16427/Cafe Pour les Jumeaux

Cafe Pour les Jumeaux
Date of Scene:	12 July 2024
Location:	Quaint cafe in Midtown
Synopsis:	The Maximoff twins meet up to catch up on things.
Cast of Characters:	Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver

---

Scarlet Witch has posed:

Wanda Maximoff sits at a small, quaint French-style cafe, the aroma of freshly baked pastries and brewed coffee filling the air. The cafe is charmingly decorated with vintage French posters, rustic wooden tables, and soft, ambient lighting. A gentle breeze rustles the leaves of the potted plants scattered around the outdoor seating area, adding to the serene atmosphere.

Dressed in a comfortable yet stylish outfit

a soft, cream-colored sweater and well-fitted jeans---Wanda blends effortlessly into the cozy surroundings. Her dark hair cascades over her shoulders in loose waves, framing her face as she focuses on the old leather-bound tome in her hands. The book, aged and weathered, speaks of ancient knowledge, its pages filled with intricate diagrams and handwritten notes on the workings of vampires.

As she reads, Wanda occasionally reaches for her cup of tea, lifting it gracefully to her lips and taking a slow, savoring sip. The steam from the tea rises in delicate tendrils, blending with the cool morning air. Her fingers idly trace the edge of the cup as she sets it back down on the table, her eyes never leaving the text before her.

Every now and then, she glances up, her gaze sweeping over the entrance to the cafe, looking for any sign of her brother, Pietro. A faint smile tugs at the corners of her lips at the thought of their reunion, a momentary distraction from the heavy subject matter of her book. She adjusts her position slightly, crossing her legs and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, before diving back into the ancient tome with renewed focus.

The setting sun casts a warm, golden glow over the scene, adding to the tranquil ambiance as Wanda patiently awaits Pietro's arrival.

Quicksilver has posed:

A gust of wind, a strong one, and then he's there. Silver hair messy and flopping into his eyes, only to be irritatingly brushed back. Pietro's wearing stuff he can run in - securely-tied sweatpants, a shirt in his favored blue-and-silver-lightning-bolt motif, and runner's shoes that might, possibly, have been smoldering. Just a touch. The sweats even had pockets!

"Wanda." he said with a rare-for-him smile, speaking slowly enough to be understood. "You look well. Are you eating?" he said, and then just like that, it's like a decade of their relationship disappeared and it was like they were kids again.

Scarlet Witch has posed:

Wanda, accustomed to Pietro's quick and breezy arrivals, instinctively places her hand on the pages of her book to prevent them from fluttering. As the gust of wind subsides, she looks up from her tome, a warm smile forming on her lips.

"Hello, Pietro," she says fondly, her eyes lingering on the text for just a second longer before closing the book gently. She rises from her seat and steps closer to her brother, her smile broadening.

Reaching up, she familiarly fixes his messy hair, smoothing it back into place. "You look well too," she replies, her tone affectionate. "And yes, I had a big breakfast this morning. Someone made sure of that."

Her hand lingers on his hair for a moment before she lets it drop, her eyes sparkling with the warmth of their shared history and the comfort of their sibling bond. "It's good to see you. Let's sit and catch up." She gestures to the seat across from her, inviting him to join her.

Quicksilver has posed:

Pietro, in the blink of an eye, was in the indicated chair. Clearly, he was having a mid-to-low slow tolerance day. As further evidence, he took the container of sweetener packets and sorted them by color, just to give himself something to do. "You should have big breakfasts more often. You're too skinny." he said in fine Romany male form.

It was shaping up to be one of _those_ days.

"So." he said. "How's life going for you?" he asked, still on the ragged edge of talking too fast.

Scarlet Witch has posed:

Wanda takes slight sisterly offense to Pietro's comment about her being too skinny. She frowns and says, "Pietro," with a chiding tone, giving him a look that clearly conveys her disapproval.

Knowing her brother's overprotective nature, she decides to tug at those emotional strings a bit. "I'm sure Stephen would make me breakfast any morning I ask, or maybe even bring me breakfast in bed," she adds with a classy, smug look, letting the implication hang in the air.

"Anyway," she continues, shifting the conversation, "I've had a VERY busy week. It's been a little draining." Wanda's expression turns more serious as she explains, "I'm dealing with a situation involving Lorna and her recent encounter with vampires. It's quite complex, and I've been immersed in my studies in the mystic arts to find a solution."

She takes a sip of her tea, her eyes reflecting the weight of her concerns. "It's been challenging, to say the least. Are you holding up? Behaving? Probably not."

Quicksilver has posed:

Pietro frowned - no brother wanted to contemplate his sister's sex life. He was also pretty sure it was mutual, that she didn't want to think about his. Fortunately for her, he had exacting standards and so far any attempts he'd made to find someone that met them had been met with failure.

