14927/Spidey, not Spidey

Spidey, not Spidey
Date of Scene:	12 April 2023
Location:	Back alley way.
Synopsis:	Angelica and Gwen crossed paths and went for pizza. They ended up bonding over a mutual friend and then putting a beat down on some petty criminals.
Cast of Characters:	Firestar, Ghost Spider

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Firestar has posed:
Walking down the street, Angelica makes her way towards a potential quick dinner before calling it a night. She is wary of course, these are the streets of New York after all. Even if she could melt the average street thug to a mass of non living goo, she does try to avoid the potential run in. It takes a little longer to walk that way, but still it pays to be vigilant.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen is, well, Spidering. So it's not Gwen, it's GHOST SPIDER. Currently, she's not swinging, but instead prowling across rooftops, making little hops between and just generally prowling about like some kind of, well, spider. So situation normal.

It's about then that she peeks her head out and spots a familiar redhead. From that restaurant the other day. She considers. It's been a pretty quiet bit of patroling, it must be a low crime day, which is always nice. She withdraws from the lip of the building and scurries off.

A FEW MOMENTS LATER

Gwen Stacy, certainly not Ghost Spider, pops out of a nearby alley, nearly running into Angelica! "Oh, man! Sorry!" She stops, tilting her head and clicking the barbell in her tongue against her teeth. "Hey, I know you. The restaurant the other day. ... Angelica, right?"

Firestar has posed:
Watching for gang tyes, she is still a little surprised by Gwen's appearance. She takes a quick metal note of the surroundings as she knows things could potentially turn. She does smile at least and offers a slightly nod,"Angelica yes." she replies,"I remember you as well. That was a good place to eat, but crowded." She feigns a shudder.

"Gwen wasn't it?" she asks trying to put a name to the face,"It was a little chaotic even at the table. Everyone seemed pretty nice, still a little too crowded for my taste."

Ghost Spider has posed:
"That's me! Gwen is correct, that's cool you remembered. I'm not that memorable, not in that crowd, anyway. With the ...werewolf and the girl with the cool boots."

She's underselling herself again, but that's a Spider Trait.

"Just walkin' down these scary streets, or got a destination in mind?" She pauses, hefting her suspiciously light looking backpack. "Mind some company?"

Firestar has posed:
"I struggle to remember people sometimes, but there was something about you." she replies with a shrug,"I guess you were memorable." She smiles at the recollection of those gathered,"It was certainly an interesting gathering."

She shrugs and admits,"I was looking for dinner and then make my way back to the hotel I am staying at. Almost set up with a new home, but it takes time." Looking back down the alley way she frowns thoughtfully and then looks back at Gwen with a nod,"I would love some company yes."

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen just nods, her smile open and friendly. "It must have been my absolute inability to shut my damn mouth," she says with a self depreciating laugh. "I get that, though. Real estate in this town is a bi--pain. Sorry, trying to not swear so much."

She moves into step with Angelica, all grace and long limbs. "I could eat anyway. Let's find something good."

Firestar has posed:
Settling into an easy stride, Angelica chuckles softly,"I don't know. A friend of mine told me once the introverts notice the extroverts and are wary. Extroverts notice introverts, adopt them, and drag them along. Nothing wrong with that." She chuckles softly and adds,"I stil forget to use the lady like language sometimes. I won't tell if you don't."

Up ahead, there is a bistro on the right, a street taco stand, and a pizza parlor,"You like pizza Gwen?" she asks, for some reason feeling more inclined towards something inside."

Ghost Spider has posed:
"I am a textbook extrovert. Don't let my Biochem degree or job fool you. ...Or is that the other way around? I'm a giant nerd with a Biochem degree, don't let my extroverted and mouthy nature fool you?" She shrugs helplessly. "But I do that kind of thing. Adopt people, make them come see live shows and do fun stuff," she says. "Damn, I guess I am an extrovert."

She gives Angelica a fake leer, sticking the barbell through her teeth. "Wanna be adopted and do dope things?"

She draws the metal bit back into her mouth and looks between the bistro and the pizza joint. "Who doesn't love pizza?" Then, without warning, she grabs Angelica's arm and drags her towards the pizza joint. ... She seems a little, or maybe a lot, stronger than her build says she should be.

