The Tomb Raider (lara) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2014-01-12 10:26:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, byakuya kuchiki, lara croft |
"Will you be taking my lieutenant with you?"
Who: Lara and Byakuya
What: Solidifying plans for an expedition
When: Early-Jan
Where: Byakuya's place
Status: complete
Rating: PG-13 for jealous ninja ladies
A few things were different since Lara and Byakuya had last spoken. For one, Lara was more confident in herself. More traumatized, but more confident. Her face was a little more obviously weathered and she had a small scar on the bridge of her nose now, but any other physical changes were hidden under a sweater and dress trousers. Her eyes, however, were harder.
But she was in a good mood and smiling, turning the titanium ring around on her finger. Under her arm was a folder filled with all the research and preparation she’d done on her expedition. She just needed to settle on a date, and she had two choices to discuss with her benefactor.
Said benefactor had agreed to a meeting, even though his meetings were rare occurences over the course of the past month. Too many dreams, too many changes, and too many thoughts weighed on Byakuya Kuchiki's mind. His last conversation with Rukia had left him feeling at odds, although he wouldn't ever voice those feelings, outloud. He had kept to himself and kept his distance from Rukia, even more than usual. Meals were had in a state of silence. He simply went about his business, as though it was usual. Even though it was so very much not usual, at all.
His hair was much longer than it was, previously, his eyes more of a steeled gray in color. His skin, a bit more pale. But his listless, aloof, and remote expression hadn't changed one bit. Not even when a very sour faced ninja sexretary showed Lara to the door of his office, in his home.
Oh yes, all it took was one look at that ring on Lara's finger, and Lara got a glare instead of a sneaked in ass grab for a hello and no more writing her phone number on the front windows with the tip of her tongue while Lara was leaving. Oh well. It's not like she doesn't get sour faced and bitchy sometimes (i.e. - a lot of the time) anyway. Isssuuuueeees.
The woman practically kicked the door open with one petite foot and crossed her arms, saying in a low voice, "He'll see you now."Issuuuuuuuues. Which will never get sorted out because, damn it, you are a handful and there's no were-cat chick for you to perpetually perv on. Go away. This brain motel has no vacancy.
From behind his desk, Byakuya stared at the door with a fleeting hint of a scowl, because that was not the way to open the door to guests. Good help was hard to find.
“Come in.” He didn't stand up. Instead, he sat there, waiting for Lara to enter and sit down. Around his neck was a pale scarf that looked as though it was made of a stray breeze made tangible and viewable. It didn't rest on his shoulders so much as it seemed to float just over them, and strangely enough, it didn't distract from the suit he had on either. Thanks dreams, for giving him his windflower scarf heirloom back.
Now if only it would give him back a better rapport with Rukia. Ugh.
She still glanced at the sextretary appreciatively and a little sheepishly and maybe if she thought Rogue liked girls she'd have offered to take her number for her.
The eyes were the first thing Lara noticed, but she didn't say anything, just nodded her head at him. She walked over and sat down in front of the man, resting her hands on her envelope. "Good morning. I uhm, I like the scarf."
The sexretary gave her a beady-eyed stare and would have kicked the door shut if she could manage it, from that side. Sexual conquest ruined?! Pfft. Instead, she balanced perfectly on one foot and raised her other leg so that the toe of her shoe met the ornate door handle and she could pull it closed that way.
You don't even get coffee or tea or anything brought to you now, Lara. Whatever! Someone's going to go sulk now. Kthanxbai.
Meanwhile, Byakuya resembled something more akin to a statue than a human, even as his lips parted so he could speak.
"Good morning, Ms. Croft." There was a pause. He did not look thoughtful on the outside, even if he was, on the inside. "The scarf is from my dreams. It is worth ten mansions. I awoke from one of the dreams and I was wearing it. That was...disconcerting."
Not to mention, it was disconcerting he had his captain's uniform. But he's not mentioning that.
"I'm sorry it was disconcerting. I hope it's a welcome thing rather than not." She could understand both welcoming something like that, and not wanting to. She flipped open her envelope, deciding that they'd both prefer to get to business. She handed over a printout she'd made, including a map of the site as well as the supply list, the permits and so on.
"It being welcome is still a matter of contention," he replied, taking what was offered and quietly looking them over.
It all seemed to meet his approval, even though he didn't nod or say so, outloud. There was a pensive 'hmm' sound, before he sat up even straighter (is that possible?!) and stared at her. Or through her. It's always difficult to tell with him, anyway.
"I foresee no complications with this venture. You will have whatever you require," stated Byakuya. "I am looking forward to whatever you may uncover, if you are still operating under the assumption it is related to the dreams."
She nodded at that, then straightened unconsciously when he did. It was scarcely noticeable since he already appeared to have a straighter stick than one Scott Summers. "So both proposals look good? Costa Rica and Yamatai? I’m hoping to get to the former in March and the latter in the fall, but I can work that timeline out if you have preferences."
Strict adherence to rules and one's own moral code is always advisable. Byakuya and Scott would probably get along in that capacity. No joke. Even though they would probably both stand there looking imposing and like they have steel rods for spines...and Byakuya would only bend rules in ways that made it seem like he hadn't found a dozen loopholes, at all.
"I am not opposed," he confirmed, "and you will have all the funds you require. I have no use for the relics or outside funds you might acquire afterward, from whatever you find. I am only interested in the information which you may uncover."
After one of those bouts of silence in which crickets might be heard chirping in the background, Byakuya asked, "Will you be taking my lieutenant with you?"
He didn't even bother hiding the fact that Renji was a subordinate in his dreams. Rather, it seemed as though Byakuya had simply embraced the madness, without remotely being driven mad by it all. If it troubled him, he gave no indication of such. It was what it was, as simple as that.
