2289/Some Like It Hot, Some Like It Heroic

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Some Like It Hot, Some Like It Heroic
Date of Scene: 01 July 2020
Location: Columbia University
Synopsis: On the ideals of protection and defense.
Cast of Characters: Meggan Puceanu, Diana Prince




Meggan Puceanu has posed:
    Life goes on. It's a mantra in New York even when people up and vanish into the sky. Preplanned activities grind on at Columbia and the great grassy stretch of Butler Lawn outside the Butler Library serves as the site for an outdoor movie screening. Students bring lawn chairs or sit on blankets, hoodies, and the grass itself. No drinks permitted, obviously, but no doubt a few of those picnics and food truck meals have some liquor to go with it. While the light runs long, the projected twinkling images of "Some Like It Hot," with Marilyn Monroe herself pinning down one of the great comedies. Her beaming smile as she leans out of a train car while Jack Lemmon lolls around in drag. For a black and white film, it's got more than few young people completely enraptured.
    Meggan definitely counts among that group. She has forgotten about eating her arguably dull little picnic -- a cucumber sandwich, a thermos of tea, and an apple are all she carries compared to the more eclectic fare of her peers. The faded, well-loved quilt she sits on has been thrifted or shared for thirty years, washed to softness and bleached out. Knees to her chest, she watches with open-eyed fascination as the film plays out, but there's plenty of reason to watch the crowd, too. As much as they might watch her. Cause at least a few recognize the English environment activist, for good or ill, but she's very much one in a sea of people with lots of space to move around.
    "Ooh," she exclaims as Marilyn bounces out with aplomb, the two men in drag trying to act like they're supposed to be part of the background.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana had been at the University today to give a public lecture in one of the grand halls. As it turns out she'd stayed the rest of the day to speak with some faculty and students which ended only just recently. Before leaving though, some had invited her to the movie night and the Princess of Themyscira had gladly accepted the offer. She was a few minutes late, however, but she prefered it this way becasue she felt it would let the others keep their eyes up on the screen rather than worry about her settling in amongst them.

A blanket is set down just to the right of Meggan's own and a moment there after, Diana's voice can be heard thanking the two young men who'd laid it down for her. Wearing a dark navy blue cloak that absorbs what ambient light is around her, the Princess still has her armor on beneath it, and it can be seen here and there as she moves to settle in on the blanket. The cloak is kept pulled around her and her loose hair gently sways in the winds.

Diana's eyes go around to those about her, and she offers a smile to Meggan before looking forward to the show.

Meggan Puceanu has posed:
    Columbia's big enough that Meggan might not know all its ins and outs yet, much less where all the different exciting lecture series are. Missing out on a big name wounds only if she knows about it! Sooner or later she might cover her mouth with her hand and make a definite frown, but she is engrossed with her simple sandwich, a good old English staple. Staring up at the screen is half the fun for an event like this, but feeling the gentle waves of emotion stirred up by the students laughing or enjoying themselves is a good thing. It's easy to slip in among the seated groups or find a space alone, though any available bench is completely taken up. Food trucks parked by the library give mostly fusion or Mexican fare. Taco Tuesday! It's cheap and plentiful.
    But cucumbers are cooling and tasty, so she takes a bite. Someone coming near gets a sidelong look, appraising with mute curiosity instead of insistent. She pulls the worn corner of her blanket a bit closer so as to give the newcomer more room. A brightening grin up to the men helping out to smooth everything gives a friendly kind of beckons, though they might be off on their way too soon for her to voice anything aloud. At least it's not so for the actual guest in an impressive cloak. Elegant and stylish, that earns a definite nod of approval from the activist. Maybe she spends too long admiring it. No resident from around here would, but it's not a prying study. Much more in the vein of seeing its make and quality.
    Laughter bursts from the speakers, another screwball turn up on the screen. A low chuckle from some nearby almost swallows up the murmured, "You're just in time. This is a good one!"

Diana Prince has posed:
Once settled in, Diana's leather wrapped hands sneak out of the dark fabric of her dark blue cloak. She lays them on the insides of her knees as she's seated with her armoed boots out in front of her, voering her legs up with her dark cloak. Her eyes leave the movie screen when she hears the voice of the woman to her left, she looks to Meggan and shows her a smile.

"I love this film." She tells her. "It has been far too long since I have seen it. I could not say no to the invite to come here." She adds a little grin before she glances forward again for a moment before looking back to Meggan. "Have you seen it before?" She asks, keeping her voice low so as to hopefully keep it from carrying around too far and disturbing others, though there is a fair amount of conversing going on and not too many people are doing the 'turn off your phone' thing for this outdoors filming!

It is 2020 after and people do love their silly phones!

