94/She Likes The Soup

She Likes The Soup
Date of Scene:	24 February 2020
Location:	Central Park
Synopsis:	Soup from a Serbian vendor is the start for a long conversation between Clint and Wanda in Central Park.
Cast of Characters:	Clint Barton, Wanda Maximoff

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Clint Barton has posed:
It was getting close to midday and Clint was returning towards the mansion on his run, his grey sweats, soaked through on his chest from the exertion. It felt good though, which was handy since having no powers meant he had to keep an insane fitness regime in order to keep up with the rest of the Avengers.

Mansion in sight, Clint slowed his jog by the coffee stand across the street from the Mansion, during the work week it'd be crowded with visitors, more than a few keen to get a look at a real Avenger, today it was just Juan, the kid that ran the stand on Sundays, who had long since become jaded about meeting Avengers by this point.

"So is it true, Mr. Stark is running for President," Juan asks.

Clint smiles ruefully, "Yeah, that's what he say," Clint replies claiming his coffee and dumping his change in Juan's tip jar before setting in to chat a bit, it was his Sunday routine.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Beside the main gate to the Mansion, a little side gate for foot traffic opens. Wanda Maximoff steps out onto the sidewalk. She's wearing some old faded blue jeans with a couple of frayed spots on the legs, a dark shirt with a v-neck, and then a long coat overtop. Her auburn hair is blowing about her in the faint wind, the locks left completely free other than being brushed back over a shoulder. Wanda glances to either side, but not across the street where Clint and Juan are at the coffee stand. She begins walking down the sidewalk, past passing people. Most don't give her a second look, except for the occasional man and then it's the standard glance as she passes that most any moderately pretty woman would get, nothing that indicates anyone has recognized her as anyone notable.

The benefits of at least partial anonymity. Wanda can be more discrete with her face revealed than Steve Rodgers can with a cap pulled low. She strides down to the sidewalk in a slow, ambling walk, soon disappearing around a corner at the end of the block.

Clint Barton has posed:
"...and yeah so the orther Hawkeye pulls these batons out of her costume and hits the guy on one of his vibro-units, and BOOM, she goes flying, he's laying on the ground spinning like a top..." Clint pauses in the tale of how he met his fan girl, protoge... or whatever the other Hawkeye was, when he spots Wanda slip out the side gate. Or at least he think he does, a tall guy with dreads pauses right in his line of sight and by the time he's moved Wanda is just a bit one red headed woman in the sea of humanity that is New York.

"Then what happened?" Juan asks. "Then I showed her a quijet and gave her a bunch of arrows... I'll tell you the rest next week," he says before absently paying (again) and crossing the street Dustin Hoffman style (hey! I'm walking here!) just stepping off the curb and keeping on walking trying to catch up with her. It was dumb, he knew if it was her she'd come back to the mansion, but he hadn't been happy with how things had ended last night and his need to apologize overruled any sort of tactical planning.

In the end though she had vanished, either having gotten too far ahead or she had slipped into an alley and teleported to wherever she was going, either way Clint makes his way back to the mansion and heads upstairs to grab a shower and get into something less sweaty.

"Hey JARVIS when Wanda gets back can you let her know I want to talk to her when she has a second," he tells the house AI as he jogs up the stairs.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
The melodious voice of JARVIS responds right away. "I certainly will, Clint," the artificial intelligence tells the Avenger as he tops the stairs onto the second story landing. After a moment's pause, JARVIS adds, "Clint. If it should be of use? Wanda has mentioned a predilection for a certain Serbian street vendor in Central Park, near the ponds at the southern end of the park. A soup, I believe it was, that he only makes on Sunday and which she hates to miss."

After relaying the information, JARVIS falls quiet. The rest of the mansion is pretty quiet as well. A sweeper robot is moving down the marbled floors. One of the human staff is bussing an empty tray he picked up at one of the rooms, heading down for the kitchen.

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint pauses at the top of the stairs, "Yeah?" Clint asks the AI. Wondering if asking where the cart was would make 'looking for Wanda to apologize' into stalking. It was quick debate and in the end he decided it was alright. Besides he might want some Serbian soup one day.

"Hey JARVIS, can you be a pal and send the location of that food stall to my StarkPhone, it sounds good, might want to check it out," Clint says on the way off to quickly change and shower.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
JARVIS's voice responds at the same time as Clint's phone chimes a message, "Location sent."

The day outside is a nice one. It was nice for a jog, a little warm for this time of year, only requiring a light jacket with the sun out and only the lightest of breezes blowing. People are out and about a little more than usual to enjoy the nice day. Central Park itself is also a little more crowded. The south end of the park has a pair of small lakes, one of them with paddle wheels, canoes, and row boats for rent. The other is smaller and left for the wildlife, and for whatever radio-operated boats the the young, or young at heart, might bring.

Wanda took her time heading to the park. Just taking a slow stroll a few blocks out of her way to stop at a fountain whose sculpture in the middle she's always liked. Eventually she makes it to the park, heading over to the stand. The man working there spots her, flashing Wanda a warm smile of greeting. They exchange a few words of chit chat as he prepares her container of soup and a soda without her having to tell him what she wants. Once she has the food, she walks over to sit on a park bench by the small lake where the geese and ducks are floating placidly.

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint gives himself a the world's fastest shower, then pulling on an entirely different set of work out clothes, and pausing to smooth them down a bit while looking in the mirror, he's on his way out the door again, guided by his phone through the busy park to the stand.

He had to admit the food smelled good, plus he didn't see Wanda and was likely going to need to ask if the guy if she'd been by yet. So a bowl of soup and some directions later, Clint finds himself standing by Wanda's bench asking, "This seat taken?'

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda is sitting somewhat sideways on the bench, one leg resting on the seat with knee bent as she leans against the backrest. She has her soup open, and a spoon in hand, getting a small bit of it and blowing on it, for the steam can be seen rising from the open container, indicating how warm it is.

