Project Infinity - Wednesday, August 08, 2001, 3:24 PM

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Glory Heights Apartments--East Main

Angelus, as it has been said, does have a taste for visuals. Which is part of the reason why he is sitting in a room lit by dozens of candles, at a grand piano, with a bottle of red wine and a half filled wineglass next to it. It might be a travesty that this monster can make such a mournful, yearning sonata (or perhaps requiem) be coaxed from the piano, but that doesn't change the reality of it. He finds some pleasure in the music, but enjoys the distraction it provides for his hands more, leaving his mind to roam. Particularly on the problem of Constantine and the slayer.

There's a click as the lock on the door turns - perhaps unnoticed as Angelus plays. But when it opens, a dusty Lara, who has that glow about her that some women only have post coitus enters, knapsack casually over one shoulder, gun at each hip. Her eyes flick around briefly, cautiously despite herself - but she steps inside, until her eyes rivet on the gent at the piano.

Angelus raises his head from looking at the keys, but his eyes are closed. He doesn't hear the woman enter, but the scent that accompanies here slowly reaches him, and a brief smile touches his lips. The song continues unabated. He looks over at her slowly, and nods once, looking a bit out of it. Then he smiles. No matter why she's here, the evening is bound to be more interesting with her about.

Lara tosses the pack onto the couch and collapses in it, reclining like some Grecian goddess in a painting. She watches him play, a coy smile on her lips.

Angelus glances over once more at the woman, and somewhat reluctantly stops, the music abruptly aborted. Oooh, she's up to something, he can tell. "What is it?" he asks, fighting a smile, a little boy thinking someone has a surprise for him.

Lara mmms idly. "Well...I've been out of town." she says blithely. Her grin starts to widen.

"Out of town?" Angelus asks, puzzled for a moment. Then remembers why he was interested in her in the first place. After thinking fondly about her physical attributes for a moment, he remembers the /second/ reason why he was interested. "...you didn't," he says, turning his head to the side but still watching her, smile growing.

Lara sits up slowly, leaning over toward her knapsack. She begins to slowly open it, her braid falling forward over her torso. "The research really was quite fascinating. You see, it was originally in Spain, well before even the Inquisition, and eventually the Conquistadors brought it over with a horde of other treasures to this part of the world, and when they invaded the Aztec cultures to be found here, they installed it all in the ancient treasure storages that were dedicated to the jaguar god of the Aztecs."

Angelus shows incredible restraint, not even starting as if to grab it, just waiting patiently. You can wait five minutes, he tells himself. After all these years you can wait five minutes. "The jaguar god?" Or as Angelus would call it, cat-demon. "Was there...protection?"

Lara nods. "You could call it that. There were...jaguar men. Walked like men, at any rate, but covered in fur, with claws and fangs, with the heads of jaguars. I believe their referred to as 'Balam' in some legends." she pauses. "They tend not to be very fierce under bullet fire, though. And of course there were those pesky cultists of Acathla..."

Angelus starts visibly at that. "Acathla?" he repeats, eyebrows furrowing, and he paces away a few steps. Away from his beloved gemstone. Patience, he reminds himself. "You seem to be in one piece," he notes, with a crooked smile. Bonus.

Lara looks at him sidelong. "Acathla was mentioned in my research. Apparently the ring was somehow used to in connection to Acathla, but the details aren't quite clear. It did state that a paladin of some sort slew Acathla with a blessed sword, and he turned to stone. And then of course, all the sheer nonsense about how it is the prayer of demons that Acathla will return and swallow the world."

Angelus keeps pacing slowly, looking up again at Lara at the mention of Acathla. "Yeah, swallow the world into Hell, so they hope. The demon equivalent of the messiah and second coming. Just about as likely, too." Or was, until yesterday!

Lara finally reaches down and down into the backpack, and produces a small steel box. She presses her thumb against a small pad in the front. "Thumbprint Identified" chirps the box, and it clicks open. There in Lara's hot little hands, is the Gem of Amarra, set in a ring of gold.

Angelus widens his eyes at the sight of it, not totally willing to believe in it till he saw it. "Lara...what can I say? You're incredible." Bad vampire, don't think of fighting her to the ground for it.

Lara hates to mention it, but..."So long as I'm a million dollars worth of incredible." she says quietly.

"Did I say a million?" Angelus looks up, eyebrows drawing together in apparent worry. He lets the tension sit there for a moment, looking at Lara, then back down to his ring. "I never thought it would be found you know. Make it five." He looks up again, still that look of concentration. "Hell, there were jaguarmen even. Hmm." Eyes go back to the ring. "Make it ten." What does he care, the world's going to end soon anyways!

Lara grins a touch. "Five," she says archly, "Will do." She holds the box out to him.

Angelus takes the box slowly and with almost reverence. Probably the closest thing he has to religion, come to think of it. "I guess I got carried away," he says, grinning and relieved at the same time. He looks giddy, and puts the box to one side. And if she doesn't stop him he's going to do that joyous hands on the hips lifting and spinning around for a hug. He's overjoyed.

Lara laughs in delight. She's actually glad he's so pleased. "Thank you for the opportunity." she says. "It's just what I needed to feel like my old self again."

Angelus puts her down, still grinning, and spreads his arms. "We gotta celebrate, right?" If he was alone, maybe by a massacre. With her, other plans will have to do.

Lara smiles. "What did you have in mind?" she laughs.

Angelus grins and claps his hands together once, clasping them and shrugging. "I'll let you know when I can think again." Then he shakes his head once, smile fading a bit. "You know how many have tried what you just did? I guess we know now why they didn't come back." He shakes his head again. Jaguarmen. Ha.

Lara says serenely, "They're not me." She considers. "I'm a bit dusty. Perhaps a shower is in order."

"Sounds like a good way to celebrate to me," Angelus says, then pauses. He actually looks apologetic. "You're probably tired." For the next little while she's got goddess status.

Lara looks at him slightly wide-eyed. "Oh heavens, no. I'm exhilarated. Travel never tires me."

Angelus smiles widely, then looks differential /again/, clasping his hands together and spreading them, still laced at the fingers. "Would you like some company?" he asks, polite as he's ever been. Then he's bouncing just a tiny tiny bit, and grinning again. She got the ring!