311/Chasing Abbey

Chasing Abbey
Date of Scene:	07 May 2017
Location:	Natural History Museum
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Lara Croft, Danger Girl

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Lara Croft has posed:
Lara Croft is in the basement of the Natural History Museum, but before your mind starts thinking of a musty and dusty quiet and shadey place... the Basement of the Museum is really just as busy and packed with tourists as the rest of the large facility is. Though not quite as much.

There's a small cafe in the lower level, that serves food and drink and is often less packed than the cafeteria on the main floor, so this is where most people go who 'know' the layout of the museum, and thus here is Lara, sitting at a table with her laptop in front of her and a coffee cup resting beside it. She's wearing a dark grey tanktop with a white button-down shirt overtop of that, some beige trousers that reach down to her feet that are covered in dark brown leather boots. Lara is casually reading something on the screen of her laptop, sitting by a large window that is letting natural light pour in over her back from the city outside.

Danger Girl has posed:
Abbey Chase was not down there yet. She had just walked up to the front doors of the building in fact. The blonde was, herself wearing a white tee with a brown leather jacket over it and faded, ripped denim jeans with sneakers. Hardly a fashionable ensemble but it was comfortable and functional. Over her shoulder she had a backpack slung as she entered. Lifting her sunglasses up to perch atop her head and keep her blonde hair from her eyes she smiled and breathed in. A contented sigh followed. A museum just has that... smell. Like a Library smells of books and binding glue, a Museum smells of... history. Slightly musty, even dusty. But with a vibrancy all its own. The best aroma ever. Not counting fresh chocolate chip cookies, of course. That goes without saying.

Abbey pushed farther in, moving around vistors who pay her little mind. "It's nice being mostly anonymous" she thought as she made her way toward the wide marble stairs that led to that not-so-secret Lower Level.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara gathered up her things and she slid the laptop back into her leather bag then stood up from her table and put the backpack over her right shoulder with one strap. Picking up her coffee she exhaled softly and started toward the door of the cafe. Once outside of it she turned around and made for the steps that Abbey was coming down, unfortunately she had to go around a corner before she made it to said staircase and as she came out and around the corner she bumped RIGHT INTO Abbey.

Lara backpeddled then, and looked stunned to have just walked right into another person. "I'm so sorry!" The young British woman said to the blonde in a rush.

Danger Girl has posed:
Abbey Chase started to move to avoid the collision but it was simply too close and too late. The two women get bumped into each other. Close encounter!

Abbey takes a slight stagger back and to the side, slipping off a step and grabbing for the railing to catch herself. Which she almost does. But instead, she flails and begins to fall backward and 'up' the stairs. It won't be a hard landing if it happens, just one bruising to the ego. Those are the worst kind of tumbles.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara saw the woman stumble backward and she moved forward in quick motion to reach out to take her non-railing holding hand! "Woah woah!" She said, not wanting to see the poor woman fall back and hit her head on a stair... and then subsequently have to deal with the knowledge that she just injured someone!

Unfortunately this meant that Lara's coffee dropped out of her hand and landed at the foot of the staircase where it burst open and mocha-latte went in a gushing geyser across the marble floor and onto the hardwood of the room the stairs lead into.

But Lara's main focus was making sure that Abbey didn't fall over!

Danger Girl has posed:
Hands catch upon each other and clasp firmly as only those with climbing experience (or falling out of aircraft, or falling down slippery slopes) could have. Abbey's fall is cancelled out by Lara's attempts to stop her as well as the blonde's free hand dropping to catch the front lip of one step to steady herself.

Green eyes look up to meet Lara's and Abbey sighs, "Wow. That was.. more dramatic than I imagined my trip to the basement would end up being.." She offers a thankful grin as she gets her feet under herself and gets righted once more. "But your drink..." Was it a coffee with lots of cream? A lattee? A cap? It's a total loss now. "Can I buy you another one as thanks for catching me?" she offers with an appreciative smile.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara had grasped onto Abbey's left wrist with her right hand, her forearm really, to help keep her up and steady by using her own bodyweight. When Abbey was righted and kept from tumbling backward, an exhale was released from the British archaeologist, an expressio nof relief.

Lara's brown eyes wound then look down at the coffee on the floor at the other's words and she'd shake her head. "Its fine. I don't really need to drink that kind of thing anyway... I just had a free..." She shook her head. "Coupon..." She laughed a little huff and looked back to Abbey.

"I'm so sorry for bulling into you."

Other people going up and down the stairs were glancing at the two of them, and avoiding the spilled cofee. A call to the cleaning staff had already been placed by an attendant to the museum.

Danger Girl has posed:
Abbey Chase drops down the few steps to Lara's level. She isn't about to try and stand above. That's just rude. The blonde smiles, "But it was free. And now it's wasted. So the least I can do..." She tilts her head with a curious look as if seeking affirmation, her voice going a little more quiet to not broadcast to those passing by, ".. for the capable Ms. Croft... you are Lara - right? .. anyway. I owe you a replacement. Fair is fair!" Abbey declares.