She glances up as she both hears Clint and notices someone approaching close by. She answers him in a bright, happy-sounding voice. "Clint! What are you doing here?" she asks him. A beautiful smile spreads across her face and she motions to the bench beside her, moving her leg to make more room. "It is not, but I was just hoping someone worthwhile might come by and take it," she says more slowly, though the same smile drawing up the corner of her lips into the warm expression. "What are you doing here?" she asks him, though her tone not minding his presence in the least.

Clint Barton has posed:
"Hi," Clint says in reply to her greeting and her question gets a cheeky smile and a look at the little bowl of soup and plastic spoon in his hand. "Would you believe I was getting soup?" he asks expecting the answer would be no.

He takes that seat though before settling in and sitting cross legged facing Wanda, back against the bench arm opposite her. "Honestly though? JARVIS ratted you out, and I thought I'd come by and say sorry for how things went last night, I dunno, felt like I ran off, and wanted to say it's not you and probably just a symptom of my weird ass week," he says trying to meet her eyes. "It was a fun night though."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda lets out a soft laugh at the mention of the soup. "Have you tried it? It's delicious," she promises Clint, though not seeming to believe it was just a coincidence from her expression. When he reveals that JARVIS let him know, she nods. "We talked about recipes one time. My mother used to make a soup like this, but I don't know what all she put into it," Wanda tells Clint.

As he moves into an apology, the woman's expression softens into something is itself apologetic. "No, you have nothing to apologize for," Wanda says with a quick shake of her head. "I know you don't want Natasha to misunderstand," she says quietly. "It was a fun night though. I was very glad that you asked me to come out. I'd have sat in my room alone otherwise," she tells him.

Clint Barton has posed:
"No not yet," Clint says about the soup, but he works towards remedying that as he begins to remove the lid. "And yeah? Taste from home? Lucky it's so close." he says as the lid comes free damp with condensation and releasing the wonderful smell of the soup inside. Glancing over to Wanda, he dramatically lowers his spoon into the bowl and then lifts it to his lips, as if the fate of the world and his faith in Wanda all depended on the taste of that soup. He tries it, savouring it for a moment before swallowing. "I have no idea what's in it either but you're not wrong, it's amazing."

So much so that he has another spoonful before replying to her remarks. "What? Nat? I mean Nat and I watch out for each other, but you're part of the team, that basically makes puts you on the very short list of people Nat would consider trusting," he says, unable to keep from putting the little joke in there, Nat being Nat, even her closest allies were people she was 'considering' trusting. "It was a fun night and we'll definitely watch that movie sometime."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
The soup has rice and beef and various vegetables, onions, carrots, and has a very hearty quality to it. There is broth but it the soup is full of ingredients so one is always scooping out something worth chewing. There is a bit of spice to it, but the kind that you notice a minute after eating it, not the kind that hits you right away.

Wanda listens to Clint, her brows drawing together for a moment as she shakes her head and says, "No, I meant, that you two..." she says, and then Wanda's voice trails off as suddenly the assumptions she'd made, she now sees for having been assumptions. In a moment, a whole different context falls into place.

Wanda looks away quickly and tries to cover for her mid-sentence epiphany with, "You're right, we're one big team," she says with a small nod. Wanda's lips turn up a little bit at the corners, as if with a smile that she's working to keep just a mild one. "The movie would be nice. And I discovered something else. The soup? It is even more delicious with company to share it," she says, holding out her plastic container of it to tap against Clint's in a little toast if he allows.

Clint Barton has posed:
That spice really does sneak up on you so a little bit after taking his first spoonful, he coughs a little, "Wow, didn't see that coming," he says unintentionally stealing Pietro's catch-phrase. He clears his throat then has some more.

It is /really/ good.

"What?" Clint repeats still a bit confused and then he gets it. It's not the first time people made that mistake, him and Nat on the outside looked a lot like a couple but their bond was deeper than that, and was very much platonic. He doesn't call her out on it, he just let her work things out on her own.

"Yeah, I mean Nat would end anyone who messed with me, but, she'd do the same for the rest of you too," he nods as she says it, "Yep, one big team."

He smiles about the soup and 'clinks' soup bowls with her. "Glad I came out here then."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
After the soup toast, Wanda eats quietly for a little bit, though her attention is on Clint as much as the soup. She finishes chewing a spoonful of broth, rice and spicy beef, before saying, "I haven't ever had anyone come out here with me. Even Pietro," she tells him. "I normally get the soup. And watch the ducks. Or sometimes the boats," she says, twisting to look back towards the other, larger lake that has the paddle boats and rowboats on it.

"And just take a walk along through the park if the weather is nice," Wanda adds. She glances up at the blue skies and sunshine. She takes another spoonful of soup, and then asks, "Do you have anywhere you need to be after?" she asks motioning towards his own food. "If not, you're welcome to join me?" Wanda gets one of those hopeful, questioning looks as if hoping he'll say yes.

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint's content to eat in silence, aware of the looks and lifting a few of his own her way as he carries on eating until Wanda starts up the conversation again, "Really, not even Petey? Isn't this like a two second trip for him?" he frowns and grumbles "Jerk," good naturedly. "It's nice," Clint admits of the park. "I don't get out here too much though except on my runs," he says. "And you're sure you're alright with me being here?" I can let you be if you want."

Though it seems that's the opposite of what she wants and when she asks about his plans, he shakes his head, "Nope. Found my mini-me, stuffed the idea of President Tony into a deep dark hole in my mind and I'm off duty from SHIELD for the weeked, I'm as free as I get." He says before smiling a little, "So that's a yes I will walk with you."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda laughs gently and says in her mild accent, "I used to bring him some back. But he'd eat it so fast I told him I was going to stop since I didn't believe he was even tasting it." She takes another spoonful, the female twin quite the opposite of Pietro as she takes her time and savors the flavor.

