epidemiology | ＷＩＴＨＧＲＥＡＴＰＯＷＥＲ...

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ＷＩＴＨＧＲＥＡＴＰＯＷＥＲ...

CHARACTERS: Peter Parker and YOU
DATE: During the separations!
WARNINGS: Standard warnings for event themes. Body horror, gore, death, etc!
SUMMARY: Some open logs for Peter around the island!

ｐｏｗｅｒｆａｉｌｕｒｅ.

( apparently it's the status quo around these parts to not be up to normal capacity, yet Peter really hadn't imagined that applied to him. he wasn't magical by any means, whatever had the natives unable to reach their gifts, it couldn't tamper with his genetic modifications... or so one would assume.

apparently, whatever was affecting the island was affecting him too, much to his discomfort. it had been a very long time since he felt so uncomfortably incapable. and everything else happening on the island only made the feeling worse.

so, of course, one of the first things he did was head off to the jungle to see the limits of what he could do. which was not a lot. he would lose his grip climbing, he wasn't even a fraction as strong as he remembered — though, objectively, he probably looked like he could climb pretty well (when he wasn't falling from the tree from losing his grip, that is), but Peter was more than aware of what he was missing.

at least one thing worked as it should, though with his decreased strength, they could almost be too powerful. one attempt to pull himself into a tree only resulted in all the coconuts in the tree falling to the ground, and unfortunately, it seemed like he was being spectated. shit. fairly certain they couldn't have seen anything except the bizarre result, it was backpedalling time. ) Wow. Some wind, huh?

( great lie, bro. #nailedit)

ｄｕｓｔｔｏｄｕｓｔ.

( it feels like a failure, to have so many bodies to burn.

the natives did plenty to set up the funeral pyre. the families of the victims brought tokens and flowers and tears, standing and watching the blaze with fear and uncertainty in their eyes. as hard as it is to watch, Peter won't let himself leave just because he doesn't like how it feels. just like he had with Gwen's grave, he stays and he dwells on the horrible churn of guilt.

there's tears burning at his eyes that have nothing to do with the smoke of the fire. he may not have known any of them personally, but that doesn't make any of it easier. he's got to do what he can to make sure nobody else has to watch their family, friend, burn away. it was macabre, yes, but for him? there was no better motivation.

he'd failed too many people already. this was where it stopped, if he had anything to say about it. )

ｇｏｔｃｈａ... ?

( and, of course, running around not sleeping and trying to protect everyone? it doesn't always work as well as intended. especially when you spend some of your time running around in a spandex suit. because, yes, of course he can't let go of the mask, not when he'd had the reason he wears it so heavily reinforced.

he may not have family to go after, here, but that doesn't mean he's willing to give up his secrecy just yet.

so when he goes on patrol on his own, he wears the suit. he can't quite zip around the skyline like he's used to, but he can crawl around undetected in the shadows. and when he spots something suspicious, creeping too close to a house...

thwip - thwip - thwip —

suffice to say whoever was sneaking around — or just walking through town at night — isn't going anywhere, thanks to the web sticking them to the wall. it's fine, no need to panic; Spider-Man drops down in the sand a second later. it takes him a minute to realize that who he's looking at is probably a member of his team, and not a secret deer murderer. he sighs. )

C'mon, don't go sneaking around in the dark when there are deer abductors on the loose. Unless you are a deer abductor... ? ( is he joking? maybe? it's hard to tell. )

ｃｌｏｓｅｄ.

( it may not be the most fun way to meet up with someone, but hey. patrols needed to be made, and there didn't seem to be a good reason to go at it alone. so maybe he could suit up if he was on his own, but with his strength so severely limited since he showed up in Nalawi, Peter has been spending more time as a... normal guy.

it's weird. maybe not bad, but he does feel like maybe he could help more if he wasn't suffering from the same lack as everyone else. it's been a long time since he tried to help based on normal human strength, or close to it.

he's waiting near the beach, at a table with a few crude tools and a... well, completely decimated remainder of his cell phone. sorry verizon. it's for a good cause. Peter just inherently struggles with simply sitting still and waiting, is all. as soon as Stiles joins him, he can put it away pretty quickly. thanks, handy dandy backpack. )

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[ Well, you know what they say: there is no i in patrol... and honestly, when his offer to let Peter disintegrate his cell phone in the name of SCIENCE and GOOD DEEDS turned into an agreement to go out to patrol the area together, well, he'd have been an idiot not to say yes-- not least because walking around and trying to find all signs of ritual anything had become Stiles' favourite pastime as of late.

