17280/Will The Real Peter Please Step Forward

Will The Real Peter Please Step Forward
Date of Scene:	25 February 2024
Location:	Last Exit
Synopsis:	Kitty runs across Peter Parker, and decides to play a bit of a prank on him.
Cast of Characters:	Kitty Pryde, Peter Parker

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Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde had gone out dancing and drinking tonight with a girl from work and her boyfriend. She got along well with the other young woman, and her guy wasn't too bad either. The three had dinner and then drinks and ended up dancing at the last Exit. Kitty is wearing a stylish little black dress and heels, with silver jewelry including a Star of David necklace about her neck.

At the moment she's just saying goodbye to her friend and the accompanying beaux. "No it's -fine," Kitty says with mock emotion. "Just -leave- me here at the mercy of... all these dancing men," Kitty says with a wave of her hand at the people in the club.

That draws some laughter from the couple. The boyfriend says, "Hey, I'd hit on you if I wasn't- OOF!" His words are cut off by his girlfriend elbowing him none-too-gently in the stomach. "See Kitty," the other young woman says jokingly, "This is why I can't go nice places. No though, sorry for leaving you, but he's got an early shift. EMTs you know."

"I get it. Want you awake while you're saving lives," Kitty says. "Alright then, it's a good excuse. Go, I'll be fine. Just have another drink and see if I can find someone to dance with me." She and the other woman hug, the boyfriend just waves.

The couple depart, and Kitty leans back against the bar, looking around the club in general, and also at the dance floor, seeing if there's anyone she might like to dance with.

Peter Parker has posed:
As a general rule the club scene isn't really Peter's thing. At least not these days.

It's not that he doesn't appreciate good music. He can even be dragged out on the dance floor without too much reluctance. The days of his being overly self-conscious about that sort of thing are long behind him. That sort of thing tends to vanish relatively quickly when you swing around the city in a onesie for a little while. Even in a mask.

No, it's more an issue of time. There are only so many hours in the day afterall. Trying to finish his degree in Biochem takes up a decent chunk of that to be sure, especially with all the other distractions. Then there are all his extracurriculars, running around the city in a costume and mask. That can definitely cut into things. Sprinkle in an effort to try and keep ahead of the bills with his job at the Bugle. Layer in some volunteer work at FEAST. And still try to find a little time for friends, and the odd hobby or two just to keep from being a completely dull boy.

Even needing significantly less sleep then the average person, all that adds up.

But for a change, Peter Parker is actually ahead of the curve, at least when it comes to time management. All his pending papers are written and turned in and his lab work is up to date, to the point that he is working on bonus credits. For a change his bank account actually has a few dollars in it -- something to take advantage of before the start of the month takes care of that -- and no emergencies have presented themselves on the Spidey front either.

So really, he's just plain out of excuses.

Which is what has him peeking his head into the Last Exit this particular evening. It's not the sort of place he normally frequents. And tonight, that's exactly the point. A break in the routine, a chance to do something a little different.

What's the worst that could happen?

Fortunately Pete is smart enough not to say that out loud. He knows well enough not to tempt fate. Especially with his own luck.

But either way he trots down the stairs into the retrofitted club, the steady thrum of the music practically going right through him as he swings his gaze across the gathered crowd.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
The ice in Kitty's whiskey and coke has it nice and cool as she takes another sip of it before returning the glass to the bar top, fingers still about it. Her searching for a dance partner has mutated into people-watching for the moment. "Oh I like that dress," she says to herself, making a mental note to try to find it tomorrow. She doesn't snap a photo of it, just to make sure to avoid a potentially awkward moment if she was noticed doing so.

Back to looking around the bar. One guy on the dance floor catches her eyes for looking like he'd be fun to dance with. Though as Kitty watches, he gets handsy with a girl he danced up to. She doesn't seem to welcome it, and Kitty frowns. Yeah he gets a strike.

Her eyes drift around the room when she spots a familiar face coming down the stairs. Kitty Pryde breaks out in a big grin as she looks about for Gwen. "No way Ben would come out here on his own with her," she says to herself when the blond ESU student doesn't appear. Taking out her phone, Kitty fires off a text, telling Gwen she's at Last Exit and just saw Ben, and wonders where Gwen is.

