5333/Geneticists Of The World Unite

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Geneticists Of The World Unite
Date of Scene: 24 February 2021
Location: Empire State University
Synopsis: Madigan heads to ESU to talk Genetics, ending up with Gwen while her absentminded professor catches up on Madigan's technical emails. Eddie gets enlisted to wheel Madigan's chair, and watches her eat a chocolate bar in front of him. Some people.
Cast of Characters: Madigan Belle, Eddie Brock, Gwen Stacy




Madigan Belle has posed:
Empire University. "Really?" Madi says as she's looking over her phone to see where Professor Descoteaux is currently working. There's an upward look to her ceiling, and then there's also been no response to her email about whether or not she can bother this professor. So, what is a girl to do?

Madi has spent part of the day working her way from transportation type to transportation type. A wheelchair guarantees her a good seat and people hold doors open and whatnot that they might not for a woman who just walks funny with a crutch. So, wheelchair it is, and when she's finally getting off the last bus - it doing the automated leaning down hydraulics, rolling out the mechanical carpet for her, and making everyone wait to get on the bus. Madi rolls herself onto the sidewalk and is quirking her mouth, looking around.

"Hello? Excuse me?" Madi is looking around at people walking past, "Hello? You, uh, person with the neon green shoes, pastel really, or maybe a ... oh, nope just being ignored." She sighs out, her eyes wide, as she starts to wheel herself about, trying to get someone's attention. "Damn these cell phones and their attention grabbing addictive qualities."

She then wheels herself right over to the nearest person she can find, "Excuse me, buddy, could you help me? I need to find Professor Descoteaux. It's a matter of life and death. Genetics department. Do you know the way?" This person, may just happen to be, Eddie. Wink wink.

Eddie Brock has posed:
Eddie Brock is walking down the street, hands stuffed into pockets, and seemingly talking to himself. "I know, it's getting close to meal time and-"

   <<Venom>> "A person or chocolate, Eddie. You decide."

Eddie lets out a quiet sigh. "But we're out of chocolate. And we're even more out of very bad people right now. No luck on the explosive residue yet," he murmurs.

   <<Venom>> "Chocolate. Or people. This woman in the chair. We shall eat her."

Eddie groans. "Ok, you win I'll figure out a way to get some chocolate. Maybe Gwen's working and will take pity on us," he mumbles.

The aforementioned woman in the chair wheels right over towards Eddie, causing him to stop as she reaches him. "Professor Descoteaux? Genetics department, yeah, it's in the Norman Osborn Science Building," he says. The man has a bit of five o'clock shadow. Five o'clock from two days ago. He itches at his beard and glances at campus. Thinking of who else might be in the genetics department. "Hey, I have a few minutes to kill, how about if I walk you over?" he offers.

When he gets a confirmation from Madigan that this is ok, he begins wheeling her over, down the walkway through the quad and into the Science Building. An elevator ride later and he's wheeling her into the offices of the Genetics professors, and where their classrooms are situated. "Ok, looks like he's in... office 4A," he says after checking a listing on the wall, and then wheels Madigan that way.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Professor Descoteaux, as per his usual, has fully forgotten any arrangements with Madi to visit ESU and their labs. The man was prone to be quite focused on his research and teaching, forgetting most of the rest. And today was no different, the class at the lab having gone way past the time it should had ended. Not that Gwen minded, she was always keen to be in and learn. Of course that the Wong's, the ones who employed her in the side job she had wouldn't be *that* happy. But eh, they could live with that..

So it is that Gwen, being dressed on a labcoat, hair pulled out of her face, gloves on along with goggles is going through a delicate experiment, working on re-arranging some DNA .., trying to replicate how she had gained her powers. It always eluded her but---

"Is the Professor going to keep us here afterclass again?" That's Amanda, her lab partner. Not one that enjoys staying past the alloted time for class. She's always so busy, or so she says, even if Gwen doesn't see her with her eyes off her phone often. Only when complaining -to- Gwen about class, or boys or ..., whatever else.

Gwen lets out a sigh, taking her eyes from her microscope. "Well, we *are* here to learn, Amanda."

The professor looks up from his own work. "Any problem with your assignment, Gwen?" Of course it would have to be her the *culprit*. Gwen lets out a sigh. "No, all fine over here."

Madigan Belle has posed:
The wheelchair offer is given a great big smile, showcasing all of Madi's teeth and her eyes open up a bit wider, "Oh, thanks. I overheard you talking about chocolate. You know, I love chocolate." So, as she's getting pushed she actually pulls out a full size chocolate bar, some fancy eco friendly 80 percent cocoa bar that probably costs 6 or 7 dollars on its own. There is no attempt to offer any, just opening it and eating it while she's pushed. Keeping her mostly quiet other than the happy mmmms and crunches.

Once to the room where the Professor is camping out in a lab, Madi leans forward and reaches up to open the door. "Mister, roll me in, please?" Fully expecting to be further pushed into the sanctum of a lab at this school.

Assuming she gets pushed in by Eddie she'll just speak up, "Doctor Descoteaux. I'm Madigan Belle, I wrote you about understanding the implications of the introduction of genes and the complications of associated genes that might arise post the fetal state of a human. For my thesis research ..." The email this professor likely ignored, and though she said she was going to arrive today to discuss it, she didn't wait for an official appointment to be made.

