Amariss
When Amariss woke up, she felt the rope around her wrists and breathed into the mustiness of a cloth bag and thought, Oh, it's this song and dance again.
She shifted around, still half-awake, trying to maneuver into a sitting position, and winced when she opened her mouth and got a taste of lipstick and her own hair. She debated just going back to sleep and trying again when she woke up in her own room with access to a sink and the kidnappers in jail or worse. No, she'd spend hours getting lectured by Em if she did that, better not.
The real question was, whether whoever had grabbed her had just chosen her at random, just going after any pretty girl going about alone to...what had she been doing when she'd been kidnapped, anyway?
On the other hand, if they'd gone after her specifically, then all she would have to do was wait until they contacted her parents for ransom, and her father would send--
Then, from this day forward, there's no connection between you and me.
...would send a memo to his PR department telling them to start drafting statements appropriate for a grieving father that would also keep the stock prices soaring. Right. Fuck.
Time to figure out what was going on, then. The logical thing to do would be to play nice, be tactful, try to get as much information as possible, and find a way to contact someone who could rescue her or make a big enough commotion that someone called the police.
"Hey asshole, who are you, and what do you want?"
When Amariss woke up, she felt the rope around her wrists and breathed into the mustiness of a cloth bag and thought, Oh, it's this song and dance again.
She shifted around, still half-awake, trying to maneuver into a sitting position, and winced when she opened her mouth and got a taste of lipstick and her own hair. She debated just going back to sleep and trying again when she woke up in her own room with access to a sink and the kidnappers in jail or worse. No, she'd spend hours getting lectured by Em if she did that, better not.
The real question was, whether whoever had grabbed her had just chosen her at random, just going after any pretty girl going about alone to...what had she been doing when she'd been kidnapped, anyway?
On the other hand, if they'd gone after her specifically, then all she would have to do was wait until they contacted her parents for ransom, and her father would send--
Then, from this day forward, there's no connection between you and me.
...would send a memo to his PR department telling them to start drafting statements appropriate for a grieving father that would also keep the stock prices soaring. Right. Fuck.
Time to figure out what was going on, then. The logical thing to do would be to play nice, be tactful, try to get as much information as possible, and find a way to contact someone who could rescue her or make a big enough commotion that someone called the police.
"Hey asshole, who are you, and what do you want?"
... It wasn't like this was any different than usual, but seriously, did it have to be a girl? She seemed only a few years older than he was, and plucking her off the street wasn't as difficult as he'd expected. But then again, it never was. It was actually pretty scary just how easy this shit was.
Looking down at the girl, he wondered if he should be making something for her to eat. Amariss D'Allore... Natsume hadn't been given much of a profile, but given the situation, it was probably better that way. He had dumped her on a mattress in the basement storage room of his shitty apartment complex. He was around often enough to know that this place didn't get proper maintenance, and the most he was told was that... she needed to be scared, and she needed to be kept out of the public eye for a few days. A week at most. Here, it was at least easier to keep an eye on her without interrupting his other duties.
There were plenty of simple ideas he could think of to terrify her. But none of them were exactly... tasteful. Then again, nothing about this job was very tasteful, huh.
"Hey asshole, who are you, and what do you want?"
... Huh, she was awake. She hardly jolted.
Should he even talk to her? God did he hate non-specific instructions. Sometimes he wished Luca just told him what to do. But apparently disjointed information kept the evildoers safe, so there wasn't much he could do about it.
Eh, either way, he didn't have answers for her, walking over and pushing her down onto her back with the heel of his shoe. He couldn't let her see his face, and he really shouldn't be treating her kindly. This... was the job he was given, after all.
"Y'think I'd tell you? Just be a good girl and stay quiet. Or I'll have to make you." Ugh, he felt like a slime ball. But if she was too loud and he was caught with a tied up girl in a basement... Yeah, his reputation wasn't great, but he didn't need a criminal record to go along with it. He managed to keep out of the grasp of the law for years. He wasn't about to cut that streak short. "If you behave, maybe you'll actually get to eat something."
Keeping a hostage alive wasn't that hard. At least, it shouldn't have been. But every captive he had to keep an eye on so far had been CHILDREN. This woman was far from a child, and on top of that, she had an attitude. His fucking luck... Why couldn't she just be afraid?
