18123/Some people won't ever be able to change what's in their nature.
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Some people won't ever be able to change what's in their nature. | |
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Date of Scene: | 31 May 2024 |
Location: | Chelsea Market |
Synopsis: | Vivian and Felicia catch up while checking out an art display at Chelsea Market. No crimes are commited proving that Greg from Interpol is entirely wrong about Felicia. Probably. |
Cast of Characters: | Vivian Vision, Felicia Hardy
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- Vivian Vision has posed:
You wouldn't think that a big popular food market would be the destination of choice for an AI that doesn't have any real need to consume food. But Chelsea Market is currently host to what it claims is a large-scale, digital art venture that fuses human creativity with generative AI. And given Vivian Vision is an AI who creates art... Well it rather seems like something worth checking out!
Even if it does mean finding a gap in her schedule in between college, being a superhero, and generally giving friends/family/girlfriends the attention they deserve.
But walking round looking at art by yourself can be a little awkward. And who better to call to check out an exhibit than her friend and former Avenger Felicia Hardy? Especially when the art is mostly pixels. And thus of (hopefully) zero interest to a reformed/relapsed thief.
Not that she thinks Miss Hardy would ever do anything so dastardly as steal while they were hanging out. But practically speaking risk avoidance is better than risk management....
- Felicia Hardy has posed:
The exhibit is a sensory overload of color and sound. Digital art, pulsating music, and evocative poetry (both about and by AI) create an immersive experience that pays tribute to the wonders of Artificial Intelligence and its many strides over the years.
Strides that were necessary to get where they were today.
Strides that were necessary for her friend Vivian to exist at all.
"This invitation was a pleasant surprise."
The chances that Felicia could sneak up on Vivian -- especially without putting serious effort into it -- were slim. And yet, she didn't announce herself until she was almost at the other woman's side, a warm smile tugging at her lips.
She's dressed in a chic black dress that stops a flirty few inches above her knees, ankle boots, and a stylish white leather jacket, her platinum blonde hair elegantly pulled back, allowing her to focus on the vibrant art surrounding her. For accessories? A designer handbag, diamond earrings, a choker, and a few loose bracelets. No one is mistaking her for 'impoverished'.
Around them, the walls come alive with the largest seamless megapixel count projections in the industry, combined with Hyperreal Sound technology and holographs, creating a multi-dimensional experience.
"Expanding your repertoire?"
_Is_ she casing the place? It's anyone's guess. Her demeanor is relaxed, her gaze wandering over the art and the occasional patron with equal interest. Nothing about her posture suggests anything other than a genuine appreciation for the exhibit and time spent with Vivian.
Yet, for those who know her, there's always a question mark.
Felicia Hardy is rarely a bystander.
- Vivian Vision has posed:
Vivian is dressed in her very typical synthezoid attire. Canary yellow cargo pants, a green sweater, and sensible shoes. It makes her easy enough to pick out from the crowd and, because this is New York, the crowd itself is barely even paying attention to her. Aside from the odd tourist who thinks it's neat to take a sly photo of a real life superhero. Not that she's famous enough people outside the US will know her name but hey only a superhero would dress in such a weird outfit right?
Indeed her enhanced suite of sensors and superhuman senses make sneaking up on her practically impossible. Not unless Felicia planned on using a significant number of her most cunning and clever tricks!
"It's been quite a while since we could catch up," Viv points out. Her own creation owes a lot less to Humanity than people assume. Being created by Vision who was in turn made by Ultron. Not that it's common knowledge outside the Avengers! "And I don't really know many people who appreciate art as much as you Felicia! My Girlfriend Harper much prefers dinosaurs. The Titans are usually very busy. And most of my college friends would spend all their time asking me trivia about superheroes I've met..."
A little shrug. Followed by a laugh. "Oh no, nothing of the sort. My own art will remain firmly in the traditional realm of paper, pencils, and maybe charcoals. If I was making a holographic project my systems are... well just too advanced to leave unattended in a gallery. And because they could be misused for criminal purposes... Well it'd be too tempting for nefarious sorts!"
She finally glances over and awkwardly brushes her hair back behind her ear. "It's funny. Technically speaking everything I own is a JvD original. But every time we meet up socially I always feel rather like I underdressed for the situation. Even when I've selected the venue."
- Felicia Hardy has posed:
"Yeah, I haven't really been around the mansion very much."
Maybe the subtext was there, or maybe Felicia just has a guilty conscience for not sticking around. Not that a guilty conscience was enough to bring her back.
"It's true! One could say my whole life has been about art of one kind or another..." Stolen art. Soon-to-be stolen art. The art of cat burglary. The art of manipulation. The art of staying one... step... ahead...
