Doctor Strange

“Catseye wants to!” Of course she would get the hang of it! She could get the hang of anything, she was sure. “But Catseye doesn’t want to stay long. Not many sleeps, yes?” Catseye feared nothing, and yet she hadn’t slept in a room by herself in months. She wasn’t scared, but she didn’t think she’d like it, either. And what about Rachel? “Tigerstripes has bad dreams; Catseye helps…” she pondered sadly. “Leave toy for Tigerstripes, yes? Catseye’s purple kitty, leave for Tigerstripes.”

He couldn’t help but smile at her burst of enthusiasm regarding classes. “Not many sleeps, no. I don’t think so. If you give it a good try, you will show that you’re ready sooner even.” he answered. Nodding, he continued. “That I could do.. if you’re sure?” Stephen ended with a question. 

Sharon frowned. “Catseye’s never had classes.” She wasn’t against trying new things; actually, it was exciting. But she didn’t know how she felt about trying something new in Observation. It sounded extra boring. “Good why?” she asked, but jumped to a new subject quickly. “Toys now please?”

“Who knows, you might just like them.” he replied in suggestion. He knew the idea of staying in observation would not appeal to her at all, so he tried to think and present it as a very brief and temporary period. Exactly like a practice run. “Why?? Well, don’t you want to learn to go to classes like your friends? You could join them once you leave here if you’ve got the hang of it.” 

Stephen sighed at her question, “I’m afraid not just yet, Catseye.” he answered. Maybe soon he thought, but certainly not this quickly. “Some maybe are right now.. but I think some could help, and I’d like you to try some of the classes here for awhile. Along with some one on one instruction, once I speak to Emma. I think it might be good.”

║ᶳʰᵘᶠᶠˡᶤᶰᵍ ᵗʰᵉ ᶜᵃʳᵈᶳ ᵒᶠ ʸᵒᵘʳ ᵍᵃᵐᵉ║

“Well, other than that...”, he paused. “Between us... it’s rare I find another with any interest in the mystics. Isn’t it just refreshing, to speak with another who understands such, in one way or another?” Smirking, he continued, “Whatever might we learn from such discussion. From such... acquaintance.” 

“Yes, Catseye. Missy gave Catseye person-name Sharon Smith and mutant-person-name Catseye.” Her expression brightened as he said there would still be playing. A place to play? That sounded exciting! When the toys and blanket were mentioned, she perked up even more. It wouldn’t be as fun by herself, but maybe there were other people in Observation who would play with her. She still wanted out, but it would make things a better. “Tigerstripes is Rachel!” she announced. “Catseye’s toys and blanket in Tigerstripes’ room, since Catseye doesn’t have own territory yet and Missy… needed space.”

Stephen was surprised at this revelation. He hadn’t had any prior idea of this bit of information that she had been named by another student at the school? Could this be right? “Emma is the one who named you? Do you mean you had no name before coming here?”, he asked a little sadly. This news now, coupled with the fact that she  considered the sewers to be home surely pulled at his heart as well as bothered him. He noted the tone in her voice when she talked about both Rachel and Emma, and it was clear to him how important they both were to her. “We can get those for you, certainly. I can look into... your own territory also if you want. When you’re ready.” He didn’t know the situation behind her accommodation thus far, or what was behind Missy needing space, but he figured it wouldn’t be hard enough. There must be another free room available for her. Stephen stopped to think carefully for a moment. “What would you think about considering some classes down here? I think we could find something maybe of benefit to you.”

Stephen nodded in acknowledgement first before concentrating on his thoughts, pushing them out, . “I thank you for your trust.” he thought back first. “I am Stephen Strange, and though I do not rule here... I hold title of Sorcerer Supreme, and mystic protector of this realm. I think.. you’ll find a population of those who will respect that.” 

“Then…would tell why the pretty-hair woman was mean,” she admitted. “But Catseye not like not playing. Gets bored and sadhearted and feels less strong. But Catseye not want stay here.” She thought about it and decided to bring up her earlier point. “If Catseye goes home, no playing with people, just hunting, so no need play. Should let Catseye go and Catseye will be good cat. Or let Catseye go back uppy-stairs and…and will only play in mind. Good Catseye, yes?” It was an offer she didn’t want to make, but she didn’t want to be left in Observation. She could always run away after that. After a pause and more consideration, she added. “Should let Catseye have her toys and blanket, though.”

