Event: Consolidation Theory, Part One and Two

[snowblindmods]

Characters: red-marked characters
Location: ???
Date: Morning & Day 353
Summary: You wake up in a cell.
Warnings: general horror warnings; please note in subject lines for anything specific that comes up

Consolidation Theory OOC Post
Part Two OOC Post

Comments

[devoutish]

I'll be all right.

[He calls back, forcing his voice to be steady and strong. Whatever it is, he'll survive it.

Probably.

And then he's gone.]

[bywolves]

[ There's nothing Royce can do but wait. It might not be long, but it feels like years.

Royce curls up in the corner of his cell and listens to conversations, and holds out until Alfie comes back. Nobody else seems to come for anybody else. Not until Alfie's back. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie isn't exactly keeping track of time well either, but eventually, Royce will hear the squeak of a hospital bed being wheeled down the corridor, coming closer and closer. Could it be headed for the cell across from his?]

[bywolves]

[ Royce crawls back to the barrier when he hears the squeak - he watches, terrified as to what they might have done to Alfie, resting his head against his cage and staying silent. ]

[devoutish]

[When he comes into view, there are no visible injuries, but he looks a lot more out of it than he did when he was wheeled away. There's a glazed look in his eyes, and he's staring off into the middle distance, blinking slowly.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce waits until they're gone. He refuses to speak coherently around them. When they are, when they go after someone else, Royce hisses: ]

Alfie. Alfie. Talk to me.

[devoutish]

[Having been deposited in his cell, Alfie curls against the wall, arms folded over his stomach and eyes squeezed shut.]

Mmph.

[bywolves]

What happened? Can you talk?

[devoutish]

Mmmyeah.

[Except he... doesn't say anything. Oops?]

[bywolves]

[ Royce makes a helpless, frustrated noise. ]

Talk, then.

[devoutish]

Royce...

[He moves to sit up, to get a better look at him - and then immediately doubles over and throws up his breakfast. Also oops.]

[bywolves]

[ Oh. Gross. Royce looks away for just a second, nose wrinkling - he's still a little nauseated from his hangover so that doesn't exactly help. But. ]

I'm here. [ He says, despite not looking. ] What did they do? You're obviously not - you're not fine.

[devoutish]

Think I'm seeing things.

[He mutters, squeezing his eyes shut again.]

The light's too fucking bright--

[bywolves]

Okay - okay. Keep your eyes closed. [ He can't fuss properly from this far away, dammit. ] Rest. Try to sleep. I'm here, I'll watch for you.

[devoutish]

They're gonna come for you. They're gonna give you injections.

[bywolves]

[ Royce is silent for a long moment. ]

Yeah. I know. I'll watch for you for as long as I can. [ His breath is a little short, but it's okay. He's promising this, right now. ]

[devoutish]

Can you see the sun, mate?

[bywolves]

[ ... Oh. ]

I - can you?

[devoutish]

[Alfie rolls onto his back, almost (but luckily, not quite) flopping his arm into the puke on the floor. His eyes are still shut, but his head is tilted up.]

Mm, yeah. A proper sun.

[bywolves]

[ Royce makes a protesting noise at Alfie just - flopping his arm down, but. ]

I can't see it, but you enjoy it.

[devoutish]

Give it time. It'll move along the sky and shine into your cell soon enough.

[The logic makes sense to him, okay.]

[bywolves]

Yeah.

[ He's reluctant to take this away from Alfie, honestly, even if it's a hallucination. Royce pauses. ]

Do me a favor and roll over to your right, though. [ Away from the vomit. ]

[devoutish]

[He does as requested, but has to lie there breathing harshly for a few long moments afterward. Rolling doesn't help nausea.]

Thought I heard Tifa earlier.

[He finally murmurs.]

[bywolves]

What did she say?

[ Royce curls up against the barrier and the wall, eyes closed, just listening. ]

[devoutish]

Couldn't tell. Don't remember. I just heard her voice.

[He grunts.]

Hearing things.