12093/Museum Meetings

Museum Meetings
Date of Scene:	20 July 2022
Location:	Old Gotham - Founders Island
Synopsis:	Monet St. Croix makes the acquaintance of the self-identified Wayne Spare Heir, who's been making the rounds at galas and charity functions. Turns out there's a severe disadvantage to being rags-to-riches.
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Monet St. Croix

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Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    The Gotham Museum of Antiquities was always one of her favorite places in Gotham City, if not for the copious amounts of Miagani artifacts and early Gotham history than for the fact that it was fabulously Art Deco and reeked so much of Gotham Old Money that she felt comfortable hiding inside of it.

    Today, dressed in a smart gray blazer and skirt with gray pumps, one of the adopted Spare Heirs of Gotham Royalty was walking along the cool halls of the museum, listening to her heart beat and her feet tap.

    At least she was out of the house. Step in the right direction for the homebody who seems to show up for gala events and then disappear half way through. Typical Wayne behavior, really.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix does not particularly like coming to Gotham, but it is one of the more.. Exotic cities in the Eastern seaboard. So it's good to familiarize herself with it. Today her travels have taken her to the museum for a change of pace." Gazing over the items on display, comparing them to others.
    M is wearing a red outfit made by a fashion house in Paris that's a knockoff of a superior Van Dyne design; nothing close to the exquisiteness of the original but one wore what they could.
    She would be walking along and then catch sight over of Phoebe. Interesting. M made i ta point of keeping up with the 'old moneyed' families of the Hellfire Club, of which the Waynes were up there with. She would go to casually approach Phoebe glancing at the display. "What are your thoughts?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    The display, incidentally a piece of fashion from the 1950's with an examination on the materials used and techniques, part of a display rotating in and out of different museums.

    THe young woman pauses a moment, and she gives a bright smile to Monet, and purses her lips. Understated diamond earrings. The skirtsuit was high end, though Phoebe couldn't tell you who made it without looking at the label -- it was something purchased for her.

    She holds up a hand, and goes a little back and forth on it, then pulls out her phone, unlocks the device, and scribbles in a draw program:

    'It's not really my style, but would probably be stunning elsewise.' she doodles, and gives an apologetic tilt of her head.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would nod, "Fashion is very much a personal thing. There are trends, there is what is popular.. THere is making trends and following them. Of taking your own impulses and making it a narrative. Fashion is a creative process of designer and wearer. Coming up with something that has appeal and meaning."
    She leaves out 'marketing' because there's no need to ruin the girl's fantasies yet. She's young after all.
    "So what sort do you think these might be the proper style for?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe gives a wry smile, her eyebrows drawing up as her lips part for just a moment.

    <Someone with the personality to match.> she scribbles, and then adds in <Phoebe, how do you do?> to the phone, and offers a hand for a shake to Monet.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would quirk an eye over at Phoebe in query no doubt related to the sudden switch to scribbling but not inquire directly. "I am Monet St. Croix. My father was in the past the ambassador from Algeria to the United Nations." She would speak with a French accent that was Parisian, with an 'old moneyed European style' tint to it.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe gives a small smile to Monet, and gives a nod as she turns back to the dress a moment, and then returns back to the phone.

    'Spare Heir to the Waynes, in my case' she replies on her phone, 'still getting used to the strange new freedoms that being moneyed affords.'

    Yes. That was a joke.

    'Forgive the phone. Recent accident w/voice.'

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would nod, "Yes, all adoptive. Mister Wayne seems to have been quite.. Prolific with taking children into his care." The polite way to put it after all. She would nod over at the phone in understanding.
    "I take it that you're still.. Learning the finer points of high society then?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe gives a small shrug of her shoulders, very casual for it all, and confirms with a nod -- though doesn't correct regarding poor Damian. She scribbles onto the draw function of her phone.

    'Every day is a new faux pas and I navigate w/ the grace of a duck with a wooden leg'.

    She looks around to the museum a moment, and gives a small smile,, then motions to the museum and adds on: 'at least I rarely get recognized in public yet.'

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would nod, "I might suggest having someone assigned to go along with you. That youc ould use as an intermediary over with the public when they come up and approach you. That could handle speaking for you so you wouldn't have to exert yourself unnecessarily and carry things for you."
    Wait, she couldn't be -serious- in meaning to have a full time attendant over with her, could she?

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe gives a bright grin at that, and doodles:

    'Yes, but then I have to TALK to people I find unpleasant.' as a joke.

    Because the struggle is real, no pockets, fake pockets, skirts with just little enough room for a tube of chapstick, what gives?!

