Summary:A fundraising event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art brings strangers together. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art is holding a gala. There's a new exhibition opening and the Board of Directors has tied that with a fundraising event for the Maria Stark Foundation. It's a nice synergy.
The main area is brightly lit, servers circulating with trays full of drinks and wine. It's a bit of crush in here, but only a little.
The Chairman of the Board, Thaddeus Saltzpyre, is near a display of what seems to a set of artifacts from Hawaii. There's a rather striking painting that offsets them - of a bright red flower with green leaves and a dark haired woman looking out into crowd.
With Thaddeus is a dark skinned woman with shoulder length hair - she's of middling height and almost as striking as the painting, about her neck is a pendant in the shape of a fox head and the pair are greeting people as they arrive.
Koa Turner is not normally someone included at the crowd that normally attends these kinds of functions. He's not the sort of person to pay thirteen hundred dollars a plate to attend, and he's definitely not the kind of person who organizes this kind of thing. But he IS someone who has connections in the museum world and that means he does get invited sometimes. So he's here. In a dark blue suit and tie and as it turns out he scrubs up fairly well.
The Agent approaches the display to admire it for a moment. Some of it… looks rather familiar, really. Where has he seen someone who looked like that before.
Oh say. What is that around that woman's neck…?
"Hello Mister Saltzpyre."
He greets the one he knows presuming that man will make the introductions.
Having arrived with the MSF contingent, Pepper has been doing her own meeting and greeting as she makes her way slowly, slowly across the gala and exhibit floor. Finally, though, she makes it toward the display of artifacts and paintings from Hawaii, and uses looking at the piece to take a chance at a breather before she has to wade back through the wolves.
Her champagne colored gown is very subtle compared the riot of color in the painting, and for those knowledgeable about fashion, it's a two-year old Versace. But to her credit, she's wearing the strappy sandals that were shown with the gown. And why not? How often does she get away with wearing flats to a formal event?
"Ah, Miss Potts!" Thaddeus brightens visibly as Pepper floats on over. "It is our pleasure to have you here, thank you so much for coming!" He's a bit over the top, but there you have it. "And Mister Turner, isn't it? A pleasure to have you here as well. I see you are admiring our …."
The words peter off as he follows the Agents eyes to where he is looking and he blushes, a bit.
"Miss Potts, Mister Turner, may I present Ms Mari McCabe or McCabe Industries?"
The dark skin woman looks at Koa, laughter in her eyes. "Mister Turner, I can see you admire my pendant." She shakes his hand and then Peppers "Miss Potts, this is a wonderful event. McCabe Industries is honoured to be able to chip in to such a worthwhile cause."
Pepper will know of McCabe Industries. Big in the fashion industry. Design and just starting to branch out into textiles. Koa probably knows Mari from her SHIELD brief - well, not her brief, but Vixens to be exact.
"Are you enjoying the event?"
"Quite enjoying it yes. And yes, apologies Miss McCabe. It's a very unusual piece, it stands out. Not the sort of thing you usually see…" … gracing someone's neck at a social function, is what he does not say. The thing couldn't stand out to him any more if it were made of LED's and ringing 'Hail to the Chief'. He can see magic and that is an Artifact.
He doesn't say that though. Not here. It's mixed company and he doesn't want to put Mari, or Pepper, on the spot.
"It's a very striking painting too." The agent says, smiling in Thaddeus's direction.
"Ah. Miss Potts. Hello again. Fancy seeing you here. Lovely gown." Koa can be polite and talk the talk.
Approaching the three is a young woman who looks… really, remarkably, uncannily like the woman in the painting…
So much for that breather. Pepper turns with a smile already in place as Thaddeus swoops in on her. She nods politely to Agent Turner and Ms. McCabe, shaking hands accordingly. "I've heard good things about your company, Ms. McCabe. And yes, I'm enjoying this event greatly. I think my favorites are always held here."
She smiles and nods her thanks to Koa, but then someone's at her elbow to pull her away to something to do with the Maria Stark Foundation. "I'm sorry, work comes first. Perhaps we'll get to speak again in a bit?" She offers handshakes again before getting pulled away by the aide.
"Of course, Miss Potts. I was so hoping to spend some time with you tonight." Mari smiles as Pepper is pulled away. The ex-model turns her smile on Koa though "It is an unusual, you are correct. It has been in my family for generations." Which means there's probably a long story behind. Maybe Mari knows it or maybe she doesn't. "Are you interested in Art, Mister Turner?"
"Do you have an interest in Hawaiian interest, Mister Turner?" Thaddeus has noted the interest. He hasn't seen the woman approaching but Mari has. She looks between the painting and the woman and back again. "Well, isn't that odd."
"In a way, Miss McCabe. I do artifact Authentication. Thaddeus knows me from my trade. And yes, as it turns out Thaddeus, I do. I am after all from a Hawaiian family."
