Some questions might be better left unspoken.Green rescue dorm – Sunday 1 April
Ben stared distractedly across the room at the darkness that could be seen through the window. It was probably about 9 o’clock and the darklight mutant was tired, he had spent the day working on a particularly difficult problem to which he had still not found an answer. But he loved the challenge and knew that he would not give up on it until he had found a solution. However today’s homework was not the only thing on his mind, he looked away from the window and took in the figure sat in on of the large armchairs that furnished the common room.
May was sat almost crouched in it, a position that probably only the spider powered mutant could find comfortable, reading a book under the light of a small lamp. Ben liked her, she had a personality all her own and he knew that she was smart and more than able to take care of herself. Maybe that was why he felt so drawn to asking her more about whether or not she knew Peter… surely she would be interested in knowing he had met someone with similar powers and if it did turn out that they were related at least his curiosity would be satisfied.
The only thing that bothered him was that he might look a little silly asking, he had already touched on the subject in a roundabout way in on of their previous conversations and he was worried that she might think he had been too scared of her to just come right out with it back then. But his curiosity was overriding his pride and he decided that this was probably the best moment to ask her about it. Besides if she did laugh at him there were no other members of the team in to witness his foolishness.
Ben finished making the mug of hot chocolate he had absentmindedly been preparing and walked over to one of the arm chairs next to May’s. As he sat down he felt his stomach knot and smiled to himself, judging by how nervous he was one might assume that he was going to ask her on a date or something… But no all he wanted to know about was her genetic history, how geeky maybe he should ask on a date it would be a lot less lame.
He sat down and took a deep breath. “May, sorry to disturb you, is there any chance I can talk to you about something?”
TBC: May
OOC: Ok here’s the post I promised, as you can see I have god modded her into place so if there is anything she would do differently then I’m more than happy to edit. Oh and aaaaannnnngggggiiiiieeee any chance I can have one of those wonderful siggies you’ve been making lately?
(Angie: They arent like the ones I made Ann, but I at the same time made these for you: Side Pic & Siggy ... I didn't have the right pictures but I forgot the guys name again.. remind me and I'll try finding new ones!)
(ooc: side & siggy It's like Michaels, but it's the only image I still have of him that's larger enough and clear enough. See which setyou prefer!)
Thus far no one had come knocking on May’s door with cuffs and tranquillisers, and May would be lying to herself to say her encounter with Michael was something she allowed to be brushed aside. A lot of good had come from it, she supposed in a way, but a lot of bad had come too. For instance she had tried to rough up Hood, threatened him, emotionally did her best to hurt him… and yet still he had stayed at points when she thought he’d have loved nothing more then to just blink out of her company and spend the better part of the next god knows how long doing his best to avoid her. Had Michael talked to anyone else about what happened between them? In a sense perhaps it was his responsibility to inform Lexi about May’s emotional instability, even if her mental one had already been cleared through with their leader. Humiliating really… having let her emotions get the best of her when she had been caught at one of her few weakest points. However May didn’t hide, even if the urge was there, it was ignored… no one would drive her into hiding again, not her pride, not her fear, not her pain, the only reason she would run and hide is if it would provide a better plan of attack.
At first, May had been so sure Michael would have one of the teachers banging down her door, she went to bed with the frame of mind that it would be the last night she slept here, there was no doubt. Michael could have given her a foot rub and a yearly admission ticket to the worlds top spa for all she cared, it would have changed nothing of what she anticipated. But the morning had come, and the day had passed, and the routine had continued to this very point and yet still no one was there, no one was trying to drag her from the dorms. If the young woman wasn’t so clueless on where to go, she’d have packed and left that night, but there was nowhere, nowhere safe or nowhere known that May could retreat to.
Restlessness was evident, if Michael noticed or not, if he cared or not, if he was curious to how she was coping or not since they talked, if he was ok with her or still riffled, May played on card that she didn’t care to know. As far as she wanted to play it nothing had happened, that moment never happened, nothing out of the normal had occurred. A slender finger turned the page of her book, her eyes skimming over the words and while she was reading, the story didn’t really make a lot of sense, not because it was so complicated, but much of it just wasn’t getting absorbed into the spider-powered youth’s mind.
