12244/Pinball Wizard

Pinball Wizard
Date of Scene:	01 August 2022
Location:	Alf's Retrocade
Synopsis:	With a challenge of PARKOUR on the line, Peter and Gwen prove to each other that they are quite a match. Everybody wins.
Cast of Characters:	Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy

---

Peter Parker has posed:
A message from Peter pings up on the Spidey-Comm. "Hey Gwen. I found a cool new retro arcade, thought you might enjoy checking it out."

The good thing about text communications, particularly the first one, is that the recipient does not know how long the sender sat staring at, changing out words, or just generally delaying on sending. Peter was not entirely sure why he was having a time of this. Well, he knew why, but he didn't want to acknowledge it, which was kind of the same thing. Nonetheless, once he actually managed to send the message itself, he immediately tossed the thing onto his couch and put his head down on the table and sighed. Why was everything so difficult.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
It doesn't take long for an answer to be returned:
> A retro arcade? Do I look like the type that plays video games?

A few tortuous moments of quiet and then another message:
> The answer is yes. I will let you know I was even a street fighter champion.

Was she? The Gwen of *this* universe never really spoke about that. Or maybe it was one of her secret things, who knows?
> I will meet you there, send me the coordinates.

There. Messages all sent in the matter of a minute or two. So confident! Or maybe it's her own way of hiding her nervousness. But she will be there at the appointed hour apparently.

Peter Parker has posed:
As soon as there is a ping on the device, Peter's hand whips out and a strand of webbing yanks it back to him. His face pales at the message. Stupid Parker, you should have gone with bowling. Or the park. Or like, anything else. What is WRONG with you. He tosses it back at the couch and starts to put his head down again.

Then the second ping comes and the strand goes out again, this time by pure reflex. He does not pick his head up this time, even though it is in his hand, until the third ping comes through. He tilts his head and opens one eye to peek at the second and third responses.

He pulls it over and nearly drops the thing as he realizes that now _he_ has let a bit too much time go without a response. He fires in the address of the arcade and a time. Later today, because he really hopes he will not be tortured thinking about this for an entire other day. Does it make him look eager? Maybe. But he has other problems to solve.

Like what he is going to wear, what he is going to say, and ... He takes a breath. It's just Gwen, Peter. Just Gwen.

Maybe that's the problem.

--

At the appointed hour, or more specifically fifteen minutes before said appointed hour, Peter is standing outside of Alf's Retrocade. He debated bringing something along, but decided, casual. Since he could barely bring himself to do it in the first place, maybe not go full Peter Parker at the start. He decides to go with a nice relaxed look t-shirt and a pair of shorts - comfort for the summer.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Today? That has the blonde arch her brows while she sits in her bed, cross-legged and typing with both thumbs as she answers:
> Not wanting to lose time, eh? Well, I hope you are ready for a woopin'

Yet even with the carefree way of the previous message now comes some big decisions. Like what to wear! And the clock is ticking. Argh. She shoots a web over to cover the digital clock on the side of the bed and then it's time to go look through the wardrobe. Dress? No! Oooh, that cool top she got the other day. No, too much cleavage... And how about...

It goes on for a good while until eventually she is seen making way down the street to the arcade. She is dressed in a pair of tight jeans, pair of sneakers. For a top she went with a midriff top that leaves shoulders and part of her belly visible. Long blonde hair is twisted up in a mess of bun stabbed through with a pair of chopsticks, leaving various bangs dropping freely on the sides of her face.

"Hey Peter." She greets with a wave, wide smile on her lips, "Ready to start summer with a blast?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter sucks in some breath at that reply. She may be on to him. Play it cool. How would Tony respond?

> I mean, how do we know Rhino won't run it over before Thursday?

Ok, Parker, you need to pay more attention if you want to get above Happy's level of chill.

Peter has just started to worry about whether or not he should have tried to make a bit more effort when he sees Gwen coming his way. Aaaaaaand she looks great. Good job, again, Parker. He does, however, manage a simple but warm smile as she comes up.