-- well, maybe "favourite" is not the right word for it. "Actually making him feel useful" would be more accurate, or perhaps even "satisfying his curiosity". Because if there was a mystery to be solved, something strange and magical happening that no one could figure out... that was what he was there for, back home, to figure things out.

(And if he couldn't, here, why had he even been brought here? What was he good for?)

He arrives to their designated meeting place in half-jog, feet almost slipping in the sand, hands shooting out to his sides to balance himself in a movement that ends up looking like a combination of sign language and an elaborate para-para dance; in his right hand, he holds his cell phone, unassuming and blissfully unaware of the fate awaiting it. ]

Hey, man, I hope you didn't wait long, I, uh, I had to stop on the way to draw this circle-thing made of seashells, it sort of seemed important.

[ He finally stills in front of Peter, scratching his cheek with his free hand. ]

( unluckily for Stiles, despite Peter's apparent fixation on the corpse of his cell, he hears his company coming and looks up with more than enough time to catch that 'graceful' save. he's definitely not 100%, but it turns out spidey senses are pretty strong, even at 10%. Peter's mouth twitches in an attempt not to laugh or seem amused. it's hard to say how well it works but, hey, it has probably been awhile since he was amused.

seems like a long time since they were joking about getting lost in lumberjacks and putting together team alliteration.

he pushes his glasses up his nose, and reaches out to take the phone, squinting at it and turning it over in his palm. a newer model, a smart phone, too — promising. he shakes it, managing a glimmer of a smile. it's a glimmer of hope, maybe — enough to boost his spirits a little. )

Thanks, man. ( he tucks it in his pocket and starts to dust the bits and pieces of his own phone in a ziplock bag that had held a sandwich at one point. ) No, I didn't, I've only been here a couple minutes. ( which meant he'd managed to that amount of destruction to his phone in that time. that wasn't weird, was it...? he's more distracted by what kept Stiles. )

Wait, was it? ( they could go back and check it out if they needed to. )

[ Yata would be quite offended by the accusation of 'sneaking around'. He's just walking, thank you very much, and maybe trying to stick close to various buildings because the prospect of being attacked and dragged into the night by tiny deer cultists is terrifying. Thus, when he's suddenly assaulted out of nowhere, the yelp he lets out when he's suddenly stuck to the wall is loud and distinctly alarmed. His instinct is to immediately struggle with the sticky webbing holding him in place, a task he takes to so vehemently he doesn't notice Peter until he speaks up. ]

I was not sneaking around!

[ Yata's protest is angry and loud. Probably way too loud for the time of night. He's not about to apologize, though, especially not once he gets a good look at Peter. ]

... are you supposed to be some kinda cosplayer?

( cosplayer is ... honestly, it's pretty fair. he's seen the sort of costume people go to NYCC in, sometimes even on the subway, and, okay he'd blend in pretty well. especially considering some people in the city have even taken to dressing like him, though Peter is pretty sure that's only children.

it's kinda weird to not be recognized instantly. everyone knew Spider-Man back home, for better or for worse. he sighs, and it's only mildly exaggerated. )

Trust me, man, nobody would commit to cosplay in this weather. ( way too hot... it sucks being in the suit right now. he reaches forward to free the webbing on one arm, at least apologetic enough. ) Sorry. Even Spider-Man makes mistakes.

( that statement is rather painfully true, actually. )

[ Yata shakes his wrist out as soon as he's free of the webbing. He still looks pretty skeptical at the claim that Peter is not some sort of cosplayer, but that skepticism starts to fade when he hears the name 'Spider-Man'. That's not someone that exists in either reality or fiction in Yata's world, but it's not like the name is completely unfamiliar either. ]

Are you a superhero instead, or something?

[ That definitely sounds like the sort of name a western superhero would have, even if the outfit looks more the live-action stuff Yata always used to watch as a kid. ]

[ Well, hey, he will take whatever good comes from his flailing around like an idiot, and if Peter stops looking like his entire family just died--

wait, no, bad analogy.

