1907/Ghost/Mania

Ghost/Mania
Date of Scene:	30 May 2020
Location:	Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Ghost and OG Spider meet Mania, and connections are made.
Cast of Characters:	Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, Andi Benton

---

Peter Parker has posed:
Sunday night, Brooklyn. With summer coming on, it means a lot less time to devote to schoolwork. But a lot more to devote to crimefighting.
Because crimefighting sells pictures, and he had derailed his gravy train.
Ah, well...still can't unscramble eggs.

He is not webslinging solo, though. Ghost Spider was up for a patrol, and it was nice to have the company. Also a good time to stress-test the Spider-Comm system.
As he swung wide along a water tower, he keyed the mike. <Haven't seen anything yet, Ghost. This street's quiet. Any sign of trouble?>

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Ghost Spider is just having fun, now. Free time has lifted her spirits, and she has been able to focus on the important things in life, or at least those that don't hang over her like a Winnie the Pooh raincloud. She releases one web, flipping through the air with grace and ease as she thwips out another, unknowingly directly in Spidey's path just past the water tower. "Legit quiet out here, Spidey," she replies JUST before learning that she might be in for a crash course in meet-and-greets.

Andi Benton has posed:
The Spider and the...Spider are not the only ones out there on this night. While things have been quiet over the last week or so in the life of Andi Benton, time has been spent just trying to get more used to having a bond with an alien entity that can do things she'd never imagined. The fact it had its own voice and seemed to feel so strongly about the bond that was in place was a completely different story. It was easier to become accustomed to what she could do than it was to deal with that other voice, different sets of urges and instincts.

That could wait for later. She could have called, but sometimes you just have to get out there. Knowing Spider-Man was more likely to be active in the greater New York City metropolitan area, a little trip was made. A dark figure did some rooftop-hopping, but being on the move felt counterproductive to actually spotting Spider-Man. What if he passed by an area she'd been in five minutes earlier? So, she perched atop a spot in Brooklyn, watching, waiting.

Then, motion a few blocks away. The interest showed in the eyes of the figure, the narrowed white slits angling upward, briefly larger. Then, Mania was on the move. But could she keep up?

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods, the head-movement automatically sending a <HeadNod> as a text message. Peter's been working on how to convey body language to text. "Maybe we should WHOA!" The Spider-Sense doesn't so much go off as alert him to the incoming Ghost, and he pulls up short to let her pass in front of him. Just his luck. If he crashed into her, there would legitimately be someone with a phone camera aimed at them, and the next thing he knew, Ghost and Spidey could be the next update on Spider-Fail.com.

He lands on the side of the water tower. "Whew, close. Okay we could head towards Midtown. Usually there's something going on. I think there's about ten food trucks parked in one of the parking lots near the lake. If someone's doing some pickpocketing or mugging, then we can snag a few crooks. If not...we could grab some food." He chuckles, which shows up as <Chuckles> on the message bar. "It seems like a win-win to me."

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Yaaah!" Ghost Spider flails in a little circle around where Spider landed, and she ends up clinging to the water tower right next to him, panting. "S-sorry, I was--" she clears her throat as she trails off. "Fooood...yeah let's go pick up a few freeloaders and a side order of street tacos. Sounds good to me!" Her agreement goes across the comms and, y'know...to Spidey, because he is /right/ there. "Unless you want the giant turkey leg. Ohhh...or a funnel cake. And a corndog."

Andi Benton has posed:
Food /does/ sound good right about now. On the other hand, food has /often/ sounded good lately. Andi's gone from only dressing out for Phys Ed when she needed to in order to avoid failing, to running around, climbing the sides of buildings, leaping from one rooftop to the next, and things like that. The symbiote makes it all pretty easy, but it's definitely a change in lifestyle.

As she tracks the passage of Spider-Man, someone else comes into view and it leaves her head angling toward one side, a curious tilt.

<Another spider?> the symbiote asks her.

"I dunno, but I'm guessing we should go see," Andi replies, rubbing the side of her mostly featureless head, given the current look.

