15117/The Problem With Memories

The Problem With Memories
Date of Scene:	21 May 2023
Location:	Backyard, Avengers Mansion
Synopsis:	Before Jessica went on her long-term undercover mission, she asked Wanda to suppress her memories of her time with the Avengers. Now that she's back, it's time to undo that... only someone else has been messing around in Jessica's head, and Wanda barely escapes the trap.
Cast of Characters:	Spider-Woman (Drew), Scarlet Witch

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Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Two years ago, a very relaxed, socially comfortable Jessica Drew approached Wanda. 'There's a mission,' she told the witch, 'And I need you to remove my memories. Or at least dull them down for me, so I'm less... the me I've become. So I can be one of them again.' Hydra. It wasn't a request Jessica wanted to make, but it was only supposed to be a short term mission, a few months at most.

Unfortunately, things got serious, and two years have passed. Jessica Drew's been back for almost a week now, but she hasn't -- as promised -- come to find Wanda to restore her memories.

Nope. She's, instead, standing out in the sunshine of the backyard of the mansion, dressed in unicorn pajama pants, a t-shirt that declares 'If you need anything from me, RECONSIDER', and fluffy slippers. The sun is shining, the sky overhead near cloudless. The perfect day to be out and about in the sunshine. Healthy! Ruined only by the thickshake she's got in hand. Totally not eating her emotions, nooope.

Jessica's staring at the statues of Iron Man and Captain America with a kind of open puzzlement.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Two years ago, Wanda Maximoff was... well, really, mostly the same somewhat socially awkward, overly serious woman she is now. Or at the very least, she had the same accent. If anything, that Transian accent might be a little more thick nowadays. Like she's using it as a cloak or shield from getting too close to anyone.

Not that wiping her friend's memory drove her to withdraw from social interaction and reconsider her life choices. Honestly, she... sort of forgot about the entire affair, with her busy schedule of demonic incursions, occasional near mental breaks, and other such Scarlet Witchery. It's not all tiaras and corsets and finger wiggling.

...It is a fair bit of corsets and finger wiggling though. Though today it's a lovely red sundress and a scarlet ribbon holding back that thick auburn hair as Wanda approaches Jessica slowly. Lips quirk slightly, the ghost of a grin at that t-shirt. And a bit more than a ghost at the pajama pants.

"Those are dangerous." Her voice chimes out, eyes glinting playfully. She lets the words hang as she closes in on Jessica with a leisurely gait, clearly just basking in the sunshine. After just enough pause for it to be a little awkward, she continues on with her thought. "The milkshakes. Not the statues. The statues are..." She gestures vaguely, "Merely statues. But we have business to attend to beyond sculpture, don't we?"

Eyebrows perk meaningfully. It is the best way she can subtly get across 'I should probably tinker with your thoughts' and all.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"I'll say." Jessica responds without looking around. How rude! And she's also not talking about the shake, so the correction is totally appropriate, her confusion evident in the lifted pitch of her voice. "What? These?" she lifts the glass, frowning at it. "I have a fast metabolism," is added, with a dismissive wave, before her attention fixes back on the statues.

"That," she declares with a finger-point at the statue of Iron Man, "I get, because, Tony." She shrugs. "This though?" the one of Captain America. "Like, did he agree to it? Just put up with it? Was it a bet he lost?" She can't quite figure it out and it's like splinter under the skin, kind of worrying at her.

It's only when Wanda mentions business that Jessica actually turns her attention onto the other woman, gaze intent. In her sundress and ribbon, Wanda's the picture of put-together that's probably held up as a comparison to Jessica's 'I probably slept in this outfit' style of dress she's going for. "We do?" there's a kind of genuine blankness to suggest she either doesn't know what Wanda's talking about, or she's doing a really good job of feigning otherwise.

It's the eyebrow perk that flatterns her expression a little. Maybe she doesn't get the nuance, but the spy knows a look that bodes ill well enough.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda's lips purse thoughtfully as she eyes the statue of Tony first, "I'll admit, I am surprised this one is not... solid gold? Covered in lights and with a sound system to play some sort of speech?" She clicks her tongue softly and eyes Captain America's statue, head tilting. "Perhaps... his likeness is controlled by the government and he merely had to accept it."

