2810/Chance Favors the Cheesy Mind

Chance Favors the Cheesy Mind
Date of Scene:	06 August 2020
Location:	Hidden Viet Restaurant, NYC
Synopsis:	Pete and Chizue get together for quiet talk and good pho.
Cast of Characters:	Chizue Nakamura, Peter Parker

---

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    There had been discussion of a friendly lunch for months, but Ninjas and superhero spiders are busy people. After no less than sixteen attempts, things finally seemed set. 4pm, The "Saigon star" Vietnamese grocery store down in Greenwich Village. Little Saigon had nothing on China town, but it was notably lacking in a million tourists which is a marked improvement in Chizue's book.

    That Tricolor CBR slicing through dense traffic work like a knife, until it comes to a hault with the barest chirp of the rear wheel. Theres a glance over the shoulder, before walking it back into a conviently shades space and killing the motor. She cranes foreward to eyeball the clocks, before throwing down the kickstand and dismounting in a single smooth motion, Stepping back onto the curb as she unstraps those gloves and shoves them into a jacket pocket.

    It's hard to catch her gaze behind that gold visor, but she sweeps the sidewalk for her friend never the less. Chin Dipping as she rolls the lid off and sighing with relief, before sliding her arm through the opened visor port to let it hang from her forearm like a purse. One hand deftly sweeping her black hair into a scrunchie.

Peter Parker has posed:
He TRIES not to be late. He even left a half-hour early.
But the mugger and the dime-store crook in the bodega cut that leeway time down to nothing. By the time Peter Parker, backpack slung, appears from a neaby alleyway, he is 25 seconds late.
He runs a hand through his short hair as he jobs lightly towards Chizue, the same basset-hound Please-Forgive-Me look on his face. "Sorry...I got delayed by a few things."

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    Theres the slow blink as she eyes Peter, before checking her watch. Then without a word she simply nods, and gets moving. "Considering your relationship with punctuality, I'm rather impressed to be honest."A little wave is offered to the cashier as she slips into the store, shoulders sinking as she eases past a few idle shoppers. "Anyway theres a guy I know from Tokyo, His aunt and uncle run this place. They were in the life once back in Saigon, so we shouldn't have any worries."

    She pauses near a double door clearly marked with "Employee's Only", turning back towards Peter. "You eaten Vietnamese before, or do I need to order for you? Theres no Menus in a place like this you understand, it's all rather informal."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter looks around. "Anything with beef or chicken, and without nuts. Noodles are good. I understand pho is pretty good." He pronounces it 'fuh.' "Do they have stuff like chicken egg rolls?"

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    Through double doors, past boxes piled high and down a narrow staircase into darkness. Theres a sturdy pair of doors, and then well there's a hidden little resturaunt. Christmas lights punctuated with the odd shop light hung haphazardly here and there, a fairly plain little bar set off to one side stocked with bottles of Vietnamese liqour. One wall covered in South Vietnamese and American flags half charred or shot full of holes, another full of yellowing war photographs of young men posing with their rifles. The last wall of course is likely the curious one for present company, as it's covered in Vietnamese and Japanese news paper clippings of Vietnamese super heroes. Complete with a large photograph of a masked woman in a dress armed with a sword, standing beside a Woman in black wearing a blindfold sporting fox ears and a tail.

    Chizue gives the ancient man behind the bar a polite wave, before snagging a folding chair and plopping down at a card table. Taking a moment to set her helmet and slip out of her jacket, and well that T-shirt underneath does nothing to hide the brilliant ink running from wrist to those short sleeves. "You want a beer with lunch, or just a soda? They don't do anything American here obviously, except for the Coca Cola."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter is rather quiet during this trip back, which he thinks deserves a long continuous shot Martin Scorcese made famous. When he arrives in the back, he looked around, a momentary twinge marking his face for a few moments before he blinks and looks back to Chizue. "Eh? Oh...yeah, a Coke would be best. Cherry Coke, if they have it. I...won't be old enough to drink for another few years."

If he ever would. He didn't know if he had the right personality for an alcoholic, but why take the chance?

