sixthiterationlogs | [MINGLE] Christmas at Liv's

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[MINGLE] Christmas at Liv's

WHO: Liv Moore
WHERE: House 42
WHEN: 25 December, from late morning on
OPEN TO: Anyone invited and anyone walking past who would poke a head in!
WARNINGS: Nothing yet, should be pretty chill
NOTE: The booze is limited, but there is: Bourbon, champagne, cognac, red and white wine, gin, rum, scotch, and vodka

I am not going to act like this is my most joyous, festive holiday season. It is, in fact, one of the worst Christmases I've ever had. I've got a lot to be thankful for, don't get me wrong, and contrary to the popular view, I don't actually have a problem being here. Rather, it's that other people aren't.

I am also not going to act like I didn't throw myself a little too intensely into the holiday preparations as a coping mechanism for that.

I have a tree! That part was easy; I have a lumberjack for a boyfriend. The decorations are a little thrown-together and there aren't many of them, but it smells nice, and when we're done with it we can use it for (more) firewood. I also got two big boxes from our overseers filled with exactly the ingredients I need to put on a really amazing holiday feast, which yes, is creepy as hell, but I'm not looking that horse in the mouth. Not when they included coffee and sugar.

Today I have a ton of people coming over, and loads to cook. Sam showed up early to help, and that's a bigger relief than I'd realized it would be. On the menu: Mashed tubers, bacon balsamic Brussels sprouts, glazed carrots, bread stuffing, lemon and Parmesan-crusted something-fish, roasted sort-of-goose, shortbread cookies, eggnog (tipsy and not), hot chocolate, coffee, and a whole lot of booze.

I don't know everybody coming, and there are so many of them that we've had to carry in extra tables and chairs from an empty house, but that's okay. I'm glad we all have a place to be today, and if somebody random wanders up and wants a plate, that's okay, too. The more, the merrier.

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Wanda had heard about the party in passing and hadn't initially intended to go but then she learned that Liv was going to be the host. She had never met Liv personally but she knew a little bit about her from talking to Major and wanted a chance to finally meet her.

It was awkward showing up to a place she's never been before but she knew enough about the Christmas Holiday to blend into the general merriment of the event. She wore the only nice outfit she owned and grabbed two little ornaments she'd made as a gift for the host. Her long hair hung loosely over her shoulders, falling in gentle curls to the base of her spine. Her expression was warm and light but despite her best efforts, a shadow lingered in her light misty green eyes.

Wanda hadn't shaken off the effects of the short clip she had experienced a few days before. She was comfortable with her past and her decisions up until this moment but the clip had been of her future. She wanted to ask Steve or Bucky or... anyone about it but she wasn't sure if they knew or if it was a good topic to bring up at what should be a happy gathering.

It was best to push it from her thoughts and address it later.

She had a small cup of scotch in one hand and milled about the party. She only took enough alcohol to relax, knowing that there wasn't very much of it, and it worked. She felt the tension in her shoulders ebb and a more natural smile shape her lips. It was nice to see everyone and it really was a great party.

Eddie is the perfect gift giver. It stems from a desire to please and to be thanked. To be included. Consequently the best gift he was going to give Anne was ...well. Space. Besides. It wasn't like she didn't have Dan, back in San Francisco. Like she didn't have a number of other friends right?

Right. This is totally natural and honestly Wanda's one of the few people that gets his fingers all warm and tingling when their hands touch and Anne is one thing but Wanda...

Wow.

I take it you like that outfit?

Well I mean yeah, she looks like somebody you'd see in a bar or-I mean-like a club like a nice, classy club and...

This is why your heart rate is picking up. Our palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are-

"Did you just...did you just quote an Eminem song at me?" He blinks, tilting his head up, "...Okay that's it I'm doing this for both our sakes."

That and she was concerned. Pacing over, Eddie sticks his hands in his pockets. He still looks tired and haggard when he approaches. He smiles never the less.

"...This is the part where I ask if I can buy you a drink but it's a party. So I'm gonna ask if I can bring you a drink."

This is fine. Anne wants this. Doesn't she?

Stop it. Talk to her.

"I kind of owe you an explanation."

