13173/A Sunday in the Park..

A Sunday in the Park..
Date of Scene:	02 May 2021
Location:	Central Park, Manhattan
Synopsis:	Willow gets interrupted by the siblings Maximoff, and she hits it off with Pietro.
Cast of Characters:	Willow Rosenberg, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch

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Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Ah springtime.

And seeing that Willow was just about to change jobs.. she had taken a few of the books from Giles and headed off Central Park. One veggie dog and one frappe later, there she was under a willow tree studying and taking notes in her laptop.

It was a beautiful day!

Quicksilver has posed:
Given recent events, there are a few good reasons for Pietro to be on his way to Central Park. This is where the vortex is, after all, and where the troll creatures had come out to 'claim' some territory. He's made it part of his pseudo regular route of running. He has zipped his way along the rest of his route to this point, and skidded to a stop at a nearby pastry shop.

There, he popped in to make a purchase of a box of half a dozen assorted pastries. With the box in hand, he starts to walk -- yes, Pietro can actually walk when he wants to -- into the park. He lifts his free hand, tussling his white hair, his blue gaze flicking over those who are in the park. He's dressed simply -- a pair of black jeans, a good pair of black running shoes, a grey button-up shirt and a black leather jacket. And his gaze is caught by... a redhead, by a willow tree. And not his sister redhead, either. He did promise his sister that he would be nice, and that he would try to make friends... didn't he? The fingers of his free hand fidget a bit, and then he starts to approach her at what he hopes could be considered an easy pace. He's got a fair stride, though, and so he won't be very long in reaching her. And once he reaches her, he gives a small nod and a bit of a nod. "Good day, Miss," he offers in greeting. Pietro, greeting someone he doesn't know? Apparently it happens!

Scarlet Witch has posed:
And at about the point of Pietro's run that he arrives at Central park, Wanda usually times it so she appears at that time too. Just in case something should happen and her dear brother needs backup. Knowing roughly where her brother is, somewhat halfway between him and the other redhead, but perhaps twenty feet off to the side, what appears to be scarlet flames appear. To anyone magically inclined, the flames should be blazing with magic like a bonfire. But they're not. They appear to be normal fire, but scarlet in color, and give off good light. Except, no fire in existence was ever that color by natural means.

Then the flames fade, and the redheaded Wanda Maximoff is standing there. Her eyes find her brother first, then the jade green orbs shift over to the object of his current attention. Her right brow lifts as she studies another redhead. A redhead her brother is /willingly/ talking to. On his own volition. Without Wanda prodding at him. And she looks at the redhead with a new light in those green eyes. "Well well well," she murmurs, half under her breath and very much to herself. "This is interesting." For the moment, she remains where she is. Perhaps not noticed. Perhaps very much noticed. That fire was not subtle, afterall.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Perhaps is it fate, because she doesn't see the flames. In fact, she almost misses Pietro!

Willow holds up her hand, with forefinger raised and the rest of the fingers down. "Just a minute.." (She was at a most peculiar place in the chapter!) When she finishes, perhaps ten seconds to her - hours to him! - she closes the books and smiles. "Sorry, I was reading about the.. uh.. thing that I was.. interested in." Quickly she had to lie.

Quicksilver has posed:
A flicker of the flame that announces his sister's arrival on the scene is caught in his peripheral vision. His blue gaze turns in her direction, flicking over her and giving her a bit of a smile. See? He's trying! He even has gifts! Or offerings. Depending on the way one chooses to look at the box that he's carrying, marked as it is from the pastry shop he'd bought it from. But they'd been bought before he found this redhead, which could mean any number of things. Pietro's thoughts have a tendency of taking little sidetrips. He thinks quickly, he tends to easily get away with it.

His attention turns back to the seated redhead, and he tilts his head a bit to one side before giving a nod to her. The movement is enough to cause a lock of his white hair to fall across his forehead and partially into his face. Waiting! Waiting is always a thing that feels like it takes forever. Even more so for him. But he waits, patiently. And he smiles then. "If it's not too strange to ask... what thing were you reading about? The thing that you were interested in," he asks. "Do you mind if I sit with you?" He gestures towards a spot that's near. Wait... Pietro's going to sit with her? Has some strange alignment occurred to cause such a behaviour?

