12317/Atlantis Meeting

Atlantis Meeting
Date of Scene:	09 October 2020
Location:	Atlantis Poseidonis Embassy, Oyster Bay
Synopsis:	Concerns for the Atlantis field trip are raised and addressed. Xiomara bows out. Fears are raised and confronted.
Cast of Characters:	Tempest, Emma Frost, Faraday, Nightingale, SpyderByte, Pixie, Siphon, Aegis, Ted Gammage

---

Tempest has posed:
The school bus deposited the kids at the embassy was comfortable enough for most. The Embassy has a lot of water, but given just what nation this ground belongs to that is no real surprise. The place is immaculate.

Even better, there is food. A buffet line set up with mounds of teenage favorites alongside some healthy vegetarian offerings. Garth was a teenage hero. Teenagers can pack it away, and Garth's staff has seen to it that the food is hot, plentiful, and tasty. Holograms display vast city shots of the ocean and the 'skyline' (waterline?) of Poseidonis. Lights fade away into dark blue waters that fade away into inky black, starless, still, deep, and tranquil impossibly deep waters. Lights form soft nimbuses amidst the inky darkness. It is a scene hard to replicate above water.

Scenes flicker in and out at a slow pace. Showing mermaids and mermen, atlanteans, some using technology others wielding what appears to be magic. It is a casual sort of images; the sort of thing one would show in a travel magazine. The students and staff are afforded time to get situated before Garth joins them. He moves through the buffet line, picking at it a little. Seems he likes the stuffing that was set out; it must not be something easy to get in Atlantis.

Setting at his spot at the table, Garth smiles at everyone. "I'm Prince Garth of Shayeris, and I am so happy to meet all of you. Miss Frost has spoken about her students with a rather fierce pride and an almost maternal affection. You must all be very special people, and I look forward to getting to know you better. I am the ambassador of my nation, essentially half of the Atlantean possessions. My king is Aquaman, not the Sub-Mariner. I want to talk to you about the trip, how things will work, and I am here to answer your frank questions. Everything except about the bathroom." His brows rise and he reaches over to a folder and points. "We have pamphlets for that." He pauses. 'That can wait until after dessert though, eh?" His violet eyes skim over the others, though they linger on Emma for a moment or two, tilting a brow and getting a little grin on his face. "Guys. Just ask away. There is no title or protocol. You are guests in my home, speak freely and ask away. Comment too, if you must. Just realize we have an ancient culture and some of the stuff we do is simply ritual. It sometimes does not make sense." Garth admits this conversationally. "We have three thousand years of existence below the waves, and a couple of thousand before that, depending on who it is you ask Some of our practices, like about blond kings and purple eyes in the heads of mages? Well, they are downright barbaric by your standards. There are reasons for that, but I will not lie and say they are objectively good reasons."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma seems mostly at ease in this place, if her usual cool reserve is anything to go by. The casual nature of getting everyone settled into a place with food -- teenagers and food always go well -- gives her time to settle. The word 'maternal' makes her quirk a brow at Garth. <Rude,> she teases him.

"Before you pipe up and ask anything, bear in mind that if I think you're being outrageous or rude, there will be consequences." She peers at her students. "We are visiting a place that doesn't have a lot of experience with surface worlders in a positive way, so you will be the face of the surface world. Please do try to remember the manners I'm sure you've all been taught."

Faraday has posed:
Normally Indira favors athletic style wear, but they're going to an embassy and meet a prince so she figured she should dig out something slightly more presentable. She's got on black pants, a neon purple and teal shirt, and a high cropped black blazer top. Distinctly, she's got short, matte black gloves on that seem a bit thicker and stiffer than normal. She follows the class into the embassy, her eyes not stopping for a second as she takes in the new sights. When there's food to be had, she helps herself to the vegetarian options and doesn't seem picky about their contents otherwise.

As the meal wanes and Garth begins speaking, she dutifully listens in as opposed to cramming more food in her mouth. For her apparent flamboyance, she's shown so far that someone seems to have hammered some table manners into her. When the time for questions comes about, she stalls for time as she sucks down several mouthfuls of water before remarking, "Well, I guess the first thing is... what /shouldn't/ we do? Like, what's considered rude, or insulting? That's usually rule one of visiting new countries."

