16219/Timely Meetings

Timely Meetings
Date of Scene:	30 October 2023
Location:	Flushing Meadows Park
Synopsis:	By chance, Kiden Nixon and Phoebe Beacon meet. Kiden gets to love on Potato the Dog, and receives a job offer.
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Kiden Nixon

---

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Rainy days and Mondays always get people down, it seems.

    Flushing Meadows was a park that was more than just a funny name, 'Flushed' with history the park also was host to a number of tourist attractions and little niches and crannies where history stuck. Some in disrepair, others in good condition depending on how often people get complain-y about their condition.

    The day was overcast, a bit chilly, and just the sort of day that the bougie types start bringing out their dog parkas, which is why the white-and-red sighthound was dejectedly wearing a bright red sweater with a Robin R on it, long ears down and to the side in abject embarassment.

    Meanwhile, his handler was tossing some items in the trash can, while a large, white bully-type dog is wearing a dark blue Batman sweater.

    Gotta rep the fam.

    Their handler is wearing a denim jacket over a worn Gotham Rogues T-shirt with well broken-in jeans and good sneakers, hair wrapped in a violet wrap, and she's got all her piercings in today -- industrial, two in each lobe, her nose piercings, and she's feeling pretty good about things as she meanders along the pathways. Something's drawn her to the park today.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Kiden doesn't usually come out to the 'nicer' areas of the city, she tends to stick out like a sore thumb with her worn clothes that are years out of date and ratty appearance. Today, she's clean at least, but still in worn and out of date clothes. Thankfully, they're bland enough to not be noticed by most people. A red hoodie, black athletic pants, a pair of ratty sneakers that used to be black but have faded down to a dingy grey.

She has the hood down, the blonde bob showing darker roots, no piercings or tattoos that are visible. No animals with her, though she's happy enough to stop and let others' dogs snuff her hands, give them pats (with the owner's okay), call them good boys and girls. She doesn't belong here, but she's nice enough and looks harmless, so is largely left alone...

Until a self-important Karen passes by with her Precious Princess Pup, that is. Kiden keeps her head down and tries to just slink past the woman in the designer outfit and designer nails and super expensive pedrigreed pooch. She really does try. But the woman catches sight of the out of place young woman and starts to follow after her, haranguing Kiden about being where she doesn't belong and she should go back to whatever slum she calls home. The Karen's voice increasing in volume the more Kiden tries to just get away from her.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Ooh. No one likes a Karen. Phoebe's had to deal with a couple herself, and she looks up at the sound of haranging. Her head tilts a moment, and she looks down to her two dogs, and with a leash in each hand, she makes her way over to the sound, and spots the blonde out walking, and the lady harassing her.

    So she cruises on down with Batdog and Dogbin, casually walking as she looks to the expensive pedigreed pooch, the designer outfit of the lady, and then she purses her lips.

    Potato, being the eighty pound potato he is, gladly greets both Karen and Kiden with his best Chewbacca impression, his tail wagging so hard that his hind quarters are making little arcs and he's at risk of falling over to one side, while Idu gives a withering stare.

    "Hey, is this lady bothering you?" she asks, looking to Kiden and jerking a thumb at the lady with the Precious Princess Pup.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
"What do you think you're doing in this neighborhood anyways, you.. urchin! I bet you're the one responsible for all the thefts around here lately! I'll call the police!" The Karen (a 50-something woman, fit from a personal trainer and nutritionist, but prematurely aged from decades of tanning and makeup use, hair brittle and overprocessed) screeches at Kiden while the little teacup pup yaps and barks and growls, straining at the end of its leash.

Kiden just ducks her head down and hurries along faster, mumbling, "Lady, I'm just taking a walk before work, leave me alone, please..." She's quick to pull her trailing leg away from a lunge by the Pampered Pooch before looking up suddenly at Phoebe's appearance. "What? Oh, uh... I just... she's.. a little.. rude. But I can handle it."

She flickers a brief smile towards Phoebe, "Thank you, though. You have very cool-looking dogs. Nice sweaters. I'm just... gonna go now." Kiden offers another quick smile before trying to hurry along, glancing over her shoulder at the Karen, "I'm leaving, okay? Just, call off the tiny Cujo." She gives a nod to Phoebe and murmurs, "Thanks for the offer.."

