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

[devoutish]

Oh, he's said that he likes you, sure. But I didn't need him to tell me that; it's obvious enough.

[The bit about the memories gets a more somber reaction, though, and he pauses.]

We'll get through it. Truthfully, I was worried we'd be worse off than we are.

[obeir]

I'm glad he was willing to accept my help, at least. [ He gives Alfie a look that practically says, unlike some people. ] Afterward, I mean. He was still unsteady and I helped him to his quarters. Told him to get cleaned up before you saw him. [ For obvious reasons. Seeing Royce completely covered in his own blood wouldn't have been pleasant for Alfie, he's sure. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie notices that look, but is completely unrepentant in the face of it; sorry, bro.]

Our quarters - we were sharing.

[Because of course they were.]

Ah, but we're used to seeing each other looking a mess, mate. I could have handled it.

[obeir]

[ K didn't honestly expect anything otherwise — from Alfie's unrepentant manner, to the fact they'd shared quarters. Still. He might just wear down Alfie's resolve one of these days and find an opportunity to help. Maybe. ]

I don't doubt you could've. [ Why does it often seem like he's inadvertently insulted Alfie? Whoops. He'd just been trying to be nice! ] He was covered head to toe in blood. Just seemed better not to have him wandering around the station or Meadous like that.

[devoutish]

Yeah. And I'm sure he would have preferred not to, in that state.

[He means both his mental and his physical state, here.]

He's Royce Melborn; he's not used to anyone seeing him out of tip-top shape.

[obeir]

[ K can't help smiling at the latter remark. It rings true. ] You know I don't think I've ever seen him out of that cloak, yet. [ Presumably he even wore it in the space suit. He does seem to like hiding in it. And it's why K continues to tease him about seeming so shady. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie breaks into a fond smile of his own.]

It suits him, though, doesn't it.

[obeir]

It does. First time I met him properly — it was in the woods, I could see his eyes reflecting in the dark. He stayed up in the tree talking to me. [ Something most people might find incredibly rude, but K hadn't minded. He sounds amused by it now, knowing it's just how Royce is. ] Seems to prefer not being noticed.

[devoutish]

[His smile widens even more at that.]

And he's good at it. Up in his fucking trees. Now, the first time I met him--

[He hesitates here, because that's more complicated to pinpoint than one might imagine. They'd met on the network first, and in a dream second, and then--]

Yeah, the first time I met him in person, it was inside a building. We ended up in the same spot for the night, and he wasn't very happy about it.

[obeir]

[ The hesitation is noted with a curious tilt of his head. Given the recent discussions about the Norfinbury memories and related confusion, he's sort of wondering about the integrity of Alfie's memory now. Hopefully needlessly. ]

Because he didn't want to be around other people? [ It's strange to think Royce might have ever not wanted to be near Alfie, considering how inseparable they are now. (Outside of space exploration, anyway.) ]

[devoutish]

Exactly that. And on top of it, I'd learned a bit about him against his will, from a sort of--

[He waves a hand vaguely. There's no real technical term for this that he's aware of.]

You know, a dream-sharing thing; I dunno if you've had experience with those.

[obeir]

I haven't. [ And he'd missed the unveiling of the Remember Tree. The closest approximation he can think of is the ability of androids from his homeworld to interface and share information and memories that way. ] Like... lucid dreaming, or literally entering each other's dreams?

[ That certainly has the potential to be horrifying in any number of ways. ]

[devoutish]

The second. What's lucid dreaming?

[obeir]

Being aware that you're dreaming. I've read that it's possible to gain some control over one's dreams this way. Did you have control like that in the shared dream?

[devoutish]

No more than usual, no.

[obeir]

It's hard to imagine a time when he wouldn't have wanted to be near you. [ It's said lightly. Not everything that happened in Norfinbury was bad. ] That seems to be a common trait among the people from Norfinbury. The closeness.

[ And it's partially why K's been surprised by Alfie and Royce deciding to befriend him; some other Norfinbury survivors have seemed more closed off in ways that make him cautious. ]

[devoutish]

Sure. Hardship and fear breed closeness - I saw it fighting in the war at home, as well. Has Royce told you about that, that I was in a war?

[obeir]

He hasn't mentioned it. [ There's a pause as he debates whether or not it's appropriate to ask about it. The only other veterans he's known have been other androids — forced to fight and die in place of humans. Well, and Bucky and Watson, but he knows barely anything about their experiences. ] To endure that and then Norfinbury... it must have been hard. You've really gone through the wringer.

[devoutish]

Well, I'm no wilting flower; I can handle it.

[He doesn't say it to diminish his own experiences, or the experiences of people who have gone through similar things - he just doesn't like feeling like he's being pitied.]

[obeir]

[ He can't help but be grimly amused by that. ]

You're the last person I'd consider a wilting flower. [ But point made. Alfie isn't inclined to accept help or sympathy, it appears, or at least not from him. ] And I hope you know my offers of help aren't because I think you're incapable of handling it.

[devoutish]

Mmm.

[He nods, accepting that. He doesn't disbelieve K, but--]

Men on my world, we take pride in handling things. We rely on others in all sorts of ways, right; no one is completely independent. But relying on others emotionally - we don't do that, generally, unless we're very, very close.

[obeir]

[ That definitely helps him make sense of Alfie's attitude, at least. ]

So it would be better if I stopped offering? [ He surmises.

Mostly he'd been offering physical help before — like with chores, or whatever manual labour Alfie or Royce might need — but he gets it, and still doesn't take it personally when he's turned down. Maybe his good intentions have been an irritant rather than helpful. ]

[devoutish]

You can offer all you like; it doesn't offend me. Just don't take offense if it's not needed, eh?

[obeir]

I know. And I won't. But if anything ever changes. [ He raises his eyebrows as he tilts his head. The offer's good until it's ever rescinded, in other words. Who knows, there may come a day when the help will be needed. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie gives him a look - one that plays at being stern, but in an amused, fond sort of way.]

Imagine if you and John Watson were to team up. You'd be fucking unstoppable, mate.