“Catseye.” he said out loud. Not intentionally to call her, but more just a statement of confirmation. Stephen knew well enough that most of, if not all of the mutants he had heard of at least, all had code names, and he took the name she herself used as just that. Choosing to call her that now as she referred to herself as such, he spoke again. “I assume this is your code name?” he asked. “Well, how about this. Maybe not no playing ever... but.. more careful, perhaps. And maybe a place to do so..” his mind raced to think of what he could possibly arrange. So far, it truly did seem to him that she could benefit greatly even just by having certain times she could freely play, and expend the energy she had. His mind turned back to the conversation at hand then, “your toys and blanket you can have. May I ask.. who Tigerstripes is?” he said. Stephen knew by this point that ‘Missy’ referred to the telepath Emma Frost, but was still unaware of the other mentioned. He briefly thought on visiting both to permit and possibly encourage them to visit. Emma, being a telepath, and also seemingly close to the girl already could prove to be helpful possibly. 

She knew her senses were lesser in her human form, but she thought she’d still be able to tell…wouldn’t she? There were a few times where she couldn’t tell people’s intentions by their body language, so maybe… “Oh. Silly Catseye! Didn’t think of that.” It was one more reason that although people thought they were smarter, cats were clearly superior. “Okay,” she said, sensing that his apology was genuine. She’d still like to do something mean to get even, but maybe that wasn’t a good idea. “Why ask then? Why here?”

“Well...” he started. Thinking on how exactly to try and explain this to her. “Sharon, what if the woman with the hair felt threatened?” he paused before going on. Would she get that others couldn’t distinguish or appreciate playing like that without knowing?. “Those who don’t know you.. might not understand your playing.”, he tried. 

Seeing the gestures made by the man, they came across pretty clear to Stephen. “Ah, well let me be the first, maybe, to welcome you.” he said.  At this point, he realized the man couldn’t speak for one reason or another, basd on the sign gestures. “Do you mind a different form of communication? he asked upfront, tapping his head as he did. “See, I possess telepathy.” knowing this bit of information itself was a gamble, as telepathy came with much more than just the communication aspect. 

“I suppose the rest of us aren’t that observant.” Stephen said with a chuckle. It hit him now that especially with her feline instincts, as well as her own experiences, how she would find that ridiculous to mix up the two.  “we aren’t able to sense those signs as well as you. ” He fell silent for a moment after her expression about the situation. He softened as he saw her expression and heard tone of voice in conjunction with what she was saying. “It is not my intent to be mean, Sharon. I don’t ask these things to upset you, and so I apologize.” he said, humbling himself to the young girl. 

“Not only sewers. Old tunnels, too,” she interjected when she noted the shocked tone. “Catseye safe. Almost grown cat. Can hear before water comes, always gets away. Catseye always lived there.” She didn’t like the sound of his voice, though; it didn’t seem like he would change his mind. “Why ask about playing?” He didn’t seem mean, but he was acting that way, she thought. Was this part of the consequences? Being reminded about things she couldn’t do, places she couldn’t go, and people she couldn’t see? Her lips were pouted and she sat a little taller in her crouch, a subconscious effort to keep herself from feeling so small after hearing such a disappointing answer.

Stephen froze up as soon as she mentioned being able to hear the water down there before it came. He already had been concerned for her safety, and with the relevance of water danger brought up now, he couldn’t help it when his mind took him back many years, and to his own younger sister whom he had lost to the very same element. Images of her slipping under the water dotted his mind along with his own inability to save her, like he should have. Thinking of this, tears appeared in his eyes for a moment before he blinked them away quickly, and snapped back to it. Where was he now? “Playing.. yes..” he started, “Sharon.. I understand that you just wanted to play. It’s just.... not all humans can tell the difference when you are in your cat form.”  he settled on. 

With the mention specifically of “shiny rock”, he now saw an image in her mind paired with Emma’s change and the only explanation in his mind so far was that it must be in relation to her mutation. “The sewers??”. He was more than a little surprised with being told this, and also, more than a bit saddened, he realized. The sewers and various tunnels down there were not exactly a safe, or necessarily good place for any child to have to live in, willing or unwillingly, and he wasn’t about to give permission to, or aid a student under his responsibility in any form to go back there. “Sharon.. the sewers aren’t the most safe for you, or anybody else. I...I can’t just send you off to go live there. I want you to be safe.” Stephen felt a little torn inside. Not that he was ever going to, but the fact that she was even asking to return there, and by all he felt, didn’t feel any way about it negatively didn’t sit right with him. 

