[ peter manages to be startled, just for a second, at the exclamation of parker; it's punctuated by a slight noise, one that might've been the start of a 'what?' but doesn't get as far as being totally vocalised — after all, his username on the network is his surname, so it's only a logical, natural association. there haven't been many people who've defaulted to calling him that in person though, and it's a little odd to hear it from someone approximately a decade younger than him and have it not preceded by 'mister'.
which more or less means the indistinct noise turns into a— ] —So much for not being memorable. I think I'm flattered.
[ so either they've spoken, or they've encountered each other on the network at some point. the face doesn't ring a bell and historically speaking, peter's better with faces than he is names, so— probably network. from there, there are only a handful of people peter's spoken to but hasn't openly met. peter doesn't entirely want to go through a mental checklist of possibilities for 'difficult young adult' right at this moment in time, which means—
he looks back at bruce when he says he's not sure it matters, when he repeats peter's remark. (it matters, peter thinks.) his expression flickers — doubt, followed by indecision, followed by an expression that might imply it's physically painful for him to skip the cautionary tale. (but bruce! what if, with your lowered inhibitions, you act out against your hallucinations, huh? what then?
—oh wait, you're not peter parker, that might just be a him thing.) ]
We could, but I reserve the right to say I told you so if your worst case scenario turns out to be more middling scenario.
[ truthfully, peter's antsy, which is why he talks: it reminds him, a little, of the time that fear had gripped new york. when the entire city went insane and everyone started attacking each other. there hadn't been anything to fight then, either — nothing physical, just fear itself. a sense of impending dread, and for him, that tight ball of panic in the pit of his stomach and in his chest that said he'd let carlie down, he'd let mj down — and they hadn't even been dating then! — and he'd let may down.
he hadn't slept then either. he'd almost died (did die, technically, he guesses), but he'd been able to help, at least a little.
here? what can he do?
wryly, then: ] —And I haven't, by the way. My friend [ he voice catches a little as he utters the word ] always did used to tell me I was insufferably sanctimonious in the face of the morning after.
no subject
which more or less means the indistinct noise turns into a— ] —So much for not being memorable. I think I'm flattered.
[ so either they've spoken, or they've encountered each other on the network at some point. the face doesn't ring a bell and historically speaking, peter's better with faces than he is names, so— probably network. from there, there are only a handful of people peter's spoken to but hasn't openly met. peter doesn't entirely want to go through a mental checklist of possibilities for 'difficult young adult' right at this moment in time, which means—
he looks back at bruce when he says he's not sure it matters, when he repeats peter's remark. (it matters, peter thinks.) his expression flickers — doubt, followed by indecision, followed by an expression that might imply it's physically painful for him to skip the cautionary tale. (but bruce! what if, with your lowered inhibitions, you act out against your hallucinations, huh? what then?
—oh wait, you're not peter parker, that might just be a him thing.) ]
We could, but I reserve the right to say I told you so if your worst case scenario turns out to be more middling scenario.
[ truthfully, peter's antsy, which is why he talks: it reminds him, a little, of the time that fear had gripped new york. when the entire city went insane and everyone started attacking each other. there hadn't been anything to fight then, either — nothing physical, just fear itself. a sense of impending dread, and for him, that tight ball of panic in the pit of his stomach and in his chest that said he'd let carlie down, he'd let mj down — and they hadn't even been dating then! — and he'd let may down.
he hadn't slept then either. he'd almost died (did die, technically, he guesses), but he'd been able to help, at least a little.
here? what can he do?
wryly, then: ] —And I haven't, by the way. My friend [ he voice catches a little as he utters the word ] always did used to tell me I was insufferably sanctimonious in the face of the morning after.