9561/The Calm After The Sentinel Storm

The Calm After The Sentinel Storm
Date of Scene:	13 October 2019
Location:	Wanda's Room, Avengers Mansion
Synopsis:	Thor stops and catches up with Wanda after the destruction of Bastion.
Cast of Characters:	Scarlet Witch, Thor

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Scarlet Witch has posed:
The day after the fight that finally took down the cyborg Sentinel from the future has been a quiet one around Avengers Mansion. Whether that is because people are recovering from celebrating the night before, or taking it easy after injuries, depends on the individual.

The hallways are largely empty except for the occasional staffer. Which let's face it, many of them are drones from Stark-Fujikawa Industries, operating under the guidance of JARVIS.

One door in the residence hall has been left halfway open, and a cool breeze that comes from it suggests the windows are open as well to let the fresh air flow through. In addition, the soft sounds of a classical guitar are coming from Wanda Maximoff's room as a song is being fingerpicked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOUpNtk5Spk

Thor has posed:
The Thunderer had learned some things after the Ultron incident. Namely: when dealing with robots, be extra sure they're really dead. So, he and Hulk went to great lengths to make sure Bastion would never get up again. They were fairly thorough about it. Even so, Thor is a man of two worlds...and he is King in one of them. But his precious friends on Midgard don't last forever. They don't even last a century. He can't just go do kingly things and expect his precious friends to still be there.

But as he walked by, he heard the sounds of an instrument, and not a common one Asgard...as he approached...Wanda? "...you never told you were a bard."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda is sitting on one of the plush-looking couches, wearing a pair of boxer shorts and a long sleeve Henley shirt. She's barefoot and there is a large glass of what looks like grape juice sitting on the coffee table she has one foot up on. A classical guitar is resting across her leg and her head is resting on the couch back as she plays.

In short she looks... relaxed. Calm. Peaceful. Those are words that have been absent from impressions of the Eastern European woman for some time now. Wanda had felt off for the better part of a year, though was unable to say why, nor did she suspect there was a specific cause. Unaware of the effects that the state of reality has on her as the Nexus being, Wanda never realized the disturbances caused by the time-traveling cyborg were the cause of her continued unease.

Nor does she realize now. She just realizes she feels better than at any point this year. And it shows in her face. "Thor," Wanda says, sitting up, but finishing the song before setting the guitar aside to lean against the side of the couch. She rises and heads over to the doorway. "Something I played a little as a girl, then picked up again in college," she tells him. "Come, join me if you have time?" she asks. She'll offer a hand, and if taken, lead him in to the couch. "A drink? I keep some rum on hand for Janet, and vodka for visits from Tony," she says, eyeing her kitchen in the room which is open, the walls all removed but for the bathroom.

Thor has posed:
Thor considers the offer of drink...while Midgardian booze doesn't affect him all that much...unless he's drinking literally barrels of it...he just says, "Either is fine." Still, the peace she's found is notable to the Asgardian. "...I wish I could be so peaceful. But even with the robot dead, there's still the side effects of Asgard I must be forever conscious of." Heavy hangs the head that wears a crown.

As for entering, he does, and finds a random couch to sit on. He's actually noting her playing style and technique. It's different from Asgard, as he might've expected, and the tunes being produced are different too. "Play on." Midgard has so many wonders, and his friends are capable of so many of them. It is no mystery why he spends so much time on Earth compared to everyone else. He's learned to love what this planet has to offer.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda heads over to the kitchen, feet bare on the carpet and then the tile as she gets a rock glass and pours a healthy measure of a fine rum in it. There is a fire going in the fireplace, which offsets the fact Wanda has the door to the balcony ajar, letting in the October air that is probably somewhere in the 50 degree range.

Wanda brings the glass back over, offering it to Thor before the auburn-haired woman settles back into her previous spot. She picks up the guitar, resting the instrument's curve across one thigh. "I'm glad you were able to be there yesterday," she tells him as she checks the tune, adjusting one of the strings. "I feel such a relief. Like I'd been... stretched. Under tension this whole time, and now it's gone. It's the best I've felt since-" she says before cutting herself off of what she had been about to say. She instead finishes with, "The best I've felt in awhile."

