20176/A Note of Mistaken Identity

A Note of Mistaken Identity
Date of Scene:	03 March 2025
Location:	5B - Karolina's Greenwich Loft
Synopsis:	When a note is left on Peter and Felicia's apartment door, Felicia ruefully returns it to its owner to explain the mix up and meets Karolina Dean for the first time! And while Felicia isn't exactly the best new 'friend,' it may open up other avenues!
Cast of Characters:	Felicia Hardy, Karolina Dean

---

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Thump-tump. Thump-tump. Thump-tump. Thump-tump.

When she isn't busy with her nocturnal activities, one of the two residents of apartment 5D isn't particularly stealthy in any sense of the word. She doesn't make any effort at all to remain unnoticed. In fact, one might argue that Felicia Hardy is a woman of two distinct lives.

On one hand, she is a master of stealth, subterfuge, and infiltration. She is, quite simply, the best cat burglar in the world -- at least by her own estimation, as well as many of her former and current clients and several law enforcement agencies.

On the other, Felicia Hardy is a New York City socialite. She is wealthy, comes from a prestigious family, has been known to both host and attend parties for the who's who of Manhattan. ...And did she mention wealthy?

She reeks of it -- the wealth -- in all of those subtle ways that people who aren't wealthy don't. Designer sunglasses perched on top of her mane of platinum white hair, designer blouse, designer leather pants, designer ankle boots, designer wool coat, designer bag, designer jewelry -- not crusted, just a simple diamond pendant around her neck and in her ears.

To observant tenants and neighbors, she comes and goes fairly frequently at all hours. She never hosts parties _here_, but then... this is mostly college housing. Some apartments are bigger than others. Apartment 5D -- Felicia's -- is known to be one of the largest. But it's still between ESU and NYU, so in the minds of New York elite, no matter how nice the building may be... it's still student housing.

Oh... and the man who lives with her? The kind of cute, boyish, nerdy guy who looks like he's about twenty-one, twenty-two year old? He's always cheerful. Impossibly so. It's impossible to have passed him in the hallway at any point without having gotten a big, goofy smile. Because the man Felicia loves, despite all odds and so many obvious reasons it can't possibly work, is a giant dork.

Still.

Felicia slows in front of 5D, about to use the biometric lock on the door when she notices the note taped to it.

-- -- -- --
Hi Illyana,

I am your neighbour from 5B: Karolina! I am back from a long trip to the amazonas (student project) and finally back home! Hope to meet you soon and if you need something please knock, I have mostly vegetables or fruits to share and love to cook (most times too much) :)

Best, Karolina
-- -- -- --

Sigh.

Felicia yanks it off, her fingers immediately curling as if to ball it up so she can throw it away, but only the edge is ruined before she stops.

Seconds tick by.

Felicia hangs her head, takes in a deep breath, lets it out slowly, and quietly curses.

"Damn you, Spider," comes out in a soft whisper.

And then she turns, plastering a smile onto her lips as her boots thump-thump-thump their way back down the hallway to stand in front of 5B.

Deep breath.

And then she knocks.

Karolina Dean has posed:
Karolina Dean was busy studying. The tall blonde former-Californian girl sits on a table, loudly sighing as she goes through the pages of lectures she missed in the last month, being away with a student project in the Amazonas. But now she is back and needs to learn a lot to pass the finals this year, sadly missing it last year already. A glass of dark green juice stands beside her laptop (expensive, high end), she takes a sip from it, leaving a thin line of green liquid on her upper lip and looking out of the window, again loudly sighing and somehow... not being so angry as she hears a knock on her door, happy for any distraction. She quickly stands up and moves on bare feet to the door, opening it and welcoming any guest with a friendly and warm smile, as she always did in LA, not thinking that some serious murderer is already waiting outside. "Oh wow." she lets out, her eyes moving over the woman before her entrance, "Oh yes?" she wonders.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Oh wow might just be one of Felicia's all-time favorite ways to be greeted.

It makes a quirk of a pleased grin tug at her full lips, and those crystal blue eyes sharpen just a fraction as they echo the blonde's up-and-down sweep.