Eddie Brock has posed:
As the chocolate bar comes into view, Eddie feels a rumbling in his stomach which he's not quite sure if it's him or if it's Venom reacting. Ok it's definitely Venom, but his own stomach might be feeling that way even without the symbiote. He even starts to move his arm slightly take the offered chocolate bar, when he realizes it isn't being offered.

   <<Venom>> "I TOLD you we should have eaten her!"

Eddie clears his throat and nods as she asks him to wheel the woman inside the lab. He does, though he pauses just inside the door. His eyes have fallen on one of the students working at a counter. Gwen's very white-blond hair making her stand out immediately. The pause lasts about three seconds before Madigan's voice addressing the professor snaps Eddie out of it and he wheels the young woman further inside. Keeping his eyes away from the familiar young woman for now as if not having noticed her yet.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
The good professor looks up as INTRUDERS get into his lab. He blinks as Madigan and her escort were some kind of three-headed monsters, clearly having trouble remembering having agreed to any kind of visitation (Because he ignored the email), "I don't recall ... Mmmm." The talk about actual research does make him lift a finger as if to tell them to wait, moving to his computer to start looking it over.

Amanda is tittering in the meantime, whispering to Gwen, "Doctor Forgeteaux at it again." look, it's a nickname. And one he probably has had for a time. Gwen still has her back to the door for a bit, taking in a breath. Clearly she won't do any more work today. Maybe she should had just gone home! "You are not helping, Amanda." she says to the brunette before turning to look at the newcomers.

There is a pause when her blue eyes take the large man. Ok, that's a .., surprise. She blinks once but it doesn't take her away from what her mission is, and that is to help the good doctor. So she starts to approach, taking out her gloves and goggles.

"Hello, I am Gwen Stacy, Doctor Descoteaux's assistant, maybe I can help?" a smile to Madi. "Madigan Belle, you said?"

Madigan Belle has posed:
Looking at the 'good professor' and getting a finger to wait has her facial expression change. She looks up toward the ceiling, her body slumps, and Madi looks outright and instantaneously bored. She takes in a deep breath that raises her shoulders, and then she lets out a loud, clearly annoyed, expulsion of the air that flutters her red hair about her glasses, at least on the side where it falls along her face. "I mean, should I get out my Switch?" She asks no one in particular.

It's then that the Professor is opening... an email? This email is a good 30 pages long going into excruciating details, lab results, tests, studies, commentary on studies without specific links to the references even though they are referenced appropriately. As if a professor should know all the current relevant research off the top of their head. A few, badly placed jokes some clear assumptions of common knowledge, etc. Basically, nothing that could be read easily by normal people in any short period of time.

This is when, someone else pops up. Turning her eyes, Madi smiles big, "Hello Gwen, Teacher Assistant. Maybe. Do you know a lot about the introduction of genetic information post fetal state? If so, then great. Otherwise, I mean, like, nice hair. I like how the tips are a different color. I mean, easier to do when you're a blonde, because of how pigments and whatnot absorb into the hair. This stuff. Doesn't really take color very well. MC1R..." She shakes her head with a little snort, "Am I right?"

"Mister, turn me, please, its hard to strain my neck. Thanks! You are such a nice person." She looks up at him, from her seated position and literally bats her eyes at him, smiling, then back to Gwen for a response.

Eddie Brock has posed:
Eddie doesn't look up towards Gwen until he sees her coming out of his peripheral vision. At that point he lets his gaze drift over towards her, affecting a small look of surprise at seeing her.

He doesn't say anything as the two women and the absent-minded professor converse, not until Madigan looks up and comments to him. "Thank you," he tells her, and turns her chair a bit to make it easier for Madigan to face Gwen.

Eddie's eyes lift back to Gwen and he gets a small, lopsided smile. "Nice person," he repeats, as if just needing to make sure she caught the remark. He continues to stay quiet otherwise, letting the women talk shop.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Ooh Ah-ah! That's the professor finding said email. Gwen lets out a resigned sigh, looking towards the doctor who says, "Yes, I have read the email. I just skipped what didn't matter.." he says somewhat absentminded. "I sent some of it to you, Gwen." the man pointing at Madi when she goes and speaks about genetic info on post fetal state.

That appears to make the blonde's eyes light up. "Ah, so that was from *you*." a faint grin of appreciation on Gwen. She nods faintly. "I have read some of it. It could bring quite the advancement in a field that admittedly there isn't much information available yet." she appears to be one of those that took the time reading the whole thing. She does have time during those idle hours at Wong's!

The talk about her hair has the young woman laugh, "Good thing we can fool MC1R these days, mmm?" a wink.

And then she finally addresses the 'elephant' in the room. Or the 'what the heck is Eddie Brock doing here' question. "Hello again, Eddie. A bit of a different place from where I usually find you." faint smile to her lips.

