16394/Guess Who's Coming to Dinner!

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner!
Date of Scene:	22 November 2023
Location:	Carpenter House - Brooklyn, New York
Synopsis:	Julia and Rachel host Spider-Man for dinner, talk a little life, and Rachel extracts a future Pokemon gaming date!
Cast of Characters:	Julia Carpenter, Peter Parker

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Julia Carpenter has posed:
The standing invite to dinner that Julia and Rachel Carpenter extended to Spider-Man has been accepted! A time and date are set for the meal, with the potential for video games after. Tacos are on the menu tonight, but not just any tacos.. Julia Carpenter never does anything so simple.

There's ground beef, shredded chicken, and pork carnitas for the meats. Both hard and soft shell taco shells are laid out, the hard shells having been lightly toasted and both being kept warm in a chafing dish. Cheese both shredded and crumbled; asadero, casero, and queso fresco. Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sauteed bell peppers, caramelized onions, homemade guacamole, sliced and seeded jalapenos, lime wedges, cilantro, a slaw of cabbage and pickled onions and radish. And of course, taco sauce and salsa and sour cream. It's a blending of actual Mexican style tacos and American style tacos, to be enjoyed at will! And of course, there's enough of it all to feed an army.

Julia and Rachel themselves are both casual in jeans, t-shirts, and house slippers. Simple white tee and blue jeans for Julia with Rachel sporting a Pikachu t-shirt and blue jeans. When Spider-Man arrives, Rachel will be in the living room watching Pokemon while Julia gets the last items onto the dining table.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man tries to keep a low profile when being sociable. He webslings around the condo and vanishes into the trees overhead, dithering there only long enough to be sure no one's tracking his presence. Rather than the front door he hangs a webline from the eaves of the roof and plays it out between his feet until he's looking in a window.

*Knock knock*. Glass shudders hollowly with the gentle rapping of his knuckles. When Julia sweeps the curtains back, the masked webslinger waves from his inverted position.

"I hope I didn't surprise anyone," he apologizes as soon as the window's open. Fingers touch the windowsill and he slips into the condominium with that eerie, insectoid precision.

"Hi Rachel!" he says, and wiggles fingers at the child. "I know you said not to bring anything, but--" he takes a little satchel off his back and opens it, offering up Ben&Jerry's ice cream. "I figured, I can't go wrong with Hulka-Hulka-Burning Fudge," he presents.

Julia Carpenter has posed:
Not having expected a window entry, Julia is left to blink at the window for a moment before laughing at herself. Of course. He doesn't need to take *normal* routes. She runs up the blinds and opens the window to allow him entry, offering a smile along the way, "Welcome to our home." Rachel can be heard jumping up from the couch to race over and grin up at Spider-Man, "Hi!! We weren't scared, but that's so cool you use windows!"

Julia chuckles and gives a nod, "A touch of surprise. I don't know why I expected you to use a door, silly of me really." She clucks her tongue at the dessert offering, but smiles, "Totally fine. We have some whipped cream and bananas, I can chop up some peanuts, I might even have some cherries in the fridge... we could do sundaes!"

Rachel takes the tub of ice cream with big eyes as she looks it over, "Ooooooooooo, awesome! Thanks Spider-Man!" And she's running off to the kitchen to put it in the freezer. "It's SO COOL you're here! Do you wanna play video games after dinner? I got a Switch, extra controllers, and a TON of games!"

Peter Parker has posed:
"It's a real nice place," Spider-Man compliments Julia. Then he's assailed by Rachel, and matches her enthusiasm with his own excitement. "You've got a Switch? I am /so jealous/. I was gonna ask for one for my birthday, but my aunt told me it'd be better to put money into my school fund," he admits. "Plus, I've got my laptop, and it'll play... some games," he hedges.

The webslinger pitches in where he can (where Julia lets him), and soon the dinner is set. He perches on his chair for a few beats before remembering his manners and sitting on it properly. The Spider-Man rolls his mask up to his nose and sniffs the aromas coming off the table.

"Wow, this all smells amazing," he compliments Julia, and flashes a grin of approval. He has a nice smile, even if partially concealed under his mask.

Julia Carpenter has posed:
"Thank you. It's actually Rachel's, but she's nice enough to let me stay," Julia responds with a grin, winking towards Rachel before moving to finish setting up. Rachel meanwhile, grins up at him with a nod, "I got it last Christmas! You're welcome to come over anytime if you wanna play! I got all kindsa games. Lotta multiplayer games for when friends are over or so mom and me can play. What games do you like?"

Julia will let Spidey and Rachel set the table while she brings out the tortillas to set on the table, still steaming lightly from their chafing dish. "Okay! I think that does it. Who wants milk, who wants soda?" After getting the drinks sorted, and everyone seated at the table, Julia gives a small chuckle, "Thank you."

