Ironboldt Penitentiary was, as always, a rather striking reminder of how close the Hollowed Grounds had come to tyranny. But that said, it didn’t lack purpose, now more than ever. Roana knew of more than one blighted person being house there, their illness making them dangerous to themselves and the public. It was always a bad sign when imprisonment was the safest option. In this case though, it also meant it was an important place to plant a rose.
The former captain made her way to the jail with her final rose carefully tucked to her side, eyes scanning the area for any sign of blighted individuals. She knew they didn’t like the flowers and would near attack on site, so she was wary any time she was so near the bright red flowers. For the moment the coast seemed clear, so she knelt and began to dig a whole where she could place her rose.
Having snuck out of the mansion as an opportune moment, Abasi was thrilled to have evaded Loren. Clearly, the man was trying to lock him in, so to have escaped was a wonderful thing indeed. The Blight had not yet seeped into all of his mind but it was far enough that he could not remember, as soon as his feet hit the ground after climbing out of the window, where it was he had meant to go.
So he wondered, brain feverish with half-ideas and anger he didn't understand. Stumbling, his hands reaching out for any wall that he could find to steady himself on, he finally came to the Ironbolt Penitentiary, though he did not have any idea where he was.
The first person he saw since his escape was Roana and as soon as he saw what she was doing, he felt himself filled with an indescribable rage. Without even knowing why he rushed forward, trying to claw at the rose and pull it out of the ground, yelling something mostly incoherent but ending with: [say]"--can't believe this disrespect!"[/say]
Roana was alert and aware of the man approaching long before he actually reached her. But of course, he was approaching quickly, and she would have to deal with him before she could finish planting the flower. Bother. With a sigh she set the rose down next to the little hole she had started then rose to face the man, expression serious and fearsome. Unlike others, she would not cower in the face of the blighted.
The former captain drew her sword, pointing the claymore at him to keep him at a distance. [say]"Indeed, attacking a lady is very disrespectful."[/say] she said dryly, glaring on him. [say]"If you have any sense left, I suggest you take your leave back the way you came."[/say] she said in a commanding tone.
The sword drawn in his face was enough to send Abasi backwards, tipping on unsteady heels and falling to the floor. Shaking he stared up at Roana, sure in an instant he hated her but having no idea why. Not that he needed a reason (and honestly, had barely needed one pre-blight. He had never been shy of disliking someone because of a first impression). [say]"I have nowhere to go because you're all working together."[/say] He stated calmly, as if speaking the obvious.
[say]"I will show you my disrespect."[/say] He mumbled quickly, the words running into each other, then lunged forward to try and slide under the sword and grab the rose again; his movements were ungainly and awkward and he would only succeed in flopping on his face, fingers an inch or so away from the stem.
Roana's brows furrowed and head tilted slightly to the side. They were...all working together? What in Mort's name did that mean? [say]"I don't understand what you mean."[/say] the former captain said, confusion coloring her voice. But her confusion did not dull her skills or senses in any way...especially when he gave her the warning that he would show her his disrespect. He may as well have said he was going to attack again, very loudly.
He dove under her sword and as his hand slid towards the flower she had just planted, her foot shot out, intending to step on his wrist and pin him to the ground. [say]"Well that's a shame. I suppose I will have to take you to jail with the other blighted people then."[/say] she said with a slight shrug.
Abasi ignored her saying that she didn't understand - of course she'd say that, it was a part of the trick. Not that he could consistently work out in his head just what the trick was, but he knew there was one. It was on a huge scale and being played on only him as some kind of divine punishment, that much he knew.
Unsurprisingly, she pinned him down and he struggled, but could not lift his wrist away. [say]"Jail?! I am the son of a High Priest, you idiot! Let me go right now! You put the sick in jail?!"[/say] What kind of a place was this?
Son of a High Priest, huh? Well two could play that game. Roana sheathed her sword and leaned forward so she could look him in the eye, clearly unimpressed. [say]”I am the eldest child of a legendary warrior and inheritor of his dragon blade, Krosis, and yet here we are.”[/say] she said dryly. The former captain grabbed the man by the back of his shirt before removing her foot from his arm and hoisted him up in the air with ease in what might seem a surprising feat of strength. She rolled his eyes at his cries of injustice for the sick.
[say]”The blight makes people violent, so yes, some are being jailed for their and everyone else’s safety.”[/say] she said, glancing towards the imposing stone edifice of the penitentiary as she made to walk that direction, the man still held in her hand like a cat with a mouse.
Like everything in this place, Roana's inheritance meant absolutely nothing to him. Instead of complaining or quietly stewing on it as he had before the Blight, he now yelled and pushed his hands into his hair, an almost animalistic display of frustration. This place felt like a puzzle he could not even begin to solve, and now his mind was being taken over by a rot. The odds were stacked against him and seemed determined to stay that way.
Perhaps this frustration and realisation was why he did not fight too much as he was picked up, only sending a few weak kicks towards Roana. [say]"The only place I need to be for my own safety is my home--"[/say] His voice broke with the warning sign of tears, something that would have mortified him in his right mind.
She looked at the weak kicks with absolute pity. So pathetic. [say]"Well, clearly you've managed to escape wherever your home is, so perhaps you ought spend a bit of time in a cell. If you can break out of that I will be truly impressed."[/say] she said with a bit of a shrug. Really, he wasn't so rabid as some of the other, and though he posed very little threat to her, someone less prepared could be seriously hurt by him.
[say]"Come on now."[/say] she said, starting to haul him off towards the doors of the penitentiary.
With the threat of an actual cell looming ever closer, Abasi suddenly felt great regret for leaving the Launceleyn Manor. His mind has told him it was an evil place, that he had been trapped there and was awaiting a horrible death, but at least it had had a bed and food. Comforts like soft pillows and rich decor, which had made him feel a little more human.
[say]"Wait!!"[/say] He pleaded. [say]"Take me back to Loren Launceleyn -- he knows me. I'm living with him. Please."[/say] Again, if Abasi could hear himself with an unblighted ear, he would have spat in disgust; in the moment though all he could think was how much he longed to be back in the manor.
Roana continued forward, raising a brow as the man began to plead and beg as the cells loomed just ahead, suddenly tangible and not just a threat. So Loren knew this fellow, hm? Interesting. [say]"I will tell Loren that he can come and get you here. But for the time being, you can cool off in a cell like all of the other blighted attacking people."[/say] she said with a slight shrug. His discomfort and fear of a cell was not greater than the physical safety of innocent people trying to live their lives or cure the blight by following Vi's command.
The captain set the man down inside a small cell, closing the door behind him. [say]"I'm sure Loren will come get you soon. Sorry it had to be this way."[/say] she said as she waited for the door to be locked by a guard.
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