5374/Step into my parlor said the Vampire.

Step into my parlor said the Vampire.
Date of Scene:	27 February 2021
Location:	Selene's Safehouse
Synopsis:	Selene brings Elektra to her people's headquarters where she is treated of her bullet wound and learns more about her society, along with why some need their fat trimmed. Like Kraven.
Cast of Characters:	Selene Corvinus, Elektra Natchios

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Selene Corvinus has posed:
The event at Han's skyrise had been dealt with, survived (at least by Selene and Elektra) and some answers had been achieved.

Or so Selene had assumed. There's still quite a lot about Elektra's mission that is vague to the Vampire. But she's gained a trust for the woman she's working with, and their shared help of one another for their own causes has helped endear the old 'soul' to the young Assassin.

Now, they've gone south of Han's building and eventually made it to the skyrise that the Semira company's main headquarters is located in. It has a number of facilities inside it, including a full medical hospital, since it's a medical company after all.

Selene called a head, and made the arrangements. Now the two women are in an examine room, an old Eastern European doctor has been tending to Elektra's wounds. He's a kind old man, speaks English but has a heavy heavy accent. Once he has her wound treated he pats her other shoulder and smiles to her, offering her a kind compliment to the raven haired woman. "You are very strong, I am sure you will survive this." He says with a little chuckle before he wobbles his way out of the room to give the two women some privacy.

Selene stands off to the side, her arms crossed and her eyes going from the departing doctor to Elektra. Once he leaves she offers a grin to her friend. "He's good at what he does. You should heal up quickly." She steps toward Elektra and offers her a glass of water.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
There had been a mix of both being troubled but also relieved on Elektra. Visible and palpable in her expression and demeanor as they made their way out of the Roxxon building and off to Semira's headquarters. Troubled at all the questions that had arisen with what they had found down there but also relieved as Han was now a thorn off her back. One of many. If her metaphorical thorns were actually real she would like an hedgehog.. Still, it had been a win of sorts.

Elektra hadn't been too forthcoming about what happened either, being quiet for most of the trip yet eventually her questions do come as they arrive at the headquarters. "I was perhaps not expecting such preparation from your people but .., perhaps I should had considering how .., old is your establishment."

The doctor receives a faint smile (one of her rare ones) once she is stitched up, "I am hoping so too. It would be a shame to die to a shot from someone with such lousy aim."

She watches the man walk out before her attention is fully on the elder vampire, taking her in, "I have a few tricks up my sleeve too to heal up. Maybe I will show you them one day." she takes the glass of water but her hand rests on Selene's for a time longer. "Thank you, Selene." she tells her friend, "I owe you a debt."

Selene Corvinus has posed:
Selene stands beside the other at the medical bed in the well lit examine room. There are no windows in the room, even though it's still night time outside, but it's a 'thing' that Elektra has probably noted about the Semira facility that she's been walked through. Technology is actually used to replace natural sinlight, fake windows out in the corridors that give the 'sense' of sun that isn't actually harmful to the denizens of this place.

It's fairly quiet tonight too, since it's after business hours, and Selene had explained that most of the employees are back at the mansion. Their leader's home. Amelia.

"I'm sure you have your ways." Selene says with a sly grin hinting itself on her lips to the other as she feels the touch to her hand. "And do not worry a moment about all of it. I'm sure you'll be neck deep in helping me with my troubles soon enough again." She calmly quips in her soothing voice. "Come, lets walk a bit? Are you hungry?" She asks,.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"Is that a promise?" Elektra asks amusedly about being neck deep in helping Selene with her troubles. Elektra is a beacon for those afterall, always getting in the middle of it if she can help it. But the invite to go and walk is received with an affirmative nod, she sliding out of the bed to get up. She tests her arm a few times, nodding her approval. "Really a good job." this about the doctor.

And after she slips her shirt back in she makes to follow Selene, leaving the little 'jedi' hood she had taken from the Hand members behind, "I am hungry." a brow arching, "If you have the normal type of food here." a smirk coming up to her features. "But I imagine people here aren't all vampires, are they?"

She catches up to Selene to walk out of the room, looking up and down the corridors and at that faux light. "Anything I should be careful about talking, or doing? I wouldn't want to bring any trouble your way by being your guest here."

Selene Corvinus has posed:
Selene waits for Elektra to get her top back on properly and the two women make their way out of the examine room with the glass door closing quietly behind them. Selene grins lightly at the other. "He's almost as old as I am." She quietly says, which is interesting because she looks so young, but he looks... like he's 80. "He gets a little handsy, but he has an affinity for a pretty face. His work improves if you're attractive." Selene adds with her grin lingering a moment longer.

