5217/Black Sky: Holy Palette Swap

Black Sky: Holy Palette Swap
Date of Scene:	21 August 2018
Location:	New York City
Synopsis:	Spider-Man tries to brighten the Black Sky
Cast of Characters:	Spider-Man, Elektra
Tinyplot:	Black Sky

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Spider-Man has posed:
It had been another long night for the webslinger. He'd fought three gangs, hanging them up and leaving them for New York's finest. He'd rescued a cat from a tree. He'd really upset this guy in a green coat and green top hat when he solved some riddles, though he didn't know the larger story at work, so he'd given the guy a talking to. The man hadn't actually done anything wrong, just being a public nuisance; nothing for the cops to deal with, at least not from Spider-Man's perspective.

His stomach was growling, and he could really use a churro, or a burrito, maybe a taco would be nice. But he didn't have any money on him. He'd used the last of his cash on funds helping out a homeless person. So, he was on his way south, swinging from rooftop to rooftop. Pausing for a moment, he looked down from a rooftop, wondering if fate would have one more surprise for him this evening? He wasn't sure what he had done in a previous life, but he was paying off karma at a vastly inflated rate.

Elektra has posed:
Elektra had a lot on her mind. And her plate. Since the Hugo Building opening there was no denying that her position as head of the Hand was nothing more than as a figurehead, and that her orders were listened to by choice, not out of any actual desire to obey.

Oh, sure, there were some who were listening to her, following her as their leader, but there were just as many who were not, and as Madam Gao had pointed out, it was time Elektra decided who her real friends were, and just what it was she wanted to accomplish with her future.

The implication was heavy and unstated, but amounted to the fact that Gao could make her life easier or more difficult - but she wanted favours. And regardless, this dallying Elektra had been doing with others? It was finished. Her allegances needed to be stated clearly and firmly, and they shouldn't lie with the Defenders.

Elektra had been taking to the streets at night - well outside the main of Hand territory - to vent her frustrations, and to think. She was done for tonight, though, and was contemplating heading home before the sun rose.

Spider-Man has posed:
There were only so many reasons why people took to the rooftops of buildings. Some residents held parties on the rooftop. Occasionally a couple would engage in some romantic dalliance. There were sightseers looking to enjoy the view. There were photographers hoping to catch a superhero in action in order to make a very meagre living, if it could be classified as a 'living'. But most of all, it was people in costumes, some good, some bad, some a bit of both. Spider-Man was definitely in the good category, no matter what J. Jonah Jameson might have said through the the Daily Bugle.

But the lady in red; who could say? Spider-Man decided to follow after her, and as he drew in closer, he got a better look at the outfit. It made him squint those large expressive eyes on his mask. "Psylocke?" He said to himself, not too loud, but definitely audible to someone nearby, or who had great hearting. He decided to investigate further, and shot a few weblines to get ahead, so he could land on the ledge of the building he assumed she'd be heading for, "nice palette swap, lady. So, red, purple, does it come in green too? What about a patriotic red, white, and blue?"

Elektra has posed:
As luck would have it, yes, that's exactly where she was headed, Elektra drawing up short - it being no small measure of how much things were bothering her that he'd managed to sneak up and surprise her so easily.

Muttering curses at herself, Elektra murmurs, "I've never been one for purple. Garish, really."

Spider-Man has posed:
"Garish, oh, come on, purple's a great colour. The Toronto Raptors wear it, and yeah, I'm a Knicks fan myself, but I have to admit those uniforms are pretty snazzy. It was a great choice on their part to switch from the red. Everyone wears red," with red being her primary colour, as well as one of his too. "I tried black for a while, looked really good, sharp lines, great contrast. I had a white spider, but, you know, bigger, and it wrapped around my torso. It looked really cool, until a wannabe Dwayne Johnson stole my look. It just wasn't me. Too dark, too monochrome. I need colour. That's why I went with a warm red and a cool blue." Yeah, Spider-Man has already lost his audience, but he could go on about it, or any other subject, for quite some time. Poor Elektra.

Elektra has posed:
Elektra folds her arms over her chest. She remembers him, and while he *was* a threat... he wasn't one to her at the moment. "With my skin tones? Purple isn't my friend. But really, you didn't stop me to discuss my fashion sense, did you? Not really."

She was slightly bemused, but yes, she had really only listened to half of the conversation. It was almost like being at a cocktail party, only.. in a crime fighting suit. You could make a movie about this and people wouldn't believe it had actually happened.

