InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "My legs! Where are my legs?"

Carol Danvers (cpt_marvel) wrote in snapthread,
@ 2019-04-18 22:47:00

Entry tags:

america chavez (616), bucky barnes (mcu), carol danvers (mcu), clark kent (dctv), clint barton (616), evaan verlaine, gamewide plot, gwen stacy, janet van dyne (avac), kate bishop (616), klaus hargreeves (netflix), loki (616), peter b parker (sv), peter parker (mcu), remus lupin, rose tyler, sirius black, steve rogers (avac), steve rogers (mcu), tony stark (avac), tony stark (mcu), vision (mcu)

Who: Anyone who wants to come by
What: Grand-opening party!
Where: Pancho's Bar
When: Friday Night

The streamers were up (because Jan had insisted), and the bar was as ready as it ever would be. Alcohol was stored in a few make-shift shelves on the back wall and a relatively well-cobbled together bar was freshly polished and ready to go. It wasn't the most well-put-together, place, but Pancho's definitely resembled its namesake in terms of dim lighting, chipped tables and a floor that looked like it should be sticky. All in all, Carol was pretty proud of what they'd made. The minifridge was even a good choice since it allowed them to keep some drinks cold (they were going to have to find a larger one in the future, though).

She had warned Peter that the pizza oven needed to be ready by that evening, but she wasn't sure how on the ball with that he was. She'd been busy doing damage control on some electrical issues they were having with the fridge and double checking to make sure they actually had drinking cups (that took a little bit of maneuvering, but Clint came through with the coffee mugs). Yup, vodka from coffee mugs, a mini-fridge filled with a variety of stolen beers, and mismatched chairs. And, of course, the balloons. The annoying, awful squeaky balloons that had floated into a couple of corners of the room, save for the two that kept dragging on the floor and that Carol dreaded would pop at some point that evening. Definitely professional.

Karaoke was set up in one corner of the room with a make-shift stage and Christmas lights (Yes, more Christmas lights) decorating around it. Old 80s rock music blasted from the speakers for now, and Carol stood behind the bar, ready to serve as needed but more than willing to drag anyone else into the position should they so choose that evening.

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Peter B | Gwen

itsybitsyspidey
2019-04-22 12:51 am UTC (link)

Gwen had been in bars before back in New York City. She and the Mary Janes had played shows in a bunch of clubs and bars whenever Em Jay booked them gigs. And every time, they ended up getting stamped as underage so they couldn't get drinks. It wasn't a huge deal. Honestly, Gwen didn't even know if she could get intoxicated after the spider bite. But maybe she just wanted to see how it tasted? It was pretty normal to be curious about something you'd never had. So when a bar was made and opened in Starklandia, of course she wanted to see what it was all about and hopefully try something. Mr. Stark said she could, so why not?

By the time she got there, it looked like things were in full swing. People were drinking, eating, and talking. All in all, she saw this as being the local hangout so long as there were supplies to keep people eating and drinking. And that was a good thing. They needed a place like that where they could all mix and mingle. Otherwise it was too easy to just stay in their flats and stick with talking to who they knew.

Speaking of who she knew -- a drink slid her way and she caught it, then smirked as she looked to see Alpha Peter there. Who better to give her her first drink than Peter Parker?

"It's pretty freaking amazing," she said, and grinned at him. "You did good, Parker." Gwen peeked into the drink as if she was trying to figure out what it was. She lifted it up and sniffed it. "Okay, so at the expense of sounding totally lame, is this one I sip or chug?"

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Peter B | Gwen

pbandparker
2019-04-22 04:40 am UTC (link)

Peter grinned as Gwen caught her drink, she was good - he liked her a lot and you know maybe he was being a bad influence offering her alcohol but better here than you know somewhere without someone to make sure she'd be okay after. Not that Starklandia was really a place that he felt like any of them really needed to worry - at least he hoped so. His Spider-senses hadn't been exactly wigging out over anyone here so it felt safe enough.

"Thanks," He was pleased and was definitely not trying to like take on some kind of father role he was just like... a brother, yeah a kind of older brother slash mentor that was definitely what this was. Okay friend was probably the word he was looking for, but you know he was figuring it out. "I'm pretty pleased with how it all turned out."

And then Gwen asked about how she should go at the drink he'd offered her and he couldn't help but cast his eyes briefly skyward, oh god he was as old as Carol accused him of being.

"I think probably sipping would be best in this case." He wasn't about to start offering shots as a first drink, maybe they'd work their way up to that, but you know this first time they were going to go slowly. "Here," he raised his glass to hers so they could cheers. "To not making yourself sick tonight." He offered with a teasing grin and took a slow drink from his own cup.

