3214/An Expert's Eye

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An Expert's Eye
Date of Scene: 03 September 2020
Location: Wakandan Embassy
Synopsis: T'Challa enlists the aid of Lara Croft to investigate an antiquity found with poachers on the Wakandan border
Cast of Characters: T'Challa, Lara Croft




T'Challa has posed:
One rarely has envelopes hand delivered to their door these days. Well, unless they are getting subpoenaed. Thankfully that wasn't the case with the one delivered to Lara Croft. Just touching the envelope was enough to tell her how fine and expensive the stationary was. Not the sort that most Americans commonly use.

Within? A hand-written note addressed to Lara. Both request and invitation, it invited her to tea at the Wakandan Embassy, and asked if she would be so kind as to examine and share her opinions of an ancient Narobian artifact from the nation bordering Wakanda.

The invitation was signed King T'Challa of Wakanda, and offered a few times for her to choose one that would work well, should she choose to accept.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara had been with her best friend, Samantha, when the invitation had been delivered to her loft apartment in Greenwich Village. The two had been out on the town and coming home with a couple coffees when the Wakandan representative brought the envelope. Needless to say both woman had been surprised, but Samantha had been downright presumptive about it all... in that way that an ornery friend would be when a 'King' just asked their friend to come to their place. So much teasing had occurred!

Lara, as proper as she is, had still been very surprised though. She'd picked the time and given the response to the representative to return to the King.

Now, today, she's arriving as indicated. Stepping up to the Embassy, she's wearing a slim fit sleeveless black top with a silver chain around her neckline, along with the leather cord that has a jade phoenix pendant attached to it... a classy silver necklace and an odd less than classy looking one to go along with it.

Grey slacks and black heeled shoes, Lara is dressed casually, but nicely. Her hair is even loose about her shoulders, forgoing her typical ponytail she's most commonly used to wearing as she's never /really/ been a fan of her long hair since she was little.

Once inside, Lara re-familiarizes herself with the embassy's lobby. She'd never gone further than the lobby when she'd come here to see Shuri. They'd conducted their business here-in, and then she'd left. The Briton finds a place to sit and she settles down on the edge of it, waiting, after speaking to one of the attendants.

T'Challa has posed:
A lovely black woman steps over right away as Lara enters, not even needing for her to speak to the normal staff. "Lady Croft, welcome. I am Maribai. If you'd like to come with me I'll take you to His Majesty," she says, the lovely young woman giving Lara a warm smile of greeting and motioning the direction they'll be going.

As they walk through the embassy decorated in a classic Wakandan style, she says, "I hope you did not find traffic too heavy." She leads Lara up a flight of stairs and then across to a large set of double doors. She opens them and brings Lara inside, where a leather sofa and chairs sit around a coffee table. A tray with tea service sits nearby along an attendant. A desk sits over on one side of the room, and an immense window gives a lovely view of Manhattan.

Standing over at the window is T'Challa. He's wearing a robe that is such a deep blue as to be nearly purple. Light golden scrollwork runs subtly down the front of the robe, which hangs open to reveal a pair of pants and a shirt of the same material beneath, though most of the man's arms are left bare. A ring is worn adorning one finger, and a necklace about his neck is a black band from which metal ornaments hang, giving the impression of teeth hanging from the necklace.

He turns as the doors open. "Lady Croft. Our day is brightened by your presence," he says, walking over to her. He'll offer both of his hands to hold about one of her own, one above and below as he greets her. "I thank you for making time to come and meet with me," he says. Apparently that earlier "our" was of the normal variety and not the royal 'we'.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara is graceful in her rise back to her full height when the woman approaches her. She smiles to her and nods softly. "Thank you." She quietly states, and whilst they walk she holds the light smile. "Nothing I am not getting quite used to at this point of being an American resident in the heart of Manhattan." She laughs softly again. "I really should have listened to my friends and gotten myself a home outside of the city, but I thought the city life would be a refreshing change of pace to keep my mind busy."

As they progress through the home, she comments on its beauty to Maribai, but otherwise is simply approaching the office of the King. Once within it, she spies him quickly and takes a few steps toward him before she stops, and offers him one of her hands as he reaches out for it. She smiles brightly to him. "Your Majesty." She says. "It truly is an honor to return to your Embassy. I'm afraid, last time we were unable to get a chance to speak to one another, it is... a great pleasure to get to rectify that this time."

Lara then smiles to him for a passing second or two before she nods once. "I'll admit, I was surprised by your invitation. I hope all is well? Princess Shuri is in good health, I hope?"

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa releases Lara's hand after the greeting. "You did Wakanda a great service by recovering what you did. I regret I was unable to thank you personally at the time," he tells Lara. "So please allow me to do so now," he says in his quiet, smooth rasp of a voice.

The man turns to motion over towards the couch. "Please, let us have a seat and make ourselves comfortable," he says. "Shuri is well. Off working on her projects. She always finds things to occupy her time," T'Challa says. "Personally, I think her main motivation is scare me at what she might get into next," he tells Lara in a conspiratorial tone. "The girl is too smart for her own good," he complains.