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda Maximoff is briefly pleased as she remains unnoticed, for now. But only by the other redhead, clearly. Pietro noticed her. Ah well. She walks forward, dressed in black jeans, black heels, and one of those russet colored cute little teeshirts with shorter sleeves than normal. Over it all, her black and scarlet leather long coat.

"You seem to have found someone interesting, P. Come to check on the vortex?" She pauses, and reaches up her right hand to whap herself on the forehead. "I've been so busy, I entirely forgot to send a message to the magic community to ask for help moving those blasted ley lines so I can close that vortex." That is easily loud enough to hear, but seems to mostly be for herself.

As Pietro asks to sit with someone that isn't her, Wanda stops mid stride, and slowly puts the still raised foot down. Her eyes are a tad wide. And she takes a step back. She considers Pietro and the redhead for a moment, and her lips curl up into a pleased smile. She pivots on her left foot and goes the other way. Toward the vortex rather than her brother. With a girl!

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Did you know, they called that a witch's forelock. You would have been killed long ago." Real cute, Willow. Tell the boy he would have been killed. Real smooth.

She picked up her book and held it out to him. "This shield. I know how come I'm interested in an old shield. I was figuring something about it. The legend has it that it has a curse upon it. I was looking up more about it."

Then she thinks, "Uh.. sure.. but that lady is watching you. Or me? Were you supposed to meet her?" After all, Willow did NOT want to step in another's shoes. "She's pretty." Well she was! And Willow looked at all the sexes equally. "She reminds me of my roommate. He's from Siberia."

Quicksilver has posed:
How could Pietro not notice his sister? Her flames are unmistakeable! He looks over to Wanda and raises an eyebrow slightly before giving a small nod to her. "Mmhmm, I come by here a few times a day to check it out. Just in case. I mean, weird things might happen, right?" he suggests, lifting one of his shoulders in a slight shrug. "Come and meet her as well?" he offers to her, raising an eyebrow slightly. And he probably always looks this good doing it, too. Because he has a thing about being dressed well. Then he tsks at her. "Perhaps you should send the message now? Although it is a little bit of short notice, given when they may be returning," he comments, quirking a bit of a grin.

His blue gaze turns to the redhead under the willow tree, and he tilts his head a little to one side. "A witch's forelock? I didn't know that," Pietro says, a smile quirking at the corners of his lips. "Perhaps I'm lucky to have avoided that time period, then," he adds, seeming to take it in stride. He settles to the grass near to her when she agrees, tucking his feet beneath him in cross-legged fashion. Yes. Pietro is actually sitting in the grass. With a girl. A girl who isn't his sister. He places the box of pastries between himself and her. Then he looks to the book that she offers, and the shield that it displays. "We all have things that draw our attention. And it seems... interesting. A cursed shield. What kind of curse?" he asks, curious. Then he glances towards Wanda before looking back to the other redhead, and he gives a small nod to her. "She's my sister. My twin. And she's pretty, among many other things," he says, his chin ducking just a touch. "Siberia is a very far off place," he comments, a flicker of curiosity to his voice. Then he shifts his position a bit, and he offers his right hand towards her. "I'm Pietro," he offers. See? He's even introducing himself!

Scarlet Witch has posed:
There's mentioning of killing, and Wanda pauses, glancing over her shoulder to look at the other redhead, thoughtful-like. Especially at the mention of a shield. With a curse. Intriguing. As he invites her to come over, Wanda turns about again, and walks toward the pair. "I suppose I could," she says. "And I should, though it's going to take time to move the ley lines irregardless."

As she steps up beside her bother, Wanda wrinkles her nose. "We're all lucky to have avoided that time period," she points out. "Witches were not known to lead long, nor healthy, lives." She tilts her head curiously. "Why do I remind you of your Siberian roommate?" She does have something of the exotic european look, so perhaps that's it. "I'm Wanda."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Yes. In fact I got a present from his family for him." No. She doesn't explain. "He looked so surprised. His name is Vitali, and I think he had dreams to bring him over. Oh, he likes boys." Why she feels she needs to make it clear that she wasn't interested in him, who knows.

