[it's a shame that the horizon only lets them perceive each other however they want. there will never be bruising, injuries, signs of illness, or any minute differences that one has no control over in the real world. it is hard, then, for wanda to gauge whether the healthy wilhelm she sees arriving into her cabin in the woods is, in fact, as genuine as reality.
standing up from the bench on the porch, she moves on over to the frame that connects the stairs to the front of the cabin.]
Hey.
[the raven that has tagged along perches itself by the banister of the porch, hopping a few times and glancing between wilhelm and wanda.]
Huh, I was expecting a different one.
[this raven is one of the bigger ones, tends to keep away from the others. wanda brushes a finger over the top of its head. she turns her attention back to the teen, dropping her hand to her side.]
[Shuffling a hand through his hair, his eyes shift from the raven to Wanda.]
Fine, I guess.
[A perfunctory answer, but it's more or less true. Fine is whatever you're accustomed to. He doesn't want to worry her; he's done enough of that already. By now, Wilhelm has reached the porch steps, which he climbs to join Wanda.]
So which one am I supposed to name? [He tilts his head, aiming a curious look at her.] Also...why ravens?
[Given the nature of the Horizon, he assumes that she has willed them into existence.]
[she motions at the raven that sits with them. it stands proudly, puffing its chest out, and hopping over so it faces wilhelm a little more directly. for some reason or another, this raven decided to attach itself to the boy.
and so— its name must come from him.
as for his question...]
I had ravens before in a previous version of my Horizon. They're really intelligent, too. Have you never held a conversation with one before?
[she may or may not be teasing him a bit with that last comment.]
[Wilhelm shoots her a haha, very funny sort of look.]
Guess I've been missing out.
[Meanwhile, he studies the bird perched between them on the porch railing. Its eyes are bright, convincing him of Wanda's claim that ravens are intelligent creatures. Its glossy black feathers are strangely beautiful. Speaking to the raven now:]
Hello.
[He's not really sure what one is supposed to do with a bird, but he tries offering his hand, like he would for a horse or a dog to let the animal learn his scent. Then back to Wanda:]
Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?
[That would at least help him narrow down a good name.]
[wanda smiles lightly as wilhelm turns back towards the bird. it tilts its head at the teen—from one side to the other—as if trying to gauge what he's thinking. at the hello, wilhelm will get to see the raven tapping its feet a few times and bobbing its head up and down once, as if to signify that the greeting has been received and is acknowledged.
[He can't help but grin as the bird responds to his greeting. It's pretty cool, actually. Keeping his hand extended toward the raven, he contemplates the oh-so-solemn duty that's been bestowed on him.]
I guess it's kind of cheesy to name it after someone...
[One guess as to whose name comes to mind first, and no telepathy allowed. Though, the way he says it, it's more like a question.]
[no telepathy allowed, but wanda has an idea of whose name he might have in mind.]
Someone named one of the ravens after his friend.
[and the ravens here are happy with whatever name they are given, so long as it means something. wanda smiles, as the raven in question pushes its beak onto wilhelm's hand, poking it gently, without pinching him, as if to have him say its name.
they are quite impatient about getting named, turns out.]
[He hums idly in thought, taking Wanda's words into consideration. To the raven, poking its beak into his palm, he offers a gentle reprimand:]
Hang on, I'm trying to think. [To Wanda, an objection:] How do I know he's worthy of having it, though?
[Judging by the playful curl of his lips and the little roll of his eyes, the question is completely facetious. Though, his brother's name has become sacred to him, as saints' names to the devout, and sacred things can't be thrown around carelessly. He thinks Wanda would understand.]
How about... [He tilts his head, as if measuring the character of the bird.] Ferrari? Erik loved cars, and this little guy seems eager to show off.
[the raven does a little hop at that, ferrari, and seems to straighten out, puffing out its chest feathers proudly.]
A fancy name.
[wanda finds it funny, in a delighted kind of way, that her ravens are getting these fancy kind of names—there's argus, staccato, and now ferrari. the raven, ferrari, seems to take note of her thoughts and caws at her, before pecking lightly at wilhelm's hand again.
seems like he wants to be worthy of the name.
it climbs up, its feathers taking flight, over the open door to the entrance of her home.]
