snowblind style angst

[powersouls]

[They're in one of the nicer houses at the moment. Whoever lived here must have been rich, and while the place is looking a little worse for wear, it's still huge. That makes it a pain to search, but they're also more likely to find something useful.

Royce used to collect weapons almost obsessively, but Tifa doesn't think there's much point to that now. To be fair, weapons were never at the top of her list, but now there's no one to use them against. It's not like they do anything against the anomalies, after all. Personally, Tifa always holds out hope that she'll find something silly. It's fun to tease Royce, and she's secretly trying to find something even more hideous than that sweater that she can give him.

There's a big, ornate dresser pushed up against one wall that Tifa is rifling through. She's long since stopped wondering how it's possible that they can search a house and find something that they're certain wasn't there a few days ago. It's just another mystery of the town, like what keeps restocking the supply points or how the tablets stay charged. This drawer mostly seems to be a bunch of paperwork, full of bills and things she doesn't see any use in stopping to read. At the bottom, though, she finds a fake, glittery pink flower, slightly crushed but still intact. She snorts softly, pulling it out and then glances over at Royce.]

Hey, Royce.

[He should probably know by now from that tone that she's going to do something stupid.]

Comments

[bywolves]

[ Royce is definitely familiar with that tone. Hoo boy.

Today, though, he's in a decently good mood, which has him looking up from where he's digging through a wooden chest in the corner of the room. His expression is fondly exasperated, almost amused, as he pauses in his task. He can't help it, it's just been a nice couple of days. Adjusting his sweater absently (it's so big, he's practically swimming in it) Royce tilts his head just a little. ]

Hey, Tifa. [ He parrots back. ]

[powersouls]

[She tilts her head back, grinning as she tries to tuck the flower in her hand and sneak it out of the drawer. Probably not sneakily enough, considering he's a thief and all.]

Close your eyes for a second, okay?

[bywolves]

[ Hey, he's taught her some slight of hand. He knows she has something in her hand but not what. Seeing as he trusts she's not going to like... throw sand in his face or something, he stands up and makes a big show of covering his eyes with his hand.

He also peeks. Because he's a brat. A brat with a tiny grin on his face. ]

FLURRY ARE YOU OK

[powersouls]

[She loves his smile, so she's fine with him being a brat. Not so fine with him peeking, though.]

Royce.

[Stop it! She crosses the room to him, makes sure he's got his eyes covered, and then tucks the flower behind his ear, bending the wire stem so that it stays. It looks absolutely ridiculous, and she has to bite her lip to keep from laughing as she smooths his hair over the stem. The petals have left little flecks of pink glitter on her fingers, and she wipes them off gently on his cheek.]

There. Now you can open them.

NO I'M ALREADY EMOTIONALLY COMPROMISED

[bywolves]

[ He laughs quietly when she gets huffy with him, but he plays along. Eyes closed, he hums lightly as she fiddles with getting the ridiculous flower behind his ear. That glitter is never going to come off. He's going to be glittery forever. Woe is him.

When she tells him he's allowed to open his eyes, he immediately gives her a flat look. It's all teasing, though! He's still amused, it's in his eyes. He reaches up to touch the flower, and brings his hand down to look at the glitter left on his fingers. ]

Is your goal to make me look as stupid as possible? [ Royce asks as he casually just... wipes the glitter off on her face, hello, yes. Matching. ]

UGH YOU'RE MAKING IT WORSE

[powersouls]

[Now they're both going to be glittery forever. She catches his hand, still smiling. He's very good at pretending to be grumpy, and Tifa can't help but think that it's really cute.]

You don't look stupid. It matches your sweater. [She says it as she lifts his hand, comparing one of the cats on his sleeve to the flower.] It's almost the same pink, see?

[He looks really stupid.]

just as planned

[bywolves]

Oh, hooray. [ Royce says, as monotone as possible. To his credit, he leaves the flower in! Look, she put it there, and he doesn't want to mess it up. She's smiling. He likes that. Likes that she does it more often, recently.

Grin cranking up just a notch, Royce twists his hand a little to take hers, pressing a kiss to the back of it. ] You won't lose me in the snow at least.

[powersouls]

[Her heart flutters when he kisses the back of her hand. It's one of those silly romantic gestures that automatically makes her a little weak in the knees and she laughs again, a little flustered.]