Willow took back the text. "A very interesting curse. Without the talismans, and protection, it is said they bring bad luck to everyone who touches it. And the more people it is passed through, the harder the curse. To the point that the initial person could be dead, and then they will also haunt the shield." It really is neat.. if she weren't doing it to finish the curse fast! Before it was too late.

Wanda wanders over then, and Willow offers a smile. "Tell me about it.. Did you say leylines? What do they look like?" After all, Willow is just seeing her own magic in red! She wonders if leylines are visible to the mage sighted too. "..Uh.. I wonder.. Watch out fur Hellequin. He's really on the side of good, but he's got a bee in his bonnet about witches." Softer then. "He tried to kill me. I seem to get weird people around me."

Quicksilver has posed:
There's a glance cast towards Wanda, and Pietro gives a small nod to her as she approaches. "Well... I won't pretend to know what it would take to move them, but I'll take your word for it. And it would likely take more time than what's available, Sister-dear, so perhaps that proverbial ship has already sailed," he suggests. His occassional pessimism hasn't been entirely squashed, he just manages to lock it up now and again. Or rein it in. "Well, we're lucky to have reached the age we are, anyways," he adds, smirking a bit at her.

Then his blue gaze turns back to the redhead that he doesn't know. And there's a smile to tug his lips. "I was wondering how she reminded you of him, as well," he says in a soft tone. He watches her, with a flicker of curiosity. And one of his eyebrows quirks up a touch. "That must have been quite something for him, to get a gift from so far away," he says, after a moment of consideration.

"So... each person who touches the shield becomes cursed with bad luck, and when they die, their soul possesses the shield?" Pietro asks, tilting his head a touch to one side. That is a rather curious thing! "Are looking to break the curse that's on it, to set the souls free?" he asks. And he's quiet a moment, casting a glance towards his sister before looking back to the redhead investigating the shield. "Hellequin...? I've not heard of him before," he says. "I'm not really weird. Usually. I just run fast. And I like the pastries from the shop over there," he comments, reaching out a hand to lightly tap the box of them.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
"That was a very nice thing you did for him," says Wanda. She doesn't ask for an explanation. Explanations are never needed for being nice to someone else. It does seem interesting that she points out her roommate likes boys, but who's Wanda to judge? Maybe the redhead just wants to make it plain that she isn't into this Vitali.

Wanda nods to the question. "I did say leylines, yes. There's a convergence of three that are being set off by an alignment of stars. They look like leylines. Lines of magical power." She turns and points directly at them. "There. There. And there. And they meet, there." Each 'there' is accompanied by a pointed finger. Leylines are very visible to the mage sighted.

Wanda's attention turns back to Willow. "This Hellequin would not be wise to try me. Would you like a puppy? I can turn him into a puppy for you, if you like." This is said so deadpan it's hard to tell if Wanda is being serious, or if she's teasing. There's a slight sparkle in those jade green eyes, but not enough to say for certain if she's joking or serious.

She breathes in deeply and turns to look in the direction of the leylines. Her expression is troubled, slightly. "It would probably take me a month to move just one. Working at it from daylight to dark and into dark. And you know the kind of power I have, Pietro." Her voice is soft, and serious now, so perhaps she had been joking about turning Hellequin into a puppy. Maybe. "It would have taken more time than was available when I suggested the idea at the meeting last week. Even with a full coven, it will probably take at least a week per line." Clearly, it's not going to be an easy task, not in the slightest. "We are. Lucky," she agrees, smiling as she looks back to her twin.

She glances to the book Willow yet holds. "It sounds an interesting shield." She steps on forward and sinks to sit in the grass facing the other two, to form something of a triangle. "The pastries from that shop are good." She sounds distracted. She might be thinking about that shield. Or she might be thinking about the leylines.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow cants her head and looks at Pietro. Then at Wanda. "I don't know. It was just a niggle, but now that I have met you both.. I think it's got something to do.. well, you're bold. At Wanda, you are not.. most of the time. Vitali is removed, until he's helping someone. And even then, he's got a calm about him."

