7390/Norton hears a Lara.

Norton hears a Lara.
Date of Scene:	02 May 2019
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Nort hires Lara!
Cast of Characters:	Megatron, Lara Croft

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Megatron has posed:
    Witherstone Industries is an English conglomerate with offices across the world. One of the older corporations that in the upsurge of the economy at the end of the seventies felt that diversification was the key to success. That way if one branch of their company suffered a set back, assuredly it could be covered and compensated for by other branches.
    Unfortunately this did not come to be. At least for the stockholders of Witherstone. Repeated setbacks, closing of regional offices, and a decline in stock prices that had the company sold repeatedly at a lower and lower price each time. But these days there has been an upswell over the last year. An upswell in profits and some vision to guide the efforts of the company.
    The best evidence of this upsurge? The re-opening of their office in Manhattan. Oh it's a small one, just half of the second floor of a building off 34th. But it's a presence and more than most companies in the world have. It was that address that Lara Croft was sent in a message sent requesting her services her time and effort to be compesnated properly for. The quoted price was not extravagant, but it was worthy and it might well draw interest.
    Interest enough to get her to come to that address and ascend to the office.

Lara Croft has posed:
Money never intrigued Lara Croft, she'd had it her whole life, she'd never known what a life without money really felt like... even if she had cut herself off from her family's fortune after her father's passing, her drive and dedication to work, left her never without enough money to get by. Now, in her mid 20s, she was in a fine employment place, providing her with all manner of resources.

But, odd curiosities definitely piqued the British woman's intrigue and that invitation to this very unusual location was enough to get her to respond to it. She worked not too far from here anyway and had just returned to the United States two nights ago.

So, ascending in the elevator, dressed in a black top underneath a black leather jacket, some dark gray denim jeans that look brand new, and also new looking black leather shoes, Lara steps off of the lift and lets her brown eyed gaze wander left to, right, One more look is given to the slip of paper in her hand that she jotted the address and information onto and now she sets off to enter that office area.

The door is pushed open and she'll approach whomever represents this company, presumably a fron tdesk, to introduce herself.

Megatron has posed:
    Inside the decor is a good 50 years old, perhaps not quite so egregious if one considers that ten years ago the 60s were back in style again, but it definitely is a... 'treat' to the eyes. With the oranges and reds and the lateral patterns. The furniture is comfortable if a bit art-deco, though the receptionist at the front desk seems to be of this time, just a young woman with a pixie cut and a bright smile.
    "Hello, may I help you?" She asks, a hint of an English accent to her request. But it takes little more than Lara replying with her name that would see the door opened and for her to be given admittance, walked to a meeting room down the hall.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara wasn't much for interior decorating or spotting eras of the modern world. She could make guesses for the origins of styles and such, but she was no better at it than the average person... her knowledge of such things dates a bit further back than even the 60s.

"Lara." She tells the woman who meets with her. "Croft." She gives her name, smiles pleasantly and follows along to where she's lead or guided to.

When brought to the meeting room, Lara thanks the other and then steps inside. She lets her eyes roam around the interior of the room before she takes light steps toward the table and chairs within.

Megatron has posed:
    Inside the room the lights are a little low, one of the halogens above flickering faintly. The walls are wood paneling with a distinct 70s vibe this time, though in the middle of the room is a loooooong table lined with two dozen chairs, a place large enough and robust enough to endure a great board meeting if it came to it.
    But currently, inside that meeting room, is just one man who is standing behind the table at the other end, the blinds behind him closed reducing the light of the sunset to slivers. "Lady Croft."
    He's older, silvered hair and pale in complexion. He's tall, half a foot above six feet and standing with his hands upon the table before him. He straightens up as she enters and smiles faintly. "It is good to meet you."
    He gestures with one hand to the chair at the opposite end of the table, "Please, have a seat. Pour yourself a glass of water if you wish." And as he says that he motions to the ice water decanter on a small tray right there as well.

Lara Croft has posed:
There's a number of people in this world who would like Lara Croft to be dead. Even after her first major expedition that started her entire career, there were left over members of the cult known as the Solarii who tried to hunt Croft down and kill her for her part in stopping their Leader's progression toward the future that he promised all of them.

Needless to say, slightly unsettling situations will put Lara on edge, but this is only slight in this current one. So she steps into the room, looks to the very tall man and offers him a light smile. "Oh. I'm well, but thank you." She responds in her smooth and pleasant voice. "I'm afraid I don't have a name to return the pleasantries with." She then says to him."

As she says these words she pulls a chair out and proceeds to settle down into it, just one of the many along the sides of the table, near the center.

