4175/World Travelers

World Travelers
Date of Scene:	19 November 2020
Location:	Islamabad International Airport, Pakistan
Synopsis:	Lara Croft crosses paths with Talia al Ghul in the airport. They have tea.
Cast of Characters:	Talia al Ghul, Lara Croft

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Talia al Ghul has posed:
Islamabad International Airport, Pakistan - It's a long flight from Iceland to Pakistan, and even the most efficient private jet needs to stop to refuel. Talia takes the opportunity to disembark and stretch her legs as well. Alone. The assassins who make up her personal bodyguard would protest, only they know the consequences of disagreeing with the Mistress. Besides, she can certainly take care of herself.

The main concourse of the airport is crowded, which is the norm for this part of the world. With her features Talia could blend in nearly anywhere in this region, although her attire is far from inconspicuous. The split skirt over close-fitting silk leggings is almost traditional, were it not for the midriff-baring cut. The top is more in the fashion of a halter, drawing further emphasis to those abs. The silks are green trimmed with black, the latter overlaid with ornate gold filigree.

Long black hair flows freely as she strides through the crowd with a purpose.

Seeking coffee at one of the many airport cafes.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara had been contacted via e-mail by a colleague who operates primarily out of this region. They'd made a discovering in the remains of the city of Taxila north of Islamabad, and it had been just odd enough for Lara's name to come up. She'd been here for the past 5 days in fact, and was just now arriving at the airport to start her departure back toward New York City.

So as of now, the young Croft is walking through the busy and crowded airport. She's wearing a grey button-up shirt with a scarf around her neck, and a pair of dark lensed aviator sunglasses pushed up to her hairline, which helps keep her bangs from settling over her eyes while the rest of her hair is tied-back in to a pony tail.

Pulling her leather bag along behind her by its handle and little wheels, Lara walks toward the same coffee shop that Talia had arrived at just moments ago. Lara stands in line directly behind/behind Talia in fact, her right hand going down to her slim-fit cargo pocketed pants to retrieve a leather wallet from her right thigh pocket to prepare to pay for a drink herself.

She notes Talia's presence, her attire is quite ... complimentary to her form. Lara smiles to the woman if they make eye contact as well, ever hopeful to be off on the right foot with people, if at all possible!

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia isn't one of those rich, exotic, princess-types who is aloof and self-absorbed. Okay, so she is SOME of that. But she is also very observant, and with a discreet shift here, a half-turn there, she notices everyone in line with her for coffee. Every. One.

Never forget that this woman has matched wits with the man known as The Great Detective.

She notices Lara, alright. The aviators, the scarf, the cargo pants, the leather wallet. And Talia returns the smile.

"British or American?" she asks simply, in perfect English. The line advances another couple of paces. Raising her right knee, she pulls out a leather pouch from her boot that was tucked in right beside an ornate knife hilt.

One of the benefits of using the *private* concourse.

Lara Croft has posed:
Scoping out your surroundings becomes a bit of a natural extinct when you live through events where your life is on the line, where other people actively try to kill you. Because Lara has lived through events like that at this point of her young life, she's begun to be one of those people who also takes in all the people around her.

Of course, you have to play it off all calm and casually too, just 'blend in' as it were. She's in the process of just sweeping her eyes around the coffee shop, doing just so, when Talia asks that question of her.

This draws Lara's brown eyed gaze over to Talia, and a second later-- once the question settled into her mind --she openly smiles and exhales softly. She raises her leather wallet up and displays the front of it. It has a Union Jack flag pressed in to the leather. "Though I'm currently living in America." She speaks, her British accent very obvious to be London-standard in origin.

"Starting the... long trip back there now, in fact." She adds with a soft exhale and a quick look around before her eyes return to Talia. "Yourself? Are you an entertainer?" She interprets Talia's outfit as a dancer's attire likely.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
"Tourist." replies the woman in the flamboyant, green silks. One does not simply announce that they're a professional assassin and criminal mastermind. "Coffee or tea? The coffee isn't Turkish, but it's strong. And the tea has some interesting spices." She pauses, then, looking at the leather wallet. "My treat."

The leather pouch jingles with coin as she fingers it, meeting the younger woman's gaze. "I'm Talia. And actually I'm travelling from West to East. It must be good fortune that caused our paths to cross."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara gently nods her head once at the 'Tourist' declaration, taking it at face value and just moving past it. The question about coffee or tea is also asked rather quickly so that helps too. "Tea." Lara says with a summoned smile to accentuate it. "How very British, right?" Her eyes dart over to the menu boards to see if she could notice any information about the tea options, if there are many, or any, but she's soon to look back to Talia.

"That's very nice of you." She says, moving her wallet out of her right hand to offer it to the woman. "I'm Lara, by the way. And yes, it's always a pleasant turn of events when you end up talking with someone nice on trips like this. It helps ease the burden of traveling a little."

"Are you headed home, or only just continuing your touristic adventure?" The Briton then asks with a continued soft smile for the other woman.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia shifts her weight, coming to stand more beside Lara now as they wait in line. "The British DO know their tea." she replies, holding that charming smile. "And they shared it with their colonies." Leaning in a bit, she adds in a lower voice. "Just don't say that word too loudly."

While it might be expected for her to be wearing a heady fragrance, the woman's aroma is quite natural. And, for lack of a better word, clean.

Talia accepts the offered hand in a firm grip, her nails finely manicured. The woman's palms, however, bear the callouses of one who is familiar with using weapons. Regularly.