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Peter B | Gwen

itsybitsyspidey
2019-04-22 10:19 pm UTC (link)

Gwen liked Peter a lot, too. It was soothing for her to be around him, and that wasn't something she'd been expecting. Initially, she thought it'd be too painful to be around anyone else named Peter Parker. Having two versions die in her arms would do that to a person. But this Peter didn't give her that heart-breaking feeling. Maybe it was because he was older that it helped her so much. He'd survived plenty; it gave her hope she wasn't going to have to lose him, too. Maybe that was why she spent more time with him than Youngling Peter. That was too deep for her to really think about. Especially when she was about to have some alcohol.

"Sipping, got it," she said, with a little salute. "If this place was in New York City, I'd totally convince the girls in my band to play a show. Well, first I'd have to make them not mad at me. Then I could see if we could put on a show at Pancho's." She lifted her mug again, and took a sip. More of a swig. Kind of less than a gulp. As soon as it hit her taste buds she made a face. "Whoa, damn," she said, still making that face. But after it went down and the burn settled from her throat down into her belly, she tilted her head. "Huh. Well, that's different." She sipped it again, a little less this time.

"Tell me things. Not Spider things. Just things you like." She wanted to know if Peter Parkers had similar interests.

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Peter B | Gwen

pbandparker
2019-04-22 11:29 pm UTC (link)

Gwen was - well she was a lot like the Gwen he'd know and Peter found that a special kind of comfort, but he actually had the chance to get to know this Gwen, they didn't have to spend their time figuring out a way to stop Kingpin or how to keep Miles safe until he figured out how to be Spider-Man, or any of those things that had kept them all from being able to actually just sit down and talk before. It was good - not being alone in the world was good, and Gwen helped to remind him of that.

"You know we'd have you guys on in a heartbeat," Peter was quick to assure her because of course they would, if he could get up and sing really bad Karaoke of course they'd have Gwen and her actual band play them some real music and give everyone a break from the assault that was bound to come when they got the Karaoke going for real.

He watched Gwen take her first drink with his own mug held up, hiding his grin behind the vessel but unable to hold back a huff of laughter when she made a face. "Yeah it's definitely something," He agreed. Beer might have been a better start, but beer was shit okay, sure he drank it - but that was because he was divorced and lame, but Gwen, she deserved better than bad beer.

"Just things I like?" He paused to consider that, "Well let's see. Pizza obviously, nothing beats a slice of pepperoni - especially when you can get it delivered to you rooftop." He sighed wistfully at the memory of that. "I love the Mets, did you ever go to any games? My Uncle Ben, we used to go to games together when I was a kid, those were some of the greatest of all time. Never could give it up - not even after- well after." He shrugged, he'd thought it would be too difficult for a while, to do something that he and Ben had always done together, but it had still been great, just in a different way.

"What about you? Tell me about that band of yours." That was a kind of cool Peter could never aspire to and he loved that it was something Gwen had.

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Peter B | Gwen

itsybitsyspidey
2019-04-23 12:04 am UTC (link)

Gwen really did want to hear about Peter's life. She knew all about her own Peter's, and part of her wanted to think that this Peter had it better. He'd lost too much, but there had to be some good things, right? Gwen had good things. Well, she had good things. They were just kind of not so good right now. She hoped they'd be good again one day. At least here things were pretty good. Weird, but good.

She took another sip of her drink and swallowed it a little slower that time. The burn didn't take her by surprise that time, which was good. It allowed her to enjoy it more even if she did make that face again.

"Peter's uncle Ben took us before," she said. She smiled a little. "He used to get us corn dogs. I like them even better than pizza. Feel like that's kind of blasphemy being a New Yorker but, what can I say?"

The band was a little complicated. She was really up and down with the girls, more so down in recent weeks back home. "The band? I mean he kind of went viral with one of our songs. The Mary Janes. Em Jay's our fearless leader. That girl has ambition coming out of her pores. I love playing drums though. I can tune everything else out except the beat. It helps me focus."

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Peter B | Gwen

pbandparker
2019-04-23 01:38 am UTC (link)

He smiled when Gwen told him that she'd been able to go with Peter and Ben that was a really nice thought, that it wasn't all just the terrible loss that Gwen had suffered with Peter, but they'd had some good times too. "Man Ben always did love a hot dog at the games, I can't believe you guys got corn dogs though, that's like...." He shivered like the thought of it was entirely implausible. she was right, it was definitely blasphemy.

"Oh no way! You guys went viral?" He was delighted by the idea of that, and then she told him that she played with MJ, not his of course but a version and well... that was something he hadn't expected and he wanted to know more immediately and at the same time didn't it was complicated. "So does she... she sings?" Yeah very chill, Parker.