"Hey." Her mouth stretched into a warm smile. It was good to see Eddie out and enjoying himself. She had been worried but she hadn't wanted to crowd him after he had asked for some time to himself.

"I'm almost done this. If you'd like to refill it for me." Wanda lifted the cup in her hand to indicate what she was talking about. Not that it'd be hard to guess or that the drinks were particularly far away. It was still nice of him to offer, if not a little awkward.

Wanda stepped closer to his side, her misty green eyes bright and curious as she searched his gaze.

"Umm.." Her lips curled briefly inward. "How are you and Venom doing?"

"I can manage that." He settles in beside her before staring at his hands and fixing as much sincerity as he can into his features. His smile is rougish as he looks up again, "Finally a little alcohol right?"

It's cute how you think you'll get to have any of that. Inebriation is a weakness.

"...We're fine." Eddie twitches, "And I'm uh...recovering. A little bit after what happened. I really can't thank you enough for what you did for me."

He's not including the "Us" in this because Venom didn't get it. This is a Me thing. Not a We thing.

wholly fine with that. Just. No beer.

"Yeah." Alcohol was nice though Wanda rarely drank to excess. "It's relaxing and interesting. There are a lot of different drinks here."

Wanda enjoyed being around friends and being able to see everyone smile and enjoy themselves. This party was different than the ones that suddenly appeared around the inn or in a corn maze. It felt more natural and safe.

"I'll always be there for you Eddie." She paused and added. "And Venom." Though Wanda realized that she hadn't really had a conversation with Venom yet. She had seen him on the network but at the time she hadn't been able to reply back to him.

"I'm glad that you're doing better."

Wanda looked like she was going to say more but she hesitated. She didn't know when Eddie was from, only that they were from the same world. Would he know about Thanos? Could she mention her own clip? Wanda wasn't sure if it was a good idea to explain. It might be better at another time.

"...I'm hoping this doesn't sound creepy as hell-but I owe being better to you. And Arado." He grins weakly then looks sincere, "...You didn't have to be that kind but you were. I uh...I appreciate that."

He pauses, picking up on the nerves, "...everything okay with that?"

"It doesn't sound creepy." She paused thoughtfully. "Yet." Her tone was light and warm. There would be time to think of depressing things later.

"Yes. I'm sure Arado is okay with that too." This was one of the rare instances that Wanda didn't have her dog with her. It wasn't usually up to Wanda. If Arado wanted to follow then he would.

"Venom is insisting we get some sort of pet." He shrugs his shoulders, "I tried telling him animals hate me but he insists. You got Arado from the...our uh...benefactors right?"

"...You ever see those youtube animal videos? He spent most of his evenings watching that."

"I'm his third owner but he arrived in a box from whoever brought us here." Arado had been in the village for almost as long as Wanda had. "I think that's why he's so protective but there are other animals here you can domesticate."

Wanda's smile widened. "What animals did he watch on YouTube?"

She didn't spend a lot of time on YouTube.

"Cats. Dogs. Animals. Tiny snakes. Octopi. It's weird. I slept and he had more autonomy - not like he does here but I'd wake up and my youtube searches were suddenly all cute cat videos. Tiny panda bears...There was this one with tiny panda bears in baskets that rolled around each other."

He shrugs his shoulders, "Nice distractions from the way the world works lately. Also kind of cute to have a world destroying alien watching pictures of baby snakes."

"That's cute." She imagined a race like Thor but Eddie shapped, giggling over cute YouTube videos.

Wanda's finger circled the rim of her cup as she thought about the animals she's seen near the village. "There are crocdogs and antalopdogs." She rose her drink too her lips and finished her drink.

"Would you want one of those?"

Eddie might be staring stupidly. No scratch that. He is staring stupidly. She's really pretty but he fucks that shit up which is why-

"Not...yet."

What?! Why not?! we would take good care of it!

Eddie leans back, "I want proof we could take good care of it. Maybe volunteer to petsit."

Edited 2018-12-26 01:16 (UTC)

A light rosy blush brushed across the bridge of her nose. His stare was a little slack and unfocused but she felt his gaze on her and it made her smile. Wanda wasn't used to this much positive attention.