Madigan Belle has posed:
"You read it?" Madi asks, turning more to Gwen, and having to look up at the other woman. "Well, I mean, I was just positing that genetic splicing needs to account for associated genes that would also develop, and if we could map those, we could much more efficiently answer the concerns of CRISPR and other such splicing tools. As well as, have a much more prescribed and detailed approach to not removing beneficial co-morbidities from underlying genetic traits." She rolls her eyes like that was an 'obvious' statement. Dismissing the professor as someone who clearly isn't a worthwhile person to be talking to as she gives the blonde her full attention.

Looking between her Wheelchair Chauffeur and the other woman who seems to know a thing or two in the room, she scrunches her brow a moment, and then looks between them. "You two know one another? Eddie? Oh, I should've asked your name before now. Maybe we can leave this lab and find some ... seats, you know, so I'm a bit more eye level with the rest of you? I'd be happy to talk more about how my research is great, as well, but I could be convinced to talk about other things as well. Like, what are you studying? And you, Eddie, are you into genetics as well?" She smiles up at the man.

"Oh, and yeah, if we're going to talk, which we should by all means, can we do it in a place with food. I'm pretty hungry and I don't think I have enough snacks with me." She shakes the backpack that sits on her lap, and it sounds like it is pretty full of noisy packaging.

Eddie Brock has posed:
<<Venom>> "YES FOOD EDDIE! Get us food or I am eating the woman who uses the big words."

Eddie does his best to not wince at the voice in his head that sounds something like a shout. "Hey Gwen," he says in his deep, slightly raspy voice. "Yes, actually we do know each other. She's a purveyor of chocolate amongst other things. And I... get dirty cleaning her furnace," he explains.

His eyes swing down to Madigan from where they were focused on Gwen, and he adds, "No, I have a journalism degree from ESU. Though I'm currently between jobs." He mentally guestimates how much money he has in his pocket. Enough to not embarrass himself if the all go to get food together.

"I'd be happy to sit down somewhere for food, though I'll have to let the two of you do most of the genetics talk," he says. His eyes go back to Gwen. "Give me a chance to see if all that stuff she was telling me is real or not," he says, lightly teasing.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"I did. And yes, it may even come to address concerns that still have to be fully catalogued about those genetic engineering techniques. Your tests seemed very thorough. Suffice to say I am excited it may even help on my own advancements on gene splicing. Once your work gets published." Which by her tone seemed like it would be a certainty. Gwen casts a look back at the professor who is now quite interestedly reading the email. Which may .., take him a while. It has Gwen close her eyes briefly then re-open them. "I will be taking Ms. Belle to look about the campus, Doctor." the answer is a brief, dismissive Mmmhmm. The man is already down in his own world, studying.

"Going for food sounds like a great idea. let me just get out of this ..." Gwen takes a quick detour to get the labcoat off, now down to her jeans and top, a warm jacket atop and a scarf which she picks from her locker. It's still cold afterall!

"But yea, we have met. We are sort of neighbors." She explains to Madigan, "Live a couple of buildings apart or so." hands brush over her hair, she picking it back on a practical ponytail and then she is ready to go.

"There's some good cafeterias here on campus. Could treat you to one, Madigan." A glance to Eddie, "What was your favorite one back during your time? We could go to that."

Madigan Belle has posed:
The compliment, clear compliment to Madi's ears, has her grinning big. Her mouth is open, her tongue is being bit a little bit, as her eyes get wider and wider as Gwen talks. "You are working on gene splicing? Great! I'd love to see your work sometime." She states, and then she nods her head, "There's some advancements that are certainly coming. I think that's the advantage I see in cataloguing and licensing metahumans. Is that, we'd get more samples. I'm sure. Though, the social impact might cause a backlash that prevents any work from being done. Sad, but true, so I mostly had to work through baseline human genetic information alone. That said, there's a ton of databases now thanks to thinks like ancestry.com and others."

There's another pause, though and she looks over to Eddie, "Cleaning her furnace?" And then she giggles a bit, and shakes her head, looking back over at Gwen. "Is he, good, at cleaning your furnace?" She makes no subtlety out of her little smirkish grin and a bit of a wink. Though she lets it drop a bit, "Neighbors, that must be convenient. Then."

Yep, Eddie is now delegated to the booty call, "A journalist, huh? That must be super ... interesting. Do you cover like, gaming tournaments? Or, comic cons, or anything like that?"

A little shrug goes to the ideas of food, "Cafeteria works. Oh, uh, treating me? Sure! Just, be warned. I've already gotten my doctorate on binge eating."

Eddie Brock has posed:
"The Student Union used to have a great turkey sandwich. No idea if they have it, it's been a few years," Eddie says, suggesting a place. If that seems amenable to Gwen, he makes sure Madigan is ready and then wheels her out into the hall, and down to the elevator for the trip downstairs, and then out across the Quad to the other building where the food awaits.

As Madigan makes the joke, or innuendo about his furnace comment, he gives a modestly uncomfortable chuckle, glancing over to towards Gwen who is quite a few years younger than Eddie in his mid thirties. "Oh, not like that," he says after pulling his eyes away from Gwen, maybe afraid of something showing in them.

