one ( video )

[firestars]

[ the video clicks on with a flash of something bright and red and orange before it clears and there's a blonde-haired girl wearing a black bodysuit and looking very worried and confused. she's speaking, muttering to herself: ]

Is this on -- I think so... I can see myself, but I don't know if it's even pla -- Oh. Oh. I can see the like, little red -- oh god, that means they can --

[ she cuts herself off and yelps a little before putting a hand to her chest, taking slow deep breaths, furrowing her brows and trying to calm down. she's wigged out and she's scared and she wants out. ]

Oh my god. I -- uhm. [ gulp ] Hi. My name is Liz Allan. Lizzie, I guess. I'm -- I'm new. I have -- [ she counts on her fingers ] -- four questions.

One. Is this... like, computer thing fireproof? Two. Are we --- are we really, seriously on a turtle? I guess I saw since no one actually told me, but... There are no turtles that like, grow this big. Otherwise it'd be all over the news on something.

Three, has anyone seen -- er... two of my friends? Jea -- Karen Grant [ she still doesn't know which to refer to her as ] and Derek Morgan? Please let them know I'm here. [ not that Jean won't figure out herself if she's here too ]

And finally, this... has to be a dream, right? A hallucination? Because this is so crazy and unreal that it can't --

[ and the feed cuts ]

Comments

[wallcrawler]

Wait, what's wrong with my haircut?

[PETER. PRIORITIES.]

And what do you mean I'm dead?!

[firestars]

He's dead, okay? He's been dead for a long time. [ first harry and then him ] Can you just -- stop? Please?

[ she brings a hand to her face ]

This isn't funny.

[wallcrawler]

I know it's not, you just said I'm dead!

[Okay. Okay think Pete. Maybe...maybe it's another version of you? Miles said one of you dies, maybe that's from her universe?]

Look, maybe this is just one of those alternate-universe things. Because I am Peter Parker, and I definitely don't remember dying recently. I even know a Liz Allen, but you don't...really look like her. At all.

[Aaaaand stepped onto another landmine. Awesome.]

[firestars]

[ uh oh. she turns her steely gaze back towards him again, between the fingers of her hand ]

What do you mean, I don't look like her?

[wallcrawler]

Well, you might not be the same Liz Allan, so don't...freak out, I guess...

[Yeah there was just really no delicate way to say this that Peter could think of]

But she didn't have blonde hair, she had brown eyes, and her skin tone was a lot darker than yours. Actually you don't really sound like her, either.

But maybe it's just a same-name, different person kind of thing? You don't have a brother named Mark, do you?

[Please don't, because otherwise...yeeeeeah.]

[firestars]

[ wow, that doesn't sound like her at all. and she's never heard of this mark guy ]

N-no, I have a half-brother named Teddy....

[wallcrawler]

[OH THANK GOD]

Oh. See? You might not even be the same Liz Allen! You probably don't even go to a Midtown High, or know who Flash Thompson is, right?

[Pete you really need to learn to quit while you're ahead.]

[firestars]

[ icon ]

I dated Flash Thompson.

[wallcrawler]

[...crap]

...please tell me we never dated. Because the similarities with whatever alternate universe you're from are already weird enough as it is.

[ 1/2 ]

[firestars]

Me and -- me and you? [ momentarily forgetting the fact that she thinks he isn't peter to begin with ]

[firestars]

No, oh my god, no. Ew. [ a beat and then tentatively ]

You -- he was dating MJ anyways. Or Kitty. And he's not my type.

[wallcrawler]

[Okay, so that's at least THAT disaster averted. Sort of.]

Okay, so at least that's different. MJ and I never really dated, I don't know who Kitty is, and...I was sort of a terrible boyfriend to Liz.

[Something he does not sound even remotely happy about, because hindsight is a painful, painful thing when you screw up as bad as he does.]

[ 1/2 again im so sorry ]

[firestars]

Wait, how have you two never dated? You guys were like, destined. [ her voice breaks a little because thinking about MJ and how she hasn't been able to see her since she ran away and how she must be taking peter being gone ] We all thought you both were going to get married. [ a heavy breath ]

[firestars]

What do you mean, "terrible boyfriend"?

Never be sorry /o/

[wallcrawler]

We went to a formal together, but that was about it. After that we were just friends, really. She was dating Mark for a while before...well, the point is we never really dated.

Also, why am I sharing all this with you again?

[firestars]

[ because i'll set you on fire if you don't ]

Because you're some like, alternate whatever of my childhood friend and you made me cry.

[wallcrawler]

Okay first off, that is so not my fault. I'm really sorry it happened, but I'm still Peter Parker, I'm not going to pretend to be someone else.

And secondly, how is explaining how I was a terrible boyfriend to other-you supposed to make you feel any better?

[BECAUSE REALLY, LIZ.]

[firestars]

[ SHE WILL SET YOU ON FIRE PETEY ]

Oh my god, it can't have been that bad.

He should really lock this but he's not paying attention right now

[wallcrawler]

[FINE, HE'LL TELL YOU GOSH]

...I didn't really like her, like her, I still had a crush on Gwen, I missed or bailed on way too many things that were important to her, and when I eventually broke up with her it was in the school cafeteria a few days after her brother got put back in The Vault.

[...hey, you asked.]

So...I guess it started with basically leading her on without realizing it, and ended with me being a huge jerk.

its ok liz dont even know how

[firestars]

[ she just kind of stares at him and then her expression turns steely. she wasn't super close with gwen, but she was part of the group.

after a moment:]

You're a real jerk.

He does and that's the terrible part /o/

[wallcrawler]

I know. And I wish I'd figured it out a lot sooner than I did.

[...and it's time for everybody's favorite game, The Awkward Silence!

...less because he's hoping for sympathy, and more because he really has no idea what he should even say in a situation like this. Because he knows he screwed up, bad, but he was sort of pulled to the Turtle before he had a chance to even start trying to make things right with Liz

And this isn't the Liz he needs to be apologizing to, anyway.]

[firestars]

[ liz welcomes the silence because she honestly needs to think. think about talking to some not dead douchey peter. so she stares at her hands so that he doesn't have to continue glaring at him. a few minutes later, she talks again: ]

So. Peter.

[wallcrawler]

Yeah. Peter.

[firestars]

[ a measured pause ]

Sorry about like, wigging out on you.

[wallcrawler]

[She gets a sigh at that.]

You don't have to apologize for it. It's understandable. Getting kidnapped to another dimension and having this happen probably isn't something anyone can be prepared for.

And to be honest, I think I needed the yelling anyway. Especially for Liz. I got pulled her almost right after, so I never really had to face any consequences.

[And after eight months, he sort of managed to forget just how bad it was.]