8172/Coney Island Red Hots

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Coney Island Red Hots
Date of Scene: 08 October 2021
Location: Brighton Beach
Synopsis: Peter Parker meets a fellow tech enthusiast...and a vampiress. And oddly, not his first.
Cast of Characters: Peter Parker, Mairin Moran, Susan Sullivan




Peter Parker has posed:
Parker is pretty busy, even when he is not wearing the suit. Okay, when he is ONLY wearing the suit.

The days are getting colder, and the suit now has the extra layer for warmth. Over that are his normal clothes, so he is quite toasty as he exits Coney Island, a couple of hot dogs in a small carboard carrying case, a soda cup in the other hand. He also has his backpack, slung over his left shoulder.

All he needs now is an open bench to sit down in to chow down.

Mairin Moran has posed:
    The benches are all pretty full, with couples mostly at this time of day, but Mairin has managed to snag one and be the only person on it. Possibly because the rest of it is occupied with an array of textbooks, notebooks, and binders. She's still wearing her Columbia U facculty badge, but you wouldn't need it to realize she's a scientist. After all, who else would come to the beach with Science books?

    She is currently pouring over one particular book on robotics, and drawing a schematic free-hand in a notebook. Not the same schematic she's looking at, but a freehand variation based on it.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter spots the robotics book and blinks. He actually slows down to get a closer look at the book before he glances to Mairin. "Uhm...hi. Is this seat taken?" His eyes flick from her to the open spot on the bench.

Ruffled brown hair, brown eyes, earnest face, baggy shirt and pants. Only thing missing would be the Coke-bottle glasses.

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    Demona looks down at her phone as she walks. The gothy outfit and skull-themed gas mask gives an air to her that's completely broken by her Beauty and the Beast little girl's backpack. She notices Peter long before the two of them run into each other, conveniently right in front of Mairin. "Oh, sorry," she says. As she looks at Peter, however, she freezes. One might even notice that she stares. Unfortunately, she's SO taken aback by him that she doesn't even notice her friend Mairin sitting just there next to her to say hello to.

Mairin Moran has posed:
    Mairin looks up, spots both Peter and Demona and blinks at both in turn. It takes a bit for her to shift to social mode when she's so in depth in her work mode. "Oh.. Certainly.." She shifts some books.. stuffs a few papers covered in calculations into a book on Quantum Theory, and generally makes room for Peter to sit down. "Sorry."

    Then she looks up to Demona. "Hello Demona..." Then a slight freeze as she tries to think of something to say. "Having a good night?" She finalyl goes with something simple.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter blinks as Demona appears, looking from her to Mairin and back again. "Oh!" he says, looking slightly startled. "Hi! Uhm...did you want to sit here?"
Yes, he'd like to sit, but there's room for only one, and he was taught too well to let a woman stand. "It's okay...I can stand and eat at the same time. It's an acquired skill."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    Demona keeps her eyes on Peter as she waves dismissively at Mairin. "No, thank you," she says. She lifts her hands up to adjust hair that isn't there, then pulls on her stocking cap a bit, her body language indicating a blush that both isn't there and if it was, would be hidden by that mask. "Hi," she FINALLY manages to get out. Oh, no, was that not enough? Did she wait too long to talk? Why is she so nervous! For some reason she didn't understand, she wanted very much to take off that gas mask and smell the qi on his breath.

Mairin Moran has posed:
    Mairin, for one, doesn't care who sits next to her. But she is a little worried about Demona. She's never known the girl to be short on words. But, seeing as they are still trying to decide who is actually going to sit (as if it matters) she looks back down at her work and continues free-handing the schematic she's working on. It's a... well it's hard to tell what it is, particularly upside down. But it's not anything one traditionally thinks of as a 'robot'.

Peter Parker has posed:
Things were a bit odd. But then again, this was New York City. Odd as cod sometimes.
"Hi...my name's Peter. Peter Parker." He looks to Demona. "Would you like to sit down? I'm guessing you two know each other and I'd hate to just jump right in..."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "Peter," Demona says. If it had been a cartoon, little hearts would have formed around her face. She slumps a little, forgetting her posture as she finally lets out, "Hi, Peter."

Mairin Moran has posed:
    Yep... don't mind me... just drawing a robot...

