7983/Some Truly Super Pizza

Some Truly Super Pizza
Date of Scene:	25 September 2021
Location:	Gino's Pizzeria
Synopsis:	Peter Parker meets Kara Danvers...for the very first time.
Cast of Characters:	Kara Danvers, Peter Parker

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Kara Danvers has posed:
It had been a while since Kara and Peter had last talked, beyond the occasional superheroing. And there was all that drama and nastiness with Toyman attacking Peter at home. Regardless of what they once had or how it ended, Peter has always been the most 'normal' of Kara's friends. And sometimes, even a Girl of Steel needs some Normal to break up the craziness of a Super life. So, she texted Peter, suggesting a caasual meet-up. He texted back with a place. She texted back with a time. And now, Kara Danvers is fussing about with the brown hair of her wig, sitting in front of Gino's, in a casual, conservative green top over a white blouse, with jeans and sensible shoes. Nothing super here, just a mousy brunette in glasses.

Peter Parker has posed:
Oh, gosh.
Yeah, it's corny, but he's never done this before. Sure, he's met Kara, but only as Supergirl. Near the end, she had let slip there was a reporter in Metropolis named Kara Danvers, but he had never sought her out as Kara. After the Toyman attack, he would have felt like a world-class heel if he led her enemies to her doorstep.

When he got the text, it was elation, followed by instant flop-sweat. Okay, he wasn't dating anyone, but thinking of this as a date wouldn't have been a red flag to get the attention of The Parker Luck...it would have been a FLARE.
So when he walked into Gino's, he was already psyching himself down instead of up. *We're just friends, we're not plugging back into that situation. Just...relax. Guys and girls can be just friends, in spite of his friend Harry's opinion.

And it had been awhile. The last time was Big Jake's chili dogs on the roof of a building.

So, Peter walked in, looking average (as usual), with baggy pants and shirt under a blue hoodie, hood pulled back as he stepped inside.

He looked around, wondering if he would recognize her without the colorful costume...

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara is looking around and spies Peter. She smiles, then stands up and calls out to him. "Peter. Over here..." She waves, hoping that her disguise doesn't throw him off too badly. After all, Clark manages with just a pair of glasses and a slouch. But, she is happy to see that he's looking well.. And maybe...happy? Kara doesn't know about his dating status and didn't ask in the texts. She just wanted to see her friend. Right?

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter looked over to the brunette, walking over. he was still smiling but it was apologetic. He WAS a few minutes late.
The brown hair was...really effective. If he hadn't heard her voice so often, he would have been fooled. It's not the big changes that mean an effective disguise, it's the little ones, the different hair color and style, the little mannerisms.
He did have to admit, it made it easier to see her as "normal." That was a bad thing to think, really, but it was true. His baggy clothes hid the Gym-Rat physique, which made him somewhat forgettable, which was the deal when trying to blend in.

She's still pretty, though. She'd need a lot more to hide that.

"Hey there...Kara." He almost said Supergirl. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

Kara Danvers has posed:
"You didn't," Kara says with a smile. She gives him a quick, friendly hug before sitting back down at the table. "So...what do you think?" she asks as she flounces her hair a bit. "Blonde or brunette?" Then she gets a shy smile as she looks at him again. "And you're looking...well. Good, even. Sorry that I mostly keep in digital contact. I..." she sighs, slightly flustered and a slight redness in her cheecks. "Anyways, it's really good to see you again."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter sits down across from Kara, still wearing that apologetic smile. "It's good to see you, too. In any capacity. As for the hair...I dunno. It makes you look different, but...well, lemme put it this way. You seem more yourself when...as a blonde. But you can feel more normal as a brunette. You're pretty attention-getting as a blonde."

And the nominee for Understatement of the Year is...

"I get why you'd want to be a brunette. It's draining to be...a blonde...all the time, I suspect."
He looks around, then shrugs and looks back to Kara. "I have it KINDA the same way. I was a working-class schmuck long before I got...The Bite. Having an IQ of 250 isn't the benefit you would think it is, ESPECIALLY in grade school. But...wearing a mask allows me to be more myself, but without it I'm...less outgoing. Less...well, me. Wearing a mask, nobody knows who I am, so I can be anybody."

