4739/Lunch for Zero

Lunch for Zero
Date of Scene:	15 January 2021
Location:	Parker Residence - 20 Ingram Street - Queens
Synopsis:	Peter invites his co-worker, Doug, to lunch at 20 Ingram Street.
Cast of Characters:	Peter Parker, Douglas Ramsey

---

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter has heard much about the other co-workers at KordCo, but he has met most of them. One of them, Douglas Ramsey, came with high praise but low visibility. It was understandable, though, what with the odd hours Peter himself kept.

However, he saw a few memos about some of the projects Ramsey was working on, and wanted to see if there was anything he could assist with.

To that end, he sent an inter-office email:

To: Doug Ramsey
From: Peter Parker

Hey, neighbor. I understand you are working in the lab three doors down, but we've never crossed paths. I was wondering if you'd like to join me for lunch at the best place in Queens?

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
It's not fair to say that Doug punches in in the morning, get's the day's work out of the way in one or two hours, and then spends the rest of the day not working. The truth is, he has a lot of his own projects going, and only spends some of that time reading comic books or on twitter - 'Brain food', he calls it... and sometimes your brain needs dessert. He produces a lot of really elaborate coding, and his security work is top-notch. He's also provided a lot of insight on user interface, both at the physical and digital levels, and has the belief that a device should intuitively communicate how to operate it to the user even before they read the instructions. 'A screwdriver', he said in an e-mail, 'Is self-explanatory. That's the aesthetic we should aim for.'

His lunches, on the other hand, are legendarily boring. As he cracks open his tupperware container of salt and pepper salmon, brown rice, and greens, he looks at the e-mail from Peter and then back at his tupperware - and then he replies, 'Sure. Meet you in the lobby in 5.'

He's really just an... unassuming looking guy. You'd pass by him in the office and never even think to stop to look at him, and truth be told, most people do. He makes a point of waving a hand. "Hey! Hi. Peter, Right? Doug." He offers a handshake - good grip, for an Ordinary Guy - and then says, "Queens, huh? Lead the way."

Peter Parker has posed:
He's a couple of years younger than Doug, and still has that boyish look about him. Still in college, which this job is paying for.
"Hello there, Mr. Ramsey," Peter Parker says politely. "Thanks. I was able to afford an Uber, and they're waiting outside."

On the way there, Peter offers a short synopsis of his work. Neuroscience program at ESU, work in physical engineering, chemistry, computers. He had been able to improve the Beetle in various ways, some small, some not-so-small.

"Tell me about your work, Mr. Ramsey. I am sorry we've never met before..."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
"Oh. Well," Doug says, during the journey, "I attended the Xavier School for the Gifted, and all my training was done there. I have degrees in Linguistics and Computer Science, a Master's degree in Cybersecurity Engineering..." He's been working on improving Kord's cybersecurity protocols, but also been doing a lot of the development on its Virtual Intelligences programs. "A computer will do anything you want... as long as you make the right requests."

Then Doug gives a shrug. "It happens, Peter! It's a big company, and I telecommute to work a lot. I'm still very tightly affiliated with the School, so I'm in Westchester County a lot. Xavier's became my family after my parents and I stopped speaking."

When they reach Peter's house, he actually laughs. "...Wow. I'm a hard man to surprise, Pete. You managed it." For a moment, he looks briefly nostalgic. He steps out of the Uber and opens the door for Pete, and then he sticks his tongue out of the corner of his mouth briefly and rolls his right arm. "Old shoulder injury. It gets a little stiff sometimes."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. He knows a lot about injuries. Maybe a little TOO much, since his ankle had only healed five hours ago. Vulture could HIT.

He walked with Doug up to the front of the little house on 20 Ingram Street, Forest Hills, Queens, New York, and unlocked the front door.
As he did, he called out with a slightly-elevated voice, "Aunt May! We're here! I'd like you to meet someone!"

