riverview network

[The feed opens with Peter on his bed.

Not hungover, thank you. 

But he looks a little rumpled, in that healthy way, a way that says he's actually gonna sleep early today.]

Ummm. So... This is weird. I, okay — here it goes.

Number one... Hey, hi, I'm — I'm 16-year-old Peter Parker. Not the puny one in the Iron Man mask anymore. But thanks a lot if you helped me out, back there; it means a lot. I was a little bit of a handful and all, but you guys were awesome babysitters? That's kind of embarrassing, but you know, that's just how a Parker rolls.

[Peter breathes out a sigh after a moment's hesitation, leaning back from the feed and tapping a pen on a notebook on his knee that is probably too full of science mumbo-jumbo and math notes — among other things. Liiiike bullet points on what to say for this message. He feels like he's got butterflies in his stomach, honestly. Which is stupid. But he's never been great at having an audience; you wouldn't catch him in drama with all those actor-types.

Okay, Pete. Just go down your list, you got this.]

Mr. Stark — Tony Stark, that is... and Sam Wilson, they've gone home. Captain America, too. A lot of people have: people from my world, some from worlds like it — and friends I got to make from wildly different places have left, too. And I just... wanna say, this place has been so good to me, you know? Sure, some really messed up stuff happened here and there, but. But it's been a place where I could think. And make new friends. And be way more open than I was back home.

I just know what I have to do now. It's been eating at me for a while, so... Decisions made. And all that.

I'm gonna take the next portal they can give me, and I'll be going home as soon as I get the word. [Some people know what that means. A lot of people don't, and he doesn't plan to tell them the grim reality behind it] There's a ton I have to do back home, responsibilities I gotta tend to and things I gotta be a part of, for better or worse. And it's not right for me to put it off. Like... how you avoid studying for the SATs until the night before? Yeah, it's super irresponsible.

... I don't know when it'll be exactly. I guess nobody does. Or else we wouldn't get pulled here or pushed away.

But yeah.

[He swallows.]

Anyway. I'd like to do as much as I can on my dumb to-do list thing, for this really weird and long vacation I've been on. I wanna hang out with all my friends who're still here and really just... have a lot of fun? Until I go back to my usual life. I hate goodbyes, so I'm not gonna think about saying them right now, but I just wanted everyone to know you've been so awesome, and I've learned so much, and I've had a blast.

... Mostly. Not including being hungover.

[He smiles a little more, warm and confident in his words.]

And, um, for certain people, I've got something else to tell them?

But I'll let you know in a more private feed.

WOOOOOO—

[THUMP, CLATTER, A CURSE WORD THAT STARTS WITH 'MOTHER' THAT COMES FROM A POLITE LITTLE VOICE.]

Wheeew — Helloooo Riverview!

[There's a shuffling of feet as the familiar voice carries further away, like he's walking away from the feed. Someone calls distantly: 'Enjoy your glory years, kid!']

Thank you, sir! Where's the tram...? Which street again — Oh! I dropped my — [Dropped his phone. Oops. Right! He picks it up, squinting into the feed; Peter looks — well, drunk. He's very drunk. He whispers a little lower:] Hey, sorry, oops — sorry, it's late and I'm kinda noisy. I'll shut up. Shhhh.

[He staggers sideways in his attempt to sneak quietly, so there's that.]

Guys, I was, like, so worried about drinking? But I feel great! Mr. Wilson, thanks for helping me loosen up a little; I dunno why I was even nervous. I even did the karaoke thing on my own. Like, the thing on my bucket list? Man... It was so fun... I don't think I had that much fun in... I don't even know when. Heh. I love you guys. [He whispers in a giggle to himself, looking around and ignoring the feed for a moment:] I have noooo idea where I'm at... Oh, wait! that's Centerfield Lane, I'm doing great...!

But where's the tram again? Shit. Iiii mean 'crap'. Crap is what I meant.

