[log] a couple of setbacks later [closed]

[bywolves]

Characters: Royce Melborn, Alfie Solomons, Tifa Lockhart, Emily Kaldwin
Location: Building 50 (bonus Building 44)
Date: night of Day 142 (plus, bonus Day 144)
Summary: Reunion log!
Warnings: Will update as necessary!

A standard two-story house with an attic. The first floor has a kitchen, living room, and dining room, while the second floor has two bedrooms and a bathroom. The entire house has been done up inside in Victorian style--it probably cost quite a lot of money, and no detail is spared. The color scheme is a bit dark, though, and it's difficult to see in here during the night. "ALPHONSE ELRIC, DAY EIGHT, TRAVELLING EAST" and "ALPHONSE ELRIC, STEPH BROWN, MAMI TOMOE, FREYA CRESCENT, EDWARD ELRIC, DAY TWENTY-FOUR, TRAVELLING WEST" have been carved into the hallway wall. "ALPHONSE ELRIC, EDWARD ELRIC, GREED, DAY SEVENTY-FIVE, TRAVELLING SOUTH-WEST. DEAR FORMER RESIDENT, WE ARE FRIENDS, PLEASE DO NOT FEEL YOU NEED TO HIDE FROM US. CONTACT LELRIC." has been written on the wall. Written on the wall in blue ink is the following: "This is Building 80 on the composite map. Contact @CaptSteveRogers for details." Underneath is a pretty accurate map showing the house in relation to the south and west snow walls, the school and athletic shed, the funeral home, and buildings 34, 35, 37, 39, 40, 41, 46, 47, 48, 49, 53, 57, 58, and 59. The snow wall is labeled "Snow wall." House 58 is labeled "Entrance to ice tunnels." The school is labeled "School. Food available in cafeteria; DO NOT STAY HERE OVERNIGHT." The athletic shed is labeled "Shed". The funeral home is labeled "UNSAFE; DO NOT STAY HERE OVERNIGHT." House 34 is labeled "Medical assistance; hot, clean water. Contact Dr. Epps @claytonator".

Comments

[bywolves]

[ She's close enough that Royce can see her drawing clearly. He's - torn. Because it is sort of amusing, the way she sees him. But it's annoying, in the same vein, because he doesn't need to get attached further. He really should cut this off.

Royce knows it won't happen, though. Alfie and Tifa won't send a little girl out on her own into the snow, and he figures he owes her after she dragged him all the way here. He doesn't know what he can do or what he's willing to do, but. He keeps it in mind.

As she's getting closer to the end of her drawing, he speaks up, low and tired. He's draped over the couch arm, and he hasn't moved in a while - would've been easy to assume he was asleep. ]

Is that me?

[empireofrats]

[Hi, Royce.

Like any non-Royce trained person, Emily assumed he had been sleeping. Which is all right. She knows he needed some rest, like Corvo after a mission. Besides, drawing keeps her focused and busy.

Pausing, she looks up, then smiles.] Yes. [She points to the hooded figure.] That's you. [Then to the small one.] That's me. I have the shoes and mittens. I'm telling you about the whales. Remember? [She probably said so much, though, Royce just slowly began to filter it out.]

You have a mad face because you're dizzy. But you have a mad face a lot. Do you always have a mad face? [She peers up at him expectantly.] Corvo doesn't have a mad face, but he has a serious one a lot. He would only have a happy face when he saw me or my mother.

Is there someone that gives you a happy face?

[bywolves]

[ "Do you always have a mad face?" What a question that is.

Royce can't keep up with all these questions, but he does keep up with all the information. She might be surprised at what he remembers, what he picked out of what she told him. He's interested, in a distant sort of way - it made the walk less miserable, anyway, having that distraction. He thinks about what he wants his answer to be, and then nods. ]

Yes. She isn't here. [ Solemn, quiet. ] I don't always have a mad face.

[empireofrats]

It's okay if you always have a mad face. [Her half smile is reassuring.] You were still a nice person to me. Most of the time, I can tell when people aren't nice. Like the nasty Spymaster.

And Corvo use to wear a mask. It looked like a skull. He had to hide his face because of Mother's death. Everyone was scared of him, even the people at the Hound Pits. They thought he was scary and mean, but he isn't. He's a nice man.

I think the lady that gives you a happy face knows this, too.

[bywolves]

[ Stop!!! That is far... far too close to home than he really cares for. ]

I'm not a nice person. [ He doesn't think he is, anyway, and with what he does to other people, nice probably doesn't quite fit. ] Or a nice man. You're going to hear plenty of people say that.

[empireofrats]

I don't care what they say. You've been nice to me. Even the nicest looking men turned out to be double-crossers, and they were mean. [Maybe she should start giving him a smiling face in pictures now.] Will you tell me about the lady that makes you happy?

Is she your wife?

