8436/Remembrances

Remembrances
Date of Scene:	21 July 2019
Location:	Wanda's Room - Avenger's Mansion
Synopsis:	Josh finds a box of old family mementos in Wanda's closet, and hears their tales
Cast of Characters:	Scarlet Witch, Elixir

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Scarlet Witch has posed:
Knowing that the school might be a gloomy environment for a bit given Doug's situation, Wanda had invited Josh to come stay the weekend. Bring his books, study as he needed and they could find things to do when he wasn't studying.

Wanda is in the act of tidying up, dusting the book shelves and taking the opportunity to rearrange a few of them. She is not compulsively fastidious when it comes to the neatness of her dwelling, for there are often small amounts of clutter about. But there is never much accumulation before it prompts a sorting or cleaning.

She has the air conditioning turned up a bit while she's been at the light physical activity, which unfortunately might make it a little cool for Josh while he studies. Wanda doesn't seem to have noticed though, looking through some books one by one and arranging them as she likes on the shelves, focused on her work for the moment rather than on the handsome blond man sharing the space.

Elixir has posed:
When he arrived, Josh insisted on helping clean up for a bit, arguing he spent so much time there it was only fair. He also topped up his overnight bag with fresh clothes from the backpack he loaded up for the weekend.

Josh took gratefully to his books, however. With the patients, Doug's situation, healing Dazzler and doing lab work for Hank, the last week had been a wash for school. With assignments coming due and midterms approaching, study time was a precious commodity.

Josh sits in the kitchen with books and a tablet spread out in front of him. While so many students used only tablets now, Josh had always studied better with something more tangible in hand. Even while absorbed in his work, he cannot help but glance up and notice the incredible woman who had dropped into his life only a month ago. He smiles every time and goes back to his work.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda reaches up to run a feather duster over some of the books on the top shelf, the posture likely providing a good voyeur moment without her realizing it. Not that she'd mind, as she glances over across the open room towards the kitchen area and the table that makes a good study surface, her own desk along a wall tending to be more cluttered. She smiles as she sees Josh looking her way.

Wanda is wearing shorts and a long sleeve top with a wide neckline that likes to cover one shoulder, leaving the other bare. "I don't have it too cold for you do I?" she says. It is a little cool, at that, for someone who isn't moving about, and especially if he has a cold drink at hand while studying.

Wanda motions over towards her closet. "I have an old sweatshirt I stole from Pietro in the closet there if so. Wonderfully huge and soft on me, but would probably fit you well," she tell him. "Over on the very end," she says before going back to work with the duster.

Elixir has posed:
"Yeah, that'd be good. It is kinda cold," Josh admits with a smile. "Just don't let Pietro catch me wearing his old shirt."

He puts down his tablet and makes his way into Wanda's bedroom. The sweatshirt is easy to find in the closet, past her other clothes.

He gently fingers the fabric of the dress Wanda wore to Evolution and the one she wore to the charity event. Josh turns to go but notices an old cardboard box on the floor. He turns his head to read the writing then raises an eyebrow.

"Hey babe?" Josh calls over, leaning against the doorframe to Wanda's room. "What's in the box in the closet? Says Transia on the top?"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda has a pair of books in hand, reading the spines for the titles and then placing them in their spot in an ordering that probably only makes sense to her. She looks over to Josh as she puts the books away. "What's that?" she asks and then makes her way across the open floor space to join him.

Wanda crouches down beside the box. "Oh, these are some things from friends of my parents," she says. "A few old things they had held onto." She picks up the box with both hands, though it doesn't seem very heavy, and carries it over to set it on a clear spot on the kitchen table near Josh's books.

Wanda opens it up, smiling at Josh and giving a little movement of her head inviting him to come take a look. Before she can do more than rummage through the top item or two, her phone rings though. Wanda goes over to answer it, leaving Josh and the box alone for the moment.

Elixir has posed:
Josh makes room for Wanda to pass, then joins her in the kitchen. When beckoned, he goes over to join her.

"Yeah? What kind of things?" Josh asks curiously. Josh reaches out and lets his fingers trail lightly across Wanda's back as she moves away to pick up her phone. He watches for another second, then turns to the box with a smile and looks inside.

He very carefully reaches into the box and starts bringing things out onto the table. The first is a folder with a few pictures inside that he lays to his left. He pulls out a wooden sign next. Wanda's name is burnt into it with a wood burning tool in a fanciful script. Josh smiles and looks over to Wanda. He shows the sign to her with a grin and then sets it down as well.

