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]

Mm, yeah. And there's precedence for it, sure. Ideal circumstances haven't always been available to us.

[furgood]

I'm sure that they, all your people, would understand. [She leans in to kiss his cheek.] I like to learn about your holidays, your religion, all of it. And I mean, I could read about it but learning from you is better.

[She signs something quickly] Like when I showed you this.

[devoutish]

Do you keep up with it, even though you've got your hearing back?

[He signs her name for her - M-E-U-L-I-N. He remembers.]

[furgood]

[A-L-F-I-E right back.]

I try. It's harder without someone to do it with? Languages are hard when you're just memorizing, I feel like it's better when you have someone to practice with?

[devoutish]

You know that I'd practice with you, yeah?

[furgood]

[Meulin smiles at that, warm and fond] I wasn't sure if you still wanted to. It's not that useful here, now.

[devoutish]

It wasn't always so useful in the first place, since you could talk and read my lips.

[He points out.]

I chose to learn because it seemed important to you.

[furgood]

Fair. [Overexaggerated huff] You're so sweet sometimes. What's a girl to do?

[bywolves]

[ It takes a few days after they talk, but Royce eventually works up the nerve.

Wherever Alfie is, he'll find Lady trotting up to him with a piece of paper in her mouth. She promptly climbs her way up his clothing and deposits the note in his hand before settling around his neck like a cat-scarf. The note reads come to the beach, where the boats to the island are in Royce's tiny, cramped handwriting.

When he makes his way there, he'll find his favorite jacket on a fencepost, waiting for him - a few more steps down to the beach and he'll find Royce in a boat, fiddling with ropes. There's a pack with blankets, some food and drink, and their inflatable mattress from Norfinbury. Royce hears him coming, and glances over his shoulder, offering a wave. ]

[devoutish]

[Royce. Alfie can't believe you trained your cat to deliver notes for you; this is so ridiculous. It is a good way to get messages to people without having to see them, though, and Alfie bets he'll be making use of that. He scritches Lady on the head, gives her a bit of leftover fish as a reward, and heads out the door.

Once he arrives at the beach, he stops in front of Royce and wordlessly untucks the front of his shirt, stretching it out and showing Royce the clawmarks in the fabric. You did this.]

[bywolves]

[ Of course he's trained his cat to do this. He has to be extra in all ways - and plus, Alfie's right. He prefers sending messages without ever having to actually be social. When Alfie approaches him with the claw marked shirt, it makes Royce laugh. ]

I didn't tell her to climb you. [ Royce protests, grinning. ] I only told her to give you the note.

[devoutish]

I'm only sweet to the ones who deserve it.

[devoutish]

You should train her to stop in front of me.

[Alfie admonishes, flicking Royce on the shoulder before turning to examine the set-up he's got going here.]

What are we doing, then?

[bywolves]

Training a cat is hard enough. [ Royce huffs at him, but it's teasing. As for the question, he hums, and pulls a leaf out of his pocket. It's from the Remember Tree, and he looks it over for a long moment before glancing back up to Alfie. ]

I wanted to do this today. Not at home. I don't want to associate home with this. Just in case.

[devoutish]

[Oh. Oh. Okay.

First thing's first, Alfie holds out an arm to him.]

C'mere, c'mere.

[bywolves]

[ Royce glances up at him, maybe a little surprised at the insistence, but he goes willingly, stepping out of the boat. He takes Alfie's hand and arm, watching him with a bit of an apprehensive look. Not because of what Alfie's going to say, just. In general. ]

[devoutish]

[He just wants to put an arm around him, if Royce will let him, pulling him close and just holding on for a moment.]

[bywolves]

[ He allows it - sinks into it, even. He rests his head on Alfie's shoulder and takes a deep breath. ]

If you don't want to today, I'd understand.

[devoutish]

We'll do it whenever you're ready. If that's today, then we'll go.

[bywolves]

I'm ready. [ As he'll ever be. He turns into the arm, and actually full-on hugs Alfie, burying his face against Alfie's chest. ] Thank you.

[devoutish]

Yeah.

[Alfie threads his fingers through Royce's hair. He'll stand there for a moment, just holding him, but eventually, he'll pull back and look over towards the boat again. The sea is calm and glassy. Royce has picked a good day to go.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce enjoys being held and comforted like this, these days. It's nice to let Alfie just do this for him. He reaches for Alfie's hand when Alfie pulls away, and leads him to the boat. Carefully, he pushes them out from the shore, all their stuff packed carefully into the boat where it won't get wet, and they're off. ]

[devoutish]

What else did you bring?

[Alfie asks, giving the supplies a quick glance. He'd seen the folded-up air mattress, but hadn't had much of a chance to look over everything else, and now he's focusing on sailing.]

[furgood]

More sweet. Ridiculous.

[bywolves]

Food, blankets. The mattress. Like the last time we came out here.

[ He adjusts the sails. ] Brought a tent, too. Just in case it's too much to get home.