15196/Bad Times for one can be helpful to others.

Bad Times for one can be helpful to others.
Date of Scene:	22 June 2023
Location:	A farm in upstate NewYork
Synopsis:	A fight is avoided by the graceful frying pan of Granny Miller.
Cast of Characters:	Samuel Guthrie, Jon Kent

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Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie does not keep track of all the things with the local farms around, but one of the guys who does some of the gardening for Xavier's, had mentioned there was a guy a few towns up who was selling off his farm and everything on it. They thought they might be able to pick up a few things, but the timing was bad for them. Sam had volunteered to go check it out, he could possibly find some stuff for the school, or maybe find some stuff he could ship back home to Ma to make her life easier. So Sam has driven out in his Ford F450. The young man finds a place to park, and gets out looking about to see the others there for the sell. Sam is wearing a pair of jeans, a open flannel over his Lila Chenney tour shirt, and a pair of work boots. He looks mostly like he fits in.

Jon Kent has posed:
Likewise, Jon is dressed like someone who belongs. His well-worn, hand-me-down farm clothes aren't just something he wears for a look. They're used and abused, though they hang on his slender frame a bit loosely. He otherwise looks like a nerd stuffed into working man's clothing: hair combed neatly to the side, big, black-framed glasses, a demeanor that seems skittish like a herd animal.

He is walking around, looking at pieces of gear. He stops at a tractor where two men are haggling.

Potential buyer: "Look, the frame has some rust all along the bottom. The best I could do is three grand."

Shy Jon: "Ex...excuse me, sir?"

Would-be seller: "I took this entire thing apart myself by hand just last year and replaced every worn part. Find me a used tractor that ain't got no rust on it and I'll buy it for ya myself."

Shy Jon: "I was wonderin' if I could maybe put in an offer?"

Potential buyer, after studying the tractor again. "Four grand, not one penny more now."

Shy Jon: "I was gonna..."

Would-be seller: "Four grand, sold!"

The two shakes hands and walk off to go do paperwork.

Jon sighs.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie is walking along and he just came up at the end of the interaction. He notices Jon trying and not getting a word in edgewise. It reminds him a bit of when he was young and his Pa was teaching him a bit about buying second hand tools and such. He will step up and says "Your gonna have to just put your offer out there if ya see something ya want. The guy selling the stuff prefers it that way, gets a bit of bidding for it, so he makes a bit more money that way." He offers in advice to the other young man.

Jon Kent has posed:
Pushing his glasses up his nose with one finger, Jon shifts his gaze to look at Sam, then quickly peers downward. Skinny, shy, non-confrontational. This young man would be lucky to be able to buy a free glass of water in an environment like this.

"Yes, sir, I guess you're right. I sure woulda liked to get this tractor though." He runs his hand along the pitted, worn side like he was caressing a Ferrari instead of a used tractor.

He shrugs one shoulder. "You got a farm around these parts, sir?"

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie shakes his head and says "Na, my Ma has a place back home, and Ah heard about this so thought Ah would check it out. Ah figure if Ah can get a few things and ship it all together would be cheaper than getting it back home. Plus know some folks around here could use some stuff for their lawn and gardening work they do."

Jon Kent has posed:
An affable, polite smile comes to Jon's face. "Jon Kent," he says, holding out a hand. If Sam shakes, he will find that Jon's hand is smooth and his grip is loose. It does not feel at *all* like a farmer's hand.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie shakes the hand giving a firm shake. Sam's while not as hard if he spent all day working manual labor, there is signs he does some stuff with his hands, be it working out or something. "Sam Guthrie." He offers in introduction to himself, and says "So, your family got a place around here?"

Jon Kent has posed:
How do you explain that you flew here from Smallville, Kansas? You don't, that's how.

"Yes, sir," Jon replies respectfully. "It was just a quick hop, skip, 'n a jump to get here."

He peers around the potential buyers swarming like ants. "Though it's starting to look like I mighta got here too late."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks to the other and says "Call me Sam, no need for the Sir." He smiles a bit remembering when that was a habit he had, and still slips into at time. "Ok, well what parts you looking for, we can work together, keep on the look out for things we both need that are in decent condition.

Jon Kent has posed:
The young man slips his hands into his the front pockets of his jeans. "Well, sir, " He blinks a couple of times as one hand emerges from his pocket to push his glasses back up. "Sorry. Sam." He clears his throat and starts again. "We got an old Massey Ferguson 135 that we been keeping running with duct tape and a whole lotta kind words. So I guess either I'm looking for a replacement tractor, or something for parts."

He pulls a wad of cash out of his pocket like he was some kind of idiot tourist. There must be six or seven grand worth of hundreds. *Several* people looks over when that money comes out.

"I got *some* money I can spend, but the farm doesn't bring in huge dollars, ya know?"

