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

[bywolves]

Don't know. Maybe. Haven't asked. Just think it hasn't occurred to it to give the creatures it's putting down here a survival instinct.

[ Which is why it's not reassuring. ] You can still lead them to traps, but it's easier just to pick them up and kill them. Or shoot them.

[devoutish]

Poor little tyke.

[Spotting another one about thirty feet away, Alfie levels his pistol and takes aim.]

Step back a bit, will you?

[bywolves]

[ Royce puts the rabbit down back into the bushes. It won't go far, and even if he can't find it again, there's been... a lot of woodland creatures, lately. After all the cupcake shenanigans.

He steps back from Alfie, curiously watching the gun. ]

[devoutish]

Are you far back enough? I don't know how much space you'll need--

[bywolves]

Why do I need to be far back?

[devoutish]

The noise? I dunno. It's loud.

[bywolves]

It'll be fine. [ Probably. He takes another step back and stuffs the cloth in his ears. ] Need to be able to see what you're doing if I'm going to learn how to shoot it.

[devoutish]

[And so Alfie takes aim again, waits a moment, and then pulls the trigger.]

[bywolves]

[ It's a learning lesson for both of them, really. It's loud. Louder than Royce is expecting. He's seen and heard explosions, but nothing like the short, angry sound of a gun going off.

With his overly sensitive ears, it hurts, even through the cloth. Royce flinches sharply and takes a step back, hitting a tree a little hunched over as his hands come up to cover his ears. ]

[devoutish]

[The rabbit is hit and dead in one clean shot, the force of the impact making it spin and then drop. Alfie looks to Royce first, though, and when he sees the state he's in he tucks the gun away and heads over immediately.]

Hey.

[bywolves]

[ Royce rubs at his ears, face pained, ears ringing. He can't - hear anything, not even the hey, and he looks vaguely panicked at the notion. ]

[devoutish]

Royce.

[He doesn't try to pull Royce's hands away from his ears, but he takes ahold of his wrists, looking pretty concerned himself.]

[bywolves]

I can't -- [ It's muffled, and he can't quite hear himself, but he's not completely deaf. Thank everything. Royce drags in an unsteady breath, head throbbing and heart thudding away in his chest. Terrifying. Guns are - guns are bad. ]

[devoutish]

Royce, you're scaring me.

[He gives his wrist a squeeze.]

Are you gonna be all right? Do you need a doctor?

[bywolves]

[ A beat, as he tries to read Alfie's lips to fill in what he can't understand. ]

I'm - I can't hear. [ He says, a little louder than he means to. His breath shudders. ] Everything is muffled.

[devoutish]

It'll go away.

[He leans closer, and raises his own voice.]

I've seen this; I've had this. It doesn't last.

[bywolves]

[ He pulls a hand away from his ear to hold onto Alfie's wrist - he's trembling a little. ]

Yeah. [ He says, unsteady. Sorry, Alfie, he's staring at your mouth. ] Okay. I - okay. I wasn't - expecting it to be that loud.

[devoutish]

Packs a punch, doesn't it.

[He rests their foreheads together.]

You need to be careful. Bombs are louder.

[bywolves]

It's not - is it not like this for you? [ He figures he's suffering more because of his sensitive hearing. Royce presses his forehead against Alfie's, trying to settle his heartrate down. ]

[devoutish]

Not this bad, no. Listen - I can take you to Watson.

[bywolves]

No. [ Royce says sharply. ] You said it'll go away. He's not going to be able to do anything about it.

[ His grip tightens on Alfie's wrist. ]

[devoutish]

Yeah, but I don't know if it's different for elves.

[bywolves]

Yes, because Watson has plenty of experience with working with elves. [ Scowl. ]

[devoutish]

If it doesn't go away in ten minutes...

[He trails off.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce lets go of Alfie to rub at his ears, slowly calming down. ]

Did you kill it? [ He asks, still talking too loud. ]