itinere | Open | And when that sun goes down, hope you raise your cup

Dani's never been on an actual date before, truth be told. So she has no idea what to expect. Sure, she's seen some people dating on one TV show or another while she was young and being raised by a television instead of any parents. But somehow that doesn't feel as if it has prepared her at all for the real thing. She decides wearing a skirt is appropriate, even though only that other her has ever dressed up. So, skirt and tights it is. She ends up wearing this along with a pair of converse sneakers because a speedster always needs sneakers on (just in case). She also wears a leather jacket so she can hide her sword in it. She never goes anywhere without her sword.

Her hair is a mess of waves, of course, because it takes actual effort to style it in any way and Dani has never really cared enough to learn how to do that. Although she knows that other her takes time every morning to painstakingly perfect her hair into something sleek and well styled. There's no makeup but lip gloss because Dani has never taken the time to care about that either.

This is the one hidey hole, one of many she has all over the city, that she had told Peter about. It's on the roof of the apartment complex in what looks like a shed. But Dani has stashed all kinds of survival stuff inside of it, just as she has with the other hidey holes throughout Itinere. She pulls the 'shed' door open and steps out before Peter can step inside and have a real look at the very few things she has here.

"Heya, Double P!" She says excitedly. "Wow you look nice. Extra nice. Date nice instead of everyday nice. Do I looks date nice?" She spins around for him. "I'm wearin' a feckin' skirt."

Peter isn't sure whether it's a good thing or a bad thing that Dani only has TV as a guide for how this date should go. Depending on the show, it could set the date expectations really high or very low. He won't be surprised though that that is her only experience with dating. It seems to be her experience with a lot of things in life, which just makes him want to give her good experiences. Her appearance makes Peter smile when she steps out of the shed. He knows that she doesn't usually dress up and that she has says a lot about how she feels about this date.

He chuckles a little at her greeting. "Thank you. You're the one that looks great though. Beautiful, I mean. I like the skirt," he tells her, holding his hand out for hers. "I hope you like what I've got planned."

"Well don't get used to it. It's just this once." Although, with the way Peter is looking at her and the way he compliments her, she's honestly considering wearing skirts more even though she has no fecking idea how to be all lady like in them. She keeps having to remind herself to think like an actual girl rather than Dani, the tom boy who's never really given a feck how she walks, sits, thinks and looks.

Dani places her hand in his. "Oh we could go rumage through a garbage dump and I'd still have fun." Which, she realizes how lame that makes her sound the minute she says it. Or maybe it makes her sound easy, not in a slutty way, but in a fun way, an awesome way. That brightens her right up again. "Whatever it is, we'll make it fun, yeah?"

Peter grins crookedly at her. "Don't worry. I like you in jeans too," he assures her. Honestly, he likes Dani and there's no reason for her to be anything that she's not.

He laughs at that and shakes his head. "We are not going to rummage through the garbage dump. I had something a little nicer than that planned," he assures her, but nods a little. "Yeah, we'll definitely make it fun." Because he always has fun with Dani. She's always so excited and enthusiastic about everything that he can't help but go along as well.

"Well feck, Double P. I like you in jeans too." Which seems a thoroughly ridiculous thing to say once she's actually said it. Really, Peter is a saint to put up with her for all of her weirdness and awkwardness and downright silliness. He doesn't know half the mess Dani is and he already likes her in spite of all these things. She thinks she's pretty lucky.

Her smile is bright as they head to the fire escape to slip down the stairs on the side of the building to get to the ground. Dani's entire self intermittently hums with her excitement. Because she's on an actual date. A date that has nothing to do with monsters or saving the world or killing fae. She's so excited she could burst.

"So a little nicer than a garbage dump. I mean, don't underestimate the great shite you can find there. People throw away all kinds'a treasures! But better than that... is it a park? A grocery store? Oh! Maybe it's the ocean or a trip through the forest." They get on the ground floor and as they walk along the sidewalk, Dani, still holding Peter's hand, side steps with little hops as she faces him and still moves along. "What about it, Peter? Are you takin' me to climb some trees?"

Peter grins at that, flushing ever so slightly. He's never as awkward around Dani as he is around everyone else and he likes that about her. Maybe it's because she's awkward, but he likes that. He also likes the silliness. Everyone is a mess in some way. That's what he thinks anyway.

Her excitement is contagious. Peter had been nervous about the date, but her excitement over it has his nerves bleeding away to be replaced by that contagious excitement.

He shakes his head at each option she offers. "Nope. You're just going to have to wait and see," he tells her as the head down the street toward the Avengers tower, the tallest building in town.

