4158/Aftermath and Afterthoughts

Aftermath and Afterthoughts
Date of Scene:	17 November 2020
Location:	Ruby Cove
Synopsis:	Peter and Andi sit and talk about what happened, and how Andi should work with Mania going forward.
Cast of Characters:	Andi Benton, Peter Parker

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Andi Benton has posed:
A few days since the near miss with Miguel Cordova.

A few days since Mania fled the scene.

A few days since Spider-Man messaged her soon after and said they needed to talk.

A few days of complete silence.

Then, one chilly afternoon, a photo appears in Spider-Man's e-mail. Some of New York City can be seen in the background, but the foreground features colorful red and white sand, mixing and swirling together however the waves leave it.

Locals believe they know the geological reasons for Ruby Cove to be the way it is. Others with more active imaginations suggest another reason.

Perhaps Andi Benton has her own motives for choosing the place, seated alone on a bench with a hoodie zipped up and tugged low over her head and face.

The message states simply, "If you want to talk, come find me."

Peter Parker has posed:
Okay...probably a good time to keep a low profile. Spider-Man draws attention and attention is probably not a good idea for either of them right now.

So that is why the goober walking out of the alley down the street with the beat-up backpack doesn't warrant much of a second glance, or even a first one. He walks towards the beach, looking around before he sees the person sitting on the bench.

Peter Parker walks over to the bench, looks at the person for a moment...then sits down next to her.

"Hello, Andi," Peter says gently.

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton's hands are stuffed into the front pockets of that hoodie, a black affair with purple highlights set into it, something with a Hot Topic vibe. It's styled so the hood almost gives off a sort of Assassin's Creed vibe, or even one similar to that one person in the Titans.

When he shows up, she doesn't move, doesn't look toward him. She just knows, and the voice really confirms it.

The way she sits, she is hunched over, withdrawn, within. There is nobody else around, whether by chance or her own 'assistance' in clearing the area. Nobody was screaming, though it surely took a little time for Peter to get over there.

"You wanted to talk, so go ahead. Talk." Her voice is a little hoarse, very low. Almost whispered.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "Just two people talking, that's it really."

"...Tell me about what happened. Leave nothing out."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton is unmoving, and may stay that way for a while. There is a plastic bag to the other side of her, which contains chocolate. Some of it has already been eaten. Some has not.

"A part of me wanted to kill him, and I almost did."

Probably not the kind of detail Peter was hoping for. It may take some prodding.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. After a moment, he speaks.

"When my Uncle Ben was murdered, I wanted to kill the man who killed him."

Andi Benton has posed:
"Maybe you should have," Andi responds. "Sometimes bad people deserve to die."

She remembers what he said before, how he, depending on the perspective, directly or indirectly set things in motion by being selfish. It complicates things. "I know you could have stopped him before and didn't. He would have done something whether you were there or not."

Peter Parker has posed:
"...If I had done something, he would have been in jail instead of on the street that night. He was a career criminal who would be in a cement-and-steel box. But he wasn't...because I did nothing. So I had my own inner voice telling me to kill him. But it wasn't a symbiote. It was mhy own guilt."

Peter looks to her. "I had him in my hands, Andi. I could have broken every bone in his body for what he did to Uncle Ben."

He sags slightly, then looks down. "But then it would make me like him, Andi. A guy who kills to get what he wants."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton's mouth can be seen. Normal lips, presumably normal teeth, normal tongue. It shapes into a frown. "Why? The Old West used to deal with criminals right away when they caught them. Cordova is a piece of shit. He was selling kids into slavery, and probably a lot worse. He tried to give us money to let him go. Why does he deserve to get to spend the rest of his life in jail when he's probably just gonna get a good lawyer for some reduced sentence and be back out again someday? What does him being alive accomplish?"

Is this truly Andi talking, or is it the symbiote talking through her?

Whatever it is, Peter may be getting some of those details into why Mania reacted the way they did. It might not have only been the symbiote pushing the idea.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter looks up to Andi. "Because the Old West was a wild place, without the safeguards and technology we have. And we have laws to protect people. Even Dirty Harry Callahan said that he knew the system sucked, that he hated it, but he would stick with it until something better came along. This is the system we have. Is it perfect? No. Do people make deals to sell out their partners-in-crime so they can get a better deal? Yes. Is that our responsibility? *NO.*"

His voice strengthens, and he sounds more like Spider-Man when he speaks.

