[ The thing is, Sylar makes a good point. Royce knows. He knows he shouldn't, and really - stop being an idiot is what sticks the most. It's the poisoning, and he shouldn't indulge it. He takes a deep breath. ]
Nothing matters. [ He mumbles. ] It's hard to tell what does. I just need to hear a reminder.
[ He turns his face into his pillow for a long moment. ]
I won't. [ For right now, the idea doesn't seem as appealing. ] Wasn't really looking for death. Just trying to figure out something to do with myself.
Well, I'm telling you right now. Find someone and stay with them. Get someone you don't mind to come find you. In that order. And if you need more to do after that, shuttle food and supplies east.
You've got to hang on until the depression wears off, just like the mania did. Don't let it control you, right?
[ Everything in him is resisting finding someone to travel with. He can wait for Karkat and Davesprite, but they're far. ]
I don't want to travel with anybody close by. [ Period. There's a long pause. Alfie had all the supplies. But - maybe he can do food. He's going in that direction. Don't let the depression control you. Royce's breath catches slightly. ]
The night all of us spent in the same house, not too long ago. With Alphonse. Do you know what I said to Solomons?
[ He's about to argue the point of staying with someone- he's not going to feel okay about not meeting up with Royce until someone else is there. But Royce asks him the question before he has a chance to make a big deal out of it. ]
I said I was going to leave him to get eaten by an anomaly if he didn't try to make sure he was taking care of his back. [ It sticks. It sticks really hard in his head. It was a joke, but still. ]
[ Oh man, Royce...Sylar looks a little like a deer in headlights and eventually sighs and chews on his lip. ]
It was a joke. You're allowed to joke, you know. Alfie wouldn't have thought anything of it, other than you trying to lighten things up. Right? So it doesn't mean anything.
Yeah. Okay. [ Royce thinks, for a moment. ] I still see him. He's a king, now. On the other side of the river, but - I still see him.
He was a knight, once. Or he pretended to be one. He was trying to rescue someone. He got caught, and they forced him into being a knight so that he could kill someone they wanted dead during a joust.
[ That's the super abbreviated version, but he figures he'll get asked questions. ]
[ There was a lot to unpack from all of that. Sylar's eyebrows raise. ]
He's a king? Sounds like a big promotion from being 'patsy we forced into being a knight'. Do most of his stories start with him trying to rescue someone? 'cause if so, he reminds me of someone from home.
[ Sylar chuckles at that, and he sounds fond, too. Odd for what he says next. ]
No kidding. Mine's named Peter Petrelli, and he's always been there to try and save people from me. We've tried to kill each other probably- [ Pause while he thinks over every instance. ] -three times? Four times? I think we're finally starting to understand each other. We worked together most recently.
[...well. For a given value of 'worked together'. ]
He would jump in front of a bus if he thought it'd help someone. His whole family is blood-thirsty, aristocratic lawyers, and he's a nurse. He never, ever looks at what he's getting into, but- he's got whatever it is I'm lacking, that's for sure.
That isn't always a good thing. [ Royce says idly. ] Not looking what you're getting into. Trying to save everybody. Whatever it is that he's got that you're lacking can be a detriment.
It doesn't? [ He's honestly curious about that. ] You don't ever have a day where you wish you were the guy people trusted, the one who did things the way people are supposed to?
Oh. Well, that makes sense. I don't have a great track record when it comes to people taking advantage of me. Guess I don't have it down as well as you do.
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Nothing matters. [ He mumbles. ] It's hard to tell what does. I just need to hear a reminder.
[ He turns his face into his pillow for a long moment. ]
Alright.
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[ He lets out a heavy sigh, some of his bluster gone. But he's still somewhat suspicious. ]
I'll remind you as many times as you need. Probably way more than that. Just don't go looking for death. This is temporary, all of it.
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You've got to hang on until the depression wears off, just like the mania did. Don't let it control you, right?
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I don't want to travel with anybody close by. [ Period. There's a long pause. Alfie had all the supplies. But - maybe he can do food. He's going in that direction. Don't let the depression control you. Royce's breath catches slightly. ]
The night all of us spent in the same house, not too long ago. With Alphonse. Do you know what I said to Solomons?
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No. What did you say?
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It was a joke. You're allowed to joke, you know. Alfie wouldn't have thought anything of it, other than you trying to lighten things up. Right? So it doesn't mean anything.
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He knew it was a joke. [ Royce agrees, softly. ] It wasn't a prediction of what was going to happen. I know that. It still... it's still in my head.
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And I'm terrible at not dwelling, but if we can get something else shoved in there--
Tell me another story about Hadrian, would you? He sounded like an interesting guy.
[ He won't push if Royce doesn't want to, but it's a little more active than hearing Sylar blather on forever about nothing. ]
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Yeah. Okay. [ Royce thinks, for a moment. ] I still see him. He's a king, now. On the other side of the river, but - I still see him.
He was a knight, once. Or he pretended to be one. He was trying to rescue someone. He got caught, and they forced him into being a knight so that he could kill someone they wanted dead during a joust.
[ That's the super abbreviated version, but he figures he'll get asked questions. ]
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He's a king? Sounds like a big promotion from being 'patsy we forced into being a knight'. Do most of his stories start with him trying to rescue someone? 'cause if so, he reminds me of someone from home.
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I feel like everybody has a self-sacrificing moron in their lives. [ That's - fond, really. Royce loves Hadrian like a brother. ]
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No kidding. Mine's named Peter Petrelli, and he's always been there to try and save people from me. We've tried to kill each other probably- [ Pause while he thinks over every instance. ] -three times? Four times? I think we're finally starting to understand each other. We worked together most recently.
[...well. For a given value of 'worked together'. ]
He would jump in front of a bus if he thought it'd help someone. His whole family is blood-thirsty, aristocratic lawyers, and he's a nurse. He never, ever looks at what he's getting into, but- he's got whatever it is I'm lacking, that's for sure.
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[ He says it thoughtfully, as if he doesn't jump into situations without looking at times. ]
Think he's starting to learn that he's got to be more careful. It's a slow process, but its happening.
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I don't want to be someone people can take advantage of.
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At least I'm not as bad as Peter, though.