The cold air hits them as they cross between buildings. "I did investigative journalism," Eddie says, realizing he's revealing more on that subject than he has so far to the ESU student. "Though at the moment I'm mostly looking for work," he adds.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
See her work. Well, she was a walking living proof that what she was doing worked. Or it had been just a lucky fluke. Regardless, it has Gwen look amused for a split of a second, nodding her head, "Sure, i can show you. Maybe even email you with some of my stuff so we can compare notes." she suggests with a bright, open grin. The talk about cataloguing metahumans has that smile fade a touch. It does seem to be a sensitive thing for her, "Considering the current .., climate.., surrounding mutants and metahumans it doesn't seem like it will be something which we can work with anytime soon." she says, lips pressed to a thin line.

"The Turkey Palace? You read my mind." She says to Eddie, slipping her hands into her pockets while they wander out of the labs. Already there's an Amanda slipping out too and going the other way, winking. "Good job on distracting the prof, Stacy." and then off she goes. Freeedooommm.

It's when Gwen focuses on the furnace part and the quite not subtle way in which Madigan addresses it. It makes the woman laugh even if some color comes to her cheeks. Damn New York cold. "Mrs. Wong's furnace." which probably doesn't sound better. "It's a small store where I have a side job. To pay the bills." she explains.

"Any interesting pieces of yours we could read about, Eddie?" She then inquires, curious.

Madigan Belle has posed:
There's some commentary about the genetics and such, and Madi nods her head, "Sure thing. Email sounds great. Maybe some lab video chat, or whatever, at some point. We can each work, and talk, and whatever." After that, the conversation on metahumans gets a bit of a comment as well, and Madi frowns, very visibly, with a poutish expression, "I know. Right? I mean, not the best governmental style, but at least in a dictatorship we'd all be able to advance the very nature of humanity. And come out the other side better off. But nooooooooo, they have to use the information to throw people in jails where they can do no good." A bit of a shake of her head has her sighing out at that. Frumping, as the technical term.

Though she brightens at the idea of food, and then even more so on the talk of furnaces. "Yeah, he's just your neighbor and clean's out your bosses furnace. Yep. I'm sure that's fun to watch." Though she drops it after that and continues on, "Investigative journalism?"

Pulling open the front pouch of her backpack, that's on her lap, she pulls out her phone. She opens it up, "Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. Investigative journalist." Speaking aloud what she's typing into her phone, as she pushes up her glasses a bit, and then continues to look at her screen trying to find any articles to read on the way to the cafeteria. "I should hire you, Eddie. To push me around all day. I could double my work... I mean, this is pretty stellar. How much would it cost me?"

Eddie Brock has posed:
One of Eddie's jaw muscles tightens slightly at the question about things he's written.

   <<Venom>> "You put your foot in it this time. Didn't you?"

Eddie mentally tells Venom to shut up. "I'll see if I can dig something up," he tells Gwen, hoping that will forestall her going looking on her own.

And then Madigan is pulling out her phone and Eddie is tensing up. Venom surges, sensing Eddie's weakness in the moment and wanting to exert control, but Eddie pushes the symbiote back down.

Madigan's search brings up a number of results which are articles by Edward Brock. But by far the dominant set of results is about the disgraced journalist who published the name of the serial killer known as the Sin-Eater, only to be wrong and have his sources and ethical responsibility questioned, resulting in him being sacked by the Daily Bugle.

Eddie isn't looking at the phone though, his eyes go over to Gwen for a moment. "Oh, if I don't have anything else to do, uh, we could figure out something," he says as if not wanting to get into dollar amounts.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"I don't really believe the loss of liberty for the sake of advancing the nature of humanity is the path to go." Gwen says in quite the firm manner, casting a look down at Madigan and then over to Eddie. When she starts looking him up on her phone it has her quirk a brow, "Sure, Eddie. Whenever you want to." she not appearing to be someone wanting to press him about it. All in due time. She even offers him a faint, reassuring smile.

She leads them across campus, a few students here and there, some teachers. The usual. But the turkey palace is right ahead. She points. "Just as you remembered it?" she asks Eddie with a grin.

The suggestion is met with some confusion, she facing Eddie now, "I thought you were wanting to return to journalism." she comments before pointing to a table. "Lets sit there?" she suggests. "I can take care of ordering for us. What do you guys want?"

She starts shrugging herself out of her coat to place it on her chair.

Madigan Belle has posed:
Reading through some of the articles she's pulling up, a few headlines, and a bit of the article itself. She is mmmm hmmming, a few times, here and there, as she goes through. Reading about one Edward Brock. Though she pulls up a few pictures as well, and holds them up next to Eddie, squinting at him from around the side of the phone, her mouth quirking off to the side, and sticking her tongue out between her lips on the side, before finally nodding her head.

Back to her phone, she looks up only when Gwen says they are close to food and is trying to get orders. "Oh. Should've been looking that up. Can I get 3 sandwiches? Whatever kind, extra cheese if it comes with cheese, extra meat if it doesn't. Oh, and uhhhhh, if they have soda or dessert coffees? Maybe like, 2 of those. And, some cookies, if they have those big ones at the counter. If not, I'll live." She grins to Gwen, and then tucks her phone away back into her bag.

"And, mister Eddie. You and I can work things out? I mean, such a playa. Am I right Gwen? Like, with you right here, he's offering." She shakes her head and chuckles a little bit, "Though, seriously. I mean, like, I don't go out much so it'd be a super part time job. You wouldn't like it, I'm a terrible boss." She's already sitting, so she just waits till she's well positioned by Eddie and puts the wheel brakes on.

