20197/In the Heart of the Unknown

In the Heart of the Unknown
Date of Scene:	07 March 2025
Location:	Lara's Office (Yorkville Library)
Synopsis:	Lara and Patience meet up to discuss the lost scroll.
Cast of Characters:	Lara Croft, Patience Alperen

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Lara Croft has posed:
It had been a little bit of time since the team made it back from Rome, and in that span of time, a number of experts had taken a look in to the recovered Dead Sea scroll. Lara was keeping it underwraps, though it had been announced in the news that a new scroll, long separated from the others, had been recovered in an unearthed temple under Rome. It had gotten a lot of headlines around the archaeological world, featuring Lara's name; and the names of any others on the team who wished to have such notoriety.

But the contents of the scroll? That had not been publicly exposed.

Today, Lara had summoned Patience, asking her to stop by to go over some of the latest on it all, but also to catch up and see how things were fairing on Patience's side.

The Yorkville Library was quiet, at 6pm this evening, a few guards meandering the grounds, and an attendant at the front desk who was about to lockup the foyer for the night. The garage access was the quickest way inside for members of the Club, to come in through the backdoor hallway and make their way up to Lara's office.

It was here that Lara sat on the edge of a tall backed leather chair in front of the fireplace. she had on a pair of drab green hiking pants, and a black sweater that was form fit, and held a few buttons undone beneath her collar bone. Her hair was tied back, and she was wearing a pair of glasses over her eyes, as she read a text on her phone that laid over her knees.

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen had heard about the scroll through her own channels within the Church. Most believe it to be a fake because they don't want to accept that it might be real. Denial is easier than the truth.

Stopping over to see Lata, she made her way inside. Dressed casually, in jeans and a University of Notre Dame green hoodie with canvas sneakers, she smiled on seeing her friend and peer.

"Lara. Hi. I stopped by as soon as I could. How are you?"

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara set her phone aside when she heard the company arrive, expecting Patience, she had a smile cross her pink hued lips, as the right side of her body was softly illuminated by the fire light inside the large fireplace. "Patience, glad you made it..." She said, as she stood up, and motioned toward the seat beside hers. "Come on in... Would you like something to drink? We have it all, I think... Or mostly..." Lara stated, as she did a little fidget move, unsure if she should go start to prepare a glass for Patience, or wait to find out if she wanted anything at all.

"I'm having Scotch." She said, showing a hint of a grin as she motioned to her glass with ice in it upon the table beside her leather chair.

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen moves over and laughs, "It would take quite a lot to keep me from making it to see you" she says playfully.

Moving toward the seat with interest she pauses at the mention of a drink. "Mmm, Scotch sounds perfect, thank you" she nods in agreement.

"It feels so mysterious and fitting for adventurers to be drinking scotch in a library while researching.. we just need cigars and monocles!" The grin reaches her eyes as she laughs again.

Lara Croft has posed:
At the comment of cigars, Lara emitted a light laugh, as she stepped over to the fireplace, and reached a hand up to its mantle. She picked up a framed photo, that she carried over to the other woman, and offered it to her. "You're not that far off." She said, showing her a black and white picture of men in tuxedos with white shirts and matching bowties, sipping from glasses, with two of them puffing on cigars. "An original photo of the Club's members from a hundred years ago." She said, turning to go retrieve the drink, and leave the framed picture with Patience.

"The man on the left is HG Norman, and his son is beside him, Alan. They vanished together on a trip to find the lost city of gold."

The sound of ice clinking in to a glass could be heard, as Lara stood at the small bar in the corner of her office. "I ran across Alan's belongings, a little over a year ago. I found them at the base of a steep ledge. He'd written his last moments down in a journal, I'll have to show it to you some time."

The glass cap to the Scotch was twisted off, the drink poured, and the cap returned.

As Lara walked back toward Patience with the smokey drink, she pushed her sleeves up to her elbows, exposing her forearms, with her right wrist adorned by a smart watch. She offered the drink over, and retook her seat.