Sharon giggled and couldn’t resist poking his nose with her pointer finger while his eyes were closed. “Yes, dressed,” she answered. Her tail moved back and forth in a combination of amusement and impatience. If anyone was behind her, it would have caused a modesty issue—that was, if Sharon had any modesty. “Answer now?” 

Feeling the poke on his nose, he resisted the urge to groan. Clearly the girl was bored. “Some people might not like that, you know.” he said simply, in regards to her poking his nose. Stephen opened his eyes after she answered him that she was dressed. He took a deep breath, thinking on how he would approach this and after her prompt to answer, he finally spoke again. “Sharon, now I understand you were just interested in the woman’s hair.. and wanted to play. I was wondering, how often do you get to play here?”

Catseye looked at him somewhat warily. She would mind, but she got the feeling he wasn’t going to keep talking if she didn’t shift. She needed to talk to him, because otherwise she would alone and bored and confused. She huffed and turned around, shifting as she walked towards her dress laying on the floor. She slid it on awkwardly—thankfully there were no tricky buttons—and turned back around. She was bigger than him standing up, which pleased her cat instincts, but she remembered that humans weren’t much for talking if you were standing over them, and crouched back down, sitting on her heels so she was a little taller. Still, she was scrawny and gangling, unable to form the kind of impressive muscles she had in her natural form. “Answer Catseye now?”

Stephen hadnt’t expected her to just shift like that. He had assumed she would answer him, and likely question that in this quite open room, to which he would have just conjured and appropriate barrier through magic, or even a simple illusory spell, which he did now, flicking his hand to weave an illusion ontop of the room walls.  But this he hadn’t seen coming. As she shifted, the sorcerer, very rarely thrown off like this, shut his eyes tight. Clearing his throat, “Um, Sharon.. are you dressed yet?” he asked, realizing there was maybe another topic to discuss here. 

NOT good, she thought back, then shook her head ‘no’ exaggeratedly. If she had to guess, she’d say she probably broke a rule, because that’s what she was told would happen if she was bad. What was bad enough to be locked down here, though? She was sad at the memorial, then distracted, then…oh. The playing with the magic pretty hair. She must have been thinking too much with her cat mind, trying not to think of the sadness. Then there was yelling and fighting and she didn’t know why it was happening and then… Catseye’s not supposed to play unless Missy or Tigerstripes or a teacher says she can? she guessed, looking at him with sad, curious cat eyes. Now Catseye…now no Missy or Tigerstripes or windows to look out or Catseye’s toys or blanket. Catseye doesn’t like that. Catseye wants to leave.

Being that he was using telepathy, he could see her immediate thoughts on the night, as well as the ones relating to it in general, and he could tell right away that there was no intent to harm,, or even scare anybody. He realized that as long as she truly realized how her version of playing came off to other humans, that she was not really a threat or danger to anyone. But he had to either determine whether she did or didn’t understand and possibly make her understand. He let out a sigh, not answering her question for now. He thought this conversation would be much easier with her in her human form, and plus, those cat eyes looking at him the way they did were quite distracting also. “Sharon.. would you mind turning back to your human form so we can talk, please?” 

Sharon’s ears stood up as she heard his voice in her mind. It wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling, since she spent so much time with Missy and Tigerstripes, but she didn’t know the teacherperson could do that. Although it still sounded feline, her response was more distinctly English this time: “Helloww,” she echoed back to him. It was a challenge in her furform, not just to use the different vocal chords, but to form more human thoughts. She nudged him again, not aggressively, just acknowledging him and making sure he acknowledged her, too.

He had been about to answer her back when she nudged him again. Not hard or threatening by any means, and so there was no need for action, or even movement from the spot truly. Stephen almost laughed out loud sadly at her seeming impatience? though deduced it was equally likely a want for attention, considering she was a cat at the moment.Regardless, both seemed to briefly remind and make him think of how his sister had been at times early on in her childhood. Snapping back from that, he reached out again with his mind. “How are you doing Sharon? Do you know why you were brought here?”