The point is: some good has come from that embarrassing attempt to keep his balance, so he'll take that. And casually try to look like nothing at all just happened, ahem. ]

Hey, no problem. It's not like it was working here, anyway, so... [ Yeah, sure, Stiles had held on to the very small, very foolish hope of maybe being able to get it to work and call his dad, or Scott, or someone-- but this, this is a more realistic plan, and he's nothing if not pragmatic, in the end. ]

Wait, and you did all of that in a few minutes? Dude, that's impressive. I guess you're really good at, uh, electronic stuff. I know the basics, but that's about it. [ He definitely doesn't have enough trust in his own abilities to attempt to make a communications device, but then, if they all had the same abilities... it'd become boring, and fast. ]

Important? I'm not sure. I mean, I'm pretty sure it has to do with the rituals, it seemed like some kind of sign. Probably a prayer. Maybe a ward. [ But whatever it was, Stiles now had it drawn in his notebook... and that was as much as it was going to help them. Staring at it for longer wouldn't do much good. ]

( it was pretty hard to say goodbye to his phone, too. all the pictures of his aunt, gwen, his uncle, bits and pieces of his life... there were no networks to connect to and no easy ways to charge it, though, even if he'd come with a charger in his backpack. as much as it sucked to pull his phone apart, well, it'd suck more to not do anything.

his expression is sympathetic as he stows both the remainder of his phone and the one Stiles had offered in his backpack. he gets it, at the very least. )

Those lockets are supposedly a superior alternative, but not so much if they don't work at great distances... ( Peter frowns a little at that, though. honestly, do any of them know why they can't get in contact with the rest of their team? what if the other half of their entire group had been mass kidnapped? with abductions running rampant, it wasn't that hard to believe. he shrugs. moving on. he'll be paranoid later. ) It helps that I've taken it apart before.

( he's always been the sort of person to take things apart just to see how the insides worked. much to his uncle's frustrations, on occasion, but it'd helped cement his understanding of internal components. if he can make webshooters, and police scanner attachments, he can probably manage a frankensteined radio device. whether it'll be able to reach anyone was the real question.

Peter sighs with a shake of his head. ) I've seen some patterns in the sand, too, but I can't figure out what they mean. You got experience with that? ( he rises and drags his bag with him, nodding down the beach. ) There might be some more, down the beach. Might as well take a look while we're at it, right?

( an official patrol. it's weird to do that from the ground. he can't even use his skateboard, it's the worst. )

( superhero, or something. these days, Peter doesn't feel like too much of a hero. doesn't seem to matter he's saved all of new york city once or twice or twenty times — losing gwen makes him feel like an imposter behind the mask, more often than not. still, that's not something he admits to strangers. that's not going to instill a lot of confidence.

despite the mistakes, he is trying to be a hero, now. )

Yeah. Spider-Man, at your service... and sorry about the whole stuck to the wall, thing.

( he's just a little too on edge for his own good, but to be fair, who isn't? )

[ So he actually is a superhero? That's... kinda cool, actually, and it's enough to temper Yata's anger over being webbed to the wall. ]

So you actually have a secret identity and everything?

[ He's guessing as much, given the mask, but it's still a slightly strange concept to Yata. The superpowered people in his world generally don't bother with hiding who they are. ]

[ Stiles tries not to think of that one message from Allison, a quick, short message she had sent him while he was still in Eichen House -- how it is now gone, forever, just like her. Because in the end... whatever is lost with his phone, none of it matters if he's stuck here for good, if he can't go back to his dad and Scott and everyone else.

Allison wouldn't have hesitated to turn over her phone, if it had been her, here. ]

Yeah... I mean, the storm probably did something to the frequency or, uh, something so that we can't connect to those who got lost. [ "Lost", he says, and thinks of far worse options than that. ]

You could say that. Not these exact patterns, but... back home, there was something similar going on, once. Ritual sacrifices. [ Stiles' tone is tight, knowing how strange this will sound... though, perhaps Spider-Man is more than used to "strange". ]

I've already started drawing them, so... yeah, why not. I mean, I'm not exactly looking forward to finding more dead bodies, but-- [ You gotta do what you gotta do. ]

( he shouldn't laugh, because now's not the time. it feels like a bit of a hilarious question, though. no, I just wake up like this, in the latex suit. still better conversation than he's usually got on the island. )

It's either that or I've got a weird thing for masks so strong that it's still on in tropical weather. So yeah, secret identity and everything.