Looking down at the girl, he wondered if he should be making something for her to eat. Amariss D'Allore... Natsume hadn't been given much of a profile, but given the situation, it was probably better that way. He had dumped her on a mattress in the basement storage room of his shitty apartment complex. He was around often enough to know that this place didn't get proper maintenance, and the most he was told was that... she needed to be scared, and she needed to be kept out of the public eye for a few days. A week at most. Here, it was at least easier to keep an eye on her without interrupting his other duties.
There were plenty of simple ideas he could think of to terrify her. But none of them were exactly... tasteful. Then again, nothing about this job was very tasteful, huh.
"Hey asshole, who are you, and what do you want?"
... Huh, she was awake. She hardly jolted.
Should he even talk to her? God did he hate non-specific instructions. Sometimes he wished Luca just told him what to do. But apparently disjointed information kept the evildoers safe, so there wasn't much he could do about it.
Eh, either way, he didn't have answers for her, walking over and pushing her down onto her back with the heel of his shoe. He couldn't let her see his face, and he really shouldn't be treating her kindly. This... was the job he was given, after all.
"Y'think I'd tell you? Just be a good girl and stay quiet. Or I'll have to make you." Ugh, he felt like a slime ball. But if she was too loud and he was caught with a tied up girl in a basement... Yeah, his reputation wasn't great, but he didn't need a criminal record to go along with it. He managed to keep out of the grasp of the law for years. He wasn't about to cut that streak short. "If you behave, maybe you'll actually get to eat something."
Keeping a hostage alive wasn't that hard. At least, it shouldn't have been. But every captive he had to keep an eye on so far had been CHILDREN. This woman was far from a child, and on top of that, she had an attitude. His fucking luck... Why couldn't she just be afraid?
Amariss
Maybe she should have been scared, but she'd run out of those kinds of feelings a while ago. A week ago, she might have mustered up the effort for panic, or worry, or concern. Now, well, right now, Amariss could only spare the energy for apathy, being tired, or spite.
So when the youngish-sounding guy pushed her over with what felt like a shoe--Ew, who knew where that had been, forget dry cleaning, she'd burn this outfit--onto what Amariss strongly suspected was a particularly dubious and cheap mattress that wasn't even stabilized by a box spring, Amariss only squeaked in surprise and was just vaguely annoyed that she had fallen on her back rather than in a direction that would have let her try to bite him. It would have been a pain through the bag, but hardly impossible.
"Y'think I'd tell you? Just be a good girl and stay quiet. Or I'll have to make you." This was a guy who definitely deserved to get bitten. And an infection. Amariss bet he'd be less annoying, or at least quieter, running a fever and unable to kick her. It also pointed to a less targeted kidnapping; things seemed to be moving too slowly for the sort of human trafficking, etcetera schemes that were more typical for that sort of thing, even if she'd only read about those kinds of processes before, but usually the people who grabbed her because of her family were a little more...quality. Or maybe her guards had always just rebuffed these types before they'd even made it to her notice.
"Eat something?" Amariss snorted, skipping right past all the other emotions directly to spite. "Or I could just not eat or drink anything and leave you with no kidnappee and a dead body to dispose of. Seems like a less painful way to die than of food poisoning from whatever you put together."
Initially having been tipped on her back, she'd lost the progress she'd made towards sitting up, but it wasn't too hard to fall onto her side from there. At least she'd have a more stable position and the possibilty of using the mattress for friction to try and get the bag off later.
Maybe she should have been scared, but she'd run out of those kinds of feelings a while ago. A week ago, she might have mustered up the effort for panic, or worry, or concern. Now, well, right now, Amariss could only spare the energy for apathy, being tired, or spite.
So when the youngish-sounding guy pushed her over with what felt like a shoe--Ew, who knew where that had been, forget dry cleaning, she'd burn this outfit--onto what Amariss strongly suspected was a particularly dubious and cheap mattress that wasn't even stabilized by a box spring, Amariss only squeaked in surprise and was just vaguely annoyed that she had fallen on her back rather than in a direction that would have let her try to bite him. It would have been a pain through the bag, but hardly impossible.