[bywolves]

[ Royce just stares at her for a long moment. Is he going to tell her? What's she going to do with it? Is it worth it? Is there any harm that Emily can with the knowledge of who Gwen is? He's not sure. ]

Not yet. [ Royce says quietly. He says it low enough that he thinks Tifa and Alfie won't be able to hear. Not that they can't know, it's just. He doesn't like to speak so candidly about her here. ] We're engaged. If I manage to get back, I'm going to marry her.

[ If. His heart hurts a lot, missing her, but he keeps it mostly off his face. ]

[empireofrats]

We'll get back. And then you should do that. I asked Corvo when he was going to marry my mother, but then he'd get all quiet and not say anything. So then I asked if he'd marry me instead, and he just said I was silly.

[For a moment or two, she watches Royce, then goes back to the paper, idly filling in some spots.] What does she look like? Is she really pretty?

[bywolves]

[ It takes him a while to reply. Dying and coming back has made him realize just how much he had to lose. Royce closes his eyes and swallows hard. ]

She's beautiful. [ His voice is very soft, now. ] She lights up the room when she walks in. Everything is warmer, when she's around.

[empireofrats]

She sounds like a nice lady. Corvo told Mother she was beautiful. [Just so Royce won't feel so embarrassed about admitting it.] I heard them once when they thought no one was listening.

Are you going to have a family? What's her name? [She looks back up, interested. Not in babies necessarily, but in Royce's decisions.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce isn't exactly sure why he's allowing this sort of talk, but. He just lets it happen. If she does something with it, he'll deal with it then. ]

Gwen. [ Royce says, closing his eyes and resting against the couch. That makes it easier. ] She wants children. Already has names picked out. I'm not against the idea.

[empireofrats]

Gwen is a pretty name. [She smiles. She would like to meet Gwen, she thinks!] If you have children, do you want a boy or a girl?

[bywolves]

[ Gwen would adore Emily, let's be real. ] I don't know. [ He doesn't even know how to talk to people let alone raise a child. ] One of both.

Do you get to pick who you're going to marry? [ Not so much that he cares as much as he just wants to not talk about himself, really. ]

[empireofrats]

[It works. Emily is just curious enough to enjoy chatting about anything that isn't "boring."] Yes. But I'm not going to marry anyone, especially a boy. They have cooties.

[She smiles just a little bit. Royce is definitely a boy with cooties.] Besides, I don't want to get married. I want to go to other places and learn to fight.

[bywolves]

[ Pfft. Cooties. Royce watches her, vaguely amused. ]

What makes you think you can do that? [ It's not mean! He's mild. Curious to see what her answer is. ]

[empireofrats]

I'm Empress, so I can do anything. [Alfie said so, too.] That means I don't have to get married.

Mother didn't get married either.

[bywolves]

You do make the rules. [ Royce says wryly. ] You'd make a more effective ruler without marriage, I think.

[empireofrats]

Yes, because boys have cooties.

[bywolves]

Mm. You're right. Deadly disease. Worse than plague.

[empireofrats]

Worse than the plague. [She manages a weak smile. After a moment or so, she lifts the paper.] Will you draw with me?

Mister Solomons did.

[bywolves]

[ There's a pause. ] I'm not any good at that. [ It's not a no, and he's already moving a little, preparing himself to try and sit up. ]

[empireofrats]

[It's not a no, and that's all Emily needs honestly. In case he's still a lot dizzy, she climbs to her feet and brings him paper and a pen and markers.] I'm not good either, but I like to draw.

Mister Sokolov says you get better at drawing if you practice all the time.

Um, how about I draw you something, and you draw me something? Like what Mister Solomons and I did.

[bywolves]

[ She gives him a direction, which is good. Royce doesn't know how to handle kids or how to go about treating them the age they are, so this is helpful. This gives him a boundary to walk along.

He's not a lot dizzy, but it's enough that he probably needs to stay where he is. He pushes his hair back out of his face and takes the things she gives him. Starts with the pen. ]

Sokolov. Friend of yours? [ He asks, staring at the paper. He'll... start with Emily. He'll draw her, to the best of his ability, which isn't great, but he tries! ]

[empireofrats]

[Good. At first, Emily isn't going to get into Royce's space, but--fuck it. She doesn't want her knees to hurt by sitting on them on the floor and hovering over the seat of the couch. So instead, she climbs gingerly up with Royce, sitting a few inches or so away. Enough to put the markers between them.

See? All good.] No. Well, I guess. He's the Royal Physician. He's also an artist. He's old, and has a big beard, and he's kind of grumpy a lot. He always has a serious face. Like this. [She draws a crude version of him in one corner of her newest paper.

He has a mad face kind of like Royce.]

[bywolves]

[ He tenses out of habit, but... she's been so much in his space the past two days that he can't find it in him to be incredibly bothered. He's too tired to flinch away, so he just lets her. She isn't touching him. It's fine. ]

He has the same sort of face you drew on me. [ Royce points out, raising his eyebrows. ] Are you calling me old and grumpy?