"What we do is STOP them. We can do what the cops can't, but it is ALSO our job to make sure that when these guys show up in court, the convictions stick, and people go to jail. It is our job to stop the crimes from being successful. To save lives, as well as livelihoods."

He looks back out to the ocean. "When you kill, you take away all the possible chances a person could have to change and do better."

Andi Benton has posed:
"I'm not dumb enough to think nobody made mistakes, that a mob never killed the wrong guy. Shit, sometimes the wrong people still end up in jail, and sometimes black guys get prison for life just for stealing something they needed because they were desperate. How fucked up is that?" Andi asks, and there's a sort of bristling in her demeanor. It's not the symbiote. It's her.

She scoffs, "And when we stop them, then what? Does Spider-Man testify in court? Do you think Mania is going to take the stand and say 'Yes, your Honor, he was about to kill someone and we stopped him ourselves?' That's not how it works. People aren't going to see me and trust me. I look scary. I /am/ scary."

She withdraws again, pulling her hands from her pockets to slide her arms around her torso in a self-embrace, hunching over again. A shoe, worn purple Chuck Taylors, scuffs at some of the red sand, spreading it around. "Some people aren't going to change, Peter. That's the thing. Some people are never going to change, and when you know that, you...shit." The last word is said barely above a whisper, as if she might have connected something mid-sentence.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter chuckled. "Yeah...I know. We can't tesify, true. But if we handle ourselves around crime scenes, or make sure the cops get all the evidence they need, then we've helped in the courtroom without having to show up. Let the evidence speak for itself."

He rests a hand on Andi's shoulder. "But do we know? Doc Octopus is a dangerous man, but he's mentally ill. Brilliant, but pushed to the edge until he broke. That's not HIS fault. The state of New York doesn't execute crazy people, so why should we? The fact is, we cannot judge these people. The Punisher does that, and all he leaves behind are corpses."
He leans a little closer to Andi. "If there is no other option to save a life, you might be faced with the possibility of using lethal force. But it is my belief that we have to be smarter than others...so we can find a way."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton grunts something under her breath, wordless. It may be assent to something. Aside from that, she goes through a period of silence.

Peter speaks, she listens. She's tense to the touch, that's clear, and he might deduce that she probably hasn't gone out as Mania since that night on the island.

"/He/ was torturing us!" she answers after Doctor Octopus is brought up, her voice flaring, and it briefly holds that duality to it. It clouds the answer, hinting that either or both sides of them were victimized by the scientist with the metallic tendrils.

Something subconsciously has her returning the lean, if only faintly. "We're..usually in tune, but..something happened with Cordova. Mania wanted to eat his head, and I didn't want to but I couldn't hold it back enough," she whispers again.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "I know he was torturing you. I'm not going to make apologies for what he did. But where is the line of responsibility? We can;t forget that some people do what they do because they are powerless to stop."

He just lets the hand rest there. It is warm, but remains motionless on Andi's shoulder.

"Andi...you have to get stronger. You have to remember that YOU are in charge of the both of you. Mania protects you, but you have to control Mania's urges. The truth is, I think Mania NEEDS you to exert control. Mania is like a child, all urges and impulses. And despite what most kids say, they CRAVE STRUCTURE. They need to know that some things are absolute...and that they can be depended upon. Like what is right and what is wrong. I think Mania needs you to impose this structure, so she sees the world as a jungle less and less."

Andi Benton has posed:
And, it's true. Ock was going to kidnap Andi, but took her father instead to flush her out. He was doing all sorts of things to the symbiote in an attempt to figure it out. The thing latched on to Andi in desperation and need, and in that moment she needed the symbiote. It was a natural bond.

She doesn't try to shy away from the hand, just leaving it there. Hers dip back into the hoodie pockets as he talks of a need to strengthen, to maintain control, his opinion of the symbiote being childlike, maybe even primal. It..a lot of it rings true, and by the time he's finished saying it she turns her head just enough for him to see one eye. It looks like she might have been crying recently.

"How do you know all this? How did you figure that out?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter smiled slightly. "I see things. I hear things. I make guesses. Being a scientist is being observant...making theories, testing them, seeing what works, what doesn't, being willing to rebuild a different theory if the one you have doesn't fit. In all truth, it's a lot like being a detective. I'm trying to be careful because Mania is an alien creature, with goals and needs we cannot assume. All I have to work with is to see what Mania does, what she wants...and figure out how to handle that. But if the theory holds, and we get a positive response...then we move forward."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton rolls her shoulders in a shrug, her head dipping again to go back to hiding most of her face.

