(oh, that face is the one he's wearing too, mirrored straight at him, is that how he looks? that's fine, because man, it's so good to see scott smile like that! he's such a good person, peter can't think a single bad thing about his friend, so he's nudging shoulders.
... oh. kotone!!)
Uh, yeah! I met her! You two are together for how long?
[Peter's sporting a look very similar to his own... okay, Scott has to know now. There's no way he's going to let him off easy, especially after he tells him about Kotone. And how does Scott recognize that expression so well? Well, he sees it half the time when he wakes up in the mirror and his girlfriend is nearby.
They're so stupid.
He still nudges Peter back, shoulders bumping as he nods. Not surprising that Peter's at least met Kotone, since she tends to meet like everyone here. Geez, she's such a social butterfly sometimes.]
About seven months now. Really long time, huh?
[He's totally keep tracking! And that's like seven years in teenager time, right? Doubly so because they're in this weird place where people can disappear at any moment. Oh right, not thinking about that, because he's just barreling straight ahead with that same grin.]
Okay dude, dude, now you have to tell me about your girl.
(it's like looking into a mirror. peter's not only sporting that stupid ass face for himself, but also, out of happiness for his friend. listen, seven months is definitely 7 years in teenager time. that's huge!)
Dude, for sure! And she's nice, and cute, though she-- man, gotta tell you, I think she thinks I'm totally lame.
(probably because she met him in spider-gear, freaked the fuck out, she was Not Impressed, but he says it with a laugh. he can't take it personally after all the quill slander.)
I mean, you know her, right? ... Gwen and I decided stuff this morning. So, I guess... She's my girl! From this morning on, at least.
[He asks with a raised eyebrow, genuinely curious to hear what may have happened between the two. He doesn't think Kotone considers Peter to be lame, mostly because he has a hard time picturing his girlfriend describing anyone like that, but also because Peter's a good dude. Just a little bit of a dork but look who she's dating.
But okay, Gwen. That... is the most obvious thing in the world. Wow. No one is surprised by this turn of events, not even Scott. Er, especially not him. The only thing that is a little surprising about this is the fact that Peter has a girlfriend back home?? But focusing on the good bit now...
He slaps Peter on the back, a small laugh breaking free.]
You mean the girl that you're always hanging out with? [He's so amused. The two Spider people together... yep.] But that's awesome man. Gwen's really cute and nice. But gotta be honest, everyone saw this coming.
I mean, nothing, I swear - I just think she isn't used to superheroes and secret identities and stuff, so she just kinda raises a brow at Spiderman stuff and everything, which is fine! That's why I think she might super think I'm lame, dude.
(because like, she was just. 'you're cleaning that right' over his webs, it's an overall feeling!! but also, he likes her, it doesn't quite matter - and to be fair, even in a nerd school, he was also lame there, he's kind of used to it, it's not personal.
AND LISTEN, HE HAD A GIRLFRIEND.... PAST.... FOR TWO DAYS.... please, scott...........)
I mean, yeah, she's-- wait, really? Is it because she's like me, because if that's it, that's really lazy shipping, man.
She's from Japan. [Scott laughs lightly at the explanation. Yeah, it's nothing as he thought. Okay, sure, he can imagine Kotone just looking at Peter with a 'that's no big deal' expression and just moving on like she isn't talking to someone in a spider costume. She... really is just like that. Sometimes exasperating, but he loves her for it too.
Maybe that's partially why she accepted his whole mutant thing so fast.]
I don't think they really have superhero stuff there like us. But honestly dude? She really isn't surprised by much, so don't take it personally man.
[...But Gwen's like Peter, huh? WELL THEN. Not that Scott hasn't figured it out himself, but. That's basically confirmation. He pokes Peter in the side, ignoring the whole shipping thing because what??? He has no idea what that means.]
Dude, you know you just outed Gwen as Spider-Woman, right?
No, I don't at all, I think she's great. You probably look great together, maybe we should do something sometime.
(like a double date, that would be fun, wouldn't it? he does want to slowly introduce gwen to more people, tear down her walls just a little bit - make things better.
Talking about a double date? I think we can arrange that. Go to the arcade and then enjoy something at the diner? It's classic.