[Well, the bird seems happy enough. Wilhelm watches Ferrari flutter away, hoping that he'll be able to distinguish him from the other ravens in Wanda's little conspiracy.]
I liked being in the passenger seat.
[Which translates to yes, but because he loves his brother and the two are linked in his memory. Erik had spent the final moment of his life in the sleek, shiny sportscar he prized so much. While the nightmares that shadowed everyone's sleep all those months ago bruised into Wilhelm's brain all the ways the crash could have happened, he refuses to let that overcome the good memories.
When he thinks of his brother behind the wheel, he likes to picture his grin against the backsplash of blurred scenery. The feeling of freedom that rushed in with the wind slipping through his own open fingers.]
[good news for wilhelm, ferrari will always come around to greet him should he visit her horizon, guiding him to the house or keeping him company should he just want to wander about.
(additionally, perhaps he will take flight and seek wilhelm out, once in a while, expecting a treat before leaving.)
wanda smiles, letting the memory that he keeps to himself wash over her thoughts—this warm feeling, the feeling of freedom. as it does, she guides him inside the house, to an eclectic, very cold war aesthetic of a home, but with notes that feel european in essence: the narrow stairs with no banister, the collection of trinkets and books and clocks, the rugs over wooden paneled floors.]
I learned to drive when I went to America, but I didn't drive often. Were you hoping to get your driver's license, soon? [up the stairs, through a doorway, further along a hallway—] You like tea, don't you?
[As Wanda leads him through the house, Wilhelm's eyes wander over the decorations filling shelves and walls, the patterns on the rugs. He likes the coziness, the kind that makes it hard to leave and easy to come back. It feels like a home, although it's nothing like his.]
Yeah, I was. I'd have to wait a few more years, though. [He tucks a strand of hair behind his ear.] Well, one more year now.
[Except, that life is gone, and he's pretty sure it's not coming back. Rather, he will never go back to it. That realization still has the power to dizzy him when it seizes hold. Re-focusing on Wanda, he pulls together a little smile.]
[that's right—wilhelm had his birthday recently. wanda nods in understanding, but knows also that some things are just not going to be easy to reconcile while here. not being able to reach milestones, like driving a car, are an impossibility.]
Maybe it's something you could do in the Horizon? There should be space enough for a driving course.
[it's just a suggestion, but wanda doesn't ask about the very real possibility that maybe wilhelm would have wanted to learn from his brother.
reaching the kitchen, wanda brings a kettle to the stove. maybe sam is on to something, with doing things manually while in the horizon. she lets the water heat up as she brings out a box with different tea flavors for him to pick one. the raven, ferrari, stands on the small table, looking down at the box as if studying the flavors himself.]
Back in Solvunn, I always make time for some tea. Not that much ever really happens, but with everything that we go through — it's easy to get lost in the circumstances. You can create your own tea preference if it isn't in the box.
[It would be easy enough to imagine into existence a bit of road and whatever kind of car he wanted. But by himself, it wouldn't be half as fun. Unknowingly, his thoughts take the same turn as Wanda's: he always imagined Erik in the passenger seat. More memories he never got to make.
In the kitchen, Wilhelm selects a tea from the chest. Nothing fancy. Helping himself to a chair, he watches the raven waddle around and waits for the water to boil. The fact that Wanda is doing everything the old-fashioned way doesn't escape his notice, and the normalcy is something of a comfort too.
In Wanda's presence, thoughts of Erik bleed into thoughts of her brother too. At the edge of his mind perches the awareness that it's Wanda's birthday today — Pietro's too — but he's not sure if he should bring it up before she does. Those who have lost a loved one experience milestones differently from everyone else. Belatedly, he thinks to ask:]
[as the water boils, she grabs at two simple cups, as if made in a pottery class, glazed in a paster blue and rich honey coating. because it is the horizon, they don't have to wait all the necessary minutes for water to boil—so, she makes it so, for the kettle to whistle shortly after wilhelm's picked out his tea, and she's topping up the cups and bringing them to the table.
one for wilhelm, one for herself.
she then turns back into the kitchen and returns with a small helping of nuts; she's aware that ravens prefer meat, but ferrari and the rest can hunt as much as they like in the forest. these, wanda places atop the windowsill beside the table.]
