IC contact for wethelost

[devoutish]

Solomons & Melborn
1108 Sweet Cream Street

[Feel free to use this space for letter/package deliveries as well as visits/knocks on the front door!]

Comments

[devoutish]

Is it nice having a word for it?

[bywolves]

I... I guess so. [ He tilts his head back, now, thinking about it. ] I don't know that I'd... I'd really want to use it to describe myself. But it is reassuring that it has a name.

[devoutish]

Yeah. Doesn't seem that uncommon, either.

[bywolves]

Apparently not.

[devoutish]

Yeah. More common than my old-fashioned way of seeing things.

[bywolves]

[ He smiles a bit, nudging Alfie. ]

Old-fashioned. You barely blinked when I told you I loved Merrick, all that time ago.

[devoutish]

I blinked a bit more on the inside.

[He admits.]

But no, it didn't change how I felt about you.

[bywolves]

[ He hums a little, turning over to lay out flat on his stomach again. ]

I've never thought about whether or not it was strange, just that it was.

[devoutish]

I never did either, but, well.

[Everyone that he knew of at home was also straight, so.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce shrugs, and closes his eyes. ]

Doesn't really matter. It isn't all that I am.

[devoutish]

Not even close to it.

[bywolves]

[ He smiles a bit from where he's laid out, and goes quiet for a while. He doesn't have much else to say, unless Alfie does. ]

Fall, after the Fairy Tale Event

[bywolves]

[ All the Fairy Tales are gone and done, and all of the things Royce has stolen have been returned. Royce has to spend most of the day returning things, and he refuses to let people see him do it, so it takes him forever. Alfie will find, in his office or on the bedside table, whichever he's more likely to see first, a piece of paper that says: ]

ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴍᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴇᴇʜᴏᴜsᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴠᴇɴɪɴɢ.

[ And on top of that paper are Alfie's rings, his whale knife, and his sword cane. True to his word, Royce is in the treehouse after dinnertime, curled up on the bed and covered in several blankets. It's colder, now. Autumn has hit. ]

[devoutish]

[Royce, you rascal. After reclaiming his things, Alfie heads up early - it's only late efternoon when he first pokes his head in, though he doesn't find Royce there then. He'll hunt for him around the Meadous for a bit, but when evening rolls around and he still hasn't found him, he makes his way back to the treehouse. And sure enough, there he is.]

You've been a hard man to find today.

[He says, sitting on the edge of the bed.]

[bywolves]

Mm. I was returning things. [ Royce says, peeking out from under the blankets. Sniff. ] You found your rings?

[devoutish]

Yeah, I found everything. Ridiculous man.

[He rests a hand on Royce's back.]

Not feeling guilty, are you?

[bywolves]

No. [ Not even a little bit, honestly. ] If they didn't want someone to steal their things during one of Zephyr's little experiments, they'd keep them hidden better. And I gave them back, so they have nothing to complain about.

[devoutish]

Mm. Just cold, then?

[bywolves]

Yeah. [ He pulls the blankets closer. ] Colder outside. Winter will be here soon.

[ Snow. He's still not ready for it. ]

[devoutish]

Is that why you wanted me to come up?

[bywolves]

Partially. [ He'll make room for Alfie to climb into the blanket nest if he wants. ] I also wanted to - ask... I suppose your advice, on something. Or your perspective.

[devoutish]

[He slides on on there, draping an arm over Royce's back.]

Yeah?

[bywolves]

[ Royce settles against him. ]

It - this is going to be. Rough. [ He says, stiffly. ] So bear with me. I stole some of Renart's things, during the last week. She was angry with me for doing it. For both choosing to participate and stealing her things.

[devoutish]

[Alfie nods, his chin bumping Royce's shoulder.]

All right.

[bywolves]

I was angry, too. She doesn't get to tell me what I can and can't consent to. And we were both Fairy Tales, so we were both strong and practically invincible. So we fought. And it was nasty fighting. The way she fights and the mindset I was in - I was trying to kill her.