Uuuuh. Hold on. [The feed blacks out again, and there's the telltale sounds of someone clearly climbing up a fire escape toward someone's roof. He's very coordinated for a drunk teenager.] There we go! I seeeee it now. Cool, awesome. Cool.

[He looks at the feed again, the background higher up.]

So I was thinking! I've been spending soooo much time moping about stuff I can't, uuuuh. Do anything about, so I was figuring... why not relax a little? I got this To Do List thing I wanna get done, and I was wondering if anyone wanted to help with it? It'll be fun!

I got stuff like — [He counts off on his fingers.] learning how to kniiit, surfiiing, learning origaaami... Holding a really big snake? When I was a kid I always wanted to face my fears and hold a snake, and I almost got a chance to, but then I remembered how scary snakes are and chickened out...!

[He waves at someone down below, sounding so happy.]

Heeeey! You wanna hug?! I have 'give a stranger a hug' on my to do list!

['Dude, what are you doing on a roof at eleven at night?!' the teenaged kid calls back.]

I'm drunk!

['I guess I can hug you?!' Peter fist pumps.]

Awesome!

[The kid down below yells back from cupped hands: 'Hey—! You're gonna break your neck up there! Get down!']

It's cool, I've got really good balance!

[He gives the guy a thumbs up. This is all still recording. Save him.]

[The feed is mostly full of textbooks, the spines all turned enough that they're legible; it's math, chemistry, social studies, all the fun things nobody misses from high school. And on the right side of the screen is Peter, sitting with his cheek on his palm and his elbow pressed beside a blank page of paper. He looks kind of sleepy, like he'd just nod off if he didn't have the feed to focus on.]

So I've got this essay I need to write by tomorrow, and I'm having a hard time getting — personal, and all that. The prompt's asking about what inspires you, specifically. [He looks to read it word-for-word:] 'What motivates you in your day to day life?' And I mean, I've got a lot of motivations, but trying to put it to paper is giving me a wicked case of the fogbrain.

[He tucks his pen under his nose, holding it with his upper lip for a moment before letting it fall pitifully to the table. He sighs.]

What motivates you guys? Into doing what you do? What makes you put your shoes on in the morning, huh?

And don't just say 'to avoid stepping on pointy stuff barefoot'. That's a cheap and obvious answer—

[Peter startles violently as birthday music blares behind him, so much so that his pencil goes flying through the air and RIP's somewhere off-screen. Pam the pancake making robot seems to be flying onto the scene in the background with freshly made pancakes and festive lights blinking all over her.



A little lighter arm pops out, preparing to light a lone candle on the stack of flapjacks.

Peter mutters, mortified:]

...I thought I disabled Birthday Mode for repairs...

[He looks back at the robot with his hand pressed to his temple, and clears his throat.]



... Pam, uh. My - my birthday was two days ago. Two days. It's August 10th. And, uh, it's... it's the 12th now.

[Peter watches as the AI seems to try to process this, tapping his finger on the table and thinning his lips at the awkward silence. Pam's little plate-holding robo-arms lower slightly, the generic birthday MIDI file slowing to a depressive stop as the party-themed lights and lighter are shut off together. A pause of nothing. Then she turns and dejectedly wheels away into the community kitchen with her plate of pancakes.]

Wait, Pam — Aw, c’mon, I can still eat them! Hey—

[Peter drops his arms.



... Note to self, fix her internal clock...]

[ >> VIDEOS SUCCESSFULLY UPLOADED TO NETWORK.

PAM — TEST VIDEO ONE

There is a sooort of human-y shaped... robot... in the screen? No, well, it has an apron on. That's literally the only remotely human-y thing about it, with it's multiple arms and little cute wheels and the pans and interesting funnels and — oh, that's a spatula in one hand! Cool. Peter has adjusted the camera feed to record it, clapping his hands together and backing away in the screen. He's got a dope shirt on and his signature hoodie and cuffed pants, and he's ready to LIGHT SHIT UP.

