So.

Any new throwbacks to the literal ship of the damned, or are we kind of in a holding pattern for now?

[Friends Filter*]

So I heard most of you met Gwen.

[And he's kind of. Embarrassed but pleased and all together appreciative that he's, you know, got friends here, who aren't crazy or more acquaintances than anything else. People who have his back.

It's nice. And he's pretty sure it's never really going to stop feeling new and different and awesome.]

And I get why you're trying to talk her into going home, but unless the Admiral sends her back before whatever happens, happens, she's not going anywhere. Believe me, she's not. [He knows, okay.] Which means I've gotta ask you all a favor.

If - and I'm pretty sure we all know I really mean "when" - something bad happens, something like last time, and if I'm affected and you're not, keep an eye out for her?

I mean, [And he feels like he needs to clarify, because seriously.] The person I was there, he wasn't like, a monster? But I have no idea what it's going to be like this time, and I just, I don't-

[He sighs, drops his face into his hands for a brief moment and rubs at his forehead before looking back up.]

I don't want her to get hurt.

[...]

Also maybe don't tell her I said all this? [There's a guilty cringe.] I mean, don't not tell her, but. Just. You know. This is weird enough without this getting thrown in?

[*ooc: if you think your character should be on this filter, they are!]

[Pete doesn't look... totally awful. I mean, it could be worse, he's not screaming or curled up on a ball on the floor.

But he is a little pale, and hunches over on himself with a gasp of pain right after clicking on the feed. The camera angle's a little slanted, and one arm is folded over his stomach, but he's upright and walking through the hallway trying to figure out one thing:]

Okay, who has mine? I'm flattered you're so interested in me, but this really needs to stop.

So, final verdict: D&D, totally cool or totally lame?

[Spoilers, he knows the consensus will still probably be around fifty fifty, but hey, he's bored. Sue him.]

... Not that the flood was really legit D&D, but I guess it's close enough to the real thing for now. And hey, Admiral, if you're taking suggestions for floods from the audience? More stuff like that might not be a bad idea. Not that I'm sure I'm ready to make the full on leap into LARP-ing as like, a hobby, but I mean, all things considered? This is the kind of embarrassing I think we could all get used to instead of, you know, truth vomit and murder sprees.

... Oh, and hey, has anyone seen Nymeria?

[The video is upside down. Or, rather, Peter is sitting in a ceiling corner in the level six common room, upside down, and you're getting a weird camera angle as a result. Feel free to adjust your screens accordingly.]

You know, [He starts off, sounding generally more conversational and maybe slightly bored than anything else. Not having an inmate or much really to do is kind of wearing on him.] I know it's like, the butt of every joke imaginable, but Dungeons and Dragons? Way more fun than just sitting around here waiting for the next disaster port to hit, and I don't really think it deserves the bad rep it gets. Crazy, I know, but you might even enjoy it if you gave it a shot.

I mean, a few of you I wouldn't necessarily want to be Dungeon Master or anything - I've seen people who aren't world leaders turn into power crazy psychos, figure we don't need to dump gasoline on any fires - but seriously, might be a decent way to kill some time.

Orrrr anyone got Scattergories? Or Pictionary or something? The copy of Monopoly I found stashed under the television's missing most of the pieces, but honestly, Monopoly is pretty much the worst board game ever invented anyway. Probably not worth tracking down the top hat piece.

[ooc: Peter is affected. c:]

So... [Peter trails off slightly awkwardly for a second because it's been a while since he's hit people up for stuff like this, but he's bored, needs a distraction and figures it's worth a shot.] Random question: anyone up for sparring, or whatever?

Gym, CES, CTS, wherever works for me. Just maybe not like, in a hallway or on deck, maybe.

[Innocent bystanders + instinctive spider abilities = probably for the best to be somewhere more out of the way of people just trying to get to the dining hall.]

Scorpius is in Zero. He needs a doctor.

[And he's not going to say why unless he's pressed, because they've done this whole burn the warden at the stake for lashing out at someone thing before, and he doesn't think Ben deserves to be demoted or told he should be demoted for this..]

[Warden Filter]

[He sounds a little less hollow when he switches the filter, but there's still something off.]

Crazy question, but does anyone want to breathe down this guy's neck a little until he gets his own warden? I don't think this time out's really going to teach him much of a lesson and I don't think anyone else needs to get hurt.

I mean, I can do it, if no one else wants to.

[Filtered to Friends*]

[Peter is still bad about asking for help. Like, really bad at it. But he's super angry and still remembers being grabbed and threatened and being absolutely fucking terrified thanks to the flood, and he doesn't really know how to deal with all of it.

Like, at all. And he's apparently supposed to be better at reaching out to people now, but there's still a lot of hesitation and reluctance to actually be around people right now.

