nysalogs | I’ll never give up, I’ll never give in

[ There hasn't been a quiet day at the Institute since the bombing. Nobody's cared much to leave the building or stop the work. Guards and assistants are to and fro with food for everyone, or some quiet cheer to keep it all going. ]

[ He says hello to Peter usually when passing his lab — Bruce has a corner room further down the hall, well-lit, well-ventilated, although small. It's lunch hour now, the usual buzz of conversation has faded into a murmur, and he thinks he might drop by to see how the boy's doing. ]

[ If there's a coat over Peter's shoulders while he sleeps, Bruce knows absolutely nothing about it. He just sets down the cup of coffee on the table. ]

Peter?

( Peter probably leaves the building more than most, all things considered, though that's changed lately. the limited lead he's gotten on the gas has left him tirelessly trying to identify what he'd seen that was similar to come up with a great deal of nothing.

not for lack of trying, though. the hours might have gotten to him, and while usually when he nods off he jolts back awake thanks to senses warning him about things he's not conscious enough to be concerned about, this time the jacket apparently seemed too much like a blanket for his own good.

his name is what wakes him, because his name makes him think of his well-meaning aunt trying to check in on him. when he blearily opens his eyes, though, it's just the same lab he was in earlier. not home. he mumbles something, scrubbing at his face, and it's only the cup hitting the table that makes him bolt upright.

the jacket hits the floor. )

I'm awake, ( Peter declares to the room at large. it's very convincing, especially since nobody had asked if he was sleeping. he notices Mr. Foster, and seems to relax a little. ) Mostly. I'm mostly awake. Sorry.

[ Well-practiced in the ways of waking teenagers, Bruce's attention is on the equipment over the desk, letting Peter blink and sit up and let the room come into focus. ]

The coffee's getting cold.

[ It seems like an innocuous non sequitur, but Bruce never says much out of innocence. ]

The coffee is...

( he's about to say Bruce should drink it then, before it hits his sleep addled brain that the coffee is for him. he's surprised by the generosity but not one to shoot a gift horse in the mouth, reaching to take it. )

Thanks. ( he drops back a mouthful like it's a shot, and it's still hot enough to be a pleasant wakeup call. ) I, er, I know it's a mess. I've been trying to find a gas that resembles the stuff they released. I swear I saw something like it, here. But now I can't find it.

( which is, enormously, not a good thing. )

[ The coffee is definitely for Peter. Bruce's own cup is half-finished, temporarily behind him so he can poke about at the table. ]

Need a hand?

I could use about eight.

( ha ha, because he's a spider... get it? you wouldn't, Mr. Foster, since he hasn't told you about that whole secret superhero identity. whoops. Peter huffs a half laugh, at his own lacking joke, before nodding. )

Two will do, though.

[ It's an oddly specific number, but kids these days, you know. ]

As it happens, I have two.

[ Laboratory experiments are behind like half DC's origin stories, don't tempt him. ]

Do you remember how long ago you saw it?

( that'd be really handy if he did, wouldn't it? Peter ruffles his hair with the hand that isn't wrapped around a mug of coffee. )

No. I mean... I thought it was a couple weeks ago. But then I went over everything I went over a couple weeks ago. ( he stares down at the mess of papers, needing to push some around before spotting the lab notes he's looking for. Peter is a bit spacey at best, but when it comes to his science he is good about his notes. kind of. because if Bruce can read his horrible handwriting, the information is all there — what he looked at, when, and some observations about it. ) Nothing. I've been working backwards. And then forwards again. And then... backwards again.

( a breath, before his tone drops, in attempts to keep his question only to the two of them. ) What if it isn't here? What if someone took it?

( the insinuation of that is pretty obvious, even if Peter doesn't say it explicitly. what if it's missing because it was turned into a biological weapon? )

[Haru's of two minds about all this.

On the one hand, things are... tough. She's never really had to deal with not having enough to eat before, and having to ration her food - it's an adjustment. But it's an adjustment she's willing to make, because seeing others suffering firsthand is something she can't merely shut her eyes to.