A few seconds later, a slim elderly woman of late 60's/early 70's with short blond hair gone white with age steps out. Her face is gaunt, but the smile is warm and welcoming. "Welcome home, Peter. And this is your guest?"
Peter nods, letting Doug step in first. "Aunt May...this is Douglas Ramsey, my co-worker. Doug, this is Aunt May."
"Charmed," Aunt May said effusively.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Ah. This is where Doug shines. He beams wide, all that office inconspicuousness falling away as he offers Aunt May a warm and gentlemanly grip of the hand. "Incantato. Un piacere conoscerla, signora." He says, in seamless Italian, before he asides to Peter, "Romance languages, slays them every time." He's joking around, because Aunt May can also hear him say that.

"You have a lovely home, Mrs. Parker," He says, as he steps into the front foyer, hangs up his coat, and then winces as he flexes his right elbow. "And I just wanted to say it was very kind of your nephew to invite me to lunch."

Peter Parker has posed:
Aunt May chuckles. "Oh, he is a charmer, this one."
"Aunt Mayyyyy..."
She cackles good-naturedly. "Now, Mr. Ramsey, shall we agree that I will refer to you as Doug, and you will refer to me as Aunt May? All my friends call me that." She pauses, then ohs. "The table's already been set. We are having crock-pot beef stew, a nice light salad, and what would you like to drink, Doug?"

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
"Oh, water's fine." Doug says, casually, before he pulls out a chair and sits at the kitchen table. Once he's more relaxed, some of that wallflower demeanor seems to fall away, like he's got a Doug-shaped outline around him and now he's allowing himself to fill it completely. "That sounds delicious. I can't cook at all, so most of my food either comes from the cafeteria or what the cook at the school makes for me-" He pauses, "...Which sounds entirely spoiled, but it really has been ages since I had a home-cooked meal. One of the guys I went to school with was from Kentucky, and his mom used to send him extra portions of apple brown betty in her care packages because she knew the rest of us in the clique would steal it-"

He clears his throat. "Apologies."

Peter Parker has posed:
Aunt May chuckles. "Apologies. But if you eat ALL your food, I will be sure to cut you a slice of the best apple pie you have ever tasted."
Peter grinned. "It's true. Ted uses it as a tactic in negotiations."
Aunt May nodded, then headed back to the kitchen, humming to herself.

Peter exhales as Aunt May heads into the kitchen, then looks to Doug. "So...might as well make this a business lunch." He settles in, then says, "I'm currently running tests on a room-temp superconductor. Another thing for the Beetle, really. I swear, I think Ted would be happy working as a mechanic in some auto shop."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug folds his fingers together and leans in with them over his mouth. His eyebrows raise. "He's a genius, he really is, and more of a humanitarian than a Technocrat, which is one of the reasons I wanted to work for him. The design ethos of his entire company isn't just about the development of new technology, but also its effect on society." He adds, "But at the end of the day, he's very... Pulp, isn't he? He's happier out on an adventure or working in a lab or garage than he is in the office, you're right."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "I hear stuff about that Gifted school. A lot of talented people go through there, the rumor mill would say in Midtown High. But it's a private institution, with its own rules, so there's just rumor." He shrugged. "Midtown High is a public school, but it's a very good school still."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug raises his eyebrows. "Well, I grew up near it... I wound up socializing with some of the kids who went to school there. They were from all over the world, and they had a hard time making friends in town... I just kind of fell in with them, and eventually got asked to join - I like to think it was based on my own merits." He grins. "I've heard all the rumors, from 'It's a training academy for the Illuminati' to..." He puffs his cheeks and blows out a breath, "It's a training academy for mutant paramilitaries. Just a whole lot of nonsense. Also, I'm not ragging on a public school education at all. I went to Salem Center high until I joined the Institute myself! I did *everything* back in the day. Boy Scouts, track and field, debate team... in some ways my life got *simpler* after that. More focused, at least." He pauses. "Oh. Mr. Kord also mentioned offhand that you're a photography buff, and that you've worked for the Bugle. I know he has a reputation as a hardass, but I really admire J. Jonah Jameson's civil rights work, especially his Mutant Rights stuff and his exposes on civil neglect in Mutant Town... the guy's a lion."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "The man's an old-school news editor. And all his stuff about Spider-Man is restricted to the Editorials page, so he's entitled to his feelings. And the last time they had to print a retraction was 2012." Peter smirks. "He's a skinflint, but he would rather die than give up a source."

