open 💀 third recording

[stillarhino]

Sender: Beat
To: Everyone
Subject: a question

yo who heres single?
asking for a friend

[That's it. That's the post.]

[ooc: Both Beat and Trahearne will be replying to this!]

Comments

[bakudan_bambino]

[Gokudera has no idea these could all be the same person.]

Nightlight or tree fern? I’m confused.

The person you’re trying to set up with a date? Cause you said his talent is that he lights up at night?

you’re really bad at being specific.

[stillarhino]

im still talking about the same guy yo
if this aint working for ya you can just ask someone else

[bakudan_bambino]

I’m sorry!

I’m trying really hard to understand and I want to hear your story!

I’ll stop interrupting! I’ll figure it out!

[Oh no he’s fucking everything up oh god oh no oh geez]

[stillarhino]

look maybe its better if we just meet up or something
im tired of all this writing anyways

hows dreambucks sound?

[bakudan_bambino]

really?

Sounds great!

> action

[stillarhino]

aight imma be in a black hoodie and headphones

[And so he heads on over to your friendly, neighborhood coffee shop. After getting his usual order, he finds a table close to the window, waiting for the other guy from the journals.

Besides the description he had given Gokudera, the pastel pink boba in front of him might also stand out, especially considering Beat's nearly all-black attire and the skateboard at his feet. Yet he looks to be enjoying it with every sip.]

> action

[bakudan_bambino]

[It’s the headphones that stand out when Gokudera walks in and looks around. He goes about getting his own drink, but it’s not clear what it is, given that it’s in a to-go cup. He doesn’t add anything to it, sips at it and approaches Beat.]

Are you Beat?

[Saying it out loud, it’s kind of odd, but he’s not judging. There are plenty of people in his own world with strange names, after all. Gokudera takes a seat at the table, across from Beat, and pulls out a notepad with the pages covered in code.

Gokudera never gave a description of himself, and is probably much more grumpier in appearance than his words might give away. He’s also not really looking Beat in the eye, posture riddled with tension, fidgeting with the sleeve on his cup, idly chewing at the inside of his lip since he’s not smoking inside the coffee shop. It’s probably obvious to anyone from any distance away looking at him that he’s tense, uncomfortable, or nervous. Normal people don’t scowl so much that their eyes get hidden by the shadow of their brows. His do.

Despite that, he’s quiet, maybe even a little timid or awkward. Gokudera isn’t much of a people-person. Especially since he feels he’s already majorly inconvenienced someone he’d thought would help him.]

[stillarhino]

Yeah, that's me, yo. Good I now got a face to your name, too.

[He reaches forward as Gokudera takes a seat, extending a closed hand in the form of a friendly fist bump, smiling all the while. It doesn't seem like he minds the other boy's grumpy exterior in the least, but he does give him a once over as he approached, clocking the notepad and the scribblings within in his hand.

Settling back into his chair, a laugh escapes Beat's lips as he brings his drink to his mouth, sucking on the straw for a long sip, tapioca pearls coursing through it for him to chew on. Unlike his companion, Beat seems rather relaxed about this sudden meeting.]

Now it feels like some kinda interview, man. You really playin' detective there, ain't ya?

[bakudan_bambino]

[Gokudera looks at that closed hand in obvious confusion and places his own, open, under it, like Beat is offering something to him. He’s okay with handshakes, but no one has ever fist-bumped him before.]

Uh.

[Whoops?

He sets his drink down and his coded notes and then draws back as if recoiling from that laugh.]

Are you making fun of me?! It’s not an interview! You brought the noctaere up, and I need to make sure I can be ready to keep my friends safe! It’s important!

[Maybe he’s making a mountain out of a mole-hill, probably, but he’s being sincere and will NOT leave Beat alone until he gets more information from him.]

Isn’t it?

[Finally, Gokudera takes a seat, expression now settling to its usual grumpiness.]

[stillarhino]

[Before he could even make a joke about leaving him hanging, he's taken by surprise by how Gokudera suddenly flies off the handle. Immediately he draws his hand back and replaces his drink on the table, putting his hands up in front of himself defensively.]

Whoa, whoa, don't get your panties in a bunch, yo. I was jus' messin' with ya.

[They were going to talk about whatever Beat knew about the noctaere but he still felt the need to lighten the mood. At least that way they could ease into it, considering the heaviness that usually followed the topic.]

I mean, yeah, it's important. Jus' didn't 'spect you to freak out 'cause of some joke.

[bakudan_bambino]

[Gokudera Panties-in-a-bunch Hayato takes everything concerning the safety of his boss seriously. Unfortunately for Beat, Gokudera is just… like this. His friend/rival/partner has to regularly hold him back and calm him down. But there’s no one else around to do that, so he’s just going to be a bit aggressive.]