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    There's another little wave, followed by some broken Vietnamese which is apparently enough to get a grin and a nod from the old man who hurries off behind a curtain. "After the war a bunch of Pro-western Vietnamese Heroes got trapped in country, and the US pretty much forgot all about them. In the Eighties they went around recruiting folks to go in country and get them out, first time Japanese and Korean Heroes ever worked together. The old man there, was known as the Viper or something. Whole family were heroes, most ended up settling in the states."She summarizes casually.

    Beer and a coke are provided by the same smiling old man, who appears and vanishes oncemore without so much as a sound. "Anyway this is the only place in N-Y I know where heroes are welcome to eat in peace, which is wierd. Tons of little bars and cafes just for capes back in Tokyo."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods slowly. "...Uncle Ben fought in the war. He was...Infantry Brigade. 199th." He walks along the wall as if cataloguing it. "...He got wounded. Purple Heart. Saved eight other soldiers during an ambush. Got the Silver Star." He looked down. "Said he did what he could but the whole thing was what he called a 'chuckyfox.' Charlie Foxtrot. After that, he demonstrated against the war."

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "MMmm, before my time. Japan had a whole rush of Communist bad guys to deal with, so we never ended up sending any Ninja to Vietnam. We were all wound up in fighting Koil Krasnoff and his Legion of Red Blades, killed the First Yellow Scarf Buster in 72' I think?"Theres a little shrug at that, and then oh hey food is just -there-. "Also a mail fox told me you met Hachi the jackass."

    The Pho is served in deep bowls, and well theres beef and chicken and Egg and god knows how many vegetables all mixed in with those noodles and served beside a bed of crisp white rice. "I trust he told you all sorts of embarrassing trash, gonna bet he tried to get you to buy divine stamps or Sacred Charms or whatever?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter blinks as the food appears, then smiles and settles in. He clasps his hands and bows his head for a few moments, then sits up again and looks to Chizue as he locates a fork. "Yeah, I got a bunch of stuff. Flyers, leaflets, offers for solutions to problems I didn't even know I had. I even think there was something for a demon hunter." He begins eating with a fork and spoon. No chopsticks for Peter Parker, it seems.

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "Be careful, He's a Kitsune."She offers casually, as she sips after her beer experimentally before digging in. "They go to great lengths to look casual, but everything they do is on purpose for their own ends. They serve only Inari, not a common good as mere mortals like us could ever understand."and a nomf, which is enough to get a happy little sigh as she slurps. "He can be anywhere anytime he wants, and he knows where everybody is. Yet all he does is deliver the mail, consider that one. Far as I know in three hundred years, Hachi's never saved anyone but he's killed plenty."

    "So what did he want to know, The eyes and ears of the Goddess only show up when theres something they wanna know."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter smiled wryly. "Apparently, I had a lot of mail and he was delivering it to me. Some artwork, flyers for everything from pizza delivery to VHS rentals. Which is kind of odd, considering how high-tech you are. I filled out the survey from the Haga clan, but I didn't turn it in."

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "Oh the VHS thing, Yeah so Magnetic reels can store curses. So those tapes have ghosts or curses on them, and once you get one of them you're cursed forever unless you make a copy and distribute it. Well those stores help you get rid of the curse if you survive, and there are plenty who buy the tapes to use'em on rivals or just for study."And a pause for Pho, nomfing casually. "So legit if you buy one you're straight up super cursed, and everyone is going to die generally. My old partner had a huge collection, and I mean -huge- like maybe a thousand of them?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter winces. "You mean like those RING movies? Jeez Louise, and I glad we only have one VHS player and that's for archival footage." He shook his head. "Crazy. And the artwork? It looks like a child drew it, but maybe it belongs to someone?"

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "Oh yeah, or the grudge. See like when you get cursed in Japan theres no getting out of it, you're done. There is no defeating the monster or whatever, force of nature type stuff. You're just done. So powerful weapons if you can wield them, right?"And a soft nod there. "Well there used to be a "Spider Man" in Tokyo, though he was sort've gothic vampire themed. Very popular though, and nobody picked up his mantle back home. So then People see The Yellow Scarf Buster next to this new "Spider-man" and so everyone got really curious, Could have booked you for a talk show yaknow? They know -now- You're not related to the other one, but kids seem to really like you and your outfit. Sending heroes your artwork is something every child does though, and that is one of Hachi's -actual- Jobs."And a little shrug finally.

    "You're kind of a big deal in Japan, Pete."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter pauses in his meal. "Me? Big in Japan? Come on, Owari, pull the other one. It plays the theme to EVANGELION..."

