615/A Day In Metropolis

A Day In Metropolis
Date of Scene:	18 March 2020
Location:	Centennial Park - New Troy
Synopsis:	Visiting Metropolis, Kitty runs into Jimmy Olsen at the Superman statue.
Cast of Characters:	Jimmy Olsen, Kitty Pryde

---

Jimmy Olsen has posed:
Centennial Park isn't very crowded this afternoon. Just your usual gaggle of mothers, kids and tourists. All in all it's pretty calm. There is a bench near the Superman statue and a young man is seated there, simply staring at it, lost in thought.

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde normally fabricates her own computers. It's one of the things in the world she excels at the most. Her computers, her phone and tablet, all of her own design, and fabricated in large part thanks to the equipment that Charles Xavier's provides for the X-men.

Though sometimes speed is an issue. Building things yourself takes more time, and Kitty needs results. So today she turned to some commercially available components. Or tried to. The company in Metropolis she was buying them from hit a delay of a few hours.

So with some time to kill, Kitty found herself wandering the city, Eventually she the 18 year old ended up in the Centennial Park. She wanders along the pathways through the greenery at a slow pace. Lost in her thoughts. Up ahead she sees the Superman statue. It draws her, the young woman letting her steps carry her in that direction, and towards the young man seated on the bench nearby.

Jimmy Olsen has posed:
Jimmy Olsen glances around once more and spots Kitty. He offers a polite nod of greeting and smiles warmly. "Afternoon. Nice day, isn't it?" He notices her checking out the statue as well. "It's a good likeness, isn't it? I'm not sure who made it but they sure did a good job. The detail is really amazing. Almost lifelike."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
The young woman looks up as Jimmy speaks to her. "Afternoon," she replies back in kind. The question about the statue causes Kitty to look over towards it. "I think it probably is from what I know. I haven't ever actually seen him in person. But, watched a lot of youtube video of him," she says, her ponytail bobbing about behind her slightly with the movement as she checks out the statue.

Kitty looks back over to Jimmy Olsen and says, "It really does have a lot of detail, yes. Do you come out here often to look at it?" she asks in a gentle voice.

Jimmy Olsen has posed:
Jimmy Olsen nods slowly then a distant look crosses his features, as if deliberating. "Actually, yeah, I do. I...sort of owe my life to him. He's saved my life a few times. Literally." Yeah, he doesn't seem to be kidding either. "Just doesn't seem the same with him...gone. Anyway...life goes on. The name's Jimmy by the way."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde moves over and gestures towards the bench as if to make sure Jimmy doesn't mind if she sits. Assuming he agrees, she takes a seat beside him. She's wearing jeans and a Chicago Bears sweatshirt, and has a necklace about her neck with a Star of David dangling from it which is visible now and then.

"He did?" she asks of Superman having saved Jimmy's life. "He saved a lot of people," she says, glancing back to the statue. "But it sounds like it was more than just, stopping Zod and Annihilus?" she says of Superman's actions stopping the invasion a few years ago, one that resulted in a tidal wave hitting the East Coast from the fight.

"Not that you have to, but if you feel like talking about it? I know that helps people work through things sometimes. Seems like you've got a bit you're still working through?" Kitty offers gently.

Jimmy Olsen has posed:
Jimmy Olsen doesn't seem to mind if Kitty joins him. In fact, he seems pleased. There is a gentle quality about him which makes him very non-threatening and approachable. "Yeah. One of many. He sure did save a lot of lives." He smiles again. "That's really nice of you. I just...thought I was over it and I guess I'm not. Feels like I lost a friend. Not that...we were real buddies or anything. I mean...I knew him but...didn't KNOW him. If that makes sense."

Jimmy pauses then regards Kitty again. "Were you around here for all that Zod business? Man, talk about dark days."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty watches Jimmy as he talks, perhaps thinking she can see in his expression how much this topic means to him. "I wasn't here at the time. Grew up in Deerfield. Didn't move out here for school until... oh, it was a half dozen years after Superman and the Fantastic Four stopped that invasion," she says.

