16070/Persons of Questionable Intent

Persons of Questionable Intent
Date of Scene:	12 October 2023
Location:	A fancy gala in New York City
Synopsis:	Talia and Selina recruit a gentleman thief for a job.
Cast of Characters:	Remy LeBeau, Selina Kyle, Talia al Ghul

---

Remy LeBeau has posed:
It's not like Remy's planning a daring heist of epic proportions or anything. It's just one of however many fancy galas full of stuffed shirts and the same tired chatter about how waiting for a private plane to get takeoff clearance made them /10 minutes/ late departing to Monaco and the like. It's enough to make even a saint feel less than guilty about someone losing items worth more money than the doorman's going to see in a decade.

So, really, in a way, Remy's just being like Robin Hood. He's robbing to the rich to give to the poor. Sure, the poor is himself, but... he's seen his own apartment. He definitely counts.

He'd reassure himself it's also a good way to keep his skills on point, but so far it's nowhere near that difficult. He could probably do a two step through the ballroom and leave with a burlap sack with a dollar sign on it... but no, no, best to take this seriously. It might not be the finest heist, but a certain socialite has a rather stunning diamond necklace, and that could do a lot of good for others. She probably won't even wear it again. It's practically a victimless crime.

And so all of this runs through Remy's head as he balances moving through the room as one of the finely dressed waitstaff, and keeping an eye on his mark.

Just another day in the life of a scoundrel.

Really, how could this get complicated in /any/ way?

Selina Kyle has posed:
The fact that Selina Kyle and Talia al Ghul are working together is, in itself, unlikely enough. But the particular... adventure... they have planned requires a third pair of hands. Preferably a very -skilled- pair of hands. So between their not-inconsiderable shadowy connections, they find themselves at the same gala as the gentleman thief.

Only while the thief is looking for a score, the ladies are looking for a thief.

Selina gets out of the limo, the black gown long and strapless and sleeveless, with a white mink stole draped over her shoulders. The long gown is slit high on the right, both for ease of movement and for distraction. She waits for her partner in crime to step out.

"Remember, darling, we want to entice him, not frighten him."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Sometimes one requires a specialist. Not that Selina can't handle almost all things that would come up.. But it's good to have an extra set of hands. And while Talia is stealthy.. She's primarily an assassin, not a thief. Selina's skills are on an entirely different level than her own does. Talia is dressed up over in something a bit less provocative than Selina is..

Flowing, platinum blonde hair and a slinky bodysuit. A set of green contacts rest on her eyes, and thanks to a great amount of makeup she's looking somewhat paler than usual when it comes to her normal darker olive tone.

She speaks back to Selina, "I understand." Her voice in the tone of an upper class woman from Manhattan.. And to finish off a small set of dangling cat earrings rest over upon her ears, hair pulled over them.

"I think we can manage it. I'll let you take lead." The persona she's presenting herself as is likely going to be more familiar to the thief after all. She goes to remember the videos she's spent several days watching, and has adjusted her posture and posing as closest she can. Tonight..

Tonight the Black Cat is on the prowl.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
Remy's working the room smoothly, subtly... less 'pluck the necklace without being noticed' and more 'manipulate the woman into a situation where she'll slip off somewhere private and /then/ steal the necklace'.

And while there's something itching at the back of his mind, feeling like there's another predator about as it were, or two... well, if he knew exactly how right that inkling was he might very well change his plans.

Things don't really go wrong until there's a ripple of attention shifting through the crowd when the duo make their entrance. And while Remy would normally just count that as a stroke of luck... the shift in attention is practically seismic, like every set of eyes in the room is looking at something he's too clueless to notice.

Which is what brings the tuxedo'd cajun to follow the crowd, looking and... well, those are two women /he/ sure doesn't know! Fighting for mutant rights might get him the occasional knock upside the head. In fact, Rogue might've thrown him into a wall a couple months back.

But there's head trauma and then there's /head trauma/, and he wasn't hit hard enough he'd forget those... faces.