On the other, they've actually made some progress. Going to Wyver will, most likely, be a good thing; the sooner her friends - and the others who are ill - get a cure, the better.

She'd like to complain, but she knows that would just slow things down. So, instead, she's out in the city, distributing some of the food she's managed to stockpile and offering her help getting people moved out. That's how she comes across Peter.

Or rather - as she passes him, his stomach growls. She pauses, then turns to face him.]

Ah... excuse me. [This is probably not the most polite question to ask a stranger, but...] Do you need something to eat?

( being of split minds about everything going on is perfectly natural. Peter honestly feels Haru's pain. he's a little chagrined to leave Olympia — his apartment with Cheryl isn't exactly home but it is theirs and he's never been one to leave. he's usually the one left behind. it's uneasy thinking about going to a new place, just as powerless in choosing to as he'd been the last time, just a lot more coherent of it.

though, it's hard to ignore the fact that things in Olympia are getting bad, and that the promise of a cure is more important than the security of a place he's starting to get to know. Peter has seen Cheryl and Juvia head toward Wyver via griffon of all things, so he's going to be following soon after.

he just sort of needs food for the journey. he's sort of needed food for awhile, now, and as pickings get slimmer he's eaten less and less. going to the market is kind of a lost cause, but he'd went anyway, only to be told there was nothing for sale. he's miserably heading back to his place to pack up anyway when his stomach protests, and loudly.

he grimaces, though he could almost pretend nobody heard it until someone asks him if he needs food. he turns to find a girl with curly hair and a sweet expression, and Peter himself almost looks guilty. guilty, because he wants to say yes. )

Are you a vendor or something? ( he inquires, hopeful. he could justify buying food better than he can taking it from someone else. )

[ A quick look over them sorts them into rough categories by date. He squints a little at Peter's handwriting — it's nothing Bruce can't decipher, Alan is decidedly slower about it. ]

If you worked on it, it'll be here.

[ The guilt of otherwise doesn't deserve to be on anyone's shoulders, especially not a nineteen year old boy. ]

Maybe you just need a fresh pair of eyes.

[It's been this way since he'd been released-- under constant surveillance, tagged to keep track of his whereabouts yes but also always conveniently paired off with another member of the Olympian Royal Guard. Crowley Eusford generally occupies that particular capacity, much to Giovanni's distaste - a distaste that can't be helped, when one considers Crowley was the Guard who captured him - but that isn't always the way of it. Sometimes the other man can't be found (sloped off somewhere to nap or whatever), and it seems today is one of those days. Instead, he's 'asked' to accompany someone else, and it's someone he's worked alongside of before, someone he's socialised with, if one counts returning to see the entirety of the play they'd been forced to abandon in the name of duty socialising. Whilst that suits him well enough, he does wonder how she views him now.

He's a killer, after all, regardless of his lenient 'sentencing'. He'd done it for reasons other than those he'd initially been charged with, perhaps, but he'd still killed all the same.

And so whilst he flashes her a smile by way of greeting, there's something a little guarded around its edges. As though he's expecting a rebuff, or perhaps even open hostility.]

If I said yes, would that make you more likely to accept?

[What she's offering isn't anything particularly fancy - just some very simple rice balls and pickled vegetables - and honestly, she'd almost feel guilty accepting money in exchange for them. She's not all that interested in profiting off of a situation like this, when so many people are suffering. Making money off of other people's misfortune...

Well, it seems like something her father would have done, at his worst.

That being said, it would be worse to just let him go hungry for the sake of pride. They've got a long trip ahead of them and they're all going to need their strength... is what she'd like to say, if she felt comfortable trying to lecture a stranger.]

( nineteen year old man, bruce! thanks.

peter rubs at his eyes, though the promise he's looking over it somehow actually seems to cheer him more than the other way around. he'd really like to be wrong on this one. he'd really rather not think that he's suddenly attached to the sort of place that holds onto biological weapons, and even less that they'd let that sort of devastating chemical get into the wrong hands. )

Right. Okay. Yeah. ( he takes up the offered coffee, dropping back at least half of it, still rather hot or not. he needs the caffeine. ) I'm not the neatest worker in the world. I've got to be overlooking something.

