2036/Lab Research

Lab Research
Date of Scene:	09 June 2020
Location:	Basement - 20 Ingram Street - Queens
Synopsis:	MJ joins Peter in his basement lab in a mercifully villain-free environment.
Cast of Characters:	Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson

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Peter Parker has posed:
Peter normally spent many days in this lab in contemplation, research, experimentation, and the occasional visit from Harry and other friends.

Harry can't make it but sends his best from the Alps, with a promise to provide details of a vary favorable dinner with someone he met.
"She's a military nurse, so I'm going to regale her with tales of New York and MAYBE schedule some...MANEUVERS later."
"I hope you can hear me rolling my eyes, Harry, because I AM DOING IT AS HARD AS I CAN."
"War is Hell, Petesky. So, you invited MJ over, hmmmmmm...?"
"We just going to talk, commandeer your PS4, play some games..."
"That's the current euphemism?"
"HAARRR-rryyyy..."

"OKAY, okay...but seriously, Peter? Don't screw it up again. She's outta your league, but it was meant to be, to me."
"You're a poet and don't know it, Harry. Say hi to the Swedish meatball surgeon for me."

Harry clicked off, and Peter sighed. "Let's see...popcorn, nachos, mini-tacos, Arnold Palmers...I think I got everything..."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Which is when there's the telltale knocking on the front door. Mary Jane is standing there, wearing a black silk blouse and a very fashionable matching skirt and nylons. She's got her telltale duffel with her, since... well, she knows Peter's luck, and it's best to be prepared.

And she might have ulterior motives, too, as she does ring the doorbell once, since... well, Aunt Anna and May are out together for the moment, so Peter might not hear her knocking.

Peter Parker has posed:
The doorbell pings and Peter goes to check the camera set up on the porch. He touches the intercom button, then says, "Be right up."

A few seconds later, the front door opens and Peter gives MJ that sheepish smile. He is wearing his trademark baggy pants and t-shirt, socks on his feet.

"Uhm, hey, MJ. Come on in. I got things set up down in the lab."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane grins at Peter, "Sounds great." She leans in and gives Peter a peck on the cheek, making her way down to the lab.

Then she notices the spread, "Wow, you definitely prepared for a long evening. Is the new expansion /that/ deep?" She tilts her head, looking back over towards Peter, "I mean, I'm pretty much a newbie with games, but ah... what were we playing again?" She grins at Peter, taking a moment to set her duffel bag down on the floor.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter smiles wryly. "...Well, I wasn't sure what Red has sampled yet, so I wanted to make at least one new dish. Besides...before we get to the relaxing, I do have to bring up something that was recently discovered."

Peter walks over to the table were a cardboard box is sitting.
"If she isn't up already, better wake Sonja up."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
MJ nods, "Oh, she's up and around. What's up, Peter?" She instinctly guns for the nachos, piling up a plate that's a bit... much for old worried-about-her-figure Mary Jane. But then again, her metabolism has been a lot different since she's put on so much muscle, plus having a 12,000 year old warrior in her head.

So she gets that plate of nachos and an Arnold Palmer, looking back at Peter, "Kulan Gath?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods, then opens the box and takes out the tablet.

To MJ, it is a stone tablet about one foot square. There are runes, something like cunieform and Norse runes cuisinarted together, dark black in color on the grey stone.

To Red Sonja, three things keep her from wanting to draw her sword. The summoning tablet's markings are not glowing in any color, but a burned-black that suggests it was used up before Peter Parker brought it in here. The second is that it is small, meant to summon one of the lesser Quoggoth-spawn. Something above a "goblin," but lower than the kind of monstrosity that would strike the sanity from someone who gazed upon it.

The third thing was that it was damaged, chips and cracks evident on the stone. If it could be re-used, it was too damaged to use again successfully.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane nods, her eyes narrowing alarmingly, "Yes, a summoning stone. Fortunately it's burned out, as they tend to be unreliable magick of the darkest sort. But in this case... I've seen it before."

She glances over at Peter, "Definitely a summoning stone for Quoggoth-spawn, like what killed those people in the sewers. At least this one is destroyed, or at least useless for now. Though whoever did this could make another, assuredly. If they haven't already."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nodded, putting it back in the box. Quickly.
"Yeah, I had a gut feeling about that, but it is nice to get an expert to confirm. I met up with someone who could handle this sort of thing. She is SCARY. She has the name Satana Hellstrom. There are not enough red flags in RUSSIA."

He shrugs as he closes the box. "But she's a redhead...so she can't be ALL bad."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
MJ smiles wryly, "Indeed. I wouldn't mind meeting her myself, if she knows of this. To be honest, she might know more than me, as I'm not an expert. Well, aside from murdering quite a few dark sorcerers that were trying to break reality in order to rule it. That sort of thing."

She then gives Peter a wry look, "And these are exceptional... nachos, I think? I approve." She piles a few more onto her plate, then moves over to take a seat in Harry's nook, where the all-important TV and PS4 are. "Any further sightings of the spawn under the city?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter sighs. "I found three dining on a couple of the subway dwellers. Satana took home one I webbed up to...analyze it, I guess. A process I care not to think about."

Peter brings the snacks over to Harry's Hovel, placing them on a short table before he plops down next to MJ. "Now, then...would you like to try Mortal Kombat 11? Harry got the RoboCop DLC for it."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
MJ nods, looking a bit grim, "Aye, that makes sense. Hopefully she can find out some more information." And then she seems to shift, a bit, as MJ takes over in the driver's seat, though Sonja's probably still listening.

"Mortal Kombat 11? Well, we can definitely go with that, though I haven't really played it that much. You're gonna clean my clock, Tiger." She grins, not seeming to mind that, as she's just looking forward to spending some downtime with Peter.

