Owner	Pose
Lara Croft	7:35pm Local Time. Foothills of the northern Himalaya mountains. There's a blizzard hitting the area hard, a washed out old muddy road curves through the snow covered landscape. The road has deeply rutted tire tracks that run down it and they've been filled with ice and mud. Lara Croft is inside of her rented Jeep, the vehicle is leaning to the right as the side wheels of the vehicle have been stuck in a crumbled ditch along the road side. She's laying on the gas and spinning the wheels to trya nd work through the ditch but it isn't working this time, where it had throughout this rather shitty journey thus far. "Come on...." Lara groans inside of the vehicle, the heater on but its doing a piss poor job to heat the vehicle. She's got a red winter jacket on and a grey woolen scarf around her neck, her hair tied back as she's turning her head around in the dark cabin, the headlights of the Jeep shining forward in to the falling snow and near no-visibility conditions.
Hercules	The Himalaya mountains.     Being as ancient (almost literally) as Hercules is, there is a minute number of places on the planet he hasn't been. The Himalayas was not on that list. He had been here numerous times. There was a point in time where he would use to come here and take solitude amongst the frigid peaks, where no normal mortals would dare tread.     Alas, he was not here to take solitude. He was here on a quest of sorts, one he had chosen to undertake alone since it was a rather simple one.     He had heard rumors of an ancient Greek ship that was alleged to be located in this particular portion of the Himalayas. Somewhere. The ship he did not care much about. Seen one old Greek ship, you've seen them all... but this ship was the last known carrier of an old Olympian artifact, the likes of which Hercules had only heard vague stories about and had never actually seen or held himself.     That is, to say, he isnt even sure what this artifact is. But he did think it would make for a nice... offering... to his father. Returning an ancient, lost artifact would surely put a smile on Zeus' face.     Maybe.     What Hercules did not expect, despite the numerous roads in the area, was to actually FIND anyone out here. The blizzard was rather heavy, and the temperatures ridiculously cold. So much in fact that a human would freeze to death in a very short time if they didnt have gear and some way to provide warmth.     So when he hears the spinning of tires and the whine of an engine, he naturally moves over to investigate.     Lumbering out of the treeline, the Olympian God of Strength bares himself to the elements but it seemingly is of absolutely no consequence to him. Perhaps even more surprising is that he is clad in a very weather-inappropriate outfit. That formfitting, green spandex-like material must have provided some disproportionate amount of protection. That, or he just didn't -need- any protection.     He stands out in the middle of the road for a moment, inspecting the Jeep from afar, before he calls out in a thunderous, manly voice.     "Hail! Do you need assistance, traveller?" He is already near the front of the Jeep before he stops talking.
Lara Croft	It's one of the last things Lara expected to see. As she's sweeping her head around to look from what her hands are doing with the wheel and gear shifter to looking over her shoulder to the back of the Jeep... It was quickly becoming apparent that this ditch in the road was too great for her vehicle to get through and she'd have to hunker down for the night and worry about it in the morning... or after the storm passed.... And then the man just appears in her headlights. It shocks Lara so much that she parts her lips and gasps audibly inside of the cabin of the Jeep. "What the Hell..." She says as she looks over to her pistol inside of the holster on the passenger seat. She looks back to the man in green as he's nearing her vehicle and calling out to her. Quickly, Lara's left hand goes to the window controls and she starts to roll the handle do open the window up. The snow starts to come in as she leans her head out to call back to him in the dark. "I'm a bit stuck, I'm afraid." She tells him in response. "I might need quite a lot of help, really." She says in her British accented voice.
Hercules	"Ah. Ah - ha!" The large, musclebound man lets out as he seems to notice the problem.     It did not occur to him to ask what they were doing out here all by himself. Honestly, it didn't matter to him anyway. He knew what he was here for, and the possibility didn't occur to him that anyone else would be here for the same reason.     Walking past the headlights and back into the darkness, the night obscures the finer details of his form, such as the scarcity of his outfit and most of his facial features. But not his outline. He was a big guy, to be certain. And that accent would definitely be noticed as not a native tongue.     "Well, just you sit tight where it is warm! This is a trivial matter for the God of Strength!" As he says this, he gives a light pat of affirmation on the driver side door before walking back to the rear of the vehicle, and then around to the side where the wheels had become stuck.     It is a strange sensation: sitting in the front seat of a vehicle like a Jeep that is being lifted up by its backside.     The Prince of Power had found a nice handhold that wouldn't compromise the structural integrity of the vehicle. And with that handhold, he lifts the rear of the Jeep up off the ground (and damn near bringing the front end with it). He takes a few steps, swivelling the Jeep in place somewhat, before setting it down.     Of course, some of the inner contents of the vehicle may have shifted towards the front during this action....