If I do, I can just follow the trail of glitter to find you.

[It's already rubbing off into his hair, and there's no way he's going to get it out until the next time he washes it. Sorry, Royce.]

[bywolves]

You know, there was a time an entire city was afraid of me. [ Royce says, exasperated. He has glitter in his hair. This is ridiculous. Doesn't stop him from tugging her close and pressing a kiss to her cheek. He's gotten more confident with this over the past few times he's tried to be romantic, learning what does and doesn't work. Royce has always picked up on things fast. ]

Now look at me. [ He jokes, arm around her waist. ]

[powersouls]

You're still intimidating. [She says it reassuringly, still teasing, but he really can be. He's just not intimidating in her direction, that's all.

He kisses her cheek and she loops her arms around him, turning her head to press her lips to his softly. She's completely aware of how sappy and affectionate she's been lately, she just... can't help it.]

[bywolves]

In a neon blue sweater with a pink flower tucked behind my ear. Yes, terrifying. [ Royce snarks at her. He knows he is, he knows he can be, but she's right. Royce hasn't been intimidating in her direction for a while, and he thinks he prefers it that way.

When she turns to kiss him, he hums, low and pleased. Maybe he gets caught up in it a little, resting his hand against her cheek and kissing her back, slow and affectionate. It's weird for him, weird to feel like this or want to feel like this. He's spent so much time pushing it away that it seems strange to indulge.

The kiss ends, and Royce hrms under his breath, tucking her hair behind her ear. ] I'll be less the wolf in sheep's clothing and more just the sheep if you keep this up.

[powersouls]

[Tifa slips the flower from his hair and then loops her arms around his neck, still smiling at him in an affectionate sort of way. She vastly prefers him like this, relaxed instead of paranoid and menacing but, hey.]

There. More like a wolf again.

[bywolves]

[ Royce prefers himself like this. He slips his arms around her waist for just a moment - she can probably feel the tension so often present in his shoulders loosen up with her close. He doesn't have to look over his shoulder when she's around, and he's not sure she understands how much of a relief that is. ]

You should wear it. [ He tells her, finally sliding away. He lets his hand run down her arms and carress at her fingers before he does, though. ] Looks better on you.

[powersouls]

[Tifa wakes up in a body bag. Again.

It takes her a moment to fully register where she is. It's dark, and the heavy, black plastic over her face is suffocating. She nearly panics as she hears the compartment she's in unlock and the shelf slide out. She's done this twice before, but it's still terrifying, and she swallows hard as she forces herself to unzip the bag carefully instead of clawing her way out.

Tifa slides off the shelf to the tile floor and puts her head between her knees, sucking in deep, shaking breaths as she wills her heartbeat to slow. She's okay. She's alive. She shouldn't be. No one else has revived in months. But she's okay. What if Royce isn't?

She forces herself to sit up, not thinking too hard about the fact that her clothes are completely clean and free of holes. It doesn't make sense, and it makes her stomach turn. There's a weight in her pocket too, and when she reaches her hand in, she finds her tablet. It was in her pack, she knows it was, but whatever revived her made sure she had it. She shudders at the thought.

Neither of them have used the network in months. There's no point when there's no one else to contact, but now Tifa unlocks her tablet and opens Royce's inbox, closing her eyes for a moment as she tries to calm down. She's terrified that he did something stupid, something reckless but... Royce is all about survival. He wouldn't do that, would he?

Tifa swallows roughly again, determined to keep her voice steady as she sets the message to video and starts recording. It doesn't work, and the expression on her face is more than enough of a give away that she's not doing well anyway.]

Royce? I'm...

[Back? She doesn't know how she's back. Just her and no one else.]

Are you there? I'm okay, I'm... I-I came back.

[bywolves]

[ He hasn't much moved, actually.

Royce doesn't know what he wants to do. Given a few days, he might have eventually pulled himself to his feet to leave, urged by the cabin fever. But right now, with only a day or so having passed (he thinks, maybe, he's not sure, he doesn't have the capability of keeping track of time at the moment) he's just sitting. Curled in the blanket, soaking it in before she's completely gone. Until she's a memory he can't fully recall.

He's alone, but that's not the worst of it. He'd been happy, and he can't help but think - can't help but suspect that she died because of that. Because he, for just a while, felt good, Tifa had to die. It's his fault. Painfully killed by his family because Royce's life finally had a little bit of sunshine. It follows the trend of his life pretty well, he thinks. And now he's here, alone. Waiting to be torn apart by monsters. Seems fitting.

