maskormenace | (no subject)

[ So here's a new kid on the network tonight. Trying to find an angle that lets him hide at least some of his nervousness. Or at least lets him use it to channel his best impression of a Definitely Normal Team, No Superheroics Here Honest. He mostly just looks awkward and nerdy, which is … accurate anyway, so let’s go with that. ]

Hey - um, so I’m Peter. Peter Parker. And I just got here, and -

[ He’s read through what’s left of his files, he’s read through the last couple weeks of posts just to get a feel for things. After that, he has one incredibly important question: ]

Did I seriously just barely miss out on a Death Star being here? For real? That’s not fair. Please tell me it’s coming back at some point.

[ That’s probably an objectively incorrect thing to want, but. Look. That would have made his entire life. He could die happy. For the second time. Well, the second time dying, first time dying happy. Anyway, he turns reluctantly to the list of actual serious questions he made. Not enough time to ask them all (unless he just takes in a breath and rapid fire asks all of them in thirty seconds) so he’ll just pick one for now. ]

So, school. How is that working out for people who still hafta go? And can you like … argue with it at all? Because I’m all for finishing high school, but this is my third time going into sophomore year and I’m starting to feel like that movie with the Ghostbuster being depressed in Pennsylvania.

(( OOC: Spoilers for Far From Home are likely, but I can avoid them if necessary! ))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

‘Course he is. Thor’s, like, a founding member of the Avengers.

Ohhhh, Avengers. I've heard of them before. Some have come in and out before.

[ None of them had ever stayed for long. ]

That's - weird. But good, probably? Just, um, be careful? I'm sure he's a nice dude, but sometimes superheroes aren't all that you've chalked them up to be.

[ Well, he knows that too. But. ]

I know they’re not perfect. I interned for Mr. Stark for a while, and he’s ... himself.

[ He’ll be the first to admit Tony Stark is kind of a dick. But there’s a quiet ache in his voice too. ]

Just making sure. Some people wanna trick themselves into believing what they always did, and it - well, it doesn't always work out so good. You gotta make your own decisions but it's a tough lesson to learn.

[ Wait, go back. ]

Wait, you interned for Stark? Dang. You just missed him.

[ What? Peter straightens instantly at that, looking hopeful - and then stricken. ]

He was here? Alive?

Yeah, he --

[ Oh. ]

Oh. Oh, no. I'm sorry, this - this day keeps on getting worse for you, huh. I, um, didn't know him well enough to know what he was coming from. But this place doesn't work like normal places do. Sometimes people can come here even after they die.

[ You could have given him one nice thing, Jaime. But no, you had to tell him the truth. ]

Oh. So - he was here, and then he went back.

[ To die all over again, or just be dead. That's what the rest of his expression says. ]

...yeah.

Listen, you sure you don't want to take me up on that talk? It seems like maybe you could use it. This place is a lot, even without - without that sort of thing. And I know a thing or two about what that's like. I, um, made a Memorial Centre for the guy I lost and everything.

It's a whole thing.

[ The best way to cheer Peter up is to make him focus on someone else. Sympathy immediately softens his expression, smooth away the worst edges of that pain. ]

Maybe talking would help. Yeah. If - if you've gone through that kinda thing too.

[ Soft gratitude in his tone as well. He could genuinely use the advice from someone (roughly) his age who's gone through the same thing. ]

Yeah. I have.

Listen, I know you must have a lot on your plate getting used to things right now, but when you're ready to talk - let me know? I'll buy you a meal, or something. They don't give you a whole lot of cash to start off your life here, and I got more than enough. I can show you around the Centre too, if it'd make you feel better to put up a, um, memorial or something.

Up to you. Everyone deals with this stuff differently.

[ Yeah. $250 is something, but he'll (literally) eat through that all too quickly. He's gotta get ready for school and his part time job, and everything else...

But he nods a little, deeply touched. ]

I'd really like that. All of that.

Sounds good. I'll get you fixed up. And... I know things seem rough right now, but even if you can't count on everyone here being decent, in my experience? Most people are.

You're gonna be just fine. Just gotta get over this hump first. You already got my number; just look up my name on your communicator, and there you'll have it.

Thanks, Jaime. I'll definitely message you or something.

[ He means it; Jaime will probably have a note from Peter within a couple weeks. ]