Wanda's green eyes look over to Clint and meet his gaze. "I'm sure," she confirms to him about her being alright with him there. "Then, you're mine for the day," she says, eyebrows going up at this pronouncement as if to see if Clint wishes to protest it now that he's revealed his availability. Wanda tells him, "But I'll try to go easy on you. No making you walk in unison or do those chants. Though I bet you have some good ones," she tells him with a warm laugh.

She has been slowly working her way through her soup, finishing it up, and then washing it down with soda. "What do you say, a walk to start with? Or does going out on one of the boats catch your fancy?" she asks, looking over at the other lake.

Clint Barton has posed:
"Yeah seems like a waste, " Clint agrees about wolfing down this soup. "Eating is definitely one of those things that aren't better done fast." Which of course is funny coming from him, he eats like it's going out of fashion, especially compared to Wanda's more measured bites.

Clint smiles warmly when it's declared he was welcome, though his brows raise at being declared 'hers' even for the day, "Sure," he says finally after clearing his throat. "For the day." He chuckles at the rest almost automatically correcting chants with "Cadences" like a man who had been corrected so many times himself it became automatic. "And I do, but none meant for mixed company," he jokes like he's at all bashful about what he says in front of who.

"I'm good at boats, but I'm thinking walk to start, let his soup settle." he says. "What's this stuff called anyhow?"

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda rises from the bench, repeating, "Cadences," with a nod. "Oh, so a little off-color are they?" she asks Clint with a small smile to match his own. She disposes of her container and utensils in a trash can, and will reach to get Clint's as well if he lets her dispose of them.

She turns to join him then, the path going between the lakes and heading over towards a more heavily forested area with paths running in various directions. "Pasulj Corba," she tells Clint, "though my mother would make it with spicy sausage instead of beef, and more beans than rice. I have to say, I miss the sausage, but the rice is a nicer addition to it."

Wanda slips her hands into the pockets of her long jacket as they start walking along the sidewalk. "So, not that they have any here, but are you any good with sailboats? I tried to sail one once. I could only go to one side of the water. I understand the method behind it but I could not get the sail set right. It was just a little boat, maybe two could fit on it," she says. "I had to use my abilities to get it back to the other side of the lake."

Clint Barton has posed:
The question about them being off-colour gets a smile and Clint recites:

Birdy, birdy, in the sky
Dropped a whitewash in my eyes
I'm no wimp, I won't cry
I'm just glad that cows don't fly

Before remarking, "That's a clean one," he explains with a grin.

"Pasulj Corba?" he says trying to wrap his tongue around he words. "Did I get that right?" he says. "I know that's Serbian, but what do they speak in Transia? I looked on Wikipedia the other day, and it said a whole bunch of languages," he says before considering the soup. "Yeah, I could see sausage being good in it, something like chorizo."

He chuckles, "Yeah I can sail a bit," he says and laughs. "At least you had powers first time I went out I got stuck on sandbar and had to wait out there until somebody could pull me off again," he says before adding, "I'm better at it now, barely ever get stuck."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda listens to the cadence and chuckles gently as she looks away after, then back to Clint. "Yes, maybe I'll just settle for the conversation instead of the cadences then," she agrees. "And you said it well!" she tells him as if impressed by his attempt to get the accent right. "Yes, a number of languages. Mostly Slavic of different varieties. It's a small country, with one large city. Or, larger than the rest. Other than the capital it is mostly small villages," she tells Clint.

She walks along a few steps with him and then does a bit of a surprise take towards him. "You looked it up?" she asks in her slow delivery. Her eyes have a bit of a warm shine to them, and there's a distinctly pleased look to her as Wanda walks along beside Clint, her hands in her coat pockets.

"Would you like to see it sometime? Transia?" she asks him. "It is a bit dreary to be honest, until spring comes. Then... fwoosh! Everything turns green. Trees. Grass. Flowers. It is quite lovely apart from winter," she tells him.

Clint Barton has posed:
"Probably for the best," Clint agrees with a wry chuckle before he grinning at his success with the pronunciation, "You can credit Nat for most of that she was the one who taught me all the good Russian curse words," which gave him a bit of a leg up on Slavic pronuciation. "Must have been wild, visiting Europe always makes me think we Americans are dumb, you guys speak like a million languages and most of us here can barely handle broken English," he jokes.

"Yeah, I was curious," Clint says off-handed, like the search was no big deal, while at the same time drinking in the smile Wanda gives him for even that minmal effort. "So which language did you and Petey speak the most?"

"Sounds like we should plan a trip for spirng then," Clint says of a visit to Transia. "Sounds nice, and I hear the people there are alright," he says giving Wanda a wink.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda strolls alongside Clint on the warm, sunny day. Other people are about, walking the paved trails, but not in such great numbers to feel crowded. Wanda casts her glance up towards the taller man beside her and says with a faint smile, "Well, mostly English. There was a time we spoke Serbian, or Slovak, so others wouldn't understand us. But, it's really rude, you know? So we stopped. Or, I did at the least." She gives a faint chuckle and a shrug at that part.

As Clint mentions the people of Transia being alright, Wanda smiles over to him and slips the hand nearest him out of her coat pocket. If he allows she hooks her hand through his arm by his elbow. "See. It is comments like that which make you such a pleasant conversationalist," she tells him, Clint having earned another of her smiles. "Thank you for coming out to join me. I will have to find a way to thank JARVIS. What does one get an artificial intelligence, anyway?"

Clint Barton has posed:
It's like Clint said he didn't get out to the park much, but on a day like this he could see why people loved it, though some of that had to do with his present company. "Oh yeah, I get that, Barney and I used to sign or use Carney slang around people to talk shit about them," he says with a smile. "But Serbian and Slovak, good to know," he says as if he was making a mental note of it.

