4416/Catty Conversation

Catty Conversation
Date of Scene:	15 December 2020
Location:	Cloisters - Metropolitan Museum of Art
Synopsis:	Peter Parker meets up with a cat...one bigger and meaner than the cat-burglar breed.
Cast of Characters:	Peter Parker, Barbara-Ann Minerva

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Peter Parker has posed:
Once upon a time, he wanted to be Indiana Jones.
It was a no-brainer. Jones didn't get bullied by bigger people, he was very smart, he could figure out stuff. Absurdly easy. So, for three years, he dug into World History.

In the end, it was the more traditional sciences that called to him, but he never completely gave up that dream. So, for his World History final project, he had vowed to track down an artifact from the list given. He thought "The Eye of Bast" sounded sufficiently interesting, so he began his search.

After two weeks of following leads, he was here, at the Cloisters, heading for the Ancient Civilizations department to locate the Eye. He had heard of it being a brilliant emerald the size of a golf ball, and that romantic notion kept him going. He was dressed in his normal clothes, though...

Best not to attract trouble.

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
Attractive "Trouble" has beaten Peter to the punch.

Barbara-Ann Minerva stands nearly alone near the heart of Cloisters' Ancient Civilizations wing. It's a weekday so one does see the odd retiree wandering through but, for now, she is the Eye of Bast's sole admirer.

Minerva is dressed discreetly -- or as near as she can manage. A pair of sunglasses are positioned near the point of her nose to permit her green eyes to leer over them and at the jewel. A museum brochure is clutched in one hand as a pointed finger gently paws at her chin.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter rounds the corner and...
Oh, boy, there is that live-power-line feeling once again.
He looks around at the few people along the exhibit line, but the only standout is the redhead. She's...well, okay, for a minute there, you might think it was MJ, or Red Sonja. But no...she's different.

Like the Black Cat, but more...lethal. That's actually a thing?

Well, there's the Eye, all right. Time to scope it out.

A rather average-looking young man with short brown hair, brown eyes, and an earnest face steps up to look at the Eye, taking out a tablet with a crack running diagonally along the screen.

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
Minerva is dimly aware of Peter's arrival, but the lion's share of her attention is on the Eye. Her peripheral vision takes in the immediate surroundings -- close attention is paid to the "security" measures taken to protect the jewel. A devious grin curls the corners of Barbara-Ann's mouth. This will be far too easy. She positively purrs. Wait -- was that out loud?

Peter Parker has posed:
Annnd now she's purring. Maybe it's the Cat in disguise. No...the face doesn't fit. It's too...
(feral)

Peter blinked. Where did THAT come from?
He realized it was the Spider-Sense. She was dangerous...but he couldn't tell how, and nervousness was not a crime.

He held up the tablet, then started something that looked like a diagnostic scan...

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
Minerva coughs loudly as though clearing her throat. Because it was scratchy. Which is why it might-have-maybe sounded like she was purring. Which she was most certainly not.

Green eyes flit over to the little worm standing next to her. He looks harmless enou--hang on! Minerva's eyesight is keen enough that she can make out the diagnostic screen even from this odd angle. She quirks an eyebrow. Perhaps someone sent a ringer to case the place? How scandalous.

Barbara-Ann returns to admiring the Eye and paying scant attention (it might seem) to Peter. And yet: "Beautiful isn't it?" She turns to Peter, "The gem I mean."

Peter Parker has posed:
Okay, body language is DEFINITE interest in the gem. And she HAD been purring.
He brings the tablet down and nods. "Very unique. It has 487 facets, clean cut, a singular flaw down the center giving the illusion of a vertical iris..."
A beautiful emerald. Very pricey, in terms of historical value alone, never mind that it is 134 carats.

He tapped a few keys, then tried not to side-eye the woman.
And maybe, just maybe, poke her a little to see how she reacts.

"Pity it's not a real emerald, though."

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
Minerva, who had returned to ogling the Eye, coughs as though David Hasselhoff has just saved her from drowning. It takes a beat or two for her to collect herself, "...what?" Peter has just earned her ENTIRE focus. Hey, congrats.

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter tapped a few more keys, replacing the results while he notes her reaction. Ohhhh, she didn't like that. That wasn't just mild surprise, that was a WTF reaction.
And the Spider-Sense seemed to be tingling a little more intensely.

He held up the screen for Minerva to see a formula, a gentle latticework. It would be beautiful, if not for the words under it:

CHROME TOURMALINE

"This type of gemstone looks almost exactly like an emerald. A jeweler could tell the difference, with the right equipment. But yeah...it's not a FAKE, though. If it was, it's a very high-quality one..."