<Yes. We go watch the spider. The /spiders./>

As long as they don't leave too soon, Mania will run along until she can place herself ahead of their line of sight, perching again atop a closer structure. The eyes angle upward. Hello!...they seem to say.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey smirks. "I heard they have a Texas BBQ truck. I was thinking their brisket. The burnt ends part, because a lot of the taste is there. I hear the meat is much moister and tenderer there, too..."

He looks ahead of him as he is speaking, and his voice trails off. Well, well, well...looks like they have a guest.

"Ghost? Before we go stop crimes and join lines, it looks like I need to introduce you to someone. We have attracted some attention."

A waypoint appears on Ghost's HUD, pinpointing the eyes Spider-Man spotted. A text box appears over the eyes and the black shape of the head.

MANIA - Ally. Human Symbiote Hybrid.

"I think we should head over there and say hello."

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Gwen is slooowly dropping downward, upside down on her web, as she turns in pendulum motion, now hanging off the side of the water tower. Once she can see Mania, she swimmies one hand through the air to stop her spin on the web. "That's a Mania? SYMBIOTE?? The heck, man?"

Andi Benton has posed:
The head of the symbiote and host tilts further as she watches Gwen dangling, whether moving back and forth or not, or just slowly spinning there.

Taken on the surface, Mania could appear to be a mystery, hard to tell whether friend or potential foe, and the eyes are the only thing that give away much of whatever she's thinking if body language is kept neutral. The fact there are some spiky elements to her appearance ought to reinforce the thought that she could be a threat, though in some ways it hints at a punky, gothy inspiration.

Rising slowly from the perched crouch, Mania stands atop the HVAC unit she's on, arms going akimbo with the fingers resting at her hips. She's lean, nimble-looking.

Come on over! It'll be safe...probably. Spider-Man /did/ identify her as an ally.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey says sympathetically, "She's okay. In fact, I think it is safe to say she needs all the help she can get." He waves to Mania, then starts swinging over.

<An alien crashed to Earth during a meteor shower a few weeks ago. Dr. Octopus stole it...violently...and tried to see what made it tick. It didn't like him, and called to a young woman who had been there. It had bonded with her.>

Spider-Man lands on the rooftop that Mania is on, walking towards her without any sign of fear.

"Hello, Mania," he says, using the "official" name instead of Andi's name, because that's not cricket, as they say. "I'd like you to meet Ghost Spider. She and I have known each other for awhile. Ghost...meet Mania."

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Hii, Mania!" Gwen drops to the rooftop and follows Spidey; any friend of his is a friend of hers. So far. "How's the symbiotin' going tonight? Fun? Make any new friends?" If there is any trepidation in Ghost Spider's voice, it isn't obvious.

Andi Benton has posed:
There is a mild bristling of the spikes along Mania's arms and legs, though that's about it for the moment apart from body language that turns guarded at Gwen's apparently open acceptance of things as they are. Just what did Spider-Man tell her that Mania might not be privy to? The tilt of her head asks questions.

"<We are..fine?>" is the first to be voiced aloud, the focus of her attention shifting from Gwen to Spider-Man, then back again. Imagine brows atop those white eye spots, furrowing closer together. "<What do you know of symbiotes?>" The voice is like a combination of two different ones, blended together.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man is encouraged by the (so far) civil discourse. "Very little truthfully. We know of another who goes by the moniker of Wolf Spider. I wasn't sure if he was like you, Mania, not without comprehensive study."
Because scientist.
"But I think you'd had quite enough of being studied for some time, so I did not push the matter. I *did* want to talk to you about something, though. How would you like to be part of a loose association of Spiders...and Honorary Spiders...complete with our own communication network?"

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Ghost Spider shrugs, and her wide white lenses, rimmed in pink, betray nothing of her demeanour. "Everything I know about symbiotes, I read in comic books. I mean, until recently I didn't even know they really existed. It's...like a roommate. For your body. Right?"

Andi Benton has posed:
Mania's arms wrap around herself, the eyes cast into the shape of doubt and uncertainty. She may not be very good with strangers, even spider-themed ones that are hanging out with Spider-Man.

