1398/Spidersilk and Vinyl

From Heroes Assemble MUSH
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Spidersilk and Vinyl
Date of Scene: 26 April 2020
Location: Tune In, NYC
Synopsis: Spider-Man visits Andi Benton's music store with an old record and a little concern for her welfare.
Cast of Characters: Andi Benton, Peter Parker




Andi Benton has posed:
Sunday! Sunday! SUNDAY!

Where...not that much is going on in this part of Happy Harbor, really. The music store, with a newish sign reading 'Tune In' hanging from a couple hooks outside, is fairly quiet in the sense of customers. There are just a couple young men, late teens or early twenties, digging through the vinyl section in search of a diamond in the rough. The CD section is empty. So is the DVD area. Same with the guitars and a few other instruments.

One employee is up front, that being Andi Benton. She's dressed in mostly black today, long sleeves and leggings. Nondescript music plays in the background, but the volume is kept low. This is because Andi is watching something on her phone, attention focused more on it than the store itself.

Peter Parker has posed:
SHe has to be here. Extrapolating the possible work places, plus a litle covert checking out by one nondescript Peter Parker, and this seems to be the best place. He even has something - a vinyl Jefferson Airplane LP he's been meaning to get appraised.

He lands about a block down, unslinging the backpack and carrying it in one hand as he strolls down the street. Just another superhero in red-and-blue longjohns. He's in full regalia, ready to do the odd trick or two to prove he's the Real McCoy and not another robber trying to give him a bad name.

Spider-Man opens the door to the record store and steps inside, turning in his backpack to a started employee and taking the album out of it, looking around for Miss Benton.

Andi Benton has posed:
There are already stares as Spider-Man walks along the sidewalk. Some take out their phones to snap pictures. Others question amongst themselves. Is it really him? Is it just some random person pretending to be him? He doesn't look that big for a superhero, a few say.

His path to the music store is followed, and once he's inside a small crowd gathers, debating whether to follow him further or not. Meanwhile, the other teenager who gets the backpack just stares. "Uhh..." he begins, breathing through the mouth. "Are you...?"

Over at the counter, Andi's not looked up yet. Whatever's on the phone carries over toward the others by the door, since the register is pretty close.

"It's using the air shafts."
"You don't know that."
"That's the only way! We'll move in pairs. We'll go step by step and cut off every bulkhead and every vent until we have it cornered, and then we'll blow it the fuck out into space. Is that acceptable to you?"

Andi is pretty into the movie.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods to the employee. "Yep. I was looking to see if someone might give me an appraisal?" He held up the cellophane-wrapped album with SURREALISTIC PILLOW along the top and JEFFERSON AIRPLANE along the bottom.

"Now, if you need proof, I can do the whole crawling along the roof bit if requested, but I'm really not trying to grandstand."

Andi Benton has posed:
The kid holding the bag continues to stare, suggesting he won't be a whole lot of help.

Andi, however, freezes for a moment.

Before she looks up or says anything, one of the guys in search of a steal of a deal pokes his head up and stares. "Whoa, Spider-Man? What are /you/ doing here?"

Andi's freezing is warranted as she hastily tucks the phone away, clearing her throat into a hand before at least trying to appear like she's working. Still, she can't help but ask, "Yeah..what /are/ you doing here?" Her tone is very suspicious, even if he's holding a record as a reason.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man waved to Andi and walked over. "Well, more than one reason. I wanted to stop in and see how you were doing. And my uncle owned this record, and I was looking to get an appraisal. We're trying to clean the house out and came across this." He places the album on the counter. "It says it's a first print of the album from 1967."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton lets out a short breath through her nose. Seeing the man in the red and blue costume brings back sudden memories of that day, what happened, what almost happened. "I'm fine," she says, if a little too quickly, her eyes shifting toward the record right in time to avoid looking at the larger ones of his mask. She stares more at the cover of the album, then she turns it over to inspect the back before pulling out her phone.

A return to her phone, which is good for research like this, and she clears her throat again. "Ahh, you can probably get a hundred for one in this shape, maybe even twice that or so if you put it up for bidding and got some people going back and forth," she explains, turning the screen around to show him what a few recent listings have sold for. "Of course we'd have to offer you less than that if we were going to sell it."

