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!]

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[devoutish]

[Alfie takes the mattress, tucking it under his arm as he grabs another bag from Royce, too.]

Is that where you want to do it, or do you just want to visit it first?

[bywolves]

It's where I'd like to do it. [ Royce says, letting out a sigh. ] It's a safe place to be. We can blow up the mattress again and lay out.

[devoutish]

[Alfie takes Royce's hand, twining their fingers together.]

Let's lie down and rest on it for a bit more before we do it. Eh?

[bywolves]

[ Royce holds Alfie's hand maybe a little more tightly than he usually might. ]

Okay. [ He says, quietly. Maybe a little hoarsely. ] I could - I could maybe use a small nap.

[devoutish]

So could I. I want you well-rested for this.

[bywolves]

I likely will need to be. [ He murmurs. ] Come on.

[ And he'll lead them to the spot he's talking about. It's an easy walk, quiet and just slightly apprehensive, but at least the seasickness is fading. He'll get them there, and start to set everything up, provided Alfie doesn't stop him. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie doesn't stop him, but he does help, shooing him away from the toughest jobs like blowing up the mattress.]

You relax a bit, mate; I'll handle it.

[bywolves]

[ Royce has an air pump at least, so Alfie can use that. But Royce allows him to do that, pulling out their extra clothes and a couple of pieces of food - fruit and bread, mostly, things to ease his stomach. ]

Do you want some of the bread? [ Royce asks, glancing up at him from where he's sorting through their bags. ]

[devoutish]

Right now? Yeah.

[He gives the mattress a few more good pumps, then tests its firmness with a hand before snagging a slice from Royce. Ah, leavened bread. He's missed this.]

Is this old stuff from the before the holiday, or did you bake it yourself?

[bywolves]

I baked it myself. [ Royce says, taking a bite of it. It's - passable, though it's not as good as he'd like. The crust is a bit burnt. ]

Still trying to figure out how to do it. This didn't turn out too terribly, though.

[devoutish]

[That gets a big, wide grin from Alfie; he loves it when Royce tries baking bread, especially if it's at all similar to or inspired by his own.]

I love it.

[He says, before he even takes his first bite.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce smiles, despite himself. Alfie's happiness at Royce trying at all is nice to have, regardless of whether or not the bread tastes good. Royce nudges him a bit, and then settles on the mattress, finishing off his bread. ]

You'd like it even if it was burnt hard as a rock.

[devoutish]

I would.

[He agrees, totally talking with his mouth full here. Chew, chew, chew, swallow.]

It's a bit burned, that's all. It's delicious.

[bywolves]

Don't know what went wrong with this one. I put it in for the same amount of time as I usually do. [ Huff. But - he eats without complaint, and - after, he'll change his clothes into something less waterlogged. He'll toss Alfie his clothes, too, before laying down on the mattress. ]

[devoutish]

[And he'll change too, drying himself off the best he can. Salt water, he knows from experience, will give his skin sore spots if he leaves it there for too long. Dropping his wet, sandy clothes on top of Royce's, he makes his way over to the mattress, carefully brushing the sand off his feet before he climbs onto it.]

Amazing that this is the same one from Norfinbury.

[He murmurs, running a hand over it.]

We truly did clean it well.

[bywolves]

Mm. [ Royce says, sinking down into it, and the blanket he brought. He feels much better than he did, thankfully. ] It's served us well. One of the really useful things we brought with us.

[devoutish]

Mm, yeah. But all the same - it feels strange, to use it now.

[bywolves]

Yeah.

We could build an actual shack out here. Instead of using this.

[devoutish]

We could. Meulin put one up on one of 'em.

[bywolves]

I don't think it'd be that hard. We can do it together.

[ A pause. ] But for now - let's nap. [ And he offers Alfie some of his blanket. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie mmphs, and steals a bit more than he's been offered. Gimme.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce grumbles in return, doing his usual - he practically worms his way underneath Alfie, since Alfie's so insistent on taking the blankets. ]

[devoutish]

[Whatever, they both know he was going to do that anyway. Alfie is happy to doze off on top of him, letting both the warm sun and the cooling breeze lull him to sleep.]

[bywolves]

[ It's not even a surprise at this point. He hums soft, and soaks in the sun as he naps, tangled up. Like he usually does when he sleeps like this, he barely dreams, just rests, quiet and easy. It makes it easier to prepare for later, for the worst of his memories.

He'll sleep for a few hours, until the sun starts to tilt down in the sky, the Meadous sleepily making its way to evening. When he does wake up, it's slow and easy. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie, for his part, is still mostly conked out. The only part of him that's moving is his fingers, which are splayed out on Royce's arm. Slowly, they curl and uncurl, lightly gripping his sleeve and then letting go.]