sticksandbones | bark bark bark!!

Entry tags:

arknights: phantom

bark bark bark!!

Who: Beat + you
What: Beat says hi! Also WTF!
When: Leap Yeap
Where: The Network and the Grove
Warnings: lots of swearing, will change if more comes up

AIGHT YO who the fuck messed with the Fog this time it's fuckin BLACK I thought we was all agreed bout not messin wid it! weird as fuck even more so than when it was brown an no you cant blame me this time!! i aint do nothin!

[This is how this young adult writes I'm so sorry.]

but aight whatev so where is we this time like cool we get to ~~komuni~~ talk wid each other still but this aint dyster

lest i dont think

it dont smell like it

i mean it kinda do like it got that whole death thing goin for it but it also dont smell like uh stale

oh right aint no usernames wid this its beat yo shadow gal said to write in it to say hi who all here holla at me or come find me im at a well?

also man someone bring me a bandaid i got fuckin bit by something in the forest i dunno wtf is going this fuckin event but i might zombie i dunno

[ After scribbling all over the network Beat will just continue to sit where he sat, which is on the well. That's right, he plopped his ass right on the edge of the well. Do you want water? Too bad, tell him to move. He will then unceremoniously stuff his journal into his pocket the best he can by rolling it up, and sniffing the air. That sure is a fucking large ass werewolf just sitting there, trying to figure out where everyone is by sniffing the air. So even if you don't see his bullshit in the journal, you might run into him if you're trying to get water.

Come say hi, he's a good boy. Even if you don't, the moment he zones in on your scent, he might be locking eyes with you. Even if he can't see you, if he can smell you he's going to stare.

It's fine, that tail wag says he's friendly. ]

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[Beat opens his mouth to go to make a joke, that he's worshiped at Josh's shrine PLENTY of times, before snapping his teeth shut with an audible click. Not his Josh.]

Aw, next time we're in Shibuya, yo, I'll place a bento in yer honor.

[Noticing Josh studying the other necklace, Beat peeks over his shoulder. Well, looms over his shoulder. So he can see..... oh- he's... fixing the sword. That makes Beat nod, wagging his tail, his tongue lolling out.]

What's the words on her thingy say? She looks like a warrior goddess, yo. Sun Warrior. That's cool. I wonder if she got a name cuz otherwise Ima jus' call her Amaterasu.

[If Josh hears that thought flit through Beat's mind, no he doesn't. That's not a thought for him! Just some other him. Could just as easily be his tin pin counterpart for all he knows. It's fine!]

Considerate of you. Though I have to wonder, where exactly would you put it?

[Not that it matters. He's not even sure it'll be him getting the bento.

With the sword repaired, he sets the necklace beside the medallion on the pedestal. The words on the placard get a hand brushed over them, removing any splatters of mud from a few moments ago.]

"To our protector, the Sun, Her radiant light, the goddess Biewe." Which would be her, I assume.

I know my places.

[Cryptic. Beat's quiet as he listens to Josh's words, head tilted.]

So she was a warrior, yo. Protector, whatever. Byewe? Baewe. Biewe. Cool. I ain't got nothing to wash her down with but I can come back later and do that.

[He looks around this burnt little village, with it's pile of bones he's found (and now feels guilty about maybe he should bury them somewhere nice), and the little things they've found.]

The fuck happened here, you think?

Seems that way. I can't say I've ever heard of her before, but that's not all that surprising, considering everything.

[Despite the dirt, he taps his fingers against his chin, thinking as his eyes scan the statue. This is certainly an interesting place. Is it really a part of their world at all? Just looking at Beat, though, it's clear that something is snatching them away from their world altogether.

Beat's question pulls his eyes more toward their surroundings. The burned buildings, the old, decayed bodies inside, the damage to everything...]

... nothing good. It looks almost like this place was ransacked. Judging from the inside of the houses, not everyone made it out alive.

Man... her head was fuckin' yeeted half cross the place, it got more than ransacked. And the fuck with those VINES.

[He hasn't mentioned them til now, as they've actually sort of left him alone in a way that he doesn't like, but now that their searching as calmed down, he's staring out at them. They wiggle in the air like weird kelp, and Beat gets a weird feeling from them. Strangly... familiar.]

Man.... I kinda wish you had yer others memories, cuz you would be seeing so much shit I'm sure I ain't seein', cause even I'm seein' shit an' it just feels like it all over again.