Then she blushed. "I'm sorry. Willow. Willow Rosenberg." She took his hand, and nodded and Wanda. "Can I have one?" At least she thought he was!

She waited till Wanda sat down, but she *did* see the leylines. "Neeeeat.. And No! I would hate to come up against you, but if I needed to protect him, I would. He seem to be learning something, and he can't if you turn him into a puppy.. Can you do that?" She shakes her head. "I don't like him, but don't always get to pick them."

Quicksilver has posed:
There's a nod of agreement to his sister's observation. It was a very nice thing! And whilst the ley lines are discussed, Pietro listens, but though he glances in the directions that his sister points, he sees nothing. He is not magically gifted. His skills lie in other areas. And then he raises an eyebrow slightly at Wanda's words. Sometimes... sometimes, his sister is scary. This might be one of those times! But she's also good for him. "Would it be the cutest puppy ever?" Pietro asks, a flicker of amusement to the question. He doesn't doubt Wanda's abilities.

He lifts one of his hands slightly, making a bit of a gesture. "I have an idea of the power that you have, my dear. There are still times when you surprise me with what you are capable of," he comments, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Yet there's a hint of serious in his voice, for he does know her powers, largely. Then he chuckles softly before giving a nod. "Indeed, the pastries are good. It's part of why I come here so often," he comments, his blue eyes showing a sparkle to them.

One of his eyebrows quirks up a bit as Willow makes assessments about them, and her roommate, and he gives a soft chuckle before giving a small nod. "I might be. A little bit, sometimes," he says. And as she takes his hand, he gives it a gentle squeeze, his touch both warm and soft. "A pleasure to meet you, Willow. Our family name is Maximoff," he adds. Then he gestures towards the box of pastries before opening the lid to reveal the treats within.. "Of course! Please, help yourself to whichever you fancy," he offers, giving a small nod to her. There are six different ones inside. Perhaps he has a sweet tooth.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda Maximoff has a calm about her, but it's a contained calm. A calm that could burst into flames at any moment if the wrong buttons are pushed. She flips the back of her coat back, so she's not sitting on it, and finishes settling. She comments not on the woman protecting someone who'd tried to kill her. Strange things happen, afterall. Despite her own checkered past, Wanda is a member of the Avengers now. She nods seriously. "Yes, I could do that. But I wouldn't, unless he really upset me. I doubt he could harm me. Perhaps I ought to pay this fellow a visit. Hmm." Uh oh. Wanda has that look of pondering mischief about her. Wanda seems to have, for the moment, put the thought of the leylines from her mind. For now.

She glances to Pietro and smiles. "Perhaps," she says, of cute puppies. She studies her brother for a moment. "What am I not capable of?" The question is soft, and somewhat introspective. She tilts her head, and then rises to her feet. "I'm sorry, but I must go." She lifts her right hand, it's wreathed in scarlet flames. And the flames seem to consume her. When they disappear, Wanda is no longer there.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I have got to learn that!" Willow forget she's in company for the moment. Then she blushes.

Quickly, she covered up her embarrassment by choosing a pastry. Chocolate! Of course.

"So, that's your sister?" She nods."My parents only had me, which was ok, I guess."

Quicksilver has posed:
The white haired man turns his gaze to Wanda, watching her for a long moment. "I know, Sister... I know," he says, a smile touching at the corners of his lips. She could turn him into a puppy, if she really wanted to. Though he kind of hopes that she won't! But imagine how fast that puppy would be! He watches her for a moment again, and then he lifts a hand to lightly touch her shoulder nearest to him, a reassuring thing. Yet his hand falls away when she rises and he gives a nod to her. "I'll see you later, Wanda. Take care of yourself," he adds, giving a small nod.

Pietro turns his attention back to Willow, watching her now, and he chuckles softly. "She may be able to teach you. I'm not sure. I have no magic," he says, a smile tugging his lips. He doesn't seem disappointed by that -- he has other things. He chooses a strawberry croissant, and then he gives a nod. "It is, mmhmm. We grew up in Transia together," he says, his brow furrowing a little bit.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow gives a frown as he does so. "I guess it was hard growing up there. My friend , Vitali, doesn't speak about very often. But from what he has said it was very poor, and his village was very remote. It makes you think about everyone twice. He didn't have peanut butter." She says it in a disbelieving voice.