"How have you been, since we got home? Have you been taking it easy, or finding stuff to keep you busy?"

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen watches as Lara gets the photo. Looking at it, she joins in the laugh. Taking the framed image to study it curiously, she nodded. "A more civilized time. Or so they would have us believe. Their forms of barbary took place with fewer spotlights aimed at them. Or smart phones" she added absently.

"Vanished?" She looks over the frame at Lara, "No traces? Do you believe that? That they got eatten by piranhas? Or cannibals or something? Or do you think they're still out there to be found one day?" It's more of an open ended question than one really demanding an answer but still, it's a valid point.

Then she blinks as Lara admits to finding some trace of them.

"That must have been difficult, being in that situation. It's the nature of pressing for the unknown, unfortunately."

With a pause, she sets the photo on the side table and turns as Lara returns with her drink.

"Thanks" she says with a nod and smile. Sitting, finally, she took a sip from the glass before lowering it to bravely dangle between her thumb and middle finger as she considers the question.

"I.. have been well. Of course it took more than a few washings to get the catacomb water and smell out of my armor.." she admits with a grimmace then a laugh. "Otherwise? It has been relatively quiet." She pauses and shrugs, "That is.. until a little bird hinted to me that another scroll had been found.." She looks questioningly forward her friend.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara showed a small smile, at the response to the lost adventurers. She knew the details of what happened to them, but she wasn't eager to share it... as it was gruesome.

She sat down on the edge of her seat again, and gathered her glass up once more. A light laugh escaped her lips once again, as she took another sip of the Scotch. When she returned the glass to its place on a leather coaster, she looked back over to Patience.

"I'm planning a presentation, to all those interested in hearing the details of it. But I thought I'd share them with you first, and foremost. You're the one who put their neck on the line the most in Rome, and I think the information is most relevent to what you do..." She trailed off there, as she reached to the table beside her drink. she picked up a new notebook, leather bound, with many fresh pages of paper bound between the covers. She offered it over to Patience, and waited for the woman to part it open. Inside, meticulously hand drawn notes and pictograms detail the Crown of Ages in new details, and descriptions of its creation, its purpose, and its history.

"It was forged from the same gold that was used to create the Ark of the Covenant, but it was never meant to be worn for the opulence of mortal man. It is inscribed with the sacred symbols of the Four Evangelists-Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John- in a specific order that awakens its mystical properties during rare celestial alignments. The crown was meant to grant its bearer a heightened spiritual insight and the power to perceive hidden truths. Yet, the scroll warns: any misuse of this power will unleash a curse of eternal despair."

Lara trailed her words off there, and glanced away toward the windows, as a branch on a tree outside gently clicked against the glass pane, along with the pattering of rainfall tapping against the exterior facade.

The fire in the firepalce crackled, and Lara looked back to Patience. "I think I know where it is now too..."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen wasn't going to pry into the topic for her part. Watching Lara, she listens with a slow nod, showing a growing interest.

Looking to the notebook, she watches as Lara hands it over. Setting her own drink on the side table, she takes the leather bound book and opens it curiously. Her brown eyes scan over the contents with interest, though her brow knits with concern as she sees the details and hears Lara's additional explaination.

"Mmm.. well that certainly does conflict with some of my plans for life..." she notes with dry humor.

"So then. What do you believe we need to do next?"

Lara Croft has posed:
At the question asked of her, Lara glanced away again. When she returned her thoughtful gaze to her friend, she showed a sweet smile. "A bit of social shmoozing, I think. But that is not important right now."

She moved to stand up, and with it she took her drink glass off of the leather coaster. "Come on, I want to take you on a bit of a tour. Some of our other members have uncovered a number of other items, that I think you might find quite interesting." She gave a sly grin, and nodded toward Patience's drink. "Bring that, and we'll get a refill down in the kitchen afteward..." She stated, as she moved toward the office doorway, leading back out to the balcony level beyond.