Next Josh finds a marionette of a girl in a dress. He handles it gently with a tilt of his head and lays it to his right. The white ceramic bowl with flowers on it and dog collar with metal tags on it come out and are placed on the table. The last two things Josh finds are an old Bible. Barely bound anymore and badly showing its age, the Bible is little more than loose pages wrapped in the cover.

Josh pulls out the last item, and puts the box aside on the floor. When he unfolds it, Josh finds it is a family tree. He lays it out on the table so he can read it.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
The family tree is old and faded to the point that it is often barely legible, and sometimes not at all. The Maximoffs are a prominent portion of the tree, though there are other Romany names as well. Names like Kolarov, Codona, Balaz and Sakic.

Down near the bottom, after some looking, Josh might spot a pair of familiar names. Wanda and Pietro are listed as the children of Django Maximoff and Marya Dudic. There are two other names listed as children to the pair, Ana and Mateo. Ana has 1994-1999 beside her name, and Mateo has 1993-1999 by his.

Wanda drifts back over, mostly signaling agreement to whomever is on the phone and not saying much herself. She glances at what Josh has found, resting her hand gently on his back before the phone draws her attention again. "Ok, yes. Please keep me apprised. Thank you, General," she says, before hanging up and setting her phone aside on the table.

Wanda moves over beside Josh, leaning in against him lightly. "A few things of my family's," she tells him, speaking even slower than normal as the sight of everything seems to stir some thoughts. She smiles as she picks up the wooden sign. "My father made this for me, hung it over my bed in our wagon," she says fondly of it.

Elixir has posed:
Josh's expression softens from curiousity to something else when he sees the dates by Ana and Mateo's names. He glances over toward the famed Avenger and wonders at all the things he does not know about her. Josh felt like an open book compared to Wanda, who with all her openess, felt to him like an iceberg; the portion above the surface only hinting at the vastness to explore beneath.

"That's really cute," Josh says. "You never really mentioned your parents. Are they still in Transia, or... ?"

Josh leaves off the last and lays a hand in the small of Wanda's back. "If it's not too personal. I don't wanna pry. I mean, I do, but you know," he explains with a half-grin.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda lets herself lean over more fully against Josh as they stand by the table and his hand moves over to rest on her. Wanda slowly shakes her head at Josh's question. "No, we lost them years ago," she says quietly.

Wanda reaches down and touches the family tree. "They weren't our birth parents," she says quietly. "Though they raised us from when we were small. The first clear memories I have really," she says.

One of Wanda's hands reaches across Josh's back, fingers hooking on his far shoulder near his neck. "Pappa was a doll maker. Carved them by hand. Not the kind of thing you find very often these days," she tells him. "He'd try to sell them at the villages we'd stop at. Though we did have an apartment for awhile, we mostly traveled in a wagon with others of the Traveling Folk," Wanda says.

"But the villagers there, we were in Serbia more than Transia, but along the border, they are a distrustful lot. We would get accused of thefts, and have to move on. And, honestly, sometimes they weren't wrong to accuse. Those were very tough times," she says. Wanda hesitates, her fingers unconsciously tightening just a little bit on Josh's shoulder.

Elixir has posed:
"I'm sorry, Wanda," Josh says, and truly is. For so much of it, so far removed from his own experience as to be almost unimaginable. "That's a hard way to grow up. The Traveling Folk were all pretty close then, I guess."

Josh reaches over to carefully pickup the marionette. The muscles move under Wanda's hand but he is no more tense than he was before.

"Did your father make this?" he asks. Josh straightens up and leans a bit into Wanda. He turns the marionette around full-circle to have a good look at it.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda's face lights up a little bit, and her hand relaxes again. "Yes, he did. It was one of my favorites. He was so skilled. Selling for so cheap the most marvelous puppets and dolls that... in other circumstances he might have been well-paid and respected for his craft," she says.

Wanda reaches over to run her hands over the puppet gently as Josh handles it. The strings are all gone, and there are bits of char on it. Wanda touches the dark ash. "I'd thought it lost, with everything, everyone else," Wanda says quietly.

She seems to realize she's talking about things Josh won't know of. "There was a village. I think maybe Pappa and Pietro had stolen things. But, I do know, there was a boy who attacked me. I fended him off and it knocked him into the river. Fast current, and a bad undertow., I used my power to pull him from the water," she says. "Of course, that wasn't the version the town heard of. And they came to our campsite that night, angry and with torches in hand."