The first thing she says is, "<We met last night. He had a spider..here.>" One of the hand gestures over her torso, and she adds, "<Not sure what to make of him. He's..been like this longer.>" Now she's rubbing the back of her head, a decidedly human gesture, the otherwise featureless face remaining that way. "<Don't want to be studied,>" she confirms.

It's Gwen her gaze returns to next, and she shifts her approach around to move to within a couple feet of her, openly peering at her facemask and those eyes, closer to Spider-Man's in style than Mania's. "<We like comic books, too. A..roommate?>" It leads to a thoughtfully confused shift to those eyes, a hand rising to rub at her chin in a way that cements the visual. "<We are..us. Like one. Not sure how to explain it.>"

It's Spider-Man's question that leads to her head turning back that way, that sense of the brows scrunching together evident once more. "<An association of Spiders and stuff? Communications?>"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods. "Augmented-reality, audio/text communications, and even our own independent criminal database."

He reaches into his backpack and takes out a box that used to hold a Starkphone. He still has plenty of these. He opens it to reveal wide lenses, a set of Bluetooth earbuds, a black choker, and what look like thin nitrile gloves with gold pads on the fingertips. "Wolf just...absorbed them to set them under his...costume. The lenses rest over the eyes, the choker goes around the throat. You can figure out the rest, I'm sure. If you put them on, I can calibrate it for you and set it up."

He places the box on the roof, taking a step back for Mania to examine it.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Gwen just blinks silently as Mania looks her over. Of course, the lenses don't blink, so what Mania gets is a wide-eyed and emotionless stare. "Comic books are the best!"

Then Spidey is talking about the accoutrements he's got to offer, and it's Gwen's turn to circle around and look Mania over appraisingly.

Andi Benton has posed:
"<The other one has these?>" Mania asks, staring at the box after a brief nod to Gwen's affirmation of comic book love. It's hard to tell from the lack of features, but did those eyes just turn slightly toward something more...friendly?

The moment is gone for now, the box now squarely in her sights as she reaches out with a tendril of black goo to snatch it up. Clearly, she's showing off rather than just crouching to pick it up normally. One by one, each item is plucked from the box and inspected closely, starting with the lenses, then the choker. Her head tilts openly again. "<What do the gloves do?>"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man takes a small tablet out, firing it up. "Virtual interface. Icons and a virtual keyboard. After I get you to set things up, you can test it for yourself."

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Well that's cool! So now we have another spider-chick. Who woulda thought? We were gonna go for food, and we found a whole PERSON instead!" She makes a sound as if considering. "Er....two...whole people...Kinda."

Andi Benton has posed:
"Hmm." The sound, while not completely clear, seems as if it's more Andi and less Mania. "I've got a few chokers of my own."

<IS THIS SAFE? NOT A TRAP?> the symbiote asks inside Andi's head, and loudly at that.

"Ahh..I don't think it's a trap, no. He helped us, remember?" Definite separation there between symbiote and host, when it comes to the conversation going on.

"Sorry," she adds, glancing between the two spiders as one explains the gloves and the other reacts to the way the encounter is going. The first thing that's tried on are the gloves, and the way it happens in this case, visibly, is the 'costume' peeling back from both hands, far enough to retreat toward the middle of the forearms so they can be slipped on over bare skin. A glimpse of purple nails can be made out. Then, the tendrils crawl back over the gloves and return to the way they'd been.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man looks to Mania. "You may need to interface with the A/R environment, so virtual gloves were the best option with the budget I had." He looks around, then nods. "We were planning to grab some food at a food truck kiosk."

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"They have funnel cakes and giant ears of corn on the cob, and stone-oven fired pizza, and garlic grilled cheese on a stick, and...Hey, how do you eat with that thing? Do you have to feed it? Or does it like...feed you?" Ghost Spider is tilting her head thoughtfully as she gazes at Mania. "Does it like corndogs?"

Andi Benton has posed:
Mania's fingers flex, and whatever's going on beneath the surface, the gloves are probably being repurposed somehow to work with the unique physiology there.

Next, she picks up the choker and gives it a look. "<So what does this part do, again? I can figure out the rest, like you said.>" She goes about fitting the other bits into place, elements of the symbiote parting just enough to allow them to settle in, and for the technology to kick into action.

