Summary:Spider-Man and Dani catch up after a few weeks… Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Spider-Man is out and about in the city. Receding in the distance below him were a couple of carjackers currently webbed to the hood of the car they had stolen. He hoped they got their buns toasted a little while waiting for the cops.
He landed on the roof of the Flatiron Building, then realized he owed someone a phone call. Or at least, a text. He pulled out his phone (boy, was he going to be happy when the new suit was done) and tapped out Dani's number, and then a text: "Hey, Dani. Been awhile, and I'm sorry about that. How are things?"
Dani finishes knocking down the last of the yakuza in this particular gang, sheathing her sword as she looks around, "Well, I hope you learned your lesson." Then her phone buzzes, causing her to blink in surprise as no one really contacts her that way. Asgardians prefer ravens. No loss of service, but they tend to be too chatty.
Reading the text, Dani grins and texts back: "Hey Spidey, no worries, things get busy. Going good u?" Then she walks towards Brightwind, getting on her horse as she waits for a reply.
The advantage of a flying horse. He can navigate while you text.
Spidey smiles. "Been very busy. How would you feel about getting together over meatball subs? I'm buying this time." He looks around, checking to see if there are any flying horses in the distance, so you never know…
Dani grins, texting back, "Sure. In Japantown right now, where u at?" She glances back and forth from her vantage of flying through the city, on the off chance she might spot the webhead herself.
"Flatiron Building. Gotta stay iconic. I'm the red-and-blue blob on the roof with the white blob in my hand. Those are the subs. I even got one for Brightwind, although I'm sure he hasn't missed me at ALL." He snickers as he sends it.
A few minutes later, Brightwind can be seen from the roof of the Flatiron Building, the winged horse flying over and circling in for a landing not too far from Spidey's perch. Trotting to a halt, the horse nickers at Spidey, while Dani dismounts smoothly, wearing her normal Valkyrie armaments. She grins at Spidey, "Hey, long time no see." No judgment there, just the observation.
Spidey looks sheepishly at Dani as he opens the Pino's Pizza bag. She doesn't even need to see his face for that, it shows up in his entire body language. "Yeah, I've…" He pulls out a wrapped meatball sub, unwrapping it before putting it on a small platform nearby. "Hey, Brightwind…" he says, before he looks back to Dani. "Sorry. I've been slammed with a lot of stuff. I'll tell you all about it…" He takes out another sub, then grabs a tall cup of something and hands both to Dani. "I hope you like Arnold Palmers."
Dani grins, "Hey, I'm from Colorado. We live on those." She takes the cup and sub, while Brightwind doesn't hesitate. Fortunately, winged horses are not normal horses, as he goes to town on that meatball sub.
Dani, however, takes it a little easier, and she nods, "I can relate to that, been getting together with some people and doing a bit of a teamwork thing. It's… interesting, so far."
Spidey sits down on the edge of the platform occasionally used for a helipad, looking to Dani. "That's great. Sometimes, you can't go it alone, and you need help. And a team can do that." He takes a sip of his drink after lifting up the mask slightly. "I've had similar stuff. Some great, some…profoundly humiliating."
Dani grins, taking a seat next to Spidey and patting his shoulder, "Yeah, that does happen. All you can do is learn from it and go on." She adopts a mockingly serene posture for a second, "Know this, young weedhopper, we fall so can get back up." Then she quirks a smile at Spidey, "It happens, Peter. Trust me, I know. I spent five years with a group of warrior maidens who had, on average, about five hundred years more experience on me."
Spidey chuckles sadly, taking a bite of his sub. "So…I would like to tell you the good, but you have to hear the bad, first. So Brightwind over there can get a good laugh out of it." He takes a deep breath. "An international cat burglar, the Black Cat, showed up at a few robberies. Always one step ahead of me. Then I find out she is attracted to me. UNFORTUNATELY…once she gets a good look at my real face and that I'm still a teenager…she pukes in my lap and runs. Kinda like a real cat, now that I think about it…"
Dani blinks, then laughs. "Oh no oh no oh no…" She nearly falls over on her side, then looks at Spidey, grinning, "Well, you are pretty cute, but that's just… I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh, but…" She giggles a little, and to her credit she is trying to stop.
Just failing. Miserably.
Spider-Man sits back. "Oh, stop trying to hold it in, you'll get a brain aneurysm. Just…let it go…let it go…" he sings. Badly.
That earns Spidey a friendly elbow in the side, and then Dani chuckles, "Damn. That's almost as bad as that one time I saw Thor in Asgard… I mean, the Crown Prince." She makes a low whistle, then grins at Spidey, "So yeah, that's definitely an experience. But I guess she got away?"
Spidey nods. "My webshooters malfunctioned. I was webbed to an A/C unit." He pauses. "For two hours afterward. i'm pretty sure I know what she had for dinner. It was expensive, I'm sure."
Dani nods, "Well, can't win 'em all. If it makes you feel better, she's probably spending her take just on a therapist for macking on a teenager." She winks at Spidey, "If that was the worst, the good must be pretty good.
Spidey nods. "Well…I got into ESU. And I was able to get a work-study scholarship, which covers books and everything. As long as I do good at the job, I can afford to work and go to school."