Thor has posed:
Thor has sort of a wry look, as if he's had to learn through bitter experiences too. "...On Asgard, we have a saying. You must be whole before you can share. You sound more whole than you have in a long time." Relationship advice of the gods, get right on the inside before you take someone else into your life. Of course, that tends to make sense on any of the 9 realms.

As for being there, "Sorry I was late. I was on Asgard at the time and had to resolve something. So I had Heimdall use the Bifrost to send me straight into things." Darn those kingly duties. They're always making him late, or worse, unable to show up at all.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda begins fingerpicking another song, keeping the music quiet as her focus is on the conversation with the Norse god rather than the playing. "I know you have many duties. And I can only imagine what it is like for you, what all you have to deal with now with Asgard being restored," Wanda says.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6caUN3HLJSI

She leans back in the couch relaxing again, her fingers moving without really paying too much attention, clearly a song she's played many times before. "You are right about that. I have not felt like myself in so long. I had a good stretch," she says. The time with Josh, she means.

Wanda has a very slow, intentional way of speaking. Giving each word its due before moving on, and making her words often sound thoughtful. "But even then? It was more like... the happy was offsetting the rest. If that makes sense? But now I feel far more at peace. Not just covering up... I can't put it into words," she says, shaking her head of how she'd felt.

Wanda smiles over to Thor. "I'm glad you're here. We haven't gotten to spend much time together in months. This year, even," she comments. "I hope you will be able to get away from Asgard from time to time."

Thor has posed:
"It's odd. For the longest time, I wanted to be king. But now that I am...I can't help wishing Odin were back so I could give this crown back. Maybe not forever...I cannot put off destiny indefinitely. But...at least long enough to see all my friends on Midgard through. I don't really want to miss any pieces of your lives because I'm buried in work. That work may be entirely necessary for Asgard, but...I find myself wishing to delegate it frequently."

But of course, he can't...there's only so many things he can delegate to advisors in a realm where the King truly rules. "That is my fault. I am still learning to balance my duties with my ability to stay on Midgard. It is a tougher task than I thought it would be. T'challa too, is a king. Perhaps I should consult him on how he balances things." On the other side, T'challa isn't here, is he? He's probably in Wakanda, doing his primary job.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
The soft sounds of Dust in the Wind continue to come from the guitar. Wanda's green-eyed gaze stays mostly focused on Thor, sparing only briefly glances for the playing of the instrument now and then. Her expression softens as she hears of the different desires pulling at her teammate, sometimes in conflict with his duty.

"T'Challa has seemed to maintain a good balance," Wanda says. "I know when he first became a formal member, he was splitting his time fairly equally. He has a holographic communication system in one of the rooms, allowing him to attend Wakanda's cabinet meetings even from afar. Though I suppose the Bifrost allowing you fast, direct passage probably would serve as good or better," she suggests to Thor.

A slightly stronger cool breeze stirs in through the open balcony doorway. "Would you mind adding a log to the fire?" she tells him. "I've been so happy to have the cool weather back. There's nothing like a nice fire, though I had to open up the door to have it cool enough for it. I actually had a little getaway, right up until the call came out to deal with Bastion. A little cabin on a lake up in Canada's Northwest. The back looks out over a lake. Nice big windows with a window seat, and a swing on a back porch. It was very peaceful," she says, the gentleness of her accent adding their own sense of tranquility to the words.

Thor has posed:
"I do have that benefit. He must fly here on a quinjet. I simply arrive on the Bifrost, so I lose less time going back and forth than he does." He adds the log when asked, and the fire gets a little warmer, as he adjusts the logs a little bit. It never occurs to him to use the poker, he just adjusts the burning log. Of course, his hand is fine. "There, that'll do."

"You say you have...a little cabin in out in Canada. Is that where you would like to be? It is surely peaceful there...but it must be a little harder to have friends stop by. While you are here, you are never wanting for company, if you truly wish it." Presumably he could visit her at a cabin, once Heimdall tells him where it is, but...this is where everyone is...where friends can casually run into other friends playing guitars.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
"He has his own jet, of Wakandan make. You should take a look sometime. It is quite a bit different than the quinjets," Wanda comments. "I would imagine they probably are a bit more advanced." Wanda flashes a bit of a teasing grin as she says, "But don't quote me on that to Tony."