The host and symbiote then fidget slightly. Is it all the talk of food? "<We have not eaten in a while,>" is confirmed, then something changes. A mouth begins to take shape, one that curls into an eerie grin complete with a set of sharp-looking teeth. Then there's that tongue. "<We can eat this way, or the normal way. We will eat whatever we like the taste of.>"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man touches his throat. "Sub-vocal microphone. So you can communicate without actually making a sound."
He taps a couple of keys, and the screen comes up with a text box in Mania's vision.

CALIBRATING...

Then it goes away, and a series of icons appear around the periphery of Mania's vision. When she looks at Spider-Man, a text box appears over his head.

SPIDER-MAN
Mostly Harmless

Looking over at Ghost reveals another box over her head.

GHOST SPIDER
Cooler Than Spider-Man.

Raising the hands causes them to aquire outlines in her vision, and a virtual keyboard appears.

"...Ohhhkay. Looks like you're online."

Gwen Stacy has posed:
owen wrinkles her nose beneath her hooded mask. "Oh wow. That's...some set of chompers you got there. I bet Gobstoppers don't stand a chance." But then, she sighs. "Sounds like we better get some grub in you ASAP. Can't have a spider goin' hungry."

Andi Benton has posed:
"<This is...cool,>" Mania declares, as things begin to come online for her. "<We've seen some A/R stuff before, but not like this.>" The fingers flex before the HUD as she holds her hands up, fingers wiggling a few times. So far, everything appears to be working as intended. If it did with Wolf Spider, it ought to with Mania as well...right?

The mouth then disappears again, back to the more hard-to-read appearance. "<And what does it say above my name?>" she wonders, then she moves over toward Gwen and gives her a deliberate hip-bump. "<If there is chocolate at any of these food trucks, we will have that first.>"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods. "Yeahhh...well, you might want to keep the mouth more human-like-with-32-teeth and less John-Carpenter's-THE-THING. Although supertypes don't get the attention they might get in other cities, it's not a good idea to scare people who are looking for chicken tacos."

He looks to Ghost. "Maybe we can check out the trucks from the periphery, and then you two can give me your orders and we can chat using the Spider-Comm system while I get your food?"

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Seriously...Chocolate cheesecake funnel cake straws? You'll both think you died and went to heaven." Ghost Spider gives Mania a big thumbs-up with a giggle. "You can start with that, and we can work our way through like we're storming the place. I want a pickle-dog. What could possibly go wrong?"

Andi Benton has posed:
"<We can look normal if we want,>" Mania says with a shrug of the shoulders. But, no change means right now, they are probably content to stay the way they are. She's still looking toward Spider-Man after questioning him about the way the HUD is set to identify her, but she admits, "<It might be a better idea for you to get all the food. We would have cleaned up after anyone who dropped theirs.>"

Take that for whatever it probably means.

Gwen gets one of those head-tilts. "<Chocolate..cheesecake..funnel cake..straws? We need to try this. Find it for us?>"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man's head turns slowly to Gwen. "Ghost...I think I should say for the record that saying that line might as well be poking my luck with a sharp stick." He glances over in the direction of Central Park, then says, "We should get going if we are going to get there before they close down."

He lifts an arm and fires a webline. "Let me set up a waypoint."

And then, in Mania's vision, a red pointer appears near the southern end of the Central Park area, with a distance of 4.3 miles above the pointer.

"The notes for each person are mine. I don't have any note set for you...mainly because I don't know you well enough to make glib notes about you. Maybe later, I will...but not now."

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Bah. I make my own luck, Spidey. If ya need a little extra along the way, I'm happy to share." There's a big smile in Gwen's voice, as Ghost Spider fires off her own line and takes flight, swinging at a dizzying speed in the direction of Central Park. "Hope you guys can keep up! I'll get the good stuff if I get there before ya, so you won't have to worry about them running out!"