Their loss.

"Then it's a good thing I'm back in town, isn't it?" he asked Wanda. "If you're having a vampire problem, they're slow and ugly and I can handle your problem for you." he said, once again displaying the uglier side of Romany gender politics. But at least he fully accepted the mystic arts as being real and valid and never - not once - has he given her shit for exploring her abilities in that direction. "Like that one time in Romania when we were, what, twelve? Thirteen?" he mused.

Scarlet Witch has posed:

Wanda internally disdains Pietro's tendency to display the somewhat chauvinistic nature of their Romany upbringing, but she sidesteps it as she usually does. She gives him a begrudging smile. "I remember that time in Romania, yes. But things are different now. I can take care of myself sometimes, Pietro. I'll always need you, but I won't always need you to save me."

She pauses, acknowledging his willingness to help. "Your speed would be invaluable in combating vampires, I won't deny that. But fighting vampires isn't the nature of this particular problem, and it's not something that speed can fix."

Wanda takes a deep breath, her expression growing more serious. "Lorna was bitten by a vampire. She received scientific treatment to purge the venom, but it doesn't seem to have completely worked. I'm trying to discern if mystical means are needed to cure her."

She looks Pietro in the eyes, conveying the gravity of the situation. "I'm not sure if Count Dracula has anything to do with it, but after meeting and talking with him a couple of weeks ago, I'm going to try to track him down and have a 'discussion' with him about this issue."

Wanda reaches across the table, placing a hand on Pietro's. "If you do want to help, be there for Lorna. She needs the support. Your presence and care would mean a lot to her, and to me."

Quicksilver has posed:

Dammit, now she was playing dirty pool. When she batted those eyelashes at her and said please, he was helpless to resist her. And worst of all, _she knew this_. "You want me. To be there. For Lorna." he said incredulously. "You do remember how I am with slow people, right?" he asked. "I give it - generously - thirty seconds before she throws me out a window." he said. "It's a good thing you are fam ... my sister." he said, avoiding an entire minefield full of landmines that was _that_ topic. "I will try. No promises." he told her, patting her hand. And then re-sorting the sweetener packets in reverse alphabetical order at superspeed.

Scarlet Witch has posed:

Knowing it was a touchy subject, she continued delicately, "I'm also going to talk to our father, Erik. He's probably going to have a hard time with this situation, and he might need some support too. It would mean a lot to me if you could try to be there for him as well."

She took his other hand, motherly stroking the backs of his hands with her thumbs. "I know I'm asking a lot, Pietro, but it would make me feel so much better if you weren't 'Petulant Pietro' all the time. I miss seeing you genuinely smile about life."

Since having the twins, Wanda had naturally settled into a more matronly demeanor, and Pietro was often the first on her mother hen list. She looked at him with a mixture of love and concern, hoping her words would reach him.

Quicksilver has posed:\<br\>Pietro pulled his hands back. "Absolutely not!" he said, sounding like one of the Chipmunks for a moment. "That man is a monster! Look how he treated us!" he said, still Alvin-ing. "Lorna I will help you with. I will hunt vampires if you wish it. But my father was Django Maximoff. Not ... Erik." he said with a sneer. "And you know I adore my nephews, even if you won't let me teach them how to be proper Romany men." he said with his petulance levels dropping, for once, to near-zero. "But I will _not_, not even for you, my beloved sister, break bread with that monster. Or even be in his presence."

Scarlet Witch has posed:

Wanda looked at Pietro with a knowing smile, fully aware of the psychological warfare she was waging and his inevitable defeat. "Yes, Pietro, I want you to be there for Lorna," she said softly, her eyes meeting his with sincerity. "Maybe if you exercise a little patience with people, you wouldn't be so grouchy about them all the time. It might help you see that they can be less frustrating than you think." She emphasized the next part with a gentle but firm tone, "Try to be nice to Lorna. Just be nice. That's all I'm asking."

Wanda gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Thank you for being willing to try. I know it's not easy for you."

Wanda's expression softens into a pained, empathetic look as she hears Pietro's emotional outburst. She says his name in a pleading tone, "Pietro, I know you have strong feelings about Magneto. But I'm trying to mend the sordid relationship I have with him, and I really need my only brother and twin by my side."

She takes a moment to sip her tea, then closes her book. "Besides, hypothetically, if Stephen one day pops the question, who is going to be the father to give me away?"

Her gaze turns heartfelt as she continues, "I know Django Maximoff is and always will be the father and man who raised us. While I've forgiven him for what happened with the stone and the dolls, I cannot forget that it was still done to us. I will cherish him in memory, but I want to move forward. I don't want to carry resentment and hatred in my heart. That hatred does not mix well with the chaos magic I wield."

