16887/In the Word-Termath

In the Word-Termath
Date of Scene:	12 January 2024
Location:	Bronx
Synopsis:	Peter and MJ hypothesize as to how his name got a hyphen, and Peter informs MJ that yes Virginia, encyclopedias are a real thing.
Cast of Characters:	Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker

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Mary Jane Watson has posed:
It was on the top of a building in the Bronx. A fight between a group of spelling and grammar themed villains that were trying to steal copies of the original Meriem-Webster Dictionary. Interrupted by Spidey, it had turned into them teaming up against him for the nonsense that was a hyphen in the middle of his name. A short fight later, and now on a rooftop with Mary Jane eating hot dogs and pretzels.

Peter Parker has posed:
In the great annals of his many battles and fierce foes this... isn't really going to register. Fights over a dictionary? Even a rare one. Such angry passion over the use of a hyphen? Really? Realllllly?

While Peter feels that he has a healthy respect for the use of the English language, he's having a little trouble understanding this particular band of criminals. Only in New York right? One of the many things that makes this city such an interesting place to reside.

That, and perhaps it's street food. Foremost amongst them hotdogs and pretzels. Really, with the temperature hovering annoyingly close to the freezing mark, it's not the nicest day to be hanging about on the rooftops, casually downing food of questionable quality.

Fortunately a little action and a little adrenaline has done a fair bit to warm up that blood and Peter Parker, your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is not quite freezing his tuchus off as he sits perched on that concrete ledge well above the street below.

"So, do you think the hyphen is really that annoying? And I mean technically it's not like *I* even put it in there. I just said that I was Spider-Man and someone else decided how that should be spelled," the young man points out, mask rolled up to his nose so he can take another bite out of that steaming hotdog.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane Watson is settled over on the rooftop over with Peter, taking a bite over of her own hot dog and pretzel, and musing, "Well, I don't know. Why did you add the hyphen in the first place? I never heard how that particular bit ended up. Why not Spiderman? You never told me that bit. Spiderman sounds a bit more dignified than Spider-Man."

She would take a sip over of a thermos of coffee, and look out across the sky - polluted as everything else.

"So what's new in the amazing, chaotic world of telling people that you're an arachnid, not a bug? Does this still count as a usual day for you or have you been classing it up the last couple years?" While she had somehow been possessed by an ancient spirit that told her to go around with a sword and insert the stabbing end into things.

Peter Parker has posed:
"Like I said, it wasn't me!" Peter protests mildly between bites, that line of patter slowed only by the fact that his Aunt had the good graces to teach him a few manners. Like not talking with his mouth full. Though that one is a challenge sometimes, given his love of both food and talking.

At least when that costume goes on anyway.

"It's not like I made up a bunch of pamphlets and distrubted them, announcing that I was the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man in print. Heck, while I showed up to that stupid wrestling show they didn't even get my name right," he points out. So even announcing that he was Spider-Man didn't start there. Which of course means...

"So I guess we can blame good ol' Jonah for it then. Like so many other things in my life," Peter points out wryly as that hotdog rapidly disappears, consumed in one last bite. With all the many, many villains he has fought since being bitten by a radioactive spider in high school, probably none has had such a profound effect on his life then... a media mogul. Stupid Fifth Estate.

Of course, in this one shining occasion, Peter will actually come down on the side of JJJ. The hyphen is better.

"And hey, I would argue that stoppinng the theft of a rare dictionary is a pretty classy way to pass the time. I could just be home playing video games avoiding writing papers or doing lab work. Instead I'm out here, in the cold. ...Avoiding writing papers or doing lab work." Classy, thy name is Parker.

"And what about you?"

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane Watson would nod, "You couldn't even afford the pamphlets." She would glance at Peter, "So did you ever ask the guy why he put the hyphen in? He might have wanted to avoid lawsuits. I'm sure there's a Spiderman out there that would have gotten really annoyed if they were infringing on thier copyright." She would consider over and listen.

"Have you ever considered trying to go for a classier sort of adversary? I mean, I suppose academically oriented is one thing.. I'd definitely cheat off them like I was in high school." Where she probably just smiled at Peter to achieve the same thing.

"So now I'm going to have to reveal my naive and admit I didn't know there were such things as real book encyclopedias until I heard this story."

Peter Parker has posed:
While that hotdog might have disappeared quick enough, it is not as if Peter is suddenly left devoid and without any snacks. That pretzel still awaits and the way he cradles it in his hands as his feet idly kick at empty air, dangling eight stories up on that ledge suggests that he is very much looking forward to it.

A mustard packet is casually caught between his teeth and torn open as he casually dribbles that yellow gold across the firm surface of that pretzel, just enough give to make it that much more appealling. "Love me some mustard on my pretzel," the young man mutters before tilting his head thoughtfully for a moment. "You know, I never really asked him," Peter confesses to MJ. "Oversight I guess. I always just thought that it looked right, you know?" the masked man conceeds.

"Also, Jonah and I aren't exactly famous for our deep and meaningful conversations. Mainly it's him yelling at me for asking for a pay advance, or telling me to bring him better photos. Faster! Sooner! Mush! Mush!" he points out reasonably. "And it's even worse on those occasions when I run into him with the mask on>"

BFFs they are not.

Her confession about encyclopedias coaxes a mock-gasp from the web-slinger and he slowly shakes his head. "You're killin' me here MJ. Killin' me. I like the internet as much as the next guy, but c'mon," he teases. Then chomps that pretzel.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane Watson would finish off her own food, licking her fingers clean of the pretzel bits one by one. Then looking out over across the Bronx. "You could write it up as a research thing. Tell JJJ you want to find out more where Spider-Man came from. See if he'll show any interest in having you look up people from the time you were wearing a ski cap on and going wrestling. You could retrace your steps in becoming yourself." She'd gotten much snarkier in the last couple years.

"I suppose a hyphen does stand out more. Which begs the question as to why more folks don't use it. I guess that Super-Man doesn't really sound unique though that way." She would break into laughter as Peter would go on.

"Hey, it's not like I ever had any reason to look one up! Tell me one time you ever actually used one beyond confirming that they were not a mythical thing and did exist."

Peter Parker has posed:
While the hotdog might have vanished in mere moments, it would appear that Peter intends to linger a little longer over the pretzel in his hands. Even with the cool, bordering on cold day it remains perfectly warm, the mustard and salt making for the perfect tang.

He might also be procrastinating. He has been known to do that too, from time to time, even when he has more on his plate then he can really handle already. Deadlines are made to be broken, afterall.

Between bites, the look that he shoots the redhead at his side is faintly incredulous, even with those eyes masked that is somehow apparent. Maybe it's the twist of his mouth. Maybe it's those somehow too expressive eyes inset into that mask. Either way, he manages to pull it off. "Are you kidding me? I have enough on my plate without trying to play reporter too. I'll stick to taking photographs, thank you very much. The hyphen rules, anything else drools. End of story. Even Jonah gets one right every now and then," he allows.

Though if that sentance is ever repeated to him he will deny it on pain of death.

"Besides, he might have some horrible reason for it. I think I can pass on any of that negativity. Just this once," the wall-crawler says wryly.

The line of his mouth remains curved into just a hint of a grin. "My aunt and uncle had a set of encyclopedias they got. Just for me. They didn't really catch onto the whole internet thing, at least not back then," Pete says, a certain fond note to his words. "So yeah, look who you're talking to here. Nerd-alert. Of course I've read them, used them. I mean, it's been awhile but still. It counts," he insists, sticking his nose in the air.