4596/A Meeting of Minds

A Meeting of Minds
Date of Scene:	06 June 2018
Location:	Central Park, New York City
Synopsis:	A walk in Central Park leads to conversations between Wanda and the god of War, and feeding the birds.
Cast of Characters:	Ares, Scarlet Witch

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Ares has posed:
Central Park. Manhattan, New York. The day of the week is Wednesday, about 3:30pm.

     It was....not at all surprising that the park is fairly populated today. After all, the weather is perfect...the sun was shining high in the sky with but few clouds to call friends. A steady, cool breeze hung in the subtle winds that blew every now and then, though the day was //far// from windy. Kids threw frisbee's from one side of the park to another. People walked their dogs. Old friends reacquainted themselves.

     But, there was someone who stood alone amongst these apparent times of soothing joy amongst the park's inhabitants. Why? For the God of War has few allies, for a man who often stands alone. Dressed in all black: A pitch black two-piece suit with a black overcoat whilst wearing black oxfords to be specific. Though the only true piece of color would be the silver watch that lies wrapped around his wrist.

     Ares, better known on the mortal plane as John Aaron, was walking through the park with no set goal or destination in mind. Previously he settled a skirmish in the middle east. But alas, the God of War wants...possibly for once...//peace and quiet//. But, the day has only just begun. Ironically enough, he also isn't watching where he's going.

     Who knows who he could bump into today?

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda had left the house fully dressed, but by the time she'd reached the park, her skirts were just a shade longer, and of lighter fabric to reflect the warmth of the day, and her sleeves had shortened and her sweater had merely disappeared.. all without any real cognizant awareness of the woman - her outfit had merely shifted to reflect the warmth that was lacking when she left the house. Her shoes.. sandals now.. were held in one hand, taken off once she's hit the edges of the park, leaving her to walk barefoot amongst the grass as she meandered throughout the park.

Others might use the paths, but not Wanda. She preferred the grass between her toes. The cool of it a soothing balm, and the connection to the earth a wanted.. no, *needed* thing.

It's without a care in the world that she makes her way to one of the ponds, and finds that, despite the crowds in the park today, there's a singular bench, beneath the shade of a tree, that has no occupants. The sight of the thing brings a smile to her face and lights up her features, and the young woman makes a beeline to it, sitting down, terribly pleased with herself for having made such a find on such a very busy day.

Ares has posed:
     Ares kept up his stride. Despite being a God of War, he seems to be in a good mood. Must be that whole 'curse his fellow gods to the depts of Hades and try to live a normal life' kind of deal he did quite a few decades ago. Really cools the nerves. However, Ares comes across a sight most peculiar: Wanda Maximoff.

     Possibly impressed with how she was able to find an empty bench today, while simultaneously impressed with the magic that resides inside of her. Yes, he can sense it. Though he has no idea //what she can do//, her apparent happiness manages to draw the War God over to her, to which John seems to greet her. "Good afternoon." he says with a soft smile if she looks over to him.

     His eyes look over that pond, taking note of some of the ducks who lightly glided over to it to sail across it's cool surface. It was a good day, despite the business of the park itself. "Mind another?"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda looks up with surprise that she's being joined, but dutifully moves over, picking up the small bag of feed she's somehow managed to procure for the birds, and gives Ares a soft smile of sorts. "Oh. It is I have been using a whole bench to myself. Please, come to sit? And look, we can feed the birds!"

Again, there's the inordinately happy air about her, that such a simple thing can be giving pleasure, and clearly she's pleased that she has a bench, sunshine, company, and birds to feed.

Ares has posed:
     That soft smile touches Ares's smooth lips as Wanda agrees to be joined. As she scoots over, Ares humbly nods his head and takes his seat by her side. "You have my thanks. I'd love to feed the birds." Believe it or not, bird feeding (and really, the feeding of animals) has been an idle hobby of Ares. In order to show kindness, work your way up, right? He notices the happy air around her, and honestly, it could make a storm quell it's wrath.

     "It is a beautiful day, don't you think?" he starts up a conversation, before he introduces himself, extending a hand to her. "My name is John. John Aaron. May I know your name?" Because certainly, there was a uniqueness about her that even Ares had a hard time describing.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda hands over the bag of birdseed with ease, and folds her hands into her lap. "I will sit and watch for now. Perhaps later I will help you feed them. Truly, it is that I like to watch them when they come around looking, and I can see that when you do feed them just as easily."