So when his table vibrates in his bag, he's understandably startled. He stares at said bag.

He considers ignoring it. It can't be anybody, it's - going to be Admin, congratulations, you're the last one left, here's your prize or - one of the anomalies, fiddling with a tablet they found. Nothing good is going to be on that screen.

But he can't ignore it. Royce slides off the couch, and laboriously drags himself to his bag. Pulls out the tablet, stares down at it. Stares at her. It - it's not real. It isn't. He can't answer, throat clenching tight - this is needlessly cruel, even for this place. ]

[powersouls]

[He doesn't answer, and she swallows her panic. She's freaked out enough by waking up, but that look on his face... Is the message not sending correctly? Is the video not working, or the sound?]

Royce, can you hear me? It's Tifa. Are you... Are you okay?

[Her voice breaks a little on that last syllable, and she hunches her shoulders, curling in on herself a little. Stop assuming the worst, Tifa.]

[bywolves]

[ He's a mess. He's still covered in blood, his hair's a wreck, he's pale and the circles under his eyes look like bruises. Looks like he's been crying, on and off, eyes red and strained. Feels like his voice isn't working right, either, feels like he can't stop shaking. She's right there, and this hurts. ]

You're... [ He starts, hoarse. ] This isn't funny.

[powersouls]

[He looks terrible, and it makes her heart ache to see him like this. She exhales, slow and shaky.]

I know. I'm not...

[Of course he'd be suspicious. It's Royce. She's not sure why she expected anything else.]

It isn't a trick. I promise.

[bywolves]

No, don't - don't. [ Royce snaps, dropping his tablet on the ground. He gets up to stalk back to the couch, angrily wiping at his face. Feels better to be angry. Better to be angry than empty. ]

I won't listen. You won't - you won't play with me like that. I won't.

[powersouls]

I'm not playing with you. Royce, please, just listen to me.

[She doesn't even know how she can convince him that this isn't a trick. Tifa rubs a hand over her face, frustrated and drained.]

I can prove it to you, right? Just... tell me what you want me to do.

[bywolves]

[ Thing is, he doesn't even know how she could prove it. Everybody else died and never came back. Why is this different? It has to be a trap. A way to get him to run out into the snow and get eaten by monsters.

Royce has always stayed alive out of spite, and he's not going to stop now. ]

Come here. [ Royce says from across the room. ] Where did they put you? Make it here.

[powersouls]

[It makes sense that he's reacting like this. She gets it, but it still hurts in an illogical way. She's shaken up and scared, and she really just wants him to tell her she's going to be okay.

But. Alright. Tifa sighs, tipping her head back and letting it hit the side of the shelf behind her as she closes her eyes. Just for a second. Just to get herself together.]

Okay. I'm— [She's doesn't actually know where she is. She hasn't left the morgue yet.] One second.

[She's silent as she picks herself up off the floor and heads for the stairs. He probably won't really want to talk to her until he knows this isn't a trick. She finds herself in the chapel, which is great because it's not far from where they were before, but terrible because it reminds her of Aerith in the worst way.]

Where are you? Is it the same house?

[bywolves]

[ He's scared, too. Because he wants it to be her, but he can't trust it. He can't get his hopes up only to have it violently ripped away from him. If she can make it here... if he can see her, face to face.

Royce stands, unsteady, and pulls her blanket around him. ]

Yes. [ He says, sounding exhausted. ] I... I can meet you. [ It's not a good idea, he thinks, he shouldn't give in. Maybe he's a little desperate to find out if it's true. ] I can meet you halfway.

[powersouls]

Okay.

[It comes out very quiet, and she hesitates for a moment before continuing.]

You don't have to. If you... If it makes you feel better, you can wait.

[bywolves]

[ That's what the paranoid part of him wants to do. The paranoid part of him wants to take his stuff and run as far as he can, until he collapses. Far away from what's probably a sophisticated anomaly, looking to hurt him.

But Royce is tired. Maybe a little tired of that paranoia. And really, what does he have to lose?

He grabs his tablet, shaking his head. ] The... the house with warm water. Do you remember where that is? [ He hopes she does. It was one of those things they'd been incredibly excited about. ]