Eddie Brock has posed:
Eddie's teeth press together but he keeps them from grinding as Madigan is looking at the search results. Thankfully it doesn't seem that Gwen is paying them much attention, enough to read the headlines. Or he hopes not. He's finding it difficult to look her way very much right now.

As they reach the little cafe in the Student Union he nods, "Yep, not too much different at all," he says. He reaches into a pocket and pulls out a wad of bills, straightening them as he passes some over to Gwen if she lets him. "Thanks, just a turkey sandwich, mustard and all the normal stuff."

He clears his throat a little. "I am still looking, but the business is kind of lean right now." All those heroes and villains destroying things requiring 24-hour news footage. Great Eddie. "But, yeah, I get it, just a joke," he says, grinning to Madigan as he lets her get her brake set, an appropriate distance from the table. He moves over to help Gwen get her coat off, setting it over her chair before he takes a seat.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Gwen smiles in thanks to Eddie when he helps her get out of her coat, she taking in everyone's order with a nod even if the eccentric request from Madigan has her chuckling. Not that she complains about it. She makes a negative gesture with her hand when Eddie goes to offer her money. "Nah, I said I was treating us to it, and I meant it." tone firm enough to not offer room for rebuke. "And you know, you could always do superhero coverage. Did you see those photos about Ghost Spider and Venom's fight of the other night?" she asks, "I got a friend who makes money with that.."

Her eyes then go to Madigan and she asks with some amusement, "I do hope your eyes aren't bigger than your belly. Are you sure you can eat all that? Because I will order it."

And then she is off, sauntering over to the counter to make the order. She stays for a bit there now, ordering both Eddie and Madigan's request and just a sandwich for her, pointing here and there to make sure they get it right. "Yep, those cookies right there." she pointing.

It also means she is away from the table for a small bit.

Madigan Belle has posed:
Once Gwen is gone, Madi looks over to Eddie in a more serious eyeballing him. "Look. Seriously. I don't know how hard of times you are at right now, but I'd pay. You know, for ... a furnace cleaning. From time to time. It isn't like I get a lot of action being all... me." She tilts her head to the side, "What is the going rate for that these days? Like a couple hundred dollars a visit? Do you like, take pills or anything, you know, to assist? Do I? What's the deal?" Her eyes glance back over to Gwen's back as the other woman is at the place ordering things, "And like, totally, mum's the word. I won't tell your girlfriend."

Waiting a moment, she opens her eyes up bigger, like in a questioning form. And then just sort of re-continues the previous conversation. "Says here, basically, you know. Lots of things about you. I hate the press. You know they didn't even cover when I won a video game tournament in Japan? I mean, seriously. Like, that was big news. To me. And nada. I think I was delegated to like a backside of a newspaper for renting or buying homes. Do you think its because I'm a redhead? People have a thing against us." She posits the idea.

Then she shifts, especially as Gwen is likely returning again, "So, is she any good at genetics stuff? You think? I mean, you probably can't judge very well, I saw your blank stare when we were talking earlier. Nevermind." She rambles herself to an answer and smiles, leaning forward on the table, grinning, "So, what -do- you like to do with your day? Anything cool around here?"

Eddie Brock has posed:
Eddie Brock breaks out in soft chuckles. Some things that one might think would embarrass him don't, while others that seem a lesser deal have been known to get a touch of color in his face. Apparently being propositioned to be a gigolo isn't of the embarrassing variety for him.

"I imagine it's probably something like that. I don't really have any... professional experience of that variety," he says, playing along with it. His eyes do drift over to Gwen as Madi calls her that. "We just, she lives down the street, works at the store I shop at," he says. "Little bit of an age difference if you didn't notice." Though he doesn't do a good job, in that moment, of concealing what's in his eyes.

Eddie clears his throat. "Yeah, can't really speak from a point of scientific knowledge myself. I'll just say, she's remarkable enough I'd be surprised if she wasn't great at this stuff."

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Gwen is still by the counter a while, elbow on it, legs folded by the ankles. She chats with the server for a bit, and as young as the other girl is most likely a student here too. She laughs at something, shaking her head and sometimes she glancing over her shoulder to where Madi and Eddie are sitting at. She gives a thumbs up to them when the order is nearly close to go and eventually she is returning to sit by with the rest of them.

With her? A couple of trays bearing the various sandwiches, the COOKIE, drinks. Full meal. "Here we go, just what the doctor ordered. Full sandwich meal." a full grin on her lips and she finally sits down.

"So any fun topics that I missed?" She asks with amusement. "And when are you trading Columbia for ESU, Madi? This is where the fun's at.." a roll of her eyes, "With professor Descoteaux."

Madigan Belle has posed:
Watching as the food is coming back, Madi makes another quick comment to Eddie. "Well, you know." And she slides her phone over to him, "Just, in case." And she grins before quirking her mouth to the side as Gwen starts to show back up.

"Oh, just collectin' digits, you know. Cause I'm a playa." She offers with a bit of a chuckle, "No, seriously, when Eddie's done, maybe you can give me your phone number too? It'd be great to be able to stay in contact with people from Empire."