The chocolate croissant was as expected. Only twice the chocolate, and shaves of dark chocolate to finish off.

"Did you really come over to see me?" Though he had these pastry, so if not her, someone. "I wonder.. those leylines. What's come out of there." Really, that was the question she really wanted answered.

Quicksilver has posed:
"I can only imagine how hard it would be to grow up somewhere like Siberia," Pietro says in a soft tone, watching her. He takes a bite of his strawberry filled croissant, quiet as he chews it up before swallowing. "Sometimes, when a person grows up with little, it can be difficult to talk about. Depending on how long he's been here, he may still be coming to terms with the way things are different between here and there. Or perhaps he doesn't speak of it because he misses his home. I expect there are a few different reasons that he may not speak of it very much," he says in a gentle tone. One of his eyebrows quirks at her mention of peanut butter, and he gives a small nod. "There are a lot of things here that are taken for granted in comparison to somewhere as remote as Siberia can be, in places," he adds.

At her question of him, he gives a soft chuckle, a hint of that amusement coming to his blue eyes, and then he nods once. "Mmhmm, it would seem that I did. Just to see you. The pastries, well... I was going to buy them anyway, but I think that they taste better when they're shared. Especially with a pretty redhead," he says, a smile tugging his lips. He's being sincere, and he's trying. He promised his sister that he would try to make friends. He turns his head to glance towards the ley lines, and the vortex where they meet, and then his attention returns to her. "Trolls of Nornheim. Or at least, that's what came out of it about a week ago. They staked a claim and somehow agreed to perhaps accept cheesecake as appeasement for them to give back the stretch of land," he says, a thoughtful tone to his voice. "And apparently Kobalins before the trolls. The trolls are pretty big... somewhere around twelve feet tall," he adds, watching her. He speaks from experience, at least in talking of the trolls.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"So.." Willow scrunched up her forehead in thought. "The leylines seem to be crossing a portion of inter dimension space, and we could predict according to the coordinates we could know who or what we would be facing next time. I mean, trolls aren't bad to face down, but there are some things, such as demons, you wouldn't want to face down."

And from how she's saying it, she know her demons.

But she laughs. "Your sister told you to find friends? You know, I really could be an evil witch!"

Quicksilver has posed:
"Oh, it'll be the trolls again. They're coming back for the payment of their bargain. We... well. I suppose it could be said that there was parlay between us and them, after a fashion," Pietro comments, quirking a bit of a smile. "I'm not sure if trolls are universally the same, but these ones... they're apparently very strong. And they like challenges. Their chieftain is named Ulik. They are brown and yellow furred monstrosities with powerful-looking long limbs, great tusks, and blood red eyes. They were shaped somewhat like creatures from the family of apes, yet they wore armor and brandished weapons and had a sort of fiendish intelligence in their eyes. I would not wish to fight with one. I would if I had to, but I would not wish to," he says, his tone thoughtful.

"You sound as though you know a thing or two about demons," Pietro says, a smile tugging his lips. One of his eyebrows quirks up, and there's a flicker of colour that comes to his cheeks. "It was perhaps a strongly worded suggestion, on her part, but I promised her that I would try," he comments, ducking his chin just a little bit, giving Willow a sidelong look as a smile tugs at the corners of his lips. That lock of white hair flops forward, over his forehead and partway into his face. "You could be an evil witch. And I could be evil, too. But the only way of finding out is to take a chance by talking to you, right?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Oh. I must have misheard her say about the leylines." For as innocent as she looks, she sounds disappointed. "Oh well.. And I do know something about demons." And not just because she had dated one! "Well, my friends actually fight them. I just look up stuff, and ward them."

Willow takes the last bit of croissant. "You were right, they were really good! And really, I don't think my friends could even comprehend of me being evil. They try to protect me. Which is hard when they need me to stop the demons. And vampires. Though, vampires aren't as tricky as the demons." She thinks. "I could be pretty good at being evil. No one would expect it of me."