Her teeth worry her lower lip for a long moment, "I... yes. We do. It has been quite some time, I'm not surprised you don't remember." She exhales softly, something that might almost be a rueful hint of laughter. "That was, in many ways... the entire point. You have memories, parts of yourself, Ms. Jessica Drew that you... asked me to suppress. To dull and hide and keep... safe while you were on a most dangerous mission."

Her teeth clench on her lower lip for a long moment, hands lifting, slowly, gingerly reaching towards framing Jessica's temples as she murmurs dryly, "I think, while it might have contradicted the entire purpose of the spell, leaving you a memory of it in the first place would have made this... less awkward."

She sighs out a resigned little sigh. Magic, memories, both tricky. Together? Oh, she should have _known_ this was a bad idea back then. Maybe she did. But Jessica asked, and Wanda delivered.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Right?" Jessica actually cracks a smile at Wanda's speculations on Tony's statue, though the smile rapidly disappears at her speculation on Captain America's statue. "That's a depressing thought." Jess shucks her slippers and sets her glass down on the edge of the fountain so she can roll up the bottom of her pajama pants. Then she steps into the water and goes to look at the backside of the Captain America statue. Just to satisfy her curiosity. "Very depressing," she repeats, as she walks back through the water to the edge again to recollect her shake.

She stops halfway through that bend, looking up at Wanda. A rapid series of expressions parade across her features. Disbelief. Uncertainty. Fear. Hope.

"Sounds like something I might say," Jess finally says, cautiously, as she resumes the aborted movement and picks up her glass. She doesn't step out of the fountain though, like she's keeping the edge between herself and Wanda. She doesn't bother to hide that wariness.

"So, you need to root around in my head?" The distaste Jessica displays is familiar. Exactly the same distaste she displayed for having her memories tampered with in the first place. 'This is needful,' she'd said at the time, trying to convince herself as much as Wanda. Now, she looks hesitant.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
There's a glint in Wanda's eyes, something mischievous, playful... and only partly haunted by just how serious the situation truly is. "Yes, well, maybe some of you rubbed off on me, Ms. Drew. We'll have to keep an eye on that." She clicks her tongue in a little rhythm of faux-concerned clicks, fingers flexing and curling, clearly limbering up to do that voodoo that she do (That is not voodoo. It is merely eldritch chaos magic.)

She shakes her head and laughs softly, "Oh no, /you/ need to root around in your head. I'm just going to..." She frowns thoughtfully, intently, left wrist rolling to propel her hand in a vague little circle, "Remove some spells that are bouncing around in there. Fuzzing things up. Keeping you... well, they /were/ keeping you safe. Probably just confused now." She sighs and murmurs, "It might get a little confusing. I don't... think you'll have any contradictory memories rubbing up against each other. The spell was for memories from before you went undercover, so they shouldn't... mix with the new memories unexpectedly. ...If you remember that you don't actually like milkshakes, I will finish that one. Because I am a /good/ friend. Even if my metabolism is not as impressive as yours. I will endure this. For you, my dear friend." She manages to hold that solemn tone right up until she /snorts/ an entirely undignified exhalation.

But there's no time to worry about that! Because her wrists are flexing, fingers weaving, slowly at first but rapidly building, small crimson sparks at first, growing to trailing, lingering lines in the air, until they're billowing with scarlet smoke, a scent of flowers and herbs, rhythmic, murmured chants.

It is in no way subtle, or unnoticeable, but Wanda's doing her best to merely remove the magic she worked so long ago without disrupting Jessica's sense of time. She's pretty sure having memories of the last two years and then feeling those removed memories were just as fresh would be harmless but disorienting... but she's trying to avoid even harmless disorientation.

Besides, it's not like she's trying to erase the X-Gene or create a new universe. This is... like... riding a bike! A strange, magical bike. In her friend's head.

So not much like a bike. Doesn't even have one of those little bells.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
The news that some of /her/ rubbed off on the other woman? That's both baffling and startling to Jessica Drew. She's never really had a sense of ego at all, and the thought that she might have in some way influenced the Scarlet Witch is beyond consideration. Until now, anyway. The fact that it's said with a playful gaze just confuses her more, frankly.

As a Hydra agent, she was terrible at emotions. Emotions can get you killed.

But she's not a Hydra agent anymore. She was just pretending to be one. Right. Got to remind herself of that. "Should I-?" Jessica starts to wave at the grass, indicating she should probably get out of the fountain, or prepare herself or /something/, but it's already happening.