Her eyes drop down to the polished hallway floor as they start to walk through the medical center past other glass walled rooms back the way they'd come.

"Normal business hours has this facility filled with non-Vampires, yes." Selene clarifies. "At night, mostly our security forces are here with a skeleton staff of workers still doing their studies, projects, so on. The majority of my people have returned to the mansion for the night, however." She looks over at Elektra then and smiles at her.

"I'm still not sure if you're quite ready for that experience, of visiting that ... place." She gently shakes her head. "It is... a lot of Vampire to take in, to say the least." She huffs out a faint laugh at herself as she leads them toward the lift to call for it and board it again.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
A snort escapes Elektra when Selene explains the good doctor's scaling proficiency. "Good thing I wasn't cut in the face then." the amusement still there on her voice. Eyes turn to look at Selene's while they make their way, she looking thoughtful. "He looks a lot older though. I am guessing he became a vampire when he was already old?" seems like the most logic explanation.

Footsteps echo on that polished hallway floor while they walk, a glance here and there from time to time but her focus is mainly on Selene while they talk and walk together, "As I have told you before, I am not exactly a wilting flower. But .., I understand your concern." and how it could be something that attracted her darker side. Which if one is honest is quite prevalent on Elektra.

"You seem more at ease in this place than the other places I have seen you before, Sel. Not home, but perhaps in that comfortable midway."

Selene Corvinus has posed:
They pass through the lobby area of the medical floor and approach the trio of elevator doors. Selene steps up to the panel to touch the screen and call the lift. She looks over to Elektra. "Doctor Braunmon was adamantly against becoming a Vampire until he faced his own mortality later in life. The fear of impending death... he volunteered himself to us to obtain immortality, and thusly continue his work as a medical doctor. He's... probably one of the best in the world, if you can get past his grabby hands." She shows another small snicker, at the talk of the 'good' doctor and his lecherous ways.
As the lift opens, Selene lets Elektra board it first, then soon follows her on. She gets them moving to the next floor, two floors up. "Oh, I'm just worried they'd ... bother you as much as they bother me." She says of the Mansion and its inhabitants. "Many of them are petty, childish, not capable of much beyond leaning on others to do everything for them. But... they exist because of connections through the ranks, so to speak."

Selene looks over to Elektra then at the talk of her comfort level. She smiles lightly. "Maybe a little. Though I'm not sure I really know what a home should feel like."

The doors open again and now they're on a much more 'fancy hotel' like level. FAncy rugs over marble floors that lead down a large hall. Selene walks with Elektra down the main hall and speaks while going. "I suppose I am growing fond of the American Coven, admittedly. It's a nice change of pace for me after all of these years, to be somewhere... fresh, new." She smiles once more to Elektra as they step in to a large dining hall. Selene takes her jacket off and presses a panel on the wall to call for a servant to come and find them, then motions to a dining table for Elektra to sit at. "We have anything you could desire." She says,.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"I see you have been under the care of Doctor Grabby a few times by now too." Elektra notes, now letting out a brief laugh which is followed by a wince as she makes too much effort on her arm. She exhales and comments. "This is why I rarely laugh." she rolls her arm slowly and walks into the elevator, always making sure to give it a good look just before being fully in. It's not as if she is not learning to trust Selene but there are habits which just come naturally now.

"Is that something you do? Choose people with certain skills you need and bring them into the fold? It makes sense.." She rests her back against the elevator wall while they ride on it, comfortable and folding one leg over the othe by the ankles. The talk of the others has her lift her brows. "Part of your people not by merit but by connections." she wrinkles her nose. "I see why you would not like them. Though I am guessing that is not the case about the leader here? Amelie?"

As they step out to the fancy hotel she lifts a brow. "Quite lush." she says of it, "And I understand what you mean about the change of pace. It had been a while since I had settled in America too. My .., job had led me to travel around the world, rarely staying in one place." a beat, "Can't say it hasn't been refreshing to find myself here for a longer period of time." her eyes all the time on Selene while she says that.

The question about what to eat has her ponder, curious, but she moves to sit. "Since we were talking about other places I might choose something from a place I have been for a long while too." and with the servant coming she will ask him for a few pieces of sushi. Fancy!