[ Sometimes it's not a matter of letting, and the wrong pair of eyes saw an opportunity. Scarecrow, Poison Ivy... even Langstrom. ]

Start from the top. Are these your notes from three weeks ago?

( would it make it easier for him to accept? oh, most definitely. it'd seem a little wrong for someone to profit over a food shortage, though surely someone somewhere is — yet it'd also feel less like he's taking charity someone else might deserve more. he should have been a little more thoughtful about food, instead of just buying out every meal. it'd been dumb, and he was paying the consequences for not preparing.

he's never really had to deal with food shortages. occasionally shelves got pretty empty during bad weather, yet never so little that he was worried about not being able to eat at all. it's an uncomfortable thing to experience now, though it makes him think of all the hunger he'd been blind to back home. it just makes him feel even more guilty. )

You don't have to lie to make me feel better, ( he decides with a grim shake of his head. he really, really considers refusing, but ultimately he knows he needs something to eat before he hits the road for Wyver. he'd be better off taking the charity even if he'll feel a little guilty. ) If you have food to spare, I'll take some. As long as you promise to let me make it up to you later.

( it's honestly sad that Peter has to squint at his own writing a little before he can answer in the affirmative. )

Yeah, those are it. Aaaand.... ( he drums the stack in front of him. ) Last week, and this week. ( before the attack, anyway. he hasn't been doing much but backtracking since it happened. )

Then I won't lie.

[Haru hands the food over with a smile. She wishes she could give him more, but... she only has so much, and resources are limited. A lot of the food that's on hand has been going to the sick, which is fair -

But she's making a point to share some of what she's saved up with those who are well. It wouldn't do to have them fall ill from malnutrition, and they're going to need their strength to look after the people who can't look out for themselves in the days to come.]

And that seems like a fair exchange. In that case - I should introduce myself. [She clasps her hands in front of herself politely.] My name is Haru Okumura. And you are?

( Diana has a smile to give him in return, in fact. while she has heard of his misstep and the steps he's taken to right it, it is not enough to completely change her opinion on him. while she is not a remorseless killer, she certainly would kill if she had no other option. she still hopes to one day end the darkness of the storm by putting the Godkiller through Ares, though, perhaps a part of her has started to doubt whether he is the cause.

he was trying to do good, even though perhaps killing had been a step beyond the requirement. she was not there, she doesn't know the situation beyond what she has been told and what she knows of Giovanni from their time together. she is disappointed, perhaps, but not angry. at the very least, she sees little reason for it to change their report. )

It is good to see you well, ( she tells him, because to be frank, it is a time where most are not. )

( he's incredibly reluctant, and he'll probably stay that way until he devours the small serving in only a few bites, but Peter does take her offering. simple or not, it's more than he's had for awhile, and it'll definitely help give him some energy to get to Wyver. to find Cheryl, and Juvia... and hope things haven't progressed farther in the short time since he hasn't seen them.

it's good of her to share, considering there are so many in Olympia hoarding their resources instead of sharing what little there was to be shared. if Peter had any food, he'd share it, he just doesn't have any. he wishes he did. for a smart guy, he's not always a big thinker, it's weird how that works. )

Thanks. You didn't have to do this. ( he says, holding the bowl in one hand, and managing a smile. he's impressed by the fact she is, though, and it's clear in his tone.

if he weren't a dumb boy, Haru's curly hair and the sweet tilt to her voice might be familiar, but as it is, he doesn't think to presume they've seen each other before. the fact he's met a lot of strangers in the harried time since the attack does make it a little easier to not question if she might be familiar. ) Peter Parker. And just you wait, when this is over I am super helpful and charming, when I'm not a walking hunger pain.

Olympia didn't have to take in so many refugees, either. [But they still did, and that's why Haru has a place to live - or had, before they all started evacuating. Gotta pay it forward, as they say.] But it's better to help others out when we have the ability to do so...

[At least, that's what she thinks.

In Peter's defense, there are probably plenty of fluffy-haired girls around here! Also in his defense, she's actually dressed sensibly this time, instead of wearing a completely extra costume. Noir and Haru look very different, except for the hair.

