[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

[bywolves]

No, you can't. [ More pulling! Get up, get up. ] I'll do it with you. Come on. I'll get your cane if you need it.

[devoutish]

I don't need my cane.

[He mumbles, but he lets Royce tug him to his feet.]

[bywolves]

[ Good. Royce slides close, curled up under Alfie's arm. He drags him over to the corner of the room, a little uncertain. But he insists, nudging Alfie gently. ]

What do I do? [ Show him. ]

[devoutish]

You don't have to do this.

[He nestles his chin into the top of Royce's head, and almost doesn't say anything else, but then:]

Close your eyes first.

[bywolves]

[ He closes his eyes, ignoring what Alfie said before. He knows he doesn't have to. ]

And? [ Royce prompts after a moment. ]

[devoutish]

[He says a few lines in Hebrew, just like he normally does. Then he repeats them much more slowly, word by word.]

That goes something like-- "praise be to you, our God, our ruler, yadda yadda--"

[He may be paraphrasing just a bit.]

"-- who sends me off to sleep. May it be your will, you, my God and God of my ancestors, to send me off in peace and wake me up in peace".

[bywolves]

[ Royce repeats the words after Alfie, slowly, making sure he's got the pronunciation right. He's not half bad at it. ]

How do you do this with other people? Do you say the words at the same time? Do you just stand next to each other and mumble it? [ He's going to make Alfie explain every bit of this. ]

[devoutish]

We've got a man who leads the prayers, if they're done in a synagogue. But I didn't go to evening service every day; far from it.

[bywolves]

What if it's just us? Just the two of us.

[devoutish]

[He nudges into Royce again.]

Then we do this.

[bywolves]

[ Royce nods. He settles against Alfie's side, and closes his eyes, bowing his head. And then he starts to murmur the words. He pauses for a second, peeking an eye open to look at Alfie - come on, do it with him - before continuing. ]

[devoutish]

[He does, quietly, repeating the same few lines of the prayer. A couple of times, he gently corrects Royce's pronunciation, but follows it with a kiss pressed to the top of the head.]

You say it well.

[bywolves]

Always been good at language. [ Royce says, quietly, once he's finished. He tilts his head up to look at Alfie. ]

Thanks. Is that everything? Or is there more?

[devoutish]

There's more. Do you want more?

[bywolves]

Yeah. All of it. Tell me.

[devoutish]

[He finishes out the first blessing in the same way - saying it through once, then repeating it slowly so Royce can follow along, and then translating it.]

That bit means "Let no awful thoughts come to me, nor nightmares, nor troubling worries. May my bed be whole. Grant me light so that I do not die in the night, for you are the one that brings light. Praised are you, who brings light to the whole universe".

[bywolves]

[ Royce can see why this might be comforting. He thinks it's nonsense, but he's not going to say that, and he won't give Alfie any indication of that. It's not about the god or the prayers, it's about what they mean to Alfie.

He slowly follows along, correcting where he mispronounces. He murmurs most of it against Alfie's shoulder, holding onto him tightly. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie continues, moving onto the next blessing without prompting. The gist is basically the same - praising God, and asking for his blessings. About halfway through, though, he stops, and just stands there, saying nothing.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce follows along until Alfie stops, and when he does, Royce moves enough so that he's standing in front of Alfie, leaning against him. He reaches up to tilt Alfie's chin up to meet his gaze. Look at him. It's okay. ]

[devoutish]

[He opens his eyes, which are misty and wet.]

It doesn't do anything anymore, Royce.

[bywolves]

It does. It reminds you that there are people home waiting for you. [ Royce says, firmly. ] And it reminds you that somewhere, they're saying the same thing as you. You have people. You have a connection, and the best part about it is that it's words.

[ Royce holds Alfie's face between his hands. ] Words and a feeling, right? Can't really take those from you. Not forever. Can't take the action from you, either.

Even if this is all you have left to fight with, it's still something.

[devoutish]

[He recognizes that Royce is giving his own words back to him - like he'd said, Alfie has told him about this several times before. But something has changed in the past few days, and it feels like it's beyond him to fix.]

You think if I keep saying it, the feeling will come back, then?

[bywolves]

[ Royce nods. ]

It will. And I'll do this with you every night until it does.

[devoutish]

You're gonna get sick of it.

[He says lightly, trying to tease a little.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce makes a face at him, pressing their foreheads together for a moment before pulling away and patting Alfie on the cheek. ]

Maybe. I've given you plenty of things to get sick of. I'm sure it's my turn. [ That's also light, though. Teasing. A beat. ] I'm serious, though. Every night.