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]

Yes, but now you've got an excuse to never take it off.

[bywolves]

[ Monotone: ] Ah, you've revealed that this was my plan all along.

[devoutish]

We'll have to get you one in white, so you won't be so hot in the warmer months.

[bywolves]

Gods, no. You will never see me in white.

[devoutish]

Not even to blend into the snow?

[bywolves]

Nope. Now it's out of principle.

[devoutish]

That's the sort of talk that gets thieves spotted and caught, that is.

[bywolves]

It's a good thing I'm retired.

[devoutish]

Good thing.

[Alfie murmurs, edging down further into the cushions. He'll try not to jostle Royce's collar too much here.]

[bywolves]

[ Thanks, buddy. Royce hums out soft, and goes quiet for now. ]

Sorry Alfie, everyone around you is a mess

[aibolition]

Well it would depend on the answer. If you want to tell me to screw right off now I'm not gonna cry about it. And I won't say I'll necessarily agree, but

I'm listening. What do you believe?

[devoutish]

You're a thinking being, and if you're capable of this much self-reflection, you're capable of improving yourself. Your situation might make it more difficult, but I cannot believe that it's impossible.

[aibolition]

Other beings like me go nuts. Every time. They lose it and they kill everyone they care about. I only know one who kind of turned out okay in the end but she probably went crazy at first too. I'm already pushing this past where it can go.

I can tell Emily mattered because her being gone sucks. Not knowing what to do about this sucks. I can tell I gave a crap about my old asshole friends and Dad because I'm pissed at what they've done. I can tell who still matters to me because I've given everything for that bastard and I'd do it again for Mom.

So yeah, I can work it out. I'm already trying anyway. But I can't think of a reason why. And I can't just make myself perfectly fine just like that. There isn't a man alive or dead who can do what I'm doing. Can't I just let myself be kind of a jerk? It took me so long to figure all this out. I want to be able to breathe sometimes.

[devoutish]

You can let yourself be whatever you like. All I ask is that you accept all the consequences that come with it.

[The consequences, in this case, apparently being Alfie calling him a good kid despite it all.]

[aibolition]

Ugh. Fine. Be that way then you old jerk.

[obeir]

[ As promised, K's brought back the Lord of the Rings movies and slipped them into one of their mailboxes. Then he pauses, searching his coat pockets until he's located a pen and an old order from the Phone Tap. In a blank space on the note, he starts writing a message intended for Royce about his next piano lesson. ]

[devoutish]

[It just so happens that Alfie is coming up the road at just that moment, and when he spots K at their mailboxes, he lifts a hand to get his attention.]

Hello there.

[Alfie looks pretty much the same as he had when they'd sat down to have dinner together, but all the same, there's something undefinably different about him that K might notice. He seems older, somehow, and more weary; his walking is just a little bit labored, and his hands shake slightly.]

[obeir]

Oh, hello. [ The differences are subtle, but for someone designed and trained to notice the smallest details, they're a bit more glaringly apparent. Last time K hadn't felt it was really appropriate to comment on or ask if something was wrong, but it's different now that he's on more — friendly? terms with Alfie and Royce both. ]

Are you doing all right? [ It isn't the polite smalltalk how are you; his concern is obvious. ]

[devoutish]

Ah.

[He waves off the question automatically with a wave of his hand - but then he nods towards the door.]

Come in for a bit, eh? Have some tea.

[obeir]

[ That doesn't lessen K's concern, but he probably won't press the matter too much if Alfie isn't inclined to talk about it. ]

Sure. [ And he'll follow Alfie in, still giving him a mildly questioning look. ] I was just returning those movies Royce let me borrow.

[devoutish]

Thanks, mate. They're meant to be on loan from the library, but--

[He raises a finger to his lips. Shhhh.

Nodding K into the living room, he moves towards the kitchen.]

Has Royce told you much about where we came from? Norfinbury?

[obeir]

Not a lot. [ K replies as he has a seat, slipping the pen and paper back into an inner pocket of his coat. ]

The refugees who keep attempting to break into my home haven't said much either. Except for House, but it's hard to know how truthful he was being. [ This must have something to do with whatever's going on with Alfie, he assumes. But what? An altercation with another Norfinbury transplant?

Maybe that's unfair of K to assume, but he's still wary of all the newcomers. ]

[devoutish]

Well, I won't bore you with all the details, but Royce and I wished for some more memories of the place.

[He taps the side of his head.]

Got ourselves caught up to speed and all. It's a lot to take in.

[Especially right on the heels of Emily disappearing.]

[obeir]

[ Oh.

K does know enough about the place to have to wonder why anyone would want even more memories of it. House had made it sound like the entire purpose was to be tortured by a malfunctioning computer. ]

... Why'd you want to do that? [ Especially if it's affecting him this badly. And what of Royce? Maybe this is why K hasn't seen him around. ]

[devoutish]

Royce didn't like the idea of people knowing things about his future - even only a potential future - that he didn't. We'd been talking about it for a while, we knew it was possible to do, and we'd spoken to people who'd stayed in Norfinbury longer, after we'd split off. He wanted to catch up.

[Which, of course, says a lot about Royce's motives and very little about Alfie's.]