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]

[ Royce comes home one night, looking exhausted and cold, as usual. The Void gets to him more after what happened, but - he's dealing. And Dia helped. His first act as always is to check that Emily is still here, to smooth her hair back and carefully drop a kiss on the top of her head. And his second is to go find soup to eat, and Alfie to curl up against.

He needs warmth. He's missing it. So wherever Alfie is, he'll get Royce shivery and quiet, moving to him and practically crawling into his lap, holding a piece of bread and a bowl of soup. Hi. ]

[devoutish]

[Sup, baby. Alfie has no problems at all with this. He settles Royce closer to him on the couch, dropping a heavy arm around his shoulders and leaning in.]

Not going well down there?

[bywolves]

It's going fine. [ He says, sinking into Alfie's embrace. He sips at his soup. ] Better than fine. Dia is - unlocked.

[ Which is weird to say, but he doesn't know how to phrase it otherwise. Filled sounds gross, and done implies she died, so. ] She has all the color she needs. I'm just cold. Void isn't pleasant.

[devoutish]

Here.

[He snatches a blanket from over the back of the couch and tucks Royce in, careful not to tip over his soup.]

How many are left, then?

[bywolves]

Three, I think. The rest of them. I'm not sure, though. I only really speak to Dia. [ He shifts, trying to get the blanket over Alfie, too. ]

[devoutish]

[He accepts it, wrapping it around both of their shoulders.]

Why only her?

[bywolves]

Nobody else visits her. [ He says into his soup bowl. ]

[devoutish]

Mm. Why not?

[bywolves]

I don't know. She wasn't exactly polite the first time I spoke to her, maybe that's why.

[devoutish]

And why do you like her?

[bywolves]

[ Shrug. ]

I just do. She's no-nonsense. Smart. [ He doesn't look up from his food as he talks. ] She took some of the Nightmare out of me, too.

[devoutish]

Did she. Good.

[He touches Royce's shoulder.]

There's something else, isn't there.

[bywolves]

I don't know what you're talking about. [ what something else ]

[devoutish]

[He nudges his nose into Royce's hair.]

You're sure?

[bywolves]

Are you asking me if there's some other reason why I like her that I'm not telling you?

[devoutish]

No, no. There's something else that's going on; something that's bothering you.

[bywolves]

[ Ugh, he hates that Alfie knows him this well. He also likes it, but. ]

Your cough. [ Royce says, annoyed. ] Your cough is coming back.

[devoutish]

It's not. I'm all right.

[He's coughed a couple of times, maybe, but it's not a regular thing, and he's not worried.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce doesn't answer, sipping his soup. ]

[devoutish]

Royce, if I thought it was anything, I'd go see John about it. I promise you.

[bywolves]

When all of this is over, I want you to go see John. [ Royce says quietly. ]

[devoutish]

All right. We can both have check-ups. Make sure we're recovering well.

[bywolves]

[ Yeah, that's fair. He finishes his soup, and leans forward to put it on the table before settling back down. ]

If it gets worse before then, and I'm not here, tell Zephyr.

[devoutish]

I will.

[He kisses the top of Royce's head.]

Tell me more about what's going on down there?

[bywolves]

[ He nods a bit. ]

Dia's hearts are unlocked. I haven't seen any worms since - since. [ He pulls the blanket closer. ] Noc and Rae are close, I'm sure. I'm putting all my effort into Eve, now.

There are - monsters, now. Brothers, they call themselves. [ His tone is sharper, here. ]