| Hello Gwen! |
| Summary: | Log Summary |
| Date: | 2016-08-29 |
| Related: | none |
| NPCs: | none |
| Scene Runner: | NA |
| Social/Plot: | Social |
| Players: |
 .. .. |
Location: Upper East Side near the corner of Lexington and 79th street on the roof of Mary Jane Watson's apartment building.
Gwen Stacy was getting excited. The night is coming to a close, and soon dawn…a time she always loved in New York. It was a relatively slow night…a mugging or two down in Times Square which ended with a few selfies with the tourist victims, a car jacking that ended with the theif being pulled from the vehicle, and even a robbery, ending with them strung upside down infront of the store for the cops to find when they arrived. A good night that's earned her a bit of a treat.
She swings through the streets of the city, arching between building to building, every now and then even running along the sides before leaping off and with a thwip falling into another gracefull arch that sends her up above the rooftops. She makes her way like this through the streets towards the tallest building nearby for a good view of the sunrise.
After her brief and disturbing visit with Peter shortly after sunset, MJ spent the night patrolling, actively looking for problems to stop… for perps to take her frustrations out. And those she did…
An attempted rape in Central Park ended with the victim at a battered woman's shelter and the rapist bound up in webbing on the stoop of the nearest precinct with a broken jaw, a dislocated hip and a broken rib or two… along with a digital recording of his assault of the woman as proof of his crime. A group of gang bangers who tried to have a fight in a the Bronx were sent running when their leaders were yanked into the shadows and then thrown back out into the light with black eyes and one with a bloody nose, both gibbering about giant metallic spiders.
MJ had looked for and found the rotten underbelly of New York and spent her pent up emotions, frustration and concern over the boy who was not her husband as well as the low ache of grief over having finally verbalized her goodbye to her Peter, on those who feed such rot.
As sunrise approaches, MJ swings into her neighborhood and quietly lands on the roof of her apartment building in active camouflage mode only to find another costumed person occupying it near the eastern edge.
If the other costumed person noticed you…she's not tellin'. She's sitting on the edge of the building…Well…to be more precise, she's sitting on a gargoyle that's perched on a small ledge a few feet below the roof. She's facing away from the newcomer, her hoodie up, looking out where the glow of the sun is starting to peek up from the horizon.
The other woman can't see it, but Gwen's currently got her mask up so it's bunched under her nostrils, still covering her face, but allowing her to eat her breakfast. It's not the healthiest thing…the McDonald's bag on the edge of the roof betraying that, but she's not really worried about the calories. There's also the sounds of music playing, probably from the phone in her hand.
MJ doesn't have her waldos out, nor does she feel the need to extend them. She remains in a crouch for a moment, observing the other woman… girl… no, she's not that young based on an assessment of the other Spider-Woman's figure.
So, figuring that someone eating out of a greasy McD's bag can't be an immediate threat even if they are capable, MJ stands and deactivates her active camouflage as she steps towards the other woman.
Iron Spider-Woman's electronically masked voice says, "Good morning, haven't seen you on this rooftop before."
Gwen Stacy mmmphs a little when she hears an altered voice behind her, looking back and almost choking when she sees the costumed woman there. She clears her throat a little and shakes her head, a little smirk on her slender lips as she takes in the woman's red and gold costume. "OHhh joy. Another one." She says, chuckling a bit and turning away to face the sun, taking a sip from her drink. "Not used to there being…so MANY…uh…arachnid themed heroes. Villains just need a big thing of RAID and like…pPPSSHHHHHHH…Boom" She says, laughing a bit. "So whassup…this your roof or something? Wan' me to go?"
MJ chuckles, a little darkly, at the other Spider-Woman's joke - as the electronic masking alters the sound only slightly her mood can still be easily told despite it.
"I don't own the rooftops," Iron Spider-Woman says as she casually closes the distance and steps up onto the edge of the roof. After knelling to perch beside the gargoyle she says, "Sorry if it feels like I'm intruding on your schtick," to her companion of the moment.
