5432/Black Sky: Asking a Favour... For a Friend

Black Sky: Asking a Favour... For a Friend
Date of Scene:	25 September 2018
Location:	New York City
Synopsis:	Elektra asks Claire to accompany Matt to the Tournament, and tells her why. Claire is understandably unimpressed. Nothing changes between the two women.
Cast of Characters:	Elektra, Claire Temple
Tinyplot:	Black Sky

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Elektra has posed:
There was a certain amount of zen to the matter once Elektra had started setting things in motion. She was going to die. It was a fact. A fact she, herself, had set in motion.

Ultimately, it was the only solution to a Gordian knot that had been set in motion long before she was born, but one she, herself, had tightened ever so faithfully on her own.

Once she saw her error, and the only way out, it had seemed to simple. Except there were loose ends. There were always loose ends.

'Prepare him' Stick had said. And Elektra had broken the news to Matt. Stick had made certain of that by making that statement in front of the blind lawyer.

He'd not taken it well, despite her sucessfully exacting a promise from him that he'd let her do it. Let her die.

But Elektra knew Matt well enough that she needed to take care of the matter of the stupidity he would enter into when the inevitable occured. To that end, she'd hunted down Claire Temple, seeking the woman out at her clinic shortly after closing hours.

Claire Temple has posed:
"Oh, fuck you," Claire says as she notes the identity of her late visitor. "The locks are automated. We're closed!" She grabs her purse and drags the strap across her body as she gives Elektra a narrow-eyed stare.

"Did you bring your friends this time, too?" she asks.

Elektra has posed:
"How nice to see you too," Elektra says of Claire's greeting. "I'm fine, thank-you. And no. My friends are otherwise occupied, but they won't be for long. So we need to make this quick. You and I need to talk about a mutual friend, and a favour I need of you."

As though already expecting Claire's reaction, Elektra holds up a hand, one finger aloft, asking for a moment's reprise before Claire launches into her next tirade.

"I'm niether asking your permission, nor seeking your forgiveness, but you should be aware that there are things set in motion now, that I am no longer in control of, and our mutual friend is about to make a larger idiot of himself than usual. I need you to accompany him on a little venture and make certain that doesn't happen."

Claire Temple has posed:
"Accompany him," Claire replies flatly. "Make certain he doesn't do... something," she continues, crossing her arms. Her expression is nearer that which she reserves for helicopter parents and delusional lawyers.

"You're expecting me to exert control over someone who absolutely, forever and always, knows better than to ignore any direction I give him and still does just to say he got to swing off a light pole somewhere with six or eight bleeding wounds on his person." She cocks her head. "It's possible you're a little overly optimistic on how well I can protect Mr. Murdock's bacon."

Elektra has posed:
Elektra arches a brow. "I think in this instance you may decide to try a little harder than usual. In fact, I'd recommend tranquilizers if necessary, but they may go beyond your personal ethics code. Your mileage may vary."

She shrugs.

"Perrhaps I should explain so that you understand the magnitude of the problem. Matthew shall shortly be attending a martial arts Tournament, and at this Tournament I shall be dying. I don't think I need to elaborate as to the depths of stupidity that will elicit from our mutual friend, and exactly why it is I am asking this of you."

Claire Temple has posed:
Well, this is new. "Dying," Claire repeats. Well, as things go, this is certainly not run-of-the-mill.

"You have you calendar marked up for this kind of stuff?" she asks, voice quirking at the end.

Elektra has posed:
"Hardly," Elektra answers dryly. "However, in this particular situation, my demise is a matter of fact, not conjecture. I plan on allowing it to happen to solve certain other problems that there seem to be no other way around. Why is hardly relevant beyond that. Not that you care."

Claire Temple has posed:
"You're right, I don't," Claire replies. "All of your ninja cult bullshit has been more trouble than it's worth for me. Not that you care," she goes on with a frown. "Nobody's ever that blasé about their end coming, so either this is buried in a lot more ninja cult bullshit, or you're out of your mind," she says with a mutter. "So what's your damn problem that you're expecting him to roll with you having a death scene?"

Elektra has posed:
Blase is probably the right word, though much of that is due to the fact that all of Elektra's formative years were spent in learning to control not only her body, but her emotions. Emotions led to mistakes. Mistakes led to death. There was a certain irony that she couldn't escape the one, even though she'd not given into the other this time.

Though Stick would argue that maybe she had... Except he wasn't trying to stop her. Which told Elektra all she needed to know about her choice.

"I can't argue with you about something you don't understand, but happen to be right about." Elektra's features remain calm, but there is an air to her of something of a shrug. "I may also be out of my mind. But I've decided to end the cult bullshit as you call it in the only way I know how."

"I was raised to this, Claire. Two sides arguing over a pawn in a war that's lasted longer than anyone you know has been alive. Any side I choose is a losing side. It always was going to be a losing side, whether or not I'd taken up the mantle of the Fist that Rules the Hand."

She gives a soft, derisive laugh at herself.

"Funny, I did think I could stop this. I thought that /was/ the answer. Only I was wrong."

"And not that you'd suggest it, given your.. rather apparent love of me.." Ever so dryly and sarcastically said. "But walking away from them leaves you all in danger. Whether I chose to believe their story, or not, whether I choose to play their game or not, they believe in me. Which leaves us all at this pretty little stalemate. So I'm taking myself off of the board. It's simple, really."

Claire Temple has posed:
It's all Claire can do to keep from rolling her eyes, and then only barely. She spreads her hands out and leans on the counter to level Elektra a look. "Yeah, and you've got a black belt in martyrdom. I got it. Are you trying to tell me that you're dragging Matt into this?" She frowns. "Or that you're going to the trouble of laying this out in front of him?"

She leans forward more, cocking her head in disbelief. "What the hell kind of floor show do you think you're running?"

Elektra has posed:
"Matt already knows," Elektra says quietly. "He was always meant to be part of this, Claire. We had the same teacher. You'll be happy to know he failed all the tests. A perfect killing machine who won't kill. And myself a perfect killing machine who has to die."

"Matthew is stupid. He wants to believe there's another way, even though he knows that there isn't. I want you to make certain he won't be stupid enough to try and stop me."

Elektra moves across the room, and picks up a random medical pamphlet.

"All you need to do is what you're already doing." She turns, pamphlet still in hand. "Well, and accompany him to a little Tournament I'm holding. Someone needs to make certain he remembers there's a reason he's not the one dying. Browbeat with the sin of suicide if you must, but keep him out of my affairs. Keep him alive. Make what I'm doing matter. If not for me - because I've no doubt you'd light a match were I standing here dripping in gasoline - then for him. Because as much as you hate me, you care about him."

Claire Temple has posed:
Claire purses her lips and stands up to give the ceiling a few seconds' stare. "Because you've got this little corner of your wonderful, mystical tapestry that tells you I'm going to be able to stop him, is that it?" She lifts her hands in frustration and anger. "What, buy a ticket and get clingy? Repeat all of this conversation? You know better. Not that you *care*."

Claire points to the door of the clinic. "If that's it -- just go and be a presence and make him feel connected to the living? Seriously? Out. Now." She huffs out a deep breath. "Get out of my sight."

Elektra has posed:
Elektra's calm exterior breaks, and for a moment a flash of anger, and something more - soemthing that almost looks like fear or pleading moves across her features before she can stop herself.

"Why else do I have to ask, Claire."

And then the moment is gone and she's an emotionless void, or so it would seem. Matt would know better. Claire might guess after that brief flash.

"Do what you want. I can't stop this now."

She carefully puts the pamphlet back on the counter she found it on, and quietly makes her way from the clinic.