Quicksilver has posed:
"Well... I think ley lines might have different purposes, but... I'm not an expert on that. Or even a novice. I just try to understand the best I can without seeing them or being able to do anything with them," Pietro says, a hint of a smile tugging his lips. Then he tilts his head a bit to one side, studying her a bit more closely. "You fight demons?" he asks, a flicker of curiosity to his voice. "That's pretty cool," he says, giving a small nod to her.

"Looking stuff up and warding things is a significant thing, though. I can look things up but that doesn't mean I always understand them, especially if the information is to do with magic, though I have at least a little bit of understanding," he says. He watches her for a moment, and then he gestures towards the box. "You can have another, if you like. I... haven't really been evil, but... I wasn't always good," he comments. "Vampires too, eh? I can't say that I've met one. Or killed one. The quiet and innocent one, hmm?" he suggests.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow was about to say something, her usual spiel about how Buffy was the actually the hero, but she stopped. "You think?" A pause. "Yeah.. I put every bit the same. It's just that mine is quiet."

That, for some reason, makes her happy, and she takes another pastry. A strawberry affair with lots of cream.

"We run into vampires all the time. They tend to group in covens. Actually, most of our enemies tend to group around our home town. Probably because Buffy was there. And, yeah, I tend to be quiet. Nobody really notices me, so why bother. How about you?"

Quicksilver has posed:
"Sometimes I do," Pietro says, quirking a bit of a grin and winking at her. "But yeah, it is," he says, giving a small nod to her. He finishes off his pastry that he had been working on, then licks a bit of strawberry filling from his thumb. "Information is important. I mean, it's all well and good for people to know that they're fighting a particular type or flavour of demon, but if you don't research it to know how to kill it the right way then cutting its head off might just end up leaving you with two heads to fight instead of one," he says. His fingers fidget a bit, but it seems more habit than impatience.

At hearing about the enemies, Pietro is curious. "What is your home town, if you don't mind my asking? It's... unusual, for a person to be a magnet for such things. In my experience, at least. Which is limited, at best. It's often the place. Or something in the place," he muses. He tilts his head a little to one side, studying her. "Nobody notices you...?" he asks, sounding a bit surprised at that. Then he shakes his head before shifting his position to lean slightly towards her. "I noticed you," Pietro says, quirking a smile. "But I might be nobody," he comments with a bit of a smirk teasing his lips. Then he blinks at her. "Me? I kind of run fast. And I fight, a little," he answers. Which might be the understatement of the year, there, considering his top speed.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Sometimes they already know what they're fighting against. I mean, there's only so many lower level demons, or vampires you can fight until you've memorized them. Vampires especially. Sometimes the upper level vampires require a little more, but really, they're about the same."

Willow used her forefinger to scoop out the strawberries and cream, as she answered. "Sunnydale. That's where the Hellmouth is. Well, one of them. Really, Buffy could do without me. She got a Watcher too. He's nice. Better than John, but John knew magic, and he had this crazy house. He's out there, somewhere, doing something." He left her in London!

And then she laughs. "I'm also the only person at the moment who was sitting alone!" She looks over, and guesses. "I bet you aren't normal with your fighting. Maybe the speed. Unless you really are normal, and your twin was the only one who lucked out." Yes, she calls it 'luck'. Apparently Willow is pro-mutant. Pro-magic. "If you want, you can meet Buffy. You could spar with her."

Quicksilver has posed:
"I've never had a reason to look into vampires or much in the way of demons. Perhaps I'll have to add that to my list," Pietro says. There is a bit of an accent to his voice, a leftover from where he was born and raised. "Or ask you all of the questions, but there are likely more interesting ones that could be asked," he adds. His fingers fidget a bit more, and he lifts his right hand, combing his fingers through his hair once and letting the white locks of it tumble where they will.

"I've never been to Sunnydale. Or near a Hellmouth, though it sounds like it's probably something bad," he comments. "I find that hard to believe, that someone could do without someone like you. You make wards, and those are things that protect people, and you research things. And you likely do more than just that," he says, raising an eyebrow slightly as he studies her. "Who's John?" he asks, curiosity getting the better of him.