She sways, goes rigid. There shouldn't be pain. Riding a bike is easy. But... Wanda isn't the last person to have been in Jessica Drew's head. And they left a present for whoever might follow.

It's subtle, to the witch's senses. Little touches of something that stains dark and leaves a residue that feels like oil behind. /Tweaks/, here and there. Binds, over there. It makes what should be an easy spell to loosen those memories once more seem... intensely difficult. The more she tries to fix it, the more it seeks to draw her in, like one of those Chinese finger-traps. It's the sensation of oil, crawling up her fingers, up her arms, seeking a way into Wanda's /own/ mind, using Jessica as a spring-board.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda's finding things nerve-wracking, terrifying even. Not for herself, but that she'll slip, one wrong syllable, one cramp during a particular gesture and... and she's not going to think about what would happen. It wouldn't end the world, it would just be terribly tragic on a more personal level.

And of late, Wanda's sworn that's not going to happen in her life. Keeping herself from inadvertently slipping in control and hurting her friends is her highest priority.

At least until there's that little tickle of trouble in the back of her head, as she's unwinding layers of enchantment faster and faster, smoother and smoother. If it's like riding a bike, she has hit the portion of going downhill, thrilling and fast and mostly focused on going with the flow.

Once the trap is unfolding, it's too late for something so simple as avoiding the trap and winding it back on itself... for one thing, it might wind back on Jessica.

And so Wanda dives in, letting that darkness flow over her, into her through that magical link.

Because while she might be the Scarlet Witch, there's a darkness in Wanda... and if whatever darkness is hiding in Jessica as a trap wants to tangle with something. It can tangle with that... whether it's some dark, vengeful part of Wanda, or simply the ominous presence of the ancient chaos god she's bound to... it's a risk.

But hey, that's just... she's just riding a bike without a helmet. People do that all the time. It only sometimes goes terribly wrong. Next time she does this, Wanda's going to make sure there's a third person around.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
The darkness swarms over the witch -- pulls her down into freezing cold of the dark. Except the Scarlet Witch knows darkness well indeed, and knows how to swim in these very dangerous waters, to hold it at bay so it doesn't consume her entirely.

Wanda sees an island, with a young looking version of Jessica Drew playing in the sand. An older man comes up to her, a needle in hand, crouching beside her. "It's time for your shot, Jessica." Young Jessica looks immediately distraught. "It hurts, papa." The older man /tsks/, no real sympathy for the girl's state of mind, as he presses the needle into her arm. "It is necessary."

The waters sweep Wanda away from the island, away from the girl who cries out in pain. Another scene flickers into being, a room floating by her on the water. Jessica, older -- maybe seventeen -- standing in front of a man dressed in a Hydra uniform. "Hydra is your family now, Jessica," the older man says. There's a dark, oily shadow behind her, touching her head. It has the same feel as the trap she's in now, though from a different time; the darkness obscures the figure entirely, resisting attempts to unmask it.

The dark waters grow colder, stealing away body heat.

Another memory: much more recent. Jessica of an age Wanda's more familiar with, dressed in a camisole top and jeans, striding down the street. "Excuse me?" a figure asks -- and when Jessica turns to look, the figure is made of that same oil. "Can I trouble you just for a moment?" Jessica doesn't see what Wanda sees, it seems, for the woman pauses and looks quizzically, not even reacting when the figure reaches out to touch her forehead, bringing splitting pain to Jessica of the past, the Jessica of now, and Wanda, too, by association.

Dark and dark and darker, yet it comes from outside of Jessica. It doesn't belong. Wanda feels how deeply embedded, how far back that darkness goes -- unravelling it will take weeks, maybe months, maybe more, tied to those suppressed memories.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda's breath stops sharply, her heart skips a beat, hammers harder, faster, but she draws a ragged breath in the midst of icy cold and impossible darkness. She can do this. She has to do this. It's important.

It's her responsibility.

On instinct alone, Wanda maintains her connection through the cold and the pain and the intensity. No matter how dark it gets, there's a faint scarlet glow almost warm and reassuring.

Except when there are moments of pain, and that light flares, intensifies and rages, from warmth and concern to fierce, burning anger. This will take time. Effort. Focus and control.

And Wanda is going to be there for Jessica, working away at these dark tendrils one by one, until her friend is free.

