Owner	Pose
Lara Croft	Lara had had a busy week, what with her own various tasks she had set before her at SHIELD's HQ several miles north of here, but also side tasks that came up within SHIELD as well. One of those had been getting asked to accompany a mission to investigate a hive of vampires living here in New York. It had been... quite an evening. Since that night, Lara had been working from home, her apartment more specifically. She'd had a few friends over the night before, so there was the lingering signs of that. A pizza box is on the coffee table, a few drink glasses surrounding it, and her television is even still on - though muted - showing some standard movie playing on one of those local movie channels. In the now, Lara is in her kitchen, standing beside the counter with her phone in her hand. She's in workout clothing with a bottle of water in front of her and her phone in her hands, her thumbs quickly clattering away at the glass screen.
Alexander Aaron	It just so happens that the SHIELD agent's building is one of wondrous clientele. It has seen more than its fair share of beings that skew from the ordinary. Several gods, a multitude of Asgardians, a handful of mutants, and a variety of superheroes have all crossed the threshold into the old brownstone, climbed its stairs and visited with several of the denizens who choose to dwell there. The SHIELD agent is just one such worthy, and one of the others...     Is Alexander Aaron.     College student, former Happy Harbor alumni, and Olympian. He lives there in the apartment a few doors down from Lara's, using it as a base of operations for pursuing his scholastic career. Yet only a month and some ago he realized that one of the SHIELD agents that had been tasked with keeping an eye on him lived in his building. And then they became friends.     Which leads to him making this house call. A few thumps on the door are heard and they're accompanied by a raised voice, "Hey, Lara. It's Alex. Are you there?"
Lara Croft	Lara was so immersed in her texting that she barely noticed the initial door knock, but it was also followed-up with a voice declaration of who was on the other side of said door. So after another text was sent, she set the phone down... hesitated... then just let it lie, whatever was going on on that device. With an exhale, Lara steps around the counter's edge and walks on running shoes toward the doorway. She spends a few seconds unlatching the three chain latches, then twists the deadbolt and opens the door. She leans on the inside of the door with her right hand on the knob. "Hey there." She says to Alexander, showing him a soft smile. "Whats up?" She asks before opening the door further and motioning for him to come on inside. "Come in, if you have time." She adds as she now stands back, between the main entrance and the closet doorway on the opposite wall of the little entry hallway.
Alexander Aaron	She gets a once-over. Gaze lowering then lifting as he takes stock of her choice in clothes and her manner. He returns the smile, but it's a little hesitant as he says, "Hey. If I'm interrupting or whatever it's cool I can come back in a bit?" As he says that he gestures over his shoulder with one thumb, turning to the side slightly to let his body language mirror that sentiment.     But when she makes room to let him in he smiles at her and nods his thanks as he steps past, moving into the foyer area and then turning to clear so she can precede him into her domicile. Being polite, of course.     For an instant he bites his lower lip as his eyebrows raise when he considers her clothes again, then says. "If you're busy I can come back in an hour or so. It's... not exactly time critical."     An out offered there, just in case.
Lara Croft	Lara is wearing a light blue tank top with white trim around the edges and a pair of white running shorts over a set of black spandex-y shorts on beneath those. She's clearly in 'jogging mode' attire. She glances down at herself and then back up at him to offer a grin and a shake of her head. "No, it's fine. I was going to go out and jog to the park, but I can do that later. It was just... an idea to fuel me getting outside for a spell. Helps me sleep at night if I burn off a bit of energy." She'll shut the door after he comes in and start to walk toward the kitchen again to glance over her shoulder at him. "Would you care for a drink?" The British woman asks. "I have water, tea, some juices, and... well, I think there's beer here now actually, Jonah left some. I thiiink." She says as she reaches her fridges and opens the door to look inside of it.
Alexander Aaron	As for Alexander, he's much as she's seen him before. Those t-shirts he wears that are too big for him, obscuring his build and athleticism in passing. Though today his is a black one that has a back to back Double B on it and nothing else. Blue jeans that look rough and likely are about to have their knees frayed in the next laundry or two, and those white sneakers he usually runs around in.     "I'm good, thank you." He begs off the offer of a drink, one hand lifting a little to offer a sign to further that thanks. But he pauses at the entrance to the kitchen and sort of leans there for a moment. "Soo. You remember that thing from a lil ways back." A few months.     "I sort of... have a favor to ask." Those curious hazel eyes shift to the side away from her, but then back. "And feel free to say no. Since I have no idea if it might interfere with..." He flares one hand to the side, fingers uncurling in a mercurial gesture. "Whatever."