( he is gonna need a dip in the ocean after wandering around like this, that was for sure. )

If I could get into them maybe I'd know what is going wrong, but I can't get it open. ( Peter flicks at the watch that he wears that he was handed from ALASTAIR, some annoyance in the gesture. okay sure it doesn't help that he doesn't have specific tools, but ... so far? he doesn't see any screws, or any seams that could be split open. he assumes there are internal components inside that he could work with, but he can't get to them to know exactly how the thing works.

it's one of about 800 things that are currently driving him crazy.

he starts down the beach, trying not to think about how much sand is going to get in his sneakers, when Stiles mentions offhandedly that back home he had dealt with something similar. Peter looks surprised, because despite his life of genetic mutation and super advanced weaponry, he has never personally had to deal with ritualistic sacrifice. ) Seriously? Dude, where are you from?

( he doesn't remember anything like that on the news, but maybe it's unwise to assume he and Stiles are from the same string. there were too many universes to count represented in ALASTAIR, Peter couldn't assume everyone would understand the same world he did. )

Hopefully there aren't any more. ( Peter kicks at a rock, and it darts toward the ocean, unexpectedly far, considering. hey, he's not 100%, but he's still much stronger than he looks. ) I don't know how tiny deer people manage to be so stealthy. I mean, they've got hooves. Why don't they leave a trail?

[ Ramir was really less sneaking anywhere and more trying to sneak away, actually. She's made an unpleasant discovery that no one wants to run into in the dead of night. No one. Not even... a guy dressed as whatever the hell this guy is dressed as.

Ramir struggles, having no idea what's got her pinned to the wall and honestly not really caring that much. There's bigger things afoot. On 8 hairy, big feet, specifically, and not all that far behind her. ]

Lemme down lemme down lemme down! [ She'd be shrieking it but she's doing her best to keep quiet, so it's more like a harried whisper. ]

[ Okay, fine, maybe it was a stupid question. Yata can at least agree that constantly wandering around in a skintight bodysuit doesn't sound very comfortable.

... Which, really, is what finally makes him realize how odd it is. ]

Hold on, how come you're still using your secret identity here?

[ It's not like there's many of them here, and sussing out a secret identity is a lot easier with a smaller pool of candidates, right? ]

Why wouldn't I?

( honestly, he hasn't quite caught on how many people are like him here. or, okay, not like him as in they're also drowning in mutated spider genes, but like him in the fact that they are superhuman. he's never actually experienced that before, or he only has on a very limited spectrum.

and more importantly, the last time someone figured out who he was under the mask, the girl he loved ended up dead. safe to say he's incredibly averse to connection Spider-Man to Peter Parker, but he can't just pretend he's normal, either.

a secret identity is the only option he sees, though admittedly, it's not as seamless as it could be. )

( wow, that sure was some urgent whispering right there. which is fair, maybe she doesn't like spiders? the webbing does kind of have a creepy-crawly feel to it, he can sympathize. just because he's utterly desensitized to it doesn't mean he's forgotten it's kinda weird.

he steps closer to do just that, at least. ) Sorry. You gotta know that people are on high alert right. . . ( wait, what was that noise? he's making a face, despite the fact it's ... impossible to tell, because, you know. masked vigilante.

Peter's spidey senses are severely limited thanks to whatever was blocking abilities, but they still had enough mojo to know something big, and with a lot of feet, wasn't so far away. ) What were you running from? ( he tears at some of the web, but he's distracted by the noises, now; he might have to worry about whatever was making them instead. )

Edited 2016-05-13 06:07 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure that's on purpose. [ If he has any experience with shady things like this, it's that organizations like ALASTAIR won't want people spontaneously fiddling with the tech they distribute; if they could learn how exactly the MAGITEK works, they could learn more about everything... and that's probably the exact opposite of what ALASTAIR wants from them.

... not to mention that Stiles isn't entire convinced the whole thing is tech at all. ]

Me? Uh, Beacon Hills, California. [ Stiles winces, scratching the side of his neck. ] But they sort of keep the stuff that goes on in there out of the news... I mean, it's not like anyone would believe it. I'm pretty sure half the people living there don't know about the stuff that actually happens.

[ Ritual sacrifices explained away as a serial killer, werewolf attacks as mountain lions... it's funny how far people will go, to deny the existence of anything supernatural. ]

Honestly? No clue. This whole place just keeps getting weirder, the more you think of it.

Cause everyone here's got powers.

[ Alright, maybe not literally everyone, but enough to count. Yata starts counting off the ones he knows on his fingertips. ]

There's a girl here that can heal people, a guy that can use water magic, a bunch of people that are super strong, and I can control fire.

[ Yata lets his hand fall. ]

Plus those ALISTAIR guys will just give powers away sometimes.

