Royce? Hey, welcome back! You took awhile, you know. I was- ['worried', he doesn't say. ] -well, you're here now. What's your death price? Anything that makes it hard to travel? Or to talk?
It's just 279. But it's been more than a few days, so I figured it might be awhile. And if you don't know what it is yet, it's probably mental. I'll let you know if you do anything strange on my end. You are sounding okay so far.
I was going to head out for Alfie tomorrow- we'd been waiting, but I didn't want him to travel on his own too long. He's been pretty rough, as you might expect. Having you back will help.
[ Just - give him a second. It's 279. That's... five days? Four days. He can't remember much of dying, in a haze for most of the day he died. He curls up a little more tightly. ]
I'll go to him as soon as I can. Spoke to him already.
Good. I figured you would have. I wanted to make sure he'd be around when you came back. But I think he's been traveling with Quark for the time being, at least.
Any of that MN poisoning have the decency to leave you alone, at least? I guess that'd be asking too much of this place, but doesn't hurt to ask. I think the mania's gotten worse on this end- it's like you said. I can't focus, so it's starting to become a problem.
The obsession with blood isn't there anymore. [ Royce mumbles. ] I'm still numb.
Pacing helped the mania. When I had it. Find something that takes up a lot of time to do and requires a lot of focus. Something important. Sewing. Sorting supplies. Things like that.
You had an obsession with blood? [ Yikes. ] Well, good that's gone, at least. You're one of the unluckiest guys with MN poisoning, you know? Ouch.
Pacing's good, I've been doing some of that. I didn't think about doing something to hold my focus. Maybe I oughta learn to sew properly. Wish I had proper tools to work on watches, though. That could hold me a little better. But yeah, I'll start doing that sort of thing.
Do you and Alfie have any plans, once you meet up?
[ Oops. He didn't - exactly want to say that, but. He's quiet for a couple of seconds. ]
If you need ideas, ask. I'll find something. [ He's trying very hard to sound steady. ] And no. I don't know. Nothing matters. There isn't any point to plans.
[ The admission and the pause have Gabriel thinking over the whole conversation. When he does speak, it's deliberately a little slower than he's gotten used to speaking. ]
Are you saying more than you want to be right now? If so, I think we might've found your death loss.
Damn. Okay. I'm not going to ask you anything else, not until it's over with.
But seriously- pretty sure you know this, but the 'nothing matters' thing is the MN poisoning trying to trick you. You've got to keep yourself alive, at least. I care if you go. Alfie cares if you go. I know there's other people here that you talk to- pretty sure they care too. Give that depression the middle finger and don't give into it. Easier said than done, I know.
If you guys need a direction once you meet, I'll be happy to give you one.
[ That's actually a huge relief, Royce, thank you. Gabriel's shoulders relax a little. ]
Yeah. I get that. Don't worry about anything else, then. Just get supplies and stay alive. Maybe stick around the hot water or something. We can play more of that 2 Truths and a Lie to pass time during the days. That depression has to go at some point.
Hopefully soon, after we're all out of here. I've been heading west in this new area, using the high school as a home base. Can't see anything past the damn fog, but the center of town has to be that way. Or northwest. I'd like to hit a house at some point- trying to sleep in that school's even more pointless than usual.
I think we'd all appreciate if I avoided getting eaten by an anomaly. But of course. We're traveling slower and not taking risks. Means we probably won't find much, but at least we're headed in the right direction. And who knows? Maybe there'll be something important.
I'd really like to help with something here. Make some progress, while I'm not hit with what you've got. Which will go away, once we get those nanites out of you. And yes, I know we don't know that for sure, really, but I'm trying for optimism here. It's worked for me before.
When he was insane. Specifically, when he was trying to get you to do a morgue experiment. I made sure he understood he wasn't getting off the hook just because he didn't have any morals at the moment.
So honestly? He got really lucky that you found Alfie waking up at that chapel.
He used text. Made a few excuses and refused to give me a straight answer other than he might need me for something else later. [ He's quiet for a moment. ] Which makes more sense than any idea that he might want me in particular alive. You'd think he'd jump at the chance for revenge.