And it's not like she's acting like he looks familiar to her, either, although that probably has a lot to do with the lack of a spidey suit.]

It's very nice to meet you, Peter. [just "peter" because... please don't make me type "peter-kun" every time she addresses him by name.] I wouldn't say you've been particularly unhelpful or uncharming [is that a word? it is now] so far, so I'm sure I'll be very impressed once you're not hungry anymore.

Yeah. Yeah, it is. ( not everyone would agree, but that's something Peter Parker would live or die by. helping those that needed help, living up to a responsibility to do great good with the potential you had. he has a horrifically sad voice message of his uncle saying that shit that he listens to on loop sometimes. still, just because he believes it, doesn't mean everyone does... so it's nice to hear someone with a like mind. ) We're lucky to have you looking out for us, then.

( AS FLUFFY AS HARU, THOUGH... BE HONEST........ and while it might be hard to pin the sheepish boy with messy hair to the web-slinger, it probably isn't impossible. that's sort of why the anonymity of New York had truly been his biggest safeguard — there was rare chances of running into people enough for them to connect the dots.

Peter is lucky that it's hard to imagine him, nerdy glasses and bad posture, as Spider-Man. because other than his mask, he hasn't learned to disguise his voice at all..... ... .. . ........

its cool i wont do that to you he's too American for that anyway. ) That's nice of you to say, but usually I like to greet people intentionally over my stomach growling loud enough that it can be heard by passerby. ( at least Peter is not afraid to make fun of himself. don't worry, he never has been. ) Okumura... that's Japanese, right? Should I call you that? ( sorry Haru, he's not enough of a weeb to be sure if that's formal enough. )

[ Bruce takes last week, leaving Peter to do this week. ]

[ While poring through them, ]

Did you see anyone suspicious in your lab? Anyone ask you strange questions about your work?

( not a promising line of questioning, though not something Peter hasn't been considering. )

I haven't seen anyone, but, I'm not in there all the time. One of my friends is sick, I can't spend all my time here.

( all things considered Peter is around the institute more these days than he has since he was hired, yet he still had to head out on occasion to check on Cheryl. there'd have been opportunity to take anything he'd been looking over, though a part of Peter wonders why he doesn't remember anything being missing. )

[It's a little surprising, that. The ease with which she greets him, the ready smile and what he supposes to be well-wishes of a sort-- it's not quite what he'd been expecting. Still, a little of that guardedness slips away from him in the wake of it, and he draws closer, hands sliding into the pockets of his slacks as he comes to stand beside her.]

I expect I have my immunities to thank for that. Lucky me.

[It's what he thinks at any rate-- there are things in this world that can get past them, this much he knows, something felt in the Red Light District at times, that heady hazy buzz in the air. But largely, they seem to hold, his body's design quietly nullifying the effects of most poisons and pathogens.]

That, and they decided against execution. Hahah.

[The fate he'd half-expected once he'd been captured, but which never came to fruition.]

I wonder much the same for myself.

( being inhuman, what afflicts them has never been much consequence to Diana. poisons, disease, none of it had troubled her before her arrival. she has managed to say south of VIOLET thus far as well, though her friends had bid her be cautious and that could contribute to her health.

her expression grows mildly troubled at the joke of his own death. Diana doesn't find dark humor amusing, it seems. )

To punish a mistake by death would leave all at risk of execution. ( so she's glad it didn't swing that way, and does think that his remorse has a bit to do with his reinstatement. she turns to begin her patrol, expecting he will follow. )

There are leaks in the Institute.

[ Softly, just for them, it's not a reprimand. They're all at risk, maybe he's putting voice to the fears they both have about this research. ]

Smells like politics, doesn't it?

There...

( he exhales a heavy breath, because while this probably means he hadn't just stupidly lost something of vital importance, it does mean that he's ended up working for a place that might be indirectly responsible for getting a huge population sick.

it sort of knocks the breath from his lungs, like hitting the concrete from an impossible distance.

Peter leans against the counter, rubbing his hand over his forehead in attempt to hide the worst of his expression. it's limitedly successful at best. ) I guess that would explain why haven't been able to find it all day.

