8966/True Confessions

True Confessions
Date of Scene:	26 August 2019
Location:	Apartment 6A, Instrata (TBD)
Synopsis:	Elektra comes clean to Matt about recent happenings, and unlike their past, he accepts her news without argument or revulsion. In return, she makes promises that she can keep, while offering to help him expand his law office into mutant town.
Cast of Characters:	Elektra, Daredevil

---

Elektra has posed:
She hadn't gone to him immediately after her run-in with the Shadow, and the men at the docks. It had taken Elektra some time to consider how she wanted to deal with the matter; to parse her own feelings about things.

In the end, she found that she was still feeling grounded. Still feeling as she had since becoming Black Sky and denying the Hand; she'd just killed some men - the first since that fateful day.

She also realized that she needed to speak to Matt about the matter. Not because she felt guilty, or wished his forgiveness, but because they'd agreed to honesty, and this seemed too big not to inform him of.

Elektra was keeping her end of that bargain. Now to see if Matthew would keep his...

Elektra could have snuck in off the roof, or any other manner of arrival, but instead she comes bearing Chinese, and a bottle of wine. It wasn't a peace offering so much as dinner and a nod to past dates they'd had, sitting naked on his bed, eating from take out cartons, totally belying her vast wealth in favour of just being two people in love.

That might have been before their falling out, but they were still good times, and worth revisiting. Even if it were a distinct, and possible, foreshadowing to the conversation she was about to have.

Letting herself into his apartment, Elektra calls out, "Matthew?"

Daredevil has posed:
Matt was had only just gotten home from the office and was in the middle of taking off his suit when Elektra calls into his appartment.

"Back here," he says as he takes off his shirt and tosses it into the laundry hamper.

"Mmm is that Han's?" he asks as the whiff of the Chinese food hits him, he takes a moment to savour it and the memory of past dates it conjured up. He absently grabs a t-shirt before wandering to the door of his room to wait for Elektra to make her way into the appartment.

Elektra has posed:
It was, indeed, Hans. Not only the staple and standby, but they were known to the proprietors and most often were treated to off menu items. It was rare that Elektra (or Matt) would go somewhere else. Not quite creatures of habit as much as there were some things you couldn't improve upon and Hans was one of them.

"Of course," Elektra drawls lightly, almost laughing. "The wine is red. If you bring glasses, I'll put the cartons out." She doesn't ask for plates. That had never been their style. Possibly odd given her upbringing, how Elektra was able to simply fall in with those who had less than her, but she'd never been pretentious about her wealth. Not unless she were proving a point, and she'd never had to do that with Matt.

A glance i9s flicked his way, noting the pulling on of the shirt. Something of disappointment and desire mingling within. Desire for the obvious; disappointment for the civility of the shirt. Then again, there was always time for that later..

"Busy day? I'd thought to drop in at Fogwells later." Though that, too, could be put off to another day. It wasn't like they couldn't spar here if they wished.

While she waits for Matt to bring glasses, she empties the bags of cartons and disposable chopsticks onto the coffee table and sits crosslegged at one end of his couch, waiting.

Daredevil has posed:
Matt wiggles into the shirt with a smile as if he could guess what Elektra was thinking, by the look of that smile he was thinking similar thoughts.

"Sure thing," he says about the glasses walking barefoot out to the kitchen to get them. "Busy, yeah, thinking about taking on some new clients and digging deeper into the whole mutant thing going on, at this rate we're going to need to expand."

Which was good news, after all they'd already hired Mary for extra office help so an associate or two might be the next logical step in turning their little shoestring operation into something like an honest to goodness lawfirm.

He grabs the glasses and heads back, "Can always make time for Fogwells though," he says, practice was never a chore for Matt it was one of the few times he could let himself go.

Reaching the couch, he slips down next to Elektra and holds out the glasses, "You want to pour?"

Elektra has posed:
The smile doesn't fade as she watches him trot into the kitchen and back again, catching that knowing little grin upon his lips. This was one of the things she loved about Matthew - how well they fit. How well they knew one another. How there was always that electric sizzle, even when there was no hurry to them.

"Expanding? Who are you and what did you do with the man who stormed that party?" Elektra laughs as she takes the wine bottle. "I let Han pick today. I'm fairly certain he packed some favourites. Maybe Fogwells after," she agrees. She, too, liked Fogwells.

She might not have Matt's secrets, but she has her own, and there are few and far places between she can be herself. Elektra Natchios, former socialite, and current business magnate, wasn't the sort one would expect to be a master martial artist, let alone some of the tricks she had. Amongst the Defenders she had rare opportunities to let her hair down without it eing an antagonistic encounter.