Once they've reached the tower, he turns to Dani. "Put your arms around my neck and come close," he tells her, holding one arm out to wrap around her waist when she does as he's asked. Once she's settled, he'll tell her to hold tight then shoot a stream of webbing toward the roof so he can take them up to the rooftop.

"You're tellin' me to be patient. I'm horrible at patience." Which is probably obvious if anyone knows Dani. She liked to run at full speed, act on all things and life life out loud. Making her wait is like torture. Ryodan has even tied her down a few times just to keep her from barging in head first toward the nearest thing. Pro tip: Ryodan is a feckin' asshole. "It's like the worst thing. But I'll try, okay? I'll try."

Peter, however, is not an asshole. He's sweet. And he doesn't seem to mind that energy is almost constantly bubbling up inside of her and threatening to explode like a coke that's been shaken up and then opened. That's good because Dani is only very rarely not a coke that's been shaken and threatening to explode.

At the tower, when Peter tells her to come close and hold on, Dani feels that fizziness in her stomach that she usually only feels when entering the slip stream while running very, very fast. She likes that feeling, like the world is about to fall out from beneath you but it's okay because you're a bad ass and you can handle it. That's what this feels like. Empowering. She steps forward and wraps her arms up around his neck, trying not to vibrate with excitement and anticipation but failing. Poor Peter has to hold a vibrating Dani.

She sees the rope shooting to the roof, at least she thinks it's a rope, and practically gasps in surprise. "Oh my feckin'..." She doesn't finish that because they're flying and Dani holds on tight to Peter, the vibration calming because there's more to think about in this moment than just her excitement.

He grins at that. "We'll work on it together." Yeah, he's gathered that she's not much for patience. It makes sense for a speedster, but anyone that's spent any time at all would guess that Dani wasn't very patient. Yeah, tying her down isn't okay either. He nods a little. "Okay. I think you'll like it.

He tries to be and the energy is fun. Dani is always able to pull him out of any funk he might have simply because she's so enthralled with life.

He would be so pleased that he makes her feel that way. He wraps one arm tight around her waist despite the vibrating. He knows by now that's a sign that she's excited and he's going to count that as good thing today.

Spider web, but he can explain that later if necessary. There's a big grin on his face when they're flying through the air, because how can he not grin. He clips the web line and for a moment they're freefalling. He switches arms, all that's holding her to him is her arms around his neck for that half second then his other arm is around her and he's slinging another line of webbing out to swing them on top of the roof.

Once they've landed on top of the roof, there's the picnic he'd put out earlier. There's a bucket of fried chicken, some potato salad, fruit and some little Debbie cakes along with a variety of other foods that he gathered up so they'd both have enough to eat. However, the real cool thing is that he's woven a hammock for them to lie in. It sort of suspends them half over the edge of the building and gives them an amazing view.

There aren't many things in life that can get Dani's heart racing anymore. She's seen so much, done so much, almost died or worse (yes, there are worse things than death) too many times. Very little surprises her anymore. Very little gives her the same thrill as running at top speed down. But this, flying higher and higher without the use of wings like the Unseelie princes have, those brief moments where nothing is holding her up except her grip on Peter, this is thrilling.

She almost closes her eyes, but then doesn't let herself do that. She looks down at the world getting smaller and smaller. She looks at Peter's smile. She tosses her head back to let the air push her red locks away from her face and laughs, smiling as well. Moments like these are what life's really about.

When they land on the rooftop, Dani still holds on for a brief moment until she feels Peter loosen his grip on her. Then she leans back just enough to look into his eyes. "Holy feck, Double P! That was feckin' awesome!" She has so many questions to ask him. But she doesn't want to mar the moment with them. She can ask them in a minute.

Honestly, the date could end right here and she'd be happy as feck. She got to experience something new. Her heart is still slowing from it's race at a rapid pace in the getting up here. But then she notices her surroundings. She finally lets go of Peter and goes over to inspect everything. There's food here she's never had before, although the little debbie cakes look familiar. Cooked food that isn't processed, that's the stuff she's never had. And the hammock... "You did all this?"

He's glad that she isn't scared, but then he hadn't expected Dani would be afraid simply because she doesn't seem as if she's afraid of much of anything at all. Once they get up in the air, it's pretty obvious that Dani is enjoying this. He'll have to take her swinging around the buildings more often.

He likes the way she laughs while they're flying through the air, the way she smiles and the way she hangs onto him.

Her reaction is perfect. He can feel her heart beating hard in her chest and he's so glad that he decided to do this instead of a more sedate sort of date. He chuckles a little, flushing a bit red at her enthusiasm. "That's kind of my favorite thing about my abilities," he admits sheepishly.

Hopefully, she'll be glad that the date didn't end here later on. He follows her at a slight distance as she inspects everything, his hands in his pockets, a goofy grin on his face. When she turns to ask him if he did all this he bobbles his head in a nod. "Yeah. Do-do you l-like it?" he asks, stuttering a bit in his nervousness.