Lara Croft	Lara closes the door to the fridge again after he shrugs off the othter. She turns around anw walks slowly back to where she'd been when he'd knocked on the door - where her existing drink and phone are still laying - then places her hands down on the edge of the counter. Her brown eyes go to his and she stares upon him while he elaborates a little further. She starts to show the signs of a smile that is blossoming across her lips before she glances toward the living area of her loft apartment, to her right, the windows allowing in the afternoon sunlight. "There's always more time to be mined out of the day, if you dig just deep up under the surface." She says as she glances back to him, that faint distant smile still lingering. "What can I do for you?" She then asks him. "I'm happy to help you, if you think I'm capable of it. It means a lot to me that you'd ask, in fact. I'd worried that you'd considered me little more than just a 'spy' from SHIELD."
Alexander Aaron	"What?" Alexander says as he leans there, but now his features have shifted to a slight hint of incredulity. He shifts his weight slightly now with his back against the doorway and his arms folded over his chest, the fabric bunching over the subtle swell of his biceps as he does so. "No, you sort of..."     Alexander looks to the side and away, then back to her as he smiles. "You sort of give SHIELD a human face in some ways different than your compatriots. Not that they're like robots or anything. But you seem more like... you, than a SHIELD agent. Like that's just something you do. And I don't know."     Alexander looks down at his shoes and casually seems to try and scrape a small bit of dirt off the toe of one with the heel of the other, but it's just a way to distract himself as he tries to find the right words. "And unlike some of the other people there, I don't think you'd be lost if you weren't part of SHIELD. You know?"     Looking back up he smiles a little, "Anyways. It could be dangerous. But probably not anymore dangerous than what you do every day."
Lara Croft	Lara lets her hands go palm-flat to the granite countertop of her island counter, then she leans forward onto her forearms and elbows on to it. She puts her hands around the bottle of water in front of her and smiles at him as he speaks of her humanizing effect on the role of a SHIELD Agent. "It's probably because I'm not former military, or police officer of any variety. I'm just a person, with... a certain set of skills, as Liam Neason would say." She grins lightly at that, because that's the movie they watched last night at her friend's request. "I apprecaite that observation though, it means a lot to me. It is just a job for me, a means to an end that helps me accomplish my actual goal of borderless archaeology... Which is the best way I've come to describe it." A light exhale is taken then and Lara raises a hand up to uncap her water, then takes a sip from it before she sets it down again. "Danger is my comfort zone, these days, I'm sad to say. So what is it you're plagued with, tha tis thusly so dangerous?"
Alexander Aaron	One hand slips into his pocket and from its depths he produces a golden coin, brilliant and shiny, perhaps the size of a fifty cent piece or a touch larger, and twice as thick. He holds it up, showing one side that is a criss-cross latticework of what looks like thorny vines, then tilts it to the other side exposing what looks like thatch-work of interwoven branches. A curious mix of symbolism. He then sets it down in front of her with a faint scraping clink then says quietly to her.     "These are the coins they gave out at that celebration. The currency they used to pay for... things, people. I was wondering if you could help me find out what there is to about the thing. My research talents extend to like, Google. And maybe the public library. But beyond that I'm at sea."     He slides his hands back into his pockets as he leans back then shrugs. "But I thought you might have resources I don't have." And a glance is spared for the room. "Or, you know, might just plain be smarter." He looks back to her with those pale blue and jade greenish eyes as he smiles, giving a companionable shrug to go with those words.
Lara Croft	Lara stands up straight again when he produces the coin and speaks of it, sets it in front of her and lets her reach out to take it up into her own hands. Her eyes drop to it, she starts to turn it over and inspect every centimeter of it's surface. "It's silver." She says to him then. "Like, pure silver." She starts to walk to her right, stepping around the counter as she keeps her eyes on it and walks out of memory of her own domicile's interior. She moves past him, on her left, and proceeds past her kitchen table to the book shelves along the wall that sits on the other side of the hallway Alexander used to walk up to her door. Her thumb strokes the markings on it's surface. "It's a recruitment token." She states then, glancing back to him. "It signifies your start as a novice, with the intention of refinement toward master. Look--" Lara reaches up to her bookshelf and runs her hand along the spine of several books before she plucks one from it and turns back to him. She walks to him, to set the book down on the polished granite counter's top. She flips the book open until she reaches a section all about coins that resemble this one in her hand, and she holds it up to them to compare. Her free hand traces over a row of coins that all have similar etchings. "These were handed out to secret societies amongst the Greek people. You know of drachma, I'm sure. Attic, Corinthian, etcetera. This is... heavy though, which tells me that it's used as currency - as you say - then it's only given in great faith. There's likely at least twelve grams of silver here." Lara's eyes go back to the coin then and she turns it over in her thumb and fingers. "But yes, this is a brand new coin... it isn't even older than you or I."
