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Who: Wanda Maximoff
Broadcast: Yes
Action: A music store in Relnyx
When: Today

Look at this!

[Yes, there are little wisps of red at the edges of the feed. No, your communicator's not broken. Wanda's just holding hers aloft with her powers to show a good look at the instrument in front of her. It looks like a theremin, or what would pass for one in this corner of the universe. The vertical antenna is instead a spiral with lights that slowly shift colors, and the entire thing is a shiny chrome.

Wanda moves her hand (the one that isn't glowing for good measure) over the horizontal antenna and it makes a sound not unlike a synthesized string section. The notes change as her hand position does, and while it's not a particular melody, Wanda clearly thinks it's very cool.

She does the same thing with the other hand, and the space beside the vertical antenna almost sings. Someone offscreen says something to her, and when Wanda changes her technique to include vibrato it sounds like a very good synthesized voice.]

--like this? [Apparently the answer is 'yes,' because Wanda grins and turns back to the camera.] They have so many strange instruments here, but I've never seen one like this.

It is not what I'm used to, but it would be something to do while we drift.

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[Wanda's already bought some things for herself - clothes, makeup, bedding - but this feels different. The others are necessities if she's not to be entirely miserable in her time here. The theremin and all its related paraphernalia aren't really a replacement for anything, they're just the kind of thing you buy for a home.

She hates this. She hates everything about having her life on display for the amusement of faceless thousands (millions? billions?). But Vision makes her forget.

She could almost forget where they were if not for the weird octopus-toilet-thing.]

I don't know what that is but I don't think it's for us.

[Wanda takes him arm and leans close, looking wistfully at an artfully-decorated couch. Too big and heavy for their purposes (and probably outside their budget) but she can easily imagine curling up with him after a practice session on it.]

They look better than the Atroma chairs but I think most of them will still need pillows.

[Who wants to sit directly on cold metal in space, especially in a skirt or shorts? Not Wanda, that's who.]

[Home is a funny thing. He'd made a home here, once, and when he'd returned everything was different - his ship had been gobbled up by another ship, important people had gone home, and his cozy Captain's nest had disappeared off into the void. And yet--his gardens were still there, and Wrath's mural, and Kitty and Kurt and Makie and even Winter/Bucky and Natasha. And even the ones who are gone now are still here in memory - and unlike back in his own timeline, he has all those memories. Home is about feeling safe, comfortable, and no amount of phantom audience is enough to take that away. Not from someone who's been a public figure set apart from the rest of society all his life.

Home is where he can relax into himself without fear, and for a long time now that's meant being where Wanda is.

He takes note of the couch she gazes at. Maybe not in this system, but if they get to another one where organic resources are more common, furniture like that will come in a better selection and at a cheaper price. And they'll have a better idea of what the room might look like once the current setup is in place.]

Yes, there should be cushions around here somewhere. Is there one that's about the right height?

[Maybe they'll have one of the fancy fabric printers so you can make your own pillowcase designs. And maybe he can pick up a few more pillows for Wanda's bed while they're here....]

[She'd really prefer the more organic decor for the sake of coziness, but making their space properly theirs is going to take time (and money she can't justify spending on that kind of luxury yet). So...baby steps. And lots of pillows.]

Hmmmm... [A very strange-looking bench catches her eye - it has the minimalist style that's so popular here but hasn't completely done away with personality. It's also much cheaper than the comfy-looking couch, and Wanda has the distinct impression that it's a lot lighter than it looks.]

What about that one? It's a little strange, but I like it.

[It's large enough and doesn't look too awkward to get through the ship, so he nods.]

Have a seat and see how it feels? If it's the right height for you?

[Being wide enough for two, he can sit down right next to her and test it out himself, though he doesn't really have much to contribute. He just wants to sit next to her for a moment.]

This is your chance to determine the decorating scheme of the entire room, you understand.

[She settles onto the bench and raises her hands as if to play the theremin. The height seems okay, and there's enough room for both of them...

...but that doesn't stop Wanda from leaning into his side when she lowers her hands, laughing. She would absolutely have done this a week ago, before she'd realized her feelings for him, but this time it's more purposeful. There's no sudden worry after the fact about whether or not it was 'too much.']

I've never decorated a room before, not all the way.

[In her time, her room at the Avengers compound is still very much a work in progress. Then, as now, the bed was her main concern and everything else just kind of happened because she saw something she liked. The candles on the windowsill were the only thing she went intentionally looking for.

Left to her own devices, the same pattern is likely to happen here.]

But I think this leaves us room to choose more things we like if we see something else.

[It's white, so they're not limited to a color scheme yet, and it could easily fit into a variety of aesthetics. It's definitely a better fit than some of the other options (although everything beats the weird octopus-toilet-seat).]

