Gwen Stacy (chocolate_house) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-01-27 23:44:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !complete, billy horrible, gwen stacy (ghost spider) |
Who: Gwen Stacy and Billy Horrible!
When: When she’s arrived
Where: LAUNDROMAT
What: Because I wanna.
Rating: Low
Status: Complete!
Gwen got to her cheap ass apartment in the OC, and opened the clothes washer to wash the clothes that she wore on the three day trip cross country. But she gave a squeal at the horrible stench, and closed it back up again. No. Freakin. Way.
She gathered up all of her unwashed things and headed to a laundromat to pop some quarters in. She really was going to have to get a new washer and dryer. Or, at least, call someone in to service the machines that came in her apartment. She had her basket under her arm and was looking around the place, trying to figure out which machine to use. It was her first time ever at a laundromat that wasn’t attached to a dorm, or something, see.
Billy Horrible, on the other hand, used the laundromat often. It was better than waiting for the bunch of jerks in his building to actually take their goddamn clothes out of the dryer when they were done. And at least here he could pretend that he left his apartment every now and then. Or pulled himself away from his computer anyway.
Not that he ever really did, as he was staring at the internet on his phone.
Gwen moved into the room and found a machine next to some guy on his phone. She opened it up with a little clang, and started to put her clothes in. It felt a bit strange to be washing her private undergarments in public. Well, more public than the laundry room in the dorms or at her old apartment, anyway.
Billy looked up, a little oblivious and surprised at the fact that someone was standing pretty much directly next to him. He pulled his phone a little closer to his chest and rose his eyebrows at the girl. “What?”
Gwen turned at the sound of the voice. “What?” She asked, as if he’d said something to her that she hadn’t heard.
Billy paused, taking a full second to really take in what was going on. “Oh,” he said, giving a little twitch, because... well. Because. “Uhm. Nothing. You just kind of...appeared.”
What a twitchy, funny guy. Gwen glanced around her, again, wondering why there were so many funny people in the OC, then looked back at him. “I... walked up. And started loading the wash. No appearing, I promise.”
Billy finally stuck his phone into his pocket, to resist and urges of looking at it again. He smiled then, a nearly apologetic sort of look. “Sorry,” he said. “You’re right. If people could instantly materialize, I’d hope they found places cooler than the laundry mat to do it in.”
Gwen gave a little chuckle. “Yeah, like... a bank vault? Though, getting into one of those is only the beginning, so I hear.” She said, softly. “Apparently you need all kinds of keys. It’s not like in the movies where you just see huge bags with dollar signs on them sitting around on shelves inside the vault.”
“That’s a shame,” said Billy a little sadly, because he’d always kind of wanted to see how easy or not robbing a bank would be. Sometimes he thought that the banks too a little much credit, and if someone smart enough tried.... well. Anyway.
“Still. There are better places. I mean. At least somewhere where half the people aren’t dressed as if they’d forgotten washing their clothes was something people did on a regular basis.”
“Right. A place that’s...” She looked around at the run-down machines, frowning a bit at the dirty floor and stained walls. “...cleaner.” Gwen added, with a nod.
“There are better laundromats,” Billy said, vaguely sympathetic over her expression. “Some have good wifi and cafes. This one just happens to be... well. Cheap.”
“...cafes? Really?” Gwen asked, sounding interested. That would be much better than this, she thought. “This one just happens to be close to my new, crappy apartment.” She added, closing the lid and turning the wash on. “Wifi’s pretty important. I saw you... clacking away.” She said, putting her hands in front of her and waggling her thumbs, as if impersonating someone texting.
“Really,” he agreed. “This isn’t my usual place either. But apparently tomato sauce stains?” He was awkward about it, but what could you do. “And yeah... wifi,” he patted his pocket where his phone was and gave a sheepish grin. “Good thing for a G4 phone network?”
“Yeah.” Gwen said with a little nod and a smile. She pulled her phone out and held it up. “I figure maybe I can get something done while the clothes are washing. What do you normally do while you wait?”
“Honestly?” Billy said, raising a brow. “I troll the internet.” He wasn’t even sure if he was trying to be funny or not.
Gwen gave a little snort of good-natured laughter. “Troll? You troll?” She asked, playfully. “I lurk. I’m a lurker.” She pulled out her own phone and held it up. “Where have you been trolling lately?”
“I’ve been trying to right the wrongs of youtube,” he said, before giving a tiny laugh. “Just kidding. That’s impossible. Mostly I chat a bit on the ‘Net part. You know, the local journals.”