After a few moments, Wanda reaches out to touch Pietro's hand. "I will support you, whatever your choice, but I truly wish you would reconsider. I need you with me in this."

Quicksilver has posed:

"You're putting me in a very difficult place, witch." he said, without any of the rancor usually associated with the W-word. To him, it's a job description and maybe a lifestyle. Nothing more, nothing less. "If your Stephen comes to his senses and wishes to see you both wed, _I_ will give you away at the altar." he said simply, voice now back down to his normal register. No more Chipmunking!

"I suppose your desire to mend fences with that monster is possibly, if I squint, acceptable. For you." he said. "But he has done nothing to indicate he's anything other than what he is, Wanda. And when he uses you, abuses you, pushes you past your breaking point, I will always be there for you. Like when we were kids." he said. "But I will not voluntarily put myself under his thumb ever again. His honeyed words are _lies_, Wanda. We've been there before." he pointed out, perhaps a touch cruelly.

Scarlet Witch has posed:

Wanda sighs, feeling the weight of the brick wall she's hit with Pietro on this subject. She resigns herself to accept his decision, "Alright, I give. I know that trying to move Mount Wundagore would be more of a possibility than getting you to budge." With a wry smile, she then remarks, "Although, moving Mount Wundagore is something I could actually do, so that may not be the best analogy."

She then regards him with a pained look, her voice soft and loving. "Pietro, when will you let go of your anger? You have every right to be angry, we've endured so much. But at some point, we need to try to let others into our lives."

"I know that Tony would--" She abruptly stops when she is about to mention Tony Stark in her sentiment, knowing his inability to 'people' very well. That the Avengers would love to see you back," she reroutes, her eyes filled with hope. "I miss seeing you happy, Pietro. Truly happy. We can't let the past keep us from finding joy in the present."

Wanda's eyes soften as she reminisces, her mind drifting back to a simpler time. "Do you remember that summer when we were about ten years old, Pietro? We were living in that small village in Transia, just below Mount Wundagore. It was before everything became so complicated."

She smiles warmly, her voice filled with nostalgia. "We used to sneak away from the chores and run through the meadows, the wildflowers taller than we were. You'd race ahead, of course, always challenging me to keep up. But you never really left me behind."

Wanda's eyes twinkle with the memory. "One day, we found that little stream hidden in the woods. We spent hours there, trying to build a dam with rocks and sticks, determined to create a little pool. We laughed so much that day, especially when the dam finally gave way and we ended up soaked from head to toe."

She chuckles softly, the sound filled with affection. "You carried me all the way home, running so fast we were almost dry by the time we got there. That evening, we sat by the fire, drying our clothes and warming up. Django told us stories of old Romany legends, and we fell asleep listening to his voice, feeling safe and loved."

Wanda looks at Pietro, her expression tender. "Those moments were precious, Pietro. They remind me of the bond we share, a bond that nothing can break. I want us to find that happiness again, to create new memories, even amidst all the chaos. With ourselves, and with others."

Quicksilver has posed:

Pietro would probably commit homicide if it got out, but way deep down he was a sentimentalist. And Wanda's words touched something in him. "I'd like being an Avenger." he said softly. "And it's a part of my ... of _our_ cultural identity as Romany to serve our people. To make the clan better than it was before we came along. I try to do that, even though you slow people are so unbelievably irritating." he said with another rare Pietro smile. "Those were good days." he said fondly, in rememberance. "Unless our dancing monkey terrorism phase under Erik." he reminded his sister. "Hurting people. Stealing for more than just need. Racial superiority. These are not things I can forget, even if you are willing to put them behind you." he said. "Although you did keep that pretty bangle I stole for you for years until the clasp broke beyond my ability to fix it." he said warmly.

Scarlet Witch has posed:

Wanda gives Pietro a look that clearly says, "Now Pietro...." She puffs up slightly and says teasingly, "Need I remind you that if I wanted to, I could slow YOU down with just a few flicks of my fingers? Let's see, I could create a temporal distortion field, weave a binding spell, simply hold you in the air, change the density of the very floor beneath your feat to quicksand, or even just conjure a good old-fashioned energy barrier."

She smirks, watching his reaction, then reaches into her pocket to produce the broken bangle. "Oh, you mean this?" she says with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Right in front of him, she raises her hand, and with a subtle gesture, her chaos magic swirls around the trinket. The broken clasp mends itself, the metal weaving back together seamlessly until the bangle is as good as new. She hands it to him with a smile, "I've kept it all these years and waited until now to fix it. See, I still cherish the good memories."

Her eyes soften as she looks at him, hoping that this small gesture will help bridge the gap between their differing views on the past.

