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Was this enough time? It seemed like enough time. After dinner now though, right? Just a little swing by to check in, say 'hey, so found anything out kinda neat?' Surely it's been enough time. Of course it has, and don't call me Shirley.
While swinging through the air, letting loose of his web-line, Spider-Man sort of snickers to himself for a moment for some reason. He twists, turns, hurtling at speed like some acrobat. He navigates the flip as he starts hurtling towards the ground in that smooth arc, then lift a hand to fire another line, snaring the corner of a building. It brings him around cleanly, legs scissoring forwards to shift his mass just enough to give some extra oomph on the swing so that when he lets go he's sent hurtling into the air like a spidey-projectile. A projectile aimed at the side of the Baxter building.
With a fwump, he lands on the window, fingers splayed as he brace himself, turning his head one way… then the other. There that's the window, or at least he thinks it is. Slowly he climb upwards until he's along the side of the window he'd entered before, and then leans forwards to rap his knuckles upon the surface.
"H-hello?"
*
It is after supper time, and some of the Four have retreated to their respective corners of the living space. Seo, however, sits at the kitchen table with her notebook open. She scribbles some idle notes on the side of the page as she, rather distractedly, begins to doodle in the margins. While the formulas are the focus of her attention, the hearts she draws near the coil are interrupted by a sound.
Her eyebrows draw together at the sound of someone at the window, and she perks before sliding away from the table. "Oh, it's Mister Man," she muses with a stitch of a smile. Evidently, she's found her sense of humour today. Carefully, she opens the window and makes a small tick of her head, indicating that spidey should come in.
*
Yes, the Amazing Mr. Man, able to leap from one faux pas to the next, capable of sticking not one but both feet in his mouth. He hops up onto the sill of the window, resting his hands on its edge and tilting his head to the side quizzically. "Hi, Ms. Storm,"
Leaning forwards he peers into the room, yup this is the place alright. He hops down off the window sill and stands there, clashing with the decor in his red and blue way. "Sorry if this is a bad time, I just thought I'd poke my head in and see how things have been going." He looks around, most likely for Johnny since he served as a sort of area of social safety, but he's not around alas. Turning his head back to Sue, the lenses in his mask reflect her as he tries a small smile. "Wanted to thank you guys, just talking about it some gave me some ideas when I designed a replacement shooter."
*
Nope, no Johnny, just Sue. The elder of the Storms glances towards the table, and lifts a single hand to invite the Spider back towards it. "You can have a seat if you want." She turns back towards the kitchen and spies the coffee is still one, "And a cup of coffee if you so desire. Or water. I definitely have water. And juice, probably." She begins to pad towards the fridge.
"Things are going," she offers with an easier smile than he'd seen last. There's another flicker of a smile, almost secretive as she notes, "Some might even say well." She retrieves two glasses from the cupboard and a jug of juice from the fridge and proceeds to pour two glasses — whether or not Spider-Man wants juice.
She proceeds to drink the first. "And it's good to share ideas. I'm sure you don't get much opportunity for that." Her lips purse lightly and she inhales a slow breath, "Bouncing ideas off people has certainly made my work better."
*
"Juice would be fine, thanks." Peter says brightly as he settles into a seat. His arms rest on the table, bewebbed hands interlace fingers as he looks around in that feigned nonchalant way that a new visitor to a home often has. For a moment if one were to step back, the imagery is rather surreal with a fellow in such a costume just casually sitting there at the kitchen table. Then again, for the First Family of Heroes, strange is something of a norm in its own way.
"No, I don't." Get to share ideas very often, "Though… I have tried a few times, it is just difficult to interact with people in a meaningful manner with a…" He lifts a hand to frill fingers as he indicates the mask he wears. But he does lift the bottom of his mask should she bring the juice over, at least revealing that he's not like half-spider from whatever genetic mishap occurred. When he has a chance, he'll take a sip.
*
Sue definitely brings the glass of juice over to Peter at the table, and she sets it in front of him with a strange kind of smile. "Yeah, we never did the double life," she offers slowly. "For good reason. One, of course, being that Johnny had so eloquently outed us before we had a chance to run interference. Two," her head tilts to the side, "someone has to live in the light sometimes. This city is…" she glances towards the window "…well it's a challenging time to be different. By being int he public eye, we get to make choices." A tight smile follows the words.
"So… your webbing. I'm not sure how much more tensile strength we can get unless we think of bonds and chemical splicing. It's amazing that it starts as liquid and moves to solid so quickly — really impressive engineering you have…"
*
Lifting the glass, Peter gestures with it towards her. "You also get good press." He says, a touch sardonically as his experiences in that arena are rather… not good. He gives a nod though as she speaks, listening and then sets the glass down to curl his hand around its base. "But you're setting a good path, or example for people sort of like us."
He shifts his weight to the side, causing the chair to creak slightly as he tilts his head to the side slightly, considering her expression as she speaks. A small hm comes from him, but then the subject is changed which he acknowledges with an enthusiastic nod. "I was thinking that that would be pushing it…"
Spider-Man takes another sip of the juice, smiling a touch and perhaps it's easier to read him now what with the bottom half of his mask drawn up. "Tensile strength is good, really, considering. But I was thinking maybe a way to either make it last a little longer? Or… and this is sort of embarassing…" He lifts a hand to rub at the back of his neck. "If maybe we could figure out some compounds that might make it, ahem, like… a little cheaper to make?"