—considering? Could be worse. [between fielding arguments from two divine siblings, to parsing through whatever is happening in this world, to her own lingering guilt and shame ever present? things could definitely be worse.] I'm mostly glad we've somehow managed to avoid all-out war.
[but, as they say, out of the fire and into the frying pan. no time to properly relax, until they know things are really peaceful, and in abraxas? that's impossible to tell, at times. she chooses a tea and puts the bag into her water, lets it steep.]
I've been working on some spells for a friend, so thank you for indulging me on a tea break. [a small smile lingers,] Did you know my son was summoned here? Well, a Wanda's son, one from so many alternate universes. He's all grown up, a couple years older than you.
[He plops the teabag into his mug, leaving it to steep. The whole concept of alternate universes is still a little too slippery to wrap his brain around, but the important bit to pull out of that is the fact that Wanda's been reunited with one of her kids. Good for her — in the sincerest possible shade of the phrase. It takes him a moment to figure out why the name Billy rings familiar. Oh, right—]
I sort of dropped in on him a little while ago. Here in the Horizon, I mean. Totally by accident.
[When the Horizon — and possibly the Singularity itself — was out of sorts thanks to weird old gods run amok. Watching Wanda carefully, pulling his mug closer, he asks:]
Is it...weird?
[Seeing him all grown up all of a sudden. Missing all those years in between. He'll let Wanda fill in the blank.]
[wanda smiles softly, happy to know that wilhelm has a face to draw upon when she talks about billy. the smile remains for just a moment longer before it falters entirely. his question is not unexpected—she anticipated something regarding her feelings to him being here.
she's never thought of what the answer would be, despite that, regardless of who asked.]
Well, when I first met him and recognized who he was, I nearly killed him with my magic.
[said with the air of something that should be a funny anecdote. thankfully, billy's magic reacted to her own, and no harm befell the boy.]
—but... it's definitely weird. He isn't my son, but he feels like he is. There are so many things of him that are like my Billy's, many parts of him that are just — very much a Maximoff thing. [here her smile returns, small and tight.] I've been trying to do better by him.
I'm sure that's what any other Wanda would do if any of my boys ever showed up at their doorstep.
[too bad she doesn't know, at the moment, that the future holds this billy disappearing from abraxas and returning to his world.]
[Timing has never been Wilhelm's strong suit either. The world has a way of crumbling underneath your feet just when you've found your stride. Catching the stumble in Wanda's smile, he wishes he hadn't asked and rushes to offer reassurance.]
I'm sure...I'm sure he recognizes that.
[Except, well, he can't guarantee any such thing. He knows damn well how fraught the relationship between mother and child can be. It must be weird for Billy, too, to encounter his mom-but-not, a refraction through the prism of another universe. He shakes his head with a wry little curl of his lips.]
[she recognizes what he's doing, and wanda reads the cues well enough to move past the subject. she is grateful that he's gone and asked about billy, but her focus returns instead to him — his talk about 'other wilhelms out there'.]
Most likely.
[with the concept of the multiverse as it is—]
But I know from personal experience that thinking of what ifs will only make the choices you regret and your grief a lot more difficult to cope with.
[pulling the teabag out of her cup, she sets it down on a small saucer that she conjures from thin air; a silver, delicate spoon appears between her fingers, now, and wanda stirs at her tea to make sure the herbs have infused properly with the hot water.]
—I wanted to show you something. [she sets the spoon down on the same saucer as the teabag, fingers lingering on it for a moment as if she's trying to find the words to say what she wants to say. eventually, as she starts speaking again, she moves her hand away.] A friend of mine drew a picture of my brother while on the ship. It surprised me how much I had forgotten what he looked like.
[there is a point here that she wants to make. she wants to show wilhelm what her older brother looked like, but she also would like to... maybe offer to take the memory of his brother from his mind, ask that steve also draw him? it's powerful — just having a picture to look back at.]