Her phone dings, the vibration felt more than the sound heard with the club music playing. Kitty checks it. "Hrm, Ben's there with her?" she says to herself as she reads it. She looks up at Peter again. She's wondering if maybe he's just someone who looks like Ben, before it hits her. And Kitty breaks out into a bit of a grin as she senses the opportunity for a bit of clean mischief. "Oh, this could be fun," she says, smiling and surreptitiously watching Peter Parker for the moment, letting him get settled before she approaches him.

Peter Parker has posed:
It would seem that even when he is out for the evening to try and decompress, to try and do something outside his normal comfort zone, Pete can't entirely let old habits die.

The fact of the matter is that the club is pretty good for people watching and the ambience and decor is just as interesting, at least to someone who is into that sort of thing. Or at least likes taking pictures of that sort of thing.

So while there is no automatic demand for these sorts of photographs, one never knows just might be sellable to the Bugle. Something for the Lifestyle section maybe. If nothing else it would be nice to earn a paycheck doing something other then feeding J Jonah Jameson's obsession with his alter ego. It's kind of a phyrric way to make a living afterall.

So that camera appears in Pete's hands, the tousel-haired young man lifting it to his eye as he snaps a few photographs, apparently unconcerned about how it might look. But then he does have his press pass with him and that tends to answer most questions on that front.

Still gripping his camera and lifting it up to take the occasional shot or two, he starts to pick his way around the fringes of the dance floor, slowly making his way over towards the bar.

At least he hasn't started dwelling on whether he should be doing the responsible thing and head out into the cold wintery evening to patrol. Yet.

Who knows, he just might find a way to have a little bit of fun afterall.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
As Peter is making his way along through the bar, and snapping photos now and then, a young woman walks up to him. Kitty has brown hair, left to hang about her shoulders, with a few lighter highlights in it. Wearing a flattering black dress and her heels add another couple of inches to her height.

If the camera is up and ready to use, she flashes Peter a wining smile and strikes a pose which is flattering without looking like something a runway model is pulling off. More causal than that.

Assuming he took advantage of the opportunity to snap the picture, Kitty then crosses her arms. "So, Peter Parker," the young woman says to him. "I'm guessing that I'd never have heard from you again if I hadn't just run into you by accident like this," she tells him, an eyebrow going up as she regards him.

Peter Parker has posed:
While the dance floor certainly appears to be the main attraction with both friends and couples spread out across it, though a heavier concentration closer to the DJ platform of course, the bar has more then it's fair share of frequenters as well. Enough so that it is no easy matter to find an open spot to sidle up to and try to catch any of the bartender's attention.

At least not without waiting one's turn at any rate.

So Pete slowly ambles down the length of it without seeming impatience, occasionally raising that camera up to snap a shot or two, whether someone or a group of people that catch his attention, or some feature of the club that stands out as a little unique.

No one seems that concerned by that camera, a few people even making a point of posing and Pete captures a few of them -- mementos or a rare night out even if he can't sell them. Though certainly the attractive brunette captures his attention as she sweeps into the line of sight.

Though a whole lot moreso when she addresses him with crossed arms.

See, for most people this would probably be a no brainer. They could safely assure the young woman that she must be mistaken, despite addressing him by name. Or they could offer up an apology while hastily trying to remember just where they might actually know her from.

But Pete isn't exactly most people.

He's had a pretty good opportunity to work on his powers of observation over the years. He's gotten pretty good at remembering little things like people's names and faces. It's pretty rare that anyone catches him offguard like this.

But the real problem is that the sort of life he leads, well, it's not entirely out of the realm of probability that he has met her. MInd control, lost memories, duplicates and clones, all are very real possibilities given the life he leads.

Which probably says a little something about him.

So while racking his memory, Pete offers up oh so articulately, "Errr... ummm... ahhhhh..." in smooth fashion while kind just staring at Kitty.

See? This is the sort of thing that his Spider-Sense should help with too. Life and death is all well and good, but a little helping hand with sheer social embarassment isn't that much to ask for, is it?

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Unfortunately if there are tingles to be had in the moment, they probably don't seem to be coming from a Spider-Sense as the pretty young woman stands there, regarding Peter with that body language that is clearly waiting for a response.