It's true, the happy air about her is filled with a gentleness that feels like sunshine. Anybody walking through its aura couldn't help but feel happy, or at least soothed from any ire or sorrow. As it is, the grass here seems ever so much greener, and more lush, and the leaves on the tree above seem to fight to be the ones to provide her shade - the overall result is truly and positively pastoral about the bench, and there she sits, in the middle of it, seemingly oblivious to the effect she has.

"It is that I am Wanda. Wanda Maximoff - but everyone calls me Wanda. It is simpler, no?"

Ares has posed:
     Birdseed given and birdseed accepted, Ares smiles softly at her smooth words. So, she enjoys watching ducks come up to them and curiously feed and make merry? Duly noted. Ares noticed that her aura was almost unmistakeable. She had this...effect on the world around her. Is she always happy? Or does her environment shift as her mood does? He can only wonder what could happen if she was angry or sad.

     "Wanda." He repeats in a soft tone, though it's as if he was trying to memorize her name that he might not forget it. His voice was smooth as silk, soothing as rain. He smiles to her then. "It is simpler, and if that is your wish, then I will be happy to follow it. It's a pleasure to meet you, Wanda." he bows his head softly, tossing birdseed onto the ground in front of them and already Ducks and other foul are flooding in to eat their new treat.

     "So, where are you from Wanda?"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda watches the birds congregate to the tosses of birdseed. "See that large one? I think he does have a mate. Only she is with the babies."

It's really a statement that she can't give basis to in fact, other than she feels it. Or perhaps it is only a tale she weaves to fill in the spaces of conversation between them. Or perhaps, even, she is correct and the mother is one of the many upon the pond paddling with gaggles of newly introduced to swimming babies behind her.

Whichever it is, Wanda seems content to watch the birds squabble and fight amongst themselves for the seed, all noise and flutter of wings as they do so.

"Oh, it is not a place you would know of. I do not even know if it is still there, to be honest." She doesn't remember where she was born, if she ever knew it, and the village she grew up in with her brother was burned to the ground by herself and Pietro when they fled the attack upon them when the villagers turned upon them in fear for being mutants.

"I do live here now. Mostly." There was always Genosha.

Ares has posed:
     Ares turns his head to the bird which Wanda points out, the large one with apparently a mate. Ares is only slightly impressed that Wanda appears to be extremely observant. He tosses more birdseed in various places so that birds arn't fighting eahc other for it in one spot. "Not a place I would know of? I have been almost everywhere really, with the amount of travel that I do." a very subtle hint. But alas...

     His eyes shift back to Wanda with a kind smile. "Don't worry about it. I'm from Athens, Greece." another subtle hint. and he's not -entirely- wrong! Though he had no idea she tends to be in Genosha at times, he nods lightly at her words. "I see. I live here in New York as well. With my son, Alexander." A single dad? Not uncommon, but he appears happy nonetheless.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
The hints leave a small smile upon Wanda's lips. "Almmost everywhere?"

She allows that smile, then grows much more serious, reaching over for her own handful of birdseed, and tossing it out in small measures, drawing some of the gathered flock away from Ares. "It is that sometimes it is better to forget past sorrows, no? The village that was my home is long gone. Perhaps it is new now, or perhaps not. I prefer not to think too often of that time. It was not good."

Her gaze drifts over to him, and considers him much more fully now. "Athens? Is it as pretty as the picture books say? I did always wish to go there." She says it like she couldn't just /be/ there if she wanted. "Maybe some day."

The smile returns with a softness that carries notes of gentle amazement. "I do have two boys. Billy and Tommy. How old is your son?"

Ares has posed:
     Ares nods. "Indeed." offering a small chuckle to the beautiful woman beside him. Though as she reached for a handful of bird-loving birdseed, Ares actually moves it closer to Wanda so she could grab it easier. He knows talking about her home is very painful for her. He can see it in her body language and tone of voice. "I see...I will speak of it no longer. Forgive me, Wanda." He actually reaches over to //very briefly// rest his hand on hers to offer comfort, before he withdraws it as quickly as he placed it.

     "Aye, that it is. One of the most beautiful places you could ever see. Who knows where the road may go? Maybe next time I go home, I will bring you with?" he invites her casually. When she reveals that she's also a mother, and Alexander is questioned, he smiles. "He'll be 11 during the Fall, if you can believe it. He's growing up fast." though gods do age slowly to adulthood either way. "Oh? How old are your sons?" He would ask next if she was a single mother, but he feels that might overstep.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
The touch of comfort is met with a raising of her glance to his eyes, and nothing more. The gesture is over before it is even begun, and she makes no comment of it.