[Wilhelm nods and tries to shelve the thought. He has already surrendered countless hours to what ifs that never soothe but only exacerbate all the aches in his heart, the way prodding at a bruise only deepens it.
Following Wanda's cue, he imagines into existence a saucer on which he can set his teabag now that it's steeped for a few minutes. Whatever she's on the precipice of saying, he senses it's important — and when she says it, understanding alights on his expression.]
Sure, I'd love to see it.
[He'd gotten a hazy glimpse of Pietro once, that time Wanda's powers surged out of her control, shaped out of raw emotion. But that afternoon is all jumbled up in his memories. Now Wanda has risen from that dark place — though he knows the darkness doesn't just go away, it shrinks to hide inside of you somewhere. He recognizes that she's opening up on her own terms.]
I tried drawing Erik, but...it didn't look much like him.
[Though he chuckles and shakes his head, he can't quite hide his disappointment.]
[it's hard when there aren't pictures to conserve the memories of loved ones, especially lost loved ones. wanda is sure that wilhelm must have plenty of pictures of his older brother—back home. as for wanda, she and pietro grew up without the possibility of saving any pictures; whatever albums they had, whatever cameras they used, they were all lost at one point or another.]
Maybe Steve could draw it for you. [she can't keep herself from saying.] Steve Rogers.
[and, as if to continue this pitch of why steve is the best choice for this... wanda creates from the horizon's nothing, a piece of paper with a sketch. a bust of pietro's face, his usual grin and the mirth in his eyes, messy hair. it's as perfect a rendition as it gets, and steve is very talented when it comes to drawing, even if it seems he's not the type.
[Leaning forward, Wilhelm studies the sketch with a seriousness that belongs in the hush of an art museum. Even on the paper, he can see the similarities that mark Pietro as Wanda's sibling. He nods, not because he thinks his approval matters, but because he...appreciates her sharing something so close to her heart with him. It's nice to be let in somewhere sacred.]
He looks like he's fun to be around.
[Was, he's supposed to say, but the past tense often cuts too sharp, weighs too heavy. With the first tentative sip of his tea, he considers Wanda's offer. He does have some photos of Erik in the house he's made for himself here in the Horizon, but it would be even better to have a reminder of his brother to keep in the castle.]
If your friend doesn't mind...I'd really like that. [A beat, his brow wrinkling.] But how, uh...how would I show him what Erik looks like?
[she appreciates that wilhelm is able to see the nature of pietro in this drawing. there's something exciting about being able to share the likeness of her brother to others, without having to rely on memories or spoken descriptions.
wanda smiles at that, knowing that it never gets quite easy talking about him, but the memories can still be good.]
—with magic, drawing out of your memories, perhaps? [it shouldn't be so complicated.] Steve Rogers. Maybe you've met him before.
[Pietro and Erik had that in common, a magnetic presence that drew everyone to them. And the way Wanda says it, he suspects that they have something in common too: a shortage of charisma, which forces them to fake their way through social situations. His smile is soft and a little somber. At her suggestion, it flattens to a look of contemplation. He nods in tentative agreement. While he's apprehensive of the idea of anyone rooting through his memories, he thinks he can trust Wanda to tread lightly.]
Yeah, I know him. [He taps the side of his mug.] Well...I messaged him, like, once.
[He gestures to his head, indicating the magical network of sorts that links their minds. That once, he'd been an awkward mess as usual and asked about something he shouldn't have. So...that's the main thing he remembers Steve by.]
[ah, just the once— it takes her a moment, but wanda thinks that she can pinpoint when was an opportunity to contact steve. he isn't exactly one putting himself out there to be contacted, preferring quiet and privacy.
that had been a rather loud display of the avengers, hadn't it?
wanda's smile softens.]
Steve became like family to me after I lost Pietro. We worked together for a time, and — well, I think he's one of the better people I've met.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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standing up from the bench on the porch, she moves on over to the frame that connects the stairs to the front of the cabin.]
Hey.