Nightingale has posed:
     For a being that looked more as if she belonged in the air, Shannon seemed oddly at home in the embassy. The images that flickered in and out of existence around them each brought a smile to her face, each with a draw nearly as powerful as the edible offerings that have been left out for the guests of the evening. There had thankfully been enough time for her to change into something with a bit more decorum than her attire of earlier in the day, opting for dark blue jeans, calf-length caramel suede boots, and a wine-colored turtleneck. As usual, she has her little brown leather pouch with her.

     A smile tugs the corners of her lips upwards as she reaches out to brush her fingers through the hologram of the 'skyline' of Atlantis itself. "Very beautiful," she murmurs, gazing at the image a minute longer, before turning her attention to the food. It would not do to be rude by ignoring something that the Prince had gone to such trouble to have set up!

     As she moves to join the others near the table, she smiles over at Garth, sketching a somewhat theatrical bow with an outward flick of her wings. "Thank you and yours for this hospitality, Your Highness. This is not the first I've encountered one of your own, but it has been a little while."

     The rather telling glance over at Miss Frost has the winged teen lofting her brows, and hiding her smile behind her hand. However, she at least has the grace to say nothing on the matter--at least for the moment!

     Glancing over at Indi, she nods in agreement, sitting down along with the others. "Indeed. And just as important, are there things we -should- do?"

SpyderByte has posed:
Tagging along with the group is Jeremy, who is dressed in a pair of black slacks, a button down black shirt and a tie. It appears that he dressed 'up' for a trip to a royal embassy. The young techno-path is also wearing his glasses along with his long black trench coat. He looks more 'vampire' now than he does Goth. No dog collar at least.

Once he settles down next to Shannon and Indira, he folds his hands in front of him to listen to the lessons and rules. He reaches up and shifts his glasses into place.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn is dressed in dark blue jeans and a shimmery blue green halter top resembling fish scales, which maybe she wore in hopes of fitting in or something. Either way she seems to enjoy the beautiful sights and sounds as she peers this way and that, wandering about but not straying too far from the group.

Still, there's just sooo much to see and take in, and she's always been fascinated by the sea, even if she's never really gone on any major sea voyages..Or undersea treks. Either way, Megan joins the others at the table, wondering where to even start!

Siphon has posed:
    This whole trip was something set up just before Tabitha arrived at Xavier's, but when she heard about it her curiosity was certainly piqued. Bar Harbor may have done its level best to ignore her entire existence, but she's still blood and bone a Maine fishing town girl. Her recent introduction to the whole 'shopping' thing has even allowed her to dress the part. Bulky light tan cable-knit sweater that could pass for a sensible dress on her tiny frame, wool watch cap, jeans, boots, and wool socks pulled up over the jean legs. Other than the watch cap it all has a look of straight off the shelf. She has foregone her veil and gloves so her chalk pale skin and solid black eyes are on open display.

    She tends to stay in the shadow of Shannon's wings, inclining in a silent sort of best attempt at a bow as Shannon greets Garth. Then she's gathering up a healthy teenage plate of food, well two healthy plates. Tiny body, big furnace. She listens quietly while introductons and admonisions are made, then questions start being asked. After a time she gathers her courage and speaks up. "Is it very cold there? I... have to be careful of cold."

Tempest has posed:
Indira's question makes Garth smile. He replies. "Generally? There are fewer societal taboos. We are hard to offend. People might be touchy when it comes to you as you are surface dwellers, but an apology will smooth that over. Aquaman and I will see to it if you genuinely offend someone or inadvertently break something it will ultimately be a financial windfall for them." Garth pauses. "Which means do not go crazy while there, but you are encouraged to explore. We want you to both see and to be seen. You are all exceptional people. Emma has vouched for you all." >I am not rude. You are a mother hen. It is endearing.< Garth looks to Emma, nods, then looks back to Indira. "Just be honest. Be good, and if you make a mistake, you will be fine. Please refrain from making it sound like you feel your culture is better. Even if to you it certainly will be. You are ambassadors. I will have guides for you. They are younger folks, and they are sworn to not turn you in. Do not ditch them?" Garth tilts a brow. "I hope that answers your question."

