devoutish | IC contact for wethelost

[That gets a big, wide grin from Alfie; he loves it when Royce tries baking bread, especially if it's at all similar to or inspired by his own.]

I love it.

[He says, before he even takes his first bite.]

[ Royce smiles, despite himself. Alfie's happiness at Royce trying at all is nice to have, regardless of whether or not the bread tastes good. Royce nudges him a bit, and then settles on the mattress, finishing off his bread. ]

You'd like it even if it was burnt hard as a rock.

I would.

[He agrees, totally talking with his mouth full here. Chew, chew, chew, swallow.]

It's a bit burned, that's all. It's delicious.

Don't know what went wrong with this one. I put it in for the same amount of time as I usually do. [ Huff. But - he eats without complaint, and - after, he'll change his clothes into something less waterlogged. He'll toss Alfie his clothes, too, before laying down on the mattress. ]

[And he'll change too, drying himself off the best he can. Salt water, he knows from experience, will give his skin sore spots if he leaves it there for too long. Dropping his wet, sandy clothes on top of Royce's, he makes his way over to the mattress, carefully brushing the sand off his feet before he climbs onto it.]

Amazing that this is the same one from Norfinbury.

[He murmurs, running a hand over it.]

We truly did clean it well.

Mm. [ Royce says, sinking down into it, and the blanket he brought. He feels much better than he did, thankfully. ] It's served us well. One of the really useful things we brought with us.

Mm, yeah. But all the same - it feels strange, to use it now.

Yeah.

We could build an actual shack out here. Instead of using this.

We could. Meulin put one up on one of 'em.

I don't think it'd be that hard. We can do it together.

[ A pause. ] But for now - let's nap. [ And he offers Alfie some of his blanket. ]

[Alfie mmphs, and steals a bit more than he's been offered. Gimme.]

[ Royce grumbles in return, doing his usual - he practically worms his way underneath Alfie, since Alfie's so insistent on taking the blankets. ]

[Whatever, they both know he was going to do that anyway. Alfie is happy to doze off on top of him, letting both the warm sun and the cooling breeze lull him to sleep.]

[ It's not even a surprise at this point. He hums soft, and soaks in the sun as he naps, tangled up. Like he usually does when he sleeps like this, he barely dreams, just rests, quiet and easy. It makes it easier to prepare for later, for the worst of his memories.

He'll sleep for a few hours, until the sun starts to tilt down in the sky, the Meadous sleepily making its way to evening. When he does wake up, it's slow and easy. ]

[Alfie, for his part, is still mostly conked out. The only part of him that's moving is his fingers, which are splayed out on Royce's arm. Slowly, they curl and uncurl, lightly gripping his sleeve and then letting go.]

[ He sighs, slow, and then nudges Alfie. ]

Hey. Wake up. [ He murmurs, resting his hand on top of Alfie's. ]

[And Alfie, as always, is going to be hard to wake up. He grumbles, burying down deeper into the blankets.]

Alfie. [ Royce says, fondly exasperated. Gentle shake. ] Should've known better than to let you sleep.

Yeah.

[Half-awake or not, he knows you're right, Royce.]

Are you ready?

[ Royce takes Alfie's hand, squeezing it. ]

Ready.

[ He has the leaf in his pocket, ready to go. He's also nervous - which he lets Alfie feel, quiet and hesitant, creeping up his spine. ]

[Alfie wiggles his arms free and wraps them around Royce, sending reassurance and comfort back.]

Okay.

[ He offers Alfie the leaf, curled into Alfie's side, and then - they go.

Langdon Bridge is actually really pretty. The full moon is bright where it can be seen through the clouds, and the gleam of it makes the Bernum River seem to almost shine. The water of the river practically roars underneath them, a stark contrast to the rest of the district - it's late, and merchants have long left the area for the day, going home to their families, out of the cold and snow that gently settles down over the stone pathway.

Royce and Alfie stand quietly at the edge of the bridge. Behind them, Modina and Saldur stand, wrists tied behind their backs, silent. Royce's fists clench, and from under the darkness of his hood, he orders, hoarse and tense: ]

You need to hide. Merrick can't see you.

[ Saldur looks confused from Modina to Alfie to Royce, as if any of them are going to give him answers. Modina, on the other hand, stands quietly. ]

[Alfie doesn't even spare the other two a glance - this isn't a time for sightseeing or meet-and-greets. Putting a steadying hand on Royce's arm, he says:]

Tell me what I should be looking for.

[That'll help him decide where he should squirrel himself away.]

[ He glances up at the moon - notes the position, knows how much time he has left. He feels sick, like being on the boat all over again. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Maybe he shouldn't have done this to himself. But - but he needs to know. He needs to see it again. And... strangely, he wants Alfie to have seen it too. So he doesn't have to carry it alone.

Deep breath. ]

Arcadius. Skinny old man. He'll - he'll be hiding close by. Over there. [ Royce points in the direction he knows the bolt will come from. His hand shakes. ] I know I can't - I can't ask you this, but I'm going to anyway.

[ Snow starts to fall gently from the sky above. ] I want you to see when it happens. I don't want to be the only one who has this memory. And - but if you can't, that's okay. Like I said. I can't ask you.

I will.

[He says firmly, not letting go of Royce's arm.]

I will see it. Now, about Arcadius - what do you want me to look for, specifically?

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