[log] how deep are we gonna go with this?

[bywolves]

Characters: Alfie and Royce
Location: Downtown
Date: Day 292 to Day 295
Summary: Exposure effects, a brief reprieve, and then event shenanigans.
Warnings: Nothing yet, will update if anything comes up.

Starters below!

Comments

[devoutish]

[Alfie murmurs in protest when Royce pulls away, but doesn't wake up just yet. He reaches out blindly, searching, but his hand lands on empty mattress. Now that Royce is awake and looking at him, he'll notice that he's frowning in his sleep. He's having dreams of his own, too.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce reaches out carefully and rests a hand on one of Alfie's out of instinct. He stays sitting up, but he's aiming to soothe, try to get that frown off of Alfie's face, even while he sleeps. The sound of the spear rising almost echoes in his ears, and Royce shudders again before turning around, facing Alfie with his legs folded. ]

Alfie. [ Royce says, quietly. Wake up, buddy. ]

[devoutish]

[Half-awake now, he mutters:]

Mm, fuck off.

[Don't worry, Royce, he doesn't mean it. It's just his natural reaction to everything. He opens his eyes, and the frown's still there.]

Yeah.

[bywolves]

[ Okay, that makes Royce snort. He's not offended, thankfully. He pulls the blankets closer. ]

You fuck off. [ Royce says, almost absently. ] Nightmares?

[devoutish]

How'd you know?

[bywolves]

You're frowning. [ Royce says, pulling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. ] And I had them too.

[devoutish]

It was more than that.

[Still frowning.]

I have nightmares often enough, but--

[bywolves]

But this one was different. [ A beat. ] Never had this dream before.

What was yours?

[devoutish]

Home.

[He says the word with significance, then falls silent.]

[bywolves]

[ There's a long pause, and then Royce looks up at the door again, staring at it. He swears... there was movement, but maybe not. Maybe he's just tired.

Royce slides down to rest back next to Alfie, settling on his back. ]

Yeah. Me too.

[devoutish]

Really?

[That gets a different sort of frown - less contemplative, and more worried.]

You think it's a coincidence?

[bywolves]

Do you? [ Royce doesn't think it is. ]

Both of us have different kind of nightmares about home on the same night? Was yours -- [ A beat. He swallows hard. Just say it. ] I dreamed the elves took over and destroyed everything. There was nothing - nobody left.

[devoutish]

Yeah.

[He nods, just slightly.]

Yeah, the bombs came, in mine.

[bywolves]

[ Wow, he really doesn't want to imagine that. Royce shifts, reaching to hold onto Alfie. He stays on his back, because he doesn't want to face away from the door. ]

It isn't the future. It's the same sort of torture this place inflicts on everybody. [ He's not a hundred percent sure about that, though. ]

[devoutish]

I know.

[He presses his cheek hard into Royce's shoulder. He doesn't sound a hundred percent sure, either.]

[bywolves]

It won't be. [ Royce says, a little fiercely. ] It won't. I can't let it.

[devoutish]

[Alfie strokes Royce's knee - the closest place he can reach - and says nothing.]

[bywolves]

[ The strongest part of the dream was her, in her bed, her safe room, in a pool of her own blood. He won't let that happen. Deep breath. At least he feels it. That's nice, in a weird way. ]

Alfie. [ He says, after a moment. ]

[devoutish]

Yeah.

[bywolves]

How long have we been here?

[devoutish]

I dunno. Six months, right? Something like that.

[He pauses. No, that doesn't seem right.]

Eight, maybe.

[bywolves]

Are you sure? [ He's trying really hard to remember, here. ] I don't remember the day I arrived on. Or what day it is now.

[devoutish]

It's--

[He pauses, trying to get his bearings. He's just woken up - they both have - and obviously, that's confusing things a bit.]

Something in the 300s, I think.

[bywolves]

Mm. [ Right. Yeah. ] 393 sounds too high, right? The 93 sounds familiar, though.

[devoutish]

It might be 393. It's been over a year, then.