He'll take a seat but only after Lara does. The attendant rolls the cart a little nearer and begins the tea service. "So I have not had a chance to find out about how you spend your time in the city. Are you teaching somewhere here?" he asks her. "I imagine there are a number of places, here and in the UK, which would compete to have you amongst their faculty."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara settles into the embrace of the sofa, but she remains properly seated and with her hands in her lap now... she remembers her training in this types of meetings, from her childhood, even if she rebelled against her parents continuously to try to get out of going. A soft smile is offered to the one preparing the tea for them, and she accepts a cup when it is handed over. "Thank you." She says.

back to T'Challa, Lara can't help but lightly laugh at his words about his young sister. "She is wonderful. Everything I have heard about her was true, in my experience. I hope the journal I gave her helped lead to more information about the items I recovered as well." Lara had left her hand written journal about the expedition that lead to the recovery of the Wakandan armor and weapons. It had a lot of notes about everything related to where, and how, she came across the items.

At his question about her going-ons in the city she smiles after a sip of the tea. "Nothing quite so... relaxing." Lara tells him, with a light smile and a glance down at her hands before she returns her brown eyes up to his. "After the incident in the Dragon's Triangle last fall, I finally made it home to London where I was soon approached by members of SHIELD, who asked if I would be interested in furthering my exploration of the world by joining their endeavors in protecting it. Normally... I probably would not have accepted such an offer, but I'd heard the ... rumors, of how deep SHIELD's access goes in this world. Plus, admittedly, after last fall, I needed to get away from the familiar, and do something new, lean in to discomfort." She shows a quick smile that comes and goes.

"So that has been the bulk of my last ... ten months now?" She lightly shakes her head. "I moved here in February, and have been working diligently within SHIELD's ... well, occult side of world investigations. It's been nice, the parts of it that haven't tried to kill me, at least." This, gets a grin from the Briton Duchess to the Wakandan King.

T'Challa has posed:
The African man takes his cup after Lara has been served, listening attentively to her tale. A few parts of it draw interested responses, such as hearing that she was working with SHIELD now. "That certainly would be an unfamiliar direction. Working with SHIELD rather than in university setting," he agree with her quietly.

"In Wakanda we have quite a history of mythology and mysticism. Though it sounds as if the things you investigate are likely to have foundations in truth," T'Challa says. While what he said is accurate, it also probably makes it sound like he discounts those Wakandan myths, when the truth is far from it.

T'Challa takes a sip of his tea. "I do not know if I can offer you the same kind of challenge. Not as these tasks that SHIELD might set you," T'Challa tells the English woman. "But I did think you might find this as interesting as I do," he says, motioning to the attendant who goes over to the desk and retrieves something from a desk which he brings over and hands to T'Challa.

The monarch takes the item, wrapped carefully in cloth which he slowly removes to reveal a squat figurine. It is of a male figure though it is easily 75% head and the rest body. Carved of... what is that material? It looks like wood, but even before getting her hands on it Lara might start to question it. An unusual material.

"This was found among the possessions of poachers on our border with Narobai," T'Challa says. "They did not know it's original source, having taken it from unfortunately souls they encountered along the way. I thought perhaps you might be able to shed some light upon it?"

Lara Croft has posed:
"It certainly has been." Lara quietly comments on the initial topic of SHIELD and University life. She takes another sip of her tea then before she lowers the cup down to its saucer on her lap. She smiles at the bit about Wakandan myth. "What I would give for some insight into that. I'm remiss to say that what little I had on your country, when I was young, was not nearly enough to satiate my desire to know more. To see your people emerge today, ever more open to the world... well, it's been an exciting thing to witness. Put me on the list of countless others who'd be climbing over herself to visit your homeland some day, your Majesty." She adds lightly, friendly, and in her very calming British flavored voice.

When the item in-question is brought forth though, Lara leans forward to set her tea cup on the coffee table, then she eyes the piece as it's handed over to her. "What have we here...?" Lara questions. She takes the Mostly Head man and rolls him over gently in her fingertips and palms. "I've seen things like this before. Though never in that part of the world. Generally, items like this are carved for expeditions, such as what you spoke of, to instill a specific trait of 'luck' with an adventuring group." She looks down into the eyes of the little statue, then after a moment she'd look up to the King. "If I were to wager a guess, which is... questionable of me to do, but still. I'd guess that this was similar to that idea, and in fact that this-- rather generous head --indicates a group of poachers looking to grant luck to their intelligence. Possibly to give them better ideas on where to hunt for whatever they were after. A quicker mind, a greater yield to their hunt."

She glances back down to the carving. "But I would have to delve into it a little more to figure it out further..." She speaks up again then as she offers it back to the King. "The last such carving I saw, was similar, but it was a fat stomach." She grins. "Meant to represent a full belly, indicating luck toward finding generous ammounts of food."

T'Challa has posed:
T'Challa watches as Lara examines the artifact. Watching her more than the item itself. "I am afraid our nation values greatly our privacy, but I might be able to share a few our older tales with you," he tells Lara while she's looking the piece over.

"I am interested in what else you might be able to discover about it," T'Challa tells Lara. "If taking it for a time would aid investigations to it? That would be amenable," he offers. "If it is something that would you interest you as well. I do not wish to impose upon your time, Lady Croft. But I thought you might have as much interest in it as I."

T'Challa takes another sip of his tea, then sets his cup on the coffee table, sliding back in the couch a little more and turning more towards Lara. "Narobia is a nation with many issues of their own. And little chance to devote resources to preserving items of their history such as this," T'Challa comments. For that matter, the poor agrarian nation of Wakanda does not seem in much better straights there. But the king seems to think it important enough. "If this was something we could gift them with? Preserving a bit of their history? And uncovering more? That is something I would deem a balm for the soul of the Wakandan people."