Kara Danvers has posed:
At the blonde crack, Kara's eyes narrow and she gives Peter a stern look. "And what, praytell, is so draining about being a blonde? Hmmm? Trying to figure out the instructions for cooking minute rice? Or maybe having men stare at me, or certain parts of me, all day long?" Arms crossed, full on frown. She waits for Peter to give an explanation before loosing the attitude and breaking into giggles. "I'm sorry," she says, that bright sparkle of joy back in her smile and her eyes. "I had to do it." She looks at Peter wistfully, and her smiles softens. "Thanks for putting up with that. I needed the laugh."

And then, a waiter interrupts them, delivering a fresh pepperoni pizza, along with plates. "Hope you don't mind that I ordered before you got here. Pepperoni's still your favorite, right?"

After the waiter leaves, kara pulls off a slice, including long trails of cheese, and sets it on her plate. "So. How have you been? What have you been up to?" She has other questions, of course, but she holds off on those, for now.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter had that Deer-In-Headlights look as Kara gave him the Third Degree. He stammered as he tried to get out that he wasn't trying to make some kind of blonde joke, that he didn't want anyone to overhear him call her "Supergirl" and that "a blonde" was the best euphemism he could come up with...

...and then she started giggling and he groaned. She wasn't naturally mean-spirited and quick to judge, so it had to be a joke.
But for a moment...just for a moment...he had a moment of High School PTSD. A lifetime of bullying by the likes of Carl and Flash can do that to you.

He took a deep breath and relaxed. Kara didn't have a mean bone in her body, and he should have had more faith.

He lifted a slice, then asked the waitress for a cherry Coke before she left. When she was gone, he looked thoughtful. "Well...I've been keeping busy. Haven't found a contact-lens material you can see through without heat vision cooking them, so so much for the augmented-reality version of Spider-Comm. Have been making a few more updates. There's a human-trafficking ring that's firmly kaput - the BUGLE is going to run the story tomorrow, after Homeland Security cleared all the women who were being sold off. They'll be okay."

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara nods along, and gets a proud smile on her face when Peter talks about the human trafficking ring bust. "Good for you," and she's honsetly happy and poud for him. "I nkow you think I handle all the big stuff that matters. BUt sometimes, it's the stuff you do, the non-world-ending stuff...the things you do make a greater impact." She chews on a bite of her slice for a bit. "Now...If I could only convince you to leave the Bugle and come to Metropolis and get a job at the Planet. No Jameson hate for you down there." Of course, Kara knows she's kidding herself if she thnks she can convince Peter to ever leave Queens, much less New York City. "Or, you know...failing that...you could always join up with the Titans. You can do the big and the small stuff, make a difference on both scales." She does glance about to make sure that there's no-one paying attention to their conversation. But, everyone is happily ensconced in their own prvate bubbles of eating or conversation.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter chuckles. "Leave the family homestead? Aunt May would never go for it. It's been her home for most of her life, and all of mine. Besides..." He finishes one slice, then looks up as his drink arrives and thanks the waitress before sipping. "I'm doing great at Empire State University. Sophomore year, and I'm already acing the advanced classes. There've been some interesting debates about artificial intelligences and the ethics involved..."

He pauses for a moment. "...I dunno if I'm TITANS material, though. I've seen the roster when I went to that party. Vorpal seems to think highly of me, but the rest..." He sighed. "Sorry, Kara...a lot of times, I'm still that kid with the Coke-bottle lenses who can't throw a baseball. I don't know what kind of credibility I'm even going to have. The BUGLE would have a field day with it, of course."

Kara Danvers has posed:
"Peter..." Kara speeks softly. Not because she's overly concerned about being heard, but because this is an old discussion between them. "I understand. Before I came here, I was just plain kara. Just a girl who did sceince and loved to draw and sculpt. Nothing really special about me. And then...I arrived and discovered everything I could do...It was both exhilarating and frightening, all at once. But I knew, I had to rise to the occassion. I had to help others, using my new gifts. No matter who my cousin was."