Thor is given a grateful smile for his taking care of the fireplace. "I don't own it, just had rented it for a few days. But I think I'll return again soon. There's a growing city on the other side of the lake, but the side I was on was still very tranquil," Wanda comments.

She switches to another song as the first one ends, just flowing into it, picking another song with a similar chord progression so there is no gap in them. "I can teleport people there when need be. Actually I brought my sister Lorna out. I figured she could use getting away," Wanda says in her soft spoken way. "Which... turned... out... to be the case," she adds with a wry smile. "I suppose you could just travel right there, though, if coming from Asgard. Would you like to plan a little trip there with me, sometime, Thor?" Wanda asks.

Thor has posed:
Thor actually smiles at that. "If I can confirm it, I'll have to tease Stark about it. Competition inspires us on Asgard...it doesn't appear to be too different with Stark. If he thinks someone has better tech than he does, he will work round the clock to produce something better." Pause. "Then again, when he gets that focused on work, his betrothed tends not to appreciate it. So perhaps, for Pepper's sake, I will forebear." Poor Pepper has enough to deal with, doesn't she?

"We all need to get away at times. From a certain point of view, my coming to Midgard at all is 'getting away.' Even when I must do battle like yesterday...that's STILL getting away from the duties of being King." And frankly, Thor was a warrior first, and he doesn't want to lose that part of himself. "I should like that, yes." Spending time with those of Midgard is very important.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
"I think Tony will find work to get focused on regardless of the source," the Transian woman comments with a soft smile. Those smiles are coming easily to her again, rather than the distracted looks that she frequently has had in the preceding months.

"Excellent then. We'll pick a time and I'll see if I can't get some ale from Club Mjolnir to have on hand for you," Wanda offers. The soft notes of the guitar continue to pour out of the instrument. Wanda is far from a professional musician, but can play competently enough to be enjoyable to listen to.

"It is quite a bit colder up there, so you'll want to pack something warm for it. There are a few nature trails I meant to hike, but Sebastion was located before I had a chance. There are supposed to be some marvelous views," Wanda tells him. She sits up, stopping playing to pick up her glass of juice and take a sip from it. "You spoke of Odin earlier. With the restoration of Asgard, is there any chance he might...?" Wanda asks, not trying to put words to how he might return. Reform? But the intent is probably easy to divine from her tone.

Thor has posed:
"We are working on that. There are many reasons to bring the All Father back...even if the same method may not be useable for everyone else." Though it'd be nice to bring his mother back, if such a thing happens, it should happen after Odin is up so he can lend his power to any such resurrections.

But then she mentions she'll bring the good stuff, and, "That is an excellent offer indeed!" Though he need not worry overmuch about the cold...they are NORSE gods after all, he nonetheless does have warmer attire when such is desired. He finds it tends to suit the theme, sometime, to be cozy. "Though if you truly wish to speak of cold, I'll have to tell you about Jotunheim sometime. Frost Giants live there." And Frost Giants are just cold as common sense makes it sound like they are.

"Well...is a better jet where Stark's efforts should be directed? A simple nudge will have him working for weeks on his project, and he will not stop for anything. And I've been given to understand Midgardian holidays are soon coming."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
As Thor mentions the home of the Frost Giants, Wanda's expression perks up a bit, and she looks at Thor in a way that will let him know something is coming. "Yes, speaking of Jotunheim," Wanda says in her soft, Eastern European accent. "So, some time ago, Charles Xavier was shot during a speech. Well, to make a long story short, when I went to help with his healing, he asked me if I could help protect the school from what was going on. The Sentinels and such. I devised a protection spell, though gathering the materials for it has proven difficult and time-consuming," Wanda says.

"Though the spell is nearly ready. Doctor Strange and Illyana Rasputin have agreed to work with me on the casting. But we need one more material to prepare it. Ice from frozen Mannfreim Falls in Jotunheim," Wanda says. "Where, as I understand it, the myths say the first Frost Giants sprang forth from. We are planning an expedition there to gather the material. I was hoping you might accompany us. Your experience with them would be invaluable, not to mention your strong arm," Wanda says, smiling over to the Norse god.

