[log] surrounded by balls [closed]

[devoutish]

Characters: Alfie Solomons, Royce Melborn, Sylar
Location: building 29
Date: evening of 249
Summary: everybody hates the fucking shed
Warnings: n/a; will edit if anything comes up

A small shed outside the school, going inside reveals sports equipment is being stored in here. There are hurdles, various sports balls, giant mats, and the like. There's nothing that could be used as a weapon, though, unless you're going to try to hurl a basketball at someone's head. This is the only place on the campus it's possible to stay in overnight--if you try to stay anywhere else, you'll be made to leave at 7PM. The following is written on the wall in blue ink: "This is Building 46 on the composite map. Contact @CaptSteveRogers for details." Underneath is a fairly accurate map showing the shed in relation to the school. The school is labeled "School. Food available in cafeteria; DO NOT STAY HERE OVERNIGHT." The shed is labeled "Shed". Behind the shed is a small army of snowmen armed with sports equipment. There's a drawing spraypainted on the inside of the shed. It has been labeled "GEROMY". The skin color has been left blank. "ALPHONSE ELRIC, DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SIX, FOR ANY ASSISTANCE PLEASE CONTACT @LELRIC." is written on the wall.

Comments

[bywolves]

I don't know what that is. [ Cancer, he means. ]

[termineur]

[ Right. Well, Gabriel loves explaining, so he launches into it. ]

Cancer is abnormal cell growth that has the ability to grow into other areas of the body. If you see anyone with a large unexplained bump, that might be abnormal cell growth, but it's only cancer if the cells keep growing. If you end up with cancer in various organs, it can cause all sorts of symptoms, and ultimately death.

[ He looks up to Alfie. ] And yeah, radiation drastically increases the chances of cancer. So unless the nanites really do their job well, we'll probably all get some form of it. It can take decades to show up, so- at least there's that.

It's basically the big scary disease of my generation- some forms there are treatments for, if you get to it quickly enough. But we still don't know enough about it to prevent it.

[devoutish]

Mm. Chances aren't good for it in my time, and if Royce's world hasn't even heard of it--

[There's not much chance of treatment for something that doesn't exist.]

[bywolves]

If the nanites don't take care of it, I won't be going back.

[ Royce says, glancing away. ] Not taking it home.

[termineur]

Well, there's the silver lining, I guess. It's not contagious. You don't have to worry about other people getting it, at least.

[devoutish]

[Just about potentially making his kid watch him die a slow, painful death. See what a bundle of fun these two are, Sylar?]

-- Who's turn is it?

[It has to be someone else's turn.]

[bywolves]

Not Gabriel's. [ Royce says, because he's thinking along the same lines. He pulls his cloak closer. ] Mine. I guess.

I've never been formally taught how to read. The first time I met my partner I had to kill a boat's worth of people in order to save his life because he was too naive to protect himself. I was raised by wolves.

[ Alfie might get this one easily enough. Royce isn't trying very hard. ]

[termineur]

Hmmm.

[ His brow furrows, and he's clearly thinking this through. It's harder to play with new people, which makes it more fun. Is Royce the type to couch a lie in truths, or does he get bold with it? ]

The third one?

[devoutish]

Is it cheating if I answer?

[Because he does know the answer.]

[bywolves]

[ Sylar's answer acknowledged, Royce glances at Alfie. ]

Do you know the answer?

[termineur]

[ Sylar looks between the two of them, very curious. Don't hold him suspense like this, guys. ]

[devoutish]

First one's the lie. Merrick taught you to read.

[bywolves]

[ Royce looks vaguely amused. ]

Arcadius also taught me. [ He glances at Sylar. ] Wasn't literal wolves.

I do think it's funny that neither of you thought the second one was a lie.

[termineur]

[ Sylar smirks. ]

It was way too specific. Although I should've known not to go with the more fantastical-sounding one. So what type of figurative wolves were these?

[devoutish]

I've learned not to question your bizarre fucking stories about your adventures with Hadrian.

[But he's definitely interested in this wolf thing, so!]

[bywolves]

[ Royce grins, a tiny thing. Hadrian's an idiot, but god does he miss him. ]

Child gang. The Wolves. I grew up in Ratibor, and anybody under the age of thirteen got picked up by them.

[termineur]

Geez, must've been a pretty big child gang, I'd guess. Did you get booted out of it when you turned 13?

[ Sylar has no idea how a child gang would work. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie's guessing yes, but he looks to Royce for the answer.]

[bywolves]

Decently. There weren't many children left alive on the streets, and not everybody joined. [ There were other child gangs, and if you weren't part of one, you usually died. ] I left before I turned thirteen. Or what I thought was thirteen.

Better that I left than become bait for guards, which was the preferred way of getting people out of the gang.

[termineur]

[ Sylar makes a face and nods. ]

Ugh, your world sounds like fun times all around. Glad you ditched 'em before the expiration date.

So, your partner- why was he in trouble right when you met him?

[ He'd never heard of Hadrian before, after all. Getting in way too deep without looking around- that sounds like something Peter would do. ]

[devoutish]

Hadrian's a bit like Watson.

[He'll let Royce tell the story, but he has to interject that first, to give Sylar some perspective.]

[bywolves]

Less annoying. [ Hadrian is a martyr but not to the point that Watson is, Royce thinks. ] The first time I met him, we were on a boat to Sheridan. I was supposed to make sure he got there alive.

[ Royce waves a hand a little. ] The people on the boat were transporting smuggled goods, and they didn't want an investigation. Someone got killed for saying they were going to make sure the sheriff knew the boat was coming to shore.

Hadrian was clueless and mentioned he'd report the death to the sheriff, which meant he'd just painted a target on his back. [ Royce sighs heavily. ] To be fair, the people on the boat attacked me first.

[termineur]

[ The Watson comparison gets a chuckle out of him. Yeah, he could imagine that, too. The story itself makes him laugh a little, too. ]

Yeah, I can just imagine. So I'm guessing he just didn't pick up on the signs that everyone wanted to keep it all quiet? Was he mad that you defended him?

[bywolves]

He was much more naive when we first met. [ He's so glad Hadrian got a little more wary over the years. Only a little, though. ] They gave him a story and he bought it because he didn't expect people to lie to him.

He was angry I killed them, but I didn't care at the time. I was annoyed that I had to be around him at all.

[devoutish]

What made that change, eventually?