"Hey Gwen, absolutely!" He grins towards her. "Why not, right?" He leans forward as she approaches, as if he is going in for a hug, and then straightens, and then just reaches out for the door. "I'll warn you, though, I might just be unbeatable at air hockey if they have it." He pulls it open for her, and waves his hand in. "After you!"

Gwen Stacy has posed:
> You are spending too much time with Tony.

Definitely on to him apparently.

But that's pretty much the last message she sends before being there at the arcade. Blue eyes roam over the entrance and the large neon logo. Because of course there had to be a neon logo, "They really went all out, didn't they?", she comments, momentarily distracted until she notices the approach for ..., a hug? Or what is that?

A moment hesitation, and she is about to go for it too but then Peter is backing off and then it just gets awkward. So she just lamely pats Peter on the shoulder and offers him another one of her smiles. So wide too but inside it's a nervous one. Get a grip, Gwen. It's just Peter, right?

"Air hockey? Should we put a wager on that?" She then teases as if the moment before hadn't just happened. "We can't really bet on doing each other's homework anymore so ..., we'd need to figure out something else to wager.." that has her wrinkle her nose in thought as she makes her way into the place, fingertip taptapping on her chin.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter pushes the doubts out of his head. He knows that he can self-criticize himself to death, especially as he realizes just too late that she was coming in for the hug too until he pulled back. But he reads that smile. She is nervous too. And somehow, that manages to settle him. He's not in this alone.

Deep breath, Parker. You aren't Tony. You aren't Happy. You are the friendly neighborhood Spider-man. You can infuriate maniacal billionaires who can throw trucks with your turn of phrase. You can handle this.

"Loser takes a video of the winner doing a parkour through Upper West Side." Peter grins at her. Something unique that really only they could do for each other. That is cool, right?

He turns to follow her in, taking a moment to glance around, hoping that, after all that, there is air hockey somewhere.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Parkour? That has Gwen bark out a laugh of amusement that just comes out naturally, "Deal. But whoever wins needs to be yelling parkour while doing it.." she adds her own conditions to the deal. And really? Maybe it's better to just lose instead. Perhaps that's where she is going considering how Peter announced being so good at air hockey! Such a plotter...

Gwen looks around the place and, as advertised, it's filled with retro arcades and old machines from the 80s and 90s. A true nostalgia trip for the 30 and 40 year olds. Of course that they are on their 20s now so they missed most of it but it doesn't mean they can't still have their fun!

"My senses are telling me it's this way.." And she starts walking past a few arcades. Some with driving games, a couple of basketball hoops where a few kids are throwing balls at. A shooter. But eventually she finds the tables.

"So, what plans do you have for this summer, Peter?" She asks over her shoulder while leading on to the table, rolling her neck and loosening her limbs.

Peter Parker has posed:
That brings forth laughter from Peter. "Oh, you're ON!" He grins at the iamge of either of them dashing across rooftops shouting PARKOUR. "Definitely that is the way to go." He smiles broadly, feeling a lot more relaxed now. It's flowing. Maybe that non-hug was just what was needed to break the tension. Greatest. Not Hug. Ever.

"Wait, your senses can do _that_?" Peter asks with surprise. And then he immediately regrets it, shaking his head, just waiting for the witty retort. He walked into that one.

Although, following behind is not necessarily the worst thing in the world. He had certainly noticed her physique while in costume, but there is something about seeing her in jeans that oh crap she's about to say something. Peter looks up quickly, hoping that he did so before he was caught staring. That would probably not help his situation.