The book was stupid, it was decided at this point, she ought to have just grabbed something more interesting, something that could help give her ideas on new gadgets, or at even help her fix ones that weren’t working so right. It was always strange for May’s friends, she never seemed able to find as much peace and calm, never able to capture a focused frame of mind, as well as when she set her mind to science. Usually one had to be in the proper frame of mind right off, but not May, she could tinker and toy away even in the most foul of moods, all that stopped her productivity was the temper Sin now imposed upon her.
It was just as May considered how it might appear if she discarded the book with an obvious dispassion, when the other occupant in the room which she hadn’t wanted to disturb managed to appear beside her. Not unexpected in the sense of taking her by surprise and appearing from nowhere, but most unexpected considering there had seemed nothing to provoke his interest towards her. And it was her that he was interested in, that was clear, she didn’t even need to look at him to sense that Ben had eyes on her as he sank into one of the neighbouring armchairs with a noticeable inhale of breath.
"May, sorry to disturb you, is there any chance I can talk to you about something?"Of course, who else but the supportive buddy? May thought cynically as she figured Michael had talked with Ben, and therefore Ben was taking it upon herself to talk to her. Not that he had no right… but that didn’t make May feel any less irritated by the charge he took of the situation, at least if it was Lexi she’d not feel as if there was a possibility the entire team knew about what had happened.
"I hope you don’t expect me to break down with admissions of guilt and apologetic sobs." It wasn’t a question, but a statement, so convinced she was of the very thing that most likely Ben had little knowledge, everyone had their demons, and Michael of all people was hardly one to chastise someone else for losing grips with theirs in a moment of weakness. "Otherwise I’m all ears." If he wanted to play the good friend that got all macho and protective, let him, May could deal with that, and besides, if he really wanted to tell her off for freaking Michael out, well… what else were friends for? She placed down the book with a disinterest that was obvious, not even marking the place she was at before tossing it over to the nearby table surface.
Re: Some questions might be better left unspoken.
The silence that followed his greeting was almost deafening, he watched the spider powered mutant opposite him lower her book and turn her attention towards him. However as soon as she had, he wished he was anywhere but there. The look in her eyes spoke volumes, it told him very clearly that she did not want to have this conversation and that his presence here was more than a little annoying. The knot in Ben stomach tightened, he knew he should have left well enough alone and now he was going to pay for letting his curiosity run away with him.
"I hope you don’t expect me to break down with admissions of guilt and apologetic sobs."
A look of pure confusion passed over Ben’s features. Guilt? Guilt over what? And why on earth did she believe that he would need an apology of any kind? Unless she had known exactly what he was asking about that time in the science lab and she had lied to him there was absolutely nothing she had done to him that required an apology. And as for the sobbing bit well he was very glad that she had no intention of doing that any time soon. It was not that he could not cope with people being upset; he was just a typical guy and preferred to avoid any kind of crying if he cold possibly help it.
"Otherwise I’m all ears."
He watched her toss the book she had been reading nonchalantly onto the table beside her and turn all her attention to him. His mind raced and all the careful preparation that he had put into this conversation went straight out the window. He tried desperately to find something sensible to say, something that would show his ignorance of whatever she thought merited an apology and broached the subject he had approached her about.
“Well I sincerely hope that what I want to talk to you about does not result in you feeling like you need to make guilt ridden apologies. As for the sobbing, being a guy there are so many stupid things I could say that could cause that… so if I do say anything stupid or insensitive please ignore me.”
Well he had said something at least, though he was pretty sure it had sounded rushed and nervous. But he still hoped that it might have helped clear the air enough so that he could tell her the real reason for this rather uncomfortable string of sentences.
“Actually, I came to talk to you about genetics… no real surprise coming from me right? Do you remember those rather obscure questions I asked you in the science lab the other day?”
He took a breath and let the question hang between them to let May dig down into her memory and see how much of that conversation she remembered.
OOC: Thanks for the siggies, for future reference the actors name is Corin Nemec. Oh and can you give the dimensions for the side pic seeing as mine is kinda weird and squishy at the minute lol.
Angie: You can right click the picture, go into properties and then it tells you the dimensions there, these side pics are 150 width and 304 height!
Re: Some questions might be better left unspoken.