Gwen Stacy looks over at the woman when she approaches, chuckling. "Don't be. Who knows who's in the right here. There's no telling really." She says, taking a bite of a breakfast sandwhich, classic rock playing from a phone that's webbed to her arm. She smirks a little. "And by the way, don't mention not owning the rooftops to that stick in the mud down in Hell's Kitchen. Dude needs to relax." She says, looking over at her companion and hrms a little, reaching out and flicking the armor gently. "So what's the deal with you?"
Iron Spider-Woman turns her golden eye spots to Spider-Girl when she mentions Hell's Kitchen. "Daredevil? He's alright," she says but then chuckles softly - no dark tone this time - and continues, "But yeah, he's wound up pretty tight." After a pause she adds, "Understandable though, anyone could end up like him."
She then thinks for a bit on the question before saying, "The deal with me? Well… I'm Iron Spider-Woman and I care about this city," she does not voicalize the 'no matter what world I find myself in' part of the answer that had come to mind.
Gwen Stacy raises an eyebrow. "Daredevil's his name? Huh. Never mentioned it." She says, then shrugs. "Yeah he's okay! But like…man. SUPER serious guy." She says, glancing over to the other woman and nods a little at the answer. "That's cool. Hey…HEY! It's you then!" She says, hrmphing a little and getting a bit grumpy. "You're the reason I can't be Spider-Woman! Ugh. I'm here stuck with Spider-Girl…that's like…SUCH a garbage name. Spider-GIRL." She says, mocking her own chosen name. "You got the cool name."
"I brought it with me," Iron Spider-Woman says laughing in a friendly way as she speaks. "There have been a few Spider-Women in the worlds before me… its one of the reasons I have Iron at the start of my moniker. Spider-Girl's not bad though honestly."
Gwen Stacy sighs a little, shaking her head a bit, taking another sip of her coffee and then finishing off the sandwhich of hers. "Pssh. If you wanna be taken seriously, Spider-Girl's a terrible name." She says, then glancing over at the woman. "So…sounds like…Uhh…sounds like you're not from around here either, huh?" She says, her tone getting a bit quiter.
"Not so much," Iron Spider-Woman says in response. Noting the 'either' she asks, "You too?" thinking that it seems to be a pretty common situation from her observations.
Gwen Stacy looks around a little, then realizes we're at least 20 floors up and shakes her head slightly. "Y..yeah. I'm definitely not from here. Still trying to get used to it." She says with a little smile. "So many differences. It's really crazy." She says with a chuckle.
Iron Spider-Woman nods in agreement before saying, "The crime's the same. The layout of the streets are… mostly the same. I think that's the spookiest part of the whole thing."
Still crouching there she looks out to the east as the horizon has begun to pinken with the first hints of the rising sun. "The beauty of a sunset is the same here as my world also…" she pauses and looks back at the other spider woman and asks, "Do you want me to call you Spider-Girl or something else?"
Gwen Stacy looks over at the woman and smirks, taking a final sip of coffee before pulling the mask down to cover her face fully. "That's very true. The few things that haven't changed are the city and this job." She says, leaning back against the wall and relaxing, a smile under her mask as the sun slowly begins to rise. She glances over at the other woman when she asks that question before looking back at the sun, waving her hand a little. "Spider-Girl is fine. I'm stuck with it for now…might as well keep going with it. I've got an idea brewing for something else…but…the world's not ready for it yet."
MJ raises her right eyebrow behind the mask which sort of reflects it with a slight raise in the top of the eyespot on that side of her face, but the change is subtle, easy to miss. She doesn't comment on it at all. Instead she returns to an earlier topic…
"So, where you are from, were you the only spider-themed hero in New York?" she asks.
Gwen Stacy definitely doesn't notice the raise of an eyebrow, but she chuckles a little to herself, thinking of the totally awesome name she's got on her mind. She looks over at the other spider-woman after the question and then nods her head. "Yuuuup. I suspect same thing as this world…just…different. Only one in the world like me…where I came from." She says, a little proud about it. "I mean…it sucks that I'm like…one in a half dozen here…but there's benefits to not being home."