Andi Benton has posed:
Mania's eyes just sort of go flat at Spider-Man's answer regarding the notes. "<We will have to give you a good reason for something, then,>" is all she says, then she finds herself watching Gwen depart swiftly thanks to her webline. The HUD shows the distance, and it seems so far away. Hands rest at her hips again, the expression souring before she inspects one of them, turning it over from the back of the hand to the front. "<How do they...?>" Oh, Spider-Man hasn't left yet.

Lacking a clear answer to whatever the question is, she heaves a frustrated sound from where that mouth had been, turning toward him as her eyes follow the path of his own line before she moves toward the side of the building. 4.3 miles is a lot of running and jumping.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man glances to Mania, then sighs. "Mania...want a lift? I'm pretty sure you can hang on, and we can get there faster. Maybe when we get there, I can show you the webshooters."

<Ghost, I'm going to give Mania a lift so we don't have to wait.>

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Ghost Spider is already closing the gap toward Central Park when Spidey updates her. "You didn't tell me she couldn't--AHH CRAP! Pigeon in my face!" There is a muffled thud and a flapping sound over the comm. "I'm good! He's good! He flew off..." There's a beat, then...

"CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE FUNNEL CAKE FRIES!!" Gwen squees. "Yeah...three orders, please. Ooh, and extra chocolate drizzle..." Someone forgot to mute her comm.

Andi Benton has posed:
A brief cringe follows at the stuff over the comms. Mania's side..is off. "<Is she always this loud? We do not like loud noises much,>" she asks, squinting at Spider-Man before adding, "<You will let us study your webs?>" This brings with it a hopeful expression in the eyes, one of unbridled interest, before she approaches him again. "<We will ride with you. The sooner we get there, the sooner we have chocolate everything.>"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey grin as he reaches out to pull Mania close. "It seems only fair, if it helps you. Just hang on, and leave the driving to me."

A second later, he jumps off, Mania in one arm, the other one slinging weblines and propelling them both towards Central Park.

<Put in an order at the Manuel's truck for three beef brisket tacos for me, please, without BBQ sauce.> His voice is crisp and quick, and webslinging one-handed seems no problems for him.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"You got it..." Then Ghost Spider goes quiet for a moment before, "Oh sure....Yeah no problem. Sayyy Spidey!" Selfies with fans are an occupational hazard. "Three...um. Oh! Beef brisket tacos. Nono, no sauce. Just the...yeah. Okay...and a giant turkey leg. You guys want a turkey leg? Probably make it two. For now. Might be back."

Andi Benton has posed:
Mania's arms wrap around Spider-Man's sides as she tries to find the most comfortable way of doing this. "<We would like four cheesesteaks, if there is a place with any,>" she says over the comms. "<We..can pay for them later.>"

She clings a little closer as they take to the air, using the buildings to swing past, and with every moment that the distance to their destination is shortened, the symbiote is studying exactly how and what Spider-Man is doing.

"How is your warrior, uh, friend?" Andi asks, and it's definitely just her voice. It's the first and only time since the incident at the juvie jail that she's brought it up.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man smiles sadly. "Dealing. It gets more scary all the time, frankly. She's...adjusting."

He lookd down to see the street pass and the green begin. They are making good time.

Chocolate soon, Mania." He points to a table at one corner, one not very well illuminated. "We can sit there."

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Four...cheesesteaks. Yep. No, I don't need a carrier," Ghost Spider can be heard saying over comm chatter in the background. "Two Pepsis, and a root beer." Then a pause. "Thanks!" And by the time Spidey is coming in hot, Ghost spider is waiting with an armload of food, the packages all webbed up, at the table where they're expected. "C'mon in, guys. It's chow time."

Andi Benton has posed:
"Lots of adjusting going on around here," Andi says. For the moment, the symbiote is silent. Maybe, with anticipation of food and chocolate and..well, it's still trying to learn about Spider-Man, too. There may come a point where it tries to analyze his webbing.

Once they've reconvened at a spot that allows them to dine in relative peace, Mania rubs her hands together. "I'm about to show my..uh, I guess my other..the joys of cheesesteaks." That mouth forms again, and the first one is opened up and simply consumed in one gulp. Yes, she can do that.

"<Mmmmmm...>"

And so the feast begins.