A Phone Conversation

[Elyse]

Elyse felt nervous. More nervous than she had ever felt when staring down a monster of sorts. Elyse knew her parents and knew what they believed. She also knew that this conversation could go either way. Her parents could never talk to her again - even decide to come after her. They could also decide that they loved their daughter too much for that. That is what Elyse hoped for.

Nox's friend Sage had set up and untraceable line for her. Elyse hated taking this precaution, but she had to. Just in case. It had been Ana who had convinced her to make the call, and it had been seeing Dorian's approach to this situation that had made her decide to actually do it.

Still Elyse calmed herself before making the call. She had asked to do this by herself and was unsure of how she would respond if they took this the wrong way. Elyse was ready to cry.

ELyse took her face out of her hands and took a deep breath before hitting send. The phone started ringing. Elyse took a deep breath. She couldn't turn back now.

[Nox]

The world was upside down. The Ascendancy was a reborn god. How in the world could they not know this? Where was the Atharim investigation? Why was he allowed to make this annoucement?

These were the things Elsa and Peter had been discussing since they heard about it. And then - then the worst possible thing could happen - the Atharim headquarters fell. The reports were unclear. But what was clear was the Regus was missing. He'd gone into the flames to battle the fire and while others had returned from the hell-fires that took their headquarters from them, the Regus never emerged.

Elsa was worried. Elyse had gone to Moscow months gone and now calling her daughter was resulting in voice mail. She'd left a number of messages, but Elyse never returned them. She was almost ready to head to Moscow herself to find the whereabouts of her daughter. Almost... But Peter was away on a hunt - a wolfkin terrorizing the Dutch countryside. There seemed to be more beasts than they could shake a stick at these days.

The world was turning upside down. Elsa was lost in her thoughts - drowning in worry for the world, her daughter and as always her husband. The wallet rang beside her and Elsa jumped. The phone rarely rang at this hour - unless it was something wrong? Her mind spiraled into a billion different directions but Elsa would never let the worry show. She was Atharim and she would not show weakness.

Elsa took a deep breath and let it go long and slow and with it her worries shed and she smiled. The phone didn't show a caller ... unusual... Elsa had to push away the worry again - this was normal. Everything was alright. She answered in a calm happy but questioning voice. "Hello?" Whoever could it be?

[Elyse]

It seemed like it rang forever and Elyse could feel her heart pounding in her chest. For a moment she wished Nox was there to help her do this, but she realized that one thing at a time needed to be done. First she had to tell her parents what she was - and that she was a traitor. She could reveal the god-boyfriend at a later time.

The phone finished ringing and Elyse heard the voice of Elsa Andersen on the other end. "Hello?"

There was a question to the tone and it took Elyse a bit to realize that the call was secured. Her mother wouldn't know who was calling.

Elyse swallowed the lump in her throat. "Mom,"
she said softly in greeting, unsure of how to start.

[Nox]

Relief flooded Elsa's body. "Elyse! You're safe. I've been calling you. Why haven't your returned my calls?"

"My wallet is broken."
That made sense, it was relief but why was her wallet broken and why hadn't she replaced it. But her daughter continued before she could ask. "Is dad there too?"


Elsa sighed. "No. He's out wrangling a pesk."

"Oh,"
her voice wavered. "I was hoping to talk to you both."


"I don't know when he'll be back. But I can tell him later when he returns. Is there something going on Elyse?" Elsa was sure something had to be up, this was not an ordinary call - an unknown number, the world in turmoil, needing both of them - certainly not an ordinary call.

There was a pause as Elyse thought. "Yeah,"


Elsa knew something had to be wrong and her worry started to creep into her voice. You can tell me anything. What's wrong? Are you in trouble?" Her mind reeled at all the things that could have gone wrong. Was Elyse in that fire? Did she need to come home? Was she hurt? So many things wrong with the world.

"Not exactly..."


"Elyse. Tell me what's wrong? You are starting to worry me." Elsa kept a tight lid on her voice, but the worry was deafening - what was wrong with her baby girl.

(( with Elyse ))


Edited by Nox, Jan 10 2017, 10:42 AM.

[Elyse]

Elyse answered her mom's questions, but just barely. It was difficult and Elyse was on the verge of tears. The uncertainty of knowing how her mom would react to the news was something she couldn't deal with, but at the same time, she didn't want to know. If Mom and Dad didn't know, there was a safety in that. But soon they would come look for her, and the worry Elyse heard in her mother's voice was enough to bring that to reality.

Elyse was committed now, she had to say something. Her mom was clearly worried now. Elyse knew it was her fault, but she was having trouble finding the words. Perhaps she needed her mother right now - needed her to encourage her. Elyse wished she was here right now to hug her and tell her everything would be alright. She wished she was a little girl without any care in the world.