"I was kind of thinking I might try to relax a little bit. I didn't sign up for any classes, so I feel like for the first time I'm not a student. I'm still getting work from the Bugle, which is nice, and, you know. Hoping that the _other thing_ might settle down a bit." He watches her approach the table, stretching and getting ready, and he starts to do the same. "It'd be nice to have a summer free of ... " He considers what to say, ultimately just shrugs. "Trauma." He came prepared and slips some quarters into the air hockey machine as he assumes one side, taking up the knocker with his left hand.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"You mean your senses _can't_?" Is the tease in return, Gwen tossing Peter a wink just like in those old times where they were closer, "Oh yea, my senses can do a whole lot of things. I can sense lies too, did you know that?" she says oh so casually back to Peter, elegant fingertips up and brushing some of that blond hair away from her face.

"Besides, I can also see all around myself, full 360 degrees sight." Uh-oh, is that true? That means Peter would had been busted looking at those jeans! Or at what's encased in them, rather. Not that she makes a comment on it though...

She might just be stringing him along until Gwen finally adds, "But my biggest power..?" and she goes to one end of the air hockey table, jerking her hips from side to side and grinning teasingly, "It's reading the future, and knowing you will be totally smashed in this game.." yep, clearly stringing him along.

"Wait.." As if she just heard what he said, ".. are you saying Peter Parker isn't signing up for summer classes? Who are you and what did you do with Peter?" She asks but sobers up some when Peter talks about trauma. Yes, she knows well about how that can go. They both had their share of trauma. Some shared between them. Other not.

"It's a good idea." But her tone is different, as if her own mood has gone down a touch. Maybe she's remembering her own.

It also means she's somewhat distracted in those first moments of the game, which a nefarious opponent may take advantage of!

Peter Parker has posed:
Is there a bit of a nervous expression on Peter's face when Gwen claims to be a human polygraphy? You betcha. Not that he had ever lied to her, but... "That's handy, for sure!" he says with a grin as she details more of it. "I'll bet that would make you _really_ good at parkour, if you could just get past me in the air hockey."

He leans over as she starts to talk about her power. She has him hooked, and is reeling him in, slowly but surely. Does his lean coincide her hips? Maybe. "Maybe your future powers just don't work on me, huh?" he replies with a grin, as he straightens up.

He is laughing, she is laughing, and then he steps in it. Why did he have to bring that up? He watches the light go out of her face, and he sighs. "I'm sorry," he says quietly.

His mind races about how to try to save the moment. Bring back the lightness. Not dwell on their past, both of which filled with...so much. He wishes he had some kind of grand creative idea, but the best he can come up with is just being honest.

"I really like hanging out with you, Gwen." he says softly. "Like this. Forgetting about all the other stuff, just, you know, us." He slowly pulls the yellow puck up with his hand as he concludes his 'confession'. "I'd like to do it more often."

And then the puck is fired towards her sides of the table. "After you watch me do the PARKOUR." Ok, he probably shouts that a little bit louder than he needs to.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"I should probably do the same, you know?" Gwen admits, again brushing some hair out of her face in that very Gwen-way of hers, "Take some time off, try to figure things out. I do have the internship at Oscorp starting soon but .... I don't know." her expression looking a touch more tired than she'd maybe like to show. Eyes turn up to meet Peter's when he speaks again though. On what he'd like to do. It has the gift of bringing another smile to her lips.

"I do too." She says, eyes straying away briefly. "It's good to forget." even if looking at Peter has all those guilty feelings brimming to the surface again. She _did_ kill him on one end. And died on his arms on another. It's enough to have a sharp headache come to her head but she fights through it.

In the same way that she perhaps tries to fight through the guilt.

"Maybe that should be our plan." she tells Peter, "Hanging out more this summer, just us and not our suits." but good luck with that. She knows there's always a crisis or two to solve. It's good to hope though.

The puck is shot and she lets out a gasp, "I wasn't ready!" not that it stops her from blocking the puck and shooting it back viciously, it ricocheting off the walls at speed.

And then the game is on!