Lara Croft	It is more than a little uncomfortable for Lara, because well... she honestly thought she was the only living soul out this far for ... well she'd driven for nearly the entire day. She knew part of this region well enough to know there were no homes or settlements this far north either. So who is this? His outfit is unusual, like the Super-types you'd find in a major city, but those types rarely make it out to places like this... places like this mostly remain untouched by the supoer powered people of this world. "Ri-right, thank you." Lara says as he passes by the driver's door and then moves around to the back. When he starts to pick the Jeep up, her answer is mostly supplied. "Oh, oh jeeze." Lara utters, her hands on the wheel now as she feels the whole vehicle get moved back on to the road. The gun holster slips forward on the old leather passenger seat and falls on to the floor with a thud. Lara doesn't really consider it as she's looking back over her shoulder, the window still down so her breath is misting in front of her lips as she waits for him to come back up her way. "Th-thank you." She tells him, calling out the window. "I ... I really am shocked that someone like you is out this far, or... here in general!" She tells the man, assuming he'll know she means a 'super hero' of sorts.
Hercules	Hercules didn't exert any effort at all in moving her Jeep. None whatsoever, so in saying that it was a "trivial matter" might have been the understatement of the century. He looks down, insuring her wheels are properly seated on the road before dusting some accumulated snow off his hair and shoulders.     He walks back towards the front of the vehicle, to the driver's side door.     "Yes. I suppose it might seem strange to see one of my kind here, but there was a time when I was not the only one to visit these mountains!" He pauses, looking curiously to her, letting one hand come up to brace himself on the top of the jeep and lean his body weight against it. The suspension creaks and it feels as though he might tip it up on two wheels again, but he is just standing there.     "Someone like me, you say? Do you know many Olympians?"
Lara Croft	Lara is adjusting the fuzzy woolen scarf around her neck when he reapproaches the Jeep driver's door. The window is still down and she's looking out of it now to him as he leans against the vehicle. In this position she comes across a bit small inside of the large Jeep, but that's the nature of being a young woman on her own out here in the vast wilds of this untamed land. She just looks a bit out of her element! Even if this really is her element. of choice.... "Oh... Olympians?" Lara questions before laughing in a 'what?' kind of way. "I... well, no. I meant, You know... like... Superman, or... I don't know.... I'm not really an expert on that manner of things." She shows him a faint and nervous smile. "I'm Lara." She says then, putting her right hand out the window over herself toward him. "Croft. I'm an archaeologist and am, well, trying to get to a site that I've been researching not too far from here. It's... well, if you're an Olympian..." Which evidence suggest he VERY WELL COULD BE. "--You may already be familiar with what I'm referring to." She says light heartedly.
Hercules	The large man grins a bit at her puzzled response. Perhaps something he should have expected. Not many people know of the Olympians other than myths or what they've read in history books. Either way, Hercules never fancied himself to be much of a teacher.     When that hand is offered, the gentle giant of a man smiles a rather charming smile. Perfect teeth go on display to accent that smile. He reaches for her right hand with his left, and instead of opting for a handshake, he cranes his head and lifts her hand simultaneous, placing a tender kiss between the largest of her knuckles.     "I am pleased to have met you, Lara! I am Hercules. Son of Zeus, and the God of Strength!" As he says this, he releases her hand and stops leaning against her Jeep.     "Ah... an archaeologist?" He puts two and two together. "It... might be that we are here for the same reason. Potentially. Which might be problematic!" He pauses, looking off into the distant night.     "I was told that there is something of import to my people here. If it IS here, then how it got here was a mystery, but it is not one I care to solve. There is an item that could be here as well, however, and that object belongs to Olympus!" He then looks back down to her. "But, I suspect if our goals conflict - we might be able to ascertain an outcome that is positive for both of us!"
Lara Croft	The gesture with her hand and the kiss to her knuckles earns a soft smile from the woman, an expression of being amused and impressed at a thing she's not seen from anyone in a long time. Her hand comes back in to the Jeep then as the cold winter winds are rushing over him outside of the vehicle yet still. "Her... Hercules." Lara says. "Of course you are." She then laughs softly. "I mean, this is... well, unexpected." It's a lot to process too. She knew there were Gods in this world, she's interacted wit a number of them in her young adulthood, from Thor to the various Egyptian Gods and Goddesses she's dabbled in... it sbeen quite a ride, so to speak. "I see, well, yes, if there are items of interest at this site, I've no desire to take them from you. If that is your worry. On the contrary, my hope is to keep such things out of the hands of would-be nare-do-wells." She states with a slight smirk at her own word usage. "Would you like to get in?" She asks himthen. "Its freezing out there, and I imagine if we're headed in the same direction then its only prudent to share the journey."
Hercules	"The 'item of interest' is more for my father than for myself. He... is irritated with me at the moment and I aim to make amends!" He looks back at her briefly, considering her offer for a moment and then looking back the opposite direction.     "The cold is of no consequence! But..." He looks down. "You are here alone? There is chance you may have need of my assistance again. And it would seem that we have matching destinations." He pauses. "Very well. We shall make this journey together, beautiful Lara."     He flashes her that "full of charm" smile once more.     He makes his way around the front of the vehicle towards the passenger side. He opens the door, assuming it to be unlocked, and gets in. The vehicles suspension creaks once more. While he was quite large by human standards, he certainly wasn't gargantuan or a behemoth... which would imply that his intense weight must be derived from his divine physiology.