"Your abilities are feckin' awesome! We should go flyin' sometime. I could take you runnin' too. It might make you sick, but the thrill of it's still there." She's way too excited to have someone else her, to know someone else, to be on a date with someone else, who's also special in their own way. Peter is something more, although she doesn't quite understand what that more is just yet.

She spins around, hands on her hips, looking at everything once more. It's a lot to take in, but Dani takes it all in as quickly as she does everything else, like using her heightened senses to plot a mapped out course before speeding to another destination.

"Like it? I love it!" She says. "Look at all that food! I really like food." She eats way more than most girls. Peter must have noticed that. She likes that Peter notices things. "I really like you too." She adds. "Is that weird to say? I mean I'd like you even as a friend if we weren't on a date, but this is even better!"

"We might be able to swing through the trees," Peter suggested. "There aren't enough tall buildings here to really get going though." He sounds a bit wistful as he says it. "Running? Yeah, that would be really cool and I promise, I'll try not to throw up on you," he winks at her. He might be able to manage it too. He has a better sense of equilibrium and balance than most people because of his abilities. He likes her excitement and he's not entirely sure what he and Dani are to each other either because they've both been careful and slow building this friendship, this relationship. He'd only kissed her recently.

He watches her absorbing everything he's set out for the date, pleased with her reaction.

He chuckles a little. "I noticed," he tells her. "I like that." He eats more than most teenage boys as well for the same reason. He flushes a little, the tips of his ears going red when she says she likes him. "As much as food?" he teases her.

"Like monkeys! You know Gibbons mate for life? They're monogamous with on other monkey." Dani says, leaning in to lay a quick kiss on his cheek before turning away. "I read that once."

Dani plops herself down by the food and inspects all the contents before grabbing a little debbie cake. It looks the most familiar to her, things that haven't spoiled yet in her world, things she could pilfer off the shelves of an already looted grocers market. Plus it looks chocolate. Dani really likes chocolate. Chocolate's hard to find anymore in Dublin unless you've stockpiled it.

"Depends. I like you better than most anything 'cept chocolate. Chocolate's off limits as food, s'that alright? Cause it's feckin' wonderful and so are you but... chocolate." She takes a big bite of a little debbie cake just to shut herself up. Then she sighs, eyes closing as she melts into her appreciation of the flavor of it.

Peter listens, incredibly entertained by the ramble. "I did not know that about Gibbons monkeys. Are they the only monogamous monkey?" His cheek is warm where she kissed it.

He moves to sit down next to Dani, picking up s piece of fried chicken to eat. He'll save the little debbies for Dani. Chocolate is easy to get here, easy to get back in Peter's world as well. He can't imagine a world like Dani's but it makes him want to give her things, even mundane things like snack cakes.

That makes him laugh out loud. "For me, it's my aunt's macaroni and cheese," he tells her. "I'll take second to chocolate, but when you look like that eating it, I might have a hard time not getting jealous."

"They are. Can you imagine livin' in the wild and only havin' one mate for life? Geeze that must be hard... especially with animals who don't normally think that way. Only they do." It would probably be nice to be a monkey without a care in the world. She thinks of Shazam and gets a sad look on her face for a moment. She wishes Shazam was here.

Dani smiles at the compliment, a compliment that is perfectly timed given the trajectory of her thoughts when it comes to Shazam. Luckily for everyone, Dani is a professional at turning on a dime. "No one's ever thought I was pretty before. I mean, at least if they did they never said it. Don't know if I'm reactin' to it right. And is it okay to call a boy pretty too cause..."

Boy she's really good at digging herself into a hole. "So you lived with your aunt?" He's mentioned it before, but Dani has never outright asked. "Where was your parents?"

Peter shrugs a little at that. "It doesn't sound too crazy. What happens if their mate dies?" He's curious, okay? He always has been. He sees that sad look and his brow furrows. "Hey, what was that about?" He gestures to her face with his index finger.

It's a deserved compliment. "I don't think there's a right way to react as long as you're not angry at me or hitting me," he tells her. He grins at her 'compliment'. "In this case, I'm going to take it as a compliment."

He doesn't think she's digging a hole. She's doing just fine. "Yeah. Uhm..." his face scrunches up a little. "They died in a plane crash when I was six. I've lived with my aunt and uncle most of my life."

"They live out the rest of their life in seclusion. Kinda sad, right? I mean, people die. You gotta move on! Gibbons don't get that though." And Dani knows that moving on isn't so easy as she likes to pretend it is. She puts on a great show. But she's got a shit ton of stuff going on inside of her and it isn't all feckin' awesome.