The expression was of such that May realized there was perhaps a good chance he had no idea what she was being all defensive about, that or perhaps Michael told Ben of the encounter they had in a far more positive light then she would have thought. Eyeing the direction towards Michael’s room for a moment and then back at Ben’s face, she became even more sure of this as Ben continued.
"Well I sincerely hope that what I want to talk to you about does not result in you feeling like you need to make guilt ridden apologies. As for the sobbing, being a guy there are so many stupid things I could say that could cause that… so if I do say anything stupid or insensitive please ignore me." A strangely sweet smile softly touched May’s lips, which could be taken as a sign that she would be pleased to do as he requests, though May wasn’t really paying it much attention. To be honest, the wall crawler was just glade that she didn’t have to face any further problems due to her brief lose of control in an emotional moment. Perhaps another part of her, a part from years past, also found it somewhat humorous and refreshing to hear a guy admit to the awkwardness most males felt during a moment of emotional outbreak. Come to think of it… Michael had handled himself rather well, even if he was scared out of his wits, then again, May wasn’t exactly the most typical cause of teary eyed girl most guys would come across.
"Actually, I came to talk to you about genetics… no real surprise coming from me right? Do you remember those rather obscure questions I asked you in the science lab the other day?" The other day? More like the other week. Came the thought, however it didn’t bother her, the thought of a scientific discussion was definitely more alluring then continuing to attempt to read a stupid book she obviously wasn’t interested in reading at this point. Hazel eyes trailing off for a moment to study the ceiling off in the far corner as the memories were unlocked, a slow nod of her head following as she thought.
"When you said you were really bad with constructing things?" To May, that was important, because for her constructing things was a hobby that helped keep her alive, and sometimes she wondered how people managed the hero business with nothing but their fighting skills. It was impressive, but at the same time, she’d rather a tracking device thrown at an enemy then having to run around guessing where they’d have gone or when they’d strike next. There was a brighter smile to try and put Ben at ease, she hadn’t meant to unnerve him, even if it did seem to be a strong point of hers. "We remember you requested an opinion on the possibility of two separate mutant genes possessing the exact same attributes." The young Miss Parker started, still looking as if she was trying to recall the exact details so she could go over them once again. It had been a moment where he had seemed really bothered, and May had been wondering for a short while after Ben’s departure if perhaps she had been the wrong person for him to bump into. As the symbionts host spoke, her occasional reference to ‘we’ and ‘i’ seemed scattered and mixed, fluid in their use and yet as if something about this topic seemed to draw out more comments from May referring to herself in first person then the more common collective view she took.
"How could I possibly forget?" Hands pressed down onto the comfortable arm rests of the seat and lifted her entire body from where she had couched upon it, suspending her momentarily in the air and allowing her agile legs to shift. The slender form seemed to fall back into the cosy armchair, legs tucked beneath her and May left to knell comfortable, leaning against the armrest that was closer to Ben’s position. "Admittedly you did leave us hanging, so I read up some more but ended up learning more about genetic manipulation, illegal cloning and specialized breeding tactics used by adversaries the X-men have encountered… that are on their records," There was definitely times May seemed completely unwilling to really put forth a conversational front, but when it came to science and questions that intrigued her, then even the symbionts belligerent nature couldn’t bridle the passion that sparked inside her… even if that spark did still manage to be toned down. "Most ‘prodigious’… as an old friend used to say."
Re: Some questions might be better left unspoken.
Ben watched with relief as a small smile passed across May’s lips as she took in his small attempt at humour. He had not understood where the talk of guilt and sobbing had come from but he was very glad that it seemed to be over. Now all he had to deal with was the awkwardness that his original conversation subject might bring up. He watched her feature as she thought back to that day in the science lab she had run into him. He had used the rather unusual fact that he had met someone with almost identical powers to hers to start a conversation; one that kept away from the terrible news he had been given just a few days earlier. But as usual he had handled it really badly and the conversation had gone nowhere and so here he was, calmer and refocused and still curious.
"When you said you were really bad with constructing things?"
Ben cringed inwardly, why was it that women only ever remembered your faults. Well it was the truth and there was regrettably nothing he could do about it. But on a brighter note it did show that she did indeed that day which meant that he would not have to re-explain everything.
“We remember you requested an opinion on the possibility of two separate mutant genes possessing the exact same attributes."