There's a warm chuckle from Clint, "Can't help it if it's true," he says spreading his hand before curling one of those arms to let Wanda take hold of it. "Hey you're welcome, found a really good spot for soup out of it, so I'm calling this an absolute win." He puts his mind to what JARVIS might want. "Well Tony's already going to be moving away to the White House, I think JARVIS is all set right now."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda chuckles softly about JARVIS being set. "I don't know. I think JARVIS is like that mild-mannered friend who helps keep Tony straight. Maybe we need him installed at the White House too?" she suggests.

She strolls along with Clint, letting her eyes drift across the park, and look around at the various people that they pass. "I was trying to think of what I might make for you. The aforementioned cooking I said I'd do. So it needs to be, something I can make modestly well. That won't poison you if I mess it up," she says, looking back over to Clint and giving a self-deprecating smile. "And then I realized, I don't know what things you like and don't like. Is there anything special I should stay away from?"

Clint Barton has posed:
"Well if they're going to install JARVIS at the White House why not just make him President? I'd vote for him over Tony in a second," Clint says with a chuckle and a shake of his head. "I dunno if not a break from Tony.. I've got no clue what to get the guy," he says, and yes, to Clint JARVIS is a guy. He's too damn human to be otherwise.

"I am sure anything you make will be fine," Clint says confidently, before breaking into an amused smile at what he didn't like, "You really want to know? Nobody believes this one when I tell them," he prefaces mostly to build anticipation, before he delivers the answer. "Chocolate."

He watches Wanda's expression closely, in a way that suggests he does this with most people he tells that to, collecting their reactions in his mental photo album.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda's expression probably doesn't let Clint down. That same mix of incredulity, checking to see if he's being honest, that he probably gets from many. But Wanda, at least, might take him at face value on the point faster than many. "Really!?" she says. "I have known people without a sweet tooth, but I can't recall someone actually not liking chocolate at all," she tells him.

A few leaves blow across the path on a soft breeze, probably having been stuck beneath snows that melted now to set them free. Wanda's boots make only soft sounds as they walk together along the path that in weeks will have green grass and flowers on both sides as they pass through a more carefully manicured part of the Park.

"So do you dislike really dark chocolate far more than, say, white chocolate or milk chocolate?" she asks curiously. "I wasn't really thinking of any chocolate dishes, but you might have gotten unlucky with dessert had you not said something," Wanda tells him.

Clint Barton has posed:
"Yep," Clint confirms being serious while at the sametime clearly enjoying watching Wanda's reaction. Having let the questions brew, he offers answers.

"It's the smell, I can't stand it, dark or milk chocolate I'll eat it if there's no choice, but not if I've got a choice. White's okay though," he says before giving Wanda a considering look as if weighing stories to tell.

He settles on the truth.

"I grew up in Waverly, Iowa, there's a Hersey's plant there, the wind goes the right way the whole town smells like the stuff all day," he this is where the sanitized story would say he got sick of it, but the truth was: "It used to piss off my dad a ton, he /really/ hated chocolate, and he was a drunk asshole at the best of times...so..." he lets that trail off so Wanda could draw her own conclusions.

"Anyhow, sorry, I didn't mean to take that to my white trash ass roots, but anyhow, no chocolate but everything else is fine."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda's attention is on Clint as he tells the story. A little nod of understanding then as the factory's location is revealed. Following that is a softening of her expression as Clint's father is mentioned. A look of understanding, and he might feel how Wanda's hand gives a small, just perceptible squeeze of his arm as they walk along together.

Wanda slowly shakes her head before saying in her gradual delivery, "No apology needed, Clint." They walk a few more steps together before she adds, "I think it takes some rough times to forge most of us Avengers. We all have something there in our pasts." She looks over to Clint for a few moments, before continuing in a simple, gentle tone, "Whatever you went through, even if it isn't what I'd wish for you? You came out the other side a man that I admire."

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint feels that gentle squeeze but is unsure how to feel about it, these were uncharted waters for him and it left him feeling exposed. "Normally just tell people I got sick of the smell growing up, should probably stick to that version huh?"

He looks over at her though when she says she admires him, "You don't have to say that or feel bad for me or anything..." he says with a look of genuine confusion on his face. "Anyhow, let's move on, we were talking about food before I spilled my shit all over the table."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
If someone were looking at Wanda's face closely enough, they'd see her desire to challenge Clint on the topic rather than let him deflect the comment. But she does not press the matter when he asks to move on. "So chocolate is out. What is in. What are Clint Barton's favorite foods? What helps an archer grow big and strong?" she asks, trying to help him move the topic into a comfortable area.

The path is curving back around, leading through a different section of the park with hills that one can walk over, or sometimes take a tunnel through. The path is winding its way back towards the side of the park they came from with the twin lakes.

Wanda makes a motion with her hand that isn't holding to his arm. "And don't you say those... 'tater tot' things either. There is something about them that is just... I can't even look at them," she says with a laugh and a shake of her head.

Clint Barton has posed:
He catches that look on Wanda's face but he's greatful when she doesn't challenge him, he's not ready to throw reason on his lifetime pity party. Not yet. The rest though? That helps and he laughs "Well I think under contract I'm supposed to say Wheaties," Clint jokes, I mean there were Avengers wheaties box, but that was a charity thing, no money, no contracts. "But I don't think I've ever tried the stuff," he says with a small smile his mood improving as the topic shifts. "Well I'm a bit of a foodie, ugh I hate that word, but it's accurate, so new stuff, but I guess regulars? Steak, pizza, this asian noodle dish I dreamed up for cooking on the fly, ramen noodles, chicken and black bean sauce, super good for a late night snack..." he says trailing off. "Which isn't what you're asking... um, really food, anything new or different, like that soup, really great, hadn't tried it before."