[Besides, it'll be fun to have more Americans for once. LOOK, HE REALLY LIKES HIS FRIENDS FROM JAPAN BUT...]
No, too late man. You can't take it back. [Scott's smiling behind his mostly eaten sandwich now, having way too much fun teasing Peter about this. Maybe if he didn't meet Spider-Woman and haven't seen Gwen hanging around with Peter around so much, he would let it go. But. There's like no chance she isn't the other spider person here.]
Right?! I also fished this old DVD and TV, so we can watch movies in our place, except there's not a lot of space, but if you guys are okay with it, we can totally do a vacation day, right? I'm sure you guys deserve it.
(IT'S OKAY, SCOTT... IT'S A TASTE OF HOME...)
Yep, but hey, come on, we decided to drop the secret identity here, it makes no sense with this situation, right? You guys would figure it out, there's only like, 40 of us, and then the moment we both show up, the Spider-people show? You guys are like, smart, that'd be-- well, that wouldn't be effective at all, right?
[What's a DVD-- okay, something to watch movies with. Obviously. So, like a VHS. He's getting it!]
Yeah, that sounds good. Home movies can be pretty fun, even if we miss out on the big screen and the loud sound system. It's got its own atmosphere that can't be copied. And what are you talking about? Our resident superheroes should have a vacation day too.
[But as Peter explains how secret identities don't really matter here in the first place, Scott just pats him on the shoulder, like he's understanding his friend's brand of copium.] It's fine, dude. Gwen probably won't kick your ass.
We haven't stopped much, though, to be honest? We both spend most of the day in STEM, and we do our rounds to keep those gangs out, but it's-- there's no police station to pick them up, so honestly, the rounds go around every two hours, because that's how long the web has before it dissolves, so we take turns and stuff.
(oh, this is why they deserve a vacation, he sees it now... he'd love a vacation, but he couldn't do much at home. maybe he can do something here.)
Probably, yeah-- hehe. No, but, it's crazy, because she has the same story as me, except a bunch of stuff in her universe is different than mine? Like, she knows my aunt and uncle, but in her universe, my best friend sucks - and he doesn't suck in mine at all. These multiverse things are gonna drive me insane. Like, how many freaking radioactive spiders are out there? Mr. Stark has a coffee brand in her world, but he isn't... An Avenger, or anything? My brain can't take all this, man.
At least he's caught on why he needs a vacation; he should have a day or two to be a normal teenager and everything. It's important. Well, it was important to the mutants back at Xavier's and to him as well. Just needed to feel less like a group of freaks or in Peter and Gwen's case, don't worry about swinging around and being superheroes.
And geez, parallel universe stuff again. Scott's been getting more and more complicated feelings about it, ever since Quentin left and Kurt arrived, and it's just... he wonders if Peter ever felt like he wasn't good enough or something. Is there a Peter in Gwen's universe, for instance? But guess not Spider-Man, since Gwen mentioned that the spider was sort of a one time bite.]
Just... don't think about it too hard. [Scott finishes the rest of his sandwich, tossing the leftover paper behind him as he stares at the lemonade he's holding between his legs.] Keep being yourself and crap.
[What do you mean he's trying to convince himself.]
(this definitely didn't match the way he put everything. to him, these multiverses and their differences are interesting to learn about. the two murdocks, the differences in new york, the fact things are switched up - even the fucked up things are interesting to hear, like death and thanos in quill's universe. that alone would be incredible, but with the repercussions to science and physics? that drives his nerd spirit crazy!
but he can tell that scott doesn't find it as intriguing as he does.)
[Shit he was projecting wasn't he?? Because Peter really doesn't look bothered.]
...Yeah? Yeah. [Scott repeats again, as if trying to convince himself. He's not sure if he should tell Peter how he fully feels about everything, but as the sandwich settles comfortably in his stomach, as he looks down at the lemonade still hanging between his legs, something in him opens just a little more. Peter... he's a really good friend already. Maybe it's okay to talk about this a little.
Americans stick together or something like that--]
Okay, I guess I've just been feeling... nervous? I don't know. [It's dumb in a way, because Kurt has been really cool and even Quentin didn't seem to mind him. But he can't help but think they'd rather have their version of Scott around-- maybe Scott isn't fully immune to feeling that way either. Isn't that shitty of him? He sighs.]
