[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

[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?

[empireofrats]

[At first, Emily gets a shy and secretive smile, but then she can't contain the giggling even though she puts her hand over her mouth. It's funny because, to her, Royce is old, and he is most certainly grumpy.] No. [MAYBE.]

You both just have serious faces. [Carefully, she starts drawing a man with short, dark hair and black eyes.] The Outsider doesn't have a serious face all the time. [She gives him a little V of a smirk.] That's what he looks like. [Then she draws another man in a blue jacket with brown hair. Surprisingly, she gives him a smiling face. To her, he would always smile.] That's Corvo, the Lord Protector.

[Beside Corvo, she draws a woman this time, hair brown and pulled back, shoulders covered by a white collar.] That's Callista. She was my caretaker at the Hound Pits.

[bywolves]

[ He's not offended, at least! He just snorts vaguely when she says no and watches her draw for a moment, easing down into the couch. Each one of the people Emily draws gets stored away - Royce will remember their names and what they look like.

He doesn't speak up, but he draws his own stuff. Really sketchy, almost stick figure versions of Hadrian, in his armor with his yellow hair. Arista, redheaded in a dress with purple scribbled around her hands. Gwen, with her long black hair and a very small smile on her face.

He'll explain should Emily ask, but mostly he just smiles to himself. ]

[empireofrats]

[You bet your Aragorn ass she is going to ask.

But first, she watches Royce's face out of the corner of her eye. He's smiling to himself. It isn't a huge grin, but it's there, a smile. She glances down at the picture. Royce knows more people than she thinks most people give him credit for.

Gwen has more effort, more detail, so she assumes that must, in fact, be Gwen.] Are those your friends? [She reaches just far enough to point near Hadrian first since he's closest.] Who's this?

[bywolves]

[ He's surprised how easy this is to talk about. ]

Hadrian. [ He adds more detail. Three swords. A medallion around his neck. It makes him miss him, and Royce would be more annoyed by that if it wasn't for the fact that he's had twelve years to get over himself in that regard. Hadrian is the closest thing to a brother he has, and being away from him this long is actually sort of strange. ] My partner.

[empireofrats]

Hadrian. [Testing the name on her tongue so she can remember.] You work together. [It isn't a question so much as a simple statement.] I like him. He looks strong. He has three swords. He must know how to fight really well.

What kind of work do you do?

[bywolves]

Best swordfighter I know. [ He glances at Emily, watching her mildly. He wonders how she'll take this next bit: ] We're thieves. For-hire thieves.

[empireofrats]

[She gets a brief, faint smile.] Like Corvo. [Best swordfighter she knows.

Then her expression flickers, confused.] So you steal things? Like a pirate?

[bywolves]

I steal things. [ He confirms. ] On land. So no. Not like a pirate. Like a thief.

[empireofrats]

So like a land pirate. [ :D ]

Why do you steal things? Do you steal from good people or bad people? You said people hire you to steal things? Does it matter what they want you to steal? Does Hadrian help beat up people that try to arrest you for stealing?

[bywolves]

[ ... Alright, like a land pirate. ]

Because I need the tenents to feed myself. Both. Yes. No. Yes. [ Have fun with those answers. ]

[empireofrats]

[It's okay. She got all of that. :)] I see. [Surprisingly, she seems less upset and more curious. Naturally.] Have you ever not been able to steal something?

[bywolves]

[ She keeps up just fine, which Royce appreciates. He thinks about that last question, tilting his head back. ] No. Not if the job was what it was supposed to be.

I stole something once, and then put it back. I don't know if that counts.

[empireofrats]

[That makes her giggle. Royce is a thief... who stole something and put it back. Wow.] Really?

That's silly. Because you're a thief. Why would you steal it and then put it back again? Aren't you supposed to keep what you stole?

[bywolves]

That's what I told the person who hired me. [ Royce says dryly. ] He insisted that he'd just wanted to borrow the book, and that I had to put it back. With Hadrian as my partner.

[empireofrats]

[She looks like she wants to giggle again. Tries her best not to giggle at Royce's misfortune.] But you put it back. You and Hadrian returned it. [She knew you were Good People.] It's because you can decide whether to be a good thief or a bad thief.

[Her pointing moves this time from Hadrian to Arista.] Who's this? And-- [She points toward Arista's hands.] Why does she have funny gloves?