Cassandra (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ladyfrownsalot) wrote2021-06-10 05:48 pm
ladyfrownsalot) wrote2021-06-10 05:48 pm
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"I don't know," she says, and shrugs, throwing her hands up. Fortunately she put the teacup down first.
"Some people are meant to do certain things. If I did know how it worked then maybe my life would've been easier, but I haven't cracked all the secrets of the universe. Sorry."
A little gentler.
"What I mean is, how is it determined. If there's books that say so, or a mural or -or some sort of crazy old woman who lives in the woods who says these things and people write them down." He continues. "Whether... someone feels that destiny, like a physical force. Or if events will bend themselves unreasonably to make sure it happens. If it's real, then surely there's... well, a method to it. Ways that it's real. Hopefully, that makes more sense."
"What I mean is, how is it determined. If there's books that say so, or a mural or -or some sort of crazy old woman who lives in the woods who says these things and people write them down." He continues. "Whether... someone feels that destiny, like a physical force. Or if events will bend themselves unreasonably to make sure it happens. If it's real, then surely there's... well, a method to it. Ways that it's real. Hopefully, that makes more sense."
Cassandra sits with that question for several moments.
"I felt it," she says finally, voice quiet but firm. "I felt it when it was taken from me. And I felt it when I took it back."
A pause, and he's not trying to invalidate her words. But that doesn't sound... right.
"I've never heard of destiny being something someone could take. Is that... if you could explain how that works."
"I've never heard of destiny being something someone could take. Is that... if you could explain how that works."
"No," Cassandra says bluntly. "No, I couldn't."
Hm.
"Even though you took it back?"
No compel; he's being careful but he can't stop wondering.
"Even though you took it back?"
No compel; he's being careful but he can't stop wondering.
"Yeah. Even though."
You do not need Entity-given powers of observation to tell that she is getting very close to the limits of her tolerance for this line of enquiry.
Yeah, he's picked up on that. Well. Rome wasn't built in a day and no one graduates in an afternoon.
Moving on.
"Have you trusted anyone since Rapunzel?"
Moving on.
"Have you trusted anyone since Rapunzel?"
"...No." She laughs bitterly. "Convenient, really, because nobody trusts me either."
"...I suppose there's a reason. I mean, other than the fact that she didn't trust you that once."
There better be.
There better be.
"That they didn't trust me? Because I took the Moonstone. I claimed its power. And that made me the bad guy."
"Even though you were... I mean. I'm assuming you didn't want your friend to die. And she was determined to do so because... destiny. They didn't... think that perhaps your motivations were reasonable?"
"No. They didn't. But by then I didn't really care about the risk to her," Cassandra says. "I was just so sick of following her around, trying to keep her safe, tolerating her acting like we were friends when when it really came down to it? She was the special one and I was just staff. She never cared about me."
Perhaps she's looking at his face. Maybe she gets a view of how fucking insane that sounds to him.
"So... she does something foolish that she knew she couldn't control, maims you, and all is well. And you do something that will save her" and he does not say 'stupid' but it's so clear he's thinking it "life. And you're enemy number one. Do I have that right?"
"So... she does something foolish that she knew she couldn't control, maims you, and all is well. And you do something that will save her" and he does not say 'stupid' but it's so clear he's thinking it "life. And you're enemy number one. Do I have that right?"
"...Yes."
She finishes her tea.
"I mean, I did go back to her kingdom and conquer it, but that didn't happen until later and they'd already very much decided I was a lost cause."
"...and has anyone here told you that that is utter bullshit or am I the first one?"
She pulls a face at him.
"How many people do you think I've been talking to? You're the first person who could have any opinion on this."
"Other than, apparently, a kingdom full of monarchist sheep," he mutters darkly.
He's never hated a character from a fairy tale before. Something new and special for him.
"To be fair," he says at regular volume, "some people are more open than others. I can't imagine a person on board-"
Beat.
"All right, I can imagine one person but he's a bit weird. But! Most people would not see that as a logical string of events. Not even a little."
He's never hated a character from a fairy tale before. Something new and special for him.
"To be fair," he says at regular volume, "some people are more open than others. I can't imagine a person on board-"
Beat.
"All right, I can imagine one person but he's a bit weird. But! Most people would not see that as a logical string of events. Not even a little."
"Yeah, well, I'm not sure logical is a word anybody uses to talk about business-as-usual in Corona," Cassandra scoffs. "The heir to the throne has fifty feet of unbreakable hair. I once spent hours trapped in a magic mirror while my evil double stalked everyone I showed up with. We all got turned into birds one time. 'Logical' isn't a thing."
"I sold two of my ribs to a man made of a hundred people's parts to hear his story and ask him some questions inside of the living embodiment of being disoriented," he answers back, "which makes my life bizarre. Weird. Full of strange and supernatural phenomena. But that doesn't mean 'logic' doesn't exist."
"Okay, well, I don't know what else to tell you."
She finishes her tea and gets to her feet.
"This has been not fun at all, let's do it again sometime."
He'll take one look at her and then scrub his face before he sighs and nods. Yes, of course.
"Two matters of business before you go: first, do you want to take this?" and he points to the file, "and after you've read if, if you want me to read it, I will." Because don't think he hasn't noticed how much of a teeth pull this has been. "And second, is there any sort of schedule you'd prefer or just... meet up when it feels appropriate?"
"Two matters of business before you go: first, do you want to take this?" and he points to the file, "and after you've read if, if you want me to read it, I will." Because don't think he hasn't noticed how much of a teeth pull this has been. "And second, is there any sort of schedule you'd prefer or just... meet up when it feels appropriate?"
"That second one. Appropriate. That's fine."
She picks up the file.
"...Do you really think the Admiral's going to write a bunch of garbage about me, or do you think I might want to go through and red-ink it first or...what?"
He has the feeling that 'appropriate' is 'never if she can help it' but as he'd said: he won't force it. As for the second.
"I honestly don't know. I never read my first inmate's file."
"I honestly don't know. I never read my first inmate's file."
"Huh."
She gives Winifred a look to communicate that the scritches are a secret to be kept between them, and takes her file with her when she leaves his cabin.
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