"The chocolate thing? It helps because I guess there's something in it that's also in brains, and, well..that's what the symbiote craves. I'd like to not go around, um, biting people's heads off, so. Yeah." Andi clears her throat for a moment and adds, "But with that guy, when we saw those kids and the way they looked, I wasn't strong enough to stop. If you didn't yank him back when you did, we'd have got more than just his hair. I think..look, I met Venom, and there's definitely a power struggle kind of thing. When it's whispering in my head, sometimes I just want to let go of everything."

Which Peter might have reason to be very concerned about, if his suspicions of the alien's needs and desires is on point.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "Then, if you need help, let me know. You can even say something like 'Mania, STOP' and I'll know you need help and do what I can. But I will help you every time you need it. That is a promise."

Andi Benton has posed:
"I'm probably always gonna need some kind of help, Peter," Andi says flatly. "I'm kind of a freak, and I have an alien bonded to me that we can do crazy shit with, and it wants to eat brains or chocolate when it's hungry."

When put /that/ way, how could this ever be seen as normal?

She adds, "But, like, I get it. I have to be the one in control, or it's going to control me. That's what you're saying, right?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "But you don't have to do it alone...and it doesn't make you any less of a person to ask for help. Remember *I* asked for help with Cordova."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton gives a round of silence, during which time she withdraws her hands and inspects her fingers, her very normal fingers if you don't count the black and purple nail polish.

"Peter, be honest with me. Do I scare you? Do /we/ scare you?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter takes a deep breath. "Yes...a little. But you have to face your fears. I learned that when I was 14. Uncle Ben told me that you have to look your fears in the eyes. Not from over your shoulder. One of the reasons I wear this mask is so people can't tell how scared I am sometimes."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton nods in return. "It's because of what we can do, because we can be unpredictable, right?" she asks, admitting, "Because a part of me is scared of the same things, and scared that I'd like it too much. I'm not always sure how to face something I can't see because it's part of me, inside."

Could the part he says of the mask have to do with the way hers has normally been seen? Remove most of the face, remove most of the emotion?

Mania itself has been outwardly silent, no appearances, no voices, no surprises.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "Well, then, let me try this bit of advice. If you can't stop it...HARNESS IT. make it work for you. Give it some outlet so the pressure doesn't build."

Andi Benton has posed:
"Harness it? What do you mean, some outlet?" Andi asks, a note of confusion in the questions. The concept of finding a release is a valid one, but she isn't making the connection yet with what a good way to do that might be.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "I'm guessing Mania has her own needs and drives. Use those to bolster your own, while still controlling what happens. It takes time, practice, mental effort. But I think it will help you. I'm willing to try whatever I can do to help you."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton coughs once into a hand. "Uh, yeah. You almost saw one of them the other night," she says bluntly, rubbing one of her elbows afterward. "But..I don't think it actually has things /it/ wants to do. It sort of mostly follows what I want to do, and maybe enhances that a little. I don't know. I haven't really thought about it like that." Maybe she ought to start.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter looks thoughtful. "Maybe you should document what directions she is willing to go with you. Likes, dislikes. Which are the really powerful ones for her. Knowing that can prepare you for knowing what to do to make her work with you."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton digs into the bag to the opposite side of Peter, coming up with a chocolate bar she opens up. Before biting into it, she pauses and breaks off a piece, offering it to him.

"I guess that couldn't hurt. Like some kind of journal? I spent so much time learning how to do..uh, the kind of stuff you do, I haven't really tried a whole lot else yet. Maybe I should ask Mania sometime," she supposes.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter takes the piece with a smile, then hands Andi a Reese's peanut-butter pumpkin. "See what she thinks of peanut butter and chocolate."

He takes a bite, then nods. "Mania should be a project for you. You're sharing the same toothbrush and towel, anyway. A journal is a pretty good idea. Maybe see if Mania wants to write her own entries."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton considers the 'pumpkin' with a look down at it, then she pops it into her mouth. Not like it's the first time she's had one of those, but it goes down in a bite or two.

