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Post by Val on Jan 7, 2020 4:11:52 GMT
Caspian obeyed once more when Roman told him to "shut the fuck up", and took the time he was granted to get his thoughts in order. Every fiber in his being told him that Roman was a threat, but he still didn't know what his best option was. Tell the truth? Lie? Run?
His horse snorted in the background and stomped its hoof, sensing its companion's anxiety. The distraction anchored Caspian and reminded him that his ultimate goal had to be to protect his farm and the creatures that inhabited it. He knew the man wouldn't believe him if he lied, but that didn't mean he had to share any details.
In response to Roman's threat, he took a deep breath and released the fence, straightening up and turning slowly toward his aggressor, "That sounds hypocritical coming from you," he replied, clearly implying that he knew the nobleman had an ability as well. Could this man sense lies? Read minds? Manipulate? "I am no threat to you or anyone else in this Kingdom. I can return to my farm and you will never hear from me again, sir," he insisted, his eyes almost pleading as he sought for any trace of empathy in Roman's gaze.
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Post by starrea on Jan 7, 2020 5:19:54 GMT
If Caspian was looking for empathy, he wouldn’t find it in Roman. His eyes were hard and unyielding as they bore into the stranger - “Tell me what your abilities are, or I will be forced to arrest you.” He was probably going to unofficially arrest him either way, but he didn’t need to reveal that information right at this moment.
Since Roman had no actual reason to arrest this man other than being paranoid, he needed to think of someplace discreet to put him. There were empty rooms in the castle he could stow him away in and just lock the door... Alister spent most of his time with his foreign slut and Bram seemed unhinged enough that he wouldn’t notice anything suspicious Roman was doing even if he was doing right in front of his face.
“Last chance.” He warned, even though he never had a chance to begin with.
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Post by Val on Jan 7, 2020 22:57:45 GMT
Caspian turned his gaze toward the ground, cursing himself for being so stupid and putting his nose where it didn't belong. He'd stayed hidden and at peace for so long, and now that was all being thrown away over a random encounter with a disgruntled psychopath.
He glanced toward his horse and imagined himself mounting the creature and fleeing. But he wouldn't risk bringing harm to his companion, or leading Roman back to his sanctuary for that matter. His life was not worth more than theirs. Shoulders sagging in defeat, he willed the stallion to leave. The horse neighed and cast him a lingering glance before taking off and galloping in the direction they had come from.
Finally, he turned back to Roman and raised his hands just slightly in a show of surrender, "You don't need to arrest me. You can't make me tell you," he emphasized, having a feeling that the man was more than accustomed to getting his way, "Why don't we go for a drink?" he suggested. He knew how absurd it sounded given the situation, but he was desperate not to be locked up somewhere and potentially brutalized. It was worth a chance.
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Post by starrea on Jan 8, 2020 1:19:33 GMT
Roman didn’t miss the way the man looked at the horse and then the horse just took off. He jumped forward, ready to grab the horse, but it was already gone. He looked back at Caspian, a ‘what the fuck’ look on his face.
He moved back towards the man, closing the distance between them. He felt somewhat guilty about arresting this man. Roman was a firm believer in justice, but this man had technically done nothing wrong except have abilities that threatened Roman. But life wasn’t fair and Roman couldn’t have this man wandering free until he thoroughly assessed the situation.
Roman wasn’t surprised the man didn’t tell him but also didn’t care. He had already decided to arrest him, so he would have plenty of chances to talk later. The idea of getting a drink, though, stopped him in his tracks. It was such a stupid suggestion that it baffled Roman that it had even been suggested.
“You can have a drink at the castle. I’m placing you under arrest under my authority for the immediate future.” He pointed down the long road that led towards the castle, “Walk. And if you try to run, I’ll have this entire fucking kingdom looking for you. Dead or alive.”
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Post by Val on Jan 8, 2020 5:12:32 GMT
Caspian stood his ground as Roman approached him, though his heart rate sped up in response, expecting the worst. When nothing happened, he glanced up at the man and swore he could sense at least some sort of guilt, or at least uncertainty over his rash decision.