    Eventually Mairin can't take it anymore and clears her throat. "Demona." She says the name in that 'teacher' voice that all teachers aquire. It's handed out with the diploma. You know, the voice that is meant to interupt excessive chatting and bring students back into the classroom from whatever wonderland their mind is frolicing through. "I had been meaning to apologize to you for the class being a little more... eager than I expected. And for the reporter. I hope it didn't... put you out of sorts." Then she turns to Peter.

    "Please, have a seat Peter. You got here first and I don't think Demona will mind."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter blinks. "Demona? Wow...that's an interesting name, I gotta say." He smiles to Mairin, then sits down and settles his hot dogs on his lap, putting the soda by his feet. "Well, pleased to meet you, Demona. Although I don't know your name, miss, and I hate to refer to you as 'Hey, You' tonight."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    The words from Mairin dredge Demona's brain from hormonal urges she shouldn't even have, anymore! She stuffs her hands into her hoodie pocket and shakes her head. "Sorry," she says. "Hey," she says to Peter, "Uh," she falters a bit. "You know that saying, 'If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all'? The other side of that coin says, 'If you have something nice to say, say it.'" She scratches the back of her neck and says, "I got a little bit lost before, but you are just the most handsome boy I've ever seen." She shifts uncomfortably. "Sorry," she repeats. She turns her attention to Mairin, body language reaching just shy of mortified. "What was the question?" she asks. To be fair, she let herself get VERY distracted just now.

Mairin Moran has posed:
    Mairin laughs a little and does her best to let Demona's words go by without any more embaressment. "My name is Mairin, Peter. It's.. nice to meet you." And... think think think.... Nope. Nothing. So she turns to Demona because that question is easy. "Oh, I was just saying that I was sorry the class turned out so... awkwardly." Which is a little ironic in the current context.

    Oh! She has it! "Where do you go to school, Peter?" All teenagers go to school, right?

Peter Parker has posed:
Yep, there's the blush. Starts at the ears, pinks up the skin a little. Peter gives an embarassed smile, but says politely, "Thank you, Demona. It's a little nice to be notable for more than my IQ, so I appreciate the compliment."

Peter picks up a hot dog, which has chili and cheese on it. It's not Big Jake's, but it's pretty good. "Actually, I'm going through my sophomore fall semester at Empire State University. You know, 'Excelsior?' They've got a great science department and I'm currently in the Neuroscience program. It's nice to know we have the same textbook."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    Demona flops down onto her butt on the grass opposite the bench. She ruffles her head through the beanie. "Ugh," she groans. "Stop being adorable!" She tugs off her beanie, revealing long, pale, sharp ears. She undoes the buckles on her gas mask and pulls that from her face, revealing her beautiful features twisted into something unholy. Mutation? She takes in a deep breath through her nose. "Oh, that's nice," she says, closing her eyes and just savoring something in the air, or maybe being able to breathe. At least it seems to calm her.

Mairin Moran has posed:
    Mairin actually looks Pete over again a little more closely. "Really? That's a facinating subject. Not my area, but still. You sound like you're enjoying it... What are you hoping to do with it?" She shifts the page she's working on and it's a little easier for Peter to see. Ironically, the robot does look a little spider-like. Or, at least, it has a lot of apendages that end in little... Claws? It's hard to say really.

    As Demona takes off her mask, Mairin smiles at her. "You know, Demona. I do think you look much nicer like that. For what it's worth. Beautiful even."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    Demona does not blush, even as her facial expression seems to indicate she should be blushing. She waves dismissively toward Mairin again. "Stop," she says. She looks at Peter to see if he might possibly agree with that, a little bit of a hopeful expression forming.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter looks at Demona and the first thing he thinks of is the Goblin. But that is swiftly replaced by the other aspect of the girl - the backpack, the name...

"Wow...you remind me of a particular Demona. Did you ever see the GARGOYLES show? Cartoon show, but there was one named Demona. She had wings and red hair, Marina Sirtis did her voice..."

No revulsion, but a geeky kind of fascination.

He's seen too much to judge people by how they look by now, and there is that sense of relaxed ease. Peter Parker is no stranger to the odd and unusual.

Wonder how that could happen...

