[for Peter] Want someone to show you 'round

[notaparker]

Let's recap the last big discovery someone made on this island: Honking big space station, turned out to be filled with rejects from the SyFy original TV movie 'Zomborgs,' falls from the sky, coming within feet of hitting Yours Truly direct in the face on the way down

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[daretodo]

When Jarvis pipes up to tell me I've got company, about the last person I'm expecting it to be is Jessica, though not because she doesn't where I'm living. These days I barely see anyone outside of Tony and Pepper and Cap, but whether either of us want to acknowledge it or not, I have something of an obligation to Jessica, and letting her know my whereabouts seemed the prudent thing to do when I relocated, temporarily.

While I could easily just tell Jarvis to let her in from here, show off Tony's fancy A.I. some more, I decide instead to pack up what I'm working on -- I took a look around Rapture the second it was open to the public, there are some adjustments to be made to the Vespa suit before I go back down so I don't get nearly electrocuted again -- and head upstairs.

"Hi," I say, once I open the door, not sure if I should step out or invite her in, but deciding, ultimately, on the latter. I'm allowed to have guests -- I think. I mean, I am reasonably sure I'm allowed to have guests, it's just never come up before 'til now,

[notaparker]

"I joined the Girl Scouts," I say, tilting slightly to the side to get a look on whatever locking mechanisms the door might have. Electromagnets, I bet, Tony Stark seems like he'd be able to make some magnets. Of course, that makes me wonder where he's getting the power. If this place is on the grid, that mysterious power source -- which worries me a bit, I don't like not knowing where that's coming from -- is pretty heavy duty.

"I came by to see if you want to buy any cookies."

When in doubt, open with a joke. It's easier than, 'I came by because I wanted to see how you're doing, and also because I need your help on something, because apparently I only come by when both of those states are true.'

But I mean, he's living with Tony Stark. I still think I have an angle of understanding his problems -- even this problem, actually -- that no one else does, but he has a support network, and I don't know that I'm in it. I really don't know if I should be, or not. It's a complicated situation.

[daretodo]

I have a sneaking suspicion about why she's here, and I doubt it's 'cause she happens to have any Thin Mints -- though, really, how great would that be? I love those things.

Not important.

Given that we don't tend to hang out, exactly -- there's an inherent awkwardness factor whenever we're in the same room, let's face it -- Jessica's visits are usually business oriented. If she's here, it's not to check up on my well-being. She needs a favor. What kind of favor is still up in the air, but... Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a suspicion about that, either. Call it a clone-sense.

"Okay, now you're just making me hungry," I say, pressing a hand to my stomach, then letting it drop. Even though I'm mostly joking, I start towards the kitchen, anyway, not about to bring her down the workshop when it isn't strictly mine to show. Not that Tony actually keeps anything important just laying around, but still, I am consciously aware that this is not my place.

[notaparker]

I take that to mean I'm allowed inside without some Starktech security device zapping me, so I step gingerly inside, bracing for zap. When it doesn't show, I deliberately relax, as if I hadn't just hunched at all, and follow Peter, but slowly, turning in a circle as I do so.

I let out a slight whistle. "No one told Iron Man we're making do on a desert island, huh?"

Not that my own digs are particularly bad. I've got a mattress, furniture on the way that I won from casino night, electricity, running water, I'm working on air-conditioning... it's all very Gilligan's Island in the unlikely degree of technological progress.

None of it's coconut-based, though, which is disappointing.