Really, the distraction of their arrival and stunning appearance is an opportunity too good to let go.

A good heist never goes as planned after all, and sometimes instead of the electronics guy clipping the wrong wire, two gorgeous women show up in one another's company and 'Slow subtle tradecraft' becomes 'That clasp is right /there/' and in moments he's making his move, smooth as silk.

Which means, really, it's probably only the two new arrivals that see the way he unclasps that necklace and it disappears up his sleeve.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina Kyle spots the lift, of course. After all, Remy isn't the -only- professional in the room. And the lady also knows how to work the crowd. Literally.

One moment she's a distraction with her platinum blonde companion, then the two separate. The white mink is draped over one of the server's shoulder, leaving her just in black like most of the ladies.

Remy makes his pass at the necklace, and as he turns he's gazing into a pair of big, green eyes. The raven-haired Selina smiles playfully, red lips pulling into a wide smile. "Oh you're good, alright." she offers, with a low purr.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
And 'Felicia' goes to play the decoy as she circles around in a wide arc to get any eyes going over upon her. This is to give Selina a light distraction to make her own engagement while most eyes are over on her and she's hopefully not immediately pinpointed as the backup. She hopefully manages to keep a close enough match to Selina's infamous counterpart that it will pass muster for most that aren't familiar with her.

Talia is occasionally allowed to do things purely to mess with people for her own amusement, after all. She goes to circle about, one hand cocked over on a hip, scanning through the crowd. Looking for any telltale signs of security, that Remy might have some backup of his own.. Or that this scenario was a baited trap for them of any sort. The man did have a reputation after all. She's ensuring that there's going to be no interruptions, if at all possible. They have to appela to his better nature.

And that means not seeming to present themselves as the trigger for anything. And they need to be careful as Gambit does have a reputation of mostly working alone.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
Remy's just finishing stage /two/ of his plan, replacing that necklace with a fake, turning away from the mark, fingers working on practiced memory alone... when suddenly the room's just /gone/.

Well, not really. He's sure it's still there somewhere. Somewhere that's not those bright emerald eyes that are suddenly taking up a _lot_ of his thought processes.

"That's conjecture and hearsay, I've been told I'm actually a bit o' a cad."

It's a small miracle that the fake necklace doesn't drop to the floor... but it's also clearly hanging by the barest friction of that clasp which he just fumbled closing... /FOR SOME REASON/.

Entirely unrelated to that bright red smile that's now drawing even more of his attention.

One eyebrow lifts as Remy feels that necklace sliding down towards his wrist, trying /not/ to move to catch the genuine article, but feeling certain it's about to tumble out of his sleeve and get all awkward.

"'course, I'm pretty sure the truth's somewhere in the middle, Miss...?"

Yeah. he definitely doesn't know this woman. He's like... seventy percent sure.

Except he knows Mystique. Forty. Forty percent sure.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina Kyle tilts her head a little, lifting a brow. "Check your left sleeve, darling. You managed the clasp one-handed, even. That's not easy." Her weight shifts, the gown parting to show a lacy stocking top and a long, toned leg.

"Miss Kyle, if you please. And I think you are -just- the sort of man I've been looking for." She pauses for a moment, sizing him up. "So are you going to keep playing for trinkets, or do you want a taste of something sweeter?"

Her gaze flickers just a little towards 'Black Cat', and she might as well spoken into a walkie talkie to say 'Let's bring him in'.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
The assassin femme fatale dressed as the pretty blonde doesn't nod back, but instead does a quick shift with her eyes. They dart just a little lower, miming blinking over at something and a hand goes up to rub at one perfectly fluttered eyelash. Acknowledged. The finger rubbing at something imaginary there tips a finger over in a confirmation of 'nothing hostile' over as she moves to sashay along over as she does one final sweep and survey of the room.

then she's going along in an arc towards the two, making sure to stay separated from them by several degrees and people between them. Paranoia dies a slow death after all and if anyone sees her blatantly going to join Selina when the trio have not been associated with one another until SElina's quick initial contact, it would stand out for them to suddenly cluster together.