Tch- why?

[Why would Beat mess with him?!

This is an important discussion and he wants to learn as much as he can and do a good job as his boss’s right hand man!

But he doesn’t want Beat to leave, or to scare him off. Gokudera crosses his arms and leans back in his chair.]

I’m not freaking out.

[See look at how calm he is.]

[stillarhino]

Coulda fooled me.

[All he could do was stare back across the table. He knows he could leave if he didn't want to deal with this guy, but he stays. For now.]

Aight, man. What else you wanna know?

[bakudan_bambino]

[Gokudera pulls out his glasses and looks through his notes to see where they left off in their conversation. Beat was telling him about a nightlight? Or… his friend. Asking for clarification just ended up making things worse, so he’s just going to accept that he has no idea who this about or if there was an actual nightlight involved.]

I want to keep my friends safe. I need to. [That’s why he’s taking this so seriously. He needs Beat to see where he’s coming from. This is not something to joke about! This is the safety of the people he cares about (and that does not include himself).]

So… I want to know how to identify what a noctaere is and how you… turned your friend back? What some of the struggles were that you faced… anything you think might be worth noting…

[He’s a bit cautious now, not wanting to rapid-fire his questions like he’d done before in text. Really, he’s just very worried and is a paranoid person sometimes. Gokudera closes his notes, leaves his glasses on, and takes a sip of his drink, forcing himself to calm down as much as he can.]

[stillarhino]

[Beat could barely hold back a snort when he sees the glasses, thinking that he might've been right about his original joke in the first place. This time he's able to hold back a comment, considering Gokudera's reply on why he's doing this.]

I can respect that, yo. That's why I head out when I hear 'bout this noctaere shit going on to my friends too.

[It's bad enough when they do end up in that state. By that point, all they could really do is try to bring them back from the brink somehow. And make sure that they don't hurt anyone else.]

It don't always look the same. First time I saw one, it was like a giant-ass shadow wolf. Even tried to take a chunk outta my arm. [There's a faint shuffle of movement as he recalled it, his hand shifting to touch where he had bitten. It's subconscious, as Beat keeps going.] An' another time it was like some kinda plant pod thing. But it's always got nightmare energy spewin' outta it. Somethin' you can really feel as you get close.

Like you see things and people that ain't really there 'cause of it. [It's happened to him both times now, his past experiences being used against him in some way. His deepest fears, his worst nightmares.] An' that's when they pounce on ya. When you ain't lookin'.

[It's both easier and harder to talk about, now that they were face to face. He was the same way when he first heard about the creature. Definitely not as direct, but the curiosity to learn more was there too. Using this pause to take a breath, he reaches for his drink for another sip, pensively chewing on the boba.]

[bakudan_bambino]

[Gokudera’s leaving the glasses on just in case, and he’d definitely go off if Beat were to comment on them. Probably say something he doesn’t mean and regret it later until he’s able to pull his own head out of his ass move past it.]

It’s not something that happens often is it? He just sent the messages and they seemed off, but he wasn’t sick or going through something else that might have triggered it to happen? Is there a trigger.. Ah-! You don’t have to answer that!

[Gokudera doesn’t want to throw too many questions around, but he has so many.]

They turn into something? So in one case, a shadow wolf and another a plant pod. And when they did, they attacked you? You can’t kill them though, right, cause they’re your friend?

[In person or not, it’s still difficult to understand, and Gokudera does not look at Beat’s arm so much as the shuffle draws his eyes. Oh, yeah, he bets it fuckin’ hurt. Better not talk about that specifically, as he doesn’t want to be too invasive with his questions.]

What’d you do next?

[He’s not taking notes, more like leaning forward in the eager way a child might wait for their parent to keep telling a story, to flip the page. His voice is a little bit in awe as he tries to imagine this awful scene.]

[stillarhino]

[It's a good thing he said that, otherwise Beat would've gone off on that tangent instead. He almost got started too, opening and closing his mouth. Instead, he focuses on the next part.]

The pod not really, but there was stuff 'round it attacking us.

It was different for both too. Like for Wolfie we had to keep him from freaking out more, and we hadta something he'd dropped to help snap him outta it. [Just thinking about it sent a shiver down his spine, much like the cold he felt in the cavern that night.]

And for Nightlight, we hadta try to get to him by dreamwalking 'cause he was stuck inside the pod.

[Both experiences had its own challenges, but they had been very different in their own right. And Beat didn't mind telling them to share the knowledge at the very least. Was it enough to be helpful though? He wasn't sure.]

Ain't really no sure way to get through it.

[bakudan_bambino]

So in both instances, you were being attacked or were unable to reach them…

[Gokudera isn’t sure if Beat is being intentionally vague, and is too scared to ask for clarification. Worried if he does, there’ll be irritation. They had to… something with something that ‘wolfie’ had dropped…]

What’s dreamwalking?

