4455/Going Greek

Going Greek
Date of Scene:	21 December 2020
Location:	Chickpeas Gyro
Synopsis:	A casual lunch outing turns into a plot to redecorate Avenger's Mansion.
Cast of Characters:	Wanda Maximoff, Janet van Dyne, Carol Danvers

---

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
The City is so lovely after a snowfall. Mind, that only lasts a few hours when it seems that the City does sleep as it gets covered by the shimmy, cold blanket of white. It hides many things, including encroaching darkness, for a little while. Even though it only takes a couple of days for the snow to start turning grey and slushy, there is still something heartening about it as it doesn't really happen often.

There are times when the Scarlet Witch, while not 'barricades' herself in, finds herself to be a touch incommunicado except for one, perhaps two people, she's feeling her way out slowly. To this end, Wanda is reaching out to others to try and have something of what could be considered a 'normal' outing. As normal, anyway, as one can be with fellow Avengers. She's asked, and with use of a 'company car', rather than flying, she's stepping out onto the curb, dressed (mostly) for the season in a pair of high boots, short black skirt, and a corsetted top over which is a 3/4 length leather red jacket with touches of black fabrics.

Looking about with a touch of nervous trepidation, Wanda takes a brief, centering breath before she catches the door of her/their planned destination- Gyros.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"See, we made it all the way here and no one died and nothing spooky happened," Janet reassures Wanda. Janet's the sort of aggressive extrovert that tends to adopt and forcibly kidnap wary introverts like Wanda, and seems barely conscious of the witch's subtle reticence. The socialite breezes though the door Wanda holds open and queues up at the line for the deli. For Janet it's black skinny jeans tucked into camel-hide booties, a grey turtleneck, and a dun-colored jacket that drapes somewhere between a coat and a poncho. Exquisitely crafted gold jewlery rounds out the outfit.

"Order for three," Janet bids the staff as she steps to the counter. "I'll have your Athena bowl with the yellow rice and ztatziki." A credit card is fished from her purse and handed over; Janet looks over to Carol and Wanda. "Do you two know what you want yet?"

Carol Danvers has posed:
"No alien invasions. No asteroids. No renegade robots. No evil Krampus monster or Grinch out to ruin christmas..." Carol rattles off a list of things that are all to plausible in their lives. "Though I would probably enjoy punching the Grinch.. but that is a bit out of line with the story of redemption and all."

Carol is not dressed nearly as fashionably. I mean she looks damn good, but when she is off duty she tends to lean heavily into comfort from a bygone era. In this case the usual jeans, boots, and of course her flight jacket. The one nod to the holidays and brunch is a comfy looking black top instead of a band shirt. It looks both warm and soft.

"I'll take a lamb gyro, a side of hummus with pita, and some of the Dolmades." pauses "And some coffee"

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda glances at the pair and can't surpress a laugh; she is in good company. It's the //right// thing to do, to come out, even if Pietro isn't with her. She nods her head, the words sounding amused as she responds in her softly lilting Eastern European accent, "I think it should be remembered, this day."

Following the two in, Wanda closes the door behind her, feeling the warmth of the store, and letting the scents of something closer to 'home' flow over her. Her gaze moves towards the menu, and as the two place their order, she's making her final decisions.

"I am not quite that hungry. Baba ghanouj for me, and stuffed grape leaves please." At least she didn't order a salad! "And tea."

Carol has got it right, however, and the red-headed witch nods her head. "It may be good Christmas." She can't help adding, however, "We will see."

Table! Once she's ordered, Wanda looks through the small shop for a spot that will accomodate the trio, and once she discovers a place, she points, "Over there." She pulls back a little, navigating around the pair in order to approach the claimed table. "I think snow is good for city. It covers everything, if only for little while."

Janet van Dyne has posed:
The credit card's returned to Janet's checkbook and in turn, tucked into the purse dangling from the crook of her uplifted elbow. It coordinates so well with her jacket and shoes that it seems likely it was made specifically for this outfit. "Don't look to me to be the voice of holiday cheer," Janet tells her friends, and holds her hands up in defense of her position. She slides into the booth and rests her purse at her hip. Legs cross under the table while she gets comfortable, hugging herself at a modest chill in the restaurant.

