The preserve, Monday night [NFB]
A few hours after sunset, Steerpike made his way quickly and quietly out to the preserve where he'd left Nadia. He stepped up to the hole and peered down, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust enough to see her.
"I thought I'd bring you some reading material," he called, a smirk crossing his lips.
Nadia looked up from where she was curled against the wall of the hole. She'd heard him coming, and had only just dared to hope it would be someone else, someone who would help her get out. "Fuck off."
Steerpike's smirk grew and he pulled Evie's notes out of his jacket. "Are you sure? I imagine it's getting rather dull, down there."
Nadia glared, then looked down at her hands. Her fingernails were all broken and starting to bleed from her attempts to climb, and then to dig, her way out. "I'm not interested."
"That's too bad." Steerpike crumpled the notes into a ball, then pitched them at Nadia, anyway. "I'm afraid you don't have any choice in the matter."
The notes bounced off of Nadia's forehead, and she ignored them. "You're going to be in a hell of a lot of trouble when people find me, Sniveldork," she called, her voice heavy with false bravado. "You think you stand even the least bit of chance against anybody at this school without the element of surprise?"
Steerpike shrugged good naturedly. "I'd be afraid, then, if there were any chance of anyone finding you. I've been coming out here for weeks; no one has noticed."
"They'll notice when I'm gone."
"No," his grin grew even wider. "They won't. I've planned for this, my dearest Nadia. I've planned it for quite some time, now. You see, they will never notice that you're gone. And in a few days, it won't matter the least bit either way. I'll be running things, then."
"Bullshit."
"I'm afraid not. See, they all believe you've turned into a rodent." Nadia's scoffing fell quiet, at that, and Steerpike felt vindicated. "As I said, I've been planning. Happens all the time around here, doesn't it. Students turning into other animals, with no way of communicating with their friends. Walter was quite distressed when I told him. And very grateful that I didn't let 'you' be eaten."
Nadia launched herself to her feet. "You stay the hell away from him!"
"Oh, I intend to. He's no concern of mine any more, not with you out of the way and him caring for that little rat-thing. But, I should be going, now. So much to do, you see."
"You bastard!" Nadia was shouting. She grabbed a rock and threw it as hard as she could at him.
It hit just a few feet shy of the rim of the hole, then fell back to the bottom.
Steerpike scowled as he watched it drop. "Now, is that anyway to treat the person who holds your life in his hands? I didn't have to bring you entertainment, you know. I have some food and water with me, as well, but I think you need to go a little longer without. Good night, Nadia."
He could hear her continuing to shout as he turned and walked away, but her voice soon faded, and by the time he was anywhere near the school, he couldn't hear her at all. He began to whistle softly to himself as he walked.
Oh yes, so much left to do.
[ooc: no interaction possible. OOC comments always welcome. Please to be not broadcasting, thanks!]
"I thought I'd bring you some reading material," he called, a smirk crossing his lips.
Nadia looked up from where she was curled against the wall of the hole. She'd heard him coming, and had only just dared to hope it would be someone else, someone who would help her get out. "Fuck off."
Steerpike's smirk grew and he pulled Evie's notes out of his jacket. "Are you sure? I imagine it's getting rather dull, down there."
Nadia glared, then looked down at her hands. Her fingernails were all broken and starting to bleed from her attempts to climb, and then to dig, her way out. "I'm not interested."
"That's too bad." Steerpike crumpled the notes into a ball, then pitched them at Nadia, anyway. "I'm afraid you don't have any choice in the matter."
The notes bounced off of Nadia's forehead, and she ignored them. "You're going to be in a hell of a lot of trouble when people find me, Sniveldork," she called, her voice heavy with false bravado. "You think you stand even the least bit of chance against anybody at this school without the element of surprise?"
Steerpike shrugged good naturedly. "I'd be afraid, then, if there were any chance of anyone finding you. I've been coming out here for weeks; no one has noticed."
"They'll notice when I'm gone."
"No," his grin grew even wider. "They won't. I've planned for this, my dearest Nadia. I've planned it for quite some time, now. You see, they will never notice that you're gone. And in a few days, it won't matter the least bit either way. I'll be running things, then."
"Bullshit."
"I'm afraid not. See, they all believe you've turned into a rodent." Nadia's scoffing fell quiet, at that, and Steerpike felt vindicated. "As I said, I've been planning. Happens all the time around here, doesn't it. Students turning into other animals, with no way of communicating with their friends. Walter was quite distressed when I told him. And very grateful that I didn't let 'you' be eaten."
Nadia launched herself to her feet. "You stay the hell away from him!"
"Oh, I intend to. He's no concern of mine any more, not with you out of the way and him caring for that little rat-thing. But, I should be going, now. So much to do, you see."
"You bastard!" Nadia was shouting. She grabbed a rock and threw it as hard as she could at him.
It hit just a few feet shy of the rim of the hole, then fell back to the bottom.
Steerpike scowled as he watched it drop. "Now, is that anyway to treat the person who holds your life in his hands? I didn't have to bring you entertainment, you know. I have some food and water with me, as well, but I think you need to go a little longer without. Good night, Nadia."
He could hear her continuing to shout as he turned and walked away, but her voice soon faded, and by the time he was anywhere near the school, he couldn't hear her at all. He began to whistle softly to himself as he walked.
Oh yes, so much left to do.
[ooc: no interaction possible. OOC comments always welcome. Please to be not broadcasting, thanks!]