Maybe there is someone in this crowd immoral enough to try to steal Jon's money. But Lord have mercy would they be in for the shock of a lifetime.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie nods, and sees the people looking and says "Might want to be a bit more careful flashing ya cash Jon, luckily, Ah don't think anyone is going to want to mess with ya while Ah am here." He tugs a necklace out that was hidden by the shirt and on it is a NYPD Badge. Sam will let it hang there for a moment, so anyone who might be casing the younger man will see it before he puts it away. "Well we can see if they have a parts area might be able to get something cheaper there, Ah mean what farm does not have stuff they keep around to try to fix other stuff."

Jon Kent has posed:
Jon's eyes go wide for a moment when he realizes the bungle he just made. He stuffs the money quickly back into his pocket and glances around to see if he's about to get taken out. Fortunately not. He looks back to Sam. "Gosh, that was dumb. How lucky I met a police officer!" He doesn't even question whether or not the badge is real. Gullible, too, this young man.

Drawing in a deep breath and exhaling as he nods, Jon begins to move toward the barn with tables of spare parts laid out. "Yes, sir, that sounds like a good idea."

A big, burley, down-home hillbilly walks past. He gives Sam the 'eye' as he 'accidentally' bumps Jon's shoulder hard. Down Jon goes, his butt hitting the dirt. "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, sir, I shoulda been looking where I was goin'."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie will give the man back as good as he gets and says "Watch where ya walking." It maybe the fact Sam has lived in New York for a while, or the whole taking up for the little guy," He will offer Jon a hand up turning his back to the guy, but make sure to keep aware of where he is, in case he tries something.

Jon Kent has posed:
No doubt Sam has seen this sort of thing many, many times. This guy saw the money. He weighs about as much as Sam and Jon combined. So he figures he has a right to that cash.

"Thank you, Sam," Jon says, accepting the police officer's help up. "It was completely my fault. I shoulda been watching where I was going."

With his back to the big old hillbilly, Jon doesn't see the fist the size of a canned ham coming right for the side of his head.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie was expecting as much and maybe growing up on the poor side of town might have helped him be prepared for guys like this. He will move with reflexes honed in the danger room. His own hand coming up under the hillbilly's wrist to knock it away from Jon, as he steps into the man to try to knock him off and to the side while off balance "Listen fella, you don't want to start something here." He tries to give the guy a chance to back off, but knows it seldom works that way.

Jon Kent has posed:
The sound that hillbilly's knuckles make when he cracks them can probably be heard the next county over. "Oh, it's already started, cupcake," he says with a growl.

"No, no, sir, please," Jon pleads. It would appear that he still has not connected the money with this attack yet. But we already determined he was gullible, right? "It was totally my fault. I wasn't watchin' where I was goin'."

The wheels inside of hillbilly's head turn slowly, but they do eventually get there. He looks at Jon. "You simple or somethin'?" he asks. Nothing, of course, could be farther from the truth.

So it looks like it's on. A full-on fight. Goliath vs. David and David.

But...

"HARLOW ELROY MILLER, YOU GET YOUR BUTT IN THIS HOUSE RIGHT NOW!" It's an old lady who couldn't weigh a buck and a quarter soaking wet wielding a cast iron skillet that she probably inherited from her granny.

Someone in the crowd breaks the silence with a guffaw. "His middle name is Elroy?"

Hillbilly: "Ma, I was just fixin' to..."

"I SAID RIGHT NOW OR YER GONNA NEED DOC PLUMMER TO COME OUT HERE TO GET MY SKILLET BACK."

The crowd breaks into laugher. Even Jon gets a chuckle out of it.

With a face as red as fresh autumn apples, Harlow skulks into the house. "This ain't over," he murmurs as he passes Sam.

But of course, it's over. It's very over.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie does smirk a bit as the woman calls the other inside. Anyone who knows a bit about fighting will see Sam had set his feet, and was holding himself like someone who knows what they are doing. He is tempted to egg Harlow on, but he resists the urge. He looks over to the woman and offers her a nod and says "Sorry there was a ruckus Ma'am." Sam does not seem worried about the guy at all. He quietly says "Looks like Harlow aint to bright, but knows at least not to mess with his elders." This is so it does not carry part Jon.

Jon Kent has posed:
For a moment -- for a tiny sliver of an instant -- Jon drops his guard and Superboy's demeanor can be seen in the glint in his eye and in how the side of his mouth opens in a little bit of an arrogant half-grin. "I bet I could take 'im," he says, eyes locked on the retreating Harlow.

But as quickly as it arrived, it's gone again. The poor-postured, too-thin, thick-glasses Jon Kent is back. He gives Sam's arm a friendly elbow. "Seriously, though, thank you, Sam. It's a good thing you were around."

And business as usual returns to this remote farm as though nothing ever happened at all.