Your life, my lens [Private]

Lucy's plan involved staring more, for a start. It was all she really could do until at least one of these binds were taken off of her. Kisami had been talking the entire time he worked, nonstop about his work and how important she was to continue it.

"Of course I could have used Kido on you before but that would have been rude, I am working with you, you are working with me. We are a team, but you just had to run away...agh!" He declared frustrated, then fell back onto his bottom to think.

While he was mulling the situation over, Kisami glanced at Lucy then rolled his eyes.

"Fine, but if you even try and use your powers I will permanently remove your nose."

A strange threat but one Lucy knew he would carry out, she had tried running, tried fighting, now was the time for talking. An easy conclusion to reach for someone who cannot move. Kisami waved his hand over her mouth and the bind was removed. Lucy opened and closed her mouth a few times to stretch it out, then looked at him.

"You want to work together...fine. You won't let me go? Fine. But why take over my mind? Why do I need to think the way you do to get things done?" Lucy tried to keep her voice level but strong. Her naturally small and shy voice sounded strange and strangled.

"No, no, no, you need to think better than me. Better than all of us. You are meant to be the best of the best without influence from people who would treat you wrongly or distract you from your true potential." The man had adopted a slight pleading tone.

Lucy noticed this tone and was about to assume he actually felt this way, then remembered who he was and what he had done. Her confidence bolstered slightly and came out in her voice.

"Then I will talk to you, I will call you, I will write you an essay if you like about what I am doing when and where. Just give me my damn head back! Please Kisami! Okiti would not have wanted this!"

She had overplayed her card. His eyes narrowed and he leaned forwards again. His eyes were hardened as he tutted at her and shook his finger.

"You should have stopped at the partnership idea. Good argument's, bad performance. You got further this time and didn't get hurt or set anything on fire..."

Kisami took a pad out of his kimono and scribbled some notes on it.

"Good use of the dagger, last time you tried to escape you didn't think of that, though the environment was different...and you had more control over your own mind."

With a single pinch, the voice was back in her head. It was here to stay, it said. Now get back to the city, you go live at 8am and you need to be fresh enough to put on a good show. She could feel the voice already spreading through her head, it slid back in place, making itself at home, her own thoughts were already a faint scream.

Lucy's pupils shrunk as her mind slammed shut against herself and her mind grew completely blank.

"People are paying good money for this." she said in a monotone voice.

Kisami waved his hand and her entire body was unbound, Lucy stood and started walking through the trees.

He watched her leave with a thoughtful concern that had not been present before. She was getting stronger, and other pieces were entering the board. He would need to keep a close eye on this, next time he might be too late.