You Were Never Here [CLOSED] (750 views)

[Mo]

Liquorice smiled when Greed yawned, clearly more interested in this interrogation than he was. He had muttered something, but she couldn't make it out.
"I'm here on business. A crew of sailors hired me to get them over to Mystery Island today, but we hardly began discussion. They want to continue tomorrow, so they'll be expecting me. I'm not sure of their ship's name, but they're meeting near the Printing Press."
Liquorice was very disdainful towards the crew who had hired her. She was seriously considering walking out on the job; they were slow and dim-witted, far too soft, and often made passes at her as if they'd never seen a female in their sad lives. If this conundrum kept her from them, she wouldn't be unhappy about it.

"I was in this part of the town out of curiosity. Just taking a stroll after that meeting, before I retired for the night," She chimed.

[Maddie]

Greed raised his eyebrows with vague interest this time. "The Printing Press..." he repeated quietly to himself as he scribbled Liquorice's account word-for-word. "Tsk tsk. Ever heard of curiosity killing the kadotie, Liquorice?" he asked in a cynical, rhetoric tone while he was still bent over the notepad. "An adventurous spirit is a dangerous one. You'll learn that, like I did." Greed finished his scribbling with another stab on the page. "I suppose it just takes longer for some to realize that than others," he mumbled with a click of his pen, and returned his writing tools to his suit pocket.

Greed folded his hands and rested them under his chin, staring at his captor with alert, watchful eyes. "I'll let you guess what I'll be doing next." Curiously, he sounded more bothered than threatening.

[Mo]

Liquorice noticed the mild changes in his expression, and entertained herself watching his infantile face. If she looked away, she could miss a question and raise suspicion, so her eyes never moved away from Greed.
She almost laughed at that remark, perhaps in such high spirits due to the adrenaline that still ran through her veins, perhaps due to the lingering relief that she wasn't murdered on the spot.
"I won't deny that," She said, "but a peaceful life would be so boring."
She didn't catch the last part.

The next question took her to surprise. Her ear twitched, and she looked wary, though still intrigued. "Whatever you want to do, I suppose," She didn't want to give him any ideas. "But it would be a shame if it involved one of us leaving the other. I hope we will be able to chat more." Her tone was more playful than sarcastic. She could hardly help a little teasing, even in this position; maybe she was a weasel.

[Maddie]

Greed returned an unamused look. “We have not been chatting. I have been interrogating you. I almost regret to inform you – but I don’t, because this is business – that within this week you will be given a “gentle” reminder to keep those lips of yours sealed,” he explained in a low grumble, making air quotes with his fingers. “I know your location, I know your name, I know your occupation and where you are likely to be. Do not try to hide. It will be a waste of your time. And my time. I hate wasting time. I have so little time.” He rose to his feet and brushed off his suit, giving Liquorice’s facial reaction little regard.

Greed turned his back to check on his other two captors and continued to talk in a low monotone. “When will my boys strike? I have no idea. They may even strike more than once. Honestly, it is out of my hands.” The kacheek’s shoes echoed as he walked down the wide, empty floor to the unconscious neopets. “The other members of my gang are vicious animals that do whatever pleases them. I do not concur with their behavior. Any blood shed is on them, not me. Sorry, I simply do not have time to deal with you when I still have these rats to deal with.” Even from a distance, it was clear the kacheek was checking the pulses of his victims. Satisfied with the results, he began to journey back to Liquorice, grabbing his bat off the floor along the way. He might need it later.

[Mo]

"Ah, of course. My mistake," She said cooly. Despite his warnings about curiosity, the lack of it just wasn't in her nature. She still, perhaps stupidly, wanted her amusement. "Yes, yes, I suppose that's all protocol," She nearly shrugged, but not quite, because of the bindings. "I won't hide. I might be gone, though. I travel a lot."
Straightening herself against the wall behind her, she swished her tail around subconsciously. A wave of uneasiness hit her when he turned around. Uh oh. If she couldn't see his face, she couldn't understand what he was saying... And he'd probably catch on to her worst weakness.
Nervously, she watched him checking up on his victims. He's probably expecting a response. As he turned back to face her, too long after he'd already spoken, she swallowed her anxiety. "Sorry, what was that?"

[Maddie]

Greed stared at Liquorice with piercing eyes. "I do not know when or how many times the other gang members will strike. Any damage done is on them. Beyond this point, I am in no way involved with you," he repeated with deliberate slowness, keeping a fixed gaze on her. "What are you..." There was a subtle dilation of his pupils. "...deaf?"

Was it rhetoric? Intentional? His inexpressive face made it nerverackingly hard to tell.

[Mo]

Despite her bold demeanor, a hint of nervousness was apparent in her features. She tried to hide it, but she doubted it would be overlooked by her shrewd captor. "...B-Beyond what point, might I ask?" A quick response in an attempt to recover herself didn't quite work as planned. She cleared her throat.
That word, deaf, crept down her spine and forced her face to flash an unmistakable oh, crud expression. She averted shameful eyes, angry with herself for basically giving herself away, and inhaled. She didn't verbally answer the question, but she knew she didn't have to.

[Maddie]

Contrary to what Liquorice was expecting, Greed appeared to consider the news thoughtfully, rather than plot to exploit it. "Ah," he exclaimed in a tone as if he were pleased by this discovery. "The world is unnecessarily cruel, is it not? Tell me, what made you deserving of a disability, and not someone else? Why not me, who seems deserving of every punishment in the world? Am I not a bad person? Should not bad things happen to me instead?" He paused to laugh in a low, cynical manner. "Of course not. The world does not care who you are or what you have done. Serial killer or nursing home volunteer, we all suffer the same fatality." He closed his eyes and slung the bat over his shoulder. "Is your disability unfortunate? Yes. Surprising? Absolutely not. Life has a tendency to dump lemons on you, and when it does you learn to shut the hell up and roll with the landslide."

Greed opened his eyes, aware of how nonsensical his ramblings probably sounded to Liquorice (even though he was hoping she understood what he meant). He began again, in the same monotone, "regardless, you were asking me a question I should probably answer. You see, this is the part where I knock you out, drop you off somewhere indistinct, and move to a new location. Unpleasant, but necessary." He bent down on his knee and met Liquorice at eye level once again. "However, I would imagine your curiosity has not been satiated. I can tell from your behavior throughout this entire ordeal." He gave her a watchful look and asked, "you're dying for me to explain myself, aren't you?" The question begged to be asked with a playful smirk, but his mouth remained a straight line.