She's tossing out small portions of seed when he speaks of his son, how he is turning eleven, and for a brief moment there is something of sorrow to her. A passing shadow over their shade. Perhaps a cloud above. Nothing more.. then it is over and the sunshine dapples again, and the leaves dance merrily in the breeze sending patterns skittering over grass and birds alike. "Oh, they are 19," Wanda says with casual ease, even though it is patently clear that she can not be past her mid twenties at best.

Ares has posed:
     Ares looks Wanda in the eyes for a moment, his hand now just centimeters away from her own. He seemed nervous about the whole thing because the reactions to someone taking your hand can vary. Ares could have been magic-blasted right in the face...or slapped...or sent to another dimension. Or it would have gone well. Ares tries to weigh the risks when he can. But he keeps his eyes on her own, though curious as to why she looked so saddened. "What is wrong, Wanda? Have I said something to sadden you?"

     Because to see Wanda sad was to see the world sad around her. Plus he actually cared about how Wanda felt. Her kids are 19?! She looks barely in her mid-20s! "19? Did you have your children when you were very young?" He asks softly, not meaning to push. "Or were they adop-" he pauses.

     "I apologize...I did not mean to question or push."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda's hand is most easily extracted and reclaimed as her own. The gestures simple and natural, as much as she hasn't noticed her hand might have been taken. The birds are continued to be fed from a seemingly endless source in the handful she's grabbed from the bag John holds. That or she's so very careful with it that she's not yet tossed out more than she's taken..

Her sadness is a momentary thing, relegated to the past like the memories that caused it. "No," she answers quietly. Carefully. "It is not that I adopted them, though they were adopted. I do not think it something easy to explain."

She casts a smile his way, and gives a gentle rise and fall of shoulders. "They merely are what they are."

Ares has posed:
     Ares didn't even seem to notice his hand was near hers in the first place, more like he was so intrigued by her situation that he finds himself utterly enamored. Her children are adopted, but not by her? She gave birth then gave them away? Or is this a more a problem of a mystic or alternate nature? Given more questions than answers, Ares finds himself simply nodding.

     "I see. I am sorry that I questioned so in depth. For I'm a stranger to you still." He offers an apologetic smile, before he tosses some more bird seed at the ground for the birds to enjoy. To them, this was probably a grand feast!

     "So then, what do you do for a living, Wanda?" He asks, keeping conversation going, but straying away from what he knows is a sensitive topic for her.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
"It is okay," Wanda says simply. "We are still learning one another. Both the boys and myself, and I suppose you and I. Though more I speak of the boys. It isn't something I have had time to consider much."

Her smile returns and she tosses more birdseed out, smile blooming as one particularly large gander decides to make a show of himself to the other birds and the humans in making a bid for a larger than his fair share of seed.

"Oh, me? It is I.. I have not really been asked that. I suppose you could say I am an Avenger?"

Ares has posed:
     Ares listens to her words, and she earns herself a small smile from him. He sees the large bird, but gives him only what was given to the others as well. All's fair! Bigger doesn't mean more food to Ares, apparently. Regardless, as Wanda declares that she's an Avengers, he chuckles lightly. "How wonderful. I actually spoke with Tony Stark a few days ago to see if a position on the team was open. You may see me in the future nonetheless, Ms. Maximoff."

     He spoke in a warm tone of course. "It's noble of you, to walk such a path." he compliments her, tossing bird seed a small distance away for birds to go to so that they arn't constantly being swarmed.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda ducks her head momentarily, then shakes it, a warm laughter escaping her. "Oh, please. Wanda. I would always wonder who you meant by Ms. Maximoff. It is not often I do think of that."

"You wish to become an Avenger? Oh, see, you have suprised me, now. But I do not understand, what is noble of me?"

Ares has posed:
     She laughed! Ares doesn't find himself a person with a good sense of humor t make people laugh, but hey, he succeeded at something! He does chuckle a bit as she kindly asks him to just call her Wanda instead of Ms. Maximoff. He might tease her about this later.

     "Aye." He smiles softly to her. "Do you think I can do it?" he teases her, knowing full well that she might not have any idea of what his powers are. "Anyone who desires to become a hero, whether it's for the sole purpose of helping others or for the sake of doing good, is among the most noble of all. Besides, you have greeted me, a complete stranger, with a warmth and kindness that very few others would give." he smiles.

     "That is what is noble of you."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda is quiet for a time before she speaks again.

"It is that it would be too easy to be other. I have seen how easy it is to cause harm and hurt. And too often even to try to do good may do so. I do not think I am a noble being. Only a being who is trying to do least harm."