Running her fingers up into her red locks she shakes them free as she looks over the food being presented. Her multiple sandwiches, the cookie, and she grabs for that first, snatching it up, "Woo. Cookies. I knew they'd have them. The predictability of food design companies. Am I right?" She takes a bite and mmmms a bit as she chews it, "Cookies are the reason to gain immortality. I swear. Also, we were talking about how crappy the media is. Just, generally, for not covering things that are important and maybe not in a way that's fair. But, no, I probably won't be trading schools. Columbia's been on my list of schools for like, a million years, but if you have parties or need help with genetics, stuff, I'd totally pop over. Like, any time, day or night." She stares a moment at Gwen, and then smiles, "So, you should call me if that happens. Deal?"

Eddie Brock has posed:
Not that he needed the encouragement, but Madigan's part of the discussion has Eddie looking over towards where the blond geneticist is leaning against the counter. Mrs. Wong would probably squirt him in the face with the bottle of glass cleaner if she were here.

His attention is pulled back when Madigan passes her phone over. "Ah, sure," he says. "At the rate things have been going I should probably start considering that," he adds, though his tone is rueful and it sounds at least partially a joke.

Eddie hops up to help Gwen as he sees there are multiple trays, taking one if she lets him and moving it to the table. After, he puts his number into Madigan's phone, and he passes the phone over to Gwen. The younger woman might pick up his last name since his contact is right there, Eddie Brock.

A soft grumble sounds deep in Eddie's throat. "Too much of it is about making money, these days. The media. Used to be about reporting the things that need reported. Now it's as much politics as not," he says. His hand tights into a fist where it rests on the table, but he seems to notice it and quickly flattens his hand back out again. "Thank you Gwen, it looks as good as I remember," he says of the food.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Sure, I can give you my number. But word of warning..." And Gwen leans forward, making her 'serious face', "... careful about calling at night. It's when I am in my grumpy state. Caution advised and all that." and she's normally busy being Ghost Spider. Details! But in the end she winks, leaning back on her chair and reaching for her own turkey sandwich..., just in time to have the phone passed over. It has her comment, "Are you getting in the way of a girl and her food, Eddie?" but the tone is good-humored, she taking the piece of technology to introduce her number.

Eddie Brock?

Uh, that rings a bell. But not in the more traditional sense. Something in her past... She stares at the phone for a few moments before blinking, looking up at the two and smiling before finally getting her number in. "There. I am going to regret this, won't I?" this said to Madi while passing the phone along. "But I will call you, of course. And you do the same."

A glance then to Eddie, "It's all about getting those likes nowadays. And viewership. Can't say I haven't been a victim of it in the past but ..." she shrugs, trailing off and starting to go through some of her sandwich.

Madigan Belle has posed:
Food is a distracting element. Madigan sits there savoring her cookie, biting, chewing, mmmming the entire time. She is grinning big around the cookie and is even rocking her head just a little bit like she's dancing to her own music with just her head. With Eddie's last words that get him kind of upset, she gets wide-eyed, "Whoooooa, that's such a great idea. I should start a media outlet. You know, gather up all the weird conspiracy theories that exist, get rid of the ones proven correct. And then just... wait, this is sounding like a tabloid. What if the tabloid was on gamer celebrities? Or, under reviewed scientific journals? The scandals! I bet it'd sell." Probably taking the wrong point from Eddie's complaint.

When Gwen leans over toward her and tells her not to call at night, she giggles, "I'm totally calling at night now, like, just you wait. I like people being grumpy. They get all pouty, and upset." She pouts, and tries to give her greatest impression of someone being 'upset', but she can't hold it long and just starts chuckling a bit, what remains of her cookie being finished.

When she gets her phone back, reaching out to snatch it and put it back into her backpack. She nods her head enthusiastically to Gwen. "You are." When Gwen picks up talking about being a victim of media, Madi looks around for her next victim, herself. The first mystery sandwich. She slurps down some soda loudly, and then unwraps the sandwich, starting to munch away while she listens.

Eddie Brock has posed:
Eddie Brock takes a sip of his drink before picking up his sandwich. "If you make it outrageous enough, people will read it. They want to be entertained, not informed. And to have their opinions validated," he comments in a quiet but deep timbre.

The turkey sandwich receives it's first bite. Eddie doesn't wait to finish chewing completely, though does cover his mouth with his hand as he says, "Oh, yeah. That's the one I remember," and gives the sandwich a little shake of his finger as if it's been away for too long.

There's a slight lifting of his eyebrow, a curious note as Gwen mentions having had a run in with the press herself, though he doesn't comment on it. "I'd suggest as good as you both seem to be with the genetics thing that you stick with that. Probably end up curing cancer, the two of you."

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Madigan Belle, reknowned geneticist and media mogul?" Gwen turns her nose a bit at that, "Doesn't really have that great of a ring, does it..?" then a laugh. "Besides, not sure I'd like sensationalist takes on scientific papers. Even if I am sure it would bring more exposure to them." it's all about that brand recognition!

Blue eyes then rest on Eddie, "But there's still people out there who give a damn about the truth. You shouldn't let it take you down so harshly." another bite one her sandwich and she chuckling quietly at Madigan's way of devouring her food. "Let me guess, you have an hyper-active metabolism who makes you eat every two hours or you starve to death?" another bite.

