thewarningafter | IC inbox for Snowblind

Oh, good, because I have been extremely worried about it and frankly if I lost that thing I'd probably enter some kind of depression spiral. Again. And did you ever consider that maybe you're the one annoying it? Where are you, the residential area? Because I am...very much not.

Yes, I'm in the residential area. [ Stephen, slow down, Royce can't keep up!! ] Where are you? I -- do you mind?

[ Look, the Cloak is probably all up in his business right now. ]

[Of course it doesn't mind, Royce, you're fine where you are with it on top of you so it can "hear." Stephen's voice brightens as he addresses the Cloak he presumes is the source of Royce's frustration.]

You tell him. Where the hell did you go? You didn't go wandering off the last two times I died, so what gives? Now what are you going to do when I got sent to the fun zone, fun meaning radioactive, and you're still over in the old neighborhood with Shorty? Riddle me that.

[ Royce is the grouchiest person alive. ]

Not short. [ He is, but listen. ] Were you planning on coming to collect it? It's been following me around for two days.

I beg to differ. I'm pretty sure you're even shorter than John. Is that even possible? I'm in the radiation zone so it's going to take me a while but yeah, I'm going to come get it, what do you think?

Be polite or I'll lock it in a closet and not tell you which building it's in.

...If you do that I'm going to cry.

[Zero sarcasm over here.]

[ Oh. That's kind of sad. ]

Don't. [ Sigh. ] I can meet you halfway.

[It finally seems to click in Stephen's mind that something's amiss.]

I was kidding. I mean, I wasn't kidding, but I'll meet you there.

[ Yeah, Royce is figuring something is wrong. Which is interesting because Stephen's had a death price almost every time he's spoken with him recently. ]

I have to do something first. [ Royce says, after a moment. ] I'll leave it somewhere close if it ends up that I can't bring it to you.

I've still got some fresh food to put in the vending machines up north of here, assuming I don't continue the trend and die again in the next couple of days. What are you doing that's so important?

An experiment. Like I gather you just finished doing, before you died.

[ Just gonna... try to push the Cloak off him. Real quick. ]

[The Cloak gives way...just around his hand, letting his arm sink into its folds as the rest of it stays parked right where it is, practically glued to the tablet.]

Oh, so the kind that's only potentially lethal. What are you planning?

I'm not telling you, because you can't keep your mouth shut. [ He's also just shaking his hand holding the tablet, trying to get the Cloak off. Buddy. Please. ]

...Because you think someone's going to stop you, or because it has to be a secret from someone in order to work? My money's on the former after the things I've seen people do here, but you never struck me as all that self sacrificing.

Gee. Thanks. [ You're not getting any sort of information out of him, Stephen. ] How long is it going to take you to get to the museum?

I don't know. I've never been this far this way before and the last time I went through the ruins it took me something like a week.

[There's a beat, and while the next part comes spilling out at the same frenetic pace as the rest, he does at least sound genuinely apologetic.]

I'm sorry I just told everyone you're a half elf on the open network, by the way.

[ It is a really good thing Royce is so numbed out lately. His immediate reaction is a very distant, very muted sort of rage that only lasts for a few seconds, and then there's nothing. He knows he should be angry, though. This used to matter.

Royce is silent for a long moment. ]

I don't know what to say to you. [ He's going to try with a little more force to scrape the Cloak off of him. If he has to, he's going to drop the tablet. ]

I really am sorry. It was a dick move even if I didn't mean to do it, it's just Karkat mentioned secrets and it was the first one that came to mind. And I wasn't going to tell you that because it's not really his fault.

[The Cloak finally seems to sense the shift in mood and lets Royce push it away. It takes up vigil in the air next to him instead, no longer touching.]

No. It isn't his fault. [ Oof, protective instinct activate. You know, the one, solitary struggling paternal instinct that he's got. ] I hope you told him that.

Edited 2017-07-08 05:53 (UTC)

Of course I told him that. He just doesn't believe me because he's a teenager and he's got a bunch of pent up angst.

[ Sigh. ]

Most everybody knows already. [ Royce mutters. ] House doesn't keep secrets. Don't use it as an insult and I won't hold a grudge.

Well, yeah, it's been an open secret for a while now. It's still off the census, though; I don't get why it has to be such a big deal but if you want it a secret I'm not going to make it easier for people who don't dig for it, same as Karkat's --

[And off his feed clicks as Stephen finishes that sentence off-air.]

[ He calls back. ]

It's a big deal because I don't want it spread across the network like something to needle me with. Just like you don't appreciate House making fun of your spelling mistakes.

[ That's snapped. A beat. ] I know about Karkat's blood. You're going to want to be careful with that one too, Strange.

They're not mistakes. I know how to spell, Royce; I'm probably the single most educated person in this town right now. I just don't need Doctor Asshole acting like I somehow need a reminder that I'm going to live the rest of my life with hands that shake. And what do you think I'm doing? I've had my finger on the button to hang up ever since he reminded me that I've got secrets to spill. I can't un-think this stuff.

@beyonce | audio | afternoon 257

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