Huh.

"I found this note on my door."

Pinched between a couple of fingers, Felicia offers it out, though if Karolina tries to take it? She doesn't release it immediately. It comes a kind of connection point between the two of them.

"No one named Illyana lives in 5D."

Most of that predatory edge that Felicia can't always seem to completely control bleeds out as she speaks, though, her smile softening to something more pleasant... conversational.

"I hope you had a successful trip to Brazil, though."

And she actuallys seems sincere about it.

Karolina Dean has posed:
Karolina Dean would indeed raise her right hand, a thin medical emgerncy bracelet babdling on her wrist, as two fingers would try to catch the note to read it.

"Oh.... OH!" she stammers, a slight blush of embarassment on her cheeks.

"I put it on the wrong door?" she loudly thinks and tries to catch the small piece of paper

"Sorry." she at once apologizes, "You , live here as well?" she curiously wonders and quickly adds "I placed notes on all doors." she explains and continues "I am have been away some time..." but suddenly stops right in her own speech, "How do you know?" she wonders and steps back one step, fearting she has been observed, herself a fugitive alien war criminal has to be careful, or is this woman here just the usual NY serial murderer?

"How do you know I was Brazil?" she slowly asks, left hand going to her right wrist, ready to act at once.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
To Felicia, every little thing is a test. Every fleeting bit of eye contact, every decision the other woman makes to take the note -- and more importantly, what she does when Felicia doesn't immediately release it.

It's a game.

Call it the 'Getting to Know You' game, where Felicia pushes buttons just to see what will happen, carefully noting each impulse -- the decision to let go, for instance, to take a step back to become afraid and suddenly reach for her... medical alert bracelet?

None of it is missed, and Felicia never _really_ relinquishes that edge of control she maintains, even if she is the 'guest.' In fact, the other woman's 'prey' instinct almost seems to re-trigger that kind of predatory glint in Felicia, a half second given to the white-haired woman contemplating pushing harder... and then deciding not to.

"Woman to woman? You shouldn't step back," Felicia comments, her voice conversational. Not particularly threatening.

She uses the note she still holds to gesture vaguely at the opening in the doorway the movement created, where she could slip inside.

"You create an opening, and the door can be used as leverage against you. Step to the side, behind the wall, and close the door if you're worried. Lock it. You're better off talking through a closed door than inviting someone in you don't trust."

Spoken, somehow, like a woman who knows what happens when you leave yourself vulnerable -- when you come off as prey.

Something Felicia has vowed never to be again.

"I'm sorry," she says after a moment, and instead of offering the note again, she uses the tape still on it to stick it to Karolina's door frame so she, herself, can take a step back and give her some room to breathe.

"My name's Felicia. My boyfriend and I live in Five Dee, down the hall." Then she raises one elegant finger to point at the note, rolling her shoulder. "Your note says you just got back from the Amazonas. That's how I knew."

Karolina Dean has posed:
Karolina Dean blinks a few times, close to step over thin barrier to panic, her breathing getting faster, her body temperatur even seem to raise up. The tall blonde is speechless, obviously she needs a moment to collect her thoughts, forcing herself to slowly calm down again, counting loudless to ten, trying to follow her therapist's advises not to be a crying prey cuddling on the couch.

    Finally Karrie slowly nods with her head and picks up the note form the doorframe, at once feeing guilty for her actions. "OH, I am SO sorry!" she babbles, "I thought you would try something." she babbles, words coming out of her mouth, before she finally shuts up and steps even to the side, "I am Karrie for Karolina, or Karo, or 'lina, or Lucy." she offers with a weak smile, "I am so sorry, fpr being stupid." she worries.

"Please come in, Felicia. I didn't meant to act strange." she apologizes, "Sorry." If there is something Karrie is really good about is saying too often sorry.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
More watching. Patient, but appraising.

There's no rush from Felicia to try to make the situation any less tense than it is -- at least, no attempt made beyond what she's already done, stepping back and actually introducing herself.

She just waits, leaving the ball in Karolina's court, until she takes the note and apologizes. A slow, warm smile spreads across her lips.

