thiscrimsonsoul

[thiscrimsonsoul]

Indefinite Hiatus - Beginning 6/8/25

{out of paprikash} Due to waning muse and a hectic work/personal life, I have to scale back the time I am spending here on this site. I've had so much fun writing Wanda, but she's been very quiet lately, so I'm putting her on hiatus for the foreseeable future to free up time for some involved work projects that will be starting soon. This blog will probably be on hiatus until at least well into the fall season, if not the end of the year, but if anything changes, I will post here to let everyone know.

I imagine someday I'll be back, I just don't know when. Likely, once there is new content for Wanda, and after these new projects for work are completed, I will be feeling the itch to write her again. Until then, I won't be posting anything new here.

Thank you to everyone who has written Wanda with me over the past six years, and thanks for embracing my interpretation of her! I appreciate each and every one of you, and I'll definitely miss writing here with you all! Goodbye for now! =)

[thiscrimsonsoul]

Wanda had been staring out one of the windows of the Benatar when Mantis approached her quietly. A gentle hand moved to rest upon the woman's shoulder and, hopefully, anchor her to the present moment.

"Come, Thor has made Asgardian herbal tea for everyone. Want to have a cup with us?"

Staring into space - literally - had become a habit for Wanda. The vastness of it all helped her to feel small in a good way, and the swirling colors and lights of stars, planets, and space dust was just enough to hold her attention without interrupting her thoughts. But sometimes she got lost inside her own head, and usually one of the Guardians would come to gently bring her back to the here and now. She appreciated that, for while she felt it was good for her to reflect on things and sort through her thoughts, doing so too often tended to keep her rather isolated. Wanda was quickly learning that there was no way to be isolated on the Benatar, because someone was always checking up on her. It was a real family here, she'd learned.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Wanda smiled and turned to see Mantis standing there, happily inviting her to tea. Her smile grew, reaching her eyes rather genuinely. "Absolutely, I do," she said with a definitive nod. "You know me, I never turn down a good cup of tea. Though I can't say I've ever has Asgardian tea before. Have you? What does it taste like?"

Wanda could see why Thor had left the Avengers and joined the Guardians instead. Aside from having his own affairs to handle with his people and those he loved, Wanda knew the dynamic of the Avengers was not one he'd particularly liked, and she understood completely. It wasn't like the Guardians never bickered, that there were never any problems between them, but that bickering and those problems never reached the level of the Avengers. Some of the fighting with the Avengers became so person, so hurtful. Wanda had never felt that sort of negativity with the Guardians, and for ones like her and Thor who had been through so much pain and grief, she knew the Guardians' energy was far more comforting and inviting for their souls.

And just like that, she was looking forward to tea, pulled back into the fold from her own destructive and lonely thoughts by Mantis, and wrapped in support and friendship again. Yes... she could see why Thor was here. Why anyone would want to be here.

[thiscrimsonsoul]

Wanda frowned. "Oh no... I'm sorry. But I guess it all worked out for the best if you loved your daughter enough to adopt two other children, right? I'm really sorry that happened to you, though. I can't imagine just giving up my child like that. I wouldn't be able to bear it." When he called her a hero, though, her gaze fell a bit. "I don't consider myself a hero. I do work with some people who are definitely heroic, though. Personally... I think people who are good parents to their children are the real heroes. I know my parents were to me."

For hits and giggles, gives you my muse Seraph to toy with.

"Hello. I don't think we've met yet. I'm Wanda," she said, pushing herself to branch out and attempt to be friendly, even though that wasn't exactly her strong suit. She had noticed the other around, but knew nothing about them. There was no time like the present to learn. "Have you been here long?"