He laughs, when she mentions tater tots. "Really? And sorry I shouldn't laugh, but wow, why those?" he asks before all but cackling, "Now I am imagining the AIM developing chocolate tater tots as some sort ultimate weapon to take us out of a fight."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
The thought of AIM lobbing chocolate dipped fried food at them seems to really strike Wanda's funny bone. She breaks out in soft giggles of a type that Clint possibly hasn't heard from her before. Sort of a younger girl sounding laugh before it gives way to the chuckles he has heard. "I don't know what it is. They just... took a perfectly good potato and made it all tiny and with so much friend batter on it, and then everyone drowns them in ketchup or something else anyway," she says.

"These are the things that you notice, growing up in another country. The little things that are everyday one place, but completely foreign to you. And things you expect everyone to know, they stare at you blankly about," Wanda tells him. "I don't know that I'm a foodie. I probably cook pretty simply, though I do stews and soups and things like that," she tells him. "I get in runs I just order something from the kitchen. But I do enjoy a chance to cook. It's therapeutic I guess," she says.

Their walk is taking them gradually back towards the lake. A few birds are in the trees chirping. Chickaddees, their call giving them their name seem to have taken over a trio of trees, while a pair or red-breasted robins in another tree are chirping back at them with a different sound. Wanda eyes the birds and says, "So did you pick 'Hawkeye', or did someone come up with it for you?"

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint pauses to marvel as Wanda giggles so wildly. It's nice to see even if his cheeks colour, "Easy Wanda, I didn't think I was that funny," but it doesn't sound like he minds. It felt good to make her laugh, he knew enough about her past now to know that was rare. Considering her description of tater tots he nods, "Oorr, they've maximized a potato's potential as a ketchup delivery vehicle," he counters without much conviction before he laughs. "You make a good point, it could basically be styrofoam under all the ketchup and crap people put on the things."

"Yeah, know what you mean, traveled a lot for SHIELD, it's amazing how everyone figured out their own ways to do the same things, y'know?' he asks. "Like tater tots or people in Europe putting mayo on fries," he looks over at her. "You don't do that right? We may no be able to be friends if you do?" he says in an oh so serious tone with a smile on his face.

Clint stops, and listens to the birds, it's relaxing, the robins' chirps and the chikaddees 'chikadeedeedee' and 'tea time' being fired back. It was a nice normal moment.

He smiles, "My mini-me was giving me shit about this yesterday," he grins. "It was given, my mentor Buck used to call me Hawkeye because I was from Iowa and there's a college football team from there with the same name. Plus, the guy from Last of the Mohicans who was a helluva shot... anyhow it was mostly the football thing for him, anyhow so when it came time to pick a stage name I went with it. How about you?" he says, looking her over, the name was descriptive enough but it had the feel of something some one put on her rather than she chose herself, though he could be wrong.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda holds up her hand as if making a vow. "Lots of salt is normally enough. If anything, some ketchup. Or maybe a bbq sauce or something like that a few times," she promises Clint of her French fry endeavors.

She stops alongside of him when Clint does, looking over to the birds as well. They bring a soft smile from her. "I always like the red ones," she comments, motioning towards her own chest but meaning the robin's red.

She turns towards Clint as he shares about the nickname. "I had guessed the book," she tells him. "But I was not aware of the sports team," Wanda adds.

She draws a deep breath. "Well, it was originally meant as an insult. The 'witch' part at the least. And the color, well you can guess. Though actually the name has a mystical background as well, I did not have any connection to that part of it," she says. Or if she does, Wanda doesn't know it yet.

"I tried to avoid using my powers when Pietro and I were on our own. But, protecting ourselves, or just plain needing food, and shelter?" Wanda says before shrugging her shoulders at the end. "Necessity dictated otherwise sometimes. Especially as I wanted us to avoid theft. That doesn't leave many options for kids our age."

Clint Barton has posed:
Breathing a sigh of relief, Clint says, "Okay good, we can be friends," he says. "Had me worried for a second."

He grins, "They're nice but always liked the little ones with the masks," he says. He knew the name but that's what they allways looked like to him even when he was a kid.

"Yeah, Buck wasn't much of a reader, found out about the book thing when I told Mr. Carson what I wanted to be called and he was all, 'oh like the book' had to ask around to find out what he meant." He shakes his head.

"Guess it had to be some of that, but there's a mystical thing to it too? What's that about?" he says a mix of surprise and interest in his eyes.

"So you?" he wiggles his fingers, "'d people?" he asks.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda starts forward again after they do the bird watching for a bit. "It was a good book," she comments to Clint before responding, "Well, there are women who have been known as a Scarlet Witch in the past. Not of the superhero variety, more the mythology sort," she says with a shrug. "So not really a connection other than sharing the name. As far as I know, Erik was my father and a woman named Magda was my mother. Though I only have that from him," she tells Clint.

Wanda's long coat sways with the movement of her steps. Both of their phones chime and she pulls hers out to look. "Bank robbery but the police have it handled," she tells Clint so he won't have to look as she drops her phone back into her pocket. "Well I didn't normally..." she wiggles her fingers, "on people. But we might play a game of chance and I'd help our odds. Or maybe cause a vegetable to bounce off the back of a wagon. Things like that. Though, the latter, I didn't like. It was the same as stealing," she says with a small frown, as if remembering those times she did.

Clint Barton has posed:
"Yeah, still got my old copy I found after I heard about it," Clint says. "The movie is good too." He walks along beside Wanda then his combat boots crunching on the gravel path. "Never met your mom?" he asks her. "Maybe she was one of the Scarlet Witches?" he knew at least in books, magic was a thing passed down by blood along with the much more real mutant powers.

