[log] I have no song lyrics for this [closed]

[devoutish]

Characters: Alfie Solomons, Claire Temple, Emily Kaldwin, Peter, Royce Melborn, Tifa Lockhart
Location building 169
Date: evening of 178
Summary: these people are a mess
Warnings: n/a; will edit if anything comes up

This building is an arts and crafts store--it's still possible to find colored paper, fabric, scissors, and the like if you look carefully. The scent of glue, wood, and fabric still clings to the walls. There isn't too much here, but there is a small back room with a bathroom and a place to sit down. The back area is much darker than the front, as its buried in snow outside. The walls of the building seem to be holding, though.

Comments

[bywolves]

[ Royce is fidgety and buzzing as it is, but tonight, with extra strangers, with someone he actively doesn't trust, and someone he doesn't know at all, he's even worse. As high up as he can manage to go, he's going to go. If there's any sort of bookcase or shelving unit he can pull himself up into, that's where he goes, hiding in the shadow as much as he can.

And if not, he'll be in the back room, in the dark, jammed up in a chair he's pulled to the corner of the room, wrapped in a blanket. If anybody comes to the back room to explore or find him, they'll get Royce hissing get out from the back corner. He has claimed this entire room. FIGHT HIM. ]

[devoutish]

It's me.

[Alfie assumes that "get out" won't apply to him, so he shuffles in and closes the door behind him.]

Big group, innit.

[bywolves]

[ It applies a little bit, but he's not going to stop Alfie from coming in. He curls up more tightly, fingers tapping out a sharp rhythm against his thigh. ]

Yes. I don't like it. The boy is looking more and more like a target to shove a shiv into and I don't like the nurse. [ He sounds very agitated. ] Not that you care. I just can't keep myself from talking.

[devoutish]

[He makes a little huffing sound.]

I care. I'm still getting a read on the boy.

[bywolves]

He makes a point of distancing Emily from us. Peter says. Peter says adults won't let kids do anything. Peter says he is looking for monsters.

[devoutish]

Mm, yeah. But I'd like to figure out if he's malicious or just an idiot.

She knows they're bad plans, in her heart of hearts.

[powersouls]

[Tifa spends some time looking for Royce and finally finds him up on top of one of the shelves. For a second, she looks a little flabbergasted, and then she sighs, crossing her arms.]

Royce, get down from there. What are you doing?

[bywolves]

[ She can't see his face because of his cloak, but he's giving her a look. ] No. I can see everything from up here. I'm not going to sleep anyway, I may as well take a vantage point that allows me to watch for break-ins.

[powersouls]

[Tifa lets out a long-suffering sigh, stares up at him for a moment, and then starts to climb the shelf herself. She's not nearly as graceful at it as he is, but she manages to scramble up, then pull herself onto the top to sit next to him.]

[bywolves]

[ Excuse you. Don't climb up here, he didn't say that's okay. Royce stares at her, annoyed, and moves just enough so that they're not touching. He has had enough touching for a while. ]

What, exactly, is this accomplishing?

[powersouls]

I wanted to sit next to you. Stop acting like that's so surprising. You know me by now.

[Gosh, Royce!]

[late]

[nursetemple]

[Claire took her time to decide on exactly what she was going to say to Royce, after her conversation with Alfie. He was gone to talk with Tifa, as far as she was aware, and so Claire took her chance, slipping into the backroom that Royce had claimed as his own.

The hiss didn't really make her retreat. She stayed at a distance from him, hands held up in front of her. He wasn't a spooked animal she was trying to calm down, but she wanted to show him she came entirely in peace.]

Hi, Royce. I just wanted...look, I know you don't like me, and I'm not here to try and change your mind. But I did have a question for you.

[bywolves]

[ All these people just ignoring him when he wants to be left alone! It's - just like home, actually. Amazing. Royce stays where he is, staring at her. His expression is hard to make out from under the hood. ]

What do you want?

[nursetemple]

[Well, at least he's not pushing her out, and he's letting her ask. That's something.]

Well. You're Alfie's friend, you obviously care for him. I also like him. I think he enjoy both of our companies, so I'm thinking...while I'm here, would you be okay with civility? For his sake?

[She buries her hands in her coat pockets, shrugging.]

I'm only going to be around for a few days, you don't have to worry about me sticking around too long.

[bywolves]

I haven't done anything to you. [ So that counts as being civil, right? Royce pulls his blanket closer. ] It isn't my decision how long you stay, so I don't care. Do whatever you want.

[nursetemple]

[Stumbling upon these people had not been part of Claire's plan. Meeting up with Alfie, yes, maybe, at some point - he'd offered, after all. But Alfie comes with Royce, Tifa, Emily.

It doesn't take a genius to get that Royce is not very happy that she's here, but there isn't anything she can do about it. She's too old to care that some guy doesn't like her. Still, it's intriguing that Alfie would willingly travel with him at all times, and she can't help but ask - walking over to Alfie in the evening, and pointing a thumb to the backroom, that Royce has claimed for himself.]

Is he always like this, or is it just because of me?

[devoutish]

He doesn't like big groups.

[Before Norfinbury, six people would never have been a big group to Alfie. Six people is small. Six people is nothing. But now, it's enough to make him nervous too, even though he's hiding it more than Royce is.]

But he is also always like this, a bit. Yes.

[nursetemple]

Hm. [Part of her wonders - is it big groups, or is it just groups not involving only the people he wants to be involved? Which might still only be the three people he was traveling with.]

Should I speak to him? Tell him I mean no harm?

[She doesn't think it would help much, from experience, but it wouldn't hurt, either. Might ease future interactions.

Claire leans against the wall, taking the stupid beret she found off. It smells awful, and this place is bad enough as it is, she doesn't need to smell like mold on top of it all.]

Anyway, I didn't think...hi. It's nice to meet you in the flesh.

[devoutish]

I honestly think he would not care.

[He'd told Alfie that he disliked her, after all, and he knows they've barely - if ever - spoken.

He nods at her greeting, tipping the hat that he's still wearing to her.]

If only it were in better circumstances, eh? Have you found warm enough clothes?

[nursetemple]

[She sighs. Well, that confirms it.]

Yeah, I didn't think it would amount to much. Your advice is for me to leave it alone, then?

[She can do that, after all. She is under no obligation to try and make nice with Royce, especially if he's not going to play ball. She, simply, doesn't care enough for any of that.]

Better circumstances would be nice. [She smiles at Alfie, her fingers twitching a little, and she has to ball them up in a fist not to reach out to touch his beard lightly. Instead, she looks down at her hands.]

Found this scarf and hat, but they smell extremely bad. Can't use the scarf to cover my mouth and nose when traveling, the smell is too awful. Still don't have any gloves.

[devoutish]

[When people are mostly settled down and Tifa can be found on her own, Alfie approaches, lifting a hand to get her attention.]

Let's talk.

[powersouls]

[Tifa's already a little keyed up from her talk with Royce, unfortunately, so she frowns when Alfie approaches. She knows what this is about.]

Okay.

[devoutish]

[Look at that frown. He feels the love, Tifa.]

I am running myself into the ground?

[He raises an eyebrow.]

[powersouls]

[Tifa sighs, tugging on the end of her braid.]

No. I was just frustrated.

[devoutish]

With me, yeah? Not just with him.