[thiscrimsonsoul]

It was refreshing to have someone like Stephen not shy away from her, or find her annoying, or chastise her for being so negative in the face of all her pessimism. Sometimes Wanda just needed someone to listen. Not necessarily solve all her problems in a day, or even to overly comfort her, but just... to listen to her. To help her feel heard and validated, two things that she'd had in very short supply since losing Vision. It was almost as if people thought negativity was a contagious disease, and that if they listened too much to Wanda's, it would somehow infect them. Maybe they were right about that, who could say. Wanda was in this strange position of not blaming them... and blaming them... at the same time.

So many times she had been met instead with people pushing her away in favor of not having to deal with her negativity on top of whatever else they were dealing with in their own lives. She was told to pick herself up, to be more positive, to break the cycle of negativity. That was easy to say, but not so easy for someone who had been through as much as Wanda had to actually do. But Stephen seemed to take it all in stride, and that actually helped Wanda to relax a great deal. Instead of feeling like she had to filter herself or hold back, she felt she could say whatever she wanted without being judged or immediately shut down. That was worth its weight in gold to her, and she was starting to think that she'd come to the right place to look for assistance.

"I honestly don't know that much about your... results," Wanda said. "You and I haven't exactly had a chance to get to know each other very well over the years, but maybe that'll change now. I hope it will." She smiled a little. "But if I was to go by confidence, then you've certainly got enough of that to last you a lifetime, so for all I know, maybe you do get results. All I can do is try to live up to all that potential you seem to think I have, I guess. What is that American phrase I keep hearing people say? Fake it until you make it? Maybe people need to have a lot of confidence and believe that they can do something long before they actually can. I'll try to believe more in myself, and maybe someday I'll have a reason to."

"Yeeeah..." Wanda said awkwardly, smirking a little. "Means and a stable home and knowledge about what the hell is happening to me are all things I've had in really short supply in my life. Especially now that I'm a wanted fugitive. That tends to make even small things like visiting the local grocery store a hassle and a challenge," she said a bit dejectedly. When he hugged her, she hugged back rather readily, being starved for just the most basic forms of human comfort of late. "Thank you," she whispered, finally feeling supported for the first time in months.

It was incredibly nice to have a room to stay in and a bed to sleep in where she felt there were people around her watching out for her. She felt safe, and like she didn't have to constantly look over her shoulder for the first time in so long. But that was when she was awake. Once it was time for bed, Wanda found herself inspecting her room, taking a while doing random things in the bathroom, and staring off into space instead of actually getting in the bed and attempting to sleep. She did all of that because she was a bit afraid of sleep, if she was being honest.

Her dreams - or nightmares, really - were always the worse versions of things. Pietro's death made even more horrific. Her breakup with Vision made even more hurtful. All the damage she'd caused in Nigeria and at the German airport made all the more devastating. It was as if her own mind was chastising her, reminding her of all the times she'd screwed up and caused death, pain, and suffering to those she cared about or to innocent people. When she finally did lay down to sleep, her nightmares took over just as she expected, and her sleep was a fitful mess of tossing, turning, and mumbling under her breath. Perhaps after she spent some time here and felt more settled, and maybe after spending more time with Stephen, she would be able to sleep more soundly. Wanda could only hope... and despite her restless sleep, for the first time in months, she had that hope.

"I suppose so. But I'd rather have my family back again and keep hitting that skill ceiling than to be free to do whatever I want without them," Wanda said sadly. "I'm tired of losing everyone I care for, either because they die or they leave. It's making me just want to stay alone. Or it did... until I suddenly had half the world looking to throw me in prison. Staying alone becomes exhausting work instead of the respite it should be if I feel like I have to hide all the time. I guess it's not so great when it ceases to be optional." She looked down at her hands as he took them in his own. "Be careful with those," she said a bit ominously. "They've already killed people, shown them their worst nightmares, destroyed buildings, and wrecked an airport." And that's how everyone else saw her, wasn't it? As some dangerous, destructive thing instead of a person.

