7344/Pool thoughts

Pool thoughts
Date of Scene:	12 August 2021
Location:	6B - Elektra's Condo
Synopsis:	Elektra and Selene talk about their next steps.
Cast of Characters:	Elektra Natchios, Selene Corvinus

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Elektra Natchios has posed:
With Selene now having the keys to the 'manor' it means she can come and go as she pleases. And without even needing an invitation. Staying for as long as she pleases, as Elektra had promised. Almost as if they live together! But without all the pressure of actually having to justify being out, or not staying a day there. But tonight Elektra had sent a message to Selene, to have her be there. Maybe even go for a swim!

And indeed Elektra was already in the infinity pool when Selene arrived. And as one would expect it has a fabulous view of New York from atop, transparent glass showing the buildings around, the ground below them and afar. Too far up to see any people though, or at least without any kind of super senses! She is on a dark red bikini (what else), currently swimming across at an hearty pace. Has she been at this for a while now? Maybe!

There's but a small breeze in the air now, and even if it's night that New York summer heat is still up and going strong. Even at higher altitudes like they are now!

Selene Corvinus has posed:
The night time swim, not something Selene was used to doing. In all her years on this planet she wasn't one for swimming all that often. She didn't even own a bikini, so she had to borrow one. This is what she's doing as she steps out of the bedroom entrance toward the infinity pool. Her eyes are down on her right hip and she's tying the bikini bottom tight on her hip. "Well, if this comes undone, I guess you won't call the authorities on me." She says as she gives up on getting it to feel right and she looks over at Elektra as she walks toward the pool's edge. She has a grin on her lips and slips down to sit beside the water, letting her feet go in first.

"Oh, its warm.... Mmh. I was expecting some kind of an ice bath for somereason...."

Elektra Natchios has posed:
The assassin twists mid-swim, going underneath to the bottom of the pool and then up, tossing her head back so as to have her hair flowing back (and do a stylish hairflip!) before regarding Selene with some amusement. Does she note how unused to this the other woman is? Maybe! But it's not as if Elektra is used to actually using a pool for leisure. Even if she owns it!

"Maybe I gave you a faulty one for a reason." She teases, hands running through her hair and she swimming to place where she can put her feet on the ground, watching. "I will be looking forward for when it comes off." yes, definitely teasing. Still, Selene knows her enough to know there's some tension on her shoulders. Something is most likely troubling the woman.

"Do you take me for a barbarian to have this be an ice bath?" She shakes her head and moves to join the other for a moment, hand resting on the woman's shoulder. "I am glad you could join me tonight." she tells the other, tone quieter, intimate.

The proximity has Elektra lean over to rest her forehead against the other woman's.

Selene Corvinus has posed:
Selene watches the other woman from her perch on the side of the pool. She continues to grin at her actions and words as she comes toward her. "Oh, so this suit was notoriously flawed in its design and you set it out for me on purpose?" She nods her head slowly a few times before looking out toward the city at night. "You're a tactician through and through, Elekktra Natchios." She says in a sultry tone to her voice.

She smiles though and pushes off the edge of the pool to slip her lower body fully in to it. She genuinely looks unsure of swimming like this, as if she really isn't comfortable with it, but she's ... well... old and tries to adapt to uncomfortable situations fast. "Whats worse than a Vampire with room temperature skin? One who is in a freezing cold body of water...." She says as she scoots her feet across the pool floor toward the other.

She grins as they stand face to face now. "I wasn't sure if you actually used this or not either, or if you simply laid beside it with a glass of wine and watched the pool boys as they cleaned it...." And now she's just teasing, for the fun of it.

But she notes the woman's posture and she's learned it well now. "You're troubled." She just states. "More ghosts?"

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"Always one step ahead." Elektra assures the vampire with a light laugh coming out her lips, "How else would I be staying alive so far and always getting into trouble?" It's like those two things are synonyms. Elektra and Trouble. "You are starting to discover how much trouble I usually get, but then again you are no stranger to it either. And the worst of it all ...." her expression twisting into a resigned one, "... is that we actually go look for it."

And most likely one of the reasons they meshed so well.

"Well, in my decadent days I can do that... Just sit by, drinking some wine, watching the city." she laughs quietly, "As for the pool boys, they are the ones watching -me-."

