A wanted criminal finally behind bars, and a hungry FBI agent with too much free time.
-
For a glamorous movie star, the arrangements were very, very poor. Chimps in zoos had ten times the better living quarters. Chimps had room to run around, and swing, and do chimp things that chimps do.
Zookeepers did not put their chimps in an over sized bathroom with nothing but a thin padded mattress and a blanket. Zookeeper's were much, much more generous than the FBI. Especially the lanky olive skinned one who was standing in front of her, staring down with curious looking eyes as she was sitting on her mattress.
This one was unsettling. The girl was never much trouble, she'd just fall into any trap that was placed square in front of her face. The old guy usually stayed in the background, never really did much. But this one... she could never put anything past him, he never lowered his guard, he was always at least two steps in front of the game. (Often time it was a game she had created.)
Combine this guy's instinct with the skill of a certain shrunken detective, she had some trouble. Such trouble, that she had spent the past two days in an orange jump suit and handcuffs at her wrists and ankles.
But he just stood, and stared with blandly curious eyes. Blinking in a way that made him look almost innocent. Without ever taking his eyes from hers, he removed something round and yellow from his coat pocket, and began tossing it up and down in one hand.
Her eyes followed the bouncing ball momentarily, just for something to look at besides back into uncomfortable gaze. Suddenly the ball had stopped bouncing, letting the person who held it take a good look at it.
And the other person got a good look too.
It wasn't a ball he was throwing up and down. It was an apple, Golden Delicious to be exact. She couldn't help the growl that rose in her throat as he shined it absentmindedly on his jacket. As he brought it his mouth, his eyes gazed innocently, yet menacing, in hers.
CRUNCH! munch, munch, munch.
He continued to stare down at her, that same intense, bored, curious, innocent look he had plastered on his face since he entered.
CRUNCH! munch, munch, munch.
He chewed very slowly, taking some odd pleasure in the taste of the apple, or just the sight of his catch squirming and glaring. The way his jaw moved was rather reminiscent of a cow chewing its cud.
Slow, every bite grinding and deliberate.
CRUNCH! chew... chew... chew...stare
The stare was mostly blank, except when it would occasionally be interrupted by a rapid succession of blinks that made him look like a very innocent child. Such a blandly innocent stare.
CHOMP chew chew chew. blinkblinkblink... stare
"You look just like the stupid, naïve little boy that you are, Akai Shuichi." Vermouth smirked, continuing to watch him chew with annoyance. Continuing to watch that same, bland stare.
CHOMP chew... chew... chew... He cocked his head to the side, and let out another onslaught of blinks, completely unaffected by her words.
chew...chew... chew...
CHOMP, his last bite left the core exposed all the way around, which he tossed casually at her feet. chew chew chew
He continued to stare, she glared back.
He smirked, no longer looking so bland and innocent. Extending his leg, he hovered a foot above the fruit.
SMUSH.
And he left, pieces of apple in the shape of the treads on his shoes trailing behind.