Wanda falls quiet and shakes her head. "My mother never made it out of the wagon after they set fire to it. And to the other wagons. Pappa... the men grabbed him and were beating him. And he yelled at Pietro and I to run. Pietro grabbed me and... well, you can imagine how far away we were before I could even react," she says.

Years of distance allow her to talk about it in a voice that bears only light touches of sadness now. "Another family returned after. Found these things, that had been in a box away from the wagon when it happened. And held on to them. When they saw Pietro and I on the news eventually, they sent them on," she says.

Elixir has posed:
"Oh my god... That's brutal," Josh says. "I don't even... Wow."

Josh looks down at the doll in his hands with a dawning realization of just /how/ precious this creation of her father's hands was. He gingerly lays it in Wanda's hands and looks over the items on the table with new appreciation.

"I really didn't mean to pry, but... Thanks for bringing these out. Can't be easy," he says. "Do you ever think of getting a case for... Does she have a name? You know, one of those glass ones that keeps the dust off so you can keep her on display? Or maybe that's not good memories. So amazing that someone kept these things for you. Like, /so/ amazing."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda Maximoff takes the marionette from Josh, holding it while she strokes her fingers over the puppet's cheeks. It's a very detailed carving, and though it has suffered some over the years, the care that went into it is still visible.

Wanda swallows. "I probably had the power to stop them. Even as inconsistent as I was. But we were little kids," Wanda says, shaking her head sadly. "We were terrified. When he said run... Well."

Wanda looks slowly over to Josh, taking a moment to rub an arm across her eyes, clearing away where they had a little extra dampness. "That is a really nice idea," she says to him, and her green eyes lighting with a warmth for his thoughtful suggestion.

Wanda leans over to brush a soft kiss to his lips, and then lingers there, her head just resting against his as if she wants to feel Josh's presence. "I should probably try to clean her up. Marya. My mother's name. She told me the doll looked a lot like she had when she was a girl. So I named her Marya," Wanda tells him.

Elixir has posed:
"It's a beautiful name," Josh says quietly holding the space for her, the moment. Just holding her and breathing slowly in time with Wanda. For a long time.

"If they saw you again, they wouldn't blame you, Wanda. You were little. It just, happened," he says quietly, finally breaking the silence. "I wish I could've met them, wish they could've seen you now. And they could've seen you now."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
The woman stays there, resting gently in Josh's arms. His presence means so much to her. Even the sad memories are hard pressed to overcome the emotions that she feels from him as Wanda is held close. "I wish you could have met them too," she tells him. "I know Erik might be my actual father. But it was the Maximoffs who raised us," she says quietly.

Wanda looks back to the table and spots the folder. "Here, there is a photo. One of the only ones I have of them," she says, brightening a little. Wanda picks up the file folder and carefully opens it. There are only a few pictures in it. She draws one out, holding it carefully as she offers it to Josh.

The picture shows a wooden wagon in the background at a campsite, the kind of vehicle one just doesn't ever see in New York. A somewhat swarthy man with a thick jet black mustache and wearing a bandanna holds a toddler wrapped in a blanket, while beside him is a Romany beauty. Dark hair and hoop earrings and in a skirt, her arms cradling a second tiny figure.

Elixir has posed:
Josh pulls out a chair without thinking just as Wanda wants to sit and pulls one up beside her for himself. He looks at the picture and smiles. Josh tilts his head at Wanda and nods.

"Seriously, you look a bit like her," Josh says. He gently brushes a strand of hair behind Wanda's ear and looks back to the picture. "They really loved you guys, you can tell. And that's the wagon?"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda lets out a warm laugh as Josh compares her to the woman in the picture. Marya was quite stunning, so the comparison is more than flattering. "Well, she was my adoptive mother. But thank you for saying that," Wanda tells him. She slips her arm back across Josh's back, fingers sliding over the expanse of muscles across his shoulder blades.

"That was our home. For a couple of years. That was our second wagon. The first was sold when we had the apartment. Or, maybe house. I barely have memories of either. Other than how drafty it was in winter," she says. "Then we got the wagon when things got a little unpleasant with some of the townsfolk, and moved on, joining another kumpania."

Wanda pulls out another picture. This one is definitely Wanda and her brother, maybe about four or five. It's clear that Pietro had his white hair even at that age. "Pietro always looked out for me, even when we were young. It was something Pappa preached to him. A brother's duty," she says, smiling.