[the raven that has tagged along perches itself by the banister of the porch, hopping a few times and glancing between wilhelm and wanda.]
Huh, I was expecting a different one.
[this raven is one of the bigger ones, tends to keep away from the others. wanda brushes a finger over the top of its head. she turns her attention back to the teen, dropping her hand to her side.]
How are you?
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Fine, I guess.
[A perfunctory answer, but it's more or less true. Fine is whatever you're accustomed to. He doesn't want to worry her; he's done enough of that already. By now, Wilhelm has reached the porch steps, which he climbs to join Wanda.]
So which one am I supposed to name? [He tilts his head, aiming a curious look at her.] Also...why ravens?
[Given the nature of the Horizon, he assumes that she has willed them into existence.]
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[she motions at the raven that sits with them. it stands proudly, puffing its chest out, and hopping over so it faces wilhelm a little more directly. for some reason or another, this raven decided to attach itself to the boy.
and so— its name must come from him.
as for his question...]
I had ravens before in a previous version of my Horizon. They're really intelligent, too. Have you never held a conversation with one before?
[she may or may not be teasing him a bit with that last comment.]
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Guess I've been missing out.
[Meanwhile, he studies the bird perched between them on the porch railing. Its eyes are bright, convincing him of Wanda's claim that ravens are intelligent creatures. Its glossy black feathers are strangely beautiful. Speaking to the raven now:]
Hello.
[He's not really sure what one is supposed to do with a bird, but he tries offering his hand, like he would for a horse or a dog to let the animal learn his scent. Then back to Wanda:]
Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?
[That would at least help him narrow down a good name.]
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it stares curiously at wilhelm's hand.]
A boy.
[she thinks, anyway...]
It's one of the older ones in the group, too.
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I guess it's kind of cheesy to name it after someone...
[One guess as to whose name comes to mind first, and no telepathy allowed. Though, the way he says it, it's more like a question.]
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[no telepathy allowed, but wanda has an idea of whose name he might have in mind.]
Someone named one of the ravens after his friend.
[and the ravens here are happy with whatever name they are given, so long as it means something. wanda smiles, as the raven in question pushes its beak onto wilhelm's hand, poking it gently, without pinching him, as if to have him say its name.
they are quite impatient about getting named, turns out.]
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Hang on, I'm trying to think. [To Wanda, an objection:] How do I know he's worthy of having it, though?
[Judging by the playful curl of his lips and the little roll of his eyes, the question is completely facetious. Though, his brother's name has become sacred to him, as saints' names to the devout, and sacred things can't be thrown around carelessly. He thinks Wanda would understand.]
How about... [He tilts his head, as if measuring the character of the bird.] Ferrari? Erik loved cars, and this little guy seems eager to show off.
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A fancy name.
[wanda finds it funny, in a delighted kind of way, that her ravens are getting these fancy kind of names—there's argus, staccato, and now ferrari. the raven, ferrari, seems to take note of her thoughts and caws at her, before pecking lightly at wilhelm's hand again.
seems like he wants to be worthy of the name.
it climbs up, its feathers taking flight, over the open door to the entrance of her home.]
Do you also like cars?
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I liked being in the passenger seat.
[Which translates to yes, but because he loves his brother and the two are linked in his memory. Erik had spent the final moment of his life in the sleek, shiny sportscar he prized so much. While the nightmares that shadowed everyone's sleep all those months ago bruised into Wilhelm's brain all the ways the crash could have happened, he refuses to let that overcome the good memories.
When he thinks of his brother behind the wheel, he likes to picture his grin against the backsplash of blurred scenery. The feeling of freedom that rushed in with the wind slipping through his own open fingers.]
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(additionally, perhaps he will take flight and seek wilhelm out, once in a while, expecting a treat before leaving.)
wanda smiles, letting the memory that he keeps to himself wash over her thoughts—this warm feeling, the feeling of freedom. as it does, she guides him inside the house, to an eclectic, very cold war aesthetic of a home, but with notes that feel european in essence: the narrow stairs with no banister, the collection of trinkets and books and clocks, the rugs over wooden paneled floors.]
