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

[determinator]

[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...!!]

Comments

[alchemicals]

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.]

[determinator]

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.]

[alchemicals]

...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.]

[determinator]

[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.]

[alchemicals]

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.

[determinator]

...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.

[alchemicals]

[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.

[determinator]

Yes, you are.

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

[alchemicals]

[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.]

[determinator]

[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.]

[alchemicals]

Maybe this place'll let me stay this time.

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

[determinator]

[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.]

[alchemicals]

[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.

[determinator]

I am relaxed.

[That's mumbled into Kimbley's shoulder though; Archer doesn't look up either. After a moment he loosens his grip a bit so he's not exactly crushing Kimbley's ribs anymore. He hates this; why can't Kimbley stay? Why does Johto do this sort of shit to him?]

I hope you'll stay.

[...Just thought he'd reiterate the point in the hopes that maybe you'll get how important this is to him!]

[alchemicals]

[Kimbley shifts a bit when Archer loosens up; he isn't trying to break contact, just resettling into something a bit more comfortable.]

I don't have much say in the matter. You know that.

[determinator]

I know. I know.

[If you did, you would have stayed last time.]

It's just... I don't understand why you're allowed to come here and then not allowed to stay. It doesn't make sense.

[alchemicals]

...yeah, I know. There's no sense in dwelling on it, though, is there?

[determinator]

...No, I suppose there isn't.

[For the time being, the only thing he can really do is make this count for something.]

[...So let him go back to awkwardly hugging on you. He's not sure what to say; he knows he needs to say something about how he's feeling but... but he doesn't want to ruin things right now.]

[This is all so horribly awkward. orz]

[alchemicals]

[Kimbley allows the hugging-on, going back to playing with Archer's hair in silence; he's usually perfectly content to ignore the awkwardness in favor of simply not dealing with it, and for a short while he's fine with it now, too.

At the same time, he can't exactly leave it for too long; it's getting stifling for some reason.]

...you okay?

[determinator]

I'm fine.

[His tone says otherwise, and he knows it. Dammit, he can't lie to you. At the same time, dealing with it is... definitely not something he wants to do.]

...Still a bit bitter, but I'll be fine.

[...You'll buy that, right.]

[alchemicals]

[...well, yes and no. He'll buy that that might be the issue, but he isn't dropping it.]

You can talk to me; I don't really mind if it's you.

[determinator]

[He knows that's the case; he knows Kimbley doesn't like talking about his own issues, and he assumes Kimbley wouldn't have any interest in anyone else's, so the fact that he's fine with it does say a lot. At the same time, Archer isn't sure how to approach it, or even really want to talk about it right now.]

[But he also knows just how awkward he gets when he doesn't discuss what's on his mind. That will be just as telling.]

...You mean more to me than anyone else, Kimbley.

[...Let's start with that and see how it goes.]

[alchemicals]

...yeah, you said something like that earlier. The only person you really cared about and all that.

[Archer, seriously...]

[determinator]

[Oh come on, he's going somewhere with this! Just humor him!]

I... good. Good. I just wanted you to know.

[Orrr not. You don't mind if he just awkwards forever, right?]

[alchemicals]

...which is why you told me that three or four times today.

Come on, Archer. I wasn't born yesterday.