    Phoebe looks at her phone, and then scribbles on a new screen :

    'When speaking to others requires more effort, you put more effort into speaking with them. Or doodling on a digital notepad'

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would just shake her head, "That's not the way a woman of polite society should be. You have to present an image to others. And control yourself. You will have a great many swarming you for attention and other things. They will all have their own agendas. Mostly self serving. If they see you as vulnerable they will be mercilless. Until you have learned how to handle them.."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe gives what can best be described as the same expression of a cat that's been dunked in water.

    'I understand about the merciless part. All people have their own agendas. Most not altruistic.' she responds via the draw program on her phone, and then she looks back to Monet, then writes in:

    'I am not like the brothers. I know where I stand in the family. Usually I just flail my hands at well wishers and sashay off.'

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would nod< "That will not be possible the vast majority of the time. You'll not always be able to rely upon disengaging nor politely declining. You will have circumstances where you will have to deal with things frequently. When out in public, when recognized. You will not always be able to disengage or you will be too polite to do so immediately. Someone with you at all times can be an intermediary and fend them off. It is also far more socially respectable and permissible to have this done than to do so yourself."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe gives a nod, and a small shrug of her shoulders again, almost noncommittal.

    'Did not anticipate getting a free lesson in how to be rich. I don't suppose buying the teacher a coffee would go very far when the teacher is the daugher of the ambassador from Algeria to the United Nations.'

    She gives a small smile, tilting her screen over to Monet to take a look at it.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would smile, "My family is very well to do and I have been trained in proper etiquette. While it is not the same in the States, most of the old wealth here is heavily influenced by European traditions, so any differences are minimal." She would crane her neck to look down. "I am merely giving you a variety of options as you acclimate. The simplest one and the most socially acceptable one is to have a companion of a professional nature wit you."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe's nose wrinkles a moment, and there was a little bit of her that wanted to add something on, but she decides to stay polite.

    'I appreciate the knowledge. New Money seems to be very much outlandish and Old Money reserved.' she scribbles, though 'scribble' may be an odd word. She doesn't have Public School scrawl, but actually very nice handwriting.

    And she gets a playful grin.

    'Advertised: one part time personal assistant. Must know ASL, be good with juggling clowns. Requires move to Gotham City. Travel expenses paid.' she types in, and apparently finds the thought of the professional companion just as outlandish as she does some of the new money.

    Or worse. She thinks she's hilarious.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would smile over at Phoebe, "For now, that is roughly how it goes. Old money has tradition, learning, and familiarity. Children are sent to the same boarding schools, the same colleges, and given the same business opportunities within their organizations and the capabilities to expand and fall back upon the reputation of the family."
    "New money does not have these things but also seeks to define itself. Far more faux pas are made by new money, but they're not as bothered by having to leave as much of what they make to the next generation, so they enjoy it more."
    She would smile over at Phoebe, "There are a number of specialists in the world that cover those circumstances. MOst are ex military special forces."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    It strikes Phoebe in a moment, and she has to bite her lip to stop herself from mutely laughing.

    'I think we had different ideas. I was thinking PA. You seem to be suggesting Body Guard. I'm not important enough to warrant a body guard.'

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would shrug, "As you said, Gotham is quite the unique place. As the new toast of society, you'll be among the suddenly enw popular inhabitants. Best to have a specialist onhand. They can very effectively cover both functions." Because hsowcasing the ability to break someone's bones in several dozen places was quite effective at dealing with people!

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    There's more than a few that come to mind. Although Gabby Kinney isn't the most lowkey specialist. Laura you might not ever see.

    Phoebe looks thoughtful for a moment though, and she gives a nod., and signs 'thank you' to Monet. Not that she's expecting Monet to know ASL, but it's a common enough sign, right?

    She considers the red dress that the two have been standing in front of for some time now, and then types in:

    'I'm decently sure the dress would look stunning on you. I don't have quite the personality for brilliant colors.'

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would go to then move to hold her hands up, "YOu're welcome." Going to repeat the sign over with her hands, and then to spell it out quite quickly letter by letter. And then go to sign 'you're wlecome' over.
    "And yes, thank you. I do look stunning over in almos tanything. But I'm supposed to after all." Monet takes the compliment for what it is and seems to preen all the more.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe gives a slight grin, and then a bow of her head as her phone gives a buzz. She looks at the text, and raises her eyebrows a moment before she signs 'please excuse me', one-handed, distracted, and types in:

    'Thank you again for your advice, Miss St. Croix. I should like to speak with you again sometime soon.' she gives a small smile, a bow of her head again, though her dark eyes are kept on Monet's, and then she turns sharply on her heels and goes to jog away.