She reaches out and gives Peter's hand a gentle squeeze. "'With great power comes great responsibility.' Right? Not just the Titans, but any team would be lucky to have you. The Avengers. The League. It's fine if you want to be 'friendly neighborhood', it honestly is. I just want you to feel like there's no limits for you. That you are worthy of any group, any team that you join. I might save the world. But between the two of us, *you're* the one that can change it. For the better."

Peter Parker has posed:
Yet another reason there are a hundred fan sites devoted to her. Her personality.

Peter sighs. "I doubt the Avengers would consider me, seeing how I burned bridges with Tony Stark. And the League? Me rubbing shoulders with BATMAN and AQUAMAN, let alone WONDER WOMAN and SUPERMAN? I'd be a nervous wreck by the second day..."

He looks into Kara's face for a few moments.

"...Okay. Just...float my name and see what kind of reaction you get from the other members. I figure if they think it's a bad idea, you'll know by the fourth person who says, '...HIM? Really?' Just...let them decide on the idea by its own merits. I'm not moving out of Queens, though. That's a deal-breaker."

Kara Danvers has posed:
It's a small victory, and kara takes it, beaming happily. "Fair enough." She pats Peter's hand, nodding. "Speaking of, how's May?" More small talk. Kara can't seem to find the courage to ask him certain questions. Or talk to him about the stuff she really wants to. So, she sits in her chair, eats on her pizza thoughtfully, and smiles.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter smiles. This is more stable ground.

"Aunt May continues to be a force of nature. She would like me to find out where she can send me to get you two of her homemade apple pies. She feels you have been going without for far too long, and she follows you in the news whenever she can."

Kara Danvers has posed:
"That's sweet of her," Kara replies with a smile. "And I'm sure she approves of me ditching the skirt for the full bodysuit." She smirks. "I know I'm happy that there aren't as much upskirt shots of me on TMZ anymore..." Despite the smile, the talk about family is weighing on her, strangely. She can't quite bring herself to talk about things she's found out, but the pressure helps her press on to the other subject she's been avoiding.

Another bite of pizza. Another smile. And then she asks, "So. Seeing anyone?"

Rao, she hopes that sounded casual...

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter is glad he wasn't eating or drinking anything when she said that. That was...abit of a shoe-drop.
To his credit, he only blinked and looked up. He chuckled, then said, "...No. There was this one girl, but things didn't pan out. Nobody's fault, really. Since then...I've been a bit busy with school, with my work-study job at KordCo, and my...extracurricular activities."

Like busting up slavery rings in the Bronx. Not exactly scrapbooking or bridge, innit?

"Not easy to meet girls. I actually had one flirt with me before I told her girls had been flirting with me to get my class notes for years, so I could smell a con a mile away. She got her whole sorority to surprise me with a sudden paintball game. It was such a surprise they didn't even bother to get me a paintball gun...or even a mask or padding." He snickers. "And, of course, dodging every single one of them would have caused more problems than it solved, so I was day-glo for an afternoon."

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara can't help but smile and giggle at the thought of Peter decked out in an aray of paintball splotches. "I'm glad you're still...socializing. Enjoying life. I know how hard life can be for us, sometimes." She does look down at the table, staring at nothing. An abashed expression on her face. "I never meant to hurt you either, Peter," she says quietly. "But I did. Because I was stupid. Because I hadn't gotten a handle on the whole second identity thing yet. I'm the one that should feel sorry about what happened. And I do. And I cant apologize enough for putting you and May in danger like that."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter reached towards Kara to touch her hand for a moment.

"Ever heard the phrase 'It takes two to tango?' Seriously, it happened. it wasn't your fault. We both went into this, eyes wide open. We made mistakes, but we both made the same mistake for different reasons. We should have set it up so that Spider-Man and Supergirl hung out together, and Peter Parker and Kara Danvers should have done the same. So if you're going to dish out blame for what happened, you had better save at least TWO platefuls of it for me."