A genuine laugh bubbles up, though, that warm throaty sound that somehow manages not just to sound, but to _be_, sensual on some primal level. It's the kind of sound that makes husbands crane their necks and then get smacked by their wives. "There's nothing wrong with dinosaurs, but I have noticed a... distinct absence of them, here. And I can see how being treated like a walking hero-encyclopedia could get _very_ tiresome. So, their loss is my gain."
She slips her arm into Vivian's, and those aquamarine eyes of hers are playful, somehow always lingering at the edge of teasing and vaguely predatory. But there's nothing overtly pushy about her friendship with Vivian -- nothing that would actually suggest a more than platonic friendship. Felicia just exists in world, and a body, whose mere _presence_ is suggestive.
The mention of her creations being used for criminal purposes, though, has her eyes lifting. "Really?" All innocent. As if she had no idea. "Well, it's a good thing you don't make them for public consumption, then." Pause. "Though, for my birthday, next year..."
That smile is just so disarmingly warm, that twinkle of mirth rarely taking anything _too_ seriously. Until she gets mad. Luckily, that didn't seem to be in the cards any time in the near future.
"Oh, honey, it's not _what_ you wear... it's _how_ you wear it, and I happen to think you look fantastic."
There's a friendly little shoulder bump, and she nods her head towards someone taking another picture Vivian (without asking first, of course). And since she happens to be so close, she blows a kiss for the camera.
"So, tell me all the gossip. What have I missed? What have you been doing? How's your drawing coming along?"
- Vivian Vision has posed:
"I can understand why," Vivian admits with a chuckle. "Most of the time it's a stuffy mansion without much happening. Except when everyone is in panic mode and the world is about to end. Extreme boredom to extreme stress. Without any real hint as to when you'll be moving from one to the other. Even I don't stop round very often when my extended family aren't there."
Not that she has the time between all the things she's involved in.
"For her last birthday I got her a dinosaur tooth. Authenticated and from a reputable source. Not museum grade or from a rare species. But it's the thought that counts right?" Dinosaur parts, complete fossils especially, which are museum grade tend to fetch a rather hefty sum on the black market. The rarer the parts and the better condition the more they're worth. The only thing which makes them less tempting for a thief is the most expensive targets are large, heavy, and require careful transport and storage.
She shifts her arm slightly, making it easier for Felicia to join arms with her, and starts idly touring the exhibit.
"I'd certainly consider it! I mean after all my systems are all trackable by the Avengers and SHIELD in real time for security reasons." IE in case she's less resistant to Ultron than Vision is or she turns out unstable like her Mother and goes out of control... "I'm sure that you'd never use it for anything at all which would get you in trouble!"
Vivian is hardly unaware of Felicia's history. Far from it. It's just that while the Black Cat might be a notorious thief she's not out there stealing doomsday weapons or taking hostages. Perhaps she's going through a college political phase. But stealing from the rich does rather seem like a victimless crime. They have insurance and if no-one gets hurt.... Besides. Innocent until proven guilty, right?
"It is a little bit /what/ I wear though. I do rather prefer my clothing is able to resist most conventional weapons. It'd be tiresome buying new pants every time someone shot me with an RPG." This happens more than she'd like. "Gossip. Lets see. Mister Stark and Ms Potts are doing some big deal with an international shipping firm. Cranston International I think. I've been back at college so I haven't been too involved with the comings and goings around the Mansion." She beams a smile of her own when Felicia poses. She could just blank the image with her holosystems but it doesn't hurt to be photographed so why bother! "As for my art... Well it's a little embarrassing but... I put a wanted advert in a magazine I thought was just a magazine. It turned out the classified section was used to hire international guns for hire. So instead of booking an artists model I had hired a professional mercenary. Thankfully she was very striking and given the job didn't involve anyone getting shot... Well she gave it a go."
- Felicia Hardy has posed:
Using Vivian's productions for nefarious purposes?
"Me? Never."
Well, she did _actually_ say that she wouldn't get in _trouble_... not that she wouldn't use them.
And it _was_ a joke. But, much like MJ offering SHIELD tech to help with the heist of some magic biting book, she's not going to say _no_ to putting a few more tools in her toolbox.
She wouldn't _intentionally_ use them for any super-villain purposes.
Unless she... you know... had no other choice.
And in that case, the fallout would be less than the consequences of not using it, anyway. Ugh. She didn't even like _thinking_ about this stuff, and she didn't spend a lot of time thinking about it until she started getting wrapped up in all this 'good guy' 'save the world' stuff.
It chaffed after a while, and all she wanted was to get back to the thrill of the next heist. Most of the time, it didn't even _really_ matter what it was, so long as it was a challenge. Or it made her the center of attention.
The comment about RPG-proof clothing earns another warm laugh, though.