Megatron has posed:
    "Of course," The man looks at her steadily for the space of two heartbeats then he offers to her, "My name is Norton Agamemnon, regional director for Witherstone Industries." He takes a seat as well, though only upon the edge of it. His back is ramrod straight and his hands come together with fingers interlaced as he looks to her.
    "I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and that you were willing to meet with me here today. Unless you have an objection I shall begin?"
    And unless she does stop him the lights come down partially and a projector in the ceiling will descend to begin presenting a steady stream of information as Mr. Agamemnon speaks, lighting up the far wall and displaying what is needed.
    "Recently one of our competitors has made a discovery in the jungles along the Argentinian and Paraguayan border. Rare earth metals and ores in possibly sufficient quantities as to break the Chinese monopoly on such things."
    As he speaks the projector displays each, some file footage of the area, then some footage of the mining efforts, then some of the minerals.
    "As a producer of computer circuit boards and electronics an alternative source is very important to us." The images change to some of those boards and the minerals nearby, then an image of a plane flying fro point A to point B, almost like one of those 1950s travel/advenure movies. "If you would be so kind as to undertake this task, we would appreciate it if you could depart on a fact-finding expedition to answer several questions for us. Primarily to verify the existence of these new ores. To perhaps attain samples. But what is more, to perhaps gauge if the efforts of our competitors might be playing a little..." His hands spread, "Too fast and loose with the law. As you see one of the mining developments seems to be in a location of ruins from an earlier South American society."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara settles back in her chair as the man introduces himself and she offers him a light smile to the information, but she doesn't stop him from proceeding with this presentation he seemingly has in wait for her.

Lara's eyes go to the display and she watches, listens and takes in all of this. It makes her draw in a breath, it causes her dark eyebrows to lower a little as she considers the factors of all of this, the offer he's presenting her and the consequences that might come from all of it. Its a lot to get thrown onto your lap at once, after all.

"Fascinating." Lara first responds as she lets another pause lead a bit more time between her next statement.

"I'll need to have a geology expert with me to ensure that I'm recovering the right samples. I only know so much in the field myself, and I wouldn't believe I'd be quite skilled enough to designate the rare ores you're asking for. But the rest, well, it sound easy enough, I should say." She tells the older man then, looking over to him.

"What made you want me for this job?" She asks, curious about that to start with.

Megatron has posed:
    Mr. Agamemnon sits there and responds after a half second of consideration, "There should be individuals in the township where they operate out of. But we are mainly interested in any of the new examples or the data associated with it if possible."
    There's a beat then as she asks her question and he smiles faintly. "Mainly for your resourcefulness, Lady Croft, as well as your reputation." He unfolds his thumbs from his interlaced fingers and says, "In the past there has been claims by one party and another about possible industrial sabotage. With your involvement that lends us another level of credibility and deniability should harmful allegations be hurled in our direction."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara sits quietly with her hands in her lap while she listens to his formulated response and it makes her smile lightly once again. She nods her head to his answers then and she reaches into a pocket to pull out a business card. She sets it down on the table and gives it a little twirl/shove with her first two fingers, sending it down the smooth wood surface toward where he is.

"Here." She tells him. "So you can contact me directly with any more information that comes up." She glances once more toward the display screen. "I believe I can go on this trip for you. It sounds like its a bit... under where I'm usually aiming, but that doesn't mean its 'beneath me' by any means. Quite honestly there are things in that region of the world that I'm interested to look into while I'm there." She pauses and then smiles more openly to him again. "Side project, won't interfere with your wishes, I assure you."

Megatron has posed:
    "That's excellent news!" He says, with perhaps the first strength of emotion behind it and he nods towards the business card. "I shall have Bernice see to your requirements and the logistics. Expenses shall be covered, of course. Within reason." That last is added in there a little lower than the others. Then he lifts his voice.
    "Bernice!"
    The door opens and one of the young women who had been in the office as she walked to the meeting room steps through, "Yes, Mr. Agamemnon?"
    "Please do be so kind as to take care of Lady Croft's requirements?"
    "Of course, Mr. Agamemnon."
    "Excellent. Now if you'll both excuse me?"
    Bernice turns and smiles to Lara, then gestures to the door. "Come with me, please."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara watches the woman stride into the meeting room and she exchanges a look between the two of them as they share words. She then moves to rise up to her full height again and put the chair back where she'd found it. "Yes, of course." Lara quietly says.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, MIster Agamemnon." She says back to him then before she considers his last name for a few seconds. She turns though and starts to walk to where Bernice is, but along her way she points up to that flickering light above her head as she passes underneath that. "You might want to get that looked at." She says to, well, both of them really.

Something about this feels shady to her, but Lara's insatiable curiosity tends to have her just dig deeper into such things, rather than turn tail and run from them.

Megatron has posed:
    Of course once they step out of the meeting room, Bernice smiles at Lara as they walk. She says sidelong to her, "Isn't Mr. Agamemnon the queerest duck?" She asks, perhaps looking to get some insight from Lara since well... she's the only one who has spoken to him since he arrived.

Lara Croft has posed:
Once out of the room, that comment from Bernice kind of strikes Lara a bit off guard and she looks up from her phone that she'd plucked from a pocket and over to Bernice with a second or two needed before her facial expressions indicate she processed what the other woman had just said...

Lara's gaze goes back quickly over her shoulder to the room they'd just left, then back to Bernice and she summons up a quick smile for her. "I've met odder people in my time." She says back. "But he certainly seems to be a... unique individual, from what little I've experienced so far."

With a light inhale, Lara glances around the hallway as they walk. "Have you worked here long?" She asks of Bernice.

Megatron has posed:
    "A few years," Bernice answers off hand, "I think he's a germophobe or something." She says as she lowers her voice to a whisper, imparting that comment to Lara conspiratorially. Then she nods and slips back to her chipper tone. "Let's get you set up, shall we Lady Croft?"
    And with that she settles down at her desk and begins to fill out a proper requisitions form.