"It's fine," Felicia insists with a little shake of her head. "You're not stupid. It's good to be cautious. But no... you have nothing to worry about, from me. Tony Stark isn't a fan of me trying 'trying things' with random strangers... something about kicking me off of the Avengers."

She rolls a wrist, casually dismissive as she name-drops, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Come to think of it... my boyfriend isn't, either. Peter. You've probably seen him here or there. Brown hair. Cute. Looks like he can't decide between watching Star Wars or playing with his chemistry set? But not in like a.. pimply way."

She's so absolutely at ease, even as she steps in with a small smile.

"That's a lot of nicknames..."

Just a casual observation, as the white-haired woman takes a few paces in and looks around.

It's that cat burglar thing. She can't help noting _everything_.

"I won't stay long," she says airily. "I didn't even mean to intrude. I was just dropping that note back off, in case you were trying to reach your friend. You said you left one on _all_ the doors? That's very... friendly of you."

Karolina Dean has posed:
Karolina Dean finally gets her usual warm and inviting smile on her lips, she tries to be friendly, she tries to be a good person, she _is_ a good person.

"Yes, of course, I sticked it to every door." she states, "Why not, I mean, I want to be friends with everybody in the same building." she naively explains:

"Oh please, even if it's just for 5 minutes." she insits "Come in, do you want some fresh juice?" she asks and points to the jug of green liquid, "I made it fresh!" she proudly says and hmms, thinking about any cute boys in the house,

"I fear, I didn't met him yet." she honestly tells but finally connects some dots before her inner eyes imagine this woman - who obviously always gets what she demands - living together with her boyfriend on the same level "These sounds were..." she stops herself from continuing and runs with glowing red cheeks to her kitchen to grab a free glass for Felicia.

"Please come in, come in!" she insits and adds, "Just close the door behind you. please."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
"Yes... why not?"

Felicia's lips curl into an amused smile, and laughter seems to linger just behind her eyes. It's genuine, even if it is just a bit at Karolina's expense. The naivety of trying to befriend all of your neighbors in New York City -- and the reality that only a fraction of them would even be polite.

Whether the other tenants would try to take advantage of the poor girl was another matter entirely.

She's about to answer the offer of juice when the mention of 'these sounds' is made, and the laughter that had been lingering just under the surface actually bubbles up past her lips, free and delighted.

Whereas Karolina blushes and runs off to the kitchen, though, Felicia simply closes the front door behind herself and tucks her hands into her pockets.

"That would be us," she muses, entirely unashamed.

She lets that linger for a moment before venturing towards the couch.

"You have a green thumb..."

She's looking at all the hanging plants while she waits.

"Is that why you went to Brazil?"

Karolina Dean has posed:
Karolina Dean hides her red face behind a curtain of her long blond hair, not believing how this woman can be so confident. She hmhms from the kitchen, quickly coming back to fill the empty glass with the fresh smoothie, offering it to Felicia. "Well, okay, finally found the source of the sounds." she chuckles and softly smiles.

"Oh, I do love the sun." she honestly explains, "And with a lot of sun there comes the growth of plants." she explains, "So, no special super powers in growing or farming." she laughs even and points to the couch, sitting down as she picked up her own glass and slowly sips on it, "So, how is it with your boyfriend?" she curiously asks, "I guess he is younger than you?" she grins "I always thought only students are living here." she wonders.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
"Well... you only live once."

It's the closest thing to an apology that Felicia's likely to offer, but even that doesn't seem to have a hint of shame associated with it.

She does step a bit closer when Karolina returns with the drink for her, accepting it with a warm, "Thank you," and lifting it to her lips for a sip.

She doesn't seem worried exactly -- not about being poisoned, anyway -- but there's maybe a hint of trepidation about the flavor. After that first sip, though, she smiles.

"I'm usually a champagne kind of girl, but this is very nice," she muses, lifting the glass as if in a little toast as she slips her back to the floor and eases down into the offered seat on the couch.

She crosses her legs languidly with a whisper of leather as one thigh settles on top of the other. She perches the glass on her knee as she turns, one elbow coming to rest on the back of the couch so she can face Karolina more fully.