Alexander Aaron	"Hnh," Alexander says as he looks at it, then turns his attention to the book when she produces it. His eyes flit across the page as he looks on the pictures, moving from one to the other, then back to the coin he gave to her. He bites his lower lip thoughtfully as he leans. "So it was... a sort of transitional thing. I didn't look at the coins that the other people had. Maybe they had... different pressings? Or maybe... it was to show when I joined their thing?"     It isn't all entirely clear to him as he steps close to consider, his shoulder lightly touching hers as they both consider the information she set before them. One hand runs along the ridge of the coin and he frowns.     "I wish I knew more about like, the traditions. I should have probably tried to learn more before I lost my temper." He sets the coin down in front of her but draws the book closer to his side of the counter.     "All I know is that during the celebration everyone freely made use of various things. But there were some... exclusive things that they would only allow you to partake by spending one of these coins."
Lara Croft	Lara looks to the coin as Alexander sets it aside, then to the book as he pulls it toward himself. She shows a faint smile and glances over to him as she gathers the coin up again to look it over. "The size, and weight, of the coin determines its value." She softly says. "This is a large coin, so I imagine that you probably could've gotten quite far with it at this ... gathering." She looks over to him then. "But don't beat yourself up about it, the whole thing sounds rather terrible, so the fact that you got through it at all is a miracle in and of itself." Lara's eyes drop back down to the coin in her hands now, turning it over between both thumbs and forefingers. "I'll look deeper into it though, if you'd like?" She asks. "I might be able to find more about it, but, since it's so new, my gut tells me that it's iconography is rather new as well. It's likely designed 'based on' what traditions this society is rooted in, but it's likely all about their modern values and goals." She looks back to him then and offers another light smile. "Who knows though, we live in a mysterious world after all."
Alexander Aaron	For a time as he reads he doesn't look at her, that handsome profile focused on the text before him. A deep breath is taken and she can likely see the subtle tension in his shoulders as he leans there, the furrow in his brow. Something about what passed weighing heavily upon him. Then she makes the offer to look deeper into it.     "Sure, please keep it." Alexander looks up and over at her, his brow furrowed as his thoughts likely travel down a myriad of trails as he converses with her. "I have five more, I was going to try and... spread them out, see if I can get other people to look into things."     There's a tilt of his head though, "Just be wary, if you start to get any push back then ditch the whole thing. I wouldn't want you to be endangered just to... I don't know, satisfy my curiousity."     That said he looks past her for a moment, hazel eyes unfocusing as his thoughts drift, but then he shakes his head and he looks back at her, small smile twisting up at the corner of his mouth. "I appreciate you doing this, though."
Lara Croft	Lara glances over to him on her right and when he looks back to her and warns her of any dangers she might face when investigating the coin now held in her left palm, she just smirks softly. "I think I'll be okay." She arrogantly claims. Though, to be fair, since everything that happened to her last fall had seemingly quieted down, Lara's been 'attacked' numbers times by lingering loyalists to the cult that she almost single handed dismantled, and yet... come out mostly unscathed on the other side of it all. She has credentials to support her bold claim! Her eyes glance back down to the coin then as she flips it over one last time before moving to step around the counter once again to gather up her phone and water bottle. "You're good, otherwise?" She asks him then. "No sudden... wild... family-related events have cropped up?" She asks next as she starts to slow walk toward her living room area where her desk is set against the front wall with her desktop computer monitor showing an image of a mountain range with a log cabin at the foot of it.