As for curing cancer she lifts her soda up for a cheer. "Hear hear, I hope that came to be true. One way or another it is something I am hoping we will be getting developments soon enough, there's always something happening there."

Madigan Belle has posed:
She can't stop herself from saying it, but the immediately response that Madi has right after Eddie comments about curing cancer is, "There's no money in cures." Quirking her mouth to the side she chuckles and just shakes her head, like that's a 'duh' and offers, "Now, if we could somehow figure out how to make cancer go away and come back seasonally? That'd be something."

Her eyes kind of squint at that, thinking, really hard on it, you can tell because she bites the tip of her tongue as she does it. And then eyes pop right back open and she's grinning again, taking another quick bite and chewing. "I mean, really, curing cancer isn't exactly that hard of a thing to do. We just turn off all the markers through epigenetic treatments that allows for the extra blood vessel growth that gives the nutrients to cancer in the first place." She shrugs a little bit, "The thing is, no one wants to cure cancer. Not unless it is super expensive, requires lots of treatments, and there's a chance that it comes back later. Which, I mean, it -is- cancer, it isn't exactly like it is a disease. Just your body not knowing when to quit."

She takes a few more bites and then quirks her mouth to Gwen, and then looks up and over somewhere else, "What? I, do, actually. Have a really fast metabolism... why? And it isn't every -two- hours, more like 6.9 days." And she eats some more of her sandwich. "Is that a bad thing? I mean, I don't think it is, I do have to eat a lot, but at least I stay fit. People who can't walk, like me, often get really overweight. And cancer, speaking of which, has a higher propensity to occur in fat cells. So, that's unfortunate... for other people. But it is also why your brain and other organ materials are almost always susceptible. THey need some fat in order to maintain..."

She pauses a moment, looking around the table, as she's just been rattling on from one thing to the next and she grins slowly, "How about them... mets?"

Eddie Brock has posed:
Eddie sits back in his chair after his last statement, perhaps the topic he chose to chime in on diminishing his appetite. His eyes drift over to Gwen as she tries to buoy him back up again. "Yeah, you're right," he agrees, though the effects of the topic linger for awhile longer. Though he does resume eating again, but for the moment just listening to their different takes on curing cancer.

"I don't know about the," Eddie says, giving a wiggle of his fingers that could be indicating science or magic equally, "science of a cure. But you're probably not wrong about the motivations," he tells her.

Another bite of the sandwich does its best to battle the topic for impact on Eddie's mood. "So Madigan, Gwen, why did you guys pick genetics, anyway? Out of all the science fields out there?"

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Gwen isn't naive enough to go and dispute on why cancer hasn't been treated already. She offers a resigned nod but does say. "Just like in journalism, there needs to be those willing to stand up and do the right thing, Madi." a shake of her head given, "And not just go with what is the trend." some more soda consumed.

No comment is given back about the girl's metabolism, she simply grinning, eyes then off to Eddie, "Curious nature mainly. Have always had that little bug of getting into everything and it ended up with me being curious about the human body. And so .., genetics." she opening her arms to the side, "Getting a scholarship from Oscorp *did* help those plans too." and more than she imagined. Radioactive spiders anyone?

"Even if I admit it wasn't what I imagined what I would do when I was younger. I wanted to be a drummer.." she chuckles and brushes some hair out of her face.

Madigan Belle has posed:
There's some more chewing, and Madigan kind of shrugs her shoulders, "I dunno. Does there need to be people doing the right thing, with this? Eventually we'll fix everything from a money stand point. You know? Capitalism works. It just isn't allowed to freely negotiate its environment. Yes, sex pills and boob jobs would clutter the market but that's a race toward zero profits. They'd make such amazing sex pills and boob jobs for so cheap, eventually, that they'd have to move on to other things to fix."

She grabs at her soda, and takes a big pull of it, grinning, "Oooh, still carbonated. I love that tingling feeling. You know, it's like those pop rock candies. I like those as well. Just, fun, like pop pop fizzy pop pop." A little chuckle as she shakes her head, "I'm such a dork."

To the question about genetics though, she looks over to Gwen and her eyes get big, curiously big, "Oscorp scholarship? Wow. That's a tough one to get. I've heard. I didn't do any scholarships. I mean, that's a lot of work, for not a lot of reward, but I get it. It makes sense though. Carnegie, probably the father of scholarships, was well known for understanding that poverty did not mean stupidity. And he wanted to have a ruling class of super smart best genes people. Which, we all know his version was bunk, he was so big into the Eugenics movement before some particularly moustached individual made it unpopular." She winds down a moment, grabbing another sandwich after finishing off the first.

"I got into genetics because I was bored with Chemistry. I'm struggling finishing my Ph.D cause... booooooring. So dull. You know? I mean, I know the result is coming. And I have to sit and wait for it, for like, a billion years. And then, ding, the computer analysis or model finally finishes. It's like waiting for popcorn to pop, without the fun of the sound of popping. If my professors were smarter, I could at least talk to them about it..." And she slumps her shoulders, her face loses some of its enthusiastic expression, as she looks down to the table. Then pop, eyes open again, grinning, "But! When I have it. I'll be the first geneticist in the family, be able to get funding, do my own thang. And mayyyyyyybe, save the human race while doing it."

