9088/All Are Welcome (she said)

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All Are Welcome (she said)
Date of Scene: 05 September 2019
Location: Hammer Bay, Genosha
Synopsis: Just a visit to Genosha. Fantomex didn't steal that statue.
Cast of Characters: Polaris, Fantomex




Polaris has posed:
The gardens in Genosha were lovely as could be. Picturesque. High walled hedges covered the thick, tall, branching walls and hid them from view and from those beyond. Inside were carefully tended plants of both the tropical variety, and more European styles. Roses of brilliant, impossible, hues dotted several of them. Glittering with mutations created by either mutants and mutates themselves, or by some enterprising scientist. Tall trees that looked to be far older than they should be shaded the very formal garden paths. All of which had been artificially grown and tended to by plant powered mutants.

Gravel of polished white lined the pathways, ringed in wrought-iron borders of twisting shapes. A few carefully built benches were placed in shady nooks. All circling a fairly large centralized fountain of stone and metal. A woman of stone, tangled about with metal radiating from her like wings, and holding a large, overflowing jug. Her head crowned in real flowers, likely from the garden itself. Marble circled the edges of the fountain, cracked with age, and likely rescued from somewhere far far away from Genosha's borders.

It was here in the center of the Royal Gardens. That the current heir to the throne, and Princess of it all, sat. She wore a loose fitting gown of sheer layers of silken like fabric. The fabric itself was two toned in hue, shifting from the deepest greens to the softest blues, and edged in gold. The dress hung about her neck in a halter style, a small blue gem clasping it closed at her neck. Green hair tumbled down her shoulders in perfectly sculpted curls, held into place with matching gems pinned into her hair throughout. She sat reading over the contents of a glass thin tablet, tapping here and there, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she worked even outside and seemingly at rest.

A tray sat untouched beside her, a pitcher of some fruit drink and matching crystal glass, and a plate of fresh bread. All forgotten to whatever it was that kept the Genoshan royal occupied on her tablet.

Fantomex has posed:
Genosha welcomes all mutants, and anyone else. Someone said so in a recent interview. And Fantomex is a mutant. He is also -many- other things that are not going to be welcomed. But he is a mutant. Okay? So he came. He was practically invited. By Lorna.

He has been in Hammer Bay a few days, and he is pretty sure no one has seen it. Truth is he expected a vast variety of mutant abilities, including a few that would make his illusions ineffective, so he was careful. And he is really good sneaking around, even without illusions.

Now, the royal palace is a place where he probably would not have been invited. At least not right away. But he is a man of action that scoffs at danger, magnetic or otherwise. So he snuck in. It was somewhat difficult, but since he loves challenge it could be said he had a good time avoiding Magneto's security. Besides he wanted to talk with the princess that 'invited' him to come. And the French do detest bureaucracy.

Sneaking stops when he is a few yards of Lorna. But if she is concentrated in the reading, she might fail to notice him. Barely any iron on him. At most she might notice the quiet but constant high frequency emissions of his technorganic external nervous system. E.V.A. is a nosy girl sometimes.

"Bonjour," he greets, keeping a polite distance, "princess."

Polaris has posed:
Lorna had bodyguards, she had them whenever she was on Genosha proper. Security was always tight in the Palace residences, and the Royal Gardens were of no exception. It was, or at least so Lorna felt, excessive. But her father was a paranoid man born out of decades of people trying to kill him, and he'd survived this long for //reasons//. So much so that Lorna never truly argued with him regarding her safety or that of what was required for safety while she lived inside the Palace.

Even if it was irritating.

However, Magneto wasn't there. Even if the island was at large on high alert, it was for Sentinels and those that supported them. Not other mutants per say.

Lorna clicked through the contents of her tablet, at ease as she would be with the safety she'd known in the Mansion she'd gone to school in. This was a //safe// place. So much so that she didn't typically bother to focus on the electrostatic that people gave off here. She didn't //need// to be constantly monitoring for people's nerve endings, or the spark of current that people's brains gave off. Not typically at least.

So Fantom's presence was a shock to say the least. When his voice reached her's she jumped, but didn't immediately scream, people were //always// coming and going in the royal Palace, and as much as she tried to remember faces and names... there were simply too many people for her to remember them always. So, clearly, if he was in the Royal Gardens, he must belong there. Strange as he might have appeared or not.