And she well knows how devastating she could and can be.

There's another soft laugh, though, as she answers him, "Do I think you can do it? I do not know. I do not know you well enough, or what it is you may do. I think the question is do you think you can, and perhaps what it is that Tomy may say to the team." There's a small sigh. "I am too new, I think, to have strong opinions."

Ares has posed:
     Ares smiles softly for a moment there. Listening to her words about doing harm and hurt being much easier than doing good. "Yeah....yeah it is." He takes a solemn breath now, reminded of every evil he's done in his millenias of existence. He was the God of WAR after all....he's done things that would break a normal human mentally and emotionally. Nevertheless, he works up the courage to smile at her.

     "Heh...guess you're right. Though it never hurts to ask." a playful wink before he tilts his head. "Yeah. Tony's certainly...charismatic? Not sure that's the right word." he chuckles happily.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
There's that trill of laughter again, Wanda shaking her head, much as if she were talking about a beloved but terribly misbehaved child, "He is.. that is Tony looks at the world.." She sobers slghtly. "Perhaps it is only that he is afraid that if he does not be so big and so assured of himself, that he would find the world would pass him by. I do not always know if he is as big as the ego he paints for us to see. Perhaps he is only small and wishes us to not notice that."

Ares has posed:
     Ares smiles softly as Wanda starts to laugh again at his words. "Perhaps. I like to think Tony is secretly..possibly paranoid. I hear he's had a tough life. He means for the best, I can tell that much." He shrugs lightly. "But, all answers are given in time." He smiles softly to Wanda. "So then, what are your plans for the rest of the day? Feeding birds with me?" he asks curiously with a teasing smile on his face.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda shakes her head, scattering another handful of seed, "Oh, no. Sooon I must go to see Nolan. And perhaps do some errands. It is that I will have a shift at the mansion tonight, so all the things I wish done must happen before dark. We do take turns, yes?"

Ares has posed:
Ares smiles soflty to her. "Oh? Who is Nolan? Significant other?" of course he ewas just teasing, not expecting an actual answer. But if it was true, he wasn't going to bother her about it. He tosses some seed along the ground as well, before he tilts his head. "Oh? On patrol tonight? That makes sense. You seem to have a busy day ahead of you, no?"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
"Not so much patrol," Wanda corrects. "Monitor duty. To make sure nobody breaks in, or that there are no emergencies that we do need to attend to. Mostly so that not everyone need be on alert all the time. It works."

There's a soft smile, and she scatters the remainder of her seed, setting a few of the birds to flight, only to have them light at the edges of the gathered crowd and settle again.

"Nolan is my boyfriend, yes. I do not know this significant other? But if that is what you ask, yes."

Ares has posed:
     A soft nod to her words. "Ah, I see. Keeping watch, as it were. Not too shabby." Ares comments as he spreads just a little bit more seed before he closes off the bag, and passes it back to Wanda, for it was hers to begin with. Though as she speaks that this 'Nolan' was her boyfriend, he chuckles. "A significant other is simply another term for someone important to you. More often than not in a romantic manner. I pray you are happy with your relationships, Wanda." he smiles warmly to her, before he looks out into the distance. Specifically towards the faint aspects of the moon that could be seen during this season.

"You know...I always did love the sight of the moon." He says offhandedly, before he looks to Wanda after checking the time. "Bah. I must away, I'm afraid. Though I've enjoyed this conversation. Is there a way I can contact you? I'd very much so like to speak with you again sometime."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda's features soften as she takes back the back of birdseed. "Oh yes, I am very happy. He is good for me."

And when he looks to stand, she, too, looks like her time in the park might be over. "I can be found at the Avengers mansion. Though sometimes I am elsewhere. I do have a phone.." Her brow furrows as she is faced with the fact that she doesn't know where it is, or what her number is - a thing she shall have to rectify. "Perhaps it is easiest if you leave your words, and perhaps come to call there sometime?"

Ares has posed:
     Seems Wanda might have been waiting for Ares to announce his departure before she left herself! But alas, it is only a thought in Ares's head, whether it's the truth or not. "I'm glad, Wanda." He nods softly. As she tells him where to find her, he nods. "Of course. I promise we'll meet again." He'll smile to her, but if she blinks? She'll find that he was instantaneously gone when she opened her eyes again.

Was he a mirage? or can he teleport? One thing is for certain: they will meet again.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Where another might be startled or surprised, it seems Wanda merely accepts that one minute John is there... and the next not. All is right in her world. She does not question such things..