(open) new york, i love you but you're bringing me down

[saved]

Who: Peter Parker (and open)
Where: Directly in front of the mansion or the Library
When: February 22nd, afternoon
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Peter Parker arrives and gets a bunch of eggs to the face. Then he makes a mess in the library with books because what is coordination when you have not slept?

note: I totally love both prose or action spam so feel free to send me your preference!


Option A: Arrival in front of mansion

Here's a thing Peter Parker has just discovered: eggs are painful when they slip into giant cuts on your face.

Also, it is really hard to see through the waves of egg on his face. The carton sticks to his hand. All the eggs have fallen out of the carton and landed on his face and around the ground underneath him. Yep. This is great.

Captain Stacy is dead. Dr. Connors is behind bars. Peter Parker gets to walk away from it all and go home like he didn't get into a huge battle with a giant lizard on top of a skyscraper, like he didn't get Gwen's dad killed in the process. All Peter wanted to do was get his Aunt May the eggs she kept asking for before heading back to her with more blood and scrapes and no answers. He bought the eggs and climbed a wall, and then all of a sudden, he's landed smack dab on his back with the entire egg carton shoved into his own face.

"This day... cannot get any worse."

He rubs at his face which also hurts and then sits up abruptly. The world spins because of it. He has a bullet wound in his leg. His face and chest are covered in scratches and bruises. The spandex is still on under his clothes. Peter blinks as his vision finally clears, and he abruptly realizes he is... not in New York City. It's too green for the area of New York City he had been in, and even if it was Central Park, he can't hear the cars. Where are all the cars? ...and why is there a... mansion? Kinda? Does he have a concussion? It's hard to focus.

It's with an abruptness he realizes he is not in New York City at all, but in... some place else with eggs on his bloody face.

He lets out a sudden huff of air, almost too exhausted to be as shocked as he could be.

"...just kidding."

This day just got so much worse.

Option B: Library

Once he has cleaned himself up but failed to like sleep so he's a little wired by lack of it after such a long battle, Peter Parker has decided the best place to go for information is always the library except he can't quite find what he needs here. His hair sticks up every which way. He has piled the books up so high that he has to narrowly dodge to avoid running into someone coming the other way.

Remarkably, only one book falls from the very top, and he manages to grab hold of it before it hits the floor... but then the rest of the books piled in his other arm topple over and land all around him.

He's not at his best spider-ness since arriving, still out of sorts. He presses his hand to his face. "...please tell me nobody saw that."

Comments

B

[actualwizard]

"Nobody saw that."

Billy happened to be rounding a corner with a book in hand when he saw the pile of books topple on to the floor spectacularly. It looked like something he would have done about four years ago...or now if he didn't have magic to just make the books hover. He moved forward, kneeling down to help Peter pick them up.

[saved]

Peter lets out a tiny awkward laugh at the answer to his words. He ducks his head briefly before he kneels down to gather up some of the books too. His hair is a complete mess as are the books, as is his life.

"...and now if only I could say nobody heard me... talking to myself. I mean, what's more embarrassing dropping a stack of books or... talking to yourself? Jury's out," he says as he picks up some of the books in his arms. There is such a wide range of them. He wasn't completely sure what he was looking for or where to start. "But uh, thank you."

[actualwizard]

"No problem. Besides, can anyone honestly say they don't talk to themselves? Because they would be lying." He grins at him, keeping some of the books so they don't end up on the floor again. "No problem. I won't tell anyone I caught you talking to yourself, or dropping books."

He glanced at the variety of titles. "Looking up anything interesting?"

[saved]

Peter smirks in response to that since yeah, it's probably true. Most likely don't do it out loud, but he's... had a really long day filled with Giant Lizards, death, and Wonderland.

"Not really. Mostly I'm just trying to-" He waves a hand, sliding it back into the strands of his hair. "I'm new. Very new. Just trying to get a sense for this place, and I love books."

It seems like a safe place to start.

ᗋ

[goeth]

"Oh my god."

Bonnie's footsteps are fast, clapping on the stone as she moves from the doors to what looks like a slimy fight-loser. It's worth it to note that while she does make haste of freeing her hands, it's quite a ginger motion as she sets the large leather-bound tome down. Careful, so that its frayed cover doesn't flip open -- careful to keep it away from...? Oh. That's egg. Red egg?

"Is that blood? What happened to you?" She can't help but flash back to her own arrival, someone else's blood smeared against her chest. Please, egg-guy. Please let that be not your blood?

[saved]

It's definitely his blood, but he will totally heal from it in a couple of days! NBD!

Peter blinks up at the young woman who looks so much more clear than the mansion. That is good. It probably means he doesn't have a concussion so that's good. He will focus on her instead of the hazy backdrop as he watches her set down the very large tome.