Selene Corvinus has posed:
Selene's leather jacket is put over the back of her own chair before she settles on to it across / beside from Elektra at the four person sized table. She grins lightly at the question about the doctor. "I've known him since he was in his 20s. Which was..." She leans back in her chair for a second to exhale and do the math in her head. "Three centuries ago? I believe." She looks back to Elektrat then and nods. "I prefer only bringing people in who offer value. But my counterparts... don't often feel the same about that, thus we take on a lot of 'fat' so to speak. One of many things that wear upon me and push me further away from them, only to lead to them asking why I don't 'mingle' as much as they believe I should."

She exhales and then shakes her head as the server arrives. The sushi is ordered from the young Asian man who is dressed in a nice waiters tuxedo even at this late hour. He takes Selene's order too, who asks for just a plate of fruit.

Once he's gone, Selene looks back to Elektra. "You know, you'd be able to bring a lot of combat help to my people. If you'd be interested in ... beating some people up for a way to unwind." She says with a grin. "My ultimate purpose here is to train the New World Coven's Death Dealer division so that they can perform on the level that I demand. It's... challenging, but they've come a long way since when I first arrived. But, always room for more help." She shows a sly grin. "Either way, I'll have to show you the training level we have here, I get the sense you'd enjoy that."

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"Politics." Elektra says with a resigned sigh. "But with so many years of life to look forward to I suppose some do like to play the long game." she then letting out another laugh, mostly at herself. "And here I was thinking I was doing the same, playing the long game in my own agenda. And then I learn of you and your people. It puts things in perspective." the dark-skinned woman then running one hand through her dark hair. "Are they not as worried about the war with the lycans as you are then? Or they simply expect you to protect them?"

The suggestion has her consider and then she grins, "So it wasn't a lie for Han when you told him about me helping you train your people, mmm?" she folds her arms about her lap, thoughtful and watching Selene for a while longer. "It's an .., interesting proposition. I believe we can help each other in this. Very well." she says in ways of acceptance.

"Maybe we will even get to have our little spar one day too." that little bit of a challenge in her tone there. Elektra does like making everything a competition afterall.

Selene Corvinus has posed:
Their waiter returns a moment later with a silver tray that holds 4 glasses and a bottle of wine. Two of the glasses are simple and hold ice water, while the other two are specific for the wine should it be desired. He smiles to them both as he sets the items down ont he table for the women to enjoy should they wish to.

Selene glances to the man, then to Elektra again at her comments and questions.

"Some of them do." Selene says quietly to the idea that the vampire socialites amongst her people expect her to protect them. "Our army descends from a long line of knights and warriors. The days of mounts and blades, shining armor and the like. Though appearances have changed drastically, expectations mostly remain the same of us."

Selene reaches for the wine to pour them both a glass, as it was the drink she seemed to desire in the now. She speaks further as she does this. "Han was... a hopeful man. I could see that in him the moment you introduced us. It's why I was... playing up the flirtation a fair amount. Hopeful men, hope for obvious things." She shows a playful grin over to Elektra then and offers her a glass of wine if she'd like it.

Sel then leans back in her chair and crosses her legs at the knees. She raises her glass up to sip from it. When she lowers it again she smiles at the other. "Oh that's right. We're supposed to punch and kick each other. I almost forgot." She teases dryly.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"Thank you." Elektra says up to the waiter once he leaves the tray on the table, dipping her head just so at the man. Must be that Ambassador blood that keeps her so polite. Yet after that formality her attention is fully back on Selene, watching and taking in what she says. "Ah, heritage of course. These are new times though, but I am sure they have come to understand it with keeping you in a position of power as you do." a beat, "But if you ever need some of that fat trimmed you know you can count on me." is the assassin offering to kill a few undesirable vampires? It probably doesn't come as a surprise.

"Han was many things.." Elektra says in ways of agreement, accepting the glass of wine with a smile of thanks and bringing it to her lips, "Hopeful, emotional.., but also calculating and cold." but then she leaning forward, "What about you? As hopeful as he was or....?" just before she laughs. "So I can adjust my flirtation."

The talk about fighting has her lift her glass as well as if in toast. "To punching and kicking one another. Is it a tradition we are starting?" she wonders.

Selene Corvinus has posed:
"It may well come to a lot of fat needing to be trimmed off, if the members of this unit aren't brought up to better speed." Selene says in a moment of serious expression on her inner feelings toward the New World Coven's Death Dealers. But she doesn't linger on that subject.

Instead, Elektra's talk of better adjusting her flirtations has Selene showing a grin past the wine glass that she'd raised up for another sip from it. "I think you've done a rather stellar job thus far, if you're looking for a review." She says back before she sits forward then and sets her glass of wine down on the table.

