13835/Fall's Harvest of Needful Things

Fall's Harvest of Needful Things
Date of Scene:	25 September 2021
Location:	Central Park, Manhattan
Synopsis:	It's harvest time at a community garden in Central Park. Kinsey and Ororo meet and talk while harvesting beets.
Cast of Characters:	Storm, Kinsey MacKenna

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Storm has posed:
Fall has come, and with it's arrival has also come a crisp sort of nip to the air. A touch of chill that manages to remind folks of the turning of the seasons and of the winter snows that are to come. There was a touch of frost this morning, a whisper of rime to tease the edges of things. The deciduous trees have started their seasonal change of colour, leaves turning from vibrant green to golden yellows, rich oranges and blood red shades. The leaves haven't yet started to fall, but the time for that will come as well.

For today, it is the time of harvesting what was sown in months much earlier in the year. Ororo has come here many times over the course of the months in between, to check on the plants of the community garden and to help with tending them. And now, she has returned, to help with the harvest. She's brought a collection of baskets to be able to put the harvested things into, and those sit off to the side somewhat. She wears a somewhat rugged pair of shoes, a pair of blue jeans, and a light blue shirt with three-quarter sleeves. Her long white hair has been tamed into a braid that hangs down her back. With one of the baskets in hand, she steps over towards a bed of purple and golden beets, to start with those. The weather is fair, the sky blue and with a few clouds idly drifting by, the sun easily shining down.

Kinsey MacKenna has posed:
Kinsey was taking a break from her official duties today. Both as Science Officer, and Blue Lantern. Lately she'd been helping the Shi'ar escape their planet. There wasn't a way to win this battle that they were in, only escape, and the whole thing had left her depressed.

"I know, I know. There was nothing we could have done, Kibou. That's why I thought of this today. Get my fingers back into the ground, and do something good."

For a change Kibou didn't have any questions.. yet. With Kibou there were always questions.

She put her name down on the sign up sheet, and was given a basket to put the final harvest in.

Storm has posed:
There's a glance towards the newcomer, and Ororo lifts her free hand to offer a wave of greeting. There's a smile that lifts the corners of her lips at the same time. "Good afternoon, and welcome," she offers in greeting. Similar to Kinsey, she's taking a break from her official duties today as well, though the school and other things have been generally quiet recently. "Is this your first time here?" she asks, a touch of curiosity to her voice.

Ororo lowers to one of her knees near to the end of the row of beets, and she sets the basket on the ground nearby, settling back on her heel. She reaches out to pull one of the beets and brush off the dirt from the bulbous root of it before settling it into the basket. Her gaze strays back to the other woman, watching her. She seems in a fair mood, which is always a good thing given that her powers have a sort of link to her emotions.

Kinsey MacKenna has posed:
"This one? Yes." Kinsey decided to join Orono. "I've been around for years though. In the projects we have done this for quite some time. When I have the time, I take some time and help out. Oh my, those beets are big this year!"

As she puts her basket down, she extends her hand. "Kinsey. Nice to meet you."

Storm has posed:
"Yes, this one," Ororo says, giving a nod and a smile at the same time. "I have been around this one and others for a number of years. I have something of a green thumb, it could be said, and the food is all for a good cause. It makes me glad to put my skills to a good use, and it tends to make me more grateful for the things that I have," she adds, a thoughtful note to her voice.

"I try to take what time I can to help out through the growing seasons. I am glad that you are here to help. As it might be said, many hands make work lighter," she says, giving a small nod. "The garden had a good year. They are quite large," she agrees, her blue eyes showing a touch of a sparkle to them. Of course, it helps to have a weather witch minding them to be able to encourage a bit of rain when it's needed! She reaches out to accept the offered hand with a smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Kinsey. I am Ororo," she offers.

Kinsey MacKenna has posed:
"Well, I haven't had much time to work lately. My job takes up all my time these days. I'm working with genetic engineering up in MacKenzie Space Station." And more these days Kinsey reminded herself.

"I noticed! Everything seems brighter and bigger. Then again, I've really got two brown thumbs." She laughs. "I can pick weeds, and harvest. That's about it." As she talks, she digs up the beets.