"You should see the other guy. The... other guy, in this case, being a Giant Lizard." He bites down on his lip as he meets her gaze, because he knows he is carefully dodging a bunch of questions. "Do... you know where I am? Because I could have sworn I was right off of Roosevelt... and now I am not at all."

[goeth]

Talk about a lot to unpack, here. A newbie who's bleeding because he fought a lizard met by another newbie who was trying to sneak out to the vendors after stopping at the greenhouses.

"I'll tell you if you come inside with me first." Sure, extort the guy. Bonnie leans down further to pick at the carton and eggshell strewn about his torso. "You're not staying out here to possibly bleed to death in frozen egg. Come on: can you at least sit up?"

She crouches down, offering one hand palm-up to at least try to get him sitting. The grimoire lays behind them, forgotten for now.

[saved]

They have a very full suitcase in need of unpacking. Peter reaches for her hand because she offers it, and he has had a really long day so the offer of help is- It means a lot.

"Yeah, I can sit up and walk, and I can... do other things! I'm okay. Promise." He offers her a lopsided smile like in the icon, which is likely the opposite of reassuring given the state of his face at the moment before he pushes himself up the rest of the way to his feet. "I'm not gonna bleed to death, but I'll... go inside."

It seems way better than trying to lie out here any longer or find his way through the wilderness. He's a city boy. There is so much wilderness out here...

A

[assembles]

When it comes to new arrivals, the problem is that they can show up just about anywhere. If they all got dropped off in one spot, maybe they could have organized a way to anticipate them and get them settled more smoothly. As it stands, most people are left to figure things out for themselves, at least until they realize that they have a phone that can send out messages to every other person in this joint.

Steve's on his way back inside after taking his puppy, an excitable golden retriever by the name of Dodger, for a walk. It's not the first time that he's come across someone at the mansion's impressive entrance, but it is the first time that said someone is sprawled out on the ground, injured and with egg whites all over their face.

Stopping in his tracks a few feet away, Steve jerks on the leash, bringing Dodger to heel. This puppy is surprisingly well-trained, and that's because he's not really a puppy at all.

"What happened?" Steve takes a few steps toward the stranger, face dark with a frown. "I'm guessing you can't walk on that leg. I can help -- the clinic isn't far."

[saved]

"I can walk! I'm actually a lot better than I look right now. I have this thing where I... get better really fast," Peter says as he clears his throat slightly realizing how that sounds. He knows he looks like a mess. But to prove how fine he is, he pushes himself up to a sitting position and then slowly to his feet with only a low groan. See? This is the most fine he has ever been in his whole life... except not. He'll ramble until he is convincing. This works. "Mostly, I was just lamenting the state of my life after ending up on the ground with my newly bought carton of eggs after a... big city disaster. No biggie."

He stares up at the mansion and then down at the man with the very well trained puppy. It's probably for the best since he doesn't think eggs are great for dogs to lick. Maybe. He has never had a pet. If he doesn't stop, he won't have to think or feel, right? It's how that works.

"Uh... do you know where I am? Because this is not New York City."

[assembles]

Get better really fast, huh? First Barry, now this kid. It seems like they're getting another influx of teenage superhero types. Assuming that is what's going on here and there's not some other reason for the stranger's healing factor.

When the kid works on standing, Steve draws closer, wanting to be close enough to catch him if he loses his balance. He still looks pretty wobbly, but he's managing to stand on that injured leg of his.

First the mention of a city disaster, then an outright reference to New York? Of course Steve's mind goes one place first and foremost, as he recalls the Chitauri Invasion. For him that's old news, but this kid could have been brought in from right after that whole mess. "No, no it's not. We're in Wonderland, if you can believe that." And he probably can't.

Steve starts for the doors, leash still tight in hand, and pushes one open, nodding the kid inside. "Fast healing or not, we should get you looked at. And I'll try to explain everything as best I can."

Once they're all inside, he closes the door behind them and then gives the stranger another once-over. "That disaster you were talking about -- was it aliens?"

[saved]

Peter releases a breath between his teeth as he stands on both of his legs now, looking over at the man and the puppy with the most reassuring smile he can muster at the moment. He is totally fine, totally great.

"...Wonderland." He blinks and shakes his head. "I'm not hallucinating. I'm in Wonderland like I... fell down some rabbit hole, and I- Okay. Yeah, yeah, ...yeah, that defies all logical explanation but so does everything about this." He is grasping at straws for any other explanation, but he can't come up with one. Why would this guy lie to him? Concussions don't do this. They don't give a person some kind of intense hallucination.

