i_thwip ordinary life.
Peter Parker stared at the two buildings that faced one another. Across the intersection of Main and Tenth, there were identical buildings with identical displays signifying the same specials in the windows. If The City was a consolidation of separate worlds then this was Lucifer’s domain. He was staring at two independent STARBUCKS.
”YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME – where do I go?”
These moments almost never happened in his normal life. No, these were moments for Spidey. Do we defuse the bomb or try to save the children? Parker counted to ten. At the end of ten? He didn’t have an answer. He decided to go to the one on the right and wait because he was right-handed. No mystical reason. No divine intervention. He had no idea how Lois Lane looked but he took a seat by the window. He imagined she would be dressed professional.
”NOTHING IN MY LIFE IS EVER SIMPLE,” he said into his hand.
Lois was running late, and she had begun to realize the flaw in the plan-she had no idea what Peter Parker looked like, nor did she even know if he was going to be worth the cost of the coffee. She'd certainly met with her share of creeps in this business. But this Peter Parker seemed eager, and a little bit desperate, two things that she would need to convince him to work with her on a story about a mayor who appears to be some sort of monster in his spare time.
After waiting for about twenty minutes at the Starbucks across the street, she stood and stalked out, thoroughly annoyed with Mr. Parker for being a no-show. Twenty minutes was far longer than Lois Lane ever waited for anyone.
As she exited the Starbucks, she found herself face to face with Starbucks number 2, located right across the street.
She swore under her breath, and then hurried across the street, not stopping to look both ways-taking for granted that the cars would stop for her. After all, she was in a crosswalk, and it was their responsibility to stop.
Finally, Lois made it into the second Starbucks, her eyes scanning the patrons. Old woman in a moth-eaten sweater, mumbling to herself. Lois made a face. Definitely not.
Two fourteen year old boys lobbing spitwads at each other. Another face. She certainly hoped not.
Forty year old man, eating by himself. He caught her looking and raised his eyebrows suggestively.
Again, Lois found herself hoping that wasn't Parker.
Finally, her gaze settled on a boy in his early twenties sitting near the window. He appeared to be looking out the window rather intently, as though searching for someone. And he looked slightly overeager, just as Peter had sounded on the phone.
"Peter Parker?" she questioned, approaching him, all signs of her uncertainty on first entering the coffee shop now banished from her face.
From: [info]i_thwip Date: 03/09/2006 06:23:02
Parkers aged well. It had been a curse for his father. In the science field, people respect their wrinkles and their pot-marks. Being tea-stained meant you were worldly. Richard Parker had a baby-face. Richard Parker was the scientist all the interns lusted after. It had been a curse for his father.
Peter had dazed. He hadn’t seen the professional woman cross the street. He hadn’t seen anything. He had been reliving nightmares. Their name was the Sinister Six, a best of collection of his rogue gallery.
She took a seat across from him, mentally taking stock of his features. Appeared to be all-American, also appeared to be fairly normal, albeit a little bit green around the edges.
She offered her hand to shake.
"Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice."
From: [info]i_thwip Date: 03/09/2006 14:46:32
Parker shook her hand. He spied a rather expensive nail-job. It caused a twinge of lonesomeness because a memory of MJ wasn’t a memory that he wanted to deal with right now. Regardless, wherever she was – she was better off now that he wasn’t in her life. Everything had always showed Parker that. Even his own clone had told him, fought him, forced him to leave the costume for an average life because it would be better for MJ.
”WHEN WOMEN RING ME UP TALKING ABOUT UNBELIEVABLE THINGS I HAVE TO SEE – I RARELY SAY NO.”
He decided then to finish through and shake the hand.
His own, gangly, hands folded before him.
”YOU LOOK LIKE YOU HAVE A LOT ON YOUR SCHEDULE TODAY. SO IF I DON’T LOOK DANGEROUS, YOU CAN FILL ME IN ON THIS STORY YOU NEED PICTOGRAPHS FOR.”
However, she wasn't about to go into every detail of the story. Not yet. She was smart enough to know that you couldn't hook someone with something this unbelievable without at least some evidence.
Which, of course, was where Peter came in, hopefully.
"It's about the mayor..." she glanced around nervously and then leaned in, lowering her voice. "I have a feeling he's up to something... less than legal," she confided. "If you're up for the challenge, I need someone who can follow him, take a few pictures. Perhaps catch him in the act."
She felt a small pang of guilt, knowing that there was a chance she was asking him to risk his life. Of course, she fully intended to accompany him on the stakeouts as well.
"I'd be there with you, of course. I just need an extra set of eyes, and a camera, of course." she finished and sat up straighter, folding her hands in front of herself and meeting his gaze confidently. It never did well to show weakness. She had learned that early in the game.
From: [info]i_thwip Date: 03/12/2006 14:02:21
It was Parker’s experience that political figures usually never did anything legal. If they did then secretly they were doing something naughty. He couldn’t remember who it was but someone from the superhero circuit had once told him: for every good man is a sinister shadow of that man. Parker took the occasional sip of his tea. It was still insanely hot but it didn’t burn his tongue any longer.
”I DO HAVE EYES AND I DO HAVE A CAMERA.”
Parker smiled. He understood the risks but that’s what real photographers dealt with. Maybe if Spidey mania ever hit The City then he could always quit Lane’s side.
Lois grinned. So, she hadn't seen his portfolio yet. But he wasn't running from the story. Yet...
This was a good start.
"Whoa there. We still need to discuss fees." She paused and then scribbled a number on the napkin in front of her, pushing it over to him, and gazing expectantly.
From: [info]i_thwip Date: 03/14/2006 09:30:10
Parker eyed the fee. It was decent. He’d been paid better. He gave her a playful look. Parker didn’t have all stuff to pay for as he did back in New York. Most importantly, he didn’t have his life to sustain. May, Spidey and occasionally himself now. That’s all he had on his plate.
”OKAY. OKAY. BUT I’M NOT GOING TO WEAR HIGH-HEELS FOR THAT LOW A PRICE, MISSY.”