Hurrying along, she heads towards the art gallery, hands in her pockets and head down, just trying to be as small as possible. GIven her height and build, that's pretty dang small!

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Kiden looks at the Karen, and she looks at the teacup pup, and she gives a roll of her eyes. "You definitely need a trainer for manners. An' so does your dog." she states, and turns, giving a whistle to her own two dogs, and she hops after Kiden.

    She waits until the lady's mostly out of earshot before she calls out: "Hey -- Kiden, right?" jogging a little behind the blonde so that she doesn't intimidate her into any rash actions. She's patient, and the two canines are her side lope easily.

    The late-teens/early twenties looking girl gives Kiden her space, since she just used her name without the mutant knowing her.

    "I'm a friend of Conner's."

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Kiden has just been hurrying along, but the sudden call of her name has her halting mid-stride and looking wide-eyed at Phoebe. She glances this way and that, possibly checking for her best escape route, then looking back to Phoebe, "I-I'm sorry.. do I know you?" She shuffles back a step, glancing to the dogs, then back to Phoebe.

THe explanation, however, has the tension in her frame relaxing, a breath whoosing out as she gives a nod, "Oh! Oh, yeah, uhm... I'm Kiden. I'm sorry, I didn't expect to run into anyone that would know me out here. And then that lady was... anyways. Uh... Conner didn't really tell me to expect anyone, but.. it's nice to meet you." She pulls a hand from her pocket and offers it out to Phoebe.

"Your dogs are really cute, too. I love the expressions they manage." She offers a faint smile and nods towards Idu and Potato, "I bet they're the best boys."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Only from a picture he showed me." Phoebe gives a smile at the note-quite-a-white-lie. "Trust me, I wasn't expecting to run into any friendly faces out here in Queens. I lived in Manhattan for a little while but -- y'know, big city." she explains casually, and she takes a deep breath, reaches out, and shakes Kiden's hand, though she seems nervous about it, shoulders tensing up a little.

    "Thanks, this is Idu -- the fancy one, and this is Chimkin Snuggets & Smashed Potato, his new, little, big brother." she introduces the two dogs. Idu does an automatic sit and looks really quite regal, his ears drawing up, wind ruffling his wiry fur as his curly tail gives a brief wag of acceptance.

    Potato on the other hand makes an attempt to sit his eighty pound self on Kiden's feet and look up at her with the expectation of pettings. Should Kiden not move her feet he'll sit on them happily and receive affections.

    "We just call him 'Potato'. He's very friendly, but a little deaf and a little blind."

Kiden Nixon has posed:
"He has a picture of me?" Kiden blinks, surprised at the thought that her picture has already been taken and shared amongst a group of friends. She blinks, then smiles faintly, "Guess he's ahead of me in more ways than one." CHuckling, she rubs at the back of her neck. "Yeah, I hear you. I mostly stick to Brooklyn. Bushwick..." Mutant Town.

She keeps the shake brief, not much strength in her grip. She's the incarnation of the 98 pound weakling! At least as far as strength goes. The introduction to the dogs has her smile growing as she leans forward to hold a hand out for Idu to sniff, if he's so inclined. "Hi Idu. You're gorgeous, you know. I'm sure you're aware of it. Very intelligent." With Potato, she blinks as he sits on her feet and then chuckles, bending forward to give him plenty of pets and scritches. "That is the best name."

Laughing softly, she gives a nod, "Totally fine. He's a great dog. Bet he weighs almost as much as I do!"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "He knows. He gets told all the time by everyone how pretty and smart he is." Phoebe gives a slight grin, and Potato happily accepts the scritches, his butt waggling.

    "Potato was a surprise. He kind of hopped in a car after me and... we just kinda took it as a sign." she explains as she slips her hands back into her pocket, the leash loops around her wrists casually.

    "Con had mentioned you might need a hand with some stuff. I know Bushwick can be a little hard to find safe housing in -- I can relate with that, I was raised in Gotham." she adds in a dry tone. "He and I have worked together on some different projects while he's been in college. Any friend of his, you know?"

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Chuckling, Kiden gives a nod and smiles at Idu before giving Potato a few more scritches, "They're both adorable." Straightening, she gives a nod, "I understand that's how a lot of pets happen. They choose the person, rather than the person choosing the pet."

