[ Vincent - Bow-wow ] Sad yeehaw

Erin | Vincent Churchwell

Fading blue wallpaper aside, the dining room at this facility was… shockingly nice for where it is. Even something as simple as 'eating comfortably' seemed like it would be too much to spare for whatever criminals were found within its spaces, convicted or not.

Then again, Vincent wasn't actually here to eat right now, and was instead sitting at a table with a blank stare forward at the wall, so maybe it all equalled out in the end. There weren't even that many people here he'd seen so far to be causing disruptions here (or at least, not yet), so for the time being there was nothing worth ceasing his empty stare into nothingness for.

…God he's tired, but having just woken up, sleep surely wouldn't be coming his way again any time soon.

Bow-wow

"Howdy, friend! What's got you lookin' so glum?" Pipes up the way-too-cheery voice of Bow-wow as he enters the kitchen- likely in pursuit of some description of food. He was totally taking advantage of the fact that food here was… so much better than what he was used to.

His question shows absolutely zero regard to their current predicament, nor the common denominator that ties them all together in this one place.

"I'm Bow-wow! Nice to meet you! You sure look like you'd appreciate some company!" He slides himself into the seat across from Vincent without waiting for an answer on if he was even welcome to begin with.

Erin | Vincent Churchwell

Jesus Christ was that a fucking gremlin-

Vincent expected someone to eventually come in, hopefully just to do their own thing and Not bother him, but it seemed that peace would not be achieved anytime soon. Because now, there was some kind of talking dog- No, some… kid? Teen? Young adult, maybe, wearing a dog mask cheerfully talking directly to him.

He squints for a moment at the newcomer after raising his head as he tries to figure out just what the hell is happening here. Bow-wow????? Was that… supposed to be a name?

"Vincent Churchwell." Blunt, but at least he bothered to give his name. He would not, however, be answering what had him looking 'glum'. "You some kinda… prison… mascot?? Didn't think that was a thing."

Bow-wow

Wow- why did everyone assume he was here to be a mascot? It's almost as if he was dressed as one. Weird how that happens, huh?

"Well, I don't know any more than y'all 'bout this place!" Bow-wow informs, sitting with his painted fingers pressed together like a pyramid. "Th'most I can tell ya is I woke up in a cell with all y'all around, and then… there's nobody I recognise, but a weird amount of y'all sound like me?"

He didn't really seem at all off-put by Vincent's demeanour, so that's something!

Erin | Vincent Churchwell

"…Mmmm… I haven't seen any other… masked people around, so I don't know about that much." What did 'sound like me' mean here anyways??? Vincent, who is also from Texas and certainly has a mild texan accent as well, simply doesn't even note Bow-wow's as any kind of abnormal.

"Strange they let ya keep it then, but I guess 's strange to keep any jewelry either," Vincent mutters afterwards, half mindlessly. "Guards might come by later, I guess."

Bow-wow

"Well, there's at least two of y'all I've met so far who are from Texas! There's you, an' that big, tall, mustache guy. I dunno if y'all have met, but he said his name's Robert!"

He laughs a little- it reverberates around the mask somewhat, but he has a rather notably nasally kind of laugh. It's a little silly, really. And yet, weirdly suits him.

"Guess they thought I wouldn't be th' same wit'out it!" Or maybe they'd taken pity on his pour soul, or something like that. "Don't really got a complaint to make 'bout that. At least they chose the mask, not the full mascot suit!"

He tilts his head thoughtfully. "That makes sense! Wow, y'all are pretty clever. Makin' me feel like my D in English ain't really good enough!"

Erin | Vincent Churchwell

Vincent… just looks mildly confused by that.

"Wouldn't… that just be because we're in Texas…??" Surely that was a simpler explanation than anything else, right? If he was in Texas before, and was still surrounded by Texans now, why would he now be somewhere else?

Wouldn't be the same without it? …Vincent could see the reasoning for himself there, at least, for his piercings and ring to be core to him. Absentmindedly, he runs a thumb over the scratch on the front of his ring.