So, he wouldn't take the bait of a normal, public social interaction to discuss matters. Caspian wasn't surprised. This guy didn't seem casual in any sense of the word. Following instructions, he cautiously stepped around Roman and began the walk toward the castle with zero intentions of running. At least he didn't try to tie his hands or something...yet.
"And what is your authority? Or your name for that matter?" he questioned, figuring he deserved that much for his cooperation.
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Post by starrea on Jan 8, 2020 16:19:41 GMT
Roman didn’t grab Caspian or anything but shadowed closely behind him, ready to subdue him should try anything rash. Caspian seemed agreeable though, which was surprisingly lucky for Roman because he hadn’t come prepared to arrest anyone and didn’t have any means of restraint. And with his ability to persuade ineffective against this man, all he had to rely on was brute force to get him back to the castle.
They walked in silence, Roman’s mind reeling as he tried to figure out the man he was taking prisoner. He almost stumbled when Caspian spoke, his voice startling him out of his thoughts. And Roman was never startled. He was never unprepared. And the fact that he had been startled and was unprepared rattled him.
“Roman, I am King Alister’s chief advisor. You will remain under my direct authority until I deem you not a threat to the kingdom.” That last part was a half truth. Roman suspected he was not a threat to the kingdom, but a threat to himself. He tried to reason with himself that a threat to himself was a threat to the kingdom, but he still felt a small twang of guilt.
Silence fell between them once more as they continued to walk. Roman usually didn’t notice awkwardness in social situations, but the silence was almost painful.
“State your name.” It was not a question.
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Post by Val on Jan 8, 2020 21:03:12 GMT
Caspian nearly laughed at the revelation that this man was the King's chief advisor. It seemed that his time flying under the radar had official run out. Nevertheless, Caspian believed in fate and if fate insisted he run into one of the most powerful men in the kingdom, then so be it. Roman would learn soon enough that he was no threat to anyone.
He rolled his eyes at the command, not that Roman could see. He'd already stated his name when they first met, but he supposed he couldn't blame the man since he seemed to be rather frazzled over the whole encounter.
Considering his closest companions were animals, he didn't find the lack of speaking to be awkward. He was quite used to silence, so he took his sweet time in answering, eventually glancing over his shoulder at Roman, "Caspian. Or as you have so adamantly pointed out; a nobody."
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Post by starrea on Jan 10, 2020 17:00:27 GMT
When Caspian said his name, Roman almost flinched when he realized that he already answered that question. His mind was buzzing - why was this man catching him so off guard? How the fuck had he let this happen? He needed to focus and collect himself. The rest of the walk was spent in silence as Roman forced his thoughts to slow down. But by the time they had reached the castle, he was still unsure of his next move. Holding Caspian was a short term solution to a potentially long term problem.
When they finally arrived on castle grounds, Roman reached a hand out and grabbed Caspian’s shoulder to guide him. The touch wasn’t rough, but surprisingly gentle. His didn’t touch the man for a second longer than he had to, but he routinely reached out to silently guide Caspian through the maze of hallways.
Roman was careful to avoid common areas and people. Whenever he heard voices, he was quick to direct Caspian a different direction. He mostly used service hallways, making his way towards an old servant’s wing that was no longer in use. The rooms were abandoned and while there were still people in the general area, it was unlikely anyone would stumble upon Caspian. No one needed to know about his prisoner.
They arrived at a room and Roman opened it quickly and shoved Caspian in. He slipped in behind him, shutting the door and standing in front of it, eyes locked onto Caspian. The room itself was relatively bare, it just had a bucket in the corner and a bed with a single pillow and thin blanket. There were no windows and the only door was the one leading out, the one Roman was standing in front of.
“You’ll be staying here... for now. The bucket is for if you have to go,” His eyes never left Caspian, gauging to see how he would accept his situation.
“I don’t want to restrain you, but I will if I must.”
