Brand New Day

Lucius, who had been inside doing some sort of paperwork type stuff, looked up upon hearing his door open to see Cassie standing there. He was silent, waiting for her to say what she was doing there.

Cassie was somewhat surprised Lucius hadn't told her to get out before she even started, but she plowed on ahead anyway. "For a start," She said, her first clenched angrily. She wanted to whack something, but well, that wouldn't be the smartest idea. "It's appaling that you would even hit your own daughter, no matter what you feel she may have done. Which, what she did do isn't really worth punishing anyway. And what she didn't do, she shouldn't be punished for. If you have a problem with how I act, it's not her fault, don't punish her." She glowered, crossing her arms across her chest.

Lucius raised an eyebrow at Cassie, for all purposes trying to appear calm. "It is not your place, Miss Evans, to tell me how to run my family. If you dislike it, then you can simply pack your bags and leave. It would be no great loss to anyone but Melyssa anyway."

"It might not be my place but I'm going to do it anyway," Cassie retorted. "Not that you care, but you're not helping her, but you know, that could back-fire in your face. Because you're not making her stronger, you're making her weaker, which if Lyssa ever had to do something publicly she could mumble it all up and ruin what-ever status your family has."

"She knows better than to make a fool of herself in public."

"That's beside the point, what she knows or what she doesn't, some people act opposite to how they should. Or how they should to benifiet them. Some people just stumble and stutter because of nerves, because they've been pulled down in their lives. Whether you like it or not, if she wants to get anyway, she's going to need to know how to stick up for herself, and know how to bend the rules to get her way. You of all people shouldn't be punishing her for that, because isn't that how politics work? Isn't that what you do? You're going to meet people who you don't get along with, you're going to meet people who your idea's clash with and you've got to learn how to deal with that. Not punish them because they think differently." She stared at him, her nail digging hard into her fist.

Lucius scowled at Cassie. "She knows how to handle herself, I assure you," he said cooly.

"Course she does," Cassie said rather flippantly. She had a smile on her face. "I hope one day, you get what's coming to you. Thanks for your time." And with a rogueish grin, she left the room before Lucius had a chance to say another word.

Lucius glared after the girl. She really ought to learn some manners.

Lyssa was still in the far corner of her room, crying, when she heard the door open without a knock.

Lucius' eyes flared at the girl, he strolled over, roughly pulling her up and then back into the wall. "Crying?" He snarled. "You weakling."

Lyssa whimpered just a little bit. "I'm not weak," she said softly. "I'm human."

"You are a disgrace," Lucius replied, his cane whacking Lyssa across the arm. "And you're weak, you're worthless."

"No, I'm not!" Lyssa protested, new tears forming and falling.

"Yes you are," He said his cane striking out again, on the side of the stomache.

Lyssa made a small noise of pain. "No I am not!" she said louder this time.

Lucius' cane struck out a third time. Against the collar. He said nothing.

"Stop it!" Lyssa said, trying to pull away.

Lucius snorted at her. Pushing her back into the wall again. "You're weak," He snarled. "And you'll never amount to anything."

"I'm not weak!" Lyssa cried, voice louder than before. "Now let go!"

"Yes you are."

"I. Am. Not. WEAK!" Lyssa all but shouted. "Now fucking let go of me!"

Cassie heard shouting coming from the room next to her, and got up. She hesitated at Lyssa's door, but well, she'd never taken care before. What was the point in starting now. And opened the door. Her eyes narrowed at Lucius who lashed out, whacking Lyssa with his cane thing. "You worthless excuse of a person," Cassie snarled, her eyes gleaming.

Lyssa looked at Cassie through the haze of tears in her eyes. Then she made a small noise as something hurt.

:Get away from her," Cassie snarled, knowing that ordering Lucius about was stupid and reckless and not going to work.

Lucius turned to Cassie, and Lyssa used it as an opportunity to break free and make a small distance.

"You do not order me around," Lucius hissed at Cassie.