By now both of the people perusing the vinyl have started to approach, curiosity getting the best of them.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods. "Right. I've seen PAWN STARS. You have to make a profit, after all." He pauses for a moment. "Listen...you going on break any time soon? I don't want to put you on the spot. I can go grab some coffee and meet you on your break." He looks to the album. "So...how does $40 sound? You can sell it for full price, and vinyl's still a big thing. Plus, still sealed."

Andi Benton has posed:
In an odd bit of coincidence, 'White Rabbit' begins to play over the speakers, and Andi just stares at one of them. "No way," she whispers, skin feeling tingly for a few seconds before she brings her focus back to the wall-crawler. "Not for a.." she begins, only for the kid at the door to cut her off.

"Whoa, Andi! You never told me you were dating Spider-Man!"

The stare she gives him could almost kill. "I..what? I'm not..we're not...what the hell is wrong with you, Tommy? Were you and Timmy wrestling again and you hit your head or something?" Distracted by that, she starts filling something out on a piece of paper. She must be giving Spider-Man her number.

No, it's actually a receipt for $50 for the record. "$40's too low so I can do $50 for it if you want it and I'll get you the cash in a minute if that's fine with you and you can go get your coffee," she says, rapid-fire.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods, then looks to Tommy. "She's just a friend, Tommy. I do still make friends doing my crimefighting schtick, in spite of what the BUGLE says about me. I meet all kinds of people."

He looks back to Andi, kinda glad he didn't show up as Parker. "All right. How do you like your coffee, Andi?"

Andi Benton has posed:
"Yeah, suuuuure," Tommy says, meaning to tease further, but Andi is glaring at him enough that he must think better of it.

Then she says flatly, "That's what I thought." She wraps up the exchange of money and paperwork for record, then she slaps a sticker on it for $150 and calls over to the two shoppers, "Either of you interested in Surrealistic Pillow, owned by Spider-Man? Get it right now and he might even let you take a picture of it with him!"

Their eyes light up and they quickly approach with hopeful looks on their faces.

Meanwhile, Andi adds, "I don't drink coffee," with a hint of attitude coming back in.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man looks to Andi, then chuckles. "Hey, I'm game for that. Nothing like a little memorable for the memorabilia, right guys?" Nothing wrong with this, really, and he's not profiting off of it, so it's not violating his principles.

He glances over to Andi, then whispers, "What do you drink?"

Andi Benton has posed:
It's probably nothing for Spider-Man, doing photo ops with people.

"How much?" the two customers ask in unison, and when Andi reveals the price, one of them sulks. "Aw, man. I only brought $75." The other one is happier with this, pulling out a debit card. "I'll take it, and that picture!" Once the payment is made, the store has a $100 profit in a matter of minutes, and the shoppers clear out after it's all said and done with the photo, the 'loser' of the two asking for a selfie anyway, then both are stopping for a moment at the small crowd still waiting outside.

Andi watches all of this with a notable lack of emotion, finally saying, "Cola's fine, but it sounds like you have a few more admirers out there."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man shrugs. "You'd be amazed the results of being a decent person can be. Meet you here in ten with the drinks? I'd really like to have a quiet chat with you, if that's okay."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton can only give a shrug at what he tells her. Tommy is still watching this, doing his best not to say anything that would end up with something thrown at him.

She remarks, "It's not very busy, as you can see. I can just turn the sign and all that, sure." The time may go by quickly, or it could drag on. What does he want to talk to her about?

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man looks around. "Listen, I wanted to check in with you...see how you were doing after the rich-kid mugging. You looked troubled and I was worried." He paused, then said, "They had their day in court. Pictures put them in juvie for the next two years...except for the ringleader. Tried as an adult."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton frowns, then she steps away from the counter and goes to shoo Tommy. "Take a break. Go get a bite to eat. Go home early if you want. I'll say you were here." While they've been badgering each other in front of Spider-Man, Tommy does seem like at least a kindasorta friend as he says, "Really? Cool! I'm gonna go practice some moves with Timmy! And it's totally cool if you're dating Spider-Man! I'd want to date him too! I mean, I'd want to if I was a girl and..ow!"

She just kicked him in the seat of the pants with a stompy boot. "Out!" Tommy flees. "I'm going!"

She shuts the door, locks it, and makes sure it says the place is closed, letting out a short breath afterward. "He's a dork," she says of the departed bag-checker. Then, she quiets to some extent. "..yeah? Juvie? Where at?" she asks, rubbing at an ear.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey shakes his head as the two guys leave. "Seriously. Anyway..." He looked back to Andi. "Crossroads. Got their own wing, like isolation. So the other kids don't beat THEM up and take THEIR lunch money." He pauses. "Connor is on house arrest. He started making noise about how unfair it was that he got caught, but I posted a few messages on his Facebook page and he shut right the heck up."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton is left to rub her face as the shop is left so nobody else can enter. What a day, and it's not even over yet.