"Do you want to watch Arado? You can take him for the night."

She paused thoughtfully and then added. "I can stay with you if you're that worried. Then another night you can keep him on your own." Arado was fairly self sufficient, so Eddie wouldn't have to do much.

"I think he's comfortable with both of you." It was probably the best test he could have. Even if Arado got out, the trained dog would just sniff out Wanda.

"...You'd be okay with that?"

A dog? We're going to take care of a real live dog? Excellent! It will do tricks! All dogs do tricks like fall into pools and bounce on beds-

Completely oblivious to Wanda eddie tilts his head upward, "You see any pools? Or beds? Please don't try and coerce Wanda's dog into doing anything like that."

He pauses, "Maybe just for a few hours so you can uh...make sure Venom doesn't try and film stupid pet tricks with him? I'll make dinner."

Wanda gently bit her lower lip to stop herself from laughing. "A few hours is fine and he does know some tricks." Arado was a very well trained dog.

"Do you know German?" Clint had trained Arado and all of the dog's commands were in German.

He could probably jump on a bed. He curled up on Wanda's all the time.

"I don't. A little Arabic and I speak Spanish, but not German. Does he speak in German commands? That'd make sense."

You can also speak Cantonese. If you want.

"...Wait what?" But Venom slid back into him and Eddie, staring at nothing, frowns, "...You're- what are you talking about? I-" He shakes his head, "...Ignore me. He speaks in German cause he's a German shepard?"

Wanda spoke a few languages though she only knew two fluently. German was her weakest language but she'd learned enough from Clint to give Arado's his commands smoothly.

"It was the language that his last owner taught him. He was bread to be a hunting dog. There isn't much he isn't trained to do." It was also the reason why Arado didn't initially try and bite at Eddie after meeting him... besides the fact that he had a dead bird in his mouth.

"I don't know why he chose the language except that it isn't really spoken here."

"I guess that makes sense." He pauses, "So like - what. Ich Bein ein Berliner?"

He grins, sincerely, "Sorry. I love that era of history. The Kennedys and then Nixon. S'whole reason I became a reporter."

Wanda huffed a short laugh. "No jelly donuts. They're all single words like stay or retrieve. Bleibe. Abrufen." She repeated the two words in German as an example. It was a shame that Arado wasn't here or she could have shown Eddie.

"It's fine. It's cute."

She paused but quickly decided to talk past that comment. "I'm continuing to teach him new commands. It takes time but it Arado's a good student."

Eddie's smile is warm and genuine. His chest twitched as he thought of Anne, wondering if she was okay, if she was happy-

But then he caught Wanda's gaze and grinned an unintentionally goofy grin, "...Well whatever you can teach me, I'll take. My language skills amount to Hablando mal español para tratar de informar sobre las noticias de San Francisco."

Is he showing off? Yes. And remembering the last time he showed off he paused, "...That was rude I'm sorry. People hate when I do that. So...one night with the dog and you meet my...roommate officially. How's that sound? That sounds like a good date."

"Impressive" Her tongue briefly pressed against the inside of her cheek. It was the only thing that stopped her from smiling like an idiot. "I'm better at Russian and Slovakian." Wanda wasn't insulted. She knew a lot of people who knew a lot of languages and she was used to hearing people switch between them.

"One night." She agreed. "That sounds like a good date." Wanda used his phrasing.

"Who's your roommate? Someone I might already know?" She didn't meet a lot of people but there was always a chance.

"I live with 7. But I was talking about Venom. You should meet 7 too- V's got a little ...crush? I-"

It is mutual respect!

"Okay okay." He shakes his head, "It's mutual respect. But ...Y'know I mean if I get some kind of pet Venom's gotta approve of it."

"I'd like to meet them both and I'm sure that we'll be able to find a pet for you and Venom that you both like." She remembered the way that Arado had reacted to him upon meeting him and then again after entering Eddie's home. It's likely that most animals will have that reaction.

"It might take some time."

She looked down at her drink and then nodded towards the kitchen. "I'm going to get more. Do you want anything?"

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[MINGLE] Christmas at Liv's

Wanda Maximoff | OTA

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