Kitty makes a soft tsking sound. The arms that are hug herself beneath her breasts in that mildly cross posture, drops to her sides as she moves to Peter's side. One hand going to his arm as if he was escorting her tonight.

She leans over to bring her lips nearer to his ear so he can hear what she says over the club music, without having to yell it. "You see, Peter Parker. I know your secret," she says into his ear, voice quiet, yet if the words caused Peter to hear an ominous tone to them, he could be forgiven it.

Kitty looks over at Peter, brown eyes looking at him knowingly, and giving a small nod of her head as if she expects he's doubting her statement and she's reconfirming it.

Peter Parker has posed:
Really, to any outside observer this is probably not all that far off from a scene that plays out at this club and others like it a couple of times a night in all likelihood. Two young people, am awkward encounter. Forgotten names, broken promises, definitely a pretty common story.

But then maybe that's another reason that Pete doesn't often make it out to places like this. In a lot of ways he would rather be staring down Doc Ock or just about any other member off his pretty long enemies list -- and he's such a nice guy too, how has he managed to get that big a list at only twenty-two? -- then deal with something like this. That, at least, would be kinda old hat by now. Been there, done that.

This, this is definitely something a little less familiar.

What is undeniable however is the fact that she knows him. She knows his name. She seems completely comfortable in taking his arm without a second's hesitation. And for the life of him, the tousel-haired twenty-something can't place her.

And he's relatively sure that he would remember her. Again, baring anything from his weirder, other half of his life. Alien abduction? Alternate universe Peter? Illusionary doppleganger?

The she mentions knowing his secret and a chill goes through him, counting on the flashing lights to hide the hard swallow he makes. "Secret?" Pete manages with a sort of forced casualness. "I don't know what you mean. I'm an open book," he insists, though that nervous chuckle that slips from him might suggest otherwise.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde stays there at Peter's side, hand on his arm. Her lips pull back in a wry grin as Peter claims ignorance about what she's talking about. "You can't fool me, Peter," she tells him before looking up and seeing a group of people coming through together.

If Peter lets her, Kitty pulls him over out of their way, nearer to the dance floor. "I know what you are hiding from the world, Peter," Kitty tells him, leaning close again to speak the words softly, then back again so she can look in his eyes. Letting him see the confident look that the coed-aged girl gives him.

She leaves the comment hanging, until the moment she senses he might be about to speak. And then Kitty leans closer again to say, "I know, Peter Parker, that the only reason you wanted that Wonder Woman #1 comic, was so you could oggle her in that star-spangled one-piece she wears in it."

She leans back, giving a nod of her head to reinforce the point. "And further, if you don't wish the rest of the world to be aware of this fact, then I have a price. Dancing. Tonight. Right now," she says, nodding her head towards the dance floor.

Peter Parker has posed:
The tension mounts just a little more, honed to a finer and finer edge as his attractive assailant draws him aside, away from the bar and towards the press of people on the dance floor. That oh so clever mind works at its multitasking best, both running through the various possibilities she could confront him with, what sort of evidence she might have and how he could still find a way to deny it... even while trying to place her, to pull her out of his memory.

And coming up empty on all fronts.

Try as he might he can't think of where he might have met her. True, the Empire State campus is fairly big, but he knows most of the regulars in the science department by sight if not by name. And while his Peter-Tingle might not save him from social embarassment it does do a pretty decent job of making sure that he doesn't endanger his secret identity at the least.

The rules on that whole thing are kinda weird. He really probably should try to experiment some time in a more diligent fashion to try and sort out exactly how it works.

Under other circumstances, this would probably be a pretty good evening away from his routine, and aside from setting off every last nerve, his mysterious companion is pretty intriguing. But as she draws out that moment the tension in Peter is almost a visible thing, muscles coiled.

And then she tosses it out there.

The fierce denial already playing on his lips abruptly dies away and he blinks at her. Once. Twice. It's probably a good thing that he can't see his own face at the moment.

Then he gives a quiet snort of laughter, a sound both relieved, bemused and sardonic all at once. "Okay. Maybe," he allows. "But that isn't the only reason that I wanted a copy," he counters, almost at once put a whole lot more at ease. He still has questions. Of course he does.

