IC CONTACT

[blueser]

"Hello... Whatever... Don't worry about me. I'm doing peachy over here! I was just looking for something to do! Wanna battle me again?"

[telepathy | Pidgeot-mail]

Comments

[broceanic]

[he doesn't look at blue as he picks at the sandwich. quite the opposite, actually. he gets up to fiddle with something on a nearby shelf.]

For over a month straight?

[blueser]

[Two or three, really.]

[But Blue doesn't correct him.]

I spent a whole year on the road, what's the big deal?

[broceanic]

Back home, where feelin' bad don't make a perpetual rainstorm follow you.

[it's not said accusatorily. there's no pity in his tone either; it's stated as a simple fact.]

You should at least have a base to go back to. Even if it's the crummiest apartment ever on the edge of town.

[blueser]

[Blue's jaw sets. Even in Viridian, he had a small apartment just to crash at when Gym days went long or he didn't feel like going home to Pallet for whatever reason.... But there, he had a job. He had income. He had skills.]

[Here.... He had nothing. He was a 14 year old, still practically a child, with no marketable skills. When the only thing you knew how to do, the only thing you're good at becomes irrelevant, what then? Rely on the pity of others.]

[And that, he's been much too proud for.]

I don't need to waste my time with that. [He grumbles, but even he knows...]

[broceanic]

To get a place to stay? It doesn't have to be with any of us. I know you're more than capable of looking after yourself.

[he sniffs.]

Do it for your Pokémon, if you won't do it for yourself.

[blueser]

My Pokémon are too big for the crappy little houses they have here.

[Blue huffs. That was a big part of the reason he hadn't even considered it outright. His poor Pokémon.... Eevee would be fine of course, maybe even Arcanine, if he could get out for walks and runs- but the rest of them needed much more space than Verens could afford them on an easily accessible basis.]

Just cuz you two losers have this big cabin to freeload in cuz that Jill lady pities you or whatever... Your Pokémon aren't even as big as mine. [Or as tough. Or cool. That's implicit.]

[broceanic]

Then shack up at the berry farm. In the farmhouse. Or ask Anabel how she deals with her big ones. She has the Johto beasts, I think she'd have good advice.

[he leans over, resting his elbow on the arm of the couch.]

This ain't about us. Don't deflect, y'hear? You gotta stay somewhere an' be safe.

[blueser]

[....Anabel.... That's right, the police chief... Blue has been thinking about where he'll go from here. It's too uncomfortable, in this cabin with these adults that talk like they understand, who try to push and nag him to do this or that when they aren't even responsible people themselves.... They were criminals, for Arceus' sake!]

[Blue's teeth grind, and he jumps up with a stumble, not quite in any condition to be on his own yet but feeling the creep of fear in him that had him primed to flee.]

I don't gotta take this from a crazy like you! [He hisses, because his head hurts too much to shout.] Don't start thinkin' you can tell me what to do!

[broceanic]

[he gets up and walks back to the kitchen, opting not to press. it's easy enough to grab some stuff out the fridge to reheat-- a far better meal than the sandwich he'd offered before.]

I'm going to make you something that should help with the headache. After that you can do what you want.

[blueser]

[Archie's casual, presumptuous announcement only angers him more, but--]

[He's so hungry.]

[Blue glances down at the half of a sandwich still left, stomach rumbling, and frowns angrily. Archie is gone now, so... He could just take the rest, and flee...]

[Or he could wait to get more food....]

[He's mad that he feels he's being coerced into staying, and his pride nearly won't allow him to save face and stay, but he feels so weak.....]

[He marches into the kitchen instead, turning his nose up at Archie again.] You think you're so clever, huh? Fine. Hurry up and cook, I'll take it with me.

[broceanic]

Hmmm, [he says, pulling out a little wooden lunchbox to start packing it. press some rice from earlier down in the bottom, chop up veggies... it's a healthy lunch for sure. he even cuts the little sausages in a special way! mostly because he's pretty sure that makes them cook faster, but still...]

I can't make the fire hotter, unless you wanna eat some cremated garbage.

[blueser]

[Blue's brow furrows as Archie works, and what becomes clear to be a bento forms, and he petulantly turns his back and marches out of the room again.]

[This stupid old pirate wannabe.... Acting like his mom or something. Like he really cared. Like he wasn't just doing it because it's what adults are supposed to do. Pretend to care about kids.]

[He paces in the front room, working himself up a tiny fury, by the time Archie finishes.]

[broceanic]

[archie can tell something's off with blue, though being unable to read minds-- he can't tell exactly what. other than he's the cause of it, apparently.]

Here. [he says, holding it out. he didn't go too wild with it; it's very simple but nutritious. the sort of lunch he would've packed for himself on the job, when there wasn't time or space for fancy shit.] Do you need anything for your Pokémon?

[blueser]

...No. They're okay. [He hopes. He's been so worried for them, but they usually just hunt in the woods on their own anyway, or else he's been pilfering plenty of berries that Exeggutor can grow here and there.]

[Blue shuffles back towards the door, opening it- a light rain has already started up overhead of the cabin since he woke up, but it's a sign of what's to come. He hasn't really solved anything by coming here....]

[And now he doesn't know where else to go.]

[He thinks about giving his thanks, but he decides he has nothing to thank for, and instead just slips out the door and starts bustling away from the cabin.]