Kitty turns a bit sideways on the bench. "I know what you mean about losing someone," she says, her expression just a bit tight as if she is keeping from letting her own show too much just now in the way of emotion. "It's tough. Especially when you were helpless to do anything about it," she says.

Kitty glances at the statue. "I didn't know him. But the person he seemed to be? I imagine it would matter a lot to him that you keep going on. Try to be the right kind of person. I'm sure that would have made him proud," she offers to Jimmy.

Jimmy Olsen has posed:
"Deerfield. Yeah, I've been there." Jimmy considers a moment. "A few years back. Just for a few days. For work. Nice place. Had one of the best hot dogs ever at a place called...heck, I forgot. I remember it was next to a movie theater. Anyway, I enjoyed the visit." A pause. "Sounds like you've sort of been through something similar. Losing someone that was special in your life. It's not easy, I know. It can get a little better with time but..."

Jimmy looks back at the statue. "We ALL need to keep going on. After all, there's no telling what's ahead of us. These are...difficult times. Have to be on guard all the time. Gets a bit...stressful. Still, we all need to keep going and be strong. Just like you said."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty gets a soft smile at the mention of the Deerfield eatery. "Milo's," she tells him. "Used to hit it after a movie. The food was much better and cheaper than the theater prices. I went to elementary school just up the road from there," she says, smiling still as she reminisces a little bit.

The smile fades a little bit, the young woman sitting quietly for long seconds before finally she says, in a bit of a numb voice. "I lost my father," she says quietly. "Genosha."

That's really all that needs to be said to know the how of it. The island nation near Madagascar, a mutant homeland ruled by Magneto, was wiped out in an attack by two gigantic robotic Sentinels, like of which had never been seen. The disaster, killing maybe as many as sixteen million, was getting less press now it was a month in the past.

Kitty stares out towards the statue. "I wonder if he could have made a difference, if he was here still," she says quietly. "So many other heroes in the world, and none knew it was going on. Until it was too late."

Jimmy Olsen has posed:
Jimmy Olsen frowns slightly at the mention of Genosha and he sighs. "I'm so sorry. That's...awful." Yeah, he most certainly is familiar with it. "As for making a difference...I'm sure he could. Every individual can make a difference." He pushes some hair back from his forehead. "Sometimes all the heroes in the world can't fix things when it comes to evil forces. Often they can but..." he sighs. "I'm really sorry for your loss. Losing a father is...rough."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde nods her head slowly in response to Jimmy's comments. "Yes. It's just... it's really..." she says, and trails off, shaking her head. "Well. All I can do is live with it, really. So I'm trying," she says. She's done a pretty good job of repressing her emotions around others, and that practice pays off today.

Kitty clears her throat and then puts on a smile for Jimmy. "Sorry, didn't mean to bring you down. So... what do you do? You live here in town, I guess? I'm in town to pick up some stuff, but the place didn't quite have it ready for me," she says with a shrug.

Her insides are emotionally shredded, but she puts on that brave little smile as she shrugs.

Jimmy Olsen has posed:
Jimmy Olsen smiles and shakes his head. "You didn't bring me down. Not at all. It's nice to have someone to talk to. As for what I do...well, I'm a photographer for the Daily Planet and have lived in Metropolis my whole life. That's sort of why I've spent so much time around Superman. Ended up taking lots of pictures of him during all the...action. Managed to get some good ones too. But what about you? You said something about coming here for school. What are you studying? Do you like it here? "

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty leans back on the bench, crossing one leg over the other and lacing her fingers over her knee. A soft breeze stirs, blowing across the park. It carries with it the sounds of a couple of kids at play, tossing a frisbee back and forth while their mother looks on.

"I originally moved out to New York for school, yes. Though I moved on to college a bit early. Studied computer engineer, and English literature," she tells him. A bit of an unusual combination there.

"How do you like it at the Planet? I imagine that would have brought you into a bit of contact with him, or at least being around Superman," she says, her eyes going back to the statue. "Right now, well, I went to college over in the UK. I just got back a month ago and I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do. Things sort of threw me for a loop and... I don't know that I want to start looking for a job yet, or what."

