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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[defenderofdesmoines]

In between catching up with a neglected bestie, puking, throwing out all their peanut butter, having headaches, going to a very important and illustrative doctor's appointment yesterday and, also, puking more -- Annie had also managed to catch up on radio.

It had taken her awhile to decide what she wanted to do with the information that Wanda was back in town, particularly since...well. She just hoped Wanda had worked out some stuff in her time away. It wasn't like Annie could just hide out forever anyway, and thus, after she ran out of errands she could put between her and the door of the Magic Box, she finally psyched herself up enough to duck in.

Her expression was guarded, but even so, she was relieved to see Wanda. She'd never thought she would again, after all. "Hey."

[scarlet_chaos]

Well. This was unexpected. Wanda had fully expected them to circle around each other until it was unavoidable to meet, but this was a relief, almost. She had already respected Annie, but she held her in even higher esteem seeing her just getting this over with.

"Annie."

[defenderofdesmoines]

Maybe if this was still just about Annie, she would have been more avoidant. But -- Annie couldn't exactly let herself get into a position where all that stood between her and a messy landing was a sweet cape, again, even if mind control was to blame. Not with two little passengers along for the ride now.

"I feel like I should tell you," Annie started carefully, lingering by the door, "that Diego knows where I am, and if I'm not home in an hour, I'll be missed."

Just to say.

[scarlet_chaos]

Ouch. That hurt, but not undeserved. "I wouldn't hurt you. Or anybody else here."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I'm sure you wouldn't mean to," Annie told her honestly, looking a little pained. "I didn't think I'd see you again."

[scarlet_chaos]

"Me either," Wanda admitted. "I missed this place more than I thought I would."

"I mean, not all this," she said, gesturing to the rubber chickens. "But the people."

The Avengers in her own universe probably wanted nothing to do with her, but the temptation to be somewhere where versions of her found family were around was a bit too much to resist. She had never done well alone anyway.

[imafuturist]

Well, with a completely different vibe of visiting, Tony came in with a box of donuts and a plant. It was a fake plant because no one should trust his ability to keep a real one alive long enough to give to her.

Honestly, just be glad it wasn't a robot.

"Wanda, hi."

[scarlet_chaos]

To be honest, Wanda shouldn't be trusted with anything living anymore either. Look what happened to the last plant. God forbid if she ever got a dog; it'd turn into a Hellhound by accident.

"Hey, Tony," Wanda said, still a little shaken by Annie's visit but trying to muster up a genuine smile. "Good to see you again. Want a rubber chicken?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie didn't understand magic, like, great, but she had to think Stephen and Wong would both give her funny looks if she offered them a rubber chicken to help with all their hand-twirly bullshit.

Then again, she hadn't seen that dope music fight.

"I get that," Annie replied, wrapping her arms around herself. "I, um, didn't tell anyone. I mean, my husband knows the whole story, and I told Summer a version where I left your name out of it. And Steven and Marc figured it out between themselves. But -- you shouldn't...have any issues with the people here."

[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]

"You didn't have to do that." Wanda was unsure if Annie hadn't said anything out of fear or out of what their friendship used to be, but she knew she hadn't deserved that saving grace.

"I didn't tell anyone either, for what it's worth." Probably not much, but there it was. "Steve and Jane know I hurt people, but I didn't give details."

She figured what happened was Annie's business to tell.

[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?

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I appreciate that," Annie told her sincerely. It was bad enough that at least one person had put together her tumble with enough information to figure out what had happened; Annie didn't really want more people feeling sorry for her, or like she needed to be protected from someone she'd used to trust implicitly.

Annie did not, for what it was worth, think she still needed that protection, either. But she also knew not to let her guard down, and was much less likely to than she once might have been thanks to a few different factors.

"Where'd you go?"

[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]

"The New Asgard in Jane's universe," Wanda replied. "Spent some time helping the people there, under the watchful eye of a woman who could kick my ass if I had it coming."

[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."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Did you tell her you had it coming?" Annie asked, and maybe she felt like that was deserved, too.

[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]

Wanda huffed, a little amused by that. "I did. She cut me a break and just kept an eye on me."

Which was a scary enough threat, if you had ever met Valkyrie.

"It was good for me," she said. "Didn't use magic, got to help people, came to terms with what I did and what that means for the future."

[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.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie had not met Valkyrie, but with a name and a description like that, she was pretty much immediately just picturing her as Maeve, which was comforting.

And not too far off, honestly.

"What happened to that book?"

Annie didn't care about the particulars of this answer, but it needed to be something along the lines of, 'I literally cannot touch it any more.'

[scarlet_chaos]

"I did what I told Stephen I would do," Wanda said. "Destroyed it, and all of the copies across the multiverse. Nobody can use it anymore."

[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.