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
The muscles around Minerva's eyes tighten as she reads the screen. Her mouth twitches to one side; the effect is vaguely reminiscent of Wile E. Coyote encountering an insurmountable problem to an otherwise solid plan.

She returns her attention to the Eye. "Still a beauty for all of that." One can almost see the wheels start to turn as her expression reassumes its wolfish cast, and she mutters something about "Caveat Emptor." It's a good thing her companion is some useless little twerp. She'd likely be far more guarded if he wasn't.

Peter Parker has posed:
Oh, yeah. She's not happy. And "caveat emptor?" Who's buying and who is selling?

Peter looks unaffected by her odd behavior, giving her a hangdog smile. "I'm sure this is a display model, and that the real one is locked up in a vault somewhere." He pauses, then clears the tablet and tilts his head to regard her. "Name's Peter. What's your interest in Egyptian artifacts?"

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
Hmm? Oh, are you still here? Minera turns and offers Peter her hand -- palm down. "Priscilla," she lies. "Pleased to meet your acquaintance." She feigns ignorance, "Egyptian? Is that what it is? How delightful." She shrugs, "It's beautiful. That's my only interest. How about you?" Yes, let's talk about why boy-genius here is so interested.

As a narcissist and congenital liar herself, Minerva blithely assumes everybody else is always lying, too. What's the dweeb's story?

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter reaches up to shake the hand, palm up. Of course. He's a blue-collar plebe.

"Research for a school project. University final project, actually. We were given a list of items and this one was mine." He chuckles. "Neuroscience is my primary coursework, though."

A slight pause, then he adds, "I wonder if someone made a switch back when Hatsepshut was succeeded. Thutmose III REALLY hated her."

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
Well of course Thutmose III hated Hatsepshut. Everybody hated Hatsepshut. Minerva is more hung up on the fact that Peter did...whatever he just did to her hand. What is it with the men on this continent?

Barbara-Ann's hand sits suspended in space -- exactly where Peter left it -- for several seconds as he prattles on about Neuro-whatever. When it becomes clear Parker isn't going to make amends, Minerva purposefully withdraws it and holds it next to her side.

"How charming." She's probably referring to the politics of Ancient Egypt.

Peter Parker has posed:
Yeah, he's not scoring any points with her. But that's okay, he's not playing her game.
Maybe a little prodding again. If she is some kind of criminal, she might reach to a superhero, even a working-class hero.

"Well, I primarily do work for the DAILY BUGLE. I found out it was here while I was working. I take a lot of pictures of Spider-Man."

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
Minerva puts her hands on her hips and cocks her red tressed head to one side. "Whom?" For once, her response seems genuine as she stares at Peter quizzically. Spider-what-now?

Peter Parker has posed:
Peter chuckles. "You must be from out of town. Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Street-level vigilante, been operating for a couple of years now. I suppose the Avengers...you know, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America...get more press. Like the Justice League, too, I'm sure. But he's been seen all over the city."

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
Minerva's nose curls up slightly at the mention of the Justice League but her expression is otherwise placid. "I really can't condone vigilantism." She leans forward slightly to emphasize her height, "It all smacks of Fascism, wouldn't you say? Self-appointed guardians of the common good. Feh!" She hand-waves idly and is once again fully erect, "I'm sure this Strider-Man is no better than the rest." The malapropism may or may not have been intentional. The woman turns again to survey the Eye of Bast.

Peter Parker has posed:
Okay, he was a little rankled. By his reckoning, this was the first time someone had referred to him as "fascist." He should be offended. But being offended might give away a LITTLE too much. And that little nose wrinkle at the mention of the League...

As Bugs Bunny would say, "Of course you know, this means WAR..."

"Well, it should be noted he's not actually part of an established group...like, Superman...Batman...Wonder Woman..."

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
At the mention of Wonder Woman, Minerva's right eye visibly twitches. That was probably just a coincidence.

"Well, bully for him then," she mutters under her breath. One can faintly discern the ephemeral tones of a cell phone ringing from inside Barbara-Ann's coat pocket. She clearly has no difficulty hearing it. As she retrieves the device the screen flashes to life. Minerva reads a name on the screen and promptly hits 'reject.' Maybe it was Spider-Man calling.

"Unfortunately, that's my cue." Babs' demeanor is sunny and pleasant. And almost believable. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Peter." Minerva pauses but briefly to once again admire the Eye of Bast. Burrowing her hands into her coat pockets she strides towards the stone stairwell and the main floor. The click-clacking of her heels echoes throughout 'antiquity' as she goes.