8185/Visiting the Neighbours

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Visiting the Neighbours
Date of Scene: 05 July 2019
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: Kinsey comes visiting bearing cookies by way of good old Midwestern hospitality, and introduces herself like a good neighbour should.
Cast of Characters: Kinsey MacKenna, Superman




Kinsey MacKenna has posed:
Not that Kinsey was aware of Superman's being out of commission and all, and his return to a hale and hearty state, but she'd been rather busy herself - what with training, and overseeing the MacKenzie Space Station fixes in the science lab.. chasing down an interstellar criminal with the rest of the Lantern crew.. You know, busy.

But there comes a time in every good neighbourly relationship where one should make a point of introducing themselves, and given the nature of most of the superhero crew, and their propensity to not only having secret identities, but protecting them, Kinsey felt it most prudent that she should make introductions to her nearest stellar neighbours. After all, for all she knew, they weren't aware she existed. It wasn't like it was Carol's job to enlighten them.

So, lips tweaked over a smile, a 'gift' in hand, Kinsey goes calling on the Watchtower.

Superman has posed:
    It was quiet on the Watchtower today. There were a few Leaguers here and there, but most had gone for the day. Many of them had made some excuse to visit one person in particular, just to check on him. They mumbled something about checking the roster for the Mission Monitor Duty schedule, but the man they were checking on knew what they were really there for. And he truly appreciated it.

    Superman was on duty. It was his first duty since the incident on Apokolips, and since his recovery. For the Man of Steel it had been an eternity getting back to active duty, something not lost on him. That was when he received the visitor request.

    Raising an eyebrow, Superman heads towards the teleporters, and waits for the person to materialize. When she does, Supes puts on his warmest welcoming Kansas-boy smile, and greets the new arrival. "Welcome to the Justice League Watchtower. I am known as Superman. Thank you for coming!" It was all innocent, as if she wouldn't know who he was since this was their first meeting. Just part of the charm.

Kinsey MacKenna has posed:
It's.. about what Kinsey expects, that greeting. Or something like it.

Which is why his welcome is met with Kinsey smiling back in what she hopes is a mid-Western way, "Why thank-you. I just moved into the neighbourhood and thought I should come over and introduce myself polite-like."

The 'gift', which turns out to be a wrapped plate of cookies, is extended. "I hope you like chocolate chip. They're fresh from the oven."

Her golden eyes twinkle with quiet mirth, waiting to see where he goes with this. Fine, she might be enjoying this a tiny wee bit. Which is why she hasn't gotten to her name yet.

Superman has posed:
    Superman smiles, a true, warm smile, and it was obvious he appreciates the humour. "Now that is refreshing. Thank you. Of course, welcome to the neighbourhood." With a small chuckle, Superman accepts the plate of cookies, and turns towards the Galley.

    "I do! I am sure that Flash and Martian Manhunter will appreciate these cookies, as I will." He waves her towards the room.

    "Would you like anything? Coffee perhaps? We can sample your cooking in the Galley, and chat further...?" Superman leaves the end of his sentence open, almost a question, asking her who she is.

Kinsey MacKenna has posed:
There's a rich, warm laugh from the woman. "Kinsey. Kinsey MacKenna. I'm the current science lead on the MacKenzie King Station." She leaves it at that for the moment, after all, a chat is promised, and the rest can be discovered then. "I thought about bringing a mug over and begging for a cup of sugar, but that seemed almost mean, and didn't allow for the delightful possibility of sitting down for a chat over coffee."

Which is to say a coffee would be delightful, and she's happy to follow him to the Galley for both coffee and cookies.

"If I'd been able to find peanut butter on the station.."

Superman has posed:
    Superman moves into the Galley and notes that Zatanna had poped on a "kettle o' coffee" as he liked to call it. Moving towards it, he pours a mug for himself in a mug with the label "World's Greatest Farmboy", a gift from J'onn, and held up the coffee pot towards Kinsey. "Nice to meet you Kinsey Kinsey MacKenna. I figured you were from the station. I think..." a pause as he almost said Hal. "...Green Lantern might have mentioned you."

