14744/Major interests in past times

Major interests in past times
Date of Scene:	22 April 2023
Location:	American Museum of Natural History
Synopsis:	A chance encounter between June and Harper, innocently sharing mutual interests, offers possibilities for more down the road. Just two girls from different walks of life, tentative greetings and interesting outlooks. Scratching the surface of possible friendships, allowing vulnerable thoughts and perspective to venture into the light. Hoping that these are accepted and returned. Those threads of connection. Secret tunnels to hidden places.
Cast of Characters:	Harper Row, June Moone

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Harper Row has posed:
Harper and Cullen are off to the museum today. They've made it to the front steps, and even before entering Harper's baby bro has his shoulders up and his hands deep into his pockets. His voice is a tad sullen, "It's just a report, it's nothing I can't find on the internet."

Harper is almost dragging him along by the elbow. Sunglasses and leather jacket on, her jaw is set and her mouth bears a small smirk. "Inspiration dude. So maybe you'll try and just copy and paste. But I'm gonna do my do diligence, Mistah."

They march on over towards the entrances to the exhibits, but Harper recalls they've been out and about for a bunch and she clucks her tongue. "Hey, go grab a drink and some carbs and we'll fuel up." She purses her lips and gives Cullen a little pat and rub on the shoulder. "Baby can get a widdle tookie as well if he pwomises to cheer up." she faux Toddler talks and sends him off to a concession cart nearby.

Sucking in air past her teeth, she pretends not to be annoyed by the teen-shuffle step her brother has perfected. Offering a cheshire tense grin and offering a cheerful wave before heading towards the nearby steps to retighten her boots. "Kids today..."

June Moone has posed:
June doesn't get out much, for good reason, but she's still one of the leading experts on exotic artifacts of the Calcolithic period. So when she received a call that a dig had unearthed some new find in Levant, she'd hurriedly rushed over to the Museum where she intended to meet with a former colleague and field archaeologist, Jonathan Deltova. Dressed in simple clothes, a hoodie worn unzipped over a t-shirt and slacks, she pads up the steps towards the museum just as Harper was sending her brother off to go and retrieve some concessions.

Generally, she's not much for conversation... equally for good reason... but something about the wholesome, if teasing, tone the blue haired woman takes when speaking of her brother amuses her. "Brother?" She asks quietly, hands tucked into the front pockets of the hoodie hanging open at her hips.

Her hair isn't as messy as usual, but she's coming on business so she put effort into not looking homeless. It hangs in waves down around her shoulders, with a pair of black framed glasses resting just down the bridge of her nose slightly.

Harper Row has posed:
Harper rises after giving her laces a good tug. The flourish she puts on the bow makes her flesh white around the fingers briefly, and her smirk is still there when she's addressed out of the blue. "Yep, though sometimes I think I need a blood test to confirm."

Harper rises and her faux-hawk flops to the other side, which she helps along with a bit of blowing from her lips. Talking before taking a look at who is addressing her, she's a little surprised by the woman who has stopped nearby. She's always doing that. Her eyes widen a tad, and her smile is almost apologetic, accompanied as it is with the small laugh. wrinkles nearly appear at the corners of her eyes as she pushes her shoulders back. "Ahhh...he likes it. If I don't keep him on his toes he'd be all mopey at home."

Harper jerks a thumb at the museum. "Plus, he knows if I don't get a fix of some thunder lizards and neat architecture, I go a bit cave woman. Nobody wants that." She's babbling a bit, making excuses and over-sharing, but she's had a coffee. "You going in as well?"

June Moone has posed:
June keeps her eyes down, looking at Harper's nose when the other woman stands, rather than her eyes. Or simply looking away. She's gotten it down to a near science, the other of never looking a person in the eyes. Even as she's conversing with them, even when smiling politely at the faux-hawk woman's retorts.

She reaches up and adjusts her glasses, pushing them a little higher with two fingers against the outside of the lense frame, "Mmhm..I never had any siblings, but I've studied familia dynamics enough to understand the relationship between them.." Her smile widens just a touch more when the other says thunder lizards and neat architecture.

"You know that was only ten thousand years ago? People living in caves.. it took us millions of years to develop beyond beating rocks together to create fire." She points out in a quiet tone, glancing side to side. Her hand returns to her pocket, "We've evolved more in ten thousand years than ten million. I have to wonder if it's..." Her lips press together in a line, awkwardly smiling.