Lara Croft has posed:
Being recognized wasn't something Lara was terribly used to, but sinc eit was inside of this Museum which she frequented... it wasn't too shocking to her. She had made quite a few headliens after the events on the remote island of Yamatai a few years ago as well.

"I am, yes." She said, and then retreated the hand she'd used to help steady Abbey moments ago and offered it for a shake now. "I'm generally much more aware of my surroundings, I assure you." She said to Abbey then. "I don't believe... I know your name however. Do you work here?" She asked the other.

The Brith would then move to pick up the coffee cup and lid and take it over to a waste bin that was just a few steps away... she could at least clean that much of the mess up right now. She then pointed to the cafe entrance she'd come from. "Were you headed in here anyway?"

Danger Girl has posed:
Abbey Chase smiles and lets the helping hand go to be offered in proper greeting. She looks pleased to have recognized the other woman as she reaches out her right hand to Lara's. She'd to a little happy dance for getting it right but. Appearances. Shaking the hand warmly she offers, "Abbey Chase." Though she eases the hand shake as if expecting Lara to pull back quickly on learning she was the treasure hunter and not a proper archaeologist. As it were. "The wall would have reflected the sound of my footsteps away from you. You couldn't have known. I should have been on the other side of the stairway, really." A nod, "But yes.. I was heading down here. Not to the cafe. Back into the archives to try and look something up actually."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara would recognize the name. "Abbey, Chase?" She'd say back to the other. "You're... seller of antiques, right?" She was trying to be diplomatic. Lara stood there in front of her, with her right hand going up to the leather strap of her backpack and she nodded. "I've heard of your name in the field of, well... acquiring, and... looking for the highest bidder to sell too." She softly shook her head then.

"I'm sorry if that was rude, I just maybe have been given misinformation. Its rather common these days, afterall." Lara stuffed the fingers of her right hand into the front thigh pocket of her trousers and tried not to look socially awkward, but social interactions were not her strongest skill.

Danger Girl has posed:
Abbey Chase nods and shrugs, "That's me. And no, you've heard right. There's good money to be had in finding artifacts for those interested." She glances around, "Though I'll understand if you'd prefer not to get that drink now. I'm used to the reaction my name brings out in others."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara released a soft and light laugh at the other's words. "I understand." She told her. "I am in no position to judge you, so please don't feel that I am." Lara was well aware that she'd been born into money and she'd never not known what it felt like to not have it as an option. She had avoided not delving into her parent's wealth so far in her life, but it was still there... it was still an option to keep her from being homeless and penniless... She wasn't forced to do her job, just to survive.

"Come on." She said with a nod of her head. "It was a White Chocolate Mocha Latte." She told the other with a soft grin. "Since you spilled it all over the floor, I mean... the least you can do is replace it." She was teasing of course, a playful side to the otherwise cold Brit showing through.

Danger Girl has posed:
Abbey Chase smiles. "I did offer first. Let the record show!" she insists and walks over with Lara. "I tried the purely academic path. It... didn't work for me. I found that the... fore armed is best prepared approach to be the only effective one. I know it's not always the case. But there are too many claim jumpers who don't care who they hire to help them get what they want not to fight fire with firearms." She looks over to the barista, "Please remake this lovely lady's drink so I can watch her enjoy drinking from it rather than cause her to spill it all over your lovely floors? And I'd like... A medium sized dark roast? And add two shots of espresso please?" She pulls out some cash to pay for the drinks.

Lara Croft has posed:
The cafe employee nodded to the orders and went to fill them. Lara, looked over at Abbey and she smiled at her softly and gently shook her head. "Well, please... If you find anything particularly intriguing, contact me?" She asked, looking back over at the blonde. "I can pay for it, of course... I just wish to ensure that some items don't end up in the wrong hands."

Lara grabbed a few napkins from the dispensor and held them between her hands, waiting for her drink as it was made fresh once more.

She looked back to Abbey then. "I don't work for the museum, but I have a lot of contacts here and they're assisting me with my own research. As I can maybe assist you with yours, so long as you give me an opportunity to not let anything, potentially dangerous... end up in the wrong hands. If that makes any sense what so ever." She showed another small smile then for the other woman.

Danger Girl has posed:
Abbey Chase smiles and pays, looking back at Lara. "I'm not completely lacking in moral fiber, Ms. Croft. Just willing to bend it a little to make end's meet." She gets her drink and moves over to fix it with cream and sweetener. "If I find any pieces that aren't spoken for and I don't want for my own collection I'll certainly keep you in mind. Professional Courtesy after all." She then nods, "I understand your meaning. I've worked with other parties interested in the good of humanity over the gain of a few for just those same reasons."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara listened and she accepted her new drink when it was handed over by the server. She smiled at him and then turned to look to Abbey again. "I'm sorry... if I seemed, bitchy." She told the other. "I'm terrible at this form of... talking to people." She showed a faint grin then and sipped the fresh drink to taste it, it was quite good.

After a light sigh then, Lara turned away from the counter to clear it for other customers. "I work for an... Agency that is after relics of great power, thats precisely why they hired me, in fact. We live in a wild world, where there are many secrets of which could bring great risks if they were to be discovered by the wrong people."