Except he did just sort of imply that he got in a fight even if that's not really true, so. Might as well reassure people, he guesses.]

I'm fine.

[Private to Ben]

[This part comes a bit later.]

Is he doing okay?

[ooc: One friendly conversation rule applies!]

So, uh, kinda late to ask I guess, but does anyone know a loudmouth reporter who hates Spider-Man? Because I'm pretty sure I got one of my counterparts - or like, future-me or something - fired back when the network freaked out. [And he sounds pretty guilty about it. Like, seriously.] Totally an accident.

[He's serious, he has no idea who this guy is or why he was screaming about needing pictures on his desk, Chris you told him he was a science teacher when he grows up.]

And while we're on that subject - sort of - if anyone needs a hand keeping out of trouble or anything, I'm pretty sure I can help.

Just, you know, if anyone's interested. [He'll be running around keeping an eye on things anyway.]

[Filtered to Friends - if you think you're on it, you're on it]

That goes double for you guys. Don't do anything stupid.

[Open Spam for Port]

[Peter's not always great at following his own advice. He's not going to do anything super stupid, and can be found milling about the market trading some of the stuff he's had lying around his room for food and stuff without causing any trouble, but...

Once the market's all wrapped up, he can also be found wandering around keeping an eye on other Barge folk. He's not stalking you, honest! He's just keeping an eye out for any trouble to swoop in as needed. With or without his ridiculously loud costume on.

Probably without. A bright red and blue full body suit sticks out like a sore thumb pretty much anywhere.]

I've been working for like, months on trying to figure out how the network works and if it's possible to send messages home, or between universes or whatever, and then stuff like this happens and it makes me feel like it's gonna be another looong six months before I get anywhere close to figuring out why packing peanuts and gum are what's "powering" the comm. [He sounds totally good natured about it, like he's just kidding around because he is.]

Anyway. This is Peter Parker, your friendly neighborhood... you know.

[Or maybe you don't, whatever works for him.]

If anyone's out there from back home, hey.

[Peter clicks on his feed and holds up his ugly Christmas sweater. Let's just say it's very... bright. And is - appropriately - Spider-Man red and blue, which is. Fun.]

So, does anyone actually want to wear these? Or like, I don't know, use it for parts or something? [Anya, you like to knit right?] It's too bad there's not like, a universe that actually wants this stuff we could like, donate them to or something.

Unless that is someone's universe? Anyone? Anyone? ... Bueller?

[Private to the Admiral]

( Gifts for Bond, Scott, Alex, Snow, Arya, Chris, Anya, Polly, Banner, Dean, Mindy, Ellie, Nathan and Kelsier )

[Peter's sitting on the roof of the greenhouses. He hides up here a lot when he's feeling crappy, because it's one of the highest points on the Barge and for the most part, it's a good place to go when your room's feeling a little too claustrophobic and familiar.

Not that anyone listening to the network post will really be able to tell, aside from the fact that he sounds like his jaw's a little locked in an attempt to stop his teeth from chattering. It gets cold out here at night now.]

So, I think there's kind of been some like, miscommunication about how things actually are, for people like me? Like, I get it, some of us are fictional where you're from, and that's cool or whatever- [And pretty creepy, if he's really thinking about it, but he prefers not to think about how people might know about things he'd rather keep secret.] Or we've got stuff that you don't have in your world, like superpowers or magic and stuff, but that doesn't mean our lives are like, an episode of My Little Pony or something.

I don't think any of us would be here if something bad hadn't happened to us, and like, I've never read these comics or anything? But seriously, if anyone thinks being a superhero is easy just because I've got superpowers, or because someone else has monsters or giant robots or whatever to fight, you really, really don't get it. Good people - people you don't know and people you really care about still get hurt. They might even die. [Uncle Ben, Captain Stacy, the billion times Bond's gotten himself hurt or killed on the Barge and he hasn't been able to do anything about it. A lot of good having superpowers did him then.] Maybe in front of you. And you might not be able to stop it.

Or they'll leave, because it's safer.

[Because while Captain Stacy's alive now, he'll still want him to stay away from Gwen. And Bond's gone, and he's been back before, but there's no guarantee that he will this time. It's stupid to be upset about it or miss him, because the Barge sucks, and he's better off at home. Really.]

So just... think. Before you start saying you get it, or how I don't get it because you think having superpowers means my world's "less real" than yours. Because if someone made a movie about my life? I seriously doubt it's something you'd want to trade for.

[So, some of you might have noticed the new additions to the Barge. The feed clicks on to reveal that even if you haven't, Peter and Scott definitely have, since they're currently wearing some costumes that might look familiar to some of you. (More specifically, here's Peter's and here's Scott's. Pete looks pretty pleased when he addresses the Barge, while Scott just looks vaguely bored and desperately trying not to roll his eyes at the other teenager's enthusiasm.]