"Yes, sorry.. yes.." She motions up the stairs, "I'm meeting a coleague. He found an idol at a burial spire in Lavent and wanted to get my opinion."

Harper Row has posed:
Harper's smile lessens, but it's not down to disinterest, rather quite the opposite. She finds the adjustment of the glasses, which make people already appear pretty darn smart, charming and disarming. Whether it's an affectation or not, it has an effect on the MacGuyver girl from Gotham. She's rapidly making up her mind that June knows all kinds of stuff.

"That so?" Harper's head tilts and she wiggles her toes in her boots like she was trying them on for the first time. She steps closer and hooks her thumbs in the belt loops of her tight jeans. She's worn the unripped kind today, because in a way she's trying to look more presentable while out with a family member. A little. It's hard to portray being classy with all those piercings. "I think some of the city are still at the rocks banging stage. I watch their shows on Fridays when they're playing local."

"You're called in for a consultation? Oh hella cool." Harper bobs her head. "Oh my god, that's so cool, so you work here in like an actual job, or similar. Right on, sister. I'm such an amateur, but once upon a time I thought maybe something academic would rock. But I guess it's like I'm like a fan of your music, but can't play in a band, I guess? I'm into tech more than anything."

June Moone has posed:
June doesn't flinch away from Harper, but her posture tightens a little when she steps closer. It's only a second, barely even notable, and she relaxes when it's clear she's not going to reach out, what with her thumbs hooking in her good jeans. The smile doesn't faulter much, but it's only barely there in the first place.

It's like the smart girl in class suddenly getting compliments from the cool girls: waiting for the other shoe to drop... She's out-grown that by a few years now, that apprehension, but High School wasn't very kind to her and it shows.

Hands in her pocket, she straightens her arms to pull it tighter around her shoulders, "It's not nearly as exciting as you make it sound." Her eyes stay cast downward, but do glance up at the colorful, pierced woman who seems interested in, literally, anything she might have to say. "I.. oh no.. I don't work here, but I've gone on expeditions with one of the curators." Said quietly, peering over her shoulder, then back to Harper. "Not for a few years, but.. I'm still considered an authority on mid Chalcolithic burial practices and worship." She clears her, "Technology is far more interesting."

"We mark the passage of human history based on the relative technological level of the people. It's... how we define ourselves.. So... in a way.. you're just an expert in the history of today. You might one day be the subject of some future bookworms thesis." Her attempt at a joke is accented with a small perk of her smile.

Harper Row has posed:
Harper starts to frown, because there's a knee-jerk disbelief as the knowledgeable woman starts to explain a new take on things. Her mouth starts to open, forming a small 'O', her eyes blinking, like an old disk drive cranking along a metallic plate. Chomping and grinding along the spinning disk of her brain. Accessing...Accessing. Her posture sort of mimics June's subconsciously. They're not mirror images by any stretch, but there's a kind of moment where their bodies are facing and Ms. Row is quite engaged.

It's not a paradigm shift, but Harper's face has that eureka moment, where the earlier mental defense gets permeated by what June's offering to dip in, steeping some tea in her cup. Dab dab. Her eyebrows lift, and she offers a laugh. It's bit of a physical relief, like letting out some pressure or making peace with a concept. "Wouldn't that be crazy." she snickers and heat goes to her cheeks. "I wish I had you in high school." Harper takes in a breath and lets it out slowly. "If I'd had you for some of my subjects, I'd be in less trouble with my report cards. That's a kick ass way of putting it. Daaaamn, expeditions, too? See, that'd be the perfect life pursuit, uncover cool stuff and travel."

So now it's her turn to be a little awkward, and she takes the opportunity to take a breath and peer over towards where Cullen is probably spending too much on a 'dogger and fries to go along with a drink. It's a quick check before turning back.

Why does she feel like she's about to ask to try on June's glasses. Maybe she shouldn't stare too much. "I hope I'm not holding you up too much. I tend to obsess about interesting stuff. I'm a bit of a sponge. Wish I could soak up more."

June Moone has posed:
June actually glances up when Harper not only doesn't laugh at her, but genuinely seems to be enjoying what she has to say. It's rare.. especially recently. Most people have started heading for the hills by now. Then again, she's usually ranting to herself and rocking in a corner by now, so maybe the stars are just all aliegned?

It's impossible to know for sure.

It occurs to her that she might be holding them up too..

