Around Town | Late Morning

[scarlet_chaos]

Wanda hadn't let anybody know she was coming back to town. She wanted to give herself the out in case she chickened out the moment she stepped on the causeway. So far so good, but she hadn't actually ran into anyone she knew yet.

The town seemed to be in tact. Nothing weird going on. No giant holes or polar bears or anything. That was almost disappointing, but she figured it was only a matter of time before something weird happened again. Wanda herself looked basically the same, though her hair was a bit longer and her roots were showing. She'd have to get that taken care of once she got settled in.

Hopefully her apartment hadn't been given away while she was gone.

[Guess who's back, back again~ Post is open of course]

Comments

[heroic_jawline]

Steve was out on a coffee run (Literally. He was in jogging clothes), but stopped in his progress to grin and wave. "Wanda?"

Steve was thrilled to see you.

[scarlet_chaos]

Honestly, Steve was the best first person to see when she got back. "Hey!"

Incoming hug, Steve.

[heroic_jawline]

Oh, you were getting a huge hug, Wanda. Possibly while being lifted from the ground and spun in a circle.

"It's so good to see you."

[scarlet_chaos]

That was exactly the kind of hug Wanda expected and wanted, thank you.

"It's good to see you too," she said, hugging him tight. "I missed you."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve was going to hold on as long as it seemed Wanda needed him to. "I missed you, too," he said earnestly. "I'm glad you came back."

[scarlet_chaos]

"God, I needed to hear that," Wanda said, pulling back slightly to look up at him. "I was sure I was going to turn back around until, like, a minute ago."

[heroic_jawline]

"I'm glad I caught you, then," Steve said with a small smile. "Please stay."

[scarlet_chaos]

"The plan is to stay," Wanda replied. "I hope I can stay."

But if Annie had wanted her to leave, Wanda would go. She owed her that much.

"How have you been? How's Tony?"

[heroic_jawline]

Steve scratched at his beard a little self-consciously. "We're good again. It got a little rough before Christmas but we're okay."

And the note he'd sent to the Tony in New York without the Tony here looking it over would definitely be okay! Probably!

"We're back from the Spring Break trip and I think it's impossible to be sad while in Indonesia. How was New Asgard? I'm picturing noisy."

[scarlet_chaos]

"Noisy, but fun," she said. "It's an interesting culture. I don't think I want to attend a party or a feast for a solid month though."

[heroic_jawline]

"Well, good thing you missed Purim last night then," he teased.

[scarlet_chaos]

"Good timing on my part." Though, let's be real, Wanda would not be attending any major functions in town for awhile. She didn't think she'd be welcome by some. "Can I ask you a personal question? About your face?"

And what was growing on it.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve nodded, looking a little wary. "Of course."

[dishesonthetoprack]

Scott, who was vaguely entertaining thoughts of the gym -- it was far more likely he'd decide that taking this walk was exercise enough -- paused when he spotted her.

"Are you Wanda, or someone who looks like her?" he asked, lifting a hand in a wave.

See how he'd learned that sometimes that happened? Also, maybe someday identical twin girls who bore a passing resemblance to Wanda would show up someday. Maybe with charming catchphrases! Or age-inappropriate husbands!

[scarlet_chaos]

"It's Wanda," she assured him with a smile. "The one you know, even. Well, one of the ones you know."

Hope that wasn't confusing.

[dishesonthetoprack]

It was always confusing, but Scott was still already smiling. "Oh, sweet. Are you back?"

It was okay if she wasn't but oh boy he sure hoped she was, as Scott was not, in fact, cut out for retail management.

[scarlet_chaos]

"I think so," she said. "Unless I'm run out of town with torches and pitchforks."

[dishesonthetoprack]

"We can figure it out if someone comes running at you with a pitchfork," Scott assured her, waving a hand dismissively and moving over to offer an arm out for a hug. "How've you been?"

Still not pressing on what happened, but he was very glad to see her back in one piece, all the same.

[scarlet_chaos]

"Good," she replied, actually meaning that now. "How about you? Everything here still in one piece?"

[dishesonthetoprack]

"The shop's still standing," Scott teased. "You might want to have someone with a degree in accounting take a look at the books just to be safe, unless you, like, know how to do magic against the IRS."

[scarlet_chaos]

Wanda lifted her eyebrows. "...have you been embezzling?"

[dishesonthetoprack]

"Oh my god, no!" Scott promised, only slightly offended at the question. "I've just never done this before. Better safe than sorry, right?"

Like, Scott didn't know about payroll tax, for example. And he definitely hadn't filed any kind of quarterly sales tax form.

[scarlet_chaos]

"I'm messing with you," Wanda said with a smile. "I'm sure you did a fine job. It's not like I had any business experience before this either."

That's what really was going to be Wanda and Scott's downfall. Accidental tax evasion. Kang who?

[dishesonthetoprack]

Like Al Capone before them. But with less syphilis.

"Phew." So that wasn't a no on magicking the IRS, right? "So where've you been? If you can say, anyway."

See, Scott could hang with a secret mission. Picture of discretion, this guy. He was basically an Avenger now, you know.

[scarlet_chaos]

"I can tell you I was in New Asgard," Wanda said. "But I can't tell you why it wasn't Old Asgard."