So, now that Vader's [Who some of you might know better as Hannibal Lecter.] been taken care of-

[Anddd he's being cut off.]

--Yeah, now that the "almighty" [he's sarcastic, can you tell] Vader's in space jail, do I get paid? [He's actually nudging Peter with one elbow. Where's his money.]

Is that seriously all you care about? [Uh excuse you, sir, Peter is giving you the dirtiest, most hurt and offended puppy dog look right now, seemingly more or less not paying attention to the fact that other people are going to be able to see this, too.] There are a lot bigger things at stake here than some reward, you know.

[Oh my god Peter, the puppy thing is supposed to be his schtick and he is so glad it's not for this flood. He's a badass, okay Barge. Remember that.

Scott just rolls his eyes and sighs.] Yeah, but a little reward never hurt morale. [But gosh, Peter, don't have a melt down. Scott slings an arm around Peter's shoulders and tugshim down for, yes, a noogie, you little (giant) hero you.

... Which Peter is promptly trying to squirm and push his way out of, because come ON, man, they're supposed to be doing serious hero stuff!] Anyway, now that Vader's under control, what's our next move? The Empire's not going to defeat itself, right?

[What is serious hero stuff though, Pete? Scott grins his totally suave and extremely cocky (doofy and dorky) grin and let's Peter go to do his hero thing - but abruptly the smile fades and his eyes get comically wide as he grabs at Peter's arm.]

Don't look now, buddy, but we've got company.

[Off screen there are, presumably, storm troopers, because Scott is pulling out his awesome plastic blaster and aiming and--] Pew! Pew pew!

[So obviously, Peter is whipping out his awesome plastic lightsaber and swishing it around, making the appropriate vvvvvmmmmmm, vvvvmmmmmmmmm noises to go along with it before they both scamper down the hallway and kill the feed.

Most serious larpers.]

Hey, so. Olive's gone. Maybe since port, I think. [Which is a bummer. They've been losing a lot of good people, lately.]

So... [This is unrelated, but. Just go with the segue, people.] If anyone's got, like, I don't know. Broken toasters or lights or whatever? I'm kinda running low on stuff to do to keep busy here, so. Let me know. Or one of the other maintenance guys, I guess.

[Private to Polly]

I found a book with some stuff about clacks towers - we call them telegraphs, sort of? I mean, our telegraphs aren't really exactly the same, but they're pretty close - so I should be able to put one together in a couple days. The thing is, I'm not sure how well it'll work here, I mean, I haven't been able to get a wi-fi signal the whole time I've been here.

[Private to Anya]

Hey. [............. you need to try a little harder than that, Pete.] Um, I know it sucks, when, you know. Stuff like this happens, but. If you want to - I don't know, do something, I'm kind of working on a project for Polly? If need something to do.

[Open Spam]

[It's weird, to complain about being bored in a place like the Barge. Really, no one should feel bored, because there's so much stuff that can happen without any warning at all, but Peter still finds himself wishing he had something more productive to do than just... sitting around.

Of course, that's not explicitly true. He's still spending a lot of time helping out in the infirmary, so he can be found there puttering around and tending to anyone who's still nursing injuries from last port, or a CTS session gone wrong or whatever. But what he's really been missing is having a project to work on, or even just stupid little things he used to do around the house when something needed fixing so they wouldn't have to pay someone to come out and do it for them. He's been spending more time in the Maintenance and Repair offices because if it, and can be found either there or in one of the common rooms or the lab tinkering away with different projects, including the clacks tower for Polly.]

So, Bond graduated, and he's gone. Like, disappeared gone. Like, literally disappeared in front of someone gone. [And Peter's... actually really kind of upset about it, but he doesn't really want to just talk about that to everyone on the network right now, so he leaves it at that.]

I'm sticking around.

[He almost says he'll be in the CTS if anyone needs to find him, and clicks off the feed instead.]

[Private to the Admiral]

Can I have a cat? Like, a kitten, I guess?

Just a normal Earth cat, if you can get it from a shelter or something, that'd be cool.

[Private to Cass]

You doing okay?

[Spam for the CTS]

[The thing he misses most about home - besides Gwen and Aunt May, anyway - is webslinging, and while the CTS can help with that, it's still not really the same.

Today though, he's really going in for one reason, and it's not that. He just wants to let off some steam, to try and cope with this latest loss, and so he's almost relieved when the CTS just produces a basic setting with almost faceless thugs to beat up.

It feels good, to be able to sense punches coming and react in his usual lightning-fast way instead of the sluggish, unnatural feeling he'd had to deal with in port without his powers, and he lets himself really let loose. He moves way more quickly and instinctively than it probably looks like he'd be able to, considering he's tall and scrawny and doesn't look all that threatening. The thugs are dealt with quickly, and he runs through a couple scenarios before stopping for a break.]