She'd come to cherish those times of late.

Daredevil has posed:
Indeed even when they were at odds there was that underlaying current of electricity between them. It had been there from the first time they met at that party Elektra had spoken of.

"He grew up, got his own room, bigger ambtions," he says the last word feeling odd on his tounge. Matt was a driven man, but rarely did he see his goals as ambitions they were always framed as a duty, a need, not a want. In this case, Matt wanted to expand the firm, do more, fight the evils infecting his city in both parts of his day. "Do sort of miss the futon though," he offers with a smile. Not that he missed the lumpy old thing, not really, just the relatively easy going days spent on it.

"Maybe after," he agrees, as he breathes in the scents of the food with a bit more attention, picking out the dishes by the scent. "Hmm, he must have added this one to the menu," he says picking up the chopsticks and sampling it. "Not bad though."

Like Elektra he too enjoyed her taking part in his life as a Defender, in a way it was everything he'd hoped for.

Elektra has posed:
"I miss the futon too," Elektra says simply. And she did. It might not have been the world's best sleep in terms of quality matresses, but it had been the best sleep she'd had in terms of safety and feeling accepted and loved. Even when they'd had their largest falling out, that futon had been a haven. "Whatever happened to it?"

She'd been long gone before it had been relegated to wherever old beds went when dreams died.

"That one," she notes of the carton he's pointed out, "is spicy. I chose hot, I hope you don't mind?" He was right, it was new. And was being added to the menu. That was a nice aspect of Hans - all the regular Americanized Chinese foods people grew up with, as well as some truly ethnic favourites. This dish was a hybrid between the two.

"Will you need support for the expansion? We can make it a loan if you prefer." She knew better than to offer him money outright, or suggest a partnership. But a loan he might accept.

Daredevil has posed:
"Gave it to the Good Will when I moved out of the dorms," Matt says of the futon. "Hopefully some other couple got to make some memories on it," he says with a fond smile. "Because they sure as hell didn't get a good night's sleep on it," he chuckles, though they had, it often took a bit of shifting around before you got truly comfortable.

"I can tell," he says about the spice, the capsaicin stung his nose from here, but then that was part of the fun. "Don't mind at all," he says snatching a bit from the dish to wolf it down.

"Wanted to talk to you about that," Matt says as he swallows down the spicy morsel. "If a loan is how you want to do it, then, yeah, I'm game, but if you wanted to call it an an investment, and if Foggy's okay with it, we could work out some sort of arrangement."

Yes, Matt Murdock was accepting help outright. He smiles acknowledging the change of heart, "I figured if I can take private jets to private island, accepting an investment to help people wasn't a stretch."

Elektra has posed:
"As I recall," Elektra drawls, "We didn't do much sleeping on it either."

Much to Foggy's chagrin.

Elektra grabs a couple cartons and balances them on the couch between the pair, easily helping herself here and there with her chopsticks. She has no worries that Matt can't figure out what dish is what, and even if he couldn't there was some excitement in that, wasn't there?

"I'd offer to buy into the firm, but I'm not sure if that's an affiliation you'd like? We could sit together, we three, and discuss matters. I can bring my lawyers in when we're ready. I'm happy with an investment. It's your business, though. I don't want to... complicate things."

And her history could be a complication if certain matters got out. She understands and isn't taking it as an insult were he to reconsider the investment option.

"Jets and the island are part of being my partner, Matthew. I'm not fool enough to imagine all aspects of our lives need to intersect. However, I do have a vested interest in seeing you succeed. I'm curious, though, this would be an expansion to handle mutant matters?" Distinct from the pro-bono fund work.

Daredevil has posed:
Matt smiles again, "No we didn't," he agrees.

"I appreciate you don't want to complicate things and I'm not looking to bog you down too much with the day to day, of Nelson and Murdock, I know you've got a lot on your plate with Hellas, so, yeah, let's the three of us sit down and figure out what works, like you said and we can take it from there."

"Agreed, it wouldn't be us if we were totally in each other's lives," he says. It was true the space felt part of them as much as their time together, they did their thing and then came back together it had a comfortable flow.

He nods at Elektra's question, "Yeah, watching all that's happening, I think the mutants could use my help, and since Daredevil can't exactly punch giant robots..." He was taking the fight into a different ring, one where he punched well above his weight class.