He reached for the backpack, looking at the pictures again. He hadn't seen much, but that was before Owari had established any kind of context.
"These...are meant for me? Uhm...I dunno what to say. I feel I should do something, but I have no idea what." He looked to Chizue. "Would it be...well, the wrong thing...to send vidclips to these kids?"

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "Well I'm big in Japan, and you're mysterious and exciting. Overseas if you talk American Heroes people think Superman, or Captain America. Those guys fight for like big ideas usually, you know? You save kids and get cats out of trees, it makes you feel more real."She gives a little shrug at that. "I was quick to correct the theory you were my sidekick, and everybody knows I don't like boys. So that makes you -mysterious-."

    "Well you could send them a video clip or something, usually it'd just be your catch phrase. Thats sort've the expectation video wise, anything more than that feels desperate and less feels like you don't care. It's incidentally fine to do nothing as well, because they you remain mysterious."And a little shrug there. "Otherwise we need to come up with a catch phrase that works in Japan."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter tilted his head slightly. "Like, just saying 'Greetings from your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man?' Nothing too personal?" He looks a little mystified at the idea of having fans sending him artwork, in any case.

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "Oh no, don't say that. In Japan it's your battlecry, the thing you shout to your enemies so they know who you are. I'm a maid so "It's time to clean the streets!" works great, or Kuro Neko's "The Black of night comes for you!" You know? It's boastful, though for you perhaps something mysterious would be better. "I'm the Emissary from hell, Spiderman!" would be good."She gives a little shrug at that, nomfing after her pho ever so casually. "I can see if we can grab Kuro if you want, she's the -queen- of public relations. Have you ever seen one of our old entrances, they legit have compliations videos of just our Entrances out there."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter chuckles. "I don't have a battlecry per se. I usually just open with a joke at my opponent's expense. Tends to hack them off, and that usually gives me an advantage." He looks thoughtful. "Although my current favorite opener is, 'Nice costume. LOSE A BET?'"

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "It sounds a little soft for a guy, but It'll do. I suppose it's better that you don't sound -too- Japanese, though I'd double down on the scenery."She pauses for a moment to consider "Can you do it someplace with the Statue of Libery in the Background? Like flip into frame, and address the camera like it's a bad guy. Clip it there, and I'll get it posted for you. Just don't be surprised if Madame Centipede doesn't feel like that makes you fair game, especially now that she's in town."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter hmmed. "I suppose I could...wait. Madame Centipede? Who in the name of Jim Belushi is Madame Centipede?"

This entire conversation was starting to feel a little surreal.
"Who is she, anyway? Someone who just likes centipedes, or does she actually have 100 limbs?"

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "She was a Samurai's wife, about four hundred years ago. She murdered him when she caught him playing around, and then set fire to their estate and tried to burn it down. Villagers dragged her out, and when they figured out what had happened? They gave the most beautiful woman the ugliest death they could think of. They spent a week gathering up centipedes, and then filled this little cave with them and threw her in half burned but still alive."Chizue lets that float out there as she deftly snags those eggs and takes a moment to savor.

    "She's your general psychopathic killer made up entirely of centipedes, which makes her rather difficult to harm. She has a -particular- beef with any woman she feels is prettier than she is, or any handsome man. So she wants me dead in the worst possible way, fought her about a dozen times before."Theres a soft humm there. "Kuro has her number, she doesn't do very well against a legitimately powerful witch like Kuro. Against me, it's I don't have much besides poison gas bombs and fire which obviously I can't use very freely. Being clever she also won't attack without a lot of civilians around."

Peter Parker has posed:
"Sheesh." Peter shook his head, then tilted the bowl to sip some of the broth. "Well, I'm sure spider-webbing works like it always does. So it would be interesting to see how she reacts to it. Not a test I want to do anytime SOON, though..."

He sips his Cherry Coke, then nods. "I'll do something. Maybe I should talk to your PR person. I never worried too much about my public image. I chose to let my actions speak for themselves."

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "She's not my PR person, she's my former crime fighting partner. Kuro Neko, the Black Cat. She's also a platinum member of the Tokyo Justice Society, so like a Japanese Avenger."Theres a little shrug at that. "She'll make time for you though, you just need to give her a heads up. In her mind I'm her best friend, so my friends are her friends. So she's your friend too, just a busy one."And a pause for Chizue to fiddle with her phone, before turning the screen around for Peter.