"But I think we both deserve some relaxation, and I have missed you." She tells the other, gaze straying away when Selene mentions she being troubled. She doesn't hide it, simply nodding back at Selene. "I am. But not of ghosts." even if by the strained way in which she talks of ghosts it's clear she hasn't forgotten the incident, "... I told you about Colleen's gym being burned I believe. Revenge for her having taken out various Hand businesses. Madame Gao is behind it, one of the Hand Masters." she explains, "I have become involved, as you know I normally do and she has set her attention on me though knowing she can't strike at me directly she may have employed the use of common foes we both have. The Lycans."

Selene Corvinus has posed:
At first the Vampire is just all sly grins at the Assassin in the red bathing suit. But that grin starts to fade as she speaks furhter of whats going on now.

Selene's expression reverts to a more stoic tone. She sweeps her hands gently through the water and then leans back against the edge of the pool, the water up above her stomach but yet still below her chest line.

"this is generally why I try not to associate with others..." She mutters, audible enough to be easily heard though. She unfocuses her stare to the right before she looks back to Elektra. "I'm sorry about Colleen. I told my people to watch her for awhile, but nothing came of it. She didn't appear to be on their radars.... I guess this 'Gau' has changed that..."

She places her hands wide apart on the edge of the pool as she leans.

"Do we know where this Gau is?" She asks. "I wouldn't mind paying her a visit...." Its possible Selene underestimates what Gau is capable of.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"I am not entirely sure Gao knows about ..., us." Elektra and Selene. "But she might be aware of my former dealings with them. Even Colleen was involved, and it most likely reached her ears. The old hag has always been crafty." Elektra's tone almost as if she had some measure of respect for Gao. Maybe she is not one to underestimate!

"And Colleen will survive. If anything maybe this will be a lesson. She acted hotly, took a gamble. She knew there would be consequences. But she is a strong girl, she will get out of this." She assures the vampire, clearly having faith on the woman.

She lets herself slide down a bit more under the water, joining Selene on the side, elbows resting back on the edge and she letting her head fall back to look at the sky, "I do not know where she is." She replies, "But even if I did it would not be a good idea. She is a master, and has been around for ..., a long while. More than would be natural for someone to live. So we will need to tread carefully. We may need to let Gao see that coming after me will be more costly than letting the slight I did to her go." a shrug. "But you know how people can be with their pride."

Selene Corvinus has posed:
Selene's attention is on Elektra as she speaks on all of that, and as the other woman leans down in the pool to relax, Selene turns her eyes to the bottle of wine and the two glasses that were resting beside the pool in a ice bucket. She gathers them up and prepares them a pair of glasses before turning to look toward Ele.

She offers her one, still only half submerged in the water she sips from her glass.

"Fair enough." Selene states. "I always did want to apologze to Colleen, but... times are busy." She takes another little sip of the red wine before she gives a more studied stare to her poolside companion.

"Does this Madam Gau have any resources that could use a visit?" She asks then, implying hitting something of value to Gau. "The back and forth of sending messages can get... nasty, but sometimes they do the job and send someone back in to their corner to think about what they've done..."

She tilts her head then. "Gau is immortal?" She asks as if it just struck her.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"It's not clear whether she is or not. I know there are those who have dealt with some magics, including Nobu." A frown creasing the otherwise smooth features on Elektra's expression, attention then going to the offered glass. She takes a sip before continuing, "That Nobu has attacked Daredevil a few times, almost killed him once, left him with nasty scars. There's been a few times in which he was presumed dead, more than a few times. So he's either the luckiest man in the world or there may be something at work here. Maybe there's something similar with Gao."

The frustration is visible on Elektra's tone though. It's clear she doesn't know as much as she'd like about the Hand Masters.

"But you have read my mind. Paying a visit to some of her assets is a good way to go. But of course we will need to be on the lookout for her new allies." She reaches to tip her glass to the other woman's. "I can count on you then?" a faint smile to her lips.

"Look at us, always getting the other in trouble. But that's just how we like it, isn't it?" She says with a brief laugh, sliding closer to Selene to rest shoulder against shoulder.

Selene Corvinus has posed:
Selene is sipping her drink when Elektra sidles up beside her at the edge of the pool. Selene has yet to inch away from the edge, is she afraid of swimming?!

"We wouldn't have it any other way." She adds in response to that last bit before she smiles and sets the drink to the side beside the edge of the water.

