IC contact for wethelost

[devoutish]

Solomons & Melborn
1108 Sweet Cream Street

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[devoutish]

[Alfie plants a hand on each of Royce's shoulders, facing him fully and looking him in the eye.]

I wish I could be up there with you, on the bridge.

[bywolves]

I know. [ Royce says, and maybe his voice breaks a little. Another deep breath. He looks at Alfie from under his hood, eyes glinting slightly in the dark. ] I wish you could be, too. But it would change things. Merrick can't see you or this won't happen the way it did.

[ Saldur shifts uncomfortably behind them. ]

[devoutish]

Go on, then.

[Alfie says, and he leans in to kiss Royce on the forehead, Modina and Saldur be damned.]

I'll be close.

[bywolves]

Okay. [ He breathes out. The forehead kiss is support, is bolstering, and he takes it and holds onto it. Carefully, he turns away from Alfie, and stares across the bridge.

When Alfie's hidden, Royce steps forward. He lights a lantern, and a few moments later, a lantern on the other side lights as well. Merrick stands there, hair slicked back and expression sharp and tense, his hand on Gwen's back. Gwen, in a heavy wool cloak and thick leather boots, a gag in her mouth, watches. Tears stream down her face as she watches Royce across the bridge, and his heart shatters into pieces. He's not sure he can do this. But he has to.

Saldur plays his part - he speaks up, and Royce doesn't hesitate. In fact, he's harsher this time. He digs the blade through Saldur's shoulder deeper than he did before. It won't matter. Tonight, Saldur dies.

Send them across. Merrick orders, and Royce gestures for his captives to move forward. ]

[devoutish]

[It doesn't take Alfie long to find a good hiding spot - he gets himself behind a big tree with a thick trunk, with a good view of both the bridge and the area Royce had indicated that Arcadius would be lurking in. He knows he's going to have to stay very, very still; behind a tree isn't a fool-proof hiding place, and Arcadius - not to mention Merrick - will likely be on the lookout for anything amiss.

Quietly, he waits, watching the scene unfold.]

[bywolves]

[ Alfie will see when Arcadius sets up, quiet, in dark robes that conceal him in the darkness. He's watching, just like Alfie. But they're both human, and they can't see Alfie from the darkness. He's hidden, for now. And he can hear Royce speak, clearly and coldly. ]

You had better match her for pace, Saldur. [ Royce threatens. ] I'm very good with a dagger. You move faster than she does, and you'll be dead in an instant.

[ He remembers this. Doesn't remember all the right words, the exact things he said, but he runs through the same thoughts he'd had the first time. He remembers thinking he could finally have a home. That he could take Gwen and leave, go to Avempartha, never come out again. He'd grow old with her. The wagon was ready, he was ready - he'd been set, it wasn't going to be his problem anymore. He was going to spend the rest of his life with her, and he doesn't know how he ever thought the world would let that happen.

She breaks into a run, and he sprints, like he can get there faster, like he can outrun the crossbow bolt. But he can't. Alfie will see Arcadius hitch the bolt, aim, and fire true.

It hits her, square in the back. Goes straight through her, through her front. A spray of blood coats Royce, his face, his cloak, his hands, stretched out to catch her as she falls, and he knows it's going to happen, he remembers but it doesn't make the anguish hit him any less.

Royce screams. ]

[devoutish]

[None of this is actually happening now, Alfie knows. It's just a memory, it's in the past, and nothing he says or does now can affect it. But all the same, he has to fight to stop himself from running over to Arcadius and snatching that crossbow away from him. From beating him over the head with it. From shooting him through with his own weapon.

His breath catches when the bolt hits home, and when Royce screams, he finds he can't breath at all. But he stays where he is, because what else can he do? He can be there for Royce later. But right now, with this, he knows Royce has to do it alone.]

[bywolves]

[ He brings her down easy, cutting her bindings. She's still tied up, she still had the gag in her mouth and he shot her, how could he, Royce doesn't udnerstand how someone could do something like this. She never needed to be in the middle of this. It's his fault. It's all his fault.

Alfie won't hear most of their conversation, as short as it is. He'll see Royce wipe the blood from her mouth, pulling her into his arms, supporting her head up as she looks at him, gaze fuzzy. ]

Shh - shh, it'll be alright. I'll take care of you. [ Royce's voice trembles over the quiet of the city. Gwen chokes - chokes on her own blood as it trickles down the side of her mouth and Royce wipes it away again, stubbornly. She whispers something to him, and he shakes his head. ]

No. No, don't leave me. Please. I love you. [ His voice breaks, just loud enough to be heard. She coughs, and Royce kisses her forehead, rocking her gently. He's lost - he's forgotten it's not happening, that it's a memory, tucking her hair behind her ear, making sure the blood doesn't soak into it. He can't remember anything, he just knows this is his fault, he did this. Merrick did this. Someone has to pay for this.