Peter looks to Doug, then continues, "Listen, I'm coming up on some downtime with my current projects, and I was wondering if you'd like a second set of eyes on any you are having issues with."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug considers that for a time, and then he says, "Actually, there might be something I'd want you to take a look at," He murmurs, "Though it isn't really a work project." He raises his eyebrows at Peter. "Listen... Pete. We all have secrets. I don't know what you know and what you don't..." He bites the corner of his lip, "But... I'm a mutant. Mr. Kord knows. And... I've packed a lifetime worth of living into a very short time. Something tells me that you understand that."

"I'll go into the whys and wherefores in greater detail later, but..." He rolls up his sleeve and holds his arm out, and then beginning at his fingertips, the skin on his arm seems to crawl and ripple, and then transforms until it's glossy, shiny black, and threaded with gold circuitry that seems to run at the surface like veins.

"When I was younger I had a very close friend who was an extraterrestrial. In fact, on multiple occasions we were merged into a gestalt being. A 'Self'. I haven't seen him in several years... but I lost my arm during the sentinel attack in Genosha. This grew out of the stump. You studied with Dr. Curt Connors, didn't you?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter raises one eyebrow at the revelation, but his face doesn't change. He does develop a look of curiosity at appearance of circuitry in Doug's arm, a look he cannot disguise.

He looks up at the mention of Dr. Connors. He smiles at that. "Dr. Connors? He's my mentor at ESU. He's also in charge of the Vault, where ESU runs experiments for DARPA and SHIELD. He's a brilliant guy."

When he's not skulking through the sewers and ruining his Spider-Suit every time he goes down after him.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug sighs, and nods. "I know where this came from... the ET friend I mentioned. His race feeds by absorbing energy. And they're good at it. He used to sustain himself by replicating a three-pronged plug and plugging into a wall socket. But the most efficient way they obtained energy was... by infecting organic matter with a transmode virus that would convert organic matter into techno-organic matter - letting them interface with it and strip all the energy from it in moments."

"The thing was, was that beings infected with Transmode would... mutate. They'd turn catastrophically dangerous. As you can see, I'm a carrier... but that isn't happening to me. And I want to understand why." He flexes his fist. "I have some ability to control the techno-matter of the arm. I can manipulate it, re-shape it, even change its color and texture so it's indistinguishable from ordinary flesh. It's like tensing a muscle and keeping it that way, though. Eventually it gets painful, though the more I do it the easier it gets."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods thoughtfully. "A technoviral Typhoid Mary. A carrier, without being affected by it yourself. Interesting!" He smiled slightly at that. "I'm not sure if this is a xenopathology subject or a man/machine interface subject."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
"You can't be infected by skin-to-skin contact." Doug says, "I would have to directly interface with you at the cellular level for there to be a risk of it. But so far... there's no signs of it progressing to a Phalanx infection. That's what it's called when sapient life-forms get infected with Transmode." He sets his hand down on the table, and then says, "I... think it might be both?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods again, but Doug can tell his mind is working out the concepts in his head. "Well, that's an extremely interesting problem you got there. And you want to try and understand it, even though you have a certain...equilibrium established, yes?"

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
"I don't want any surprises." Doug says, holding up his hand and splaying his fingers, before he sets it down, and then shakes his hand out, its texture changing back into flesh and blood as Aunt May comes in with their stew. "Smells delicious, Aunt May. Thank you!" He takes a thoughtful taste of it and then adds a bit of pepper, before he sets to the business of eating. "S' wonderful. My mother couldn't cook. I barely knew what food was supposed to taste like until I joined the Institute."

