open 💀 make some new magic

[stillarhino]

Who: Beat and you
Status: Open
Where: Around
What: Manta quests and general catch-all throughout June
Warnings: None currently, will add, if any.

paint the town—

[As soon as Beat sees the MANTA for working on graffiti around the leviathans, he immediately secures a couple of spray cans, a new sketchbook to figure out his ideas, and sets out to find a space he could work with.

Throughout the month, he can be found around Eltrut and Nogard, working on two different artworks in a rough graffiti style similar to the wall back in Shibuya. In Nogard, the artwork leans more towards a skull and crossbones theme, leaning into the Corsair vibe in vibrant reds, oranges, and yellow, with graffiti lettering of Corsair splashed prominently to one side. Meanwhile, in Eltrut, he goes for a tropical vibe, taking inspiration from natural habitat of the leviathan, with a few embellishments here and there—such as an eye patch on a sea turtle.

While he's laid out the groundwork, there's still more than enough space for anyone to join in on the fun, spray cans of various colors scatters by his feet. Or perhaps you even notice his sketchbook sticking out of his backpack, a few of his random sketches on the page—anything from a skateboard design, a random passer-by (maybe it's even someone your character may know) that he had been watching from a distance, or maybe even a few Pokemon he's been around of late. Whatever the case, he seems engrossed in his work, and may need more than a gentle jostling to snap out of it.]

fifty shades of slay—

Hold up, you want me to what?!

[If the loud exclamation isn't enough for you to investigate, you might spot him standing in front of the play group just as one of them hands him a couple of pages as part of the script. "Take your shirt off," one of them says. The rest of the group seem unfazed by the request, as if this was expected of whoever signed up.

When Beat had read the quest, he didn't get past the large text slapped on the top. You can't expect someone to read the finer print, especially when that someone just so happens to be Beat. So he, on the other hand, is absolutely fazed, going so far as to tug his shirt downward unconsciously.]

Yo, when I read about it, I thought you needed someone to rough a coupla people up!

[It did say "Slay" on the quest title, after all.]

fish in a barrel—

[Your character finds a discarded fishing rod in the middle of the shore or riverbank, a small canister of fish bait close-by. What you don't find nearby is its owner.

After a moment or two, you notice a figure standing out in the water, crouching with his hands up in the air on either side. He stands still before suddenly diving to grab at something in the water, disappearing underneath. He resurfaces eventually.

At times, he is empty-handed, sulking momentarily before moving to another spot and assuming the stance once more, seemingly in another attempt to catch something out of the water.

Otherwise, he struggles to resurface, finally breaking water with what seems to be a fish in hand. It doesn't go down without a fight, wriggling and thrashing as it tries to break free from Beat's grip.]

Ain't gonna be any easier if you don't stop movin'!

[As if it was going to talk back to him. Either way, help a guy out?]

wildcard—

[Hit me with your own scenarios or plot with me on riyuji on discord, or riyuji.]

Comments

[stillarhino]

[The slap to his back is enough of a jolt to snap Beat out of his rumination of self-loathing, a surprised "bwuh" leaving his lips. It had always been hard for him to pull himself back to reality whenever he fell into these depressive bouts of doubt. But he blinks a few times before he turns, just enough to see Darin from the corner of his eye.

He's quiet, carefully listening to what's being said to him. If anything, he's thankful that Darin at least understands that he's in no mood for a sermon. Even without knowing his own history, the other man gets that it wouldn't be helpful to him. Even his impersonation gets a bit of a laugh from Beat, a moment of levity he didn't even realize he needed.

Moving to fully face Darin, he sits cross-legged in front of him, elbows resting on his legs.]

Whatchu mean by that? 'Bout havin' someone who... can see me?

[Did he even get it? Beat didn't understand what it meant, but he wants to.]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin leans back, propping himself up with his hands.]

Would you believe I had no idea until recently?

[He lifts his chin and cranes his head back, looking up at the sky.]

When I was a kid, I had...some pretty big dreams. Dreams that didn't make a lot of sense. I know I wanted to be something but...what I wanted to be wasn't really...realistic. It was abstract. A concept.

I went thought my life believing it impossible. I'd never be what I really wanted to be. I didn't even know if I'd even come close but then...

...Someone came along. And she saw right through everything. Right to the core of who I am. She saw me for the me I wanted to be.

[Darin lowers his gaze to Beat and grins.]

People are pretty terrible at looking inside ourselves. I mean, you can't exactly turn your eyeballs to look inside your head, right? So...we gotta rely on people we trust to see inside of us the things we can't see ourselves.

[With that, he winks.]

Try as we might to hide it, there's a part of who we really are that shines through in all of our actions. Even if it's just a sliver, if it hits the light just right? Someone will see it.

It's there, Beat. Just needs the right light.

[stillarhino]

Countin' on the people to see me, huh?

[Parroting Darin was the only way Beat could digest what was being told to him.]

Back home, I woulda said that was my sis. She was always rootin' for me, even when I was gettin' into trouble or screwin' up. Or my homie, Phones. Trusted 'im with my life, yo.

[He leans back, hands planted firmly on the ground behind him as he looks to the sky. It was always when he thought of them when he felt the most homesick.]

