heartstumbles | Open RP Post/TFLN Overflow/Etc.

"I'd like that. Maybe once I can write on something a little more durable than used napkins." Peter twirls the pen with his free hand while keeping the phone clutched tightly in his other hand. His mind is already overflowing with his own ideas, and he idly sketches out a portal with some calculations next to it before they leave him.

"I haven't heard that name before, but I'll keep an eye out." He hadn't experienced too many supervillains in the past decade, but someone with an animal theme and a weird suit would show up every once in a while. "Home's been okay. Quiet. And I'm all healed now, so you don't have to worry about me." Although he'd scared the hell out of MJ when he'd reappeared clutching his stomach and bleeding all over the bedroom. Not his finest moment.

"How about you? Peter You, I mean. No Hero You."

"Yeah, used napkins make for more notes, but they do an okay job in a pinch," Peter says, thinking of all the times he's desperately tried to keep key information on napkins himself. He remembers his own sweat ruining a lot of his own notes. He's written on worse, though.

Peter paces, skipping every couple of steps as he can't contain his excitement. It feels so good just hearing Peter's voice; it feels like it's been so long since he's last spoken with a friend, someone who understands the superhero life and balancing it with the rest of life.

"Yeah, he's uh, well. Over here, at least, he's also known as Kingpin, and he basically runs the city already from the shadows. He's trying to make it official now, and he's running on a campaign of outlawing vigilantes. It's not great."

Just getting to talk about his struggles helps Peter feel better; he feels himself relaxing as he lets a lot of the weight he's been carrying fall off of his chest.

"I'm glad to hear you're all healed," he says, very much grateful for that good news. He still feels so guilty that Peter got stabbed in the first place.

When he asks about him, not hero him, Peter pauses. He tries to figure out how he wants to answer. Instinctively, he wants to assure Peter that he's good, but he also doesn't want to lie.

"I'm okay, I think," he says, which is the most truthful answer he feels. "I'm working and going to college, and doing hero stuff, so it's a lot. This afternoon is the first chance I've had at a break in...well. A long time. I'm glad I was able to get in contact with you."

He leans against the wall of the alley and lets out a long, low breath.

He can hear ambient city noises as Peter talks, which indicates that he's on the move. He finds that he's missed how quickly this younger Peter speaks, like the ideas are spilling out of his brain so fast that his mouth can't possibly keep up. It's endearing, and he finds himself smiling involuntarily.

"I've dealt with my share of gangsters and mafia," he offered, unsure if it was helpful. "I wouldn't be surprised if there was one person at the head of it all." In fact, when Peter Three had mentioned he'd stopped holding back, mobsters had been the first targets that popped into his head.

'I'm okay' doesn't sound very convincing. Peter had no idea what deal his younger self had made with the wizard to get their universes back to normal, but there was always a price when you messed with magic, it seemed. There was probably a lot that the other Peter wasn't going to tell him.

"You ended up going to college after all, huh?" He tried to pick his tone up to sound more excited. "That's great. Do you have an Empire State University in your world? That's where I went."

"Dealing with gangs and mafia almost makes me miss fighting bad guys in weirdly themed costumes," Peter says. There's something comforting about gangs and mafia being a constant across the multiverse, though.

It's nice to talk to Peter because he doesn't have anyone else he can really talk honestly with, after fixing the multiverse with Strange's spell. He misses Ned and MJ more than he can put into words, and so getting to talk to Peter feels a little bit like gathering up some of the broken pieces of his life that he's lost.

He nods when Peter asks about college. "Yeah, I did and I'm going to Empire State too! I got my GED and I just started classes this past fall. It's taking some getting used to but I'm really enjoying my classes. I really like my physics class, especially the lab. Still don't know what I want to major in, though."

He knows he has time to pick out a major, but the problem is, even as much as Peter loves science, he still doesn't know how to focus that into a possible career. He doesn't think he wants to be a doctor, but that's as close to narrowing down the possibilities as he's going to get, he thinks.

But that does give him an idea for a question to ask.

"How did you like college? What did you major in?"

It's an absolutely mundane conversation to be having, talking about college while they're connected between universes on some sort of modified cell phone. Peter shakes his head in amazement as the younger Peter keeps talking, and he wonders what his life has become over the past 20 years.

"Sounds like you're doing all right for yourself. It's okay to not know what you want to do with your life in your first year. Just take a whole bunch of classes that sound interesting, and if something really catches your attention, that might be the one." He rubs at the bridge of his nose when he realizes how his Teacher Voice is starting to come out. No need to lecture the kid.

"College wasn't bad for me. Of course, I ended up missing quite a bit of it due to, you know, the Spider thing." How he managed to graduate at all was something of a miracle. "I definitely didn't have a social life. Didn't get to join clubs or go to parties. So if you get that opportunity, I'd take it."

The front door opened, and he could hear two female voices getting closer. How did he explain that he was on the phone with himself from another universe? "Uh, and the other question was... right. My major. I did my Bachelor's in Chemistry. My ESU had an amazing professor in that department who was also my advisor." He had looked up Dr. Connors after he'd arrived home, worried that he'd turned into a lizard monster like Peter Three's Connors had. Fortunately, Kurt Connors in this universe was still a regular human.

