7809/Chili Dawgs Still Bark at Night

Chili Dawgs Still Bark at Night
Date of Scene:	13 September 2021
Location:	Belvedere Castle
Synopsis:	Two Spiders, sitting on a castle. No, not the next Game of Thrones clone...
Cast of Characters:	Peter Parker, Jessica Drew

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Peter Parker has posed:
Belvedere Castle is a nice place to sit and chat for most people during the day. Picturesque, quaint, almost storybook. But at night, the lights make it look more like a fortress.

For Spidey, it's a nice tall place to perch on.
He had been doing his web-slinging thing when Spider-Woman pinged as available. He had been meaning to talk to her, about a few things. BUT...he was also hungry.
So, he came up with a STELLAR idea...

<Spider-Woman, Webhead here. Want to meet on the parapets of Belvedere Castle?> Pause. <...I got a batch of the best chili dogs in the city...?>

Jessica Drew has posed:
<Not without onion rings. If I'm going full Yank food, might as well do it right! Let me know. I can pick some up before I swing by. On my way.>

Jessica snorts a laugh under her breath as she walks out the back door of her Chelsea apartment and takes to the roof. She doesn't have a definite route to Central Park yet but likes the trees and the challenge of remaining unseen. Gone are the days of more conventional travel since the Terrigen accident.

A half an hour later she walks across a green expanse of lawn toward the crenelated exterior of the Castle and climbs the wall to drop down beside Spidey. "Nice of you to invite me over. I like the Park at night."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey seems to have gotten the goods. A portable hot/cold bag sits on a stone block near the southern wall. A picnic cloth is spread out, with a very acceptable layout - a large paper tray of onion rings, six oblongs wrapped in foil, and two bottles, one of juice and one of root beer.
Spidey is smoothing out the cloth when he looks up at Jessica. "Hey...glad you could make it."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Her white teeth gleam in a quick smile under the black mask that bands her eyes. Spider-woman is not often in full regalia these days, her life as an agent of SHIELD finds her in armored tactical gear more often than not.

"Nice spread. You know how to do the do!" Seating herself next to him. After a quick nod at the spread, "Spider metabolism is hard to keep up with, isn't it?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man sighs, but pulls the mask up to his nose to reveal his sheepish smile. "I travel all over the city. All five boroughs. That's a lot of calories to use up. I know one Spider whose webs she makes herself, from her own body, so she uses more than me."

He unwraps one of the oblongs and steam seems to rise from it as he reveals the chili dog with grated cheddar cheese. "Here ya go. Best hot dogs in the city, bar none. Juice or root beer?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Ohhhhhh, that does explain it. The webs, I mean. I have a lot to tell you. You of anyone will understand. But first! A hotdog with that famous chili." She reaches for one of oblong foil wrapped packages.

"How could people believe that these are bad for you?" After a first bite, which she smiles around, "Now, your news! I've been rather occupied of late."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods. "Well, if you check the userlist, you may find a few more names added. And they want to help, even the A-listers like Supergirl and Wonder Woman. So, if you see them online and you need help with something, don't be shy about reaching out..."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"The Shepard of the Super Hero flock," she says, wiping the corner of her mouth, the smile waxing larger. "I did indeed see their names. We are getting rather illustrious, thanks to you. A-Listers, indeed. That is a lot of power! We couldn't ask for better allies.

"I can't talk about my work but I'll ask what you know of recent incursions on the earth by the Shi'ar? And whether you have ever heard of a mutagen called Terrigen?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey raises an eyebrow as he pours root beer into a plastic cup, handing it to Jessica before pouring his own. "No, sorry. Nothing on Shee-ar. The only alien race I have in the database is the Chitauri, and that's just because they left a lot of weapons around for the failed incursion. As for Terrigen...no, no info on that either..."

He looks a little morose as he grabs a chili dog for himself and takes a bite. "I will keep an ear out, though."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"It's classified," she replies sullenly. "Need to know. Which I think you do, frankly. Keep your ears peeled for S-h-i-apostrophe-a-r and the K-r-e-e. Two names to know. I could probably lose a pay grade for telling you that but it is better to be prepared. I have met them both or at least artifacts from them." The hotdog occupies her for a moment before she washes it down with root beer.

"Americans make good sarsaparilla. Better than the Brits, I must say."

After wiping her fingers she hold out her arm, wrist up, and pulls back the cuff of her uniform. "Look!" The wrist is slightly reddened around a tiny orifice set into it. "I can make webs now," she says, in a tone of wonder in her soft words.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man is about to say how he doesn't remember a thing of what she just said before she reveals her wrist, the tiny opening, and the revelation of how she can spin webs now.

"WOW...how did? Sorry, never mind, you probably can't tell me, but...did it take long to learn, or are you still learning to handle it?" He doesn't take her hand to look closer, but he is itching to.

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jess sees his hesitation and offers him her arm. "You're one of the few I would show this, too. In for a penny, in for a pound. The Kree have made an agent that can transform the people it doesn't kill into the super powered. I was in that accident in the subway about a month ago."

She frowns at her wrist, still supporting it with her other hand for him to see. "Yeah. I'm still getting into the swing of things, if you'll pardon the expression." Her quick wide grin shows she has no shame.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey grins. "Well...it certainly helps getting around town. Come to think of it, webslinging does require stamina, agility and muscle strength most normal people don't have. Did you get those, or are you going to require some sort of limb-augmentation to handle that kind of physical exertion?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
Eyes fixed on her wrist, she flexes her hand then grabs another hotdog. "I had the strength. I always have but I've been working out, too. It helps. It's taken me a few weeks to learn how to do it. Control it, swing and not smack into the side of walls. It's been far from automatic."

