12237/So Fancy

So Fancy
Date of Scene:	01 August 2022
Location:	Patience's Apartment
Synopsis:	Lara and Patience get to know each other a little bit more, with tea and pastries.
Cast of Characters:	Patience Alperen, Lara Croft

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Patience Alperen has posed:
A few days after the chance encounter in the library, Patience texted Lara.

<<Hi there. Would you like to come over for coffe (tea?) and scones. If you like them. I'll get a slection of items from the bakery to pick from.>>

When Lara responded, they agreed on a day and time for Lara to come over. Patience had fresh coffee brewed and a kettle of hot water on when the knock came at the door. Letting Lara in, Patience smiled. "Lara. Hello. Please come in."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara had been in her Jeep on her way back from the Triskelion when the message had come across her phone. She'd sent a response and adjusted her directions, to head toward the apartment tower in the city.

After arriving, finding a place to park, and fussing around with a few things in her vehicle, Lara made her way up to the specified apartment.

When the door opens, the British woman is standing outside it with a smile and a quick look around. "This is quite a place." She notes in her British London accented English. "It makes what I chose look like a ... well... not, good." She notes with a soft laugh.

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen's smile fades as Lara says the apartment is better than what she has. "Oh. I'm sorry." She kind of looks unsure what to say. "I just rent.." as if that makes it much better. "I have coffee and a kettle for tea if you prefer? I'm afraid I don't have fresh leaves for tea, but I do have a lot of Twinnings. I hope that's okay.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara shakes her head at this as she raises up a bag with which she produces a bottle of wine that looks to be rather pricey. She shows a smile then. "I wasn't sure what to bring to someone's house for a simple visit, so I thought this was at least sufficient. YOu can save it for a nice get together, I would say." Her eyes then roam around what of the interior of the apartment she can see from the doorway. "Something tells me that you have some pretty nice parties here..." She says with a look back to the other woman, casting her a reserved smile, before she offers the bottle of wine.

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen looks to the wine. She smiles sincerely, "Thank you. Perhaps we can get into it another time." She moves over to the kitchen, "Parties? Oh. no. I.. don't really have a lot of friends here. I wouldn't have any one to invite really." She laughs, "I'm kind of pathetic that way."

"Did you want tea?" She looks in question at Lara. "Or is that too much of an assumption. Have we corrupted you to coffee yet?" she tries to tease.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara steps inside the apartment, turning to close the door again before she follows Patience inside. She's wearing a light grey tanktop with a crimson red hoodie over it that she has the sleeves pushed up to her elbows, and the hoodie unzipped down to her waistline. A pair of light tan cargo trousers adorn her lower half, slim fit, and a pair of simple hiking shoes on her feet. She has a pair of sunglasses tucked in to the low scooped neckline of that tanktop she's wearing under the red shirt over it, and her necklace visible around her throat as it had been the other day at the library too.

She gives another look around the apartment before she folds her arms over her stomach and just trails after Patience. She smiles toward her. "Not even those within your JLD connection? I've been to their bar, they are a lively bunch. I would imagine they'd truly wreck this place, if you permitted them too." She says in good humor, with a warm smile.

She nods softly then, laughing lightly. "Tea, would be wonderful." The Briton confirms a lack of corruption.

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen is dressed casually herself. Just a blue tee shirt, faded jeans and running shoes. "Well.. I'm just kind of an affiliate? I have, uh, access to their place of operation. But I'm not really good friends with any of them yet. I don't think I've even met half of them." She shrugs. "Sometime maybe. Yes I think they probably would. And I'd be out my deposit. The furnishings came with the place" she offers with a laugh.

"Tea then" she confirms. Bringing the pot over with a cup and a selection of tea bags, she smiles. "Please help yourself. Do you take cream or honey?"

She pauses long enough to get a box from the end of the counter, "I got a selection of pastries from the bakery around the corner." She sets them in reach and gets some plates.

Lara Croft has posed:
A light nod comes from Lara then at this information. "Nothing introduces you to them quite like a party..." She says before laughing. "But, I understand. My parents insisted I attend all of their social commitments, when I was little, and I hated it thoroughly."

She reaches out for one of the tea bags then, and some of the honey. "This will be perfect..." She says in a pleased tone, before her eyes go to the treats. "Mm, that sounds delicious." She notes while tending to the tea cup with the chosen bag of Hibiscus.

"So you have no friends, to speak of, no furniture of your own that you had to move in here, and are somewhat of a shut in...." She says with a small grin. "Curious."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen smiles and steps back to get herself a cup of coffee. She adds plenty of cream and sweetener to it. "Well yes. But I do like this location. I think their kind of party would end up with some sort of attack of a large... marshmallow or oreo or something" she jokes.

A sip of coffee and she snatches what can only be a cronut from the offered pastries. "These are amazing. So light and airy. But fried like a donut. Amazing" she declares.