"I haven't screwed anything up? Causing millions of dollars in damage to a German airport wasn't screwy enough for you?" she asked, her tone taking a cynical turn. "Sorry..." she said, fearing that she was being a bit ungrateful. But soon she realized he wasn't talking about her crimes, he was talking about her personal life. Maybe he was right, that it was just yet another speed bump, but... she couldn't shake the feeling that things hadn't worked out with Vision because of her, that it was her fault.

Her eyes lifted, though, to hear him speak of his own romantic misfortune. Suddenly she felt a little bit bad for complaining. She wasn't the center of the world and of course he had his own painful problems to deal with. She shouldn't have just come in complaining right out of the gate. "How are you sure it's over, though?" she asked, trying to be encouraging... in a way no one ever really was with her and Vision. "Maybe... if you just gave it some time and tried talking to her again?" She knew sometimes relationships weren't that simple, but... then again, sometimes they were. "I'm... I'm sorry it didn't work out, though. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Do you even believe in things like fate, or are you one of those people who thinks mankind makes its own destiny?

She sighed, feeling tired again. Not the sort of tired that makes one want to sleep, but soul tired. "I have invested everything in the people I love. And they all died or left me. What if I'm done investing for a while? What if I'm tired of trying?" she said in a bit of a biting tone, but it came from pain rather than anger. When he said that if anyone could bring out the best in her, it was him, she couldn't help but smirk. "Oh, is that so? You're a very humble person, Mr. Strange, has anyone ever told you that before?" she joked, chuckling.

As he told her that he never dated his students, and yet was promising to help her unlock the potential of her powers, Wanda's brow furrowed as she grew perplexed by the mixed messages. So you don't date your students, until now, you mean, she had been about to ask, not that she was immediately agreeing to it or anything. But unfortunately she couldn't say it. Her mouth had been sealed with another kiss from him before she could get any of the words out.

She felt guilty for kissing someone so soon after breaking up with Vision, and she wasn't quite sure what was even happening here, since she'd just met Stephen in any real capacity tonight, but... after a while she just gave into it and kissed him back because... well, he was a pretty damn good kisser and she was only human, after all. She was a good kisser too, though she had no idea of that. Her hand lifted to cup his face as the next five minutes passed about sinfully as it could given only their lips were involved.

When he commented that they were off to an amazing start, Wanda laughed, though it was out of joy instead of being her usual cynicism. "Yes, I would definitely say so." Though, she did nod at his suggestio they they get some sleep. "We should, yes. I am pretty tired. Especially after an introduction like that." She smiled warmly at him, then. "Thank you, Stephen. For welcoming me here. I really mean that."

[thiscrimsonsoul]

He was so good to want to help her out of the blue, when she's just shown up and infringed on his time. It made her wonder about all her friends she'd been so angry at for not checking on her. Maybe it wasn't that they hadn't cared, but just that they didn't know she was in this much trouble. Tyson was so kind and helpful that Wanda realized... if he'd known she'd needed help, he probably would have sought her out. But for better or worse, she was here not with him, and comforted by his willingness to help.

"Do you think he'd help us, or..." Wanda paused, suddenly feeling a bit apprehensive. "What if he just thinks I'm crazy? Or... a danger to the public?" Which I am, she thought darkly and with no small amount of shame. Tyson had a point, though. This problem might require more heads combined than just their two alone.

Wanda watched as Tyson saved recordings of their failed attempts, wondering if Strange would take any of this seriously at all. She hoped that he wouldn't just shut her down by saying her children weren't real anyway. The man was sometimes down to earth to the point of being almost cold, in her opinion, a strange way for a sorcerer and former doctor to be.

"Either there or in Kamar-Taj, which is in um..." she thought for a moment, "...Nepal, I think. We could try the Sanctum first and see if he's there," she said with a shrug. "I... If I used the Darkhold, I can get us there more quickly. The... the same way I got here so fast..." She knew she shouldn't, but it was either that or a long car ride, and possibly a plane ride.

