5th campaign

[campaigns]

[Eli had known that he couldn't dodge losses during his stay in Paradisa, but he hadn't expected that it would be a group loss. He would write it off entirely if it weren't for one little detail he had discovered. Now that sufficient time has passed to let the awkward of the incident subside, he doesn't feel the need to wait any longer.

Opening his journal, he doesn't hesitate to pen a filter.]


[Kalinda]

Can we meet somewhere?


[This isn't a question he can ask over the journal. He'll get a better response in person.]

Comments

Eli

[kalinda]

[Oh, boy.]

Are you asking me out?

Kalinda

[campaigns]

[He cocks his eyebrows at those words and grins, amused.]

In the very literal sense, yes.

Eli

[kalinda]

Well, I do like it when people are literal.

Kalinda

[campaigns]

Then I will very literally ask if you'd like to meet me at the Lux.

Eli

[kalinda]

Fine.

[HERE SHE COMES.]

[campaigns]

[He'll be sitting at the bar with a drink in hand, waiting for her arrival. He pushes the journal aside, clearly done with it for now. He'd order her a drink, but she's likely to surprise him with her tastes.]

[kalinda]

[She knows this place like the back of her hand now, and Kalinda moves her way through the room with little effort, slinking into the seat next to her-- colleague? co-worker? fellow Lockhart-Gardner militant.]

It's been a while, hasn't it?

[campaigns]

[He turns to regard her, tapping his fingers on the rim of his glass.]

It has. Not counting our high school reunion, of course.

[kalinda]

[And that's when Kalinda freezes up. Tensing, if you will.]

Yeah. [...] I almost forgot about that.

[campaigns]

We'd all like to forget about that. It wasn't exactly our most shining of moments, was it?

[He picks up his glass to take a sip, but stops midway.]

Would you like a drink?

[kalinda]

It wasn't.

[That's right. Keep it casual, Kalinda. Take a deep breath and just respond. Don't let him catch on that you're more tense than you'd like to be. Just take that drink and move on.]

Sure. What you're having.

[campaigns]

[He'll flag down the bartender for a drink, gesturing to his own glass.]

It's almost funny. I know that losses aren't supposed to be dignified, but I had thought that my first one would be something more... [He inhales a breath in thought] Well. Anything but that.

[kalinda]

They're pretty bad.

[When the drink comes, she'll wait to do anything with it. Instead, she'll keep a hand by it, fingers idly touching on the budding condensation.]

At least you weren't in a dress.

[campaigns]

That really happens? Here I thought people were just trying to scare me.

[That deserves a sip on its own. He also feels the need to prepare himself. Kalinda has always been the queen of the elusive, so he's expecting a lot of dancing around the subject. He'll need that drink with all the circles he's planing to talk in.]

So. Who is Leela Tahiri?

[kalinda]

Yeah, it actually happens.

[And she's finally taking a sip of that drink. At least Eli's covering it-- he was a man of expensive tastes through and through.]

[kalinda]

[Oh, but that second thing he says.

There it was. She knew she shouldn't have hoped for commiserating and only commiserating. It was something that would have been asked eventually, and of course Eli would be one of the forerunners of the inquisition.

It was just the way she was.

And so, she'd lower the glass, immediately quiet, a few fingers moving to the edge of her lips to wipe the drink away. She wouldn't look at him, not just yet. Instead, she'd clear her throat, indignant as ever to give into her loss... but she'd take a breath and just say it.]

It's me.

[campaigns]

[Oh. That was easy.

He's actually stunned into silence for once. He wasn't prepared for a straight answer at all, so he has to collect his thoughts.

He makes a series of surprised, confused, and unsure faces as he tries to think of what to say next.]

Oh.

Is it a nickname?

[kalinda]

[She's tense yet again, another sigh forming on her lips. She's hoping he isn't going to pry too much, but considering the kind of person he is?]

No.

[campaigns]

[Getting it together now, the questions are hopefully going to come a bit easier.]

You're not some criminal running from the law, are you?

[kalinda]

[Yes, but Kalinda is persistent.]

Look. I'd rather not talk about it.

[campaigns]

[But Eli wants to talk about it! Plus he's not one to give up without a fight.]

Why did you change your name?

[kalinda]

[Yes, but watch what Kalinda can do.

Standing up. How novel. Look at her, on her two feet yet again!]

I'm leaving.

[campaigns]

[Aaaaand there's the Kalinda he knows.]

Kalinda, wait. Don't leave. [He gives a frustrated huff.]

I'm just... curious.

[kalinda]

[Kalinda is good at running. It's like, her best skill-- OH WAIT YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT EITHER.]

And I can understand that. But it is something I'm not exactly amenable to discussing.

[She'll turn, hands on her bar stool.]

I will say that, yes, that was my name when I was that age and yes, I decided to change it. But it's nothing that concerns you.

[campaigns]

[When she puts it that way, he can get it. He doesn't exactly enjoy when others pry into his private affairs, either.

He puts his hands up in a surrendering sort of gesture.]

Fair enough. Your business is your business.

[And then he gestures to the stool again. Sit?]

[kalinda]

[She'll sit again, seething for a moment. It takes her a while to look at Eli, having taken a sip-- a much larger sip-- of the drink before her. Her expression remains as indifferent as she could muster, tilting her head somewhat.]

It was a life I was more than happy to give up.

[campaigns]

[Don't pry don't pry don't pry don't pry]

Must have been some life.

[He takes a drink before he can let any other words roll out of his mouth and drive her away.]