We? Had she spoken to someone else about this? Maybe she was in fact related to Peter and she had gone to him with her strange team mates nosy questions. If that was the case then this would be a very short conversation and he would be able to go away content. The way she phrased the sentence also gave him the momentary hope that she was going to share her own answers to the particular question with him.
"How could I possibly forget? Admittedly you did leave us hanging, so I read up some more but ended up learning more about genetic manipulation, illegal cloning and specialized breeding tactics used by adversaries the X-men have encountered… that are on their records, Most ‘prodigious’… as an old friend used to say."
May’s admission that she had been interested in what he had been asking her that day and that she had even felt the need to go and look it up, made him feel like he should be the one making the guild ridden apologies for having left her without an explanation or even a proper end to the conversation. As for what she had discovered, well it seemed weird and wonderful but not exactly useful for when it came to answering the question. And the truth be told he hadn’t really taken the time to do any research himself, just a lot of thinking so his theories were all pure speculation but he figured he might as well voice them anyway.
“Well the way I see it, some people here have similar typed powers but each is induced in a different fashion. Like invisibility, some people reflect light, I could probably move the light particles around me but others use mental warps and such like. So I was wondering would the be any way for someone else to replicate your powers in a different way or does this Peter guy I met actually have the same exact powers as you?”
Re: Some questions might be better left unspoken."Well the way I see it, some people here have similar typed powers but each is induced in a different fashion. Like invisibility, some people reflect light, I could probably move the light particles around me but others use mental warps and such like. So I was wondering would the be any way for someone else to replicate your powers in a different way or does this Peter guy I met actually have the same exact powers as you?" At first all May did was stare, the same soft smile that had found it’s way on her lips as she spoke lingering on, slowly being forced to remain there in a strained effort. To say the urge to yell at him and for Ben to mind his own business fuelled her momentarily, but how did she know Peter was indeed her own Peter Parker? Surely her dad wasn’t so daft as to wonder around shooting webbing around the place without his costume on… What if it was him though? Surely not but what if it was? Her father had said he’d been involved with the X-men before, but he was very much a solo act and as much as May had tried to follow in that, and as much as her personality inclined her towards it, she was discovering team work was a lot better then dealing with everything on your own. It was something her father never really admitted, and while May understood that was because he felt he was nothing more then a bad luck charm or a curse that brought only pain and death to those around him, May was beginning to understand that sometimes people were willing to risk that just to support one another.
"The same exact powers?" It wasn’t always great having people assume you’re special gifts weren’t even unique, at least May thought so, it peeved her off to no end when someone tried to impostor another’s identity or abilities. Especially when it came to her family, and lord knows people have pretended to be a Spiderman in the past… or at least in her past. "Well as you say, abilities may appear similar but they are always different to some extent." No one in her family could repel themselves away from surfaces as she could, so despite their similarities they were also unique in their own ways… at least if you looked deep enough. "Where did you meet this Peter… if he has similar abilities it’d be most interesting to know a little more about him." There was a calm smoothness to her voice, even if a slight impatience seemed to also hinder her earlier words, then again there was a lot to take in with the simple question that, all things considering, came completely out of the blue. "…A teacher perhaps? Or a visitor to the school?" Perhaps she should have asked if he was a student, but at this point May was a little off balance, and knowing he’d be far too old to be a student at the school, she let the suggestion totally slip her mind. And while there was a doubt that he would be a teacher, well… she didn’t want to look as if she had a vague idea on who Ben was referring to, because then everything she pretended didn’t exist any more would suddenly be dragged back into her life… Would she ever be ready for that?
Re: Some questions might be better left unspoken.
Ben held his breath as he waited for his explanation to register, what he had said made sense to him but that in no way meant that it made sense to anyone else. He did not expect May to look at him with a completely blank expression but he could not rule out the fact that she would tell him that his theory was totally and completely unfeasible. However the silence that followed his words made him doubt himself more than ever. Was she looking for the best way to explain to him what a cretin he was or was she simply processing his ideas? Which ever one it was he had to try really hard not to squirm as his nervousness grew.
"The same exact powers?"
