He stops speaking as she begins to go through the cards, his expression changing to a strange little smile. Not an expression she's seen before... one of, perhaps, satisfaction, and something else. "Oh. Finally..."

All those steps, piece by piece, had lead to this point. It took a lot for people to break through, to see... and far, far more to even try. In that, Elise had a unique situation. He wasn't wrong in saying she could lose her very lunch if she knew the mistakes she made, the problems she caused. And they were not his doing... all of it depended on her.

But Elise was also lucky. Very lucky, now. It was a Perfect Storm, a situation where she could break through, not only the first layer of this puzzle of madness and deception... she might begin to match his ability. Her 'caution' had lead her to that end, to that destruction. But with it...

She had hoped to take the hand of luck, but she had grabbed the hand of death itself.

It was the sort of thing only someone as truly twisted and clever as Icosagon himself could use.

"Finally, you are beginning to pay attention. I have no interest in more blind-deaf-mutes... but I would devour you just the same." His eyes sharp, he grins darkly at her. "You are still lying to yourself, in little ways, but now you are at least awake. Those lies are superceded by the worst mistake, that you at least now know of. The hand of death itself has you in its clutches... don't waste this opportunity."

Reaching out, he points to the cards she's carefully selected. That was a surprise... so many had not thought ahead, simply acted and reacted. But with this truly 'near-death' experience, she had begun to truly anticipate, think, and so everything can finally begin...

"Rocks are clubs, Scissors spades, and papers hearts. We each get two of each of those..."

She sharply plucks two from each suit, passing them back over. Right. Rock, paper, scissor. This she gets. Her mind's running the numbers. It's not chance at all, not if you play it smart. Just think of it as hearts or spades with a smaller margin of opportunity to win. Kill one of his suits and all you've got to worry about is the wild cards, right? Not tough. Not tough at all. Just play it smart. But her head is foggy and she's trying to figure the smartest way to play it, but her heart is trying to claw its way out of her throat. She lifts a brow over her fan of cards.

"And diamonds trump all?"

"No. I mentioned three suits, no diamonds." He smirks at her, snapping his fingers as if to say 'pay attention'. "Six cards each only, only those..."

"But you are aware you are in danger, now... that isn't bad. If I had to 'give' you that, I'd have been very disappointed in you. Perhaps I would even not... so, Elise, not bad at all. But you should know as well... that this isn't what it seems. What you are assuming... thinking the worst... is that if you were to lose, I'd simply use you in some sordid hell. That this is all to give me satisfaction from tormenting you... physically, verbally... But like I said... that's a lie."

A smirk now. "Should you hear a whisper of that truth? Or would you rather just hear how this little game will be played?"

Okay, so she needs to play this smart. She knows what's at stake now. Will he keep his promises? No chance of knowing, really, but it's the only chance she's got. She folds the cards in her grip, shuffling absently. Eyes meanwhile follow his every movement. She shrugs, apathetically but her eyes are keen.

"Something tells me you'll keep bugging me about it one way or another. So, yeah. Go ahead. Tell me your secrets. No need to whisper though. Just me and you here."

"Bug you...? I'll bug you whenever you are stupid. I'll tease you whenever I see the opportunity. I'll hurt you whenever you give me the chance."

A snicker now. "It's a lie... you are 'assuming the worst', assuming I'm rambling, tormenting, and feeding on a cognitive sadistic trend... but you are lying."

He leans forwards, grinning as his face comes right in front of hers. He's looking right into those keen eyes, shedding the apathy in her body and action. "You can't trust me, you can't believe me for a second. You can't see yet what you can believe, and what you can't... but this you can believe."

"It's a 'comfortable lie'... it's something you are used to. It's something you know. You can't be assuming the worst... What the fate you imagine, what my motives you conjure... you are assuming the best case scenario..."

"Don't forget that."


Only after this, he'll lean back, collecting the set of cards that are his... six in all. Two of each, for her and for him. "Play is simple enough. We each put down our choice. If we are both satisfied with our pick, we both flip our card. Whoever 'wins' gets a point for the hand. Whoever gets the most points in a hand wins the hand. Two won hands will win the game."

"Any questions?"

"Yeah, yeah. You're one righteous monster, I gotcha. A terror from beyond the deep. A non-euclidian, Lovecraftian horror from beyond who's methods and motives would be enough to drive the sanest man crazy. You are of a higher dimension and what we see is merely what our simple three-dimensional minds can comprehend of your endless true self. Is that about right? Somewhere close?" She's half joking, but then she's half not. Christ, she never thought she'd miss the mindless, slobbering creatures. She tips her head.

"I think that about covers the rules." Not that she's happy with it. A simplified hearts or spades she could work with. This though.... This leaves so much to chance. She peers at him. "And in the case of a draw, we both walk away without what we want. Yes?" She hesitates, shakes her head, insufferable smirk. "Excuse me. You walk away without the opportunity to violate me, and I get to stay here, unmolested, but without my questions."

"Oh? No... nothing like that. I'm saying... you aren't that attractive."

A mean little snicker now. "So my intent in this isn't so limited. As I said, I'll take everything I can. Your body, certainly... I'll use it for as long as I will... I'll see what I can do, and more. I'll mess with your mind and screw with your thoughts, surely. It is another thing to toy with. But that isn't really all... you aren't thinking with enough 'imagination', dear girl. I said I'd take everything you would let me...

I'll steal your progress, all that you've made here and prepared you for this place.
I'll take your resources, all that you've stockpiled and gathered under yourself.
I'll abuse your contacts, destabilizing your 'position' and leaving you vulnerable.
I'll ruin your prospects, sealing your possibilities and your future.
I'll destroy your plans, leaving all that you made as dust.

Everything you let me take, I will take. Everything that you don't defend, I will ruin. This isn't just a gamble. This is a metaphor."


Finished with another one of his dark little ramblings... he answers her question with a surprising amount of frankness. "A draw? If such a thing were possible, that would be how it would work, yes... in this game though, we will continue until one of us wins two hands. That means one of us will come out with more points... and of course, when a card is used, it is discarded. So whoever has more points when we cannot continue will win the hand... or draw it if it is a tie."

Her brow rises at that, incredulous. "Well, I think you've overestimated me. Talking about plans, prospects, and resources. Please. Idle hands is all it is. I do what entertains me for the time it does, but I have no illusions about how long it will last." She's careful to pick his words, reading his expression for how much he knows, but her face remains a blank mask of irritation. "You know about what I do. Fair enough. A few trades here and there. Keep myself comfortable. Keep my sticky-fingered friend we just threw out the window living in luxury. But please. I'd be a fool to not realize how temporal it is. They'll find me out. Any day now, most likely. They'll slap me on the wrists and they'll take away all my hoarded goodies and they'll drop me back to square one, and I'll survive. Because that's all you can really do in this place, isn't it?"

She tips her chin up. "Enough talk. Let's play."

"For as long as it lasts, I suppose..." A bemused chuckle. "Or perhaps time is on your side?" Now, he shrugged, a surprising expression from him. "I suppose that's all sheep can hope for..."

A tip of her chin, raising it towards him. He noticed that. Interesting.

"If you understand the rules... then we shall begin. Stay still if that's enough, because finding your way is a deadly and thorny path indeed..." A malicious smile now, and he flips through his cards easily, placing one down...