"Okay, here it goes — Hey Pam?"

"Yes, Petey Parker?"

"Wait, wait, I said Peter, Peter is the — did I screw up the voice recogn—"

The video stops for a second.

"Hey Pam?"

"Yes, Sweety Parker?"

"Oh my god no no no, Peter, it's—"

The video stops for a second.

"Hey Pam, can you make some pancakes?"

"Of course, Sweety Parker," she says, and then whirs to life. Peter has apparently given up on trying to make her get the name right, but that's — you know, that can be fixed later. Batter from the fixture on her back moves through a tube and into a funnel and — proceeds to overfill the pan underneath it, getting batter all over the kitchen stove.

"Oh crap!"

PAM — TEST VIDEO TWO

"Hey Pam, can you make some pancakes?"

She gets through the batter funneling thing okay, but then when it's time to FLIP the pancake, it ends up flying up and sticking to the ceiling. Peter stares up with a slack jaw for a moment, and then rubs his face with a groan. Don't worry, he'll crawl up the wall to get that off, but only when the video's off and nobody's around. Cool.

PAM — TEST VIDEO FIVE

This time will be different! Pamela's been fitted with a new arm, and the idea is she flips the pancake from one pan to the other, so both sides can be heated. Peter is much more covered in flour and pancake mix than the last few failures. The only problem is that the piston is too overpowered the first time, so when she flips the pancake onto the other pan, the two pans just VIOLENTLY SMASH TOGETHER AND THE WHOLE ARM COMES OFF.

"Oh my god Pam, are you oka—"

"The pancakes are complete—"

PAM — TEST VIDEO SEVEN

The pancake is thrown unceremoniously at Peter's head. 

PAM — TEST VIDEO NINE

Peter hides behind a table he has flipped over for protection. Pamela starts speed-making pancakes. There are too many pancakes. TOO MANY PANCAKES OH MY GOD THEY'RE FLYING NOW—Also note to self, Pam's ability to process the human language is way worse than Siri, because 'Stop making pancakes" apparently sounds like "Top the pancakes", so she shoots blueberries into the mix from the secondary container on her back. It's terrible. But Peter does eat the berries off the counter.

PAM — TEST VIDEO TEN

Pam wheels around in a circle to move towards Peter at the table.

"The pancakes are complete."

Her wheel gets caught on something and she topples completely over, sending pancakes flopping across the surface of the table. Peter winces, looking over the edge and at the fallen machine.

"... Thanks, Pam."

From the floor: "You're welcome, Sweety."]

[Live VIDEO.]



[Peter sits at the table, red in the face with his hands on his temples.]

... That supposed to be a video invitation thing about Bad Movie Night.

Those're — um. Just. Ignore those. Those're just a, a thing for robotics, um. I'm just ironing out the kinks with the AI programming and the... anyway. Since things have been so stressful lately in Riverview, I thought maybe... you guys would like to rent out a school room and watch awful movies next weekend? Just let me know if you wanna hang out there with us, I'm kinda just leaving it an open invitation kind of deal. 

I've got Plan 9 From Outer Space? And Birdemic. And you can bring whatever bad movies you want, too. No pressure, though. I've never really done one of these, I usually just watch them with my friend back home, but I figure... spread the love, right? Because man, we can all just take a little break—

[There's something whirring to life off-screen. "Processing command...! Yes, Sweety Parker, I will make the pancakes."

VrOOM SHE'S WHEELING OFF IN THE BACKGROUND, and Peter nearly knocks his chair over to follow her. He slaps for the network device, mostly-offscreen.]

Nononono, Pam, I didn't say—

[End feed.]

((OOC: Action for Communal Kitchen Floor 2 is also totally fine, if you wanna drop in on Pam and Peter, maybe try to get some free pancakes.

Bad movie night might have a log this Saturday, so stay tuned for that possibility.))