Firestar has posed:
The speed with which this one moves verbally and physically is almost too much for Angelica to keep up with. Each time she starts to reply, Gwen shifts gears. She smirks after a few times and lets Gwen talk her way through, raising the brow and laughing softly when she does the barbell bit,"I mean it's possible."

Before she can reply more she only gets an,"Urk." as Gwen drags her off towards the pizza joint,"Pizza it is." she replies as she follows after. Her eyes catch a glimpse of someone sketchy moving their way, but they are ahead enough sketchy would have to follow them inside, so he doesn't get a warm warning shot.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen is a motormouth with a short seeming attention span. It's not really that short, but it just seems that way. She just ... thinks quickly. It's a Spider thing, honestly. Whether she notices Sketchy Dude or not, she doesn't let on.

She totally does, that tingle at the base of her skull is, even when not super forceful, loud.

Dragging her new pal into the pizza joint, she takes a deep breath. "I love these places. They always smell so awesome." She clicks the barbell again, eyes flickering the way they came. "Wanna do slices, or be real bad and split a whole one? We'll get stuffed and have leftovers to take with us after!"

Firestar has posed:
Once they are in the building she looks back, noticing Gwen looking back again. She doesn't comment. She does look at the goon this time, locking eyes with him and raising a brow. Does she scare him? Probably not, but now he knows that they know.

Attention on more important things, pizza with a new gal pal. She hmms thoughtfully and admits,"Might as well be bad. I was bad with my old friend Peter and a pizza anyway. Might as well annihilate my diet." Of course, only after she says it does she realize just exactly how wrong that last statement can be taken and blushes,"That is...I mean." She sighs,"Damn. I can't take me anywhere."

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen peruses the pizza menu. She knows what she likes, but not what Angelica likes. "I'm partial to meatballs on a pizza. What about you? It's on me, so go nuts."

Biochemistry (and modeling) means she's not broke. It's great.

Whether the dude following them is forgotten, or just written off for the moment is hard to tell. Especially when she namedrops. "I know a Pete too," she says with a smile. "It'd be hilarious if it was the same guy, but this city's too big for that. ... It's not Peter Parker, is it?"

Firestar has posed:
"I've been living in Canada the lsat few years so as pizza goes I am good for about anything." she replies. There is a hesitance when Gwen says she will pick it up, but doesn't argue,"Meatballs and extra cheese sounds fantastic." she agrees.

Her eyes light up in recognition of the name and a hint of amusement crosses her face as she raises her hand about Peter's height and replies,"About so tall, dark hair, dark eyes, the mind of a mad scientist, the sanity of the best possible parenting of the sweetest aunt ever, and all the social graces of an awkward teenager on his first date...sound familiar?" She winks and nods,"I love Peter to death and I am just as awkward as he is. He's the greatest and I think we play off of each other's awkward and manage to make good friends."

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen makes the order. It's obscene. Large, meatballs and extra cheese. Luckily Spidering burns a lot of calories. A. Lot. She won't even notice it, really.

Then there's confirmation, and Gwen cackles with laughter. it's not quite unhinged, but it's genuine and amused and boisterous. "That's Pete. We grew up together. Even dated for a while, but it wasn't...We're way better as friends," she says with a shrug, taking their order number placard and moseying to a table. "He's still one of the best people I've ever met, and I love him like a brother."

Firestar has posed:
She smiles as Gwen makes the order, shaking her head incredulously. Dieting is for quitters anyway. She smiles when Gwen starts laughing, then laughs a little as well. She turns her head to the side a little as if something clicks in place,"Gwen...Stacy?" Putting the provervial 1 and 1 together,"I have heard your name a few times yes. I agree though, he is one of the best people in the world. If you need to count on someone it is Peter Parker. Well...when it's urgent. Otherwise, well you might wait a little while."

Ghost Spider has posed:
"That's me. The incredible, unreplacable Gwen Stacy. ...He better have said nice things about me!" Gwen laughs, knowing that Pete wouldn't ever say anything bad about her. Ever. Sassy things, sure. Exasperated things, absolutely. Never bad. Just like she would never say bad stuff about him!

"Pete has a ... lot on his plate. A lot. I'm glad he's doing okay, it's been a minute since we've hung out. If he can be there, he will. If it's an emergency, he'll absolutely be there."