"Ummmm...mom...I have something to tell you that I've needed to say for a long time."


She couldn't stop the tears anymore. All the emotion she had been holding in was starting to come out.

"It started about five years ago. I started..."
she hesitated. This was it and it terrified her. It was difficult to keep the wavering and fear out of her voice. "The dreams - and then...my eyes changed...and..."


It was enough, Elsa likely knew what this meant by now, but the next words were hard to say, and it took all the courage Elyse could muster to say it. "I found out I was Wolfkin then, and..."


She stopped. Elyse couldn't say anymore as she started to cry.

[Nox]

Elsa listened to her daughter crack under the pressure. The crying and the sound of her broken voice as she claimed the impossible...Elsa tried not to gasp, but she failed miserably as the words were spoken.

All those symptoms... Her daughter a beast? It couldn't be.

Elsa sat in stunned silence as her daughter cried on the other end of the phone. If Peter were here, she was certain this conversation would be over and he'd be on the next plane to Moscow to do the deed himself. Elsa wondered if he'd done the deed himself if he'd been cursed the same - or worse - one of these gods. Peter would...

Elsa wasn't sure how long she sat in silence unable to think beyond the loss of her little girl. But her little girl was just the same - a monster - but still her little girl... She was Atharim. She was an adult. Elyse had made her choice to live with her curse.

Elsa took a deep breathe. She wouldn't tell Peter - she wouldn't tell anyone. She'd deny it with every fiber of her being. Her voice came out barely a whisper, "I love you. I always will. But I can't tell your father. We won't speak of it again. But I must know, is this why your phone is conveniently broken?" Surely not - it was just a coincidence - it had to be.

[Elyse]

As Elyse listened to her mother talk, her heart sank. Elyse felt the pain building up inside. Her mother didn't understand. Elyse got the feeling she wouldn't come after her daughter, but if Dad found out. And the moment Elsa finished speaking, Elyse felt completely abandoned.

Her mother's question wasn't as simple as it sounded. Elyse recognized what she had asked. Elsa was asking if her daughter had betrayed the Atharim. Elyse didn't answer for awhile. For the first time in her life she was truly scared of her mother.

"It is,"
even now, Elyse couldn't lie to her mother. "I had to make a choice mom. I had to believe people like me can be good. I..."
Elyse stopped, trying to gather herself. "I hope you understand."


Elyse had her doubts now. She didn't think Elsa would understand why she left, and even though her parents would still be alive, Elyse had the feeling she would soon be an orphan.

[Nox]

Elsa stopped breathing on the confirmation of the problem. Her daughter was abandoning her beliefs in favor of everything they'd fought against. Did Elyse not remember the boy who had ripped through his village because he thought he was a wolf? The countless children that were dead now because he had been cursed with a malady there was no cure for.

But given the same situation Elsa wasn't sure she could commit the ultimate sacrifice. The thought didn't stop her from worrying for her daughter. "I don't believe I will ever understand, my darling. But I love you still. Your secret is safe with me, but you have to know that abandoning your phone only begs for them to look for your harder. You've stayed safe by following the credo. Why are you stopping now? There is more to it than that... Elyse, what else have you gotten into?" There had to be more to the complete abandonment of her life...

[Elyse]

Elyse sighed. She didn't feel like she had abandoned their creed. Not really - she followed what she believed to be the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law. Mom wouldn't understand. She couldn't. Elyse wasn't sure what made it it hurt worse.

Her end of the phone was silent for awhile as Elyse gathered herself again. She had no idea of what to say. "There are..."
" she stopped. "I mean...I met someone."


Elyse put her face in her hand. It wasn't all about Nox. She had chosen a different path because she had felt there was something wrong about killing someone because of something they were born as. Elyse didn't know how to respond. She didn't know what to say.

[Nox]

Elsa laughed - a boy!

It took Elsa several moments before she could collect herself from the humor of the situation. All because of a boy... Elsa sighed. "You leave everything you've ever believed in for a boy? You've known him for how long? A week? A month? A few months at most? You've not been long from us and you abandon your secret for a boy? He must be special." There was venom in her voice now.

But Elsa loved her daughter and she honestly believed ignorance was bliss, this could be salvaged. "Elyse come home, leave him to fight whatever fight he thinks he can win. A mundane will never understand our world. We will replace your phone, your secret will be safe with me. Forget this conversation happened. Come home. They will hunt you for leaving - if you leave without warning. I've seen it happen. And then they will delve into your family - your friends - we are all at risk if you turn traitor. Elyse - come home. We will fix this"