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    Demona gets suddenly VERY excited as Peter recognizes her namesake. "I did!" she says. "That's where I took the name from!" she continues. However, as she gets so excited, she begins to float off the ground. She realizes it and squeaks, her butt thumping down again. She covers her face with embarrassment.
    In a moment, she uncovers her face, the look no longer excited, but curious. A very Sherlock Holmes on the prowl kind of expression. She lets herself float up, now, holding her cap in one hand and her mask in the other. She floats like a ghost over to Peter and takes in a slow breath near him. "Are you a mutant?" she asks before she floats to a more respectful distance and her feet touch the ground. The cute flirting and excitement gone and replaced with quite a serious curiosity, like she just discovered a bong under her best friend's bed.

Mairin Moran has posed:
    Mairin watches this with a look of surprise.. but not as pronounced as you would expect. But then, these days, can anyone really be surprised by anything? New York was invaded by ice giants for god's sake. What surprise she does show, quickly turns into curiosity. Piercing, analyzing curiosity. As if she had gone from quite, rather geeky conversationalist (of a sort) to labratory scientist researching the next major breakthrough in robotics.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter blinks.

He doesn't want to lie. But he can't just blurt it out.
Okay...

"Actually, no...I'm not a mutant." Not a lie. So far, so good. "But there is one guy I spend a lot of time with, in close proximity."
Skatting close to the edge there, Peter Benjamin Parker...
"My main claim to fame is that I take a lot of pictures of Spider-Man for the DAILY BUGLE. I have a tech job now, but that all goes to paying for tuition, so having a photographer job is a decent side hustle."
Still the complete truth. Jeez, having a secret identity is harder than it looks.

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "I'm also not technically a mutant," Demona says, calmly. Her expression softens. "Peter," she says as a soft smile warms her features. "I got in your bubble. I'm sorry about that. Could I ask you out to a movie sometime?" He may smell like a spider, but he's still stupidly cute, and he apparently makes out with Spider-Man! She isn't sure why that's so hot. She imagines Spider-Man hanging up-side down and kissing Peter Parker with mask half off. For some reason the thought amuses her to no end and her smile broadens. Her teeth are ALL razor sharp things, even if she looks super happy right now.

Mairin Moran has posed:
    Mairin can see the two kids have more to talk about and she really doesn't need to be here for it. So she starts packing up her things. "Hvae fun you two. Nice to meet you Peter. Good luck in School." Then she wanders off, a small smile on her face. And for some reason, she has a strong urge to go visit Nettie tonight.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter waves to Mairin, nodding to her as she goes.
However, his face is a little more serious as he looks back to Demona. "Well, Demona, I hate to tell you this, but I am currently seeing someone. Her name's Kara. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't want to hang out with you, Demona. You seem pretty cool as a person, and I would like to introduce you to Kara sometime. She's pretty cool, too."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "Have a good evening, Mairin," Demona says, waving farewell to her friend. She moves to take Mairin's spot. "Oh, geez," she says. "I'm so sorry!" She pulls her hoodie up and tugs it forward, all with her hands full of other stuff. "I feel like such a stupid girl, now." She flips her hood down again and looks at her feet as she says, "I meant what I said, and I don't take it back. You're super cute, and Kara is very lucky." She seems to realize something. "Wait a second," she says, looking at Peter. "You want me to meet her? Like...you still want to be friends with me after I acted like a hormonal, tween fangirl?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter snerks. "Lemme tell you something. My title in Midtown High School was 'The King of Geeks.' No, it was not an assignation of anything REMOTELY like prestige. But I learned a long time ago that it isn't what you look like. It's who you are that counts. So yes, I still want to be friends with you. Why wouldn't I?"

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    Demona shrinks a bit and says, "I guess because I can smell that you smell like spider." She furrows her hairless brows. "Or because I reacted to you like an idiot. I totally lost my Disney Princess, there," she says. "Or because I dress in this," she holds up her skull-themed gas mask to punctuate her statement. "I don't know, a hundred different reasons." She focused herself. Don't ask if he thinks you're pretty. Don't ask if he thinks you're pretty. DON'T ask if he thinks you're pretty.

    "Do you think I'm pretty?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter finished his first Coney Island Red Hot and peered at Demona for a few moments.