She gives a nod and glances around, then back to Phoebe, "I'm just... trying to get an address I can have 'official' mail sent to. Then I can get an ID and... well, that opens a lot of doors." Kiden shrugs and offers a lopsided smile, "Until a few days ago, I'd never been outside New York City. A friends of mine invited me to the... Hot Dumpling? In Gotham. It was a decent trek to make, but efficiency is kinda my super power."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Hot Dumpling is *awesome*. One of the favorite restaurants among our friend group." Phoebe gives a smile, "Even those of us who have weird taste profiles. If you gotta choose a place to go in Gotham, that's not a bad place to start." she gives a grin, and then leans down to tuck both leashes into the collars of the pooches, and gives a motin of her head to take up some space on a park bench convieniently set up under some overhang of an older gazebo. It's at least dry.

    "I remember how hard it was when I didn't have a stable address." she replies in consideration.

    "You looking to stay in New York City or maybe make a move to Gotham? Rent's way cheaper than in NYC. Or, y'know, Metropolis, if you like nicer weather." she jokes.

    Potato hops off Kiden's feet and snuffles around, always looking up to Kiden and Phoebe to check in, but otherwise content to put his nose to the ground and experience the world through olfactory satisfaction.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Kiden smiles and gives a nod, "The soup was great. Hot, filling, and the dumplings were super tasty. Meaty, juicy, little bit of crunch from the cabbage.. it was really good." She offers a brief grin and nods, "Like I told Conner, I'll eat pretty much anything that won't kill me. Probably the least picky person you'll ever meet." Homelessness means food is food, no matter what the taste profile.

Moving to join her at the bench, she plops down comfortably and watches the dogs for a moment before looking back to Phoebe, "I've never lived anywhere but New York. My family is here..." There's something about how she says it that suggests she hasn't actually seen them in some time.

"I guess I never really thought about moving anywhere else. Travel isn't really an issue for me, though." Pausing, she chuckles, "I'd have to learn Gotham if I moved there. Probably take a day just learn all the ins and outs of the city." Canting her head, she smiles faintly, "I'd probably talk it over with Conner first either way. Travel isn't an issue for either of us, but if I can get my ID... I can finish school. Maybe look at college."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I get it. I had to relocate to NYC, and I got my GED through a school here. Then ended up going to Gotham U." she explains, "College is a pretty great ambition," she purses her lips a moment, watching the dogs in thought.

    "What would be the most use to you, right now, to get you on your feet? Just the place to put an address to?" she questions thoughtfully, and she bites a thumb nail in thought. "Cash to get the place?"

Kiden Nixon has posed:
"Hey, superhero'ing is great and all.. but it doesn't pay very well. College means getting a better shot at a decent job. Preferably something with flexible hours," Kiden offers a lopsides mile and lifts a shrug. She glances down at her hands and gives a short laugh, "I'll be starting it all a bit later, but I don't think that's a bad thing."

Looking back to Phoebe, both brows lift, "I just need an address I can attach my name to, really. If I can do that, there's someone at the New York Public Library that will send me a card to the address... and a couple hospitals could send me some records there... then I can take that to the DMV to get an ID. Once I have ID... I can get a job, I can finish my high school diploma..."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe gives a nod in consideration.

    "I do hear superheroing has horrible health benefits, not to mention the lack of retirement funding. Ever hear Superman talk about a 401k?" she questions with a small smile, and she rubs the back of her neck. "My place in NYC is currently occupied, but let us see what we can do to help. My brothers and I have got to have connections somewhere in the city." Someone's gotta have an additional crash space. Laura's got hidey-holes, she knows. Con might not be able to use his own address.

    "In the mean time, you got someplace safe you can crash at?" she asks, reaching into her pocket for her own wallet (which is covered with little hearts, moons, and brontosauruses), and fingers through some business cards.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
"I guess that depends. Those SHIELD people probably get all kinds of nifty benefits. NATO funding and all. Me, I'd be happy with steady hours and steady pay. Finances are kinda... outside of my wheelhouse," Kiden chuckles lightly and lifts a shrug. Blinking, she gives a small nod, "Uh, sure! I.. I really appreciate it. It doesn't have to be somewhere I actually stay at, I just have to be able to be listed as an occupant. Long as I can do that, and pick up mail every so often, I think that would do it.." In other words, she just needs occupancy on paper to get the ID.