Storm has posed:
There is, it might be noticed, an Egyptian accent that lurks within the woman's voice. She lifts her gaze from the row of beets and to the other woman at the mention of work, and she gives a small nod of agreement. "Work sometimes has a way of eating up more time than just what we start out schedule for, it seems," Ororo says, a smile turning her lips. One of her eyebrows quirks at the details of Kinsey's work. "Though I suspect that your work has a tendency of keeping you busier than what mine does me, all things considered. What is it like, on the Space Station?" she asks, curious.

She quirks a smile and gives a light laugh about the vegetables. "Ah, well... it helps that Mother Nature was kind to them and happened to deliver rain just when it was needed," she says. She's quiet a moment, plucking up a couple of more beets and brushing the dirt from them. "Sometimes, fussing overly much can make a plant a bit grumpy. Too much or too little water, not enough or too much light. They each seem to have their own preferences," she comments.

Kinsey MacKenna has posed:
Ah! Kinsey places that accent.

<Her accent is beautiful. And look! See! I remembered this time.> Indeed, Kibou kept his inside voice.. inside. For the first time in a very long time.

"Actually, most of my job is boring. I watch over my experiments and record the result. Well, until I got a promotion. Now I look after the entire science lab." Sometimes. Sometimes her Blue Lantern job was more important. "What do you do?"

Storm has posed:
The greens of the beets are left attached, for there are those who like to use them within salads or cook them in various ways. Ororo continues on the row of them, plucking each in turn and brushing it off before settling it into the basket.

She tilts her head a touch to one side, looking over to Kinsey as she speaks of her job. "I find it hard to believe that it would be boring. There are many factors to any experiment and even just one small thing being changed might cause a different outcome. Even a degree or two difference in temperature can make a significant difference," she says in a thoughtful tone. "Congratulations on your promotion. Do you still have the opportunity for more hands on work?" she asks, curious. A smile turns her lips at the question asked of her. "I am a teacher at a private school, for gifted children," she replies. There's something about the way she says 'gifted' that implies something other than intellectually gifted, though.

Kinsey MacKenna has posed:
Kinsey lifts a brow at the way Ororo says gifted. "I see," is all she says.

As she picks the beets, she takes a little to get to the worst of the dirt before putting them in her basket. "I see you are familiar with science labs. Some days it's exciting. Some days the excitement is a replication of previous results.

"Hands on work?" Kinsey is smiling. "You could say that."

<Kinsey!>

<Hush you.>

"As I was about to say, yes. I'm a Blue Lantern. Different hands on, but I think it's important. Happy Kibou?"

Kibou hrmphs.

Storm has posed:
'Gifted' is the safest term that can be used for the children that she teaches. And for herself. Mutant relations tend to fluctuate, though she isn't concerned for her own safety, or such is the impression that can be gleaned. She seems quite relaxed, here at the garden in the park.

"I have a passing familiarity with science labs. All experiments yield results, even if they are not the expected ones," Ororo says, a smile quirking her lips. "Sometimes you tweak something and expect something different to happen but get the same result that you have already had. It can be both frustrating and rewarding," she adds, giving a small nod.

She tilts her head a bit to one side at Kinsey's answer, studying her for a moment. "A Blue Lantern. I have heard of the lanterns, though not specifically of the blue. That must be quite remarkable. What sorts of things do you get to do, if it is not prying too much to ask?" Ororo asks, her curiosity returning. One of her eyebrows quirks up a touch. "Who is Kibou?"

Kinsey MacKenna has posed:
Kinsey loved genetics. Particularly non human genetics. That's why she did a second doctorate in Xenobiology. Mutants ranked up in there.

"Kibou? He's my Lantern. And the Blue Lantern's are all about Hope. We work very closely with the Green Lanterns, giving them more battery power. Lately I been feeling down a little, which is why I decided to come out and work in the community garden. To boost my own battery, so to speak. We were handed a low blow recently. We helped the people, but it wasn't a true victory."/r
Just the opposite.

"Would you like to meet Kibou?" She waits a minute, and then, "Kibou, meet Ororo."

"Hi! Hi! You're not quite what you say you are, are you?"

"Kibou!"

Storm has posed:
One of Ororo's eyebrows quirk up as the explanation is offered as to who Kibou is, and she gives a small nod. "I did not realize that the Lanterns themselves had names," she says, that note of curiosity returned to her voice. She knows little about lanterns, but she seems both willing to learn and curious at the same time.