"Do you… regularly wear a mask around? Not only for your job, or something…?" Vincent briefly wracks his brain, trying to think of some other reason why this would be done but for work or halloween reasons, and only a few things come to mind. "For, uh… fashion reasons, I assume."

Honestly, Vincent's not even sure which part of what he'd said Bow-Wow was calling clever, but he does pause a little at the grades comment.

"…Grades aren't everything. I graduated with honors, and yet both of us are in a jail regardless." Not… the most comforting thing to say right now, maybe, but…??? Ok then.

Bow-wow

"But I don't think we are in Texas!" Bow-wow exclaims, with the same intonation as Dorothy saying they weren't in Kansas any more. "I dunno what kinda weird magic is goin' on, but I can understand people who definitely ain't speakin' English!"

"Well, it ain't really a work thing. But my boss doesn't really care!" He shifts a little, leaning back and looking up. "I jus' don't wanna go scarin' any kids, y'know? An' besides, people know the mascot, so… it's good for business!"

Bow-Wow shrugged, despite the implications of his reasoning.

"Besides, the whole mascot thing ain't my job, that's just my… extra…circular?" He's trying to say extracurricular. "My high school needed a new mascot for our baseball team, so I was chosen for it. I actually work at the mall… in the food court!"

"Wow! I wish my parents thought the same!" He laughed a little, "They nag me all the time, 'cause they think I'm gonna end up with a sucky job…" He sighs.

"They say it 'cause they care, but… I still kinda ended up here, huh?"

Erin | Vincent Churchwell

"That… has been strange, yes. But I don't know if that means anything for where we are either." Because to his knowledge, there wasn't any certain state or even country where something like that just Happened on the regular, either. It COULD still be Texas! But yeah, Vincent has no solid idea where they are.

Scaring any kids…? Vincent… can take a few guesses for what that means, even if he can't say for sure. Best not to press Bow-Wow on it too much, probably.

"Well at the very least, there shouldn't be any kids-," Vincent starts to say, before abruptly pausing as he registers the rest of what Bow-Wow just said, eyes widening a bit as the implications sink in.

For his high school. This guy was STILL in high school. And unless Bow-Wow was held back quite a bit, that implied that Vincent was in fact talking to someone Very young, in a place that was certainly jail. That… shakes Vincent a little out of the self-focused haze he had been in.

"-here. Though, how… old are you, Bow-Wow, if you're in high school…? If you're… comfortable answering that." Vincent wouldn't blame him if he wasn't, but even without a clear answer… there was no way this guy wasn't at least a teenager, right? Christ, now Vincent wishes he hadn't been so quick to make implications about both their futures.

"That's… kind of your manager to allow you to if it's something you prefer, though. And your parents…" Actually, Vincent just trails off with that one, unsure of how to end the sentence. After a moment, he shakes his head and takes a deep breath. "It's natural to want the best for those closest to you. …Hopefully you'll get off easier here too, at your age. You still have time to get things on track one way or another."

Vincent has no clue what Bow-Wow was taken in for, but… he really seems like a nice kid (teen?), so it's the best he can offer.

Bow-wow

"I kinda jus' assumed we were in Texas at first, but… th'more'a y'all I talk to… I don't think that's right." He shakes his head slowly, knowing that neither of them would be able to come up with a conclusive answer when they were both stuck in this prison…

"Oh, I'm 18, sir! I know the mask probably makes it hard to tell… but I got a kinda ugly scar on my face, so…trust me. It's better this way." Here he goes with the 'sir'… "I was… meant to be graduatin' this year, but I dunno if I would'a even managed it with my grades…" He fidgets with his sleeve a little, before cheering himself up once again.

"Yeah! My mom and pops are… always lookin' out for me. Even if it's in a tough love kinda way these days." And yet, he'd still ended up here. Just what had happened? "I… dunno. I dunno what I should get here." His shoulders slump.