"Personally, I vote we take advantage of the slow period and go to like. Cabo, or something," she suggests. "Send the yacht down to the Caymans or Seychelles. A week on the beach, pina coladas in actual coconuts-- I'm just saying, we don't *have* to endure New England's winters," she points out.

Carol Danvers has posed:
There is a laugh from Carol as she follows them to the table and settles into a chair now looking the establishment over as they wait for their food to come.

"I mean... I like Christmas well enough, the SHIELD party for the holidays is pretty epic in the way I've only seen from military folks. That said you are all pretty much the family I have to spend the Holidays with these days so if Janet corrals everyone into Cabo or Seychelles.. Count me on board. At least until there is a rogue asteroid piloted by a menacing AI bent to do a dinosaur on us or something...." she frowns lightly and then shakes her had. "Still so far so good this holiday."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
"You are always cheerful," Wanda quirks, her tones teasing. "Why would holiday be different?"

Wanda slides in next to Janet; the waif-like witch doesn't take much room, and she settles in, leaning forward slighty. Looking between the pair, her brows rise at the pair. "This?" There is a hand waved lightly in the air in gesture, "This is not cold." Her tones have taken a slightly amused tenor as she continues, "This is tea, fire in fireplace weather." Or, for most of her life, a fire in a campfire weather.

"Though, drinks in coconut sounds," pause, "interesting." It's an idea worth considering, absolutely. But even with the sands of other locales that she's visited, the warmth? "I would go for that."

Carol's take on it all gains a bemused nod, and it's a slightly theatric look around that she takes before a decision has to be made. "Is not as bad as some." A little more cryptic than it should be, perhaps, but it's good enough. "No asteroid."

Coming back around to the vacation in warmer climates, however, Wanda's expression turns curious, her voice echoing with a touch of playfulness, "Who would go with us? Who do we leave behind to watch City?"

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"I'm taking Steve along, naturally," Janet declares. "But that's a given. I imagine Rhodey would want to stay. The family types, y'know, with little kids. They'll want to stay behind. Palm trees don't exactly jive with Santa, I think."

She looks out the frosty window and shivers involuntarily. "I hate winter," she mutters. "Christmas blows, I can't wear my cute skirts, and we've got a fifty/fifty chance of getting stranded because of some hellish nor'easter coming down from Canada."

An irritated exhalation escapes her lips and Janet's focus comes around to Carol and Wanda again. "What about you two? Christmas a big family holiday or is it kind of a writeoff?"

Carol Danvers has posed:
"What you need Janet is some kind of micro-forcefield with built in climate control. Lets you wear whatever you want without feeling the cold or the heat." she smiles as she sips her coffee. "I do know people." that last bit is a tease."As for who for Cabo, well Tony owns a house somewhere down there.. or an Island I imagine so he could just foot the whole bill if positioned right."

The more serious question. "Well my family and I are a little.. strained but I do try to get home to visit my parents and brother best I can. I did Thanksgiving out in Maine with them but not sure I will dsuck over for Christmas. May use the obligations excuse." a lame shrug.

"You planning on spoiling Nadia more Janet?" it is a good natured question, smile reaches her eyes. "I imagine that kiddo hasn't had a lot of good Christmas.."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
It's an unspoken given that Wanda would bring her twin along, so she doesn't even bother mentioning him. Hell could come, or high water, and she knows he'd be there, so in reality? He wouldn't be far behind even if she didn't consider bringing him. They are truly inseparable, for good or ill.

"Naturally," is returned easily, her head tilting to the side to look at her teammate. "Did you know," she starts again, her lips forming a slight, amused smirk, "he was going to leave note to aplogize for eating last muffin?" She shakes her head in mock disbelief. "Never leave note." The three words are accented with a bouncing gesture of her hand in the air coupled with a laughed sigh and a shake of her head. "Have we taught him nothing?"

Following Janet's gaze out the window, the smile settles slightly before she shrugs, though it's not dismissive, "Is winter. Could always be worse." Does this Maximoff have a touch of fatalistic Russian in her? Is that supposed to help make Janet feel better?