Her eyes go out to the cityscape beyond and she stares a moment before shaking her head. "I fear the Lycan plans and efforts of coming to the States to bolster their numbers is working. Its been much harder tracking them, cornering them, than it was back in Hungary... which is-- if you can believe it --far less likely to have heroics like 'Daredevils' and men with fiery skulls to gum up the works of what my Death Dealers and I do...."

She then smiles quickly, it comes and goes. "But yes, I'm here to help untangle the web these wicked people are weaving...."

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"They are getting smarter perhaps..." But Elektra's expression is pensive. There's not all she is thinking, "Yet there's also the matter of a mutual acquaintance of ours to be profitting from all of this." Kraven, "They are in a new country, with a lot more exposition. Logic dictates they'd be more exposed, yet instead they have clung to the shadows. Or maybe they have found the right allies."

The way Selene appears to avoid the water doesn't go unnoticed by Elektra. In fact it makes her curious. "Are you going to tell me you can't swim?" her eyes going over the other's form. "If you say yes I'd have to chastise you for spending 600 years and not having learned it." her tone perhaps teasing.

"Regardless, my thanks for your help in this. I will most likely need to reach out to Daredevil and the others depending on how big this gets."

Selene Corvinus has posed:
Selene is watching the reflection of the city on the infinity pool's water, the water itself like a gentle waving mirror. She stays like this while Kraven is mentioned and its something thats been on her mind heavily. But its the last bit that has Selene looking back to Elektra and laughing once she registers the question. She shakes her head. "No... I can swim. I used to love swimming in fact. Remember that I lived well before running water was brought to one's home." She grins again and reaches for her drink.

When she brings it back to her pale pink lips she sips once more before lowering the glass then. "I very nearly died in a icy lake some time ago, and since then I've been a bit... reluctant to get back in the water. And when I say 'die' I mean I was at the bottom of the lake and freezing rapidly, a Vampire's demise in such a state, is less than enjoyable, so I've witnessed before."

She laughs softly again. "Its irrational." She glances down at her glass again before looking back to Elektra. "Not as fearless as you thought I was?" She asks with a playful grin.

Elektra Natchios has posed:
"Oh, I remember. Don't you worry about that.." Yes if anything Elektra knew well how old Selene is. The whole vampiric culture still fascinates her heavily. Something that -is- dangerous considering we are talking about Elektra. But so far it's been all fine.

Her gaze follows Selene's, watching the city as well and listening to her story. Being frozen down on a lake? She nods slowly, understanding. She reaches to take one last sip from her wine, draining the glass before dislodging herself from the side of the pool, wading further into the water. She is silent for the moment, turning to look at Sel and one slender hand reaches up in offer to the other woman. An invitation? Or perhaps asking for the other woman to trust her. Most likely both! She smiles faintly, encouragingly and still remains silent.

Eyes are up on Sel's own, waiting expectantly.

Selene Corvinus has posed:
Selene looks away for just a moment, at least until Ele moves and it draws Selene's gaze back to th eother woman. She watches what she does and it makes her grin, she sets her glass aside and reaches out to take the other's hand. "This is growth. I can finally ease back in to this swimming thing, and then... well, I haven't even told you about the Under Water Lycan Culture." She states with a continued light grin, her staple expression when she's having fun.

She steps over to stand in front of Ele, deeper i nthe water no with it coming up past her chest to her shoulders. "And to think I've avoided the vampire swimming parties at the tower here ever since arriving.... Thats where the juiciest gossip flows around...."

She smirks faintly and swiftly then before placing her hands on Ele's hips under the heated water. "I'm going to assign some of my people to watch Kraven." She says more seriously then. "If they're caught, it could be bad for my well being. But you've made me believe more in the ... questionable elements of his story and behavior."

Elektra Natchios has posed:
Elektra steps ever so closer to the center of the pool, where they'd need to swim instead of walking. Not that she goes all the way. Baby steps! Just enough so that Selene and herself are up their shoulders within water, "Good. And even if they are caught I am sure you can spin the story around." her shoulders rising in a shrug before she turns more fully to the vampire.

The hands resting on her hips make her grin, her own going up to Sel's shoulders, intimate, the two of them close now, eyes on eyes and the assassin's attention fully devoted to the other woman. "After tonight we will make sure you won't need to miss those gossip-y parties anymore." she clearly confident on her ways of helping Sel cope with it.

"Under Water Lycans? We aren't going to have one creeping up the drain here, will we?" Tone teasing? Yes, very much so!