[He sighs and sits his butt down beside the statue for now.]

Mm. The vines, I'm not sure. But don't get close to them. They seem to be pretty aggressive.

[And the statue's head sure did get yeeted, didn't it. Were the vines to blame? Or something else...? He doesn't like the feel of it.

Beat's lament makes him pause, though. It's an uneasy feeling, not knowing what he's talking about. An easy enough fix, sure, he could skim thoughts and deep dive all he wants, but it isn't his knowledge.]

Well, what are you seeing? Tell me.

Edited 2024-03-05 04:12 (UTC)

I see.... I dunno how to vocalize it, yo. Pop into my head.

[And look at the similarities between worlds. The destruction and death of the Night and Day God, the reduction of anything humans might find protective against the Fog. The Apocalypse that happened just recently in Beat's mind - that he wonders if he actually didn't survive and this is some offshoot - and the way the vines acted.

He stares at the vines and frowns a little.]

Corruption, yo. Same thing she used to do.

[It isn't often that he gets so many invitations to peek into someone's thoughts, so of course he isn't going to say no! But what he finds is...

Ah. That's startlingly similar. And concerning, considering what he's managed to glean of Beat's situation before arriving here. Josh frowns, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at the ground thoughtfully.]

It's a bit strange that you'd go from one fog-related situation to another, and they're both so similar in certain ways. I wonder if they're somehow related...

If it is, that's bullshit, but it kinda aligns wid the shit she'd say about like... alla us bein' all in the Seas an' they just pluck us from there. So if I got returned to the Seas somehow, then some other God can jus take my ass out again. It could be I was closest to the Fog shit there so other Fog shit here got me.

[He stares down at his feet, then at Josh. The thoughts are easy to read. But that doesn't explain Josh. It doesn't explain why he recognizes Vash but Vash has no knowledge of Ryslig either. He huffs and throws his hands into the air.]

I dunno yo, it's makin' my head spin, too much thinkin'.

[He gets to his feet and brushes his butt off.]

[The thoughts are easy to read indeed. He already knows about this alternate him. But Vash? He doesn't even know Vash himself. Beat came here with memories intact, but is it possible for others to come here without? It's an interesting and terrifying thought...

But one that he isn't keen on spending too much time on. Because, if it's true, that means things that he doesn't feel equipped to deal with right now, and it's just easiest to pack everything up in a suitcase and cram it into the metaphorical closet, to be touched never.

With Beat standing up, he's once again towering over Josh. The Composer looks up, tipping his head just a little. This is, honestly, making his head spin a bit, too.]

Well, we can't have that. Don't want those gears burning out on day one.

[Closing his satchel back, he turns, looking back toward the Grove proper.]

... feeling up for a walk? There's a lot more to explore, I think.

Aw c'mon, I've had three years of gear burnin'!

[On the word walk, Beat's tail begins to wag briskly, and he grins at Josh.]

Uh, yeah? Now you gotta walk though cause you can't jus' say that an' not go on a walk wid me.

[He turns on his heels to head back towards the Grove, giving the Statue one last look. Gotta remember to come back here. He's surprisingly silent as they head back, his paws tucked into his back pockets, shoulders slightly hunched as he thinks, until:]

The Fog covered the entirety of the rest of the world, save for this little spot on the Pen'sula. It feels like.... I know it ain't the same world. I can look up at the sky an' tell that. Cuz it doesn't scare me to look up. An' the moon ain't weird an' got a spot on it. But it feels like it is. Like a portion of it.

[There's a snort to that, but it's not an unkind one. There's a smile on Josh's lips, and he lifts a hand in a vague gesture.]

I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it.

[Though, depending on the length of their walk, he might end up floating a bit. We'll see.

The silence is surprising, but Josh won't question it. Beat is, after all, different - he's changed in some ways, grown a bit. And not just physically. Three years in this other world has clearly had an effect. Far more than his Game did...

When Beat speaks up again, he listens, tipping his head aside to look up at his companion.]

Like the same type of story, but a different setting with different details.

[Still fog, but different. No cannibalism. No forced changes into monstrous forms. And yet, they're still trapped, and Beat's form is still monstrous... in a sense.]

Is it a relief to be out? Or would you rather go back?

Yeah!! Same shit, yo, but diff tellin'.