When he asks what that was, she immediately knows her mask had slipped and shakes her head at him, all bright eyed once more. "We can be pretty together! Especially tonight since I'm wearin' a feckin' skirt. I mean I actually tried to be pretty tonight."

She listens about his parents and her nose wrinkles. "Criminy. I'm sorry. Which is stupid cause it ain't like I did anything. Just somethin' people say I guess. Don't know who my da was, some Fae of some sort. But me mum, she's... well I had her 'til I was eight. She was great. Let me watch TV all the time." From a cage the size of a dog crate. "Never had to go to school." Because she was in said cage. "Hardly ever got in trouble." Because her mom wasn't around much and left her in a cage.

Really, Dani has a lot of coping mechanisms. One is to make things seem better than they actually are. But there is some between the lines here because once again, Dani has dulled a bit in all the in betweens of those sentences.

Peter thinks about that. If he were a Gibbons monkey, then he shouldn't be here right now. He should mourn Gwen and pay for what he did to her, for killing her. He's uncharacteristically quiet for a moment before rubbing the back of his neck with his hand and nodding. "Yeah. That's sad." Peter doesn't put on a show like Dani does, but he tries to ignore a lot of the dark things that have happened in his life.

He doesn't push Dani to talk about it. He does hope she'll talk to him at some point though, if not about this, about the darker things in her life. He's gathered that it's not all roses and happiness. He lifts her hand, the one that he's holding and presses a kiss to her knuckles. "At least you've got that on lock tonight."

Her ramble gets a chuckle of sorts from him. "No. You didn't." He nods a little at the bit about her mother. He's got no idea what Dani's childhood was like, so he can only assume that her childhood was good, at least until she was eight. "Where'd you go after she was gone?"

He watches her, aware that there's something wrong there. Maybe it has something to do with her mother's death.

This is really the first time they've gotten serious with one another. Dani doesn't do serious very well. She's brash and wild and free and silly and ridiculous and too much trouble for anyone to give the time of day - unless they need to use her for something. It's Jada who's good at serious, that other her where she split apart to create someone who could handle all the serious stuff. Jada, who's efficient and serious and studious and survivalist and... a killer.

Dani's not the killer. Jada is. At least she likes to tell herself that. Deep down, she knows that it was a little of both of her, along with her need to be accepted and cared about by someone.

Peter knows none of this about her. He doesn't know how messed up she is. But Dani is scared to tell him because he kisses her hand like that, like something from a fairytale and Dani goes all weak on the inside. She's selfish. She wants this. She wants Peter. Peter is one of those fantastical stories about how awesome everything is come to life. He's real. And he's really fantastic. That isn't even her trying to hype him up to better than he is.

"I went to the Abbey with the other sidhe-seers. A lady named Roweena came to get me and not a moment too soon! That place was a mess 'til I got there to clean it up!" Again, a fantastical story to make it better than it was, to make like Ro didn't use her and Jada the way she did. "Ro really needed me there to help out. The Unseelie been slippin' into our world and I'm one of the strongest sidhe-seers out there. I can kill 'em 'fore they kill innocent people. Ro made me a feckin' hero!" And a killer, because Ro used her to kill innocent people too, people who got in her way.

She smirks and leans over to bump shoulders with Peter. "Just like you."

Peter does serious okay, but he prefers silly and ridiculous. He also knows that sometimes serious is necessary.

Peter doesn't have a clue about Jada and Dani, but he's dealt a little with split personalities where Harry Osborn was concerned. Of course, he hopes this turns out better than that did.

Part of a real relationship is knowing the darker parts of a person and still loving them. He wants this relationship with Dani too and she sells herself short. Dani is pretty fantastic in her own right.

He nods a little as she speaks, smiling when she says they needed her there. One of these days, he wants to know the truth though, even the ugly parts. "It sounds like they did need you. You know, you're pretty awesome."

He ducks his head, shaking it a little. "I'm just trying to do what I can."

A part of her wants to share all those dark parts. But experience has shown her that it doesn't go well. No one knows what to do with Jada, even though they all had a hand in creating her. Only Ro stepped forward to use her, and not for good.

She beams at him when he says she's awesome, that she was needed. True or not, she likes to hear it.

"What're you savin' your world from, Double P?" She asks, her tone still with a serious tenor to it. "Not Unseelie, but somethin' else from what I gather." They've never really talked specifics. Dani wants to know specifics. She wants to know Peter more.

The bookstore, admittedly, was a huge draw for Lydia. She'd made a mental note when she and Gracie had passed it on their shopping trip, and she'd been meaning to go back to see what sort of selection they had ever since. Today seems like as good a day as any to check it out, so she heads in and makes a bee line for the science section.