"I think I've heard of that one." She'll look it up later, just to see where it is. "So thanks for letting me know. Anything else?" The way she asks, the way she seems ready to move on to something else..maybe that's all the time she's expecting to spend on it.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods. "Yes. If you're dealing with some stuff related to the Club attack, you should talk to someone. Even if it's not your father. A counselor, a teacher...heck, you could even talk to *me* about it. I've dealt with a lot of physical and emotional trauma, so it's not like I am completely clueless about it all. I juat wanted to say you can talk to me about anything."

Andi Benton has posed:
"It's bullshit they call themselves that, like it's just some after-school thing they hang out and do," Andi says, a biting, scathing remark, even if it /might/ fit them in a way. "Watch cartoons. Listen to some music. Go try to rape someone. They all belong in jail," she adds, the most definitive thing she's said about it so far. "And I'm talking to someone now, right? You didn't really come here just because you had an old record to sell."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods. "Yes, you are. And no, I didn't. It's not often I deal with this sort of thing. I've been doing more follow-up...reaching out to those who got hurt." He rubs the back of his head. "If there is something you want to say, you can say it to me. No matter what it is."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton sniffs once, an exhale of breath as she moves to look through a window, where people are still milling about, probably speculating over what's happening inside now that the place is closed. "They deserve to die. How many times did they do that without someone there to stop them?" she asks, point blank, giving an opinion filled with raw emotions that still connect squarely to that moment in the alley.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods, unaware that the screen is now showing a news story from NASA. "I know that feeling. Someone..." he takes a deep breath. "...Someone killed my uncle. And I knew who it was."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton's eyes fall back on the costumed hero, a hand resting at her side as she frowns. "That's..that sucks. I mean, it really sucks. You got him, right?" There is a TV set up that has the news on mute, and she glances toward it.

Peter Parker has posed:
The news displays a talking head in a suit, with the ribbon under it reading SPECTACULAR METEOR SHOWER TOMORROW NIGHT 9:32 PM EST.

"Yeah...I did. I didn't kill him. I *wanted* to. I wanted to squeeze his neck until his head popped off. But I also realized that if I did...I'd be as bad as him. Killing someone to get what they wanted. With abilities like these, you may be strong enough to make people do what you want...but you have to be strong enough NOT to." He looks back to Andi. "Life isn't fair. But it is what we choose to do in the face of that that makes us who we truly are."

Andi Benton has posed:
"Yeah, well, I guess it's a good thing I'm a nobody," Andi says, a quick retort to the efforts Spider-Man makes to share an experience that draws some parallels to her own situation, only worse in ways. The message may be there, but it's not hitting home yet. Plus, she's looking away from him now, eyeing the screen for some reason. "But you did what you felt you had to do. I guess that's why some people look up to you."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods. "Everyone has power. Some are just unaware of it." He looks back to Andi. "And you don't have to stop a killer to be a hero. Sometimes, all it takes is doing the right thing. No matter how influential it is. Because you never know if your tiny act of decency is going to affect someone in ways you never imagined."

Andi Benton has posed:
The 'everyone has power' line generates a response from Andi that sees her opening her mouth to say something, only to shut it before getting that far. She moves back behind the counter, the news moving on to the next story. Did he even see it?

"If you say so," is what she settles on once he's spoken his mind. "But that's easy for you to say. I don't even know what I'm going to do after high school is done, my dad works his ass off just to make ends meet, my mom left ages ago, and..and it's just like whatever." She throws up her hands.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man looks to Andi. "You've never thought about what you wanted to be when you grew up? No dreams of the perfect job?" He ponders. "What do you like to do when you're not here, finagling deals from guys in colorful longjohns?"