Quicksilver has posed:

Pietro looked at the once-broken now-mended bangle, examining it from all angles. Slowly, so as not to break it or sending it off like grapeshot. He took her hand in his, then attached the bangle to her wrist. "Wear it." he asked/told her with a smile. "I gave that witch a talisman. Witches love talismans." he joked with a grin straight out of their shared youth when they were young and brash and could conquer the world between her migraines and his bottomless stomach that needed stoked seven times a day minimum.

"I'm actually surprised you kept it." he said. "Although, in hindsight, I should not be." he admitted. "And you could _try_ to slow me down, but half those things you mentioned are just to keep me in one place. None of them would change how I see the world, how _slow_ you all are." he said. "And yes, Wanda, I have as you have so often urged me, talked to someone about it. He refers to it now as Pietro Maximoff Syndrome. Says he remembers our conversation about it whenever he's stuck in line at ATM."

Scarlet Witch has posed:

Wanda waits patiently as Pietro fastens the bangle onto her wrist, appreciating the sentiment and the sentimental value of the trinket. She rolls her eyes at his literal contesting of her ability to slow him down. "In that case," she says dryly, "I would simply stick you in a space of time distortion where it would take you at least an hour to even blink." She knows the notion of such a thing would terrify him more than any monster ever could. After all, he did call her a witch.

She gives him a pursed-lip expression and begins with a teasing tone, "Let me guess..."

Wanda then launches into a detailed and humorous portrayal of how she imagines a therapy session with Pietro went. "You walked into the therapist's office, and before they even had a chance to say hello, you're already rearranging all the furniture at superspeed to make the place 'more efficient.' The poor therapist left spinning in their chair, trying to keep up with your rapid-fire explanations of how everything in the room could be improved."

She continues, "By the time they managed to ask you the first question, you already gave them a complete rundown of your entire life story, your thoughts on modern society, and a detailed critique of the therapist's choice of wall art. The therapist is frantically jotting down notes, but you're talking so fast that their hand cramped up within the first five minutes."

Wanda's eyes sparkle with amusement as she finishes, "And just as the therapist is about to have a nervous breakdown, you casually mention that you think they have 'Pietro Maximoff Syndrome' because they can't keep up with you. The session ends with the therapist needing therapy themselves."---She chuckles softly, giving Pietro a playful nudge. "Admit it, that's exactly how it went."

Quicksilver has posed:

Pietro laughed. "You have such a vivid imagination, Wanda!" he chortled. "You neglected to mention how I fixed the squeak in his chair and found him a better toupee to cover his bald spot." he said with a laugh. "It was nothing like that and you know it. I was careful to be slow so he could understand me and he recorded the session for transcription later. His full focus was on me, which people not named Wanda seem to have such difficulty with." he said with an annoyed look. "But if he asks next time we speak I'll make sure to give him a nuanced breakdown of late-stage capitalism that will make him truly spin in his chair. And it was he, not I, that coined the syndrome based on our conversations and how I experience the world." he said. "It would be educational for you, dear sister, to try spending ten minutes with how I see the world."

Scarlet Witch has posed:

Wanda gingerly palms her face at Pietro's explanation about the man's toupee and his intention to discuss capitalism. She groans in frustration, muttering his name under her breath. Looking at him pointedly, she says, "Pietro, please don't intentionally terrorize or prank people."

She takes a deep breath and continues, "Do you remember that time you thought it would be funny to rearrange the statue of that Transian dignitary? You turned his head backwards and switched his hands to look like he was clapping behind his back. The whole town was in an uproar, and I had to use my chaos magic to fix it to avoid the repercussions of another angry mob with pitchforks and torches."

Wanda's eyes bore into his, a mix of exasperation and affection. "So, please, for everyone's sake, try to keep the pranks to a minimum."

She gives him a small, hopeful smile, hoping her words will sink in. "I know you mean well, but sometimes, a little restraint can go a long way."

Quicksilver has posed:

"You laughed harder than I did!" he protested, all in good fun. "I am out of the terrorism game, sister. Just like you are." he pointed out. "And do you think we could get something to eat here at this lovely little cafe?" he said, his stomach almost audibly growling. At least he didn't need to eat as much now as he did when he was a younger man. Maturity, at least physical maturity, had been kind to him. "Or would you prefer a croissant and tea from that place in France you liked?" he offered with a quirked smile. The thing was, he _could_ probably run there, buy the croissant and tea to go, and then run back. Wouldn't even take all that long if he pushed himself. "And listen to yourself. Miss Prim and Proper, never setting a single toe out of line." he said. "Pfaugh. Who are you and what have you done with Wanda Maximoff?" he mock-threatened. Then in a blur he disappeared from his chair, presumably to go inside and get them both something to eat.