What Have I Become? || closed with glitchexmachina

{ @glitchexmachina, continued from here. }

In her frantic state, Wanda thought of the first person she thought would understand, the first one she thought might be able to comfort her and make her feel safe. That person was Tyson. Responding to her thoughts of him, her magic sent her straight to his front door, and after banging on it for a short while, Wanda was so glad to see him finally open it.

"Tyson!" she yelled, practically flinging herself at him and wrapping her arms tightly around him as if clinging to a rock in a storm-tossed sea. "Help me! It's gotten out of... of control and I... can't stop it!" she sobbed. "It whispers to me! It... tells me to harm people... and... I'm starting to... to want to... and I..." She shook her head, closing her eyes tightly. "I don't want that... but... I'm afraid... I won't resist it much longer..."

She really felt badly for just showing up like this, especially since things had been weird after she'd been killed in the Blip and then gone off the deep end in Westview. Would Tyson even want to help her? Would he tell her to leave? If he did, Wanda didn't know who else she would go to, since everyone she might have felt comfortable with was either dead or dealing with their own issues. She just prayed that Tyson wouldn't turn her away...

[thiscrimsonsoul]

Mantis wrapped an arm around Wanda as the woman dozed off against the empath's shoulder. A dark red blanket covered them both as they sat near one of the ship's windows.

"It is all right. You are safe," she told Wanda when the woman's eyes fluttered open. "Go back to sleep, you need to rest." Mantis' arm was gentle around her shoulders. Comforting.

Wanda hadn't realized she was quite so tired when she nodded off in almost mid-conversation with Mantis. When she finally did stir again, her body felt like lead, as though she had been sleeping for years. It had only been since she'd come to stay with the Guardians that she'd been able to achieve that kind of deep sleep, which she knew said something about her comfort level with them.

She rubbed one of her eyes and slowly sat up, looking over at Mantis groggily. "Sorry, I... I guess I dozed off..." she apologized. It was rude to just fall asleep on people, wasn't it? Not that Mantis ever made her feel rude for doing anything. When she told Wanda to go back to sleep, she shook her head. "No, it's okay, I... I didn't mean to use you as a pillow," she said with a little smirk. "Thank you, though, I... I needed that, apparently."

Then she noticed the blanket... and its color. "Did you put this around me?" she asked, her smile widening. "I love the color. You're so sweet. I've... I've really felt um..." Her voice began to waver as though she might cry, but it was a good sort of emotion. "I've really felt welcome here with you and the others, Mantis. I mean that. I've felt welcome and supported and cared for in a way I haven't felt since I lost Pietro. I don't quite know how to explain to you how significant that is, but..." She suddenly realized who it was she was talking to, and her smile turning rather knowing. "...somehow I think you already know. Thank you for being who you are. All of you. You do a lot of good for people, and I hope it comes back around to you several-fold."

[thiscrimsonsoul]

{out of paprikash} Hey everyone... I wanted to let you know in advance that I'm going to be putting Wanda and Pietro on indefinite hiatus after the next round of replies on 6/7. My muse for them has been waning for a while, and I've realized that I've been running these blogs at a maintenance level for a long time now, and I think it's time to give them a break.

While I really enjoy the few threads I have on here, I don't have very many, and that's been by design. I haven't been trying to stir up more interactions here because I haven't really wanted any. I also haven't been posting starters, memes, quizzes, aesthetic boards, music posts, etc., and when I'm excited about muses, I do. That's how I can tell that I'm not excited about these muses anymore. Work and family obligations have also ramped up in recent months as well, and I need to dial back the time I'm spending on this site in general. When I am here, I want to make the most of my time, writing muses that I'm most excited about.

This isn't anyone's fault or because of anything anyone did, it's just a decision I'm making for my own free time management. I have really enjoyed writing Wanda and Pietro and am very thankful for all my writing partners and all the amazing stories we've written over the years!