But it doesn't feel like the whole evening is about to come crashing down square on his head anymore and that brings its own giddy sense of relief.

"Well, I certainly don't want that to get out. I mean, who would ever believe it. Peter Parker, science nerd is also a comic geek. The shame of it," he counters, smile curving the line of his mouth. "But that seems like a reasonable, maybe even enjoyable, sort of ransom. But you seem to have me at something of an disadvantage," he points out archly. "Do I at least get to know your name?"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde has a momentary flicker of debate whether to just let Peter know. But it passes with barely anything showing on her face as Kitty decides to play it out longer.

She gives him just the tiniest punch on his chest. Not something hard enough to hurt by any means. Though Kitty's expression gets a moment of surprise as if she didn't expect what she hit to be quite so... firm.

"Ok, now you're teasing me back," she says, and will try to pull Peter out onto the dance floor with her then since he relented on her price. Once there, she slides her arms around his shoulders and dances with him close enough they can talk over the music.

"And I'll tell you a secret too, I kind of like seeing her in that outfit too. Though I got to meet the real Diana Prince. And good as the drawings are, they don't even come close to doing her justice," she tells Peter.

Kitty leans back enough she and Peter can look at each other comfortably. "So speaking of, I know we agreed to shared custody of the comic. Which, was admittedly kind of a cute solution to us both grabbing it from the rack at the same time. Though I still think you just did it so you could get my number and ask me out." She taps his shoulder with the fingers of one hand. "I mean, once. Asked me out once. Kitty, I know this great Italian place. And then, never hear from you again," she says, tsking in a way that makes it seem she isn't really upset, just teasing him.

Peter Parker has posed:
Under the circumstances it is only fair that Pete might have an actual surprise or two up his sleeve. Given just how much he worried over the possibility that he somehow gave away the biggest of the secrets that he actually keeps under his hat.

Or under his mask as the case might be.

Again one corner of his mouth quirks upward at that brief look of surprise that filters over her expression when he proves a little more... resilient that he might appear at first glance. Or at least at first assumption. Not quite the run of the mill comic nerd physique there, admittedly.

"It is a pretty iconic look. And maaaaaybe kinda flattering," the tousel haired young man admits with a brief smile. And he's certainly had the chance to see a whole lot of costumes up close over the years. Including that one. He might be a bit of a connoisseur at this point.

When she finally spells out just how she knows his name it... doesn't really fill in any of the blanks at all. Not exactly at least. Though he can perhaps make a few educated guesses on the subject. So even as he slips out onto the dance floor with her, hands finding her sides, he gives a quiet 'hmmmmmm' of seeming introspection before giving a little shake of his head.

"Sorry. It really doesn't ring a bell. And I'm almost sure that I would remember you Comic Book Kitty. I take my responsibilities of shared custody of comics pretty seriously," Pete asserts with a firm nod, just a hint of a smile tugging the corners of his mouth upward to belie that otherwise serious demeanor. "It could be that you ran into my evil twin. I'm constantly having to clean up that guy's messes."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde has a soft smile as she looks back at Peter as they talk. Up close he's probably noticed the small Cross of David hanging from her necklace, possibly even realizing her religion before her name.

"Maybe that's what it was then," Kitty says as if willing to indulge this notion. "So let's investigate this conspiracy theory," she agrees, looking thoughtful.

"So, maybe I ran into your evil twin at the comic store. We grasped the same comic at the same time and ended up going out to dinner. Just the once," Kitty says, giving Peter a flat look as if blaming him for that despite her indulgence in the outlandish theory.

"And then, what? He probably met another girl. A perky blond biochemistry major at ESU. Let's call her, I don't know, Gwen. Only to find out upon attending Oktoberfest with Gwen, that she and I have known each other for a few years, having met at a party," Kitty muses. There's a twinkle in her eyes which might further add to where Peter's thoughts are probably going.

"And, let's see, you know I have a degree in English literature, so this whole coming up with a fictitious plot thing, really up my alley. So for whatever reason this evil twin, let's call him 'Ben' for lack of a better name, he and Gwen decide to reveal to me that he's actually named Ben. And he was helping his twin Peter when he met me and said that was his name," Kitty continues. "To the point that, when I saw Ben coming down the stairs into the club tonight, and texted Gwen to find out where she is, figuring she'd be here too, I find out Gwen and Ben are at home tonight."

