Magic Box | Tuesday

[scarlet_chaos]

Wanda had vaguely been warned by Scott that the store might need some TLC at least in terms of accounting. So she went in expecting a little bit of a paperwork disaster. What she did not expect, however, was a delivery of 10 boxes filled with just...rubber chickens.

What did rubber chickens have to do with magic, Scott?

[Open]

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[imafuturist]

"Rubber chicken?" he repeated, putting the donuts down for her inspection. A rubber chicken was not what he expected to find here, you know.

[scarlet_chaos]

"Have about 10 boxes of them for some reason," she said with a shrug. "Did you bring me donuts?"

She and Tony Stark were at donut-giving levels of friendship, who would have thought?

[imafuturist]

"I brought you donuts and a replacement plant," Tony confirmed. "As a welcome back gift."

Which was probably more useful than 10 boxes of rubber chickens."

[scarlet_chaos]

What use were rubber chickens if you weren't a Muppet bear comedian?

"You didn't have to do that," Wanda said, but smiled in thanks. "I'm sorry about that whole plant thing. I really didn't think it'd go all Audrey II on me."

[imafuturist]

Maybe Tony and Steve could use it in art class as the medium for modern art. And not explain it because modern art.

"I'm pretty sure I saw more terrifying things grown in the fridge when I lived in the same location as Clint and the Hulk," Tony assured her. "And this plant is plastic. Which saves you on remembering to water it."

[scarlet_chaos]

"And less likely to absorb my magic and go nuts," Wanda said with a nod. "Thank you. I feel like I should be giving you and Steve stuff for welcoming me back and fighting off my plant."

[imafuturist]

Tony waved that off. "You could pay us back by coming to dinner sometime," he suggested.

[scarlet_chaos]

Wanda lifted her eyebrows. "Who's cooking?"

Because the response to that answer might be punishment enough for her.

[imafuturist]

"We... can order out." Look, Tony didn't want a fully boiled meal and it showed.

[scarlet_chaos]

"Oh in that case I'd love to come," Wanda teased.

[imafuturist]

"Great Depression cooking," Tony said in a tone that was just horrified. "I'll make sure to accidentally not have any groceries for that day."

[scarlet_chaos]

"Wise move," she said. "I'm sure boiled hot dogs are...just great though. If you cook it right."

No, they were an abomination, Wanda.

[imafuturist]

He did his best!

"And let me know if you need a break from Steve's hovering," Tony said. "He means well, but..."

Hovering.

[scarlet_chaos]

"He's actually been restraining himself, I feel like," Wanda said. "But I've also been...I don't know, trying to protect him from a lot of what happened."

She didn't think now was the right time for Steve to know what she had done to 838 Peggy Carter, if he ever needed to know.

[imafuturist]

Yeah, that'd probably... be bad. Yes.

"I think he's learned a little from the last, ah, visit home for him," Tony said quietly. "About holding on too tightly."

[scarlet_chaos]

"Tough lesson to learn," she replied. "But probably for the best."

[imafuturist]

"Yeah," Tony agreed, inhaling deeply. "Have you settled back in well enough?"

[scarlet_chaos]

Wanda nodded. "Yeah. I actually got past the worst of it right before you came in."

Annie, not the rubber chickens. But she'd let Tony think it was the rubber chickens.

[imafuturist]

Yeah, those chickens could be tough to handle. But no tougher than a boiled chicken prepared by Steve.

"Good," Tony said a little awkwardly. Because he was of the mindset that you could help fix other people's stuff, but your own stuff had to be dealt with without any help. It was super healthy. "Good. But now you have donuts and a free dinner of your choice."

[scarlet_chaos]

"I do," Wanda said with a genuine smile. "I appreciate it, Tony."

[imafuturist]

"And take it from someone who has made some very dangerous, very public mistakes," Tony said looking at the plant and not at her for the first part, but looked up for the second. "We're here for you. Your team will always be here for you."

[scarlet_chaos]

"That--you don't know how much I need to hear that right now," Wanda admitted. "Thank you."

[imafuturist]

"You're an Avenger," Tony replied. "And we might not be from the same universe or timeline or whatever it is, but we stick together."

And he happened to come from a universe that took that pretty seriously.