    Pouring the mug of coffee Superman picks it up, and hands it to Kinsey. "I hope caffeinated is okay. Zatanna likes her re-charge coffee. Oh, and we have lots of sugar and peanut butter, if you ever need any for your station." That was an open invitation for her and her team to visit if needs be.

    "It is good to have visitors from our fellow explorer satellites. Is there a particular reason you are visiting today, or just offerring the hand of friendship?"

Kinsey MacKenna has posed:
"Oooo, and he's sassy, too. Nobody told me that." Terribly amused still. Laughing, Kinsey takes a seat. "I'd offer to help, but a girl could get used to being waited on. Nice mug. I have one that says geneticists do it in pairs. Slightly ironic given my love life, but I still use it. Amazingly, it survived our little explosion on the station."

She takes her mug of coffee - two handed, as though she were warming her palms with the thing - and blows over it before inhaling the rich scent of the stuff. "I'm a scientist, Superman. We try to find new and inventive ways to increase the amount of caffeine in our bloodstream. Clearly you've never babysat an experiment overnight. Hrm?"

A single brow is arched over the rim of her mug as she says that, takes a sip, and then puts the mug down. "Actually, there are reasons I dropped by. I likely should have done this sooner - before the explosion, being neighbours and all. You know how it is, though. And then there was the explosion. Being dragged off to Odym. Chasing down an interstellar terrorist... the usual."

Again the brow quirk as she picks her mug back up again and smiles over it. "I've met the Green Lantern in question. I'm guessing not all of this is new news to you."

Superman has posed:
    "Well, sassy is not a word I've been called before but I'll take it." Superman smiles, and takes a sip of coffee. He looks at his mug, and then looks back at Kinsey. "Well, sounds like a fun group then, these geneticists." After her comment about explosions, his smile fades. "I hope everyone was okay."

    Taking another sip, Superman considers her comment for a moment, and then shakes his head. "Perhaps not. More my father's thing to do." Babysitting experiments. Superman continues to listen to her, and he raises an eyebrow at her "dragged off to Odym" comment.

    "No, not all of this is new news. He mentioned you, and that you may be a ring wielder." Superman nods down towards her ring hand and the metallic object encircling her finger. "I kind of expected we would meet sooner or later. Green Lantern speaks highly of you. If you are a student of Saint Walker, that only reinforces his opinion. Welcome to the hero world."

Kinsey MacKenna has posed:
"Luckily the lab was mostly cleared at the time of the explosion, and the bulk of the damage was held to a couple of the bays. Contained systems and all, but since we did need to do a full repair on the main bay, we stripped the entire thing and took the opportunity to rebuild from scratch to current specs. Likely not a project we'da have engaged in otherwise, but it's a scientist's dream - other than the explosion part."

There's a small nod from the woman at mention of his father. "Ah, yes, he was a scientist, wasn't he? It's not really a calling for most people. We're really not as delightful or romantic a profession as the brochures make us out to be. It's a living, though."

His eyebrow raise gets a chuckle. "I always wondered what it would be like to just casually drop something like that into conversation. Turns out it's rather amusing." More seriously, and with a look down at her own left hand, "I still haven't decided if I'm supposed to be a secret or if this is just who I am now. Luckily it hasn't been too much of an issue yet. You're really one of the first people I've had opportunity to tell."

Another of those smiles, with some apology, "We really should have met sooner. Even before this. I do feel badly about that. And he does, does he? Interesting. As is Brother Saint Walker. I can see why he was the first among us. He's an incredible man."

She's rather humble in her thanks over the welcome, though. "How do you do it? Bridge both your worlds?"

Superman has posed:
    "That's good! Explosions on Space Stations can be catastrophic." Superman nods, and takes another sip of the coffee and grabs one of the cookies. He offers the plate to Kinsey. "Yes, my father was a brilliant scientist." His eyes look over Kinsey's head for a moment, and then he was back.

