It's not that complicated. I asked and Holmes said I could stay with him as his apprentice. That's it.
[ He has a pretty good indication of just who it is he's talking to based on a few clues the conversation has offered thus far as well as the situation as a whole. And as far as Conan is concerned, Moriarty can think he's boring as a primary student math problem and he won't bother correcting him. It's better that someone like that not know about his accidental slip through reality. ]
[Jim's smile shifted to a nasty frown and he took several strides to stand right in front of Conan, making sure he was firmly between the brat and the door still.]
What did I say about lying and being boring? [He snapped loudly, crouching just long enough to get long fingers wrapped around a small throat and squeezing much too tightly]
You'll have to do better than that if you want to make it back to dear Sherlock in a single piece.
[ he should moved away the moment Moriarty decided to close the distance between them but he'd been far too stubborn in his resolve not to show fear and too late does it register what he's about to do. Moriarty has his hand on his throat. ]
[ He can't breathe. ]
[ Small hands grasp desperately at the larger, pulling, fingernails digging, trying to pry his assailant off. ]
Please. [ He somehow manages to just barely squeeze out. ] I-I'm not-not lying.
[Jim huffed and released the child, immediately standing and taking a single step back with a mutter that was likely an insult. He eyed the red ring around the boy's throat with a grin and slipped his hands into his pockets.]
If you're lucky that will leave a nice little bruise to remember me by. A souvenir to show off to your guardian. He'll notice, I'm sure... but will he even care? He could be awake already, knowing you're gone but doing nothing about it. That Mr. Holmes is a cold one, isn't he?
[Jim paced a circle in the small room, not even looking at Conan anymore. The amusement was fading from his eyes and boredom was rapidly settling in. Should he return the child, keep him to possibly torment Holmes, or just kill him outright. He had, after all, seen Jim's face.]
[ The moment he can breathe again he's coughing and trying to gulp down air all at once. He massages his throat where there are no doubt some bruising forming and glances towards the door. If Moriarty is moving away from it, leaving it a seemingly open escape route then it's probably locked. Which suggest he probably has a henchman or two right outside the door to let him out once he's done in here. He'll have to find another escape route and he can't do that with Moriarty in the room. He needs to get him to step out. ]
You took me out of Holmes' house. Even if he doesn't care about me, his pride won't allow him to ignore it.
[ Right now the only thing keeping him alive is Moriarty's thoughts that he's not just an ordinary little boy, which is correct by all accounts but he can't know just how unordinary he is. To keep the other from killing him he'll have to show off some of his intelligence-hopefully his resolve to stay where he's sitting will be enough of a tipoff. ]
[Jim just rolled his eyes, still scowling deeply, his mood bordering on a very dangerous black peak. People were weak, especially children. It would be so easy to reach back down and snap a fragile neck, or to bury the sharp point of the switchblade in his pocket into an eye. The boy wore glasses already, surely he didn't need both eyes.]
I wouldn't count on that. I've taken plenty of things from his home before, many of which he's never bothered to come collect. Why should you be so special?
[ Not enough. Moriarty is too focused on Holmes right now to analyze what his lack of movement implies. ]
Because I have a heartbeat. [ Or at least... for now he does. If he doesn't find someway to entertain Jim soon that might not be true for much longer. He needs to make a deduction. ]
[ There's so much though how can he possibly decide on just one? His eyes scan Moriarty quickly-he's carrying a knife, small blade-but that isn't really what he would call a brilliant deduction. ]
If you think I'm going to let you come near me with that, you have another thing coming.
You do for now. [Jim immediately responded, eyes locking on to the child again.]
And human life has mattered to him so rarely in the past, so you must mean something to him.
[Jim cracked his jaw, shifting the lower mandible just slightly side to side as he stared down unblinkingly at Conan. He gave no indication he knew what the boy was talking about.]
Come near you with what, dear child, I don't know what you mean.
[ Contrary to what most people might have done in what is becoming an increasingly bleak situation, Conan merely narrows his eyes at the other. He needs to force the other's hand, had need to make him leave the only way he can do that is to push the man's buttons and Holmes is going to be so mad at him when he gets back to Baker Street. ]
The knife, it your pocket, small blade but sharp enough to do serious damage if you know where to cut and I'm sure you know exactly where to cut.
[ Not being tied down means that he can stand, which he does quickly, keeping his eyes locked on the older. ]
I told you, I'm his apprentice-he took me in because I asked him to teach me. Why is that so difficult for you to understand?
Nothing is difficult for me to understand. [Jim was flippant.] But it doesn't make any sense. He can barely handle living with a flatmate and land lady. Children are hardly his thing. And it's more than you being clever, no, no, there's more to it.
[Jim was babbling, the manic seemed to be the version of him that would unsettle the child the most, so it's the one he ran with. He paused, his jaw shifting again.]
Maybe I'll just have to bring Sherlock in myself to ask. Or maybe his dear Doctor, I'm sure he could answer a few questions. [Jim gave a small smirk here.] How foolish of me to expect the right answers from such a young child.
[ He might pretend to be fearless and he can stare down the barrel of a gun without an ounce of nervousness but the one thing he can't stand is the idea of others getting hurt for his sake or hurt at all really. But he can't afford to give Moriarty information that could potentially get a lot of other people hurt. ]
Holmes and I have a lot in common and we tend to think the same way. And he likes that I'm impressed with him. It's hardly a conspiracy.
He would like you to be impressed with him, wouldn't he?
[Jim scoffed at the child]
But, really, he's hardly anything. He's yet to do any damage to anything that really matters. Though I do admit he's got a certain magnetism to him. [His head tilted back, pursing his lips and thinking.]