Peter Parker has posed:
Somehow, Peter managed to pull the mood back a bit. He takes a breath and smiles warmly towards Gwen. There is a lot in their past, that both is and is not them and theirs, in a way. And the question is really whether they can move past the negative, and find the positive. He still looks at her and sees his Gwen, the one that died because of him, and it makes him hurt. But it's another chance, the sort that no one gets. And if he can't move past it, take advantage of that...

"The Summer of Gwen and Peter," he says, allowing himself to grin back at her. "I'd really, _really_ like that." Maybe too many reallys there, Parker, but he was starting to feel more at ease, finally. Maybe this thing could work out, whatever it was. But that was the key. They had to be themselves.

Barking out a laugh at Gwen's protest, Peter leans forward a bit on his side. "When you're trying to take on the champ, you gotta be ready for everything!"

The game is on, and it is furious! Peter's hand moves like a blur, as if anticipating where the puck is going each time. Far, far too fast then seems normal. Almost as if he knows where it was going to go ahead of time...

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Eeehhhh..." Gwen even wrinkles her nose briefly, "Sounds like the title of one of those corny summer movies." she wisely keeps the 'romantic' part out of it. Because that's what most of those movies usually are. But indeed the mood is up again. It's a good thing, but they have always been able to do that, keep each other up through being present. It's always worse when one or the other is missing.

"I would like that too." She then finally says. And then Gwen feels she probably should had put a 'really' in there. But eh, perhaps it's to compensate the overabuse of 'reallies' from Peter.

Competitive nature starts cropping up though as Peter doesn't hold back. Which means Gwen doesn't hold back either. And the game turns into the kind of game that draws the attention of some of the kids on the surrounding machines, them turning to watch the two go at it. The puck almost flies as each hits it with strength and skill, those senses making it so that indeed they may be aware on where the puck will be ahead of time..

Peter Parker has posed:
"I mean, could be worse," replies Peter, his eyes entirely focused on the puck flying between them. "Could be one of these Merchant Ivory films where everyone walks around all stuffy and is like, "Oh my word, I simply cannot abide that rapscallion!"" Somehow, Peter does manage to sound like an annoyed British woman of a certain age as he unfurls that line.

He risks a glance up after sending the puck Gwen's way. He wants to see her face after she acknowledges that. He knows he probably has a dopey smile, but he usually has a dopey smile around her. And then he senses the puck flying back, and his attention returns to the game entirely.

Back and forth they go, the puck flashing across the board as their small crowd waits to see who will draw first blood. And they are disappointed as the machine bings and the air starts to fade away, a brief klaxon announcing the end of the game. A 0-0 tie. The crowd looks around and cannot quite decide if they should applaud or boo the unresulting contest, but either way they disperse within moments, leaving Peter breathing heavily on his end while he looks between the scoreboard and Gwen. "Would you look at that? Seems we're an even match..."

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"What is -your- problem with Merchant Ivory films?" Did that last puck fly harder? Maybe. "That's it, I am getting you to a watch movie based on a Oscar Wilde play this summer. That's settled." uh-oh. Somehow Peter just got himself into watching a stuffy old movie with people that talk 'funny'. Great job Peter! But he will also watch it with Gwen so ..., maybe a non-ironic good job?

When Gwen admits wanting to spend more time together that expression of hers looks almost like the old days. That bit of a 'looking-down' gaze. The little nervous bite on the corner of her lip. Not that she loses her focus on the game. It's almost like it's all being done by instinct, just like spiders do, letting that sense take over and just lead. It's great for multitasking too.

The game continues. Back and forth without stop. It's enough to get her to a bit of an exertion, a very slight sheen of sweat visible on her skin. The back of her hand brushes against her forehead.

"Okay, new rule for next time we do this.." She says, "We don't get to use our powers." those last words spoken in a low tone once the other kids have left. And that's when she realizes on those last words Peter said. Oh, you smooth rapscallion! It leaves her speechless for a moment.

"Yea, seems like we are." She eventually says, smile blooming on her lips.

