For Peter

[miniclaws]

Laura never forgets a face, at any point she can pull fifty facts on a person. However, she does not often go and seek a person out after the first meeting. Peter is ....different, Laura cannot explain why but she looks for him, watches him, studies him.

She realises she wishes to talk to him again but she is not known for her conversation starters. It is hard. Eventually, she stands outside his room in the evening and waits for him to emerge. She is silent until the door opens so Peter should have no idea she is there.

When the door creaks open she catches his scent and puts her hand in the door. She peers around.

"You owe me a joke."

Comments

[miniclaws]

The 'weird O-face' hides Peter's teeth. "They had bad hygiene when they used the word prunes so it meant they hid their teeth from the camera."

She tilts her head on one side. "They did not need to be models." It was almost a joke, almost. Laura pauses awkwardly.

[spideys]

Peter's laughter easily slides into the silence that might otherwise have, maybe, been awkward for both of them.

He leans forward, grabs the camera from its perch, and advances the winder for a new frame. But instead of taking a picture, he sets it back down again.

"You know, that - that makes sense, actually. Personal hygiene was lacking back then, and I'm sure they weren't exactly making any special effort for a Colgate smile. Prunes and cheese, though ... it's weird the things people will come up with to get a smile out."

[miniclaws]

"I do not understand." She wraps her hands around her knees in thought. "Perhaps they got hungry while they were waiting for the perfect photograph." Many people did not make good snipers, Laura could go for days on basic rations. She did not eat sweets or crisps as a child.

[spideys]

"... I don't think that was it, no," Peter says, laughing again. "It's just the way the words sound, the effects they have on the shape of your mouth when you say them."

He repeats the words.

"Prune."

His mouth turns into an 'O' shape, effectively hiding his teeth.

"Cheese."

The demonstration allows his teeth, in all their fantastic glory, to be shown in a grin of sorts.

He feels really silly, but humour has always been his crutch, especially when he's a certain costumed crusader, and besides which, the rare times he can get Laura to smile seem like little victories.

[miniclaws]

Laura watches and a smile tugs at her lips, Peter is being silly and she cannot find it wasteful after he laughed at her joke. "You look better when you say cheese. It does not contort your face." It is a simple statement of fact.

She finds she is very relaxed in his company. "Do people object to you taking photographs, of them?"

[spideys]

"Yeah, I definitely prefer 'cheese' over 'prune'," Peter agrees. "But uh. I'll prefer not to have to say either word if I can help it."

He shrugs, toying with the hem of his jacket, picking at a loose thread absent-mindedly.

"Some do," he answers. "I mean, not everyone likes getting their picture taken. Most people are pretty cool with it though. Or they just - uh. They don't notice, I guess. Here I've been a little more careful. It's not as easy to sneak a photograph in. The whole -" He waves a hand to their surroundings. "- Close quarters thing."

[miniclaws]

She nods, she understands, she dislikes how few places she has found to watch people unobserved. "I have found three places where security do not pass by often, though they do not offer a full view of the corridors. I can show you them." It is not often Laura offers to share any of her secrets. It is almost as though she wishes for Peter to be able to find her at all times.

"No one else has found them, I have not detected anyone else's scent in them."

[spideys]

"Yeah?"

Peter's smile as he tilts his head towards her is a little crooked, but true.

"Man, I'd love to see them." Jokingly: "Even if they lack the stalking advantage."

It's still a little strange that Laura has the kind of ability to smell things beyond what normal people can pick up. But then, most would say all of his spider abilities are strange too. Freakish, even.

[miniclaws]

Laura tilts her head up. "Would you like to see them now?" She does not want her time with him to end soon. A smile tugs at her lips.

"You can show me any spots you know of."

[spideys]

"Yeah, sure. Why not? It's not like I've got a busy schedule or anything," he says, laughing a little.

Because sad but true, he feels like he's been doing a lot of sitting around, reading up on things, exploring for the ship simply for the sake of exploring it, but ... nothing's felt ... productive.

This, at least, might be an adventure.

And for someone who's used to doing things alone, company doesn't seem so bad.

"There might be a spot here and there, probably - uh. Nothing as cool as yours though."

[miniclaws]

"One of my spots is warm," Laura said, " It is near one of heating vents." She is deliberately turning his words into something else. She unfolds her legs and springs catlike from the chair to land on her feet. "I have not covered all of the ship, there is a high chance you will have found somewhere different."

She glances up at him. "Do you have a problem with heights?"

[spideys]

"That's -"

Totally not what he meant, but he's not even going to bother with it this time around, choosing to laugh amusedly instead.