She scoffs, "Yeah, sure. Can you really see it sitting down at my desk, writing?"

This would be a good spot for Mania to make an appearance, whether at her shoulder or completely, but there is nothing. All she adds is, "I'm pretty sure it likes anything with chocolate as part of it."

Peter Parker has posed:
"Never know. She could dictate to you, or use one of those tendrils it creates and John-Carpenter or even just exude some sort of ink and 'print' a page at a time like an organic Gutenberg press."

Andi Benton has posed:
"You have a very active imagination sometimes, you know that?" Andi retorts, clearing any remnants of chocolate or peanut butter from her mouth.

Fortunately, she doesn't sound as on edge as she was earlier, whether she's 'okay' or not. She will have to think of ways the symbiote might enhance one thing or another, or find ways to satisfy other cravings. It could be a time to learn more about both of them.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter chuckles. "After some of the stuff I've seen, sometimes it's less 'imagination' and more 'experience.' But hey, when I harness my imagination, I get web-shooters, micro-drones, and the Spider-Comm system. So there you go."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton shakes her head. "I'm not that smart," she admits. "I was okay in school if I tried, but I didn't feel like trying that much." She was the type who could probably average well over a 3.0 GPA, even over 3.5, but was content to do the bare minimum. Never stood out, changed her looks to get attention, but was always just average. "I just got looked at like I was crazy, because I didn't behave like people thought I should."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "Well, now it involves a symbiote using you as a host, powers and abilities you didn't have last year, and people's lives in the balance." He looks into her eyes for a long moment.

"...It is in your best interest to try as hard as you can."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton turns enough for him to see her eyes, so he doesn't have to force it that much. Along the way, he can see inky, black darkness pass over her sclera, a reminder that she is not alone. Never alone.

Mania is always there, even if it is being quiet.

"And you have faith I can do it," she murmurs.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "If I didn't, this would be an entirely different conversation, let me assure you."

Andi Benton has posed:
Which leads to The Question from Andi, as she watches for a reaction from Peter, particularly in his eyes and face.

"And if I can't? What will you do then?"

With the way she asks this, her voice is softer, carrying a little concern behind it perhaps, her expression containing wonder. She doesn't appear to be asking it as a potential threat.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter exhales softly. "You *HAVE* to be able to do it. Because if Mania goes rogue and hurts people, I'll have to stop her. If I have to hurt her badly...then I will. I'll hate it more than I hated Carl King, and I almost blew him up once...but I'll have to do it. Because if I let her hurt someone when I could stop her, it'll be Uncle Ben all over again."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton sits back, considering more of the chocolate she's brought. Eat some more, keep the inner monster, the beast, the child, the other half of /her/ appeased for a while longer while she thinks about what she can do to exhibit more control, to lessen the chance of a slip that could prove costly.

"If I can't, I don't know if anyone else will be able to. Mania is listening to everything you're saying right now. She might not be saying anything, but she's listening. She looks up to you for helping save us." Maybe that will be a factor. "She doesn't want to have to hurt you, and neither do I."

A pause, her head lowering again. "So I guess we have some work to do."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "And I want to help BOTH of you. I have nothing against Mania. She is on a planet she's never known, was horribly treated by one of our species, and is trying to adapt. I actually feel a lot of sympathy for her."

Then he smiles wryly. "But I think she made a good choice when she chose you."

Andi Benton has posed:
This brings a brief ghost of a smile, hands fidgeting with themselves. "Stop. You're going to make me blush," Andi says, shaking her head before sharing, "I..don't want to lose her either. I know what she felt, and she knows what I felt. I'm not trying to scare you off. I'm just trying to say I know it's still going to be hard, and there's a lot I'm still getting used to. I think we need to..to explore things more. Maybe even go somewhere, and take a break from..you know. Spider things. Just for a little while. To do something different."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods, looking back out to the water for a few seconds before speaking. "Take the time you need...but should you ever need to reach out to me, I'm a phone call away. Never forget that."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton stands up, allowing herself a brief stretch to help get the limbs working again. It's not a warm day. Easy to get sedentary. "We're going to go home and start thinking of some things we can do. Thanks for..everything." This time, the 'we' doesn't come with that dual voice. It's still just Andi's, but she is speaking for both host and symbiote.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "I'll hang out here for a little while longer." He pauses. "It's a really nice, relaxing place. I can see why you like it."