There's a multiverse thing going on in my world too. I already know that a couple of different versions of me exist elsewhere.
(of course, to each their own thoughts about the multiverse. he supposes he could see it how scott sees it - there are so many bad things in gwen's world for him to be totally fine with it wholly. but to him, in his position, these multiverses mean something completely different. rather of a proof of what can go wrong, they are a proof something can go right.
one chance in fourteen million.)
I mean, man, it's a whole thing, scientifically and otherwise, right? But I get it, because you don't know where the similarities start and stop, so you gotta wonder what is happening around and what does that mean to you, is that what you've been thinking?
[...Maybe Peter hopes for things to be different in another universe, considering that things have gone horribly in his. He mentioned aliens and Thanos killing a whole bunch of people-- including him. So, maybe he wants to be optimistic about Gwen's world and stuff in comparison. For a moment, Scott feels kind of bad for whining about this in the first place, but guess it's too late to take it back now.
There's that grief though, knowing his friend is dead back home. Why can't things be better for his friends?? It really fucking sucks.]
Yeah, something like that. Especially if... like there's something you learn about the future in another world that you really don't like. [His frown increases despite himself. He... he doesn't want to kill Charles Xavier.]
(unfortunately for all involved, peter was raised to believe in the best of things, in the best of people, regardless of their circumstances, that they can be better if they want to - all they need is help. optimistic by nature, no beating will put him down for too long.
so, if there's something about another world that he doesn't like...)
I mean, man. No story is finished telling, right? There's always hope for things to be better. Maybe you don't like it, and that's totally fine, right, but you don't know what will happen in the future of that future, so like, maybe it will all turn out okay, right?
-- That future of that future part didn't help my case, but you know what I mean. The super future--
[Yeah, he gets what Peter is trying to say. Maybe not the most eloquent way to put it, but Scott doesn't need that in the first place. He never has. And so the mutant stays quiet for a moment, turning his words around in his mind, trying to pull that same optimism and hope from them that his friend truly seems to believe in. ...This is really coming from a guy that's dead back home, where the universe seems to be half destroyed, but he still really believes, huh?
If he can, maybe Scott can. ...He should.
Even if he kills Professor Xavier, maybe... it will somehow still be okay. It feels grim, but guess the Scott in Quentin's timeline is trying his best. Finally, he breathes out, focusing on Peter with genuine curiosity.]
I gotta have. It's not even for me, I'm fine-- well, not fine, fine, but you get it, fine. The wizard said there's a chance in four million that we win, and I just think-- I gotta believe that chance is ours, you know? If I don't, I'm giving up on half the universe, and the people I believe in, right, and that's... Not right. I do get a little bummed, because I mean. I'm... Pretty dead, right, there's no coming back from that, but while I'm here, I can make you sandwiches, and spend time with Mr. Murdock plural, and help androids, and call Mr. Valentine a vampire and make Gwen smile a little. That's gotta be worth something, it just gotta be.
(perhaps a little more long-winded than he wanted to go with, but nevertheless, it's how he feels. he can't predict tomorrow, but he can hope. he can wake up each morning and try to help, make a difference, even if this is-- a videogame? a simulation? the people in here are real to him.
Those are really, really bad odds but guess they're not impossible odds either? If Peter still has hope for the future, even if he's not a part of it, then Scott isn't going to point out how slim that possibility is. Besides, Peter is the math nerd between them, he already knows and still chooses to believe and... he's a strong guy, isn't he? It's not because he's just Spider-Man either.
He bumps his shoulder against Peter's, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. Look, he really is in full agreement with him.]
It is worth something. Being here. Making friends with others.
[He fully believes it, he has to. All the friends he has here, his girlfriend... all that is truly worth something, even if it won't necessarily last forever. It still matters.] What we do here still matters.
(it seems like he helped unsour scott's mood, which is a win in his book. it's easy to get lost in the doom and gloom, but that's the thing - peter always stands up. he's starting to realize that's a normal theme for the spider-people. it no longer confuses him, instead, it feels like a simple fact of life. there will be good scott summers, there will be back scott summers - it's the experiences that led him anywhere. the same way there's a peter parker who wanted the attention and love gwen has to offer that he turned himself into a lizard to try and feel a little more special like her.
he couldn't ever imagine himself.)