"Y'think I'd tell you? Just be a good girl and stay quiet. Or I'll have to make you." This was a guy who definitely deserved to get bitten. And an infection. Amariss bet he'd be less annoying, or at least quieter, running a fever and unable to kick her. It also pointed to a less targeted kidnapping; things seemed to be moving too slowly for the sort of human trafficking, etcetera schemes that were more typical for that sort of thing, even if she'd only read about those kinds of processes before, but usually the people who grabbed her because of her family were a little more...quality. Or maybe her guards had always just rebuffed these types before they'd even made it to her notice.
"Eat something?" Amariss snorted, skipping right past all the other emotions directly to spite. "Or I could just not eat or drink anything and leave you with no kidnappee and a dead body to dispose of. Seems like a less painful way to die than of food poisoning from whatever you put together."
Initially having been tipped on her back, she'd lost the progress she'd made towards sitting up, but it wasn't too hard to fall onto her side from there. At least she'd have a more stable position and the possibilty of using the mattress for friction to try and get the bag off later.
... Oh god, not only did she have an attitude, but she was deranged. Who talks like this to their kidnapper? Was she insane? If he were a normal thug, he probably would've kicked the hell outta her by now. Ugh, and with that coming to mind, it was probably the best course of action for his own well being, but given that she was so mouthy told him that either she had never been in this situation before, or she was just an idiot that was often saved by daddy's money. An angry damsel... Great...
If he got more physical with her, it could drive the point home. As long as she was quiet, this could've been painless, but did he really have to act like a full blown scumbag to get this job over with.
Fighting the pit in his stomach, Natsume knelt down by the girl. He was hesitant to touch her at all, but grabbing her by the jaw, pushing her head down against the mattress, he sighed. Mostly tired of this situation, but hey, maybe it can pass for 'sick of your shit.'
"You really think you can get away with dyin' on me? I'll make sure every second you got left is hell." How? Dunno, but the threat should be enough right? If anything, if she really did stop eating, he could tube feed her. Forcibly, but it would get food in her belly and as long as she didn't find a way to throw up on command -- an impressively disgusting skill.
He was starting to see why he was the one tasked with looking after the brat. It wasn't a lot, but he studied as much medical information as he had access to. At the very least, he had what he needed to keep her alive. The only problem was scared. Geez, why'd she have to be such a pain to deal with?
"Now, you gonna be a good girl? Or do we gotta do this the hard way?" Ugh, scummy as hell.
If he got more physical with her, it could drive the point home. As long as she was quiet, this could've been painless, but did he really have to act like a full blown scumbag to get this job over with.
Fighting the pit in his stomach, Natsume knelt down by the girl. He was hesitant to touch her at all, but grabbing her by the jaw, pushing her head down against the mattress, he sighed. Mostly tired of this situation, but hey, maybe it can pass for 'sick of your shit.'
"You really think you can get away with dyin' on me? I'll make sure every second you got left is hell." How? Dunno, but the threat should be enough right? If anything, if she really did stop eating, he could tube feed her. Forcibly, but it would get food in her belly and as long as she didn't find a way to throw up on command -- an impressively disgusting skill.
He was starting to see why he was the one tasked with looking after the brat. It wasn't a lot, but he studied as much medical information as he had access to. At the very least, he had what he needed to keep her alive. The only problem was scared. Geez, why'd she have to be such a pain to deal with?
"Now, you gonna be a good girl? Or do we gotta do this the hard way?" Ugh, scummy as hell.
Amariss
She couldn’t help it—when the kidnapper grabbed her face, Amariss flinched, her whole body jerking. How dare you—
Amariss’ second instinct was to go for that bite, but she suppressed it; the angle was all wrong, she’d probably just end up with his hands on her throat. What she might have done, if this had really been a few weeks ago, when she could expect her people to be breaking down a nearby door sometime between now and several hours ago, was kick out at the kidnapper; her legs might have been bound, but she could bend them well enough, and she could make a guess at the angle from the way the hand was grabbing her jaw.
Unfortunately...that was no longer the case. And now that she was significantly more awake, it seemed to Amariss that the best course of action would be the one that got the kidnapper to leave the room, which, she could admit, was unlikely to happen with any of those ideas.