Paranoia dies a slow, hard death. And Talia goes towards the general rendezous p oint - or at least discretely tracks Selina towards where she's dragging Remy for a good time. And shame that they can't mix pleasure along with business here tonight. There are some lovely things on display that are here uprely for the insurance and tax writeoffs.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
Remy's lips quirk in a wry little grin as he hisses out softly, "Ah, it's not that tricky, if y'put the training in... one clasp's a lot like any other, when y'get down to them really..."

Eyes flick as that weight shifts, dropping down, only to snap back up... well, not /without/ delay. But still. There's less of a delay than he might normally allow because clearly this is... something. "Pleasure t'meet you, Miss Kyle, I mean, 'less y'mean that in the 'I have this bounty for you' way of me bein' the kinda guy y'want... then it's still a pleasure but a li'l more complicated..."

Remy's tensed... trying to remember what floor this ballroom is on, because it's not like he's /never/ leapt out of a window in a desperate situation. He's got his pants and everything, so really, it wouldn't even be the most desperate time he /has/ jumped out a window.

Tongue briefly traces his upper lip and Remy sighs out, "Call me Remy, I get a feelin' we're gonna be fast friends... or getaway partners..." He clears his throat, glances back over his shoulder... and sees just how precarious that fake necklace is.

Well, that seals /that/ deal. He smiles charmingly and offers his arm, "But I surely can't say no t'such a fetching and stunning woman, my company is yours... lead on!"

Because wherever leading on leads, it's /away/ from that necklace that's definitely going to fall free any moment now... although Remy hasn't had a chance to really get a pin on that platinum blonde. She's like a ghost, fading into the background as soon as he isn't focused on her. He's not sure if that's a good sign or a bad one.

Well, that's nothing new.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina smiles warmly, slipping her arm into his own and pressing close. Very. Close. "Relax, darling. Although before the end of the evening, the company of a bounty hunter just might start to look pretty good." There is that smile again, and the batting of those big, green eyes.

It takes Selina and Remy all of seven strides to cross over and around one of the pillars, coming directly face-to-face with the platinum blonde.

Selina's grip on his arm tightens, more for effect than anything else. "Monsieur Remy, this is my associate. We have a proposal for you, and only ask that you hear us out. Accept or refuse, and you are free to walk away. But I think that an intriguing man such as yourself will want to hear more, non?"

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Selina's ability to read Talia's body language roughly translates her expression over as 'really'? For the professional she is and for how capable she is, Ms. Kyle does have a sense of theatrics. But, one plays to the crowd after all. And that sort of hook is probably going to be of more interest to Gambit - at least by reputation. Talia has read his profile.. But, profiles are not always accurate, and there's always room for a more personal connection.

Talia goes to join the two even as they're moving along and out of the way of everyone and to somewehre more private. She goes to keep the wig on, but her body language shifts. Not in the way that Mystique's does - Talia is nowhere near as skilled as Raven is at imitating mannerisms. But still there's a visible shift in how she carries herself. From a casual, strutting ease to that of someone on alert, surveying the area. She's not doing anything differently or changing her behavior. She's just not bothering to put the effort into hiding it.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
Remy takes the opportunity of hooking his arm with hers to let that necklace fall from his sleeve into his coat pocket, tucking it in snugly and letting out a long, slow breath... only to draw it sharply back in as Selina presses in closer. He groans softly and murmurs out under his breath, "Yeah, I've had those nights. Usually they don't start with such a charming companion though... so lemme hold out a /little/ hope..."

Tightening of Selina's grip is... worrying? Probably Under other circumstances it would either be /very/ worrying or incredibly good at washing away worries. But one eyebrow does lift as he eyes Talia, muttering softly, "Well, whatever y'feel you need me for, I'm bettin' it's not some kinda up close con job involving smooth talking and charm... 'cause there's a point where y'kinda start /over/ stacking the deck and I think y'two hit that yourselves..."