I'm not deleting these blogs, and I can always return in the future if there's new content or if my inspiration returns, but after 6/7, I won't be posting anything new here for the foreseeable future. The reason I'm waiting until after the 7th is because I do want to reply to those of you who have already replied to our current threads. If anyone wants to get in a last-minute reply, feel free to do so, and I'll reply to all currently-running threads and any asks in my inbox on the 7th before closing things down.

Thank you for six years of incredible stories and for helping me to grow as a writer! I'll see everyone back here one more time on 6/7. <3

[thiscrimsonsoul]

{out of paprikash} Alright folks, I'm off to bed now. I should be back here on 6/7, but my job is starting up again this upcoming week, so if things get crazy and that changes, I'll let everyone know. Otherwise, I'll see you all then. Goodnight! =)

[thiscrimsonsoul]

Wanda couldn't help but smile as she listened to him talk about his children. Clearly he loved them very much. Even though she wasn't on the best of terms with Stark, she had to admit that some of his technology was amazing. Not all of it was used for terrible purposes, she'd learned. "She is very fortunate to have access to that. I'm glad it's helping her." Her smile grew, hearing him say it was a wonder. "Twenty-one? Wow, you didn't look all that old to me," she said. "You seem like a very proud father. I wish you and your family well in the future."

For hits and giggles, gives you my muse Seraph to toy with.

"Hello. I don't think we've met yet. I'm Wanda," she said, pushing herself to branch out and attempt to be friendly, even though that wasn't exactly her strong suit. She had noticed the other around, but knew nothing about them. There was no time like the present to learn. "Have you been here long?"

[thiscrimsonsoul]

"I suppose so. But I'd rather have my family back again and keep hitting that skill ceiling than to be free to do whatever I want without them," Wanda said sadly. "I'm tired of losing everyone I care for, either because they die or they leave. It's making me just want to stay alone. Or it did... until I suddenly had half the world looking to throw me in prison. Staying alone becomes exhausting work instead of the respite it should be if I feel like I have to hide all the time. I guess it's not so great when it ceases to be optional." She looked down at her hands as he took them in his own. "Be careful with those," she said a bit ominously. "They've already killed people, shown them their worst nightmares, destroyed buildings, and wrecked an airport." And that's how everyone else saw her, wasn't it? As some dangerous, destructive thing instead of a person.

"I haven't screwed anything up? Causing millions of dollars in damage to a German airport wasn't screwy enough for you?" she asked, her tone taking a cynical turn. "Sorry..." she said, fearing that she was being a bit ungrateful. But soon she realized he wasn't talking about her crimes, he was talking about her personal life. Maybe he was right, that it was just yet another speed bump, but... she couldn't shake the feeling that things hadn't worked out with Vision because of her, that it was her fault.

Her eyes lifted, though, to hear him speak of his own romantic misfortune. Suddenly she felt a little bit bad for complaining. She wasn't the center of the world and of course he had his own painful problems to deal with. She shouldn't have just come in complaining right out of the gate. "How are you sure it's over, though?" she asked, trying to be encouraging... in a way no one ever really was with her and Vision. "Maybe... if you just gave it some time and tried talking to her again?" She knew sometimes relationships weren't that simple, but... then again, sometimes they were. "I'm... I'm sorry it didn't work out, though. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Do you even believe in things like fate, or are you one of those people who thinks mankind makes its own destiny?

She sighed, feeling tired again. Not the sort of tired that makes one want to sleep, but soul tired. "I have invested everything in the people I love. And they all died or left me. What if I'm done investing for a while? What if I'm tired of trying?" she said in a bit of a biting tone, but it came from pain rather than anger. When he said that if anyone could bring out the best in her, it was him, she couldn't help but smirk. "Oh, is that so? You're a very humble person, Mr. Strange, has anyone ever told you that before?" she joked, chuckling.