Meggan Puceanu has posed:
The elegant designs are something different from casual clothes all around or those on the screen. Let it be said that Meggan is in pretty standard attire all in all, jeans and a pair of battered sneakers set to the side so her bare feet can be in the grass, her t-shirt a defiant Union Jack going ragged towards her stomach. She tucks her fingertips underneath her knees, hitching them closer to get particularly comfortable for the long term. Sparkly nail polish gleams up to the air.

"I haven't seen it in ages," the British blonde says, bubbling with delight. "But every time I see Jack Lemmon up there, I laugh. He's just so good with expressions. And Ms. Monroe, who is so underrated. Beautiful but smart, witty, funny as all get out." The half-smile fearlessly warms to Diana's general goodwill, though she too doesn't speak loud. Her accent is definitely more Gaelic than London, and has a softened roundness to it. "They've been staging these every week now and I don't want to miss a one." Catching herself, she smiles: "I'm Meg, by the way."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana sits up a little straighter on the ground beneath her as she looks up to the movie, but adjusts her stare back to Meggan as she listens to the woman speak. She affords the Briton a soft smile at what she says. "You are astute for this sort of film, for your young age." Diana says of her. "that is good. I often fear that people of your age will miss out on the experience of entertainment like this. It is important to experience the eras of entertainment before us, sometimes we can get new things from them that help shape us in positive ways, for instance."

The princess then nods her head once to her. "A pleasure to meet you, Meg." She says. "I am Diana. I assume that you are a student here at Columbia?' She asks next then of the young woman beside her.

A pair of people in front of - and to the right of the Princess - notice her now and they offer waves and snap pictures with their phones. Diana smiles to them and returns the wave, she recognized them from earlier this afternoon.

Meggan Puceanu has posed:
"It's wonderful to meet you, Diana." Curling her toes through the strands of grass poking up past the edge of the blanket, Meggan reclines to the point where her hands are almost on bare earth and soil warmed by the sun. She has to stretch herself out a fair bit to do that, but the shift in position means comfort for the long term. "Astute? No one's ever called me that, at least that I remember." Her smile turns up, but it's something a bit more tentative. "Usually they say I pay too much attention to one thing and not enough to anything else," she admits, giving a blunt shake of her head that throws golden glints across her loose hair. "But I like watching the older works as much as the new ones. The stories are better, often, without all the fancy computer effects."

She's quite content to bask as the sky darkens little by little, watching the princess more than she does the screen. It's an intense interest painted over her features, but she has no veil to speak of where her emotions are involved. "Does anything about the film draw you in?" And she will be quiet for that answer. She watches the photography with a lopsided smile, waiting by the wayside happily enough.

"I'm lucky. Columbia offered..." The penny drops. Pence? It takes a moment, but surprise widens her eyes. Oh yes. "That is, they gave me a spot when I was in a difficult place."

Diana Prince has posed:
"You are focused then." Diana says of the first part from Meggan. She flashes a quick grin then before she looks down in front of her and then back up again to the movie screen where she watches a little more before ultimately her eyes go back to Meggan once more. "For me, the film is about my first time in the United States." She says. "At least the first time I came here for a significant span of time. It was here in New York. My first night in the city, in fact, I came to stay with some very dear friends from back then. They wanted to take me out and do something special..." She motions to the screen. "We went to see this." She smiles again toward the film and then looks again to Meggan.

"The movies have certainly changed in the sixty one years since then, but... I still find some I enjoy today." She grins for just a second. She tilts her head then as she stares at Meggan, her hair gently blowing in the winds of the summer evening. "What are you studying here then? If I might ask."

Meggan Puceanu has posed:
A little shrug of her shoulder is the British answer, stoic and a bit modest at once. Marilyn is a gem in her discovery among the dross, the jazzy beats blending together with antics coming into play. So too her bright eyes, tinted a clear shade of turquoise, follow the action for a time and back to Diana with rapt interest. Let it be said she gives her undivided attention to the princess, following every word with a story. When all is said and done, she exclaims, "Oh! That is absolutely magical. Rooted in all sorts of good memories."

Her toes scrunch and loosen, even as she turns her head back again to the screen. "I find it's hopeful. A reason to laugh, when we need it, and that never changes with time." The wealth of her blonde locks do a fine job hiding most attributes, but not the elegant points of her ears that sometimes come through or the smooth contour of her cheekbone. Human enough, but not human exactly. Close, no banana. "I am working on my bachelors in climate science with the Earth Institute. With luck, in three years, a Masters in Climate and Society. I'm trying to wake people up to the damage being done to the earth, a lot of it irreversible, and make constructive changes to preserve what we have. One girl crusade." To say the least.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana's eyes are on the film up in front, over the heads of the many rows of people all gathered here tonight in small groups together or alone. She listens to Meggan's words before finally turning to look upon her again, reaching her left hand up to stroke her dark hair out of her face. "That, is a very noble cause you are seeking to help with." She notes of the woman's choice of career fields. "I wish you the best of luck within it. I have made some efeforts in that area, in the past three years I have been a public figure, to try to help push for more reform as well. I think a lot of good is on the horizon, but a lot more is yet to be achieved." She holds a soft smile, calm but distant.

