——'build it up with sticks and stones'

EVI MAXIMOFF WAS SITTING ON THE COUCH in the living room, reading a magazine, when vision entered the room dressed as a magician.

"so, what are you doing again?" she asked

"just wait" vision smiled cheekily, he cleared his throat. "ladies and gentlemen! for my final trick, i bring you: the cabinet of mysteries" he waved his wand around

nothing happened and evi scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "if that's supposed to be the whole trick, then i think it isn't working"

vision shook his head and his hands fell to his sides in frustration. "yes, darling" he spoke loudly "that's your cue!"

"did you say, 'cabinet of mysteries?'" wanda called from the back of the room

"i said 'the cabinet of mysteries'" he repeated, waving his wand again.

this time wanda wheeled out a large cabinet. "oh, that's my cue. ooh!"

"you better practice before the actual performance, if not i'm pretty sure the cabinet will be a mystery forever" evi exclaimed sarcastically

"yes! yes!" wanda laughed it off

"holy toledo! darling, do all the other acts in the talent show have such elaborate props?"

"are you kidding? fred and linda are building a moat and a fully—functioning portcullis and no one even knows why. let's keep going." she instructed vision who nodded

"oh, yes, yes. where was i? um... watch closely as i, illusion, master of enigma, make my captivating assistant glamour disappear!"

they both opened the cabinet and wanda stepped inside. "you really are very dashing!" she smiled sheepishly

"mmh, thank you darling. fear not, glamour, for i, illusion, vow to bring you back exactly as you are" vision closed the cabinet

"you better are" evi exclaimed bored from the couch, her eyes going back to the magazine in her hand.

"abracadabra" vision waved his wand at the cabinet, and then opened it again, revealing that wanda was suddenly gone.

"tata" he smiled proudly, catching evi's attention, who just raised her brows at the empty cabinet.

after a few seconds, wanda re-emerged from a hidden wall in the cabinet and clapped. "didn't you like it, sweetheart?" she asked her sister, who just shook her head

"it seems rather obvious, doesn't it?"

"yes, um, wanda, you're not at all worried that the audience might see through this little charade?" vision asked worryingly, agreeing to evi's previous statement

"well, that's the whole point!" wanda explained excitedly "in a real magic act, everything is fake" she closed the cabinet.

"my dear family, the talent show fundraiser is the most important event of the season, and it's our neighborly duty to participate. plus, it's our chance to appear as normal as possible while doing so."

"i don't get it. why do we have to be normal?" evi asked bored "couldn't you just use your magic, wouldn't the people like that even better?"

"no, evi, the people wouldn't like that" wanda shrugged

"how do you know that?" evi exclaimed interested as she rose up from the couch

"it's just— nevermind, vision what do you say?"

"well, i don't think that should be a problem"

"i just—" wanda turned back to her sister, softly smiling at her. "this is our home now. i want us to fit in"

"don't you think we would fit in better if we stopped pretending to be someone we aren't?" evi asked confused

"no i don't. they are all normal here, so we should be too. you'll get used to it, sweetheart"

"i guess" evi muttered and sank back into the cushion

"don't worry, we will fit in just right! and we're going to knock their socks off! especially with you wearing this" vision picked up a very revealing outfit

"oh that's actually the rest of your costume"

"oh"

wanda checked her watch. "well, i better get going if i'm gonna make the planning committee meeting!"

"that's me off as well, actually. there's a gathering of the neighborhood watch at the public library. and after last nights excitement, i want to make sure this town's security is up to snuff!"

"well, and what am i supposed to do?" evi asked standing up and looking between the both

"you could— get to know the town!" wanda suggested

"can't i come with you to the committee?" evi asked hopeful, walking around town didn't seem to be exciting

"oh no, i'm sorry sweetheart, but i fear they don't allow children to come" wanda explained sadly

"what about you vision?" evi turned to her brother-in-law "couldn't i accompany you to the library?"

"i fear not" vision exclaimed with the same expression as wanda "no young ladies allowed!"

"getting to know the town it is, then" evi concluded bored.

"i'm sure it will be much more exciting thank you think" vision tried to make her feel better and evi send him a smile.

"you're right, it might not be bad" she nodded.

"well vision, i'm sure it's a great idea to secure the safety around town!" wanda added, correcting the direction of the conversation. vision smiled and leaned forward so that they could kiss.

"would you look at us?" he asked, both his hands on each girls shoulder "wanda, evi and vision, westview fitter—inners!"

"i'll see you both at curtain call!"

wanda and vision walked away, evi rolled her eyes and followed her sister out the door.

suddenly they could hear a strange noise. wanda stepped forward, spotting something in the bushes. she picked it up, but evi couldn't see what it was, since her sister was standing in front of it.

"what is is?" she asked, trying to walk around wanda to gain a better few at the object she was holding, but every step evi took, made it harder for her to see, cause wanda would move too.

"nothing!" wanda said and suddenly agnes arrived and the strange object left wanda's hold, falling back into the bushes.

"look, it's the star of the show!"

"agnes! i'm sorry, what did you say?"

"oh, i brought my pet rabbit. for your magic act!"

"yes of course, thank you agnes, we will take good care of him" wanda took the cage into her hands and brought him inside

"what about you, evi?" agnes asked "excited for the show?"

"i sure am!" evi nodded "but i'll have to waste some time before that. vision is off as well. wanda said i could get to know the town a bit. but it seems like that'll be boring"

"oh, well, be sure to stop at the ice cream shop, the owner knows me. say you get one on agnes"

"thanks agnes!" evi exclaimed smiling

"no problem" agnes winked, and when wanda came back, she acted like there had been a secret between them. "señor scratchy just loves the stage, he played baby jesus in last year's christmas pageant!"

"that's lovely. alright, i think we can go" wanda said before she turned to evi for a last time. "have fun, sweetheart, i'll see you later"

and with that they went off. evi was left standing in front of the house, not really sure what to do or where to go now. since their arrival in westview she had only ever spent time with wanda and vision, never once leaving the house on her own.

'well' thought evi 'there's always a first time to try something new' and so she stepped out of her garden and walked down the street in the direction of the ice cream shop.

———