The selection which, as it turns out, is pretty big and she actually almost moans with the happiness that comes with seeing that many science books in one place.

Her eyes shift down the shelf, looking for the chemistry books. That's her favorite. She could probably stand to read a new science or revisit quantum physics or something, but chemistry is her passion; it's always been her go to and she supposes it always will be. In fact, she's so engrossed in the selection that it actually takes her a minute to notice the other person in the aisle with her, but once she does, a sly grin starts to tug at the corners of her mouth. Science guys in Itinere are hot. She could definitely get used to this.

"Looking for anything specific or just looking?" she wonders aloud, her eyes moving down his body and then back up his face. Yeah, she could definitely get used to this place.

((ooc: lol I am so sorry, please don't mind her. Lydia's the worst. She'll behave if she finds out he's seeing someone, though, I promise!))

It's a great bookstore with a really excellent selection. Peter is aware that it probably helps that the city has that weird knack for knowing exactly what you want. He kind of assumes the bookstore does the same thing because it's selection is so large and so esoteric.

Peter glances at the redhead when she enters the aisle, but doesn't bother her because she seems pretty focused on the chemistry section. He likes chemistry as well, that and genetics. He'd been just about to start a program in biogenetics back home.

"Biogenetics," Peter responds. "You?" He doesn't actually notice the way she's checking him out because Peter is oblivious that way. He's been a dork and a loser far too long back home.

(( ooc: lol no worries!!))

"Really," Lydia says, sounding impressed and, suddenly, she's even more interested in this guy. While he's just oblivious, she assumes that it's less that he hasn't noticed and more that he's like Aiden in that he just knows he's good looking and he's so used to being checked out that he doesn't care enough to make note. Which is fine. Lydia likes a challenge.

She pulls a book on biochemical engineering off the shelf as he's asking what she's looking for. A little shrug of her shoulders is paired with one on her expression. "Not sure yet," she admits. "I tend to gravitate toward the chemistry stuff, but I'm also in the market for a new science. Any recommendations?" she asks and then offers him a flirtatious smile and holds her free hand out to him. "Lydia Martin," she introduces herself.

He's definitely not like Aiden. He used to get beat up on a regular basis in high school. He shamelessly (innocently) stalked Gwen long before she ever went out with him and she'd been his only girlfriend. Peter's romantic life is pathetic. Really. He's only recently realized that he and Dani are actually dating, like a real couple. He's clueless.

"Chemistry is cool." He'd enjoyed Chemistry in high school. "I'm kind of a genetics freak. Not that I'm--I mean, I g-got interested in it a couple of years ago," he stumbles and stutters a little, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean...yeah. If--if you're looking for a new science, I say give that one a try." He reaches out to shake her hand. "Peter Parker. It's nice to meet you, Lydia." He's grateful for the subject change. It'll keep him from implying that he's a genetic freak (which he is) any more.

Lydia can't help the soft huff of amusement that slips out of her when he starts to stumble over himself. What world do all these awkward and hot science guys come from and can Lydia get a one-way ticket there? Barry first and now this guy. It's like the best of both worlds.

"I figured that's what you meant?" she asks more than says because until he got all weird about it, it was what she assumed he meant. People say stuff like that all the time and never think anything of it. I'm a yoga freak. I'm a pizza freak. No one thinks those people are literally freaks of nature.

Shaking his hand, she smiles a little. "Likewise, Peter. Genetics it is, then. Call me curious," she says coyly. "Have you always been a science nerd like me or are you new to interest in the field?"

Lydia, stop. You're embarrassing him, or you would be if he could hear her thoughts.

He swallows hard and nods. He's so bad at this; he knows he's bad at this. It's probably a good thing he wasn't very popular back home. He is literally a freak of nature and he is horrible at keeping that a secret. "Yeah. I mean--you know, weird things happen here and I just--didn't-didn't want you to think I_I was one. Not that I"m--" Peter Parker is a mess is what he is. He rubs the back of his neck, running his hand up through his hair. He keeps shifting his weight, "ju-judging if you're...different or--whatever. Science. Yeah, it's awesome." Back to a subject he can discuss without falling apart.

"N-no, I've always been a science nerd. I--my dad was a scientist so I guess I came by it honestly."

Lydia's brow creases just a little as she waits for him to spit out whatever it is he's trying to say in response. Either he just stutters in general or he's a nervous stutterer. Lydia's willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt since he's hanging out in the science non-fiction section of the store; he's probably not all that used to girls that look like her — and yes, it's conceited, but Lydia isn't blind; she knows she's beautiful — approaching him proactively like she just has. Or maybe she just reminds him of someone he isn't sure he likes very much. It could be any number of things and it doesn't really behoove her to try to figure it out without asking, but somehow she feels like asking is only going to make things worse. Lydia, instead, chooses to ignore and endure.