Elektra has posed:
"Well he could punch them," Elektra quips, amused, "He might hurt his hands. Perhaps we send Danny after the robots."

She looks thoughful.

"That is a large departure for you, Matthew. What intrigues you about the mutants? Not that I have issues, but this is new."

She nabs a piece of satay chicken, and some snow peas. "You don't mind, do you? I've thought once or twice about what it might look like, us living together on a rather more permanent basis." It wasn't like they spent weeks apart. Days at most. "I always come back to there are compliations. Reasons I need to have my apartment, and reasons why yours is, well, I appreciate being able to come here and leave the other baggage behind. But you know you're always welcome at my place. If you'd like to make it a bit more formal, we can. Rather more dedicated space for your needs. It wouldn't be a huge stretch from the current arrangements."

Daredevil has posed:
"Definitely more of a Danny thing," Matt agrees of punching sentinels.

As for why? Matt looks thoughtful a moment, "It's sort of the same reason I became Daredevil, I know I've told you about it, hearing the cries for help, the sirens, night after night. Same thing with the mutants, expect instead of sirens and screams it was the news, how many reports have their been of mutants being attacked, mutants being killed by Sentinels in the last little while? Too many, I guess it just got to be enough I had to do something and this was the best thing I could think of."

"I've thought about it too, but I have to admit. right now, I think how we're doing it works, though I could definitely stand to visit you more, but that's been more habit than choice on my part. What about you? Are you good with how things are or do you think we need a change?"

Elektra has posed:
"I wasn't suggesting commonlaw, Matthew. More.. well, more of a nod to the fact that my space should be yours as well. I feel sometimes like you've opened your doors to me, and welcomed me into your home, and my place remains this pristine space. It's been on my mind for some time. No obligations, but if you could do work from there, and had space for things, it might make your stays more enjoyable. Your choice, though."

She smiles and continues eating, the offer both sincere, and without requiring him to accept. But he should know that she considers him a permanent fixture in her life, and this is her acknowledging that.

"Fair enough about the mutants. It likely is more a thing that you can facilitate as a lawyer. Once the SEntinels are no longer a threat, mutants will still be facing discrimination and hardship. Were you thinking a satellite office in mutant town?" Her mind already calculating possbilities.

Daredevil has posed:
"Ah," Matt says, coming to understand Elektra's meaning. "That would help," fortunately his work things were fairly portable. "But it'd be okay to drop in there though? I mean the doorman's not going to try to give me the boot is he?" he smiles. Of course Matt would worry about not fitting in with the posh set that lived in Elektra's building, though he did like her place, it felt good, and positively thrummed to his senses with the vibrations of the city.

"Read my mind," Matt says grabbing a bite of the chicken for himself. "Yeah, thinking a satellite office there, would like to find one mutant associate at the very least, there's some new outfit opening up down there called X-Corp they do job placement so might see if they can point me in the right direction."

He didn't doubt there were mutants in the law, but he guessed most of them unless their mutation was obvious kept it to themselves like he did with his powers.

Elektra has posed:
"You're on the list," Elektra assures. "You'll be handwaved through even if I'm not home."

though it did beg how The Shadow had made it to her floor. Not that Elektra was overly worried about that. She and the other had an understanding.

"Mmmm," she chews and swallow, then takes a sip of wine. "I know you're already aware, but it would be a great opportunity for Hugo placements. If you want, I can begin scouting locations?" Of course Matt might have specific specs he wanted. "At any rate, it sounds rather very like you. And I'll see about arranging for whatever you need at my place. I know it's less homey, but you should still feel at home there. I do apologize for not thinking of this sooner."

It would never be 'Matt's' place in the way Matt's was - there was a reason Elektra came here - but it could still welcome him more.

She has another swallow of wine, and sets her glass down rather casually. "I do have a matter we should speak about, though."

Daredevil has posed:
Matt nods, "Then dinner at your place tomorrow? We can get things set up."

"Definitely want to make room for Hugo placements, been meaning to talk to you about getting one for the main office, and can probably staff a lot of the Mutant Town office with them as well." There's a nod about locations, "Please do, I don't have the best eye for real estate," he admits with a grin. Bad joke Matt, bad joke.

"Yeah, it feels like me, it feels right," he says about his plans. "And no need to apologize, I think I had a bit of a mental block there too, but it will be nice to be able to get away to your place. It's got a great feel, like it's right on the pulse of the city."

"Oh?" Matt asks when Elektra brings up having something to talk about.

