No Gifts!

The guard at the top of the stairs looks at Acedia a bit funny, but after a moment another guard joins them to take her downstairs. The guards talk to one another briefly, and then the one that had asked Acedia to take the basket down hands the basket over to his buddy and that's the guard that leads her downstairs. "We /did/ search the basket for weapons you know." Is the response she gets and then they're headed down.

It's not that long a walk down to Menel's cell and the guard gives the white-haired tan-skinned man waiting in his cell a warm hello and the basket before giving Acedia a look and then standing just outside. Menel gives her a much warmer look, taking the basket and setting it aside and motioning for her to sit down on one of the stools that he has situated in his cell. "Hello! Would you like a um... muffin?"

"Did you check it for poison, also?", the Gobbo wonders. She walks down in silence with the guards, and will take the basket at the last moment. "I'll take it, you two wait outside. It is likely Zeke is here already, out there. He did spend time down here, you know, in trying to survive the plague. As did I."

She smiles to Menel, and shakes her head to the offer of a muffin. "Where did you get them?", she wonders. Acedia will peer in the direction of the door... and heave the contents of the basket out the door. "I did warn them... Kol is attacking the temple of Daeus. It is very likely Zeke will attack..."

The cell is... well it's really not /big/ enough to hide a sith-makar and Menel looks at her with mild horror as she chucks the basket out the door. At least it lands neatly on its bottom instead of spilling all the snacks inside out onto the ground. The guard picks them up and looks at Acedia. "Who would /posion Menel/?" The guard asks and Menel pales a little.

"Poison? Are they posioned?" He looks at the basket a bit cautiously now.

The Goblin smacks her forehead with a hand. "You do realize that someone is actually attempting to kill this man, don't you?", she asks of the guards. "There are two people, actually. But one currently has her hands full. Zeke is the one we are concerned about. As I have said, he may be down here already, somehow. Have you seen him at all? Dark blue scales. Has a crystalline arm and leg, very shiny."

Acedia looks to Menel then and sighs. "You do recall the last little bit of time, yes? And you remember me, yes? You have hidden down here before, too, when I was here, trying to survive the plague. Do you remember Zeke?" She lets out a low breath.

The guard looks down at the basket, then at Acedia. "Well... He did give us this basket. He said it was an apology. Do you think... he would have... poisoned the muffins?" He looks a bit pale as he asks the question.

Menel laughs. "Of course I remember! It's hard to forget you, OR an angry sith-makar trying to turn you into a lightning rod." He looks to the guard. "Maybe we should toss the basket just in case."

Acedia's rather sunny disposition vanishes in an instant as she rushes forward. "GET IT OUT OF HERE, YOU FOOLS!", she yells. She moves forward to push hard on Menel, trying to bear him to the ground. "Hah, good times, yes?", she asks of Menel, her expression brightening somewhat. "Goodness..."

The guard holds the basket up and away from Acedia. "I can't /leave/ you here with him! Besides! We checked it for booby traps and stuff!" The guard rolls his eyes at Acedia.

Menel takes her more seriously though, moving back away from the basket, but not really letting her carry him to the ground, and he's big enough that he can resist the push. "Hey, it's okay Acedia. It's not going to explode or anything."

Acedia stands after a moment and huffs. "You do not have any idea of whom or what you are dealing with. Call the other guard back and send that basket out of here. Think about it. Someone wants to kill someone in here. Someone who has been here and knows you cannot use magic." She gestures at the basket. "Said person who wants to murder someone in here leaves behind a basket. Think about that. Could it be that the person intends for the contents of that basket to be deadly in some fashion?"

The Gobbo looks to Menel. "They both believe that they raised you in the tower.", she says quietly. "What is it that they might know, that could harm you? A food item? Allergies? Or any number of poisons? How would SHE do it?"

The guard looks a little bit hesitant, but finally nods and calls down another guard to come gather the basket. Away go the treats. Shame that that is.

Menel looks a bit pale, but he shakes his head. "No, no allergies or anything. Poison would work I guess. Honestly though..." He sits down. "If She wants me dead... I'm probably a dead man walking."

"That's why you're hiding down here. It will be most difficult to find you. To harm you." Acedia lets out a breath. "Hopefully now that the guards are warned..." She raises her voice. "You have warned them, haven't you?", she wonders of the guard outside the cell.

"A man can only survive so many attempts to kill him Aceida. I've seen my life flash before my eyes twice this week already. Who knows what's next." Menel shakes his head and puts his hands on his face. "I want /out/ of here. I... I have to get out of here." He stands up suddenly and moves toward the door.

The Gobbo bounces up immediately, to try to block his path. "Then start by killing me.", she says coldly. "Because many more will die afterwards. And I don't want to watch my friends die. You're important. Your life is important. You don't have to be here forever. Just a little bit longer. At least let Seldan get here and talk, okay?"

Menel looks down at her, letting out a soft sigh and shaking his head. "No Acedia. Everyone knows I'm here. I have to go somewhere they won't expect. Where no one will know to look for me... Seldan will only try to talk me out of it. Just like you are. It's for the best."

"If she still has her claws in you, she will find you once you leave here." The Gobbo crosses her arms. "If you're leaving, I am going with you. If not, then you're not leaving. Think on it.. would She think to look for you where you're about to go?"

Menel lets out a lost sigh and finally relents, backing up and sitting down with a defeated expression. "How many people will she send to kill me Acedia? I'm out of options here."

Acedia follows him, and will settle onto one of his legs. "I don't know.", she says softly. "I will sit here with you. Watch over you. I'm not much but they will know I was here..."

It seems that's the only answer that Menel will get, so they will have to sit here... and wait.

-End