MJ refrains from correcting the girl… having reviewed the records at the Avengers' mansion she believes there may have been more than a dozen distinct spider-themed heroes in the world across about half a dozen names that people on the street were aware of. Instead she smiles behind the mask, unseen but able to be heard as she says, "I was not alone in that way but I've heard about how rough it can be starting out that way. Is one of the benefits having people to turn to for help that you know can understand the life you've chosen?" The way she says that, its not from personal experience but as if she is paraphrasing something someone close to her once said.
Gwen Stacy looks over at the girl again as she speaks, nodding a little. "It's not great starting out. But once you get the hang of it…I think you're stronger than most. But…that could just be me." She says, then smirks a little behind the mask. "No…I had other supers in my world. It was a little bit more of a personal issue that got resolved. Don't…really need to get too much into it."
MJ nods, she understands personal issues as she is dealing with one herself right now after all. She also respects the other woman's privacy and doesn't ask for clarification. Instead she shifts the discussion towards professional topics.
"If you ever feel the need for backup there's a number I can give you to reach me. I may not always be available but I'll try to respond… and might be able to get others to help you out in my place if I can't," she says and then asks, "Would you like that number?"
Gwen Stacy nods her head a little as the woman seems to be okay with changing the subject, then blinking at the question. "Oh! Hrm…well…I'd like that! Yeah!" She says with a smile underneath the mask, just slight changes to the fabric giving it away. "I'd appreciate that. I'm meeting people…but…not really other people like me. So yeah…that'd be great."
Iron Spider-Woman gives Spider-Girl the number that will connect to the cellular pickup in her suit (whether it is in suit or backpack mode). She also doesn't ask for reciprocity because this is a matter each person has to decide upon and, as an Avenger (even if the team is inactive currently), she feels it is her duty to help other heroes. "Care to share anything about those you've met?" She asks out of curiosity.
Gwen Stacy smiles a little and makes a note of the number, pulling her phone from her arm and entering it in. If the woman were to sneak a peak, she may see some interesting names on her contact list. She finishes entering your info and shrugs a bit. "I mean…what…Daredevil? Whatever he's called. I met him…I did meet this GIANT Native American dude. Guess I'm going on a date with him…and there was one guy…think he had like…knife…fingernails…" She says, putting her hands out like claws and scratching the air.
MJ nods at the mention of Daredevil and again, but with a slight chuckle, at the second (How many giant Native Americans can there be in New York after all) then shakes her head slightly at the mention of the third. "You guess you're going on a date with a guy," she asks in amazement. "What's he like… other than Native American and gigantic?"
Gwen Stacy smirks a little and shrugs. "Well like…he asked me out…and I said yes! But…come on. On a Friday. Night. In New York. TECHNICALLY I'm going on a date, but how long's it going to last before I hear something or notice something?" She says, glancing over at her. "I'm not crazy! Don't think I'm crazy." THere's a beat as she thinks. "He's actually pretty nice. Real polite…even though he didn't offer to buy my hot dog. Hrm. Anyways…he seems alright."
MJ nods again before speaking. And when she does, she seems to be choosing her words carefully. "If he is who I think he is… because I've met a very large and really nice Native American man also… you should know he's looking for a committed relationship," as she says this she is also thinking (I wonder if she's the Manitoba date or the classy one? No, she said hot dogs, definitely Manitoba) "And he seemed to have that man thing of not knowing the difference between a date and dating," she adds, not explaining it because this is something women understand.
Gwen Stacy raises her eyebrow a little at the woman saying she's ALSO met someone like him. "Oh you have?" She asks, then blinks a little and looks back towards the sun halfway risen by this point. "A committed relationship." She murmurs, chewing on her lips a little before tsking. "Well…I dunno about that…We'll…have to see how things go then." She says, looking very relaxed against the wall. "Wasn't expecting that. Thanks for the heads up though."
MJ goes ahead and asks, "Was your giant Indian named James?"
Gwen Stacy glances back at the woman and nods. "Yuuup. Sure was." She says. "So you know him?"
MJ nods again. "Yeah. Met him and a friend of his while he was shopping for date clothes while I was looking to get a tie for a young friend of mine," she says as an explanation while working to hold in the laughter over the irony of the situation that was fighting to be expressed.
