17696/At the Lux

At the Lux
Date of Scene:	19 April 2024
Location:	Lux
Synopsis:	Lara and Rich have a conversation and a few drinks.
Cast of Characters:	Richard Rider, Lara Croft

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Richard Rider has posed:
Evening at the Lux. It's not the weekend...not yet, but it's close. Rich has decided to take a little time to himself, and get away from the whole 'superhero' persona for the evening. He is sitting at the bar of the club, people watching, with a drink in his hand. The music is not obnoxiously loud -- which is a point in favor of this particular club in Rich's mind -- and for the most part it's just a nice evening out seeing the glitterati who have graced the city with their presence.

Lara Croft has posed:
One thing about being a British noble is that they ask you to make public appearances, to uphold the public image of the peerage, even if you're in the United States. As such, this little outting tonight is a way for Lara Croft to keep up the expectations of her Duchess nobility, as odd as that might seem. She'd been invited to the Lux tonight be a friend, also from Britain, but her friend was off at a table with a romantic interest, and thus Lara was left to her own devices in the moment. Ever the wanderer, she ends up sidling up to the bar.

Dressed in a sky blue number, low scooped over her chest, and baring her shoulders down to mid back, Lady Croft is greeted as such by the bartender when she arrives at it.

Lara smiles back to the young bartender. "You're well researched, aren't you?" She asks, considering he knew her name and title without hesitation. He fired back with a smile, and a nod before taking Lara's drink order.

With a soft exhale after the bartender steps back to retrieve the drink, Lara turns to let her eyes roam over the bar. She shows Rich a quick smile, should their eyes meet, before her hand raises up to brush some of her loose hair back behind an ear.

When her drink arrives, Lara is gracious with the utmost of kind words for the employee, who seems pleased by her mere presence.

Lady Lara is soon to sample a sip of her drink there-after.

Richard Rider has posed:
It takes Rich a moment, but when he locks eyes with Lara he gives her a grin in return, and a nod. And then, the cursory glance over her outfit that she is surely used to by now. Who could blame him for looking? He then finishes off his drink, and sets it down, before he scoots a couple of seats closer to order a second. "Good evening," he says by way of greeting. Perhaps he missed the whole Duchess title bit. Or maybe he's not one who really minds titles much at all. It is America.

"Rich Rider," he says by way of introduction to the woman, though he doesn't elaborate just yet, perhaps he's trying to think of the right thing to say to her, and her beauty has stunned him into silence. Or perhaps now that he's closer to her, whatever bravado idea he had has evaporated right out of his head.

Lara Croft has posed:
Admittedly, in scenarios like this, Lara knew what wearing clothing like this came with. She expected it, really. It is part of the role, and she knew she kept herself in prime shape.. plus, hey, she was confident she could kill anyone she felt she needed to kill too!

When Rich slides closer, Lara notes his presence, and shows him another soft smile. "Hello, Mister Rider." She states back, as she looks away for a moment, before realizing she should introduce herself. She looks once more upon him, and extends her hand toward him. "Lara. Croft. I'm, well, burning time, I suppose." She explains to him for no particular reason. "And how about yourself?" She asks, attempting small talk to achieve her just spoken goal.

Richard Rider has posed:
It would seem that he gets his tongue back at this point, as he smiles a little and says, "Sorry, I completely forgot how to ask 'how are you doing.' The oddest thing. Yes, I am well, enjoying a relaxing evening. Though also burning time I suppose? Or at least not being 'on' as it were, which is a nice change." That the name Lara Croft is probably recognizable to most everyone sitting near him seems somewhat lost on Rich.

"Come out to Lux often?" he asks, adding, "By the way...you look stunning in that dress. Absolutely stunning."

Lara Croft has posed:
The initial response that Rich pays to Lara, has the brunette showing another soft smile in return to him. She nods her head vaguely a single time before sampling her drink again. When she lowers it back to the bar's top, she places both of her hands at the base of the glass, her eyes darting back over to him as he continued.

"Oh, no... I have..." She starts to look around, "I've never been here before, in fact. It's... an interesting place, I suppose." She states, her London accent touching every syllable as though she were dancing through the words with a graceful stride.

"Yourself? You have an air of someone who is utterly bored, so I would assume you're a regular?" She asks, before he compliments her, causing her to glance down at herself, then bounce a smile back up to him. "Thank you. That is quite nice of you to say."

Richard Rider has posed:
"I mean, I think it's what any of the dozen or so men looking at you right now would say." Rich replies with a grin. He then shakes his head at the question, "I'm not a regular, no. Just...this isn't quite what I'm used to in my day job as it were. I like people watching. I've seen some...interesting interactions, but...when you've done the sorts of things I do, this can seem a bit ordinary." He's not SAYING he's a superhero, but he's sort of saying he's a superhero.