"That's fair. I do, as a general rule, try to avoid RPGs wherever I can. They're do _awful_ things to silk." Her head is turned just a fraction towards Vivian, her smile making it obvious still entirely delighted by the conversation. "Oh? That's fascination..." Stark and Cranston. Good intel, too.
It's the last story, though, that has that beaming smile opening to something more incredulous.
"Vivian! Are we going to have to put filters on your connection to keep you away from sites you shouldn't be going to? Don't make me figure out how to set up parental controls. You can't just invite random mercenaries to pose for you!" It's not true admonishment, though, it's sheer amusement. "I mean... I guess you _can_. If you could pull it off twelve times, you could even sell a calendar."
- Vivian Vision has posed:
Vivian has always been pretty open with her capabilities amongst friends. And one of the big things she does while drawing people is chat to them. Find out about them and get to know them better. So Felicia probably also knows Vivian is able to connect to pretty much anything she's ever created. With a range of about half the planet. Which certainly imposes certain challenges on using her work for nefarious purposes.
"Of course not. You're a totally reformed and upstanding citizen," she says with a grin. "Why you couldn't possibly be standing more up."
Sadly without a super powerful AI controlling it a Viv made holo system wouldn't be quite as useful as you'd imagine. No adjusting the image in real time to fool people. Just a simple fixed image. But still a jewel thief can dream!
"I probably could buy some regular clothing for around the house. Find some nice casual outfits for when guests are over," she muses thoughtfully. "I am not quite sure silk suits most of the social situations I am involved in. But some jeans and a t-shirt or two would be affordable and appropriate for study sessions."
The comment about Stark and Cranston might be less juicy than it initially seems. The big announcement happened about two weeks back. As did the big formal announcement meeting meaning that alas all the valuables people wore to the event are safely locked away again!
"My internet connection is /already/ monitored by the Avengers. Knowing that Captain America might see my web browsing history alone is more effective at preventing me from carrying out certain searches than anything hard coded limits. I do not ever wish to have him looking sternly at me and insisting that we are having a 'frank discussion' about /anything/." She shudders with horror. "I would rather try fight Ultron with a salad fork."
There's a pause while she looks up and down at one of the exhibits. "I'm not really focusing specifically on mercenaries. I've only drawn two in total. One by accident and the other was quite some time ago. Besides it's not like I was being unsafe. I can throw a moderately sized tank and phase through solid matter. I hardly need a chaperone when I meet new people now do I?"
- Felicia Hardy has posed:
"I suppose that depends on the people."
This time, there _is_ a bit more seriousness in Felicia's eyes, a bit more of a... mothering tone? Ask any thief in the world. Nothing is invincible. No system is impenetrable.And that look in her eye? Well, she didn't agree with the cavalier sentiment more than the specific content.
"Everyone has weaknesses, Viv. And not everyone is as harmless as they seem."
After all, who would suspect that, while those fans were taking pictures of Vivian, they were also snagging shots of one of the most prolific and successful thieves in the world?
That little curl returns to one corner of her lips, though, as she reaches a hand out as if brushing the side of a holographic exhibit. Her fingers curl against it, a light caress that almost made it seem like she could _feel_ it in her hand...
"Cap, though..."
A dramatic, wistful sigh.
"What I wouldn't give to make him curse and scream my name..."
A soft chuckle, almost menacing its so low in her throat. A fantasy, cast into the wind like so many other passing thoughts, ultimately pointless aside from the thrill of claiming something 'unattainable.' A prize to be won and then discarded for the next shiny bauble.
Or, perhaps, she's just going through a romantic dry spell and feeling a particular kind of... heat.
Or maybe she just likes getting under people's skin.
Probably all the above.
"Totally reformed." Back on that again, though her voice sounds distant, a little distracted by the holographic projection perhaps... or it's just elsewhere. "In fact, while standing up may not be my _favorite_ position, is one of my favorite ways to get around... so there. Irrefutable proof that the system works."
That vicious smile, though, and the dagger-sharp glint in her eyes.
No. The system does not... work.
- Vivian Vision has posed:
"Oh please don't think I'm being utterly unsafe," Vivian says with a giggle. "The advert was paid for via an account I layered through a web of shell corporations that would take years to unravel. And I genuinely thought it was a regular magazine." She makes a little shrugging motion. "Anyone turning up had no clue who they were meeting. Which made it statistically extremely unlikely for anyone who was intent on harming me /and/ capable of it to turn up."
A wink.
"If it makes you feel any better I can also call three superhero teams for support. Four if you count the Fantastic Four. Plus a few independent parties like yourself. I would simply have to hold out long enough for back-up." And given she can send a signal into orbit or half way around the world. Well getting a message to her allies should be a piece of cake right?
"Last I heard he was single," she muses. "I guess that should have come under the gossip listing. But I try not to think about who the Avengers are dating. It gets a little weird. In a way they're like Aunts and Uncles to me. Even if they weren't... Well they're still people my Dad works with."