Her head tilts as she smiles at Peter. "Is that the kind of way it might have gone?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Look, he was starting to travel down this path already. It might have taken him a little extra time to get here, but increasingly it seemed like the safe sort of bet to make. Of course it was Ben, and while he might not exactly be his twin, that opens up and a whole other kettle of fish that it is probably easier to just... not go into.

In all fairness, Pete can surely be forgiven for entertaining other possibilities about just how she might have come to know his name, how they might have met without him actually remembering the specifics of it all. He does, afterall, live in a world of some pretty outlandish possibilities on an almost daily basis. Fighting men with metal tentacles grafted onto their body and where his favorite college professor also has the habit of turning into a man-sized lizard and going on a rampage.

That sort of thing has a way of changing what one views as possible, even likely, pretty darn quickly.

Listening to her lay out the 'possible' story of their meeting, complete with oh so coincidental yet familiar names, Pete's lips quirk into a half-grin once more as they dance there in the middle of the crowd, that thrumming music just barely at a level that conversation is possible at all.

"It is a pretty wild and unlikely story," Pete quips, nodding his head in agreement after she has laid it all out. "Full of plenty of twists and turns, some unlikely turn of events. A nice surprise or two. Some convenient timing," he muses lightly. "If you're majoring in English Lit I imagine that we could probably come up with something even more outlandish and fantastical easily enough, but I think that plot works well enough to get the story from A to B without completely confusing the audience," he agrees.

Then Pete grins once more. "Under the circumstances, given the obviously opportunity, I don't think I would be able to blame someone for taking advantage of an opportunity like that. Especially when served up on a platter," he admits.

"Well played."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde actually blushes a little bit when Peter congratulates her. "I was a little worried, halfway through, that it might end up feeling cruel by the end. I hope that wasn't the case," Kitty says as she looks across at Peter. The DJ is playing something that's a good beat for dancing on one's own or with someone.

"Though really it's Ben that deserved to go through it," Kitty says, letting out an exasperated puff of air to dislodge a stray whisp of hair from her cheek. "So," she says, looking down bashfully for just a moment before looking back up to smile at Peter. "I'm Kitty Pryde. And I gather, you're actually Peter Parker. Unless there are triplets, in which case I'm probably really in it for, aren't I?" she says with a soft laugh.

"It was a really nice Italian place, too," she says with a soft grin. "And if you'd rather not keep dancing after that prank, I'll understand. But if you're good with continuing, so am I?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Admittedly, Pete might have had a few cold chills running up and down his spine for a few moments there, but part of that is his own fault, for not leaping to the obvious conclusion. That Ben's time playing him was somehow involved in all of this.

And with the explanation laid out, really it is hard not to be amused under the circumstances. Given the chance, under the same circumstances would he have played the same sort of prank? It's practically a given. So it would be more then a little hypocritical to hold any sort of grudge.

"I wouldn't say cruel, though you had me racking my brain for a moment there," Pete admits ruefully, giving a little shake of his head. "And I definitely owe Ben a good shot, right in the shoulder the next time I see him," he admits with a smirk. Though really, this is the sort of thing you open yourself up to when you get anyone to pretend to be you. No matter how long they might play the part.

So maybe, just maaaybe a small part of all of this is on him.

"Well Kitty Pryde, it is a pleasure to meet you. Again. For the first time," he replies with a faint grin. "And I am indeed Peter Parker. There's no triplet out there to worry about, at least not to my knowledge," he assures her. Well... there's Kaine. But he's not likely to pass for either Ben or himself, and again, going into all of that would require a whole lot more time and creativity then Pete might have at his disposal right at the moment.

Either way, the tousel-haired young man shows no signs or inclinations to beat a hasty retreat. "Hey, I came out to try and get a little break from my usual routine, maybe liven up my life. And you've certainly provided that. I'm up for dancing for awhile if you are," he says before laughing quitely about the Italian place. "Mmmmmm, well, even evil twins get things right now and then."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde shows some genuine relief when Peter seems to take the joke well. And it makes her break out in a bright smile. "That's the problem with going looking for something," Kitty says, the smile turning into a small grin. "Sometimes you find it."