Gwen Stacy sighs a little, shaking her head and smirking. "Oh yeah?" She asks, glancing over at the woman and chuckling. "So…since you seem to know what he's looking for…." She says, chuckling a little. "How was it?"
MJ looks back at the other spider woman and asks, "What he got clothing wise?" MJ ponders how to answer as she saw what he bought for one date and helped pick out his outfit for another and then went out on a date with him herself. Finally she decides to go with the truth about the clothing. "He'd gotten a silk shirt, almost a muscle shirt, and slacks before we crossed paths. He ordered a pair of suits at the store I met him at."
Gwen Stacy smirks a little. "Yeah…sure. We'll start with that." She says, nodding a little as she listens, whistling and shaking her head a bit. "Wowww…Sounds like…somethin' else." She says with a grin. She then waits a beat, glancing over to the woman again. "And how was the date?"
"It was nice, until we butted heads on the man vs. woman date vs. dating confusion," she says. She looks right at the other woman and says, "He doesn't know me as Iron Spider-Woman by the way so… do you want to know who's behind this mask from me or… find out from him when he drops my name which he most likely will… he's that kind of cute awkward some times."
Gwen Stacy tsks a little and nods. "Well that's good. I'll have to let him know right off I mayyyy not be looking for something long term." She says, then raising an eyebrow when you mention that. "Oh? I…well…I mean…that's…up to you! Not really my place to dictate that. It's how YOU want me to find out." She says, then smirks a little. "He doesn't know who I am either btw." She says, actually saying bee tee dub.
MJ has to think on the last for a moment because she's not one to pronounce the letters but she gets it. "I really didn't think of it ask asking you to dictate but if you were comfortable doing it here," she says as she glances around and pulls back from the edge of the roof standing up as she does so. "I am back here at least, this way the neighbors don't have a chance of seeing me." And wills the mask of her armor to receded.
The cowl of her armor begins to melt away. The first thing visible is her mane of deep red locks which, as they are released by the suit, flow about her shoulders and down past her shoulder blades in back. Then it flows down her face and Mary Jane Watson-Parker is sitting there armored up to her neck. She braces herself incase this girl has begun following her (and her double's) modeling career here in this world or the possibility that her fame carries over into the world Spider-Girl is from.
Gwen Stacy swallows a little. "True…Truee. Yeah…" She says, watching as the woman stands up and moves back away from the rooftop. She hops up gracefully, stepping from the gargoyle up to the roofledge and then down a bit again to the rooftop.
She watches as the armor receedes, a fascinated look on her face…under the mask. She tilts her head a little when she sees the flowing red hair, but then…she sees that face! There's…no way. "Jesus…MJ…" She murmurs swallowing a little. It's…definitely not the reaction of an adoring fan! That's for one thing! "A…serious? You're serious?" She was…NOT wanting to meet up with one of her compatriots from the old world…but…fate slammed them together. She leans back against the ledge of the roof. "Wow. Uhm…Heh. Last person I expected…I'll tell you what."
MJ seems a bit surprised at the reaction. Not the recognition, she was ready for that of course, but… this girl knew her personally, or a version of her at least because the Avengers of her world never heard of this person and there were no records of Spider-Girl before The Event on June 1st in this world either… plus she'd already admitted to being trans-dimensional anyway.
"So you know me… that's not a disadvantage I'd expected in this exchange," she says, her voice no longer masked since the physical mask is down.
Gwen Stacy looks at you and sighs, sitting down on the ledge of the roof. "Yeah…I do. Very much so." She says, giving a little chuckle. "You were…a smidge younger it looks like…but…I mean that's you! That's…man. Mary Jane…So like…were you…all this famous back on your world? Because in mine…youuuu were not. Well…we were KIND of well known."
MJ just nods at first, still curious who this woman she is speaking to is but not wanting to insist on a mutual unmasking. Instead she says, "Everything in my life and the one I've inherited in this world was the same until… well, until Peter and I broke up." She doesn't explain who Peter is, either this girl will know or… well, the parallels don't have to be the same across all worlds after all she assumes. "So, you and … my double in your world were close?" she asks.