Kara Danvers has posed:
That gentle tough brings Kara's head back up. She looks at Peter, a smile returning to her face. "I'm not so sure about Spider-Man and Supergirl," she says. "But maybe...just Peter Parker and Kara Danvers?" There's a note of hope in the question. "Maybe they could give it a try?" She sighs and tenses up for a second. "I know our schedules are crazy busy/ We both have work, multiple jobs, school..." Then she nods in determination. "But I'm willing to give it a try. Because you're worth the effort."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter's eyes widen perceptibly. "I...uhm...uhhh...BUH."
Yep, network is temporarily down. Give him a few seconds.

After about ten or so, the network comes back up. There is mingled hope and concern. And something else...

"I...uhm...Jeez Louise...you really want to? I mean, right, yes, you do, you don't just say stuff to say stuff. But..."

Peter took a deep breath.
"We'd have to keep things firmly separate this time. Little to no crossover. Spider-Man and Supergirl could work together...heck, it wouldn't be outrageous to see them together considering everything...But Supergirl has to show that Peter Parker's an ex, and Spider-Man only sees Miss Danvers as a reporter. But..."

He looked at Kara for a long moment. "...Let's do it. God hates a coward."

Kara Danvers has posed:
There's moments where Kara struggles not to look crushed as Peter struggles with the question. It's not the response she washoping for, but she wouldn't blame him...And when he fiunally agrees, she literally lights up. It's like the literal weight of a planet has been lifted off of her. She takes Peter's hand, keeping a gentle squeeze, smiling. "I've missed you," she says quietly. She lets that sentiment linger, then takes a deep breath. "There's a lot I need to tell you. To talk about. But that can wait for a while. I just...want to be happy with this. With us. Maybe things will work out; maybe they won't. But Heaven knows we deserve some happiness. And you've aways made me happy."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter smiles, but he takes a long, deep breath. "We have to also establish firm boundaries, Kara. What the uncrossable lines are. Like, no using emotional blackmail, the 'If You Love Me You'll Do X' sort of thing. And no flexing. If the Titans say no, then you can't give me any special dispensation because I'm your boyfriend. When it comes to our...professional lives, we have to be completely aboveboard with each other. Complete respect, no use of the relationship by either of us to get what we want. If I ask for help and you're stopping a tidal wave from washing the Hawaiian Islands away...well, get plenty of pictures of Mt. Pele for me and I'll manage on my own."

Kara Danvers has posed:
"Absolutely agreeed," Kara says with a nod. "Personal lives, we care for and support each other. Professional...commaderie and courtesy." Part of her is hurt that Perter would think she wold try to everage her position in a way to benefit him, but she and he want into the relationship the first time without thinking of consequences. And that nearly caused a disaster. "You also have ther right to tell me if you think I'm being more...nagging, than encouraging about your potential. But I can honestly accept whatever you want to be. Because no matter what, I know that you'll still be someone I deeply care about. A good person, doing as much good for others as he can."

And of course, at the moment, the faint sound of police sirens reaches Kara's superhearing. "And, my pager just went off. Another job for Supergirl. But we'll continue this later, Okay?" And she leans over tthe table to give Peter an affectionate kiss befoer she gets up. "Ummm...excuse me?" she asks a waiter meekly. "Where's the ladies' room? Kind of have an...emergency..." She has that strained smile that conveys the nature of the 'emergency'...

Peter Parker has posed:
The waiter points to the alcove to the left. "That way, miss. First door on the right."

As Kara leaves, the waiter hands Peter the check. "Pay at the front counter."

Peter raises a finger to say something...and stops. He realized he either paid the check or called attention to Kara about not covering it, and doing anything from "escaping a bad date" to "doing a dine-and-dash," both causing possible trouble for Kara if she did a Houdini to help someone.

Peter chuckled and took the bill. "Might as well get used to this sort of thing," he said with a soft laugh.