He exhales a slow, resigned sigh as Talia's mood shifts and... yeah, /that's/ what he was expecting, "...Well, I'm thinking y'don't want /me/ dead so... what can ol' Gambit do for you? I'm sure it's gonna be... interestin'."

Selina Kyle has posed:
The quiet place is one of many small alcoves placed there for just such a purpose. Yes, this party has -everything-. Selina releases his arm, although the two women still more or less flank him.

"You are correct, Monsieur Lebeau...." Wait, he never gave his last name. "... if we wanted you dead, we wouldn't be having this conversation. You are a man of action, and we need a man of action."

In another context, that might be considered flirting. Except Selina's flirting expression has left the building for the moment. "My friend, who shall remain nameless, and I have need to gain access to a very secure facility. Ordinarily this wouldn't be a problem, except there are a few complications. This involves a ridiculously rich mark, a private island, a personal army, and a couple dozen innocents requiring rescue." As she sketches out the basics, she watches his expression.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
They're not here to hurt him after all. They want him to cooperate. Willingly. So that means keeping the hijinks to a low broil until they're at the point where they need to engage in full time shenanigans. Talia goes to let Selina do most of the talking now that the group is alone an disolated. Part of this now is she goes to take off the rather elaborate wig setup she had, pulling it away to reveal her darker, smooth brushed hair, and the green contacts. They're popped over to a small case, along over with the wig once it's gently folded up. The earrings? Those are flipped over to Selina.

A small little trophy, a reminder of this game that they're playing. Also perhpas a small little cue for Remy as to who he might be talking with here. Purr-haps.

And she lets Selina talk. This is playing to his interest. Maybe his ego. To his thrill. Or given how Selina is going with things to his better nature. Does he have a soft spot?

Remy LeBeau has posed:
There's a resigned little sigh from Remy as his last name is used... yeah, they've done their homework. That's... well, it's a lot of things. Reassuring because it means they're definitely professionals, and Miss Kyle's clearly an accomplished thief of at least one discipline to have so easily spotted his moves earlier. And she can work her charisma to fluster even /him/. So yes, definite professional.

And her partner's got that terrifying air of competence in hurting people. Or not hurting them and just... switching off the lights as it were. And they need _him_.

Remy's own charming little half-grin has vanished and he's clearly far more in serious, focused business mode as he nods solemnly. And then the sales pitch begins.

Eyes flick with each point brought up, like he's mapping out a map in his head, brow furrowing once the mention of innocents requiring rescue and he sighs out, "Well, couldn't much call m'self a gentleman scoundrel if I wasn't willin' to help rescue a bunch of innocents... hell, they might have a /puppy/ in there..." He quirks an eyebrow, "Y'not plannin' on just having /me/ take on a private army right? Three people seems a li'l ambitious for that kinda job, but... sure, I'll do my part... and uhh... if he has a big Scrooge McDuck vault an' it somehow gets a li'l lighter, well, that's just our business, right?"

Yeah, he really can't just let some rich jerk hold people hostage. There's no way they deserve it and... damn that heart of gold.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina Kyle figured her play correctly, but she keeps her poker face as Remy accepts. There were two or three other angles she'd considered, and that's before letting Talia show her -worse- side.

"Good to see we read you correctly, Remy." she replies, with a touch of that smile returning.

"We'll discuss the details when we compose the plan. But it's enough to say that we want to rescue all of the girls and -hurt- the drug kingpin. Personally. Financially. Badly. The army is simply a liability."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
It's something big enough that Talia and Selina can't handle it themselves. Or individually. The two are a bit more than allies of convenience. It's still beyond what both of them could accomplish with their resources. And the price the abductors pay has to be far higher than what they would if someone else handled it.

Bruce would only break their bodies. Not their spirits. They might lose money, but they would be freed from captivity soon enough. So Talia's goal was to break /them/. Selina might not want to go that far. But the unoffiical way that the two had arranged it was that Selina would not get in the way.

