[log] IT'S A MONSTER PARTY [closed]

[devoutish]

Characters: Alfie Solomons, Ecks, Fiona, Francel de Haillenarte, Haurchefant Greystone, John Watson, Tifa Lockhart, Royce Melborn
Location around U4/V4, and then in various houses
Date: evening of 138 through morning of 139
Summary: various merry traveling bands are set upon and scattered by a RUDE AS FUCK anomaly
Warnings: n/a; will edit if anything comes up

Catch-all for EVERYTHING - running from the anomaly, settling in various houses, etc. Top-level and tag as you see fit.

Comments

[devoutish]

I am, yeah. As are you.

[plundering]

[She tips his hat.]

Thanks. I try.

[devoutish]

[He gives her a grin, and opens his mouth to say something back... but then his tablet beeps. It's a message from Tifa.

Immediately after, he calls Royce, then Watson. Only the second gets through. He holds the conversation quickly, and over audio; Fiona can hear it all.]

[plundering]

[Fiona listens, quiet, as the conversations take place, and her expression hardens when she hears John say that Alfie can take out his anger on him. Is he serious? But he is, she knows he is, and he's definitely going to get a talking to about his martyr tendencies later. She can hear that flat tone in his voice, too. He's not doing well.

As for the rest... She can't really say she liked Royce, but she does like Alfie, and she has an idea of how much he cares about Royce. This isn't going to be easy on him, and she isn't exactly well equipped to comfort him or anyone, really. It's hard for her to do with anyone but Sasha. She tries, though. There isn't much she can say, so she reaches out a little awkwardly to touch his arm, instead.]

[devoutish]

[He doesn't protest, or shrug her off. He doesn't do much to acknowledge it either, but it's nice. He's glad she's there.

When he's done with Watson, he sets the tablet aside for a moment before calling Tifa. He lets his head fall back against the wall he's still leaning against, closing his eyes briefly.]

Fucking hell.

[He's frustrated, he's worried, and he's still tired. But he's not surprised. He and Royce had discussed this, or something like it, as a possibility. Royce had known the risks. Men in their lines of work usually did.

God, Alfie hopes he comes back.]

[plundering]

I'm sorry, Alfie.

[It's stupid and inadequate, but she doesn't know what else to say. She sighs, letting her hand drop from his arm.]

Never thought Ecks was the killing type. What are you going to do?

[She believes what he said about not retaliating. It doesn't make any sense to, really, not if Ecks killed Royce as revenge.]

[devoutish]

[He follows her hand with his eyes, then shakes his head.]

Not my fight.

[He'd supported Royce in his choice, and he'd offered him weapons. He'd known what was going to happen. But he hadn't been there, and that had been for a reason. Royce had wanted to do it alone.]

[plundering]

Yeah, I get it.

[She knows how it feels, though, losing someone here, not even knowing if you should let yourself grieve because they might come back. For now, she just stays quiet, figuring she'll let him talk if he wants to. There's no point in empty comfort, or scrambling to think of positives or what-ifs when his friend is dead.]

[devoutish]

[He grunts.]

Minimum is a day, yeah?

[That's how quickly it had taken for him to come back, and in his reading around, he's never heard of anyone coming back sooner. The maximum is more difficult. There doesn't seem to be a maximum.]

[plundering]

Yeah. Seems like it. It can be longer, though.

[Fiona scrubs a hand over her face.]

Weeks. Maybe months, I don't know.

[devoutish]

Yeah, or never, most likely. I've seen the numbers.

[He sounds pretty matter-of-fact, but his deeply furrowed brow betrays his worry.]

Still - first death, yeah? That's the one with the best odds.

[plundering]

[She nods.]

Rhys and Angel came back. How many times has House come back?

[devoutish]

Four? Five?

I came back, myself.

[plundering]

He'll be fine, Alfie. He's got the odds on his side.

[devoutish]

Someone did calculate it once. Revival odds are low - far less than fifty percent.

[plundering]

[Oh, did they? Whoops.]

Give it a couple of days. I bet he'll come back, and you can't let yourself get caught up in "what-ifs" while you wait.

[devoutish]

I'm being realistic. I'm not gonna assume the worst, right, but I'm not gonna lie to myself.

[plundering]

He might not come back, but you can deal with that if it happens.

[devoutish]

Yes.

[He quirks an eyebrow at her.]

Not sure if you're asking or telling.

[plundering]

Telling.

[A beat, and then:]

John wouldn't have let it happen if he could have stopped it.

[devoutish]

[He swallows his irritation at that response, tamping it down - knowing she's not meaning to sound coddling.]

Yeah. I've got experience with this.

John was not responsible here. I'm not blaming him, if you're worrying about that.

[plundering]

I figured you weren't.

[There's another pause, and then Fiona reaches for his hand impulsively.]

Sorry. I'm not good at this.

[devoutish]

[That's a surprise, but it's not an offer he turns down. He takes her hand, giving it a quick squeeze.]

Watson is gonna get himself into trouble with somebody, someday, saying things like that.

[Alfie might not take him up on his offer to take his anger out on him, but someone else might.]

[plundering]

Trust me, I know. I'll talk to him.

[So they're holding hands now, which is... whatever. She's not going to think too hard on it.]

He cares too much. He doesn't get that you can't be like that in a place like this.

[devoutish]

He'lll even care about people that he does not like.

[Which Alfie kind of gets, in a weird way. He's definitely less extreme about it than Watson, and he has a different sort of mindset and reasoning about it, but he's worked with and defended people he dislikes before. He's also screwed over and worked against people that he does like on a personal level. It's not exactly the same as what Watson does, but he can see the parallels, and understand why Watson might do what he does.]