“The local journals?” Gwen asked. “Valarnet? A buddy of mine linked me, but I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet.” She said, softly, clicking her phone on. “Is it worth... y’know... looking into?”
“I find it to be advantageous,” Billy said, giving a half shrug, and pulling his phone out of his pocket as well. If she was going to encourage his antisocial behavior, it wasn’t his fault. “You can meet some cool people.”
"Yeah?" Gwen asked, glancing from her phone up to him, then back down to hers again. "Who have you met on there so far? My friend logs on, but I haven't signed up for it yet. Maybe I'll do that today."
“You should,” Billy said. “I’ve met a few people. A really nice lady who fixes cars. Uhm. You know. Other people.”
“A gal who fixes cars? Sounds like a powerhouse.” Gwen said, giving a grin. “I mean, normally guys do that sort of work.” Beat. “Says the female programmer.” She said, giving a sheepish grin. “I’m also in a field mostly dominated by men. I’ll have to meet her. My car needs an oil change. Does she do that sort of thing?”
Billy rose an eyebrow, and looked away from his phone and at her. “What kind of programming? And yeah, she’s a powerhouse all right. You’d like her, probably. And I don’t know why someone who fixes cars wouldn’t do oil changes.”
“Back end stuff.” Gwen said with a little shrug. “I’m not actively working right now, but my degree’s in computer science.” She turned her attention to her phone and clicked open the valarnet thing to sign up for an account.
“Get out of town,” Billy said, wondering how it was possible that every single pretty, insanely intelligent girl in California ended up just nearly dropping into his lap. “I have a Doctorate in Engineering Sciences.”
“Really?” Gwen brightened, forgetting her phone for a moment and turning to him with twinkles in her eyes. “What a crazy coincidence. I finished up about a year ago from MIT. I’m just... Still have to defend my thesis. Wow.” She could hardly believe that she’d met another computer junkie randomly in a laundromat.
Suddenly, she gave a little gasp of comprehension. “Oh, my gosh. You’re him. You’re the Horrible guy.” She said, lifting her hand to point her index finger at him. It was very... well, rude. Unintentionally so, of course.
He couldn’t blame her, of course. He was kind of a big deal. … On the internet. But still. He rose his eyebrows and did his very best to look a bit taken aback by her words. “Well, I happen to think that I’m a pretty decent guy, actually.”
“Oh my god!” Gwen laughed, going rather pink. “No, that’s not what I... I mean...” And she shook her head a bit, grinning. “I bet you get that a lot, don’t you?”
He really hadn’t been able to help himself. “I get it sometimes,” he said. “I mean. I’m not a huge celebrity except for in a tiny corner of the internet.” Shrugging, he grinned. “But yeah. I am that Horrible guy.”
“You look so different in person. Maybe I have a crappy monitor.” Gwen said, giving him a grin. “Wow. My first celebrity sighting in California. Can I have your autograph?” She asked, playfully. She wasn’t really serious. Not really. Okay, maybe a little.
He wasn’t really sure if she was being serious either -- which was kind of weird. Then again, he was always a little bad at actually gauging people. “I think I left my autographing pen in my other jeans,” he said, and it was kind of a bad joke, considering that they were at a laundromat.
Gwen gave another laugh. “Right. And I don’t have anything for you to sign, anyway.” She added, glancing around. “We’ll have to do it another time.”
“I guess we will,” Billy said, amused. “Maybe at a better laundomat.”
“The one with the cafe?” Gwen said, breaking into a grin. “I could absolutely go for a mocha right now.” She added, glancing around the room. “There isn’t even a candy machine or anything.”
Billy looked around, as if just noticing the place had... well. Nothing. Except maybe a bathroom that homeless people had taken over at some point.
“How much longer does your washer have?” he asked, peering over at the machine. “There’s a coffee shop just up the street. We could slip out.”
“Uh...” Gwen turned around to glance at it. “Twenty minutes? We totally have time.” She said, giving him a smile. “Sure no one’s gonna come in here and steal our clothes?”
“Does that actually really happen?” Billy asked, eye twitching ever so slightly at the thought. “Who steals wet clothes? No. That won’t happen.”
“I don’t know. I’ve never used a laundromat before.” Gwen said, giving one more glance around, as if things had changed since the last one. “Okay, lead the way to this coffee shop.” She added, giving him a smile and grabbing her purse.