She keeps her eyes on Elektra's and folds her arms on the edge of the table together, her back straight now. "In fact--"

"Selene." A male voice interjects, from the hallway doors that the'd come in moments ago. There stands a man in a black suit, pale white skin, with long black hair, dark eyebrows and a sharp edge to his face. Beside him is a blonde woman with pale skin and a fancy fur coat on over an evening dress. She's attached to the man's arm, like she refuses to let him go.

"Kraven." Selene says, now looking over at the man.

He starts to walk toward she and Elektra, his arm candy moving with him. His eyes go from Selene to Elektra, then back to Selene. "So this is your new friend?" He asks, his voice glower, not very friendly. "The one who's been keeping you away more?"

Selene seems... visibly stiffer. She looks from Kraven to Elektra and then back to him. "Yes." She simply says back to the man. "Kraven, Elektra Natchios. Elektra, this is Kraven. He's come with me from Hungary to assist with setting up operations here in the States."

Kraven now regards Ele more directly. He nods. Just one to her, sizing her up with a look up and down her form where she's seated.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
In fact? Well, that's making Elektra curious. "Go on ..." But then someone interjects. It's enough for Elektra to exhale visibly. Always these interruptions! But her head does turn to watch this newcomer and his arm candy. The assessment starts immediately for these are no new grounds to her an clearly this seems like one of those that needs trimming. But there's power there, that much she can note.

The assassin gets up to her feet as is proper and offers a traditional bow of greeting, full of elegance and politeness even if not flourished. "Enchanted, Mr. Kraven. And from Hungary too? You do appear to be adapting well to our lands regardless." her eyes going to the arm candy and offering the woman a faint smile.

"Selene was telling me of all the prestige of your lineages and past. Quite impressive." And all the fat to trim too. Oh, she can see a few spots where she could cut a few pieces off this snob. But instead she is smiling in a pleasant manner.

Selene Corvinus has posed:
The army candy is oblivious to any of the more subtle nuances of the interactions going on as Elektra stands up to address Kraven, it comes across as nothing but polite to the blonde woman who just looks Selene over as well before she smiles brightly at her. "She's pretty." The blonde woman says, specifically to Kraven. "Seems strong too." The blonde looks to Kraven and leans in to brush her lips over his ear behind his dark hair. "I like her...." She says in an overtly sultry sort of way.

Kraven just twitches a little at his companions behavior but otherwise keeps his eyes right on Elektra's, like he wants to prove himself to Ele simply by standing there and projecting 'toughness', it's a charade... but he's done well to try to perfect it and most probably would buy in to it too. Ele? Probably not.

"Lets hope she hasn't told you everything." Kraven says after a moment of pause. "Some of our secrets are what provide us all of this..." He glances around at their lavish surroundings. "After all." But he does summon a faint smile for Elektra to try to be kind to Selene's friend.

His eyes dart back to Selene, who hasn't stood up, she's too tired of these kind of interactions with him to bother standing up. "Selene. Amelia has been asking about you. She wishes to speak to you, back at the mansion."

"I'll be back there before morning." Selene says softly to the man as the waiter returns to the table now with the food for the two women. Kraven eyes the waiter for a moment then looks back to Elektra. "Well, I'll leave you two to it. Enjoy your meal." He states to Elektra specifically before he turns with his date and starts to walk back the way they'd come. The blonde waves back at them. "Bye..." She says in a saucy sort've way.

Selene, just exhales lightly and raises her glass up for another drink from it. A larger drink.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
The blonde woman's manner appears to amuse Elektra, she watching the interaction between her and Kraven, and specially how at in no occasion does she address Selene. So curious. Elektra does smile at the blonde though. "I am flattered." she says. Not that she really is, something that Selene can most likely notice. She is just playing the 'game'. "Mr. Kraven is quite lucky to have such a beautiful woman by his side." her eyes then straying to Sel. Clearly Elektra is enjoying herself.

The projected toughness is answered with neutrality in Elektra's posture. She doesn't budge of course, not being a pushover, but nor does she appear too aggressive, just watching and assessing, taking in all his nuances and all he shows her. Yet it's when the man says he 'hopes' she hasn't told Elektra everything that she replies, "You are quite right in being an hopeful man, Mr. Kraven." maybe just like Han! "She hasn't told me much. Just the necessary so I don't go gasping and looking wide-eyed at every corner while among your people."

But then they are retreating, Elektra even giving the blonde a fingerwiggle in farewell before she glances at Selene. A roll of her eyes. "One appears to want you? And the other probably wants nothing more than see you six feet under."