And she'll do her best not to let the resentment and anger for whoever did this take hold. She'll ensure they'll face punishment. But it will be... focused. Controlled. A mixture of punishment for whoever is responsible, and healing for her friend.

And maybe, just maybe, for Wanda herself, even if she's not entirely sure what she feels she has to atone for right now.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
It's, by its very nature, a delicate process. If Wanda didn't care about the outcome, about Jessica, she could simply rip out all those dark tendrils and try to patch back what remains of the woman after.

But she takes care, works steadily. She unwinds the trap that pulled her in, burning the tendrils of darkness with the comforting red gleam of her magic. No one else will be trapped here, and it means next time, it should be safer to work within Jessica's mind. But there's still so much to do. This isn't mere touches; this is years of work, altering, implanting and removing memories and impulses entirely, off and on over time, making those entry points harder to identify and therefore harder to pull free safely.

But it's a start.

Stepping out of that darkness, out of the floating memories of Jessica's past -- it's a lot like breaking the surface of the water and taking the first, best deep breath. The sun is still warm overhead; Wanda's back in the Avenger's backyard.

And she's treated to the sight of Jessica toppling over into the shallow water of the fountain, flailing in momentary panic, and then realizing, no, she's not going to drown. Jess' eyes are wide, scrambling upwards, water-drenched unicorn pants clinging to her as she scrambles out of the fountain. "W-wanda? Are you- what was that?" She's freaked out, trying to hide it, and utterly failing, shivering uncontrollably.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Even for Wanda, who's more used than the vast majority of people at strange, mind-bending magics, and vivid mental images, the return to reality it stark, sudden, sends quakes down her spine and draws sharp, shuddering breaths, she feels a chill to her bones despite the warm sunlight.

"That... was... that... was /something/. Not the spell we worked for you... it was... different. Older almost, but also... waiting. For me to try and undo the spell..."

Her lips press in a thin line and she steps in, slender arm hooking around Jessica's shoulders to offer support. "Is... do you feel..." She chews her lower lip, intent eyes roaming Jessica's face, "...More you? Less you? I am afraid we are going to need to... work slowly." She heaves out a long, heavy sigh. "On the plus side, I do not think it is reason for you to avoid living your life or fighting crimes. I am simply going to need to consult many tomes and scrolls. Perhaps visit Limbo to inquire of the Queen there if things get /serious/."

She shakes her head slowly, "But I do not think it is going to be that bad. Merely delicate. Slow. We will work with considered pace and method."

There's a soft, wan smile from Wanda as she chimes in, "But! There is no reason we cannot enjoy tea before the sessions. Or ice cream. Make it more... relaxing. Perhaps not next to the fountain next time."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Wanda's explanation doesn't really help Jessica's mood any. She looks confused, mouth parted as if to ask further, but she hesitates. Jessica was a lot more relaxed about random physical contact before -- before those memories were eased away. She probably doesn't even realize she flinches at first, when Wanda hooks an arm around her shoulders, but after a few heartbeats, she seems to relax into the friendly gesture.

"I feel... just me?" Given the memories are suppressed, Jess doesn't know what the /her/ of before is like. There's nothing for her to miss; only those around her will notice any differences. The reassurance that she can still fight crime is a relief though, because: "Good, because I still want to punch things. People. I mean, bad guys." Well, at least that much hasn't changed.

When Wanda reveals she's going to have to move slowly, that things might be serious, Jessica's brow furrows. "Wanda. None of that is worth any kind of risk to you. I don't miss what I don't know." She doesn't remember the Jess who seemed sad for the neccesity.

Tea and ice cream though? That she can do. And it makes her smile -- faint, but sufficient enough to meet Wanda's own wan smile. "Throw in some cheeseburgers as dessert and I'm in." Jess shivers a little. "Thanks. For trying. For continuing to try?" She glances down at her soaking pants. "I suppose I should get dry pants. I really love these. I knew I should've bought a second pair when I saw them." This version of Jessica, sans memories at least, doesn't seem to care about fashion or blending in. Not right now, anyway.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda nods her head slowly with a wry, sad little smile and murmurs dryly, "Well, as long as you feel like... one self, I find that is typically a good sign." She pauses for a moment, head tilting. "Wanting to punch criminals is probably a good sign. I find myself often cloistering myself in my room for far too long. Perhaps your return will get me out of my shell, hm? I hear that this is in fact what friendship is supposed to do."