Peter nods as he listens to Peter, grinning. He's so proud of himself for figuring out a way to communicate between worlds. It occurs to him then that he should probably not brag openly about this particular invention, in case someone tries to use it for less wholesome purposes than talking to a different version of oneself one has come to think of as the brother he's never had.

"Yeah, I think that's what I'm going to try and do," he says, shifting back and forth on his feet. His Tingle hasn't acted up yet, so he thinks he's secure enough where he is for the moment. "A little bit of everything and figure out what clicks." He's considering journalism as an elective next semester, just to try something different.

"Yeah, I uh, I'm still trying to balance that," he admits. He hasn't really had the chance to meet new people outside of his classes. "My lab partners seem really nice though."

He doesn't know what kind of clubs he'd join, if he had the time. Between school, work, and Spider-Man, Peter tends to use what free time he does have to catch up on sleep, when he has the chance.

"Oh that's so cool! How was Chemistry as a major? Did you work a lot with your advisor?"

"That's good. I'm glad you're not alone." He hadn't wanted to leave as abruptly as he did; of course, he would've been better at making decisions when he wasn't bleeding out, too. He shifts the phone to his other hand and ear as MJ pokes her head in the kitchen and waves and mouths something at him. He's not a good lip reader, so he just nods, hoping it suffices.

"I was pretty far ahead in high school, so it wasn't much of an adjustment for me." He sighs. "I mean, I hope that didn't come off as bragging. It was just nice being with other people who were on the same level as me. And Dr. Connors-" He pauses, just to let that sink in. "He had high hopes for me. Wanted me to go on to a PhD and everything. But when you work multiple jobs and fight crime every night, taking on more debt doesn't sound that appealing."

Next, he sees a smaller figure in the doorway. May peeks around the side and grins at him, her long red hair swaying with her. "Who are you talking to?" she asks, as loudly as a five-year old typically asks things.

Peter smiles and gives her a quick wave before turning back to his conversation. He's sure the other Peter had to have heard the other voices by now. "So this tech you've been working on, am I the first person you tried to call? Have you talked to Peter Three with this?"

Peter laughs. "It didn't come off as bragging, but even if you were bragging, I think you deserve to brag," he says. He wishes he got more of a chance to talk more with both Peters, to dig deeper into different theories and science in general. Obviously they had more pressing matters to attend to, but still. Peter wishes they'd gotten more time together.

He arches an eyebrow when Peter mentions Dr. Connors. "Wait, you have a Dr. Connors too?" Now he's even more curious about who else they all might have in common in their worlds. And then a thought occurs to him. "Also um, this might sound like a weird question, but did Peter Three ever tell you the last name of his Gwen?"

"Yeah, I wish debt was a costumed villain I could punch in the face," he admits, shaking his head. "I can't even imagine going after a master's degree, much less a PhD."

He hears the other voice, the volume of it. How young it seems. He wonders. "Is that your kid I just heard?"

When he asks about reaching out to Peter Three, Peter shakes his head, as if Peter Two could actually see him. "I haven't yet, I was going to try him next," he says. "I'm wondering if we might actually be able to FaceTime."

"Yeah, Kurt Connors is a professor and scientist in my world, but he never turned himself into a monster." At least, not that Peter knew of, though if there were a giant lizard running around New York, he'd probably have heard about it by now. "And no, he didn't tell me her last name, but if I had to guess, her last name might be Stacy. I knew one, too, although we never made it past a couple of dates."

Not that he minded. He had so thoroughly embarrassed himself with Gwen that he purposely avoided her for years after. By the time he was finally brave enough to look her up, he saw that she had moved to England. After the psychotic way the symbiote had made him act around her, it seemed like a fantastic decision on her part.

Ah, so he had heard her. "Yeah," he admits sheepishly. "That's our Mayday. I should probably talk to her again about using her indoor voice." And leaving footprints on the ceiling. And trying to web things to her instead of just getting up. So many lectures, so little time.

"FaceTime would be great," he says. "I wonder how good the video quality would be across three separate dimensions."

"That's good," Peter says, hearing that the Dr. Connors of Peter Two's world. "And it's really cool that Dr. Connors was your advisor."

"Stacy, right," he nods on his end of the phone. Well, that sounds like another person they all have in common. "That's the last name of one of my lab partners I was telling you about." Now part of him wonders if he's going to have to worry about his lab partner, who seems really nice and like she could possibly become a friend.

Well, he tells himself internally, nothing's written in stone. He should probably worry more about studying for his upcoming exams and Kingpin's looming plans as mayor before anything else.

He grins to himself as Peter describes Mayday. "Mayday, huh? I love the name," he tells him. He wonders what she looks like, if she looks like Peter Two or his MJ. "She likes talking loudly huh?"

"Right? I'm going to try and figure it out on my end, when I get the chance," he says. "I'm sure video quality can be adjusted. I've been experimenting with multiversal aspects of different parts. Well, what parts I can find, but it's actually amazing how much people waste, especially in the physics department of college campuses."

