Summary:T'Challa finally has his new apartment and shows Mari around. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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The Penthouse in 212 Fifth Avenue is… opulant. That's the word for it. Three floors, 5 bedrooms and ten thousand square feet. It's interior has a number of wonderful views of Manhattan and is of course elegantly furnished and appointed. And it belongs to Prince T'Challa of Wakanda.
The door opens and T'Challa steps in looking about. The place came furnished - as a lot of these high end places do - and that's all well and good with him. He can change anything he needs to. The place will need some accents of home. "Well. Here it is, oh party planner. My humble abode."
A humble abode with a four thousand square foot terrace that ISN'T part of the ten thousand the place's interior comes with.
"I thought we agreed Hostess." Mari teases as she follows T'Challa into the apartment and just sort of stops, staring around in rapt bemusement.
"Wow …" It's the only word she speaks, stunned as she by the magnificence of it all. Humble abode, indeed.
"You … you don't do things by halves do you? My apartment would fit in less half this space." And Mari's apartment isn't something to be sneezed at all.
T'Challa chuckles. "I am afraid some of it is going to be put to some less than lofty uses. There should be enough room in here for a work area and an engineering library and of course even though I am have no official position with Wakanda, I am still a representative of my country in the eyes of many. So I will have a social calendar that I need to keep up." Princes have to keep up appearances after all. Kings of the Dead? Welllll he's probably not going to mention that to many people.
"Let me show you around. Which may take a little bit. There are three floors to this place." He starts to walk pointing out things of interest or just good views as they move.
"So, do you think you can host a suitable party here that does NOT result in this place getting wrecked, Hostess?"
"I don't know if we've got enough time for a complete tour, T'Challa. Surely that will take a couple of days and require a shuttle bus." Mari's in fine form as she looks around. "Do you need a place for your spirit guard to sleep or something?" Yes, she's seen them not that she really knows who or what they are - but she has an idea at least.
"Not getting wrecked? That depends. I hear the Lithuanian ambassador is a bit of hell raiser and there are several congressman that like to live it up." That gets a sidelong look as T'Challa starts to point things out "But we'll need to have things set just so if you're serious about baiting my 'admirers' out."
The ones that have shown an interest in Mari's pendant.
"I am, yes. I should take an insurance policy out…" He says to himself, thinking. The Wakandan Prince pauses to admire the view on the first floor before heading up to the second.
"No, they are ghosts they have no need for such things. I AM going to have a few spare bedrooms as it turns out but such things are expected and who knows? I may even have guests from time to time." Though he can't imagine that he'll need the rooms that often so they're prime candidates to be turned to other functions. Like lab and design space.
"I do have to commend your choice of agent by the way. They were very… skilled at closing this deal." Though his name and connections probably had a lot to do with that.
"You probably should." Mari answers, looping her arms through T'Challa's as they move through the apartment. "Now what was this about a work area and engineering library? You're going to make this a workspace as well? Show me?" The last is respectful, a question, not a demand.
"Thank you, I've used her extensively."
"I've been giving some thought as to how to bait our trap. We know they're interested in my collection, yes? What if we were to have a display here - with a new piece I might acquire? Maybe I could gift it to you as a housewarming gift…"
"Well there is not much to show of course since I have not properly moved in yet." T'Challa says. "However a room such as this…" He pauses to point out one of the five bedrooms that come with the place. "Would be ideal for a work table, drafting table, computers, books and such. A place where I can enjoy the comforts of home and still do design and research." Perhaps when he actually has it in place he can show her again.
"I am always fond of art from Aftrica. I have a number of pieces from Wakanda. Mohanda and the surrounding nations. So it would certainly make sense if you were to offer me a chance to add a coveted pendent to my collection."
Hopefully said housewarming gift survives the housewarming but that remains to be seen. "Presumably it would be a replica but most of them are from what I understand." Because who knows where the other four of those things actually lay.
Actually… the dead probably do. But finding the right dead..>
"I suppose it would." Mari chuckles as she peeks into the room. "I'm certainly not one to tell differently. You being able to do design work is a benefit to me but you shouldn't work so hard, T'Challa. Now you have this place, you need to ensure that you get some time for yourself."
"The balcony alone, is amazing. I could imagine curling up out there, barefooted, and reading." It's perhaps the first he's heard the spirit caller talk about doing anything but work.
"Are you now? Well maybe I shall gift you something more than a replica pendant. Knowing where the originals were might be helpful though, there's rumours of them all over Africa."
Maybe the dead do, but Mari can't talk to them and it wouldn't occur to her to even think that.
"Just wait until you get to the top." They're headed there and go up ANOTHER floor. Maybe it's just that T'Challa likes living in palaces? Perhaps he's used to that. Or maybe this place suited his various physical and social needs.
"There are and I imagine the real thing would have more than simply thieves scrambling out of the woodwork." The dark skinned prince laughs. "And yes, I will take some time for myself. I am used to having to manage this kind of balance."