She motions to the spread, "Feel free to help yourself, it's all set up to work family style. I try to keep to original recipes as much as possible, use our own seasoning blends." Rachel gives a nod, "Mom let me help! I got to shred the chicken with these super cool claw things and I helped make the salsa!"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man hesitates, then removes his gloves and tucks them into a hidden pocket in his suit. His hands look pale and callused at the same time, as if he spends a lot of time doing manual labor hidden from the sun.

"All right, dishin' up," he acknowledges, and starts packing a tortilla shell with the various accoutrements and garnishing. He rolls it out like a professional taqueria, ending with a picture-perfect burrito sealed tight as an envelope.

"You're a much better cook than me," Spidey assures Rachel. "I can't make anything more complicated than macaroni. Or soup. Basically if I can't make it in a microwave, I'm outta luck," he admits.

Julia Carpenter has posed:
Julia knows those hands all too well, her own looked not dissimilar when she was in college. They're more tanned now, but still calloused from various trainings and working. Glancing from his hands up to him, she smiles, "You're either IT/repair or an inventor. I know those marks and callouses. Good to know that tech savviness runs in the Spider Family."

Julia and Rachel plate up their own tacos, with Julia taking a more traditional Mesican walking taco route, and Rachel splitting her between Mexican and American styles. Rachel grins at him, "Whoa, you're good at that! I can never get the tortilla to fold right."

Rachel looks to Julia, who laughs and looks to Spidey, "I believe I'm being silently commanded to offer you an open welcome to join us for dinner whenever you want. Either that or I'm supposed to offer to teach you how to cook. But given the sender of the message, I'm pretty sure it's the former."

Peter Parker has posed:
"Blame it on a life ill-lived, Rachel, and one disastrous month working at a Miguel's Tacos branch," Spidey assures Rachel. "But a few of the tricks of the trade did rub off on me," he concedes.

One Rachel's satisfied, he smiles ruefully at Julia and lifts a shoulder in a shrug. "And... yeah, the team's got a lot of really smart people on it. The Spider-Man in the black and red, he's a really talented musician. One of the others works with SHIELD from time to time. I'd love to spend more time doing pure research and invention," he admits, "but the lifestyle makes it hard to keep a steady job. I've gotten fired more times than I care to admit," he confesses. "Right now I'm just focusing on school and doing photography. Maybe once I get my MS I can start making some inquiries in the tech world."

Julia Carpenter has posed:
Rachel giggles at his response and she flashes a grin at him, "Can you teach me? I want to know how to roll perfect burritos!" Because 8 year olds find the strangest things fascinating!

Julia gives a nod to Spider-Man and offers a quick smile, "I'm no genius... but I pick things up pretty quickly and I tend to retain them once I've learned something. Currently, I do data analysis and IT for a branch of the DEO. Or, at least, that's what I do on paper. But that's a whole other kettle. Mostly I'm efficient and methodical and my tactile sense lets me feel things that can't always be seen."

She lifts one brow, "It sounds like you need a backer. Someone that can help fund your research. I can help you find one if you're interested. I know the boards and groups to pitch to, I can help you with a presentation of sorts."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey gives Julia an inscrutable look from behind his mask, chewing thoughtfully. He swallows and looks down at his plate, then spreads his hands. "Normally I'd say, 'buy a guy dinner first', but..." He flashes another fast grin at Julia.

"A backer would be nice, but it always comes with a lot of conditions and qualifications," he tells her. "Least of which is trying to explain to the IRS where it's coming from. We tried a GoFundMe once but it got shot down pretty fast because we'd have to register with the DEO to report it."

"Plus, we aren't really a big-scale operation. We're your friendly neighborhood Spiders-Men-and-Women," he explains. "We're independent operators and I think the gang wants to keep going that way. Most of them are better at managing their money than I am," he confesses.

Julia Carpenter has posed:
Laughing lightly, Julia nods and offers, "Does it count that you bought dessert?" She flashes a quick grin before tucking back into her food. Following it with a few swallows of the milk to help soothe the sting of heat. Rachel gets a quick hair ruffle between bites and swallows, that causes the girl to giggle.

"Mmmmmmmm... not necessarily.. it would depend on the project and research. And the backer. There are some parties that prefer to remain anonymous, but that have vast fortunes and like to play benefactor because it gratifies them in some way." Julia smiles and lifts a shrug, "But really, it's at your discretion."

Nodding, Julia smiles, "I understand that. But nothing says whatever you're researching or creating has to be for the greater populace. Like I said, it's an offer. You're free to take it or leave it. But it will be there if you want it." She flashes a quick smile before adding, 'Managing their money.. or having money? From what you've said, it's been pretty difficult for you to hold down a regular job. That can seriously impact your ability to save money."

