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[flamekthunder]

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[stillarhino]

I SAID DONT FREAK OUT YO!

[flamekthunder]

Explain.

[stillarhino]

[It takes a while before there's a response.]

i hadta check again...
seriously dont freak out



i cant find the rings nowhere

[flamekthunder]

[Hear that Beat?

It's silence.

Complete, utter silence.

Not even a dot of ink on the page.







All of which will be broken in about 5 minutes as VERY LOUD THUNDER AND LIGHTNING will be heralding Eustace's fast approach to Beat's house. Blizzard might be coming, too.]

[stillarhino]

[During the silence Beat writes back on the paper.]

wolfie?
yo wolfie?
helloooo

[But he pauses as he hears the approaching thunder and lightning outside.]

Fuck.

[Had he gone too far this time?

Regardless, he puts his entire weight against his door, peeking out the side, keeping an eye out for Eustace's approach.]

[flamekthunder]

[What's probably scariest about all of this is that rather than running towards the door, Eustace is just walking towards Beat's house, a trail of ice left in his wake.

Oh, and that his gun, Flamek is over his shoulders, electricity already crackling around it.

And it just so happens that Eustace will slowly raise his head to meet Beat's gaze.

Boy better not hide.]

[stillarhino]

[Beat curses under his breath again. Maybe he did go too far this time. But he's never been one to shy away from things. Most things, at least.

He made his bed and he will lie in it. At least figuratively, his actual bed is a mess.

Just as he opens the door, Idris scampers towards it, happy to greet Eustace despite... everything else happening around the erune.

Despite the growing lump in Beat's throat, he stands straight while looking Eustace in the eye.]

What happened to don't freak out, yo? You gonna take down all a' the village with that shit.

[Hahaha ha... it's a joke? Get it?]

[flamekthunder]

[Eustace only continues his slow, steady walk as he approaches.]

It's all under control.

[Is it, is it really— There may be some weight to his words as despite the ominous blizzard storm that looks like will erupt from the skies any minute—there's not even a drop of rain, just a bustling wind. But it's also clear it could all snap any second so Beat better tread carefully.]

Explain.

[Do you know how many times he had already lost her engagement ring HE DOES NOT NEED TO BE PUT THROUGH THIS AGAIN.]

1/3

[stillarhino]

Don't look like it is.

[To be absolutely fair, no he does not.

So he lets out a huff, and reaches to scratch the back of his neck, sheepish about how this entire thing is turning out.]

[stillarhino]

[But he looks back up at Eustace, staring him squarely in the eye.]

Look, the reason I told ya not to freak out is 'cause—

[stillarhino]

I was just messin' with ya.

[Is that a dumb grin growing on his face? Yes. Yes, it is.]

[flamekthunder]

[Beat.

There is no grins on his face.

If anything there's a sudden drop of temperature as a bolt of lightning suddenly strikes a few feet away from them.]

A joke?

[stillarhino]

Yeah, thought I could help get that stick outta your ass, you know? Lighten up a little.

[He makes a gesture back into his house.]

The rings are jus' inside, safe and sound.

[flamekthunder]

[HE'S NOT EVEN GOING TO DIGNIFY THAT SORRY EXCUSE WITH AN ANSWER, just another crackle of lightning that ripples through the thunder clouds hanging low above them to accompany that bone chilling, frosty glare.

And then he's just walking right on in.]

1/3

[stillarhino]

[Though it took a lot to actually scare Beat, that look that Eustace gives him before he walks by was enough to make his heart drop to his stomach.

Beat's going to have to get used to Eustace barging in like this, isn't he? He runs past Eustace and stands in front of him again.]

Look, yo! Jus' wait here, I'mma go get it and prove to you that they okay.

[stillarhino]

[Without waiting for a reply, Beat runs into his bedroom, leaving the door open as he rummages for the rings. It takes longer than it should, considering Beat says that he should just have them lying around. A ruckus is heard from inside the room, and then suddenly silence.]

[stillarhino]

[From inside, Eustace will hear Beat call out:] ...Wolfie, don't freak out.

[flamekthunder]

[Again Beat is only met with silence. Is that a bit of frost starting to creep in on the floor....????? Yes, but Eustace will only cross his arms and stare at Beat's retreating back. He trusts Beat, he really does, but this... Perhaps if he hadn't had gone through the trauma experience of losing Tifa's engagement ring so many times back at the dragon castle, he'd be less pissed mad about this, though he would never think it funny in the slightest.

So he waits.

...And waits.

If Beat is trying to drag this out on purpose he swears—















THAT WOULD BE A HOUSE RATTLING BOOM OF THUNDER before Eustace just seems to appear at his door.]

Explain.

[What happened to the lights?? Why are they flickering?? Why is it so suddenly dark and cold—]

[stillarhino]

[Eustace hadn't seen it the first time he invited himself into Beat's home, but the room was already a mess before it had been turned upside down. The mattress was askew, drawers were open and left that way, and all manner of clothing littered the floor.

He straightens up visibly from the sudden chill before pointing at the table by his bedside.]

I swear it was right here, yo! I placed it here after you gave 'em to me and I didn't touch it or nothin'!

[Though his eyes were wide, his voice is serious. Whatever amusement it held earlier is now gone.]

[flamekthunder]

You just left them on the table?

[In the box no doubt, but really? Just on the table?? No even in the drawer???

The fact that Beat seems to actually be serious this time may be making things worse.


NOCSTACE 2.0????]

[stillarhino]

Yeah, right there! [Which makes sense in his head as he was the only one living in this treehouse.] It ain't like there's no one else 'sides me here, you know? Look, I even got your note here an' everything.

[Which he does rip off from the bedside. Written on it in Eustace's own script was the phrase DO NOT FORGET in capital letters.]

I wouldn't fuck 'round with somethin' this important.

[He says after fucking around with something this important just moments ago. But it is also at this very moment that a red-haired corgi peeks into the room, watching both Beat and Eustace in the middle of this stand-off.]

[flamekthunder]

[The air is so cold, the pressure so high, it feels as if just one wrong move could bring everything down. His eyes only move to the note, the proof that Beat at least was indeed taking his job seriously. ...And in truth, Eustace knows this. He wouldn't have given Beat this important job if he didn't think he could trust the guy.




Doesn't change the fact that something happened—]

Then what, did something come here and take it?

[LOOK BEAT HE'S TRYING TO WRESTLE HIS TEMPER!!]

[stillarhino]

[AND HE'S TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WTF HAPPENED!]

Naw, yo! Ain't no one's been here. We left Ol' Ghostie back in the cabin, didn't we? An' I ain't gone out all day! It jus' been me, the squirrel an' Sonic.

[Now that he thinks about it, he hasn't seen the squirrel around all day. Maybe he was out getting more nuts or something.]

[flamekthunder]

Squirrel?

[He hasn't quite noticed Idris, yet he wouldn't suspect the corgi at this point. Instead he focuses on the squirrel.]

[stillarhino]

[Right, only Susato knows about the squirrel so far.]

One a' the squirrels followed me bavk after the hotpot. He's been hangin' 'round a bit more but I ain't seen him today.

[Why is Eustace even asking about the squirrel? Wait—]

You don't think he's got it, do ya?