[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]

Is what it?

[devoutish]

You're still fucking angry about me going off with somebody else.

[bywolves]

Don't assume everything is about you.

[devoutish]

You make it very fucking hard not to sometimes.

[bywolves]

[ That gets Royce to actually look up at Alfie. What does that mean, he wonders, and his expression basically asks the question for him. ]

[devoutish]

Yeah. I've seen you in these moods, and I've gotten to know what causes them. You think I have wronged you in some way.

[And he doubts Royce will admit it out loud.]

[bywolves]

Arrogance doesn't much suit you. I thought you were smarter than to assume you know what anybody thinks for sure. [ Royce will not admit it out loud. It twists up in his chest. ]

[devoutish]

I thought you were smarter than to mistake an educated guess for an assumption.

[bywolves]

[ Ow. That stings. ]

Apparently not.

[devoutish]

You are not gonna be able to stop me from spending time with people you dislike. You're just gonna have to fucking deal with it.

But I am coming back.

[bywolves]

[ Resentfully: ] It has nothing to do with you spending time with her. I'm not a jealous child.

[devoutish]

Then by all means, tell me what the real reason is.

[bywolves]

[ He can't. He can't quite pinpoint why he's angry about this and it's immensely frustrating. Part of it, he knows, is because he can't trust that this is going to keep being beneficial for either of them. But that can't be all, right? There's something else, there's something that's digging at him and he's almost anxious about it.

He's waiting. Waiting for the other shoe to drop, indefinitely. Waiting for the fall of the roller coaster and never quite hitting it.

He fumes in silence for a good minute, folding his arms. ]

Get it over with already. [ He says, finally, very pointedly not looking at Alfie. ]

[devoutish]

It is about Fiona. It fucking is.

[Royce is so obvious he could scream.]

[bywolves]

It's not about her specifically. [ Royce snaps. ] You're letting yourself walk right into an area where the Joker might be because of some woman you barely know. You're not an idiot, so stop acting like one.

[devoutish]

[And there it is.]

The Joker is to the south. I don't know his exact location, but he's near the tunnels, if not in them.

[bywolves]

And what's stopping him from coming back this way? [ And even past that: ] Watson and Fiona aren't worth the detour. You're wasting time.

I'm going to move to Kesara's tunnel because at least that has some chance for me to get out of this damned place. I've already been set back twice. It won't happen again.

[devoutish]

Whether I personally am at the tunnel is not going to make a bit of difference in whether we get out. I'm not holding anything back by delaying my visit now. I wasn't holding anything back when I delayed it to go pick you up.

[bywolves]

[ That last part gets some claws in. Royce drags in a breath slowly. ]

You shouldn't have. You should have kept moving. I would have caught up. [ And now he feels like an idiot. Because no, it won't make a difference if Alfie is there to Norfinbury, but it makes a difference to Royce. ]

[devoutish]

Ahval.

[That's why he went back for him.]

[bywolves]

[ That makes him flinch. His shoulders hunch up around his ears and he sinks further into his hood. Maybe he was wrong. He doesn't like being wrong, he doesn't like feeling unsure of himself. ]

[devoutish]

And about the Joker, right - I plan to be careful around him, and I plan to avoid him. But I fucking refuse to inconvenience myself because of him.

[bywolves]

[ Royce doesn't know what else to say. He hears what Alfie has to say to him, but his main instinct, at the moment, is to run away. He wants to duck outside and just move, leave so he can take a few hours to sort through things mentally.

But Alfie is between him and the door, and he doesn't know if he can slip out without getting scolded, which he's so tired of hearing. So quiet he stays, looking down and away. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie grunts, frustrated.]

Fucking hell. Give me some credit, will you?

[bywolves]

[ He makes a huffy, irritated sound. As annoyed as he can possibly say it, like it's not important or significant: ] I give you plenty. I just don't want you to leave.