Firestar has posed:
She laughs again, loosening up some as they find a seat,"He sang your praises I promise." she assures her,"In his Peter Parker way." Probably some sas in those descriptions, but that's just Peter. She slips her jacket off and settles into the seat a little.

The mention of his plate gets a knowing nod,"Understatement with that guy. Maybe some night the three of us can get together or something, drag him out to actually have fun. He is probably the hardest worker I have ever known and always trying to take care of everyone around him, but never takes care of himself."

Ghost Spider has posed:
"He's ... He's always just Pete. No matter what he's doing, he's always true to who he is and what he believes," Gwen says with a nod. "And I'd like that, I think. I haven't seen Pete in a while."

Gwen is a creature of sass and teasing. She puts her elbows on the table and leans forward, blue eyes glinting in the light. "So, are you sweet on him? I won't tell anyone. Promise. Just between us girls."

Gwen, you nosy little...

Firestar has posed:
"I will try to arrange that sure." she arees, understanding only too well what "Pete is Pete" means. She notes the change in her and the questions pops out. It was bound to happen after all. She looks at the table for a moment and pushes her hair back a little.

"Like you said. Pete is Pete. I do love him, but at least for the time being it is more of a sibling thing, but not completely if that makes sense. I just know there are some....things that get in the way. Some are pretty heavy weights to try and move." She sighs a little and forces a smile,"I guess some part of my heart will always hold a place for Peter Parker, but I don't know if either of us are in he right place for anything like that or ever will be. Close friends for sure, but..." she shrugs,"...I'm bad at relationships and would worry I screw up what we already have too. Thanks Dad. Good confidence booster you are." The last clearly a sarcastic barb at her dad.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen leans back, listening. Her expression goes ... somewhere. It's really hard to read. She clicks that barbell a couple times against her teeth in thought. Does she know? Does she know Pete's secret? She ponders a moment, reting to decide if she should broach the subject. Maybe just a little hint that would seem innocuous to anyone who didn't know the secret, but would be a heavy, heavy hint. What to say, though?

"Yeah, he's really tied up a lot. Stuff always seems to stick to the wall with him."

Her look is different. Pointed and direct to see what Angelica's reaction is to these loaded words.

Firestar has posed:
A poker player she isn't, but she manages to mostly keep a straight face. There is a flicker of recognition to what Gwen in saying, but a little hesitation to own that at first. She rests her arms on the surface of the table and finally nods,"He is. It does." she agrees finally. She is a little reluctant, but Gwen seems to know more than Angelica had given her credit for. It makes sense, Gwen said they dated before after all,"Always busy that one."

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen's eyes flicker around, making sure that they really aren't being observed. The place is noisy and no one is paying attention, except maybe the occasional look at the two pretty girls. Because they're pretty girls and Gwen has eyebrow piercings.

She leans forward, meeting Angelica's eyes. "Believe me, I know Pete's .... side hustle. With the ...uniform. It's tough. Really tough." She bites her lip, feeling...exposed. "I have it too," she says, throwing herself back against the booth.

She was still pretty vague, but if Angelica knows, then she knows. If she's a friend of Pete's....she can be trusted, right?

Firestar has posed:
Leaning forward when Gwen does, she pauses a little surprised at her revelation. She raises a brow, knowing that is a ridiculous risk that Gwen just put out there. She looks around the place a little and says,"Since I don't really have a place right now that is safe, do you have some place we can go to talk a little easier?" she asks. She uses her nod to indicate all the people around. She does pause and assures her,"Your secret is safe with me. I understand secrets only too well."

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen breathes a heavy sigh of relief. Angelica knows, and this wasn't a terrible plan that will get people murdered!

That's when the pizza shows up. It's huge. "Could we get that to go, actually? Sorry!" The mutters trail off as the guy wanders off for a moment, then returns with a huge box, setting it on the table. "Thanks!" Gwen beams up at him, using her best 'I'm A Model And Know How To Smile And Get My Way' smile.

"I've got a place. It's ... a bit of a trip, but, heh. We got time, right?" She scoops up the pizza and stands, waiting for Angelica before she makes for the door.

