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]

Me, too.

[He nudges Royce sideways, trying to lie him down on the bed.]

[bywolves]

[ He goes, curling up. Bear huffs and settles behind Royce, giving him something to lean against. It's reassuring to have something big and warm at his back, protective. The second Alfie's down too, Royce reaches for him, clingy. He can't shake the lonely feeling. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie reaches down to pull off Royce's boots, throwing them both in the corner.]

What else? What else do you need?

[He takes both of Royce's hands in his, rubbing circles over his knuckles.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce's breath trembles. He's not crying, but he's upset, and it's clear. ]

Cold. [ Royce mutters. ] Just stay here. Please. It was - I was alone.

[devoutish]

[He eases himself down and bear-hugs him, jostling Bear just a little as he wraps both arms around Royce. The dog doesn't seem to mind.]

You weren't alone, mate.

[bywolves]

Yeah, I was. [ He shudders. ] I was - it was dark, and cold. There was nothing. Nobody.

[devoutish]

Where? Where were you?

[bywolves]

Down. [ His voice cracks a bit. ] I think they called it the Nightmare.

[devoutish]

[Oh, fuck that. Alfie kisses his cheek.]

You're here with me now, mate. And I'm not going anywhere, I swear it to you.

[bywolves]

Yeah. I know. [ He's pretty sure he's safe here, and - well, Zephyr is in this realm, so he feels better anyway. Still. He tucks his head under Alfie's chin. All he wants is the loneliness to go away. It was invasive. ]

[devoutish]

Yeah.

[Alfie shudders, trying to quell it by pressing closer to Royce. This time, he's the one who seeks out the ring on its twine around Royce's neck, rubbing it between his fingers when he finds it.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce brings his hand up to hold onto Alfie's, when he rubs at the ring. He makes sure Alfie's got hold of it before he does, wanting the connection, and he sighs out soft at the feeling of warmth that soaks into him, finally starting to benefit from everything piled on him. ]

You were right. [ Royce whispers, shoulders up around his ears. ]

[devoutish]

[He presses his lips down against Royce's shoulder.]

About what?

[bywolves]

Not staying in the mines. We shouldn't have.

[devoutish]

You were right, too.

[General rumbles had been pretty common down there, and if they ran from them every time they'd never get anything done.]

[bywolves]

[ He doesn't answer. He's too busy trying to practically climb into Alfie's chest. The closer he is the less alone he feels. And he knows he should talk, he should get it out of his system, but the words aren't enough. He doesn't know how to describe how he feels. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie murmurs to him, quiet unintelligible words that even he, the speaker, would be hard-pressed to translate. They're just noises, really - a way to let Royce know that he's here, he's conscious, he's paying attention. He pulls the blankets closer.]

Do you wanna be in the treehouse instead?

[The treehouse that isn't partway underground.]

[bywolves]

[ He shakes his head. ]

Too open. [ Right now, the lack of space is what he needs. He feels much more at ease being covered, right now, with Bear at his back and Alfie at his front. It was terrifying, being in that place, and he knows he would've lost his mind if he'd been forced to stay down there. He noses into those unintelligible words, letting them wash over him. ]

I owe Strange. [ Royce mumbles. ]

[devoutish]

Nah, you don't. Don't worry about it, mate; we'll bake him some bread or something.

[bywolves]

That's not enough. [ He clutches at Alfie's shirt a bit. ] You don't know what he saved me from.

[devoutish]

I know he would've done the same for anyone.

[bywolves]

[ He swallows hard. Yeah, he guesses that's truth, it's just. ]

... Okay. [ His shivering is starting to ease up, at least. ]

[devoutish]

I'm grateful to him, too.

[He nuzzles closer, mouth against Royce's cheek.]

I honestly am. But I don't want you to worry about this.

[bywolves]

I'm not worried. [ Alfie's close, and how much care Alfie's putting into this warms Royce up, starts at the center of him and radiates outward. ] I just think I owe him more than bread.

[ Which isn't something he's happy about, but. He sighs. ] I'm - I'm okay.

[devoutish]

We'll bake him a lot of bread. Bread as far as the eye can see, mate.