As Lara describes her she nods sadly "Yes. That sounds very much like me. But at least I invited you over. I'm not a complete shut in!"

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara finishes with her tea and raises it up to gently blow on it to cool it down some. She eyes the pastry that Patience produces, and it makes her dark eyebrows raise up some. She acquires one for herself, while leaning against the counter on her left hip. "Looks divine..." She notes softly before taking a sip of the tea, and then trying a nibble of the pastry.

She starts to nod a few moments later as she raises her hand up to brush it across her lips some. "Quite so." She says after clearing her palette. A smile is shown again then. "And I don't mean to break you down to some unfavorable degree. Merely comparing you to myself." She says with another small laugh. "Because that is mostly how one could describe me as well." She adds before glancing down at the pastry.

"Though I do have a few friends, and was lucky enough to get the kind who force me to get out of my 'shell' from time to time."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen listens as Lara explains her own lifestyle and habits. She smiles softly, joking, "Skill recognizes skill, I suppose." She gestures, "Would you like to sit?" She does not seem to mind risking crumbs on the sofa. Taking her cup and pastry on a plate, she moves over. "I do not mean to say I have no friends. But, well, it has not be as easy to find anyone I felt much in common with, let alone who seemed interested enough to talk with me." She glances to Lara and smiles "But I think I might now of one or two, now."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara steps over to the sofa to find a place to lower herself down on to it. She sets the pastry plate on her lap and the tea cup down on its saucer on the table in front of her. Her eyes go over to Patience, who gets a smile at what she says. "You seem to have quite a lot worth learning about, from what I've already learned thus far." She responds as she settles in a little more comfortably, remaining with her back straight for now.

"Where are you from, originally?" She asks of the other woman then.

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen laughs. "I'm interesting for my history hmm?" She sips her coffee then shrugs, "I was born into a Catholic orphanage in Nova Scotia. I never knew my parents." She shrugs. "When I turned 18 they impressed upon me to join the convent to repay my debt of being raised. So.. without anywhere to go, I agreed."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara enjoys a bit of the food and drink while Patience explains a bit more about herself. She dabs at her lips with a napkin from the treat dish and nods two small times. "I see. Well that doesn't sound so much like a life's passion, as it does an only option to gain some measure of security in life." She notes before reaching for the tea again.

"Do you like what you do? Or do you do it because... it's comfortable now?" She then asks next.

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen smiles. "Well I'm not actually a nun. I was in my novitiate. But then my life changed." She looks to Lara again. "I.. " a sigh. "This is one of those moments where things get strange. I think you may understand it better than most."

"I was told about my lineage. That I am descended from the bloodline of Mary Magdalene and.." A slow breath, "Jesus of Nazarth. That... doesn't really get looked on by many with belief or favor."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara lowers the cup of tea down from another sip. Her eyes raise back up to Patience, upon hearing this revelation. It causes her to tilt her head as she stares at the woman across from her. "Is that so?" She asks with no small amount of curiosity. "I mean... such a claim is bound to ... ruffle a few feathers, to say the very least." She smirks after saying that before shaking her head gently.

"How could one even begin to prove such a thing, is the question I would have." Her eyes glance away before snapping back a moment later. "Not to call you... out on any notion of telling falsehoods, but... honestly. How /would/ one prove it?"

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen nods. "That is the difficult part." A shrug, "You've heard of the Spear of Destiny I should imagine. Well. When I was told of my heritage. I was told that I was to become the next agent for the church. The Magdalena. There is only ever one. We all trace our bloodline back. The last one before me was killed in service.." She sighs. "I was presented with the shards of a shattered Spear of Destiny. It wasn't until I cut myself on a shard of the spear tip and my blood touched the spear that it reforged itself whole and complete. The.. visions I experienced. I know it to be true. I could not prove much of it to you. But I am able to see things. The truth of one's heart. Thinks that before I was awakened with the spear I could not."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara just sits there on the edge of the sofa with her cup held between her hands and the almost finished pastry on its plate on her lap. She nods softly to what Patience says further, but then just exhales, and shakes her head side to side. "Well. For what it's worth, I have no reason not to believe you." She says before scanning the room again. "And, it gives credence to an employee of the Church calling an apartment like this 'home'." Lara notes before looking back over to her.

She shoots over a light smile. "I'd love to see that spear, but... yes. I assume the Church is quite eager to keep tabs on you, and your actions?"

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen nods slowly. "Well thank you for the trust without having real reason to place it in me. It means a lot." She sighs. "I.. do not have the Spear currently. A few years ago it was taken. I have been searching for it. The Justice League Dark team has offered some help to find it."

Lara Croft has posed:
Another smile is given to Patience then as Lara takes the last bite of that pastry before she uses the napkin to wipe at her fingertips. After a sip of tea, she nods once.