I think, so, too. If this is the only home I will ever get now, then I'll make it my home. It matters to me.
[Don't be sad about Peter, at least not right in front of him. If he's being this strong about his fate and everything, then Scott will be so too. Not to mention, he's pretty familiar being around people that are dead back home... not that it makes it that much easier.
He holds up his lemonade, however, holding it up to Peter with a small smile. He'll get through his feelings and at the very least, support his friend. Make sure that he has a good time at this new 'home.' It matters to him too.]
Kind of prefer a lot of things in this new home anyway. Hot girlfriend and all.
(clink, and he drinks it. he much prefers the lemonade, he won't lie, instead of alcohol. tastes weird, does very little! so, he even sways his legs a little as they dangle from the roof, a laugh leaving him when he hears the comment.)
I mean, can't complain either, not by far. Gwen's, uh, pretty amazing. We already decided to stop trying to keep our identities to ourselves, so I can actually tell you she's also a Spider. I thought I was alone all this time, but I'm not. It's pretty sweet.
[There really is something so normal about this. Drinking lemonade while sitting with a friend, even though the edge of a rooftop was not his number one pick in the past. Hey, doesn't mean he dislikes it though, far from it. Up here, it really feels like they escaped from some of the bullshit that happens around the city.
And heh, already ditched the secret identity thing, huh? Scott's tempted to tell Peter that he was pretty bad at it to begin with, but dude brought him lemonade and a sandwich, he owes him that much.]
Gwen's great man, you're definitely lucky. [...Of course, Scott considers himself the luckiest to be with Kotone, but he's a sap.] ...Kotone isn't a mutant like me, but she's made me feel less alone in this world.
[So, he sort of understands what Peter is saying??]
(both are saps, that's why a double date would kill the girls, and embarrass the boys. there's no doubt, though - both of them are lucky. they are two incredible women, and they are lame - no offense, scott.)
That's actually it, isn't it? I feel that here, too. The Avengers... They exist, and I'm sure they're not the only ones, but they're not super reachable, you know? It's not like I meet with Thor twice a week to assemble legos and stuff. So, it's just... Me. Here, it seems there are more people like us than not, so it makes me feel a little more, uh, you know. Normal.
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... oh. kotone!!)
Uh, yeah! I met her! You two are together for how long?
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They're so stupid.
He still nudges Peter back, shoulders bumping as he nods. Not surprising that Peter's at least met Kotone, since she tends to meet like everyone here. Geez, she's such a social butterfly sometimes.]
About seven months now. Really long time, huh?
[He's totally keep tracking! And that's like seven years in teenager time, right? Doubly so because they're in this weird place where people can disappear at any moment. Oh right, not thinking about that, because he's just barreling straight ahead with that same grin.]
Okay dude, dude, now you have to tell me about your girl.
[COME ON PARKER...
Or boy, Scott isn't judging.]
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Dude, for sure! And she's nice, and cute, though she-- man, gotta tell you, I think she thinks I'm totally lame.
(probably because she met him in spider-gear, freaked the fuck out, she was Not Impressed, but he says it with a laugh. he can't take it personally after all the quill slander.)
I mean, you know her, right? ... Gwen and I decided stuff this morning. So, I guess... She's my girl! From this morning on, at least.
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[He asks with a raised eyebrow, genuinely curious to hear what may have happened between the two. He doesn't think Kotone considers Peter to be lame, mostly because he has a hard time picturing his girlfriend describing anyone like that, but also because Peter's a good dude. Just a little bit of a dork
but look who she's dating.But okay, Gwen. That... is the most obvious thing in the world. Wow. No one is surprised by this turn of events, not even Scott. Er, especially not him. The only thing that is a little surprising about this is the fact that Peter has a girlfriend back home?? But focusing on the good bit now...
He slaps Peter on the back, a small laugh breaking free.]
You mean the girl that you're always hanging out with? [He's so amused. The two Spider people together... yep.] But that's awesome man. Gwen's really cute and nice. But gotta be honest, everyone saw this coming.
