And obviously this isn’t the invitation Strange had been expecting (he had, after all, no idea what to expect). But now that Ellis has clarified, Strange’s mouth shapes around a little oh, and well, that makes a lot more sense.

And he does the request the respect of not immediately launching back into habitual sarcasm, either. He stops to consider it, arms folded, shoulders steeled against a breeze coming in off the water.

“I’m honoured to be considered,” he eventually says, because it’s the truth. The request seems like it entails a certain level of trust. “And I’m certainly willing, with a bit more information. What kind of discretion, and why? Isn’t this the sort of thing Riftwatch does all the time?”