Clint checks his as well, "Yeah, all clear," before he stuffs his phone back into his pocket and offers his arm again without really thinking about it. "Well, it was that or starve right? Besides, way worse ways to surive than that," he says. "Stealing never sat right with me either," he says. "Even from criminals, even if Buck and I did a lot of that."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda Maximoff's hand returns to curl about Clint's near his elbow. "I don't think she was, or else I imagine Father would have said something about it," she says of her potentially descending from another Scarlet Witch. "No, we were given as babies to the Maximoffs. They were camped at the bottom of Wundragore Mountain, so we know now. Apparently we were born up on the mountain," she tells Clint. "Again, these are all things we've been told though."

Up ahead the lakes are coming back into view. "I suppose maybe it's part of what I said earlier. It taking most of us having gone through certain things to become Avengers. We could easily have been on the other side," Wanda says. "And, for a time I suppose we were, with the Brotherhood." The Avengers had a large part in taking in the Twins and guiding them on their current path. "But maybe, having stolen, the stain it left, helped to want to walk this path we're on now?" she surmises, looking over to Clint to get his thoughts on it.

Clint Barton has posed:
"True, basically shooting arrows in the dark here, when it comes to this magic stuff," Clint says lightly. "A little outside my wheelhouse. Sorry you never met your mother though, but it sounds like your mom, was a good woman though," he says meaning the woman she'd shown him in the picture. The picture prompts his next remark as well, "You all looked happy, even Pietro." There's a faint smile at that.

"Yeah, I think it helped me get a clearer sight of what I wanted out of life, like I told the other Hawkeye took me a bit to figure out I wanted to do what I do right now, but being on the wrong side of things for a bit, definitely told me what I /didn't/ want to do with my life if nothing else."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
The woman turns to smile over at Clint, her auburn hair stirring faintly in a breeze. "Well, you rarely miss what you shoot at," she says. "And even then only when something interferes with you. I can't ever imagine having such skill with a bow. I'd probably shoot myself in the foot if I ever tried to shoot one," she kids.

There's a little kiosk where the boats are rented out. Wanda glances over as their wanderings bring them near to it. "Would you like to go out on the water?" she asks. "I promise, no tipping us over," Wanda tells him with a soft smile.

Before anything else can be said though, a kid of about 10 comes over to them, his mother not far behind. "Excuse me. Are you two Avengers?" he asks them, his expression hopeful. His mother has her phone out, but is just holding it for now.

Clint Barton has posed:
"True," Clint agrees, watching Wanda for a moment, as her hair blows across her face. "About me hititng things, not you shooting your foot. That's harder than it looks," he says with a laugh. "If you want to try sometime, let me know, I've got a few bows that might work for you."

He nods about the boats, "Sure," he says adding with a smile. "But I'm not making that promise."

Clint looks to Wanda when the kid comes up, time to put on their game faces, "Yeah we are," Clint says letting go fo Wanda's arm so he can squat down at the kid's level. "We are, but do you know which ones?" he asks him.

"Of course, I do, you're Hawkeye and she's the Scarlet Witch," the kid says. "C-can I get a picture?"

Clint mugs a thoughtful expression. "I'm good with it, but Scarlet Witch is kinda shy, how about you ask her really nicely," Clint shoots a look back over his shoulder and winks at Wanda, as the kid says, "Pleeease can I have a picture?"

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda grins to Clint and says, "Shooting one of your bows? I think that's an offer I won't be able to pass up." That offer leaves her with a warm smile, when the kid comes over to ask for a picture.

Wanda turns the expression towards the boy. Kids always get pictures when they ask, and Clint might realize most of Wanda's charity work where she chose the group, tends to be for the benefit of children as well. Juvenile Diabetes, Literacy, and other topics that pertain to them tend to be her focus, and one of the few things she willingly seeks out the public eye for.

Wanda gives a warm laugh and says, "Maybe not /that/ shy. Of course," she tells him. She moves over to stand close by Clint behind the boy, and then reaches down a hand near to the lad. Wanda looks about, trying not to be too conspicuous as she gathers a bit of red light about her hand before offering it to the boy to take. "Go ahead, it'll just tingle slightly," she tells him. He does, the red aura circling about both their hands for the camera then as Wanda flashes a smile to Clint, leaning near to him for the picture.

Clint Barton has posed:
"Really?" Clint asks before the kid comes over. "Talk later," he whispers to Wanda before he puts his game face on and does the Celbvenger thing. Or was it Avengbrity?

Clint's charity work was also kid focused, lots of sports teams from underprivledged areas, and kids with disabilities. He smiles as he watches Wanda do her thing and the kid slowly reach out to take her hand looking back over his shoulder to call to his mom, "It tickles!"

Laughing Clint says, "Ready for the picture?" he asks the kid and they nod letting go of Wanda's hand to pose with the two Avengers. Clint winks at Wanda as he crouches down, he had been apprehensive about hanging with kids when he started the Avengers gig but now it was one of the best parts.

He glances over at the kid's mom who has her phone ready noticing a couple of other people had stopped to take pictures, he shakes his head, in amusement, "Everyone ready?" he asks the little group. "Okay, everyone say Avengers assemble!"

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda gets a big grin as she adds her own, "Avengers Assemble!" for the picture. Afterward she smiles down to the boy and says, "Thank you for helping make the city a better place. We can't do it all, after all. You can be one of the team helping out your neighbors and your mother," she says.

The kid grins and runs off, and Wanda turns back to Clint. "I wish being noticed was all like that," she tells him, reaching out to rest her hand within the bend of his arm again, and not noticing that others are still taking pictures.

"So, paddle boat? Or do you feel like putting those muscles to use on a row boat?" she asks, sliding her hand up towards his bicep and giving it a little squeeze as she grins at him.