Lara nodded her head. She wasn't sure what he'd do with the information, but she was pretty confident in their agreement. "I'm sure the information I uncover will be interesting at the very worse, and useful at the best." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I'd like to. I think it would be good for him, in all honesty. He’s on the short list, with my fian...camerawoman and a friend of mine."
The information wouldn't be used for anything. More or less, with Byakuya, it was only going to be for his own intellectual curiousity. If Lara wanted to use her findings for greater gain, then it was her perogative. Not his. After all, he was already rich. He didn't need to benefit from it.
It would be dishonorable to do that, and a matter of pride that he stick to his words and ideals. If there was one thing that Byakuya had a metric ton of (besides money), it was his pride.
Byakuya didn't look phased either at the flub with the fiance-camerawoman mention. That wasn't his concern and he didn't need (or want) to intrude in the private love lives of his business partners. He didn't care about who was marrying who, as much as the quality of the individual person he was dealing with. In other words, Byakuya is honey badger. He is not giving a fuck about that, complete with an unwavering stare as he sat behind his big desk, like a too pretty man statue with a ultra expensive windflower floaty scarf barely resting around his shoulders and neck.
"I believe it will be good for him, as well," he finally said. "He is stubborn, reckless, and impetuous. Going on at least one of the digs would be a way to hone his abilities. If there are issues with Renji, do not hesitate to use whatever means necessary to contact me. Renji knows one of those means, which does not require cell phone or satellite communication."
There was yet another one of Byakuya's pauses, before he said in an even lower tone of voice, than before, "I do not tolerate ineptitude. Be certain that he knows he should listen to your instructions. Let him know that I will also pay his employer and provide a stand-in employee while he is gone, as a means of compensation."
Because people complain less when lots of money is thrown at them. And, seriously? Byakuya will have his damn self air lifted out to the middle of nowhere if Renji wrecks anything, simply to give him the stare of disapproval.
Oh yes. He would do that. In a heartbeat.
"Stubborn and impetuous sums Renji up to a T," Lara agreed, chuckling a little. The thing she really,really liked about her business partner was she didn't feel nervous around him. It was because he was pretty much exactly what he looked like, and she appreciated his honey-badgerness. "That's really fair of you. I'll let him know I'm boss and that I'll have you on speed dial if he steps out of line."
She gave him a sly smirk. "I think that might keep him in line."
That feeling was mutual. He had a respect for Lara's enthusiasm and intelligence, and that she didn't seem to be bothered by his distant demeanor. He picked his business partners well.
There was a ghost of a smile on Byakuya's face, because - even though Renji would swear up and down that his captain didn't like him - it couldn't be further from the truth. He did like Renji, but he thought of his lieutenant as someone unrefined, who had to learn things the hard way. The school of rough knocks was practically the only way that someone as stubborn as Renji would learn anything at all...because Renji also wasn't that...smart.
Byakuya didn't feel like spelling that out to his lieutenant, even if things improved later on. In more of a friendly rivalry sense, of course.
Even if he didn't look or sound amused, it might be hinted at when he replied, "Make certain that you have him use the speed dial and inform me, himself."
Lara was too kind to say it, but yes, Renji could be a bit dense and a bit of an idiot at times. She got to her feet and closed her file. "Oh, I look forward to tell him that. Would you like a picture of the look on his face?" She could get Sam to catch it. Probably.
Byakuya also stood up, since - by the look of his secretary (for she is not a sexretary to him) - there was a boycott going on. He would walk with her, himself, and mostly because he liked Lara. Even if he was crap at saying so.
Speaking of people who were crap at saying things....
"I would appreciate multiple photographs. If you are not opposed, I might take enough initiative to travel to the dig site, and witness his progress, myself." Because it is obvious that Byakuya enjoys a little sadistic enjoyment at his vice-captain's expense, now and then. It was the fringe benefit of being the boss, after all. And having someone who really was a bit dense, at his side. "Be mindful that he looks before he leaps."
Because he could easily imagine Renji falling off a cliff, after announcing, 'HEH! I GOT THIS. WATCH!'
She raised her eyebrow, then nodded again and hugged her envelope to her chest. She could get that. He had some personal stake in Renji even if he wasn’t going to admit it out loud. “I’ll have to babysit him at first, until he gets the hang of things. I was expecting to need to do the same for my camerawoman too anyway. It’ll be like herding cats but I’ll enjoy it.”
"You will be in your element. It would be expected to derive enjoyment from the experience," Byakuya was saying as they walked down to the front door. Any personal stake was still left unsaid, and Byakuya thought it was better off that way. He still had a great many things to sort out with Rukia. The dreams only made that a more complex situation. "He takes his responsibilities seriously, but I would be wary of letting him handle anything that requires a delicate touch."
"I think I'll let him handle the indelicate things and the heavy lifting." Lara wrinkled her nose as she stood at the front door. "I'd hate to lose a priceless artifact because he got a little excited."
Crickets could have (and should have) been chirping in the background, given the way Byakuya was staring at Lara after that last statement. Again, there was the teeniest, tiniest, itsy bitsiest hint of a quirk at one corner of his mouth, before it went poof and was gone.
"He does have a tendency to be over-exuberant," Byakuya said, keeping his voice incredibly even in both tone and measure. He also meant in general and not anything pervy. "I would strongly advise bringing additional bandages. He is frequently injured."
...seeing as how Renji spent a good portion of Byakuya's dreams, wrapped up like a mummy.
Lara nodded her head. "I'll budget plenty of first aid. If my dreams are any indication, archaeology is incredibly dangerous anyway. Bringing a man like Renji just invites more trouble." But Lara? Really didn't seem to mind the idea. Not in the slightest.