He chuckles and then lifts one of his shoulders in a bit of a shrug. "I could have kept walking. Well... I might try to take advantage of a thing or two, when I fight. Maybe. A little bit," he comments. "I'm not so sure that there is a such thing as 'normal'. And if there is, well... I'm fairly sure I'm past qualifying for it," he adds. There might be a bit of self-deprecation there. And he tilts his head a touch to one side. "If being fast is 'lucking out'," he begins, pausing to make a slight gesture with one of his hands, "then in that definition, perhaps I am. I don't need to meet her. If it happens, it happens, and we'll see. I approached you to meet you."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow watches his hand move, and buries a smile in her frappe. "Perhaps? But the Slayer hasn't always had a magic user. There's always a Watcher, though. And John Constantine. He was a Watcher for awhile." A pseudo Watcher!

As for him..

"Well, I'm glad you did drop by. Even if I really should have been researching!" And she begins to eat the pastry sans cream.

Quicksilver has posed:
"Just because she hasn't always had one doesn't mean that the fight for good doesn't need one," Pietro comments, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Other than the obvious of watching, or so I would presume by the name, what does a Watcher do?" he asks. Then one of his eyebrows quirks up a little bit. "I met him, once. John Constantine," he adds, giving a small nod.

He tilts his head a bit to one side, and there's a smile that tugs at the corners of his lips, somehow seeming a bit truer. "You are?" he asks, seeming... surprised. "Maybe you were ready to take a break," he adds, giving a small nod. And he's quiet a moment, which feels like a much longer time for him. "I could drop by again," he offers. Considering it's Central Park and he drops by here fairly regularly on account of the vortex, then yes -- he absolutely could.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow gets quiet for a moment. "He still protected me, but.. it was different. Almost like he was afraid of me." Like she was too easily turned to the dark side, and really should be trained. "We were going to begin when we got back from our trip. I think he forgot when he was whisked away. But I did get a teacher!" So there was that.

She picked up the textbook. "Well, soon. This one is important. We got to figure out what kind talismans to protect us and it, plus we have to call on the spirits and ask for forgiveness. Amongst other things. Like the ghosts who want to be free of the shield, and before you say let them go, they are, for the most part, evil. So we really don't want to set them free just anywhere.. And.." Willow blushes. "You don't care."

At least, usually when she talked about text, and stuff, usually she bored them to death.

Quicksilver has posed:
"Why would he be afraid of you?" Pietro asks, a gentle curiosity in his voice. "Is there something threatening you, beyond this Hellequin, that you need protection from?" He can't help but to ask, it seems. "I would expect that having a teacher is a good thing. I can ask Wanda for you, and there are things she may be able to teach you things. She does a lot of things, with magic," he comments, quirking a bit of a smile. Things, right, yes -- so very specific of you, Pietro.

He looks to the textbook that she picks up, and then he gives a small nod to what she says about the shield. And he listens attentively, even though his fingers fidget -- it's not her fault that the world seems so slow, to his perspective, that sitting still is a difficult thing for him to do. He shakes his head, after her accusation, though, and a smile tugs his lips. "You're wrong, I do care," he says. "So it sounds like you need two different kinds of talismans. Talismans to protect you and whomever helps you with it. And talismans to keep the evil spirits inside the shield where they belong... or where they're safer. Or where the world is safe from them. That might be more accurate, there. The spirits that you're asking for forgiveness... those are other ones, ones that are outside of the shield?" he asks, curious. "If the ghosts were to be let free, then couldn't they be pushed or sent or banished or something to where they belong rather than left to linger and do their evil here?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow was flabbergasted. He not only followed what she had said, but paid attention to the details!

"You would think, but no. It's simpler to bury the shield with it's spirits. You see, if we tried to banish them we'd have a whole bunch of even more trouble with the gods. It's complicated. But trust me, it's better this way."

She put the book back into her satchel. "Do you think she would? I mean, sometimes one teacher doesn't agree to share their students. " And for that matter, Tala may not agree as well. She frowned. "John didn't say. But it was after we had rescued Superman from Apokolips. Mostly I thought he was worried that I was teaching myself." Too many ways to go astray.

