determinator | ♕ NINTH COMMAND | ACTION [OLIVINE CITY]

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♕ NINTH COMMAND | ACTION [OLIVINE CITY] | FOURTH WALL

[If you happen to be exploring Olivine City today, you may run into Archer. That's really not all that unusual - contrary to popular belief, he does spend some time outdoors (some being the key word there) - but what's striking about it is... well, the insane number of cats following him.]

Where did you all even come from...?

[They're all the little cats rather than the larger ones. That means there's a herd of wild Meowth, Glameow, Skitty, Shinx, and Purrloin following Archer around. He loves cats, sure, but this is a bit much!]

[...He may or may not have started carrying around one of those Purrloin though. It's only because he doesn't have one, it's not like he actually likes it or anything...!!]

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Shouldn't what?

[And as usual, Archer has absolutely no idea what you're talking about. He has plenty of clothes, that's not an issue. There's no reason for you to stay in that soaking-wet uniform. So what the hell are you even talking about?]

I don't know what that's going to look like.

[He hesitates briefly.]

What Scar did, I mean. If there are marks, they aren't going to be pretty ones.

[Archer nods slowly. Right. He hadn't even thought about that.]

Do you want me to step outside, then?

[He isn't sure he'd want to see marks like that anyway.]

...yeah, that'd be good.

Alright. Let me know when you're done.

[He'll return Gambit and step outside, then. God, this is awkward.]

[Yeah, it...really is.

The...skirt that the military insists on making its soldiers wear is more complicated than it really needs to be - Kimbley generally tended to find that it's damn near impossible to get the dumb thing to stay on, and once you've managed it's so firmly on there that it becomes a production to take it off, and it's just stupidly inconvenient all around. The weight of it now that it's wet isn't helping any, since it's just dragging on the fastenings; however, he gets that and the pants dealt with reasonably easily, or at least with no more "FML" than dealing with them usually involves.

His hands slip a bit on the fastenings of the jacket, though he shrugs it off quickly once he has it undone; the shirt beneath it...he toys with the bottom hem of it before he just pulls it roughly over his head and casts it aside somewhere, not wanting to procrastinate it any longer than he really has to.

There's a mirror in the room; he makes a point of taking a good look at the marks - as he'd thought, they're definitely there. He takes a moment. Surveys the extent of the damage. Makes sure he'll remember it. He knows he's never going to show Archer, if he has any say in the matter.]

[And then he pulls on that sweater, rolling the sleeves up once it's on. It's several sizes too large for him, hanging off his frame loosely and not aligning anywhere near properly at the shoulders; it's warm, and even if it's obviously not one that he's worn before, it feels good. Familiar. He smiles at it a bit, despite himself; it really is ugly as sin.

He checks that mirror one more time, fixing that cord in his hair where the ends had started to come a bit loose, before leaving the room to meet with Archer outside.]

Hey.

[Archer waits as patiently as he can. He can't imagine what it would be like - to have to deal with something like that - and he knows the only thing he really can do is give Kimbley his space. Still, he's relieved when Kimbley does open the door.]

It wasn't too bad, was it?

[Damn you're tiny. He kind of has the shoulderspan from hell, but still...]

Pretty damn, actually. But I'm fine with it.

[He slides his hands into his pockets.]

I mean it. It's okay.

...I suppose there isn't really much choice, is there?

[Still, it's unfortunate. After a moment Archer reaches out to touch Kimbley's shoulder, forcing the usual smirk back into place.]

But it's fine. You're here now. There's no sense worrying about it.

[He doesn't move to shrug Archer's hand off; the gesture is another familiar one, really, and he's comfortable with it.]

Yeah, I know. I'm not worried, Archer - you know I don't really worry about things anyway, especially not shit I can't fix. It's fine.

[He doesn't believe that for a second, but there's nothing he can do. He doesn't want to deal with it, and it's obvious Kimbley doesn't want to either.]

Of course. I know how you are. You don't think I've forgotten that much, do you?

[Now come on, we're going back in the room. He just kind of wants to cuddle for awhile, okay. >:| ]

I didn't think so.

[He'll let Archer bring him back into the room; he doesn't move to touch him once they're inside, but he stays within reaching distance - if Archer wants to touch him, that's fine, but it's not usually something Kimbley instigates himself unless he's not thinking about it at the moment.]

Good.

[Oh come on now, don't just stand there! You know how this goes, right?]

Well, I've spent entirely too much time outdoors today. I'm tired.

[You're going to come here and cuddle with him, goddammit.]

...well, we can't have that, can we?

[Oh, he knows how this goes, Archer. He'll just leave you your side of the bed and lie down, all right; get over here.]

[Good! Archer joins him there quickly and latches on immediately. He's wanted to do this for quite some time now.]

No, of course not.

[...]

Thank you.

[That's mumbled into Kimbley's shoulder, and it's the most tsun thing ever.]

Hey, come on.

[As soon as Archer's more or less hugging on him, Kimbley's hand finds Archer's hair, his fingers running through it lightly.]

You don't have to thank me for this shit. You know that.

...I know.

[He wants to thank you, though. Is that so hard to believe? ...Shut up, he knows it is.]

[The hair playing is nice though, and Archer relaxes into it immediately. It's almost like it hasn't been eight months since he last was with Kimbley like this (that he can remember clearly, at least).]

It's just good to have you here.

[He just laughs a bit at that, deflecting it as he always does in order to keep it from getting completely goddamn awkward.]

Yeah, well. I am pretty damn magnificent, you know.

Yes, you are.

[That will just get snuggling, if you don't mind. He's not finding it awkward. Deal with it.]

[He's not going to complain about that, really. Just plays with your hair some more, man.

Cuddling he can deal with; it's just the verbal...whatnot that you throw at him sometimes that he has no idea what to do with.]

[He does understand that much; hell, he's not sure what to do with the majority of what he says to you. Things are different with you, and he's never really sure how to handle that.]

...I wasn't expecting to see you again.

[...He might just be rephrasing the whole "it's good to see you" thing again. Because he can't express that enough.]

Maybe this place'll let me stay this time.

[The words are hollow; he's pretty sure it won't.]

[Archer's grip tightens in response. He knows Kimbley doesn't believe it.]

I certainly hope so.

[His words don't sound any more genuine.]

[He can feel Archer's grip tighten, definitely; he just buries his hand a bit deeper in Archer's hair in response, though the stroking motion remains surprisingly light.]

Hey, I like my ribs, you know. Relax, Archer.

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