As he told her that he never dated his students, and yet was promising to help her unlock the potential of her powers, Wanda's brow furrowed as she grew perplexed by the mixed messages. So you don't date your students, until now, you mean, she had been about to ask, not that she was immediately agreeing to it or anything. But unfortunately she couldn't say it. Her mouth had been sealed with another kiss from him before she could get any of the words out.

She felt guilty for kissing someone so soon after breaking up with Vision, and she wasn't quite sure what was even happening here, since she'd just met Stephen in any real capacity tonight, but... after a while she just gave into it and kissed him back because... well, he was a pretty damn good kisser and she was only human, after all. She was a good kisser too, though she had no idea of that. Her hand lifted to cup his face as the next five minutes passed about sinfully as it could given only their lips were involved.

When he commented that they were off to an amazing start, Wanda laughed, though it was out of joy instead of being her usual cynicism. "Yes, I would definitely say so." Though, she did nod at his suggestio they they get some sleep. "We should, yes. I am pretty tired. Especially after an introduction like that." She smiled warmly at him, then. "Thank you, Stephen. For welcoming me here. I really mean that."

"Well, you've got that part right at least..." Wanda mused. "My powers have definitely been a burden. To me, to my family, to my friends... and to just about everyone who comes into contact with her." That hadn't been exactly what he'd meant by his magic and responsibilities being a burden, she knew, but Wanda had a tendency to always focus on the negative things in her life. Or maybe it was just that there were so many more negative things to focus on than there were positive things. "A sunny upside, huh?" Wanda asked, unconvinced. "Usually the only thing that describes in my life is eggs at breakfast," she said cynically.

She couldn't help but burst out laughing at his next comment though. Destiny... with his face on it? Wanda lifted a hand to cover her face as she laughed. "I'm sorry, it's just... That is a very interesting mental image. I can't say I've ever heard destiny calling out to me, but it'd be a little unnerving if it had your face." She chuckled a bit more before sighing. "Just a metaphor, I know," she admitted. "It just struck me funny, I guess."

it was becoming clear to Wanda that Stephen was far more of a gregarious and even flirtatious man than she ever realized. Not... that she'd known him very well to begin with before today. "To empathize, maybe, but not... automatically want to date them. Right? I mean, you didn't go around wanting to date all of your patients all the time, did you? Or... you don't want to date all your students here, right?" Or maybe so, how the hell should she know? Maybe he just had that massive of an ego, or he was a lot more casual with his relationships than most people. "Yeah, I... don't tend to move that fast. I've only ever had one relationship, and that was Vision, so..." And that was over now, apparently. She didn't want to dwell on that, though, or it would bring down her mood after she'd just managed to lift it up a bit.

"Beautiful and troubled. You sound like you're describing a soap opera star or something..." she said with an awkward smirk. She wasn't too good with flattery. It always made her feel shy and awkward, and she never knew how to respond to it. "It really isn't, though." Unbelievable? No. Just necessity. "I don't really have a choice but to keep going on with my shitty life, it's not like the universe gives me options," she said before she could thiknk better of it. If ever there was a mood killer, Wanda thought, there it was. Apparently not, though, because the next words out of his mouth were telling her to... to...

"What? No. No, I don't-... I couldn't-... I don't really... do... that..." she stammered, her whole face turning red. Her? Take the lead? That was like asking a porcupine to hold onto a balloon for a second... it wasn't going to end the way anyone wanted it to. "I'm not exactly romantically smooth, you know. If I gave you that impression, I... yeah, I'm... not..." she stammered further. "Besides, I shouldn't... rush into anything. Me and Vision just called it quits not too long ago..." She looked like she'd swallowed sour persimmon for all that her awkwardness pained her in that moment. "And I... did not mean to bring that up..." she mumbled, her lips pressing together as she nodded. "Well, I fouled this up pretty thoroughly, I'd say, wouldn't you?"

[thiscrimsonsoul]

It was reassuring to hear that her wanting to shut herself away and watch sitcoms all day was... a halfway normal response. So she'd just been trying to distract herself. It was odd that Wanda didn't know why she did certain things, but Mantis did. She supposed that it was easier for someone outside looking in to see with a clearer head.