Quicksilver has posed:
And not just one or two of those details, but it would seem the most of them had found their way into his spinning brain. He tilts his head a bit to one side, considering what she's said further, and he gives a small nod. "So long as burying it is safe. I mean... look at everything that the old civilizations buried that's being dug up now and monkeyed about with," he comments, his brow furrowing briefly.

"It sounds like the gods -- whichever ones you're referring to -- don't want the spirits in their domain either," Pietro comments, extrapolating from her words. After all, if sending the spirits on their way makes the gods angry, that seems a logical reason! "And having angry gods would be a lot worse than having trapped angry spirits," he adds.

"There is something to be said for self teaching, depending on the subject matter. I'm not sure that it applies to magic, though. I... learned a lot of things along the way, but... I'm probably not the best example to follow the lead of," Pietro comments. And there might be a bit of that darkness towards himself showing again, too. There are still some who think he's still bad, alas. "I think she would. You wouldn't necessarily have to tell either one of them about the other teacher, but maybe they'd be willing to both teach you. I mean when you're in school, you have different teachers. And I expect different magicians have different things that they're good at," Pietro suggests, his tone thoughtful.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Trust me, where it's hidden, shouldn't be a future problem." She hopes..

"I guess I wouldn't have to say.." Willow bites her lower lips. "Anyways, your sister might not want to teach me." After all, the way he'd talked about her, Willow had got the impression that she was important (t m). She puts her laptop away. "And I really must get going. Maximoff? You're in the directory? Or you could call me."

Quicksilver has posed:
"I believe you," Pietro says, giving a nod to her about the shield's hiding place. He has no reason not to believe her. She sounds genuine, and hopeful. And good.

"I think teachers should be willing to share their students. It's more diversified that way," Pietro says, a smile quirking his lips. "And you'd probably learn more, too. Whether she will or whether she won't, well... that's up to Wanda. But I think she will. I'll talk to her about it, I promise," he says, a smile quirking up the corners of his lips. If anyone can talk Wanda into something, it's likely Pietro. And it probably wouldn't even take much talking, in this case, especially considering how tickled she'd seemed that he was talking to someone that he didn't know.

"Maximoff, mmhmm. Pietro. Avengers mansion. I'm probably listed in there," Pietro offers, a smile tugging his lips. The way he says it is like it's totally not a big deal, it just happens to be where he lives. "I was thinking I could stop by with some pastries, but if you'd like me to call... I can definitely do that," he says, giving a nod to her. "What's your number?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Ohhhhh." Willow, again, blushes. "I live in Gotham. You're an Avengers.. Like Hawkeye." That seems to have made it more real. Quickly she gave him her number, and her address. "It's better you call first. I have roommates."

She hoped.

"At least for the first time." After all,Tali periodically was something else.

Quicksilver has posed:
"Ah, well... sort of like Hawkeye, sure," Pietro comments, quirking a smile. "Except without the really amazing archer skills and more with the running fast," he says, winking at her. Teasing her, just a wee bit. He accepted both pieces of information from her, then gave her his own number and address in return.

"Your Siberian friend who likes boys, mmhmm. I'll call, first. I promise," Pietro says with a smile, giving a small nod to her. He reaches to the box of pastries, picking it up, and then he gracefully rose to his feet before offering her a hand to help her up.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Well, she didn't say why she knew Hawkeye (really, Clint). It was his secret after all!

And even though she was quite capable of getting her own self up, she took his hand. "Thank you! It was nice." But right now? She had work to do.

Quicksilver has posed:
The white haired man gives a nod to her as he easily helps her to her feet, his blue eyes showing a sparkle to them. This... this went better than he had thought or expected it to. "You're welcome, Willow," Pietro says, a smile tugging his lips. "It was nice, and I look forward to there being a next time. Farewell, until then," he adds, inclining his head towards her. He steps back from her and half bows, and with the pastry box held in one of his hands, he turns to start to walk in a direction that will take him towards the Avengers mansion, eventually.