The words were spoken carefully, as if thoughts were still racing around her mind and she was busy analysing which was the most plausible explanation. He was about to respond that he couldn’t be one hundred percent sure as he had only caught a small glimpse of Peter’s powers but what he had seen had reminded him eerily of hers. It wasn’t just that he had been able to climb the walls or shoot out webbing, it was the way he had done it… there had just been something familiar about it.
"Well as you say, abilities may appear similar but they are always different to some extent."
Well that answered that question, “No” it was not possible for two people to have exactly identical powers, so maybe Peter’s abilities had a different physical explanation. Which in itself intrigued Ben but that was a scientific mystery best left for some other time. There was however something that caught the Darklight mutant’s attention in the way that his team member answered his question. It almost sounded as though she was dead certain that there was never anyone with identical powers… but if she was so certain why had she not stated it straight off the bat? Small frown lines formed across Ben’s brow as he tried to work out this latest twist in the conversation.
"Where did you meet this Peter… if he has similar abilities it’d be most interesting to know a little more about him…A teacher perhaps? Or a visitor to the school?"
Her question once again coincided with his own curious train of thought and so it made sense to him that she would ask it, but once again the way she seemed to select her words so carefully caught his attention. Why did she need to know where he had met him? If he had been asking the question he would probably have phrased it somewhere along the lines of “Who is this Peter person?”, Which admittedly was almost the same thing but the strange phrasing along with the intonation and slow cadence made him think that there was more to it. So he chose his reply equally carefully.
“I met Peter a couple of weeks ago when we brought a friend of his into med lab badly injured. The doctor sent me to fetch him from the guest dorms where he was staying and I glimpsed him using his powers as I open the door looking for him. He had the same surname as you… which is why I was curious but apparently the only May he knows is 5 or something."
Re: Some questions might be better left unspoken."I met Peter a couple of weeks ago when we brought a friend of his into med lab badly injured." The flow of words didn’t cease as Ben continued to speak, May’s mind however sped with thoughts and curious wonders… which friend? It wasn’t like her father had a lot of friends he hanged around, at least not in her time. What if Ben meant a lady friend? What if it was her mother? Mary Jane had often said being the wife of Spiderman had been one of the most dangerous things she could conceive doing, but her love for him couldn’t be denied. Even at the rockiest of times. "The doctor sent me to fetch him from the guest dorms where he was staying and I glimpsed him using his powers as I open the door looking for him." Ben continued on, explaining things and May’s mind left to tie it all together with her thoughts and given little time to pause for thought at this point. "He had the same surname as you… which is why I was curious but apparently the only May he knows is 5 or something." That was it! That had to be it! The clue May was waiting for, the hint that Peter was the Peter she knew, the many she loved and loathed at the same time.
"Well then obviously he doesn’t know who I am." It was a tone that almost dared him to question her on the statement and say otherwise, and yet despite the tone there had been a feeble attempt of trying to make it more casual, even if she hadn’t entirely succeeded. "Parker is a common surname… and Peter is rather a common first name too." Came the determined defence as May spoke in a rather matter of fact tone, momentarily forgotten that Ben didn't even know her father's first name, or any of her family names. "So together it makes a rather likely combination." Yes and well the additional fact of his powers…? Wouldn’t that be considered too improbable a coincidence? Ben wasn’t an idiot… but why would he doubt her on this? Logically he’d not see a reason for her to hide something like this from him, it wouldn’t add up… at least not without the hidden information that she refused to give up. "For all you know, he mimics abilities, or has only a mild similarity, or…" If someone was saying this to her, she’d know they were just making rather poor and pathetic half hearted excuses, regardless of the attempt of a decent cover story she tried, it was hard when her heart raced with her mind on the matter and yet all felt empty at the same time. "Whatever the case, it’s clear he doesn’t know me, I’m sure you’ve managed to guess I’m a touch older then five." She sounded defensive slightly, just enough to say she didn’t feel comfortable with this as if he was interrogating her even though he was just trying to find out some answers… it felt like extreme suspicious interrogation. "My father was an only child, same with my mother, neither of them are alive, so the geezer can’t be related to us." By the words May used regarding Parker, like Teacher, geezer, it all suggested she pictured Peter as being older then the teen form Ben had seen him in, since of course May knew her dad’s real age but wasn’t aware that her father has jumped back a few decades in his physical appearance.
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