Match of the Millennium

Description: Having found the Ancient Tomb, Biyu takes the lead in uncovering its secrets. Within, she begins to learn about the details of Illyria's layout, recorded in the cuneiform carved into the stone pillars. Biyu's progress is interrupted, or rather pillaged, by the always too curious Anji. Serving with the NOL, the scholar is eager to learn everything Biyu has come to so far. While the Sacred Order and NOL has been very open on sharing information, that has not been enough for the hungry academic, and Anji has little patience on any secrets that the Sacred Order researcher has withheld on Illyria. He will get what she has learned so far either politely... or by firm force.

[BIYU]
Inside the Tomb, Zhou Biyu works alone. Sure, she had people in here, helping set up lights, temporary workstations, a sort of base camp within the antechamber, but none of them were trained in archaeological technique--or, really, even had any -interest- in it. Those who knew Biyu in the past would have been surprised at the meticulousness with which she takes notes, pictures, rubbings... this is unlike what those who knew her when she was young saw in her, a boundless energy racing to and fro. But this is fun, for her, and so she puts a lot of attention, energy, and detail into it.

She's not at the workstation just now--she's roaming the antechamber, not-quite-touching various carvings and pieces, trying to settle the whole thing into an image in her head, reaching past the readings and the pictures to try and imagine what this place was like, what sort of intent... what secrets it could hold. The golem arm floats behind her, off to her left, silent guardian.

[ANJI]
She works alone, but it seems Biyu isn't alone as a whole as she explores things. The others right now are no concern for the new arrival who says little and slips about through the stations being setup with nary a word. There is the clacking of approaching footfalls approaching Biyu and Anji is making no attempt to be sneaky. Why would he? He is among allies even if the relationship between both NOL and the Sacred Order is an odd one.

"Ahh, the leader of this expedition I assume?" The stange man asks. In one hand he carries a rather large fan that is half open that he is using to idly fan himself. He peers over the spectacles he wears to regard Biyu and he gives a smile. "Allow me to introduce myself." he gives a bit of a bow as he snaps the fan shut. "Anji Mito."

He straightens back up and walks forward, the distance between him and Biyu closing in. "So do tell me everything you know. I hear it is quite a facinating discovery." He seems rather straight and to the point. No reason to mince words. He wants information and being direct is the best way to be about it all.

[BIYU]
Biyu turns at the sound of the footsteps, seeing Anji approach; she's at the 'far' end of the antechamber, from the door. Her right hand is still extended towards the wall as she turns, but she pulls in after Anji introduces himself. She knows... well, she knows who he's with, if not who he is other than by name, because she knows all the Sacred Order folks already. (It's not a huge group.) She adopts a casual alertness, though her expression is extremely guarded.

"Biyu Zhou," she replies, in turn. "I'm... one of the leaders of the expedition." She gestures around her.

"The archaelogical side, at least. I'm..." She half-smiles, with a little deprecation.

"I'm not a military leader. You must be with the NOL..." Stating the obvious here, but... that's where people start.

"Tell you everything? I..." She turns and frowns.

"I don't know much. This is the antechamber for a burial tomb, but I haven't finished deciphering the writings."

[ANJI]
"Hmm, something like that." His vague reply comes when asked who his allegiance is with. "For the time being if it makes you feel better to think that go ahead. Consider me an ally too both them and the Sacred Order." At least as long as both of them provide him with useful information.

Sadly it seems Biyu knows little of what is going on here so far and he gives a slight frown while he idly taps the end of a closed fan on his chin. "That little? Maybe I was misinformed." His gaze moves about the antechamber. Biyu doesn't look like the type that would be very good at telling a lie so he can't say she is really keeping information from him. Getting physical would do him little good other than to make the SO not trust him so that option seems to go right out the window.

"Ahh, well you are in luck." He finally says after some more thought. "I fancy myself a scholar as well so I guess that means we will just have to discover the secrets of this tomb together." He has to know if anything here is information that could be relevant to him and he isn't going to take no for an answer from the looks of it.

[BIYU]
That admission raises Biyu's eyebrows a little. So he's with the NOL for now, but... hmm. That's something to be filed away and discussed with some higher-ups later. She senses that he'll fight to get the information. And... she's an archaeologist. She doesn't want to fight in here. These are important artifacts.

The archaeologist blows out a gusty breath. "We have a lot of raw data," she says, moving towards the workstations. The raw data is, after all, all around them; giving it to Anji, uncollated and unorganized, is not a loss. She pulls a workstool out and opens up a laptop, cueing up a file to print.

"This is basically just pictures of everything in here..."

[ANJI]
There is just a coy smile from Anji when Biyu isn't looking. As if he is pleased that there was no real resistance in his inquiries. He steps away to take a closer look at some of the markings that line the wall as the woman breaks open her laptop. "A shame really. Here I was hoping you had a chance to decipher."

He rests his free hand on the wall and gently traces along the lines of an image. He looks a bit lost in thought as he looks over things. Only when she speaks up does he seem to snap back to reality. "Hmm?"

He then sees the printout and gives a nod as he steps back over. "Well it is a start. I will just have to remain here and help decipher the meanings and what this place is. If anything it seems to belong to someone that was revered or feared by those that lived here long ago."

[BIYU]
As she's setting the file to printing, Biyu mmms. "I'm still in the collection phase of the process," she replies, offhandedly, "so I'm translating here and there but not doing serious analysis yet." The printer starts humming, sheets of paper sliding out onto the output tray.

"There's quite a bit, this might take a while." It isn't obvious that she's not comfortable cooperating with the NOL, but it's probably unstaten fact, just from the fact that Dizzy gave herself up to them. "It is definitely the tomb of at least royalty. I suspect," she says, as she collects a sheaf of papers from the printer and starts tapping it square, "that it's even more important than that... there must be a reason why it was sealed up. But I don't know for sure, right now..."

[ANJI]
Patience. That is something Anji can have if the ends justify the means. He cannot force Biyu and he crew to work faster, but well he can linger and help them along. And with him remaining here that means he will be up to date on everything and there will be no hiding information from the strange man.

"Well then I suppose working together is going to be the best way to do it." His smile cheerful yet at the same time it just seems fake. He slips the fan he is holding into a long, sleeve and it seems to disappear among the cloth even if it shouldn't remain there. He gives a clap of his hands and rubs him together. "Consider it the start of a beautiful friendship as we find all the secrets this tomb has to offer."

It is perhaps not the best arrangement, but at least if given a chance and with time Anji will show himself at least not all show and will actually speed up on figuring out the purpose of the tomb and why it was sealed away so long ago. There is always a hope the young man will get bored and move on to other ventures, but for now it is an uneasy alliance from the looks of it.

Log created on 11:44:44 03/18/2018 by Anji, and last modified on 12:14:48 03/19/2018.