Unwrapping her dog, she nods and fixes him with another smile, "I /knew/ you would understand. It could have killed me, you know. It often kills the mutated and quite often normals. So be wary if you ever come up against it. Enough about me. Tell me what you have been on the trail of recently."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man finished one chili dog and reached for another. "Networking. But I guess for us, it would be web-weaving. Tracking a shipment of Chitauri rifles to Gotham City brought me into contact with a vigilante named Huntress. Capable, but she had some younger teens with her. They're a little green, but they all made it. I hope they learn quicker, though." He thinks for a moment. "Also met up with one of the Titans, a guy named Vorpal. He would have called himself the Cheshire Cat, but apparently that was taken."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Munching, she nods, "Vorpal. That sounds oddly familiar. Alien, too." She chews for a moment, "So you were on the trail of Chitauri rifles and I have a Shi'ar asset and a present from the Kree. It would seem that the third rock from the Sun is now on intergalactic maps. Where did the teens come from? Were they like her apprentices?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey nods. "That was the sense of it. They had some training, and handled themselves all right, but...I think they have a ways to go. I wasn't much older than them when I started doing this..."

He sips his root beer thoughtfully. "Maybe if I had been older...wiser...I wouldn't have made the mistake I made."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jessica regards him in silence for a moment, a faint smile flickering on her lips. She shrugs, "Not a one of us doesn't have regrets. Even the Asgardians grow into their powers and into life from what I understand. So, it'll take us older ones," her eyebrows lift at older, "to bring them along. You were pretty much on your own from what I understand. I never was alone even if my tutors tried to seriously bend me toward their agenda. You've done tremendous good, Spidey."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man sighs. "I told you about the starfish dream, right?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
Mouth full of chili dog, the masked woman shakes her head. "No," she mumbles and looks at him curiously.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man chuckles.

"A guy is walking along the beach one morning, turns around an outcrop of rock and then sees the beach is COVERED with starfish. Hundreds, maybe thousands of them, left on the beach by the tide, and facing a slow death by heat and the rising sun. The guy then sees another guy, standing out in the middle of these starfish, picking them up one at a time, then throwing them out into the surf beyond the low-tide line, where they'll be safe."
Sip of root beer.
"The first guy looks at the second one and yells at him. He yells, "You gotta be crazy! You'll never be able to save them all, so what does it matter?"
"Then the second guy picks up another starfish, yeets it out into the ocean, then points to where it lands. 'Mattered to THAT one.'"

Jessica Drew has posed:
Chewing thoughtfully, Jess nods and swallows, "It feels like that sometimes, doesn't it? We will always be called to protect people. That will never end. How does that make you feel?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man hmmed...then smiled.
"'With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.' I *can* help people, so I *do.* And really...isn't it fulfilling to know you are not forced to simply stand by, helpless, unable to do anything to help...that you CAN help, that you SHOULD help...and that helping is a truly great thing to do?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Ever read any Marcus Aurellius?" Jess finishes her root beer and looks at the third dog in its aluminum package. "Hmmmm. I'm not sure I can do a third even if I need over four thousand calories a day. I keep losing weight."

Grinning, "You ready for this? From good old Marcus. 'So you were born to feel "nice"? Instead of doing things and experiencing them? Don't you see the plants, the birds, the ants and spiders and bees going about their individual tasks, putting the world in order, as best they can? And you're not willing to do your job as a human being? Why aren't you running to do what your nature demands?" I tell myself that when I start to get down. I need to do my job which is helping others."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey nods. "I was brought up Presbyterian. Luke 12:48: 'To whom much is given, much will be required.'" He sighs again. "I was selfish once. Intoxicated by ambition. And when you operate under the influence...bad things happen. These days, I do what I can to help...but after what happened, Pride and Ambition are drugs I stay FAR away from."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Softly, looking out on the grounds below, "I envy people who were raised more or less normally." Gazing at him now, "I'm sorry you felt you lost your way. But, you fought your way back, didn't you? Did you burn to be known?" She snorts, shaking her head, "I have to fight not to retreat into my lair."

Peter Parker has posed:
"Fame used to be my goal. Now, it's more of a by-product of my goal to help people. I'm not rich. I'm not even famous. More like INfamous. A major annoyance to a lot of crooks...and probably a very odd friend to some very interesting people. Supergirl and I had chili dogs four months ago in this very spot."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Strangely enough, I'm not jealous," she quips and leans to nudge him. "She is very special from all accounts. And, hah. From another planet. It seems to be the theme this evening." Rising to peer over the parapet, Spider-woman speaks looking out into the night, "The next one is on me, Spidey. Call me. If I'm not on assignment I will be at your side, helping in anyway that I can."

Peter Parker has posed:
"Anything I can do to help, Spider-Woman. Seriously." He looked to her. "I am kinda envious. You had teacher and trainers, even if their agenda was diabolical. I've kissed a LOT of walls the first few months of having this gift." He opens another chili dog. "Let me know. You already know my leanings towards chili dogs and White Castle. I am curious at your favorite types of cuisine."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Dim sum. Lebanese. Indian vegetarian. Real ramen. To say a few. All great food." She pulls back her sleeve and holds it out for him to see the bruises that mark the exposed skin up to her elbow. "You should see my legs. You'd think I'd just learned to ski or something. I have paid the spider price. And on that note. I hope we get to share some food soon."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man smiled. "Good...but you can pay next time. The rest of my budget is earmarked for brewing up more webfluid." He stood up to bow slightly to Jessica. "Listen...take care of yourself. You need anything, don't hesitate to call."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"I will. I belong with the Spiders, you know." With a leap, she balances on the edge of the wall then disappears over the edge.