Smiling faintly, she gives a nod, "Yeah, I think so." SHe glances at the wallet and grins, "Love the wallet. That's really neat. Mine is... well." She pulls out a fabric wallet with a cartoon picture of a possum peeking out a trash can and 'HE SCREAM' embroidered on it. It's pretty worn and dingy, but the picture is still visible!

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "He SCREAM!" Phoebe gives a soft screech, and she laughs. "I like it. This is my new one. My last one had skulls. Unfortunately, someone ate it."

    She's not going to say who. Potato looks oblivious. However it was eaten by something... bigger.

    She takes out a pair of business cards. One is to Hotel Athena, which is in Manhattan, and it has a member number written on it in pen.

    "This is to one of my favorite hotels where I don't get asked a whole lot of questions, and they have really, really clean bathrooms. In case you need a safer place to crash on short notice." she states, "That's my member number, they can charge your stay to me."

    And then she takes out a Wayne Enterprises card. It has HR information on it, along with the subtitle of:
        -Phoebe Wayne-
        -Main Office-

    "If you decide that maybe travel to Gotham isn't too big of a deal, or you end up with space there, look me up. We have a lot of training programs that bypass the immediate need of a high school diploma in everything from security to technology to administrative work. Stable employment, nine-to-five or eight-to-four, and when you get hired through my office you get a stipend for new clothes and a hyperloop pass if needed." she gives a small smile.

    "I ah... I know it can be awkward. I resisted getting help for a long time when I should have before."

    And Phoebe definitely looks and feels awkward saying that.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Kiden laughs lightly and gives a nod, "Seemed fitting at the time... and to be honest, possums are kind of my spirit animal, I think. Ratty and grungy, but somehow still adorable." She flashes a grin and lifts a hand to touch one forefinger to her cheek, as if to dimple it. Dropping her hand, she tucks her wallet away and smiles, "I've been through a lot of wallets. Hard to keep track. This one was being sold by one of the street vendors." Not that she actually bought it, but it was being sold!

Taking out the cards, she blinks at the first, glancing back to Phoebe with a questioning look. The explanation has her giving an 'ah' and nodding, "Oh-okay.. wow. That's.. huge. Thank you." Kiden looks back to Phoebe, "This is way more than I was expecting or hoping for."

Then the second one, which has her goggling even more. Wayne. Even SHE knows that name. "You-...you're a *Wayne*? And you're going to help *me*? Whoa..." Kiden clears her throat and stares at the ground before letting out a breath and giving a nod, "Thank you. Really. I.. this is super unexpected. But welcome!"

She tucks both cards away carefully, then turns a smile towards Phoebe, "I'm not opposed to *help*.. I just.. don't want to be anyone's 'project'. I want to be able to do for myself, you know? I've been independent for the last five years. I don't know if I could be okay with just.. taking handouts. Not knowing if I actually earned what I was getting, or if people just felt sorry for me."

She gives a faint smile, "So I definitely get the awkwward part."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "I get it, I know a lot of people who didn't want to be a charity case or project. I've got enough projects going on." Phoebe gives a small smile.

    "I'm in it for the hand-ups. If we can get someone to stand up on their own, that's great. If they need a crutch until they get there? That's great too. The more people we can get up the better." she gives a small smile, and she looks down, playing with a keychain.

    "And I get it. Before I was a wayne I didn't want to be someone's project either. I got a hand up when I fell down, and Bruce Wayne happened to see something in me and thought I was worth a big hand up. Now I do what I can to help others, that's all." she gives a crooked smile.

    "That's why I have HR find places for people who show up. Shows initiative and a little trust. It might not be the most glamourous job working in a secretary pool, but my office is pretty easy to work for." she leans back a moment.

    "You may even get to punch lawyers who come in to harass me."

Kiden Nixon has posed:
Nodding, Kiden gives a small smile, "I can appreciate that. That's why I'm just looking for help to get an address I can use long enough to get an ID. Once I get that.. the rest is up to me. I can work, I can finish my high school diploma. Then I can figure out where I want to go from there. Maybe college, maybe just work... I'll figure it out." She puts a foot up on the edge of the bench and wraps an arm around the bent knee.

