10474/Lost in the Christmas Spirit

Lost in the Christmas Spirit
Date of Scene:	18 December 2019
Location:	Rockefeller Center, Midtown Manhattan
Synopsis:	Hot cocoa, no major bruises, and travel plans.
Cast of Characters:	Scarlet Witch, Wasp (van Dyne), Darcy Lewis

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Scarlet Witch has posed:
Christmas traditions die hard, even if you aren't a native New Yorker born and bred. Visiting Rockefeller Center is high on the bucket list for tourists and locals alike, and they make their presence known, squeezing into the byways underneath the dazzlingly high television towers. Radio City isn't even approachable without tickets and a pile of patience, so the thickest crowds congregate in front of the skating rink. Valiant efforts to keep back too many people from the ice is currently an effort reliant on a group of well-trained staff -- but they're only human. Emphasis on the latter.

Several impatient teenagers crowd together, muttering at the kids taking too long to head around the ice. With the fancy skates they wear and the rather impressive costumes, the teenagers reek of importance as much as unwillingness to share the tantalizing stretch of ice. A girl no more than eight helps her brother, much smaller, negotiate his way close to the boards while they hoot and jeer.

"C'mon, stay back," gamely shouts one of the passing skaters, only to get a string of snide calls. Soon enough, there's a snowball swept up from the grimy, stamped grey snow and more ice shavings than not, soaring through the air.

Luck sometimes means avoiding the smack in the face or shoulder from a projectile. For Wanda, carefully balancing on steel blades and slipping on a particulary choppy patch of ice, that means evading the damage. That little boy with a red face and flailing arms might not be so lucky, his parents too slow to intercept, his sister next in line.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet doesn't exactly have the preternatural capabilities Wanda does. Her mode is often 'extreme stealth' or 'literal giant woman'.

The jostling teens pushing their way into the ice in incremental steps catches her attention on her second loop. Particularly when a pair of kids (who probably can't afford designer skates) start getting rousted and heckled by the youths.

Janet comes around the outside wall and builds up a fair head of steam. Ten feet away she vanishes with a subtle rush of air and launches herself into the intermediate distance. The petite pixie hits the biggest one behind the knee, taking his skates out from under him. Physics, predictable as toppling dominos, does the rest.

Another rush of air and Janet appears in front of Wanda, skating backwards and making it look confident and graceful. "I love Christmas," she beams.

For no particular reason at all.

Darcy Lewis has posed:
Roller skating and ice skating aren't the same thing, at all. But the Grid Iron Gals wanted to do something slightly different than roll around on polished cement, and so it was off to the ice rink near Rockefeller Center. Darcy is out on the ice, looking so strong and confident and smooth, like she's done this all her life. And then just as Janet appears, Darcy startles and tries to quick stop...
    ...like she would if she was on her roller skates. Which means she spins in a tight circle before faceplanting on the ice.

Where she just laughs at the rush of going ker-splat.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
It would be a kindness to call Wanda's ability to skate without falling over or crashing into the scarred, repainted boards rimming the rink preternatural. But she has a rhythm going, slow and somewhat steady, paced to stay in the general flow of skaters. No one is going to accuse her of being the next Olympic speedball waiting to burst out with a few lutzes or salchows, but she does a fine enough work.

Janet should have no trouble watching her in the masses, though there are several bypassers going around the rink like planets around the sun watching the hecklers drop with a kick. The snowball smacks into the little boy and his howls get loud enough for his parents to swoop in awkwardly for the rescue, looking around for a culprit with a frown and a shaken fist to the teenagers both gawping and giggling at their fallen friend. Seeing the big one drop proves malice is something held in common with kindergartners and teenagers alike, the only difference being height and vocabulary.

"It is a happy--" Famous last words. Wanda isn't fully startled by the appearance of the fashionista, but that may be experience talking. She watches without much envy but that leaves her free to hit a rut and bounce immediately into the void, a yelp and a curse in a very Eastern European language on her lips. Not the enchanted kind, but her mad wobble is a vain effort to keep upright before she drops like a red penguin. At least she avoids crushing Darcy in the effort, spinning out on her side.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet akwwardly twirls to a stop. She's certainly not going to earn any Olympic qualifer points here-- but she's at least got a low center of gravity and excellent balance. And it's something she's done a time or two. Her outfit is, of course, perfectly Christmas-time-y; red leggings and an ivory-white vest that looks both warm and is form-flattering. A scarf and poofy earmuffs keep her head warm, though there's a fine dusting of winter redness on her cheekbones and nose.

"They *really* need to get the Zamboni machine out here," Janet remarks, with wry sympathy. The petite fashionista sets her weight as best she can and offers Wanda both hands for a bit of stability to get to her feet.

