genessia | Welcome to Wonderland [Closed]

WHO: Lydia and Cassian, possibly Edward?
WHAT: Lydia gets heated and think it's about time Cassian finds out who his anonymous skeleton nemesis is.
WHEN: Forward dated to about August third or fourth
WHERE: Wonderland in Everglade woods
WARNINGS: None, really

What had compelled her to do this? To drop that information, to give him that flyer, to tell him to come out here as they needed to finally talk? Who knew, but she hadn't backed down from any of it, nails digging into her palms as she paces the main room of this building, black smoke curling around her finds of one hand as she's furiously putting things in place and hissing inaudible words under her breath in Elven.

This would be simple enough, she had no intentions on making him play their games or be subjected to the horrors of this place. No, no, his torture and torment would come from another source entirely and she wanted to savor the probable anger and murderous intent she figured would be present in her guest.

Of course, she had Diva, the shiny pheromosa keeping an eye on the forest and on the look out for their guest. She was the guard as it were and was already keenly aware of who she was looking for and seeing if he could follow her master's words. The flyer had been a necessary thing and the Pokemon was more than intent on dragging Cassian through the woods to the building and never once leaving Lydia's side after.

Nor had Lydia thought to mention they'd have a guest to her brother, either, but that was something she'd deal with later if it came up. For now she'd finally satisfied herself with the way things looked, an almost altered reality illusion of the foyer of a nice mansion. Wooden floors, long wooden staircase to an upper floor, and in the center an intimate little table with a tea set set out in the center.

Of course she'd dressed up as well.

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After receiving the message and flyer Cassian had spent a good few days doing his best to investigate without causing alarm. It was harder these days to disappear for hours on end without an explanation, he didn't have the Guardian excuse anymore and Kay and he were equal co-owners of their startup. It had to be without an explanation, too - lying to him would have felt too wrong, even if it was concern for him which drove him.

And it did, the skeleton mage had been quite clear that she would make K-2SO pay the price for her anger at Cassian.

He had to do... something about it. Keep him away from her, for sure, and in the meantime, try to learn more. It wasn't much of a plan, mind you, and when the day of finally confronting her came and he stalked into the woods, he was cursing himself for his stupidity already long before he caught sight of the pheromosa to follow. Foolish to come alone, to play her game at all. But if she would kill him... Well, then maybe it would soothe her ruffled feathers enough to leave Kay out of it. Maybe. No, it really wasn't much of a plan.

His hand kept straying to his blaster, every time yanked away again when he caught himself, as he approached the mansion. For this occasion he had dressed in the rebel uniform he rarely ever wore these days. It was as good a shield as any, a necessary reminder that he had been an assassin before he became a Guardian. He had killed without hesitation, he had been merciless. He just had to cling to that, that he could not match her in powers but in ruthlessness. He just... He had to hold on to that.

The door creaked as he pushed it open and stepped inside, his face stern but devoid of anger, shoulders straight as befitting his uniform. Below the placis surface, not anywhere near as numb as he would have liked to have been - it had been too long for it to come easily anymore.

"I'm afraid I didn't bring crumpets."

And not even with a reaction, how sad. She's leaning back in her chair for a moment before sitting up straight once more and motioning to the seat across from her, ignoring the third chair off to the side. It was for someone else if he decided to show up, but that wasn't important right now. No, what was important was this meeting.

A small smile crept to her lips, perfectly manicured and matching nails lightly tapping on the table in front of her.

"I didn't expect you to bring any darling, you and I both know it would've just been for you anyway." She's oddly seeming calm about all of this, no malice seen in her expression or tone, but she was good at turning and twisting her words as she saw fit. And of course the fact she didn't seem bothered showing him this illusion instead of her skeletal self. No skeleton, no voice modification, just the face she showed clearly on the network with her name attached.

"I'd ask you if you're surprised about who your little anonymous skeleton ended up being, but somehow I feel that you aren't in the least bit surprised, Cassian."

