The Tomb Raider (lara) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-10-16 10:52:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, bruce banner (the hulk), lara croft |
Who: Bruce Banner and Lara Croft
What: Coffee Shop talks
When: during the narrative balloon plot
Where: Coffee shop
Status: complete
Rating: PG
Lara had finally decided she’d needed to get out of the house. Some coffee would be nice, and as long as she either kept her thoughts blank or concentrated on her archaeology plans. It was better than embarrassing thoughts, or terrifying dream ones. She ordered a latte and leaned against a table while waiting for her order. She looked down at her phone and the thoughts over her head were of translating an ancient Chinese document into English.
Bruce was enjoying himself, smiling as he worked on some drawings of a component he was working on to better monitor the magnetic residues left by certain substances in the human body. He wanted to get it done, but was moving slow so as to not make mistakes. He hummed softly to himself as he worked, his coffee nearby slowly growing cold
It was slow work, and she sat at a table next to a man. Her brain was still in languages mode when she nodded and smiled at him, before she swiped at her phone and her thoughts were replaced by more mundane ones. The archaeologist over again, and said curiously, "what's that you're working on, if you don't mind my asking?"
Bruce glanced up, blinking at the normal looking woman. “Hmmm? Oh, the specs for the directive components of a mechanical redistribution device that will help monitor magnetic residues in the human body left by some common substances. “
“What sort of substances? Could it be used in, say, a field where one researches ancient life?” Lara raised her eyebrow. She didn’t entirely understand what he was talking about, but it sounded like something that might be useful when dealing with tombs and crypts.Her bubble added, I only understood about half of that. She smiled sheepishly.
“Sure it could, and most common substances leave a residue of some kind. Anything from microbes to radiation. Why?” He blinked at her, then at her balloon and chuckled. “THe device it will be a part of will monitor the human tissue and blood systems to see if residual traces are in it, and thus, knowing what causes those, determine what, if anything, those systems have come into contact with.”
“I’m an archaeologist,” she explained, feeling a little awkward. She probably came off as weird. “I can think of some uses for that in my field.”
“I could see that.” He nodded. “Most fields could use it. Eventually. If it works as planned.” He smiled.
“I wish you luck then. I’m Lara Croft.” She held out her hand “I’m sorry if I was rude, it just looked really interesting.” She was a little sheepish, and the bubble above her head reflected that. I know I hate it when someone peeks over my shoulder. I’ve become one of them!
He shook her hand. “Doctor Bruce Banner. Not at all.” He smiled at her. He glanced up at her bubble and chuckled. “Its okay, really. Trust me on that.” He smiled a little. “Being yourself is important.”
“Ah, when I figure out who I’m supposed to be, that might help.” Lara’s thought bubbles seemed to wobble, showing brief images of an island before being replaced by the translation she was doing earlier. That was safer.
“Why try to figure out who you are supposed to be. Choose for yourself.” He had seen the image, but made no comment.
“I think think have the full picture yet,” Lara replied. “But I think I can choose for myself. I just want more information, first. “ She felt as though she needed to know the full picture. While she was terrified of the dreams, she also liked how strong she was.
Bruce arched an eyebrow. “What full picture?” He eyed her, curious now. What was she talking about?
“I don’t know what’s going to happen. In my dreams. They’re turning me into someone, shouldn’t I know who that person is before I even try to choose?” There are parts of her I want to be. The things she does, they’re not all bad. The things she finds are amazing.
“Maybe. But maybe what you should choose is whether or not you will let something else change you.” He eyed her. Then he nodded. “If it makes you happy, though, just be careful.”
“I’ll have to be careful. Thank you. You’re right though, I do need to keep ahold of who I really am, where it counts.”
“The Dreams seem to be powerful and seductive, but they are just that.” He nodded.
“I tend to believe in things that I can see, hear or touch,” Lara replied. Her voice was soft, but steely. “Yet here we are discussing dreams that come with scars, mental and physical. I don’t like it. There must be an explanation.”
The girl sighed and fingered the jade pendant around her neck. “Have you had any?”
“Not at all. But I’ve read the network. Its fascinating reading, really.” He smiled at her. “And the outlying reaches of physics has an answer for it, even if the internal reaches of the science call it poppycock. It’s multiple worlds theory.”
“Alternate universes.” Lara chuckled. It wasn’t a derisive sound. “I’d be happy to take the discoveries and leave the rest. Except it’s not in my nature to just condemn someone to suffer through that and ignore it. Even if she’s another me. I wonder if there’s a way to communicate.”
“I would think so, save for one thing. Everyone who talks about it talks about experiencing them as memories, so it is all in the past. Which tells me that either there is some grade of distance in time involved, or the people cannot be communicated with because we are them, somehow transformed.”
Lara thought about that. She had this nagging feeling there was something magical going on, in both places. All those shrines, the men's seeming complete devotion..."I hope that doesn't bode ill."
“I hope so too.” He shook his head. “Whatever comes, be yourself. Its all we can do.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry…” The girl chuckled. “I hadn’t meant to be serious and foreboding, or to bother you for so long.”
“Not a problem. I’m used to serious people. And today is a nice day to be bothered.” He nodded to her, and assuming she had meant she was leaving, looked back down at his notes.
“Good luck with that,” Lara said, before she took her leave. She really hoped it worked out, what he was working on. She’d definitely love it’s applications to her field.
“Thanks. Be well.”