"I am," she admits. "Different." She doesn't specify in what way, because she's still trying to get kind of an overall read on this place and the people in it; of what's safe to talk about and what isn't. She's just met Peter, so today is not the day to mention the banshee. "It'd have been okay if you were," she says with a little shrug, looking wholly disinterested in whether he is or is not a "genetics freak."

She nods a little at his explanation behind the interest he has in the subject. "That's cool. I was kind of on my own. Neither of my parents were all that scientifically inclined. My mom is really smart, but she wasn't ever interested in that stuff."

He's a nervous stutterer. When he relaxes and he's comfortable, he can speak without any stutter at all. He blames it on his brain whirling too fast, with too many things in it, but it's just as likely that stuttering is his nervous tick. Interestingly, he never stutters when he's Spider-man. Then, he's all confidence and cockiness. She's beautiful and that has something to do with his nerves for sure. He'll relax a little as they continue to talk.

His brows shoot up. He hadn't expected her to be so upfront about something like that. He's just used to hiding it back home and it hasn't occurred to him that hiding his differences isn't necessary here. He nods a little at that, putting his thoughts together before he speaks (something he rarely does). "It's taking me awhile to get used to people's acceptance of that here." He's not confessing, but he's no longer denying it, or stuttering.

"Well...my parents died when I was six. I was raised by my aunt and uncle. They aren't scientifically inclined either, but they were great at encouraging me." He tilts his head a little. "When did you get interested in science?"

Lydia gives a little shrug in response to that. "I've just stopped caring what other people think," she confesses, which was, admittedly, a lot easier to do after the Queen Bee of Beacon Hills High fell fast and hard off the pedestal and into the sea of misfits she used to look down upon, all in one fell swoop and thanks to a werewolf bite that changed her life forever. "I'm me and I can't change it and I'd they don't like it, screw 'em."

Besides, once you've been near the top of an active dead pool with the price of ten million dollars for your head, dead or alive, it's hard to keep giving a shit what people do or don't know about the thing you are inside. If she can survive that, she feels like she can conquer anything, sometimes.

Her expression sobers quickly and into something more sympathetic when he brings up his parents. "I'm sorry to hear that. At least your aunt and uncle encouraged you?" she asks, because that's more support than Lydia got. Her parents had always shown mostly indifference to her interests so long a her grades didn't drop, which they never did. "Uh, well...I was eight when I got an Easy Bake oven for my birthday...and I'd just seen this chemistry set in a Toys R Us catalogue and it was something we'd been talking about a little bit in school, you know, low-level stuff. Anyway, I just thought it looked a lot cooler than making brownies with a heat lamp since my mom and I used to bake together on the weekends anyway. I cried until they returned the oven and got me the chemistry set." She laughs a little at that, tucking her hair behind her ears. "So that's when I first started playing with science. I guess interest technically initially sparked in science class at school. It was just more interesting and engaging to me than anything else had been."

Peter ponders that.It's not that he's ever cared much what most people think; he was never the popular kid and there'd been no height to fall from, socially speaking. "Every guidance counselor I've ever talked to would say you've got the right attitude."

It's not even being a target that bothers Peter. He can (in his experience) handle that. What he can't handle is the way others, people he cares about, get hurt because of who he is, because of what he does. It's the reason he'd kept quiet back home and, after losing Gwen, it's the reason he keeps his silence here.

He shakes his head a little at her sympathy. "It was a long time ago." He remembers the night they left though and now he knows what really happened to his parents. He smiles at the latter part. "Yeah, they've always been great." He'd been lucky having Aunt May and Uncle Ben raise him. He knows that. Her story about how she got into chemistry makes him grin wider. "You know, I'm guessing Marie Curie got her start in a similar way," he jokes.

Lydia smiles a little at that. "Yes, well, that's because I do," she says confidently. "Having the right attitude gets you everywhere in life. You've heard of the Law of Attraction, right? It's just like that. Stay positive and act like you own the world and, interestingly enough, positive things come your way and you kinds of own the world around you. It works, honey, you should try it if you haven't. But you really have to commit to it."

Okay, so maybe Lydia watched The Secret. Twice. But the fact stands: in her experience, that works. Not that she knows who he is, but perhaps maybe that's why Spider-Man tends to win against the bad guys. He goes in confident that he's going to win against the bad guys.

Rather than continuing on with discussion of his dead parents, Lydia latches onto the rest. "You think?" she asks, grinning. Lydia knows a bit about Marie Curie and she doubts that Peter is right about that, but it's amusing to consider all the same. Lydia turns her attention to the book shelves for a moment and pulls out a book in the genetics section, closer to Peter. "Maybe after I read it, we can get together and discuss. Over dinner or something," she hints with a coy smile.