Peter Parker has posed:
Aunt May chuckles. "Then it seems I shall have to cook for THREE people. You, Ted, and Peter. Perhaps I should make a business out of this." She winks. "And you are welcome to eat here whenever you like, as long as you endeavor to call ahead. Mr. Kord has been very helpful to Peter, and we wish to respond with gratitude any way we can."
Peter begins eating as well, giving Aunt May a thumbs-up.
"Just so. I shall leave you to your meal, as I attend to dessert."
Aunt May heads back into the kitchen, and Peter sighs. "I got lucky, Doug. When my parents left me in their care at the age of 4, I found myself in good hands."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug looks up, momentarily open-mouthed, and then he sighs. "I can tell she doesn't have a mean bone in her body, Pete. More than a few stubborn and ornery ones, though." He shrugs. "I maintain a strict diet Aunt May, but I can send you a schedule of my cheat days?" Then he snaps his gaze back over to Peter, and says, "My parents and I stopped talking when they found out I was a mutant. They just couldn't handle it. And to be honest... it isn't something I'd burden them with anyway. How can you ask someone to wrestle with that?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "Well, my Aunt and Uncle were strong people. Principled people. They always wanted me to use my mind to help others. They said I had a great gift, but that I had to use it responsibly." He looked to Doug. "But I can relate about knowing with your parents can and can't handle."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug sighs. "I understand that ability creates responsibility, but it also creates the need for discipline and restraint. But that's another kind of responsibility, I suppose." He leans back in his chair and says, "You're a stand-up guy, Pete. I wish I'd gotten around to this sooner. Now, since this is technically a work lunch, is there any way that I can help *you*?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter looks thoughtul. "Well...I've been working on a project for a wearable computer. Not actual artificial intelligence, but maybe an Expert System virtual intelligence. It's...kind of a personal project. I want to see if it's viable."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug sits back, and then steeples his fingers. "Show me more. You're looking for something autonomous? A wearable computer that isn't slaved to a larger unit? That'd be some hardcore microcircuitry..." He seems intrigued by the thought, even momentarily forgetting about Aunt May's stew because of it.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "I was thinking a redundancy system, too. Decentralized, so if one part is damaged, another can step in, keep the system from going down. I would be connecting it to a stealth network using the cellular system."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug looks momentarily thoughtful, and then says, "...What would you need that for, Peter?" He asks. "You don't seem like the type who'd be splashing into developing military hardware." He looks into the middle distance, thoughtfully. "I could absolutely write computer code for that, though. Yeah. That might be fun, in fact."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter takes another bite, looking thoughtful.
Well...Ted knows...and Doug has secrets of his own.

Peter reaches into his pocket. "Well, I'm trying to develop something during some...extracurriculars." His hand reappears with a fistful of cloth, and he lays it out on the table.

Peter now has the balaclava mask of Spider-Man sitting next to his bowl of stew.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug looks down at it, and then he looks up, and he smirks. He makes an 'X' shape with his hands, momentarily. "I knew. It's the hyper-articulated way you move your wrists that gives you away. Otherwise, you disguise it incredibly well. But it's rude to just say you can tell, even if you do. I am..." He thinks, "A specialized hypercognitive with possible meta-psionic powers. My I.Q. is all-round high, but I specialize in rapid pattern recognition, interpretation of data, decoding, and response. Most humans are incredible cryptographic computers... it's the fundament of what gives Homo Sapiens an edge as a species. I am... as beyond a human in that regard as a human is beyond a chimpanzee. More."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter looks curiously at Doug. "What is your IQ rated at, if I may ask such a personal question...?"