"Why is it good to feel all those terrible things?" To keep from spiraling, Mantis said. "But letting myself feel them causes me to spiral," she disagreed. After all, she'd released such a terrible burst of energy after Pietro had died. If she'd only held her emotions in instead of letting them destroy things around her and hurt others.

"Like a journal, you mean? No, I haven't ever done that. When you write things down, you commit them to memory much better, and I... I have a lot of things I would much rather forget forever."

Talking was alright, except for the fact that she never used to be much of a talker, and that she was essentially dumping her problems all over someone else when she did so. "I used to talk to Pietro... and to Vision," she shared. "All the time. But now that they're gone, I'm too tired to keep talking, or to find others to talk to, if that makes any sense..." Of course, she didn't realize the irony that telling all of this to Mantis meaning she was talking right now.

Mantis could feel Wanda's increasingly negative emotions, and she offered the woman's hand a reassuring squeeze in order to (hopefully) bring her back to the present moment. She smiled.

"So... distractions, then. They can be useful to set boundaries and focus on something you like. But it's also good to... be aware of our emotions, so we can stop ourselves from spiraling further." The empath paused, antennae moving softly, as if reacting to her thoughts. "Have you tried to keep any sort of record? Of your emotions, I mean. Writing them down, identifying them, naming them... Those are only some of the exercises that can help you. And talking as well. Talking about how you feel."

It seemed as though simply listening to Wanda was already a step in the right direction. The absence of comfort could be extremely painful. Mantis knew that well.

[thiscrimsonsoul]

Wanda blinked and straightened a little, a smile growing on her lips. "Really? Sam? I hadn't heard that. I guess I've been a little out of the loop. That's wonderful, though. He'll make a great Captain America, he really cares about people." She didn't know Sam all that well, but from the interactions she had with him over the years, she's always found him to be a very caring and driven soul.

"Art? I never would have expected that," she said. "So you are enjoying your retirement, then, huh? It's well-deserved, in my opinion." Steve had been alive a long time, and so Wanda thought it was great that he was finally getting time to relax and pursue some hobbies for once.

As he began to talk about caring for his friends and that she was worth it, Wanda's smile faded and her gaze lowered. It was hard to hear that she was loved, because she didn't feel that way. And that... wasn't his fault, it was just that so much loss in her life had far outweighed the goodness and the love in it.

"I... I know..." she said, awkwardly pushing her hair behind her ear. "I just haven't... had much of a good life, I guess..." She didn't know how else to put it. "But that's all going to change now that I have Vision back again." Her smile returned, and it was maybe a bit too wide considering the situation.

A Vision of You || closed with retiredcapsicle

{ @retiredcapsicle continued from here. }

Wanda was happy to see Steve. There had been a time when she'd resented him a bit, along with a few others, for not checking up on her after they'd defeated Thanos. But now that she'd been able to bring Vision back again, it was all water under the bridge. Everything was better now because of that. Everything was going to be okay. She was sure of it.

"Yeah, he... he probably should rest, you're right," Wanda agreed, but when Steve said she should get some sleep, she shook her head. "Oh, no, I couldn't. I'm much too excited to sleep right now." Clearly she was very wound up, despite having expended so much energy to bring Vision back as she'd said she did.

When he said her name again, she frowned, not understanding why he looked so... underwhelmed by her accomplishment. "What? What's wrong?" she asked, oblivious. "It's okay now. It's all going to be okay."

[thiscrimsonsoul]

"Three kids? Wow," Wanda said, smiling. "That must be great. I love kids. I hope to have some of my own someday. How old are they?" she asked with curiosity, wondering if they were really little or a bit older. She shook his hand, but frowned a bit as he told her what his job actually was. "Oh. I'm sorry," she said without thinking, and then blinked, shaking her head. "I mean... not sorry you have a job, sorry that you have to clean up after us. We've been known to make some pretty nasty messes. You've got a team or something, though, right? Otherwise that's a lot for one person to do, no?"