Yeah, probably. ( he huffs a sigh. as much as he wants to, he can't say how much he trusts ALASTAIR. there's too many secrets, too many inconsistencies, for him to trust. doesn't help that the last major corporation he'd dealt with had been more about making money than about the people they claimed to serve, either. he doesn't see much option in all of it, he's stuck here until they decide to send him home. maybe he can do some good while he's here. he needs to get back to doing good.

he makes a face as he considers the name. it doesn't ring any bells, but he's also never been to California. ) I mean, I guess so. Seems like that kind of stuff gets attention, but I also don't keep my ears peeled for the west coast. East side and everything, don't make me throw up gang signs. ( it doesn't seem to bother Peter too much he hasn't heard of it. he's already drowning in too much crime for his liking, so he's all right with not having to worry about California on top of it. )

No kidding. I've seen some weird stuff before, so it feels like it's really impressive how bizarre this place still manages to be. ( like the tiny precocious deer people, and everyone and their mother talking about magic. he was super not used to that yet. )

( well, he's at least heard of the possibility he's not the only person with abilities, but, it's apparently more prevalent than he realized. and the idea ALASTAIR just handed out abilities to boot? that made him suspicious more than anything. how could they be sure that their genetic modifications wouldn't fail? it reminded him too much of Oscorp. )

Huh. ( that was all he had to say on the matter, apparently. it was pretty rare that he ended up more or less speechless, maybe Yata could feel accomplished on that front.

still, he shrugs. ) More power to them, but I wear the mask for a reason. Safer this way, for both of us. ( well, not Yata personally, really, but the people he saved and Peter himself. it was good to keep a line between lives. when things muddled they got messy. )

I am sorry about the whole... accusing you of being a deer abductor, stuck to the wall, thing.

[ At least he's trying to get her down, but he's not trying fast enough. Ramir squirms, trying to help, maybe only succeeding in getting parts even more wrapped up as he frees others. ]

Something huge and fucking creepy.

[ That's out in a hiss. She can't hear it herself, but she's pretty sure it's just around the corner she rounded, following after her. She flinches when the first hairy leg swings into sight, and she nearly shouts when she realizes why it's from so high up on the wall: because the thing is literally clinging to the wall. Ugh. ]

Holy shit! I'm gonna die, you're gonna die, it's gonna eat us! And it'll be your fault!

[ "It" in this case being an enormous tarantula that pulls itself into sight in a very leisurely manner, perching contentedly with four of its legs on the wall and the other four braced against the ground. It stops there, but Ramir is pretty sure it's crouching and getting ready to spring. It looks like it. It has to be. ]

( if he knew what she was talking about, he'd probably be at least distantly offended. spiders are just misunderstood. he's sure tired of being bitten by them, that's a fact, but... Peter has grown a fondness for the eight legged monstrosities. he's taken to putting any he finds back out in the world instead of squishing them, and he's done a bit of research just to understand the kind of genes he was suddenly spliced with.

so when the giant spider slips into view, he's startled at first, but to his credit he moves in front of the girl he's stuck to a wall. still, the tarantula just stares idly, calmly. if an attack is coming, it is slow as hell. and on top of that... )

I don't... I don't think it's attacking? ( he sounds a little unnerved, because who wouldn't be, not even Spider-Man is immune to how bizarre this is, but he tilts back to free at least one of Ramir's arms, to the continued non-reaction of the tarantula. ) When tarantulas are agitated, they lift their front legs up so their fangs are exposed. See? He's not doing that.

( trust a spider to know a spider, apparently... ) Where did you find it? ( is this the land of tiny deer and giant spiders? how did that happen? )

[ Yeeeeah, this "trust" thing is something Stiles is never on board for, never easily in any case -- and ALASTAIR has done exactly nothing to warrant any sort of trust from him, so far. ]

Don't worry, no gang signs here. [ He pauses, and. And. Can't resist the temptation. ] So... East side? [ Please tell him exactly where you live, Peter, so he can revel in the nice feeling of knowing it before he says anything. ]

Seriously... I mean, the magic stuff I can handle, but deer people? Coconuts used to make explosives? [ He makes a shrugging movement, though one that utilizes his hands as well, to signify I'm so done with all of that. ]

[ She doesn't really want to think about it exposing fangs, that actually sounds like the worst possible thing in the world. She shudders at the mention, and as soon as he has her arm free, begins tearing at this... whatever it is, for herself. ]

Fangs. Oh my god. [ She's not really going anywhere with that, it's just a complaint about life and the reality of spiders in general. ] I didn't find it, it found me. I was just sitting there, totally innocent, minding my own business!