She leans gently against Peter and just enjoys dancing with him for the rest of the song, arms about his shoulders, hands meeting just behind his neck. Her head near against his. The song eventually ends, in that way they do with DJs which means they don't really end, they just kind of flow on into the next song.

Kitty leans back again so they can see each other more comfortable. "So I don't know how much of what I heard before was Ben and what was Peter," she admits. "What is it that you do? And, what was with the camera earlier? Just a shutterbug and taking some pictures? Or are you really a private eye and that was just a cover as you take pictures of some cheating spouse for a case?" she asks, but her voice lighthearted.

"As for me, I work at Stark Industries now. Also do some part-time work at the private school I once attended. Guidance counselor," she tells him. "I wasn't kidding about the English Lit degree, though I had a dual major. I work in computer engineering more, which is my other degree."

Peter Parker has posed:
While Pete might enjoy music well enough, he is not so into the scene that he follows individual DJs and their cult followings, or really recognizes the individual twists that they might put into their performances. Working at the Bugle does keep him a little more up to date then the average layman.

Though really, just looking around the club is more then evidence enough that this place is pretty popular. Though fortunately it isn't quite wall to wall people, or featuring music pumped up so loud that it is impossible to even think.

Her quip about being careful about what he goes looking for draws another laugh from Pete and he gives a wry nod of his head. "True enough, though it beats spending the evening in the lab again," he admits. Though it's not like he doesn't get out. It's just that he can't really chat about which rooftops offer the best vantage-point to look out over the city, or the fact that he usually tends to have a hotdog while hanging out with Gus, his favorite uptown gargoyle.

Most people wouldn't really understand.

"Yeah, I'm not sure how much Ben might have mixed and matched," Pete agrees wryly. "And no, not a private eye. Though that might make an interesting career choice. I bet I totally could pull off the trenchcoat and fedora look," he quips lightly.

"No, I'm in my last semester at Empire State, working on my Biochem degree. Then it's probably onto the Master's program. Because I am a glutton for punishment," he admits with a faint smirk. "Job wise, well, I've worked for the Daily Bugle as a photographer since I was back in high school. So while I don't imagine any of the shots that I took tonight will end up in the paper, I do kinda like to keep my hand in it. And this sort of place is kinda a different subject then I usually get to focus on," he admits with a faint shrug, flashing a self-depricating smile.

As the flow of music plays on, the beat changing just a little, his eyes brighten a little. "A guidance counselor and working at Stark. That's gotta be pretty sweet," he admits with just a hint of envy to his words. "I assume the computer engineering background comes in handy there? Or are you composing odes to all the sweet, sweet tech?" he asks, tone turning impish.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
"Ah, so same major as Gwen. Is that how Ben first met her?" Kitty asks as they dance. Her fingers brush gently on the back of his shoulder as a couple of drunk dancers almost bump into them, drawing Kitty's attention away before she turns back to Peter as they appear to right themselves.

"I enjoy it. I like helping the kids. And the tech at Stark is the best. I'm working on AI there. And no, not on Iron Man's armor," she says with a soft laugh at the end as if that's the next question that she always gets.

"I did some contract work at Fisk International, and at JVD Fashion after I first got back from England," she tells Peter. "Oh, England, I went to Oxford, my degrees," she says to fill in a little context on the England part. "And JVD in particular did have some surprisingly nice tech for a fashion house. Janet van Dyne is pretty forward thinking. Her own personal system she uses for designing personalized dresses is really amazing stuff. But, none of it really stacks up to what I'm getting to do in Stark Tower," she says with a nod.

She grins at Peter, "And my odes to all the sweet sweet tech are just done in my spare time, yes."

Peter Parker has posed:
"It does seem to be something of an area of passion for quite a few people that I know," Pete agrees wryly. But then maybe there is pretty good reason for that, given the nature of all the various Spider-People's powers and where they tend to come from. Though in all fairness Peter's own passion for science pre-dates his fortuitous if unlikely encounter with an irradiated, genetically-modified spider.