"If you ever need another voice to help speak for you and what you are looking to achieve in that, plase do not hesitate to reach out to me. I would be very pleased to help with that cause."

Meggan Puceanu has posed:
"People are listening. More than they used to, but it's not easy." Meggan frowns a little, her eyes softening. "They had to lose a lot, like that tidal wave or floods, hurricanes, wildfires and bad weather in places that were quiet. I worry too much about these things. How to encourage them to listen and learn. We have a gift here, and protecting it, nurturing it, is not always the top of people's minds. They mean well." An emphatic nod there, though the Brit blows out a long, slow breath. "Thank you though. It means a lot."

Hesitation settles in, trying to find the right words. Especially with the happy students all around, a mild distraction at best, but their happiness wells up through her. It buoys her up to face Diana, taking a breath. "Knowing what sort of risks you face, and what sort of actions you've taken, it means more. Because someone who values life that way is undertaking a great act, but an important one. I was in Washington. The capital, that is. These machines attacked civilians, police, they didn't care who they did. It was absolutely terrifying to face them down when they might have struck down Marvel Girl, Troia, Falcon, that other young man on the ground. How do you do it? How do you push through the fear?"

Diana Prince has posed:
A quick smile is shown to the 'thank you' and it gets a soft and quiet 'of course' back from the Princess before she glances back toward the film.

But when the question come, Diana glances back to Meggan and listens to it while she stares forward - and down - at the grassy area in front of their mutually outstretched feet. There comes a small smile across Diana's dark red hued lips and at the last bit, the ultimate question, she looks back to Meggan.

"Because there are so many people in this world who see those things, and are justly-so afraid of them, but are unfortunately less able to do anything about it. I... can do something, and so I will." She tries to break it all down, simplify it and make it feel easy but impactful.

"I swore to protect the good people of this world, and that is what I will do. Until I cannot any longer do so." Her eyes are upon the movie while she softly says those last few words, but she soons puts them back over on to Meggan. "Fighting is just one aspect of that oath. There is far more to helping the people of the world than simply showing up to a fight, and putting my blade to the bodies of those who have declared themselves enemies." She nods her chin toward Meggan.

"Your desired career is rooted in helping the Earth as well. Maybe not necessarily against 'killer robots' but, still, against something just as threatening to the longevity, and safety, of our world."

Meggan Puceanu has posed:
Questions that no doubt want to fall like rain are dammed up, mostly by a proper sense of manners. Shyness, not so much. Meggan wears her heart on her sleeve, and she keeps the inquiries in check for the moment.

"You can do something, but isn't it concerning to you when others won't? Or when you face something that feels so much stronger and numerous..." Her voice slips into something a bit softer, carved out by worry. "Too many of them came for us to put up a fight the whole time. They were changing as fast as I could shift, and that's quick. If it was fierce for me, what about everyone else on the ground? You are right." Her gaze lifts up to match Diana's, greying a little. "About needing to do it because you can, if you can, safely."

She reaches for the apple, palming it, holding the shiny green and red fruit in her palm. Just for something to hold onto, perhaps, while her fingertips might bruise the skin if too much force was used. "My would-be career is more a path to translate what I know to be true in my heart into something they can understand. Helping to grow, not tear down and accuse. It seems like everything is turning into a perfect storm and I can't stand by. But where to go, that's been the hard part."

Diana Prince has posed:
"There is... concern, in every major engagement." Diana starts her reply to Meggan. "Situations, like the one you spoke of in Washington, are laced with concern. For the safety of innocents, for the city itself, for the well being of the heroes who do try to step in to the fight to make a difference. We want all of those things to be safe, and if you do not? Then you truly should not be trying to use any enhanced powers to try to intervene on such a thing. But like with all combat scenarios, it is complicated. Ever evolving, and high stress. Most engagements happen in a matter of minutes, start and finish. You have to think fast on the battlefield, and rarely have time to worry about the fear inside of yourself. That happens... first, before a fight, if you know a fight is coming. At least in my experience."

After saying that though, Diana glances away again to wave to a few people who walk by and wave to them. With a smile on her face she looks back to Meggan. "You are ... quite young, yet still, yes?" She asks. "It can be hard to tell sometimes, with there being more immortals alive than one might realize." She smirks softly for a second then. "But yes, you have a long life yet to live ahead of you. So I urge you to try not to let the woes of the world weigh you down, hold your shoulders high and keep them steady as possible. I know that the career you are headed toward can paint a bleak image of the world's future, but... there are many good things left yet to be experienced. Many great accomplishments yet to be had. What seems impossible today, too, might yet become a realistic possibility tomorrow as well."