*
"Don't be embarrassed," about cost. "My brother and I were orphans taken in by our aunt. Believe me," Sue offers with a lift of her eyebrows, "I understand something about having to cut costs. At least," she manages a smaller smile as she glances at their current situation, "I did." There's another expectant lift of her eyebrows. "The cost I can certainly get down," she finally points to the notebook complete with all the hearts in the margin. She's been busy writing formulas and compounds, "and we can make sure everything in it can be purchased in your average drug store. It'll take a solid chemistry set though — "
She chews on her bottom lip. "I assume you have access to one? I think really what you need is to think of these things in increasingly accessible terms. We need to boil it down to things that can be purchased at either the grocery store or pharmacy." She smirks slightly, "Not sure what you do in your day job, Mister Man, but if you happen to be a barber, that actually would be the cheapest solution to the keratin problem. Hair. Lots of it."
*
A small laugh comes from him and he gives a nod in time with her words when she speaks. "Well, yes I can sorta get some time at a decent lab. Though I do have a small set at home, more a hobbyist thing." His brow furrows a touch as he leans forward to consider the calculations… and like a rather nice young man he ignores the small doodles in the margins.
"See, I've sort of gone down this line of thought before. We substitute… this… for this…" He starts to make a few notations if possible leaning to the side and then taking another sip of his juice. "It would make it a more easily available formula… just would take really cracker jack timing since the safety window is so small."
The young man's smile turns a touch sheepish, "Though, to be entirely honest, I think I have the reflexes to handle it. Think that'd work?"
*
Sue taps her chin lightly with her index finger, "It'd work. I'm not sure the compound would last the same amount of time," her head waffles ambivalently, "but maybe? It's going to be close. The only bond it'll miss," she draws a new molecular diagram of the compound, "is this one. But," her lips twist to the side, "it's a fraction of the price, and should make up for that missing link," she points to the sheet, "but causing covalence with these two." Again her head waffles, "It actually might be stronger. Maybe."
"But you really need to have cracker jack reflexes. I'm sure they're good," she notes with a tight smile, "but I'd be concerned for anyone else in the building if something is even a bit off."
Her chin lifts and she glances towards the stairs. "There is an alternative to that. I was serious about letting you use the lab if you wanted. We're good about containing things here, and if I'm around," she can ensure the Baxter Building doesn't go up in flames. "Plus you'd have access to resources you wouldn't have readily available as… a hobbyist."
*
A small smile shifts to the corner of his mouth as he looks towards her, and it's apparent he's flattered at the offer. He rests a hand on the piece of paper and turns it slightly so he can consider it, then nods as he goes over it again mentally, checking for errors and finding none. Her science is sound. Pausing for a moment he taps his fingertip on it and looks back up to her. "That would be great, but…"
Tilting his head slightly to the side he says, "You guys seem pretty great. And Torch…" He uses that nickname casually and it's clear he thinks the guy is pretty great. "He's a good sort. You know. A bit goofy, but hey." He adds that slight admonishment as he looks around as if expecting him to leap forth from a hiding place and take umbrage at the slight. Nope, no leap, so he must not be eavesdropping.
Spider-Man looks back towards her, "But I was figuring I shouldn't come here too often. You guys have a good image going. If a photographer from the Bugle gets a shot of me coming in here… well I'd feel pretty lousy if you guys got some guff for being kind to me."
*
"The Bugle opens itself up to easy libel suits," Reed's voice rolls out as he wanders down the stairs, polishing… something shiny, with a lot of wires, using a towel in his hands. "…and we have an excellent lawyer and PR, something their usual targets don't have the money for. No offense."
He tosses each of them a nod and a smile in turn, though the one he gives Sue is… a little odd. Hard to place exactly why. "Spidey. Sue. How's the work coming?"
*
The interjection from Reed brings a flicker of a smile over Sue's features, and she explains to Peter, "We're in a position to help people like us. It's a unique position, but we have it just the same. And not everyone is so lucky." Sue recognizes that. "To be honest, we're fortunate to have each other, and I think our family would agree that having you here is acceptable, despite the risks — especially when its purpose is to ensure the safety of yourself and other citizens."
Reed's smile draws a rather broad grin from the Asian woman that finds its way into her tone, "It's coming. Lots of ideas, and strategies to minimize overhead while maximizing efficiency." Her eyebrows lift. "I think it's work you'd enjoy." Her eyes flit down to the notebook. "You're welcome to look and give your feedback." Multiple formulas and chemical drawings line the page with one in particular circled. They are, of course, accompanied by Sue's aforementioned hearts.
But then, finally acknowledging Spider-Man's own thoughts on coming to the Baxter Building, she offers: "I trust you know your own conscience, limits, and approach. So do we. We can handle more than you'd think. We're pretty well-resourced…"
*
"Well," Peter smiles as he starts to get to his feet, finishing his juice and setting the glass down with a faint glassy click. "I'll try not to take your hospitality for granted." He looks over towards Reed and offers a small smile and a wave, even as he pulls his mask down over his features.
"Reed, good to see you. I was just about to get swinging." Turning back to Sue he offers his hand, this time in a farewell. "Seriously, thank you for taking the time. I appreciate it." If she accepts it he'll give a gentle handshake before he steps back.
"I'll try to give you all more of a heads up before I come by again. I may try the formula a few times with variations before I get down to brass tacks and make a batch. Will need to test it for a time…" His head turns to the side as he starts to lose himself in the logistics. But then he smiles back as if realizing he's being rude.
"In any case, thanks again!" He gives a wave as he hops to the side to rebound off the wall and then land upon the window sill, just moments before dropping out of view.