft twitching of the clowns painted face might just make one reconsider. So would the way the darkness of the night seemed to be just a bit darker around the clown, as if it being there was so unnatural the area was unable to process it. Or as if IT had just walked right out of a different universe, into this one now, where the other was.