Will he though? Mari doesn't know of his… night time activities.
"You'll be fit if you have to do this multiple times a day." Mari smiles as she lets the Prince lead on their tour. "I'm waiting with anticipation to see what you're going to show me." Mari doesn't really think about why T'Challa chose this place - it suits him and he has the wealth to spare so why not a place like this.
People expect diplomats and royalty to have certain trappings.
"And what is it that a Prince of Wakanda or King of the Dead does to relax, I wonder?"
"It's a very convenient way to exercise." T'Challa chuckles again. He has a rather… warm laugh. He must have been a good king to be around when he was in a good mood. They walk through this part of the house too but continue up without much pause onto… the deck.
The forty five hundred square foot terrace with a pool and… well…
It's a picture of luxury. A place to while away the days far away from the concerns below. A place fit for a king. Or in a pinch, a prince.
"Well swimming is certainly an option now."
"Oh … wow. You … might never get rid of me …" Mari's eyes dance as she takes a turn around the terrace. "Swimming is certainly an option but so is just relaxing. Imagine sitting out here and listening to jazz." beat "We shall have to work out how to use this effectively for your party."
She's not a step or two away from T'Challa when she gasps and stumbles a little. Her hand grasps the pendant at her neck as Mari whimpers a little.
"Mari?" T'Challa takes Mari's arm and shoulder to prevent her from falling. There are crenelated walls around the terrace so she's not in danger of falling OFF of it, but there's still things to trip on and a fall into the pool isn't out of the question.
"Your pendent is glowing. What is happening?" He knows, because he has seen, that this is related to her spirits, somehow. But he doesn't mention that right at the moment.
"Ow …" Mari swallows, grasping T'Challa's arm to hold herself up and balance. "Ow… It's burning. Hot." If T'Challa touches it, it is hot. Not enough to burn but enough to hurt. "I … don't know. It's never done that before." Slowly it starts to cool as a silhouette of crow manifests.
It's not like the spirits that Mari usually calls. This one is a little more like the spirits that formed in the Zone. The ghostly bird caws once at the pair on the balcony, circles their heads and then flies off towards the Disaster Zone, circling back a couple of times and heading in that direction again.
A message, perhaps?
T'Challa looks up, his gaze following the crow. It seems like it wants them to follow. "It's trying to lead us somewhere. But I'm not really certain we should follow it."
Mari could follow it quite easily. After all she can fly when she's channeling a bird. T'Challa? That's not quite so easy. He'd have to deal with New York Traffic and even being rather wealthy doesn't get you out of that.
"Are you burned?" She doesn't seem to be.
It most certainly does. Or whatever it is, it's saying it's in the direction of the Disaster Zone. "I know but I'm not going to now. I … couldn't at the moment." Mari murmurs, still clutching T'Challa's arm and leaning against him slightly. "Thank you by the way and I'm sorry for that."
They'll have to deal with the crow later. Will that happen again?
"I … don't seem to be though it was a close thing I think." The skin on her chest is slightly discoloured, but it's no cause for alarm. "What … " Mari licks her lips and tries to gather her thoughts.
T'Challa gingerly touches the area of discolored skin but it doesn't seem to cause her undue discomfort. He helps her straighten out. "Since that's never happened before I shall not ask you what you think it means. Something like that would seem to be a reaction to something though. Perhaps the presence of something? Or maybe the spirits in the pendent really wanted you to know something."
All possibilities but none that T'Challa is qualified to comment on really. He quirks a brow when Mari tries to gather her thoughts. "What?"
Mari offers T'Challa a wan smile as she slowly recovers. "What was that … is what I was going to ask but figured that you probably knew less than I do, so I stopped." beat "It was like the pendant was in pain to be honest. Like life was being burned from it." With the appearance of a crow, that might be not be inaccurate but how would Mari know. "I … will investigate it later. Maybe head down towards the Disaster Zone as Vixen and see what happens." T'Challa would be welcome to come but maybe Mari would get another companion instead.
"As much as I wish I could tell you more, you are correct." T'Challa has no idea what that could have been but he's sure it was magical. He is not so stuck in his science as to ignore the possibility of stranger things. In fact he has actively investigates 'fringe science' in the past.
"Well, since we have some time before evening and you need to recover perhaps I could offer you the hospitality of my humble abode?" His humble abode has a stocked refrigerator and wine bar, he's pretty sure.
"I … would like that. I take it there's a room with an outrageously big screen in it? Perhaps you'll let me cook for you and we could spend time and catch a movie or something?" Some downtime sounds like just what they need.
When she's done though, she'll have to investigate. If that was to happen again … who knows what might occur.
"There is indeed a room with a sinfully big screen in it. Absolutely ostentatious." T'Challa smiles as he gestures for them to head downstairs. It's a very large space and frankly at the moment a very quiet and mostly empty one. He's going to have a lot of room to do whatever he wants. But for the moment they can indulge in some down time.
It might indeed be just what they both need.