"Hey, slow down, asswipe." A skater flying past the prone women gawks at the fierce remonstration from the woman. Janet offers Darcy a hand up as well. "You almost had that layback turn!" she says encouragingly-- even if she missed Darcy's intention!

Darcy Lewis has posed:
A laugh on her lips, Darcy accepts the hand up, getting to her feet with a tiny wobble. Once upright, she plants a toestop.. toe pick and stands on her own.

"Thanks. Don't know what that is, but glad to know I almost had it," chirps the curvy woman, in generic winter gear and knee pads. Her bright pink eyes clash magnificently with her very off the rack ready to wear Goodwill fashion. She looks to Wanda, smile on her flushed face.

"Sorry I missed your wipe out," she says.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
If it needs to be said Wanda wears shades of a winter night to Janet's winter day, then all hope is lost. Her burgundy, merlot, and syrah-inspired palette begs for a glass of gluhwine spiked with a real cinnamon stick. So too does she need that exactly right now as she rides on the padded side of her hip and tucks her feet in to avoid tripping another six people. "They have been skating all day," she agrees, her nose wrinkling in brief survey of her unfortunate state of affairs. A quick patdown assures nothing is broken but the appearance of ability and skill, the only thing bruised her hip. Taking Janet's hands, she manages to get her skates under her and rises with only a minimum wobble. It means altogether too easy for her to offer a hint of assistance for Darcy if needed.

Someone insists on getting too close and abruptly hitting a slippery patch a few seconds later, sent shunting into the blur of black parkas and jeans, laughter turned to a woeful groan. "See, all is well that ends well. Is that a Christmas song? I want to say it is." The brightening of a smile mirrors Darcy's, and she looks aside to the fashionista. "I am rather glad no one had a camera pointed my way."

Or if they do, it's not going to end up recording well. Maybe. "We can just imagine it. No sore spots, are there, miss? I'm Wanda, by the way. That is, of course, Ms. van Dyne." Cat out of the bag around mach 2.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet's arms are held out to her side for a bit of extra balance. Standing still and chatting is difficult! "C'mon, I need some cocoa," Janet tells Wanda, and offers a mutual grip of forearms for balance. In truth, she's as much giving Wanda a graceful reason to nurse what'll probably be a good bruise on her hip.

"Also, we're gonna get creamed if we stand out here any longer. C'mon, you can come with us," Janet informs Darcy with a friendly tone, and beckons the other woman along. "And it's only Ms. van Dyne when I'm working. Call me Janet," she instructs Darcy. The petite fashionista times her motion and pushes to the exit door during a break in the slow counter-clockwise circle of skaters.

Darcy Lewis has posed:
"Darcy," says the skater, smiling warmly. "Nah. Not more than usual, anyway." Invited to join, she nods.

"Hot chocolate sounds lovely," Darcy replies, pushing off smoothly with Janet. She doesn't seem to recognize the name 'Janet Van Dyne' at all. She looks over at Wanda.

"I don't think it's a Christmas Song," is commented to the other woman's musing.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda is happy to take Darcy's word for it, laughing blithely as she carefully picks a path through the milling skaters. Some hop up onto the rubber-padded walks past gaps in the boards, others clinging for dear life until they can exit onto a friendlier footing altogether. Swishing leather coat making a soft murmur, the auburn-haired young woman is steadier linked with Janet or simply for not thinking too hard about how she has to go. "The hot chocolate truck was somewhere over there, wasn't it?" A nod indicates the pile of people presumably blocking their route to one side of the plaza. "Or we can follow the smell."

Getting on the ground has its advantages, though removing her skates or putting on a pair of plastic guards takes only a few moments either way. "A pleasure to meet you, Darcy." The twinkling of the tree is an easy source of distraction, but not for the moment. Not entirely, anyway.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"You want something hot to drink? We've got some seasonal prefunk in a thermos. Peppermint schnapps and cocoa," Janet offers to Darcy.

Janet's assistant is both holding a table for them and watching their things. He's bundled up in a heavy parka and hood, leaving only his eyes and nose exposed. When the women arrive he swiftly pulls out chairs for all three and takes up a post nearby.

"Carl, go get yourself some coffee, I'll text you if I need you," Janet advises him. The fellow nods and heads indoors, and Janet busies herself with the mundane task of uncapping the thermos and pouring peppermint-fresh cocoa into cups for herself and Wanda-- a third, offered to Darcy, but not poured until the woman accepts the invitation.