Her green eyebrows hitched upward, and she clicked the tablet off, setting it aside as she looked up at him from her position beside the trickling fountain. "Yes?"

Fantomex has posed:
"My aren't you," Fantomex hesitates, "charmant," he decides. "Lovely in green princess attire," he comments, leaning against the marble edge of the fountain. He is tall, dressed up mostly in a white that shines under the sunlight. Armed, though. Twin handguns under the white trench coat. Should be too warm for tropical Genosha, but one never knows in this island of super-humans.

"Allow me to introduced myself, S'il vous plait," he adds, stepping close and trying to reach for her hand. Even if she refuses him, he bows gracefully. "Fantomex. France's greatest thief, and mutant hero. I heard your welcome all kinds of people into this lovely land."

He certainly has a strong French accent. But any real French would know it is faked.

Polaris has posed:
Green eyebrows furrowed further as the stranger spoke, and Lorna remained where she was. She expected //something// regarding why the man was there, why he was speaking to her. Something important, beyond simple introductions. But that didn't come. Not as he lazily leaned and stepped toward her. Her suspicions were roused as she eyed the weapons so clearly on the man though did not sense anything from them.

Still, an attacker wouldn't address her directly.. wouldn't he?

The Princess did not allow him to take her hand, her perfectly manicured hands instead tucking closer to her frame and figure, folded carefully on her lap. It was decidedly too bold for her to be willing to allow it from a stranger in her garden. Even if he bowed and continued onward. "Thief?" She drawled, her eyebrows shooting upward. French, Lorna only knew a smattering of, nothing like her father's advanced knowledge of languages. But enough to understand a few words here or there and nothing more.

"We do allow anyone seeking a home here, mutant or otherwise. But you'll have to excuse me for wondering exactly why you've felt the need to come to me directly. Have you introduced yourself so formally to France's Prime Minister?"

Fantomex has posed:
"Of course I did," admits Fantomex in a happy tone. "I also stole half the wine bottles of the presidential cellar. But I have to say he wasn't as attractive as you, the conversation also was... he shouted quite angry. It was brief."

He steps back again, as if feeling the distrust, tilting his head. "No, I had no luck dealing with politicians. They rarely have a sense of humor, and they are even more rarely mutants. Queen Elizabeth was the most interesting and charming."

He shrugs. "I did not harm to any of them, and I am not here to harm you either, you would have not seen me if I did. No, I am here because I am looking for..." he pauses again. "A place worth living on, I suppose. I am not much of a joiner, but that chat with April O'Neil drew my attention."

Polaris has posed:
A head tilt followed Fantomex's words, and she considered him with now less suspicion and more vague amusement. "Uh huh. I see. I can imagine why the French Prime Minister might not be thoroughly amused by that. I would imagine my father would be less than thrilled if you did the same." She stood with a smooth motion, smoothing her skirts and considering the man again. She inclined her head, and gestured to the gravel walk way as she started a slow pace.

"Not that my father is overly interested in wine mind you." She murmured and shrugged as she continued to speak, seemingly taking him at face value that he didn't intend to harm her. The gravel didn't crunch under her step, though her feet were clearly brushing against the stones. She walked with most of her weight suspended into the magnetic fields, making her hair float about her faintly in the currents that had nothing to do with the wind.

"So long as you don't make a habit of stealing from people here, you're welcome on the island. Mind you, I doubt you'll find much of value beyond the sentimental among the populace. Most are refugees here and come running from rather desperate situations. I'd like to think that a man of your talents wouldn't lower himself to that. Correct?"

Fantomex has posed:
"I was considering the fountain," admits the man in white. "But it is too large for my garden," he pauses, looks back. Hrms. "D'autre part, I could shrink it to half size." He looks at Lorna, face hidden, but blue eyes smiling. "I will be good," he murmurs.

His boots are not making any noise on the gravel. And it is no magnetic trick.

"A man of my talents need to keeps himself busy," he admits. "If I can't steal here, perhaps I could steal somewhere else. Perhaps even for patriotic reasons. Would you think the Trasks have a good wine cellar?"

Polaris has posed:
Lorna glanced back over her shoulder at the fountain in faint interest, leaving her food and tablet there untouched and in the open. She didn't seem worried even having a self proclaimed thief there with her in the Royal Gardens. She'd be sending a letter to Remy either way asking after the man, but that was later. She arched an eyebrow upward again, at the comment about shrinking it but otherwise didn't comment on that particular bit.