Peter Parker has posed:
The demand to watch a movie - even one of THOSE movies - almost causes Peter enough distraction to miss her next attack. But he manages to catch it just in time, but barely. A trap, the knocker coming down atop to hold it in place, halfway into the goal. "Deal," he says, before he flicks it back out at her side.

The automatic spider-sense is the only thing keeping Peter in the game this long, truthfully, because each smile on Gwen's lips that he spots when his gaze drifts up after knocking the puck her way threatens to keep his gaze up there a bit too long to focus on her return volley. How much he has missed that smile, and yet, this one is not quite the same. But still, not only familiar enough but having its own appeal. It's in that moment that Peter finally starts to feel confident that this is more than just the lingering affections for the Gwen he knew, and it is something altogether different for this Gwen. It almost costs him the game, but for that spider-sense, as he executes a perfect no look block, sending it off to the side.

He laughs at the rule. "I'm not sure we can turn them off, Gwen. We might need to find a different game to play." His eyes twinkle, and for a moment it looks like a quip was forming. But he suppresses it. This is not the time for that.

He simply nods, as his smile grows larger. "Guess neither of us is doing parkour, huh?"

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Most games rely on reflexes, Peter.." Gwen points out, even if she doesn't fall into the trap of asking what other type of games Peter was thinking of. It could turn awkward again. And no need for that! She is enjoying just talking fast and loose with Peter for a change without the weight of the past on both their shoulders. Perhaps it's the way to go, looking forward to what can be instead of what was. And the pain it caused.

"And bzzzt, wrong. It means we BOTH do the parkour. We set up a camera and then get to it. Or we take turns. I am open to both solutions. Or you know, a mix." see? So many options.

Gwen goes around the table to join Peter again, arms wrapped loosely about her waist, "Hey.." her tone now gaining a quieter touch to it, "Thanks for inviting me here. I think I was needing something like this, you know?"

Peter Parker has posed:
That particular revelation gets a frown from Peter. "Yeah...good point." He thinks quietly, and tilts his head. "Bowling. No reflexes there, just need to make sure we don't, you know, break all the pins." He flashes a grin at her. "Of course, if someone had perfect 360 degree spatial awareness, _that_ might be a bit of an edge..."

He snaps his fingers and points at Gwen. "Good call! I was thinking that we both lost, but really, we both WON, right?" His smile is easy now, relaxed. A far cry from the non-hug at the start. "See, that's why I need you Gwen, the yin to my yang."

Before that can get too awkward, though, he nods. "I was too, and I didn't quite know how to ask, and so..." He smiles. "I'm glad you came."

He takes a breath, and this time, he goes full on for it. Leaning over and opening his arms to offer a hug.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Yes, but whoever wants to go bowling on a nice summer day?" Seems like Peter dodged a bullet there by asking her out to the arcade instead of the bowling alley! Yet when Peter speaks about that spatial awareness? She only lifts her eyebrows in a coy manner and ..., was she being truthful about parts of what she said about her senses? Who knows! But now there's that lingering doubt in the air...

"Why do I get to be the yin? Isn't yang the happy one?" But now she is just teasing for teasing sake. She gives him a brief elbowing with a naked elbow and then ....

He's going for a hug?

Yet this time it doesn't turn awkward, her own arms opening and she stepping into the hug, letting her head rest Peter's shoulder, body felt pressing against his. "I'm glad I did too.."

Peter Parker has posed:
"I mean, I'm open to other ideas if you have them, but..." Then Peter tracks that eyebrow and he chuckles. How much of what she says can he take seriously? Hard to say.

"I thought they were both happy from their own point of view, and that was the purpose?" He briefly worries that he has grievously misjudged the situation as the elbow comes out.

And then he is hugging her, and she is hugging him, and he breathes. He wraps his arms around her and just holds her to him, before reaching up to rest his hand against the top of her back. Not wanting to risk this moment by saying the wrong thing, Peter just hugs Gwen in silence.