"I can definitely see the appeal of teaching. Not that high school was my absolutely favorite time in my life," Pete admits, leaning in close once more, conspiratorially, as if about to whisper a secret to her. "I was a bit of a nerd and it didn't quite seem cool yet, at least not in my school," he says before leaning back once more, all wide-eyed. "Shocking, I'm sure."

"But very cool, that you still want to work with kids. I do a lot of tutoring and generally helping out at the FEAST shelters throughout the city. So nothing quite so formal as you get up to, but still keep a hand in it at least," the tousel-haired young man offers up.

Listening to all of what she has been up to with a sort of bemused smile, Pete gives a wry shake of his head. "Look at you. Fashionista, woman of business and technology. And a traveller of the world to boot. You're quite the Renaissance Woman Kitty Pryde," he says lightly before giving a quite laugh. "And the odes to sweet, sweet tech. It wouldn't be complete without a little poetry to seal the deal," he adds teasingly.

"But no, that's cool. Sounds like you're kinda living the dream for all us poor tech nerds out there," he notes with a grin. "And you have great taste in comics too. Eeeesh. Total package here."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde gets a warm smile with just a hint of bashfulness in it at the praise from Peter. "Hey, Age of the Geek, right?" Kitty replies to Peter. "FEAST, those are the homeless shelters and food kitchens right?" I've seen a few but haven't been in one before. I've mainly lived up in Westchester, near Salem Center," she says, which doesn't have any FEAST shelters.

Peter earns himself a smile from the girl. "Good of you to help people like that, Peter Parker," she tells him in a warm tone. "I like it when people help look out for others. We need more of that in the world I think."

She gives him a soft, warm smile. "If you wanted to give me your number, I could probably send you one of those tech odes sometime," she says, pulling out her phone and offering it to Peter if he was so inclined to enter his digits.

Peter Parker has posed:
"That's them," Pete agrees easily.

"Food, Emergency Assistance, Shelter and Training. My aunt kinda got involved with them a few years back when they started popping up throughout the city and well..." he says with a small, self-depricating shrug. There is more to helping people out then just punching the bad guys in the face. Or webbing them to a wall.

Though if Pete is being completely honest there is something at least a little gratifying about that. Maybe action is his reward. At least some of them time.

"She'd certainly agree with you and she kinda ingrained that same sort of belief in me too," he admits before nodding at the mention of Westchester. "Gotcha. I'm definitely a city boy. Queens, born and bred," he asserts with a grin.

His hands slip from her sides at last when she offers up her phone and he taps his own number in there before offering up his pohone for the same. "Hey, sounds pretty good to me. Who doesn't respect a clever tech sonnet?" he asserts lightly before flashing that impish grin once more. "And if you decide not to send one my way, don't worry, I won't hold it against you. We'll blame the evil twin."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty does take Peter's phone, tapping in her number. "Your aunt seems like a marvelous woman. Sounds like you were around her a lot then?" Kitty inquires.

And so they have things to talk about as they continue to dance. Peter seems skilled at coaxing smiles and laughs out of Kitty. And if for her it's like she's already known him for awhile? Well, probably they have Ben to thank for that.

Eventually it's time to go, and she thanks Peter for an enjoyable night, giving him a kiss on the cheek before she heads for the stairs back up out of the club. Glancing back over her shoulder at him once before she disappears out into the night.


Sometime later that evening, Peter is home and getting ready for bed when his phone chimes. Checking it, he'll find a text message:

Ode to the Database

Oh, silent keeper of digital realms,
Whose sacred halls house information's helms.
In bytes and bits, a mosaic of lore,
A guardian of knowledge, forevermore.

A repository, a sanctuary divine,
Where records align in seamless design.
SQL, the poet's language you speak,
In queries and joins, your power peaks.

With relational grace, you link the fields,
A symphony of order, knowledge that yields.
Entities dance in tables so neat,
In your presence, chaos finds defeat.

In the server's embrace, you silently rest,
A digital oracle, at your behest.
Efficient and mighty, you process the plea,
Oh, database, the heart of technology.

So, here's to you, oh, database sublime,
A technological ode, a tribute in rhyme.
The bytes and rows, your legacy we laud,
Silent sage, keeper, of the digital hoard.