Smoothly he pivots over to Shannon. "That is another great question. Have an open mind. Try new things? Be open to new experiences, but also say if you feel uncomfortable. If you are scared or uncomfortable, speak up. Atlantean society places a high value on ritual and the rules of hospitality. You are, by law, not yet adults. You are also guests of the king. You will be humored and taken care of. I expect people will be quick to please and share. Others, not so much. If you feel unsafe, get out. I will smooth over anything and there will be no consequences if you leave when you feel you need to." Garth says that last bit with a deep, certain confidence.

"Also, guys. My name is Garth. Not your highness. Not your grace. You are not my subjects. Please, call me Garth. Even if Emma has asked you to call me by some title."

He pivots to Tabitha. "Extraordinarily. The water pressure would also reduce your bones to jelly, and you cannot breathe underwater. All of those needs will be met by magic. I would? respectfully caution you against removing the necklace you are given to prevent those lethal side effects. Removal of the necklace will teleport you back to the Embassy, and it will be basically impossible to come back. Your trip will be over." He pauses. "You'll feel like it is a warm Spring's day. Shorts and Tshirt weather. Atlanteans are resistant to the cold, and we do not tend to wear a lot of extra clothes because of it. Especially Tritonian women." He gives a little shrug. "So? you might see some more skin than you are accustomed to. You have been warned." He makes a slight face at that.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma sips from her water, composed and interested in what the students will think to ask. She didn't do a lot of coaching of them before this visit. She merely offered the thought that it would be interesting to see a culture that had been cut off from the surface for so long. And she did warn that there was a different level of formality involved -- told them to imagine being British and a bit proper and they'd do fine. She didn't tell them to use his title, merely to used manners.

She nods approvingly at the questions offered. Very good place to start, all of the questions.

Nightingale has posed:
     Smiling a bit sheepishly at Garth, Shannon nods once. "My apologies. I was brought up a little bit old-fashioned by some standards, to use titles for respect until shown otherwise." The matter of the necklaces did have her pursing her lips, as she nibbled on some fruit and cheese. "I'm guessing that magic will also prevent accidental loss of the necklaces, and any removal would need to be intentional?" The thought of the necklaces floating away on accident flashed briefly through her mind, and the less-than-pleasant consequences thereof.

Faraday has posed:
Indira Bhandari listens in on the cautions regarding the magic protecting them from the perils of the ocean and she does hold up a gloved hand while pointing to it with the other. She looks to Emma more so than Garth as she says, "Sooo, if we're underwater then that brings a worry I had. My powers are electric based. I tend to give people static shock when they touch me. Anywhere. It's why I tend to avoid pools. I grabbed some rubberized gloves before coming here in case I needed to shake hands or something. I don't wanna accidentally electric eel anyone down there."

SpyderByte has posed:
As he listens, Jeremy gives his phone a firm squeeze. He has it in an Otterbox, followed by a vacuum sealed sandwich bag. He stares down at it for a moment before looking back up at the others. Indi's question causes him to glance over towards her with concern.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn blinks a bit as Garth explains the process. She nods to Shannon's comments, kinda wondering the same thing, "Oh yeah, will we be swimming there, taking a submarine? Magically teleporting? Do these necklaces protect us indefinitely or is there a time limit?"

Siphon has posed:
    Tabitha can't really go pale, but if she could... Garth's answer about the ocean conditions causes her to briefly freeze until he mentions that accomidations are in place. Then she doesn't exactly relax, but most of the tension leaves her shoulders. "Ah. Thank you." Now she knows to dress for late Maine fall and just has to take being underwater into account. As that question had been taking up most of her brain on the way here she returns to quiet nibbling and listening. When Indira voices concerns over her own powers, Tabby leans towards her a bit.

    "If you find yourself building up too much charge or otherwise need to release any electricity safely while we're down there, give me a nudge if I'm around. My event horizon can draw in any excess."