"I couldn't agree with you more. There's something reassuring about finding a friendly place while abroad." Again with the smile, and her gaze is unwavering. "I call many places 'home', actually. If you're ever in New York, we should get together. But this is just a stop-over for me before heading into the mountains."

Lara Croft has posed:
Being that Lara came from a hotel room she has a bit of a lackluster soapy-clean smell to herself right now as well. She shares another light smile with the woman's low-spoken word, a knowing grin flashing across her lips for a moment before she nods her head gently once. "I'll be on my best behavior." She says in a lightly playful way.

Her own hand is similar in feeling, its clear she's not lived a life of purely posh existence, even if her accent might suggest that by its cliche nature. She also has a bit of a regal air about her, even if she's not dressed as such, but Talia's likely perceptive enough to pick up these things about posture and body language.

"Manhattan is actually where I'm living now, for work." She tells the other. "I'm an Archaeologist, contributing to several of the museums in the city there. Amongst other places." She leaves the SHIELD bit out for now as that brings a bit more complicated series of explanations usually. "But yes, small world, as it turns out."

"The mountains, mm?" Lara asks next as they wait to order. "You have quite a trip ahead of you then."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia certainly recognizes the signs, her smile never wavering but something more... knowing... settling into those brown eyes. The woman in green tilts her head a little, arching a dark brow. The hand is held for a moment longer before being released. The line advances another few steps.

"An archeologist in Manhattan? It is a VERY small world indeed." Talia looks more directly at Lara, then. "Yes. We should certainly meet once I return to New York." she declares, and just like -that- it is no longer just an invitation.

Regal or not, this is a woman who is accustomed to getting what she wants.

"I expect that the journey will be a long one, yes. And a difficult one. But it is something of a personal pilgrimage, so that is to be expected." She pauses for a moment, then adds. "I am conducting some family research."    

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara keeps her leather luggage leaning against the outside of her left leg while they both advance a little further in the line together. She slips her wallet back in to a pocket on the outside thigh of her right leg as well, since the other woman already said she was going to pay for her drink.

And as she pulls her hand back out she offers a contact card for Talia. "Family research, pilgrimages... we sound like kindred spirits already, Talia." Lara jests with another soft smile for her. "I've been on many of those myself. My father was an explorer and Archaeologist as well. He's... passed now, but he's left behind so many questions that I ... well, lets say I have enough to research based on all of that, for likely the remainder of my life."

"If you think there's anything I might help you with, please do reach out. The least I can do for a free cup of tea, yes?" She holds the smile for Talia before looking away again to scan over the coffee counter once more, watching the few employees as they busily do their work.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia accepts the card with a genuine smile, slipping it casually into the waistband of her skirt. "If your father was an active Archeologist, there were probably many stones he left unturned. After all, one of the things about history is that there is simply so much of it."

"I am chasing after questions myself, Lara. If I find what I seek, then I fully expect that it will lead to more questions than answers. Your expertise would be most welcome."

It's their turn in line, then, and Talia orders for herself in a mixture of English and some local dialect, which is apparently recognized. "...and whatever my friend, here, would like." she adds, gesturing towards Lara.

Spilling some coins into her palm, it's a pretty even mix of silver and copper. And, from all appearances, local coin.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara gets the sense that the expedition Talia is on is very personal and that she's purposefully being reluctant to share details on it, which is wise, Lara does the same thing with such expeditions when she's embarked upon them. "So much of it, and we know so very little. Less than we think we know, no less." She adds with a little grin to Talia's initial words.

When its their turn to order, Lara waits for her turn and then speaks up to pick the tea she thought sounded best, something new, something she hadn't had before... because hey, she's adventurous!

Another smile is afforded to Talia then after she makes the transaction. "It's very kind of you to buy a stranger a drink, thank you, again." She glances out to the busy airport, as the ambient noise level is ever-present in this situation, then looks back to the woman in the green silks.

"I really hope you do find what you're after, I know that... desire, it's--" She pauses as she tumbles thoughts around inside of her head, gently shaking her head from side to side causing the strands of her brown hair to gently sway against her brow. "It's very easy to get obsessed with. My friends often have to very nearly shake me to separate me from my work sometimes."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia pays for the tea, pressing the coin into the server's palm almost purposefully before turning her attention back to Lara with a small swirl of green. "But you are not a stranger, Lara. We are practically neighbors, after all." At first it is somehow difficult to imagine this woman in the green silks capable of being comfortable in Manhattan.

But then one gets the sense that Talia would be comfortable in whatever setting she found herself.

"It is easy to get lost in the past, Lara, especially when it is one's own. The thing is to learn from the past, so that we can create a better future." Talia replies almost cryptically. "I know a very good cafe in Midtown. We should have lunch there. I admire your tenacity."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara stands beside her and smiles lightly with a single nod. "I look forward to it." She tells the other. "And you couldn't be more right about that." She says with regard to learning from history.

When her tea is offered over the counter by one of the employees, she thanks them in their native tongue and turns back to Talia as she strides out of her palce in line to let others move forward.

"I best get to my gate, they'll be boarding soon." Lara offers the woman one more smile then. "But yes, good luck on your journey, and look me up when you return to the States. I'll be eager to hear all about it." With her tea in hand, her luggage at her side, Lara will start toward the stream of people heading to and from their destinations.

"Thank you again!" She says on her way.