Gwen Stacy swallows a little when she hears her mention Peter, looking down slightly. She clears her throat and sniffles a little, nodding her head. "Uhh. Yeah. Yeah. We were. I mean…you got…annoyed with me at times…heh. We were in a band! I'd always be late and stuff because I was…you know." She says, tugging at her costume. She swallows a little again. "So…everything…else in your world was the same? Everything?" She asks, looking up at the woman. "Heh…seems like mine…Mine was OUT there!"
MJ shakes her head, "No, it seems like after our breakup there was a long period of time where similar things occurred but the last few years were very different and lets not talk about the last couple of months!" She grins in a way that says she'd be okay talking about it with the right person but its a turn of phrase after all. She then asks, "So… in a band? Wow. So MJ in your world wasn't a theatre geek?" She embraces the term so has no problem calling herself one.
Seeing as how the conversation is becoming less professional every moment, MJ wills her suit to become a civilian outfit: a grey baby doll t-shirt that says "Nope" and a pair of shorts with sandals on her feet.
Gwen Stacy nods her head alittle, then laughs a bit. "No…She wasn't. We were in kind of a punk-pop band. We were getting pretty big too." She says with some level of pride in her voice. "Probably on our way to like a real studio signing us. Then…I got zoomed away." She says, sighing a little. "Well…I mean…okay. It's only fair you get a peek. You did it for me…I'll…I'll show you who I am." She says, taking a few deep breaths.
She pulls the hood down, leaving her in just that smooth, stark white mask for a moment, then she pulls that off. There's a flash of neck length blonde hair, and then the fair features of Gwen. She swallows a little, looking…nervous really. "Sooo…recognize me?"
MJ thought she was ready for everything, what with 'Peter' being a sixteen year old and forming a new friendship with someone she felt she'd known for years in Simon, but…
"Gwen…" she utters as her normally exceptional balance falters and she sways instead of falling to her knees as she would have had she not been enhanced.
She regains her balance after a moment and just stands there staring at Gwen Stacy. For her, Gwen is dead and there she is standing in front of her. Talking to her… and Oh Em Gee… going on dates with the same guy as her again.
MJ laughs and steps forward offering to embrace the younger than her but older than she remembers double of her long dead friend. "Gwen," she says again, not yelling as she doesn't want to attract undue attention, but happy and welcoming at the same time.
Gwen Stacy whistles a little when it's clear she does remember her. "Okay…eassyyy…" She says, knowing this is probably going to be rough. She steps forward a little, then smiles as MJ offers a hug. Gwen moves in and wraps her arms around her, squeezing tight, and for one moment…maybe…too tight. She's strong. Strong enough for the suit to have to start pushing back before Gwen eeps a little and relaxes, giving a nice firm hug. She smiles brightly, nodding. "Yup! It's me MJ. How've you been?" She asks with a little laugh.
MJ erks as the hug becomes a bit too tight, giving the sign that Gwen reacts to while at the same time the disguised armor prevents any real risk of injury. With her arms uncovered by the armor, her hug is not enhanced by its strength boosting but she returns the embrace with a firm one as well - she is clearly stronger than she looks. There's no tears… MJ got over Gwen's death nearly half a decade ago after all, but they were friends and now she has the chance to renew it with another Gwen.
After the hug is over she says, "I'm alright. Better today than I was a few days ago."
She looks over the younger blonde and smiles, "So, we were in a band together? What roles did we have in it? I actually do know how to sing. Have to in order to perform in musicals after all."
Gwen Stacy blushes from the too tight hug, then squeaks a little when you give one back. "Ohh! Heehee…Fancy! You've got a little juice outside of the suit too, huh? Glad to see it!" She says, laughing a bit. "Well I hope this…helps…Somehow." She says, then rolls her eyes. "Well…let's see. Mary Jane…still being a Mary Jane…what role would be the only one she would consider taking?" She asks with a grin. "You were the singer of course. The damn band was called 'The Mary Janes'." She says with a grin. "I was the drummer!"
The Mary Janes. And MJ as the front woman. Yeah, that makes perfect sense.