[Get through what? Gokudera’s face is stuck with his brow furrowed in confusion, something like concern in his eyes, and his body language is still just… edge of the seat, listening, as if he’s trying to take apart every word.]

[stillarhino]

It's when ya got into people's dreams. I ain't done it much but sometimes you gotta snap them outta it by helpin' them out somehow. Like, there was this huge ass airship in one of Nightlight's dreams. And jus' slammin' into was a bad idea.

[At this point, he doesn't get into the specifics of what it meant knowing full well that these weren't his secrets to tell. Or what he saw.]

Remember what I said 'bout seein' things that ain't there cause a' all the nightmares. Tha's what happened when I was messin' with it. Hadta use dreamotion to get rid a' it, an' get him to snap outta it.

[bakudan_bambino]

[Gokudera’s eyes widen, and he didn’t even know anything like that was possible. And an airship?! He’s still staring, but not so much confused as he’s containing back a new flood of questions, sips at his drink and starts to chew at the inside of his lip. He’d smoke, but they’re indoors and he’s not looking to cause problems.]

I’m still learning how to use dreamotion…

That you could snap him out of it sounds incredible.

[He sits back and takes his glasses off.]

You’re being tight’s kind of an understatement. [And he gives a very very very slight approving smile. It’s maybe little more than a twitch to the corner of his mouth, but mostly it’s the way his eyes relax.]

[stillarhino]

That's cause it ain't jus' me, yo. Prob'ly wouldn'ta done it without the rest of the gang.

[A smile finds its way onto his face, tugging at the edge of his lips. Without realizing it, he stands a little straighter and puffs out his chest a bit. He's gotta give credit where credit is due, after all, and working with the group of friends he's made has always felt good.

But it easily gives way to surprise at the compliment from Gokudera. That certainly wasn't what he was expecting, and it causes him to laugh lightly.]

Aight, what'd you call it then, yo?

[bakudan_bambino]

Still incredible.

[His compliment still stands. Gokudera could do better if he had people to work with, but he’s been too nervous reaching out when everyone is so unfamiliar.

It’s cool that Beat could help a friend in trouble like that, with or without help. He hopes some day he might be able to do the same, but he’s not going to say all that. Instead, he’s just going to recognize this person is better with other people (excluding himself), than he’ll ever be.

In the same kind of way he respects bucking horse Dino. He’s not some big fan or whatever, and doesn’t think he’d ever ask him for help, but… if it will help him keep his boss safe, it’s worth treating him well.]

I don’t know… kind of like a dream family?

[stillarhino]

[Being mid-drink as Gokudera had said that, it takes Beat by surprise and causes him to choke on a boba. He slams a fist into his chest a few times, nearly hacking it back up. After a second or two to settle, his cheeks light up.]

Yo, it's kinda embarrassin' if you put it like that.

[The thought had crossed his mind once or twice but hearing it aloud like that, especially from someone he had just met, was unexpected. Besides his sister, he never truly felt that his family was one except through blood. So having that in a dream world?

He shakes his head incredulously, allowing a chuckle to escape him, not meeting his companion's eyes.]

Yeah, we kinda like that, I guess. [A beat.] Got anythin' else for me, man?

[bakudan_bambino]

Hm? I’m not trying to embarrass you.

[Gokudera thought he was just making an observation. It is incredible to be able to save someone from something so horrible. He wants to be able to do something like that.

And he misses his famiglia. So… in a way it feels like he needs to have his own dream family. So far, it doesn’t seem anyone is interested in getting to know him more or maybe he’s just too nervous and reserved to meet new people.]

How was your friend after you saved him? Was he injured from the experience or anything like that?

[stillarhino]

[Beat leans back on his chair as he thinks about this, head tilting backward trying to recall back to the first time. It had been a while back since then, only a few months after he'd arrived. It was an odd way to meet a few of the others he now considered close, but it was certainly one way to make some fast friends. Not that he would ever recommend the experience.]

We got a couple of hits on Wolfie when we was dealing with him. That time it was a whole-ass fight. But for Nightlight— [A shake of his head.] It wasn't like that. Sure looked pretty tired after everything though, but we made he made it home aight.

[Then, still leaning back on his chair, he cranes his head back to look at Gokudera from across the table.]

Hey, you worried it's gonna happen to someone you know or somethin'?

[bakudan_bambino]

[Gokudera looks at his empty drink cup and itches for a cigarette, listening, then seeming almost startled by Beat’s question.]

Ah- I just want to be ready in case!

[Does this guy need to know about Gokudera’s boss? Everyone should, but… he’s not here. Talking about him will just make the bomber feel more lonely.]