"They are a capable group. I would imagine they could help you quite well. If you think there is any way that I could assist too? I'd be happy to throw in my hat, as they say."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen smiles. "If I can find where it is at. I can't say that it belongs to me. That is arrogant and incorrect. It is more that I belong to it. Because of my bloodline." A sip of coffee and she shrugs, "For now.. it is slow progress. But what I have heard of your abilities and skill? I would be pleased to have your insights."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara sets the plate down on the table in front of her, then sips from her tea again before she rests it in her opposite hand. She just nods a single time before pursing her lips together. "Well. I hope you're at least able to find it again, one way or another. In the mean time, you have that mystery with your pendant as well? And the 12 other items that go along with it, yes?" She asks.

"You'd think that in modern year, we'd have reached some place where it felt like we've answered more questions than we have left /to/ answer, but it only seems to be the other way around." She postulates with a slight grin. "Such is life, however."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen nods "Yeah. It cannot be hidden forever. I will get a sense of where it is eventually. I have faith." She sips her coffee, "Mmm, yes. The Artifacts." She takes out her pendant again, looking at the icy blue stone. "This is the Glacier Stone. Its powers involve ice. If it weren't obvious. Its opposition is the Ember stone. Its powers are of fire. The other eleven Artifacts are also dangerous. Some more than others. Those that I know of are the darkness, the Witchblade and the Angelus. The Spear of Destiny is among them actually."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara adjusts her seated position so that she can look at the pendant better when Patience displays it again. She listens closely, before flickering her brown eyes up to the other's own. "So are you aware of all of the other items? Or just those that you named?" She asks with a curious tone. "And you said you know who has the Amber stone?" She adds before raising the tea cup up for another sip.

When she finishes it off, the cup, and saucer, are set down beside the pastry dish.

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen nods. "Yes. The records of the Church had basic information. The Glacier stone knows of the others. But I only have very basic ideas of what they are or do." She stands and grabs a notepad and pen. "here.." She draws a circle. She writes Angelus to the bottom left of the circkle. Witchblade in the center and Darkness to the top right. "The Angelus. it is as it sounds. It represents the Light. It embues its host with angel-like powers and appearance. And a host of angels at her command. The Darkness. It, well, the Dark. It only ever has a male host. And can allow them to summon demons to command." She taps at the center, "The Witchblade. It is the Balance between the Light and the Dark."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara watches as Patience retrieves that notebook to start to illustrate the setup of this story. She tilts her head to get a better angle on it, and gently nods along to the woman's words. "I see." She notes softly. "It seems you've found yourself in to a good company with the JLD then, though... if I were you, I'd also bring this information to the likes of Doctor Stephen Strange, or Zatanna Zatarra, if you're familiar with either of them."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen pauses. "I have met Zatanna once at her home. During the Angel.. issue in the city some months back?" She shrugs. "So.. the interplay is a lot more involved. I can sketch it out if you like. The Glacier Stone knows the basics. It hasn't trusted me with a lot more

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara makes an 'Ah' expression when she's told this, nodding her head a pair of small times. "Well, these items all seem to be ... rather powerful, as far as magical orientation goes. So if you have the incllination to included Doctor Strange, I would highly recommend it. He, and his associates, are quite talented in that field."

She shows a quick smile then toward the woman. "I'm fairly capable of finding things like this." She undersells herself to maintain some measure of humility. "But you're going to need people like them to help you maintain stability."

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen shakes her head. "You're selling yourself short, Lara. I know of your expeditions and some of your experiences. You're smart and very skilled." She smiles a little. "And most importantly right now? You're easy for me to talk to." She shrgs, "I find it hard to open up to most others."

Lara Croft has posed:
A smile is flashed toward Patience then from Lara, who folds her hands together, lacing her fingers between one another above her knees. "Well. I'm glad to hear that. We all need someone to speak to from time to time. We can't just rely upon any random person, after all." She notes quietly before letting her eyes roam around the apartment again.

When she looks back to the woman, she draws in a breath. "Do you believe that all those other magical items are in the posession of other people? Or would some be lost to time, and place?"

Patience Alperen has posed:
Patience Alperen smiles "I agree with that perspective. It is difficult for me to make friends. With my.. history. Most would just write me off as insane. Or claiming sacrelige or blasphaemy." She smiles. "But you haven't. I feel you know there is enough out there to be open minded. If you'd like, maybe we could see if being friends would work?"

A nod. "I believe they may all be held at this time. But I am not completely certain."

Lara Croft has posed:
A quick smile and nod are sent to Patience. "Believe me." She says with a little laugh interrupting her words. "I am no expert at making friends. I grew up under the care of my father's friend, after my parents passed. He was an explorer, and adventurer. Former military, and much more. It didn't lend to me being the kind of young lady who was well versed socially enough to relate to those her age. It wasn't until college that I managed to break out of my shell enough to make a friend, or two."

Holding that smile, Lara rests her hands over her knees then. "But yes, I'd be happy to add you to the very small list."