Elektra has posed:
"I think we both did," Elektra says quietly. "We've had to adjust to a lot of things. Everyoine thinks that there should be some fairytale ending, when the truth is, we're still all we were before with the same issues, and the same questions. I think it's taken myself till now to feel comfortable in what we are. Too much of our life has been spent struggling."

She smiles at him, and sighs softly.

"I think we're ready to accept and move forward."

She leaves the matter of real estate and placements behind for now, having broached the rather more serious subject that might muddy the air between them.

"I intercepted a shipment of human cargo at the docks." It's a simple statement. Too simple really. "I killed two men, Matthew. I won't make excuses for that. I will admit, however, that I may be rather sensitive about the matter of why."

The deaths hadn't even been big enough to hit the front pages of the news. Even the cargo containers - there were four of them - had been barely a blip, a statement on how devastatiung the Sentinels were being.

"I said I wouldn't lie to you, so I am letting you know. I don't plan on making a habit of this, but it will happen again, most likely."

She takes up her wine and waits.

Daredevil has posed:
Matt nods his agreement, "Comforable, that's the right word," he says. "Before it felt like we were all struggling to make each other fit our view of what they should be, what our relationship should look like, but now, I dunno, it doesn't matter as much. You're you and I'm me, and we're both okay with that."

Sensing the slight uptick of tension as the subject changes, Matt falls silent, listening. Before long he can see why and his expression becomes serious and contemplative.

He felt a momentary pang of regret, for Elektra, for the dead men, for them, but instead of revulsion he felt... acceptance.

"A little while ago, this would have probably started another fight," Matt begins. "But now, I just trust you, and even if I'm not happy about it, and it's not what I would ever do, I trust you and your judgement. You did what you had to do."

He'd given the subject a lot of thought since Elektra's return, hoping it would only be a thought exercise but expecting it wouldn't and he'd decided he would accept her no matter what, past, present and future, and love her as long the world allowed. Yes, there was danger in that, Elektra's past deeds might be discovered at anytime and the blood on her hands could stain everyone and everything she touched, but Matt realized if he was going to love her, that was just something he was going to have to live with, and if the day came, they'd deal with it together.

"I appreciate being told, I leave it up to you about how much you share, I am not going to play lawyers games and worry about plausible deniability, tell me what you need to tell me and it will stay with me."

Elektra has posed:
"I've had time to think," Elektra says slowly, "about that evening. I think if I were to face it again today, calmer, the outcome may have been different. In the moment, though, it was instinct. My revulsion for what they were doing.. outweighed my intent to be more thoughtful in this regard."

She'd thought long about this. Hard. She wasn't about to play semantics, or mind games. She wasn't trying to absolve herself, or to excuse her behaviours. She merely was.

"I wanted to think I might never again, Matthew. But I think we both know that was rahter less likely than this outcome."

She gives him a wry and apologetic smile.

"This is what I've realized, if it helps - I once needed to kill." She knew that. She knew that instinctively and deep within her bones. The woman she was before she'd died and become Black Sky had lashed out without thinking. Couldn't sit still with herself. Chased death like it was a lover who'd scorned her. And yet? She was never truly happy. Not even with him. "I don't feel that urge anymore. There's a calm where there once was a demon, Matthew. But I still who I am, and to be frank and honest, there will be deaths I will not regret. What I do regret is how they affect you."

"I am not excusing myself, but it may help to understand why, why I did what I did. There were children there. Locked within metal cages, ready to be sent to the highest bidder. Children who deserve more than I had."

She gives him a steady, and honest meeting of eyes, even if his can not see, "I can promise you, Matthew, that my days of careless killing are over. I can leave the filth to lie in an alley to await the authorities. I can accept that is your way. But I can not promise there will be no contracts, or no deaths. I still believe there are some worth lending my life to. If you wish, we can leave it at this, and I won't tell you of my business going forth. Just as if you ask it of me, I will remain nothing but honest with you about this matter."

Daredevil has posed:
Nodding, Matt says, "I think it would have gone differently too, now."

"I hoped that it wouldn't happen either," he admits. "But deep down I knew it would, and I prepared for it."

He falls slient to listen, taking a sip of his wine as he does, Elektra's words mirrored his own thoughts, before if Elektra killed there were a million reasons why she could have done it some good some bad, but now, like she said, that demon, that need to kill was gone, leaving only choice, he could feel that in her long before she spoke the words.

Matt nods, "I appreciate that, and I won't say they don't affect me, but I can feel it, the change in you and why you do what you do, so, while I won't be happy about it, I trust you Elektra, that you're doing what you think is right."