Another sip was had by the British woman before she stammered out. "No-not that you're the wrong people, by any means, Miss... I simply mean that I'm, trying to... stop it from being in the hands of those who... are." Lara would sigh then and shake her head. "My apologies." She inhaled sharply and let it out slowly. "Being around so many people, is uncomfortable for me." Public places such as the museum were definitely not her strong suit.

Danger Girl has posed:
Abbey Chase listens, "You can call be Abbey. Please." She smiled "You're not bitchy, Ms. Croft. At all. I find you enjoyable to talk to. You put more pressure on yourself than you deserve, I'd say. I think you're doing just find talking to me. I mean.. I'm the one with the bad professional and academic reputation. Not you. You're the ingenue who found Yamatai. And the one who was tough enough to survive it. I admit I only know what has been made public. But if a third of it is factual, you are a very strong woman." She glances around, "Would you like to go to one of the alcoves up on the third floor? We can watch everyone and not be bothered? Or is there someplace else you'd like to go? If.. you'd like to keep visiting that is."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara smiled at the compliments from the other and she sipped from her coffee again whilst stepping out of the way of a family and their several loud and crazy children that were hoping for pastries.

"Yes well..." Lara said, once away from that chaos, back to the blonde. "I've... not fully come home from Yamatai... And to be entirely honest, I do not think that I every fully will come home from it. I believe that a part of me did perish there. I'm just not entirely certain which part of me it was." She lifted the coffee to her lips then and sipped it once more.

"I would be happy to chat with you further, Abbey." She replied. "Its not often that I get to meet someone who's in the same line of work as I am, or at least in the same ballpark as it. Well... what I mean is that you must have some very impressive tales of your own?" Lara posed that question, lofting her left brow up a little while she shifted the weight of the leather backpack on her shoulder that was loaded with laptop and books.

Danger Girl has posed:
Abbey Chase reached out to try and lightly touch Lara's shoulder at the open admission of difficulties that occured on that rather ill-fated trip. "To face all of that? I would be most shocked to hear you came through it without being changed or affected, Lara." She gestures and walks along, casually leading the way up the wide marble stairs till they finally make it to the top balcony level and it's small alcoves for sitting and studying or just watching the activity on the main floor. "I've got any number of stories. They all have their own moments where the best laid plans left me behind trying to make it up as I went."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara would follow the other after having given her a warm smile and a singular nod. She'd take her backpack off of her shoulder again and let it rest against the floor beside the alcove seat and then settled into it herself.

With her coffee placed upon a coaster on the table, Lara leaned back against the back of the seat and she looked over at the other, watching her while she spoke. "Improvisation under extreme duress seems to be the name of the game in this field of work." She pulled a deep inhale in through her small nose and looked away for a moment while her hands cupped around the base of her coffee. "I mean, look at the world that we live in, Abbey..." She looked back to the blonde then. "Mutants, and... metahumans... Men and women in capes flying about, doing battle with monsters from other galaxies... And here you and I are, forced to try to find our own niche. To try to survive amongst the chaos."

Lara showed a light grin to the other. "To try to make a little money, or discover truths that have become lost through time." Her head was lightly shook and she put her left hand back behind her neck to rub the back of it. "I'm just a mad woman though... who talks in her sleep."

Danger Girl has posed:
Abbey Chase dropped her own backpack down by her left leg, absently stepping on the strap. It's subtle and intentional. She's learned over the years - never leave any bag free to be grabbed while distracted. She nods. "It is crazy." She rubs her neck. "I've seen super heroes. Super-Super Villains. Crazed old men who thought they were the second coming of Adolf Hitler... henchment pumped up on so much evil henchman syrum they looked like walking tree trunks with bodies and arms. And little pin sized brains.." She shakes her head. "And I've seen the supernatural and what the obsession with relics that can tap into the supernatural realm can do to otherwise - seemingly - sane people. But money and greed can do that to a person too. It doesn't have to be super power in whatever form.."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara listened to this and she sipped from her cup of coffee then gently dipped her chin in a soft and subtle nod, eyes on Abbey. "Then we are in similar places, Abbey." She said to the blonde and showed a light and warm smile to her. "I just want to make sure that the dangerous items, the stuff that may not have even originated from our world... or even, of course, that which did start first here... but yet still holds great power, is brought in to a place where it can't fall into the hands of the foul and wicked." With a heavy inhale and a sharp exhale, Lara's shoulders sagged a little.

"So that is my life's journey. My father started it... and he's passed it on to me in his wake. I just hope that I can do as well as he had done before me." She showed the other another litlte smile and sipepd her drink again.

"And if you find something, that you think I could help with... consider asking me to come with you. Its entirely likely that I'll go, if I'm able to."

Danger Girl has posed:
Abbey Chase listens. "Lara. I may not know your family? But it seems that we put more pressure on ourselves to make our parents proud than needed. Just by being happy. Doing what we love, we make them proud. Not everyone ahs the courage to stand up for themselves and say no to what they don't want, and embrace what they do. You're good at this. Or you'd not be here today. And I would love to work with you if we can find a project or dig that we could do it. I already enjoy your company."