Tempest has posed:
"Yes." Garth tells Shannon, meeting her gaze with his purple eyes. They are kind eyes, but his voice is certain. "They will be more chokers or collars. They will have to be removed via force, or by your hand, mine, or Miss Frost." Garth lifts a brow and spares her a little smile. "And again? Removal means a splash of water and ending up on my floor here with several gallons of seawater. You will be safe from the environment while you are there."

Tabitha gets a playful little nod back. "You are welcome." He says it warmly. "It was a great question."

"See! Your students are brilliant, Emma." It isn't an act. Garth looks at Indira all excited. "Your powers should work normally, but knowing that, I can make sure of that and enchant your necklace special for that." Garth seems genuinely impressed. He scribbles down a note to himself before pointing the tip of the end at Indira. He notes to Emma. "She should get extra credit." He wrinkles his nose as he smiles at Emma. He raps his knuckles on the table, looking genuinely thrilled. "So. Don't feel the need to wear rubber gloves on this trip, okay?" His smile is broad and guileless.

"Swimming."Garth says, breaking off from gushing at Indira to give Pixie a smile. "They are good as long as worn. You will be surrendering them when we are done. My magic will be empowering them, and I will do so personally. You will find you are quite mobile while wearing them. I even think I have all the side effects mostly handled!" >Mostly.< He admits telepathically. "And any side effects will be ended when it is removed."

He looks at Jeremy for a moment. he opens his mouth as if to address the young man, shuts it, then manages. "You can ask anything. I am not going to judge you."

Emma Frost has posed:
"Jeremy," Emma says quietly, "Atlantis is quite advanced technologically, but I believe we will need to make sure that you can access their version of internet lines." She doesn't often delve into his mind -- it's chaotic.

<His abilities are technological in nature. I did not think to ask you whether someone like a technopath would even be able to join the group.> Which, of course, is the reason that Emma brought them here. They each have things that they'll think to ask so as to make sure they're covered. Emma gives Jeremy the courtesy of expanding or not on that additional assurance that she offered, as he chooses.

She does slant a glance at Garth as she conveys the small bit of information privately. The outward half-smile is easy. "They have many opportunities in all of this to earn extra credit."

SpyderByte has posed:
As he gives another squeeze of his phone, his voice comes out through the speakers, muffed by the plastic bag.

<< I'm afraid of water. I'm also afraid of drowning in water. I'm also afraid that if my phone gets wet I will not be able to talk to anyone very well. >>

He has a lot of fears, obviously. The most terrified New Mutant of them all!

<< I'm not a good swimmer. I can kinda dog paddle >> In the shallow end.

His shoulders give a visible slump as he gives his phone a tighter grip for a moment, wrinkling the plastic. << I'll try my best to keep up. I don't mind seeing naked fish people. I have seen worse things online. >>

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn nods to Jeremy, "I mean, yeah..I'm a fairly strong swimmer but like..How far and how long would we be swimming for? And is there anything these collars don't protect us from? What about sharks and jellyfish?"

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon nods, and smiles, although there was perhaps a faintly disappointed look. "Thank you. I have to admit to being a little disappointed at needing to relinquish the necklaces when the trip is through, but it's understandable. To most of us on the surface, the name Atlantis calls to mind myths and ancient tales. Yet here we are, finding that those stories are, indeed, based very much in reality."

     As she glances to each at the table in turn, she smiles, though her wings remain somewhat protectively spread out behind those sitting closest to her--Jeremy, Indira, and Tabitha. "I'm curious, are there any taboos against recording images of what we see? It'd be wonderful to have something of the trip with us, but if it's forbidden, then perhaps not so much. Also..." Here, perhaps those who know her best might hear the gears in her mind turning. "...I'd the idea of perhaps bringing a similar gift, images of places on the surface world that might not otherwise be seen to your people. Would that be considered appropriate, and if so, who would such a gift be entrusted to?"

     Smiling over at Jeremy, she leans over to give him a one-armed hug. "Hey... you did alright when I was trying to teach you over the summer. We could practice again soon if you want, so you'll be okay for the trip."

Aegis has posed:
"Madre de Dios." The words are murmured low, kept on the quiet end. They are also the first words Xio has said since she arrived here. She's been sitting in the back of the group, arms crossed, listening to the entire explanation of what the group has been chosen to do.