[ Usually when Ramir claims to have been totally innocent it's a bald-faced lie, but there's some legitimacy to it this time! She really wasn't doing much in particular, for once. She jerks her torso free of the wall to start freeing her legs. ]

What the hell does it want?

[ It seems to have exactly what it wants, actually: keeping Ramir in sight and close enough. It's hunkered just a little lower to the ground, as settled as a spider can look. ]

( Peter wants to trust people more than he ultimately ends up able to. he doesn't trust anyone with who he is, but he wants to trust in the good in people. that trust has recently gotten a beating, and it's left him a little more uncertain. probably for good reason... ALASTAIR doesn't deserve a great deal of trust, so far. space kidnap me once and everything... )

My aunt and I live in Forest Hills, Queens. ( his tone is a little wistful, thinking of Aunt May and everything he's leaving behind. he hopes that he'll get to get back to her soon. he especially hopes that she doesn't know he's gone. he's all Aunt May has left, and it's hard thinking about her needing to grieve him, too — not even knowing what happened to him. )

Haha. Yeah. How did that evolutionary hiccup come about? Probably the dolphin sized crabs. I'm glad I missed those. ( especially since there's no butter or lemon to eat them with. )

( he is incredibly biased, but he thinks the tarantula is kinda cute. his fangs and the rest of him are fuzzy, cuddly almost... And the spider can't blink but even his eyes are sort of adorable... Wow he has grown to appreciate spiders more than even he realized. he's never seen a calmer tarantula. it seemed utterly content half perched on the wall... Staring at them.......

man that's the one spider thing he doesn't want to emulate (but he totally does).

he crouches to properly clear the webbing from her legs, back to the tarantula, but if there was any threat he'd sense it fast enough. his spidey sense is not tingling. ) maybe it's following you? Couldn't tell you why, though. Not exactly normal spider behavior... all I know is it doesn't seem to mean you harm. Consider it from one spider to another.

( because she probably hasn't noticed but he does have a spider emblazoned across his chest. )

[ Yata hasn't given the whole powers situation near as much thought as Peter has. They're hardly rare in Yata's world, and as far as he knows the most common way to get them is for them to be given away.

But in the end, he's not terribly invested in whether or not this Spider-Man guy shows him what's under the mask. He lets it slide and focuses instead on the apology. ]

Yeah, well...

[ It turns out spider powers are pretty cool and Yata can't be too mad about having a harmless on used on him. More to the point, however... ]

It's pretty dangerous for the little guys lately. Better that they've got more people looking out for 'em.

( Peter rubs the back of his head, which is a nervous gesture he shares even without the mask. instead of messing up his hair, it just looks like he's thinking really hard. which is fine, maybe he is! )

Yeah. I keep thinking I'll spot something before it's too late, but... so far all I've spotted is you.

( whoever was doing the abducting was doing it incredibly well. To the point they weren't leaving tracks or any good way to track them. he sighs. it's hard and seemingly endless work, but he can't stop trying. it's better to try then do nothing at all. )

I guess I'll see you around. Hopefully without sticking you to any more walls.

[ She's pretty sure the guy is fucking crazy for not keeping his eyes on the spider, for all she appreciates having the use of her legs back. She stumbles back onto her own two feet, pulling off any lingering, sticky strands.

That last part, though, successfully snatches her attention away from the tarantula. It lands on this guy instead, and she does finally notice the whole... spider-theme. The chest decal, the webbing pattern. It's even enough to make her temporarily forget the real thing and cock a brow at him. ]

What's that about? [ She gestures vaguely toward him. ] What is this, fetish gear?

[ Just to be clear. ]

I'm not sure what kind of kinky stuff you're used to, but no. ( maybe the skintight suit, but spiders??? you can't see his grimace, Ramir, but you can probably hear it in his voice. ) Spider-Man, at your service... masked superhero, all that?

( it is still Super Weird to not have people know who he is. or at least, who Spider-Man is. he's used to people not really thinking much of Peter Parker. )

Sorry about sticking you to the wall, doesn't hurt to be careful... Uh, not sure what you want to do about your not-so-little friend. ( it's clear from how long the tarantula has sat there staring at them, doing anything but attacking. )

Spider-Man?