Whatever farming conversation they were starting to have seems forgotten when Karolina moves the conversation back to Peter, and Felicia's eyes seem to sparkle with amusement.

"How is it with Peter?" she asks, a shark-like smile curling her lips as her gaze flickers to Karolina's cheeks. Oh. This was going to be a game she was going to enjoy.

"Well... you tell me. You can hear," she muses, eyes lifting to the other woman's again, completely unworried about meeting her gaze head-on, despite the subject of conversation.

"He is," she muses. "He's a graduate student, and _so_ limber. Really. If you knew what he could do, you would understand the noises..."

Throaty laughter bubbles up through her nose as she takes another sip, deep and rich, even as her eyes sparkle. She _likes_ this game.

"What about you?... Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Theyfriend?"

Karolina Dean has posed:
Karolina Dean was interested in the age split of the two, not really in her actual way of practice or even details. She again stares into her glass of fresh tasty green smoothie, waiting until the worst red blush of her cheeks vanished before she is able to look up again.

"Oh, vegan vegetable smoothie!" she proudly tells, "I do love to cook and create new recipes." She takes another sip from her glass and is even able to look straight into the eyes of the other woman, "Ex-girlfriend." she smirks, "I fear I spend too much time without her, than with her." she sighs and shrugs, "Can't really blame her, she went on." she slowly adds, "so my fault." she assess her own situation. "So, if you aren'T a student, may I ask what you are doing for a living?" she is just into small talk, never being afraid to get fast close to person, especially not one who discusses her sex life with Karrie.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Oh, Felicia knows.

She knows _exactly_ what Karolina meant. It's there in the amused glint in her eye. She simply answered the most awkward form of the question.

"Oh, you're _vegan_," Felicia croons with a nod. "I can respect that, even if I have no idea how you manage it. I'm too addicted to meat..."

And yet somehow, because it's Felicia, her smile gives the distinct impression that she's not talking about cow or chicken.

Just because she's Felicia.

The mention of the ex-girlfriend, though, gets a nod. "It's not usually anyone's fault," she muses. "I mean, except when you want it to be. But life gets busy.. you grow apart. It happens. You'll find someone even hotter. I'm sure of it."

Once more, there's a flash of a smile and a dismissive little roll of her wrist, like she's used to relationships coming and going.

The question about what she does for a living, though, is met with a warm laugh, the sound once more rich in her throat.

"Oh, sweetheart, I don't," she muses. "I'm rich."

And that's really not all that unusual in New York -- for wealthy socialites and trust-fund babies to gallivant around all the want without a care in the world. This isn't exactly the building those kinds of people are usually found in, but again.. it is still a _very_ nice building. It's just not necessarily what one may think of as Felicia's first choice.

"What about you? You said you went to Brazil on a school project, didn't you? What are you planning to do when you graduate?"

Karolina Dean has posed:
Karolina Dean has obviuously really problems how to act best with her guest. The woman is older than Karo, an adult, which means she has to be creepy and embarrassing. OMG and how she speaks about private topics such like sex! She could be Karo's mom by age.... okay wouldn't be even worse than her real alien murderer mom.

"Oh well... I dont really know." she honestly tells "I want to do something with plants. .. you know , being outside the whole day, enjoying the sun." She quickly laughs "Spoiled kid with my own trust... trying to finally do something notable or worth with the money of my parents." How her voice drops, probably a sensitive topic.

"Or i open a vegan restaurant. Trust me, more and more young people are living this way."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
"A dirt-under-your-nails kind of girl... hands on. I can appreciate that," the white-haired woman says smoothly and warmly, then uses her glass to gesture vaguely to the plants hanging up in the window. "It does seem like you have a knack for them. I've never had a green thumb. I tend to spend my time... collecting items of value."

Except not so much anymore, and as that thought passes behind her eyes, a little sigh escapes her lips. Times change. They're better, now, in every conceivable way... but that doesn't mean she doesn't miss certain aspects of the life she's largely left behind.

There's just something about holding a _giant_ diamond in your hand that doesn't belong to you... just to prove you can.