"Oh.. oh no, I mean maybe." Said with a fidget, hands still in her pockets. Her cheeks darken a little, but it fades quickly with a glance over towards where Harper's brother had gone to get concessions. "I don't know, if we'd been in high school together, you'd probably have thought me rather odd. I studied rocks." She adds the last part under her breath. As if someone might hear her and think less of her as a Doctor and scientist.

Her cheeks crease in another grin. Noticably loosening up enough to reach and shift her glasses in a form of tick. "I suppose. Most digs are boring. We go hoping to find something and end up with small parts of broken pots, but sometimes.." Sometimes we get possessed by ancient evil. Her expression sours and she glances down. Daring not think to much about the Enchantress and risk waking her up.

"If.. would you two.. I could probably-" She thumbs at the doors, "-pull some strings? If you're really interested. I don't have many perks, but letting you both see the secret tunnels is about as good as it gets?" There aren't any secret tunnels, just back rooms where curators restore pieces.

Harper Row has posed:
"Shut. Up." Harper exclaims, her voice blurting, nearly breaking with a bit of vocal fry. Secret tunnels is like secret chocolate syrup to drench on sundaes when you got a friend working behind the counter.

Harper nods enthusiastically. "Heck yes we'd be interested." She uses the royal ~we~ of course. And if Cullen isn't interested, she'll make him, or make him slouch around an exhibit. "If it doesn't cause you any trouble, I'm so up in there."

Harper swipes her palms down over her thighs and then raises them to rub together against one another. Eager for a knowledge feast and stuff most won't get an opportunity to get a glimpse of. Something said before taps her on the head and makes her mentally side track. "Oh, you'd be surprised. Odd isn't a bad thing, right? I was a bit of a loner through most of it, but some things forced my hand. Some of those...family dynamics, but something good came out of it. Odd just means interesting to me. And besides if high school wasn't a bit...ugh...in some ways for someone. And...plus...broken stuff, let's just say I'm pretty invested in fixing stuff. For reasons."

June Moone has posed:
"Well then, I'd be happy to." June offers with a growing grin, glad for a change that the voice in her head is keeping to itself. She even dares glancing up at Harper and offers a hand out from her pocket, "I'm June, by the way. June Moone." Since she hadn't introduced herself. "I don't know how exciting a tour it'll be, but..." She shrugs and glances up the stairs to the entrance.

Then over to where younger brother is still working out the intracies of getting food from a cart. Bless his heart. Finally, she turns to Harper, looking out the side of her eyes. "Family dynamics.. yeah." She agrees to that part, "I guess you're right. Sometimes I think John Hughes really had his finger on the pulse of high school." Smirking gently, "The intricacies of classism in American High Schools.. I sited John Hughes movies as references. My sociology professor was impressed."

Harper Row has posed:
"Screws fall out all the time...the world is an imperfect place." Harper quotes from a certain Club of Breakfasts, and one-handed fingerguns at June. "Preach girl. Right on. Love his movies." That turns into a hand to complete the hand shake. And while Harper is all jazzed up, she's careful not to squeeze too hard. She's learned a few things since working out more, getting a gleam in her eye about something. She's made mistakes in the past and is still learning. "Harper Row." she jerks a thumb to her brother a ways away. "That's Cullen.

Harper turns to wave her arm and gesticulates wildly until he sees her up on the steps with June. She tries to communicate that he should get the lead out and hurry up scarfing down his thing, and that they'll be going inside soon. She turns back. "Moone...that's pretty neat. It's got that big feeling to go along with it. Big and magical. Mine is like a low income housing, or planted crops. Both necessary but mundane, heh."

June Moone has posed:
June raises her hand to shield her eyes, if only to get a good look at Cullen now that she's got a name to go along with the figure who'd been off getting food. She continues to grin, but looks back to Harper when she returns the introduction.. "Harper? That's a pretty name.. Harper Row." Her head dips in a single nod, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Disregarding any disparigy, she flicks her wrist and laughs quietly, "Or a Minstrel. You're a troubador, not a farmer." Her hand returns to the pocket of her hoodie, standing as close to another person as she'd stood in as long a she can remember. One that hadn't turned tail and ran away. She was going well out of her way not to turn into a weirdo, babbling, twitching, but it was surprisingly easy.

As if the Enchantress was staying intentionally quiet.

Watching..

Committing Harper to memory.

"I don't think there's a single thing mundane about you at all, Harper."

Somewhere, in the reflective surface of a cars rearview mirror, the Enchantress is grinning.