"I'm not looking to get rich. I don't want to be a household name, or super well-known. I have a past. One that I have no interest in being made public. I ran away five years ago to protect my family... I don't want to undo that." She lifts a small shrug and glances towards Phoebe. "I'm a mutant. My family isn't. They're completely normal. But if it got out that they had a mutant daughter.. sister.. it could get really bad for them."

Letting out a breath, she gives a nod, "I may take you up on the job thing. I may decide to go the route of school first. But either way... I'll keep in touch."

Kiden laughs at the last part and shakes her head, "Oh, I'm not a fighter. My fighting skills are pretty much non-existent. I just... have an advantage."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "That's good. It's kind of a problem if you wanna be a household name but you have a past you gotta hide." Phoebe replies with a small smile, and she gives a nod. "I can definitely understand wanting to protect your family. I've... had a hard time with that." Phoebe admits, and she mirrors Kiden's position, using her opposite leg.

    "Well, I mean it's a perk. Punching the lawyer, I mean. You get a bonus out of my pocket and I cover any legal issues that arrise from it." Phoebe gives a small grin, maybe something satisfied that someone had taken her up on the offer.

    "The nice thing about our program is that you don't get questions asked about your past. Just real rudimentary questions about what you want to do and what your goals are. Nothing gets sent out, everything's done in-house." she replies, and gives a grin.

    "I definitely agree that school should be A Thing, but if you wanted to get the job first, it's an option. I'd like to fancy myself an opener of ways. Which is just a really fancy way of putting 'I do my own hiring half the time'."

Kiden Nixon has posed:
"Oh no, I'm more than happy to just be one of many faces somewhere, doing something worthwhile. Right now, when I can get cleaned up enough for it, I waitress over at Fred's Diner in Bushwick. It's not much, but I get to keep my tips, and I get fed after each shift. So it's good enough for the moment." Kiden lifts both shoulders in a small shrug and smiles, "After, who knows?"

There's nod to the part about family and Kiden sets her chin on her knee, "My dad... he was a cop. I.. he.. died. On duty. I was eleven. Mom struggled with me and my three brothers. After my mutant powers manifested... it was too dangerous for them. There were people after me, and I couldn't really control my powers... it.. it was better for them that I left."

Letting out a breath, she shakes off the past and chuckles, "I meant more that it probably wouldn't be very satisfying. I don't know how to properly punch someone. I just.. have a trick that I can use, thanks to my power. But it's not something that I can.. there's no controlling the strength of it. So I either 'hit like a girl' or 'hit like Superman'. There's no real in between."

Chuckling, Kiden gives a nod, "I might reach out then. Fred's is good for right now, but if I'm going to afford rent and all that, I'll probably need something a little better, wage-wise."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Right on. I was a barback for a while, mixed with light cook duties." she shares, and then she listens.

    Her expression softens, listening to Kiden speak of her father, and she gives a nod in an understanding way. She tilts her head back.

    "I mean if you were going to superhero, you should probably learn how to throw a punch somewhere between 'kindergartener' and 'Superman'." she purses her lips, and gives a look over to Kiden.

    "Are those people still after you?" she inquires, her voice soft.

Kiden Nixon has posed:
"To be fair, I don't generally try to superhero. I just try to survive. And sometimes I find myself in a position to help someone else." Kiden lifts a shrug and offers a half-smile, "So I help out how I can but.. knowing how to actually throw a punch probably wouldn't be a bad idea."

The next question has her pausing, then shrugging, "I don't know. Probably. Maybe not actively searching, but if I popped up on their radar, I'm sure they wouldn't hesitate."

Which then has her glancing around again, "Speaking of which, I should probably actually get outta here before that lady comes back around and finds me still.. you know, *here*. Thanks again for the talk, and the help. Ummm.. here..." Kiden stands, fishing out a crumpled receipt from her pocket and scribbling her phone number on the back. "Here. Feel free to reach out whenever." SHe flashes a smile and Phoebe, "Thanks again!"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "HOnestly I was hoping she'd make a big deal of it so I could say 'Go ahead, call about someone in a public park, I'll be happy to talk to them'" Phoebe shrugs and gives a small laugh.

    "All right Kiden, I'll send you a text from my phone so you have my number too." Phoebe states, and she gives another whistle.

    Idu and Potato make their way over, tails wagging.

    "You be safe out there."