She whispers again, voice inaudible from far away, and then - she says, louder, I can't see you, Royce. It's dark, I can't see in the dark like you can, I'm scared --

And then. Silence. There's just Royce whispering to her, forehead pressed to hers as she struggles to breathe, until she can't. Until she doesn't. Until she lets out one last awful, gurgling breath, and goes still.

Across the way from Alfie, Arcadius slips under the bridge, quiet as he can, waiting for his opportunity to get away. ]

[devoutish]

[They hadn't talked about what to do, after, and Alfie isn't sure what Royce wants or expects of him - should he wait? Should he go up to him on the bridge, despite Merrick's presence?

He spots some shifting movement in his peripheral vision, and drops his gaze back down to ground level. There's Arcadius, sneaking away after a job done, and suddenly something just clicks. Decision made, Alfie strides across the grass, headed straight for him.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce loses whatever sense of lucidity that he'd had. He's immersed in the memory, and while he knows it was Arcadius, somewhere, it doesn't matter. He's going to kill Merrick. Merrick has to die. Carefully, Royce stands up, covering Gwen with the cloak, and then walks across the bridge, towards the building Merrick is scrambling through.

Under the bridge, Arcadius fumbles with the crossbow, lips pressed into a thin line. He never wanted to do this, but he had to. So much relies on this. The world cannot end just because of one man's happiness - he hates that that's the truth, the heart of the matter. But the deed is done. And hopefully, Royce will never know.

But then - there's a man, making his way to him, and Arcadius startles, staring. He's too surprised to do anything but watch, and then, sort of weakly: ]

Ah - hello. How can I... [ Help you dies on his tongue, because Alfie's expression actually unnerves him. He stumbles back. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie doesn't bother with a response - not even the sort of caustic, sarcastic Good evening he might have thrown at another gangster at home. Arcadius doesn't deserve banter. He continues charging at him, not breaking his stride until he's close enough to sling a rough arm around the old man's thin body, grab the crossbow from him, and jam a bolt into his throat.]

[bywolves]

[ Arcadius barely puts up a fight - he doesn't have the time to. Alfie grabs him and Arcadius yelps, trying to squirm away, but he doesn't call for help, just starts trying to murmur something - up until Alfie forces a bolt into his throat.

Arcadius stiffens, and then gurgles - and then spasms, slowly choking to death in Alfie's grasp. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie drops him into the mud before he's even gone, tossing the crossbow down next to him. It's no less than he deserves.

Turning away, he starts to slog through the rain towards the bridge. Now it's time for something immeasurably harder than killing a man.]

cw: extreme violence, gore

[bywolves]

[ On the bridge, he'll find Gwen. She's peaceful - if it weren't for the blood, it'd look like she was sleeping calmly under the blanket of cloak. The snow gently surrounds her, and it's - almost beautiful. Macabre, but beautiful.

Across the street from the bridge, there's a warehouse. It's burning, brilliantly. It's the only light source across the street - every street lamp has been shattered. When Alfie arrives, a man lies sprawled on the ground, broken body, leg tendons severed, his fingers gone, having bled to death. Royce is in the process of pulling the heart out of the second man's chest, his arm drenched in blood to the elbow. With impeccable aim, he tosses it up throw the window, with a sickening splat.

And then, not bothering to leave parting words with Saldur, Royce turns, watching the alleyway, the one he knows Merrick is going to try and sneak out of. He takes off sprinting, chasing Merrick down the dark street, back towards the bridge, as Alfie comes up on the other side. ]

Listen to me, [ Merrick pleads, backing away as Royce slowly advances on him. ] Why would I kill her? You know me! Don't you think I knew that she was my protection? Have you ever seen me do anything as stupid as that? Just ask yourself - why would I do such a thing? What would I gain? Think, Royce, think - what reason would I have to kill her?

[ Royce keeps moving. This time, he doesn't have anything to say. Not really. He just smiles, pleasantly. Merrick panics, stumbling backwards as Royce lunges forward, stabbing Alverstone into Merrick's shoulder. Merrick screams, stumbling back as Royce twists the knife, pushes him even closer to the lip of the bridge. Merrick pleads: ]

It doesn't make sense! I would never kill Gwen, I swear to you - I didn't do it! Don't you see? Someone set me up! Just like you were!