I learned to drive when I went to America, but I didn't drive often. Were you hoping to get your driver's license, soon? [up the stairs, through a doorway, further along a hallway—] You like tea, don't you?
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Yeah, I was. I'd have to wait a few more years, though. [He tucks a strand of hair behind his ear.] Well, one more year now.
[Except, that life is gone, and he's pretty sure it's not coming back. Rather, he will never go back to it. That realization still has the power to dizzy him when it seizes hold. Re-focusing on Wanda, he pulls together a little smile.]
Tea's fine.
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Maybe it's something you could do in the Horizon? There should be space enough for a driving course.
[it's just a suggestion, but wanda doesn't ask about the very real possibility that maybe wilhelm would have wanted to learn from his brother.
reaching the kitchen, wanda brings a kettle to the stove. maybe sam is on to something, with doing things manually while in the horizon. she lets the water heat up as she brings out a box with different tea flavors for him to pick one. the raven, ferrari, stands on the small table, looking down at the box as if studying the flavors himself.]
Back in Solvunn, I always make time for some tea. Not that much ever really happens, but with everything that we go through — it's easy to get lost in the circumstances. You can create your own tea preference if it isn't in the box.
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[It would be easy enough to imagine into existence a bit of road and whatever kind of car he wanted. But by himself, it wouldn't be half as fun. Unknowingly, his thoughts take the same turn as Wanda's: he always imagined Erik in the passenger seat. More memories he never got to make.
In the kitchen, Wilhelm selects a tea from the chest. Nothing fancy. Helping himself to a chair, he watches the raven waddle around and waits for the water to boil. The fact that Wanda is doing everything the old-fashioned way doesn't escape his notice, and the normalcy is something of a comfort too.
In Wanda's presence, thoughts of Erik bleed into thoughts of her brother too. At the edge of his mind perches the awareness that it's Wanda's birthday today — Pietro's too — but he's not sure if he should bring it up before she does. Those who have lost a loved one experience milestones differently from everyone else. Belatedly, he thinks to ask:]
How have you been, Wanda?
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one for wilhelm, one for herself.
she then turns back into the kitchen and returns with a small helping of nuts; she's aware that ravens prefer meat, but ferrari and the rest can hunt as much as they like in the forest. these, wanda places atop the windowsill beside the table.]
—considering? Could be worse. [between fielding arguments from two divine siblings, to parsing through whatever is happening in this world, to her own lingering guilt and shame ever present? things could definitely be worse.] I'm mostly glad we've somehow managed to avoid all-out war.
[but, as they say, out of the fire and into the frying pan. no time to properly relax, until they know things are really peaceful, and in abraxas? that's impossible to tell, at times. she chooses a tea and puts the bag into her water, lets it steep.]
I've been working on some spells for a friend, so thank you for indulging me on a tea break. [a small smile lingers,] Did you know my son was summoned here? Well, a Wanda's son, one from so many alternate universes. He's all grown up, a couple years older than you.
Billy.
[maybe they've met? maybe not.]
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I sort of dropped in on him a little while ago. Here in the Horizon, I mean. Totally by accident.
[When the Horizon — and possibly the Singularity itself — was out of sorts thanks to weird old gods run amok. Watching Wanda carefully, pulling his mug closer, he asks:]
Is it...weird?
[Seeing him all grown up all of a sudden. Missing all those years in between. He'll let Wanda fill in the blank.]
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[wanda smiles softly, happy to know that wilhelm has a face to draw upon when she talks about billy. the smile remains for just a moment longer before it falters entirely. his question is not unexpected—she anticipated something regarding her feelings to him being here.
she's never thought of what the answer would be, despite that, regardless of who asked.]
Well, when I first met him and recognized who he was, I nearly killed him with my magic.
[said with the air of something that should be a funny anecdote. thankfully, billy's magic reacted to her own, and no harm befell the boy.]
—but... it's definitely weird. He isn't my son, but he feels like he is. There are so many things of him that are like my Billy's, many parts of him that are just — very much a Maximoff thing. [here her smile returns, small and tight.] I've been trying to do better by him.