Though no one would know that by looking at him. He looks pretty haole, as his grandmother would say. He's about to say more when Thadeuss' comment draws his attention back behind him and he blinks. "I know that woman…"
He didn't get her name though. And now instead of street clothes she's wearing a rather nice purple dress. She walks up to the painting and looks at it, possibly smiling a bit at the likness.
"It's a lovely piece isn't it?" She says to the others present. "Hiiaka, the goddess of dance, if I'm not mistaken."
"You are?" That has Mari's attention as Thaddeus is called away.
"Excuse m'dear. You don't mind if I leave you with Mister Turner, do you?" Not that he waits for answer before he disappears into the crowd.
"I don't mind, if Mister Turner doesn't." The dark skinned womans eyes twinkle with mischief. "I think this might be where I say 'alone at last', don't you think?" beat "Artifact Authentication. I suppose your next line is that you'd like to authenticate my pendant…" Oh, she's so very cheeky.
She's been watching the other woman approach and glances to Koa when he says he recognises her. "You do hmmm? Know all the pretty ones do you?"
"Yes, miss, it is a pretty piece. Are you familiar with the artist or the subject?"
"Oh, call me Kalani." She offers her hand out.
"Do you teach dancing down in M-Town?" Koa asks suspiciously.
"Sometimes yes." She smiles. "Anyway I am familiar with the subject. I do auane. Modern hula dancing. Hiiaka would be the patron of that. It's a good idea to make nice with the beings who oversee you I find." She winks. "You're Mari McCabe aren't you?" Her smile grows wider. "I love your clothes. They're some of the few that fit me properly."
Koa knows very, very little of woman's clothes. He tugs slightly at his high collar. Necessary for this event for… reasons.
"Oh its quite authentic Miss McCabe. I can tell from here." Her teasing has him laughing a little. "Maybe I know a few of them yes. And you could say alone at last but…" He gestures around them. Alone? Not much. She's teasing though, clearly.
"Kalani then…" Mari holds out her hand and shakes the womans. Nothing seems to be serious to her and yet, rumour has it, she's the CEO of McCabe Industries and highly respected in the Industry. "I adore dancing and hula sounds interesting, maybe I should look you up."
"I am yes, I'm pleased that they do. I'm launching a new range in a couple of weeks, maybe you'd like to drop in?" Mari watches Koa adjust his collar, the one that makes it seem like he has no neck. "And you Mister Turner, should come and see us, we can find you shirts that will fit better and not choke you."
"You can can you? Tell it's authentic? Don't want to get your hands on my … pendant?" The CEO is in her element but Koa is making this all to easy. "Ah well, maybe I should try harder to get you alone."
Koa is used to attention like this. One cannot be as fit and relatively good looking as he is and not get flirted with sometimes. And it's not bad attention but as Koa has told others, he doesn't usually let it get much further. Not that he expects this to. This is likely just amusement for the charismatic, attractive McCabe Industries CEO.
"You should. I'd say Mister Turner should as well but I don't know if he's really the dancing type. Still, there's a certain magic to it. And I'd love to drop in and see what you've got cooking, Miss McCabe." Kalani says with a disney-princess worthy smile. Bright and sincere.
"Something that hides a scar on the neck perhaps?" Koa doesn't HAVE a scar there. He has something else but it would explain why he's got such a high collar. Her continued teasing about her pendent gets a short laugh. "Oh yes, I can tell how authentic it is…" He lets his eyes glow for just a moment with borrowed power. Nothing that Kalani will see. "Though I'm sure you have other tricks up your sleeve for drawing people's… interest."
Maybe not her sleeve. Her sleeves are rather short in that outfit.
"Oh, you never know Kalani." Mari's smile is dazzling. Charismatic is a good word to describe her. "Maybe I could persuade Mister Turner to cut a rug with me. What do you say Mister Turner?" She's incorrigible and her smile almost matches the hula dancers.
Handing Kalani a card from her purse, Mari smiles again "Give me a call and I'll send you an invite." It's that easy, really. "And be sure to tell me where I can take dancing lessons."
"A scar? Now who would harm a hair on your head?" That's directed to Koa as her attention turns to his collar. "I'm sure we can arrange something as long you don't mind horrifying with such a sight." The glowing eyes has the ex-models eyes widening again. "Oh I see. Well maybe I do have a few tricks up my sleeve but you know what they say about first dates and all."
"Maybe if you agree to keep me company while I'm here, I'll let you in on some of those secrets, Mister Turner. What do you say?"
Not that she's going to give Koa a chance to say no. Snagging two more glasses from the tray that's passing them, Mari also claims his company - at least for the next little while.
"I'd be happy to. At least until Thaddeus comes to chase me off again." Koa smiles a bit and takes the champagne. Harmless enough and it is a social evening. Perhaps Miss Potts will wander back at some point.
Kalani takes the offered card and smiles once more. "I'll be sure to call you tomorrow then. No card for me Mister Turner?"
Koa quirks a brow. "I don't design clothing. But if you need to call me you can always dial into the SHIELD switchboard."
"Oooh. An agent then. Exciting." She laughs as she waves. "Enjoy your evening you two."