He smiles at her explanation of her attitude. "Really commit," he says with a nod. "I'm pretty sure my high school counselor gave me a speech a little like that once. I didn't listen to her, but I might give it a second shot."

There are definitely worse things to watch twice, and he thinks she's right to some degree. It probably does help when one is confident and positive. He knows for a fact that being miserable and pessimistic doesn't bring anyone much of anything good. Of course, at the time, he hadn't thought he deserved anything good. He still has his doubts, but he knows he needs to do good and to do that, he has to be a more positive person.

He's grateful for that. Dead parents are never a really good discussion. He nods a little in response. Peter doesn't know much about Marie Curie other than the highlights. He'd focused more Dr. Connors. Then she asks him out to dinner and his eyes get wide and he starts back pedaling. He might be oblivious to the more subtle flirting, but he's not oblivious that.

"Oh--" he's obviously scrabbling for something to say. "I--no. I mean, I would like to--to discuss genetics and we--we could have--could have coffee or something. It's just I'm seeing someone. She's--funny. She's--she's a red head too. I mean--" Breathing, Peter. It's good for you. "Yeah. Genetics. That would be c-cool."

Lydia grins and sighs loftily. "Should've listened to her, sweetie. She knew what she was talking about." She finds herself wondering, really, why someone who looked like Peter would struggle with it, anyway; confidence. There must've been something that happened to him to shake it, she thinks. Maybe it was the death of his parents, as he mentioned. It could've caused some latent abandonment issues that manifested themselves in an insecurity and inferiority complex?

She should probably stop trying to analyze the poor guy. Lydia files those thoughts away because it's none of her business anyway.

Her eyebrows lift a little at his visual response to her offer and they lift even a little higher when he says no. People don't tell Lydia no. Nobody turns down Lydia Martin, this is a first. But then he goes on and Lydia relaxes a little. He's seeing someone, she hasn't lost her touch. Lydia holds up a hand and smiles apologetically. "Of course you are, look at you. Bummer someone snagged you up before I could meet you, I hate it when that happens," she says playfully. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make things weird. But yeah, when I finish reading, we should go have coffee and discuss, anyway. I don't get to talk about science a lot. When you're a pretty, confident teenage girl, most people just expect you to be dumb as a box of rocks. I tend to let them. It's just easier that way."

He chuckles a little and shakes his head. Mostly, it had just been that he'd been a nerd in his school. He didn't fit in, didn't play sports, got picked on by the jocks and he stood up for the really nerdy kids in high school. He does have a few abandonment issues, but over all, he knows his parents left him with his aunt and uncle because they loved him, to keep him safe. He also spent most of his high school career pining over Gwen Stacy, which had probably blinded him to other attention.

Well, he probably could use the help of a good therapist.

He sees that surprised look and is aware that people probably don't turn her down very much. He's being a good boyfriend (is that what he is? He's not sure to be honest). He flushes a little at her compliment. "N-no. It's okay. You didn't. Make things weird, I mean. It's--there aren't that many people here I've met who are interested in science so it's really c-cool that you are. I'll talk science anytime with you."

Lydia smiles warmly at him when he seems amenable to still talking about science with her in spite of the fact that she'd misinterpreted the tone of the rest of their conversation. It isn't often that Lydia does that and she wonders if it's just been so long since she's been in a relationship that she's lost her touch. She's going to have to get on that again. This isn't becoming, at all.

"Perfect," she says. "I'll keep you posted on my progress, then. If you ever feel inclined toward biochemistry, I'm your girl," she says with a little wink. Then, Lydia holds up the book she's chosen. "I'm gonna go get started, I think. It was really nice to meet you, Peter," she says sincerely. She's still a little bummed that he's spoken for. He isn't married, though, so she's not going to give up entirely, not yet. Now he's kind of a challenge. A part of her that Lydia isn't terribly proud of is piqued with interest with that in mind.

If she sticks around too much longer, she's bound to make things more awkward than they have any right to be at this juncture by pushing, because that's just the kind of person Lydia is and something tells her that a guy like Peter wouldn't be able to take it without hard feelings, which is something she's not willing to allow herself to create between them. Not when he's a science guy and the world doesn't have enough of them for her to talk to as it is. "I'll see you around," she adds before giving him a little wave and starting off.

If there's one thing that most New Yorkers have in common, it's their love for good pizza. Kate hadn't realized how much she missed the perfect slice until recently. Okay, so she had only just arrived in L.A. And it's not like she could actually afford much (anything, really) given that she had been robbed day one and subsequently been cut off from her father's funds. But still. That's not the point. The point is, Kate hadn't realized just how much she had missed pizza until walking by a Joe's Pizza smack in the middle of downtown Itinere.