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug considers that, and then he puts his hand over his mouth. "I haven't had it tested in several years. IQ of course being an incomplete measure of intelligence and one rapidly becoming outmoded as we understand more about how the brain works... but the last time I was tested I came in at 200 even. Granted, I sometimes feel like my *emotional* intelligence is way lower... fall in love and then see how smart you feel." He glances up. "You?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter chuckled. "Actually, my Uncle and Aunt had mine tested at the age of ten, and Aunt May again at 16. I topped out at 270." Peter winks. "So even though I'm not gifted the same way you are, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to follow along."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug raises an eyebrow, and then salutes with his glass of water. "Like I said. I'm a *specialized* hypercognate... so I don't feel too bad about being outclassed. You never hear about Spider-Man being a super-genius... I kind of find that funny. I *did* have Dr. Hank McCoy as my science teacher, though. ...And my drama teacher. Though I personally think his Richard III's better than his Hamlet. He overdoes it a little on the soliloquies. Favorite book?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter smiles at the change in topic. "FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM, by Umberto Eco. Edges out THE NAME OF THE ROSE, but only slightly." He pauses for a moment, then continues, "I tend to be pretty stupid around girls. All the women in my life have been at least one step ahead of me. But I'm learning how to be an adult when being childish does nothing for you. I've...had to grow up a LOT in the last two-and-a-half years."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
"You are full of surprises. I would've expected Hawking, or Richard Dawkins, maybe. The day my powers manifested was seventh grade Spanish class. I went in knowing 'taco' and 'burrito' and went out having rudimentary conversations with the teacher, and then I checked out 'El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quixote De La Mancha' from the library and I was up all night reading it, cover to cover. I like Stranger in a Strange Land a lot, because Heinlein was playing with the concept of intuitive understanding, something that I deal with... a lot. The Left Hand of Darkness. Gormenghast. Frankenstein. And Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter looks thoughtful. "For fun, I read a lot of my uncle's favorite books. The Travis McGee series by John D. MacDonald. Stephen King. William Gibson. Tolkien. The Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. Dean Koontz. Even more comedic novels about those crazy folks in Florida by Carl Hiaasen."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug smirks, the corner of his mouth turning up. "As for romance?" He thinks, and says, "I fall in love now and again. But one thing I recognized early on is that love is a two-way language. It doesn't matter what form your love ends up taking, as long as you're capable of it. Didn't save me from the usual adolescent emotional torments, but it has helped give me a little perspective." He taps his chin, and then finishes his stew, before he wipes his mouth with his napkin. "Movie?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter doesn't even HAVE to think about that one. "RAIDERS. I think for a year and a half, I wanted to be Indiana Jones. I think I deep-dove history all that time until I talked to a REAL archaeologist and realized that it's nothing like Jones' work." He shrugs. "Besides, I think my first love had always been science."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug gives a little bit of a grin. "Mine is... ahhhh..." He shakes his head, "Naw. I'm not gonna tell." He waves that off, with his napkin in his hand.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter tilts his head. "Hey, now...we're doing so well, here. Besides, I'm certainly not going to shame you for anything. You're talking to the guy who provides most of Spider-Fail.com's content by my mere existence."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug sighs, and runs his hand down his face. "Well, I *hate* anything with Anthony Michael Hall in it. I got teased in school and compared to him. A lot. I won't even go to cons where he's showing up. But my favorite movie is... ah... Adventures in Babysitting." His cheeks flush, slightly.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter chuckles. "Guilty Pleasure Movie? THE DA VINCI CODE. It's full of nonsense, but it is so RIVETING.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug gives a shrug, and says, "Movies... well, a movie sets its own expectations. Sometimes you're looking for art, sometimes a movie merely claims to be entertaining... I find art endlessly fascinating as a medium of communication, how two artists can paint the same thing and say markedly different things, like Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi's versions of 'Judith Beheading Holofernes'. But..." He sets his bowl aside, and leans in on his elbows, "You are an endlessly fascinating guy, Pete. You have a... how to put it. Real curiosity about the world. That's the defining trait of a true polymath."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter chuckles. "Just another working-class genius on a shoestring budget. My uncle..." He paused, his voice softens. "Uncle Ben said that I needed to stay grounded. That I could make great leaps only by starting with my feet firmly on the ground." He finishes his stew. "And...I have to say that you are also very accomplished. Master's and BS, and I've only just completed my first freshman semester."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
"...Well, it was an acellerated track." Doug admits. "Honestly the thing about working with computers is, the challenge for me is all in the physical stuff. Building networks, setting up infrastructure. Coding? Coding's *easy*, I can do it in my sleep. I can spit it out like you and I are having this conversation. I like it, I'm good at it... but the world's where the real challenge is, for me. The implementation of data. Its effect on society." He rubs one hand with the other. "You miss him." He says, "You think about him, like just now, and this incredible sorrow washes over you. This... guilt. I get the impression he'd scold you for hanging onto it like that."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter looked to Doug for a long moment.

He also says it. Out loud, with Aunt May in the next room.
IT'S MY FAULT HE'S DEAD.

But he can't say it. It would be like telling Aunt May he was Spider-Man.
"Some things...mark you forever, Doug."
He hears Aunt May walk towards the entrance to the dining room and quickly says, "Well, I'm hoping you can help with the code. I think I've sorted out the architecture..."