Carol's suggestion for a micro-forcefield for Janet does get the witch's attention, and looking first at Carol, slowly swings her regard to Janet, her brows rising again with consideration. "I could do that for you too, perhaps." And, after a brief thought and consideration, she adds with a quick smile, "I am people." Probably not who Carol was thinking of, no doubt, but it's something that, given time and inclination, she could probably pull off. As for Tony having an island in Cabo? Definitely not a concern as to //where// warm they go!

It is a more serious question, and Wanda gives it the proper weight it deserves. "Christmas has never been like this," again, she waves her hand in general to encompass 'it all'. "Has always been Pietro after.." After she lost her home, multiple times over. "Other family come and go. Christmas tells me only how lucky I am that I have my brother." There is a pause before, "And am lucky for moment with friends." Which sounds like she's staying put at the Mansion this year.

The question about spoiling Nadia brings a warm smile to the witch's face, and she nods. "Take her to markets..."

There's a brief moment where she's //there// and present, and in the next moment, she simply stares into space. It's a fugue, and in the next few heartbeats, she stands and looks panicky. "I have to go.. I am sorry.." In the next second, she's gone; a portal is opened, and she steps through, the portal blinking out behind her.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet lifts her fingers at Wanda and wriggles them in farewell as the witch steps away. It's probably a little alarming for the other diners, but in truth Wanda's prone to those sort of sudden calls from the great beyond that require her immediate attention.

"Hope we didn't just jinx our holiday plans," Janet mutters.

She gives Carol a guilty look at the mention of Nadia, and shifts uncomfortably on the chair under her. "Nadia's never /had/ Christmas," she points out. "I didn't do Christmas growing up and I don't think Hank's ever mentioned it to me. When I was in boarding school all my friends were talking about going home for the winter hols. Daddy was so busy in the lab he dind't care where I went. I'd just tell him I was staying with a friend for the holidays and go pop off to the Canaries or something. Ibiza, in January? Party -central- for Europe," she informs Carol. "That sounds a lot more fun than being snowed in for two days straight without any of my personal staff on call."

Carol Danvers has posed:
A hand is lifted in a farewell "Call us if you need us Wanda." it is said very firmly. Then when other woman portals out Carol sighs and slumps in her seat a bit staring across at Janet. "I really hope it isn't some sort of extradimensional invasion thing. Definitely will need to check up on her soon and see what was the emergency." a frown, also worry. Probably more worried for Wanda than anything else there.

"Hmm. So you aren't quite sure how to Holiday it up for Nadia then without just hetting out to the Canaries or Ibeza.. got it." she considers. "Well. I mean we could make the mansion pretty festive and give you a hand, if you wanted to give Nadia a traditional american Christmas before burying her in fancy trips for the holidays with slushy drinks?"

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"I guess we could give it a try," Janet agrees dubiously. From her tone it sounds more like she can't find a good argument against it, rather than an indication Carol's swayed her. "I mean, worst case, we accidentally throw a Christmas party for the Avengers." Her eyes brighten a bit. "That actually could be fun, you know? Steve doesn't have family in the area, Wanda and Pietro either. I don't think T'challa even observes Christmas. So maybe it'll be a fun way to bring the team together. Holiday eggnog, brandy, a little gift giving," she says with a beaming smile. "And /then/ we can portal everyone out to the Keys until after New Year.'

Carol Danvers has posed:
"Well this is definitely a plan I can get behind. Best of both worlds. Gives the really heavy Holiday types a traditional Christmas Eve or Day thing and then.. pop off to somewhere warm for sunning on a beach with cabana boys and slushy drinks to celebrate New Years."

She takes the food when it arrives, stealing Wanda's stuffed grape leaves for a double serving for herself.

"Think the team will go for it.. I think they will as long as minimal work on their part.. you know people who can handle like catering or decorating right?" she is pretty sure Janet does. "Though I bet Steve would love to decorate a tree.. or chop one down."

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"This close to Christmas? It'll cost a bit, but yeah, I can make that happen," Janet assures Carol. "Nothing like holiday overtime. We'll get some lights and decorations up, but the tree I'll leave up to the boys." She pauses with her phone in hand. "Though maybe we should ask if we can at least tag along while they go find it. I wouldn't mind seeing them chop a pine tree down." Janet sighs dreamily and goes back to her text message.