"I think really the system needs more work," she admits after what is for her a lengthy pause. "Which is why a lot of my spare time is going into projects at GIRL to make the world better. The way you cut down on crime is by making sure people have access to healthcare, food, water, and housing. Obviously that won't stop /everyone/ getting into trouble. But it seems far more productive than just punching people and throwing them in jail."
- Felicia Hardy has posed:
"I know you can take care of yourself."
Said in the most _I'm pretty sure you can take care of yourself, but I still worry_ way possible. In fairness, that's sort of her attitude towards _all_ of the 'good guys.' Their very nature put them at a disadvantage... always looking for the 'good' in other people, trusting too much, offering too many chances.
That's also what made them so hard to date.
Then again, if 'good guys' didn't have such a soft spot to exploi... ahem, _appreciate_... she might just be rotting in prison right now instead of touring a digital art exhibit with one of them.
Cap is single?
That makes her glance over at Viv with a quirk of a grin. And as she listens, there's the faint click of her nails clacking together -- the audible sign that an idea was formulating out of the constantly swirling thoughts in her mind.
Not an entirely unpleasant challenge.
There's no long-term potential there, but...
She shakes her head as if dismissing the thought, focusing instead on listening and softening that predatory smile.
"It's a very noble goal. And you're right. Someone should do that for people." Someone. Not her. "There are _definitely_ enough resources to accomplish it, if you can get people off their hoards." Says the socialite in the diamonds. "Reduce crime." Just not hers. "Lower prison populations." So she doesn't have to go. "And then can allocate more resources to focus on bigger threats." Like aliens... or really anything other than cat burglars.
Because really, who prioritizes cat burglars over aliens?
Some basement-dwelling one-writeup-from-being-fired over-obsessed investigator at INTERPOL. That's who. No one cares, Greg. I'm not really hurting anyone, and I've got enough problems dealing with the goons I steal from, thankyouverymuch.
- Vivian Vision has posed:
"You've never seen me get angry," Vivian points out solemnly. "Or even really fighting. But I promise you. If someone came into my home with ill intentions... Well I'd be as upset as the last time they kidnapped my Great Aunt Nadia." When she went on the sort of rampage that you'd never suspect from her typical calm and composed persona. Probably there's a SHIELD facility in which those NOWHERE goons are still re-leaning how to walk.
"I don't know much about his last romantic partner," she continues. "So I can't really give you any dirt. After Janet and Steve fell out I... Well I didn't wish to cause any social awkwardness." That Janet and Steve split up is old old news. "He's a nice person though. I mean for a guy." A shrug. "Not really my uh... You know. Thing."
The whole talk about resources makes her beam with a smile.
"Oh the long term goal is to make money utterly pointless. At least that's /my/ goal. In order to fully understand Humanity I really need /time/. And to ensure Humanity is around for as long as possible it's optimal for society to advance to a post scarcity state." And GIRL is funded by Pym Industries. So it's not like they're short on funding to get work started! "Bigger threats yes. Some people just want to hurt people for the sake of hurting them."
If books about jewel thieves are anything to go by poor Greg probably just has a major crush on Felicia. And really who could blame him!
Probably Felicia would be less thrilled by things like freely available synthetic gemstones. Or precious metals being mined in space. Post scarcity means everyone is rich and at the same time ensuring that no-one is.
- Felicia Hardy has posed:
So few people _really_ understood Felicia's motivations.
Some days, she wasn't even sure of her _own_ motivations (as evidenced by her constant in-and-out of 'hero'-themed circles). Aside from one. There was one, singular, driving goal that made her who she was, and everything else stemmed from that. singular. desire.
Thrillseeking.
She didn't care about the gems. She didn't care about the money. She didn't even really care about the altruism of working for a group like the Avengers. Sure, she had a heart of gold. Sure, if she could help a kitten out of a tree, she would. But what she could not _stand_ was giving up on heist after heist after heist, sitting around and WAITING for the Avengers go give her something to do.
And then when they finally _did_ do something? It was all rule this and rule that and _you can't take that, it doesn't belong to you_.
She's never really been a 'joiner.' She forgets, every once in a while, but then she's reminded again by all of the reasons she knew she wasn't in the first place.
All that to say? If everyone can just print their own synthetic gems? No.. it's not all that appealing to Felicia. But not because they're not valuable. It's because they're not hard to get.
But also, yes. Greg does have a major crush on Felicia.
"Some people won't ever be able to change what's in their nature."
And that's, really, the sum of everything, isn't it?
She smiles a little, tugging on her arm to give her friend's elbow a little tug as she nods her head towards one of the flashier exhibits.
"Come look at this with me. Whether or not you intend to make any art like this, I'm curious to know what you think.."