Eddie Brock has posed:
Eddie Brock eats his sandwich, attention going over to Gwen as she replies about how she ended up in the field. Then Madigan's own version of being driven to it by boredom in other area. Eddie takes another bite then sets the sandwich down, a bit of mayo left in the corner of his lip.

He picks up his napkin to wipe at it as he sits back, looking thoughtful. "You know, I hear people giving advice on how to figure out what to do, what to study," he says in his deeper, coarse voice. "And it's normally find your passion and follow it. And if you're doing something you love you won't work a day in your life. You've heard that right?" he says.

He reaches over to his drink, taking a sip. Giving Madigan a nod, "I like the burn too," he shares, before going back to the other topic. "But here's the thing. Work? It ain't easy. It's hard. Maybe if you're just working for yourself. But working at some company, with a boss, driven by profits?" Eddie says, his words having the slightest slur when he gets into the topic, just part of his natural way of speaking. "It isn't fun. Life is unfair and that goes double on a job. And that's going to take someone who chased their passion, and make them sit up one day and go, I don't enjoy this. And they are going to lose their passion then."

Eddie wads up the napkin. "If you want to know my advice, it would be, just do something you're good at. If you're good at something and you have the drive to get better, you're going to end up caring about it. But save your passion for the rest of your life. For your hobbies or," Eddie says, a hand waving towards Gwen without thinking about it, "the people that you care about. And then you won't end up disappointed and disillusioned with your passion."

He falls silent then, after uncorking all of that after having mostly just ambled along keeping his part of the conversation alive until now.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Well for me it's a lot of reward, wouldn't be able to do it otherwise. But things turned out okay." Not that being friends with Harry Osborn hadn't *helped* in getting that going. Even if she was smart enough on her own. But it's with Madi calling what she does boring that makes Gwen blink. "You can always .., multitask. Various projects at the same time?" she suggests. "The road to get there can be as interesting as the final result too, specially if it branches out to more research, more projects. It's never-ending." a nod then given towards what Eddie says, "Or like Eddie says, just having that ambition to get better. Yet that you appear to have in spades."

Her attention does fall back to Eddie after, watching him more closely. Did she notice the gesture done her way? Maybe! But there's no comment done about that. Instead she says, "I agree with what you say. People that are married to their work just ..., I don't think they are too happy in the end. There needs to be something else. Family and friends, that's what it's all about in the end." a smile then given to Eddie.

"Never good to give up on dreams though."

Madigan Belle has posed:
Sure, Madi's listening. It's the same ol' stuff she's read a million times over. And she shakes her head a little bit, smiling at the two other people at the table. "I multi-task all the time. My hobbies -are- great. And I love fiddling with genetics, researching, analyzing, it's just the school ... structure. You know? It isn't about the fastest, or best, person in the room, it is an environment designed to allow people to learn." Taking in a deep breath she lets it out in a kerfluffle that blows her hair about some.

She quirks her mouth to the side, chewing some of a sandwich bite she snuck in, "Money does buy happiness. And the latest studies show that up to 75,000 dollars a year in the US, considering a place at a 100 percent median cost of living, there's a linear growth rate till it starts a soft cap. So, already there. Right? And then, there's the whole do what you love. Been doing what I love, for years. I dunno. School just seems like, it isn't needed. But my Uncle is always telling me I need the degree. I need the degree. And I'm like, Fiiiiiiiine, you do the school then. And then he teases that he'll drop me off in the middle of a desert and make me walk home. Which is kind of our little game."

A pause as she chews some more, smiling still, "I've never not made it home, so the joke is on him really." A little scoff chuckle as she snorts in some air, still grinning, "At least we can all agree. Family and Friends are the most important thing. Family first, of course, and then Friends. Kind of a circle system, right? You in the middle, gotta take care of yourself otherwise you can't others, then family then friends. Totally agree."

She slurps down her first drink until it starts making sounds, and she asks, "So, you two huh? Where'd'ya meet?" She beams, looking between Eddie and Gwen.

Eddie Brock has posed:
As Madigan gives the Family and Friends conclusion, Eddie reaches over to offer her a fist-dap. "Amen on that," he says simply enough. His sandwich just has another bite or so left, and he finishes it off, then wipes his hands on the napkin he previously wadded up.

Eddie looks over to the younger, blond woman. "Oh, Gwen and me? Just at the place she works after classes. Corner store. She took pity on me when I was about to buy the Chinese chocolate bars instead of Hershey's," he says, his eyes going to Gwen, expression approving, and a little warmer this normal mien.

Before anyone can say anything more, both Gwen's and Madigan's phones buzz, almost at the same time, with an incoming text. And then again. And then again. And a fourth time. When they check, they find that Dr. Descoteaux has finally finished consuming Madigan's email. And he's excited to talk to her about it, and checking where they are, and when they'll be back. Which puts an end to the lunchtime conversations. After walking Gwen and wheeling Madigan back, Eddie departs then, knowing they'll be talking genetics shop at a level that probably would be best without him.