[And unlike a week ago, this time the Vision can wrap an arm around Wanda's shoulders and press a quick kiss to the side of her head when she leans in.] Yet even so, you have a better idea than I do about decoration.

[His room at the compound is a bare room with a painting in it. At least here on the ship he has a few printouts of Wrath's sketches, a couple plants and a fishbowl (empty, but he can move one of the glowfish there if the power goes out, and the glittery pebbles at the bottom are a souvenir from one of the long-ago visited worlds that the ship had kept). ]

I like the idea. We'll mark this one, then, and find some cushions to go with it?

[It's not like he has anything else to spend his credits on, really, aside from contributing to Kitty's restock-the-kitchens fund.]

[They may soon have another room to decorate together, if they later decide to merge their quarters. Wanda can't deny that her thoughts keep going to other things they might eventually want - better seating, more pillows, storage, decorations...

Maybe they're moving too quickly, but while it sometimes makes Wanda nervous how easy it is, it feels perfectly natural. He's given her a metaphorical home here, so why shouldn't they make a physical one?

She nods and gets to her feet, offering Vision in her hand in a reversal of their usual roles.]

I think we should look for soft colors. Something calming, yes? And maybe a blanket or two.

[Definitely more pillows, because according to his research the room merger comes with a larger bed. Maybe it's because he usually rests floating vertically, but the Vision has found that when he sleeps he likes to be well-cushioned, almost nested.

But for now, seat cushions. He takes her hand and gives it a light squeeze as he gets up, following her lead to yet another section of the shop.]

That would be pastels? [There doesn't seem to be a huge selection of hues at this store, but a couple of sky blue and lavender patterns look all right.] Why a blanket?

[Wanda gravitates towards the lavender cushions, running her free hand over the to feel the textures. She's not consciously trying to avoid the blue ones...but they don't catch her eye.]

Space is cold and it's harder to play some instruments if you aren't warm enough. Like a guitar or Makie's shamisen.

[And having ways to keep yourself warm that don't cover your hands is really helpful. Circulation is a jerk.]

It doesn't hurt, but it's harder to play faster songs.

I see. Perhaps a "snuggie" is called for, then.

[Not being able to consciously regulate your own body temperature sounds inconvenient, okay.]

Though if we have fabric-based decorations on the walls, they can help insulate the room as well as provide a measure of soundproofing.

[Wanda gives him a strange look and laughs, letting her head briefly fall against his shoulder. What a weird word for it...it almost sounds wrong coming out of his mouth.]

I like having you close, but I don't think I could play very well with you holding me, love.

[Only part of that is physical - of course she'd be terribly distracted, too.]

Maybe we could put curtains on the walls if we find something we like. But it might need to wait until the next system. [She doesn't have unlimited money and she did just have to throw some semblance of a wardrobe together.]

[He blinks, taken aback a bit, but--oh.]

Er, actually I meant a blanket with sleeves. There's a brand name, "Snuggie". [Oh no, is he revealing how much late-night TV he's watched?] I'm sure there's something of the sort here you could look at.

[They might have to go to a different store, though.]

Yes, we don't have to do everything now. Perhaps you could think of some ideas and then see what's available?

Oh. [Wanda laughs. She can't help it; it's such a funny name.] There must be something like that in one of these stores. Humans can't be the only ones who think space is cold.

[Circulation is a bitch, okay?

Wanda turns her attention back to the cushions, reaching for a pretty patterned purple one. It looks almost mandala-like, but more computerized.]

What do you think? Purple and blue? Or just purple?

It's more that our ships aren't outfitted with the best heating systems, despite being intended as permanent dwellings. [Atroma is cheap. Or they like their contestants in a mild state of discomfort, or both.]

The purple one, I think. It will give you more decoration options than being committed to a single scheme.

[It's certainly a very visceral reminder of how little control they have.]

It reminds me of home a little. Especially this one. [Her hand lingers on another, darker cushion that's reminiscent of her comforter from the compound. She'd decided on purple and gray as the main colors for her room there, too - not everything she owns has to be red. Or black.

Wanda raises a few with her powers, both light and dark purple.]

We should look at floor cushions for Makie. She sounded interested, too.

Those would go together well.

[He looks pleased at the mention of Makie liking the idea.]

Very good. A bench, a floor cushion, a few other cushions - is that all you require, do you think?

[Wanda nods, gently squeezing his hand.]

I think it's a good start. And then maybe we can find the nearest food court, see if there is anything you want to try.

I'd like that very much.

[There's bound to be some appetizing-looking space food around here. It's a simple matter to get their purchases checked out and shipped over to the bay where their shuttle is docked, and then they can spend the rest of their time on the station wandering around, grabbing a bite to eat, and doing otherwise normal things a couple might do on vacation.

It's absolutely magnificent.]

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