Alexander Aaron	After a moment he pushes off away from the counter and follows along with her, footsteps quiet on the hard wood floor. His hands slide into the pockets of his jeans as he looks over that gathering of information that always seems to change whenever he comes over. Subtle changes, to be sure, but there is always something new on that wall.     Then he looks back over at her and smiles when she asks him about his family. "No, they've been... pretty quiet. Ever since all of the crazy." He walks over and sits on the arm of her sofa, crossing one leg over his thigh and grabbing hold of his shin with both hands as he looks over at her.     "If I didn't know better I'd think they were, I don't know, maybe chagrined about what happened?" But his smile slips when his nose crinkles as he ends up making a shrugging gesture. "Or maybe my dad got mad at them about the whole thing and so they're lying low unless he goes all ham on them."     But then he returns the question, "But what about you? How are things going for you recently?"
Lara Croft	Lara sits down on the edge of her desk chair and looks over to Alexander, to offer him a soft smile at his question about her life. "SHIELD is... an experience." She vaguely replies, likely because she can't give many details even if she wanted. "Since moving to the United States, I've been shot at with an uzi while in a speeding vehicle chase. I've been shot at with glowing acid pellets from an army of drones. I've been forced to draw my weapon - and fire upon - multiple targets, and I've been completely list within an eye-opening underworld that I never knew was actually... /real./" She looks to her desk where she sets the coin down beside her keyboard, then leans back in her chair and over on to her left side where she puts her elbow on the arm of her chair and rests her head against the palm of her hand. Her eyes lazily go back over to him where he is across from her at the sofa. "I've met good people though." She tries to see the bright side of things. "I've learned so much too. So it isn't all bad. But... who's to say that I'll survive what comes next regardless, if things keep escalating around me as they have been."
Alexander Aaron	Those almost alien-like hazel eyes watch her as she settles in at her desk, turning to speak to him, to share with him what has passed for her. What she's endured. At a few points when she speaks on what she's experienced he gives a small nod, eyebrows climbing subtly as he seems to have at least some understanding of the gravity surrounding those situations she found herself in.     But when she offers a few more words about the better side of things he smiles and exhales a little chuff of breath. Something that might have been a laugh if he gave it a touch more effort. Yet it's when she brings up the idea that she might not survive, she can see the faint cloud of misgiving flicker across his features.     "Well." He takes a deep breath, eyebrows beetling as he looks down then back up at her. "I'm not like... the best emotionally equipped individual to express this sentiment." His lip twists a little. "But if something were to happen to you. I'd be displeased. And I'd likely want to hurt whomever did it. Sooo. To keep things from getting messy. I'd suggest you not let yourself get hurt? Ok."     There. That should settle it. Situation solved.
Lara Croft	Lara's head rests against her hand propped up by her arm on the rest of her chair, her eyes are directed at him and when he speaks those words he earns a smile out of her. She also raises her head up to straight and level again. "That, is probably the best compliment I've had all week." She says to him then as she glances toward her computer screen and then back over to him. "I don't supposed you'd be interested in going to a restaurant with me?" She asks. "I don't mean to make it sound, weird. But, my friend is opening his restaurant soon, and I was hoping to get as many people as I could to come to the opening night. It's very important to him, and he'd love to meet you. He has all manner of amusing stories, and is just the sweetest person you could ever hope to meet." "If it interests you, at least." She adds then. "Jonah's Place, is the name of it. I'm a... silent investor, you could say. It's here in the Village."
Alexander Aaron	Drawing his lower lip in between his teeth he works at it a little while smiling and gives her a nod after a few moments. "Sure, that'd be fun." He pushes himself to his feet. "Weekdays I have classes usually to around 2:15 or so."     Slipping off the edge of that couch he gains his feet and gesture with his hand towards the door. "I... should probably let you get back to it. But thanks for your help." A step back as he tilts his head away then his gaze returns toward her. "Just remember if it gets rough, drop it. Alright?" And before she can answer he'll add, "Alright." As if it were settled.
Lara Croft	Lara sits back in her chair as he rises up. "Up to you. It's a family restaurant though, so don't fear it being some sort've... dive /bar./" Lara says with a very British level of judgment lacing her voice about American dive bars. She watches him turn to leave and offers him a slight grin. "I'll be fine. I promise." She reiterates as she reaches out to pick up the coin again and look it over once more before her eyes bounce up again to him. "Thanks for bringing this to my attention, I look forward to uncovering all of it's many secrets." She has a bit of sass in her voice, but then again, he caught her on a day at home where she hasn't yet worn herself out with exercise or work, so she has a fair amount of energy left in the daily tanks. "I'll stop by if I come up with anything." She says then, her eyes now going back to her computer.