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint joins in with the 'Avengers Assemble' battle cry with a big grin on his face. "Yeah, listen to her kid, she's way smarter than me," Clint says with a wink. "And thanks for saying hi, here," he fishes into his jacket pocket and hands the kid a toy Avengers ID card, before saying goodbye and shaking hands with his mom after he came over to collect her son.

Clint smiles as Wanda takes his arm again, "Yeah, I can imagine," he says concern dimming the smile a moment before he says, "Hopefully it's been more that kind of notice than the other recently?" he asks. He didn't know for sure, he knew there were assholes out there but he rarely got any flack except from cape haters, Wanda had to deal with the whole Humans First crowd.

"That's the question," Clint says, smiling again as she squeezes his arm. "I'm plenty strong enough, the real issue here is can you keep pace with me on the pedal boat."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda gives a little non-determinant answering bob of her head. "I get far less than others. But even just... it's the autograph signing really? From adults. I understand the picture, I've never got the autograph though. And then I saw something with my autograph for sale. I think I even remembered signing it at the time. I'm much happier when it is someone like the boy who spots us," Wanda says.

She peers over at Clint's pocket where the toy Avengers ID card came from. Her smile grows a little more, enough so that she looks away from Clint, lest too much show in her eyes at the moment. But her gaze is drawn back at the mention of the boat. "Oh, it's going to be like that, is it?" she says, the challenge in her own words no less for the slow, accented delivery. "I will keep up with you, Mr. Barton," she vows as they walk over towards the rental hut.

Clint Barton has posed:
"Ha, yeah, I am not sure about the autograph thing too either," Clint says. "I mean okay, we give them that, and then what to do they do with it? I mean besides sell it on Ebay or whatever?" he shakes his head people were weird.

Clint liked keeping a few of those sorts of things for the fan, old circus habit, not that he got many fans back then. It was funny he only became sort of famous once he was out of show business. He notice Wanda turn away, "You okay?" he asks her, but when shes on board with the boat plan and making promises he grins, "Well, guess we're going to have to see about that, c'mon," he says leading the way down to the lake to the boat rental, slapping down the money and asking the guy at the counter, "Do you guys have a boat to get us if we get stuck, I don't think this one can keep up," he says glancing over at Wanda with a smirk.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda lets out a laugh and says to the clerk, "Just watch which direction keeps turning in circle towards to see who is doing all the work." The teenage clerk just looks back and forth at them and says, "It doesn't really work like that, the pedals are connected."

He hands over life jackets. "Don't have to wear them but have to keep them in the boat. Please no ramming, no splash fights, no swimming," he adds by rote.

Wanda takes the lifejackets and motions for Clint to lead the way. She whispers towards Clint, "He doesn't seem to enjoy his job much." She follows along and then says, "I think I need to get some of those ID cards to give out. Did you have them made up, or do the staff have them somewhere?" she asks Clint as they go over to the paddle boats.

Clint Barton has posed:
Throwing up his hands in mock disgust Clint says, "Well that's just bullshit," he says about the pedals being connected. "Where's the fun in that?" he says with a wink to the confused clerk.

And sure he tips him a bit more becuase they're being a pain in the ass.

Once they're on the dock, Clint nots and looks back at the booth, "Definitely, but then such is teenage employment, or so I heard anyhow," he says.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda tells Clint, after he's paid for the boats and tipped the kid, "I'll pay for the next boat. And no that does not mean we're going to rent Tony's yacht," along with a little finger wag as if she expected Clint was thinking of that very thing.

Wanda stows the lifejackets in a little spot behind the seats. The paddle boat is plastic, with two formed seats side by side with a handle between them that controls the rudder. Both sides have a set of pedals not unlike a bicycle at their feet. Though there is room for one to just sit and relax, either drifting, or letting a friend pedal.

Wanda climbs into the boat, then holds to the dock to keep it steady for Clint. "Not I absolutely will not shake the boat the moment you step inside," she promises him, gazing up at the man with such an innocent expression that it can't be good.

Clint Barton has posed:
"Right, Lex Luthor's yacht then," Clint says without missing a beat. "Actually ew, that one had Lex Luthor in it, does Oliver Queen still have a yacht do you think? Or is he done with those since, y'know," Clint rambles through a cheeky grin.

"Do it," Clint says of shaking the boat. "I dare you." He steps nimbly off the dock, and unless the boat is shaken settles down with amazing ease for someone as tall and well-built as he was. Even if it is shaken he stands a good chance of making it, he really is nimble for someone his size.

Now the whole weight issue might be an issue, since he's got quite a bit on Wanda that might lead to an uneven ride for the pair.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda just does a tiny head-fake about shaking the boat, but doesn't, allowing Clint to take a seat safely. "I only let you sit without event because I didn't want to shake the city's confidence should they see an Avenger falling out of a paddleboat," Wanda explains with a smile. She pushes her sunglasses back up further from where they have slid down a little.

Wanda starts pedaling slowly, letting Clint take control of the rudder if he wants. "Is it just me or are we... tilty?" Wanda asks. It really isn't that, the boat engineered to handle a parent in one seat and a child in another, so the difference between Clint and Wanda is not enough really to be noteworthy. Though Wanda is at least making out as if it is.

She looks around the boat. "Perhaps just a bit," she says, holding up her hand and then giving it a tiny bit of tip in Clint's direction. A tiny bit, and then bunch more as if the boat were almost completely on its side, given by how she's holding her hand. "You did only have the one bowl of soup? It is hardy stuff, and a second bowl might explain it," she says, lips quirking with her grin.

Clint Barton has posed:
"I'm sure the PR guys appreciate that," Clint says with a grin for Wanda. "Oh speaking of the PR guys, they're the one with the toy badges," he says remembering her earlier question.

A pair of narrowed eyes turn Wanda's directions when she starts asking they're tilty complete with hand movements. He chuckles and throwing caution and the kid at the desk's warning into the wind he dips his hand down into the water and flicks it at Wanda. "Good thing I can't blast, because right now Witchy, you'd have made the list," he teases her despite knowing full well he'd started that joke.