Amariss swallowed, and sighed, skin crawling. “Fine. But take the bag off.” If he had planned on feeding her, it would have had to have come off sooner or later, and it would save her time, not to mention let her breathe and see properly. Also, if all she had to look at was the inside of this bag, she’d probably have to resort to doing something drastic to pass the time, like make use of the last week’s worth of reading and listening to files from the intellectual property rights case between two equally asinine children’s shows—her first consulting work—her first any work—outside Altiria Group.
She couldn’t help it—when the kidnapper grabbed her face, Amariss flinched, her whole body jerking. How dare you—
Amariss’ second instinct was to go for that bite, but she suppressed it; the angle was all wrong, she’d probably just end up with his hands on her throat. What she might have done, if this had really been a few weeks ago, when she could expect her people to be breaking down a nearby door sometime between now and several hours ago, was kick out at the kidnapper; her legs might have been bound, but she could bend them well enough, and she could make a guess at the angle from the way the hand was grabbing her jaw.
Unfortunately...that was no longer the case. And now that she was significantly more awake, it seemed to Amariss that the best course of action would be the one that got the kidnapper to leave the room, which, she could admit, was unlikely to happen with any of those ideas.
Amariss swallowed, and sighed, skin crawling. “Fine. But take the bag off.” If he had planned on feeding her, it would have had to have come off sooner or later, and it would save her time, not to mention let her breathe and see properly. Also, if all she had to look at was the inside of this bag, she’d probably have to resort to doing something drastic to pass the time, like make use of the last week’s worth of reading and listening to files from the intellectual property rights case between two equally asinine children’s shows—her first consulting work—her first any work—outside Altiria Group.
Take the bag off? Did she really think he was just going to take it off her? Ugh, fuck, but it might be the easiest way to just get her to shut the hell up. Couldn't let her see his face, though, or he'd be in some deep shit later.
The last thing he wanted to do was wear a ski mask and really look like some freaky gimp about to do something unspeakable to a girl tied up. He already felt like a scumbag. He didn’t need help in that regard. But even he wouldn’t want to be stuffed in a bag and left laying on a pretty musty mattress for hours. She’d be here for at least three days, longer if negotiations didn’t go well.
With a tired sigh, he grabbed her by her upper arms, hoisting her up to a sit and turning her towards a corner.
“Don’t move.” Simple, direct. And with her seated in the corner, he took a second to consider how he’d keep her there and blind. He could always just cut a blindfold out of some spare fabric. There was a ratty old blanket that was going to be for her anyway. A strip less wasn’t going to change anything.
Using a pocket knife, he stripped off a length of fabric, and as swiftly as he could manage, Natsume pulled the bag off her head and wrapping the makeshift blindfold around her head. Even if it didn’t completely blind her, it was fine as long as she couldn’t make out his face.
There… Now no bag.
The last thing he wanted to do was wear a ski mask and really look like some freaky gimp about to do something unspeakable to a girl tied up. He already felt like a scumbag. He didn’t need help in that regard. But even he wouldn’t want to be stuffed in a bag and left laying on a pretty musty mattress for hours. She’d be here for at least three days, longer if negotiations didn’t go well.
With a tired sigh, he grabbed her by her upper arms, hoisting her up to a sit and turning her towards a corner.
“Don’t move.” Simple, direct. And with her seated in the corner, he took a second to consider how he’d keep her there and blind. He could always just cut a blindfold out of some spare fabric. There was a ratty old blanket that was going to be for her anyway. A strip less wasn’t going to change anything.
Using a pocket knife, he stripped off a length of fabric, and as swiftly as he could manage, Natsume pulled the bag off her head and wrapping the makeshift blindfold around her head. Even if it didn’t completely blind her, it was fine as long as she couldn’t make out his face.
There… Now no bag.
Amariss
She wished he’d stop touching her; it was one thing to get kicked around, another thing entirely to have someone’s hands on her. Even her—the people her father had hired to be her friends and sometimes-guards since childhood—were careful about actually making physical contact, no matter how well they’d played the part with their words. They’d been good friends, up until the exact moment when they’d become good friends for Aria instead, no doubt.