Talia would tap her fingers, and go to speak. Her Arabic accent showing now. "They are a complication. Like any complication, they can be bypassed. Their quality will be low. So will their morale. Break their officers and their employers in front of them, and they will rout."

Remy LeBeau has posed:
Remy offers a crooked little grin, just a bit of that bravado back, whether it's genuine or him trying to cover for that brief moment of all too human sympathy for the hostages, "Well, y'know, everyone says ol' Remy can be an open book, but no one seems t'mind the reading!"

Was that total nonsense? Almost certainly.

He nods and clicks his tongue sharply, "Ah, a bit of a morality tale for other would-be kingpins, and a... personal and painful object lesson t'the king of asshole island himself. That's pretty noble soundin'. An' I can't turn down a pair o' lovely women in need. He dips his head to Talia and laughs softly, "Yeah, seen that a few times... 'We'll go fight those muties' sounds really good right up 'til they see the eight foot tall metal guy or someone looks at 'em real serious... like energy beam serious. ...I'd offer y'my number but /clearly/ you already have tabs on me. So if y'wanna fix my TV while you're snooping around... I mean, y'know, as a professional courtesy..."

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina Kyle's green eyes brighten again and she laughs at his book reference. "I wouldn't say -completely- open, darling." she replies, with a low purr that may be a give-away. And also a signal that she wouldn't be opposed to reading further.

"Don't leave town, then. We'll text an address and a time for our next conversation. If you're going to be involved in this, you need to have all of the details." Right now, Selina wishes she would've kept that last smoke bomb she swiped from Bruce's utility belt so they could make a dramatic exit. Alas, there's always the limo.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
There's a low nod from Talia, even as she goes to take her own departure. She's not going for the dramatics either here. A fresh wig is put on, an alteration to her body language goes once more as she hunches over, and cants her head towards the ground. A flip of her top has it roll over her body more like a jacket. She just looks like of a hundred other people on a city street trying to keep thier head down and not get caught up in things going on.

She's leaving the showmanship to Selina and going the quiet route here. Remy's probably reading her body language for what it is - a killer. So no sense in overstaying her welcome before she sets off alarm bells.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
There's a soft laugh from Remy as his own dark eyes glint, head dipping in an allowance that Selina might be right there's still more there to read as he feigns a sigh.

"Well, this is /the/ most pleasant time ol' Remy's been told not t'leave town... seems like it'd be foolish not t'play along with ya... so I'll be here..." He glances around slowly, "Well, I'll be in town. Maybe just a short way upstate if, y'know, friends need me."

Hands clasp and he clears his throat softly, one eyebrow lifting as he glances around again and he whistles out softly at Talia's instantaneous transformation before she's moving right off. He glances sidelong to Selina and mutters, "So, I dunno 'bout you but I didn't think I was gonna /need/ a dramatic exit... guess we could swing out on a chandelier?"

Well, at least he's not the /only/ one who didn't plan a dramatic exit. And he's willing to swallow his pride enough that he simply stands up and slips out... only to dangle that necklace from earlier with a grin, "Hey... how d'you think this'd look on you?" Eyebrows perk again daringly, before that necklace is swept back into his pocket and he saunters away.

Selina Kyle has posed:
Selina Kyle shoots Talia an appreciative look as she shifts her attire and mannerisms, blending in with the crowd. For her part, she doesn't bother with the mink. It's not that cold outside, anyway. "A bit gaudy, thanks." she replies. Holding up one hand, she waggles the diamond cat earrings that Talia tossed her earlier... like they're NOT at all gaudy. The earrings disappear... somewhere. Top of a glove? Garter? That small clutch she carries.

"I look forward to our next meeting." she offers, as he departs.

No dramatic exit for Selina, either. The limo is waiting and she's holding the valet ticket. A small stop to pick up an unobtrusive lady from the street, and the two women are headed back.