behindcloseddoors | CLOSED ♔ suddenly i will play my ace

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CLOSED ♔ suddenly i will play my ace

WHO || Elena, Spike, Archer, ??
WHAT || Elena strikes out to try and learn the truth about what she is - by walking straight back into the lion's den.
WHERE || Chicago, the Waldorf hotel
WHEN || July 11th/12th, middle of the night
HOW || Actionspam

[ It's amazing, the things that can slip through the cracks. The team is so focused on Vi's suspicious desire to speak to Keijen or the drow god haunting her nightmares, that they're all expending their energy keeping an eye on her so that she doesn't sneak out at night, when in fact, she's not the one looking to go march straight back to the bad guys.

That would be Elena.

It's easy, therefore, for her to get out of the hotel room without anyone even questioning where she's going. ]

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[With one last look to her very brave and handsome entourage (o3o), Elena follows after the now blonde woman, wondering if this was a very, very dumb idea.

Probably, but she's already set on this path, and she'll see it through.]

[ she sashays down the hall ahead of elena, earning a doubletake from a man walking past, which she mostly ignores, save for an enigmatic smirk. she stops at room 107 and slides the card, gesturing for elena to go on in ahead of her. once they're inside, she flicks on the lights and shuts the door behind them. ]

So what exactly does your friend think I'm going to try, now that I have you here all alone?

We're not exactly working on the same side.

[And things have been somewhere between tenuous to downright violent between the two groups.]

Worst case scenario, you could try to take me hostage or something. Or kill me and try to take my place.

[Just being honest.]

[ amusement flashes in her eyes again ]

Do you have any idea how rare it is to encounter another of our kind in this world?

Do you even understand what you are?

I'm not even from this world, though I was told that's what the books say.

[So no, she doesn't know.]

That's why I'm here, but I think you knew that already. I don't understand it at all. I don't remember.

[ she fixes elena with a canny look as revelation strikes her ] You never even suspected until we met. You thought you were just one of them.

[ she bubbles out a laugh, walking past elena to perch on the edge of the bed ] Oh, that is a treat.

You're wrong, you know, about the sides that we're on.

If you're a changeling child, you'll have to come to understand your nature eventually, and the most important part of that is what the greatest lie of them all is.

It's not funny.

[R u d e.]

Am I? [Could have fooled her.] You say that like it's set in stone.

[Her brows furrow, as if she probably isn't going to like what comes next, but can't help asking anyway.]

What lie is that?

Nothing is set in stone.

Identity. It's the greatest cage of them all, and every other species is a slave to it. They celebrate it, because they can't escape it, so they have to deceive themselves into thinking that it's desirable.

But every last one of them longs for freedom, never realizing identity is the thing stripping them of the chance to ever reach it.

[Elena is silent for a moment, trying to soak that in, because she doesn't have a very good counter for that. It's not entirely false, nothing else can do what this person is doing, but she isn't sure she agrees with it.

In fact, she's pretty damn sure she doesn't.]

But, if you've spent your entire life being someone else, or various other someone else's, who are you? Don't you essentially...cease to exist?

[She's not judging, she's genuinely curious.]

[ she smirks at that and then shifts once more, this time into a man with striking, irritatingly handsome features. ] It's a balancing act. You might say you become more yourself than ever.

But you can call me Kyp.

[Oh that's...unexpected. Why do the people you're supposed to be wary of always have to be so damn attractive.]

I'm Elena. [Because it's only fair, if he's actually giving her his name.] You said this is my true face. How do you know?

[ because reasons. good ones. ]

Are you kidding? It was written all over your face when we [ his smile quirks up a bit ] ... connected up there. [ ayup. ]

Changelings are different than their parent, in that regard. You're born looking human, grow up among them, and eventually, your gift awakens. Meeting a pureblood like me's one way it can happen, but it's not the only way.

It's better for you that it was, though. You probably have questions.

Connected. Right.

[That's...mildly awkward.]

You looked just as shocked as I did, though.

[She nods, running her hand through her hair.]

That's the understatement of the century. I guess I can start with the most obvious one.

[She feels a little dumb even asking but...yeah.]

How do you...do that? Does it hurt?

Like I said, it's rare I run into anyone like me. The last thing I expected was to run into one quite so literally.

[ he grins widely at the question, cricking his neck ] As for changing, it hurts like a bitch. But once you've done it a few thousand times, the pain stops registering as pain. It's more like an old friend.

As for how... I could show you. If you're interested.

[That doesn't bode well, but she didn't come here to get scared and run off.

She presses her lips together and nods.]

If this is what I am, then it's something I should know.

It's not the sort of thing you're going to get overnight. Are your friends going to make trouble about this little arrangement?

No, they'll understand.

[They had to.]

And if they don't, I'll...figure something out.

[But that also begs the question.]

What about your friends?

What makes you think I count them as friends?

It's business. Not pleasure.

It doesn't matter if they're your friends or you business partners. Even if you and I aren't on opposite sides, they're probably going to think differently.

What are you even getting out of working for them?

You mean, aside from the exorbitant amounts of money?

[ le shrug ] Let's just say, with everywhere I've gone, and everyone I've been, I have to take what opportunities come my way to keep things interesting. They've certainly got that, in spades.

[There are lots of ways to get money, so she's not buying that one. Especially with his talents.]

If we're going to do this, then it's about you and me. I don't want them involved.

What a coincidence. Neither do I.

[ he extends a hand ] Luckily for you, I'm staying in town awhile, and they're not.

[She regards him for a moment before she reaches out to shake his hand. (Also, sense motive 21)]

Thank you. For doing this.

Our people might not have a lot in the way of traditions, but this is one we all take seriously. [ he presses his hand into hers and shakes it firmly once. she doesn't sense any dishonesty whatsoever in his intentions. ] Before we move you into shapeshifting, though, we're gonna have to work on toughening this up. [ he presses one finger to her temple lightly, eyes sparking mischievously ] That's where the magic happens, after all.

[Her eyes follow his hand as best they can as he reaches to tap her temple, but she doesn't flinch. If anything, she looks interested and amused.]

How do I go about doing that?

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