For hits and giggles, gives you my muse Seraph to toy with.

"Hello. I don't think we've met yet. I'm Wanda," she said, pushing herself to branch out and attempt to be friendly, even though that wasn't exactly her strong suit. She had noticed the other around, but knew nothing about them. There was no time like the present to learn. "Have you been here long?"

[thiscrimsonsoul]

Wanda supposed he was right. Just because something seemed to be causing something else, or that things were related in some way, didn't mean they weren't just big coincidences or random occurrences. That... was probably going to make figuring out exactly where her sons were a whole lot more difficult if searching for patterns wasn't going to get them very far.

But when Tyson asked if spending time with him was a positive or negative thing in her life, Wanda couldn't help but smile. "Positive. It's always been positive, when I'm with you, Tyson. And I thank you for that. You're a good friend." She really meant that. He always had an air of positivity around him, and it was downright infectious. Maybe that's why, when she'd been desperate and searching for help, her magic had led her to him.

Entering other dimensions? That wasn't something Wanda could do just yet. She had been trying to learn, before the Darkhold had spooked her with its suggestions as to how she could learn. Tyson's question, though, did make her think of someone... "I do, actually. Stephen Strange. He's capable with a lot of different types of powerful magic and I know he's been to other dimensions. He can make... portals and things, to travel to other places."

What Have I Become? || closed with glitchexmachina

{ @glitchexmachina, continued from here. }

In her frantic state, Wanda thought of the first person she thought would understand, the first one she thought might be able to comfort her and make her feel safe. That person was Tyson. Responding to her thoughts of him, her magic sent her straight to his front door, and after banging on it for a short while, Wanda was so glad to see him finally open it.

"Tyson!" she yelled, practically flinging herself at him and wrapping her arms tightly around him as if clinging to a rock in a storm-tossed sea. "Help me! It's gotten out of... of control and I... can't stop it!" she sobbed. "It whispers to me! It... tells me to harm people... and... I'm starting to... to want to... and I..." She shook her head, closing her eyes tightly. "I don't want that... but... I'm afraid... I won't resist it much longer..."

She really felt badly for just showing up like this, especially since things had been weird after she'd been killed in the Blip and then gone off the deep end in Westview. Would Tyson even want to help her? Would he tell her to leave? If he did, Wanda didn't know who else she would go to, since everyone she might have felt comfortable with was either dead or dealing with their own issues. She just prayed that Tyson wouldn't turn her away...

[thiscrimsonsoul]

{out of paprikash} Alright, that's all for tonight, folks. I should be back here again in two weeks as usual, on 5/24. I don't think I'll have any scheduling conflicts around that time that'll prevent me from writing here, but if that changes I'll let everyone know. See you then! Goodnight! =)

[thiscrimsonsoul]

Wanda hesitated, though only for a moment, to shake the man's hand. She was protective of her hands, for obvious reasons, but she was sure he was only trying to be polite. Finally, she shook it, smiling. "I haven't lived here for very long either. Why did you come here? Are you visiting someone or did you come here for a job, or...?"

For hits and giggles, gives you my muse Seraph to toy with.

"Hello. I don't think we've met yet. I'm Wanda," she said, pushing herself to branch out and attempt to be friendly, even though that wasn't exactly her strong suit. She had noticed the other around, but knew nothing about them. There was no time like the present to learn. "Have you been here long?"

[thiscrimsonsoul]

For hits and giggles, gives you my muse Seraph to toy with.

"Hello. I don't think we've met yet. I'm Wanda," she said, pushing herself to branch out and attempt to be friendly, even though that wasn't exactly her strong suit. She had noticed the other around, but knew nothing about them. There was no time like the present to learn. "Have you been here long?"