He gets to his feet too, though not with as much cat-like grace as Laura demonstrates, opting instead for a more natural, teenage-boy slouch-and-rise motion. He grabs his jacket from where he'd flung it, and puts it on.

"Heights?" It takes Peter a fraction of a second longer to answer because his instinct is to answer, 'What, seriously?'

If heights were an issue for him, he'd have a hell of a lot of problems being Spider-Man.

"Uh - no, no I guess I'm okay with them."

[miniclaws]

"I know teenage boys with powers who shake if they stand on anything higher than a table." Laura is not hinting that she suspects Peter is not completely human, it is not any of business - she simply spent the most time with mutants.

"I do not have time for people who have unfounded fears." She has the corridors memorised and leads the way, winding down different corridors in a zig zag pattern away from the bedrooms.

[spideys]

Unfounded ... fears? Peter almost laughs at that. She sounds so serious, and yeah, she is probably dead serious about it too, on account of the whole ... not joking thing.

But still.

It's kind of hilarious that someone could be so ... blase about stuff like that.

Nevertheless, it's easy enough to keep up with her. He's got long legs and the proportional strength and agility of a spider. He can move quickly when he has to, and while he tries to pretend he's perfectly normal and 100% not special, it's hard not to want to keep up with someone like an X-Man.

"So uh - what do you do when you go to these spots?"

[miniclaws]

Laura pauses by a door that leads into the maintenance area to answer his question. "I watch," she says simply. "People act differently when they think people are watching them." All her life, she's been taught to be constantly vigilant, to assess, to prepare.

"What would you do, in hidey-hole?"

[spideys]

"I dunno. Think about stuff, maybe. Think about ... how I want to go home, wonder what my aunt is up to." What Gwen is up to ... "Maybe read a book or something, if I had one."

He shrugs a shoulder.

"Mostly the thinking, though, I've - uh, I've done a lot of that since I got here. I've been ... wondering what I'd do if I ever met Q. Or if I could talk to the captain."

[miniclaws]

Laura nods, noises and people are a distraction to thoughts. When she wants to think, she makes sure no one can find her. She does not like people asking questions and interpreting her thoughts for her.

"What would you do if you met Q? I would not waste words on him."

[spideys]

"I dunno, I think I might try to talk to him, you know, before doing anything rash," Peter says. "Give him a chance to set things right." There's the briefest pause, before he adds (with a shrug), "Although I guess ... I guess the outcome of that is pretty much predictable."

Given how much he seems not to care whether he's doing the right or wrong thing, kidnapping people from any point in time and location in the universe.

"After that, well."

[miniclaws]

"You are a better person that I am," Laura says quietly. She does not give second chances and it has happened that she has been wrong about her decision before. It makes her uneasy with herself.

"If you do get a chance to talk to him, someone should be there to protect you. Good people should not get hurt unnecessarily."

[spideys]

Peter tilts his head towards her, smile grateful and a little wry, despite his best intentions to ... you know, keep his abilities under wraps.

If only Laura knew ...

"Nah, he can't hurt me," he says. "I mean, it'd be stupid of him to try, right? It's - playing tricks on people's one thing, but harming them outright ..."

Unless he pulled the first punch, maybe.

"Anyway, yeah. Yeah when or if I do talk to him, you should be there. We'll - uh. We'll take care of it together."

Which is something he really has never considered before. Doing something as a team from the get-go.

(Gwen coming in and pushing herself into his plans doesn't count, as she literally bossed him into helping ... even if he totally needed it.)

[miniclaws]

Perhaps, Laura has worked out a little more about Peter than she is letting on because she does not tell him he would be a hinderance. "I would like that." She pulls open a side door and leads him into her first hideyhole. There is a enough room for the two of them to stand. In the dim light she adds, "I will bring you with me, if I find him before you."

[spideys]

Peter steps into the space head first, peering up and then to the sides with curious interest, almost like he's doing a thorough inspection of the place and expects to be writing a report at the end of it.

He turns to look over his shoulder at her.

"Sounds like a deal," he says, smiling.

And then he steps into the space.

"I like it."

[miniclaws]

Laura reaches around behind him and hits the button to shut the door behind them. "Good," she says. She smiles. "It is quiet in here." Which to her is a good thing, she does not have to listen to people clomping up and down the hallway.

[spideys]

"Yeah. It's a good place to sit and think and ... you know, get away from it all when you need to."

And with all the craziness they've been dealing with ever since they dropped onto this ship, that ... can be a good thing.

"It's kinda warm too. And - and no one comes here, really?"

[miniclaws]

"No one," Laura says and leans back against the wall. "I do not think people are looking for places to hide." There are many social people on board the ship. "You may come and tell me I am wrong if some one tries to disturb you. I am confident they won't."