Wanda looks over to Josh. "I know family is as sore a subject for you as it has been for me at times," she says, remembering the days of open antagonism with Magneto when the twins fled for America. "Would it bother you to talk about them?" she asks, sliding her hand over to rest on his leg and squeeze it softly.

Elixir has posed:
Josh exhales. He does /not/ like the subject of his family, but he looks at the few tokens of Wanda's in front of him and nods to himself.

"No, it's fine. With you anyway," Josh says. He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms. "I mean, I was lucky. My dad's an engineer, my mom's a social worker. I grew up in Queens? My parents still live in the same house there. Was good, I mean it's an okay neighbourhood, you know? I guess it had some problems, but I didn't know about them. Played a lot hockey in the street," Josh says and smiles a bit.

"Mike, my older brother, he actually played hockey so him and his friends would always destroy us. And Aaron, my younger brother, thought he was like, the next Wayne Gretzky but he couldn't hit the side of a barn."

Josh shakes his head and purses his lips for a moment, looking across the room. "Yeah," he says, refocusing. "I was lucky. Good family, decent schools I guess, people at church were pretty good. Least I thought they were," he says a touch bitterly and shrugs. "I had it good, I don't complain. Got to play football and all that crap."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda turns sideways in her seat to face Josh. Her fingers are in constant motion, along with the bond they share, an ever-present reminder she's there at his side as Josh braves the trip into the unpleasant waters of his familial life.

"So I think I was the only girl in Transia to not ice skate in the winter," she tells Josh. "If you played hockey, but roller skates I guess? You are probably a good skater. Good enough to keep me from falling on my behind if we went sometime?" she asks, smiling and giving him a respite before she lets him continue with his story.

"So much we don't know when we're growing up," she says softly. "Did your brothers follow in your parents views?" she asks quietly. "Or have they been able to broaden their perspectives?"

Elixir has posed:
Josh chuckles and shakes his head when Wanda mentions roller skates. It is not unkind, he is just struck by the distances between their upbringings.

"No, just street hockey. We ran around. But I can skate. I actually played hockey for a couple years, but it wasn't my thing. I dropped it as soon I got to play football in middle school. /That/ was fun. But I'll take you skating, for sure. You ever gone snowboarding? That's awesome, too."

He makes a face when Wanda asks about his brothers. "I doubt they ever will. I mean, the only reason I did was 'cause I literally found out I was a mutant, right? We all went to the Church of Human Potential. It just seems so... Right and normal to think mutants are unnatural and," he clears his throat. "Unholy."

Josh licks his lips in thought. "My parents are really proud of Mike. He got into Notre Dame for hockey. He studied, I dunno, something stupid like drinking your face off or ancient dude bro mythology. Kind of a jerk, but he's playing farm for Colorado, so who knows. Maybe we'll see him in the NHL sending out Friends of Humanity tweets."

"Aaron..." Josh shifts uncomfortably. "It was sort of my job to look out for him, you know? He was into church as hard as I was. When I got brought into the Reavers, he was so mad. And for like the first time, my parents were proud of me. I mean, like, I told them. Pierce told them it was a huge honour. So they didn't blink when I dropped out of college to train."

Josh shrugs and leans his head against one hand, elbow on the back of Wanda's chair. She can feel the mix of emotions in the young X-Men, and it clouds his usually bright blue eyes. But he takes comfort in her touch.

"I haven't talked to /anybody/ about this stuff," Josh admits. "Like, nobody. Maybe Emma or Jean or one of them knows, cause who knows when they're in your head. But I haven't told anyone."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
A soft smile and a shake result at the mention of snowboarding, but Wanda's face expresses interest. "I have never been to a ski resort or hill. I've been in mountains, but not ones you would want to be descending from so quickly," she says with a faint grimace. "That would be something I would like to try though," she tells him slowly.

As Josh continues on his family, and what it was like with the Church, Wanda's fingers slip over into his hand, curling about his palm as she holds his hand with all the sweetness of a budding teenaged romance. Though the subject keeps Wanda's focus on him, and her thumb brushes his hand a few times at moments she senses the jumble of emotions churning a little stronger.

"You have had a rough life. It has tested you, I think. You may not ever be able to remember those things without what you're feeling. But it doesn't mean you aren't a stronger, better person now for having been through it," she says. "I have so much admiration for you. It isn't easy to have to walk away from everyone you've known because you realize what they are. But you've got others who care about you now." Wanda gives a gentle smile. "I can think of a couple. One in particular," she says, trying to inject a little levity.

Elixir has posed:
Josh laughs and he squeezes Wanda's hand. His instinct is always to care and shelter but for once he draws strength instead.