Well. That's giving him more credit than he deserves, really, for he is very much surprised and had been half tempted to demand that she put an end to this joke but... Can't let that on. No, it's not that he isn't surprised, more that he still feels far too numb to show any.

He sizes her up once again, taking in her posturing, the tasteful setting, and most of all the empty third chair. Alarm sparks up in him - what if that one is for K-2SO? What if today is the day for her games, and he's been invited as a spectator?

He forces a matching smile onto his face. "Whether I suspected it or not hardly matters now that you have chosen to put an end to the game." Again, as he approaches, another measuring look. "Really? This charade? It's beneath you."

Either way it doesn't really matter at this point as she's shown her cards on that front and isn't about to take them back. She's quiet as she keeps her attention focused on him, slowly pouring a cup of tea for herself and letting it sit for now. It's, of course, something she'd picked up from elsewhere and not something a human should be drinking but details.

Of course the chair was for her brother, but no need to tell him that unless he asked.

"What charade are you talking about?~" She's almost chirping those words, being far too saccharine in tone with the situation at hand. "People come here to try and win what their heart desires and we test them to see if they're worthy of it. It's simple enough and that's how it works. We never once lied about that, have we?"

"No, you've never lied about that." The emphasis on the that is heavy and pointed, the sharp look that accompanies it is even more pointed.

Cassian takes a seat but makes no move to touch the tea or food, he's certainly not willing to trust any part of her hospitality. After the stern interlude, he forces the saccharine pleasantness back onto his own face. He may be furious, but he's got to hold up a certain facade, they both deserve that much effort.

"I expected you would keep up the game until I unveiled your identity myself." In truth, he hadn't even known the skeleton was anything but her true identity, she wouldn't have been the first or only one in Genessia, after all. "What brought about this change of heart?" He pursed his lips. "Don't tell me you're feeling lonely."

"Oh come on now, darling, I don't lie. Stretch the truth, maybe, but never lie." She's not once letting go of her smile, deciding that remaining pleasant is by far the best way to try and ruffle his feathers after everything she's said and done to him at this point.

She never expected him to really trust her about food, she wouldn't either, if she were on the other side of this. But the food, at least, is genuinely not something she can partake in and is more for looks than anything else.

She's briefly shrugging at all of that and just taking a sip from her cup and setting it down to the side once more. "That's the difference between myself and the stereotypical liches out there, I don't mind showing myself or my name from time to time. It's more personal if your contestants know your name after all, what to call you when they curse or praise your name. But I've always been more of a fan of flair and dramatics than anything else." She's pausing for a moment, musing over her next words.

"Lonely? Of course not. I'm not alone in this place. My brother remains here just as much as I do and he's the only company I've ever needed. I'm sure you've seen him around just as you've seen me, we just... prefer looking like this instead of skeletons in dark and drab robes. That's the thing they don't tell you when you become a lich, darling, whatever you're wearing when you die is what you'll be stuck in for the rest of eternity."

"That's just terrible, you have my deepest sympathies," he declares, his voice absolutely dripping with disdain and an utter lack of sympathy. He shoots her another disdainful glare before averting his gaze in favor of giving their surroundings another long look, though there is nothing to see which he hasn't registered already.

He's just trying to make sense of it, in a way. Fit all the puzzle pieces together - and for now, he is failing. It doesn't make an awful lot of sense to him, really. But then again, he has never understood cruelty for cruelty's sake. Never even cared to try and understand it, always prided himself on being unbending.

It's just... Disquieting, maybe.

"You are perfectly remorseless." It's not a question, just a statement. "You pride yourself on," he bares his teeth, as if the word itself has been turned filthy by its association with her, "honesty when you openly torture people. And you find excuses for it. You're not even doing it for any ideology or for an Emperor you serve. You just..." He trails off, shaking his head. Quietly seething.

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