    Putting the plate back, Superman bites into the cookie, and leans back against the counter. "Very good!" Superman holds up the cookie with a bite out of it. "Thank you."

    "I don't think you are a secret, although a secret identity is a must to protect your loved ones. We all...well most of us...have them." Superman muses for a moment. "I am honoured I am one of the first people you have told. You can trust me to keep your secret." Superman smiles at Kinsey, and says, "We should have! I was a bit busy, but I am back, so here we are!"

    Superman takes a bite of the cookie, and a sip of the coffee while considering her question. "I take it one day at a time. I know, cliche. It is the truth. A constant struggle. You have to trust that you are doing the right thing, and the people around you are safer for it."

Kinsey MacKenna has posed:
"I wasn't personally responsible for the lack of damage. It was.. well, a very unusual day. There were three Lanterns in attendance. So I suppose the moral of this story is if you're going to have a bomb or two go off in your station it's best done with a crowd of Lanterns ."

She chuckles now, but it wasn't so amusing then.

Kinsey listens to the reasonings for secret identies. "Now, see, there's a thing. I don't have any of those. Family or loved ones. There was just myself and my mother, and she's since died. My father.. I don't actually know where he is. I've presumed dead, but recently I've had a lot of cause to rethink what I know of myself and well, I may not be me, if you follow."

Okay, she hadn't had time to practice a blythe little reveal on this one as it was a thing she still hadn't come to terms with herself.

"I've mostly been taking it day by day to be honest. I'd worried that somehow this would interfere with my duties on the Station, but the Colonel assures me that unless and until all is well. However, I've also not been assigned a sector, so that could change without warning."

Superman has posed:
    "Three Lanterns..." Superman whistles and takes a sip of coffee. He then finishes off the cookie with a nod of appreciation. "...sounds like it. Lanterns being there probably prevented a lot of deaths." Unusual indeed. Grabbing a napkin, he wipes the melted chocolate chips from his fingers instead of licking them, and then tosses it in the garbage nearby.

    "Well, family is important, but that doesn't necessarily mean people related to you. There are plenty of people I consider family that are my true friends." Superman says, wisely. "All of them I try and protect, even if they don't know who I am when I don't wear this cape." Superman stands and fluffs his cape for a second.

    Day by day is good. This will, absolutely, affect your job and duties on the station. Have you told Colonel Danvers your...situation? I know her, and she is a fine commanding officer. I expect she could cut you some slack."

Kinsey MacKenna has posed:
Kinsey nods, looking amused. "I'm fairly certain the lot of them thought I was rather delightfully quaint in my naivete."

She reaches for a cookie, doing the dreaded dunk into her mug, and taking a rather undignified bite of the now warm and sopping thing. "I have some mates from school. Most of the people I grew up with have fled to the winds." Which is to say those who could get out, did. Those who couldn't.. many of them were in situations like being incarcerated. "My academic career took me away from most of them."

There's a smile. "I can't be anyone but who I am. I suppose that's no different for any of us. But I meant human. I've reason to believe I may not be human. I've just been.. afraid to find out for certain. As for Colonel Danvers, she's aware of the ring. She's one of the first, actually, who knew outside the other Lanterns. She's.. also the first person who questioned whether or not I was, indeed, human."

Kinsey sighs.

Superman has posed:
    "I understand. It is hard to find that you may or may not be entirely human. Take it from one who knows." Superman puts his empty mug into the sink, and turns back. "I agree with you though. You are who you are. That is a great way to look at this whole thing. We are all chosen for a reason, and it is what we do with our gifts that define who we really are. Heroes."

    Superman nods, and says, "Would you like a tour of the Watchtower? I know Batman would be upset that I was showing you around, but I have a feeling you are going to be one of us. AFter you?" Superman motions his right hand towards the door with a smile.