[ This is kind of the least of her worries, but she has to repeat it with an incredulous snort. What a name. She'll rag on it later, though. For now she swings her gaze back toward the huge spider on hand, amusement fading out again. ]

Uh... god. I have no idea. Do they make kennels big enough for this thing? [ That's rhetorical. There's probably not going to be anything on this island big enough to keep it in except, like, a house. She shifts, experimentally moving a few feet left, and the spider shifts when she gets far enough to the side to keep her in sight. ]

Creepy.

Queens? That definitely sounds a lot more eventful than Beacon Hills. [ Emphasis on "sounds". It's probably better that Peter doesn't know everything that's going on in their small town.

He gives a quick half-smile in response, though, mirroring that same wistfulness. The only thing he hopes for is that somehow, somehow his dad won't know he's missing. He can't afford to make him any more worried. ]

I live with my dad. [ He hardly needs to say more; he knows Peter understands.

His tone shifts into something more exasperated, dry and huffing. ]

Oh my god, no kidding. I mean, this is bad enough, I definitely don't want to deal with those on top of everything else. [ He says, completely unaware of the whole thing with the goddesses they'll have to deal with eventually. Hindsight 20/20 and all... ]

[ Yata doesn't entirely relish the idea of being left alone in the dark to deal with any potential kidnappings after he's already been attacked once, but he can't admit to that, either. ]

Right, well... Good luck.

[ And after a moment: ]

I'm Yata, by the way. Let me know if you need help looking out for trouble, or anything like that.

( well, if he'd asked, he could probably have gotten an escort to where he was going. Peter is okay with that, but he also doesn't think to assume it. he assumes he'd be better serving the natives and his team by continuing to patrol. )

Nice to meet you, Yata.

( you can't see that he's smiling, but his tone is friendly and fairly cheerful. he offers a crooked salute to pair with the introduction. )

And I will. We're all a team, now.

( he still super getting used to that. )

( hey now. he didn't pick his own name, the city of New York did. and now he's sort of attached to it, okay? no making fun! (like that's going to happen. )

I don't think he needs a kennel. Spiders are usually content to take care of themselves.

( it's sort of lucky he stuck her to the wall, since he knows so much about arachnids. he's almost helpful, not that... Ramir has too many questions, so far. )

What I want to know is why it's following you. That's not normal tarantula behavior. Big or small.

It's actually quiet, compared to the city itself, but... yeah, probably a bit crazier than a small town in California.

( though, considering Stiles has been up close and personal to sacrificial murders? maybe not. appearances could be deceiving, apparently, but wasn't deceiving was the sad understanding of missing someone that most people didn't know what it was like to miss. Stiles is lucky to still have his dad, yet missing one parent can't be any easier than missing both of them.

it's true, he gets it, and doesn't ask how or why. sometimes, it's easier not to tell. he knows that from experience. he just offers a sad smile in understanding and doesn't comment. )

It makes me curious, though. How hard do you have to throw them to make them explode? ( if anyone could throw them that hard, it'd probably be Peter, but he's not at his optimum right now... so he has no idea. now that he thinks about it he kind of wants to try, though. )

Hey, you never know, maybe one day I will actually cajole Scott into road-tripping with me and then we can come to Queens and experience all the crazy for ourselves.

[ ... or not, really, because he's pretty damn sure Spider-Man doesn't exist in the US he lives in. But, hey, a guy can dream.

He smiles back, quick and fleeting, a shadow more than anything else, before plunging headfirst into speculation; the only right way to do speculation. Anyone who claims otherwise is a lying liar who lies. (In the not-speaking-the-truth way, not the reclining-in-a-horizontal-position way.) ]

I'm not sure. I mean, I guess it's the velocity that does it, like, the energy of the movement that triggers the explosion. [ He pauses, scratching his chin... considering. ] If we found one, we could try.

[ You know what they say about great minds... ]

( he elbows Stiles slightly, wearing a grin that rubs kind of infectious. he has no idea who Scott is, but he figures it's a friend. ) If you do, maybe you can hit me up. I know all the best places. ( it's nice to pretend they're going to get to go home and make something of their lives and they're not going to be trapped here forever. it's too soon for him not to hope for the best.

and hey, even if in the end he can't show Stiles around the City, Queens will probably still exist, even if Peter Parker doesn't. )

Velocity would be more fun than straight incendiary combustion, that's for sure. ( using a coconut like a firecracker wasn't as cool as throwing one so hard it blew up, for some reason... anyway... ) After we finish here, on to the worthy science of explosive coconuts.