"Hope. It is a thing that we can all use in large doses, some days more than others. I hope for many things, myself... but mostly, for a day when discrimination and racism will not rule so many things," she says softly, her brow furrowing briefly before her expression smooths once more. "What do the Green Lanterns stand for?" she asks. She takes a moment to look about the garden before her attention comes back to Kinsey. "There is hope all around. The harvest will be abundant, and people in great need will be well fed for some time. And in the spring, there will be the seeds that will be planted for a new season of growth," she says, a warm tone to her voice. "I am sorry to hear that you have been feeling down lately, that your victory was less so than what was hoped. There is victory to be found whenever people are able to be helped," she adds, a gentle toen to her voice.

Her attention perks somewhat, as the offer is made to meet Kibou, and she gives a nod. "Yes, I would like that," she says with a smile. And she waits, then, for the introduction to be made, and for Kibou's voice. "That is very perceptive," she comments with a touch of amusement, lifting a hand to make a slight gesture to indicate she does't mind the question. "It is all right. I am 'gifted', in a manner of speaking. If one interprets 'gifted' in a different way... in the way of being granted a specific gene. If you wish, I can show you on a small scale a glimpse of what I can do," she offers in a soft tone.

Kinsey MacKenna has posed:
"I know. We saved them. All is good." Kinsey continues to harvest the beets. "I wouldn't have left them unless we could have brought them out in some safely. All is well. This garden reminds me of where my hope lies. Inside." She touches her heart. "And you're right, sometimes a little hope carries a long way."

"Everyone feels so invigorated today. They might not realize it." She shrugs with a grin. "It could be me." It definitely is her. "Or.."

She dusts her hand off on her knees. "As for Green, they represent Willpower. They are the one of us who can lead us when nobody can. They are closely tied to Hope, so much so, that often we are paired up together. And, no, I haven't yet."

"As for the Lantern itself, it has a personality, and a modicum of self autonomy. If we do not hold to the governing force of the ring, it will not work, and in the Blue's in particular, it would transport itself to Odyn, and wait for another wielder. Kibou is quite new. He's not had anyone but me. Some of us have a more personal link with the Lanterns."

She has finished the last of her beets. Good thing too! Her basket is full.

"Oh?" Kinsey had an idea of what Ororo was, based on her talking about the school. She could have asked Kibou to give her a scan easily enough, but she doesn't like to do it that way - especially when the person is more than willing to spill the beans, so to speak. "Yes, I would!"

Storm has posed:
"I am glad to hear that you were able to save them," Ororo says, a smile easily turning up the corners of her lips. Much like Kinsey, she continues to harvest the beets. "It is where many carry their hopes. And their dreams. Within, held close to their hearts," she adds, a warm tone to the words. She's quiet a moment, moving a bit further along the row and picking another of the beets. "It strikes me that hope and rain might have some similarities. Where rain provides nourishment and sustenance for the ground, hope provides much the same for people," she muses, her tone thoughtful.

She takes a moment to look about at the others who are here to help. There are smiles on many faces, light words, laughter, a general joviality that is unmistakably present. "It is infectious, I think. A good mood, a laugh, a smile, a pleasant greeting. There is a certain something about... well, about this," she says, lifting a hand to gesture slightly around her towards the garden. "Everyone who is here is helping not for themselves or their own benefit, but for others who are in need."

She watches Kinsey for a moment, listening as the Green Lanterns are spoken of, and she gives a nod. "It makes sense that there is a tie between willpower and hope. What other colours are there?" she asks, curious.

"Is Odyn like a leader above all of you?" Ororo asks, one of her eyebrows quirking up a touch. Perhaps like Xavier is with the school, or so she thinks.

"A small demonstration, then. You are welcome to examine it in any way you wish," she says softly, a smile quirking her lips. She lifts her hands, empty, holding them out in front of her and with the edges of her baby fingers touching to one another. There is a certain calmness to her in these moments, for this is something she's done a number of times, albeit sometimes on a much greater scale. Her blue eyes cloud over, becoming milky white. About six inches above her hands, a grey rain cloud starts to form, seeming to do so out of thin air. Rain starts to fall from the small cloud, streaming down into her cupped hands held below it. She lets it remain for some little while, a few minutes at the most, the water pooling in her hands, and then the little storm dissipates as though it had never existed in the first place. And after it has vanished, Storm's eyes have returned to blue.

Kinsey MacKenna has posed:
"I never thought about it that way, but yes, Hope is the nourishment for souls. Or whatever your religious belief may have. The most beautiful thing about Hope is it grows, from a tiny wee kernel to a thick forest. All it takes is one person to keep it alive. That's where I come in."