[Trapped again. Not home. This time he's missing two pieces of himself. Having Josh nearby helps, but it's not his Josh. It's not the Naphil that would settle onto his back and let himself be carried around. Not the Josh he smooched on New Years. That he's killed for.

The question draws him out of his thoughts and he heaves a hard sigh, kicking a little rock at his feet as they walk.]

You know, I ain't got an answer fer that? You'd think I'd say hell ye, 'cuz who the fuck wants to be livin' like that? But you know how it is, yo. You grow accustomed to it. Every month was a pile of shit in one way or another, but I had friends. I had a business, yo! Runnin' a youth center! I was doin' things, an' married, an' now...

[He stops when they hit the intersection of hte Grove and the Burnt Village, staring forward out at the buildings. Quaint. Woodsy. Far from the bustle of cars and skyscrapers, and Neku swooping with a delighted screech, and Josh with his light umbrella.]

It's all been yanked away again.

... sounds like you were doing pretty well for yourself. I'm impressed.

[Not just from Beat's words, but from the thoughts skittering on the surface. And it's a genuine sentiment, too - not a hint of sarcasm in those words.

Josh goes silent for a moment after that, those thoughts leaving a sort of... not exactly sour, not exactly bitter taste in his mouth, an anxious tightness in his throat and chest that he can't rationalize. He's being compared to another him, and it shouldn't bother him. He isn't the one that Beat wants to be with, so it's fine. There's another him out there that's been twisted by the same fog that twisted Beat, and that's who Beat wants. That's who Beat is pining for. Altogether different.

So why does he feel like disappearing? Hm.

He doesn't, though. Not yet. Not now, not in the middle of investigating. It's so easy to compartmentalize. It's so easy to put distance between himself and... whatever that is.]

If it's ever too much for you, by the way, just say so. I'm just fine on my own. Wouldn't want you making things worse for yourself on my account.

Heh, thanks yo, I really tried. Wouldn't of gotten far widdout you an' Phones though. Er, uh, other you.

[Christ. He knows he's probably making Josh feel uncomfortable and awkward every time he slips up. He knows the Composer stuffs that all down and has issues with the idea. Not in disgust just that "really? me?" attitude Beat knows too well.

The question makes him huh? glancing back to Josh with a genuine pure look of confusion, head tilted 45 degrees even, before he realizes what Josh means.]

What! No way, yo!! I'm fine. It hurts, yeah, but I ain't gonna treatchu like you silver or some shit, an' avoid you. We're in this together, yo, I got yer back!! Like, yer still you, an' I know you, an' jus' 'cuz there's some missin' bits cause we all alternate timeline up in here, ain't mean I ain't friends widchu!

[He doesn't start walking again yet, instead staring at Josh thoughtfully. And shockingly? His mind closes off. Just a bit, he's not good at it, being an open book and all but it's an attempt. To save Josh from the constant barrage there.

But also... this is a chance to see if they can become friends without trauma forcing them together.]

Unless you want me to fuck off, then hey, s'cool, you lemme know.

[... ah. It may only be a bit more closed off, but he can still tell. In combination with Beat's words, it makes Josh pause, smile slipping into something a bit more... perplexed. It's all the softness instilled by caring for another version of him, surely. Any other Beat would probably have good reason to punch him in the face, much less want to be friends.

It's weird. Foreign. Being punched in the face, or at least an attempt at such, would be easier for him to understand.]

It's hardly about me. You're welcome to stick around if you'd like.

[It's hard to avoid anyone in a place this small anyway. Especially when one party has the nose of a bloodhound.]

It may even be beneficial to stick together. After all, today's exploration went well. Who knows what else we might find?

I do like, yo!

[Now his tail is beginning to wag again, happy little stop and go motions of wag wag, pause, wag wag. Especially as Josh turns the conversation back to their exploration. It begins to go more.]

Fer real... hopefully better than uh, evil vines and a lot of dead bodies.

[Beat finally glances at himself. He... is covered still. Despite shaking off what he could, he's caked in ash and dirt, reeking of everything he'd uncovered. Everything.]

You wanna take a quick break first or jump right into the next area? There's a lot of weird fuckin' smells all over.

[Well. At least he's happy. Josh considers that a success. It's better than dwelling on things out of either of their control.]

Luckily, I haven't seen the vines elsewhere. Can't say the same about the bodies, though.