( in the meantime, they've come up on the insignia marked in the sand, and Peter keeps his distance so he won't be in the way. ) This is the one I was talking about. Does it look anything like the one you saw?

[ She stares at it, pretty sure it's staring back at her but not totally sure, and considers the other weird animals she's seen around. There were a bunch in the Oska stables. There's Gilgamesh and his lions. Kida and her big water cat thing. All of that came from ALASTAIR, all of it's meant for riding and stuff.

She edges a little nearer to it, but casts a sideways glance at Spider-Man. ]

I've got a really stupid idea. How willing are you to save my ass if it starts to go south?

( well, since he's a superhero, 100%. admitting that out loud to enable reckless behavior sorta sounds like a not-so-great idea, though. )

A strong 67%, but there's this saying about learning from your mistakes and everything... why?

( unlike Ramir, Peter has no idea that ALASTAIR provides rideable creature companions. if he did he would be very unsure about a battle spider. even if the tarantula at present is just sitting calmly, completely nonplussed by the situation. )

[ She waves off any mention of the saying with a bright smile. ]

Good enough odds for me.

[ She finishes edging into the spider and, for lack of another idea on how to get this started, shoves a hand out like it's a dog looking for sniffing. But a dog doesn't have a mouth she can't see and isn't sure she wants to see, and it's got way fewer... mouth-legs. Ramir makes a face as its pedipalps settle on her hand like it really is investigating her hand, but starts to smile when the chelicerae just twitch rather than do anything like plunge a fang into her hand. She darts a smile back at her company. ]

Holy shit, are you seeing this? This is kinda... cute.

( he laughs, and it's muffled but it's genuine too. yeah, he totally feels you, Ramir... the tarantula is weirdly adorable, though it's easy to argue he's biased. he's never seen such a calm, friendly spider — well, besides him, maybe. )

Yeah, he is kinda cute. I guess you found a friend.

( he's ... not sure what she's going to do with a giant tarantula. but at the very least, it does seem friendly and that's pretty impressive, considering most spiders would be pretty skittish. being able to touch a friendly giant tarantula is pretty cool. )

Right?

[ She backs up a little, and makes a little c'mere gesture to bring the spider along with, down off of the wall. It obliges, to her delight, and she slides in nearer to set a hand on its round, furry... is that a back, or a head? She knows what part the butt is, but she's not really clear on its head/body anatomy. She pats it, whatever it is. ]

How do you know it's a he? Or are you just guessing? Maybe you're misgendering my giant spider.

( he can't blame her for being frightened, at first, but Ramir is taking to the tarantula with surprising ease. he's glad of it, though, spiders looked intimidating but they were generally no worse than any other animal. they wanted the same thing as everyone else, to survive, and what they looked like had little to do with it. Peter had grown to feel bad for any spider that was squashed just for living it's life, probably had to do with the whole part spider thing.

he raises gloved hands in his own defense. )

Gendering a tarantula is really hard, so you got me. Maybe when it molts, I could tell you for sure, but otherwise, it's really hard to say.

[ She considers it for about a half a second before coming to her conclusion: ] Then I'm going with 'she'.

[ And that's not her only conclusion. This might be ill-advised, but things have gone surprisingly well with this thing after she stopped running from it, so she's going for it. She tests her weight on the spider's head/back for a second or two, then promptly invites herself to scramble up and perch on it. She spends the following few seconds looking amazed and delighted. ]

Holy shit. [ Is this really happening? Her smile turns up onto Spider-Man. ] Wanna ride my spider with me?

( she. he can roll with that. he's no wiser than her and giving it some kind of gender to make it easier to relate to isn't a bad thing. she is better than it. Peter takes a step closer to cautiously pet the tarantula himself, wishing his gloves were off so he could feel the texture of the bristles. it wasn't exactly like the setules that let him clamber over walls, yet it was sort of familiar all the same.

he's a bit distracted when Ramir bolts straight onto the back of the spider. at least the tarantula doesn't seem bothered by her presence, feelers near her dark eyes still winding curiously, not aggressively. Peter can't quite decide how he feels about riding a spider, at least this one doesn't seem immensely bothered. )

Whoa. That's double the spider, we might be going too deep. ( it's a dumb joke and he knows it. does it make it better when he knows it? ) ... you think two wouldn't be too heavy?

( he doesn't want to hurt the friendly, giant tarantula. that seems a little wrong, all things considered. )

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

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!! team alliteration is back in..... blackberry??

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3!!

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