i'm not making this pretty it's just a script draft i did at like 2am (i bolded every line beast speaks)
Finally, his Quill stopped moving.
Just as the sun had fully dipped below the horizon, the Rowlet’s talon finally relaxed. With a sigh, he closed his journal and dropped the quill atop the gray hardcover. A glance outside prompted him to raise up and stretch out his wings.
He was just about to take off when there was a knock at the door.
He let out a quiet hoo, then quickly shuffled his bed—nest, rather—over towards his journal. “Just a second!” he called, hurriedly shoving the mess of straw and twigs onto the book. Once he was satisfied with the coverup, he quickly hopped over towards the door and nudged it open with his beak.
His eyes glanced up, and soon after lit up with interest at who it was.
“Mmm, Cider was it?” the Munchlax asked, quickly dusting something black and murky off his apron, as if it would make him that more presentable.
Cider’s eyes couldn’t help but dart after the strange substance. He internally gagged, just as the visitor grunted out the last part of his greeting;
“Evening.”
Cider swallowed his initial disgust. “Oh, uh, Beast!” he said, shoving the rest of the door open. “Hey, uh, it’s great to see you! I mean I know we met the other day but you’ve been busy and, uh—”
Beast gave a nod of understanding. “Mind if I…?”
“--Oh, yeah, ‘course! Come in!”
Cider hopped out of the way, allowing Beast the sanctity of his room. As clean as the dorm was by Clover member standards, Cider could still note several imperfections. His room was almost completely bare and empty, as he hadn’t had time to decorate. But to him, the most noticeable issue was the smashed up pile of wood and cotton that remained of his formerly assigned bed. He winced at the sight, now that he had the perspective of a visitor.
“Sorry, I haven’t had time to… fix everything up,” Cider said. “Fresh recruit and all that.”
“Ha! Your room is much better than the messes our guildmates sleep in! I’m glad there’s someone in here that acknowledges the necessity of cleanliness!”
Cider breathed a sigh of relief, and his body lowered itself to the ground, prepared to loaf. “Just trying to make the most of my dorm… it’s smaller than Spinda’s place.”
“Hrrmph, I imagine so. We’re not exactly living in luxury here, are we?”
“No sir,” Cider confirmed, a glance around, reminding himself of the Guild’s current living situation. “You’re probably the most luxurious thing this place has.”
Beast flashed a smile. Why wouldn’t he? It was a level of respect he wasn’t getting from the other guildmates, that was for sure.
“You’re Spinda’s kid, are you not?”
A quiet nod.
“Then Beast is fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. We’re guildmates now. Besides, Spinda will kill me if I let anything happen to you while you’re here,” he explained, scratching his ear for a moment. He pauses to judge Cider’s gaze of disbelief. “That’s not a joke, I’m sure she would. You should’ve seen her at culinary school.”
“She doesn’t talk about her past much — wait, are you serious about…?”
“Let’s not get into it. I’m actually just here to ask why you failed to show at dinnertime. Surely you’re permitted?”
“I am, I just—I must’ve overslept or something. You know how it is, nocturnal and all that.”
The Munchlax’s eyes, slits that they were, somehow narrowed even further. “You’ve a convincing tone,” he grunted, hands behind his back. “You missed breakfast and lunch as well — out with it, what’s the real reason?”
Of course, a sudden interrogation was the last of Cider’s expectations. He quickly found something that wasn’t Beast to focus his gaze on, singling out the debris in the corner. His mind raced for an excuse.
“Uhh, well, I’m vegetarian—”
“What, a Grass-type is vegetarian? That’d be cannibalism, no?”
“Er, I mean—PESCATARIAN—”
“Mmm-hmm. And do you know what that means?’
“Uhh—”
Beast raises a brow.
“I mean—not pescatarian, haha, I’m actually just—I eat actual… garbage. Yeah. Sorry.”
“Kid, stop wasting my time.”
“Alright, alright, look, I just—” Cider pauses, taking a quick glance around. He made sure to shut that door before continuing, holding a wing to his beak. “I really don’t like our guildmates, okay?”
He winced afterwards, expecting an uproar or some sort of loud disbelief. His eye only opened once he heard Beast chuckling. Amused, the Munchlax shook his head slightly, a toothy smirk.
“Ah! Perfectly understandable, then.”
“O-Oh. You, uh…?” Cider sputtered, folding his wings.
“Walk with me.”