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(because like, she was just. 'you're cleaning that right' over his webs, it's an overall feeling!! but also, he likes her, it doesn't quite matter - and to be fair, even in a nerd school, he was also lame there, he's kind of used to it, it's not personal.
AND LISTEN, HE HAD A GIRLFRIEND.... PAST.... FOR TWO DAYS.... please, scott...........)
I mean, yeah, she's-- wait, really? Is it because she's like me, because if that's it, that's really lazy shipping, man.
(some of us are gen z.)
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Maybe that's partially why she accepted his whole mutant thing so fast.]
I don't think they really have superhero stuff there like us. But honestly dude? She really isn't surprised by much, so don't take it personally man.
[...But Gwen's like Peter, huh? WELL THEN. Not that Scott hasn't figured it out himself, but. That's basically confirmation. He pokes Peter in the side, ignoring the whole shipping thing because what??? He has no idea what that means.]
Dude, you know you just outed Gwen as Spider-Woman, right?
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(like a double date, that would be fun, wouldn't it? he does want to slowly introduce gwen to more people, tear down her walls just a little bit - make things better.
but, hey, time to be a little rascal...)
Wait, I meant she's a nerd. She's Spider-Woman??
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[Besides, it'll be fun to have more Americans for once. LOOK, HE REALLY LIKES HIS FRIENDS FROM JAPAN BUT...]
No, too late man. You can't take it back. [Scott's smiling behind his mostly eaten sandwich now, having way too much fun teasing Peter about this. Maybe if he didn't meet Spider-Woman and haven't seen Gwen hanging around with Peter around so much, he would let it go. But. There's like no chance she isn't the other spider person here.]
You suck at this.
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(IT'S OKAY, SCOTT... IT'S A TASTE OF HOME...)
Yep, but hey, come on, we decided to drop the secret identity here, it makes no sense with this situation, right? You guys would figure it out, there's only like, 40 of us, and then the moment we both show up, the Spider-people show? You guys are like, smart, that'd be-- well, that wouldn't be effective at all, right?
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Yeah, that sounds good. Home movies can be pretty fun, even if we miss out on the big screen and the loud sound system. It's got its own atmosphere that can't be copied. And what are you talking about? Our resident superheroes should have a vacation day too.
[But as Peter explains how secret identities don't really matter here in the first place, Scott just pats him on the shoulder, like he's understanding his friend's brand of copium.] It's fine, dude. Gwen probably won't kick your ass.
[Again.]
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(oh, this is why they deserve a vacation, he sees it now... he'd love a vacation, but he couldn't do much at home. maybe he can do something here.)
Probably, yeah-- hehe. No, but, it's crazy, because she has the same story as me, except a bunch of stuff in her universe is different than mine? Like, she knows my aunt and uncle, but in her universe, my best friend sucks - and he doesn't suck in mine at all. These multiverse things are gonna drive me insane. Like, how many freaking radioactive spiders are out there? Mr. Stark has a coffee brand in her world, but he isn't... An Avenger, or anything? My brain can't take all this, man.
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At least he's caught on why he needs a vacation; he should have a day or two to be a normal teenager and everything. It's important. Well, it was important to the mutants back at Xavier's and to him as well. Just needed to feel less like a group of freaks or in Peter and Gwen's case, don't worry about swinging around and being superheroes.
And geez, parallel universe stuff again. Scott's been getting more and more complicated feelings about it, ever since Quentin left and Kurt arrived, and it's just... he wonders if Peter ever felt like he wasn't good enough or something. Is there a Peter in Gwen's universe, for instance? But guess not Spider-Man, since Gwen mentioned that the spider was sort of a one time bite.]
Just... don't think about it too hard. [Scott finishes the rest of his sandwich, tossing the leftover paper behind him as he stares at the lemonade he's holding between his legs.] Keep being yourself and crap.
[What do you mean he's trying to convince himself.]
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(this definitely didn't match the way he put everything. to him, these multiverses and their differences are interesting to learn about. the two murdocks, the differences in new york, the fact things are switched up - even the fucked up things are interesting to hear, like death and thanos in quill's universe. that alone would be incredible, but with the repercussions to science and physics? that drives his nerd spirit crazy!
but he can tell that scott doesn't find it as intriguing as he does.)