Kinsey looks around. "Sometimes I wander in soup kitchens, helping out. Or got the next person's order at the coffee shop. Little things. It only takes little things."

And she listens to the questions.

"Odym. No, it is the base planet. The Blue's are looked after by the Guardians Ganthet and Sayd. And there are many kinds of Lanterns. Green, Red, Orange, Yellow, Blue.. " She laughs. "..Indigo, Violet, Black, and finally White. But they are not as useful. For example, there is only one Orange, the colour of greed, and the Black are undead and seek to eliminate all life."

As Ororo begins to hold her demonstration, Kinsey watches very carefully. <Kibou, can you see what is happening? Analyze, please.>

It's small, and quick, and by all accounts it was exactly like a rainstorm, only smaller, and under the control of Ororo. "Very nice. Very, very nice."

Storm has posed:
"It is also a balm for a weary heart. The shattered shards of a broken heart can be gently drawn back together with droplets of hope to hold them fast. Every moment is a new moment, a new beginning, a new chance to do something, to do anything, to make a positive difference," Ororo says softly, a smile turning her lips. "Sometimes, all it takes is one act of kindness. Random or planned, it matters little to the person receiving it. Someone could be having a terrible day and the simple act of buying their coffee and pastry could be enough to shed a bit of light upon them. To remind them that they are not alone, that there is kindness in the world, that there is hope. Sometimes, it can be the little things that mean the most."

She listens attentively, and she tilts her head a bit to one side, a flicker of curiosity showing in her eyes. "Odym. Ah, I thought it was a who rather than a where. My apologies. Is it very far from earth? As many colours as there are spectrums of light. That is an interesting thing," she says softly. "I think I would not wish to meet one of the Black. Though a stray thought finds myself to be wondering if a vampire would be a candidate for that particular branch," she muses.

Her chin lowers a touch at the compliment given to the miniature rain storm, and a smile turns her lips. "Thank you. It is very kind of you to say so," she says softly, inclining her head towards Kinsey. "The effects that I can cause can be rather small or they can range to larger meteorological phenomenon. Larger or more stressful things take more concentration and more energy in order to cause," she explains.

Kinsey MacKenna has posed:
"I'll bet! I can presume you use that with larger sizes." Kinsey was suitably impressed. "When I do anything with my ring, most of the energy comes from me, inside. Yes, it needs daily recharging, but without my hope, it can not do anything."

Storm has posed:
There's a nod from the white-haired woman, and she takes a moment to spread her hands to let the water spill from them to the earth below. Then she brushes her hands off a little bit. "Meteorologically speaking, what I can do to the weather is indecipherable from what Nature produces. It is similar, between the small and the larger sizes," Storm says, a soft tone to her voice. "It is a manipulation of what exists already rather than creating it from nothing. The water that created this little miniature storm came from the ground," she adds, a smile touching at the corners of her lips.

"It has similarities then. Where the energy comes from, at least," she muses, her tone thoughtful. She tilts her head a bit to one side, considering, and she quirks a smile. "Like how sleeping recharges us?" she asks, a touch of amusement to her voice. Sometimes, sleep isn't as restful as it should be, but she doesn't speak of that just now. "The energy from larger storms cannot be simply destroyed, if I make the choice to stop one or to lessen its severity. The energy needs to go somewhere," she adds. And that can change the weather in an area, significantly. She glances then to their baskets before quirking a smile. "Come, we should get new baskets and start with the onions next," she suggests.

Kinsey MacKenna has posed:
"I see." Kinsey furrowed up her brows. "So what you are trying to say is the mutancy allows you to be a one woman meteorologist. So to speak"

What she was most interested in was what happened when Ororo dissipated a storm - hers or Mother Nature. When Ororo mentioned Kibou needing the battery recharge, she nodded."Kibou has the vastness of the universe at his fingers. For that though he needs the computer, and the recharge. The rest is me. The ideas and the Hope came from me. The people react because of me. That's why the Lanterns are such a partnership. And why if I were utterly devoid of Hope, Kibou would leave me."

"I wouldn't!" Kibou spoke up. "You would never be so far from Hope. I just know it."

"I know, Kibou. But if I did, you would have to leave me. Don't worry, I haven't any plans in the near future." Kinsey turns to Ororo. "Let's get new baskets."