"I don't think I could ever do anything like that," Not just because he had no actual musical ability whatsoever, but because he didn't think he could handle that many eyes on him like that. It was one thing as Spider-Man he had a mask on to hide him from the worst of the looks if there were any, and it was a layer of protection that helped him do these things. But as Peter Parker he was kind of an awkward weirdo who did better on his own.

"You're pretty brave to do all of that." He truly did feel like Gwen was a kind of brave that he wasn't, and this was just further proof of that.

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Peter B | Gwen

itsybitsyspidey
2019-04-23 01:55 am UTC (link)

Gwen laughed when he teased her about the corndogs. It felt good to laugh with someone like Peter. It was different than laughing with someone who didn't really get it. Laughs were few and far between in her life back home. Everything was so serious. Even when she was throwing sarcastic quips and witty jabs at her foes or making ironic statements about the state of her life in her head, she never really laughed about it because everything was always so dire. Every time she thought she was gaining ground or making up for something she was being blamed for, something else happened. All in the daily life of a friendly neighborhood Spider-Woman, she supposed. Maybe that was why this moment felt so precious. She thought, maybe, it might be precious to Peter, too. They both could appreciate it in a different way than others, at least.

"Oh, I'm not the brave one," she said, and laughed again. "I get to be in the back behind a drum set. I mean, yeah, I guess it's kind of a novelty to be a girl drummer but most people are looking at Em Jay, Glory, and Betty. Em Jay does sing lead. We all do back up. But she's lead and plays guitar. She's usually the one doing most of the hustle to get us out there. I'm probably the laziest. I just want to hit things with my sticks and eat corndogs." She grinned, then took another sip of drink. "You want to know anything else about her? Em Jay, I mean." No need to beat around the bush. Gwen was too blunt for that. "She's pretty cool. Kind of bossy and cut throat, but you kinda have to be doing what she's doing for the band."

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Peter B | Gwen

pbandparker
2019-04-23 03:51 am UTC (link)

Peter thought maybe she was a little bit wrong about not being brave, even if she did get to sit back with the drums while the other girls were out in front, she was still there of course. but he grinned while Gwen told him a little bit more about it all. It was kind of amazing, to hear about the kind of life she lead about the things she did, it was a kind of special that Peter didn't quite have a name for, because she was living the same kind of life he had, scrambling to figure it out, how to be this kind of hero and still have a life of your own as well.

"Anyone ever tell you, you've got a strange obsession with corn dogs?" He wondered raising an eyebrow and taking another sip of his drink. It was good though that she had something like that, the corn dogs and the band and that it wasn't all lost with Peter.

Yeah Peter wasn't subtle at all, and at least Gwen was willing to just get it out there in the open, it wasn't like it was his MJ of course but you know he couldn't help but be curious. He still flushed a little though at the offer of more information. "That sounds like MJ," He agreed nodding when Gwen described her as a little bit bossy, "She's always known what she wants out of life." He spoke like he knew Gwen's version even though that was impossible, "I always liked that about her."

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Peter B | Gwen

itsybitsyspidey
2019-04-23 07:18 pm UTC (link)

Part of the reason Gwen actually liked being in Starklandia was because she could finally stop. She wasn't having to avoid Frank Castle or Matt Murdock, she wasn't ghosting her dad's phone calls or feeling like shit for missing another band rehearsal because she was was fending off the city from more Lizard monsters. She didn't have to avoid looking up for fear of seeing another billboard spray painted with graffiti calling Spider-Woman a murderer. She wasn't at a constant tug-of-war with herself, feeling awful for not being Gwen enough, or not being Spidery enough.

"Oh yeah, I've got a problem," Gwen said. "But that's the first step, right? Admitting it? But I mean, I'm not really looking to quit them so." She shrugged and drank down a little more of the liquid in her cup. It was more yummy now.

Gwen didn't mind talking about Em Jay. She had such a rollercoaster of a relationship with her, but knew she'd never really break away from her even when she drove her nuts. Really, she was surprised Em Jay and the other girls hadn't just given up on her. Sometimes she thought the only reason they hadn't was because they didn't think they could replace her in the band. But there was a part of her that really hoped it was because they loved her like a sister despite all her issues.

"We get into spats a lot but I guess that's kinda normal," she said. "As soon as I can get my iPod charged again you can listen to some of our songs if you want." Gwen leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand. She was feeling a little warm in her belly. "Man, I bet they're so sore at me. I've never been gone this long before."

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Peter B | Gwen

pbandparker
2019-04-23 08:18 pm UTC (link)

He laughed when she compared it to an addiction and shrugged, "Well as long as you can make peace with your weirdness I guess it's not that much of a problem." He teased, but as far as addictions went corn dogs weren't all that bad and if they worked for Gwen well who was he to try and deny her.