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...Yeah? Yeah. [Scott repeats again, as if trying to convince himself. He's not sure if he should tell Peter how he fully feels about everything, but as the sandwich settles comfortably in his stomach, as he looks down at the lemonade still hanging between his legs, something in him opens just a little more. Peter... he's a really good friend already. Maybe it's okay to talk about this a little.
Americans stick together or something like that--]
Okay, I guess I've just been feeling... nervous? I don't know. [It's dumb in a way, because Kurt has been really cool and even Quentin didn't seem to mind him. But he can't help but think they'd rather have their version of Scott around-- maybe Scott isn't fully immune to feeling that way either. Isn't that shitty of him? He sighs.]
There's a multiverse thing going on in my world too. I already know that a couple of different versions of me exist elsewhere.
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one chance in fourteen million.)
I mean, man, it's a whole thing, scientifically and otherwise, right? But I get it, because you don't know where the similarities start and stop, so you gotta wonder what is happening around and what does that mean to you, is that what you've been thinking?
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There's that grief though, knowing his friend is dead back home. Why can't things be better for his friends?? It really fucking sucks.]
Yeah, something like that. Especially if... like there's something you learn about the future in another world that you really don't like. [His frown increases despite himself. He... he doesn't want to kill Charles Xavier.]
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so, if there's something about another world that he doesn't like...)
I mean, man. No story is finished telling, right? There's always hope for things to be better. Maybe you don't like it, and that's totally fine, right, but you don't know what will happen in the future of that future, so like, maybe it will all turn out okay, right?
-- That future of that future part didn't help my case, but you know what I mean. The super future--
You get it.
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If he can, maybe Scott can. ...He should.
Even if he kills Professor Xavier, maybe... it will somehow still be okay. It feels grim, but guess the Scott in Quentin's timeline is trying his best. Finally, he breathes out, focusing on Peter with genuine curiosity.]
...Do you have hope for your future, Peter?
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(perhaps a little more long-winded than he wanted to go with, but nevertheless, it's how he feels. he can't predict tomorrow, but he can hope. he can wake up each morning and try to help, make a difference, even if this is-- a videogame? a simulation? the people in here are real to him.
he can't turn his back to it.)
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Those are really, really bad odds but guess they're not impossible odds either? If Peter still has hope for the future, even if he's not a part of it, then Scott isn't going to point out how slim that possibility is. Besides, Peter is the math nerd between them, he already knows and still chooses to believe and... he's a strong guy, isn't he? It's not because he's just Spider-Man either.
He bumps his shoulder against Peter's, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. Look, he really is in full agreement with him.]
It is worth something. Being here. Making friends with others.
[He fully believes it, he has to. All the friends he has here, his girlfriend... all that is truly worth something, even if it won't necessarily last forever. It still matters.] What we do here still matters.
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he couldn't ever imagine himself.)
I think, so, too. If this is the only home I will ever get now, then I'll make it my home. It matters to me.
Cheers?
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He holds up his lemonade, however, holding it up to Peter with a small smile. He'll get through his feelings and at the very least, support his friend. Make sure that he has a good time at this new 'home.' It matters to him too.]
Kind of prefer a lot of things in this new home anyway. Hot girlfriend and all.
[Peter understands.]
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I mean, can't complain either, not by far. Gwen's, uh, pretty amazing. We already decided to stop trying to keep our identities to ourselves, so I can actually tell you she's also a Spider. I thought I was alone all this time, but I'm not. It's pretty sweet.
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And heh, already ditched the secret identity thing, huh? Scott's tempted to tell Peter that he was pretty bad at it to begin with, but dude brought him lemonade and a sandwich, he owes him that much.]
Gwen's great man, you're definitely lucky. [...Of course, Scott considers himself the luckiest to be with Kotone, but he's a sap.] ...Kotone isn't a mutant like me, but she's made me feel less alone in this world.
[So, he sort of understands what Peter is saying??]
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That's actually it, isn't it? I feel that here, too. The Avengers... They exist, and I'm sure they're not the only ones, but they're not super reachable, you know? It's not like I meet with Thor twice a week to assemble legos and stuff. So, it's just... Me. Here, it seems there are more people like us than not, so it makes me feel a little more, uh, you know. Normal.
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