    It's a selfie snapped by everyone's favorite street fighting Maid, and beside her is the witch in question. That black dress looks all but painted on, and well Kuro is a looker to put it lightly. Perched atop a broomstick, big pointed hat and a neat little black mask over her eyes. Off to one side stands a black housecat the size of a horse, looking terribly confused about the entire affair. "But there are rituals to meeting witches, which you'll need to observe."

Peter Parker has posed:
"Jees, and I thought I'd be dealing with an agency, not a ritual. I feel a little odd about that, though. Let me try to put something together, a few variations, and I'll send them to you and you can give me your opinion on them."

Rituals to meet a witch? MAYBE he sould try to put it together himself first.

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "It's not that big of a deal, you just need to bring her salt and a strip of wood with your blood on it. The Salt is the traditional gift, the Blood is so she can verify you're not harboring a curse for her or something. Well that, and she'd need to teleport you to Tokyo. She can't leave Tokyo, which is why she can't visit me. Hell if she could, she'd be in New York with me."Theres a little shrug at that "She's basically the sister I never had, It was brutal that I missed her Wedding."

    Theres a little hum there as Chizue pages through the photos, before oh hey theres Black cat in a very Western wedding dress (and a white pointed hat) next to a mask looking Samurai, the groom? "Anyway if you wanna do it yourself, that would be fine too. I'm happy to help, the kids would go nuts to hear your catch phrase I'm sure. Dropping some merch wouldn't be a terrible idea either."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods slowly. She's not as...arresting...as the Black Cat he is familiar with, but she does present as an attention-magnet.
"Maybe if none of the ones I come up with look good, I will consider it. I don't want to bother anyone if they're busy or anything." He is about to say something else, but lifts the bowl and slurps instead.

"So...I'll keep it in mind. But enough about me and my 15 minutes, how have YOU been doing?"

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "Could be worse. I was dating somebody, which didn't go anywhere but it was nice to do something like that again."Theres a little shrug there. "American women are nice enough, I don't have to explain all my ink at least. Probably just restrict myself to dating capes at this point, I mean it's complicated even if you're in the life. Trying to explain to some accountant or whatever, how I'm -actually- not even remotely human genetically speaking and I dress up as a maid and punch people?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter snickers. "Well, you might be surprised. The 'accountant' might be Spider-Woman or the Black Widow in disguise. If you want to meet people in the capes-and-tights crowd, best to approach them while in uniform. Better that than wondering if the girl you winked at on the subway is an Asgardian."

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    Sticks her tongue out "Of course approach in uniform, but I don't get to hero as often as I'd like. So I mean I can't always just drop by and flirt when I'm doing ninja things, like you have no idea how often capes walk right past me and never know I'm there."Theres a little shrug at that. "Oh hey nevermind the blood or the fact that I just cut down twenty five men, I just wanted to tell you that eye shadow was an amazing pick and I -love- your uniform?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter chuckled. "Now, I'm no expert in the opposite sex...or of, you know, dating in general. But maybe when all the craziness is over, maybe you can ask them out to wind down over dinner, or dessert? A place like this seems nice and cozy, but something like it might work out."

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    "Heroes don't kill over here, nor do they take cash from their vanquished foes. Most of the time, They just start swinging for the fences Peter."Theres a little shrug there. "When love is concerned, I do believe in fate. So who knows, It's hardly my place to question the will of heaven when it comes to my love life."A fifty is slid onto the table, and slowly Chizue rises with a slow stretch. "In anycase I've got to get back to work, and you have cats to get out of trees I'm sure."

    Theres a pause there as she delicately wraps that silk scarf around her neck, and pulls that jacket back on. "In anycase I've got a Foot safehouse on the East Side I'm going to hit, so steer clear cuz I expect it to be pretty rough."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods and stands up, extending a hand to Chizue. "Listen...thank you. For all the help you've given me. I appreciate it. More than you know."

Chizue Nakamura has posed:
    There was a halt there, as she peers rather owlishly after that hand before finally taking that hand. "You're welcome, No problem Pete. I won't leave you standing on your own, alright? We're not similar at all, but you're my friend and my student. Alright?"