Peter didn't think he'd ever get used to the multiverse, sure they were here in it, the proof of it right before him but knowing there was other versions of MJ out there, younger, in bands, but still sounding like his MJ well that was something that was a little more difficult for him to wrap his mind around. "I keep wondering the same thing," Not that he had people wondering about where he was all the time the way Gwen would, but you know maybe someone would notice. His land lord at least, shit he had definitely lost his lease at this point.

"This is a record for me too, I don't know what's going to happen when we get back," He sighed that was a scary thought, and the longer they were here the scarier it got. What would he tell MJ? Would she even have noticed? He hoped maybe she would, surely she'd realize he'd stopped calling her and then hanging up halfway through, that wouldn't go unnoticed, would it? God he needed another drink.

"I'm kind of hoping that we all get spit back out again where we left off." He didn't know how that would work really, but the idea was kind of nice, and it'd help smooth things over a lot better if that ended up being the case.

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Peter B | Gwen

itsybitsyspidey
2019-04-24 11:53 am UTC (link)

Gwen had traveled the multiverse more than once now, but this was different. She'd never been stuck in it where she couldn't go home. But while she'd experienced it before, she didn't think she'd ever get used to it either. Even knowing there were other Gwen Stacy's out there, she still found it weird. As far as she knew, not many of the other Gwen's had powers. The one this Peter knew did, but they weren't certain if she was that Gwen or not. Her story sounded incredibly similar, but Gwen hadn't experienced the things Peter had yet. So she could be, but there was no way to know for sure. Not unless they went back and she did end up meeting him down the road.

"Yeah, that'd make it easier. Wouldn't have to explain where we've been for so long," Gwen said. "Time doesn't really seem to make a difference." There were people in Starklandia who did know each other from the same worlds, but had come from different points in time. "Only thing is, what if we get sent back and don't remember any of this? I mean, I guess it wouldn't affect us at that point because we wouldn't remember what we had here, but --" Gwen didn't really want to finish that thought. She didn't want to think about forgetting Peter or Mr. Stark or Jan or America or anyone else she'd met who she'd really come to care for. It'd be just her luck, though. Losing people she cared for kind of seemed to be a trend for Spider-People.

"Can I have another one of these? I promise I won't puke," she said, and pushed her now empty cup toward him. "We still gotta go up and sing, y'know." A much happier and lighter subject to bring up. One she felt far better about in every way.

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Peter B | Gwen

pbandparker
2019-04-24 11:41 pm UTC (link)

Now that was something Peter hadn't thought of, forgetting what they'd done here, that they'd been here at all, and who they'd met. That was something Peter didn't want to imagine, "Come on, you forget this face?" He said pointing at himself and pulling a face at her before shaking his head, "Not gonna happen, there isn't a power in the multiverse that can take that out of your head." He promised her, because it was a scary thought, having this taken away.

He didn't want to go back to the life he had before he'd found out about the multiverse, any he certainly didn't want to forget the people he'd met here, not Gwen and not Tony, or Carol. That was just, yeah no not thinking about that, it wasn't going to happen. They might not be from the same worlds, but they were a part of him and his life now and he didn't want to give that up.

"Yeah, I think we both could use another." He agreed, grabbing the bottle and giving them both a little more, it thinking about losing this was definitely a sobering sort of thought and he needed to take the edge off again.

Of course then Gwen was there to snap him out of it and he snorted softly, "I don't think you're ready to hear what I can do up there, you know." He warned her, "But I'm ready whenever you are, and this time you're gonna be right out in front with me."

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Peter B | Gwen

itsybitsyspidey
2019-04-26 06:57 pm UTC (link)

Peter had a way of being reassuring that Gwen hadn't realized she'd been missing in her life. And it wasn't in that cheesy, lame, over reaching way that didn't really help anything. It was just nice and comforting. Him teasing her about not being able to forget his face made her smile. Gwen didn't want to forget anyone she met here, and especially not Peter. What she hoped was that if they were all sent back to their homes and retained their memories, she could use the fancy gadget British Peter Parker gave her to travel the multiverse and find him, and Mr. Stark, and Jan, and anyone else she wanted to visit. Best not to dwell on it and just take each moment as it passed.

And right now that moment was karaoke with Peter Parker. Well, after second drink. Second drink first.

"Thanks," she said when Peter agreed and poured her a drink. Gwen wanted to feel that buzz she had before come back. "I'm pretty tough. I can handle plenty." It'd definitely be different to stand on stage and sing rather than sort of sing sitting behind a drum set, but she was ready to try it. "You gotta pick the song. And we gotta throw in some cheesy dance moves."

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