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Post by Val on Jan 10, 2020 23:07:49 GMT
Caspian remained docile throughout the journey. His expertise might have been on animals, but he knew that man and beast were incredibly alike. Both feed off of the energy they are given. In this case, he was giving Roman calmness and receiving it back- for the most part.
When they reached the castle, he mostly gazed around in a subtle state of awe. He'd never been to such a grandiose place, so he distracted himself by taking in the sights and following Roman's guidance. His shoulder had tensed up the first time Roman laid a hand on him, but he eventually grew accustomed to the occasional contact, admittedly surprised that he wasn't being roughhoused. He was quick to note that they avoided people at all costs and even appeared to enter an abandoned part of the palace. It set off alarm bells- it meant that this arrest was by no means lawful, and no one would know he was here. So what the hell did Roman want with him?
He managed to keep his cool until he finally stumbled into the barren room and turned in a slow circle, taking in the depressing makeshift cell. His first thought was claustrophobia. No windows? He was a man who spent most of his time outside and already felt nauseous at the idea of staying here for any prolonged amount of time.
He took a deep breath and allowed his eyes to linger on the aforementioned bucket, "So you'll be cleaning up after me then?" he mused, not really expecting an answer. It was just another attempt at using humor to distract himself.
Caspian crossed his arms over his chest and stood in the center of the room, staring back at Roman, "How about that drink?"
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Post by starrea on Jan 11, 2020 23:59:15 GMT
Roman watched the man examine his temporary cell, a small wave of relief washing over when he didn’t seem to fight it, at least for now. This whole situation was stressing Roman in ways he never been before. He felt physically hot and he was sure he looked flushed. He just kept reminding myself that with Caspian locked away, he would have the time to figure out what the fuck was going on.
He didn’t answer Caspian’s attempt at humor. On his best days, humor wasn’t his strong suit, and this definitely wasn’t one of his best days. He blinked when Caspian asked for the drink - he hadn’t forgotten that technically, he had agreed to it. He nodded, he couldn’t say no. Not when he felt so damn bad about the whole thing.
He retreated out the door, closing softly behind him and locking it shut from the outside. He returned a couple of minutes later, unlocking and opening the door without any notice, slipping in, and closing it behind him. He held out a bottle of whiskey to Caspian.
“I don’t know what you like, but I figured you would want something strong.” He didn’t know why he cared. He shouldn’t. This man was a nobody.
“If you, uh, need anything else...” He trailed off. He Didn’t want to deprive Caspian, at least not at this moment, but it felt weird to offer hospitality in this situation. The whole situation could not have been more awkward.
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Post by Val on Jan 12, 2020 0:31:53 GMT
It seemed that the more uncomfortable that Roman became, the more Caspian attempted to make up for it. It almost felt as though he were the one holding Roman hostage. But, as Caspian remained standing in the middle of the locked room, he knew that was not the case.
He had barely moved an inch when Roman returned with the whiskey. He took the offering and slowly retreated to the sad looking bed on the far side of the room. He sat down and opened the bottle, his eyes remaining on his captor as he took a long swig from the whiskey. The burn was a welcome distraction, but that wasn't the reason he'd insisted on a drink. Alcohol resulted in loose lips, even for men like Roman.
Caspian exhaled heavily and leaned forward so that his elbows were resting on his knees, dangling the bottle toward Roman, "Why don't you join me and tell me why I'm here?" He needed an explanation, not hospitality. He had cooperated more than any other person would have under the circumstances; he deserved answers.
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Post by starrea on Jan 13, 2020 17:00:10 GMT
The fact that Caspian was so accepting of Roman’s unjust actions made the whole situation worse. Even after Roman returned with the whiskey, the man was calm and rational - the exact opposite of Roman right now. The guilt weighed him down, which only added to his anxiety because he normally didn’t feel guilt.
Roman watched Caspian with sharp eyes, trying to detect any signs that the man would suddenly become violent. Even when Caspian retreated to the bed, Roman remained in front of the door. Caspian might not be violent - yet - but Roman wasn’t going to give him an easy opportunity to escape.