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton shrugs. "I don't know. Listen to music, read, things like that." She's being evasive, hiding something as she reaches for a bottle of water to sip from. "You know..stuff."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man glances at Andi. "Andi, I've listened to career criminals try very hard not to admit to something that will get them poured into a cement box for years. I can tell you are holding back." He held his arms wide. "I'm wearing underwear on the OUTSIDE, Andi."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton's stance matches his, her arms going wide in response, "And all of you look silly dressing like that! You gotta know that already, right?" It'd almost be something to laugh at, sometime. Maybe next time. Maybe not this time. "But you want to know? Fine. I'll tell you. I'd like to be an artist someday and get paid for it. Happy now?" That's her big secret. Now it's out, at least for someone other than her father.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods. "Now, there you go. There's a LOT of ways to make that work for you. Modern art, freelance artist online...all the way to tattoo artist and body artist. I'd actually like to see your work."

Andi Benton has posed:
"It's just some pages and sketches, like comic book stuff," Andi reveals. "I like to color stuff, then I started a little drawing. Most of it is just okay so far. Why do you want to see it?" How does she know he wouldn't just laugh at it? That's insecurity creeping in. A glance toward the TV again, some other story or two by now, and she eyes the countertop.

Peter Parker has posed:
"Because I like to see someone's work. And I am very curious." Spider-Man leans next to the counter. "I have a technical affinity. I built these web-shooters myself. It wasn't the way i thought I'd apply my technical skills, but we sometimes don't know where are gifts will go."

Andi Benton has posed:
The way Andi's eyes shift toward Spider-Man's wrists, there's /got/ to be some level of curiosity there that probably rivals his when it comes to her artwork. "I was sort of wondering, a little, if it was like that or..you know." What else could it be if it hadn't been artificial?

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods, lifting his wrist for Andi to give her a good look. "The webbing is based on a synthetic reverse-engineering of natural spidersilk. I...put together the formula for my own use. Stored as fluid, spun by a mechanical spinneret."

Andi Benton has posed:
A question nags at the back of Andi's thoughts: why is Spider-Man telling her this? Is it common knowledge she just wasn't aware of? Is he confiding something in her that's a secret to nearly everyone else? "That's..cool," is all she says, but her eyes and expression betray that she must see it as more than /just/ cool. "You must be some kind of genius."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man lowers the hand, then says, "Until a few weeks ago, I never thought I'd be able to use those skills in an official capacity. So I used them in a different way, and I was able to use them to help people." He looks to the screen, but doesn't say anything yet. "You have to use those gifts any chance you get, because you never know where they will lead."

Andi Benton has posed:
"So..how does that work, then?" Andi begins to reach toward that wrist, but only after the hand has dropped back down. So, she pulls hers back again. "I don't know what you mean about official, though. Are you saying you were like a vigilante or something? Busting the bad guys and stuff? Making them pay for hurting people?" Her mentality may not yet be in the right place, her perspective not in the same place as Spider-Man's.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey nods. "No compensation for being a vigilante, Andi. But..." He sighs. "There's a family in Chinatown whose father I saved from an armed robber. His daughter talks about me to the other kids in her class. Calls me 'Honorable Spider.' Those are the people I do this for, day after day, night after night. No rewards...other than knowing that someone is okay because you did SOMETHING instead of NOTHING." He chuckles. "Those moments send me out again every time I get discouraged."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton makes a face. "You know how sappy that sounds, right?" Whatever she thinks of him, whether she's felt overwhelmed or intimidated or anything else along those lines, giving him a bit of sarcasm doesn't appear to be an issue for her. "I hope that at least gets you some free fried rice once in a while, anyway. And, I get what you're trying to say. I just don't know what you want me to do."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man stretches. "I just think that you should see your art as the gift it is. make it work for you. And I really would like to see your artwork, because...well...as you can see, the current costume is getting rough and ratty. I want to make a new, better suit...but I'm at a loss about how to make it look." He smirks to Andi. "Maybe I could use an artist's insight."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton rolls a shoulder, shrugging. "Maybe it wouldn't hurt sometime." Comic book stuff might even be right up her alley. "I could look at some more pictures and stuff, or just.." She comes up with her phone and snaps a shot of him without asking. What better way to go about it than take what he actually looks like and go based on that? "I might be able to come up with something."

Right then, a rapping at the door follows, a voice calling out. "Hey! Are you guys opening back up today or should I go somewhere else?"

"Shit," Andi grimaces, then she shouts back, "Just a minute! Cleaning up a little!" She tells Spider-Man, "Look, I have to get back to.." She waves at the shop itself.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods. "Of course. I have to get back to a couple of things myself." He bows slightly, then looks back to the screen. "I saw the thing about the meteor shower. That's going to be a hell of a show. Looking forward to seeing it."