MJ laughs happily and nods. "Yeah, that makes sense. And punk-pop. That's…. a bit different than my usual tastes but not terribly surprising either," she says with a smile. "So… how are you making do here? Do you have a place to stay, Gwen?" Yes, the friendship is still there.
Gwen Stacy smiles a little and shrugs. "Well…ehhh we were pretty good at it." She says, smiling at the woman. Sure she…looks a little older…but it's definitely still the same MJ. "Heh. Well…for a superhero…I'm working under the table for a bodega near my apartment." She says, shrugging a bit. "It's pretty good work. Nothing like fashion model or actress." She says with a grin. "But it's tough to do that stuff when you've got a death certificate and a grave."
"I can't even imagine how difficult that would be," MJ says shaking her head. "My problems seem pale in comparison. Remembering that I wasn't in any movies over here is something I sometimes struggle with… and I'm getting over this multiverse enforced separation from my husband finally… I think."
Gwen Stacy laughs a little. "Yeahhh…it's not great! But…in ways…it's better here. Like I said." She says with a smile. "And…with Peter…I'm sorry that this world…kind of threw that on you. I actually haven't…seen him yet." She says, falling a little quiet. "I…don't think I could handle it. Probably would be a bit too much for me. At least…right now."
"Yeah, seeing him as a teen again is a bit rough, but at least he doesn't look just like my husband," MJ says as if Gwen already understood that she was married to Peter in her world, "Despite Hollywood's habit of casting people in their 20s to play teens, eleven years can make a huge difference in a person's appearance."
Gwen Stacy blinks a bit. "Really? He's a teen? Oh wow…" She says, then smirks a little. "So you married him? That's really cool…" She says, then laughs a bit. "Oh yes. I just wanna see him…maybe watch from afar or something…My last image of Peter is…not great. So I wanna like…swap it out." She says with a smile. "Eventually."
MJ's smile fades a moment as her last image of Peter, furious and smashing the desk in his office because of a failed experiment that terrified her in the first place, passes though her mind. "He's not like the Peter I knew. Of course, he's younger than my husband was when he and I first met… but I think its the job he's accepted. Becoming a sixteen year old CEO over night…" she pauses, hesitating because some part of her feels like this is a betrayal, but at the same time this is Gwen and she deserves to know, "… I think it may have changed him. Not to mention things he's done since."
Gwen Stacy blinks a little when she hears that, her eyes narrowing and looking out towards the city again. "You need to tell me what he's done. Peter's…Peter's capable of great things…but also very bad things if he's not on the right course." She says firmly. "And I won't have him go down some wrong path HERE as well. He may need…some urging. Or…guidance…I dunno…"
MJ looks around and notes that the sun is over the horizon and says, "This may not be the best location." Then, looking at Gwen again she asks, "Do you have civies to change into or should I go down stairs and bring a bathrobe for you to wear? Then we could adjourn to my apartment and have a more private place to talk."
Gwen Stacy looks around too, hrm'ing a bit and nodding. "Yeah…you're right." She says then shrugs. "I've got some-" She stops as her phone rings. THe girl rolls her eyes and checks it. "Sorry…Work." She says, picking up the phone. "Yah…Wha…No! No I switched with her!! That's bullshit! She was going to work this morning, and I'd work he-…nghh…Fine! Yeahhh…Yeah okayy…Ugh. FINE. But better believe I am NOT coming in Saturday because of this right here! She can work it her own damn self!" She says, looking at MJ and shaking her head a little. "Alright…I'll be there…10 minutes. Yah. Bye." She says, hanging up the phone. "Okay…so apparently…I have to work. Yayyy. That's what I get for trusting one of the other girls…" She mutters as she pulls her mask back on over her head and flips the hoodie up. "Okay. So two things. One…TRYYY and keep an eye out for Peter. If he's…doin' crazy stuff…lemme know. And two. Call me! We gotta hang out!" She says, giving MJ a big hug, making sure it doesn't hurt before she hops up onto the edge of the roof. "Baiiiiiiiiii" She says as she jumps off the roof and out of sight.