When Caspian raised the bottle to Roman, he stared between it and Caspian distrustfully. It was almost like he was worried Caspian had poisoned it or something, which was foolish because Roman had provided the bottle. After a very long, tense pause, Roman finally reached out and took the bottle. He normally didn’t drink, but maybe a swig or two of whiskey would help him calm the fuck down. He raised the bottle to his lips, welcoming the burn that followed. He deserved it.
He held the bottle back out to Caspian, carefully considering his question. He didn’t know how to explain what why he had taken him. He didn’t know if he even wanted to tell him.
“I need to make sure you aren’t a threat.” A threat to who or what, he didn’t say.
Roman didn’t even know how exactly to determine this man wasn’t a threat. He was no stranger to torture, but he also didn’t want to torture an innocent person. So how exactly did one keep someone captive and force information out of them without torture?
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Post by Val on Jan 13, 2020 22:30:38 GMT
Caspian realized he had been holding his breath as he awaited Roman's decision to take the drink or not. He finally exhaled as the man relented and took a swig- he took it as a sign that negotiating with Roman wouldn't be impossible.
However, in response to the rather frustrating answer, he rubbed a hand over his face in exasperation. It was perhaps the first physical sign that he wasn't as composed as he made himself out to be, "I'm the farthest thing from a threat," he insisted, "There's a reason you've never seen me before. I keep to myself. I want nothing to do with your...politics, or whatever this is about."
His foot had begun tapping lightly on the wood floor as he debated whether or not to bring up the true elephant in the room. Finally, he stood slowly and reached out to take the bottle of whiskey back, returning to eye level with his captor, "You were trying to play mind games with me earlier, weren't you?"
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Post by starrea on Jan 14, 2020 15:56:58 GMT
Roman’s stoic expression faltered at his words, betraying a hint of the guilt he felt. The sad part was that Roman believed him - he didn’t seem like a threat, and the more time Roman spent with him, the more he felt like he wasn’t even a threat to him. But that still didn’t explain as to why Roman’s persuasiveness hadn’t worked and that meant he had a weakness. And Roman didn’t have weaknesses. He couldn’t.
Roman stayed silent, watching him with a guarded expression. There was nothing he could say, no explanation he could give. This situation was unfair to Caspian and wrong, but that was just the way it was. An apology or explanation wouldn’t fix that.
Caspian’s next statement sent Roman reeling, causing him to take an unconscious step back. His normally impassive expression morphed into surprise and he didn’t even try to hide it. There had been a few times that people had realized that he was messing with their minds, but none who realized it and resisted it. After a minute or two of trying to gather his thoughts, his surprise shifted into guarded suspicion.
“I was.” There was no point in denying it. “And how were you able to resist it?” His eyes bore into Caspian with intensity, his body rigid as he waited to hear the answer to he question he needed answered.
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Post by Val on Jan 14, 2020 23:19:51 GMT
Caspian's heart had begun pounding in his chest as he awaited a reaction from Roman. He knew this was the reason he'd been imprisoned, but he didn't know just how far Roman would go if he knew the truth. He took the suspicion in stride, remaining cautious and attentive.
When Roman admitted to it, Caspian felt something close to relief flood over him. Relief that he wasn't crazy or defective or...alone. Growing up, no one believed he had abilities. They'd convinced him that he was crazy, and so he'd eventually learned to isolate himself from the world. He never spoke of his talents, and never bothered to seek out others like himself. While people like Roman were aware of the many individuals with unique abilities scattered throughout the land, Caspian had remained willingly in denial. But now...
"I don't know," he answered honestly, seeming distracted as he gazed at Roman with a sense of wonder, "I could...hear your command in my head. I could sense the strangeness of it. I've never felt that from another human..." he attempted to describe the sensation. In reality, his abilities had always come naturally to him, requiring no practice or studying. It was like explaining sight to a blind person. But maybe Roman could understand that.
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