"I hope you understand that I don't wanna talk about it, sir, but… I…did somethin' real bad. I don't think I'm gonna get off lightly."

Erin | Vincent Churchwell

Hm… much to think about there, except for the fact that, ultimately, Vincent didn't really care if he was brought out of state for some reason or not and would not be thinking on it further just yet. Jail was still jail, after all, and murder was still murder.

…Man. Even the upper range of high school ages was still so young to someone who'd been done with that for over a decade. Vincent really can't help but just feel… bad, for the guy. And just bad in general.

"It's fine; If you want to wear a mask, it's of no concern to me one way or the other." It's not like Vincent was the one it really effected when it was more about Bow-wow's comfort than anything. …Struggle with graduating, huh? There's a pang of… some kind of emotion at that, but Vincent pauses, unsure of what he can or perhaps rather… should to that. Finally, he settles with, "…You may have to take remediate courses, or go for a GED instead. It should still be possible for you."

The way that Bow-wow hesitates while saying that about his parents… Vincent might not understand the specifics of a family he's never actually met, but it does conjure up some thoughts regardless. Tough love. Vincent… nods, after a moment, to both that and the statement that Bow-wow too had done something real bad. In theory, that could mean many things. But with other things on the mind right now… Vincent lets out a slow breath.

"…I see." …….. "And I… understand, yes. My own circumstances are… likely not too different from yours, in any case."

Except he'd already lived over 30 years of his life already, and this kid was only barely an adult in the eyes of the law. Vincent pinches the bridge of his nose as he sits, briefly muttering nonsense to himself as he closes his eyes. Finally, after a moment of perhaps awkward silence, he turns to look back at Bow-Wow a bit more properly.

"Regardless of what punishment you're given, then, and whether you deserve it or not. No matter the struggles you face: You will make it through this." It's not quite a promise, or even a suggestion, but instead said oddly firmly as a statement of fact. Message to all Bow-Wows: Survive.

Bow-wow

Not me not using a single sprite for this bc i don't think the mask conveys any of these emotions!!!!

Bow-wow sits and listens incredibly politely, for someone who seems like they'd be so chaotic in general. He kind of… mulls over Vincent's words, visibly fiddling with the edges of his straitjacket. In a sense, he kind of gave off the impression he was uncomfortable, but then after a few long moments, he glances up.

"Well, I always wanted to graduate… like… properly. But if I ain't got any other choice, it's probably gonna be better'n' not graduatin' at all…" He looked up, staring at the ceiling. It hurt, really, to think of graduation. All of those around him, getting their qualifications, ready for adult life, and… there he was. With his dead end fast food job, and his stupid little furry suit, and…

Where the hell would that get him in life? It… admittedly helped, to know there was another option, but it still felt so soul-crushing, the weight of knowing that there was a chance he'd have to re-take grades, or just pursue an entirely different avenue altogether.

He'd been absorbed in admittedly slowly spiraling thoughts when Vincent spoke up again, and Vincent's words are met with a slight--

"Huh?" It's more soft-spoken than he's been the entire time. But he certainly heard what the other had said. How could he not? When someone was essentially saying they had confidence in you, it was like activating a sleeper agent in barely-activated neuron pathways.

He's quiet, but then… there's a slight shake in his shoulders. His breathing wobbles a little. He stands up, awkwardly shuffles closer. Visibly hesitating for a couple of moments, before he stops himself, arms half outstretched, and lowers them again.

His voice trembles and there's a squeak of a voice crack as he asks- "C-Can I give you a hug or something? Sorry- that's probably, uh, weird?" He looks down, "It's jus'- I- People don't really… believe in me. I dunno if you… really do, but, the fact you're at least able to pretend-… Thanks. Uh… It's…" He trails off awkwardly, not quite sure how to continue.

Erin | Vincent Churchwell

Vincent hums somberly in agreement to the first part said. Yeah, he… understands the feeling. Many things in life didn't go as planned, like that. All there was to do was what they could.