[Bodies can be anywhere. Ask him how he knows!

At the offer of a quick break, though, Beat is getting a very long and considering glance. Sir, you are stinky and dirty.]

Maybe a break first. You look like you could use a quick rinsing off. Maybe a change of clothes.

I ain't got extra clothes but I can wash these ones!

[Sorry, Josh. Beat has no body shame. This means that he strips, right there. Off comes the shirt, off comes the pants, and he holds them out like they're time bombs as he heads towards the well. Bare ass naked. At least he's furry enough to cover everything that needs covering, with the obvious exception of his mess of scars.

Is that the Shibuya symbol on his chest, half hidden behind some fluff?]

I wonder if they got hoses, yo, runnin' water... wait, yo, the river!

[And there goes a streaking werewolf, running towards the river....]

[Is it the Shibuya symbol? Is it? Because he's quite distracted by the suddenly very naked werewolf standing right there in front of him thank you very much!!

Who is then running right for the river, whole ass entirely out. He. Oh. Okay.]

... well, that's one way to do it.

[As long as he gets clean, that's... what matters...??? Good lord.]

[He'll get clean! Have you ever seen a wet werewolf? It looks like he tried to drowned himself by the time he comes back.

Still naked, his clothes are damp still, despite his attempt to strangle the water out of them.

And at least this time he shook by the river side and not came over to shake. His teeth may be chattering.]

You ain't got like... able to magic up a hair dryer, is you?

[A wet werewolf looks very... sad. Somehow sadder than a wet cat. Maybe it's because it's Beat, though. Dogs don't usually look this pathetic when soaking wet.

Though, the height makes him anything but pathetic. It's just the overall effect.]

Hmm. Maybe, maybe not. I haven't been able to conjure anything fancy, so you may have to do with a towel.

[He's not even going to try for the hair dryer, though. He just straight up creates a towel. But hey, it's a big towel, bigger than most bath towels, even, and it's very fluffy. It gets handed to Beat without much fanfare.]

If you need another, there's more where that came from.

[He is the most pathetic, saddest boy. He shook but he is still wet. Josh save him. Josh. Save him, Josh, he's cold. The towel will be taken so gratefully and he begins to briskly rub himself down, trying to dry as much off as possible.]

God yer b- a lifesaver. [Oops almost called him beautiful, can't do that, can't scare him away. His tail wags as he dries down, before his tongue lolls out happily in a pant.]

I think that should be aight. Prolly should hit up the inn an' sit near the ... the fire place. [Grimace.] Dry up the rest of the way. How you doin', by the way? I know you mostly whole but like... do you gotta eat now?

[Focus on his not-husband, ponder him. Nakedly.]

[What was that? Was there a word almost there? Hmm. Surely it wasn't what he thought it was. It was an altogether different word that starts with B, wasn't it?]

I am feeling very benevolent today, yes. You're welcome, by the way.

[Mm, warming up by the fire doesn't sound too bad, though. And he does need to check in on his little friend... He tips his head just slightly, as if pondering the idea. Not that he needs to think it over very thoroughly, of course. Their investigation can pause for a little while longer.]

Warming up wouldn't be a bad idea. [The question makes him pause for a moment, though, with one eyebrow lifting.] I do seem to be stuck in a physical body, so yes, I have to eat. Not that that's a problem.

[It's the other human needs that are a problem. Eugh. He doesn't like thinking about it.]

[He knows exactly what Josh is thinking when he says it's not a problem. Because Josh had the same issue before, forced into a physical body. He heh's softly, laying the towel around his waist to tuck it in so he's not flashing anymore.]

You eaten yet? I learned how to cook in the other place. I ain't the best still, but I can do some dishes. Inn kitchen got some stuff we can throw together.

[The ones Josh himself helped him with. The recipes from their cook book. Each one tried together. The ache in Beat's chest takes him a little by surprise. Josh is standing right in front of him, but he's a million miles away. Guess he didn't bottle it up as good as he thought.

And how does he know the Inn kitchen has stuff? Cause he smells it. Delicious food.]

C'mon, O' Benfevolent [Beat you just heard him say it] One, le's go snack on shit for bein' a buncha good boys who [wag wag wag hehe he is a good boy] made a Goddess a bit better.

Edited 2024-03-07 04:52 (UTC)

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