Selene Corvinus has posed:
As the two make their way out of the dining hall, the woman on Kraven's shoulder can be heard. "Lets invite her to join us!" To which Kraven grumbles and just leads his date out of the room and in to the hallway beyond.

Selene, is lowering her glass down to the table's cloth covered surface and smiling to the waiter to give the Asian man a sense of appreciation from her at this late hour of serving them. She glances to the small plate of fruit slices she'd ordered before she looks back to Elektra. She seems to be waiting to talk, like she wants Kraven to get further away before she speaks up.

"Sarah." She says. "Is the name of his companion. She's relatively new. But she's generally switching the arms of whichever man will pay her any attention on any given night."

Selene sits up a little straighter then, a little more relaxed again now that they've left. She focuses her gaze on to Elektra. "That was a taste... now imagine a whole room full of them." She states with a growing visible grin toward her friend, her right hand reaches out for an apple slice to take it between thumb and forefinger before she raises it up for a small bite...

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"Oh, I can very well imagine." Elektra's eyes sparkling in amusement, "Maybe one day I will tell you about my glorious past of being an ambassador's daughter, going to every high-end gala, meeting people full of smiles but that in the back just wanted to stab one another.." a roll of her eyes, "Human nature doesn't change so much, even after one becomes a vampire apparently." gaze straying briefly to the hallway the duo disappeared to.

"It'd do well for you to pay attention to the girl. She might bite more than she appears to." The harmless-looking ones are always the worse in her view!

But now they are gone so her attention is back on Selene, she walking over to stand closer to Selene and instead of sitting on a chair she settles on the edge of the table. Rebel!

Fingers reach to a piece of fruit, a grape, considering it a moment before offering it to the other woman.

"Now, what were you saying before we were so rudely interrupted?"

Selene Corvinus has posed:
"Oh, believe me, I keep a watch on those types." Selene confirms with a glance of her own toward the way they'd gone. She looks down then at the remaining bit of apple she has in her fingers, turning it over slowly before she lifts it up to place it in her mouth as well. "They're the sneaking servants, the ones who'll benefit those however they can. Back stabbing..." She mostly grumbles those last pair of words out too.

After the apple slice is enjoyed, Selene is watching Elektra take up a spot on the edge of the table. She looks up at the other woman and watches as she plucks up a grape and offers it to her while looking her to finish her thoughts from before Kraven's appearance. This gets her to grin as she leans forward to accept the grape with her lips around it and a little suck to take it from between the other's fingertips.

Having fun, she's capable of it too! See?

Slene grins a few seconds later, then plays a bit coy. "Well, I was going to say, something to the effect of wishing to keep you up the night before I have to head out of town to see about being scolded. But..." Selene's eyes look to Ele's shoulder. "You are injured. I would hate to aggrevate that any further..."

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"You seem so different from what I'd expect one of your people to be." Elektra then admits with a grin. Perhaps that was part of the allure as well, "Back stabbing is one of those things that I expected to be part of your dna." and she isn't such a stranger to it! Maybe Han wasn't so wrong afterall...

Yet if she has any intention on backstabbing the elder vampire that doesn't show in her expression, even if her eyes never lose that dangerous light, even as she takes the grape from between her fingers. She allows a faint smile to leave her lips.

"Oh, I am certain my shoulder can manage." She murmurs, "You did say that was one of the best doctors you knew, even if a lecher." again the amusement returning. "And I would hate to see you go for such a meeting with so much tension on you."

Now who's being coy?

She takes a grape for herself, placing it between her lips.

Selene Corvinus has posed:
Selene chases the grape with another sip of her wine before her eyes go back to Eleketra to watch her enjoy one as well. At her words, the aged Vampire (perpetually locked in body form of a 19 year old no less), just smiles. "What years I had with my family are to be attributed to that difference in me from..." She glances toward the hallway, but puts her eyes back to Ele's face. "I had good parents, and I've never forgotten the lessons they instilled in me. Or tried to instill. Though... it's been a long time. I don't even remember what they looked like any more. Just... vague feelings and ideas that don't seem like they even belong to me now."

She is quick to shake those thoughts away though, as she very rarely talks about that kin dof stuff, and certainly not to any of the members of her Covens.

Selene stands up, she reaches for Elektra's glass of wine and then the bottle of the fine beverage itself. She sparkles a smile at the other woman. "Grab the plates? My suite is just around the corner."

From there, she'll lead Elektra out of the dining hall, clearly intending to go seek more privacy than this place yields.