"Not that I want to make it sound like I'm like better than anyone or anything. Just, it's a step down. Not an unwelcome one, as I could really use a break after the last few years. But, maybe I hoped for a little more...excitement?" he says, frowning a little bit.

Lara Croft has posed:
At the suggestion of a dozen men looking at her right now, Lara spares a quick look around to try and ascertain the truth behind that claim. When she looks back toward him on her left, she affords him a soft smile upon pink hued lips. "Perhaps." She quietly states back.

When he gives his explanation of his meaning within this club, she softly nods, and simply smiles in a vague fashion. "So you're a cape?" She asks, keeping her voice a little hushed so as not to let that carry too far.

Her eyes do glance at a pair of patrons passing by behind her, affording them a small smile when they look upon her as well, but her stare returns to Rich's own.

"I share your sentiment about needing a break after the past handful of years, as well..." She mutters a bit, another drink taken from her glass after raising it to her lips again.

Richard Rider has posed:
"I'm familiar with the term, yes." Rich says in reply to her low voiced question. He considers for a few seconds, "And yourself?" he asks, looking her over again, though, more as if appraising her for what she may or may not be. Mutant? Superhuman? Magician? He's come across a lot of different beings in his travels, and he'd not be surprised to have found one more in New York.

"Well...if you'd like perhaps we can duck out of here and go find some excitement of our own?" he suggests with a bit of a sly smile.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara lowers the glass back down to the bar's top, her eyes glancing around her immediate area once more before she looks back toward him beside her. She shakes her head at his initial question for her own state of powers. "I am but a mere base Human, one might say..." She fires back, a faint smirk appearing upon her visage chasing those words.

She draws in a light breath then, about to say something else, when he asks his next question, and it causes her a moment's hesitation as she has it bounce around within her head. "Oh, right." She replies, her right hand gently tapping the glass of her drink. She flashes him another small expression of amusement. "I suppose you've lost interest in watching the people then?" She asks back, cheeky in nature and undertone.

She laughs softly, a melodic sound, as she draws in a light breath. "I am really not sure how much I'll be around tonight, actually..." She then states.

Richard Rider has posed:
"How could I find anyone more enjoyable to watch than you?" Rich asks, with a wink. He then tilts his head a little and says, "What is it you were going to say before I cut you off?" The slight rejection doesn't seem to bother him much. It was worth the shot apparently, as he finishes off his drink and sets it down to study the woman next to him a little more, waiting to hear what she was going to suggest.

Lara Croft has posed:
Another light laugh escapes from between Lara's lips as she looks away again for a moment, watching that bartender serve another drink to another patron on the far side of the bar. When she regards Rich again, she smiles lightly. "I was curious what line of work you were in, and what would lead you to find this place to be a nice change of pace." She states back to him. "But now I get the sense that you're a bit of a private person, a man of mystery, so to speak." The Brit says, showing a light smirk before her drink is raised up again for another taste.

When she lowers it once more, she draws in a small breath, her left hand moving up to stroke a bit of brown hair out from in front of her eyes, "Really, I imagine you're looking for something that I'm not used to just jumping straight in to." She says, once more smirking toward the man to her left.

Richard Rider has posed:
"Jump into? Oh, no. I was going to take you for a nice walk, chat, where there aren't prying ears, but where prying eyes might catch me with a sparkling gem on my arm." Rich replies, grinning. "Somewhere I could tell you what sort of job I am in without someone hearing and trying to get me to solve all their problems. And...if I'm lucky enough, perhaps I'll earn a kiss goodnight for my efforts." He adds, "And, I'd love to hear what a Duchess is doing in the City. Especially one the bartender seemed so enamored with." So he HAD heard.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara makes a soft and brief 'ah' expression at his correction, allowing his words ti folter through her mind for a brief moment. She then emits a warm smile, and nods once toward him. "Well, if you know a good place for such a stroll, then I'd happily take you up on it." She states back before she finds a new drink sat down in front of her by the on duty bartender. With a light laugh, Lara thanks him for the refresher, and considers if she should hand back the one she still has or take the second.

"One moment..." She states, taking a second to down the remainder of her drink, before she sets the glass down to hand it toward the smiling bartender, and then gathers up her new one.

"Okay. I am ready." Lara tells Rich then, her free hand brushing aside the soft curls of her dark hair as she has a bit more rose hu to her cheeks after that chugging of her drink.

Richard Rider has posed:
Rich Rider holds out an arm, either for her to take or for him to wrap around her waist, as he guides her in the general direction of the exit, "I've a few idea. I was thinking along the park. At this hour it's mostly quiet...and the two of us can likely take care of any muggers that come for us," he says, as he pays his tab with a few bills on the bartop. He then starts for the exit with Lara.