The questions are being thrown about, most of them seem happy about it. She's feeling a little more like Jeremy looks. She'd says sounds but the phone doesn't give away much on that part.

"Ambassadors and making a good impression? Cause you gotta know that I'm not good at that stuff. You want to start a fight with someone, I'm your gal. I have a big mouth and tend to speak my mind and probably am not a good one to get insulted for being from the land without giving back. So..." she makes a little face. "Can I have my permission slip back please and I'll head back to the school?"

Ted Gammage has posed:
Through the whole thing Ted's been quiet. He's been quiet a lot lately, not that he was exactly a chatterbox before. He remains with the group, just listening and taking in as much as he can. If he has questions, he doesn't ask, but he does seem to be a little wary. He doesn't have a great relationship with water as his mutant abilities, great as they are, remove his natural buoyancy.

Tempest has posed:
"That is a lot of fears." Garth answers. His tone is not at all belittling. He considers them. "The swimming is not a concern. You will find it is the same to you as walking." he wiggles his fingers. "Magic will handle that." He continues, his tone serious, to address these real concerns. "The drowning is not a concern. I promise." He keeps his eyes on As to your phone?" Garth considers. "I'll send you an Atlantean bit of technology. A gift? It will have a speaker and it will connect to our internet equivalent. What sort of voice do you want it to have?" Garth takes notes as he speaks. To anyone reading it, he has very price, clear handwriting. It is clear though garbled with Atlantean words as well as English. He pulls in a breath. "And swimming lessons if that will help your confidence? I can teach you to swim." He's confident. "And I admire you for speaking of your fears. When I was a lad I was afraid of schooling fish. They terrified me." His voice is gentle.

He looks to Xiomara. "If you must. Of course. But if Atlantis survived the original Titans, it can survive you." His smile is soft and tinged with sadness.

"Let me reiterate? The necklaces will make you as comfortable under water as you are on land."

He shakes his head at Shannon. "They aren't ready for that. They might not be in your lifetime. It's been thousands of years for them, and for many? they can never go on land, they have lost the ability to breathe air. Your kindness might be cruelty."

He pauses. "And regardless? We're not fish people. There are no gills on me."

Siphon has posed:
    Tabitha blinks a bit at hearing they will be swimming to Atlantis. She knows how, having lived thirty feet from the Atlantic until quite recently, but the distance involved scrambled her brain for a brief moment. She settles back into listening as other bring up the finer points of the travel plans. There is something tickling at the corners of her mind but talk of the journey and Jeremy's admission of fear distract her for a time. Then it hits her and the mental 'oh shit' is strong in this one.

    She glances between Garth and Miss Frost a few times, not sure who she should ask /this/ particular question or if she should do so out loud. Then she looks at her lap and tries to calm her mind enough to try using one of the tips and tricks she's learned while at Xavier's. She brings up a mental image of Miss Frost and sort of thinks of softly clearing her throat before thinking as clearly as she can. >>Miss Frost? I might present a problem to the necklaces. My event horizon hasn't been tested against magic.<< Her mind is awash with the problems that could be caused if the necklaces turned inert on or around her.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon just nods slowly, her wings drooping visibly. "I'm sorry." Though she does try to keep her expression even, there is a quality to her silence that speaks volumes. She settles back to listen to the others for a moment, nodding a greeting to Ted and Xio as they join in. "You and yours are reaching out to us, I'd hoped we might offer the same."

Faraday has posed:
"Probably safer to just treat this like an intro course and leave anything more diplomatic like gifts and deals with the actual diplomats." Indira suggests with a big of a shrug. "We're just a bunch of kids on a field trip. I think I'll have enough to worry about just trying to adapt. I'm glad that you guys may be able to do something just to hold my powers back. I don't think it'll be an issue, but I'd rather not use the trip as a testing ground either. Worse comes to worse, if something gets wooly, Tabitha can help out and you all can just kick me back to the surface."

