Before did not want to be here in the Cove. He did not like the look of the place, he did not like the smell of the air, of the sound of the waves, nor of those stairs. Okay, not so much the stairs themselves but where they led to, which was down. Down, down, down, do-oh look here he was! Huh. Kinda dark, isn't it? Teal eyes squinted in the torchlight, his lips duck-billed in intense concentration, as if he was waiting for more psychosomatic injury-inducing fog to start seeping in through cracks and crevaces.

When he was certain that even if there was no fog, no gas, or water (because, come on, be honest, Coves usually involved caves that got filled with water during tide changes, right?) he ventured a step. The sole of his boot barely touched the stone floor when he hears something. Immediately he ducks to a defensive position. And by defensive his hands are covering his head, his face practically buried against his chest, his eyes are screwed shut, yes, he very closely resembled someone cowering. Which he was not!

No, no, Before saw this before in some old Kung Fu movie with bad dubbing and questionable physics. But it involved the main guy doing this ducking and head-holding pose while the bad guy... waled on him good.

...

Okay, yeah, maybe he was cowering. A little.

In the span of time it took for him to rationalize his actions, silence had returned to Cove. He cracked one eye open, and finally noticed the faint, eerie glow of the walls. For a moment, he hears nothing, thinks of no random unrelated tangents, just a faint hum of static in his ear. Just for a moment. Because the silence is unbearable to Before. It forces him to think of who he is. Of what sort of person is. What he might become.

He didn't want that.

The teal-eyed man rose to his feet quickly, too quickly, because he lost his footing. He stumbled forward, a hand brushing against the glowing runes, and all he hears is the squeak of his skin against stone. Until...

It was faint and soft like gossamer threads but the pull was strong and determined like steel cables. He leaned closer, cocking his head to the side, then the other, and Before felt the irresistable urge to touch the surface of one particular rune. His fingers lightly traced the crudely-carved wheel shape.

Hi theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere!

"OH HOLY s**t WHAT!? WHAT?! ARE YOU IN MY HEAD?!" Before shrieked, eyes wide as dinner plates, spinning round and round on his heels quickly. Again, too quickly. And he falls flat on his back from dizziness.

You're silly, you know that? A delicate giggle.

"s**t, you really are in my head! Are, are you like some sort of ear or brain gremlin? Is that why I can hear you in my brain?"

White noise.

Hum of static.

A giggle.

A snicker.

A snort.

Side-splitting laughter.

A brain gremlin? Really? Oh silly, silly, SILLY boy! Gremlins latch onto mechanical things and destroy them from the inside. No, you are not mechanical. You are soft. And squishy.

Before may or may not thought he was listening to a girl.

"I-I'm know I'm kinda outta shape," he wibbled, bottom lip sticking out as he slowly (finally figured out that slow and steady wins the race, did he?) "But I'm not that squishy... Am I?" He heard a giggle as his voice cracked towards the end. He cleared his throat, "O-okay, so uh, are you my weapon?"

Weeeeeell, yes! Yes, I am! Now get me out of here! she demanded.

"A-are you sure you want me?" Before breathed, hardly able to believe... wait who was he talking to? "Uh, pardon me for being a total moron for forgetting to ask but... Who you?"

Oh! It's just been so long since I last spoke to someone who actually LISTENED to me I've forgotten basic manners! I'm Panna Yukuta.

"Nice to meet you, Pannacota!" He grinned and reached his hand out to retrieve the rune from the wall. Before let out a startled yelp when the small stone shifted and changed and grew and expanded and no longer looked like it could fit in the indentation that was carved out the wall. He gawked and gaped and stared at the wheel he now held in his hands. It looked too heavy for him to lift but here he was. Holding it comfortably. Easily. Like it was made just for him.

"HO. LY. ********. YOU ROLLED ALL THE WAY FROM THERE TO HERE?!?! HOW DID YOU?! WHEN DID YOU!? HOOOOOOOOOLY FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!"

Can you please refrain from using such... vulgar language in front of me?

"O-oh! Oh I'm so sorry Pannacota! I didn't mean to offend!" ;A;

I forgive you. But my name is Panna Yukuta.

"I gotcha the first time. I'm Before, sorry I didn't give you my name, uh, before," he laughed nervously.

So you aren't sorry now?

"No! I am sorry! I didn't mean to be rude and say s**t, er, stuff around you. And my name is Before."

Such an odd name...

Before blinked and stared down at the weapon. His weapon. "So you don't want me calling you Pannacota. I don't know why because that stuff's pretty awesome," he chuckled, "Maybe I can call you something else?"

Silence.

Is there a particular need to call me something else? Is my name not good enough for you? AM I NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU!?!?!?!

Before would have normally dropped whatever he was holding at the sharp rise in octave and the harsh temper of her voice. He would have backed away from someone who seemed disagreeable and liable to bite his ******** head off. But he was here to find his weapon and she wouldn't have spoken to her if she wasn't his. So he kept his grip strong, his hold firm. "Dude, whatchu on? You're awesome! Way better than any booterang!" he scoffed, "And I give awesome names! Just ask Bix! And Boss! And Germy! And and and boss-dude!"

A sigh.

Alright. What do you propose?

"Well. You're a sweet wheel, and spinny wheel of DOOM's too long, and you make me think of the Wheel of Fortune-"

I suppose you are fortunate that I have chosen you-

"Oh, no! Was talking about that show with Vanna White. Hey! Vanna! Yeah! That's a classy name, except you're not really white," he harrumphed, "How's about Vanna Black?"
Another sigh.

If I agree to that... title... will you GET ME OUT OF HERE?!

Before had broken into a dead run straight for the exit before she could have finished her question.