Thor has posed:
Thor considers that. "When I was young and foolish...I went to Jotunheim to pick a fight. I succeeded. For that, Odin stripped me of my power and cast me out of Asgard to learn humility, for I was rather arrogant then. The lesson was learned, and Mjolnir returned to me. The moral of the story for this expedition, however, is that the Frost Giants themselves must be avoided. A great tragedy could start if they see me there in particular, as they could technically call that an invasion by the King himself."

"It is possible I could negotiate with them for a piece of the ice you need. Such negotiations can be...delicate. But neither can I just send you in without me...it is too well known among the realms how many Midgardian friends I have, so they'd blame me for the intrusion." Pause, "Kitty mentioned something similar when I spoke to her. Nonetheless, it will have to be handled with care...Laufey is only too eager to start something if he can. I'd prefer things to remain peaceful while Asgard is still recovering."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda begins strumming something softly, which turns out to be Pink Floyd's song Wish You Were Here, as they continue to talk. "I don't wish to put you into political turmoil," Wanda says. "If it were better that we not have Asgardians on the expedition, we could do that. Or if you think it could be negotiated. Though if the answer is no, they would be forewarned we are likely to try," she says, frowning slightly.

"Yes, the X-men have done a fine job gathering what we need. Blood from an elder vampire. Necroplasma from a hell demon. Even Cheyaraphim Crystals from the Brimstone dimension. Other things were easier to come by. But we have to enclose an area that is square miles across, so it needs potent reagents to cover such a large area," Wanda concludes.

Thor has posed:
"The most important key is that a war must be avoided. My people would be greatly endangered if a war broke out now." And while he can just bring the Avengers to Asgard, wars with foreign powers in the rest of the 9 realms can last longer than anyone wanted.

"It must be a potent reagent of cold, yes? I wonder if the cask of endless winters can be used as well...Dr. Strange may not know we have it." Worth looking in to.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda considers and says, "The spell has ties into other dimensions, shunting observation attempts away and leaving behind only what might be considered 'normal'. In this case, a Sentinel scanning would find no mutants. Someone looking through binoculars, or a spy satellite, would see just a preparatory school. Even if a firefight was going on, or a mutant was running around with flames covering himself," she says.

"I don't believe the casket would suffice, it would lack that connection to the essence of Jotunheim itself. The spell would not actually harm or affect those dimensions adversely," Wanda explains. She reaches over to rest a hand on Thor's arm briefly, "But, we do not want to cause Asgard trouble, that is definitely not what we would wish to happen," she says.

Thor has posed:
"...Then, let us hope negotiations go well. I may have to trade the cask back to them for the right to grab the ice." Which is the sort of political considerations Thor must take into account. He sort of sounds like he hates his job right now, because once you get down to it, this Jotunheim trip can have major negative consequences.

"Very well. I must look into it on my end. That...will require quite a bit of negotiating, but let us see what can be done through proper channels before we do something drastic." A different Thor than the one who once went there for giggles. One who has learned what the responsibility to his people must truly be.

Scarlet Witch has posed:
Wanda looks hesitant. "I do not know if the risk of them getting their hands back on something so powerful is worth it," she says, frowning slightly. "The problem is, if you approach them to negotiate, and it fails, then any attempt we might make would be linked to you. Where as if we go in without that first, it would be... I don't know, what might he say? 'Those interlopers from Midgard'?" Wanda says, giving her best Frost Giant impression. Which, she's never spoken to one so she just goes for the deepest voice she can manage.

"We should discuss it further before you approach them I think," she says. "I don't want to Asgard have to deal with strife, especially while there is so much for you to do just returning your people there."

Thor has posed:
"That...is also an option. I'd have to have Heimdall keep eyes on the expedition the whole way through...if you are discovered...they are still a warlike people. If I am not involved, there's also the potential they ignore me and declare war on Midgard. While such a war would not be successful, between the Avengers and Justice League and everyone else...they will cause a lot of casualties before they are beaten back."

Thor really doesn't want to be this negative, he'd rather be encouraging adventures, but, "...Being King has made me less fun than I once was."

Scarlet Witch has posed:
"Getting in and out without without being spotted seems like the best outcome," Wanda agrees quietly. She rises, setting the guitar aside and moving over to add a bit more wood to the fire. She then pads over on bare feet to slide the door a little further closed now the temperature is dropping more as the sun is down.