Peter Parker has posed:
"Yeah, but I'm a workaholic," Spidey points out. He finishes up his taco and starts serving up ice cream, dishing out for Rachel, then Julia, then himself last. "And I love what I do. The others have a little better work-life balance, or... their own 'benefactors', I guess," he admits. "Family members who cover their rent and expenses, or government jobs, or they do remote work on their own time. It's why I got back into photography, actually," he points out. "The pay's not great, but you can't beat the hours. It takes a custom-built, $10,000 drone to get the sort of photos I can do dozens of every day. So I feel like my job is secure. ...ish," he admits.

Julia Carpenter has posed:
Chuckling, she smiles at him, "Workaholic just means that you're dedicated to you trade. And for you, that trade is being Spider-Man. That said, if you could get a private grant, it wouldn't necessarily leave you rolling in cash, but it might help to mitigate some of your expenses a little better." Julia lifts a small shrug and adds, "Thirty thousand might not seem like much to most people, but I bet you could make amazing things with that kind of money. And it would mean not having to use your salary for parts or components." She smiles once more, "But. You're also welcome to take meals with us when you want. And hey, photography isn't bad at all! Especially if you're freelance. You could sell all sorts of shots to different magazines or newspapers. Or take assignments for specific shots if you feel up to it."

Peter Parker has posed:
"That's pretty much what I do," Spider-Man admits. "Some freelance work, some fetch-quest stuff. Once in a while I even get to do pretty composition shots just for the fun of it. New York is beautiful right after sunup; everything has this amazing, golden hue to it."

Spider-Man finishes his ice cream and gets to his feet, corralling the loose dishes and moving them to the sink. There, he tugs up his sleeves and starts washing the dishes to load into the dishwasher. "I do appreciate the advice. Really," he reassures Julia. "Maybe once things settle down a bit for me, I'll reconsider it," he offers.

Julia Carpenter has posed:
Nodding, Julia smiles, "It sounds like a great gig for you. I'm glad you found something you enjoy, though. That's extremely difficult, especially in this day and age." She looks to Rachel, who beams at Julia, then looks to Spider-Man, "I'm gonna be an Environmental Scientist!" From the mouths of babes...

Julia helps collect up dishes, though Rachel carefully guards her bowl until she's completely finished with her ice cream. In the meantime, Julia takes the washed dishes and loads them into the dishwasher, murmuring, "It's okay to decline an offer if it isn't something you think will fit. I promise, I won't be upset. It's good that you know your own mind." Smiling at him, she glances back as Rachel comes charging in with her bowl and spoon to add to the pile. "Mom, I'm gonna go finish Pokemon, okay?" Then she's tugging lightly at Peter's elbow, "Hey Spider-Man? I know you gotta patrol an' stuff, but will you come back over sometime? It was really nice havin' ya! We could play video games next time!"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man flashes a grateful smile at Julia. The lenses are nearly translucent, enough she can clearly see where his eyes are focused. "I guess I'm just a little gunshy," he confesses. "I--"

Rachel's tugging at his elbow and he looks down at her, then wipes his hands dry and squats down to her level. "I'll definitely come over soon," Spidey promises Rachel, and offers her a crisp high-five. "And maybe I'll have a Switch, so we can trade Pokemon."

Rachel runs off and Spidey straightens up, leaning his hips against the counter behind him and watching the girl boot her gaming console up.

"I bet I could get a used one at a good price," he muses to Julia. "I think the last time I played Pokemon, it was on an old GameBoy. Hopefully I can keep up with the kids these days." A funny statement; though he's mentioned college a time or two, there's something about Spidey that still looks a little gawky and adolescent.

Julia Carpenter has posed:
Smiling back at Spidey, she gives a subtle nod as Rachel comes running in, staying quiet while the two interact, but smiling all the same.

Rachel grins and high-fives him, "Cool! But if you play POkemon GO! we can trade anytime! Just need cellphones! But those can't trade over to the other Pokemon console games." Rachel huffs lightly before grinning once more, "I got all kindsa Pokemon, I bet I can trade ya for whatever your favorite is!"

Then she's off and running and hurrying away. Julia chuckles and rests her hands on the edge of the counter, leaning back against it, "Tell you what. We have a family plan for Nintendo Online. Gets you access to some of their better sales. If you want to make an account, we'll add you to the family plan. Then you can earn points and get the sales and other fun benefits. Consider it an early Christmas present. So if you do get your hands on a Switch, you'll be able to get the games at a better price."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey chuckles and shakes his head ruefully, looking down at his feet. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're trying to bribe me into coming around again," he accuses Julia in a good-natured way. "If I can score a Switch, I'll think it over," he promises.

Once the dishes are done and put away, Spider-Man dons his gloves and pulls his mask back down. "Duty calls, unfortunately," he tells the Carpenters. "I've got patrol tonight. Can't let the new kids carry /all/ the work. Dinner was really good," he thanks Julia, and walks to the window to stick one foot on the sill. "And, Rachel-- definitely Pokemon time, soon as I can get a gaming system," he promises.

Spidey waves once more, and then jumps out the window and webslings his way back towards Queens.