The part about the kids in cages only reinforces that belief. He can understand why she would do what she did there. He nods wordlessly that those children deserved better than they would have got with those that took them.

Matt feels her eyes on him and turns his sightless ones to meet them, holding them there while she makes her pledge, "I trust you," he says again, reaching for her hand. "As for what you should tell me, probably best I don't know all the details, but what you told me tonight, that's fine, and if you feel you need to say more, then let me know and I'll listen, like I said, I trust you, what you do, what you tell me, all of it."

Elektra has posed:
"Thank-you for that, Matthew. It means alot that you trust me in this."

Which was vast fathoms different than before, where he would have felt the need to argue and correct each of her moves and motives where this was concerned. That he'd realized there was a place between both their beliefs where they could meet and accept was an astounding difference.

That he could accept this of her, also meant that she could accept of him as well. It was how she'd found it within her to leave those she did not need to kill behind. How she could even make that choice - that there were those who did not deserve to die; might profit from that second chance.

It had started with the Hugo Foundation, but ultimately, it had ended with his faith in her.

Elektra leans over the nearly empty cartons of their dinner, to brush her lips to his. "Only what you need to know, then." Then she laughs. "You are amy lawyer after all."

Which, ultimately, was both true and ridiculous, and covered the future possibilites of his own liability in matters.

Daredevil has posed:
"There wouldn't be any point to any of this if I didn't," Matt answers simply.

It was true, whatever their relationship had been built on before now, trust had become its foundation. He didn't see her as a woman needing saving from herself any longer, and it seemed like he was no longer the fool who clung to half-measures. There was some understanding of their points of view and acceptance of the places where they differed.

It changed everything.

The brush of her lips is returned happily, "True," he says with a laugh. "But are you sure you want to trust me? I heard lawyers are the worst."

Lawyer or not Matt had sworn he'd keep what she told him between them both and nobody else and for him that was enough.

Elektra has posed:
"Well, I do know your secrets. That has to have earned me some blackmail rights," Elektra teases. Even if once that hadn't been a tease, but an actual event. One she had regretted and moved past to try and remedy.

"You know, it's funny how we're here. How many years did we argue about this very thing and were never able to come to an agreement. And then.. this."

She ponders the cartons.

"Shall I clear? We can enjoy more wine, or we can reconvene at Fogwells.. or somewhere more comfortable."

The empty, and mostly empty cartons she moves without waiting for his answer, there being only a couple in question of his appetite still.

Daredevil has posed:
"True, you do, but who's going to believe you, everyone knows those business types are worse than lawyers," Matt teases back, he knew that threat wasn't always an empty one, but now all of that was water under the bridge.

Chuckling warmly, Matt says, "I was thinking the same thing, don't know if we were just stupid or if we had to go through all of that to get here," he ponders a moment. "Sort of hoping for the last if only because it makes all those arguments worthwhile."

"Yes, thanks," Matt says of clearing even as Elektra starts, he breaks into a smile. "But definitely thinking somewhere more comfortable."

Elektra has posed:
"Stick would say we were both stupid, and stubborn," Elektra smiles. The cartons are stacked together for easy taking to the kitchen. The ones with enough in to keep closed for putting into the fridge and later evening noshing. "Then again, he's likely say we were still being stupid thinking love had any place in our lives. You know, he's a terribly matchmaker."

Funny only in that he was ultimately the reason the two had ever met.

"Comfortable is nice. Though if we opt for that, I will have to rise early to get a workout in." Amused as she knows full well the probable and possible comeback he'll offer about getting in another sort of workout to compensate for missing tonight.

Daredevil has posed:
"I don't know, he did okay with us," Matt says of Stick's matchmaking skills knowing full way what happened was the /last/ thing he'd wanted. "Regardless, however stupid we might be, we stopped the Hand because of that love, so, might be he's the one who's stupid and stubborn."

There's a grin for that, and then Matt predictably offers, "Oh, I am sure I can help you make up for any time you missed at th gym."

He rises then standing next to the sofa, waiting for Elektra.

Elektra has posed:
"He'll still complain. You know that."

Which was nothing but true.

Elektra rises, gathering wine and wine glasses, letting Matthew deal with the leftovers. "Bed? I'm sure we can find other ways to continue this discussion."

Daredevil has posed:
"Sure, he wouldn't be Stick otherwise," Matt smiles taking the leftovers to the kitchen and stuffing them in the fridge.

Walking back to join Elektra, his smile becomes a grin, "I am sure that we can."