"Okay, and... done. Balls are rolling, etc. We should have a decorator team on site tomorrow morning and we'll be up and running before the day is out."

"So aside from decorations, what else does a good Christmas need?" Janet starts pecking at her tossed gyro bowl with a fork, fishing out the lamb and avoiding the carb-heavy rice. "Any special foods or anything? Drinks?"

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol nods lightly as she eats some of the hummus and then ohs. "Yeah. Good call. Definite team field trip so we can.. ah pick out the best artistic tree for them to chop down." amusement in her eyes there as she totally enables Janet on this one. Not that she will be complaining either mind you.

""Well definitely the egg nog, probably some Christmas sweets like cookies and brittles and such." a mmm noise "Mulled apple cider and the like.. plenty of booze really is good for the Holiday. As for real food.. well I think goose or turkey is the most common. Cranberries. It is a bit like Thanksgiving honestly but more festive and varied." a helpless shrug and a grin before she tries some of her Gyro.

"Could probably just get a well recommended caterer and say classic New England Christmas spread for ... gosh how many of us are there now?"

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"Including the team, reservists, and support staff?" Jan asks. A brow lifts. Her fingers are flying over her phone, notating Carol's suggestions for later reference. "About fifty people on-site. I think we could do it. I'll make that my Christmas gift to the team, I'll pick up the tab for our Christmas party," she suggests. "And we can invite everyone on staff to join if they want. I know a lot of people can't make it home for the holidays. Or Wanda's portals make them sick. We might as well do something for them here, yeah?"

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol nods thoughtful. "I always forget about the sheer scope of the support staff and reservists..." she muses thoughtfully "Then I feel bad about it. Oddly with SHIELD the whole support staff is a lot more visible because they are all agents doing each of their roles and not trying so hard to just blend into the background like they do at the Mansion."

She shakes her head "Definitely want to treat them too. Also thanks Janet that is really nice of you to do. I suppose we shake down Tony enough all said." she grins and lenas back most of her food and some of Wanda's gone. High Kree Metabolism. Despite the whole able to subsist off energy/radition thing.

"Sounds like a good day all around, though we should probably warn everyone so they aren't shocked and then so they actually show up." grins.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"Hey I don't know how you roll, but there's no party like a Wasp party," Janet tells Carol with an uplifted brow. "No one misses my throwdowns. Trust me, it'll be fun. We'll have music, food, decorations, all of it. Christmas isn't my jam, but parties are. I can make this work."

She takes a few more bites of her food and steals a bit of Wanda's. When a waitress swings by, Janet signals for a to-go of Wanda's abandoned dish. "We'll send out the invites and remind everyone to at least stop by. Gosh, if I was thinking about it, I'd have said we should do that-- what's it called. Secret Santa?" she hazards.

Carol Danvers has posed:
"Wow... I mean... this may be short notice but it would be really amusing to watch the crew scramble to try to figure out what to get each other from a Secret Santa list. If you want to be funny but maybe kinder you could demand a White Elephant."

"Oh.. which is you get a gift under a certain amount, pool them all on one table, and then each person gets to pick one in random order. The next person can steal a gift already picked or pick one blind... gifts can be stolen only a couple of time before they are safe.... it comes with hilarity when we have done it at work at least."

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"I'm not... great at gift shopping," Janet admits. "But if you wanna pull that together, be my guest. Just tell me what the amount is. Are we keeping it under five thousand?" she hazards. "I could probably find something nice-ish for that much."

She polishes off her food and waits for Wanda's replacement leftovers to arrive. "I've got some calls to make and some checks to cut. Would you mind letting folks know about the Elephant thing?" she requests, getting to her feet. "And if you think of anything else in the meanwhile, text me and I'll get it added to the party package, okay ?"

Carol Danvers has posed:
Carol nearly chokes on her coffee. "Maybe.. we should do the gift exchange when people have more warning and I have more time to figure out what people's budgets may be able to take." she eyes her coffee like it may have betrayed her.

She leans back and then looks to Janet "Will do, it sounds good so far but I'll give you a ping if I think of anything we are missing." she glances at the empty seat. "Also we need to make sure to drag Wanda out again... sometime we will get a full outing out of her."