"I'm perfectly content with that. I think just the basis will work fine, and whenever you have time. I'm in no rush."

"Oh, duh. That's an easy fix!" And she felt like a fool for not immediately making that connection.

I put band-aids over mine.

Well it IS a wrist orifice.

"Is this something you're okay talking about?" she asked, concerned about overstepping her questions about symbiotes.

That elicited a laugh. She grinned, then imagined Night-Spider in Dr. Grant's hat. "I can see it. Not while you're swinging around, though."

"Seems very primal. I don't know a lot about symbiotes yet; my world hasn't had any. How does it work? Is one of you in charge more often than the other? Or is it more mutual cooperation?"

"I like to think it's bad Spider luck."

"Except Silas... I don't think he's an issue anymore."

"That's what I'm trying to do, too. My 'rogue gallery' are all behind bars."

"That last one... you okay?"

"I hear 'Alan' and I think of Dr. Alan Grant, and you don't quite fit that mental image." A small smile tugged at her lips. "Just Candy. For now. If I get that suit on again sometime, then I'll let you know the other name."

"It's so weird seeing all the people the other Spiders fight on their worlds, and I have ... three."

"Oh!" Candy grimaced. "Definitely not pregnant. What's a name I can call you, then? Aside from Alan."

"I'm Candy, actually... oh, was this a reference that went over my head?"

"Hi, Alan."

"I actually live on a different Earth, so... New York, sure, but not *this* New York."

"Thanks for talking to me. I'm gonna go hit the gym for a while, then get back out there. Maybe I'll see you around?"

Candy was totally lost - and enjoying every second of it. She crossreferenced the tome and the dictionary, utterly absorbed by the work.

It was just weird to look at. A hamburger? It looked like a child's drawing brought to life. Candy wasn't sure what to make of it, but it didn't seem hostile. "Bunger? Bunger."

"Something tells me, you can't drink alcohol."

Candy grunted when the dictionary fell and she grabbed it with her hand, then held it open and placed it down with the dictionary on her left and the spellbook on her right. "I've never heard of Transian..."-+

"I'm not sure if I've taken the first step or not."

"Bunger." Candy tilted her head at it. "Can you do anything else?"

"... What language is this?" Hefting the tome with both hands.

Kneeling down before it. "Bunger? What are you?"

"What kind of spells?"

Dodging just a half-second too late.

|| keep getting ideas to redesign this

"Depends on which one."

"... Turtles? I guess that isn't that weird."

"Oh, that kind. That's a little different than what I thought you said. Are you a hero? Or a vigilante?"

"Can I have a spider drone thing?"

Candy shrugged. "Weaver works, that's what's important, especially with me just now coming back into things. It's going to take some time before I feel up to speed again."

"Everyone has all these fancy gadgets and I have a suit and a watch..."

"I can make my own webs."

That's not actually reassuring.

"I figured those were taken. And there are only so many variants out there..." she trailed off, then remembered the concept behind the multiverse. "Well, I guess there isn't, is there? Infinite variables is the name of the game."

|| trying to be methodical about my replies and not lose track of things is always harder than I think it is

Aren't any what?

"Oh, pfft no." Candy shook her head again. "I wear a suit, like most of the others. And it's Weaver." Although from the slight distaste in her voice, it's not her favorite name. "It's still... it's a workshop name."

A very small smile curls her lips at the anime mention. "No, I just." She cleared her throat. "I spin a lot of webs. If you know, then... then you know. I heard about a hero named Silk. I feel like we'd get along, since her whole thing is having a lot of webs, and, well, so do I. I was thinking of

"Why would people argue about something dumb like that?"

"I'm 5'7."

How long had it been? How many months? A year? "Eight... months? I..." she trailed off, suddenly unsure. She raised a bandaged hand to push some of her hair to the side. "I'm going to tell her I'm coming back." Why'd that feel so hard to say? Wait, did Cindy know? Her eyes narrowed yet again.

Candy's eyes narrowed slightly, then she shook her head without explaining any of her thoughts. "It's been a while since we talked. I hope she's alright. How recently has it been since you saw her?"

"Oh, you know Peni? I'm Candy. Small world."

"Huh?"

"Cindy?"