Vincent lets Bow-Wow take any time he needs to think and respond with what he wants. The shake of Bow-Wow's shoulders, his breathing… Vincent tries not to react to any of it, expression still and neutral, mostly out of respect and to not draw unnecessary attention to it. But as Bow-Wow starts to move closer, to reach for him, and finally to ask him for a HUG… Vincent is once again visibly surprised, his eyes widening.

And admittedly, for a moment he hesitates. Because him? Bow-Wow shouldn't want to hug him of all people, to get comfort some someone like Vincent. Even having said they might be in similar positions, he can't quite believe that this scared kid could have done anything quite as horrid as himself, and it feels… wrong to be looked at as a source of comfort right now. It should be someone else that gives Bow-Wow the support he so clearly needs.

…But someone else isn't here right now. And someone else hadn't been the one to say what had seemed to mean so much to Bow-Wow, either. Vincent isn't about to just take back what he's said, after all. It's just a hug. And if that's what would help Bow-Wow right now… Vincent takes a slow, steady breath to ease his inner anxieties about it.

"…Yeah, you can," Vincent says a bit more softly after a moment, and turns a bit more towards Bow-Wow and opens his own arms a bit so he can do so a little more easily. Vincent's body is firm, so it might not be the most comfortable hug in the world, but… sometimes someone sturdy is a good way to ground yourself, at the very least. "I… can't say I know you, or all the details of your situation. But I'm not pretending. ….Take whatever time you need."

Bow-wow

What Bow-Wow doesn't currently know won't hurt him!

Besides, who's to say that his opinion of Vincent would change if he knew what he had done to end up here in the first place. Once given permission, he gently leans into him. His hold is so gentle, like he's afraid to hug anyone too hard. Like he doesn't even quite know how to hug people properly in the first place.

"…Thank ya. You're very kind." He blubbers a little, quickly catching himself and forcing down the hiccups that rose in his throat. He was silent as he gently hugged Vincent for a few moments, until he was just sniffling softly, and released him once he was content with the hug.

"I dunno… what the purpose of this place is. Or anythin' like that, but…I…" He shuffles his feet awkwardly. "I don't… I don't wanna believe anyone here did anythin' so awful that they deserve ta be here. If I'm wrong…I'm gonna be wrong. But… everyone I've met so far has been so nice ta me… I'll take bein' wrong on the chin if I gotta."

"What I did… it was an accident, I promise ya…" He sighs, "A horrible…disastrous accident. That…" He looks at the floor. "It killed someone. Someone…close to me." It felt so sobering to admit it out loud. But… in a way- he's sure he could sense some apprehension from Vincent. And perhaps…if he knew that Bow-Wow truly had made such a horrible mistake, Vincent would realize that Bow-Wow was meant to be here after all.

Erin | Vincent Churchwell

Vincent doesn't generally think of himself as particularly kind, but maybe to whatever standards Bow-Wow had been experiencing up until now he might be, which was a bit of a sad thought. Perhaps thankfully for Bow-Wow too, even if it's still slightly awkward, Vincent IS experienced with hug giving, and makes a good enough effort to make it feel like a real one before Bow-Wow ultimately lets go.

…Hah. Vincent thinks it might be in poor taste to point out to Bow-Wow that Vincent himself did probably deserve to be here, and honestly respects Bow-Wow's choice to accept being wrong later if he has to enough to give a careful nod to that. And hearing what Bow-Wow says he had done… Ow. God, that hurts. Vincent's heart aches at that too, because even if he might have expected it was something of that caliber, it's still rough to know for sure. This poor dog-boy.

"I believe you. No one… in their right mind would want to hurt someone they care for on purpose. Would… want to go through losing them entirely. …I'm so sorry," he says softly at that. He knows just giving platitudes doesn't particularly help, but… what else was there to say, really? But of course Vincent wouldn't be retracting anything he'd said so far at learning that. "I… don't know if I'm really in a position to help you, but I hope you can get some. It's… it's hard."