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 scrunches up a little - it always feels good to hear. It's always a little too much and he thinks it'll probably continue to be that way. But he likes it. ]

Okay. [ He says, sort of floundering a bit for a response, coming up blank. He should reply with love you too but he's thrown off by the proud of you. A beat, and Royce turns a bit to wrap an arm around Alfie's neck to hug him. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie hugs back, loosely, his arms around Royce's back.]

Yeah. That you're doing this - that matters to me.

[bywolves]

I don't care if it's the right thing or not. [ Royce says, simply. ] I'm not looking for congratulations. They - the girls.

[ He pauses. ] Did I ever tell you how Medford House came to be?

[devoutish]

I'm not saying it to flatter or because I think you're looking for congratulations. This isn't about being a hero, I know.

[He feels the same way.]

Tell me about Medford House.

[bywolves]

[ He nods. He knows. ]

There was a tavern and whorehouse called the Hideous Head. A few girls worked there, and the owner, Raynor Grue, didn't take care of them. He rented them out and didn't mind if the goods came back damaged. Or dead. [ His voice is tight, here. ] So one of the girls left. And she took all the other girls with her.

[devoutish]

Mm. And they founded Medford House?

[bywolves]

Yeah. Gwendolyn DeLancey and the rest of the Medford girls built a house all on their own. They traded for the materials to put it up. And Grue - Grue. He didn't like that they were getting more business than him.

He didn't lift a finger when Simon Exeter, High Constable of Melengar, came to Medford House to beat the hell out of her for information. Looked like Medford House was going to be done for.

[devoutish]

She was beaten?

[Fucking excuse him.]

[bywolves]

Mm.

[ Royce's voice is cool and quiet and collected. ]

A few days later, Simon Exeter was found strung up in the town square, eyes, ears, and several fingers missing, with a notice pinned to his chest, addressed to the entire city. Those who followed his example would suffer the same fate. And to make that point clear, Raynor Grue was found, also, in the next Quarter over.

[devoutish]

Was this done by you, mate?

[Alfie approves, honestly]

[bywolves]

Nobody knows that it was. Except Hadrian. Gwen. You, now.

[devoutish]

Did he beg and scream for his life?

[Alfie closes his eyes, picturing it.]

[bywolves]

Yeah. [ Royce murmurs. ] He begged. He said he had an important job to do. He said he was a noble. You can't just kill a noble, he said, and expect to live.

I told him he shouldn't have touched Gwen.

[devoutish]

And he died. And you lived.

[He brushes Royce's hair away from his face.]

[bywolves]

I lived. [ But not Gwen and her girls, not forever. Royce goes quiet. ]

[devoutish]

Royce.

[He brushes his fingers against his cheek.]

You'll free them, mate.

[bywolves]

I'm going to try. [ And that's more than he used to offer, for anybody. ]

[devoutish]

It sounds like you're doing well. And if there's anything more that I can do, if they need more color--

[bywolves]

I think we'll be alright. [ Royce says, closing his eyes. ] I should still be in there. Doesn't seem right that Dia has to spend her night on the floor in chains while I...

[ :c make him stop caring this much, alfie ]

[devoutish]

Nope. No, you rest for a bit. You can't do anything for them if you don't take care of yourself first.

[bywolves]

[ Yeah, he knows. He sinks into Alfie's side, relaxed. ]

Yeah. Cold got too be too much. [ He's stopped shivering, at least. ]

[devoutish]

Yeah. And you'll sleep later, as well?

[bywolves]

Yeah. Going to be hard to avoid.

[devoutish]

[Alfie hmmms, satisfied with that answer.]

Have you been to see Noc at all?

[bywolves]

Once. It was brief, just to ask her what colors she needed, but then everybody was visiting her so I thought I'd take my color elsewhere. Why?