escordvi | ( closed ) june catch-all

[When the call goes out for able bodies to take on an urgent search and rescue mission, Harding is among the first to respond. Search teams are assigned prior to landfall, and when they make it to the island, she wastes no time in gearing up and preparing to break off with her assigned partner. Though she prides herself on being able to work with just about anyone, he seems to be a good-natured sort, which is definitely a plus.

The rainfall is heavy, relentless. She doesn't mind getting wet, but there's something eerily strange about this place— she can't hear anything but the rain.

She frowns as she pauses beneath a cluster of trees just past the shoreline, the branches offering a small amount of cover from the rain, looking up at her partner in question.]

Hey, do you hear anything? Doesn't it seem a little too quiet here?

[Looking for people who had been missing for some time was something Beat had done in the past, even if it took him three years to find who he was looking for. He was like a dog with a bone when he had a goal in mind, his objective on the forefront of his mind, and this wasn't going to be any different. After all, he can't let those people remain lost forever.

Furrowing his brow at Harding's comment, he pushes the headphones off of his head, moving them to hang around his neck. Even with it on without music playing, the sound of the rain surrounding them somehow permeated past them, the sound even louder once he has them off.]

I'm hearin' a lotta rain, if that's what you's askin'.

[He looks at her, even more confused, looking around, hoping to catch sight of anyone outside the search and rescue team. It didn't sound like they were making much noise either... So, surely she was talking about the rain, right?]

If you's makin' a joke, I ain't gettin' it, yo.

No, no joke here.

[She scrunches her nose a bit as she looks out over the expanse of shoreline ahead— for the most part, it looks like any other island, except...]

Even in the rain, there would usually be some sign of wildlife, like seabirds calling to one another. This place just feels...

[She can't really explain how it resonates with her; part of it is years of scouting instinct, but she has a gut feeling that another part must be something she's getting from the island itself, from the earth and stone beneath them.]

Empty. It doesn't feel right.

Shit, you's right.

[Now that she's pointed out, he hears the noise. Or rather lack thereof besides the surrounding rain.

They couldn't have been led astray, right? It wasn't as if they were the ones who made their way here, considering there were taken to the island itself. Unwilling to accept defeat, Beat continues to make his way further into the forest, running from tree cover to tree cover, getting drenched by the downpour along the way.]

Jus' means we gotta go find 'em fast. So we can bounce from this creepy ass place.

[He looks back to Harding, not wanting to get too far ahead of her.]

Ain't gonna be easy if the rain ain't lettin'.

[Despite her shorter stride, she keeps up with him rather well, pulling her hood up over her head as they go— she's already soaked through and has no illusions about keeping the water at bay, but at least it keeps the rain out of her eyes.]

I'm with you. We move fast.

[The sooner they can get the job done, the better.]

The rain will definitely make tracking harder, but there are still signs to look for. The tree cover seems better a little further in— let's head that way!

[Following suit, Beat pulls his own hood over his head, not before slipping his headphones back over his ears. He plays his music once more, and the sound of the rain is almost immediately dampened, white noise against the dreary landscape.

He then turns to Harding, a smirk on his face as he lightly bumps a fist against her shoulder. A small, unseen surge of energy will course through him and his companion.]

You askin' for speed? Try not to fall on your ass, yo.

[And just like that he's off, running—almost gliding—through the rain, his pace much faster than before, towards the larger expanse of tree cover she had pointed out. Harding will notice that she seems lighter on her feet as well, thanks to whatever boost Beat is able to offer.

Once they've found better shelter from the rain, Beat shakes his arms, sending water everywhere. It's a futile attempt to dry off, but he does it anyway.]

What else do we gotta look out for?

[She laughs sharply in response as he bumps a fist against her shoulder, only realizing once he takes off that she feels suddenly invigorated. It's only when she starts to run after him that she realizes she feels even more agile than usual— she's always been considerably light on her feet, especially considering what most people expected of dwarves— but this was something even beyond that.

When she joins him beneath a thicker crop of branches, she grins up at him for a moment, bracing her hands against her hips.]

Definitely interested to know how you did that. I thought only mages could pull off that kind of thing.

[Of course, here, just about anyone could be a mage if they wanted, technically. She raises an arm to help block the spray of water coming from him as she surveys their immediate surroundings, letting out a thoughtful hum.]

There might be some tracks lingering here under the canopy, but we should look for any branches or brush that look like they've been disturbed or trampled, maybe any manmade items that might have been dropped or left behind. It— sounds silly, to say it like that, but when you've been tracking people for a long time, you kind of get a sense of what to look for.

[And, well:]

I could also try asking the rocks.

You like that? Dunno anything 'bout mages, but it's a psych I worked on back home.

[Considering there was a point in time when he was being chased by Reapers and Players alike due to a case of mistaken identity, he had to find a way to quite literally stay ahead of them. He returns the grin with one of his own. It was always fun to see how people reacted to the boost of speed he could provide.

He does listen carefully as he surveys the area for the signs Harding mentions. While he's done his fair share of tracking animals or creatures down in his time here and in Songerein, he's very had to look for people... Well, not since Shibuya.]

Had to look for someone before, too. But it wasn't 'sactly like what we're doing now.

[Hold on. Did she really say what he thought she said?]

Wait, whatchu mean askin' the rocks?

It's a neat trick. Must come in handy.

[Yeah, she likes it— she'll be committing that talent of his to memory. There has to be countless situations they could make use of something like that in; she wouldn't be surprised if the need arises again while they're here.]

Consider that one of my tricks. I'm still getting used to it, and it's a little different here than back home, but I have a kind of— affinity with rocks? They don't really talk, but if I focus hard enough, I can feel something from them.

[Then, before giving him a chance to comment:]

What's a 'psych?'

[Sometimes he forgets that the things he says don't really make a lot of sense to others. While he was used to talking about the Game, aspects of it wasn't something he was used to explaining out right.

Beat purses his lips as he gives it some thought.]

Guess you can think of it like powers? Or like ya said, tricks. 'Sides that, I got one more I use for if I gotta fight.

( closed ) june catch-all

🎧 closed to beat | drowned in sorrow

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pretend I didn't just skip a word in the last tag

consider it done!

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