The aroma is what comes first. Flaky crust, caramelized sugar, sweet pie filling, apples. Then Aunt May reappears with two large wedges of lattice apple pie, still warm from the oven. "My, and it seems you've finished it all. Well done." Aunt May smiles as she places the small plates down, then begins taking the bowls.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
"I have friends who'd fistfight over who got to eat that stew if I brought it back up to Salem Center, Aunt May." Doug says, "...It'd get pretty ugly, actually. This..." He looks at the wedge of pie, and then promptly pulls his phone out and takes a picture of it, "Is fantastic. I'm going to put a sparkle effect on it and share it with my friends." He does so.

When Aunt May leaves, he goes back to studying Pete. "I'm sorry I went there. It wasn't my place to do so."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter smiles wanly. "It's okay. Maybe one day I'll tell you all about it." He lifts one fork. "But not now...not today."
He takes a bite and smiles. "I'm a whiz at chemistry, and I have no idea what made Aunt May's pie win an award. She keeps the plaque in the kitchen."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug pauses. "Hold on. Let me show you a trick." He takes a bite of the pie, rolls it around in his mouth, side to side... And then begins to rattle off, in a list, the ratios of ingredients, the kind of apple, even the temperature it was baked at and for how long. "...Of course, art is the mastery of science and then transcending it into potentia - possibility, or what you could call 'magic.'" So basically the answer is magic.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter blinked. Aunt May used THAT in her pie? It seems almost counter to the makeup of the pie, but...wow. Okay.
So...that was Aunt May's secret ingredient.

"That's...yeah, I may have to ask Aunt May to make sure, but that sounds correct." He figured it was correct, based on other things he knew about her process.
He looked down at the pie, then took another bite. It still tasted delicious...but not in the same way.

"Do me a favor, though...? I would advise not doing that in Aunt May's presence?"

Apparently the comparison of people and jokes also extended to secret recipes, too.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
"It's..." Doug thinks, looking faintly embarassed, "Intuitive. The average person could taste the pie and would know it has cinnamon, sugar, and eggs in it." He sets his fork down, "A skilled baker could taste it and intuit the kind of apple, what went into the pastry, and other ingredients. I just..." He thinks about it, "Know. Can intuit. Understand. If I hadn't tasted an ingredient in it before, I would be able to tell you there was something there and get an idea about how much of it there was, but I wouldn't be able to tell you *what* it was, because I lack the basis for understanding."

"But now I feel embarassed. It's a silly party trick."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "It's also one of Aunt May's best-kept secrets. She's never even told ME what it was. She keeps her signature recipes under lock and key, and they are set aside for me in her will."

And now he knows exactly what the secret is.

"So, it probably would be a good idea not to show off that little 'party trick' with any of Aunt May's OTHER signature dishes?"

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug raises an eyebrow and then he puts his chin in his hand, with a faintly sleepy grin on his face.

"You sure you don't want to know the secret ingredient in her stew? You *really* sure you don't want to know? Absolutely sure?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter looked at him, and the amused smile is gone from his face.

"Quite...sure."
Peter picks up his plate, then says, "Well, I need to take care of a few things back at the lab, I've been away from the lab too much at it is..."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug stands up, and smooths himself out. "Right, right." He says, "I think I'm going to get some fresh air and telecommute from the nearby park for the rest of the day." He checks his phone, and then says, "Mr. Kord says he's been texting you to make sure he gets some of what Aunt May made for lunch... I don't know why he texted the same thing to me."

"Anyway, thank you for lunch, Pete." He offers a handshake. And then he calls out, "...Thank you for lunch, Ma'am! It was wonderful!"

Peter Parker has posed:
Aunt May calls from the kitchen, "Thank you for coming by, Doug! Have a good day at work!"

Peter checks his phone, then nods. "Got it. I'll ask Aunt May to put something together." He shakes Doug's hand formally. "Glad you enjoyed lunch."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
"I'll owe you one, sometime." Doug says, saluting with two fingers. "Ta, Pete." He sees himself out, carefully closing the door behind him.