Delayed gratification was one of Astrid's specialties. How long had she waited for this day to come? Weeks, maybe even months, of planning and careful weaving of the threads in her deadly web lead to this very moment. Sunny was hers, and now it was finally time for Astrid to collect her toy. Soon, it wouldn't be "Astrid" but rather Elizabeth who met her mysterious friend in the real world. Perhaps friend was too shallow. It should be lover now, shouldn't it? Elizabeth smiled indulgently to herself at that thought.
The street moved slowly past the window of her limousine as Elizabeth rested her chin in one hand and looked at the scenery. A small glass of whiskey on ice rested in her free hand, and Elizabeth took the time to sip it every once in a while. Nothing but the best for her, of course. It was a 60 year vintage that one of her many toys provided to her mostly free of charge. Why should she pay full price when a skillful tongue and a broken will would work just as well? Elizabeth's smile turned positively wicked as she took another drink as if she could taste the tears and blood of its supplier flavoring the whiskey like a fine afternote. Her driver shuddered. He truly hated when he could feel his employer's malice like a dark aura and simultaneously grateful that it was never directed his way.
Soon, Chateau Bonivant, one of the most decadent restaurants in the city, came into view. If Elizabeth was going to meet her little Terrasphere toy, she intended to make a good first impression. Besides, the staff knew her well here, and those that were wise to her usual games had the good sense to keep quiet when she played around. Her usual private room had been prepared for her, and she exchanged her glass of whiskey for a bottle of champagne on ice as the maitre d' escorted her up. As Elizabeth ascended, she adjusted her tie and shrugged her coat a bit more in place onto her shoulders. The usual suit and tie would do for such a meeting, even if it was quite a departure from Astrid's extravagant dresses.
Settling into a large C-shaped seat facing the table, Elizabeth allowed herself to get comfortable. It was no accident that she had the equivalent of a couch to herself with a single chair at the opposite end of the small table for her guest. There should be no mistaking who held the power here. While she waited, Elizabeth allowed her mind to wander, remembering all the events that had lead to this moment. How funny it had been that she could make Sunny dance so readily in the palm of her hand. She had been able to predict, to the hour, when Sunny would fall fully into her trap. Weeks of courting and gentle encouragement, building Sunny up until she gained some confidence and, more importantly, became fully enamored with Astrid. How exhausting. Sunny owed her a great deal of... excitement to make up for it all.
She remembered the fateful day when Sunny's fate had been sealed. Astrid had shown true weakness for the first time just a few days before, confessing through sobs and tears that her time in Terrasphere would soon be coming to an end. A business marriage... an old practice but one that was still plausible in this world. Once Astrid had been married off, she would be forced to bend to the whims of a man that she neither loved nor was respected by. It was a promise of a hellish life of misery and duty, one where she would never be able to see Sunny again. At least, that's what Astrid said... What a lovely lie that was. The fateful day came, Astrid's "last" on Terrasphere, and the pair walked together hand in hand through an idyllic field in East Brisshal.
"It's a beautiful day, isn't it...?" Astrid said quietly back then, squeezing Sunny's hand a little tighter as they meandered toward the top of a hill just outside a simple village, "I'll miss these walks when I'm gone. They always brought... such peace to my heart." A soft hiccup... A gentle brush at the corner of one eye... Astrid had this down to a science. A sense of melancholy permeated the entire interaction, and she could easily imagine how Sunny felt without even needing to look at her.
The street moved slowly past the window of her limousine as Elizabeth rested her chin in one hand and looked at the scenery. A small glass of whiskey on ice rested in her free hand, and Elizabeth took the time to sip it every once in a while. Nothing but the best for her, of course. It was a 60 year vintage that one of her many toys provided to her mostly free of charge. Why should she pay full price when a skillful tongue and a broken will would work just as well? Elizabeth's smile turned positively wicked as she took another drink as if she could taste the tears and blood of its supplier flavoring the whiskey like a fine afternote. Her driver shuddered. He truly hated when he could feel his employer's malice like a dark aura and simultaneously grateful that it was never directed his way.
Soon, Chateau Bonivant, one of the most decadent restaurants in the city, came into view. If Elizabeth was going to meet her little Terrasphere toy, she intended to make a good first impression. Besides, the staff knew her well here, and those that were wise to her usual games had the good sense to keep quiet when she played around. Her usual private room had been prepared for her, and she exchanged her glass of whiskey for a bottle of champagne on ice as the maitre d' escorted her up. As Elizabeth ascended, she adjusted her tie and shrugged her coat a bit more in place onto her shoulders. The usual suit and tie would do for such a meeting, even if it was quite a departure from Astrid's extravagant dresses.
Settling into a large C-shaped seat facing the table, Elizabeth allowed herself to get comfortable. It was no accident that she had the equivalent of a couch to herself with a single chair at the opposite end of the small table for her guest. There should be no mistaking who held the power here. While she waited, Elizabeth allowed her mind to wander, remembering all the events that had lead to this moment. How funny it had been that she could make Sunny dance so readily in the palm of her hand. She had been able to predict, to the hour, when Sunny would fall fully into her trap. Weeks of courting and gentle encouragement, building Sunny up until she gained some confidence and, more importantly, became fully enamored with Astrid. How exhausting. Sunny owed her a great deal of... excitement to make up for it all.
She remembered the fateful day when Sunny's fate had been sealed. Astrid had shown true weakness for the first time just a few days before, confessing through sobs and tears that her time in Terrasphere would soon be coming to an end. A business marriage... an old practice but one that was still plausible in this world. Once Astrid had been married off, she would be forced to bend to the whims of a man that she neither loved nor was respected by. It was a promise of a hellish life of misery and duty, one where she would never be able to see Sunny again. At least, that's what Astrid said... What a lovely lie that was. The fateful day came, Astrid's "last" on Terrasphere, and the pair walked together hand in hand through an idyllic field in East Brisshal.
"It's a beautiful day, isn't it...?" Astrid said quietly back then, squeezing Sunny's hand a little tighter as they meandered toward the top of a hill just outside a simple village, "I'll miss these walks when I'm gone. They always brought... such peace to my heart." A soft hiccup... A gentle brush at the corner of one eye... Astrid had this down to a science. A sense of melancholy permeated the entire interaction, and she could easily imagine how Sunny felt without even needing to look at her.