Dani grins, "Awesome! I'm still looking, but well… I've got some options. I definitely want to start my pre-vet work, since I have my GED now." She pauses, then shrugs, "Not my fault Asgard isn't accredited by the New York Department of Education, but I got it now, so."
Spidey chuckles. "Well, what program are you interested in getting? If it's science-based, I could ask Dr. Connors. I'm sure if you have a proficiency and can do well enough on the assessment tests…"
Dani nods, "Well, it would probably be applied biology, I think… honestly, I'm still trying to get a grip on everything that's available. Did swing by NYU the other day. Saw some people there, which was nice. Not sure what I'd end up doing though."
Spidey looks thoughtful. "Well, let me suggest something. Try working on core stuff first, the basic science courses, while keeping an eye out for what you want to focus in. I'm concentrating on Nueroscience. And ESU does have great science programs." He paused. "Want me to ask Dr. Connors, see what can be done?"
Dani smiles, "Well, if you want… I mean, I wouldn't mind that at all." She chuckles, "If he's okay with having a valkyrie in his class, anyway. Pretty sure I'd just let Brightwind do his own thing, since he can manage himself." One brow arches slightly at Peter, "Would be interesting to see you regularly outside of costume, though." Because while she knows the secret identity and all… she still doesn't really hang out with Peter.
Spider-Man blinks behind the mask. He does blush slightly, because when a pretty girl says she want to hang out with you…in public, no less…you blush. "Well…all right. Maybe I can reach out to the same person who approved my grant." He takes another deep breath. "Yeah, uhm…I should also tell you…I started dating again. There's this girl…her name is Helena Wayne. And she likes me. I mean, REALLY likes me. And I like her, too."
Dani grins, "Cool. Helena Wayne? Wait… that name sounds familiar." She narrows her eyes, thinking back. Of course, it isn't like there's a lot of social media stuff in Asgard. She pauses at the intake of breath from Spidey, then grins, "Wait… you didn't think I was… I mean, you are cute, but I figured you had something else going on anyway." Her eyes seem to sparkle a little bit with that.
Spidey looks at her. "Uhm…no. No, I didn't. The last time I saw you, I wasn't dating *anyone,* Ah, jeez, don't tell me you believed Jameson's 'Spider-Harem' nonsense?"
Dani laughs at that, "No, not in the least! Though if you did have a harem I'm very disappointed that you wouldn't let me visit it." She grins at Spidey, "Maybe it's just growing up in Asgard, but well, I guess I'm a lot more open minded about things than people on Midgard are about that sort of thing. If everyone involved is cool with things, then let it happen. Life's too short, you know?" She gives Spidey a wry look at that, "Trust me, when you work with Death every single day, that takes on a whole new level of meaning."
Spider-Man fills his mouth with food to give himself time to collect his thoughts. He swallows and says, "Actually, I wasn't sure. I mean, you're smart, gifted, talented, heroic, beautiful. I was just enjoying…you know, hanging out with you. I had thought about asking you out and then Helena showed up and she…overwhelmed me. She's also a science geek, too. And we just…clicked. I just didn't want you to think I wasn't hanging out with you because I wasn't getting anywhere with you romantically."
Dani grins, "I figured you weren't hanging out with me because exotic cat burglars were puking on you, which, well, I'm not going to judge." She winks, then slips an arm around Spidey for a friendly hug. "And yeah, you're a good guy, Peter Parker. If you're happy, I'm happy, because you're my friend." She pauses, "And if she breaks your heart with malice, I will totally have Brightwind poop on her car."
Spidey chuckled. "Motorcycle. Smaller target. But still, NO POOPING ON PEOPLE," he calls over to Brightwind. He looks back to Dani. "Well…it helped when something else happened later. While I was dumpster-diving for tech, I met this person. Roughly the same age, but she had ALREADY got her master's at M…I…T…and was doing grad work at ESU. So, she's smarter than me, but I help her find some stuff she needs. And then I find out she made her own Iron-Man-style powered armor, and now is working with Tony Stark." He sighs. "She drops out of grad school to go work for Stark."
Dani's eyes go wide, "Wow, that's really cool. I suppose that's definitely one way to impress him." She grins and squeezes Peter's shoulder, "Don't worry about what other people do. Worry about what you're doing. And it seems that you're doing pretty well on your own here."
Spidey shrugs. "Egos heal. I know that from experience. It's just odd to see someone beat me in the brains department. Doesn't really happen until now. It wasn't easy to look like I hadn't changed dramatically after I got these powers. Loose clothes, baggy jeans. But I couldn't hide my mind." He takes another bite. "But it was demoralizing for awhile. I'll bounce back. I usually do."
Dani grins, "You'll be fine. You were always smart enough to know someone else may be smarter." She winks at Spidey, taking a bite from her sandwich. After a bit, she then adds, "But yeah, we're cool Peter. Don't ever worry about that."
Spider-Man nods, then cocks his head. "Trouble a littloe south of us. I gotta bolt." He stands up, then looks at Dani and smiles before pulling the mask down. "If you do find someone, let me know. I'll tell them how lucky they are."