Peter Parker has posed:
"Yeah, we'll see. Pity we don't have a Nintendo system, you could school me in Mario Kart. I think you actually said once, 'Shut up and pick the track you want to get wrecked in, Petey.' But in a PLAYFUL way." He snickered.

As they picked characters (he went for RoboCop, natch), he asked, "What's the biggest issue you or Sonja have had to deal with since you two got joined at the brainpan?"

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane grins, leaning up against Peter on the couch as she chuckles, "Yeah, playful, sure." She winks at Peter, eyes dancing a bit as she picks Kitana. Because obviously.

MJ then thinks, "Sometimes... it's a little hard to tell what's my memories and what are hers. I mean, we're pretty well blended together, even though we're distinct. If that makes sense."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "That does sound trying. But I can suggest a helpful hint. If the person in the memory has a callphone, it's yours. If they have a melee weapon, it's hers."

He chuckles but looks back to the screen to see RoboCop catching a bladed fan right in the face and getting knocked down. "Have you told anyone else about your Head-Hitchhiker? Or just me so far?"

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
MJ shakes her head, "Just you, Tiger. Wasn't sure who else would understand... I mean, Aunt Anna would probably take me to get my head examined. She and other people think I've just gone on a fitness bender." She grins wryly, then awks as RoboPeter gets a shot off at Kitana-Jane.

"Damn, knew I shouldn't have brought a fan to a gunfight..." The comment about sword versus cellphone does earn Peter a friendly jab to the ribs.

Peter Parker has posed:
"Ow." Peter shakes his head. "Can't imagine what it's like to have someone else in my head. Maybe you and Mania should meet up, try to help each other in that regards. The circumstances are different, but...she would certainly hae more insight than I would."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
MJ smiles at that, "I'd like that, actually. Seems like she definitely could use a friend." She's no slouch, really, but this is a game that she's just not really in practice with. Random button mashing only gets one so far in this situation.

"Uhoh..." As RoboPeter lands a quick combo, leading to the telltale words on the screen, "FINISH HER."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter pulls back, looking at the screen. Seconds tick by and then Kitana falls, with no fatality move used.

"Uhm, I don't play this enough to know what those moves are." Peter shrugged. Maybe...or maybe that, even in a game, he doesn't feel the urge to hit someone defenseless.

"Dang. Listen, do you like flying games? I have the new ACE COMBAT game, and I'd like to see how Sonja reacts to flying, even virtual flying. Or...maybe we can just sit and talk?"

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane hmms, "I think I'd like sitting and talking, honestly." She tilts her head towards Peter, giving him a bit of a wry expression, "Even though we started dating again, it sometimes feels like we haven't had a lot of time for that. Which isn't a complaint, Tiger." She places a finger on his lips to preemptively forestall any Peter Guilt, because she knows him. "It's an observation. And yes, I'd love to talk."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods, shutting off the game and grabbing his drink. "Is it a bad thing to ask about how your life's been since we broke up the first time? I heard a few things, but they were all secondhand. You...didn't start an all-girl band, did you?"

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
MJ laughs at that, "I can sing pretty well, Peter, but not /that/ well... no. Well, I did a few things, started doing some streaming stuff online, getting a bit of an Instagram following and the like. Social media stuff, just commenting on random things."

She grins wryly, "Saw some people getting a following that way, so figured I'd try it, and well... thinking with the changes I might actually branch out. But..." She pauses, "Dated a bit socially, but nothing ever really seemed right, so didn't get serious at all." She tilts her head, looking curiously at Peter, "I mean, you were dating Supergirl, who... well, she's way out of /my/ league by far." Her lips quirk a bit at that.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter sighed. "Right up to the point where one of her enemies staged an attack HERE. It...wasn't going to work out. I guess I was too optimistic and naive to think it could work." He sighed. "Besides...she wasn't *you.*"

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane smiles, sliding a hand around Peter's shoulders, "Hey, don't undersell optimism Peter. Personally, I think it's very attractive." She arches a brow just a little bit at Peter, giving his shoulder a squeeze with her fingers, "And hey, the important thing is what's happening now. And honestly, I'd rather not be anywhere else." She leans in, just a little bit, tilting her head just so.

Peter Parker has posed:
No Spider-Sense, but a sudden nervousness. Was she...oh, gosh, she WAS.

Three years ago, he would have pulled back, stammered, run like heck...or been wary of what she wanted in exchange for making him look like a fool.

But he was not that timid wallflower, not anymore.

He took a deep breath, licked his lips quickly...then moved in, almost carefully.

The kiss was not hesitant, but rather chaste for a first kiss. He had never kissed MJ before. The kiss was firm, but he was not mashing her lips against her teeth, and the kiss lasted for a few seconds before his lips parted from hers again. His eyes were gazing into hers, and a little ribbon of fear that he had moved too fast...

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
MJ mmms into the kiss, her hand sliding up to run through Peter's hair as she presses close on the couch. Her eyes close, and she doesn't press too hard back against him, just savoring that brief first kiss.

When it breaks, she whispers, "Okay, worth waiting for..." She pauses, then gives Peter a sly look, "I think. Honestly, I'm not sure. I believe, Mister Parker, we're going to have to experiment to make sure we have an accurate sampling." The look gets even more impish as she grins, leaning in a bit closer, "After all, it's for science, right?"

Clearly, she has her own opinions about that...

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods quickly. "Uhm...yeah. I've never really kissed a girl, so...maybe I could use some guidance so I can improve, right?"

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane chuckles, "Well, it's probably the best that I have a rather... experienced mentor residing in my head." With that, she gives Peter a devilish little grin...