Jimmy Olsen has posed:
"Computer engineering and English literature. Interesting." Jimmy considers that. "Sounds like a lot of work. You must be really smart. As for the Planet...I like it a lot. Work with some great people. Dedicated people. Most newspaper people are. I guess it's in their blood." He chuckles lightly. "Well, you don't have to rush things. Take it slow and see what you want to do. Gather yourself together. How does college here compare to the UK? Is there a big difference? I've never been there but hope to one day."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty gives a shrug about the question of her intelligence. "I don't know, I've been around enough really smart people to know there's a long way for me to go," she says with a wry grin, as if realizing she's just a teenager.

The girl slowly nods at the question. "It was different. Felt different. In a lot of ways. I really liked where I went to school. It had a focus on academics. You could go sit in a pub and end up in a discussion on political theory, philosophy, religions, science, literature. Just, having a conversation strike up. Here? You'd probably get stared at for that," she says with a soft laugh. "Not to mention the whole, being able to go into a pub and drink, at eighteen. Or younger."

She looks over to Jimmy. "So how did you get into the newspaper business?"

Jimmy Olsen has posed:
"I work around some really smart people too," Jimmy offers. "I just hope they never figure out I'm not in their league." He winks. "I consider myself lucky. As for getting into the business...again, I was lucky. Always wanted to be a photographer and after submitting stuff to them maybe a hundred times they finally let me come in for an interview. Guess I wore them down. Worked for nothing at first. Heck, I would have paid them to let me be there. You know how it is when you're passionate about something and don't think about anything else. That's how it was with me."

He considers again. "I don't drink much. Not that I don't like it but always being on call...well, I have to be ready for anything. Going into a pub sounds like fun though. I like fish and chips. Do you plan on ever going back for a visit?"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty's small grin about Jimmy working for free suggests she does understand how he feels. "Though, you don't need to tell them you'd be willing to, hurts the salary negotiation," she says with that tiny grin. Kitty gives a slow nod of her head. "That's how I was with computers. And dancing. And, still am, but other things sort of, have become more important," she says.

"I'll go back at some point, just don't know that my life will allow me to really live that life again though," Kitty says. "I think college is probably that way for many. I'd like to go on and get a Ph.D but I'm not sure I'm ready to hold back other parts of my life to put the time in for it."

She smiles over to Jimmy. "What about you? Are you firmly on your way with your newspaper career then? From the sound of it anyway. Any other aspirations for you?"

Jimmy Olsen has posed:
Jimmy listens intently, really paying attention to Kitty. He seems genuinely interested. "I can't dance to save my life. Can sing a little though. Every now and then I enjoy karaoke. It sounds lame but...it really is fun. You ever do that?"

Jimmy leans back a bit. "Awwww, heck, I don't know. I'm where I want to be now so I'm happy. No idea where it will lead. As long as I get to stay with the Planet and take pictures I think I'll be satisfied. Maybe...some reporting down the line. I've been around some of the best and I think I've learned a lot from them. And there's no better place to dig up news than Metropolis. I mean...it's certainly never dull here. How about you? You an aspiring actress or have any secret aspirations?"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty swings her one leg that's crossed over the other and says, "Oh, dancing was my jam. I wanted to be a professional dancer since I was a little girl. I was on my way to it when, well, some other pursuits sort of caught my attention," Kitty says. "I still love it but I stopped taking classes or really getting many opportunities to do it outside of a club or something like that. No ballet or anything like that," Kitty shares.

She gives a little shrug and says, "Karaoke is fun. I suppose I'm probably ok, can stay in pitch anyway, though I've never aspired to be a singer." As Jimmy talks about those he's worked with at the Daily Planet, Kitty asks, "So you've probably been around that one columnist? Lois Lane? I remember reading her piece she won the Pulitzer for." Kitty trails out a bit then. It was for the death of Superman, and she realizes that might bring up some painful memories for Jimmy. She quickly tries to move him past that thought, asking, "What do they have you doing for your next assignment? Anything interesting?"