Firestar has posed:
She might not be a model, but the shy smile Angelica offers is a winner in its own way. She nods to Gwen, knowing the level of relief she is feeling right now,"It's OK." she assures her softly and waits for the guy to come back,"And yes. We have time. I don't have school start up for a while yet so sleep is a sometimes thing.

Since Gwen has the pizza she opens the door. The two of them walk out into the waiting street again. The bad thing about bad minded people, they tend to linger. Angelica sees them probably just after Gwen gets the warning. She sighs and mutters,"Give them credit. They are patient."

Ghost Spider has posed:
The instant she steps from the door, she can feel them. She sighs, shaking her head. "Yeah, but they're real dumb, Angelica," Gwen says, holding the pizza in one hand. "You don't want any of this. Just go peddle your papers elsewhere."

She looks at her self and groans. "I hate fighting in a skirt. Guys always get weird ideas about it."

Her body language shifts, sliding to a more ready stance, still with pizza in hand. Like she's going to throw down holding it. Mostly because she will.

Firestar has posed:
"Yeah." she mutters darkly as the three of them start their way. One of them has a pipe, one a knife, and the other has his hand in his pocket. Angelica takes a moment to look up and around. One of the thugs grunts and laughs, trying to scare them.

"No cameras that I can see." she mutters to Gwen,"Aside from the one inside the pizza place. Bound to be something. One probably has a gun. I have our exit, but we have to neutralize the gun if that is what it is." She apparently has seen some trouble in her time.

Her eyes fix on the one with his hand in his pocket,"Last chance boys. Girl talk. Nothing you want any part of. Find something else to do." Her voice, while shy before has a tone of someone that maybe isn't unfamiliar with street violence.

Ghost Spider has posed:
She stage whispers to Angelica. "I can handle this if you want. Three chumps is a snooze." She doesn't even need her web shooters for this, though they are in her bag. She really needs to make more concealable ones.

She just shrugs then. "Your funeral." Still holding the pizza, Gwen launches herself at the guy with a hand in his pocket. It's inhuman. Just one second she's by Angelica, the next she's crossed the short distance. Using her speed to her advantage, she lashes out with her free hand to grab him by his jacket and twists at the hips. It's a pretty textbook judo toss, just backed up by SPIDER STRENGTH.

And of course she hucks him at his friend with the knife.

Firestar has posed:
Angelica starts to reply, only to realize she would be talking to herself. She raises a brow and nods, Gwen really does move like Peter. The speed of the blonde beauty leaves only the one with the pipe without a dance partner. His reaction to the violence? He charges at Abgelica swinging the pipe back over his head and down towards hers.

While she isn't an expert at hand to hand combat, the over handed weapon attack is one of the most vulnerable attacks in the world. She crosses her arm up and over her head to catch the arm with the pipe, rotates to her right in a circle that whips his shoulder, elbow, and wrist into a straight line, head towards the ground. She bends the wrist over, locking all three joints and causing a lot of pain. When he doesn't let go of the pipe, it starts to glow. She is impassive in her faceial expression as the sound of hot steel and hand sizzle together. While she hates this sort of thing, she's learned her lessons well.

Needless to say he screams, drops the pipe, and once she shoves him away he runs into the night screaming. All of this happens in seconds, not because she is impressive in combat so much as it is just a reaction that has been drilled into her mind multiple times and requires no thought. She looks to see where Gwen is and listen for sirens.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen throws a grown man like he's a stuffed toy. It's almost negligable how much effort she put into it. She'd quip and laugh, but, well, it's over incredibly quickly. The two men go down in a heap, and she gives them each a couple of nasty kicks to keep them down.

It's then that she hears the scream and looks over to see the glowing pipe and the fleeing mugger (or worse). She tilts her head slightly and just nods once. "Okay. You have powers too. Got it. My secret."

She dusts her skirt off, muttering about hating to fight in it again. "I guess we should really bounce. You good?"

Firestar has posed:
She looks towards the sirens and sighs,"I don't want to talk to police tonight." A flash of light in the alley would flash blind any cameras and a moment later where Angelica was, Firestar is. She puts her right index finger to her lips and walks up to Gwen. Angelica slips her arms around Gwen's waist while standing behind her,"Pretty sure you aren't scared of heights." she mutters and takes into the sky, faster than maybe most people are aware she can go,"Point me in a direction."