Considering all the things he's done to me I don't exactly feel bad at all when it comes to House actually getting consequences for his actions. Don't think you should either.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Royce? Hey, welcome back! You took awhile, you know. I was- ['worried', he doesn't say. ] -well, you're here now. What's your death price? Anything that makes it hard to travel? Or to talk?
no subject
no subject
I was going to head out for Alfie tomorrow- we'd been waiting, but I didn't want him to travel on his own too long. He's been pretty rough, as you might expect. Having you back will help.
no subject
[ Just - give him a second. It's 279. That's... five days? Four days. He can't remember much of dying, in a haze for most of the day he died. He curls up a little more tightly. ]
I'll go to him as soon as I can. Spoke to him already.
no subject
Any of that MN poisoning have the decency to leave you alone, at least? I guess that'd be asking too much of this place, but doesn't hurt to ask. I think the mania's gotten worse on this end- it's like you said. I can't focus, so it's starting to become a problem.
no subject
Pacing helped the mania. When I had it. Find something that takes up a lot of time to do and requires a lot of focus. Something important. Sewing. Sorting supplies. Things like that.
no subject
Pacing's good, I've been doing some of that. I didn't think about doing something to hold my focus. Maybe I oughta learn to sew properly. Wish I had proper tools to work on watches, though. That could hold me a little better. But yeah, I'll start doing that sort of thing.
Do you and Alfie have any plans, once you meet up?
no subject
[ Oops. He didn't - exactly want to say that, but. He's quiet for a couple of seconds. ]
If you need ideas, ask. I'll find something. [ He's trying very hard to sound steady. ] And no. I don't know. Nothing matters. There isn't any point to plans.
no subject
Are you saying more than you want to be right now? If so, I think we might've found your death loss.
no subject
no subject
Damn. Okay. I'm not going to ask you anything else, not until it's over with.
But seriously- pretty sure you know this, but the 'nothing matters' thing is the MN poisoning trying to trick you. You've got to keep yourself alive, at least. I care if you go. Alfie cares if you go. I know there's other people here that you talk to- pretty sure they care too. Give that depression the middle finger and don't give into it. Easier said than done, I know.
If you guys need a direction once you meet, I'll be happy to give you one.
no subject
I don't want to die. [ That's the truth. ] I'm trying to stay alive. Just don't see the point in much else.
no subject
Yeah. I get that. Don't worry about anything else, then. Just get supplies and stay alive. Maybe stick around the hot water or something. We can play more of that 2 Truths and a Lie to pass time during the days. That depression has to go at some point.
Hopefully soon, after we're all out of here. I've been heading west in this new area, using the high school as a home base. Can't see anything past the damn fog, but the center of town has to be that way. Or northwest. I'd like to hit a house at some point- trying to sleep in that school's even more pointless than usual.
no subject
[ He rests his head against the wall again. ] Be careful in the new area. I don't want to hear you were eaten by an anomaly.
no subject
I'd really like to help with something here. Make some progress, while I'm not hit with what you've got. Which will go away, once we get those nanites out of you. And yes, I know we don't know that for sure, really, but I'm trying for optimism here. It's worked for me before.
no subject
no subject
But yeah, we could definitely use a few more people puzzling things out. At the very least, I'll be here when it happens.
no subject
no subject
So honestly? He got really lucky that you found Alfie waking up at that chapel.
no subject
He called me to tell me not to do it. Did you know that?
no subject
I hadn't heard that, no. Did he sound panicked? I hope he sounded panicked.
no subject
He used text. Made a few excuses and refused to give me a straight answer other than he might need me for something else later. [ He's quiet for a moment. ] Which makes more sense than any idea that he might want me in particular alive. You'd think he'd jump at the chance for revenge.
no subject
[ He sounds absolutely tickled by this. ]
You know I'm trying to be good here. Or at least behave myself, right? But that feels pretty good. Doubt Al would give me a hard time over it, either.
no subject
no subject
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)