"I would think that a man like Trask //thinks// he has taste and likely has overly expensive wines and drinks that actually taste rather poorly. He strikes me as rather pompous." She tilted her head in consideration, "Though I would imagine if you want a challenge his place would be the one to go to. Anti-mutant sensors and such things."

Fantomex has posed:
"Those are easy to misled," offers Fantomex. "I'd worry the most about those things that wouldn't be as predictable as anti-mutant devices." But he finishes with a shrug. "I was speaking theoretically. I heard Bolivar fled America, now wanted by the federals." Beat. "And... my wine cellar is full at the moment."

"But there are other pompous people to target, oui?" Continues the white-clad thief. "I will remain in Genosha a few days, then travel to New York for some, ah, business and pleasure. But you are often in that area, aren't you?"

Polaris has posed:
Lorna inclined her head, "I heard that he was on the run, yes. Though, we shall see how long that remains. My father is adamant about finding him and ensuring that he isn't a threat anymore. I.. am inclined to think that Trask is not the threat we should worry about for the moment. Though he is dangerous, he is simply a human. So long as he is on the run and publicly not supported.. That is enough for me. I worry about the Sentinels still active and on the loose." She pursed her lips, glancing back to him from the path ahead.

"But those aren't things you steal from. So I doubt you'd be interested in those." She mused, and continued to walk slowly, thoughtfully.

"I am often in New York, I grew up in that general area. Plus it is a place to have easy access to the world's movers and shakers. Business wise or politically. A great many powerful people go there and have dealings there, so there I must be."

Fantomex has posed:
It takes Fantomex some effort not to blurt out he did stole a Sentinel already. Instead, "it is not the giant robots, worry instead about those Sentinels you can't see," he states, sounding far more serious this time.

Simply human, she says. That one makes him roll his eyes. Nothing simple about humans.

"You will want to research about me," he says. "You will find mostly lies and misdirection. Much of them my work. Thieves are liars. But I will give you the chance to know me, should you want. I am not lying when I say I want a place to live. Or that I find you lovely."

Polaris has posed:
Lorna laughed softly, "I worry about the Sentinels that are not actually Sentinels. The ones that are partly human, partly machine." She spoke, and though she'd laughed when she said it, it was clear that there was fear in the edges of her voice. She'd met Bastion, and nothing else out there had chilled her to the bone so thoroughly as feeling the half-man, half-machine cut her powers from her with a thought.

"Trask by comparison can be reasoned with." She murmured, speaking softly. Her gaze swung back to the stranger beside her, and she watched him for a moment before she shrugged once.

"Of course I will, I planned to ask a friend of mine who also considers himself a thief. If you're all that you're cracked up to be, then he'll know something, right?" She teased, and smiled again, though only shook her head about the comment regarding her being lovely.

"As I said before, you're welcome in Genosha."

Fantomex has posed:
"If he is well-connected, some," admits Fantomex. "The Internet?... oh, a few of my most infamous stunts are there. Those are all quite hilarious." He grins under his mask, almost visible. "Some of the most infamous stunts I never did are also there. Caveat emptor." Which is not French but always good advice for anything online.

Fantomex does not know Bastion. Which is probably a good thing. Kinship goes both sides of the mutant-machine sides, after all.

"I know about the less obvious Sentinels," his eyes narrow. "But that will be a conversation for other day. Looks like one of your guards sensed something amiss. She deserves a raise. Few notice me when I don't want to be noticed."

Polaris has posed:
A small shrug followed, "I can't make claims to his connections or not, it's not my place to ask, and until now I've had no need to." She murmured simply, folding her hands behind her as she walked, her gaze swinging from the plant life that surrounded them back to Fantomex as he spoke of her guard having noticed his presence. She arched a brow, but nodded once and paused in her steps to turn about to face him fully.

"Well then, I suppose you should go onto whatever thrill you're seeking next. It has decidedly been an interesting chat."

Fantomex has posed:
"I don't get the whole tour?" Fantomex mock-complains, taking a step back. "Alas, yes. I wouldn't want to bleed all over your garden. It would be rude." He bows again, "I'll seek you soon, lovely princess, adieu."

He turns, his coat flaring dramatically.

And then he is not there, just a flash of white, and nothing. It is disconcerting. Nothing in the ECM spectrum either.

The guards arrive about ten seconds later, looking for some unidentified intruder.