The written word has the ability to bring all sorts of emotions to the front. In the case of this particular dialogue prompt, the first emotion that popped up was amusement. That was quickly replaced by concern for the two characters being held hostage and then returned to amusement, because this character is a bit of a rascal and amuses me.
Being held hostage is no joke, at least the majority of the time it’s not. On the occasions that it is, both parties are aware that it’s a joke and no one is worried about their safety. I do not think that is the case here.
While the character who is eating does not seem to be all that concerned about their situation, or else they are just so hungry they don’t care, the first character definitely seems to be concerned.
One thing that did strike me as odd was the fact that, although they are hostages, they do not seem to have any guards and they do seem to have free reign of the at least part of the building they are in allowing them to move from room to room. While it is possible that there is someone watching them, someone who is not participating in the conversation, it seems unlikely. They are very free with their words.
Based off what I am seeing, my guess is that they are being held captive to make someone else do something such as pay a ransom or help them out in some way and thus are not considered much of a threat for escaping. Whether or not they actually are likely to escape, I have no idea, but they do seem like they are being treated laxly. What do you think? Are they being treated laxly? Or is it all an illusion created by the lack of others in the conversation?