Amariss didn’t get a chance to see much when the bag came off; the kidnapper had turned her when he’d pulled her up by her arms, and she only caught a glimpse of some dirty, once-whitewashed walls and the mattress she was now sitting on before some worn and poorly-made fabric was wrapped around her eyes.
From the brief glimpse of the artificially-lit room and the smell, Amariss thought she was most likely underground. There was power, so it probably wasn’t some sort of abandoned warehouse, and it didn’t seem like the kind of operation that would have a dedicated base...could she have been in some sort of vacant office space, or perhaps a residential area? If it was the latter, and she screamed, it might well bring someone running. Something to consider, when he wasn’t right next to her, so close that he’d be able to cover her mouth the moment she tried.
“Hmph.” Well, at least the bag was gone. The blindfold, too, was an upgrade from the bag in terms of sight; it wasn’t so thick that she couldn’t make out vague shapes. Now that the bag was gone, though, a host of other inconveniences revealed themselves: it had been hours since she’d last eaten or drunk anything, her arms were sore from being tied behind her back, a run over her lips with her tongue revealed that her lipstick was definitely smudged, and her boots were not made for her current sitting position and the leather was digging against her ankles and calves.
If Amariss could have, she’d have folded her arms and glared—as it stood, facing away from the kidnapper and hands bound, she settled for scowling. “How about that food, then?” No doubt it’d be just as untrustworthy as the rest of this setup, but she had to admit that she’d be better able to think and move if she ate something, not to mention he’d probably have to leave the room to get it.
She wished he’d stop touching her; it was one thing to get kicked around, another thing entirely to have someone’s hands on her. Even her—the people her father had hired to be her friends and sometimes-guards since childhood—were careful about actually making physical contact, no matter how well they’d played the part with their words. They’d been good friends, up until the exact moment when they’d become good friends for Aria instead, no doubt.
Amariss didn’t get a chance to see much when the bag came off; the kidnapper had turned her when he’d pulled her up by her arms, and she only caught a glimpse of some dirty, once-whitewashed walls and the mattress she was now sitting on before some worn and poorly-made fabric was wrapped around her eyes.
From the brief glimpse of the artificially-lit room and the smell, Amariss thought she was most likely underground. There was power, so it probably wasn’t some sort of abandoned warehouse, and it didn’t seem like the kind of operation that would have a dedicated base...could she have been in some sort of vacant office space, or perhaps a residential area? If it was the latter, and she screamed, it might well bring someone running. Something to consider, when he wasn’t right next to her, so close that he’d be able to cover her mouth the moment she tried.
“Hmph.” Well, at least the bag was gone. The blindfold, too, was an upgrade from the bag in terms of sight; it wasn’t so thick that she couldn’t make out vague shapes. Now that the bag was gone, though, a host of other inconveniences revealed themselves: it had been hours since she’d last eaten or drunk anything, her arms were sore from being tied behind her back, a run over her lips with her tongue revealed that her lipstick was definitely smudged, and her boots were not made for her current sitting position and the leather was digging against her ankles and calves.
If Amariss could have, she’d have folded her arms and glared—as it stood, facing away from the kidnapper and hands bound, she settled for scowling. “How about that food, then?” No doubt it’d be just as untrustworthy as the rest of this setup, but she had to admit that she’d be better able to think and move if she ate something, not to mention he’d probably have to leave the room to get it.
It wasn't like he expected gratitude, but Amariss was pushing her luck. What, did daddy put her in 'how not to be a hostage' classes?
... Or, did she, even with a bag over her head, already see through his shitty acting and realize she wasn't in much real danger as of now. A tiring thought, but if that was the path she'd gone down, there wasn't a lot he could do but actually beat her. And that wasn't really an option he wanted to take. A last resort.
The indignant huff and a crass grumbling later, Natsume found himself... just rolling his eyes, tired. He had planned on feeding her when she woke up, but plans weren't really panning out in the way that he hoped. It made his jobs that much harder. If he had the capacity to really intimidate her, he could've just let her eat and drink on her own, but now... He couldn't take the chance. He couldn't let her look around, he couldn't let untie her. If she wanted to eat, he'd have to feed her or just have her eat off the floor like a-
... Shit, he'd have to do that, huh... Ahhh, fuck, this was turning out even worse than he initially thought, placing a hand to his forehead to suppress the ache. It was bad enough having to make himself out to be some of those wannabe thugs to this girl, but now did he have to risk looking like some depraved perv on top of it? Still, it was the most safe option for him. If he hand fed her, he'd come off as way too kind. This girl would've used that without hesitation.