She bobs her head and murmurs, "Well, I will not risk myself unnecessarily, but I do not feel comfortable leaving these... changes unexplored. At least to figure out who exactly did it and why. To ensure you, my friend, are safe." She sighs and murmurs out, "And if we are having ice cream /and/ cheeseburgers and dessert? You had best be maintaining a regular schedule in the mansion gym. Just to make sure I do not skip any days myself."

And Wanda? Well, Wanda can still help her friend. Even if the sudden gust of heated air rushing up to effectively blowdry those pants is probably going to feel very unusual.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica hesitates for a little too long, so it leans into awkward territory. But at least they can be awkward and socially-disinclined together! "I'm not sure I really know what friendship is or how to do it. But maybe we can figure it out together?" she suggests, carefully. Friendships are dangerous to a Hydra agent. But she has to remind herself she isn't one, anymore. That it's okay.

Baby steps.

"Who did- what?" Apparently Jessica remains completely oblivious to what Wanda experienced inside of her head. "What changes?" The tone of Wanda's concern is concerning Jessica too, and there'd be a lot more questions except -- there's a gust of warm wind and she /yelps/, leaping, eyes wide. And then she does her best to look like she /totally/ expected that, only a little bit flustered at her reaction as she smooths down her now blessedly dry unicorn pants.

"Ah, hey. One benefit of being genetically merged with a spider? I've never had to worry about missing gym day," Jessica says, with a little smile that becomes a grimace. "Though I suppose I ought to get back into it. I couldn't exactly get to the gym in my Hydra cover. Can you magic away sore muscles? Asking for a friend."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda gestures reassuringly, "You just have... I think they're kind of... mental defenses to stop people from rooting around in your head. I'd normally say they are a good idea, but... I didn't put them in there. Perhaps the magic changed on its own, but... it felt different. It is nothing to worry about."

And her serious tone is swept away as she does her best to match 'I definitely expected' that energy with a solemn expression of 'That was not at all a hilarious capering dance of surprise'. This is also part of friendship.

She sighs and shakes her head slowly, "I wish I had the genetic characteristics of a spider. Well, perhaps just the metabolism. Or do you mean that spiders are naturally inclined towards remembering their personal trainer appointments? That is also quite useful sounding." Her head tilts thoughtfully, one eyebrow arching, a long pause drawing out. "I could. But I find the jacuzzi in my room works most acceptably. You may use it when you want."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Oh." Just that. /Oh,/ without any emotional inflection at all, like Jessica's being told about an upcoming hair appointment and not that maybe someone's been messing in her head. For her, it's just Hydra stuff; she doesn't even seem all that surprised, and not overly alarmed. She probably should be, but she's not.

Wanda says that's nothing to worry about. She'd really like to believe that.

The dance of friendship being over, Jess shrugs. "I'm... not actually sure. I don't speak spider. Or rather, spiders don't speak. You've never seen a chubby spider though, right?" The offer to use her jacuzzi is met with something a moment's delight, and then a slump of her shoulders. "Uh. Better not. Hanging around in all that water'd probably soak my pheromones into the thing and... well," she doesn't finish that thought. "Thanks anyway, Wan. I should go. I need to meet someone at the Triskelion soon. Not sure he'd appreciate my outfit." She sighs. Being in the world is hard. "But ice-cream, soon, yes? She-Hulk said there was this great place near her work." The pat she gives to Wanda's arm is full of the kind of awkward borne of lack of practice, before she prepares to leave.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda rolls her eyes and snickers out, "Oh! They don't? Yet another thing the internet has lied to me about." She shakes her head and sighs out, "And you are not denying yourself the relaxation of a jacuzzi because you're afraid of inadvertent trouble from your gifts. It's in my suite, in a rather expansive en suite bathroom. So you don't have to worry about vaporized pheromones reaching Central Park and..."

She trails off, eyebrows waggling in an all too exaggerated manner. Because when you can't think of a clever joke, working your facial expressions like a cartoon character is a classic.

And as Jessica prepares to leave, Wanda falls in step without a question, like she's not willing to leave her returned friend alone, even if things are awkward. Diving into awkwardness? That's real friendship. "Besides, if there are unexpected side effects from you enjoying the jets, I'm sure it's nothing my vast and terrible arcane arts cannot... do /something/ about."

Well, that sure sounds confident.