Capim Docks
It was a cloudless night on the docks, and the tail end of the week lended itself to a rather empty boardwalk. It was a night well suited for stargazing, or the evening walk. Cider shuffled behind Beast quietly, awkwardly. The grizzled mon was old enough to be his dad, and yet they were, in a way, equal under the Guild.
Most of Cider’s focus was devoted on ensuring he looked comfortable and safe, and not at all like he had been kidnapped by the Munchlax.
“Beautiful view tonight.”
A glance at Beast, then a confirming nod. “Sure is. Kinda like the beach at Treasure Town.”
“Ah, I’ve heard of that one. Shame it’s only at its best late at night, eh?”
“Or only in the morning, but yeah. Gotta be an early riser or have insomnia, so it’s like; pick your poison.”
“Ha, quite.” After a moment, Beast simply approached the edges of the boardwalk, contemplating the next move. Cider maneuvered himself beside him, hoping to catch what he was staring at.
Unaware that Beast was staring at nothing in particular, Cider directed a wing towards the sky, pointing out a constellation shaped like a coiling tail, complete with a bulbous growth of stars at its end.
“Hey, I didn’t know you could see the New Birth constellation out here! That's pretty good luck!”
“Aye, good luck indeed… IF you’re trying to make a kid,” Beast smirked.
Cider was flustered at the thought, flapping his wings wildly. “Not what I mean, I-I’m talking about the other meanings! New horizons and stuff like that! It’s good luck for Explorers too!”
“Right. Kid, are you making all of this up as you go?”
“I’m being honest! I read about it, I swear!”
Beast couldn’t help but laugh. “Your face is redder than a Tamato! Oh, you’re more like Spinda than I thought!”
“I-deh. Did you bring me out here just to make fun of me?!”
“No, no, of course not—had somethin’ to tell you about the Guild. Passing on some… experience.”
“Oh, Lliam told me you’ve only been here for like, two weeks, so don’t try to pull any wizened master thing already. Maybe in two more weeks you can act like that, but not now!”
“Harrumph. What happened to that respectful tone you had in the dorms?”
“You told me to get rid of it!”
“Did I? …Bring it back.”
“Sorry, not happening now! Might even give you a nickname now, since you wanted it gone so bad!”
Cider pauses to think. He does not take long.
“How about gramps?”
“Bah, gramps? I’m not even close to 60!”
“Then I’m starting early.”
“…You certainly are Spinda’s kid.”
“…”
An awkward silence. Beast turned to the moon, reminiscing. Confidence soon faded from Cider’s eyes, and they glanced downwards.
“…Sorry, I got carried away.”
“Don’t worry about it, lad. I suppose my banter’s just gotten rusty. Can’t possibly keep up with younger wit."
“…But I’m glad you’re here. Make no mistake.”
Cider perked up. His beak hung just slightly.
“The Guild feels lonely sometimes. Maybe it’s just because I can’t keep up with the others, or something else. Either way… glad to have someone I can talk to about… well, something I know.”
Cider didn’t respond immediately. He processed the words, closing his beak slowly as he glanced towards the waters.
“Something about our guildmates does seem pretty off. It’s like they’re…”
“…From another world, or something. I thought it was just a different kind of culture.”
“Believe me, I would love to wrap my head around it myself. But I think I’m better off focusing on the cooking. And /you’re/ better off Exploring. Know why?”
“…It’s what I’m good at.”
“Precisely. Keep that mindset in your head, you’ll need it.”
Beast stretched out with a yawn, scratching something on his apron. “Don’t ask any of ‘em anything. Stick to your chores, and please bring this Guild some money. I’m dying for some kitchenware that’s actually usable, and their budget is piss poor.”
“Got it…”
“…Uh, thanks Beast. Didn’t think you’d actually…”
“Ah, don’t think you’re special or anything. Only bothered because you’re Spinda’s little one.”
Beast nodded, and began to walk off.
“Er-wait, what ‘experience’ were you gonna pass on to me? It can’t have been JUST that?”
“... Sorry kid, looks like ol’ “Gramps” went and forgot!”
“H-Hey, don’t hold that against me! I said I was sorry!”
Cider frowned as he heard Beast chuckling in the distance. “I’m taking that as a sign to keep you calling you Gramps!” He folded his wings with a sigh, glancing back around the boardwalk. It was a decent amount to take in on the first day. Even Beast felt something off about this guildmates, and Cider felt that something on the first day.
There had to be some sort of explanation. His eyes searched the docks for it, but all they fell on were some crates and boxes.