Darcy Lewis has posed:
"I think so," Darcy agrees with Wanda, looking off that way. "Pleasure to meet you too Wanda," is added, Darcy's pink eyes coming back from the distraction of the tree to the auburn haired woman. Following the others, Darcy's about to accept the mint cocoa when her phone rings. Rather, her phone starts to play "Hi-ho" from Disney's Snow White, starting from the 'work work work work work work work work work the whole day through' line. The very sound of it makes Darcy groan even as she's pulling off a glove to dig into a pocket.

"Shit. Sorry, ladies. Gimme a bit? Work's calling. I swear to Jesus if Jeffery's fucked up a delivery again, I am going to have his ass transfered to fucking Antartica," Darcy grouces, stepping away to handle the work call, heard answering with a crisp: "Lewis. This better be simple."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Work, work, work: work is the bane of all socializing. There is nowhere to quite escape from its demands, the tentacles clinging to an unsuspecting victim. Briefly in the mingling of the crowd, Wanda flicks her wrist and her skates unravel in a stream of sparkling scarlet motes, climbing up her knees and replaced by solid boots sketched and stitched by laces over the back of her calves. Much better for walking.

"How charming. Imagining tapping all that energy," she asides to the petite woman, shaking her head. Carl's departure is given a wave, and she accepts that cup gratefully. Nothing quite like chocolate to warm the soul. "How does the season treat you so far? Any fine plans?"

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet's process is a little more prosaic, though the end result does produce a pair of skates that literally disappear into a purse too small by far to accomodate them. Calf-high cavalry boots with an aggressive tread are donned, in some remarkably stain-resistant white leather and with a cuff of white-and-black fur from some arctic cat.

"Me plans?" Janet says, jarred to attention by Wanda's question. "Nothing big. My family was never big on holiday, and all my living relatives are in the Netherlands these days. I don't speak a word of Dutch. Steve's folks are gone, obviously." Fingers curl around the cocoa to absorb warmth into her palms. "We'll do our usual Avenger's charity party this week, then drop in on a shelter to carpet-bomb them with food and presents, and then..." She wrinkles her nose. "I don't know. Probably just ride out the holiday somewhere with good skiing and hot food."

Janet takes a sip of her cocoa, uplifts her chin at Wanda. "How about you and Pieeetroo?" she says, deliberately giving his name a more Italian pronounciation. "Gonna have yourself a Romani Christmas?"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
No cat sacrificed itself to Wanda, but that's not to say some great spirit in the form of a cat did not contribute itself. Stranger things have happened. Wanda doesn't bat an eyelash at clothes shrinking or expanding with certain ease. It goes with Janet's entire canon of unique talents. She blows out a breath through the steam rising from her cup of cocoa, basking in the scent and the heat.

"We should remember how to celebrate together. How to forget all the things of difference and enjoy our company. How often do we get that?" A question asked without perhaps expectation of an answer, even as she smiles up at the stars veiled behind a thick glimmer of artificial light that would rival their majesty and stifle all sense of nature being the equal to man's creations. How Tony might go on about that. "Romani Christmas?"

Her brows loft slightly and she shakes her head a little. "It would not be something we can do here. Some elements -- singing, dancing. Being together. I don't know how to do all this." A wave of her hand around her.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"So?" Janet asks, with a tiny shrug. "Go home for a few days. You can borrow my private jet if you don't want to just--" She *snaps* her finger overhead in an arc. "Poof, be home. Poof, back in New York. It's not like the city is going to burn down in the next week. Even if it DOES, it's not like you can't get here quickfast and in a hurry."

"Just don't let Avenger-ing or Xavier-ing be your whole life," she urges, and flashes a brilliant smile at her friend. The cup in her hands is tilted forward in a modest little toast of good cheer. "Enjoy the holiday. Worst case, if you just can't think of anything to do, we can have a group ski trip in Aspen or Hailey or something," she offers. "You could learn how to ski!"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
A smile there, soft and clear, comes as a response. "Xaviering? No. No, never. I don't know where Pietro wants to go. Maybe he wants to stay in place and if he does, that is good enough for me." The affection for he rtwin is hardly a difficult thing to pluck from a catalog of emotions, but then neither is Wanda particularly interested in concealing that sisterly delight. "I would like to learn how to ski. Without cheating." A wrinkle of her nose there. "It seems exactly his speed. He will be tearing down the mountain and I will be looking for the chalet up at the top. A good compromise, everyone can enjoy it. Does Steve know how? I am to guess you do, right?"

Her careful maneuvering around the cup turns a full circle, which means another sip, and another, the comfort of it seeping into her bones over the snapping fingers, the bustle of people. "Sometimes I want the natural world. Sometimes I crave the people. I mostly do not want to be alone in this season." She inclines her head, like she's listening to something that isn't quite there. "I /should/ ask if he wants to go. Let's head back if you are done, and we can check out the details." Or the luggage.