Jimmy Olsen has posed:
"Well, you can continue to dance just for fun," Jimmy offers. "Just because you don't do it for a living doesn't mean you can't enjoy it. I have no aspirations of a singer but singing is therapeutic for me. Just help ease the tension."

"Miss Lane? Yeah, I work with her all the time. She's fantastic. One of the smartest people I know. She's a real professional though. Doesn't suffer fools lightly. I always worry about messing up when I'm around her. So far I've held my own though. As for my next assignment...well that's up in the air right now. Just between you and me though...I'd like to get some exclusive photos of Tony Stark. He's been getting more press than usual now that he's running for President."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty smiles and says, "Well, I can go dance for fun, and that's nice, but I kind of would enjoy being in a show sometime. I just can't commit the time for it though." She gives a shrug. "It's my choice though, I put other priorities first."

The young woman smiles at the description of Lois Lane. "Sounds like she's really something. Her words really pack a punch, that's for sure. I did a paper on her, actually," Kitty tells Jimmy Olsen.

She gives a soft grin about Tony Stark. "What, they don't have you off covering Lex Luthor's campaign? He's the local boy isn't here? I have only been following the campaign stuff a little. Been out of touch with American politics somewhat while I've been gone. Any idea who you want to see win?"

Jimmy Olsen has posed:
"Well, maybe you will be in a show," Jimmy replies. "Never know. You might get some free time and go for it. And if you did, I'd like to see it."

Jimmy looks interested. "You did a paper on Miss Lane? Really? What was it about? I mean...what was the gist of it?" The mention of Lex Luthor gets a chuckle. "Yeah, Lex gets covered a lot. And I've taken lots of picture of him. Never got one of Mr. Stark though. As for winning...I really don't know. I'm not very political. How about you? Is there someone you'd like to see win?"

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty pulls our her phone, unlocks it and begins thumbing through it as they talk. "It was about the use of imagery from classic literature within today's media," Kitty says. "It wasn't solely about her, but she kind of got the focus of it."

Kitty pulls up her paper on the phone, and scrolls through. "Here, this part is about her mainly," she says, offering the phone over. Jimmy's journalistic eye for details might note that the phone isn't a normal brand. Not Apple, Wayne Tech nor Stark Industries. It doesn't have a logo, even.

As she lets Jimmy skim the paper, which is fairly complimentary of Lois, Kitty says, "Oh, I suppose I'd go with Stark. Despite some of his reputation, I've heard good things about him," she says slowly.

Jimmy Olsen has posed:
Jimmy studies the phone for a moment before focusing on the article. "Seems like you have Miss Lane pegged pretty good. I'd say that was a fair and accurate representation of her." He hands the phone back. "Of course, journalism is a tricky business. Especially today. Have to be careful of facts and sources. Miss Lane's really good at cutting through all the BS and getting to the truth."

Jimmy hrms. "Well, I've heard some good things about Stark too. Still, we're kinda far away from election day so I'll have more time to decide. Now, if I HAD to vote today I'd probably vote for him too. If anything he looks more Presidential. Good head of hair."

Kitty Pryde has posed:
Kitty Pryde lets out a soft laugh. "Yes, he does have good hair," she agrees. She waves the phone. "And thank you," she says for the compliment on the article. "I do worry how he'd handle having to be cooped up in an office and not being able to go fix things himself. He's kind of a go-getter like that. I guess he's probably run into it some with his company. But I'd imagine how it would go with Congress would still be a lot different."

Kitty lets out a little sigh. "Glad I ran into you, Jimmy. Having someone to talk to was nice. Don't supposed you'd be interested in meeting up again sometime if I'm out this way?" she asks. She unlocks the phone again, and opens up her contacts so he could enter his number if he chooses.

Jimmy Olsen has posed:
Jimmy smiles widely. "Hey, that would be great. Here, I'll give you my number." Once numbers are exchanged he glances at his watch. "Wow, is that the time? I need to get back to the Planet. Guess I got caught up in the conversation. Message me anytime and I'd enjoy talking more. In the meantime good luck with your studies."

He stands. "It was really nice meeting you. Take care." Jimmy then hurries off.