"I know," he says and brings their joined hands up to kiss the back of Wanda's. "I hope you know how grateful I am for that, for you."

Josh stretches a bit in the chair. "Don't give me too much credit though. When my powers came out when we tried to kill Andrea? So I healed my buddy who got hurt in the fight. Then he beat stupid and threw me out of the van we were getting away in. By the time I got home my backpack and shoes were on the front porch with an envelope. It had two grand in cash and a note from my dad that if I ever came back he'd kill me."

"So, maybe stronger, but I didn't have a lot of choice. Emma Frost and some others found me on a bridge and brought me in to Xavier's that night," Josh says, the last with a grimace.

"And now I'm here. With you. Life is really weird."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
The kiss to her hand draws out more of Wanda's smile, though her expression stays gentle as she hears of the final parting between Josh and his family. "It is weird. But I won't complain about what it has brought me," she tells him.

Wanda slips out of her seat and over into Josh's lap, her arm going about his shoulders. She takes a moment and looks him over, just letting her eyes slowly take in each feature. The golden blonde hair. Blue eyes so vivid and warm. The handsome face and slightly rugged jaw that is likely to help him age well. The fit body that comes of the kind of schooling that Xavier's students receive.

Her eyes return back up to his. "I read of an outbreak in Sri Lanka. Disease that they aren't sure what it is. I know you need to be around for your friend, Doug. But when you are feeling like you have the energy, and can spare a half day from school? I tracked down the name of someone from Doctors Without Borders who is there. I can call ahead and make sure we'll be allowed access to their aid facility."

Elixir has posed:
Josh gathers Wanda into his lap. He squeezes the Transian woman gently.

"You're really sweet, you know that?" Josh says with sincere appreciation. "Let's go soon, before you have to go overseas if we can."

"And when you get back, let's go to Lake Tahoe. You can board there all year. I'll teach you!"

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda sighs contentedly and leans forward to rest against the younger man that has captured her heart. "Just tell me when works for you," she agrees of the trip to the quarantine zone. "I don't want to cut into your classes too much," she tells him.

Wanda leans back so she can see his face better again. "And Tahoe sounds wonderful," she says with a smile. "I don't really... take vacations," she says, pausing as she realizes how true her words are. "You'd think, being able to travel easily, I'd have gone out and seen more. Done more? But I never really seem to."

Wanda bites her lower lip. "I think you'll be good for me. Well, I know you're good for me. But, I think you'll maybe make me expand outside of this little box I've grown comfortable in," she tells him.

Elixir has posed:
Josh smiles. "I hope so! There's a lot I wanna show you. Places I've been, want to go. If I'm gonna remember them, I want it to be with you," he shrugs.

"The pop will have a field day but whatever. I don't /want/ to keep being with you from anyone. Not like, cause of what you do, just cause you're... Wanda," Josh grins. "I feel like an idiot but it's hard /not/ to talk about when you're not around. I probably make people gag."

"I gotta talk to Scott about us though. I mean, like, I can't tell him what Lorna was saying here, that'd be so wrong. But I should tell him, cause like the X-Men would want to know."

"And then like, if I'm in gossip blogs or something, does it blow my cover?" Josh says and grins. "I dunno. It's a lot I didn't think about when I landed in the deep end with you."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda reaches up to slip her fingers into Josh's hair, softly grazing her nails over his scalp. "I really don't think about the famous thing too much," she tells him thoughtfully. "I find when I'm not in my costume, people don't tend to recognize me quite as much. Though, well I guess they do at times," she concedes, thinking of numerous examples of it.

"I'm sorry for making your life more complicated," she tells him, but she's smiling softly even as she does. "I will do what I can to help limit the impact on you. But I don't feel there's any reason to hide, unless it would cause you issues. Let people know the Scarlet Witch is in love. They can be happy for us," she says.

Wanda softly brushes her fingers down to his shoulder, rubbing gently back and forth. "I'd say... ask Lorna first. Tell her you'd like to make sure the team is ready to help if they are needed. I imagine she would be ok with that. Even though I am sure she will not want the help. She'll want Genosha to handle it. I love my sister, but she does see very little beyond Genosha sometimes," Wanda says.

Elixir has posed:
"She is pretty focused," Josh agrees with a smile. "But that her place and who she's representing. Make sense."

He tilts his head at Wanda and touches her face. "Hey, if all this does me issues. It's worth it. It's worth anything. Don't ever apologize for it."