Emma Frost has posed:
Bringing a smile to her face, Emma adds to Jeremy. "If you are willing to face all of these concerns, Jeremy, we will support you every step. If you decide it's too much, the necklace will teleport you right back. There will be no censure for doing such; it's meant as much for fun as for learning. Does that help?" And to Shannon, she says, "It is a generous and lovely thought. Perhaps instead of bringing the images, you might choose instead to ask if someone would like any. If they say no, there are no hurt feelings involved," she points out.

Turning her eyes to Tabitha, the blonde tips her head. "Tabitha... before we leave tonight, I think it would be prudent for you to let Garth know what has worked for you so that he knows how to attempt to build his spell."

SpyderByte has posed:
<< As long as I can connect to the device, I can speak through it, I believe. I don't know. I guess we can test it and see what happens.. >>

Jeremy gives another squeeze of his hands around the phone in his usual nervous manner, staring at the device wrapped in plastic.

Ted Gammage has posed:
Ted fidgets a little bit. The talk of magic and spells kind of doesn't sit with him. He's not had experience with it, and maybe there's a little holdover from people in his old community yelling at him about how sorcery is evil. He gives Jeremy a glance as they talk about Atlantean tech. "Be interestin' to see if it works," he says. "Y'should ask for a really cool voice. Get a Darth Vader thing going," he suggests with a half-smile.

Tempest has posed:
Pulling in a breath, Garth bobs his head. "Our leadership is reaching out. The populace is uncertain. You merely being there is enough. Trust me, please." Garth smiles, gently. "If you are intent on such things? Little, durable, water-resistant small objects for your guides would be appropriate." Garth compromises.

Garth nods to Jeremy. "We will test it before. I'll send it to Emma, or I will bring it out to her some evening after your classes." He flicks his gaze to Emma. He looks about the table. "Any other concerns?" he asks in his warm tone, his smile soft on his face. He can read some nerves in the room. "I have done this sort of thing before. You will all be fine. I am more than just an Atlantean prince. I am a founding member of the titans, if you recall." he manages to sit up a little bit at that. "Neither Emma, nor I will allow any harm to come to you. "

Aegis has posed:
"I don't know about original Titans," Xio admits, chewing at her bottom lip a moment. "I just know that I'm a special sort of student at Xavier's. With a whole lot of things that I've done that aren't really suited to setting a good example. I mean I appreciate the offer but I think it's best."

Siphon has posed:
    Tabitha isn't so deep in her own worries that she fails to notice Shannon's reaction. She quietly reaches over to give her bestie's leg a comforting squeeze. She leans over with a small smile to whisper, "Always the healer." Talk of what voice Jeremy should ask for brings a grin. "Maybe slip in a classic Snow White singing voice."

    Miss Frost bringing her concern audible actually relaxes her back to normal. If Emma feels that it's not such a large concern to be kept private she's more than willing to accept that judgement. When there is a moment between other topics she looks to Garth and squares her shoulders. "I do have one last concern. It's in regard to my powers. I'm an energy siphon. Anything I touch I can drain, but I've never been exposed to magic before. We should test to make certain I won't turn the necklace inert when I put it on?"

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon nods, and smiles a bit more brightly, both to Garth and to Miss Frost. "There is still a little time to consider it. Thank you both." To Garth, she nods, and smiles warmly. "Indeed, I can't but think well of your leadership, if you and Mera are any examples to go by. She and two of her guards were the first of your people I had a chance to meet, and it's remembered fondly."

     Glancing around at her friends, her smile remains, though she nudges Jeremy with a bit of a grin. "Either Darth Vader, or maybe you could go Data. Or even Luke." Her wings ruffle happily behind her, tucking in neatly behind her back, as she looks back to Garth. "I can't quite think of further questions, but should any of us have any between now and the trip, would we field them through Miss Frost first?"

Ted Gammage has posed:
Ted glances at his fellow students, even pats Jeremy very gently on the shoulder as he gets quiet, assuming he's fiddling with new tech. He gives a look around, grinning as Shannon echos his Vader statement, "Ah think it'd suit'im," He seems more amused about this, and it seems to ease his tension and worry.

Tempest has posed:
    Concerns raised and addressed, the students finish their meal and are taken back to school by Emma.