Spider-Man has posed:
"You and purple should hang out more often. Have a Netflix night. Get to know each other. You have to work at relationships. They don't come easy, and it takes time, but you get back everything you put in, and a whole lot more." Yes, it seems he did stop her to discuss her fashion sense. "But seriously, where do you get these outfits. I know someone who wears the same thing, just in a different colour. Did you get it at Ninja camp? Do they have a ninja camp? Is there an age or height limit? Probably too expensive anyway."

Elektra has posed:
"Not sure purple likes me very much, to be honest." Elektra inclines her head ever so slightly. Since they were being casual and all about who they were. "And I'm not sure she wants to get involved in my current problems. You probably shouldn't either."

There's a soft laugh, then, amused. "We don't have a shop, no, but sexuality is a weapon, of course. Then there are mobility and flexibility concerns. Why, are you considering learning the arts?"

Spider-Man has posed:
"Every day, I go out into the world, hoping to have a day where nobody needs me, where nothing bad happens, and it happens, more often than you'd think. Those are nice days. But the rest of the time, I do what I can to help out. So, what's your boggle?" He had no idea what her problems were, but he was offering to help, or listen, or whatever. He tries to ignore the bit about weaponising sexuality. He was very aware of that, but he wasn't about to admit to it.

Elektra has posed:
There's another of those soft, asmued laughs. "I understand your concern, and your offer, but truly, this is one of those things that are better off if you're not involved. Though, I supposed if you insist, I could point you at someone who might be able to fill you in some. Or at least give you a place to put that altruistic bent of yours to good use."

Oddly, though, she does pause and look thoughtful before giving a small shake of her head, as if dismissing said thought.

Spider-Man has posed:
Spider-Man reached into his utility belt, lifting up his shirt a bit to expose his Caucasian skin, and gets something, which he tosses towards her, "a penny for your thoughts." He was feeling literal today. And that was also his last penny.

Elektra has posed:
The penny is caught with efficiency, and palmed, the woman's gaze driffting downwards as she shakes her head again. "They're unpleasant thoughts for the most part. I really don't know if you understand what it is you're asking."

She looks up again, and tosses the penny back to him in an easy, fluid motion.

"We'll say I'm having employee problems. There's something of a coup brewing and I'm afraid I've painted myself into a corner."

Spider-Man has posed:
The returned penny is caught with a bit of style. Instead of catching it the regular way, he reached out his hand, turned it upside down, and caught it by squeezing the lower muscles of his thumb and hand, near where his webfluid shoots out. In other words, a very odd, but different kind of catch. He returns it to its place in his utility belt, as if it were the last penny he had, which it was for the moment. "I'm no expert on the corporate world, but if I had painted myself into a corner, I'd look for a window or an air duct. You could also give whatever's keeping you in that corner a reason to direct their interest someplace else."

Elektra has posed:
"Perhaps," Elektra says, moving to settle herself upon the ledge opposite Peter, where the corner of the rooftop met. "Though in my world, windows and air ducts come with people willing to kill you for your mistakes. It's really not a pretty place."

She gives the lightest of shrugs. "Do you always carry that penny with you? It seems so odd."

Spider-Man has posed:
"If I didn't, I couldn't properly use 'a penny for your thoughts', now could I? And because of politics, we're never going to get rid of the penny. Unlike Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa. They have Lincoln on them. Illinois politicians will never let us withdraw it."

Elektra has posed:
"True enough," Elektra has to agree. "It's quaint, though. Other countries have moved on. I suppose it's all a matter of choice."

Certainly the European countries she's most frequented have boggling systems of money depending on where you go, and whether or not they've remained in the union(s). Even across a single country, sometimes, it can be confusing. Scotland came to mind.

"You weren't waiting for me, though, were you. Heading home? Or do costumed heros stop for coffee early in the morning?"

Spider-Man has posed:
Elektra was a threat, and probably did some really bad things, but Spider-Man only had a hunch that she was bad. He hadn't actually seen her do anything, and she was behaving, so he had no reason to fight, or the lie. "Yeah, it's getting late, and my shift was over half an hour ago." He was joking that heroes worked in shifts, which to some extent, they did, though not really formally. But there were heroes patrolling the city at all hours of the day. Different people kept different schedules. Thankfully, Spider-Man got to set his own. Though he always tried to coordinate it with Psylocke's.

Elektra has posed:
"I couldn't sleep," Elektra admits. "I'm sure there's some greasy spoon around here somewhere - they do call them that, still, don't they?"

Not that anyone would imagine Elektra Natchios frequented any such place. But then again, she was a semi-regular at Josie's - or had been until the attacks on Claire and Matt had put an end to that business.

"I have a meeting with the West Coast at 11, but other than that, I'm fairly free. My treat?"