This is the most vivid dream he has ever had if he somehow doesn't remember getting home and falling asleep. Peter walks towards the open door, glancing up at him with a grateful expression even as he steps inside. He doesn't know this guy, but there is something about him that is very trustworthy which is good because he is not in a state to figure things out on his own. Peter cranes his head back to loo at him in surprise at that though.

"Aliens? No. Giant Lizard Man." It sounds like the man speaks from a specific experience. "There have been aliens?"

[interpersonal]

The library has quickly become Elena's sanctuary.

It doesn't have the information she's seeking on Wonderland - that would be too easy, wouldn't it? - but it's cozy and familiar. The comfort lies in the smell of old paper and dogeared books she'd long forgotten. She hasn't hit a stride yet in terms of routine, but if she were to have one, the library would be involved. She's claimed a leather chair off to the side, a pile of books at her feet, when she notices Peter's struggle.

"Need some help there?" she asks, arching an eyebrow in faint amusement. Any moment now, those books could fall.

[saved]

"Huh? What?"

Peter reaches out with the one book in his hand to catch the next book which topples off the top of the giant stack. He is holding the one stack without much effort at all despite the fact it is heavy with books. Peter glances over her way with a little smirk.

"Does... it look like I need help? I mean, personally, it feels like I've got this all totally, completely under control. Never been more in control of books in my life..." He's joking since he... realizes. Yeah, no, he is in no way in control of this situation...

[interpersonal]

Uh-huh.

Pardon the look on Elena's face, Peter. It's the face of someone who doesn't believe you.

She reacts to his smirk with a light one of her own, unfurling to her full height and stepping away from the chair. Tipping her head to the side, she studies some of the titles he's chosen. Just because. "I wasn't aware books could be controlled."

[saved]

"It's... a talent. One anyone can master if they simply put in enough time and dedication, and ahhhhh-" Peter reaches out quick to snatch another book from falling to the ground, and in the process, the whole tower of books falls all around him in a heap.

He clears his throat. Welp. He slides a hand back through the incredibly messy strands of his hair.

"Uh. Can you maybe forget you ever saw that? The tumbling part?" He offers her a lopsided, hopeful, and painfully awkward smile as he shifts from one foot to the next.

B

[hugedork]

Maybe it's a little sloppy to read while he walks, but Bruce isn't always the neatest person on the planet and that's okay. So here he is, walking and reading and nearly plowing over some poor kid in the library.

He lowers his book and turns just in time to catch the display and once the rest of the books are done toppling to the ground, he gives Peter a wry smile.

"Nice catch."

After a moment, he bends down to help gather the fallen books.

[saved]

Peter sends him a wry smile right back with a shrug of his shoulders at his own awkward display here.

"Would have been nicer if I hadn't... dropped the rest of them in the process, huh?"

But Peter Parker is the opposite of cool. He kneels down, releasing a huff of breath and scratching the back of his neck as he starts to pick up books too. "Thank you."

[hugedork]

"It might have been more impressive." Bruce laughs as they gather the impressive stack of books again. He's hardly the only one to read a lot. There are some people who seem to be at the library just about any time Bruce stops by for something to drag back to his lab, but this isn't one of those people.

"I haven't seen you around here before. My name's Bruce."

b

[krmvgivv]

It was a pretty good catch before all the others fell?

[Dipper rubs his head where a book hit him, then picks up one of theme off the floor and glances at it before handing it back to Peter.]

You know, you're allowed to put them down before you come back for more. I mean, I won't say they're not going anywhere cause Wonderland is weird, but at least you won't hurt the books that way.

[saved]

You mean sometimes books go places?

[Huh. Peter looks thoughtful and then also apologetic about the book hitting the other person.] Sorry about that.

...uh, yeah, I figured I could. I just got all intense about finding books, and I wasn't thinking about the small picture like how all the books would fall if I got too many.

[krmvgivv]

We're in Wonderland. Everything goes places. But yeah, it's hard to even say how many floors the library has at any given time.

[He shrugs and offers the book back to Peter.] Evelyn O'Connell's the librarian. If anyone can find a thing, it's probably her.

B.

[araneidal]

'I can pretend I didn't.'

He's familiar. That's not the only reason Natasha's here: she's in the library on and off, to read. It's the variety of books he's after that merits attention. She bends to help pick them up.

'You're new here, aren't you?'

[saved]

"That would be awesome of you. Forget it ever happened. Pretend like I don't just- uh. Drop... books everywhere. Thank you for- for forgetting and for helping. Both are appreciated."

Peter huffs out a breath as he starts to gather up the books on the floor. It has been a long- It's been long, and he is new. He looks over at her, and he bites down on his lip at the question.

"That obvious, huh?"

[araneidal]

'Maybe. I'm a people person.'

She winks at him, mouth curved up faintly. The books, she stacks on a nearby table, brushing her fingers over the titles on the spines.

'Natasha. And you?'