He glances around the lake, "This is nice though, done this before? I bet Pietro could really get one of these things to move."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda holds up her hands and tries to duck the water but it gets her anyway. She takes off her sunglasses to wipe them with her shirt, a warm smile flashed over Clint's direction. "Blast list accomplished. Yesss..." she says with a grin. "Oh, he'd probably just say it's slow and why paddle when he can just across the water," she says, using her fingers to indicate his legs moving rapidly.

Wanda relaxes then, enjoying the sunny day, and even leaning forward to remove her jacket for a bit. "This is really nice," she tells him quietly as they slowly maneuver about the lake. After everything that's gone on... just getting away and clearing my head is... it helps a lot." She glances over towards Clint again, her eyes thoughtful but she doesn't try to express her thoughts, and looks away whenever he looks back to her.

Clint Barton has posed:
"Right, forget he can do that sometimes," Clint says, he lived in a crazy world where superspeed becomes a forgettable trait. There's a little flinch from the archer as the water splashes her shades. "Ooh, sorry about that. Definitely getting on that list, huh?"

Clint leans back and glances over at Wanda frowning a little as she looks away, "It is, thanks for sort of dragging me out here," he says wishing he'd brought shades, so he just lifts his hand to shade his eyes as he gazes up at the blue sky dotted with clouds. He breathes deep and lets it out again letting go of all the week's stresses. "Yeah it's been crazy," he agrees. "Thanks for making sure I relaxed a bit, you know with the fire and this." He looks over again and frowns and sniffs his armpit when she looks away. He doesn't comment he only frowns. "Met the girl dressing up at me the other day, she's a good kid," he says about the girl that had been on the news with Cosplay Iron Man the other night. "Was going to give her the third degree but ended up giving her some trick arrows and promised to give her pointers." He chuckles warmly at the memory. "I'm not crazy right? Kid wasn't going to listen to me if I told her to stop, just figured might as well help her out."

He starts to glance at Wanda again but stops short for now, still puzzled by Wanda's reaction.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda does look back after a bit, after she feels comfortable the little swell of emotions inside won't be so obvious in her eyes if Clint sees her looking at him. Wanda says in her slowly delivered English. "I'm sorry. That it's taken this long for me to get to know you this well." Wanda pauses. "I wish had before now," she says to him, giving him a soft smile.

Her sunglasses go back on and she gives a tiny laugh. "So you have an archer friend? I think that's kind of nice actually. If you think she can handle it, that is? It isn't easy, what we do. But I gather you wouldn't be giving her those and encouraging if you didn't thinks he had some potential. Future Avenger some day?"

Clint Barton has posed:
Looking over as Wanda talks and surprised when she doesn't look away, "Likewise, Wanda, I dunno why I didn't do more either," Liar. "You're a really cool person," he says. "It's been nice hanging out like this. Even if it did get me on the list?" he can't resist the little tension cutting joke at the end unless the who heart to heart got too real.

"Yep, no clue what her real name is, but I think I gave her my codename..." he says sounding a little sheepish about that. "They really need to put something on Twitter that holds the tweet a few minutes before it sends, so you can maybe change your mind." Elaborating he continues. "People were trying to come up with names for her on Twitter, Teen Hawkeye, Hawkess, Hawkette, I drew the line at Hawkingbird, tweeted out that she was named Hawkeye like me, and it sort of stuck. So, I guess there's two of us now?" he shrugs. "Social media is dangerous, just sayin'. And yeah, she's scary good, but raw, needs a lot more training and field experience, but hey, she hasn't been busted returning loot to a scene of a crime so she's got one up on me."

He ponders that last question, "Probably, I mean she's hanging around with someone in red and gold armour now, and you know that's a gateway drug to Avengering."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda keeps her eyes on Clint now, the sunglasses back in place hiding her green gaze. "You may have made more than one list, even," Wanda says in slow thoughtfulness. After a moment's consideration she gives a little faint shrug of her shoulders and a small smile. "Some might actually be good lists. We'll see." Her smile after gives the words a little extra warmth before the talk goes back to Hawkeye's wannabe.

Wanda gives a little laugh of delight. "Hawkingbird? I kind of like that one actually," she says, but then holds up her hands. "Far be it from me to interrupt in the name of a protege," she says.

They continue to paddle around the lake a little more, before Wanda says, "For me it was Steve. I mean the reason I ended up here. I figured... I was leaving the Brotherhood. And... was ashamed of some of the things I'd helped do." She pauses a moment, then seems to feel the need to take more responsibility than that. "Things I did," she amends. "I figured... if there was anyone that would help Pietro and I take the right path... Captain America."

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint's golden brows raise above blue eyes when he hears theat he made other lists. "I didn't know there /were/ other lists," Clint says. "Give a guy a hint?" he asks her hopefully.

There's a laugh for the name as well, "Yeah, it was pretty good, but I guess she's Hawkeye now." He shrugs like it's no big deal. "Really didn't think I'd be a 'father' by twenty-eight," he laughs as he leans back again.

"Cap's that kinda guy, y'know?" Clint says with a nod. "Just makes you want to be better?" he continue. "It was him and Tony for me, dropped by my room at SHIELD while I was recovering from" he looks up and gestures at his head. "Y'know, Loki," he says. He'd gotten his mind back thanks to Nat, and he'd fought but it took awhile afterwards to get his head feeling halfway normal again. "Anyhow they gave me a shot to join the team, and well, I took it for a lot of the same reasons you did, I'd done bad things, under Loki's sway and before, red in my ledger, figured it was time I tried to clear some of it."

He rolls half on his front and reaches out a hand to Wanda. "And hey, we aren't our pasts, right?"