Snapping back out of it, she returns her gaze to Karolina with a bit more of a smile.

"It sounds like either way you decide to go, you're very much a woman who likes to be in the thick of it. I've never tried, but I understand running a restaurant is no easy job."

A beat, then, as Felicia seems to consider her.

"They left you the money?" she asks.

After all, why else would she put it that way -- wanting to do something notable with their money?

"How long have you been on your own?"

There's no pity in her voice. In fact, there's not even a lot of sympathy. It's conversational. And after she asks, she takes another sip of her drink.

Karolina Dean has posed:
Karolina Dean hmmms and looks a long time into her own glas of green veggie smoothie, she knows she can't hide from the past and one day she has to accept it, but not today.

"The Dean couple, Hollywood stars. " and looks up, biting her lower lip as she would be ashamed of her parents, "I ran away wih my friends before they d... before they passed away. But now we all got separeted." She shrugs her shoulders and sighs "I miss my friends." - her friends , not her parents.

"Well one step, after the next, first I need to pass my exams." She laughs at such ridiculous thoughts, while there is more important things in life than stupid college exams.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
This is the problem with Felicia.

Well... one of the many problems. Peter and the rest could surely point out a lot more than _this_ problem.

It's that some part of Felicia _wants_ to care. She genuinely wants to take an interest and be that friend who people can come to and cry on her shoulder. She's _almost_ gotten there with Mary Jane -- after _years_ of poor MJ sticking through a lot of Felicia's crappy behavior.

She just... isn't that kind of friend.

Felicia's the kind of friend who will help you hide a body. When things turn mushy, she gets a little... twitchy.

And it's obvious by the way her fingernails drum on her glass. The way her smile thins. She shouldn't have asked. She regrets it the moment things turn to 'I miss my friends.'

This is the same woman who told Ben Reilly that he was a 'crappy copy' of Peter... while Ben was having a nervous breakdown.

So, at least she doesn't do that to Karolina!

"Well, it sounds like you're trying to make new friends," she says instead, her eyes glinting as her smile tugs a little more at one corner, apparently grateful that the conversation didn't get dragged entirely into sad, mushy, family drama.

"Tell you what... I know someone about your age. She goes to ESU, and she used to live in this building, actually. Her name's Gwen. I'll ask her to swing by."

And with that, she reaches out to set her half-finished glass down, uncrossing her legs and standing up.

"You should snag Peter if you see him, too. He's..."

That smile of hers softens at the mention of Peter, and she rolls one shoulder.

"He's a good egg. Thank you for the smoothie.. and the conversation. But I should get going."

Karolina Dean has posed:
Karolina Dean hmmms and is not such an empathyless alien not to notice the sudden change of behavior within the older woman's behavior. She blinks a few times - successfully holding back any tears (her therapist will again scold Karo for this!) and brings a smile back on her lips, showing a row of perfect white Hollywood teeths.

Karolina nods as she listens to Felicia's word "Oh, did I..?" She stops herself, of course she did and was close to tell some neighbour she knows for about 15 minutes all about her inner problems.

"Yes sure, why not!" she quickly answers and stands up , not wanting to keep the other person captured in her ow place. "and best wishes to Peter, I still have to run one day into him on the stairs.."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Felicia raises a hand at the question, shaking her head. At least she has enough common courtesy to resist pointing out that the show of emotion made her uncomfortable.

Of course, that alone doesn't exactly make her a model for mental health. This is the woman who took her abuse and used it to fuel her drive to become one of the most renown and respected cat burglars in the world. She certainly wouldn't be held up as anything to aspire to by any legitimate therapist.

"You're fine," she assures. "It's nothing like that. I just have a lot to accomplish today."

She takes a few steps towards the door, one hand slipping into her pocket as she goes, keeping those sharp blue eyes on Karolina the whole time.

"Thank you. And please, feel free to knock on our door if you need something. We stay busy, what with my.. collecting.. and his school and.. extra-curriculars, but if you need someone, we're just down the hall."

Hand on the doorknob, now, she pulls it open.

"It's good to have met you, Karolina. I'm sure we'll bump into each other again at some point."