"There could be slight differences between all the people we know," he said, trying to be reassuring. "What happens to one version of someone doesn't necessarily happen to all of them. Or so I'd assume." For better or for worse.

It was always easy to talk about his daughter, so he welcomed the subject change. "Yeah, her actual name is May, but we've been calling her Mayday since she was a baby. Chaos seems to just follow her wherever she goes," he added with a laugh. "She's almost six, so we're still working on the manners thing. Volume is part of that."

If they could figure out video calls, he'd love for May to meet her 'uncles.' The prospect excited him and he went to search for actual pieces of paper to start making more sketches. "I want to help you. You've already done most of the legwork on your own, but I'll assist in any way I can. Perhaps if I boost the signal from my world, it'll amplify our connection. We can get Peter 3 to do the same and triangulation should get things steady."

"I hope so," Peter says, quietly. He likes to think that there are versions of Aunt May who are still alive out there, along with hoping that the Gwen Stacy he's just met isn't set for a doomed fate. "Hopefully there's versions of us with better luck," he jokes.

He brightens as Peter talks about his daughter. Just from the way he describes Mayday, Peter can tell how much he loves his daughter. "Sounds like she keeps you on your toes," he says, grinning. "Almost six, really? Wow! She's growing up fast." It's really nice to hear about Peter Two's life; to listen to how he's built a life for himself with a family. It gives Peter hope.

"Oh that's a great idea!" Peter says, perking up even more. Getting to video chat with both Peters would be even better than phone calls. "Yeah, we definitely need to catch Peter Three up and work on getting multidimensional Discord to be a thing! I can text you some of the formulas and specifics I've been working with, and maybe you can improve on them?"

"If universes are truly infinite, there has to be at least one of us whose life isn't a complete and total mess." Was it possible to be a Spider-Man without loss, pain, and sorrow? He certainly hoped so.

Peter One sounds happier just hearing about his life, so he was happy to talk more about it. "Yeah, only a few more days left before kindergarten is over. It flew by so fast. I feel like I spent the entire last summer worrying about her accidentally using her powers in front of her classmates, but we didn't end up having any incidents."

He's idly sketching now, cradling the phone in his right hand while marking up the paper with his left. Peter wasn't entirely sure what Discord was, but that could just as easily be a generational thing as a multiversal one. Not that he particularly liked being reminded how much older he was than the other two Spider-Men. "That sounds like a plan. I've needed a project to get my mind turning again, and this could be just the thing."

"Someone has to be the Spider-Person with their life together," Peter says. He likes to imagine that one of them has gotten that lucky enough. "There's like, a rule of probability about that, I think?"

"Wow! She's almost out of kindergarten? That's so...wow. They grow up fast, huh?" He asks, grinning as he listens to Peter describe Mayday and worrying about her using her powers in front of other people. His expression softens as he conisders the implications of that. "Wait, so you passed your powers to your kid?"

He doesn't know how he feels about that. On the one hand, he'd love for his future (highly unlikely at this point but he's trying to be optimisitic) children to be able to defend themselves. On the other hand, what kind of danger could kids with these powers attract?

He does perk up when he hears Peter discussing needing a new project. "Glad to help! It's been fun working on this, honestly. It's a nice distraction from classes and Spider stuff. Oh, I wonder if I can send you my notes? I might be able to put them in a text or a picture."

"Whoever he is, I'm jealous." He wasn't entirely serious saying that; as many mistakes as he'd made in his life and as much pain as he'd been through, he wouldn't trade it for a life without MJ and May.

He should've expected Peter to be surprised about his powers being hereditary - after all, he'd felt the same way when Mayday's abilities first started to manifest. "Yeah. You remember how weirded out you and Peter Three were by my webs? She can do that, too. Plus, all the other standard stuff like wall-crawling and Spider-Sense." For what it was worth, he'd been weirded out that the other two Peters had created synthetic webbing, like they knew they were supposed to be shooting it from their hands.

"It's good that you have some things to look forward to." He meant it. After seeing Peter lose his aunt and stopping him from focusing solely on revenge, healthy outlets were a must. "Try attaching them to the text? Maybe a PDF I can download?"

"Me too," Peter agrees. Instinctively, he knows there's good with the bad, and that the good supposedly makes the bad worth it. He's still working through a whole aftermath of bad right now though, so he probably isn't the most unbiased perspective in the world considering that point of view. Just from what he's heard so far of Peter's life with his MJ and Mayday, he's very much happy for him.

"Wow! I imagine discovering she had abilities was a fun surprise," he says, smiling as he tries to imagine a young daughter swinging around the living room and crawling onto the ceiling. "I bet she's fast!" He's so glad to hear about Peter being a father; just from how he talks of his daughter, fatherhood really seems to suit him.

"Oh yeah! A PDF would be great, I have a lot of notes, and please excuse the doodles on the sides, I was kind of...designing my new suit at the same time," he says, wondering if he can text without hanging up.

Open RP Post/TFLN Overflow/Etc.

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Sorry this took so long ;w;

No worries! I'm always happy to back tag! <3

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