[devoutish]

[Goddamn, does Royce work fast.

When Alfie thinks back to this later, he'll remember everything that he's seeing now, but not really paying attention to: the lights, the fire, the bodies. Right now, though, his eyes are locked on Royce. Wiping a spatter of blood of of his chin, he steps up onto the bridge, watching impassively. You do your thing, Royce. Do whatever you need to do to Merrick.]

[bywolves]

[ He'd murder an entire city. Again. He'd set fire to Colnora, he'd erase every single politician and clergyman and merchant, every single man and woman who put what they thought would be the good of the world before the good of his world. He'd destroy all of them in a heartbeat if it meant this never happened. But it did. And he knows it did, and he's so far down in the rabbithole of his memory that nothing matters. The only person he'd ever loved - the only person who had loved him, without asking anything in return - she's dead.

Merrick sobs, and pleads, desperate, you have to believe me.

He doesn't hear Alfie over the roar of the river underneath them. He's lost in this. He just smiles at Merrick, pulling Alverstone slowly from Merrick's shoulder. ]

I believe you. I just don't care.

[ He says, soft - his voice carries, just loud enough for Alfie to hear. And then Royce sinks Alverstone into Merrick's chest, and it's just like before. Royce never told Alfie this part, not in detail. He killed Merrick, and Merrick almost killed him in return - Merrick grabs at Royce as he falls, yanking Royce off the bridge with him. They both go, tumbling off the edge. ]

[devoutish]

[And that's not something that Alfie is going to stand back for. The moment Royce starts to fall, he runs, pounding across the bridge and practically throwing himself over the railing, grasping wildly for Royce's hand.]

Royce!

[bywolves]

[ He's hanging there, staring down at the river below. Four fingers cling to the edge of the Langdon Brdige, feet dangling free. His cloak whips wildly with the wind - there's the spray of water, occasionally. It's cold. The snow keeps falling. He's cold. Too cold and too tired to respond to his name, to Hadrian. How does Hadrian always find him? Hadrian always gets him before its too late.

But it is too late this time. Royce doesn't look up. ]

[devoutish]

Royce!

[He swipes wildly through the air, trying to catch his wrist. He misses the first time, which makes his heart leap into his throat, but he gets ahold of it the second time, wrapping his fingers around it and holding tight.]

[bywolves]

[ That - that voice. He frowns. It doesn't make sense, that's not.. that isn't Hadrian. And this isn't how this goes. Hadrian couldn't reach him, but Alfie does. Alfie.

Royce looks up, startled - tears streak down his face, and for a long moment, he doesn't know what to do, what to say. Alfie. It's not Hadrian. And this isn't real. This already happened.

Hesitantly, Royce brings his other hand up, and clings to Alfie's arm - and then, abruptly, the memory ends.

[devoutish]

[It ends, and Alfie is disoriented in a way that he never has been at the end of a memory. He gasps, sitting up fast in a way that wrenches his back, fingers grasping at nothing in the air in front of him. Royce--]

[bywolves]

[ Royce wakes up similarly - he wakes up and feels like he's falling, like Hadrian - like Alfie, like -- like someone let go. It's a good thing they're not on an actual bed, because he would've fallen off of it. Breathing harshly, Royce reaches for Alfie, tangling his fingers into Alfie's shirt. It's okay, it's alright, he's right here.

God, he'll never get over how real these memories feel. He's reeling. ]

[devoutish]

[The moonlight on the water. The crystals. The stars in the clear sky. They're not in Elan, they're not on a bridge, there's no woman's body lying in the rain behind him.

Alfie presses both his hands over Royce's holding it in place. He croaks:]

Are you all right?

[bywolves]

No.

[ He croaks in return, breathing heaving in. He tries pulling Alfie closer, the connection between them shivery and upset. He's trying to hold back the pain and grief the memory brought back, and failing - it spills over, flooding into Alfie, and a fresh wave of tears drip down Royce's cheeks.

They're not in Elan. Not in Colnora. It happened more than a year ago. ]

[devoutish]

[But he's alive. He's unhurt. Alfie runs his hands over his arms just to make sure, staring down at him hard, trying to force that mental image of him dangling off the bridge out of his mind.

His own side of the connection is a smidge shaky too, but he forces all the comfort and reassurance that he can into it, squeezing Royce against him and exhaling hard into his hair.]

She's in Aria, mate. She's all right.