( because of course he hasn't stopped looking since he's realized what he needs to be looking for. )

[Well. It's hardly surprising to him, and he only smiles a self-depreciating kind of smile in the wake of her lack of affirmative response. What passes for his sense of humour is, perhaps, inevitable-- when one lives beneath the ever-present shadow of a violent demise one learns, at least outwardly, to make light of it. That shadow may have lifted here, somewhat, but he's yet to grow accustomed to it.]

Well. Quite. Is that really such a surprising thing?

[But he tilts his head and, in a sense, answers his own question as he makes to follow her. Remains two steps behind.]

Though perhaps in this world - and apparently yours - it is.

( was it a surprise in her world? well, yes. her mother had been firm and harsh, though Hippolyta had never punished a solitary mistake with death. though, murder was not a light crime, even Diana was aware of that. it felt different when the aim was to protect, and it was simply misguided.

Diana notices how far he follows, and slows her steps to try and match their gait. she prefers to walk with her company, over in front of them. )

I take it this is not so, in your world. ( it is easy to call Diana naive, but stupid? far from it. she can tell what he isn't saying with his implications. )

[And in turn, he notices how she slows her pace for him until their movements are equally matched. Notes it, but makes no mention of it, and if it's what she wants then he makes no move to drop back again, to keep those two steps behind as he otherwise would. Instead, he answers her.]

Not especially, no.

[And it comes as no surprise to him that she has discerned that much. His general demeanor, his drugged confession that had been broadcasted to the populace of Olympia-- they don't act to obscure the fact that he comes from a vicious, violent place.]

It's a dog eat dog existence. Survival of the fittest, and all that. I come from a place where creatures like me, designed only to kill, were created just because we could be. If anything, I find it surprising that this world is so...

[He grasps after the correct word, spreads his hands.]

Soft. Lenient. In truth, I struggle to understand it.

I struggle to understand myself, though from a different perspective.

( she was raised in such an idyllic paradise, the juxtaposition of violence and class supremacies and casual neglect of people in need is absolutely foreign to her. it had been this way in the world of men as well, yet perhaps she would never be one to easily understand it. accept, yes, however begrudgingly, but understand? likely never.

her dark eyes can the streets, full of nervous people and frightened dirty faces; so many people without the necessities life required. )

It seems we both have much to learn. I will give you what perspective I have, if you will do the same for me.

[The same then, the two of them, if in opposite respects. He doubts he'll ever understand a world that doesn't revolve around brutality and violence, where life is seen as something sacred that ought to be protected instead of something cheap and throwaway, something that hardly matters at all. And that's not, perhaps, the life he would have chosen for himself, but it's the one he'd been thrust into, has had hammered into him since the very moment he opened his eyes and as such it's difficult, now, to try and readjust. To see the world as many of the others here seem to see it. He probably never will, but he can, at the very least, endeavour to adapt.

If there's one thing he knows how to do, it's how to follow rules. How to obey. He just has to learn them, first.

For himself, he barely sees the signs of poverty placed before them now, doesn't see those dirty faces-- sees through them, instead. As though they didn't exist at all because, for him, grasping after the present is a difficult thing when he's so deeply mired in the past.]

I'll do what I can. Although somehow I doubt my perspective is worth all that much. Hahah.

I would not ask for it if I felt it were worthless.

( Diana is just straight up not going to allow negative self-talk in her presence, Gio! she's not gonna hear it. she believes your opinion has merit, and she hopes that with time you might believe the same. she believes that of absolutely everyone, it's not exclusive to her guard companion, yet it seems as if perhaps he might need the belief more than most.

that said, she nods toward the direction of their patrol. they still have work to do, after all. )

I’ll never give up, I’ll never give in

wildcards u for institute

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evacuation wildcard!

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wyver wildcard! let me know if this doesn't work and I'll fix it!

NOTIFS BETRAYED ME don't feel obligated to reply if you'd rather move on to more recent things!

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youre stuck with me

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yes. good. presses face to window

you are good!! 😄👍

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\o/

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wrap here or on yours?