Changed. No, she hadn't changed in some fundamental way. Her DNA still read human and she wouldn't live indefinitely... but had she changed from the little girl they had last known? Of course. She was bound to. But had she changed from the woman she would have grown into... hard to say for certain but arguably... most definitely. There was a distance, a look of repressed fear and vulnerability that was always just beneath the surface of her eyes. A nervous anxiety that she hid behind a cold exterior.
While it was impossible to say who she was supposed to have been... Eliina knew it wasn't this mess. And that was putting it kindly anymore.
Eliina self consciously put a hand to her face before she stepped entirely free of the door, ensuring that the heavy coating of concealer was well in place. While any puffiness was gone, the discoloration of the bruises left by Anthony. It was still there, more was packed in her purse if she was going to be forced through this night she'd likely need it. Unwanted questions were not high on her list of things to make the night bearable.
Then again, running into a strange man just outside her door wasn't high on that list either but it was happening regardless of her opinion on the matter. Eliina slowly pushed up to her feet, ignoring the ache that had remained in her back for days now. The man didn't move, just stood there despite the look she was trying to give him. It never worked, not when there was fear bringing down her look of contempt.
Whatever look she was aiming for was immediately wiped from her features after he spoke. It took a moment for the words to truly settle into her mind, to form coherent sentences. At first... she couldn't make sense of the words. They came to her almost as gibberish... then they slowly were pieced together. Trying to find him... Eliina blinked and stared at him. Stared as he pushed his glasses up from his face as if looking harder would answer the questions that were suddenly pushing to the surface of her mind. She remembered what Veronica had said, words that had been pushed aside for other concerns in the past few days, but they were words that weren't truly forgotten.
Eliina blinked again, eyes locked on his. "T-Taavi?" She finally asked. She was truly at a loss for words.