[log] we wear red so they don't see us bleed [closed]

[bywolves]

Characters: Royce Melborn, Alfie Solomons
Location: Building 141
Date: Day 242, morning
Summary: Both boys are monsters, figuratively and literally.
Warnings: Body horror, possible gore, warnings for other things in subject headers

141: A post office, long-abandoned. There are a few empty white plastic bins where mail was once piled up, and the lobby area is still remarkably clean and polished. The back area isn't locked, so if you like you can go through the back and see the office with its locked safe and the back door that leads to the downtown area. Trees, impossibly tall men, and lots of Ⓧs have been drawn on the walls, along with ball-like things that are made up of tentacles and beaks and death and one circle in green crayon that's been scribbled over in charcoal.

Comments

[bywolves]

[ The monster runs for hours. It loses steam around lockdown, though, and that's about when Royce wakes up, groggy and in severe amounts of pain. He stumbles and falls, hitting the steps up into the musty, ruined house. For a while, he lays there, wheezing, until Gwen crouches down next to him. ]

Get up. [ She says, soft, resting a hand on his shoulder, and then she stands and walks into the house. Royce slowly, slowly drags himself up into the house. He's inside. And the doors lock.

He's bleeding a lot, and he's woozy, but he's - alive. He's here. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie's bleeding too, but he can already tell that has long as it doesn't get infected, it's not going to kill him. He's going to leave some stains on their blankets, but he's not thinking about that now. He's trying, for the moment, not to think about much of anything.

He'd meant what he'd told Royce about killing. He's killed a lot of people, sometimes in pretty brutal ways, and he's never regretted it once. Sure, sometimes a situation didn't go the way he'd hoped, but that was different. When it came down to it, he only pulled the trigger (or swung the cane, or slashed the knife) when he was sure that he could deal with the aftermath, and that included the psychological aftermath. There was no room for uncertainty in his life. He couldn't do his job properly if he spent all his time being wracked with guilt.

Alfie feels guilt now. It sits heavy on his chest, keeping him from getting up. So he just lies there on his back - claws splayed out on the floor, blood slowly oozing out of his skin and wetting his fur.

He's alive. He's here. He wishes he wasn't.]

[bywolves]

[ It doesn't take much time at all for Royce to realize he's alive, but not for long.

He drags himself to a place where he can lay down comfortably, and clumsily clacks at his tablet. He doesn't have his things. Just his tablet, which he keeps on his person at all times. It's cold, and he's barely able to talk, but he calls John. And when that's done, he calls Alfie.

Please pick up, buddy. ]

[devoutish]

[Once he sees who it is, Alfie answers immediately.]

Are you inside?

[bywolves]

Yeah. [ He's wheezing, voice wrecked. ] Doesn't matter.

[devoutish]

[Well, that makes his heart drop into his stomach.]

How bad?

[bywolves]

You'll need to hold onto my things. [ If Alfie listens, he can hear Gwen humming something soothing in the background. ] I left them there.

[devoutish]

[Alfie closes his eyes.]

Royce.

[bywolves]

It's fine. [ Royce murmurs. ] You followed through on your promise. It's just taking longer -- [ He gasps a bit as he shifts. ] -- than you'd thought.

[devoutish]

[He doesn't answer, except for a very quiet pained sigh. He can't right now. Give him a moment.]

[bywolves]

[ At least this much pain is keeping him lucid. He stares at the wall for a while, listening to Gwen sing. His voice sounds far away. ]

Do you hear her? Alfie? [ His words slur just slightly. ]

[devoutish]

Yeah.

[He heaves a heavy sigh. Royce is dying. There's really no point in trying to keep him from talking to the anomaly, is there?]

She sounds beautiful, mate.

[bywolves]

I miss her. [ Royce says inanely, like Alfie doesn't know. ] She sounds just like this. Sounded.

Having her here... with me. [ It's nice. Even if she's not real. ] ... You're right. She's beautiful.

[devoutish]

I'm glad you're not on your own, mate.

[bywolves]

[ He sighs. ] Even if she wasn't here, I wouldn't be.

[devoutish]

Mm?

[Alfie's all the way in another building; he's not sure if he counts.]

[bywolves]

You. [ Duh. It counts. ]

[devoutish]

Royce. I don't feel guilt over very much, mate, but this--

[bywolves]

Don't. I asked you to.

[devoutish]

And I fucked it up, right, and I do not fuck these things up. I won't accept more blame than I'm do, but I won't accept less, either.

[bywolves]

You fucked it up. [ Royce agrees, almost sleepily. ] End result is the same.

SCREAMS that should have been "more blame than I'm due" fucking homophones

[devoutish]

How long do you think you have?

I FIGURED

[bywolves]

Not... not long. [ He's getting quieter. ] It's cold.

[devoutish]

What can I do for you?

[bywolves]

Just. Just stay. [ He closes his eyes. ] Listen to Gwen with me.

[ She's still humming. She reaches out and smooths her hand down the side of his face, and Royce chokes a little at the sensation. ]