If you've got so much in common... Show me. Impress me and I might not start cutting off fingers. Or maybe toes.
Oh no, I wouldn't use this. [He brings out the knife and flicks it opened and shut in a smooth motion before tucking it away again.] It's definitely not cut out for that sort of task. No, no. This knife is more for stabbing and gouging out eyes.
[His head tilts for just a moment before turning and striding from the room. The room had concrete walls and just the one door, so it was unlikely the child would escape without notice. This is, if he could get through the digital lock on the outside of the door at all. He was getting bored, anyway.]
[ He was bluffing. There are no windows and any gadget that may have been some kind of use is back at Baker Street. He has no idea how to escape and his resources are a bit lacking. The door clicks and he's left on his own. For how long, he doesn't know. At least a minute but no where near five. ]
[ When time is up he might have to give up a few fingers and he'd really rather not. There has to be something he can do, he can't just admit defeat. He glances at his watch and then to the door again. Maybe if Moriarty is expecting something complex as proof the other is like Holmes then maybe something simple will do the trick. ]
[ He quickly bunches his blankets up to look like a child hiding under the sheets and moves to wait along the wall for the door to open again. He'll have less than thirty seconds to pull this off so timing is everything. He'll have worry about whoever is guarding the door when he gets through it. ]
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[ He has a pretty good indication of just who it is he's talking to based on a few clues the conversation has offered thus far as well as the situation as a whole. And as far as Conan is concerned, Moriarty can think he's boring as a primary student math problem and he won't bother correcting him. It's better that someone like that not know about his accidental slip through reality. ]
No. Should I?
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What did I say about lying and being boring? [He snapped loudly, crouching just long enough to get long fingers wrapped around a small throat and squeezing much too tightly]
You'll have to do better than that if you want to make it back to dear Sherlock in a single piece.
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[ He can't breathe. ]
[ Small hands grasp desperately at the larger, pulling, fingernails digging, trying to pry his assailant off. ]
Please. [ He somehow manages to just barely squeeze out. ] I-I'm not-not lying.
no subject
If you're lucky that will leave a nice little bruise to remember me by. A souvenir to show off to your guardian. He'll notice, I'm sure... but will he even care? He could be awake already, knowing you're gone but doing nothing about it. That Mr. Holmes is a cold one, isn't he?
[Jim paced a circle in the small room, not even looking at Conan anymore. The amusement was fading from his eyes and boredom was rapidly settling in. Should he return the child, keep him to possibly torment Holmes, or just kill him outright. He had, after all, seen Jim's face.]
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You took me out of Holmes' house. Even if he doesn't care about me, his pride won't allow him to ignore it.
[ Right now the only thing keeping him alive is Moriarty's thoughts that he's not just an ordinary little boy, which is correct by all accounts but he can't know just how unordinary he is. To keep the other from killing him he'll have to show off some of his intelligence-hopefully his resolve to stay where he's sitting will be enough of a tipoff. ]
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I wouldn't count on that. I've taken plenty of things from his home before, many of which he's never bothered to come collect. Why should you be so special?
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Because I have a heartbeat. [ Or at least... for now he does. If he doesn't find someway to entertain Jim soon that might not be true for much longer. He needs to make a deduction. ]
[ There's so much though how can he possibly decide on just one? His eyes scan Moriarty quickly-he's carrying a knife, small blade-but that isn't really what he would call a brilliant deduction. ]
If you think I'm going to let you come near me with that, you have another thing coming.
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And human life has mattered to him so rarely in the past, so you must mean something to him.
[Jim cracked his jaw, shifting the lower mandible just slightly side to side as he stared down unblinkingly at Conan. He gave no indication he knew what the boy was talking about.]
Come near you with what, dear child, I don't know what you mean.
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The knife, it your pocket, small blade but sharp enough to do serious damage if you know where to cut and I'm sure you know exactly where to cut.
[ Not being tied down means that he can stand, which he does quickly, keeping his eyes locked on the older. ]
I told you, I'm his apprentice-he took me in because I asked him to teach me. Why is that so difficult for you to understand?
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[Jim was babbling, the manic seemed to be the version of him that would unsettle the child the most, so it's the one he ran with. He paused, his jaw shifting again.]
Maybe I'll just have to bring Sherlock in myself to ask. Or maybe his dear Doctor, I'm sure he could answer a few questions. [Jim gave a small smirk here.] How foolish of me to expect the right answers from such a young child.
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Holmes and I have a lot in common and we tend to think the same way. And he likes that I'm impressed with him. It's hardly a conspiracy.
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[Jim scoffed at the child]
But, really, he's hardly anything. He's yet to do any damage to anything that really matters. Though I do admit he's got a certain magnetism to him. [His head tilted back, pursing his lips and thinking.]
If you've got so much in common... Show me. Impress me and I might not start cutting off fingers. Or maybe toes.
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Leave the room and I'd be happy to show you.
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[His head tilts for just a moment before turning and striding from the room. The room had concrete walls and just the one door, so it was unlikely the child would escape without notice. This is, if he could get through the digital lock on the outside of the door at all. He was getting bored, anyway.]
no subject
[ When time is up he might have to give up a few fingers and he'd really rather not. There has to be something he can do, he can't just admit defeat. He glances at his watch and then to the door again. Maybe if Moriarty is expecting something complex as proof the other is like Holmes then maybe something simple will do the trick. ]
[ He quickly bunches his blankets up to look like a child hiding under the sheets and moves to wait along the wall for the door to open again. He'll have less than thirty seconds to pull this off so timing is everything. He'll have worry about whoever is guarding the door when he gets through it. ]