"Honestly...? Yes. There is a certain...predatory beauty to you. I think there are many people who would find you very pretty. And if I wasn't dating Kara...I would want to date you. Because you are someone I feel is worth knowing." He unwraps the second chili dog. "Some people would have a problem with how you look. But...well, some people like their little boxes. Because there's always a little risk when meeting someone new. But it's worth the risk."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    Demona couldn't help but smile. "Aww," she lets out. "You make me feel like a teenager again," she says. She smiles at Peter and offers him a fist to bump. "You're the nicest, cutest guy I've ever met, Peter. Can I give you my number without it being creepy, since we've decided to be friends?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter smiles and fistbumps Demona with his free hand. "What say we trade numbers? Then you can have my number, too."
He certainly looks relaxed and casual, as if her looks don't really mean anything.

"These gifts of yours...how do you use them? Do you use them at all?"

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    Demona looks like she should be blushing, but she doesn't blush again. "I shouldn't have flown," she says. "It's honestly easier than walking, most of the time. It takes concentration to make my body do the things I did before the change." She shrugs. "I can do other stuff." The hot dog floats up from the wrapper Peter holds. "I don't really advertize any of this stuff," she says as the dog nestles back down in place. "I'm a machinist. Mechanic. Tinkerer. Prop maker. I build stuff, restore antiques, dance, sing. WHAT I am is less important than WHO I am, you know? Ariel is not defined by Mermaid. Ariel is defined by her singing ability and passion for humanity."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods, smiling wryly. "I believe you. But I think what you do with the gifts you are given count as to your character." He pauses, then adds, "And I TOTALLY think that Elsa from FROZEN is a superheroine princess. No question."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    Demona laughs, smiling genuinely at Peter. "Oh, totally," she says. She exhales, then takes a fresh breath to speak again and says, "I want to help people, Peter. I'm just trying to live a life again, but I so want to help people. I don't really know how. I hide who and what I am. I live in a van. I just want to be a Disney Princess and defeat the bad guys and help people, you know?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "Well...maybe I should intro you to Spider-Man. I know he has his own training gym, totally independent. And I know he's willing to help other people train to do good with their gifts. Because someone getting guidance to be a hero is too busy to become a villain."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    Demona perks up, then centers herself, calming down. "That sounds lovely," she says, calmly, but smiling. "I would love to meet Spider-Man and train with him. I do know a few martial arts techniques. I use them for meditation when I don't have to clense my qi."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "Well, I'm sure he'd want to meet you. I handle a lot of tech for him, as well...how comfortable are you with wearable tech?"

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "Pretty comfortable," Demona says. "I'm not great with software, like, programming and stuff, so it will be a bit of a challenge if that comes up, but otherwise, I'm fine with it. I've always wanted a wearable computer like Leela on Futurama."

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "I helped set up the system. Spidey can show you. It includes an augmented-reality interface, so you either get inserts for a mask, or contact lenses if you don't have a mask."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    Demona holds up her gas mask. "I mean..." she says, looking at it. She pokes her fingers out the eye holes. "I can easily imagine wearing inserts," she says.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods. "I'll code up some. Wonder Woman doesn't wear a mask, so she uses the contact-lens version." He smiles a little at the thought of it. "But you can try them out, see how it works. Not the sort of thing I carry around always, but I can make sure Spidey has something you can use."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "THE Wonder Woman?" Demona asks. She shakes her head. "Okay, learning a lot, tonight," she says. "I'm assuming I shouldn't tell people I'm meeting with Spider-Man," she assumes.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter chuckles. "Yeah. Probably not a great idea. Want me to make sure Spider-Man has your number, in case he needs to coordinate with you? I know he's big on communication with people."

Peter takes out his phone and opens up a notes app.

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "Sure," Demona says. She just calls him on her phone, then says, "I'm gonna go before I get all overwhelmed by your cuteness again." She stands. "It was great to meet you, Peter." She points to him. "If you are ever single, you call me immediately!" she says, in that way that makes it unclear if she's joking or not.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter nods, lifting his second chili dog in salute. "Let's start with hanging out and see where that goes, eh?"

Of course, he could "hang out" in more ways than she might suspect...