Lara Croft	As Hercules is going around the front of the Jeep, Lara mutters "Well this is a new direction to go..." She states while she watches him come around to the passenger door. She leans over the seat and unlocks the door then is leaning down to reach toward the floor boards where her gun is visibly laying ther ein a black nylon holster. She grabs it up and then leans back in her seat to offer him a smile while resting the weapon on her lap between her thighs. "Sorry about that." She says of the gun when he's getting in. "Can never be too safe out here, right?" She notes with a faint smile. Once he's in she'll start the car back up and the heat starts going again at full. She'll get them moving again soon too. "So... yes, I'm Lara, I'm an archaeologist and well, an Agent of SHIELD too, if you're familiar with the name." She glances over at him beside her then, affording another faint smile to the man whose weight was noticeably present when he sat down inside the Jeep.
Hercules	Of course, he had seen her reach for the gun. Some of the more wary types might have tried to grab for it themselves, just to be sure that it wouldn't get used on them, if nothing else. But, being a bullet proof Olympian has its advantages. It takes a lot to get him worried.     Once the car gets moving, he shifts in an effort to get comfortable. The seat creaks beneath him but it seems to be holding up well enough. In a completely natural, unconscious motion, he raises his left arm to brace it by placing the hand on headrest of the drivers seat, mere inches from her head.     "SHIELD? Yes, I have heard of them, as a matter of fact! I don't believe I have encountered that... organization... in any official sense."
Lara Croft	Lara's eyes are forward in the snow fall as she keeps them on the road now, it is bumpy but not as bad as it was back there where shey got derailed. She glances over at him on her right and shows him another soft smile. "Well, I guess that's changed tonight. Your first SHIELD agent and my first Olympian." She responds in good humor. Her eyes go forward again as the driving is even paced and a bit bumpy, but not too terrible! "So you just... walk everywhere you go?" Lara asks him then. "You could at least unstick your own vehicle if you were driving about in one. Which is far better than I can do, clearly." She says with a soft laugh trailing her words.
Hercules	"No, my dear. Sometimes I run." He smirks a coy and playful smirk as he looks over at her for a moment. He then lets out a hearty chuckle.     "I might even jump, if I have to go high enough." He looks away, still grinning. "Of course, if I ever need a vehicle of some kind, it is not difficult for me to obtain one! Being an Olympian God, however, has its advantages. Such as... uncommon travelling methods." He glances back at her, grinning.     His eyes linger, however, looking her over carefully. Roaming over her. It was clear he was much more interested in her than the road.
Lara Croft	At his response, the Britain woman smiles and releases a soft laugh through her smile. "I can only imagine." She says quietly as she steers them around another unsafe patch of the road. "Well, I don't think we're that far off from the base camp area I was planning to set up at for the night, as I didn't plan to do any climbing until the weather passed. Its supposed to be a nice day tomorow, if you can believe it." She says o ver at him with a small smirk. "To be honest its hard to believe I've run in to ... well, yeah, I would say this changes everything about my expedition here. You likely are a source of information unlike anything I could ask for. Plus, if you're here, that all but confirms what I've been set out here to find. Or at least, I should think some part of it anyway..." She says as she spares another glance to him on her right.
Hercules	"Base camp?" He glances over his shoulder to anything she might have in the back of the jeep. "Yes, I suppose it would be wise for you to find shelter. This weather is hazardous to mortals!" He looks back, pausing to take another lingering gaze over her.     "You are quite stunning to look at, Lara. Very much unline any archaeologists I have met." That charming smile is given before he looks forward.     "Perhaps I should accompany you for the night! It would be a shame if you had to waste any of your precious ammunition on something that might consider you a meal out here!"
Lara Croft	There's multiple bags in the back, a wide variety of visible climbing gear and survival items, as well as food and supplies in general, she's very well stocked if nothing else! His words has her laughing softly. "Yes, well, thank you. That's appreciated." She says as she keeps her eyes forward on the road. "According to the directions I was given there's a small set of .... cabins? Somewhere up ahead. I can't imagine Cabin is quite the right word, but they have to be better than pitching a tent out in the snow, I hope at least." She shows another faint smile. "I don't have any desire to be consumed by a pack of wolves, you're certainly right about that. But yes, I believe there'll be space for more than just myself, so you're welcome to join and in the morning we can set out for the... search. Unless of course you know precisely where we're going, in which case... well, I'm glad wet met!"
Hercules	The God of Strength shakes his head. "Alas, I do not know where this place is! I do know that it is somewhere in this area... I was directed to this particular portion of the mountains, and it is somewhere within...." He pauses, thinking quietly to himself.     "A 15-20 mile radius from us, here. So yes! It might be best to wait until daybreak, and perhaps the storm may have passed by then..." He glances back towards her, smiling for a moment but then looking ahead.     "Are those the... cabins... you spoke of?" He asks, gesturing up ahead with a brief nod of his head.