Rattling around int he plastic bad he'd set in the corner, Nat pursed his lips. He got those prepackaged sandwiches from a convenience store. Like hell he was cooking for this little idiot.
... Maybe it'd be funny watching someone try to eat a sandwich with no hands.
Peeling back the plastic into a clean square surface, setting two sandwich halves on it, and putting the whole set up by the mattress. He had water bottles too, but no bowl. So... that, he'd have to feed that to her himself. Great.
"C'mere." His disgruntled grumbling could pass for 'sick of this shit,' right?
Grabbing the girl by the back of her collar, he scruffed her like he would a feisty cat, pulling her off the mattress and onto the floor, pushing her head towards the floor as an indication of where she'd need to go without being too nice about it. Christ... Kids were easier. They cried, and they tried to hide, and he didn't have to touch them for the point to get across. If they act scared, they were left alone. It was almost as if she was challenging him, and knowing that, he couldn't leave her alone for more than a few minutes at most, or she'd find a way to fuck things up. Make life hard. Hell, life was already going to be hard.
Dragging over a plastic chair with his foot, he plopped his butt down into it, the light creaking under his weight a stark reminder of his presence. His phone slipped from his pocket and scanning through his messages... No word yet. His contact was supposed to send their ultimatum to the Altrias Corp people, weren't they? There should've been some word back about when he should dispose of the bargaining chip by now, it was noon. If anything was a signal that something was wrong, this silence was just that.
... Or, did she, even with a bag over her head, already see through his shitty acting and realize she wasn't in much real danger as of now. A tiring thought, but if that was the path she'd gone down, there wasn't a lot he could do but actually beat her. And that wasn't really an option he wanted to take. A last resort.
The indignant huff and a crass grumbling later, Natsume found himself... just rolling his eyes, tired. He had planned on feeding her when she woke up, but plans weren't really panning out in the way that he hoped. It made his jobs that much harder. If he had the capacity to really intimidate her, he could've just let her eat and drink on her own, but now... He couldn't take the chance. He couldn't let her look around, he couldn't let untie her. If she wanted to eat, he'd have to feed her or just have her eat off the floor like a-
... Shit, he'd have to do that, huh... Ahhh, fuck, this was turning out even worse than he initially thought, placing a hand to his forehead to suppress the ache. It was bad enough having to make himself out to be some of those wannabe thugs to this girl, but now did he have to risk looking like some depraved perv on top of it? Still, it was the most safe option for him. If he hand fed her, he'd come off as way too kind. This girl would've used that without hesitation.
Rattling around int he plastic bad he'd set in the corner, Nat pursed his lips. He got those prepackaged sandwiches from a convenience store. Like hell he was cooking for this little idiot.
... Maybe it'd be funny watching someone try to eat a sandwich with no hands.
Peeling back the plastic into a clean square surface, setting two sandwich halves on it, and putting the whole set up by the mattress. He had water bottles too, but no bowl. So... that, he'd have to feed that to her himself. Great.
"C'mere." His disgruntled grumbling could pass for 'sick of this shit,' right?
Grabbing the girl by the back of her collar, he scruffed her like he would a feisty cat, pulling her off the mattress and onto the floor, pushing her head towards the floor as an indication of where she'd need to go without being too nice about it. Christ... Kids were easier. They cried, and they tried to hide, and he didn't have to touch them for the point to get across. If they act scared, they were left alone. It was almost as if she was challenging him, and knowing that, he couldn't leave her alone for more than a few minutes at most, or she'd find a way to fuck things up. Make life hard. Hell, life was already going to be hard.
Dragging over a plastic chair with his foot, he plopped his butt down into it, the light creaking under his weight a stark reminder of his presence. His phone slipped from his pocket and scanning through his messages... No word yet. His contact was supposed to send their ultimatum to the Altrias Corp people, weren't they? There should've been some word back about when he should dispose of the bargaining chip by now, it was noon. If anything was a signal that something was wrong, this silence was just that.