She had done a double take when she first saw it. Do buildings usually appear out of no where here? She'd like to think that she would've noticed the pizzeria the last time she walked by. So buildings appear out of no where, people are sucked in from different universes, and there are magic keys that open to the same apartment regardless of the door. Yeah, it's safe to say that so far, Kate's experience in Itinere has been far from normal.

That hadn't stopped her from initially going in to get a slice. Or coming back almost every day since. She has Lucky with her (because no matter how much Clint may argue that Lucky's his dog, Lucky isn't going to let anything get in the way of him and pizza). And she has a seat by one of the windows as she savors her slice. Don't mind her, Peter, as she does a double take when you walk by.

Peter had been just as surprised to find Joe's here as Kate. He'd been just as grateful too. It's become a staple in his life here in Itinere, but he hasn't encountered Kate yet, probably because he doesn't eat at normal times.

Today, he's stops in at a normal lunch hour and catches sight of Kate sitting by the window. Okay, so it's not so much Kate that he notices as the dog. He looks from the dog to Kate to find her looking at him and he smiles lopsidedly at her. "Hey. Great dog," he says, nodding toward Lucky. "What's his name? Okay if I pet him?"

Lucky does tend to have that effect on people. Taking him in was one of the few smart choices Clint's made in recent months. Even with one eye, Lucky maintains a sense of doggy dignity that draw people to him. It works in his favor; especially in pizzerias. She's going to have to start keeping an eye on his pizza consumption.

When Peter approaches, Lucky starts to wag his tail. It's a solid thump against the stool. "Go for it," she says, still watching him closely. That is who she thinks it is, isn't it? Huh. "His name's Lucky. Just be careful he doesn't steal your pizza."

Peter has actually never had a dog. There was a talk about dogs and cities and responsibilities. He'd gotten a chemistry set instead and he'd been okay with that.

With Kate's permission, Peter ruffles the dog's ears, chuckling at his name. "I like it." It's an ironic name given that Lucky is missing an eye. He's got no idea who she is, but maybe he is who she thinks he is. "Hey, at least he's got good taste." Once he finishes petting Lucky, he turns to Kate. "I'm Peter Parker."

Kate never had a dog growing up either. Then again, she did have a pony. It had been a birthday gift from one of her father's business associates. Not something that Kate ever really took to.

No matter how much Kate wants to act cool right about now, she can't help it. She really can't help it. A large grin crosses her face as she says, "I know. Trust me, I know. You've been a great inspiration to a lot of us."

God, she's being such a dork. She's even worked with the dude and yet, she can't keep the word vomit from spewing out of her mouth. "I'm Kate Bishop. Hawkeye. Part of the reason my friends and I kept the Young Avengers was because of you."

A pony is a big something. Peter had had fish and there had been a stray cat for a while. A pony would be a great deal more work than a stray cat or fish though.

At first, he's not sure what Kate is talking about. As she continues to talk, he realizes that she's talking about him and how she knows him. He gives her the most incredulous look. There are so many layers of questions: how does she know him? who does she really think he is? An inspiration how? She's so excited! Why is she so excited? Maybe she's got the wrong person, the wrong Peter Parker.

Then she continues and at least it became clear that she was talking about Spider-man. Him as Spider-man. "Wait. Wh-Hawk-Hawkeye is an old guy with a bow. Pa-part of the regular Avengers. Old Avengers...I guess. Maybe? I--" he sputters a moment longer. "Uhm...nice to meet you, Kate. Again? Here? N-now, I guess....hi?" His voice sort of gives out on him as everything piles up on him.

Who's the dork now?

Kate had had better things to do than take care of a pony anyway. She had never been much like the other society girls she knew growing up. Given her chosen career path of superhero, she still isn't much like her peers.

Any warning bells that this is not the Peter Parker from her part of the multiverse come way too late. It's like the version of Wanda that she met earlier on. Yeah, this is doubly embarrassing now. She places her hand to her forehead for a brief second as she takes a deep breath.

"I wouldn't exactly call Clint old to his face," Kate says, smirking a little. "It might hurt his feelings. And he kind of has a crush on you." Immediately realizing that he might not take the joke all that well, Kate holds up her hands and shakes her head. "It's a joke. A really bad, inappropriate joke. Sorry."

Different from one's peers is a good thing, at least Peter tells himself that because he is different from his peers as well.

It's high time he gets used to the idea of different hims in other universes. He's certainly embarrassed himself both here and back home.

Peter's eyebrows go up a bit. "Wait. What? Clint as in Hawkeye? What?" Congratulations, Kate. You've completely baffled and blown Peter's mind.

Open | And when that sun goes down, hope you raise your cup

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