I'm sure that's what any other Wanda would do if any of my boys ever showed up at their doorstep.
[too bad she doesn't know, at the moment, that the future holds this billy disappearing from abraxas and returning to his world.]
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I'm sure...I'm sure he recognizes that.
[Except, well, he can't guarantee any such thing. He knows damn well how fraught the relationship between mother and child can be. It must be weird for Billy, too, to encounter his mom-but-not, a refraction through the prism of another universe. He shakes his head with a wry little curl of his lips.]
I wonder if there are other Wilhelms out there.
[Maybe one of them gets to have a normal life.]
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Most likely.
[with the concept of the multiverse as it is—]
But I know from personal experience that thinking of what ifs will only make the choices you regret and your grief a lot more difficult to cope with.
[pulling the teabag out of her cup, she sets it down on a small saucer that she conjures from thin air; a silver, delicate spoon appears between her fingers, now, and wanda stirs at her tea to make sure the herbs have infused properly with the hot water.]
—I wanted to show you something. [she sets the spoon down on the same saucer as the teabag, fingers lingering on it for a moment as if she's trying to find the words to say what she wants to say. eventually, as she starts speaking again, she moves her hand away.] A friend of mine drew a picture of my brother while on the ship. It surprised me how much I had forgotten what he looked like.
[there is a point here that she wants to make. she wants to show wilhelm what her older brother looked like, but she also would like to... maybe offer to take the memory of his brother from his mind, ask that steve also draw him? it's powerful — just having a picture to look back at.]
Do you mind if I showed you?
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Following Wanda's cue, he imagines into existence a saucer on which he can set his teabag now that it's steeped for a few minutes. Whatever she's on the precipice of saying, he senses it's important — and when she says it, understanding alights on his expression.]
Sure, I'd love to see it.
[He'd gotten a hazy glimpse of Pietro once, that time Wanda's powers surged out of her control, shaped out of raw emotion. But that afternoon is all jumbled up in his memories. Now Wanda has risen from that dark place — though he knows the darkness doesn't just go away, it shrinks to hide inside of you somewhere. He recognizes that she's opening up on her own terms.]
I tried drawing Erik, but...it didn't look much like him.
[Though he chuckles and shakes his head, he can't quite hide his disappointment.]
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Maybe Steve could draw it for you. [she can't keep herself from saying.] Steve Rogers.
[and, as if to continue this pitch of why steve is the best choice for this... wanda creates from the horizon's nothing, a piece of paper with a sketch. a bust of pietro's face, his usual grin and the mirth in his eyes, messy hair. it's as perfect a rendition as it gets, and steve is very talented when it comes to drawing, even if it seems he's not the type.
being a soldier and all.
wanda turns the paper over for wilhelm to see.]
This was Pietro. My brother.
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He looks like he's fun to be around.
[Was, he's supposed to say, but the past tense often cuts too sharp, weighs too heavy. With the first tentative sip of his tea, he considers Wanda's offer. He does have some photos of Erik in the house he's made for himself here in the Horizon, but it would be even better to have a reminder of his brother to keep in the castle.]
If your friend doesn't mind...I'd really like that. [A beat, his brow wrinkling.] But how, uh...how would I show him what Erik looks like?
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[she appreciates that wilhelm is able to see the nature of pietro in this drawing. there's something exciting about being able to share the likeness of her brother to others, without having to rely on memories or spoken descriptions.
wanda smiles at that, knowing that it never gets quite easy talking about him, but the memories can still be good.]
—with magic, drawing out of your memories, perhaps? [it shouldn't be so complicated.] Steve Rogers. Maybe you've met him before.
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Yeah, I know him. [He taps the side of his mug.] Well...I messaged him, like, once.
[He gestures to his head, indicating the magical network of sorts that links their minds. That once, he'd been an awkward mess as usual and asked about something he shouldn't have. So...that's the main thing he remembers Steve by.]
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that had been a rather loud display of the avengers, hadn't it?
wanda's smile softens.]
Steve became like family to me after I lost Pietro. We worked together for a time, and — well, I think he's one of the better people I've met.
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