And I had others too. 'Specially where I was last. [A pause.] Believe it or nah, this ain't my first time fallin' into some other world that ain't mine. Bumped into a coupla people I knew from the last place who ain't know shit 'bout me. Like it's them but it ain't?

[It had happened enough times that his frustration had built up, finally reaching a tipping point. Maybe that was partially a reason for his outburst. Why he needed a distraction.]

But... I still got my girl. We been through all types a' shit and she's still with me even when I mess up big time. [A small smile pulls at the corner of his mouth. Then tilts his head forward to meet Darin's gaze.] You think she can be like that for me?

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Of course! She's stayed with you this long! She's gotta see something in you that you can't see yourself. Maybe neither of you know exactly what it is, and you know what?

That's alright.

[Darin laughs. Gods above only a year ago, he doubts he'd have been able to really believe his own words.]

My adopted father Acteon and my mentor Kessler were the same. Even after I got into some trouble, they still believed in me. Still saw something I didn't.

Wasn't until I met someone here that I honestly started to believe maybe they were onto something. Sometimes it's easier to trust someone special than it is to trust ourselves, am I right?

[Darin holds a fist out towards Beat with a welcoming grin.]

Guys like us aren't the best at thinking.

[stillarhino]

Sounds to me like we both screw-ups who need someone to gas them up.

[He chuckles lightly, smiling faintly.

For a long time, Beat had felt aimless—especially when he found Neku after three years of searching—that he began to believe that was going to be his truth. That it was his reality.

But what he didn't expect was something like this. He didn't think he would find someone who had similar difficulties or had some vague idea of what he was going through. Not that he would find kinship in the most unexpected of places, or that he would get a pep talk just as he was hitting an all-time low.

It reminded him of the time Neku had done similar to him, after he poured his heart out as well. Only Neku was straight to the point, immediately calling him out on his shit. Compared to back then, Darin was kinder in his methods, but it still did the job, knocking some sense back into him. And Beat was grateful for it.]

Ain't that the truth.

[Reaching out, he bumps fists with Darin.]

Aiiight! Enough a' this pity party, yo!

[It's always zero to a hundred with this kid. Beat is up on his feet in an instant, hands on his hips, his grin lopsided yet full of energy. This time, he's the one who reaches a hand out to Darin to help him back on his feet.]

You an' me got a mural to finish.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Something about the way Beat responds sends Darin back almost a decade or more. Suddenly, he's in a smithy, well-maintained and full of all sorts of wares. Weapons, armor, cooking implements, tools. Before him is an older man. Stout, no taller than 5 feet on a good day, bald but with a frayed and braided beard and unkempt, bushy mustache. The man has a grin so wide you'd think the top of his head would fall off. He's holding a hammer out, hammerhead first with an expectant grin, waiting for the gangly, blue-haired youngster to clang his own smithy hammer against it in acceptance.]

[Something about that grin...it was always reassuring. It was a grin that told you that everything would be alright.]

[A grin that Darin's adopted without even realizing it.]

[When Beat's fist bumps his, Darin hears the sound of hammerheads striking as clear as a bell. It'd been well over a year since he'd seen his adopted father. He had to wonder...]

[...Would Acteon be proud of the man he'd become? No doubt that barrel shaped man would pull him into a headlock despite Darin easily having over a foot in height on him.]

[Beat's hyping yell cuts through Darin's memory and when he returns to the moment, he finds Beat's hand extended to help him up.]

[Darin regards it for a moment, then takes it...]

[And when he's on his feet, he yanks Beat into a headlock and ruffles his hair roughly.]

Damn straight! And if I catch you moping, I'm gonna start painting you!

So if you don't want hair to match mine, you better keep your eyes facing forward!

[stillarhino]

[His eyes goes wide when he's put in a surprise headlock. Usually he's the one who did it to others, never having been on the receiving end. But he laughs despite it, eyes squinting shut from the noogie as he pulls himself out of it.]

'Course I will, man! You's the one who said we can't look inside a' us, right?

[Did he take that a little too literally? Maybe. But he still got the message.]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin straightens up and shoves a can of paint into Beat's hands.]

Yeah, I did say that. And...I want you to know, I know what it's like. If you ever want advice, just gimme a shout.

I got your back.

[stillarhino]

[Taking the can in one hand, his runs his fingers through his hair with the other. He looks a tad sheepish as his hand remains there, rubbing at the back of his neck.]

Thanks, yo. Appreciate it. [More than ya know. But that is left unsaid.]

It's the same for you, aight? I gotchu, too.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

...Thanks, Beat. I mean that. I'm still getting used to having friends and people who want to have my back.

So...I really appreciate it too.

[stillarhino]

After the speech you gave me jus' now? Woulda thought you had loads of people rootin' for ya.

[Beat chuckles lightly. He then proceeds to bump his fist against Darin's arm.]

Don't sweat it, man. Count me in as anotha' one in your court now.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Heh...yeah, you'd think that, huh...

[He sounds...disappointed.]

One day I'll tell you about the crap I went through back home. But for now, I think I'd rather just paint with my bud.

How's that sound?