deercountry | ( january catch all )

I don't know. Answer changes depending on the day.

( he shrugs his shoulders. )

It's not the absolute worst.

But it's still the worst.

[ she hums thoughtfully at that. the answer he gives her isn't surprising. amos seems like a glass-half-empty kind of man, even if he is enjoying himself.

she smiles. ] At least we get to go somewhere new without having to worry about passports. This city is kind of nice.

[ but wanda's a glass-half-full kind of person. ]

This city is...nice?

( well, it's not actively trying to kill them so that's something. )

I guess it coud be worse, sure.

Isn't it? We get free accomodation. We don't have to technically work for anything.

[ it's not like wanda has a steady job. she does a few bits of magic here and there, but that's about it. it feels a lot like her life in sokovia, really.

she doesn't look at him. ] There are nice people here you'd never have met otherwise.

I guess it's not the worst but —

( he eyes her steadily, curious. )

Would you rather stay here then go back home?

[ wanda considers lying and scoffing, telling him that no, of course not, she wants to go home. but that's not true, and wanda's tired of lying to herself. since coming to trench, she's realised that she likes it here for many reasons. there aren't many reminders of vision or the boys or pietro. here, she can be unburdened. ]

Yes.

[ she presses her lips together and glances at him before looking straight ahead. ]

I don't… [ she pauses for a brief moment and considers taking back her words. despite having kissed him on new year's eve, amos is still her friend, and he deserves the truth. ] really have anything back home.

( ah, that makes sense. he doesn't say anything immediately before nodding. )

So, this would be...more than you have.

( he says it gently. )

Yes.

[ it's not something wanda's ever said aloud, and now that she can hear it, it sounds rather pathetic. the trench is more than anything she's ever had in her life is sad. but she supposes that she's not the only one.

she looks at him and wrinkles her nose. ]

It's sad, isn't it?

No.

( amos shakes his head. it's not sad. it's not actually all that surprising. )

If you want to stay here, stay here. It's something better than nothing at all, you know. No one would miss you back there?

[ she shakes her head. ] Not really.

[ sam would be the only one, but he's so preoccupied with his own family that she knows that her staying in the trench wouldn't be much of a blip for him. he's not cruel, but his life is already so full that missing someone who's like a ghost wouldn't be detrimental. ]

A lot of my friends are dead. [ she sighs as she looks straight ahead. while it feels like stones are in her chest, she still feels as though she's floating. ] My… someone is dead. My sons are… I have no idea.

[ she shrugs and glances at him. ]

It's just happier here.

Never thought I'd hear someone say it's happier here.

( but she's right in that it's not bad. it's just...trying sometimes, difficult. it can be dangerous but for someone as powerful as her, maybe the danger is less. )

Think you could spend the rest of your life here and be happy?

[ she would hope so, but she knows the trench is merely another city. while its scope may change from time to time, it's not a protective bubble where the same losses don't happen. ]

I'd like to think so. [ she shrugs. she's not so naive as to believe the trench is infallible. ] There are fewer memories here. I think that's why I like it.

Just means you've got room enough to make some more.

( and he doesn't necessarily mean that in a bad way. )

You've made some good memories here, right?

[ she smiles and nods. ] Yes.

[ and he's a part of those, although, wanda's not quite sure how amos would handle hearing that. he doesn't seem like the overly sentimental type. ]

I have a car. I did have a car back home, but I have another car. [ she smiles. ] And horses. And a house.

[ all things she didn't have to mind control an entire town to have. that, for wanda, is something special. ]

Some very wild adventures. [ she laughs. ]

A car you broke.

( so he could fix it. yes, he's never going to let her forget. )

It hasn't been a bad here.

[ she laughs and huffs. ] I didn't break it.

[ let's not say things that aren't true, now, mr burton. she looks away from him and doesn't stop smiling. ]

I just made it not work sometimes.

Did you want to see me fix it that badly?

( amos smirks at her. )

Like the way it looks and all?

[ she's getting ready to divert from this route again. ]

I do like how my car looks, yes. It's a very nice car.

[ he left that one wide open for misinterpretation. wanda's already taken it and gone with it. ]

( he knows what you're doing, wanda. )

I'll be sure to take credit for that.

( since he'd been the one to help her build it. )

You should. It's a very nice car.

[ as she's already stated. wanda glances at him before she looks onward, tilting her head up in soft defiance of him trying to fluster her. ]

I'm happy to tell people you're the reason it's a good car. I like giving credit where it's due.

[ would help if you had a business card. ]

Do you tend to talk about your car to everyone?

( somehow, he doubts it. )

Or are you just saying that to put me off?

[ she gasps, laughing. wanda furrows her brows. ]

Put you off what?

I don't know, something.

( he shrugs. )

Trying to make it seem like you talk about me to other people.

Only when it comes up.

[ considering that wanda's a bit of a quiet social butterfly, that's not often. ]

I don't go around telling everyone about you. "Hi, I'm Wanda, and I have a friend named Amos. Do you know him? You should befriend him." If I do that, that means less time for me.

[ and that's not okay. ]

Less for you?

( that seems unintentionally revealing and he raises an eyebrow. )

That would bother you?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject